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Post by Poison Arrow on Mar 11, 2011 15:41:42 GMT
*--Yeah,
I got the long end of the Stick--*
The Alpha of the Rebels was tense as he sat, rigid, in a dark corner of the Camp. He had seen no reason to call a full meeting of the Council simply to talk to his Beta - these were strictly private, meaning that everywolf knew about them within five minutes - but they had arranged to meet here, under the overhanging rock, at this time. Not that it was easy to tell the time here, under the shadow of the Mountain. He told himself that again, scolding himself for panicking and trying to calm his quaking nerves, but he still dreaded the news. The news that the Royals were coming for an attack.
He knew the ranking of the pack he had inherited was fairer than the other group's hierarchy, with everywolf equal and two separate divisions for Hunters and Fighters, but every night-time, when he shared that special connection with his twin, he would think again over whether it was sensible. It meant they had fewer fighters. Less protection.
But, everytime, such as now, he pondered this, the wolf pushed it away with a frown. That would solve nothing.
But where was Swift? The secretive Beta had been out on patrol, he thought(as he did not organise them and rarely took part he did not fully know the regime), so what if they had been captured? It would mean a horrible hostage exchange... Even as this thought came into his head he was flooded with memories. The Royals' Camp, the prisoner-quarters, malnourishment and fear. Oh, such fear... And the hate he had seen in his twin's eyes. That had probably been the worst part.
Then he had been taken to Rose Fields, and exchanged for small land to be sent back to his pack, but he still carried the scars.
Biting his lip-ring, Poison Arrow glanced around once more. He needed to talk to Swift, or his nerves might just snap. Green and black fur on edge, he tried to flatten his hackles, which had raised at the memories.
This is why we are different from them, he thought, a hint of bitterness behind the pride, because all are equal, and prisoners are treated with respect. That's the way it is and should be./But it's no reason to
HATE
me for who I am\ [/color] *~384!~Poison Arrow |
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Post by hellhoundish on Mar 12, 2011 1:06:41 GMT
Swift was patrolling the borders. Every now and again he paused, ears perked, to listen out for sounds. He ran on again, content at being alone. He looked up to the sky. A bright moon was shining down. That time already!, he thought, I'm late.
He finished his task as soon as possible, but still with the uttermost caution. Leafs rustled above as various birds flapped away from him. He then ran on, as fast as possible, to where Poison Arrow had arranged the meeting.
He burst in, panting from his run.
"Sorry I'm late, sir!" he piped up, still exhausted.
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Post by Poison Arrow on Mar 12, 2011 11:29:11 GMT
{Ooh, sorry, but I'm afraid that post does not quite reach 200 words, which is the minimum for all IC Posts here. THIS is a handy tool you can use to check what you've done. Don't panic about it, but just make sure on your next post you reach it ^^ Thanks }} *--Yeah,
I got the long end of the Stick--*
"Don't panic," Poison Arrow soothed, relief flooding through him as his Beta scrambled into the clearing. "Better to have safe borders than to be on time."
Then he stood, and turned, beckoning over his shoulder with his head for Swift to follow. "Come. We may be a tight-knit community, but even an Alpha knows some quiet spots." And with that, he vanished, seemingly straight through the rock. Of course, that wasn't the actual occurrence, just something he had found one time; in a game of hide-and-seek as a young pup, he had become horribly entangled in vines draped across the entrance - these had since been removed, though he had always liked them - and fallen straight through. What actually happened was quite a clever trick.
The way the light fell across the boulder caused a small niche to be entirely shrouded by shadow. A small stream appeared to vanish into the ground here, and the way the water reflection played across it gave it the look of the rock's surface. At his small size of the age, young Poison Arrow had fallen straight through, tumbling down a hill into the beautiful, then spaceous, cavern. Now, a year or so of growth later, he had to dig a little to get through, and the cave wasn't quite as large, but it still held the same peaceful charm he had valued as a pup.
Glancing around with fond memories, the wolf shook, droplets of water from the trickle flying off against the cave walls, though the black fur of his sides remained slick with moisture. His spiky ruff of a mane stuck up as it should, though, which relieved him a little; it was embarrassing when it fell down.
Suddenly remembering why he had returned here, Poison Arrow hastily called, "It's alright, Swift. Just crawl into the gap where the stream leads." He himself was a rather thin, lanky wolf, but he was sure his Beta could manage./But it's no reason to
HATE
me for who I am\ [/color] *~335!~Poison Arrow |
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Post by hellhoundish on Mar 12, 2011 13:34:23 GMT
(Sorry, forgot about that. Hopefully this is longer!)
Swift followed Poison Arrow carefully, watching the ground in order not to slip. He jumped back in surprise as the Alpha seemingly walked into rock.
"Poison, Poison, are you okay?" he said in befuddlement. He approached the place where Poison Arrow had gone through, sniffing it carefully. He then stepped through, confident that his leader wouldn't step through something he didn't trust himself.
He emerged, after a couple of minutes of squeezing, in a quite spacious cavern, blinking. The space filled his senses. He could smell and feel the moisture in the air, he could hear the gurgling of the stream. He forgot for a couple of moments why he was here, until his gaze rested on Poison. He immediately became serious again.
Swift was slightly muddy from squeezing through, dapples covered in brown. His fur became spikier when wet, and now stuck up at odd angles from where it had rubbed against the walls.
"This place is quite remarkable," he said, "But let us get on to the meeting."
Swift was a caring wolf, but he became serious whenever anything important was talked about or dealt with in the pack. He took it upon himself to help ensure everyone's safety and well-being. It made him have a grim, lonely look on life.
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Post by Poison Arrow on Mar 12, 2011 19:55:21 GMT
{{Don't panic about it, it's easy to forget ;] }} *--Yeah,
I got the long end of the Stick--*
"Yes, it is quite a sight..." he murmured, mismatched eyes alight with the peace this beauty brought him. Then he turned to Swift, a little sadly, almost, and said gravely, "And you're the first wolf I've shown it to. In an emergency, this secret place could hide all of the pups, elderly and mothers - that's why it has to remain private. Only I, and now you, know about it; as you will know, most night our connections reveal our worst secrets to our twins. You can never be too careful with those that may give in to a persistent Royal's demands.
"Come, take a seat, we have an important matter to attend to," and with that he leapt up into a slightly worn ledge about half a foot above the ground - it was dry where the stream couldn't reach, though the whole cavern was a little moist, and he always sat on it when he needed to come here.
Glancing at the roof for a moment, he studied the constantly changing pattern of the water on the rock. "See this reflection," he began quietly. "it is constantly changing, never the same, yet it holds the same principles. This is just like the packs. At the moment, things are quite calm-" he gestured at the light as it began to still after their interruption, "-everything runs smoothly. But we are still against eachother." Then he leapt down, to another dry patch, and trotted up to the mouth of the cavern. Poison Arrow rolled a log so that it blocked the flow.
Water began to build up on the other side of the temporary dam as he continued, "But... As much as I would love for the two packs to be as one, we all have different ideals. The calm..." The strength of the stream became too much, and the log rolled back down the short hill, bumping and crashing against the far wall, and the flood of water poured down. "... Before the storm.
"The water was quite calm before, though it has the possibility to be dangerous. We try to stop it, and it becomes worse." The Alpha's tone was very sad, his one purple, one green eyes mournful. "At the moment we are calm. But for how long? Do we wait for the Royals to make a move, and be unprepared, or do we strike first? Do we enjoy the peace while it lasts? How do we know they're not up to something? I need your help on this, Swift: you're my Beta, I can't do it all on my own."/But it's no reason to
HATE
me for who I am\ [/color] *~453!~Poison Arrow |
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Post by hellhoundish on Mar 13, 2011 3:14:04 GMT
Swift watched with curiosity as Poison Arrow demonstrated. He wasn't very good with metaphors, but he managed to understand this one. He felt upset when the log did roll away, the water being too much. But he understood that the Alpha was right.
"This is indeed a good place. We can defend it with only a couple of wolves." he agreed. He knew that this place could withstand attacks from the entrance, but he had heard rumors of wolves that could control elements. However, as long as they didn't know wolves were here, the pack would be safe.
"Hmm, an interesting question. Whether to attack or be attacked. Well, from what I've seen of this potential war, I think perhaps it would be a good idea to prepare for an attack, build up our defenses, but not actually attack the Royals. It's like they say, hope for the best, prepare for the worse." he replied grimly. This was very hard to determine a good answer, as they did not know what the Royals were thinking.
"Do we know anything about they're forces? If not, perhaps we should think about finding out. The royals will probably set about trying to find out about ours really soon." he added.
He sad down, staring at the ceiling, trying to think of a plan suitable for all.
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Post by Poison Arrow on Mar 13, 2011 18:34:11 GMT
*--Yeah,
I got the long end of the Stick--*
Poison Arrow sighed, eyes older than his face alight with... Worry? Or just tire. "But will that give out the message that we plan for an attack? Like you say, it would solve some problems, but, as with any solution, just as many remain."
When Swift next spoke, about finding the Royals' secrets, he laughed quietly - a gentle chuckle of no humour. "Oh, you know as well as I do that we cannot get secrets from the minds of our twins - it always ends in nothing but pain for us both. I've been inside their Camp, did you know that? You and I are about the same age - ahh, how our ancestors would object, two youths running this pack - and from what I've seen and heard from the other Poison Arrow's grumbling, it is not a very nice place. Oh, yes, they are friendly on the outside. Everyone chats, and there is a neat high-order, whereas, to a stranger, we may seem desolate and rude. But underneath their fur lining, you see the real horror.
"I would say that I suspect they are thinking the same as we over on the other side of this Mountain, but in truth I doubt it. They don't think like that. Now, if we had a spy... Ach, but no!" He exclaimed, shaking his head, "To send a wolf into their camp, on his own, would be murder! I spent weeks as a Prisoner there, and I still bare the scars!" The wolf exclaimed, indicating with a toss of his head over his hide, still thin, hanging off of his bones. "I couldn't face up to send anyone, and I myself am too distinctive. The Loners wouldn't help - you know how secretive they are these days - and surely no-one on the inside would betray their own pack...
"So yes, maybe, my friend, you are right. Just... Prepare. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst," and know deep in your heart that there will never be peace.
Glancing around, he checked up the slope, as though making sure they were still alone. They would have to cover the tracks and scents on the way out - couldn't have anyone finding his hidey-hole, now.
Leaping back up onto his shelf, he continued to watch the water, though he was not seeing it. Then, absent-mindedly, he quietly asked, "How are Open Cave's pups? I hear one of them was ill." He always liked to hear about pups. Took his mind off things... /But it's no reason to
HATE
me for who I am\ [/color] *~438!~Poison Arrow |
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Post by hellhoundish on Mar 14, 2011 10:25:33 GMT
"Perhaps," Swift sighed. There seemed no way of avoiding the war.
He did know that there was no way of getting secrets out of his twin. If he could, he would use it to find his own, Shadow. They had been the best of friends, and after shadow had wandered away, Swift had tried to find him. However, he had joined the Rebels after hearing about the Royals from lone wolves.
"The pups are doing well. The pup that is sick is a strong fighter, and he seems to be resisting the sickness." he said, comfortingly.
He could not get the Alpha's words off of his mind. Swift was a kind wolf, despite seeming mysterious and serious.
"However, I have just thought of something. Despite the horrors of which you have mentioned, I wish to volunteer to spy. I know full well what I am getting into, and I shall miss you all so much. However, ever since I came to this pack, I have wished to prove myself. I have the perfect idea of how to set it up, but I fear that others may learn of this plan. That is why it seems to be the best time to bring it up now." he whispered. Despite the horrors of the Royals, he was anxious to help.
"Please, Poison, I am desperate to help. Perhaps I may see what became of Shadow, who knows. You are not sending me, I will go of my own free will." he said, although he was sad. His plan for fooling the Royals meant he would not be in contact for a while, and he would only be able to spy once, and never again.
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Post by Poison Arrow on Mar 15, 2011 18:46:17 GMT
*--Yeah,
I got the long end of the Stick--*
Ahh, in the darkness there will always be a flicker of light.
"Good. We may be in a never-ending war, but we can at least be grateful for the small things. Maybe one day that pup can fight for us; he will be strong, like you say."
Then Swift spoke again, and Poison looked at him, calmly and flatly, with no emotion behind his mismatched eyes. "I had a feeling you would say that. I doubt I will be able to stop you, should you choose to go, and it would be a great asset to the pack... But please, Swift, I implore you, be careful. Some of them are slimier than snakes. Whatever scheme you have in mind, carry it out with the utmost care and attention to detail," he said, expression still impassive, though passion and worry burned behind his voice.
To lead a pack at barely two years of age... But it had to be done, and complaining did no good.
Plenty of thoughts went through the Alpha's mind - can't I stop you, is there no other way - but he knew it was no good. His beta would do the pack a great deal of good, but if he were to get into trouble...
"You know... That I place a lot of... Trust in you," he said slowly, measuring out his words, "and on the whole I fear not for you giving out our secrets. However I... Must make one thing clear: we cannot contact you while you are in the territory. It will require great, great skill to remain undetected, and you must know their territory well. If you are caught, the best we can hope for is a hostage exchange in Rose Fields - we will not be able to rescue you outright. You understand all of this?"
He knew deep down that Swift did, but he had to make sure. Had to make sure he knew what he was going into. What was he planning? It would surely require quite a lot of preparation time before he set off. But one thing was certain: the pack could only pray for his safe return. /But it's no reason to
HATE
me for who I am\ [/color] *~375!~Poison Arrow |
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Post by hellhoundish on Mar 16, 2011 8:54:45 GMT
Swift looked grim. He did know the horrors the Royals may have in-store for him, but he had to go. He couldn't offer something like that and go back on it. In his head he kept repeating to himself 'It must be done...It must be done...'.
"I shall, Poison. I am sure you can manage without me, and although this may be goodbye for a while, I am happy to have come here, and I shall never regret doing this, not even if they torture me." he said sadly. The pressure was daunting, and the responsibility was even worse. He knew he must not get caught, dreading that that would start the war.
"I understand." was all he said for several minutes. The silence was deafening, while he prepared himself for the long journey.
"The plan is simple. We must make it look like we fought, and you must pretend to banish me from the pack. I shall then pretend to be so full of rage that I walk into the Royal's camp to spill our secrets. Of course, I shall tell them lies, but I shall make it convincing." he muttered, hoping that no-one overheard this plan.
"A while later I shall return, after gaining some trust. Perhaps I shall become a messenger for them, so we may be able to chat briefly, but I doubt it. This is why I cannot spy again."
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Post by Poison Arrow on Mar 16, 2011 22:01:50 GMT
*--Yeah,
I got the long end of the Stick--*
"It is certainly an affirmative plan," he said quietly, then rose. "I have no doubt in your skills, in mine, however..." He laughed gently. "I'll try to remember the time you wet yourself in my nest. That should bring about enough false anger to convince them - I wish you well and all that going into an enemy camp, but I'm the one that has to explain to the pack why I kicked out my own Beta!" His words were serious, but his voice was a laugh.
Then he began to walk slowly back to the entrance to the cavern. "Come, now, let us prepare. Perhaps we should leave it a few more sunrises - get alibis ready and make sure you leave on a full stomach. Oh, and as this meeting was strictly secret, naturally the whole pack will know that we met up within a few hours. Now come," he said again, mismatched eyes alight. "for time is short, and the night is waning - tomorrow, the sun will rise again. A new dawn, a new day, and naturally new problems will arise. But, they are for tomorrow.
"Now, it is time for sleep." And without waiting to see if Swft followed, Poison Arrow slipped up through the contorted crack, kicking over his own tracks as he went, and vanished off into the night.
This meeting had been useful, but like he had said, now was time for sleep. /But it's no reason to
HATE
me for who I am\ [/color] *~257!~Poison Arrow |
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Post by hellhoundish on Mar 17, 2011 9:58:14 GMT
Swift lowered his head out of embarrassment.
"yeh, something like that." he said quietly. Although he could see the humor in it, he didn't really feel like laughing. However, he joined in so as not to make Poison sad. "I wish you well, too. Explaining why you kicked me out is one thing, but explaining why you are accepting me back will be another."
He too stood up, shaking the worst of the water out of his fur, making it even spikier.
"That sounds good. I suppose it might be better for some of the pack to know about the plan, just so they don't try to attack me when I return. Still, only tell those who need to know. Pups, the sick and the old are not good people to tell, for they can often accidentally tell the enemy of our plans." he said quietly.
He followed Poison Arrow through the crack, managing to make his coat dirty and even wetter. He was feeling very tired, so he walked in an almost dream-like state, saying nothing very much. He covered his tracks and went to bed. As soon as he got to bed, he fell deep asleep.
Throughout the night he awoke several times, whimpering. He was having nightmares about the camp. Whenever he awoke, he peered around his home, making sure he was still there, safe.
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