Liste

and i ran, i ran so far away

Unwisely, a bobcat lingered on the edge of Ludicael borders. It lay quietly on a low hanging tree branch, eyes glowing in the dead of the night. In the shadows stood Liste, watching carefully. Her full attention was on the cat. She supposed that the cat's presence near pack lands at this hour was an indication of only bad intentions. The idea of going to speak with someone about the creature had crossed her mind, but she worried she might lose track of it if she did. Not to mention that everyone else was probably asleep, not exploring in the middle of the night.



Shielded from view by the tree she stood against, Liste focused her golden gaze on the creature before her as she waited for it to make a move. It was looking around the area frantically it seemed, having probably noticed the increasing wolf scent. It hadn't yet crossed over the border, and she hoped it would be smart enough not to. She wasn't sure that she was in the mood for a fight, but she understood that it the situation called for it there would be no hesitation. As the beast jumped from its perch, every muscle in her body tensed. Her eyes followed it as it slunk forward, slowly making its way in her direction and onto Ludicael territory.



Her legs carried her through the cover of the trees to a spot closer to the cat. The hair standing up all over its body and the wicked gleam in its eyes told her it was feral. After a moment of calculation she stepped out from the shadows to face the feline, her body low, her teeth barred. She made no sound as the bobcat immediately sprung and ran at her, a growl escaping from its throat. Liste waited for the ideal moment to dodge, running barely to the side of her attacker, then sprinting back and throwing her full force into it in an attempt to knock it off balance. This animal presented a threat to her new pack - her home and her family - and she would not run or call for help like a coward. She would protect her own.



The bobcat stumbled from the force of Liste's attack, providing the opportunity for her to leap and pin it to the ground. It flailed and hissed, managing to grab hold of one of her paws between its teeth. She growled in pain and used the other to claw at the cat's eyes. The beast scratched frantically at her underside and cried out in pain as she made contact and blinded one eye. The cries were quickly silenced as Liste's jaw clamped around the throat of the animal.



When she was sure it was dead, Liste slunk away from her kill and dropped to the ground to nurse her wounds. She licked the blood from her belly and carefully assessed the injury to her paw. It would be painful to walk on for a while, but it would heal. She sighed, gazing at the corpse before her. She would call for someone in the morning and let them know what had happened, but for now she would rest. It had been days since she had slept, and the scrap with the bobcat left her weary. As she rested her head on her good paw, she let a small smile form on her lips. This had been her first test in forgetting her cowardly ways, and she had passed with flying colors. She only hoped that she could do the same in the face of more immediate danger.

Tagged: open | Word Count: 604

She had been doing one of her night rounds this chilly night, something Aria liked to do. Sure, wolves would approach or pass the borders during the day, but some used their brains and saw the cover of night as a good opportunity. It really was too, night was when most would be sleeping after a long day of work, ad it would be easier to move around with the shadows. Aria moved along the borders at a steady pace, tail wiggling beind her, strong limbs carrying her forward. She would stop every few steps to sniff at the borders, scan the area then move on. Something caught her attention though after an hour of being out there, a new scent on the wind that was not wolf, but something similar to the dangerous encounter the pack had awhile ago. It was a feline, and not only that, but the scent of a woman was mixed with it, woman she had accepted into the pack not long ago. Liste. Moving quickly, Aria was off. She was running, keeping her balance, not slipping on snow or ice, trying to keep to some areas with less snow so that she wouldn't make a lot of noise. She followed the scent carefully, moving along the borders. After a few minutes she could see an outline of a wolf up ahead, two, both not moving. With the smell of blood in the air Aria immediately thought something terrible had happened, and because of that she darted forward. Paws drummed against the ground as the woman quickly closed the distance, going and standing over the dark shewolf, forest green eyes dark and narrowed as she stared at the body of the feline close by. Liste. She lowered her head, ears laying back, giving her a gentle nudge to the neck. Her voice was soft, gentle, worry found in it. She wanted to make sure the girl was fine, make sure she didn't have any serious wounds. Yeah the cat was small but they could do a lot of damage. "normal. talk. think. you"

Liste

and i ran, i ran so far away

As Liste lay resting after her encounter, her mind wandered. It wandered to thoughts of her mother teaching her to fight, and it wandered to Angeal, wondering what he was doing while she was out in the middle of the night. Probably sleeping of course. He would've been proud to see what she had accomplished, but he never would've doubted that she could do it in the first place. He had seen something in her that she hadn't seen in herself, and it was going to take a lot to make her truly believe in what he did.



Suddenly a voice, accompanied by a gentle nudge, caused her to stir. It was familiar, one she had heard quite recently. Aria, the Borealis. Liste opened first one eye, then the other, and smiled gently at the female. Good evening, Aria. She rose carefully to stand as she spoke, wincing slightly at the twinges of pain in her underside and paw. After a little bit of rest, they weren't quite as bad as she had anticipated, just a little sore. She suddenly had the thought that the beta might frown upon her choice to endure this fight without looking for assistance and she quickly spoke to explain herself. I was going to come get someone in the morning... I probably should've gotten help before, but I didn't want to lose track of it.



She flushed, embarrassed at how she stumbled over her words once again. That seemed to be a problem of hers these days. She shook her head, making a quick recovery from her humiliation, and grinned at Aria. He had no idea what was coming to him.

Tagged: Aria, open | Word Count: 277

ooc: sorry for crappiness.

The Borealis sighed when the dark female opened her eyes and smiled before speaking. She was alright, and from the looks of it she didn't seem to be injured. That was looks though, perhaps she had been wounded on the inside or was bruised under the fur. As the girl stood up Aria stepped back to give her room, green eyes running over her body to see if she had any wounds, even if they were small. She explained why there was a dead cat, saying she was going to get someone in the morning and that she should have got help but she didn't want to lose the animal. He had no idea what was coming to him. Aria couldn't help but chuckle at Liste, taking a step towards her and giving her a playful shove on her shoulder. You did the right thing. Let me just warn you though, last year in the Spring we had a cat problem. A cougar had come right into our territory and was causing trouble. Her tone grew serious as well as her eyes, turning away a moment to look towards the mountains. I would like for you to keep your eyes open along with your ears and nose. I don't want one of them to snatch a life that didn't deserve to end. With a deep breath she looked back to the woman with a caring smile. This one may be small but they are still trouble, please call for us if you see another or even a larger one. With that she moved away from the ebony shewolf, stepping over to where the dead cat lay. She gave it a nudge with her paw, eyes scanning its body for any signs that it was hanging onto life. Seeing nothing she confirmed it was dead but she did notice something. Aria lowered her head, green orbs scanning the cat's fangs then it's claws to see some blood. Were you injured at all? "normal. talk. think. you"

Hope you don't mind me joining in =)

The sounds of the night was soothing to the brown she-beast as she maneuvered through the brush, her lavender eyes scanning the night and her nose scenting for unusual scents. It was near dawn and Ramelia could see the first rays of the sun begin to lighten the star fill sky, erasing their existence till the next night. All seemed peaceful, till the earthy wolf caught the scent of a feline of some-sort on the wind and a scent of two other wolves. She paused for a moment and raised her nose to the air bringing the scents of the night. Being a tracker, her nose was more powerful than most wolves and she could gather more information from scents than some could. Now, she could smell that the wolves were members of her new pack. One was Aria the Borealis and the other a ebony she-wolf Liste. She had not met the young black she-wolf yet but maybe today she would meet more of the pack she pledged her allegiance to. Picking her pace back up again, she tracked the too on the wind to the location they where at now, growing more and more worried as the scent of a dangerous feline got stronger as well as the scent of blood, both wolf and feline. Coming through the undergrowth where Aria and Liste where, she gave Aria a nod of respect then let her lavender eyes scan around the area till they fell on the dead bobcat, then to where Liste laid on the ground. Ramelia trotted carefully over to he dead cat to check to see if it was dead, even though she knew Aria already checked, before going over and sitting by Liste. "Where you injured at all?" Aria asked before Ramelia could. The brown wolf let a out a soft whine, showing her concern too as she pulled back her dark brown ears. "It was a very nice kill, most of the wolves in my old pack would have would have turned tail and ran." The purple eyed female complemented Liste and smiled at her. She admired this wolf's bravery in taking on the cat alone, even if it was a small one. "See Right Through You Any Hour..."

ooc;; sorry crappy x.x

Liste

and i ran, i ran so far away

She couldn't help but be glad that Aria wasn't upset with her. Liste had been sure that she would be in deep for this, that the pack would be upset that she had gone out and fought the cat on her own the way she had. Luckily, she had been wrong about Ludicael. Perhaps she needed to have a little more faith in her pack, and let go of all of her paranoia. She accepted Aria's playful nudge with a chuckle, but was careful to show that she had absorbed every word of her advice. Noted. I certainly wouldn't want that happening again. I'll keep my eyes and ears open from here on out. No cats would threaten her home again. Not as long as she was ready for them.



As Aria examined the bobcat, Liste watched another unfamiliar packmate come on the scene. She nodded politely to her as she awaited more words from the Borealis. I wouldn't say I was so much injured as a little scratched. Of course she was downplaying the injuries a bit. The adrenaline that still pumped through her veins kept the pain at bay, and Liste was reluctant to be sidelined for recovery. She was raised tougher than that.



Now she acknowledged the newcomer with a grin, accepting her compliment warmly. Thank you, stranger. My name is Liste, it's a pleasure to meet you.

Tagged: Aria, Ramelia | Word Count: 231

ooc: Don't mind at all. (:

Aria was glad that Liste had handled the feline, getting rid of a potential nuisance. But she was also a bit disappointed that she had gone after it alone, yes it was small but it was still dangerous. Cats had retractable claws, they could climb onto a wolf and attack their back where they couldn't reach, even cling to you when you tried to shake them off. She was proud of the ebony shewolf though, she saw a threat and took care of it, thinking of the pack, not wanting it to enter further into the lands and cause trouble. She gave a nod of her head when Liste said she would keep her eyes and ears open from now on, good, Aria didn't want to lose a member to another large cat. It would be devastating. While examining the cat her ears swiveled at the sound of something moving in some nearby bushes, causing her forest green gaze to lock onto the area, only to find Ramelia coming through. She gave a dip of her head to the woman before pulling away from the dead animal, smiling when Liste told her she was scratched. That's good, scratches are easy to treat. Luckily for you I have some knowledge on herbs, we can find something for them. When Liste began speaking to Ramelia, Aria took it as a good time to quickly look for a herb or two for her scratches. It would be good for the two to become friends or something along those lines since they were in the same pack, bonds is what kept it together. Off she went, stepping away from the two, walking a few yards to stand beside a bush, inspecting it. "normal. talk. think. you"

Finally. After years of searching, Slater had finally found her. He was secretly glad that the bobcat had not finished her off; that was his job and his alone. Minor wounds from the outside were fair game. He had stood watching from the shadows directly across from her as she fought and then nursed her wounds. An unfamiliar tan-and-white wolf arrived on the scene, talking about boring things that didn't involve Slater. He could feel himself starting to get antsy, and Shade began talking in his head, a bunch of chatter that meant nothing in particular. He couldn't lose it now. Liste was too close, and there were witnesses, others that would know he had returned.



He couldn't allow that to happen. Not yet.



Quietly, he made his way closer to her, weaving between the trees. Slater made very little noise as he approached, but as he got nearer her, he stopped. Perhaps if he stared at her long enough, she'd feel it and become uncomfortable. He surely didn't want the other wolves to catch him in the act.

"Oh... my apologies." the brown wolf said shyly as she realized she had not introduced herself to the ebony wolf. " I'm Ramelia, I joined the pack a few days ago." turning her purple orb to List's golden ones before looking away as Aria disappeared into the brush to look for herbs. She flicked her ear in embarrassment, she was not good at small talk. As she stumbled for something to say, her thought stopped eruptly when a very faint, strange male scent caught her nose attention. She froze for a millisecond before she moved her head like she was stretching her neck muscled while she smelt the air. No she was not imagining it, it was there, faint, but it was there and was getting closer. A hushed, dangerous growl rumbled in her chest as she turned to look at Liste. "A strange Male is here." she whispered to the black fea just barely loud enough for her to hear. "I cant tell where its coming from, but its here and not a new pack member." Turning away from Liste, Ramelia looked around the clearing for the strange male, like nothing was wrong and said normally "Where did Aria wonder off too?" hoping that the ebony wolf would catch on to the act. The auburn wolf forced her self to relax so that it would not alert the stranger that he had been detected and run off. Even so, Ramelia would track him till they found him if he dared to harm a hair on one of her pack mates. "See Right Through You Any Hour..."

Liste

and i ran, i ran so far away

Nice to meet you, Ramelia, came her response to the new female. I too joined recently. Her attention then turned to Aria as she spoke of herbs to treat her. She smiled and nodded in thanks as the Borealis walked away to look for some, but inside she slightly dreaded it. If the she-wolf saw that her wounds were slightly worse than she was admitting to, she would probably scold Liste for her actions. The panic quickly gave way to confidence, though. Liste had nothing to regret. She had done a number on that bobcat and her injuries were not permanent, her pack was safe.



Suddenly, an old feeling returned to her, a feeling she hadn't felt in months. The hair on her body stood on end and a cold feeling flooded her veins. Her ears swiveled atop her head as her thoughts screamed at her - No no no no no. Liste hadn't even considered her father since shortly after coming to Alacritis, since she had met Angeal. She was so happy and comfortable here and she had finally found home. Why should he come back to haunt her now? Ramelia's whisper confirmed her worst fears. She held back a fierce tremble and tried desperately to hide her fear. She took a deep breath as Ramelia spoke again.



Yes, she replied in the most level voice she could manage. Where did she go? She glanced hesitantly around the clearing, praying that her eyes wouldn't fall on her worst nightmare.

Tagged: Ramelia, Aria, Slater | Word Count: 250

Aria searched the bush before her, looking around the leaves and looking over the flowers. She was looking for a certain one, it was a basic herb anyone could use on scratches to prevent infection and help heal faster. Every wolf should know about it, and even if it didn't seem like much, it really helped. Lost in her search though, Aria did not hear the voices of Liste and Ramelia, did not notice the wind change direction and bring the scent of a wolf, male around the area. After a few moments the woman was finally able to find it, digging up the ground and ripping out a good amount of roots, then placed the dirt back. Turning around she headed back to the two wolves, ears swiveling forward in time to catch Liste's voice. A smirk formed on her lips, but was hidden from the roots held in her jaws. Stopping beside the two she set the roots down ad looked to Liste with a smile. These will help your wounds, just chew them up and apply them to the scratches. Just standing there she could feel something was wrong, the two seemed a bit bothered by something but she didn't know what. Aria had not seen anything, smelled no other felines nearby. But then it hit her. The wind brought a new scent into her nose, not feline, wolf, and not a member of Ludicael. Right away she wanted to search for the source, but she couldn't just leave these two here along. What if the stranger attacked them? Clearing her throat the shewolf rose her head high, body calm get prepared in case anything would happen. The scent was strong, so whoever it was had to be nearby. Ya know, hiding in the shadows and spying on three women is rude. She spoke with a playful tone in her calm voice, forest green orbs scanning the shrubs around them for the strangers. Why don't you show yourself? Her head turned to Liste and Ramelia, giving a small dip of her head, trying to tell them to remain calm. "normal. talk. think. you"

Is it ramelia's turn or slater's?

Silently, he watched the females have their conversation. Introductions were made, boring, boring, boring. He was well-hidden, that much he was sure of, so he tuned out their words. Hopefully the two would leave Liste alone for a little bit. That would make his mission much easier. The little voice in his head, whom he had christened Shade, had not spoken in a while. He figured it knew better than to bother him when he was busy.



Due to the fact that he had blocked out their conversation, he had missed the cue that something had gone wrong. His mind was somewhere else when the wind changed direction, alerting the females to his presence. What brought him back to the present was an underlying shakiness in Liste's voice. She'd already guessed it was him, by the sounds of it, and she was trying the best she could to pretend she hadn't. Her tone when inquiring about the third female was revealing as well, although he wasn't sure of what tipped him off about it.



The next thing to come along and mess up his plan was the third female, Aria. She'd come back from wherever she'd gone and it was clear that she was going to say something directed at him. Sure enough, she did. She tried to call him out, tried to make him feel guilty for being there. Slater would not step out of the woods. It would be a stupid idea to show himself so soon. He'd only been here in Alacritis for a month or two. It was too early to end the game.



He made a mental note of the other female's faces and markings in case he ran into one of them alone in the future. If they ruined his chances of hunting his daughter, he'd kill them all. Slater was not above killing innocents. Many pups had died by his paw and sometimes their mothers as well. Two bystanders in the crossfire were nothing.



Though little he wanted to leave so soon, he decided that he had to. It wouldn't do for him to be caught already, and perhaps Liste would chalk it up to a paranoid mind and a strange wolf. A stranger who wasn't her father, who was just too shy to speak up. On that note, he turned around, heading back the way he came. It didn't matter how much noise he made now because they already knew he was around but Slater saw it more prudent to slip away. It seemed right to let Liste think he only existed in her mind, nothing more than a shade.





-exeunt-





TAG: liste, aria, ramalia . WORDS: 438 . NOTES: none.

Ramelia lifted her black-lined lips above her ivory fangs as Aria arrived and challenged the male's presence, as she positioned herself so they so could move in any direction if this stranger was to attack. She didn't miss the reaction Liste gave as the wind changed and brought the scent to the female's noses though, something was seriously wrong. Was she being hunted by someone? She let her lavender orbs flick to the ebony girl and took in the look of her fear before looking back into the surrounding brush. But soon after the tan wolf's challenged the male's scent grew weaker signalling he has left. Though she couldn't relax herself, her dishevel fur along her back rose straight up along her spin like a dragon's spikes and the adrenaline running through her body, wound her up on high alert. "He's gone. the auburn wolf growled, her eyes dancing dangerously. She could still smell him, she could still track him. "I can track him, if you wish Aria" she said to the second in command. Even though it was a stupid thing to wish and put her pack mate's lives at risk, she wished the male did show face. Ramelia was ready for a fight and was disappointed she couldn't prove herself to the pack. With a snort and a shake of her body, she tried to force her hackles down with no avail, before turning her head toward Liste and asking "Will you be ok?" knowing the she-wolf was not alright and was very shaken up. "See Right Through You Any Hour..."

Liste

and i ran, i ran so far away

Aria returned soon with the herbs, but her arrival and words were barely noticed by the ebony she wolf. Liste stood stock still, her mind racing but her body barely moving save for the heaving of her chest as she took deep breaths in and out. How foolish she had been to believe that her nightmares would end with the acquisition of a family and friends. She cursed her stupidity as her eyes scanned the area, the frantic worry she felt only showing in her beautiful golden orbs.



It was foolish of the beta to challenge the male. Liste knew this, but could not bring herself to tell them her fear and what she believed they were facing. Had he emerged to face them, they all would've suffered the fate of death, but he didn't. Instead he fled. Perhaps he had only been another figment of her imagination. Doubtless there had been a wolf there, but had it truly been her father? Liste took a moment to question her sanity, but she knew it was in vain. There was little question that it had been him - the scent was too strong, too distinct. There had been no mistake in her judgment.



She shook herself to clear her thoughts long enough to respond to Ramelia's concerns. The fear in her eyes was replaced with a neutral glow, her voice without all shakiness. She would not let her pack mates know what she feared. No one could interfere with this, no one's blood would be on her hands. He was coming for Liste and Liste alone. She smiled and shook her head lightly. I don't think he'll need tracking, seems like it was just a curious wolf who decided he was a little too shy. But it is, of course, your decision Aria. She paused in her words before responding again to Ramelia. I'm fine, I think the movement of standing when I caught the scent was too quick after all of the stress I put my body through with that bobcat. I just need to head back and rest. I'll see you both later! She shot them one last grin before turning and jogging off into the trees. Once she was out of the line of sight, she broke into a sprint. She did all she could to keep from breaking down then and there.



-exit Liste-

Tagged: Aria, Ramelia

Green orbs stared into the darkness, watching, waiting for the mysterious wolf to show itself. Whoever it was, was smart enough to place theirself away from the border, had it been closer then she would not have hesitated in dragging the wolf from the shadows. But as soon as she had scented the being her ears perked up at the sound of him moving, the sounds fading, he was leaving. Aria snorted, raising her head and turning to look at the two woman behind her. Her stumpy tail wiggled behind her, a look of amusement and annoyance crossing her face. How dare this wolf lurk in the shadows, spying on the three women. It obviously had some screws lose or something. Her ears swiveled towards Ramelia when she said the male was gone, the Borealis giving a nod of her head, turning to her just as she mentioned she could track the man. The woman gave a shake of her head, turning it to looking the direction the man had slinked off in. He would be allowed to hide in the shadows for now, but would have some explaining to do if she were to catch him again. Quickly she turned back to the woman when the shewolf asked Liste if she was alright, forest green orbs followed her gaze to the dark shewolf. That was when she saw it, the fear, the nervousness. A brow raised, wondering what it was that had shaken the young woman, why was she acting in such a way? Better yet, why did she suddenly grow cool, saying this was just some random wolf before leaving? Step close to Ramelia the woman watched Liste walk off, and once she was out of hearing distance Aria spoke. ?She seemed scared when that male showed up..." -EXIT ARIA- "normal. talk. think. you"