Citadel wanted to push every boundary that had ever been given to them. He was already grounded from his last stint out of the pack, and was being watched like a hawk. The only time the attention on him slacked was at bed time. When all of them were sleeping together in a pile. He knew that while his father was there, there was no chance of sneaking out under the watchful eye of the Warlord.

But today, Basilisk had been called away on some alpha business late in the night, and showed no sign of returning any time soon. Now was his best chance. He lay awake and still for a little while longer, before finally, slowly, pulling himself free from his siblings. He snuck towards the door, taking care with each movement he made. He slunk through the door, left a crack open by their far. Fresh air awaited him, and in a few heartbeats he moved towards it. Out of the den, and on the little veranda before the slope down into the Col.






"Citadel Fatalis"

Iska had been half-asleep, nestled warmly among his siblings, when he felt the subtle shift beside him. His turquoise eyes fluttered open just in time to see Citadel slinking away, careful and calculated. Iska, still young and full of curiosity, frowned, his sharp mind already piecing together what his older sibling was planning. Citadel always had that glint in his eyes, the one that meant trouble—or at least a boundary was about to be pushed.

The cool night air filtered in through the small crack in the door, carrying with it the scent of fresh freedom. Iska's paws itched to follow. He wanted to be there with Citadel, to see whatever excitement lay beyond the veranda, but... their father would never approve. The thought of the Warlord's stern gaze kept Iska grounded for a moment longer, but just a moment.

He shifted carefully, untangling himself from the warmth of his siblings. His legs felt like they were made of feathers as he quietly padded toward the door. He peeked out into the night, catching sight of Citadel standing on the edge of the slope. It wasn't often he got to see his brother outside the confines of their den like this.

"Where are you going, Cit?" Iska whispered, his voice barely a breath in the darkness. The thrill of sneaking around tugged at him, but his protective instinct, even at this young age, held him in place. "You’re going to get in more trouble, you know that, right?"

Still, despite his words, there was a flicker of excitement in his eyes, a grin parting his lips too. He wanted to see what Citadel was after, but he wasn’t about to let his brother go alone. “Convince me to go with you.”

"Speech"

Citadel jumped, startled by the unexpected voice behind him. He turned with a scowl to see who had caught him - and landed on Iskandor’s silver grey face. At his brother's words he almost snarled back at him. Two things stopped him; The knowledge that any such noise would bring their mothers wrath down upon them, and the excitement in Iska’s face. "I'm always in trouble. What's the difference?" Voice cool, as if unaffected by their fathers wrath.

The idea of having company on his adventure was appealing. He did so much alone these days, feeling oddly separate from the other wolves in his litter. Different, and a part. Convince me to go with you. Hmmm.

“I’m going either way, so you can stay behind and hide behind mum, or you can grow up and have some fun!” He whisper-hissed back at his brother. His face lit up with delight, and then he was off. He didn’t wait to see if he was ‘convincing’ hoping that perhaps doing, movement and rush, would cause Iska to follow him before he could think better of it.


"Citadel Fatalis"

The invitation—or was it a challenge?—hung heavy in the night air, calling him to prove himself. His brother’s smirk was one of pure mischief, daring him without a second of hesitation.

"Fun, huh?" Iska whispered to himself, his turquoise eyes following the path Citadel had taken. A surge of exhilaration raced through him, silencing any lingering thoughts of caution or their mother’s inevitable reprimand. He shook his head, a grin spreading across his face. If Citadel thought he could just run off without him, he’d soon learn otherwise.

Without another beat, Iska slipped into the shadows, moving quietly but quickly to catch up. The air was cool, each breath sharp and invigorating. As he approached his brother’s side, Iska shot him a sly look, a fang poking out as he did so.

"Didn’t think you’d shake me that easily, did you?" he muttered, barely above a whisper, but with an undeniable pride in his tone. Nevermind convincing, he was eager to see just what his brother got up to for once.


"Speech"

Citadel’s face and ears faced forward, but he strained all the same to listen to sound behind him. Was that the faint skitter of stones? Had his words been enough to ensnare his brother? He heard the whisper of fur, and finally gave in to temptation, glancing just a tiny bit to the side. Enough to catch the silver of his brother's coat as he came up beside him.

“I was wondering if you’d have the guts” he shot back, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes to tell his brother he was teasing. It wasn’t until they had descended the incline from the den into the Col that he paused for a moment. “... Do you want to sneak out and explore the redwoods, or go for a late night swim at the Cove?” Both could be creepy in the dark, and he definitely wanted to see what his brother could take.


"Citadel Fatalis"

Iskandor’s eyes narrowed playfully as he caught the side glance Citadel sent his way, noting the flicker of amusement in his brother’s gaze. He let out a quiet huff, rolling his shoulders as he settled into step alongside him. “Guts?” he murmured, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “More like I didn’t think you’d get anywhere exciting without me.”

The night seemed darker here, the trees towering above casting deep shadows over the path they took. Iska felt the thrill of the unknown prickling at his fur, a sense of adventure that only grew stronger as Citadel laid out their choices. He gave a low hum, considering each option with a glint of intrigue. He bumped into his brother as he thought, mostly to be a nuisance.

“Redwoods sound good,” he replied, his tone casual yet daring. “But if we’re going for exciting… the Col at night.” He gave his brother a sidelong look, letting the challenge hang between them. The Col’s waters would be dark and still under the moon’s light, eerie if the books were right—and he was curious to see how Citadel would handle its chill.

"Speech"

Citadel huffed in amusement at that. He’d had plenty of exciting adventures already. But there was some truth in his brother's words. He wanted to adventure with his siblings, with Iskandor. He didn’t always want to be doing everything alone.

His brother's choice sounded like a dare, and he bumped the other boy back, excitement already spurring him on again. “Last one there… has to swim out to Atlantis Island!” He called out, throwing the most daring thing he could think of out. With that, he put on a spur of speed, racing through the Col, to the fastest path to the Cove. he had to beat his brother, he had to. But if he didn’t, he would prove his bravery to the silvery wolf and take the daring swim out to the island in the dark. There weren’t sharks out that deep. Right. Right?


"Citadel Fatalis"

Iskandor’s laugh was a low, light sound as he watched Citadel dart ahead, the dare sparking a fire in his eyes. Atlantis Island, in the dead of night—Citadel knew how to raise the stakes, and Iska couldn’t resist the thrill of it despite himself. He surged forward, muscles bunching with each stride as he tried to match his brother’s speed, the chill air of the Col rushing past him with every gallop, every huff from his nares.

“Here's some advice!" he called, keeping close on Citadel’s heels. The dark path twisted before them, shadows playing tricks on his vision, but he relished the blood rushing hotly in his veins. The Cove would be waiting, a moonlit expanse of cold water, and he could already picture the way his brother would dive in if he lost.

"Swim fast when you lose, Citadel!” he teased, breath quickening with the exertion, willing his limbs to overtake his brother in the final stretch.

"Speech"