Now or Never {Acceptance?}

[axsca]

Ivory pads trotted promptly and assuredly through the thin layers of dissolving white powder which coated the lands of Arnlan. The apricot sun ebbed lower beneath the trees with each step as nightfall approached the eerie domain. A solitary beast of monochromatic tones chose his entry none too recklessly, as the night was his blanket of protection. Without the sense of sight, night was nothing but an advantage to the hybrid, as he let his other senses guide him flawlessly through the copse.

He had heard only little of the canids which ruled these parts. The Alpha and Alphess of Arnlan. He couldn't quite place his reasoning for venturing so deep into their territory, though he had some faint idea of what he should do. He had been traveling for so long, unsure exactly what he was searching for. Acceptance perhaps? Someone else to call his companion? He hadn't felt that joy in quite some time. In fact, he almost tried to forget how it was, how it was with him.. He was very uncertain if he could even replace that feeling. Especially with others of his own species. He hadn't interacted with any since he'd been with his brother. 'Shiga..'

He scoffed, quickening his pace. He loathed even allowing himself to think of that trash. That, self-centered egotistical piece of crap that so unfortunately had the same blood running through his damnable veins. No, he wouldn't permit himself to delve into such hated thoughts, not at a time like this.

Reaching further inside the outskirts of Arnlan he began to ponder on just how he planned to react if he happened to meet up with one of the pack's wolves. Did he really want to try to fit in again? Did he really want himself to grow attached and only have it come back to bite him in the ass? He allowed his pace to decrease as he came to a stop near a frosted clump of trees. He set himself down, his neck arching to the right allowing his head to rest silently on the iced over bark. He gave a muffled sigh, the sound constricted by the cold in his throat. Staring into the blackness which he learned to live in, which he hid in for all these months, he caught a scent on the frigid breeze. Whatever he chose to do, now was the time... Now or never.

[Bandersnatch]

Eerie might have been a word used by some, but the she-wolf smiled gently, seeming to gather energy from the surroundings that she instead called home. The silence of a wood without even bird-song, the twisted tree limbs that reached as if grabbing out at any who traveled too near, the cool breeze that ruffled the fur. None of these bothered her, in fact the opposite - she knew this path well, and loved every element of it she encountered. There was a definite skip in each and every step that evening, as the glow of the setting sun, almost fading into obscurity for the night, bounced off her dark coat. Her smile spread into a mighty yawn, though her jaws quickly snapped shut once more. As she inhaled again, a surprising scent wafted by. The scent seemed from one of her own kind, though there was something not quite right about it.
Crow had not been expecting to have to fulfill sentry duties this deep into the territory. Her demeanor changed in an instant, as a match to her role. The fur down the centerline of her back rose, whilst her head was lowered. Her pale eyes narrowed, and her smile was just as quickly replaced by a stern grimace. Her pace quickened, becoming stronger and more forceful. She soon came upon a cluster of trees. She recognized each tree, the snow sitting upon their branches creating a contrast of the purest of whites to the darkest of blacks. In the center was an individual she did not recognize. A wolf - no, a hybrid. Interesting. Crow stared intently at the newcomer, the tones of his fur matching the scene around him. She reached the peak of the snow bank she stood upon, just outside of the small grove of trees. From here, she decided, she would seem more intimidating to the new one. She glared down toward him. Interesting indeed - his nose was of a pale shade, and odd marks bit around his heels and tail. He surely would have noticed her arrival quite some time ago, but she gave the softest of growls as a formal announcement.
It was then, in the low lights, she noticed the creamy white that filled his eyes. He could not see, and she could not talk. This would be difficult.

[axsca]

[ Sorry I havn't posted yet, school is taking up most of my personal time. Hadn't Sofika posted? Ohwells. I'll be sure to reply soon. ^^ ]

[axsca]

[ This'll be extremely short and crappy, but I'm just feeling bad for not being able to have time to post, please forgive me. =/ ]


Ivory nose dipped low, flecks of snow from the bark rubbing off on the ebony fur as he declined his head. By the way the oncomer set and presented herself with a slightly tense stance he could tell she was of these lands, though not of any great importance to the pack. Namely, neither of the Alphas. From her scent he could tell her sex, and her approximate age. An unreadable sigh of a mixture of both relief and slight disappointment he acknowledged her presence with a slight jerk of the neck. He stared intently into the pitch black as he attempted to read her emotions, her exact intent.

"Lo' mistress. A fine night indeed wouldn't one agree? I've the intent to speak with either of the Alphas of Arnlan, which I'm presuming you are not. I'm here of my own cause and wish not to bring toil into your lands. What might I ask is your name?"

Unaware of the female's disability he waited calmly, perking an ear intently.

[Bandersnatch]

((Don't worry, I understand As for a post from Sofika - might have been, but Sammi might have deleted it so Crow could be 'assigned' this post? :S))

Crow shifted her weight steadily to her forelimbs, so that gravity would gently pull her down the small incline. A stream of powder drifted out from behind each of her paws as she slid, until landing with a muted thud, feet quickly shifted into position as to not let her topple. This movement had landed her quite near the other, just as intended.

The scent of no other canine rested upon him, though the faintest whisper of that of man did. It was obvious, then, when this was paired with his words, that he was not here as a messenger; one of those, irritatingly, who asked for the help of, or declared war on the lands of Arnlan.
"He asks for acceptance then." The female rolled her eyes playfully. It had been obvious that the newcomer had wished to speak to those of the land. If he hadn’t, he would have at least tried to mask his presence. She should have guessed that what he wanted was an invitation into the pack. There had been such an influx of newcomers like him that season, and Arnlan’s numbers had swollen as a result. With the assignment of basic sentry duties given to her by the Alphas, she had the permission and power to offer such an invite, though it may only have been temporary. Equally, she had been granted the power to slay any trespasser where they stood. But the male's greeting had been polite and respectful, and he had left a fine first impression.
A flicker of a smile spread across her face as she contemplated his words. He wished to speak to the Alphas? There was no doubt they already knew he was here, deep in their territory. If they wished to speak to him, they would distinguish themselves from the shadows. For that moment though, she would have to do.
The she-wolf exhaled, a steady breath of air escaped her nose creating a soft snort in its wake. Frustration. Already he was asking questions, which she could not answer. Despite not being able to speak, she usually had little problem in communicating, but a visual language was lost on one with no vision. Of course the questions posed were only polite chatter, and not even her name was of particular importance. Anyway, it was not her duty to answer questions, but to determine if the one who stood before her had a future as a member of Arnlan. Though he seemed intent on listening for answers that would not come, his queries had to simply be ignored.

Crow started again to move, her form slinging around Dante, casting criticizing eyes, scrutinizing him from every angle. Judging by his form, she assumed the wolf-dog had great agility. He was of decent size, standing a good head over her. His height and weight looked as though he may hold out in a row, despite a slim build perhaps preventing him from being a great fighter. Her ears were pricked, waiting to hear if he had more to say.

[Sofika]

[ Yes I had deleted my post so that Crow could be assigned this thread to clear up any confusion :B Thanks Teak for taking care of this! o.~ ]

[axsca]

[ Oh, ok. Thanks for clearing that up for me. xP ]



He sat in pensive silence as the female seemed to analyze him from every angle. He pondered on the thought of her apparent reticence, allowing his visionless gaze to follow her movement. Either ear pivoted in unison with her steps, his nostrils flared, picking up on any scent which grazed his nose. Contrary to many beliefs, the process of both sensing and deciphering another being's emotions was an all but difficult task. It became even more problematic if the aforementioned other remained mute. Assumption is no better in any situation, he knew from experience... though with nothing to guide his mental observations it would be something he had to resort to.

"Pardon me if I've come off rude, I seem to have forgotten my manners. My name is Dante, and I hail from places far west from here. My history is an odd one, though has affected my ways of thinking very little. I believe of honor and of self-sacrifice for the greater good. And though it's been quite some time since I've dedicated myself to anyone but myself, I feel it necessary to expand my options and learn to live alongside others whom depend on me."

Dante gave a short intake and exhale of cold air, allowing friction to warm his icy throat. He had only thought it courtesy to give a name before requesting one and assumed perhaps she had taken this into account on how polite he could be. Though he was not the submissive type, some form of gallantry in this situation was imperative.

[Bandersnatch]

She watched his ears and fog-filled eyes in turn as they flickered about, following her movement. It was obvious that he detected exactly where she was with no difficulty, though she expected no less. He seemed in good health; a state which, if he truly had not had contact with others in recent times, was determined by his own abilities.

Clearly this newcomer thought it was of his own fault that Crow had not spoken. Without use of expression or sound there was little she could do to correct this. She herself wished not to be perceived as rude, though for the moment perhaps his judgments of her would not be as vital as vice versa.
“Dante…” she repeated his name in her head, committing it into her memory, however unlikely it was that she would repeat by voice. An odd history… certainly, it was to be expected with the faded scent of man, and the curious marks seemingly made be his hand.
His beliefs, if his words were true, seemed in harmony enough with those of Arnlan. She gave an approving nod – despite that it would not be seen. Of course, the ‘greater good’ often proved to be whatever their beloved Alphas wished.

Her footsteps had again become dainty, slowing, her tracks shallowing. If it was only he who tended to himself, who hunted alone with his nose and ears, surely he must have some talent. How to test his abilities... She was unable to assign him a task to fulfill – this would have been a challenge even if she could communicate with her usual exaggerated expressions and body language. Perhaps, then, a mock battle would do; a test of Dante’s agility, of speed, strategy and reaction. She would not aim to cause damage; it was of no current benefit. Injury, even death, would surely come if he proved himself unworthy, but if he was of advantage to the pack then surely injury would be an unneeded hinderance. The first attempt perhaps would catch him off guard, but surely he must have been even slightly prepared for the threat of attack. The crossing of a clearly marked boundry was not something to be taken lightly.
Potentially this was dangerous; if her teeth did not wrap around his leg in her initial challenge, if he predicted her movements and dodged, would he think her actions a threat? Would he in turn bare his teeth at her in defense, his actions in reply acted out with more sincerity than hers? Such thoughts did not bare weight upon her for long. She was what should be expected of one who had spent their life in Arnlan. She was no match, of course, to her Alphas - no, their movements seemed almost supernatural - but she had speed and dexterity enough that she should keep herself from harm.
Crow swept her head forward and downward. She made little sound, not needing to force herself from the ground for power, but the air around her shifted from her sudden movements. If she reached her target, she would get a loose grip around his fore-left hock, but would cause no blood nor breakage of skin. After a hit or miss, she would leap back in avoision of the counter blow.

((That was... bleh. Sorry))

[axsca]

[ Sorry this has taken so long to get out..I've been going through alot lately. I got the message, but I'd really like to continue this either way, if you don't mind of course. ^^ ]


He grew slightly impatient at her persisted silence, shifting his weight in irritable habit. He thought himself polite with his words, having chosen them meticulously as not to incur any sort of ill will toward himself. His attentive nature had only increased, augmenting with his marginally apparent nervousness. From the very few movements she made, he could only suspect what was probable. She was aforesaid, of these lands and given credibility to scrutinize any newcomers before inspection from the Alphas, otherwise he would have already come in contact with the two, supposing that they did not leave their borders unpatroled. She was indeed sizing him up, whether for his outward appearances regarding his usefulness, or his actions to inquire upon his true objectives for breaching an otherwise forbidden area.

He noticed in waning succession of her steps, the sense of completeness. She knew what her next move was, and it most incontestably involved him. He had the span of a few seconds to think, to plan, to prepare. Her body, if only involuntarily, tensed allowing small vibrations to sift through the snow-laden ground and up into his limbs. His edgy trembles ceased as if they were never there. He concluded in the matter of a second that this was not nonsensical quarreling, but something more to assess how combat savvy he was. As she wished, he would comply.

As the feel of her steps completely vanished, his body tensed in counteraction to the stillness of the air. When she finally made a move his body reacted as such a spring would in the unbearable building of kinetic energy of being pushed down. Either forelimb rose and twisted to his left allowing his body to somewhat go in the same direction as his hinds followed suit. He arched his body to hopefully avoid brushing against the fem and allow friction to let him plummet. His insides irked with this odd sense of bending bones as his right hind foot fell after each fore was firmly planted, and pushed off again to propel his body in a counterclockwise manner creating a whirlwind of snow in his spinning wake. His jaws lunged out, fangs snapping down on cold air as she leaped back.

He paused a few seconds to comprehend the situation. Kneading the ground with his paws and regulating his heavied breathing, he turned his head toward her general area, veiled, sightless eyes slightly widening in amusement. It had been quite some time since he'd been in this type of circumstance. Last he could remember was of his play fights with his sibling... he would always lose. He gave a small indirect smile, whether to her or to himself at his thoughts. It'd be different now...he had learned.. he had trained. He could easily defeat that mongrel of a brother he had.

Not knowing whether she wished to continue, or if his actions had proved any point, he mimicked her noiselessness and awaited any telltale signs of what was to come.

[Bandersnatch]

((Don't worry about it - Real life comes first. And you've still managed to put a ton of effort into these replies, too. I'm glad you want to continue this thread Also, I forgot to say in the pm: if you could reply to the Ranks thread with Dante's name & a link to his profile, that'd be great))

Her teeth snapped shut, creating a chink not audible enough to have created an echo. He had moved with great speed, recoiling, making her end up with nothing but a mouthful of air. He had prepared and reacted, reading her movements with such accuracy. Crow's lips curled back into a toothy grin, creating for herself the challenge of landing a blow on her new opponent. All thoughts of judgment had been dropped. She had been impressed enough by his reaction, and certainly, she thought, her Alphas would be happy to have him under their rule. Her focus had been switched into a mode intent on the thrill of play.

She had leapt backwards as he kicked up snow in his wake, her fore half still facing him as she ducked into the classic pose so often used by pups. Her chest rested lightly atop the blanket of snow, her front limbs fanned out from her form, tail billowed softy by the breeze as it was held in the air above her. His return attempt had come quite close, just missing the tip of her muzzle as she moved back.
His pause gave her a moment to gather her thoughts. He had judged her movements so easily. Her attacks would have to be difficult to predict and her attempts swift.
She watched his expression, her posture still lowered. His eyes, despite the blank creamy white, hinted at exhilaration, and the scant smile he gave almost confirmed it; in her eyes, Dante seemed to have realized that she meant no real harm, and she couldn¡¦t help feeling a touch relieved. The tense, uncertain atmosphere had cleared, replaced with a sense of lightness and play. The she-wolf leapt up as the male waited for her next move, her muzzle split, her jaws opening wide as she threw her head back. Where a roar of laughter should have been, instead tinkled from her throat a hushed sound mimicking that of birdsong so absent from these lands. It had been far too long that she'd gone without such a frolic - there had been no pups in the pack for quite awhile, and her pack mates always acted much too solemn, apparently believe themselves above such activities. It was one of the few things that seemed not to need communication, where each opponent acted with silence, intense concentration reflected in their eyes.

She continued to leap about with little pattern, unpredictable, though now her mind had turned to scheming. Her landings were never too distant to initiate her next attack. Each of her furs seemed to stand on end in anticipation. The next leap, however, was different. This time, she pressed her hind legs hard against the ground, forcing herself forward with more power than was involved with those prior. She had yet to come up with a good tactic, and so simply aimed for his side, an attempt to throw him off-balance. It was predictable, and he would most likely dodge with the ease he did previously, leaving her to land on the snow. This would give him an opening to close in on her, but perhaps she could use this to her advantage...

[axsca]

[ Sorry I havn't replied yet. >.< Had an emergency to deal with these past few days. ): I'll be sure to write something up soon as I won't be in school for a while. ]

[Bandersnatch]

((Don't worry - take your time I know you're going through a lot right now.))

[axsca]

[ Well this took forever didn't it? x__x Bad, Ax baad. ._. ]



Snapping back from his wandering train of thought he quietly rearranged his footing from the little indentions he had made in the thin layer of snow. The slight smirk that had found its way about the lips broadened into an amused grin. The odd sound which came from the female suggested that she perhaps hadn't learned to speak properly, he wasn't quite sure. As she began to hop around with spontaneous effort he readied himself, more or less his stance. He could tell she understood his movements. Evasive and swift, as he had taught himself. His ears followed each subsequent landing, anticipating, predicting which one in particular would be her leverage to attack. He had naively expected a frontal attack, and was graced with the slight surprise of a side-on approach. Being caught off guard was always fun for him, he could elaborate and create his moves by ear.

As she hit his side he gave a slight jump, all fours becoming ungrounded for a split second thanks to his previous stance preparations. He let his body shift a few feet and landed firmly. Using the force which she was propelling herself with he swung his neck around, jaws agape, allowing them to snap shut. This move would hopefully distract her for a bit as his left sheathed paw swung around aiming for her shoulder.

[Bandersnatch]

((lol. Not to worry, you've replied now ))

Contact. Most unexpected. The femme had thought her movements would have been much too predictable for the dark male, but apparently they had not. Her weight and strength were far too slight to topple him over, but it had and his mistaken footing had been enough to forced him back. As he jumped, momentum dragged her along in the same direction. At least the time he needed to regain balance she could use to do the same. Airborne, her legs swung out from her body, her elbows and knees locked and straightened in attempt to absorb the shock of impact. Her pawpads gently slapped against the snow as she landed and, weight spread evenly between each leg, body dipping and returning as gravity’s effects slowly caught up. Upright, at least.

Having barely straightened herself, Crow spotted Dante’s movement out of the corner of her eye. She barely had enough time to force herself from the ground, propelling herself backwards. Her timing had been perfect; his jaws had barely missed her neck, his warm breath ruffling the soft fur that sprouted from about her throat as it passed. She had been careless, though, and too late did she notice his monotone paw swing. The chocolate wolfess had been caught off guard. Inevitably, his mitt struck her shoulder, just as it was intended. Unlike previously, she had yet to comfortably regain balance and Dante’s superior bulk and strength provided enough pressure to force her from her feet. She did not jump as he had; she didn’t have the chance, but instead was pushed off her feet. In a moment of complete loss of grace, she tumbled sideways into the snow. Crow rolled to her back, tail tucked loosely between her legs in a sign of surrender, smile still planted firmly on her face (even if she could already feel small bruises forming along her right side). Her hind paws hung in the air, their fore counterparts cradled near her chest. The tuft of fur that commonly hung across her face had flopped back to unveil her left eye, so often covered. Perhaps this was part of the reason that she was slow to see his paw. Atleast she had managed to hit him, as minute as the result was.
Had she not already decided him worthy enough for Arnlan, she would have not resorted so quick to defeat, but then her actions would have been quite more serious.

Crow twisted about so that her belly faced back toward the ground, forcing her weight against her lower legs, pushing herself back to her feet. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she flashed a warm smile toward Dante, her tail gently swinging side to side. With this she trotted forth, back toward the heart of Arnlan through the blanket of darkness, the light cast by moon and stars barely seen through the darkened limbs of the trees. Whether or not the male followed her or chose to discover his own paths did not matter, she had granted him acceptance into the lands and he could now do as he pleased.