Spectral Woods I don't care what you think...

@Klio Sorry for the wait, started making a few things:Gift 1 Gift 2

After leaving Lost Lake with a nasty souvenir gracing his left cheekbone, Alphaeus found his way into what could only be described as some pretty spooky woods. There was absolutely no intention of ending up in these eerie digs, but he had been so preoccupied by trying to come up with a better story for his newly found scar, that his aimless wanderings had deposited him on the other side of Mountain of Dire with little else to show for it than the certainty that he definitely wouldn't be telling anyone that he got the scar from baby turtle. With his cedar red ears plastered coolly against his skull Alphaeus traversed this new territory with a cautious gait unusual to him. The generally cocky, self assured and fearless yearling found himself supremely unsettled by the random groans and whimpers despite his best attempt to preserve a cool attitude. Unknown noises filtered to him through the spiraling fog, forcing his footing to falter or his body to dart or his gaze to whip about frantically in response. With night approaching Alphaeus began to submit to the idea that he would indeed be spending the evening amidst the blue tinged glow of this forest. Veering suddenly up a steep hill the boy took shelter beneath the eroded trunk of an ancient Red Creek Fir whose branches sheltered the many smaller trees in a matronly fashion. Nothing to do now but wait for the sun.

@Alphaeus: Thank you so much! Those are beautiful!


Klio Zariadus trotted gloomily through the trees. She was practically starving, mostly because she had been forced to scavenge for grubs after missing three catches today. A frown dawned her features as she noticed a squirrel not far ahead. Was it even worth trying for? As if it were answering her unspoken question, the yearling's stomach grumbled and complained to her.

The black girl began to stalk the unsuspecting grey body, hoping this time, everything would work. And then with a leap, she was making neat work of snapping the creature's neck. Klio was too hungry to pay attention to much other than the food in front of her. Just as she finished devouring her meal, another lone wolf, a male, appeared on the hill about 20 bounds to her right.

Standing up, she went to greet him. "Hello there! Who is it I have the privilege of meeting?" She paused for a moment to let her words reach him. "My name is Klio Zariadus, a loner of this place. I mean no harm." It seemed fitting to provide the knowledge that she would not be aggressive toward him, and she resolved to greet others in this fashion more often. Now standing a few steps away from him, she held a neutral position, and sensed he was uneasy. Her elegant dark green eyes searched his face for any kind idea or signal about the man and what actions he would take next.

With quirked brow Alphaeus peered curiously into the hollow trunk of the Fir--Nothing but the smell of rot and damp earth. A sharp chuff of disappointment came from the boys maw, his discontent painted in the murky horizon as steamed breath which eagerly embraced the fog. This is no place befitting an Alpha... he thought moodily. And than a stranger called. Half confused and half giddy with the prospect Alphaeus jerked his head out from the hollow and peer in the direction of the voice. She reminded him of his mother; slim and attractive, dark as night itself, a cheerful-trusting whisper of a voice, timid emerald eyes, and young--she was so very young. Likely the same age his mother Carn had been when she bore Alphaeus himself. For all of this, Alpha's eyes turned sharp like daggers. The poor girl was damned despite her best efforts. She began to approach him, and he likewise advanced on her. He did not speak a word as his paws devoured the distance between them, but his actions spoke volumes. Heavy stiff footsteps, his tattered tail arching into the air, and direct-burning eye contact. A statement of authority if ever there was one. They may both be lone wolves, but that did not make them equals, it did not matter that she was larger than he in every aspect, he would take the helm in this exchange. In mere moments they became only inches apart, and a toothy smirk marked the dark boy's handsome face. "You can call me Alpha." he stated with the enthralling rumble of his testosterone fostered baritone. It was incredibly unlikely that he would hurt the girl, he simply wanted to get off on the right foot.

Startled by his exceedingly dominant posture, the midnight furred yearling was highly tempted to back down and submit, as she had been raised to do. Muscles twitched, and the restraint needed to hold them back was startling considering how long she'd been out of the practice. Something told the girl not to submit, at least not quite yet. She needed to test how far this dominance went. Forcing herself to stand tall, prick forward her ears, raise her tail over her back, and make eye contact was difficult, but she managed.

"Alpha, eh? I was unaware there was a pack in these parts, my lord." Although her words were less than dominant, her cool tone and slight sneer proved that she intended them to be more cold and teasing. If he had been king of a pack, she would've submitted and spoken less boldly. But he had no pack scent on him, so it was safe enough to assume that he was not as threatening as a real alpha. This was a trick she had learned from her mother, and although it had pained her to use it, she was forced to inwardly admit that it worked well, and had felt good to boot. Two could play at this game.

"So, Alpha, what brings you to Spectral Woods? This Forest seems a place hardly befitting such royalty as yourself, much less a pack." She turned and strolled casually, not dropping her posture an inch, as she said this, continuing to humor him with the title of royalty. Assuming he had no pack already, he seemed the type to pursue beginning one of his own. Judging by his scent, if he was trying, he'd yet to meet a second alpha, or subordinates. She shook off the mood mentally. No, no, Klio Zariadus was not an alpha, right? Mentally growling at herself for such thoughts, she doubted that was even what he had come here for. Emerald eyes flashing, she turned to stare at him again.

For a moment everything seemed to be going as planned. Uncertainty surfaced the female's body, her muscles seemed to flex, he could practically see her knees buckle and begin their descent, as was proper for submission. The glorious moment was never realized however, and it all seemed a figment of his imagination. Was that confidence glistening in her eyes? Heedless words translated her complete disregard for his posturing and self grandeur via a disarmingly charming voice. Even if his plan was falling apart at least he was being torn down by a voice the plummeted him into complete ambivalence. He hated entirely how she was speaking to him, but at the same time didn't want her to stop. The girl attempted to distance herself from him after her commentary on the woods, but he would not let it be. Springing into motion with fur bristling to full height, he circled to her forefront, swiftly planting his frame perpendicular to hers so that his neck and jawline curved towards her from the left and his midsection blocked her path. His youthful white fangs peered through curled black lips and his eyes caught hers in a furious glare. Surprisingly, there was a similar fire in the girl's own verdant eyes. It startled him to see, so much that he found himself reevaluating his companion more carefully. Perhaps she wasn't such an easy mark. Lucky him. Brows furrowed with frustration he made one final and half hearted attempt to cement his dominance. Leaning closer to the dark girl menacingly, with his fur bristling and his lips curled back, he let out one long, deep, guttural snarl, which was itself accented by several snapping clicks of his jaws inches from her face. Afterwards his aggression simply dissipated. He turned from the girl and strode a few steps away, faced her again, and collapsed to the forest floor. "Alphaeus..." he corrected as he reclined regally before her, the fur along his spine to descend slightly. "This place really is shit." he added humorously.

(This post was last modified: Jun 20, 2014, 05:33 AM by Alphaeus.)

Much to her surprise, Alpha lept into her path, growling and snarling, rather than walking alongside her. She mustn't forget again that this wolf would not easily take to submission. Raising her own black lips, she bared her teeth and growled audibly in response, warning him not to challenge her again, but that she was in no mood to fight. So maybe stating that wasn't the safest thing, but to her relief, the boy seemed to shed his aggression.

Laying down, he faced her still and told her exactly what he thought of the woods. A remark of her own followed shortly. "That bad, eh? Well, I think a wolf such as you looks right at home in this slightly spooky atmosphere." Whether he caught her compliment to his aggression and dominance, she couldn't be sure. It was hard to find in her opinion of their location. Turning to jump onto a fallen tree, she faced away from him boldly, wanting him to know she didn't care much what he thought of her.

"Bit of a view from up here, huh?" She queried as her elegant black face swiveled to face him. The forest's blue glow framed her, providing her with an ever so slightly spooky look. Turning back to the view from atop her log, she observed the stretch of blue tinged trees rolling away. In the distance was the mountain, a great stone triangle jutting impossibly high into the sky. She had climbed it recently.

"So Alpha, I really am curious to know, you do not smell like a member of a pack, but are you starting one of your own? I can't imagine you as a subordinate to another alpha." Her words were again complimentary, but she thought they were true this time. With a good alpha female beside him, he could make a very good leader. It was already natural, to him, it seemed. She hadn't meant to suggest she might like to lead beside him, but in hindsight Klio supposed it may have sounded that way. But she made no move to correct herself. It was up to him what he heard in her words.

Alphaeus watched Klio as she sauntered further away, still entranced by the way she seemed to dismiss him as a threat completely. How could a female so similar to the one who bore him become such an attractive companion to him in what had only been a few minutes of interaction? Her commentary on their eerie surroundings forced a soft snort from his nostrils. So now the forest did suit him? He must not be the regal and handsome stranger she had toyed with only moment earlier? Instead of taking the comment as fuel for a new argument he simply swept it away from thought. From where he lay the view was nice indeed, but he was perhaps focused on details entirely separate from what Klio had in mind. He watched only her. Her delicate features and saintly eyes rounded on him and he remained quiet at her back trying to dissect what it was that made her interest him, yet nothing surfaced. He collected himself as if it was a chore and made his way onto her perch until they stood side by side. He peered in the direction she had pointed out earlier and shrugged his shoulders, "I bet it looks uglier the closer you get." most things were like that. When she asked if he was going to start a pack he nearly died from surprise. His head snapped to the side and his brows furrowed. The silence grew around them as he tried to measure whether or not she was giving him a hard time, but the punchline never emerged. Don't have anyone to start a pack with. he thought, eyeing the girl suspiciously. It wasn't like it was so simple. Not only did he have no mate, he was too young for one, both physically and mentally... not that he knew this. In addition he had no idea where prey frequented in this territory, what packs were already established, or whether it might be easier to simply barge in and take over someone else's established territory. "Not yet." he responded, before looking curiously to the north. He certainly didn't want to be under someone else's paw his whole life, perhaps he should take this girl's curious question sincerely and make a solid attempt to establish his own family. "What about you?" he asked, taking a break from his self-centered thought process. "You don't smell like a pack wolf either. Where do you go from here?" Maybe he would make an effort to follow her to some shitty pack she had staked out already, or at the very least visit her in the future. She wasn't such bad company.

I bet it looks uglier the closer you get. Klio snorted in agreement. The presence of his eyes upon her did not go unnoticed as the familiar prickling sensation that accompanied being watched washed over her skin. She wondered what was going through his mind, and decided she would bring up the matter, but perhaps not quite yet.

When she asked if he were starting a pack, she was a little surprised by his confusion. Surely if he wasn't doing so now, he had planned to do so in the future? He continued, asking relatively similar questions about her.

"Oh, I have no pack yet. I needed some, time, away from pack life. However, I do want to go back over the mountain. I hear it's called Eden there, and it is a really lovely place. Nice weather, plenty of trees, not overly populated. I think either of us could make out like royals over there. Anyway, speak of it, what do you think of me? You think something of me, something not quite ordinary, but I can't grasp what it is. Please, do tell me." Klio almost sounded like an alpha demanding an answer from one of her subordinates, but her tone was a little too airy and light for that label to be fully applicable.

Looking over the boy, she cast her senses about, looking on keenly for any hints or thoughts he might share inadvertently or otherwise. Thinking about her idea of going over the mountain again, she wondered if she truly meant it. Her first journey over the perilous terrain had been rough as it was, although she had made fair time. Now, realizing she and Alpha really could live quite nicely over there, she wanted very badly to return to Eden. Maybe he would come too.

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

@Klio Sorry for the wait. I figure since they are both loners they could use the meal.

"Eden" did not seem an inviting name to the seal brown lad, his face contorted in a grimace as if it's very utterance left a bitter taste in the air. Eden is what you named a place when it's residents were blinded by ignorant and ill-conceived perceptions of their future prosperity. Despite the promising connotations that it might inspire in others, Alphaeus knew immediately that the place was not for him. He was a realist, who knew life had a way of rending well thought plans from their owners. As if to break the boy off from spreading his cynicism to the girl the wafting scent of viscera caught the boy's attention. Tossing his head toward the smell's origin he invited the female to join him, carrying on the conversation quietly as they proceded. "I'm sure it's very nice there." he lied, "I will make a point to stop by sometime..." he made a point not to answer the tail end of her query as they walked, but kept utterly quiet as his nose brought the pair of them to a carcass which had already been abandoned by a pair of coyotes. Wasting no time Alpha fell on the carcass casually, consuming what he could and assuming that Klio would join him at this meager meal. Quietly, he considered her question more fully. What did he think of Klio? She was beautiful for one. She had a certain quiet ferocity to her nature, a ferocity that only reinforced his attraction to her. For a moment Alpha stopped chewing to steal a glance at his companion, she was indeed all the things that he had mentioned, but perhaps they had only met each other under the perfect circumstances. Perhaps they weren't really who they thought the other was. Finally he backed away from the kill and waited for Klio eat her fill before speaking. "You asked what I thought of you." his voice rumbled forth, soft, confident, and encouraging, "I think you are ridiculously appealing for several reasons, some more innocent than others... he admitted with a raised brow. ...and I'd like to be around you more than just this evening if you're interested."