Stay with me {OPEN}

[Nimara]

I'm on the brink
I can barely think,
With all of these thoughts
runnin' through my head.

She was running, faster and faster until it felt as if her legs would simply fall away from her lithe frame. It didn't matter where she was headed, she simply had to get there. As if her desperateness had yanked her to her destination, the young femme suddenly knew: she was there. Dirt flew up in a wave as she skid to a halt, her breath coming in ragged pants. Strangely there was no pain in her leg, no dull throbbing in her hip. That should have been the first sign...

"Hello my darling. Oh how I've missed you.." The female's head shot up to see a large black wolf standing against a setting sun, a large smile covering his maw. "Father." She breathed, lunging forward with joyous yips to meet the wolf she had lost so long ago. The young wolfess was so close, only a few more yards. Feet. Inches. She crashed into him, intent on barreling him to the ground for a good romp, but as she touched him he disappeared. Like a puff of smoke he simply dissipated at the contact. For a brief moment, a black cloud surrounded the she-wolf before collapsing in on itself and vanishing without a trace. Left speechless, the female fell onto her haunches, front legs quivering with shock and despair, sapphire eyes wide with horror and yet not really seeing the world fall to pieces around her. He had been there. He had been so close and then he had just disappeared. All too quickly... He had just..disappeared...

The world went black and all the female was left with was sound. This should have been the second sign. Snarls and cries of pain echoed through the cavernous expanse of her conscience, rising in volume until it was almost unbearable. And then those words. Those same haunting words which made her dreams hell.. "Run little wolfling... Run..." But she couldn't run. She couldn't do anything for she no longer had a body to do anything with. But at this she was mistaken. Pain took root as something attacked her. The she-wolf couldn't tell the focal point of this pain, only that it was agonizing and endless. She cried out with a silent voice, and suddenly the nightmare shattered...

Stryke's yelp of pain hadn't been as silent as she thought. As her piercing blue eyes opened to view the mortal world she was cursed with, the ugly vision of a vulture met her hazily. The wolfess snarled with fury, lashing out with a paw as she shot up and snapped her fangs together less than a hair's breadth away from the bird's leathery neck. Her head was battered by massive wings as the creature rose hastily into the sky, off to find a less animate meal.

The she-wolf watched as the bird faded from view, brought back to her body and it's needs by a slight pain in her ribs. Arching her neck enough to see what it was, she saw that the bird had managed to get a few pecks in before taking off. Nothing serious, simply a couple minor scrapes. Stryke gave her side a few soft licks, letting the methodical motion soothe the stinging wounds. A few seconds later, after she was satisfied with her small washing, the femora shook out her fur. If only she could shake loose the sorrow which poisoned her aura. Stryke's dream had shaken her, it was the third time in one moon that she had seen the same thing and felt the same pain. Though usually she woke unscathed. However, knowing the need to keep moving, the young wolfess started forward at an easy trot. Her muscles moved with almost machine-like rhythm, each step of her paw sending a wave of motion to the muscled sinew beneath her thick pelt. The only hitch to her travel being a slight limp in her hind left leg.

Stryke was not a weak wolf, nor was she without her beauty. But there was that limp.. She knew it advertised her as being ill or crippled and that irritated her. Still, it was permanent, and there's no sense in crying over something you can't fix... The femmora continued on, ignoring the throb of her leg as she always did. That is until a subtle noise met her sensitive audits. The faint step of a paw hitting the ground. Looks like I can't get a break today... She slowed slightly, her ears swiveling to pinpoint where it was the sound had come from, her black nose sniffing the air daintily. Yes, there was something or someone following her... Stryke eased into a walk and then stopped completely. Her eyes closed, ears searching for another sound, and breath almost ceasing altogether. She may look it, although when it came down to being weak, she was anything but. Something whoever lingered in the trees was about to learn...


words = 811

I can't hold on
But lettin' go,
Is something I can't do,
Even if I wanted to.

[Poison Arrow]

{Wow - I loved that post!}

*What is happening HERE?*
*Something's going on that's not quite CLEAR*

Weird things were happening today.
Poison Arrow could not for the life of him work out what it was. The Rebels didn't gossip - the Royals did, the Rebels did not. Which meant it was a serious matter. It was a tight-knit community, theirs, so naturally any secret went around in a matter of minutes. But... What could it be? Why did all the she-wolves whisper, and the juvenile males frown mournfully his way. It was strange, and more than a little off-putting...
However, there were always places to have peace.

Another thing unusual was Swift asking the Alpha to go on Patrol.
He tried to immerse himself in the pack life as much as possible, but with a lot to do most of the time, he rarely managed to. Hunters hunted, Fighters trained and patrolled - that was how it was. But an Alpha? An Alpha just sort of... Did.
That was how it was. The other wolves also did not keep secrets, nor did they ask personal questions.
Something was wrong.
However, there were always places to have peace.

And one more thing that was quite out of the ordinary was a loner on the territory. Now, the Rebels were tolerant of Loners; they didn't kill on-site, they never took prisoners, and if it weren't for prey shortages and spies Poison would be quite happy to give them free rein of the territory - but as a rule, they didn't usually come on.
The higher forests were chilly, and in the early morning the black and green wolf's breath came out in a wisp before his mismatched eyes. A large bird rose a little way away, and a yelp rang through the forest - instantly alert, he lowered his head and sniffed quietly.
A loner. Female. Didn't smell of a pack. A little blood.

Through the trees he trotted, spiky hair flopping over his wary eyes, Poison watched the stranger through the tall wooden pillars of nature. Limping along, he saw the strength in the Loner's painful stride, and the beauty in her silver fur. Not that he cared.
Although, as he looked at her, he had the feeling that she might be something to do with whatever was wrong...

~Somebody turn on the LIGHT~
~We're gonna' have a PARTY~
~It's starting TONIGHT~

*&432!

~Poison Arrow

[Nimara]

Lie with me,
oh love of mine;
Let your heart wing.

It was a male, however, his scent was obscured. It wasn't plain written in the musk of a male, rather it was mixed with the scents of many wolves. A pack wolf... This was bad, very bad. Stryke didn't know the standing between pack wolves and loners - she probably should have paid better attention to where she wandered - but if it was anything like what it had been before.... The lithe she-wolf growled a little under her breath, gemstone eyes opening with undisguised anger. What a coward, hiding among the trees as a common turkey. Stryke snorted. She could play this game.

A yelp sounded somewhere in the distance, oddly familiar. Her auds pricked forward, one foot shuffling forward as if she would run toward the sound. Another came, seeming to echo around her. "Run little wolfling..."[/i] Stryke shook her fur out vigorously, realizing she had fallen back on her haunches. It was all in her head. When was the last time she had truly gotten sleep? Sure cat-naps here and there, but a real good rest? It probably would do me well to keep moving... But what way gets me off of this territory...." Perhaps the voices of her past hadn't been so wrong. Just run. Run and eventually he'll pull back...right? Either way, she was tired of standing around. Tired of waiting for the dog of a wolf to show his muzzle. "Just stay there then..." She growled, no emotion in her numbed voice. In fact, the only emotion visible was in her eyes. Her fur didn't stiffen, she didn't snarl, her legs weren't stiff, and her tail didn't swish around her heels. The mask was intact.

Stryke bolted, her claws kicking up dirt and frost still lingering on the ground. The forest was tough terrain to pick up much speed in, but the agile femme was one quick little she-devil and she knew it. Well, the pace was set, the game afoot, Stryke was banking on the fact that she could race this male to the territory line and win. If she couldn't... Well, she wouldn't go down without a fight.

words = 357[/size]

I will give you,
pride and joy;
And then take everything.

[Poison Arrow]

*What is happening HERE?*
*Something's going on that's not quite CLEAR*

Ahh, that was Loners for you. He frowned as she dashed away, a smudge of a line on his thin face. They came in, slept overnight, stole some prey and then bunked off at the first scent of danger. Usually he didn't mind this; usually they did no harm, and left the way they had come in.
But this she-wolf... She was heading towards camp.

Poison Arrow had half a mind to call in a patrol - one howl and the nearest 20 wolves would drop whatever they were doing and come running - but right now, as he watched her kick up frost as she pelted away, he didn't want to. They may be more tolerant than the Royals, but a patrol looked threatening, and threatening things made you fight back. Only last week they had nearly lost a young fighter when he attempted to chase off a Heron with his friends. Another few centimetres deeper through his eye, and that long beak would've pierced his brain.
If the Rebels were being outdone by birds, he was pretty certain a hostile she-wolf like this could take one down at least, especially as they aimed to hurt, not kill, and not maim. She would be fighting for her life. And... He didn't want to scare her too badly.
Her growl had been warning enough, and in the shadow of the trees he had seen the self-control behind her impassive face before she ran: she would fight if need be.

He normally would have left a Loner. He normally would have sighed, shrugged, hoped they bunked off the territory and carried on with the Patrol, reported it when he got back^{(although all reports were technically supposed to go to him)}. But... she was heading towards camp. She could be a spy, it could be a mistake, but it would almost certainly get her killed.
So, a few seconds after she set off - a wolf can have a lot of thought processes in a very short time - he sighed, tensed his muscles, and began to trot after her. As he increased his pace, he blanched a little to the right, mounting up onto a slight ridge that rose higher and became more and more rocky and perilous, yet still he ran on as fast as he could manoeuvre over gaps and crevices. And as he ran he watched her. A silver shadow below him, first ahead, then directly left and below, then as he continued a little behind. When she ran at a full pelt that tested even the Rebels' Alpha, she no longer carried her limp - Poison Arrow noticed this with a keen interest. But they were getting nearer and nearer to Camp, and he scented the beach growing further behind them. The pace increased, and her path also began to rise, though at a much steadier gradient.

Then Poison Arrow's path ended. He had expected to happen - this was his inherited territory, and he knew every inch of it - but his heart still lurched as he flew through the air, kicking off silently with his strong back legs, the ground falling away beneath him...
Then he hit the ground, hard, jerking his legs as though they were about to snap; he forced his body to carry on, rounded the bush, trying to get his breath back, and stood in the path of the Loner that had tried him so.

Aaiiieesh, she better be worth it...

~Somebody turn on the LIGHT~
~We're gonna' have a PARTY~
~It's starting TONIGHT~

*&588!

~Poison Arrow

[Nimara]

I'm standing at the edge,
waiting for you here.

[/size]

Jubilant pride filled the she-wolf's core. Stupid male, he had lost from the beginning. She allowed herself to slow a bit, giving her leg a break. These sprints were possible, but only for a short while. Stryke wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out. A small spray of dirt which rained down upon her muzzle broke her train of thought. Father help me, I swear I'll kill him... She growled silently; this male was really wearing her patience thin. But as quickly as she had realized he was alongside her, he was in front of her. Well that's new... He came out of nowhere as if simply materializing in front of her. For a second she forgot she was running. It only took that long to make her misstep.

Stryke had put on the brakes as soon as she saw the male appear, but she had over-extended. Her hind left leg locked up and with a yelp she was sent rolling. Over and over until she came to a halt a few feet away from the male. Though her leg protested painfully, the fae forced herself onto her feet, but the hip refused to hold and her hind end was sent once again painfully to the ground. She growled, warning the male to stay back. How could this happen? How could she have forgotten herself even for such a short amount of time? Now he would kill her. He would see her weakness, and in seconds her precious life-blood would soak the ground as her parents' blood had so many moons before. Stryke managed to stand again, this time holding her aching hind leg off the ground a few inches. She watched the male, really looking at him for the first time. He was thin, though not in a sickly way. His legs seemed strong and well muscled; surely they had to be for him to have been able to keep pace with her. One ear had a tear, though this was ignored for the most part. His coat was black with patches of a vibrant green covering him in various patterns. If Stryke had allowed herself the thought she would have seen him as quite handsome, but the she-wolf was too far gone to ever see such things in anyone. Love was simply a word used in a pup's fairy-tale, it didn't actually exist.

Still, the she-wolf watched this male who had bested her. One leg lifted off the ground to relieve the pain, her head lowered slightly for balance, and her tail hanging limply at her hind end. She didn't move, she hardly dared to breathe believing that at any second this male would lunge for her throat and it would all be over. Well, she would die with her pride at least. Forcing her hind paw to touch the ground once again - the pain wasn't all that bad if she just kept her weight off it - Stryke raised her head in defiance. She was her own wolf and she refused to be cowed into submission by any male. "So come on then..." She goaded, tired of simply standing there. Death was beckoning to her with a smile, she could almost see her parents on the other side. This game was growing tiresome...

Pull me back from death,
Instead you disappear.

[/size][/center]

words = 549

[Poison Arrow]

*What is happening HERE?*
*Something's going on that's not quite CLEAR*

Trying to still his ragged breathing, Poison Arrow locked eyes with the Loner as she prepared to make her stand. But his mismatched eyes were tired as he looked at her, no anger or territorial defence in his expression.
"I'm not going to attack you," he said quietly - careful choosing of his words. He wasn't going to Attack her. If she lunged, he would do his best to hold her off, even if that meant nipping a few tendons in the process. It was still his territory, no matter how care-free he was about Loners coming onto it.

"I do not want to hurt you, and I would not have pursued you, I swear it by the honour of my name, if it weren't for your - I am sure accidental - direction," his voice was one quiet tone, peaceful, with no concealed threat. "I would tell you to turn around and go the other way, but no doubt you will think I am lying and leading you into a trap. Well, scent the air. Can you smell other wolves nearby? Once again on my honour, I swear that the exit of the territory is the other way back to Loner Lands. At the moment you are headed to a place I'd rather you did not go, and beyond that the Royals. I am not going to attack you, however they would.
"Believe me or neigh, but I do not want to hurt you, and unless you want to be a Loner no longer, I suggest you turn around..."
Only then did he realise his mistake in wording this last part. 'A Loner no longer' - he had simply meant that the pack was short on Fighters at the moment, and she looked strong and, for the most part, healthy_{(not to mention pretty, which he tried to ignore)}.

What he had said, even to his own ears, sounded like a threat.
Uh-oh.

Trying not to wince, he stood his ground, hoping she would catch his meaning. He may be doing his best to lead his pack, but in truth Poison Arrow was barely a Juvenile. He still had a lot to learn about working with other wolves, even if his theory and strategies were good.
One mistake could be fatal.
Uh-oh.

~Somebody turn on the LIGHT~
~We're gonna' have a PARTY~
~It's starting TONIGHT~

*&401!

~Poison Arrow

[Nimara]

Dirt and glitter
Cover the floor
We're pretty and sick
We're young and we're bored.

[/color][/size]


"I'm not going to attack you."

Stryke narrowed her gemstone eyes, mistrust plain across her visage. How stupid did he think she was? She could tell he wasn't about to let her pass, but why? Was the rest of the pack in that direction? If so, what was she going to do, single-handedly attack a wolf pack? What does he really think I can acomplish on my own against an entire pack? The femme wondered with no small amount of irritation. This male was quickly beginning to get on her nerves. "I do not want to hurt you, and I would not have pursued you, I swear it by the honor of my name, if it weren't for your - I am sure accidental - direction." Honor? The she-wolf had to keep herself from snorting. This pesky wolf, what could he know about honor.

The male continued, asking her to turn back and she would find the exit to his lands. Even as she began suspecting a trap, he tried to ease her fears once again calling upon the honor of his name. Who does he think he is? Stryke wondered, tired of hearing this male assure her over and over again that he simply wanted her to turn away from his lands. Pack wolves don't know anything about honor... They're killers.... Even as she thought this she knew it wasn't true. A wolf's disposition wasn't determined by their pack, but by their surroundings and their up-bringing. No, the pack had nothing to do with it. So why was this male so irritating to her? Was it the calm collectiveness of his actions which made him seem so in control of himself and the situation? Was it the soothing tone of his deep voice that made the fae want to simply nod her head and go along with whatever he said? Or was it because of the way merely being near him sent Steyke's untouchable heart racing...?

"Believe me or neigh, but I do not want to hurt you, and unless you want to be a Loner no longer, I suggest you turn around..." There it was, the slip up in his act she had been waiting for. And to think I almost fell for it... Stryke silently growled, disgusted by her own weak will that she would swoon for such a creature as this male. Stryke took a few steps back, relieved when she found the more distance between them the less her heart felt as if it would hammer out of her chest. She growled, her ears swiveling for sounds that weren't there. She sniffed the air. Nothing. Only the scent of the male in front of her. Could he really be telling the truth...? No! I fell for it before I won't fall for it again! The she-wolf told herself defiantly, forcing herself to calm enough to speak. "I don't know whether to trust you or kill you.... You seem to speak the truth, but would your little slip up have been made unless you planned to do something about my current Loner status? On that note there are only two options: kill me here, or take me into your pack." Stryke paused, eyeing the male closely. He held himself with pride, and he must command some sort of respect from someone by the way he was swearing on the honor of his own name. But there was no way her suspiscions were correct, they couldn't be. He can't be an alpha... Can he...? Once again, Stryke opened her mouth to speak, mind reeling with possibilities. However, her once crystaline voice - now gruff and broken from disuse - was as unemtional and detached as ever. "You spoke against the Royals and if I'm right the  there is only one other pack you can belong to, and by now I'm certain you belong to a pack. So, who are you exactly, Rebel wolf, that you hold the power to offer me either death or a place among your brothers...?" Stryke then fell silent once more, her cold, sapphire eyes watching the male with hidden interest, the reasons for said interest thoroughly surprising her.

Its time to lose your mind
And let the crazy out
Tonight were takin' names
Cause we don't mess around.

[/color][/size]

words = 692

[Poison Arrow]

*What is happening HERE?*
*Something's going on that's not quite CLEAR*

She had noticed his mistake, then.
Well, he couldn't take it back now, he would just have to live with whatever might happen as consequence.

As it happened, it wasn't too bad, he would later reflect.
Waiting until she had completely finished, Poison Arrow finally spoke after a long, contemplative pause. "You catch on quickly," he said quietly, eyes still level, a tremor in his throat that he refused to allow to roam free into his voice. "But... I can see the mistrust clear in your eyes, and you have a right to feel this way. No doubt that whatever I say you will still not believe me, but trust is a danger to us all. You may choose to believe me or not, but the result is the same:
"You are on the Territory of one of the packs - the Rebels, as I am sure your brilliant mind has gathered - you know not the terrain, and you have a crippling wound. We are both exhausted after that chase - once again, I must compliment you on your abilities - and I am sure you can give me a fight and a half. Yet I am a fully fed Pack wolf, while you are a Loner who has just been attacked by a Vulture." Throw in a bit of methodic fear-mongering with the bombshell truth of her situation.

"So once again I give you the option: go the other way, and I will not follow you, simply check later this day to make sure you are gone from the Territory; or continue this way, I will not stop you," and as if to prove this point he took a step out of her way. "However I must warn you what lies that way. At the direction and speed you were headed, you will hit the West wing our extensive camp within approximately five more minutes. If you manage to get past the patrols and wolves there, it will be another 20 minutes to our border. Not the border you want to go, either. To the Royal-Rebel border. I can promise you nothing, and I will let you choose, but it is your decision. Trust or not, I leave it entirely up to you."

Finally done with his speeches, the dark, skinny wolf lay down calmly, head on his paws, and watched her in silence.
It was up to the Loner, of course, but there was one option he had not mentioned. An option he felt himself wishing, in a way even he could not fathom, that she would choose. A deep stirring in his loins when he looked at her proud stance, silvery fur and lean muscles was curious to the still young Alpha.

And yet, there it was again; that feeling that the sensation he felt when he watched her was something to do with the whispering. What was it?
Ahh, well, no time to ponder that matter now.

And... Poison Arrow did his best to ignore her last question.
He wasn't ready to say it yet.

~Somebody turn on the LIGHT~
~We're gonna' have a PARTY~
~It's starting TONIGHT~

*&525!

~Poison Arrow

[Nimara]

Dirt and glitter
Cover the floor
We're pretty and sick
We're young and we're bored

[/size][/color]



"Trust is a danger to us all." Her heart gave an aching lurch at those words. Was it a warning? Was it a threat? Was it his way of saying he didn't trust her? Her heart gave another lurch at that thought. Why should it bother her that he wouldn't trust her? Why should she want to be trusted. For a brief second, Stryke's thoughts flashed to her twin and the femme's manipulative ways. But just as quickly, the male's deep voice had stolen her attention again. His words were moving. Perhaps it was simply the note of truth they held, the way he laid the situation out before her as it would be seen by an uninvolved by-stander. He really does have this all under control... The young she-wolf realized, fear beginning to flood her system. 

The male had her figured out from top to bottom. He noted her abilities, but also her disabilities. Where she may have obvious strength and agility, she was hindered by the limp in her leg and the scrapes along her side now stinging from her pumping blood. Meanwhile, he was strong without the scars of her past and he was well fed where she was weak from not eating enough. He has me cornered... And yet, Stryke was ok with that. She was okay with this male laying things out for her and she appreciated his honesty. She was okay with his prowess over her because he didn't flaunt it and strangely enough she knew he wasn't going to hurt her. Perhaps if given the chance he would protect her. Pull your head out of the clouds girl. Remember your past...

The male laid down, finished with his speech though he hadn't answered her question. Stryke narrowed her eyes, fighting the strong urge to pace with her indecision. But there was something else the male hadn't mentioned as well: what would happen if she joined his pack? What would happen if she moved on past her Loner status and stepped into a family? What would happen if she tried to once again associate herself with other wolves...with pack wolves...? These aren't the Royals... The fae told herself, trying to rely on courage she was quickly running out of. She was afraid. Afraid of this male and his Rebel wolves. Afraid of leaving the safety of the shadows and the solitude of her current existence. Afraid of change...of leaving the legacy of her parents behind... No, she couldn't think about that. She had to pay attention now.

Stryke relaxed, or at least appeared to, and slowly approached the male. Her movements seemed more fluid, her steps small enough to almost hide her limp. Silver paws padded silently over the ground as she circled the male, gazing down at him from the corner of her sapphire eye. "And what would happen if I were to stay on this territory as something other than a Loner. What if I asked to join your pack...?" The femme asked, her voice as unemotional as ever as she completed her circle and came to stand before the male, gemstone eyes gazing down at him with that same puzzling interest. "What would be my fate then...?" Her head had lowered a bit as she spoke, her black nose mere inches from his as she saught the gaze of his eyes. This suddenly hit her. She was out of line, she was far too close both for manners and for safety. The female took a few steps back before seeming to return to her previous demeanor and await the male's reply. Trying to control her fluttering heart the whole while.

It's time to lose your mind
And let the crazy out
Tonight we're takin' names
'Cause we don't mess around.

[/size][/color]

words = 605

[Poison Arrow]

*What is happening HERE?*
*Something's going on that's not quite CLEAR*

Her words tugged at his heart in a way that he did not know. What was up? And then it hit him with a force greater than a physical blow, and would have staggered if he weren't laying down.
A mate.
He was supposed to be choosing a mate.

That explained it all! The accusing stares from the young males, the whispering giggles of the Females... Uncharacteristic behaviour to say the least; they may not be the Royals, but even his pack couldn't resist the gossip of their young leader's decision for a Mate. But he didn't feel that way about any of them! Rose Thorn was pretty but extremely violent, and they were just distant friends. Azure was a little distant, but of course... The way she had looked at him lately. Ach! It was such a big mess! He didn't want to choose - he didn't want any she-wolf!
But as he looked up again, purple and blue eyes distant yet clear, he saw the wolf before him like a vision from the heavens. She had the features of an Alpha; proud stance, long legs, agile yet muscular body, and the way her jawline curved from her snout, down to her throat, held tight in this perilous situation...
Ahh, the things they could do, two alphas together...

No. He was not interested in love - or whatever that was - and his focus had to be on leading the pack. If he chose, it would of course get all political, and Poison Arrow would always feel obliged to consider the Twin of whoever he chose; he'd hate to wreck their love life.
This is still a tricky situation; you need to rule with your heart and your head, not your... Yeah. She stepped towards him, and he struggled to keep that thought.

Straightening his expression and trying to get his scrambled thoughts back in some kind of order after that revelation, the Alpha said, with as little emotion as possible, "If... If you were to join the pack..." He trailed off, frowning. What would happen if she joined the pack? As far as he knew, it had never happened to an adult wolf before; most were just born here, or wandered in as pups. But an adult she-wolf, coming into the pack, right before the Alpha was supposed to be choosing his mate? Might invoke a bit of a reaction.
Deciding what to say, Poison Arrow shifted his position. "I am sure you have worked out by now who I am," he began quietly, "And if I was Alpha of the Royals I would say the word and you would be in - though most likely I would have killed you by now. But we are not the Royals. It would be ultimately up to the pack what happened to you. All are treated as equals with us, yet you would most likely be under a distant guard for a while - you never can tell a spy from a loner - and after that... Who knows? You train as a Hunter or a Fighter, you do your duty, you..." become my Mate-- NO!

Then her face was inches away from his, and it was all he could do not to quiver with the blood and excitement that suddenly poured through his veins.
He did not push her away.

~Somebody turn on the LIGHT~
~We're gonna' have a PARTY~
~It's starting TONIGHT~

*&575!

~Poison Arrow

[Nimara]

Everything I love
Was made of porcelain,
Ready to break.

[/color][/size]



There was an unspoken phrase in the air about them. Unfinished in its meaning and unwanted in its weight. 'Will you be my...?' For the most part, this was unoticed by the young she-wolf. All she could really tell was this male had something heavy weighing on his mind, something he couldn't escape. Stryke was surprised by the twinge of sympathy which jerked her heart. This wolf was a stranger, a handsome stranger, but he still couldn't be entirely trusted. Why should she care about his problem? He looked at her strangely. Like he was interested in her, but not for the reasons one would expect. He looked at her like a general looked at a soldier; like she was a weapon he could use. The young femme wasn't sure she liked it...

Stryke looked into his eyes, one a deep blue, the other a cool violet. They were captivating in their unusualness and beauty, holding her attention so thoroughly she missed the first comment he made. She silently scolded herself, making sure to pay better attention. "I am sure you have worked out by now who I am." The male began, his words for some reason tweaking her heart painfully. She had been correct. He was an alpha. And I am me.... The thought was strange and seemingly without meaning. Subconsciously she realized the rift their ranks would put between them, and while it didn't register in her thoughts, the sorrow of this fact washed through her lithe figure like water on the beach. He continued on, briefly comparing himself to the Royals and their way of doing things. Then came his decision. It wouldn't be completely up to him whether she could step into their pack ranks, the rest of his pack would have a say in the matter.

"You train as a Hunter or a Fighter, you do your duty, you...." You what? You get accepted? You don't get your throat torn out in the middle of the night? You choose a mate? Stryke cocked her head to the side, curiosity showing in her gemstone eyes. "I what...?" The femme pushed, venturing nearer until her nose almost touched his. Every cell of thought screamed to get away, to put distance between them, but something about this male held her near. She wanted to be nearer in fact. No. This is wrong. Stryke thought with something like horror. This was wrong. She shouldn't be so close. Her heart shouldn't be stuttering within her chest. That lust-filled whimper shouldn't be building in the back of her throat, waiting to be let loose with smallest sign that her feelings were returned. 

The young she-wolf held her position, waiting for the alpha's reply.

But the bright, staggering light,
It anxiously waits inside.
Like nesting dolls, the secret hides.

[/color][/center]

words=448

[Poison Arrow]

*What is happening HERE?*
*Something's going on that's not quite CLEAR*

"You... Do... Everything you need to do in the pack." He struggled for words to describe what wasn't going through his head right now. He was still addled, and he really didn't need anything making mistakes for him right now.
She was too close. Her female scent enveloped his senses, her deep, swirling blue eyes bored into his, and every bodily sense was screaming at him to leap forward. Every mindful sense was telling him to move back. Finally the young Alpha managed to get a hold back on his speech, and said quietly yet firmly, "I think you should move back now."

Taking several long, deep breaths, he closed his eyes for a moment, sensing if she was going to move. We don't even know eachother's names... "What is your name, she-wolf? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours - and if we're going to try and get you into the pack, we'll need to introduce you..."
He trailed off.
An idea had just occurred to Poison Arrow so sudden un-plannable that it was most certainly going to work in the brilliant way that terrible, flawed plans always do.

~Somebody turn on the LIGHT~
~We're gonna' have a PARTY~
~It's starting TONIGHT~

*&206!

~Poison Arrow

{Sorry for bad post ^^' }}

[Nimara]

Everything I love
Was made of porcelain,
Ready to break.

[/color][/center]



"You... Do... Everything you need to do in the pack." Stryke was uneasy with his answer. So little was said in those few words. Everything you need to do.... Rather everything I'm told to do.... He was too gaurded, his mannerisms were difficult to read. It was unerving and the young she-wolf was beginning to label him as untrustworthy. "I think you should move back now." Stryke frowned, narrowing her eyes as the male closed his. Was it a threat? No, surely no wolf would make a threat and then close their eyes...right? Even so, the femme did as the alpha had commanded, the tone of his voice imbuing a sense of curiosity which - like all other emotions - was hidden deep behind the mask. The fae didn't turn, she simply backed away, unwilling to show this male her back so soon. She wasn't completely sure if all his words were as pretty as they seemed. He could turn in a heartbeat...

"What is your name, she-wolf? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours - and if we're going to try and get you into the pack, we'll need to introduce you..." Stryke shifted her weight from side to side, the only indication to her paranoia. Her name defined her. It was the one thing in the world no one could take away from her. And with such importance came great danger. The Rebels and Royals faught regularly. Names leak across territory lines and make targets out of the wolves who own them. Should she really risk giving her name out to this stranger? She who had already been a target once... He's going to be your alpha soon, you will he in his pack. He'll be an ally then, not an enemy. What are you afraid of? Familiarity. The answer came from the she-wolf's subconscious. She knew it was right. She was afraid of someone knowing her, getting close to her and in turn, she getting close to them. More than anything, the young she-wolf was afraid to open her heart to someone only to have them ripped away as her family had been... Stryke hesitated, glancing into the forest around them as if half expecting a wolf to come flying for her throat. When her gemstone eyes once again met the males, there was an almost sad determination pooling in the sapphire voids. "I'm Stryke." She watched him, his words replying in her mind. "If we're going to try and get you into the pack, we'll need to introduce you..." 

"Into the pack... Introduce you..."

"Into the pack........"
"Introduce you........."

But the bright, staggering light,
It anxiously waits inside.
Like nesting dolls, the secret hides.

[/color][/center]

words=432

((OOC: Haha nah, it's fine. ))  

[Poison Arrow]

*What is happening HERE?*
*Something's going on that's not quite CLEAR*

Stryke. He could imagine that - she looked as though she could 'strike' for sure. Ooh, good one... "Poison Arrow," he smiled, relieved that she had moved back - knowing the mysterious she-wolf's name took away some of the pressure and intimacy. Poison Arrow - fast and deadly, he thought, though he could not fathom his own humour of where this came from. He had never thought of it like that before.

The young black and green wolf stood slowly, stretching as he did so. He needed to work out how to say this... It was the perfect excuse, though. She had come as if by a miracle, though to some it may seem a curse.
Slowly, trying out the words as if to see if they fit, he spoke. "There's, umm... Something the Pack has needed for a while, and... You fit very well into... It," Well, two things, but she doesn't need to know that, "When we near the Camp I'll ask you to... Wait, for a while - I need to talk to someone. My Beta, Swift, needs to know what his... Cue will be." Here he hesitated. "Of course not all wolves are going to... Accept you, immediately, but in general I think you'll be okay - just don't kill anyone and learn fast - but I am... Instructing him that we will argue piteously about your Entrance into the Pack when I introduce you. It's a proper plan, but also secret - you must tell no-one I told you of this, okay?
"He needs to leave for a while, so he will storm out after our short nearly-fight - it is doubtless we will be stopped by a member before it reaches this point, and I am more of a... Diplomat. do nir panic, do not tell anyone. He will leave, and we have two-- I mean, a problem out of the way." Having her in the pack doesn't solve your Mate problem - if anything it makes it more difficult!

He waited with baited breath before they set off. She had to agree to this no-longer-quite-so-secret-though-still-hides-a-few-reasons Plan before they left. Suddenly he noticed the faraway, almost scared look in her eyes. Still has trust issues, he noted carefully.
"S-Stryke, are you okay?" Her name sounded good on his lips...

~Somebody turn on the LIGHT~
~We're gonna' have a PARTY~
~It's starting TONIGHT~

*&413!

~Poison Arrow

[Nimara]

Everything I love
Was made of porcelain,
Ready to break.

[/color][/center]




How could she do this? How could she leave her lonely past behind and step into the hierarchy of a pack? No. This was all a mistake. I'll explain that it was all just a mistake and- "Poison Arrow." His words inturrupted her flying thoughts, the franticness of her mind soothed by the gentleness of his voice. Odd... Why is he making me feel this way...? He affected her, both body and mind. She knew she needed to run, to get away, yet something in the male's deep, melodic voice made her know she couldn't leave if she tried. The fae was trapped. And by what? A voice? The lying, faked voice of a smooth talking male? I have to trust him... He will soon be my alpha... My alpha... The word was strange to her. Alpha. How long had she been alone, now here she was discussing her acceptance into a pack with the very wolf who would become her leader.

"There's, umm... Something the Pack has needed for a while, and... You fit very well into... It.." Stryke tilted her head a bit, watching him mostly through her left eye. He seemed unsure, as if he was worried of something. Like she would reject his offer. Well it couldn't be too bad... A scout perhaps, or a messenger.... After all I can run.... But it was more than that and the young femme knew it. She heard it in the unsurity of his voice. Saw it in the nervousness of his eyes. Felt it in the growing tension of their atmosphere. There was something more to the plan he was telling her. Something he didn't think she would like. But what could it be? Dinner. Stryke fought rolling her eyes at the foolish thought. This Poison Arrow seemed harmless enough, and even if he wasn't, the young fae could take care of herself. 

The male continued with his plan. Consistently sounding as if there was more which he left hidden. Stryke snorted when he got to the part about not killing anyone. She killed to protect herself, no other reason. As long as they were smart enough to keep their fangs well away from her flesh, everything would be fine and she would play nice. He told her also to keep it a secret. Who would she tell? Her twin? The other packmembers? Not likely. Her family was dead and she had no friends so there was virtually no one she would tell anything to. So what does that make him...? Complicated... Yes, he was complicated. Like an ice crystal with too many sides; when you look through one all you can see is a million possibilities of what could be the truth. That's what he was. An ice crystal. A sharp, dangerous, ice crystal...

"S-Stryke, are you okay?" The femme in question looked up, realizing she had been staring off into space. No, she wasn't okay. How could she be? Her parents were dead. Her life was slowly being torn apart by her own inability to trust anyone. She was plagued by bloody nightmares, and she dreamed about her family's ghosts. How could she be okay?! "Yes. I'm fine." The wolfess replied shortly, her voice strong and as detached as ever. It didn't matter that on the inside she was falling apart out of pain and desire. It didn't matter that she wanted more than anything to simply believe this wolf could be trusted and that he would comfort her if she needed it. It didn't matter that she silently pleaded for her parents to forgive her for the terrible act of cowardice she had rewarded them with. None of it mattered because it was all locked tightly away in a convenient little box. Tucked way back in the cavernous deapths of her subconscious where it could gather dust and cobwebs like good memories are supposed to.

The mask was intact. She was untouchable. Unbendable. Unbreakable... 

words=655

But the bright, staggering light,
It anxiously waits inside.
Like nesting dolls, the secret hides.

[/color][/center]