Riddle Heights East of the Plateau

ooc: For the lovely @Noble <3

Tail swished as he surveyed the plateau from a distance, curiosity snaking through him. Apparently it would have made sense for him to be looking into it sooner, as this was nothing short of his neighbors. His gaze ran over it, and still he felt a stab of apprehension. Since meeting Angele, he had been condemned to have a bit of negativity on his side. The worry that he had done something wrong when really he had done what he always did; somehow he knew he had not fooled the intelligent she-wolf, but he wished he would have been more successful in the endeavour. News that his sister was possibly alive, possible staking out the nearby borders was enough to send him running back to Nico; but the fact of the matter was he was not about to send his brother and himself hurtling to see who was waiting to be found. That was a dangerous thing to be doing, in these lands, and that was why he fought the bile thought. If he was wrong, and it was her - he was wasting precious moments. Then again, would she even recognize her half brothers? Heart seized in his chest at the thought, although the male showed little to no emotion. He would not give it up, he would not give the satisfaction that would send others running, and that was why his contentment was lacking. It was an itch, he was beginning to get frustrated. Nico wanted nothing to do with their normal games, and yet he watched on the fact that the pack seemed to be vulnerable. The escape routes, well, he had been studying them from the heights of the mountainside in the distance - guessing without ever getting too close. When he finally started down off his incline though, he was clearly distracted. Like a caged bear, the male was in a violate state. Nothing had gotten his energy out yet, and he prayed something would - something that would let him exercise his body until he was stretched out and ready to sleep for a full night. Rather than disturbing Nico, for once, Rico would have liked to be rested... Halting, his ears pricked with the sudden notion that paws were taking themselves too quickly, for the wind shifted faintly. Enough to bring him warning that there was someone coming toward him, and his mind scrambled. This was simply one of the well versed exit paths - he assumed - and therefore he would have to play it off. Innocence! Yes, that he was normally good at. Lately his luck had been poor. "This is speech."

(This post was last modified: Aug 08, 2015, 08:53 PM by Rico.)

Noble stopped at the same time as Rico. She was well familiar with all these routes by now. Certainly the incident yesterday had put that knowledge to the ultimate test. The rocky, over-grown path under her feet had already been appraised by the yearling. It was the route she preferred, a decision made once she'd noticed how infrequently the Silent Moon Plateau used it. Black ears swung forward and the girl froze, gold eyes wide as she stared in the direction of that soft rustle.

Was someone there? A black ear swung back to the border's far behind her, confused by conflicting information. Her feet shifted in the dirt as she berated herself. She'd been so careful to keep track of all the Plateau wolves. There shouldn't have been any in this direction! How had she overlooked one of them? The only reason she stayed in the area was because she'd been able to keep track of their locations and avoid them! Noble didn't know any swear words, but her jaws ground together as the yearling left the path and tried to sneak around Rico through the sparse evergreen forest.

The wind was not on her side and the other was being damnablely quiet now. And, try as she might, Noble didn't know the land quite well enough to travel through the inclines and avoid sight entirely. She was cresting a slight rise under the pine trees, black form crouched as low as long legs would allow, when the yearling went over a patch of loose gravel. A fragment of granite went skittering down the incline. Noble stared after it for a moment, ears folding abashedly, and then looked in the opposite to catch sight of the very wolf she'd been hoping to avoid. Noble didn't even wait for him to make eye-contact before spinning away. Loose gravel continued to slide underfoot as she scrambled upwards and hopefully away.

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

No doubt about the fact he was wary, there was an anticipation about the beat of his heart picking up. As he found himself unable to make his tongue become untied. Wanting to be able to near, his head was almost spinning at the thought that someone had picked this particular path. It was never what he would have guessed, but he eased himself forward with an arrogant gait. For all anyone could have been able to guess, well, perhaps he was just out for a stroll. He was a loner, the only scent on him was Nico - that was enough. Being a threat was not what he wished, although he found himself unable to stop the trailing. He was wistfully coming over the grounds, and he grumbled with the excitement. Whatever was going to happen, it was going to be enough to make his head spin. It was why tail was lashing as he found himself unable to stop the bounce in his paws, nose twitching almost hopelessly. Ah, it was a temptation to just surge forward and attempt to frighten away the notions that were screaming in his ears. As he suddenly halted, he was taken with a surprise that he had been caught off guard - she had been spooked enough to hide on him, and the reason he knew it was a female was just by scent alone. Viewing her did no good, for she was off flying through the bushes. It was too much for the male, it was a hint of panic - maybe she was going to call the troops. Maybe she was going to bring those who would attempt to take him down. That was not something he would allow, not when his scent was still traceable back to Nico's resting spot. Bolting, he high tailed it after her, kicking up rocks and grass as he went. Legs out stretched, but he was soundless. He was not about to start calling after her, he was not about to be caught for reasons that were not his choice. But she was swift, but he was used to being second place. His endurance had to count for something, for Nico could also effortlessly out speed him when they were fleeing from a job. It did not frustrate him, it did not make him over push. Still, his lips pulled back off his teeth, huffing with a hint of a snarl. Where in the world was she running to?! "This is speech."

The shock of suddenly being pursued did not allow any of the panic to fade. Even the quietness was unnerving. Rico's snarl and rapid footfalls were just barely audible over the sound of her own gasps and the skittering of shale underfoot. He was just loud enough for Noble to know he was there, how fast or how far behind was unknown. The girl didn't even dare to look back, she didn't want to see the face of the unknown beast. It wasn't even so much 'running to' as it was simply getting away. Trying to, at least. The yearling pelted up the incline, in her panic not noticing how loose the gravel was becoming.

Like the Barreda male, Noble did not make a sound either. There was no point in calling for help. The nearby pack would never aid the thief and Desideria long gone by now. The sun beat down and her tongue dragged. Dark feet flung themselves forward in a fast tempo, coasting over the gravel till, finally, she stepped wrong. A left foreleg came down on a loose piece of gravel and Noble fell hard.

The skinny, black shoulder gouged into sharp stones, but Noble hissed in surprise more than pain. The girl spun, grinding stones farther in, to watch Rico's approach. Ears flattened to her skull and she tucked her tail to cover her belly. Her lips pulled back in an expression that had nothing to do with aggression. Noble was terrified. Even more than she hated being chased, Noble hated the feeling of being unable to prevent this awful thing from happening. Her head swerved to follow him as the male might move, eyes narrow slit that still managed to show the whites. It was hard to speak through the heart pounding in her throat, but Noble hissed up at him. "Pack wolf! Don't you dare touch me!" Her teeth bared to snap at any part that might come close.

Rico was in the chase for the fact of his own concerns, worried that he had crossed the path with someone who would give his life a few more headaches. That was not what he was looking for, despite the endless assumptions that seemed to come. It was why his legs stretched out, and he was not about to slow down just on the sake of being one who could break the mold and keep going for days and days. If it brought wolves out looking for Nico, trouble would be found. There was no way in the world that he was going to allow someone to catch up with his brother. Already minor thoughts of panic was playing on his mind, making him wonder if he was not in a state of being put to death. For all he knew this woman was a lure, dragging him into a waiting pack ambush. Perhaps he had not been so good at playing hide and seek anymore, perhaps there was going to be a final end to meet him. The problem remained that the female seemed just as panicked as he was, and eventually it came to an abrupt halt. She gave up her running and turned on him, feverish with an energy that he noticed that he had seen Nico exude from time to time. It was why he found himself unable to stop the urge to snarl, fur lifting although his logical mind was not sending him into a frenzy. Then she spoke, so easily, labeling him in a moment that caused him to skid to a stop before he almost met her head on for a battle of wills. "Pack wolf?!" The Barreda twin gasped, staring at her with the insult that he took it to mean, even as his tongue seemed a bit loose. "I am not a pack wolf, woman!" Jaws snapped with the laconic response, emphasizing with a narrowing of his eyes. She was the one who looked like she was headed back to the nearest safe base of pack grounds, not him! "This is speech."

The shaking, frenetic fear of her own death had been too much to allow the Lagina yearling to rise from where she had fallen. She remained on the stony ground, spinning on the point of her shoulder to keep Rico in her view. Her dark flanks heaved, both from the wild race she'd just lost and what she expected to be coming next. It wasn't the prospect of pain that made her lips pull back tight from ivory teeth. It was defiance and anger at her fate. She'd tried so hard, given up so much. All she'd wanted was to survive, to live some sort of life, and she was hysterical to see the end approaching. All her effort had been for nothing.

When Rico snarled at her she held nothing back in return, lunging forward to flash teeth at any part. If her fate was sealed she was going to be damn sure to ruin his. She glared back as he spoke down to her, entirely too caught up in the tense moment to focus on the words. She was expecting the slash of teeth, not mere words.

The snap of his jaws was enough to send her over the edge. She thrust away with hind feet, slicing a bony shoulder on the ground in her desperation to get away. The momentum was enough. Once moving, Noble managed to climb to her feet in one great effort. She stumbled away, oblivious to forming droplets of blood and which direction she moved in. "You lie! You chased me!" God, where was she right now? The yearling cast a shaken glance along the mountain side, relieved to find it was just the two wolves. "Packs always chase me."

Rico could hardly believe his luck, the woman was ready to rip him into shreds if need be. But something about the way she was poising her words, the way there was a spark in her of panic. Oh, hell! He recognized that sort of spark that came into her eye, it was quite the same that Nico had after doing something a little over dramatic - so his head tipped to the side, and he was not about to be submissive for the actions that were beckoning him. As the reality seemed to be tormenting him, this was something that Rico was not going to shy from. So with paws shifting and sifting through the grasses around him, he concerned what would have been the benefit in trying to reason with her. "Well I'm accustomed to cowardly guards running away from me. But I assure you, madam, I am not some cheeky pack wolf!" Stomping his paws, almost in an immature matter, he eyed her. Watching her as she took tumbles and righted herself, he almost cringed - almost. But then he was stepping forward, ears leaning back against his head; "I live East of here with my twin, I was trying to make sure that these wolves weren't a threat to us... I am Rico." It was a struggle on his tongue to be sure, to be calm when he wanted to snap her little assuming head off (although he was doing the same thing). As he found himself fumbling with the words for a moment, he snorted - blowing dust out of his nose and lowering his tail from the arrogant stance he had been holding it at. No need to look still menacing, but he was still without trust. Suspicion was riding him, and which was why he played the gentle wildcard: a half truth. "This is speech."

Noble squinted. Wasn't that the ridge that lead down the slope? Trying not to seem like she was considering the best escape route, Noble swept a quick glance over with the guise of lapping the drying blood from her shoulder. Her ears flicked in his direction as burnished gold eyes scoured the landscape. It was hard to say what got her attention more: being called 'madam' or referring to the pack guards as cowardly. "They run from you?" She blurted out. If it was a lie, it was a very intriguing one. "How'ya make 'em do that?"

"They always get after me when I try an—" Her mouth clamped shut.

Even if he wasn't a pack wolf that might be something she shouldn't share. Noble had enough pride to know it was a degrading way of life. "I'm Noble." She supplied quickly, hoping Rico would be distracted by the irony and forget what had nearly slipped loose. When he stepped back she stepped away, ears folding back defensively. If he meant no harm, he'd better act it. She looked east as his mentioned a twin. What she wouldn't give to have her brother around, but would @Kova sink so well to this way of life?

Her tail hesitantly lifted from its tucked position when his stance shifted. The ridge was just over there (she was nearly sure it was the same) and she should be able to get away quickly if this was a false show on his part. "Maybe..." -her words were hedged, an ingratiating smile appearing- "could you teach me how to scare other wolves away?" Yes, Noble was always needing something from other wolves. Despite her height and determination, she hadn't learned how to stand her ground -let along take it in a harrowing situation. She was sick of being the one running.

@Bracken don't mind this

(This post was last modified: Oct 03, 2015, 01:25 AM by Noble. Edit Reason: stupid me forgot to tag Kova )