So far he was pleased with this place. Prey was plentiful and various metal contraptions provided places to escape from prying eyes - something the Knolls largely lacked. There was a meadow at the center of the terra and on it's borders, thick forest. Yes, this would do nicely. Out of all the places he'd visited, this one was by far the most promising. Stopping before a large, heavily rusted beast (a tractor), Valentine tipped his head back to look at the top of it. You know...that would make one hell of a perch. With that thought in mind he circled around to the nose of it and easily made the leap required of him to get up on the hood. From there another easy hop carried him to the top of the beast and with one quick movement, he turned to face down the nose of it and dropped into a sit. Oooo, warm. Yeah, he liked this place, especially this spot. From here he could see across the range and into the knolls. It made a perfect lookout point. Would this be Imperium's newest land? Quite possibly. "Speaking" "Thinking"

The pup was quickly growing, and with it so was his seemingly endless pranks and naughty behavior. He didn't care much though, it was fun to get into trouble and make his sister scream. She seemed to only get louder and louder, which made him roll his green eyes. She was so annoying! And Speare never wanted to play with him, his brother was wandering away from the den more often than he was in it. So... whatever! Caesar could make his own friend and keep himself busy. And that's just want he did, stalking away from the den and circling around the area. It was then that he saw the massive male, staking out his home. The boy growled, dropping down close to the earth as he eyed the large male. He sniffed the air, picking up the scent of several other wolves on him. A pack? Here? No! This was his home and no one else could have it. Shooting forward from the bush, his fawn coloured coat puffed up as he bared his teeth at the massive male. "What are you doing in my land?" he asked with a growl, his jaws snapping closed. He stalked closer to the brute, coming at him from behind and slightly more towards his (Valentine's) left flank. His eyes flashed with anger, sparking in the boy. If the stranger came any closer to the den he wouldn't hesitate to attack his giant form, no one was allowed to bug his family but him!

The angry squeals of a youngster drew the brute's gaze from the horizon. He looked down and lo and behold, just over the edge of the metal beast's top, he spied the angry green gaze of the younger in question. His land, huh? The scents across the terra weren't strong or territorial enough to mark it as a pack's land, so he was willing to bet that the youngster belonged to a family of rogues. Valen leaned closer to the edge so he could see the child better. The little boy was fluffed up and his posture was defensive. Far from being frightened by his display, or even annoyed with the boy's tone, Valen found it super cute. His own tone amused, he said, "Scouting out land for my pack to claim." "Speaking" "Thinking"

The monstrous male dipped down to look at him, and his words sounded rather amused, which only helped fuel his anger. And he couldn't take this land, this is where they lived! He didn't wanna join no stupid pack, he just wanted to be free and under no claim of another. Well, not like he was really aware of how packs worked, he was only a few months old and didn't know too much about about packs. "You can't take this place, I won't let you!" he roared as loud as he could, stomping one of his paws down on the earth. "If you come near my family imma bite you so hard that you're gunna wish you didn't come here!" He was all fluffed up as he jumped upwards towards the male like a spitting, angered cat. He didn't think he was being cute, and didn't realize that this alpha saw him as quite adorable. Caesar paced back and forth, narrowed green eyes never leaving the huge male. There was no fear in the small boy, even though his stranger towered over him. If he wasn't afraid of his father, what would make him scared of this stupid big-fat male? Trying to think fast, Caesar eyes the land around him. "You wouldn't want this land anyways, its smelly and um... there are lots of monsters here. Yeah, monsters!" His father was one of them, as well as his uncle. "They gunna beats you up good for being here!" he barked with a nod of his white marked face.

The little boy just got cuter and cuter. He put on quite a show, pacing and jumping around. And he really didn't like what Valen had to say, not that the brute really cared. If no pack resided on it then it belonged to no one, and while he could sympathize with the rogues he would potentially be displacing, he didn't sympathize enough to pick a different place. He wanted this terra and he would have it unless a better land presented itself. The little fawn spotted dude was so friggin' cute. Valen had half a mind to take him home and give him to the kiddos to play with. He was going to bite him, huh? In response to this statement the brute laid down and hung his left forepaw over the side. It would be one hell of a reach for the boy to jump up and bite him, and he strongly doubted he could, but he wanted to test the tyke's mettle. Monsters, huh? And big bad wolves to beat him up? "Is that so? What if I beat them all up?" He swung his forepaw languidly, daring the boy to jump for it. "What are you going to do then?" "Speaking" "Thinking"

The brute flopped on top of the large sleeping beast that he had been standing on, his paw hanging over the edge. It was quite high up, but his green eyes narrowed in on the big paw. If only he could jump high enough. Growling again he raised his paws and rested it on the sun warmed beast, jaws snapping as he strained upwards towards the looming paw. The giant man spoke again, asking what would happen if he beat up all the monsters. Caesar paused in his growling to give it a bit of thought, his brows pulling together. "Then... you're gunna havta beat me up! Yeah! Imma kick your big fluffy butt!" he called back, head nodding as he was quite pleased with his answer. The male swung his paw to and fro then, and his growls came back. He placed his paws as far up as he could on the strange creature, his neck pulling as far forward as he could. Pressing up against the tractor, Caesar jumped up and scrabbled against its slick form, jaws snapping shut as he reached as high up as he could. The boy was determined to bite this stranger and give him a piece of his mind, and bite him he would! So he kept growling, trying to propel upwards on the creature to reach that big dark blue paw. Ears pulled against against his brown skull, fawn like body falling up and down as he even tried to swat at the paw with his own. The big fatty was teasing him now, and that wasn't fair! He was way up high, if he was on the ground then Caesar would around have that stupid paw in his mouth!

The boy did as Valen hoped he would: he started jumping around and trying to climb up the metal beast in the hopes of biting the offered paw - drawing a thunderous laugh from the behemoth. The little guy was too cute for words and spunky too. The brute admired his tenacity and his willingness to defend those he cared about. Some day the child would make a fine soldier. He hoped his own children were made of the same stuff, but he also hoped they had the good sense to run when they were outmatched. Determined to test the limits of the child's bravery, the brute quickly gathered his paws beneath him and launched himself off the tractor. Behind him, the force of kick off caused the rusty beast to groan and sway slightly, bits of rust and paint falling from its "joints". Valentine hit the ground several feet from the boy with a dull thud and immediately turned to face him. His expression still amused, he boomed, "Are you now? Let's see it then. Kick my big fluffy butt." "Speaking" "Thinking"

The wolf laughed at him, which further pushed his anger. With one big jump he tried to give himself one last launch up the beast, but not before the wolf rose to his paws and jumped off. The strange creature he was standing on growled at the movement, and Caesar jumped off of it, spinning around as the huge male hit the earth. Caesar had to look way up, and he swallowed sharply at the sheer size of this man. He was like a freaking mountain! Damn... maybe he had picked the wrong fight. But no, they were rather close to the den, and when the wolf jumped off the tractor it brought him even closer to his family. His green gaze looked passed the stranger for a moment, knowing that they were a little too close. So Caesar quickly ran around Valentine, trying to bring himself near his rear so that he could push the fluff butt further away from his litter mates. The alpha boomed at him, telling him to kick his fluffy butt. So with a growl, the boy hoped that he had made it around the mountain wolf quick enough that when he jumped up to bite his butt, it would still be there. Caesar tried to chomp his teeth into the males rump, on the right side. It wasn't really kicking... but he hoped to get a grip on his butt. His limbs flailed wildly as he sprang up, trying to kick at anything that was close. He was gunna make this big guy move away from his family, no matter what! Only he could irritate and bug them, and this dude was even bigger than his father was! And if he did make him run away, well then he could be sure to brag to his brother and sister.

Valentine saw the realization hit the boy. Yes, Spot, you're dealing with a giant. This new knowledge didn't slow him for long. In seconds the youngster was trying to race around Valen in the hopes of, surprise surprise, chewing on his ass. Unfortunately for him, the brute's ass was waaaay up high (perks of being a giant). That didn't stop Valen from lazily following him in a circle in an attempt to keep his cheeks out of harm's way. Alright, this cuteness settled it. He wanted this kid. For now he'd be entertaining, Imperium's little jester, but maybe (hopefully) in the future he'd be worth more. "Child, you are coming with me." He stopped circling and attempted to position himself so that he was facing the boy head on with no more than a yard between them. Valentine left no room for arguing. The boy would be coming with him. VALENTINE versus CAESAR for FORCE CLAIM Round ZERO of UNKNOWN "Speaking" "Thinking"

With Shakespeare and Colette curled peacefully at her belly she might have been able to forget that Caesar was not there to make havoc, however she knew that he would be ready for a nap soon too and would await his form within the den. She would wait. And wait. And wait. And the boy would not come, feeling a bit of worry in the pit of her chest the slender she wolf would slip from the entrance of their shared home to find the form of a stranger very near. Slightly alarmed at first she wouldn't pay him much heed until she heard his voice. "Child, you are coming with me." There were no other children in the Range but Caesar.

Her stomach would drop but she was already covering the distance between her and her small son. Being the delicate girl she was Isolde was in no shape to fight such a giant, but with all the adrenaline of a mother rescuing her cub she would place herself between him and her baby. "NO!" She would wail, Caesar may have been a pain in her backside almost everyday but she loved him passionately. Especially when she felt like bashing his tiny head in. Tears had already welled in her eyes at the desperation of her plight. She had no hope of keeping her son from this monster of a man. "Please don't take him.." The girl would beg, cowering over her spotted boy.

He has spun before he could get his teeth into him, and Caesar landing back to the earth with a thud. Growling he went to bite again, but the man said something that intrigued him. Go with him? But why? Narrowed green eyes would look all the way up at the man, little teeth still showing. "Why would I go with you?" he asked, and even though he growled he failed at hiding his slight interest. It would be fun to go on an adventure, he was never allowed them here because he was always in trouble. With his hackles still raised he studied the man, trying to think about why this man would even be interested in him. His jaws opened to speak when he heard his mother roar, telling the man to not take him away. His gaze roamed over to her, nose pulling up when he saw her tears. "Don't be such a baby, Mom! I was just trying to protect the den!" he growled, wiggling out from under Isolde. He wasn't a baby anymore, he could take care of himself! "If I go with the fluff butt here maybe he will leave the den alone! He said that he wants to live here with his pack, but we live here. So I told him no! And now he wants to take me, so maybe he will leave this place alone," he said with a sharp nod of his head. His logic made perfect sense.

"Why would I go with you?" the boy queried, and Valentine replied smoothly, "Because I told you to." He'd come to the range to scout it out. It hadn't been his intention to gather slaves, but when presented with the idea, how could he resist? Before him was a raw warrior, still guileless and pliable. Some careful molding would shape him and coax him into the desired form. It would take time and effort, but the payoff could very well be worth it. A spotted fae rushed forward to stand over the boy as if to shield him from harm. The mother, yes? Had to be; how many wolves had those spots? Expressionless, he took in her tears, weighing her face value against the needs of the pack.  She pleaded with him not to take her boy and since he no longer considered that an option, Valentine decided to lay out what options remained. "You have three choices: either you fight for the right to keep him, he comes with me without conflict...or I take you both." Imperium was packed to the gills with children, and there was another litter on the way. What he could benefit the most from was more capable fighters...or a captive force to assist with the hunting and care giving. A mother, even one as young as this spotted doe, might be just what he needed. "Speaking" "Thinking"

The brute told him because it is what he told him to, and Caesar was about to argue it all before his mother burst in crying and stuff. She was such a baby! Gosh. When the stranger gave his mother three options, his green gaze flickered back and forth between the two. "You gotta stay here with Colette and Speare, Mom. I be fine, you and Dad dun like me anyways, neither do Cole or Speare," he said with a shrug, not even really caring. He didn't want his mother to get dragged away from his siblings, they seemed closer to them anyways. Caesar never really felt all that close to his parents, they didn't seem to really care about him. Shakespeare always ignored him him and Colette just screamed. His gaze hardened as he backed away from Isolde, his hackles still not settled. "Just go home Momma, I'm sure the fluff butt will let me come and visit," he said, narrowed gaze looking all the way up at the tower that stood beside him. Right?

She still didn't consider herself a strong wolf, and she knew she was not a good mother. Caesar himself was proof of that. He would crawl out from under her defiantly, as he always did, spouting iff his reasoning as she stood there, still crouched with her ears held firmly against her head. Attention drifting from her trouble making son to the man who was ready to whisk him away. She had three choices in the dark man's eyes, and none of them appealed to her.

Caesar's voice would disturb her frozen form, his words coming lazily as he reasoned with her further. He really didn't care about much at all, this was the first time she'd seen him so sure of anything. She'd whine, knowing that no matter how she tried Caesar was not staying with her. "I may not always like you Caesar," She would agree with him, it was no secret at times she disliked the boy. "I will always love you though," Her vocals would trail off, more tears falling from her face now. Just because their family was dysfunctional they were still a family. How would they go one with out Caesar making it interesting?

Her eyes would turn to the brute towering above them, "Where will you take him?" Her voice unable to hinder the sadness she felt for losing her own flesh and blood.

Never in a million years would he have guessed the response he got. This "mother" had nothing to give her son but crocodile tears. Where was her fight? Her instinct to protect? Without so much as a snarl, she was letting her son be abducted by a stranger. She may as well have handed the boy to him herself. Disgust twisted his features into a sneer. There had been a possibility - a rather small one, but one nonetheless - that he would release the child into the custody of this fae, this supposed mother. That chance was gone now. Looking at her, all Valen could see was Taurig in a sniveling, cowardly fae's form. His father had abandoned him just as easily. The circumstances were different, but they were alike - deadbeat and useless. This "mother" disgusted him so thoroughly he could barely stand the sight of her. "Where will you take him?" she whined, her pitiful voice bouncing uselessly off his quickly hardening heart. "What do you care? Clearly he means nothing to you, so what does it matter where he goes?" Suddenly years of repressed feelings burst forth and he began to spit venomous words at the fae. "You are no mother. Mothers are willing to sacrifice for their children. You are nothing but a bitch bred in season, a "mother" inflicted on the innocent who simply had the misfortune of being shat out your ass." His voice rose, reaching a thunderous roar as his rage built, "The world doesn't need you inflicting more of your kind on it! Do the world a favor next time your heat rolls around and keep your goddamn legs closed!" His rage was so great he began to shake. "If you were a brute I'd relieve you of manhood. Clearly you are incapable of handling the consequences of fucking." If anyone ever sought to take his children from him, he would be the last thing they ever saw. He would fight for his children. What kind of parent wouldn't? He wanted to punish her, to heap some kind of vengeance upon her head for all the children who had ever been so easily tossed aside. Would she forget him? Next year when her season came about and whatever dumb fuck she'd taken as her mate crawled on top of her and squirted another batch of unfortunates into her womb, would she forget the boy she'd given away? Would she replace him with new kids? Maybe ones she liked? The selfish bitch. Attempting to maintain his head on positioning with the pair, Valentine then spit the words, "Where's your mate, huh? Think he cares for you more than you care for your son? Call him and see if he will save you both." Let's see what the patriarch was made of. Would he even show, or did cowardice attract cowardice? VALENTINE versus ISOLDE for FORCE CLAIM Round ZERO of UNKNOWN OOC: If Isolde's mate wishes to take her place in the fight, he can. This is also a round zero, so he can still be reasoned with. "Speaking" "Thinking"

His mother renewed his thought that she didn't like her, instead saying that she would always love him. His ears pulled back against his head, although he was also curious to where he was going to be going. But instead of telling them where that was, the large male began to roar at his mother. The child growled again, leaning forward and seeking to bite his left leg, right around his ankle, to get the mountain mans attention. "Hey mister, leave her alone! Shes gots to take care of others. Its okay, really! Its all my fault anyways," he said, green eyes hard as he held the mans gaze -- if it was allowed. The fluff butt had him now, so why would he want any more wolves! "I will be good and come without complaining mister, please lets just go now.

Caesar eyed his mother, he had never seen her fight in his few months of living, all except for hunting. He knew that she wouldn't fight, and that his father would probably thank the tall mad for taking him away. He wasn't heartless though, a part of him did want to comfort his mother to stop her from crying. "Tell Speare that hes gunna havta look out for you guys now, someone has to make Cole get loud," he said, leaning towards her to press his muzzle to his cheek. After that the fawn coloured boy turned around, not really knowing where he was going, but wanting to lead the mountain man away. "Come on fluff butt, don't make me try to bite you again!" he called, looking over his shoulder to eye the blue dude. He just wanted to go now, he didn't want to cause any more pain.

Ceasar seemed so eager to go and take this stranger with him, his determination to leave breaking her heart as she looked back up to the man who wanted him so bad. She hadn't expected the outburst he'd give her. The words stung, many of them were true but she had been trying for her babes. Isolde was an awful mother, but she loved them so much more than she'd ever expected to. Some of his words held truth, but she was not abandoning her child. He wished to go, she could not stop him no matter her own wishes. She would take his verbal abuse, her gaze shifting to her son as he came to defend her.

As the small boy spoke she'd find her feet, he really was ready to leave them. She would lean into his tender touch, a moment of sweetness in her boy she rarely was able to see. Why was this man so upset at her? Why did he insist on taking her son? Did he not see the hopelessness of her situation, she could never hope to win against his mountain of a self. Another whine would leave her, but her voice would regain it's strength while tears streamed down her face. She knew not where Soliloquy might be, but he would save her and their son. Wouldn't he? Despair plain on her features as she tipped her head back, desperate for him to be at her side. "You can't take him." She would say defiantly, her own hackles bristling. If Soliloquy didn't hurry though he'd find her battered body waiting. "He's going of his own free will." A growl would be added now, her defiance building. If he stilled wished to fight she would, to at least prove to Caesar that he was not worthless, and that she deserved the love and affection he'd shown her.

On the other side of the range calming Colette down from some disaster or another Soliloquy was completely unaware of the real drama unfolding for his family. Crocodile tears had stopped and the girl was off on her way again when he heard Isolde's voice call out for him. It was a desperate cry, troubled in its sound and he hurried to find out what was ailing her. Now of course a little later to the party he couldn't be fully aware of all that was going down, couldn't know right now that his son was under threat as well though the scene before him and Isolde's anxious call left him deciphering some of the facts for himself. This man was evidently a threat of some sort, the way he glared at Isolde the aggressive stance he took certainly told that this was not a friendly chat. Soliloquy's own hackles began to raise now, not pleased and that was even whilst only knowing the minimal facts. "I don't know who you are or what you're doing here but you should leave my family alone now." His voice was surprisingly calm for the fury now rising within him. His expression too, though serious held no immediate aggression. They do say your eyes are the window to your soul though, and they certainly held some fire in them as he watched the stranger's moves carefully.

Ah, so this was the big kahuna. Valentine ran a leisurely gaze over the large-by-average-standards brute, taking his sweet time in assessing the new player. The brute was lanky, unassuming and bland in coloration, the only color on his whole body being tear marks that ran from the corners of his eyes - markings that, were he not so focused on making the incompetent mother suffer, would have made him think of Mercy. "I don't think I will," he said nonchalantly in response to the patriarch's demand. The more he thought about it, the more Valentine liked the idea of having a band of slaves to do the heavy lifting. There were many mouths to feed and many of those mouths were unable to contribute to the feeding. He needed a work force. Attempting to square off with the patriarch, Valen then threw down the gauntlet. "How do you feel about a little wager?" He fixed an unwavering gaze on the patriarch. "We fight. You win, I leave and never return. I win...and your whole family - mom, dad and the kids - comes with me - as slaves - to my pack." "Speaking" "Thinking"

His mother told him to just take him away, and the boy nodded eagerly. But then his father came in, and Caesar rolled his green eyes. Oh great, now it was a freaking party! But that is when he heard Valentine's words, and for the first time ever -- he felt fear. "No!" he wailed, leaping back and trying to squeeze himself between Valentine and his father. This is not how he wanted it, his mom just HAD to show up, didn't she! Growling, Caesar tried to jump up at get closer to Valentine's face, leaping up and down and he barked and growled, like some sort of irritating small dog. "Fight me instead, please leave them out of it! Please! I'll fight I really will. I can kick your big butt, and protect all my family!" he insisted. He didn't want his brother and sister to be slaves, they weren't that kind of bad wolves! They were good, and didn't deserve it. Desperation shone in his eyes as he tried to meet Valentine's gaze, all the way up there, as he squared his shoulders and tried to stand like he was. He didn't know much about fighting, but he would do it to keep his family safe. "You can take me even if I win, but just leave 'em alone!"