Here I Am

[Defect]

Noel trotted home. The sweet scent of home came up her nose. She came back from her birthplace in a hurry when she heard her own son was a leader. Pride and love swelled in her. She forgot when she was doing even. Noel wanted to run up to him and rub against him telling him how much she missed him, how much she was proud. Though now older, as a four year old, she was't bounding around like a pup. She just kept on walking, looking for him. She also wanted to discuss her position and Salem. She didn't really care about Salem, but she wanted to know. All of a sudden she heard a huge crack behind her.

Lightning I know it's you. You always do that.

Noel turned around and looked right at her spitting image. Lightning grinned and bounded up to her.

Mother! Where have you been? I had pups. . . but I left them with my master. They would be no good here. Oh Mom!

After they exchanged stories Noel went on with Lightning. She wanted to find her son so they could talk and also no talk about Lightning escaping from her own pack. It was true though, she had loved her master, truely, but he was not her master anymore. Someone else ruled.

[Action]

Thunder
Hear my battle cry.

Thunder's majestic paws led him through the bounties of his beautiful land. Passed to him by his Father who had been taken away by Xenith to do his dirty work. All in order to save him and his half-brothers. H.ll yes he missed him. Salem had been his best friend. After all, his Mother had proclaimed that she no longer wanted him. No longer loved him. His sister had run off to some other monster brujo to be a pathetic slave. His sister, a rightfully royal heir taken as a slave. He couldn't stand the thought that his princess sister had been taken. His entire family had been taken. Leaving him with his father's Slaves, Beta and Betaess, Half-brothers, Members, and Step-Mother. He had been petrified of being leader, but now thlis graceful wolf was proud and honored. Not frightened to run full on into danger. Especially if it was about anything or anyone he cared about.

Lashing around trees, his nostrils breathed in and out, letting in the aroma of the forest and letting out carbon monoxide. One...no two familiar scents swept into his nose, wisping around. Drilling themselves into his brain. He had not smelt these scents for a long, miserable time. He missed both scents so much. Slashing his paws faster, he beat the air and ground rhythmically and very fast. Mother and Sister. The words were simple and clear in his head. They rang again and again in his mind. Imprinted. Faster he raced until he practically smashed into them. Clamoring to his feet, he looked at the two almost identical wolves with a strange look. "Why are you guys back?" Of couse he was happy they were back, but he didn't want "unexpected" visits by other honking Masters coming to take back their runaway slaves. No fear or anything was in his eyes. Just a clear look that showed patience and that he was waiting. Nothing more. Nothing less would be needed.

[/blockquote]

[Bengal Brat]

ooc: I hope you don't mind me popping in...

----

Two new scents filled the air behind Noel and Lightning. Although the alpha of these lands, Amareta Forest, as Lightning had called it, would recognize the smell of his kin from far away, the newcomers would definitely be new to him. A snow white wolfess with bright emerald colored eyes appeared out of no where, coming to stand beside her only friend, Lightning, but a few paces back. No one could say that she was not eye-catching, because Jade really was a pretty wolf, especially when she was standing straight and tall, like she was doing right then and there. Her usual cowardly posture, that of a slave's, was gone, not a trace of it to be found anywhere. With Koba gone, she would never again need to act like a pathetic excuse for a wolf.

During the long year or so in Black Forest, Jade, the white vix, had been forcebred by Koba, only to be comforted when it was all over. Quite an odd move on the alpha's part, really. A few days later, she had met Lightning, former heir to the Amareta Forest throne. She had also been raped, but she seemed not at all unhappy about her pregnancy. Both fems had been deeply pleased when they each found out that the other was expecting, an obvious sign that they were the perfect match to be best friends. Lightning went into labor a few moons later, and the result was a beautiful threesome. Pregnant Jade watched them grow up, but from a distance; her master was taking a liking to one of the feisty she-pups, and she didn't dare disrupt them when they were spending time together. The vix also didn't want her scent anywhere near her friend's litter, because she didn't want herself or Lightning to be punished for it; she herself was really nothing but something to look at and force to go hunting whenever Koba so wished it. When Lightning's pups were about two moons old, Jade went into labor herself, and delivered a handsome little boy; he was white with black highlights along his back and red hues along the outside of his auds. One eye was a cool blue, the other a striking, but still very warm, emerald color. Lightning seemed to be just as happy about her companion's son as Jade was her litter. They were truly good friends. When Washington, the son of Jade and Koba, was about four moons old, he went to meet his father for the first time. His mother, however, had made the foolish mistake of waking him up right after a dream of death, and was no doubt beaten for it; not very badly, but enough to leave a snake-like scar underneath the feathering on her front left leg.

Now that Koba was gone, Jade and Washington were able to eat very well for another moon or so; the young brute was a tall, muscular figure who was no doubt very much attached to his protective mother. The 'marking' scar on her ear no longer visible, for it had healed up quite quickly, mother and son were a great-looking pair.

Looking in the direction of Thunder, who was much bigger and stronger than she had ever imagined after Lightning's stories about him, she politely dipped her head and lowered her tail; now, she looked like a free wolf coming for a visit instead of a lowly slave being dragged here against her will. She was looking for a new life here, and didn't want to make the wrong impression on the alpha, especially not right off the bat. Washington trotted up behind her to stand next to Jade and copied his mother, dipping his head just so in a manner that showed slight submission and respect for the older brute.

"Why are you guys back?"

Well, that certainly didn't sound like the words that an alpha being reunited with his mother and sister --at long last, as well-- should be speaking. He hadn't expected them to return, that was obvious now, but he sounded much younger and care free than he really was. Perhaps I overestimated him just a bit... after what happened to his father, I shouldn't have thought that Thunder could follow in his footsteps so very quickly. Jade let her eyes wander around the area for a few brief heartbeats. Well, he definitely hasn't let the place go. I suppose he does know what he's doing, even if he's not showing it right now.

[Defect]

Noel was just about to stop and go back to her lonely lands when she heard feet. She put a tail in the face of her daughter, stopping her. All if a sudden a male wolf jumped in front of her. A wolf gone this long would have forgotten, but as his mother, she remembered.

My have you grown. What kind of greeting was that?

Lightning smiled and cocked her head. She took a step forward and laughed.

I agree with Mom. You don't see the same. Where's Dad? And we're here because I was kicked out and Mom was tired of being alone.

Lightning sat down and examined her brother thouhtfully. What was he going to do with them? Noel didn't know either. She knew her son looked and thought mostly like her father. She was defaintly going to be cautious. Noel like looked at him in the lovely, motherly way any wolf would. She couldn't believe how much he had grown. She just wondered where his father was. Noel eyed the other wolf cautiously, but there was something about the wolf Lightning couldn't put her mind on.

[;; s h a r d ;;]

The ebony Free-Roamer padded through the wood silently. A heavy fog swirled around her large bodice, her icy-azure eyes peirced into the fog, searching for other bretheren. Shard had caught the scent of other wolves, and had followed it here. Her onyx banner trailed behind her, blowing in the slight breeze. There was no light in the wood, though the fatale knew it was mid-day.

She finally emerged from the foggy forest and into a clearing with several wolven in it. Some were slaves, but there was a brute that seemed to be a master. She threw her large dome back and mellow notes of a short greeting-howl rumbled forth of her ribbon.

The walk forward caughtiously, waiting for the master's responce. She had added a few notes to signal that she was a free-roamer, and hoped he wouldn't try to capture her, because then she would have to kill him. But then that might mean the slaves would be set free, and that would be good.

But her intentions were friendly, so she approched the Master, bowing. "My name is Shard, Free-Roamer fea. Who might you be?" Her azure occuli flashed, and her whipcord swished to the side.



{That was nuubish, i guess, but whatever, hope you dont mind me barging in... I didn't really read the other posts, though I probably should have xD]

[Action]

Giving a cheesy little grin, the newly appointed Alpha stepped forward again and warmly and lovingly ran his tongue across her cheek. Thunder's warm gaze then came to Noel. That was when he became nervous. He hadn't seen his mother in a long time. She had said she hated him a long time ago. That was mostly behind him now, though. Cautiously stepping forward, he nuzzled his mother. Stepping back again, he smiled. "I missed you." He spoke quietly, but his voice was very assertive. But, it still had that small depressed squeak in it. "I have changed." He said grinning. Thoughtfully, he pondered over whether or not to tell Lit and Noel what happened to his father but he was unable to keep it from them and revealed what happened. "Well....Dad got taken to Dunen as a slave in order to save me and 3 of our Half-Brothers....but he's back. And....errr....I'm Alpha now." It was all hard to choke out of his throat, but he managed. He had stuttered often, but that was okay...so he thought. That's when he noticed that there was another fem and a brute along with his Mom and Sister. Turning his head to them, he smiled warmly again. Dipping his head in greeting, he stepped forward again.

"I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself correctly. I'm Thunder." He had been rude in not noticing them until now. But, he hoped that they wouldn't mind that small misstep. "You are welcome in Amareta. You may stay here if you wish." Telling them they could stay here if they wanted to was the best he could do right now. If they stayed, he could make it up to them later. But if they did not, that was it. That's when he stood to wait for all of these wolves to respond to his maw that refused to shut up.

Then when poor Thunder was least expecting it, another fem came from behind them. Turning his head, he dipped his head in greeting again. "Ahh....Miss. Shard. I, Shard am Thunder and this is my Mother, Noel, my Sister, Lightning, and...their two friends" He had not yet heard his Mother and Sister's friend's names yet, so he called them exactly what he knew. "What are you doing in my forest, this fine day? Are you coming here to propose to live and stay here, or simply passing through? We welcome you if you wish to stay." His greeting was warm. This was what he usually did to strangers. Ast them what they were doing, introduced himself, and asked them if they wanted to stay. But, he mixed up the words every time. Not like some silly trademark where you said the same exact thing every time. Now he had 5 wolves around him. All he wished to stay. It would be a great gain to his empire if they did so. But, it was all up to them. He wouldn't force them.

[/blockquote]

[;; s h a r d ;;]

Shard turned and dipped her dome to each wochen in turn. "Good day," she said to them, the turned back to the Alpha. "I was just passing though, but this looks like a comfortable place, and I think I may just settle down here... even if it's just for a little while." Her audu were pricked, and her icy-azure occs were wide open. The bright, golden orb above cast light on her shimmering tableau, making it shine all the more. She looked around, bowed to the Alpha, and backed away. She then lifted her onyx slippers, trotting over to a small spring nearby.

As she lapped water from the small lough she thought of her history, and then a thought hit her-would staying here endanger this pack? What if Hortu came to kill her, and hurt-or killed-the others in the process. Shard knew she could withstand him, but also knew the others couldn't. Hortu was as big as she, as strong as she, and as fast as she. -But what if she could drive the Spirit out? But even if she could, the Spirit may have twisted Hortu's mind enough to still hate her.

Her whip idly swung lowely from side to side in rhythem with her lapping. She raised her summit, and twisted her boa around to take in the sight of the other wolves. But wait, did Thunder mean by her staying-that she would be a slave? He had seemed so sweet-even the sight of him had enchanted her. But it still could be. So she decided to ask him.

Her pads quickly hit the terra in a three-beat rythm, and soon she was infront of the Alha again. "Please forgive my ignorance, sire, but did you mean, as my staying here, that I should be a slave?" The lyrics rolled of her tounge easily, even though she had practiced he words very little. Her harks were turned to Thunder, waiting for his speech.

[;; s h a r d ;;]

*Alpha

[»Ιmαgε]

Polaris
^{My complete opposition.}

<sup>A white blur rushed across the open field again which the male had taken to calling his "Trial". Polaris had been eager lately about his upcoming race that he'd taken upon himself to enter. No one had forced him. No one had ever asked him to attend. For once in his life, Polaris had decided something on his own without anther's guidance to feed off of. Still, the omega felt out out of place at Amareta Forest, even for living there for as long as he had. How long had it been? Ages, it seemed. The brute had lived in a constant fear the first few days of his arrival in the new terra, taking the chance to sleep away from the rest of the pack in an effort to be given a head start should Malou decided he wanted his little pet again.

Polaris's breath was ragged as he charged across the open stretch, attempting to lengthen his strides with each massive push off. The baron had taken to making himself work out a bit each day, figuring that he'd never find his sister in his previous condition. Before he'd been a slow, sickly wolf. Today he looked much better and could probably hold his own against Malou. At least until Malou decided to kick it into gear.

Stopping at the opposite side of his field, Polaris flipped his audits around quickly, just barely catching some faint murmuring from around the left bend. I better go take a look. His better person rang out, the brute switching into a quick working trot to make it around. In uncertainty, Polaris dropped his mouth, gaping openly in front of the five-some. Noel, Lightning, Thunder, Jade, and a newer wolf with an unknown scent stood before him, holding their own conversation. The blue-eyed male had never met half of the wolves before him; he paused, his tail loosely hung parallel, unsure of his rank between them all.

Polaris surveyed the new group he'd traveled upon, keenly aware he was in no position of rank; besides the newcomer that was. His optics latched to her as he scanned the ram-shackle group, his emotions flowing forth suddenly. The vix was pretty. Her ebon coat was like a cold winter night, dark and mysterious to him. Stomach bubbled with nervousness and he slowly swished his tail back and forth, anxious as to who would speak next. Who is she. . .? Polaris tried to keep her eye contact for a moment before glancing away, too clammy to continue. He'd never felt this way before, and suddenly his brain went faster than he could check.

"What's your name?"

Optics stretched wide, a look of pure disbelief at what he'd done quickly spreading across his face. What was he doing? Something impulsed him to move, bark, do something to showoff. Anything. Polaris's audtis were pulled slightly back, a battle raging within. Control yourself, brute!</sup>

^{ooc- Yeah, it's bad, but I'll try better next time. The end failed.}

[Defect]

OOC: Image, sadly i culd hardly read your post, try a darker color?

Lightning blushed under her fur as her brother licked her. Noel shrugged her fear of her own son off. She still loved him, though his choices... his other mother. She disliked it. Lightning and Noel were completely taken back by their pre-Alpha's choice.

Really? I never thought... Lightning choked. She couldn't think of her beloved father being torturted as a slave. Noel smiled smally, looking down.

Your father seems to have changed... quite a bit.... Hmph. His choice. I would have done it, I know that. Alpha? Big step for you eh? And what about a lovely mate, hmm?

Noel was just being selfish, thinking of her generations of pups. She wasn't exactly old yet. Maybe she could find a forever mate.

Lightning looked at the new male. Their eyes met. She couldn't tel what he was looking at her for. His eyes said something mixed of embaressedment and shyness. Weird.

Lightning, sir. Three years of age... And you, sir?

Lit was somewhat embaressed. She was taught to say sir, so that was what she said. She shook her fur lightning, green eyes glowing. Her tail swayed with emotions never had she experianced.

Lightning was dumb struck. She was looked at the femme with eyes of couriosity. She suddenly remembered and blurted out her name.

JADE! Oh... sorry. How are your pups? I never got to see them... my pups gone, possibley dead. Oh Jade... I missed you...

She brushed her body against Jade's in attempt at affection. She took a step back and looked over at all the wolves. She was surprised.

[»Ιmαgε]

^{ooc- If you need to read someone's post because of color simply highlight and you should be able to read it. Or transfer it to a word document. The colors say things about my characters, so I'd rather not remove them. :/}

[Defect]

Oh no, I meant like next time you post... but yeah. Sorry.

[;; s h a r d ;;]

Shard looked up and briefly looked gazes with the brute, icy-azure occs glinting. She squinted, scrutinizing him. He looked lean and strong, his frame covered with a white canvas. She cocked her dome at him. What did he want here? "Hello. I am Shard... a free-roamer and just visiting here," she intruduced herself caughtiously, entracing lyrics rolling of her ribbon slowly.

She shrugged slightly, and turned her summit back to the Alpha, harks still pricked and waiting. A slight breeze rustled her ebony tableau, blowing her whipcord to the side. Her nares flared as the gentle breeze rushed though them. There were no new scents to remember, except maybe the spicey-sweet smell of pinetrees in the forest around them.

She glanced back at the lean brute again, thinking quietly to herself, He looks like Hortu... She smiled slightly at this, Except that Hortu is black, and would have already tried to kill me. She large bodice rocked with an almost undetectable shudder.

She licked her chops and sat down, plumage wrapping around her haunch. She looked to the Alpha, still awaiting his answer. She was becoming impatient, but guessed he had forgotten her almost totally when the other brute showed up. The Alpha seemed to almost be gawking at him. Once again, SHard wondered what business the brute had, and where he had come from. Did he have a rank here? Or was he disgraced. She swiveled her queenly dome between the two males. It almost seemed the lean brute had come to challenge the Alpha.

Shard frowned slightly, and her whip stroked the brown grass. A mist had rolled in, but itt was very light.

{Hey, was Polar talking to me or Lightning? xD I guess we are both ebs...}

[Bengal Brat]

Jade
So many new faces!

Jade dipped her head in Thunder's direction, smiling that shy smile of hers as he spoke.

"I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself correctly. I'm Thunder. You are welcome in Amareta. You may stay here if you wish."

The snow white vix looked over at her son, Washington, who grinned that same reassuring smile that he always gave her when she wasn't sure what to say. That gave her the courage that she needed to respond to such a gracious offer.

"Thank you, Master Thunder, but you needn't waste your breath apologizing to a wolfess such as myself. However, we humbly accept your kind offer."

After that, she pretty much ignored what was being said between the mother and daughter duo, Lightning and Noel, and the "black sheep" of the litter, Amareta Forest's alpha. However, when her life-long friend turned her attention to her and her only, the vix was caught completely off guard, but still, even then, she couldn't help but smile brighter than before.

"JADE! Oh... sorry. How are your pups? I never got to see them... my pups gone, possibley dead. Oh Jade... I missed you..."

When Lightning gently pressed herself up against her, Jade gave her maw a gentle lick, showing that the bond that the two shared was still as strong as it had ever been before.

"Koba wouldn't harm your pups, Lightning; they were half his. My pup, Washington, is great. I bet you can't recognize him now that he's grown up now. Oh, how we've both missed you!"

Everything that she said rushed out so fast that Jade had absolutely no idea that she didn't seem to make much sense in the very end of her little "speech." The vix also didn't seem to realize right then and there that she was paying no attention to a snow-white brute, probably the Omega, come into the picture, just after an inky black fem did. Talk about a full house.

I feel so out of place!