5th of Ashan, Dawn.
Continued from here.
Argua, his neck torn and his blood still on Nir'weis lips, fell to the ground and became still. The battle for Fool's Errand slowly tapered off, and the clearing became quiet and still.
The smaller animals, including rabbits, squirrels, even a badger and what might have been a mole, vanished back into the undergrowth and scattered without hesitation as Argua's control fell away from their minds. Some of the larger animals stayed behind; an owl hooted as it rose back to a safe height, no longer forcing an offensive but lingering nearby, watching the events unfold with silent judgement; the stag that had been clasped in Cold's jaws was released, only to turn back around and charge again and again, clearly whipped into some sort of frenzy that wouldn't be quelled now that Argua couldn't give the kill-signal. Nir'wei watched passively as it struggled back to its hooves for the third time, blood leaking from shallow tooth-marks around its throat, and heaved a heavy breath before lowering its rack to him once more. Him, and only him. "There's nothing to be done." Whatever Argua had done to turn such a docile, peaceful animal of prey into such a blood-thirsty predator would die with him. "Make it as quick and painless as you can at least, would you." This time, when it reared for another charge, Cold stepped aside. Vabina, horn lowered and muscles clenched, charged straight into its chest at the moment of weakness, the spike of bone jutting from her muzzle spearing straight through the stag's throat moments before a massive electrical discharge cracked through the air with an audible boom. When the deer fell for the last time, the wolves stepped back solemnly. It deserved to be buried with its owner. It, like Argua, had earned a considerable measure of respect for its vigilance, even until the very end.
That only left Castile, Argua's loyal wolf. She stood between him and Argua's body with her legs spread and her head low, yellow fangs bared in a challenge... yet she didn't move forwards, not an inch, as Nir'wei approached. Protecting him even after death, even as her legs shook with the effort of standing in his path. As a Velduris, and an Alpha at that, his presence naturally overrode that of the common wolf without a pack of their own to lead... and could only be matched by another Alpha, a leader above the wolf, as Argua had once been. With the rest of the multi-species pack scattered, and Argua gone, Castile lacked the authority to challenge him, or resist his command. Even if she'd have wanted to attack him at that moment, she couldn't. Nevertheless, his own wolves followed at his heels, all staring at her with a mixture of steel-grey and dull-yellow eyes. She'd seen what had happened to the stag. Her eyes didn't leave Nir'wei, nor did she move from her place blocking his path.
"Move." She didn't. The physical strain was noticeable, her legs shaking with the effort needed to overcome the will of his Velduris presence.
The next time, he drew a growl from deep in his throat and pulled every bit of his voice into the command, as he knew befitted a canine's mind. "MOVE." She was folding in on herself, tail instinctively tucking between his legs, but her claws only dug harder into the ground and an answering snarl showed that same wilful disobedience, that open disregard for the way of the entire world, that Argua had held before her. For once, though she had done nothing but stand in place, it gave him pause for thought... and he sucked in another breath, ready to try again.
"Nir'wei, stop." Grey's words were tinged with no small measure of concern, and when he turned to look at the rest of his pack, he found them all with their heads lowered and eyes averted - struggling just as much as Castile under the force of his command. "Just let us pull her aside, it's... it's cruel to put her through this much, so fast." Myrth added a soft noise of agreement, but couldn't bring herself to do more than that. Squeak looked on the verge of lying down on the floor and covering his muzzle with both paws, as if he'd just been shouted at for pissing on the rug.
Instead, Nir'wei gently set his hand between Grey's ears and gave a fond ruffle. "Don't worry. I know." The evident confusion on his face was hilarious, especially when he tried to portray it using a wolf's face, but he kept his own response to nothing more than a smile. "This one is different from the rest of you. She's... well, she's stronger." Not physically, not exactly - Grey wrinkled his nose and made a strange face at the admonition. "Strong-willed and strong-hearted. She has been raised on strength... and so she must be shown strength in kind. Go to the middle of the clearing, back there, and dig a hole. Make sure it's nice and deep for us... and don't let the others wander over here, please." He didn't need to tell Grey what he was about to do. The pack shared in his thoughts so easily these days, and instead of trying to hide his thoughts and barricade his mind, he opened himself before them and let them make their own interpretations of it. Myrth and Squeak followed Grey without hesitation. Cold lingered only as long as it took Myrth to notice his absence and sternly drag him in the direction of the others.
Castile had watched it all unfold without moving, though the moment he turned back to face her, her top lip pulled back into that harsh snarl once more. He answered in kind and showed off fangs still stained with Argua's blood. "You still hate me, don't you." He didn't expect her to understand, or reply, but he spoke all the same. It helped to remind him that animal or not, he was still speaking to someone, not something. "That's okay. I can live with that. It's justified hate, you know. But I can't leave you here, stewing on that hatred now. You'll just grow bitter and resentful, and lash out on everything around you, like he did. Even if it's justified, it's not fair. And while life might not be fair... let me tell you, I am." Castile's low motorboat growl grew to a dull roar when he reached out and gripped her chin, then the bottom half of her muzzle in his hand. She so desperately wanted to chew his arm off then and there, to launch at him and rip his throat out the same way that he had Argua, and he could feel that murderous desire so thick in the air that it tingled on his tongue. "It was too late for Argua. But it's not too late for you, is it." His eyes bored hard into hers, and she glared defiantly back, locked in a battle of wills. "C'mon. C'mon, do it." His own growl stoked hers until it almost drowned out his words.
"DOWN."
He pulled everything. Not intimidation, but power, the command and tone in his voice that showed every bit of his knowledge and skill in training not just animals but feral monsters of the most savage and dangerous breeds. His Alpha status and his pack leadership, all of it condensed into a single order that, even as far away as they were and barricaded from his mind, nearly sent the other wolves toppling.
Castile crouched, and something inside of her snapped. She launched straight for his throat and Nir'wei changed to meet her, hurling all his strength and weight straight back onto her until she was forced to relent and wobble back on unsteady feet. Now in his wolf form, he pushed the offensive, snapping at her muzzle and neck. She snapped back, at one point catching him on the muzzle and biting deep, but he wrenched free and clenched his jaw through the pain, charging forwards and forcing her to continue backpedalling until she stopped, opened her jaws to launch for him again... and he struck, locking jaws with her once more in a stunlock. Of the two of them, like the rest of his wolves, he stood larger and heavier than the average wolf, and his techniques combining human tactics with feral instincts was an advantage even Castile could clearly see. After a quick flurry of snapping empty air and an exchange of grazing bites, he pushed the offensive again, and twisted their heads sharply to one side, diving his nose under her chin and locking tight with her throat. Even her panicked whines couldn't dissuade him, he knew releasing her now, no matter how genuine her fear and pain, would send her launching for him in a manic frenzy. Instead he tore harder, gripping her hard and throwing his weight until her legs stumbled and she collapsed onto her side and allowed him to roll her onto her back.
In that moment, the places were sealed. He adjusted his bite and tightened it all the more, digging his fangs into her hide until he could taste blood and her frantic breathing became strained and wheezing. With all the air left in her lungs she whined pitifully, distressed, afraid, alone... and soundly, completely beaten. Only then did he relent, releasing her throat from his jaws and standing over her for a long second while they both caught their breath. She wouldn't look at him anymore. Her head constantly bowed, as if worried of another attack, and her tail tucked tight between her legs in a sign of absolute submission. After returning to his human form and wiping away the blood from his lips and jaw, he left her there, stopping only to pick up Argua's body and sling it over his shoulder. She made no challenge now. She didn't even raise a growl.
Greyhide, Cold, Myrth and Squeak were more than enough to make a well-proportioned grave for Argua. Though they couldn't provide a tombstone, Archailist fished through the nearby trees and brought back an acorn to plant in the middle of the fresh-dug earth, once it was drawn back over the body. "Argua... was a man of his word." Standing over his grave, it only felt right to provide some form of service, with his four wolves flanking either side two abreast. "His spirit, his courage, and his passion make the world a colder and darker place in their absence. We take comfort knowing that he died as he lived. Fighting." He paused, staring at the grave and mulling the words on his tongue with serious thought. "May his noble soul find sanctuary, fresh hunts, warm nights, and a bright future. Karem guide you, friend. Karem guide you." His words invoked upon Greyhide and the others, and for the first time in a very long time, he called to her.
Despite their conflicting ideologies, it was one of the few moments he'd held genuine respect for someone he'd known for such little time. As their ceremony ended, the four wolves raised their heads and let loose a howl that echoed far beyond the secluded glade, and he felt something brush against his leg. Castile. Though she'd shown her strength to the very end, upholding the training and the mentality of Argua... this was what she truly was, hidden under that shell of bravado. Cold, alone, and grieving. She pawed at the fresh-dug dirt, then curled up upon the grave, making pitiful whimpering noises and crying. Nir'wei and the other wolves sat with her through it all, all through the day and into the night. At some point, though he was barely aware of it, they dug a second grave together, alongside the first, and dragged the stag into it as well.
Argua was gone. His efforts, while noble, had been futile... but, Nir'wei promised silently, they weren't in vain. The Sweetvine Woods, and the rest of Scalvoris, needed better protection than the Natural Affairs Councillors before him - they needed real change and real representation, not just in the Council itself, but down here in the wilds. Argua had shown that to him, and that was something that he would dedicate himself to from now on... and while many of the animals he had gathered were now left scattered and free once more, and his faithful stag lay in the ground beside him, Castile still carried remnants of his teachings and history. He settled a hand over her head, and after a moment of hesitation, she quietly pressed back. He needed to prove that he was strong enough to lead... but compassionate enough to listen. He needed to prove he was better, without making her feel worse. It was a strange exchange, and a strange relationship that they held now, but he was no stranger to strange relationships; and in truth she wasn't just joining him anymore. She was joining his pack. Myrth, who seemed to never leave her side, sharing equally in her grief in that special way only someone who had felt the same pain themselves could. Grey, a mature and comforting shoulder to lean on, and Squeak, who bounced and played and dragged her from the pit that she so often seemed to dive into yet again.
It was not an instant friendship. It was a slow, but blossoming one. This was just the first step. And when they left Fool's Errand, they did it together - with one more than they had arrived.
Continued from here.
Argua, his neck torn and his blood still on Nir'weis lips, fell to the ground and became still. The battle for Fool's Errand slowly tapered off, and the clearing became quiet and still.
The smaller animals, including rabbits, squirrels, even a badger and what might have been a mole, vanished back into the undergrowth and scattered without hesitation as Argua's control fell away from their minds. Some of the larger animals stayed behind; an owl hooted as it rose back to a safe height, no longer forcing an offensive but lingering nearby, watching the events unfold with silent judgement; the stag that had been clasped in Cold's jaws was released, only to turn back around and charge again and again, clearly whipped into some sort of frenzy that wouldn't be quelled now that Argua couldn't give the kill-signal. Nir'wei watched passively as it struggled back to its hooves for the third time, blood leaking from shallow tooth-marks around its throat, and heaved a heavy breath before lowering its rack to him once more. Him, and only him. "There's nothing to be done." Whatever Argua had done to turn such a docile, peaceful animal of prey into such a blood-thirsty predator would die with him. "Make it as quick and painless as you can at least, would you." This time, when it reared for another charge, Cold stepped aside. Vabina, horn lowered and muscles clenched, charged straight into its chest at the moment of weakness, the spike of bone jutting from her muzzle spearing straight through the stag's throat moments before a massive electrical discharge cracked through the air with an audible boom. When the deer fell for the last time, the wolves stepped back solemnly. It deserved to be buried with its owner. It, like Argua, had earned a considerable measure of respect for its vigilance, even until the very end.
That only left Castile, Argua's loyal wolf. She stood between him and Argua's body with her legs spread and her head low, yellow fangs bared in a challenge... yet she didn't move forwards, not an inch, as Nir'wei approached. Protecting him even after death, even as her legs shook with the effort of standing in his path. As a Velduris, and an Alpha at that, his presence naturally overrode that of the common wolf without a pack of their own to lead... and could only be matched by another Alpha, a leader above the wolf, as Argua had once been. With the rest of the multi-species pack scattered, and Argua gone, Castile lacked the authority to challenge him, or resist his command. Even if she'd have wanted to attack him at that moment, she couldn't. Nevertheless, his own wolves followed at his heels, all staring at her with a mixture of steel-grey and dull-yellow eyes. She'd seen what had happened to the stag. Her eyes didn't leave Nir'wei, nor did she move from her place blocking his path.
"Move." She didn't. The physical strain was noticeable, her legs shaking with the effort needed to overcome the will of his Velduris presence.
The next time, he drew a growl from deep in his throat and pulled every bit of his voice into the command, as he knew befitted a canine's mind. "MOVE." She was folding in on herself, tail instinctively tucking between his legs, but her claws only dug harder into the ground and an answering snarl showed that same wilful disobedience, that open disregard for the way of the entire world, that Argua had held before her. For once, though she had done nothing but stand in place, it gave him pause for thought... and he sucked in another breath, ready to try again.
"Nir'wei, stop." Grey's words were tinged with no small measure of concern, and when he turned to look at the rest of his pack, he found them all with their heads lowered and eyes averted - struggling just as much as Castile under the force of his command. "Just let us pull her aside, it's... it's cruel to put her through this much, so fast." Myrth added a soft noise of agreement, but couldn't bring herself to do more than that. Squeak looked on the verge of lying down on the floor and covering his muzzle with both paws, as if he'd just been shouted at for pissing on the rug.
Instead, Nir'wei gently set his hand between Grey's ears and gave a fond ruffle. "Don't worry. I know." The evident confusion on his face was hilarious, especially when he tried to portray it using a wolf's face, but he kept his own response to nothing more than a smile. "This one is different from the rest of you. She's... well, she's stronger." Not physically, not exactly - Grey wrinkled his nose and made a strange face at the admonition. "Strong-willed and strong-hearted. She has been raised on strength... and so she must be shown strength in kind. Go to the middle of the clearing, back there, and dig a hole. Make sure it's nice and deep for us... and don't let the others wander over here, please." He didn't need to tell Grey what he was about to do. The pack shared in his thoughts so easily these days, and instead of trying to hide his thoughts and barricade his mind, he opened himself before them and let them make their own interpretations of it. Myrth and Squeak followed Grey without hesitation. Cold lingered only as long as it took Myrth to notice his absence and sternly drag him in the direction of the others.
Castile had watched it all unfold without moving, though the moment he turned back to face her, her top lip pulled back into that harsh snarl once more. He answered in kind and showed off fangs still stained with Argua's blood. "You still hate me, don't you." He didn't expect her to understand, or reply, but he spoke all the same. It helped to remind him that animal or not, he was still speaking to someone, not something. "That's okay. I can live with that. It's justified hate, you know. But I can't leave you here, stewing on that hatred now. You'll just grow bitter and resentful, and lash out on everything around you, like he did. Even if it's justified, it's not fair. And while life might not be fair... let me tell you, I am." Castile's low motorboat growl grew to a dull roar when he reached out and gripped her chin, then the bottom half of her muzzle in his hand. She so desperately wanted to chew his arm off then and there, to launch at him and rip his throat out the same way that he had Argua, and he could feel that murderous desire so thick in the air that it tingled on his tongue. "It was too late for Argua. But it's not too late for you, is it." His eyes bored hard into hers, and she glared defiantly back, locked in a battle of wills. "C'mon. C'mon, do it." His own growl stoked hers until it almost drowned out his words.
"DOWN."
He pulled everything. Not intimidation, but power, the command and tone in his voice that showed every bit of his knowledge and skill in training not just animals but feral monsters of the most savage and dangerous breeds. His Alpha status and his pack leadership, all of it condensed into a single order that, even as far away as they were and barricaded from his mind, nearly sent the other wolves toppling.
Castile crouched, and something inside of her snapped. She launched straight for his throat and Nir'wei changed to meet her, hurling all his strength and weight straight back onto her until she was forced to relent and wobble back on unsteady feet. Now in his wolf form, he pushed the offensive, snapping at her muzzle and neck. She snapped back, at one point catching him on the muzzle and biting deep, but he wrenched free and clenched his jaw through the pain, charging forwards and forcing her to continue backpedalling until she stopped, opened her jaws to launch for him again... and he struck, locking jaws with her once more in a stunlock. Of the two of them, like the rest of his wolves, he stood larger and heavier than the average wolf, and his techniques combining human tactics with feral instincts was an advantage even Castile could clearly see. After a quick flurry of snapping empty air and an exchange of grazing bites, he pushed the offensive again, and twisted their heads sharply to one side, diving his nose under her chin and locking tight with her throat. Even her panicked whines couldn't dissuade him, he knew releasing her now, no matter how genuine her fear and pain, would send her launching for him in a manic frenzy. Instead he tore harder, gripping her hard and throwing his weight until her legs stumbled and she collapsed onto her side and allowed him to roll her onto her back.
In that moment, the places were sealed. He adjusted his bite and tightened it all the more, digging his fangs into her hide until he could taste blood and her frantic breathing became strained and wheezing. With all the air left in her lungs she whined pitifully, distressed, afraid, alone... and soundly, completely beaten. Only then did he relent, releasing her throat from his jaws and standing over her for a long second while they both caught their breath. She wouldn't look at him anymore. Her head constantly bowed, as if worried of another attack, and her tail tucked tight between her legs in a sign of absolute submission. After returning to his human form and wiping away the blood from his lips and jaw, he left her there, stopping only to pick up Argua's body and sling it over his shoulder. She made no challenge now. She didn't even raise a growl.
Greyhide, Cold, Myrth and Squeak were more than enough to make a well-proportioned grave for Argua. Though they couldn't provide a tombstone, Archailist fished through the nearby trees and brought back an acorn to plant in the middle of the fresh-dug earth, once it was drawn back over the body. "Argua... was a man of his word." Standing over his grave, it only felt right to provide some form of service, with his four wolves flanking either side two abreast. "His spirit, his courage, and his passion make the world a colder and darker place in their absence. We take comfort knowing that he died as he lived. Fighting." He paused, staring at the grave and mulling the words on his tongue with serious thought. "May his noble soul find sanctuary, fresh hunts, warm nights, and a bright future. Karem guide you, friend. Karem guide you." His words invoked upon Greyhide and the others, and for the first time in a very long time, he called to her.
Despite their conflicting ideologies, it was one of the few moments he'd held genuine respect for someone he'd known for such little time. As their ceremony ended, the four wolves raised their heads and let loose a howl that echoed far beyond the secluded glade, and he felt something brush against his leg. Castile. Though she'd shown her strength to the very end, upholding the training and the mentality of Argua... this was what she truly was, hidden under that shell of bravado. Cold, alone, and grieving. She pawed at the fresh-dug dirt, then curled up upon the grave, making pitiful whimpering noises and crying. Nir'wei and the other wolves sat with her through it all, all through the day and into the night. At some point, though he was barely aware of it, they dug a second grave together, alongside the first, and dragged the stag into it as well.
Argua was gone. His efforts, while noble, had been futile... but, Nir'wei promised silently, they weren't in vain. The Sweetvine Woods, and the rest of Scalvoris, needed better protection than the Natural Affairs Councillors before him - they needed real change and real representation, not just in the Council itself, but down here in the wilds. Argua had shown that to him, and that was something that he would dedicate himself to from now on... and while many of the animals he had gathered were now left scattered and free once more, and his faithful stag lay in the ground beside him, Castile still carried remnants of his teachings and history. He settled a hand over her head, and after a moment of hesitation, she quietly pressed back. He needed to prove that he was strong enough to lead... but compassionate enough to listen. He needed to prove he was better, without making her feel worse. It was a strange exchange, and a strange relationship that they held now, but he was no stranger to strange relationships; and in truth she wasn't just joining him anymore. She was joining his pack. Myrth, who seemed to never leave her side, sharing equally in her grief in that special way only someone who had felt the same pain themselves could. Grey, a mature and comforting shoulder to lean on, and Squeak, who bounced and played and dragged her from the pit that she so often seemed to dive into yet again.
It was not an instant friendship. It was a slow, but blossoming one. This was just the first step. And when they left Fool's Errand, they did it together - with one more than they had arrived.
