Walk | Talk | Think With great reluctance Anais led the way from the Sand River in the west all the way to the Range in the east. She returned very different from the bright-eyed, adventurous girl she had left as. Her body seemed weighted by worries, her yellow-gold eyes mirroring the desperation of her thoughts, and her ears could not seem to raise themselves upon her head in any sense of contentment of complacency. And everywhere that her quick steps brought her, her path was shadowed by the hazel-eyed brute who had so quickly claimed her as his own, the man whose relationship to herself she no longer had a name for now that "friend" was no longer an option. She glanced back timidly across one shoulder at him, half wishing not to see him looming there at her heels but he was. She could not get too far away from Pyrros, and indeed feared doing so. He had snapped verbally at her once, shown her aggression even if he had not physically lashed out at her, but it was more than enough. Never before had she needed to deal with this sort of behavior from someone, sheltered beside her family or within the confines of a well-guarded pack, and it seemed she had a lot she needed to learn in order to navigate these new waters that she now found herself in. Like introducing the male to her family. She could have kicked herself for bringing them up, for mentioning the home where they lived. The second it had left her lips, Pyrros was ready to move, and nothing she could have said would have deterred him. So she had obliged, leading the way, and felt her nerves growing tenfold as they passed the boundary into the woods that surrounded the Range proper. "This is it," she muttered quietly, unsure if she said it for his benefit or as if to finalize her own thoughts. They were here, at her home, where her family resided. She could not begin to imagine how the conversation would go. Stopping, she glanced back at her...whatever-he-was and paused a second before suggesting, "I should call to them. They'll know it's me." To make good on her words, she faced forward again and drew in a slow, shaky breath and tipped her head back with a howl, hoping her voice sounded steadier than she felt as she beckoned her family to come meet her and Pyrros.

Light paws carried the male over the domain that he himself was not all that familiar with then again he was a loner so he tended to travel around on his own however this little dame that stumbled upon him, had tossed the opportunity to meet her family perfect timing right? He tough it was since he was seeking refuge in a pack.

Hazel orbs watched the dame before him absorbing each movement she made before she spoke when they drew close to the broader, scent the air for a moment he familiarized himself with the aroma before stepping in to the land. Still following the female for a few moment he perked his ears as she explained that she needed to call them. Chuckling softly he simply nodded and moved to brush his muzzle in to her neck before he spoke

" Relax, no harm will fall you if you stick with me"

He whispered in a soft seductive tone that only be fell on her ears before he moved to take a few steps away and recline to sit upon his rump. Waiting he simply listened to the howl from the girl and he himself resisted urge to follow suit and howl with the girl, After all she did have a beautiful tone perhaps he could hear her often? The thought amused him and so a soft smile tugged upon his lips=

Everyone in his family was getting ready to leave the Range. Ever since Scorpion had let it be know that he wanted the whole territory for his forming pack Bane had been merely counting the days until the alpha came in with followers in tow before they had to leave. Hardly a season spent back at their old him but they once again had to bow to the will of others. It was however taking some time for Scorpion, but the elder however wasn't one to endanger his family with a pack. Not last time. Not this time. And so they were leaving today even after a few weeks of nothing transpiring. Nako was sitting by, his eldest son's presence relaxing for the elder for at least someone was watching him. Bane was all but blind in his remaining eye, glimpses of light even now a rare occurrence. His nose painted a blurry picture of the world, attention focused on carving into the tree in front of him.

Bane dropped the carving antler at the howl of Anais, the elder giving a bark to alert everyone around then learning and in the dens. His unseeing gaze was grave, something obviously wrong within the howl. A shifting of the form close to him; Nako taking the lead. Tahlia and the rest would have to follow even and Kailos and Jakart's pawsteps added to theirs. The four wolves hurried as best they could with Bane struggling to keep up to younger and energy filled offspring that heavily contrasted his age. Anais smelled close, Nako stopping so quickly Bane almost ran right into him. His sons were quiet, the old wolf sniffing deeply. There was someone with his daughter.

There was something about Anais' call that had the woman wondering. The dark figure would move through the shadows, heeding the call of her goddaughter, and seeking her out with a single orb. Destruction was, in fact, quite restless lately. Worry for her family, particularly Bane, was rising with Scorpion wishing to claim The Range as a packland. It broke her heart, it did, to know once more they were being uprooted just as they settled. She would have suggested moving to the islands, but she knew that Bane would not make the swim. No... the elder seemed to be going down some. He was reaching his time, and the vision in his remaining eye had not gone unnoticed by the woman. Worry gnawed at her gut. Like a great beast it roared at her to do something. Anything. To try and help the family. But Destruction knew not what could be done. Bane was the head of the family, and they would, when the time came, be moving. But... the woman felt like there was something she should have been able to do. Something she had to do. Yet... here she was, unable to do a damned thing. But something seemed... off. Perhaps the woman was reacting out of paranoia. But when she approached Anais the girl seemed a bit nervous. The reason why had to be the young man next to her. The woman would stop, single orb focusing on him as she raised a brow. "Who might this be, Anais?" There was no reason to jump to conclusions just yet. She would give the young male a chance. Plus, with Bane and the boys there, it made here feel a lot better about the presence of the strange young man. Speech

For Lior, there was no suspicion in hearing her sister call for her family. No, the yearling wished only to respond and see everyone gathered together. She had been a little distant, trying to sort out herbs and test them on squirrels and mice she could catch, but her methods were really just a shot in the dark, and Lior was become frustrated at her inability to teach herself medicine. There was too much to know, to learn, without a mentor. It left her depressed, and brooding, though the thought that maybe her mother or sister could finally teach her how to swim now that it was warm again was a possibility in her mind. Paws would move across the earth faster, with purpose and excitement. But when she saw her sister with the male she would frown, coming to a stop and tilting her head to the side. Their godmother already asked who he was, but Lior would go a step further. She would come closer to the male, offering a smile. A bit unsure, but if he was Anais he had to be good, right? "Hello there. Welcome to our home." ""

Walk | Talk | Think



Tahlia had been lounging outside of the family's den, watching her husband about his work, when the howl had sounded from her eldest daughter. Immediately the golden-eyed wolf's ears perked, and as she lifted her head slowly from her paws a look of puzzled concern settled over her features. There was something strange about the sound, not to mention its calling at all. Very rarely, if at all, did Anais call for the family. More often she sought them out personally. What had suddenly urged her to use such formalities that she had never been particularly interested in?



She was already getting to her paws before Bane barked for their attention, shaking her black and russet coat out as she stepped over to join him and the boys, following in their wake as both Nako and her husband took the lead. His slowed gait, cautious and careful because of his deteriorated vision, made their progress slow going, but in due time they managed to reach the location where their daughter stood near the border of the lands, company in tow.



Her daughter's company was entirely unexpected, and it showed in a look of surprise that settled immediately on Tahlia's face. But surprise was quickly replaced with concern as she noted her daughter's expression, anxious and uncertain and looking outright uncomfortable, so very unlike how she typically looked. Her brow knit as she came to stand beside her husband, listening as Destruction and her youngest daughter Lior addressed both Anais and the unidentified male. "Anais?" Her concerned tone spoke only to her daughter, wanting to know that she was okay, that whatever look had been on her face was only a temporary thing and that she would smile as usual again soon.

Walk | Talk | Think She shivered under the male's touch, tensed as he whispered for he ears alone words of comfort that did nothing but send her anxiety racing again. Safe? With him? That was hardly the word she thought to describe the way he managed to make her skin crawl, how she wished to creep away from his advances when he made them. But her opinions were kept tightly sealed up, her folded ears the only sign that she gave of her discomfort as her wary gaze watched him back away and leave her to gathering her family close. What distance he had placed between them, Anais let remain, standing in anticipation of her family's arrival. The longer she stayed in the male's company, the more she wished they would arrive faster. And soon they did. Her heart leaped at the sight of them, relief flooding through her as her tail wagged eagerly. But unlike many of her typical greetings, she did not rush right up to nuzzle them, did not smile and grin in delight. She stayed her place, a cautious glance given over one shoulder at Pyrros as if unsure if he would even allow it, and she had to settle for waiting for them to get closer before she dared stepping forward to greet them. "Mom, Dad," she stated, rushing up to them both and pressing her face into their necks as she moved from one to the other, stepping back to regard them with a nervous smile. Oh, how glad she was to see them! Destruction's question brought the girl's attention back around to her, and with it her anxiety returned in full force. Here it was, the moment she had been dreading. "This is Pyrros," she said to them all, finally turning back to look at him now that she had introduced him. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? After his unpredictable behavior when they were alone, she could hardly guess how he would behave now amongst them all.

The paws of the male shifted over the domain as he evened his weight as he waited it wasn't hard to miss that the dame at his side seemed agitated and some watt nervous and this wasn't a good thing when her family were close by and so a set of dark orbs bore in to the females skin almost silently demanding that she stifle the shake in her voice before it was to late.

As the others began to show up he straighten himself out more and allowed a softer gaze to rest upon them as they came in to view the first was the elder male whom seemed hesitant with his paw placement was he blind? He mode over the idea for a moment before he Noticed the silver? Dame venture closer to his form, tilting his head slightly a soft smile pulled on his lips as he tipped his crown in to a low bow before he flicked an ear at the sound of anais speaking his name, Lifting his head to stand up right once more, fixing his orbs upon the others that seemed to be a bit skeptical of him as he spoke

" Greetings,Madam, Sir"

He stated as he flicked his gaze to anais once more before diverting them to the other older female (Tahlia) before his brows knitted together slightly as he simply listened to anais words

"Quite easy to see were this beauty gets her looks madam"

He added as he dipped his head once more.

Bane sniffed towards the stranger even as the rest of the family's females arrived at the meeting. Destruction inquired who the strange male was, the elder wishing his sight was what it had once been. Lior gave a greeting of sorts, Tahlia murmuring their eldest daughters name with obvious hesitation as came to stand by his side. Bane's ears swiveled and twisted as he listened, deciding that his previous unease was rightly assumed. A few family members were nervous. Nako and Jakart were silent off to his right, a departing presence fading off to the right signaled Kailos's movement to watch the wolves flank.

Bane's own uncertain feelings grew as he smelled Anais a moment before she came up and greeted her parents. The warm smile that was forming at the corner of his muzzle visibly soured as Anais introduced the un-viewable stranger, the feeling of his daughter pressing against his neck not deminishing the slight bristling of his hackles. Pyross was the strangers name... said male voicing his own greetings.?

The male was ignored as the old wolf's nose reached towards Anais, flinching when it made contact with the between her forelegs. Partially he though she was father away but also from what he smelled. The old rogue's head skewed underneath a crook in her foreleg, anger and dread mixing into a volitile combination at what he was assuming. "Anais get behind me. Stranger, why does my daughter smell of you? If you've violated her in anyway so help me. So help me." Bane took a step forward.

This male. His sons were growling.?"Why do you smell of my daughter! Anais. What did he do to you?" The elder shoved his muzzle underneath his daughters foreleg and chest again. Pyross's scent was thick in her fur, his daughter smelling of the male and sand. Bane's head recoiled as he turned from Anais, taking a step back as his worst fears were put aside. The smell of mating mercifully wasn't upon her. A growl tore from his throat, hackles rising. "Anais get behind me, and you." Bane's harsh tone ripping from his maw, hackles fully bristling. "You... you are going to leave us right now and never return. Go up north for females who want your type of company." Bane snapped, pawsteps to his side and rapid breaths letting him know that Jakart was by him, Kailos already on the other flank of the elder as Nako advanced a pace. If Pyross so much as took a step forward he was going to deeply regret it. Eight wolves against one was no contest.

She merely had to watch Anais and read the responses of her parents to know her course of action. It was Bane that alerted the dark woman the most. The male?s rather ?kindly? greetings weren?t too uncommon of a young gentleman, but this male couldn?t be such. Anais was too nervous. What would she have to fear around family? What would she have to worry about with all of them here? But the news that Anais had the male?s scent upon her coat... Destruction would let out a rumbling grown, ears pinning back against her skull. Good eye would narrow, protective instincts kicking in. ?You have about five seconds to turn tail, boy. If your scent is caught upon Anais ever again I will track you down and take great care you never think of laying your paw on a female again.? Destruction?s words were harsh and unforgiving. She had known Anais since she was a pup. If that sweet girl was ever hurt by anyone she?d tear them limb from limb -- providing the rest of the family didn?t get there first. The godmother?s fur was bristling, lips curled back as she revealed her fangs. Speech

Lior would wag her tail as Anais introduced the other. Pyrros. Not a bad name. It was interesting, different. He didn?t seem bad either, he was actually really polite. But then, before the gray girl knew what was going on her father was snapping, her brothers were getting ready to defend Anais, and her godmother was ready to chase the male from here. Limp or not the girl didn?t doubt the black and dark red woman would chase him to the ends of the territory, making sure he never came back. She would start backing slowly away from Pyrros, her ears lowering as a low whine left her. She really hoped that it wouldn?t come to violence... She would hate to see anyone get hurt. ""

Walk | Talk | Think



She could feel something off about the entire interaction, could sense a tension below the surface that refused to allow her to take everything at face value. Tahlia thought her husband and sons could feel it too, noting how none of them seemed to relax and all remained alert and waiting, as if something was going to happen and they each needed to be prepared for it. She disliked it very much, though not nearly so much as how her daughter appeared to hang back with a glace at her companion, almost as if to make sure things were alright by him. As her daughter came forward to her greet her, Tahlia watched her closely through her singular functioning gold eye, leaning into her daughter's nuzzle and catching a faint suggestion of what her husband was destined to pick up next. And just that whiff alone was enough to make her wonder.



Bane was much more quick to jump right to the worst case scenarios, his keen nose, his most reliable sense as of now, identifying what she had missed. Tahlia turned her head to stare at him as he more pointedly sought out the scent within her coat, her own frown deepening, and felt her blood run cold at the accusations he threw out. Violated? Was that why she had been so nervous, so anxious, about this meeting? Was that why she appeared so distressed now? Her concern quickly became worry as she looked again at her daughter, unable to believe that it might have been true. Could she truly have been forced, or even...sought this out herself?



The sound of her sons' growls seemed to fill the forested border, adding a new sense of dread that turned Tahlia's stomach dangerously. Whatever she had been anticipating to find by answering her daughter's summons it had surely not been this. With a nervous expression she stood back as Bane inspected their daughter again, and when he moved she stepped forward to do the same. "Oh, Anais," she breathed sadly, regrettably, pressing her nose against her daughter's neck to not only console her but to more closely inspect her scent as well, moving to sniff along her side as well. And just as her husband had already been able to deduce, whatever had happened between this male and her daughter had not gone as far as they had feared.



But surely it must have been no less traumatic. If Anais's confused, frightened expression was any indication, she knew her daughter was lost and desperately trying to keep up, practically shaking under the severity of the situation at hand. "My darling, my sweet girl. You'll be alright," she whispered, again for her alone, as she moved to stand parallel to her, offering support as well as protection. Did she even know why her parents acted in this way? Did she know the sort of dangers she had been in? Casting a glance at Lior, seeing the fear creeping up on her too, Tahlia hoped whatever confrontation had started would be over quickly and as mildly as possible. Turning her attention toward Pyrros, narrowing her gaze into a hardened frown, she added her firm, icy voice to Bane's and Destruction's. "You heard them. You are no longer welcome here. Leave, now."

Walk | Talk | Think Honestly, Anais was quite amazed. As she stared at him, recollecting everything their short acquaintanceship had been comprised of so far, she thought this new face of Pyrros entirely surprising and unrecognizable. There was no laughter to his eyes, no mischievous curve about his smile as he offered one to her sister, nor did he hover close beside her or try to get closer to even brush his tail against her as he had once done. It seemed he was on his best behavior, playing the part of a chivalrous courtier to a tee. Her yellow-gold eyes blinked a few times in surprise, stunned at his performance. Did he intend to win over her parents then? She might not have believed him capable of it before, but now she wondered if he might actually have a chance. Or at least she would have had her father not reacted the way he had. She had barely had enough time to draw away and introduce the male before he was ordering her to get a safe distance away from the hazel-eyed stranger, confusing her immensely until he directed his next question at the wolf himself. Oh no! His scent was still on her, testament to the uncomfortable position he had put her in, and apparently whatever bad feelings she had had about the whole thing had been right for her father - and mother, for the expression on her face was frightened as well - to react this way. Apparently what had happened had been wrong. Her ears folded and her head lowered, feeling a complicated mixture of fear and guilt. Should she have stopped Pyrros from pinning her right when he had? Should she have voiced her discomfort sooner? Obviously something had been done wrong, and she worried it might have been on her part despite the blame very obviously being placed on Pyrros alone. As her father turned on her again, his voice still harsh in his desperation for answers, she wilted further under his blind stare, beginning to speak only to have the words die as a startled noise when he proceeded to scent her chest and legs. Desperately she tried to explain, hoping somehow to make things better. "He-he just pinned me," she answered unsteadily and with a stutter, glancing anxiously between her father and Pyrros. Did she even dare mention how he had touched her ear and neck, or the words he had whispered to her while he had her there? She shivered even at the recollection of it and decided against it. It was not something she wished to repeat aloud. Alongside her father, her brothers and Destruction voiced their displeasure as well, the noise of their combined words and growls creating an entirely hostile environment. Her legs shook slightly thinking that at any second, if the wrong thing was said or the wrong gesture made, a fight could break out. She might have still felt intimidated by Pyrros, but she did not wish to see him ganged up on by her family, or see them throw themselves into a fight on her behalf. Her mother came up beside her then and with a whimper she tucked her face into her mother's neck, pinning her ears against her head and closing her eyes tightly as if to keep everything out, to turn herself blind and deaf to the horrible confrontation that was taking place. She had only wanted to make a friend...

Things seemed to be going well until the elder male began poking his mussel in to Anais then began the harsh tones and grumbles which let this little event go down hill.The ears of the male lowered while his hackles bristled how dear they assume he did something? his kind of company? talk about jumping to conclusions... they were right in some cases... but still. Parting his lips to speak, he was cut off by the words of Anais, flicking his dark hazel orbs to her form he watched her for a moment with a soft almost tender gaze before he nodded and forced him self to calm down with a dip of his head she agreed to what the dame was saying before his gaze flicked around the wolves that were around him something in his gut stated that trying to prove them wrong was not an option at this time a low snarl simply was muffled as irritation began to set in as he reclined back and made his exit but not before a stirred look to the dame known as Anais with a message that he would return at some point. ~Exit~ Walk "Talk" Think

Des immediately reacted with her own words. Voicing threats that he knew she would follow up on. Bane's sons keeping their space from the offending male, a hairs breath from being released to drive Anais's offender away. Awaiting their father's word. He felt Tahlia brush against his shoulder to inspect Anais as he had, the muted growls of young males the only sounds Bane concentrated on. Trying to gauge the situation based on the sounds and scents of the group of wolves. Tahlia spoke, casting out the male that had touched their eldest daughter.

Bane reassuringly pressed his nose against Tahlia's neck. His forehead had a hard crease above both sightless eyes, muzzle pointed in the general direction of a retreating Pyross, thinking of Anais's last words. Only pinned her. Bane could think of several things that could happen after that action, gaze hardening even more. He didn't want to shame his daughter so publicly, but it was his hope that she would remember his words all the more because of it. ?"Anais I don't care if he whispered you sweet words. I don't care if he has three legs and in a pack. No good male pins a female when they're by themselves. His intentions were ill and I won't have you around those types of males. I want you hear me as I say this!" Bane raised a paw and batted at Anais's muzzle. It broke his heart to strike his daughter, but it just felt necessary to drive his point home. "You could've been killed, could've been raped! You could've been taken away from us, your family! Just as we have to move Anais!"

Bane roughly nosed around her chest and along the side of her neck once more as he strode behind Anais, a snort given in minor comfort. His eyes were gone but he had his nose still. And to further drive his point on the seriousness of the matter Bane gave a firm nip to the side of Anais's left hind leg. "Understand?!" The old wolf snapped, fuming. The worst case scenario still going over in his mind as he growled to his family. "Scorpian's group is shifting. And it is time for us to go. South. Away from all this." Nako was heard taking the lead after a moment. He could feel their stares, knowing that although his actions were out of line there served a purpose. And that purpose was to move forward from a helluva learning experience. That there was hardly any good in the world. Only the black and grey survived.

-Exit Bane-