Burnt Bridges | Teme & Cogs

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Nicostratos

Teeth slashed through the flesh of the male and he could hardly breathe, the problem in the matter was that he had never expected it coming his way. It was not often that Nicostratos was taken off guard, but as it tore into the flesh against his ribcage, the large wolf uttered a battle cry.

His pain was unbelievable with the burning through his flesh and he found himself wanting to huff. The wound was not healing as it should have, and his shudder was brief as he swallowed down the burning. There was the faintest hint of infection, and he knew his twin had gone off trying to ponder a solution. It was so unusual for Nico to get caught off guard and abused by the realities of life. He was a survive, he was a thriving force in a sea of murder.

Part of him suspected it must have been some kind of joke. It must have been because he was going after his half brother. No, he was not about to degrade himself into thinking that it had been the fault of the ghost of his dead father. Heavens no, he would never blame an entity that he could not see. His choice was firm on the spot he believed it to be, and he could sense the stiffness growing.

Ears swished on his head as he twisted himself around in a half circle, trying to make the attempt at taking a break. It was springtime, he was supposed to listen to the birds wanting to play with one another. She shiver rolled up through his spine, and the anger breathed down on his neck. What a nightmare on the matter, and his tail swished from one side to the other. When he found his irritation spiking through his orange eyes. There was a sadness in the fact he was not at his proud state.

It delayed everything, his and Xanthus's plans. But there was no reason for him to speak, so he simply slumped onto the ground. Sinking into the leaves that had been crushed by the winter and the snow. As he settled down, his large head turned and his ears swished around on top of his head. Curiosity played on his face, and the exhale was deliberate. What a nightmare.

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This was far too close for comfort.

Snow sprayed to either side as Swoop plowed violently through it, not caring to pick her way around the banks to less deep areas. Her fur prickled with agitation and she growled at nothing in particular, a sound that was despairingly close to panic. The surroundings, the rough-barked trees, their bare branches reaching to the slate-colored sky, the snow up to her chest, everything. It was too familiar. 

She wasn't sure what she was even doing this far north. Her original plan had been to stay to the south. But as winter turned to spring, she had let her paws travel aimlessly, take her where they wished, trusting they would lead her somewhere worthwile, if there were indeed guiding spirits in this world. Only to end up here, of all places. 

She continued to crash and bash her way through the deep drifts, face set in a grim glare. She probably looked like a demon with her red-orange eyes; she knew them to be unnerving to others. Good, she thought savagely. Let them be unnerved. 

So it happened that when she crested a small rise and looked down to see a shape in the snow, her jaws curled into a savage sneer. Oh, yes, her blood was boiling, and she was ready for a fight.

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Xanthus stalked through the remaining bits of snow with a deep scowl lining his features. Trust Nico to get himself into a mess now. Right now, when they were so close to beginning their offence on the coast. He'd caught himself a couple of scrapes, but those cuts had healed easily over the past few days. Not so for Nico. One lapse in concentration on both their behalves, and his twin had lost a good chunk of skin and flesh to foreign teeth. The attacker had paid the price for his action...but that didn't solve the matter any.

No, they were momentarily confined in this blasted forest and he was errand boy trying to find something to stop the infection that was beginning to fester in the wound. It was beginning to smell sweet, and with his limited knowledge of healing, he knew that was a bad sign. So here he was, combing the forest for some sort of useful plant. His golden eyes scanned left and right incessantly, scouring every bit of leaf mulch and greenery he could see for something....anything that seemed liked it could help.

He was close to giving up when a sharp scent caught his attention, and he breathed an audible sigh of relief. Garlic. Oh, how he hated its perfume! Still, it was a good antiseptic, and Nico's welfare was above the momentary bitterness on his tongue. He swung about, moving into a swift trot as he followed his nose to a clearing covered in the broad green leaves of wild garlic. The large wolf wasted no time, tearing great mouthfuls of leaves from the ground until his vision was impaired with greenery.  Grimacing at the bitterness on his tongue, he hurried back towards the shallow dip where he had left Nico.

He moved as swiftly as his full jaws would allow, growling angrily as he stubbed a paw against a craggy rock. If this garlic didn't result in any improvement in Nico's condition, he was going to tear the forest down! With his nose full of garlic, he missed the tell-tale scent of another wolf, loping steadily towards his twin at a pace that lost him as few garlic leaves as possible. It was with considerable surprise that he suddenly caught sight of the pale silhouette standing before Nico's hiding place. He growled lowly, not impressed with the lack of sound that made its way through the plant matter in his jaws. Instead, he propelled himself forwards into a flat out sprint, a slightly wild gaze to the normally expressionless eyes. He skidded to a halt in a shower of mouldy leaves, dropping the garlic unceremoniously by Nico's head and glaring at the stranger. Who are you and what is your purpose? His words were sharp, his heart slowing slightly when he realised that Nico was not further harmed. 

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Nicostratos

The last thing in the world that the wolf needed was someone coming along and making a mess of his time. He was being peaceful, non-aggressive simply on the fact that he was laying there and not in the mood to make an effort. Society really needed to brush up on their manners though, and it was not long before the scent of a female filled his nose. Exhaling, he could only imagine the fierce look in her eyes, the silly arrogance. It was enough to make his lip curl as he raised his head.

Still, the wolf was confident enough not to feel the urge to move. There was nothing that compelled him to lurch to his feet and make a grand entrance. Well, perhaps he really had been knocked around a bit. His paws massaged the ground and he looked up at the pale wolf without much of a care, but it seemed in no time Xanthus was there, stating a warning that could not be ignored.

Of course, the nonsense of having leaves dropped on his head had him huffing, the male swallowing  as he gingerly picked it up in his mouth and went about stuffing the leaves into the exposed wound, watching the skin attempt to reject it as he worked it with his teeth and pushed it until blood started again, ignoring the pair. Xanthus would tell her off, and there would be no reason for him to move. "She's disappointed I'm not ready to mount her," Crude words were laughable out of his mouth, raising a brow.

"See her disappointment, brother? You handle her..." Women and their needs, it was absolutely tedious. Beyond what anyone would have wanted to deal with on a good day, but he relaxed significantly at his jab..

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{S}

With a snarl, Swoop leaped forward. She stopped just a few pawlengths from the one who had come with the garlic. The new stranger- the brother? -was blocking her way, but she contented herself with baring her teeth at the rude one over his shoulder. 

"Say that again and I'll rip your tongue out of your worthless muzzle and feed it to the ravens, you cur!"

"And as for your question," she snapped back to the standing one, pinning him with a glare and a snarl, "my name is not the concern of the likes of you, and my buisness is mine and mine alone." 

Perhaps it was childish and arrogant to immediately instigate things. But she was irritated and her paws were itching for a fight. What had started as simply wanting to scare some good wolves out of their fur, to have them leave her alone, had turned quite quickly into something else. She burned with a slow rage at the first stranger's vulgar words. She didn't know yet if these two were bad news, but they were certainly nothing good. Swoop could've grinnec. Splendid. 

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It was simply typical. The one time he left Nico unattended when he was unable to fend for himself, something had to crop up. He hadn't anticipated it to be in the form of one so small and so...vengeful. Then again, he supposed he could understand her ferocity - Nico wasn't exactly putting his best paw forwards. Honestly, with a remark like that? The ladies didn't like being referred to in such a manner - surely his twin had learnt that by now? The slimmer male released his breath in a slow, methodical exhalation. Why was it always up to him to patch up ugly situations before they got messy?

Xanthus took a slight step to the side, a silent gesture of pacification. If this sharp-tongued harpy kept her peace, then he would keep his. But woe unto her if she as much tip-toed in Nico's direction. Brotherly love came above everything else....much more so when said twin was hardly fit for sore eyes to look at. "Restrain yourself, brother" he warned lowly, his tones as smooth as ever. He waited long enough to make sure that Nico was squashing the garlic neatly into the wound. He didn't know if that was the right method of application, but it made sense. Whatever was in the leaves could ooze out and kill whatever nasty bacteria were threatening to make a home in Nico's flesh.

With the greatest of his worries partially allayed, he focused his attention on the girl. She was tall and well-built, her pale coat sitting snugly across toned muscle. He still had a significant advantage over her if things turned ugly, but she was bound to leave more than just a scratch to the cheek for his troubles. No, it would be far better for all parties involved if this little gathering did not escalate. 

"Under normal circumstances, I would be inclined to agree" he said calmly, meeting her fiery gaze with his cool golden orbs. "Currently, you stand a paw's length away from threatening my kin...in which case I am more than entitled to knowing if you harbour ill-will." He stared at her for a long moment, soundlessly imparting upon her his own promise of violence if she so much as twitched an ear in Nico's direction. 

When he was satisfied that nothing was going to fly off the handle just yet, he eased his stance slightly. How did the phrase go? Leading by example...For a moment, silence stretched between the three of them, before he sighed gently. Was he really the only one present with a decent head on his shoulders? "Now perhaps we can try this again like civilised wolves, rather than barbaric peasants." At this, he turned to give Nico a stern look. No derogatory comments or anything of the kind! "Xanthus." The name slipped off his tongue easily, the aristocratic syllables filling the air with a state of purpose.

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Nicostratos

Nicostratos was not the most polite male in the world, no matter what his brother had thought to instil in him. Charming in his own way, the bluntness of the male could not be denied. Still, he studied the white female with a droll stare of disgust. He was not about to apologize for the words he had said, no matter how uncivilized they had been spoken. It was one thing for him to be corrected, it was another thing for him to be corrected in front of an angry little puppy who was calling him names.

“Cur! Good god, child, you don’t even know what that means.” The wolf sputtered with laughter, his eyes sparkling as he found him amused with the insult. Still, with his wound properly stuffed, the male brought himself to his feet. No longer looking like a good option to duel with, as he stepped up beside his brother, the same height as the other but the sheer width of the wolf made him look more bear like.

Curling a lip, he started in on a soft growl, his shoulders stiffened as he stared at her hatefully. It was a dangerous game to state playing, and his toes curled against the ground. Who in the hell did she think he was? It was a thought that made him snort, dismissing her as a threat. Still, if she wanted to die there and now, who was he to argue? It had been too long since he had fought another wolf, and with his half brother’s ruling on hold - well.

His shoulders tensed and he found himself snapping his jaws in her direction. “Listen you dirty piece of domesticated dog,” Leaning forward carefully he considered his jaws snapping into the beast that was standing before him. “I am not my brother, and I will not tolerate insult. You come barging up here like some kind of bitch in heat, and what do you expect me to call you?”

“So best be trickling your sorry bottom off with your tail tucked, because I am sick and tired of little pathetic mutts thinking they have a right to speak to me with any sort of arrogance.” He pushed past his brother, fur stiffening on his body as he found himself ready to leap onto her. To take her by the scruff, but somehow, he withstood the urge. This was her chance to leave, “You are pathetic, go suck face with the damned dog who thinks she can own a lake!” His teeth lunged forward, snapping in front of her face.

“Don’t give dirt the time of day, Xanthus. It’s only good for urination.”

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{S}

Swoop didn't move a muscle. She felt an inward rush of pleasure that her nerves were still iron-strong. It had been a long time- too long- since she'd gotten into a good scrape. The heady mixture of adrenaline and  sparking fury  at his goading was intoxicating and just what she had been craving. She felt a wild, ferocious grin flicker around the edge of her lips. So the thought he could scare her off with a show of aggression. Well, two could play at that game. 

She leaned in until her muzzle was inches from the male's face, wrinkling her muzzle into a snarl that pulled her gums back from her teeth. She was pleased to see that although the bearish male topped her by about a nose length, she was tall enough to meet his eyes squarely. When she spoke, her voice was very low and very soft.

"Tell me, boy. Have you ever killed a mountain cat?" she asked conversationally. Her voice deepened to almost a growl. "In my home, in order to become a full border guard, you had to bring one down on your own. The only way to get them fast enough is to leap straight into their claws when they sprang, in order to get your jaws around their neck before they tore your fur off your body." her hackles were raised now, and bristling, along with the fur on her ruff and spine. She leaned forward until her nose was almost touching his. "Have you ever had the nerves to throw yourself into the claws of a mountain cat? I doubt it." every word was slow and deliberate. "so don't you dare think for a second that your little stunt and tough words will frighten me off, you son of an inbred, coyote-rutted, mange-ridden mutt." on the last word, which had deepened to a roar, she slammed her head into his as hard as she could, hoping to at least knock him backwards. She raised her head high. Her forehead stung and she would probably have a bruise- damn, but his skull was thick- but she didn't care.

Her voice was cold. "I didn't run border guard for fifteen seasons  in a wintery hell to have a mangy, cross doggie, smarting from getting kicked around in a fight, tell me I'm not good enough to talk to. You best curb your troublesome tongue before I make good on my earlier threat." What she really meant was, come try your best- I've been looking for a good fight.

OOC: doopdoop new speech color for Swoop. Too bright?

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Xanthus


Things were spiralling rapidly out of control. Nico was being more bolshy than usual, his words cruel and biting in a manner his twin had not witnessed in a long time. It made the slimmer male frown slightly, the true depth of his displeasure masked by years of careful practice. But within him, behind the watchful eyes he felt his temper writhe and twist. He didn't offer lose his temper - it was a poor show of emotional dominance, and emotions could so easily cloud important judgements. But with Nico injured and their campaign against Kerberos on the coast on standby, he was getting to the end of his tether.

He watched the two of them goad each other, his imbecile brother standing up when his shoulder would do better with rest. Garlic was nothing more than a pesky herb with some useful properties. It wasn't going to heal him in a blink of an eye! The grey-marbled male watched the two parties inching closer to each other, insults morphing into physical displays of threat. His own words of introduction were dismissed without even a blink of acknowledgement.

He let his temper go. If the pair of them were going to behave like spoilt pups, then he was going to treat them in just the same manner. He waited just long enough for Nico to regain his footing before he leapt nimbly forwards, a howl of outright fury tearing through his open jaws and blasting into the eardrums of the wolves standing just before him. His lips curled back in a furious snarl as he glared at the two wolves. "Silence!" The was hissed through clenched teeth, golden eyes blazing. "You are behaving like spoilt pups, and I will not tolerate that." His entire body was trembling with the force of his pent up anger, only his self-restraint keeping him from cuffing them both about the ears.

He didn't give them a moment to recover from his outburst, drawing himself up to his full height at glaring at the two of them. "I am bitterly disappointed in your conduct, brother. You know better". He swung about to face the pale she-wolf, his gaze no less stern as he scolded her. "For one who prides herself on holding an important position, your conduct displays a crude lack of self-restraint. Threatening an injured wolf on lands that are not your own reflects poorly on the moral standards of both yourself and your kin."

He fell silent, his shoulder tense with anger he could not - would not - display physically. It would be bottled; harnessed carefully until he was next let loose into battle. He forced a long slow breath from his lungs, pulling up his walls and hiding his emotions firmly behind them. "I do not expect you to like each other, but you will be civil. If you..." he paused to glare at the female, "...insist on a fight, then I will be obligated to spare my brother from further injury. Mountain lion or no, you are no match for the two of us, and it would be a sore waste of a formidable creature to leave your carcass for the crows." With that he plonked his rear firmly on the ground and surveyed the pair with a grim scowl. If it did come to a fight, he was really going to lose his temper with Nico. If it didn't, then maybe he could salvage this pig's ear of a situation. This lady, for all her sharp words and biting tongue, would be a good ally for their cause. Certainly one who could fight, rather than being one of the 'headless turkeys' Nico had worried about earlier.