Post by Cael on Dec 19, 2006 20:21:21 GMT -5
Felstride: Lazuli Alpha male
Miakoda: Lazuli Beta female
SilentPaws: Lazuli member
He should have...but he didn't. SilentPaws can be seen panting lightly after the encounter with Midnight on the border between the two territories and he looks into the Tremayne territory even though the other wolf has disappeared from sight already. He should have called for help before it turned into a fight, but he couldn't really explain why he hadn't done so. In spite of having fought with the Tremayne alpha, he wasn't in too bad a shape. His fur looked like he had been tumbling about on the ground a lot and there was a set of claw marks on his cheek, but that was it. Granted, Midnight could've done much worse to him and even had the chance, but he didn't do it, which made SilentPaws wonder quite a bit. For now, he's going through what was said in his mind as he stares off into the other pack's territory.
Finding a moment to slip away from the girls was proving to be very difficult, but Felstride managed to leave the she-wolves to sort out their own problems and he celebrated his escape with a fast, thrilling run. In the midst of it all, however, a stray scent crossed his path and the big wolf didn't think twice about altering his path. Newer smells came to him, and sounds too that began to cause him worry. Felstride pushed his legs to their limits, but only manages to arrive to a scene a bit too late. His maw hangs open from the exhertion of his mad dash, his nose flaring wildly as he brushes past the adolescent without a word. Track to the south, to the mountains, are fresh as are the droplets of blood on the dying grass. The big wolf turns his ears first, then his head, and his body soon follows to face SilentPaws.. waiting for an explination.
SilentPaws watches Felstride move past him and it takes him out of his thoughts, looking to Felstride with a bit of a worried expression, which then fades into a more fatigued one. "The alpha female of Tremayne, Starsong, was here some days ago...Midnight, the alpha male of Tremayne, arrived here not long ago, asking for her. Turned out a brawl." he gives a soft shrug of his shoulders and then turns around, hoping he'd just walk back to the glade and get some rest without having to explain further.
Felstride's brows knit together in a mixture of concern and anger, though for a moment he breaks his gaze from SilentPaws and turns to the mountains. He takes a few paces forward, his nose to the ground taking in the scents of the Tremayne, before turning again on the adolescent. His eyes have softened somewhat, but their amber color has taken on a hard quality. "If their alpha female was here," he begins, his voice low and steady, holding on to the barest edges of irritation, "Then why did you come this way?" He leaves off the 'yourself,' thinking it obvious. Through everything, his mind races to find a way to cope with the mixture of anger and fear rising in his normally calm chest; perhaps.. he needs to reconsider how he and Storm have constructed the pack.
Yup, there it was, the dreaded question and unfortunately, he hadn't got a lot of good explanations to it. "Because I was worried that when I saw the alpha female here some time ago, there might be more sneaking around...no one else was awake at the time I decided to go for a patrol, I figured I could always howl for help and keep them busy until someone else arrived, but I..." he comes to a halt, now looking at Felstride with a bit of confusion, "I..." he didn't call for help and he couldn't explain just why.
"If no one else was awake," Felstride response, his voice taking on a slightly edgy quality, "Then wake them. It's better to do that than risk your life alone. Who knows what they could've done?" He takes a few steps closer to the adolescent, peering at the claw marks on his face and taking in the damage. "You might be a carcass instead." That said, Felstride again moves right past SilentPaws back towards the forest, obviously irritated, but something causes the wolf to stop and he settles himself on his haunches, his head hanging dejectedly to his chest. Closing his eyes, Felstride lets out a quiet sigh; first Miakoda, now SilentPaws. Perhaps he was the wrong choice for Storm and this pack.
Wake them? But there was only the ranking members of the pack present! He wouldn't want to be the pest that woke someone up of higher rank and claimed they should go on a patrol. "You don't wake someone up just to convince them to go on a patrol, they'd tell me to wait and if I waited, the Tremayne would be free to sneak about our borders." He then watches Felstride stop, quirking a brow as he just settles down and sighs. "What's wrong with everyone lately? Seriously, it's not as if anything happened. Sure, it /could/ have, but it didn't, why cling to 'coulds'?"
"You wake someone up if there is a potential threat!" quips Felstride, his tail hitting the ground in affirmation. "You can't keep thinking like an idividual -- we are a pack, and a pack protects itself. What if their alpha male had torn you open? Declared war on out little group? We don't know enough about these wolves to go snooping around like this!" Huff-puff. The threat from these Tremayne wolves seems to be growing with each day, and there's little Felstride can think to do about it. He wants to keep away from them for now until they settle down in a defendable patch of territory; he wants to keep the pack tight knit.. but with all the problems. "I don't know what's wrong with everyone," he mumbles in response, not knowing what else to say.
"There's al..." he's about to defend himself, but then cuts himself off, just looking away with a frown. He wouldn't like it to be considered a challenge if he kept going on and argued against the alpha. "There's already a war. The grudge Midnight carries towards Storm hasn't been forgotten and we've already been in a fight before today." At Felstride's last words, SilentPaws' sinks to his stomach and lets out a tired breath, still exhausted from the fight and thinking he may as well get a little rest here. He watches Felstride silently as thoughts begin to roam about in his mind once more.
"That doesn't mean you have to aggrivate the situation," comes the alpha's still mildly irked response, though he remains sitting with his back to the mountains and subsequently SilentPaws, as well. His ears flatten as the adolescent speaks, but he doesn't bother cutting him off. Instead, the boy's words lead him to thinking about Storm and her relationship with this thorn of a pack; perhaps they'll need to have a long talk about what to do. Of course, that's assuming that she and Miakoda aren't acting strange as well. A quiet chuff escapes him, his tail swishing the dead grass.
There is a long moment were SilentPaws doesn't bother explaining or objecting to anything Felstride says or does, but eventually he decides to speak again. "I was brought up in a pack, but even then, everyone knew they'd send me away some day, so they taught me how to be able to handle myself, be able to live alone. Maybe I keep thinking like an individual, in some ways, but if I didn't want to try and adjust to pack life, the way it should be, then I would have taken Midnight up on his offer."
The wolf listens throughout SilentPaws' reply, and an uncharacteristically harsh, biting remark teeters on the edge of his tongue just waiting to be thrown out. It's bitten back, though, and a slow ear tilt is given in the adolescent's direction. Felstride stands, turning himself quickly to pad towards the other wolf. His eyes are curious, hard, and fragile all at the same time, but his face remains expressionless; all rather confusing, really. His tail slowly swishes behind him as he gazes down at the young wolf, "What offer?"
SilentPaws seems to get a little tense once Felstride turns around and closes in. SilentPaws would've preferred telling him this with him sitting over there with his back turned to him. He doesn't move away, though and just keeps lying on his stomach, looking up at Felstride. "He said I belonged to his pack rather than this one." he says in a quiet tone.
He gives a head tilt, and for a while that's the only response that SilentPaws seems to get. Felstride watches the young wolf's response to him and eventually backs away and moves off in the direction that Midnight disappeared to. A brief look back at SilentPaws, then the alpha begins to pace heavily, his paws loud on the hard soil. "You must be wondering when I will start beating you into submission, right?" Snort. Felstride shakes his head, "I will do no such thing." That said, his pacing continues for a while as the high strung and confused male attempts to work out all the problems going on in his mind -- it's proving to be a difficult task indeed. "Well," he finally burrs, holding still and looking over his shoulder to the adolescent, "Where do you want to belong?"
"Submission?" he asks with a curious, disapproving look at he watches Felstride. He was just in a fight he got into while he was on a patrol because he wanted to keep the borders safe and Felstride talked about beating him? Harsh. He looks more relieved once Felstride reveals that won't happen and he watches him for a while still, now getting to his feet. "I had hoped that was obvious." he says, ears folding back, "Why do you think I'm still here? Why do you think I told you about Midnight's offer? Because I plan to take it? Heck, I would've been over there already and you wouldn't know anything about it."
Halidari pages, "How do I get to where I need to go now... like a meeting place of whatnot?" to you.
"I'm sorry, SilentPaws," Felstride murmurs, settling himself back on his haunches and shaking his pelt in an attempt to shake off his stress. Yeah, that'll work. "Consider my position for a moment," he churrs, curling his tail around to rest it upon his forepaws for warmth, "Our entire pack is acting strangely. First Miakoda, then Storm, even you to a degree. The Tremayne are encroaching more and more.. apparently with pack growth on their minds. Myself.. I have never had power in my life.. no I am an alpha of a small pack." He laughs quietly, shaking his head, "I told Storm I would help her, because.. because I love her very much, but right now it seems that I have stepped in over my head." His amber eyes slide towards the wolf, now tired and dull, "I have been criticized for not exerting power, then criticized for using it." He shrugs. What now?
"I don't know what's going on with Miakoda and Storm..." he says, frowning some and then sighs. "But I'm just trying to help, is that such a bad thing?" he looks to Felstride and seems a little puzzled. He wasn't sure how he'd been acting strangely, in his mind, he was just SilentPaws after all. "You're aware of the irony of asking me about help, right? I've never had power, just myself. If I had power, I'd probably be in as much doubt about how to use it like you describe it yourself. Yeah well, I don't know how you plan to use it, but as long as you don't give up, I'll remain loyal. That...and of course that I never get demoted to Omega. I'll be better off without a pack if that happens."
At the sudden appearance of the word Omega, Felstride's ears instantly slick back against his skull and his gaze darkens quickly. Luckily, the wolf realizes his response and shakes himself to rid him of that awful feeling -- maybe somewhere in his distant past that word meant something powerful. But the concerns of the present bring him away from his thoughts, and as he takes in SilentPaws' words, ones with a surprising clarity and wisdom in them, Felstride straightens his back. Lifting his head, a subtle grin twiches at the edge of his muzzle, and he even manages a chuckle. "I would not do that to you, or anyone," he replies with a nod, "and I am sorry to have burdened you. I apologize."
"So what's going on with Miakoda and Storm anyways? You said they were both acting very strangely, but I've only seen Miakoda act a little weird and I don't know what's up with it." he frowns as he looks to a nearby tree with a squirrel in it. "And if the Tremayne pack has growth in mind, why can't we do the same thing? If they're trying to recruit our members, why don't we try to recruit their members or perhaps a few rogues in the nearby area?"
"I do not know what is wrong with Miakoda. She is acting distant and upset, but she will not tell me. She hurt Storm very badly with her words. Because of that, Storm has become quiet. I think they need to work out something between themselves, but as to what the problem is.. it is a woman's mystery." It is an upsetting incident, but Felstride can't help but chuckling quietly as he shrugs his shoulders. She-wolves, sigh. "As far as the Tremayne in concerned," Fel' begins again, his voice taking on a harder edge, "I don't want any of their ilk here. There's no telling what any of their intentions would be; if they really want to join with us or if they're plotting something." Snort. "Besides," he smiles, rising to all fours and trotting closer to the younger wolf, "I do have expansion on my mind."
She-wolves indeed. It reminds him that Midnight did mention something about Rain, but he keeps that quiet for the moment, not wanting to cause Felstride to worry even further and of course, he had to doubt if he believed what was said. "I suppose so, I hope they figure it out soon." he mutters, shaking his head softly. "Are we gonna recruit the rogues roaming about, then?" he perks his ears curiously at Felstride as he mentions expansion.
It's probably better that he doesn't know anything about Rain; the last thing he needs is another ulcer. Ahem. SilentPaws' reply to his admission of expansion causes Felstride to chuckle even more, and he stops nearby to the adolescent, "I suppose that's one way, yes." He leaves it at that with a shrug of his shoulders, and the wolf takes a moment to stretch out his forepaws and issue a larger yawn. He won't tell SilentPaws about his interest in pups; don't want the secret to be spoiled. "You know" he churrs, "You should get cleaned up a little."
SilentPaws perks his ears forward curiously and soon his body starts leaning forward a little as well as Felstride doesn't go on. How can he not go on and just leave it at that? "Hey...hey wait." he says, starting to follow Felstride. "Whaddya mean by that? One way? I mentioned another way you dismissed, what other ways are there? Are we moving? Merging with a pack far away?" If Felstride doesn't give him the answers, he'll just have to give them himself! "And I don't need to get cleaned up, I look mighty fine just like this! If I wanted, I'd be able to sweep the feet off any female, even if I looked like this! But since I don't much care for that, why should I get cleaned up? Well, not just yet anyways, you still have questions to answer..."
Miakoda has been lagging behind or something because look, she's only now showing up! But it's cool, right? RIGHT? Miakoda comes loping in with her head and tail level. And really, that's all there is to say about the shaggy-furred female. No flair, no confetti, this is probably the most boring and uneventful entrace that she's ever made! But because of it, the female is looking rather .. normal. Go figure. Ears do lift as she hears the sound of voices, and soon enough, Felstride and a messy-looking Silentpaws are noticed. "..What happened to you?" is questioned to the younger male.
The boy's pestering causes his chuckle to grow quickly, and despite the tense moments the two had earlier, Felstride can't help but laugh. He plunks himself back on his haunches and grins at SilentPaws, lifting a brow and waiting for him to pick up on what he really meant by expansion. He doesn't want to be the one to tell him, mainly because he and Storm haven't quite discussed it yet. He is Felstride after all, and he wants to be suave about it. The rather sudden appearance of Miakoda does elicit perked ears and a surprised expression, since the last time they spoke there was some bad blood. Still concerned about Miakoda's inner workings but too nervous to approach the wiley world of the she-wolf, Felstride gives her a warm smile and a nod.
SilentPaws peers at Felstride for a while and rolls his eyes "Fine! I'll just guess then." Which is what he's been doing so far without getting much wiser. Once he's about to go on, on another ramble, Miakoda appears and adresses a topic he had hoped he'd not have to explain further today and offers a vague smile to Miakoda. "I just...had a run in with the Tremayne alpha, Midnight, that's all. No harm, though, was just a brief brawl, I mean, no harm, no worry, right?"
"Why is it that /you/ are always the one having run-ins with this other pack?" replies Miakoda exasperatedly, eyeing SilentPaws with an arched-brow. "Use your nose, kiddo. If you smell them and you're alone, no matter if they're on our territory or not, you'd better turn tail and find someone." Her tail swishes once afterward and the female settles herself some yards away from the two males. Felstride is acknowledged only now and the male is greeted with a light nod.
Felstride's ears softly tip toward Miakoda, and he watches the interactions between her and SilentPaws. He takes a long, slow breath and grits his teeth, not wanting to repeat the kind of passionate tirade that he nearly started with SP moments ago. Shaking his head, he attempts to quell the discussion before it goes any further, "It does not matter now, Miakoda," he burrs, his amber eyes looking directly into hers, "We have already talked about it, and there is no need to push the issue further." That said, he looks away from the she-wolf to nod at SilentPaws as if to say, 'You're welcome.' It's then that part of his brain starts wandering, wondering whether or not to address Miakoda directly about her recent odd behavior. Hmm.
"I'm sorry." he offers to Miakoda before Felstride chips in and he watches Felstride and gives a silent nod to him and then to Miakoda, ears folded back a little. "So umm..." he pauses, trying to change the topic and avoid silence. "What've you been doing lately Miakoda? You still owe me a pile of leaves, y'know." he smirks and grins.
Miakoda lifts both ears as her eyes turn to Felstride. "Geeze, sorr/y/," replies the female. "Excuse me for caring." Hrmph! Unceremoniously does she plop down on to her stomach and cross her forepaws to lower her head upon soon after. Her attention switches to SilentPaws now, and the young wolf is nswers with a vague headshake. "Nothing of grand importance, SP, nothing of grand importance. Though I will give you your pile of leaves when the leaves fall again. You'll be able to wait for the seasons to turn again, won't you?"
Another flick of his ears and Felstride stands, walking gently over to where Miakoda settles herself and easing back on his haunches. He takes a deep breath and gazes steadily down at the she-wolf with a kind of sad and confused glint behind his eyes. The conversation about leaves goes wholly unnoticed, because frankly he's got something a lot more important on his mind. Not to exclude SilentPaws so suddenly, but this has been bothering her for some time and Felstride can't put off his concern any longer. "Miakoda," he begins quietly, "Have I offended you in some way? You have.. drifted, and I am concerned."
"Aww, that's gonna take ages." he grumbles and watches Felstride and he frowns some, looking to Miakoda. "You...have been acting a little odd on occasion, Mia." he admits, then walks over to give Miakoda a brief nuzzle. "This is perhaps between you and Felstride. Think I'm gonna head back to the glade..." he gives Felstride a bump of his head on Felstride's shoulder and takes a deep breath. While he's curious as to what's going on, he figures it's best this gets settled and internal conflicts be solved so they can focus on the external conflicts that seem to grow more each and every day.
Uh oh. Serious talk. Miakoda doesn't move as Felstride moves over, and the female's eyes close momentarily as he speaks. But they do open after a time and her head lifts from her paws. As SilentPaws moves over, she offers the male a soft smile and a return nuzzle before she sits up. Head back? Awww, SP. She turns an ear and g lances to the left. "You be careful, you hear me?" she says, eyeing the young wolf now. "No more scratches and scars. How on earth do you expect to woo any female if you end up with no fur left?" She smirks a little and bumps her head with his before she stands up nd looks at the alpha male. "Maybe I have, and I don't know why. I don't feel very useful here anymore."
Felstride gives SilentPaws a return bump, nodding to the younger wolf. While he doesn't really want him to return to the glade, if he feels more comfortable then Fel' won't stop him. He watches as the adolescent disappears into the trees before returning his gaze to Miakoda. A sigh escapes him and he shakes his head gently, "I am sorry that you feel that way, Miakoda, but I do not understand how you could come to that conclusion." He rolls his shoulders gently, watching the she-wolf with that sad and subdued look in his eyes, "Is it something that I have done?"
Miakoda watches as SilentPaws departs and can't help but give one more testing sniff to the air. The dude is like a beloved annoying little brother to her, and she's not going to /not/ be sure that any ugly Tremayne wolves aren't still lingering about wanting to hurt him. Seemingly satisfied, the whole of her attention is given back to the alpha male, and gently do her ears fall against her furred skull. "Er...I don't know. Somewhat, I suppose." Oy, talking to him while he is near is proving to be difficult, and so to alleviate this problem, Miakoda moves in hopes of putting some distance between herself and him. "I suppose it's because you're ... you." And that makes perfect sense, doesn't it?
He watches her get up and move off, his expression growing hurt but thankfully Miakoda's back is the only thing that sees it. For a long time, Felstride only sits there like a puppy who's just been scolded, his mouth opening and closing to try and think of something to say but coming up empty. He doesn't understand what's going through Miakoda's mind, but if he's got this far he wants to know everything. "Is.. there something I can do to change for you?" he offers gently, not really understanding anything about what the beta is going through.
Oh yes, this is much, much better. Talking to Felstride without looking at Felstride. Why didn't she think of this earlier? Though this isn't to say that the female keeps her back to him. Pacing is a fine idea, and the she-wolf does just that slowly, keeping her eyes averted from him. As he speaks, she can't help but chuckle. "See, that's just it Felstride," she says with a humorless smirk. "You're so .. appeasing. So very honorable. You'd do anything to help this pack to succeed. It's why you make such a wonderful Alpha. Though.. selfishly, I can't help but wish you were so as a Beta."
Still he watches, wanting and yet not wanting to go to Miakoda in an attempt to comfort her -- it's what he does. Unfortunately, maybe fortunately, he stays put. His ears twist forward, his maw opens, and still there is silence. Confused and brow knitting, Felstride shakes his head. Did.. did he really just hear that? Oh boy, now he's in deep water. The alpha takes a moment to calm his stomach before rising to all fours, "I.. I am sorry, Miakoda. It is who I am, and I cannot help that," but he peeters out at her last statement. What does he say to something like that? There's no denying that Fel' has feelings for Miakoda, but what would Storm say, or do? But, it has opened his eyes to the beta's strange and distant behavior. But what to say? "Miakoda.. I do care for you a great deal, but I cannot think of how to solve.. this. I.." then he peeters out again, this time into complete silence.
If wolves could blush. This is definitely one conversation that Miakoda did not want to have or has even dreamed about having, and now that it's ... being had, there's nothing more she wants to do but be swallowed whole by the ground beneath her paws. If only wishes could come true. With her ears still lowered, the female dares to glance at him with a slight shake of her head. "No no. You don't have to solve anything," she assures quickly before diverting her eyes again. "You really don't. It isn't your problem, it's mine. Where you are now is where you're meant to be, and you've proven that more times than I can number. It's ... it's just something I must smother, and I apologize for being so .. awful to you and to Storm because of it." .. Storm. Her brows furrow and she looks at the male suddenly. "You won't say anything to her, will you? Please don't."
He catches the brief glance from Miakoda but it only proves to cause him more grief, more pain. He's not confused anymore because everything has become clear, but that doesn't mean everything is suddenly alright. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Felstride takes a step forward, pauses, then another, and a pause. The wolf listens as Miakoda begins to berate herself, denying herself of the freedom of her thoughts; no, no she shouldn't do that. Shaking his head, he forces his paws further and as he nears her attention snaps back to him. Felstride sighs softly and closes his eyes, "Miakoda, I forgive you but I think that Storm was more hurt by your reactions than I." Opening his amber eyes, quite sad, he reaches out gently to give a, hopefully, comforting nuzzle.
It's quite a feat that she succeeds in not backing awy from him now that he's drawn so near. Miakoda forces herself still as he speaks, and it's an even greater force that keeps her from not flinching away from his touch. Her eyes do close though with furrowed brows, and eventually does she take a hesitant step towards him, head slightly lowering to nuzzle him softly beneath the chin. "I will apologize to her. I've felt awful since then, and I will continue to feel as such until she realizes how sorry I am. But Felstride, you haven't answered me. You won't tell her what I've told you, will you? You musn't. It will only make matters worse if you do. You have to ... You have to promise me that you won't say anything of this to her," she says, eyes still closed and head still softly pressed against his chest.
He lets go of a quiet breath, letting Miakoda come closer and he lifts his chin to rest it on her skull. "I will not tell her what you have told me, because if you ever decide that Storm should know.. it will be your responsibility to tell her." He pauses for a moment, gently nuzzling Miakoda once more before returning his attention to her face. He gives her a soft smile and nods. "The only thing Storm needs from you is your friendship, Miakoda. She loves you like a sister."
Miakoda: Lazuli Beta female
SilentPaws: Lazuli member
He should have...but he didn't. SilentPaws can be seen panting lightly after the encounter with Midnight on the border between the two territories and he looks into the Tremayne territory even though the other wolf has disappeared from sight already. He should have called for help before it turned into a fight, but he couldn't really explain why he hadn't done so. In spite of having fought with the Tremayne alpha, he wasn't in too bad a shape. His fur looked like he had been tumbling about on the ground a lot and there was a set of claw marks on his cheek, but that was it. Granted, Midnight could've done much worse to him and even had the chance, but he didn't do it, which made SilentPaws wonder quite a bit. For now, he's going through what was said in his mind as he stares off into the other pack's territory.
Finding a moment to slip away from the girls was proving to be very difficult, but Felstride managed to leave the she-wolves to sort out their own problems and he celebrated his escape with a fast, thrilling run. In the midst of it all, however, a stray scent crossed his path and the big wolf didn't think twice about altering his path. Newer smells came to him, and sounds too that began to cause him worry. Felstride pushed his legs to their limits, but only manages to arrive to a scene a bit too late. His maw hangs open from the exhertion of his mad dash, his nose flaring wildly as he brushes past the adolescent without a word. Track to the south, to the mountains, are fresh as are the droplets of blood on the dying grass. The big wolf turns his ears first, then his head, and his body soon follows to face SilentPaws.. waiting for an explination.
SilentPaws watches Felstride move past him and it takes him out of his thoughts, looking to Felstride with a bit of a worried expression, which then fades into a more fatigued one. "The alpha female of Tremayne, Starsong, was here some days ago...Midnight, the alpha male of Tremayne, arrived here not long ago, asking for her. Turned out a brawl." he gives a soft shrug of his shoulders and then turns around, hoping he'd just walk back to the glade and get some rest without having to explain further.
Felstride's brows knit together in a mixture of concern and anger, though for a moment he breaks his gaze from SilentPaws and turns to the mountains. He takes a few paces forward, his nose to the ground taking in the scents of the Tremayne, before turning again on the adolescent. His eyes have softened somewhat, but their amber color has taken on a hard quality. "If their alpha female was here," he begins, his voice low and steady, holding on to the barest edges of irritation, "Then why did you come this way?" He leaves off the 'yourself,' thinking it obvious. Through everything, his mind races to find a way to cope with the mixture of anger and fear rising in his normally calm chest; perhaps.. he needs to reconsider how he and Storm have constructed the pack.
Yup, there it was, the dreaded question and unfortunately, he hadn't got a lot of good explanations to it. "Because I was worried that when I saw the alpha female here some time ago, there might be more sneaking around...no one else was awake at the time I decided to go for a patrol, I figured I could always howl for help and keep them busy until someone else arrived, but I..." he comes to a halt, now looking at Felstride with a bit of confusion, "I..." he didn't call for help and he couldn't explain just why.
"If no one else was awake," Felstride response, his voice taking on a slightly edgy quality, "Then wake them. It's better to do that than risk your life alone. Who knows what they could've done?" He takes a few steps closer to the adolescent, peering at the claw marks on his face and taking in the damage. "You might be a carcass instead." That said, Felstride again moves right past SilentPaws back towards the forest, obviously irritated, but something causes the wolf to stop and he settles himself on his haunches, his head hanging dejectedly to his chest. Closing his eyes, Felstride lets out a quiet sigh; first Miakoda, now SilentPaws. Perhaps he was the wrong choice for Storm and this pack.
Wake them? But there was only the ranking members of the pack present! He wouldn't want to be the pest that woke someone up of higher rank and claimed they should go on a patrol. "You don't wake someone up just to convince them to go on a patrol, they'd tell me to wait and if I waited, the Tremayne would be free to sneak about our borders." He then watches Felstride stop, quirking a brow as he just settles down and sighs. "What's wrong with everyone lately? Seriously, it's not as if anything happened. Sure, it /could/ have, but it didn't, why cling to 'coulds'?"
"You wake someone up if there is a potential threat!" quips Felstride, his tail hitting the ground in affirmation. "You can't keep thinking like an idividual -- we are a pack, and a pack protects itself. What if their alpha male had torn you open? Declared war on out little group? We don't know enough about these wolves to go snooping around like this!" Huff-puff. The threat from these Tremayne wolves seems to be growing with each day, and there's little Felstride can think to do about it. He wants to keep away from them for now until they settle down in a defendable patch of territory; he wants to keep the pack tight knit.. but with all the problems. "I don't know what's wrong with everyone," he mumbles in response, not knowing what else to say.
"There's al..." he's about to defend himself, but then cuts himself off, just looking away with a frown. He wouldn't like it to be considered a challenge if he kept going on and argued against the alpha. "There's already a war. The grudge Midnight carries towards Storm hasn't been forgotten and we've already been in a fight before today." At Felstride's last words, SilentPaws' sinks to his stomach and lets out a tired breath, still exhausted from the fight and thinking he may as well get a little rest here. He watches Felstride silently as thoughts begin to roam about in his mind once more.
"That doesn't mean you have to aggrivate the situation," comes the alpha's still mildly irked response, though he remains sitting with his back to the mountains and subsequently SilentPaws, as well. His ears flatten as the adolescent speaks, but he doesn't bother cutting him off. Instead, the boy's words lead him to thinking about Storm and her relationship with this thorn of a pack; perhaps they'll need to have a long talk about what to do. Of course, that's assuming that she and Miakoda aren't acting strange as well. A quiet chuff escapes him, his tail swishing the dead grass.
There is a long moment were SilentPaws doesn't bother explaining or objecting to anything Felstride says or does, but eventually he decides to speak again. "I was brought up in a pack, but even then, everyone knew they'd send me away some day, so they taught me how to be able to handle myself, be able to live alone. Maybe I keep thinking like an individual, in some ways, but if I didn't want to try and adjust to pack life, the way it should be, then I would have taken Midnight up on his offer."
The wolf listens throughout SilentPaws' reply, and an uncharacteristically harsh, biting remark teeters on the edge of his tongue just waiting to be thrown out. It's bitten back, though, and a slow ear tilt is given in the adolescent's direction. Felstride stands, turning himself quickly to pad towards the other wolf. His eyes are curious, hard, and fragile all at the same time, but his face remains expressionless; all rather confusing, really. His tail slowly swishes behind him as he gazes down at the young wolf, "What offer?"
SilentPaws seems to get a little tense once Felstride turns around and closes in. SilentPaws would've preferred telling him this with him sitting over there with his back turned to him. He doesn't move away, though and just keeps lying on his stomach, looking up at Felstride. "He said I belonged to his pack rather than this one." he says in a quiet tone.
He gives a head tilt, and for a while that's the only response that SilentPaws seems to get. Felstride watches the young wolf's response to him and eventually backs away and moves off in the direction that Midnight disappeared to. A brief look back at SilentPaws, then the alpha begins to pace heavily, his paws loud on the hard soil. "You must be wondering when I will start beating you into submission, right?" Snort. Felstride shakes his head, "I will do no such thing." That said, his pacing continues for a while as the high strung and confused male attempts to work out all the problems going on in his mind -- it's proving to be a difficult task indeed. "Well," he finally burrs, holding still and looking over his shoulder to the adolescent, "Where do you want to belong?"
"Submission?" he asks with a curious, disapproving look at he watches Felstride. He was just in a fight he got into while he was on a patrol because he wanted to keep the borders safe and Felstride talked about beating him? Harsh. He looks more relieved once Felstride reveals that won't happen and he watches him for a while still, now getting to his feet. "I had hoped that was obvious." he says, ears folding back, "Why do you think I'm still here? Why do you think I told you about Midnight's offer? Because I plan to take it? Heck, I would've been over there already and you wouldn't know anything about it."
Halidari pages, "How do I get to where I need to go now... like a meeting place of whatnot?" to you.
"I'm sorry, SilentPaws," Felstride murmurs, settling himself back on his haunches and shaking his pelt in an attempt to shake off his stress. Yeah, that'll work. "Consider my position for a moment," he churrs, curling his tail around to rest it upon his forepaws for warmth, "Our entire pack is acting strangely. First Miakoda, then Storm, even you to a degree. The Tremayne are encroaching more and more.. apparently with pack growth on their minds. Myself.. I have never had power in my life.. no I am an alpha of a small pack." He laughs quietly, shaking his head, "I told Storm I would help her, because.. because I love her very much, but right now it seems that I have stepped in over my head." His amber eyes slide towards the wolf, now tired and dull, "I have been criticized for not exerting power, then criticized for using it." He shrugs. What now?
"I don't know what's going on with Miakoda and Storm..." he says, frowning some and then sighs. "But I'm just trying to help, is that such a bad thing?" he looks to Felstride and seems a little puzzled. He wasn't sure how he'd been acting strangely, in his mind, he was just SilentPaws after all. "You're aware of the irony of asking me about help, right? I've never had power, just myself. If I had power, I'd probably be in as much doubt about how to use it like you describe it yourself. Yeah well, I don't know how you plan to use it, but as long as you don't give up, I'll remain loyal. That...and of course that I never get demoted to Omega. I'll be better off without a pack if that happens."
At the sudden appearance of the word Omega, Felstride's ears instantly slick back against his skull and his gaze darkens quickly. Luckily, the wolf realizes his response and shakes himself to rid him of that awful feeling -- maybe somewhere in his distant past that word meant something powerful. But the concerns of the present bring him away from his thoughts, and as he takes in SilentPaws' words, ones with a surprising clarity and wisdom in them, Felstride straightens his back. Lifting his head, a subtle grin twiches at the edge of his muzzle, and he even manages a chuckle. "I would not do that to you, or anyone," he replies with a nod, "and I am sorry to have burdened you. I apologize."
"So what's going on with Miakoda and Storm anyways? You said they were both acting very strangely, but I've only seen Miakoda act a little weird and I don't know what's up with it." he frowns as he looks to a nearby tree with a squirrel in it. "And if the Tremayne pack has growth in mind, why can't we do the same thing? If they're trying to recruit our members, why don't we try to recruit their members or perhaps a few rogues in the nearby area?"
"I do not know what is wrong with Miakoda. She is acting distant and upset, but she will not tell me. She hurt Storm very badly with her words. Because of that, Storm has become quiet. I think they need to work out something between themselves, but as to what the problem is.. it is a woman's mystery." It is an upsetting incident, but Felstride can't help but chuckling quietly as he shrugs his shoulders. She-wolves, sigh. "As far as the Tremayne in concerned," Fel' begins again, his voice taking on a harder edge, "I don't want any of their ilk here. There's no telling what any of their intentions would be; if they really want to join with us or if they're plotting something." Snort. "Besides," he smiles, rising to all fours and trotting closer to the younger wolf, "I do have expansion on my mind."
She-wolves indeed. It reminds him that Midnight did mention something about Rain, but he keeps that quiet for the moment, not wanting to cause Felstride to worry even further and of course, he had to doubt if he believed what was said. "I suppose so, I hope they figure it out soon." he mutters, shaking his head softly. "Are we gonna recruit the rogues roaming about, then?" he perks his ears curiously at Felstride as he mentions expansion.
It's probably better that he doesn't know anything about Rain; the last thing he needs is another ulcer. Ahem. SilentPaws' reply to his admission of expansion causes Felstride to chuckle even more, and he stops nearby to the adolescent, "I suppose that's one way, yes." He leaves it at that with a shrug of his shoulders, and the wolf takes a moment to stretch out his forepaws and issue a larger yawn. He won't tell SilentPaws about his interest in pups; don't want the secret to be spoiled. "You know" he churrs, "You should get cleaned up a little."
SilentPaws perks his ears forward curiously and soon his body starts leaning forward a little as well as Felstride doesn't go on. How can he not go on and just leave it at that? "Hey...hey wait." he says, starting to follow Felstride. "Whaddya mean by that? One way? I mentioned another way you dismissed, what other ways are there? Are we moving? Merging with a pack far away?" If Felstride doesn't give him the answers, he'll just have to give them himself! "And I don't need to get cleaned up, I look mighty fine just like this! If I wanted, I'd be able to sweep the feet off any female, even if I looked like this! But since I don't much care for that, why should I get cleaned up? Well, not just yet anyways, you still have questions to answer..."
Miakoda has been lagging behind or something because look, she's only now showing up! But it's cool, right? RIGHT? Miakoda comes loping in with her head and tail level. And really, that's all there is to say about the shaggy-furred female. No flair, no confetti, this is probably the most boring and uneventful entrace that she's ever made! But because of it, the female is looking rather .. normal. Go figure. Ears do lift as she hears the sound of voices, and soon enough, Felstride and a messy-looking Silentpaws are noticed. "..What happened to you?" is questioned to the younger male.
The boy's pestering causes his chuckle to grow quickly, and despite the tense moments the two had earlier, Felstride can't help but laugh. He plunks himself back on his haunches and grins at SilentPaws, lifting a brow and waiting for him to pick up on what he really meant by expansion. He doesn't want to be the one to tell him, mainly because he and Storm haven't quite discussed it yet. He is Felstride after all, and he wants to be suave about it. The rather sudden appearance of Miakoda does elicit perked ears and a surprised expression, since the last time they spoke there was some bad blood. Still concerned about Miakoda's inner workings but too nervous to approach the wiley world of the she-wolf, Felstride gives her a warm smile and a nod.
SilentPaws peers at Felstride for a while and rolls his eyes "Fine! I'll just guess then." Which is what he's been doing so far without getting much wiser. Once he's about to go on, on another ramble, Miakoda appears and adresses a topic he had hoped he'd not have to explain further today and offers a vague smile to Miakoda. "I just...had a run in with the Tremayne alpha, Midnight, that's all. No harm, though, was just a brief brawl, I mean, no harm, no worry, right?"
"Why is it that /you/ are always the one having run-ins with this other pack?" replies Miakoda exasperatedly, eyeing SilentPaws with an arched-brow. "Use your nose, kiddo. If you smell them and you're alone, no matter if they're on our territory or not, you'd better turn tail and find someone." Her tail swishes once afterward and the female settles herself some yards away from the two males. Felstride is acknowledged only now and the male is greeted with a light nod.
Felstride's ears softly tip toward Miakoda, and he watches the interactions between her and SilentPaws. He takes a long, slow breath and grits his teeth, not wanting to repeat the kind of passionate tirade that he nearly started with SP moments ago. Shaking his head, he attempts to quell the discussion before it goes any further, "It does not matter now, Miakoda," he burrs, his amber eyes looking directly into hers, "We have already talked about it, and there is no need to push the issue further." That said, he looks away from the she-wolf to nod at SilentPaws as if to say, 'You're welcome.' It's then that part of his brain starts wandering, wondering whether or not to address Miakoda directly about her recent odd behavior. Hmm.
"I'm sorry." he offers to Miakoda before Felstride chips in and he watches Felstride and gives a silent nod to him and then to Miakoda, ears folded back a little. "So umm..." he pauses, trying to change the topic and avoid silence. "What've you been doing lately Miakoda? You still owe me a pile of leaves, y'know." he smirks and grins.
Miakoda lifts both ears as her eyes turn to Felstride. "Geeze, sorr/y/," replies the female. "Excuse me for caring." Hrmph! Unceremoniously does she plop down on to her stomach and cross her forepaws to lower her head upon soon after. Her attention switches to SilentPaws now, and the young wolf is nswers with a vague headshake. "Nothing of grand importance, SP, nothing of grand importance. Though I will give you your pile of leaves when the leaves fall again. You'll be able to wait for the seasons to turn again, won't you?"
Another flick of his ears and Felstride stands, walking gently over to where Miakoda settles herself and easing back on his haunches. He takes a deep breath and gazes steadily down at the she-wolf with a kind of sad and confused glint behind his eyes. The conversation about leaves goes wholly unnoticed, because frankly he's got something a lot more important on his mind. Not to exclude SilentPaws so suddenly, but this has been bothering her for some time and Felstride can't put off his concern any longer. "Miakoda," he begins quietly, "Have I offended you in some way? You have.. drifted, and I am concerned."
"Aww, that's gonna take ages." he grumbles and watches Felstride and he frowns some, looking to Miakoda. "You...have been acting a little odd on occasion, Mia." he admits, then walks over to give Miakoda a brief nuzzle. "This is perhaps between you and Felstride. Think I'm gonna head back to the glade..." he gives Felstride a bump of his head on Felstride's shoulder and takes a deep breath. While he's curious as to what's going on, he figures it's best this gets settled and internal conflicts be solved so they can focus on the external conflicts that seem to grow more each and every day.
Uh oh. Serious talk. Miakoda doesn't move as Felstride moves over, and the female's eyes close momentarily as he speaks. But they do open after a time and her head lifts from her paws. As SilentPaws moves over, she offers the male a soft smile and a return nuzzle before she sits up. Head back? Awww, SP. She turns an ear and g lances to the left. "You be careful, you hear me?" she says, eyeing the young wolf now. "No more scratches and scars. How on earth do you expect to woo any female if you end up with no fur left?" She smirks a little and bumps her head with his before she stands up nd looks at the alpha male. "Maybe I have, and I don't know why. I don't feel very useful here anymore."
Felstride gives SilentPaws a return bump, nodding to the younger wolf. While he doesn't really want him to return to the glade, if he feels more comfortable then Fel' won't stop him. He watches as the adolescent disappears into the trees before returning his gaze to Miakoda. A sigh escapes him and he shakes his head gently, "I am sorry that you feel that way, Miakoda, but I do not understand how you could come to that conclusion." He rolls his shoulders gently, watching the she-wolf with that sad and subdued look in his eyes, "Is it something that I have done?"
Miakoda watches as SilentPaws departs and can't help but give one more testing sniff to the air. The dude is like a beloved annoying little brother to her, and she's not going to /not/ be sure that any ugly Tremayne wolves aren't still lingering about wanting to hurt him. Seemingly satisfied, the whole of her attention is given back to the alpha male, and gently do her ears fall against her furred skull. "Er...I don't know. Somewhat, I suppose." Oy, talking to him while he is near is proving to be difficult, and so to alleviate this problem, Miakoda moves in hopes of putting some distance between herself and him. "I suppose it's because you're ... you." And that makes perfect sense, doesn't it?
He watches her get up and move off, his expression growing hurt but thankfully Miakoda's back is the only thing that sees it. For a long time, Felstride only sits there like a puppy who's just been scolded, his mouth opening and closing to try and think of something to say but coming up empty. He doesn't understand what's going through Miakoda's mind, but if he's got this far he wants to know everything. "Is.. there something I can do to change for you?" he offers gently, not really understanding anything about what the beta is going through.
Oh yes, this is much, much better. Talking to Felstride without looking at Felstride. Why didn't she think of this earlier? Though this isn't to say that the female keeps her back to him. Pacing is a fine idea, and the she-wolf does just that slowly, keeping her eyes averted from him. As he speaks, she can't help but chuckle. "See, that's just it Felstride," she says with a humorless smirk. "You're so .. appeasing. So very honorable. You'd do anything to help this pack to succeed. It's why you make such a wonderful Alpha. Though.. selfishly, I can't help but wish you were so as a Beta."
Still he watches, wanting and yet not wanting to go to Miakoda in an attempt to comfort her -- it's what he does. Unfortunately, maybe fortunately, he stays put. His ears twist forward, his maw opens, and still there is silence. Confused and brow knitting, Felstride shakes his head. Did.. did he really just hear that? Oh boy, now he's in deep water. The alpha takes a moment to calm his stomach before rising to all fours, "I.. I am sorry, Miakoda. It is who I am, and I cannot help that," but he peeters out at her last statement. What does he say to something like that? There's no denying that Fel' has feelings for Miakoda, but what would Storm say, or do? But, it has opened his eyes to the beta's strange and distant behavior. But what to say? "Miakoda.. I do care for you a great deal, but I cannot think of how to solve.. this. I.." then he peeters out again, this time into complete silence.
If wolves could blush. This is definitely one conversation that Miakoda did not want to have or has even dreamed about having, and now that it's ... being had, there's nothing more she wants to do but be swallowed whole by the ground beneath her paws. If only wishes could come true. With her ears still lowered, the female dares to glance at him with a slight shake of her head. "No no. You don't have to solve anything," she assures quickly before diverting her eyes again. "You really don't. It isn't your problem, it's mine. Where you are now is where you're meant to be, and you've proven that more times than I can number. It's ... it's just something I must smother, and I apologize for being so .. awful to you and to Storm because of it." .. Storm. Her brows furrow and she looks at the male suddenly. "You won't say anything to her, will you? Please don't."
He catches the brief glance from Miakoda but it only proves to cause him more grief, more pain. He's not confused anymore because everything has become clear, but that doesn't mean everything is suddenly alright. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Felstride takes a step forward, pauses, then another, and a pause. The wolf listens as Miakoda begins to berate herself, denying herself of the freedom of her thoughts; no, no she shouldn't do that. Shaking his head, he forces his paws further and as he nears her attention snaps back to him. Felstride sighs softly and closes his eyes, "Miakoda, I forgive you but I think that Storm was more hurt by your reactions than I." Opening his amber eyes, quite sad, he reaches out gently to give a, hopefully, comforting nuzzle.
It's quite a feat that she succeeds in not backing awy from him now that he's drawn so near. Miakoda forces herself still as he speaks, and it's an even greater force that keeps her from not flinching away from his touch. Her eyes do close though with furrowed brows, and eventually does she take a hesitant step towards him, head slightly lowering to nuzzle him softly beneath the chin. "I will apologize to her. I've felt awful since then, and I will continue to feel as such until she realizes how sorry I am. But Felstride, you haven't answered me. You won't tell her what I've told you, will you? You musn't. It will only make matters worse if you do. You have to ... You have to promise me that you won't say anything of this to her," she says, eyes still closed and head still softly pressed against his chest.
He lets go of a quiet breath, letting Miakoda come closer and he lifts his chin to rest it on her skull. "I will not tell her what you have told me, because if you ever decide that Storm should know.. it will be your responsibility to tell her." He pauses for a moment, gently nuzzling Miakoda once more before returning his attention to her face. He gives her a soft smile and nods. "The only thing Storm needs from you is your friendship, Miakoda. She loves you like a sister."