Secret Woodlands white knuckle

Partly Cloudy — Current Temperature: 66° F/19° C. Dusk. @Rayne

There were a number of things that Mirren was sure of. 1. He was going to erect Copper Rock Creek. 2. @Nioswas back. 3. @Vaeta was one of them. 4. @Kite would be the mother of his children. 5. @Nina deserved more than a figurehead-stranger to lead beside her. 6. The bottom of the totem pole was not a position that suited him. Now in his second year of life, the young Tainn was a far cry from the yearling who had returned to Relic Lore with no other goal than to lay his eyes upon the copper-stoned creek. Stronger, wiser, ambitious as he ever was and consistently more capable, he was slowly─but surely─coming closer to forging a reality from the dreams that had once seemed untouchable. But for all the change he'd undergone and enacted, for all the hardships he'd endured, for the time, blood and sweat he'd poured into Secret Woodlands, for the love and respect he had for Nina, and, most importantly, for the respect he had for himself, he wasn't done changing just yet. Mirren had been lost and found and had lived quietly among his pack mates as a yearling, but he had never forgotten where he'd come from, and he would never forget whose blood ran through his veins. Mirren was the son of Ruiko Tainn and Aeylen Onida, and although this wasn't the kingdom of his predecessors, one day he would rule the one that was. Now he was no one special, but one day he would be a king, and the time to begin his ascension in life was now or never. The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving the world in a hazy darkness as the last inklings of daylight greeted the stars. Mirren prowled through the twisting trees of the grove with a number of names on his mind: Rayne was the first of them. Beneath an emerging moon and the clouds that loomed over the world like spectators to what was to unfold tonight, the Tainn lifted his muzzle to unleash a haunting summons. It was nothing personal, but he'd lived beneath for long enough.

(This post was last modified: May 27, 2014, 03:35 PM by Mirren.)

Even though his leg still gave him some trouble as he walked, Rayne was grateful that he could now move about without any help and little pain as he went around the thicket. He was content to simply be able to walk. Yes, there were often times where after being on it for too long, he had to stop and wait till the pain had subsided enough for him to begin walking again. But that didn’t matter. The air was fresh as the sun was setting, making Rayne smile at the beauty that came forth during the evening. It reminded him of the time when he meet the colourful female at the edges of the border, the one who he helped pick the thorns from her coat and she helped him. How was she? He wondered briefly. Had she found a pack to settle into? Or was she still wandering? There was hope that she would return because he wanted to see her again. His ears and curiosity pricked, however when a howling summons called for him to the west of where he currently was. It sounded like Mirren, a young wolf Rayne had seen about but hadn’t actually properly meet yet. Wondering why the other was calling him, Rayne made his way towards him as quickly as he could without pushing his leg beyond what was comfortable. Soon enough, after winding his way between twisted trees, Rayne shook his fur out as he stepped into the groove and his bright eyes easily finding Mirren. You called?” The elder rumbled kindly, shifting his most of his weight off his leg because if he stood too long on it, it would begin to ache greatly.

The summer wind swept through the surrounding wood as he waited in silence and with patience. There were a number of things the ambitious young Tainn was good at, and taking his time had come to be one of them. So many days he'd lost, or had seemed to have passed him by, when he'd been in a rush─a rush to leave home and the sheltered protection of his parents and their pack, a rush to make it to Relic Lore and a rush to locate Copper Rock Creek. A rush to find a home before winter's first snow (and he knew how well that worked out for him and his brother). Yes, he'd been in such a hurry to find his way in life that, in the end, he'd learned just how precious time really was; perhaps it was the culmination of such experiences that had guided him to choose now to begin the work that was ahead of him. Overhead, the canopies were verdant and full, their rustling leaves lined with the pale silver light of the emerging moon and stars. Some of it filtered down to the forest floor, capering in ghostly patterns across the dirt and the width of his creamy paws, where his eyes would fall occasionally as he listened intently for Rayne's arrival. He didn't know the man and had truly only encountered him a number of times, but his wayward experiences with the elder male gave him preparation enough. Mirren was young and healthy, brawny, and with enough guts to make up for his lack of battle experience; though he felt his now-superior to pose little threat, he was still smart enough not to underestimate him. The sounds of Rayne's movement preceded the wolf's arrival, and as the crunching and swishing of his pack mate through the vegetation drew nearer, Mirren rose casually to his feet. His posture rose in domineering fashion, and the once-boy held himself proudly, his inked plume raising tellingly as he lifted his head and shoulders in a stance that spoke of his regal heritage. Eyes of honey, shining and pale in the night, quickly sized the other up only to find, with surprise, that his opponent was or had recently been injured. His expression remained stoical and astute, hardly betraying of the fact that the last thing he wanted to do was harm the man if he needn't have to."Rayne," he regarded his pack mate, his eyes lingering on the kindly features of the wolf's face, "─I wont' keep you long...You see, it's time that I make my mark on the world, and, unfortunately you're standing in my way." His tail flicked tentatively behind him as his posture raised pointedly further. "I intend to scale the ranks of Secret Woodlands, and, tonight I've come for yours." His words were as smooth as silk, his confidence and resolution clear in his tone. He would take it if he had to.

It should not have come as a surprise that someone had come to him to improve their rank within the pack. It was an instinct within them all to ascend higher an and aim for bigger and better within the pack. In some, the instinct was greater while others were content in their roles. Yet Rayne let his surprise flicker through his amber eyes as Mirren stated what he wanted to do. At first, Rayne bristled at the open challenge to his rank but then he thought about it. He did not want a fight with Mirren. Not only ecause of his leg but because even if that did not hold him back, Rayne was not a fighter. Oh, he knew how to fight but he preferred peace to fighting. So with that in mind, Rayne gave his response to Mirren. "You'll find no resistance for your goal by me." Rayne told him in a serious tone before glancing down at his leg. "Even if I wished to keep my rank and fight you, it would be of little use. You already have the upper hand of being both younger and without injury. That fight would be over before it barely begun. So," Rayne bowed his head towards Mirren to a respectable level and lowered his tail to show his acceptance, with a smile on his face. {b}"I willingly give up my rank to you and wish you all the luck in the world."[/b

(This post was last modified: Jun 02, 2014, 10:10 PM by Rayne.)

He was so focused on every minute detail of his pack mate and potential opponent that it was easy to see his surprise to the no-longer-a-boy's to-the-point challenge. It was visible first in the elder wolf's golden eyes, then in the bristle of his tawny fur. Prepared for a grizzly retort or cynical counter, or for an attack even, the young Tainn's heart beat just a hair stronger in the moments between when his own words came and passed and Rayne's were expected. A ridge of fur between his shoulders rose instinctively, his body still as a viper lying in wait. So the reply that actually came in the form of a surrender was a surprise of its own, and a relief, and in a way somewhat disappointing. Sure, he'd easily gotten what he'd come for, but that made the victory less of a victory and more of a bittersweet transition. All the same, the Tainn inclined his wide, dark-marked head in acceptance of Rayne's submission, purposeful, almost graceful strides sweeping him closer to the man. "So be it," his voice rumbled lowly. Mirren parted his jaws to take Rayne's bowed muzzle between his teeth, holding it there in a firm, yet gingerly, move, as was customary. And...in the moment, even if his victory hadn't been battleborn, this domination felt empowering. It was one thing to practice, one thing to aspire to, one thing to do to Vaeta or Nios or even Kite, but to assert his dominance on a grown man in an official capacity─ that was something entirely new and satisfying. When the short exchange was finished, Rayne's words still reverberated in his mind and he thought briefly on the circumstances revolving the fact that one of the reasons he wouldn't fight was that he was injured. Having not gotten to know the man, curiosity and a pack-protectiveness prompted his next statement, which, as per the usual, cut straight to the point. "Your leg, Rayne─" Mirren motioned down his nose to the injury (which he took in carefully) before his bright eyes, ablaze with life and intelligence, found his counterpart's. "What 'appened to you?"

Rayne allowed the show of dominance, barely flinching when Mirren took his muzzle and gripped it in a firm yet careful grip. Rayne lowered his head after the other wolf moved back, as a movement of respect more than anything, smiling. Yet his body tensed when it was asked what happened to his leg. He wanted to lie again and say it was nothing, just a fight with another predator who had been scurrying around the borders. Rayne felt bad about telling a lie but he feared what would happen if word got around to the dark wolf that had attacked him, heard Rayne telling everyone who had done it. ”Just a border scuffle with a bobcat. Nothing too serious.” He tried to chuckle slightly, attempting to lighten the mood. ”I managed to scare the bobcat off but it got a good hit on me.” A lie. A complete and total lie but it had to be told, he thought to himself as he kept a steady voice and face. If word ever got out to that dark wolf and his sister, who knew what they would do to him next. Would they take it up a notch and kill him, for speaking against them? He would not put it past them, not at all. ”I am sorry if you expected something more Mirren but even if I was not injured, I would not fight. I prefer negotiating over fighting, if it is possible.” Rayne did prefer peace over violence, if it could work out that way.