Sex: MaleHe had escaped the tangled gloom of the woods, and was greeted by a platinum sky, tiny snowflakes drifting slowly from the cloud cover. It might be spring, but that didn't stop winter from throwing one last tantrum, reminding the creatures of Relic Lore that they were never truly free of the menacing cold. Drestig didn't mind, his pelt was thick yet, and until he started shedding he was happy to be free of the sun; There's enough black left on me yet, that the heat is hard to stand. Snow was much easier to handle, the graying fur on his paws long and dense, fending off the cold. Not that there was much in the way of snow cover yet; The drifts left from winter had mostly melted in the first hit of spring, and though it was cold enough now, it would take a while for the small flakes to build up a fresh layer. The dark man walked through swaying grass, enjoying the light touch of the straws against his flanks. He vaguely remembered this field from his mission with @Jessie, though that seemed a lifetime in the past. Back then he had crossed it swiftly, to reach Secret Woodlands to the west, though he could recall the bitter, yet alluring scent of ripe blackberries filling the air. At present, only the earliest buds were on the dark branches, the sweet smelling flowers waiting for true spring before blooming. Still he enjoyed the fields, their openness about as far as one could come from Ghastly Woods; Or Spectral… As long as the sky remained covered, he wouldn't mind staying in the field. Though, he suspected, once summer came it might be too hot completely out in the open; But that's far off yet… So he continued his leisurely stroll, keeping aware of his surroundings, but not being particularly on alert, simply savoring this brief moment of peace. Word count: 320 ”Speech” Thoughts |
There so many memories stuck here within the commodious expanse of the Blackberry Fields. Decimated still by Winter, there was very little to foreshadow what would rise up here in the full swing of Spring, yet it was so much more familiar this way. This area had been thoroughly coated in snow and ice when he had first traversed it, searching for any signs of prey and finding instead a little white puppy by the name of @Danica. It was his first run in with @Iopah and Hollow, giving him knowledge of Secret Woodlands. He would cross the empty space time and again, sometimes with Sagacity, sometimes with Chulyin, sometimes alone; always searching for food. Whatever scrap he could get to not only sate his own hunger, but help the pack through the season and into Spring.
It was here too that an out of luck bull elk had attempted to fend off the unceremonious alliance of Secret Woodlands and Hollow Heart Keep, and that Gent had learned that that little girl had wandered off all by herself, lost to both her parents and her pack. He had been so stupid to divide his time, to attempt and play hero for her sake as well as care for the pack. Attempting to follow her trail, he had taken himself out of Relic Lore and off the map entirely, and the Keep had fallen to ruin behind him.
Here, he had returned, and unable to find a trace of his past he had come knocking upon Minka's door; opening the third chapter of his life.
Now? He stood upon the first few pages of the fourth, and despite all the ghosts that traversed the wintry landscape with him, he no longer felt the pangs of nostalgia. No longer did he regret what was lost in the past; thanks to @Raela.
No, he was not here to reminiscence; he was here to get a feel for the herds in this area once more. While the Fields were conceded to be @Nina's grounds, Gent desired to know the patterns that occurred throughout the land. If the proper tabs were kept, the pack would be ready should a known herd stumble onto his territory. Yet he would not find prey today, it seemed; instead, his pale gaze settled upon the frame of another wolf, just as jet black as he but with the tainting of white upon his jaw. Intrigued, Gent let out an amiable woof and steered himself in the other male's direction. He had time for a conversation today.
With the change of leadership and no news of his wife, the tension for Ash was higher than normal. While normally, the male would take out his stress on his work, he found that he had nothing in particular that he could do. The border patrols were done, the caches were full enough, and Nina had trained her new predecessor well. While before Nina had held a firm paw on the reign of Secret Woodlands, it had transferred and yet it felt like nothing had truly changed. Everyone was still happy. His sister was also happy and that was what mattered the most to him. At first, he had been hesitant with the change, unsure as to why he had not been informed of the change before it occurred, but once he had taken a good look at his older sister it became quite obvious. Her age was getting to her and he was sure that the injuries he had given her did not help her situation. Her blindness in one eye was already a challenge and yet she managed to rise above it and lead a pack for all these years, longer than even he had. While he had led two packs, he suppose she still had better bragging rights than he did. Her pack, through the years, had yet to disband and based on what he had observed from her members, including Inali(who never seemed to want to settle) everyone was happy, and in a place of solace. With this in mind, the man, once again, made his way towards Blackberry Fields. During his time in Secret Woodlands, Ash had become more than aware of their lack of Hunters and Trackers. Perhaps, he would be able to help out and try to find out if any herds were nearby. Besides, Minka’s pack was no longer a problem, thankfully. He was more than glad that his sister would not have to deal with the bitch and her ass of a mate, who was dead because of his paws. The Hervok man had skillfully kept that secret hidden from everyone, including his sister. He should have felt guilty but it was easy to rationalize his actions when it came to his wife and the way Tokino had so easily overpowered and hurt her. He needed to pay and he had, so Ash felt no guilt. As he made his way through the fields, he was not expecting to come across to males. While he was not on their territory, by testing the air, the familiar cent of Round Stone Crest met his nostrils, causing them to flare. This was the second one in the past week. His approach was casual, but his eyes were hard as he took in the form of the male, familiar. When Minka had come to establish peace between Black Thorn Downs and Secret Woodlands she had brought him with her. That, in itself, already made him tense. And then to add to it, the man had asked to meet with him very briefly. His name, if he recalled correctly, was Gent. Why was he by Secret Woodlands? However, the other man was completely unfamiliar to him and did not bare the scent of the Crest. His tone was slightly gruff when he spoke, ”Should I be concerned, Gent? Nina said that the Crest and the Woodlands were on neutral terms.” His already narrow eyes narrowed into thin slits as he looked at the Crest wolf. While his words were thick, his body language remained neutral. He knew that his sister would be furious if he picked a fight. |
Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief |
A soft call from behind brought the elder male to a halt. He half turned to look at the approacher over his shoulder, ears flicking and tail waving slowly; I guess that's the end of the peace… The stranger was dark like himself, though the color seemed more intense, and lacked the white peppering that dismayed the Avalon so. He was also a good deal bigger, muscled like a bear under the sleek, black coat. Drestig shook out his own fur lightly, a lazy smile curling his lips. "Greetings!" He drawled, ember eyes friendly as they studied the other wolf's face. He was young, though his strong body spoke of well use, and he carried himself with authority; This was a man who was accustomed to respect. A quick sniff of the scent, carried to him on the snowy breeze, told the graying male that this was indeed a pack wolf. Before he had time to say anything more though, the sound of another set of paws in the frozen grass made him turn back around, brows rising as he watched another, large male come towards them. This one bore a coat of deep, reddish brown, his height closer to Drestig's own, but square shoulders and burly muscles just as prominent as the first arrival's. Moss green eyes barely offered the smaller male a glance before turning to the young pack wolf, gruff voice addressing him as Gent. He also mentioned Nina and the Woodlands, leading Drestig to deduce that he came from the thickets, which matched with the direction he had come from. The elder male looked back and forth between the two men, silently wondering just exactly what he had stumbled into, and whether it would not be better to simply turn and slink away, leaving these two alpha males to whatever tensions clearly existed between them. But he was a dominant male himself, and curious to boot, and if he was to start his own pack around he, it would be good to some connection with the surrounding groups. So Drestig sat himself down, tail swishing through grass and snow behind him as he adopted a mischievous expression. "Well this is cozy." He commented, still glancing back and forth between the males, squaring off before him; "Though I'm at a disadvantage here sir's, you seem to know each other already, but I've yet to be acquainted." He might be poking at a hornets' nest here, but he couldn't help it, he was starting to get bored anyway, and if either of these brutes did explode, he felt confident he could outrun them. The still nameless, fire-pelt, was careful to keep his posture neutral though, even if his words could easily be perceived as threatening. He wondered how the blue-boy, Gent, might respond; In any case this will be interesting! Word count: 472 ”Speech” Thoughts |
Upon capturing the other's attention, Gent was pleased that his beckoning woof was amiable recepted. His jaws parted to strike up conversation, but the rise of another through the shallowing drifts stole his attention. Stark against the bleak landscape, the man was instantly recognizable as Nina's brother Ash Hervok, even before his thicket-ladened scent entered Gent's lungs. The shade king's reciprocation of the fallen alpha fed off the energy of Ash himself; Gent's shoulders rolled back, his posture straightening and that small smile that had been upon his muzzle straightening into a thin line of neutrality.
His ears cupped forward as Ash spoke, words provocative and narrowed eyes coming across as accusatory in their suspicion. Like that in-law who insisted on coming to Christmas even after the invitations stopped coming, Gent reflected on how much easier this would be if the russet man was not related to Nina. The stranger he had wanted to converse with openly commented on the tension that suddenly infected the air, aloof about and perhaps even amused by what might possibly unfold before him. The alpha of White Fir Notch wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"These are neutral grounds, Ash," Gent reminded him levelly, answering the question with brevity and choosing not to escalate nor concede. His words then turned to Drestig, but his gaze remained upon the Hervok male. "Not very well," he remarked of Drestig's claim that he and Ash 'knew each other already,' before pressing a narrow, wry smile onto his lips. "We've been working on that, though."
"I believe you got our names. Who are you?" he asked, finally turning his sights back onto Drestig in anticipation of the answer.
 Gent's response appeased him but Ash remained weary. He would be sure to speak to Miccah of this, no doubt the man would want to know that the wolves of the Crest were only migrated closer and it would be bothersome for them in the future if they were intending on sharing hunting grounds. He huffed softly, mossy green eyes snapping to the dark, smaller man as he spoke. He had a cocky air about him, much like he had when he was much younger. The Hervok man smirked, Gent's words echoing his own thoughts. He wanted to know where this other man had come from. His brazen personality stood out and had Ash still been a lead at Whisper Caverns he would have been glad to recruit him as a member to his pack. He had been observing their confrontation, if it could even be called that. The reddish man's ears pricked forward in attention. He was sure that any information that he could get from the two of them would be great for Nina, or even Aideen and Miccah. Things had been slow in Secret Woodlands and while he was sure that it was welcome for them, it would be nice to know what was going on outside of pack borders, even if it was with Gent. Though they were not overtly familiar with one another, he was comfortable enough to accuse him of murder and unfortunately, it was one that he did have a paw in committing. It was an assisted one that he did not mean. After the misunderstanding with his sister years ago, Ash had put his assassination days behind him, no one could know the truth of what happened to Tokino. His old age had truly helped cover up his death, along with the rocky mountains. Luckily, his sister had done her best to cover for him and so far, had succeeded. He could only hope that this balanced act would continue. |
Tense indeed! The formerly friendly expression on blue-boy Gent's face melted into neutral folds as he face fire-pelt Ash, stiffly dismissing the convoluted accusation. Neutral, hm..? Drestig thought to himself, still glancing back and forth between the two. Pack scent hung heavy on them both, leading the graying man to assumptions that were quite accurate; Seems this place is crowded already..! He would have sighed if he wasn't preoccupied keeping watch of them while maintaining his own, laid-back demeanor. The fields had been a fickle dream anyway, he knew of the Woodlands to the west – wasn't that Nina's scent on this Ash? – and the pack in the Cedarwoods which had driven out Kisla and her family; Not wolves he was interested in consorting with. He was a bit surprised when the attention was quickly turned on him, having expected a quick retort from the reddish brute, but he was apparently content with letting Gent lead the conversation and not interested in a fight. Drestig shrugged; I asked. At least the bluish-black male had managed to pull his smile back out, his tone not quite as welcoming as before, but certainly not unfriendly. Meeting his ice-blue gaze, still smiling lazily, the elder wolf conceded: "Drestig," Just a first name, like he had been given, he knew this dance; "I'm just passing through, but I gather you live around here?" There was a slight drawl to the question, though he kept it light, if a fight was gonna break out here he didn't wanna be the one to start it. Shifting his eyes to Ash, he added: "You are from Secret Woodlands I believe, Nina's pack." It wasn't really a question, though his raised brows invited the quiet man to contradict him. Since Gent seemed, by far, more talkative though, Drestig considered it more likely to get answers out of him. So he looked back, tilting his head slightly as he waited for a reply of his own. Word count: 326 ”Speech” Thoughts |
It would seem that was all that @Ash had to say on the matter, the man falling into silence. Given what could be expected, Gent supposed that was the best he could ask for. If it weren't for all the muddy (and potentially bloody) history trailing behind the russet man, the shade king would even appreciate such a direct and conservative personality. As it was, he was content with this cold neutrality.
Unaffected, perhaps even amused, by the chill was the stranger, Drestig he announced, drawing Gent's gaze again. Just passing through? What an unhelpful answer, and possibly purposefully so. Ah well, such mysteries wouldn't snare his attention. Rather, Drestig managed that with his surprise knowledge about Nina and the Woodlands. Of course, given Ash's own recent words, the man could have merely heard mention of the pack before and inferred the rest, but unless he was bluffing to gain information, his tone spoke of genuine familiarity.
"Roundabout, yeah," he answered just as uselessly. The man had never been particularly secretive about his domains, but also wasn't one to pass out information at any whim. Normally, it was with hopes that whoever he was speaking with could find their way back to him, particularly loners who seemed to have promise. This one he wasn't sure about yet, whether he'd make a good subordinate or not. That smirk of his could make him good for morale, or trouble.
"What do you know of Nina?"
| Even though he was weary of Gent, Ash was more comfortable around him than the stranger. It was why, when Drestig finally spoke up, the russet hued man instantly turned towards him, mossy green eyes sizing him up. He was a decent size, though not as large as himself, and he had a cocky air about him. He remained silent, holding in a snort at the answer that Gent gave to the other dark man. Even if he was annoying, there was no denying that he danced around giving information out to others almost as much as Ash did. That much, he could appreciate. However, when Drestig brought his sister into the equation, he was called to attention. Mossy green eyes snapped to the face of the stranger and narrowed. His tone made it seem as though he were familiar with Nina and even though it shouldn't have, it bothered him. Before he could voice aloud his thoughts, Gent spoke up, an echo of what he was about to utter. This was something the burly man was sure he would have never thought to have seen. However, it would be worth it for whatever the outsider said on the matter. It was almost amusing how he no longer considered the man beside him an outsider in this situation. Mossy orbs were sharp upon Drestig a soft growl rumbling in his throat in agreement to Gent's words. He had never heard the man's name mentioned before, so it was unlikely that he was of high importance in Nina's life. But Nina had kept secrets from him before. Her past, his wife's whereabouts(which she was still keeping a secret from him), Nineva's location. What would be one more thing to add on to the list? He was not fond of his sister keeping secrets between them but he was tolerating it for the time being. However, if he could get some of the answers he had been craving out of a stranger, he would settle for that if it would get him somewhere. |
Eyes on Gent, the graying man did not see Ash's reaction to his inference, focused instead on the reply to his question. The smile had faded from his face, expression neutral and expectant, though as blue-boy gave his answer, the silvered brows lifted pointedly; Seriously?! What an absolutely pointless statement, and delivered with the charm of a dead slug to boot. Drestig's ears folded back, clear displeasure on his face. And it only got worse as Gent then had the audacity to follow up with another query, seeming rather demanding. Fire-pelt, still comfortable in his role as silent muscle, marked his approval of the question with an unfriendly rumble, and Drestig turned to him, ears flattened back and one brow distinctly raised, he was dangerously close to barring his teeth; What happened to NEUTRAL territory? Looking back over at the darker male, apparently still the one in control of the situation, Drestig remarked coldly: "I don't appreciate the interrogation. Either we're having a civil conversation, exchanging information, or I'm leaving!" There was no more fun in the situation, these two alpha-males seemed set on having a pissing contest, and Drestig was not going to stick around, acting as their tool of example while they flexed their muscles. Stiffly swinging his head around to look at Ash, making a point of showing this Gent that he had no issue turning his back to him, the dark man continued in a clipped tone; "I happen to have visited the Woodlands, once, meeting Nina, I don't see how that gives you a reason to snarl at me!" There, he was done. He remained standing as and where he was, legs squared and tail held high, though his ears remained flat. He wasn't backing down, he no longer feared a fight. Should it come to that, he felt more than confident he could outrun these buffoons and leave them to tear into one another instead; They could probably use the excuse. Perhaps it'll chill them both out! Word count: 333 ”Speech” Thoughts |