Of course, it was easy to see why the woods were so quiet. They exuded this feeling of creepiness that ran up and down your spine, the darkness nearly making it impossible to see and the branches and undergrowth made it difficult to move. It didn't care to Neoma though. She was confident and knew that the darkness around her couldn't possibly harm her. Snorting lightly at the thought the some wolves that were scared of the dark or so superstitious that they wouldn't enter a wood like this, it amused her. It was a wood that had a dense canopy, what was so scary about that? And only the weak minded would ever believe that the branches that raked through her fur earlier were claws. Deciding to take a nap before moving on, with her head resting on her paws, Neoma closed her eyes and seemingly vanished in the darkness. One would have to look very hard in order to see the she wolf curled in the darkness and undergrowth.
Standing forty-one inches high, looking all of his one hundred and fifty-five pounds—thick and burly—he was was a monster. Copper tones brightened the creams and grays that colored his long coat, like glowing embers of a dying fire. This night his deep, dark eyes glinted dangerously under the light of the waxing crescent that adorned the obscure heavens, and flickered through the forest canopy. Silence had taken the darkness by the hand and were it not for the moon and stars Coal—little more than a huge shadow—would sense nothing but the damp ground beneath his paws. As it was the enormous brute felt quite comfortable in this gloom. He had come from afar, Riddle Heights in the south, following the foothills of Serpent's Pass until reaching these hazy woods that wouldn't yield even the chatter of a gray squirrel. Much territory had been spanned over the last days and yet still Coal felt fresh and strong, an effect, perhaps, of the chill which nipped at the breeze—a sign of the approaching winter. There was the obvious yearning for a pack—a home that he could make prosper—that the Bielski felt deep within his marrow; however he hoped to gain some experience apart from pack life and therefore was not yet chasing such a path. He was content to roam for a while, dance for bit in these dark woods, follow his nose, his ears, his heart. Few wolves he had met and yet the scent of many packs as well as other loners was unmistakeable. These woods in particular seemed rather devoid of breathing life but Coal was sure he had detected the sent of a she-wolf also picking her way through the gray trees and undergrowth and hoped to find her. He enjoyed company and found little of it since abandoning Red Ash Gorge. Now the ex-alpha demoted to omega and then a self-willed rogue, a spirited Bielski, was certain of the female's near presence. He moved slowly and quietly between the trees, darting from shadow to shadow, invisible to a passive eye. After a while of glancing around he stopped abruptly, peering into a low thicket with inquisitive brown eyes. The growth seemed to be furry, and yet he could not distinguish for sure whether it was merely his own imagination or truly a wolf. So he stared. |
"Am I what you're looking for?" Neoma knew it was polite to introduce oneself in a situation such as this but she wanted to wait and see what this man would do. She wasn't one for always following rules, only when it suited her. She was more of a snollygoster*, preferring to use wolves and toy with them. Yet it was clear as the cooler breeze gently brushed against her fur, that it was coming up to winter and a pack, no matter how long she stayed for, was needed. The want to lead her own pack would have to wait, though it didn't mean she couldn't find others to join her after the cold had passed on and form it then. Like her social nature did demand, she was drawn to packs but something always simmered beneath her skin, seeking something greater than the lowly scout. Being a leader, the leader of a pack is what she wanted and what she believed she deserved. Intelligent and swift, it was clear all that was lacking was strength but strength could be obtained by other means, like coaxing another with the required brawn to stay loyally by her side.
And this male, if he could be convinced to join her, fit that bill exactly. It would be some time before the pack was assembled, of course and she would have to scout other packs, to judge whether they suited her needs or not first.
(OOC: I'M SORRY, I KNOW THIS IS A WORD BUT I KEEP READING IT AS SNOGGY GHOSTER *can't help but giggle uncontrollably.*)
Even as he stared the pronounced and elegant form of a dark brown, black in this shadowy haze, female wolf rose from the ground and returned his intense gaze. The only light places on the woman's body were her pale eyes and a small white spot that dappled her chest, and now that he could see both her frame was easy to pick out even in the darkness. However, he already was slightly annoyed by her cold arrogance which showed in her practiced movements and steady, smooth voice. On the other hand, against his instinct, he liked it. A dip of his head in response, deep enough to be seen as a polite gesture but slight enough to keep his own proud, copper head above hers. "Yes ma'am, company does not seem to be easily found in these dark woods, and I thought perhaps you wouldn't mind a break from the silence that is so heavy here. Of course, if you would rather stay alone merely say the word and I will be on my way." He felt rather uncomfortable under the stranger's evaluating stare, but tried not to make it seem so by maintaining steady eye contact. She appeared to be studying him, reading him like a book, deciding his worth. So he returned the favor, taking in every word and detail. No one could one up him for he was cunning, and while he could sometimes appear to only rely on brute strength the Bielski's mind was equally fitted for any challenge. |
Tipping her head slightly in response to his, it was noted he still kept high enough to show dominance. So, he either had been an alpha before possibly being over thrown or like her, had left his pack with aspirations of becoming one. Interesting. "No, I welcome the company. As you said, the silence does seem far too heavy for a place like this. Conversation would be a happy break from it." Deciding to take the edge off their stares, Neoma felt it was time to introduce herself. It was only polite now, that they would be in each other company for a while. "I am Neoma Flint. I am from the north, from a place called The Valley."
So the two independent loners studied each other, using their minds to outsmart the other, unsure of the other's intentions, unsure of themselves. The night's perfect silence had been shattered by their soft voices, and yet the moments between words seemed long and black. The treetops rustled gently with the momentary breezes, sending chills up and down Coal's spine, making his skin prickle, his fur stand up straight and stiff. These woods were ghastly, and little did he know how true that was as he faced off against this stranger's mind, trying to stay a step ahead of her, but totally clueless as to why it was so important. Perhaps it was her initial greeting that had so put him on edge, as if she was arrogant, something he could not stand. There was also the chance that he was simply being childish because of the strange feeling that blanketed the place they stood in. But Coal was not a coward in any aspect, and though these trees made him restless to escape from the darkness he was not afraid, and did not disdain to remain and converse with Neoma Flint, a fine brown female who did not seem to hold any intentions of harm but did not appear perfectly friendly in his eyes. For a few moments after she introduced herself Coal only watched her, eyes intense and burning in the night, and then slowly spoke in return. "I am Coal Bielski, from the west, ex-alpha of Red Ash Gorge." Mentally the copper hued male kicked himself for including that last bit as it made him appear arrogant, a characteristic he did not approve of. Indeed it was pride, for not many wolves his age acquired such a role and he was proud of that. But not arrogant. The light in his eyes flickered and he shifted his position, relaxing the tension that had built up in his muscles, lowering his tail slightly, smoothing his long coat, but always maintaining the position of dominance. In the world of loners he was alpha of all, and would not accept anything lower than that. |
"Well, Coal Bielski, it is a pleasure to meet you," She didn't bow down when he kept his dominate stance. Former alpha he might be, he was a loner and no loner held anything over her. If he wanted her to submit, than he would have to make her. It could be arrogance that made her stay that way but she cared little of what others thought of her. The only wolf that mattered was her. And unless they proved themselves, no wolf was worthy of her. A light rain had begun to fall, some managing to fall to them and wetting them a little. It wasn’t annoying but if they stayed in the rain any longer, their fur would become heavy with water. ”Why don’t we find a more suitable cover to converse in?” She suggested to Coal, looking into his eyes as she spoke. He wasn’t her leader. He wasn’t anything to her but someone to shatter the otherwise silence that surrounded them. If he took offense to that, then she would leave him and keep on her way.
First impression was completed. Neoma was arrogant, of no use, and Coal didn't like her in the least. A growl had been building up silently deep in his chest and now he let it rumble out quietly, a warning to the impertinent she-wolf who refused to respond in accordance with his obvious show of dominance. He was alpha, first, and she would obey him, simply because he wanted her to. Perhaps this anger rising up within him was wrong, and he had never known it before, but right now he didn't care. All he wanted was to make this girl bow, to acknowledge him as dominant. "No." His words came out through clenched teeth. "I like it right here, thank you." His muscles were tight, to the point of discomfort, and he could feel the anger bubbling up like a volcano. He saw red, and then black, and once it cleared his vision was still blurry. He stared her down like a giant versus a child, tension constantly building. Finally his temper got the best of him. Though no unkind words had been spoken the real language in play was that of the body, and they disagreed. To follow up the snarl curling from his mouth he opened his jaws and then snapped them shut, leaping forward in the same sharp movement. His goal was to knock her to her back, force her to submit, prove that he was still fit to be alpha. She didn't respect that he once had been, and she had to. |
So going with the stumble, Neoma rolled onto her back and flashed her neck at the fiery Coal. Her tail was tucked close to her body as shame flooded into her heart. Shame and embarrassment that she had to do this but if it meant she could live without injury, then she would take it. Anger also simmered next to the embarrassment, anger and hatred at this male in forcing her to submit to him. Normally, she was indifferent to everything around her but she couldn’t shake the feeling that her very nature was being challenged and it was something she desperately wanted follow if her life wasn’t in danger.Whatever happened after this, however Coal reacted, only hatred would be left for him. He thought his old title had any meaning here? That it means anything to her or impressed her into respecting him? It was clear to her he had lost that privilege to someone better than him.
But she kept still on her back, waiting for him to back off in understanding that she had submitted to him. Even if every fibre of her being told her to stand and fight back, if she did, what was happening had the potential to lead to a fight and possibly, serious injury to her or kill her. No, she stayed on the ground. Waiting for this male to cast judgement on her.
The silence was cold. Mean. It carried no hint of forgiveness, only of anger. He didn't hate her. He had only wanted to show her who was the dominant one during this encounter which obviously would be shorter than it could have been. The Bielski's eyes burned with exploded anger, not at the dark she-wolf that was pinned on her back beneath him but at himself for letting his volcanic temper take control. It wasn't his best quality, and at times like this he felt only too ashamed. But none of this showed through his dark eyes, only the anger that could well have still been directed at Neoma. He wasn't about to let her respect him even less for regretting what he had done. To intensify the effect he let the snarl curl loudly off into silence and held her gaze for several moments before stepping aside, every part of his not inconsiderable stature stiff and regal. His neck remained arched so that he looked very much down at her but the fire flickering in his eyes died a little, signaling his acceptance of her submissive display. He, Coal Bielski, had sufficiently shown this pretty stranger who was boss. "I have other things to do. So long." His voice was gruff and emotionless as he stalked past her. Everything was as it should be; he was the better of the two, she had submitted. But it was all a show. This day would forever be a scar against his life as a lone wolf. |
Exit Coal