Secret Falls I Am The Monster

It was time to move on. It had been what, a solid month now since Broken Timber Pines had fallen to nothing more than rubble and ashes? Yet the copper pelted man had found a single reason worthy enough to allow himself to haunt the skeletal remains of a pack that was doomed the moment the reigns were handed over to him. @Nalda . Like a silent guardian the Asurn and former lead male of the now disbanded pack had kept a watchful eye on the girl, keeping himself out of sight although his presence known in other ways only she would pick up on. He had noticed the trio of pups forming their own little band of wolves and sticking rather close to their homeland, leaving Eirian to believe Nalda was in capable hands if they stuck together and watched out for each other.

Days came and went, turning into weeks and still the copper male stayed to watch over her, still feeling a sense of duty to protect his dear Nalda from harm. Eventually the caches began to grow low with each meal the trio took from it's contents, he himself opting to hunt elsewhere to ensure Nalda was kept fed and healthy. Sometimes even leaving a kill where he knew the street smart child would find it. Now, though, it was time to move on. He had plans that were left unfinished and a promise to Eek that he would seek her out up north. Broken Timber Pines was just the first casualty to his name and surely there were plenty more lying in wait.

Now all that remained was a snow dusted cemetery that marked the final resting place of a pack Eirian doubted anyone would miss aside from the founding members themselves, one of which took her last breath upon the mountain after an icy slip. The whereabouts of those who had last called this place home aside from the children remained unknown, each scattering like flies disturbed from a pile of shit and deep within the recess of his mind, he hoped Iopah had hobbled off somewhere to take her last breath of life. Especially after the damage she had done to his poor @Eek .

Speaking of that stubby tailed woman, it was time he sought out his partner in crime up North like they had briefly discussed. Surely the woman would feel sour about his diddling back here for weeks, but she did not own him. He would take his sweet time finding her which in turn would hopefully give her ample time to find a pack to settle into and asses what they were to be working with by time he arrived since she had a head start of sorts. Silent as a ghost despite his bulk, Eirian now found himself marching away from the scene of his crime, tail held up proudly with each stride that pushed him through the remaining vegetation yet to die off from the harsh chill of the approaching cold season. He was now a free man with no need to hide his true self. Eirian was coming and everyone had best be afraid of the monster lurking in the shadows.

HELLO C:

you do not know who is your friend

and who is your enemy

He drifted—simply because it felt right to scour the Lore for lost bits of memory, trying to piece together his past and simultaneously accept that it was the past now. It was hard to reconcile, to come back to a place so unchanged and not find everything as he had left it. Not that it was surprising, really. He had been gone for three years, and just because his life had frozen in place, did not mean everybody else's had. It was just natural to return and find three years had gone, even though they hadn't for him.

He sighed as he kept trekking further north, a cloud of white slipping from his open jaws. It hurt, to come face to face with all that he had lost, but he told himself it was a pain he had to endure, and that it would lessen with time—just like every other hurt had become old and faded, scars in his heart. Even this would fade, the blow of three years gone, and the loss of Corinna.

Over the last few miles, the ferns rising snow-crusted and frozen from the snow had lessened, and the undergrowth became less crowded under its white blanket. Ice paused for a moment, dark nose trembling in the cool winter air. He had passed through here on his way south, but hadn't stopped to look for anything—he'd been wanting to get back to Oak Tree Bend and Corinna as fast he could, but now.. he blinked, slowly. Now he knew that she was only waiting for him in death, and the air in the pack's territory had grown oppressive and heavy, full of memory and pain, so he had let it drive him away. Shepherded north by a snatch of fleeting conversation, Ice resumed his ground-covering trot, white fur rippling in the light.

Belatedly, he realized he was further west than he ought to be. The comforting shape of the Serpent rose on the western horizon, and the winter forest spread out to his right. Scowling, Ice veered off, heading further east, into the forest. He was looking for the waterfall he knew was supposed to be here somewhere—to see if his wicked witch still lived there, with her man Kade, and lots of children.

He didn't dare hope that they did.

But before he had cut far enough east to make it to the Falls, a presence halted him in his tracks. A scent drifted in on the breeze, a male scent, and one Ice couldn't place (no surprises there, honestly). And for some reason, the presence of the stranger frustrated him, but he didn't have the first idea why.

Ice breathed out in a low growl before he adjusted his path, and struck out after the male. The minutes ticked by, his paws crunching over snow, and white breath steaming out of his maw. Eventually, his quarry came in sight. It was a sturdy wolf, though not overly tall, and his fur went in hues of red, though not quite as intense as Marsh had been. Black patterned his back, and from his position behind him, Ice couldn't see his face. Just a proud tail flagging into the air, though as far as Ice could tell, this was no leader of a pack; he had passed no border markers.

He quenched the unease growing within him and let out a bark to catch the stranger's attention.

until the ice breaks.

let the stars above shine in your soul

Forced muse is not as good as natural muse, but this shall do! @Ice  

Distance between the smoldering kingdom laid to ruins and its destroyer seemed to melt easily enough as snow crunched beneath the Asurn's paws. Solider like timbers yet to succumb to the same fate as their more unlucky comrades whom lay scattered on their sides glided past him on both sides while citrus eyes focused on the frosted landscape ahead separating himself from the whereabouts of Eek and whatever pack she had deemed worthy of laying low in for the next few weeks until ice and snow thawed enough for safer travel conditions. What the male had not anticipated upon his departure was to be trailed by another after thinking the place all but abandoned.

Russet ears kept themselves alert in a forward facing position despite catching the off beat crunch of snow faintly echoing between that of his own steps. For a few miles Eirian kept walking and yet the second pair of paws continued marching right along side, both frustrating the man and stirring up a minor sense of paranoia. Who the fuck? He thought mentally, deciding to suddenly alter his path more east while picking up the speed of his strides to hopefully deter whomever thought it amusing to trail the Asurn. To no avail. Lungs contracted and expanded rapidly as his paranoia doubled, the snow behind him crunching louder and actually started to sound like the steps had gained on him warranting the copper pelted wolf to spin around defensively, ebony lips curled back in a silent snarl with charcoal dusted tail curling along the top of his spine just in time to catch wind of a released bark.

Tangerine irises narrowed against the monotone backdrop to try and locate whom had beckoned him, thinking themselves worthy enough to waste his precious time. It took a few minutes for his gaze to finally pick up on the ivory silhouette that blended in well; too well for Eirian's liking, with the wintry scenery. Like a ghost that had manifested from the snowflakes itself. Gradually curled lips were smoothed back over tarnished teeth, a stoic expression that bordering bordem making its presence known. "What?" Uncaring of the curtness that filled his baritone voice while a single brow quirked skyward. What could this stranger possibly want with him? 

Lack of time/sleep struck again, sorry for the slight wait. :c

you do not know who is your friend

and who is your enemy

Ice made no judgment of the wolf's trail, or his sudden veer to the east; he had heard nothing of Broken Timber Pines's fall bruited about, not a single word of what had befallen the unfortunate pack. He didn't even know they had existed at all. He knew nothing of the kind of disaster he was following—the kind of disaster he was practically begging for. All he knew was the breath whistling in and out of his lungs, the snow and miles disappearing beneath his paws as he gradually gained on the disappearing male. What he was going to do when he found him, what he was going to ask, how to phrase it; none of it existed, only the snow-covered trees, the wind rippling through his fur, and the white clouds dissipating before his face each time he breathed.

But then, when the russet rump of the other wolf had come into view, the stillness shattered. In a blur of reds and cream and a hint of charcoal, the smaller male spun around on the spot, tail flagging proudly, and across the distance Ice thought he could see the pale gleam of teeth bordered by dark lips. It didn't look friendly at all. It didn't smell friendly either, but Ice did his damnedst best not to blame him for being agitated by someone intentionally following him.

It did nothing to soothe his unease, though. It grew like a pit of vipers in his belly, wriggling and crawling through his veins, the first, slow release of adrenaline, until he felt sick with it, and sick with the face of the wolf waiting for him. His teeth were concealed once again, but his tail remained too proud, and the fact that he was all alone out in the middle of the forest, with nothing to show off but the fading smell of many mixed things rubbed Ice the wrong way. He was glad he could blame his partially raised hackles on the cold temperatures.

"What?" the stranger asked, and Ice fought down the desire to bare his fangs and snarl. While part of him kept, hotly, saying that this is all wrong, another part of him kept asking: but how should he act instead? All smiles and laughs? When a stranger was following him, for no apparent reason?

But Ice had always been proud, in a sense, always dominant, choosing to bow only before a select, chosen few. He could keep his voice from trembling, he could keep his fangs from showing, but he could not keep his tail from rising in defiance of this wolf's questionable manners. "I was just wondering if you knew of any packs around the falls," he managed to get out, his voice fairly level, his stern, silver eyes never leaving the other wolf.

until the ice breaks.

WOTD: bruit

let the stars above shine in your soul

Super sorry it's taken me so long to get a reply up for you! @Ice

Citrus irises cautiously, intently watched the ivory wolf react to his curtly spoken question, raised tail over the larger man's spine in defiance birthing an internal fire that seemed to ward off all frigid air surrounding the copper hued frame and melt the flakes dusted along the top of his back. Unlike the man before him whom had quite the dose of self control keeping additional defiant displays in check, Eirian was now a man free to let his true nature show and dominance was all he knew. Slowly dark lips pulled back to reveal tarnished teeth that lay cloaked underneath, a low rumble beginning to grow in volume within the depths of Eirian's chest before russet ears picked up words nearly missed by the anger that boiled beneath his fur.

Any packs around the falls? In the blink of an eye the copper male's demeanor shifted and a sinister smirk manifested itself from the ashes of the snarl that had began to contort his facial features, all thoughts of rushing the pale coated male and shoving him into the snow beneath himself where he belonged abandoned for the time being. "Oh, there was a pack here once." A low rumble that resembled a feline purr resonating behind Eirian's words while taking a couple steps to the side, beginning to slowly circle the other. "But I destroyed them, you see. They didn't suspect a thing as I wormed my way through the ranks until I reached the top and then I watched as their precious pack crumbled and burned."

Words were paused to allow a salmon tongue to swipe over dry lips, breath leaving his nostrils in a cloud of white. "A whole pack of filthy abominations just like yourself trusting me with their well being and oh how good it felt watching them fall." His voiced filled the area around them, tone too proud for a situation that would horrify most while cream limbs continued their predatory circle around the other.

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

No worries. <3 If Eirian wants to flip tables with Ice, I'm down for a fight in this thread!

you do not know who is your friend

and who is your enemy

Fire met ice, and—

—nothing happened. There was no deep, resounding crack as glacial ice broke off and fell into the sea, no spark and whoosh of a wildfire. No explosions, just two wolves staring at one another, one fighting to keep his fangs concealed and the other gladly showing them, giving voice to their thoughts in a growl that never quite reached its peak before being silenced. Ice's ears flicked forward. What the hell was going on here? The male started talking instead of growling, and truth to be told, it was a match dropped on hot oil and he felt the fury build up within. Who was this guy? Who did he think he was?

How twisted was his black heart? Not caring that he fell into the trap, that he was goaded into a rage, Ice let his dark lips pull back and reveal teeth. They had sunk into much meat and soaked up much blood; why not add more to this collection?

"You cowardly heathen!" he snarled, not bothering to match the wolf step by step, allowed himself to be circled as if he was prey—he didn't care. He didn't even know which pack they were talking about, but it burned like a hot and harsh fire in his lungs, a question waiting to explode out of his mouth: what did you to do Ava?

It was sickening, to hear someone admit to purposefully ruining a pack, to breaking it, to—to join something with the single intention of destroying it. Who did that? What was wrong with his head, if he did that?

"What did you do to them?" he demanded, hot and angry, silver eyes ablaze. Maybe it wasn't the Rapids they spoke of, maybe it was, but his teeth itched for blood and his heart yelled for murder. Did it matter which pack it had been? Did it matter if it was his friend, or a complete stranger, who had been ruined by this ugly individual? Could he live with it if he tore this wolf's face off, without having gotten all the facts straight first?

The fire burned in his blood, in his breath, and as his silver eyes followed the male he found his answer.

Yes, he thought. Yes, I can live with that.

A growl began to rumble in his chest.

until the ice breaks.

let the stars above shine in your soul

Fight post 1/6

Not a single hitch in his vulturous circling nor a flinch in his muscles happened the moment russet ears were filled with the older man's snarled words likening him to a cowardly heathen, a monster. Slowly the corner of Eirian's inky lips curled into a sadistic smirk before snorting in defiance, finally halting his repetitive laps once one last circle was complete and his fiery frame stood parallel to the ivory pelted man. "Oh, I am far from a coward, but a heathen? Now that I couldn't ask for a better compliment." His voice cooed out like a kitten rumbling mid purr.

A flaming tongue lashed out at the icy air between the duo, demanding hot and angrily what he had done to them and for a moment Eirian could have sworn he heard the crackling of its ferocity.  This only widened the smirk that danced across his lips into a full spread grin, the yellow hue of his tarnished teeth that had been cloaked in blood and flesh time and time again flashing. A scoff sounding and leaving the Asurn's snout in the form of a vapor cloud. "Why what made you think I would be foolish enough to get my paws dirty?" A quick flick of his banner. "No, no. I didn't do anything. I did, however, have the pleasure of manipulating a lovely lady who was all too willing to the dirty work for me." A content rumble sounded deep in the cavity of his chest recalling the fond memory of the pack's destruction.

There. There was the reaction Eirian had been waiting to enact from this beast as russet ears listened to the beginning notes of a growl rumbling deep in the pale wolf's chest. Instinctively a ridge of copper fur began to bristle, once wide grin manifesting into a snarl of his own that challenged the older man's growl. "It was thrilling watching them fall just like it will be watching you fall on your knees before greatness!" Without further warning cream limbs dashed forward, hurling all 115 pounds in hopes of knocking the other to the ground where he belonged. Jaws parted and ready to tear at the first piece of flesh they could clasp around.

(This post was last modified: Mar 06, 2017, 07:20 PM by Eirian.)

Fight post 2/6. Following the first roll for this, so dodged ze attack, and then I'll go into freeform for as long as the fight lasts? Don't worry Eiri you'll get to bite this handsome old sucker. <3

you do not know who is your friend

and who is your enemy

Ice was torn between the white-hot fury flashing in his veins, and the anger at himself for playing into this trap. He had laid it for himself, he had heard the sweet beckoning call in his soul at the chance for a release of all this pent-up frustration—he'd jumped headfirst on the opportunity, happy to beat another wretch into the ground. The world desperately needed a purging, and Ice volunteered. He'd be the crusader in shining armor, the self-righteous paladin cloaked in light and armored in flame—he'd rid the world of vermin, one step at a time.

They would all go up in flames, incinerated in his fury. The world would be a better place without them, these freaks who smiled at words that should've rubbed them the wrong way. The stranger's voice was soothing and pleased, and it made Ice's lips quiver. Something was wrong at the core of this wolf, and Ice would tear it out.

The talk went on, little answers given, and for all that Ice cared, it just sealed his doom. The nails were hammered hard into his coffin. He had used another for his deeds, convinced her to tear the pack down, while he watched, smug and satisfied, and something about the unholy abuse of another made his lips peel back and he bared all his fangs. Stand up for your own shit, idiot, he seemed to snarl, tail ramrod straight and stiff over his back. A copper ridge of hair on the other matched his display. "It was thrilling watching them fall just like it will be watching you fall on your knees before greatness!" Ice's jaws parted, the words dream on ready to be launched from his tongue, when the loner attacked.

His large body came hurtling through the air, but Ice was ready, too. With a snarl he bounded sideways, rushing out of the way of a tidal wave. First blood would have to wait—not today his eyes flashed, dangerous and sharp, as his old, valiant heart thrummed into a frenzy.

You want me? he thought as he leaned away from the attack, you'll get me his body said as he shot forward, head low, shoulders tense. It was mostly luck he had gotten out of the way of the first attack—speed wasn't Ice's forte, but fury and passion were. Snarling, he tried to tackle Eirian, hoping to slam his shoulder into the russet one, while his teeth started snapping into the scruff on his chest and throat, looking for purchase, looking for blood.

until the ice breaks.

let the stars above shine in your soul

Fight post 3/5 Went with Ice knocking Eirian over and the two are jaw sparring while he tries to push back up onto his feet. I suck at fight post xD Lemme know if anything doesn't make sense.

Snap. Tarnished teeth clicked together harshly around nothing but empty air, a chill rolling over Eirian's spine from the contact of teeth on teeth while fiery gaze shifted sideways to watch pale fur slide free in a blur. Cream limbs gathering beneath his frame to adjust his path of trajectory while the powder underfoot was sent flying in all directions around the copper male. Immediately a thunderous rumble resonated in the Asurn's chest while a brighter fire began to burn within the depths of his citrus gaze, unprepared for how quick the older brute would turn the tables to land in his favor, speed being his forte or not.

Oh, yes, Eirian wanted to taste the metallic tang of this man's blood on his tongue, but he hadn't considered how hard he would actually have to work in order to acquire such a delectable sensation upon his lips. With the full force of a freight train, an ivory shoulder collided full force into a copper one, the air trapped within Eirian's lungs expunged with the force of the dozen or so extra pounds Ice had on the Asurn as his frame met the cold earth below. Russet ears filled with the other male's snarls and teeth clamping together at his chest and scruff in their own attempts at drawing his blood.

Not today. Eirian Asurn would not be bested by some disgusting mutt. Growling ferociously Eirian dips his head down to deflect the other man's jaws with his own in the form of jaw sparring, saliva dripping from the hairs of his chin while his muscles tensed and shoved against his heavier opponent. Hoping to at least regain his footing to back off enough and reassess how to go about this.