The Wildwood Letters of Grace

Though he now belonged to the Grizzly Hollow pack, Valtyr still ventured out every once in awhile to new places that were not more than a day's travel outside of the cedar forest he now called home. It was good to roam knowing that you had a home to go back to at the end of the day. It made the obsidian beast feel much more secure than he had felt in a long time. Though he was the lowest except for an omega he had yet to meet, Valtyr was unfazed. Grizzly Hollow was his place, even if he did occasionally head out to travel just for the day.

It was on this day that the dark brute found himself in a place that had obviously been torn asunder by fire. Though it was obvious it had not happened recently, the lands were still very much damaged, in the beginning stages of healing. Having slowed his traveling lope to a brisk trot, Valtyr's gleaming golden eyes surveyed the shattered lands around him. Broken trunks, scattered limbs -- there was very little life to be had here. It was altogether a depressing sight.

Gazing at the late afternoon sun, Valtyr decided that this was the extent of his traveling for the day. Performing an abrupt about-face, the towering wolf started to run back to the west, back to the forest that was his home, back to his pack. He did not want them worrying about him, after all.

<blockquote>The area remind Rhysis of himself when he was younger, death all around him, no hope and plenty of despair. The scent of carbon still hung in the air. Twigs would still turn to dust if you got too close to them and there was little life to be seen. It wouldn’t always be like this, life was already beginning to creep slowly back into the wood but for now, Rhysis had found comfort in the terrain. How stereotypical, that a dark character should be drawn to a dark wood but there was always truth behind the stereotypes. Rhysis found this place homely and had actually considered abandoning the den he had stolen from a female and relocate here. He felt far more comfortable that was for sure and that is why he was strolling through the area today.

He’d been about to investigate a fallen tree when a familiar scent filled his nostrils. Valtyr was nearby, but something was off. He didn’t smell quite right… in fact he smelt of other wolves. He smelt of a scent he had whiffed as he travelled the area. Had been mingling with another pack?!

Outrage filled the young male. He had been counting on Valtyr to remain alone like him, counting on him to bring about the birth of his own pack, he’d even planned to make the male his wingman, a bodyguard of sorts whilst he was still in his young paws. Unable to contain his rage, a small snarl escaped from his black lips and he began to follow the scent of his hunting partner.

As soon as his grey gaze caught sight of the male streaking through the trees, he pulled himself together. It took every ounce of his mental strength to keep it together and keep any malice absent from his voice as he called out. <b>”Valtyr? Is that you?”</b>
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Despite the desolation of this place, running freely was something Valtyr loved deeply. Well, perhaps all wolves loved it as much as he did, but the dark beast took particular joy in it. Even though his large size made him far less swift than smaller wolves, it was magnificent to feel the turf under your paws give way as every stride consumed distance and the power in your nearly <span class='word'>alate</span> muscles sped you on your way. In this case, he was heading home -- a place he had not been able to name for many months. It gave him even more satisfaction than any ordinary run. He was going back to the cedar forest he had come to know over the last five days, back to his new friends and packmates. It was a cause for joy. Simple pleasures.

A voice on the wind caught in his ears and caused his trek home to become interrupted. It was a familiar voice to him, gruff and with that peculiar accent the onyx beast had never quite gotten used to, even in their frequent hunting trips together. It called to him, and he came to a halt where he was, his large skull thrown in the direction from which the voice had come. His golden eyes were bright and very much alive at the recognition of Rhysis. He had become something of a friend to Valtyr in these weeks he'd been in Relic Lore -- well, as close to a friend as he had come here, anyway. Many of the wolves were standoffish and seemed to each have their own ghosts and shadows from the past. Though he wouldn't, say, trust his life to Rhysis, he certainly had no cause to be on ill terms with the younger male.

Turning his body to align with his skull, Valtyr barked his reply, letting Rhysis know that it was, indeed, who he had thought he'd seen. <b>"Rhysis! How have you been faring lately?"</b>

<blockquote>The younger male was battling with himself, trying to keep his foul temper under wraps. He’d always been so polite and friendly towards Valtyr, but that was because he had assumed he’d be useful in return for his efforts. The stench of the other wolves clogged his nostrils as he drew a little closer to the larger male. Steel gaze raked over the other, looking for physical changes and other then the fact he appeared a little happier in himself, he didn’t look different… but he was now, wasn’t he.

<b>”Hanging in there as always.”</b> He replied curtly, clipping his words ever so slightly as he finally draw his pace to a trot and then halted not far from his hunting partner. It was near impossible to miss the scents coming from him, even holding his breath didn’t help and it took all his will power now to sneer, however, he didn’t have enough left to stop his mouth from saying <b>”What the hell is that smell?”</b>. Well, he was going to ask sooner or later he supposed. It wasn’t his usual tone, he seemed a little peeved about it all- perhaps his little mask was slipping with his mind being so ticked off.

He felt betrayed. Obviously Valtyr had no idea of the plans Rhysis had made for him and his future, but it annoyed him that they were now more complicated then they were originally. In short, he had a real grump on and despite his best efforts his body language was a lot stiffer then his usual calm and composed form. His brain was going a thousand miles a minute, trying to think up a way to get him on side, get him to leave his new pack and join with Rhysis but so far, he had nothing.
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As Rhysis approached, Valtyr began to notice his stiffened body movements, indicating anger. Immediately, the dark beast felt defensive, and he stiffened his body in kind, raising his tail, which had been low and loose in friendship, to a higher position. His suspicions were confirmed as Rhysis's cold gaze swept over him, as his curt words caught in his ears. He saw the other male sneer in what almost seemed to be disgust. What had he done to deserve his hunting partner's sudden malcontent for him? It was bewildering to Valtyr, and it wasn't settling well with him.

Then he dropped the bomb -- <i>"What the hell is that smell?"</i> Narrowing his gleaming yellow eyes, Valtyr also raised his head higher, tucking his head to his throat in a defensive posture. He could only assume Rhysis was upset that he was no longer a loner, that his hunting partner was no longer free to assist him readily. What else could it be? It was written everywhere -- in his eyes, his countenance, his body language. Valtyr couldn't understand why the young male was so outraged. It was only natural that he would join a pack eventually. The obsidian beast wasn't equipped to be alone for too long.

<b>"That smell you talk of is my pack, and you can shove right off if that's the kind of attitude you're going to have about it."</b>

To accentuate his hint of a threat, Valtyr revealed a single sharp canine, dangerously white against his black lip. Valtyr had the better shot at winning should an altercation arise from this, and he knew it. Rhysis was not the only one who had gotten stronger from their combined efforts. And now that he had a pack, he was eating meals regularly -- most likely more regularly than the loner. Though Rhysis was nearly his size, he was still not full grown and was likely inexperienced. He would have youth on his side, but Valtyr was older and probably been in far more scuffles and fights than the other. He did not want to use violence, but he was prepared all the same.

<blockquote>Clearly the other wasn’t pleased with his tone. He needed to sort himself out. He knew that being himself would cause reactions like the one he was getting from what he had considered an allie. The truth was no one would like Rhysis if he was himself; that is why he had worked so hard to build up his alter-ego, the nice Rhysis, the friendly guy with good manners, the guy you was always chilled and relaxed, never a threat. Yeah, as soon as that guy vanished and the real Rhysis came out things got ugly.

He had to pull himself together, to get his mind back in the right frameset. It had become apparently to him during their hunts that Valtyr was not one to take crap, he was a very simple guy, he either got along with you or he didn’t and at this moment, with his lip curled towards Rhysis he knew he needed to watch his tone. Rhysis was going to be a big fellow, there was no doubt about it, but he hadn’t put on the same amount of weight Valtyr had, he’d gained even more so since the last time he saw him, thanks to his <i>new pack</i> no doubt. Rhysis would be foolish to take on the older wolf and whilst Rhysis might be many things, he was no fool.

<b>”Ergh… Sorry mate.”</b> He added, shaking his head and just like that his posture relaxed, his tail lashed from side to side behind him as he lowered his head. <b>”I just… I didn’t expect you to be lost to me so soon I guess. I thought we were doing alright, just the two of us.”</b> He added with sincerity but then added a tiny white lie to the end, <b>”Maybe I’m just jealous. I’m so fed up of being alone. All I wanted to do was find my sister and I haven’t even managed that yet.”</b> He shook his head at the last part. He wasn’t lonely, he liked being alone. He didn’t want to be part of any pack but his own, for he didn’t take well to rules… but he did want to find his sister, and was failing miserably with that task.

Rhysis had to approach this another way. Whilst he may have calmed the tension in his body his mind was still going through all of the ways he could turn the situation around to favour himself once more. So far, he was coming up with nothing. There were several options; beg him to leave, drag him away (not likely!), sob like a child and stamp his paws and hope he got his own way, or play calm, cool and casual and try to assess the situation with a more tranquil trail of thought later.

Breathe.
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(This post was last modified: Jan 18, 2012, 03:20 PM by Rhysis.)

Valtyr watched as Rhysis's aggression dissipated almost instantly -- just the effect he had hoped his posturing would promote. But he did not let his guard down entirely. It was eerie how suddenly the other wolf changed his attitude from full-out, brazenly angry to a sullen adolescent. He let his tail lower as Rhysis gave his explanation, but he still held his head and the rest of his body high. Valtyr was puzzled at the other's words. Lost to him? He wasn't aware he had an obligation to stay a loner with his hunting partner. He really didn't like the way his words were coming out. Not at all, not even as he gave a sob story about his sister, whom he'd never heard mentioned before.

<b>"Look, I'm not a wolf who does well on his own for too long. I was traveling alone for months before I found this place, and it nearly drove me mad. Perhaps I should have let you know it was my aim to join a pack, but apparently I had an unspoken obligation to you."</b>

His words were biting and a bit poisonous, and he knew it. But at the moment, Valtyr didn't really care. He did not take kindly to being treated as if this yearling owned him -- hell, at the moment, Valtyr was more apt to call him a pup than a yearling, he was that defensive.

<b>"If you're sick of being alone, come with me. Maybe I can talk to my alpha about getting you into our pack."</b>

Despite his anger, Valtyr was not a monster. He had a bit of compassion still, and so the offer stood. But the obsidian beast was very unlikely to make it again, not after the way he had insulted the Grizzly Hollow pack. Lonely and jealous or not, it was as much of an insult to Valtyr as it was to the rest of his pack.

<blockquote>Why was he being so difficult? Rhysis had said sorry, he didn’t have to, he didn’t particularly mean it but he had said it all the same. It appeared that Valtyr had a hidden temper all of his own. He could have used that hidden temper, that aggression he was displaying now would have been such a useful asset were they to join up together. The downside was that Valtyr wanted to be a pack wolf, he wanted friends more then he wanted power and that made him inwardly shudder.

He didn’t have time to dwell on it now. He needed to keep his head afloat in this situation so he could come back another time and try to convince him to join him. Naturally, Rhysis had no real ties to the male, he didn’t own him and they didn’t owe each other anything, but he wasn’t willing to give up his potential body guard and pack mate just yet.

<b>”You don’t have to be a jerk about it.”</b> he added defensively, changing his facial expression to seem a little saddened by the news and continued to keep up his shameful poise. <b>”I just thought we were looking out for each other. We always seemed to find the other when we got hungry enough. It was a system that worked, well, at least I thought it did.”</b> He shrugged and turned his head away. <b>”It was kinda nice knowing you were around in case I needed you…”</b> he said, very truthfully, after all, he was still a youngster who needed guidance. Tough as he might be he had so many issues he needed a role model in his life, maybe that would straighten him out a bit, but that was gone from him now too... He’d felt like he could always find Valtyr and he would be there, either to fill his belly or just to know he wasn’t completely alone. Whilst he liked being alone, he always had to have someone there in the background, just so he wasn’t completely shut off from the world- damn instincts.

Join his pack? Pah, he laughed at the idea. In his head of course. He wasn’t one to take orders, he had enough of that as he was growing up and he had vowed never to follow orders again. It just wasn’t him and it never would be. He made the rules now and no one was going to take that away from him.

<b>”Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.”</b> He wasn’t going to explain why and he doubted at this moment in time the older wolf would even care about the reasons behind his dismissal.
He could tell him of his own pack plans but what would be the point? He had nothing substantial to offer the older male, he had no other followers up for running with him in his gang, no lands to call his own, no certainty of it even coming together; all he had was himself and it seemed that this male didn’t care about Rhysis as he did about him. It wasn’t a friendship as such, but Valtyr was someone Rhysis had looked up to a little more then he’d care to admit.
Valtyr looked like his father, but he wasn’t as cold hearted, it was nice to be in the company of an older wolf who took time to guide him without giving him a beating should he make a mistake. His childhood woes seemed to plague him wherever he went and whatever he did, they were always there in the background… ruining things.
So it appeared their brief alliance was going to end here and now… he felt a little sad. And that sadness was going to bubble into anger very shortly, he just knew it.
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(This post was last modified: Jan 18, 2012, 05:11 PM by Rhysis.)

Valtyr's features softened slightly as Rhysis called him out on his less-than-amicable behavior. He had been a bit harsh, and he knew it. Rhysis was no stranger -- not yet a friend perhaps, but certainly not a random loner asking for a handout. They had formed a bit of a bond over their hunting trips, with Valtyr's gentle guidance in the ways of the hunt, attempting to <span class='word'>educe</span> the youngster's natural talent. He could understand how the other male would be feeling abandoned now. Valtyr had made no mention of his intentions to join a pack. That could come across as an unwelcome surprise, perhaps even be seen as abandonment. The onyx beast felt a twinge of guilt, but he had to remind himself that the number one rule as a loner was to look out for yourself. He had done just that by joining Grizzly Hollow, where he now not only looked after himself, but everyone else in his new family as well. More responsibility, but a far more comfortable life.

<b>"I am sorry to have disappeared so suddenly,"</b> he conceded. It was all he could say, he felt. Rhysis would be upset with him no matter what he said, unless he decided to renounce his pack and come back to the folds of the loners. Not likely, not even a little.

Valtyr's head tilted slightly in confusion as Rhysis declined his offer to come with him to the Hollow. He had expressed loneliness, yet was passing up the opportunity to join a pack? It was a little boggling to the obsidian brute. Then again, Rhysis was still in the throes of adolescence, establishing his own sense of self, making his own rules. It was natural to wander alone at this young age and establish yourself within a pack later in life. In any case, he nodded at the younger male's decision.

<b>"Sorry you won't come with me. We could use another strong wolf within our ranks."</b> It was a subtle, or maybe not-so-subtle, last ditch effort to convince Rhysis otherwise. But he doubted it would have any effect. If he'd learned anything about his hunting partner, it was that he was willful to a fault, not one to be bossed around easily. He accepted Valtyr's guidance easily enough, but taking direct orders outside of a hunt had always been out of the question.

<blockquote><b>”I cannot… I will not follow orders from another ever again.”</b>

He was loosing this battle and fast, he had to think up something fast but the choices were too difficult. Though he’d never admit it he had the feeling of abandonment all over again. His father may have chased them away with teeth snapping, but this was hurting just as much. Valtyr had been the one thing he could rely on here and now he too was slipping away.

It was becoming harder to keep his temper in check. He didn’t want a stupid apology. He didn’t want to join this ridiculous new pack. He wanted his own pack. He wanted Valtyr in his pack and he was sick and tired of waiting for things to happen. His mind wasn’t thinking clearly, seeing red made it hard to perceive anything more. His mouth opened then, and gave away perhaps more then he had intended it to. <b>”Join my pack.”</b>

His ears twitched as he said the words out loud. He had never intended to give away his goal here but what else was he to do when his greatest advantage was running away from him. His steel gaze met the others with a harsh and steady look. His body took on a more regal stance, his head high, ears tall and spine straight; he was born into royalty and as he stood there tall and proud he looked every inch of it.

Rhysis had already said the words now; he had little more to do then to offer him a little sample of what he was offering. <b>”I don’t intend to remain a loner either. I was waiting for the right time, waiting until I had finished growing before I was going to approach you with the idea so you wouldn’t think I was a fool.”</b> His words were as strong as the meaning behind them. He had every intention of becoming a king, whether Valtyr would join or not. He hoped he would re-consider, but in all likely hood this was a vain attempt at keeping their partnership alive. So he added, <b>”I can wait for you… Wait until I am grown and ready and then I shall come for you. What do you think?”</b> </blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Jan 24, 2012, 05:55 PM by Rhysis.)