The morning air held a chill well into the summer, nothing like the chill of Frozen Fang Pass, but a welcome reprieve from the blistering hot days that were now common place. The former warrior now 'promoted' to Lead hunter enjoyed this break from the stifling weather. As summer approached, his training with the Elite Katyusha which he had heard was recently demoted was now finished, he spent most of his days among the tall mountains of Frozen Fang Pass, often times he would have to lead some hunting patrols among the other territories, as was his job. For now however he was taking a break, no doubt another long day ahead of him.

He did not really enjoy his new job at first, even with the new authority he had over some others. He would have much preferred to be the Lead Warrior, beggars can't be choosers however. Hunting most animals was just like being a warrior, both helped him exercise the art of killing, and there was much more opportunity to kill prey than wolves around the pack lands without running into trouble.

The Lead Hunter was obscured by fog the further he ventured into this new gloomy place he explored. No matter how many bones he stepped over, or how many empty pits of bison skulls he looked into he was not fazed. After all, strewn around him was simply the bones of things once living, none that mattered to him, the bones of those that mattered to him were far from here. Simply with the thought of that time he could swear he heard the terrified scream of the faes of his old pack, their pups slain in front of them. The body of a pup was so vulnerable... a grown wolf only required a few seconds to end one, leaving the remains strewn across the surrounding area.

The crackle of paws stepping over already shattered bones of fallen animals filled the air, only adding to the unsettling ambiance the Bison Graveyard presented. Ariste stepped carefully, not fearfully, as she navigated her way through the supposedly dangerous territory. And honest with herself, she did not wish to meet what had left so many bones. The newly-declared Delta pushed forward, doing her best to keep each calming inhale, and deep exhale as normal as possible. Her brilliant ore colored eyes raised, gaze turning upwards to view the sky. It was early, the sun slowly peeking from its hiding spot behind the trees and mountains, coming to greet the earth with warm, caressing summer rays. But it seemed those warm rays never reached the wolves of hell - receiving only a scorching hot heat, how fitting. The fae walked forward slowly, taking in every inch of her surroundings, a small spike of unknown emotion spiking inside her. Not fear, not anger, not sadness. Just nothingness, so empty it felt as powerful as the pull of despair. Her paws simply stopped automatically, and her head swivelled around to look at her surroundings, ears flicking and listening for sounds near or far.

"Bones... all bones. Life that had been cruelly taken without a second thought. The only remains of the weak left to rot, those that had failed piteously to survive against a stronger foe, more accomplished at surviving life." She spoke to herself, voice low so as not to disturb the peace and eerie quiet. "Adrienna, I wonder if this is where you lie, a pit of filth in which to get rid of the unwanted." She said aloud, no emotion seeping into her voice, but her skin feeling slightly colder. 'Do not worry so, dear sister, for it makes you look weak and powerless.' The all too familiar voice rang between her ears, echoing in her head for only her to hear. Straightening, she huffed in a somewhat pained breath, tail curling up to rest above her back, ears perking forward in confidence. 'Good girl.' She heard hissed, before her head was once again filled with dull and boring silence. Pulling herself together, she sped up, loping over the ground in swift bounds, though far more choppy than they would have been was she fully rested. As she continued at a leisurely run, fog drifting by in her peripheral vision, dissipating as she ran through it, she scented another wolf, a brute she did not recognize. Stopping, her ears instantly moved forward, flicking in all directions, trying to pick up pawsteps. No fear was instilled in her, only curiosity of one she did not know, and need to escape nothingness for even a moment. Perhaps mess with him for some time. She stood tall, deathly still for a moment, no sound other than her breathing. Suddenly turning, she disappeared towards her right, enveloped by fog, pathway closing behind her.

Legs carrying her towards the male she had yet to meet, the obsidian colored fae focused her tracking skills on finding the male, ignoring the jolts pain the deep, inquiring breaths she took caused. Filing the particular scent into her mind for later reference, the Mistress ventured forward, into the hazy mist that tried its best to obstruct one's view. Gold pools straining to see through the wisp, she focused on her tracking abilities, stepping over the skeletons of the deceased, making as little noise as possible. Paws splaying out with every step, she moved forward semi-blindly for a few minutes, as the trail of the Erenyx hunter became stronger and stronger. She knew he was near. After a few moments of seeking and searching, she could detect a mixed pelt of darker colors walking across the earth, away from her. The markings of his pelt stirred something in her memory, though it took her a minute to remember, it finally clicked. "You there, brute." She barked out to him, voice demanding recognition. Moving towards him further, she closed in on the space between them. "Warrior Pain, correct?" She questioned him, voice quieting so as not to awaken the demons of this pit, void of emotion to blend in with the demons themselves. Perhaps not any longer, perhaps he'd earned a new rank at his own challenge. Straightening herself to stand taller instead of slouching, she keep each breath even, eyes not betraying her injuries, the only sign being the fresh scar alongside the old one, and the missing patch of fur on her chest. Argute and stiff, the inky fae awaited his response.

He could hear the fae long before he could see or smell her, the fog along with the stillness of the air the cause of this. In his brooding however he was not troubled by the nearby stirring of bones, the faint rattling seemed more like background noise to him. He was not expecting a fight as they approached, although he wouldn't turn it down. His training had been complete, he was now as formidable as ever, even at rest dense muscle could be seen beneath his black and white pelt, and with every movement it rippled, almost like a still pond disturbed by a pebble falling into it as he moved from his stillness to face the fae as she approached, piercing amber eyes already locked onto her as she came into view.

He recognized the fae almost immediately, even though their first encounter was long ago in the dead of winter in the open expanses of The Hunting Moor. He had been quite hostile then, perhaps because she didn't seem worthy to him, or he was simply annoyed at her intruding his solitude. He did not seem to care as much this time however, meeting her words, distinctly void of emotion with his own low tone. "That would be Lead Hunter Pain to you, a title bestowed upon me just recently, although not one I am completely content with." his sentence ended somewhat more pointedly than it started, reflecting his disappointment in it all, not very much emotion other than that seeping through however.

At heart Pain was truly a warrior, a fighter, hunting was not something he enjoyed even if he could do it well. He truly strived to become a better fighter, so he found it very odd when Teren gave him the rank of Lead Hunter.

The vix stared boredly at the male, eyes narrowing the slightest bit as she heard him say "Lead Hunter", gaze adding a belittling glint to it. He'd gone from a Warrior to a Hunter? How devastating. Observing his frame and form, she knew he would had been training since he was moved to become Lead Hunter, he was larger than he was when they had first met. He did not appear to have the physique of a Hunter for the pack of Erenyx, but perhaps he was best suited for it as the Alpha had apparently decided, and she trusted his judgement... for the most part. Still, the male didn't overly impress her, especially in the length of time since she had last saw him. Perhaps sometime he would demonstrate his hunting skills to her, that had earned him the rank of Lead. Tail relaxing, the tassle lowered to rest between her hinds, still slightly curled. She felt no need to threaten or be dominant of him... yet. At the disappointment in his voice, the corners of her maw curling up toward her ears in a heartless and meaningless smile. "I too have claimed a new rank, that of Delta Female of Erenyx." She said, salmon colored tongue rolling out of her jaws and licking the teeth marks dragging down the side of her face.

Tensing her body, muscles tightening, she lowered her rump to the ground. "Perhaps had to trained further and better before the males' rank challenges, you would have earned the rank you so desired. You have no one to blame for your failure and disappointment but yourself." She said, not an sliver of sympathy for him in her heart. As cruel as some may view it, her words held truth, and truth was most never kind to you. After a moment, whether the multi-colored he-beast had replied or not, another question rolled of her tongue, voice with a smooth fluency, but charming rasp as well. "Had you chosen to train with anyone, or were you self-trained?" She questioned, velvety lobes pushing forward on her skull as her eyes strayed to her surroundings, breathing as deeply as she could. Black tail curling, she folded it neatly over her jet paws, claws sinking into the earth. Using her ears, she listened to make sure the 'owner' of Graveyard didn't decide they would be a more tasty meal than a Bison. Otherwise she focused her attention on the brujo, tail tip tapping gently on her paws.

Death. A process to which some, if not all where afraid to face. Not wanting to leave behind loved ones, and filled with fear that their entire journey into an elder was wasted, that no one would remember once they left. Braelyn was different. The fae didn't fret over such things, rather instead welcoming the idea her mind and figure would go limp, whether its protecting someone dear to her or curled up in a peaceful sleep as an elder. She wouldn't worry.

It was an inevitable process, one that every mammal and living thing on the land called Earth get closer too as each day passes by. From the great ancestors of the past to the future generations, each had their own purpose and tale to tell before the beating of their hearts stopped. The life and souls once concealed in a chamber of a crimson liquid and vital arteries becoming hollow and still as their journey ends.

A sea of bones, concealing the land below it with even more lost spirits resting in the soil, no escape but to rot into decay for the devils of the ground to come out and play. Feasting in their next meal until crushed, broken bones are the only thing left. Softly trekking over the rough corpses, as to not cut her pads on one of the hard edges, Braelyn leisurely made her travel, taking the pain that came with each step on her injured leg. There was an option to go to a healer, but with it only being bruised and non-threatening, Braelyn found no reason to go when it would heal on its own.

With the spar's concluding, and the Alpha making his judgment on them all, new ranks where appointed and even some where demoted. The male had spoke of some might not liking their new duty and as the brown fae could agree with that the female knew no one would bother to address the issue with him. It seemed he was feared, maybe even hated though why would a wolf with hatred fall into the game he had set up. The small battles where for amusement and although it was also a way to tell the weak links from the stronger ends of the pack, the smile that had been plastered on the ebony males face was surely fake.

It amazed the fae actually how fast higher ranks had been given, for in what seemed like a short amount of time, she had gone from a hunter to the lead hunter, before that a rogue with no destination or reason as to where she was headed. Now in a pack, she still had no destination. Braelyn was just.... here, amongst others who wanted to survive like her. Banner turning at its tip towards the side repeatedly as she walked, the auds above the fae's head catching the soft mumbles of other's. Halting, the Lead Hunter became alert, turning her neck to scan the area and find the source.

In her sight two wolves stood in conversation, strangers they where as she did not recall ever meeting one of them. Tense, Braelyn's hackles would slightly rise, the fur clinging to her body puffing in defense and minimal aggression at the feeling of a threat. The fae would find herself walking towards the two with ease, seemingly calm while her body became uneasy. Once in ear range of the others, the hunter would part her muzzle just enough to release her voice.

"Greetings" she announced, uncaring if she had intruded on the conversation. It didn't seem like they where that deep into it anyways, so there shouldn't be any harm. "Pardon me for interrupting, but what brings wolves like you out to a place like this?" Question blunt as can be, Braelyn was curious to know what rank these two possessed and if they could provide any information about the pack and it's alpha. She needed to learn this. The fae wouldn't follow a wolf she did not know blindly and if she was to do so in a pack, it wouldn't hurt to know at least some things.

Pain could read the Delta's gaze, even through its cold empty exterior. She seemed to be scrutinizing him, as if he was below her. In truth he was below her in rank, but it would take much more than simply rank for him to truly believe he would be inferior to such a character. He sat at ease in her presence, returning the same judgmental gaze as she did. At her criticism for his 'failure' his dark amber eyes glinted with amusement, more than anything else. He knew he fought well against the bear, and most of all, he did not lose to it, because unlike the female's challenge, losing meant death against such a beast.

Not moving a muscle away from the fae in their close proximity he yawned lightly, perhaps because he was tired, or to mock the Delta, "If I remember correctly, you lost your last spar to Fel who was then a beta. In the end however she was demoted and you promoted to a Delta despite your failure." he said matter-of-factly looking over her wounds, still healing. Pain came away from fighting a bear, along with his fellow males with nothing more than bruising. "Then, Fel was demoted to Elite despite handing your ass to you. Therefore I really do not see your rank as anything else than the product of favoritism."

His opinion of her clearly laid out, he moved on without missing a beat to answer her last question, "To answer your last question, yes I have trained with the former Elite Katyusha for most of the time I have been in the pack, that is over and done with now however." Finishing his sentence, he was truly interested in what response he would get from the Delta, his observation was disturbed as he heard another approaching, the faes words drifting lightly through the foggy morning.

Some amusement still lingering Pain answered easily to her query, "What brings wolves like us here? I would think a field full of dead things would be the perfect place for an Erenyx wolf."

Ariste watched him as he seemed to challenge her, not in any way concerning rank, but judging her. Blinking boredly at the millisecond of amusement that reflected in his eyes - as well as when he yawned, as if in a pathetic attempt to rile her up, she waited for the remark that was sure to come. 'I really do not see your rank as anything else than the product of favoritism.' Ah, there it was. Blaming someone getting something you would have preferred on favoritism. In truth, she didn't blame him, nor did she care, but the idea brought a small smirk to her lips, low chuckle escaping. "You believe me to  be favorited by our Alpha, who has never met me nor spoken a word to me outside of briefly at the spar, and despises women from what I have heard? That theory is highly unlikely." She said, tail flicking slightly, back and forth as more words formed on her tongue. "You conquered your foe, however you were working with the majority of the pack. Therefore, like our spars, you were judged on preformance, not simply defeat. However, we have nothing but each other's word, as I was not present at your spar, nor you at mine. I can only take what you say that you didn't sit at the sidelines while the others fought, then swoop in at the last moment to gain Teren's approval enough to earn rank." As she spoke the last sentence, her head turned, ear flicking slightly, before her attention refocused on Pain, falling silent after she had spoken.

Some would probably say she though she was high and mighty as she was now to be known Delta - but they would be incorrect. She simply spoke her mind more. As he told her he was trained by Katyusha, her opinion didn't change of him any, though at this point she knew some in the pack would hate him simply for his trainer. She opted not to make a comment, instead turning to view the Lead Huntress whom she could now see, not simply hear. Placing her paw over a fragile bone, she placed pressure on it until it fractured, prepared to shatter under the weight of another step. 'It's just that easy to take a life, But far harder to fight for it.' She thought, inhaling slowly as her eyes turned up to look at the sky,narrowing her eyes. It's true she had received harsh injuries, but she didn't regret a single one of them. She was used to fighting with no hope of ever gaining anything worth it. Now, she would at least have that, and if others wished to dislike her for that, so be it. It wouldn't carry them anywhere in life either.

Shifting and huffing silently as the fae spoke, Ariste flicked her orbs back toward her, jaws parting and widening until she heard the satisfying pop of her jaw, teeth clicking as the fell together. "Salutations, Lead Hunter Braelyn." She replied swiftly, speaking immediately after the other wolf had completed her sentence. She remained neutral, audits swiveling in perfect harmony, before seeming to stray from each other and twist separate ways. "What brings me here?" She mused, thinking for a moment. "Why of course, here to meet the demons of the graveyard." Was the answer she found herself speaking, gaze flickering between the brute and the vix, apparently both of the same rank. She remembered Braelyn's name being called, and her rank given - other than that, she had no idea of her. Well this would be interesting.


(Excuse the quality of my writing.)

The tawny pelted huntress sauntered carefully through the lonely graveyard, nothing but the quiet rattle of bones under her paws interrupting the silence. She had never inhabited a place like this before; there was no area in her homelands to the North devoted to such obvious desolation. Strange. she thought as she carefully maneuvered about the bones scattered beneath her, her harsh expression tainted with bewilderment. Had wolves caused this heaping mess? She found that highly unlikely. A group can only take down one animal at a time, and even then with a beast as massive as a bison they usually only target the sick and the old. This place looked almost as if an entire herd had randomly dropped dead. Whatever. It's not like it matters. she thought pragmatically to herself, her dull grey gaze hardening with its usual seriousness. Everything's dead and that's that. It doesn't matter what happened to them. It doesn't alter their current condition.

She was briefly reminded of her sister then, how long she'd dwell on useless matters like these, how her mind would often linger on the unknown. Still, she'd always listened to her sister's idealistic rambling, or at least pretended to; she didn't want to hurt her feelings by indicating the pointlessness of it all.

The russet furred fae growled softly to herself as she suddenly stubbed her paw against a grounded bone, a hissed curse escaping her lips. Her remorseful expression contorted into one of annoyance as she examined her fore leg for any sign of injury. Fortunately she was unharmed, though that fact did little to stifle her irritation. Idiot. pay attention to where your walking. She scolded herself sharply, disappointed that she had allowed herself to become so distracted in such a hostile area. Even though she was new to these lands, she knew from her experience as a loner that dangerous creatures like snakes usually took a liking to this kind of habitat, and though it had grown colder with the autumn season, one could never be too careful. Whats more she had yet to become properly acquainted with her new pack, and from what she experienced at the border, she could only deduce they weren't really a welcoming bunch.

I don't care. she thought listlessly to herself as she continued on, violently suppressing the disturbing qualms of fear stirring up in her gut. Truth be told, the last time she had been a part of a pack, she'd been watching her sister die. She didn't ever want to go through something like that again. All she wanted was a place to stay and hone her skills and she had that now; there was no reason to be afraid. Fear was an unnecessary weakness she couldn't afford to have.

Yuki halted abruptly at the minute sound of voices drifting towards her on the chilly autumn breeze, and she inhaled deeply through he nose then, detecting three distinct scents just a little ways ahead. Wolves... a few of her pack mates, no doubt. She huffed quietly to herself. She supposed the polite thing to do was to say hello, especially since she had drawn too close and they had probably caught her scent by now, anyways. She sighed once more before padding slowly in the diminutive group's direction, her mind working to recall what it could of proper pack etiquette.

"Greetings." she stated hollowly once the trio came into view, dipping her head slightly in acknowledgement. Two she-wolves and a male it appeared to be, all of them unfamiliar. Her expression was austere as she regarded them, a tiny glimmer of curiosity glinting in her steel grey irises.

(Excuse my writing, my muse was not at it's best)

Cold, calculating orbs settling onto the two wolves she would call pack mates, the fae would gently decrease her haunches, slowly letting them sink until her bronze, tawny mix of a coat tangled with the broken bones below of lost souls. Her banner would instinctively turn to curl around her thigh, the tip finding its place just over both paws as Braelyn relaxed into a seated position. After walking for some time, the female would take the opportunity to rest her body, thinking it was only suitable since her bruised foreleg would also need a break. At the low voice of the ebony other, the huntress gave a small dip of her head in what Erenyx would call respect to the higher ranked female.

"Apologies Delta, for a moment I did not remember you" The faes words had been half a lie, though with her voice having been in sincerity Ariste wouldn't be able to know that. It was true she did not remember the fae from the spars and the rank she was given, but the apology was by no means pure. Lying to Braelyn came to be nothing but a inevitable habit, one she could not escape as if it was built into her mind set. To fabricate sentences when she was younger always helped to protect herself from getting in trouble and helped get her out of it as well: it became her escape from reality, able to hide her true self from others in both amusement and fear.

Only one wolf knew what and who she truly was yet he had died at the jaws of another, the beast having snapped the males next like a twig that one faithful day. Although, it would be another lie to say she cared for what happened to him, because on that surprising day the fae had been both confused and satisfied. Auds rotating, turning themselves a faint degree to the front of her crown before returning to their rightful place, Braelyn hawked on what replies the two made, coming up with her answer quickly to reply with what both had said in a soft, soothing voice but loud enough for the others to hear. "To meet the lost souls and demons of the graveyard would be thrilling now wouldn't it? Perhaps they are even living among the Erenyx pack." Amused, a faint smirk would tug at the faes lips only to disappear in an instant just as it appeared.

Deciding it was time to find out answers to her questions, Braelyn opened her mouth to see if these wolves could give her any information. "Since it seems I am still adjusting to this life, what details could either of you give me about the pack and it's alpha?" She inquired politely, curious about the answers they would give. They seemed to have been in the pack for a while, with the knowledge of each other and all. Besides, the bronze fae doubted the alpha would give a delta rank to an former omega. Concentrating on the slight audio of foot steps crushing against the bones of lost ones, the female scented the air from where she sat until a tawny fae must lighter in color to Braelyn appeared into her sight.

Green spring hues carefully watching the stranger approach and settle with the trio, Braelyn made the quick decision to find out who exactly these two strangers where. Firstly, her dead gaze would turn over to the brute nearby, a conflicting color coat he had between the dark midnight shade with the underlay of a dirty white before landing back on the new member of the conversation. "To whom are you both? I guess it would be rude to not acquire both of your titles and names while I am here." She voiced, having already learned of Ariste to be the only high ranked wolf in the area so far.