The trek felt harder than she assumed, but her mouth remained shut, and her eyes gazed forward. Long slender legs carried her up the slope, and dirt clung to her paws; her head raised, nose pointed to the sky to inhale deeply. The air was different than on the lower grounds, the higher she travels, the more of a difference she would begin to notice. It was the rocky terrain that made the walk more troublesome for her liking, every stone pressing firmly against her pads and the earth could give away underneath her. It was not the smoothest travel she had gone through, but it is not something she would complain about.

The rouge was far from home. No longer was she surrounded by a family-run tribe that she once adored. It was the strange taste of the air and puzzled look in her eyes she cast around in a new surrounding. But did she miss her home? Of course not. To hell with all of those bastards who murdered her mother and father. Her lips twitched, a growl slowly forming within her throat, anger began to bubble at the thought of the tribe.

“Don’t let them get to you.” Her thought echoed in her mind, calming herself and finally releasing a sigh.

Her head lowered to the ground, pale nose sniffing at the pebbles and dirt that laid before her. There was nothing of use to her in this area. Her limbs pushed forward a few steps, head turning from side to side looking for something.  The large female paused and raised her head; her golden orbs peered forward as she shifted her posture. It was her will to search for a purpose that brought her here. Wherever the wind blew, she would follow in hopes of searching for a purpose in her life. It the wind brought her to this rocky terrain, then surely something or someone will make themselves known to her.

"speech"

original code by merci; code editing by sheeplet; image by StarShadowist

He was becoming accustomed to the scent of sulfur finally, having spent nearly two whole weeks now remaining close to the toxic rivers that flowed around Mount Volkan. He knew better than to drink from the filth of their waters, so he often had to travel to seek out fresher sources; it was on his return that he'd picked up the scent of a stranger wandering into the wastelands. It was feminine, but clearly different from his sister or the stranger he'd encountered earlier in the week, was this one out here looking for Faite? He wasn't sure what to expect, but he found it odd that more than one soul managed to find themselves among such barren lands- in fact, he'd been betting on absolutely no one holding interest being so close to the volatile core of this particular mountain that it had been the reason he'd turned it into a make-shift little home.

His face twisted into half of a silent snarl as he kept his head low and quickened the pace of his lean, lengthy limbs. His nose occasionally drifted lower to the ground to pick up her trail while he continued on until finally, he could see her. She was among some of the tallest women he'd ever set his eyes on, matching his sister in height undoubtedly. Though, it was the peculiar markings on her body that first caught his attention, followed by her capable muscle tone. His snarl relaxed some as he lifted his head and growled out his less than warm welcome, "Why have you come here?"

She was alone.

Her orbs shifted at the empty scenery, noticing nothing but an odd scent lingering in the air. It was an area she never had though to come across, and yet here she stands. Although she did not need anyone guidance on the land, she was beginning to doubt her primal instinct. A frown slowly formed on her lips as she waited, her pace quicker across the land while she continued to investigate.  Her arrival to the continent made the warrior feel out of place as if she did not belong. When traversing through the forest or meadow, it was filled with history before her appearance on the land. However, it did not stir her away from continuing her travel in hopes of finding a purpose in her life, but the rouge woman grew impatient.

Was this all for nothing?

She felt captivated by how rich and beautiful each environment she stumbled upon. Each held inhabitants she had never laid her eyes on and floras that she could not name. Reina continued her jog until a scent filled her nostrils. The large woman came to a halt, her lips twitched and peeled back to reveal her ivories as she uttered a soft growl. Reina paused, observing the land that surrounded her. This would be the second encounter with another wolf. The female grew tense, unsure what was to come.

A male finally stood before her with a snarl upon his face. Reina gazed at the wolf, observing him from the distance while her lips twitched and threatened to release a growl herself. She remained silent of course, taking notice of how tall he stood compared to her, and the muscles that were easily spotted on his body. He would be a dangerous enemy or a great ally. "Why have you come here?" His snarl caused her ears to flick forward at his words.

"A purpose." She first said, unfazed by the lack of warm greeting from the other male. "I seek a purpose in my life and have traveled all over to search for it. Somehow I have wandered far from my comfort zone and found myself here." Reina paused, her eyes narrowed at the other as the tone of her voice became firm, "I scented no pack land around here. Therefore I can free to come and go from here just as I please." The female held her gaze, tilting her head forward just as she held her stance. She would not be intimidated by anyone and definitely not him.

"speech"

original code by merci; code editing by sheeplet; image by StarShadowist

He had relaxed his snarl before greeting her, though she still seemed on edge by his presence alone. He listened to her words with his full attention, and by the end of them there was a sense of admiration coming from the brute.. though it was well hidden beneath his stoic appearance. He kept his body completely still, nothing about his body language would speak of intent to attack, though nothing about it would speak of friendly tones either.

He flicked an ear to her remark about no pack remaining in the area and he lowered his head. He was no alpha anymore, he was a loner just like the rogue before him.. though some part of him resented the idea of not being able to guard the volcano with his own personal army.

"So you are," he said calmly, agreeing with her statement about being free to roam. He traded his initial aggression for increasing interest as he thought over her other words. Suddenly, an almost teasing smirk came over half of his muzzle as he would tilt his skull slightly. "Though, are you not a woman? Is your purpose not to bear children?"

He was testing her, though his words were spoken as smoothly as ever and it would hardly lead one to think that he didn't actually believe those words. He admired women like his sister, women that held their own strength and did not rely on the strength of a male counterpart. He admired the independent, and he knew women were more than capable of having a purpose other than carrying children.. though, there was a certain beast within begging to be let out to play with this one if she didn't play her cards right. He was taming it and holding it off with his sarcasm.

--------------------------------

"'cause I'm a fucking mess sometimes,
and I'll say what I don't mean."
~ eden - drugs

She noticed the full attention that was laid upon her when she spoke. For a male such as himself, she naturally assumed they would not care for her words. He was not like that which impressed the female, but she would not relax in front of his presence just yet. Like all animals, they are not always predictable, something she has learned from many of her hunts and quiet observations of her fellow tribe wolves.

Reina became curious about this male. Why would anyone linger in these parts for more than a day? Her orbs shifted from side to side quickly, noting the details of the rocky terrains and did not fully comprehend what attracted this male here. His scent was all over, meaning he must have resided here for more than a few days. Her gaze refocused on the larger man, his voice bringing her attention back to him.

His calming answer made the woman move around, shifting her weight from one paw to the other, her tail slowly lowering against her hind legs. Her black ears then pinned back against her skull, her lips twitched and formed a frown as a response to his question. ”Though, are you not a woman? Is your purpose not to bear children?”

Her face contorted to one of disgust. Why that? Before responding verbally, Reina rolled her eyes, “No, clearly I am a man. Have you not seen my balls hanging from underneath or are you blind?” The rouge female snapped, baring her fangs in a show of her dislike of his question. “I have no need for children. They would only hold me back and make me weak. I cannot afford weakness in my life; it will only be the death of me.” Reina paused only for a moment as she pondered.

Her lips parted open again, directing a question to the massive brute. “And you? Are you not a man? Where is your pack and where did your runts and mate run off too?” She inquired. As far as she was aware, not all men wanted to run a pack or acquire a partner to produce a family with. With someone as large as the one before her, she could only ask based off of assumption as payback for his ridiculous question.

"speech"

original code by merci; code editing by sheeplet; image by StarShadowist

As her face contorted into one of disgust, he'd already begun to grin with amusement; the words that followed her reaction only pleased him further as his throat erupted in a hearty chuckle. He quieted himself so that he could continue to listen to her words, though it was clear that he was far less etched in stone. His ears perked forward as he quietly compared her to his own family, that attitude could certainly be placed among his many sisters.. well, maybe not Ictus. She was a bit of a whore and certainly loved the idea of pups, but that was another story.

It was her strength and character that reminded him of his sisters, a slight smirk remaining on his lips up until the point where she mentioned his pack and mate. For a moment, his face fell still and his eyes distant, the pupils of them shrinking considerably as if he'd seen something absolutely terrifying. In only the few seconds that had gone by, a thousand thoughts and memories whirled around in his brain like a hurricane. The gruesome image of his dead mate's bleeding skull beaten against a rock wall echoed in visuals, the haunt of her gasping words causing his ears to flatten against his skull as if trying to block them out.

Slowly, his hackles would rise as he fought the thoughts away.. every muscle in his being tensing, causing his short fur to stand on end over his flesh. His jaw clenched shut and his lips quivered in a silent snarl until finally he managed to pull himself out of the nightmare in his brain. He shot his glare to her, eyes narrowed as he focused on her instead and used her face like an anchor to bring him back to real-time. Slowly, as he stared at her, he'd start to relax.. willing himself to focus on the current, not to relive the past.

Finally, through a tightly wound jaw, he emitted, "Point proven."

He chose to keep his narrowed gaze on her for only a moment longer as all of his emotions that overwhelmed him previously washed away and the only feeling left was anger. He inhaled sharply through his nose before releasing a snort and shaking his head, pulling himself away from her quite suddenly. He couldn't look at her, not right now. Without anything else to say, the beast began to traverse the rocky slopes of Mount Volkan with full intention of leaving the girl behind.

The brave woman watched as his expression; laughter erupted from his throat, a sign that made her relax. If she made this stranger laugh, then all would be well, right?

Reina thought back to the question that he asked of her, children. The rouge woman did not hate them enough to leave them out to die, but she could not stand the idea of having a few of her own. As a youngster, she watched as one of her favorite guards or her tribe reduced to a weak, pathetic dog. No longer participating in bloodied spars or night patrols, fearing that something would happen to them. For that, she had grown to shun them from her life, as if they never existed in the first place.

Slowly, his laughter would cease and his expression changed drastically. Her golden orbs took notice of his hackles, the movement of his jaws and his narrowed stare at him; uneasiness settled in her heart and once again, she brought her guard up. Had her words struck a cord in his heart? Reina waited for his lash out, but he uttered the words ”Point proven.” and turned away from her.

Reina did not move from her place, watching as the now angered male stalked off. Guilt slowly resided within her heart, and soon enough, she pursued after him. "Wait!" She called out, her voice raised in hopes to get his attention. "Forgive me, stranger. It may seem that I have caused you some pain that I was not aware of." Her paced quickened as she approached which eventually slowed down; she still wanted there to be a distance between them. Even after what she said, she had no idea how he will react.

"speech"

original code by merci; code editing by sheeplet; image by StarShadowist

His haunting past still lingered in the foreground of his mind even as he kept his back to her and searched for the quickest path up the mountain. The result of holding back such an adrenaline rush left him with weak limbs and a staggering step, though he tried his best to hide it as he pressed on and tried to keep distance between him and the woman behind him.

He missed Katar... missed her with a passion and he felt more lost now than ever. It was difficult to just put that behind him; Elias was an emotional thing. Tragic events repeated themselves in his youth and the daggers of fear and sorrow drove themselves just a little bit deeper every time that they made their appearance, he did not have time to heal and it left his psyche with constantly bleeding wounds. A fragile, cracked case controller that barely held on to the beast it drove.

He could not simply recess it, not even for this short interaction with the woman. And all because of one little comment? It made him sick with himself. He'd been the one to start it with a sarcastic and borderline insulting joke, and she had returned it in kind. He understood it, but why did it make his blood boil? Why did it make his teeth want to snap, his whole body seethe with hate.. hate like he felt just before ending Katar's life, hate like he'd felt the day that he'd slain his deceased father's piss-poor replacement-- the hate that he'd known his entire life!

Her apology angered him only further, frustrating him near the point of breaking and he could feel his limbs shaking from the surge of that powerful hate. Why was she apologizing when she had nothing to apologize for?! He spun around, his mantle fully standing at attention as his eyes locked on to hers and he snarled loud and ultimately hellish. The demon was screaming for it's release and with wide eyes he stared at her as he quieted his growl, those red windows to his soul pleading to her in a short moment of calm before his lip quivered and that the rumbling sound of his warning returned.

For such a wicked threat of a growl, his words were released in a strained yet ironic whisper, "Get out of my sight. Now." His tongue ended there, but an out of place whine might have given a hint to the thoughts that came after.
'Before I do something to you that I don't want to... please..'