Clandestine Brook i don't love you like i did yesterday

Mature language! September 13th, Late Afternoon. Overcast Clouds, 55.4°F, 13°C

Leaving his family’s pack lands had been hard. The knowledge that his mother and siblings now lay buried somewhere in grounds once belonging to the very same monster who put them there still haunted him. He doubted that he would ever be able to forgive himself for what had happened. Still, at least he had seen to it that they had all received a proper burial. The same couldn’t be said for his father, or rather, his father figure. A few months ago Deaglán had looked up to the man, but now, a small part of him delighted at the thought of the bastard’s body being picked at by scavenging crows. It was a fitting end, he thought, for a man who had indulged in a lifetime of inflicting pain on and deceiving others. He deserved to be tormented even after death.

It had been his brother’s idea to leave, and whilst he had struggled to walk away from the forests which had once brought him so much joy as a naïve young child, he knew that he could no longer call the place his home. Nothing was left for them there anymore. The only thing that the pair of them still had was each other—and even that, Deaglán was unsure about.

He still blamed his twin brother for what had happened that day and it made him question whether he could still even trust his last remaining family member, despite the close bond they may have shared in the past.

Deaglán inhaled sharply, breathing in a lungful of cold autumn air, as his piercing golden gaze finally flickered across to meet the identical eyes of his twin as they strode beside the brook. His top lip flickered subtly as he stared across at him and wondered if his apparent confidence about where they were going was real or just another act. They had been following the river in a western direction for weeks now and, as far as he could tell, the only thing they had managed to accomplish in that time was getting completely and utterly lost.

Dark ears pressed back against his head to express his growing impatience, though he might as well not have bothered, as a few moments later he finally snapped in frustration. “Just admit it!” He growled, pearly white fangs flashing past his charcoal black lips as he scowled. “You have no fucking idea where we are going.” He hissed through gritted teeth, suddenly halting to a stop with a stubborn stomp of his paw.

(This post was last modified: Sep 13, 2017, 03:58 PM by Deaglan.)

What had he done? It was the question going through his mind, the same one he'd been asking himself since the day everything had changed. The gurgling of the Brook was the only sound around him other than the sound of his and Deaglan's paws as they were placed on the ground with each step. His dark form was level with his twin brothers as they walked along the stream that had brought them there.

He should have to pay for the choice he made to wait. Like he and Deag had made their father or father figure pay for the harm that he had cause their mother.

How could they not of known what was happening? It was his job to protect them all and he had failed, their lifeless bodies haunted his sleeping and waking hours. Ruari could not remember the last time he had slept too afraid to close his eyes.

A glance was given to his little brother, the last vestige of the family he once had. His dark head dropping to watch the ground as it passed under his paws. He had wallowed in the self pity and hatred that was fueled by the memories of what happened. Even now as he and his brother had traveled for so long he still felt the pain stabbing through his chest each time he thought about his mother and siblings, the pain he caused his brother.

He could not know the thoughts that we're running through Deaglan's head, the hate that brewed there. A low growl vibrated the older siblings throat but it was not directed at his little brother but himself.

His blood boiled at the thought that had he been more like his brother their mother might still be alive.

The trees above him swayed with the breeze that ruffled his fur and for a moment his yellowish gaze drifted upward to watch. It returned to his brother moments later as he was spoken to. “Now why the hell would I admit that little brother?” Whether he did or didn't know where they were going there wasn't anyway he was going to admit that to Deaglan. “I told you all we have to do is follow this,” he snarled back with a snap in his twins direction to emphasize his point.

(This post was last modified: Sep 14, 2017, 02:52 PM by Ruari.)

 

As his brother turned to look across at him his bright golden eyes narrowed in suspicion. Ruari was playing a dangerous game. Just in that initial reply his sibling had already done two things to piss him off.

Answering back with a question was obviously just an attempt for his brother to avoid giving a real, honest answer – which made Deaglán all the more convinced that he had been lied to the entire time. He was certain now that his twin had no idea where they were headed. Why could his brother never admit when he was wrong? The second thing he had done was call him little brother. They were twins. At most @Ruari had arrived into the world a few seconds before him, but for some reason he believed that being first born gave him some sort of entitlement. Deaglán was sick of it.

The dark fur along his spine bristled and his charcoal lips pulled back to expose more of his teeth as he heard his brother continue talking. He wasn’t interested in whatever nonsense he had to say.

When a pair of jaws snapped in his direction – Ruari’s attempt to assert some authority – Deaglán snarled in defiance. “Yeah, just like you told me to wait before confronting our father!” He yelled, tears threatening to swell at the corners of his golden eyes as he glared across at him. A heartbeat later his scowl hardened and his jaws clenched together as he realised what he had just called the bastard who had beaten their mother behind their back. The bridge of his muzzle wrinkled in disgust. That man was not even his real father – he knew that now – and he didn’t deserve the title, yet Deaglán still struggled to see through the years of deceit.

“Our mother is dead, Ruari!!” He yelled, directing his anger back towards his twin. He rose his tail up to wave dominantly behind him. “She’s gone…” He murmured quietly, voice cracking within his throat as his heart began to ache with grief again.

Slowly he stepped a few paces towards his sibling, lean muscles tensing beneath his dark pelt as he readied his body for what he was about to do next. He may have been able to hold back his feelings before, but not anymore. “…BECAUSE OF YOU!!!!” His voice was distorted by the low growl which erupted like thunder from his chest as he lunged forwards. Jaws parted wide and paws outstretched, he aimed to pin his brother to the ground and tear into his left shoulder.

Fight post 1/5

(This post was last modified: Sep 14, 2017, 04:00 PM by Deaglan.)

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

Pale yellow eyes narrowed waiting for the retaliation he knew was coming from his twin. Ruari wasn't stupid, he knew Deaglan wouldn't like the answer he received and even more than that the display of dominance.

Why had he done it, perhaps to receive the punishment he felt he deserved or to show his little brother that he was in fact superior. The reason didn't matter, this would not end well for either of them. A lot if things hadn't ended well for either of them lately and it had not been the same between him and his brother since their mother's death. Deag never said it but Ru could sense it just like he could sense the bristling of his twins fur along his spine. If Deaglan thought he was going to get him to admit that he could he wrong he had another thing coming. He hadn't admitted he could have been wrong before and he wouldn't now, his demand to wait had saved both their lives but now he wondered if that was such a good thing.

Ruari’s own fur bristled in response to his twins show of aggression, he was ready for whatever was thrown at him. “And if we had gone in when you wanted we’d both be dead,” he stated smoothly. The older twin remained emotionless in front of his brother, he was the older and Deaglan was his responsibility. It didn't matter if they were at odds or that the tension between them spoke of only one outcome. He had to be the stronger of the two of them. His yellow gaze caught the wrinkle of his brothers muzzle, “You shouldn't throw that word around about a man who treated us as slaves and killed our mother,” he said speaking lowly.

"You think I have forgotten,” he growled back his eyes flashing with the anger that ate at him every day. He didn't need the reminder that they no longer had a mother because some bastard thought it right to take her from them. The smallest moment passed where Ruari's features softened, “I know…,” he commiserated with the same tone as his brother.

His features hardened once more as his brother stepped toward him. Ruari rose to his full height his tail curling over his back and his body tensing preparing himself for what was to come next. The older twin was expecting the explosion that came next but he wasn't expecting his brother to completely bowl him over. He also wasn't expecting Deaglan to try and tear up his shoulder either. Ru wasn't going to let that go over as smoothly as he felt his brother was hoping. As soon as his back hit the ground he was snapping at his brother's neck and muzzle in efforts to keep him from getting a grip on his shoulder. Low growls and the clashing of his teeth now drowned out the sound of the brook that was merely inches from his head.

Fight post 2/5

(This post was last modified: Sep 14, 2017, 04:00 PM by Ruari.)

 

Deaglán snorted and shrugged his shoulders dismissively. “You don’t know that.” He snapped back, his voice a touch quieter as he struggled to control the shakiness brought on by his heightened emotional state. He pressed his dark lashes together to stop the stinging in his eyes and remained silent for a moment, determined not to break down and cry despite the intense anger and guilt he felt in that moment.

The life he had known had been turned upside down in a matter of weeks. Everything had changed much too quickly and, whilst he had tried to take some time to process what had happened, he still found himself slipping up on occasion. Immediately a bitter taste manifested in his mouth as he realised who he had just labelled as their father. His brother was also quick to notice his mistake and didn’t hesitate in reminding him of the individual’s abhorrent nature. Deaglán’s muzzle wrinkled in disgust and his ears pressed back against his head ashamedly.

Somewhere, he believed a small part of him still loved the man. He would never admit it out loud, but, surely his entire childhood could not have been a lie? Aengus had been kind to them once. Still, that still did not excuse his behaviour.

Focusing back on his brother, Deaglán could not miss the anger flashing in his piercing gold eyes as he growled back at him. His eyes widened then, anticipating some form of physical confrontation that never came. Instead Ruari’s features softened, if just for a moment. A flicker of guilt bubbled up inside of his chest as he considered whether his sibling was already aware of his deadly lapse in judgement. However, that flame was quickly extinguished as another wave of rage surged through him. He had been too quiet until now, suppressed his emotions for far too long. Now his body was screaming for some form of release.

Ruari made for the perfect target.

Leaping forwards in an instant, Deaglán’s speed played to his advantage as he barged into his sibling with sudden force, sending him rolling back towards the brook. Sharp fangs pierced through the taut flesh of his shoulder – and upon gaining a hold – Deaglán attempted to shake his head violently from side to side, intent on inflicting as much damage as possible.

Unfortunately, he had left his delicate undersides exposed. He had barely begun to shake his head before his brother managed to bite down into the soft flesh of his lower neck, above his right foreleg. Deaglán yelped immediately, releasing his grip on his brother as he stumbled back, not willing to risk injury to his throat. Pain seared from his wound and summoned a snarl from him as he kept a visual on his twin, mentally preparing himself to attack again. The bite may have hurt but he was not willing to give up just yet. If anything the pain he felt just drove him to continue.

Stepping forwards again, he lunged his bloodied open jaws towards Ruari’s left flank.

Fight post 3/5

(This post was last modified: Sep 14, 2017, 05:47 PM by Deaglan.)

The next sound to come from Ru was a huff, maybe his brother was right but he still stood by what he said. They probably would have died had they gone after Aengus right away. “Tell me little brother what makes you think it's not true? You don't think that Bastard wasn't waiting for us to do something?” He knew he was digging his own grave with his twin but it was no less than he deserved if not worse. He was the one who had let their mother and siblings died, wasn't he?

His brother would never know the guilt and anger that lived inside of him, how much he hated himself for not being the protector he believed himself to be. Ruari was aware if the mistake he had made, Aengus may have been the weapon but he was the reason their mother had died. Hearing the word father slip past Deaglan's lips in regards to their mother's murderer sent fire burning through his veins. He did not blame him it was what they had been led to believe their whole lives, old habits and all that. It didn't change the older twins feelings on the matter.

There was a part of himself that still had his own slip ups or times he didn't want to believe what had happened. So often he awoke hoping everything was back to the way it was before only to be disappointed.

His emotions when talk or even thinking of their mother were uncontrollable. Ruari could not stop the change in his features or the tone he had used but just as quickly as it was there it was gone. When his brother came toward him he knew what was coming and he wouldn't stop it. When it became clear the ferocity that his brother was going to attack him with Ru did fight back. He couldn't let Deaglan kill him, they still needed each other even if the animosity between them was so great.

He was not prepared for his twins teeth to sink into the flesh of his shoulder and the pain that came with it. He wanted to yelp but he kept it in, he would not give Deaglan the satisfaction of knowing he'd hurt him. Ru could feel the blood oozing into the fur that surrounded the wound and the slight shake before his own teeth found purchase. His snapping had paid off when his own fangs pierced the underside of his brothers neck. The sound emitted by his younger sibling cause him to release his grip on Deaglan's neck but the damage had been done. In the short moment he was given Ruari rose to his feet favoring his left foreleg from the pain in his shoulder.

This wasn't over, neither of them willing to back down. Hindered by his injured shoulder he was unable to dodge the next charge which landed another bite to his left flank and this time a high pitched yelp passed his lips. The pain shot through his body setting it on fire and sending Ruari in a frenzy to get his brother to let go of him. He tried getting a grip on Deaglan's scruff to pull him off before turning his attention to his brothers hind leg.

Fight post 4/5

(This post was last modified: Sep 14, 2017, 07:31 PM by Ruari.)

 

Ruari would never admit that he was wrong, and neither would Deaglán. Both twins were as stubborn as each other it seemed. Deaglán may have been able to trust in his sibling when it mattered most in the past, but not any longer. In his eyes their relationship was broken and no explaining or convincing on his brother’s part could change that now. “Maybe.” He admitted with a sigh. “But we could have taken him!” He assured through gritted teeth.

Deaglán gave a huff as his piercing gold eyes looked his twin up and down, a deep frown forming on his face. What was the point in arguing? They were never going to come to an agreement. In his eyes his brother was at fault and therefore should carry most of the blame. The only thing Deaglán felt guilty about was listening to him in the first place. If he had just gone with his instincts, ignored the pleas of his brother and attacked sooner, maybe their mother would still be alive.

When his fangs broke through flesh and the metallic taste of blood began to swim in his mouth, he felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction wash over him. However, the feeling didn’t last long as @Ruari used his strength to push back against his form and plant his teeth into the soft flesh of his lower neck. Releasing his own hold, he stumbled back instinctively to avoid another bite. He didn’t bother to glance down at his new wound, the searing pain emitted from the area was enough for him to know that he had been hurt.

Blood began to soak into the dark fur of his lower neck, causing strands of hair to clump and knit together into a matted mess as the breeze snaked past him. Focusing back on his brother, his top lip twitched in frustration as he watched him struggle back up to stand. Why couldn’t he just stay down like he was supposed to?

Charging forwards again, slowed down the slight limp in his right foreleg, Deaglán lunged for his twin’s left flank. Approaching from the side, he hoped the angle would give him a greater chance to avoid another retaliatory bite. Once again his teeth made contact with flesh. This time he struggled to bury his fangs very deep and was only able to tear his teeth through a section of skin he had managed to grip onto. Still, the tears he was able to inflict were enough to summon a yelp from his victim.

Feeling encouraged, Deaglán took another step forwards to try and get a deeper purchase on his brother’s side – but was prevented from doing so as Ruari pulled down at his scruff. His jaws broke away as his front end was shoved downwards. Limbs bracing against his brother’s weight, his head sunk low as he tried to reach around and bite down on anything within reach – like the dark tail which now waved by his face.

Fangs snapping wildly he strained his neck around to reach it, a sudden wave of pain shot up from his right thigh. A snarl erupted from his chest as he sprung forwards, abandoning the chance to chomp the end off his twin’s tail. He stumbled as he moved, unable to bare much weight on his hind leg. Now positioned behind his sibling, Deaglán attempted bring an end to the fight. Ignoring the pain in his leg he pushed it to the ground and reared upwards, intent on mounting his brother from behind to dominate him.

Unfortunately as soon as his forepaws gripped around his waist, his balance was lost. Tumbling over towards the right, his injured leg refusing to hold his weight, Deaglán made a desperate attempt to make contact with his sibling’s right hind leg in the hope that he could bring him down with him.

Fight post 5/5

(This post was last modified: Sep 15, 2017, 08:52 AM by Deaglan.)

It wasn't that Ruari didn't understand where his brother was coming from, he did. As his brother spoke it became more clear that Deaglan would never understand all the things that could have gone wrong had they rushed in. The older twin shook his head, their stubbornness matched each other equally and neither would budge on their beliefs. “Well he's dead now,” snapped Ru, “He got what he deserved.”

The thing was Ruari didn't believe for a moment Aengus got what he deserved after what he had done to their mother and siblings. The man may have paid with his life but there was much more payment to be had for taking his and Deaglan's family from them. He blamed himself for not making the man pay for what he had done, that wouldn't happen next time he was in a position to make judgement. Pale eyes didn't leave his brother as they seemed to be in something of a stand off.

Then it all went to shit but Ruari was expecting it, counting on it even. The pain in his shoulder and the blood running through his dark fur was well deserved for what he had failed to see. It had been one of the most important moments if their lives and he had fucked everything up. They had lost their mother because they had waited too long because he thought it the right thing to do. He couldn't let his brother completely destroy him though, who would take care if his little brother if he couldn't. Ruari fought back only to stop Deaglan from doing something he would regret later. A well placed bite on his twin just above his foreleg sent him away but only long enough for the older twin to get to his feet.

The trauma to his shoulder made it difficult to put his full weight on his left foreleg which also hindered his movement. So when his brother came in for a another attack Ruari couldn't move out of the way fast enough. This time it was his left flank that received the attack. For whatever reason Deaglan wasn't able to sink his teeth in as far as he had his shoulder. Ru was only concerned with getting a grip on his little brother to break him from further damage to the muscle of his hind leg.

His thigh burned with the pain of the bite but he pushed through it trying to shake his brothers grip on him. It was useless but his efforts in trying to drag Deag to the ground we're successful as he got a grip in the dark scruff of his twin. He wasn't able to pull him completely to the ground but it had saved his leg from further damage. Ruari felt the snaps at his side but none of them made full contact.

Letting go of the scruff he reached around and sank his sharp fangs into his brothers flank, payback for the Injury to his left. Deaglan leapt forwards away from him and Ruari tried to steady himself on his two good legs but his movements were erratic and he stumbled. As he tried to get his balance his brother thought it a good idea to try and display his dominance by mounting him. This only angered the older twin a low threatening growl rumbling from his chest.

Thankfully the attempt was unsuccessful, Deaglan lost his balance forcing him to let go as he fell to his right. Ruari wasn't lucky either as Deglans teeth clamped his right paw and he was drug down with his brother. A large splash followed as he was pulled into the Brook soaking his pelt. The older twin didn't move from the water despite the stinging that started in his wounds as the water came in contact.

With sides heaving from the exertion of the fight and the pain coursing through his body he watched Deaglan. Ru wasn't sure he could get up at that point with the injuries to his limbs.

Fight post 6/5

(This post was last modified: Sep 15, 2017, 03:21 PM by Ruari.)

 

Adrenaline coursed like fire through his veins, causing everything to move in slow motion. Rearing up awkwardly onto his back legs, unable to stand the weight of his own body on his right limb for long, he attempted to dominate his brother by mounting him from behind. The twins were evenly matched, but for once, he just wanted to gain an advantage over his slightly older sibling.

Gripping tightly around his brother’s lean waist, dull claws struggled to keep their hold as his right hind leg buckled and his weight shifted backwards, causing him to tumble off to one side. Not willing to go down without a fight, Deaglán reached forwards as he fell to snap at the rear limb closest to him. Numerous times he felt his charcoal lips graze the short fur of his twin’s right hind leg but finally, moment before his head splashed against the water of the brook, his fangs managed to catch something – a right paw.

Closing his eyes as he braced for impact, he felt the moment his body hit the bottom of the brook, his ribs and limbs clashing against the small rocks and stones which lined flowing water. He barely had time to groan before another weight landed on top of him, shoving him hard against the river bed, before sliding off to one side. Blinking open his eyes, he strained to see past the droplets of water which blurred his vision. Deaglán couldn’t help but feel a swell of satisfaction as he spotted his brother lying in the stream beside him.

Deaglán eyed him for a moment, to see if he would pick himself up and attack him again. When he didn’t move he felt a pang of worry, suddenly concerned that he had more than just harmed his last remaining family member. However, when he noticed his dark sides rise along with the sound of laboured breathing, any concern he may have felt in that short moment quickly disappeared. His brother was alive but he was hurting. Good, Deaglán huffed to himself.

Slowly Deaglán gathered his limbs up around him and shifted awkwardly to place more weight on his left side as he braced himself to stand. His first attempt to exit the water ended with him falling back in it, causing another loud splash and a groan to erupt from his lips. His second attempt to stand was more successful and after pausing a moment to regain better balance on his three weight-baring limbs, he slowly limped his way out of the shallow water.

A low threatening growl rumbled from his heaving chest as he glanced back around to his brother. Too breathless to talk, he offered him a sharp glare – a clear warning not to follow after him, if Ruari could even lift his head long enough to notice. With a quiet wince Deaglán took his exit, dark fur dripping with crimson-tinted water as he limped his way further down the stream to place some much needed distance between him and his twin.

~ Deaglán Exit ~

Fight over! We have agreed to end this fight as a draw

(This post was last modified: Sep 15, 2017, 04:30 PM by Deaglan.)