Bored with her pack life, Fel trotted out of the clearing once the sun began to set. Quinn would be safely in her den by now and any intrusion that far into their territories would not go unnoticed by others. Not long after the border markers were left behind, the huge fae took off at a full gallop. Her limbs stretched and coiled rhythmically as the older fae bounded across forest and plains, tail streaming behind her in the cold wind. As the moon slowly gained height, her destination drifted closer to her as her paws thundered against the snow-covered earth, each stride accommodated by a crushing noise. Obsidian ears fell flat against her large head in determination while she examined the mountainside she was charging straight at. The actual slope was quite unpredictable and shielded from examination by a frozen blanket; the gravel leading up to it was cemented by chilled slush. A smile curled at the lips of the Guardian. How perfect this was… It was so much like her home pack’s territories, but yet the timeframe was different. There would be no gruff voice barking at her from some ledge, or warning her of an approaching mountain lion. No wolf would be calling for Blackfur. For all anyone knew, Blackfur was dead. But now more than ever, she felt the spirit of her old form, and it was very much alive.


A scratch of claws on rock disturbed the night, then followed by a moment of silence. Raven limbs then sunk into the snow, several feet up from the launching site. Fel glanced down over her shoulder, then began to steadily make her way up, testing each foothold with a cautious prod before continuing. It would seem that this was a slow pace for someone so experienced in mountainous terrain, yet she knew the cost of foolishness. Many times she had seen yearlings who thought they were kings and queens of the slopes proven wrong and destroyed by the land they thought they owned. A wolf could own territory, but all will submit to the forces of the land and Mother Nature. Icy hues flickered around as she reached a high ledge that seemed to follow the very crest of this mountain. Finding this path a little more stable than scaling her way to the top, she chose it instead. Careful not to tread close to the edge, Fel walked aimlessly, keeping her ears pricked and searching for any sign of life of danger. Luckily, there seemed to be nothing in her proximity. The lonely trail eventually ended in a drop-off, the shelf-like path expanding into a large platform. It was clearly a frequently visited spot by wolves and wildlife alike, and the fae could easily see why. It provided an excellent panoramic view of the location and was fairly protected from the elements by one wall of rock because of the mountain. Fel padded around the perimeter and noticed a thinner, less used trail that lead down the side opposite to that from which she came but felt no need in running down it. Instead, she sat down in the thin layer of snow a foot away from the edge of the cliff. Her body became still in her seat, not moving besides a flicker of her ears and her ever-wandering colorless eyes. Intermediately, a gust of wind would bombard her and attempt to penetrate her well-adapted pelt in vain. Somehow, the silence and cold of Isle de Muerto was absolutely calming to her. Most creatures were resting at this hour of the high moon, yet some, she knew, would be on the prowl. Nostrils flaring, Fel took in the clean air and filtered through the scents, glad to find no predators currently around her perch or above her. Yet she could sense that she was not alone in the wilds. Something was moving somewhere below. With a silent huff, she remained as she was on her watch, like an onyx statue in the moonlight. Her gaze travelled around the ledge she was on, studying it to make sure she was well acquainted with her choice of resting spot. If an unexpected series of events led to a fight, she wanted to be prepared. Preparation for the worst scenarios was always in her mind as it had been beaten into her as a pup. But there was no sense in jumping the gun and fleeing to a more hidden location. Fel would be patient and wait for whatever it was to come her way if it had any desire to.

Further and further he trekked up the snow-blown slope on steady, assured paws. He glanced over the sharp, jagged edge of the ledge to his left, peering down at the strip of slate grey and white that was the snow-ridden ground beneath. It was precarious on these peaks which were narrow and dead-ended, fragmented. He wasn’t high up but Tye could already feel the wind sweeping by in vicious gusts, knifing through his winter fur to try to claw at his flesh. His winter coat, much thicker and shaggier than his normal pelt, provided ample protection from the weather. The Lead Warrior was large, a rock-hard muscle-bound gladiator with a calm strength about him in the way he moved and held himself. Never wavering, never slowing down. Assured in his actions and movements. His head went down slightly, a natural reaction to the cruel winds that buffeted him.  His coarse black fur whipped wildly, teasing it out. Ahead, the path twisted to the left. He soldiered onwards, snow tumbling off the edges as he moved on. Below him was nothing but a plummet to the ground, crevasses embedded deep into the mountain. Beautiful in its own way really. Above him were gigantic peaks, pointing towards the air like spires. This was Tye’s second time here and it was just as sublime and wild as before yet also serene. It was nature in all its finest glory, untamed and unrelenting. He padded upwards, puffs of air escaping from his cold nose as his breaths came out in steady rhythm to find shelter. Again, Tye had sought out treacherous, difficult terrain to train in in the worst weather possible. But he had survived worse. He needed to find shelter soon though or he would probably get frostbite.  

Turning the corner, he spied another wolf perched on the ledge further ahead, a moonlit figure. A female with a pelt and eyes like his. She was gazing out over the edge at the view, studying it keenly. If Tye had to guess he would have guessed Helidos and further confirmed it when another gust of wind bombarded them, shovelling snow off the ledge in one vicious swoop. The scent invaded his senses and he identified it immediately as that of the rival pack. He slowed to a stop, gazing evenly across at the fae with striking, ice blue eyes that stood out against a ruggedly handsome face of black fur. Underneath the sparse moonlight his pelt gleamed slightly, making his eyes lighter and colder than they already appeared to be. The area she was standing on was wide enough to comfortably fit more wolves. She seemed relatively peaceful. But then again, compared to Erenyx everyone else was a veritable angel. The Lead Warrior turned his head slightly, catching the light of the moon and stilled, tail coming to a stop behind his hind legs. Then he approached her, coming to a stop a short distance beside her to sit down. His broad, wide shoulders were back, form tall and quietly confident. When he spoke it was deep and powerful, the voice seeming to rumble from his chest,“Hello there Helidos Guardian. Enjoying the cold?”A guardian was what she seemed to be to him. He did not know if it was true or not but if she bit, or reacted he would know.

She was not wrong. Within some minutes, a faint Erenyx scent drifted in the air and approached, interrupted several times by unfavorable winds. The gusts of air buffeted her pelt thoroughly, but did not chill her or make her move a muscle. In the corner of her vision, a dark figure walked along, pausing at the sight of her. Fel did not care to acknowledge the insignificant wolf until he sat down not far from her and spoke. Her form was already in a tall, calmly confident seated position and did not alter in the slightest when he mimicked her. They were very similar in general appearance, though her fur was longer and sleeker than his scruffy pelt. An onyx ear flicked towards him to hear the words clearly over the winds. Without taking her icy gaze off of the landscape, she uttered a reply. “Why would I not enjoy something I was born in and bred to endure?” He had made a guess at her rank and was successful. It was almost pleasing to know that she carried herself in the manner of a guardian. Finally she turned her head to look at the brute directly, noticing that even their eyes were similar in their cold color. Her gaze raked over his pelt in a quick inspection, deciding that he was a warrior of sorts. His confidence, which she hoped would not result in cockiness and entice her to shove him off of the ledge, suggested he had a more exclusive rank. Fel’s voice was deep for a fae, but came out with less of a rumble and more of the scathing smoothness of ice. “My proper name is Guardian Fel, though I suppose Helidos Guardian would be acceptable. And what of you… Lead Warrior of Erenyx, I assume? Do you bear a name?” She was not at all intimidated by the significantly younger brute beside her. After all, the only wolf she feared in her life was her own father since in her opinion there was indeed no devil more dangerous or menacing. Her emotionless, uninterested gaze drifted towards his, awaiting a reply before looking once more toward the scenery. The raven fae watched the gorge below for a moment, then the mountain opposite of them. An ear remained pointed towards the enemy brute. She would notice if he stirred a single paw on the cold rock underneath them. The fae did not think that he would be stupid enough to attack an older Guardian on this ledge where one false step could send them both plummeting towards a quick death, but her body was trained to always be in a fluidly tensed state. This made it easier for her to react if a sudden, unanticipated attack was to occur. Silently, she lifted her chin as the bone-chilling wind launched yet another attack. It lifted and ruffled her fur; she found the effect on her neck fur extremely pleasant. Once the wind died down for a few more minutes, Fel asked in her usual tone, “So what brings you here?”

He chuckled. Indeed why not? He had been half-jesting when he had spoken. It was interesting to meet someone who had actually been born in the mountains. Raised on rough terrain. Raised in a place where one had to be always resilient, tough. Where the only two options were to sink or swim. Somehow, the silence wasn’t unsettling between the pair. Or that’s what he felt anyway. It was understood between them. That they were of different packs. That in another circumstance, another situation they would’ve been trying to kill each other. That they were on a precarious ledge with a sure-fire drop to certain death. That any kind of attack would result in at least one of them dying or getting fatally injured. So they both kept their guards up, wary and cautious but oddly enough, relaxed. There weren’t many options to win as there wasn’t enough space to fight and the terrain was too dangerous. He wondered if she thought he wanted to fight. He may as well as been brainless if that was the case. Fighting was only useful when another wanted blood, not to talk. And he had no interest in doing anything but peering out at the brilliant, snow-laden scenery. Just snow and frost and wind. Nothing like it. Yep, nothing at all. He wondered how old the female was. She was bigger than average but she carried herself like someone who had seen a lot in her time. She was possibly a couple or a few years older than him. Then again, Tye had never been adept at estimating ages. Tye himself was almost 4 years old now, having joined when he was 3. He was raw strength personified. A hulking, powerful force. But he used his strength when it was needed, not wildly and recklessly. Did being Lead Warrior mean he had to jump at every opportunity to fight as well? Granted, she was the enemy. It was a steep fall and a long way to the bottom. But they would probably both die. And Tye was alive, kicking as it were. She was as he had estimated, a Guardian. But despite their respective packs out here she was a lone wolf just like him. Where rank was irrelevant and stature and confidence reigned supreme. She held herself tall and proud, which he respected because her aura to him resembled one who was secure in herself.

She had a deep voice for a fae. Not unusual but not common either. It was smooth, undeniably so. And he noticed, now that he had taken a good look at her that her appearance was close to identical with his. The same black fur, the same icy blue eyes. Maybe they were long-lost twins. Except his pelt was, of course, rougher than hers. His lips creased, a faint smile threatening to tug at the corners of them as she went on with the formalities.“Pleasure to meet you on this fine, winter night Fel.” His words were wrought with sarcasm. Winter could be a fine night for some but not for others. But in the context of his words, the night was anything but fine in the conventional sense. But the Guardian was enjoying it. Tye was indifferent. If he was an element, he was more earth and ice combined, with a bend towards pure earth instead of ice-covered earth. He lowered his muzzle to her slightly in a pantomime display of respect. It was half-mocking for he was well aware she was the enemy despite where they were. If he were ordered to kill her then he would have no choice. Though, personally he wouldn’t have preferred it."Tye.” The wind came again, sweeping more snow past them. He gazed out over at the land-scape, responding wryly after some thought,“The stars and the moon I suppose. Who doesn’t love the constellations? And the scenery. Nothing but white all around. And you? Is Helidos too boring for a demon like yourself?”

((Terribly sorry for the wait. I was busy with irl stuff.))

A pleasure to meet her? The voice in her mind mocked a scoff then smiled in its faceless way. “Oh no. The pleasure is all mine,” Fel replied in a voice that threw his same sarcastic edge back at him, the words rolling off her tongue naturally. Still, despite their exchanging of words, she did not move her gaze away from the shadowed snow beyond them. The guardian did keep an ear directed his way and could see his form out of the corner of her vision, but otherwise seemed uninterested in his presence. This was not true, as she was monitoring him in these indirect ways and still listening. There seemed to be a pause, a wonderful silence. The two of them quietly sitting on the ledge of a mountain that would be fatal to fall from… It was serenity at its finest. Many wolves found their most peaceful spots in spring meadows or autumn forests, yet Fel only enjoyed places like these – where winds were moaning on the heights.They were cold, desolate, and best of all, lethal. She loved it. She was born and raised in it. One might even say she was the child of it. Fel was hard as rock and cold as ice, like she was meant to be. ‘Blackfur’ they used to call her… Her parents were wrong to do so. She was tainted and proud to be so. ‘Fel’ was the perfect prefix from which to take her name. Demonic.

Her thoughts flickered away when the brute mentioned his name. The black membranes of her lips curved into a smirk. “What a pretty name.” As soon as her words were uttered, a gust of wind sent a pawful or so of snow cascading off of the cliff. It landed silently, so the point of impact was unclear. Tye began to speak of the stars and moon above. The fae was taught to believe that her ancestors lived among the stars, though it did not really matter. Her home pack’s law stated that once a wolf is exiled, even their ancestors abandon them.  If any of this was true, then they were some lousy ancestors indeed. Fel’s gaze flickered up above her briefly as he continued. Her smirk grew into a slight smile for a moment when he called her a demon, then faded altogether. “After you’ve seen so many packs in a lifetime, all of them are boring,” her voice rolled on, “I have no real reason for coming here besides enjoying the bone-chilling weather and dangerous environment. Reminds me of my younger days.” The fae looked almost directly down, frame still tall but her head was clearly pointed towards the drop before them as she studied the land below. Slowly, a smile that borderlined sadism crept across her snout. In an almost cheery tone, she added, “I’ve seen so many wolves fall off ledges like these. So many pups… They were the weak and the stupid. The superior in strength and intellect would not slip so easily.” It was not clear whether she was being sarcastic or simply maniacal, though it was a bit of both.

“Of course. You were here before me so the pleasure received is yours,” Tye replied smoothly. He almost laughed. It was interesting to meet someone who didn’t seem to take themselves so seriously. He turned his head slightly downwards to the right as he spied something moving, the haphazard fur on the back of his neck shaking with the movement. Tye was usually a calm wolf, not one for spontaneous or random outbursts of emotion but sometimes his appearance deemed otherwise. It suggested he was maniacal and insane which was a sharp contrast to his actual personality. But he didn’t care to tame that part of him. It was better and it proved valuable to deter those who gave into fear easily. It helped to separate the lambs from the lions so to speak. Appearances were facades, illusions that disguised what a wolf truly was on the inside. And perhaps this Guardian from Helidos, Fel, could understood that as well or had similar ideas. She had come in search of peace it seemed. In a land that suited her interests and habits. For now the mountains showed what she was, separate from her appearance. On the outside, a demon. On the inside, a soul that was hardened. That felt at home in an unforgiving, relentless environment. Circumstances had brought them together but it had also granted them some form of commonality despite being from rival packs. He sought a reprieve, a moment of peace from training and moving. He, from Erenyx, the demonic pack, was seeking peace. And she too, was doing the same under the strangest conditions. Knowing that at any minute, they could destroy each other but maintaining a farce of civility while scene-gazing was irony at its finest. Truth be told, Tye had never cared for the stars much but he could appreciate their beauty all the same. He straightened his head, raising a paw to brush some snow off his head.“Mm my father loved me so much he gave me a name that I would be proud of much to my mother’s dismay,” Tye said, not missing a beat. That wasn’t true, not really but the black wolf was not one to reveal what he was truly feeling or thinking to anyone to wolves he had just met, much less information about himself.

He also didn’t care much for diplomacy but he understood the need for it. Even Erenyx, for all its famed barbarism and injustice, possessed some silvers of it. It was generally understood that when the Alpha was killed, the killer was the new Alpha and took his place. That was an agreement between the individual and the group and not to be broken. That was the law of the land. That was diplomacy in practice at its barest form. If it had been broken by them attacking the new Alpha then diplomacy was broken until one of them declared themselves the Alpha by killing the new Alpha then diplomacy would be restored. It was really an endless cycle but it was one that could be broken so easily if the precious gems of civility that Erenyx had were abandoned. He caught her smiling slightly, her smirk sliding easily into a more pleasant smile. A momentary sight that was visible for a fleeting second but still there nevertheless. She enjoyed the name it seemed. The first he had encountered who entertained the notion of not being wholly good and pure. Of indulging in their evil side so to speak. Would an Erenyx wolf ever do the same? To indulge fully in the better part of themselves? The good half. Without reservations. Perhaps one had already and perhaps there would come a time when he would have to defend at as well. Defending in a time of anarchy and revolution weren’t without their sacrifices. He looked at her and said, joking,“Join us. We have a mountain far more dangerous than this and a river that’s as wild as the winds here.” He was joking of course and would have been surprised if she’d taken him seriously. Her head moved, angled so that she was looking down. Before he asked what she thinking about she started to smile in a weird, almost sadistic way and spoke in a way that was not quite unexpected considering her expression. But he had seen stranger things. He listened to her, rugged features unchanging. Her words unaffected him. He had seen things like that happen before and he had felt no sympathy for them at the time when he had been a pup. He guessed the Helidos Guardian was being sarcastic with a hint of mania. “Maybe. I guess that makes us the pinnacle of achievement. So tell me Fel, what was your puphood like? You sound like you’ve seen a lot of pups die this way, from their own foolishness.“

occ: No worries