Secret Woodlands This 'Aint No Place For Animals

RE: The sky is dark with storm clouds. Overcast — 70° F/21° C, midnight. Rank Challenge. @Koda

The lights are out but I walk these halls, the way I've walked before

Sleeping, with saints and apparitions between the walls

I'm watching picture shows in the s h a d o w s.

The storm clouds churned overhead as they had so many times before. His amber eyes shone a ghostly silver in the darkness and what moonlight lit the forest, roving over the edges of the sky as he sat silently and with a steadiness. There was so much to lose now...but the Tainn had grown a thick skin, one that wouldn't be easily torn, and there was a fierceness in his soul that would be his guiding light tonight as he made his stand. The state of his home could easily be described as stable. By all means, theirs were all taken care of─safe, slumbering, their bellies without a growl. If anything, the wolves of Secret Woodlands were thriving now more than they ever had since he'd first crossed across the queen's borders. And yet, there was an unrest. The rattling of the branches, both barren and verdant, overhead reminded him of the utter cold in his bones; it was the result of the compiling number of days and nights where he saw that look upon her face. The way his presence set her body on edge. The ways in which Mirren had seen what happiness she had drain from her elegant features at the mention of his name. @Miccah was like poison to @Nina and, as her wayward son, he'd spent enough time wondering if anyone was ever going to save her. His mind was sound and it was made. Secret Woodlands was not his kingdom, but he would rise to take hold of what had, through time and complacency, become a cage for its matriarch. @Koda was but a stepping stone to get to the sable Leader, but the rise above him was essential and the last step Mirren would have to take before he could rush the gates of Miccah's glass castle. As it had been with Rayne, this was nothing personal, but it had been a long time coming. Rising to his feet, weathered and grounded in the silty earth, Mirren lifted his muzzle skyward to unleash his summons.

The lights are out but I walk these halls, but I walk these halls

Push the s h e e p out of your mind. Count the w o l v e s and we'll sleep tonight.

Count the w o l v e s and we'll sleep tonight.

MIRREN TAINN

(This post was last modified: Jul 29, 2014, 12:34 AM by Mirren.)

@Mirren, this post is sub par, sorry!

Darkness was his cloak as he roamed the border of Secret Woodlands with distinct intention, it had been this way since his ascend into the second rank. His nose twitched as deep huffs of exhaled breaths wafted scents of wolves and pine; the most prevalent were of the two remaining males, Miccah and Mirren. Like so many, he knew of Nina's dislike of the ebony males rise into leadership from Hollow's disappearance in the spring, and he had every intention to reset the balance of the pack for the russet woman's sake, but he just needed more time; unfortunately it was quickly running out.

The distinct musk of Mirren caught his attention and he huffed deeply, as a smile crossed his features. He was happy to have seen the male return from his brief disappearance, and cantered toward him after his beckoning call. He had little knowledge of the male's intentions but it was of no real surprise that he wanted his position, it was one step closer to leadership and would prove to the rest of the pack his ability to perform at that level. Unfortunately for Mirren, Koda was not so willing to give up the position, if he wished to lead he would have to fight for it and the elder male was not too shy to fight someone younger.

Approaching Mirren, a look of concern and interest on his face, his ears pulled backward as he settled to a sit on stiff haunches, sighing softly as his green flecked eyes searched the brown male's face. "You called?" this time his ears pricked forward, defenses relaxed from being totally unaware of the purpose of his howl.

The lights are out but I walk these halls, the way I've walked before

Sleeping, with saints and apparitions between the walls

I'm watching picture shows in the s h a d o w s.

As he waited, the once-boy had time to consider the stakes here and all that he had to lose. His Kite was surely sleeping now, nestled safely in the den that now bore both of their scents, unaware of the Tainn's plan and the fact that tonight Koda would be his. As sure of himself, his purpose, and his own abilities as he was, the thought of never making it home weighed heavily on his mind. Theirs was such a bright future and the one he'd always dreamed of. One day, his progeny would roam the creek as he and his siblings once did, their tawny forms half-hidden by the grasses that formed a sea around it. They could have that without going through such a trial as this endeavor was proving to be, but he wasn't doing it for her or them. He was doing it for Nina. It was ironic, then; the only wolf who stood between him and his ultimate opponent was the abandoner. If anyone had ever wronged the one-eyed queen, it was Koda. Mirren found some amusement in the fact that tonight's transgressions would be less of a necessity than they were simply what the Reinier deserved. How could the man even tolerate it all? Returning to a broken home and a woman who no longer was his. The broken relationships he shared with what of his own children had survived. Watching as Hollow and Nina's love had grown, and what was more...watching now as she raised Hollow's children. Yes. It was all what he deserved, a dish best served cold. When the elder's scent finally did precede his arrival, Mirren's rough tongue swept the saliva from his lips. Mouthwatering. Where a flicker of amusement donned Koda's features, Mirren's own were as hard as stone. His pale eyes swept casually, and critically all the same, over his counterpart's form as the male came to settle so nonchalantly on his haunches. As naturally as though it were his given right to do so, his posture rose to bear all the hallmarks of dominance. His ears flexed forward defiantly and to hear his opponent's every movement. His eyes, locked onto Koda's own, shone with a predatory glimmer. His formidable form─strong and cut and bearing the markings of his father─squared, his wide paws planted just where they needed to be. And when his voice broke over the short and eerie silence following Koda's address of him, it was as steady as the light beaming from the moon. "Surely you know the reason we are both here in the dead of night, Reinier," overhead, the branches of the canopy rustled in the breeze, "do you not?" He shifted his weight. "Beneath you is no place for me, you see." His gaze studied the old man's face. "I will rise to Nina's side, for her own sake and for the sake of her children. Unforutnately, you're in my way...Make your stand or submit."

The lights are out but I walk these halls, but I walk these halls

Push the s h e e p out of your mind. Count the w o l v e s and we'll sleep tonight.

Count the w o l v e s and we'll sleep tonight.

MIRREN TAINN

(This post was last modified: Aug 06, 2014, 12:38 AM by Mirren.)

@Mirren

His legs shifted beneath his weight as he adjusted himself, finally settling on his left side where he bore the majority of his weight. The moon shown bright on his pale fur, its rays bounced along the ground to illuminate the scene that unfolded between the Woodland males; it would be a grand fight indeed. As Mirren's body moved into defense, Koda mimicked the movements flawlessly--his lips twitched to display his off-white teeth as his gaze turned hard toward the young Tainn. Within the first few words of Mirren's sentence Koda realized why he had been called, it was a simple request that was not foreign for pack males to fight over and his muscles rippled beneath his pelt to signify that he was ready. Moving to his full height, both ears pulled backward on his skull and his shoulders square in anticipation of the tawny males weight, or in the event that Koda decided to launch himself toward the other, "And what makes you think I would submit to you Tainn?," his voice was deep, a hint of humor in his tone as he felt a rush of air at his hackles from the stiff wag of his bushy tail.

Although the Reinier was hardly prepared for a fight, he would not let his companion see this, instead he released a low growl of threat in response to Mirren's words. He could understand the others reasoning, it was logical in every sense, but he would not allow a wolf just barely out of the yearling phase take his position without a fight--he flexed his shoulder muscles from the anticipation of impact, surely Mirren would make the first move. He would give him the first opportunity of attack, probably not the smartest idea but he wanted to gauge the true strength of his opponent, and since he was a male of little words he lowered his head to tuck it safely between his shoulders in case the other fought dirty and waited with surprising patience for the tawny third to make his first move.

The lights are out but I walk these halls, the way I've walked before

Sleeping, with saints and apparitions between the walls

I'm watching picture shows in the s h a d o w s.

His words, as clearly stated as they could have been, must have gotten his message across. His counterpart shifted his weight, eventually rising to his feet to face the Tainn who had so much to lose, yet everything to gain. There was no doubt that the pair were quite evenly matched─both tall and long, robust and proportioned for battles such as the one that was sure to ensue, now. Beneath the mottled flow of moonlight that beamed down upon them through the scattered cloud cover, the men wore their tawny pelts like battle armor, each with a threatening bristle, each with defiance and a gleam of violence in their pale eyes. As comparable as they were physically, there was but one distinct difference between the grizzly wolves: a fire was absolutely burning within Mirren. Failure was not an option. Surrender was not an option. Losing was not an option. As the odds were, if Mirren did not rise to take hold of Secret Woodlands beside Nina, in time, there wouldn't be a Secret Woodlands. Who knew how much longer she could last in the circumstances that had been dealt to her. Each day that passed, passed her by, and even if he didn't want to or like to admit it to himself, it was as though she was dying. He missed her smile and the kindness that used to radiate from her─a kindness that was now rarely bestowed upon, well, anyone really. Save for the children, of course. The children...The flames that had just begun to spark in him seemed to suck at the air in his lungs at the thought of the three who he had welcomed into the world at birth, growing and rising unbridled. It was not Koda who would be the pillar of strength to hold up the weight of Nina's crumbling world, that much was certain. It would be Mirren. In a final moment of stillness, of quiet, and of skin-deep conversation, the masked Tainn inclined his head to cast upon Koda the most immutable of glares. "I am king." In a flurry of movement, the weighty man sprung forward, hard and low, his chin tucked protectively as he closed in on the one man who stood between himself and the pack's dark Leader. A rumble not unlike the rolling of thunder in the night sky bellowed from deep inside, where his heart beat strong and hard to push the blood through his veins. Skillfully arching his body in an attempt to avoid the vicious threat of Koda's strong jaws, Mirren maneuvered, fangs bared, for a strike to the lateral portion of thick muscle that ran along the neck, just behind the curve of the Reinier's jaw.

The lights are out but I walk these halls, but I walk these halls

Push the s h e e p out of your mind. Count the w o l v e s and we'll sleep tonight.

Count the w o l v e s and we'll sleep tonight.

MIRREN TAINN

(This post was last modified: Aug 12, 2014, 08:17 PM by Mirren.)

Mirren's words fell on deaf ears as the thick Renier braced himself for Mirren's attack. Though his shoulders were hunched to protect his neck, he could sense that there remained an opportunity for the younger male to grab hold of and cause damage--no sooner did the thought pass his mind did he feel pain. Sharp teeth grabbed hold of the skin along the underside of his neck and he yanked himself backward quickly, frantic to remove the male from his most vulnerable area where vital capillaries kept him alive. Though Mirren had taken the first move on a delicate area, Koda could not be shook and felt anger spread the length of his body that made him feel stronger, more invincible, and he tensed his muscles so that the weight of Mirren would not make him buckle.

With a sense of renewed strength he used his hind legs to propel him up, against the weight of his counterpart where wide jaws sought to latch onto the side of his opponents neck where he hoped to bring the other at his level and onto the ground where strong limbs and blunt nails would keep him pinned to the ground. He did not wish to harm the tawny male, not intentionally, he only expected to show him that this fight would not go well in his favor. He would not simply hold himself back in order to take it easy on his counterpart, instead he would use every opportunity he had to show him that he had earned his rank. He would not give this male the chance to get to Miccah, the ebony male was his problem and he would take care of him accordingly; first he had to show the third where he stood in the pack.

Bleehhhhh. Sub-par. Time crunch.

The lights are out but I walk these halls, the way I've walked before

Sleeping, with saints and apparitions between the walls

I'm watching picture shows in the s h a d o w s.

All he could see now was red. Deep, dark, intense red. The taste of Koda's blood, warm and thick as it ran through his teeth and pooled beneath his tongue, was both satisfying and disconcerting. Yes, this dominance dance was in every way necessary, but something about the fact that he was causing harm to one of his own─regardless of the fact that he held little endearment for the old man─still rubbed him the wrong way on some level. In a flash, his fangs had found the flesh for which he aimed, sinking in deeply as fur began flying. A blood-curdling snarl rumbled from the masked guardian's parted jaws as he moved. Mirren didn't know him well, and apart from the hunt he and Kite had undertaken with Koda's assistance, he'd never spent much time around, or getting to know, the guy. Quite honestly, he'd never wanted to, or had reason to. It wasn't like Koda had gone through any great effort to bond with him, either. All he knew, and needed to know, was that Koda had hurt Nina, had abandoned her and returned to serve her, instead of raise her back up or take her side. As intent as he was to defend his position, to show the ambitious young Tainn that he wasn't going to give it up without a fight, Mirren was equally intent to rip it out from underneath him. Koda hadn't challenged or strived his way to the second position─he'd merely inherited it because so many had disappeared, just as Mirren had inherited his place as third. To say that Koda had earned even an inkling of his respect just because he was an inch higher on the totem pole, was a joke, and Mirren's belief in that was plain to see tonight... Nonetheless, the Reinier recovered from his quick blow, poising himself to land a blow of his own. Mirren's weight shifted instinctively, his stance widening to welcome Koda's attack as the older wolf lunged at him on his hind legs. Pain seared along the side of his neck where Koda had managed to latch on for a moment. Muscles tensed, Mirren managed to shake his opponent off; after, he lunged forward on all fours, arcing to aim for a second blow, this time right at Koda's old face, which wasn't a far given that a second before he'd had Mirren's neck in his mouth. With a blatant disregard for his own safety at this point, his jaws parted to latch onto the Renier's cheek as he shook the mouthful violently.

The lights are out but I walk these halls, but I walk these halls

Push the s h e e p out of your mind. Count the w o l v e s and we'll sleep tonight.

Count the w o l v e s and we'll sleep tonight.

MIRREN TAINN

His teeth made contact and he bit harder, wanting to rip the fur off of his opponent and expose skin, or better yet blood as the satisfaction of this fight continued. He felt the male beneath him break from his grip to relinquish a fury he hadn't expected and braced himself for the attack as he tucked his neck into his shoulders to protect his jugular. Though he was not a violent wolf, and had never pretended to be, he was keen on protecting the rank he'd been given and rule over the pack; it mattered little to him that he had never had to fight for rank before. He had intentions on fighting his way up, shake the hierarchy up in Secret Woods, and yet each moment he mustered the courage to challenge for the next rank up the wolf had disappeared, giving him the upper hand by default.

As it stood there remained three males, and there were a few positions left to the top; Koda was not going to give Mirren a sliver of hope that he would see himself as king anytime soon. As he braced himself he felt the impact of his opponent and felt the sting of teeth along his jaws. A most tender spot he fought back the urge to yelp in pain and instead pushed his bulk against that of Mirren in an effort to trip him. Though he was sure the tawny male would not be so easy to shake, he could only hope that his counterpart had grown weak from the fight and at that Koda would use his muscle to drain what left remained. Once he was sure that the male was shaken and caught off guard by his over bearing weight, he would once more open his jaws to latch onto something relatively close to his counterpart--his ears.

The sound of their battle echoed through the hollow silence that permeated the woods, eerie and cloaked in darkness. The mindset that he'd had going into this hadn't wavered, even in the face of his opponent's grand effort. If anything, he was even more determined to give it his best, and lingering in the he back of his mind were his thoughts of Nina and the children, of Kite and their future. Ultimately, his goal was to dethrone Miccah, but as the fight drug on, somewhere in the folds of his mind he knew that all of this was for someone else. Not for himself. With the sour taste of Koda's blood in his mouth, he wondered for the first time if, what would happen if he were to fail. He pushed it from his mind in a valiant attempt to focus on the task at hand, his golden eyes narrowing upon his counterpart's.

Koda's weight was thrust into him, causing him to trip and lose his footing. An agile creature-having inherited his grace from the Onida blood that coursed through his veins-he managed to find his balance, just in time to poise for another strike. A bellowing snarl rumbled from the pits of his gut as he swung his own weight forward, lunging for the tender flesh of the elder's throat. Sinking his fangs in, he shook the mouthful with a violent strength.

Fading out. Slight PP, let me know if you want me to change it some @Mirren! I'll archive unless you want to tack on one more post...

Once more he felt flesh between the spaces of his teeth and he bit down harder with the intention of bringing the tawny male at his level where he could force him to submit. It was as he attempted to bring Mirren's head down that he felt the male buck and latch onto the soft skin of his neck with a swiftness that he had not anticipated. He was surprised at the male's strength and skill, but he was not impressed by his tactic and used what remained of his strength to push the agouti male off and away from him. They stood standing momentarily, as though waiting for the other to make a move and Koda, with renewed anger, lunged at the younger swiftly with legs outstretched and jaws stretched wide.

His teeth land on the warm flesh of the lead guardian's nape and pushed down hard on the male with what remained of his strength in an attempt to force a submission. It took some maneuvering, and serious wiggling, before he felt Mirren buckle at his weight. As his opponent grew more willing, Koda felt pride swell within him, and a realization that he had won this fight made him smile inwardly as he found his voice to speak, "You will not become king tonight Mirren" he spoke between a mouthful of fur and flesh. His muscles flexed as he worked to keep the male down and when he felt that Mirren was no longer struggling he let go, watching the male with a intense stare. He did not trust that the male would not seek another attack and therefore he stood back in wait, when none came he exhale sharply, heat overtaking him but he stood with a raised head and tail. He was still second, and would remain so until Mirren could prove to him that he was ready to advance. "Now leave!" he threatened, his eyes narrow with anger. It took a moment before Mirren would leave him and when he did Koda released another breath and settled to his haunches, the feeling of blood dripping snapped him back to attention. He needed a medic, and he knew just where to find one.

(This post was last modified: Aug 25, 2014, 05:35 AM by Koda.)

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.