Ghastly Woods The Story

It seemed humans were a unexplored subject for Rhysis. Athena had always been used to the strange creatures, since she'd always seen their big, wooden shelters they live in. Although, she never came in contact with them, she has been seen by them and they seemed to always give her a frightened look. "They usually tried to keep their distance from us, as do we did from them. There were a couple packs of them grouped by the ocean, but it seemed they tried to stay clear of the forest and mountains." It was true that she barely ever seen a human inside the forest or when she explored the mountain. The two-leggeds must not be able to handle such conditions like the wolves could.

Indeed, she never heard of the pack he spoke of, but she didn't know a lot of pack names besides the ones around her family's pack. While on her travels to Relic Lore, she bumped into an occasional pack, but she never stayed long to figure out the names there or the loners. Loners could be unpredictable, though she may be able to hold her own for a while, she never wanted to risk it. Although, she hadn't been too lucky to dodge the crazy loners here. Her meeting with the female, Nina, didn't go too well. The white lady had been agitated from her trip with Hawke and Valiant and she was simply blowing off some steam with hunting. Well, the stupid she-wolf, decided to yell out into the forest and scare off her hare she had been stalking. Pissed and ornery she confronted the female and things almost turned for the worst. Nina, later decided to call the white girl ill in the head and Athena couldn't take the crazy wolf anymore. In the end, the crazy wolf retreated and Athena went on her way.

"No, you're right, never heard of it. So, any news about Copper Rock Creek?" she asked with a flash of her pearly whites. She didn't smell any pack scent on him, but maybe he had washed it off earlier. Who knows? Maybe he got in...

(This post was last modified: Mar 21, 2012, 08:28 PM by Athena.)

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

<blockquote>So humans were animals, and they were real. He didn’t think the little lady was pulling his leg, she seemed quite serious in what she said. He’d known his father was trying to scare him when he was younger, but there was still a fear buried in there within him and he was pretty sure he didn’t want to bump into one any time soon. Still, it was handy to know that they did exist in the world out there just in case he ever bumped into one. It was unlikely, but he was better to be safe than sorry. It was also a relief to know that they resided by the ocean. He’d never seen an ocean, but he knew what they were. Vast lands of water that stretched on as far as the eye could see. Maybe humans were like fish, if they chose to live by the sea?

He nodded in response but didn’t say anything, what was there to say without looking more stupid that there was something he didn’t know. He was thankful that she changed the conversation back to pack life, that was something he did know about and he listened well. He didn’t think she would have known about his home land. No one did, they kept it that way. They were a secretive pack, keeping to themselves and wiping out any other pack who came too close. Territory was the most important thing to them and they owned a vast amount of it, by force of course. With her last comment he shook his head, feeling a little irritated at the thoughts.

<b>”No. Some idiot called Rolu decided to waltz in there, tell them I’m a madman after their blood so I’ve had to change plans.”</b> he added a snort on the end to show his frustration. <b>”Their second was the one who told me so, but I can’t risk pushing it there.”</b> he then shrugged and took another whiff of the air. It appeared she too had yet to find herself within a pack. <b>”What about you? No luck with the River wolves yet?”</b> he asked, not mentioning that he too was headed that way. What a surprise that would be if they both ended up placing a rank there.</blockquote>

So, she was right, no Copper Rock Creek. She wondered if it would mess up their initial plans for each of them to be in a pack, gathering information. Athena didn't know for sure if Valiant had gotten in Grizzly Hollow, but she highly doubted they'd turn him down. True, it was a very good idea for him to change plans if that kid Rolu barked his head off, accusing Rhysis of being a madman and wanting their hides. That wouldn't be a good turn out if they believed him.

"No, no luck yet. I'm going to try my luck in a couple days, though. Have you heard any news of Valiant and Hawke?" She planned after this meeting that she'd head her way towards the land of the River wolves and seek acceptance from the leaders. It would be a good day or two travel, so she planned on resting for tonight. Hopefully, they'd accept her and she could continue on with the plans and not screw it up.

The wind shifted, blowing her long fur everywhere. She was thankful for the warmth her coat provided, but it was a pain to maintain. At least tonight it looked relatively decent. No leaves and sticks stuck in matted parts. Rhysis's moschant scent blew straight into her black nostrils. Her amber orbs shifted to gaze past the black beast. The trees had a ghostly and mysterious vibe to them that strangely comforted the girl. Happy and peaceful things put Athena on edge. The world can't always be good and joyful, there was always a bad guy lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right time to strike.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

<blockquote>He nodded his head at her question. He’d heard from Valiant but very little of Hawke, he inwardly hoped she’d been eaten by a grizzly, that would solve a lot of problems but from the way Valiant spoke about her he could only guess that the two were still in contact. He didn’t know if she had joined the Hollow wolves with him, but she was unfortunately still on the scene. <b>”Valiant has a spot in the Hollow... and appears to have immersed himself in pack politics. I suppose you can’t get much closer to the action then that.”</b> he added with a shrug before he continued. <b>”As for <i>that</i> female, all I know is she is still around and driving him crazy. I can’t work out why he is bothering... more trouble than it’s worth if you ask me.”</b> he added matter of factly before he glanced back to her.

<b>”What if it that interests you so in forming a pack with us? You don’t seem the type to break the rules...”</b> he said simply, never one to beat around the bush. Looking at her, all innocent, small and sweet he couldn’t work out what it was she was after. Perhaps she wanted a family, the only real bonus of being the lead female in his opinion. She seemed like a family wolf, one that would love and care for her children like a real mother should. He could only guess that is the treasure she was seeking and perhaps it was a smart idea. With her small size he doubted she’d have much chance of challenging anyone for a higher rank... no wonder she seemed so pissed when Hawke had come along. Of course, this was just speculation, pieces he put together and he could only hope that she told the truth.

<b>”No offence of course, but you just seem like a <i>lady</i> rather then a rebel.”</b>
</blockquote>

The black male proposed a good question, why is Valiant even bothering with the crazy woman? Was there something about her that she missed? Must be, because by the looks and sounds of it, she's not worth it. Guess, something in her makes Valiant want to stick around her, which may cause a problem in the future. Who would be the lead female?

Another good question seeped out of the black beast's lips. Why was she so interested in joining this pack? A small part of it was because she wanted to carry on her name on with children. Power wasn't much to play in it, only slightly. The main reason why she wanted to join Rhysis's pack was mainly because she wanted to prove her dead father wrong. He always thought she was useless and she'd never succeed in anything. It damaged her and made her resentful. Now all she wanted was to prove her father wrong and prove to herself that she could succeed and she wasn't useless.

His following comment, made her laugh lightly. Everyone suspects her as an innocent, kind young woman, but if only they knew. Her laugh kind of gave her the creeps as it had a slight evilness to it. Weird... But, she keeps up the act of innocence for her own good. He then added another comment on her lady-like act as well. You couldn't characterize her as a rebel, more like doing things that are for her own personal good. "Looks can be deceiving, she merely stated before continuing on to answer his question from before. "My father...wasn't a good man. He...wasn't a good father...well to me at least. As you can see, I was the runt of my liter and my father believed the philosophy of 'survival of the fittest'. He believed strength and size conquered all traits and when he saw that I was nothing what he wanted in his small 'army', he treated my like I was nothing." She paused slightly, releasing a quiet sigh before continuing on. This was the only time that she'd ever told another wolf about her past, besides Hope. Hopefully, it wouldn't backfire on her. "He always put me down and told me I'd never succeed in anything. So, here I am trying to prove him wrong by joining your pack." She finished finally. She tried not the waver in any of her words, she wanted to sound stronger than she was inside. It almost felt like a little bit of the weight was lifted off her shoulders when telling him this. Indeed, she didn't tell him the rest of the story, but she didn't lie about anything. Just took out many details.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

<blockquote>He listened carefully as she spoke of her past. One’s history could tell a lot about the wolf that stood before you and it appeared her story had some similarities to his own. A father who wasn’t quite right, poor treatment, survival of the fittest was his father’s catch too. Maybe they had more in common than he had first realised. Stereotypes could be such a bad thing, she looked so little, so dainty and elegant. She spoke like a lady but beneath all that she was a little fighter. It seemed she had to fight for everything in her life, and he knew that feeling all too well. He deemed then that he liked this female; she was worth while... for the time being.

The phrasing she used interested him. <i>Your pack</i>. Yes, it was his pack. He was hiding behind Valiant. It was a smart move, or had been when he had wanted to remain a loner. Now he was considering joining the River wolves, building his strength up and accepting that he would never be as bulky as the silver male, he was debating whether it was the right move to make. It only took Valiant to wake up and realise that he was being used as a shield, rather than a leader, and the partnership would fall through. For the time being he played on Valiant’s gullible side, but how long that would last, especially if he had a female like Hawke whispering in his ear, he didn’t know.

<b>”Sounds like a good reason to me.”</b> he stated simply. He supposed that is why she was alone now. He understood the want for males to leave the pack, dominance was a tough battle and sometimes it was easier to just leave and do you own thing, but females were well kept, seemed to get along pretty well. Of course, the disadvantage was the pup deal but they could always challenge for that rather than wander the world like a loner. He guessed she left as she had enough, wanted to prove her worth to her father and to herself. Still, whilst he might like her reasoning it still didn’t tell him much more about <i>her</i> and her character. <b>”So is the reason you want to join Valiant... the chance of leadership? Or do you just find me irresistible?”</b> he said with a smirk. Obviously that wasn’t the reason but he felt a little humour would work well here. He might be handsome but he wasn’t one to attract females, he guessed they sensed the darkness within him and kept their distance... well, the sane ones did at least.
</blockquote>

Feeling extremely better now that she had finally told someone about her past, she didn't feel so weighted down. Even though she didn't tell him everything, she hoped that he wouldn't use this information against her. He seemed nice enough, but it could always be a show just like the one she puts on. It felt like a eternity for him to respond, but in reality it only took thirty seconds, not even that. "Sounds like a good reason to me." A smile tugged at her lips at his words. They seemed genuine and true, which put her at ease. Maybe, he actually liked her now, who knows?

His following words made Athena laugh. "Oh, yes that is exactly the reason. You're just so alluring." She couldn't help but laugh at his sudden humor. It's been a while since she's actually laughed and felt comfortable around a wolf. She usually has her guard up and is always serious. Peel off her guarded shell, there's a fun and playful wolf screaming to get out. But, it was yet to be peeled away.

Indeed he did have handsome face, but he wasn't the reason she wanted to join. Leadership wasn't her top priority either, she just wanted to prove her father wrong and join a strong pack. "No, I'm not exactly looking for leadership, just a strong pack to join." She said, suddenly getting serious again. However, if Hawke was going to be the lead female, Athena most likely wouldn't join his ranks. So, hopefully he will chose against it.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

<blockquote>He fell silent for a moment, weighing his next question in his mind. He didn’t want to get the wording wrong, but it was something he had to know. She wanted a strong pack, that was something he could certainly deliver but with Valiant being so engrossed in the Hollows politics and his poor choices in females, he wasn’t certain that his leadership skills were good enough at this moment in time. Of course, Rhysis was going to be telling him what to do in the background, but was he going to have to compete for Valiant’s ear when a female was on the scene?
He’d been mulling it over for some time, debating if it was still a course of action he should take. Of course, he had always planned to use Valiant as his face so that when trouble came knocking he would be the one to take fall... but what then. What if Valiant fell, who would take his place? Rhysis wouldn’t have control over the new leader, he’d have to claim it for himself... which made him consider the option of just taking the pack himself. He had a female in mind... though wasn’t sure if she’d happily come with him or he’d need to take her by force, at the moment he was still undecided but it couldn’t hurt to ask. After all, a pack with two wolves wasn’t enough.

<b>”So what if I was to suggest, that I was going to be starting a pack... soon. Without Valiant.”</b> he said with a quirked brow. Of course, she could go running to the silver brute and spill her guts to him about it, but he wasn’t too bothered about that. Valiant wouldn’t know until he was safely within the arms of the River wolves and then, he would be powerless to stop him. Valiant had always been aware that Rhysis was the brains, he was the brawn and the heir producer, but what if the idea of power had gotten to his head? Rhysis was going to have to be careful... but he was going to get what he wanted, one way or another.
</blockquote>

Sorry, it's a little short. I'm a little tired today/: And, did you get my pm?

At his words, she feel quiet pondering his seemingly careful words. A pack without Valiant, that would mean no Hawke. No bitching and complaining from the white bitch. But would the lead female of Rhysis's pack be like that too. She thought against that idea. He had shown that he had great dislike for the crazy female. So, if the female that Rhysis choose was nothing like Hawke, she'll be on board.

"Please, tell me your lead female isn't a crazy bitch?" She said, laughing lightly. In the back of her mind, she knew the black male wasn't an idiot. He'd chose a partner wisely, so she hoped. Maybe her future won't be that unbearable like she suspected. Life in a pack, especially one that would likely to be strong, would be like heaven compared to her birth pack.

(This post was last modified: Mar 26, 2012, 12:46 AM by Athena.)

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

I did indeed! Sorry for the delay I was in bed and I cannot type on my phone. :c

<blockquote>Rhysis smirked at her comment. So it did appear that she’d be ready to jump ships. For the moment, he wasn’t going to complain. She could be a traitor right up until the very second they took land for themselves. He would have done the same thing, jumped from a sinking ship to save his own ass... in fact, he was doing that right now, wasn’t he?

<b>”I... She’s not crazy. In fact she’s quite the opposite... she just doesn’t know about any of this yet.”</b> he said honestly. He wasn’t sure how Naira would take the news that he wanted to lead his own pack and wanted her to be the female at his side. Maybe not as mates, not just yet, but as leaders. He couldn’t be sure she would agree. She was a loyal wolf, good to her very bones and he couldn’t decide if she would leave the River wolves on the off chance that they might succeed in making a home for themselves. He didn’t even know if that was something she wanted. She didn’t have selfish needs like that after all.

Well... it would be tough, wouldn’t it. She was the wolf he wanted at his side, and so she would be. Whether she liked it or not. The stubborn side in him flared up, she would come with them, whether she came by her own free will. Or by his. <b>”If you want to do this, tell me now. I have other arrangements to make, and a territory to seek out, but when the time is right I shall come and find you with the River wolves. You should be aware however, that you should think carefully about your answer. It would not be wise for you to change your mind after this conversation...”</b> he said. Maybe there was a hint of a threat in there but well, he needed something to keep her on board, right? His tones didn’t show any sign of dominance or hostility, but the message was there. He was not a wolf to be double crossed.
</blockquote>