Speak [ Lucian ]

[Sofika]

As Sofika led Lucian through the dark and gloomy woods, the cold Arnlan weather seemingly became all the more colder as the day went on. The wind that gusted throughout the land, especially near the border area bit at the exposed leather noses of any ordinary wolf who had yet to become 'immune' to it. Sofika was immune. Rarely did she feel cold, was perfectly content in the plush warmth of her midnight pelt. It insulated her well due to how dark it was, whereas those with thinner coats may have been greatly affected by the temperatures. The earth was covered in patches of snow, disturbed by the tiny prints of what appeared young bunnies and small birds. The ground made squelching noises beneath the feet of those who trudged over it, and the water seeped between the toes rather uncomfortably.

Stopping suddenly, Sofika quickly turned her head to Lucian, whilst the rest of her body remained motionless, but in a way that it would momentarily continue on the path it was going if it was required to. Flicking back her ears she pulled them to her head, and licked her lips to moisten them. Then, she rotated her head back round, and placed one paw forward. Pointing her maw to the earth, she watched as her mitt sunk into the terrain, with water spilling over the top. A shiver ran down her lithe body, and she withdrew her paw, which did not drip with water, despite having been flooded with it. Shaking her head, the Alpha then turned around and watched Lucian carefully through her veil of black fur that covered her eyes.

Silence had befallen them, as she merely rolled her head to her shoulder slightly and propped a brow. She had taken him to another area, where she felt it would be better to talk. The place in which Krystal had been was a common path to walk by the wolves of Arnlan, and that was noticeable by the ground, because it was rather mucky, and had old prints in it from the hours or days previous to this one. Here, the place was rather secluded, hidden by the looming shadows, the not so common path taken by the subordinates and the ranked. Lucian, was the one who wished to speak to Sofika, so she spoke not, and merely seemingly observed him, waiting for him to say something, like he had requested. He could consider himself lucky. Not many obtained her attention, when there were other things for her to be doing, but she felt that he longed for this situation, after the way he had conducted himself before.

[jaksen]

The damp and chilling weather did not seem to even phase Lucian; for he had a thick and short pelt of jet black fur accented with white and lime green. The short hairs of his pelt acted almost like downy feathers to a bird. He only felt the movement of the breeze that passed through, not the icy nip it would give those with a weak and thin pelt. He could feel the ground beneath him ooze between his toes and this irritated him somewhat. He flicked his tail in annoyance as he picked up his pace a tad to catch up with his alphess furthermore, and also trying to shake off the muck between his toes.

As soon as his ears and eyes cought sight of the difference in the way Sofika moved he also came to a halt. He stopped quickly by thrusting the lower half of his body down to the ground to almost create a frictional kind of stopping. He would move most if not all of his weight onto his hind legs to come to a stop. He did this and watched as Sofika glanced at him, then placed her thin and fragile looking paw unto the ground and pressed. He noted her glimpse reaction to the ground beneath her and raised back to a standing postition where he met her gaze. He nodded to what she had done and glanced around, just to make sure there were no others. The sun had made a quick but daunting appearane; then quickly skittled away from sight again.

He watched his alphess closely, but not so much as to make her uneasy in any manner. "Mistress Sofika, i wish to appologize for my actions earlier. I realize that you have done me a great favor by sparing my life and rescueing me from any wounds i might have gotten. I also realize that once i had gotten the task finished by capturing the first rabit i should have followed your commands better and have come straight to where you had given the task." His voice was calm but had a slight hint of regret to it. As he spoke he continued to look in her direction. He found it rude to not look at the other when speaking to them. And turning away when confessing something means either lying or a plot against them.His eyes softened as he continued on with his story; although he would shake his pelt to keep his mind on the one thing he wanted to talk to her about the most. The fur infront of his eyes blew slightly in the wind and covered only one eye on his face. With this he did not even blink as the lime green color of his hair seemed to blend with the lime green of his eye."I wish to ask another favor of you Mistress Sofika," he stopped for a moment and swallowed the salavia that had made itself present in his mouth. He was unsure if she would even consider him a pack member for asking such a weak question of her, and the way he was acting; to him, he seemed like he was groveling. And from whisper in the woods; neither Karoleck nor Sofika liked the types of wolves who were like lap dogs to the humans. Asking this next question made him feel like she would interpret him as such, but he continued anyhow."If i may, i would like a second chance of doing a task for you, to prove myself worthy of being a pack member of such a high order, and to prove that i will not let my ego get in the way of my tasks ever again. He stopped and took a deep breath, holding it temporarily awaiting his Alphess's response. He watched her closely, his ears were perked to pick up any movement or sound that she might make, his tail fell limp to the wind as it blew and drifted it which ever way it went.

[Sofika]

Sofika rotated around on the spot, for she remained with her head stretched to look over her shoulders. Shifting around, she flicked her ears, held her tail high in dominance and watched Lucian with a serious, unamused look on her face. Not that she was unamused at Lucian, but to suggest that she did not want to make small talk with him, that she wanted him to get to the point, which he would no doubt most certainly do anyway; so she was not too bothered. Most wolves would normally grab the slurry earth for support with their mitts, but Sofika did not. If anything were to happen, it would be a whole lot easier for her to shift out of the way and counter anything that was thrown at her. She was not prepared to be pinned to the ground, like many she had witnessed in her time.

"Mistress Sofika, i wish to apologize for my actions earlier. I realize that you have done me a great favor by sparing my life and rescuing me from any wounds i might have gotten. Sofika nodded her maw slightly and continued to watch the male. The regret that was in his tone was easily recognized, but she did not interrupt him as he continued." I also realize that once i had gotten the task finished by capturing the first rabbit i should have followed your commands better and have come straight to where you had given the task." Again, she nodded in agreement. He should have reported straight to her, but he already knew that, and that he would have prevented any of this from happening, if only he had come back to her. Sofika did not feel the need to stress that any longer to the male, for he knew his wrong, and she was fully aware of it.

His softening gaze did not stir her, and her eyes would bore into his eyes, if only they were visible. The veil of fur over her eyes did not move with the wind, and remained firmly in place were it was. Sofika anticipated Lucian's next words. He would want to redeem himself, prove his worth. And he did. They always did. As he requested a favour, she did not speak, but allowed him to continue. "If i may, i would like a second chance of doing a task for you, to prove myself worthy of being a pack member of such a high order, and to prove that i will not let my ego get in the way of my tasks ever again Sofika already had had a plan in mind. For her mind had calculated his wish to redeem himself, and so before he had come, she had devised a task for him. Her lips did not twitch; features remained in a serious state. The Alpha sighed and watched.

" Your task is this, " she spoke quickly, and she would not repeat herself even on request, " for four days, you will not be permitted to eat. Instead, you will assist Ecclesiastes in his hunting duties. After four days are up, you are to remain with him for a further three days to be taught how a real hunter works. " Sofika watched for a moment, to let him take it in, and then continued. " Your task will begin tomorrow, so I suggest you eat well tonight. I will inform Ecclesiastes of this, and in the morning, when you wake up, you will be under command of him. You will do exactly as he says, when he says it. You break when he tells you to break, you sleep when he tells you to sleep. I will be watching Lucian. You are not to disrespect him in any way at all. "

The alpha was not prepared to send him into another pack land, for that would be asking for trouble. If she were to send him out to Sallin, well, that could provoke a war if the male was caught out by spying, for example. No, no such risks would be taken. Not only would it stir trouble and angst among st the members of the pack, but their lives would be in danger. Lucian, would most certainly be destroyed by Nightshade, the cold hearted- and foolish- one, who had made attempts to take Arnlan under her grasp. Idiot, was she.

This was Lucian's chance, to show that he could successfully hunt without risking himself for a mere scrap of meat. If he done well in this task, then he will have redeemed himself. This also gave him an opportunity that he could do as he was requested for time. Also, he could also show that he did not easily give into the temptation of meat. He would be working with meat for others, when at the same time, he needed food to supply himself with energy. Ecclesiastes would be informed immediately after this brisk meeting, and Sofika hoped that Lucian would take her advice and begin feeding himself now. She would be watching during the task. She will know if he cheats.

[scrii]

((Ack. XD
I suppose this will teach me something too!))

[jaksen]

Lucian paid close attention to his alphess as she spoke his task to her. He was increadibly grateful for the task she had given him and the oppertunity to prove himself to her once again. In his mind ran the thoughts that she was kinder than most had precieved this small framed shadow mistress of Arnlan. Once she had finished describing his task for her and the mention of Eccle's name; the throught of what eccle looked like popped up in his mind and he remembered the other male's faint scent then nodded to his alphess." I accept the Task you have given me Mistress Sofika. This time i will preveil and assure you that you will be proud to have me serve under you." He spoke calmly then lowered his head in a bow to her. He was increadiby grateful for what she was doing for him. He didnt know what Karoleck would have done in this situation; in his opinion, he was sure that Karoleck would have kicked him out of the pack or made him into one of the scum of the pack.

He stood back to his full stance and again nodded to her. "once again Mistress Sofika, i thank you for all you have done for me; my only concern is that i may repay you for all that you have done." With that being said, Lucian turned his massive body and walked into one of the darker parts of the Arnlan woods. Here he would blend in better,and hopefully make hunting easier for the male. Self doubt started to run through his mind as he trotted the mucky earth. He felt as though he failed at being a wolf, having to have being taught how to hunt properly by another made him feel like a weak puppy. His ears lowered as he disappeared into the depths of the Forest.

((sammi, so, am i to hunt in another thread or are you gonna be Lucian's prey before the task?))

[Sofika]

Sofika watched bleekly at Lucian as he thanked and left the area. He did not appear to be alarmed by the four days of no food. Had he even heard that half of her instructions? Sighing and shaking her head, she rested down on her haunches, watching him as he travelled through the shadows that seemed transparent only to her.

Lucian knew nothing of Karolek, who's whereabouts were currently unknown. He wouldn't kick out a member of the pack if they had some potentail hidden away inside of them, and nor would she. Resting down on her backside, she glanced about the forest and sensed the form of Ecclesiastes nearby. Sniffing the air, she caught his scent not far off, and then a howl, calling him to her erupted from her maw.

Of course, she could not just send Lucian to Ecclesiastes and let them get on with it. Sofika would be required to explain what this was all about, and how the hunter should go about the challenge. Her face remained a serious expression as she dropped her maw to her chest and shook herself. Lucian had a hard weeks work ahead of him, and she wished to observe how he would cope in the situation.

(( Ecclesiastes come in now :3 Jaksen, I'll PM you. ))

[scrii]

Passing through the trees of Arnlan, with few thoughts running through his mind, Ecclesiastes was, the lighter parts of his pelt occassionally appearing through the shadows. His lithe frame enabled him to pass through the undergrowth almost without a sound, and his breathing was light. Yes. He could scent that the Alphess, Sofika, and the green and black wolf, Lucian, were nearby. But perhaps Lucian was being reprimanded by the Alphess, due to his supposedly foolish actions earlier. Ecclesiastes had not yet heard the full story, but the shadows seemed to tell him it was related to the task that Sofika had assigned Lucian, Akisame, and himself.

Suddenly hearing a howl split the air, the timber wolf immediately recognized it as the Alphess'. Calling him. Swinging around in a single, smooth action, he headed through the forest to the place where Sofika sat.

"Alphess Sofika," he said, lowering his stance out of respect. "What is it that you require of me?"

[Sofika]

Turning her head, Sofika watched as Ecclesiastes emerged from the shadows and rose to her feet. Shaking herself clean of the foliage that had stuck to her, she moved to him. Her eyes glanced over the powerful male and his beautiful pelt. Of all the wolves she had come across in her lifetime, she had never seen one with a coat such as his. The sky behind the tree tops brewed with thunder and rain began to fall, only drops managing to penetrate the canopy.

" Ecclesiastes, I have assigned Lucian a task in order that he redeem himself after his earlier performances. I have told him to come to you, and you will teach him how to properly hunt safely and efficiently. I do not want to see a repeat of him casually throwing himself into a bush of brambles. " her tone was all seriousness, and unamused.

What sort of wolf was Lucian, being so oblivious to dangers that are right beneath his nose. He ought to learn to be more conscious of things. Arnlan was not the safe haven that he might have expected it to be when he sought acceptance. The territory was not too expansive, but there were dangers within it. You just had to look out for them. Shaking her head, she moved slightly closer to the hunter and dipped her neon spotted maw and glanced around.

" This task will not be easy. He is not permitted to eat for the first four days of the week he will spend with you. I want to see how well he copes with the temptation of food, seeing as that is what he will be working with. And you can ask him to do anything you want, so long as it is relevant to teaching him how to hunt. He goes wherever you go unless you instruct otherwise. "

This task would also see how Ecclesiastes could cope with another under his control. This would give the wolf practice on organizing another. So Lucian was not the only one benefiting from this situation. A smirk flashed across her maw but quickly faded and she backed up and raised her maw high again and as she did so, a droplet of rain hit her nose and she snorted.

" Do you have any questions before I dismiss you Ecclesiastes? "

[scrii]

((dang, sorry for taking so long))

The task that had been set before him made his gaze flick upwards, towards his Alphess. Her words seemed to hold an underlying message, as if this wasn't completely about Lucian. Yes, Ecclesiastes would have been startled that another wolf would do such a thing as hurling themselves into a clump of nettles, if it wasn't for his emotional disability, and he did understand that this mainly had to do with training Lucian. Still... there was something. Something. He'd find out in due time.

It would be a challenge to find things for the black and green wolf to do. Things to occupy himself with. Yes... it would be difficult. But he could not decline Sofika's offer, especially as it was more of a command than a request.

"Very good, my Alphess. I do not believe I have any enquiries about the matter."

((short.))

[Sofika]

Nodding her head, Sofika glanced to the side and peered silently into the forest. It was darkening, and the rain was beginning to end. Dark clouds would remain above the black canopy of the leaves and branches however, ever threatening to burst over the territory with another shower. She stared, to gather her thoughts. This task would be quite challenging for the two wolves. Was it a little too harsh for them? Na, they'd be able to handle it surely. She believed in both the males.

Pivoting on the spot, the black she wolf leaped up the slope to their east; mud rippled into the air with the soft touch of her mitt on earth. Smirking then licking her lips, Sofika watched Ecclesiastes momentarily. Yes, he would do just fine. And Lucian, she knew he would not wish to mess up on this chance to redeem himself.

" Very good, Ecclesiastes. Lucian, at the moment I suspect is feeding himself for the first half of the task. You will see him in the morning I am sure. Do not worry, I am sure both he and you will overcome this task with ease. "

With that, Sofika launched herself up the slope, moving elegantly and swiftly. Her fur cascaded behind her like a smoke, and veering to the left, she vanished behind the trees to continue her daily scout of the lands. Her eye would be out for the two, making sure that order was kept. She would intervene on a situation only if it was absolutely necessary, but her presumption was that she would need not.