Short Fuse {Admiral}

[nightblood]

"That depends on what you define as bad...or good. I...I forced Orem's other side out. To see if he could control it. He managed to, after awhile."

NightBlood's expression turned to that of mild concern. She knew this was not the first time Orem had turned, having just tended to the inner wounds of one of her pups. The second turn, however, was usually the hardest. The fact that he was aware of the second identity this time would effect how forcefully it would take hold. There were those that would willingly step aside and allow it to take control, and those who would try to suppress it. Since Mortil had said 'forced', she assumed he had tried to keep it from taking over. He must have been scared beyond belief.

Again, Mortil circled.

"God damn, Nightblood! I don't know how long I can keep doing this. I feel like I'm about to break down. Hell, how hard is it to tell someone that they might have to kill you? How does one cope with that!? How far is the limit, Nightblood? How far is the limit?"

Blood lowered her head and turned away from Mortil's gaze. She knew she could do nothing to help him. The most she could do was give him comfort. It was painful to know how little she could do for him.

"Everyone has their own limits, Mortil. Some just haven't learned to set them. If I had set my own limits, these pups would be of Armageddon's blood, and therefore, useless to you. That is not to say they would not have had their own talents, but they would lack the proper strength to make up the whole of Arnlan's army..."

'And subdue Umbra,' the Beta finished grimly in her head.

"You must set your own limits, Mortil. No one else can do it for you."

[Electus]

Mortil snapped angrily at empty air before calming down again.

"You must set your own limits, Mortil. No one else can do it for you."

"Of course...of course...."

He took a shuddering breath before looking at Nightblood again.

"One day, soon, I will tell them all. But not now...now...only Orem knows. Please, talk to him Nightblood. At least make him understand the implications of Umbra being loosed."

Mortil tried to smile, but it was done half-heartedly.

"Which reminds me...it's almost the anniversary of when I was accepted...do you remember?"

((Mortil has been in Arnlan for a while...))

[nightblood]

"One day, soon, I will tell them all. But not now...now...only Orem knows. Please, talk to him Nightblood. At least make him understand the implications of Umbra being loosed."

"I will try, but I don't expect his opinion will sway much."

"Which reminds me...it's almost the anniversary of when I was accepted...do you remember?"

NightBlood smiled and sat down, drawing upon the memory. She remembered it vaguely, but enough to get a few good details. Their friendship had come such a long way over a year's time.

"Heh. I remember not trusting you for a second," she answered, allowing herself a laugh, "When I asked you what your skills were, it sounded like you out ranked me in everything. And now I see it's all true..."

Her voice trailed off, deep in thought. Mortil had proven himself to her... tenfold, at least. He'd gone from untrusted loner to dearest brother and warrior in the span of a single year. He had demonstrated each skill he had named at the time of his acceptance. He'd shown his loyalty time and time again, from digging her out of a landslide to chasing down Archer. Now he was training her pups. She owed a lot to this gray male.

"I think... you should be Beta..."

[Electus]

"Heh. I remember not trusting you for a second," she answered, allowing herself a laugh, "When I asked you what your skills were, it sounded like you out ranked me in everything. And now I see it's all true..."

Mortil smiled. "And yet...You had every reason to distrust me...I was so...lost then that Umbra could gain control whenever he wanted...and that was how I came to Arnlan."

"I think... you should be Beta..."

The ash-gray warrior was touched, to say the least. That his dearest of friends would think so highly of him...he gave her a gentle lick on the nose.

"No...I am unsuited for the task Nightblood. I am...impulsive...shadowy...I'm slow to trust Nightblood. And slow to be trusted. You have a talent of seeing the ability in wolves, Nightblood...and a good judge of personality. I can't do any of those things. Always, I'll be a mentor in the ways of fighting in the open and in the shadows."

He gave his foster sister a genuine smile. "To fight and defend my friends...that is all I wish."

[nightblood]

"No...I am unsuited for the task Nightblood. I am...impulsive...shadowy...I'm slow to trust Nightblood. And slow to be trusted. You have a talent of seeing the ability in wolves, Nightblood...and a good judge of personality. I can't do any of those things. Always, I'll be a mentor in the ways of fighting in the open and in the shadows."

NightBlood sighed. The rank of Beta had always been her goal since coming into Arnlan. Now that she had it, well... It hadn't started out as well as she planned. And now things were starting to get out of hand. War was imminent. The threat of Sallin was breathing down their necks, making their fur stand on end. Being from a war-faring pack, one would think that NightBlood was the best choice for a Beta at the time. In truth, however, she wished with all her might that there was someone else more fitted for the job.

"To fight and defend my friends...that is all I wish."

"Sometimes I wish that Sallin would attack so we can end this suspense. It's killing me, Mortil. I know I should be hoping that they stay quiet like this until the pups are ready to fight, but... part of me wants to take their place in the war, you know? Take orders from someone else instead of giving them. It'd be easier."

[Electus]

"Sometimes I wish that Sallin would attack so we can end this suspense. It's killing me, Mortil. I know I should be hoping that they stay quiet like this until the pups are ready to fight, but... part of me wants to take their place in the war, you know? Take orders from someone else instead of giving them. It'd be easier."

"Easier, yes..." Mortil said softly.

He looked up at the sky contemplatively. Then he began to speak, reciting the words of a past long gone. "So far am I along the path...that I must strain to hear the patter of their footsteps. My brothers...know this: today is the day we will show them that we are not afraid. And today is a good day to fight and to die."

"We will stay the course, my sister. And when Sallin comes..."

He smiled grimly. "They shall not pass."

On ne passe pas.[/color]

"So! I was thinking we would give the pups a little...surprise on my anniversary day. Interested?"

[nightblood]

"We will stay the course, my sister. And when Sallin comes..."

He smiled grimly. "They shall not pass."

NightBlood returned the smile, maybe with a little more excitement. "Sounds like fun."

"So! I was thinking we would give the pups a little...surprise on my anniversary day. Interested?"

The Beta wagged her tail, eager to leave the grim subject behind them. Her head raised and her ears perked forward. She even allowed her smile to widen.

"What have you been cooking up in that crazy brain of yours?" she asked jokingly.

[Electus]

"What have you been cooking up in that crazy brain of yours?" she asked jokingly.

Mortil shrugged. "They've been training hard. They're starting to exhibit their own fighting styles and tactics...but they've yet to witness a true battle."

The scarred wolf looked a bit slyly at Nightblood.

"How are you feeling about a little spar sometime?" he said, eye sparkling.

[nightblood]

"They've been training hard. They're starting to exhibit their own fighting styles and tactics...but they've yet to witness a true battle."

"How are you feeling about a little spar sometime?"

"You want to put on a show for them?"

NightBlood was a little taken aback by this idea. The last time she'd fought Mortil... well... she hadn't really fought him. It was more like just standing up to his berserker side, Umbra. The concept of fighting him in front of her pups was a little off kilter, out of the ordinary. Then again, for Arnlan's next generation of warriors, it might be beneficial.

[Electus]

"You want to put on a show for them?"

Mortil shrugged again. "Why not? I wouldn't exactly call it that, but the idea is accurate."

He nudged the Beta's side playfully before grinning.

"Why? Nervous?"

He got up restlessly and circled before sitting down and tilting his head.

"So, what do you say?"

[nightblood]

"Why not? I wouldn't exactly call it that, but the idea is accurate. Why? Nervous?"

NightBlood snapped at the gray wolf's ear playfully when he nudged her side. Yes, she was nervous. Fighting someone who could snap and kill everyone within the territory boundaries and then some called for a fair amount of nervousness, even if it was for show. On the other hand, Umbra knew she would never do a thing to hurt Mortil. At least... she hoped he knew.

"So, what do you say?"

"Hmm..."

Blood thought over every scenario quietly in her brain. If Umbra snapped, no one would be safe. But they were running that risk with Mortil in the pack anyway, so that possibility took a seat on the bench. If Umbra behaved himself, she'd walk away with minor to moderate bruises to every other bone in her body. She wouldn't be able to move for at least a week. Then the best case scenario was that Umbra didn't feel the need to fight (she highly doubted it) and she and Mortil fought to a tie (hopefully).

"The second the pups start to get scared, we stop," she said finally.

[Electus]

"The second the pups start to get scared, we stop," she said finally.

Mortil arched an eyebrow. "Scared? Of what...oh. Right. I see."

He shrugged. "You're their mother. Anyways. Let's go break the idea to them."

With that, he walked off back towards Nightblood's den.

((eh...short and crappy. Bleh. I figure we should start a new thread.))

[nightblood]

Alrighty. About them telling the pups about it or on the day of the fight?

[Electus]

Day of the fight.

I figure whoever wants to join it can.

[nightblood]

KK