Character Profiles: Zafira

Picture:

Gender:
Female

Name:
Zafira

Age:
24

Blood Line:
Pure Bred

Background:
Zafira and her family lived in a small werewolf clan on the other side of the mountains. In short, one day humans appeared on their territory and caught sight of a werewolf. The humans fired their guns at the wolf, thus causing the rest of the pack to scatter. Zafira was separated from her parents and currently roams the mountains in search of them.

Personality:
Zafira is quite short-tempered and aggressive. The incident that disbanded her clan caused her never to trust easily, especially not humans.

Human Description:
In her human form, Zafira has slightly tan skin and long, black hair. The clothes she wears are quite simple and slightly ragged.

How they came to join the pack:
To be seen in the rp.

Character by Nequaria
Art by May

Character Profiles: Logan Geronimo

Picture:

Gender:
Female

Name:
Logan Ash Geronimo

Age:
24

Blood Line:
First Generation

Background:
As a child, she grew up with her grandfather. He was the only man, only person Logan respected, trusted, and wanted to be like. She never knew her parents, but it never bothered her either. She had her grandfather, and that was all that mattered.

The town they lived in was small, very rural, mostly self sufficient, and hardly safe. It didn't even have it's own shop, you had to travel thirty miles to find the nearest grocery store. Most people traveled on foot, since the only vehicles in the town were a few motorcycles.

You'd imagine such a small town would be comfortable, friendly. But not in this case. Many of the people here were broken apart by feuds and lies. An endless cloud of distrust, anger, and sadness seemed to engulf the little community.

She grew up a tomboy, since there were very few females in their town to influence her, and most wanted nothing to do with her grandfather or herself. Her grandfather saw nothing wrong with this and did nothing to change her. And so she played with the boys, dressed like the boys, fought like the boys and kept her hair short as a child.

Though her grandfather was a brisk and firm man, he was level headed, wise, and caring. And it was under his watch that Logan grew up the woman she is today. Despite this, his wisdom never seemed to quiet rub off on Logan and as she aged, she managed to get herself into many brawls with the men in the town, some much older, and larger than herself. These were no small fights - she acted like one of the men, so she had to fight like a man, and they knew she could, so they didn't even think twice about giving her mercy.

On occasion, werewolves would be spotted along the outskirts of the town and so men were put on watch to protect the townspeople and livestock. Once Logan was old enough, she was put on guard. At this point she was well known around the town as being just as capable as the males her age, and so there was no argument.

It was one night, her first week working as a guard, that two of the more experienced watchmen decided to take advantage of her.

"Fight us, both of us. If you win, we'll take your post and let you go for the night. If we win, you have to take our shifts."

Logan, by this point, was no little girl, she had already become a woman, and though she still had some growing to do, was far from being petite. And the two men hardly looked a challenge. So she accepted.

She quickly regretted her mistake. Even with her size, they were still stronger - more agile, cunning. She didn't give up easily, but in the end, they won and she had lost her pride and sleep for the night.

It was unusual for anything to happen. The werewolves never threatened to venture too close and you didn't see them every night. Tonight, as you probably guessed, would be different.

Logan had dozed off, slumped against the wall with her rifle setting lazily beside her. It wasn't until the raspy warm breath and snarling face of a werewolf was directly above her that she awoke. She managed to escape - bitten and scarred, but alive. The werewolf wasn't so lucky.

She tried to conceal and control her form. However, she was discovered and was violently driven out of the town. Since then, she's become a nomad, a wanderer - loner, if you will.

Personality:
Generally speaking, Logan is a fairly level headed and mellow woman. Despite this, she can't bring herself to fully trust anyone. She's never been quiet sure how to handle herself around other women as she's been around very few in her life, so she can come off as insensitive, rude or blunt, but she means the best. She doesn't like it when people are vague or beat around the bush, she's a to the point, straight forward person - for example, if she was in love with someone, she'd tell them. She values honesty, and respect, but only to those who deserve it. On the other hand, she gives little regard to authority for the most part.

She's very protective of those she holds close to her. Usually she's easy going, she isn't one to let small things phase her, and isn't likely to hold grudges unless you give her reason to (or happen to be a werewolf). She can be openly curious at times, asking odd questions out of the blue. She seems to ignore most everything going on around her but in reality rarely lets anything slip past her unnoticed.

However, she has her bad side. She can be stubborn, and quick to start a fight or turn something into a challenge when she's in a bad mood. When she does she's brutal, and won't easily back down from something she started. She can be hard to handle, and if you catch her on a bad day the most innocent gesture could be seen as a challenge.

Human Description:
Big boned and fit, brawny without being considered bulky. She's thick and tall, but by no means is considered overweight. Slightly curvy but not prominently so.

Her jawline is square, her eyes almond shaped and somewhat narrow. Her lips are mostly unpronounced, and her nose is somewhat square in shape, not curving up or down at the tip but rather keeping an almost even shape all the way. There are two scars across the bridge of her nose and another vertical scar on the right side of her jaw.

Her hair is medium-long, jet black, straight, usually unwashed - falls a few inches below her collarbone in front and just below her shoulder blades in the back (more about Logan here).

How they came to join the pack:
Will update later (:

Character by Dez
Art by May

Character Profiles: Chime Slyer

Picture:


Name:
Chime Slyer

Age:
16

Blood Line:
Half bred

Background:
Chime's mom was a werewolf, pure bred, around the age 18. Her name was Belle Linkin. She was a strong yet petite thing, with pitch black hair. Belle met a boy about her age, 19-21, and went out with him for a few nights and quickly found herself falling in love with him. His name was Griffin Slyer, he was a very muscular man with dirty blond hair. When Griffin found out about her being a werewolf, he didn't seem to mind, and kept on seeing her. When he told her that he knew about her not being normal, Belle started preparing for the heartaches but he said he that it didn't bother him, and nothing would stop him from loving her.

They kept seeing one another every night and in a year they were married, They made a beautiful pair and soon they had a beautiful dark gray haired baby they named Chime. But when Griffin found out that she was a werewolf, he went into rage and started yelling that he didn't want a monster as his daughter. Hearing this, Belle yelled back at him, "And what does that make me? Are you saying I'm a monster?!" Griffin was shocked and tried to tell her that was not what he meant, but she was in rage and that night she packed her bags and left Griffin, not caring how much it hurt him.

It was hard to raise a child by yourself but she did it, and in time, the child grew up. Chime was 15 years old when her mother stopped working. Belle was starting to doubt what she did was right and was missing Griff. Chime had to get a job, which is a little hard to do when, one, you're young and two, you dress like a punk. She found work in some places, did some odd jobs here and there. They where having trouble in some areas, but they where living.

In a year her mom got a letter saying that her husband could be dying. Having hardly any money, and being an airplane ride away, Chime told her to take the money from the savings and go.

Personality:
On the down side, she is very hot tempered, she doesn't like it when people call her short, doesn't trust most guys, very stubborn, is a little naive about werewolf packs and stuff like that cause her mom didn't tell her much.

But on the up side she is a very good house keeper and cook, is very caring when you get to know her, will do anything for friends, (Expert jumping off cliffs and other stupid stuff like that.).

Human Description:
Click
Chime has a Mohawk that goes half down her neck, she isn't bald on the sides of her head, instead she has a boys cut right there. The Mohawk is long and half way up it falls to her right side, she has purple highlights. She's short, around 5'4, and slider. Likes wearing black tees and baggy jeans. Her favorite shirt is a black tee with smiling skull on it. Has a leather choker with a big buckler on it. Aways wears her yellow kerchief with red spots on it, no one knows why. When cleaning, cooking, etc. she wears a apron that looks like this.

How they came to join the pack:
Heard howling so she went to the ranch to check it out. She then got into a "fight" with Zeit, after that she got fired from her old job and wander back to the farm where she meet Kale and asked her if she had any work for her on the ranch, she was then invited to join the pack.

Character by Aim
Art by May

Character Profiles: Savannah

Picture:



Gender:
Female

Name:
Savannah (No last name)

Age:
22

Blood Line:
Half-bred

Background:
Savannah's mother was the Beta of a werewolf clan several months' travel from Kratos' pack. Her father was a human, whom Savannah never met, for he was killed by the clan for living on their territory. Savannah's mother was outcast and was forbidden to ever return anywhere near the clan again. Savannah, extremely young at the time, was taken by her mother and the two lived wherever they could find shelter and food. After a year or so, a hunter from the clan (which had relocated due to too many humans nearby) found Savnnah and her mother while scouting the new territory. The werewolf was so outraged to see the werewolf that had been exiled a year earlier in his territory that he brutally murdered her. Savannah was left an orphan, though she learned to survive on her own. She eventually made her way very close to Kratos' pack. (rest will be rp'ed out)

Personality:
Savannah is rather quiet and solitary at most times. She tends to be a rather gentle werewolf, though she occasionally loses her temper. She can also be quite hardheaded and stubborn when she wants to.

Human Description:
Like her werewolf form, Savannah is rather tall and thin. Her hair is a medium blonde, and is always curly. She wears a blue pendant all the time, and a gold ring on her left hand.

How they came to join the pack:
Will be rp'ed out. :D

Character by Nequaria
Art by May

Character Profiles: Toby Buttermilk

Picture:


Gender:
Male

Name:
Toby Buttermilk

Age:
17

Blood Line:
Half Blood

Background:
Toby's human mother died in childbirth. And while his pure-bred father tried his best to raise Toby and continued being a father for him; he never quiet got over his heart-ache. At the suggestion of his older brother, Scott, (another pure-bred) Toby's father began to distance himself from Toby and eventually left him in the care of his mother. Thusly, Toby learned a lot of grandmotherly attributes such as cooking, sewing, scrapbooking- and became the perfect nerd!

Personality:
Toby is very submissive, meek, and soft-spoken, but he's also extremely smart. He's simplistic, kind- yet cowardly. If Toby has any gifts wolf-wise, they are certainly yet to be shown.

Human Description:
Very lanky and pathetic looking, but he's got a little bit of muscle bred into him. He has short, scruffy, sandy-brown hair that sticks out in many different directions just like his fur. His eyes are sky blue and surrounded in milky brown. He wears big-thick glasses in his human form so that they'll fit perfectly in werewolf form.

How they came to join the pack:
;P

Character by Cathannah
Art by May

Character Profiles: Levi O'Connell

Picture:


Gender:
Male

Name:
Levi O'Connell

Age:
17

Blood Line:
Half Breed

Background:
Levi's dad comes from Sabrina's old pack... but his mom was a human. Both were Irish, and as such Levi has a very strong Irish accent. Levi was raised by his mother in the Ireland countryside, away from other people as his mother was a very shy woman and did not like to have much company. His father loved them both dearly, but had to stay away from them a lot on account of not wanting to expose them to rival pack members. He was content to let Levi grow up as a normal human without knowledge of his werewolf heritage--until the boy's 12th year when his mother came down with a fatal illness. A doctor could not be reached until it was too late. After his mother's death, a heartbroken and enraged Levi started showing symptoms of being a were. The next full moon confirmed this, and Levi was brought to join his father's pack.

Personality:
Levi is generally laid back and easy going. He enjoys being the life of the party and making others laugh. He is, however, by no stretch of the imagination a push over and can get very aggressive if the situation demands it--and I mean really demands it, as unless he has his pack to back him he is quicker to flee than to fight.

How they came to join the pack:
He hasn't ...yet >=)

Character by Kaqurei
Art by May

Character Profiles: Alice

Picture:


Gender:
Female

Name:
Alice

Age:
14

Blood Line:
Pure-Breed

Background:
Alice was born into a werewolf pack, her sister, Cassie (whose form is not up yet) and her were best of friends. They became close, but one day an invading werewolf pack crossed into their territory, armed and wanting to harm the pack. On that day, Cassie and Alice were separated, and haven't seen each other since. She doesn't really remember it, but sometimes it comes back in brief flashes.

Personality:
Alice is very outgoing, but also stubborn. So don't make her do something she absolutely doesn't want to do. Alice is a loyal pack member, but usually only obeys Alpha Kratos because she greatly respects him.

Human Description:
Medium tall female with shortish raven black hair. She is sporty and spunky. Her eyes are a deep amber color. But is a tad bit lazy. Her skin is a light tan, and she has a birthmark in the shape of a wolf on her right hip, but almost no one knows that.
How they came to join the pack:On the night the pack was attacked, Alice's mom brought her to Kratos, hoping she would be accepted and live happily there. Then she wandered off into the forest and died, because of wounds. So, Alice was then in the pack.

Character by Raven (now played by Cassie)
Art by May

Character Profiles: Jacqueline Ryder

Picture


Gender:
Female

Name:
Jacqueline "Jackie" Ryder

Age:
23

Blood Line:
First Generation

Background:
Will be revealed. Suffice to say for now, she grew up normally and works(ed) for animal control

Personality:
Jackie is quick to the draw, whether it a battle of words or a battle of brawn. Most remarks are leaden heavily with sarcasm, and are usually quite offensive to those they are directed at. By the same effect, she will not withdraw from a fight she most likely brought on. If she gets into a fight, it’s most likely because she feels said person deserves it. She plans out very little and assumes next to no responsibility, and thus acts without giving a care if whatever she does will affect others. Her actions tend to appear impulsive and can create quite a bit of mayhem.

On the other hand, Jackie is a two-sided coin. Her impulsive and sarcastic attitude is used as a cloak to shield others from her true nature. She is manipulative and cunning and has no issue whatsoever doing something of “moral question”. She almost always sees the goal at hand instead of what she does along the way. While her actions may appear to be impulsive (and they generally are to some effect), they will very rarely disrupt whatever she’s going after.


Human Description:
Jackie has a rather narrow, oval-shaped face matched by a prominent nose. Her fairly tall, lithe, and muscular stance easily brings an air of self-confidence and occasionally intimidation. Fiery orange hair compliment peach-toned skin, the mix of which seems to show her rather explosive personality. But perhaps the most startling feature of all would be her eyes- an unnatural shade of aqua.

How they came to join the pack:
Basically, she came to the pack grounds to search for "illegal wolves" that may have been smuggled in as an assignment from animal control. The mission went a bit south when she stumbled across one of these "illegal wolves" (cough Theo) and, fully transformed, accidentally bit her.

Character by Soar
Art by May

Character Profiles: Kieoki

Picture:

Gender:
Female

Name:
Kieoki

Age:
18 (or so she says)

Blood Line:
First Generation

Background:
Not much is known about her childhood or her parents, but by the age of around ten, Kieoki was already a traveler, one who grew to live in the forests and scavenge from the towns she happens to pass. Along the way she's acquired her strange set of clothes, her kimono and her dagger that she used for defense. She rarely stayed in one spot for over a month and it wasn't long until she ended up in lands where wolves dwelt. Turns out the pack of wolves was comprised of wolves and a Were that had decided to stay in their wolf form to live with the natural wolf pack. One night, as she was getting ready to sleep for the night the wolves attacked her. Using her dagger, she managed to get away from them, but not before the one Were turned her. Coping with the fact of becoming a Were, she continued traveling but stayed out of towns until the present day...

Personality:
Kieoki is used to being on her own, a loner of sorts. It isn't that she hates others, it's just that after never haven been given that sort of friendship, its hard for her to even begin to give it back. She's a wonderful fighter, and when she became a Were that fact doubled. She still carries her dagger though. She had somewhat of a dominant personality, and doesn't take well to orders, another reason why she's stayed a loner. She can be violent at times and is normally silent, but she can have a sweeter side.

Human Description:
Slim, medium height with dark brown hair. She has blue eyes and wears a white kimono with a blood red sash. She carries a dagger with a wrapped green handle. She normally wears no shoes, and her hair can be wavy at times. She's tan, and she is silent when she walks.

How they came to join the pack:
After wandering through the forests, she happened to find the pack...Or the pack found her. Either way after reluctance, they accepted her into the pack. (This will be rp'd out)

Character by Mariel
Art by May

Character Profiles: Cassie

Picture:


Gender:
Female

Name:
Cassie

Age:
16

Blood Line:
Purebred

Background:
Cassie lived in a werewolf pack her whole life. She was born a werewolf, and therefore was able to be taught to control her wolf inside. Now, there is a war going on between her pack and a few others in the near area as they are competing for resources. So, she is being forced to leave, and how she finds Kratos' pack.

Personality:
Cassie is a bit of a tomboy. She is really independent and likes to do her own thing. She doesn't like being bossed around. Having to leave her pack has made her a bit hard, and she is emotionally traumatized.

Human Description:
Tall, around 5'10.5'' She has tanish skin, not dark, but not light. Her hair is dirty blonde, with natural streals of brown, caramel, light blonde, and bleach blonde on a golden base. Cassie has crystal blue eyes and a spray of freckles across her nose spreading to her cheeks. On her left hip is a birthmark of a wolf, but only a few know that. She wears lots of things.

How they came to join the pack:
Explained above, but will elaborate in RP

Character by Cassie
Art by May

Character Profiles: Theo

Picture


Gender:
Male

Name:
Theo

Age:
16

Blood Line:
Pure-bred

Background:
Theo was born into a very strong, and well-feared clan of werewolves, located on the island Tasmania (Which is an island off of Australia). For the most part, his clan was nomadic and moved locations every twenty years to restrain suspicions of the locals (and more importantly, to prevent any of the locals going about the sport of wolf-hunting). As opposed to many other werewolf clan's view on their predicament, Theo’s clan glamorized their alter form. They held little respect for the mortals, and believed that they were cleansing the world of any impurities (aka the humans). As a result, they were fairly reckless in their behavior and had a very rigid, if not corrupt, pack laws/hierarchy. The pack was constantly adding newly-turned were-wolves to their ranks.

Theo ancestors were strong and powerful werewolves, originating somewhere in Italy. His father was first Beta of the Pack, and his mother a highly-revered warrior in battle. As such, he was treated something similar to royalty within his clan. But more importantly, he was always watched under the scrutinized eye of his father. His father was a terrible perfectionist and obsessed with power, which totaled to a very potent mix. His father expected highly of him, much beyond what he could do, and thus was very disappointed in him. Instead of withering under his authoritative father, he rebelled. The two constantly clashed and fought against one another. At age 13, he had enough and left home, vowing never to return.

On a side-note, the pendent around his neck is made of “blood-stone”. It was mined from a cavern on a particularly steep mountain. It is given to every warrior within his clan when they come of warrior status (generally around 12-14). There is a legend surrounding it that it grants its wearer power. While it does nothing of the sort, Theo is very superstitious, and refuses to ever take it off.

Personality:
To be honest, he’s not much for listening. Or following. Or doing anything in general someone tells him to do. He very loosely follows Kratos’ laws, and thinks of them more of suggestions. Theo is a trouble-maker by nature who enjoys just crossing the line of the rules. His misdoings can range from practical jokes, to skipping several chores, to attempting to sneak out into town. He rarely thinks anything through, causing him to make many rash decisions he can later come to regret. This can make him fairly difficult to manage.

Oddly enough, he is quite passive when it comes to daily interactions with others. He really doesn't pick fights with other pack members, since most fights come to him. He lets them solve their own issues, and will most of the time not get involved with them. Only if he finds an issue particularly intriguing will he step in, and will generally just observe it.

Theo does not have very little self-control over his wolf form, nor does he care to have any. He was taught at a young age to be as lethal as he could, not self-controlled. Even when moderately frustrated, he can phase into a werewolf. If caught in a particularly large fit of rage, he can be very destructive. For the most part, he can only change shapes during the night, but can change during day-light hours if he put his mind to it.

Human Description:
He’s tall (about ‘6 “1) and muscular, which can be a bit of an intimidating mix. If anything, he appears Italian. His skin is a tanned dark olive and has a strong jaw-line. His hair, on the other hand, is an unruly mess of thick dark brown curls that hangs half-way down his neck. His eye-brows are bit thick, dark and thus quite noticeable. The most startling feature of all would be his bright green eyes, the same shade, of course, when in his alter form.

How they came to join the pack:
Theo had been sleeping within the city for the past week- namely sleeping in alleys and stealing food from local stores. By a mishap on his part, a local store keeper discovered him attempting to make a break with his loot. She called the cops on him and they pursued, eventually capturing him and putting him in the back seat like any other criminal. Unfortunately, Theo shifted and broke through the window. The very unfortunate cop was about to become dinner, but fortunately pack member HawkThorne intercepted and brought him back to the pack.

Though a little reserved about joining another pack, Theo eventually did with reasons beyond his comprehension.

Character by Soar
Art by May

Character Profiles: HawkThorne

Picture:


Gender:
Male

Name:
HawkThorne

Age:
19 years

Blood Line:
Purebreed

Background:
Once, a long time ago, when Zeit’s father let one of his friends stay at the ranch. Zeit and Hawk were best friends for the time he and his family spent there, but soon he had to go, leaving part of his childhood behind. He lived in a pack for a long time, his father top dog, well wolf, but he didn’t feel apart of his pack. He was treated a better then the half-bloods and first generations, making him feel even more different then his pack. He soon left his pack, telling no one, and headed off into the unknown. His father let him go mainly because Hawk’s younger brother was more into to taking the alpha spot over, and he know Hawk wasn’t like the others. Hawk traveled for awhile, before realizing he had arrived in a familiar small town, and the scent of werewolves caught his attention, but one stuck out to him, Zeit’s.

Personality:
Cool and collected, much unlike Zeit. He tends to think things through before acting, and often trys to stop someone from acting before thinking. He tends to come off a bit snobby at times. He does think a bit highly of himself, and he doesn’t think highly of half-bloods, cept Zeit, and First Generations.

Human Description:
He is a tall thin guy, with semi-long gray hair. He tends to wear a nice jacket over a white tee-shirt and a pair of blue jeans.

How they came to join the pack:
Coming soon…. Starts by an unexpected reunion.

Character by Hour Glass
Art by May

Character Profiles: Kaleb

Picture:


Gender:
Male

Name:
Kaleb

Age:
16

Blood Line:
First Generation

Background:
He is kind of a loner, and always journeys by himself. He often goes to the forest to watch the wolves, not knowing they're werewolves. So one day he stumbles too close....(I'll roleplay the rest, like said below)

Personality:
Dominant, Passive, Slender

Human Description:
Tall, about 5'10'' and skinny. Has tanish skin, and caramel brown hair with darker highlights. He tends to wear a green vest with black pants, and emerald green eyes.

How they came to join the pack:
I'll roleplay it. He is going to join by getting bitten by one of the werewolves in the pack after accidentally crossing onto their territory....Now he's part of the pack.

Character by Cassie
Art by May

Character Profiles: Alex

Picture:


Gender:
Female

Name:
Alex

Age:
12

Blood Line:
Pure-Bred

Background:
Her parents died when she was young. She is still new to the pack and dosn't count them as her family yet, and that is why she is so independant. But her parents were strict to, so she always does what she is told. Especally to bigger ones. When she was on her own, she came in contact with a huge werewolf and he ordered her around for a month or two. He scared her a lot. This made her passive.

Personality:
Passive, Submissive, Independent

Human Description:
Standing about 5 feet, her black hair reaching about her middle ribs. She always weres an anklet and has a pale white face. She looks like an average human. She is slim and has bangs always going to the left side, usually covering her eye. She often weres her hair in a half ponytail. Her icy blue werewolf eyes still the same color.

How they came to join the pack:
Alex came to join the pack by her dying when she was little. There pach and another fought, but they fought to the death. Her parents lost and she was alone. She was on her own for a long time. She finally found the pack and they took her in.

Character by Lynds
Art by May

Character Profiles: Marcus

Picture:


Gender:
Male

Name:
Marcus

Age:
17

Blood Line:
First generation

Background:
On his thirteenth birthday party he was going to have a ton of friends over for videogames and junk food. The perfect party for any middle school aged boy. Things were going well until one boy suggested going outside for a nerf gun war on the forested hill. Everyone was very eager so Marcus agreed. Things were going well until he laid eyes on the creamy white full marble up in the air. His hazel eyes glimmered and he howled like a wolf. The others didn't think much of it, maybe he was just trying to get into character, but soon he started to morph. His nails grew five times longer and pointed into claws. His ears shifted so they were on top of his head and very pointy. His face grew longer until there was a muzzle. He dropped to all fours, suddenly his legs were no longer than his arms. And last, fur grew. A lot of it! His friends started to cry and scream and run, but of course they weren't fast enough. He chased them all down until they were in his belly.

He ran away from home after realizing what he'd done. He rode trains around, travel was the only thing that got his mind off of what he'd done. He wandered the streets for a long time, about four years, until he came across a curious looking farm with the scent of many other were-wolves on it.
Personality:Marcus is very quiet and passive. This isn't to say he's submissive, he just kinda lets the world pass him by. Most of the time he's either thinking or doing something practical. If it will be of use to him, he's doing it. He has extreme trust issues and won't tell anyone anything. He doesn't really have anything to hide, other than the night he first transformed.

Human Description:
As a human he is average height and slender. He is about 5'6. He definitely could gain a few pounds! His face is a bit thin, his nose small and his eyes a bit large. Their color is a glittering hazel that changes color slightly throughout the day, though most of the time they are honey golden. His hair is a rich chocolaty brown with golden highlights.

How they came to join the pack:
Marcus was out wandering through the town when he came across the farm. He would have passed right over it, but it smelled strongly of were-wolf, and so naturally he had to check things out. He ended up getting accepted by Zeit and then meeting the Alpha.

Character Profiles: Sol Divorare

Picture:



Gender:
Male

Name:
Sol Divorare

Age:
Seventeen

Blood Line:
First Generation

Background:
Sol was born to an abusive father & a caring mother. His mother was killed by 'accident' when his father was beating her. He then took all his anger out on Sol. At that time, Sol became troublesome, skipping school, drinking & taking drugs. One night he was out late & he got attacked by a werewolf. He became infected, and killed his father when he first turned. He destroyed the house & left behind his old life to begin another. He didn't feel guilty about his father's murder, which made him hard & emotionless.

Personality:
Sol, despite his name, is basically made up of darkness. He show's no emotion in battle, which makes him a worthy opponent on the battle field. He is ruthless, barely speaking unless necessary or under stress. When he does speak, it's usually shouting or giving out orders.

Human Description:
When human, Sol has pale skin, covered with scars & brusies & cropped black hair. He wears tattered clothes, consisting of a pair of baggy jeans with loads of rips in them & a ripped up shirt.

How they came to join the pack:
Sol heard about a werewolf pack in the area, & was feeling partly lonely after he left home. He seeked out the pack & eventually found them, and requested to join their ranks.

Character by Sol
Art by May

Character Profiles: Timothy

Picture:


Gender:
Male

Name:
Timothy (Last name unknown)

Age:
17

Blood Line:
First generation.

Background:
Timothy cannot remember his background. His earliest memories are of Gathen and the abuse which was inflicted by the werewolf murderer. He hates being a werewolf and will not accept being a member of a "pack", he wants to be a human and nothing more. Most of Timothy's hard feelings come from not being able to understand the werewolf and why it was fated upon him.

Personality:
Timothy is cautious and distrusting, which often leads to vicious behavior. He dreads the night of the full moon and does not take the transformation well.
Timothy has inner turmoil from not being able to remember where he came from and is slow to accept the "pack" as his new family. Often times, Timothy will act rebelious towards the other werewolves and point some of the blame for his unhappiness at them.

Because of the damage which was inflicted to Timothy while under the Werewolf Murderer, The Alpha will not allow him to duel.

How he came to join the pack:
After the founders defeated Gathen, they discovered Timothy in Gathen's hideout. After a he brawled with Zeit, Timothy passed out from the loss of blood and the Founders brought him back to the ranch.

Character Profiles: Creorran

Picture:


Gender:
Male

Name:
He has never shared his true name, but goes by the name of Creorran (Kree-or-in).

Age:
Around 15 or 16. He has never told his exact age to another werewolf.

Blood Line:
1st Generation

Background:
Creorran and his father lived on a small farm near the mountains; far away from any cities or towns.
One morning Creorran. noticed what appeared to be a large dog on the edge of his field. He walked toward it, but quickly realized it was no dog; it was a wolf. He charged at it, shouting for it to go away; he did not want any livestock killed. The wolf turned to him and ran. Creorran tried to run, but was not fast enough; The wolf bit him near his left wrist. That night, which happened to be the night of a full moon. Creorran's first transformation occurred. Scared and ignorant to what was happening, Creorran fled, burning down the farmhouse as he left.
Creorran has since had great trouble controlling his transformations, which often cloud his thoughts, thus sometimes resulting in injury to Creorran or others around him.

Personality:
Creorran is a bit of a smart-aleck, and often regrets what he says. He's often independent, and rarely seeks help from others. He doesn't trust anyone too easily, and if you manage to gain his trust, he'll never leave you behind.

Human Description:
Creorran is rather tall and lean, with a good amount of muscle. His skin is quite pale, and his hair is a light orange-brown, very similar to his werewolf fur. His eyes are gray-blue, with small flecks of silver.He wears no jewelry or accessories, but wears a ragged forest green shirt and brown pants.

How they came to join the pack:
Creorran had lived in the mountains for several months until one night he heard the howl of a wolf. He went to investigate the howl, and found the newly formed Werewolf Clan. He was accepted into the Clan, where he now lives.

Character by Nequaria
Art by May

Character Profile: Kale Cooper

Picture:


Gender:
female

Name:
Kale Cooper

Age:
19

Blood Line:
Half breed or pure blood I think.

Background:
At a young age of ten she and her friends snuck into an abandoned house and, her friends thinking it funny, she got locked into a second story room. they left believing she would be fine and find a way out. what they did not hear after they left were the horrific screams that turned to howls as the clouds parted away from that bright, full moon. hours passed before the howls subsided and silence descended into the house, followed shortly by a crash as the door to the room was broken and she escaped her imprisonment into the forest, away from humanity. A few weeks went by, over wich her attitude changed drastically into an untrusting, angry temperament which even after years, only subsided to tolerance of those who couldn't prove themselves to her. she would barely follow orders from anyone who couldn't hold their own against her and would rather lead a group than be the follower as she had been the night of her transformation.over time her aggressiveness lessened slightly and, taken in by a few people in small towns who could use her for work around their house or farm she was molded into a tall, slender build that had a rather athletic and graceful touch to it, and always traveling made her long stamina seem more normal.

Personality:
Kale is a very alert person, she has incredible patience challenged by a fiery temper. kale likes kids and has a maternal streak occasionally.

How they came to join the pack:
When wandering though one secluded town she met her first other werewolf, her current alpha Kratos, curious she followed him and ended up meeting Zeit, Marcus, Kiton,and Sabrina. still uneasy at controlling her inner wolf she accepted Kratos as her alpha in hopes he could teach her to control it. after the battle with Gathen her relationship with the others solidified.

Character by Kale
Art by May

Character Profiles: Zeit Chandler

Picture:



Gender:
Female

Name:
Zeit Chandler

Age:
20 years

Blood Line:
Half-Blood

Background:
She had lived on her ranch, now the home of the werewolf pack, all her life. Her mother left her and her father at a young age, many rumours go about the town about what really happened when she disappeared. Ever since, her father trained her hard about being a werewolf, making sure she would prepared for anything when it came to the subject. Sadly, he dieded around when Zeit turned 18, leaving her the ranch to run on her own, since she didn't want to be adopted by some other family. Since then she has worked hard to keep the ranch running, never really leaving her home, which is at the edge of town. Behind her back some of the locals question who she is....

Personality:
Hmmm.... a hard one to fill out. Zeit happens to have a short temper, though she doesn't turn when she gets angry, she will act, sometimes not for the best. She has one major rule around her home, never ever touch her livestock, she doesn't care if the person is a werewolf or she os herself, never touch her animals... Zeit does have a knider side to her, and doesn't mind letting some strangers in her home, but she is prepared to face most things, just not most werewplves, she doesn't leave he rhome unless needed, which means she doesn't get around. Lastly, Zeit tends to rush head frist into things, often finding trouble herself, one example was of an issue with a werechild..

How they came to join the pack:
It mainly started when Zeit lit a lamo on her porch, a sign she would open her home to weary travlers in need a of a place to stay. Then, slowly allt he mebers began to show up at her home after a deal that she would join the pack, but keep the deed to her land.

Character by Hour Glass.
Art by May.

Character Profiles: Kiton Andonauts

Picture:


Gender: Male

Name: Kiton Andonauts

Age: 28

Blood Line:
Anywhere from Full Blood to Half Blood, very muddled.

Background:
Kiton is a native of Jarundia(which geography wise translates to Australia in our world but his appearance is mostly Germanic or East European) He had a fairly normal childhood but ran away in his teens. His parents are most likely both werewolves. He does not mention his past much, so most of it is unknown. In Hathorn, werewolves are a ethnicity of a sort, tolerated, but still outcast.
He has good control over his form apart from being forced on full moon and often when aggravated.

Personality:Broody and moody. Serious and overall, not much fun. He's mostly calm but he's just the grumpiest grouch, he could use hugs.

How they came to join the pack:
They wandering in the woods, meet some wolves, OKAY! Leg is broken, shall not get too far if he wants to leave or feels he doesn't belong!

Character by Zero
Art by May

Character Profiles: Sabrina Sabres

Picture:


Gender:
Female

Name:
Sabrina Sabres

Age:
24

Blood Line:
Pure Bred

Background:
Sabrina is of Irish decent, and her father comes from a long line of werewolves; a clan if you will, whose first werewolf ancestor was bitten back in medieval times. They have harnessed their abilities and trained throughout the centuries, keeping their family secret safe and living double lives; one in the human world, one in the werewolf world.

Her mother, on the other hand, was a normal human (and an American), until a werewolf from an enemy clan attacked her husband and she got bitten in the resulting fight. She was pregnant with Sabrina at that time, and soon became sick with the curse. She has no self-control and has to be locked up during the full moon to prevent injury to herself and others.

Sabrina has been taught all her life to control her abilities and maintain an insane amount of calm in every situation. She is also fluent in the language of wolves, werewolf protocol, pack hierarchy, and herbs. She is a skilled healer.

Personality:
Sabrina is very contained, as strong emotions tend to bring out the animal in her and she has been trained all her life against that. Towards pack members and family, she is strong, respectful, and patient. Towards enemy werewolves...she's scary. Her attacks tend to be calculated rather than wildly violent, and that makes them ten times more potent.

How they came to join the pack:
Sabrina was visiting her aunt on her mother's side in a small village that was rumored to be plagued by a werewolf. She was sent there on account of her father (her pack leader then) to find the old brute and put an end to him. It was there that she heard Alpha Kratos' call, and was drawn to him. She didn't reveal herself to him or his newly forming pack right at first, but watched them almost daily to learn them.

It was on a night when Gathen (the enemy she had been sent to destroy) threatened the new pack that she revealed herself, and after the resulting chain of interesting events she found herself joining the young pack to defeat him. Gathen was defeated, and Sabrina became a healer...a healer who is a bit conflicted, seeing as she is now a member of two packs.

Character by Kaqurei
Art by May

Character Profiles: Alpha Kratos Shragron

Picture:


Gender:
Male

Name:
To all the Werewolves who know him, he is called Kratos Shragron (Pronounced kr-ay-toh-s sh-rag-ron).
Only Zeit and Kale know Kratos' human name.

Age:
23

Blood Line:
Half blood.

Background:
Kratos was born to a Werewolf father and a human mother, as such, his ability was well expected by both parents.
His father was a mighty werewolf in his age and greatly respected, else feared. Kratos' father taught him the things which was in his ability to teach to help his son survive. But Kratos learned on his own that he had an ability which his father did not possess, the ability to control both forms easily and take on whichever one he pleased at will. But regardless of his Father's teachings and his own discovery, most of Kratos' teen-hood was spent in alleyways and bars, wishing away his ability. Though Kratos himself never drank or did anything that caused him to loose self control, he spent most of his time in the company of those who did.

That all changed the night when his friends met a Werewolf in the alley... After that, Kratos' life took a turn in a different direction.
Many years followed as Kratos trained himself to be able to teach others to control their abilities. Then he set out to search for other Werewolves, and thus the pack was made.

Personality:
Kratos is a much different person then he was in his reckless childhood, experience has given him the feel of a gentle giant in the presence of close friends.
He is very dominate and observant, though passive in his dealings with young pack members. His voice is very deep and powerful, when he speaks it demands full respect and attention.
When challenged, Kratos is fierce and deadly, his attack methods proving fatal in most instances. He is immense and strong, bold in front of danger and an opponent to be greatly feared.
Kratos is fiercely protective of all the females in his pack, whether they need his protection or not. He also despises loners, he will not think twice about pounding any 'immature scamp that messes with his girls' to a pulp.

How he came to join the pack:
Kratos went far from his home and family in search of other Werewolves. A search which he hadn't had much luck with until he came to the land of farmers and simple folk.. then all of a sudden, he had found four of them (else they found him) in a single night! The group did not take immediately to each other, most distrusting of the rest.. But on the night of the full moon they faced their first real challenge together as a pack and a bond was made that night.

Character by May
Art by May

RP: A Time to Teach and Hunt

May:

A whole month has passed since Rosa's visit to the ranch. Kratos has spent much of that time searching for the strangers he had met that day and offering each an opportunity to join the pack.
It is now only one day before a full moon and Alpha Katos seems eager about a "surprise" he has planned up in the mountains.

"Alright get up! Anyone not out of bed in the next few minutes will be dragged out to take a bath in the trough."
Kratos' deep and demanding voice broke the silence of an otherwise fine morning. Timothy had been laying in his bed staring at the ceiling for some time; simply listening to the silence of the house and waiting for the light of the sun to grace the sky. Suddenly to be called abruptly from this peace startled the young man, and he felt he could relate very well to every other teenager in the pack at that moment in attempting to completely ignore the Alpha and his threat.
Yet, Timothy also knew that Kratos was dead-serious about taking that bath in the trough... So no matter how reluctant or slow, Timothy managed out of his bed and got dressed in an appropriate set of clothes. For a moment, Timothy wondered if there was an entire line waiting outside the bathroom, but then he also figured this wasn't a regular home or routine. They were a bunch of teenage werewolves for crying out loud! Most were probably still trying to wake up, or completely resist Kratos' call with as much determination and aggression as possible.

Timothy cracked open his window, brushing his fingers through his black hair as he leaned on the windowsill. As the morning air filled his room, cold in the sun's absence; Timothy could hear the voices of several birds singing in the forest behind the ranch. He looked toward the shadows of cows grassing in the pastures and the light of sun only barely to be seen in the sky..
He took several moments to saturate himself in this scene, feeling as if he were close to something just beyond his memory.. Then at last Timothy turned away from the window and opened his door.

Immediately upon opening the door the smell of a hot breakfast filled into the room and Timothy felt almost lured downstairs.
Kratos had prepared the breakfast himself, and stacked just at the bottom of the stairs were several new backpacks and water containers.. Timothy groaned when the sight reminded him of that morning several weeks ago when Kratos had gotten everyone up early to go fall off the edge of "Dead-Man-Trail", as everyone had come to call it since the event.. Oh, how irritating it had been to spend an entire day with that brutish 'Alpha,' as he called himself!
Timothy mumbled under his breath, contemplating whether or not to make a run for it before Kratos noticed him.. But at last, Timothy lost the battle to his hunger, and he ventured down the stairs and into the kitchen.


Mariel:

Kieoki, who at the moment was sitting on the ledg of her window in he room, tilted her head as she heard Krat's call come from downstairs. Blinking, she swung her feet around the small ledge and jumped to the floor, her bare feet barely making a thud as she did so. After living with the pack for just about a month now, Kieoki was still settling into 'her' room and getting used to pack ways. Her room wasn't large, but she at least had the window with the slim ledge and a small bedside table that all her things set upon. And as to learning pack ways...well she was tying her best. Krat was her alpha now, and his words were taken as orders, but after defying so many alphas for so long his words didn't seem to ring with the demanding authority like they did for the others in the pack.

So she only decided to go downstairs because she could smell breakfast, slightly surprised that he had gotten up before her to cook it, and ended up walking downstairs. She was wearing what she normally did, her white kimono with the red sash, her dagger tucked safely in the sash. Going down the stairs, she lightly jumped over the bags at the bottom, blankly blinking before she drifted into he kitchen and judged Krat's cooking as she took a plate and served herself.

" Nice cooking Krat." She said with a smirk as she plopped herself down at the table and started to eat. It was now that she realized that Timothy was here as well and she nodded to him before she tuned into what was happening upstairs as she listened for thenothers to see if they would come. If they hurried, then she would know what Krat had planned for them sooner.


Aim:

Chime nearly jumped out of her pants then the Alpha called, leaving her too shaky to even think about going back to sleep. In a few minutes she got out of bed and went to her closet to get her clothes. As soon as she was dressed she looked at the clock. "Holy crud!" she screeched, she wasn't much of a morning person. The only she had gotten up this early was when the alpha planned a trip, "Wait a moment, when the alpha planned a trip...." Chime got a little uneasy as opened her and walked down the stairs and then seeing the backpacks, wanted to become a little tiny ant crawl away. She soon walked into the dinning room and started nibbling her food, a little shock over the whole thing.


Soar:

Theo drowsily came to that morning with an all too familiar voice resonating in the house. For a few brief seconds, he was simply confused. But as his mind began awaking, he growled in irritation. What sane creature would be up at this hour? He had made it a personal rule some time ago that if when he woke up the birds were still chirping, then he had gotten up far too soon. Unfortunately, he'd been waking up with the birds far too often.

So the boy simply sat, brooding in these thoughts. He had of course considered Kratos threat, wondering if he would carry through with it, and exactly how much time he'd have before the alpha would try. Finally, he had decided that if the alpha did come bursting through his door, he'd jump out the window instead of coming with him through the water trough.

So Theo remained comfortably immobile in his bed. As both a teenager and a werewolf, it was his duty to disobey. He was very good at this.

~~~

Jackie did not like waking up early. And she certainly did not like being woken up. Having heard Kratos' call, and threat, the woman had rose quickly with vigor and irritation.

"I'd like to see you try dragging me through," Jackie growled to herself, though her voice had likely been just loud enough for acute werewolf ears to hear.

What drove her to obedience within the next few moments was beyond her. In general, Jackie was brash and unconcerned with rules and threats. Though likely, and Jackie would have never admitted it aloud, she wasn't particularly fond in the idea of the pack seeing her in the pajamas. Like many things she owned, she had received a pair of bright pink pajamas with Hello Kitty jeering monstrously in every inch from the pack. She wouldn't be caught dead in them, let alone being dragged through a trough in them.

With hardly a second a loose, Jackie tossed Hello Kitty into a deep dark drawer and changed into something much less scary (a tank top and a pair of jeans) then walked downstairs to the smell of food.


May:

Kratos greeted each pack member with a hearty smile as they came down. "Go in and get yourselves something to eat." He said as he beckoned them into the kitchen.
It seemed amusing to him that each person who drowsily stumbled down the stairs gave a wary look at the backpacks gathered on the floor... Timothy had even gone so far as to cast the Alpha a threatening glance; as if it meant anything to Kratos, he only seemed to amused by it.
"Last chance to get down here! Anyone still up there in the next few minutes will be dragged out to the trough!" Kratos shouted up the stairs as a final call, then he joined everyone in the kitchen to get himself a bite to eat.


Cassie

Kaleb was dreaming of wind, it rushing everywhere, before a loud deep voice called through the deafening, fast air.
"Huhrm?" He moaned, sitting up. Somehow his shirt was gone, and crumpled on the floor instead.
That's weird... He threw back the covers and stood up. He felt taller, but oddly so.
Then he covered his Cookie Monster boxers with some jeans and a white tee. Just some normal morning clothes.
He turned on his iPod and pounded down the stairs, only one earbud in one of his ears. Upon seeing Kratos and mostly everyone else awake, he called a greeting.
"Good morning!"
Kaleb picked up a plate and filled it with whatever Kratos had decided to cook that morning.


Kale:

Kale's eyes snapped open at Kratos's bellow, and all too unhappy at the moment about her enhanced reflexes, she tumbled out of bed. warm smells filled the house, and her nose. her stomach growled and begged to be fed.

kale shuffled about her room, constantly pushing silvery-blonde hair from her eyes as she searched for a clean T-shirt and a comfy pair of snug cargo pants to change into. the dark green cargo's and white tee fit nicely, and Kale was glad for it. much of her cloths had grown small as Kale had grown bigger, the thought reminded her of her age, and even though she was only nineteen, as her body wished to remind her, she felt so much older, and yet so much younger at the same time. This werewolf thing really throws you off, huh? kale thought to her inner wolf. she was pretty sure it snorted in reply.

Kale heard Kratos holler yet again and grinned, sliding out of her room with ease and taking the stairs lightly.

The kitchen was quickly filling up with werewolves and kale nearly dove for the counter, passing kaleb with a good morning smile, and the food stacked high on plates, courtesy of her dearest alpha. she snatched a waffle and had it folded in half and stuffed in her mouth in the blink of an eye, already piling a plate with other breakfastly goods.
"Kratos, i love you!" Kale laughed through her mouthful of waffle.
"but unfortunatly, even the best breakfast in the world isn't going to make me miss the pile of luggage at the bottom of the stairs. what evil scheme are you planning?"

she eyed her very tall alpha with a mischevious gleam, her morning, although very early, was charged, and kale couldn't ignore her own hyperactivity at the moment. she felt restless and oddly exited, happy even. Her inner wolf felt much the same, growling playfully in her mind.


Mariel:

By the time Kieoki had started eating, Krat had yelled upstairs again and more people were coming downstairs until the kitchen was getting crowded. Still unused to being around so many weres at one time, it wasn't only her wolf hat was getting edgy. She knew that these other teenagers were part of he pack she was now in, but that didn't erase the feelings of many years that had been building up. So when the kitchen was almost full Kieoki heard kale mention the backpacks and keioki stood, having finished her breakfast, and dropped her plates off in the sink before slipping out of the room quietly.

After what happened on the last hiking trip she'd been on, she wasn't looking forward to whatever krat had planned for them all. But she did have to do a few things incase they were hiking. When she'd stepped out of view of the others she silently went back to her room and stood infront of the small round mirror on the mainly unused dresser. Untying her red sash, she deftly tied up her hair into a ponytail, mainly in order to keep her hair out of her face. Reaching onto her bed, she slid her hand into her pillowcase and fumbled around for a moment until her hands connected with the soft cloth she was looking for. Smirking, she hoped of her bed and crouched down and pulled up the bottom of her dress to look at her leg. She was looking at the small scar along her calf that she'd gotten during the last hiking trip. Frowning at it like she normally did, she shook her head and tied the cloth tightly around her leg.

She hadn't told anyone about her leg. After all, she'd known for a long time that it wouldn't heal as fast as it would for another were. She was stuck with it healing faster than a Human but slower than a were. It was almost healed anyway( well the muscle that is) but she wrapped it anyways before standing and sneaking back downstairs. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she stood by the backpacks waiting for Krat or the others.


May:

Timothy put only a small amount of food on his plate and finished rather quickly. His turquoise eyes passed discreetly over each face at the table, trying to figure out if anyone knew what Kratos was planning.. But they all looked just as confused as Timothy felt, so he gained nothing until Kale spoke up.

Kale sounded like she was so happy....Timothy couldn't grasp the concept. Then after a brief moment, Kratos finished his food and replied to Kale's question.

*****

Previously Kratos had been leaning against the kitchen wall, but had now put his plate back on the table and crossed his arms over his chest with a wholehearted laugh!

"Yes, our last trip was far from pleasant, but don't worry, we won't be trying to go over the mountain again." Kratos said with a chuckle. "However, we will be going on a short trip today. We'll be following a well-trodden path so it'll be safe by all accounts.. I have a surprise I want to show you all which I think will benefit our entire group."

Kratos paused a moment and looked back toward the stairs. "Seems I might have to drag Theo out of bed.." He muttered to himself, then he looked back at the group.
"The path is wide enough for the truck to drive on, so anyone who doesn't want to walk can hop in there." He said. "As for me, I'll be on foot - Or should I say paw?"


Soar:

Jackie hadn't payed much attention to Kratos, nor anything else around her. Her full, and undying attention, had been focused on the pancakes before. The woman was scarfing them down as quickly as she could, as though she would not have another opportunity to eat all day. Which in fact may not have been far from the truth, considering that Kratos likely had decided to pack the disgusting energy for their journey. The focus dedicated to breakfast was cool and deadly, neither prey, enemey, nor pancake would be likely cross her now. Syrup dripping from her cheek (which given enough imagination, almost looked like pancake blood), Jackie lept from her seat and snatched more pancakes-- of course proceeding to wolf them down within a few brief minutes.

~~~

Bed wasn't as comfortable as Theo had thought, with the looming threat of a water trough in his future. At last, when the boy couldn't handle it any longer, he quietly crept near his dresser to switch into day clothes. He had resolved that he wasn't going to be dragged through a water trough in his pajamas, which wouldn't be too dignified. If he was going to be disobedient, at the very least he would look awake for it. He sat patiently on his bed, slipping on a pair of socks and hiking boots that hadn't seen too much use on his time in the ranch (Theo honestly preferred going barefoot, but for longer treks he certainly wasn't going to see how long it took for something to stab through his well-calloused feet). Theo than lay back the mattress, putting his arms aimlessly behind his head, and gazing up at his ceiling as though he had no worry if Kratos would come barging in within seconds.


Hour Glass

Zeit heard the call, and woke up, missing the first call altogether. She grumbled something to herself, and headed out of her room, stifling a yawn. She was wearing a baby blue tank top and a short pair of black athletic shorts. She yawned again as she made her way down stairs, grabbing herself a bite to eat, ignoring the rest of the wolves for the moment. She pulled a chair up, and began to pile on the syrup as she stared blankly at her plate.

She crossed her legs, still in a bit of a daze as she set the bottle down, and went to take her first bite. Only then did she look up, something clicking inside her mind. She looked around, her fork still hanging out of her mouth as she took note of who all was down in her kitchen. She felt her cheeks warm up a bit before she calmed herself slightly. So far, she seemed to have been the only one who hadn't thought to put on decent clothing, and the only one who hadn't seen the luggage at the bottom of the stairs. She swore in her mind, before moving on and taking another bite.

She had only caught the last comment that had been made by Kratos. "I'll go by paw" she muttered, still a bit grouchy. She grumbled slightly as she worked to finish off her breakfast, still cross that she was still in her pajamas.


May:

Kratos took note of Zeit's entering and nodded a brief welcome. Then he walked out of the kitchen and headed up the stairs.

The Alpha's heavy boots could be heard on the steps in the upper rooms as he ascended.
The stairs opened up to the end of the long hallway and at the top of the stairs was a large window opening off to the west. There was a small banister on the opposite side of the staircase from the window to protect people from falling down the stairs, and on the far end of the hall was another window opening to the east.

Kratos seldom came into the upper level of Zeit's cottage, often at night he would either sleep in the living room or leave the house to sleep in the barn or under the stars.. So he wasn't familiar with where everyone slept, but since there were only six bedrooms and a hall bathroom, most of which had opened doors, Kratos could quickly guess which room Theo was in.
Two knocks hit the door from Kratos' large hand and his deep voice called for Theo. "Get up and come on. Breakfast is getting cold and the stubborn will get nothing to eat before our trip.."


Cassie:

Alice trotted back to the house from outside. Her fur waved as her body carried her loftily back to the house. When she got close, she turned back to human form. Then she walked inside. Surprsingly, everybody was up, save for Theo.
"What's all this about?" she asked, clearly confused.


Kale:

Kale eyed Kratos as he went up stairs and quickly returned her attention to seeing just how mant waffles could fit into her mouth at one time. when alice walked in kale nearly choked as she tried to reply, then remembering her food, swallowed as fast as she could.
"we're going on a trip! again, only were going somwhere else this time. i have no idea what food he has in the packs, so dig in to this wonderful breakfast- who knew the guy was such a good cook?" Kale spoke quickly and followed her words with a delightfully syrup drenched waffle( waffles are definately kale's favorite) she nearly growled in happiness as she walked over to the fridge in search of milk, careful of touching things with her sticky fingers.


Soar:

Food, did he say food? Immediately the alpha's booming voice perked Theo's interest. It was one matter to be threatened with a dunk into a disgusting water trough. But to threaten food, that was something even Theo could not resist. As a teenager, he was all too aware of his growing hunger. At last, with a grunt of reluctance, he stood.

"Well played," Theo mumbled sourly as he opened the door and began to walk down the stairs and into the kitchen.

But his defeated mood was quickly forgotten in the enticing aroma of breakfast. The boy hurried his footsteps, then scrambled to get a plate and something to eat. He took a seat next to Kale.


Cassie:

Alice smiled at Kale.
"Thanks for letting me know!" She sat down at the table, after grabbing a plate, some waffled, and putting syrup and butter on them.
She bit into them, savoring the sweetness of the syrup combined with the fillingness of the waffles. She smiled with her mouth closed and full, her cheeks looking like a chipmunk's that ate too much.
She looked over at Kaleb, who sat there at the table, reading a book, his plate empty as he was finished with eating.
She poked him in the shoulder.
"Hey! What was that for?" he asked harshly, his expression angry.
"You'd better get dressed in some appropriate clothes. I mean, we are going on a trip, you know." she told him.
"Yeah, I know, let me finish my chapter."
Alice finished her breakfast. She rinsed off the plate and put it in the sink, then did the same for Kaleb's.
After a few moments, he closed the book, and went upstairs.
Kaleb exchanged his pajama pants and tank for some khaki shorts and a t-shirt. He also tied a sweatshirt around his waist. THen he went back downstairs. He walked up to Kratos.
"When are we going to leave? And where are we going to travel?" Kaleb asked him, because he wasn't sure if he wanted to go on paw, or stay on two legs.


Nequaria:

Creorran stumbled out of bed and hastily threw some clothes on. Kratos' warnings were not to be taken lightly, and Creorran was not about to take any chances. Once he was dressed and at least somewhat presentable, he rushed down the stairs only to crash into someone.

That someone was Savannah. The usually gentle girl was in a rare mood, and she let Creorran know it. "Watch where you're going, fleabag," she snarled. Creorran was not one of the werewolves she had taken a liking to. She enjoyed watching Jackie's stubbornness, and remembered her first meeting with Kieoki. She hadn't really taken the time to get to know either of them, but they were the two she felt most comfortable around.

Creorran ignored Savannah's insult and continued to his corner of the kitchen. He leaned up against the wall as always and gazed out the window. He knew that the full moon was very soon, and was worried about what would happen. He had experienced the effects of the full moon before, but he was always nervous about whether he would lose control of his werewolf form again.

Savannah however had no trouble controlling her transformations. Though she would still be forced to change, she was not worried and simply wished to get it over with. It was not that she disliked being in wolf form, it was just the fact that she would be forced. She prefered having control over her body.

She didn't quite feel like sitting with the others, so she simply waited near the staircase for Kratos to announce when they were leaving.


Mariel:

When a someone came down the stairs and crashed into Savannah, who was across from her on the steps, Kieoki's reflexive response was to immediately flick her dagger into her hand and attack whatever had just crashed into the girl. It was only Savannah's remark that snapped her back into remembering that she didn't have to worry about things like that here. Her weapon was hidden back in her sash before either of the other two could have seen it and she was sitting back down upon the steps.

Fully awake from the hot breakfast, she waited for an order from Krat for when they were leaving. She was fairly curious as to where they were going, and she hated wasting all this time when they could be already on there way.


Kaqurei:

Sabrina had every intention of sneaking into the house and slipping up to her bedroom before everyone else woke up. It was still very early, and most of the pack slept late with the exception of Zeit who practically got up with the sun... but it was still dark out, so as long as she kept quiet she figured she would be homefree.

The ranch was empty and quiet enough, save only the cattle lowing and a few early birds twittering. She got to the porch and felt sure she had been unobserved. She was in the midst of congratulating herself for her stealth as she pushed open the cottage door, only to find that inside was buzzing with energy. The smell of breakfast hit her like a wall, everyone was awake and busy, there were packs lined up near the door...

Snap. Crackle. Pop, even. So much for slipping in unnoticed.


Cathannah:

Toby, surprisingly, had gotten up yet. It was his first night in the pack and he'd spent most of it shivering with fright, and being to afraid to shut his eyes. He hadn't drifted to sleep until an hour before sunrise, and even then he probably suffocated himself by hiding under the blanket till it was too hot to breath.

Toby had not willingly joined the pack. When Kratos had found him again the other day, Toby fled and left his grandmother to talk with the big, intimidating Alpha. The old werewolf lady seemed overjoyed and said that it would be good for Toby to join a pack. Toby was smart enough as far as humans go, he now needed to know more about his werewolf side.

Kratos's voice had done little to stir him, but it did give him the adreniline rush to pop his head out from under his tangled blanket and breath enough cool, clean air to fall back asleep. His head was hanging off the side of the bed and his hand lay across the same shelf that his large glasses rested on- The shelf beside his bed.


Aim:

Chime sat quietly and ate slowly, she watched everyone else, listening to what they said. She was still half asleep and couldn't see how many of the pack member could be so... awake. She yawned and watched as the alpha went up stairs, "He must be looking for, what was his name again? the young teen thought for a few minutes and shrugged, she was always forgetting someones name.

Chime got up and put her plate in the sink, she then walked out to the living room, Toby didn't come down yet and he seemed pretty scared last night.. She walked up and went to the room he was staying in and gently knocked on the door, "Toby, you awake?" She asked softly.


May:

Kratos smirked as Theo slipped by him and headed down the stairs. "Well, I guess that's enough to begin with." Kratos said quietly, taking one last glance in the hallway before turning to go down himself.

The Alpha halted a moment to allow Chime up the stairs before he descended, casually watching her call for Toby before he left the upper-level of Zeit's cottage.

Everyone was just about done eating, Kratos reckoned, and soon they'd be off. But no sooner had the Alpha reached the foot of the stairs when the front door opened and Sabrina walked in. Immediately he noticed that she seemed perplexed, and Kratos was inclined to be the same.
"Well, you certainly have been out late, I haven't seen you in a few weeks. Would you mind telling me why?" Kratos said with a look of suspicion. But being reminded of his desire to set-out early, the Alpha glanced into the kitchen and decided to let the matter hang for a bit. "Let me assure you that we'll talk about this later, for now you might want to get yourself some breakfast.. Assuming there is anything left, that is."

With that, Kratos turned away from Sabrina and walked into the kitchen. "Alright, everyone who's done should meet me outside in the yard." Kratos announced. "The backpacks by the door have your names on em, and are filled with water and other things, so make sure you grab one. Timothy, you're on clean-up duty; make sure the table is clean and the dishes are put away before you come out.. Sabrina can join you since she came in late anyway, and Toby might still be down so save any left-overs. I'll wait for you all outside."

*****

Timothy turned a glare in Kratos' direction but found that the 'large brute' had already left the house. With that, Timothy lifted his fist as if to smite the table with his fury, but thought better of this harsh action when he remembered the large gathering of 'human-monsters' all about him.
"Whatever." He growled, and started gathering empty plates anyway.


Cathannah:


Toby turned and burried his head under his pillow. "Noo..." He muttered pethetically from underneath. Then suddenly remembering where he was, he sat up quickly and looked around in panic. Not seeing the blurred image of any large dogs, he reached for his glasses and calmly placed them before his eyes.

"Well, I guess I am now." He shrugged, looking at Chime.


Mariel:

Considering Kieoki was sitting right besides the backpacks on the stairs, she easily picked out the one with her name on it, smirking when she saw that Krat spelled her name right. It was an old pet peeve from her young days when she had gone to school for a year or so, but everyone always spelled her name wrong. Though it was spelled, 'Kieoki' she pronounced her name "Key-OH-Key" and so almost everyone spelled her name without the i or they added an e instead of an i at the end of her name. Annoying this was to her, and so when she scooped her backpack up and slid it onto her shoulder, she was faintly smiling.

Kieoki stepped outside about a minute after Krat did and so she readily joined him in the yard as they waited for the others. The day was fairly warm and the sky seemed to be clear at least. Had Krat mentioned that they could travel in wolf form? She hoped so. She hadn't been able to let her wolf run free in the woods for a long time because of Krat's rules, and so she could feel it itching to let its paws hit the ground and take off running. Patience. She gently told herself. She'd just have to wait and see.


Kale:

Kale scarfed down another waffle and rinsed her plate, putting it in the dishwasher before hastily slipping through the kitchen full of werewolves and searched the backpacks for her name. finally finding it, she swung it over her shoulder and waltzed out the door, shooting a glance back at the kitchen to see how long the others might take. Kale shot Timothy an 'sorry' smile about the mess and walked outside.

the fresh scent of grass, dust, and sunshine greeted her, along with a warm summer breeze, surprising for being so early in the morning.

Kale nearly bounced as she walked to join Kratos and Kieoki, she and her wolf were so hyped up. She dropped her bag as she came up to them and glanced at Samuel, wondering just what he had in mind.

Kale then let her thought wander, for trying to predict what her alpha would do was like trying to predict the wind. instead she thought about hw she often switched betwen his name, calling him Kratos the most, as that was the name of her werewolf alpha, but occasionally calling him Samuel, as he was know as a man. Kale mused, as she sometimes did, as to why he had two names in the first place, because so far, he was the only werewolf she met who did.letting her thoughts travel further, Kale waited.


Hour Glass:

Zeit took her time eating, as she was recovering from her lack of sleep, and placed her plate in the sink when she finished. She left without cleaning it, mumbling something about cleaning it later. She kept quiet as she made her way up the stairs, though her eyes held a glare that would send shivers down anyone's sides.

Before she walked up the stairs, she made the point to grab the bag with her name on it, she would have to place it in whatever vehicle that was going to be driven by the rest of the wolves. She got into her room swiftly, and pulled out her freshly cleaned wolf clothes, and changed, ready for her change to come. Before she changed, she unlocked her window, and opened it so she could slid out onto the roof with ease.

She felt her body change, her pelt appear, along with the muzzle and claws. She waited a moment, before shaking out her pelt. She turned on a dime, and slid through the window, and carefully balanced on the roof. She avoided walking through the house as a wolf, there had been many times when the walls had been destroyed and repainted, she didn't want any more repairs at the moment.

She leapt off the roof, landing easily on her paws, and trotting tot he front of the house. She looked to the porch where her friend, Hawk was waiting with his bag. He gave a yawn and smile as she walked up. He was standing near the rest of the pack that had finished their breakfast and had come out in the first rays of sunlight.


Aim:

Chime smiled and walk a little further into the room. "Did you sleep well?" She asked, she did heard the alpha call "Oh, I guess I have to go. You better get something to eat." She said before walking out and yawned before she went back down stairs. She looked for her backpack, she had a little trouble finding it but soon she was going out the door, with backpack.

Chime walked out and looked around. The two females seemed excited but all she wanted to do was go back into the house and return to her bed.


Kaqurei:

Sabrina was glad to have gotten off so easy... if only for so long. Oh well, at least she had time to come up with a decent excuse rather than blabbering the first things that came to mind now.

Rather then press Kratos further by telling him she had already eaten, she casually went into the kitchen, wandered about for a moment, and then returned to the door. She found her bag rather quickly... it was at the end. Kratos didn't seem to have expected her to have returned today... which meant he had kept track of every minute of her absence... great.

A little crestfallen, Sabrina shouldered her bag and exited the house to join the others.


Cathannah:

Toby watched Chime go, quite glad that'd she'd been called away. Sure, she seemed nice enough, but he was still in his P.Js and having her in his room would've been quite emberressing.
Quickly, he got out of bed and got dressed. Today he chose to wear kahki pants, a light blue button shirt, a vintage vest over that, and a dark red tie..

Kinda clashy he thought, but oh well.
He went slowly down the stairs and peaked into the kitchen. Whoa ll was in there anyway?


May:

As everyone began to depart from the kitchen, Timothy found himself more and more at ease with the situation than when Kratos first assigned him the chore.
Timothy could hear the door opening and closing and steadily loud voices grew less, until he could only hear the few whom remained in the house and the low murmur of Kratos talking outside.

With all the empty plates carefully placed in the sink, Timothy rolled up his sleeves and prepared to begin, but then he paused and looked for a moment confused.. Just a second ago he had known what he was doing, and now he stared at the sink without a clue... Oh wait, now he could remember; the sponge, the warm water, and a drop of washing-liquid for each plate. He shook his head and began to work.

Each dish was delicately washed and dried by hand, Timothy hadn't even thought to look for a dishwasher when at last he was done.

*****

Kratos was found casually leaning on the side of the house with his arms crossed over his chest.
"We'll be taking a truck-trail up into Mt. Phantom." Kratos said as he pointed toward the mountain directly behind the fields of Ziet's ranch. "The trail is on the other side of the corn field and rides right up to the area where I'll want us to go.. I would like the more experienced to wait until we've come under the cover of the trees before changing though, and I'd have everyone else either ride in the truck or go by foot."

Kratos' hand brushed over his chin as he stared up at the mountain in thought before continuing.

"I think that everyone who knows how to control their werewolf form should help me teach those who do not. By the time the sun sets we'll all be feeling the effects of the full moon, but hopefully by then everyone should understand the basics of the transformation." He explained. "I don't think there should be any difficulty recognizing each other since we've been living together for awhile; with the exception of Savannah, Toby, and Chime that is.. we'll have to be extra careful around them. With any luck though, all the other less experienced members will stick around the pack and not rabidly attack anyone, regardless of previous training."


Jackie:

Parting away from her empty platter food regretfully, Jackie turned to yank her backpack from where Kratos had motioned. Much to her disgust, she had noticed that her backpack read her full name "Jacqueline" instead of "Jackie". Irritably she slung it over her shoulder, shooting the alpha a dark look when he wasn't looking, then hovered at the entry way.

Listening, surprisingly quiet, Jackie already didn't like the direction this morning was heading. When considering their previous hiking trip hadn't gone too well, she wasn't entirely certain this would pass event-free either. She supposed having a pack full of werewolves, some in out of control, should have set her on edge a bit, but alas found this the least of her concerns. If anyone became out of control and tried to snip at her, she wouldn't hesitate to snap right back.

~~~

Shrugging, Theo grabbed the backpack and half-listened to Kratos from the back of the crowd.


Cathannah:

The kitchen was empty save for that wierd Timothy character. Toby entered happily, but found he had no clue what he was supposed to be eating. Did he just help himself to what was there or did he fordge through the pantry for somthing?

Awkwardly, he stood for a moment, staring at Timothy. Of all the strange people in this place, Toby found he trusted Timothy the most; probably because the kid seemed just as new to this as he was. Weither that was true or not, Toby didn't know.

"Hey Timothy! How are you doing?" He asked.


Kaqurei:

Sabrina threw a doubtful glance glance at Jackie. This would be her first Moon Change, wouldn't it? From what she had seen, the gal already had some serious attitude. Her werewolf was going to be a fun creature to meet... Sabrina rolled her eyes. Then she looked around for the other newbies Kratos had mentioned... she didn't really recognize a single one of them.

Savannah, Chime, and Toby. There were at least three faces in the crowd Sabrina hadn't formally met, two of which she had never even seen before. All three of them were girls. Toby was a boy, she knew. She'd practically grown up with /him/. She didn't see him around either, so he must still be inside.

So, one of the strangers was Savannah, that little female Sabrina had attacked before leaving the pack for a few weeks. One was Chime. The other's name she did not know.

Oh well, she'd learn their names later, she was sure.


May:

Timothy was drying his hands on a towel when Toby entered.
"Uhm.. Oh, yes. Hi, uh, Toby, right?" Timothy said slowly, grabbing the extra food from the table and emptying it into various fridge-containers. Timothy didn't know much about the new boy, except that he was likely to be a werewolf like everyone else in this strange little house.. Kratos had dragged Toby into the pack a few weeks ago, and Timothy wasn't one to seek interaction....
"Here's what's left of breakfast.." Timothy said as he set the containers on the table and wiped up everything else.

Timothy then did a quick sweep of the kitchen floor and took a seat at the table. He had no intention of going out to meet with the rest of the pack, as they so often called themselves, and was seeking any possible way to be forgotten.
*****

However, Timothy was anything but forgotten by the werewolf leader. "Good grief, it will be a wonder if I don't go in and find those boys sleeping again." Kratos grumbled as he watched the sun slip into the sky from behind the mountains.

At last, the Alpha motioned for everyone to wait outside, then he went into the house in search for Toby, Timothy, and whoever else who might have ignored him the first and second time he had called.

In fact, just at the moment Timothy had sat down at the table, Kratos came through the door and entered the kitchen.
"Well now, you certainly like taking your sweet time.." Kratos said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Let's go, we're loosing daylight and no one, save Marcus and Kiton alone, have permission to stay here... and Kale and Zeit don't need my permission."
*****

Timothy greeted the Alpha with a glare and made no attempt to reply... but it was in vain. Kratos only waited a small moment before walking right up to the table, gently grabbing both boys by the neck of their shirts and pushing them outside!

As soon as they were out, Kratos closed the door of the cottage and locked it so that neither of the two could get back in while he gathered the remaining backpacks.. Whether or not Toby had eaten yet didn't seem to trouble him.

Timothy was furious, but unable to do anything.

*****

Kratos gathered the remaining backpacks, put the food containers into the fridge, and made sure the cottage was secure before returning to the group in the yard.
"Alright." He said, locking the door behind him. "Let's go. Everyone follow the road between the barn and the corn field, it'll lead us right up into the mountains.. Zeit, who would you like to drive the truck?"


Kale:

Kale waited as Kratos went inside and retieved Timothy and Toby. Kale sighed a little, still remembering the very first time they had met Timothy, at Gathen's cave, and she had sung for nearly an entire day ,trying to calm him down. seemingly, she had a soft spot for him, if only he wasn't so...standoff-ish. and Toby, well, Toby seemed, for the most part to Kale, a skittish werewolf. She hardly knew a thing about him.

When Kratos came back out, kale barely waited to hear what he said before she picked her pack up off the ground and headed for the truck, tossing her pack in the bed and following, sitting with one leg inside the bed and one leg hanging off the side, her back against the cab.

Leaning back, Kale waited for the others, her eyes taking in their details, their subtle differences of movement, smell, sight, and sound. Each pack member was individual and unique.

Kale sighed, finally glad as she realized she belonged here, with them. this felt right. And it boosted her mood all the same. Her inner wolf no longer seemed like such a curse, even with the moon so close. it tied her to the pack. it made her, her.


Cathannah:

Toby wept pethetically as he was dragged away from his tiny bowl of leftovers, having hardly taken a single bite out of it before the Alpha had come in and carried them away. He now stood, rather digectedly and quivering as though he were cold, outside with the others. Rubbing his arm and whimpering.


Aim:

Chime stood where she was for a few seconds, still trying to pick what she should do, ride or walk? Riding would probably be the best answer, she was tried, but the car seat.... Chime then decided to use her paws, which she was pretty good at. She didn't change too much but her mom did teach her how to use her wolf form.

When Chime decided to walk, she notice that Timothy got kicked out along with Toby, she really couldn't understand those two, she felt more sorry for Toby, but that was because of his fear of the wolves and she had first seen him on the faithful day a month ago. Now she didn't really know Timothy that well, all she really did know was he didn't want to be here, which really confused her.

She walked over to them with a little concerned look upon her face, "Hi Timothy, Toby." she said, trying not to sound too cheerful, "How are you?... Toby, are you alright?" she asked, looking at the shivering mess, she was trying to do a little chit-chat before going, she knew it probably wouldn't last long.


Mariel:

As the others slowly filtered out and Krat said that they were off a slight spark of excitement shot through Kieoki. Only for a small moment that is. She started out on the path, choosing to walk in human form because she didn't particularly want to be cooped up in the car, and she couldn't shift to her wolf form much to her annoyance. Her red sash was still tied around her leg for support, and if she shifted it'd be seen. So in a faint huff to herself, she suppressed her urge to shift

She realized then that she wasn't traveling behind Krat and no one else was around her. Unlike what she'd thought, Krat didn't leave the house because he was waiting for a reply from Zeit. Stopping with a blank blink to herself, she glanced over her shoulder with a faint blush. Everyone was still back at the house for the most part. Coughing softly to hide her embarrassment, she shot a small glare at Krat before she proceeded to stand there, arms folded over one another as she waited.


Hour Glass:

Zeit thought for a moment when Kratos asked her about driving the truck. "Anybody can drive" she replied after some thought, "But if they cause any damage to the truck, they pay for it, and they will get it fixed." She said the last sentence swiftly, before turning to head off. She sat down near the truck waiting for everyone to come out. She looked over her shoulder at Kratos, and watched as Hawk took a seat in the truck.


May:

Timothy was riled by Kratos' forceful methods but he could not fight something five times his own size. So when Chime came over to comfort Toby, Timothy simply nodded and quickly escaped the porch into the front yard. Timothy had always thought the group to be very large when inside Zeit's crowded cottage, but now, seeing all these people standing together in the yard, the pack seemed very small to him.. Obviously there were a few whom had been occupied elsewhere who would not be joining the party, but even when imagining a few others, Timothy felt the group very small.

****

"Alright." Kratos said. He brought the extra backpacks to the back of the truck and tossed them in, then he made a careful note of each member in the yard. Kratos caught Kieoki's embarrassed glare but seemed to dismiss it for the moment with a brief smile, then he looked at Sabrina and motioned for her to get into the truck.
"You'll be driving Sabrina." He said firmly. "Timothy, you'll be going in the truck as well."
Kratos thought this decision for the better and he did not wait to be challenged on it; immediately afterwards he took up his own backpack and began down the road between the barn and the small corn field.


Cathannah:

Toby looked at Chime and quickly stood to straighten his glasses and shirt, making himself look presentable. "Apsolutely." He whimpered, though his stomache spoke clearly of his discomfort. He watched Timothy scoot off the porch and wanted to follow him, but didn't think leaving Chime there by herself would be polite.


Kale:

Kale stayed at her perch on the side of the truck bed, waiting for everybody to either get ready or get loaded; She watched Kratos giving out orders and nodded subconciously. She was secretly glad he didn't ask her to drive, because the sad fact was that she didn't really know how. Since she had become a werewolf,she walked and hitch-hiked wherever she went, and really hadn't been behind the wheel very often except for what was usually a very short distance from wherever she was working, into town, and back. even those where rare occurances.

Glancing back over the pack she repressed the urge to whistle and tell them all to get moving, as she knew most of them were still asleep on their feet. not everyone shared her giddyness this morning.


Mariel:

Kieoki raised an eyebrow at Krat's smile, surprised for a moment until he finished issuing orders and grabbed his backpack. He started off down the path then and Kieoki waited until he caught up with her before she nodded to him. As he passed she started, tagging along beside him as she adjusted her backpack. It was hard to keep pace with him, his steps were a lot longer than hers, but she kept up with him nonetheless. She didn't chat though. Didn't apologize, and most certainly did not ask if he cared that she walked beside him.

Yes, she probably should've asked, and she knew that he could order her to go back. She had to stop herself from laughing at that particular thought. Yes, she would be able to feel the pressure of the alpha's orders if he did tell her to do that, but unless she didn't care if he knew that his words weren't absolute for her, then she wouldn't do it anyways. Because she did care though, she had been following whatever orders her gave her since she joined the pack just to keep up her secret. She didn't want to let him know, because she didn't want to know how he'd react to a bit of news like that. So she continued walking beside him, silent.


Aim:

Chime eyed Timothy as he left and let out a little sigh, he seemed to not want anything to do with the pack most of the time. Gently shaking her head she look back to Toby, "Fine, uh?" she thought, still worried but let it drop, "Oh, that's good." she said, noticing he was watching Timothy go and the alpha leaving, she decided that her little chit-chat was over. "Well, if you're fine, I guess I'll go. But if you need anything, you know where I am." She said before running off to catch up with Kieoki and the alpha.

Chime walked in back of them but not to close, she just wanted to keep them in sight... Mainly because of what happened last time.


Kaqurei:

Sabrina nodded to Kratos' order. Seeing as he didn't throw any keys, she guessed that they were already inside the vechicle. Her guess was confirmed when she opened the car door and swung inside, of course, so she gave them a twist started warming up the engine.

She rolled the window down and leaned out of the car. "Hey, Timothy, you get shotgun. Toby, Jackie, and anyone else who's having their first or second Moon Changes tonight hop in the back." Granted, Toby had been a werewolf all his life. Sabrina knew that. Still, she wanted him along for the ride on account of the fact that she had noticed Timothy's body language seemed much more at ease when he was around.


Kale:

Kale leaned over and watched Sabrina hop in the truck and start it. The frame shook beneath her as the engine came to life and kale leaned back against the cab once more, shaking with the metal behind her.

Kale closed her eyes and listened to the rest of the pack. their footsteps; the rustling of cloths; the swish of backpacks as they moved. Kale slowed her breathing and tried to hear more past the roar of the engine.


May:

Timothy wanted to argue, more especially because he knew Kratos was right, but chose to say nothing; it would fall on deaf ears anyway as Kratos so bluntly showed. Later on up the road the more eager of the group would take to their paws.. Timothy didn't want to be walking with werewolves, so the truck would have been his choice anyway.
But any decision would prove futile in the end, as Timothy now guessed; Kratos would have his way with him, just as Kratos had his way when he forced Timothy and Toby along in the first place.

Timothy simply heaved a sigh and climbed into the truck beside Sabrina. As much of a 'control-freak' as Timothy believed Kratos to be, assigning Sabrina to drive the truck was actually a wise choice. Of all the people who lived in Zeit's cottage and had tried to reach out to him, Timothy felt most comfortable in Sabrina's company than in the company of any other... However, the reason for his comfort was completely unknown to his conscious mind.

*****

The road lead away from Zeit's cottage between the small corn field and the barn, which continued onward for only a short distance then it forked off; one road going up toward the mountains and the other going down passed the corral.
Kratos lead the pack on the road which followed the small corn field upward.

Zeit's cottage stood at the very edge of the mountain range and seemed to be elevated higher than the town of Reknab Bend; if any in the group looked back they could see the small town and all the farms and fields scattered between here and there.

On the right of the road, for a short time, was the corn field, then it stopped abruptly and a small unkempt, and probably unused, field began and ran up to the very face of the tall forest trees.. Beyond it, further right, Zeit's cows could be seen grazing in the pasture behind the cottage. All that was on the left side of the road were more fields and an old shaggy barn sitting drearily on a fenced hill.

The Alpha lead on, never straying from the road and never saying a word, his mind seemed to be somewhere else. The group passed into the forest and walked for a short time longer before Kratos stopped them and allowed all who desired to change their clothes and forms. Kratos himself took the opportunity, and then he lead the group on again.

The road was as Kratos promised it would be; well-trodden and easy to walk upon. It looked as if many large trucks had passed this way not long ago and made the steady climb appear flat; and indeed, the dirt was imprinted with the tracks of heavy-laden wheels.

The distance from the cottage to the edge of the corn field and from the edge of the corn field to the entry of the forest was the same. When they had walked from the forest entry again that same estimated distance, the road steadily began to turn right, leading as if it would go that direction for some time but instead it turned sharply to the left. Upon coming around that curve, Kratos' surprise was finally revealed.

Beyond that turn was a good-sized clearing where the dirt road became stone and on the far side, directly ahead of them, were two large houses. They seemed to be modestly built in the design of cottages, but it was obvious that these were too large to called such.
To the right of the road, seemingly further up the mountain was a chain-link fence, which at first looked very odd, but as they got closer to the houses they were allowed a better view and the group could see that the fence actually surrounded a large ditch which made up half the clearing.
"I'll show you more of that later, for now let's go to the buildings." Kratos said and lead onward.

The houses were numbered one and two and the all the ground between them was cement. A short ways behind the houses were strong wooden beams which held up the earth away from the buildings like a wall. Then upon the wall it seemed the forest went on and the sound of a nearby river could be heard.

"In these buildings there is a room for each of you, and you will be free to claim the ones you will." Kratos said, turned to face the rest of the pack. "In this way Zeit's cottage can be returned to what it was before the pack's forming; a place for herself and for those she chooses to harbour. However, you all will still be obligated to work on the ranch for her sake and the security of our pack."


Kratos stood up on two legs and unlocked the doors of the houses as he continued. "I will need two people to volunteer to be House-Gammas, one for each of the buildings to maintain order and keep the peace, as I know arguments will inevitably arise between house-mates as is always the case."
*****

Timothy had enjoyed the scenery up until the stop near the entry of the woods, when he had slumped down into his seat and pretended to occupy himself in the pages of a book.. He tried to take no notice of the changing area, and did not look out the window other than that of a quick glance when he knew no one was in view..

Why was he so scared to see the werewolves? He didn't remember. If anything was said to him, Timothy simply shrugged his shoulders, mumbled something inaudible, and pretended to continue reading... Regardless if anyone actually saw through his simple little act..

When the car finally pulled to a stop, Timothy didn't lift his eyes, but he focused his ears and listened to hear if anyone was talking outside the truck..


Kale:

Kale saw the houses and came to a dead stop. Her first impression was boot camp, then she let her senses roam and her second impression was a nicer one. the air smelled strongly of earth and trees, without the taint of humanity,; all but for the soft traces of metal tht were the truck and the chain-link fence. water ran through the forest somewhere close, a creek probably, and the srustle of leaves and ground litter were natural and comforting.

Sliding her pack off her shoulder Kale let it drop to the ground and she took a few steps foreward, marking the details of this place in her mind, humming softly to made-up tunes as she sorted out this new enviorment.

Following Kratos up to the houses, still humming, Kale watched him unlock the doors and nodded as he spoke, but not really listening.


Dez:

****

It was another day. The outline of the mountains was the only thing that challenged the clear blue sky. The crackling of twigs and gravel beneath her shoes and the consistent shifting of the pack on her back, paired with the cheerful calls and twitters of the birds were the only sounds present to the woman.

It hadn't been too long since that night, but it still seemed far off, and she tried to recall the exact date. She remembered talking to her grandfather on his birthday just a few days before it happened. So, over three months? That sounded right. Tonight would be her fourth full moon since she was changed.

She let out a deep breath that released pent up anger and anxiousness with it. All at once she felt calm again.

Getting bitten was life changing, yes, but that didn't mean she'd let it change her. She didn't dwell on it all too often, or have horrid nightmares, or curse herself for becoming a werewolf. She wasn't the type of person to let it rule her like that. She hadn't let her parents disappearance bother her, so why start now? She kept going about her life as usual. Only she had to be more careful, cautious than before. A heated bar brawl or street fight could quickly become a massacre should this new beastly side of her emerge mid battle.

However, her fairly passive attitude didn't change her spite for the werewolves. She may have become one of them but she refused to believe that she was like them. All of her life she had been brought up knowing werewolves to be evil. As she was told, 'they kill humans and livestock and have no mercy for anything; they're heartless, cruel monsters, and should all be eradicated like the beasts they are'. They wouldn't think twice about hurting someone, so why should feel any sympathy for them?

Maybe there was a part of her that didn't believe this. After all, what about those who were like her? Although, she had yet to meet another werewolf who had some sense in their mind, or wasn't aware of their presence when she did, so this was pushed to the darkest edges of her thoughts and instead filled with a burning hate for the creatures.

Consumed by her long trail of thoughts, she hadn't realized she had stepped foot into a town. She lifted her head and looked around, muttering an innocent curse under her breath while rubbing the back of her head subconsciously. This couldn't be right, she wasn't supposed to reach a town for a while yet.

"Did I take a wrong turn..?" she sighed to herself. Nevertheless, the growling of her stomach urged her to buy a meal here instead of delving into her supplies. Besides, she had nowhere to be quickly, so it wouldn't hurt to stick around for a day.

She plodded further into the town and made her way into the local eatery, then ordered a sandwich and drink.

"What's up with this place? The town reeks." Logan commented as the cashier pulled up her price. The woman just shrugged and shook her head, "I haven't noticed, hun. That'll be $2.50." the woman spoke. Logan dug into her pockets, looking for her wallet. "Are you serious?..?" she groaned to herself. "Could you cancel that? I'm out of cash." before the cashier could respond, Logan had walked out, frustrated with her wallet, or the lack thereof.

She pulled her pack off, digging through it with little luck. 'Must have dropped it somewhere along the way.' she pondered mentally, then wrinkled her nose. She found it hard to believe she was the only one who caught the thick scent in the air. And although it seemed familiar, she couldn't place what it was, that it was the scent of werewolves. She had so little control of her werewolf form and had used it very few times - maybe half a dozen - which contributed to why she couldn't identify it.

She pushed it aside for now, she had to find a way to earn money before she could begin traveling once more. She could go back and search for her wallet, but for the little that cash that was left in it, it would hardly be worthwhile as it could mean trekking back several miles.

Her eyes moved over to the town briefly. She could ask around for handy work, doing odd jobs. Or she could stir up a street fight, but the full moon would be upon them soon and it would be all too easy to slip. Odd jobs it was. With that, she made her way off to find someone willing to let her work for a short amount of time.


Mariel:

When Krat didn't say anything about her beside him Kieoki continued pacing along beside him, not speaking to anyone and keeping to herself. She stiffened what Krat shifted though, able to feel the enticing pull of wanting to shift herself. Actually, the only reason she was able to stop herself from shifting now was because of that first day she'd decided to join the pack. She could almost hear Krat saying the reprimanding words as she remembered them. Get control of your shifting and don't shift or leave. It was a good thing she'd chosen the latter of the two options. Otherwise...

Otherwise what?

Now that was a good question that she had to ask herself as she doggedly kept up with Krat's longer stride when he shifted. Where would she be right now if she hadn't run into the pack? Well, she started back to her old hideout, continuing with a path where Krat hadn't found her and the snow hadn't kept her stuck in the town. She continued along, fazing out from the world in front of her, practically walking blindly along as she envisioned a different future. She could see herself skirting the edges of his pack's land, hunting down some game along the way as she traveled along that cliff's edge until she would find a way down and continue into the lands beyond it. Her steps were rhythmic now, as she lost herself in her daydream.

She would have eventually gone back into a forest after the canyon, hunting and staying clear of pack lands that she encountered. She could also see herself, fur bristling, as she was surrounded by a pack like so many times before. She could feel herself growling, snarling as she either talked -or fought- her way to freedom. It was only the sudden voice of Krat that snapped her back to the present.

Kieoki stopped walking at once, taking in the scene of two quaint homes as Krat explained that they'd be living here now and that there was a room for all of them. She blinked, surprised as he unlocked both doors, mentioning something about house-gammas. She didn't care about that though. Instead, Kieoki ended up glancing around, taking in her surroundings before she looked back at Krat. A forest could be seen, a river heard, and with Krat seeming to be finished with his talking Kieoki stepped forwards, walking towards the house labeled one with an easy stride. She paused when she reached the open door though, casting a sideways glance at Krat.

"No, I'm not volunteering to be a house-gamma or whatnot. You said we could choose our rooms and I'm choosing mine." In the next moment, she'd vanished inside. It was a charming cottage, though it was a lot bigger than any normal cottage, and she let herself walk through the rooms until she hit what she guessed to be the back rooms of the house. There were a few, but she ended up choosing the room with the largest window. She walked into the room, nodding in approval at it. Good window with a view of that wall with the forest at the top. -or behind?- A fitting wooden bed with sheets and a little bedside table and a little closet. Perfect enough. Without shutting the door to her room, Kieoki plopped down on the bed and hiked up her dress to the point where her sash was tied. She moved her hands to untie it, only stopping from doing so because she knew it would be hard without the support. She narrowed her eyes at herself and let it go, standing back up with a huff. Who cares if she shifted and Krat saw it? She'd make it look like some bandana thing or whatever. Satisfied now, she strode over to her window and pushed it open.


Soar:

The truck ride wasn't comfortable at all. In fact, it made Jackie feel rather sick. As apposed to being vocal and obnoxious as she usually was, she had remained unnaturally quiet, hoping no one would notice her skin had taken on a nasty shade of green.

The lapse of weakness to motion sickness was just ridiculous! She'd never had issue with something so silly as that before... She couldn't help but glance warily at the clear blue sky of the mountains, thinking of when, in several hours for now it would be dark black and the full moon would hang in the sky. If she were to look at this logically, a rare thing, it was likely that her body was still adjusting to her new... lifestyle. She probably (hopefully) wouldn't be motion sick forever.

The truck sputtered to a stop; Jackie tried not to show her relief. Dizzily she exited the ancient truck, sending it one last vile glare, then frowned uncertainly at the houses before her. Great... another shack to live in. She didn't suppose these people had ever heard of the marvels of television and cell phones and video games. Ever since she had gotten here, she had been dying for any sort of link to the modern world. But Kratos apparently had been brought up in the middle ages, believing in the "earthliness and moonshine of a simple life bla blah bla"

Figuring that each room was as miserable as the next, she selected a room at random. As expected, it was fairly bare and lacking electricity of anything more than a light bulb.

"Gah! Is Kratos trying to kill me?!"

Right on cue, her body shivered. She suddenly became aware of how watery her eyes were, how itchy her skin was. Maybe it had been that way for a while, maybe not; the motion sickness had been pretty distracting. She had been so preoccupied with the morning, she had completely forgotten to take an injection!

Panicked, she patted down the pockets of her jeans in desperation, hoping she had left as spare one lying around in her pocket. Her face was becoming white and sweaty, perhaps from her allergy or perhaps from the sheer terror of what would happen if she didn't have one. Her fingers were becoming more jittery, her head exploding in a headache.

"Come on, come on!"

Something bulky puckered under finger tips from a pocket. She snatched it in a fraction of a second, feeling the relief as she felt the familiar form of a syringe and needle. She shoved the needle into her arm, barely registering the pain, and pushed it down until the light blue liquid drained. The symptoms began to fade slowly and she released her breath from the apprehension.

Then a horrific thought crossed her mind. It would only last for 12 hours, tops. Tonight was her first official transformation, which would last much longer than 12 hours and would likely take more than what she usually took. Somehow, she would have to get more or tonight wouldn't be all that fun at all...


Kaqurei:

Sabrina let Timothy ignore the world for the present. He'd warm into the new surroundings eventually, with a gentle nudge in the right direction perhaps. If she had learned anything about Timothy in the past few months, it had been that if she wanted to stay "friends", she wouldn't push him around.

She got out of the truck and listened to Kratos' brief introduction to the pack training camp. She decided quickly that she would be a House Gamma... nothin; like ruling your own roost. Zeit's place was nice, but there was a saying about two hens in one nest--or, something like that anyway.

She briefly mentioned to Kratos about her desires, then left him to scope out the houses and stake a claim to her territory as it were. The first house was an obvious choice to explore first--Jackie and that new girl had already gone inside too.

She just happened to be striding down the hallway when she overheard a highly concerned voice cry out from one of the rooms. Instantly alert, Sabrina made her way to that room and peered inside. There stood Jackie, panting and shaking like a leaf as she searched her pockets feverishly.

Sabrina did not decide to intervene. Instead, she raised an eyebrow and watched quietly as Jackie produced a syringe of blue liquid from her pocket and stab herself with it. Gradually Jackie's body relaxed and her breathing slowed. Before Jackie fully regained her composure and realized she was being observed, however, Sabrina quietly stepped back and slipped into the room next door to consider what she had seen and try to draw some conclusion from it.

She loosened her white dress and shifted, attempting to seem like she was just closely inspecting the room--truthfully, however, her ears were keenly trained in the direction of Jackie's room for further developments. Is she sick? Is she on drugs? Whatever that stuff was, she's always smelled of it. I mistook the scent for some sort of perfume. Should I question her on this stuff? Should I let it be? No, no, I'll question her on it. Not now, surely, but soon.


Mariel:

Kieoki was leaning out her window when she heard the footsteps of two others come into this house. Lovely. She rolled her eyes to herself and walked to her door when she heard the cry from someone. She didn't know who it was, but she was going to know soon. With odd timing though, she reached the room just as Sabrina had entered the room she was still in. Kieoki didn't see her though, she was standing outside Jackie's room. With a knock on the wall Kieoki spoke. Her voice brisk. "You better be decent because I'm coming in."

A step around the door and she was in the room, looking at a normal not-in-a-bad-situation Jackie. Kieoki frowned, she was expecting to see the girl stuck in the window or closet or something to put with the cry she had given. Seeing nothing though, Kieoki shrugged, assumed it was caused by the other owner of the footsteps, and she left Jackie's room. She strode down the hall to where Sabrina was and used the door edge to swing around into the room, see her looking just fine, before Kieoki left with a frown. She walked back to her room and to the open window before she leaning over the ledge, looking to see what was growing beneath her window for future reference. No leaves. Soft grass and springy looking plants.

Perfect.


Cassie:

Kaleb nodded to Kratos and stood outside on the steps. He had his pack securely on his back, and was waiting for the others. He sighed, today was going to be a nice day. And they were going on an adventure!
So it's the truck, by foot, or by paw? he wondered to himself. He wanted to get some fresh air, and get some exercise, so the truck was out. But he couldn't yet control his werewolf form.
So by foot it is!

****

Alice was already outside, and had her pack on her back. She knew seh was going to go by paw, she felt most comfortable in that form, and it was easier to travel up and downhill. She felt much more powerful as well in that state.
Alice sighed, and turned her head. All the others were beginning to come out of the house and assemble together in groups, or head to the truck. She breathed out again in another sigh.
Let's hope this doesn't take too long.Then she saw Kaleb come out of the house, and she went to stand next to him. He looked down at her, and she smiled at him. He smiled back at her, then went to looking ahead. Soon, Kratos had come out of the house and they were on their way.
Alice focused on changing, her body becoming smaller as she became closer to the ground. She grimaced as her bones ground under her skin, no, fur now, and retook shape as wolf ones. She whimpered slightly after it was done, because she ached a little. She looked up at Kaleb, suddenly, the backpack's straps had become too loose and were almost falling off her now narrow shoulders.

****

Kaleb watched as Alice approached. He smiled at her when she smiled at him. Courteously, he turned his head when she changed. It was a quite undignifying process, and he winced thinking about it when he had succumbed to the roughness of undergoing such a major bodily change. Once she was in new fur, he saw she was in discomfort because the backpack straps were falling off.
He bent down next to her, the magnificent wolf, and tightened them just enoguh so they allowed shoudler movement, but also so they would stay on.
They trotted up to Kratos and the rest of the group following him.
Kaleb was focused on the road ahead, the small one that was leading them up the mountain to a new place.

****

Alice walked on, her paw pads absorbing the force of every step up the mountain, and protecting her sensitive flesh from pebbles and sharp stones that most likely were along here.
After hourse of going, they reached a clearing in which stood two giant cottage-like houses.
Alice transformed, and could hardly breath until she adjusted the straps yet again. She took in the surroundings. Beautiful, and breathtaking.
She wowed, and went inside the house that nobody had gone in yet. She didn't wan tot be a house-gamma, but she didn't want to be a low-life in the house either.
Running to the farthest room from the door, she quickly set her stuff down and jumped on the bed.
Ahhhhh....home..... she sighed, this was wonderful.

****

Kaleb listened to Kratos talk rather than running inside like some others and immediately choosing a room. He saw Alice run off into the other house that nobody ahd yet gone into.
He was going to go in that one, too.
Then he turned his attention to Kratos, and stepped towards him.
"I could be a House-Gamma, if it will help you out! But, what do they do?" he asked their alpha, and waited for an answer.


Cathannah:

Toby honestly regretted his life the whole treck up. His hunger was protested loudly, not only through loud grumbles, but also through mind-tricks where Toby could've sworn he'd seen mooing hamburgers grazing in the Zeit's fields..

By now, his empty stomach was eating itself. He stood rather dejectedly with his long, thin hand over his tummy, watching the others as they instantly swarmed for rooms. Even if Toby had liked the look of the old little houses, which he didn't in the slightest, he still wouldn't have fought anyone for a room. Quietly and passively, Toby chose to wait until everyone was settled in then pick the room that remained.

For now however, Toby was curious about Kratos' request. Though nothing about being a House-Gamma actually appealed to him in anyway, Toby found he subconsciously wanted to be useful and a help to Kratos. As he reluctantly dragged his feet toward the large, intimidating alpha, Toby overheard Sabrina's request, followed by Kaleb's question.
Disappointed and relieved at the same time, Toby halted and began to look around awkwardly for someone to talk to to keep himself from looking like a displaced fool. Where had Timothy gone?


May:

After opening the doors and allowing all who would to enter, Kratos stepped side and stalked out into the yard to sit. His mind still seemed to be somewhere else, and he kept looking over his shoulder down the road.

"A House-Gamma, would be a peace-keeper." The Alpha answered slowly. "He or she would be responsible for keeping the peace in these dens and maintaining the order of the house; to peacefully enforce the rules set and to inform those of higher rank if anything is amiss.."

Kratos paused a moment to look at Kaleb's face, then he looked over his shoulder toward the woods again and continued. "I have a hope that our pack will bond together as a family, for only then are we safe in our world... And that can only happen if we have a place to call home; a place where each of us can feel safe, protected, wanted, and even loved..."

Kratos' voice was as deep as it had ever been, but in some way, he now spoke now with a tenderness.. Then Kratos' brows furrowed and his attention was drawn fully upon Kaleb, his mind now firm in the moment.
"I'll have a chat with Zeit and Kale and we'll decide who the House-Gammas will be.. For now, enjoy yourself. Feel free to explore." Kratos said with a smile, then he stood up and excused himself with a dip of his head. "There will be new things to learn and experience tonight for all of us, so we should be prepared, but not afraid."

With that, Kratos' large black form started off at a steady pace back down the road and around the bend..
****
Timothy, still hunched over with his face in a book, had heard every word that was spoken outside the silence of the truck. He had listened very intently and oddly enough, though he himself knew not how odd, he had even heard Jackie's exclaimed words inside the house.

When Timothy heard Kratos speaking to Kaleb, he noticed the faraway tone in the "Alpha's" voice and ventured to lift his turquoise eyes from the pages of the book.
Perhaps Timothy had thought for a moment that Kratos might still be in human form, or else he did not prepare himself for what he knew he would see; for just as soon as Timothy's eyes fell upon the massive form of the black werewolf his heart began beating wildly!
Kratos' thick black pelt seemed powdered with a red dust which color could only be seen when his was fur bunched together, or at the ends of his tied mane and whiskers.. This effectively seemed to emphasize the incredible power and muscle structure of the great creature which had now turned down the road.

Timothy was unable to pull his eyes from the window and his heart only beat faster, yet if anyone looked his way at that moment, they would have seen him simply watching with an almost emotionless expression. When at last Kratos had gone from sight and Timothy managed to drag his eyes to the dashboard, he sat for the longest time completely still.

Timothy didn't realize exactly what was going through his mind, for it seemed to him that the moment passed rather quickly, and when he was able to think again he recalled only sitting in the truck and staring at the dashboard.. Why did his body feel hot and his muscles weak? It didn't make much sense, but he couldn't bring himself to relax, or even touch the door of the truck..


Nequaria:

Savannah gathered up her backpack once she had shifted into her wolf form. It would be easier to travel on four legs, she thought. The tan werewolf bolted to catch up to Kratos and the rest of the pack. Oh, how good it felt to finally be able to stretch her legs and run. She slowed her pace once she was with the rest of her pack members, but still enjoyed the journey.

****

Creorran, however, chose to walk on foot. He still had minimal control over his forms, and figured he'd end up as a wolf due to the full moon later that night anyway. He grabbed his backpack and began to walk with his packmates. He stayed silent most of the way, except a grunt when a small yellowish wolf nearly ran into him. It was Savannah, of course. Was this wolf determined to kill him or something?

Once they arrived at the houses and Kratos began talking, Creorran's mind began to wander away from listening. When he snapped back to the real world, the other pack members were going into the houses to select rooms. Creorran entered the house labeled "One" and stepped into the first vacant room he found. The was a bed, of course, a small table with a lamp, and a dresser. "Quite simple," He muttered to himself. But Creorran was used to simple, so he did not complain further.

****

Unlike Creorran, Savannah chose the second house. She returned to her human form and slowly stepped through the hallways until selecting a room at random. Happy that it was not occupied, she walked in, deposited her backpack on the bed, and took a good look around.

The bed seemed more old and worn out, and the nightstand was a little scratched up, but other than that it looked exactly like Creorran's room. Savannah was not quite pleased by the appearence of the room, but it was better than sleeping on the ground in alleyways like she had before joining the pack.

She then remembered what Kratos had said about House-Gammas. She instantly rejected the idea of keeping peace in the houses. What fun would that be?


Cassie:

Kaleb nodded to Kratos as he walked off. Upon looking back at the two houses, he saw a figure he didn't know well walk into the house Alice had. So he follwed it in.
Kaleb watched as the girl, who he had found out as he got closer, walked into a vacant room and left her backpack on the bed.
He knocked on the doorframe, not wanting to be rude about entering.
Rather than actually going inside, Kaleb just leaned against the doorframe, and felt his backpack begin to slide slightly off his shoulder.
He looked at the female werewolf, now in her human form, and smiled his crooked smile.
"So...." he began, not quite sure where to start,"Nice day for a trip right? Did you come up in your werewolf or human form? I didn't see you if you were with us....Anyways...my name's Kaleb! I'm a newer werewolf, what about you?" he finished, still feeling slightly akward, but kept smiling nonetheless.

****

Alice lay on her bed, she sighed. The window just above her head let in some light to the room. She stretched out on the mattress, her feet reaching the fooboard on the bed.
She had set her backpack down on the floor, but now picked it up.
In it,she had put a book along with the other stuff already there.
Alice reached for the wonder-filled tome, and opened it to the page where she had left off.
She was reading Alice in Wonderland. She had already read it about a hundred times, okay, not that many, but she had read it a lot.
Right now, she was on the part where Alice met the stubborn, and mean caterpillar who wouldn't stop asking, "Who are you?". Alice put the book down after reading two chapters, it didn't take her that long, and closed the book again.
She opened the window, and removed the screen, then jumped out, and replaced everything. She wanted to get a good look at her surroundings.
Alice bent down, and Shifted.
Her bones again crunched and melted, before reshaping as their familiar wolf selves.
She had gotten quite used to this feeling, being that she changed a lot when she was younger, liking the feel of a wolf much better than a weak, scrawny human.
Alice ran into the woods, wind rushing through her fur, tongue hanging out and lolling, and her paws crunching leaves that had fallen off the trees around her. She smiled a toothy, wolfy smile, and wagged her tail as she ran.
Freedom feels oh-so-good! She thought, running faster through the dense trees.


Mariel:

Taking advantage of the soft grasses below her window, Kieoki easily swung over the ledge and onto the ground, landing without a sound. She softly laughed, satisfied with the soft grass before she stood up and closed her window. Regardless to the fact that she could now hear Krat, who mentioned that they could look around and whatnot for a while, Kieoki was already planning to go into the forest. But that posed a problem. Because of the ledge or rock or whatever is was, there was a fence holding up the side before the forest began. Kieoki narrowed her eyes, thinking about climbing over the wall, or digging a hole under it. Or maybe she could go around it?

Either way, she desperately wanted to be in that forest. So she started walking along the edge of the fence, determined to continue walking until it came to an end. This didn't take long though, but by the time she reached the edge and looked backwards, she was surprised to see the two cottages and the clearing. So this fence almost encircled the little area. Odd. But she wasn't going to worry about it. A few short running steps and she was into the forest, easily running like old times. She ran parallel to the fence, and so soon she was again back behind the cottages. She could still see them though, and so she looked down at them for a moment before she turned away and walked straight on until she couldn't see them when she looked backwards.

She immediately shifted, enjoying the feeling of the soft ground on her paws as she ran. It'd been a while since she'd shifted, and her wolf was thrilled. She was looking for something though, and much to the annoyance of her wolf, she hadn't run for more than five minutes when she found it. A shift back to her human form and her hands were up, grabbing the low branch of a tree and using her momentum to swing up into it. A sitting tree is what she'd been looking for, one with a nice branch for sitting in a cooler place. She sat down with a satisfied sigh and leaned back against the trunk, letting her feet swing freely over the branch. Just like old times. She closed her eyes, letting her feet sway in a small breeze as she hummed to herself so she wouldn't fall asleep.


Soar:

Footsteps hovered in the entry way, so light and so delicate that Jackie knew she wouldn't have heard them without her now-heightened senses. Alarm swept her face and she shoved the empty syringe under the bed. Who'd seen her? Now taking full advantage of her new-found abilities, she scented the air and, to her surprise, thought she smelled someone else near the room with her. She couldn't tell who, or how many; she wasn't that yet adapt. But what she could tell made her face turn hard and panicked.

"Who's here? Show yourself you big wus? Don't make me-"


BAM!

Kieoki burst through her door like it was completely normal to barge in on someone. Panic seemed to drain away; if she had been behind the door the entire time, then it was doubtful she had seen anything. Just heard her. Still, this didn't make her any happier on being interrupted.

"Hey! Get out! Shoo!"

And Kieoki left without another word. Mystified, though now a little irritated, she exited the cabin in a huff. Several other werewolves had gotten a similar idea and she could see them running off into the woods. Huh. If they could leave, why couldn't she? Furtively glancing around to see if anyone spotted her, she began a slow jog back down the road they had come.

****

Theo wasn't one to make anything a big deal. So after arriving at the cottages and shifting back to his human form, he hadn't exactly made it complicated in selecting. Her choose one at random, not even bothering to see who would be living with him. He sprawled back on his bed, then found the ceiling already pretty boring and stood up again.

"'May as well see the roomies," he mumbled to himself.

Exiting his room, he knocked on another.

"Hello?"


Nequaria:

Savannah whipped around when she heard footsteps in her room. A young male werewolf stood in the doorway. Savannah grew irritated when he began happily asking questions as if he was actually welcome. "The name's Savannah, I came in my wolf form, I've been a werewolf my whole life, and today is no more spectacular than any other day. Anything else you'd like to know before you'd be so kind as to get out of my room?"


Cassie:

Kaleb stiffened as the curt werewolf snapped back to his questions. He didn't really know her, but apparently she wasn't very happy with him being there. His lip twitched slightly, a symbol of slight anger. He straightened.
"Sorry for trying to be nice. I didn't know who you were, and I'm not in your room."then he took a step in, then out."That was in your room." He turned and walked to a vacant room away from the rude female.

****

Kale:

Kale followed Kratos through the house, learning her new enviorment more by scent and sound than actually looking around. her mind was on other things and she barely registered enough to nod when Kratos mentioned speaking with her and zeit about house-gamma's.

just how had Kratos built this place? with noone finding out? sure, whenever e was gone kale just kinda went with it, thinking he was the alpha, he had alot of stuff to do so it was normal for him not to be around her area all the time. but to come build this place? these were no small cabins, the cement outside could have been no easy feat, and the chain link ence? the ravine? Kale briefly wondered if she was just daft to not have noticed anything. sure, most of the time she was passive and just went with whatever was going on, but really? this much, really?

Kale shook her head and watched Kratos walk away, wondering just how he worked. in all honesty, she hardly knew anything about him. hell, she kardly knew anything about anyone in this place, they all just sort of fell together with only one thing really keeping them together; the fact that they were all werewolves, and Kratos, otherwise known as Samuel, which few in the pack actually knew.
With an irritated sigh Kale found her way back outside, briefly noting she wasn't the only one. and that he had to notice by sight.
The packs many scents already soaked themselves into the area, the scent of so many details beginning to blur together, and Kale didn't care enough at the moment to sort them any further than individual people. with only half of a purpose in mind, Kale set on her way towards the ravine and the chain link fence, still pondering the big mysteries that were her alpha, and herself in this pack. she would sort those two things out untill she was okay with them, then perhaps move on to Zeit and everyne else. Zeit was easier, while Kale knew practically nothing about her, she knew Zeit as a person, and Zeit as a person was enough to trust without details.


Aim:

Chime had indeed got here by paw, she had enjoyed it, the wind had felt wonderful. Chime now stood, still in werewolf form, sparkling eyes and staring at the houses. She looked the outside of one of the houses over, it was perfect! Well, in her eyes. She had indeed heard the alpha say something about house gammas but wasn't about to offer herself as one! She had no intention of keeping the peace and later being the target of the angry werewolf that she had told to be peaceful. She has never being very good at doing things like that. Chime looked around and saw the alpha and Kaleb asking what a house gamma was. She wanted to tackle the alpha and thank him for the houses, which she still needed to explore, but she didn't, she had a lot of respect for the alpha and was a tad bit intimidated of his size.

Sighing, Chime decided to thank him later and get back into human form. She hid went into house number two and started looking at the rooms. She decided fairly quickly, mainly because she was growing quite uncomfortable in her werewolf form, and closed the door, turned back, and changed her clothes. She smiled comfortably and looked around her new room, her room, the thought made her giggle with excitement! She never really had her own room, well, sort of when her mother left, but not one of her very own. She left the room, leaving her backpack behind to mark it, so she could look out at the rest of the place. She looked around and notice something straight off, Timothy was still in the truck. Chime walked to it and looked in, he didn't seem to want to get out. She then gently knocked on the window, "Hey, don't you want to see the houses?" she asked.


May:

Kratos walked back along the road slowly with his neck bent down and his head low to the ground. His ears were mainly focused behind him to where the pack had been gathered, for he had no intention to wander far from them and certainly not out of hearing of them.

The Alpha's only purpose in returning down this road, leaving his pack mates with so little explained, was to find the reason of his seemingly 'abscentminded' behavior.

A short while ago, during the time when Kratos was seeking a place for the new houses to be established, he had come upon a unfamiliar scent on the territory. It had been some days old and was hard to pick up, but not so old that it should have been so difficult to follow, yet it proved just that and often Kratos lost the trail. However he managed to follow it very near the area where Chime and Toby had met the pack, and found that the scents of those pack members whom were present then were just as old as the scent of this stranger.
All this lead the Alpha to the conclusion that the maker of the scent was no amateur and was very likely to be a trained scout; worse yet, this scout was well aware of the Calagathorm pack and had witnessed the fight between Zeit and Chime.

But since then, Kratos had lost the trail completely and could obtain no other sign of the stranger's passing, thus he had been very anxious lest the scout be a member of his father's pack... That is, until this morning on the way up the road just after the stop at the forest's edge. Kratos finally caught that devious scent again, fresh and cleverly cloaked in various plants and herbs which could be found on the territory. However, Kratos dared to ignore the scent for the pack's sake, so as to lead them to the new dens without distraction or variation of course.

Now, as the Alpha retraced his steps, he once again found what he had long been seeking. "This time." Kratos thought to himself with a sly grin. "This time, I get to see who's at the end. This time we're not loosing him."
Indeed Kratos thought "we're" for he made a sure note of where that scent lay, and immediately turned back to get the rest of the pack.

******

Timothy's head jolted up at the sound of Chime's knock on the truck door. For half a second; and only half a second; his thoughts were a blur. But after that he seemed wholly returned to an orderly state of mind and even managed to reply.
"Uh.. Uhm, no, I don't think I do." He said slowly, and then he did something he thought surely he was incapable of doing.. He stretched his hand out and rolled down the window.
"I don't want to look at the houses, because I will never call them home." Timothy said, but he did nothing else to explain himself.


Kaqurei:

****

"Well, that was close... too close fer comfort," the lone wolf muttered to himself softly. His short jackrabbit coloured pelt blended well into mottled forrest floor upon which he was laying. This he thanked for his narrow escape a few minutes earlier.

He had been padding down a path when a large number of wolves and people came parrading up. He'd heard their noise some distance off, but marked them off as hikers that would think little of spotting a wolf should their paths meet. Almost too late he had caught the scent of werewolves, realized that they were indeed the pack he had been tracking, and scrambled out of their way.

They hadn't seen him, at least he didn't think that they did, or else his pathetic hide would be hung up on their alpha's wall already, he was sure. What should his next course of action be? He was confident in his abilities to mask his scent so that his trail would not be noticed until it was too late to track him--but he had not intended to have been this close to them so soon. They might have scented him.

He debated on whether to follow them some distance to be sure what they knew, but quickly decided against this. When they discovered his trail, for it was only a matter of time now, he wanted to be as far away from the group as a whole as possible. A few untrained wolves - he could handle that if it came to a fight. Their Alpha alone--not likely, but more likely than facing him with his whole pack at his side.

At last he rose from the soft earthy soil. He glanced anxiously down the path that the rival pack had taken, then darted off towards the town. He'd learned little from observing this pack the past few days, but he was willing to bet his life on the fact that they desired secrecy. Their Alpha would not lead a pack of werewolves into town... it would buy him some time at least.


Mariel:

Odd.

Kieoki sat up with a blink and a glance around herself. She hadn't fallen asleep, right? And she hadn't fallen out of the tree, so why did she feel so jittery all of a sudden? When a soft breeze blew through her hair she shook her hair, musing that her mind was just playing tricks on her. But it wouldn't hurt to get just a bit closer to the cottages though...

With a grind of her teeth and a half snarl at herself and her silly mind, Kieoki dropped to the ground silently on her bare feet. She took off running towards the cottages promptly. She hadn't gone far in the first place, and so it wasn't to soon until she almost ran into the fence. Kieoki cursed, stopping just short of it. She didn't feel like walking the whole way around the fence though. I mean, she could see the cottages and the dirt clearing thing so why not just wait? Well, she did.

Kieoki glanced up then, looking for a tree that had branches that hung over the fence. She had to walk for a moment, but she soon found a good tree that would work. A running start with a jump and a swing up onto the lowest branch and Kieoki started climbing. She climbed to the largest branch that hung over the fence and she sat there, leaning against the trunk as she let her feet sway in the breeze with a half close of her eyes. Anyone who'd see her should assume she was sleeping.


Kaqurei:

Sabrina decided not to choose a room just yet. She was tempted to claim the one she had ducked into to avoid Jackie's detection, for the sole purpose of learning more and keeping an eye on the newbie. But she held her peace for now instead. She wanted to be closer to Timothy. When he chose a room, then so would she.

Where was the boy now, anyway? Sabrina left the room, briefly glanced into Jackie's room, and exited the cottage.

Outside she found that the Alpha was gone, and the rest of the pack were dispersed throughout the grounds, some exploring, others wandering, some standing around aimlessly as though they knew not what to do next. She did not see Timothy though. Where had--oh. Classic. He hadn't budged from the truck. She started a slightly aggressive stride in that direction, but stopped short when she noticed one of the new girls near the truck, talking to him. The window was down--he was talking back? That was a first.

Rather than scare him back into his shell, Sabrina wandered away from them instead. Anything that got Timothy to interact with pack members--even tentatively--should not be disturbed as far as she was concerned. She kept an ear open for what transpired between Timothy and the new girl, just in case, but otherwise focused her attention elsewhere...rather, her attention drifted elsewhere. For some time she was lost in her own thoughts until she found herself at the edge of the forest. She extended her hand and traced the bark of the large tree she now faced.

Sabrina snapped out of her musing when she heard a noise over her head. She paused looked up. She spotted a pair of bare feet hanging over the branch. "Oh?" she asked, but upon leaning back to get a better view of the figure in the trees she recognized yet another one of the new girls that she had yet to be formally introduced to. "Oh, good evening," she said softly.


Aim:

Chime stared at Timothy, she wanted to ask why, but held her tongue. If he didn't feel at home here then what was her business asking him about it? "Oh? OK.." She said, moving her legs to get a little more comfortable, then started thinking, "Hmm.. I wonder..." she just stood there for a few minutes, just stood in awkward silence. "Would you like to stretch your legs? We could go away from the houses for a bit." She asked in a friendly way and quite quickly, in true she wanted walk around, though she had walked all the way here. She was also trying to make him a little more comfortable, not knowing how good she was doing, but figured if he didn't like the houses he would want to get away from them.


Mariel:

But of course, Sabrina wasn't just anyone.

Kieoki faintly jumped when Sabrina's voice sounded from below her and in a snap Kieoki had her legs gripped tight around the branch and she was about to swing upside-down. She thought though, in that small split-second, and remembered her dress. With a roll of her eyes she hastily untied the sash from her leg and push her dress to her ankles before she tied it securely there with her blood red sash. Another re-lock of her legs and a swing, and she was about eye height with Sabrina.

But all things accounted for, Kieoki was hanging upside-down.

She was slightly annoyed, well more than slightly, but she hid this, putting on a blank face before she spoke. "It is a good evening for you I suppose." Kieoki said with a not to friendly tone. It wasn't that she was being anti-social, it was just that she knew Sabrina hadn't met her yet (though Kieoki did know her name) and kieoki hadn't decided how she was going to act towards her just yet. Yes, she decided on things like this. It was for this reason that she was so straightforwards around Krat. She knew he didn't care for pleasantries around her and she gave him none. She could have amusing conversations with him at least. But Sabrina? Well, she just didn't know yet.

So Kieoki let the silence hang, like her own body, and decided not to say anymore.


Kaqurei:

Sabrina laughed a sort of laugh that expressed more of a release of long pent-up stress than actual merriment. "Not hardly, I'm afraid," she said. "It would seem our dear Alpha is ill at ease today--mostly my fault. And, with the Full Moon tonight and a house full of new weres--each one a token of our last Full Moon... well, to be short, I hardly question the Alpha's motives in moving the pack way out here. We're in for some fun, that's for sure."

Wow. Was that letting loose on a new wolf she barely knew or what? She inhaled sharply and swept her hand through her hair, then slowly exhaled through her mouth. Regaining her composure she smiled slightly. "Forgive me. What about you? I'm admit I was visiting my human relatives when you joined the pack. Might I inquire of you your name?"


May:

Timothy looked at Chime and drew a gentle sigh, then his eyes wandered out at the clearing. For a moment Timothy was sure he would reject the invitation to have a walk with Chime, but then he found himself in a rather perplexing situation.. He recognized that her offer was a gesture of human courtesy and that to deny it might offend her. What was worse, he knew if he were to deny the offer with a reason to keep her from feeling awkwardly rejected, he would be forced to tell her that he was afraid; and that was something no boy would willingly do.

After a moment of hesitation, Timothy finally replied.
"Sure." He said, taking another quick look in the direction Kratos had gone. "I'll just role up the window real quick.."
Timothy rolled up the window as quick as he could, then he checked to make sure all doors were locked except his own, and finally he snatched the keys and exited the truck.

"It's not that I don't like the houses.." Timothy said, shoving both hands awkwardly into his pockets. "I'm sure they're as good as any home.. But they're obviously new; built in the past few weeks I would guess. And the only place I have ever felt completely at home is at Zeit's cottage on the ranch. I have never known any other place except.... Well, it doesn't really matter."


Mariel:

"Kieoki."

She said before she unhooked her legs from the branch and easily fell to the ground, landing in silence before she stood, brushing herself off while skillfully untying her sash from her ankles. Kieoki didn't look at Sabrina though, she was knelt down and hiking up her dress to tie the sash around her calf as she thought to herself. Sabrina talked to much for comfort, but it did bring questions to her mind. What was all this hubba about the full moon tonight and whatnot? And why would Krat be worried because of her or whatnot? Kieoki shook her head before she stood up, deciding to look at Sabrina and voice her questions.

Now all things granted, before Kieoki joined the pack she was almost always in her wolf form, and so she didn't have a clue what was so important about the full moon. Other than the fact that she normally stayed away from packs on that night because almost every member of a pack would be out that night for some reason. And after one bad encounter where she almost didn't fight her way free...she just avoided them on those nights. Kieoki glanced down at the cottages for a moment before she looked back at Sabrina and spoke, though her question may not be what she was really thinking. "You have relatives?"


Soar:

Jackie made it pretty far before she ran into trouble, walking down the path she had come up. She hadn't exactly payed attention much on her way over, but she figured so long as she followed the road-way, she wouldn't get lost.

On later reflection, she probably shouldn't have focused so much attention on getting lost, but rather getting caught. Twigs cracked somewhere ahead of her and instinctively she froze. She was mere seconds away from darting off to a cluster of trees on the side, hoping to evade whatever she'd just run into, but unfortuneatly she was seconds too slow.

Something large and dark appeared just over the hil. The suddeness of it's appearance struck her by surprise and took her several more seconds to recognize it as her "alpha" Kratos. The woman swore loudly enough not only for sensitive werewolf ears to pick up, but also for several birds in the trees above to fly away from. Perhaps if Kratos had been human, she may have had a chance to evade him. But it was all too apparent Kratos was not human and he was far more in touch with his heightened touches than her, makin it all the more likely he had smelled, heard, or saw her far before she had.

~~~

When no one answered from behind the door, Theo knocked several more times only to hear silence. Frowning with intrique on why a paticular pack member would be avoiding him, he forgot all manners and simply shoved open the door.

Theo was lucky in the fact that the room was completely empty; apparently no one had chosen that room. However, the lack of company in the room beside him did nothing to alleviate the boy's boredom. Taking one last glance at the room, he turned on his heel and exited the door to the cottage to see if outdoors proved more interesting than indoors.l


Nequaria:

Savannah snapped at the young male's rude departure. "Well, whatever," she grumbled. Her temper had flared up quite a bit recently. Deciding to forget about her encounter with him, she walked over to the windowsill and stared out at the hills. The soft green of the grass was almost calming, and she could see from the trees that a light breeze was blowing. After shoving the bottom pane upwards, she stuck her head out and looked around.

There were still a few wolves gathered at the front of the house, yet Kratos was missing. In Savannah's short time in the pack, she had come to accept that Kratos might occasionally leave without warning. She shrugged it off, then closed the window until there was still a small opening so some fresh air could be let in. She then left her room and made her way towards the front of the house, hoping to remember which room she had chosen.

****

Creorran laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Much to his dismay, it was lacking of any hairline cracks he could look at to lessen his boredom. He sighed, "I wonder what we'll be doing, 'cause this place is rather dull." Since he had nothing better to do, he decided to go outside and look around. He closed his door before wandering through the hallway to find the exit. I'm glad I didn't choose the same house as that obnoxious female; I bet I would've bumped into her and gotten yelled at again already, he thought.


May:

Kratos had, in fact, noticed Jackie's scent on his way back to the houses and had stopped briefly to look for her. He caught sight of her just seconds before she caught sight of him and cursed aloud.

Kratos wondered why Jackie would be sneaking about and trying to avoid him, but he wasted no time considering it. In a few moments he stood on the road just ahead of her and cast his yellow eyes about her.
"Do you need something, Jackie?" Kratos asked casually. "I was just on my way back. I found something rather sporting for the pack to hunt."


Aim:

Chime smiled from ear to ear when Timothy accepted, she was getting beginning to think he was going to sit there all day. She awaited for him to roll up the window and come out of the truck she had been crouching beside. She couldn't help but giggle when he started explaining awkwardly, "Heh, So you prefer more aged houses?" She asked "I see.. Bet you wouldn't get homey in my old house, it was always messy and it stunk nearly all the time." She said and started slowly walking towards the woods. "Yeah, I guess the houses are new, it's a exciting for me, I have never been in a new house before.... Well, till now."


Soar:

Jackie was feeling jumpy, not only from Kratos' appearance but from the invisible clock that seemed to tick off in her head. She had maybe 8 hours before things went a little south. 8 hours to figure out a way to sneak off from Kratos. The dead-line made her irritable to everything that wasn't involved in getting what she needed.

Even to Kratos, who she had before at least loosely followed some line of respect towards him.

"No!," Jackie snapped,"I don't suppose it's illegal to take a walk?"

Toeing farther and farther from the line than she should have, Jackie cast one venomous glare for a few brief moments at Kratos. She knew that for humans, that was rather rude. For a wolf, that was plain insane and just about the most disrespectful move she could have made short of attacking. She figured the motion right there would have lay between those two lines. Why she did it was something beyond her; normally she would have choose to evade disrespect and find whatever excuse available to draw Kratos' attention away from her. But she was feeling reckless and afraid; a combination which apparently seemed to overcome logic.


May:

Timothy started walking alongside Chime and shrugged. The newness of the houses wasn't exactly what Timothy was referring to, however he had allowed it to be believed as it was far less complicated to let the conversation go at that, than to explain his true feelings.

"Yeah.." Timothy muttered, then he tried to think of a way to change the subject. "What about, uhm, your family? I mean, didn't your family ever live in a new house?"

Timothy knew nothing about this girl; Kratos rarely told anyone about anyone in this odd gathering of people.. It seemed he just left it up to them to discover each other, which always left everyone very awkward and separated..
*****

Kratos' ears flinched back when Jackie shouted, but his expression didn't seem to change.
"Oh, not at all. I was just wondering." The Alpha said pleasantly, despite even Jackie's glare... That reaction was a slip for her. Kratos knew the smell of fear well, and the body language which followed it.

"But I'd feel more comfortable if you took your walk on paws." Kratos said. "Or at least have someone on paws accompany you.. But, if you'd rather be alone, that is your decision."
Kratos turned away, giving a sharp yellow glance over his shoulder. "I know you can take care of yourself, but we're never far away if you need us.."

It seemed the only thing Kratos could do then was to leave Jackie be, she wasn't a child, but was obviously stressed by his presence. He took note of her position to track her whereabouts later and continued down the road.


Aim:

Chime looked at Timothy and waited a second before answering, as if thinking. "Ahh, I believe so, when I was born but then my dad, err.. Well.." It was now her turn to feel uncomfortable, her dad was a mystery to her. Her mom seemed flaming mad at him all the time then, as soon as she hears he could be dying, goes into a panic. "Lets just say me and my mom moved." She said, not wanting to explain it. She kept her slow pace, trying to think of a way to change the subject, "So, erm, what do you enjoy?" she asked.


Soar:

Jackie tried not to let her relief show as Kratos turned off in the opposite direction. Only when she was entirely certain that he was (probably) far enough down the path not to hear her any more, she crept soundlessly into the trees. No way she risking any more close calls or annoying sneak-ups. She brought herself to hyper vigilance, expanding her senses as far as she could muster and walking quietly on the forest floor so she was no louder than a scurrying mouse.

Even so, Jackie couldn't help feel that as soon as Kratos and the pack were finished from chasing whatever "sporting" prey they had found, he would be back to check on her. And as much as she hated to admit it, he could probably find her given enough time. It didn't matter how quiet or how vigilant she thought she was; there was likely no match for someone a trained werewolves capabilities. Her earlier energies to hide herself had slowed down her pace considerably. Now realizing it was pretty useless in trying evade Kratos, she brought herself to a slow jog, hoping to make it back to the house before Kratos went looking and now only loosely paying attention to her surroundings.

The forest seemed to go on forever. From time to time, she had to double-check the road was still somewhere off to her right and she hadn't gotten lost. A sense of urgency began to take over; she ran faster and became less aware of what was going on. She knew she was getting reckless and careless, but at this point she didn't care. Some corner of her mind was troubled by this; she had dealt with stress and deadlines before, there should be no reason why it would be effecting her like this now. But Jackie knew she didn't want to die in alone in the forest with no one to care but a bunch of hulking freaks of nature. So she kept running.


Dez:

Logan let out an accomplished breath of air, setting down the last box. She had busied herself briefly by helping an elderly fellow move a shipment of goods for his little bookstore - that is, from his truck bed into the correct sections of said store. Although it wasn't a lot of work, it would likely have taken the man on his own much longer to do; and would have left him with an aching spine, no doubt. But Logan had quickly done the job and he spent the time sipping coffee and catching up on the local news.

"That's the last box. Anything else?" Logan asked offhandedly, secretly hoping he didn't hand her a duster and tell her to clean all of the shelves. The elderly man let out a chuckle and smiled a wide, genuinely thankful smile, as he sat his paper down and put his cup on a coaster. "Atta girl!" he praised her, standing, his back bent slightly in a hunch. He pulled his wallet out and began to shift through it. Logan raised a brow and watched bitterly - she hated taking money out of his pocket.

"You don't have to pay me, it wasn't much." she muttered after a short moment. "Oh, yes it was young lady! That did me a world of good, you couldn't imagine. And a deals a deal." he added, that stubborn spark in his eyes that elderly people seemed to have whenever they set their mind set firmly on something. Finally, he pulled three or four bills from the black leather case - two twenties, a five, maybe a one or a ten, Logan couldn't tell - and he rolled them up quickly, then grabbed Logans hand and pressed the bills into her palm, patting the back of her hand with a warm smile. "Take care of yourself!" he smiled, and she nodded while tucking the cash away. "You too."

The woman slipped out of the dusty store and into the street, immediately looking towards the sun. She still had a few hours left, at least. It always seemed like these days inched by slowly, and all of the others were gone before she knew it. Of course, that was always the case when you were expecting something, wasn't it?

Her attention was averted once more, but this time it was by shouting coming from a nearby alleyway. Logan didn't waste any time and was soon passing by the alleyway with her arms crossed, looking in through the corner of an eye. It looked like a gang, and they seemed to be teamed up against someone. To say the least, they had the upper hand, and he didn't seem to be holding his own too well. And so it was, Logan decided to step in. She made her way into the alley casually, and then just before one man landed another blow on their victim, she slammed her first hard into the side of his jaw, sending him stumbling back and falling to the ground. Everyone froze in place, and then one smirked and stepped forward. "Oh ho ho! Look what we've got here! You think you can take us on, girly? You should probably leave, I don't like hitting women." he continued to smirk ruggedly, walking up to Logan. Who, by the way, was actually at least two inches taller than this man. Just as he opened his mouth to say something else, she brought her fist up to meet the bottom of his jaw. An uncomfortable slam was heard, along with the clicking of his lower teeth against his upper teeth, and he too stumbled backwards.

And so it started. The victim scrambled out of the alley, while the four men remained to take on this woman. In just moments, the adrenalin was through the metaphorical roof. One man decided quickly that he wanted nothing to do with it and dodged out, leaving three, who stubbornly stood their ground.

As the tension rose, Logan's thoughts began to shift from the from the expected thoughts someone would have during the heat of a battle, to the more beastly thoughts of her werewolf form. Her heart thudded against her ribcage and her head pounded. Quickly the woman realized what was happening and grasped her forehead, before turning and making her way out, grabbing her backpack as she did so; ignoring the onslaught of confused babbling coming from the bruised and battered men. Although, they made no attempt to follow her.

She quickly made her way into the forest, changing her top and adjusting her belt and backpack straps as soon as she was out of sight. The woman tried to suppress the change but it was futile, and soon, a werewolf stood in her place. And now everything was so much different, the scents she had caught earlier were clear. Werewolves made their home not too far from this place. Immediately, she dropped down on all fours and bolted forward, intent on tracking them down. Even as a werewolf, she still carried her hate for them. It was amplified, even.

Her feet carried her nearer and nearer to the cluster of scents, when another nearby scent distracted her from her pursuit. A woman, running towards Logan none the less. Prey. Logan didn't bother hiding away to stalk her, and instead, ran full force right towards Jackie! In a blink, Logan had lunged at her, knocking her to the ground roughly and clamping her jaw tight around the womans left shoulder. It happened so quickly that there was no time to react, even if you had seen Logan some time before she attacked. Logan kept her body in a strong, unmoving stance over the woman, pressing hard on her chest near the neck with one paw - the other keeping her left arm pinned against the ground. Her intent was to kill this werewolf, but not quickly, no. She wanted the others to hear her scream as a warning. And so it was, she tightened her clamp.


Soar:

"Gah!"

Suddenly she was on the forest floor, pinned apparently by something large and furry. She struggled violently against it in her confusion and the onset of pain coursing through her shoulder. She scrunched her head back just a few inches, only to catch sight at the very thing she had been avoiding.

The werewolf clamped harder down on her shoulder, but instead of giving it a cry of pain, she stubbornly held her tongue. At this point, she had overcome the initial surprise. Every muscle and every thought seemed suddenly intensified as the surge of adrenaline course through her body. Her earlier urgency to return to the ranch had turned towards a relentless fury from being stopped. Her eyes narrowed to angry slits and a guttural growl formed at the back of her throat.

Bones crunched. Muscles reformed and strengthened. Jackie's entire body ground and turned as it reformed itself beneath Logan's grasp. Really, it was a surprise it hadn't happened earlier. With the full moon so close and Jackie's rather explosive personality, it had only been a matter of milliseconds before it had happened. Aided now with strength equal to Logan, she saw no reason why she couldn't tear her attacker to shreds.

Coiling her legs underneath her with a burst of strength, she shoved up at the werewolf's chest to free herself, not caring if her entire shoulder went with Logan.


Dez:

Logan released her bite on the werewolf, jumping back now and examining the other female. She wasn't small by any means, however there was a noticeable difference between her and Logan. The only thing that alerted the larger werewolf was the fact that Jackie may be more agile.

Even in her near mindless stage, Logan had retained a good amount of knowledge as far as fighting went, as it was a large part of her life. It was habitual even, at this point, for her to look over a person and get a rough idea of how much they weight, how well they'd do in a fight. Still, this didn't stop her from pushing her limits, and her luck.

After briefly sizing up her victim, Logan began to half circle Jackie, and soon decided to make a move for the back right leg to hopefully throw her balance off. In a second, she bolted forward, letting out a snarl as she did so. She grabbed hold of Jackie's back right leg and gave it a quick jerk, before letting go and darting further behind the other werewolf. Twisting around in a tight circle, she once more lunged at the other, this time sinking her teeth into her back, just below the shoulder blades, and forcing her full weight on the female in attempt to pin her on her stomach. As before, she applied more and more pressure to her iron bite. Only this time she showed no signs of letting go.

****

Cathannah:

'Huh!?...What happened?... Oh Snap!' Toby thought, leaping from the bed he'd claimed earlier. He must've fallen asleep.. For how long? Quickly as he could, he straightend his attire, put his books and spare clothes away, then started down stairs.
The pang of hunger was greater now than it had been earlier that morning; he had to get something to eat or his stomache would surely eat itself.. Caniblistic things, stomaches, very untrustworthy and impatient.

Stumbling down the stairs, he was overjoyed to see he hadn't been left behind and the others were still around. "Hello! Where's the kitchen? Is there food in the kitchen? Oh, how long have I been asleep? Scratch that! Just where is the kitchen?" He rammbled, too hungry to be polite or timid... Though his tone never lost it's 'please-don't-hurt-me'.


Kaqurei:
Earlier...

Levi drummed his fingers against the dining room table. Whereas the rest of his demeanor seemed rather relaxed, he was ill at ease. All around him... these humans.... bah! He couldn't stand them. Really, he couldn't. It wasn't that he hated them, no, never. They'd done nothing to him. It was just their body language, their voices--everything about them, really. They could be compared to sparrows in their manner and conversation. Unlike the average person, he could pick each individual word and giggle out of the crowd in the small diner. They changed like dancing shadows on a wall; now happy, now annoyed, now pretending to still like their partner... Pretending! Ha! These humans. They would say one thing and the way they moved would express something completely different. They put on acts in front of each other, no one was ever their real self!

It was never like this in his pack. The wolves of his tribe--when they said something, they meant it. If you hid your true intentions, you were dangerous. ...Humans, therefore, made Levi incredibly uncomfortable. True, he had been raised mostly by his human mother, but she had never been what some may call sociable. His time with her was mostly spent studying, cooking, gardening...all of the normal things humans do, but up in a mountain cabin far from others. His mother hadn't trusted those of her kind either.

On top of all that, he was incredibly anxious about having nearly been caught earlier. He had watched them for some time. He didn't believe that they would risk something in to town so close to nightfall, even for an intruder. Still, every now and then he would glance nervously out the diner window or over his shoulder.

But it always came back around to the noise and motions of those around him. That was what was gnawing into his nerves. At last, he could bear it no longer. He briskly stood up, attracting the attention of a busy waitress who had before not noticed his presence.

"I'm sorry hun, did you need something? I'll get right around to your table in a moment. It's crazy in here tonight, isn't it?"

Levi smiled casually and shook his head. "Crazy? Aye, definitely. Do not worry aboot it though, I was just leavin'."

The waitress' relief could not be mistaken, but she feigned disappointment and wished him a good night. "Hope you come back soon!" she called after him, before hurrying back to her duties.

It was good to be outside again, he thought as he closed the diner door behind him. The sky was various shades of pink and purple overhead. Levi took and deep breath and held it a moment, closing his eyes to savor the feelings around him. He could feel the full moon's impending approach. How... invigorating. He exhaled confidently, opening eyes that now seemed a striking shade of yellow, and set off at a steady pace down the sidewalk.

Without exactly twenty-two voices chattering away and at least fifty-one strange scents assaulting his senses, his head felt much clearer. Maybe he could chalk that up to the Moon's coming too, though. He decided that he would come at the rival pack's base from another angle and watch them during the night, see how they handled their wolf forms. Dangerous as it was, he had to see them in action. He reeked more of this area now than ever. There was still the misfortune of his having been seen or at the very least noticed by the Alpha earlier--they would be on full alert. Maybe, though, there would be enough distraction within the pack to worry about problems without.

It was about then that he noticed a strange woman approaching an alleyway. It was clear from her stride that she was not native here... furthermore, he was downwind of her and could detect from her scent that she was a werewolf. Yet not one belonging to the rival pack? Curious.

Well, Levi decided that she warranted some investigation while he was here anyway. After she disappeared into the alley, he climbed a nearby building like a cat and watched the brawl ensue from the rooftop. Her fighting style was intriguing--that she could take on several men even in human form was even more so. Definitely a creature to keep tabs on.

Then came her hasty retreat. He didn't need to wonder why. He felt it too--the rush, the wolf coming in to play. He took he actions to mean that she did not trust her wolf form and had little control of it. She did not desire to kill these men, or at the very least she did not mean to accidentally eat them. He was confident in his ability to remain stealthy, even as a wolf in town, so he did not bother resisting the change. He would need his greater strength and agility to keep up with the woman who now made off out of town.

He kept a fair distance behind her, merely staying withing earshot but not line of sight. He noted the land that she was retreating into... this was the rival pack's territory.

As he followed his query, he became aware of an eerie sort of silence... a hunting silence, he judged, but too late. He had no sooner made that assumption before the sounds of snarling reached his ears. Curiosity piqued, he hurried ahead to observe what was happening. He made a wide circle around them before he could even see them, so that he could draw nearer from the direction that the woman had previously been going and thus watch the battle from higher ground.

From there, he simply sat and watched. His yellow eyes glittered smartly--more like a collie than a wolf, as he made basic conclusions about what he saw. There were two females--one belonged to the rival pack. She was a new were, likely only a few months had passed since she was bitten, if that much. She was smart and trained in self defence, but not quite as good a fighter as the one he had originally followed here.

He flicked one of his large ears back, risking even a glance over his shoulder for a moment before he returned his attention to the battling pair. This was their land. If others were nearby, they would hear the struggle and he would gain the invaluable opportunity to observe how they would defend each other, without himself as the object lesson. This was a good thing, assuming there were any nearby, but he did not want to be accidentally discovered again.

****

Meanwhile, Sabrina was making a headcount of the new wolves. Nightfall was fast approaching and some had already changed. Most importantly, she needed to inform Chime that her conversation with Timothy was over, and she had to prep him for what was coming, if she could.

She made her way in the direction of the truck now, perhaps overlooking the absence of, or simply trusting someone else to find Jackie.


May:

Timothy watched Chime's face as she spoke and found himself shuffling the dirt under his shoes.

"Oh, uhm..." It wasn't intended of Timothy to stir up bad memories for Chime, but he didn't know how to apologize. He was glad when she sharply changed subject.

"I enjoy, eh, I don't know.." He shrugged, trying to come up with some answer which would profit the conversation. "Well, hold on a sec.. Let me think."

Timothy tried with all his might to remember something which he enjoyed doing, something that gave him pleasure which he could tell Chime, just for communication sake. He wanted to talk, he wanted to explain, but he found that at the end of all his thoughts was fear, and only some other part of him seemed to know the answer..

At length Timothy sighed, and for comforts sake he laughed, then he brushed his hand through the black hair of his head and attempted to reply. ".... Well, I like laying on Zeit's couch, and listening to birds afar off.." He said. "And I like the endlessness of the sky and the wind.... But what I think I really enjoy are quiet nights when the moon is gone and the stars are lit; the moments just before falling to sleep when I know I don't have to worry until tomorrow."

Timothy then paused and his expression grew troubled. "I enjoy being human.."

Just then Kratos' voice sounded from behind and Timothy spun on his heels to face him.

******

After leaving Jackie, Kratos went straight toward the new houses at a quickened pace. He didn't want the stranger to get away this time, but he also had to keep in mind the limits of his young pack. This wasn't the first time that new members were trained to use their Werewolf forms while on a hunt and it resulted last time in two new converted werewolves. However, this time the area was more controlled; no hiker would be on pack territory tonight.. Then again, maybe they wouldn't have to be; this was an experienced werewolf and had been around the pack for awhile; he likely knew that Kratos would not allow his pack near the town.

With a growl Kratos realized his plan may not be the best idea and that things would likely be more complicated. The wisest choice then, would be to tell the pack about the spy and ignore him until he chose to show himself, but that was also dangerous. So Kratos was left to his original plan, and many loose ends...

As the Alpha's heavy paws drew nearer to the small clearing he recognized the familiar voices of his pack members and halted a moment to listen. He heard Timothy and Chime talking and found interest. Timothy was doing a sorry job of making conversation, but at least the lad was trying.

Kratos glanced up at the sky to check the time and saw now that the sun was already at his highest position. The morning had begun early before light was even in the sky and now the sun had snuck up on the pack while they took their march into the forest and explored the new dens.
Too much time had been wasted and Kratos now feared he would not get the opportunity to really teach the pack anything.

Contemplating upon the decision ahead, Kratos stood still and his paws printed deep into the mountain soil. His bright yellow eyes glanced about the trees and every now-and-again he caught sight of a few pack members chatting with each other or exploring the unfamiliar surroundings, and this somehow put his mind at rest concerning them.
Kratos understood that each individual was learning to accept the others, and subconsciously, they were all coming to understand that they could trust one another and be a pack; He knew that werewolves did not naturally want to be alone.

So at length and with a smile on his face, Kratos walked into the thick bushes and changed his form back into that of a man. His custom thick black uniform fitted his stature regardless of current shape, but he needed now to get the large red cloak of his father and prepare for the full moon along with the rest of his pack.
Thus Kratos walked out through the trees and into the clearing in complete silence. Then he took a look around and raised his voice for all to hear.

"Alright now, everyone! As most know, by the time the sun sets you will begin to feel the change. You have a few hours yet to prepare." The Alpha's deep and powerful voice announced. "No one has need to be afraid. We are a pack, a family; we know and will defend each other.. even from the natural madness which the moon awakens within us. Stay close to those whom have more experience than yourselves and all will be well."

After speaking, Kratos looked toward Timothy and slowly approached, noticing that the boy's fists were clenched and that his knuckles were white..
"Timothy, you don't have anything to fear." Kratos said in a gentle tone. Then he turned to Chime and smiled before looking back upon Timothy's face.
*****

Timothy hadn't noticed the tension which had spread through his body upon hearing Kratos' voice.

Since leaving the safety of the truck, Timothy was constantly training his senses behind himself in case Kratos returned. However, when Kratos came into the clearing, Timothy had been too concentrated on the efforts inside his mind. He had turned around and expected to see the great black form of the Werewolf Alpha, but was surprised to find the shape of only a very large man.

Timothy thought he blurted Kratos' name in alarm, but in truth, he stood silent.. He had not yet realized that he stood in an aggressive stance.
*****

Kratos watched Timothy for any cue of what he was thinking, but Timothy's expression betrayed nothing.
"Timothy?" Kratos asked with concern.

"I'm not afraid." Timothy replied after a moment. "I- I'm just..."
Timothy fell silent and Kratos watched as his eyes flickered toward Chime and back again.

"No need to explain, Timothy. Just remember we care about you, and we won't hurt you.. We're your family." Kratos said sincerely, and he took a step back.
Timothy still hadn't dropped his guard and his knuckled were still white, so Kratos turned away and looked at Toby on the porch
"There's a bag of jerky in your backpack." The Alpha said with a wink, then he walked passed the scrawny teenager and entered the house.

The house smelled new, mostly like the dirt and trees which surrounded the entire area, but also faintly of the trucks and men which had built it a short time ago.

The main room was large and well furnished, though it's design was less homely than Kratos had instructed. The kitchen was in the back of the house and just as big as the main room which was not separated from the kitchen by wall or door.
On both the far left and right walls stood a stair case which lead upstairs to the bedrooms; though Kratos would likely never use them except in the case of emergencies..

Both houses were designed to be identical in structure, save for the fact that while house #2 had a closet under each staircase, house #1 had only a closet under the left set of stairs; under the right stood a much larger door which lead downstairs to Kratos' room.. A room which was always locked and would be seldom used.
This was the first time Kratos had stepped into this house since inspecting it after completion, and he only intended to come in now for a moment to change his clothes, so he went without delay.
*****

Timothy stood silent for a long time after Kratos had gone inside, then he slowly stretched his fingers and realized how uncomfortable he felt. His muscles ached and his heart seemed to be beating rather quickly. He flashed Chime and Sabrina with an odd look in his eyes.

A feeling of panic grasped Timothy's heart and he suddenly felt very alone. He could see the last light of the sun glinting between the trees and he felt a horrid sense of abandonment; almost as if he thought he would chase the sun and beg it not to leave.
But outside his thoughts, Timothy made no move and said not a word.

How much time passed in this state of mind, Timothy could not guess nor ask, for he felt entirely alone. His thoughts were dulled and he seemed to do nothing but wait for the sun to sink...

It suddenly began happening then, Timothy cried out suddenly and crumpled to the ground! He tried burying his head in his hands and began trembling. His fingers passing over the scars on his neck and his whole body beginning to ache!
He could smell and hear the others around him, and though he could recognize them individually, he could no longer recall their names..
******

At that moment Kratos stepped out of the house, already a werewolf but with his mane and whiskers tied back and his red cloak hung about his shoulders.
"Everyone out into the yard!" He ordered firmly.

The Alpha could feel the beast awakening, but his dominance over it was unconquerable.


Mariel:

When Sabrina didn't answer Kieoki, Kieoki watched her walk off and take a headcount. Kieoki was angry at Sabrina for ignoring her after she'd given her her name. Kieoki didn't speak to the other pack members often, but when she did, she didn't take to kindly to bluntly being ignored. Needless to say, Kieoki ranked everyone in her mind on a little chart based on how they acted towards her and others, and Sabrina dropped low on that chart. Kieoki didn't show her anger though, she calmly stood there -leaning against the tree- as Sabrina walked off along with others. Kieoki watched everything that happened in the clearing, including when Krat entered back in his human form. Well, at least he didn't seem angry or anything like that.

Repressing an odd shudder, she glanced around herself, making sure that no one was really looking at her before she shifted. She stood in her wolf form, shaking herself out as her wolf sighed in happiness. Speaking of her wolf, that was another good thing that had come out of joining this pack. Normally, her wolf was a separate mind, a different thinker with a more violent passion and attitude. But ever since she'd joined this pack, her wolf had merged with her and only seemed to be there just a few moments after Kieoki shifted. For example, her wolf was gone already right now and so instead of pacing or running around to vent her silent anger, Kieoki sat in front of the tree she'd been standing by and enjoyed the soft feeling of the wind blowing through her fur.

This peace lasted a few moments before Kieoki's eyes snapped open as Krat's resounding call rang out. Kieoki frowned, flattening her ears to her head as she thought about going to answer his call or not. She knew he'd be curious as to why she didn't come. With a roll of her eyes, Kieoki stood up and trotted down the hill until she was a few yards away from Krat. She sat down then, in his sight, and waited. Good. He was a wolf again. She wasn't going to get yelled at for being a wolf now unless he felt like sounding like a hypocrite. Though, much to Kieoki's frustration, she still had no clue about what everyone else may be feeling. After all, she used to live with her wolf all the time, and it saved her life more than once. So when the boy who Kieoki believed was called Timothy crumpled to the ground...well, she blinked in momentary shock before she glanced back at Krat. She gave him a questioning look with a flick of her tail. A silent question she didn't want to ask.

She didn't offer to help Timothy -if that was his name after all- because not only did she barely know him, but she didn't have a clue what was going on. She didn't want to try to help and then end up screwing everything up. So in the end, Kieoki ended up sitting there, caught between Krat and Timothy. (If that was the kid's name)


Soar:

****

Logan sprung back, and for a brief moment, Jackie found herself free from the other werewolf’s enormous weight. She jumped to her paws in less than an instant, determined not to allow this other werewolf a chance to scratch her soft underside. She widened her stance and dipped down her head low to the ground, starring up at attacker with flashing blue eyes and tensing her jaws to a low snarl.

In those brief seconds, she studied Logan and intimately as she could. The immediate disadvantage she was at was Logan’s size. She wasn’t exactly a pathetic little runt herself, but compared to Logan, she knew that she could crunch her if she wasn’t careful. She looked fairly fit, and based off of what she had encountered so far, she was a good fighter. Even as a werewolf, she found her ability to strategize a fight mostly unhindered. A fight was instinctual more than anything else. She had relied on her instincts in a fight as a human, and now transformed she relied entirely on them. Thus, she knew if she was to have any chance, she would have to be much faster and much more limber if she was to have a chance.

Something snapped at her back right leg, and she immediately spun around to see Logan’s face. Had she not crouched earlier, she may have fallen over. As it was, she found her balance temporarily thrown. Even before Logan struck, Jackie had a brief idea she would use her lack of balance and surprise to throw a larger attack. Jackie tensed just as Logan pounced and latched on to her back with strong, clamped jaws. She jerked underneath the massive creature like a bull trying to rear off its rider. However, she soon found Logan’s grasp far too strong and her ability to support herself from getting flattened under Logan faltering.

Knowing she didn’t have much more time, she tried a new tactic. She rolled off to the right, mustering every ounce of her strength to push herself. The serrated teeth that were at her back remained firmly clamped, but now it was on empty air. Jackie herself hadn’t gotten off injury-free, however. Where Logan had clamped was now bleeding profusely, having scored deeply into her skin as she had moved away. Still, Jackie stood up again and faced her opponent, the pain seeming insignificant with the rush of adrenaline. She was determined not to give up; if she did, this werewolf would probably flay her in less than a second. Jackie happened to like living.

The fight continued for quite some time. Jackie found herself not so much landing the blows, but rather trying to avoid them or free herself from them. In fact, she landed relatively few wounds on her opponent, and most of those she did land were nothing more than a few shallow scratches or bites. She was getting tired, and avoiding injures was becoming next to impossible. As if to make matters worse, she became increasingly aware of the sun as it drifted farther down the sky and the gentle shades of blue took on orange and scarlet hues. Though at first not entirely aware of why this may have been important, the closer the sun got towards the bottom of the sky, the more she remembered her goal and the more she remembered why she needed to get to the ranch. If she didn’t get there soon, it wouldn’t matter if Logan killed her or not.


Dez:

Intense violet eyes remained constantly focused on their opponent, never leaving her for more than a second. She stood a few feet from Jackie now, her head hunched and muscles tensed. Her ears remained erect as she inspected the other for any sign of movement, no matter how subtle.

Even as the fight continued on into sundown, Logan remained almost completely unfazed. All throughout their battle, she had hardly exerted any energy. Although she noticed the other werewolf was growing weary, her reflexes had slowed greatly over time. She assumed it wouldn't take much effort at this point to deal the final blow. It was a shame, too. Logan had only had the chance to fight another werewolf during a full moon once after her transformation.

She struck out at Jackie once more, pushing her into a tree and pressing a paw hard against her neck, growling as she did so. Obsidian claws dug into the werewolves flesh and thin tendrils of blood crept along her light pelt. Logan pulled her head back, muzzle twisted into a vicious snarl, and she prepared to submerge her teeth into the others neck with an attack that she intended would be her last.


Kaqurei:

Sabrina hurriedly untied her sashes to loosen her white gown and shifted into her werewolf form. Once her white paws made contact with the ground, she watched Timothy's changing form on baited breath.

"Chime, back," she barked a quick warning. There was no time to explain to her about Timothy's wolf--not now. She didn't want to work of an air of distrust or anxiety to welcome Timothy's wolf tonight, but she didn't want Chime getting hurt or worse either. Last time Timothy changed... he really had been a monster, and not a mindless one. He had desired then only one thing: to kill every living thing around him.

Darn it all. The Alpha--why hadn't he said anything to the pack, about Timothy, or the new desires and mindlessness they would have to face for themselves for the first time? When the Alpha had brought them up here, Sabrina had dared to hope he had a plan, as opposed to last month's Full Moon. You'd think that after that escapade he would have had some plan for training the new weres and coping with Timothy--had she truly overestimated him that much?

Again she made a mental head count as several of the new weres began to crumple over under the pressure of the oncoming moon. Someone was missing--where was Jackie? Was she inside? Thinking back on it, she hadn't seen Jackie since the strange incident involving the needle in the cottage. But as Sabrina flicked her ears back, she could hear no sign of a struggle in that direction.

"Alpha, we're missing someone," she announced... though, she had a funny feeling that in a moment things would be too chaotic to do much about the fact that one of the number had wandered off. Hopefully that stubborn mule-headed Jackie hadn't gone to town for a T.V. or some other useless commodity she'd been whining about. How could she be so careless?


Nequaria:

Creorran shuffled nervously, dreading the arrival of the moon. Although Kratos' words should have reassured him, they had little to no effect on the young werewolf. His transformations were bad enough without the moon-induced madness and near lack of control. He sighed heavily and tried to grin, but he knew there was no way he could be fooling anyone.

The only thing that could possibly worsen his situation would be another bout of harassment from that annoying female that always seemed to pop up at the worst times. Luckily, he spotted her several yards away, staring at the sky as if waiting for the moon's arrival. If Creorran was lucky, he'd be able to avoid her during the moonlight hours. He didn't want to think how aggressive and obnoxious she'd be in her moon-influenced form compared to her human form.

Creorran jumped slightly when he caught sight of Timothy. The young man's transformation seemed truly painful, and only intensified Creorran's anxiety. His face held an expression of pure terror, and a small groan escaped his throat. Even though he had experienced several full moon transformations already, it was still as if each time was the first. Why couldn't it just be over?

****

Savannah stared absentmindedly at the quickly darkening sky. While Creorran chose to fear the full moon, Savannah accepted it. Perhaps it was because she had been a werewolf her entire life, and was therefore accustomed to the moon's effects, or perhaps it was just that her personality was a bit stronger.

A few moments later, Savannah could tell she would be changing into her wolf form very soon. The sun would slip beneath the horizon and be replaced by the full moon. Once the moon appeared, all of the packmembers would be forced into their wolf forms, and experience near-madness in this state. She almost felt sorry for Kratos; having to try to control a group of crazed werewolves. Thankfully, this pack wasn't nearly as large as some, so they couldn't cause too much of a problem, right?


Aim:

Chime smiled as Timothy tried to explain what he enjoyed well, till he got to the being human part. This got her thinking, "What is it like being human? Am I being human now?" Being born a werewolf, she didn't understand this. She stood there, lost in her thoughts, till Timothy collapsed to the ground and she started feeling her change coming too. It was then Sabrina spoke, Chime looked at her and, when she saw her face, quickly backed off. She was a werewolf now and still in her human clothes, it was a little uncomfortable and annoying.


Cassie:

Alice had returned to the cottages. She knew tonight was the full moon, and she and all the others would soon be Shifting, if they already hadn't. She snuck around behind the house she had chosen to bed in, and jumped back into the window. Her form slid silently into the room, quiet and like a hunter. The sun was slowly fading from the sky, falling behind the moutntaintops and bringing on the darkness and coolness of night. She smiled, this was one of her favorite times of year. She got to Change, and be one with the rest of the pack. But it was a bit different at full moon time. She didn't Shift into her normal wolf form, but rather the atual Werewolf form that allowed for bipedal movement as well as quad movement. Alice had wonderful control over her other self, unlike her good friend Kaleb. He had a hard time controlling himself once in his wolf form. She remembered how hard it was for him to even go through the Change without losing himself. He was much better at it now, having gotten practice and all that. Kaleb was much smoother, and more controlled. She sighed at the thought, and crashed downn onto her bed, watiting for the time to come.

****

Kaleb sat in his room. After his run-in with the hotheaded and rude female, he was a bit angry himself. He was sitting on his bed, sketching. He was drawing a night scene and realized he had sketched a full moon. He suddenly remembered that was happening tonight, and he laughed because he had almost forgotten one of the most important nights. He looked out his window, the sun was surely sinking, like the water going down a drain after the plug was pulled. Nighttime was showing high in the sky. Soon it would encase the whole of the expanse, bathing it with deep midnight blues and blacks, as well as pouring out light from the moon onto the land beneath. He started feeling nauseated, and doubled over. Kaleb realized he would Shift soon. He was going to be one of the first, if not the first, to do do.


May:

Kratos looked around at his companions, some scared of the change and others embracing it. He could not move to comfort them now, for the night was upon them and the full moon was soon to appear in the sky.
So the Alpha stood passive, waiting, with only his assumptions to help prepare him for what was soon to take place. He knew that many of the pack members knew each other subconsciously, and he was clinging to the hope that everything else would follow naturally..
But his thoughts were not beyond doubt of their reactions; he had been surprised by them before.

Kratos could see Timothy's knuckles were white as he held his head down. But no matter how much he resisted, the young lad could not fight his own body as it began to change.

Kratos needed to know where everyone was, and while he could hear some and smell others, Jackie was still not back. His bright yellow eyes turned in the direction he had seen her go and he became more than troubled. Jackie was a less-experienced werewolf; she would be acting mainly off instinct, and that would be dangerous if she left the forest.
Anxiety raised, Kratos knew he could not abandon the younger pack members in an attempt to find Jackie, and he also knew that there was still an experienced spy about.

It was time to sound the call. Kratos stood up in the attitude of a man and raised his head toward the darkening sky, then he breathed out a long and powerful howl out over the whole forest! The mountains heard his voice, his message was clear; I am here, I am strong. I am Alpha of this land, defender and protector. I am unchallenged and undefeated. I will fight only for my own and my foes will surely fall beneath me. All those of my pack, hear me and answer!

*****

Timothy's size increased and a heavy black coat of fur covered him. His hands grew thick and his nails grew pointed, he soon found no reason to cower. His head came up and his bright turquoise eyes caught the light of the moon as he stared out upon the pack..

..... "Young werewolves.. Many of them. Were they enemies? No, their scents were recognizable.. But do they hunger as I do?" Timothy's thoughts moved slowly in his mind as he looked from person to person. The werewolf could hear and smell every small detail of the clearing and could easily discern one from another. Much like the time before, he could smell, taste, and feel life all around him.. But this time, he was also completely surrounded by other individuals and unable to reach it.
At first Timothy's werewolf mind thought of defence against them, but after a moment he began calculating the situation and found himself less likely to do so.. The smells of the other werewolves told him something about each of them, some new to him and others met before..

The white female from before was here, he remembered her from last time.. And the human boy on the mountainside, he could be smelled in this area also, but not as a human anymore..

Timothy suddenly rose to his feet and bared his teeth! He snarled and growled, warning the others to stay away from him and that he did not desire their company!

Then, the Alpha's voice rose to the air, and the young werewolf found himself gazing up at a massive giant!

"Yes.." Timothy could remember him now.. The 'Alpha' had been there that night.. The last full moon, wasn't it? Yes, but he hadn't spoken then.. Now he spoke of power and protection. But there is also a threat on his lips."

The power of the Alpha was obvious and Timothy's werewolf mind was enthralled by it. There was no uncertainty; you were either on the giant's side and under his incredible strength, or else you were against him and his strength would be used to completely destroy you... That was the way it was played; that was the way Timothy had been taught to play it..
Thus, immediately upon the Alpha's voice falling silent, Timothy stood up as a man and spoke out his choice! His voice lifted even as the Alpha's had, but with less power and more beauty! As a werewolf, Timothy always had a majestic voice, but every time it had been heard before he had always sung out in fear or rage. Now his voice sailed up to the moon as smooth as musical notes in a song of great passion and sorrow, and announcing to all that he would be counted among the Calagathorm pack!


Cathannah:

Toby didn't know the hour, not did he care very much until his vest began to choke him, at which time he quickly removed it. The white button-down shirt he wore underneath had been custom made by his grandmother to withstand the changes Toby undertook and still be both comfortable and modest; Only really requiring to be partically unbottoned in order to fit around his were-wolf neck.

The changes for Toby, apart from his vest issue, went unnoticed. Unlike most were-wolves, Toby was neither instinct nor emotionally changed in his wolf form. He was still the same goof he'd always been; only slightly larger and with a mess of milky tan fur all over his body.
Though desprately hungery, Toby was very careful not to harm his small backpack, Toby fordged about for the zipper and opened it to searched for the food Krtos had promised was inside. A bag of chips were to his instant access, but he found the strong taste of herbs and salt was not to his liking during a full moon. So instead, he settled for the promised, nice looking, well wrapped bag of jerky and filled himself with the contents.
Then he heard Kratos' howl, and Timothy's howl followed by that. He smiled somewhat stupidly at the beautiful sounds of their voices and Kratos' message, and though he subconciously submitted, he outwardly did not respond to them. Instead, he lesurely finnished his meal and cleaned his paws and muzzle at the sink, the stepped outside to see who was around.


Kaqurei:

Sabrina's yellow eyes burned into the young were, Timothy. She watched his every movement with anticipation, trying to calculate his thoughts and motions almost before he ever acted by the subtle moves that came before. She lifted her head and tail when he looked at her, displaying her dominance, but she was also careful to show him her acceptance. He snarled and demanded that all those around him keep their distance. Sabrina did not budge one way or the other, but watched him still.

Then the Alpha stood and let loose his howl. Sabrina would forever be amazed by it, every time he howled it was like she was hearing it anew. There was such security and power in his voice--her wolf was calmed by it, strengthened by it... For a moment she was distracted from Timothy and looked at the Alpha in admiration.

Then Timothy rose from the earth and let loose his own beautiful song. Sabrina felt her heart swell within her for joy! She stood on her hind legs also and lifted her head towards the skies, letting her own voice mingle with them; I am here. I am strong. I am apart of the Calagathorm Pack. They are my pride and my family. I will protect them with my life!

****

Levi had been watching what appeared to be the end of the battle between the two females. He was a little disappointed. While the member of the rival pack had demonstrated much skill, it was obvious that she was a new were--thus, a new pack member. He could not determine from having watched her battle the strengths or weaknesses of her pack. He might as well have left them earlier; he had gained nothing for his time.

Then came the cry of the Alpha--Levi's head shot up from his crouched position and his ears raised towards the sound. It was an incredibly intimidating howl and Levi desired to shrink from it. The message was clearly not a bluff; the howls of others in the... the Calagathorm Pack... joined in with the Alpha. There were many powerful voices among them. Surprisingly, he heard a voice he recognized join in the song, delcaring herself a member of this pack. Sabrina? She may have mentioned the presence of a new pack in her report to her father, but she had said nothing about having joined them. This was not going to please his Alpha.... not at all.

While the sound was impressive, Levi could not remain focused on it for long. He merely picked out the current position of the pack, made a mental count of how many voices joined the chorus, and had to return his attention to the pair at hand. Once this stranger was done with her enemy, it wasn't likely that she would count the job done and leave the area... no, her body language declared quite the opposite. She was hunting these wolves--possibly any wolf she came in contact with. Levi might consider himself strong and even a more experienced wolf, but she was a great deal larger than he was. After watching her fight, he did not want to challenge her, particularly in strange territory with a rival pack close and no member of his own pack to call for aide... except for Sabrina. And, given the call eariler, her loyalties were in serious question.


Mariel:

Kieoki, after having agreed to herself that the young guy, timothy?, wasn't going to be any threat, she'd turned back to Krat, wondering what the alpha would do next. It was sort of obvious to anyone else, but Kieoki was fairly surprised when Krat stood up on his back legs and let out the howl. It was a chilling sound for Kieoki mainly because she'd never heard anything like it before. Not once had she heard another alpha let his howl ring out and invite his pack to join in. It was musical to Kieoki, and when she heard Sabrina and that boy join in, the melody became a sweet harmony that wreathed around her. Needless to mention, Kieoki had a thing for music and this was beautiful to her.

So beautiful, in fact, that she didn't know how to respond to Krat. She didn't even know for a few moments if she should reply to Krat. But thankfully for her, when Krat's call rang out, so did her wolf. Instead of not being there, her wolf was suddenly right there beside her, eager to respond. In fact, before Kieoki could stop herself, her wolf had tilted back her head -instead of standing on her hind legs which felt to unnatural to both her and her wolf- and was about to let out a howl. Kieoki took over then though, but kept the motion going. In another second her howl was mingling mostly with that boy's. She barely knew him, yes, but his was soft and ringing and she mixed her howl with his.

The motion felt so odd that Kieoki had trouble keeping it going. Other than the fact that she was entirely embarrassed for the absurd reason of not liking to sing in front of others. Although this wasn't technically singing, it was close enough for her. So to fix that problem she closed her eyes, letting her wolf carry the howl that was so foreign to her. Again, she didn't howl often, if at all because wen you travel it's not the best idea just to announce yourself on enemy territory. It was better to stay low and hidden. But she couldn't do that here. This was going to take some getting used to. A lot of getting used to.


Nequaria:

Savannah saw the light from the moon the moment it peered above the horizon. Instantly feeling the changes, she gave up any resistance and slipped into the moon's power. She could feel her nails growing into claws, her ears moving and growing pointed, the tail growing from her lower back, as well as light, cream-colored fur covering her body. Once her transformation was complete, Savannah jumped back into reality. A few of the other werewolves had howled, and she couldn't help herself but join them.

Standing on her hind legs like the others, she began to tip her head back, but she realized something first. What would she say? She was a relatively new pack member, and hadn't exactly made any friends in the pack. Reluctantly, Savannah sat back down on the grass. If she didn't have anything to say, why should she howl with the others? Then she heard Sabrina's howl. Sabrina said she was proud to be a member of Kratos' pack, and Savannah decided she might as well be proud too. Once again she stood, tipped her head back, and let her inner wolf take over.

I am Savannah, a proud wolf of the Calagathorm. I will protect my packmates at all costs with no hesitation, for I know they shall do the same for me. We are a strong and loyal pack, and I am glad to be a part of it.

****

Creorran was also experiencing his transformation. With minimal control over his wolf form, he was truly terrified of what would happen. He could feel the changes occuring, and before long he would be helpless inside his own body. He could see now that the moon was beginning to climb the sky, and he desperately wished it could be morning.

Once he had fully entered his wolf form, he was only dimly aware of the things around him. Creorran could just barely hear howling, and he grew frightened when the first —and also the loudest and deepest— sounded threatening. He cowered on the ground, unable to pick out the howls' exact meanings. The mournful, yet terrifying noises echoed in Creorran's head, scaring him even further. He tried to ignore them, but his own mind wouldn't let him.

Both confused, tired, and angry, it was easy to see why Creorran despised the night of the full moon so much. Unable to control his actions or even thoughts, he began to let out a pathetic whining. He now lay on the ground, eyes wide and scared, and his mouth open as he breathed heavily. His ears were instintively pulled back in fear, and his tail twitched nervously. Why did he have to become a werewolf?

****

Soar:

Theo really didn't do anything that interesting prior to the moon. Really. Seeing as the entire pack already had found something to do, he found one source of amusement tied off. So he choose the tallest of the trees near to the cabins and progressed to climb it to kill some time. Theo had actually made it pretty far before it had begun to get dark and had to turn back, having no wish to transform a few hundred feet up in a tree.

He had just about hit the bottom of the tree just as his body shivered to transform. A few minutes later, he looked up, but this time with the hulking and massive form of a werewolf. Relatively unbothered by the change, he surveyed the pack and noted himself to be one of the last. Then as the Alpha emerged from the cabin and lead the pack into a howl, he himself joined with the subdued tone of someone who wished to observe the melodies of his pack more than create one himself.


~~~

“Tick tock. It’s night. You better get a move on”

In the delirium and craze of the fight, a voice, perhaps her own; she didn’t know; seemed to chant in her head as time passed. At first, she ignored the silly little voice. An animal didn’t care about words. And yet, as the time progressed closer, her humanity seemed to sweep through her and registered the words and a viable warning. An odd awareness she had not possessed before the fight swept through her. Instead of seeing the battle as a game of claws and teeth, she could see angles to her foe. And she could see in her face she intended to finish her soon.

Her eyes shrank to weary blue slits, tensing as she tried to dodge the path of the oncoming assault and having every feeling this one was meant to be one of the last. But she was tired. She couldn’t move as she could have hours earlier without the blood loss and the physical exhaustion. Her feet twitched to move far too late; by the time she had, she was already pinned to tree by dark claws and Logan already preparing to make one final snap of her.

The beat of her heart seemed suddenly very loud and everything around her seemed to slow enough to take in. Where someone else may have closed their eyes and said “Hasta La Vista” to it all, Jackie had been taught enough to use those frenzied moments of near stand-still to her advantage. Time was slower for her and certainly much slower than her opponent, who granted her winning streak in the fight, was probably confident enough not to need it. Breath was hard to draw in, but Jackie forced herself not to panic over it. Instead, she did the unpredictable and thought hard with those precious few milliseconds.

As a human, she had been taught several moves to disarm any opponent that may have been chocking her. In this form, while considerably more difficult for any of those moves to be executable, with enough adaptability, they were at the very least possible. Focusing deeply on each movement she made, she raised a hind paw so it curled right beneath her and with a single quick movement brought it down to strike directly at her opponent’s soft underbelly with the speed of a snake. As expected, she didn’t find herself freed. The move was not meant to do that; instead it was meant to catch Logan by surprise and, in the temporary confusion, make it much easier to slip through. She felt Logan’s hold on her weaken just enough so that her weight sank down a few inches down the tree. Her hind legs touched the ground with a gentle tap. She tensed. Then, suddenly, she sprung upwards like a spring. Logan’s hold around her neck loosened and then finally slipped free, leaving deep cuts on her neck in their place.

With neither the time nor the energy to congratulate herself over the maneuver, Jackie did the only reasonable thing that came to mind. That, of course, being to flee. She wasn’t an idiot and she knew when she was outmatched and when she would probably get killed trying to continue. And she also knew time was running out. Already she could feel a gentle sting in her lungs. The air felt thicker and clammier.


Jackie ran while there was still time to run, racing through the trees so fast it seemed incredible she even processed the energy to do so. She continued an unsteady sprint back to the ranch, with her attention so focused on her goal that even a stray hiker in her path wouldn’t have diverted her attention. She didn’t have to over-power her wolf to make sure of that. Neither a human or a wolf wanted to die, and so for the time being, both aspects of herself found a common goal to work towards.

A gentle howl echoed through the wind, but the only sign she gave of hearing it was a flick of her ear. At this point her pace had begun to fade to more of a slow lope; breathing now involved huge gasps of air and her entire body burned like she had a fever. For a brief instant, some part of her felt enticed by the promise the howl had offered and the protection she desperately needed at this point. But the moment passed, and she bitterly turned her thoughts away from the pack and back towards the task at hand.


Dez:

Logan's attention had been temporarily deterred as the call sung out over the lands. Not just any call, of course - the call of an alpha. Power, courage and loyalty seemed to emanate from the song alone. A voice of protection for members of his pack, and for outsiders, a persuasive warning. Howls of support joined in on the song, some more subtle than others, all equally beautiful. But from an intruders standpoint, it was nothing but a threat or a challenge, both even.

In this very miniscule amount of time, Jackie had managed to hit Logan in the stomach briskly. Another instant passed, and the other werewolf manipulated the seconds and brief distraction carefully enough to put herself in a position to escape and finally, flee. Like a gunfire, there was no time to react before it was over.

The larger werewolf didn't give chase, however, as she watched Jackie vanish out of sight. Part of the reason was because Logan assumed she'd die from blood loss or maybe infection, and another part was because something was off about the immediate area. For a moment, she stayed on all fours, examining her surroundings, ears high and occasionally tilting in one direction or the other.

Logan raised herself on her hind legs, scenting the air around her. Then she caught it, if barely. The nearby male that had been watching their battle. Once she found the scent, it was easy to tell that he'd been here for a while.

She positioned herself on all of her paws and began off quickly in what she assumed was the direction of the new werewolf, intent on finding and making sure this one died. It would be a matter of seconds before she tracked him down, unless he managed to act quickly. She didn't even think about the pack right now, putting her full focus to finding her next victim.


Kaqurei:

Crud. Yes, that was the word that came to mind; crud. That, and a slew of other unhappy words. Nothing too serious, of course, his mother had been a very religious woman and had raised him well at least on that account... but seriously. Levi hadn't quite counted on being detected this quickly by the stranger. He was almost sure that her wolf would pursue and eliminate the weakened female. But, no, he realized now, she counted her fight with that one won and she was still thirsty for blood.

He wasn't going to fight her. She may be fresh out of a battle, but he had watched her--she was a smart fighter and hadn't exerted a whole lot of energy to take out the other female... she was still strong, and larger than him besides. So he did what any lone scout would do in his position; he made a crazy break for it! Given two seconds to think, he probably would have considered this a stupid move: she had picked up on his scent and was coming on him fast, but did not necessarily know exactly where he was until he let out that idiotic little yelp and thrashed out of his hiding place.

There was no way she could have missed that. He might have quietly slipped away while he had the chance and threw off her scent around the creek that ran nearby--he knew how to do that. But in a single moment of doubt he had blown his chances.

****

Sabrina finished her first chorus when she noticed Creorran whimpering on the ground. His wolf was not responding to the pack like he was part of it... she didn't know him very well. Their first and only meeting had been the month before she left--he started an uncontrolled change and she had paralyzed him.

She sank back down to all fours and approached him slowly; her head was up, but she wagged her tail slightly and kept her ears back, her body language attempting to convey friendliness and familiarity to his wolf, even imitating some dog-like behaviour. Her words were meant to appeal to his human side, assuming he was still in touch with it. "Creorran," she said gently, "Do not fear. You are safe. These changes are strange, you may feel lost... but do not feel intimidated. You are apart of us. You are family. We will protect you. We will help you through this, if you let us."


May:

Kratos was surprised when the pack joined into the song, and oddly enough Timothy starting it, but his surprise passed quickly into joy and pride. He looked at their faces as they lifted their unique voices into a strong melody, and he knew that they were now a pack.
But there was one voice which was not among them, the one he had been straining to listen for the most; he had not heard Jackie's voice.

His bright yellow eyes turned down upon Creorran and the Alpha set himself back down on four legs. Creorran was afraid, much as Kratos had expected Timothy to be, so he already had prepared to help and encourage..
But nothing could have prepared Kratos for what would happen next...

*****

Timothy set himself back down on his four paws as the song drew to an end and looked about himself at the werewolves whom had not spoken.. Upon seeing Creorran cowering on the ground, Timothy naturally thought only to take advantage of his weakness and gain a place above him in pack standing. But his motivation to do so was suddenly quieted upon seeing the white female sit down and begin acting like a mere puppy.
"How foolish." He thought with a growl. But the white female had challenged Timothy before and had won without much effort, thus she stood on higher ground and he would let her have her fun with this pathetic creature first..

The Alpha lowered himself to his four paws then, Timothy speculated that he held a more commanding and proud air now than he had when the song first began. Powerful, leading, semi-experienced and a force to be reckoned with, but also slightly naive. This alpha hadn't known this pack all his life; this pack was young.
"That'll be good.." The young werewolf thought slyly to himself. "I won't have to dominate many to gain a good standing here.."

Timothy's werewolf mind was not yet aware of the rules that governed this pack, and he certainly payed no thought to the fact that these werewolves actually cared to be human.. It wasn't the way he had been taught.
The young werewolf thought for a moment and decided that he would sit down and watch these others and try to discover their weaknesses before challenging them. But just before doing so, he recognized a distant scent which drove all such subtle thoughts far from his mind.

"Blood. Blood is in the air tonight!" Timothy's eyes darted wildly to the woods and his face twisted into a beastly snarl. "Taste it. Taste it he said."
Timothy cringed and his forward paws clenched the dirt in his palms. "Leave me be.. I would rather die." He muttered beneath his breath.

Then fear began to grow in his mind and heart.. Fear of pain if he did not pursue the smell.
"Not me, not to die..." He growled to himself. "Fine, then I'll go get it. But I will not taste it, he cannot make me do it again.. I'll make him cold and still if he tries."

*****

Kratos watched Sabrina's movements. She seemed very good at assuming a gentle and harmless air to get others to trust her, though as Kratos had seen in the past, such was far from Sabrina's true nature.

The Alpha wanted Creorran to trust his pack mates, and he thought to comfort the younger werewolf and would have done so, had he not heard the disturbing words which Timothy began whispering to himself just then.

"What was that?" Kratos asked, turning to look at Timothy. But there was no answer until Timothy began muttering to himself again.
From what the Alpha could gather, Timothy seemed to be persuading himself with old memories to go and do something, and speaking of a "he" which Kratos could only guess was Gathen, since Timothy never allowed any other "he" to ever get close to him.

"Timothy! Come to your senses boy!" Kratos said urgently, but Timothy seemed not to hear.

Timothy's eyes wildly shot up and met with Kratos, and then as quick as a scared rabbit Timothy took off into the trees!
Kratos immediately charged after him but he was not as swift as the younger and lighter werewolf!
"Kale, Zeit!" Kratos called urgently. But he did not know if the two Betas were close enough to hear him, as he had not seen them since the sun went down..

******

Timothy calculated the position of his target by the distance of the scent and he made straight for it! His use of terrain and ability to lengthen his stride was incredible! He was neither lithe nor slender and yet picked up a pace which could rival even the quickest member of the pack at a full run!

Timothy payed no mind to the other werewolves whom he knew were just ahead of him, he was able to pinpoint their location through scent and evade their position entirely. His main target was his only thought; the scent of blood growing nearer and stronger!

******

Kratos ran after Timothy but could not keep up with him and soon he couldn't even hear the younger werewolf ahead of him.. Regardless, he would not let up nor slow his pace. But the Alpha knew that whatever it was that Timothy was hunting would surely be dead by the time he caught up..
Unfortunately, it was then that Kratos was finally aware of the scent which had caused Timothy's wild behavior.

Anxiety and anguish filled Kratos' heart as he realized that the scent on the air was Jackie's blood! From the scent he could tell she was weak, badly injured and heading for the ranch, but Kratos had no power to help her.
Timothy would come upon Jackie soon, and judging by the things he had done in the past, Kratos thought it unlikely that he would spare her.

There was nothing to make this matter worse until Kratos got near enough to also smell the stranger and the spy. Suddenly the Alpha's emotions changed; anxiety turned to anger and anguish sparked and became a flame of rage which engulfed him!
Kratos believed that his friend would soon be dead because of the actions of a stranger, and no reasoning in his mind could surpass this.

Kratos knew that if he had not let Jackie alone when he had come upon her earlier, that he might have prevented this. But he had assumed that the area was safe from strangers, and thus the fault was his own..
Now, the Alpha would deal with the enemy.

Within moments Kratos threw out a howl of absolute rage and had changed his course! He turned to the right and rampaged through the bushes and bramble, his massive form coming quickly and suddenly upon Logan and Levi's position!!


Kaqurei:

****

Why do I keep treating Timothy like a normal werewolf? He's not a normal werewolf! Sabrina thought, but otherwise tried to ignore what was happening with him and the Alpha. She had just promised Creorran that she would protect him and he had nothing to fear. To show any sign of stress or upset at this new development would shatter any trust she may or may not have gained. After all, the Alpha had called for his Betas--surely they would be able to handle the situation with Timothy. If anyone was hurt, she could help them later. Right now she needed to focus on the new weres and see that they handled their transitions well. Especially now that the Alpha was absent.


Nequaria:

Creorran's blue-gray eyes nervously darted around to each recently transformed werewolf. While he knew they were his own pack, he still felt terrified for some unknown reason. His human self tried to reassure his troubled brain that the wolves were his packmates — his family, — but it was no use.

He could see a white female wolf approaching and dimly recognized her. It was the female that had stopped him the last time he had lost control of his wolf form. Creorran thought her name was Sabrina. His wolf picked up on her body language; her ears were back, and she even wagged her tail a little. She spoke softly in a calm, almost comforting voice, and for a moment Creorran felt safe. He listened intently to her voice, and though he knew she was truly one of the more aggressive wolves, at the moment she seemed motherly. For some reason, the kind words from her had pushed him back into a relaxed state.

Comforted by the Gamma, Creorran stumbled to his paws and once again tried to look at the werewolves. They were stil intimidating, especially Kratos with his monstrous size, but he could recognize each one. There was Sabrina, Savannah, Kratos, Timothy, Kieoki. . .

Then Creorran noticed a few of the packmembers were not present. Thinking they must've been inside the cottages, he pushed the thought away. It was then that he saw Sabrina grow tense for only a split second, and Timothy running into the woods, quickly followed by Kratos and Kieoki. Concerned, he asked Sabrina, "Whats going on? Where are they going?"


Mariel:

When the chorus of howls ended, Kieoki was feeling strangely light-headed. It was an odd feeling to her, the feeling of being in a place where she was together with others that either cared, or cared enough about the pack to care about her. Kieoki was in a blissful state, and the sudden start of Timothy (she was sure that had to be his name, right?) unbalanced her. She watched first Timothy dart off, and then watched with wide eyes as Krat shot after him. It only took Kieoki a moment to realize that Krat had little chance of catching the smaller wolf. Kieoki couldn't smell what had caused Timothy to start, but she had a fairly good guess. She listened as Krat called to his betas, but like him, she hadn't seen them around, and Sabrina wasn't dashing off to help either.

In one motion, Kieoki looked at Sabrina, shaking her head. "I'm sorry." She said before Kieoki was gone, dashing headlong into the trees and vanishing from sight. Considering that she was considerably smaller than Krat, she could run faster than him, and it wasn't hard to track Krat and Timothy. And when Krat's scent went off on another trail, Kieoki followed Timothy's trail, determined to catch up with the wolf. Now, she wasn't running as fast as Timothy was, and she wasn't really gaining on him, but she was catching up enough that she may make it to the object he was chasing before it was killed. She could suddenly smell it too, blood. She didn't know Jackie enough to realize that it was hers, but her wolf recognized the tantalizing scent, but recoiled when it realized it came from a were. Kieoki ran no slower though.

And it wasn't like she was going to fight Timothy when she got to him. No. Her main goal was to help or protect the were that was obviously injured, judging by the scent of blood. But, if it came down to a fight, Kieoki was probably one of the better candidates to help the injured were. After all, Kieoki had fought her way out of packs before, and also had gone one on one until the other gave. In fact, her body was already preparing in case things would come to a fight. Her paws thundered after Timothy, and she laughed in her mind. This wasn't the first time she had chased Timothy down, and the last time she had tried to protect someone, Timothy had gotten to the human anyways. But not this time. Kieoki picked up her pace, closing in as her determination not to be late kicked in.


Kaqurei:

"It's alright," Sabrina said soothingly, "It's Timothy--he doesn't have much control over his wolf side. The Alpha is pursuing him, so that he does not bring harm to himself or anyone else."

Her ears raised and she looked off in the direction the others had gone. A shadow of concern passed briefly over her face, but it was soon replaced with a softer expression. "They'll be fine, I am sure," she said, then she looked back at him and the others that still remained. "The rest of you are going to learn about controling your forms and working as a pack. How many of you still have troubles with your inner wolf?"

Timothy and Jackie had gone off. So that left Kaleb and Creorran as far as she knew. Still, she had been gone for a month, so there might be some others who couldn't control their wolf-forms very well, so she had to ask.


Dez:

****

Big mistake, although Levi probably knew that by now. Logan caught his mishap and immediately began directly towards him, lips curled in a fierce snarl. It was fairly obvious to the female that he wasn't untrained, but the fact alone that he was running said enough about his standings in a battle - or maybe just this one? Either way, Logan enjoyed the chase. She could already feel his bones shattering beneath her jaw, taste his blood. It felt like she'd already won.

Logan was closing in on her prey rapidly. She wasn't typically a really fast runner, but then again, she was near the peak of her adrenalin. The pursuit looked as if it would last no more than another ten seconds as the larger werewolf readied herself to clamp down on Levi's thigh; ears pinned against her skull, mouth opened and eyes set firmly on their goal.

Then she heard the alpha's call again and stopped short, clamping her jaw shut and missing Levi's leg by a hairs width. This time, it was chillingly close and dripping with fury. She didn't even have a moment to discern it's location before the large, dark werewolf was present.

Her immediate reaction was to shrink down much like a guilty child would when threatened to be punished. However, this was Logan, and she suppressed the urge and instead turned to face the alpha.

"It'll be the end of you, Logan. Learn when you face up to someone and when you run! You can only win so many times before you come out short."

This was one of those moments where it would have been particularly important that she paid attention to her grandfathers advice when he gave it to her. Instead, she was determined to bring this werewolf down and even in this form, her pride blurred any sense of fear, wisdom and self preservation.

She had positioned herself in front of Levi in a manner that blocked him off from the massive werewolf, as if protecting him. Only she wasn't, and rather, wanted to kill him herself. A low growl erupted from her throat, and without further warning, she lashed out, going directly for Kratos' neck!


Aim:

Chime listened to the beautiful melody. She wanted to jump in and did, but not really all that loud. She was happy to be part of the pack, even though she still didn't really know how one works, as she never really learned about packs, her mother hid those things from her well. Chime had only lifted her head and as the howling stop she looked around. She had heard whimpering during the howls and look to locate the source. She saw Creorran but made no more to go to him, she just sat where she was.
It was then Timothy had his "spazz attack". As he darted away and the alpha followed, quickly followed by Kieoki, though the alpha didn't say he needed her.

Chime watched them run off and found herself wanting to follow them and she did. After only a few seconds of thought she darted, following the sent of the alpha. Though if she thought this over she would seen the idiot action she had taken, as herself wasn't that great of a fighter and there could be danger up ahead, which there was. She slowed down as she smelled the intruders and came to a complete stop as she heard the alpha's roar. It had scared her, never in her life had she heard something like that, so mad... She inched close enough to peek over the blushes and what she saw scared her even more. Two huge and unknown weres and her alpha were there. A strange male being the smallest, though he was still big to Chime. The female was who scared her the most, the way she acted was just horrifying, nearly making her whimper, but she stopped herself, the alpha came in a close second, she somewhat knew him and never in the month of staying on the ranch had seen him like this, the thought alone was enough to really scare her.


Kaqurei:

Levi's heart was pounding a mile a minute, adrenaline shooting painfully through nearly every vein in his body! Fear was such an exquisite feeling, one he rather enjoyed with some sort of addicted satisfaction. Pain and inevitable death, however, he wasn't crazy about. So just don't get caught. Don't get caught--easier said than done. This stranger had an odd knack of staying right on his heels as he ran, regardless of how suddenly he made a swerve in his path or what tree he dodged behind.

Terror was intoxicating--relishing it and surviving were almost the only things he could keep his mind on--but he had to keep himself under control. He didn't want to blunder right into--the enemy Alpha's howl! He heard it just then--loud, close! He'd only just recognized this fact when he heard the snap of the stranger's jaw in midair--he could almost feel the release of pressure next to his flank! He let out another of those stupid short yelps and the rhythm of his run was completely thrown off--his back legs instinctively made a leap his front legs weren't prepared for! They didn't take the sudden impact very well--gave out from under him, and resulted in a head over tail tumble!

He couldn't afford to miss another beat. He whirled around and pinned himself flat against the ground with fur on end and teeth bared, gravel and small plants flying up in his wake! His wild yellow eyes were wide, his snarl wider. He knew that in seconds she'd be on to him--the short flight wouldn't have tired her in the least--if he was going to die though, he'd at least give her a few scars to remember him by!

So it was his surprise when he saw that her attention wasn't fully on him anymore. Much worse! A giant shadow rose up over her--his scent Levi immediately recognized: that was the enemy alpha! He was huge! In his eyes was a desperate rage and pain--he was furious and ready to kill! The only thing that stood between Levi and this monster was the strange female who also desired to relieve him of his head!

Forget this. An inhuman, almost even unearthly shriek exploded from his throat and he tore past the both of them! He'd completely lost grasp of where he was headed--he was just getting out of there!

But he wasn't expecting what happened next. "Hu-augh!" he grunted, barreling right into a small black wolf--which resulted in yet another head over tail roll, this time for the both of them.


May:

There wasn't time given save a single moment alone to size up the situation. Kratos had already made up his mind and had taken in the whole scene almost in a single breath. Then the stranger raced forward with her attack and the fight ensued!

With the stranger's lavander eyes targeting his neck, Kratos shot up on two legs with his hand flying straight over her head and catching her at the base of her skull! He then thrust the weight of his shoulder down upon her and forced her to the ground with her jaws clamped against the dirt!

But Kratos was not done after thwarting the attack, oh no..
Giving the stranger no time to react the Alpha twisted his hand on the stranger's neck and locked a large fistful of fur, flesh, and her right ear under his grip, then with one brutish tug he tossed her away against the trees!
He hadn't drawn any blood yet, but for her sake the Alpha hoped that she couldn't control that form. Jackie's blood was already on this stranger's hands and if Kratos found her a conscious enemy, then in the interest of protecting his pack he would have no reason to show forth mercy.

"Want to try that again, or should I use my teeth this time?!" Kratos snarled and crashed back down on all four paws! The Alpha had fought both men and wild animals before now and he knew their tactics well.


Dez:

The alpha retaliated so quickly, and with so much strength that by the time Logan had hit the tree she wasn't quiet sure what had happened. Even though she'd been in brawls with large men in the past, they were usually all brawn, no brains; or too slow to land a single blow. This certainly wasn't the case. The alpha wasn't just a big hulking beast, he proved to have both experience and speed well on side.

That taken into account, Logan stood again, pushing past the throbbing in her head and stars scattered across her vision. She briefly looked over the alpha twice, in attempt to find any faults or otherwise vulnerabilities, but the effort was fruitless.

Nevertheless, she wasn't going to back down so easily. Or at least, that's what she thought until she tried to move forward and attack. Her legs wouldn't budge. Her whole body wouldn't move an inch for that matter! She tried once more to sum up the courage and move forward and again it was to no avail. She couldn't even muster up a meek growl. Maybe she had some sense left in her after all.

Logan found herself staring blankly into the alpha's yellow eyes, realizing for the first time the full extent of his fury. And that instant it became clear that this was one battle that she couldn't win - not wouldn't. He'd already proven well enough that he was far more powerful, she didn't need a second demonstration this time around.

She refused to run however, as it seemed the most cowardly thing to do, and instead, bitterly lowered herself nearly all the way to the ground like a scolded dog; as to declare that she had subsided and turned her fate over the alpha.


Soar:

****

The forest seemed to go on forever. Tree after tree after tree... Jackie was getting sick of trees. She wasn't getting any healthier and she couldn't take this endless monotony. It almost seemed to mock her as she continued to drag herself back to the ranch, only to see more trees standing in her way. A delusion of which grew and fed into her frustration of fear. At one point she felt like tearing every tree to the ground, but was stopped from carrying this out due to one simple, physical fact.

She couldn't. She could barely walk and she could hardly tear a forest to shreds. Every inch of her hurt and each step felt like one step away from collapsing. But she grit her teeth and pressed on, attempting to ignore the pain and continuing to peer hopefully at the distant, snaky outline of trees for the ranch.

And then something happened. It was hard to describe at first. The blood loss and fever made sure of a much slower reaction time. But as the seconds passed, the best way Jackie put words to it was a stampede. Of horses, people, or lions she didn't know until she suddenly remembered her heightened sense of smell and allowed the scent to curl up maliciously into her nose. It was werewolves. Not a lot, but from the sound of it, they were coming in fast and right for her.

Instantly she adjusted herself to a defensive crouch, fear and pain glinting into her eyes like an injured animal that was about to be cornered.


Aim:

****

Chime yipped in surprise as the male bumped into her, making them both roll further after from the other weres. After the rolling stopped Chime laid in shock for a few seconds before dizzily getting up and looking at the male. He seemed to be just as afraid of the two weres as she felt, though it annoyed her how he bumped into her. She found her tongue not to long after the fall and soon put it to use, "Who are you?" She asked in a smaller voice then she intended. Clearing her throat she started talking again, "Why did you bump into me?" Her voice was stronger and had a bit of annoyance in it.


Kaqurei:

Levi lay on his back for a few moments, his chest heaving up and down as he tried to collect his senses again. He groaned--or whined like a puppy, or some noise between the two--and rolled to a sitting position. Panting, he looked over the little female he'd just bumped into. She was talking--her voice sounded rather upset, but that was a given after what had just happened. There was a look of confusion in his face for a moment as he tried to figure out what she was saying... his pack mostly spoke in animal tongue while in wolf form, so he had been expecting those sorts of noises. Instead, he came to realize that she was using human words--quickly he pieced together what he had heard and understood.

Suddenly looking alert rather than dazed as he had before, his ears shot up and he looked back in the direction of his previous enemies. Quickly he looked back at the little female. "I am leavin', that should answer booth of yer questions!" he said hurriedly, springing to his feet. "G'day!"

He gave a quick nod of farewell, glanced back a mere moment to see where the alpha was again, and made an attempt to dart past her!


May:

The smell grew closer and Timothy slowed his pace, his eyes glinting through the darkness as he caught sight of his target. He did not approach at first but simply stared at the wounded werewolf through the branches of the thick foliage.

"There it is.." Timothy thought to himself as he drew nearer. The other werewolf was injured but yet alive.. He could not recognize her scent, however he detected the smell of the pack faintly about her. Was she a member of the pack, or wasn't she? Timothy could not decide, but he knew that the other werewolf was too weak to have the advantage here, so he began to investigate further.

Steadily Timothy's black shadow slipped from the bushes and approached the injured werewolf, but only by a single step. He did not want her to attack him, so he stayed at a distance and stalked around her with his hackles raised, smelling about her as he went. Then his paw passed through a dark puddle of liquid on the forest soil and he paused, lowering his head to smell it.

Suddenly Timothy threw back his head and withdrew several steps! His teeth bared were now bared and a wild look was in his eyes!
"I would rather die! I would rather die!" He shouted in the words of a human. Then a low growl rumbled in his throat and he again lowered his head to the blood on the ground.
Timothy took several deep breaths with his nose to the ground, and flickered his ears back to listen..

Timothy pulled up his head again and looked the wounded werewolf in the eye. "You will not die.." He whispered. "Not tonight.."
Then he shot out of the clearing and thrashed away into the woods just to vanish like a shadow in the dark!

****

Kratos snarled at the stranger's submission and flicked an ear back when he heard Chime's yip.
"Get up." He demanded in a deep snarl. Then he crouched and snapped his jaws at the stranger to support his demand with a show of strength and aggression!

"You have surrendered, thus I have won and now you will do as I say!" The Alpha said in a low growl. "This is my land and you will come with me. We will bring the spy back to my pack and if you step out of line than you will get what you deserve from me."
Kratos snapped his jaws again and slammed his fists into the dirt violently!

****

Twilight had followed the sun below the fields and the dark shape of the forest loomed like a black gate built to conceal nature's dangerous mysteries from the naivety of mankind. Yet one such danger escaped out from it and came as a silhouette across the fields, moving swiftly and silently over the land in the dreary blue light of the full moon.

Timothy passed through Zeit's pastures and did not slow his pace until he came within the shadow of the small ranch. He then stalked slowly around the house and thought that perhaps something smelled amiss, but he could not be sure, for he did not recall this place well.. Yet, he felt some part of him very fond of it.

Now why had Timothy come here? No other reason than to satisfy a curiosity, and perhaps that nagging feeling at the back of his mind that kept telling him to do so. Thus he slipped slowly to the front of Zeit's cottage and traced the faint scent he had picked up near the wounded werewolf through the door..
Suddenly, Timothy knew that things were more than amiss! A strong scent wafted out from the open entrance and filled Timothy's senses with a sudden craving.

"That door was suppose to be shut." The young werewolf growled to himself. "I saw the Alpha lock it myself, didn't I?"
Timothy slowly crept up the stairs, sniffing and growling with the uneasiness that he was not alone in that dark house. Upon reaching the top of the stairs he looked around, and slowly entered the room where he recognized the scent of the wounded werewolf..

The strange smell which was in the house had not entered this room, but Timothy had another reason for being here.. In the blood of the wounded werewolf, Timothy had caught onto a smell which he could only briefly recall being in this house, so he came looking for it.

"It was an odd smell, like plants or rock.. No, that's not it.. Chemical, isn't that what it is called?" Timothy tried to remember the scent and follow it through the room. His ears were trained back listening to the silence in the hallway; he still felt uneasy.

After pacing around in the room for several minutes, Timothy finally found what he was looking for. Under the bed was a closed contraption which the young werewolf dug out and knocked to the center of the room.
This was definitely the source of the scent he had smelled in the blood of the wounded werewolf. "But now what?" Timothy wondered.

Timothy clawed at the box seeking to open it and figure out what was inside, but his attempts were in vain. He then picked it up in his mouth and began cracking the plastic casing with his teeth. However, he did not get far before he heard a noise downstairs and jumped to his paws with a threatening growl!
Ears focused forward, Timothy slowly approached the door and looked out into the hallway... Nothing could be seen, even with the keen sight of a werewolf.
Timothy growled and withdrew into the room again. He felt as if he were being hunted, and he hated that feeling even above the taste of blood. Thus he went back to gather his discovery; he would inspect it later, and quickly left the upper level of Zeit's cottage.


Mariel:

Kieoki was running hard, her paws thundering lightly across the ground. Her breath came in short pants as she tracked Timothy across the forest. She was surprised when he dashed past the injured were and continued onwards. Kieoki's wolf whined as she soon passed the blood filled area, but Kieoki snarled and locked it down, buckling down as she ran faster after Timothy. Where was he going anyways? Kieoki vented her confusion as she ran and it wasn't until she smelled the house did she realize where Timothy had gone.

Kieoki slowed then, as she came up to Zeit's cottage, and immediately went to the front door that was hanging open. She didn't realize that this was a bad idea until after her one paw made a creak on the floor of the home. Kieoki muttered to herself, cursing as she froze and listened for noises. Hearing nothing, she stayed where she was, debating on whether to try and go upstairs and catch him or go outside. In the end, Kieoki ended up going outside because there was more room to manipulate things and maneuver them.

Taking a few steps away from the building, Kieoki sat down, surveying the entire house and the fields surrounding it. Timothy wasn't going to escape her this time...


Dez:

****

In her current state, Logan had only a small grip on the human tongue. She understood however, that the alpha was taking authority over her. This sent a burning, helpless resentment through her, which she expressed with a low growl towards the male. And the other part - something about bringing someone back. Although it was vague to her, she managed to grasp the initial idea.

Her eyes shifted over to Chime, but she quickly knew that this of course couldn't be the one he was talking about. It must have been the werewolf she was chasing before. Without waiting another moment, she began slowly past the alpha, head high and muzzle twisted into a snarl, before bolting off after this intruder.

Kratos had failed to mention whether or not he wanted him brought back dead or alive. And so it was, Logan decided that if she didn't know then there would be no harm in spilling his blood. She briefly surveyed the area ahead of her, trying to find the best way to use the land to her advantage in order to make up for lost speed, but failed. Still, she had no intention of letting him escape, and quickened her pace as much as she could. Maybe if she could force him towards the alpha, or more werewolves for that matter, he would falter. And even if that didn't work, he would hopefully get tired sooner or later.


Aim:

Chime was going to give chase but after the big brute of a female ran after Levi she decided against it. The female managed to remind her of the earlier 'spat' that she and alpha had. The shaken werewolf stood there for while, trying to calm herself down. She finally moved from her spot and wander to the two houses. She reached them though she did have the look like she had seen ghosts, she calmed down a lot but still would rather stay around the two houses where she felt safer.


May:

Kratos turned swiftly after the stranger and took up the chase. He knew she would find her target quickly; she did not want to challenge an opponent whom she could not kill, but she also didn't wish to be controlled..
Kratos knew the pattern of the monster by now, he knew how it thought and how it would react. It wanted blood and death, as Timothy so clearly stated last full moon. Fear was the monster's source of both power and limitation; it's deciding factor; the one true emotion it would ever allow itself to experience..
Knowing this pattern allowed the Alpha to manipulate it, whether in himself or others and he would let the Stranger find her target. If the Spy was beaten a bit by the rage of the Stranger before Kratos got there then it would be a mercy, for then he would be spared from the wrath of the Alpha!


Kaqurei:

Levi was getting tired. As his adrenaline and energy ran out though, so too did the "flight" part of his fight or flight reaction. He'd been able to slip some distance ahead of his persuers in the brief distraction when they had met... he used his time now to sharpen his mind and prepare a plan.

He kept up a brisk run as he padded through the thick of the forest. The ground was sloping upward now; he was about to be climbing a mountain. But he was familiar with this area--he'd scouted it last week and had been "camping" here for some time. His scent was always masked--had to be--but there was enough of it here that he hoped to throw off the trackers for at least a little while.

He paused a mere moment, panting hard, and listened for any sound of the female or alpha. Nothing yet, but he knew at least one of them would be coming soon. He made a quick glance around his surroudings; the tall pines whose dark boughs melted in to the black skyline above... above... ah, and there was the Midnight Lady, watching him even now. He'd always been fond of her pretty white face, but it seemed to him now that she was laughing spitefully at him.

He shook the thought from his head. He didn't have time anymore. He could smell the female now--she was close. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his wolf mouth and at last a plan started to take shape in his mind. That's right, he thought, Come and get me. He slipped over to one of the great pines and brushed up against it like a cat, purposely leaving traces of his fur caught in the rough bark. Then he darted ahead again--running along old paths he'd taken before and mingling his fresh scent with that of his old one. But here and there he'd leave a little hint as to where he was headed. He didn't want to completely lose her, after all.

His run was softer now, so that he would leave only the lightest footprints in the soft rich-smelling earth as he made his way up the mountain towards a rocky cleft-filled slope.

There was only one way to have even half a chance to beat this foe... he needed an element of surprise on his side.

****


Mariel:

Kieoki had been watching for Timothy to come running out from the house, and so when a shadowy figure suddenly shot out, she was taken off-guard. But quick as a whip, Timothy was on the figure's tail as he ran with some sort of box in his mouth. Kieoki was following a second later and was sprinting towards the fence when Timothy jumped over and suddenly let out a cry of pain. Confused, Kieoki stopped short of the fence and watched as a...bison? attacked Timothy. Kieoki's eyes widened and she watched in shocked silence as Timothy managed to vault back over the fence. Thank god the bison didn't go on a rampage and chase after him.

Backing away slowly as Timothy limped away, Kieoki soon turned around herself and padded after him. Needless to say, he didn't get very far before he crumpled to the ground and started examining his wounds. Kieoki padded up to him slowly, wiping away her shocked face and voiding it of emotion so she wouldn't scare or freak out Timothy. In fact, when she saw him looking at the wounds, Kieoki did a short mental battle about reasoning with her wolf, who easily gave up and vanished, before Kieoki shifted back into her human form.

As soon as she was human she knelt down, making sure she was below Timothy's head before she spoke, holding out her hands in a simple non-threatening gesture. "Timothy. You know me, I am a packmate. There's no need to be afraid, I'm just going to wrap your wound so we can make it back to the rest of the pack okay?" Kieoki said slowly in case he had trouble understanding English in his wolf form.

Kieoki proceeded to reach under her dress, and untied her sash from her leg. Pulling the blood colored sash out from under her dress, she scooted a bit closer to Timothy, enough so that she could reach the wound that bison gave him. Kieoki glanced it over for a moment, determining that she couldn't do anything more than to try and stop the bleeding. Moving slowly, she gently started wrapping the sash around the wounds, hoping that Timothy would recognize her or trust her enough not to claw her to shreds. But if he did, she wasn't going to shift back to her wolf form. No, that would enrage him more. She'd just take the pain and shift after she finished wrapping the wound.


Cathannah:

"Don't do that Kieoki!" Toby's timid voice cried as his large werewolf form lept from the bushes. Cautious of Timothy, he gently but firmly seized the human girl into his arms and brought her away from the injured werewolf. Then he quickly set her down.

"Kieoki, what were you doing?" He gasped, out of breath from either a long run or a sudden adrenaline rush.

In truth, Toby had been back at the cabins not a few minutes ago, sitting boredly and waiting for the others to come back. He could tell that a lot was going on in the dark forest due to distant sounds and smells. Suddenly, he'd felt that one of the pack members were in real danger and had come running as fast as he could. He couldn't really explain it, not even to himself, but this had always happened to him- Though mostly it was for Granmama.. After taking a good look at Timothy, Toby kinda wondered breifly if it was Kieoki he'd sensed was indanger, or if it had been Timothy.


Mariel:


****

The trees creaked and a slow wind swept beneath the leaves. The moon sat in her lofty seat above the forest and looked pityingly down at the darkness of which she was given charge. Her robes were that of the brilliant light, a mere reflection of the sun whom was so much greater than she, of whom she admired for the hope of morning which he brought.. But for her, the white moon, her sentence was to watch the creeping things of night and the looming threat of darkness, being but the lesser light and so often thought as a wicked omen by those which she governed..

But in this time of the world, blood was shed both night and day by careless hands and tainted minds. Such was the reason Ulric Shragron took up his journey away from those whom he dearly loved to find a better place to call home.

After returning to the house of his adoptive father and mother, Ulric asked to be excused of his pack in secret, that he may join his adoptive brother away in the country. This was granted the lad by his father and Alpha, thus he had gone away in secret and was not followed.
But on this dreadful night, Ulric arrived at his destination and found the ranch empty and locked tight. So he went up into the mountains where he was sure that Kratos' pack could be found, knowing full well that he would be treated as an enemy and likely attacked.

Yet on this night Ulric would not meet with his brother's pack as a whole, instead, he would come steadily across a single member alone, laying in her own blood at the mercy of the first beast to find her.

Stepping lightly through the forest, the auburn eyes of the young lad shimmered dimly in the light of the moon. He felt the tension in the forest as he had been trained to, and knew all too well that a great conflict was brimming here. Then he came to a place where the air smelled strongly of blood and his pace halted completely.

Ulric knew immediately upon catching the scent that it was the blood of a werewolf, but he heard no noise to indicate a fight. He assumed that the fight must have already been won in that case, but he knew that whomever had lost was just a few ways in front of him.. Whether or not the victim was dead, Ulric did not yet know, but he wondered if he had it in him to advance and examine a mutilated corpse.
At length Ulric decided to step forward. He made up his mind that if he saw anything which disturbed him and this victim was actually was dead, he would turn immediately and leave the dead to rest.. However, Ulric never did such a thing.

Upon stepping into the area where the wounded werewolf stood or lay, Ulric couldn't tell which one in the dark, he saw that she was grievously injured and weak. Yet he also saw that she was full of determination for survival, else she would have given up by now.
Obviously, Ulric did not approach. He was a stranger here, and he knew that even family members ought to be cautious while approaching an injured werewolf.

"Woman," He whispered. "may I help you?"

Ulric knew not whether she was conscious enough to hear him for she had lost a lot of blood, but he turned his palms out in a gesture to show her he meant no harm.
It was then that Ulric finally recognized this werewolf as the woman he had met on the ranch last month, but he could not even guess how she had ended up in this condition and completely alone..

****

Timothy passed slowly down the stairs of Zeit's cottage with the enclosed box in his mouth. His turquoise eyes darted back and forth in the darkness and his ears flickered constantly... Something was in here, he could sense it, and he stood ready to attack.

"It's him isn't it? He's come to get me for not killing her." Timothy hushed a growl to himself around the box in his mouth. "She'll die anyway, he doesn't need me to do it."

Timothy paused a moment in the living room. He could hear breathing without a shadow of a doubt; something was in here!
A vicious growl erupted from Timothy's throat and his hackles raised!

Then it happened! A human figure suddenly burst from the shadows and darted from the house at a breath taking pace!
Timothy was immediately after it growling and snarling wildly, and if he hadn't had a box in his mouth, the figure assuredly would have been dead before it crossed the porch!
But the stranger had luck on it's side and the two dashed out of the house across the fields at a rapid pace!

It looked as if Timothy would overtake the stranger before he/she could even cross the yard, and when the human figure jumped the fence in a single bound, it fell and rolled into Zeit's cattle pasture!
Timothy was over that fence faster than a wink and in the darkness, it seemed the end for the intruder.

But it was not the intruder whom cried out.. It was Timothy.

I strangled yelp was heard as a monstrous black shape emerged from field and appeared to plow directly into the young werewolf's body! Timothy scrambled away and a thundering vibration coursed through the ground as the massive shape rampaged forward!

It was then suddenly apparent that the shape which quickly gained the advantage was actually that of a large male bison! How he had gotten into Zeit's cattle pasture, who could have guessed, but it was definitely a bison.
Timothy retreated over the fence and dashed away from the cattle pasture with that box still in his mouth, and the bison seemed to be content after bashed the fence with his horns and braking a portion down. Then he stomped back and forth to make sure the werewolf did not do that again, and added a that he would jump that fence to end Timothy's carrier as a life form if he tried!

Needless to say, the young werewolf did not make the attempt again and limped as far away from the fence as he could manage.
.. The intruder had escaped and could neither be seen nor smelled beyond the fence..

Growling and snarling, probably lecturing himself within his mind, Timothy crumpled down on the grass to examine his wounds, but it was then that he finally caught notice of Kieoki's scent.

Being lifted bodily into the air was probably not the best thing that Toby could have done. She fought with him until he let her go and by the time she hit the ground she had shifted, spun on him, and slashed her claws across the side of Toby's face! In the few moments of utter fright and pure anger, Kieoki's inner wolf had taken over and she was fighting back. She growled, her wolf flashing back to the days when she fought for her life. She didn't realize that Toby was a part of the pack. No, that sane part of her was fuming in the back of her mind, egging her wolf on. Kieoki bared her teeth, fluffing up her fur as she threatened Toby. Another moment and she pushed her inner wolf away, shifting back to her human form as she walked back over towards Timothy, spitting at Toby,

"I was trying to help him you idiot. He's hurt!" Kieoki said, anger flashing in her eyes. she was having a considerably hard time keeping her inner wolf tamed, but she did so as she slowly walked back over to Timothy and to the unfinished wrapping of the wound. It was then that she realized she could smell blood. And if she smelled it, Timothy probably could too. Cursing to herself, she swiftly tore a strip from the bottom of her dress and grabbed Timothy's muzzle. Literally. In another moment she had it wrapped tightly around his nose, but left his mouth free so he could breathe. This way, he wouldn't smell the blood but would be able to breathe.

With another icy glare at Toby, Kieoki resumed her job, finishing wrapping Timothy's wounds as she hoped he wouldn't smell the blood. Now, it wasn't only her safety, but Toby's she had to worry about. But if it came down to it, she may just let Timothy have Toby...but no. She couldn't do that. She spoke with a sigh as she tied a knot. "Please Timothy. I know it's hard, but you can hold it in till we get back to the camp.


Cathannah:

Toby yelped as he was struck, then recoiled from her with a whimper. "Kieoki... You're not supposed to touch a hurt werewolf if they don't have full control over their wolf form.." He timidly explained, rubbing the side of his face that was cut and bleeding. He was hurt more inside than he was outside, and her rude name for him didn't help him feel any better. Yes, he could see Timothy was hurt, but he had only been trying to help.

He watched dejectedly as Keoki moved back in. Tempted to try and grab her again, or coax her back, but now scared to go near her. Instead, he whimpered again and repeated his warning. "Don't go near him, Kieoki.."


May:

Timothy's hackles raised when Kieoki approached. He did not move yet, but watched her and bared his teeth. Something was off; how could she take a human appearance with the whip of the Night Mistress hanging over her head?
The white in Timothy's eyes became steadily more apparent as Kieoki reached forward, and if at the moment her hand touched his wound, had Toby not pulled Kieoki away, she would have been dead. For without further warning, Timothy had dropped the box he carried and his jaws shot out toward Kieoki's neck with an aim to kill her instantly!

But Kieoki was saved by that act of which Toby payed with her claws against his face.

Timothy had a moment to recoil and calculate the situation, but after that moment had passed, Kieoki forcefully took his jaws in her hand and continued with the work she had begun.

Timothy became as stiff as stone and his heart pounded wildly under Kieoki's hand. "You... You will die." He whispered, and as quick as gunfire Timothy's large werewolf body had clasped Kieoki beneath him! His muzzle now freed and his grip on her so immense; he held her with such a truly unbelievable strength that even if she changed in an instant she would not be able to escape!

"Cold and still as I believed it; Death is it's name!!" Timothy shouted into Kieoki's face as his voice mingled with a horrible growl! His teeth prepared above her chest to end her life in moments!

Behind his eyes Timothy replayed his memory and fear of a unforgiving hand; the only human-being which had ever touched him outside battle.. Oh how he hated the yellow and red eyes of that cursed murderer! He feared the hand of his torturer; ever had it been that wretch which abused him then forcefully repaired him for his own demonic reasons!


Soar:

****

Jackie braced for the impact that never came; her pack member, instead of making a beeline right for her, instead choose to circle her. Wary as ever over him, the she continued to stay crouched just in case he suddenly lashed out. Even that small effort seemed to drain her of energy and she panted like she had just run a marathon. He had to leave soon… she couldn’t wait much more. Her eyes glazed, having not the energy to blink or pay attention to what Timothy was doing. She was too tired. Too weak. The realization sunk like a knife.

And then she could hear Timothy pause, his breathe frenzied and repeating words that her mind was too tired to process. Even in her stupor, she could feel Timothy’s eyes burn right into. He spoke again, but this time she could hear the meaning of the words, as though her mind had been seeking for the comfort. Seconds later he was gone and everything was eerily quiet, like he had never even been there in the first place.

Raising her head, Jackie looked hopefully in the direction of the ranch. Her feet were stiff and moving them felt like moving continents. So she moved continents, using every bit of determination she had in her to push through. The air was bitter and cold, causing her to involuntarily shudder against it. Details of the forest stuck out like a sore thumb, yet focusing them together to form a coherent image was difficult. The forest suddenly seemed chaotic and confusing like a maze, and even a falling leaf seemed like something that shouldn’t be.

As her body began to falter, she suddenly became aware she had stopped moving. Again, she tried to pull out non-existent strength to pull herself forward, but found that she couldn’t do any more than stand there. Jackie wanted to snarl and rage that, after all she’d been through, it was all for nothing. But she didn’t have energy for that either. Yet she still furiously clung to her desire to live, and though she could no longer physically fight for it, found herself in a mental battle not to curl up and sleep.

Jackie soon became aware that what she had thought was a lonely vigil was in fact not lonely at all. There was another somewhere close to her; how long he had been there, she was not certain. She tensed through the spasmic shudders of her body and barred her teeth, intending at the very least to prepare for another attack (at this point, she expected any unannounced werewolf to attack). But to her surprise, when she raised her head to meet his eyes, saw control and compassion in him that an enemy wouldn’t have.

There was a level of familiarity to the stranger she couldn’t quite place. His voice was strong and soothing. Her mind was too tired to jump to paranoid conclusions on his intentions, and with little consideration, felt she could trust him. Any sign of fear melted away, and for once found her tongue free of any venomous remarks.

“Y-yes”. Her teeth chattered. She was freezing.

Suddenly she remembered. The black box! Urgency filled her she turned seriously towards the stranger.

“There’s a box a-at the ranch. Under my bed. ‘Has Medi-icine in. It. Need it or. I Won’t look so good. Dead.” Words spilled out through a series of chattered teeth, and though not entirely aware of whatever language she was speaking, she felt certain the stranger could decipher it.


May:

Ulric listened to Jackie's words carefully and gently slipped closer to her. "I understand." He replied.
Slowly and delicately Ulric extended his hand to Jackie's injured form and rested his padded hand softly on her shoulder. He could smell the chemical in her blood and knew why she had made her request; an allergic reaction on top of her loss of blood was too much for her body to handle.

Making a quick calculation, Ulric decided his next course of action. "Here now," He said. "I'm going to carry you to the ranch so we can get your medicine, is that okay? We'll get you to the ranch and take care of your wounds. You'll be alright."

Ulric set down a large bag which had been strapped across his back, and retrieved from the bag bandages, herbs, and medication which Resme had supplied some days prior. His hands were firm but gentle as he cleaned and wrapped as many of Jackie's wounds as could be managed with the limit of bandages provided. All the while he was mindful of her wishes and careful that he did not cause her further discomfort.
After slowing what he could of the blood flow, Ulric offered Jackie a pain-reliever then delicately helped her to her feet. He took her weight mainly on himself and aided her softly forward. He did not insist that she had to lean on him or be taken into his arms, but he walked with her and supported her; offering his strength to substitute for her own and did not excercise any authority over her.

****


Cathannah:

The instant Timothy siezed Kieoki, Toby reacted without thinking- something he was doing a lot recently, and sprung across the distance onto Timothy's back. He'd barely even landed ontop of him before his paws got a firm grip on Timothy's fur and skin. Toby then threw all his weight to one side and rolled onto the dirt, hopefully bringing Timothy off Kieoki and sending him flying half way across the clearing.

For a boney cur, Toby was actually unbelievabley strong and fast.


May:

Timothy was tugged off Kieoki by the attack, but his grip on her brought her partially with him before he released her mid-spin to gain control of his surroundings! When Toby's menuever had been completed, Timothy was sent tumbling into a fence post!

At the end of his roll Timothy was back on his feet with his hackles raised and his teeth bared! He held slowly began to advance with wild eyes calculating his opponents and preparing to attack.


Cathannah:

Toby was an open book of attack, because his Tobyness had finally caught up with him. He was now perfectly convinced that Kieoki was gonna be angery with him for interupting again, and Timothy was already in a bad mood.
Pethetically, he backed away from the advancing werewolf, with his tail tucked, head down, and ears pinned; whinning pethetically.


Mariel:

Kieoki managed to finish the job she was intending to do before Timothy gripped her. For being as experienced with fighting as she was, it was terrifying to be gripped like that in her human form and in fact she had shifted before Timothy was on her, teeth bared and ready to bite into her. But before she could even try to do anything, something tackled into Timothy and sent them both sideways. Timothy managed to hold his grip for a moment before she was free, rolling to her feet with a savage snarl.

But, she wasn't about to snarl at Toby this time. In fact, she turned her gaze towards him for a moment and nodded, expressing her thanks. That was probably the only thanks Toby was going to get from her. Kieoki turned her gaze back to Timothy then, who was snarling and advancing on them both. Kieoki flashed in front of Toby and then bristled her fur and and bared her own teeth, snarling as loud as Timothy did. She was not about to back down from Timothy. She could stand her ground. But if she could avoid a fight, she'd go for that.

"Timothy listen to me! What is better Timothy? Cold and despair or warmth and hope? I'm not who you think I am Timothy." Kieoki said as she took a step towards Timothy -just one step- before she sat down. Literally. She sat down and curled her tail around her paws as she stared at Timothy. "Go ahead and attack me Timothy. But you won't end up hurting the person your eyes see because I'm not that person." Kieoki said, taking a shot in the dark. It was odd, like looking in a mirror when she looked at Timothy. It looked like how she'd felt many years ago when she'd been turned into a were. Savagely attacked when she was young and alone in the woods by a pack of actual wolves, but one that bit her happened to be a were. Needless to say, her rage at the pain she'd suffered sent her back to that pack to kill that lone were. Probably not the best decision, but she'd done it anyways. And because Timothy looked so much like how she'd felt, she took a shot at saying what she did because he seemed to have the same problem, at least to some degree.

Or at least she hoped he did.


Dez:

Logan continued on after the intruder, muscles tensed, eyes sharp, never faltering or slowing. That was, until she came upon the diversions that he had laid down to stall her, if only briefly. Her senses were immediately overwhelmed by the scents - namely, this intruders multiple scents - and she slowed, all but stopping completely.

Carefully, the female tried to follow the unseen traces that branched out like limbs over the entire area. His fresh trails weren't far from, or wait, were they right there? No, those seemed older... she knew he had some distance between them, but certainly he couldn't have gotten that far, so where was he? Her movements from one place to the other were jerky and sudden, her body language expressing her agitation as she tried to discern old scents from new in the disarray.

Finally catching a fresher lead, she cautiously made her way over the pine tree the spy had rubbed against and scented it, before turning to look in the direction she had been going originally. After what felt like forever, but in reality couldn't have spanned over any more than a few minutes, she continued onward, albeit somewhat unsure. Nevertheless, she was on the right route.

She was quickly pushing forward with renewed intensity. It felt like she would soon be on the heels of her prey once more, and although she was thrown off from time to time, it was never for more than a minute. She had forgotten that the alpha had been following her, and if it wasn't for the faint taste of metal still lingering on her tongue, she would have completely forgotten about the events just prior to this. Her focus was entirely set on this werewolf, her drive to destroy him only increasing with every passing moment.


Kaqurei:

Levi's legs were shaking from earlier excitment and exertion. He had come to a clearing--an abandoned human campground. There were still deep tire marks in the gravel, burnt out fires, broken beer bottles, and squashed cans littering the ground here. The people, intruders on private land as he had been a week ago, however, were long gone. Their smells were momentarily distracting, even to him who had watched them come and go. Then he circled the campfire several times and looped around the site as a whole--tracking over his path, changing it, and backtracking again.

He didn't have much time to be completely content with his work. She'd be on his heels again, and he couldn't afford that. So he scurried up the now steeper mountain slope to its rocky crown. Here he found several narrow clefts and cavities. He weasled into one and lay flat, peering outside for his expected pursuer. He would wait for her there. The only way something could come upon him was head-on--and, like a rattlesnake waiting under the rocks, she would have to see him before he struck...

...He didn't intend to allow that to happen.

****

It took every ounce of Sabrina's willpower to focus on the newbies. From the sounds of savage howls and yelps in the distance, it was clear that all was not well in "Whoville". She could only imagine what the residents of the nearby town were thinking...

But she could not abandon the newer weres--that would prove disasterous. They needed guidance, leadership, and gentle teaching if they were going to get through this night unscathed. She would have to trust Timothy's fate, and the fates of those around him, to her Alpha.

"Have any of you ever had a pet dog?" she asked the newbies. "In a way, you can kind of consider the wolf within you as such. You do not need to fear it. Yes, it is an animal, a strong animal with quite the will of its own... but with training and persistance, it can be a friend. You, the human part of you, must be in control."

She approached Creorran. "Look at your hands, Creorran. They may be changed, but if you will look, you will see that they are still your hands, still subconciously familiar. You are still you, despite the changes to your body and mind. Do you understand?"


Nequaria:

Gathering with some of the other newer werewolves, Creorran followed the soothing voice of Sabrina. He was still a little nervous and confused, but he hoped she would explain how to control his form easily, because he still had trouble fully controlling his werewolf form. He almost laughed when the female mentioned wolf form being like a pet dog, but he soon understood her reasoning for the comparison. I remember havingo lots of animals back on my farm. I know we had cows, and sheep, and probably chickens. I think once we had a couple of dogs to herd the livestock. It took a long time to train them, so maybe it'll be the same with my wolf form, Creorran thought.

He was pulled away from his memories when the Gamma addressed him. She said to look at his hands and realize that they were still his hands. "Hm," Creorran said, gazing at his hands. They were still pretty much the same shape, just covered in fur and had claws at the ends of his fingers where his fingernails should've been. Turning them over, he saw tough, leathery pads on each finger, as well as his palm and wrist. Although his hands had shifted in appearance, he could still move them and control them. He nodded an answer to Sabrina.

****

Savannah was tired of sitting around. She did not need to listen to the white female instruct the newbies on how to "befriend" their inner wolf, and she definitely didn't want anything to do with that female Gamma. Being a half-breed, she was not new to moon transformations, nor was she unable to easily control her wolf form. The only effect of the moon that she felt, other than the transformation of course, was a bit more hostile than usual. This emotion was most likely intensified by the howling, whining, and yips off in the distance.

Curious, Savannah began to sneak away from the clearing in the direction of the cries. Once she had entered to woods, she could catch scent of several different werewolves. Kratos, Timothy, Kieoki, Toby, Chime, maybe. . . Jackie? Aside from her pack members, she caught traces of three strangers, although one of them was not exactly a stranger. It was that big male wolf claiming to be a relative of Kratos. He was also the one who had saved Savannah when the Gamma had attacked her in the human town. The other two, however, were unfamiliar.

She decided to follow the scents of the two trespassers, since she truly had nothing better to do. Heading deeper into the forest, she noticed that the trails seemed to merge into one. She could still pick out the scent of a male, as well as a female werewolf. When she came to the small clearing, she was overwhelmed by the many scents left by the male. But once she found the female's path, she knew she was heading the right way. Now running, Savannah couldn't wait to sink her fangs into the pelts of the trespassers.


Dez:

****

It seemed the very moment that the stranger had hidden himself away, Logan entered the campsite. Once more, she was looking, so to say, at a tangle of scents. The scents of the humans who had come and gone, of the several animals who had visited the area in hopes of finding food, of the already present smell of the pine trees and forest, the intruder; to name a few. This werewolf was proving himself a challenge, if only by his cunning. However, it made finding him all that more worth it.

She submerged herself deeper into the campsite and began to try to separate the intertwined trails from one another. The task proved daunting enough. As she sought out his trail, she found herself twisting in dizzying circles around the camp fire, occasionally deterred from her path by the surrounding scents.

Logan snarled in frustration, knowing that he could very well be far off by the time she found his lead. The werewolf lifted her head from the ground and scented the air, ears tilting as she listened for any sign of his presence - backwards, sideways, forwards again. Nothing.

Then finally, she caught the trail that led around the campsite and followed it. Or at least attempted to follow it, but managed to lose it once before at last she was headed in the right direction.

Small stones gave away beneath her as she pawed her way up the slope, gradually coming closer and closer to her goal. As she came to the nook where the intruder was hiding, she passed directly by it! It was far too dark to immediately see the werewolf in the shady cleft. Then she turned, and once more advanced towards it, slower than the last time. As she came across it, she paused, lifting her head and looking directly at Levi without seeing him, before moving cautiously towards the cavity...


Kaqurei:

Levi's heart started pounding hard again and his hackles slowly raised as the female drew nearer. He'd had every intention of taking her legs out from under her as she passed over his narrow little hiding place. He hadn't though, and why now he could not fathom; perhaps the angle wasn't right, she had gone over too quickly, or at the last minute he had hoped she would cross over him entirely. Whatever the reason, the opportunity was gone now and he had only one move left.

He could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, so loudly that for a moment he thought perhaps she heard it too and that was what was luring her in for the kill. He quickly reasoned, however, that this was not possible and that the female, as of yet, still did not know exactly where he was. She had merely a suspicion--not that that mattered, in moments she would be upon him!

His eyes darted over her form quickly, trying to calculate her weakest point. Her stance was slow and cautious as she drew nearer the cavity. Levi became as stone himself, stiffly waiting for the right moment and daring not even to breathe lest he give himself away...--There, she was close enough! Then he made his move; swift, silent, without even the slightest snarl to warn her of his strike--he shot out of his nook and caught her throat in his jaws, clamping down hard to cut off her air supply! His body tensed as he prepared himself for her imminent retaliation--whatever she did, he couldn't afford to let go, not even a little.

****

"Very good," Sabrina said, smiling a little.

She raised up to stand on her hind legs again, assuming a human pose and folding her arms. "Controling these forms as far as your body goes is easy so long as the situation isn't antagonistic. You can flex your fingers, wag your tail. The hardest part of being a werewolf is when your surroundings are not ideal. Any sudden event that triggers fear or anger will instigate the wolf within. Like a pet dog, your wolf instincts will step in and take charge if you let them--if the wolf side of you feels that the human side is too weak for a situation, it will try to take over. You will recognize this, almost like a burning rage in your chest. Your thoughts will seem scrambled--irrational. And so, the most important thing for you to learn at this stage is self control; control over your body, your emotions, and your mind."

She noticed the little wolf, Savannah, slipping off about then. She decided not to pursue her, on account of their last meeting. She didn't know much about this girl, but as she had been in wolf form in broad daylight then, she guessed that she had at least some control over her wolf form. Sabrina returned her attention to Creorran. "As humans, we can afford to let go a little and not think about what we are doing, have a little fun and not worry about what will happen later. As a werewolf, doing so could prove disasterous. You have to focus on every aspect of what you do, and calculate the consequences of your every action. It only takes a few seconds--one flash of anger--for your wolf to kill someone."

"However, these are things you doubtlessly realize already," she continued, "Tonight is a time to teach and to hunt. Those of you who have doubts over your control, Kaleb, Creorran, and the rest, will come with me. We are going to attmept a practice hunt in the which I will present stressful situations. The goal of this test is for you to practice self control. I do not expect for you all to catch on right away, but time will tell. Is that agreeable to you all?"


Soar:

It wasn't as if Theo hadn't noticed the fighting that was taken place farther in the woods. Just about everyone who wasn't half deaf would have heard it, let alone smelled it. But he resisted any urge to quench his curiosity and go sprinting in. That particular party sounded full, with nearly half of the pack going for attendance. It also sounded violent. While he wasn't afraid of fighting, he was afraid of what it might instill in him... Considering how well the last full moon went, he was going to take every advantage he could take in not repeating it.

He sat through the remainder of Sabrina's lecture without a remark or a distraction. Maybe he should have laughed at her dog analogy (seeing as he hadn't known many dogs to have a taste for human blood) but he didn't. It somehow seemed wrong for him to mention and, he hated to admit it, but he was hoping that the analogy was as simple as it seemed. Hunting he had known since he was young but control had never been mentioned his his birth-pack. It was taboo.

Swallowing hard, he nodded simply to Sabrina's question and prepared to follow behind her.


Dez:

****

As soon as the intruder jumped out at Logan, her hackles raised and she let out a small yelp from shock; which was quickly backed up by a low growl as the male sunk his teeth into her flesh. Her muzzle twisted into a snarl, sharp eyes pinned on her attacker. In a quick, jerky movement she tried to pull herself out of his clamp, but he showed no signs of loosening the grip.

She retaliated instead by grasping his own neck between her teeth with full force. Her eyes now shifted from place to place, trying to find anything she could use to her advantage. Already she could feel her lungs and brain screaming for oxygen. And so it was, she had to make a swift decision on her plan of action.

Logan began to move forward, pushing Levi towards where the ground gave way to the slope. Small stones rolled away as they teetered on the edge of it, and then suddenly, in one quick move, Logan had let loose of her grip and lunged at the intruder, throwing him off his feet and sending them both tumbling down the steep incline!


Kaqurei:

It was all Levi could do to keep from crying out and let go as the female's incisors tore into his flesh. A searing pain spread down the back of his neck--it felt like fire! Blood streamed down his shoulder and spattered on the rocks and the female's face as she struggled to be free of his grasp! But this was a flesh wound--assuming he could keep from bleeding to death, all he had to do was wait until her strength ran out.

She, obviously, had no intention of being waited out. She was becoming desperate for air, and began pushing him closer and closer to the edge! He calculated her plan quickly and attempted to shove her back, with limited success. A vibrating growl rose up in his throat as he realized that in spite of all of his efforts, she still had size and greater strength on her side. He again tried to resist her, but his claws scraped against the rocks in vain!

He glanced back out of the corner of his eye. He knew that the next step backward he was forced to make would land in empty air. He had to let her go! Suddenly she lurched forward and slammed the full of her weight against his body! He let her go then, his focus fixed on trying to escape the fall--but it was too late!

Rocks and broken branches along the trail were jogged loose and dragged along for the ride down the slope, each one bit into the flesh and bashed their bones! While their human forms likely would have been dashed to pieces under this stress, their bodies were larger and more versatile now--though no man-made torture could quite compare to surviving such a fall.

At the bottom, Levi lay for what felt to him like hours in a crumpled heap, just writhing for the agony. Every part of him throbbed! When at last he did move, he wished instantly that he hadn't, for pain shot like electricity up his body! He flinched and gasped sharply, but struggled up to his feet in spite of this and looked for his enemy.

****

Soar:

Jackie nodded to show Ulric she had at least heard him, and then grimaced as she held back waves of nausea. Pain. Burning. Dizziness. And probably more, but at that point she had stopped trying to notice. She wasn't trying to be tough about pushing away the pain. She was trying to survive and wallowing and relishing in all those terrible sensations wouldn't help her, but rather eat away at whatever will-power she had left to call her own.

For a few brief moments, she watched the stranger grab a small roll of gauze and tenderly beginning to apply it to the most serious of her wounds. However, even in full health, she wouldn't have had the patience to watch. Watching it now meant she was entirely aware of every injury the stranger treated and that was just a stone's throw away from the pain itself, now wasn't it? Jackie tried distracting herself with a handful of different thoughts or memories, but none of those held; none of them seemed to matter. She felt herself slipping.

Part of her was so tired, she wanted to just let herself black out from the pain. But the other part was much louder, hearing a loud and authoritative voice telling her to get back out her. The thing was, it wasn’t even her voice. It was Felton’s voice. She had known him for years, before two months ago when everything went haywire. She hadn’t necessarily liked the man and her relationship with him might have been something bordering on hatred, but she respected him and she was sure the feeling had been mutual.

He had always been there, yelling. Every time she wanted to quit, he’d yell. Usually it had kept her going again; he tended to insult her and she wanted to get up to return the favor. Even when he was quite literally, thousands of miles away, his stupid voice wouldn’t leave her in peace. It was insulting, it was whiny, and it was loud. It made her furious enough that the pain was being forgotten and she wanted to strangle the imaginary Felton. Just like old times.

She half-smiled at the statement as it swirled around in her head, knowing it couldn’t be farther from the truth but at the same time holding on to it. She missed the old times where her biggest concern would be what sort of training tortures Felton would come up with, not being attacked by giant, murderous werewolves. And she hated to admit it, but she might have missed him too, the first person she’d come across to give her a chance for once…

Ulric was finished. She heard him shift as he put away whatever remained of his supplies. Jackie blinked away the fog of memories. She didn’t bother to inspect Ulric’s handy work, since she didn’t think seeing the damage would cheer her up any. Instead she took his pain pill without complaint and felt the edge of the pain begin to fade. Everything spun and hurt as she was stood up and carefully supported on his shoulders, but did her best to follow the advice of the yelling voice in her head and kept going.


Kale:

****

Kale wandered much, much farther from the dens than she meant to, and only noticed as the already faint light between the treetops began to darken. Kale glanced at the sky with worry and then at the area around her. how long had she been walking? lost in thought? Kale scolded herself for being so far out as the moon rose. the last thing she wanted was to change so far from the pack with all the new wolves about. they might not recognise her at first, and that could prove dangerous.
Scenting the air, kale sorted her own scent from the heavy smells of the forest and followed it, hoping she wasn't really that far from camp. The light faded ever faster and Kale broke into a quick jog, cursing herself. she hadn't brought her backpack with her, and had nothing to change with. with every shade of the day gone, kale picked up her pace with a small desperation. how could she have been so careless?

Finaly the wnd drifted in with scents of her pack. and blood. Kale growled, guilt chewing at hr insides. as beta, she should have been around when the new wolves changed. had they hurt each other?
That question answered itself when stranger scents floated across the breeze. Kale inner wolf was clawing to get out, to shift, to take the lead, and kale forced it back with a wince. the urge to change got stronger as the scent of her pack did, and Kale full on sprinted for the cabins, her heart racing, her nerves prickling with the effort of trying to change, her legs feeling abused from the sheer distance of the run and from the numerous bushes and branmbles she had plowed through.

Finally Kale heard her pack, and saw the cabins. Her wolf snarled. somone was fighting and kale wouldn't let her out! she spotted Sabrina and some of the newer wolves in the distance and forced herself to stay on track to the cabin. managing, Kale shoved in through the door and ran for her pack before she lost cntrol. It was a feat barely managed. Her change was more painful than usual, and her wolf was shoving her human side down with a vengance, Kale struggled for control as she had many times before, but never so desperately. in the dark of the room, she frced her will to at least finish the change and get dressed in her werewolf clothes. that finished, she made her way out the door, stumbling as she fought her wolf for dominance. Snarling, Kale slipped and the wolf won as Kale took the backseat.

She may have lost the battle, but she trusted, if not in the wolfs nature, it's loyalty to the pack. It was still a beta. it was still it's jb to protect the pack, and right now, the pack needed help. Kale padded out th door and back into the cooling night, ears pricked for the sounds it had heard earlier. The sounds of a fight. Kale ducked past Sabrina and her group, only pausing momentarily to acknoledge Sabrina and take stock of the new wolves.She breathed their scents in deeply, memorizing them, and then she slipped on, loping into the trees and quickening her pace, headed for the fight.


Nequaria:

When Savannah suddenly caught scent of the Alpha, she began to back off. "He'll take care of those two," she muttered between shallow breaths. Learning that Kratos had found the strangers first disappointed her a bit, but she knew that he could definitely take on both of the trespassers. Savannah might not have been the best choice for fighting off an enemy — let alone two.

She began following her scent trail back to the houses where most of the pack still remained. When she finally reached the edge of the forest, she could see Sabrina leading the group of new werewolves somewhere. Good. At least the violent Gamma wouldn't be around for a while.

****

Creorran nodded when Sabrina said they would try hunting, but on the inside, he was terribly nervous. While his wolf was itching to run and chase prey, the human remembered the last hunt, and how bad it had gone. This was a smaller group of werewolves, but then again most of these wolves had hard times controlling themselves. Creorran also hoped they would start out with some type of easy prey, since he had never truly hunted before. This was going to be interesting.

****

May:

There they went, the two strangers had collided and were now tumbling down the mountain. Kratos' bright yellow eyes glinted out of the shadowed rocks where he was concealed and allowed himself to be momentarily forgotten. There had been no reason for him to interfere thus far, as both werewolves were enemies and had threatened those whom he loved and protected.

Kratos knew what the spy had been up to from the moment that he had lead them into that dense area to confuse their werewolf senses.. But the Alpha had not been fooled; when he could no longer trust to follow the stranger's scent, he used human intelligence to calculate where the spy was trying to lead them.

At the time they came into the abandoned camp Kratos had turned his attention from the scents and watched the stranger for a moment as she blindly hunted after the spy.
The Alpha looked at the camp and understood why the spy had chosen this area; if a group of human trespassers had come upon this area undetected then it was obviously safe from the attention of the pack.
"What fools." Kratos had muttered to himself. If the trespassers had been here this night they would have been killed.

It was then that Kratos saw the stranger climbing the side of the mountain and lifted his eyes to the crags which loomed over the camp ground. He knew the plan of the spy now, but up there Kratos' stature would become a disadvantage, thus he did not go up but positioned himself for the right opportunity..

****

Timothy growled and stopped advancing toward Kieoki and Toby. He seemed to be thinking and calculating; as if to try to understand, or else size up his foe.
His eyes shifted between the two until he discounted Toby as a threat, then Timothy trained his eyes on Kieoki.
Any thoughts which passed through Timothy's mind were never revealed outside it; whether he was considering Kieoki's words or seeking a way to kill them quickly was unknown.

At last Timothy opened his mouth and spoke, but whatever it was that he said was spoken in such a beastly way that it could hardly be translated by the human mind. Then Timothy lashed out toward Kieoki and snapped his jaws twice! His actions indicated a dreadful threat, however there was also another reason which couldn't really be discerned.

****

Meanwhile Ulric aided Jackie through the forest until at last they had come passed it's edge, into the empty pasture, and through Zeit's corn field.

Ulric was young and strong; he did not yet falter, but the dangers ahead weighed on his mind. He could hear Timothy's growling now, and he wondered where Kratos and the rest of the pack were. Whether or not the Alpha knew about all the chaos ensuing about his land and what had caused it..

Before exiting the corn field on the right of the cottage, Ulric slowed his pace and smelled the air. He could tell now that there were actually three other werewolves in the area, and all were members of Kratos' pack. But there was something amiss, the atmosphere of the ranch felt tense, as if there was a great hunt underway.. Who were they hunting? Ulric wondered, but soon after he got the distinct feeling that there was a rogue werewolf in this area.

"They're hunting one of their own.." Ulric whispered to himself, straining his ears to pinpoint the location of the three other werewolves.. By what he could put together, he guessed that they were around on the other side of the cottage, which meant it was too dangerous to try to get Jackie any closer.

But as Ulric was still a stranger here, he knew that his own life was also in danger by being so close. The surest way his previous pack had known to get a uncontrolled werewolf to cooperate and secure his loyalties to the pack, was to give him a target they all could hunt together..

Ulric looked up and around for anywhere else he might safely lay Jackie so that he could go in and gather her medicine from the cottage. His eyes were lit up by the light of the moon as they turned skyward and it manipulated their auburn color into that of a bright red.
The black shape of the barn loomed to the right, but the animals inside would surely cry out if Ulric entered with Jackie. However there weren't many other options; if Ulric left Jackie someplace far off and safe from the other werewolves, he would risk not being able to get back to her in time with the medicine.. On the other hand, if she were hidden near the barn, it would be closer to danger but he might be able to get to her in time with the medicine, if the other werewolves didn't find her first.

Then another idea came to mind. If Jackie was laid close enough to the barn, the animals would spook if they heard the other werewolves and alert Ulric to the danger.. Any way it could be turned Ulric would be walking a thin line, but this option seemed the least likely to end in death.

Slowly, with Jackie still in his arms, Ulric withdrew back into the corn field and began making a way to the barn. "Where inside would I find your medicine?" He asked in a whisper, though he did not know if Jackie was still conscious enough to hear him..

****

Kratos watched as the two strangers were cast down at the foot of the stones and finally began to approach. His large heavy paws left imprints in the soil as he stepped closer.
"This fight is over." His deep voice observed or else commanded. "It is seen that strength and size against plain strategy is equally matched. Surrender to my mercy, spy, or suffer my wrath."

Kaqurei:

Levi's eyes had only just rested on the still form of his enemy, still laying on her side some paces from where he was, when he heard the alpha's voice. The alpha seemed to have melted out of nowhere, like the very shadow of death itself. Levi didn't know where he had come from, or how long he had been there, but voice was strong and his message was unmistakable.

The spy's legs shuddered under him; his strength would not last. Every fibre of his being was screaming out for the pain of moving, that he simply curl up on the ground and wait to die. His pride would not allow this, especially not when in the presence of a powerful enemy, and he remained standing with his head held obstinately high. Notwithstanding, he could not challenge the Alpha in this condition. He had no choice but to surrender.

"Bhuaigh tú, Alfa de Calagrathorm," he growled through his teeth. "I cannot fight yeh. I am at yer mercy whether I would have it or no. Do then what pleases yeh with my life, it is in yer hands nu."


Dez:

Out of the frying pan and into the fire would be the only way to describe the situation. Despite no longer having her opponents jaws around her windpipe, there were now a plethora of new problems to compensate. Every pulse seemed to bring on a wave of new pains. Nevertheless, she forced herself up.

The female languidly took on the stance of a human, seeking out her opponent. Quickly, her eyes connected with him and she began to assess his condition. It was safe to assume he wouldn't hold out much longer. Logan was certainly worse for wear herself - a fall like that would more likely than not leave any werewolf in poor shape - but once again, her size put her a step ahead of the smaller intruder. Still, she was pressing beyond her limits; the fatigue was inevitable, and already her mind was becoming a haze. She would have to end the battle quickly if she was to end it at all.

Before she could further take action, the male from earlier entered the area. Her fur bristled and she cast him a cold glare but otherwise remained motionless, watching as the spy resigned himself over to the alpha.

****


Mariel:

Kieoki didn't want to have to fight Timothy. And she almost retaliated when he snapped at her, teeth barred. She didn't flinch when he lashed out at her either. In fact, she was restraining herself. Don't attack Timothy. He wasn't that much bigger than her, but she didn't want his blood on her paws. Odd. Now that feeling was new. Since when did she care about things like that? Nevermind. There was a more pressing matter here.

Kieoki stood again, snarling at Timothy. "Do you want to fight me that badly Timothy?" She said with a lash of her tail. Oh if Krat could see them now. Actually, she was happy he couldn't. Not because they were on the brink of fighting, but because Kieoki was restraining herself. For some reason she didn't want Krat to think she was weak. But would this count as weak? The word itself brought anger into Kieoki's eyes, but it wasn't directed at Timothy. Either she would get through to Timothy or they'd be fighting. Either one. Either. One.


May:

Timothy's eyes blazed directly into Kieoki's and for a moment his snarl disappeared. "Yes." He said with a voice of stone.

Then Timothy's face recoiled back into a snarl and his ears focused forward. He would attack and kill; Kieoki had already left herself open twice, a third time would be the last. He had sized-up his opponent, he had calculated her strengths and guessed her weaknesses.

Timothy stood as a shape in the moonlight, his fur twisted wildly by scars and blood. The white in his eyes could be seen and his teeth glinting beneath his curled face. A true monster he was at that moment; like a beast haunting a nightmare in the dark of night when the land was frightening and unfamiliar.. And in a split second he melted into the tall black grass and raced at Kieoki!
His jaws came up and struck into her shoulder for only a moment before he released her and darted into the bushes! He held her no longer than it took for his teeth to pierce her flesh, but the force of the impact would prove the worse; Timothy was strong, he used his strength to cause deeper damage and causing greater pain to disable his opponent.

But now he had fled in the darkness... Timothy gave Kieoki only two options; to follow him, or defend herself from the night.

****

The two strangers were weak and had submitted to the Alpha, now Kratos had a decision to make..
"You would not be at my mercy if you were not in my land. You have been foolish, but as long as your strength can bare, you will live." The Alpha replied, his voice was as deep and powerful as it had ever been and rage seemed gone from it. "Both of you have surrendered to me, and now you will both return with me to my pack. You will walk of your own free will and strength, or else you shall be carried; Your actions have earned you no respect from me toward your human heart.."

Kratos stood aside and gestured with his head for the two strangers to stand and walk ahead of him.

****

Cathannah:

What on earth was Toby to do? It seemed clear to him that Kieoki not only didn't want his help, but wanted Timothy to hurt her. So quietly and reluctantly, he stood by and watched at Timothy bit Kieoki before charging off into the forest...

Would she accept his help now? He could think of nothing else to do but call for help, but would she let him?

"Should I call Alpha Kratos?" He asked her meekly.


Mariel:

Kieoki's eyes narrowed when Timothy responded with a "yes". Her body was moving, her wolf was rising up inside her until she was barely managing to hold it back. All it took was the impact of Timothy's teeth in her shoulder to let her wolf loose. A feral snarl ripped its way through Kieoki's jaws, and her claws tore through the air, aiming towards where Timothy's jaws were. Or had been. Her claws swept through air and with a growl Kieoki snapped her gaze upwards in time to watch him dart into the bushes. She heard Toby speak, and her reply was sharp. "No. He's probably taking care of something else." And without anymore hesitation Kieoki was after Timothy, not waiting to decide on any option lest he get further away. It wasn't hard to track him, because his scent was burned into her mind, and since she wasn't the largest wolf, she didn't have trouble chasing him down.

Though the puncture wounds in her shoulder stung and hurt, Kieoki didn't slow her speed, but picked it up as she ran. It wasn't out of desperation either. Kieoki was only able to bare the pain because of one simple reason.

It wasn't what brought her down.

If Kieoki would've been crippled by a wound like she had now, then she would have never made it out of the pack's territory that she had. No, there was only something else that took her down, and she wasn't too keen to think about it. In fact, because her wolf had control and she was as enraged as it, she wasn't thinking much at all. She was thinking to hunt and to fight. But on the offensive this time. She wasn't trying to run away, and she wasn't going to wait for Timothy to find her.

Paws drumming out across the ground as she chased Timothy down, she banished the ache in her shoulder as she grew closer. A minute or so passed and then she saw him. A snarl tore out from her as she launched herself towards Timothy! Claws out-stretched, she landed on his back, burying her teeth into his back near the base of his neck as she dug her claws in to hang on.

****


Dez:

Logan remained still, listening as the large werewolf explained briefly what he desired for them to do. Certainly he wasn't serious? Did he really just expect them, her, to bend to his will so easily? She had made the bitter mistake of surrendering earlier and somewhere in the depths of her mind was regretting doing so, wishing she had continued to fight even if it would have meant the death of her. Fleeing, though once completely unconsidered, now seemed like a less humbling option than allowing this male to dominate over her. Although it was too late for such an idea, she was bruised and tired and try as she might, running now would only prove futile.

In spite of this, she had no intentions of turning her back to the enemy. Her muzzle once more tightened into a snarl and she made her way towards the alpha, taking her place a distance behind him instead of in front like he had indicated for them to do. Her ears were angled back, and her demeanor suggested that should anybody come within a yard of her, she would lash out on them without further warning. The situation seemed precarious despite Kratos' reassurance, and so her wolf was edgy and at unease. Following an alpha into his pack? Distorted images or snarling werewolves preparing to attack made themselves present in her foggy mind and her eyes bolted over the area to make sure there were still only two others excluding herself.


Kale:

Kale slipped easily through the tree's her wolf at the forefront, her nose picking up the scents of blood, fear, adrenaline, and anger. Kale only paused momentarily when she realized she had a choice to make.
Follow the strange scents and her alpha, or follow the scent of Timothy, who was probably out of control, and Kieoki and Toby.
Kratos was on his own against two unknowns, and Kieoki and Toby were facing a wild Timothy. Both had a fifty fifty chance of ending badly. Kale knew the Alpha was very big and very strong, but the unknown factor of the strangers were a dillemma. She also trusted Kieoki to contrl herself against timothy, and her fighting skill was not to be doubted, but kale also knew that timothy was viscous when he lost control, and Toby's skill was undetermined. Kale had never seen him fight.
the blue-grey wolf snarled, it's instincts warring themselves, and her rational mind rather subdued at the moment.
indecisive, the wolf lifted her muzzle and howled, the lone call carrying out: who needs help?


Soar:

****

While caught up in mostly thoughts and memories, Jackie hadn't been paying much attention to her surroundings. At best, she perceived a blur of colors, smells, and sounds that all mashed together into something incomprehensible that her mind was too busy to understand. Only when she realized that she had stopped walking and was now laying down on something that felt prickly and springy did she draw out her senses into the world.

Something black loomed in front of her and she blinked several times. It's features clarified until she was looking at a very foggy, but recognizable, Ulric. She saw him open his mouth to speak and heard sounds that must have been words, but it took her 15 seconds for their meaning to even reach her brain and another 15 to formulate a response.

"It's in a b-black box. Under my-bed. In m-my room, first room to the left of the s-staircase," she wheezed the words quietly, knotting her face with effort of explanation," But you should smell it f-first... smell's like chemicals".

She offered a half-hearted wheeze that must have been something of a laugh.

****

Cathannah:

Toby whined and raced off after Timothy and Kieoki. His mind spun with different actions he could take to stop, or perhaps, seperate the two of them just long enough for Timothy to get outta sight or for Kieoki to calm down and accept that Timothy was not himself.

As Kieoki moved in to attack Timothy again, Toby cried out toward her. "Just forget it Kieoki! Why won't you leave him alone? You can't stop him, let him work it out! What's wrong with you?"

Perhaps if he could get Kieoki to lay off for a moment, he could try to talk to Timothy. "Let me talk to him, Keoki!" He said, then sensing that perhaps Kieoki wouldn't agree to that, he added; "If you don't lay off and let me try, I'll run and tell the alpha what's going on, and that Timothy's going crazy and you can't handle him!"

****

May:

Kratos' wounded pack member did not respond quickly after Ulric's question, her breathing was hoarse and Ulric assumed she had lost consciousness. He had delicately carried her over the corral fence and laid her at the corner of the barn on a bedding of weeds.

Ulric used the bushes which had grown through the fence to conceal Jackie from the immediate detection of werewolf eyes, he also began squeezing the leaves of this particular bush and rubbing the liquid around the area. This he did, though the plant was odd and Ulric did not know exactly what it was, because the thick earthy smell of it's leaves was strong enough to mask all other scents beneath it, including blood.

It was in those few moments while he was about concealing Jackie, that Ulric heard her voice and was taken slightly aback as she struggled to answer his previous inquiry. He listened carefully and when she had finished he nodded his head.
"Alright I'll retrieve it. Hang on just a little longer, you'll be okay." Ulric said, then he turned and quickly jumped the fence and ran for the cottage.

It was surprising to Ulric that Jackie had managed to stay conscious for as long as she had.. Ulric knew werewolves were stronger than the average human being, but even the endurance of a werewolf would eventually fade.
******

Timothy had stalled his retreat waiting for his opponent's decision, but when he knew that she would follow he picked up his pace. Listening to her paws draw nearer behind him, he carefully calculated a path around the area where the bison had attacked, but across the same pasture toward the forest.

Though she did not know it, Kieoki had done just as Timothy had desired. The two werewolves would be equally matched in battle, as Timothy had observed, and the one way to gain the advantage was to cause her to blindly attack him.
Timothy now ran on a fixed course toward the forest where the terrain would also turn to his favor, but not as quickly as he was capable, he wanted his opponent to stay on him.. And perhaps he did not leave sufficient distance, for his opponent quickly gained an opportunity to overcome him and she seized it!

Within moments Kieoki had dug both tooth and claw within the flesh which she had moments ago forcefully repaired. Timothy crumbled beneath her weight into the grass, his teeth clenched and his face distorted in pain. All maliciousness fled his mind as the nerves under his opponent's jaws delivered agony to every limb in his body!
******

Ulric had sped his pace on all four paws and crept onto the cottage porch. Though the inside of the cottage smelled of that thick bush, he sought the scent of Jackie's chemical at the doorway and was relieved to quickly detect a fresh trail leading out into the yard. It seemed that one of Jackie's pack members had come here earlier to pick the medicine up, but where had they gone with it?

Knowing that time was against him, Ulric chose not to go into the house and blindly search for something to have been left behind; he quickly followed the chemical's scent out into the field. As he went, he began to hear the three pack members clearly ahead of him and was forced to slow his run.
The scent of the chemical grew stronger as Ulric drew nearer. He could hear the voice of a woman and he decided to lift his head above the grass. Ulric saw the black shadows of three werewolves some yards ahead of him just as two of them engaged each other and shot off in the opposite direction as his own position. The third was quick to follow and Ulric heard much of their growling and shouting even after they had passed out of sight.

Not wasting a second, Ulric raced to where the three other werewolves had stood not a moment ago, and to his great relief, found Jackie's box laying in the grass! Inspecting it he found that the box had been slightly chewed up but it's contents were unharmed.

Just as Ulric turned and began running back to where Jackie was hidden, he heard a heart-rending human cry behind him and came to a complete halt. His auburn eyes caught the light of the moon and shown bright red once again as he looked over his shoulder.. Then he slowly inhaled and looked away, continuing his run back to the barn where he had laid Jackie..
*****
The warm liquid drained down his back like rain beneath his thick coat, his shoulders throbbed, and his fingertips stung. In the seconds that he lay upon the ground, Timothy had forgotten his enemy..
"Just remember we care about you, and we won't hurt you.. We're your family." Someone had said that, but Timothy didn't know who or how long ago and he didn't understand why he had remembered it just then.. He remembered being afraid of the one whom spoke, but why would he be afraid of someone whom said such things? Yes, he understood the meaning of the words. But family, he couldn't understand why this made his chest ache.. The thought suddenly reminded him of how much pain he was in and that he was just crouched down taking it.

Timothy howled and clenched his fists! Pain, pain is what he feared the most.
"Get up, get up worthless boy! Yes, go ahead and cry, but it won't make it go away." That was another thing he had once been told, he had feared that person too..

Timothy's turquoise eyes finally opened and the liquid from them drained down his face. Heaving heavily he pressed hard on the ground with his front paws and tucked his knees beneath his chest, then with incredible speed and strength he caught hold of Kieoki's hands and clenched them painfully in his own!
The next thing Timothy did was thrust himself up on two legs and jerked his head downward, using his opponent's weight to pull them both forward into a roll and smashing Kieoki between himself and the ground!

Though Timothy had lost track of time when he had gone down, there had only been thirty seconds between Kieoki's attack and his retaliation.

****

Meanwhile beyond the ranch and high in the mountain the Alpha's attention now fell completely to the female stranger.
"You will walk there ahead of me of your own free will or you will not walk at all." Kratos' deep voice rumbled threateningly. He had now turned around to face the stranger, yellow eyes blazed and teeth bared.

The Alpha had already calculated the dangers of having the strangers walk behind him and had chosen instead to have them walk ahead.. After presumably killing a member of his pack this stranger was unwise to test Kratos' patience.


Mariel:

****

Kieoki faintly heard Toby, but her wolf was past caring for him enough to even work up a reply. It was an odd moment, but her and her wolf were working together entirely, working to defeat Timothy. Somewhere in her mind she remembered that she wasn't striving to kill him, but it was a very faint thought and definitely not a main concern. Kieoki was pressed on clinging to Timothy, and it was odd when suddenly all his fight seemed to drain out of him as he crumpled to the ground. It was only for a few seconds though, because then he seemed to regain his motivation and moved faster than she could get away.

Kieoki wasn't sure what happened or how he'd done it, but she suddenly felt her back slam against the ground, Timothy's weight on-top of her, pressing her into the ground. Kieoki lost her breath for a few scary seconds where she couldn't breathe, but as soon as she could she let out a chilling growl, anger pulsing through her paws, numbing the pain in her arm. She didn't struggle under his weight, but forced upwards against it as she suddenly made a lunge at his throat! She closed her jaws around his neck, biting hard, but not enough to do any serious damage. she wasn't aiming for that after all, though it was extremely difficult to stop herself from tightening her grip enough to tear into his neck and let him bleed out to death.

It was an odd position, with Kieoki more or less hanging from his neck, but she didn't mind. Kieoki was trying to work her front paws free. But that didn't work and so she ended up taking her hind legs down Timothy's stomach in an effort to push him off and away. But was that what she really was going for? After all, she wasn't going to just let go of his neck easily, so why was she pushing away?... She pondered this for a moment until she realized her and her wolf had both moved their body, but both had done a separate thing. Odd. She cursed out her wolf, who snarled for a minute before agreeing with her and joining her again.


Kaqurei:

Sabrina felt like her veins had filled with ice. She'd heard Timothy's scream. She had recognized it. She heard the agony, the hurt that was not new in his voice. She did not know whom had caused him pain or why, but reasons did not matter to her suddenly. In another instant, she could smell blood, and her face and neck felt hot. The animal within her was, for possibly the first time since she was a child, screaming for control. She wanted death. She wanted whoever it was that had caused pain to Timothy to die, be it the Alpha or anyone else--regardless of what the boy might have done to "deserve" it.

For some time she stood with her body completely rigid, though her face was completely expressionless. She had only just led the newbies out of the "boot camp" when she had heard the scream. Within, she fought herself. How could she expect to earn the trust of these, to teach them, if she succumbed to the wrath of the animal herself?

She cursed every other superior in this pack that they were not here. This was their responsibility, Timothy alone was hers (self proclaimed, but still). Where were they? What was happening?

At length she inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "We're..." her voice trailed off and she swallowed hard. She sighed sharply, but the forced a smile. She had to focus on this issue at hand. But she could not abandon Timothy's fate to the mercy of these idiots! But she had to keep the newbies calm, keep the training field ideal. Curse the Alpha, curse all of his underlings. Why had they not better prepared? Why did every full moon have to be a night of disaster? They should have prepared for this. The Alpha should have communicated his plan better! Did he really believe that his pack full of newbies and loners could possibly come together and everything work out without strenuous training for this moment, without any planning on his part? As the Alpha, this really was all his fault. Her own Alpha never would have--

"We're going to begin the hunt, as I said," she said calmly, with perhaps so much that the storm raging within her mind could not even be faintly detected. "But I do not mean that we will track down something and kill it. Nay, this would feed only the desires of your wolf within. Rather, we shall work to train those instincts. I tell you this now so that you will be mentally prepared to control the powerful urges you will experience. We will track our prey and find it. Then we will chase and capture it. But we will not kill it. I want to see teamwork on the behalf of all of you here, and when it comes down to it, I want to see restraint, no matter how desperate your desire to taste blood is. Is that understood?" The last sentence was spoken with a decidedly stern and strict tone, expressing that she would not tolerate less than perfection when it came this.

But she did not expect perfection. That would be miraculous. No, she expected them to fail, which is why she did not lead them to the aide of their pack members. Rather she led them in the exact opposite direction, where she could pick of the scent of something she considered to be expendable should they fail.

Then she heard Kale's call. She paused, then let out a long low reply: Help Timothy.

It killed her to turn her back on him. Had she not promised him that she would protect him? Had she not promised that he was with family, that he was safe? But what choice did she have? None. Either way, she would abandon those that needed her, those that had no one else to lean on. "The needs of the many or the needs of the one", so it was said.

What choice to make.

****

It surprised Levi when the alpha spoke, rather than taking what was his right to take after the surrender. Levi had braced himself for death then, though not without whatever fight he had left in him, and it did not come.

Regardless of the alpha's reasons, he had spared Levi's life for the present. This was an advantage, an opening where before he saw none. Maybe there was a chance for survival yet, but he would have to play his cards very carefully from here on out. He lowered his head and limped forward as the enemy had instructed. Pain surged through his body with every step, but he would not be dragged to meet whatever fate this alpha had in store. Be it death or otherwise, he would meet it with dignity. But, if death eluded him once again, perhaps he would have a chance to escape. He would have to keep his wits about him to seize that chance.

The large female was not beaten either. Levi saw that she would not even feign defeat for a better advantage later on. Rather, she deliberately disobeyed the orders of the enemy to show that while her body may be, her spirit was far from broken. The move was impressive, given everything, but it displayed her inexperience. She was obviously not from a pack. She was a loner in a strange land, without a single ally to her name. She was proud and strong. In any other circumstance, Levi would have admired her. As it was, she too was an enemy, and he could not forget that.


Cathannah:

****

Toby reacted quickly the second Timothy flipped himself over onto Kieoki. Thrusting himself forward, Toby twisted in the air and fell onto his back, squeezing himself as best as he could inbetween the two of them. When Kieoki's jaws came down, it wasn't on Timothy's neck as she had assumed, but rather Toby's shoulder as he placed his upper torso over her and began to push against the ground with his hind legs. Forcefully trying to push the two away from each other.
His hands were busy prying Timothy's fingers off of Kieoki's hands.

What a curious dog-pile it would look like from any outsiders point of veiw. For Toby though, his body was twisted in an uncomfortable position, he was using all his werewolf strength to render Keoki and Timothy apart from one another, and now he'd been bit by the terrifying girl who had hit him earlier.

"Timothy! Stop this and come to your senses right now! She's only a grumpy female, you know how girls are when you hurt their pride! What's attacking her gonna proove? She's just a girl!" He snapped loudly and forcefully.

Yup, he had a feeling that Keoki was gonna take issue with that- But he also had a feeling that he had to say something really blunt and strangely obvious to get Timothy to listen again. He only hoped he'd said it right.


Mariel:

How in the world had toby managed to get caught up back in this mess? One second her teeth had been for Timothy, and the next they were around toby's shoulder and not Timothy's neck. Kieoki growled, not letting go of toby's shoulder because she was listening to his words. The idiot! No matter how much toby thought he was doing right, he had effectively pinned her against the ground. She couldn't fight with the weight of two pressed upon her. Well, she couldn't fight very well, but she may still be able to do something if she could get toby out of here.

But Kieoki heard toby's words.

And she almost snapped her jaws together to slice open his shoulder. Almost. She only managed to stop her wolf at the last second, even though she was enraged herself. She let go of toby's shoulder, much to the rage of her wolf, and realized that he was pushing up against Timothy, trying to get her free. So he wasn't a total idiot. She still was angry at him. She glanced down towards her hands and frowned for a moment until she slackened her own grip, and jerked her fingers free in a few tries. In another second she was out from under the two of them and judging the situation. Toby seemed to be very determined to stop them, and was going to do anything so it seemed.

Thinking things over for a second or two, Kieoki suddenly shot towards Timothy and toby, jumping over toby and towards Timothy. She let her shoulder slam into Timothy, knowing that the odd combination of her weight and toby -who was pushing up from the ground- should unbalance Timothy and send him to the ground. But Kieoki wasn't following Timothy this time. As soon as she slammed into Timothy, she leaped clear and landed with a small growl. She looked towards Timothy, her wounded shoulder causing her to lift her paw off the ground. She snarled at Timothy, but didn't lunge. She was waiting to see if toby's horrid words had done anything.


Dez:

****

Logans ears twitched just slightly as the alpha spoke. She resented every word that was uttered by him with a burning passion, and her eyes reflected such emotion. Nevertheless, she paced forward after a few moments, bitterly and slowly. Instead of passing him, she came to a halt directly in front of the massive werewolf. Despite being roughly a head shorter than him, she gave him a cold, sharp stare that was borderline a challenge. Exhaling a hot breath through her nostrils, she passed by him, barely keeping herself from snapping at him as she did so.

The other male had already made it clear he had surrendered, if only for now. This alpha had, for the most part, control of them, and that was more than anything else what enraged Logan. But she had done her damage, and even if the alpha did decide to kill her, it wouldn't bring the other back to life. Or at least, she assumed the female she had attacked earlier was dead by now...

She walked ahead of the smaller male, not casting him a glance nor looking back to the alpha. Instead, her eyes remained on the path ahead and her ears - or one of them, the other seemed to slant more or less in another direction from when the brute had grabbed hold of it - were tilted backwards.


May:

****

Timothy had not been aware of Toby's actions but had been braced for a futile attack from his opponent. At the moment, Timothy was only trying to escape Kieoki's jaws, knowing that she would temporarily release her bite upon hitting the ground before trying to strike him again; her hands were in his and her body would be under him, she would have no other option..
The impact of the roll came up sooner than expected, and that was when Timothy noticed there were two werewolves under him, not just his opponent.

Timothy didn't understand at first, unable to calculate any advantage the other werewolf would have by putting himself between the two, thus he tightened his grip on Kieoki's hands. But there was no attack nor retaliation from under him, all the other werewolf did was thrust up on Timothy's back indicating a desire for release. What a move! Timothy wouldn't object, release was what he was aiming for and this other werewolf was in position to act as a perfect shield.

Timothy loosened his grip on his opponent and added the strength of the other werewolf to his own, enabling him to jump off the two and land on his feet a short distance away. He quickly turned around then and watched as his opponent thrashed out from under the other werewolf and shot over him toward Timothy! However, her attack was ill-aimed, she moved as if she expected that Timothy was still laying upon the other werewolf..

Timothy used a tree to dodge the attack and did not waste any time by standing around. He knew he had gone down a yard or two from the forests edge on the far side of the pasture, thus he used his opponent's delay to escape into the shadow of the trees!

****

Kratos stood firm watching the female stranger as she spitefully complied. His head followed her as she walked around him but he made no other move until she was in the position he wanted, then he turned around and motioned the two strangers onward.

****

Ulric moved quickly back to Jackie's position and jumped the corral fence in his haste. "I'm back, I have it." He whispered as he crouched beside her.
Ulric carefully opened the box and laid it on the ground beside Jackie, he then withdrew the medication from it, lifted it into the light of the moon to measure the right dosage, and administered to her.

****

Through the thick of the bushes Timothy ran, he did not delay this time as he had before, he did not even care if he left his opponent behind this time.. In fact, he aimed to lose her. He raced on treacherous ground and over complicated terrain.
Timothy knew this land, even if he could not remember it, and ran swiftly to the place he had been trained to always return..
Once he felt he had gained sufficient distance from the other two werewolves, Timothy slowed his pace and sought the musky scent of the concealing bush to cover his trail. He then walked slower and softer so as not to leave paw prints for them to track him by.

Timothy knew there would be a river somewhere along his path but could not yet smell or hear it.. He then began to contemplate and realized that the other werewolf had spoken to him back there, but not for anything could Timothy remember what had been said.. "Not like it matters, words mean nothing.." He thought to himself, stopping a moment to look behind him. He waited a second and listened, wondering if his opponent was still following..


Cathannah:

Toby whimpered as Kieoki's grip on his shoulder tightened for a moment. A series of thoughts ran through his head as to what would happen when she clamped down completely; He'd probably loose his arm, bleed a lot.. And wasn't there was also a major artery in that area?

Toby gasped a sigh of relief as Timothy disappeared into the forest, but didn't rest long. Once again, he sprung between to two of them and stretched out his arms to stop the female if she tried to persue. "Alright Kieoki let him go!" He cried desprately, accidentally repeating the last three words with every exhale as he tried to calm down.


Mariel:

Kieoki was frustrated that she ended up missing Timothy, and then growled when he dashed off into the trees. She jerked to her feet, ready to bolt after him when toby came in front of her again. This guy was really getting on her nerves... She barely heard his words and she glared at him, speaking herself. "Last time I let him go, a defenseless human got turned." She said with a chilling voice before she jumped over toby and ran. Darn toby. Now Timothy had a good head start, and Kieoki was left to track him down. She muttered to herself as she ran, her gait somewhat odd because she was trying to keep off her injured shoulder.

The wounds hadn't healed yet, and probably would take longer than most to heal. She hadn't figured why she took so long to heal yet, but it was on her small to-do list. That is, if she ever got around to it. In fact, she wasn't even thinking about it now. She was focused on tracking Timothy down, her paws drumming softly against the ground as she sniffed him out. She followed his footprints for awhile, but soon he must've started running softer because his prints vanished, leaving Kieoki to follow him by his scent. But it started mixing with some musky scent and she almost lost his trail. She did lose it, but she circled around the area and managed to sort it out from the musky scent and she kept going.

Assuming that she was close now, Kieoki slowed her pace to a walk, her ears pricked to listen for movement as she walked after his scent. She couldn't see him, but she had to be close. In fact, Kieoki was very close. She was on the other side of a bush from Timothy, but that musky scent had grown stronger and she was starting to circle again, trying to find him. And Kieoki was calming down now. The pure rage was leaving her body and some sense was crawling back in. She was mostly angry at toby and not Timothy, and so she told herself over and over that she wouldn't attack Timothy when she found him. Maybe she could try talking it out, knocking some sense into him.


Cathannah:

Toby tackled Keoki as soon as she slowed down. "Leave him alone Kieoki!" He snapped, wrestling her away from Timothy's scent. "I don't know what you're trying to do, really, but you certainly aren't helping anything! Leave him alone now.. He's heading away from the town, not toward it. And if you'll come to your senses for a moment, you can smell that there are no humans for miles and miles. We're fast, we can get Alpha's help." He said, being sure to constantly block her exit whichever way she tried to duck.


Mariel:

When toby tackled her, she thought it was Timothy and so she lashed out with her claws, aiming for toby's shoulder before she realized it wasn't Timothy and stopped before she twisted away from him and got to her feet. Ears against her head, she snarled at toby, not caring for his words. "If you're so determined to get the alpha's help, then go. I'm not leaving." She said with a narrow of her eyes. Why was he babbling about her senses? Did he think that she was crazed or like whatever Timothy was? Kieoki tried to duck around toby, but he kept blocking her path. She growled, trying words again.

"Toby, you'll be able to run faster than me anyways. I can't with my arm. And don't worry, I'm not going to fight Timothy. I'm just going to keep an eye on him so we don't lose him." Kieoki said before she tried ducking around toby again. She growled when her path was blocked again. Maybe if she... Kieoki suddenly darted to the right and when toby moved to block her she kicked off the ground, and jumped sideways and over toby. She landed on his other side with a small wince and picked up her one paw from the ground, catching Timothy's scent. It was strong, so she mustn't be too far. But she hadn't lied to toby, she wouldn't confront Timothy. She slunk in the shadows, traveling towards his scent until she could see him. She was hiding behind a small bush, her stomach pressed to the ground as she watched Timothy through a small hole. Hopefully toby would leave her alone and run off to get the alpha. Kieoki didn't want the alpha here -more for personal reasons than anything- but if it got toby away...she'd be extremely happy.


Cathannah:

Toby followed Kieoki anyway. After she ducked away from him, he followed until he was once again infront of her. "Leave him alone Kieoki!" He repeated, standing infront of her yet again. "By following him, he's gonna think you're hunting him- and whether you want a confrontation or not, that's what he'll give you."

Timothy was probably far away by now- er.. far enough. Either way, Toby would continue slowing Kieoki down. Only more trouble could come of her following him.


Kale:

Kale was surprised to hear an answering call not from one of the two groups ahead, but from Sabrina behind.

Help Timothy.

Kale dove into the tree's immidiatly, racing after the scent of kieoky, toby, and Timothy. the scents mingled with blood rage and fear. Kale darted throgh the tree's, and blur of blue and glimmer of white through the shadows, her paws barely skimming the ground in her speed. the smell of blood and adrenaline grew stronger in a small clearing and the she-wolf snarled. They had fought, and both had bled. Kale pushed faster and faster over bracken and brush, through tree's and bushes, from shadow to shadow.

Her slim form burst from the tree's into another opening and Kale immidiatly spotted Kieoky and Timothy, moonlight glowing against their pelts. Kale barely took the effort to recognise them once she knew she had stumbled upon two wolves instead of three.

She did, however, pause once Kieoki growled out orders to Toby and lept over him.
"Alpha's busy with strangers, go to Sabrina or stay and help!" She snapped at the newer wolf before darting after Kieoki back into the woods. When kale did catch up to Kieoki, she didn't pause, not with Timothy out of control an ahead of her. She snarled and snapped as she passed the wounded female but bolted right ahead towards Timothy, stopping dead in a spot in the middle between him and Kieoki.

Attacking Timothy would help noone. At this point, it could make things worse. she needed Timothy back in control, and that wasn't going to happen in the middle of a battle. Thinking quick, Kale decided to try and placate the wolf ahead of her.

Starting with a soft woof of acknowledgement.


Mariel:

By this point in time, toby was making it considerably hard for Kieoki to stop herself from lunging at him. Anger flashed in her eyes, and it was more than a hallelujah of joy flashing through her when Kale shot out of the bushes, telling toby to go back to Sabrina. Thank god. Kieoki said with a sigh in relief, -not hearing the way Kale also said that toby could stay and help in he didn't want to go to sabrina- before she watched Kale run ahead and woof softly. It didn't take long for Kieoki to realize what Kale was trying to do. In fact, though it hadn't looked that way, Kieoki had been trying to do that the entire time, but toby's persistent pestering had made her too angry to be able to do what she wanted to do without reflecting any anger.

Kieoki debated on circling around Timothy but dismissed the idea. He'd probably think she was closing in...on...him. Kieoki's eyes widened as she realized what the situation probably looked like to Timothy. Considering he seemed not to realize they were apart of his pack, he was probably angry or frightened and was just trying to get away...Just like she always had done. Kieoki sat there, not moving towards Kale or Timothy for a few moments because she was picturing herself facing a pack, running and hoping that they wouldn't chase her the entire way out. It was an odd feeling, because she could see herself in Timothy's position. But there was something different though. Timothy was apart of this pack, unlike she'd been, and he just had to realize that.

So with a great deal of self-restraint, (and a bit of fighting in her mind) Kieoki padded up to Kale slowly and sunk to the ground, flattening her ears as she herself let out a soft woof and laid her head on her paws, trying in every way possible to not look threatening.


Cathannah:

Toby winced and ducked low to the ground when Kale lept by him and barked orders. After she was gone though, he lifted his head and grimaced in her direction. Oh sure! Now someone who could handle this would show up, now that everything was settling down. Where had she been when things were tough?

It was then that he noticed Kieoki had followed Kale after Timothy. 'She should've told Kieoki to leave too.' He thought to himself. Ears flattened against his head, he swallowed hard and continued after the two females. He had a feeling that IF there were ANY possibility Timothy would listen to Kale AT ALL- Seeing Kieoki again would deffinately kill all chances dead.

"I'm not going back without Kieoki." he said meekly yet stubbornly to Kale, head low in submission.


Aim:

****

Chime looked around camp, Sabrina had led some of the 'newer' weres out to practice there forms, she would of thought to go with them if she had not encountered the 'cat fight' between a stranger and her alpha, but since she had, she decided to stay in camp for the rest of the night. Chime walked to house she had picked and walked into her room. She stood in the middle of the room for a few seconds before attempting to get under her new bed. Diving and pushing, she tried to get to the wall. Though it was to small of a space, she finally did, though the bed was no longer on the ground on one side.

****

May:

Timothy's turquoise eyes gleamed out of the darkness at Kale, Kieoki, and Toby. He had not ever been unaware that Kieoki was behind him; they had been much too loud to go unnoticed.. But Timothy made no more attempts to escape, now he was waiting for Kieoki.

Kale appeared swiftly and suddenly from the surrounding woods, and arrived with authority which Timothy understood. He knew Kale, he knew her position and he was inclined to obey- had Kieoki not made a change in behavior to follow Kale's lead.
Timothy looked at this as a mockery, as if Kieoki were attempting to conceal her true intentions from the Beta.. For only a moment Timothy contemplated upon Kale's gentle voice as she had beckoned him back to his senses, and then he felt a need to explain.

Timothy sat down where he had stood and laid his short broken tail flat on the ground. Not a human word he said, yet he was speaking.. His eyes stared upon Kale firmly, his brows were wet and his shoulders dark with blood, but his head was held up as if he felt no pain. There was no wildness about him, no furious intention nor heartless thought, his expression was calm, gentle and smooth...

That was when he became clear, and his sad silent words were finally heard: This was Timothy, he was not out of control, he was neither animal nor man, and he had been this way before he was even discovered by the Founders..
In his eyes were all the same things which had ever been there; his fearful mind and violent instincts, yet in that moment there was also something else, a question perhaps that he was trying to ask... And a moment later all such emotions were gone as Timothy's eyes closed and his body fell to the ground!

The sky had been lit up in a soft blue glow and the white moon was no longer in sight; dawn had come just as surely as it had ever done before. The werewolves could feel the relieved pressure which had held them, and they were again granted the privilege of returning to their human forms, or to stay within their animal girth if experience would allow.

****

Kratos had pressed the two strangers through the forest during the remainder of the night, allowing them short pauses to regain their breath and rest their wounded bodies. He was firm but not violent, taking them along a steady mountain path which could not be escaped from either left or right. Kratos had memorized this mountain territory, and every advantage a werewolf could seek was in the Alpha's favor.

In the night air the smell of earth and plant was strong. Several feet down the steep slope a river could be heard and Kratos noticed that the howls of his pack members were no longer on the wind, yet they still echoed in his mind.
The thought caused his heart to mourn, believing that somewhere under those deep green leaves was the body of a dear family member. Memories of Gathen's den came suddenly and horribly to his mind and his soul shivered.

Being so high up on the mountain side, Kratos could see, however murky his vision seemed, the dawning glow of the sun beyond the trees. "There he comes at last. Though it would seem the darkness of this night never to end, there is the sun bringing along another day.. I wonder what this day means for those whom have not lived this night beside me.." The Alpha's tears slipped silently down his fur-covered cheeks and dripped off his red whiskers. He felt the forceful power holding him within his werewolf form finally relax and his own will replace it. He made the choice to retain his werewolf form, despite the energy it would take after such a dreadful night.


Mariel:

****

Kieoki had been worried about the way Timothy would react to her movements, and she was more than relieved when he sat down. Kieoki pushed herself into a sitting position then, but kept the weight off her one paw because it pained her shoulder. She gave it a sniff and a swift lick before she turned her eyes back to Timothy, curious because she couldn't hear words, but more or less felt something. She was surprised to see Timothy. Not the angry, vicious and threatening Timothy she'd be up against, but a softer one (more or less) and though Timothy was looking at Kale, Kieoki understood most of what he was saying.

She'd been wrong.

Dead wrong.

In fact, she'd been so wrong that she actually flinched at the sight of Timothy. How could she have grouped him with her? He was nothing like her. He may be broken, like she was, but he wasn't the were she'd seen. He wasn't vicious like her, he was gentle, calm, the opposite of her. She didn't know what had happened to him, but whatever it was, he'd either moved past it, or ended up with a different outcome. He didn't seem to have sucked up the hate, the viciousness, the want to fight like she had. How had she been so blind? Kieoki turned her head away from Timothy then, a strange wave of emotions flushing through her before timothy collapsed.

Actually, she never saw him fall to the ground, but she heard a soft thud and turned to look back at him only to see him crumpled upon the ground. Her reaction was without thought. Kieoki was on her paws and standing, shifting really, as she stretched out a now human hand towards Timothy. She was reaching in worry, before she stopped, her hand jerking to a halt before it fell limp at her side, all emotion wiped from her face. Which was hard to do considering the wave of pain that spread through her bitten arm. She desperately wanted to see if Timothy was okay, and was starting to worry about getting him home, but she stopped herself because Kale was here. Kieoki had Timothy's blood on her just as Timothy had her blood on him. And that toby was here too, and she didn't want either of them to think she was trying to attack him or something. Still holding a blank face, Kieoki took a small step towards Timothy, looking at Kale with a small question that she formed with a sharp look at Timothy and some thoughts. "How can I help?"


Kaqurei:

Sabrina was quite relieved when the Sun started to show his pretty face on the edge of the horizon. Still, she could not see him through the canopy yet, but she could feel his presence drawing nearer. She felt her inner animal retreat and was further relieved. As a Half Blood trained all her life to control the Wolf, she could shift at will. The Full Moon was the only night in the month that she did not enjoy the feeling.

She was, however, also disappointed. They had only just picked up the trail of an ideal prey animal when the beast inside retreated. The new weres would, of course, lose their wolf forms. So the hunt was over before it could even begin. She supposed this was just as well--perhaps now she could work with their human sides and prepare them for a more ideal hunt than they could ever possibly achieve tonight. They would be more ready... and this coming month, she would not abandon them for any reason. The Alpha should have done this prior. That he did not was infuriating--but perhaps he too was just a learner, in spite of the power and wisdom expressed in his voice?

"This hunt is over," she announced, without looking back at those that followed her. "We will resume next full moon. As for now, we should get back to the cabins before you all begin to change again."

It was funny that she should have spent at least three months with this pack, this month not included of course, and yet she still knew so little about them. This was mostly her own fault... up to now, she had sized them up and made guesses as to who they were and how they would react. This may have been enough on the battlefield, but a pack relationship required that she actually get to know them--each one--for who they were rather than how they acted.

She had much work to do... especially when she got back to the cabins. She was the pack's Healer. She did not know exactly how much damage had been done last night, but she was sure that she would have her hands full at any rate.

****

Levi marched on like a creature of stone, betraying neither emotion nor any expression of the pain he was in. When they rested, he would not lay down for fear that he might not get up again. Rather he would stand stolid with his head held low--his only movements then would be his breathing and his eyes as he examined his two travelling companions and the area where they had stopped.

When they began again, his focus was in his every step, that his feet did not give way under him, and his surroundings that no sudden blow would take him by surprise. Purposely now and again he would agitate a gash on his side with his elbow in an attempt to keep his mind sharp and alert... he would not lose conciousness until they had arrived at the alpha's destination.

As they rounded a bend in the mountain path, he beheld the Sun in all his splendor peaking golden above the forested area below. His light caused Levi to pause and squint for the brightness. It was there that the wolf within him stirred and a question came to his mind: Do I stay or go? The form of the wolf he could readily take on at any time, due to his lineage and vigorous training... but it was not this that the question had been about.

Then he noticed the alpha's tears. At first, Levi might have mistaken them for perhaps rain or sweat, for outside of his tears the alpha displayed no sign of distress; he seemed to forever exude outwardly an aura of control and majesty. But as there were not clouds in the sky for the former, and the alpha had not exterted enough energy this night for the latter, Levi realized for certain that the alpha was mourning.

The first impulsive impression Levi determined from this was weakness. His wolfish insticts were still clinging on the edges of his mind, in spite of the Sun's approach. Yet, this alpha was not weak. He was large and he was cunning. And he had won, both of those whom had prior been intruders on his land were now his captives with him barely ever having had to face them in combat. What then pained him so, that tears came to his eyes despite being in the presence of foes?


Dez:

For Logan, every step felt the same as the last, as if they weren't moving at all or even getting further from their destination; the feeling only amplified by the pain that was present on nearly every portion of her body. Her eyes hadn't shifted from the ground since they began, and like the other captive werewolf, her focus was centered on simply staying awake. Though her body protested, her will and pride held their own.

Almost as soon as the pull of the full moon was no longer upon them, the wolf in Logan resided and she reverted at last to a human. Her mind was no longer a haze, or engulfed by a desire for blood. Though she had retained a vague outline of what had taken place, the rest was diminished for now, lost in the abyss of thoughts and memories.

For a few more steps still, she fought the sleep that threatened to take her with the stubbornness of a mule. She could count on a hand how many times she'd transformed, making every time as hard as the last, and as a consequence, the exhaustion was inevitable. However even when her body wanted to collaspe under her, she refused to let it do so and instead she slowly sat herself on the ground. Her figure teetered briefly, and at last, she slumped to the side. With that, she was out.


Kale:

Kale looked into Timothy's serene eyes. eyes that seemed sad. but eyes that were so very focused. He sat and held his head up high and in that moment, Kale tturly recognized him.

that was Timothy, a resiliant, powerful soul that had been put through hell and came out broken, but strong. He had been scared. he had been lost. Perhaps the seeming come-and-go of his rationality had not been the battle and chaos of the animal verses the human. Perhaps they had just been a survival instinct, a need. a necessity. a question or an unmade choice..

Kale looked back at him and truly saw him. that was Timothy.
Together they had one moment of clarity before he crumpled. Kale huffed in alarm and glanced at Kieoki, who was looking back at her and asking, how can i help?

Kale looked back at his fallen form and felt ahsamed. It had taken a deeper strength on his part to finally make clear to her what should always have been clear than she could see within herself. she had to be ashamed.

Kale padded up to his blood-drenched limp form and pressed her muzzle into his fur, a soft whine escaping her throat.
Timothy. How blind they had been. She held herself there for a moment, her face in the crook of his neck before he lifted her head and gazed over him. how brave he had been. How strong. How gentle a soul.
How lost. but perhaps not of his own right.

Turning back to Kieoki and Toby Kale leveled her bright gaze at them.
"Help me bring him Home."


Mariel:

Kieoki didn't need to be told more than once.

As soon as Kale asked her to help get Timothy home she was moving forwards, reaching down towards Timothy to pick him up. She hesitated though, thinking for a moment. Yes, he wasn't a large wolf, but with a non-injured arm, she would've had trouble carrying him by herself. She knew that. And with the injured arm she was certain that she wouldn't be able to pick him up and carry him the entire way home by herself. Knowing that toby probably wasn't as strong as Kale was, Kieoki turned to Kale, speaking. "I'll need your help." She said before she knelt down and gently tucked her arms under Timothy's head and back, waiting for Kale to help. It was all Kieoki could do to not flinch at the touch of fur upon her skin. She'd never touched fur before unless she'd been a wolf herself. In fact, the only time she had was the night the pack attacked her long ago. She made sure her face was blank, trying to look only worried for Timothy as she glanced at Kale, waiting.


Soar:

****

Jackie didn't know if Ulric said anything after that. It seemed an vestigial protection the earlier dose of medication that had remained had now vanished. Everything hurt, burned, and writhed like she was on fire. More than anything she wanted to hold on and stay awake, but darkness seem to loom forward despite her attempts to bait it back.

In less than a second, her head lolled back and her mind drifted away from the conscious world. Vivid colors and nebulous sounds submerged her unconsciousness, none of which she could process as more than a fleeting sensation. Yet even while asleep, she could still feel the fight warring inside of herself; the fight to live. Every breath was a blow against death and a testament to her will.

She didn't even realize as the sun passed above the horizon and she transformed back into her human form.

****

Theo might have sung when he saw the sun beginning to peak above the horizon. Fortunately, he had the constraint not to. The entire night he had been very cautious to keep a fleeting emotion of rage or sorrow under lock, as those very emotions could tear down the mental barrier he had put back to keep his inner-wolf controlled. But now the sun was coming up and he didn't need to worry about it any longer.

Following Sabrina's advice, he made a beeline back to his cabin and in a matter of a few minutes, had transformed back to a human. After slipping on something more comfortable, he walked out of the cabin and took a curious look around to see if any of the rest of the pack was finished dressing.


May:

The sun steadily rose over Mount Phantom and scattered the darkness of dawn about the valley. Far away the town of Reknab Bend became a noticeable shape out of the shadows and no doubt the farmers and ranchers of the low fields would be awake to tend their livestock.

The Calagathorm pack was scattered: Down at the ranch Uric administered to Jackie's care, meanwhile very near to the oak trees a short ways into the forest, Timothy, without the will or strength to maintain his werewolf form or consciousness lays at the feet of Beta Kale, Kieoki, and Toby. Further up the mountain Gamma Sabrina leads the younger members of the pack back to the security of the dens, and further up still, Alpha Kratos ushers the two strangers to the foot of Dead-Man-trail.

Kratos' heavy paws slowed their pace to a halt as the female stranger faltered and set herself upon the ground. He watched as her stature gave way to her human form under her relenting strength and finally leaving her to collapse from exaustion. He then turned his eyes upon the second stranger and heaved a sigh from his large chest.

"Lay down and rest. We go no futher for now." The Alpha's deep voice commanded.

As the stranger gave no sign of returning to his human form despite his obvious weakening, Kratos made a guess that he was a member of a 'nondomesticated' pack which only lightly regarded their human forms.. This would mean that the spy was trained to the werewolf form; likely raised from a young age to embrace it, and would thus be able to retain the form even in a light sleep.
However, Kratos did not see need to consider this skill as a danger, for he himself possessed it and the spy was weak.

Looking from the spy to the woman laying on the ground, the Alpha stepped forward. His bright yellow eyes stared down upon the stranger and closely examined her features. He was not within three feet distance of her, but he noted the color of her hair and the shape of her face, the scars on her face and arm, and also her general stature.
She was of a strong and sturdy build, athletic perhaps but undoubtedly hard-working. She was not a resident of Reknab Bend nor was her scent combined with the scent of a pack, and the fact that she was first generation had already been guessed..

Much of the stranger's human appearance could have rightly been imagined when beholding her in werewolf form, but Kratos was seeking neither ethnic trait nor assumable background. No indeed, his gaze sought only one simple thing; to acknowledge that she was human.
Kratos' anger at the loss of his pack mate had awakened within him the the desire of the werewolf to kill. He did not know her reasons for attacking Jacqueline nor whether they would justify her actions, but the instincts of the werewolf cared naught for these things. Kratos had not lost his control to it, but the pain in his heart was still there and he needed to remind himself that this stranger was a human being...


Cathannah:

Ah, the sun! Toby could've breathed it into his very being. The sunlight, no matter how faint and distant, really filled his heart with the fresh happiness of a new day. Just like the flowers, it felt as though last night had never happened and today was a brand new slate without a single mistake in it... Then Kieoki spoke and Toby returned to the moment.
He didn't quite know what to do right now, other than do as Kale had demanded and go home. Kieoki asked for Kale's help moving Timothy, nevermind Toby was nearby and could also help.


Aim:

Chime fell asleep under the bed despite that she told herself not too and went back to being a human when the sun rose, doing so the bed fell. She was luckily small enough so it didn't land on her but it did scare the crud out of her. Chime jumped out from under her bed, forgetting where she was, and fled from the room bumping right into Theo, making herself fall on her butt. She took a second to remember and calm herself down before looking up, "Er, sorry. I was... erm, yeah." she said, embarrassed.


Hour Glass:

Zeit yawned as she paced out of the woods, her striped pelt gleaming the the morning light. She had gone off to check the rest of the territory that the pack was not at, and it meant she had missed most of the action. She looked around, it seemed everyone was heading off for bed after the past night, or enjoying being free from their second form. She had enjoyed the night, chasing a few rabbits here and there, and gliding across the wooden paths, her paws taking her places faster then she could go in her human form ever could.

She shook out her pelt, she should seek out Kratos, and let him know that all had seemed well in the other side of the territory, and then she would need to go and get to work on her ranch. Even if she had a sleepless night, there was always something to be done on her ranch, something needing tending, or something needing fixed, and soon someone would need to stock up on groceries and feed for her animals.

She let out a light howl, letting the pack know she was coming, she could scent some excitement and anxciety in the air, and another wolf could send someone off. She kept her pace easy, following that of her leader's, and coming up to him, but stopping when she saw the unmoving body, and how the leader was moving forward. "Kratos, what happened?" she asked.


Kaqurei:

Levi responded to the alpha's direction in like fashion of a rock; that is to say that he did nothing at all. He remained standing where he had paused under the sun's stare, with his eyes fixed upon the ground. Only now and again would his eyes move, to snatch a glimpse at the unconcious human before retreating again quickly as though he'd been stabbed. Whatever he was thinking about could not be guessed at.

Then, all at once, his ears were errect and his head raised. He had heard the howl of an approaching wolf. When she made her appearance, Levi quickly lowered his head and averted his eyes once more, detecting in her body language that she had a significantly high rank. That she still held wolf form in broad daylight confirmed that she was a half-blood, as was the alpha apparently. However these facts, and the new knowledge of this alpha's name, were only of use to him in the event that he escape and report back to his own pack. Since this did not look at all viable at this point, he simply made a mental note.

****

Sabrina finished tightening her gown for her human form and left her room in time to see Chime bump into Theo. She stifled a smile and pretended not to notice. Though the sun had risen, they weren't quite out of the woods yet, there would be time for fun and games later.

"Theo, Chime," she said seriously, "Come with me." As she spoke she made for the door of the cottage and exited before any questions could be asked. She continued on at a brisk pace from the cabin to the truck where she paused only to retrieve the keys from her pocket. She unlocked the passenger side door, yanked it open, and went around to the driver's side.

As she pulled open the door, she glanced over the top of the truck to see if the two younger pack members were coming. Then she slid inside and waited for them to get into the truck, or ask questions... whichever their fancy, though she had tried to express that she desired all possible speed by the way that she spoke and moved.


Aim:

Chime jumped up at the sound of Sabrina's voice, getting up she looked at her with only one thought in her mind, "I didn't do anything!" she said, afraid she was in trouble, though that thought left as fast as it came.
"Erm, I hope I didn't miss anything while I was asleep." The young were thought, slowing walking to the truck she stood out a second before sliding in, "So, what's up?" she asked, nearly in a whisper.


Soar:

Theo easily stepped back as Chime bumped into him, watching her shuffle by. He nodded his head slightly, indicating no hard feelings, and began to head down a long windy dirt road with tall green trees that looked rather interesting. Not even two steps in, however, he heard Sabrina's voice call his name. With a reluctant sigh, he trudged towards the pick-up, with little sound save for the occasional mumble or the sound of his boots scraping on the gritted earth.

His reluctance didn't last long. As always, Sabrina has seemed to maintain an ominous and mysterious air to her. Curiosity burned in him and more than anything he wanted to burst out into a question, but something stopped him. Was it politeness, perhaps, or a simple respect for the mystery Sabrina loved to create? No, rather he knew that no matter what he said, she wouldn't answer him until she felt like it.

He grabbed the car door of the pick-up truck and quickly slid inside.

"Where are we going?" he blurted abruptly. He could only hope Sabrina was in the mood to answer questions now or else the curiosity might kill him.

****

Kale:

Kale stepped foreward and helped Kieoki lift Toby, his form seeming rather light to her, she helped carry him home.
As Kale took careful steps, she mentally cursed herself for this situation. for how none of them ever realized just how much they misunderstood Timothy. How many others in the pack could end up just like him?
Most werewolves don't have pleasant beginnings. If she looked over her pack, just how many would have eyes like Timothy's? Kale wondered. How many were hesitant, or angry, or lost, and completely misunderstood?
Kale looked at his face and vowed to always bring them home.


Mariel:

Kieoki appreciated the help as Kale helped her carry Timothy home. But unlike how Kale's thoughts were wandering off about how others may be like Timothy, Kieoki's thoughts were selfish, detached and made no more sense to her than to anyone else if she would have said them aloud. As they neared home, Kieoki increasingly started to keep her blue eyes on anything but Kale or Timothy. She was trying to forget the way Timothy's fur was brushing up against the bare skin of her arms. She was suppressing the memories that were starting to surface, and the pain in her arm was flaring up. Kieoki frowned, trying to keep composure of herself until they could reach home...

And you say you're not weak, do you? Her wolf snickered out in her mind, making Kieoki mash her teeth together in slight anger. It wasn't helping that her wolf was deliberately digging up buried memories in their mind and throwing them into Kieoki's vision either. Her vision blurred, and she only barely managed to keep walking like nothing was going on, like there wasn't a memory-crazy wolf side of her who revolved in the fact that she was messing with Kieoki. It was more or less Kieoki's fault though. Her wolf gave her no respect when she acted like some little submitting baby. Kieoki was so focused on trying to block out her wolf that she barely noticed it when they arrived back home. Kieoki just blindly followed Kale into one of the cottages before they laid Timothy down on a bed. Was it his bed? Was this even his room? Which cottage were they in anyways?

Pity, Kieoki. It took you this long to go insane. Kieoki snarled at her wolf in her mind before she snapped back to the reality in front of her. Pain flushed through her arm, but she pressed it down along with the memories of her past. She didn't need to deal with them now...or anytime soon for that matter. Free of Timothy, Kieoki turned to leave when she remembered her sash. It was still around Timothy's wound. Kieoki half turned towards him, debating for a moment before she let it go. She could always get it later. Wuss. Ignoring her wolf now, Kieoki slipped out of the room and headed towards the back side of the cottage to see if this was the one she had her room in. Upon hitting the last room, Kieoki ducked inside and huffed stiffly when she saw it wasn't hers. In another moment she pushed open the window and was outside, walking back to the other cottage before she climbed into her room after she opened the window from the outside.

Kieoki shut her window and then turned to her door, shutting it with a soft click before she faced the window again and sighed, leaning back against the door as she sunk to the ground, wincing in pain. She glanced at her injured arm, and frowned at the thin stream of blood that was dripping down her arm from the bite marks. She grimly smiled at the wound, not prepared for the onslaught of an old memory when her wolf threw it at her just for kicks. Growls, pain, teeth and screams. They filled Kieoki's mind as she fought against her wolf to suppress them. When had she become so weak? Weakness made her wolf angry and malicious. Shaking her head as if that would free her from her past, Kieoki stood, swaying on her feet for a second before she walked to the dresser in her room. It really wasn't full of anything other than a spare kimono that she'd bought in case something happened to the one she was wearing now. But there also was one drawer that was just full of small scraps of white and red fabric from past clothes that she'd reduced to rags.

Kieoki grabbed the new dress and two strips of old cloth before she set to work. Tuning out her wolf, she used the one cloth strip to wash her bleeding arm off with. When it was about as clean as she could get it, she used the other red cloth strip to tie it around the bite wounds with the help of her teeth. Satisfied with her makeshift bandage, Kieoki slipped her ragged dress off and held it in front of her with a frown. It was splattered with blood and torn to shreds at the bottom. Not worth fixing. With a resigned sigh, she added it to the drawer full of other destroyed cloth bits. She grabbed up her new dress and unfolded it with a soft wince at herself. She'd forgotten that she'd forgotten to get another white and red kimono. The one before her she'd gotten for...certain reasons. She couldn't help but hear her wolf burst out laughing as she slipped the dress on. It was a sunset colored dress that faded from dark purple to deep red and then to orange going from the bottom up. At least the sash was still a blood red. Kieoki picked up her dropped dagger from the floor and slipped it into her sash.

Looking half-decent now, Kieoki headed towards the closed door of her room, her hand outstretched to open it. But her hand stopped on the doorknob, and worry crossed over her face. And she stood there, hand on the door as she didn't open it.


Cathannah:

Toby followed the two girls back to the houses and instantly went to his room to hange into something more presentable, and perhaps find something else in his bag to eat. Chips were all that he had left, and while unhealthy, Toby was too hungery to care. He transformed back into his human form to get a better taste for the salt and started to eat.


May:

Timothy's body was limp as he was lifted from the forest floor and carried back toward the new dens. The place where he had fallen was precisely the same distance from Ziet's ranch as from the new dens, and it was wise of Kale to have them carry him toward the latter.

The place where Timothy had been retreating could easily be guessed by Kale now.. The rivers sound and smell was clear and its dark body could even be seen as the light of the sun slipped through the trees. Neither Kieoki nor Toby could have known the danger, but if Timothy had only managed to cross the river before the morning came in, then both young pack members would have soon been snared in a most deadly trap. For just beyond was the chasm which in his attempt to kill Kratos had lead Gathen to a most unfortunate doom..
But whether by luck or destiny the peril had been adverted, yet all was not over. Timothy had collapsed and appeared to have lost consciousness, however, his werewolf form was somehow being retained though his body seemed to possess no strength at all.

Later on, Timothy would not be able to recall anything of the journey back to the new dens. But through dream-like glimpses, he felt the skin of his pack mates and saw the brightened leaves of the bushes.. He also thought he saw, just for a short moment, a smooth face by the river with glistening eyes and a sorrowful expression.

*****

Kratos' ears barely moved when he heard Zeit's howl, his sharp eyes continuing to study over the face of the woman stranger. When the Beta entered the area, her concern was perhaps notable in her voice, yet Kratos gave no immediate answer.

After a moment he stood up on two legs and turned aside to speak with Zeit.
"I do not know." The Alpha replied softly. "What all has happened this night I do not know, my friend. "
At this Kratos paused and looked briefly upon the captured spy before turning back toward Zeit and continuing. "This man is a spy, but I am not familiar with the pack from which he comes. And this- this stranger, she has Jackqueline's blood and perhaps life upon her hands.. Timothy caught the scent of her blood well before any of the rest of us, but he was not in control. I called for you and Kale, but I do not believe either of you heard it and Kieoki went after him."
Kratos looked down and shook his head. "Kieoki and Timothy would be well matched in strength and size, and I can only hope that Kieoki was the swifter and protected Jackqueline, but I have not yet called out to ask.... I do not know of Sabrina and the rest of the pack either."

Kratos' form began to shrink then and soon he stood in human stature. But even so, he was not at all small, his human form easily stood seven feet tall and he was a strongly built man. His eyes retained the brilliant yellow of his werewolf form, but the darkness of his hair vanished completely and even curled slightly upon his head.
"I am indeed grateful for your company at this time." He said with a sigh. "My strength is worn, though I am not weakened, and I confess I do not know what to do with these strangers now."

******
Far now from Zeit's ranch and the mountain range beyond it, Ulric had taken Jackie to a hospital in Reknab Bend.
Ulric had been able to ease the pain and bleeding of Jackie's wounds with the things that had been stored in his bag, but Jackie's attacker had meant to kill her and there was simply little else he knew to do.. His decision to bring her to the hospital was perhaps something many other werewolves would have thought foolish. But in the city where Ulric had lived, his previous pack had not been shy about bringing their injured to the hospitals, for even there many members worked and could easily tend to one of their own..

It was well that Kale, Toby, and Kieoki had brought Timothy back toward the new dens, for as dawn passed through the sky and the morning brightened the land, Ulric had need to bring Jackie by Zeit's cottage where he had parked his car. He had gone from there directly to the nearest emergency center in Reknab and filed his own name for issue of payment.

Ulric now laid his head back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. Jackie had been taken from his care, but he was shaken and exhausted. A nurse, whom could obviously see this, watched him and at last approached.
"Can I get you anything sir?" She asked gently.
Ulric acknowledged her politely, but only replied that he needed nothing. The nurse gave a brief smile, then she requested permission to take the seat next to him, which Ulric permitted.
She then remained silent for a moment, before asking another question. "Do you have any family in town?"
Ulric, whom had by now erected his sitting position, glanced at the nurse's face and shook his head. The nurse watched his expression keenly and did not seem content, but she pressed no further concerning it.
"You said it was wild dogs who attacked her?" The nurse asked. "Were you there when it happened?"
Thinking for a moment, Ulric now looked upon the woman more closely and noted her features as he replied. "I wasn't there, but I heard some of it."
"So did you see any of the dogs, or if they were wolves?" She said.
"No." Ulric replied simply.
"Ah. Well, there have been quite a few wolf attacks around here, it's very likely to be them. They come out of the mountains and aren't shy of people. I've heard that they've even been seen in the streets and near grocery stores." The nurse explained as she brushed her short red hair from her face with her hand. "I don't know what kind of precautions the farmers are taking for their livestock, but the wolves don't seem to bother them. I've never heard of the wolves going after cows or sheep, and chickens don't vanish in the night.. But anyone who has ever seen those wolves say that they are big, bigger than one would expect, and they don't behave like wild animals should. One thing's for sure though; they're growing too dangerous to keep around."

The nurse was ever watchful of Ulric's expressions, though she often threw her glance to the window or walls while explaining. Ulric listened carefully and nodded for her sake, but this information was not a good report concerning the werewolves whom lived here..


****

Kaqurei:

Sabrina already had the truck's engines roaring by the time that Theo got in and asked his question. Even before the door on his side was shut the truck was screeching in reverse, corrected its position, and went rumbling back down the path they had come towards Zeit's ranch.

Small rocks in the path crunched under the wheels of the truck and caused the whole rig to vibrate horribly. "We're going to Zeit's place to pick up a few things," Sabrina said after a few moments, "Judging by the howls all night, I'm sure people are hurt. When we get there, I'm going to need both of you to act quick, gather what I need, and get back to the truck as soon as possible."

They went over a deep indention in the path about then and the truck jolted violently. Sabrina changed gears and kept on. "Chime, you know where to find blankets, right? We'll need about eight of them. And towels. Theo, I'll need you to fill a barrel of water and load it on the back of the truck. You'll find the barrel inside Zeit's barn. I'll get bandages and herbs from my things. Understood?"

They cleared the trees about then and could see Zeit's house accross the fields.

****

Levi was becoming very uncomfortable with the amount of information that the alpha was so freely spilling in his presence. Either he was purposely setting him up with false information, or he was insanely inexperienced. If the latter, the alpha's sparing his life might have merely been a weak-stomached fluke that could all too easily be remedied. That he now admitted to his beta that he had no idea what to do with his captives furthered this train of thought.

Still, he could do nothing yet but wait.


Hour Glass:

"I'm not sure what to do with him" the female growled, eyeing the spy, "He knows about our pack, running him off would let him take the information back to the ones who sent him, but keeping him here could let him learn more information, and leave us open for attack." She looked tot he spy, "And he would have to give me a good reason to trust him, if he stayed I'd want him close so I could watch his every move."

She looked to the woman, "As for her, I have no clue what to do, but if she can be of help for Jackie, keeping her under watch might be a good thing. She looked back to leader, waiting for instruction.


Soar:

****

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The noise cut through the silence of her mind like a knife. For the first time in hours, Jackie stirred.

Immediately confusion swept her mind. She didn't know where she was, or if she even was anywhere. Blackness had swept every corner of her vision. Yet the more she considered her predicament, the more she could realize what she did know.

For one thing, she didn't feel a tide of pain she had felt earlier. No, rather she felt dull and heavy, like someone had weighted her down with lead. A pain medication perhaps? She considered the idea for a moment and realized it seemed considerably plausible. The medication must have been strong, too, to even begin to have the effect it was having. The beeping continued to hum in her ear like an irritating bee, but she slowly realized that it hummed in sync with the beats of her heart. Like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, her sleepy mind slowly configured what she knew until she had formulated a single theory of what had happened. Ulric had brought her to hospital.

Which meant, once she opened her eyes, the darkness that spread infinitely before her would vanish. With a bit of effort, she struggled to open her heavy eyelids. It was the equivalent of lifting cinder blocks.

A multitude of different sensory details struck her at once. The room she was in smelled sterile and clean, yet there was still the smell the foul, sticky sickness that lingered in the background. The ceiling was a blinding white, so much so that she could make out little else until she blinked a few times. The wall-paper on the walls was an obnoxious floral print. Several beds were hid behind blue curtains to the left of her, although they were unoccupied; apparently the hospital hadn't been too busy apart from herself. Warm sunshine filtered through the curtain of the window at the farthest edge of the room, which lightly settled on her cheeks. It was mostly quiet, save for the steady beep of the monitor beside her, the shuffle of feet, or the quiet conversation somewhere outside her door.

In fact... something about the voices that carried from the hall struck her as familiar. She sorted through the jumble of facts in her mind, easily dismissed the female voice as unimportant, than focused on the deep voice of the male. After a moment of contemplation, it dawned on her that the voice was Ulric. She hadn't expected him to stick around and couldn't help but feel shocked that he had. She listened more intently, trying to catch the gist of what they were talking about, but only caught the last sentence of the woman.

They're growing too dangerous to keep around"

The voices faded to silence, yet Jackie continued to strain her hearing to catch more. What was too dangerous? The answer seemed obvious, yet the nurse couldn't have known about werewolves. Not unless as of late the pack had been dropping far too many clues or the locals had been paying too much attention to the ongoing of the forest. Actually, bad thought there. She hadn't been around long, but she'd known that Kratos and his pack of jolly mutts weren't exactly well-behaved. Brief worry flushed her mind, but she let the emotion end there. It wasn't her concern.

Her thoughts collected for a few more seconds, she found herself no longer satisfied laying down like a useless lump. Inhaling deeply and gathering herself, she clumsily lifted her heavy hand and reached for the rack that held her IV bag at the side. She brought her other hand over, nearly slamming it into the rack, and with a grunt strained to upright herself.

"Nnng,"

Beepbeepbeepbeep.
The monitor exploded in a shrill just as the room seemed to spin beneath her. Short two seconds from drooling on the cold, dirty floor of the hospital, Jackie decided it wiser to sit panting at the edge of the bed.

****

Theo wasn't too fond of the car ride. For one thing, the driver seemed intent on killing them. Sabrina drove too quickly down the unpathed rode, plowing through it with little regard for the occupants. His teeth vibrated in his jaw, as did about every other bone in his body, and he sighed with a grimace.

If the way Sabrina was driving didn't clue him in on the urgency, her explanation did. While he had honestly been as behaved as a lapdog that night, there was no denying the fact that odd activities had taken place in the forest that night. Injury seemed to be imminent rather than a possibility. He grunted, indicating he had understood Sabrina, although dedicated no more sound to add to it.

The trees soon became scarcer and scarcer until finally they gave way entirely for the empty expanse of the farm. Nestled like an egg against the pale baby blue of the morning sky sat the cottage. He had already unbuckled his seat belt (having buckled it as soon as he learned Sabrina's value on safety) and tensed as he waited for the ancient truck to splutter to a stop.


Aim:

Chime grabbed hold of her seat as they sped away. It had took by surprise and she nearly panicked as she tried to buckle her seat beat, when she finally did she found herself needing to unbuckle it again as Zeit's house came into play. Chime nodded and got ready to jumped out after Theo, she did indeed know where those where, though it never popped into her head to ask how many towels.


May:

Much to the nurse's alarm Ulric jumped up off his chair amid the conversation several seconds before Jackie's heart-rate monitor even sped up. In fact, the nurse hadn't known what to think until the shrill beeping began. Then she clicked a button tied on her wrist and rushed to Jackie's bedside.

"Ma'am, please lay down." The red-headed woman urged. "The doctor will be here in just a moment."

Ulric stood with a concerned expression in the doorway of the curtained room. He stayed quiet and watched Jackie and the nurse, he didn't know if there was any assistance or comfort he could give, but he was prepared to offer anything he had.

****

A deep voice spoke out of the darkness. It was gruff and hollow as if being heard like an echo down a long empty pipe.
Timothy lifted his eyes slowly, not very high, just enough to see the dark pair of paws standing in front of him. Then he lowered his gaze and turned his head away.
The voice did not repeat the words, though Timothy waited and listened for them. The air seemed thick and sticky, like the mist on that morning in spring just before the sun broke through the clouds. But there was no sun here, no light that could penetrate the growing confusion in this place.

Where was he, what was this place? Timothy hadn't cared to think about it until now, but the more he thought about it, the less he knew and the more curious he got. Yet something at the back of his mind told him not to look up, not to try to remember this place. There was an aching in his heart, a feeling which was on the edge of his mind. It was a bittersweet sensation..
He knew he wanted it, that he longed for it, having known what it was at some point in his life.. But that it had a unsavory feeling near it, like something terrible that would cause his every bone to tremble.

"No." Timothy said to himself, and he felt the word slip from his lips into the darkness but vanish before it entered his ears. All was silent around him.

Timothy dared to lift his eyes again, looking to find the paws that were there before, but hoping they were not there. As he timidly lifted his gaze, he found that whomever had stood there was now gone, or else was not standing where Timothy had last seen him. Then as he looked further he could see a pathway through a tunnel of trees and branches.
Light filtered through the leaves and Timothy felt comforted. He had been here before, he now knew that he must be beside the oaks at the edge of the den.. He would not be looked for here, at least not while he was alone.

Timothy wanted to run away from here as fast as his legs could carry him. He knew he did not want to return to the den or greet whomever it was whom had left. He then wondered where he could go, where he would find safety, someplace that would be protected from- Who was it? Timothy couldn't remember, but he knew there was one place he would be safe, and wanted to go to it.
However, he could no longer recall how to get there or who would meet him.
Then that bittersweet sensation returned and Timothy knew all he had to do was turn around and look. But fear was present now along with that terrible memory at the edge of his mind. Everything was okay though, wasn't it? He was safe as long as he was alone..
"I'll do it. There's nothing wrong, I can defend myself." He said. Then he wanted to close his eyes and forget all over again. "Would it really hurt that much? I know I'm strong and fast."

Timothy had made up his mind now, but he felt that every part of him was now braced in the expectancy of some unnameable pain.. A pain he had felt once but had cut out of himself that it would not hurt him any longer.
"Don't do it." Timothy whispered to himself. "Isn't it where I want to go? I know that when I think about it I savor safety and love, comfort, and kindness... But then I think about it more and feel afraid, and I know something terrible happened. I don't want to think about it, I don't want to know it. What was so terrible?"

Timothy tried to remember what it was that was so terrible and then everything changed. The yellow light of the sun vanished and the trees turned red. Standing where the pathway had been was a large gray wolf which stared at him in silence.
"Where's the pack? Are you a loner?" Timothy said aloud and he heard his voice echo in his ears. Suddenly he felt a burning fear rush through his body then abruptly freeze in his veins.The wolf uncovered his teeth, his hackles raised, and he slowly began to approach.

Timothy thought that he had wanted to run, but took a step forward instead. "I'm not afraid of you. I'll fight you if you come closer."
The wolf halted and began growling. Timothy then became aware of a dull pain across his neck and back which was slowly growing and he felt liquid seeping over his shoulder.
"Is it raining?" He wondered, but he did not look to find out. His eyes were trained on the eyes of the wolf.

The beast then changed, and it continued to move forward. It stood up on two legs and upon its head were two curled horns, but its body was still covered in fur and it still looked much like an animal.

"Run! Run!" Timothy heard a high voice scream!
Timothy's heart began beating hard and fast in his chest. "If I run then I'm his prey." Timothy tried to explain.
But the woman did not hear him and continued screaming a word which he could not understand. Then he was aware that he could smell and hear rushing water and could feel something against his arm.

"I'm not going to run." Timothy growled. "I'm strong, they fear me!"
Despite this however, Timothy suddenly found the scene changed and he was running. He felt his heart pounding and knew the beast was after him!
The pain in his back increased and he realized that his energy was spent and every muscle in his body was straining! He knew there was a reason why he was running; he didn't want the beast to stop, he wanted it to follow him. Why?

Timothy became frustrated and came to a complete halt!
"I'm not playing this game! Give me answers or leave me alone!!" He said and turned around to face the monster! What he saw was the smooth sorrowful face of a girl standing by the river, but before he could ask any questions the face of the beast appeared in front of him with its jaws agape!

No longer human, Timothy attacked the beast with a dreadful fear in his heart, but it was not fear of the beast nor of his own safety.... It was fear for the girl, and suddenly that fear caught aflame and filled Timothy's entire body with rage!

****

Timothy's fists had been clenched since he had fallen in the forest, his muscles were tense and every ounce of energy he possessed was being used to maintain his werewolf form. With such little practice in as a werewolf, Timothy shouldn't have had the ability to retain that form as long as he had.
It seemed that the moment the moon had loosened her hold, Timothy had been fighting to gain one.


Mariel:

Kieoki pulled her hand away from the doorknob then, flinching as she did so before she kneaded the fingers of that hand with the fingers of her other. Frowning, she moved her good hand to her forehead as she started yelling at her wolf in her mind. It'd been a long time since her wolf had been so loud, so demanding. Kieoki winced and shook her head, knowing she wouldn't be able to go out in front of the others when she was already muttering to herself under her breath. This wasn't good.

Turning away from the door, and trying to tune out the maniacal laugh that started ringing out in her mind, Kieoki headed towards the window and slid it open, hopping out in a flash, landing silently on the ground. She glanced around, making sure no one could see her -or so she hoped- before she darted off into the forest. She needed a break. It wasn't like she enjoyed staying up all night just to have no sleep in the morning. She'd been planning on getting some sleep, and now that didn't seem like it was going to happen anytime soon. Or was it?

When Kieoki hit the forest she wasn't running on two legs anymore. Her bare feet weren't hitting the ground, but her soft brown paws were, her tail streaming out behind her. She clenched her teeth against the pain in her arm but kept running until her wolf was large in her mind, her body, aching to be let in control. Deciding that she was far enough away from anyone that her wolf wouldn't cause any harm, Kieoki sighed and relaxed her grip, drifting off into her mind where she promptly fell asleep as she let her wolf have some free time.

Free for the first time in a long time, Kieoki's wolf let out a playful bark and slowed down, trotting happily in the silence that was surrounding her. She glanced around, nose to the air as she tried to pick out a scent, but not finding it she shrugged and continued to walk onwards, not realizing until after a few minutes had passed that her arm was still injured. Shouldn't it have?...oh right. It wouldn't have. Why had she had to go do that thing in the first place? Kieoki's wolf shrugged and dismissed the thought before she paused, looking around herself. She seemed to still be in Kratos's territory, but she couldn't sense him. She was worried about running into him, but she could make something up about why she was a wolf. She's have to wake Kieoki to shift back if needed though, and that thought made her fur bristle. That weak girl. Why did she have to be stuck with someone as weak as her?

But enough negative thoughts, it was time to enjoy herself. And that started with finding something to eat. She sunk lower to the ground and scented the air, trying to pick up on the scent of a small animal. It took a few minutes, but she suddenly scented a small creature that wasn't very far away. She stalked towards it, blind to the pain in her shoulder as she closed in on the small creature. She was close to it when she stopped, crouching down as she prepared to strike. Another second would be all she needed to catch that little bit of food. A lift of a paw...and she jumped, her jaws opening to snatch up the animal. But her paws hit the ground and not the creature. It had darted sideways and she was unable to lash out sideways because of the sharp pain that shot up her arm. She whined and lifted her paw from the ground, mentally cursing Kieoki for letting them get injured.

Narrowing her eyes, she gingerly set her paw back down and trotted off again, trying to forget about the pain flashing down through her injured arm. After another fifteen minutes or so, the pain got the better of her and she sat down under a tree, huffing softly as she laid down on her stomach, her head resting on her paws. This was so bittersweet. She got to have control only to have herself hindered by an old mistake and this stupid wound. She had the greatest luck. Muttering to herself, she closed her eyes, planning to take a break here for awhile.


Soar:

****

Still clinging to the side of the IV rack, Jackie titled her head to offer a rather icy glare at the nurse. For a moment, it seemed Jackie would disregard the nurse's order out of pure spite from having one. Fortunately, the mental image of herself babbling incoherent portions of the alphabet via angered nurse dosing her full of who-knew-what stopped that particular notion. Almost obediently, she slowly slid herself back onto the stiff sheets of the hospital bed. She maintained the icy glare at the nurse all the same.

From her periphery vision she spotted the tall figure of Ulric loitering in the door-way. Jackie found herself mildly amused by the concern that spread across her face, but at the same time a little uneasy because of it. He'd saved her life. More than that, he still continued to show concern for her well-being even after he'd known her to be in capable hands. It was the kind of debt that she would never loose nor ever likely to repay. It was the kind of debt that made life complicated.

With a slow sight, she traced her fingers over the puckered red edge of a light scratch of her arms. Nothing could be done now other than to wait like a silly child for the doctor to look at her from behind a long stack of charts, then pester her with questions.


May:

The nurse fidgeted around Jackie until her patient had consented to obey, then she went about straightening the sheet and checking on the monitors.

Ulric watched closely but did not enter the 'room' just yet. He could see the nurse felt Jackie's distaste toward her, though she worked with an air of control and dominance, knowing well that her patient was not in any position to argue.. Being werewolf, Ulric could easily see all this; for them it was not at all difficult to understand and communicate without words or signals, most werewolves did so naturally.
Arrogance it seemed that this woman fully expected or else demanded Jackie to submit to her, but Ulric knew most doctors and nurses were like this; showing their authority over their patients in like manner.

Then came the clack of shoes outside the large room and Ulric looked over his shoulder to see a man enter. This was the doctor, Ulric had seen him earlier and was not alarmed, but he felt a need to communicate his position.
As the man approached, Ulric stepped into Jackie's 'room' and came to stand by her bed. In this small gesture subconsciously overlooked by the nurse, he allowed Jackie to know that he would protect her if they made her uncomfortable.

"Alright, so what do we have here?" The doctor asked as he pushed aside the curtain.
"It looks good, Dr. Howard." The nurse said, giving the doctor her papers and stepping aside for him to examine the patient.
"Good, good. It looks like you're recovering quite quickly from your injuries." Dr. Howard explained as he read over the brief notes and adjusted a few of the monitors. "You should go back to sleep and rest a bit longer."
Ulric observed that whatever Dr. Howard and the nurse reviewed on those papers had slightly disconcerted them. He guessed that it was the extraordinary rate at which Jackie's body was recovering, and likely that she had regained consciousness so quickly despite the great amount of medication still within her system..
These assumptions were correct, for neither Dr. Howard nor the nurse had previously come into contact with the unnatural strength of a werewolf. However, they did not allow their confusion to be obvious, and faked a casual countenance.

"We'll give you something to help you go back to sleep." Dr. Howard said as he gave an inscription to the nurse. "I'll be back to check on your progress in a bit. You're doing just fine."

****

Kratos crossed his arms and looked at the spy as he considered Ziet's take.. There were reasons for what the Alpha said and allowed to be heard, but as always, he kept those thoughts entirely to himself.

For a short time Kratos stared hard at the spy in silence with the light of the sun captured in the liquid lens beneath his dark brow and brilliantly lighting his yellow eyes. It was a harsh stare but not cruel, though it was likely a cruel fate which allowed light to come exactly through the branches and illuminate the Alpha's eyes in a completely inhuman way.
Even at a distance the details of his iris seemed to be clear and it was truly ominous that the effect gave his eyes the appearance of a yellow glow. However, it was hard to say whether or not Kratos was blinded by it; his gaze seemed fixed into the eyes of the spy....

"Well now, I think I know what I will do with him.." Kratos' deep voice came out at last, looking back toward Zeit. " Seems not everything I have done has been in vain. That ditch by the dens, do you remember? I never explained my original intentions for it, but I think now it might actually have another purpose.. It was designed to keep in werewolf terrorists, particularly Timothy, whom I decided would need special training; a werewolf won't be able to escape it.."

With a smile upon his face Kratos looked again at the spy, his crossed arms coming undone. "Yes, that will do well for you." He said. "I should think it will keep you quite secure, especially from the rest of us whom might otherwise show you no great deal of tolerance.."

After another moment of thought, though this time very brief, the Alpha turned again toward the Beta and spoke.
"I don't know if the woman has the training to control her werewolf form, but I would like to figure it out before moving these two away from the area. .....You, eh, smell like the pines near Dead Man Trail, Zeit, though pardon me for saying so..."
Kratos' hand swept up his face and through his hair before returning to his side. "I uhm, am wondering if that is where you were all night?"


Kaqurei:

Sabrina wasted no time in parking the truck, though she left the keys in the ignition and let it continue purring. She trusted Chime and Theo would see to their assigned duties promptly, and thus said no more to them as she hurried up Zeit's porch and entered the house.

She gathered her herbs and healing tools from the drawer she had left them in a month prior, as well as a few things from the kitchen. Once she had everything, she returned to the truck and waited for Theo and Chime.

****

Levi was succumbing. The higher the sun rose, the more Levi could feel his borrowed strength deserting him. With it, went his resolve to remain conscious.

The enemy alpha's words became a blur of jumbled sounds, though Levi understood that they meant to secure him in a pit of some kind. Pine trees were mentioned, though Levi was unable to determine whether or not they were significant. His head felt light and his flesh weak--specks of light were appearing and disappearing before his eyes. Agitating his injury did not help him now... he could barely feel anything, or else he felt too much for him to process it. His pace of breathing picked up as he still tried to resist passing out, but abandoned by the Moon he was weak. A snarl rose up in his throat and he growled loudly--at the alpha, at his own feebleness--It seemed then like the ground evaporated under his feet and he was suddenly falling--then there was a sharp pain in his head and he knew nothing more.


Aim:

Chime jumped out of the truck and ran to the front door. Once she got inside she went to the place where they stashed blankets, she grabbed eight out them, and ran to the bathroom where she grabbed around six towels. Panting, she ran for the door and, nearly tripping herself, got outside. She got back to the truck and put her bundle in before giving Sabrina a quick nod and jumping in herself.


Soar:

Theo stumbled out of the van a few seconds after Chime. Fresh, cold morning air barreled into him like a tide of water. The boy jumped in bewilderment and held back a yelp, surprised by how cold the air was compared to the truck. The truck hummed as though impatient. It suddenly dawned on him that if he continued to stand like on old log, Sabrina might a-- yell at him or b--- cut her loss with the barrel of water and leave without him. Theo sprinted quickly towards the barn at that cheerful thought.

He pushed open the door of the barn; it creaked in protest. He poked around damp hay and old supplies for a few minutes without finding any sign of the barrel. He was on the verge of dubbing the barrel a lost cause, before spotting it peaking out from behind a large pile of ropes. Grabbing it haphazardly by the rim with one hand and the lid in the other, he jogged outside in front of the blue-green hose he had spotted earlier. Theo turned it on to full blast and water gushed easily into the empty barrel.

Several minutes later, he found himself straining to carry a very heavy barrel of water. Watching Chime emerge with a stack of light-weight blankets only seemed like rubbing salt in the wound. The barrel seemed to grow heavier in his arms at the sight. Feeling akin to something of a pack mule, he lugged the barrel up the remaining distance, deposited it in the back of the truck with a loud thunk, and loaded himself back into the truck.

As an after-thought, he clicked his seat-belt into the buckle. If Sabrina had been urgent on getting to the farm, there was no doubt she would be just as urgent on getting back, if not more so. Which meant a thumbs up for safety first and a very safe-looking seat-belt.


Kaqurei:

If seeing Chime carry out a load of blankets made Theo hurt, seeing Sabrina return must have truly burned. What exactly she did while she was in the house could not be made certain of - only that she disappeared for a short time and reappeared just as Theo finished loading the barrel of water onto the truck. She did not seem to be carrying anything at all, save a white sack that she had tied to her waist! She wasted about as much time getting into the truck as she had getting out of it earlier, though, and within only seconds of assessing that Chime and Theo also were already in the vehicle she had it roaring back up the path it had come.

She might have muttered a thanks to the both of them, but it was too brief for anyone to be sure. Other than that, she was silent for the rest of the short ride until they returned to what had been so affectionately referred to as the Werewolf Boot Camp.

Again gears were changed, the brake employed, and the passengers given the whiplash of their lives... well, probably not that bad, but as the Pack Healer one would think that Sabrina would be more careful about her driving else more unnecessary injuries be caused.

"Let me see those blankets, Chime," Sabrina said as she pulled the keys out of the ignition. Without waiting for a reply, Sabrina hefted up the stack and exited the truck. Promptly, she shifted into her Were form and heaved the barrel out of the back of the truck too. "Let me know when the others start returning," Sabrina said. "Direct them to the First Den."

Sabrina carried her load to said den. She dropped the burden in a corner and set to preparing a makeshift infirmary in the main room--first she gathered the blankets and laid out beds on the wooden floor, then the towels were folded and laid on the oak table in the center of the room, whose decorations she had cleared so that it could double as an operation table should she require one. Several kinds of powdered herbs, medicines, and salves were produced from the white sack and placed next to the towels.

Next she lifted the barrel with some effort and dragged it to the kitchen. Hurriedly she searched various cabinets for large pots, which she was pleased to find had already been stocked. These she filled with water from the barrel and hefted onto the werewolf-sized oven. Flames roared as she turned up the stove to full heat. She found blades of varying sizes in drawers nearest the stove--though they all looked quite new (Kratos must have bought them specifically for the dens), she put them in the burners for sterilization anyway, just in case.

Returning to the main room of the den, she busily pulled several thick sheets of fabric out of her sack and set to tearing them into strips for bandages.

****

Mariel:

Little did her wolf know, but as she fell asleep, Kieoki herself drifted off too. Not that she was there much at all in the first place though. But before her wolf could realize it, Kieoki woke up before she did, realized that she was in her wolf form, and transformed back into her human form. Before her wolf could wake up Kieoki had taken back control and banished the wolf to the fringes of her mind. She hadn't waken yet, and Kieoki knew there would be a problem when she did, but she would have to deal with it then.

Glancing down at her human self with a small grimace, Kieoki stood, leaning heavily against the tree beside her because of feeling slightly dizzy. She frowned at herself and shook the feeling away before stepping away from the tree. Her injured arm hung lightly at her side, and she glanced down at herself in momentary confusion. Since when was she wearing this kimono? What had happened to her red and white o-

Oh yeah.

Kieoki sighed, remembering what had happened to have her this way. She shook her head slightly at herself and then looked up and around herself, not sure where she was in relation to the camp anymore. Not like it mattered much. Krat was off who knows where and she knew no one else would come looking for her. A touch of sadness filled her eyes, but she banished the emotions and started walking back towards the camp. She didn't know where that was, but she scented the air with her dull human nose and picked the direction that smelled the strongest of werewolf. It would most likely lead her back to camp. She walked with no hurry, not really wanting to get back to camp anytime soon.

As she walked, her bare feet silently skimming over the forest floor, she glanced down at herself again, having forgotten how soft and flowing this dress was in comparison to the others she wore. A smile fluttered across her face for a brief moment in her enjoyment. She closed her eyes and walked, enjoying the blissful peace. How soft this was...so smooth and silky. Her eyes flickered open again and she kept walking, forgetting how long the run had taken her to get out here in the first place. After twenty-five minutes, she started to grow worried that she'd gone the wrong way until she remembered that she'd run out here as a wolf. Of course she wasn't back yet.

The ache in her arm was starting to flare up even more than it had before, and she gritted her teeth against the pain, realizing that she'd have to sew it closed before nightfall. Otherwise, it'd take too long to heal and she wasn't going to let anyone know she didn't heal right just yet. This got her to thinking of how to find some thread and a needle. That may be a problem...maybe someone would have one in their room? But no, she wasn't going to go digging through people's stuff here. They'd be able to smell her scent and would probably freak out. Rolling her eyes at herself, Kieoki kept walking and almost walked smack dab into camp. At the last moment she realized that she'd made it back and she stopped herself on the fringes of camp, slightly hesitant.

Why did she hesitate? She wasn't sure herself. Krat wasn't back in camp yet, that she could feel, but she still hesitated. Skirting the edges of the camp, she worked her way around to her room. It took her a few minutes, but she made it there without being seen -or so she hoped- and slipped into her room. She gently shut the window behind herself and walked over to her bed and plopped down on its edge, frowning at herself. Why did she hesitate? She lifted her good arm, starring at herself as a small blush spread across her face as she realized why she'd hesitated. Stupid. She banished the growing blush from her face and banished those silly thoughts from her mind. But what was she going to do now? Her thoughts flickered and switched to Timothy. Was he okay now? But no one had really done anything. And she knew he was injured, wasn't he? Kieoki slipped onto her feet, not quite sure why she was worrying about him in the first place. He was so much purer than her that it made her blanch at the thought. This stopped her hand on the knob of her door.

Kieoki rolled her eyes at herself for hesitating. She opened her door and walked out, determined to do something. She wasn't sure if she was going to go see Timothy or try to find Krat. Now there was another option. She could go find Krat. But what good would that do? Kieoki sighed to herself as she walked out of the cottage and stopped outside the entrance to it. Undecided, she ended up sitting down on the porch, leaning against the one support beam.


May:

****

Kratos' attention again fell upon the stranger whom had collapsed to the forest floor. A burden was lifted then which the Alpha could neither recognize nor deny; his thoughts and emotions felt too hard to describe. But all such matters would have to wait to be evaluated, for the one thing he felt for certain was his responsibility, and that took priority over all other matters.

The spy, though seemingly unconscious, held his werewolf form which revealed more of his experience and rank. It would appear he had extended work in the area spying on the pack, or else his presence would not have even been known before he had already reported his findings. It would be hard to determine how much he knew now...
And as for the woman, Kratos could not guess whether or not her actions were intentional.

"Alright." He said after a moment, and followed it with a heavy sigh. "I will not risk sending a status report by voice, the morning is young and no doubt we have already raised enough alarms.. I will carry these two down the mountain, and I would have you go down ahead of me, Zeit, and see about the others before I get there.."
Kratos moved forward over the spy and changed form even as he walked, coming to stoop over the weakened werewolf. Then taking the cord from the leg of his pants the Alpha bound the spy's face that he could not open his mouth. Again without cruelty of manner but firmness, Kratos treated the stranger until his paws and limbs were tied as precaution against his sudden reawakening.
However the same would not be done to the woman, for such did not suit Kratos' pleasure. Her wrists were lightly bound with fabric but he placed nothing else to constrain her, supposing perhaps that she possessed no control of her werewolf form.

Hoisting the spy about his shoulders and the stranger in his arms, walking slow and cautious that he might not slip or loose hold on either of them, Kratos began down the mountain.
*******

No sooner had Sabrina rent a cloth strip from a sheet when a crash was heard in the room above her head!

Timothy grit his teeth and lifted himself from his bed. His eyes though open could not see beyond his dreams and wildly he gazed at whatever it was he saw! Without a shadow of a doubt his human consciousness was collapsed and beyond reach, but while there was yet a bit of strength in his limbs he would not fall!

~~~~Thick and black and hard mounted upon its skull, the beast's jaws agape and its tail thrashing its haunches. Three large prongs protruded from the girth about the shoulders of the beast and scars were draped about its face. But in it all there was a face- no, two faces layered one on top the other which confused Timothy's mind.
For sure he had thought this face was one he knew and trusted, but just as quickly it was horrible and unfamiliar but in a way he seemed to recognize. Who were these? ... It didn't matter.

Again and again Timothy shot forward to attack the beast and again and again he was repulsed!~~~~

Teeth catching hold of the curtain of his window Timothy violently shook his head and ripped it from the wall! As the pole hit the floor he recoiled and growled with the white in his eyes visible and his ears buried in the fur of his neck!


Mariel:

Kieoki, who'd ended up closing her eyes as she leaned against the beam, was enjoying the silence when she suddenly heard a loud crash from behind her. Jumping because of the sudden sound, she was on her feet and facing the cottage in a flash, her eyes wide in wonder. What in the world could have caused such a loud-

Timothy.

As soon as she thought his name her feet were moving. Could someone have slipped past everyone and attacked Timothy? No...someone surely would have smelled the intruder. But, if that was so, then what was going on? A few seconds and Kieoki was dashing past the main room where Sabrina seemed to have been tearing up cloths. Probably in order to patch up Timothy's wounds. Kieoki didn't pause to see if Sabrina would follow her, but she hoped that she would.

Kieoki was up the stairs in a few more moments, hoping from foot to foot to keep her accent as silent as possible. Once she reached the upper landing -and because she didn't know what room Timothy was in- she slowed her pace down, choosing to walk down the hall with slow, silent steps. Kieoki basically froze before reaching an open door, before she'd slowly peer into the room. Seeing each was empty, she kept going until she peeked into a room and her eyes were assaulted with a flash of colors and chaos before she pulled herself back from the opening and stood against the wall beside the door. She blinked in shock and confusion. She'd seen Timothy, awake and presumably frightened, snarled at -of all things- a curtain. Had there been teeth marks on the curtain? He'd ripped it down, hadn't he? That would have created the loud sound.

But wait...how could he be frightened of a curtain? Unless, there was something else there? But Kieoki hadn't seen anything. Daring to take a second look, Kieoki slowly peered around the doorframe and into the room, confirming her thoughts when she saw no one else in the room. What could be frightening Timothy? There was no one there an-

Wait.

Kieoki's eyes widened as she realized what might be going on. Of course no one was in the room, but something was frightening Timothy to the point that he seemed to be visibly threatened. So if nothing or no one was there that she could see, then what was Timothy seeing?

Pulling her head away from the doorway and back against the wall where she couldn't be seen from inside of the room again, Kieoki stood there for a moment, pondering to herself about what she could do. She definitely couldn't show herself to Timothy, that could frighten him more. Should she wait to see if Sabrina was coming? Maybe she would have a better idea? Kieoki frowned and glanced down the hall towards the stairs, hesitating for another moment before she took a shot in the dark. Staying out of sight, Kieoki hesitantly spoke, her voice mellow as she tried to sound concerned.
"Timothy?"


Kaqurei:

Sabrina paused in her work when she heard the loud crash in the room above her. "Oh, hello?" she muttered to herself, "Looks like someone else got back before we did." She had just risen to stand when Kieoki came bolting inside the cabin and up the stairs. Visibly less concerned, but no less hasty, Sabrina followed after her.

Having paused on the stairs to scent the air, she realized poor Timothy was still holding his werewolf form against the sunlight, which, in turn, told her almost everything she needed to know about this situation. She then returned quickly to her things to gather something before returning up the stairs. It was for that reason that Kieoki did not see her following until she looked back towards the stairs.

Now, after Kieoki had spoken, Sabrina took a look at the lad thrashing at shadows in the room. His injuries were at the first the most apparent thing to her, and she realized that some sort of madness held him. That meant one thing; there were be no gentle words to soothe him from her end of the arena. She acted promptly--with his attention almost wholly consumed by the curtains, she leapt into the room, caugth him by the shoulder and laid a stiff bite into the base of his neck before he had time to react. It was her signature move for dealing with maddened weres--a clean bite laid into the nerves that would merely paralyze and not break the skin.

He'd surprised her once before by all but overcoming that bite once, however, and she remained guarded to any counter attack he might try to employ before her bite took effect. Not missing a beat, she took the soft ball of rabbit fur she had collect from her supplies minutes before and applied it to Timothy's face. It was soaked with a combination of oils that almost resmbled mint in smell. This she hoped would utterly subdue him, as it was made to force a body to relax.


May:

Timothy could not have noticed the two in the hallway, for his eyes were not truly seeing the world around him. However in the moment Kieoki had spoken Timothy and turned around and had Sabrina not acted in the time she did another wretched scene would have unfolded! But as it was, the crazed werewolf fell limp to the ground and did not get up again...

To Be Continued...