Crunch Crunch Crunch He had grown weary eating frogs and snakes, but the swamp had become his home. No pack fostered the ideals he had always lived by, the need for constant carnage and blood of the weak. The screams of tormented souls, the hatred in the eyes of the unfortunates left in his care. No pack held the old laws that he had come to love and be so appreciative of. The laws that defined him. Instead he simply waited in the swamp, lurking with baited breath for the old ways to return so he might find a pack to serve him. A pack with plenty of puppies that might go missing once or twice...or three times and never be seen again. He grinned at the thought from under the skull he wore, a frog's leg sticking out from between his teeth. He waded through the murky water to dry land where he could finish his meager meal in peace. Oh how the mighty had fallen. Once a lieutenant, now feasting on frogs in a swamp of all things. How cruel life could be. He sighed between bites and swallowed his meal, bones and all. Speech,

What a strange place he ended up in. Sal went from being in the freezing north to this muggy, bog-like south. The boy would growl, lifting a paw out of the mushy ground and shaking it, throwing sticky muck. ?Eh, why did I bother coming this way.? He'd grumble, setting the paw down in what seemed like clearer water. Up ahead he would see some land poking over the water's surface, a grin spreading over the boys face as he quickly made his way over. ?yes, yes, yes!? Approaching the dry land rapidly, it wasn't till he was a few feet away that he would notice a figure with something on its head. Sal's own would tilt to the side, eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out what the whiteness was. A few more feet, and he knew, it was a skull! "That is... a nice looking skull you got there handsome." His voice was smooth, stopping so that only his front paws were on the dry mass, tail up and wagging behind him as he held a playful smile. The man before Sal was quite the handsome beast, even though he was a few inches shorter. The red, white and black mixed together in a way that made them fit together like a beautiful puzzle. And that skull, hiding the face, making him just a bit more interesting, mysterious perhaps. "normal. talk. think. you" Awesome image by Canttina <3

He looked at the yearling with an air of pride, obviously elated to have his ego stroked, blood and mucus sticking to the edges of his black lips as they curled into a smile. "I'm so glad you think so young man." He simpered. He would be lying if he said he did not find the yearling attractive himself. Such an odd color for a wolf to wear, not unlike his own pelt, and yet he wore it so well, not unlike himself. Red eyes pierced from the sockets of the skull into amethyst pools, as if attempting to see into his soul and tread the darkest corners of his mind. At some point the vital thought crossed his mind that the stranger was too old to make him young again, and he decided that he wouldn't waste his energy on a fight he would most definitely lose. Ruby's searched every corner of the wolf's body, taking in his figure and scent from under the mask. He bowed suddenly, his eyes torn away and shifting to the ground "Grinner. At your service." He purred, rolling his tongue over the "R" in his name. His eyes shot up again, watching the larger wolf and waiting for a proper introduction. Speech,

Sal would give a dip of his head when the man answered, taking the compliment the boy had given him. The grin would remain there, bright eyes looking over the man when he had. He got a feeling the skull masked wolf was older, the way he held himself and spoke. Sal wouldn't mind though, older wolves were experienced, knew what they were doing and could be more fun than those his own age. Suddenly though he would bow, which would make Sal tilt his head curiously, a paw lifting off the ground. "Grinner. At your service." Ah, an introduction, how lovely, and the way this guy rolled the "R" in it, quite sexy. Clearing his throat Sal would taking a few steps forward so that his whole body was out of the bog, giving a small shake before lowering the front half of his body, left foreleg folding in. "Salamander Lizette Saxe, a pleasure to meet you sir Grinner." He would lift himself back up, tail still wagging behind him. His gaze would meet ruby, and something about the contact sent chills down the boys spine. "Pardon me but, how did you get such a lovely mask?" He would ask curiously, sitting back on his haunches. "normal. talk. think. you" Awesome image by Canttina <3

He laughed briefly"Saxe. Now that's a name that's hard to forget" He chortled. The question arose of how he had recieved his skull and he could only laugh again "Such a long story for such young ears. It's nothing of extreme interest I'm sure." He said dismissively, silently hoping that the youth would pressure him further into telling the story. "I'm sure it's far more interesting to hear how a princeling like you came to find himself in the swamp, so far from home." Grinner knew nothing of Newt's rise or fall, he only knew that she had been an alpha of something at some point. He had been blissfully unaware of any of the pack comings or goings since he left Tortuga over a year ago. The most he knew of any pack is that none of them kept slaves and were therefore in no need for a sadistic torturer like himself. More than anything it made him long for home. The Black Moon Pack. He offten wondered how they were fairing without their lieutenant and if they ever regretted driving him away. Ah, but now was not the time for such things. The yearling had his full attention. Speech,

Tail would continuously wag as Sal stood there, brows coming together in slight confusion when the man laughed, then commented on his name. A name that was hard to forget... why? Did he meet one of the boys family before, did he know where they were? All sorts of questions would flood his head, so many he wanted to ask, but didn't want to annoy the handsome guy who seemed to be in a decent mood. Perhaps a bit later Sal would press for answers. When it came to his skull Grinner would only laugh again which would bring a small frown upon the boy when he would tell him it was a long story for such young ears, and was of no extreme interest. What? Yes it was, Sal wanted to know how he got it. Did he rip the flesh from the bone, was it a trophy or was it something to remind him of something horrible he did in the past? Not many strolled around wearing such a thing so the boy wanted to know, see if it would show what the guy was capable of. Calling the boy a princeling would really get his attention away from the skull, how did he know he could have been a prince? "I'm an idiot for not noticing, but if you must know, I was stolen away from my home. Lost now looking for it, I guess you could say." He would hold his head high as though it was nothing, though his tone held a bit of annoyance because he wasn't familiar with the lands or the way that would lead him back to his family. "I take it you knew my mother then, or at least heard of her. Saxe is not a common name, and my mother isn't exactly a normal woman in these lands." He would raise a brow curiously, wondering what this man knew of the giantress. "normal. talk. think. you" Awesome image by Canttina <3

What a shame. To be taken from a place of power at such a young age, or at least what he assumed was still a place of power. "I should have realized you were one of hers just from looking at you, but I suppose that's neither here nor there. Yes, I knew of your mother. Before I left my pack she was an alpha of Amenti. But that was almost a year ago. Gods only know if she's still leading or if she dropped off the face of the earth." He said, waving a paw dismissively. "Suffice to say I don't know where she is now. So I'm afraid I can't help you" He explained. "However..." He regained the lustful purr he had lost through his laughter. "I'm sure two sets of eyes are better than one." He grinned. "Perhaps I can help you after all?" He was eager for Salamander to bring up his skull again more than anything, although the thought had crossed his mind of all the ways he could use him. Although he was too old to eat, Grinner's imagination was limitless. It had been so long since he felt a warm consenting body under him, or on top of him for that matter. He was demanding, yes, but could easily play the roll of the submisser if that was what the yearling wanted. "Come." He said, walking past Salamander and letting his tail brush the underside of his jaw. "Your mother must miss you terribly." He purred. He waded into the water and waited for the larger wolf to follow him, his tail and hips swaying lightly from side to side. Speech,

Ears would perk up at the deep tones, a proud smirk appearing on Sal's face. The boy never thought he looked like either of his parents, but it seemed like this man thought so. He would confirm that he knew of Newt, before he left his pack she was alphess of Amenti but that was almost a year ago. Ah, so he only knew of her before the bitches known as Jupiter and Medusa came and ruined the nice life they had. And his last comment about it would only prove that, dam, what a shame he couldn't be of more help. The boy would sigh at this, his head turning to the side, violet orbs falling upon a head breaking the surface of the bog's water just a few feet away. It would take even longer now to be reunited with his family... That wouldn't be all though, Grinner would purr which would bring Sal's attention back to him, ears listening intently. The smirk would turn into a small grin, the man offering to help the boy look for his family. Oh, what a lovely idea, letting a handsome guy like this accompany Sal on his search, and if they found his mother, would she be pleased with this beautiful being and perhaps let him stay a bit? Oh yes, this must happen! Before the boy would answer however the man was already walking past the boy, a brush of his tail against the underside of his jaw sending chills all over his body. Ideas would form in his head, possibilities, he just needed to find out if this Grinner would wanna play with them also. ?Yes, sounds like a good plan.? He'd hum, quickly lifting himself and following, coming up alongside the colorful man. ?You must tell me of the story behind your mask though, I would be most upset if you left out a lovely story.? Tail would wag behind Sal, smacking at Grinner's while he held a playful smirk. "normal. talk. think. you"

He cackled. "If you insist." He purred. "In my first pack, the one I was born into, the Black Moon Pack, I was Beta. Or Lieutenant as they called it there. I led an attack against an enemy pack. The vile Red Forest Pack. It was a massacre, for them" He told, adding as much bravado to his words as he could, flicking his tail against Salamander's as they trudged through the murky water. "I slaughtered all their pups, and it wasn't long before their beta, a huge lumbering oaf, noticed me amid the screams of dying young." He said proudly, a grin threatening to split his face in two as he recalled the bloody day. "I didn't notice him at first, I was far too focused on a fleeing bitch who had managed to steal a squirming youth from right under my nose. I chased her down, and right as I was about to catch her, their Beta pounced and pinned me to the ground!" He said, adding a jump in the muck for emphasis then leaned in close to Salamander. "He stood over me, teeth bared and dripping with spit..." Closer now, almost whispering."I knew I was done for, he dove in for the kill and..."He pulled back at that instant, "I bit into his shoulder, and tore it clean off." He snapped his jaws for added effect. "The old fool ran from me at that point, but I knew I had him. I chased him down and with one final blow to the throat I ended his life."He trotted forward, tail waving happily. "Now, I would later fall from grace in my pack and as I left my land I passed through our battle field, where I found the Beta's bones rotting." He threw his head back. "And that young one is how I got such a lovely mask." Speech,

A grin of satisfaction would come upon the boy when the man finally would give in, quickly diving into the story behind his beautiful skull. The boy would raise a brow at discovering Grinner's old rank, a beta in his first pack, that was a good thing, very nice. Ears would be up and pointed towards the older male, not wanting to miss a single thing as they moved through the swamp. The knowledge of the man killing pups wasn't a pleasant thought, but Sal knew that it was a good idea, go for the young, cripple the enemy. People didn't like such things. When he would jump the boy would flinch, but then give a playful shove back with a low growl, but not of annoyance, just amusement. Closer and closer he got as he explained what was happening, hills going down his spine. Without much control his jaw dropped when the man said he ripped the flesh from the man's shoulder, the corners of his lips lifting in a grin. To be able to take someone out so fast and easily when he wasn't that big, it was amazing. "A trophy then?" He'd finally speak after Grinner was done, tail wagging like crazy behind him as she strolled alongside the man. "I'd love to get one some day, maybe more than just one bone. What do you think would look best on me?" Sal would suddenly stop and hold his head high with a grin, legs would spread out, tail held high, his left foreleg would lift out of the water. This guy should know his stuff, and the boy wanted to see what the handsome beast thought would look best on him. "normal. talk. think. you"

He chuckled, an deep noise that would have sent shivers down anyone's spine."For a wolf your size? A cougar maybe, a black bear, or a ram." He nodded. Yes, a ram would be very nice indeed, just the thought sent envy bubbling through his veins, and yet they hadn't even found a skull for him...Not yet anyway. "I suppose we'll have to find you one won't we? If you get any bigger you might be able to hold a moose skull on your head. Now that would be a sight." He prattled on as they walked, occasionally bumping his hip into Sal's. He was growing on the boy, he knew it. But with such an avid admirer it was almost impossible not to be drawn in. Speech,

Brows would raise and ears would swivel to face the man, smirked at his deep rumbling chuckle. Grinner would give some suggestions based on Sal's size, cougar, black bear or even a ram. Interest would spark in the boys' eyes, the possibilities flooding his young mind. Cougar sounded okay, but a bear and ram sounded even cooler, who else wore such things? Pfft, no one, Sal would try and be the first to stroll around with his new found friend and their treasures. Making everyone else jealous. Quickly he would shake his head and refocus on the man's voice that was now talking about finding him said bones, and if he got any bigger then maybe he could hold a moose skull on his head. Moose, the boy's head would tilt at this. He knew what the other animals were but not this moose. Were they that big that Sal needed to be larger? A bump would make the boy realize he had stopped walking, giving a nip to the man's tail, quickly catching up to his pace. "A moose if I was bigger hm, are they huge animals?" He'd ask curiously, looking to the man with a raised brow. A bear or ram sounds like good ones, we should go try finding some while looking for my family." He'd add with a grin and lift of his head, tail swinging behind him. "normal. talk. think. you"

"Have you never seen a moose?" He asked. without waiting for a reply he explained more. "They're gargantuan beasts, able to break a wolf's spine in two with their hooves, or impale them with their huge antlers. Never fight a moose alone, you will not survive." He said sagely. "Hell, never fight a moose with only me to help you. We'd die together." He said, giving Sal a playful nudge. "Not that I'd mind spending eternity with such a young, supple wolf." He grinned. The boy mentioned trying to find a bear or a ram and his grin widened. "We'll have to head north for that." He said simply. "That or hunt for a ram on the range." He explained. Speech,

The boy give a shake of his head when Grinner questioned him seeing a moose before, nope, never ever. The man would continue though without waiting for Sal to speak it, head turning towards him and within a few seconds it was tilting left and right, in rhythm with the bounce in his step. A large grin would spread over his jaws as Grinner described a moose, a gargantuan beast, table to snap a wolf in half with its hooves and impale with their huge antlers. He would warn Sal, don't fight one alone or you won't survive, never fight one without only him to help, that way they could die together, giving Sal a shove and adding a comment. The boy smirk at the man, holding his head high with a slight jerking motion as if he had a mane to flip. "I wouldn't mind spending eternity with a handsome badass like you." Yes, wouldn't that be wonderful, who cared if this guy was older he seemed like he could have some fun. "How about we catch something to eat first, I saw that frog leg hanging out your mouth, surely something more filling would be better, hm?" Tones would grow soft, almost innocent as he lowered his head, gently pressing it to his shoulder and looking up at him with a sweet little smile. "normal. talk. think. you"

He chuckled lowly "What do you have in mind that we can find in this swamp?" He asked, his tail running along the curb of Sal's spine. "I'm starving" He purred, running his tongue over his lips. A meal would certainly be beneficial, but now that he had gotten to know the younger male it was apparent that he was after more than food. His tail would trace his spine again, flicking lightly as it did. He took in his scent. Autumn was still heavy on the boy, and the scent that wafted to his nose made him think of crushed leaves and bitter breezes. It was intoxicating. Speech,

With the man's question Sal would lift his head, looking up the sky in thought. Head would tilt to the side, running over various animals they could try catching to snack on. Rabbits, mice, birds and such were way too small, Sal wanted something big to fill his belly till he couldn't walk. Maybe a deer, boar... something like that, yes. Would the man be able to help the boy take one down though, was he good with hunting or only fighting? Something would break the boy's thoughts, a touch, going along the curve of his spine. His head would lower, a smirk coming over his face. "It is not nice to tease." He would say, going to nip at Grinner's ear before quickly leaping to the side and darting forward. "Let's try getting a boar! I haven't caught one of those yet!" With a happy bark h would glace over his shoulders, checking if the man was pursuing him. "normal. talk. think. you"

He looked at the boy, almost stunned. Had he been too subtle in his flirtation? A nip to the ear told him no, he hadn't. The all too familiar grin broke his features as he bounded after Salamander. "Boar it is." he laughed, racing in front of the boy with his tail at level with his body. A brief joyful howl escaped his lips as he ran, his senses open to the stink of hog meat and wet fur. The mud was perfect for this, tracks stayed in the mud for days and faded within hours. They would find a boar in minutes, he was sure of it Speech,

ooc: new thread I think we were gonna do?

A joyful howl of his own would erupt from the boy as he ran along side the man, tail wagged behind him as he raced on, violet orbs scanning the area for signs of their prey. It wouldn't take long of looking around till the boy found a trail to follow, motioning the man over and pointing to what looked like fresh prints in the mud. "I'll take left." With a grin the boy would set off, carefully moving through the mud, head out, eyes scanning the place for movement. He was determined to catch one of these animals. -exit sal- "normal. talk. think. you"