The late night air was cool, with a hint of damp. The sort of temperature that chilled to the bone, and the Warlord found himself eager to begin. Nothing warmed the blood like a battle with a stranger. Winter was always a time of restlessness to the old warrior. The fear of storms trapping him in the security of his own lands left him wondering more frequently of late.

He looked out across the familiar barren fields. The scent of earth and old blood like rust in his senses. His paws found the terrain here to be familiar. Like repeating an old routine, the rough feel of it beneath the pads of his paws steadied him. In a strange sort of sense, this battlefield was an old home to the ageing Warlord.

Tipping his head back, the wolf sheathed in the shadows let out a howl. Strong and swift, it found the wind and let the air carry it across the field. Searching for new faces, new fights.

For a young female full of tragedies, the wasteland had become a home. Without no where to go, with a family wiped out she held nothing left. A curled form rested against the dust, cold but where else could the young wolf go? Slow rib cage movements were the only ones to take her away from being a carcass. Ears up, fur moving with the wind, the embracing silence gave the girl a partial sense of peace, peace that long ago turned into a fake and fleeting concept. Her parents were killed out in a normal day.

Sound would then scare away her tiredness, making the grey and white canine rise her head. A very large wolf at the distance had called out for battle. The rather slender woman would pretend to be motionless. Afraid, as she wasnt in the best of conditions to fight and even less such a behemoth of a wolf.

"Speech"

Ricin has decided to go out and explore as many lands as he can. The young blue boy has taken his promotion to lead navigator seriously and has begun searching for useful resources for the pack. Today he had decided to go a little further away from the pack lands and found some mines to go delving in. By the time he emerges from the mine depths, night had fallen over the land and he stops to give his coat a good shake before moving out under the stars. In the flat lands near the mines, the scent of old blood hangs thickly in the area and Ricin had wondered what exactly goes on there. Ah, but that is better left for another day. As the blue boy skirts the edge of the land, aiming to begin the trek back to the island, a call rings out from inside the barren field

He stops, blinking is surprise as he looks in the direction of the invitation, indecision making him chew his lip. It seems friendly, a call to come and spar or just to meet new faces. Giving himself a small shrug, Ricin decides to answer it and starts to moves in the direction the wolf had called from. Maybe now is a good time to test out the training Chade has drilled into him. Crimson eyes find a large, dark form silhouetted against the night sky. The wolf is tall, like Manea and Alastor, and Ricin calmly saunters up toward the wolf. As he approaches with a friendly smile on his lips, the boy takes to breath to speak. The scent of another wolf reaches his nostrils and a look of confusion crosses his features. Pulling to a stop, he turns his gaze away from the tall male and instead searches the ground some distance away.

A ball of gray lays tucked into themselves and Ricin casts a look to the older male. Offering the man an uncertain smile, he says, “Uh, hello. My name is Ricin and I came to answer your call. But, uh, it seems there is already someone here. Do you know them?” He points a paw to the gray ball before looking at taller male and waiting to hear what exactly is going on.


"Ricin Dauner"

The Warlord let his call fade into the quiet, and waited for a wolf to appear. He didn’t shift or pace, or change his weight. The old warrior was too well trained for that. The impatience instead could be found in the way his eyes trailed the sky.

When a wolf approached, they were a deeper blue than the ocean, and his eyes were rubies. His scent told the Warlord of his origins - Elysium. A pack where he respected its leaders. The stranger surprised him however when he stopped and instead of setting his pose, let his eyes trail to a spot in the distance.

The Warlord relaxed his stance, leaning forward and sampling the wind. Searching for what the other wolf had found, and finding the scent there. “No, not a scent I recognise, Ricin of Elysium” he said softly, glancing at the stranger for a short moment, before deciding an Elysium wolf at his back could be trusted. He moved forward, searching the earth until he found the curled up form of the silver wolf.

She could hear the voices, but not the words spoken. Ears flat, silent breath. She didnt want to be seen, she didnt want to be noticed at all. After the traumatic experience, she had become terrified of eveyrthing, her old self lied hidden over layers of fear and sandess. Unatended mourn. She could still see their lying bodies, her parents corpses. And what hurted her most, was the fact she wasnt able to help. She was a pup but that stood in her mind in the past months. Her heart pounded fast, anxiety of not knowing if the big man would had noticed her. But yes he did, they did. She lifted her head, looking at them. Fear on her bi-colored eyes. Speechless, uncertain of what to do. She looked down to her paws, afraid of looking at their eyes any further. "Yes...?" She muttered. Her emaciated body couldnt do much to get her out of that situation, trying to stand but shivering legs would unable her to move. Narrative| "Speech" |

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Ricin stops short of engaging the taller wolf when he smells another the wind. After he introduces himself, the larger male answer that the smell is unknown to him and he dips his head in understanding. Then a question suddenly accures to the boy and he says, “Hey wait. How did you know I am from Elysium? Oh! Have you met Manea?” Blue tail wags as the bigger male begins to turn and Ricin quickly adds, “Oh wait! I know your pack! My friend Hikaru lives there. Do you know him?” The blue boy is suddenly very eager to know how the spotty wolf is fairing. But, there is a wolf that needs help and it would be selfish of Ricin to question man further.

While the other wolf may have questioned in his decision to turn his back on Ricin, the blue boy does not have a mean bone in his body and the thought of harming the stranger never crosses his mind. His body is relaxed as he follows the larger male closely, the pair slowly approaching the curled-up wolf. The form untucks and the young female wolf moves to stand, legs weak and shaking from her own body weight. Burrows furrow in worry as his ruby gaze inspects the other, new wolf. Gentle, soft voice speaks up as he says, “Hello there. Um, you might not want to stay here. I know there are a lot of fights that take place here and it might not be safe.”

Eyes roam over the weak wolf’s form and he notes how her ribs poke out on her sides. Ruby gaze turns up to the bigger male silently questioning what they should do. This man is older and surely, with age comes wisdom. Ricin is trusting him and, he can only hope, that his trust isn’t misplaced.


"Ricin Dauner"

The Warlord nodded his head towards Ricin, his expression distracted. “Your Alpha and I have worked out neutrality for our packs.” He agreed. If Ricin had been in trouble, the Warlord would have swooped in, and returned him to the purple Alpha. “Hikaru is one of mine” He agreed, his eyes on the earth before them.

They had stopped before the smaller wolf, and the skittish girl unfurled herself, trying to stand up before them. Her pose was uncertain and afraid. “Ricin is right, the battlefield is no place for you” but his voice was not as chidding as his words. By the scent of her, this wolf was barely a yearling.

He could feel Ricin’s eyes on him, and the Warlord sighed softly. What was one more lost lamb? “I’m Sirius, and this is Ricin.” he turned to the blue wolf then. “Will you help me get her out of here? She doesn't look like she can move far.”

Her heart sounded fast between her lungs. The strong outgoing wolf she used to be died along her parents, in other situations she would be strong, standing tall and easily talking away, but not anymore. Being in the bones she wouldnt be able to even think on fighting, less two giantic wolves. "I am sorry...didnt meant to intrude in your territory...I.." Words fainted as they managed to escape her mouth. "Aine...Aine Praetor.." She said as she kept her tail between her legs, not daring to lok at their eyes. Too weak to walk or move any far. She had no where to go, so there wasnt a way she could get out of here nor know where to go. She needed food. "I lost my home..." Narrative| "Speech" |

stock from Castlegraphics

Oh! Manea and this tall wolf have worked together! Wait, Hikaru is one of his? The light blue boy follows after the stranger, pondering the male’s words. Standing with the gray male, Ricin offers the scared wolf a gentle smile as he tries his best to not look intimidating. Truthfully, besides being tall, the light blue wolf looks anything but scary. His gaze roams over the dirty, terrified wolf’s form as they talk and the boy dips his head in greeting when his name is given. When the female speaks, Ricin gives a gentle tut to dispel her worry about trespassing and says, “It is alright Aine Praetor. No one owns this land. Its just… wolves come here to fight and it looks like you are not in the condition to do that.”

When Sirius asks for Ricin’s help, the boy gives a nod before slowly, carefully, making his way toward the weak female. He doesn’t want her run (not that she looks she could get far) and waste what little energy she might have. As he moves toward her, Ricin says, “Well Aine, Sirius is going to take you to his pack. You will get fresh food and a warm place to sleep. But first, we have to get you there. So… how about a ride?” He gives a broad smile as he reaches her and turns himself sideways in front of her. Crouching low to the ground, the boy offers his back for her to climb up on. While they are the same height, the frailer female doesn’t look like she weighs more than a feather.

As he waits for Aine to get settled, Ricin turns his ruby gaze to Sirius and says, “You still owe me a fight, sir.” His eyes are bright with happiness as he readies to follow Sirius with his charge.


"Ricin Dauner"