Spectral Woods Change of Plans

The white man had returned to the vale after his stint in the northern regions of Relic, and had returned with more information than he had left with. The scent of two new packs in the area had caught his interest, they had not been established when he had left and yet now there were clearly marked territories. Life as a lone wolf had been wearing upon Reaper and he could feel his body beginning to lose the lean shape he had when he had left his birth pack. At first it had just been the fat that kept him warm, but now his muscles were beginning to shrink as well and he could feel himself growing weaker every day. It was this that had drove him to a pack, this and the need for interaction, yes he had different opinions than many, but he could still suffer from the mental illness that extended solitude brought on. This was how he found himself outside of the borders, far enough to keep a pack comfortable even if there were pups around, but close enough he was sure they would hear him calling. A hare hung from his mouth, a gift in an attempt to please the leaders hung by its ears from his strong jaws. A light rain fell around him, soaking the top coat of his fur and making him seem much smaller than when his pelt was full and dry. The trees blocked out much of the moisture, but it still trickled down steadily through the leaves, leaving the ground in patches of dry ground and mud. Placing down the snow hare Reaper took a few moments of silence, attempting to shake out his pelt in vain, it was only dry for a few seconds before dampness creeped in once more. Raising his muzzle to the air he howled, alerting leaders to his presence, and letting them know why he came, the last thing he needed was parents thinking someone was here to attack their pups. Though it killed him to submit when he didn't know who he was submitting to, he bowed his head and lowered his tail in waiting.

Sorry it sucks. My ADD is terrible right now.

The weeks had been dragging by for her since nothing new seemed to be going on. Jessie had not been able to find anything fun to do since arriving. All she had been truly doing had been hunting and running along the border constantly. Every once and awhile the huntress would pass by one of her pack mates and she would have a quick chat with them, but in the end she ended up doing her own thing and did not take too much time to go back on her conversations with them. Again as she rejoined her pack, she quickly lost touch with her sister again, preferring to go back to the comfort of @Ice and @Fenru, knowing that with them, she did not have to hide herself…she could just be however she wanted to be.

Today she had been hunting, until an alarming call had stationed from the borders. Glowering at the ground as if it was its fact that someone was calling to the pack from the borders, she turned on her heel and started towards where the loner’s voice had sounded from the Oak Tree Bend borders. Shaking her head quickly, she stalked forward, her tail raising high above her back as she entered the scene…her eyes taking in that of a white wolf that was slightly bigger than her. With a soft snort she spoke to him, her voice collected and emotionless, "Who’re you?"

Random note to Lightning: just throw me a PM or a tag when you want Ice to bop in on Lettie & Jessie. :)

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. Rain fell lightly from the sky, tapping leaves and branches and rocks, slowly darkening the world. It matched his rather non-exuberant mood, the dismal state he'd found himself in since Triell's return and news of the inevitable, the heart-wrenching tug of Marsh's fate. He'd felt dazed for days before knocking out of it, and then he did his duties with a rather morose aura, shaking off anyone who tried to come too close. He knew that he needed time to himself, to figure everything out again, but he was testy, and it wasn't a good time for strangers to come knocking. The summons had his head snapping up from the ground, where he'd been sniffing at the trail of a badger, and silver eyes blazing through the forest, trying to find the source of the call. A low growl rumbled in his throat, fangs bared to the trees, and his first instinct was to get there, beat the loner up, and send him off. But that would solve nothing. With effort, Ice let his lips cover his teeth again, and smoothed out the hairs standing up on his back. After a moment, he heaved a deep sigh, and set off at a wolf's trot, eating up the ground with his long strides. This corner of the world was becoming more and more familiar, more and more his, but it took work to keep it smelling of the Oak wolves. They needed a few more months before the scent of their pads and flanks and piss would have soaked the terrain fully; a day or two without marking the borders, and this place would reclaim itself. Jessie beat him to it, her flat voice floating through the trees as she faced down the larger white brute. Ice's jog slowed to a prowl, the bushes rustling as they let him pass. Well, time for the showdown. His white tail was a stiff banner behind him, raised in dominance, and he lifted his head for the very same reason, pinning the male with a glowering stare. Pausing beside his pack mate, Ice lifted the corners of his mouth slightly, showing a hint of teeth. A low rumble, like far-off thunder, rolled through his chest, a little prompting for Reaper to lie down on the wet ground.. or face the consequences. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Well this is the lamest post ever. A female entered his line of vision and Reaper forced his body closer to the ground, lowering his tail even further than it already had been, clearly submitting himself to her. While he hated submitting to anyone, he missed the dominance and power that came with leading a pack he knew it was something that had to be done. The Arctic couldn't continue to survive on his own, or he could survive but he wouldn't be living, he had grown tired of everyday being a battle and missed the comforts of a pack. The man knew he could be an asset to a pack, he was a strong hunter and was trained as a guardian as well, and the pack's scent was fresh, they would need help marking the borders. The woman's voice reached his ears and he answered while still looking down towards her paws, <b style="color:#FF2501;">"My name is Reaper Grimm." The tone was respectful and he was careful to only answer the question she asked without rambling on about joining the ranks, it was rude to assume what she wanted of him. When the man who was obviously the alpha entered into view Reaper's heart rose in his chest, the man was a pure one, and now submitting came easily. He had been trained that all pure ones were born to lead, that there was no shame in offering submittal to one of your own. Even before the growl reached him the man sunk so low to the wet earth his elbows touched the ground and his belly reached the mud, his tail was pressed beneath his belly and his ears were flat. His eyes focused on the man's paws now and he didn't look up to examine the rest of his appearance, meeting his look in the eye would be a clear move of disrespect. Silence came from him as he awaited their response to his submittal.

As soon as she arrived the man sunk down in submission leaving Jessie with a feeling of peace knowing that she would not have any problems with the man, hopefully. He was quick in answering her question and before she could speak again Ice arrived taking control of the scene. It was a shock to her to see the newcomer shrink down so much more when her alpha arrived and Jessie was kind of curious to know why this was. None the less, she immediately looked away from the large bulk standing beside her. Ever since the Marsh Thing, Jess had been purposefully staying away from Ice, not wanting to feel like she had to comfort him but wanting to at the same time. Sometimes she felt guilty, knowing that she should at least try but was not trying. She bit her tongue hard, knowing that a small whine was threatening to making its way out of her throat.

When no one spoke, she took it as her chance to ask another question, slightly shifting away from her large snowball and setting her eyes on the loner, "What is your business here?" She spoke calmly, not letting emotions seep into her voice. It was not just that she did not want to show any emotions, but she was truly in a dull mood already. Whenever the sun was not out, Jessie felt herself drain of energy and her mood would easily drop. The salt-and-pepper colored woman just did not want to be around anyone today, but she knew it was her job. She had a duty to fulfill within the pack, and she knew that no matter what, she would have to do that.

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. It wasn't like him to be in a foul mood, but it was undeniable that where loners were concerned, it was a rule rather than an exception. Ever since the news of Marsh's death he had been moody and somewhat unpredictable, easily set off into a mood that either made him sulky or outright snappish - he'd taken to simply stalking off whenever something bothered him excessively, unwilling to take it out on his pack members. They had suffered just as much as he had, and he kept reminding himself of that. But loners.. they were the perfect thing to take it out on, and there was a deep, primal satisfaction to see the white stranger simply melt into the ground as if he were butter and Ice a furnace. While he didn't cover his teeth fully, the growl ceased, reward enough for his compliant behavior. Ice liked loners that didn't think they ruled his forest. Jessie's voice cut through the brief silence, and one of Ice's ears twitched. Strange, how roles reversed once the hierarchy shifted. No more was it Ice staring daggers and quizzing strangers for Indru or Marsh, but it was him who stood the silent judge while Jessie prodded their unfortunate victim. "And who are you?" His voice, deeper and rougher than usual, rolled out after Jessie's, his silver eyes hard. He didn't like strangers, not anymore, but they were a part of life and had to be dealt with. And if they passed his.. tests, well, good for them. Then one day they might not be strangers anymore. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

There was a beat of silence following his answer where the only sound was that of the rustling of paws upon the earth. The orange eyes were already trained upon the paws of the female because of her movement when she spoke, and question that Reaper knew would be coming. The truth was when the man had arrived in the lore his banner had been hung high and his head held proud, he knew nothing but the organization and he refused to know anything else. Things had changed, the Arctic had met nothing but roadblocks and his pride was beginning to break, the organization had sent no backup like promised and he had not been welcomed with open arms to say the least. Returning to Alaska would mean admitting defeat, yet staying here and continuing to fight for a lost cause would be futile and at the rate he was going, perhaps even fatal. Taking a moment to think these thoughts over the male answered truthfully, <b style="color:#FF2501;">"Life as a loner has worn me down to be yet a sliver of the wolf I once knew myself to be. My business here is to ask that with your alpha's permission I will be graced to become a member of the pack." Tail was still curled beneath his belly, which was pressed so low to the ground the Reaper could feel the mud beginning to soak into his pelt. Still, he forced himself to stay low, his ears flat against his skull and eyes focused no higher than the ankles of the two wolves in front of him. Respect was something he held to high standards, and it was something that he would dole out to anyone who outranked him. Reaper knew he would be a fool to show anything else to these two now, they outranked him and they deserved to do so. The cease of the growl caused one icy ear to twitch though not lift, it seemed that his displays were accepted by the leader, but orange eyes did not lift to see the expression of the alpha. Speaking once more to the large paws of the man in front of him the answer was simple and short, <b style="color:#FF2501;">"I am but a mere loner that has travelled from Alaska to this land called Relic. Reaper is my name." The man repeated his name now, unsure if the large man had heard him tell the female earlier.

She felt much more comfortable with her snowball of a Guardian next to her. The man who had simply slightly submitted to her shrunk under her alpha. It was a comforting feeling all the same. When he spoke to address their questions she narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn’t exactly sure what to do, she knew she definitely didn’t trust him, but it was a different fact all entirely if she liked him or not. Slightly, she pressed her side against Ice’s own, giving him what comfort and support that he needed at that point of time, similar to how he had done for her in her time of need. Her jade eyes flashed back down before the loner as he answered Ice’s own question and then Jessie’s voice rang strongly and unwavering again, "So I’m assuming we are the first pack that you are attempting to join…and if so, why did you come to this side of the mountain first, and what could you possibly have to offer us if you did happen to join our ranks?"

She pinned her questions easily and quickly, the interrogator in this instance. Comfortably she stood next to Ice’s side, her gray form standing tall against the towering form of Ice. She had never liked it when loners had come to their borders back in Swift River, and little was going to change that now. She found that she could at least be somewhat decent, unless they were insulting her or one of her other pack mates…or posed some kind of threat, to which Jessie would try to chase out and eliminate, just as her and Ice had done twice before. Flicking her tail behind her, which was not nearly as high as Ice’s, she waited for the man before them to answer her questions with ease and without difficulty.

Terribly sorry for the wait! <3

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. There was something comforting about feeling the rhythm of another's breath, the vibration of their pulse. Even if they both held their breaths he would feel the thrum of life in her, the faint expanding of her veins as each beat pushed the blood through. Ice took comfort in the quiet language of her body, anchoring himself to it; she was alive, she was real, she was here, everything Marsh was not, and if he would spend the rest of his, what, four years?, pining after ghosts, he'd have a sorry life indeed. This.. Reaper called himself a mere loner, and Ice snorted. Was he selling himself short? It felt like Brenton and his "I guess" all over again, or Sveinx and his pointless informing Ice of what he'd told Jessie. What need would Oak Tree Bend have of a mere loner? But he kept his mouth shut for once, mainly because Jessie was busy talking, asking questions, stealing the words right out of Ice's mouth. Why did it always end up this way? When Ice had simply been one in the ranks, he'd so often asked all of those questions, he'd asked them for Indru, for Corinna, and for Marsh (to Marsh's great frustration) - and now Jessie was asking them for him, and he found nothing left for him to say. So he kept his teeth together, silver gaze pinned on the kneeling loner. All he could do was wait for answers, and hope they weren't of the wrong kind. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

So sorry for the wait! Reaper nodded his head at her question, it was true that this was the first pack he had asked to join; but why had he chosen this side of the mountain? his muscles were beginning to stiffen in his shoulders from staying in the submissive position but he remained crouched, merely rolling his shoulders gently. Claws scratched in the murky earth as mud seeped between his toes, ignoring all of these conditions the man answer, <b style="color:#FF2501;">"I first entered this land on this side of the mountain, and though I crossed the ridge to explore other areas no other part spoke to me the way this one does." Memories of Ana filled his head now, it had been here that he had laid eyes on her for the first time but...it seemed she had a new life now. The memories only filled him with a fierce determination, one that he hadn't felt in a long while, he would show her that he could provide for others, that he wouldn't be left behind. His voice reflected this now, emotions ebbing on pride inching their way into the words, <b style="color:#FF2501;">"I believe I could aide your pack in hunting or as a guardian, I am trained in both, but I would be happy to serve you in any way that you wished." He was silent now, awaiting the judgement that was sure to come now, within the next few moments he would probably have his answer. Either he would be accepted into this pack, or he would be sent away to once more scavenge as a loner. The man offered no more information about himself than what the woman asked, he did not want to bore or annoy the leader with anything extra they didn't need or want. His past was no secret, all either of them had to do was ask and he would answer any question, but he would not volunteer anything about himself, not yet at least.