Hidden Grotto Green Goo

RE: Naira finds strange slimy moss

@Crowe

The tawny leader rarely left her home anymore but that did not take the ever increasing itch from her paws, and so, on this dreary foggy day she had decided to take herself for a wander. Not too far of course, just far enough to stretch her legs a little. Her home was better than protected with Tenzin or Valiant standing guard - even Rais and Mapplethorpe were proving to be irreplaceable additions, and the two girls should be more than capable of pulling their weight when push came to shove. After all, she didn’t want herself growing fat and lazy. There would be plenty of time for that come spring.

The slower flowing water at the top of the falls had frozen over, like much of the water in Relic Lore. There were times even segments of her own rapidly flowing falls found themselves with a slowly thickening sheet of ice, but already the days were growing longer and warmer. Spring was certainly on the way. Perhaps it was the rapid way the season approached that had her itching to get out of her home for a while, away from Rhysis - despite all the days and weeks and months she had spent searching for him. Would they be able to fix themselves at all? Was there any point to trying? She still slept alone, sometimes with her sons, sometimes without. A point that she doubted had been missed by the more observant members of the pack.

There was a weight on her heart she simply could not shake. Both of her daughters were gone. Dead, and despite her best efforts her sons were growing rapidly, and would soon be more than able to look after themselves. She had missed so much. Adonis had missed so much. Could they ever go back to the way they were before?

She bought herself to a stop in a small grotto at the top of the falls, her eyes roving about the strangely familiar terrain. She had been here before? Or had she simply dreamed it?

Walking to the icy edge of the pool at the bottom of the smaller fall, she used her weight to crack the ice and lowered her head to drink, but what met her warm tongue was not crisp cool water but something rather slimy, with a taste she had never tasted before. Concern and confusion crossed her face as her brows drew together in frustration, spitting the odd substance on to the snow between her paws. It was some sort of moss... or slime? either way she had never encountered something of the like in all her years. She poked at it with her paw for a moment before moving further from the hole and making another. This time she looked before she went poking her nose in the hole and there staring back at her was more green slime.

So she laid herself down and ate some snow instead.

(This post was last modified: Mar 19, 2013, 12:18 PM by Naira.)

After the few strange encounters the massive male had endured he found himself wandering off alone once more. Somehow he had managed to separate himself from Tenzin sometime after he had run into the she wolf he had tried to drive to attack. But alas she was just as unstable as he and when he attempted to whip up her hatred she had dropped it, not a snarl to be heard. More weaklings here, none are as strong as Crowe and Tenzin not one! He could yet again feel his mind going in reverse to when it split from sanity. He wished he could bring himself to the present day and stop his mad and endless trek to nowhere. Why do you wander Crowe? Why do you let it hurt? Why do you not fight it, or kill it?

His heart seemed to grow weary with the constant battle of past and present, truth and lies, madness and sanity. Stability was all he wished for now, he was tired of feeling angry or sad, the giant male just wished to be content. But he could not be, not until he was surrounded with power, not until he found something to believe in. Crowe wandered until he came upon a powerful female scent, Maybe an ally, maybe a victim. His face contorted into the wicked smile he wore so well until he came upon the tawny she wolf eating... snow? Unable to hide his confusion he called out to her, although he tried to keep his tone light ever there was the undertone of a threat from him, a strain on his voice that always sounded as if he would rather be snarling. " The water tends to taste a little better you know." When he spoke at first he was careful to keep the sarcasm out of his voice at least until she spoke to him.

(This post was last modified: Mar 20, 2013, 09:54 PM by Crowe.)

She could hear the male approach long before he spoke. A cold grin was plastered on her face as her hackles itched to stand but she wasn’t about to go standing up just yet, she had just made herself comfortable and she more than exuded a quiet confidence as she eyed the pale man up and down. He was presumptuous of course, and she couldn’t stop herself from judging. The scent of Tenzin laced his pelt but the tawny man was nowhere in sight. A brow arched momentarily, noticing the male was relatively uninjured, which had to count for something surely? She maintained her silent judging stare a little longer before swinging her nose to the ice.

"Not this water. Try it for yourself..." she almost dared the male, an amused light dancing in her eyes as she waited to see if he would take her up on her challenge or grow two brain cells to rub together and realise there was obviously something wrong with the water, never mind the long trail of green slime that she had spat out a few feet away from where she now lay quite comfortably in the snow.

She didn’t feel challenged by his presence yet but she had no doubt she would be able to put him in his place if needed. She carried the same pack scent as Tenzin had and she knew it would only be a matter of time before he realised. She was assuming his encounter with her guard had been a pleasant one because he was still primarily intact... if that hadn’t been the case however, she would soon remedy the state of his hide.

The word he would have used for Naira would have been fiery, she almost dared him to try what had to be water that was tainted in some way. So naturally he had to go look and see why the water was bad. Once he had approached the edge of the water it became abundantly clear why she was eating snow. It appeared the water had grown stagnant under it's blanket of ice and had grown mossy. So Crowe just turned his body away from the water and strode back towards the she wolf. His distance and posture respectful until he could pick out just whom she was. Tenzin had carried the same pack scent which meant she may know the leader that Crowe had been so eager to meet.

He made a very wide circle around her one time and his eyes lit and dimmed. Once, twice, He could feel the madness creeping up again it wouldn't be long now before he would provoke her. But oh how he was fighting it he had to know first. "Crowe Shane" He said with a dip of his head. "Your name?" He inquired straining his voice again to sound as neutral as possible. He could hear the feral voices whisper in his head Destroy, maim, kill. He growled out loud at his thoughts, dammit, he knew she wouldn't appreciate that very much.

The white male introduced himself, a hint of something strange creeping into his voice and causing her rump to rise from the ground, along with the rest of her body to stand at her own impressive height. She still stood shy of the male in front of her of course, but that was nothing she was not used to. Her tail arched over her back as he all but demanded her name and a growl sounded from his chest. The tawny leader all but saw red. She was sick of arrogant fucking loners daring to growl at her.

Her hair-trigger temper was fired, her feet moving before her brain had a chance to register, her own growl sounding in response as her ears flattened to her skull and her eyes narrowed. She might have been shorter, but her well fed state left her heavier as she drove into the flank of the pale wolf, her teeth reaching to snap at his muzzle in a clear sign of dominance. She wanted to knock him down, and did all she could to maintain the forward momentum. She had never been a fan of defence anyway.

He watched as the she wolf raised herself and curled her tail high over her back. You idiot. Crowe's mind told him he had just screwed up. It was hardly an instant before she was flying at him and in that moment some part of him broke. He saw the open jaws and teeth aiming at him and it seemed to slow time down. The power she radiated, the pure and solid, harnessed and controlled power left him in awe. Tenzin was strong willed but not as powerful as this she wolf. The loosening of his muscles was almost involuntary and he knew that this female had already won the battle for he had readily given in. She was superior before she even made contact.

He felt the impact of Naira and before his eyes his entire world went on end. An instant later her teeth met their mark, his body rolled so that his paws were back under him and he lay his tail flat across the snow. Lips peeled back to reveal sharp teeth belied the small amount of pain the massive male felt from her grasp yet he made not a sound. This female was in power, Crowe Shane was no match for the the iron will he felt pressing his muzzle into the ground. Submission... not a position he was familiar with, his head throbbed from the impact and the voices in his head screamed KILL HER! KILL HER NOW OR YOU ARE NOT NOBILITY! The massive male did not heed the voices for the first time but retaliated to his thoughts. No she can fix me, she can help me destroy you and I can be whole once more! His thoughts were fervent, it was time for Crowe Shane to be a little, less, insane."You have power." The words were ridiculous sounded stupid to him and nearly whispered, Crowe kept his eyes shut until she told him he was allowed up. She won, purely and simply, plus he was smart enough to know that diet made mostly of carrion did not make a good fighter.

The stranger, this Crowe Shane crumpled beneath her as if suddenly realising a terrible mistake had been made on his part. He spoke through her grip on his muzzle conceding to her power and she unleashed another growl of warning. Shut up it said in soundless words as her golden eyes, burning with a smoldering anger tried to bore holes right through his skull.

When she had herself convinced that he wouldn’t try something so stupid again, she loosened her grip and took several cautious steps back, keeping her shoulders hunched and never foolish enough to turn her back on the beast before her. While he may have been impressive in height, his questionable growl still had her unsure. He had been corrected easily enough, but what was it this wolf wanted?

Of course, she would not reveal her name now - not until she knew more. Had this male been sent by the Poisoned wolves to find her? Her hackles still danced above her nape and her ears were still pinned to her skull, small targets as her teeth flashed in a final warning. "You smell of Tenzin." She stated plainly, her tone brokering little argument. "Speak up. What do you want?" She demanded. Her head slowly inching upwards from its defensive tuck. If he made another move she did not like, she would be back on him in a heartbeat, and next time, her stance clearly indicated, she would not stop.

The voices cried out again, Kill her, do it now! You cannot let this she wolf defeat you! The noise began to echo through him with the howls and calls of dying wolves, the insanity was breaking through in full force but Crowe felt determined to hold his ground against it. His pupils dilated to pinpoints as his vision began to darken. Strange sounds escaped the muzzle of the great white wolf, as he panted and grunted yet he did not struggle upwards, he writhed beneath the she wolf as if in pain. It seemed like an eternity before he was able to say anything, and when it did come it was near nonsense. "T-T-Tenzin, s-s-said he would bring m-me to his leader. Something happened and we were separated, please don't think I mean harm, the voices, the voices they keep screaming at me, kill her kill her, but I can't."

He was struggling to get his words through gasps of air his chest heaved as if he was fighting an enemy. Crowe knew he had to change, he couldn't walk around wanting to kill all the time or he himself would find himself on the receiving end of deaths cold grasp. After the long moments of struggle he stilled himself and to the best of his abilities to act like a normal wolf. In time the enormous male would have to calm himself and soothe the storm between being a killer and just plain mean. "Sorry, I have been alone for a very long time." It was a feeble apology but it was the best he had. He finally eased himself and waited for the she wolf's reply.

my milkshake brings all the boys to the Pass

and they're like, it's better than your ass

Her lip curled as the man before her began to snivel. At his admittance that he couldn’t kill her a small satisfied part of her wanted to smirk. “Of course not, look at you.” She all but spat the words, venom lacing her voice as she drew herself upwards, her movements stiff as she advanced. “I knew Tenzin was more muscle than brain, what on earth could one so unhinged have to offer me?” other than a well placed punching bag? A small part of her mind echoed. Yes, he had the build of a guardian, even had a fierce streak to back it up and for a moment, her thoughts drifted back to the stupid mouthy one on the borders. Perhaps she wouldn’t have been disturbed had this wolf met her first.

It was all well and good to have a border patrol, just as it was all well and good to have a scout, but what about a guardian that ranged further than the borders? Intercepted the idiots before they grew close enough to catch scent of them? Particularly with cubs on the way. As she pondered, her stance shifted to something less stony, but commanding none the less. “Crowe was it?” she regarded him, disdain still lacing her words. “Do you want to prove yourself?” She very much doubted his problem was more than a solid beating or ten wouldn’t solve. Maybe she could find a use for him after all.

He's a goon too smart to just be a barbarian, but too crazy not to need someone putting him in his place. Does it work for you? I'm trying to find the sweet spot for crazy with him.

What did Crowe have to offer? This will be a speech for the ages! Crowe thought. "Well that depends on your needs, I can be guardian, I can be warrior. If you wish it I may even find your enemies and terrify them before they even enter your border for you see, I am Crowe Shane. I have no mind nor tolerance for weakness." Crowe paused and contemplated for a moment, his twisted and warped mind beginning to calculate many more responses, things he could say, and things he should not say until at last he had it.. His head tilted to one side and the wicked smile made it's way back to his features once more. Crowe's eyes were bright as if ecstatic, almost happy yet so maniacal the insanity rushing beneath the surface was more obvious than the white fur adorning his body.

"Tenzin Laylani is a strong wolf, that much is true, but he is merely battle and attack ready. But what about an enemy's ability to think? My specialty M'lady is my favorite... attribute. I can remove the ability to think rationally through my own insanity. Need them afraid? Need them angry, call upon me. You whom holds so much power must have some use for one who can stop a problem, before it starts." Crowe was very convinced he had spoken with true finesse, how true that was remained to be seen but that did not stop him from trying to make himself look as good as he possibly could in the eyes of this female. The pride that now shown on his face was almost comical for his thoughts almost cried out stupidly Crowe do good?