"Eviction" was not something Arayne had ever imagined would happen to her. Her family had been in power for generations before she was born, so there had never been any real chance of her father being dethroned. Sure, when she left home, it was a bit like an eviction (more like an exile, really), but that had been entirely voluntary. Being kicked out of her nice dry caverns and thrown back into the snow by Syrinx and his lot had been anything but. She had never intended to settle in one place, but now that it was winter, she needed a shelter from bad weather. The average tree or boulder outcropping would be acceptable, but she would have rather have had a proper den, that she could return to when needed. Recalling an old set of caves that she had taken shelter in before, and the white pup she had met there, she returned to the Lifeless Caverns, hoping to make a niche for herself there. A light snow was falling when she arrived, loping across the sea of white with a tireless lupine gait. Frost dusted her back, standing out lividly against her mahogany coat. Her pace slowed as she approached the caves, and she dropped her head cautiously. If the caves were already inhabited, she didn't want to walk into somebody's parlor without knowing. Nose to the ground, she sniffed about the cave entrance, then froze. Her hackles rose slightly. These caves were definitely inhabited, and by a wolf from the smell of things. Arayne couldn't tell if the wolf was currently home, but it was better to err on the side of caution. She fidgeted, looking back over the tundra with a quiet whine. Perhaps the current owner would be in a sharing mood? She looked back at the crack that led into the mountain, steeled herself, and entered, eyes flicking to and fro nervously. "Hello?" she called. "Anyone home?""Speech"

She had been napping so peacefully, her stomach busily digesting her previous meal of a few snowshoe hares. But, much to her dissatisfaction she was awoken. An oh so innocent voice caught her attention at the mouth of her newly claimed home, and of course she left to investigate. The petite sultry shadow floated to the entrance of her new home. Exotic eyes took in the newcomer, a pathetic wench who seemed so terrified to stand in the presence of such greatness. "You can't really be that dumb. This is my home, of course I'm here." She purred, the emotions in her voice belying the statement. She stood before the newcomer with a look of disdain on her face. Flicking her long tail, she gazed into the she wolfs eyes and waited for a response from her, having so rudely intruded upon her nap within the caverns. "Speech"

She wasn't kept waiting long. A female's voice made her ears prick, and her fur bristle slightly. She saw the cave inhabitant's eyes glinting in the darkness before she saw the rest of her, materializing from the shadows like she was part of them. Arayne's nervous demeanor became somewhat more self-assured as she realized this wolf was smaller than her, but she knew that appearances could be deceiving. Her ears flattened at the stranger's contemptuous words. "No, I'd be dumb if I waltzed in without checking first." she corrected. "I could smell that someone had been in here recently, but I had no idea if they were still here." She growled quietly to herself, looking over her shoulder at the snowfields again. She had come all this way, surely it would have to be worth asking her. "Look, I'm just trying to find somewhere I can stay in the event a blizzard rolls in. I'm not made for this kind of climate." She turned back to the black wolf. "Don't suppose you'd be willing to let me have a corner of the cave somewhere?" She wasn't very hopeful that her request would be granted. The ebony wolf didn't strike her as the kind willing to share. "Speech"

As the younger she wolf corrected her, the dame bared her daggers in a grimace of distaste. Her tongue clucked against her pearl razors, her delicate cranium shaking slightly. "I do not tolerate disrespect, especially not from a youngster such as yourself." She told the brown pelted fae, the last few words coming out a growl. As the damsel's voice came to grate in her onyx audits again, she seated herself where she stood, glaring upwards. "Hmm......" She mused, taking her sweet time to reply. Her claws drummed against the stone floor as she tilted her cranium back and to the side in thought. The action bared her throat to the stranger, daring her to attack or threaten her. Then she would not show mercy.

Her tiara would snap downwards, exotic gaze fixed upon the innocent babe's own electric blue optics. A sly grin would play across her features, and her voice would fall from her lips a devious purr. "What can you offer my in return for my gratitude?" She asked, her eyes showing that she knew exactly how cruel she was being, blocking the entrance while she stalled to see what she could get from the dame as she got slowly colder.




"Speech"

It was obvious that both of them were used to being in charge, which wouldn't likely end well. Her posture didn't loosen as the black one scolded her, but she managed to keep herself from raising her tail in a typical show of wolf dominance, although when done in this situation it would have been more like a child sticking out their tongue. Annoyance flickered in her eyes as she mulled Arayne's question over, sensing that she was taking her time and holding that impudent position merely to aggravate her. Oh yes, they were going to get alone so well as denmates. Arayne already regretted asking her, and was nearly ready to simply excuse herself and leave when Raven replied. "Offer?" she repeated, realizing the fatal flaw in her plan. What could she offer? The air seemed to go out of her, taking er bluster away. "Well, what do you want?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders helplessly. "I can help you hunt. I'm a good tracker. Heck, I could help keep the cave tidy." The idea of doing such...such menial work grated on the once-aristocrat, but she had to face facts. She'd be in trouble without a good sheltered den."Speech"

Her tongue darted from her mouth to wet her drying lips, her stare never ceasing upon the younger she wolf. A fatal mistake, asking the demoness what she wanted. Her grin broadened, baring every one of her formidable teeth in a devilish display of pleasure. "Well, what I want is someone to take care of things around the den, so if you're offering, I'm going to take you up on that." She purred, lifting herself off the ground and sweeping her paw in an inviting gesture towards the inside of the cave. "My mate will most likely be around quite a bit, so be prepared to have a houseguest for most of the time you're here." She told the woman with a grin. Then she realized that she had completely forgotten her manners in the deal making just a few moments before. "The name's Raven by the way. You?" She asked calmly, seating herself upon her nest of feathers and pelts. Being a wolf like herself had perks, one always had a nice cozy bed of furs. She wrapped her long tail around her tea cupped paws, following the newcomer with her exotic, dual toned gaze. This wing of the cave belonged to her, it was closest to the back and warmest, being lower down and close to a heat pocket that was rising from the Earth's crust. She wasn't going to be sharing that with anyone other than her lovely Ryu, but there was a cozy niche closer to the entrance for the she wolf. Speech,

Well, it wasn't the ideal arrangement by any means, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Still, she wasn't about to let herself be pushed around by this wolf. "Very well, but I'm only staying until the spring thaw hits and I can cross the mountains without freezing to death." She entered the cave, nodding when when Raven told her that her mate would be around frequently. "Does he come around often?" she asked. Hopefully the cave walls would be soundproof. She found Raven's name easy to link back to her black coat. "I'm Arayne." she replied, then stopped and took a look around. Raven's quarters looked rather comfortable, and she saw that the black wolf used pelts as well in her nest. Arayne had lost her nesting materials when she was booted out of her previous home, but it wouldn't been too hard to find some more. A few caribou or elk pelts, something between her and the stone floor, would suffice. She turned to examine a smaller area near the entrance, finding it cozy and out of the wind. She plopped down onto her hindquarters, tail whisking over the floor briefly as she realized that now, with two wolves in the den (three if Raven's mate dropped in), it would be easier to defend it in the event someone tried to take it. If Raven was a fighter, that was. Arayne could hardly be called one. (The "he" was not a typo, Arayne just isn't aware her mate's a female as well.)"Speech"

The she wolf's voice filtered to her ears, a statement that very well contradicted her own plans. A growl rumbled in her chest, accompanying her next words. "You'll go when I say you can go, you're mine now, dear." She commanded, her long tail flicking back and forth like that of an angry cat, though her voice softened upon the last word. A delusion would begin to spin it's threads within her mind, changing the way she saw things now. But when a question came to her ears she smiled, she hoped her lovely smiler would be around often, she did not want to be alone in such a roomy cave, or she may be forced to find another body to join her. "Yes, she will. And you are to treat her with respect." She informed her guest, the child whom she would be fostering within this cave. The sultry shadow was always obsessed with manners, being polite and respectful to all but those who failed to deserve her kindness. She cozied up in her bed, tucking her paws beneath her and turning her gaze towards the youngster. A name was produced from the girl's ebony lips, and the onyx coated bitch grinned. Arayne. How quaint, blueblooded almost. "Any questions before I return to my nap?" She purred, tilting her head quizzically. Naps were very important to her, beauty sleep was a must when you had so much beauty on the line to lose. "Speech"

Arayne's head whipped around at Raven's words. "Pardon me?" she asked with a raised brow. She had just been looking for a place to den in. "I can't go?" Was this another crazy wolf like Cattina? (If only she knew.) That Raven's mate was a female as well didn't bother her, and she hardly acknowledged it. What she was more concerned about was this wolf who thought that by allowing Arayne to share the den, some sort of possessiveness could be assumed. She supposed, in the back of her mind, that someone could arrive at that conclusion, but only through a rather insane twist of logic. She bristled again as Raven asked for any final questions. "Just one." she responded. "How, exactly, do you plan to keep me from leaving for good once the passes are open again?" She would stay for the winter, at the moment she had very little choice, and she would wait until spring to attempt that particular hurdle, but she wasn't submitting without some semblance of a fight first."Speech"

"I am in love with the word of death, and the being of it all" The storm didn't affect her too much, if anything it brought the joyous idea of others getting stuck and dying in it. As the monster came to return to the den where she and Raven had made their home for the moment, she scented someone else inside. Another female, as a slight possessive temperament covered the insane woman's snout. Her mouth turned into a large grin as she wafted malice out like a plague. Her scars making it an even more dark element as she entered the den standing in front of the much smaller woman. Her blue eyes looked over raven for a moment before returning to the stranger. "Hello, dear darling, what are you doing in our den?" The woman spoke in a snicker. All thought was distraught if any at all. Strung around in high places as her eyes narrowed at the brown bitch. She needed to tell Raven they'd be leaving soon. Amenti could do well without them. Ryu was sure her alpha was a reasonable man after all. It wasn't like she was betraying him, she just didn't see herself any use here when she had Raven. Speech,

The brown she wolf was incredulous to the woman's demands, and she was not impressed. Then her voice would continue as she asked her only question, and the bitch would grin broadly.
"It's simple really. I will keep you here by force if necessary, given that you sleep rather close to me. If you would prefer otherwise, I can hand you over to the new owner of your previous home. You stink of Syrinx." She purred, her smile clean and evil as can be. Surely such an innocent creature would have quite a problem with being in the vicinity of Syrinx, the magnificent beast he was, if not in his possession.

A familiar scent wafted to her nostrils, that of her eternal grinner. Her delicate cranium would pivot to face the lovely creature, and she would stand up to greet her beloved affectionately. She would attempt to brace her forepaws upon the woman's powerful chest and nuzzle her face, letting her long salmon tongue caress Ryu's face delicately.
"Well hello lovely, our new guest is Arayne, she will be staying with us for a while." She told her mate, smiling and returning to standing before her lover. Her gaze turned to the youngster, daring her to say something before the giantess, her beloved.




"Speech"

She sized up Raven with a critical eye. Unless she was tougher than she looked, Arayne felt that it would be somewhat difficult for the diminutive wolf to keep her captive. The mention of Syrinx again and the threat of turning her over did make her flinch slightly, however. He wouldn't need any help in dragging her away, and she didn't know if he still held a grudge from her rude behavior at the Amenti den. Still, she attempted to regain some of her former bluff. "Is that so? You and what army?" This was precisely when Ryouta walked in. Arayne turned at the sound of claws clicking on the stone, and went pale under her fur at the sight of the enormous wolf. Oh. That army. She stepped away from the huge wolf, the last of her bluster deflating as her hackles flattened themselves again. She watched as Raven greeted her, realizing that this must be her mate. Well. There went any chance of leaving by force. The wind gusted outside, and she could have sworn it carried a mocking tone. Trapped, trapped. She swallowed, meeting Ryouta's icy gaze. "Only for the winter." she said in response to Raven's words. But for the most part, the fight had gone out of her. She had no options aside from staying. It was that or freeze. But they would be having this conversation again after the thaw, that was for sure."Speech"

"I am in love with the word of death, and the being of it all" Ryouta was gladly greeted by her woman, giving a soft rumble as she rubbed her head against the smaller Fae. The other one spoke again though, did it look like Raven wanted this little pretty? After all, she didn't look like she was going to be in any position to oppose the insane beast. Ryouta turned her head towards Raven. "Ryu came to tell we are leaving. She has to speak with syrinx but he shall be no problem." She said with a slight giggle after. Malice clearly waving off of her as her head turned towards the woman. Now there was no need for her to be afraid, Ryu wouldn't hurt her, not unless Raven wanted her to. Then she would gladly taint the womans fur with red. "If you come with us to stay, I offer protection and food, as long as you listen." She smiled widely. Those words quaked with eagerness of another companion to add to a brood where she and Raven could have so much fun. With all the stupid minds out there, perhaps they didn't have a pack. But something of a rogue group would be fun to run around. She could simply break Arayne's legs and drag her with them, if she all softly wanted. Speech,

When her lover's words came to her ears, she nodded understandingly and looked to her new fostered child. Padding over to the youngster, she stood before her and smiled sweetly, her two toned optics sparkling with mirth. "Now you be good while we're gone, or you'll be in big trouble." She cooed, the last bit coming out harsh, informing the girl there would be punishment of she disobeyed. Her delusion had set in, unbeknownst to the obsidian furred bitch. Using her tongue, she attempted to smooth a roughed up patch of fur upon her shoulder, like a mother would for her pup. Her lover's voice was heard in the background, offering something to the dame in return for her obedience. With that, Raven stepped back and stood at her eternal grinner's side, ready to go. But she would wait until Ryu was ready, for this was her battle to fight. Speech,

Arayne's ears pricked as the giant mentioned Syrinx again. So both of them knew him? Was this "Ryu" a former member of his pack? That would explain why she had mentioned leaving. Still flat-furred, Arayne tried not to quail as the scarred woman addressed her. Food and protection did sound nice, even if it was coming from a couple of crazies. And three wolves would fare better than one. She managed a nod. Raven approached her again with a broad grin, which, somehow, did not reassure her. She flinched as the black wolf licked her shoulder, some primal part of her glad for the attention of another living creature while the rest of her squirmed. "Um, okay." She sidled away from Raven's ministrations, moving into the niche they had given her, then sat, attempting a smile at the two. Anything for a few minutes alone so she could wonder just what the hell she gotten herself into."Speech"