Before the rise of the early sun, Aspen had already been awoken. It was the sharp kick to his gut from the small paw of his sibling. He did not know which one it had been, but as he sat up, he discovered everyone had been sound asleep. It was the perfect time to escape the trials of every day boring life. The sleeping assholes rested in peace, possibly dreaming of stupid things and wild imaginings. The young male was quick to his feet and shuffled from the den. He rushed his four paws out of the pack lands as quick as he could. If Magnus or Chiara had discovered his abandonment so early in the day, they might punish him. He ran as fast as his large paws would carry him, all the weight shifting from side to side with each step. The young brute focused on the future, what was ahead. He never looked back, for that would be when he got caught. His ears planted themselves securely on his head, allowing himself to be more aerodynamic, as he had heard from other wolves. He did not know if this was true or a farce to trick the young, but he did it anyway. His tail flailed in a sprint behind him, waving gently from side to side.

Finally he came to the boundary. The invisible line told him to stay, not to wander from the pack lands. He knew better than to do that. If his family found out he had gone this far, he would probably get in trouble. The thought of this kind of made the risk even better. He put one paw over the line, looking left and right to see if he had been followed. When it was clear, all pas made it across the border. He made his way for the neutral lands, not looking for anything in specific. As the sun started to rise for the day, he thought about seeking a place high up where he could sit and watch it reach the top of the sky. His eyes scanned the world before him, looking for tall peaks. His golden gaze found the top of Cathedral Mountain. Perking his ears, he listened around him and wandered towards the area. He made his way for the mountains, directing his flow straight for it. When he made it to the base and started to climb the bottom. The incline was not a difficult area to get up, but he was not going to stop there. The rest of the way might have been more difficult if he was going all the way up. He found a decent level and moved to sit on it. His tail curled around his paws and he started to watch the large orb ascend into the air.

As he watched the large ball of light move through the sky, he sat peacefully. He thought of nothing. For once he could be away from his family, completely alone. There was always a wolf to bother him. His sisters were so annoying, always crying about something. And although he did not hate Ciro, he could still be annoying. He supposed it had been for the simple fact he was older than everyone else, and had focused on his training far more than any of his other siblings. And even with such an attitude, his father did not care for him and his mother didn't seem proud either. Aspen waited and watched, wondering if he would be found by anyone from his pack. The sun seemed to be moving quicker as the time was passing, but how could he really tell? There was nothing to compare it with. Even the birds which chose to fly so early in the morning seemed to go much faster than the giant orb. In the dead of silence, he heard the rumbling of some rocks behind him. His ears flipped to the rear, listening for anything of importance coming after him. His head immediately turned to see a form coming down the hill. It was sliding down the slope and soon coming to hit him. He quickly jumped up and moved out of the way.

When she finally came to a stop, he gave a snarl in her direction. [color=cyan]"Why don't you watch where you are going, fool? You are lucky I am keen and in-tune with my surroundings. If you hit me, it would have been the last thing you do." He glared at her and soon found a strange smell upon her coat. She was no longer smelling of a strong Erenyx scent. It was now mixed with a bizarre and disturbing one. "So the rumors are true... You fled Erenyx because you could not handle our hard life conditions. I hear you joined the pack my mother came from initially. Weaklings and losers only live there, so there's not much to expect for your future. Rightly so though, looks like your mother can't hang either and has sworn her allegiance to the Alpha himself. And to think, after the stories of her life before we were born... It seems the Alpha can break anyone." His tone was cold and his eyes glared to her as he spoke. She and her mother were useless wolves. What good were they to the pack? To any pack? Katyusha had proven to be nothing and Aspen could only guess that she too would be nothing.

"My problem?" he scoffed. "I am not the idiot who can't keep themselves balanced enough to attempt to sneak up on anyone. It seems your time, no matter how short it is in Helidos, has affected you. Or perhaps you have been a lame wolf your whole life? We don't really know and probably will never know." As she pushed up against him, he looked down to her. She continued to try and fight back with her words, but all he could do was to smile. She was trying to threaten him, which was even more funny than anything he'd ever seen or heard before. "Look here bitch, I am the largest of the litters born in Erenyx. I have more talent in the tip of my tail than you have in your whole body. I am a trained killer, both by my father, which I actually have, and alongside the Elite of our pack. The only wolf who ever trained you was a lowly whore, splitting her legs wide open for any male to come along. So the little that you know, is nothing compared to what I can do. You and your whore mother are cowards. I bet if Alpha Teren requested you to do the same duties Katyusha does, you would. Because you are weak. Every single wolf to come from your parents are weaklings. Even the 'product' as he is so rightfully called, is worthless. You should just stay in your little Helidos home and never show your face to an Erenyx wolf ever again." He snarled as he raised his tail higher than hers. His eyes glared down at her, baring his fangs and allowing the fur along his spine to rise. "You couldn't kill a fly if its wings were cut off and it was lying on the ground before you. You are worthless." He pushed his chest into her, shoving her a distance from him. He allowed the space to show her there was no changing his mind or Aspen stepping down. He was an Erenyx wolf, proud of his lineage, and he knew his place among the pack. She was a traitor, claiming the Alpha was after her like some sort of fairytale villain. Nobody cared about her or her mother's life. All they worried about was their own skins. He hoped she would continue this little banter and give him a reason to send her crying home. A few broken bones would show her a thing or two. Or even a lovely trip down the face of the mountain would really do her some good. The thought of this made him smile, unable to keep it hidden from her, though the look in his eyes was the most evil he had ever held. It was more so that way than it had been towards his won brother and the Elite's boys, who got all the praise and attention. If he couldn't prove himself by killing a stupid rabbit, then sure enough he could prove himself by bringing home the corpse of a Helidos bitch.

Golden eyes glared down at her. He breathed in slowly, taking in every word she spoke. The lies she told him, they were hideous and could not be further from the truth. Aspen closed his eyes for a moment, hearing everything wrong being spoken about his mother and his father. It must have been so bad for little dirt bag Aleu that she had to make up lies about his family. Her feelings must have been crushed by the true words he was telling her. Hearing the lies filter out of her maw, it was enough to make the young male growl louder than before. His eyes turned to the fae and his ears were perked atop his head. She lunged for him and Aspen knew exactly what he had to do. She may have been smaller than him, but he was quick in his own right. He moved from her with a simple side-step. His tail hung defensively over his spine and his eyes stared at her. "You are a fool. Starting a fight with a wolf who has far superior training than you is suicide. I am trained to kill, not collect rocks beneath the water." He had held his position, snarling and growling with all the might he had. If she truly wanted to have a fight, he would agree to it. But she would not like the outcome of their squabble. He moved to keep his back to the slope she had slid down from. Aleu now stood with her body towards the downward slope. His head hung low, not lower than hers, but he was prepared. His weight shifted to make himself heavier. If she were to try and knock him over, it would not work. "Don't you worry Aleu, once you are dead, I will tell you mother what has happened... But I bet she won't even care you are no longer living.." With his words hanging in the air, he lunged towards her, opening his mouth as wide as he could. He would try to grab her neck, but settling for a leg would be sufficient if she was too quick. Going for her body, he knew he would be leaving himself open for an attack, but he did not care. His main goal was to kill her. What sense would it be to allow a wolf such an existence when she was not worthy?

Aleu would snarl as she barely missed the wolf, quickly regaining her footing and turning to face him. The fae's body was low with her tail held high in dominance, her fangs bared and fur bristled on her back. She had welcomed peace with the wolf, but if he wished to insult her and threaten her life she would oblige by taking his. "Last chance runt! Run home to your whore mother and bitch father or I'll send you home to them in pieces." she snarled, her eyes fixed on him. Yes, today would be the day she killed someone. And she was certain she would like it.

As she quickly assessed her surroundings the Apprentice would notice the steep slope behind her, a smile coming to her lips as she shifted slightly closer to the edge. Then grinned wide as the foolish runt charged her. Keeping her low stance she would stand firm until he was nearly to her, and then she would teach him what speed was. Quickly she would dart to the side, fangs snapping at his hind leg as he passed, and if she made contact she would slam her weight down on it, trying to rip it out from under the speeding wolf.

None

Slumber had eluded the demon once again. His green eyes stared to the emptiness of the world before him. His chin rested gently upon the hide of his first conquest in his new pack. The black fur was warm and thick from the winter lining. It was a good hide to have, one filled with memories and viewed as a trophy. He rolled onto his four paws and walked out of his den. His body ached with the years of experience he held. His bones felt as if they were rubbing one against the other. His mind was at ease, and his heart beat steadily within his chest. He made his way towards the borders, he did not look for anything in particular, only smelling the scents of the wolves who had traveled along here. Scents from both Guardians and Elites marked along the beaten path. One scent caught his nose, it was fresh, more so than the rest. It was laced with the scents of the Guardians, but held its own odor. The only way a wolf would smell like them, would be because they were a part of their litter. A young wolf was galavanting in the neutral lands. There was a young rebel in their midsts. Teren smirked slightly, making his way to follow the path of the young wolf. Thinking of how much trouble this young wolf would be in, it made his anticipation grow. How could he scare the life out of the younger wolf? It would be a pleasant game for him, knowing full well neither parents wanted their young to be wandering out where Helidos wolves could find them. Perhaps Teren would be able to get another coat for his den, though it would be smaller than he was used to. As he embarked on his journey, he looked to the sun, it had started to reach its way to the highest point of the day. Soon it would be the noon time, and more of the wolves would be out to wander. He walked with a casual pace. He had no reason to rush or to speed up his course. He would make it to his target in time, all the while, the scent was getting stronger and stronger. Midnight ears laced with white hairs perked to the peak of his head, listening to a scuffle from the north. Lifting his head slightly, his eyes targeted the source of the noise. Two wolves, one larger than the other were having some kind of spat. Another smirk graced his features and he proceeded towards the mountain. A thick black tail curled over his spine, asserting his dominance in these lands over the wolf who belonged in his home. The other wolf, however, smelled of a pack he very well hated. It came from Helidos, the lands he had just discovered were protected by none other than Quinn and Fenris themselves. This little tid bit of information had sent a spark up his spine. He had hoped their lives had been lost within the fire, though here they were, alive and well.

Scaling up the side of the mountain, Teren made his way to the higher area above them. He could hear their banter back and forth, much of it was true. All of it had been true. Thinking of the things he had been doing over the last year was enough to make a true smile appear on his face. His muzzle soon retook the normal position of being at rest. As he came over the top, he stared down to the pups below. The female, he knew. In fact, her scent was so known to him, he could not erase it. The disgusting smell of Helidos could not blotch it out. It could not mask the scent of his whore, her mother. He held in a snarl, curious to where the little scamp had run off to. So it seemed she had not been able to live within the pack, his pack. She was weak and he knew she was, just like her mother and her father. The young male had belonged to the Guardian pair, though he never cared enough to know his name. He only knew Aleu's name for the sake of tormenting her mother. He did not care for the other mongrels who lived in his pack, for soon only one would be living, the rest dead. Their blood would be smeered over the victor's coat in a praise of glory. He recalled the day Azrael had defeated his siblings, covered in their life essence with a neutral look upon his features. He was so proud of his son that day, and though Azrael would never know it, Teren did. It was enough for him. With the sounds of more growls and snarls, Teren stared to the pair below. His tail still hung over his spine and his chest pressed forward. He watched the male wolf attack the female, feeble and stupid of him. Leaving himself open in such a way, this large wolf would never make it in the fight for his life. Teren pushed the weight from his front legs to his rear, and pushed off the ledge. Landing on all fours, he stood to the side of the fighting wolves. "Pathetic." His voice rang out to them, not specifying just who he had been speaking to. "Kill her boy." Teren stared and snarled at the Helidos wolf, watching her as she responded to the fight, as well as her previous Alpha.

Both wolves had exact same idea. Try to take the other's leg out and force them down. But she was foolish to think she could do such a thing with a wolf much larger than she. He was almost as large as the largest female in their pack, and he was not even a year old. She was small in comparison, taking her deformed genetics from her whore mother. The young male allowed her to bite his rear leg, but she was not strong enough to bring him down. The pain from the bite was enough to make his snarl louder. Hackles raised along his spine, while his eyes glared angrily at her. He reached down for her scruff and grabbed it tight. He bit her as hard as he could. He tried to get that iron taste of blood in his jaws, so harder and harder he bit into her. Before he could make his next move, a visitor had joined him. Aspen's back was to the guest, but he could hear it was a large wolf. The sound of his paws hitting the ground told him they were in danger. His odor was enough for Aspen to know who he was. Immediately his ears laid back and his tail tucked between its legs. Was the Alpha speaking about him, or was it directed towards Aleu? He was unsure. He bit her as hard as he possibly could, putting all of his force into the bite. He growled and snarled as he shook his head, not caring if the process forced her teeth to drag against his skin. He could feel the trickle of blood down his leg, but it would not make him stop. Instead, he tried to move her towards the ledge. If she fell, he would not have the satisfactory of taking her last breath, but he would have the Alpha watching and cheering him on. This gave him the power and encouragement he needed. If he could make Teren pleased, then maybe life for his family would be better within the pack. He had not heard any stories of the Alpha visiting any other wolves, especially not the pups.

Standing beside the wolves, he glared down at the pair. The male was working hard to please him, and he could tell. Watching Aleu's expression change was something the Alpha found pleasing to himself. She had heard the tales of his malice, no doubt about it. How could a wolf not tell their daughter something of that nature? He was a monster, a vile disease that spread through the lands. The toxins inhibited the senses and destroyed the mind. The large brute watched the pair, and even though she feared him, Aleu was keeping to her task of trying to keep herself alive. She was fighting for her life. "What are you waiting for, boy? Kill her. She is the enemy. She is scum beneath your pads. You have a right to rid the world of the treasonous wretch. So go ahead, go for the throat. Finish her." He waited for the pup to do as he had said. But nothing changed. They still held each other, biting and snarling as one tried to strike fear into the other. It was pointless and nothing was changing. Growing tiresome of their lunacy, Teren moved from his position. He headed for the side of Aspen's body which was closest to his own. With a forceful shove, he moved both Aspen and Aleu towards the edge of the cliff. Aleu's hind legs were dangling over the edge. While Aspen had almost slipped, Teren grabbed his scruff with his powerful jaws. The Alpha held onto the pup, not allowing him to fall. The weight of both wolves was a lot, but with luck Aleu would fall to her death and Teren could be seen as a false hero. For a while the pack would think he were a god, a savior of their pack. That would be until they discovered the true reason he had kept the boy alive. He pulled Aspen back slightly, making sure all four paws were firm to the ground and released him. "Now force her to let go, or I shall tell your father you were killed by a Helidos wolf. Not only would he feel the remorse from your loss of life, but he would feel ashamed to call you his son. You would forever be known as the 'brute who was slain by a Helidos bitch'. Do you really want that rumor to spread around the pack?" If there was one thing Erenyx was known for, it was their pride. To be beaten by a female was bad alone, but one of the opposing pack was even worse. Not even death would be a worse punishment than living with that truth.

Pain scourged through his body like curse. The blood dripped down the inside of his leg, dropping to the floor in a small puddle. The collection was enough to see exactly all he had lost. He feared it would not end here. Listening to Teren's words, he tried his best to push her off, but she would not budge. There was nothing else he could do to force her. His noises got louder and the fur along his spine rose. Neither of these things did anything for she could not see him, and she was far too clamped onto his leg to care. He thought about forcing her off, but the risk of breaking a bone was too high. If he had a broken bone, he would be useless in his training. His hunting would go to crap and the thought of sitting in a den with a Healer every day was a sickening thought. Before he could act, the Alpha did. He forced the young wolves closer to the edge. Aspen used his own paws to try and resist, keeping himself grounded on the cliff. But it was no use. The Alpha was a strong male, able to force them both off if he so wished it. He clenched tighter, fearing for his own life. But as they came to a stop, Aspen could feel himself almost holding onto Aleu as an attempt to save her. Before it had been a game, a thought that it would be fun. But now that both of them were in danger, perhaps it was not a good idea. The midnight monster spoke again, this time berating the pup. In spite of everything, the anger coursed through his form, but not towards Aleu. It was directed for the Alpha male himself. Aspen wanted to kill, but not when he was being forced to, as if it were being held over his head. He could only imagine his father saying how betrayed he felt, that Aspen was not brave enough to do what was asked of him. The brute shut his eyes tight and forced with all his might to shove Aleu off. It would be up to her ability to fight to keep her on.

Taking a step back from the young wolves, he allowed them to act, just as he had told Aspen. But the wolf did not complete the tasks he had asked him to. The young wolf was still alive, and very well proving to be a pain in the ass. Aspen seemed unsure of what he should do, even though his Alpha was commanding him. This angered Teren, but he stayed silent. When it seemed something had finally clicked in the young male's head, the fae was almost completely dangling off the side of the cliff. Somehow, she had gotten backup onto the land and made a break away from the other wolf. Blood ran down her back and neck, which could be enough for Teren, though he would never allow the male to know it. Instead he snarled to the young wolf, standing in his way. "You had your chance. You should have killed her when I told you to! You have failed your Alpha, you have failed your pack. Your father will hear of your treason, and you shall be punished for it." Teren took a step away from the boy, then without warning, he lunged at him. His jaws agap as he bit down on the boy's face. Blood-stained fangs ripped through flesh and caused a cut to appear over his left eye and cheek. "Now get home before I decide to take your life permanently.." he snarled as he stepped away from the young wolf. He stood back, tail still curled over his back and his green eyes glaring to the male. He waited for the male to flee from the neutral lands. He was curious how his parents would handle such a claim.