There were no leaves here, no trees filled with crisp orange-yellow leaves that was the colour of a crackling flame. No sound of laughter or boisterous yells. Just the sound of the water churning gently whenever the wind touched it and rustled it with invisible fingers. The stone walls were high, towering higher and higher into the skies. In the middle was a massive, oblong mountain with peaks and edges that were as sharp as the wits of a polished mind honed by years of practice. Whether that practice was born out of wilful eagerness or circumstance. The young apprentice padding on the edge of the river ringing the mountain unfortunately had no discernible wit of the language kind. Or, it may just be developing. He was not a master with words, though he often played with them in his mind. Perhaps it was because he spoke very little. Or as little as he needed to. Words were fickle things. Words could be dangerous, slippery and deceitful. They could also be playthings, used for laughter and humour, for entertainment. Or they could be empty and commanding. Renier would have liked to think he had wit. Could spin and play with words to wield and use as weapons like his own fangs and claws at the blink of an eye when he was being played with. But Renier’s weapon was himself. And that was all he needed. He tried to practice what his parents had taught him. Honour, bravery, respect towards even those of the rival pack. Honour for himself, to do what was right by him. Bravery, not only to stand firm in his own beliefs and decisions but to face those who would mock and taunt him for them. Bravery, to stand against overwhelming odds and to still be standing even after defeat. And the courage and patience to face things that could destroy him or to understand things that were difficult. And in those dark times, the courage to stand alone for there would be many, many times when he would be alone just as many times when he would not be. Not through any fault of anyone else but because by nature, that was how life was. He would have to walk his own path as anyone else did and whatever happened at the end would be of his own making. His own choices. His own decisions.

And he would have to stay strong because as long as he believed in what he was, there was nothing that anyone could take away from him. Nothing at all. But something in his mind told him that was going to be harder than he thought. What was life but a game of chance? Things could disappear in a heart-beat. Things could change. Renier sensed that there were things that were already changing whatever they may be. His older brother had seemed restless while he had no clue what his second oldest brother was doing. He wondered if his father would take them training. He had been getting them to be tougher since they could move and walk but he had never seriously fought them. But then again, Renier was going to be a hunter. He really had no interest in fighting as much as his brothers did though he respected them all the same because they taught him things that he wouldn’t have been able to learn otherwise and it could save his life one day. But a part of him wanted to train with his father. Renier raised his head to look up at the enormous slate grey monument in front of him, sky blue eyes peering at the stone as he soaked in the sun. His handsome pelt, a panorama of light and dark browns inter-twined with black streaks, shades and a white underside, came to life as he walked out of the shadows. His tail trailed behind him quietly. Silence. The Apprentice enjoyed silence the most. He had stayed until the morning at the hunt, flushing rabbits out and seeing if he could guess pathways and connections from burrow to burrow. He had placed the rabbits on the growing pile, not before taking one for his mother. He thought his father would hunt for something else after finding Willow. A deer maybe. Rabbits didn’t seem as if they would fill him. Renier had curled up in the corner of the den but not before checking the dens for Willow’s presence. He wondered why or how. But out here, there was only beauty and serenity. Granted, he was surrounded by large walls that rose so high they cast massive shadows over the pup and a giant mountain that seemed as if it’d just been plucked somewhere and put it down in the middle. That generally wasn’t a comforting sight but he took it in stride. It was early morning so the sunlight pierced the area, shining on the surface of the river to make it glisten and sparkle with white orbs. It was a humbling place. Renier stood at the river and bent his head down in front of the mountainous rock, lapping up water. Somehow, in this place, he felt more relaxed than ever. Whole and complete. And as if something here touched his very soul.

The coolish temperature burrowed into all living things' fur, looking to chill them, but not yet possessing the strength of winter's cold. The fae's steps remained silent and light-pawed, so as to not alert her prey. Thankful for the lack of foliage and overly noisy leaves, Ariste ducked her head, sniffing the air thoroughly as she tracked down and locked on to the familiar scent. Shoulders hunching, every muscle in her body rippled as her golden eyes scanned the grounds. She had been tracking her next meal from the Hunting Moore, slowly in pursuit. She had been playing with it, allowing it a ways away so it would believe she was gone, before jumping at it from a bush, watching as is screamed and tried to scramble away. But until this time the scares hadn't been meant to kill it, all in good fun. Now, with a predatory gleam in her eye, the frightened, plump rabbit wouldn't escape its fate, as it must've thought it had. Ariste sat still, in the shadows as she caught sight of the small rodent, hobbling down toward the stream, adorably oblivious to the she-wolf stalking it. Eyes glaring a hole in the back of the rabbit's head, she made her move, quickly advancing on it, legs propelling Ariste forward. The doomed hare crawled down to the water, warily glancing both ways before lowering its head to the liquid, water rippling away from it as its nose as it touched the surface. Such a shame it couldn't look directly behind it.

'Here, little bunny.' With all the swiftness of a cat, the obsidian demoness charged at the helpless creature, jaws clamping around its spine. Throwing it up in the air, her maw widened as she caught the ragdoll-like animal by the throat, clamping down on it and silencing the short shriek that it had begun to sound. With another pull, it fell completely limp, dead in mere seconds. Dropping the catch half-in the water, ribbons of blood leaked from the puncture marks in its neck. Paws walked into the water, she lowered her belfry to toss the rabbit onto drier lands, gentle ripples transforming into large waves, lapsing over one another. Stepping back, she pressed her nose to the glass-like, cold water. Her tongue flicked out, lapping up mouthfuls of the crisp, satisfying substance, glad the summer heat was past already. Raising her head, she licked off any remaining blood from her muzzle, picking up her meal and walking away from the water. Its eyes remained open, staring accusingly at her, but she payed no heed, unaffected by the slaughter of the creature. It was hardly a meal, anyways. As the scent of fresh blood became less overpowering, Ariste caught the scent of another Erenyx wolf, a male, to be exact. Turning her head, she spotted an apprentice-sized figure at the stream, head lowered in order to take a drink from the shimmering river. Lobe twitching, Ariste hesitated before turning and striding towards the pup. Sitting a ways away from him, she set the hare between her forelegs protectively, making it perfectly clear he was not to even think of touching the meat. "Hello, pup." She rumbled, calmly looking at him, auditories pressed forward on her skull. "I'm Delta Ariste. What should I adress you as?" She questioned, shifting so her tail rested against her thigh, and her shoulders pulled back, sitting straighter so she didn't slouch. Patiently awaiting a response, the female, nodded in greeting to the younger male.

The pup continued to drink, his mind adrift in his own thoughts. His stance was neutral, muscles relaxed as his tail hung behind his flank. While he pondered and mused, his ears caught the sound of something scurrying among the ground. Little rabbit feet. Just a rabbit. He had heard the sounds of their feet so many times he could recognize the noises without much difficulty. It seemed as if it was further downstream somewhere and if he lifted his head, he would see it. He paid it no mind though until he smelt another scent with a twitch of his ear. One whose scent he did not recognize but was of the same pack. When he heard something over the sound of the lapping of the water, the sound of teeth crunching through bone and a shriek, pierce the air only to be cut short, Renier lifted his head. Normally, he wouldn’t have looked but there was something different about the sound of the bones being crushed. He did not know but it sounded like a spine was being broken. It was hard to hear the difference at first because it was such a tiny difference. But it was there. The spine was thinner, smaller and lighter than the rest of the rabbit’s body. When it was being broken, it sounded like a twig being snapped. The cracking noise was less harsh than if it was a leg bone or its skull. Renier was wary of one who would attack a rabbit’s spine first, instead of its neck. He trusted his fellow pack-mates to an extent but he was so naïve to think that they could not hurt him. He was a mere pup with little means to protect himself if anyone older than him wanted to hurt him in a straight-out brawl. He would fight his hardest though. However, there was no reason for anyone to hurt him unless he was being pulled into some quarrel that his brothers had gotten into. Or someone needed to vent some anger. But he didn’t think that was the case. Nevertheless, he kept his claws unsheathed though his form remained neutral. He was more than willing to meet with others in his pack and indeed, it would be pleasant to have another’s company to share this scenery with.

As he heard the sound of the rabbit dying and turned his head towards the direction of the sound to see the other wolf who had killed it. It was one he hadn’t seen before. A female who was an adult, naturally bigger than him. As he watched, she dropped the rabbit half into the water and then tossed it onto drier lands, the ripples causing wave after wave to roll over one another until each wave merged. He watched as she licked up some water and licked her muzzle, presumably to remove any blood that may have stayed. She picked up the rabbit and walked away from the water. Renier made no sound. He may as well have not been there. It was one of his best traits. The ability to stay absolutely, unfalteringly silent. He started to turn his head back to the water, seeing that she was far away from him until he heard her striding towards him. He did not show any reaction though he was curious to know who she was. He noticed that when she sat down, she did so while holding the hare between her forepaws. Clearly, it was hers and he would not try to take it away from her. He was no fool to challenge an adult for something that he could get later without the danger of getting injured. From her stance, he guessed that she held one of the higher ranks though he could not know which one exactly. Turning over the options in his mind, he ran through the possibilities. She couldn’t be the Guardian or the Beta. He had heard his mother speaking about the Guardian Female and how her general personality was and this didn’t seem like her. As for the Beta, this also didn’t seem like her. His father had spoken about her and she had blue eyes, not the ones that this wolf had. The Elite perhaps? Or the Delta? He did not know. Then she revealed herself to be the Delta Female. He responded to her greeting with a nod of his head and a simple one-word answer that was curt and cordial,“Hello.” He dipped his head towards her towards the ground in acknowledgement and respect to her rank,“I’m just an Apprentice, m’am. I’m no one important. I promise I won’t touch your rabbit.” He turned his head back to the water, tongue lapping up at the water again. He was at ease, quite content with the Delta Female’s presence. This place was vast and enormous. It held more than enough room for two. He paused, tail swishing the air and murmured thinking he should give her a name out of courtesy and it would do no harm,“You can call me Renier.”

The fae would watch as the boy observed her, seeming to size her up and presume what title she held from the way she carried herself. As he spoke of how he was insignificant and would not dare to attempt to steal her prize, it was her turn to watch him, taking note of his behavior. He seemed surprisingly at ease with her sitting so near to him, being surprisingly relaxed in a pack like Erenyx. It was only time before words would come one pack member had killed another, at this rate. She was shocked it hadn't yet, and it was not especially wise to hand out trust to simply anyone. However, Ariste had no interest in harming this child, who was likely closer to adult-hood than puppy-hood. An ear lazily flinched as the distant call of a bird of prey sounded from afar, anguished and disturbed at losing track of its precious victim and meal. The onyx she-demon's head craned slightly, glancing toward the general direction the screech came from, before skillful eyes grazed over the land. She knew well this was where the male's spar had taken place, where the male portion of Erenyx had collectively slaughtered a bear. Its carcass should be long gone, perhaps yet another pelt for the great Teren's cave, perhaps an abundance of food for scavengers who are too pathetic to catch their own meals.

Her audits lifted up on her skull, keeping track of any nearing danger or threat, the fierce creatures of hell sure seemed to love Erenyx. She didn't blame them. Attention turning back onto Renier, she observed him again, trying to match his parents name with his, with no such luck. Shifting, she settled into a more comfortable position, unbunching her shoulderblades and spine. "Tell me, Renier, to what pair in Erenyx do you belong?" She questioned, knowing there were surprisingly few mates in Erenyx, and even fewer who had children. She knew only of Warrior Katyusha's pup, though she had never met her. Giving him enough time to answer her question, she continued on, trying to guess what path he intended on taking. "What rank are you training to reach? I should guess you want to be a Hunter, perhaps a Warrior of Erenyx." She rumbled, silver-gold optics rested on the boy, her expression and posture remaining neutral, breathing easily. Her colorless pelt was combed back with a slight breeze, tickling her flesh.

He could feel her eyes roving over him. Was she trying to guess who he belonged to? That had been the general thing that others would ask. Renier paused once more, mulling her words over in his mind. Of course she would ask him who his parents were. There was even a chance his parents knew who she was. But could she use that against him somehow? She had no reason to. His father had never mentioned her. Or his mother. And he had never seen her approach his parents or his siblings. There was an unlikely chance that she had any ill intentions. He replied curtly,“I am the son of Elite Tye and Lead Healer Cliché.” His gaze did not drift from the water’s surface for he found it incredibly interesting. The Apprentice found the colours and images fascinating. The way he could see the shades of blue in them, woven into one another. Renier saw her glancing in a general direction in her reflection. He followed her gaze, a hint of curiosity seeping into his sky blue eyes. What was she looking at? Renier looked harder, trying to see. Was there a snake or something hiding behind the rock? A sea snake that had slithered out from the water? Those weren’t poisonous…right? He could also imagine all kinds of creatures lurking beneath the surface. Ones he had never seen before. Crocodiles? He had never seen a crocodile before. To be sure, he had to be cautious not to make it angry. He was not interested in dying. Why die when he had an entire world to explore? He was interested in living. If he had to fight, then he would fight. And he would find a way to win even if he was the smallest. He wasn’t going to let the world crush him. But to live, he had to be exposed to the dangers of the world and how to avoid them or defend himself against them if need be. He cast a side glance to the Delta. Had she come here for the scenery like him? He did not know. And he was usually not one to assume things about others that he did not know.

It would have been rude of him. But he did wonder what she had been here for. It seemed like she had been here for hunting as the rabbit proved. But she wasn’t trying to eat it yet. So maybe she had been here just to explore or had just been passing by. Renier pondered her question, blinking at his reflection. He had been asked by his parents. Many times. He had entertained the notion of being a warrior. How could he not when his father was the Elite? It was an unescapable thought that was always lingering at the back of his mind. But he had not enjoyed fighting. He had been drawn more to hunting. It made the adrenaline rush through his veins. Made him feel alive and strong as he was constantly moving. And it kept his body in good condition without wearing it out. And he enjoyed the mental aspect of it. The strategies and tactics one had to employ to take down the prey. He enjoyed the chase. The thrill of it. It was an exciting feeling. He said,“I’m training to be a hunter m’am. It’s fun. I don’t enjoy the violence that comes with the fighting. What does a Delta do, if I may ask?” As he finished speaking, he wondered if she thought he would ask why he wasn’t going to try becoming a warrior and if she actually did know any of her parents. It was something he had turned over in his mind many times. But did he have to do something just because that was what the rest of his family were doing? Out of loyalty and obedience perhaps if his father had demanded it but his father had never done that. He had given him options, a chance to choose. But then again, that could’ve been because his brothers were already going to be warriors so Renier got lucky. Did he have an interest in fighting? It was a question that didn’t have a simple answer. Yes was what she probably expected but that wasn’t what he was going to say. If she asked, he would explain why.

occ: No problem

Ariste would search her mind as the two names were said, rapidly attempting to match a name to a face. 'The lead Healer and the Elite.' A few moments later, she was able to recall the two, and once again her eyes glanced acutely at the Apprentice. She had met the Elite when he was the Lead Warrior, sparred with him. And she had caught sight of the Healer Cliché as she was given her new title of Lead. Now, it was quite obvious to see the young male took after his mother most, bearing his dam's coat colour but inheriting only is father's blue eyes, though less of a sharp, harsh color, instead a light, vague, perhaps tinged with silver. They were as the sky, the white spot of light reflecting from the sun a single cloud. With this mystery solved, she rolled her shoulders forward, stretching them until the gave a silent pop, relieving the tension that lay in rest there. A curious look slithered into his gaze as he said his disliked violence, peering out through the slivers of silver in her eyes as if they were windows. "That is not something a wolf commonly says in this pack, child." She said, but did not further press on it, as Hunters were important in the pack as well. When he continued on to inquired about her title, she paused, truly considering his question.

"A Delta is a wolf that is in training for another rank, one that the Alpha sees fit to be raised higher than simply a Warrior. But they are also to defend the pack, especially the Borders for intruders and ill-intentioned Loners, and accept only wolves that would be fit for this pack. We, like most other ranks, exist in these rankings to protect and defend the Pack, and to follow and enforce the orders of the Leader. We are also here to help others in their training, to improve on their skills to further strengthen the pack." Was her reply to him, the words rolling off her tongue calmly. Muscles stretched and contracted, so they didn't tighten themselves up to the point of cramping. "Does that sate your curiosity, Renier?" She inquired, a small chuff escaping her. Tail would flicker, fur quivering in the small breeze the cool, autumn wind created. Eyes would coolly turn to gaze at themselves in the nature's mirror, staring in to the black, emotionless pupils, the never-ending door to the soul.

She did not say pry about his response. She did not ask. And she did not inquire any further to his parentage when he told her who his parents were though he could still feel her eyes scrutinizing him. He did not mind. It was true. His thoughts were not common and he was okay with that. But her comment had sent the pup’s mind drifting in thought. He waited until she finished explaining what a Delta did to say what he thought. Defend and protect the pack against intruders and follow orders. It sounded normal. He knew the ranks from what his parents had told him. The rank Delta was high. It was a rank worthy of admiration as it was not an easy rank to obtain no doubt. Renier’s ears perked as he heard that she helped others in their training and improve their skills as well. Surely that involved hunting as well? In regards to fighting, one thing was that it lost its allure after he had seen what it could do. After he had grown up around it. He’d seen blood spurting from headless bodies of rabbits. Felt his own brother’s fangs tear through his flesh and fought so hard. Fought with all his heart. And he had seen the rage that fuelled it. The vicious satisfaction when they won. Tolerated his brothers’ jibes at his not following his brothers’ interests. Perhaps he wasn’t a violent wolf but that did not make him weak. He thought that it took far greater strength to stand against a tidal wave of overwhelming majority than to ride with it.

But to him a hunter was no less worthy than a warrior. Hunters were strong and fast and hunted down food for the pack. He could fight if he needed to but it was not his first reaction and he did not seek out fighting for the sake of it. It was necessary to survive yes but there were things that one had to do to survive, even if it wasn’t to his liking. He was glad that she respected that enough to not use that as an excuse to torture or torment him. Does that sate your curiosity? Yes. He nodded. Yes it did but it had set his mind another path of thought. Renier looked at her with thoughtful blue eyes, his expression solemn.“We’re a pack of fighters aren’t we? But there’s more to life than fighting. There has to be. I think that the only thing that has ever come from fighting is more fighting. What use is fighting without a cause? A real cause. Like to protect your family or your friends. Not for yourself. Not for your own ego but just to protect the wolves you care about and nothing else. You have to know what you’re fighting for because then you’re fighting over nothing. The only thing you would be doing is causing damage to other wolves that aren’t hurting you just because you were told to. What if they haven’t done anything wrong to you? They’re just wolves like us. It doesn’t do anything except lead to more harm. It’s kind of short-sighted and arrogant.” He was speaking sincerely, expressing his thoughts. He knew the Delta no doubt, probably knew more than him about these things. But it was what he thought. He wondered what the Delta would say. She didn’t have to agree with him. He did not really expect her to. But he stood by what he said. And if he had to die by what he said then so be it. If he could not even believe and was secure in his own convictions, then he was as good as worthless.

The Erenyx female would continue to patiently await the reply that the Apprentice formed,taking deep, relaxed breaths. Her body remained rigid, yet unanxious, while her mind squabbled with itself, in a turmoil. Thoughts of no particular pattern flooded her mind, fleeting ideas that came and went, plans and plots that were dismissed and set free as new ones took their turn to be reviewed. Her thoughts never stopped, constantly sorting themselves, only the ones deemed important enough reaching the forefront of her mind to be personally looked over before either being filed away for later, or thrown into the waste pile. Her ear twitched as she raised her head again, easing herself out of her trance-like state, fully focusing on the young male, shifting her paws and rolling her shoulders so they didn't remain too tense. Her silver golden eyes turned to him, showing her attentiveness as her tongue snaked out of her maw, wetting her nose as it dried out from the cold. His words were surprisingly thoughtful - she could tell he thought things through, and did not simply throw himself into things like most did in this pack, even something she herself admitted to be guilty of several times. However, his words to any other pack member surely would have gotten his tongue torn from his throat. She gave a raspy chuckle, mouth opening wide in a yawn, fangs involuntarily exposed for a few moments.

"Indeed, we are a pack of fighters. Fighting is an important and necessary skill - we will use it some time. But also the so called rejected, those that Helidos would refuse to take in because of us being ourselves, naturally destructive, and in no way against destroying. However there are more peaceful wolves in the pack, who do not simply kill for the fun of it, yet they too choose this side. Some were born and raised to fight and to kill, others were born into hurt and pain, some both. Some are indeed insane, or close to it, but others are not. We are not perfect, and we wouldn't have it any other way. We're faulted with pride, whether it's battle scars or a born nature, and we refuse to become apart of those that would shun and kick us out. This is a violent pack, and often violent for no reason, yes, but we made a choice. One pack or the other, nothing is forcing any wolf to either side, they make that choice to themself and themself alone. They know the risks, and they pledge themselves to this pack regardless. I've nothing to do with Helidos - I know nothing of them aside from their personality. But I do know some of their wolves or simply souls as dark as ours, hidden under a facade. We are all wolves with a choice to make. We, as Erenyx, are expected to be strong, to overcome our weaknesses, to push ourselves to our limit and farther, to have a true challenge. If I were simply lying around, I'm sure I would go insane." Standing up, she stretched her stiff muscles, giving him a short, rare smile before schooling her face into a mask of false anger, pushing her ears to the front of her cranium and raising her banner over her petite yet strong frame. "Now, you best hold your controversial words 'round others, lest your tongue be torn from your mouth. Get back to your training, boy, I can see you have much to work on." Turning to leave, she gave him a quick wink before dipping her head to retrieve her prize, sauntering away from the male.