The sun was barely peeking above the horizon and the sky was already a crisp purple - at least what little bit of it was able to peek through the uneven cloud cover. The clouds were fluffy and white - though they reflected the gold and red of the sun - and promised to remain nothing more than just the comfortable-looking things they were... no rain, no snow. Just early April clouds sliding slowly through the sky. While it wasn't warm out, much the snow had been reduced to mush; bits of grass and mud even poked through here and there! It would be nice to see the green of grass again.

Teketa wouldn't mind seeing more grass anyway. Grass meant more grass-eating mammals. Grass meant more prey. It meant the end of another winter. He'd survived four of them now - he had experienced a harsher one before this. But he would still be glad of the warmth spring promised. The black wolf was making his way down the gentle slope of Fireweed Rise. He had no idea what it was called of course, but he might've gathered some idea if he'd arrived in another season. As it was, this seemed a decent enough place to take a rest. He moved with an easy lilt, his steps even and confident as his paws carried him toward a lonely cedar tree. It was small - for a tree - but Teketa thought he might find some semblance of shelter under its boughs.

It had been a long time since Teketa could just sit and enjoy the sunrise. He had traveled through the night and though he could feel the exhaustion of his journey, the sight of another day was beautiful to him. As he reached the tree, he took a moment to sniff around - a habit that usually kept him out of trouble - and relieve himself. Then he dug away some of the slush around his paws and settled down with his back to the tree, his eyes to the uneven eastern horizon. The sun wouldn't be visible to him right away, but the clouds and the sky itself were already painted with more color than the prettiest painting, and he loved what he could see.

He loved when he was alone - when he knew no one was watching - when his stern façade could fade and the gentlewolf underneath could be revealed, however briefly. If any in the Lore had known him before, they would scarcely recognize Teketa now - any who spied him would see a face far kinder than they had ever seen on him before, albeit a weathered one. He didn't quite smile, but the sharp downward pull found commonly on his lips was absent, lending him a more content expression.

Sema had a slight lilt to her as she walked, the female was alone at last, well, she was always had someone with her. That one wolf was her goddess that watched over her for all the days when she traveled and all the nights that she slept. Artemis was always there and Sema was always following her. She was grinning as she walked, and after all she had nothing to fear or react to here. There was mud and small little buds of grass. She was unsure of where to go from here. She had joined the Ridge wolves at the Willows and she went and dabbled in everything. She scouted out surrounding territories, she marked the borders, attempts to hunt were made, but she was not successful yet. She was calm; she had also done a fair amount of scavenging, not as much cache raiding now that she belonged to a pack. She knew that the scent was on her and in order to raid the cache, it would reflect poorly on the pack.

Her gait was fairly normal, but she walked with a regal feeling she had not had since she was in her former pack. She had the pack, and now she had to find that wolf and tell him his daughter searched for him. That was the important part because she had promised to find him. She would search as she had promised and she would search until she found him. She knew of a few relatives to bring up to wolves, there was Isi herself. Then she had heard of a niece of this named. Naramaie or something like that, which was her name. She would search for that wolf and see if she knew her uncle or his whereabouts. She scented another wolf, her eyes calm as she walked onto the scene. The wolf was rather curious looking.

The wolf was calmer, and a larger scaled male. That immediately put up a red flag for her, she had to be cautious. “Your name?” She asked.

The sun could take its time rising - Teketa would wait for it. He couldn't really feel his paws aching anymore, not like when he first began this endless traveling. But he knew they were glad enough for the rest. He allowed his lids to fall, his eyes reduced to yellow-green slits as he waited with his muzzle pointed toward the sky. He smiled a little in spite of himself, memories of a happier time flickering across his mind... only to be brutally quelled by others. His smile vanished, but was not replaced by his usual sternness. Instead, his brows furrowed and a darkness to match his pelt overcame his visage. He lowered his chin again; he needn't think of the past. It would do him no good in the here and now.

The sound of pawsteps was an unwelcome instrusion at that moment. Undoubtedly, dark traces remained on his face even when he made an effort to restore his usual expression. By the time his head turned to pinpoint the location of the other wolf he wore a grimmer expression than his usual, but it was not inclined toward aggression either. There was, maybe, a twinge of annoyance in his eyes, for he had hoped to be alone for a little while yet. But he would take what was given to him, however brief.

Teketa was already watching her - for he could see she was female - when she spoke to him with a simple question. He seemed to expect no introduction from her, nor did he beg for one as he pulled himself to his paws and his full height: he did not sit in the presence of strangers. He kept his tail still and neutral behind him and his ears pricked to listen. He did not know her. If she was to be friend or foe, it mattered little. He allowed for a few seconds of silence before he answered, his gruff bass breaking the morning silence more easily than her own tones had: "Teketa."

She asked for a name and she got one. She didn't need to know anything else. Even if she asked, he was unlikely to say more. He didn't want to know who she was, this intruder upon his peace. But then he realized: he was being a unfair to her. As much as he had enjoyed his moment of being alone, the peace hadn't really been broken to a point it wasn't recoverable. Besides, she could not know the memories she broke in upon. The grimness and annoyance left his expression. He didn't smile, no, but it left his weathered face looking lighter and gentler than it had mere moment before. He supposed he could make an effort at manners for once in his life, or at least respond with something more... but what was he supposed to say? Ask for a name he didn't care to know? Tell her to leave? He didn't have that kind of authority out here... Or anywhere.

So it was when he spoke next that Teketa's voice was soft and slow, careful by all accounts: "I ask for your name also - if you care to give it. And if not, I am not concerned," he seemed to assure her; or he simply made himself plain before she said anything more. He didn't care one way or another whether she came or went. He would not be the one to chase her away.

Sema looked at him as he spoke, dead in the eye. It was seen as a form of challenge, though she half expected there to be no challenge, loners were not the forms to fight because they risked their ability to hunt if they were injured. It seemed a bit rude to not give a name, but at the same time, she did not want him to know her name. So she made one up, lied straight to his face with no guilt. “Vittani.” She spoke in a cool and clean tone, no sense of worry he might figure or draw she was lying from her statement. She said it as if it were true. She did not ask him another question. A challenging glare furthered again, she was wondering how he would react to her challenge.

We will let the bodies hit the floor.

Her tail was curled, it was natural instinct for her to claim dominance as a pack wolf, and she assumed it was in her power, even if she was outside the territories of the Ridge. It didn’t matter; she only cared for her safety. That concern was little at that, barely a sense of worry in a fight. Without warning, she leapt at the wolf, she didn’t trust him and her claws yearned to tear some fur. She aimed for his legs, making it so he couldn’t hunt and in turn, and indirectly, killing him. Her eyes narrowed, she was still cautious, there was no way of knowing what his strengths were when it came to fighting, she just knew that any attack he threw at her, she would most likely dodge.

Be prepared.

She’s had a lot on her mind recently, with trying to integrate herself into the pack, and she had not planned to run into a male when she decided to explore the surrounding times. She was being paranoid suppose. I need to remember my oath. I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis, I turn my back on the company of men, accept maidenhood and join the hunt. She was sure going to join the hunt, she was going to try and take him out. There was no real reason for her attacking him, apart from his gender and it wasn’t her first time attacking a male because he was a male.

"Vittani."

Her voice was ice, her glare fire. Teketa met her gaze evenly - he was in no one's territory and he was a loner. He was not required to bow to anyone's authority; once long ago he had been the lowest. He had been brutalized and abused throughout his life. It was nothing new. He had run away, promising himself: never again. Had he known what the she-wolf had in store, he would've chased her away or fled - he was not so proud he would not flee. But how could he have known his choice to act in kindness - or at least neutrality - would result in such punishment?

No good deed goes unpunished, hmm?

He knew she was posturing - daring him to move. He could feel his spine prickling as his hackles started to stand on end. He started to speak; to quell the tension if he could. He never finished, nor pulled together a cohesive thought as she lunged. Too many thoughts flew too his head - he reacted far more slowly than he might've. He'd thought he'd rest, and here he was, attacked without provocation, without warning. He could wonder why later - unless this assassin intended to- was able to - murder him.

As the wolf called Vittani lunged, Teketa felt himself tense and instinctively begin to shrink back. He was backed against a tree however, and couldn't go far. She moved fast and with purpose - for his legs. Teketa could only do so much to prepare for a blow like that. He would have to duck quite far to cover himself. He was a loner - he could not afford an injury that might hinder his movement. While he longed for no pack, a pack would've kept him well in a situation like this. But what pack would take an injured wolf? How could he hunt? But alas, a thought could not help him as he tried to withdraw, his body turning as he tried to back away from both she-wolf and tree. Even so, it was too late - he was trapped and could neither dodge nor defend as her teeth sank into the upper part of his left foreleg - it took all of his strength not to yelp as he felt her fangs tearing deep and grinding muscle and bone.

Teketa, while not fatally wounded, was in a bad way from that very moment. Lights popped before his eyes from pain and shock. He grit his teeth as he tried to pull away - to escape in any way he could. He was afraid to lift his other paw lest she should wound his other leg too. He dared not lift his head to expose his throat. He snarled - or whined - as he watched her, his tail beginning to tuck and ears flattening. He was so confused... and in pain. Even he yelped as he tried to free himself from her grasp. "You're mad!" he just managed to gasp.

Sema grinned as contact was made, she bit down hard and as he started to struggle, she felt more fun out of this. Bloodlust are what some called it, she called it justice. Her eyes narrowed as she spit out his leg. “Next time Teketa, you should think before disrespecting an assassin.” She whispered into his ear, he couldn’t hunt and therefore he was dead to any pack and to his own uses, he would be dead. He couldn’t hunt nor provide for himself. Stop around the earth and peer into the souls of others to find yourself. Death is a friend and killing is doing a favor, I trust in her and she trusts in me, that is all that matters. She told herself, it was the will of Artemis. She had twisted it into that for this moment.

Her eyes raging like a bull, should she end his misery? No, she shouldn’t, he should live out knowing that he was worthless, just as all the men she detested {which was most of the male population}. She started to walk away, turning back occasionally. She herself had not been harmed, but the wolf around her had. She turned back and raised her tail again, he was barely gasping for breath. She really should end him, for some reason, Artemis told her not to. She had to respect her deity’s wishes. After all she was a humble and loyal servant.

Her ears curled back at the miserable loner, her eyes narrowed still. “Consider yourself lucky that Artemis has blessed you this day with her saving grace.” She spat at him, she was pissed off still. She started to walk away again, knowing that he shouldn’t dare follow her. Her mind was calm and clear, her thoughts organized. She knew that next; she would not be a Guardian if she attacked every male she saw. Perhaps instead she would be a scout or just a general beck and call fae for Elettra. All she knew was that it was her loyalty to the Ridge.

He hated her. He hated her and all that she stood for. Her very existence was an affront to all that was good. If he had believed in demons, if he'd known a demon by sight, he would have struck her dead before she could've lunged. If he'd still believed in demons he'd call her one... he had met one other "demon" in wolf-shape. Teketa had killed that one and proved there were no demons except the ones he'd created in his own head. He hardly felt it when Vittani released his forelimb. Automatically he tucked it close to his chest, blood dropping steadily onto the snow below him. Without help he was likely to die... unless he could fight past the pain and prevent infection. He didn't think the bone was broken, but it was bruised badly and the blood... he needed to stop the flow soon. The injury might mean death... but that did not mean he would give up here and now. He had seen - and survived - through so much more. How could he give in?

His lips trembled over his crimson gums, fangs revealed in a painful grimace as she dared to move her head closer to his ear. He struggled not to flinch as he watched her from the corner of his eye - more yellow now than green.

"“Next time Teketa, you should think before disrespecting an assassin.”

Her words clenched at his heart like ice. It was a chill he would not forget. He did not meet her eyes, couldn't bare to look at a murderer. She was evil. Where he'd come from, wolves had been judged by the colors of their pelt - but wolves like Teketa were never dangerous. His pack had been wrong. It was wolves like this Vittani that were so dangerous. Deceptive and quick to claw and fang. Teketa pulled his wounded limb closer to his body, his eyes glistening. To think he had come to watch the sunrise. To think he'd meant only to rest here.

Teketa glared after her as she stalked away, her tail lifted arrogantly in the air. She was the picture of every wolf that had ever mocked him, ever hated him, ever grazed his maw. He hated her. And who the hell was Artemis? A wolf? No, the female didn't speak of the being like a wolf. A god, more like. His breath ragged from pain, Teketa could only sit back on his haunches, his tail tucked under him pathetically. Her words both befuddled and enraged him, but he masked it well as he managed - through clenched teeth - to utter a few more words... and a question: "I suppose what you have done is no less than I might deserve," he uttered weakly, but with so much conviction he clearly believed it too. "But I must ask: who is Artemis?" And why should I be grateful for the death this one has apparently ordered? Grace!? She knows not the definition of grace! His voice was monotone from pain and shock. He said nothing more, only trembled and readied himself for another physical blow if she chose to turn back on him. His eyes were laced with his curiosity and other subdued emotions - for he had once believed he was worthless and, in the deepest parts of his heart still believed as much, even after escaping the Pack.

Sema turned back to the ignorance of the male. He said something, she thought of it as more of he was searching and trying to get sympathy out of her. Then he asked about Artemis, she snorted a little bit, almost rolling her eyes. “Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, she’s the one who told me not to kill you. I would have done so otherwise. So consider yourself lucky that she saved you with her grace. She saved your life, be thankful.” She told him, a bit more aggression and annoyance in her voice than before. She wasn’t the happiest wolf in the lore, but then again she wasn’t like most other wolves. Please Artemis, just let me kill him. She prayed, the wolf was just flat out annoying, but she knew it was not her decision. She shouldn’t try to change the orders that her Goddess had given her.

“Anything else you want to try to say? Or should I leave you to rot out the rest of your miserable life?” She questioned him, she wanted to go back home. There was always more to do after all. Not to mention the few facts of the borders, the role and the pack. Her three words of loyalty meant to it. The borders that would be protected as long as she lived, the role that she had left to claim and the pack she had sworn to serve until her last breath. That was all there was too it, it was her promise to Artemis to turn her back on men and join the hunt, the promise she had made on her goddess’ name to be loyal to the Ridge forever more. All of that was what mattered, and what didn’t matter was what she had to do to remain loyal. She would do anything Elettra asked of her. Anything.

She wasn't ready to let anything get in the way, not a male, not a disorder. She knew that to do her job she had to remain healthy and she had to be aware and honest. That was all that mattered to her. After all, what was loyalty without honesty?

He never wanted sympathy. It was the last thing he would ever want. He'd lived with such treatment most of his life. No, if anything, he desired to know more. It was fuel; it was a new race of superstitious belief for him to scorn. Artemis. A goddess? As he'd suspected. The black wolf rose - slowly - to his paws again. He would give no thanks to anything this she-wolf served. The name Vittani would be forever seared into his mind, along with the scars of this attack. Oh, and he would remember. He refused to let this kill him. He would find help. He didn't know how, or where, or who. But he would.

Anything else...? she was asking.

Teketa was already limping away, his desire to watch a peaceful sunset all but forgotten. He turned his head to peer over his shoulder at her again however, his expression as empty and dead as his hopeless heart. It was the only way he knew not to look at her with the hate he felt - he had to be numb. He hurt badly as well - he could already feel the overproduction of saliva in his mouth from pain. All he could do was lick his chops and turn away as it tried to fall. No, I've nothing to say to you, he thought rather than spoke - he didn't trust his voice not to quiver while he stood. In silence he began to limp away. He'd make sure she was gone before he settled down to tend to his bleeding forelimb. He would refuse to die - he would spite her, and the "goddess" she believed in.

Sema watched as Teketa started off with a rude way of doing so too. She mentally scorned him as she turned to leave herself. Her eyes a blazing fury, that was not the last he heard of Semananti ‘Vittani’ Whurshire. One did not simply turn their back on her. She would find a way to make him pay the next time she saw him. She started off, knowing that he probably wouldn’t survive a fortnight in his condition. She felt no pity or sympathy for the sorry wolf. He seemed as worthless as a pile of fox dung in the middle of summer. She kept mentally cursing him in her mind. She was just pissed off at the moment. That was all there was too it, she was not a happy wolf.

I’m breathing in the chemicals. Her eyes were blazing like raging bulls. She started to run, a full outburst of her speed, not caring if she died out of energy and will of continuing in a few minutes or a few hours. It had been a long time since she had ran full speed towards a destination, but she didn’t want to be missed right? After all, what else was there to do then serve? Serving was the key to everything. If she was gone for little more than a day, she considered it not being loyal, unless it was pack business, then it was expected. Her tail was straight out, her fur bellowing heavily in the wind as she ran against it. She could hear the rushing in her ears. It was time to go home.

(Semananti Exit)