A Midnight Stroll

[sailoruranus]

Alex exploded from the brush, her tiny slender body easily parting the leaves and branches so that they practically flowed aside like water to allow the leaping black body to land squarely in the center of the clearing. Small paws would skid slightly on the soft snowy surface; her legs extended in such a way to stop the motion and keep her body balanced so that she didn’t flop ungracefully face first and butt up in a fall. In the end, she maintained a perfect landing and slowly then, Alex would lift her head, those eyes narrowing in thought at the towering trees placed before her. This was an image of beauty that she had often stared at before, and turning her gaze away she reminded herself that she could get lost in the tranquility of the vision.

And she was entertaining after all. It would have been so unprofessional to lose focus now.

"It's rather silent," The Russian wolf began, her accent thick and her voice still soft and whispery, though she was sure it would carry and be heard by the one she was speaking with, "Always, so silent."

Was it meant to be that way? This place was still a mystery to her, even her fellow pack members were a mystery to her and despite the fact that she had already begun to familiar herself with the surroundings, there was still much to learn.

Tilting her gaze back to the canopy above her she allowed her mind to drift as she took up a steady stroll, her motions slow and grace yet lazy and comfortable. She was at home here, growing familiar with the atmosphere, blending into her surroundings and become, truly, an Arnlan wolf. It was night, she knew it by the way her shadow writhed beneath her, and how the crescent moon's light broke through the tall tree limbs to dance across her backside and perhaps her company.

"You intend it to be this way?" She asked, slowly twisting her neck around so that she could cast her blank eyes over her shoulder.

"Everything shrouded….in mystery, da?"

Even those that belonged here.

[Karolek]

Those ever-hidden eyes watched the antics of Alexsander with no readable expression. After all, how could one determine the emotions of one who's eyes are eternally covered by a black cloak? Perhaps the slight grin that twisted over Karolek's muzzle was sufficient evidence of his amusement.

"It's rather silent, always, so silent."

"Silence is golden." It was a simple answer, spoken in a matter-of-fact tone, as if he were discussing the weather, or what was planned for dinner that night. Indeed, silence was golden. "Or, perhaps, it is a particularly stunning shade of black. We wouldn't want it to be too noticeable...It could blow our cover." It was clear that this statement amused even Karolek himself...Which, come to think of it, wasn't exactly surprising. Almost everything amused Karolek, even if the humor only went far enough for the wolf to crack a grin.

"You intend it to be this way?"

This question was intriguing. There was something about this wolf and her questions that he liked. Maybe it was because he was rarely questioned...So many wolves would simply follow orders and accept the Arnlan way of life without ever once stopping to wonder why. Sure, behaviour like that made things easier for Karolek, but...

...Questioning was far more interesting.

"Arnlan is not a pack for those who want nothing more in life than to be kept active. We are weak or lazy, no...Simply, there is no need for us to have constant fights, or parties. This pack is more like many wolves living in the same territory than any sort of military or family. Whether or not I intend it to be this way is irrelevant -- It is this way, and I don't think that it would be too easy to change." Karolek felt no real sorrow at his lack of 'family'. He had his sister, and that was all the company he needed. Occassionally he'd mingle with other pack members, but he'd never felt the need to be near any of them constantly. Never felt the need to accept someone into his "family."

"Everything shrouded….in mystery, da?"

"Do the mysteries unnerve you?"[/color] His grin broadened with this statement, and the shadowy figure stepped toward Alexsander, as if to add some sort of frightening effect to his words.

[sailoruranus]

Karolek's words brought a small smirk to her muzzle and Alex shook her head at the question he had asked her, even quirked a brow curiously at the nature he'd asked it. The smaller wolf read his body language and guessed at his intention which only caused the accented wolf to give him a soft laugh that she wouldn't have displayed to any other simple dog.

She too, was somehow amused by the behavior of the alpha and the simple fact that he had bothered to take a walk with her made her thoughtful and contemplative in his presence. She was not uneasy at the power or dominance this wolf could have shown to her at any moment, though she was wary and cautious. Despite this fragile conversation and even more delicate slowly blooming friendship between them she would relax and gauge this wolf, her alpha's reactions and words.

She would learn from this short walk and conversation and voice her own concerns as she did so.

"No, these woods do not unnerve me," The smaller wolf began, giving a nod toward the large trees and the snow covered earth, "The mysteries you keep here do hold a majestic sense to them however."

"We must live an unknown life beneath your careful paw and that of your sibling, whom I have yet to meet...You allowed these wolves to live on your land, but do you know dem?" She questioned, lifting a brow his way as she continued her slow lazy walk.

"You need no family, no, but you need people to rule a kingdom, andz even as a wayward king you must learn about your people, da? Many wolves you have here, they all live here, but you know not why or what they work for do you?"

Suddenly she came to a halt, her gaze leveled firmly on the space where Karolek's own would have been, could have been.

"What do you house here, Sir Alpha? A house of traitors or a land or strangers who intentions may not be what you think."

Though Alex didn't want to appear as if she was trying to tell Karolek to do his job, and she frowned, reconsidering her choice of wording. Alex had merely been thinking, had been trying to bring up some key points. To blindly lead a pack could lead to one dangerous situation and wasn’t sure if Karolek knew this and did this for the amusement or if he was truly a mastermind and somehow someway this was his secretive way of leading....

"Though, I suppose yee know what you are doing, da?" Alex was giving her thoughts, her advice to this wolf whose own motives were a mystery to her and she was certain to everyone else.

"You kin keep your silent wolves and your silent land, but do not keep their minds silent to you."

[Karolek]

This walk was rather nice. He wasn't entirely used to having company with him, other than his sister.

"No, these woods do not unnerve me, the mysteries you keep here do hold a majestic sense to them however."

A slow nod was the only indication given that he had heard this statement. There was no need to say anything, and Karolek didn't feel the need to waste his breath.

"We must live an unknown life beneath your careful paw and that of your sibling, whom I have yet to meet...You allowed these wolves to live on your land, but do you know dem?"

There was something cryptic about that question. It had been something that he'd thought about before, many times, when he laid down to rest. He was living in a world of strangers, and it was a bit bothersome...What could he do about it, though? The interrogation of all of his packmates did not seem like the greatest of ideas.

"You need no family, no, but you need people to rule a kingdom, andz even as a wayward king you must learn about your people, da? Many wolves you have here, they all live here, but you know not why or what they work for do you?"

Karolek halted beside Alex, staring at her intently. A low sigh was given as the Alpha contemplated her words, trying to figure out how he could reply to them.

"What do you house here, Sir Alpha? A house of traitors or a land or strangers who intentions may not be what you think."

Traitors. Hadn't they been the bane of Raknu? Sallin, as it was called now. What if something like that happened to Arnlan? This thought triggered a frown from Karolek. The fate of his entire pack could be at stake right now, and all his only reaction was an ordinary frown. He wasn't really an emotional creature, apparently. "I do not know the intentions of every wolf residing in this pack...," he began tentatively, still thinking of a proper answer to this question, "It is dangerous to distrust one's own pack. For now, I do nothing but assume that they are on my side...If betrayal becomes a real possibility, then I will do everything within my power to keep Arnlan together."[/color]

"Though, I suppose yee know what you are doing, da?"

"If only I did." There was something in his tone this time. Defeat, possibly. The previously joking quality of his voice was gone, and it was obvious that he was taking this conversation seriously now. For once, he was an Alpha carrying the burden of taking care of a pack.

"You kin keep your silent wolves and your silent land, but do not keep their minds silent to you."

"How, though? I doubt they will take kindly to a sudden interrogation..."[/color] A hint of a smile appeared across his muzzle. "You have dug so deep into the pack's mind already...perhaps you are familiar with the finer forms of information gathering?"[/color] Asking for advice from a lower pack member was not below him, clearly.

[sailoruranus]

The replies that Alex were given were thoughtful and filled with an emotion she did not bother to point out to Karolek, for the mysterious male might not have known about it himself. His thoughts, his replies, were filled with the care for his pack, Alex knew it, Alex assumed it. Karolek may appear carefree, but he was not void of worries, he was not careless, and after revealing this Z felt just a little bit better, just a little safer, in this land of mysteries and strangers.

No, she did not fear Arlan, she was just extremely cautious of it.

The defeat in Karolek's tone didn't unnerve her or cause her to be worried about his abilities as an Alpha, no, Karolek was not the Moon God, he was just a wolf, a wolf like any of them roaming these lands, and as a wolf he still had emotions, problems, goals, fears. Karolek, Alex suspected, was just better at suppressing these things, at quietly hiding them away from the view of the subjects loyal to him. Karolek, she supposed, was good at his job all the same. Otherwise, he would not be alpha. So, even though his response was not expected, she still knew, felt, that this dark wolf knew what he was doing, what he was orchestrating. If not consciously, then subconsciously.

As for the next phrase that escaped Karolek, Alex would turn, moving to face him and his smile fully, her tatical eyes narrowing in thought, contemplation for his cause, for his concerns that weren't concerns, and with a look of sincerity and a slight twitch of her muzzle as a small grin spread her lips she shook her head.

"Observation," She replied, answering his question. Interrogation would upset and unsettle the wolves that stayed here, no doubt causing them to be suspicious, wary, closed off, and worried. Observation, simply watching the wolves that roamed, would be a better safter method and not as obvious too, "But yee should of been doing that already, da?"

She sat down. Their walk could be continued later, but this conversation was one of importance, of planning for the future. It was a conversation of investment.

Her emotions, her own thoughts and feelings, she kept this closed off to Karolek, a being who she believed, if he knew, could truly strip her of her mental shields, leaving her vulnerable, exposed, and she'd dare not feel that. Her posture was naturally proud, she was an intelligent creature and her mind was her weapon rather then her claws. She would show this male no weakness and give him no doubt in her motives, her goals. She would be truthful, and yet not truthful, open and yet not open. She would give him what she could give him, but keep what she didn't wish to share.

She would do her best.

"You have dug so deep into the pack's mind already...perhaps you are familiar with the finer forms of information gather?"

"I am not one to live blind," She began, tilting her head so that her gaze seemed leveled over Karolek's shoulder, the depths sparkling with her knowledge and what little experience she had gathered during her life, "I have dug deep with these paws of mine," She whispered, tasting the native language on her exotic tongue before giving a shake of her head.

"I think it smart, trust...it iz hard to gain, da? I have observed, yet I am barely seen. I have thought over Arlan, it's purpose, it's meaning. And I have thought of you, Sir Alpha, like I have thought of those that came before yee. I cannot...release...myself in a place I could not trust, I could not...expose myself to people I do not know. So, da, I have researched. I have stared at these trees, your trees for hours, gathering what I could, what I knew, to release what I could to yee. I am familiar with the gathering and distribution of dis information, yez, yez I am."

Then she took a deep breath, hoping she had not bored him to death with her confusing ideals.

This pack's mind...Arlan, she wished to dissect it...to know it like how she knew the wrinkles and curves within the bark of her favorite tree.

"Sir...I cannot be for you your claws, your teeth, or your powerful weapon like so many others upon this land, thick with their scents, can. But...Karolek, I can be your knowledge, and your outside experience, and dat in itself is just as strong."

Then she smirked and shook her head again.

"Yet yee is smart in a way that I cannot easily...grasp. Clever…mischievous..." She began, giving a lick of her muzzle, "Karolek, you lack, or I have yet to witness, a certain cruelty dat would make yee a target for a house of traitors. Keep it this way."

[Karolek]

"Observation, but yee should of been doing that already, da?"

"You give me far too much credit,"[/color] Karolek chuckled quietly, that hint of a smile blossoming into a full-blown grin. "I watch them when they come my way. Not often do I spy on my packmates without them knowing of my prescence...I only do that to the trespassers."[/color] Following her example, the dark wolf plopped down onto his rear end in a way that was more befitting to a puppy than an Alpha. He wasn't entirely sophisticated...Even during important conversations.

"I am not one to live blind. I have dug deep with these paws of mine."

"And I'd always thought this forest was dark enough to make a blind man feel as if he were among equals."[/color] Whether this statement had metaphorical or literal meaning, Karolek wasn't going to specify. This female had gotten him thinking..Now he wanted to see if he could return the favor.

It was impossible to tell whether or not he was really looking at her or not. He was facing her direction, but if you can't see one's eyes, how can you know if they're paying attention or not? Luckily, Karolek had taken it upon himself to pay attention to her opinions, although, he thought with mild amusement, she'd never know if he was looking at her or the tree next to her. Yes, those bangs could be an advantage...Not that this quality of theirs was entirely useful for anything other than being annoying.

"I think it smart, trust...it iz hard to gain, da? I have observed, yet I am barely seen. I have thought over Arlan, it's purpose, it's meaning. And I have thought of you, Sir Alpha, like I have thought of those that came before yee. I cannot...release...myself in a place I could not trust, I could not...expose myself to people I do not know. So, da, I have researched. I have stared at these trees, your trees for hours, gathering what I could, what I knew, to release what I could to yee. I am familiar with the gathering and distribution of dis information, yez, yez I am."

Karolek remained silent for a moment, as if this statement was too much for him to comprehend at the present time. He wasn't that stupid, though (even though Alex made him feel that way), and the Alpha soon spoke up, "I've never met anyone who seems as interested in the pack as a whole as you before."[/color] He spoke as if he was in awe -- And, in a way, he was. He'd met a lot of wolves who looked at the pack as a 'how fast can I get accepted and how fast can I get a high rank' sort of thing. Karolek then realized how utterly...dumb that statement must've made him sound. Here they were, trying to discuss something important, and he was just marveling over Alex like a museum exhibit.

So much for being diplomatic.

"Sir...I cannot be for you your claws, your teeth, or your powerful weapon like so many others upon this land, thick with their scents, can. But...Karolek, I can be your knowledge, and your outside experience, and dat in itself is just as strong."

"Judging by what I've heard so far, your knowledge can be even more useful than teeth and claws..."[/color] Karolek lowered himself down into a lay, looking up at Alex with a grin. He was confident enough that Alex wasn't going to attack him, and he was going to make this fact evident.

"Yet yee is smart in a way that I cannot easily...grasp. Clever…mischievous...Karolek, you lack, or I have yet to witness, a certain cruelty dat would make yee a target for a house of traitors. Keep it this way."

"Mischievious?"[/color] He asked, as if this were a completely new concept to him. Karolek, mischievious? Preposterous!

[sailoruranus]

Patiently Alex listened, a small smile spreading across her muzzle at the mannerism the Arnlan Alpha sat, it reminded her, once again, that he was not a male who regarded himself higher then his subordinates. Slowly, she drew her tongue across her bottom lip, thinking, listening, an action she had been doing over and over again while in Karolek's presence more then once. To his first phrase she said nothing, only gave him a sly contemplative expression as her hard eyes narrowed in mirth, only when he spoke again did she cock her head and respond.

"A blind man can only feel equal in the darkness amongst enemies, where a beast they don't wish to see cannot. Light must be shed on those who are trusted, so that a blind man does not blindly strike where it is not deserved." She said, returning his statement with one of her own, only to shift her gaze back toward the line of trees, her tail sliding across the snow covered earth to tuck in close to her body.

"I've never met anyone who seems as interested in the pack as a whole as you before"

And that was the problem, currently is the problem, but Alex did not say either phrase, only narrowed her eyes in mild disappointment at the fact and the acquired piece of information. That would need to change, would have to change. This forest would not host strangers for much longer, but loyal pack members, beasts who knew and trusted one another, who could count on one another. Beasts that cared not only about themselves, but everyone else beneath and above them as well. Otherwise, this was not a pack, a form of a family, no matter how distant or close it was destined to be.

Alex saw no problem with being mysterious, appearing strong and powerful and earning the respect of those outside lands through those methods, for even fear was a form of respect. However, to be like such to one another...

Coughing delicately as to distract herself from her own thoughts she reminded herself that she still had company, an important guest who needed her assistance, and she would give it.

"Knowledge is a power of itself. Knowledge, coupled with claws of steel and fangs of rock can be a powerful thing. I am here to educate, not only you, no, but everyone who wishes to sit and to learn."

As for his last phrase she only chuckled, nearly shyly, but to relate Alex to anything as girlish as shy would have not made her very happy.

"You have that air about you, da. You like to play tricks like how the moon plays tricks with shadow and light. You, Karolek, can appear to all be there, and not, even though you are always completely whole."

And she didn't elaborate on that any further, only gave the alpha a knowing look, a smile in her hard eyes, even if her face stayed blank.

[Sofika]

Slowly seeping through the forest, a mist of black crawled over the ground, around the rocks and under the branches. The shadows were like a veil, concealing. Following along it's path Sofika, small and agile, noticeable only by the neon blue spots upon her maw, went. A focus was ahead of her in a direction set already in her mind. Organised and calculating, she silently shifted about the territory.

Her brother she was in search of. His scent meandered around the territory like a barrier, repelling the weak, attracting the bold. Karolek was near to her, her senses told him. Shortly, brother, I will be by your side. Sofika looked from side to side and then upped her pace, leaped and melted into the shadows so that no longer could she be seen. Only if she was being sought would she be noticed and those who did not seek did not see.

"Judging by what I've heard so far, your knowledge can be even more useful than teeth and claws..."

"Knowledge is a power of itself. Knowledge, coupled with claws of steel and fangs of rock can be a powerful thing. I am here to educate, not only you, no, but everyone who wishes to sit and to learn."

To the hollows of her ears came the whispers of voices, one masculine and the other feminine. Slowly she slipped from her concealment and approached the area in which her brother, and a subordinate, were situated. From here she listened from the darkness, her gaze falling upon a female who she had yet to have come across in the pack. For how long had she resided in these lands? thought the alphess as she listened.

"Mischievous?"

"You have that air about you, da. You like to play tricks like how the moon plays tricks with shadow and light. You, Karolek, can appear to all be there, and not, even though you are always completely whole."

" Educate us, eh? " came the monotonous voice of the Arnlan alphess as she stepped through the foliage to reveal herself before them. " You know of what we do not? " she inquired, stepping before Alexsander who was only a mere 2 inches shorter than Sofika herself. " Do tell. " A smirk rolled on her lips and she padded around behind the she wolf and went to her brother, her tail swishing in the air.

Briefly she licked Karolek's maw in greeting and rested down beside him. Despite slightly different builds and the obvious difference in spot colour, they were an image of one another. Twins, brother and sister, joint rulers of Arnlan. How fortunate for Alexsander to find herself in the presence of both of them at once. Her words had sparked interest in Sofika and so silently she waited to see what the female had to say for herself.

[Karolek]

"A blind man can only feel equal in the darkness amongst enemies, where a beast they don't wish to see cannot. Light must be shed on those who are trusted, so that a blind man does not blindly strike where it is not deserved."

It took a moment for this to register completely in Karolek's mind. He was supposed to be the one doing the confusing , not the other way around! "This is true..."[/color] He mumbled, more to break his befuddled silence than anything else. Normally silence didn't bother the wolf -- He lived in it, after all. But an awkward silence that was entirely his fault was not his favorite kind of silence. He didn't like it at all, in fact.

"Knowledge is a power of itself. Knowledge, coupled with claws of steel and fangs of rock can be a powerful thing. I am here to educate, not only you, no, but everyone who wishes to sit and to learn."

"Who says you were educating me...What if I knew all this already...?" He spoke half to himself, tilting his head down towards ground like a child who was being chastised for fighting in school (But the other kid started it!) Sure, he wasn't behaving very professionally, but Karolek was becoming bored with being outsmarted constantly by this new wolf.

"You have that air about you, da. You like to play tricks like how the moon plays tricks with shadow and light. You, Karolek, can appear to all be there, and not, even though you are always completely whole."

Alex seemed to be more logical than himself, Karolek noted. Karolek had a different sort of intelligence; one that revolved around trickery, riddles, and other such mind games that left others in the dark.

" Educate us, eh? You know of what we do not? Do tell. "

So there was Sofika! He'd been wondering where she'd gotten off to...These lands were big, so it was no surprise that he hadn't seen her for some time. She was his sister, though, so he had missed her a bit. Now was not exactly the opportune time for her to show up, though, Karolek realized with resentment. Not when he was being humbled by a subordinate.

"Da," he said, mimicing Alex's accent, "She's a smart one. All brains and no brawn."[/color] Karolek poked at Alex's leg with his paw, before turning to grin impishly up at his sister.

[sailoruranus]

Alex tilted her head in curiosity, her muzzle spreading into a slight grin at the confusion she was causing the alpha, though she did not appreciate his tone when he said his next phrase, which caused her to give him a nearly exasperated and blank look.

"Do you know everything?" The wolf would whisper, her tone as dead as her eyes appeared. Not even Alex knew all the things life had to offer, but she knew of things gained by the experience of living outside of this sheltered world.

"However, if you knew everything that I spoke of today, I shall refrain from trying to 'educate' you. I won’t waste our time in explaining things that are obvious redundant." Alex whispered, though her speech was clipped and her body was tense. She knew she was boring him, and she was not the most exciting wolf. The fact that she could sense it however, did not settle right on her nerves. She appeared slighted.

Her narrowed gaze would soon shift to the newly appeared wolf. She didn't have to know who she was to know who she was however, the body language and physical appearance said it all. Sofika even seemed to act like her brother.

"You know of what we do not? Do tell.

To this Alex gave a quick shake of her head, remaining stiff and guarded, her expression still shut down and her body silent. It was as if she were trying to fade away. If Karolek or his sister had really been unable to see through their thick puffs hair though, they might not have known she existed.

"I cannot tell you of what you do not know if I am not asked what you do not know."

Another strange phrase, another sentence that held her answer and a slight riddle, but she would no longer speak so freely it seemed unless asked to do so on a subject she was sure to not be repeating information already not known.

She wouldn't make this mistake again, and when Karolek poked her she only gave him a tilt of her head.

All brains and no brawn is what she had them believing, interesting.

[Sofika]

" All brain and no brawn you claim dear brother? Do not underestimate the wolf before us- or anyone for that fact. " Aware that this minor scolding did no doubt make Karolek feel embarassed, she nipped his shoulder to enforce her words. The alphess did not want the impression to go across that they were both thinking along the same lines. But an uncertain feeling told her it had. She was not as quick to judge as him and as they sat, her mind was calculating all the while, observing, listening.

" No, there is no sense in discussing that already known. " She could sense Karolek was tiring from this female. Was it because he could not play so easily with her mind as he could with the other members? This Sofika admired about Alex. Karolek seemed to have a more playful attitude towards things whereas hers was more serious, more focused. " You do say that you have come to educate us. Based on what issues or matters to you wish to do so? I'm curious..."

If she could just get the jist of the angle that Alexsander was coming from then perhaps a more organized discussion could take place. Sofika disliked unorganized talks. They would end with the uncertainty of what to say next and that was not what she wanted out of this. Was there matters about Arnlan that Sofika had not quite picked up on? Where there issues lurking in places she had failed to look? What was it that Alex knew and she did not...

Sofika, her brother at her side flicked her ears a little. Curiousity of Alex's potential knowledge made her remain focused, her maw pointed to her. Though she could not see her eyes, Alex must have felt Sofika's gaze rest on her. Perhaps she was a bore to Karolek, but certainly not to his other half.

[Karolek]

"Do you know everything? However, if you knew everything that I spoke of today, I shall refrain from trying to 'educate' you. I won’t waste our time in explaining things that are obvious redundant."

Karolek had offended Alex, he could tell. It made him feel bad...He'd only been joking, and now she was mad at him. He wasn't exactly sure what to do at this point, considering he'd never really been the best at comforting others. Making people feel better was beyond his range of skills...He just picked on them and then let someone else do the cleaning up. The wolf frowned slightly, as if contemplating his choice of behaviour...He was having one of those 'maybe I shouldn't have done that' moments. But, the 'what can I do to correct it?' phase seemed to be beyond his reach.

"I cannot tell you of what you do not know if I am not asked what you do not know."

At least he could understand this. But, Karolek had the sense that both his sister and Alex were looking at him like two conversing parents looks down at an impatient, interruptive little child who just wants the meeting to be over so he can go get a Happy Meal. Now came the task of proving to these two that he was mature enough to handle this little discussion, although this would probably be rather difficult. He wanted to keep talking to them, he really did, but this new method of conversation, which included himself not having the upper hand, was going to be hard to master.

" All brain and no brawn you claim dear brother? Do not underestimate the wolf before us- or anyone for that fact. "

Pfft, he hadn't underestimated her! She was small, there was no brawn there...But, she was smart, and for that he congratulated her. Well, he wasn't really going to congratulate her, because randomly blurting out a 'you're smart' probably wouldn't help the wise impression that he was trying to pull off.

" No, there is no sense in discussing that already known. You do say that you have come to educate us. Based on what issues or matters to you wish to do so? I'm curious..."

He was about to speak up and tell Sofika what Alex had told him, but he quickly decided against it. Karolek still felt bad about insulting Alex, so he figured that he'd let her speak for herself...Maybe it would make her feel better? No, he wasn't exactly sure how to go about making people happy. He was well practiced in the art of breaking people down and ripping their minds apart...But repairing the damage was something he'd never had to do before.

[sailoruranus]

Slowly Alex gave a tilt of her head skull, her gaze, her attention, upon the female alpha as she not necessarily shunned Karolek, though she gave him little attention, at least for now. He was not truly out of her focus, no that would have been foolish, and her previous mannerisms always kept her on guard. One could say, he was simply being…childishly ignored, even if Z wished not to indulge in her own inner thoughts at a behavior that could quickly degrade into embarrassing. So, she gave him a quick glance, a slight look over before her cold gaze returned to his sister.

“You, he, we, host a land of strangers, wolves who could be more monster then canine should you not know it. Da, it is impossible to keep eye on all that dwell here, yet still, how do you know…what army you have to call, if you don’t know if you have any soldiers?”

She wasn’t sure if her phrasing was lost on Sofika or what, only that this was how she saw the problem, and that it needed to be fixed. The wolves, they didn’t have to bond no, but they did need to learn and to trust and to grow loyal.

“When you release a howl into the sky, those who belong to you should answer that call. You cannot know if everyone attends a meeting if some still hide in the shadows. Every scent, every physical body, must be marked and conformed to memory.”

She licked her tired lips, the language of this land still felt so strange on her tongue.

“I don’t wish to become...redundant.” For many of the things she had discussed Karolek knew already, and the poor fidgeting male, she was certain, would not want to sit through her lectures again.

In the end, she turned her cold calculating gaze back to the male alpha, as if…contemplating something before her attention went to the female.

“I can only answer what I have been questioned about,” Came her reply once more, meaning she would only answer specific questions that she believed she could, “Then, I know what I must teach.”

[Sofika]

Sofika did not deter her attention to Karolek but instead she remained totally upon Alex, her ears perked and listening. Although it seemed unfair to ignore her brother, she felt he had done enough talking and he needed some time to think things over. From his silence she merely guessed his guilt for they did have that strong a bong, the twins.

We? thought Sofika. If this had been another wolf of the ranks saying such words, the alpha would have undoubtedly become annoyed at them. However Alex spoke with a wise tongue and this only made her the more interested about the female's views. She nodded her head in agreement, to show that she did follow. Alex's words were not lost on her at all.

The female was looking into places Sofika had tried to ignore. She knew that the pack was failing concerncing the members bond with each other but it was something she felt would fix itself in time. But it hadn't. And so here they were.

Even though her attention was based on Alex at this time, she did feel slightly sorry for her brother now who had become silenced in the discussion. No doubt he had opinions to share but she decided that if he wished to, he should speak up and not wait to be asked to offer his thoughts, if any.

" You have not come to us only to raise the issue, to bring it just to our attention, but you have ideas on how to solve this problem? Do not get me wrong. We are not blind to this matter, merely, dismissive of it. " Perhaps involving her brother would encourage his confidence to speak and to put what was discussed between Alex and he aside for now.

[Karolek]

“You, he, we, host a land of strangers, wolves who could be more monster then canine should you not know it. Da, it is impossible to keep eye on all that dwell here, yet still, how do you know…what army you have to call, if you don’t know if you have any soldiers? When you release a howl into the sky, those who belong to you should answer that call. You cannot know if everyone attends a meeting if some still hide in the shadows. Every scent, every physical body, must be marked and conformed to memory.”

"How, though? If indeed there are those that we are not aware of, lurking in the shadows, then how can we be sure that we've met them all?"[/color] Karolek spoke up suddenly, as if he'd had a sudden upsurge of courage. Moping wasn't something the male did often, and he wasn't about to change that now. There was still a shadow of guilt lurking in his mind, but he pushed it away, focusing on the issue at hand. As much as he acted like it, he was not a child, and he wasn't going to pout about the fact that he'd just embarrassed himself.

" You have not come to us only to raise the issue, to bring it just to our attention, but you have ideas on how to solve this problem? Do not get me wrong. We are not blind to this matter, merely, dismissive of it. "

"It is impossible to keep track of everyone here,"[/color] the Alpha spoke on, agreeing with Alex's previous statement, "And yet, there must be some way to get a general idea, at the very least...Pack meetings have not worked out too well in the past, and I doubt that will change much right now..." He let his voice trail off, drifting into his own thoughts. How, indeed? Arnlan was not a social pack, and suddenly switching to one would upset the balance, and the members.