Willow Ridge Fission

OOC: I was told to tag the leaders to make them aware of this post, so @Elettra @Angier

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Being lone had it's advantages, sure. No one to depend on, and no one that depended on you. Hector was always one for independence. At the same time, he craved the attention of others. He wanted to be admired. He wanted power, somehow. He wanted responsibility. A rather strange combination, but then again, his desires had always been the opposite of straight forward. More importantly, he wanted to learn. The last time he had been in a pack, it had been a year ago. He was but a yearling then. Now, he could contribute more. Now he could keep his place.

The tall wolf had recently recovered from a pretty nasty wound. He'd got it from a trap a human had set out for him. Specifically for him, yes, as he'd been stealing from their camp for about a month prior to said injury. This was a turning point. He could have lost a paw, instead, he lost a bit of skin and a lot of dignity. The wound had been deep, and it had taken almost three weeks for his limp to cease. The sight of regenerating cells at the site of wound was a thankful one, yet even as his skin was healing, his caution was not. Joining a pack would solve this. If he could put his skills to use, maybe others would aid him with skills of their own. At least, he was pretty sure that was how a pack worked. He'd never known how to hunt, and decided that it was best to maybe leave this fact out of his introduction, to whomever greeted him at the borders. Unless absolutely necessary, of course.

Would withholding information about his skills be a lie? Not necessarily. A white lie, maybe. Hector didn't really see anything wrong with white lies. Or full-on lies, for that matter. The lithe, dark wolf raised his nose and sniffed the air. He was close, and he was almost ready. The boy stretched, and picked himself from his sitting position, to survey his surroundings with more interest. He felt almost eager, but also indifferent. Indifferent to any outcomes of this experience. If he came out defeated, he would pick himself up.

There was a shallow river ahead of him, and the pack's scent came from further up the river, in the northern direction. Smoothly, he stepped in to the river. He took a drink; this calmed his thoughts and cooled him down, so he immediately stopped the panting he had been doing as a result of travel. Then, he washed his scent as best as he could from his thick coat. His paws, he paid particular attention to, bathing from them the red dirt he had picked up from an earlier location. He did not want many questions, he wanted a fresh start. He was a nobody for the moment, and this identity was a preferred one.

The young, silent brute crossed the river finally, and let his coat dry in the reasonable sun. Mainly to hide the fact he wanted to hide. At this point, he made his presence known, repeatedly walking up and down a small portion of the pack's border. He did not need to howl or make noises; they would know he was here. While he was waiting, he let his tail droop low enough to be submissive, but not low enough to seem cowering. He didn't want to anger the pack, but the last thing he wanted was to give the impression he was weak.

(This post was last modified: Jun 16, 2014, 01:07 PM by Hector.)

They were nearly six weeks old now, her three beautiful boys. Although they were walking, talking, and learning now all their own, it did not make the mother any less protective of her new litter. Already and so very quickly the process of weaning her children was beginning. @Deacon, @Castiel, and @Greer were all finding themselves capable of moving not only out of the birthing den/Infirmary on their own, but the pack den as a whole, traveling about a mile before tiring out and needing to be carried off back home. They were speaking more now then just a normal chatter and although this would all make Adelaide, Sorya, her older children and the rest of her pack mates more busy with them, the three boys were yet still rather disciplined. Castiel was a very kind, gentle boy. Surely the roundest and largest, but with a willingness to simply be with his pack mates instead of running off. Deacon seemed well kept and mannered and though Greer was the most likely for wonder lust, even he did not try and attempt to stray too far. An obvious happiness were welling within the mother, one not easily shaken after all the troubles she had faced prior.

Once more this day the new mother was drawn to the edges of her home, firstly in order to search for herbs beyond. Yet a scent pulled her attention, one of seemingly a loner and thus of obvious reasoning and so, she followed it as she had many times before. Her children were safe, she knew this, if not by @Adelaide who seemed intent on caring for them, then by her family, by is mate, sons, daughter, sister or nephew. When she spotted him he was pacing, edging along the outskirts of her home at the southern end where the shallow river flowed. His stance was relaxed, if anything, awaiting it seemed to be noticed though he had no urgency or he would have howled for them. She keeps her distance beyond the line of her border though steps close enough for conversation, bright silver eyes never leaving him. She speaks not, but her throat clears to let him know she had come.

The boy continued to pace this way and that until, among the mixture of both old and new scents coming from beyond the border, one scent in particular became immensely prominent. He could both smell and hear that the approaching stranger was a she-wolf, and by the time she was in sight, he could see she was quite a bit older than he was. While she kept her distance, he could now smell she had been suckling pups, and this coincided with the fact she was older rather nicely. No doubt she'd had a few litters, and was the dominant one here. Her eyes were grey - no, silver - and they studied him while she cleared her throat. It became apparent she was simply making her presence known, rather than getting ready to speak.

He bowed his head to acknowledge her presence. His tail was still relatively low and his eyes never looked directly into hers, to let her know she had respect. Hector was more cautious now. From his experience, newly-made mothers were either elated, friendly souls or protective and easily angered individuals. The brute could not yet tell much about this mother, but he didn't want to take any risks. "Hello!" said he, and he smiled. There was a warm element to his voice; it did not sound forced, but it was. He had spent a long time practising not sounding cold to the other wolves he met. "There is a pack here." he stated. Mentally, he cringed at the idea of asking her if there was a pack here; he knew there was, and there was no point asking silly questions to be polite. He wanted to get straight to the point. "If I'm right in thinking, you are the leader of this pack. I wonder if you might tell me a bit about it? I am interested in becoming part of it." he appeared keen and interested, eyes bright and expression earnest. His tail wagged a little, and then he sat down, claiming a more comfortable position. He appeared relaxed, but not relaxed enough to seem cocky or demanding. Hector really had no idea what to expect from this situation...it would just have to run its course.

There was little curiosity she held for the stranger. She had seen loner after loner since she had become a Leader, all with different stories and different words, though all seemingly holding one meaning. They sought shelter, be in with a craving for family once more, a need to be useful, or simply to survive through the winter. She studies him further as he speaks, taking note of the healing wound as well as how he was as tall as she, though very thin that she imagined even the small @Lunas within her ranks had an ability to take him on. At the moment, the Willow Ridge pack was flourishing. Lunas had proved time and time again to be a well scout with both bringing pack information from other packs and seeking out herds to hunt by. Not to mention, he was likely to mentor her son, @Skoll, in the same trade. @Angier and @Xetor were obvious herbalists, able to identify them and bring them back to the pack territory where Elettra or even @Adelaide could put great use to them when the time arrived. Many of the young men in her pack were capable, growing Guardians in Guiness place, @Senka was a well Hunter for them and Adelaide and @Sorya doing much to care for the newest litter. Elettra even had a punching bag within the ranks, @Jaromir, and while the pack swelled with members it made it obviously clear to her the male before her was far beyond needed here.

His eyes remained lowered, his body relaxed and his smile was inviting to her. He had thus far given all the proper body language and wording to be suiting to her though she remained aloof. He would need to work extra had in order to prove his worth here amongst the ranks, should he be accepted or not. Though many of the men within her ranks were young, there was many none the less. Not only would he have to prove he was worthy of holding a spot amongst them to his Leaders, he would have to struggle to keep it amongst the other men, mostly should another come along and try to steal his place. She snorts at the first, obvious, question, though says nothing until he is finished with his other. She scoffs at the idea of trying to win this male over by speaking of her pack in high manner, though she is a prideful woman of her home land and so, cannot help herself but to speak highly of it. "I created this pack two years ago..." Back when Grizzly Hollow still remained, Copper Rock Creek, Poison Path and various others now all far long disband. "We have many wolves within our ranks now under my mate - Angier Lyall - and my ruling, all variously skilled. We want for nothing." There were various youth, including her children and Rowan, eager to please and work hard in learning their trade. She did not say this, however, for she did not want the other wolf to think he would easily be able to bully himself amongst the youth - her youth. "The Archer line, my line, is predominant here." It was her, her mate, her sister, her nephew, her six children. They were family here and those who did not share the same blood were easily making themselves so useful to the pack that they were seen as nothing less - pack. How could he compare?

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

The wolfess seemed to lack interest; clearly, this was a process she had gone through many a time before. Hector wondered to himself how many wolves she had accepted, and how many she had turned away. He, on the other hand, had never asked to be accepted into a pack before. He'd been born into one, like most, but couldn't remember much of it. Instead, he'd been lone for the second half of his short life. He'd got into many scraps, both with other wolves and other creatures. It had only made him stronger. While brute strength was not his strong point, he was fast, and he used this technique to his advantage. He tended to tire his opponent before going in for the fatal blow; after all, even the weakest of wolves still had the sharp teeth that were so deadly. And he knew how to use them. His wiry frame provided him with the agility that was so crucial to his survival.

Before she spoke, a scent suddenly caught his attention. He looked away from her suddenly, in the direction the scent came from. He smelt a deer's corpse - fresh - and also an older scent of lynx; which would have obviously been the deer's downfall. He made a mental note to approach it if she turned him away, or point it out for her to eat if she let him join. This was probably all in vain, however, as she had probably sensed it too.

The leader caught Hector's attention again as she spoke, and he turned back to listen to what she had to say. He listened with intent, his expression calm, albeit wary. She seemed to be telling him that this pack consisted of very tight-knit family values; a more traditional pack, it seemed. She noted that everyone had a skill. Was she suggesting that she had no use for him? It was time to argue his worth. "My lady, I understand that everyone in your pack must already be of great worth to you. I understand that you may consider it a poor choice to let yet another into your ranks, especially someone not part of your family, when you already seem to have everything flowing smoothly." he paused. "Yet, consider this: what if a pack, bigger than your own, decided to attack? What if a bear decided it wanted your territory? A new disease, perhaps, could halve your family, a new competitor could halve your food supply." Hector wondered if he might be speaking out of line here, but he knew he needed to continue. "The point is, you need as many strong pack members as you can get. I'm far from lazy. I can be helpful. I may not be family, but I can protect yours. I'm a fair fighter. You may not trust me, but I can win your trust. I can run, scavenge, cooperate, investigate, scout, and learn. Whatever you ask of me, it is yours."

Perhaps it was pure arrogance and stupidity that led Elettra Archer to believe her pack was unstoppable. As the thin male began listing off things aloud, so did the woman within her mind. The Willow Ridge pack had already survived various flooding, the harshest winter the Lore has seen, rabies and the pack that had brought it, an enemy pack to which Elettra had fought and, in the end, he had died from such a fight. Not to mention the more recent cougar attack. It would be true in saying that Willow Ridge had lost many members... but such was harsh reality. Still, the pack had survived. Still, they remained strong.

"I fear you underestimate my pack and I..." She begins, her nose lifting for a silent moment to the air, scenting the killed deer nearby as he had. Should she not accept him, she had no intention of allowing him to take any of it for himself. Taking a few steps forth into the tall, thin male's direction, she lowered her muzzle and continued. "We have fought disease before and destroyed the pack which created it. We have many allies and so, many eyes, ears and teeth beyond our own. Any who have crossed Willow Ridge, have suffered for it." She pauses, her eyes narrowing upon him and her stance shifting a bit for a better, more secure placement before him. All the while, her tail lifted, growing higher with each word she spoke. "You say you can be yet another strong member amongst us?" Her eyes narrowed upon him. He spoke of cooperating with the pack, of listening and learning, and directly speaking of abilities in scouting and fighting. Whatever she asked, it was hers, as he so said... "Prove it."

Then she turns away from him, padding a few quick steps into the direction of the kill site before pausing, her muzzle jutting out forth towards the prey in suggestion for him to come along. "The lynx who killed that dear has killed here a number of times before. I have children to consider. It cannot have gotten far." Still she moves along, pacing towards the kill site with eagerness and knowing that should he truly wish to prove himself worthy of joining their ranks, he would follow. "I want you to track it and I want you to kill it." It was a test of willingness to adhere her command and throw himself out on the line for his pack. Trust? That would have to come later.

OOC: sorry it's so long, and also, if the lynx was actually a male...my bad. I just kinda improvised.

He had to admit to himself, he was impressed with what her pack had to offer. It seemed they were most resilient, and he found himself wanting to be part of it even more. Hector watched as the leader stiffened, sensing what he had but a moment before, and the young wolf found himself lose a bit of courage. If he was turned away, it was a long journey back to the temporary den he had made, and without food to power him it would be a journey most difficult.

Finally, she asked a rhetorical question, and then asked him to prove his worth. He followed her, and his blue eyes fell downwards, to examine the deceased. The deer was practically whole; it seemed as if the lynx had killed predominately for fun. Such was the way of felines... such odd creatures, so different from himself. His train of thought was disrupted when his acquaintance spoke again. Hector found himself becoming somewhat gladdened and being offered a chance to prove himself. But also, there was doubt there. Doubt of himself. This lynx was a healthy one. Had it been wounded, his chances would be better. As it stood now, he was strong, but tired. But he had no choice. "Thank you." he said. The male crouched, and began to sniff around the area. The lynx's scent was faint compared to the stench of death; blood and entrails lay scattered around the corpse, masking most of the trail he actually desired. But soon enough, he was sure that the lynx had ran west, after killing the deer. "I shall perform this task for you, you have my word." With that, he turned away, and spurred himself into a quickly paced jog. He left Elettra without her knowing his name, or him knowing hers, and without being absolutely certain she would keep her word. But he did so knowing he had some hope in completing the task he had set out to do. He wondered if she would follow. It wouldn't make a difference to him if she did or not.

Tracking the lynx would be no problem. Sneaking up on it would be a failure. If it decided to run from him, that would also fail. Having no training as a hunter, he relied on fights that involved both parties wanting to fight, rather than a sneak-up one-sided attack. Keeping his nose in the air and both haunches and shoulders downwind, he trotted forwards, following the scent as it ran along the border of the pack territory and then eventually cascaded away. Hector assumed as much; the lynx's den would be a distance from the pack enough to cause trouble, but not enough to endanger the lynx. As it was, it was a good two hours of mixed running/trotting before Hector was certain he was close to the lynx. He had practically backtracked all the walking he had done this morning, in order to get to the pack.

As his nose detected the scent was getting stronger, his ears started to pick up the sounds he was looking for also. This did not necessarily mean he was just going to bump into the feline at any second, no. In fact, another twenty minutes passed before he caught his first glimpse of the creature. Hector was now in the lynx's territory. It stank of cat. And so it was that he was a threat.

The lynx had sensed him long ago but only just registered that she was being tracked. She lifted her head and her lips curled in lazy aggression. Don't run. thought Hector. But how was he to make her not run? He needed to be weak. Or, pretend to be. Weak, but threatening.

He began to limp towards her, forcibly hopping on three of his four good legs. His portrayal was uncanny, and he watched the lynx's eyes register with power. He began to sniff, as if he was looking for food. This was the last straw. The lynx hissed in anger, and leapt over, closing the distance between them in seconds. Her powerful paws batted at him, a huge amount of force in their swings. Getting this close was her mistake. He threw away his feint, and put the leg he was limping on on the floor, using both front legs to power the leap that both dodged her attack and launched his own. They were almost of a size, but he was quicker. His muzzle snapped on her tail. In a moment, he had injured perhaps her most powerful asset; balance.

She tried to force her body against his but again he dodged. He had no desire to brawl; strength was not in his favour, and bumps and bruises would only waste time. However, he turned back to face her a moment too late, and pain shot against his back as her claws sunk in to the skin. He pulled away but this made the wound wider, and he eventually had to shake her off. He turned completely then, and went for her throat. She dodged this time, but he still got her; teeth sunk into her shoulder- though only briefly, blood was released. Now, she tried to run away. But he dragged her back by sinking his teeth into her haunches. She yelped and kicked at him. He was quick enough to release his grip and dart backwards to miss her blow.

Finally, they faced each other. She ripped into him with her claws he so envied; while his were blunt and useless, hers were deadly. She got him on the chest, and his body froze for a minute in pain. But then he panted, and then inhaled through his nose, losing heat and gaining oxygen he so much needed to supply to his muscles. Hector tensed, then attacked. Thus commenced a repeated series of actions; he darted for her, she darted for him, he dodged. This happened several times before he finally got her somewhere she could not defend; a lower part of her chest. As she was distracted with the pain, he leapt upwards and got her neck. His jaws locked on and did not let go. She shook; trying to shake him off. He shook, lengthening the pain. He kept his grip and kept shaking - his teeth digging deeper - until she fell limp.

Hector ripped into her, and after a short while, the dead lynx's head separated from her torso. He picked up the head by the loose skin at the back, and trotted away from the scene, panting and bloody. He leaked blood, but it as soon as it was washed, it would heal.

He would drop the Lynx's head at Elettra's feet, and see if she still refused him entrance to her pack.

Whatever works. XD You did great!

Elettra had most certainly every intention to put the male's uses to the test. After all, there was many men within her ranks, much of them as young if not younger then himself. Already her ranks were filled with youth, so why another? He was tall, yet very skinny and it seemed even if he had been well fed he would have kept such a leggy, gangly appearance. He was worn from travel whilst the lynx had recently fed and was strong, which would further push the youth's limits. Not to mention, his eyes were blue, a sign that perhaps they were not as keen as they could have been though this was not always the case with blue-eyed wolves. It really could go ether way and so, Elettra wanted to make certain she was making the right decision.

She followed him slowly, keeping a distance and yet keeping in sight of him. She watched as he sniffed at the kill, though dare took none of it for himself lest the game be over by such a wrong move. Finally, they were upon the cat's territory and the moment Hector seemingly caught sight of the lynx, Elettra froze. Her body fell to the ground, pale eyes straining to catch the action from afar, with her vision impaired by the blades of grass blocking her vision. She only lifted slightly for a better view once the fight had begun and the cat would be fully distracted. The youth's idea to fake injury was impressive, giving the reason for the cat not to run, but to aggressively defend her territory over a young wolf that was obviously at a great disadvantage without mobility on his side. The fight quickly escalated and although Hector was a swift wolf so was a cat and it was made clear as her claws dug into his back, causing him to literally have to shake her off.

Soon enough they were face to face, doing their best to dodge one another and when not, offering a series of sharp and quick nips or a quick slash of claws. Hector was left quite bloody at his back and chest where her claws had met their deadly target, but his grip to her neck ended her after a number of rough shaking until she fell limp. Elettra lifted from her hiding, knowing the deed was done. The display that she watched after was a bit much, as he took the time to rip the cat's head from her body only to deliver it to Elettra's feet. It was something she was not foreign too. Used too, in fact, though not here within Relic Lore. Her brothers, Hexxus and Hextor, enjoyed killing this much and it was without a doubt that this youth too enjoyed killing. However chaotic he might be, Elettra had every intention to insure Hector's tendencies went towards the enemy and not her pack, less his own head be removed from his shoulders. "You have given me reason enough to give you a chance here. She spoke as she lifted a paw, toying at the cat's head before her a moment. "Still, I know little of you. What is the name of the wolf who wishes to join my ranks? Where did you come from and why is it you decided to come here, to my border, beyond all else?" Her eyes turned from the bloody head then and onto the unknown young male once more.