Planning (Carter/Any)

[Nightshade]

Her absence had been for too long, she had not shown her face in a long for too long. For too long had she tolerated this situation, for far to long. Now Sallin was merely a shadow of its former self, how could this be? Nightshade was in a vile mood, how could Sallin turn to so very little. This needed to change. Changes needed to be made. the idiotic dogs had been without problems for long enough, she would make sure they didn't forget her name, that they didn't forget what she was capable off.

She would have her revenge soon enough, but now, now she had to worry about her pack. Where was her mate? Where was her daughter? Where was her son, the heir of Sallin? This made the timber's blood boil, how could this happen.

The wind picked up, making the trees let go of their leaves and the one in the ground fly with the breeze. She watched carefully as dust flew to the sky and leaves floated calmly in mid air. Her tail flicked, her eyebrows knotted in a frown. She needed to speak with her son? Where the hell was he?

She stomped angrily as she walked. She send rocks flying if they found their way under her paws. She let out a long sigh, but thing needed to be done. She couldn't simply stay still no longer. A smile formed on her muzzle, no she would not have that, things needed to be said and talked and now she needed everyone in Sallin together. A pack meeting, maybe, no something bigger all of Sallin needed to be shown what they were made of. She shook her head slightly as she began to think of what to do...

Nightshade lifted her head to look around the land. She needed to be able to see all of her territory for once more. Her pace hurryed to a higher place, a place for her to be able to see everything. Her paws moved almost eagerly as a plan formed in her head, Sallin's wolves were supposedly to be bred for fighting and that's just what she would do.

Her claws clicked on rock she had climbed a rock that jutted out of the earth almost pointing to the sky. She eyed her territory looking for the perfect place for her plan to take action. It needed to be large, little or no trees. Once again she clicked her paws impatiently on the rock.

-"But where would that be?" she muttered to herself.

[Carter]

Carter had taken to sulking around the packlands, snapping at anyone who looked at him wrong (not that there'd been many wolves around to look at him); Nightshade's absence had taken its toll on him, and without his mother's guidance, the wolf felt quite useless. Kaine hadn't been around much either, which he supposed was a good thing, even though Carter was actually beginning to admit to himself that he missed his father. It was an unpleasant thought, and one that was much easier to push to the back of his mind than to dwell on -- which is exactly what he did.

True to his recently developed habit, Carter was currently wandering aimlessly throughout the territory, tail hanging and paws dragging. There was no one here to see him; he didn't have to bother with any false pride. He was, of course, proud of his family, his ancestry...even if they hadn't been deserving lately. Had they abandoned him? Carter suddenly didn't feel so ready to take on the responsibilities that had previously been theirs, and he now wished that he'd paid more attention when Kaine had been nagging at him.

And then, right out of a storybook ending, the scent came to him. Nightshade...? Carter paused, raising his head to stare around at the empty woods around him. The tail came up, suddenly dominant again, and the prince took off running, slowing down to a trot only when he realized that it wouldn't do for his mother to see him so desperately helpless. He could see the rock before he could Nightshade on top of it, and Carter came to a halt next to the giant boulder, craning his neck to stare up as his returned idol. "Mother! You're back!"

He circled the rock, looking for the best place to climb, and quickly (but a bit clumsily) scrabbled up and stood next to Nightshade. "I missed you," was all he said, before -- is his mother would allow it -- rubbing his head along her neck affectionately.

[Nightshade]

Nightshade looked carefully at the horizon. Still her family was nowhere to be found, Sallin's wolves could now be counted like the claws on her paws. This needed to be fixed, how could her great pack fall to so little?

Then a familiar scent hit her nostrils, her son, Carter. Delighted that her son had come she slowly turned her head, to see him at the foot of the rock she had climbed.

- "Mother! You're back!"

She raised an eyebrow, yes that was quiet obvious and of this she was glad. Apparently on his excitement Carter had rather clumsily like a desperate puppy climbed the rock to be next to her. She was pleased to see her son, but it worried her, even the slightest bit to see him so desperate. Sallin was in dire need of wolves, her army had grown so thin...

- "I missed you,"

Her son quickly reached to rub his face against her neck. There was something she would allow, some things she would not tolerate. This time she figured she'd give him a break before she parted from her son, facing him head on.

-"Carter, what is Sallin's status?"[/color] she said craning her neck elegantly to look at the heir, the future King of Sallin "I see that my absence has taken a toll on the pack." she said with a snort, displeased. She had figured that these wolves could take care of themselves, now she could see she was wrong, terribly wrong.

Her tail flicked behind her, how could such a thing happen to her once great pack? She turned to look over her shoulder before leaping from her place, landing on the ground with a faint thud. She turned to signal Carter to follow, she needed to take a walk, to see exactly was Sallin's status was, but first she wanted to hear the words from the heir. What had he seen in her absence? She needed him to be her eyes now, tell her what had happened to her pack...

[Carter]

He was glad to see that Nightshade had tolerated his affection, if only for a few seconds. Carter barely resisted the urge to wag his tail like a little puppy; but that wouldn't have been very manly of him, and he certainly didn't want to look like a newborn in front of his beloved mother. And then came the question that he had been dreading; he'd hoped that he'd have a few more seconds to think of an appropriate answer, but apparently his mother was feeling impatient today.

"Carter, what is Sallin's status? I see that my absence has taken a toll on the pack."

Carter hesitated, ashamed now of the state of things. "Dead. I haven't seen anyone for days." That was the truth; not that he'd ever dream of lying to his mother. "I haven't seen Kaine around either." Of course he couldn't miss an opportunity to sully his father's name; Carter didn't hate Kaine, but there was no reason why he shouldn't try and make the King look bad. "I think I'm the only one left."

The prince jumped off the rock with a little more grace than he'd used to climb it; he was small and light, and his landing made barely a sound against the soft grass. He quickly followed after his mother, making an effort now to walk silently, hoping to impress. "Nothing has happened that would've caused such a huge evacuation..." He mused, tilting his head to look at Nightshade. "Maybe they just don't fear you as much as they should." Maybe they didn't fear him -- but they would, one day. He'd make sure of it.

[Nightshade]

-"Dead. I haven't seen anyone for days."

The words echoed on Nightshades head like an angry bee, she was now desperate to find more activity on the ranks, but of course she must have patience for everything. sallin was not completely deplete of members of this she was sure. Carter of course seemed to be doing a good job at making his footsteps quiet, excellent, she was glad of her son's improvement, he would make a fine King indeed. At last some good news.

-"I haven't seen Kaine around either." at this she turned to look at Carter, not even Kaine, how could her mate not care about the pack? For an instant her blood boiled, he was King, King! And he couldn't even show his face to keep the pack together in her absence, absurd. "I think I'm the only one left."

-"No" she said in a dangerous whisper "You're not the only one left my son, we just need to see who remains loyal" she said with a click of her tongue.

-"Nothing has happened that would've caused such a huge evacuation..."

Nighshade's eyes narrowed, in thought mainly, but also in anger. If Carter spoke the truth and she doubted he would be doing otherwise she was sure that there wasn't anything so big to leave her pack vacant...

-"Maybe they just don't fear you as much as they should."

-"Ah, but that will be there undoing!" she spat angrily, not meaning it to carter, he had done what he could, but rather to the rest of the pack "They think that I have left, but they are gravely mistaken"

Her words echoed through the trees like a herd of horses. She would indeed have to do something, Sallin better be prepared.

[Carter]

"No. You're not the only one left my son, we just need to see who remains loyal"

That statement made him a little apprehensive. How was she planning on finding out who was loyal and who wasn't? Knowing his mother, it would probably involve pain and suffering. Even though Carter knew that he wouldn't be the one feeling the pain or doing the suffering, the idea was still a little disturbing.

What was even more disturbing to him, upon reflection, was that he resented the fact that he was disturbed by all this. Why couldn't he be as heartless as his mother? It would be a gift, he'd be able to run the packlands and be as successful as Nightshade had been...Perhaps Kaine was right when he said that his son would amount to nothing. Carter couldn't even kill (except when he was hunting) without feeling guilty -- how was he supposed to lead one of the most brutal packs in existence?

"Ah, but that will be there undoing! They think that I have left, but they are gravely mistaken"

And there was that flicker of anxiety again. He suppressed it, choosing instead to focus on how much he respected his mother. Respected? Feared? Carter couldn't tell the difference, and he wasn't too keen on finding out the answer anyway. "Maybe we could call a meeting for the pack? And...and kill everyone who doesn't show up!" It wasn't as intimidating when he said it. Frown.