Return of the King

RE: Heavy rains are falling with no end in sight.
@Sagacity <3

The rain had begun hours ago. Was it just hours? It felt like days. It was hard to tell anymore. The chilly onslaught had soaked him to the bone – not a great fete with his poor condition. Bones jutted here and there, his already mangled ear was near on missing and his legs were littered with scars and patches of missing fur. They’d been brutal, sure, but nothing could ever compare to what his father used to do to him; if anything, they had tortured him with mercy.
The bitter cold of the water that fell from the sky felt good against his hot skin. No doubt a fever had set in, but with anything in his life, he pushed through it. Nightfall came earlier and earlier and whilst they were in the midst of fall, the tell-tale signs of winter were everywhere. The leaves had long ago begun to change colour from a rich emerald to a crisp cinnamon. The wind grew heavier, colder with each gust. All around, tiny animals gorged themselves on food ready to take them through their winter hibernation.
Had it been so long already? He was sure the weather had been warm when he and Valiant took his son, Adonis, on a trip to man him up. The sun had been pleasant upon his broad, dark shoulders. The grass had been lush, full of bounce as the trio had made their way to places away from those that they knew. Spring was turning into summer when he had left the confides of the mountain he had called home; now winter was fast approaching and the dark king was finally able to contemplate just how long he had been lost.

The rain did nothing to help the boggy ground beneath him. Each tender step the tall male made felt as if the earth may swallow him. The grass was an excellent mirage, covering the thick, oozing clay and silt below which did its very best to suck him under. Despite his waning strength, he pressed onwards. Determination the only thing he had left to pull strength from. Mentally he was an iron giant but physically he was but a shell of his former self. It was fortunate that the falling rain shattered the surface of the water which ran alongside him, for if he were to catch a glimpse of himself his blood might boil.
Anger had been his only companion these past few months; the only thing that had kept him going, that kept his mouth shut and his mind sharp. The endless darkness of the hole he had been kept within would have been maddening where it not for his dark thoughts. It was lucky that he was a sick, twisted, sadistic bastard – it had made the experience not exactly pleasant, but not soul shattering either. It was hard to shatter something which doesn’t exist.

Another icy droplet pelted him into his gunmetal eye. The cold sting caused him to wince and pause midstep. The rain wasn’t letting up. Clarity came with the burning sensation on the surface of his eye; he needed to seek shelter. Pressing onwards would only drain whatever strength he had left and he had a long way to go yet. Home was on the horizon, sure, but it was at least a week’s trek and that was if he did not rest along the way.
Home. He would laugh at the word were his voice up to working. A burning, dry feeling flooded his throat at the very thought of opening his lips to form words. He had been silent for so very long, saving whatever voice he had left for the silky ears of the rather heinous female he had seduced to mount his escape from the prison he had been locked within. She had appreciated the smooth, seductive tones of his southern drawl as he whispered promises of a better life into her tattered ears. Not yet even a full adult, he took advantage of her without guilt. Another pawn in this game he called life.
As he made his way towards a cluster of fallen branches, he thought of her with a sadistic smirk. No doubt she would still be sitting aside the lake where he had been discovered with Valiant and his son. Waiting for him to fetch her and bring her to his kingdom. He wished he could have seen her. Her ugly, marred face tormented when she finally accepted that he was not coming for her. That he had abandoned her to a fate worse than death. Her punishment would be long, what with being the eldest daughter to the alpha of the pack who had stolen him; long and painful he suspected, until she begged the old man for death… which would most likely be dragged out too.

Ducking his head, his dark form slipped beneath the mound of branches and took what little shelter he could find. Exhausted on the inside, but steely on the out, he lowered himself to curl into a ball. His nose tucking beneath the tatty fur of his tail, seeking out what little heat his own body and dirty fur could offer him. It was not long before he slumbered- an uneasy, wakeful sleep where dreams of his father lingered. He hoped the rain would stop soon.

It would be the last scouting mission that Sagacity would take before the snow fell. Already she awoke to frost-laden leaves and water which had ice around the edges. Never before had she seen the winter proclaim itself present so early in the year, and she took it as a sign that the winter would be long and merciless. It had been cruel before, but this would be a winter like no other, she sensed; one which was longer and tougher than others that many of the living wolves had ever faced. The amount of prey present in the area was already lessened by the oncoming cold- the herbivores had moved to find their winter pastures in the lowland earlier than normal. Now t was her job to scout them out so that they would have a small chance of making a kill which could be stored for later use.

She'd found two relatively significant herds of deer- this animal was her main target, as one could feed a few wolves. The moose were large and intimidating, but she'd come across a few already. She'd tracked a couple of bears to find anything she could scavenge and had fed on an aging carcass. She'd buried some of its bones so as to preserve the marrow withing them; the nutrient-rich marrow would serve them through the winter, when fresh kills could not be made. Fortunately, the bear had not made use of the bones, nor had any of the predatory birds. This she'd been able to make off with the leg and hip bones which she would collect on her return journey. She intended to return within the week and had made sure to bury the bones deep so no other scavengers could find them.

She'd relied mainly on her sense of smell which had betrayed her very few times in the past- but she found herself doubting her senses- perhaps she was tired- when she came across an old scent trail, possibly from the day prior. The rains had made the scent trail all but disappear and had not improved her faith in her senses- but for some reason, for a moment as she caught a decently strong whiff of scent, she could have sworn...

Her eyes widened. A pawprint. Blurred by the rain, but still discernable. She approached and sniffed it, only to find the fur along the back of her neck rising. This was not an old trail- this was a new one. And she couldn't be mistaking to whom it belonged, though her mind and heart battled. Her brain told her who it belonged to- but her heart refused to listen, even though it wanted dearly to be mistaken. She felt torn, and unsure. Nervously, she tilted her head back, closed her eyes against the rain which continued to beat down mercilessly and called out, voice rising, sustaining a pitch for a moment, and then falling, ever so slowly. If it was him, she knew he would answer.

Avatars by Arla!

Sorry for the delay and the crappy post lovely lady, this baby zaps up any free time I get at the moment! ;__;

His mind wandered, distorting reality and the dream world as he had an uneasy rest.Unable to relax he took whatever moments of sleep he could gather, but with the cold in the air, the gnawing in his gut and the pain that radiated throughout his body there was little peace to be found in slumber. At some point however he must have dozed off for he was unaware of the femme fatal who happened upon his scent. It was not until her voice, golden like rich honey, stroked his inner ear and gently roused him. It was like a soft whisper, a gentle alarm clock which roused his eyes to open.
At first he was unsure if it was a trick of his mind, his nightmare tormenting him from the inside out. He was far from home, but the scout had been known to travel long distances for the pack. Was there any real chance that it really was her all the way out here? Possibly. Was it worth wasting what little energy he had to be found? Possibly not.

Home was where he was headed, but not for the reason that most long lost loved ones returned. He was angry, bitter towards his former pack. Yet another gaggle of back stabbers who had left him to his fate There had been no rescue, no word from any of them but he was sure they would still be there. @Naira would not give up her kingdom again. He had damaged her so much so that she was almost his female image. Confident, strong and above all else, a selfish little witch. No, he was heading home for her and her alone... her and her downfall. Not for his children, @Datura perhaps was worth saving but the others... pointless balls of fur whom he had no interest in. Not to reclaim his throne - who wanted to live on a freezing cold mountain anyway. Not even for @Sagacity, the siren who stood not too far from him and caused a primal reaction from him. Just for her. To see her suffer and all those who loved her mourn her loss. Too many years had passed between them. What may have once been love was now hate, having crossed that thin line somewhere in the darkness of his prison. Her death was the only thing he had left to live for and it would no doubt be his final deed on this earth, the pack would not rest until their queen was avenged, but he would go down with a smile on his face knowing he had removed her and done the world a favour.

A rumble of thunder further wakened him from slumber. The voice sounded distant, but the heavy wind and rain would easily distort it and hide her location. With what energy he could muster he rose to shaky legs and slowly elevated his head to rise over the branches of the cover he had taken. There, in the distance he could make out a silver form. Hard to tell from so far away, the rain made it difficult to distinguish her but there was something in his gut that told him he was looking at her. At the female who had caught his breath, even if it was just for a moment. He had never given a thought to what might have happened after their physical encounter. He had no idea he had another son in the world, another life to fuck up.
Before he might have revealed himself. Trusting that she would help him, to be faithful. However it had been so long. Now he could see her he took in her scent, faint though it was. It reminded him of home. The fresh smell of untainted air, of salt from the many waterfalls that lined their walls. She was still of the mountain. The pack had survived without him. Unlike before he was in the weak position. No longer a king upon his thrown but a peasant in the gutter. Inwardly he felt ashamed of himself. The scar that marred his face, running from his nose to his eye made him feel ugly. The bones which lay visibly beneath his skin felt stiff and creaky, no longer did he feel a figure of strength and authority.
She could not see him like this. It was something he simply could not allow. Whether he might have felt another for her or not in that moment was irrelevant. He had to stay hidden. Naira could not know he was here. Sagacity would be bound by duty to report it. He could not trust her. He could not trust anyone anymore.

As quietly as he could, he lowered his head once more and pressed his belly to the ground, keeping himself low and hoping that the rain might be enough to distort his scent and lead her away from here.

s'ok!

It was too hard to tell, in the falling rain and swirling mists, whether she'd really scented him or not. She waited, silent and still, to hear the returning call of anyone but only the sound of nature answered. The patter of rain, the flap of a bird's wings, the sigh of the wind. No voices raised to answer her call and she felt disappointed, both that no one answered and that her judgement had been off. She lowered her head to sniff the ground where she'd been sure she'd caught a trace of his scent, but smelled only the earthy smell of wet ground. The weather was not making things very easy, that was for sure, and it made her doubt herself even more. Why was she bothering to waste time on a memory? On the foolish hope that he'd come back?

In that moment, she paused to think. If he had answered her- say he had returned, what would she have to say to him? He wouldn't find a home in the pack- between Naira and Mapplethorpe, he'd be driven off, if not killed. And Sagacity could not leave the pack- not when winter was coming, knowing that leaving would endanger Mercy's life, and that the boy would be at loathe to leave at all. And how fond had she grown of Faol? How enchanted had she been by Crowe? Could she desert them both- the man who'd joined the pack for her sake and the man who was an idol for her son? What kind of payment would that be for them?

Her heart wasn't sure if it even still loved him- it struggled with the concept of clinging to his memory, something she cherished now only in the form of her son, a boy who hated her and who knew only that he was an orphan, an illegitimate bastard son who hadn't been wanted and who'd caused the death of his mother. Mercy was all she had left of Rhysis, and over time, it had been enough.

She moved, deciding that she'd been insane to think she'd caught his scent. She moved on with her heart and mind, but nature would catch her interest in an instant as she caught his scent once again. Her eyes snapped open and she lowered her head- the faintest outline of a pawprint and a tinge of his scent. This time, though, she was sure it was his scent, no matter how weak it was. She lifted her head and looked around and for a moment, though the prone male could not be seen, she stared straight at him. She could not make out his form as he lay in hiding, but still her eyes gazed directly in that direction, before she looked elsewhere, having seen nothing. Once again she called out, a low, mournful howl, determined to call to him one last time.

Avatars by Arla!

Look Out!

You discovered a rabbit's nest. +1 Health

She called him again. Her vocie the second time was not so unclear. He was completely convinced that it was Sagacity who stood across the way from him. He was tempted, so very tempted to reveal himself to her but the consiquences would most likely be dire. Could he really trust her? Their time together was brief but physical, perhaps even emotional having been so raw and animalistic; had it been enough to create an unbreakable bond between them? Sure, they'd created a child together but apparently that wasn't enough to stay loyal these days. Hell. He'd spent years of his life with Naira, fathered at least one litter with her, only to be betrayed by her. He had been forgotten. Why would Sagacity who was all but a blip in his timeline be anymore loyal then the queen of the mountain? It was too risky. Wasn't it?
On the other hand he could use her right now. For a meal, perhaps to fetch basic supplies to cover his limbs to ease the swelling in his poorly sealed wounds. Afterall, he was technically still a king as he had no knowledge of his replacement up on the mountain. But then, she would question what happened and most likely encourage him home and when he would decline she would become suspicious of his motives. Having spent much of his devious life avoiding lies and deceit (an inspiring quiality in any villian), would he be able to pull off spinning a tale to lead her away from his true intentions? Probably. He was formidable at everything after all; in his mind that is. Still, was the gamble worth it? The ache in his gut told him to go for it, whilst his overly cautious mind remained firmly stuck to the fence.

With a short intake of breath he lifted his head and sang upwards to the sky. He replied to her call. His location ringing clear and though the rain fell and soaked him to the bone, his voice was dry, hoarse but unmistakable as the God of the Mountain. I'm here... was all he said in his song. He could only hope that his gamble would pay off. That he could spin such a tale that she might believe his intentions to not return home were honourable... and not because he wanted to murder her Queen.

Still she was met with silence, and her heart sank slightly, though at the same time, she felt a pang of relief which also evoked guilt. How could she feel relieved when he was out there on his own, lost for some unknown reason? She had been unable to go out to search for him because she'd had a child- she'd been physically unfit to do so and unable to leave her pup behind. Now, Mercy had grown up, and for the first time in a while, the thought of going out to search for him struck her again. Mercy was old enough...She could pass it off as a scouting mission- but this close to winter? That would be foolish. It would be suicide.

She turned and lowered her head to try and scent him again, instead catching the relatively fresh scent of a rabbit. She followed it, only a few steps, and could tell that yes, it was definitely fresh- so fresh that she could smell more than one. She licked her lips and felt the distraction ease the worry from her mind when suddenly a voice called out.

Her head snapped up and her ears perked; it was his voice. It was undoubtedly his voice. She turned her head back toward the trees, where she'd heard him; she'd looked that way not so long ago but had seen nothing- still she saw nothing. He sounded weak, his voice sounded as though his throat was parched, so she moved closer and squinted...Until finally she could see the fur of a wolf hidden where she could not have hoped to see a wolf before- there was someone there, and as she drew closer she could make out a scent- and it nearly caused her to black out.

She felt shaky and weak when she came close enough to see those icy, greyish blue eyes, feral and bright though with a somewhat feverish light. He was still much larger than she, but his sides sank in where once muscle had filled them out. The lustre from his pelt was gone and his cheeks looked gaunt. She barely managed to whisper his name when she was struck with a sudden idea. "I'll be back." She said hurriedly, whirled around and took off at a run. It was only when she reached the rabbit's nest that she realized she should've said what she was doing, but she wasted no time; the rabbit hadn't had the time to shrink back from her attack when she cornered it, scrabbling at the dirt until she was able to sink her teeth into it. Its muffled cry wouldn't have reached Rhysis, but she'd already pulled back out of the dirt and had begun to run back toward the tree, and could still make out the dark form beneath it.

She crept in, and a small, appeasing whine found its way to her lips. She put the rabbit down and nudged it toward him- he needed it more than she, for sure. And to console her fluttering heart and give him warmth she pressed herself against his side and buried her muzzle into the fur of his ruff.

Avatars by Arla!

Look Out!

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by a bear nearby. +10 Health

The rain continued a rhythmic beating upon the branches which surrounded him and pattered like tiny feet on the soggy fall leaves that littered the floor. Other then that he heard no sounds. He felt apprehensive for a moment. The sudden realisation of the choice he had made him him full pelt in the face, but what was done was done and he would have to deal with the consequences. At first he heard nothing in the form of a reply, no movement, no changing in smells. Still laying upon the floor he elevated his head just a little more to peer through the thicket where he lay hidden. It was only then his eye rested upon her grey figure, moving with purpose towards him. Slicing through the rain, boggy terrain as if it were nothing. The determination in her face was steely, she was a woman on a mission, it was a look he was well versed in, but to what end he could not yet know.

When she turned and ran he felt his gut sink. She had taken one look at him, her expression seemed horrified at his ugliness as opposed to the siren she had been before. A pang of misery hit him hard but he locked the feeling away. He had seen his face, how ugly he now looked. He had seen his tall thin frame lacking any substitue. He knew he was but a shell of himself but to have someone he knew react in such a fashion really was a kick in the balls. Though he was never outwardly so, he had always had a streak of vanity within him. He was afterall a clever lad, not gullible nor a liar (well, often) and knew from a young age that his good looks would come in handy. Now even they were gone. Along with his home, his female, his children, his friend. Leaving him with nothing but rage and resentment towards what was once his.
Not only had her expression whipped him, but she had turned and ran. Perhaps she was going to find others to retrieve him? Maybe she was unable to finish him herself. Perhaps she came with a party and soon he would be swamped with them all. Damnit. He knew this had been a bad idea.

As quickly as he could, though not as quickly as he'd like, he rose to shaky legs and began to back out from the thicket. He turned in the opposit direction to where she had bolted but she had been much faster then he. Having taken so long to rise to stand she had already returned. For a moment he felt his hackles bristle, ready to defend himself to his last breath but with the way he felt he knew it would not be a long battle. He would not go out in a blaze of glory like he had always thought he might. Yet then, he noted the small, battered creature which she placed before him. He didn't have a moment to process her gift before she was upon him. Her scent was as intoxicating as before. Such a simple gesture of kindness touched him deep inside... but it would not last. How could it? When she too had abandoned him to his fate. No one came for him. Not even his siren. "Are you alone?" he croaked, not returning the affection but instead standing still as if the icy rain and bitter cold winds had frozen him in place. Even the scent of the rabbit was not enough to move him. Not yet.

(This post was last modified: Nov 11, 2013, 11:14 PM by Rhysis.)

WOOT! Jackpot, hey? I love how generous this Spirit of Wildwood is...But have the feeling it ain't gonna last!

She should've known that he would be restless, but she wasn't having him wander off- not when he looked so weak that she suspected he wouldn't be able to hunt. She'd need to take care of him, help him get his strength back...She couldn't simply let the father of her child starve to death, it was an unfit death for a loner let alone a king, and in her mind, he was still her king. Though she knew full well that there was no way he could come back to the mountain, she felt obligated to make sure he found a life somewhere...Somewhere that he was close, but that he would be hidden away from Naira and Mapplethorpe. She admired Mapplethorpe for the way he led the pack, but knew that he wouldn't wait two moments before trying to kill Rhysis to avoid having the threat around. He was smart. He was aging- and perhaps he knew he would become vulnerable due to his age- keeping the likes of Rhysis away would only be in his best interests.

He had the rabbit before him, but already Sagacity began to think- she had no caches nearby...This wasn't her usual hunting ground, and the brooks wouldn't make for good fishing. Even the creek wouldn't be at its best, not with this cold creeping in, even though the rain sometimes made for better fishing weather...She decided that that was the next best option, and by the time he'd finished eating she felt some warmth return to his body and felt that she would need to do more for him. "Eat it," She said, her tone stern enough to show that she needed him to be humble enough to accept the gift. "I'll find you more. Don't move, I'll be back." She said. She leaned forward, and caressed his gaunt cheek with her nose, and rumbled a small growl. "Don't you dare leave." She said, her tone taking on just enough of an edge to show how serious she was. He was a king with a broken crown; which meant that she needed to find her own to wear in order to make him listen to her.

She took off again, as swiftly as her feet could carry her, zig-zagging this way and that in the rain, desperately trying to pick up the scent of a rabbit- something small she could catch on her own and bring back to him. She balked when she caught the scent of a bear, something she was not prepared to deal with...But it was mingled with the scent of blood, and somewhat stale. She followed it, squinting her eyes against the mist to see any sign of the hulking figure- she knew if it came for her and Rhysis, she wouldn't be able to fight it off, nor would he. Instead, she saw the arching form of ribs sticking out of a dark lump on the ground, and the broad antlers of a moose. She darted toward it and circled, still wary of any bear.

She saw no trace, apart from fading footprints, and snapped at a crow as it landed to try and take away a chunk of meat. She moved in and grabbed a hunk of fur and meat in her mouth and began to pull the carcass with her; it was big, awkward and heavy, but she'd need to get it as close to him as possible. She strained and jerked, pulling the partially eaten corpse along the ground, pausing occasionally to snap at the odd crow who tried to hitch a ride on the moving meal. That was the last thing she needed- more weight to pull. The tree where he lay came into sight, so she left the entire carcass, tugging instead at one of its hind legs. The bear had gored its mid-section, making it easier for her to wrench one of the thick haunches free. This was much easier to take to him, the rest he could get to later once he had the strength. She marked the corpse, to ward off any coyotes or foxes who thought it would be a good idea to scavenge the already partially devoured corpse.

She dragged the hefty leg to him and dropped the end of it before him so that he could eat his fill. "The rest is over there," She said, as she snuggled alongside him again. She could see its outline not so far away in the mist. "Eat." She said, for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Avatars by Arla!