Friend or Foe? {Radek}

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She walked across the barren landscape, her nails clicking softly upon the loose rocks. It was uncannily silent, here, and she felt like a living embodiment of the ghosts that rested. Ghosts that her lineage had brought about, and incidentally, ghosts that had once been family to the wolf she would once have termed her best friend. No matter where she went, Reece always found a way of sneaking back into the forefront of her thoughts. She banished him as had become her habit. His memory was far easier to lock away than Zarek's voice. Her personal demon was being surprisingly silent and docile lately. It was as though he knew that her own burning emotions would take her to Kerberos' lair. Thus, today, she was blessedly free of interfering entities.

Here and there, on the larger rocks, lichen was growing. The greenish-grey kind that peeled away at the bat of a paw, and spread further apart, patches of the rarer orange kind. That was the only sign of life as far as she could make out, and Nocturne was more than happy with that. Her latest run-ins with others of her kind had left her feeling tired, confused, angry or upset. A little bit of time to find herself in all this mess was just the ticket.

She made her way gracefully across the uneven ground, black coat thick and glossy in the spring sunlight. She'd need to find herself some food later in the day. She wasn't starved, but the rabbit from a few days ago was well and truly digested by now. But for the moment she was going to find herself a good perch and sunbathe for a bit. Silver orbs scanned the grey landscape until a suitable boulder presented itself just a little further ahead. She moved towards it calmly, an air of self-possession following her as she hopped neatly onto her lookout. The rock was already warm with the sun's rays, and she stretched out on it with a deep sigh. Ah, this was most certainly the way life ought to be spent! She let her eyes close, angling her head so that the full force of the sun irradiated her head. Every once in a while, her ear flicked lazily, a habit picked up from spending days on the run. Only a fool would remain unaware of his surroundings, and she was anything but a fool!

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Radek wasn't as sure of himself as he'd been when his family had been there. It's far too easy to be cocky and full of oneself with those you know, but with others its harder. In the days following Elara leaving, he'd been sad. His sister was the closest thing to him, closer than his parents. They'd always been together. It was a quiet and morose sadness, but he refused to let it show.  So here he was, wandering through the crater aimlessly. He'd not eaten for a while but he completely ignored the gnawing hunger. He was thinner than he should have been, his rusty red coat clinging closer to his muscles than is normal. It was nice to be alone, though, to be free in his thoughts and not having to look out for someone else. He might actually enjoy the freedom, at least for the time being. For some time he didn't really pay attention to his surroundings. There was no point. A part of him didn't care what he encountered, and another part was sure he'd be able to handle it just fine. Resting sounded like a good idea so he raised his head to look about. Perhaps there might be a dip in the land, a little cooler than the area around it. What he saw instead was a boulder with a black furry lump on the top. He tilted his head before trotting over, his nails click-clacking as he approached. Whoever it was would know he was approaching. He drew close, lingering a few yards away.  I hope I'm not bothering you, he said smoothly, sitting down and glancing away so that he wouldn't be staring rudely. I didn't expect to run into others, he thought to himself.

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She felt warm and heavy, her breathing slow and steady as she dozed in the sunshine. It was as though the warmth of the sun's rays were drawing out every negative thought, every painful emotion and leaving a nice empty space in its wake. And emptiness was just what she needed. She was in dire need of recalibrating herself, and now she was finally getting the chance to do so. If she could erase the past year or so from her life, things would be rather nice indeed. As it was, all she could hope for was to push those far down into the recesses of her mind and forget about them. Only Zarek's presence wasn't touched by the sun. He lay silently in her heart, a frigid weight that whispered endless promises of power she didn't want.

She caught the gentle clicking of nails on rocks, ears freezing for a moment as she checked to make sure that the sound really was occurring. She hardly wanted to waste effort in leaping to attention when it was nothing more than a figment of her imagination. As it was, there really was someone headed towards her, and she lifted her head lazily. Silver eyes scanned the landscape, landing on a thin russet figure that made its way steadily towards her. Definitely no cause for concern. He looked like the next gust of wind would bowl him right off his feet! Well, that was perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but he was quite definitely no match for her. 

Nocturne watched his approach through hooded eyes, black ears erect on top of her head. Her nostrils flickered, pulling information out of his scent before he came to a halt before her. It was an amusing picture, like a servant appearing before his queen....and Zarek's ghost danced at the notion. She ruthlessly squashed the thought, She wanted absolutely nothing to do with Zarek's crazy schemes. He was supposed to be dead, after all! "Not in the slightest" she replied easily, quirking her lips upwards into a faint smile. "Truth be told, there is only so much sunbathing one can do before it gets tedious". She shifted herself on the rock, so she was lying more upright as opposed to lounging on her boulder. "I am Nocturne. May I be so bold as to enquire for your own calling?.

[Deleted]

At least the weather wasn't as miserably hot here as it was on the peninsula. In fact, he felt a little cold now that he was standing in this crater with this strange black female lounging on a giant rock. Had he really been hot enough to seek shelter moments ago? Or was it a trick of his mind? Yes, very different from the cracked earth he was accustomed to. Thinking on it, he hadn't even tried to hunt recently and wasn't sure what prey would be available here. The thought of eating played at the edge of his mind, but that required killing and he wanted none of that. True, his logical mind told him he had to eat, but his raw emotional side told him it was a betrayal to life. To do to prey as Elara had done to his family? He couldn't fathom it. Did prey have families too? Obviously they were dumber than the hunters, but they bred and birthed just the same. It was the sound of the stranger's voice that regathered his attention and he nodded politely at her and gruffly replied, "If you live where I grew up, the sun becomes an enemy during the day." "Radek," he said bluntly. "That's my name. You asked after it." The realization that he was being a little rude to someone who had spoken pleasantly moments before hit him. "I'm sorry, you must excuse a weary traveler for his rough words."

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His attention was straying slightly. She could tell by the slightly glazed look to his eyes, that semi-vacant expression when nothing completely unrelated crossed the mind and held your fascination. Nocturne watched the silent display through sharp eyes, catching the subconscious twitches of the skin as certain thoughts stood out more clearly against the rest. She knew the signs well enough - she herself had a habit of following her thoughts to where-ever they led her. Unless, of course, those thoughts were harmful on her heart. Anything that had even the slightest possibility of causing emotional wreckage was swiftly repressed. 

He resurfaced as her voice broke the silence, pale blue eyes refocusing to meet her gaze squarely. His words were short, his voice a little rough - almost as though he'd had little use for it lately. Her interest in the male peaked. Did he also have his own personal story of woe and injustice? If he did, then he was in the grandest of company. Not that she was going to reflect on that. Such things were better not mentioned. Being a murderer - no matter if it had been for a just cause - tended to garner shifty looks and downright disgust. 

Her ears caught his words easily, processing the little snippets of information he passed on to her. So he was from the south. Considering the odd colour to his pelt, she gathered she oughtn't be surprised. She hadn't seen many russet wolves up where she came from; that was for certain. "Sunshine is a luxury I've learnt to cherish when winter draws to an end" she replied, alto vocals slipping easily into the air. She caught his name and swiftly spoken apology, her lips curving upwards into a broader grin. Ah, he really hadn't been in much company lately! That, or perhaps he had always struggled a little with small talk and general banter. 

"Nice to meet you, Radek" she offered, getting lazily to her paws. She stretched once - an almost feline motion - before she hopped lithely down to the ground beside him. There, that was considerably better. Now she didn't look like she was lording over him. He was a touch taller than she, and with a bit of plump grass-fed rabbits on his ribs, he'd probably be quite the sight. "You say you're a traveller" she continued, letting her rump settle on the rocky ground. "Have you been underway long?" She was curious, but kept the inquisitive note out of her voice. Radek would be doing her a favour by feeding her bits of information that she could store for later use...and she had no plans on spilling her own secrets any time soon.


Tag: @solara

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Listless was the best way to describe his current state. He had no reason to show much care, energy, or enthusiasm for anything. At least, not in his mind. The company of someone else was comforting yet he didn't acknowledge it was so. It was more than hunger gnawing inside of him. Emotions gnawed under the surface, begging him to spill the happenings in his past. The young male couldn't imagine the sun being a luxury. To him rain and water were luxuries you waited all year for, unless you wealked a fair way to a pool or were early enough to lick the dew from your paws. Things his dam had taught him and his siblings early in life. All of a sudden the lessons from his dam clicked and he realized he should be courteous, whether he felt down or not. Whether or not he knew this black female or not, she was extending the chance for conversation and here he stood getting lost in thoughts again. "The pleasure is all mine," he responded, bringing forth a large grin that still somehow seemed empty. He was trying, but it wasn't real joy. Had he been a traveller long? How long had it been? "I've been wandering a few months now, no real goal in mind," he said. Then his voice lowered a little, "there is nothing there for me anymore. I had no reason to stay." Truthfully he would be easy to manipulate; he wanted so bad to talk to anyone about what came to pass. To his young mind, it was the worst thing that could ever happen. He couldn't fathom the true evil of the world, not yet. Yet he reined in his eagerness to let it all out. He had no inkling of whether she would want to hear his tale. Yet Radek had no beta or family of his own to confide in, just some stranger in a crater far from home.

Radek The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.

[Deleted]

He really wasn't quite with it, though she wasn't really one to be pointing fingers - she'd been in a similar place a time or two herself. But it was more than just an example of a scattered mind and poor concentration skills. It was more a matter of demons; ghosts of the past that refused to relinquish you. She knew that all too well. She'd been there more than was entirely necessary as far as she was concerned. But those incidences during her puppy-hood she had mostly put behind her. While they had been grave pains at the time, it was nothing compared with the major two incidents that followed. 

His words fell upon her ears again, and she smiled in faint appreciation of the effort he was making. Oh, it must have been quite dreadful indeed. Then again, he might just be an overly sentimental fool; the type that she really couldn't find any use for. Yes, life had its hiccups. Invariably they were unpleasant and hurt in one way or another, but that was no cause for skulking about with a grim face and sorrowful words. Perhaps she was just a little harsh in her assessments, but it was simply the way she functioned. It was easier than trying to dredge up sympathy...that would invariably end in closer ties than were strictly necessary.

She could detect the sadness in his voice, undercurrents of a loss he had either tried to bury or hadn't fully grasped yet. Either way, it was weighing heavily on him. There was a stoop to the shoulders - one that had no place on a wolf so young. For a moment, she was torn. She could breeze past the issue and make some silly remark to try and lighten the mood. Or she could play the impartial stranger and listen to his woes. It wasn't as though she had anyone to spill the story to anyway. The one creature she might have shared it with had spurned her....and fractured her heart in the process. So really, why not let him unburden himself?

"The road doesn't get easier if you don't find a way of easing the burdens of your past" she informed him gently, digging deep in her heart for a thread of compassion to make her more approachable. It wasn't her best personality, but it would have to make do. With a bit of tact, she'd manage to work things out to her advantage anyway. Words had always been a bit of a favourite of hers....and most of the time her emotions played right along. "If you'd prefer to speak to someone who'll listen as opposed to a sorrowful reflection in a pond, I'd be happy to lend my ears." There, that was all she could do. It was up to him if he wanted to take that first step in healing whatever hurts had been inflicted on him.


Tag: @solara

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The opportunity to explain himself was there. He eyed her for a moment before sitting down and looking up at the sky. The only clouds he saw were the faint ones, so high up they hardly mattered to the bright sun. Had he been older and more experienced he wouldn't do what he was about to do. To trust a stranger he knew nothing about with so much information would be unwise. Knowledge is power in some cases. However, this didn't occur to him. Perhaps only because of his eagerness to do as she said, and share with someone other than his own shadow. He started off with the meekest and most modest sounding story, "I was about six months old and had gone out in place of my father to check our marks. We had a very small spot of land on the peninsula." He calmed a little as he spoke, staring at the earth at his feet, pawing a patch of lichen. "We were a small family and nothing near a pack, there was only six of us. My father, mother, siblings, and myself. I had two sisters and a brother. Father said he was proud to have such balanced and strong ones to replace him." Radek cleared his throat and glanced up at Nocturne before continuing. "At any rate, it didn't take long to patrol the borders and head back home. As I neared the den site I could smell it. Death and blood everywhere, and not the prey kind. No, it was too familiar for that." "It was her, all of it!" The youth seemed to transform with a sudden outburst as he lurched to his feet and snarled, pacing back and forth before her. "When I got there, father lay dying at her feet and she, covered in blood with nary a scratch on her. She must have caught him by surprise. He was old!" Radek whirled to face the stranger, though he didn't seem to see her. His eyes were wide with fury. "She pretended to be relieved to see me, but she wasn't. To be betrayed by my own sister that way... bodies were all around us. Every. Single. One. Dead, my siblings half-eaten!" All of the rage he'd been bottling up inside was boiling out, forced up by the raw anger hidden deep inside. He bristled and trembled all over as he resumed his mad pacing, growling as he continued to speak. "I don't know how she did it but the little grey cur killed them all. She was covered in their blood, I could smell it on her. I was so angry that I tried to attack her, but... but..." he stopped and hung his head, shaking it and staring at a rock the size of his paw at the end of his nose. "I couldn't bring myself to hurt her. Even with everything she had done. Even with the carnage everywhere... She tried to apologize and explain herself but ther was nothing to explain!" He looked up, wild-eyed. His ears were forward as he raised his head and likely looked quite the figure when he actually took on a demanding posture such as now, even with a bony frame. "I told her to leave, that no one needs a murderer. Afterward, after saying my goodbye, I left too. It was time I set out on my own anyhow." Radek tried to rationalize it, but it wouldn't hide the betrayal he felt. The pain at losing all the family he'd ever known. He hadn't even met friends outside his small family pack before. Now, everything he'd ever known had been ripped away and it had left a very putrid wound on his soul that just begged to fester. Tag: @teme

Radek The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.

[Deleted]

Nocturne

It didn't take long for her offer to be taken up, and Nocturne mused he must either be very naive or very desperate. But she reserved her judgement on that matter, preferring to wait out his story. She knew all too well the grief and trouble prejudice could cause without jumping to conclusions herself. She sat quietly, listening to his story with what she hoped was an open and understanding expression. 6 months. He wasn't old at all at the time, that was for sure. She made a mental note of that face, hearing him out with patience that she rarely held.

She blinked in surprise at his sudden outburst, her ears standing on high alert as he growled and paced and snarled, his story pouring out in ever faster sentences. She kept herself still, surprise still etched faintly upon her features. Oh, he was beyond desperate, that was for sure. 6 months, her mind whispered quietly as he ranted. 6 months.

What a terrible thing to find upon your return...and yet there was a catch to the story. Was his sister not the same age? Had they not been litter-mates? He'd never actually specified, and she felt suddenly rather annoyed that he hadn't given her that to work with. She took a deep breath, calming herself before her own erratic emotions could set him off further.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss" she said softly when he had fallen silent, her mind still working over the details of what happened. She smarted a little at his comment that no-one could use a murderer...and at the same time it struck her as painfully ironic. Here he was, spilling his heart out....to a murderer. But she thought it best to keep that little detail quiet for now. Goodness knew what Radek would do if he found out now. Not that she was scared - he was tall and well-built, but she doubted he'd had much experience in fighting.

She mulled over her options, watching the rage and desolation slowly creep from his eyes. She could continue offering mindless sympathy, but that was neither in her nature, nor would it help him in the long run. She could tell him to put the past behind him and move on, but that would be both callous...and his story reminded her far too much of Reece's. At least her lineage wasn't implicated in Radek's tale...That thought caused her mind to grind to a painful halt. How did she know? How could she be certain that it wasn't her accursed father or one of his spawn that had destroyed Radek's family. "When you say you could not hurt her, that gives me two avenues of thought to pursue" she started slowly, keeping her voice low and soothing. "Either you lack the mettle required to cause grievous harm, or part of you believes your sister to be innocent." There was no judgement to her tones, only deep thought as she tried to unravel his past. "How old was your sister at the time?" The question was posed cautiously, silver eyes fixed unwaveringly on the male. He could choose not to answer her, but it was in his best interests to continue. Once the plausibility of the scenario had been confirmed or denied in her mind, she could aid him in pursuing vengeance if he so wished. She quirked her lips into a private smile - a murderer was good for one thing other than listening to tales of woe it seemed; they could do the dirty work for those too sentimental to bloody their paws.

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He was indeed inexperienced at this point in his life, even more so when the whole incident occurred. Too much responsibility laid out at his feet before he was even mature enough to understand what it had meant. He'd been pruned to be an alpha of a pack that no longer existed nor did he know the first thing about truly leading others. Had he had difinitive proof that Elara had killed them all? To him, he had. A young mind traumatized by the sight before him. Someone had to be to blame. So he'd blamed her without much thought. Lack of experience left him with little to go on. An older wolf would have stopped and really analyzed the scene, to really look at everything. Radek, however, had not. He had reacted to the moment, and to the sight of her sister killing their father. Radek looked at Nocturne carefully, weighing what she said before curling a lip in what could only be described as disgust. Not at her, really, but at the indication that he could be wrong about it. "I saw her. I saw her kill him," he murmured. He tried to ignore her jibe at his mettle, as she so called it, but found himself shaking his head and grunting, "The only thing that matters is that she broke all of her loyalties..." He looked confused for a second as he mulled over her last question. "We were all litter mates, it was my mother's first litter," he said matter-of-factly, as if he'd already made it clear. Had he not? He second guessed himself but then decided it didn't matter. Tag: @teme

Radek The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.

[Deleted]

There was really not much she could say, other than that things were definitely going to be difficult to unravel and yet more difficult to sway the boy's mind on the matter. She frowned as he answered her questions, ignoring her slight jab as best he could. She didn't let the curl of his lip or shake of his head deter her - she'd seen worse in her time, that was for sure. There was definitely something to be said about growing up with the boys...and yet something else to grow up with the stubborn independence that she had. Perhaps it was a fool-hardy trait at times, but at least she would never be accused of sitting about idly, avoiding mayhem and disaster. 

Liltter mates. Well, that just about settled things as far as she was concerned. Unless Radek's father was about to keel over anyway, there was no way that a six-month old pup - from a background as cozy and friendly as Radek's seemed - could cause the carnage described. It was physically impossible. But one look at the male's set jaw informed her that he was not likely to listen to reason. He was emotionally scarred beyond the point of seeing things realistically. A mere stranger would hardly open his eyes. 

She got to her paws, splaying her paws slightly so her claws clicked against the rocky surface between them. "Walk with me" she instructed him calmly, setting off at a slow walk. There was too much tension in him for them to continue discussing the matter whilst seated. As she walked, she wondered how best to proceed. He deemed his sister to be guilty...but was he seeking for vengeance?

The black wolf cast him a side-long glance, silver orbs piercing as she assessed the matter. "Working on the premise that your sister is guilty, how do you wish to proceed?" She paused, running her tongue across her lips in a pensive gesture. "Do you seek vengeance? Does your heart burn to see her own blood spill in atonement for the sins she has committed? Or.." she fixed him with a sharp look, "Do you wish to hear her repent and offer her forgiveness?" Those were the only two options available, really, considering that he hadn't put the matter behind him. Personally, she hoped for the latter - if only because she was almost positive this sister of his was innocent. But if he wanted blood, then who was she to deny him? Some pains could only be healed with bloodshed - she knew that from personal experience.




Tag: @solara Sorry for the long wait, dear!