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Post by Kezz on Feb 24, 2013 19:53:38 GMT
Her frail heart beat wildly as she desperately flung her dainty muzzle from side to side, she could have sworn she heard Mother trot in this direction. Her honey-brown eyes bulged in terror; the idea of becoming lost and abandoned out here in the growing darkness was sending Ismere into a uncontrollable frenzy. This was the first time she had ever ventured from the Asylum alone in her entire, short, life. Five months, just five and already the girl had all the fears in the world. Abandonment was the worst. She hadn't meant to get lost all by herself, she'd been following her beloved mother but had lost the trail a while back ... now she was here, the creepiest location on Tempest territory. The golden juvenile couched low to the ground and whimpered meekly, the whites of her eyes flashed in the eerie midsummer dusk. Shadows as long as the night itself stretched from each gravestone and a crow cawed from away above. A high whisper, quiet as can be, "Why here? Of all places, why here"
How could she have been so foolish? To wander out in late evening, on a whim, on the vague hope that she would catch up with Zara? The decision itself to follow her mother had been painful, agonizing, time-consuming and by the time she realised she had lost the husky-cross' scent, Ismere was beyond the point of return. How had she hoped to navigate her way through this maze of Tempest smells and confusing land by herself, god only knew. Never in all her life had she wandered through her pack turf alone; terrified of becoming lost, ironically exactly as she was now. Her desperation to seek her mother's comfort and nurture had well and truly thrown her in the deep end now. The pup clung to the cracked earth, devoid of moisture and clenched her frightened eyes as tight as she possibly could. Maybe if she tried hard enough, Ismere could imagine being snuggled up between her siblings; safe and surrounded by her loving family. Yet no matter how desperately she fantasized there was no escaping the haunting wind that whistled through the graveyard, the smell of human bones and the chilling hoot of a tawny owl in the overhanging treetops. Ismere couldn't bear it any longer; finally allowing the tears to spill down her fair cheekbones, her entire body shivering with convulsive fear.
For all she knew the ghost of Florence would creep up behind her wracked frame and claw out her pathetic innards, all the horrible fears chasing about her shaken mind. Alone, always alone. What would Bear and Antigone say? Or Harper for that matter. They would mock her, laugh at her, call her childish names for being so weak and afraid but Ismere didn't mind. The young bitch craved their company like a drug addict needed heroin or cocaine, they were her friends, her family, her carers and she depended on them. They were strong and brave, of course they were, they would have to be to become heroic warriors of Tempest. The golden female dreaded the moment when her own pack destiny would be decided ... how could ever fight a feline in the light of battle? She was no hot-headed killer, no audacious freedom-fighter. All Issy wanted was a simple life with someone to stand by her flank and hold her paw through all the drama that might be thrown her way, someone to carry her worries for her, somebody who would be strong enough to make her decisions. One day, like her grandmother, Zara would no longer be around and when that day came all hell would break loose.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2013 21:35:24 GMT
"Speech"
The dainty feline took her time picking her way through the underbrush, tail twitching now and then to avoid the occasional fly that thought to land on her, the growing darkness acting as an invitation to the insects, a fact she didn’t like much. But she knew that once the full dark of night enveloped the land, well, the bugs would subside once more, and she would be left with the blissful near quiet of the night, her aquamarine eyes glittering faintly in the fading dusk light. It wasn’t like she couldn’t see in the dark, she could, just as well as during the day, but either way, she was looking forward to the sweet blissful coolness of the night. One that would allow her to better explore the territory without detection. She knew well enough that she was on Tempest land. Even an utter fool would know something such as that, and she used that knowledge well, taking care to scent the air around her every minute or so to ensure no canine would gain surprise on her.
The very thought had her muzzle wrinkling in disgust. There was not a chance that she would let some mangy mongrel catch her by surprise. That wasn’t to say she wouldn’t stir a little trouble, some good old dissension amongst the canine ranks, but that would be best done under the full cover of night and the slim moon, and she wasn’t quite at that time yet. So there she was, picking her way through the bushes and thorns, taking care not to snag her luscious coat on anything sharp for fear of unsettling the soft pelt. She prided herself on always looking pristine, her white coat gleaming and full, soft and silky in the best of ways, a way that could only be achieved through numerous groomings every day. But she had the free time, so why not? Rustling in the bushes not far ahead of her drew her attention swiftly, and she tensed slightly, ready for attack. But it turned out to be a simple prey animal, not even worth her time, and she scolded herself on her foolish nervousness. But that wasn’t what she referred to it as. Rather her hyper-awareness. She didn’t believe in being nervous, nor caring or affectionate. May the heavens help whenever she had kits, if she even had them. For she knew that unlike her parents, the only reason she’d take care of kits was for her own gain. Heaven forbid that she actually form emotional attachments to the little ones.
But her attention was once more diverted from her thoughts, and the mixed breed’s ears swiveled forward, and there was no doubt this time. It was a canine, their breathing just so loud in the near darkness. Honestly, how they managed to hunt and survive was beyond the feline’s comprehension, contempt and disgust filling her princess-like mask. She drew closer on quiet paws, her eyes narrowing until their glittering depths were shielded by her eyelids, her whiskers flickering against the underbrush that repeatedly sifted through the soft fur of her underbelly. Once she was close enough to see the stranger clearly, she stifled a huff of annoyance. It was a mere pup! No wonder the noise it was making was loud enough to alert anything within a many yard radius. She rolled her eyes and straightened out, smoothing her fur down before stepping from the concealing debris, head high, tail high. Appearances were everything. ”What’s a little runt like you doing here, little pup? Surely you have somewhere better to be off sniveling? Out here is too open and vulnerable for the likes of you. Why, anyone could find you and take advantage of your obvious weakness. Someone…like me perhaps?” Her eyes gleamed ruthlessly, her soft tones sweet and almost kind were it not for the glint of cruelty in her gaze. |
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Post by Hunter on Feb 25, 2013 18:51:21 GMT
Antigone had been lazing about when Zara had returned with the pups. Training to become a soldier was so. hard. And the bullies weren’t making it easier for her. Luckily there was only three months of training yet, then she would be 2 years old and thereby considered fully educated to be what she wished so badly. A Soldier of the Bloody Paw. It was worth waiting for, even with others always mocking her. Bear, her twin brother, was training too and even though he still disliked Gusto, they were a great pair. He was fun and adventurous, and would definitely be a good soldier as well. She was lucky to have him by her side. Not to mention her huge family. Koen, Zara’s mate, had joined the Tempest Pack not long ago and being in the buzz of such a big family was thrilling… though one still was missing. Her mother’s death still pained her, though she of course refused to talk about it. But she’d quit hiding it from her family. They all knew, how she felt about her mother’s death, and she also suspected that her siblings mourned though again, she wasn’t one to talk about it.
But her lazy butt had soon risen as her older sister had seen that one of her pups was missing. Ismere, the scared and timid one, had been lost when walking around on Tempest territory, and Antigone had been out the door before Zara could object.
Where’s that little hairball? she wondered as she stalked the territory, following Ismere’s scent. Ismere wasn’t like Harper, she wouldn’t go about on purpose. She wasn’t adventurous or anything, and she hated taking decisions. How could she have gone missing when always clinging to her mother? Antigone had often teased her niece for being a baby, making fun of her because she was so dependent on her mother and the rest of the family. Right now was a little different however. It was dark outside, so the chance of losers running around the territory had increased. Gosh, what effect wouldn’t it have if an idiot like Lee ran into Ismere? She’d get dumper than ever, and not be saved ever again. Antigone laughed inside herself at the thought. She should almost scare her niece. Just a little bit, for fun – and as a lesson to not run away again and scare the heck out of them all. She’d done that to Harper, but obviously without result. Harper was a tough little one, she was taking after Anti’s twin brother Bear. But the dual-coloured female knew the prank would have a different effect on Ismere. The puppy would probably never leave her mother again. Well, that was Zara’s problem, not hers. The young female here was certainly up for a bit of mischief.
But as the scent of feline caught her nostrils, the one year old Akita mix tensed up. Issy? This was no game anymore. Some Iris cat had trespassed onto Tempest territory… maybe Ismere was actually in danger. The realization made a cold hand clutch around her heart. A second ago she’d thought about making fun of her niece, whom might actually be in more severe danger than expected. Ismere couldn’t even fight a fly off, she was too young for that! And an Iris Prider would just be one hundred times worse! The black and white dog increased her speed, stalking in the tall grasses while not caring about her already messy coat. Luckily her hairs were short, so it was easy picking up speed without having to think about getting stuck somewhere stupid.
The sound of a voice didn’t make her stop. The scent of Ismere and the intruder was just growing stronger by every step, but she made sure to make as little sound as possible. And suddenly, there they were. The ivory cat stood there, right in front of Ismere. The white Iris feline almost glowed in the darkness, putting off a creepy ghost-like appearance with her silky soft fur falling perfectly over her nimble body. A silent sign of death, sneaking around like that, huh? A low growl then emerged from Antigone’s throat as she slowly stepped out her hiding place, the moon above being the only thing to light up their little stage. ”You stay away from my niece, cat. Or I’ll make sure you’ll be torn in pieces – that if I choose to let you go easily.” Antigone hadn’t tried a real fight with a feline before, but she was much bigger than this cat, so she was sure she could do it if the feline should be stupid enough to try. And if the white mistress of the night here wasn’t alone, she could easily set off an alarm to let the whole pack know an intruder had crossed the border. But oh how she’d like to see how some of the cat’s blood would match its smooth looks.
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Post by Kezz on Feb 25, 2013 21:41:07 GMT
Now she was really doubting whether or not her mother had truly passed this way earlier. What if it had all been a mistake? What if she was following the track of an older time, perhaps when Zara had gone hunting yesterday morning? Ismere froze with realisation and horror; her mother was not nearby, she was not even remotely close, and so the darkness alone accompanied the silk-haired girl. When one looked at the pup, they would see more of her father in her appearance; the golden-retriever in her blood. Had the female been bolder, braver, there might have been power in the way she walked once grown due to her Akita and Shepherd lineage. Instead Issy cowered and slunk about, causing most to assume she was smaller than normal. Her pose was always submissive, wary and anxious to please. It was her natural disposition, and to anger anybody in any rank made the girl's skin crawl with dread, fearing not their disapproving response but their departure. Only Zara understood and of course she was most likely tucking up nicely into bed by now, she probably hadn't even noticed Ismere's absence. Paranoia cursed the golden dog's thoughts Suddenly there was a sound, quiet but detectable and Ismere's breathing stopped entirely. For three seconds she hung in the chasm of paralytic despair; the end was nigh. She may as well give up now, there was no hope ... the ghosts of Tintagel Cemetery had risen. And yet as the sound drew nearer, and Ismere dared to raise her pretty head from between her paws, she saw not a phantom but a small white feline, doused in silvery shadows. Her chest constricted with the scent of Iris, one her pack had done well to introduce to the younger members in case they should so happen to stumble near enemy territory. Her brown eyes turned to ice and she stumbled back against the cool of a gravestone, a squeak sounding from her throat. So this is what an Iris warrior looks like? There was a coldness in those piercing blue eyes that Issy physically shrank from, her shoulders hunching further and her ears flattening. ”What’s a little runt like you doing here, little pup? Surely you have somewhere better to be off sniveling? Out here is too open and vulnerable for the likes of you. Why, anyone could find you and take advantage of your obvious weakness. Someone…like me perhaps?”
Despite everything, despite the fear and intimidation that Ismere felt, Ismere clung to possibility of hope. Yes the enemy had threatened and insulted her but still she was alive, her throat had not been cut and at least she was no longer alone. At least this white felidae had not been a ghoul. So Ismere gathered herself and crept a little closer, as if desperate for the closeness of another, seeking the cat's body warmth and comfort. The pup paused however, still cautious but just as she was about to speak the sound a familiar voice rang out into the silence. ”You stay away from my niece, cat. Or I’ll make sure you’ll be torn in pieces – that if I choose to let you go easily.” Her golden muzzle swung in the direction of her beloved Aunt, adoration and love shimmering in her sweet brown eyes as she bounded in two leaps to the black and white female's side. There she crouched behind her strong legs, peering round at the Iris queen. "You saved me, Anti. I love you, Anti."( ooc: sorry for the crap ending, guys! kind of rushed :c ) |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2013 22:47:25 GMT
"Speech"
Elvira wondered how foolish the canines of this area were. She’d heard stories, but stories were just that, stories. They weren’t necessarily true or false, didn’t mean that the teller had a perfect recollection of their interactions with the canines, and to be honest, who would, when most were stories of their brutal treatment at the paws of the sloppy, disgusting canines? Her lovely features twisted back in a faint expression of disgust, and boredom, finding nothing to put their stories to the test. She found herself swiftly tiring of her aimless pursuits and wondered if she would ever actually do something, or maybe find a little canine to mess with. After all, if you mess with the pups, you get the whole pack, was that not how it was? She didn’t care, either way she’d get to sink her claws into some canine flesh.
There wasn’t much time until her opinion on the level of boredom changed with her discovery of the lone pup, so young and of such a tender age, it was a wonder she was still alive. Oh, right, she was on Tempest lands. Either way, rumor had it there were some canines lurking as well, ready to take advantage of their feline-hating companions, so perhaps all was not as safe as it should be beyond Tempest borders. Upon sighting her, the young pup shrank back, her brown eyes wide with righteous fear. Vira’s lip curled lightly in amusement, her tail flicking from side to side as she sat back on her haunches, tucking her dainty paws primly about herself. What had she to fear? After all, the little thing was quaking against the gravestone behind her, so surely she wasn’t going to attack. Nevertheless, that didn’t mean the feline let her guard down, being on enemy territory meant that would be a swift death sentence, but she wasn’t worried about the threat of death from that little fluffball. What a waste of space. Can’t even speak for herself. Elvira thought in disgusted amusement, her icy gaze holding all the promise of a little of her kind of fun as it were.
And yet, even as she spoke to the quivering weakling, she saw that sliver of hope in her eyes, even as the pup gathered herself and crept a little closer, before pausing, appearing cautious. But Vira was busy trying to interpret just what had possessed the fluffball to think to approach her, the enemy. From the looks of it, she yearned for attention, comfort, even, and she expected that she would get it from her? The snowy feline was torn between amusement and confusion. The latter won out for the barest of moments before in a whisper of fur, another canine arrived, a low growl emerging from its throat as the canine stepped out of her hiding place. Elvira turned to face the new threat, accessing her slowly, almost lazily. ”You stay away from my niece, cat. Or I’ll make sure you’ll be torn in pieces – that if I choose to let you go easily.” The dog said, and she giggled, the sound eerie, retaining that cold quality. ”Oh, is that all?” She purred, tail tip pausing before continuing in it’s lazy flicking. ”And here I thought you’d threaten me.” Vira added, with a delicate roll of her shoulders. How nice for the little mutt that her relative had been nearby. Otherwise she would have been kitty chow, and now that would have been too fun to pass up.
But she knew her little game had gotten a wrench in its works, that being the black and white canine’s appearance, and she huffed inaudibly, refraining from rolling her eyes, barely. "You saved me, Anti. I love you, Anti." The runt said, catapulting herself towards her…Aunt, and crouching behind her, peeking out at the white queen. Elvira lifted one paw and rasped her tongue over the silky fur, her aquamarine eyes locked onto the larger canine’s. ”Isn’t that dear. Aunt to the rescue.” She purred, before rising to her paws and looking both of them over, a faint flicker of curiosity in her gaze. What would the Aunt do? Would she raise the alarm? Vira hoped not. After all, that wouldn’t do. She had bigger fish to catch, and she wouldn’t just let the two canines get in her way of her rise to power. |
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Post by Hunter on Feb 26, 2013 16:32:26 GMT
As soon as Ismere heard her aunt’s voice she hurried to her side, beaming as if she was already in safety now when she wasn’t alone. At least she was now away from the Iris feline. With Ismere hiding by her side, the Iris feline would no longer be able to leap at her and tear her to pieces. Antigone was in the way, and she was a much bigger target than her little niece who was nothing but a ball of fluff. ”You should be more careful,” she mumbled to the puppy. She stroke her muzzle over the blonde’s frame, but never once did her brown eyes leave the cat who now sat up on her haunches, washing her delicate paw as if nothing had occurred.
She even had the nerve to looked bored. As if Antigone’s appearance was nothing.
”I will with pleasure do greater harm to you if you come any closer,” she growled threatening at the cat. Had Issy not been there, she’d already have flown on the cat with all she could, but truth be told, she wasn’t much up for leaving Ismere. She didn’t want to fly at the cat just so the white female could dodge her and attack her vulnerable family member. They’d enough sorrow in the family and the dual-coloured female knew she never would be able to forgive herself if great harm should come to Ismere because of her own recklessness. She also knew Zara and Koen never would forgive her. And what of her father? Wasn’t it enough to loose his mate? Surely he wouldn’t want to use one of his granddaughters. No good would come out of this if Issy became a victim to a foul feline. ”You should back off kitten,” she said, now solely having her focus on the Iris Pride feline, trusting that Ismere wouldn’t leave her side. ”You have no business left here, so go ahead and get lost.” Antigone wasn’t known for her patience. She was hot headed and full of temper like her mother had been it. Perhaps she didn’t want to attack the cat openly because of Ismere, but she surely would act if the cat jumped upon them. Hopefully a fight wouldn’t be long. It would most likely cause someone nearby to hear the spectacle, and then it would definitely be the cat who should run. One thing was for sure. Antigone wanted to rip the cat apart, but this was a fine to defend, not attack.
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Post by Kezz on Mar 7, 2013 18:57:16 GMT
"Speech"She heard the mocking tones of the feline from further ahead, and curled her silken tail between her legs. Zara had been right ... cats seemed to be cold, cruel creatures that were not to be trusted and yet Issy could not help but envy the pale queen's confidence. It was something she would never behold, never experience and often, when she lay awake at night, the pup would toss and turn with sadness and envy at others. Why can't I be normal? She felt totally alone despite being surrounded by her pack and family, it hurt to know that they didn't truly understand. Not even her mother really knew why Ismere behaved in such a quiet, clingy manner; she wasn't aware of her disorder but she could, I suppose, guess. It didn't take a genius for anyone to work out that the golden female was not in her right-mind, not all there upstairs and Ismere had often been taunted by some of the other pups for her behaviour. For a while she had felt saddened by what the kids called her, but after a bit it became second nature to feel this worthless and so Issy grew to accept their wicked words. As Antigone nuzzled her fluffy ears, Ismere sighed a little, replying quietly. "I am sorry Antigone" She hadn't meant to cause so much trouble, all she had wanted was to seek out her mother but she had been wrong and now Issy felt like a foolish annoyance. She had dragged her poor aunt out here in the middle of the night, and now had to face an intruder. The five month old pup began to shiver a little despite the summer warmth that still dripped from the night air, her wide brown eyes shimmering with further disappointment in herself. A low whine came from her throat, waiting until Antigone had finished talking to the cat before nudging at her shoulder. "Can we go home soon, please?" Ismere longed for the comforting fur of her mother and the feeling of being snuggled in between her siblings, and as the minutes ticked by the feeling of weary tiredness began to seep into her bones. ooc: holy smoke this took a while and sorry it's so short but i wanted to give you guys something <3 |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2013 16:36:17 GMT
"Speech."
Picking her way through what seemed to be an old abandoned cemetery, a young-minded clouded leopard looked around, finding herself lost. She didn’t exactly know how she ended up in the cemetery, but now here she was hoping her father wasn’t on her trail yet. She’d only left the camp a few days ago, when the other felines hadn’t been paying attention to her. Now, she was stuck in this scary place with no food or water and to make matters worse, it was cold. Her fur which usually kept her warm, had become damp after wading through a deep puddle.
Shivering, Saphira continued moving along the old tombstones, looking at a few that she passed by and praying that something wasn’t following her. Pausing, Saphira tried to shake off any more water from her coat, and sat down to scan the area. Looking back, she cursed at the muddy pawprints she was leaving behind, but there was nothing she could do. Raised voices in the distance, caught the young cat’s attention and she padded closer to see what was going on.
A small voice in her mind urged the young hunter to keep to the shadows as she continued to move closer to the scene unfolding infront of her. She could make out the figure of a dog growling at something a few metres away. She also spotted a small dog hiding behind the older one’s leg, probably her mother, thought the young cub. Saphira sighed quietly to herself, wondering what it was like to have a mother that looked out for you, taught you what you needed to know. An idea occured, maybe the dog could help her find her mummy. Feeling a bit better, Saphira put on a bit more speed, hoping to catch up to the group before they left.
She stopped abruptly and dashed behind the tombstone closest to her, when she spotted what the older dog was talking to. It was a cat, like her only a bit smaller and white like a ghost, or snow making Saphira rethink her plan.
The small voic e in her head suggested she make a run for it, but Saphira was still curious about the big dog and wanted to see if it would find her mummy. Besides, reasoned the childish part of Saphira’s mind, maybe the cat did something that hurt the big doggie’s feelings. Taking a deep breath, Saphira stepped out into the moonlight and padded the last few metres, stopping so she was off to the right, but in the middle of the group. She probably would have been a point of a triangle, if she knew anything about math.
In a quiet voice, she said, ”Hello, ma’am. My name Saphira. What yours?”
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