May:
Dear Mother and Father Shragron,
Firstly, I apologize for failing to conform to the conditions of our agreement, that is, that I have not until now written you concerning my arrival and welfare. The reasons for such a delay will be hereafter explained in as much detail as I can manage before being obliged to return to my duties.
-It has been one month since I left the Svalnaglas and joined my brother among his pack, the Calagathorm. I arrived on the territory sometime during the night of the previous full moon and found to my surprise a great ruckus and aggravation about on the land. Many of the members of Kratos' pack are young and undisciplined as to their nature, others are mistrusting strangers whom are angry at their circumstances. Thus it was that I came across one member fallen and, unknowing of the whereabouts of her pack, brought her with haste to the local hospital. This, I learned later, was not the best course of action.
-The people in the town of Reknab Bend are suspicious and unaware of the Werewolves here; Kratos has gone through great lengths to ensure that the presence of a pack is not discovered - by werewolves or regular men. But it is speculated that his attempts might prove vain.
-The day after my arrival Kratos found his pack member and I at the hospital and sent me back to the pack's place of residence to meet the approval of the two Betas in the pack. I am pleased that I have been accepted among them. However, while the Alpha was away from his pack, one member went rogue. I have learned that this boy was found in the mountains on the territory before the pack was organized and has had unusual problems since being rescued. Many feel that he poses a great threat while uncontrolled and unsupervised.
-Kratos has been very frustrated by the loss of this boy, and has issued several searches since having returned with the woman I found that night. Some members are out right now looking for any sign of him, but no search as of yet has proven fruitful, it seems as though the boy has simply vanished. But there are other troubles outside the disappearance of this rogue; a spy of another pack was captured the night I arrived and has been held on the territory.. Kratos has not yet looked into dealing with him. Another thing to mention is that the same woman whom attacked the pack member I came upon my first night here, has been taken into custody of the pack, as she is also a werewolf. I witnessed one Beta tell the stranger to leave, but since having returned, Kratos has not allowed her to step foot out of the immediate area.. What she will do when faced with the one she attacked that night has yet to be seen.
-Aside from the above mentioned events, I have overheard Kratos speaking with his Betas concerning the scent on another werewolf which he detected in the hospital. He believes that the intruder was from another pack, but can find no connection with that scout and the spy we hold prisoner. And I will tell you something else, I returned to that hospital room and discovered a cryptic message crumbled in the trash. From what I have gathered, Kratos had been dismissed from the room and was searching for the scout when this message was dropped - I know someone else entered that room but I am yet to know who..
-Along with these troubling findings, the local town council has decided to send several hunting parties out into the mountains on the territory seeking 'viscous wolves.' I suppose a few tragedies in the area have been connected with the rumors of werewolf sightings despite all that Kratos has done. The first of the hunting groups will be here this evening to inform the ranch owner of their presence before they begin.. I believe Kratos intends to have some of us join them, however with the full moon rising tonight, I doubt the wisdom of such a decision.. Perhaps though, he sees reason where I have not; there is a werewolf rogue still at large, and from what I have heard of it, the hunting parties would not be a hindrance if they came upon him.
Well, I will need to take my turn guarding our captured spy, and the search parties should be returning soon. I wonder if this day will see an end to some of the mysteries which the Calagathorm pack has been facing, but it is doubted.. In the very least I hope that all goes well for another day and that I will be writing to you again very soon. Until then:
-Your son,
~~Ulric
Ulric set his pen down and looked out his window at the bright noon light, it was twelve pm now.. At last he folded the note to his adoptive parents, set it on his desk, and left his room. He expected to find the woman Logan downstairs, but upon reaching the main room he found that she was nowhere to be seen.
"Logan?" Ulric called. He noticed the windows were open and a gentle mountain breeze was wafting through the house. The smell of fresh baked bread was still hanging around from when the Alpha had made some for the entire pack this morning, but breakfast had been put up and the house was now empty.
"Logan?" Ulric asked again, coming into the kitchen and looking around. Logan was nowhere to be found.
Now slightly frustrated Ulric went to the front door and stepped outside. The porch of the first den was very nicely situated, with planting-pots and two benches. To his right Ulric could see the second den, and just ahead was the 'training pit' where the spy was still held captive even after a month. His name, as Ulric had learned, was Levi, and he had been well fed and given plenty to rest on and under... Luckily there hadn't been any rain in the thirty days he had been there.
Ulric left the porch of the first den and walked a short ways from the building. "Logan!" He called for the third time.
Dear Mother and Father Shragron,
Firstly, I apologize for failing to conform to the conditions of our agreement, that is, that I have not until now written you concerning my arrival and welfare. The reasons for such a delay will be hereafter explained in as much detail as I can manage before being obliged to return to my duties.
-It has been one month since I left the Svalnaglas and joined my brother among his pack, the Calagathorm. I arrived on the territory sometime during the night of the previous full moon and found to my surprise a great ruckus and aggravation about on the land. Many of the members of Kratos' pack are young and undisciplined as to their nature, others are mistrusting strangers whom are angry at their circumstances. Thus it was that I came across one member fallen and, unknowing of the whereabouts of her pack, brought her with haste to the local hospital. This, I learned later, was not the best course of action.
-The people in the town of Reknab Bend are suspicious and unaware of the Werewolves here; Kratos has gone through great lengths to ensure that the presence of a pack is not discovered - by werewolves or regular men. But it is speculated that his attempts might prove vain.
-The day after my arrival Kratos found his pack member and I at the hospital and sent me back to the pack's place of residence to meet the approval of the two Betas in the pack. I am pleased that I have been accepted among them. However, while the Alpha was away from his pack, one member went rogue. I have learned that this boy was found in the mountains on the territory before the pack was organized and has had unusual problems since being rescued. Many feel that he poses a great threat while uncontrolled and unsupervised.
-Kratos has been very frustrated by the loss of this boy, and has issued several searches since having returned with the woman I found that night. Some members are out right now looking for any sign of him, but no search as of yet has proven fruitful, it seems as though the boy has simply vanished. But there are other troubles outside the disappearance of this rogue; a spy of another pack was captured the night I arrived and has been held on the territory.. Kratos has not yet looked into dealing with him. Another thing to mention is that the same woman whom attacked the pack member I came upon my first night here, has been taken into custody of the pack, as she is also a werewolf. I witnessed one Beta tell the stranger to leave, but since having returned, Kratos has not allowed her to step foot out of the immediate area.. What she will do when faced with the one she attacked that night has yet to be seen.
-Aside from the above mentioned events, I have overheard Kratos speaking with his Betas concerning the scent on another werewolf which he detected in the hospital. He believes that the intruder was from another pack, but can find no connection with that scout and the spy we hold prisoner. And I will tell you something else, I returned to that hospital room and discovered a cryptic message crumbled in the trash. From what I have gathered, Kratos had been dismissed from the room and was searching for the scout when this message was dropped - I know someone else entered that room but I am yet to know who..
-Along with these troubling findings, the local town council has decided to send several hunting parties out into the mountains on the territory seeking 'viscous wolves.' I suppose a few tragedies in the area have been connected with the rumors of werewolf sightings despite all that Kratos has done. The first of the hunting groups will be here this evening to inform the ranch owner of their presence before they begin.. I believe Kratos intends to have some of us join them, however with the full moon rising tonight, I doubt the wisdom of such a decision.. Perhaps though, he sees reason where I have not; there is a werewolf rogue still at large, and from what I have heard of it, the hunting parties would not be a hindrance if they came upon him.
Well, I will need to take my turn guarding our captured spy, and the search parties should be returning soon. I wonder if this day will see an end to some of the mysteries which the Calagathorm pack has been facing, but it is doubted.. In the very least I hope that all goes well for another day and that I will be writing to you again very soon. Until then:
-Your son,
~~Ulric
Ulric set his pen down and looked out his window at the bright noon light, it was twelve pm now.. At last he folded the note to his adoptive parents, set it on his desk, and left his room. He expected to find the woman Logan downstairs, but upon reaching the main room he found that she was nowhere to be seen.
"Logan?" Ulric called. He noticed the windows were open and a gentle mountain breeze was wafting through the house. The smell of fresh baked bread was still hanging around from when the Alpha had made some for the entire pack this morning, but breakfast had been put up and the house was now empty.
"Logan?" Ulric asked again, coming into the kitchen and looking around. Logan was nowhere to be found.
Now slightly frustrated Ulric went to the front door and stepped outside. The porch of the first den was very nicely situated, with planting-pots and two benches. To his right Ulric could see the second den, and just ahead was the 'training pit' where the spy was still held captive even after a month. His name, as Ulric had learned, was Levi, and he had been well fed and given plenty to rest on and under... Luckily there hadn't been any rain in the thirty days he had been there.
Ulric left the porch of the first den and walked a short ways from the building. "Logan!" He called for the third time.
Dez:
Ssshhrrk...He wasn't a law enforcer, nor was he a government
leader. If he were, it wouldn't be so irritating; at least then he would be
someone, someone who had earned his power. However, as far as Logan was
concerned, he was just Kratos. A man who, in her opinion, decided to take it
upon himself to be a hero. Which wouldn't be a problem, if she weren't a part of
it.
Shhrrk...
It seemed as though he just expected everyone to do exactly as he said, without question, without giving it a second thought even. Maybe he didn't need to be a law enforcer, or government leader - even if he were older, he would be easier to respect and follow. However, there was only a four year difference in their ages. Just four years! Which seemed very miniscule, far too miniscule for Logan to be at all inclined to give him any sort of respect.
Chhk.. chk..
He never even made a mention as to how long she had to stay. That alpha - their alpha - was sorely mistaken if he planned for her to remain present in his pack much longer. Or at least, Logan had every intention of leaving after this full moon. Already, one long month had passed, and that was more than enough time spent idle in one place. The menial tasks she was given were hardly enough to keep her busy, or at least not as busy as she'd like to be.
However, as much as she hated to admit it, it wasn't all terrible by any means. Having a place to stay was nice. Here she was guaranteed food and shelter. Despite this, the cons outweighed the pros. She would gladly take rain and a little hunger if it meant being free. Then there were the other pack members. She was.. mostly tolerant of them. Tolerant meaning quiet, avoiding them more often than not. There was really no feeling of spite (for the most part) nor attachment but rather indifference. Since her arrival, the words she spoke to the pack members were few, and actual conversations fewer yet. Mostly, she asked questions.
As for questions, there were a few she had yet to voice.. what would happen tonight? Where did they expect her to go? Did they not fear another attack? Thus far, there seemed to be little urgency about the matter, or perhaps she was just ignorant to it?
For a long while Logan ranted, reminisced and pondered to herself. Presently, she sat with her back to a tree, one leg extended in front of her and the other pressed up to her chest. Ssshhhhhhk... another long, thin strip of wood was carved away by the tireless blade of her pocket knife. The woman had occupied herself by attempting to carve a wooden dagger, as she had seen her grandfather do once before.. although, she remembered his coming out far more clean and smooth, while hers was rough and jagged, with many angles and notches. He commented once, that she had her fathers roughness to her, and that comment came to mind whenever she tried to do something that required this kind of precision and patience. Ah, her grandfather...
'Logan!'
She was snapped out of her thoughts, though made no move to get up, and instead pressed the knife into the wood once again. This time, the blade was angled awkwardly, and before she corrected her mistake, she had cut into the dagger, adding a deep crevice to the makeshift weapon. At that point, Logan deemed the dagger beyond salvaging and tucked her pocket knife away, before standing and beginning off towards the cabins.
Being only a short distance into the surrounding forest, it took her no more than a couple of minutes to reach the dens, where she was greeted by the sight of Ulric. "Did you call me?" the woman asked upon approaching the man, tucking her hands into her pockets and raising a brow just slightly.
Shhrrk...
It seemed as though he just expected everyone to do exactly as he said, without question, without giving it a second thought even. Maybe he didn't need to be a law enforcer, or government leader - even if he were older, he would be easier to respect and follow. However, there was only a four year difference in their ages. Just four years! Which seemed very miniscule, far too miniscule for Logan to be at all inclined to give him any sort of respect.
Chhk.. chk..
He never even made a mention as to how long she had to stay. That alpha - their alpha - was sorely mistaken if he planned for her to remain present in his pack much longer. Or at least, Logan had every intention of leaving after this full moon. Already, one long month had passed, and that was more than enough time spent idle in one place. The menial tasks she was given were hardly enough to keep her busy, or at least not as busy as she'd like to be.
However, as much as she hated to admit it, it wasn't all terrible by any means. Having a place to stay was nice. Here she was guaranteed food and shelter. Despite this, the cons outweighed the pros. She would gladly take rain and a little hunger if it meant being free. Then there were the other pack members. She was.. mostly tolerant of them. Tolerant meaning quiet, avoiding them more often than not. There was really no feeling of spite (for the most part) nor attachment but rather indifference. Since her arrival, the words she spoke to the pack members were few, and actual conversations fewer yet. Mostly, she asked questions.
As for questions, there were a few she had yet to voice.. what would happen tonight? Where did they expect her to go? Did they not fear another attack? Thus far, there seemed to be little urgency about the matter, or perhaps she was just ignorant to it?
For a long while Logan ranted, reminisced and pondered to herself. Presently, she sat with her back to a tree, one leg extended in front of her and the other pressed up to her chest. Ssshhhhhhk... another long, thin strip of wood was carved away by the tireless blade of her pocket knife. The woman had occupied herself by attempting to carve a wooden dagger, as she had seen her grandfather do once before.. although, she remembered his coming out far more clean and smooth, while hers was rough and jagged, with many angles and notches. He commented once, that she had her fathers roughness to her, and that comment came to mind whenever she tried to do something that required this kind of precision and patience. Ah, her grandfather...
'Logan!'
She was snapped out of her thoughts, though made no move to get up, and instead pressed the knife into the wood once again. This time, the blade was angled awkwardly, and before she corrected her mistake, she had cut into the dagger, adding a deep crevice to the makeshift weapon. At that point, Logan deemed the dagger beyond salvaging and tucked her pocket knife away, before standing and beginning off towards the cabins.
Being only a short distance into the surrounding forest, it took her no more than a couple of minutes to reach the dens, where she was greeted by the sight of Ulric. "Did you call me?" the woman asked upon approaching the man, tucking her hands into her pockets and raising a brow just slightly.
Kaqurei:
There is so much to reflect upon when looking back at the past month of one's
life. That is, unless one has been spending said month in a ditch as a prisoner.
Levi had spent most of his time in wolf form; as a half-breed, especially a
half-breed of Sabre's pack, he could do that for extended periods of time with
little to no effort. In fact, during the course of the entire month, he had
spent maybe two days total as a human, and it was usually in the dead of night
when the Calagathorm Pack was asleep.
His words had been few. When questioned, he had stated in his rich Irish accent that his name was Levi O'Connell. Further than that, he had held his peace. The wounds he had sustained in his skirmish with the one called Logan had all but healed now, though the one on his neck had scarred some. He had not tried to escape his prison. He ate the food hey provided him quietly. And he sat in the middle of the "detention ditch", cross-legged and placid with closed or half-closed eyes.... for hours. In fact, that was exactly what he was doing now.
His large, dark ears errect, he sat there, his palms resting on his furry knees. Listening to the birds, the wind... yes, his had been a very boring past month indeed.
As for the Gamma Sabrina, though she had vowed not to that fateful night of the Full Moon, she had indeed disappeared again. Neither hide nor hair of her had been spotted since Timothy escaped.
Mariel:
His words had been few. When questioned, he had stated in his rich Irish accent that his name was Levi O'Connell. Further than that, he had held his peace. The wounds he had sustained in his skirmish with the one called Logan had all but healed now, though the one on his neck had scarred some. He had not tried to escape his prison. He ate the food hey provided him quietly. And he sat in the middle of the "detention ditch", cross-legged and placid with closed or half-closed eyes.... for hours. In fact, that was exactly what he was doing now.
His large, dark ears errect, he sat there, his palms resting on his furry knees. Listening to the birds, the wind... yes, his had been a very boring past month indeed.
As for the Gamma Sabrina, though she had vowed not to that fateful night of the Full Moon, she had indeed disappeared again. Neither hide nor hair of her had been spotted since Timothy escaped.
Mariel:
The full moon shone into her bedroom window brightly as she sat on her bed and leaned against her wall with closed eyes. She sat silently as she felt the gentle tug of the moon on her soul. But she didn't follow what it was asking from her. She was waiting to see if he was going to call them all together. She wasn't sure what would happen though, considering all that had happened in the last month.
And yet despite all that happened, Kieoki felt no more part of this pack than when she joined it. Granted, she'd managed to slip out and grab some proper clothes after a few more days long ago, but that didn't help her much. It was probably her own fault for causing bad situations to fall apart when she'd first joined and her brash nature that caused her to feel this way. She really didn't have good social skills. She never could remember anyone's name, or the reason why someone was still in the pit by the cottages...or why he had vanished after that night around a month ago.
After he'd vanished though, Kieoki started to keep herself in check because she wasn't hearing her wolf anymore. She bit her tongue whenever something opinionated came up in conversation, and she forced herself to smile and listen when other members were talking. She followed most of the rules in general, and she stopped going off into the woods herself even though she noticed another scent going out and back as often as she would've like too herself. She was really trying, though it hurt.
Considering all that was happening now though, Kieoki truthfully didn't know if Krat was going to call the pack together tonight or not. She didn't want to sing tonight. Oh if he called, she'd come. She'd raise her muzzle to the sky and let her voice ring out to mingle with the rest of the pack, but her voice would be soft. Not quite her own. She'd listen to the others this time, not the other way around. No, not this time.
Everything was just so confusing and conflicting that she was starting to have no idea what to do anymore just to fit in. This was her last effort. She opened her eyes then and glanced at the open window to her room, hoping that Krat would call them all together and wouldn't call them together at the same exact time.
Hour Glass:
Ziet paced, a furious kind of pacing that was beginning to wear away at the dirt under her feet. She was confused on what to do, and how to work with the pack that had thrown at her doorstep. How to keep every wolf safe during this run of the full moon.
The ranchers had come, and told her her worst nightmare. They'd be hunting members of the pack tonight, and knowing them, they were out for blood. The members of the town would be persistent, and wouldn't stop until they caught something. Rather, they killed at least one wolf.
The worst part was, if she refused to allow hunting on her land, they'd become suspicious. At least, that would be for the first hunt, if Kratos helped keep the pack safe, then she could use an excuse to get them off her land during the next hunts. Maybe if she managed to make it look like a hunter hit one of her cows, she could get cash and protection from hunters straying too close to the pack.
She sighed, frustrated by everything, having had to round up her stock away to keep them somewhat safe from the night, while trying to work on a plan to keep the wolves safe. She needed to talk to Kratos about what to do, how to try and control the pack during the night of the full moon. The pack acted mindless at times, and it often felt like trying to herd cats.
She huffe,d yearning to run out her frustrations, but now was not the time. She began to search for the pack leader, knowing he might have some plan in store to protect the wolves. Or she would end up trying to patrol the borders of her land, maybe even working as a moving target to keep the hunters away fromt he rest of the pack.
The ranchers had come, and told her her worst nightmare. They'd be hunting members of the pack tonight, and knowing them, they were out for blood. The members of the town would be persistent, and wouldn't stop until they caught something. Rather, they killed at least one wolf.
The worst part was, if she refused to allow hunting on her land, they'd become suspicious. At least, that would be for the first hunt, if Kratos helped keep the pack safe, then she could use an excuse to get them off her land during the next hunts. Maybe if she managed to make it look like a hunter hit one of her cows, she could get cash and protection from hunters straying too close to the pack.
She sighed, frustrated by everything, having had to round up her stock away to keep them somewhat safe from the night, while trying to work on a plan to keep the wolves safe. She needed to talk to Kratos about what to do, how to try and control the pack during the night of the full moon. The pack acted mindless at times, and it often felt like trying to herd cats.
She huffe,d yearning to run out her frustrations, but now was not the time. She began to search for the pack leader, knowing he might have some plan in store to protect the wolves. Or she would end up trying to patrol the borders of her land, maybe even working as a moving target to keep the hunters away fromt he rest of the pack.
Aim:
Sitting on her bed, still in her pajamas, Chime's not so nimble fingers worked, sewing together the modifications in the new clothing she brought a few weeks ago. Though it was an annoying task, and boy did it frustrate her, she was happy to nearly be done with it. Her poor, sore, needle poked fingers were also happy.
She had kept the whole thing a secret, sneaking the clothing into her room and then disappearing there for hours, all the while not allowing others into her room and blocking the window her bed sheet as she worked on it. Now, all it would take is one more stitch... "Ow!" Dropping the needle, she stuffed her finger in her mouth, glaring at the the dull purple outfit. "You just had to have the last laugh, didn't you?" She, with her somewhat muffled voice, muttered.
Once it was completed, Chime hurriedly slipped it on, putting the adjustable, rather stretchy, belt she had brought around the same time, around her waist, quite happy with it. Of course, she also had her yellow, red spotted handkerchief too. Happy with the really baggy fit, Chime hurried to her door, neglecting to pull off the bed sheet from the window.
Outside her room, she stopped, closing the door slowly as she fixed the paper sign on her door, it said Chime's Lair, in case anyone was confused on just whom dwelt there. She wanted something a little more permanent, like a wooden sign, but, alas, she didn't know how to make that sort of thing, nor had the money she could spend on one. So, paper it was.
Smiling, Chime ran down stairs, she couldn't wait to get outside! And now she could get around without worrying about not getting into bigger clothing before the moon was up, well around 12 am that is, the thought brought on even wider smile, the clothing she had worn two earlier months where now more of PJs then anything now.
Walking outside, she noticed Ulric and that stranger, who Chime still didn't know the name of. No longer did she feared her, she mainly stayed away. Though now that the full moon was coming, she couldn't help but be a little nervous. But she trusted her pack and her Alpha, they wouldn't allow the uncontrolled wolves get outta hand, she knew it.
She had kept the whole thing a secret, sneaking the clothing into her room and then disappearing there for hours, all the while not allowing others into her room and blocking the window her bed sheet as she worked on it. Now, all it would take is one more stitch... "Ow!" Dropping the needle, she stuffed her finger in her mouth, glaring at the the dull purple outfit. "You just had to have the last laugh, didn't you?" She, with her somewhat muffled voice, muttered.
Once it was completed, Chime hurriedly slipped it on, putting the adjustable, rather stretchy, belt she had brought around the same time, around her waist, quite happy with it. Of course, she also had her yellow, red spotted handkerchief too. Happy with the really baggy fit, Chime hurried to her door, neglecting to pull off the bed sheet from the window.
Outside her room, she stopped, closing the door slowly as she fixed the paper sign on her door, it said Chime's Lair, in case anyone was confused on just whom dwelt there. She wanted something a little more permanent, like a wooden sign, but, alas, she didn't know how to make that sort of thing, nor had the money she could spend on one. So, paper it was.
Smiling, Chime ran down stairs, she couldn't wait to get outside! And now she could get around without worrying about not getting into bigger clothing before the moon was up, well around 12 am that is, the thought brought on even wider smile, the clothing she had worn two earlier months where now more of PJs then anything now.
Walking outside, she noticed Ulric and that stranger, who Chime still didn't know the name of. No longer did she feared her, she mainly stayed away. Though now that the full moon was coming, she couldn't help but be a little nervous. But she trusted her pack and her Alpha, they wouldn't allow the uncontrolled wolves get outta hand, she knew it.
Cathannah:
Toby had spent the weekend at his Grandmother's house, above her antique shop. It was very relaxing and orginized compared to his new life with the clan. The constant peace had even given him more time to study, unlike the ever eventful life up on the mountain with the others. Truthfully, Toby was sad to have to return to the group today. He'd been a member for at least a month and still hadn't made any friends at all. The others hardly ever talked to him; even Sabrina and Timothy seemed to have found away around communicating with him.
Toby didn't like being apart of a pack. Packs were something dogs did, and in a dog pack there always had to be omega.. Simplistic manners and meek temperament made Toby an omega by default. He didn't like it. At least in the human wold he mattered; his IQ would at least get him somewhere.
Yet somehow Toby found himself packed and starting out toward the pack once again.
May:
Ulric had walked over to the training ditch and looked down at Levi through the fence. He saw the werewolf spy laying somewhat lazily against the cement wall, and Ulric couldn't help but wonder at the calmness of this posture.
Logan then entered the clearing and Ulric turned to face her.
"Yes, I was just wondering where you were." Ulric replied, turning from the ditch and approaching her. "It's been a pretty quiet morning, almost unnerving considering what tonight is."
He scratched the back of his head for a moment, trying to think of what else to say and turned his gaze around to the woods before catching sight of Chime and briefly waving at her. Then he looked back at Logan with his brows slightly furrowed.
"Do you know what you'll be doing tonight, though forgive me if the question is out of my place.."
******
Meanwhile, down the mountain some ways and standing in the apple orchard was Alpha Kratos. His naturally yellow eyes cloaked beneath brown contacts as he stared out over the fields. He had seen the townsfolk come and go from Zeit's property but had not gone from where he stood; he was standing as a solemn giant in the shade of the trees, leaning with one arm on a sturdy branch. His hand was rested on his chin as he contemplated on the last few weeks.
Earlier this morning Kratos had been up by Gathen's den, in the scarce hopes that he might locate Timothy, but there had been no sign of the boy's passing and all that the visit had accomplished was to fill the Alpha's heart with certain anguish.
It would be dishonest to say that Kratos did not at that time doubt, for indeed he felt the weight of his responsibility and looked back at many of his decisions as foolishness. The further he looked into the past, the more his heart was burdened - for his history had not began with that of the Calagathorm pack.
Kratos' thoughts played across the events which had lead him to the place where he was now, he remembered his youth spent carelessly and the consequences of such he felt were now being unraveled. Had he been less careless and had minded the council of Alpha Abravious, Kratos would have been able to do something that night several years ago in the alleyway, and in turn would have been able to prevent what happened to Timothy.. and Gathen.. And if he had but stopped Jackie or accompanied her, she would not have been hurt..
Though Jackie was recovering well since returning to the territory, there were many matters still unresolved. Sabrina had not been seen since Timothy's disappearance, neither had Kale. The two other Founders, Marcus, and Kiton had rarely been seen around the territory for several months now. And with only Zeit and himself, the Alpha knew that changes would have to be made if the pack was to weather the night.
At length Kratos pushed away from the small tree and began walking down the steady hillside back toward Zeit's Ranch. He looked up toward Phantom Mountain and the sun high in the sky above the territory. It was midday now, and they had the rest of the evening to prepare for what was coming.. There were many leftover uncertainties from the previous month, and how the rest of the evening would play out could only be guessed. The only thing for sure now was that if things did not align perfectly, the pack would be in grave danger.
As the Alpha passed beneath the tree standing outside the fence of Zeit's yard, he stopped a moment and looked at the cottage. He furrowed his brows, gazing beyond the cottage now and visually scanning the pastures for sight of Beta Zeit, she would be the first person he needed to talk to and consult with.
Dez:
Logan couldn't help but smirk, if only a little. She felt something like a teenager being babysat by a ten year old. Still, she understood Ulric's concern. The last full moon didn't quiet give anyone a reason to trust her on her own these nights. "Don't worry.." she began, walking past him and ruffling his hair as she did so - a playful gesture, though one that was meant more or less as a subtle reminder as to who was the older of the two - and made her way to the porch of the first den, where she took a seat on the steps. "I'm not going anywhere, not yet anyway.." that being said, she pondered briefly on the other things he mentioned. Logan was used to the silence, traveling alone for so many days and nights, and yet there really was something eerie about it tonight.
She hunched forward, arms rested lazily on her legs, and looked off into the distance as she constructed her reply. "About that last thing, I've been thinking about it.. but I don't know. I don't really have many options." she tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear, gaze shifting to the training ditch. "The only idea I have that seems sturdy enough, is for me to stay in that ditch for the night. But even that idea has pitfalls.. You would have to find somewhere else to put him, a room probably? And have someone stay and guard the room. Still, so much could go wrong." the woman was quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, but then spoke up again before any reply could be made. "I guess you could always just leave him in there with me, then you'd have a weight off your shoulders?" she was only joking, but deciding that her tone of voice probably didn't speak for itself, so to say, she soon added, "I'm joking." to relieve the man of any uncertainty he may have had.
Hour Glass:
She huffed, taking a couple breaths to calm herself down, before continuing on a search for Kratos. She knew that unless he wanted to be found, though, she wouldn't be able to find him. The wolf was as slippery as an eel, and she was confused on how such a big wolf could disappear so easily. She began sniffing around, trying to pick up on any scent trail she could find, only finding those of the other members of the pack.
It was after a bit of searching, did Zeit feel much better. She finally caught the Alpha's scent, meaning her search was going to go sooo much smoother now. She felt like a hound dog going after it's target as she followed the trail, determined to hurry after the alpha, maybe even get on him for disappearing yet again. But at the moment, she felt a bit more relaxed, glad she might be able to save the pack from utter destruction because of the hunters that would be out that night.
"There you are!" Zeit called out, hurrying over to Kratos, hands on her hips as she watched the man, "I've been looking for you for a good while." She stood next to Kratos, crossing her arms, "We need to get the pack together, and come up with some plan to protect them all" she said rather bluntly, "the full moon is dangerous enough, but tonight the hunters will be out. And they want dead wolves, and won't stop until they have at least or maybe a couple coyotes. And I can't keep them off my land until one manages to hurt my cattle!"
Soar:
The alarm went off. Jackie yawned, slumped a pillow over her head in vain attempt to drown out the noise, but to no avail. She tried to throw a pillow at it, but having her eyes closed the entire time, the pillow whistled through the air safely out of the path of the innocent clock. The clock continued its diligent alarm.
Lazily, the woman’s eyes fluttered open. Her gaze squinted against the harsh light that streamed in through the window. Even if she had wanted to, it would have been impossible to fall back asleep. The sun was just too bright and the alarm was too loud. Jackie groaned, but in a slow methodical manner, stood. She slowly walked towards the mirror on the back of her door, looking back at her features curiously.
She looked like she had just got out of bed. Orange hair was curled at strange angles around her face. But there was frailness in her body that she didn’t have but a month ago. She’d lost some weight. Her skin seemed paler, almost translucent like a ghost’s. Her eyes were still hard and angry, but some of the edge was gone now. Her thin pink lips curled into a disappointed frown.
Beyond the reflection of the mirror, every bone in body seemed to ache. Her injuries from the previous full moon showed no sign of fading for quite some time. Certainly the healing abilities of being a werewolf had helped. Without them, she would have still been in the hospital instead of escaping its evil clutches and the fiendish nurses in a little under a week. But there was no denying it: she was weaker now, frailer now, and probably not gung-ho for another knock about this full moon.
Sighing, she shut the alarm off with a gentle flick of her finger. She had intended to smash the stupid device across the wall, but something, probably logic, told her it was a bad idea. So the alarm clock lived for another day.
It was noon now and lazy sunshine warmed her skin. She was still in her hello-kitty pajamas (which she sadly hadn’t the opportunity to get rid of). Everything about the day seemed to buzz with this lazy warmth. But Jackie knew better. If it wasn’t the big disappointing mark on the calendar that read “Full Moon” it may have been what she was planning that indicated otherwise.
There was a personal score she’d been intending to settle for a while. Now that she’d recovered some strength, it seemed as good a time as ever. So much for avoiding another “knock about”.
Dressing quickly and running a brush through her orange rat’s nest, Jackie quietly crept from her bedroom and trained her eye, ears, and even her nose (a sense she’d spent the last month learning to understand as she healed) looking for her.
“Logan,” she growled towards the sunshine.
Her footsteps rushed into the warm day outside.
---
Theo voicelessly sat poised in a tree. He was enjoying the day so far. It was warm and pleasant. If he listened closely, he could hear the hum of the bees and the chattering cries of songbirds. This was how he had spent most of his days, simply enjoying the day and its processes.
He mostly ignored the pack. It wasn’t that he didn’t like them—in fact, quite a few of them seemed nice enough if they were in the right mood. But he didn’t quite feel comfortable to him either. They were still just strangers really, strangers he was bound to because they all happened to share a really really bad habit. He stayed because he was afraid that he might hurt someone again if he left, but that urge did not extend to socializing with his peers. He sighed wearily, pressing his palms against his head.
The bark felt rough against his back as he surveyed below. He could make out a few figures. Logan and Ulric seemed to be talking. At this, he withheld a wistful smile. She didn’t exactly qualify as nice or even moderately amusing. All the same, they had spent some time together. She had tried to run off, he had tried to stop her, he stepped into a foxtrap, and then she stayed. That was probably the closest thing he’d had to a friend. Now he’d always have the scar from that happy friendship on his ankle. Theo wasn’t really sure whether to feel happy or sad about it.
He watched the two for a few moments and considered saying hello, but something held him back. He continued his survey. A bird fluttered by, settling in a nest on a neighboring tree. The teenage boy watched it too for a while, before altogether deciding he was bored of it. As fantastic as nature could be, he was tired of it.
He’d watched it for long enough. Tensing his muscles in his thighs, he jumped from his branch in the tree and settled on the ground twelve feet below. His feet stung from the impact, but he was experienced at landing and the fall didn’t faze him. Nimbly his feet rushed through undergrowth, averting Ulric and Logan so they wouldn’t see him.
He had something else in mind. He had been told they had captured a prisoner last full moon. Until now, he hadn’t the nerve to go see for himself. But now he was burning with curiosity; he had to know something about this prisoner before the events of this full moon made everything strange and confusing again.
At last crouching at the edge of the ditch farthest from the gathering of people, he peered down the earth to look for the form of the prisoner below.
Almost impressed by his own daring, he felt his voice rise into words.
“Hello?”
Kaqurei:
It may well be said that, perhaps even to their own kind, there was something demonic and unnatural about seeing a werewolf in broad daylight. Levi's form was such as would send a billion red flags flying up in the average person's mind, as well as perhaps a sense of being in a nightmare or a dozen excuses as for why what they were looking at could not be real. He almost looked like some kind of oversized disproportionate bear at a first glance, though his muscular, squared shoulders were somewhat more reminicent of a gorrilla with all that thick dark brown fur. Upon hearing Theo's voice, his ears flicked back and he turned his head to glance up; his ravenous golden eyes in vivid contrast to the rest of his dark dog-like face. Those eyes looked so very wild, so unhuman--or, perhaps even more disturbing, they looked too human.
Levi looked at the face peering down through the fence at him for a moment or two, then turned his head and he resumed his meditative pose. After a moment, his deep, rumbling voice echoed, "Hello."
May:
Kratos had seen Zeit approach from across the yard and had waited for her by the fence. When she came to stand by him with her arms crossed and her face serious, the Alpha listened.
"I agree." He said in reply, "At this point it is imperative that everyone cooperates with eachother, the hunting parties will ensure the death of this small band of outcasts on this night if we do not. But there are dangers on both sides; I do not put it past the ferocity of our nature to claim the innocent lives of men seeking only to defend their land and people. But how we will call everyone together, I do not know. Our members are scattered in the mountains and in town, and I cannot bring them under a howl; the hunters will be listening for the direction that they should go."
Kratos took a deep breath, and cast his gaze out over Ziet's furthest pastures, toward the town of Reknab Bend. Then he spoke again.
"I was up by Gathen's den in hopes to find traces of Timothy, but to no avail. I've tracked and I've tracked, but I cannot find him, and he will surely pose a danger to himself and anyone who crosses his path."
The Alpha rolled his eyes then, shaking his head and crossing his arms as he considered a thought.
"Though we likely don't need to worry too much about him, Sabrina is undoubtedly hunting the boy." Kratos scoffed. "Since the night we found him, her interest has become obvious. And that spy we're holding, he comes from her pack and she's been avoiding me on account of it. I didn't know until I recognized the scent beneath that irritating musk in his fur - Sabrina smelled just like it that day we first met her; she's been hiding her connections from us for some reason I do not know."
The tone in Kratos' voice as he spoke to Zeit clearly revealed his frustration and anxiety.
*******
Ulric stood solid a moment as Logan ruffled a hand through his hair. It was viewed by him as a gesture of human dominance which he endured patiently.
She passed him, and Ulric turned to watch as she sat down on the porch of the house.
"I didn't ask as a chaperone." Ulric said firmly, his brows lightly furrowed and expression having become grim. "I am not your warden, my obligations are to Levi."
Ulric then placed his hands behind his back and turned to look toward the ditch. He glanced briefly at Theo and Levi before looking solemnly up at the trees towering high on the mountainside.
"So," He said after a moment with a tone rather nonchalant. "Do what you want, I was not instructed to stop you. I am not familiar with many people here, but I have given them my loyalty - my friendship, if they desire to have it."
Ulric again turned to look at Logan. "Just remember that regardless of our abilities, we are people. By claw, hand, or tooth, to take a life and shed blood is a crime of murder. Don't pretend that it is a light matter that can be joked about. Remember also that anyone who cannot control themselves, will be controlled by others - for their benefit and the benefit of those around them."
Then, rather uncharacteristically, Ulric cast a smile at Logan, and awaited her response.
Soar:
Though the sun was up, the ditch had retained a strange ominous darkness to it. The fence was tall and almost claw-like as it stood angrily against the clear blue day. The fence hummed like some sort of demented bird—Thep didn’t understand that it was the electric charge and it was this ignorance made it seem all the more like a creature of a dark mystical force. It seemed like a fiendish sort of thing, more like the ancient pits of Tartarus that he’d read in books than something men could have made in a few weeks.
The stranger’s voice rumbled and Theo grit his teeth. It wasn’t the fact that this prisoner was in his werewolf form that unnerved him—though unusual, he had grown up with these forms. That, he at least, understood. No, what unnerved him was that he couldn’t see where the prisoner was. The voice seemed to come out of nowhere, like it really was the pit of Tartarus and some evil presence was speaking to him. The prisoner could have been a phantom, he could have been a demon he could have been a—
Oh.
He at last settled on the familiar shaggy form of Levi. He studied him for a moment. He was, in fact, mortal and just in a metal-and-cement-ditch. His fear evaporated like dew. Now he was simply curious about this stranger.
Speaking the first thing that came to mind, Theo questioned simply,”Do you get bored?”
---
Jackie stumbled further into the sunshine. Logan was close now, she could just smell her. Instinctively, her fist curled into a tight ball. She approached much like a zombie—slow and ambled, but with an air of inherent danger.
Then at last she approached her target. Her eyes narrowed with a mixture of victory and hatred. Her ratty orange hair, which had not been entirely tamed by the hairbrush, blew in wisps against her face. Her pale ghostly face tightened into an almost delighted snarl.
“You,” Jackie clarified, as though this was all the explaining Logan would need.
Dez:
Logan, a bit surprised by Ulric's reply, found herself avoiding his gaze, head turned away and eyes set firmly on nothing. There was a sting to his words, if only a faint one. Mainly because, as naive as it may have been, she didn't expect her attempt at a little banter to be returned with such scorn.
If the circumstances were different, that is to say, if there weren't so many lives presently at stake, she may have taken his response a little more personally. However, she was silent and still, swallowing his words with a with a teaspoon of her pride. The bitterness of his reply caught her off guard, but she now realized her roundabout method of asking for advice was hardly a good idea from the start.
Although she wondered if Ulric knew that she had no desire to hurt anyone, Logan let the silence stretch on, stubbornly refusing to say anything else to the man for the time being. Surely she would approach him another time, should she find the chance and need to, and act as though this conversation had never happened.
"You,"
The voice broke the silence suddenly and sharply. Logan looked up, her eyes meeting with a tall, pale figure. The woman looked fragile (if only by Logan's standards), yet her demeanor, the way she held herself and the look in her eyes, all told a different story.
While the woman was a stranger to Logan, it wasn't at all hard to put the pieces together.
Standing, she moved closer to Jackie until they stood but a yard apart. Logan examined her with her chin raised just slightly, her own expression revealing a mild curiosity. She took all of the woman's features into account, however her focus was almost entirely on her posture and facial expressions.
"You're.. Jackie? Or.. Jacqueline?" having heard both names mentioned around the camp, she was unsure of which one to use, though it was safe to assume that she at least had one of the names right. "You're upset?" it was more or less of a statement than a question.
Hour Glass:
Zeit nodded, listening to her Alpha, wanting to know what would be best for the pack. The full moon was going to be much more dangerous then any other full moon. This one could lead tot he destruction of the pack if they weren't careful enough. If one wolf was killed, and the body found, the farmers would know that the pack was not made up of normal wolves.
And then They would seek answers, and get to close tot he pack. If they were lucky, they might be able to make the farmers forget, but it could lead tot he pack needing a new territory, or even having to escape a hunting party with as few casualties as possible.
She sighed, thinking about what would be best for the pack. She thought of the members that lived here, how one was int he pit, and another might not be able to control them self in their wolf form. And she knew the wolves weren't quite fond of the Beta, and maybe not even the Alpha. This provided more and more problems to be solved as well.
"We'll find Timothy and Sabrina soon" she stated, "for now, I assume Sabrina will be able to keep the boy safe, or at least keep him away from the hunters." She shifted her weight a bit, looking off at the territory, trying to think of how to save the pack.
"If it could be done, the pack could be split" she murmured, "One group, I'd say the ones most familiar with their wolf, and not afraid to protect the pack, could keep closer to the hunters, maybe lure them away? Keep them away from the rest of the pack?" she suggested, "then you could run with the newer members, and try to get them more familiar to you and their wolves, maybe even try to track down Timothy while your at it."
And then They would seek answers, and get to close tot he pack. If they were lucky, they might be able to make the farmers forget, but it could lead tot he pack needing a new territory, or even having to escape a hunting party with as few casualties as possible.
She sighed, thinking about what would be best for the pack. She thought of the members that lived here, how one was int he pit, and another might not be able to control them self in their wolf form. And she knew the wolves weren't quite fond of the Beta, and maybe not even the Alpha. This provided more and more problems to be solved as well.
"We'll find Timothy and Sabrina soon" she stated, "for now, I assume Sabrina will be able to keep the boy safe, or at least keep him away from the hunters." She shifted her weight a bit, looking off at the territory, trying to think of how to save the pack.
"If it could be done, the pack could be split" she murmured, "One group, I'd say the ones most familiar with their wolf, and not afraid to protect the pack, could keep closer to the hunters, maybe lure them away? Keep them away from the rest of the pack?" she suggested, "then you could run with the newer members, and try to get them more familiar to you and their wolves, maybe even try to track down Timothy while your at it."
Kaqurei:
The scent of Theo's fear spiked--Levi made a brief mental note of it, only being moved to desire to know the cause of his distress at its height, after which it had then suddenly dissipated entirely before Levi could decide one way or the other. Then it wasn't important, whatever it had been.
Though Levi was no longer looking up at Theo, he knew he had not gone away, if not just by the sound of his breathing alone then by the fact that he sensed a rising interest in his direction... the same sort of feeling a human would get when they were being watched, only more specific and conscious rather than subconscious.
"Do you get bored?"
Levi glanced back for a moment. He could not see Theo without turning his head though. After a moment, he chuckled lightly (though this almost sounded more like a dog choking) and sighed. "Nah, I've plenty t'do. Sit, stay, roll o'er an th'like. Would not yeh get bored, at tha'?" he asked, turning his head and smiling a little.
Cathannah:
When Toby finally arrived at the house and farm, he tossed his small backpack down on the porch and sat on the steps in a huff. He wasn't sure who owned this place; Was it that creepy wolf they called Zeit? Or was it the psycho one he couldn't remember the name of. Not that it made any difference, he was still stuck here.
For a moment or two, he sat in silence. Many negative thoughts about his predicament passed through his mind. To soothe the contents of his head and make himself feel better, Toby turned to his backpack and pulled a pen and a notebook marked 'Negative Thinking' from it. As far as he could tell, no one from the pack was close by. Typical, but fine by him. Toby didn't really want to see the others anyway. He didn't know any of them- Expect Sabrina. He knew Sabrina and liked her well enough, but his attempts to befriend or even acquaint himself with the others hadn't met with much.
Toby opened the book and grumpily turned to an empty page, where he then began to write:
[These people were strange, and in my opinion, they live more like wolves then people-- That's what I dislike the most: In human society, I'm considered to be a brilliant young man with a bright future and a shot at being accepted into the university. But as a wolf, I'm nothing more then a mangy, wimpy, over-looked, perfectly useless runt. An omega.
Toby gritted his teeth as the word played over in his mind again and again. [I hate being an omega! Omegas never get anywhere or did anything other then eat after everyone else has. They just constantly fought for a higher rank. I don't like fighting, I don't like trouble!] With that, Toby closed his notebook and took a deep breath of fresh air. All the wonderful oders of farm life wafted into his nose, but also the scents of the others. Calmly, Toby tucked his book and pen away in his backpack and stood up with a smile.
"Alright, enough moping. Today is a new day. Let's see if I can make a good impression and a friend with someone this time." He said aloud to himself, stretching his lanky body and adjusting his large glasses. Then he began to search the area for the others. Had they gone far? He had hardly rounded the side of the house when he caught sight of two people standing by the fence and talking. Instantly, his bravado was dashed. It was that creepy Zeit lady and the awfully huge alpha. Landsakes, he was even big in human form! Toby instantly fell back against the side of the house and moved out of sight. It was just his luck that the only two nearby were the two he was most afraid of. Toby swallowed hard and hoped they had not seen him, when suddenly he managed to trip over his own feet and landed rather ungracefully ontop of a small bush from which a young rabbit retreated.
Soar:
Half a monologue died in Jackie’s throat. It had been quite good, actually. It went into detail on what a horrible person Logan was, how she deserved her cruel fate that she was about to serve her, how she would soon—in agonizing pain—reflect how her downfall began when she messed with Jackie Ryder. And now those wonderful words, words that belonged in a book or a movie because they were that important and interesting, were worthless.
Because this lady had no idea who she’d nearly killed a month ago.
Jackie was too stunned to be angry. Instead, she cocked her head to the side like a collie learning a new trick and starred at her. Part of Jackie hoped if she starred at her long enough with that lost empty expression, Logan would suddenly say, “Oh yes, now I remember! How I rue the day and beg at your feet for forgiveness… etc. etc.” But she didn’t.
And this hurt far more than any injury she’d received from her. Because to Logan, she wasn’t important. And that stung. From an “enemy”, she expected that her enemy would hold her in some regard. Like Moriarty to Sherlock Holmes, or a Terminator to John Conner. Instead, she was just that one person who might be called Jackie or Jacqueline.
Jackie deflated like a balloon.
“What… What do you mean… Do you really..?” Jackie sighed defeated.
Her body sagged against the sturdy trunk of a nearby tree and her head stopped down. She held out an open hand.
“Hello, my name is Jacqueline Anna-Marie Ryder. But please, call me Jackie,” the words were foreign and strange in her mouth, like she was chewing on cotton balls.
--
Theo blinked a few times. As far as his expectations of this stranger, who five seconds earlier he thought was an evil demon from the pits of Tartarus, his were completely blown away. For instance, Theo had a difficult time catching the stranger’s words. The accent was peculiar to him and it took him a moment to even process what he had said. Even after which, he wasn’t entirely certain he had understood it right.
“Rolling… around?” Theo blinked,”That can’t be all you want to do. What about games? Do you have little mental games you play?”
Theo laughed a bit,”Because I love games”
May:
Ulric was quiet, and when he caught Logan actually pondering his words, the uncharacteristic smile on his face vanished. He had not anticipated her solemn reaction and quickly Ulric felt the need to rethink what he said.
As a member of the Svalnaglas pack, Ulric had been accustomed to living with people who never gave a thought against the violent mindset of a werewolf. The only way he had been able to get others to consider the consequences of their actions was if he spoke harshly, and even then he was often ignored. He had thus smiled as something of an awkward defense.
Taking a mental step back, Ulric could see now why Logan responded the way she did, but he hadn't a chance to apologize before Jackie approached from the house.
Though Jackie appeared terribly weak and frail in the light of the sun, she still wielded a great amount of dignity and determined fire held her frame. Her skin was pale and her hair not in the least tidy, yet she looked a good deal better than on that night a month ago when Ulric had found her.
As of yet, Ulric said nothing, he stood gradually rigid and his expression drained stolid as he watched between the two women. Though he revealed nothing of his thoughts on the subject, it seemed apparent that a confrontation between Logan and Jackie was not something he felt ready to handle.
One could only imagine the relief that swept over him when Jackie extended her hand to Logan, yet Ulric did not completely soften his guard just then, but instead awaited Logan's reaction..
*****
Kratos turned his face toward Ziet as she spoke. Her words of reassurance concerning Sabrina and Timothy comforted him some and he let the matter be dropped at present. Yet the question of the pack was still to be dealt with and Kratos was silent as he considered Zeit's suggestion.
"You know," He said thoughtfully. "That might actually work. If you could organize those among us who can control themselves and direct them to keep an eye on hunting party, I would be able to position myself further up in the mountains and train the less experienced. That would supply a controlled playing field at least; we don't want our people to be scattered under these circumstances."
The Alpha seemed satisfied with the plan, and was silent a moment as he pondered it over in his mind.
"But what to do with the spy?" He asked after a moment. "In the chance that the hunters come upon the dens up there, it would be inconvenient if they discovered him."
It was then that poor young Toby fell into a bush by the house and drew Kratos' attention. A rabbit fled from the lad's unfortunate blunder and darted across the yard into the pasture behind Zeit's cottage.
The Alpha smiled. "Well, look there Miss Chandler." He said playfully, crossing his arms and gesturing with his chin toward the field. "There's the beast that keeps aggravating your farmhands and disturbing your fields."
*****
Meanwhile, in town a hunting party was being assembled by the townsfolk.
Many young men trained to use rifles had volunteered for the hunt, while the leaders of each group were more experienced men and women.
The leader of one group was a middle aged woman with long wiry hair and a stout frame, she wore a serious expression and an old sandy-colored jacket which was sized to fit a large man better. Her jeans were faded and covered with a layer of dirt from the work she had done in the fields that morning. She didn't appear to be the kind of lady one would approach with some sarcastic comment or random subject, and the lads did well to mind her authority.
The leader of another group, a tall muscular man in his middle ages and bearing all the signs of years of hard work, was leaning calmly against the back of his truck. He had dark worn eyes with decades of experience under his brow, and his hair was still deep with color.
He was talking with another man, nearly the same age, who would be in his group.
Most of the townsfolk gathered knew each other, some having lived in Reknab only a few years while others had parents and grandparents who had seen their childhood years in this small town. Mildred McGordnor and Harvey Bolt were familiar names to most, as both had become well known around town in respect to political matters and loudly voiced opinions.
Three other leaders would be leading hunting parties in different areas such as fields on the outer rim of town and down by the Monvac River, both areas having reported signs of wolves.
The loudest members of the gathering were undoubtedly the young men and women whom spoke in excited tones and laughed a good deal among their friends, whereas the older folk spoke in casual tones in their various social groups.
The women Mildred was standing quietly near a friend with her hand rested on her belt, listening to the conversation between him and an acquaintance of his as her eyes looked out on the crowd. Whilst picking out faces she recognized, she commented at length.
"I don't expect everyone here will be go'n." She said, her voice gruff.
Her friend, Thomas Clerk, turned then and took note of the number of people around him. "Nah," He said. "I don't think too many people are looking forward to spending the night in the woods. Barney was here before you arrived dropping off his son, he said if any of his 'livestock got shot in this venture, he'd sue Town Hall!'"
Thomas laughed, but Mildred's face remained grim as she replied with all seriousness.
"I don't know why Mr. Gelton is so worried about his stock from us, them wolves will do him more trouble in the long run." She said. Just then she recognized a familiar face and excused herself before leaving Thomas and maneuvering her way toward a elderly man and younger woman that had just arrived.
"I haven't seen you in awhile." Mildred said and the faintest of smiles crossed her face.
Mr. Trodder looked up and nodded with a laugh when he saw Mildred. "Ah, yes, it's been awhile, Mildred. How have you been?" He said, and turned to the young woman at his side. "This is my Granddaughter, Tammy, she's a volunteer up at the emergency place."
Tammy shown a friendly smile, albeit somewhat shy.
"Good to see Mr. Trodder has someone trained looking out for him. I can see the resemblance."Mildred said, gesturing toward the plaid cap on the girl's head as compared to Mr. Trodder's leather one. Mildred looked the young lady over with something of a skeptical eye, but she seemed contented by what she saw and said nothing else to introduce herself. Looking back at Trodder she continued. "Everything has been a bit hectic at the farm, and town hasn't been any better. Folks are all over the place these days and some won't keep their noses out of a body's business. All this fuss about them animals was just the cream on the coffee for me. But what about you? I was worried you'd gone off and died someplace; last time we saw each other you weren't in very good health."
"No, my daughters brought me to live with them for awhile. I have been well looked after." Mr. Trodder laughed. His smile and ever friendly manner had not faded.
"Good to hear; it's good to have family looking out for ya. When did you get back in town then?"
"A little over a month ago." Mr. Trodder replied, and noticing that the conversation would not soon be brought to a close, he turned to his Granddaughter and pardoned her from his side. "You can go find your friends, Tammy."
Tammy Trodder nodded respectfully and left her Granddfather. She looked out over the crowd for only a moment before catching sight of someone she knew. Just as soon, the lithe short-haired, redheaded young woman looked up from her conversation and saw Tammy. She beckoned her friend and promptly introduced Tammy to the others standing around her.
"This is Tammy, she's a volunteer up at the clinic where I work." The lady said. "We've seen the worst of it, haven't we Tammy?"
"Oh, no doubt, Jenn!" Tammy laughed playfully, though she had no idea what the group had been talking about and was simply supporting her friend's comment. But Jenn and her friends laughed regardless.
"We were just talking about all the wolf attacks recently." Jenn explained, adopting Tammy into the conversation. "Robbie here said he actually saw one at his dad's place! He said that it was huge, that it crossed near a tree and later he went and stood by the tree and compared it's size to his own - didn't you Robbie?"
Robbie Gelton nodded. "Yeah, my dad and I were both surprised by how big it was. We saw it this last month, and I'm actually hoping to find the same one on this hunt. If I can bring it home and mount it up for my dad, he says he'll give me a hundred bucks for it."
"Yeah, Robbie says it'll make an amazing trophy - he says it was black with grey stripes and that it would do great for a rug or something." Jenn rambled on excitedly. "I'm not actually going on the hunt, but I can't wait to see it after you get it, Robbie! You'll have to show everyone!"
Tammy was quiet, looking between Robbie and Jenn before glancing at the black pavement under their feet.
Robbie and the other boy in the group didn't notice, but upon a glance Jenn recognized the Tammy wasn't feeling very well.
"Are you sick Tammy?" Jenn asked.
"Nah, I'm okay." Tammy replied, looking up quickly and putting a smile on to ward her friend's concerns.
Just then the Group Organizer called out and everyone steadily turned their attention toward him. When the gathering had quieted, the man commenced to introduce the volunteer team leaders and select people for each team.
"You should probably get over there, Robbie." Jenn said in a hushed voice. "I ought to be going too.. Will you be going on the hunting trip Tammy?"
Dez:
Perplexed, Logan watched and listened as this woman stammered and tripped over words, before slumping over against the tree in a defeated manner. Logan briefly grappled in the dark for a reason as to why this Jackie acted in such a way - that is, seemingly put out by the response she was given - but in the end, she passed it off as one of those strange things people do that she may never understand, or at least, didn't care to try and understand right this moment.
Logan glimpsed down at Jackie's hand, held out with something a little less than enthusiasm, and she found herself handling the simple gesture somewhat awkwardly. Lifting her own hand slowly, she tried in vain to recall the last time she shook hands with someone... then, clasping hands with the other, she didn't give her a handshake at all but rather pulled her up, firmly but carefully, out of her slouch.
"Logan Ash Geronimo," she began, nodding just slightly. "You should stand straight, it fits you better." loosing her grip, she took a step back and gave another nod, "It's good to meet you, Jackie." though her face wasn't unlike a blank sheet of paper, expressionless, and tone lacking any sort of depth, her words were honest as usual (she saw little sense in flattery or hallow manners). For a moment, she seemed to have forgotten she was among the presence of heartless, cruel monsters. Or maybe she felt, if only subconsciously, she owed a certain amount of kindness to this woman.
After the introduction, Logan glanced down at her watch and decided it was time to dismiss herself.
"I'll be in my room." she called to Ulric, before turning from Jackie and making her way to a house. There were few ways one could prepare for a time in which you'd be forcibly transformed into a ferocious, mindless beast, but sleep was always a good option, especially given that it wouldn't likely be on the to-do list of her wolf form. No, certainly "it" had other plans for the night.
And what a night it was bound to be.
Logan glimpsed down at Jackie's hand, held out with something a little less than enthusiasm, and she found herself handling the simple gesture somewhat awkwardly. Lifting her own hand slowly, she tried in vain to recall the last time she shook hands with someone... then, clasping hands with the other, she didn't give her a handshake at all but rather pulled her up, firmly but carefully, out of her slouch.
"Logan Ash Geronimo," she began, nodding just slightly. "You should stand straight, it fits you better." loosing her grip, she took a step back and gave another nod, "It's good to meet you, Jackie." though her face wasn't unlike a blank sheet of paper, expressionless, and tone lacking any sort of depth, her words were honest as usual (she saw little sense in flattery or hallow manners). For a moment, she seemed to have forgotten she was among the presence of heartless, cruel monsters. Or maybe she felt, if only subconsciously, she owed a certain amount of kindness to this woman.
After the introduction, Logan glanced down at her watch and decided it was time to dismiss herself.
"I'll be in my room." she called to Ulric, before turning from Jackie and making her way to a house. There were few ways one could prepare for a time in which you'd be forcibly transformed into a ferocious, mindless beast, but sleep was always a good option, especially given that it wouldn't likely be on the to-do list of her wolf form. No, certainly "it" had other plans for the night.
And what a night it was bound to be.
Soar:
Jackie turned towards Ulric, bewildered,”What just… happened?”
Again, Jackie fell against the tree and sighed. She had been expecting a fight, or at the very least a few unkind words. Instead she got more confusion, a bigger headache, and possibly a new friend.
Jackie was at loss on what to do, and therefore continued to sigh and lean against her tree until she decided Logan was right and she liked standing straight better.
Again, Jackie fell against the tree and sighed. She had been expecting a fight, or at the very least a few unkind words. Instead she got more confusion, a bigger headache, and possibly a new friend.
Jackie was at loss on what to do, and therefore continued to sigh and lean against her tree until she decided Logan was right and she liked standing straight better.
Cathannah:
What good could the strange old lady in the antique shop be on a wolf hunt? Absolutely none whatsoever. That's why no one noticed her as she watched from the behind the filthy glass window on the front of her store; her fat, wrinkly face was barely noticeable under the painted 'T'.
When the Group Organizer finally called everyone's attention, Mrs. Buttermilk made her move. She disappeared into the darkness behind the window, only to reappear emerging at a steady pace through the door and out onto the street. As usual, her long white hair was bound back in a bun, skewered by two pink-tip knitting needles. She wore a deep maroon dress with a single rose design sewn on the hip, and a light purple shawl around her shoulders. Her big brown boots were hardly characteristic for an woman of her age, and were the only thing she wore that didn't match the rest of her attire in the slightest.
She paused only a moment in front of her shop to lock up, then slowly wobbled her way toward the crowd, leaning on her grey-blue cane as she went. A hush had fallen over the young folk as they listened eagerly for as to who would be on what team.
Purposely, Mrs. Buttemilk stumbled into the front of the crowd and bumped into one of the men. "Oh, I b-beg your pardon, young man." She apologized in a shaky voice, adjusting her glassed. "My, my. Whatever is this all about? A party? Oh, I do love parties..A pity I can't stay, I must get home before dark. There are wolves around, you know. Big wolves- bigger then ordinary kinds. Oh d-dear, just the very thought. My later husband and I saw one once. He took a shot at it, but the bullet bounced clean off. No indeed, bullets won't work. Only smelling salt. They hate that stuff, that's how I got them to leave me chicken a-alone. You'll wish the happy couple well for me though, won't you dear? Don't stay out too late. Cherry-O."
And with that, the old lady limped on by.
********
Toby clung to the side of the wall, not even bothering to get up out of the bush. He was hoping Kratos and Zeit hadn't noticed him, and at first it seemed like they hadn't, but then Toby overheard the alpha laugh and say something about a bandit who had been bothering livestock and fields. At once, Toby lept to his feet and out into the open where the two higher ranks could see him. Flailing his arms, he desperately cried: "No I didn't! I've never touched anything here! It's not me, I promise! I've been framed!"
When the Group Organizer finally called everyone's attention, Mrs. Buttermilk made her move. She disappeared into the darkness behind the window, only to reappear emerging at a steady pace through the door and out onto the street. As usual, her long white hair was bound back in a bun, skewered by two pink-tip knitting needles. She wore a deep maroon dress with a single rose design sewn on the hip, and a light purple shawl around her shoulders. Her big brown boots were hardly characteristic for an woman of her age, and were the only thing she wore that didn't match the rest of her attire in the slightest.
She paused only a moment in front of her shop to lock up, then slowly wobbled her way toward the crowd, leaning on her grey-blue cane as she went. A hush had fallen over the young folk as they listened eagerly for as to who would be on what team.
Purposely, Mrs. Buttemilk stumbled into the front of the crowd and bumped into one of the men. "Oh, I b-beg your pardon, young man." She apologized in a shaky voice, adjusting her glassed. "My, my. Whatever is this all about? A party? Oh, I do love parties..A pity I can't stay, I must get home before dark. There are wolves around, you know. Big wolves- bigger then ordinary kinds. Oh d-dear, just the very thought. My later husband and I saw one once. He took a shot at it, but the bullet bounced clean off. No indeed, bullets won't work. Only smelling salt. They hate that stuff, that's how I got them to leave me chicken a-alone. You'll wish the happy couple well for me though, won't you dear? Don't stay out too late. Cherry-O."
And with that, the old lady limped on by.
********
Toby clung to the side of the wall, not even bothering to get up out of the bush. He was hoping Kratos and Zeit hadn't noticed him, and at first it seemed like they hadn't, but then Toby overheard the alpha laugh and say something about a bandit who had been bothering livestock and fields. At once, Toby lept to his feet and out into the open where the two higher ranks could see him. Flailing his arms, he desperately cried: "No I didn't! I've never touched anything here! It's not me, I promise! I've been framed!"
Kaqurei:
Levi chuckled a bit, again sounding little better than a dog choking or sneezing. He stood up, stretched his arms, and turned around to look up at Theo directly. "'Tis not really a quest'n o' wants, I fancy, otherwise I shouldn't be locked up tight as this, should I?" he said, in a generally goodnatured way. "I suppose it's given me as good a chance as any t'get used ta keepin' up this form in daylight. Wasn't much use at it 'forehand. I must say though, I like games too. What would yeh have in mind then, eh? I've had time enough to wear thin aboot all there is t'play solo, tha' is."
****
An older woman, looking to be in her mid-forties, stood on the outskirts of the crowd. Wearing a grey-green sweater, faded blue jeans, and large hiking boots, with a shotgun strapped across her back, she seemed like another of the yeehaws coming down to join the wolf hunt.
She was a tall woman, with long blonde hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, thin brows, and sharp blue eyes nearly narrowed to slits for her glaring. Lips pursed tight, and arms crossed, she listened to the formation of hunting groups looking still less pleased than before.
This creature, known as Katie Thompson, was usually a social recluse who only ventured down the mountain to buy supplies and foodstuffs to support her solitary cabin existence every six months to two years--and of course, she bought in bulk to put off her next forced engagement with humanity for as long as possible. But no one wondered at her attending this meeting; it was no secret that her twin sister, Susan, had been gobbled up by wolves before her very eyes some twenty years ago.
After old Mrs. Buttermilk had her say (and was promptly dismissed by most as she was rumoured to be a tad loose in the attic ever since her boys left her with a young grandson to take care of just weeks after her husband passed) Katie uncrossed her arms and marched towards the group organizer. "Hey, Al," she called out. "Just where'n abouts are ya'll plannin' to go huntin'? I suppose you've got permission filled out from farmers and ranchers whose land your lot is like to go gallumpin' about on?" Looking about crossly at the various groups she barked, "Cause nobody said nothin' to me about tresspassin' on my land. I own a good portion of the northern mountain range, you know, and I ain't gonna have no young'uns shootin' and caterwaulin' on my property, ya understand? You're fixin' for a mess of trouble lettin' them young'uns loose with guns anyways."
****
An older woman, looking to be in her mid-forties, stood on the outskirts of the crowd. Wearing a grey-green sweater, faded blue jeans, and large hiking boots, with a shotgun strapped across her back, she seemed like another of the yeehaws coming down to join the wolf hunt.
She was a tall woman, with long blonde hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, thin brows, and sharp blue eyes nearly narrowed to slits for her glaring. Lips pursed tight, and arms crossed, she listened to the formation of hunting groups looking still less pleased than before.
This creature, known as Katie Thompson, was usually a social recluse who only ventured down the mountain to buy supplies and foodstuffs to support her solitary cabin existence every six months to two years--and of course, she bought in bulk to put off her next forced engagement with humanity for as long as possible. But no one wondered at her attending this meeting; it was no secret that her twin sister, Susan, had been gobbled up by wolves before her very eyes some twenty years ago.
After old Mrs. Buttermilk had her say (and was promptly dismissed by most as she was rumoured to be a tad loose in the attic ever since her boys left her with a young grandson to take care of just weeks after her husband passed) Katie uncrossed her arms and marched towards the group organizer. "Hey, Al," she called out. "Just where'n abouts are ya'll plannin' to go huntin'? I suppose you've got permission filled out from farmers and ranchers whose land your lot is like to go gallumpin' about on?" Looking about crossly at the various groups she barked, "Cause nobody said nothin' to me about tresspassin' on my land. I own a good portion of the northern mountain range, you know, and I ain't gonna have no young'uns shootin' and caterwaulin' on my property, ya understand? You're fixin' for a mess of trouble lettin' them young'uns loose with guns anyways."
May:
Ulric dropped his guard in that instant and was caught staring off after Logan with a look of amazement. He was just as baffled as Jackie in that moment by Logan's reaction; her actions were not what he expected, and so suddenly had been his surprise that for a short time after Logan vanished into the house, he found he could do nothing but stare at the door.
"She.. I mean she really.." Ulric stammered at length, still staring after Logan. But after a moment's pause he sighed heavily and looked toward Jackie. "She really has no control over it, does she? ... She can't even remember it?"
*****
There were two 'Al's in the crowd whom turned their attention toward Katie Thompson when she spoke up just then - Albert Rich, the Group Organizer, and Alfred Nickers who had been assigned to Harvey Bolt's group. The latter of the two payed no more mind to Katie's rant once he realized it was not he whom she was addressing. But Albert, he turned a keen ear toward her from the front of the crowd, and listened for anyway he might put to rest her anxiety on the matter of the hunt.
Albert was a man in his early thirties, but he bore wrinkles across his forehead as evidence of all the stresses and worries he had faced as a young-adult. He was somewhat acquainted with everybody since he worked in a lower office at Town Hall, but he always tried to pay attention to the individual like their business was the only thing that mattered in the world to him.
Several of the young members of the crowd had been offended by Katie's complaints and began to shout words of scorn at her, while a few of the older members, Harvey Bolt included, cast glares and spat off personal insults against Katie's appearance and social status. It was obvious that these same folks whom had laughed off Mrs. Buttermilk's warnings, weren't very interested in being barred from the hunt by the frustrations of some recluse either.
Yet despite the sudden chaos, Albert was quick to quiet them all down by speaking loudly and waving his hands to get their attention.
"Ma'am, everything has been settled with the ranches in the area, and any damage to property or livestock will be refunded. It's in this contract right here; any persons found responsible for damages will be penalized according to their agreement with Town Hall. The group leaders are under obligation to report any accidents, incidents, misuse, or misconduct with weaponry while out there. You can come on over here and have a look." Mr. Rich explained rather professionally as he lifted a copy of the contract into the air to show. "Everyone here carrying a weapon holds a license. No one without a valid license will be permitted on the hunt. If you have anything else you're worried about, please come talk with me after the rally, the Town Council and I welcome everyone to say their piece and I would be more than glad to meet all your concerns once we're done here."
"She.. I mean she really.." Ulric stammered at length, still staring after Logan. But after a moment's pause he sighed heavily and looked toward Jackie. "She really has no control over it, does she? ... She can't even remember it?"
*****
There were two 'Al's in the crowd whom turned their attention toward Katie Thompson when she spoke up just then - Albert Rich, the Group Organizer, and Alfred Nickers who had been assigned to Harvey Bolt's group. The latter of the two payed no more mind to Katie's rant once he realized it was not he whom she was addressing. But Albert, he turned a keen ear toward her from the front of the crowd, and listened for anyway he might put to rest her anxiety on the matter of the hunt.
Albert was a man in his early thirties, but he bore wrinkles across his forehead as evidence of all the stresses and worries he had faced as a young-adult. He was somewhat acquainted with everybody since he worked in a lower office at Town Hall, but he always tried to pay attention to the individual like their business was the only thing that mattered in the world to him.
Several of the young members of the crowd had been offended by Katie's complaints and began to shout words of scorn at her, while a few of the older members, Harvey Bolt included, cast glares and spat off personal insults against Katie's appearance and social status. It was obvious that these same folks whom had laughed off Mrs. Buttermilk's warnings, weren't very interested in being barred from the hunt by the frustrations of some recluse either.
Yet despite the sudden chaos, Albert was quick to quiet them all down by speaking loudly and waving his hands to get their attention.
"Ma'am, everything has been settled with the ranches in the area, and any damage to property or livestock will be refunded. It's in this contract right here; any persons found responsible for damages will be penalized according to their agreement with Town Hall. The group leaders are under obligation to report any accidents, incidents, misuse, or misconduct with weaponry while out there. You can come on over here and have a look." Mr. Rich explained rather professionally as he lifted a copy of the contract into the air to show. "Everyone here carrying a weapon holds a license. No one without a valid license will be permitted on the hunt. If you have anything else you're worried about, please come talk with me after the rally, the Town Council and I welcome everyone to say their piece and I would be more than glad to meet all your concerns once we're done here."
Kaqurei:
"Refund, huh? That's real cute. One can hardly refund a corpse, can they, Al?" Katie said scornfully, ignoring both his attempts to try to get her to resolve things calmly behind a desk and the crowd, "What's this rabble at City Hall thinkin'? If they're gonna hunt wolves, why are they doin' it at night? It'll be dark up in them mountains, and even assuming your lot don't take a shot at anythin' that moves, what's to keep my Candy and Arnie from gettin' hurt? I've got me a pair of dogs to keep away them wolves you're so worried about, as well as any other such prowlers. They hate to be cooped up, so they stay out all night and roam my land. They're real big dogs too--Irish Wolfhounds. If they get mistaken for one of your wolves and get hurt, there ain't no amount of money that could cover the damages. They're all the kin I've got, Al, and I don't want to take no risks." She looked around the crowd, getting red in the face and looking like she might explode at any minute. "Your lot ain't allowed on my property, and that's that!" she exclaimed, before turning and marching off.
A couple of the kids laughed in her wake. "That old hermit," a girl near Robbie said, "Did you see her face? She looked like she was going to bawl! We won't touch her dumb old dogs, she's just gettin' into a fix over nothing."
A couple of the kids laughed in her wake. "That old hermit," a girl near Robbie said, "Did you see her face? She looked like she was going to bawl! We won't touch her dumb old dogs, she's just gettin' into a fix over nothing."
Hour Glass:
****
"Well, since you'll be with a group of wolves, and my group will watch the hunters, " Zeit said, thinking to herself for a moment. She sighed thinking for a moment, running things over in her mind. "He could either go with you or my group can distract the hunters away from the hole" she eventually replied.
She felt tense with the thoughts of the hunters coming. If the hunters managed to get one of the wolves, the whole pack would be endangered, needing to flee as soon as they could from the ranch. These times would be tough, as the wolves would have to sneak around in order to survive.
Zeit was about to say something, until Toby fell, and Kratos made a comment about the wolf. The rancher stared at Toby for a moment, before busting out into laughter. "Don't worry Toby, it's a wandering coyote that's been bothering the cows, it won't be here much longer" she replied, eyeing the wolf. "Anyways, what brings you out here?" she asked.
She felt tense with the thoughts of the hunters coming. If the hunters managed to get one of the wolves, the whole pack would be endangered, needing to flee as soon as they could from the ranch. These times would be tough, as the wolves would have to sneak around in order to survive.
Zeit was about to say something, until Toby fell, and Kratos made a comment about the wolf. The rancher stared at Toby for a moment, before busting out into laughter. "Don't worry Toby, it's a wandering coyote that's been bothering the cows, it won't be here much longer" she replied, eyeing the wolf. "Anyways, what brings you out here?" she asked.
Soar:
Jackie shook her head. For a few moments, she still seemed at a loss for a words. Then she suddenly seemed to find herself again and her resolve hardened.
“Apparently she doesn’t. But don’t worry, I’ll make her remember. Sooner or later”
With that, Jackie marched off into the cottage after Logan.
--
Theo paused thoughtfully as he considered Levi.
“Well, that’s tough. There are a lot of good games. But not all of them are good to play with two people. And other games require a board a few more people. Buut…”
Theo’s eyes suddenly brightened as some thought struck him. He laughed, but nervously as though a little ashamed of what he was going to say.
“Sometimes when I don’t know what to do, I think of what I would do if I got a magical wish. And I… well.. the best I’ve ever come up with would be,” he laughed nervously again,”Would be seeing Kratos in a tutu. I, er, dare you to come up with a better wish”
“Apparently she doesn’t. But don’t worry, I’ll make her remember. Sooner or later”
With that, Jackie marched off into the cottage after Logan.
--
Theo paused thoughtfully as he considered Levi.
“Well, that’s tough. There are a lot of good games. But not all of them are good to play with two people. And other games require a board a few more people. Buut…”
Theo’s eyes suddenly brightened as some thought struck him. He laughed, but nervously as though a little ashamed of what he was going to say.
“Sometimes when I don’t know what to do, I think of what I would do if I got a magical wish. And I… well.. the best I’ve ever come up with would be,” he laughed nervously again,”Would be seeing Kratos in a tutu. I, er, dare you to come up with a better wish”
Aim:
Catching the wave, Chime raised her hand and move it slightly as a response, smiling. She gestured to her new outfit, though didn't really know if Ulric was looking anymore. Looking around the area, her smile slipped when she noticed how... empty it all felt. She had always thought of these werewolves as her family, how many of them did she really know..? Cocking her head to the right, she started off in a mindless walk, ending up pacing back and forth from the place she started from. As she pondered the fact, she talked to a few of them, all of them seemed nice, most pretty closed off.
Let's see, she knew at least a few by name.. Toby, of course, Chime just couldn't get over the timidness of the teen, making her have an instant liking to him. She couldn't help but want to mother him a little, though he was most likely older then her. A fond smile appeared, where was he anyway? He seemed to disappear, quite a lot actually, hiding himself away.
There was also Kieoki, she was cool, Chime found herself thinking of her as more of a challenge, which made her more then ever want to make friends with her. She really enjoyed talking to her, and hoped to do it more often.
And Timothy... Chime's smiled dropped as a slight breeze made itself known, she turned her head towards the forest.
Chime stared at the trees, wondering where Timothy had got to. Worry about the night began anew, would he be alright? Though she only talked to him once, and it was quite short, it just didn't seem right. She had seen him in his werewolf form, she knew the control he had over it...
Shaking her head, a small, frown found it's way to her face, she can't do anything about it then and can't do anything about it now, so there is no use worry about them, she simply had to trust, in her Alpha, her pack, and most importantly in Timothy.. And she guessed that Sabrina was quite trust worthy also.
"There, no need to fret.. Just do what everyone else tells you.."
She was muttering this when she overheard Theo. Tutu? Kratos?
Slightly disturbed though couldn't stop a giggle from erupting, Chime looked over at him, what on earth was he talking about?
Walking over to the pit, Chime almost felt like she was interrupting something. Not quite knowing how to introduce herself in the conversion, she stood there awkwardly. "Did..did I mishear you?" She asked, as another giggle escape her.
Let's see, she knew at least a few by name.. Toby, of course, Chime just couldn't get over the timidness of the teen, making her have an instant liking to him. She couldn't help but want to mother him a little, though he was most likely older then her. A fond smile appeared, where was he anyway? He seemed to disappear, quite a lot actually, hiding himself away.
There was also Kieoki, she was cool, Chime found herself thinking of her as more of a challenge, which made her more then ever want to make friends with her. She really enjoyed talking to her, and hoped to do it more often.
And Timothy... Chime's smiled dropped as a slight breeze made itself known, she turned her head towards the forest.
Chime stared at the trees, wondering where Timothy had got to. Worry about the night began anew, would he be alright? Though she only talked to him once, and it was quite short, it just didn't seem right. She had seen him in his werewolf form, she knew the control he had over it...
Shaking her head, a small, frown found it's way to her face, she can't do anything about it then and can't do anything about it now, so there is no use worry about them, she simply had to trust, in her Alpha, her pack, and most importantly in Timothy.. And she guessed that Sabrina was quite trust worthy also.
"There, no need to fret.. Just do what everyone else tells you.."
She was muttering this when she overheard Theo. Tutu? Kratos?
Slightly disturbed though couldn't stop a giggle from erupting, Chime looked over at him, what on earth was he talking about?
Walking over to the pit, Chime almost felt like she was interrupting something. Not quite knowing how to introduce herself in the conversion, she stood there awkwardly. "Did..did I mishear you?" She asked, as another giggle escape her.
Dez:
It would be untrue to say that Logan couldn't remember anything of being in her (more) beastly form. She found that she would wake up some days with memories that weren't there before, although she struggled to discern the exact origin of these memories - whether they be from dreams or otherwise. These memories were hazy at best, something like looking at the world from behind a smokey screen. Movements were either slow and distorted, or very quick and scrambled. It did seem, however, that some aspects of these foggy recollections were more prominent than others. Or at least the emotional aspect of them. For example, she recalled relatively clearly a strong desire to find someone or something, and some time later a sense of defeat, submission. She could remember even, one figure walking beside her and another behind, the sound of their footsteps, and harboring a decent amount of spite for the one walking behind them. Who they were escaped her of course, but she did know that she felt the same spite when she looked into the eyes of the alpha Kratos. Of course, it could have just been because he was the leader.
She made her way to one of the staircases leading to the cottage bedrooms, not yet noticing the tag along. It wasn't hard to tell Logan's room from the rest - the door knob was loose and hardly latched properly anymore, from being twisted and pulled on too roughly. Inside the room, the only personal touches she had added were the blankets laying on the floor at the foot of her bed and her few items; a worn backpack hung on a hook on the wall, a simple leather wallet on the stand by her bed, her boots resting by the door.
Then there was a photograph. It was just big enough to fit in a wallet, and laid on the vanity desk. It was an old black and white photo, the edges were frayed, but otherwise the image was clear. There was a man resting by a tree, wearing a white button up, nice shoes and suspenders to keep up his dress pants. He donned a hat and a pipe, and he gazed off into the distance, seemingly completely absorbed in thought, as if he had no idea that the picture was being taken. The man would be Logan's grandfather. Not young nor old at the time but rather, "well aged" and wise beyond his years.
It's funny, how someone could look up to someone so much and yet be nothing like them. Such was Logan's case.
Beside the photograph was a paper with writing, a letter to the very man in the photo no doubt. The handwriting was all but unreadable, many words crossed out. Making her way to the vanity, Logan grabbed the paper and crumpled it tightly, before tossing it into the trashcan with a less than satisfied expression on face. It was one of those things that you would do in the middle of the night, only to wake up and find you weren't at all happy with. Not to mention, she didn't even know his PO box. Then there was another problem, should she manage to find out what it was. Glancing up at her reflection in the vanity, she reached up and ran a hand over the scars on her shoulder.. surely someone had notified her grandfather about the incident on that night? And if he knew what she was, she was certainly dead to him. Her shoulders dropped a little, and Logan turned her head from the vanity, her gaze falling to the floor. Then it was out of the corner of her eye she noticed someone - Jackie? - in the reflection. Her eyes widening, she turned around and marched over to the bedroom door, slamming it shut.
"I'm going to take a rest." she stated firmly, her voice coated with an anger that wasn't present just moments ago.
She made her way to one of the staircases leading to the cottage bedrooms, not yet noticing the tag along. It wasn't hard to tell Logan's room from the rest - the door knob was loose and hardly latched properly anymore, from being twisted and pulled on too roughly. Inside the room, the only personal touches she had added were the blankets laying on the floor at the foot of her bed and her few items; a worn backpack hung on a hook on the wall, a simple leather wallet on the stand by her bed, her boots resting by the door.
Then there was a photograph. It was just big enough to fit in a wallet, and laid on the vanity desk. It was an old black and white photo, the edges were frayed, but otherwise the image was clear. There was a man resting by a tree, wearing a white button up, nice shoes and suspenders to keep up his dress pants. He donned a hat and a pipe, and he gazed off into the distance, seemingly completely absorbed in thought, as if he had no idea that the picture was being taken. The man would be Logan's grandfather. Not young nor old at the time but rather, "well aged" and wise beyond his years.
It's funny, how someone could look up to someone so much and yet be nothing like them. Such was Logan's case.
Beside the photograph was a paper with writing, a letter to the very man in the photo no doubt. The handwriting was all but unreadable, many words crossed out. Making her way to the vanity, Logan grabbed the paper and crumpled it tightly, before tossing it into the trashcan with a less than satisfied expression on face. It was one of those things that you would do in the middle of the night, only to wake up and find you weren't at all happy with. Not to mention, she didn't even know his PO box. Then there was another problem, should she manage to find out what it was. Glancing up at her reflection in the vanity, she reached up and ran a hand over the scars on her shoulder.. surely someone had notified her grandfather about the incident on that night? And if he knew what she was, she was certainly dead to him. Her shoulders dropped a little, and Logan turned her head from the vanity, her gaze falling to the floor. Then it was out of the corner of her eye she noticed someone - Jackie? - in the reflection. Her eyes widening, she turned around and marched over to the bedroom door, slamming it shut.
"I'm going to take a rest." she stated firmly, her voice coated with an anger that wasn't present just moments ago.
Kaqurei:
Levi stared up at Theo with almost no expression on his face at all, save that his eyes both widenedand brightened considerably at the same time that his ears pinned back nearly flat against his skull. The corner of his mouth twitched. And then, quite suddenly (likely just as Chime was approaching), a great wolfish smile ripped up the side of his face and he let loose a loud, horrible sound that seemed like it just bubbled up and then exploded out of his throat--something like, but not quite, a cross between a dying swan and screeching tires.
"Yer Alfa in a tutu?!" he exclaimed between these inhuman bursts, doubling over and slapping his knee. He continued to shudder, gurgle, and wheeze for a bit longer, shaking his head and waving up at Theo to apologize until he was able to control his laughter.
"Ah me," he sighed, "That's the best laugh I've had in a while nu, I'll give yeh that. Pity about the racket I made, though, I apologize. My laugh's much better when it's not blasted through these old wolf-pipes, I'll tell yeh." His shoulders shuddered and he chuckled some more, shaking his head. "...Yer Alfa in a tutu... Ah me!" He looked back up at Theo and said, still grinning like a donkey, "Nah, that's a pretty good wish, uh, and what was your name again? I believe I've heard you be called Theo by some o' the others. Do correct me if I'm wrong, though. At any rate, it might take a wee bit o' thinkin' ta top that wish o' yers." He snorted and muttered something about the tutu again, shaking his head.
"Yer Alfa in a tutu?!" he exclaimed between these inhuman bursts, doubling over and slapping his knee. He continued to shudder, gurgle, and wheeze for a bit longer, shaking his head and waving up at Theo to apologize until he was able to control his laughter.
"Ah me," he sighed, "That's the best laugh I've had in a while nu, I'll give yeh that. Pity about the racket I made, though, I apologize. My laugh's much better when it's not blasted through these old wolf-pipes, I'll tell yeh." His shoulders shuddered and he chuckled some more, shaking his head. "...Yer Alfa in a tutu... Ah me!" He looked back up at Theo and said, still grinning like a donkey, "Nah, that's a pretty good wish, uh, and what was your name again? I believe I've heard you be called Theo by some o' the others. Do correct me if I'm wrong, though. At any rate, it might take a wee bit o' thinkin' ta top that wish o' yers." He snorted and muttered something about the tutu again, shaking his head.
May:
Ulric watched Jackie go into the house after Logan. He stared off after her with a thoughtful expression for a moment before some ways behind him he heard Theo's comment. Immediately Ulric attempted to prevent himself from laughing at the image that entered his mind, but ended up chuckling anyway!
Ulric had been listening (as best he could) to Levi and Theo's conversation the whole time since he was currently responsible for the stranger, but had neglected to pay attention during his momentary shock toward Logan's response to Jackie. When the two had gone inside however, Ulric returned his attention to his duty and found himself quite amused.
Turning then to look across the ditch to Theo, and of course Levi at the bottom of the pit, Ulric noticed Chime again in her new purple outfit. It hadn't occurred to him beforehand when he had seen her that the clothes were new - and handmade - but somehow against the dark brown and green background of the forest, she stood out.. Oddly, he also noticed other things about her that he hadn't really before.
Ulric smiled. With Jackie and Logan now having officially 'crossed paths' he couldn't think of anything else to worry about.. Unfortunately he also dismissed Jackie's words as a concern, and decided most of the trouble was behind them. So, recognizing the opportunity to socialize with a group of pack members that weren't busy being serious, Ulric steadily made his way around to where Theo and Chime were standing.
"What?" He asked through a half-chuckle as he drew near. "Kratos in a Tutu?"
Then the stranger began laughing uncontrollably, and though at first taken aback by the racket, Ulric soon relaxed and even joined in with a giggle once or twice.
Ulric had been listening (as best he could) to Levi and Theo's conversation the whole time since he was currently responsible for the stranger, but had neglected to pay attention during his momentary shock toward Logan's response to Jackie. When the two had gone inside however, Ulric returned his attention to his duty and found himself quite amused.
Turning then to look across the ditch to Theo, and of course Levi at the bottom of the pit, Ulric noticed Chime again in her new purple outfit. It hadn't occurred to him beforehand when he had seen her that the clothes were new - and handmade - but somehow against the dark brown and green background of the forest, she stood out.. Oddly, he also noticed other things about her that he hadn't really before.
Ulric smiled. With Jackie and Logan now having officially 'crossed paths' he couldn't think of anything else to worry about.. Unfortunately he also dismissed Jackie's words as a concern, and decided most of the trouble was behind them. So, recognizing the opportunity to socialize with a group of pack members that weren't busy being serious, Ulric steadily made his way around to where Theo and Chime were standing.
"What?" He asked through a half-chuckle as he drew near. "Kratos in a Tutu?"
Then the stranger began laughing uncontrollably, and though at first taken aback by the racket, Ulric soon relaxed and even joined in with a giggle once or twice.
*****
The Alpha looked toward Zeit with a bright smile when she had laughed and tried to comfort the trembling Omega. Her amusement had been a pleasant surprise to Kratos just then, for though he had mocked amusement at Toby's blunder to lift the mood, Zeit's laugh was genuine and brought true comfort to his heart.
In those few moments Kratos was brought back to the night when he had shown himself to the Beta in her barn. As a stranger he had revealed himself and he remembered how she stared on. The recollection made him chuckle briefly to himself as he watched between Toby and Zeit for a moment. Then he sighed and shook his head.
How naive he had been back then. Zeit had responded rather maturely, and had it not been for Kale the pack likely would not be...
So much had changed since the pack was first formed.. So many werewolves had crossed their path.. Some had not stayed after learning how to control their secondary form..
The Alpha was far away in his thoughts before he sighed a second time. "It is good to have enduring friends." He muttered then, seemingly at random to himself, as if completely overlooking the topic at hand. Then he uncrossed his arms and put a hand on the small fence.
"Yes, Toby, what brings you out here? And why aren't you gathering the pack together to meet at the dens?" Kratos said, his tone again playful. The question was posed as if the Alpha had requested this of Toby beforehand, yet no previous request had ever been made. Kratos had asked mainly to underhandedly tease and confuse the poor Omega between just the two of them.
A thought crossed Kratos' mind just then, and looking down at Zeit again the Alpha added in his regular tone, "Is Hawkthorne in town today?"
Cathannah:
Zeit's laughter wasn't exactly comforting for Toby, but it was enough to assure him that he wasn't in trouble-- At least, not at the moment, so he stopped shaking. He found he could remain calm if he just pictured these two people as friends of his grandmother, instead of his hulking wolf superiors. Out of habit, he quickly adjusted his glasses and straightened his shirt before fumbling for an answer to Zeit's question.
"Oh, I was just- Uhh.. You see, the forest is- uhm.." It was hard enough trying to explain to these people that 1. He couldn't remember where camp was, and 2. He never went tracking up the mountain all by himself because he was afraid of wild animals. Then Kratos spoke and caught the young Omega completely off gaurd.
Though his words were in jest, they effectively made Toby nervous again. He stared for a moment double-checking the Alpha's words in his mind and making sure he had not misheard him, then he clumsily began digging through his pocket.
"I- Uhm-- Oh, well! Are-are- Are you sure.. Sure that you- uhm.. Uhm- Did you t-tell-?.. I-- One minute." He stuttered. Finally, he was able to retreive a small notebook out of his pocket and began to flip through it earnestly. "When- When- When did you- uhm.. Tell me to d-d-d-do that please? I- uh.. C-cause i-it's n-n-n-not here in my- my- my- My reminders..." He managed to squeak, swallowing hard and watching Kratos with large eyes. He was ready to run, on the off-chance the large man would suddenly fly into a fury, leap over the fence, cross the distance, and throttle Toby all in the same second.
"Oh, I was just- Uhh.. You see, the forest is- uhm.." It was hard enough trying to explain to these people that 1. He couldn't remember where camp was, and 2. He never went tracking up the mountain all by himself because he was afraid of wild animals. Then Kratos spoke and caught the young Omega completely off gaurd.
Though his words were in jest, they effectively made Toby nervous again. He stared for a moment double-checking the Alpha's words in his mind and making sure he had not misheard him, then he clumsily began digging through his pocket.
"I- Uhm-- Oh, well! Are-are- Are you sure.. Sure that you- uhm.. Uhm- Did you t-tell-?.. I-- One minute." He stuttered. Finally, he was able to retreive a small notebook out of his pocket and began to flip through it earnestly. "When- When- When did you- uhm.. Tell me to d-d-d-do that please? I- uh.. C-cause i-it's n-n-n-not here in my- my- my- My reminders..." He managed to squeak, swallowing hard and watching Kratos with large eyes. He was ready to run, on the off-chance the large man would suddenly fly into a fury, leap over the fence, cross the distance, and throttle Toby all in the same second.
Hour Glass:
Zeit listened to Kratos, before rolling her eyes. Her eyes flashed over to Toby, noting how the wolf seemed skittish about to run off at any moment. She sighed, looking to her Alpha with her hands on her hips for a moment, before reaching up, and lightly smacking his shoulder. "That's not nice, Kratos" she said as she smirked, " you're scaring the poor guy! Normally, that's my job, and I don't need to be replaced yet!" She shot him a a glare, though there was no signs of anger or irritation in her gaze, actually, she had quite a playful look.
She crossed her arms once more, sighing once more as as she looked over and smiled to Toby. "Remind me later, and I can give you a tour of the forest" she replied "and you should join me on some of the jobs around here, so'll you'll learn the area." She chuckled, eyes flashing to Kratos a bit, before looking back tot he Omega. "As for Him" she said, with a gesture to Kratos," he's just being mean. Just having a bit of fun. But if you could get the wolves at the main camp together, it'd be great."
She then turned back to Kratos to answer his question, shifting her weight a bit to be comfortable on her feet. "HawkThorne? I think he should be back today, he normally makes it for the full moon" she replied, "should I try to call him?
She crossed her arms once more, sighing once more as as she looked over and smiled to Toby. "Remind me later, and I can give you a tour of the forest" she replied "and you should join me on some of the jobs around here, so'll you'll learn the area." She chuckled, eyes flashing to Kratos a bit, before looking back tot he Omega. "As for Him" she said, with a gesture to Kratos," he's just being mean. Just having a bit of fun. But if you could get the wolves at the main camp together, it'd be great."
She then turned back to Kratos to answer his question, shifting her weight a bit to be comfortable on her feet. "HawkThorne? I think he should be back today, he normally makes it for the full moon" she replied, "should I try to call him?
Soar:
In two seconds flat, Theo's face turned from deep olive into tomato red.
"Yes, yes you did mishear," he replied a little too quickly to Chime,"I said uh... Tomatoes and uh... guru? Yeah..."
He hadn't meant for his words to have been heard by anyone other than Levi. There was a safety in saying weird and or bizarre things. He was, after all, a prisoner. Even if Levi had told Kratos he had said that, he doubted Kratos would have taken much of his words.
But Chime? An entirely different ballpark.
He crouched close to the fence and hoping by some stroke of luck she wouldn't hear anything more.
Theo kept his voice low and quiet"Heh, good luck with coming up with something better than that," he paused for a moment,"and yeah it's Theo. You're uh...what again?"
--
Jackie paused awkwardly by the door, now aware Logan had finally noticed her. It was funny; she had spent the entire flight of steps coming up with something really nasty to say to Logan, but now given the chance she couldn't think of what to say. It was just the same as before; she was at a loss.
Jackie couldn't quite place why she felt so voiceless. She generally had no problem talking, insulting, and/or fighting with people she had just met. But somehow Logan was different. Maybe it was a look in her eyes she saw just as Jackie had entered the room; it had seemed just the tiniest bit vulnerable. Or perhaps...
Jackie shook the idea before it could even form.
"Were you now?," she commented gruffly, at last finding her voice,"Funny, I've been doing a lot of that lately"
Jackie pushed her way further into the room, ignoring how entirely unwelcome she was in it. To this, Jackie could care less. Either Logan would violently push her out of the room (which would give her a good excuse to get in a fight with her), say some unkind words (which would give her an excuse to throw out those insults she'd been working on), or she would do nothing. The last alternative was the most confusing and Jackie had, as of yet, no go-to action on what she should do with nothing.
Wandering further into the room, Jackie's eyes at last settled on a photograph resting on the vanity. It had been, she realized, what Logan had been looking at as she had entered. Now Jackie was captivated by it. It appeared to be an old black and white photo of a man resting against the tree.
"Someone you know?," Jackie asked as she lightly brushed her fingers against the image.
The woman half-smiled, almost playful, then quickly realized how disgustingly friendly she was being to her enemy. But try as she might, Jackie found her hatred for this woman was beginning to blur. More than that, she couldn't help but feel the tiniest amount of sympathy for her.
This was not going well.
"Yes, yes you did mishear," he replied a little too quickly to Chime,"I said uh... Tomatoes and uh... guru? Yeah..."
He hadn't meant for his words to have been heard by anyone other than Levi. There was a safety in saying weird and or bizarre things. He was, after all, a prisoner. Even if Levi had told Kratos he had said that, he doubted Kratos would have taken much of his words.
But Chime? An entirely different ballpark.
He crouched close to the fence and hoping by some stroke of luck she wouldn't hear anything more.
Theo kept his voice low and quiet"Heh, good luck with coming up with something better than that," he paused for a moment,"and yeah it's Theo. You're uh...what again?"
--
Jackie paused awkwardly by the door, now aware Logan had finally noticed her. It was funny; she had spent the entire flight of steps coming up with something really nasty to say to Logan, but now given the chance she couldn't think of what to say. It was just the same as before; she was at a loss.
Jackie couldn't quite place why she felt so voiceless. She generally had no problem talking, insulting, and/or fighting with people she had just met. But somehow Logan was different. Maybe it was a look in her eyes she saw just as Jackie had entered the room; it had seemed just the tiniest bit vulnerable. Or perhaps...
Jackie shook the idea before it could even form.
"Were you now?," she commented gruffly, at last finding her voice,"Funny, I've been doing a lot of that lately"
Jackie pushed her way further into the room, ignoring how entirely unwelcome she was in it. To this, Jackie could care less. Either Logan would violently push her out of the room (which would give her a good excuse to get in a fight with her), say some unkind words (which would give her an excuse to throw out those insults she'd been working on), or she would do nothing. The last alternative was the most confusing and Jackie had, as of yet, no go-to action on what she should do with nothing.
Wandering further into the room, Jackie's eyes at last settled on a photograph resting on the vanity. It had been, she realized, what Logan had been looking at as she had entered. Now Jackie was captivated by it. It appeared to be an old black and white photo of a man resting against the tree.
"Someone you know?," Jackie asked as she lightly brushed her fingers against the image.
The woman half-smiled, almost playful, then quickly realized how disgustingly friendly she was being to her enemy. But try as she might, Jackie found her hatred for this woman was beginning to blur. More than that, she couldn't help but feel the tiniest amount of sympathy for her.
This was not going well.
Dez:
She didn't just do that, did she? She did.
Watching as Jackie entered, or rather, forced her way into the room, Logan felt the hair on the back of her neck bristle just slightly. She only stood tense as Jackie made her way over to the vanity. Surely she wouldn't.. she did! At the point she touched the photograph, Logan stomped her way over to the vanity and grabbed Jackie's arm, lifting it away from the photo as though the woman's touch might make it blow into a million fragments. When it had been freed from the clutches of combustion woman, Logan picked it up with her free hand and tucked it into her back pocket.
Not much less confused than Jackie was, Logan didn't know whether to take her as a threat or treat her like a naive little child. It was certain that if she had been a man, she would be missing at least a tooth at this point. It didn't help that she had smiled, which left Logan completely dumbfounded!
"I.. you.." she stammered. why couldn't this be simple? She couldn't think of the first thing to say; whether or not to accept the woman's kindness (or what appeared to be kindness), to lash out at her for having the audacity to pull off what she just had, or to respect her for having the courage to do it.
Well, when in doubt.. Logan would, without surprise, turn to violence.
In a blink, she grabbed Jackie's other arm and pushed the woman to the wall, pinning her against it with her arms at her sides, her grip as solid as steel.
"Have you wolves no respect for space?! Next time, I won't be afraid to teach you!"
That being said, she let go of Jackie, stomped over to the door, grabbed her bag and was out of the room the next instant. You could measure where she was in the house by the stomping that sounded through the hallway, then changed tone when she reached the stairs, the foyer and so on, before... SLAM!
At which point, you could safely assume she was out the front door, making a bee-line for Ulric. Upon reaching him, she grabbed at his shirt collar to get his attention, then shoved a finger in the direction of the door. "If she follows me, I can't promise her safety." loosing his collar, Logan turned and stormed her way down the driveway. Alright, so maybe it hadn't gone as smoothly as previously thought.
Watching as Jackie entered, or rather, forced her way into the room, Logan felt the hair on the back of her neck bristle just slightly. She only stood tense as Jackie made her way over to the vanity. Surely she wouldn't.. she did! At the point she touched the photograph, Logan stomped her way over to the vanity and grabbed Jackie's arm, lifting it away from the photo as though the woman's touch might make it blow into a million fragments. When it had been freed from the clutches of combustion woman, Logan picked it up with her free hand and tucked it into her back pocket.
Not much less confused than Jackie was, Logan didn't know whether to take her as a threat or treat her like a naive little child. It was certain that if she had been a man, she would be missing at least a tooth at this point. It didn't help that she had smiled, which left Logan completely dumbfounded!
"I.. you.." she stammered. why couldn't this be simple? She couldn't think of the first thing to say; whether or not to accept the woman's kindness (or what appeared to be kindness), to lash out at her for having the audacity to pull off what she just had, or to respect her for having the courage to do it.
Well, when in doubt.. Logan would, without surprise, turn to violence.
In a blink, she grabbed Jackie's other arm and pushed the woman to the wall, pinning her against it with her arms at her sides, her grip as solid as steel.
"Have you wolves no respect for space?! Next time, I won't be afraid to teach you!"
That being said, she let go of Jackie, stomped over to the door, grabbed her bag and was out of the room the next instant. You could measure where she was in the house by the stomping that sounded through the hallway, then changed tone when she reached the stairs, the foyer and so on, before... SLAM!
At which point, you could safely assume she was out the front door, making a bee-line for Ulric. Upon reaching him, she grabbed at his shirt collar to get his attention, then shoved a finger in the direction of the door. "If she follows me, I can't promise her safety." loosing his collar, Logan turned and stormed her way down the driveway. Alright, so maybe it hadn't gone as smoothly as previously thought.
Soar:
Jackie’s head spun for a moment. She was vaguely aware that Logan had pinned her forcefully to a wall, she had struggled and had just been about to free herself, then Logan had screamed at her something about respect and stomped out in a terror.
She gathered herself and stood, then returned Logan’s kindness by screaming some choice words. Had anyone even within a mile radius (regular human included) somehow not heard Logan’s dinosaur stomp downstairs, they would unfortunately have been unable to miss Jackie’s use of the English vocabulary and all variations of its curses. When Jackie had finally run out of hot hair, she contented herself to fuming inwardly about what had gone on, knocking over Logan’s dresser, and analyzing her now-fuchsia face on a hanging mirror.
Had mind readers existed and one of these non-existent beings been in the room next to Jackie, they would have been surprised to find once they peeled back the shallow layers of anger from her mind, that Jackie was in fact very happy. Logan had been kind enough to give her a response she knew how to respond to. It had also given her further excuse to despise her, thereby relieving the current is-she-really-that-bad dilemma.
Now she only had to finish what she had started.
She raged down the stairs, much like Logan had earlier, and stumbled out the front door. She spotted Ulric immediately, but Logan was nowhere to be seen.
“Whereisshe, whereishe?!” Jackie panted, stumbling and prowling like a wounded cat still seeking it’s lost prey.
She gathered herself and stood, then returned Logan’s kindness by screaming some choice words. Had anyone even within a mile radius (regular human included) somehow not heard Logan’s dinosaur stomp downstairs, they would unfortunately have been unable to miss Jackie’s use of the English vocabulary and all variations of its curses. When Jackie had finally run out of hot hair, she contented herself to fuming inwardly about what had gone on, knocking over Logan’s dresser, and analyzing her now-fuchsia face on a hanging mirror.
Had mind readers existed and one of these non-existent beings been in the room next to Jackie, they would have been surprised to find once they peeled back the shallow layers of anger from her mind, that Jackie was in fact very happy. Logan had been kind enough to give her a response she knew how to respond to. It had also given her further excuse to despise her, thereby relieving the current is-she-really-that-bad dilemma.
Now she only had to finish what she had started.
She raged down the stairs, much like Logan had earlier, and stumbled out the front door. She spotted Ulric immediately, but Logan was nowhere to be seen.
“Whereisshe, whereishe?!” Jackie panted, stumbling and prowling like a wounded cat still seeking it’s lost prey.
May:
Ulric had only smiled when Theo attempted to conceal his embarrassment, and was about to speak again to Chime when Logan suddenly stormed out of the building and caught him by the shirt!
"Uh- Uh- Logan?" Ulric asked, attempting to understand why he had been suddenly attacked, and obviously had been taken off-guard by it. However Logan did not wait for him to catch up before she had released him and began marching off - of course, that was just as Jackie exited the building and began to head in Ulric's direction.
Ulric had a split second to think before deciding that he absolutely did not want to be in the middle of whatever was taking place. Immediately his mind snatched at plans of escape!
"Excuse me - " Ulric pardoned himself to Chime and Theo before quickly jumping in the opposite direction from Jackie's approach!
By this point Ulric had already acquired an alternative set of clothing from Kratos which would conform to his werewolf stature, so he needn't take a moment to think about changing. So upon meeting the cold earth on all four paws, Ulric began running toward the tree lining!
Without really hesitating or considering, Ulric raised his head and let out a short but strong howl into the wind mid-run!
****
Kratos laughed at Zeit's playful gestures, and at Toby's confusion. He played submissive to the Beta's scolding though and smiled warmly toward the Omega to make up for his teasing. Then he casually turned back to Zeit.
"No, Hawkthorne will be here shortly, I'm sure," he said. "I was just thinking that it might be in our best interest to have someone in town watching -"
Kratos stopped short and looked up at Phantom Mountain. Ulric's howl rang through the air and its meaning was clear; Jackie and Logan! The smile on the Alpha's face vanished and his eyes narrowed in the direction the sound had come. With a quick glance, Kratos made his concern clear to Zeit and immediately following it he jumped the fence and ran across the yard toward the cornfield!
As a massive black beast the Alpha disappeared into the cornfield, passing through it in mere moments and charging up the old dirt road behind the ranch!
****
Ulric reached the edge of the clearing and dared pause to look behind him. His ears laid back and his paws set to carry him further into the forest if need be.
"Calm it, Jackie!" Ulric barked behind him, his head thrusting forward and his jaws snapping with each word!
Briefly Ulric glanced in the direction Logan had gone and saw the red haze of Kratos' fur just moments before he broke out from the forest!
****
The red haze of the Alpha's fur had been the only warning of his presence outside the thunderous footfalls of the beast just before he emerged from the shadows of the surrounding woods! With athud! the Alpha landed before Logan, his yellow eyes ablaze and his teeth bared! The earth gave way from his weight and allowed his massive paws to slip across the path, though he did not loose his balance nor slip far; his girth jerking forward with the momentum of which he had suddenly come to a stop and his paws biting deep into the ground!
A dreadful growl rumbled from the Alpha's throat, the red haze of his coat weaving lightly over his body against the pitch black of his undercoat. His eyes trained on Logan with such a ferocity that had never before been seen in the Alpha!
"Uh- Uh- Logan?" Ulric asked, attempting to understand why he had been suddenly attacked, and obviously had been taken off-guard by it. However Logan did not wait for him to catch up before she had released him and began marching off - of course, that was just as Jackie exited the building and began to head in Ulric's direction.
Ulric had a split second to think before deciding that he absolutely did not want to be in the middle of whatever was taking place. Immediately his mind snatched at plans of escape!
"Excuse me - " Ulric pardoned himself to Chime and Theo before quickly jumping in the opposite direction from Jackie's approach!
By this point Ulric had already acquired an alternative set of clothing from Kratos which would conform to his werewolf stature, so he needn't take a moment to think about changing. So upon meeting the cold earth on all four paws, Ulric began running toward the tree lining!
Without really hesitating or considering, Ulric raised his head and let out a short but strong howl into the wind mid-run!
****
Kratos laughed at Zeit's playful gestures, and at Toby's confusion. He played submissive to the Beta's scolding though and smiled warmly toward the Omega to make up for his teasing. Then he casually turned back to Zeit.
"No, Hawkthorne will be here shortly, I'm sure," he said. "I was just thinking that it might be in our best interest to have someone in town watching -"
Kratos stopped short and looked up at Phantom Mountain. Ulric's howl rang through the air and its meaning was clear; Jackie and Logan! The smile on the Alpha's face vanished and his eyes narrowed in the direction the sound had come. With a quick glance, Kratos made his concern clear to Zeit and immediately following it he jumped the fence and ran across the yard toward the cornfield!
As a massive black beast the Alpha disappeared into the cornfield, passing through it in mere moments and charging up the old dirt road behind the ranch!
****
Ulric reached the edge of the clearing and dared pause to look behind him. His ears laid back and his paws set to carry him further into the forest if need be.
"Calm it, Jackie!" Ulric barked behind him, his head thrusting forward and his jaws snapping with each word!
Briefly Ulric glanced in the direction Logan had gone and saw the red haze of Kratos' fur just moments before he broke out from the forest!
****
The red haze of the Alpha's fur had been the only warning of his presence outside the thunderous footfalls of the beast just before he emerged from the shadows of the surrounding woods! With athud! the Alpha landed before Logan, his yellow eyes ablaze and his teeth bared! The earth gave way from his weight and allowed his massive paws to slip across the path, though he did not loose his balance nor slip far; his girth jerking forward with the momentum of which he had suddenly come to a stop and his paws biting deep into the ground!
A dreadful growl rumbled from the Alpha's throat, the red haze of his coat weaving lightly over his body against the pitch black of his undercoat. His eyes trained on Logan with such a ferocity that had never before been seen in the Alpha!
Cathannah:
Toby stopped his jittering for a moment and watched the facial expressions of his two superiors closely. They were friendly and playful at the moment. Between the laughter of Kratos and Zeit, Toby cracked a smile and a small chuckle as well- What did you know? They were people.
Just then, a strange howl rent the air, calling the names of two pack members. The voice was unfamiliar to Toby and he found his full attention on it in a second. "Who was-?" Toby began, but he was interrupted by the Alpha suddenly transforming and racing off in the direction the sound had come from. For a moment, Toby quite forgot himself- Seeing Kratos become a large, black wolf was not at all as strange or terrifying to him as it had previously been. Toby waited for a reaction from Zeit as he turned to look at her.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, almost as though he had forgotten they were a pack and he had a very low rank. "Is there trouble? Maybe we should follow him."
Just then, a strange howl rent the air, calling the names of two pack members. The voice was unfamiliar to Toby and he found his full attention on it in a second. "Who was-?" Toby began, but he was interrupted by the Alpha suddenly transforming and racing off in the direction the sound had come from. For a moment, Toby quite forgot himself- Seeing Kratos become a large, black wolf was not at all as strange or terrifying to him as it had previously been. Toby waited for a reaction from Zeit as he turned to look at her.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, almost as though he had forgotten they were a pack and he had a very low rank. "Is there trouble? Maybe we should follow him."
Kaqurei:
"Levi," the werewolf replied to Theo's question. "Levi O'Connell, that is." He cocked his head to one side, noticing Theo's suddenly crimson complexion. He needn't ask any questions as to why this was, for he soon heard the voices of Chime and Ulric above. Wisely, the prisoner shut his maw and said nary a word for now. As much as he craved communication and interaction with fellow human beings right now, he could not forget that he was, in fact, a prisoner... that these two had overheard a rather disrespectful comment spoken about their Alpha... well, he didn't know how they would handle that and he much preferred to stay out of trouble at present.
But the voices above continued to sound pleasant. So much so that Levi even dared to open his mouth and give voice to his own ridiculous wish, one he felt might just bring the house down, or at least earn a few chuckles--but he never got around to saying it. Just as he was taking in breath to speak, he heard a rather angry commotion up by the fence behind Theo.
"If she follows me, I can't promise her safety."
If he didn't recognize her voice, he certainly recognized her scent. That was the stranger to the pack whose wild fury of a first generation Kratos had turned on him to catch them both that fateful night a month prior. Considering it best, Levi closed his mouth without a sound. So, she still lingered about the premises, eh? And tonight was the Full Moon. Brilliant. If she was anything like the traditional first generation werewolf, when she transformed tonight it would be the same to her as if they had just rolled off the cliff yesterday. Whether or not she would wonder why it didn't hurt anymore was moot point. She would still be blood thirsty and likely have a particular spite for him. And, this time, he was stuck in a ditch.
He could not see much, but he caught a glimpse of Ulric being hefted up by his shirt. He was set back down again and Logan marched off--something else happened, but what Levi could not discern from his standpoint. Then Ulric took on his wolf form and bounded off in a fright like a wee doe.
Uh... that was... interesting.
He threw Theo a questioning glance--not that he was liable to tell him anything. It was hardly Levi's business, after all. Then he heard Ulric's howl, followed shortly after by the horrible noise of the Alpha's furious snarls.
Levi ducked his head and backed up a few steps. Yes, he decided, this was hardly his business, and he really wanted no part of it.
But the voices above continued to sound pleasant. So much so that Levi even dared to open his mouth and give voice to his own ridiculous wish, one he felt might just bring the house down, or at least earn a few chuckles--but he never got around to saying it. Just as he was taking in breath to speak, he heard a rather angry commotion up by the fence behind Theo.
"If she follows me, I can't promise her safety."
If he didn't recognize her voice, he certainly recognized her scent. That was the stranger to the pack whose wild fury of a first generation Kratos had turned on him to catch them both that fateful night a month prior. Considering it best, Levi closed his mouth without a sound. So, she still lingered about the premises, eh? And tonight was the Full Moon. Brilliant. If she was anything like the traditional first generation werewolf, when she transformed tonight it would be the same to her as if they had just rolled off the cliff yesterday. Whether or not she would wonder why it didn't hurt anymore was moot point. She would still be blood thirsty and likely have a particular spite for him. And, this time, he was stuck in a ditch.
He could not see much, but he caught a glimpse of Ulric being hefted up by his shirt. He was set back down again and Logan marched off--something else happened, but what Levi could not discern from his standpoint. Then Ulric took on his wolf form and bounded off in a fright like a wee doe.
Uh... that was... interesting.
He threw Theo a questioning glance--not that he was liable to tell him anything. It was hardly Levi's business, after all. Then he heard Ulric's howl, followed shortly after by the horrible noise of the Alpha's furious snarls.
Levi ducked his head and backed up a few steps. Yes, he decided, this was hardly his business, and he really wanted no part of it.
Hour Glass:
Zeit laughed, enjoying herself a bit, feeling more relaxed then she had in a long time. And it helped that her alpha was smiling as well, it meant everything was running smoothly, and the only had to think about what would occur later that night. She grinned to TOby, glad to see the Omega had relaxed a bit as well. "Of course he'll be here, I'll talk to him as soon as I can" he replied
But once the calls were heard, she was instantly serious. She nodded to her Alpha, moving away from him as she pulled off her top shift, revealing her werewolf clothing, as she had been on a run before she had run into Kratos. From the calls, this would be a critical situation for the pack.
"It sounded like that new wolf, Ulric I think, was calling" she replied, explaining the call to Toby, "Jackie and Logan seem to be getting ready for a fight." She looked to her omega, raising a brow, but not reprimanding him. "We should follow, as back-up" she replied, "even if the Alpha can handle it by himself, it's always nice to have at least a second pair of paws helping out."
She quickly shifted, gathering her human clothing and typing them to her arm so she could run. "And if you're coming," she said, though part of her tone seemed to almost be teasing, "you'd better keep up." The she wolf turned back to the origin of the calls, darting into the woods.
But once the calls were heard, she was instantly serious. She nodded to her Alpha, moving away from him as she pulled off her top shift, revealing her werewolf clothing, as she had been on a run before she had run into Kratos. From the calls, this would be a critical situation for the pack.
"It sounded like that new wolf, Ulric I think, was calling" she replied, explaining the call to Toby, "Jackie and Logan seem to be getting ready for a fight." She looked to her omega, raising a brow, but not reprimanding him. "We should follow, as back-up" she replied, "even if the Alpha can handle it by himself, it's always nice to have at least a second pair of paws helping out."
She quickly shifted, gathering her human clothing and typing them to her arm so she could run. "And if you're coming," she said, though part of her tone seemed to almost be teasing, "you'd better keep up." The she wolf turned back to the origin of the calls, darting into the woods.
Aim:
Chime smirked at Theo's reaction, so he did say what she thought she heard.. Seeing he leaned over closer to the fence, she silently blended closer, listening to his hushed tones before straighting, widening her eyes in an attempt to make herself look more innocent,
although her smirk remained, subtracting quite a bit from the look.
Looking towards the door, her eyes got even wider as Logan came stomping out. She lifted her hands to mouth, suppressing a gasp, watching as the female grabbed Ulric.
Wait, who's safety?
The thought only crossed her mind a split second before Jackie came tearing through the door, remaining Chime of a half crazed person. Finding herself backing away from the chaotic scene that play before her, she looked over to Ulric for support, and as if she wasn't unnerve already, it really frighten her when he wasn't there, and his howl came right after.
She couldn't help herself from moving closer to the fence, thus moving closer to Theo, she heard the alpha's snarls, though stayed 'hidden' in the open, at this point she didn't know if she rather be out here with this mess going on, or in the pit with the prisoner..
although her smirk remained, subtracting quite a bit from the look.
Looking towards the door, her eyes got even wider as Logan came stomping out. She lifted her hands to mouth, suppressing a gasp, watching as the female grabbed Ulric.
Wait, who's safety?
The thought only crossed her mind a split second before Jackie came tearing through the door, remaining Chime of a half crazed person. Finding herself backing away from the chaotic scene that play before her, she looked over to Ulric for support, and as if she wasn't unnerve already, it really frighten her when he wasn't there, and his howl came right after.
She couldn't help herself from moving closer to the fence, thus moving closer to Theo, she heard the alpha's snarls, though stayed 'hidden' in the open, at this point she didn't know if she rather be out here with this mess going on, or in the pit with the prisoner..
Dez:
Logan had been content to march her way along, going nowhere in specific, only away from the others in order to let out some steam; she had quiet enough of dealing with these people and their confusing ways for the day. She asked questions and was reprimanded, she attempted at joking and was scorned at, she was kind to another only to have her little bit of "territory" pushed into by some strange, nosy woman who she couldn't make heads or tails of! Now more than ever, Logan wished she could be in her little village where these sort of confusing interactions rarely occurred, and you could go about your simple life without complications. Certainly she'd rather brave a lifetime of the harsh winters this little village in the middle of nowhere endured than put up with this nonsense. On top of it all, she had partly just begun to think being around these wolves wasn't so completely terrible after all.
A howl carried on through the surrounding area, though it was nothing of significance to Logan (or so she was mistaken). It seemed the sound was still echoing within her mind, slowly fading out, when all of the sudden the alpha appeared out of what seemed like nowhere. In posture and expression, she could be compared to an animal who had just caught wind of it's predator watching, and became as still as stone in hopes to keep from being pursued.
Among the many thoughts and emotions going through Logan's mind in those few seconds, anger, admiration and a healthy dose of fear were the most prominent. And how could you not admire such a beast? If only for a moment, Logan tasted an envy for the ability to control so much power.
This sort of shock induced awe only lasted for a breath worth of time before the deep hatred and fear, that which had been so deeply instilled into her by her previous experiences, gripped at her mind - amplified by the sharp, fixed stare of the alpha.
"-if you step out of line than you will get what you deserve from me."
The words surfaced in her mind, mangled memories of her first encounter with the alpha, though she knew she wasn't the one who summoned them nor did she want to hear them. Instantly after, that slipping feeling began to take place, although she fought it with every ounce of willpower she could muster up at the moment.
A few steps she moved forward, until she was but a pace from Kratos. She did this not in a fearless manner, no, but rather she did it knowing her choices were few to begin with. "You, alpha! How could you keep me with others so unlike me and untrusting.. and not expect this to happen?! You are naive!" although the day was yet to end, already she felt her werewolf coming upon her, gaining control with each passing moment. Clinging to her humanity, she sought out the alphas own humanity within his eyes, in a last effort to ease the beast inside her if only for a while.
A howl carried on through the surrounding area, though it was nothing of significance to Logan (or so she was mistaken). It seemed the sound was still echoing within her mind, slowly fading out, when all of the sudden the alpha appeared out of what seemed like nowhere. In posture and expression, she could be compared to an animal who had just caught wind of it's predator watching, and became as still as stone in hopes to keep from being pursued.
Among the many thoughts and emotions going through Logan's mind in those few seconds, anger, admiration and a healthy dose of fear were the most prominent. And how could you not admire such a beast? If only for a moment, Logan tasted an envy for the ability to control so much power.
This sort of shock induced awe only lasted for a breath worth of time before the deep hatred and fear, that which had been so deeply instilled into her by her previous experiences, gripped at her mind - amplified by the sharp, fixed stare of the alpha.
"-if you step out of line than you will get what you deserve from me."
The words surfaced in her mind, mangled memories of her first encounter with the alpha, though she knew she wasn't the one who summoned them nor did she want to hear them. Instantly after, that slipping feeling began to take place, although she fought it with every ounce of willpower she could muster up at the moment.
A few steps she moved forward, until she was but a pace from Kratos. She did this not in a fearless manner, no, but rather she did it knowing her choices were few to begin with. "You, alpha! How could you keep me with others so unlike me and untrusting.. and not expect this to happen?! You are naive!" although the day was yet to end, already she felt her werewolf coming upon her, gaining control with each passing moment. Clinging to her humanity, she sought out the alphas own humanity within his eyes, in a last effort to ease the beast inside her if only for a while.
Soar:
Jackie seemed beyond the point of reasoning. Her eyes starred distantly off into the tree line, but without the sense of actually seeing any of it. Ulric came charging past her in his wolf form; she didn’t as much as blink. To Ulric’s demand, she processed it blankly; she recognized the words, she recognized the voice, but anything else was beyond her. Her mind was elsewhere and nothing on this world seemed to matter to her.
She was in her element now. She could almost taste Logan on the wind and it excited her. Shewould get her. There would be no pesky emotions, no annoying passersby who insisted on peace. It would just be them. Jackie vaguely reflected on what it would be like to get revenge and it made her feel warm.
But now the current dilemma was how to get rid of Ulric. He was an annoying passerby. He would get in her way and stop her and she could not let that happen. On the other hand, Ulric was not child’s play. He was a large hulking werewolf that was strong, faster, and more adept in the forest than her. Jackie’s only remaining resource was her mind. And her mind was telling her to wait.
She waited. Waited some more. Time ticked slowly. Impatience tickled at her skin. But she still waited. And then—
Flash.
A spark of red—Kratos she was certain—flashed from the forest. Ulric took pause. He was weighing the situation. He was likely more focused on Logan and Kratos more than herself. And, fortunately for Jackie, he was still a distance ahead of her and he had his back to her; he could not react immediately.
The moment was right. Without any hesitation, Jackie charged into the forest. Yet oddly, it was in the opposite direction of Logan. Even Jackie knew better than to attack Logan with the alpha hunkering right in front of her. The woods seemed promising; she could wait for as long as she needed without the presence of others to interfere with her plans.
----
Theo was only too aware that Chime was watching him. Theo was no master of social etiquette (or even, particularly, decent at it), but Chime hadn’t made it difficult for his failings. She could see her scoot closer and closer and her neck craning forward like some overly curious giraffe.
Theo hated it. As far as he was concerned, Levi was “his friend” and “his words”; what he said to him should be in confidence. Certainly no snoopy ease dropping girls should be butting in. And, on top of that, this snoopy ease-dropping girl had come in on a particularly embarrassing moment. If she told someone—
Theo was saved by the Jackie-Logan fiasco. That was significantly more confusing, and fortunately, outshone his own internal struggle. For the brief moment the two went storming, screaming, and in general terrorizing werewolf central, time seemed to stand still elsewhere. Everyone seemed to stop; even Ulric was at a loss for words when Logan decided she preferred to lift him like a ragdoll.
The madness simmered as fast as it had lept to flames. Kratos had seen to that. Jackie and Logan were gone from the immediate vicinity and no longer screaming. Now it was just Levi, Chime, and himself trying to understand what had just transpired.
Theo waited for a while, hoping the others had an excellent explanation. They didn’t. He waited some more. Nothing. So Theo found that role passed on to himself.
He cleared his throat.
“They uh… really don’t like each other”
She was in her element now. She could almost taste Logan on the wind and it excited her. Shewould get her. There would be no pesky emotions, no annoying passersby who insisted on peace. It would just be them. Jackie vaguely reflected on what it would be like to get revenge and it made her feel warm.
But now the current dilemma was how to get rid of Ulric. He was an annoying passerby. He would get in her way and stop her and she could not let that happen. On the other hand, Ulric was not child’s play. He was a large hulking werewolf that was strong, faster, and more adept in the forest than her. Jackie’s only remaining resource was her mind. And her mind was telling her to wait.
She waited. Waited some more. Time ticked slowly. Impatience tickled at her skin. But she still waited. And then—
Flash.
A spark of red—Kratos she was certain—flashed from the forest. Ulric took pause. He was weighing the situation. He was likely more focused on Logan and Kratos more than herself. And, fortunately for Jackie, he was still a distance ahead of her and he had his back to her; he could not react immediately.
The moment was right. Without any hesitation, Jackie charged into the forest. Yet oddly, it was in the opposite direction of Logan. Even Jackie knew better than to attack Logan with the alpha hunkering right in front of her. The woods seemed promising; she could wait for as long as she needed without the presence of others to interfere with her plans.
----
Theo was only too aware that Chime was watching him. Theo was no master of social etiquette (or even, particularly, decent at it), but Chime hadn’t made it difficult for his failings. She could see her scoot closer and closer and her neck craning forward like some overly curious giraffe.
Theo hated it. As far as he was concerned, Levi was “his friend” and “his words”; what he said to him should be in confidence. Certainly no snoopy ease dropping girls should be butting in. And, on top of that, this snoopy ease-dropping girl had come in on a particularly embarrassing moment. If she told someone—
Theo was saved by the Jackie-Logan fiasco. That was significantly more confusing, and fortunately, outshone his own internal struggle. For the brief moment the two went storming, screaming, and in general terrorizing werewolf central, time seemed to stand still elsewhere. Everyone seemed to stop; even Ulric was at a loss for words when Logan decided she preferred to lift him like a ragdoll.
The madness simmered as fast as it had lept to flames. Kratos had seen to that. Jackie and Logan were gone from the immediate vicinity and no longer screaming. Now it was just Levi, Chime, and himself trying to understand what had just transpired.
Theo waited for a while, hoping the others had an excellent explanation. They didn’t. He waited some more. Nothing. So Theo found that role passed on to himself.
He cleared his throat.
“They uh… really don’t like each other”
Kaqurei:
"Heh, heh, so I see," Levi chuckled awkwardly, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. He waited a moment more, but it seemed more or less quiet up there... a disturbing sort of silence, like one that might proceed a violent thunderstorm... but a silence nonetheless. Levi took a deep breath, let it out in a brief huff, winced, and took another one. "As for m'wish--it's not quite as good as yers, but it's me honest wish, and I suppose there is a wee bit of humor ta be found in it. See, I been down here all month as not much better than an oversized mongrel, sparing a few nights, and might yeh wonder why that is, then?" He gave a wry a smile and added, "All fer lack o' a shower and a set of clothes. 'Fraid I've worn this pair o' rags I got here too slack to fit much as a man--an' rolled down a mountain in 'em besides! So that's m'wish; a shower, hot or cold matters none, and a set o' clothes that'd fit me proper. That'd set me right."
He saw then Chime's form backing up against the fence, and he guessed she must have heard him since she hadn't gone off with Ulric as he had thought. Yellow eyes widened, pupils enlarged, and his ears flicked back flat against his head, his face feeling all at once hot as a dry summer's day. If not for all his jack-rabbit coloured fur, his face certainly would have blushed crimson. It was one thing to laugh with another boy at his plight of lacking basic human hygiene for a month... but that a girl had overheard? Worse still, it wasn't like she have overheard so much s she had been there the whole time. It was as good as if he had said it knowing she was there, and that bit hard at his sensibilities. He felt shamed to the dust.
He saw then Chime's form backing up against the fence, and he guessed she must have heard him since she hadn't gone off with Ulric as he had thought. Yellow eyes widened, pupils enlarged, and his ears flicked back flat against his head, his face feeling all at once hot as a dry summer's day. If not for all his jack-rabbit coloured fur, his face certainly would have blushed crimson. It was one thing to laugh with another boy at his plight of lacking basic human hygiene for a month... but that a girl had overheard? Worse still, it wasn't like she have overheard so much s she had been there the whole time. It was as good as if he had said it knowing she was there, and that bit hard at his sensibilities. He felt shamed to the dust.
May:
Ulric stood erect at the edge of the forest with his eyes and ears straight forward on Kratos. Immediately upon seeing the Alpha's expression Ulric knew that the brief message he had sent had been taken quite seriously, and he felt somewhat ashamed when he imagined what Kratos had thought.
"Uh, Kratos, I didn't mean-" Ulric spoke up from some ways behind Logan. Though the alarm hadn't been false, and indeed, Ulric had felt the need to get Kratos in on the situation, the young werewolf realized where he had made a mistake.
Yet in one glance of his bright yellow eyes the Alpha silenced his adoptive brother from admitting the error, though the ferocity in his face cooled in that moment, and Kratos did not mention it when next he spoke.
Ulric did not notice when Jackie rushed off into the forest.
*****
Kratos' bright yellow eyes were sharp and intent as he stared at Logan, his teeth bared and his hackles raised.
For but a moment he glanced behind her, barely taking his eyes off the outsider when Ulric spoke, and then they were again firmly affixed upon her. The fierce expression about the mighty beast cooling like an ember out of fire, though his face not altogether forgiving. Then came his deep powerful voice like the breath of a lion through the lips and teeth of a wolf.
"Welcome to the world in which you live. Not everyone will act, and think, like you." Said the Alpha, and then he turned from Logan and released two great bellows out toward the rest of his pack, more particularly toward Jackie whom had fled from view just then.
His voice was a firm command to all to come into the clearing, else he turn from all other matters to retrieve the wanderer.
****
Not too far off, the turquoise gaze of one such wanderer lifted and a black striped face debated the warning...
"Uh, Kratos, I didn't mean-" Ulric spoke up from some ways behind Logan. Though the alarm hadn't been false, and indeed, Ulric had felt the need to get Kratos in on the situation, the young werewolf realized where he had made a mistake.
Yet in one glance of his bright yellow eyes the Alpha silenced his adoptive brother from admitting the error, though the ferocity in his face cooled in that moment, and Kratos did not mention it when next he spoke.
Ulric did not notice when Jackie rushed off into the forest.
*****
Kratos' bright yellow eyes were sharp and intent as he stared at Logan, his teeth bared and his hackles raised.
For but a moment he glanced behind her, barely taking his eyes off the outsider when Ulric spoke, and then they were again firmly affixed upon her. The fierce expression about the mighty beast cooling like an ember out of fire, though his face not altogether forgiving. Then came his deep powerful voice like the breath of a lion through the lips and teeth of a wolf.
"Welcome to the world in which you live. Not everyone will act, and think, like you." Said the Alpha, and then he turned from Logan and released two great bellows out toward the rest of his pack, more particularly toward Jackie whom had fled from view just then.
His voice was a firm command to all to come into the clearing, else he turn from all other matters to retrieve the wanderer.
****
Not too far off, the turquoise gaze of one such wanderer lifted and a black striped face debated the warning...
Dez:
Long after the alpha had broken his stare, Logan kept her own eyes upon him, violet eyes pinned on his figure. It wasn't until after he made his calls that she finally turned away. While it was safe to say she was no longer on the verge of changing, she was hardly satisfied with the reply she was given. And while an almost sarcastic response tugged at the back of her tongue (she thought it would be clever to compare talking to the alpha to talking to a tree), she remained silent.
Now facing the opposite direction of the alpha, she glanced up to Ulric and clenched her fists. Suddenly she began marching towards him, her expression firm. Stopping in front of him in a mid stride sort of position, with one foot extended behind her and her other knee bent, she shoved a finger at the man and at that moment looked like she she might have been seeking to unleash any leftover anger upon him!
"Don't shame yourself, little alpha." she muttered, face still firm. "It could have gone worse." now easing up, she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "How do I explain this? Your alpha it toonaive to understand." somehow she must have seen Ulric as the smarter of the two, likely due to the fact she had mainly seen the brutish side of Kratos thus far. "In Blackridge, we don't get along well and resolve conflict with fighting, but we respect each others space, so, I'm not used to this. I know I can't fight here, so I'm trying to avoid it, but it's not easy." she admitted, looking away. Though her eyes now shifted up to Ulric, and once again her face became firm, though also questioning, "Do you understand?" she asked, cocking a brow as she did so. If this failed, surely she would stop trying to explain her thought process to these daft wolves.
Now facing the opposite direction of the alpha, she glanced up to Ulric and clenched her fists. Suddenly she began marching towards him, her expression firm. Stopping in front of him in a mid stride sort of position, with one foot extended behind her and her other knee bent, she shoved a finger at the man and at that moment looked like she she might have been seeking to unleash any leftover anger upon him!
"Don't shame yourself, little alpha." she muttered, face still firm. "It could have gone worse." now easing up, she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "How do I explain this? Your alpha it toonaive to understand." somehow she must have seen Ulric as the smarter of the two, likely due to the fact she had mainly seen the brutish side of Kratos thus far. "In Blackridge, we don't get along well and resolve conflict with fighting, but we respect each others space, so, I'm not used to this. I know I can't fight here, so I'm trying to avoid it, but it's not easy." she admitted, looking away. Though her eyes now shifted up to Ulric, and once again her face became firm, though also questioning, "Do you understand?" she asked, cocking a brow as she did so. If this failed, surely she would stop trying to explain her thought process to these daft wolves.
Soar:
Jackie tensed as soon as Kratos howled.
Already her plan was falling apart. She had intended to hide and wait while the others had been distracted so she may seek her revenge, but the alpha had likely noticed her disappearance. Or, if he hadn’t, he would if she didn’t show up.
As much as Jackie professed insolence to the sight of authority and disrespect to commands, she knew disobeying this direct order wouldn’t go without consequence. If Kratos had said “please, come if you it suites you” she wouldn’t have come. But he hadn’t. The way he had “said it” had transcended human language and her human mind. Something inside of her was rebelling at disregarding the alpha. It wanted her to follow faithfully and obediently. She must follow unless she wished to fight him, which she did not.
Until now Jackie had never completely comprehended how much she had changed since she was human. Several months ago and it wouldn’t have mattered what the overgrown furball had howled. She would have walked the other way. It disturbed her. But it disturbed her more to think this part of her had always been there, that some part of her had always held this regard for authority and it had simply shifted to Kratos…
Reluctantly, she walked away from the forest. She joined the pack and eyed them silently. She didn’t want to be here, but it wasn’t a matter of choice…
She eyed Logan defiantly, as if daring her to make fun of her obedience. At least then she would have half an excuse to attack her.
----
Theo heard Kratos’ call in an instant. He was more confused than intimidated by it. He regarded it with a shrug.
“Huh… guess I gotta go,” he glanced quickly in Levi’s direction,”But don’t worry, I’ll be back as soon as I can. And uh maybe… I could try and get you a new pair of clothes. I don’t know about the shower… but I can try!”
Theo looked cheerfully down at the pit, oblivious to the fact that most of the pack was certain that Levi was a prisoner.
He glanced at Chime. “Shall we?”
Already her plan was falling apart. She had intended to hide and wait while the others had been distracted so she may seek her revenge, but the alpha had likely noticed her disappearance. Or, if he hadn’t, he would if she didn’t show up.
As much as Jackie professed insolence to the sight of authority and disrespect to commands, she knew disobeying this direct order wouldn’t go without consequence. If Kratos had said “please, come if you it suites you” she wouldn’t have come. But he hadn’t. The way he had “said it” had transcended human language and her human mind. Something inside of her was rebelling at disregarding the alpha. It wanted her to follow faithfully and obediently. She must follow unless she wished to fight him, which she did not.
Until now Jackie had never completely comprehended how much she had changed since she was human. Several months ago and it wouldn’t have mattered what the overgrown furball had howled. She would have walked the other way. It disturbed her. But it disturbed her more to think this part of her had always been there, that some part of her had always held this regard for authority and it had simply shifted to Kratos…
Reluctantly, she walked away from the forest. She joined the pack and eyed them silently. She didn’t want to be here, but it wasn’t a matter of choice…
She eyed Logan defiantly, as if daring her to make fun of her obedience. At least then she would have half an excuse to attack her.
----
Theo heard Kratos’ call in an instant. He was more confused than intimidated by it. He regarded it with a shrug.
“Huh… guess I gotta go,” he glanced quickly in Levi’s direction,”But don’t worry, I’ll be back as soon as I can. And uh maybe… I could try and get you a new pair of clothes. I don’t know about the shower… but I can try!”
Theo looked cheerfully down at the pit, oblivious to the fact that most of the pack was certain that Levi was a prisoner.
He glanced at Chime. “Shall we?”
May:
The face of the young werewolf fell blank as two opposing feelings raced through his body and attempted to direct his next course of action.
The first thought that had crossed Ulric's mind when he saw Logan turn toward him was to escape as quickly as possible lest by some means he become the target of her wrath, and once again find the collar of his shirt held tightly in her grip! The second thought was more instinctual and likely less intelligent. He decided he would stand his ground, for the stranger as of yet had no authority to oppose his rank and if he ran he would certainly entice the instincts of a werewolf to take chase.
What Logan said took Ulric by surprise, and he couldn't help but mutter an echo of her words in reply. "Little alpha?..." He said, and observed her tone and body language change as she went on to explain herself.
The first thought that had crossed Ulric's mind when he saw Logan turn toward him was to escape as quickly as possible lest by some means he become the target of her wrath, and once again find the collar of his shirt held tightly in her grip! The second thought was more instinctual and likely less intelligent. He decided he would stand his ground, for the stranger as of yet had no authority to oppose his rank and if he ran he would certainly entice the instincts of a werewolf to take chase.
What Logan said took Ulric by surprise, and he couldn't help but mutter an echo of her words in reply. "Little alpha?..." He said, and observed her tone and body language change as she went on to explain herself.
Ulric listened and his features softened as he realized Logan's genuine frustration. Indeed he understood, for he himself was far from the familiar people and places of his youth; although he did not show it in the same way, he too had been faced with many frustrations during the past month.
"Yes..." He said after a moment. "I, too, am a long ways from my home. It is not easy for me either - many of this pack's customs are foreign to me. So, yes.. I do understand."
Ulric had felt the need to continue and speak openly with Logan, but at that moment Kratos had turned around and an obvious displeasure could be seen on the Alpha's face.
******
After turning away from Logan, Kratos had stood firm on the road leading to the new dens and had watched for Jackie's return. He could hear Zeit and Toby coming from a short distance behind and he knew that they would arrive momentarily. Then came Logan's voice directed toward Ulric, and the Alpha's eyes became suddenly sharp. His ears turned back toward her and his hackles raised slightly over his broad shoulders.
Jackie returned to the clearing, and briefly the Alpha acknowledged her with a tilt of his head in something of a bow before he turned around toward Logan.
"My brother is not one of authority here, and your complaints to him will not be well heard." The words that came in a deep, rumbling voice very near to a growl from behind Logan were the first ever uttered by the Alpha that hinted at any form of resentment toward his adoptive brother.
"You are here for one reason, and that is on account of a debt to the one whose life you nearly stole." Kratos said, his eyes glinting out like shards of glass from beneath his brow. Then he rose up on his legs and stretched a massive paw out toward the clearing and the gathered werewolves. "Everyone is here for a reason. Whether it be for self-understanding or the company of others who know their secret burden, they are welcome. Their blood is my own as long as they are here and anyone who sheds one drop of it shall be met with my wrath and placed at my mercy!"
A deep growl rumbled from within the Alpha's chest and his massive paws were brought down into tight fists. His voice had risen a great deal, and still he did not permit Logan to say anything in return. "You are alive because you cannot control it, for had you been able and done the same deed I would have reclaimed the blood of my pack member beneath the Moon's face! I admit my faults freely, but you are unjustified in proclaiming them here when you, yourself, are guilty of the same! Dare you call me naive when you cannot control half of your own being and have not even begun to comprehend the world of which you are a part!"
The Alpha suddenly threw himself down on his paws and bashed the earth with the weight of his shoulders! Dirt rose in a brief cloud and the grass was torn from the root away from the massive beast!
The inner-monster each pack member knew well could be seen clearly in the Alpha's eyes for the first time, where in all other instances its existence had never been so visibly shown. It was for the sake of the others that Kratos let it be known now; to his pack he would ever behave as a gentle giant, but to those that threatened them, he would become most terrible of foes!
Now with his eyes fixed upon Logan and all others silent, the Alpha's head lifted and his eyes softened. His breathing relaxed a great deal and he lifted his ears, a gesture bidding Logan to speak and be heard of him to make her position known.
The monster had faded back into the depths and the great black werewolf changed from a coat of crimson ash to the stature of a man, whom once had been kneeling, now stood to his full height. His clothes conformed perfectly to his changed stature, though he wore no footwear and his feet were bare.
Cathannah:
Toby seemed a little unnerved when Zeit transformed, as all at one her rank and their unfortunate first meeting renewed itself in his mind. Then, she glanced back at him and challenged him to keep up with her in their pursuit of Kratos. Toby smiled sheepishly and a little half-heartedly, for his mind was elsewhere at the moment. Then Zeit took off into the forest as an unbelievable speed and in doing so, shook Toby back to earth.
Shaking whatever he'd been thinking about from his head, Toby quickly undid the extra buttons on his shirt and focused on retaking his wolf form. The scrawny, scraggly creature came on smoothly. His last chore was to adjust his glasses so that they wouldn't jostle too much or fall off during his run, then he leapt forward on all fours and took off after Zeit. Though she was a good deal ahead of him and rather fast, it didn't take him long to sort of catch up. His legs were ridiculously long, and his lack of a full heavy pelt made little wind or bramble hindrance. In fact, running was the only thing Toby's wolf form could take pride in:
He was a mess as an animal, no stronger then he was in human form, and he had never let loose a howl before in his entire life, yet he could to race against the best of them and place third, if not a close second. In no time, he was on Zeit's heels, following her direction through the woods.
Unfortunately, they showed about at the worst time- In the middle of Kratos' furious lecture at the one called Logan. In human form, whether she knew it or not, she looked pathetically small and fragile in the mighty Alpha's glare. For a brief second as Kratos slammed the ground, Toby was sure that he and Zeit had just come upon a formal execution. He thought for sure that the human woman before him was "dead-girl-walking" and cowered for her sake. Stopping abruptly, he tucked his tail and backed up into the tree line, hoping to hide from the alpha's wrath. What the speck had just happened? One minute Kratos was a decent guy, cracking jokes and making Toby feel welcome- Then just as quickly, he was a big, black monster doing everything short of threatening someone's life... Had he missed something?
As the Alpha breathed out the last of his anger, he changed again, both expression and form. Seeing the man, Toby felt a little more at ease. A man could not as quickly nor easily rip another person to shreds as a werewolf could, but what's more, Toby remembered the goofy smile the Alpha had greeted him with only a little while ago. Though it was considered rude to stare, it was ruder still to speak-up where you had not been invited, so Toby just chose to sit and wait for whatever was going to happen.
Kaqurei:
Levi gave a quick friendly smile and nod to Theo... but, as he and Chime left, that last comment began to sink in, and Levi's smile faded. He raised up his big hand-paws and looked at them hard. He turned his back on the wall and looked over the great cement-reinforced enclosure that had been home all month. He reflected on everything he had said to Theo. It was the first breath of feeling human he'd had for almost a good solid 31 days... on the one hand, it had been refreshing to laugh and talk to somebody again... on the other, it was depressing. He clicked his tongue and muttered, nodding ironically, "I'm Levi O'Connell. Levi O'Connell." He shook his head, leaned back against the wall, and slid down into a heap, looking at his hand-paws again. "What've I been reduced ta?"
Somehow, he had never quite attributed being a wolf to being him, and that had made his miserable time here a little bit more bearable. He didn't have to think about his conditions in a personal sense. But he had given Theo his proper name; he was Levi O'Connell, son of Patrick and Sarah O'Connell... and he had surrendered. His gaze wandered up the walls to the electric fence. For one fleeting moment, he envisioned giving that wall his greatest leap, catching a hold of the electric fence, and muscling his way through the pain to clear it. If it was that easy though, he might have done it already. Alpha Kratos had designed this place to keep a wolf in, even a desperate wolf. There wasn't any way out, short of his letting you.
"Should've fought ta m'last breath," he muttered darkly, looking down at his paw-hands again. Truth be told, the only reason he had surrendered was because he felt he could not fight anymore, and he had expected the alpha to kill him anyway. It had been all he could do to keep standing and take death with some degree of dignity. But even that was no excuse. He should have stood stolid and simply waited for death--that he had surrendered denied him then already dying with dignity. If I'd known he was goin' ta keep me prisoner instead, Levi thought, Would it've changed things? Alive, but stripped of any pride, any human decency, any self-respect...
And so, it was with certain resentment that Levi looked up, hearing the alpha's roars and threatenings against Logan. He pinned back his ears and wrinkled his nose. Those sounds made him feel wild inside... wild and caged--itching to run, to fight, and completely unable to do anything at all. Had he stood and tried to walk the feeling off, he surely would have found himself madly and uselessly leaping up against the walls of his prison. As it was, he did not move from his slouched position against the wall... and it made him feel like something was eating him from the inside out.
Moon's on her way, he thought. That was why the alpha's voice made him feel like that, he recognized. The emotions and instinctual responses when the full moon drew near were still sometimes a little awkward to him. But they'd never been negative responses until now. Even though he was a half-breed, his "inner wolf" never "awakened" until the death of his mother, almost five years ago... almost to the day... in fact, the next two days would bring the fifth anniversary of her passing.
He leaned his head back against the wall and looked up at the sky. He sighed softly. What would she say if she could see her boy now? A miserable dog, a prisoner... the one who surrendered.
Aim:
In slight shock, Chime had indeed overheard the prisoner's words. No clothing or baths? For a whole month?! Of course, she should have known, considering he was in there a month and without either of those things, still. Looking down at her own clothing, she couldn't help but feel a little shamed. How could she feel so proud of them now?
Upon hearing the howl, Chime glanced back towards the clearing, only hearing some of what Logan was saying, as she choose to listen to what Theo said to Levi instead. Feeling a little better at his words and the promised to at least try for those things, she sighed in relief, surprised at the fact she was holding her breath. She readied herself, nodding her answer to Theo and began walking to the clearing, pacing herself slightly behind him.
Though, on her way there, Kratos words tore though air, his roughness stopped her straight in her tacks. Both surprised and scared, she raised her hands to her face for the second time that day. As his ferocity and words flow out, she felt afraid, she shook, and she couldn't move. Yet, at the same time, she felt respect for him, and felt safe, he was her alpha, he would protect her. She watched, hoping for Logan safety.. Yet, upon hearing she had called him naive, she felt she deserved whatever happened to her, admittedly a little stronger then she should have.
Her first meeting with the pack played in her mind, and she was quite happy she wasn't strong enough to hurt the second in command, Zeit. If she saw this before the meeting, she would have stayed away.
As he turned back into a human, she found her strength and started walking again, her eyes avoided Kratos's out of respect, though her face shone with admiration.
Soar:
Theo felt his face turn pale. Had that… really been Kratos? If there was one thing he had always counted on in his life, it was the calm demeanor of his alpha. He had never seen him like this. And having that security of his ripped away so suddenly… well, he imagined it was something to similar to discovering your arm had magically disappeared. It just wasn’t possible.
With the world as he knew it turned upside down, he starred in wide-eyed shock, and had no will of his own to even comprehend the situation. He was only vaguely aware Logan was the center of this and that Chime had continued to walk forward.
Not wanting to lose his only companion in this strange new world, Theo suddenly sprung forward to catch her and was beside her when he finally approached the field.
---
What did Jackie think of this mess?
Unlike many more simple-minded situations, it wasn’t just ‘she was angry’ or ‘she was super angry’ or ‘she was even more angry than super angry’. Much like an onion, her emotional state was layered.
On the surface, Jackie appeared more miffed than anything else. She had, after all, been forced to give up her plan to lurk in the woods, wait for an opportunity, and mercilessly seek her revenge on Logan. And above all else, instead of ignoring her as she approached (which she would have much rather preferred), Kratos had taken a brief moment to acknowledge her obedience with a tilt of his head. If there was one thing she couldn’t stand, it was that an authority figure had effectively given her a pat on the back and said “good job, what a great little follower” like she was five years old again. She didn’t like to think she was obedient… and now that fact had been rubbed in her face a little bit more.
But if one were to have pried a little farther into her mind, or correctly interpreted some miniscule facial expression, they would have found she was very much afraid. Like everyone else in the pack, she had never seen Kratos like this. She had always assumed no matter the situation, he would have been calm. He would have been logical. It was just plain… well… wrong to see him like this.
And it was because of her. Because Logan had nearly taken her life last month. Jackie had assumed on some level that Kratos had somehow forgotten about the incident or no longer had any reason to care about it. Yet Logan had only to rant a little bit here and there about the wrong things and the pain was new to him.
He actually cared about her, and that is what scared her most of all.
As soon as Kratos had finished and returned back to human form, Jackie twisted her head slowly to meet Logan’s eyes. She didn’t say a word, but to Jackie there was a deep meaning in meeting her eyes.
‘I won’t seek revenge on you anymore. You are a part of my pack now and… I will do my best to protect my pack’
And so that vow was made.
Dez:
For a moment, and the first time since she had been within the Calagathorm territory, Logan felt as though she could relate to somebody, and was willing to leave behind the fact he was a werewolf. As Ulric spoke, her expression revealed a spark of curiosity and even excitement, or rather eagerness to know more about this werewolf. Although, a you may have imagined, those feelings fled the moment the alpha's thundering voice again filled the air.
Upon turning to face Kratos, Logan at once felt very small. While the whole event lasted only a few moments in reality, to Logan it seemed a good deal longer. The woman couldn't help but re-live that night of her attack. It felt to her all too much like when she awoke to find that feral, ferocious beast looking her right in the eyes. Kratos' eyes.. she hadn't really looked at them, avoiding them thus far, but she caught her first glimpse at the moment after he threw himself up on the earth. No, this wasfar more terrifying than that night. The werewolf that had attacked her, he was lost completely to his beast, there was no man left in him at that time. Kratos on the other hand, he possessed all of his knowledge in this form, all of the senses of a man, and yet here he was, his ferocity challenging all of the wildest and untamed creatures that wandered the earth! And it seemed not even his own pack members could recognize him in that instant. Logan took a step back, the action more of a knee jerk reaction than it was intentional, and a fight or flight response had all but taken place within her when the alpha quieted and changed forms.
She had, indeed, acknowledged everything he said at the time he said it, but for now it had left her mind, replaced with the thudding of her heart in her ears. Flushed with adrenalin, rather than replying right away, she glanced around at the pack members present. There was a girl who Theo stood beside, Jackie, having obediently come back at Kratos' command, and two others were present now, though she paid them no mind. Many of them, who had been fearful as she had, now seemed to beam with a sense of pride.
Knowing the alpha was awaiting a response, though still not quiet fully aware of all that he had said (and to what she was aware, she intended to avoid replying to), she merely uttered "I understand" quietly, without the usual confidence and strength her voice held. How could she be so weak? Every other challenge she had faced, she had taken with dignity, putting her fears aside! And now she stood here, feeling vulnerable and bare of all her dignity. Her current thoughts almost mirrored that of the prisoner's. Death seemed a more proper fate, one that at least wouldn't leave you alike to the low creatures of the earth!
"I need to change." dismissing herself, she turned to walk towards the cabins, at that moment catching the look in Jackie's eyes. It was puzzling to her, and quickly she shifted her gaze, far too ashamed to look anybody in the eyes for any length of time. No, instead she continued on her way to the cabins, in hopes to be allowed a moment to prepare for the night and collect herself.
Hour Glass:
Zeit raced against Toby, amused that the Omega was keeping up with her, finding she finally had some competition for being the fastest wolf. She'd have to find Toby one day and convince him to run with her, test out how fast he could go and for how long. Even if they had started off on the wrong foot, or paw, because of Zeit's rash and stubborn behavior, she had a feeling she might get along with the Omega.
At least he seemed calm and like he wasn't going to leave holes in her kitchen walls like another wolf had done, and he seemed in control of his inner wolf. She noted that she would need to talk to him about his amount of control over his wolf to see if he would run with her during the full moon in order to protect the rest of the pack.
She was lost in thought until she heard the Alpha's rumbled, startled back into reality. She stopped suddenly, frozen as she saw Kratos' raw power, sensing the strength of the wolf that he normally hid. Even she, quite the dominate and stubborn wolf, lowered her head and took a step back. Kratos was the one person, besides her deceased father, she had ever shown signs of submitting too, and from this moment, Kratos was no wolf to mess with either.
After the silence took hold, Zeit finally moved, raising her head high as she slowly walked towards her Alpha, watching the others of the pack as Logan turned and left, and others stared in awe. She slowly shifted, returning to human form to speak with Kratos before she went off to make more preparations for the night, such as letting one of the herds out in order to make it like a stray bullet had hurt one of her livestock.
Zeit was quiet, to make everything was settled before she spoke again. "Alpha, since we have a majority of the pack here, should we go over tonight's plans?" she asked, "as I'm wondering who to take with me. Toby proved he can keep up with me and get out fast if the situation calls for it."
May:
Ulric stood motionless as the Alpha spoke and did not move even after Logan turned away. His heart was pounding loud in his ears. But whether that was because he had stood behind Logan and thus in the line of Kratos' wrath, or because of his own anger which had risen within his chest, no one could really tell. No emotion escaped through his eyes and his expression was calm.
****
Kratos said nothing more to Logan after she dismissed herself, but he watched her for a short time as she walked away. Just before Zeit approached him, the Alpha's gaze would turn toward Ulric and their eyes would hold each other for but a brief moment.
As men, there was more to be said between the two brothers, but as werewolves their different positions had been clarified. Kratos was the Alpha, and he would not be challenged.
"Ulric," Kratos said, "I want to speak with you later."
Then he turned aside, thus dismissing his brother, and directed his attention at Zeit.
"Yes." The Alpha replied sighing deeply. "We must discuss that with everyone, and there is another thing that we must also attend to.." He then beckoned to the others in the clearing with a wave of his hand and said, "come my friends, gather in everyone. Whatever challenge tonight brings, we ought to try our best to prepare for it."
****
Ulric was hesitant to heed the Alpha's beckoning. He still stood in the same place without moving and looked in the direction of Logan. The pace of his heartbeat had slowed now and he took the first full breath he had taken since Kratos had appeared in the clearing.
At length Ulric withdrew from his werewolf form, rose up from the ground, and looked at Kratos again. From where he stood he need not come any closer to hear the Alpha speak, so he remained standing on the hill slope under the trees.
****
"Zeit and I have decided that for tonight we must form smaller numbers." Kratos began to explain as he watched the faces of the others. He expected them to come close, within at least seven feet of where he stood, and lowered his voice accordingly.
"We will be harder to find by the hunters that way." Kratos said softly, though his deep voice was still easy to be heard. "We must split into two groups, I shall lead one and Zeit will lead the other. Cooperation is imperative for us all to be alive by morning; we must work together even in our secondary forms. As such, those who cannot control their werewolf forms, or those that are struggling with it, are to come with me to the higher places of Phantom Mountain where we will work on such discipline. Everyone else who is capable will travel with Zeit and will attempt to draw the attention of the townspeople to the west beyond the lake."
"Something also must also be done about the Spy in the pit..." Kratos said this after a short pause and gave a unenthusiastic glance to Zeit. "I believe the people will be instructed to stay away from privately-owned buildings and places where livestock are kept.. But we cannot guarantee that to be the case, and if by happenstance they come upon the dens I would prefer that there isn't an easy target awaiting them."
Kratos crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at the Beta and then at the Omega. "Zeit, I believe you are right in wanting Toby to go with you." He continued. "It would be best if those that lead the hunters were quick and stealthy; I do not want anyone getting a good look at you... They still think they are hunting regular wolves, and at the very most they may assume we are bears, but we can't reveal any more than that."
"...The other matter that we must decide on is ranking..." The Alpha looked at each member of his pack and added after a moment, "...does anyone have anything to say? Your suggestions are welcome."
Cathannah:
Toby remained in the line of trees until Logan had, in Toby's opinion, wisely submitted to the alpha's authority and dismissed herself. Only when she had gone out of sight, did Toby breathe more easily. As Zeit stepped out the speak with Kratos, Toby noted that everyone was pretty much in their human forms again, so he decided to be the same-- Only he had a problem: If he changed here and now, the others would see him.. Oh the humiliation! His shirt would be unbuttoned down to his stomach, and his sleeves too.. Up to the elbow! That was in no way presentable. Toby was just about to find a place in the thick forest foliage where he could change form, button up, straighten out all the wrinkles, fix his hair, adjust his glasses, and otherwise keep the respect and dignity every human being was entitled to, when he suddenly heard Zeit say his name. Instantly, he looked at her and felt his face go hot. She wanted him of all people to go with her on a potentially life threatening midnight something-or-other?? All because of his running skills? Had he somehow impressed her by keeping up like that?
In truth, Toby was in the middle of feeling a little proud of himself when the alpha suddenly called everyone together and snapped him back to reality. Toby almost responded instantly, but in a pit second remembered he was still in wolf form and clumsily fell back toward the tree line. For a moment, he stood stupidly in one place, looking rapidly back and forth between the alpha and the dense foliage. Nothing but ridiculous Uhms and Uhs came from his mouth as he tried to explain his plight and decide if he had enough time to change and still answer Kratos without inconveniencing anyone. Finally, he fumbled forward and turned his back toward the pack. J-J-- Just a second. He begged, and retook his own skrawny form; being sure to button up his shirt all the way before turning around again.
He knew he looked disgraceful and he felt a fool. Inching in as close as he dared toward Kratos, his eyes shamefully fell to his shoes and did not look up again. As he stood there, he stiffly fixed what he could; A single run of his hand through his messy hair, the same hand pushing the center of his glasses up his nose, but felt all the more stupid for even trying. He could only will himself to reset one button on his sleeves before he put both hands together and just let it be. He was so embarrassed, his face was beat red! He was almost positive everyone was looking at him and thinking how foolish he was. Every movement he made only served to make that feeling increase, almost like a spotlight was on him and every movement he made was as annoying and disruptive as dental surgery in a movie theater.. He dare not so much as glance at Zeit. He was sure she was rethinking whatever it was she'd thought about him before. To say nothing of the alpha, who was probably fuming again and didn't like him anymore.
Soar:
Jackie found that after Logan left, she had nothing further to say or do other than watch the woman stalk off. Kratos then began speaking about the plans for that evening… but Jackie could care less. Being a newly turned werewolf herself, it was highly unlikely she’d be put anywhere fun. She would most likely be shoved on some frigid mountain top while all the better mannered members played hide-and-seek with the hunters.
The only sign of her disappointment were her crossed arms and an air of impatience.
---
Theo’s head spun as soon as he heard Kratos say ‘Spy’.
If he hadn't said that word, he would have probably been content to listen and agree impassively to the turn of events. Most likely he would have been happy to go to the mountains.
But that was not what happened. Because despite all of Theo’s better judgment , he couldn't help but feel like he owed Levi something. He knew he was a spy. He knew he was an enemy. But from the ten minutes he had talked to him, he didn't seem all that bad. He deserved new clothes, at least. And he certainly deserved not to be hunted down and killed tonight like a common animal.
He felt his voice rising up inside of him, as though against his will.
“The spy?” his voice was quivering slightly,”I can help with that… whatever you need, I’d like to help…”
He looked hopefully at Chime, his eyes silently asking for her support. As it was, he felt strangely out of place as soon as he said those words.
Dez:
As she walked along towards the cabins, Loagn stopped upon hearing the alpha speak up, this time his words relatively quiet, and found to her relief that he didn't intend to stop her. Loosening her fists and overall posture, she continued on into the cabins. Up the stairs and into her room she went, and this time she was certain to close and lock the door before any nosy dogs could shove their way in.
She emerged from the cabin a few minutes later. Her pants were rolled to her knees, her feet were bare, and she had put on a larger shirt (without jeopardizing her modesty, of course). Her wrist and shoulder lacked their usual accessories, the watch and cuff. Already she missed their familiar weight, and more often than not she found herself clenching at the place where the metal band normally resided on her upper arm. In any case, she was ready, and found herself wishing the moon would hurry along. The sooner this came, the sooner it would be over.
After having a few minutes to gather her thoughts and even, for a change, ponder somebodies words with a good extent of consideration, she came to a conclusion. For now she didn't feel like expressing this to the alpha or anyone for that matter, but perhaps she would find plenty of time on the way up the mountain to do so.
For now she stood some distance behind the others, or rather decided to crouch down and watch sugar ants go about their business, paying more or less attention to what the others were saying.
Aim:
Upon hearing the alpha tell Ulric he wished to talk to him later, shifting her eyes to look over to Kratos then Ulric, how had she not noticed the tension between them before? Still feeling slightly shaken up about the whole thing, Chime felt addition conflicted, she considered Ulric her friend, though the alpha was, you know, the alpha...
Before she could put too much thought into it, Zeit talked, upon hearing Toby name, she brightened up and looked around for him, so that's where he had been hiding! Smiling upon seeing him, she almost waved to him, nearly missing Kratos call to gather, she looked at him, already close enough, though her eyes wondered back over to Toby as he started his uhms and uhs, not quite sure of what he was doing, she found herself staring at him, waiting for him to speak, after watching him for a few seconds, she realize what he was doing and hurriedly looked away, blushing in embarrassment. Feeling slightly discombobulated, she tried to calm herself, trying to listen to the words her alpha was saying.
Though she grasped what the conversation was about, Chime felt her face getting hotter, wait? Did he mention drawing the attention of hunters? Would she be part of that? Slightly excited, she listened more intensely, just about as he got to the spy part.
What did he intend to do..? She glance over to Theo as he started talking, wondering just what he would be volunteering for, and when he was done, she was quite happy to listen to the response when she noticed who he was looking at. Feeling slightly overwhelm, as she would have been just happy to nod, to agree, though now, knowing she would only have a minute or two to decide, the words just popped out her mouth.
"I would like to help too."
May:
Alpha Kratos, still standing with his arms crossed and feet bear, looked over each face among his pack. Not many of them had much to say, which was well enough given what had transpired but a short time ago, yet he watched their faces with gentle keenness that he might have their input regardless.
The woman, Logan, returned from the house while the Alpha had been in the middle of speaking and though he acknowledged her presence with a glance, he did nothing more to include her in the discussion. As for Toby, the Omega, Kratos ignored his muttering almost completely.
Theo was the first to speak up and Chime shortly thereafter concerning the matter of the spy in the ditch. Kratos furrowed his brow at them, for this was a serious matter, but he seemed pleased by their courage and initiative. Both were passive by nature, and Chime of certain smaller stature than most others, but Kratos felt confident in their ability to create harmony among pack members.
"Very well," said the Alpha, giving a nod to these two members. "You two have managed well here, so if you wish to be on top of that concern, I will trust you with his custody." Kratos was about to put the matter aside but added as an afterthought, "I don't suppose he'll be too hard a handful, but his loyalties are thus far clear and not in our favor, so you two will need to be wary."
The Alpha looked to Zeit to see if this arrangement was to her liking, for he seemed to hold her opinion in high esteem. "Very good. I believe all three of them can control themselves, werewolf-wise. So I'll assign them to your group, Zeit." The Alpha's expression turned earnest. "Would you mind having the spy along, or do you think he'll present a problem to your group given the situation?"
******
Ulric still stood quietly by the tree. It was not really up for debate as to which group he would be sent with, if the Alpha was to be understood. Ulric could control his werewolf form, so he would be sent with the Beta. There would be no objection.
Ulric's inhumanly auburn eyes turned toward the dens when Logan came back from the building. He was still listening to the Alpha and he took note of every word, but his thoughts were elsewhere. His facial expression was firm and thoughtful, and when Logan took a crouching position on the ground near the group his gaze naturally returned to the Alpha.
Soar:
"Um yes Kratos sir," Theo fidgeted uncertainly.
Talking to Kratos directly to him was like poking a bear. It might not eat you. But then again, it might decide it’s hungry. Theo knew he probably shouldn’t push his luck. As it was, he and Chime were fortunate to have gotten their request so easily. But then again, he had made a promise…
"oh and um Kratos, sir… Um, could we also get Lev—I mean the prisoner—some clothes and possible sort of maybe a shower? He err it?, no um the prisoner… expressed some concern over that matter and um… a happy prisoner is a passive prisoner?"
Theo didn’t have a mirror, but he was certain if he did, he would have observed his face as bright red.
Hour Glass:
Zeit looked to Theo in an amused manner, just seeing the wolf as still adjusting to pack life, remembering how awkward she felt when she first had her own transformations with new pack members. Well, she was still adjusting as pack numbers always seemed to be changing as new members came, and she wasn't quite comfortable around the newest of pack member yet. Though, she was glad some of the members no longer left holes in her walls by throwing silverware.
"Toby, Theo, and Chime will all be good additions to have as the main scouting group, and if the spy has any common sense, he won't want to have a large group of hunters on our tails, as he'll be running with us" she replied crossing her arms, "but I think Theo and Chime should should stay and keep a closer on the spy a bit further from the hunter in order to lessen our chances of a runaway spy and shots being fired. Theo is fast enough to run with me and keep a closer eye on the hunters. We'd both be able run and alert everyone, and our group and focus on misdirecting the hunters."
The Beta looked to the group around her, except Kratos, almost daring someone to have problems with her plans. She then shifted her gaze over to the Alpha, to see if he had any problems with her plans as well.
May:
Kratos looked very satisfied by Zeit's response and he too looked around to see if there were any objections. Theo's question he did not immediately address, but the Alpha looked somewhat amused by the way it was worded.
"We'll deal with that in a moment," Kratos said to Theo, then he looked at Toby and the rest. "Zeit will be the group leader, she will act as Alpha while you are not in my presence and you are to heed her to the best of your ability. Theo and Chime, you two will do as Zeit has said and keep the spy on a closer ring to the dens, very near to where Zeit and Toby will be scouting. Toby, you are rather quick and your coloring is good for the area, I think that if you're quiet you'll be able to maneuver well near the hunters without being seen."
With a satisfied nod the Alpha drew a deep breath and looked at his brother. "Ulric, you'll go with Zeit's group and do as she requires of you. Hawkthorne should be along later on to join the scouting group.." Kratos paused and looked thoughtful, then a smile came to his face. It was clear that he was considering something, but whatever it was he did not say.
The Alpha then turned toward Jackie. "I'm not certain how the moon will treat you tonight, but I would like you to accompany my group." Kratos meant to wait for her response, but immediately afterward a thought came to mind which he addressed in that same instant.
"If at any time I call during the course of the night," the Alpha said, raising his voice slightly and looking over the pack with a serious expression. "I want every one of you to come quickly and silently to wherever I am on the mountain - and with the exception of an emergency - I desire that absolutely no one else howls until the moon has passed; We do not want the hunters to note our numbers or positions."
"Also," said Kratos, "You all need to be informed that Timothy is still loose somewhere on this mountain. He may mean to cause trouble for either group and perhaps even the hunters. We must be mindful of this, and be prepared for anything." This matter was apparently weighing on Kratos' mind and his voice spoke of a very real danger, though how much so he believed it to be was unknown. "Sabrina I suspect is with him," he continued, "but we cannot be certain. Considering the conditions of his disappearance, I believe I will have his main focus with me. But again, we must be prepared for anything; the boy has never been predictable."
****
Ulric did not respond outside a humble nod in the Alpha's direction when he was addressed, something that Kratos noted but did not pay much attention to.
Ulric crossed his arms presently and leaned his weight on one leg while the other took advantage of the slope on which he was standing. It seemed clear in his body language that he was put off by the earlier event and would passively, though not altogether willingly, consent to whatever task Kratos assigned him.
Hour Glass:
Zeit nodded, listening to the Alpha before looking to her group. "We will assemble and go over the maps before heading out. The hunting party will be heading out soon, and we need to be ready to start tracking while we know where they are instead of hunting them down" she ordered, " and one thing to note will be if they have dogs, they will bark and work on alerting our position. Staying out of their scent range would be best as we scout the group."
The Beta had her arms crossed, showing her rank, but submissive enough to not challenge the Alpha beside her. "Be prepared to be running for long periods of time. Ulric, you and HawkThorne will be a good pair as a team to help with the scouting party, you two being more hefty then TOby and I. Keeping more distance between you and the hunters will be nessicary, but you will be good in case something unexpected happens. Toby and I will be the closest to the hunters as we will be the quickest on our feet" she added.
Dez:
Stubbornly letting everything that was said amongst the group bounce off of her, Logan stewed in her contempt towards the alpha and the majority of his pack quietly. With a hard head, she predetermined that she would become a vicious beast once again, and that all of the plans would go awry. Once again, though this time to herself, she considered how naive the alpha must be, to try and plan something given such a severe lack of foresight.
With every word that passed somebodies lips, the time seemed to go slower and slower. An anxiousness settled in, to get up and start moving, making headway into their supposed haven in the mountains. Yet here they were, droning on (or rather that's what it felt like to Logan) about details that would probably go down like a led balloon.
Standing up, she crossed her arms over her chest and drummed her fingers against her upper arm, trying to distract herself on anything that wasn't related to this werewolf business. A bird chirping, a cricket jumping, a cloud in the sky. Her attention towards this conversation had long run thin, as she had decided long ago it was far easier to assume the worst would happen. Yes, even with this mindset, she had the audacity to consider the alpha naive.
May:
Ulric nodded in reply to Zeit's command, but his eyes drifted elsewhere. He could see Logan was becoming impatient, and looking at the Alpha he could see that Kratos was also aware of the fact, but was purposefully ignoring it.
Ulric drew in a deep breath and released it as calmly as he could through his teeth. It was a subtle gesture meant not only to ease his mounting frustration, but also to catch the Alpha's attention without speaking up.
******
Kratos did take notice of Ulric but he did not respond. He glanced up for only a moment before returning his gaze to the task at hand.
"Very good then," he said with an approving nod. "We all know where everyone should be then. Chaos usually ensues after dark, but if I know where to find everyone and the rest of you know where you should be, we should be able to keep the tragedies to a minimum. How you all perform tonight will determine ranks future duties. So I hope you all perform well."
With that Kratos uncrossed his arms and straightened his stance. Turning to Zeit the Alpha stepped aside. "I'll leave you all to go over the maps and terrain," he said. With one last glance around at the rest of the pack, he added, "If there is anything else that needs to be addressed, now's the time to do it. I'll be seeing to the spy."
Excusing himself from the gathering, the Alpha began walking toward the ditch and in so doing passed by Theo and Chime. But exactly alongside them he stopped and placed his massive hand on Theo's shoulder. "Learn everyone's positions," he said quietly. "If he tries to escape, you two will have to use your advantages to ensure his recapture."
The Alpha then proceeded past the two and continued toward the ditch, specifically the side of the ditch closest to the buildings. There was a gate in the fencing over there from which Kratos could gain access to Levi in the pit.
******
As the morning began to give way to evening and the time of the moon drew nearer, the Calagathorm werewolves continued making plans and preparations while at that very moment the hunting parties in town were closing their assembly.
The participating crowds had been successfully organized by Albert Rich and were now beckoned in closer to the announcer for instructions regarding the hunt. Others who had attended for excitement or curiosity's sake were now beginning to disperse as things quieted down.
It was mainly the leaders of the hunting parties who were instructed, but the plan was laid out in simplicity for everyone. Each group was given a particular area to cover in the proximity related to reported wolf sightings or evidences of the presence of wolves in the area. Harvey Bolt's group was assigned the mountainside beyond the Gelton's fields, a bit to the west, meanwhile Mildred McGordner's group would be tracking for wolves just off the road that passed by the Chandler ranch and wound off to the east. The three groups by the river would be directed to three different locations along the Monvac.
In this way the hunters planned to pinpoint the animals whom had been plaguing their town. The main task of each party was to document the population of the wolves around Reknab Bend, identify individual packs, and observe inclination of behavior toward humans.
It was the determination of Town Hall to discover if it was simply one group of wolves which had become so great a nuisance, or if all had taken to tormenting the residents. As most reports stated that the wolves mainly ignored livestock and specifically sought out people, it was suspected that the targeted wolves would behave aggressively toward men.
There were five groups in all, and each group seemed to include an average of five people, some more some less, but no less than three.
Four fine young men had been assigned to Harvey Bolt's group on account of his experience in teaching game-hunting, among them Robbie Gelton and two of his friends. Alfred Nickers had also volunteered to be in this group for his longstanding friendship with Harvey.
Thomas Clerk would be overseeing the three groups that would be hunting near the Monvac River, and as there were many roads and highways down that way as well, his responsibility as a police officer required that he make the hunt as safe as possible - for those in the hunting parties and otherwise. Several conservation officers would also be overseeing the hunt, and as a mandatory requirement there would be at least one game warden accompanying each group.
All while this preparation took place, Tammy had found her grandfather and the two had wandered away from the crowds. Mr. Trodder had his arms folded under his heavy coat and was leaning wearily on his cane while Tammy stood silently beside him. For a time they watched from a distance as the announcer and a conservation officer or two explained inaudible directions to the hunting parties. Then at length Mr. Trodder turned Tammy a brief smile and continued looking on.
"Why aren't you with your friends?" The elderly man asked after a moment.
Tammy looked at her grandfather, though he did not return her gaze. "Jenn wanted to see the guys off, but I don't think she's planning on joining them," she explained softly and somewhat solemnly.
Mr. Trodder nodded his head slowly, then glanced in Tammy's direction again. "What about you?"
Tammy let out a soft sigh and looked back at the crowd. "What should I do, Grandpa?"
"Don't you know how to use a gun?" Mr. Trodder replied. His tone was humorous and kind, but Tammy did not seem cheered.
"I'm a healer, not a hunter. I learned to use a gun to defend the cattle, I don't want to kill something unless I have to." Tammy muttered the last part, but she seemed rather resolved in her answer.
Mr. Trodder nodded slowly again in understanding. "You should go with Mildred," he said. The reply was in complete contrast with what Tammy had explained and she could not help but turn him a questioning glance. This time however Mr. Trodder turned also, and met her eyes. "They might not find anything at all, but I think you should go."
Tammy looked conflicted and said nothing, so her grandfather continued. "Someone might get hurt, and I'm sure you'll be able to help." Mr. Trodder smiled and his eyes lit up with a loving warmth. "You should be there just in case, and you need to be with the other kids."
"I'm sure I'm not the only person who knows First Aid, and Jenn isn't going." By the tones Tammy used when she said this, it was clear that she had been sarcastic about the first part and the last bit was spoken with some frustration. Yet the elderly man didn't seem to budge and his soft eyes made her reluctant to argue any further.
Just then the meeting among the hunting parties seemed to break up and the various groups pulled away from the main body.
There was a lot of chattering and laughing from the lads in Harvey's group as he lead the way to his truck. No sooner had the lads come over however, when a chorus of snarling and howling suddenly broke out from the small horse trailer hitched to the back of his truck! The young men gave a start in alarm, but Harvey only need make one comment before the dogs suddenly quieted to excited and curious barks.
"There now fellas," Harvey Bolt said with a laugh. He then would begin introducing his pack of rowdy dogs to the young men whom would be hunting with him. Alfred was already an acquaintance of the pack, so he need not be introduced.
Mildred McGordner came forward with her group to the vehicle very near where Tammy and her Grandfather were standing. The other groups pulled away too, but Thomas Clerk and several others stayed a while longer in conversation with the announcer.
Mildred led a group of three, excluding the conservation officer who had stayed behind, and how very quiet they were compared with Harvey's group! Though their faces were bright, they spoke in casual tones and seemed to have the seriousness of their business on mind.
As the situation was right for it, Mr. Trodder took the opportunity to speak with Mildred about the arrangement he had previously discussed with his granddaughter. Meanwhile, Tammy glanced off in the direction of the men and the boisterous dogs.
Jenn was still around, and she seemed perfectly thrilled having her face licked and drooled on by a massive Doberman mix. The dog nearly knocked her over twice to get at her face and hands, but that was something of which no one else took notice. The boys were not as delicate or light of build and attempted to play around with the hunting dogs as if they were house pets.
Hour Glass:
It had taken time to explain the main trails the hunters may take, based off what she had overheard from the few meetings that had been called to warn the farmers of the wolf hunt, glad she had time to prepare her maps and a sort of battle plan to keep up with the hunters. She had done a brief perimeter run along the edge of her land closest to the town, now ready to lead the scouting group out to take position and keep an eye on the humans.
“Now, we will have to watch out for any dogs that are brought up with the humans, they’ll be one of our greater disadvantages as they’ll be the first to alert the hunters of our positions” she explained as everyone prepared to shift for the night, “stay downwind unless I give the command. We can use the dogs as an advantage if the hunters stray too close to Kratos and the more unstable members. They’ll scent us and give chase, so then we will have them chase us away from the rest of the pack.”
Zeit sighed, feeling that by now, she was just rambling and repeating herself, showing some signs of being nervous for the night. Unlike her normal days of just being bossy and working on keeping up her ranch, making sure to continuously profit from her work, and making sure the herds stayed healthy. Her work was everything to her, without the ranch, she would have no home, only living as a wolf to feed herself. But now, there were much higher risks, which would could lead to the destruction of her life, and the lives she had come to accept as a sort of family. Her pack was now everything to her.
As her position as the Beta of the pack, it meant she would do everything she could to protect the members, even if it meant putting herself in danger in order to lead the hunters away from the more vulnerable members, and keep the towns people from gaining themselves an untimely demise. She shook her head, crossing her arms as she quickly calmed herself, preparing to become the leader of the small group, ready to do what her alpha wanted.
“Let’s shift and head out, it’ll be good to be ready for the hunters once they first enter the woods, it’ll make it easier to track them” she commanded, shifting into her lithe form, having already changed into her werewolf clothing. She stood proudly, even for her smaller stature compared to some of the other wolves, her legs already aching to begin the night’s run.
Cathannah:
Only after the conversation had gotten well underway did Toby chance a peak upward at the faces in the group. All attention was on the Alpha; he was talking about hunters and groups.. He'd seen a group of people assembling before he left town. He'd seen their truck and guns... What this now began to imply made Toby's stomach feel as though it had been tied in knots. Was a war brewing or something? Why didn't they just find a place to hide for the night? Why did they have to play hide-and-seek with the people from town?
While in the midst of pondering these questions, Toby suddenly realized he must not have been listening; because something about a prisoner was mentioned and he totally missed it. Toby raised his head in an instant and look about for any unfamiliar face he had not previously noticed."Prisioner- Wha?" He fumbled, but stopped short as his name was suddenly spoken by Zeit, and later called upon by Kratos. Instantly, Toby's head went down again.
Toby politely turned to look at the Alpha as he addressed him. Though under his' gaze, Toby felt the size of a jellybean, and just as delicious and crush-able. How a man could go straight from inviting to terrifying in a single breath was something Toby could only wonder at!
He nodded quickly and respectfully to what the Alpha had to say to him, not daring ask any questions that might clarify the situation, for fear of enraging the already irritated Alpha. As the conversation continued and Zeit laid out the plans, Toby turned a shy glance at his soon-to-be group mates: Theo and Chime..And.. That other guy with the weird hippie-look. He didn't know any of them very well at all- And that other guy, he didn't even know the name of!.. But hey! He'd often heard life-threatening experiences were good bonding moments. Who knew? Before tomorrow, they could jolly-well be the best of friends.
Toby found himself surprisingly flushed with excitement every time Zeit spoke his name. The fact that THE Beta had chosen HIM, of all wolves in the pack, to be her scouting partner... It made him feel pretty good about himself. Yet he also felt pressured- If he messed up tonight, the hunters would kill him for sure! Or worse, he'd escape the hunters only to have to explain everything to Kratos, who would surely kick him out! Then his Grandmother would be shamed and turn him away too-- Then he'd have to fend for himself and probably get eaten by werewolves!!--- Uh.. Bigger and meaner werewolves who didn't know he was also a werewolf, and wouldn't listen to him when he explained it, and ate him before he got to prove it... Yup, that was how Toby's mind worked.
*********
The group was gathering under Zeit's command and going over things one more time. While watching everyone else adjust their dress so they could be more comfortable during the shift, Toby considered the modesty of waiting til his shirt was choking him to death before unbuttoning the neck. If he did it now, he'd have an open shirt showing off his skinniness for all to see... No way! Too embarrassing. A minute of inconvenience was better then proving once and for all that he had a rib cage.
Toby nodded in response to Zeit's command to change, and promptly did so-- Yes, suffering the choking shirt and while risking ripping something. He merely undid each button as his mangy fur filled it out, and was soon just as ready as everyone else.
"Uhm.. E-Excuse me... B-b-but about the dogs?.." He coughed, looking meekly as his group leader. "D-Do they know what they're looking for? B-B-Be-Because if they don't, we could easily throw th-th.. That is to say-- We.. uh.. Meat.. D-do we have meat?.. We could hide meat in random places; give the dogs something more to think about... W-with enough distractions, they'll th- thin- think they're looking for... meat?.. Maybe?" He fumbled, tugging at his own fingers and twiddling his thumbs uncomfortably.
May:
Ulric had watched Kratos head off across the clearing and retrieve Levi from the ditch, after which the two of them vanished into the second den and were not seen again for some time. Beta Zeit soon commenced to direct those under her authority and Ulric buried his feelings at present to attend to her word.
"If I may," Ulric said, following Toby's comment. "These would be hunting dogs, trained to retrieve the bodies of their master's prey. Unless commanded, or ill-trained, I don't think they will pay much more attention to raw steaks laying about the forest floor other than to alert their masters to the peculiar circumstances of this hunt."
Ulric did not fall upon his palms, but he did change, even as he spoke to the form of a beast. His voice and the way he spoke also changed in light of his altered anatomy, and his eyes soon glinted brilliant auburn under the light of the sun.
Still standing on the little slope by the road, but now under a hazy brown coat, Ulric looked toward Zeit for further instruction.
******
In the time Kratos was gone, he brought Levi through the main room of the den, opened the door leading to the downstairs level, and sent the spy down. At the base of the stairs was something of an office or sewing room and at the back of this was a door to a bathroom. The Alpha instructed the spy to get cleaned up and in the meantime Kratos sorted his materials and set out a changing-uniform for Levi. All the fabric was new and the clothes therefore had a very unique smell which would not easily fade.
When Levi had finished and come out again, Kratos lead him immediately upstairs and outside, but before he opened the front door, the Alpha leaned down toward the spy. "Two of mine will be traveling with you tonight." Though these words were spoken in a whisper, Kratos' tone was firm and his voice deep. "Do not forget what I chose not to do, and do not run."
With that Kratos opened the door and pushed Levi out into the clearing.
When the two reemerged from the den, Zeit had finished briefing the werewolves on the routes and her group appeared ready to take off, so Kratos made his way over to them.
"Are you all ready?" He asked, and he looked at both those in Zeit's group and in his own.
Dez:
Logan watched from the corner of her eye as Zeit shifted forms. The change seemed effortless, with her new form being the only after effect. More impressive yet, that scrawny, feeble character called Toby seemed to have no problem with his shift either. Of course, his new form was rather a laughable excuse of a werewolf, but in any case.. how was it that someone so pitiful could control such a form?
"Are you all ready?"
Logan, having been "staring off into space", snapped out of it at the sound of the alphas voice. Ready was subjective.
"No.." Logan muttered quietly, wrapping her arms even closer to her body. Keeping her eyes turned away from the alpha, she cast her focus to Jackie. The woman hadn't changed forms just yet, leaving Logan to wonder if she could control her form at all or if she was merely putting it off until later. And if she didn't know how to control her beastly form, then why did the alpha intend to train the two together? It seemed like a hopeless endeavor that could only end up in pain for one group or another, if not both. She also noted to herself that while the other groups had at least a plan of action, she hadn't even received that much.
She clenched her jaw tightly, let out a a deep breath, and quietly awaited the alphas next command.
Aim:
Just listening, Chime grew even more excited for her job, slightly nervous too. What would the spy do? He seemed to have common sense, so the night would probably be uneventful, right? Then again, how could she know how his mind worked?
Looking over to Theo as he talked, she smiled, her alpha wouldn't deny even a prisoner of basic hygiene, right? Well... then again, she really has only been treated like a part of the pack, for the most part, if she was a threat maybe... biting her lip, she shook her head, better start listening if she was going to help. Finding herself nodding slightly as she listen to the plan. She didn't believe in failure, carrying a confident look, she knew the knowledge of her the packs leader and beta would get them through this.
---
Hastening to obey the beta, she transformed with ease, the practice with her mother making it like second nature to her, and already in outfit. Barely hearing the comments Ulric and Toby made on the hunting dogs, she watched as her alpha and Levi came out, hiding her own nervousness, she smiled.
"Yes, sir." She lowed her eyes, breaking off to Theo and Levi.
Soar:
The day wore on until at last it was evening. Theo couldn’t say this passage of time was particularly eventful. He had spent most of it wandering around the clearing, vaguely listening to what was said, and doing his best not to think about what was before him.
Suddenly he was aware of Zeit’s voice and realized how much time had passed. Panicked that it was already nightfall, he immediately shifted into his second form. He vaguely glanced at the faces of his pack, many of whom had already changed, and at last spotted his group in the clearing and strode towards them. He saw Chime first, feeling reassured that she was already there, followed by Zeit and Toby, and finally his gaze settled on Levi.
At first Theo didn’t quite know how to react. He liked the prisoner and some part of him wanted to call him a friend. But all the same he couldn’t neglect his duty to his pack; if Levi did choose to run, he would have to give chase and possibly attack him. Suddenly his idea of volunteering to watch the prisoner didn’t seem to be such a good idea. What on earth had he been thinking?!
And what if, what if he didn’t stay in control? Even now the moon’s effect was incredible. In the few months he had tried to learn control, to make sure what had happened to Jackie never happened again… but doubt was creeping into his head. Would he really be good enough, would he really—
Theo was lucky to have Kratos’ loud voice interrupt his thoughts in that moment. They had to movenow; there was no time for doubt. Regardless to if he was ready, it was too late to turn back.
“Um yeah… I think”
---------
How did Jackie spend that passage of time from afternoon until evening?
Peacefully. Stretched on her back in the clearing, and watching clouds roll past through when she wasn't letting her eyelids fall into a light sleep. Jackie seemed unconcerned about the night ahead. Or perhaps, more to the point, she was trying very hard to be unconcerned. She watched the shapes of the clouds for a while; and when there were few interesting shapes in the sky, she would close her eyes and sleep. Her body was still exhausted and weak; it was ridiculously easy to fall asleep and just forget…
Her eyes fluttered open as the light began to die. She could feel the sky growing dimmer, but not with her eyes. It was as though, suddenly, the world was becoming more awake and she was able to sense it. The grass, the trees, the sky, the tiny animals all seemed to be humming with this intoxicating energy. It made her feel sick, and yet, at the same time—
No no, it definitely made her feel sick. She didn’t like this feeling. Her heart was racing and her skin was dewy but she wasn’t excited. Her feet wanted to run for miles but she just wanted to curl up in a corner and sleep for a week. Her entire body was coursing with this incredible energy, so much so it felt like she was drowning in the stuff. She cast a single sour glance at the moon as it grew richer in the sky.
“Do I look ready?” Jackie snapped before rising wearily to her feet.
Her eyes lingered on Logan for a moment, wondering what she was making of all of this. She was searching for a word to describe the moment right now, trying to pick a word from the expression on Logan’s face.
Kaqurei:
In spite of being freshened up, clean shaven, and feeling like an actual human being for the first time in nearly exactly 31 days (give or take a few hours), Levi was not really in the mood to say a friendly word, quip for a chuckle, or even so much as respond to the alpha with a "Yes sir". He simply nodded knowingly to the warning, said nothing, and totally avoided eye contact.
Appearing human for the first time in front of the pack, the Irish lad felt rather small all of a sudden. He looked around at them--and, granted, he'd seen most of them before, but then it had been through his werewolf eyes, even if he had been looking up at them from the pit. To be standing among them now, looking through human eyes which totally disagreed with the mental estimates he had subconsciously made as a wolf was dizzying, somehow. He felt like he had shrunk... And, well, technically, I suppose I have...
He was surprised that he did not see Sabrina with the rest of the pack. He was sure he had smelled her come and go almost every night, though he'd never seen her then either. If she truly had joined this pack though, well, where was she? His eyes wandered towards and, quite accidentally, met Chime's for the briefest moment, at the which time he flashed a quick awkward smile and looked away. As much as his human nature wanted to make honest contact with and establish as good a first-impression relationship with everyone as soon as possible, his wolf instincts were rather opposed to meeting anyone's eyes at the moment.
Many of the half-breeds of the pack were shifting forms already, and Levi wondered if he should too. Of course, he did not know what the alpha's plan for that night was, and he was sure he hadn't the right to ask, but he did glance back at him for any hint or visual cue that he might or might not be inclined to give.
Levi was restless, and to say that he was nervous about what events would unfold this night was to say that if you jumped in the ocean you might get a little damp. Something inside of him was just itching to break off at a run and never look back until he'd cleared at least a hundred miles from this place. But, of course, that would be point blank idiotic. And there were at least a million other idiotic things he could do right now--changing forms without a direct order to do so might even number amongst them. There wasn't exactly a "How to be a Good Captive for Dummies" manual to be had or anything, but he supposed common sense might help. The only problem with that was that he wasn't exactly "people-savvy" to begin with. Perhaps the safest route was to do nothing and say nothing unless directly prompted to respond...?
May:
The sun had grown weary upon its throne and now began slipping down to lay beneath the western mountains. Long beautiful rays like countless arms stretched out to embrace the clouds, bidding them gentle farewell with a calm caress and filling them with glory. The landscape, too, was covered in soft golden light and the fields looked as if they had been set ablaze.
This scene which flooded over the land surrounding Reknab Bend was no less than magnificent, and it was a sight greatly admired through the window of Mildred's old truck as it steadily climbed the foothills. Tammy looked on with solemn wonder as the top branches of great trees fell below the level of the road so that one might touch the highest leaves had they been walking. All the valleys and fields dropped down and behind as they drove on, higher and higher.
Mildred wound the truck carefully up the steep road as the other passengers continued speaking to one another in calm tones. McGordner had seldom said anything on the trip; her lips were tight and her eyes narrowed and she listened with keen ears to the conversations of the others, but only briefly had she ever commented. Behind the truck in the rear-view mirror she would occasionally glance down to see the game-warden's vehicle. The group members were asked to go and return together for safety reasons, and all parties were given a curfew by which time they would be expected back in town.
Some time ago Tammy had seen a thin river cross under the asphalt. The truck had passed over the bridge and since then Tammy had been watching the dark water wind its way further and further away from the road. She knew that it must empty into the Monvac River some miles south, but she had wondered at its source until presently when she caught sight of a lake a short distance off."The lake must be filled by mountain streams," she thought briefly to herself. But the landscape was covered not a few moments later by tall mountain trees and thick forest bramble. There was not much to look at now, so Tammy simply turned her eyes down and watched as the yellow lines that divided the lanes zipped by under her window.
It was not long afterward before the truck arrived at it's destination. The truck pulled off on the dirt shoulder of the road; a small parking place used primarily by hikers and sightseers visiting the area. Then the engine rumbled to a halt and Mildred stepped out of the old truck. The Game-warden's car pulled up just next to it, but the driver stayed a moment longer documenting some files before exiting his vehicle.
The gravel crackled under the boots of the hunters as each departed the vehicle and stepped out onto the mountain roadside. Cars were few in going by this way, but Mildred reminded the younger members of the group to stay off the asphalt regardless.
Tammy looked around at the vast forest, glancing up the tall trunks of overgrown trees, into their lofty boughs where birds had become silent at the appearance of strangers. The smells were thick up here, and small insects filled the air about the bramble; a definite sign of abundant moisture and many mountain streams. Turning to her right Tammy saw Mildred speaking with the Game-warden, the two were pointing off to the north-west and discussing matters that did not concern her. Others were stretching after the drive and laughing amongst themselves; they were eager to get started as soon as their leader was prepared.
Putting the group at her back and facing the forest, Tammy could see that the ground fell away beneath the heavy bramble, though how far down was uncertain. She attempted to peer past the twigs and branches, but it proved in vain if she had intended to catch a glimpse of the terrain. Yet what she did find was wet soil, and perhaps if only briefly, the sound of a distant river...
*******
Snap.
Timothy lifted his head and sniffed the air. A twig had broken beneath his paw, but that was not what drew his attention. He could feel the change in the atmosphere as the moon approached, and what was more he could sense the hush which fell over the woods. The creatures were getting quieter...
Timothy's turquoise eyes scanned his surroundings and his whiskers flinched back. Then, following the motion of his ear, he glanced over his shoulder toward the great white werewolf on the rock-side behind him. She had followed him, and her presence had been nearly constant, but that did not seem to bother him.
Looking forward again, the grey and black figure continued walking. He sniffed the ground, then looking up at the sky through the branches and saw the waning light. The sky from the higher ranges of the mountain looked much the same as from the foothills, but Timothy was certain of his position; he knew that some miles south was a strange grove of oak trees; a place he knew well, and further more to the south was the apple orchard of Zeit's ranch... The rest of the pack was by the dens to the southwest and of course the collapsed mountain trail was almost directly west - the one which the Alpha had attempted to cross some months ago and failed.
Over the course of the month Timothy had maintained his secondary form with unprecedented strength, and he navigated the mountain terrain with curious precision. Not once had he seemed lost, and always his senses were keen. He sought paths that could not have been known to him, and yet found them hidden and well trodden across the Phantom mountain range, as well as a few mountains further west. He never had spoken, but he patrolled from the west to the east, coming across many forms of life as he went, and only made a few attempts to catch or hurt anything. Yet his attention was ever trained toward the Calagathorm Dens, and though he traveled many miles from it, ever now and then he would look in its direction again and he always knew in which direction it was...
*******
Ulric's ear flicked back at the sound of the Alpha's voice and he lifted his chin to meet Kratos' face. He looked perhaps more indignant than he meant to be, but he was perhaps the only one in the crowd who met the Alpha's eyes just then.
He listened to the replies of the pack members, and however quietly Logan might have muttered, Ulric heard her clearly... And, though unspoken, he believed there were likely quite a few in the small crowd who could have agreed with her.
Ulric witnessed the Alpha smile, and then pat Levi firmly on the back in reply to all, ready or otherwise.
"Very well, Levi's all set to go with you two, Theo, Chime." The Alpha said, ushering Levi to stand by Theo and Chime. He met Ulric's eyes twice within a glance, but both times he again put the matter off. "Just remember where you are all suppose to be and everything will be fine. You all have my confidence, and Zeit, I wish you the best of luck."
Kratos then seemed to have grown quite lighthearted, for he tilted his head up to the Beta then and chuckled softly before he quickly shook his fist in the air and exclaimed, "We can do this, my friends!"
He laughed encouragingly and looked around at the rest of the pack. "Whenever you're ready, Zeit, lead them on."
Then at last Kratos' attention turned toward his adoptive brother and his expression grew firm. "Also, Ulric will be coming with me for now." He explained while his eyes stayed upon his brother. Ulric's expression turned grim, but he held Kratos' gaze for a moment before the Alpha looked again toward Zeit. "I'll send him after you once I'm done speaking with him."
The Alpha turned aside then, and motioned with a wave of his hand for Logan, Jackie, and Ulric to follow him. "Let's go," he said.
Soar:
A feeling of panic was washing over Theo.
No, panic wouldn’t be the right word for it. A wolf didn’t quite feel dread, where it could pinpoint an event that was coming and continuously worry and fret over it until it came to pass. That was very human. And Theo was not human, not right now.
Perhaps the right word for it would be… uncertainty? Feeling a bit antsy? Restless? These were things a wolf could understand, in a very basic sense. It was only Theo’s human intellect that could make sense of things like dread, paranoia, worry… and that was something he felt only vaguely aware of as it brooded under the surface. For the first time in a long time, Theo was thankful a wolf had such a limited emotional range.
Instinctively he turned to his packmate Chime. Even now, he found having someone standing beside him very comforting. His green eyes seemed to be almost imploring her for an answer on how things would play out, but the look vanished as though realizing Chime would have no more answers then he. Instead—
“So uh… you’re not going to talk about the tutus, right?”
---
Holding on to humanity, that was a losing battle.
Jackie knew it; how could she not? But all the same, the lower the sun sunk in the sky and the stronger the urge came to slip away into a mass of fur and muscle, the stronger she fought it. It was pointless and she knew very little would come of her efforts… but after the last few excitingfull moons, she wasn’t particularly eager to go another round. It was annoying to be the brunt of an attack, particularly when they seemed to find you every full moon. Jackie could almost believe herself to be stubborn enough to trick a force of nature.
But ah, even Jackie was not that foolish. It was only a matter of time before that fleeting humanity of hers would evaporate like water under the sun. However, for now she could be human. And that was all the stubborn woman needed to keep on her pointless fight.
Casually she fished around in the pocket of her stretchy, baggy shorts (courtesy of the pack, who once more insisted she could never look decent again), drew forth two white pills, and swallowed them quickly; there was no need to make the night any more complicated than it had to be. As Kratos spoke she simply nodded, with only the slightest trace of tension moving across her face. Her feet nimbly followed behind him.
Aim:
As a wolf, the eye contact with the prisoner was just that, she knew she wasn't the least bit in the wrong, even if she wasn't in power of the pack, though her human instincts felt like she would die of embarrassment, wishing she had looked away, at the same time, she looked him over, pleased with the clean appearance and new set of clothing.
Her glance went back to Kratos, his words did indeed encouraged her. Straightening almost automatically, she smiled at the ending, 'my friends'.
With the importance of the mission still stirring in her head, and the timing of Theo's question, Chime couldn't help herself, she let out a snort, stopping herself before it developed into a laugh. How could he be so.. no, not distracted, something must have prompt it. Shaking her head, a mischievous gleam found it's way into her eyes.
"Oh, I don't know..." She paused, watching Theo's expression closely,
"We may be able to come to some sort of arrangement."
Her muzzle twisted into a smirk, playfully poking her tongue out. She, of course, never planned on saying anything about the tutus, but why let him to know that?
Dez:
Such happy words of encouragement, "we can do this!". The alphas words made it sound like the night would fly by without a problem, without any sort of snag. But the next two words he spoke,"lets go", cold and straight forward as they were, felt very opposite his previous statement. Logan went about her usual pouting, furrowing her brow and glaring sideways at the ground, like it had committed some heinous crime against her.
Of course her attention wasn't too set on the ground that she would miss Jackie fishing out two small pills from her pocket and swallowing them. Her tongue twitched and, like a little kid who had been in a spat with her sibling, completely disregarded the previous events in order to ask what she was doing. But alas, she held onto those events if only by a thread, and so stubbornly refused to open her mouth.
And with her thoughts leaving Jackie, her attention turned to Ulric. It seeded apparent that he was in some sort of trouble, and she hoped that it wasn't due to her. She wasn't about to apologize for any of her words or actions, but if they had caused the "little alpha" to suffer any disdain from his brother, she was willing to take the blunt of it, should it come to that.
Kaqurei:
Going feral, as her father would put it, for months on end was not new to Sabrina Sabres. She had spent years at a time as a wolf living alone in the woods during her adolescence--"Finding myself," she had put it then. Though she had been called a prodigy for her seemingly inborn control of her wolfish instincts, she had taken many pilgrimages of this sort, utilized to more fully learn and understand the part of her that was The Wolf. The land, too, she studied just as intimately in various countries and locations, so that she could learn to survive on whatever any given wildland could provide her vegetarian lifestyle, as well as how to travel unseen and unheard through a rival pack's territory, and this in spite of being a great white wolf.
It was thus that she seemed something of a shadow trailing Timothy, connected by some invisible cord at his heels. Though occasionally she would go out of sight, always her presence could be felt, always she would be there should he just look over his shoulder for her. For now, she laid across the mossy boulder, lazily looking on and watching as a mother bear over him; only casually interested, minding her own affairs and comforts dutifully for as long as nothing went wrong and he made no request of her. But her eyes were sharp, piercing as they'd ever been. It would seem clear the moon's approach did relatively little to stir her as it did Timothy.
She wondered, for a moment, at her feelings towards him. It would not be an understatement to call them motherly emotions, though he was not much younger than herself and could only be a brother if they had actually been related (truly, she had often yipped "Brother" to signal him or rouse his attention during their travels, and addressed him as such in her soft wolfsongs of the night). What she felt was much more than curiosity or intrigue at his peculiarities--though, indeed, she felt those too. She satisfied herself with calling it a bond--though, if it was that, it was one that was had and not shared, for he had only ever showed her fear and mistrust in the beginning, and little more than indifference now. He was used to her presence, and that seemed to be all. Why then did she feel so deeply connected to him--attached to him, at the very least? She must have encountered a thousand newly turned werewolves, and others gone rogue... what was it that made Timothy different from any other werewolf to her?
Whatever the reason, to try to fight it or leave him caused her very soul to wrench within her in agony. That some harm may come to him was unthinkable. The very idea made her feel wild and irrational inside; it tore down her restraint and woke up a calculating, savage thing within her. It disturbed her that she was capable of feeling that way; worse, that she had even acted on such feelings since meeting him.
Suddenly, as though some signal had been made, Sabrina stood and looked alert. She raised her slender fox-like muzzle to the skies and sniffed the air. Then she looked to Timothy and made some low rough sound deep in her throat, making a motion with her head as she did.
****
Levi awkwardly took his place beside Theo and Chime as the alpha directed. And, taking it for a cue, he also--a bit timidly--shifted his form back into the more familiar shape of the stocky werewolf with a jack-rabbit coloured pelt. His new clothes, tailored for such a change, easily stretched and conformed to this stature. The act of changing so often in the past had filled him with delight and a sense of empowerment--but no sooner did he change than he also ducked his head and pinned back his ears and turn to look at the alpha as if to be sure that he had not overstepped.
But it would seem that the alpha had more important things to attend to, and had turned his attention elsewhere already. That in itself was a major relief, but Levi still looked almost as antsy and restless as Theo. He in turn, after recognizing he would get no further input from the alpha, shifted his attention to Theo and Chime. He smiled a little and made a weak attempt at a chuckle at their little exchange, and promptly felt very idiotic, out of place, and ducked his head.
His legs were shaking--vibrating in short intervals or bursts that left him feeling like he might suddenly bunch up his muscles and take a mighty leap up to the moon itself. To stand still was almost painful for him, but he resolved to stand firm even so. He anxiously glanced up at the sky--and then he stole a quick glance at Logan again. She hadn't changed yet--and of course she wouldn't until nightfall.
His mind raced with a million different thought and emotions--all of them involving what was soon to come--and ultimately he really couldn't decide if he couldn't wait for night to come or be over already.
May:
Kratos turned to the north with Jackie, Logan, and Ulric behind. He left the rest of the pack with confidence under the direction of Zeit, and did not speak another word until all four had gone off beyond the Ditch and taken to the road which lead further up the mountain.
Leaving the clearing and the main group behind, the Alpha stepped onto the bare dirt road and began the trek upward. Ulric followed in the back of the company, but not too far behind Jackie and Logan. Soon a row of trees separated them from the rest of the pack, and as they went on that row was joined by another, and another until at last the clearing was out of sight and seemly far behind.
"Very well then." Came the Alpha's deep powerful voice at length. "What is on your mind, Ulric?"
******
As he had walked on, Ulric had wondered when Kratos might speak to him, but he could not guess as to whether it would be sooner or later. As they passed beyond the trees in silence, Kratos making no attempt to start the conversation and Ulric feeling that it was not his place, he had let his mind unconsciously wander... But when at last the Alpha did speak, Ulric felt his heart take an inadvertent leap.
Jerking his gaze up from the crusty earth beneath his boots to Kratos' back, Ulric looked at his adoptive brother. The Alpha had not faltered in his pace, nor had he looked over his shoulder when he had spoken, so Ulric was left to wonder to what the question had referred.
"What do you mean?" Ulric asked after a moment.
The seven foot man in the lead drew a deep breath, but his tone did not suggest impatience. "You are upset with me about something, and you will be needed back with the pack before too long. Best get it off your chest." Kratos replied, still without slowing or looking back.
Ulric glanced at Logan and Jackie before fixing his gaze toward the Alpha again. The sky was already growing dark in hues of grey and blue as the golden light of the sun vanished into the west above the trees.
"Kratos, I don't think we have time for this." Ulric said after a moment.
*******
Timothy's ears had gone erect in the very moment that Sabrina became alert, and he did not immediately heed her beckoning. The shadows were falling on every end and the forest floor was already very dark. Only the tips of the highest trees were still vibrant with light, but it was fading fast.
Timothy's attention turned to the east and somewhere down the mountain, but that was not the direction in which he went. When he turned toward the white werewolf his eyes were sharp and focused, a new strength had arisen within him and everything that seemed passive and casual about his wandering had changed. 'It is time.' That was all that he said, and it was not with words that he spoke. Then his form became tense and in a moment he took a leap off the path and raced off to the west!
******
[Meanwhile]
With Mildred McGordner in the lead, the hunting party had stepped into the woods and had begun their trek west, toward Phantom Mountain.
At that same moment, Harvey Bolt's group of excited young men had left the Gelton Ranch behind them, and were now advancing toward the east.
Dez:
Keeping pace with Jackie, Logan followed behind, her own gaze wandering astray. At least until the interactions between the alpha and his younger brother began to take place. She was surprised to hear that Kratos inquired of Ulric's current thoughts and feeling. Earlier she had assumed he had him along in order to scold him away from the other members, but for now that didn't seem the case.
She too now wondered what Ulric had on his mind, and she cast a glance backwards at the man to try and read his expression but to no avail. Surely his main concern was getting through the night? At least, that was Logan's.
"I don't think we have time for this."
Midnight hadn't come upon them just yet, but it felt to Logan much like minutes were slipping by like seconds, each coming one more precious than the last.
There was that familiar tug. Surely Jackie already felt it too. Kind of like the pull of a magnet, not quiet close enough to connect but you knew that, should you move it just a hairs width, it would slip and reach it's goal in a heartbeat. And already the effects of the change began to take place. What started as in itch was now more like panic. Not quiet that gut wrenching kind, but still there. And the more she thought about it, the more Logan began to grow concerned over how the night would play out. She had never really worried about it before. While she had always wondered where she might find herself the next morning, very little had she thought about the consequences of the transformation until now. Now more than ever, she craved control, the ability to have some foresight into the nights events. It was now that she realized the way her lungs inflated and deflated, the sweat that accumulated on her palms, and suddenly she felt very, very small.
She lurched to the side a bit, now shoulder to shoulder with Jackie, and grasped the woman's wrist firmly. It was certainty strong enough to catch her attention quickly, and yet not constricting at the same time. With her other hand, she reached into her pocket and pulled something out, offering it to Jackie.
"My grandfather." she muttered, loud enough for Jackie to hear, but maybe not the others. She slipped the photograph into Jackie's hand, placing her own hands in her pockets.
"If something happens, I would like you to keep this.. I know it has no worth to you, but it's my most prized possession."
Now she stood straight and moved away from the other a bit, still keeping closer than before, but focusing her eyes on the path ahead while she waited for any kind of response from Jackie.
Soar:
Had he been human, Theo would have blushed deeply at Chime’s comment. As it was, the young were starred awkwardly at his paws and tried to observe anything but Chime’s amusement. Momentarily distracted by this surge of embarrassment, Theo was fortunate to forget about the excitement that lay before him.
From his periphery, he saw Levi twitch and suddenly Theo’s mind was flooded anew with uncertainty and anxiety. He watched the prisoner for a few moments as though searching for a hint on what he should expect from him. But alas, Theo discerned nothing and he soon he shifted his unblinking green gaze just as it might have seemed strange or out of place.
Theo exhaled deeply.
“Okay… but let’s just… do this, this thing first. Before we talk about arrangements”
---
It was beyond Jackie how, in the midst of an approaching full moon and an angry mob of wolf-hunters, Kratos could find time for family drama. She shot a look at the duo, a mixture of outrage and exasperation before at last rolling her eyes to the sky—as if to say, ‘I give up’.
It was there, up in the sky, Jackie saw that hideous yellow orb and she felt something unfurl in her stomach. She had, of course, been aware of it’s strange magnetic pull for some time now. But there was finality in just seeing it there, in realizing that no matter what she did from now until sunrise she would not have very much control (or for that matter, memory), of what was about to happen. Jackie didn’t like this very much , of course. It felt like some invisible snaky hand had just snatched away a tiny block on the foundation of her being, and now she could feel all the other blocks crumbling down…
It was with this cheerful thought that Jackie suddenly became aware Logan was speaking. A moment after that, Jackie realized Logan was speaking to her, and not in fact to Ulric or Kratos—a conclusion that seemed as monumentous as anything a master sleuth might discover. With a sharp intake of air, Jackie felt a picture being pressed into hand and she numbly took it.
Jackie’s first instinct was to ask if Logan was out of her mind, and Jackie was in fact quite certain that was what she was about to ask. Certainly Ulric or Kratos might have been a better candidate for being the caretaker for a precious family artifact than a fellow “uncontrollable monster”. Jackie tried to think of any reason, any reason at all on why Logan might suddenly think her fit for this honor. Certainly having pockets wasn't enough?
For the first time in a long time, Jackie found no words ready at her lips. She had no idea what to do, no idea on how one was meant to react. She found herself wishing hopelessly for some sort of manual for this situation.
Then, finally
“If you think you can trust me with this,” she repeated lowly, hoping Ulric and Kratos were still arguing and would not be paying attention to the two of them,”Then I guess I can do nothing less but keep it safe.. and you too. It would be annoying to have you go off dying without your precious photo”
Dez:
A smirk grew on Logan's face, something that wasn't quiet a smile but almost so. She exhaled, relieved, as though she had been holding the breath since she slipped Jackie the photo.
"I wonder what his parents fed him.." she muttered, now mustering up a proper smile - though it still looked odd on her, as her eyes and brows showed little emotion in reflection to the gesture. "Cow for breakfast, bear for dinner? He's too big.." now she talked even quieter than before, a hint of orneriness to her tone. And then at once, she became quiet and her expression solemn.
"I'm not very good at joking, so anyway.."
She trailed off, thinking for a couple of minutes. "Look, I'm not so good with ah, expressing.. how I feel. Hah! I crack myself up! I don't know how I even feel. But, I do have a confession.. about last month, I hope that you know what happened was not on purpose, I try to distance myself from others, but I was careless."
Her eyes locked on the full moon, and she continued quietly. Surely Ulric and Kratos were too engaged with each other to pay any attention? "I don't even know why I'm saying this. I am naive, ah? But listen. I don't know how you came to be a werewolf, but I still remember it like it happened yesterday, nothing could describe that. So that's why, when I woke up the first time, I decided to leave and travel, so I couldn't inflict that on someone. I guess I failed in that area, but know that I don't wish that on my worst enemy, I will try to fight it, but, the beast has a mind of its own it seems."
Aim:
Watching Theo, she had to admit she enjoyed his discomfort, slightly wary over the reaction she got over feel of power it gave her. Her size being smaller than most.. why, she rarely felt she ever got the upper hand, but this.. this was-
Noticing Levi's movement, she shifted her eyes to him, mentally shaking these thoughts from her head, though it wasn't too long before Theo's answer came.
Chime nodded, "Sounds fair."
Looking away, she found herself studying the dirt, her ears twitching ever so often, listening to the many sounds of the night.
May:
Kratos did not contradict Ulric's last statement, and it seemed as if the conversation had ended there. The brothers fell silent and the walking never halted.
Ulric looked up through the branches overhead to the pale light growing ever brighter in the sky. He was unaware how effected he was by it until Logan moved out of the corner of his eye and his heart nearly threw him into the woods with its sudden pace! Outwardly he only stumbled for a moment before continuing on, but inwardly his heart was pounding and his mind racing. Ulric hadn't seen exactly what it was that Logan had given to Jackie, and her movement might not have been as sudden as his heightening senses would lead him to believe, but the action had drawn his attention and even after he knew the cause for it, it took a moment to convince his heart to be at peace.
Meanwhile, it was uncertain if Kratos was paying any attention to what was being said behind him, for he continued onward up the mountain without slowing and without speaking further to Ulric. Until of course the moment he did speak which alerted everyone to the fact that he had in fact been listening in.
"Fight yourself and you will be your own enemy." He said, but he did not look over his shoulder. "You cannot convince something to work with you if you are hindering it at every turn. Control it. Do not fight it. Do not fear it.. Anything you fear has power over you. No mind but your own can control your actions."
Ulric's heart had jumped again. He had not expected Kratos to speak so suddenly, and yet he felt foolish for his constant startles... It was as if some subconscious part of him was aware of something that he was not, but coming to that realization caused even his conscious mind to become alert.
Casting his auburn eyes out over his shoulder and visually scanning the shadows, Ulric felt suddenly quite certain that there were more than just four predators here.
"Could it be the hunters?" He wondered silently to himself, feeling every moment more uneasy."We're too far up the mountain to run into them just yet..."
Despite his reasoning, Ulric couldn't bring himself to look away from the surrounding forest which was growing darker and darker all the time.
Kaqurei:
Sabrina was entirely too ready for Timothy to bolt. She did not question his words, nor did she make any move to stop him--but no sooner had he made the communication than she sprang off the rock and took after him like a white ghost, moving with soundless liquid power as she maneuvered through the dense forest growth to stay on his heels.
****
Levi glanced between Theo and Chime. He made an attempt at a smile again, though his canine brows were tight with his own underlying anxiety. He took a deep breath, held it, and let it out after a moment in a sigh. Then he shook his coat. Then he shook it again, and sat down on his haunches. Then he stood up.
Clearing his throat, he looked at Chime. "So, eh... we waitin' on the beta then?" he asked. "Did the alpha tell yeh anythin' about what we're supposed ta be doin'?"
Soar:
Jackie would have been happy to pass of Logan's touching moment with only a simple smirk or an ominous shrug, but such was not what Logan had in mind. No, in fact, she seemed rather intent on making the entire situation terribly confusing for the both of them. The lithe woman could feel the sting of sentimentality brushing at the edges of her eyes, the strange twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"You're hopeless, aren't you?" desperately she was trying to shake the strange feeling that had come over her, but to little avail; in fact, it seemed to have only sunk deeper into her as though it had claws.
"You get all gushy on me, I can neither hate you in peace nor completely remember why I decided to hate you in the first place!" Jackie cast her hands upwards in exasperation, towards the mooned sky,"Hopeless!"
As Kratos spoke, Jackie sped her pace and walked quickly forward as her face turned a shade that almost matched her hair. For a moment it seemed she was completely furious at her new associate; but with an innocent twitch of her fingers, she tenderly pocketed the photo Logan had given her. Almost self-aware at how obvious the action seemed, Jackie was desperate to find something,anything that might redirect the topic.
Ulric's cautious expression was only too perfect. Seizing such an opportunity as a godsend, Jackie reacted quickly.
"What, what is it? Something trying to kill us? Because they better hurry up. They don't have long before we're not cute and cuddly anymore."
---
Theo seemed nervous. The skyline was darkening and there seemed to be no sign of Ziet. Though he tried to pretend that this, clearly, was all a part of the plan, Theo couldn't help but feel a great dread settle in his heart. What if something had happened to the beta and the omega? What if the hunters had come early? How long were they meant to wait like a bunch of sitting ducks?
With no answer to these questions, Theo could only answer Levi's questions.
"Simple stuff," he grunted honestly,"Most of it implied, I think. Or inferred. I forget. But basically, don't get caught."
An uncomfortable thought settled on his tongue before you could stifle it,"And don't let you run off."
Dez:
The brief silence seemed deafening in comparison to the demanding boom of the Alpha's voice, to which the whole world seemed to quiet and listen.
"I would like to believe it to be so easy as you say..." she muttered quietly to herself after a moment or two.
Before long, her attention was directed at Jackie. The woman went off on what seemed to Logan like a senseless ramble, one of which she only cocked a brow in response. The next instant, however, Jackie had turned her attention to Ulric, who Logan would have otherwise all but forgotten about.
She too cast her gaze to the man, slowing her pace now. There was a look in his eyes, one that sent the little hairs on the back of her neck standing, accompanied by that familiar cold prickling sensation that crawled up ones spine.
Advancing towards Ulric slightly, her own eyes moved around the forest, which increasingly felt like it was closing in around them. "Did you see something?" she asked, carefully noting at the same time her heightened senses that seemed to spur up along with this new found anxiousness.
May:
The feeling was intense and Ulric did not look away from the forest to answer. He kept his eyes trained on the woods, searching for the source of his uneasiness. He had already considered the intentions of whatever or whoever it was beyond the darkness, but there was one thing he could not figure out which Jackie's last statement suddenly answered for him.
"It's waiting," Ulric muttered to himself, "But why is it waiting for the full-"
Ulric's breath fell short amid his question, for just then he realized something that caused his blood to run chill; He was staring straight at it. What he had perceived as forest bramble swaying in the breeze was in actuality a body! Thick and black it moved almost pace for pace right beside him. How long had it been there, how long had he been staring directly at it without knowing? It hadn't been trying to conceal itself, and it walked as if it had been there for a very long time. Ulric did not know how to respond, but instinctively his legs froze and he stopped.
Kratos seemed to become aware of the presence in the exact same moment, for just then he also stopped and turned to look behind him. The figure, who had now stopped right alongside the company, was one the Alpha recognized instantly.
"Timothy." Kratos said, and he looked forward again having sensed another presence. The almost phantom-like white figure standing on the road ahead of him was another face that he recognized, and the Alpha knew within a glance of the figure's bright yellow eyes that things were very wrong. But there was no more time. Timothy had timed everything perfectly, and even as the pale blue light of the moon shown down through the boughs, the surreal turquoise eyes were lifted with intensity upon Logan!
*******
((Hour Glass informed me that she likely won't be able to post for the next few weeks, so to excuse Beta Zeit for the remainder of this role play, we're going to do a bit of a time skip and say that she and her company moved on ahead of Theo, Chime, and Levi. I'll leave it to you guys to take it from there!))
*******
The change was emanate from the moment that the moon's white face appeared at its high point in the sky. The werewolves should have noticed the steady increase of light on their surroundings and the deepening of the shadows under the branches, but they had been caught off guard at the very last moment.
The Alpha knew better than to fight the change, it came over him swiftly and easily as water pours from a glass. It seemed only the passing of a shadow overhead before his stature had increased and his massive form stood girded about in new strength and power. The change did not, however, come over Ulric with the same dignity. Ulric had been standing fast where he stood with adrenaline racing through his limbs from the suddenness of Timothy's appearance, and when the moon took sway his natural inclination was to defend himself.
Ulric had not fought the strength of the full moon in his entire life, so when he unknowingly engaged the struggle, the result was crushing! With a cry he crumbled down to the dirt road and clenched the stones in his hands as he went from man to beast! Had he not realized his folly in that moment of panic, Ulric might have put up the struggle for longer as his instincts advised, yet as quickly as he let go he changed and was left panting on the forest floor.
Soar:
She saw the dark form after Kratos spoke it’s name. It had been there the whole time, hugging the group like a shadow. A sort of dread was crawling at Jackie's spine and she chewed at the corner of her lip with uncertainty. It was like the world had suddenly turned upside down; or rather, it had been upsidedown the entire time and it was only now she realized it. The woman shivered deeply, although there was no strong chill in the air.
Jackie wanted to take a moment’s pause, collect her thoughts, and puzzle together this strange turn of events, but no such time was available to her. The moon had finally took her throne at the top of a starry sky and was casting a sickening, alien-silver light down on her. There was no means of really resisting such a change—it would have been like trying to tell a waterfall to flow the other way. But such logic did not seem to apply to Jackie.
She didn’t want to change, particularly not when it seemed to fall into whatever mysterious plans Timothy had for the group. For once in her life, she wanted no part in whatever chaos was about to transpire. She fell to her knees and grit her teeth, pushing against the uncontrollable tsunami that washed over her. Her heart was racing, sweat was trickling down the sides of her head. Bones and sinew and muscle all seemed as fluid as liquid under the moonlight, as though even the slightest twitch might send them all into a mad scramble of atoms.
For all of Jackie’s stubbornness, her will only lasted a few seconds longer than Ulric’s. The tiny human called Jaquelin Ryder was fading into a murky darkness, and in her stead a beast emerged. With new eyes a werewolf surveyed the situation, testing the air with a keen nose and sharp eyes. A Danger threatened her pack. She could see the cold eyes of the loner fall on Logan’s; her hackles rose and a growl was starting to form in her throat.
---
The woods seemed to be like claws, threatening to reach out and snap up at the tiny trio. Or so Theo pictured it, as he tasted the air around the pits and looked for any sign of an angry mob to leap out of the woods, ready to burn them all at the stake. Which was silly, Theo admitted to himself. They were werewolves, not witches; silver bullets were clearly their game. But… what if the mob had brought silver bullets? Did silver bullets really work? Theo had never tested that little tale of superstition, but certainly if werewolves were true—
Theo shook his head.
He turned to Chime, trying to see if she had sensed any danger he had missed. Then he turned to Levi to see if he had sensed anything. Although technically a prisoner, all their lives were at stake here and any danger Levi might sense would affect them all. Right?... So went another tangent down the path of paranoia.
He needed something else to do; anything to do so long as it didn’t involve elaborate fantasies of his pathetic demise.
“Hey, who wants to play I-Spy? It would um, be, helpful and fun at the same time?”
Aim:
Looking up as Levi spoke, Chime listened to his questions. She about opened her mouth when Theo started talking, it was about what she was going to say, though when he said it... well, let's just say she felt his way could have been a bit more polished.
Finding nothing to add to it, she found herself with nothing to do but wait for the beta to start off.
---
Trying to be ever alert, Chime scanned the area, trying to decide if doing it quickly or carefully was better, on one hand you could miss something if you did it too fast but on the other, you could be already seen if you took your time on it.
Huffing, she decided that with the three of them here, they would probably see the hunters before they saw them. That, and she highly doubted that stressing over which was better would help the others.
While scanning for the second time, she wondered what would happen this night, if all would be well or something would go wrong. Feeling she wouldn't see much action unless the prisoner had no common sense and made a run for it, she found herself more worried for the beta and her group.
And what would happen to the others if one was caught or even seen in a way that suggested that they weren't just wolves? What would happen to them then? They couldn't stay here, could they?
But she just got her room the way she liked it! Well about... besides decorations... but still!
She looked towards Theo, happy that she had something else to think about. "Yes, that does sound like it would be helpful and fun. Let's do that." Looking at Levi, she hesitated only a second "..Erm, will you be joining us? It's.. well, to me anyways, funner to play in a group."
Dez:
"Timothy."
It all happened in a heart beat, the moments just before Kratos spoke. All the while, Logan was focused on Ulric, his every movement and sound. In that instant he seemed very unlike a mighty beast and so much more an alert and cautious prey animal. Ah, but when the moment came he found his predator, he froze - locked in place and set on something Logan couldn't see. She followed his head until her eyes met with what looked eerily like turquoise marbles setting against the forest, though his figure became clear soon after.
And then she noticed that his eyes were directly upon her. Whether or not her heart skipped or added a beat, she was unsure, but immediately she stood tall, shoulders raised, her chest out, and chin lifted high, like one would do perhaps if they were trying to win a contest of intimidation. No, this certainly wasn't a contest - Timothy had it in the bag. But she was hoping that the posture would deter the onlooker. Inside, her breath had stopped and she was doing everything in her power to fight a violent shake that threatened to overtake her whole figure. Slowly and carefully, without breaking her stare with this figure, she inched back towards the alpha little by little.
-----
Now the influence of the moon was ready to claim them, her light bright against the earth below. Logans eyes bolted from one figure to another. If she could control her form, all would be well, relatively speaking.. but was there a guarantee of that happening?
That cursed moon, this stupid disease! What she would give, to be safe under her grandfathers roof, rested comfortable by the fire and listening to one of his stories.
Then, like a breeze merely passed by, the Alpha changed, and Logan need only one brief glance from the corner of her eye to know this. The others followed, crumpling to the ground under the force, their bodies made slave to the monster.
The silvery assailant crept up on her too. If only for a second, she attempted to merely let it pass, as the alphas advice hadn't come upon deaf ears. For only a second, and then she resisted against the change. While her body fought, Logan retreated to the safest corners of her mind.
"There there, Logan, hush now, it will be alright. All things come to pass, all will be well.. I have never lied to you."
The milliseconds passed slower than ever, and like the others, Logan began to sink to the ground as her humanity slipped away. Though her knees never met the earth, she remained hunched over with her head hidden within her growing hands.
"You must learn to control yourself! I can only defend you so many times, soon you will have to take responsibility for your actions. I can't see you hurt child. Please, do it for me."
"For.. you.." her voice a deep rumble now, she was all but a beast entirely. Now she uncovered her face and stood, slowly, the final details of the werewolf filling out across her figure as she did so. Standing to her fullest, she examined her paws amidst a wave of disbelief, before a tremble took her and she too bowed low to the earth in her exhaustion.
Kaqurei:
The white wolf stood soundless in the path ahead. Her sharp yellow gaze had met Kratos' only a second before the change of the moon; there had been a split second warning, a plea, and then it was too late. The change had come.
But as she watched, her heart pounding with certain dread for the chaos that would inevitably unfold and the lives that would be claimed under the light of this new moon, she saw things happen that she did not expect. Though these were small gestures, they very well may have completely changed the outcome of this encounter. Logan backed up towards the Alpha. Good, Sabrina thought, watching intensely. That move alone, she hoped, would perhaps hinder Timothy's intentions--even if he did not take the subtle gesture for what it was worth, perhaps her being closer to the Alpha would give him pause. Or, at the very least, it would give the Alpha a chance to defend her. Then Jackie and Logan both, struggling, bowed under the influence of the moon and ultimately were caused to take up their wolf forms. Sabrina tensed. If ever, now was the time for things to go awry.
The most pivotal gesture for how the encounter would turn out rested upon Jackie, and it was her that gave Sabrina surprise. Sabrina, after all, had been there the night of her change and knew her to be a first generation wolf. She supposed then that the madness of the moon would overtake her mind and the events of last month would be fresh to her; Logan would be an enemy. She would attack, and in the confusion Timothy would have the very distraction he was seeking. Yet, this was not so. No sooner had the predator awakened in Jackie and she had gained a consciousness of her surroundings than she growled not at Logan, but at Timothy and in Logan's defence!
Sabrina almost, but not quite, dared to breathe. The danger had not passed yet. The Alpha still had yet to claim the situation, one way or another, and until he did and Timothy yielded to him, she could not assume all would be well.
****
Levi had been very quiet since leaving the ranch. His earlier nerves seemed to have abandoned him, and in their place was a deepening solemnness. This sensation rose as the moon did. His eyes, cast down and thoughtful, seemed a million miles away, and his pace began to become ever slower, inch by inch.
Once or twice he glanced up in the direction of the beta. She was too far ahead in the dense forest to see now, but he knew she was still there, and likely very aware of everything transpiring in these woods. Lost in his own thoughts, with a mix of wistful melancholy in his eyes, he did not respond to Theo's suggestion of a game. He did not even seem to notice that anyone had spoken at all until Chime spoke directly to him.
"..Erm, will you be joining us? It's.. well, to me anyways, funner to play in a group."
"Hmm?" he asked, raising his head to look at her directly. "Oh. Ah, aye, 'tis been my experience most things are better in... a..." but his voice trailed off. He had caught a... a strange scent on the air. His eyes wandered upward. That daydream look came to his eyes again. He was quiet for a moment. "Yeh know," he said softly, his pace falling just a little more, "The Midnight Lady's always had a way o' sneakin' up on a body..." His eyes fell to look at Chime. Then he looked at Theo. There was a tinge of guilt or regret in his eyes. "Uh," he said, "I'm... sorry."
And like that, with a flash of fur, he raced forward, swerved right, and bolted!
May:
Kratos did not have the advantage of assessing the situation from a distance as did Sabrina, which caused him to hesitate. He of course stood prepared to take whatever needful action, but as things unfolded at a somewhat slower pace, he was inclined to observe how things might turn out.
Timothy did not advance. As the others changed forms, he stood passively, but ever his eyes were trained on Logan. All three werewolves nearest the Alpha crumpled, and this seemed entirely inline with Timothy's expectations, but then something happened which he did not entirely expect. It was Jackie that threatened to attack. This action brought Timothy's eyes away from Logan for the first time and his gaze became even with Jackie.
What the young rogue was thinking could be all but guessed from the outside, but for a moment it almost seemed that he was confused and might have been seeking a way to communicate. Then it all vanished from his expression and his eyes grew sharp as the fur across his face wrinkled and his teeth were bared.
Not a moment after Timothy had forced himself to some unknown conclusion concerning Jackie then the Alpha acted. In a single stride Kratos came between that of Timothy and the others, and there he held his ground. The Alpha's face was not twisted into a snarl, nor was there a growl rumbling in his chest, but his eyes were trained and his stance unyielding.
Timothy of course had withdrawn the moment Kratos had moved, ducking and flinching away as if he feared perhaps to be physically reprimanded. Yet after a moment he found this not to be the case, and Timothy lifted his head slightly to see if the Alpha had done anything at all. What he saw was that Kratos' ears were held erect and his tail was also somewhat stiff, all signs to Timothy that the Alpha would not relent on this decision.
*********
Mildred's hunting group had hiked for most of the evening in a westerly direction when they had come upon obscure wolf tracks that had begun to lead northward. After crossing a river, the trail grew more narrow on its way up the mountainside, the group by necessity had started walking single file, but now the path was also becoming quite steep, and one member who was in the back was struggling to keep up.
When at length the group had come upon a wider shelf, McGordner called the company to a halt and counted the members of her party. It was then that the group leader noticed the other woman's struggle to remain on her feet and inquired after it.
"I'm sorry," the lady said, she had done her best to conceal the source of the hindrance for as long as she could. "I hurt my leg rather badly two months ago, but I thought it was all healed. I didn't know it would start acting up tonight."
"Nothing for it now, Adelaide," Mildred said in her same stern voice, but it was easy to see that she was sympathetic. Then the options were weighed of heading on or calling an early end to the hunt, at which point Tammy volunteered to have a look at the old injury and see if she might know something that could help.
"I have my things with me, we can probably wrap this up and it shouldn't be a problem for the rest of the evening." Tammy said after a moment. Adelaide agreed and Tammy began to fetch a few things from her bag, meanwhile Mildred looked toward the Game-Warden.
"What do you think, Tom?" McGordner said, tilting her flashlight down toward the tracks.
"I'd say these are about three days old, and probably lead back around to the river." Tom replied, he stretched out a few papers to shine his light on and made a few notes. "But they're pretty small, can't be more than a young loner or escaped yard dog."
Mildred considered this solemnly, then turned toward the steep edge of the trail and aimed her flashlight down on the lower terrain. Most of the area that she could see through the trees were uneven paths and lenient rock slopes. It was a good land for critters to hide in, and the paths might well have been tread by smaller animals coming and going between their dwellings and the river.
"Why don't you fellas go on ahead," Mildred said after a moment, turning to look at Tom and the two other men who were in the group. "See if there's much else further up, otherwise we might just need to take this other trail or head back. The three of us will wait here. I don't think this dog is big enough to be one of the critters they've been seeing around town anyway."
Tom nodded in agreement and began leading the other two men up the mountainside. Meanwhile, Mildred turned back toward Tammy and Adelaide and stepped a bit closer in toward them.
"How we doing?" McGordner inquired, shining her flashlight down on the other two. Tammy had bound up Adelaide's knee and ankle for a bit of support and relief for the rest of the hike, but Mildred had Adelaide sit a while and rest regardless. "It'll be alright, they'll be back down before too long and then we can make a decision."
Time passed in the dark and Mildred shown her flashlight upward on the trail. The men had not returned.
"Do you think they found anything?" Tammy asked after a moment.
"How long has it been?" said Adelaide.
Mildred narrowed her eyes and looked at the woods on the other side of the trail from the edge. "They probably just found another trail," she said, but she sounded as if preoccupied by other thoughts. Tammy noticed this, and felt somewhat disconcerted as she followed Mildred gaze and the beam of her torch out at the surrounding forest.
"Do you think they'll be back soon?" Adelaide attempted to ask, but at that moment both Tammy and Mildred hushed her for perhaps the same or different reasons. Mildred had got the faintest idea that she had heard something and gave Adelaide the flashlight, then she handled her riffle in both hands and continued to search the immediate area. Tammy however knew for certain that there was a odd smell on the air, and that caused her not only to jump to her feet, but also her heart to skip a beat.
Theo:
Theo watched Levi scamper off into the woods like a rabbit, his poise momentarily frozen from the shock. The full moon did nothing to ease his nerves, but rather served to intensify it. That was nothow the game was meant to be played. Everything was going wrong! The alpha would be disappointed at how easily he was tricked! He felt as restless as a caged animal seeking it’s liberation, as pathetic as a shrimp in a bench-pressing contest.
He turned to Chime without speaking, as though trying to convey something in the silence that followed. His nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. His blood was hot with energy. Then like a bull her charged in the direction Levi headed, his muscles overjoyed to at last have some use for his anxious energy.
He did not know if he could be faster than Levi. He did not know if he could even come close to Levi’s speed. But he did know these woods well—having spent quite a few lonely outings in them—and it was with that knowledge the youth hoped he might be able to catch up to the prisoner. After that… Theo had no idea.
---
Whether or not Jackie had seen the strange look in Timothy’s eyes and found any meaning in them was difficult to say. Her body language certainly did not give any indication she saw anything other than a threat. There was only the briefest twitch in her gaze, and whether that meant she had acknowledged that communication, found some understanding, or simply was victim to an involuntary gesture would have been anyone’s guess.
Even as Timothy retreated, Jackie did not lower her guard. Her lips were still drawn up to a smart snarl and her gaze seemed icy with focus. Every twitch Timothy made was watched, every movement was analyzed for the implication. It seemed it was only the Alpha’s calm authority that rooted her to the spot, as immobile as a statue.
Dez:
As long as Timothy's eyes were no longer upon her, Logan's own gaze shifted freely in between everyone else who so much as moved a muscle. Jackie held her stance, even after the Alpha had come between them and Timothy. The three were given the most of her focus, while the white wolf and Ulric became like shadows in the background of her mind.
She took the moment to toy with her new-found abilities, like a toddler that had just discovered it's fingers. Her toes tensed then relaxed over the earth. The scents of the others were no longer a muddled mess but each was sharp and distinct, and as her ears twitched in every which direction, she became aware of their sensitivity. What a strange set of sensations! And yet so natural all at once.
Now she moved forward, coming up beside Jackie. Who was this Timothy? Her ears were erect and her hackles raised, but with the Alpha standing firm, she had little to no fear of this character, just a piqued curiosity. In any case, it seemed that whatever his intentions had been, they were all but stamped out by Kratos.
Logan swayed to the side just a bit, letting her shoulder lean against Jackie's just so - a subtle movement she intended as a gesture to let the other know that it was fine, she could back down.
Aim:
Chime watched Levi ran off, it stung like a blow. Why did she let her guard down? He was a prisoner after all, why was this turn in events so surprising? Did she not count this as something that may happen? He was so... well, likable. She guessed she just didn't want to believe that he would.
She turned her glaze to Theo, tensing as she did so.
He darted after the prisoner, she followed in his wake. Wondering briefly if she should go to inform the alpha or beta, though decided against it, he was their responsibility, besides the others were most likely busy with the tasks they were assigned.
Keeping her ears pricked for sounds of hunters, she hoped that they wouldn't be in this area, it was harder to keep a lookout running.
Another worry filled her mind, what would Levi do? She guessed he, if wanted, could be sneaky, and she never had to do this sort of thing before.
Starting to wish she had explore the area a little more during her months of being here, she hoped that Theo knew the area better then she did.
Kaqurei:
Levi felt a pang in his chest as he ran on. He genuinely liked Theo and Chime. Tricking them like that made him feel sick. But it didn't matter. He could not stop, and he could not look back. He had to get out of this place. He had to get back to Sabres' pack, back to Ireland, back home, whatever the cost!
He could hear them taking pursuit behind him. He had a short lead, but he would have to be more creative if he was going to keep it. He took a sudden turn and wheeled to the north east. He had scouted this area before, a month or so ago. If he remembered correctly, there would be a river up ahead. More importantly, there would be a glade of the Phantom herb along its banks, and he could abandon his scent there.
His heart pounding hard in his chest, sending thrills of adrenaline through his limbs, he raced on, looking for any sort of obstacle along the way he could throw between himself and Theo to slow him down. Chime was smaller and thus would likely be faster, but he figured he could overpower her if it came to that. Again a biting pang hit his chest at the thought, and he threw a wild glance behind him to see if he might spot them on his heels. He didn't want it to come to that. He just wanted to get home.
It was thus that he was totally caught off guard by a sudden flash of blinding light ahead of him--so off-guard, that he did not even stop or turn around, he just barrelled forward out of the forest feeling much like he had been struck in the head! There was a loud noise. He had only a split second to consider what was happening. He froze, and as he stood there in the clear, he realized the light beaming in his face was that of a flashlight, and just beyond its point he could make out three human figures!
The hunters--here?! No they were supposed to be--! Why hadn't he smelled--?!
There was a loud noise, or several, but he had no time and was too discombobulated to realize exactly how many or exactly what the noise was. The moment passed faster than one could think. In those milliseconds, his eyes darted from the glaring beam of light to the foremost figure--it was moving quickly. The motion registered instantly--the person had a gun, and was moving to shoot him point blank. With a short yelp he sprang to the next bank and took no other thought then than just to run, run, mindlessly run!
May:
Pah-kow! -- Pah-kow!
Timothy's ears pinned back at the noise and Kratos lifted his head in the direction it had come. The sound came echoing over the mountainside from the east with every unwanted feeling of alarm and urgency that it could then conjure; It was the sound Alpha Kratos had been expecting all evening and hoping not to hear.
"Gunfire." Ulric said as he slowly lifted himself from the ground. Though his panting had steadied, he still looked and felt physically exhausted from his unintended argument with the moon, and presently he could only just sit upright.
Ulric was still positioned toward the back of the company, and as Kratos had only stepped between Timothy and Jackie, he was free to visually examine his unacquainted encounter. What he saw was the black and grey werewolf, camouflaged though he be against the dark forest, unmoving with his eyes concentrated and cunning.
Timothy did not go from where he stood, but he looked at Ulric briefly and then returned his gaze to the Alpha... or rather, as Ulric saw, the two who stood on the opposite side from him. Ulric did well to estimate the strength of this acquaintance, he did not recall having met this werewolf before, but he could make a guess that this was the rogue which Kratos had been searching for since the night Ulric himself had arrived.
"Sabrina." Kratos' deep and powerful voice came and stirred Ulric from his thoughts.
The Alpha tilted an ear back toward the white werewolf and looked again upon Timothy.
"What is the boy doing here?" The Alpha asked, and his voice seemed almost irritable though it was calm surfaced. Ulric wondered if the gunfire had meant anything at all, for by the way Kratos acted, such could hardly be guessed.
Timothy's gaze retreated from Jackie and Logan when the Alpha looked at him, he did not seem to want Kratos' attention.
*******************
When Mildred had heard the approach of someone or something in the dark, rustling through the undergrowth, she aimed her weapon to the sky and fired upon nothing. If it was a person the shot would serve as a warning that she was armed, if otherwise then she did not want any creatures about with Adelaide and Tammy behind her anyway, and hoped to scare it off. But the on-comer was undeterred by the shot and a moment later all three companions saw what it was!
The creature was roughly the size of a small bear and that was what Adelaide, who held the flashlight, thought it was. It came thrashing out of the woods in full sprint, and a moment later Adelaide screamed and Mildred's rifle came down and forward! The second shot was sounded, but the aim had merely been a tree in the beast's direction as an attempt to ward the animal away. When once again the shot failed to deter the beast from approaching, Mildred took aim for the third time, and by now the animal was close enough that not only would the bullet meet its intended mark but that it would also serve fatally.
This time it was Tammy that gave a cry. She had stared on like a deer caught in the headlight with her feet faltering backward, when Adelaide screamed again and threw her hands up in a frantic motion! When Tammy was knocked back another few steps it was an accident, but unfortunately there was not ground enough to receive her and in the next moment she fell!
Kaqurei:
Sabrina did not seem overly alarmed by the gunshots, for they were some distance away and she did not feel that they could be much more than reckless boys directed at rabbits or deer this early in the night. There was some concern, however, as she took another sweeping glance over their party and realized that the entire pack was not present. The Beta Zeit was amongst those missing. Doubtless the rest of the pack was with her, and thus, in capable hands. She was confident that if they did encounter the hunters, it would not be so soon after the moon's change.
Her eyes met the Alpha's own as he spoke to her. Then they drifted to Timothy's form searchingly. After a moment, she returned her gaze to Kratos and said, "You might ask him yourself, though I do not know that he would answer. For his intentions, I am not certain, Alpha. I have travelled long with him, as you are well aware, but he has made little communication with me in that time. I may judge, and only by his actions, that he is come to you to tie up ends made loose by the past Moon," she said calmly, with a slow nod in Logan's direction. There was an uneasiness that crossed her wolfish eyes and she added, "I did not then have the time to tell you, Alpha, but he took fever that night, and he has not since returned to the form of a man. It would seem to me that he is..." And she looked at Logan again before continuing, "Hunting."
Dez:
The gunshots claimed the air. For a breaths moment, everything seemed calm; everyone, even Timothy it seemed, being distracted. And then back to their slow and broken conversation.
What some seemed to simply shrug off was enough to set Logan's mind into a frenzy. After her efforts to keep her form from reducing to a beast in both figure and attitude, it only took two gunshots to send vile memories flooding into her thoughts, bashing her human mind and enticing her beast mind to come forward.
In an attempt to distract herself, she focused on whoever was talking. The alpha, followed by Sabrina in response; they were talking about the strange wolf, but in her current mindset she only scarcely grasped what they were saying. Her own eyes crept from their place at Sabrina's figure back to Timothy, at which point she flinched and moved back.
"Kratos..?" she gasped, her eyes locking on Timothy immediately after. In the passing of a heartbeat, her posture became hostile, and a snarl escaped her throat. As quick as it had appeared it was gone, and she backed up further and further until she met with the bark of a tree. And in another instant, Logan was pulled under the surface of her own mind, a brutish werewolf left standing in her wake. With a twisted muzzle and tensed body, it remained, its focus settled on Timothy.
Aim:
Chime was gain ground on Levi, she could make out his tail. It was then the light and shots happened. Chime ducked to the ground, though kept moving foreword in an almost crawling motion, it was almost like the brute was reading her thoughts and then putting them in action somehow! Then again both had a pretty high chance of happening.
Running mostly on an adrenaline rush, Chime hardly noticed the women's screams, though when they came into view, she more then noticed them. Where were the men?! She knew it shouldn't have surprise her, living here she the knew the women to be just as capable as the men but isn't hunting usually a men sport?
Casting these thoughts aside, she noticed the panic movement of the ladies, how close they were to the cliff, it looked like a disaster waiting to happen! Her reasoning was gone, she bolted from her position, she couldn't remember how she got there, she must have moved faster then she had ever in her life. All she knew was now she at the cliffs edge, reaching desperately for the fallen girl. Her tail was between her legs, she was whining.
Soar:
Trees seemed to fly behind him as he ran, faster faster to some unknown purpose. Theo had long ago stopped trying to figure out his next plan only that somehow he must catch Levi like greyhound running after a mechanical rabbit. He could tell Chime was somewhere beside him as well—too far to see directly, but not too far that he couldn't smell her scent or hear her running. It seemed the forest was almost entirely devoid of life save the two of them their breathe marking the air as a thick white vapor and their paws rustling up thick blankets of leaves. For an instant, Theo felt as though they existed in their own strange world. Until
Pah-kow! Pah-kow!
The gunfire seemed to rile down into his blood, feeding into a sort of frenzy. A dim light was ahead, a small gathering of people? Women? And not too far from that, their prey, frantically trying to evade the bullets Theo no longer was consciously aware of what he was doing or why, only that some urgent action was required of him.
He couldn't think, he couldn't hinder, all he could do was launch himself from the forest cove as a speedy brown projectile, barreling down on Levi with every ounce of strength in his body until the two were flattened, just as Mildred reached to pull the trigger for the third time.
---
Jackie remained guarded throughout the remainder of the exchange; although her posture had relaxed slightly once she saw Kratos had the ordeal under control. She heard the gunfire in the distance, but offered nothing more than a quick flick of her ears to the sound. It was only as Logan began backing into a tree her attention seemed divided, her eyes quickly flashing between Timothy and Logan.
With a snort she turned to see Logan tensed and her muzzle drawn up. She considered her for a moment, as if amused or interested, then exhaled deeply.
"Behave,"
After which Jackie turned her back, as if nothing had been said, and returned her attention to Timothy.
May:
There was a careful look in Kratos' eyes as he gathered Sabrina's words to thought and furrowed his brow debating, all while his gaze pinned Timothy down.
Then the situation began a dramatic change in the form of Logan slipping from control, and the Alpha found himself powerless to prevent it. In one moment it was observed that Logan seemed to be mastering the werewolf form with ease, which given her First Generational traits was a marvel, but within the next moment her balance was caught off and the instinct took over.
As his name was breathed shortly before Logan's behavior altered, Kratos turned to look at the grey and white werewolf. His sharp yellow eyes were focused and intent, his ears erected and a deep earnest filled his features.
Whatever had happened to cause the sudden change in Logan was unknown to Kratos. At the first he might have believed that she had seen the subtle glances by Sabrina and realized that she was being hunted, but for whatever reason Kratos knew that not to be the case... He sought the answer in a fleeting glance as he searched Logan's eyes, but in vain, he could not see what had caused the change.
"Logan." Kratos said. His voice was so deep and mingled with the low bellow of a great animal, yet there was a gentleness there which could not be mistaken. He could think of nothing to prompt Logan to continue the struggle within herself, but he saw to his right the eager turquoise eyes of Timothy and knew that something indeed must be done.
*******
Ulric turned his face to Logan when she had spoken and shortly thereafter came her snarl.
Timothy had lifted his eyes too and a deadly light had entered therein. He did not retreat from Logan's gaze, and now that Kratos' eyes were turned there seemed a tenseness come over him which perched him on his toes and a strange energy mounted up within his legs. His hackles raised so slow and steadily that it went almost unseen, except that the ferocity of his eyes and stance seemed to increase.
But Timothy did not move, not yet. He was waiting and his attention, though his gaze was set on Logan, seemed divided. Then Jackie spoke and her position was made clear. In that moment Timothy's eyes narrowed on Logan and his face curled ravenously!
Ulric would have moved then and there; He could understand Timothy's posture perfectly, and was of the mind to defend Logan who appeared to feel cornered, though Logan was larger than he and would likely prove the better in a duel. Yet Ulric did not rise, for just then he caught a look in the Alpha's face which was a silent communication to him, and bid him be still.
Lest the authority of the Alpha be challenged again, Ulric could not ward Timothy without command.
********
Mildred had saved her third shot. She had heard Tammy's cry which drew her attention last moment and stayed her finger a second too late! The creature which had fled out from the woods and escaped in earnest just as another had darted out and behind her!
"Adelaide! Your gun!" Mildred had called, her riffle taking to another target!
But Adelaide did not reply, and a moment later the light swerved off-point and fell with a clack to the dirt path! Adelaide, in her fear of seeing one of the 'bears' rush so wildly at her, and unknowing that it intended to get beyond her to where Tammy fell, had herself now collapsed in a moment of terror.
Mcgordner turned aside in an instant upon the two beasts that had collided. It seemed to matter only a very little which one would feel the bullet first, and Mildred made no attempt to discern between the two as they tumbled to the ground.
Pah-kow!
The least gasp of a breath was not wasted in time before the third shot hit the air and so too its target. Then came the click of another shot, and Mildred took aim for the fourth time in a heart beat.
********
What had happened on the way down the mountainside, Tammy could neither say nor guess. The light fell up away above her and many hard and sharp points met her back and sides as she tumbled down the rocky slope. She did try to stop herself, and that was how she came to rest on her hands and knees wincing from the venture. She had just sat up feeling numb all over when Adelaide's flashlight cast a beam overhead and shown bright on trees level to the platform.
Immediately Tammy jumped and snatched the hat which had fallen from her head and hastily turned to look up the mountainside. What she saw and heard was alarming. Kneeling at the edge of the path was a large furry figure, and though silhouetted against the moon, Tammy could see it bent down with an arm reached out and strange paw extended. Its voice was whimpering and whining, and Tammy felt her heart stand still.
It was then that Tammy began to feel the pang to her left arm and back.
"No- No! Run! Quick!" Tammy shouted up to the creature urgently, and she was hesitant, but waved her arms frantically! "Go now! Run!"
It was then that Mildred's third shot rent the air, but Tammy was unable to see anything beyond the ledge.
Kaqurei:
--What did I just do?!
It dawned on Levi only a split second after his leap out of Mildred's immediate aim, just as the sound of Chime's whine reached his ears. He had just run those two perfectly good kids right into the open and waiting arms of the hunters! Even if he somehow dodged the bullet, Theo and Chime were right behind him. They were going to get hit! No, no, no! That's not what was supposed to happen! As this realization hit him like a kick in the stomach, his bound skipped to a stop and he turned, with the full intention of wheeling around to disarm the hunter. That was suddenly priority one. Down the hunter before she downed Theo or Chime. He certainly couldn't just leave them like that! But in an instant, he saw three things. He saw Chime leaning over the cliff side. He saw Adelaide faint and her flashlight go flying through the air. Most importantly, he saw Mildred, gun cocked and aiming her deadly load, almost as though it were in slow motion. She might have said something. Maybe not. The one thing he didn't see was what hit him.
Not a bullet. Theo. What?
No sooner had he turned than Theo's full weight and strength slammed into Levi's body like a furry freight train and knocked him flat on his back to the ground. Any sort of shock he might have felt or thought he might have had were swallowed by the absolute urgency of the situation. He struggled, his wide eyes jumping from Theo's, to Mildred, Theo, Mildred--and in that moment it was like all he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat, pounding hard, faster and faster, in his ears. It was a sickening feeling that gripped his heart, knowing what he had to do, not knowing if he was strong enough, knowing there was no time to think about it--he just bunched the muscles in his hind legs and gave Theo a swift, desperate kick to the middle in hopes to throw the balance of their tussle just so, at just the right moment before Mildred's weapon fired. That someone was going to get shot wasn't a question anymore. Now it was just who. And if he could possibly help it, he couldn't let it be Theo.
Pah-kow!
****
Logan went under. That she ever held her own against her wolf to begin with was more surprising to Sabrina than that. But the situation had just gone from "breathe and figure out what to do next" to "Red Alert" again. Her eyes shot towards Timothy, and nothing was said, the meaning behind his every movement couldn't be more clear. She had seen him in action several times before now. Size was not much of a factor to him. He was too smart for that. His strikes were calculated and quick.
For her part, she could see no way that the Alpha could handle this situation on his own. Though she understood that the image of the Alpha should remain as the sole figure in charge, and that anything anyone short of his betas did to try to handle the situation would only be seen by Timothy as a disregard to the Alpha's authority--there was a definitive flicker of disapproval in her chest at the exchange between Kratos and Ulric.
Then direct someone to handle the one or the other, you fool! she wanted to scream at him, You can't do this on your own! But, for the same reason Ulric did, she too held her peace and waited tensely. The Alpha could not let the situation slip if he were to keep Timothy under control. If she had to intervene, she could and would... she pleaded within herself that it would not come to that, that somehow Kratos would be able to rise above himself and be an Alpha beyond his years or experience!
Cathannah:
Toby gone ahead with Zeit, intent on leading the hunters away. However briefly a face or two appeared amid the bramble, Toby felt funny. He knew these people, not only by sight, but by name. It felt weird hiding instead of calling out and shaking their hands, knowing their intent was to kill instead of borrow sugar or geeking out over a 50 year old rock band album he'd discovered in his Grandmama's antique shop.. It was surreal, and despite being in danger right now, Toby couldn't grasp the seriousness of the situation even now. To him, it was like they were playing an extremely intense game of hide and seek.
Somewhere down the hill, they had left Chime and Theo with that strange spy-guy, possibly to mislead any other hunting parties following up the rear. Nothing had really happened.. In fact, Toby was actually thinking this might not be such a bad night.
Then....
Pah-kow!
Toby's heart nearly failed, for in that second, it seemed to him the horrible nightmare became real-- Furthermore, someone was probably dead. And that someone wasn't too far away, in fact, they were actually quite close... Maybe too close.. Like close enough to be Chime, Theo, or spy-guy!!!!
Pah-kow!
Another one!.. Was it Chime of Theo this time? Perhaps it had been both! Toby couldn't believe it. They were dead, his buddies had killed his.. Well, other buddies!! Or severely wounded them at the very least!
In an instant, and probably at a pace that was too swift to go unnoticed by the following hunting party, Toby sprang away back down the hill. Adrenaline drove him, though he had absolutely no idea what he would do when and if he found anything. Tree branches and sharp bushes beat him viciously in his run and narrowly avoided putting out his eyes, thanks to the protection his glasses provided. Nevertheless, he still couldn't see anyone amid the thick forest foliage.-- He'd have to sniff them out.
After a few minutes, Toby paused to afford himself a minute to breathe and locate their scent.. Only as he did, he noticed there was a problem. He couldn't find them. In fact, he couldn't find anyone! There was no smell on the breeze, not wolf or human, not even blood. How was that possible?
His alarm hadn't been misplaced, he wouldn't believe that. So, Toby rapidly searched his mind for any and all possible solutions to the curious lack of scent. What blocked a dog's smell? Many things were quibbled about, but nothing had ever actually been proven, and a werewolf's sense of smell was a little bit stronger than a dog's anyway. Whatever it was, it would have to grow here naturally-- Then something stood out: Phantom Herb. His Grandmama had showed it to him once before. It was plant that grew all over the mountain and somehow blocked a werewolf's sense of smell.
There was a patch growing nearby! He'd seen it a little earlier when--
Pah-kow!
The loud sound echoed from his immediate left! Toby raced toward it, using the same battle strategy as a person mad with panic: Go, go, go, go, go!
No sooner had the chaotic scene come into view, than Toby noticed Mildred cocking her gun and aiming it for a final shot. He wasn't sure who had been shot already, if indeed anyone at all. He barely even noticed the other human girl and Chime reaching toward something over the cliff. Most of all, he completely overlooked the other weapon laying on the ground within Mildred's reach-- All this was a second thought to his subconscious mind. For now, everything was happening too fast; the first thought that his Toby's mind was the thought he acted on, whether it was wise or not.
Click!
The gun was ready!
"Mildred DON'T!" Toby screamed, though it came out more like a tangled yelp where one could only hear words if they were listening for them. Toby flew forward, grasping Mildred's gun by the barrel and tumbling over the poor woman even as he did so. In an instant, he fell over Mildred, hit his head on the ground, dizzily rolled into a sitting position, then stood on two legs and began to mercilessly beat the gun against the stump of a nearby tree. His logic now? Destroy it, destroy it, destroy it, destroy it, destroy it!
Dez:
A silent standoff. Only two words had been uttered in the last few moments. It would seem now everyone had retreated to their thoughts, and quietly they were all considering the situation. Logan too, or rather her beast, was silent and unmoving. She acknowledged the five in the area briefly, considering each member of the group in a new light.
No more than a second did she rest her eyes on each pack member, and then it would seem that she came to some sort of conclusion regarding them before again she focused on Timothy.
Her throat rumbled and a growl erupted from between her teeth! She took three strides forward, each steady and calculated, her posture growing more ferocious with each step. And yet there was a certain hesitance to her movements, a pull at her heels. Nearing Timothy, she examined him closely, briefly taking in account the minute details of his demeanor.
For the instant, it might have seemed she would make the first move of attack. She stood opposite Timothy, more or less at an angle with the Alpha still in between. When again the blow of the gun rang out, she gave a deep and hostile bark in Timothy's direction, and then plunged to the side, dropping on all fours and making her way into the thick of trees and brush!
Running in no specific direction, Logan barreled through any obstacles. Hardly being lithe or graceful, simply avoiding everything would certainly slow her down. Already she was barely average in speed, and she had to make up for that in any which way possible. Whether or not Timothy would give chase, or if the pack would allow him to, she could only guess at. But should he follow, he would certainly be upon her at any moment! She had to use the forest to the best of her advantage to keep her headway.
May:
Timothy did not hesitate. Logan barked and Timothy lurched forward, all the energy mounted under him was released in a single moment!
Logan was larger, and that meant slower by nature, but Timothy's movements had always been so calculated and strange that his run used every inch of his body to propel him forward at an even quicker pace than he seemed physically capable! He was on her heels in mere seconds and then he was alongside her and shortly then pacing slightly ahead. Tactically unmatched, Timothy trained his eyes on the terrain and manipulated it to perfection; there was not a branch or bush, tree or twig that was not planned into his calculations! For every obstacle he avoided he grew faster, and some obstacles proved only a greater advantage.
Timothy knew that he would be pursued, and he did not want Logan to stop. Weaving about the forested terrain he navigated quite close to Logan's side and snapped at her paws with his teeth, growling terribly, and then came a series of sharp yowls and yips that taunted and mocked Logan's pace! He was challenging her speed and criticizing her strength, all the while just outside her reach and always moving faster!
Dez:
Even sooner than Logan had anticipated, Timothy had caught up! What's more, he was perfectly capable of running circles around her and had no intent of hiding it! Her lips peeling up, she snapped towards the blackish wolf, though her jaw clamped onto nothing but the air and it only served to throw off the rhythm of her gait. Now she pushed forward with every bit of drive she could to recover, and still she could not compete or at best come even with Timothy's pace!
She wondered, what was his strategy? He stood no chance against the alpha, and yet he seemed confident in his ability to challenge herself. Perhaps there was something more at work, but that much was beyond the wolf.
Now she shifted so that she was running behind Timothy for the time being, more or less mimicking his movements with the intention of gaining some ground on the werewolf. Certainly he would grow tired and slow eventually? Where Logan's wolf lost in speed, it reclaimed in endurance, and had the stubbornness to match!
Aim:
Feeling her shoulders relax, Chime felt slightly worn but happy the individual seemed fine, at least not dead. And even with her yelling, the relief she felt made everything seem alright.
Pah-kow!
Chime about jumped out of her skin as she was brought back to reality, she gasped in horror as she realized in which direction that shot was headed!
No!
She felt her breath catch in her chest, though turned her head as Tobi came in. What in the world was he doing?! She watched as he smacked the gun into the rock, what if.. what if it went off as he bashed it? Oh please no!
She fall frozen in place, what should she do? Her mind raced between Theo, the spy, Tobi and the girl! She wanted to help, she wanted to flee, but she ended up staying where she started, at the edge of a cliff. Only now her face strayed away from the drop.
Soar:
Theo couldn't find the presence of mind to move. He was still trying to process the blur of events, to think of what his body had done without his mind's consent. Had there really been shots fired? And had he just jumped towards the shots?! And done so to save someone he couldn't really call friend? The more he thought of it, the less it seemed like something he had done and more the actions taken by some stranger he heard of in a story. He couldn't really at this moment by flattened defensively over a prisoner that had given him the slip, all the while a gun being cocked and aimed for the killing shot.
What would his old pack have thought, being killed by someone not of the Great White Wolf's blood? Even his mother, who had lectured often about the glories of a noble death, would be ashamed of him.
He felt Levi squirming underneath his weight, but Theo hardly dared to budge. He felt much like a deer in the headlights that couldn't move no matter how much he saw the danger ahead. His muscles were tight and inflexible as his mind considered every angle of his monumental failure. Even as Levi gave him a quick kick to the gut, Theo moved only a few inches to the side and gasped as the air was kicked out of him.
Pah-kow!
The shot fired and he could feel it wringing in his ears. He waited for a cry out of pain--certainly Mildred had seen the two of them long enough to get in a good shot at this range-- but he heard none. Had she missed, again? He had taken the woman to be a far better shot than she had shown herself to be, but Theo was hardly one to complain.
Fwoosh! Something came thrashing out of the woods like a deranged cat, screaming Mildred's name, and bashing her gun against a rock. This something was none other than...Toby?! That didn't make sense, that couldn't be right-- but again, Theo was past questioning such miracles. Even Toby was a godsend, an end to this cautionary tale about guns.
He dared himself a sigh of relief. Somehow, miraculously, they had all made it through this nightmare unscathed. He suddenly became aware of his limbs; shaky though they were, there seemed just enough force in them to stand. He moved to stand.
But he couldn't! A blinding pain, no a line of fire, was burning from his hip to his calf. He crumbled to the ground like a battered tin can, his hands flying to staunch the spread of the pool of liquid he had somehow missed earlier. He had been wrong. Mildred had not missed; she had found her mark in his upper left thigh.
---
Jackie had let her guard down, and for that Timothy had taken those brief moments to his advantage. She needed time to think, she needed time to outwit the clever little runt—but such time was not afforded to her. The longer she waited the longer Timothy could continue his hunt. This was not acceptable.
If Kratos had given any command on the matter, Jackie did not wait to see. Just as the third bullet cracked into the air, she sprinted into the woods. Her maw drew back into a savage snarl and her growl filled the air. The time for patience and pretty words was gone. If Timothy wanted a hunt, then he best be prepared to fight for it.
May:
A little ways up the mountain from where the werewolves had come into conflict with the hunters, the other members of Mildred's company had begun to descend.
The men who had gone on ahead had been occupied with a false trail, but had believed it otherwise and so continued on their way. That is, before Mildred's first few shots struck the air and inspired a feeling of dread in each as they stood looking about on the woods.
"Is that Mildred?" asked the youngest of the three men, but the others did not reply. The first shot might have had them thinking things less urgent, but the shots that followed raised within the men feelings of curiosity and anxiety.
Quickly the three hunters turned on their course and began down the rocky path. They could not do so as swiftly as could Toby, but they went as well as they might with haste. At the moment Mildred's fourth shot rang clear, the three other hunters were nearly upon the scene.
******
But it was not Mildred's fourth shot in all sense that rang clear, for Toby had snatched the weapon and smashed it repeatedly on the ground! The first time it hit the earth the loaded rifle failed to fire, but the second time it went off and bent and blew the barrel as it did! Fortunately, the clumsy maiming of the weapon did not result in more bloodshed, as the bullet ricocheted on the great trunk of a tree overhead and vanished from knowledge.
Mildred had been winded when the form of Toby had cumbered over her from behind, and she might have lay slightly dazed for yet a single breath, but she was a woman firm since her youth and her instinct even in fear would obey her resolve.
With a quick turn, still strong with adrenaline, McGordner rolled over and grasped Adalaide's weapon from off the ground. There was not much scrambling, nor did Mildred struggle to her feet. In one moment she had taken hold of Adeliade's gun, and in the next it was aimed for Toby's back!
*****
When Timothy and Logan had sprung off, Kratos had moved only in attempt to grasp at the boy. It was a swift motion, not a snap of his jaws and hardly even seen by Timothy, but it was not accompanied by a growl or snarl or any other sign of urgency.
Timothy dodged like a fox; the Alpha could not match the speed with which the rogue suddenly flew forward at Logan, and not a moment later Jackie had taken off after them as well.
When the Alpha had failed to catch Timothy he shouted over his shoulder for Sabrina and then he took up the chase. He knew Sabrina need not be instructed now, for she would act whether the Alpha wished her to or not. Thus Kratos fell to the back, but did not seem driven down the mountain in Timothy's wake as did the others. He nearly moved at a casual pace, or at a light romp. His speed was naturally slower than the others, nonetheless it was a large and long stride. He did not press forward with any great urgency that could be detected, and as long as he could see the other members ahead of him he did not quicken his pace.
Ulric had taken up alongside Kratos, moving slower than he was capable and staying one foot behind the Alpha all the while. Still, he was not instructed, nor given any permission to act. Kratos said nothing to him and Ulric was frustrated by the absence of command when to act outside it would challenge the Alpha's authority.
"Kratos?" Ulric said. The Alpha did not reply.
It was then that Ulric began to see something in his adoptive brother which he had not fully realized before; Kratos did not trust him, and thus would not instruct him as a member of his pack.
Coming to this realization inspired feelings of greater frustration in Ulric, and a sort of sadness. But he did not run on past Kratos' leg, nor would he move to any action without command or consent.
******
Timothy sensed the chase behind him. He knew Sabrina would come at him, and he heard also the thrashing of the others through the undergrowth. Logan was at the head, but she was not as quick as those who would be coming after her, Timothy thus began a fiercer tread and swiftly came to run ahead of her. Some part of him must have trembled at the power with which the others drove at his back, but if there was more to be seen it was not and Timothy's stride changed shortly thereafter. Though he became faster his movement became more elegant and less unnatural.
Several garbled snarls and barks were directed over Timothy's shoulder, continuing to mock and antagonize Logan as he carefully navigated the way forward!
Aim:
As the fourth shot rung out, Chime shook her head, as to clear it. Funny how sounds could help one get a grip on reality.
Seeing a movement out of the corner of her eye, she snapped her head towards the woman that Toby disarmed.. had she found another..?
Hardly daring to think, she jumped up, kicking the gun away! Knowing this to possibly be a temporary fix, she quickly ran up to Toby, meaning just to touch him on the shoulder, but also let out a sharp bark, she needed his attention.
Looking towards Theo, she winced, a small whine fled from her before she could stop it, this had to stop, and soon if they didn't all want to end up dead!
"Toby, you and me-." She growled the words with much more control then she felt.. but then again, how was she to know the prisoner would not just leave Theo? She trusted him once this evening, and that is how they got into this mess.. But she knew it would be silly of her to try and carry Theo, no, though it may be a small possibility that she would be able, and definitely not while he was injured. "No.. I will get the hunters off our backs. Get Theo somewhere safe. Please. No questions."
Dez:
No matter how much she strained, how much dirt and earth was torn up beneath her paws, Logan could do nothing to keep up with Timothy. Panning her ears back now, she heard the steps of the others not far behind.
Now her maw opened again, this time to let out three rumbling, malicious barks towards Timothy, even as her pace slowed. As the others - or at least she assumed there were others, though it might have just been one - grew near, her motivation to continue in the futile chase wavered. Still she continued onward, though at a slower and less driven pace - the others would beat her to the catch and, if there was still time, she would have her chance at a fight! Then the coward would see that while running was her weak point, she could hold her own in a battle of strength and brute force. What chance would he stand then?
Still, Logan wasn't completely ready to give up the chase just yet. After slowing briefly for a moment, she caught her breath and then, mustering up every ounce of vigor her in muscles, she pushed towards Timothy even quicker than before, more carefully following the path laid out in front of her and gaining more confidence in her footing with every passing moment! If this final show of drive lasted only a couple of short moments, it would be worth it, as she felt she could almost (if barely) gain on him.
Kaqurei:
"Confound i' tall!" Levi snarled, rolling over onto his belly and then to his feet even as Theo was moving to stand up. "Curse my dirty hide, curse it! Leeches and rot! Theo, m'lad, what w're yeh thinkin'?!" Theo sank, but Levi already knew he had been hit; though he could not smell the blood, he had felt the hot liquid splash across his own belly from the impact of the bullet in Theo's haunch.
There was a flash of movement in the corner of his eye, and his attention snapped to it--he no sooner realized Mildred had another gun and was aiming at Toby than Chime had knocked it out of the woman's hands. His eyes darted to the other unconscious figure laying not so far away, Adelaide, partly to see if she would wake and stir, and partly to see if there was another weapon laying around for someone to grab. In doing so, he realized that's where Mildred had found the second rifle, and that there shouldn't be much fear in there being another with the second dealt with already. But hadn't there been a third figure...? There was no time to consider it. He heard voices, and saw more lights approaching from the forest.
["Toby, you and me- No.. I will get the hunters off our backs. Get Theo somewhere safe. Please. No questions."]
He was already shaking his head. "Nah, nah! Forget tha!" he cried, his ears pinned back, "Ye'll jest get yerself killed! Please, I know a place ta hide, an' 'tis not far! I'll need a hand with Theo--please, we've got ta hurry!"
***
Sabrina had no desire to be seen, and, for a creature as large and stark white as she was, she was amazingly adept at it. In the full moon's light, she could harness the unearthly shadows cast in the forest to her advantage, move even as the whispers through the trees and the silver light itself.
Still, the gunshots tore the air. Four now. The last two had been closer together, and she was beginning to wonder if the hunters really had found members of the pack that quickly. How was it that every month, everything could go so wrong?
She flicked her ears back. Forget it. She had to focus. Timothy was now as he had always been; her self-proclaimed first responsibility. They had to have planned for this. After the devastation of last month, how could they not?
She raced on, swiftly to keep up with them, but pacing herself so as not to spend too much energy on the pursuit. Timothy would be expecting her to make this move. He had spent a month learning her as much as she had been learning him. But she had not shown him all her tricks, for that purpose. And... as the chase dragged on, Timothy's game was becoming a little more clear to her...
May:
Mildred made a grunt and she rolled over on her face as Adeliade's gun hit the trees short of the path. No doubt she would seek her weapon after a moment if there was a chance, but when the weapon had met the impact of Chime's kick, it had brought Mildred's wrist around in a twist and hurt her lower arm. The hunter would need a second or two to recover, but fortunately the loaded weapon did not fire as it was flung from her hand.
Meanwhile, Tammy's heart pounded hard in her chest as she considered what she was about to do. To move anywhere by herself, it being dark and steep terrain on which she sat, would indeed be foolhardy. Yet Tammy knew how to escape her predicament, if she had the opportunity, and her real fear stemmed from what she might be able to do about the situation overhead.
Tammy could hear the voices, gnarled and rumbling as they were, just above and understood the words with some difficulty. Tones she could understand not at all, and the growling and snarling made translation quite difficult, but the voices of them that spoke were clearly two different individuals. The third, she guessed, who was mentioned by name must have been injured, for so far he did not speak and the others were concerned.
Fitting her foothold carefully, Tammy brought herself to a standing position and moved slowly toward the ledge. The ground was made mostly of loose, sharp-cut stones which crackled and slipped on occasion as she climbed. She did not know how far down the cliff side might be, or if it was sloped or a sheer drop, but she knew that if ever a stone slipped loose the sound only tumbled a short ways before falling silent. That might mean that the stone was long in falling, or fell on something soft, or perhaps was short in rolling and lodged itself again. Anyway, it was not important, and very quickly she was against the dirt wall beneath the path.
There were roots and bushes sticking out of the rocks all around, but the wall would be difficult to climb. Pressing her hands up against the wall Tammy searched for some leverage, but there was none. The earth was too soft, the roots too weak, and the stones too smooth to bear her. However, there was another ledge to Tammy's left, that by a guess lead around to more stable ground and perhaps even back up to the platform. The only problem being that it was much too far to reach by a human of her stature.
It was then that Tammy felt the moisture on her left arm. At first she might have thought it to be from the wall, but a moment later she knew it was not and that understanding brought a different set of troubles. Tammy's left arm was all numb and sore, so she had not at first noticed, and she might not have heeded the blood had the situation been different. But as it was, necessity demanded the wound be covered immediately, especially if she should follow through with her intentions. But the terrain was steep and her stance unstable, so it would not be done easily.
As quick as she dared, Tammy glanced at her surrounding and snatched up a weed sticking out from the rocks. She needn't examine it to know the plant, all she needed was to smell it and then rub it on her injured arm. The oil stung terribly! Then the plant was discarded off the cliff and Tammy covered her hands with mud from the wall.
Now, prepared to move on, Tammy listened overhead again. In the near distance she could hear the voices of the other members of the party returning, and now something needed to be done. She drew a deep breath, focused inwardly with a quiet and calm fear in her heart, and then braced herself for what she believed would come next.
Soar:
"S-sssorr-ry," Theo rattled to Levi. While his own actions had put him in this mess, it had been a lack of thought that was more responsible than actual thinking. He tried to explain this to Levi, but the words died somewhere in his throat.
In the meantime, he watched Mildred with slanted green slits; much like Levi, he was concerned she might find some other weapon to conjure out of thin air. His gaze then drifted from Toby and Chime, relieved to see they were uninjured. It would be nice if it would stay that way.
"No hero stuff," he mumbled, almost inaudibly,"Let's just... run?"
---
Jackie made quick progress through the forest. Although she had never before run as quickly as she was in this form, she was delighted to learn there was indeed some speed to her. Although still entirely fixated on Timothy, some small part of her couldn't help but feel a kind of joy as she seemed to fly through the trees. Her side began to ache from the effort, but adrenaline made it seem insignificant and she ran all the more quickly.
She could smell Logan up ahead and another pursuing her-- no doubt Timothy. If she squinted, she could just make out the slightest form of movement. This was all the motivation she needed to run even faster than before and her gait adjusted into a speedy sprint; in a matter of minutes she was only ten yards behind. Her lips drew into yet another feral snarl.
Kaqurei:
Levi looked at Theo. 'Tis no good, no good 't all! he thought to himself. "Stay with us, lad," he breathed, trying to keep his voice as calm and level as possible. It wasn't much good, his own shaky breathing betrayed his stress into his voice, but he kept at it anyway, "Relax, keep yer head; we'll get out o' this fix a'right." Even as he spoke he was removing his shirt and tearing it lengthwise to make a crude bandage, and he cast a quick glance up at the ever-approaching lights of the rest of the hunting party. They'd be on them in a moment, and that would be that. He bent down and with limbs shaking from pure adrenaline and started wrapping up Theo's injury. It would at the very least slow the bleeding... and, anyway, it'd minimize a potential blood trail for the hunters to follow. "Oi, you! Give us a hand, will yeh?" he barked with a quick look at Toby, pulling Theo's arm around his shoulder and helping him up. In the same breath, but a quieter voice to Theo, "Easy nu, we've got ta move quick. Jest breathe, Theo, a'right? We're headin' to a place jest down the way, an' we'll be safe there, yeh hear me? Come on nu. What's a mite hit to the leg, eh? Ye'll be fine, jest fine."
Cathannah:
Chime had gotten Toby's full attention, but not because she had barked so suddenly-- As a matter of fact, Toby had turned around the instant Chime had kicked the second gun from Milred's hand.
"AHK! Don't hurt her! She's not as tough as she looks, don't hurt her!" Toby cried, throwing the twisted metal remains of the first gun over his shoulder and approaching Mildred with clear intent to check her wrist.
Another bark from Levi reminded him of their current predicament and caused him to halt just in time. Worried as he was for her, Mildred probably wouldn't have accepted any help from him at present; seeing as he was big ugly dog right now. Grabbing her arm wouldn't do more than give her a heart attack by showing these mutant bear-dogs had jointed fingers and posable thumbs.
The on-coming voices and lights was just icing on the mental-break-down cake for Toby. Chime had told him to do something, and so had the evil spy-guy. Spy-guy's plan sounded better, but he was the enemy! And what of poor Mildred? Or the others? He was too overwhelmed.
"No, no! They'll follow you! We can't get Theo out of her without crushing the plants and leaving a clear trail-- And Mildred will tell 'em which way we went! ..No, no, no! You go! Chime, Chime, go! I had a job to do! Kratos gave me a job! You go!" He shouted, quick as one having a sugar rush-- Then, with the agility of a kitten attacking a yarn ball, he sprang off toward the on-coming hunters.
Fast as a whisp! As fast as he could go, hopefully before they new what hit them! He sprang into the midst of the group and barreled through them!
May:
It was to Timothy as if the world had decided to stand still. At first he heard the breathing of the others behind him, each individually, and surrounding them the snap and rustle of the forest giving way to their passage. He knew how far behind his pursuers were as a group, and also where each member stood alone; Logan was nearest, and Jackie a short distance behind her. Sabrina had distanced herself from the others; a tactical maneuver to help her gain the position she required. The furthest off was Kratos, and beside him Ulric. All seemed to have focus on Timothy.
"If I run then I'm his prey."
The memory echoed in Timothy's ears as all other sounds fell silent. The familiar feeling of pain growing in his back became present, and he knew his energy was waning as every muscle in his body began to strain. He knew there was a reason why he was running. He did not want his pursuer to stop, he wanted her to follow him. "But why?" The question was familiar.
All of these sensations and memories filled Timothy's mind and body with dreadful fear as some part of him began to remember; These were all things he had experienced before - this had happened before! But where was the girl? Was she safe from the beast?
Timothy felt his heart pounding harder and harder, his breath became difficult to control. His paws seemed to tremble under his weight, but they did not yet allow him to falter. He was growing weaker, yet he could not understand why. He had pushed himself harder than this before. He had run further in shorter time without loosing himself.
A cruel voice shouted from the back of Timothy's mind and his eyes sharpened again. The tears were forgotten as they fell away through his fur. Then the girl's scream split through Timothy's ears and all at once he remembered the pain! The fear penetrated his soul with such merciless strikes that his blood ran cold and his heart cried out!
"No!" It would be different this time! Yes, he remembered the beast, how it hurt him and drove him! It taught him how to kill - no opponent was too great to bleed, and if struck precisely, die. Swift and soundless. That was all it took, and though he could not bring himself to do it then, for her he would do it now.
This was the right place, Timothy remembered the terrain. He knew it and could use it. Without a warning, without the slightest hesitation or a hint at the action beforehand, Timothy propelled himself into a great tree! A strange clutter in the tree provided him landing, and then he bounded backwards and swung himself from the branches.
The swiftness of his movement and the color of his coat made it seem as if he vanished all of a sudden! When without a moment spared Timothy fell from the trees and clasped Logan's back!
Growling and snarling Timothy tightened his jaws on the back of Logan's neck and with a vise-like grip wrapped his arms under hers that she could not shake nor grab him!
As he had fallen upon her, Timothy had kicked a tree to use his weight and throw Logan off balance, therefore ensuring that her body would come between him and the others should they attack.
His opponent was larger and stronger than he, but Timothy had been taught where fatal wounds might be inflicted. His speed was what matched him to her strength, as long as she could not take him in her jaws or hands! What was more, this terrain was a place only Timothy knew, and beyond the tree which he had used was a hidden trap; a short drop into which he intended to maneuver Logan!
Dez:
Coming to a stop just as Timothy sprung to the trees, Logan stared on quietly, not even passing breath in her own exhaustion. victory certainly hadn't come so easily, or had the hunter-become-hunted really just fled? Before these thoughts even finished passing through the mind of the werewolf, before she could so much as catch a glimpse of the other, a sudden weight hit her body and a fiery pain burst out in the back of her neck!
A cry escaped her throat, one not unlike a human scream nor the sharp yelp of a canine, and immediately she sought to rid herself of the weight of Timothy, but she found her balance thrown off and her arms rendered useless. Twist and turn as she might, there was no getting at cunning wolf!
How ignorant was she that, even though her habit of underestimating her opponents had caused her to become a werewolf in the first place, she still continued (both in mental consciousness and not) to assume so little of those who she took up fight against.
With every passing second, she grew steadily more frantic, snarling and biting at the air, every muscle in her body tensing as she attempted to free herself from Timothy's grasp. When the hold proved too well positioned for her to break or slip from, she began towards a tree with every intention to crush Timothy between it and the bulk of her body! Her feet dug into the earth beneath as she made heavy strides backwards, and upon coming close enough to the tree, she suddenly forced the whole of her weight back into Timothy! Surely now he would rethink his position, or shortly find himself breathless between the tree and the mass of Logan's body.
May:
Logan's move was not only anticipated but counted on by Timothy.
Every tree in the immediate area was Timothy's tool for the moment and Logan no sooner moved toward one than Timothy began to utilize it. With a quick kick Timothy caught the trunk between his legs and twisted his torso to thwart Logan's attempt! Using the stability of the tree behind him his body would become a slide, he need only direct the same weight with which Logan intended to crush him to instead send her off the cliff!
With a tree behind and Logan's body in front, Timothy knew he was guarded and that the others would not be able to get at his back. He did not let go with either his arms or teeth, but at any moment was prepared to release the tree.
******
Three shots rang in succession following Toby's brave and foolish action!
The other three hunters had run with increasing haste as Mildred's fire fell quiet and the sounds of strange and wild animals grew louder. At any moment they were prepared to come around the corner and find their companions dead whilst some viscous beasts argued over the remains. Admittedly, with the lateness of the hour and the suddenness of the alarm, belief in the impossible wasn't far from their minds.
Meanwhile Mildred had lifted herself upon her knees, one hand still held her wrist as the bickering of her attackers went on, only now she was beginning to wonder why. The snarls, yips, growls, and assorted sounds very unfamiliar to Mildred's ears were far from making sense, though in later days she might come to piece the words among them.. But for now she did not look back, she needed to retrieve her weapon and guard her companions, and that is what she moved to do.
Kaqurei:
Sabrina had decided that Timothy's tactic was to tire Logan before he struck, run her energy levels down so that when he struck, she would not be able to respond fast enough. Sabrina's goal was to cut him off, stop him before he was able to make such a move at the prime moment--but she had to calculate the distance between Logan and Timothy to preciseness before she could strike like that. As much as she wanted to keep Timothy from injuring or even possibly killing the stranger, Timothy himself was more valuable to her personally and she would not jeopardize his safety, even to that end. She would not make a move that would give Logan an advantage over Timothy, even to rescue her.
And then Timothy did it. He did it every moon, and always in a different way. He pulled a wild card, did the one thing she could not see coming, just before she was about to make her move. Sabrina felt her heart catch somewhere in her throat as he whirled like a snake on Logan, suddenly--too suddenly for tiring her to have ever been his objective. She'd been wrong, again--but there was no time for hesitation. Like some super computer, she watched the grab, predicted Logan's response even as it was occurring, and had to make a mental leap ahead to respond faster than whatever could happen next.
There was no time for a decision to be made, just action to be taken. She saw the cliff, she saw the swing, and it may have been just chance that her current position and previously planned course of action needed only minor editing to fit the new situation at hand. If not for that, there would have been no way for her to respond in time. As it was, she launched just a little earlier than she had anticipated and instead of catching Timothy, she collided into Logan.
Sabrina was very light of build and more agile than strong, but there had been a reason that her father had sent her to eliminate Gathen all those months ago... and it was not because she was a healer. Her movements were swift and calculated, she struck Logan at the precise angle and with exact balance to throw Logan's own weight and strength back into her, redirecting the force that would have carried the three of them off the cliff back in the direction it had come!
****
"Are yeh blinkin' mad?!" Levi shouted over his shoulder, watching Toby bound towards the hunters. He almost cried out to Chime to stop him, but it was already too late--if she tried that, even if Toby somehow miraculously managed not to get hit, she certainly would! "Chime! Quick! Help me get Theo down th' slope!"
Aim:
If not for Theo, Chime would have panicked. Well, admittedly there were no questions asked. She was relieved that Levi was going to help, she wouldn't have known what to do if Toby had ran off and the spy left as well. She really hoped that Toby knew what he was doing, with those hunters. She, of course, had no idea what she was going to do but whatever it was would have insured the others safety.
As the three slots rung out, Chime turned to go to Levi, feeling worried for Toby and slightly sick as she looked at Theo.. oh, she hoped it wasn't as bad as it appeared. She looked at Levi, concerned filled her eyes. Now that the hunters were out of her mind, it filled with Theo's injury, they had to get him out of here.
Soar:
Theo wasn't sure how to feel about a situation that required Toby's heroics and required the rest of them to take flight into the woods. Was it that bad? Or was it really the only possible route the situation required? He brought an unblinking gaze down on Toby, looking over the omega as though wondering if there might be some unseen strength in his skinny limbs. "Thank you". He tried to say, but at that instant a wave of pain reared its ugly head and Theo didn't dare open his mouth. 'If we all get out of this,' Theo thought wildly,'Then I'll owe him a lot of books'.
Feeling about his useful as a sack of potatoes, Theo rolled to the side and tried to interweave one of his thickset arms over Levi's. He floundered for a while, smacking the prisoner accidentally a few times in the face before at last positioning himself properly. Now it might be easier for Levi and Chime to lift them and then high tail it out of there before Mildred's hunters came. From the sound of it, they were awfully close. He twitched his nose, trying to get a sense of their numbers and whereabouts in the air, only to notice there was no scent in the air at all. Theo was momentarily concerned, but another sharp jab of pain brought his mind to the immediate future.
"G-guuuyyys," he whimpered,"Run? Now. P-pleeaase?"
---
Jackie might have gotten to the scene sooner, had it not been for a terribly misplaced tree root and a not-so-graceful fall. She righted herself almost instantly; but by which time, Timothy had already launched the first of his attacks. The werewolf was visibly startled, but after taking in the scene with a few soundless blinks, she prepared to launch herself into the mayhem.
Or so she might have, had not a white ghost collided into Logan first. All three Timothy, Logan, and the ghost in tow were sent spiraling in the opposite direction. Jackie was momentarily confused until her eyes settled on what she had missed earlier: a cliff. Timothy had not made this attack on an impulse; no it had been clearly calculated and predetermined. Some part of the young woman found herself bewildered, as such a move, without the ghost's intervention, would have mean Timothy's death just as much as Logan's. No foe would readily sacrifice himself for what seemed to be a random opponent. Unless...
But Jackie never finished such a thought. Her hackles raised, her teeth drew back into a feral snarl, and her eyes widened until their whites could be seen. The only thought that sped through her mind was one her pack member had almost been killed by the rogue. Any further thoughts on the eloquence of Timothy's plan were lost.
There was no hesitation as Jackie's full force barreled toward Timothy, intending to smash him into a nearby tree before he had the chance to readjust from his earlier collision. Her eyes were deadly slits and there was such conviction in her motion that she looked something similar to a snake in mid-strike. There was no thought in her mind, only instinct. And instinct was telling her to kill Timothy before he could kill one of hers first!
Dez:
One event after another occurred, so quickly so that there was no time for Logan to absorb anything going on and let alone react. Struck straight on by Sabrina, it took her a moment to catch her breath, and she found herself now kneeling on the ground. She reached behind herself, running a hand over the back of her neck to check if Timothy was still latched on. Bittersweet relief swept over as the only thing her hand came in contact with was the warm sticky liquid on her neck.
Now she had to reassess the situation - her sense of orientation had been completely thrown off. She stood quickly and, in doing so, a brief head rush came upon her. For that moment, everything became dark as her body worked to correct the change in blood pressure. Unfortunately her vision wasn't regained fast enough. Jackie was barreling towards Timothy, but Logan didn't realize this and being unable to see thought it was Timothy coming towards herself! As Jackie moved to pass, Logan twisted and lunged at her, throwing her weight over the other female and pinning her to the ground, at the same time clamping her jaw on the base of her neck, just where it met her right shoulder.
It was just after she began to tighten her grasp on the bone and flesh between her jaws that she regained her vision, and found herself looking down on not Timothy but Jackie. While the wolf didn't recognize her as Jackie, she knew it to be someone who was not entirely an enemy either.
First instinct might have been to let go, if Logan knew these wolves to be trustworthy. However, what if Jackie decided to retaliate? Or if one of the others moved to protect her? Her ears pinned back and while she loosened her grip just so it wasn't crushing, she otherwise remained unmoving. She was put in the situation of letting go, and avoiding doing any more harm to the other werewolf, but in doing so she would leave herself vulnerable should the others find the attack intentional. So she held her position until there was any clear indicator she should do otherwise.
May:
Astonishingly, Timothy had released Logan on his own. Perhaps it was because he knew his attempt had failed and found that he would now be vulnerable, or perhaps the deceptive rogue was seizing the opportunity to regain his stance for another unexpected assault. Whatever the unknown purpose or cunningly conceived plan, Timothy retreated.
Sabrina had succeeded in countering the strength of Timothy's opponent, and as Logan began to fall toward the level side of the earth, Timothy bounded off her in an instant. Yet even as he hit the ground he would not have seen Jackie's oncoming attack.
Logan had retaliated on Jackie! Timothy stood with his ears focused forward and his eyes keen. He had known Jackie's intentions were trained on him, yet Logan had intercepted it. If any part of the lad was taken aback, it was washed away quickly, for he did not consider Logan's actions to have saved him and hoped that with this, Jackie would once again view Logan as the enemy. But Timothy would not have the opportunity to utilize his new advantage, for moments later his ears would pin back and his eyes widen at the sight and sound which had inevitably come!
*********
The Alpha kept his eyes on each member from behind while continuing forward.
As the scene unfolded Kratos noted the moment that Timothy attacked Logan, and saw through the darkness and bramble the opportunity Sabrina had to take the rogue down but did not. He saw Jackie stumble, and then rise again, her hackles raised and an action to be taken.
What the Alpha did not see, he instead heard, for the sounds of his pack members one against the other littered the air; The screams and howls, snarling and growling, thrashing and scrambling heard from the area smote and enraged the Alpha's heart, driving him and yet it was his to own.
Kratos arrived at the scene in the same moment Logan came down upon Jackie, and in that moment such a terrible and fierce sound sundered the air!
The great black werewolf came suddenly and swiftly forward through the thickets, and as he did he rose upon his feet and laid bare his teeth! A powerful and demanding growl rumbled from within as he stood, and then his voice came like thunder! Deep and commanding, a bark and a shout all at once with a simple and direct meaning.
"Stop it!!"
*********
Ulric arrived alongside the Alpha, his ears laid back at the sound, yet he did not cower as Timothy. His head was held high and his eyes narrowed, the fur upon his chest wavy and clean. Fierce and terrible was the Alpha beside him, yet Ulric seemed almost majestic with energy afresh to enforce and obey. His loyalty he had given to his brother, whether trusted or otherwise, and he would not forsake.
The other members of the pack stood at various positions at the edge of the cliff, and Ulric could not guess to which one Kratos might direct his wrath. He thought for a moment that it would be Timothy, but the Alpha seemed to look upon all with disapproval and anger. Then came Kratos' voice deep and firm, coming as if out of the darkness, for Ulric could only see his yellow eyes against the blackness of the trees.
"Whether you can understand my words or not, none of you are animals." The breathing of the Alpha was steady and sure, the sound alone being a testament to his physical might. "That you should so easily cause each other to bleed be ashamed! Why do you seek to kill and lay low the only people on this earth that will ever again call you family?! Get up out of the dirt, now!"
Dez:
The grey and white wolf did not hesitate even for a moment. She released Jackie, backing away just slightly before standing slowly and cautiously. Her eyes did not leave the Alpha from the instant he stormed into the area.
Kratos spoke, and the wolf stared on. A character of instinct, fear and malice, it had no understanding, let alone consideration for his words, but they did not go completely unheard. Somewhere in the deep of it's mind, Logan's own being stirred.
"-the only people on this earth that will ever again call you family?!"
What Logan may have thought in the depths of her mind might have been different from what the wolf felt, but their pain and loss was shared, and so it was the Alpha had triggered a connection between her wolf and being so that their desires became one in the same. Her ears perked up, and now she broke her gaze on the Alpha, her eyes shifting quickly from one point to another. While she wouldn't hesitate to retaliate should one of the others attack, she wasn't out for blood at this point. Rather, something was lost, and now her wolf sought to find it, though knew not what it was looking for. Only that there was an emptiness that had suddenly made home in it's heart.
With the previous events all but pushed aside completely, the violet eyes came upon each member of the pack in searching, they stayed for no more than a second. And now she tested the airs, looking for any scent of familiarity on the wind, but anything beyond the immediate area was masked by the scent of the strangers and the scent of blood.
These strangers.. if not a threat, who were they and what was their purpose and intention? Then, Logan opened her mouth, not in snarl or growl or bite or bark, but clumsy and quiet as it was, she uttered one word in the form of a question, "Grandfather?".
Kaqurei:
Sabrina had not had the time she needed to calculate a landing, thus she hit the dirt rather gracelessly and rolled a short distance before she was able to regain control. Ah, few things in life could compare with how much she despised losing control, even over something so simple as a slide. But she dealt with it in a second, and used the momentum to twirl back up to her feet. A certain wildness entered her eyes that instant Jackie made her lunge towards Timothy, and she shot between the two with raised hackles and a defensive stance even as Logan caught her. Though the snarl twisting Sabrina's muzzle relaxed after Logan's move, that wildness did not entirely leave her golden eyes.
Panting hard from her exertion, her muzzle half open, she moved an intense stare down from Jackie and Logan up towards Kratos. She shot a glance back at Timothy. Then she looked at Kratos again. Slowly, she raised herself up to stand bipedally. Just as slowly, her defensive stance lessened, but in body language she was still clearly guarded. Again, her eyes darted back towards Timothy, then decidedly not at Jackie and Logan, and back at Kratos.
Kratos' words struck a chord with her as they had Logan, even the same line, but for perhaps entirely different reasons. The emotion that surfaced in her chest at the words was anger, and then something like hunger. Both were directed at an image that came to her mind... a familiar image, a woman with dishevelled ruddy hair, kneeling in a cage, tears streaming down her dirty face. Sometimes she would be hurt, sometimes bleeding. Of course they would console her. And he would embrace her and tell her he was always there for her. No one thought it was right she had to be treated like that. It wasn't her fault. She was just afraid, she couldn't control it, is what they said. And in the evening she would be clean, her hair set, her wounds dressed. She would prepare dinner, and she would smile, laugh, hug and kiss... and everyone would pretend it had never happened. But it did happen. It happened every moon.
But she cast the image and any meaning from her mind. Before Timothy could move, she turned to him and exclaimed fiercely, "You will stay! Before the last moon you proclaimed him your Alpha, his word is your law! You will not disobey him again!"
****
Levi did not look back as the three shots split the air. Toby was on his own now--with any luck, he knew what he was doing... with any luck, he had some luck to begin with and hadn't been hit! No one could stay or find out, lest every one of them be shot dead in the confusion. So he led Theo and Chime on as quickly as he dared push the former as they continued down the mountain slope.
"Jest a little futher nu," he panted. He felt like he was running on static electricity instead of lifeblood. Any movement in the woods or sound from in front or behind had his heart lurch to his throat. The first time it was just some small animal which he never got a chance to see. The next time it was a pair of startled does bounding across their path--and that was good, if they were moving quiet enough to not startle the deer until they were upon them, that was very good indeed. Only... he didn't think that they were moving that quietly. His step faltered a little and he glanced uncertainly at Theo, but continued moving.
The way the does had come, and their manner of bounding... it almost seemed like they had been driven towards the oncoming wolves--or that they were fleeing something else when they had misfortune to come upon them. The thought was disconcerting, but Levi brushed it from his mind. His hiding place was just a short ways ahead now. They could get there and rest. Just a little further.
Soar:
Even while pinned by Logan, Jackie’s demeanor did not change. Her lips were still drawn back to reveal pointed teeth, spittle foaming at the corners of her mouth. Her eyes still contained the same unreasonable fire in them. As she thrashed helplessly under Logan’s grip—not hurting the fellow pack mate, but certainly not being gentle about it—she seemed livid to be free. There was no doubt about it; if she had been freed at just that instant, she would have continued where she left off with Timothy.
It was Kratos that changed her conviction. Though not readily apparent, as she was still snarling and spitting a harsh animal sound, her struggle no longer seemed as animated. As Logan released her, she did not make a ready grab at Timothy, but rather stood proud and indignant like some exotic ruffled bird. Yet for all that attitude, she did not look at Kratos once. Her eyes remained fixed at her paws.
There was a feeling burning in her chest. She couldn’t name it. It was not something that neither the wolf in her nor the human in her had ever experienced before; or rather, never thought much of. It was like she had stood in the sunshine too long and now her cheeks felt rosy and sunburned; but it was cold outside and she could not connect the sensation to its cause.
’ Why do you seek to kill and lay low the only people on this earth that will ever again call you family?! Get up out of the dirt, now!’ -- the voice was repeating even now, long after the alpha had spoken it.
She tried to dislodge the mental parasite, but it would not budge. It was a leech to her mind, sucking away every other thought so only Kratos’ voice remained.
To the wolf, it meant pack. It meant comradery and protection and a collective that must be maintained. The alphas word was law. If Timothy was to be considered a part of this pack, then this law must be obeyed. That she had acted on her own behalf, a behalf that was not with this will, was a sickening sensation.
To the human, it meant more. She had meant to attack Timothy in self-protection to her packmate (or was it, perhaps, friend? But Jackie could venture so far as to admit that word even in her own mind). But that was not the feeling that had swept her in that moment. No, it had been pure bloodlust; unfocused and primal, with no reason beyond a simple shortsighted goal. Logan had been little more than an object in this matter; her preservation was an act of preserving what was hers and ensuring what was hers was not taken from her.
More frighteningly, the savagery had not come entirely from animal instinct; the wolf had been content to protect the pack, but otherwise had little interest in pursuing a rogue to the ends of the earth. That had been the human in her who had felt the euphoria of the chase, the consideration of future chases with little regard to family and pack, and the sick satisfaction in thinking what blood may her hands lay waste to. To break and to destroy—that was all human.
Ah. The human finally found a word to the feeling. Shame
---
“Define….. A. Little…. Nnng… Farther”
If ever Theo had wanted to explain what running through a forest for your life after being shot in the leg, he would have described it as “awful and painful”. Given more time to consider, he would have explained it to be the feeling a deer might have from a hunter. Given even more time, he would have become a vegetarian and vowed off animal suffering forever.
Because Theo, at that moment, was not having the great of time. Each little jolt felt like a sharp electric shock. He had half a mind to whine and moan and demand Levi handle the situation with more care, but that is where the “running for your life” prevented such noisy outbursts. As far as a “worst case scenario” went, he was convinced the trio had hit rock bottom.
Cathannah:
Toby had flown over their heads and continued on into the forest, leaving the hunters and his friends behind-- He had tried to distract the townsfolk and give his friends time to escape, but now he couldn't even find it within himself to stop and see if his plan it had worked. He couldn't stop at all. There was an image of a digital clock in his mind, and the seconds were whizzing away faster than sight: Time was running out.
In his frantic state, he felt no pain, so he couldn't even be sure where the bullets had struck him: One had grazed it's way up his forehead and gone through his ear, he was sure of that. The blood was dripping into his eye even now. As for the other two, he knew only that great amounts of warm liquid was running down his back leg, and he had a horrible discomfort in his stomach-- Yet even as Toby considered this, his wits began to return, and with them came unbearable pain!
He yelped at the shock of it and felt himself heave as though to puke, but all it amounted to was his head going down and taking notice of a lot of black stuff leaving a trail underneath him. It smelled so strongly, so terribly! Next thing Toby knew, he was incredibly dizzy, and soon fell face first into the mud.
He lay there trembling, in terrible pain and fear.
Was he going to die? Who would take care of Grandmama if he did? She'd be alone!.. And the people who shot him; they'd never know.. But if they found out-- Oh, he didn't want them to feel guilty. He wouldn't want them to be sad. He loved them! They were like his family ever since his father had left. Oh please, don't ever let them find out!
They were good people! They were just scared, just like the pack.. Let the pack survive tonight and become good friends... And someone please take care of Grandmama..
"--Get up out of the dirt, now!" The Alpha's words were spoken loudly and with much command, Toby rose to his feet again. He had no idea where the voice had come from, but it couldn't be far away!.. It had sounded like it was right next to him, almost like it was right inside his head. He knew that the Alpha couldn't be far away now. He stood on two legs and stumbled, crawled on four and stumbled again, at last he collapsed again but with renewed hope.
The alpha was nearby... He'd hear him if he---
Toby took a deep breath, tossed back his head, and let loose with the strongest howl his failing body could muster!
It was his very first howl, and he rather liked the sound of it; It was soft, almost musical sounding; better still, it wasn't a girl's voice, nor the thin thing he'd expect to come out of a scrawny runt like himself.. In fact, if he had heard it as a human when none of this werewolf stuff had happened; He would have pictured it belonging to a black and grey scout with a full glistening coat and bright eyes. Not a very big or powerful fella, but one with a lot of courage and pride in his service to his pack...
How Toby liked that image. He wished he was that scout.. That proud scout who the pack really loved.. Instead of a patchy, omega cur who had ruined everything... He was so sorry..
Then, all went black. And He never knew that in truth, the Alpha was very many, many miles away.
Aim:
Running with Levi, she couldn’t help but check on Theo was doing, oh, why did the hunter have to be there? She winced as she caught sight of his blood for at least the third time, why? They should have smelled them, though it seemed most everything there masked it’s smell, how was a total mystery to Chime.
Hoping that Levi knew how to treat a gun wound, for she had never treated anything worse then a splinter!
It felt almost like a dream, like she wasn’t really moving. She wished that she could wake up in her bed, with her mother to hold her, to tell her it’s alright, just a nightmare..
She hadn’t realized how in her mind she was till a sound made her heart jump, she couldn’t be in her head at a time like this! They had to have they wits about them, had too! It was then she about jumped bodily as the deers ran by, feeling somewhat relieved after they had gone, not noticing how tense she was.
Surprised, she listened to the howl, who was it? She had never heard... sorrow filled her, no, no it couldn’t be. Moving her thoughts away from such a thought, it could very well be that stranger, she had never heard her sing either, it didn’t have to be.. it wasn’t..
Turning to Levi, she open her mouth, but the question never came out. As the howl died out, she couldn’t suppress small wines, coming out like little chirps. This was silly, Theo didn’t cry out once on this trip, and it was he who had been shot! Still, she didn’t seem to have control of it.
May:
Timothy flinched away from Sabrina's reprimand like a beaten dog, cowering as if to run only to immediately return full-circle and accept worse punishment to come. His head was low, his ears back, his broken tail between his legs. His body language stated that he wanted to appease her, whether he felt sorry for his actions or not. But at the same moment he was also paying attention to what happened beyond her, for she stood in his way and his focus was still on Logan. Little did he expect what would come next.
There was only one thing said that night that reached in and touched Timothy. It was not the words spoken by Sabrina or even Kratos, but rather by Logan. The stranger said one word, and it was a question, but Timothy felt it. Had it been worded any other way with the same meaning it would not have made a difference to him. Grandfather? Timothy knew what the word meant and he could not ignore it or force himself to not feel it. There was a beloved face attached to the word, and a comforting place he had once known well but could not now recall...
*****
Kratos' face was unseen in the darkness though his eyes pierced intently through it. In the faces of each of his pack members the Alpha could see various stages of reception, and that was all that he required of them. He wanted them to think - about anything - anything would do as long as it stirred their conscience and enabled their human intellect to take control of their actions.
As each member steadily came to their own conclusions, the Alpha's own thoughts he concealed from them. When Logan spoke, Kratos looked at her, and then his eyes fell further down and his gaze rested on Jackie's pocket. He would not say anything, and shortly thereafter came Toby's howl on the wind.
Kratos turned toward the sound and as he did so his face came into the moonlight. He listened and it seemed that if anything could be discerned by his expression, it was sadness. The howl was faint and brief, the tone solemn but urgent. He understood the message perfectly, and that single beautiful note alone confirmed all the Alpha's silent fears.
At hearing Toby's voice, Kratos' heart faltered. He knew now that for all that had gone wrong on the previous nights of the full moon it had been foolish to divide the pack up.
They all needed each other; large or small, tested or untested, broken or determined - the pack depended on not only strengths but also weaknesses to bring them and tie them together. What was more, the Alpha knew now that he needed the Omega like the rest of the pack needed an Alpha. He knew then as he felt all his hope and determination turn to despair, that should a lad such as Toby die this night, Kratos' strength would undoubtedly forsake him and the Alpha could be no longer.
Everything that had worried Kratos since that morning was coming about in the exact way that he had dared hope it not. They had needed the stars to align tonight, and now nothing had gone according to plan. There would be no question as to what he would do next...
Only moments after Toby's howl fell silent, a deep, solemn, and powerful voice rose in its stead. The sound was clear and beautiful, powerful and commanding. The message was simple and direct.
"Regroup. Get to safety and wait. We'll find you."
Kratos lowered his head and looked at those who stood nearby. They would either obey, or they would not be his, and it was as simple as that. "Come," was his final word to them, and then he fell forward onto his hands and began the trek.
Unlike the chase that had come before, the Alpha was now running with purpose. He did not romp, he did not delay, but he made straight for the Toby's last known location.
*******
The three wayward hunters, quite shaken by their encounter but too concerned for their companions to go after the beast they had shot, ran swiftly to aid the women on the trail.
By the time the three men reached McGordner, she was still on her knees but had retrieved her weapon. One arms she held close to her body, but otherwise she seemed unharmed. Save for the brief sight of the creature that had so violently lunged at them, the men did not see the beasts.
"Mildred! Mildred, are you alright?" Tom said as he came to McGordner's side. "What happened?"
Immediately as the man drew near, Mildred lifted her uninjured arm and pointed off toward the steep trail-side. Tom and Donny looked off in the direction she pointed, but the youngest of the three men had gone immediately to Adelaide's side.
"Trodder fell." Mildred instructed as she continued to point with her palm upward and her hand trembling. Tom knelt by Mildred on one knee and placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Donn," he said, "Have a look over there and see if you can get the girl back up here." He pointed with his flashlight toward the ledge and Donny followed suit.
Coming to the steep drop, Donn shown his light downward and looked for a moment. He could see a short, sloped ledge, all covered by stones and thereafter a direct drop, but he could see no sign of Tammy. Stepping side to side Donny tried to broaden his view. The cliffside was incredibly steep and he could not see directly to its foot on account of the ledge.
"I don't see her, Tom." Donn said, turning to look at the Game-warden. "It's a good ways down, there's a ledge and I guess its an empty riverbed. She might be at the bottom, probably unconscious." Donn turned around again and took another look. "Tammy are you down there," he called.
"We need to get Mr. Trodder's granddaughter back up here and then get everyone home." Mildred was still trembling, but her words were firmly set and her mind focused. She picked up Adelaide's rifle and stood up without much help from Tom.
******
~{Meanwhile}~
Tammy's heart was pounding hard in her chest. From the moment she had made the jump from the ledge and hidden in the bushes to the present time, she had not known what she was thinking. Even now as she slipped down slope after slope in pursuit of creatures that she knew not only to be dangerous but unnatural, Tammy could not fathom why on earth she was being so stupid. She had her bag with her still, in it all the herbs, bandages, and medicines that she was not often without. And down she went, walking nearly in their exact steps and yet going as if unnoticed.
At any moment they might turn around and see her, and if the did, what would they do? Tammy could not predict it. Her heart took a leap every two seconds at the snap of a twig or the rustle of a bush. Then came the faint howl and she froze, seeing the smallest figure in front of her turn toward the others. After a moment she urged her feet forward again, and then the second much more powerful howl rang clear!
Tammy could have died right then and there, for that sound had disrupted her pace and - Crack!-thwump! - Tammy took the wrong step and fell flat on her back!
Dez:
Now there was something in Logan's eyes only present once earlier, when
she first sough to gain control over her form. Her humanity attempted to
pull through the thick of emotions that flooded her mind. Thoughts of
her grandfather, of that first encounter with a werewolf; they bombarded
her and there was a silent and unseen war in her mind. Not like any
before but likely one of the greatest that would ever again overtake
her..
She remembered his features. The lines on his face, his groomed gray hair, his soft eyes of mingled browns and greens. His laugh was a great chuckle, warm and joyful enough to light up an entire room. He seemed to have an endless reservoir of patience and love, even for a man who had lived so long in such a dark place and had lost so much. Then there were his stories, his rambles, his snippets of wisdom and knowledge he would go on about with or without reason. There was his warm embrace and his constant looking out for Logan..
As she trembled, falling to her knees as though a hundred pounds were forced on her shoulders and clasping her head within her hands, she sought a place of safety in her own mind. Teetering somewhere between consciousness of being and a beast, her human wondered about the darkness. Why was it still dark if she had awoken? And then there came a howl. The werewolf conscious took this, and had it only been the wolf, it might have been disregarded, but this was translated to her human mind as a distress call and she had a desire to follow it to it's owner. Then again the wolf surfaced, remembering Timothy and turning to him with a growl, cut off quickly by the great howl of the Alpha!
"Come."
In all of the chaos, that single word, that one command, it set straight the thoughts in her mind. She did not understand the reason, perhaps due to the nature of the Alphas voice, strong and firm, or simply because she needed to hear a voice that was not coming from within in her mind. In any case, she found herself free to sort her thoughts.
Who and what was she? Logan Ash Geronimo, a werewolf. Where she had come from, who she had lost, how she had become what she is.. she could never forget these things! Surely they would surface at times. But to deny or fight any of them, let her fears control her, to dwell on the worst, she could no longer. What was important was that there was a life out there that was faltering, and Logan could no longer use the logic that he deserved it due to his heritage, because then she would certainly most of all deserve it, having allowed herself to become the very beast that changed and attempted to destroy her that night only a few months ago!
Now she too turned back her head towards the stars and let out her own song. It did not match the grace of Toby's call or the strength and beauty of Kratos', but was smooth and steady and served it's purpose; to let the Alpha know that she would follow. For now, her two minds had come to a truce at the very least, and she fell forward, her paws hitting the ground and she took up chase after Kratos.
She remembered his features. The lines on his face, his groomed gray hair, his soft eyes of mingled browns and greens. His laugh was a great chuckle, warm and joyful enough to light up an entire room. He seemed to have an endless reservoir of patience and love, even for a man who had lived so long in such a dark place and had lost so much. Then there were his stories, his rambles, his snippets of wisdom and knowledge he would go on about with or without reason. There was his warm embrace and his constant looking out for Logan..
As she trembled, falling to her knees as though a hundred pounds were forced on her shoulders and clasping her head within her hands, she sought a place of safety in her own mind. Teetering somewhere between consciousness of being and a beast, her human wondered about the darkness. Why was it still dark if she had awoken? And then there came a howl. The werewolf conscious took this, and had it only been the wolf, it might have been disregarded, but this was translated to her human mind as a distress call and she had a desire to follow it to it's owner. Then again the wolf surfaced, remembering Timothy and turning to him with a growl, cut off quickly by the great howl of the Alpha!
"Come."
In all of the chaos, that single word, that one command, it set straight the thoughts in her mind. She did not understand the reason, perhaps due to the nature of the Alphas voice, strong and firm, or simply because she needed to hear a voice that was not coming from within in her mind. In any case, she found herself free to sort her thoughts.
Who and what was she? Logan Ash Geronimo, a werewolf. Where she had come from, who she had lost, how she had become what she is.. she could never forget these things! Surely they would surface at times. But to deny or fight any of them, let her fears control her, to dwell on the worst, she could no longer. What was important was that there was a life out there that was faltering, and Logan could no longer use the logic that he deserved it due to his heritage, because then she would certainly most of all deserve it, having allowed herself to become the very beast that changed and attempted to destroy her that night only a few months ago!
Now she too turned back her head towards the stars and let out her own song. It did not match the grace of Toby's call or the strength and beauty of Kratos', but was smooth and steady and served it's purpose; to let the Alpha know that she would follow. For now, her two minds had come to a truce at the very least, and she fell forward, her paws hitting the ground and she took up chase after Kratos.
Soar:
There was a fatigue in Jackie’s limbs she had never before felt. Even
in the midst of the action, she wanted nothing other than to sleep a
very long time. Something seemed to be robbing her, siphoning off her
energy so all that was left was something that was shaky on her paws.
[ Grandfather]
The very word that had lifted Timothy and Logan from their wolf was the very same that imprisoned Jackie in hers. Grandfather—a promise. She had promised to protect Logan; and she had, but for the wrong reasons. Grandfather—family. She did not know the meaning of the word, but she was certain it did not mean slaughter. Grandfather— a picture of one rattled in her pocket; what would such a wise man have made of her actions?
A heaviness was pressing down on her. Guilt! That was it, pressing down so she felt like a single point of nothing. This was not an emotion made for Jacqueline Ryder the human. She could not deal with its weight.
I’m done
An internal sigh and a shrug and the intelligence and cunning that held Jackie’s gaze were gone.
But as Kratos issued his command to come, there was no hindrance; she followed right behind him. The wolf would follow her alpha to the ends of the earth.
---
A howl filled the air with such musicality that Theo couldn’t help but stop and admire it. He did not know whose voice it was, but it was melancholy. Sad, even. More than anything in the world he wanted to draw up his own voice, so he might reach through the sky and give comfort to its owner. Then run towards the stranger and help.
[Regroup. Get to safety and wait. We’ll find you.]
But he could not. He had to remain quiet, or else the three of them might be discovered. He couldn't run the other direction either; he had been given an order not to and it was doubtful he would be able to help either. It made his heart feel torn and broken, but nothing could be done about it.
I wonder if Toby is alright? he thought involuntarily,because I’m going to owe him a lot of books for getting us this far.
[ Grandfather]
The very word that had lifted Timothy and Logan from their wolf was the very same that imprisoned Jackie in hers. Grandfather—a promise. She had promised to protect Logan; and she had, but for the wrong reasons. Grandfather—family. She did not know the meaning of the word, but she was certain it did not mean slaughter. Grandfather— a picture of one rattled in her pocket; what would such a wise man have made of her actions?
A heaviness was pressing down on her. Guilt! That was it, pressing down so she felt like a single point of nothing. This was not an emotion made for Jacqueline Ryder the human. She could not deal with its weight.
I’m done
An internal sigh and a shrug and the intelligence and cunning that held Jackie’s gaze were gone.
But as Kratos issued his command to come, there was no hindrance; she followed right behind him. The wolf would follow her alpha to the ends of the earth.
---
A howl filled the air with such musicality that Theo couldn’t help but stop and admire it. He did not know whose voice it was, but it was melancholy. Sad, even. More than anything in the world he wanted to draw up his own voice, so he might reach through the sky and give comfort to its owner. Then run towards the stranger and help.
[Regroup. Get to safety and wait. We’ll find you.]
But he could not. He had to remain quiet, or else the three of them might be discovered. He couldn't run the other direction either; he had been given an order not to and it was doubtful he would be able to help either. It made his heart feel torn and broken, but nothing could be done about it.
I wonder if Toby is alright? he thought involuntarily,because I’m going to owe him a lot of books for getting us this far.
Kaqurei:
One trait that didn't carry over from any wolf genes he might possess,
Levi was sweating. Hard. His fur was saturated in sweat, it dripped off
the end of his nose and only complimented the sound of his short, ragged
breathing. He could smell Theo's blood now, and it was like knives up
his nostrils... it did not incite the sense of clarity in his mind at
the smell of a strange werewolf's blood, or the maddening hunger of any
other sort of blood, but a literally painful stress... the sort
he usually felt at the scent of a packmate's blood. Maybe it was because
he'd been around the Calagathorms for so long... but still, he hardly counted himself as one of them. Levi wanted to slap himself. Get a'hold o' yerself, O'Connell! he thought, urging on forward.
Truth be told, he had no experience in medicine. He had no idea what he was going to do once he got the others to his hiding place. But one thing was clear; Theo was at risk of bleeding to death, or worse, if anything could be worse--he might go into shock from the trauma. He needed to be someplace quiet and relax, he needed to stay warm--Levi knew that much, at least. And he figured a tourniquet probably wouldn't be too bad an idea either... but really he had no clue. Where was that dratted Sabrina when you needed her!?
"Define... A. Little... Nnng...¦ Farther...
The three shots echoed across the mountain landscape before Levi could answer, and his shoulders gave a quick jerk of surprise. Steady, lad, steady... he thought, trying to ease up his nerves, just a little. He threw Theo an apologetic glance for yet another jostling.
"Just up a ways," he breathed with a jerk of his head in the direction of a small stream just ahead. "There's a great ol' tree, y'see it there? Behind it there's a cave o' sorts. Hid there fer weeks a'fore, wit'out anyone noticin'. I figure it'll--"
He cut off as Toby's mournful howl filled the air. He stopped cold and raised his head up, ears erect, towards the sound. And he felt sick. He looked at Chime the same moment she looked at him, his brows knitted tightly together. He wanted to say something, some word of comfort, or even denial, but ultimately he shook his head quickly and swiped his brow with his free arm. He opened his mouth, in hopes to grunt out some urge to go forward, when Crack!-thwump!
Immediately, his head spun around again to focus on the sudden noise. And then he did nothing. Absolutely nothing - he didn't even breathe for a full 15 seconds. He was just staring like a deer in the headlights at the little form of Tammy on the path just behind them, his heart pounding a mile a minute. Really, he was fighting every urge within his body so as not to spring off just like the startled does a moment ago. The conflict of run and help the others kept him rooted like a statue, just like that, for 15 seconds. There was a twitch in his face, and a low growl rumbled deep within his chest, but his expression did not change to one of aggression... he didn't so much as snarl, let alone part his lips. He just continued to stare, motionless, with a growl in his throat and Theo's left arm braced over his shoulder.
Truth be told, he had no experience in medicine. He had no idea what he was going to do once he got the others to his hiding place. But one thing was clear; Theo was at risk of bleeding to death, or worse, if anything could be worse--he might go into shock from the trauma. He needed to be someplace quiet and relax, he needed to stay warm--Levi knew that much, at least. And he figured a tourniquet probably wouldn't be too bad an idea either... but really he had no clue. Where was that dratted Sabrina when you needed her!?
"Define... A. Little... Nnng...¦ Farther...
The three shots echoed across the mountain landscape before Levi could answer, and his shoulders gave a quick jerk of surprise. Steady, lad, steady... he thought, trying to ease up his nerves, just a little. He threw Theo an apologetic glance for yet another jostling.
"Just up a ways," he breathed with a jerk of his head in the direction of a small stream just ahead. "There's a great ol' tree, y'see it there? Behind it there's a cave o' sorts. Hid there fer weeks a'fore, wit'out anyone noticin'. I figure it'll--"
He cut off as Toby's mournful howl filled the air. He stopped cold and raised his head up, ears erect, towards the sound. And he felt sick. He looked at Chime the same moment she looked at him, his brows knitted tightly together. He wanted to say something, some word of comfort, or even denial, but ultimately he shook his head quickly and swiped his brow with his free arm. He opened his mouth, in hopes to grunt out some urge to go forward, when Crack!-thwump!
Immediately, his head spun around again to focus on the sudden noise. And then he did nothing. Absolutely nothing - he didn't even breathe for a full 15 seconds. He was just staring like a deer in the headlights at the little form of Tammy on the path just behind them, his heart pounding a mile a minute. Really, he was fighting every urge within his body so as not to spring off just like the startled does a moment ago. The conflict of run and help the others kept him rooted like a statue, just like that, for 15 seconds. There was a twitch in his face, and a low growl rumbled deep within his chest, but his expression did not change to one of aggression... he didn't so much as snarl, let alone part his lips. He just continued to stare, motionless, with a growl in his throat and Theo's left arm braced over his shoulder.
Soar:
He was starting to get so dizzy from the blood loss, he almost didn't
see as poor Tammy came falling into their path. It was only Levi's
pause that alerted him to a change. A blinked away the spots that
clouded his vision, at last settling on - a girl? A badly hurt girl?
Had he been in better shape, he might have had more physical action to say on the matter. As it stood, he had only the strength to speak a word.
"Levi," his voice was pleading. He wanted to say more, but his voice left him and his body was growing slack in Levis grip.
Had he been in better shape, he might have had more physical action to say on the matter. As it stood, he had only the strength to speak a word.
"Levi," his voice was pleading. He wanted to say more, but his voice left him and his body was growing slack in Levis grip.
May:
When Logan's voice lifted in answer to the Alpha, Timothy's head lowered
in defeat. Following that proclamation, Timothy could do no more, and
Logan was now one with the pack; an enemy and stranger no longer. There
was no calculation he could make, no loophole or rule to bend. Sabrina
had been right, Timothy had himself proclaimed to the Alpha his
allegiance as a member of this pack, and if that were so then he could
not pursue another who had done likewise.
So Timothy turned his gaze aside, rested his face calmly and took up after his leader. Yet the feelings that had been stirred deep inside him did not yet rest and would continue to throb in his heart for the rest of the night...
****
Ulric stayed a moment after the Alpha had gone, silently observing his companions. Thus he saw the moment when in Logan's eyes a fire was kindled, and knew the moment when Jackie's fight died. His feelings for them were deeply felt, knowing both that they struggled hard and that he could do nothing to help them. The battle for mastery was one that must be fought alone. No outsider regardless of how longing could decide the outcome between the forces at war within.
Logan, Jackie, and then Timothy and Sabrina took up one after the other behind Kratos. At last Ulric went down and sprinted forward with energy afresh, gaining ground until he came to run alongside them. Bushes and bramble fell away behind them, and Ulric looked over his shoulder as they all ran together, drawing nearer until he ran paw-for-paw with them all. Kratos in the front covered great amount of ground with his stride and never faltered.
Ulric looked to the person who ran alongside him, steadily coming closer to her with every step until she would be able to hear the words he would whisper in her ear... "Don't give up, Jackie." There was nothing he could say to comfort her, or to give her any courage, but with all his heart he hoped she would understand. Then Ulric moved quickly away and began to progress rapidly on Kratos' heel.
*****
The Alpha was not built for much speed, but even so his great stride brought him fast and far in short time. At one point the ground began to slope downward, and Kratos used the strength of his legs and the weight of his girth to propel himself off the ground! The jump covered a good distance, with dirt and stone being cast up under his landing, and still he sped on.
It was hard to believe that only that morning Toby had come blundering out of the bushes around Zeit's cottage, waving his hands and stuttering his excuses when the Alpha had playfully found fault with him. Now he was somewhere in these woods laying in great need, and time was ticking mercilessly against him.
There was no question in Kratos' mind of the dire circumstances, he understood that Toby would not have howled had the situation not been urgent. Moreover Kratos had felt Toby's strength in that howl as if he had taken the lad's hands in his own, and there could be no disputing that Toby had been growing weak when he had called out.
After a short time Kratos lead his group to a gurgling mountain stream. As it was none too deep for him, he crossed it quickly on four paws and the water only just reached his back. It was bitterly cold, but he did not stay in the stream long enough for the water to pass through his undercoat. His clothes might well have been soaked, but he simply shook the weight from his fur and pressed on.
Now the werewolf group were in the area from whence came Toby's call. Kratos began sniffing the air but there was no scent of werewolf or blood that could be detected...
"Toby?" Kratos called, his voice a deep thrumming bellow. He proceeded to head forward at a slower pace, sniffing the air and the ground with heavy huffs. Then he lifted his head and looked about on the area, feeling urgency press more determinedly upon him with every step he took. Calm but desperate Kratos spoke, "Find him. Find him."
*****
Tammy's mind must have grasped at a million thoughts and shadows as her heart quailed within her. Daresay she did not breathe either for as long as Levi's gaze held its intent. Then came to Tammy's ears the terrible sound of that growl and she nearly jumped to her feet!
"I-I-I..I c-can help!" Tammy said as swiftly as she may, pointing her hand toward Theo's injured leg. She didn't know what to do or say to keep them from attacking her - if they would attack or could even understand her! She didn't know whether it would be better to run or stay on the ground, she was simply too terrified! Only once before had she ever come in contact with such a beast as what was before her, and the experience had scarred her deeply. Yet there she was, trembling from knee to hand and extending whatever help she might offer to their aid.
So Timothy turned his gaze aside, rested his face calmly and took up after his leader. Yet the feelings that had been stirred deep inside him did not yet rest and would continue to throb in his heart for the rest of the night...
****
Ulric stayed a moment after the Alpha had gone, silently observing his companions. Thus he saw the moment when in Logan's eyes a fire was kindled, and knew the moment when Jackie's fight died. His feelings for them were deeply felt, knowing both that they struggled hard and that he could do nothing to help them. The battle for mastery was one that must be fought alone. No outsider regardless of how longing could decide the outcome between the forces at war within.
Logan, Jackie, and then Timothy and Sabrina took up one after the other behind Kratos. At last Ulric went down and sprinted forward with energy afresh, gaining ground until he came to run alongside them. Bushes and bramble fell away behind them, and Ulric looked over his shoulder as they all ran together, drawing nearer until he ran paw-for-paw with them all. Kratos in the front covered great amount of ground with his stride and never faltered.
Ulric looked to the person who ran alongside him, steadily coming closer to her with every step until she would be able to hear the words he would whisper in her ear... "Don't give up, Jackie." There was nothing he could say to comfort her, or to give her any courage, but with all his heart he hoped she would understand. Then Ulric moved quickly away and began to progress rapidly on Kratos' heel.
*****
The Alpha was not built for much speed, but even so his great stride brought him fast and far in short time. At one point the ground began to slope downward, and Kratos used the strength of his legs and the weight of his girth to propel himself off the ground! The jump covered a good distance, with dirt and stone being cast up under his landing, and still he sped on.
It was hard to believe that only that morning Toby had come blundering out of the bushes around Zeit's cottage, waving his hands and stuttering his excuses when the Alpha had playfully found fault with him. Now he was somewhere in these woods laying in great need, and time was ticking mercilessly against him.
There was no question in Kratos' mind of the dire circumstances, he understood that Toby would not have howled had the situation not been urgent. Moreover Kratos had felt Toby's strength in that howl as if he had taken the lad's hands in his own, and there could be no disputing that Toby had been growing weak when he had called out.
After a short time Kratos lead his group to a gurgling mountain stream. As it was none too deep for him, he crossed it quickly on four paws and the water only just reached his back. It was bitterly cold, but he did not stay in the stream long enough for the water to pass through his undercoat. His clothes might well have been soaked, but he simply shook the weight from his fur and pressed on.
Now the werewolf group were in the area from whence came Toby's call. Kratos began sniffing the air but there was no scent of werewolf or blood that could be detected...
"Toby?" Kratos called, his voice a deep thrumming bellow. He proceeded to head forward at a slower pace, sniffing the air and the ground with heavy huffs. Then he lifted his head and looked about on the area, feeling urgency press more determinedly upon him with every step he took. Calm but desperate Kratos spoke, "Find him. Find him."
*****
Tammy's mind must have grasped at a million thoughts and shadows as her heart quailed within her. Daresay she did not breathe either for as long as Levi's gaze held its intent. Then came to Tammy's ears the terrible sound of that growl and she nearly jumped to her feet!
"I-I-I..I c-can help!" Tammy said as swiftly as she may, pointing her hand toward Theo's injured leg. She didn't know what to do or say to keep them from attacking her - if they would attack or could even understand her! She didn't know whether it would be better to run or stay on the ground, she was simply too terrified! Only once before had she ever come in contact with such a beast as what was before her, and the experience had scarred her deeply. Yet there she was, trembling from knee to hand and extending whatever help she might offer to their aid.
Aim:
Her mournful demeanor didn't change even though the alpha's voice filled
the air, though she did feel a little more hopeful. She turned her
attention back to Theo, or would have if not for the
Crack!-thwump!
Sharply turning her head, she could feel her fur stand up as the figure became clear, the girl! Her eyes darted, looking around for some kind of weapon, were the other hunters near by? It didn't make sense that one would come after them alone, did it? More of feeling Levi then hearing him, she kept her eyes on the girl
till she heard Theo, gently hushing him, she brush his forehead with the tips of her fingers as felt him grow limper, oh, hold on please.
The girl talked! While more of stuttered but all the same, the words made her shoulders relax. She would? Truly? Before really thinking about it, Chime spoke
"You can? Would you?" Upon hearing her grunt, she silently scolded herself. Could the other understand such as words? What if it made matters worse? Watching her for a reaction, Chime dared to hope that she wouldn't dash off for her hunting party.. Oooh! How she wished she had a white hankie with her!
Crack!-thwump!
Sharply turning her head, she could feel her fur stand up as the figure became clear, the girl! Her eyes darted, looking around for some kind of weapon, were the other hunters near by? It didn't make sense that one would come after them alone, did it? More of feeling Levi then hearing him, she kept her eyes on the girl
till she heard Theo, gently hushing him, she brush his forehead with the tips of her fingers as felt him grow limper, oh, hold on please.
The girl talked! While more of stuttered but all the same, the words made her shoulders relax. She would? Truly? Before really thinking about it, Chime spoke
"You can? Would you?" Upon hearing her grunt, she silently scolded herself. Could the other understand such as words? What if it made matters worse? Watching her for a reaction, Chime dared to hope that she wouldn't dash off for her hunting party.. Oooh! How she wished she had a white hankie with her!
Kaqurei:
Levi's growl stopped. He huffed, once, twice, a third time, stressed
panting with his mouth half open. The girl had no weapon. The thought
that others might be behind her had not yet even occurred to him. He was
just trying to steady the beat of his heart and find reason midst the
terror in his mind. She had no weapon. He could work with that. Then she
spoke, and though it took him a few seconds to put meaning into her
words, and only really could manage to after he heard Chime's response
to them, he ventured a deep, rumbling, "What can yeh do?"
He felt the strength leaving Theo. He looked at him, looked at the girl, and all guard fell to pure desperation! A high dog-like whine was in his breath as he panted again, and he looked to the girl. "Whate'er ye can do, 'tis welcome - please, please come, we've got ta get him ta shelter!" Or out of the stream, at any rate! Unsure if the girl wold understand his words, he looked up at her and pinned back his ears. Extended his hand and beckoned her over. "Come on, Theo m'lad! Just ta the other side!" And that was as far as he felt he could compel Theo to go. They only just crossed over to the other bank when Levi felt that the venture was more taxing than Theo could afford, and thus gave up the hope of making it to the hiding place, though it was but twelve feet away. Carefully, he eased Theo down to the ground and encouraged him to lay there. Kneeling beside him, he looked at his injury helplessly; the shirt he'd wrapped it with was soaked through.
****
Sabrina took after the others just as soon as she was certain with a glance that Timothy would relent. Though she was fast by nature, she kept at the back of the pack at first, again to be certain that Timothy would not stray. But she knew also that Toby's need was dire, and she was the pack's medic. Once ascertained that Timothy would indeed follow, she raced on faster, nearer the Alpha's flank.
He plowed through the stream. As she neared it, she considered the distance and decided she could make a spring over it. This she did, and thus got a little ahead of the Alpha. She paused there and let the others race past her, taking from her satchel a waterskin which she had not the chance to fill since this morning. She filled it now, and put it around her neck before continuing. If Toby had been shot, he would be needing immediate attention, they would not have time to move him back to the cabins for treatment.
When they came upon the area, she need have only the Alpha's direction before she started seeking any visual sign of a struggle. The phantom herb was in this area--of course, why wouldn't it be?--and she knew she had to rely on other senses than just smelling to find Toby. "Keep your wits about you, the hunters may still be in this area," she said, before setting off to search.
He felt the strength leaving Theo. He looked at him, looked at the girl, and all guard fell to pure desperation! A high dog-like whine was in his breath as he panted again, and he looked to the girl. "Whate'er ye can do, 'tis welcome - please, please come, we've got ta get him ta shelter!" Or out of the stream, at any rate! Unsure if the girl wold understand his words, he looked up at her and pinned back his ears. Extended his hand and beckoned her over. "Come on, Theo m'lad! Just ta the other side!" And that was as far as he felt he could compel Theo to go. They only just crossed over to the other bank when Levi felt that the venture was more taxing than Theo could afford, and thus gave up the hope of making it to the hiding place, though it was but twelve feet away. Carefully, he eased Theo down to the ground and encouraged him to lay there. Kneeling beside him, he looked at his injury helplessly; the shirt he'd wrapped it with was soaked through.
****
Sabrina took after the others just as soon as she was certain with a glance that Timothy would relent. Though she was fast by nature, she kept at the back of the pack at first, again to be certain that Timothy would not stray. But she knew also that Toby's need was dire, and she was the pack's medic. Once ascertained that Timothy would indeed follow, she raced on faster, nearer the Alpha's flank.
He plowed through the stream. As she neared it, she considered the distance and decided she could make a spring over it. This she did, and thus got a little ahead of the Alpha. She paused there and let the others race past her, taking from her satchel a waterskin which she had not the chance to fill since this morning. She filled it now, and put it around her neck before continuing. If Toby had been shot, he would be needing immediate attention, they would not have time to move him back to the cabins for treatment.
When they came upon the area, she need have only the Alpha's direction before she started seeking any visual sign of a struggle. The phantom herb was in this area--of course, why wouldn't it be?--and she knew she had to rely on other senses than just smelling to find Toby. "Keep your wits about you, the hunters may still be in this area," she said, before setting off to search.
Dez:
Now as Loga ran after the Alpha, following close to last in the group,
there was only a dream like haze about her mind. She felt her limbs
hitting the ground but it did not seem to her that she entirely willed
them to do so. And while they sought after another werewolf, one who had
undoubtedly been injured, she did not know who. However she did not
break the flow of her run for a moment, and even after all of the chaos
and the ongoing sense of dread that seemed to fall like a heavy cloud
over the other wolves, there was some harmony in the group running
together and it was the first thing that happened during the night to
feel right.
She watched as the Alpha made his way across the stream as though it were nothing but a mild annoyance, and before she could realize it's depth she too ran into it without a second thought! Beating her way across, the otherwise well natured stream looked liked it had a consciousness and intention to attack and smother Logan. Despite this she was, after some effort, safely on the other bank.
Soon after, though her fur still sagged with the weight of the water, Logancame to the place the Alpha stopped and began to search. However there was no sign of the injured pack member.. now she stood tall, slowly stepping in one direction or the other, before she made her ways through the surrounding brush and bramble to search there. Little moonlight seeped into these areas and she could not see anything but the vague outlines of the objects in the area. With her sense of smell rendered useless, she relied on her hearing, and her ears tilted about in every which way in hopes of catching the sound of breathing or the slightest movement that might take place.
She watched as the Alpha made his way across the stream as though it were nothing but a mild annoyance, and before she could realize it's depth she too ran into it without a second thought! Beating her way across, the otherwise well natured stream looked liked it had a consciousness and intention to attack and smother Logan. Despite this she was, after some effort, safely on the other bank.
Soon after, though her fur still sagged with the weight of the water, Logancame to the place the Alpha stopped and began to search. However there was no sign of the injured pack member.. now she stood tall, slowly stepping in one direction or the other, before she made her ways through the surrounding brush and bramble to search there. Little moonlight seeped into these areas and she could not see anything but the vague outlines of the objects in the area. With her sense of smell rendered useless, she relied on her hearing, and her ears tilted about in every which way in hopes of catching the sound of breathing or the slightest movement that might take place.
Soar:
There was a bliss in not thinking or feeling anything beyond the
breathing in one’s chest and the ground underfoot. It was like being
stuck in a hazy uneventful dream that would not be remembered. Only the
path in front of her was illuminated long enough for her to run and to
follow. And it just as quickly faded into the non-memory. All such a
haven cost her was her mind; but it was a price she would gladly pay.
[Don’t give up, Jackie]
The words were snaking through the darkness, spilling their blinding light into her eyes. This light was not a thing she could bare to see for long; no more than she could look at the sun than more than a few seconds. She chose to be here; who was Ulric to take away the prison she had fought to put herself into? And so the beast continued forward into the shallow stream ahead, the hindrance of its human counterpart forgotten with a simple shake of its head.
But all the same, she could still hear the simple phrase in some distant corner of her mind. It was quiet enough for the wolf to ignore, much like how a city sleeper might learn to ignore the sound of cars outside their window. But it was repetitive and unrelenting; how the human wished it would be quiet so she could continue her dreamless slumber!
[Don’t give up, Jackie]
The words were snaking through the darkness, spilling their blinding light into her eyes. This light was not a thing she could bare to see for long; no more than she could look at the sun than more than a few seconds. She chose to be here; who was Ulric to take away the prison she had fought to put herself into? And so the beast continued forward into the shallow stream ahead, the hindrance of its human counterpart forgotten with a simple shake of its head.
But all the same, she could still hear the simple phrase in some distant corner of her mind. It was quiet enough for the wolf to ignore, much like how a city sleeper might learn to ignore the sound of cars outside their window. But it was repetitive and unrelenting; how the human wished it would be quiet so she could continue her dreamless slumber!
May:
Words... Words? Words! Desperately Tammy pressed her mind to try
and figure out what they meant! The noises were too complex to mean
nothing at all, and some very nearly sounded human, but ordinary words
were so strange from the mouth of any beast that Tammy simply could not
understand. Yet she never really needed to anyway, for the creature's
beckoning motions and subtle gestures seemed clear enough.
To say that Tammy had ceased to tremble was untrue, but she seemed to get some of her courage back and she caught up her bag to follow after the werewolves. Into the icy water the girl stepped without hesitation though it soaked her shoes and jeans right through. Then to the other side Tammy climbed and there she finally approached the creature to whom she had offered aid. She came slowly forward and her eyes did not go from the wound, lest she look up and her courage again forsake her.
"I.. I'm going to have a look at it." Tammy said, glancing up now to meet the eyes of the one who had carried the first. In these few words she intended to ask if she might do so, but she did not want to delay in deciphering the reply, so she knelt down and opened her bag. Quickly she tucked her hands away inside it, untying her fingerless straps out of sight and replacing them with disposable gloves. Then she extended her hand and touched the makeshift bandage.
Tammy watched the werewolves keenly for a moment, worrying about their reactions, but she proceeded regardless. She did not want to remove the cloth entirely, fearing to cause a greater bleed, but she needed to check the severity of the wound. She was not a qualified surgeon or even a nurse, so Tammy could not do everything, but she intended to do all she could. She took a small flashlight from her bag and put it between her teeth, then piled out a billion other things rather quickly and stacked them beside her.
"Hold him, and apply pressure there." Tammy instructed out of the corner of her mouth and began loosening the cloth. After that she seemed to work rather quickly, giving a glance under the cloth, grabbing a few things from her pile, moving to feel or clean about the wound and so forth. But among the many things she did, one of the most peculiar was that she took a small packet of what looked like mashed leaves out of her bag and prepared to press it into the wound. But she hesitated.
"This is going to hurt. Keep him.." Tammy looked carefully at the face of her patient for but a moment with her own fears in heart. "Keep him still," she said and then proceeded.
Tammy did as she intended as quick as possible and then caught up a bandage from her pile to cover the wound. All the while she seemed prepared to retreat should one of the werewolves attack, but she never did, regardless the reaction they gave.
"That'll clot it and better," Tammy explained as she bandaged each wound individually and wrapped the leg in a covering. At last she removed the soaked bandage completely and cast it on the ground. Then she turned aside, put her hands down among the bushes to discard her gloves, and swiftly dealt into her bag once more. In moments her hands were wrapped in leather straps again and she pulled out several more things from her bag.
"Here," Tammy said, taking the flashlight from her mouth and extending a bottle out to Levi. "This is for him to help with the pain. There w-was an exit wound, so h-hopefully no bullet. It-tt- didn't h-hit bone either." Tammy might have been still afraid, but she now trembled more on account of the cold.
The girl did not wait for Levi to take the bottle from her, and indeed she might have flinched away should he have tried, but she set the bottle on the ground and began opening another package.
Retrieving and unfolding a silver emergency blanket, Tammy explained. "If he gets too cold, and.." she took out a towel. "Dip this in the water if he gets hot." Tammy put these things aside for the werewolves and then sat up a bit straighter to go into her pocket. Here she pulled out a zipped pouch and opened it up, retrieving from it what appeared to be three small tea bags, and these she also offered to the werewolves.
"Smell t-them... It m-might help tt-to calm him d-down..."
***************
Jumping into the river was not something Ulric was inclined to do. It looked as black as ink with maybe a glint of a stone or two reflecting the moon's light, but other than that he knew it would be cold and wet fur was more irritating than some clothes. So needless to say Ulric stopped at the mountain stream and watched as the others crossed with struggle or ease.
Ulric observed each member cross the stream and he looked to see if anyone might find a more preferable way. Sabrina bounded over the water with ease, but Ulric was not as agile as she, and all the others seemed to plunge right in and have it over with. Everyone that was, except Timothy.
Ulric noticed that Timothy had also stopped and stared a moment at the water, then Timothy turned aside and stalked alongside it and into a dense patch of bramble. Ulric out of curiosity followed, and sure enough, Timothy had found another way to cross. It was a worn old trunk collapsed over the river, quite lengthy and smooth, and even more interesting was that it connected what Ulric immediately saw as a footpath from one side of the river to the other. Timothy crossed it calmly and then turned back down to rejoin the others on the other side of the bank. Ulric on the other hand, stayed a few moments on the path.
Ulric lowered his head and sniffed the earth. The smell of werewolf was not present here, and oddly there seemed to be very little smell here at all. Even the thick foliage seemed to loose its pleasant odor in this area, and for whatever reason the smell of the moist forest soil itself had become but a dull enticement. What was it that made him disregard his own senses?
Ulric slowly stepped forward onto the log. The water sped continuously onward under his paws and its sound was loud in Ulric's ears. Yet even so there was no smell.
"No, wait." Ulric furrowed his brow, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "There is a smell...But its -" Before he could properly think of a way to describe it, Ulric found himself falling toward the water! Then, without really thinking about it, he over-corrected his stance and ended up leaping off the log to prevent himself from crashing into the water! He hit the ground on the other side of the river with a thud, and then become aware that he was extremely dizzy.
"Huh?" Ulric muttered in his confusion and shook his head in attempt to clear it. He regained his senses easily enough, and that was when he realized he had fallen into a sticky and musky bush which had broken under his weight.
Ulric stood up and looked around. He could hear the water and the thrashing of the other werewolves through the bushes, but he still felt lightheaded. Unfortunately the sticky plant-matter was far worse than water and it clung to Ulric's fur terribly, but he considered it 'just deserts' for having gone around his problems to begin with.
The smell was so incredibly hard to pinpoint, every part of him wished to ignore it, or get around it, or anything other than seek it out, but that was exactly what Ulric did.
He put his nose low to the earth, and then up against the bark of the trees, and then down to his own paws. Then after wandering here and there Ulric suddenly lifted his head in alarm!
It wasn't the source of the smell, or perhaps the lack thereof that had caught Ulric's attention, but rather something he had just barely detected beyond it!
"Kratos!" Ulric shouted over his shoulder, "Toby!"
The Alpha's head raised at the call and he didn't waste a moment! Immediately in the direction he had heard Ulric's voice, Kratos raced forward! He came upon Ulric much further off from the river than he had expected, but laying on the ground near him was the wounded Omega!
"Sabrina, quickly!"
To say that Tammy had ceased to tremble was untrue, but she seemed to get some of her courage back and she caught up her bag to follow after the werewolves. Into the icy water the girl stepped without hesitation though it soaked her shoes and jeans right through. Then to the other side Tammy climbed and there she finally approached the creature to whom she had offered aid. She came slowly forward and her eyes did not go from the wound, lest she look up and her courage again forsake her.
"I.. I'm going to have a look at it." Tammy said, glancing up now to meet the eyes of the one who had carried the first. In these few words she intended to ask if she might do so, but she did not want to delay in deciphering the reply, so she knelt down and opened her bag. Quickly she tucked her hands away inside it, untying her fingerless straps out of sight and replacing them with disposable gloves. Then she extended her hand and touched the makeshift bandage.
Tammy watched the werewolves keenly for a moment, worrying about their reactions, but she proceeded regardless. She did not want to remove the cloth entirely, fearing to cause a greater bleed, but she needed to check the severity of the wound. She was not a qualified surgeon or even a nurse, so Tammy could not do everything, but she intended to do all she could. She took a small flashlight from her bag and put it between her teeth, then piled out a billion other things rather quickly and stacked them beside her.
"Hold him, and apply pressure there." Tammy instructed out of the corner of her mouth and began loosening the cloth. After that she seemed to work rather quickly, giving a glance under the cloth, grabbing a few things from her pile, moving to feel or clean about the wound and so forth. But among the many things she did, one of the most peculiar was that she took a small packet of what looked like mashed leaves out of her bag and prepared to press it into the wound. But she hesitated.
"This is going to hurt. Keep him.." Tammy looked carefully at the face of her patient for but a moment with her own fears in heart. "Keep him still," she said and then proceeded.
Tammy did as she intended as quick as possible and then caught up a bandage from her pile to cover the wound. All the while she seemed prepared to retreat should one of the werewolves attack, but she never did, regardless the reaction they gave.
"That'll clot it and better," Tammy explained as she bandaged each wound individually and wrapped the leg in a covering. At last she removed the soaked bandage completely and cast it on the ground. Then she turned aside, put her hands down among the bushes to discard her gloves, and swiftly dealt into her bag once more. In moments her hands were wrapped in leather straps again and she pulled out several more things from her bag.
"Here," Tammy said, taking the flashlight from her mouth and extending a bottle out to Levi. "This is for him to help with the pain. There w-was an exit wound, so h-hopefully no bullet. It-tt- didn't h-hit bone either." Tammy might have been still afraid, but she now trembled more on account of the cold.
The girl did not wait for Levi to take the bottle from her, and indeed she might have flinched away should he have tried, but she set the bottle on the ground and began opening another package.
Retrieving and unfolding a silver emergency blanket, Tammy explained. "If he gets too cold, and.." she took out a towel. "Dip this in the water if he gets hot." Tammy put these things aside for the werewolves and then sat up a bit straighter to go into her pocket. Here she pulled out a zipped pouch and opened it up, retrieving from it what appeared to be three small tea bags, and these she also offered to the werewolves.
"Smell t-them... It m-might help tt-to calm him d-down..."
***************
Jumping into the river was not something Ulric was inclined to do. It looked as black as ink with maybe a glint of a stone or two reflecting the moon's light, but other than that he knew it would be cold and wet fur was more irritating than some clothes. So needless to say Ulric stopped at the mountain stream and watched as the others crossed with struggle or ease.
Ulric observed each member cross the stream and he looked to see if anyone might find a more preferable way. Sabrina bounded over the water with ease, but Ulric was not as agile as she, and all the others seemed to plunge right in and have it over with. Everyone that was, except Timothy.
Ulric noticed that Timothy had also stopped and stared a moment at the water, then Timothy turned aside and stalked alongside it and into a dense patch of bramble. Ulric out of curiosity followed, and sure enough, Timothy had found another way to cross. It was a worn old trunk collapsed over the river, quite lengthy and smooth, and even more interesting was that it connected what Ulric immediately saw as a footpath from one side of the river to the other. Timothy crossed it calmly and then turned back down to rejoin the others on the other side of the bank. Ulric on the other hand, stayed a few moments on the path.
Ulric lowered his head and sniffed the earth. The smell of werewolf was not present here, and oddly there seemed to be very little smell here at all. Even the thick foliage seemed to loose its pleasant odor in this area, and for whatever reason the smell of the moist forest soil itself had become but a dull enticement. What was it that made him disregard his own senses?
Ulric slowly stepped forward onto the log. The water sped continuously onward under his paws and its sound was loud in Ulric's ears. Yet even so there was no smell.
"No, wait." Ulric furrowed his brow, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "There is a smell...But its -" Before he could properly think of a way to describe it, Ulric found himself falling toward the water! Then, without really thinking about it, he over-corrected his stance and ended up leaping off the log to prevent himself from crashing into the water! He hit the ground on the other side of the river with a thud, and then become aware that he was extremely dizzy.
"Huh?" Ulric muttered in his confusion and shook his head in attempt to clear it. He regained his senses easily enough, and that was when he realized he had fallen into a sticky and musky bush which had broken under his weight.
Ulric stood up and looked around. He could hear the water and the thrashing of the other werewolves through the bushes, but he still felt lightheaded. Unfortunately the sticky plant-matter was far worse than water and it clung to Ulric's fur terribly, but he considered it 'just deserts' for having gone around his problems to begin with.
The smell was so incredibly hard to pinpoint, every part of him wished to ignore it, or get around it, or anything other than seek it out, but that was exactly what Ulric did.
He put his nose low to the earth, and then up against the bark of the trees, and then down to his own paws. Then after wandering here and there Ulric suddenly lifted his head in alarm!
It wasn't the source of the smell, or perhaps the lack thereof that had caught Ulric's attention, but rather something he had just barely detected beyond it!
"Kratos!" Ulric shouted over his shoulder, "Toby!"
The Alpha's head raised at the call and he didn't waste a moment! Immediately in the direction he had heard Ulric's voice, Kratos raced forward! He came upon Ulric much further off from the river than he had expected, but laying on the ground near him was the wounded Omega!
"Sabrina, quickly!"
Soar:
Theo was too exhausted to put up much of a struggle as Tammy began to
clean his wound, but that was not to say he was entirely quiet on the
matter. A strange sound, a hybrid between a moan and a whine, formed at
the back of the throat. As Tammy delved further into her work, he
tensed; when she applied the crushed leaves his body became rigid and it
seemed as if he were about to thrash wildly. But there seemed to be
just enough presence in mind left in him not to—he could not allow his
caretaker to become hurt in the process of treating him!
When Tammy was finished, Theo felt more exhausted then he did before. His body was racing from the ordeal, but every movement seemed a momentous effort. He rolled helplessly to his side, as if in some way trying to right himself but being unable to find the strength. His eyes opened to green slits, his gaze taking in the sight of Tammy.
A rumble formed at the back of his throat; it was not a snarl, but it was not quite words yet either. He struggled, as whatever he wanted seemed very important, but soon this urgency left him as he slipped off to semi-consciousness.
When Tammy was finished, Theo felt more exhausted then he did before. His body was racing from the ordeal, but every movement seemed a momentous effort. He rolled helplessly to his side, as if in some way trying to right himself but being unable to find the strength. His eyes opened to green slits, his gaze taking in the sight of Tammy.
A rumble formed at the back of his throat; it was not a snarl, but it was not quite words yet either. He struggled, as whatever he wanted seemed very important, but soon this urgency left him as he slipped off to semi-consciousness.
Dez:
"Kratos!" ... "Toby!""Sabrina, quickly!"
One storm left and another rolled in steadily behind it; the omega was lost and found yet there was still no room to relax.
While Logan's ears perked up in acknowledgement to the fact that their lost pack member had been discovered, she did not move from her position, mid-stride and pushing away at branches that blocked her path.
Now a silence overtook the area, and the grey and white wolf's stance relaxed. Her violet eyes shifted, being cast into some unseen distance. If only she would leave now, they would be too busy to give any chase. Perhaps she could run miles before they even noticed she was gone! Anyway, she had tried to help find the omega, and Jackie it seemed had forgiven her, so now what was her duty in the pack?
She remained quiet and unmoving aside from glancing back towards the direction in which the voices had arisen, and again into the seemingly endless forest. Somewhere in the deep of her mind, the pros and cons were briefly weighed, and she soon came to a conclusion..
Even as her legs grew tense with a craving to run and leave this place, she turned and began towards the others, coming to where Toby's body lay. She examined him briefly, before taking a few steps back and standing tall, her ears and eyes alert to any threats that might surface nearby.
Aim:
Chime hurried across the stream, anxiously, her eyes darted to the three
others around her. She breathed a sigh a relief when the girl followed
them across, and set up to help with the wound.
As it went on, Chime found herself watching Theo's face more then the tending, the smell of blood alone made her feel sick, never mind looking at it! Doing her best to help when instructed, she was happy when the girl mentioned about something, she really knew what she was doing, or at least it seemed that way. And, boy, was it a relief to know those facts about the bullet.
After it was over, Chime listened to the girl, mentally writing it down. She checked on Theo one more time before she planned on picking up the items, though he slight movement caught her attention. Moving her hand on his shoulder, she patted him softly.
Still having some doubts, she hoped that now he was on the road to recovery, though she couldn't ignore this girl, who somehow knew that she was needed here, even if they were different and even frightening. She wanted someway to thank her, if she had something with her, something she could give her...
"Thank you."
She hoped her eyes showed her message if the words didn't, it was all she had, she really hoped it would be enough.
As it went on, Chime found herself watching Theo's face more then the tending, the smell of blood alone made her feel sick, never mind looking at it! Doing her best to help when instructed, she was happy when the girl mentioned about something, she really knew what she was doing, or at least it seemed that way. And, boy, was it a relief to know those facts about the bullet.
After it was over, Chime listened to the girl, mentally writing it down. She checked on Theo one more time before she planned on picking up the items, though he slight movement caught her attention. Moving her hand on his shoulder, she patted him softly.
Still having some doubts, she hoped that now he was on the road to recovery, though she couldn't ignore this girl, who somehow knew that she was needed here, even if they were different and even frightening. She wanted someway to thank her, if she had something with her, something she could give her...
"Thank you."
She hoped her eyes showed her message if the words didn't, it was all she had, she really hoped it would be enough.
Kaqurei:
Sabrina flicked back an ear and turned upon hearing the urgency in
Ulric's voice. She had only strayed a short distance when she heard him,
and quickly came bounding to his side.
With only a glance over Toby's still form, she immediately set to work, her eyes and hands moving almost too quickly to keep up with. Now into her pouch for a salve, or some herbal powder, or bandages, now again down Toby's vest to be certain exactly where and how grievous his injuries were, to her waterskin to wash the wounds she discovered. She worked at a urgent pace, but her expression was perfectly calm, focused, and her golden yellow eyes were intense. "We're going to need to get him back to the Dens as soon as possible," she said without looking up, "The fastest runner of our party--whichever one of you can think clearly under the moon's light, that is--must go there now and fetch a few blankets. We'll meet you halfway. Remember that the threat may very well still be afoot, so be wary and silent, but swift as you can."
****
Levi watched anxiously as Tammy treated Theo's wound. He glanced from Theo to Tammy, to Chime, and to Tammy again - the expression on his face akin to a punished dog, but the humanity and vulnerability in his eyes may have made it look more like the expression of a frightened child. He felt so helpless and useless!
"...T'ain't any words," he muttered quietly, shaking his head, "Jest t'ain't any..." His voice cracked and something flinched within him. The world seemed to have gotten a little foggy. He took a deep breath to steady himself, and swiped his eyes with the back of his arm before looking at Tammy. "Aye, thank yeh," he said softly after Chime had spoken. Then he looked at Theo and was quiet. After a moment, he finally ventured, "Will he be a'right nu?"
With only a glance over Toby's still form, she immediately set to work, her eyes and hands moving almost too quickly to keep up with. Now into her pouch for a salve, or some herbal powder, or bandages, now again down Toby's vest to be certain exactly where and how grievous his injuries were, to her waterskin to wash the wounds she discovered. She worked at a urgent pace, but her expression was perfectly calm, focused, and her golden yellow eyes were intense. "We're going to need to get him back to the Dens as soon as possible," she said without looking up, "The fastest runner of our party--whichever one of you can think clearly under the moon's light, that is--must go there now and fetch a few blankets. We'll meet you halfway. Remember that the threat may very well still be afoot, so be wary and silent, but swift as you can."
****
Levi watched anxiously as Tammy treated Theo's wound. He glanced from Theo to Tammy, to Chime, and to Tammy again - the expression on his face akin to a punished dog, but the humanity and vulnerability in his eyes may have made it look more like the expression of a frightened child. He felt so helpless and useless!
"...T'ain't any words," he muttered quietly, shaking his head, "Jest t'ain't any..." His voice cracked and something flinched within him. The world seemed to have gotten a little foggy. He took a deep breath to steady himself, and swiped his eyes with the back of his arm before looking at Tammy. "Aye, thank yeh," he said softly after Chime had spoken. Then he looked at Theo and was quiet. After a moment, he finally ventured, "Will he be a'right nu?"
May:
Tammy had worked as quickly and efficiently as she could and then she
began slowly backing away to allow the werewolves to tend to their
wounded.
Now on her hands and knees Tammy lifted her eyes and met the gazes of those who looked so gratefully upon her. She stopped in her gentle retreat and listened as each werewolf tried to express their gratitude. The first words spoken by the smallest of their number Tammy understood, but of the second she could not make out a single word, and yet the meaning of all three was still silently conveyed to her mind.
Somehow, though bitter cold and fear still clasped about her, Tammy's body found a moment to stop shivering. "I have reason to thank each of you," she said, every word proceeding soft and carefully. "...you don't need to say anything. But as for me, thank you, and I am sorry."
Tammy glanced down at Theo's wounded leg, making known for what she was apologizing; the pain which had been caused that night could not properly be accounted for by any manner of speaking. Then Tammy grabbed her bag and got off the ground, her knees and hands covered in dirt. Whether she intended to say anything else to the werewolves was unclear, but shortly after standing Tammy's face seemed to fill with confusion and she quickly looked around.
The forest seemed silent and still, the shadow of each tree thick and long under the brightness of the moon. Tammy could see nothing beyond it all. Too quickly however her confusion slipped away into alarm as she realized of what she had then become aware, and that she needed to get quickly away.
So it was that Tammy left, backing up swiftly and then turning to run. She could not come back, even had she dared. And thus it was unclear whether or not she intended to leave the thing which was hidden and given away; safely tucked between the folds of the towel, a small note written and perhaps forgotten that morning had found its into the possession of Chime...
******
Kratos stood nearby with his attention and concern trained on Toby. He watched Sabrina's hands go to and fro with rhythmic prowess and heeded and attended her word. No sooner should she make her request before he would make it a command and all the while stand at readiness to assist her.
"Ulric, go get the blankets." Kratos said, at last to instruct his brother.
Ulric sprinted away without a word or even slight contemplation on the trust with which he was given his task. The urgency was clear, and Ulric, already spared the exertion of the earlier chase and bout, could go swiftly and safely through the woods to the Dens without backtracking. It might have well been that he was the only available hand, but regardless, things would be found changed between brothers from that moment on.
Meanwhile Timothy stood near at hand seemingly nonchalant at the circumstances, yet not as if he were careless but as if he could not properly understand. His ears were focused back and around, certainly searching for something to be alarmed at while his eyes looked onward. He was aware of the feelings of his pack members, but he could not readily see the Alpha's concern. Nor could he smell it, for the strange bush that surrounded them blotted out every scent and put at ease his instinct concerning the matter.
Now on her hands and knees Tammy lifted her eyes and met the gazes of those who looked so gratefully upon her. She stopped in her gentle retreat and listened as each werewolf tried to express their gratitude. The first words spoken by the smallest of their number Tammy understood, but of the second she could not make out a single word, and yet the meaning of all three was still silently conveyed to her mind.
Somehow, though bitter cold and fear still clasped about her, Tammy's body found a moment to stop shivering. "I have reason to thank each of you," she said, every word proceeding soft and carefully. "...you don't need to say anything. But as for me, thank you, and I am sorry."
Tammy glanced down at Theo's wounded leg, making known for what she was apologizing; the pain which had been caused that night could not properly be accounted for by any manner of speaking. Then Tammy grabbed her bag and got off the ground, her knees and hands covered in dirt. Whether she intended to say anything else to the werewolves was unclear, but shortly after standing Tammy's face seemed to fill with confusion and she quickly looked around.
The forest seemed silent and still, the shadow of each tree thick and long under the brightness of the moon. Tammy could see nothing beyond it all. Too quickly however her confusion slipped away into alarm as she realized of what she had then become aware, and that she needed to get quickly away.
So it was that Tammy left, backing up swiftly and then turning to run. She could not come back, even had she dared. And thus it was unclear whether or not she intended to leave the thing which was hidden and given away; safely tucked between the folds of the towel, a small note written and perhaps forgotten that morning had found its into the possession of Chime...
******
Kratos stood nearby with his attention and concern trained on Toby. He watched Sabrina's hands go to and fro with rhythmic prowess and heeded and attended her word. No sooner should she make her request before he would make it a command and all the while stand at readiness to assist her.
"Ulric, go get the blankets." Kratos said, at last to instruct his brother.
Ulric sprinted away without a word or even slight contemplation on the trust with which he was given his task. The urgency was clear, and Ulric, already spared the exertion of the earlier chase and bout, could go swiftly and safely through the woods to the Dens without backtracking. It might have well been that he was the only available hand, but regardless, things would be found changed between brothers from that moment on.
Meanwhile Timothy stood near at hand seemingly nonchalant at the circumstances, yet not as if he were careless but as if he could not properly understand. His ears were focused back and around, certainly searching for something to be alarmed at while his eyes looked onward. He was aware of the feelings of his pack members, but he could not readily see the Alpha's concern. Nor could he smell it, for the strange bush that surrounded them blotted out every scent and put at ease his instinct concerning the matter.
Concluding post:
As Tammy returned to her companions on the mountain ledge she was taken into the kind embrace of her grandfather's friend. Though a stern and hard woman, Mildred had worried for Tammy's safety and was relieved to find her not too badly off.
Adelaide awoke shortly after Tammy's return, and all six members of Mildred's hunting party took leave of Phantom Mountain on their own two feet. Later that night they would return to Town Hall and Albert Rich with reports of their alarming encounter...
Following the event, Tammy never would mention having seen the werewolves, nor of what happened beyond the ledge when she had fallen, only that she had found her way back up again with some difficulty.
Mildred was the only person aside from Tammy to be certain that what she had shot that night was neither wolf nor bear. Though Harvey Bolt, whose own hunt concluded disappointingly and uneventful, tried in later days to discredit her, Mildred's known experience and honesty could not be easily disregarded. Her word was a foreboding to the residents of the mountain, but there was not another howl heard all that night; Phantom Mountain fell silent, once again concealing its secrets and slipping into another month of dreamless slumber...
As for the werewolves themselves, Toby was brought back to the Dens where Sabrina tended to him, and in time Kratos came to find Levi, Theo, and Chime. When the sun rose the pack was found once again united, having weathered the events of the Full Moon, and though haunting and terrible this night had been, all were yet alive to greet a new morning.
To be continued...
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