See Who I Am {Mortil, Mordecai, Anek}

[nightblood]

Arnlan's Beta had isolated herself on the outskirts of the territory. Though still well inside the boundaries and hidden from any Officer's eyes. In the tall, dry grass on top of a hill, a red eye gazed on the lower lands. NightBlood's head rested on her paws as her spine twisted to allow her hind quarters to lay on her left hip, a noticeable, but not at all huge, bulge in her gut as if she had just eaten two average-sized rabbits. One wouldn't guess that, seeing as the meager meals still dotted the hillside, still moving and nibbling on grass.

A simple sigh from the canine made their ears snap to attention. She did her best to quell her breath, not wanting to scare them off. For today, the Beta enjoyed their company. She delighted in their presence and guessed their was a warren near by. With her bad leg, there was little more she could do than simply stare at them. It was impossible for her to catch even a young one. This thought put her in a state of deep depression, which made her question her value to the pack.

What happened next was nothing short of a revelation. A piercing shriek rang in her ears. As she attempted to shut the noise out, a brown figure darted into her vision and closed in on an old buck. With one hop forward at the last second, the rabbit reared onto his front legs and kicked the hawk hard in it's chest, sending it spiraling backward. Recovering quickly, the bird retreated into the sky, looking elsewhere for an easier target.

Inspired, NightBlood jumped up and turned toward the forest, growling to herself as she went. How could she question her strength? She was Beta of Arnlan! Why else would the Alphas choose her for that position? Why else would they order her to mate with an equally built male? She was a warrior leader, through and through, regardless of injuries or condition. It was time she started acting as tough as she looked. It was time she started enforcing the 'No Slacking Rule'.

With a bellowing call, the dark wolf summoned a trio of her subjects. The three strongest wolves of Arnlan. Mortil would come, whatever the reason. Mordecai would have her voice filed somewhere in memory. Anek would have to guess who was calling, though he had a sample of her voice already. To aid the three in the meaning of the howl if they hadn't caught their names embedded in the song, NightBlood made sure her voice was authoritative, urgent, and serious. In short- militaristic. She was calling a training session. Two of the trainees would be surprised to hear of their new rank.

[Electus]

Focus. Exclude everything but the target. Nothing else matters.

Mortil stalked slowly around the area near his den, his paws touching the ground only lightly before moving upwards again. The warrior's movements were deliberate, patient. Only at the right moment would the scarred wolf suddenly uncoil like a spring into sudden kinetic movement.

While most warriors would train their bodies and hone their strength, Mortil preferred to focus his mind instead. He preferred speed over brute strength, and cunning strategy over a frontal assault. He would leave mindless berserker action to Umbra and Sallinian wolves. A strike on the neck, a rip of the fangs...and an opponent would be as good as dead.

The ash-grey wolf slowly began to bunch the muscles on his hindlegs, preparing for the pre-meditated lunge. But just as he transferred the energy to his forelegs, Nightblood's howl shattered the air. He stopped abruptly, clawing at the dirt and blinking his eye. The moment was lost.

But no matter. His friend- and his superior- had called. It was his duty to answer.

It didn't take long for Mortil to locate Nightblood's scent, and only a bit longer for him to find the actual subject in question.

The ash-grey warrior melted out of the shadows gracefully, bowing his head in respect.

"Honored Beta. You called for me."[/color] It was not really a question.

[Let's try and keep posting order out of this. You post when you can, and don't worry about waiting. Call it an experiment, if you like.]

[Blackfeathr]

Mordecai was in a light doze, not fully asleep but had his ears perked for every little sound that was made. He had laid down for a short nap at the crest of a forested hill overlooking a valley of grazing deer. He did not feel the need to hunt, so instead laid and watched them in their silent, tedious work that seemed to lull him to sleep. Arnlan seemed unusually quiet since the pack meeting and hunt, that is, from his point of view. It was almost foreboding, like the calm before the storm.

However, this calm was interrupted for a moment by a booming howl from his close friend and newly anointed Beta of Arnlan. She wasn't just calling for anyone, she was calling for him and a couple of others. The tone of her voice made his ice blue eyes snap open in surprise. It was urgent, authoritative, and serious.

He got up so fast that the closer deer in the herd jerked their heads up and eyed him warily. Yawning in a passive response, he stood and perked his ears. Deciding which direction from which the howl came, he set off, heading south.
It was a long trek before he made it to NightBlood--she seemed to have situated herself right on the hem of the borders.

He ascended the hill, finding that Mortilitas Umbra had answered her call as well. He gave him a curt nod, and turned to look at NightBlood, an uncertain look in his eye, concerned about what she was calling them for, and mostly concerned about her as well. There was something that was off about her. He cocked his head slightly to the left for a moment, but all the same, he bowed his head in respect. His expression did not change as his head came back up.
"Ye' call, I answer." He said with a quirk of a grizzled smile.
"What be the problem M'laydee?" He asked, perking his ears and glancing at Mortil in case she had told him anything.

[anek]

The water filled everything around Anek as he moved forward with the flow. As his lung started to run out of air he pushed his legs downwards and his clawed paws hit the pebbled bank of the stream. As he came to a stop, the flow pushed against him for a second and then found way around the wolf's body as he emerged from the water.

With slow, heavy steps, Anek walked out of the stream refreshed by the bath he needed for a time now. As he shook his body to rid him himself of as much water as he could a howl cut trough the forest and found way to his ears.
He knew the howl, he heard it before. The one was identified as NightBlood, his chosen mate. By the howl it was an obvious call for him as well as others. But not as opened and calm as the former one he heard before.

Without further thinking he threw himself into the woods, heading towards the source of the howl. While running he picked up the scent of Night as well as two others he met at the hunt. Thoughts formed in his mind as he closed to the place; this call was much more a call of the Beta, rather than Night. More official.

A few minutes after the call, Anek walked out of the woods to enter the company of NightBlood and two other males. He hoped they weren't waiting for him for too long.

"Greetings Night. Good day mates." he greeted the trio and then looked around to see the sun lowering towards the western horizon, "It's getting late. May I ask why have we been summoned here?"
He tried to ask the question with keeping the proper respect in his tone.

[nightblood]

"Honored Beta. You called for me."

NightBlood growled as her friend bowed his head. She didn't want anyone being overly-respectful toward her, especially her friends. She felt like they were putting her up on a pedestal. Now that she was Beta, she was having second thoughts about the whole thing.

"Raise your head, Mortil. You are more honorable than I will ever be."

"What be the problem M'laydee?"

"No problems, Mordecai. Just business," the dark female said, turning to the Irish wolf, "Let us wait for the third. I will explain everything then."

They didn't have long to wait. Anek walked silently out of the woods before her, entering the clearing fashionably later than the other two.

"Greetings Night. Good day mates."

NightBlood nodded in greeting, but there was still that familiar flash of resentment in her eye. Had he never existed, she would have never mated with him. However, it didn't mean that she would have mated with Armageddon. The whole line of possible mates stood before her. Each one of them were stronger than the black male. If Anek weren't around, next in line would have been Mordecai. The only good thing was that she would have tolerated him a bit more. This, however, was not the subject of the gathering.

"It's getting late. May I ask why have we been summoned here?"

"I called you three to introduce you to your rank-equals. Each one of you have been called to be in Arnlan's secret Millitary. Mortil has been informed. Should the rest of you accept, I shall tell you what he already knows."

[Electus]

"Raise your head, Mortil. You are more honorable than I will ever be."

The ash-gray warrior smiled. "Thank you, Nightblood." he said simply.

Mortil nodded both to Mordecai and Anek respectfully, but said nothing. He too, was wondering why Nightblood had assembled them together.

"I called you three to introduce you to your rank-equals. Each one of you have been called to be in Arnlan's secret Military. Mortil has been informed. Should the rest of you accept, I shall tell you what he already knows."

Mortil circled where he stood in his habitual fashion before sitting down on his haunches. "There's something else, isn't there? This seems...like something more. Especially with all of us together like this."

[Blackfeathr]

"No problems, Mordecai. Just business," NightBlood stated, turning to him. He gave a friendly smile, awaiting her next order of 'business.'

"Let us wait for the third. I will explain everything then."
He nodded in the silence that followed. A third? Was it that black fellow that yowled in sorrow when NightBloods forced bond was announced? Or was it perhaps those males that felt jealous of NightBlood? Or that new male he hadn't seen before?
It turned out to be the latter as the golden colored male stepped out from the woods into their little clearing.

"Greetings Night. Good day mates." he said in greeting, "It's getting late. May I ask why have we been summoned here?"
Mordecai looked to him in curiousity. He was very well built, more muscular than he was of course. This was why Night was, or had mated with him. They were to spawn perhaps the most powerful wolves in all of Arnlan. Karolek and Sofika had wolfpower in mind, pure, unbridled brute strength while they were the brains behind it all, planning and strategizing and placing their subjects where they wanted them to be, as if they were pawns in a giant game of chess. Something was coming, he didn't know what, but his expression darkened as he stared intently at NightBlood, urging her to move forward with her message.

"I called you three to introduce you to your rank-equals. Each one of you have been called to be in Arnlan's secret Millitary. Mortil has been informed. Should the rest of you accept, I shall tell you what he already knows."

Secret Military.
So that was it. Arnlan WAS gearing up for something, there was that proverbial electricity in the air that gave it away.
"I accept." Mordecai said, with a stony look on his face. He remembered this from times gone by, before he was exiled...

[anek]

As Night's words filled the air with tension, they also filled Anek's head with questions. Secret Millitary? In Arnlan? For how long, and under who's control has these events been so far?
As Mordecai spoke his opinion Anek shook his head to rid himself of the doubts.
If this is the way it is,[/color] he thought, the Alphas must find it well this way.[/color]

"And so do I." he replied to Mordecai's comment, straightening up unnoticed, "However I may help Arnlan, I owe my life to the pack."

For a moment he was quiet, but the question came out of him, "I wonder however," he started, "Why were we --or I personally, as a war leader-- only now told about the secret force, even though, I've been loyal to Arnlan for some time." and although he didn't say it out, his "some time" felt heavy with years.

[nightblood]

"I accept."

"And so do I. However I may help Arnlan, I owe my life to the pack."

NightBlood smiled at their eagerness to defend Arnlan. She was cut off from continuing by Anek, however.

"I wonder however," he started, "Why were we --or I personally, as a war leader-- only now told about the secret force, even though, I've been loyal to Arnlan for some time."

"It was just now established." the Beta said simply, shrugging her shoulders, "It came into existence just as the new ranks that I explained during the pack meeting did. The Alphas don't want the members to think we need a Military. This is really just a precaution. But the Sallin threat IS out there. We have to be prepared should the worst happen."

"There's something else, isn't there? This seems...like something more. Especially with all of us together like this."

Ah. Mortil had touched on the reason why they had come. Clever. He was proving his worth to the Military even as they spoke. She gave a grim smile.

"As with the other ranks, Obsidian has degrees to it. As you train today, I'll be assessing your skills so I can place you in the degrees. They will give you an idea of your level as a warrior and how you should be improving."

Sitting down, NightBlood ran a series of training sessions her father had made her go through when she was younger. If Arnlan hoped to stand a chance against Sallin, these memories were crucial. Narrowing them down, she decided to start with the most basic first.

"Your training opponents will be each other. Mordecai, Anek, you two will spar first. The winner will take Mortil... in an obstacle course."

NightBlood had not dared to forget Mortil's second half. She could not chance Umbra coming out in the middle of a brawl. If he had to come out, it might as well be in friendlier competition.

[Electus]

"As with the other ranks, Obsidian has degrees to it. As you train today, I'll be assessing your skills so I can place you in the degrees. They will give you an idea of your level as a warrior and how you should be improving."

Mortil circled in place before sitting still again. "I see."

The easiest way he saw was sparring. He smiled slightly. He was eager to show of his skill. If he wanted the rank his ambitions aspired to, he'd have to be.

"Your training opponents will be each other. Mordecai, Anek, you two will spar first. The winner will take Mortil... in an obstacle course."

Mortil froze. Obstacle course? But why...

"But..." the ash-grey wolf fell silent. Of course. Nightblood wanted to keep Umbra away. The warrior squeezed his eye shut for a moment. It hurt to think about it, to even go near the topic. He was a warrior, he wanted to fight! He was sure of his speed, but jumping logs and dodging trees was NOT was he was bred to do.

He didn't want to, since it taxed him and it was not an emergency, but Nightblood left him no choice...

What was once fragmented, now is whole...There is no death. There is no shade. There is only Mortilitas Umbra.

Mortilitas spoke again. "I am a warrior, Beta Nightblood. On my sacred honor, I request trial by combat." His voice and face was grim.

"And if you deny what is mine by right and honor, then I will end this once and for all." His tone clearly indicated he was not done.

"If you take from me that which is held most dear, then I will take my life."

[nightblood]

"I am a warrior, Beta Nightblood. On my sacred honor, I request trial by combat."

NightBlood hadn't expected the two to become whole again. This was a twist in events, but if Umbra could participate civilly, then perhaps they had a chance.

"And if you deny what is mine by right and honor, then I will end this once and for all. If you take from me that which is held most dear, then I will take my life."

The Beta growled at his threat. There was no need for that kind of talk. Arnlan needed him and besides Pollux, there was no one else in Arnlan with rationality that Blood could talk to. No. There would be no killing of her favorite packmate.

"I don't intend on denying you any rights, Mortilitas. And if you say you can fight without blood lust, then I will grant you your wish. The winner will fight you in single combat."

[Blackfeathr]

Mordecai sat in silence, brooding. There must be a reason for this sudden call to ranks. It didn't make any sense any other way.

He half-listened as the darker blond male inquired about the secret force.
"It was just now established." the Beta shrugged, "It came into existence just as the new ranks that I explained during the pack meeting did. The Alphas don't want the members to think we need a Military. This is really just a precaution. But the Sallin threat IS out there. We have to be prepared should the worst happen."
Somehow this didn't strike a chord with him. Any other subordinate would have nodded happily and continued on with their oblivious lives, but not him. If there was a secret Military the Alphas didn't want the rest of Arnlan to know about, then there was secret broodings within Sallin that the Alphas don't want the rest of Arnlan to know about. He straightened up, skepticism stony on his sparrow hued face.

Mordecai had to stifle a reflex triumphant laugh at Mortils query. It seemed that he was not the only one who thought this way, and with NightBlood's grim reaction, his suspicions were affirmed.

"As with the other ranks, Obsidian has degrees to it. As you train today, I'll be assessing your skills so I can place you in the degrees. They will give you an idea of your level as a warrior and how you should be improving." NightBlood went on, changing the subject.
NightBlood sat, and for the first time since the meeting began, Mordecai noticed a small bulge in NightBloods abdomen. Memories of that day the male--presumably NightBloods mate--cried in agony, surfaced in his mind. It must be getting hard for him to stand it. Mordecai didn't know if he could stand it.

"Your training opponents will be each other. Mordecai, Anek, you two will spar first. The winner will take Mortil... in an obstacle course."
Mordecai looked to Anek blankly. They nearly matched each other in body frame and muscular build, so this would be a close spar. However, it seemed... too easy, that he'd be going through an obstacle course with Mortil. Something was wrong here....

The ash grey wolf stammered, and then his voice changed...
"I am a warrior, Beta Nightblood. On my sacred honor, I request trial by combat."
"And if you deny what is mine by right and honor, then I will end this once and for all." He continued.

"If you take from me that which is held most dear, then I will take my life."

Mordecai's hackles raised and he pulled back his lips, baring his teeth at Mortilitas Umbra. However, he mimicked NightBlood and flattened his ears to his head, not inciting a fight but merely stating a warning. He would not stand for a wolf taking his life in Arnlan. Even though he hadn't really had a conversation with Mortil, he was still a packmate, a friend to him.

"I don't intend on denying you any rights, Mortilitas. And if you say you can fight without blood lust, then I will grant you your wish. The winner will fight you in single combat."

Mordecai's nape hairs relaxed and flattened at NightBloods acceptance of Mortil's request, however, his cooling anger was replaced with a new emotion--fear. He knew how the thin, lithe wolf could perform in a battle, and he had seen the Berserker kill. He hoped, for his, or for Anek's sake, that he would have that side under control for the fight.
"All roight then, lets get this party started," Mordecai stood up, arching his neck and rolling his shoulders, preparing for the fray, and what unforseen events that may lie ahead for him.