{O}ncoming {S}torm

[»Freeish«]

Each step brings me,

The wind stirred through the foliage that carpeted the ground signaling the approaching onslaught of winter,sending each leaf dancing merrily through the celestial curtains.It was night and nothing of the deepest dyes could be seen,barely anything was light enough to distinguish where the ground ended and the skies began,towering upwards in endless majesty.

And in the darkest corners of the lands,Riokay stirred.Night time called to him,the stars shedding enough pale silver light for him to continue moving,searching for any canines inhabiting the lands.Each paw was pressed gently down into the earth,minimizing the sounds made by even the slightest of motions.

The warrior's lanterns were a pale,liquid,almost unearthly yellow,jewel bright in the dreadfully final blackness of night.His handosme dial was low,allowing oxygen chasms close enough proximity to the ground to scent any traces of canine presence that had or were upon the lands.One faint scent,just one,crossed his path,yet Riokay had no idea where they had gone or how long ago the one who had left it had been here.

Closer to reality..

[Fell]

It was that time of year again. The influx of wolves that waxed and waned. It's waxing now and the black she-wolf never could understand why it is that they come in waves. It seemed that it was her that usually stumbled across them though she really had no grounds for making the statement a fact. There was another pack near here and she had no idea what kind of wolves they came across. All Fell knew is that the strangers were hungry.

Power hungry. Company Hungry. Hungry for life and hungry for death. Famished wolves searching long and hard to satisfy one of their most basic instincts. If they fell into Fell's lap, it was up to Fell whether they feed or get fed to something else.

Caw, caw, caw.

Shut-up.

Caw, caw, caw.

Shut-up.

Caw, caw, CACK.

Shut-.... Fell lifted her head instantly but her body did not follow. She laid belly-down and had her head resting between her forelegs. Why aren't you cawwing? the words wrapped around Fell's brain. Unknownst to her, the raven (who seemed up way past its bedtime) heard a noise, or lack of, rather. It was then that her brain finally cleared and realized that all else was silent too. She knew this to be a preditors calling card. As the only known preditor in the woods, as pickings were slim, she silently stood. With all the stealth she could gather she slunk her body toward the raven's point-of-veiw. She knew there was a reason for keeping them around.

She quickly caught sent of one she has never nosed before. She still did not want to make her presence known and looked around her. Smelling the air for any changes in the potency of the scent. She did not have to look long, for then she found two round pools of greenish-yellow light. She knew that if the other noticed, she was given away as well.

[»Freeish«]

Each step brings me,

The abrupt silence that seemed to deaden even the harsh cold of the night reached his alert auditals,and Riokay was instantly on standby.The male dropped back slightly on his paws and caught a stronger whiff of the scent,closer now.And there.the slightest glint,perhaps a reflection of the surface of another's orbital.

Even the stars seemed to have dimmed at the sudden,overwhelming silence,that threatened to reach out of the blackness and devour him.Or rather them,whichever.Either way,the ravens stopped their annoying raucous,annoying,noise,warning him that another was definitely near him,and he wasn't just being paranoid.

Another sign,the scent was stronger now,and fresh,providing the final evidence that the femme had decided to show up-rightfully so,as it seemed to be her land.Cool chorus was relinquished,breaking the fragile silence descending on them.So,this land is not uninhabited.. It sounded like it was addressed to himself.But Riokay just wanted to know if she would answer.

Closer to reality..

[Fell]

She stood in silence. Cool, calm, collected... calculating. The stranger stared back at her. Obvious that her presence was known, by the howl the other released.

She was in no mood to be hostile in which she might normally be. Fell lurched forward, her gaze really focused on the ground as she moved over toward the wanderer.

What sort of things will you say? What about you is different from all the rest I have chased off? She spoke to him without speaking to him. The words in her mind she wished to ask blankly but her tongue was lazy for conversation.

She stopped not too close to the wandering wolf. Finally looked up, her face expressionless.

"No, this land is not uninhabited." Her voice was normally high and mocking. But right now it was low and smooth. Calm before the storm.

[»Freeish«]

Each step brings me,

The slightest utterance,the cool,calculating words that were so clearly enunciated reached him,auditals pushing against the wind to stand to attention upon his handsome crown.No expression marred his facade as he responded to the calm sentence,deliberating over his response for less than a minute.No.I did not doubt that it was.I merely felt like seeing if you considered a potential threat worthy of your time.

It was Riokay's way of testing the waters,seeing if she would take that response as a threat.To see if she was smart enough to pick out that it was only a response and not a statement warning her that he was to be wary of.

Closer to reality..

[Fell]

Her orange eyes searched his own oddly colored ones. She wasn't sure if his glowing pools of yellow light were searching hers. The fellow black wolf's own words were also calm and cool.

"... potential threat worthy of your time." Her company finishes.

"You're odd." She simply put. "You wander through expecting more. Know you might be perceived as a threat. Even admit to it. And yet you seem unsure that worthy of my time." The emotions mask faded slighty. Fell was amused. "Others that tread through here are often immature, angry, and downright rude." She paused for a slight second. "Not you. You come here knowing the threat and stayed cool about it... Thank you."

Though Fell did not take her eyes off the lone wolf her muscles losened a little.

"Tell me, are you yet another lone wolf wandering the world in search of purpose or have you already found it?" She suddendly looked irriated, but only with herself. She forgot an introduction. A wolf that showed respect deserved to be treated with it. "Forgive me, my name is Fell and you stand in Samhain packlands. Your name is yours to keep or share."

[»Freeish«]

Each step brings me,

Orbitals as bright as suns never shifted their gaze from the obsidian femme's own pair of saffron lanterns,searching,sifting through them,staring through the cerebellum and straight into her.Indeed Riokay was one to be very worthy of,as if he did not like you,it was equal to sleeping with a taipan curled up beside you.Upon hearing her words Riokay considered.

The wind whistled through the scarcely growing trees and he responded coolly,evenly,not getting flustered or afraid.There is a reason for that.Everyone has the potential to be a threat and I know if I was in the position you have recieved I would be wary.It is simply my way of deeming whether or not the Alphas are competent.My name,which i will share simply because there is no reason to hide it,is Riokay.Her next question required more careful deliberation,Riokay reasoning and debating his answer in seconds.I have a purpose.My purpose is to find the pack that made my puphood home explode into flame.

Closer to reality..

[Fell]

Fell half wanted to laugh and half wanted to burst into a firey ball of rage. Her moods were so severed on their scale she didn't know how to react.

See, Fell's home and former pack also 'burst into flames.' When the nearby vulcano blew it was then that her blood-tied pack took off to safer ground without her. They lied to her, told her that they would return to this land. She returned to the scortched and burnt land. The young wolf was abandoned as the others never came back... She was left to fend for herself and in that time grew bitter towards the other pack in the land which seemingly appeared right after her family left her. She believes this is her family pretending she doesn't exist.

She doesn't know how to take his words. Is he saying he knows about what happened or is he siting his own firey past?

She decided not to over react. "I see." She said. She really had no more words to say. Images and memories of blinding ash and intense heat swirled behind her eyes. She wondered if the fire in his past was metephorical. "Well then, Riokay. You see that there was fire all around here. Is that what drew you here?"

She wasn't sure why she was asking stupid questions. I guess it was all really just smalltalk to learn more about him.

[»Freeish«]

Each step brings me,

Considering her he studied her,taking in the slight shift of ehr balance,the change of stance.She was fmailiar,oddly,somehow.Harkettes pricked to take in her dialogue,and an appropriate response was rewarded.No,it does not physically hinder me.Condisering her next stament he responded coolly,closed and guarded.Fair enough,wolves that cannot pull weight in any way shape or form are merely burdens..No,I am seeking a permanent home,preferably enemies of the Samhain.

Closer to reality..

[Fell]

The entire time that they were in each other's company she was concidering him. Size, build, intelligence... All the factors that she would be interested in.

"Does that wound hinder you?" A small pause. "Does it hurt your ability to live normally, aside from the mental wounds?" She takes a rather small step forward. It was more like shifting weight. "I ask these questions because I am in need of rebuilding my pack and all this small talk is starting to waste my time. I can't be accepting wolves into my life that will bring me closer to my end. Heath is a trait I value greatly. Are you searching for a permant home or would you rather me chase you off?"

[»Freeish«]

Oops o.O Modified this post so it was in two accidentally.

Each step brings me,

Considering her he studied her,taking in the slight shift of ehr balance,the change of stance.She was fmailiar,oddly,somehow.Harkettes pricked to take in her dialogue,and an appropriate response was rewarded.No,it does not physically hinder me.Condisering her next stament he responded coolly,closed and guarded.Fair enough,wolves that cannot pull weight in any way shape or form are merely burdens..No,I am seeking a permanent home,preferably enemies of the Samhain.

Closer to reality..

[Fell]

A cool breeze gusted through making leaves tumble end-over-end between and around the two wolves. Fell looked up toward the starry sky. Crisp and clear, the milky way a bright band spanning the distance... She looked back to her company and with orange eyes studied the wolf before her for just a while longer.

She gave a small, tortorous smile. One yellowing tooth protruded just slightly from her black jowls. She admired this wolf now. To her, for now, he has proved that he was a warrior. He had fought battles, sustained injuries and still perserveres.

"Good then. I want you to hate my enemies. You'd do better with the Samhain." She continues on in a sinister feminine voice. "Seems the pack is growing now. You will do to make it stronger as I lack faith in the others. Admittedly, I was getting desprate for numbers. You will do better than that. I'll give you one step ahead of the other's Delta. You are now a warrior for the pack of the days of the dead. If that really is your wish."

[»Freeish«]

Each step brings me,

One leaf caught in the ebony strands of his canvas,only to be shaken roughly from it's lodging in the matted strands of protein.Her saffron orbitals cast upwards and he glanced up,checking if it was something important.The milky way spanned the clearing they stood in,a twisting white strand.Catching her sinister words he bowed his head once.

Give his response barely a seconds consideration,he answered,cool and darkly sinister.Not threatening,but his general manner of tone.Most definitely.It is my wish. Pausing for a moment,he added.May I ask..Why do you hate the Kashi?For the same reason as I do?

Closer to reality..

[Fell]

She was glad that they were both on the same page, maybe if not on the same paragraph. She dropped your gaze to the ground infront of her forepaws to speak to the dirt instead. "I hate them because I have reason to believe my blood traitors reside there. When the great mountain that shadows our home exploded in fire it was said amongst the pack that when all was calm we would return here." A great hatred flashed in Fells eyes. "I returned to the scortched land but nobody else met me. You see," She lifted her head. "They called me mad. I believe they told me they would return but knowing they wouldn't. They tricked me. They thought that they could fool me. I saw my brother a while after we were to return. I tracked him to the Red Oak area where I saw the rest of my family. Happy... bastards." She suddenly shot her eyes that blazed fire toward Riokay and her voice was loud. "I want to slaughter them all!" She spat out. Almost yelling at the cursed trees. "I want them to know that I still exist. I still live here waiting for them to return like they promised. Only now I want to raise an army to take them down." During her little speech, she seemed to lose grip on reality. A little insanity slipped in. It was appearent that Fell was not quite all there in her head now. Her obsession had no grounds. The Kashi pack doesn't even carry any blood relatives of Fell. Nevertheless, in her loony brain, they all had to die.

Supressing growls, she asks him, "Why do you hate the Kashi?"

[»Freeish«]

Each step brings me,

He listened,pausing only midway through her speech to shriek madly at the crows.SHUT UP YOU MANGY HEAPS OF CRAP!Returning to perfect calm in a second,he listened once more,his hackles raising more and more.His tones,when he spoke,were not calm and collected,just barely suppressing growls.

I lived there.I lived through it.It was a growl,these words emitted through a haze of surfacing anger.I hid.Under the tree trunks that fell,I saw the fire run past me.And I came back.Later.But I came back.No one was there.No one.

Closer to reality..