Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 9:36 am

Mae

Ulric awoke in his room. There was sunlight pouring in through the sides of a navy-blue curtain and mountain birds were actively twittering songs of gladness. A very distinctive smell of fresh earth and mountain soil was in the air, along with the tummy-tempting and mouth-alluring scent of charbroiled steak, likely seared to perfection while maintaining a juicy, tender interior.

A pleasanter morning greeting was so near to impossible to imagine after the last few weeks, that Ulric settled on the only plausible conclusion within four words; "I must be dead."

A stretch brought about a yawn and the reminder of pain in his lower right arm, which caused Ulric to reflect on gratitude for a captor who had not only the skill and knowledge, but also the compassion to mend a broken bone in a tough time frame.
There had never been a moment to think about it that night when the hunters had dragged him off, but somewhere between the time that Ulric had gone unconscious to the time he woke up in the Werewolf-hunter's truck, Mary Berg must have set to rights the harm done by *Harvey Bolt's man-hunting dog, Danny.

If such a morning delight as the smell of grilled meat could paint a deception on life as to convince other residents that the past few month's events had been a sad dream, Ulric was not fooled, but with such a hectic life in which he was now convinced "what can go wrong, will do so", a moment like this was bliss! He got out of bed on the prospect of preserving the happy moment, and ventured down the stairs from his room in the first cabin for the same reason, until when upon entering the main room he was met by two unfamiliar faces.

Ulric froze mid-step on his way to the back door and looked the two up and down. "Oh," The chuckle that followed was very pleasant, and Ulric smiled quite genuinely as he turned toward the two ladies. "Hello!"

Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 9:37 am

Mae

Timothy was staring up the long concrete wall. With the sun not quite glaring down into the ditch, there was still plenty of shade, and so far, he hadn't tried to escape it, so Timothy had laid down like a bored zoo tiger to lounge in a corner. Frankly, it was better than mucking out some animal's stall, at least for him, but Timothy wasn't quite alone in his confinement either. Jackie was also in the ditch.

Timothy had received no injury that night in town, but Jackie had, and once Sabrina had seen to her by methods only one learned in dated werewolf lore might know, Jackie was also confined in the ditch. The two of them made very poor company, Timothy never bothered to resume his human form, much less make conversation, so their interactions were very limited in such a wide space as the ditch provided.

Presently, Timothy laid his head down on the concrete floor, he could smell the meat cooking on the air like everyone else could, but he was aloof of it.

Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 9:37 am

Deseree

"Hmm.."

Logan shifted slightly, having been half asleep, sitting upright against the base of a tree. The sun threatened her peaceful rest, and for some time she covered her face with a forearm as a shield from it's rays. The wakefulness soon took over and she laid her arms across her waist, casting her gaze forward, where in her dozed state she had seen previously seen the Alpha at work on a savory breakfast meal.

---

Blue eyes moved from their prior focus and to Ulric. Bianca stood near the other woman; whether she had been engaged in a conversation with her, just beginning to speak with her or otherwise, it couldn't be said, for now every attention was on the man who had all but managed to get out the back door with any degree of ease. A smile played on her face; if she had suffered any mental or physical strain from the prior events, it was certainly sealed away behind a neatly made up exterior - her pearly white teeth were framed with perfectly lined and painted lips of a bright red color, her cheeks were a warm with a rosy shade of blush, and her bright eyes were accentuated by mellow smoky hues of shadow highlighted with a hint of lavender.

She studied the other briefly before stepping towards him with an arm outstretched for a handshake, her smile never fading. "Good morning," her voice was perky and fresh, "Bianca Chapman!"

Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 9:37 am

Kaqurei

Sabrina leaned back against the rustic wooden back of her bench. She was seated in the waiting room of the First Den (this being a name for one of the cottage dorms Kratos had erected at the training grounds), just waiting. The smell of the succulent grill outside permeated the building, and indeed, perhaps all of the valley. Though she had eaten little in the week following that harrowing night, it did not whet her vegetarian pallet.

Upstairs, she heard Bianca's clear, cheerful Good Morning to Ulric. In contrast, she could only make out traces of the Alpha and Granny Buttermilk's conversation behind the closed doors of Kratos' office. Whether it was due to the fact that they spoke in hushed tones or that the doors of the office were so thick that they obscured all sound mattered little. They had been so engaged for nigh to an hour. Thus Sabrina continued to await her turn.... her interview, as it were. This granted her perhaps the first time for reflection she'd had in months. Though, her thoughts were far from sentimental as she considered the events that had led up to her being a member, and then an unofficial exile, from this pack.

It had started out so simply, so routinely. Alpha Sabres, her father, had come to understand that there was a rogue werewolf torturing the citizens of a small village in the States and had sent her to dispatch him. The town was called Reknab Bend by its inhabitants, and she'd had quite the time finding it, as on just about every map known to man it was called Banker's Bend. Following a description of the locale, she had come as close as Pinerich, a neighboring city. It was only after she chance come upon a werewolf particular map in a curiosity store that she had finally discovered the spelling "Reknab" on an actual map. She was surprised to discover it in a spot very familiar to her. She had not known the name then, but she had spent much of her childhood in Reknab with her aunt. Once she knew she had an inside contact, she quickly went to pay her relative a visit to find out more concerning her quarry.

It was at her aunt's cabin that she had first heard the Alpha's howl. What a magnificent, glorious sound that had been on her ears. In general, the howl of a wolf could be termed the Song of the Wind. His was the Song of Thunder, with all the power and majesty of a great storm. She had feared at first that musical trumpet belonged to the rogue she had been sent to exterminate, but happily learned that was not the case. His call was to every werewolf in the vicinity: he was claiming this territory, and inviting any loner within the sound of his voice to join him.

How could she refuse?

Together, she and the wolves that had answered his call came to form the Calagathorm pack. They had united against the rogue and defeated him. Perhaps she had plans to leave them after that and return to her own pack... but that all changed when they discovered a boy by the name of Timothy trapped up in the lair of the beast they had defeated.

Her eyes wandered to the form of a man standing at her right, and her thoughts changed. He was dressed casually and his stature laughably light. He stood in a posture reminiscent of the military at-ease, staring straight ahead with such a serious, intense look in his clear green eyes that one may never have guessed that his meticulous thought processes were utterly consumed by only one notion: those steaks.

She wished he would just sit down like a normal person. Her rank far exceeded his in Ireland, but here, she was not a member of his pack. He was an outsider, and she was an exiled founder. Even if he could not stomach the idea of sitting next to her, he could at least sit on the bench across from, instead of standing over her like a bodyguard.

This man, Levi O'Connell by name, was the foremost cause for her present ill standing with Alpha Kratos. She could not blame him for following Alpha Sabres' orders to find her here, but she certainly could and would blame him for getting caught by the Calagathorm Pack. Shortly upon learning of her connection to the spy, Alpha Kratos had sent them both back to Ireland... but she had not gone, nor did she allow Levi to do so. They had left the pack for a time, certainly, but only as a means of giving Kratos the space he desired... let him think what he would of where they had gone. And, when enough time had elapsed that she thought it suitable, they had returned.

She had not been idle in her absence. She had come to learn of an enemy to the pack, and had utilized every aspect of her training as an assassin and Levi's as a spy to gather what information she could concerning them. They weren't the usual brand of werewolf hunters, and they covered their tracks well. Too well. Still, she had managed to intercept information that two of Kratos' number had been captured, and these hunters meant to claim at least one of them. She had organized a rescue. Outside of that, very little had been learned - but enough to know that there was particular interest vested in the member of Kratos' pack these hunters had attempted to claim. They wanted Jackie.

Jackie, a woman who had chance come upon the scene of Kratos' first ignominious attempt at being the Alpha of a bunch of untrained weres. The five loners who had answered his call that first night were one thing; they had long been werewolves and each knew himself. But others had joined in the month following. These were young, new werewolves. Together they, along with the vicious wildcard Timothy had turned out to be, proved to be the undoing of any well laid plan the Alpha may have had concerning teaching man to tame the beast within him. Jackie had been caught in the crossfire. She was bitten, and soon became a new werewolf herself.

What her connection was to the werewolf hunters was still unclear to Sabrina. She hoped there would be more answers, now that the human Melinda Channing had come on the scene.

Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 9:37 am

Kim

Cherise stood beside Bianca with her back facing the way Ulric would come in. Though unknown if any conversation took place between the two women before he entered, the situation definitely lead one to believe such did occur. As her arms had been folded and her eyes fixed keenly toward the hallway leading to where Grandma Buttermilk and the Alpha talked behind closed doors, it would appear that might have been their subject.

Cherise felt sure her Granny was giving a lecture. The time this was taking certainly encouraged this thought, and she felt in completely support of Mrs. Buttermilk for it.
So far her interactions with this pack boded unwell. She was quite irritated with the past events of that night and could not believe any creature that was capable of thinking and feeling humanly would act in such a way that she had witnessed. Her stance, though very much that of an irritated woman, would speak to the wolf as authoritative and aggressive.

When Ulric ventured with a polite and friendly 'hello' Cherise turned to face him. Unfolding her arms and placing a hand on her hip, she flipped her long braided hair, adorned with soft pink roses, from her shoulder. Bianca had been the first to answer him, thus Cherise kept quiet for the present and watched their interaction observantly. She did not recognize him as any of those wolves she had interacted with previously and she did not want to behave unkind to anyone, so she forced a smile that soon became genuine, putting down her upset feelings for the moment.

Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 9:38 am

Cat

Steak.
Not something you'd think a skinny, study-obsessive nerd like Toby would find alluring. But he did. In fact, he had been craving it for several days now. Having it waft through the air so freely was practically torture to the bed bound Omega. He could only hope someone would remember to send him up some.

Toby had suffered more then his fair share since joining the pack. Embarrassment and injury alike. Truth be told, after being caught in his pajamas by every girl he'd known since childhood, it was honestly a wonder he wasn't dead from over exposure to pure awkward. To say nothing of the bullet holes in his leg, stomach, and ear; which he properly earned the first night he decided to play hero. To add insult to injury, all three bullets had been fired by someone who knew and liked him back in Reknab Bend... They didn't know he was a werewolf. He was on pain medication, lucky to be alive after something they intentionally did, meanwhile they were at home still thinking of him as a friend whenever he crossed their mind... But Toby wasn't bitter. In fact, he was too busy worrying about them in this instance:

What if they had killed him that night? And after he was dead, Granny made up some story as to what had happened to the human him. They would all attend his funeral, and weep about how he'd gone too soon. His things would be divided up among them, each item being a last gift to them that they would treasure forever. For years, they would look at that item and remember him, sorry that he was gone. Then, one horrible day, it would happen. The secret would somehow get out-- Probably because of Jackie and Timothy, and everyone would know he had been a werewolf. There would be betrayal. Many would dash to pieces the item he'd given them and claim he'd lied to them. They'd be so mad. And the one person who wouldn't be mad at him, who loved him anyway, would have been the one who pulled the trigger. They'd realize it and be so guilty! So guilty! Toby already wanted to hug them and tell them it was okay; they din't know. They were just trying to protect their families from a strange monster. Oh, how sorry Toby felt for them.

Toby was just on the verge of crying when his mind snapped back to reality. Nobody would have to suffer such inner guilt and turmoil because he was still alive. What a relief!

In any case, the bullet wounds were not what was keeping Toby in bed today anyway. If he ended up being forgotten about, never brought any stake, and starved to death.. Well, he couldn't really blamed anyone.

Jackie had been the primary cause of him being crushed under a pile of wolves and people, practically dislocating the hip of his good leg, but that wasn't why he was bed bound today either.

ACHOO!

No, it was no injury that kept him in bed today. It was a cold. He'd gotten sick from being out in the rain in his pajamas. That would teach him to go prancing about half naked! And to think, he had a coat and hat earlier that very day, but had lost them both because it was too hot... Oh the irony.

*********************************

It was hardly fair to meet Alpha Kratos on his turf to discuss the problems she had with his pack, but the problems with his pack were the very reason she had agreed to it. After this latest incident, she didn't want to take their alpha away from them again..

I don't want to be unfair here, Kratos. After all, I know how unruly new pups can be, but after what has happened, I must speak my mind: The old lady said, huffing in her seat. There had been some beating around the bush the past hour as Granny tried to figure out where she stood in this matter. After all, she was taking personal offense at this, when it wasn't really personal. But alas, she could find no better way then to speak her mind.

The mountain is yours. Plain and simple. I abandoned it. You claimed it. It's done, fairs fair. But I have not relinguished my claim on Reknab Bend. That town is still my territory, and I consider the people who live in it to be mine as well; my responsibility. Members of your pack came into my territory and attacked my people without cause. I'm sure you know what the situation would be if I still had a pack of my own, but even with circumstances as they are, I don't feel much different. Don't think I failed to notice Toby was specifically targeted; in werewolf terms, she would have targeted the pup of an alpha from a rival pack- you know full well what this would mean. I'm just so angry I can't stand it! With this, Granny thumped the end of her cane on the floor.

From what I've heard, this isn't the first bit of trouble caused either. I understand the fact that Jackie is a First Generation, that takes time.. But that Timothy fellow of yours is a dangerous problem! I'm more angry at him than at anything else. Something needs to be done about him- You can't be nice about it anymore, Kratos. Nice is not working. You need to either get him help or get rid of him!

Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 9:38 am

Indy

Melinda was already awake and alert well before the sun had barely crawled above the horizon line. The room she had stayed in that night had already been set into order: the bed had been meticulously made and the clothing she had been given to sleep in that night had been folded on top of the bed. She had changed into her own clothing which dried over the night. The hour was too early yet to make phone calls regarding her vehicle, though in any case she knew it needed to be dealt with swiftly before any travelers grew concerned by an abandoned car. And that concern paled in comparison to containing the fiasco that had transpired that night in town. She needed to leave, and the sooner it was done, the better off she’d be.

And yet as the woman had carefully slid her palms over the door handle, to her delight finding it entirely unlocked, she heard a shift outside the door that turned her blood cold. She froze and quieted her breathing until… yes, she could hear the subtle rise and fall of another presence outside the door. Melinda’s features furrowed, realizing it had been no coincidence the room she had been offered had no windows. Still, she could not very well stay poised by that door for the better part of the morning and so with a weary sigh, she slid open the door and prepared herself for just about any sight.

It was a teenage boy. He couldn’t have been yet an adult, and yet his gangly towering frame was curled up beside the door. His eyes were closed. He wasn’t snoring, but his breathing was even in such a way she suspected he wasn’t paying attention to her. Might she have been so lucky … ?

As she took a few silent steps forward, the boy didn’t stir and Melinda allowed herself to quietly exhale the breath she had been holding. The house was otherwise silent at this hour and so she approached the front door.

“You uh… can’t leave yet” a voice mumbled from behind.

It was the boy again. In the time she had taken to walk towards the front door, he had stood up and crossed his arms. She supposed it was meant to look intimidating – and he very well did look intimidating with his towering frame -- but there was an awkwardness there too that didn’t cause her any unease. Melinda ignored him and continued walking forward.

To her surprise, the boy ran forward and lightly grabbed her shoulder. “No! If you won’t listen, I’ll have to get Kratos and --”

That name did enough to give her a moment’s pause.

“Fine then,” Melinda hissed. The boy flinched like the words hurt him, but she didn’t feel bad about it,” If I can’t very well leave the property, then the least you can do is show me where you’re keeping her”

The boy didn’t need to be told twice nor did he need any clarification on what she meant. He bowed his head and shuffled forward, opening the door so the cold morning air chilled the exposed skin of her face. She followed close behind him and the two drew nearer to what appeared to be an electric fence. The boy motioned forward to her, but did not go any further.

As she walked towards the fence, she could feel the hair at the ends of her arm stand on end from the charge of her fence. Without drawing near enough to risk damage, she peered inside the fence only to see it extended some twenty feet below. Squinting inside she could just barely see a figure lying on a matt and a light blanket thrown overtop.

Melinda kept her composure; however, just barely, and her eyes still widened to betray her shock of the sight. The woman bowed her head and exhaled.

“What a mess we’re in”.

Without another word, Melinda retreated to her room, readying herself for when she was called upon.

---

The first thing Jackie saw was the pale blue sky of the morning. She didn’t know where she was, only that she was lying on her back cushioned by a matt or thin futon and the faint morning sun stung at her eyes. As she raised a hand to block the insulting beams, she became aware of two things. The first was a stiffness and tenderness, but not pain, networked down her spine at the slight movement. And the second was that the bandaged hand that reached out to block the sunshine was human.

And this, somehow, was a surprise. Pushing back her mind far enough, groggy though she was, she could vividly remember her other body too. It had been big, a furry massive machine that could probably take down a freight train. Even at her most vulnerable it had been hard to ever feel truly weak. She hadn’t wanted to give it up for this frail form, but so it appeared to have relinquished itself in the morning sun.

But pressing for details beyond that became hazy. She didn’t remember much past the abandoned schoolyard. She could remember snippets of images like being carried, the murmur of voices around her, Sabrina’s face knotted in concentration as she towered above her, and a familiar face hidden behind a black lattice. She held these images for a brief moment, closely assessing the details she did have, before allowing them to fade from her mind just as a strong odor hit the air.

It was coming somewhere from above. It was nauseating and yet enticing all the same. It smelled of smoke and grease; she could faintly hear something sizzling overhead. Her interest piqued, she set to work on slowly easing herself upright. Jackie was slow as she sat up so there was nothing beyond a mild discomfort at the movement. She sought slowly to point her head towards the rich odor… only to seee a thick cement wall. Her eyes traced it to the sky, just making out a dark fence.

She knew where she was. She had seen the imposing structure of the pit many times; however it had been from the outside in and not the other way around. She had enjoyed looking at the structure, and had once even jokingly pointing out the corner she intended to stay in when she finally got tossed in. The reality, however, was not so entertaining. The massive structure would not let her out until someone from the outside wanted her out.

And what was more, it appeared she was not alone in her confinement. From her periphery she saw a shadow move. The shadow was a wolf, lounging like a bored tiger in a zoo. She knew she should be afraid of him; she was an injured human woman imprisoned together with what most would consider a feral animal. But she knew this wolf. They had been allies, however briefly, and that seemed good enough reason he wouldn’t hurt her now either. Jackie considered him thoughtfully… she very well knew what she did to earn a residency in the pit, but what had Timothy done?

One quick glance in his yellow eyes and Jackie decided she didn’t want to know.

Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 9:38 am

Mae

Ulric had a pleasing smile that was always accompanied by two dimples, and the overall effect on his features whenever they appeared was very charming.

Without the least degree of hesitancy Ulric took Bianca's hand and laughed as he did so.
"Good morning to you! Ulric Shragron, a pleasure." He said happily.

Ulric's face was of course narrow, his nose and eyes being the most defined of his features, and his eyes in particular, but that was not the only reason for which they drew the primary attention of his onlooker. Ulric's eyes were as bright as amber tree resin under a sunlit ray, and his hair, being a warm caramel color, gave his brows a soft sandy appearance.

"Are you new here?" Ulric said, laughing again as he reached a hand behind his neck. "I guess if I've never seen you here before then you must be."
*****

Timothy lazily picked up his head as Jackie stirred from her rest. He looked at her mat in the concrete yard and followed her gaze as she steadily took note of her surroundings.
This inclination to observe brought about a communication of its own in Timothy's mind, he knew Jackie was drawn after the smell in the air and that she was mildly disappointed in finding herself in the confinement. The last thing of all Jackie seemed to notice was his own gaze in her direction, she met his eyes in a hesitant glance but there was room enough in that glance for an invitation, and Timothy accepted it.

Drawing his weight up on his fore-paws and breathing a scoff to the wind, Timothy glanced upward and around, looking at all four walls. No one appeared to be in sight, so Timothy squared his gaze on Jackie again and was content to come over.

When he got close enough, Timothy still didn't say a word, but it was like some blunt statement when he lifted his nose in Jackie's direction and sniffed three times at her. As if pointing out her wounds and ultimate vulnerability, Timothy licked his teeth and curled his lips before stalking around her and standing not far off... continuing to watch her.

Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 9:38 am

Deseree

In that moment that he spoke his name, Bianca let her hands fall to her sides and her expression melted away, although it remained soft as she stared on at him with a perplexed look, opening her mouth to speak once, then twice, but she seemed unable to find the words.

"Please tell me she wasn't alone."

"No. Roger told me there was a man who went and sat beside her, and stayed with her the whole time."

"I wonder who."

"We only got his name, he told it to her right before she passed..."

".... Urlic Shragron." she spoke his name and studied his features again. This time she was not looking at a strangers face and trying to learn it, she sought something deeper. Her bottom lip tucked away under the upper, her brows pressed against the arches of her eyes. Again she tried to speak but to no avail, and where her words failed her, she stepped forward suddenly and wrapped her arms around Ulric's neck, resting her head on his shoulder.

"It was you..." she pulled in a shaken breath, "The pleasure is mine. Thank you. Thank you for staying with her." the words had gone hoarse by the end, and large tears fell along her cheeks.