-Hell's Gates-

Everlast made her exit, her tassel flicked in slight annoyance as she padded away from the group. It was pretty plain to the fatale that no one really wished to speak with her, and as for the whelp she was guessing he was to be the new king. She could be introduced another day. Her auds were holding strong, ensuring that if anyone did want to speak with her, she would hear. She yawned, her maw opening wide and made no sound. She was still wondering if she was going to stay here, or if she would be better fit somewhere else. Her multi colored mitts swirled up the ash that coated these lands as she padded along. Her honied optics picked up on a den, but it was still slightly a way off. She continued to pad along, her mind also wandering onto her past. It had been far too long since she had seen anyone from where she came from. Soon enough she got to where she was going to spend the night. She began digging the entrance a little wider, so she could fit in with ease. Once complete, she climbed right in. As soon as she got inside, she began to feel exhausted. It had been a very long day and now she was ready to unwind. She yawned once more as she circled where she was going to lay down. She gradually laid herself down and pulled her multi hued tassel in close to her, her honied gaze watching the entrance/exit to the den.

He noticed her drifting off into a light sleep as he cleaned her wounds. He watched her still making sure he didn't hurt her. He was acting fast not knowing when the moment would come that she would snap. He finished cleaning her up then moved to her side laying down keeping view of the others. He watched her. White blue crystals scanning over every feature. He sighed giving her a last lick behind the ear then place his own head onto his mitts. He kept his eyes opened but let his body rest with hers.


Archillis moved to Everlast following her to the den. He made sure she was not to see him. Then as if to surprise her he moved to the entrance laying down in front of it. "So can I ask where is it you are from?" His tone ringing it's soft hypnotizing lyric.

He had let out a growl towards Gladiator but it wasn't heard amongst the brute's yellings. He rolled his eyes when he was brought up and stepped away from the group following after the female. She seemed proper enough and just as annoyed as he was to be able to talk to. He stayed behind her, looking here and there wondering when Rawbones would pop up, or Crow, and Akiko had left too. Maybe he wouldn't follow Everlast. As she seemed to slow he turned his direction. He didn't care to be around anyone right now. His little puppy pads moved here and there tracing around trees and through the bush. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, so there was one mistake he made. Next mistake could be the part where he suddently felt sick. Was it something he bumped into? Or was it the simple place he found. With two hills. He walked towards it and stood between the mounds of fresh green spring grass, covered in flowers and little bugs. He flopped down between the mounds and looked out around him.

Navi. She always seemed so sad, he missed her though, and Echo, Daija... he missed them all. He missed playing with someone. He had no pup here to play with, and the adults seemed to fight, or be sick, or be in pain, or needing sleep. He sighed and closed his eyes letting himself fall slightly asleep while still thinking. He was very comfortable here too. Between these two mounds of grass, he felt...home...

Everlast was lost in her thoughts when suddenly the male she had her gaze on back at the group was suddenly in front of the den she had wanted to claim. She took in his lyrics and smiled, he wanted to know where she was from eh? She parted her raven kissers to speak, lyrics honey sweet "I am from very far away, lets leave it at that" She sank back onto her tri hued haunches. "Where might you be from?" She looked him over, up close he looked a lot different than he had when they were with the other members of this pack. She wondered to herself if that was his plan all along, to wait until she had gone away from the others and surprise her. She continued to smile towards him, waiting to see if he would answer her question even though she had given him a very short answer.

It was he….she stirred from her grave…she had been waiting for him to return. Her presence would feel him laying between their resting place and a warmth would seem to caress the small dark pups fur as her invisible form would bend and kiss between his ears and wrap a paw in a wispy embrace that couldn’t be felt but for the warmth of the love from his mother. How she wished she could have been there for him, nursed him at her breast, watched him grow. He looked like his father. She would tilt her head whispering unheard words of love.

Then a bruja approached and Jaded would flick her ears back. There was malice in his eyes and temptation in his tone. Where was Akiko to protect her son, to guide him? Rawbones? Where was he? She would stand over her son, unseen…unfelt… and would offer a silent growl. Zai might feel a chill of a breeze hitting him but unfortunately her presence was tied here.

“Liar….”her voice whispered to her son..wishing he could hear her. “Do not trust him….betrayer…” If only she had lived….she would be there to protect him.

OOC: Sorry guys I know we usually don't do this kinda thing but I miss Jaded so much and she had to visit her baby lol even if he can't see or hear her

Blade watched Damean walk off, and decided to let him be for the time being. The young king didn't seem to be too pleased with the arguments, and he was unsure exactly who, if anyone, he was mad at. Looking at Balthier, he said, you should go report, at the very least. Balthier rolled his eyes, "Your wound is not yet treated." "Petra will tend to it when she gets back, or it'll close on its own. It doesn't matter," he added the last bit when Balthier looked as if he was ready to argue. "Isn't it time for you to go home?"


Balthier shrugged and turned to leave, saying, "I'll leave when I see Akiko. I might help up with the clean up unless she refuses aid for this. Until then, I'll be around." Turning, he left Blade in favor of wandering, impassively looking at the bodies of the dead. As a healer, he should at least be somewhat bothered by the sight, but he was all to used to it and didn't think anything of it. Gladiator had taken a small group scouting, but there was never hurt to check for trouble. It wouldn't do for Balthier to be bored, anyways.

His ears flicked at the sound of voices. His mind racing as he laid there. He lifted himself from Akiko's side letting his tongue give her a soft kiss before he moved away. He moved to the sound spotting Zai with the young prince. He let a horride rumble escape him as Zai asked he last question. "Power has nothing to do with being a good King, those who dwell in power hunger die with the ones who follow." He showed Zai his fangs as if to warn him to stay away from the prince. He remembered who stood next to Evander. He knew who helped Harmi murder whelps from a neighboring pack. "Damean if you don't mind I would much rather you follow me... there is a lot of questions you must have..." Gladiator moved slowly to the trees knowing the pup would follow so he spoke so the young brute could hear him. "Your first lesson from me is to watch out who yo trust with information about your father. There are few you can trust in the land of dark hearts young King" He moved letting his mits take smaller steps so Damean could keep up. "Your father was once a very demanding ruler... Very aggressive with how he ran things, but over time I believe he grew to soft. He dreamt of a world that could never exist. He wanted peace with all and in the end it caused him to lose his life... Your mother died giving birth to you..." He stopped sitting far enough so know him and Damean where alone. "These woods are for dark hearts these trees breath the very air of death and thrive on it. Your father was a good wolf and a great King which I know you will be." He watched the young King. "The wolf you spoke to before me is not one I wish for you to call good company. Steer clear of him and his words he has yet to prove his loyalty to you and in my eyes is not seen fit to even speak to you." The ivory male looked at him waiting for more questions.

The little prince watched with unkind eyes as thoughts began to wash through his head when Zaiaku's question finally settled in. Could he accept it, yes, later, for now he didn't have to do a damn thing, or so he thought. Did he want it, this power that the dark brute before him spoke of. No. Yes. Maybe. Gladiator came in, as if listening the whole time right around the corner. Damean's ears went back as he tried to excort him away from Zaiaku but Damean liked the brute, he liked talking to him. Anger flared in the young prince now thinking of everyone else who was off doing their own thing and Damean was here and only one wolf, obviously one Gladiator didn't like, was paying any mind to even talk to him. Damean could go jump off a cliff and no one would notice, everyone was so busy and until now, Gladiator had been busy too with Akiko, he could smell his mother aunt on the brutes fur. With a shake of his head Damean indeed stepped away from Gladiator and looked at Zai.

"The way you use the word power, I don't think any one alpha is just powerful. I don't know if I am all mighty enough to lead a pack, I'm only a pup, but if the day comes where someone wants that power and I am to protect it, weither it be you, or you" his eyes turned to Gladiator. "And I am wise enough and strong enough to protect my family weither it be you or you, then yes. I want that power one day, but today. It's sunny out and I'm going to lay here in the grass and we are going to derive a plan to get Echo here..." Damean smiled and sat back down rolling on his side, taking a deep breath to steady himself and let his thoughts take over for the planning and execution to steal Echo away.

Blade was trusting that Damean was being looked after well enough. He hadn't seen Rawbones anywhere, but that didn't mean he was with the young prince. Now, he was down by the slow part of the river allowing the water to clean his injuries. He was worried about Petra, not having seen her for some time, but she had always been timid when it came down to war. She probably dutifully helped to heal the more injured before leaving to collect herself. Perhaps it'd been a good thing Balthier decided to tag along, in case things went wrong during this absence.

His muzzle was in the water, so he held back a growl of annoyance as the water reopened the nearly closed injury to clean it out. Pulling out of the water, he didn't bother to shake his pelt dry as he sat on the rough bank. Apparently, he'd been too logical and smart for his own good, once again. He'd actually expected this to have happened much earlier. Once a runt, always one he thought. This pack hadn't care for his differences, but he always felt he stood out thanks to his good-for-nothing old man. Of course, he knew the others in his pack had been acting from their emotions and adrenaline from their fight, and he found himself wondering why some wolves were quite sociable after these events and why others weren't. Speaking of sociable, even though Balthier hadn't been fighting, the healer hadn't seemed distressed at the growing number of bodies like many of his status would. In fact, he talked very easily, considering where he came from. If Blade hadn't met the wolf, he'd have said Balthier could never have come from a pure pack. No one was around him at the moment, and it was quite. Only the lingering scent of blood broke the almost peaceful silence.

Petra moved swiftly through the forest, her nose attempting to filter through the thick, lingering scent of blood and death in order to find one wolf in particular; Blade. Her nerves were still rattled, though she'd had a little bit of time to recollect herself and rid the stench of blood from her nares. Still, she dreaded returning to the area where that gruesome battle had taken place. But more than anything at the moment, she just wanted the comfort and closeness of her mate.

Sighing, she paused, lifting her nose and closing her eyes. Many scents were strong, especially with the new growth of the season. It was difficult to pick out one scent amongst the rest. Blade's scent was not to be found, and she felt a prickle of apprehension at the back of her neck. Where could he be? She started moving again, this time her stride more purposeful, worry rising within her. It was not long before she found herself within the main area again. There were a few scents she did not recognize, and not many wolves were around, but nothing seemed worse now than when she'd taken leave. Only moments passed before she caught a fresh trace of Blade's scent, and relief hit her. She followed his trail and found that his scent nearly disappeared, and when she spotted his sopping wet coat, she realized why he'd been so hard to find. Smiling, she galloped towards him, closing the distance between them until she was within a whisker's length from him, breathing in his presence.

"Blade, I'm so sorry I disappeared.." she whispered, blinking her soft, leafy green pools at him. She seemed to be filled with emotion, thinking back to the battle, and how she'd slipped away while every strong wolf held their ground and recollected themselves, covered in blood and horrible wounds. She had simply looked upon the gore and felt sick; she felt weak and pitiful as a mere observer. Her talents were well-needed, but she'd barely stuck around to help the injured before fleeing. She hadn't even tended to her love. "Blade... please let me take care of you," she pleaded softly. She didn't wait for his reply before she bounded a few feet away. She new this season would yield everything she needed, and this was the perfect environment by the water. She snipped off a wide chunk from a leafy fern, and plucked a horsetail from the ground, hastily bringing it back to her mate. She quickly got to work, hoping that he would allow her to do as she needed, and hoping even more that he wasn't angry or disappointed in her.



Like a ghost, the lean, ivory femme slipped through the forest of Jabbar on silent paws, her caramel-tipped plume arching into the air behind her. She had been gone for only one reason, something she preferred to keep personal, and she would not excuse herself to anyone should they ask. It was her time of season, and she wouldn't have anyone questioning her whereabouts when privacy was needed. She wondered if those two males she'd given the slip had stuck around, or if her sneaky behaviour had caused them to reconsider staying. She doubted they'd have been influenced by her, yet she still wondered if they'd gone or not. Shrugging, she continued on, removing the thoughts from her mind.

Her ears perked as she entered the main clearing, noting little change since her departure. Few wolves. Another shrug. She quirked a brow as she looked about, wondering what she should do first. Her eyes sought out the meat she had gathered with Zai; it still lay piled and rotting, seemingly untouched. She trotted over to it, eyeing it over. Whether or not it had been touched did not matter to her. Most of it was dried out from the soil and the mineral salts underground. She snatched up a piece and fed her appetite, but allowing room for a fresher snack at a later time. Besides, someone might still be hungry around here. She reclined upon her haunches, wrapping her tassel around her hindquarters as she noted the lingering scent of her season drifting upon the air. Her muzzle tilted downward while her eyes narrowed and scoped out her surroundings almost suspiciously. His scent was still here... she wondered where Zaiaku was, exactly. Probably trying to disrupt somebody, somewhere. She did not seek him out immediately, somewhat tired from her wanderings, but she knew she would be drawn to him sooner or later.

He'd been deep in thought, staring blankly into the water's surface. From the corner of his right eye to the base of the ear on the same side. He was trying to decide if it meant anything. He didn't believe in signs, but he did believe in coincidence. Eyes correlated with sight, and ears with hearing... Time seemed to pick up again when Blade's ears picked up the noises of someone running towards him. He couldn't fathom anyone being so excited to see him except Petra. He only looked up when she started to speak, but not because he was angry. "It's fine, Petra. There had been quite a lot of bloodshed. At least you hadn't been here to see how much I probably messed up any relations to the others here. It's been too long since I've participated in a war with others on my side. I forget the... lingering emotions that others carry that temporarily reduce their ability to think straight." If one were to ask him, he would admit that during the fight, he did feel, but he had too much experience pushing said emotions aside to never arise again, or at least, for a long time. "I'm glad you're here, Petra," he said. He'd missed her, although her absence short. He didn't mind the irrational feeling the world was against him, but it oddly felt better to have someone who he knew wasn't against him.

He watched her work on his injury, and make no movement against it. During his whole life, he'd never been interested in the work of healers, but he could appreciate it. Healing normally came from wolves who spent time with others and wished to protect their comrades, or even just one wolf, from death without imposing violence upon others, although most of them knew how to whip up a poison or so. Blade had no interest, because none of the normal descriptions of healer related to him. As she worked, he said lightly, "I think it'll scar. The other one came from another... important fight I was in." It wasn't too bad, although the wound could have been a bit smaller. At least it wouldn't stretch much, if at all, if he were to change his facial expressions.

He felt relaxed as she worked. It was like a luxury he hadn't been able to obtain for so long. They were back in their lands once again, and everyone was coping, or trying to, one way or another. Blade chuckled at Petra's comment about the scar. "Perhaps proof I can protect you, not quite sure about standing my ground. Damean's brother," he didn't really care to mention the name now that Evander was dead, "just reminded me of my parents... actually the whole pack." He lightly rested his cheek against her neck briefly before he continued, "The pack lived up in the mountains, lots of snow. White was good camouflage, and they only allowed wolves with white pelts. Whelps born there normally did, too, except me. The betrayal here is just as bad. Blood betraying blood, causing one big drama." He smirked lightly. "In both occasions, all offending parties are dead." There was a slight gleam to his eye at the memories for a split second. He had never spoken a word about any specific details to anyone.

He didn't want to scare or worry Petra. He was in full control of himself with her to ground him, although there would always be tiny instances like these, checking for weakness to break through. How easy it would be to lower his guard and slip into insanity, lost in memories. It was stupid, though, to allow it. He'd be dead in less than a day. If he fell to madness, his mind wouldn't be clear, leaving him a mindless beast. He wouldn't last in a fight. If he fell into madness, he wouldn't be able to protect the one he loved. It was then he remembered her question. "No, I actually haven't eaten yet. I thought it would be uncomfortable for Balthier... right after a fight. I think he's planning to patrol the land until Akiko shows herself so he can bring a report back to Rodion."