Where the hell was Newt? His master. He would admit he hadn't looked particularly hard for her, but upon returning to the land he had once called home he noticed that he was no longer welcome there. The familiar Amenti scent was gone, replaced by something new -- and something far more disgusting, to his nose. With a snarl he turned on his heels and disappeared, feeling betrayed and angry. His brother would've never let him down like this. Lost the territory he had grown accustomed to. Domovei was never a very pleasant creature, but such dramatic changes sent him into something akin to a frenzy. Luckily, nothing was in his way, and instead he trekked alone, snarling and spitting like a mad man. Had he ever been anything but? No; but often his rage would be quelled, his moon changing as rapidly as the tide itself. Slowly his anger would fade as four small paws carried the effeminate wolf further east, towards the ocean. The sun had fallen hours ago, and now the moon appeared in the sky, bright and threatening overhead. Its light cast eerie shadows on the ground, dancing as the wind rustled the leaves of the trees, causing Domovei to jump a bit more often as usual. Paranoia had made its home in his brain, and it never seemed to leave. Before long, the land seemed to level off slightly. The salty ocean stench was heavy in the air, and so the ivory-furred creature increased his pace. He bounded over small hills of rock, eager to reach the shoreline. What awaited him was surprising; a rather private cove, with a long stretch of beach and a vast array of pine trees. Silence fell over him as he crept near one of the trees, curling around its trunk. His green eyes were wide, watching his surroundings as though expecting someone to show suddenly.

Best that the little white male was on his guard, for a black-grey shadow moved the confier trees. Gargoyle was afoot in the Northern Lands, and his mood was about as cold as the wind which stirred his fur. He cared not for the wind's bite, nor the prick of needles underpaw, nor even the roar of the ocean. He pushed his paws onward, but his mind was off in it's farthest recesses. The beast let his powerful body coast, forcing his injured leg to take another step, his injured neck to keep bearing up. No traces of pain or even discomfort showed in the face of the brute. No traces of... anything really. His eyes were blank and lifeless, more reptilian than lupine. Their yellow gaze had espied the coast from afar, and he had chosen to get to it the hardway. By water.

Nimble enough to give credit to his three quarters of Eastern Timber blood, he navigated his way down the sheer grey cliffs and into the rocky shoals bellow. For a time he had climbed over the outlying ridges of wet stone, sometimes scrambling for purchase, some times twitching his tattered ear against the onslaught of a fresh wave. The forces of nature didn't seem to matte to the male. He'd dealt with everything from white out blizzards to a volcanic eruption. A few splashes of water weren't worth batting an eye about.

Towards the cove however, he could stop acting like a mountain goat and start just wading through the icy shallows - well, shallows for a brute of his height anyway-. Eventually the water level dropped from his belly to his hocks, then just rippled in and out to cover his paws. The cool sanded cove began quite suddenly, displaying a secret niche unknown, perhaps, to the rest of the outside world. His fur flattened by salt water, Gargoyle raised his head and sniffed the breeze. He wasn't alone. The Chief tucked away the information and continued his stride forwards onto dryer sand, where wind-tossed pine needles and half broken cones littered the strange beach. He shook out his thick fur absently and then, without looking in the direction of the certain tree, said plain, "If you are one of the 'new glaciems' - one of Eos's lot - I suggest you leave. I didn't come all this way to have my afternoon spoiled."

The scent of another reached the restless male's nostrils quite quickly. It wasn't particularly hard to notice, the musky scent of a brute, against the gentle smell of salty water and trees. He carefully lifted his muzzle, sniffing more at the wind. The scent was unfamiliar, certainly not a creature he'd ever met before. Hopefully he wasn't coming to drive him away, or drag him back to Amenti. He was not quite ready for that yet. White ears flattered against his skull as Domovei's vivid green gaze danced about, mostly watching the tall volcanic rocks that surrounded the cove, keeping it somewhat hidden -- figuring that was how the male would arrive. The wind was a bit obscure, not totally telling him where the scent was emanating from. He was surprised when a figure emerged from the shallows. He was a huge beast. Reminded him of his brother. Certainly not the kind of wolf he'd be eager to fight with. The breeze that accompanied him was quite bitter; despite the fact that spring had clearly arrived, it still felt rather cold here to him. The man spoke up, his voice alarmingly strong and even a bit threatening. He said some words he didn't know, as though assuming he was.. a Glaciem? What the hell was that? Brows furrowed, body unraveling from his comfortable position wrapped around the tree. He kept himself low to the ground as he turned to face the stranger. "I don't have the faintest clue what an Eos is, nor what a Glaciem is," he spat quickly, lips curling in a snarl. Stained yellow fangs peeked from behind his curled lips, but the expression quickly subsided as he realized it was probably not the best time to start a fight. Who did this guy think he was, anyway? Barging in on his almost-nap and accusing him of things he didn't even know the meanings of.

He only cast an eye in the male's direction when his ears picked up the sound of rustling fur and small pawsteps. It was a stranger. A white male with lime green eyes. Gargoyle heard the words without any change to his being. Relief, annoyance, curiosity, they all had more or less the same look when it came to the northern drake. The only shift came when the scrawny white male peeled back his muzzle to show a hint of teeth. To that, the beast known as Gargoyle merely raised a black brow. Really? But the smaller male seemed to think better of it and the snarl faded as quickly as it had come. At that, Gargoyle's face returned to it's placid default and he gazed back at the dark ocean. "My mistake, then," he said simply. He watched the waves churn, going from black glass, to a rolling navy blue, to frothy white as the breakers formed and washed upon the sand. One came just close enough to nip at the giant's forepaws.

Now that the male was closer Gargoyle could read his scent better. No, he most certainly was not a Glaciem. He bore none of the distictive pine and ice scent that lurked in both Snowfalls and Sparse Pines. What he did bear on his fur, was the smell of Redwoods. And that only meant on thing. Gargoyle suddenly faced the wolf, his head cocking over so slightly, his gaze as unreadable as ever. "You're Amenti, aren't you?" Gargoyle had a low, grumbling sort of voice, naturally and this time he would've had good reason to allow the growl to soak his words further. Even if this pack member didn't have a clue as to the outside world, the one they hailed as Alpha Male had stirred up enough trouble in other lands.

Time stood still. How content Domovei would be if he lived in a world that was mostly empty, save for when he actually desired company -- or so he thought. He seemed to forget that even loneliness often was maddeningly infuriating, the dull ache of solitude often too painful for even this creature to bear. And yet even now, irritation sparked something in his green eyes, and it seemed as though they turned an even brighter shade than usual. Perhaps it was just the glint of sunlight, bouncing off the crashing waves, that gave his gaze such a sinister look. A creature of opposites, he was, and his posture reeked of submission, despite his annoyed and somewhat hateful expression. Lips remained curled, a snarl slipping from his fragile chest. His tail was tucked neatly under him, pressed tightly against his belly, and his limbs quivered ever so faintly as he drew himself to Gargoyle's side. This gargantuan wolf spoke of his home. Amenti! What did he know about it? Did he know Newt had fallen? Perhaps he even knew if Kaios had been killed. Eyes narrowed, his expression softening a bit, but he remained guarded as ever. "I was from Amenti," he admitted with a hint of pride, but once again something strange began to creep into his light tones. "But the old Amenti. Not the new one." If he hadn't known of Newt's loss, he sure would now, as Domovei spoke of 'the new one' with evident disgust.

~*~ It was an odd creature had Gargoyle found himself in the company of. He kept sending mixed signals, trying to show a pitiful share of defiance and anger, and yet twisting his body around like that of am omega. A rough idea of a the truth came pretty quickly to mind. The small male was a slave in mind as well as rank and perhaps had been for so long that he couldn't pull himself from it. Gargoyle had seen enough of slaves - newly captured, working, and long freed to know what it was he saw. For now, he ignored it. If the male tried to make a move he was an idiot who'd pay for it. Gargoyle wasn't looking for a fight. Just a place to sit and think. But this news of the Amenti, grabbed at his attention. 'old Amenti'? 'New'? It was like an echo of Gargoyle's own words on Glaciem. The Chief's raspy voice grew quiet with dry wonder, "So the Redwood's giant queen has fallen?" The white male could not expect to drop a hint like that and get away without an explanation. Gargoyle adjusted his paws, turning to face the Amenti wolf more comfortably. "And what of her mate? Kaios? What happened to him?" No tone entered the brute's words to betray his thoughts. His intentions were far from good, however. He'd love to hear that the male had been destroyed or cast out. Though, he had a more lax view of the occasional tail-chasing than most wolves of his position did, he still counted on dealing out a portion of his mind should the fates ever bring their paths to cross. However, perhaps the fates had already taken care of it. Perhaps justice had already been served. Garogyle waited eargerly for an answer. The white male really had no reason to tell this random stranger anything, but Gargoyle hoped that his own bluntness, and a slave's training to answer questions would win over. Honestly, he didn't give it much though, all he was concerned with was his own curiosity for what was happening in the lupine world. ~*~

The mad never really considered themselves as such -- and so the quivering creature remained forever locked in an awkward dance, never fully portraying submission nor dominance. But as he eyed Gargoyle, he decided he would do his best to relax around him, seeing how alarmingly massive he was. He certainly was not the kind of brute that it was wise to pick a fight around. He'd arrived already irritated, and Domovei decided he would try to remain somewhat composed. But he was startled by his slight knowledge of Newt. Ears pinned against his skull as he slid a bit closer, body kept close to the ground. "Her throne has been taken from her," he spat, his fragile tones laced with clear annoyance at the thought. "By some bitch named Medusa." Domovei's green eyes widened a bit too dramatically then, wondering how Gargoyle knew of his master, and if he perhaps knew Newt as well? Slowly he lowered himself onto his haunches, matted tail curled protectively about his small frame. "Kaios was challenged at the same time as my master. A deathmatch. By some weird woman with orange fur and strange markings on her face." He seemed a bit more detached as he explained this. It was as good as public knowledge, due to the large amount of wolves that had gathered to watch the two spars -- why not give this stranger a piece of information that he could so easily find elsewhere? "I left, though, and haven't been back since. Dunno what happened to Kaios." He didn't particularly care for the male, and shrugged absently, laughing nervously. "I should return to her. Not sure where she might be, though," he grew a bit anxious suddenly, as though it dawned on him abruptly how awful this all might be. Or perhaps it was liberating. He wasn't sure which. "Wait -- so who are you? Do you know Newt?"

The little male's every word showed how upset he was. And from the sound of it he was perfectly right to be. Once Gargoyle might've smirked to hear that the pack of assassains was taken down, but now, as he spoke with one of the packwolves unhomed by it... Well, considering all that had happened to his own pack lately, it was hard not to feel a touch of empathy. But mainly Garogoyle just felt interested. He wanted to know what was going on - and he got his answers. Newt, that was the name of the she-wolf that Crusade had talked to, had taken a dive. Whatever might have become of her, a she-wolf named Meduse was now in charge, though the pack was probably weakened by the schism. The news of Kaios was even more interesting, but less conclusive. He might be dead, he might be alive. And as for his challenger, it rang no bells in Gargoyle's head. One would think though, that if both the alphas were challenged at the same time there was organization behind it. Well, the outcomes didn't seem to concern him much. For the moment at least, they held no obvious effect on his pack and family. The male pulled his gaze away as the male spoke of once more finding his Queen. The small creature didn't seem the sort that ought to be left on his own, but there Gargoyle's sympathy ended.

And new questions popped up. "Wait -- so who are you? Do you know Newt?" Gargoyle eyed the other wolf again. If he'd been given to putting feeling into his voice, the following words might've been tingued with something like amusement, but instead they rolled out try and tasteless. "I am Gargoyle. Formerly Chief of Glaciem, now Chief of Tortuga. Amenti wasn't the only pack to have to deal with usurpers as of late." The brute regained his paws, standing at his full height. He let his broadside to the other wolf, preferring to face the swell of the sea. His coat was still dripping with saltwater from his earlier 'stroll and he gave a shrug of his shoulders to spatter away the drops. "As for how I know them. I've met neither of the ones you can Alphas. However, my family has had encounters with both." His voice suddenly developed an edge. "I'm sure you're aware of the sort of encounters your Alpha male is known for."

Newt had never been particularly cruel to him -- if anything, she was a bit weird, in his eyes, albeit a lovely master and queen. Their first meeting had been anything but pleasant, but he blamed himself for being claimed... he shouldn't have lashed out at her, and he certainly shouldn't have tried to run. Stupid Domovei. He recalled the moment briefly, relaxing ever so slightly in his reclined position. The massive male gave his name. He seemed rather serious, but he also admitted he'd had his own pack overthrown. Perhaps it was some big conspiracy, led by powerful creatures who sought to take over a huge expanse of land? Probably not. He frowned a bit, considering the possibility, though he abandoned it just as quickly. "I'm Domovei," he replied slowly. It was surprised he'd been focused enough to even supply that bit of information with the way his mind was reeling. He watched with wide eyes as the male turned his back on him, turning instead to face the sea. Gargoyle spoke of what Kaios had done, rather vaguely. Had he harmed Gargoyle's family? Perhaps even killed some of them? That wasn't the least bit unlikely. "I've heard stories," he said, though he shrugged as if slightly disinterested. He tried to be, for Kaios -- quite truthfully -- terrified him and disgusted him at the same time. "I don't particularly like him. I don't think I'd care if he died. Except Newt would be upset. What's he done to you?"

The simple words of the male took Gargoyle by a quiet sort of surprise. He didn't care if Kaios died, eh? Well that was interesting. At the very least it loosened his tongue in the matter. He shouldn't have been surprised by this declaration, really, considering the sort of wolf that Kaios was. But Gargoyle was a wolf who was loved and respected by his pack. He didn't sit upon some rank expecting others to bow, he worked for them. He was only still a Chief because enough of his pack, well, almost all of it, really, had picked themselves up and moved out of their home to stay with him. That was the sort of party he lead, and he was proud of it. Thinking on them all, improved his mood a little. He was no longer as blackminded as he'd been when he strode through the waves. However, the subject they were on, wasn't exactly the happiest.

The white male, Domovei, as he had said, now asked what had happened. Seemed they were actually having a peaceful conversation now. "Kaios raped a niece of mine." The male's tattered ear twitched. "She was an idiot to go out of pack bounds while she was in heat," he added in a mutter, "But she didn't deserve what befell her." Of course, Gargoyle had been alot less infuriated by the whole affair than Crusade had been. His elder sister saw every rapist as devil spawn and wanted them to get the same treatment she'd given the last one she'd met - beheading. However, Gargoyle had talked with Maka, and he knew a thing or two about males. As far as that sort of thing went, it hadn't been that bad. He hadn't scared her up or beaten her down, and it wasn't as though he were stalking her now. He'd seen some cute tail, taken it, and left. It was low. It was unfortunate. It was wrong. But Gargoyle didn't think it was worth killing over. Especially since everything had worked out for the best. Glaciem had gotten three more strapping babies and Maka was made a happy mother.

Rape. Kaios was a rapist. Unsurprising, in a way, considering how he conducted himself like an angry, animalistic brute most of the time -- Domovei audibly snorted at the thought. He'd never had a mate himself, nor was he particularly interested in such things, so the thought of Kaiso being so consumed by desire was rather funny to Domovei. He started laughing for a moment, maniacal sounds of delight coming from the skinny male's mouth, before he bit his tongue -- literally -- and silenced himself. The massive male before him, who called himself Gargoyle, didn't seem like the kind to laugh very often. "Hm," he replied rather simply, a long moment after he stopped his sudden laughing fit, growing a bit more serious. "Knowing that, I'm not sure if Kaios survives I want to be around him." It was a bold statement for him, but Newt hadn't been around much regardless. But Domovei had grown attached to her -- maybe it was just his masochistic nature urging him to run, to desert her, so he could be punished as he deserved if she sought him up -- but the idea was beginning to creep into his mind, eroding his loyalty bit by bit. "So -- you said you still lead a pack? A different one?" What was the name again? He'd forgotten already. He gazed at him with ever-wide eyes, pools of green glistening in the midday sun.

Laugher? The scrawny creature dared to reply with laughter? What about a young girl's humiliation and pain was funny? Gargoyle didn't stiffen, he didn't raise his hackles, he didn't even narrow his eyes this time. He was far too furious to give any sign. A moment more and he would attack without warning- sending sand flying into the air as he went for the cretan's throat and pinned him down until he had strangled out apologies. But then the laughing ceased. Gargoyle waited - by all appearances, calmly - for an explanation of the mirth. After a long wait, he didn't really get one, jut a statement against the black male and what seemed to be a look of digust. So perhaps the laugh had been some insider's joke. A cackle at the black Alpha's expense. Gargoyle pieced together his shreds of inner composure. Only the other week he had ripped the life of a rogue female he'd caught in the middle of clawing a new packmate. No questions, no warnings, no words, no chance for explanation or apology, he'd mowed her down like the roadkill she was. He wasn't even sure if the death blow - was her spine breaking as he plowed into her, or all the ripping his teeth did to her neck. He never went back to check. The northern scavengers were left to feed on her carrion.

All wolves had their dark side, and 'killing' was Gargoyle's. He still enjoyed it a bit too much. But he knew this weakness and tried to stay away from it. His anger was not easily roused, but a surefire to make sparks was to find pleasure in his family's pain. And once the northern drake's anger was ignited, it could only be put out by blood. In the end, he supposed that he and a wolf like Kaios had some traits in common, and perhaps this was why he wasn't killing himself trying to get revenge. It was indeed an odd shade of grey that the Chief was forced to walk in.

But his attention was diverted by the male's question. Asking again for the name of the pack, Gargoyle had mentioned. "Tortuga." Was the simple, unadorned answer. "But," he added in a low rumble. "It's likely we shall not stay long in the area. I don't like to keep my family on the sides of a dormant volcano." With good reason. He remembered the last one.

His laughing had subsided as quickly as it began. He didn't see how it would be considered offensive, as it seemed very clear to him he wasn't laughing at the woman who had been raped -- but that Kaios was a rapist! It seemed all to clear to him, the more he mulled over it. The massive male named Gargoyle seemed unimpressed, and he furrowed his brows slightly, his expression terribly neutral as he watched him. He answered his question, saying he ruled a pack named Tortuga. A foreign name to him. His tail flicked idly behind him, though once again moved to curl about his hindquarters; he was unsure why, but he was beginning to feel restless at the prospect of returning to Newt. Perhaps he could go to the volcano; it seemed somewhat dangerous, but if nobody else was there, perhaps he would be safe! What a splendid idea. He shifted a bit, as though suddenly restless -- and with good reason, for Gargoyle seemed to not love his company as much as he would hope. Part of his mind egged him on, to infuriated the male, to hope that he would lay a claim on him and drag him to the safety of his pack... but he seemed more the type to end his life rather than save it. "I will go now," he said simply, lifting himself onto all fours and giving a slow nod. "Maybe we can meet again someday?" Maybe not. The skinny wolf shrugged his slender shoulders, and without further ado he scampered off over the rocks that surrounded the area, away from Gargoyle. - exit Domovei -