When I Get Home, You're So Dead - For Tachi.

[rhapsie]

Bright amber orbs gleamed out from the shadows. Ivy liked it here. She quite enjoyed sitting in the dark. No, not because she was disturbed or anything like that, because it was cool. And Ivy hated being stuffy and warm, she had been born and raised in cold temperatures, because her parent's pack came from up North. So once the young she-wolf left the snowy, hilly area and moved south, where everything was was warmer and there was less snow, she wasn't particularly fond of the climate of her new surroundings at first. She still isn't, in all honesty. She struggles during the summer months, and you will almost always find her near or in water, or in the shade.

It was just the way she was.

Being in the shadows made her feel safe. Her gaze swivelled around to survey her surroundings. Although it was dark, she could still see well enough. Earlier, there had been a couple of male Soldiers up here with her, keeping their distance but she could hear the snarky remarks they were saying. Her fur bristled at the thought of it. She'd get them back, one day. Until then, she switched focus from her annoyance towards her male 'co-workers' to the pure hatred she felt towards the feline scum that co-existed with them. Hah, not for long. Soon enough, those bastards would get what was coming to them, and be eradicated from the face of this city, and the survivors would either be enslaved or run and run and never look back.

It's why she felt at home here. The Tempest pack shared her hatred of cats. And why wouldn't they? They were sensible and intelligent canines, unlike those foolish Lexis dogs. What the hell were they thinking, trying to co-exist with cats. It would never work. It made her stomach curdle to think about those stupid mongrels, snuggling up to the enemy. "Foolish beasts. It will be their own downfall, to live alongside those putrid creatures."

[¿ Taçhi ?]

{ Gravity }

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The sun was setting. The bright orb that normally defied mortal gaze and burnt the eyes of anyone who dared to take a curious peek, now hung red over the ocean - stripped of its protecting rays and naked to the creatures of the world. To Gravity it was red like flames and destruction. Red like blood, as if the sun itself was dying, clutching to the edges of the horizon, fighting a battle already lost, and slowly sinking into the sea that would be its grave.

Except that tomorrow it would return again. Bright and pure and strong. A God reborn to once more cloak the Earth in its light. Tomorrow was always a new day.

But tomorrow was tomorrow and shrouded in mystery, and tonight was the evening where a big wolf padded up the Tooth Cliff through grass and stones. Grey fur still warm from the rays of the setting sun and eyes still absent with memories of the day that went. Memories that were rewound like a movie to be cross-examined again and again. Forever and ever questions filled the mind of the Timber Wolf. What if he had done this? What if he had said that instead of this? What if he had not gone there, but been there instead? What if, what if, what if. Always second-guessing about what could've been. Always trying to decide whether he had acted correctly. For as the Warden, it wouldn't only be him who suffered if he chose the wrong path. He would bring his entire pack with him towards the abyss.

Surprised his head shifted upwards when the sound of words reached his ears, born upon the wind like the seeds of dandelions. For once it appeared that he was not the only one who had sought out the peace of solitude. The black nose vibrated slightly as he sniffed the air, narrowing his eyes in an attempt to distinguish the shape of the canine - to penetrate the shadows and see what they hid. It was first when he came closer that he recognized Ivy, one of his Soldiers. Without attempt to hide his approach he trotted up to the female wolf. "Fool is as fool does. And underestimating your enemies is always a foolish act." Keeping his eyes on the ocean he placed himself on his haunches besides her. The anger in her voice had been intense, though he had to confess that he didn't know her well enough to judge whether this was simply the usual with Ivy. Oh well, it couldn't hurt to ask, now could it? "You seem distressed. Is anything the matter?"

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[rhapsie]

It had been a long time since she'd actually sat down and thought things through. Like, properly thought about things. Ducking her head, she stared at her paws, fuming. She felt the urge to attack something. Preferably a cat. After all, they were the reason she felt more annoyed than usual today. She'd seen one hanging around the border, and she hadn't hesitated in sneaking up on it - downwind of course - seizing it in her jaws and listening to it's insults and hisses and cries of anguish for a few moments before snapping it's neck in half. It satisfied her and sickened her at the same time.

Although, she did love a reason to hurt those damned felines.

She didn't know that the Warden had joined her until he'd planted his rump down beside her and spoke. His words made perfect sense, and she nodded in agreement. "That's very true, and all that will happen is that, in the long run, they will suffer. Their truce won't last. It's inevitable, really." She looked at him out of the corner of one eye, seeing that he too was watching the ocean as the fiery orb of light slowly sunk down beyond the horizon. As she looked up at the sky, she noticed that a few stars were now apparent, sparsely scattered across the purple-blue canvas of the night. It was quite a pleasant sight. Not as pleasant as the blood and bodies of cats though, yet pretty all the same.

At the other wolf's words, she abruptly turned to look over at the male, surprised that he could tell that something was troubling her. Quite a few things troubled her, yet only one thing really surpassed all the rest. War. As a soldier, it was her job to worry if it was going to happen or not. Of course, the constant feud with the Iris Pride could be considered a war as such, yet Ivy believed that it wasn't war until they clashed on the battlefield. She would be proud to lead them, to sink her fangs into any cat that was close enough. Just the thought of it made her eyes gleam with bloodlust, but that quickly faded once she spoke.

"It would be a lie to say that I didn't wonder what those damned cats are planning. War is inevitable, there can be no other way than to exterminate them."

Once those words left her lips, she looked up at Gravity for several moments, before turning back to the ocean ahead.

[¿ Taçhi ?]

{ Gravity }

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The smell of salt water reached his nostrils, awaking memories of long ago. Memories of running through the water, foam flying everywhere. The warmth of the sun, the breeze running through their fur. Three wolves. Pups, really. Children of mind even if their bodies had tried to tell them otherwise. Naive children. Shrouded in the armor of youth - invincible, undefeatable... or so they had thought.

Watching the distant waves Gravity could've sworn he heard laughter drifting through the air. Carried on the winds of the ocean, or those of his memories, he wondered?

"Inevitable perhaps. But right here, right now, they are a threat. As I said, only a fool underestimates her enemies Ivy. And I know you're no fool. Even sheep, however weak they are, can trample down a wolf if they catch her unawares. He delivered the minor reproach with a voice as calm as ever. Only in the grip of anger did the Timber Wolf ever raise his voice, and he prided himself on that control. The Warden had to be strong. A guiding light and a haven for those souls lost and confused. The Warden neither hesitated nor doubted. He was a cliff in the middle of the storm. Sometimes the wolf wished he could push Gravity away and simply be the Warden and only the Warden. But he knew that was impossible... even if he did his best.

At her words his head turned slightly, as grey eyes finally turned from the sea to rest on the female Soldier of his pack. She was one amongst many, whose claws would tear flesh, and whose fangs would taste blood... on his word. Gravity watched her for a moment in silence, his eyes searching her, looking for something even he didn't know what was. He read bloodlust and... so much anger. He wondered what had happened to make this dog so hungry for the taste of death. Once more his gaze turned back to the horizon and the dying sun. "Tell me... Ivy. Why do you kill? When you sink your fangs into the meat of cats and canines... do you do it because of hate... or because of hope?"

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[rhapsie]

She allowed herself to close her eyes for a minute or two, and picture herself with her family, frolicking around on the beach. But that had never happened to her. Her childhood had been spent being a pampered brat, and then running from the rebels that killed her family. So she'd never really had the chance to go down to the beach with her parents. Thinking back on it, they'd never really spent alot of time with her. They were always busy with 'Alpha' duties, either punishing the Omega's, out discussing matters with other Alpha's of other pack's in the area, hunting, fighting, and the list continues. Ivy understood that it was hard being an Alpha, of course it was. She just couldn't help but resent the fact that they hadn't been there for her during her puphood. But hey, her father was dead now and so was her mother, most probably. Nothing she could do about it.

She surpressed a sigh at the thought of those rogues in territory that rightfully belonged to her.

But she pushed that out of her mind. Because she had a new pack now, someone else to be loyal to. Sure, she wasn't high-ranking or anything, but at least she belonged somewhere. At the Warden's words, she nodded. "Yes. They may be vile felines, yet they're pretty damn powerful at that." She paused, looking down at her paws. The silence continued for several long, drawn-out moments, before Gravity asked her something. And that something was deep. Real deep. Why did she kill? More like why didn't she kill. She remained silent, looking up from her paws at the ocean. After a moment or two, she decided to reply. "I kill for both of those reasons. I kill for us, for the pack. I kill so one day dogs will rule the city and cats will be nothing more than scum. I kill also because I hate them. I hate them because of who they are, as they hate them for who we are." She paused, before continuing. "I also kill because it's my position in the pack. If I didn't kill, I wouldn't be needed. If I don't belong in my own pack, I don't belong anywhere."

[¿ Taçhi ?]

{ Gravity }

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"Yes. They may be vile felines, yet they're pretty damn powerful at that."

The smallest hint of a smile touched the lips of the Timber Wolf; not a smile of warmth or impending laughter, but one of dark humour. "Oh yes, indeed they are. That's exactly why it's our mission to make sure they won't remain in that position. Let them lie contently and chew on old bones - when the time comes we'll crush them. That's why this pack needs leaders like me... and warriors like you." The voice didn't change, and if it hadn't been for the words uttered one wouldn't have noticed that this was meant as a compliment. Gravity had learned early on that praise given too eagerly and too often, lost its effect. Praise never given, on the other hand, was even more of a disaster. That was what made people turn their back on you in the time of need - the unappreciated rarely stayed. It was part of the Code - show respect for those whose respect you wish to gain.

The wolf listened closely to the velvet voice of the wolf, though not a muscle contracted in the mighty face, soaking in her words and filing them for later use. That was both his right and duty as a Warden - to get inside the minds of those who served him, so he might serve the pack the best way possible. He was the chessmaster, and in order to win this game he'd need to know the strengths and limits of each individual piece. It was his duty to know each and every crack in the white marble of his companions. In the fray of battle he needed to know exactly who would fight to the end, and who might turn tail and flee. A small grim nod was his response to her answer, a nod of approval. Someone had learned their lesson well, now the only question still standing was whether she would be able to remember this when the war came. "Hate... hate is a dangerous emotion Ivy. It can make you strong, but it can also make you weak. Use it to fuel the fire within you, use it as a reminder to never give up, remember it when you hesitate. But never let it control you. Are you able to do that, Ivy? Will you be able to control your anger when standing in the midst of chaos - with lightning, fire and ice raging around you and rivers of blood flowing past you, taking away friends and family?" The steely orbs of the canine had taken on a distant glow, the mind of the Warden carried backwards to battles fought - some lost, some won, but all filled with blood, adrenaline and death. "Standing in the eye of the storm, watching everything being swept away around you... knowing you can never save everyone; that some will always perish..." With visible effort the big wolf shook the thoughts away and forced his mind to return to the here and the now. The distant voice grew near once more, as the corner of his mouth twisted upwards in a humourless smile that mocked his own weakness. "You must pardon me. You did not come here to have the burdens of being the Warden placed upon your shoulders. That was not fair of me."

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