Spectral Woods iron man

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. How does one know which choice is the right to make? Ice wished he could rip Merlin's heart out of his chest and read upon it the truth, but such a thing was not possible; he was left with only his own judgment for company, and knew that as all living things, it - and he - was flawed. Ice was a creature of passion and unreason, listening to his heart, having no other choice but to obey his emotions. Perhaps some creature of divine insight would be a better judge, but Ice was no divine creature, and his heart was a protected, guarded one, unwilling to be hurt again. It had been one thing to give the red man a chance before he confessed. "Respect from the mouth of a liar is a hollow respect," he growled with a lifted lip, apparently not at all listening to Merlin's attempts to salvage the situation. His white ears were quivering, and from somewhere Triell came, a shadow in the strange forest. And all the while, while he simply wanted to lunge at Merlin and drive him off, some part of him despaired, at everything, the world, and how it had come to this. About everything he had no control over, Indru, Rissa, Aiyana, and Marsh; Marsh, and his way of never speaking, aside from that one time he'd spoken Ice's name in a hoarse whisper. The memory burned his soul. That voice, so seldom used, was forever silent now. If Marsh had been here.. he probably would've laughed at Ice. Just like when Brenton had come; what are words, compared to the language of the body? Marsh just would've stood straighter, given Ice a glance that said really? and done.. what? The vision faded, and for a moment Ice turned his gaze aside, feeling his heart grow heavy. The spells of what-is-the-point came whenever he didn't need them, and then Triell was there, whispering in his ear the idea that had already half-formed in his subconscious. But there would be no test of words. Words were foul breath, easy to break. All you had to do was speak something you didn't mean, and it would be a lie. Words could prove nothing to Ice, not anymore. His gaze locked on the lying loner again, and a sudden snarl erupted as his white fur stood out on end. In a swift movement Ice lunged towards the red man, fangs bared and eyes hard. Perhaps the language of his body would tell Ice where his heart truly lay. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

At some point in his childhood, Merlin had told a lie. Well, he'd probably told many lies, but he'd been found out in this one. His dearest mother had pulled him aside and told him "for every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth". Merlin never understood that. It was straightforward enough, but he'd gotten far more out of being dishonest. The boy didn't tout himself as a liar in his childhood and he certainly didn't consider himself a liar these years later either. Lies were a thing of childhood and he'd put them aside. In his adult age, he simply chose to undisclose the truth. He danced around the facts, because no one he knew was worthy of hearing them. He respected no one and because of that, he found no respect either. It wasn't like he was looking for respect, but the instinctual side of him yearned for it. What was life without love or respect? Merlin thought himself on the trail of love, but there had been no signs of respect...Until now.

And so he'd taken his mother's words to heart and this was where they'd gotten him. Merlin had always known his mother was a crazy bitch. But he found his current situation rather unfortunate. He'd said that he was not one to be trusted, but he'd never called himself a liar. In the mind of the Beauchene man, there was a difference. But clearly this man, snarling over him, saw no difference. Merlin would not be pointing one out to him. It was good for Merlin at least that he was no above cowering. He could know his place if it behooved him, and it did. Despite the outward aggression being shown to him, he respected the silver man no less. The ruddy man was no more than a gobbet on the earth now. He had no fear, he met no eyes. He heard the steps of another and saw him from his peripherals, but didn't move.

Determination was probably just as damnable as being untrustworthy. So let him be damned. His toes curled into the soft earth as a terrible snarl and nothing but white filled his vision. He did not flinch, he did not move. Let him be the whipping boy, the scapegoat. It certainly seemed that Ice was in need of it. Merlin, though weak from travel, was sturdy, capable of taking what was thrown at him. Or let Ice chew him into paste and spit him back out...Merlin would find his way away if the latter was to happen. <b style="color:#a59f32">

Switch said to skip Triell. ^^

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. He didn't know what he was after, exactly; he simply let go of the tangled, constricting thoughts and flowed into the pace of life. Instinct were the things that carried you through the darkness where the mind failed, the things which told you how to find food, how to make sure you remained in the security of family; part taught, part half-remembered from even before you opened your eyes. Ice was at odds with himself, with his damnable way of viewing things, with his testy nature, and with the knowledge that Oak Tree Bend needed new blood to further help them out of the spell - especially since Triell's return. And only that knowledge was what gave Merlin a chance at all. His lips were wrinkled, baring all his fangs, the growl rumbling like thunder in his chest, and still the red wolf didn't flee. He remained where he was, low, not even showing the slightest sign of wanting to fight back or finding himself mistreated - surely a coward would've fled? He barely registered the notion, choosing instead to keep acting, and his head came down as he tried to lock his jaws around Merlin's muzzle and half-shove, half-pull him over on the side on the moist earth. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Surely the fact that he remained upon the earth would have been enough for the man? Merlin was no whipping boy yet, but it seemed his malleability was to be tested first. It would not be called bushwa, but just something he'd have to deal with. Merlin was hardly a coward and he would not become one now in the face of sharp teeth and flattened ears. If this was what it took to prove himself, so be it. His body screamed at him to fight back, give some act of defiance, but his brain was better than that. His own ears were kept back as his head was tipped back just so, barely exposing the white of his throat. His legs bent beneath him, aching as they supported his tensed weight.

Words lingered in his throat, wishing to tell the man that he would not run, he would be no coward. But he'd learned already his words had no merit...yet. He would speak in actions, rather than words. Even as Ice grabbed his muzzle, slamming him roughly into the damp earth, Merlin did not struggle. It was a bit painful, of course, and perhaps if Ice's teeth hadn't been clamped around his jaws they might have twitched, but only slightly. But he was more or less incapacitated. He kept his legs curled against himself, and tried to keep his breathing even. Was he a fool for doing this, or was he brave? It was probably a little late to be asking these questions. <b style="color:#a59f32">

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. No; simple submission would not be enough for Ice, not when he felt betrayed by the tongue of this handsome stranger, when his fragile hopes of a new, strong man for the family had been dashed against sharp rocks. It was easy to bend your knees and lie still beneath the wrath of someone else, another thing entirely to allow your own life to be placed in the mouth of another. One crushing bite was all it would take, and then Merlin would be dead meat before long: left outside of the pack and with a broken muzzle, there would be little he could do for himself. No. Ice had to know that he really meant all the weird, contradicting things his tongue had said. He had to know that Merlin's heart was really in it, and the red wolf fell over easily to Ice's shove. His muzzle was warm in Ice's mouth, a solid, living thing trapped between powerful jaws and solid teeth; the clangor of his growl vibrated through his fangs, resonating where they lay against Merlin. The other wolf hadn't fought. He hadn't tried to run. He hadn't even growled a warning, or in any other way indicated he wouldn't put up with this kind of treatment. Even though his heart and mind, blinded by his hatred of lies, wanted to snap at him and run him off, he had to concede to one thing: Merlin seemed inclined on physical honesty. If he had truly been a lying coward, wouldn't he have taken off at the first sign of danger? The rumble in his chest and throat died down, the pressure of his teeth lessened as he let go of Merlin's jaws. Ice drew himself up to his full height again, and his lips bared the slightest hint of bone-white fangs. "You're the pups' new chew-toy, so get your ass over to the playground," he more or less snarled out, his narrowed eyes adding the silent message under supervision, of course. "But if you so much as glare at them, I'll have your balls. Now, get going." And his teeth clicked together in the air, as if the threat of a bite to the butt could make him scramble faster. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Had he succeeded? Had this all not been in vain? Every word he'd said to the man had been true. HIs loyalty to this stranger, Ice, and his family, those that were beneath him, even the dark male who may have been trying to come to Merlin's aid. Why? He didn't know. Something different? The way the man had been speaking to him? Merlin wasn't even sure, and perhaps that's why he'd made this strange decision. He felt none of his usual urges to be cruel to the man, regardless of his status. It was strange. But Merlin didn't complain. Just as he listened to his paws, he was more willing to listen to his brain. And his persistence and dedication had paid off. He was still angry at what he'd said, the foolish words that had spilled awkwardly from his jaws, because it could have saved him this. He might've been able to call the man who stood above him a friend, rather than master.

A snarled command was given to him, and Merlin struggled to his paws. He said nothing, finding it wiser to keep his tongue to himself around the silvery man for now. Instead, he bowed a quiet acknowledgement, head still low. He quietly moved forward, tail tucked loosely between his legs. Pups. Oh wonderful he would be their chewtoy. At the prospect of being the whipping boy for one, he'd been fine with...But pups? Well, he had made a promise of loyalty, had he not? Wolves were just so sensitive about their children...But perhaps it would be fun. He held no ill will toward any brat, only he didn't really know how to act around them. Perhaps these children would be willing to lead the fun. He would just have to find out. <b style="color:#a59f32">

Don't mistake my kindness as a weakness.

Without words was exactly what Triell meant. Whether from being in Marsh's presence those many weeks or knowing that was the best in the end for Ice, and to see the worth of the wanting. They could hopefully weed out the recruits who didn't want much work now, who wouldn't stand for a test now. Rather than later when they had merely use their numbers for security, and health to head off on their own. They didn't need any more wolves like that, and while some may slip through the cracks those were getting thin.

Still as Ice reacted, Triell had not been ready for white to crush upon red and cream. The dark wolf had flattened his head, lowering his frame, remembering all to well when the silver eyed wolf had rolled him flat. Fiery gaze remained on Merlin and Ice set to see how this would end. Would the young man take it, or feel it wasn't worth it? He really did not want to serve Oak Tree Bend. Triell had moved more than the red wolf who seemed to grow still accepting it. A good sign to Triell, who reclined to his haunches in wait. Ice should not need help, but the Tainn was watchful, picking up each turn of tail, of lip. Even if Merlin wasn't going to join, he knew he wouldn't mind giving him a piece of his mind should he make the wrong move.

It was quickly over, Ice the victor as there had been no fight in the new recruit. Triell had to hide a smirk at the words their new lowest was left with. At the same time it wasn't hard to fight it, because who the hell knew what "Ice" the Tainn would soon face. He could just as easily find himself shoved in the ground...again.

The Tainn watched their new "sitter" go. He was so close to asking if his friend felt better, but that seemed like pouring salt in a wound. Triell remained silent, and reserved.

are you with me through it all?

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. Fortunately for everyone, Merlin remained silent as he skulked away. Ice watched him go through narrowed eyes, wondering if he had done the right thing - or had he turned a monster loose upon his children? Would the red stranger barge into the den and bite them to death, as payback for Ice's treatment of him? His eyes narrowed further. Corinna wouldn't let him near anyway, and someone else was always at the den. None of the Oak wolves were stupid enough to just leave them with a stranger, right? Right? Slowly, he turned to Triell, but the dark wolf was silent, watching him with a guarded expression, as if wary of something. A frown creased his white face. Then, he gave his head somewhat of a shake, and sighed. "I hope that was the right thing to do," he murmured, reaching down to scratch a section of his foreleg with his teeth. He didn't want to remain standing here, unsure of what he'd done, or the future; he didn't want to stand still, because when he did, the thoughts he ran from caught up with him. So, rather abruptly, he looked up, at Triell's dark face and bright eyes, his mind spinning through all the memories and strange sensations, onto Marsh, the scouting order, and his return. He hadn't lived in Relic Lore for two years yet he felt as if his time here had been much longer than his life before that. "Let's go," he said quietly, slipping into an easy trot, following the trail Merlin had left. Ice wanted to make sure nothing was about to go wrong. [ up to you if you want to post again and then archive, or simply archive, or something else entirely! :3 ] .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul