Hearthwood River change of heart

Set soon after his acceptance by Kisla. Early Afternoon, Heavy snow, 30°F, -1°C

Everything felt so foreign to the agouti male. The new scent which clung to his damp pelt, following his acceptance into the pack by Kisla, kept catching him off guard. He had turned his head a number of times, expecting to catch a glimpse of an unfamiliar pack wolf somewhere nearby before suddenly realising that the scent was that of himself. Needless to say this didn’t exactly help his anxiety about being within unknown territory and so the male made sure to keep his posture low and submissive in case a wolf should sneak up on him unexpectedly.

Having been led through the heart of the territory to the communal pack den, Lorcan decided to spend a few moments familiarising himself with the menagerie of scents which were littered around the entrance. Golden eyes glanced up to take in the large tree which towered over him, watching as warm tendrils of sunlight broke through its leafless canopy. It felt strange to not be out in the openness of the monadnock and the vast tundra that surrounded it. Here, in the place he would now call home, everything seemed so much darker and enclosed. It would certainly take some getting used to.

Refocusing his attention on the scents that lingered around the snow-covered roots of the tree, he struggled to recognise any of the individuals apart from two, one of which he picked up on immediately having only seen her recently. Black tipped tail swayed behind him at the familiar scent of @Inna and his gaze drifted over to the lifeless snowshoe hare which he had placed down a few feet away. Kisla had asked that he take it to her or @Lilya so that they could cache it away, but with no idea who the second female was, the new Hearthwood subordinate decided it was best to seek out the one he did know.

Stepping over to grasp the hare delicately between his jaws, Lorcan set about his search for Inna. She had no idea that he was here and he was certain that she would be surprised to see him. Whether she would be happy about his decision to join her pack was another question, one that the agouti male was nervous about finding out.

(This post was last modified: Apr 01, 2017, 03:22 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

Eyes Emoji x10.

“So you've finally shown up.”

Aleksei's breath felt hot in his lungs, it seared the back of his mouth. That scent—he had recognised it the moment he had arrived on the scene. To find it crossing into the territory was infuriating, it was the trigger that sent a bullet flying into Aleksei's reason, his logic, his sensibility. How Kisla had not caught it was concerning (had she simply chosen to ignore it?), but he was in a position to worry himself over such things. Ha! as if he could, even if he wanted to; anger was a blind motivator. If Kisla had forgiven this man, then Aleksei's temper was not born from her genes. He was his mother's son in many ways, but he was not his mother. He simply couldn't ignore it. The moment it clicked in his head, he was thundering through Hearthwood; for some reason, perhaps blind stupidity or arrogance, the man who had stolen Inna's innocence was now wandering through the pack, into the pack.

And, after what felt like an eternity of chasing his scent, it wasn't long before Aleksei was staring right at him.

His lip curled to flash yellowed teeth, tail curling above his back. It was a reflex to show dominance—not just because this wolf was new, but because of his crimes against the pack, against Aleksei's own family. It was a whirlwind of a realisation, and now he was looking at the second half of Inna's sin down the barrel of his gun. He felt nothing but anger and disgust, felt racked with regret that he couldn't have gotten there sooner, that he couldn't stop Kisla from even considering him.

Inna might be happy to see their newest recruit, but Aleksei was more than a little bit pissed. His anger was personal, and that made it all the more difficult to control. It engulfed him, ate at his heart, burned reason to the ground.

He spat when he spoke, voice cold yet burning hot at the same time; white embers rolling from his tongue. “Have you no shame? Not an ounce of it?” Why are you rubbing salt in the wound? Tredding this pack—this family—into the dirt? Why are you here? Why?! “Did you think it would be funny to disgrace my sister, to bring pain to my mother, only to waltz in like you have done nothing wrong?” His jaws snapped at the air as a rumble erupted from within, thunder crashing in his soul. “You vile bastard.”

Let the roots & soil drink of me
Whispering leaves & pointing branches will tell them where I'm lying

Pale paws carried the newest Hearthwood subordinate through the snow as he set about searching for Inna. Dark nostrils flared wildly as he inhaled her scent as he moved in an attempt to track down her current location. It was a more tedious task here, beneath the dappled light of the winter canopy. He had to work much harder when tracing her path as it twisted through the labyrinth of trees which inhabited the territory, their tall dark shape also worked well to obstruct his view of the area around him.

What the trees couldn’t mask was the thick masculine scent which suddenly hit his nose. Head whipping around, golden eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the large male who had moved in to approach him. Instantly recognising the hostile posture of the stranger, Lorcan adjusted his stance accordingly. Russet ears pressed back against his head and his tail curled up between his legs submissively and he quickly dropped the hare from his jaws. Whilst not the greeting he had hoped for, the agouti male thought that maybe the man was just being a little overprotective. It had barely been an hour since Lorcan had been accepted after all, so there was bound to be some confusion, right?

Charcoal lips parted to speak, to explain his presence, but the man voice cut him off before he could even make a sound. White brows furrowed at the words which were violently spat towards him and his eye narrowed into suspicious slits. The way he spoke…it was like he knew about what had happened between him and Inna, but, she had promised not to tell anyone? Had @Inna really slipped up? Lorcan couldn’t be sure, he couldn’t be sure of anything right now.

That last insult left a bitter taste in his mouth and the bridge along his muzzle wrinkled in distaste. He could feel his heart racing in his chest and he internally panicked about what to say. If he fessed up, the male would surely attack him. What if this wolf had no clue about him and Inna? Judging by his words he had some idea, but how much did he really know and how much of it was pure speculation? Lorcan could not tell either way and so the only way forwards it seemed was to trust that Inna had kept his identity a secret and for him to stick to their plan.

Dark fur bristled as his golden eyes locked on to the chartreuse glare of the stranger. “I don’t know who you are, sir, but I can assure you that I have done nothing wrong to your family.” He said, his voice sharp and serious as he tried to persuade @Aleksei of his innocence. 

(This post was last modified: Apr 01, 2017, 11:59 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

The man dropped to a submissive posture. Good. That meant he at least knew where he stood. Truthfully, and it felt somewhat wrong to admit it to himself, Aleksei couldn't help but feel a shot of pride race through him, spurring him on to stand taller, to square his shoulders, to be the leader, just for one moment. This kind of power felt good, but it also felt tainted. He was abusing it for his own gain, and deep down he knew it. What would his mother think if she saw him like this? What would his father say if he were still around? Was this need for revenge, for justice, against any who did his family wrong what they wanted for him? No. No, it couldn't be, and it left the question of where did it go wrong?

But then the stranger spoke, and the River's second laughed bitterly, the ribbon of guilt he felt slipping away. The sound didn't match his snarling expression, nor his stature; it was disjointed, a sharp “ha” that cut through the noises around them. Who did this guy think he was kidding? “Do you think I'm stupid? I think you must, because you wouldn't be talking such shit if you didn't. Inna hadn't even tried to mask your scent before she came back; I couldn't miss it even if I wanted to. You say you've done nothing wrong? Don't lie to me.” It was a taunt more than anything else—Aleksei wanted him to fess up.

He paused a moment and then lowered his head, teeth exposed in a sneer as he took a single step forward. He may not know the whole truth of Inna's courtship, her weeks away from home, but there was enough evidence for him to fill in the gaps. She disappeared. She came home, reeking of a man, a stranger. And now a wolf was in Hearthwood River; a wolf that carried the scent of whoever had rubbed himself all over Aleksei's younger sister. Now, Aleksei could be hot headed, perhaps even jump to conclusions, but he wasn't a fool. “Lies fit a snake, and it doesn't look like you've got scales to me.”

“Why have you come here?”

Let the roots & soil drink of me
Whispering leaves & pointing branches will tell them where I'm lying

Taunting laughter filled the air around him as the male went on to mock his proclaim to innocence. Lorcan didn’t say a word, not wanting to say anything that may later be used against him. Instead, the Hearthwood subordinate kept his narrowed golden gaze firmly fixed on the stranger before him, and watched with anticipation to see what he would say next.

Lorcan tilted his head down slightly to one side at the male’s opening question, as if confused by what he was saying. He made sure to maintain his submissive posture in an attempt to prevent the confrontation from escalating any further and he done his best to keep a stoic expression to not give anything away. The instinctive prick of his russet ears betrayed his familiarity with @Inna though, but he was quick to push them within the time it took him to realise that.

His heartbeat quickened when the man mentioned that his scent had been all over Inna the say she had returned home. He should have guessed. The same thing had happened to him, hence why Piety had gone on to question who he had been with during those two weeks he had been away — but he had managed to wriggle his way of her prying, hadn’t he?

He had lied before. He could lie again.

There was too much at stake for him if he chose not to. If he was chased out now, there was a high chance that he would never be get to see his own offspring, or even Inna ever again. The very reason for him coming to Hearthwood was so that he could fulfil the promises he had made to her. 

He stood his ground as the male took a single step forwards, crouching lower to the ground and tipping his chin down to try on take on a more defensive stance whilst his fur bristled to display his displeasure. Then another question was shot at him. Lorcan’s lips pulled back, flashing a set of pearly-white fangs to the man. He was not about to be back into a corner by a man who knew very little, if not nothing, of the situation.

“It would make sense that Inna smelt of me…” He started, his voice but a quiet murmur. “…and I know it’s very easy to jump to conclusions, given her current state, but I had nothing to do it, sir.” He shot the male a look then, one which flashed a silent challenge. “We crossed paths up in the mountains. She was hungry and, having hunted with her before, I offered to do so again.” His jaws clenched together then, as he swallowed down his nervousness. “Then, there was a turn in the weather and we were forced to seek shelter together up in the mountains for the night. Once it passed, we travelled back to the lowlands together and parted ways. That’s it.” Black tipped tail flicked behind him in irritation then as he held the stranger’s gaze again before continuing.

“I only learnt of her condition a few days ago when my previous pack offered her shelter for the night in order to escape the blizzard. She said that she had been caught out whilst hunting. My previous leaders only thought it polite to help, considering that the two packs are allies.” He then paused a moment, his gaze drifting down to the snow covered ground as he finally considered his answer to the man’s question. Now for the truthful part.

“As for why I’m here, well…my previous pack went through a sudden change in power. Both leaders left, along with many members. After a few days of consideration, I decided that I no longer wanted to stick around – it was too much heartache. So, I came here to a pack I thought would appreciate my presence. I’ve met your leader, Lachesis, once before and he seemed like the kind of wolf that I could dedicate my life to serving..” There, he’d done it. Lorcan let out a shaky breath before glancing back up to @Aleksei curious to see what he had to say about it all.

(This post was last modified: Apr 02, 2017, 08:19 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

Sorry this is so short! :C

Aleksei watched as the stranger's lips flapped on and on, his eyes narrowing at the jabbing words. Saying that Hearthwood's second, it's “heir”, had jumped to conclusions might have been the arrow that hit the bullseye, but his thick skin certainly helped to prevent any pain that he might have felt had he been any younger. It was not the words that ruffled his feathers; instead, it was the body language. He saw the flicking tail, the flash of teeth, the silent challenge (which was rewarded with a snort, a sort of warning to watch it) and found himself thoroughly unimpressed and unintimidated. Feeling a bit defensive, are we?

Put frankly, Aleksei wasn't buying any of it—as a cynic by nature, he found little promise in words, especially when the speaker already had a tarnished name. If Inna were to have simply gotten nice and cosy with this wolf in the mountains, why did she not smell of any other male on return? They had escaped the “bad weather”, so rain would not have washed away anything, and it would not have been snuffed out by a single wolf on a single night. It also ruled out Inna meeting another male on the way home, because that scent would most certainly be fresher.

But he mentioned Lachesis, and the larger male dropped his snarl, muzzle smoothing out, if only for a moment. The white medic had always been a good judge of character, and Aleksei's trust lay with him. Chartreuse eyes narrowed once more. “Lachesis is the only man left in my life who has always been there for me,” he started, “so if I find out you're lying, then you're not only lying to me; you're lying to him too, and I won't stand for it. So this is your last chance to come clean, because honesty is the only thing that will get you anywhere in Hearthwood. You're the father of Inna's children, aren't you?”

Let the roots & soil drink of me
Whispering leaves & pointing branches will tell them where I'm lying

Frankly, Lorcan felt he had every right to feel a bit intimated. He’d been in the pack territory, a new and completely unfamiliar area to him, for only a few hours and he was already be harassed. Dark nostrils flared as the agouti male resisted the urge to physically assert himself. He might have been new around here, but Lorcan was damned if he was going to let himself get bullied. No longer was he the nervous, skittish wolf he used to be. No, he’d grown some balls since then, he’d had to. The lowlands hadn’t been the easiest place to live, especially over the last few months with the shortage of food and inter-pack hostilities.

The Hearthwood subordinate kept his posture defensive, limbs squared and his head held low to shield the delicate skin of his throat. However the bristling of the dark fur along his spine and the occasional flash of his fangs to the younger male made it apparent that he wasn’t about to roll over if he could help it.

Fortunately the alibi that he and Inna had formulated together seemed sedate the other male, even if just a little. Still, that chartreuse glare was still narrowed in on him, which made Lorcan feel uncomfortable, but he did his best to hold his nerve and listening carefully as the younger male spoke. Golden eyes narrowed too then as he was offered a chance to come clean. Lorcan knew better than to turn back now, he had to stay committed for his and Inna’s sake. He had promised to help her support their pups and being in Hearthwood was the best way he could do that. Surely if he were to spill all he would be kicked out. The male standing before him seemed to imply that he would be forgiven if he told the truth, but judging by the man’s hostility up until now, Lorcan was inclined not to believe him.

Taking a steadying breathe, Lorcan gave his final answer. “I’m afraid you are mistaken, sir.” He replied coolly, golden gaze locked onto the glare of @Aleksei as he waited with baited breath for him to finally back off. 

(This post was last modified: Apr 09, 2017, 08:10 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

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

The final response was given.

The newcomer continued to deny everything.

Aleksei said nothing for a moment, though his expression did not shift from narrow-eyed suspicion. He had always trusted his gut, had faith in his instincts, and that wouldn't change now. He was certain that the agouti male before him, despite his lies and tall tales, was the father of his sister's children. He was also certain that there would come a time when the lie would fall flat and fail them; truths never stayed hidden for long. If Inna and her not quite lover wanted to keep playing their little game of kiss-and-never-tell, Aleksei would let them—they couldn't keep it up forever, and it would be both their ruin in the end.

The punishment they would receive would come crashing down twice as hard, too. How could the wolves of Kingsfall trust liars to protect and defend the territory, when they had spent months only protecting themselves?

As far as Aleksei was concerned, there was no need to plant the seed of worry in his mother, or even in Lachesis. Not yet. They were smart, surely they could figure this out themselves. Instead, he would keep his suspicions to himself, and an eye on both guilty parties. Well, guilty to him, at least. “Fine,” was all he said in response, fighting to smooth his hackles, to cover his fangs, to smother his anger (though his scowl remained). “I apologise.” But not really. Tee hee! Oh Aleksei, you little rascal! “But, you'll understand if I forbid you from getting near any of the cubs once they are born, won't you?” His brow quirked, questioning silently. He would be watching and guarding all litters closely. “You've defended your innocence, but I still can't trust you. Not yet.”

Perhaps that was simply being too petty.

“Now, I can keep calling you newcomer,” or liar, if he preferred, “forever, or you can give me your name.” A small olive branch was extended, or at least a fake one that would be yanked away the moment the truth was out with a loud ha ha, I told you so! “I am Aleksei.”

Let the roots & soil drink of me
Whispering leaves & pointing branches will tell them where I'm lying

I'm happy to wrap this up with your next post, but it's up to you.

“I apologise.” Lorcan fought the gnawing urge to scoff, choosing instead to clench his jaws together tightly in order to avoid any sound from escaping his mouth. He didn’t believe for one second that the younger wolf before him was even remotely sorry. However, Lorcan did appreciate that he was finally letting it go, that he wouldn’t continue to push him to the point where things could turn violent.

Oh wait, he’d relaxed too soon. At the man’s next comment Lorcan did not resist the urge to scoff. He didn’t even hold back his deep cynical laugh which bubbled up briefly from his throat as his immediate response. “I am quite aware that you do not trust me, sir, but that is no reason to put the pack’s future at risk.” He replied bluntly, his top lip pulling back to one side in irritation. “I intend to serve this pack to the best of my ability and that includes providing for and protecting the pups. @Kisla told me that she does not wish to lose any of the three litters this year, so I intend to make sure she doesn’t.” He stated gritted teeth. He wasn’t sure who the third litter belonged to, but he was sure he would find out soon enough.

“Trust me or not, you need my help.” He said, this time more quietly as he tilted his head to one side, watching the other male to see if his words would sink in.

Lorcan was now ready to leave. The snowshoe hare was still lying dead at his paws and he needed to get it to a cache before it started to smell. Pale paws crossed over to turn away from the lovely encounter, but the male stopped him, requesting for one last piece of information. Well, he supposed it was only polite that he should offer up his name in return. “Lorcán, sir.” He responded coolly, offering a respectful dip of his muzzle towards the chartreuse eyed male before he picked up the hare in his jaws and went to move away.

(This post was last modified: Apr 10, 2017, 08:04 AM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together