Learning the Ropes [Kerberos]

[Deleted]

At least she'd been sleeping well. That was something she was grateful for. A lack of sleep dulled the senses and made the mind sluggish - two things she couldn't afford in this place. She'd not seen hide nor hair of the other wolves, but their scents were on the breeze and embedded in the land. She supposed she'd be introduced at some point. She could ask Ker, if she was really desperate, but she preferred to avoid him at the moment. It had taken her the last three days to come to terms with what had actually happened. Three days to wrap her head around the fact that she was now owned. It had been quite the painful admission, and she still wasn't quite sure what it was she was losing. Her freedom, for starters, but it would have been similar in any pack. The rule of a pack was to be a close-knit society - you couldn't have members roaming far and wide. But somehow, she felt there were other things...unspoken things....that would be stripped from her. It filled her with a sense of dread, and made the cave she slept in feel cramped and oppressive. She was alone in the cave, and a peek outside informed her that the dark male was definitely out of sight. Taking that as an invitation, she stepped out into the open and headed towards the ocean. She was desperately in need of a good lungful of sea air. And a spot of fishing would be quite amenable - Ker had neglected to bring her food. She retraced the path towards the cliffs, peering down the steep slope in mild apprehension. Gracious, that was a long drop! Still, she needed the ocean's lullaby to soothe her and some fish to keep her fed and glossy. Taking a deep breath, she put one paw on the narrow path before letting gravity and her balance carry her down to the bottom. She arrived in a shower of loose stones, quite unharmed. Giving herself a brisk nod of congratulations, she headed towards the ocean and stepped into the cold waters. She didn't go in far, just enough for the water to swirl around her legs. She closed her eyes, letting the murmur of the water on the rocks ease away her anxiety. The waves were gentle, only the faintest breeze bringing the sea-mist to bead on her cheeks. She leant into the cold touch, tasting the salt on her lips. "I've missed you" she murmured gently, her heart expanding with her love for the great body of water and the breeze that always accompanied it. "Speech"

[Deleted]

King of the Coast, Kerberos

Last time he had found reason to treasure the lonesome of his thoughts, he gathered up the notion that he needed some moments. His father had never craved being alone, it was said, but his nose wrinkled absently. Paws pushed into the ground and he swallowed as the rush touched him, head cocked to the side and he found himself ready to be judged by the world. But the happiness he counted upon was a nasty prize, it danced to a tune that was hard to achieve.

Tail swished to the left as he embraced the memory, the taste of flesh on his lips. It lingered in his mind that he needed a happily ever after, but his narrowed features claimed the ground hungrily. Once upon a time, when he had willingly first consumed a body - it had been a glorifying experience. He had been near death, due to a nasty disease that had faded past the land. Perhaps in other ways, when the time had arrived, Kerberos had slumped a little at the mere thought of death. There was always such accusations, and he found himself with a curled up lip before he could stop himself.

His father never quit, he plastered his mark on the world. It was only natural that Kerberos would do so too, that he would make Zarek proud. When he finally found his face looking in one of the many puddles trapped on the rocks, he continued back. The flesh in his mouth was a heavy back end of a sea lion, as if it had never occurred to him that she deserved food. On the other hand, there was a strict issue with bringing down some of the sea lions. When it came to food, Kerberos kept those who mattered on a reminder that it was mission base. To stay alive and eat, it meant not to have endless slaughter ensued.

The further he wandered though, the more his fur prickled in warning. Something had happened, something that had made him annoyed beyond his consequences. His nose caught the scent trail, dampened as always in the area, and turned his figure. As he dropped the piece of flesh, the low growl started in his chest. She had left him. She had abandoned the spot he had told her to stay in. It was absolutely inconceivable.

Somehow, he found her without much issue. He never went down the slope, like some pestered lover. Instead he stood on the steep incline and glared down at her, the low growl summoning something louder. Something that promised threat, although he could not bring himself to speak so rapidly. How could she? So soon defiant?

[Deleted]

She lost track of how long she stood in the water for, letting her mind wander off to places that she couldn't recall upon returning. Perhaps it was an image of life after death, a whisper of promise after the life they all endured. She couldn't rightly say, though. She was quite convinced that something special happened to their...souls, if you wanted to put it that way. The essence of yourself that made her different from the next wolf. Their bodies all decomposed, but that was but a shell for them to walk the earth in. It was a fascinating question, one that circled her mind often in times of great solitude. There was something alluring about thinking that the departed soul found a new home elsewhere. It was only a question whether the next stage of the journey was more or less...fascinating that this life. The water pressed more insistently against her legs, the tide inching up the shore and tugging at her. Follow, follow it seemed to murmur, the call rising to a clamour in her mind. Something was off. She could feel it in the sudden tension in the air, and she shivered. "He's found me, hasn't he" she whispered down at the water, blue-grey orbs staring at her distorted reflection. She gazed at her pale features for a moment, before turning around and scanning the shore. Nothing. She raised her gaze, and found him at the top of the hillside. He looked like a forbidding demon, dark against the grey autumn sky. Oh dear, he didn't seem pleased in the slightest. Sending a mental apology to the water for her rapid departure, she headed back towards the cliff path at a brisk trot. She wasn't confident enough to walk back in her own good time, nor was she quite willing to bend over backwards and come racing towards him like an over-exuberant pup. She scrambled up the steep slope, her wet paws slipping on the earth and rocks. She slowed to a walk half-way up, panting with the exertion. Damn, this slope was steep! The closer she got to the top, the harder her heart began to thrash against her ribcage. She wasn't at all sure what was waiting for her upon arrival. Assessing eyes determined that he was just far enough away from the path that she could haul herself over and take a couple of steps away from the perilous drop. She didn't think he'd like to break his new toy that quickly, but safety was always a good precaution. She heaved herself over the last few metres, pushing her aching muscles away from cliff before turning about. He looked grim, and she felt her body duck slightly in response to the intimidating stance. "You don't need to look so angry" she informed him diplomatically, keeping her gaze angled up towards his single eye. "I know I shouldn't have left, but you didn't leave me anything to eat, the den is painfully boring with nothing to do but wait, and I missed the ocean." She kept her tunes light and sincere. Ker had evidently experienced some hardships himself else he wouldn't be so twisted - she couldn't damn him on account of incorrect upbringing. "I wasn't running away - I'm not stupid enough for that." "Speech"

[Deleted]

King of the Coast, Kerberos

His mouth twisted when he was recognized on the top of the slope, and he knew very well that she had realized the danger. His tolerance was forever low with someone who could not follow simple tasks. And he wondered why he had come to loathe females as much as he had. Why, even his mother had not been capable of loving her own young! It caused him to feel almost sick to his stomach, he allowed the anger to boil like an eager volcano.

When she reached him, he was looking away. His chest heaved lightly, and he waited for her excuses. As if such defiance could even be considered! Heavens, he loathed those who assumed that everything could be put away with just simple excuses. A King, like himself, never needed an excuse. He just did as he pleased and it was expected that his pack would be pleased enough to listen to him. Regardless of the why they had been brought in. Whether it was by choice of force, he belonged to them and they belonged to him. No argument should have risen.

"You never requested food brought back from the cache. Some of the males that wander on my permission are disturbed by the scent of females, thus I will decide when food is retrieved.” Eye glazed lightly, and he refrained over the fact he had been intent to share his meal. He had gathered up something for her to eat, and he had planned on culturing her on her knew life. Now?

His tail arched, and the snarl rolled out of the ocean. "If you know so much Little Wave, did it not occur you to ask?” His steps enclosed on her rapidly, his breathing coming faster. "Did it not occur to you that I could have raced down the slope and broke your neck, thinking you were about to attempt to flee via the water?” His growl vibrated once again in his chest as he arched his neck, leaning into her space. His body shuddered, and somehow he managed to fight it. "Some have tried before - and I fed them to the fish they so wanted to become.”

The violence was not to be ignored, not when he knew she needed to learn. How else was a thick headed wench supposed to learn anything of the sort? It plagued him, and his lips pulled back, exposing his front teeth as he struggled not to go for her. Regardless of what she thought, he knew he needed to hold back. To send them both over the edge with the fury he carried in his body now, which would have resulted in a near tackle, would have doomed the pair of them. He was a survivalist at the finest, and a ruler.

[Deleted]

Things were getting rapidly out of paw, and she dropped her gaze to look at her paws. She really hadn't meant for things to get so...tense. Yes, he'd told her that she wasn't to leave, but she hadn't quite grasped how serious he was on the fact. Apparently not leaving really meant staying put - not going out for a little wander and returning home. She frowned at the thought of the males, not understanding how the scent of female could put them off eating. It just didn't make sense, and she worried that she hadn't paid enough attention to the small snippets of information on pack life that Ker had relinquished.  She bowed her head in shame at his harsh words, flinching when he was towering above her. She was torn between answering back and remaining silent. She settled on looking at his paws, each one twice the size of her own. Paws that could do a whole lot of damage to her slim figure. She found she couldn't remain silent, though. Yes, she hadn't thought things right the way through, but that was neither here nor there at the moment.  "I didn't think you'd be rash enough to hurry down the cliff like that" she commented honestly, angling her head up slightly so she could peer at him through her eyelashes. "I purposely stayed in the shallows for precisely that reason." Well, that and the threat of the sharks. But more to keep her from Ker's wrath. She shivered as his words rumbled ominously in her ears, his breath tickling the fur on her cheeks. Goodness, he was close! She took a step backwards, the tension in his body setting her teeth on edge. Oh, he was furious indeed! It bothered her that he would get so worked up about something she considered so minor. She'd accepted his ownership over her, so where was the problem? "If I had wanted to escape, Kerberos, the last place I'd go was the ocean. I'd be drowned before the tide washed my body on any new shore." She kept her voice neutral, not wanting their disagreement to end in a burst of violence, but unable to accept that everything was her fault. She had thoughts and emotions just as he did - the only way they were ever going to get along in some semblance of harmony was if they understood each other.  "And if I was desperate enough for such a permanent escape, I'd throw myself over the cliff. Then death would claim me faster than you or anyone could stop me." She took another step backwards so she could look him fully in the eye.  She suddenly remembered the discussion of food, her gaze clouding for a moment as she recalled his words. Why hadn't she simply asked him? She'd seen him a couple of times, to be sure. Not enough when she was desperate for someone to talk too, and then too much for her fragile conscience to bear. She slowly set her rump to the ground, one forepaw toying idly with a small pebble at her feet. It was probably best if she just came clean. Then he would no irrevocably where she stood...and she'd have the dubious pleasure of discovering just where he was positioned. "I suppose I could have asked for food, or leave to see the ocean" she began softly, staring at the pebble. This was a conversation where she really didn't have the confidence to look at him; it took too much bearing of her own soul. "But you unsettle me" she continued candidly, ploughing on before her courage deserted her. "There is a darkness to you that I cannot understand, though my heart begs that I try." She huffed a soft sigh, giving the pebble a frustrated swat with her paw before watching it skitter and bounce away. "Speech"

[Deleted]

King of the Coast, Kerberos

The male curved his lip upward as he found the rush billowed out of him. It was a dangerous game to be playing with a wolf who had realized already that his mere size could be enough to prepare intimidation. His head cocked to the side and the pleasure bubbled up inside. That quiet little moment that caused him to want to be pained and his body trembled faintly, and he bothered himself with the reminder that he needed not to be a monster.

Teeth shined off the light as he stepped toward her, the growl continued.  "Funny, isn't it?” Irritated voice rolled off his mouth, and his tail swished from one side to the other as he twisted himself. It bothered him that she had decided to make things difficult. It pained him, frankly, and he suffered as his paws dragged himself forward. "I'm not totally without mercy, dear Wave.” His voice remained threatening, that velvet soft promise of the killer that he had been brought into the world to become.

"You accept your hell, yet common little thoughts that would have been offered to your parents get dismissed as an opportunity to me.” It caused him to view her as rude, dense when the opportunity would have been granted. No, it was not a hindsight. There was a reason Zarek had selected the coast to be Kerberos' kingdom. There was an encouragement to play within the ocean's grasp. Only areas were specifically selected for females, where those who lingered off on duty could watch.

Her words of announcement took him by surprise, and he struggled to know how to respond. The darkness in him was granted by his father, and there was nothing to be done on the subject. His teeth shined again, and he false lunged, throwing himself forward and stopping short. "I need you to learn better manners, Little Wave.” He purred after teeth snapped at the air, sharp and capable.

"You will learn.” The sound of promise startled him, but the rage overtook him in a swish. His jaws reached out, and he seized the female by the front of the scruff, hauling her to the ground with him as he threw himself backwards, the growl ripping out of his chest as he crawled forward just as fast, heading for the throat. He'd not kill her, but he threatened her breathing, her source of life. He controlled that, everything, she needed to understand that.

ooc| Monster, monster.

[Deleted]

He wasn't listening to her. He wasn't even trying to understand! It bothered her immensely that she had to learn all this rules for a society that was based on completely alien viewpoints. Why couldn't he listen to her sense and see what aspects he could improve? But he just blocked everything out, ignoring her factual tunes. It aggravated her, but she couldn't really do anything against it. She hadn't the power nor the skill to grab him by the scruff and shake him like an errant pup. Even the words he cast back at her made little sense, and she stood with a perplexed expression. How on earth was she ever going to understand how he worked? Because at the moment, they were just rubbing each other's fur the wrong way. She scrambled backwards as he lunged suddenly forwards, her ears flattening against her skull as the jaws clicked ominously shut. Oh dear, oh dear. This wasn't good. No, this was quite truly bad. She ducked to the ground, round eyes staring up at the male in concern. Ok, before he had simply unsettled her. Now he was scaring her. She peered upwards, the sky almost blotted out with the broadness of his shape. Whatever his talk of manners were, she wasn't able to concentrate on that. As far as she was concerned, she'd always been polite. She might have talked back to him a little too often...but what else was she supposed to do? It just wasn't in her nature to be silent and subservient. She'd been her own mistress for too long. His threat echoed in her eardrums, and he was flying at her before she'd even processed the words. She squeaked as his jaws fastened roughly around her throat. She resisted the urge to panic and flail. Any wrong move on her behalf would have her throat torn open and life's blood staining the ground. "Ouch! You're hurting me" she wheezed, raising one weak paw to push feebly against his chest. "Stop. Stop!" She was beginning to see stars, the male disappearing into a haze of black. "Can't... breathe..." Her instinct for survival kicked in and she pulled away from him with all her little strength, gasping and wheezing for the slight bit of air that managed to slip into her airways. Fighting was futile though, and she figured that this wasn't a bad thing, really. Maybe death was here to pick her up soon that expected. She let herself go limp, brutally quenching the desire to live. If her time was up, her time was up. End of story. At least she wouldn't have the thankless task of trying to redeem Kerberos if he suffocated her now. "Speech"

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[Deleted]

King of the Coast, Kerberos

Kerberos had never had another over power him, tell him what to do. It was not in his nature to be understanding of a give and take philosophy. That was why, in the end, he grasped her with a fierce show of annoyance. It plagued him that she simply did not understand. Even if he would have grasped her words and sought the redemption she offered, he never would have been able to process it. Any social means had been eliminated long before she had ever appeared in his life.

His growl rumbled in his chest, and he fought the urge to scream. But he couldn't, his mouth closed around her throat. It had never occurred to her to fight it away, and for that no blood entered his nose. By the time she struggled, he knew his power of exertion. The pressure never arrived that would have killed her, and he pleased himself with the ability to feel her realize that he had succeeded. With an ease, he lugged himself to his feet, pulling the she wolf as she struggled.

Stones scrambled beneath his paws, being forced away from their place of rest. His growl continued, and whenever she twitched, he shook her, tossed his head like a horse, swinging it proudly. It was a lighter hold than he could have exerted, and he made sure she was aware of that. It was a lesson she needed to learn. That his power was beyond. Luckily, he knew how to stray from the cliff. The ledge was forever rocky, however, and when the large rock jutted out of the coast side, he backed his way up it.

He pulled her along with him, and knew that she needed to learn. His body ducked to the ground and he snarled, jerking her around like he might have managed with a sea lion. His shoulders slumped lightly, and he hissed lightly as his back paw slipped when he reached the top of the rock. It almost cascaded over the edge, and his body attempted to move in a circle.

The male hauled the female upwards, shaking her towards the edge. Would she scramble? Would she struggle when the earth deserted her? Or would she hang limp and accept it? The fall was short; but she hardly knew that unless she had watched. The stiffness in her body seemed to say she had surrendered. Why, there was no need of that. The games had only begun.

[Deleted]

The pressure on her throat lessened, and she silently cursed the male. How dare play around with her like that! Dangling her on the edge of sweet oblivion and then not letting her go. She wasn't afraid of death, so why not deliver her and be done with it? True, she wouldn't be learning whichever lesson he thought was so important to impress upon her. But frankly, she didn't like his teaching methods. No, not one bit. Whichever crazy part of her heart had been trying to get her to see his good sides and redeem whatever madness his father had seeded with him...it died in this instant. In this moment of knowing how carelessly he valued her as an individual. He didn't care for who she was...just what her body could offer him. Even that dwindled down to exactly two things: warmth and offspring.  She felt them moving, her flank scraping painfully along the rocks. Great, she'd have the lovely task of cleaning blood of her fur, now. The few times she'd tried to right herself and slip out of his grasp, she was shaken so violently that her head thundered painfully in her skull. The groans that her body emitted in reply did nothing to ease his hold on her, and she suffered the journey in silence. There was no point in talking with him - he was simply beyond reason, and she wasn't crazy enough to try and interact with him on that level. So she let herself be dragged along by the throat, like a trophy kill that a pup was bringing home to the den. It made her heart burn with the injustice of it, and she realised that this was the first time she really, actively disliked someone. She was patient and forgiving in nature...but this was simply one step too far. He could just have told her - rationally and calmly - that his pack worked in one such manner, and that the place and behaviour of the female was to be in another manner. Then she would have argued, because frankly, his rules were just absurd, but in the end she would probably have given in. If only to do them both a favour and end the endless dispute between light and dark.  Now, though, she felt defiance blossom. She'd never taken to violence, both because it was crude and because she wasn't able to land a successful blow half the time. But this was how Kerberos was going to settle things. Violently and brutishly. So what if he didn't know any better? You didn't need to be taught common decency. It was enough to know that you wouldn't like to be treated like such...so why treat others so callously? The ground suddenly fell away from behind her paws, and she flailed instinctively. The pressure on her throat tightened and her mind caught up with proceedings. So, he was dangling her over the cliff. That as the only logical explanation for why the ground had disappeared but his grip hadn't changed. She forced her eyes open, gazing blearily at the dark shape hovering above her. "Had enough of me already, have you?" she wheezed on the little oxygen in her lungs. It seemed to take an age for the fractured words to reach her ears, but she guessed that a lack of oxygen was bound to make the brain and thus the auditory system and everything work more slowly. "Let me drop then" she continued once she'd saved enough breath. "I'm not afraid." "Speech"

[Deleted]

King of the Coast, Kerberos

What did she think of this situation? He could have laughed when he felt her body swing, and he braced himself better. No need for him to tumble down over the stone, and he sighed against her neck as he felt her accept fate. Somehow, he realized it might not have worked, but it proved he was willing. He had dragged her around like a pup, and now she was scolded for the actions she had taken against him. Next time it would be the bones, next time, she wouldn't be so lucky.

Head tipped to the side and the anger boiled through his veins when she spoke. She dared to rasp out the words, and he huffed. Well, she was an enjoyable little mouse. She assumed he would let her end the game. Not, that it was a game by any means. It was valued that he dared not have the ability to see his expression, however. Otherwise he would have beckoned his madness to the point where it would have been her downfall. He would have bashed her head in and then dropped her, perhaps left her for a bit for the sea rats to nibble on.

The thought caused him to shudder - frankly, it was his worst nightmare. Dying without cause, without sense. Then being consumed by mere little rodents that crept out of the crevices on the rocks. Diseased and repulsive, it would have been enough to infuriate him enough to be returned for the dead. As he shifted restlessly though, he returned his attention to her, and did as she asked.

His jaws snapped open like he had been batted, and he felt the fur swiftly escaped. It might have been a fair little fall, but it was enough to make sure it would hurt. She was in the thought process of being thrown for a longer time, he only hoped something cracked. Something to make a sickening crunch, to burst the pain through her until she witnessed stars in the daytime. It was selfish, but she deserved such an outcome.

When she hit, he simply crept toward the edge. His body bowed, ready to launch down on top of her if he was aggravated by her sassy mouth. Blue grey eye watched in amusement, his tongue sliding out over his lips. She was tasty; oh, he longed for the day when he could get something out of her. He knew that he would destroy the inner most part of her, one way or another. Whether it was today or on her death bed. Kerberos never failed.

[Deleted]

She was surprised that he did as she goaded, and she just enough time to straighten her limbs when she impacted with the ground below. She winced at the sharp bolts of pain that shot up each leg from where the landing jarred her unprepared body. Perhaps it had been a bit foolish to expect him to simply drop her off the cliff to shatter on the rocks far below. She keeled over upon impact, yelping involuntarily as her shoulder drove into a particularly jagged rock. Damn, that hurt! She tried to think of the next logical step of action, but her mind seemed a mess of pain signals and indecisiveness. The rare, stubborn side of her urged her to haul herself upright. The sensible, quiet side of her begged her to lie still and take this lesson in her stride. The pain was just a background noise that drowned out all the chatter.  In the end, she decided on doing nothing because that was the easiest thing to do. She experimentally moved each leg and was rewarded with a bearable pain. That seemed to indicate that nothing was broken, though she was no expert on broken bones. Her lungs hurt, though. Not just hurting, but really, actively painful. Each breath of air was like sweet torture - the oxygen that her body so desperately craved almost burning her maltreated lungs. She tried to regulate her breathing, but her body was demanding air...and more air. At length, she rallied herself enough to roll herself over to lie on her tummy. The simple action left the blood pounding in her ears and she swallowed the bile in her throat. Her stomach evidently disagreed with sudden drops, she thought was pained amusement. She cautiously opened her eyes, realising suddenly that she'd had them clenched shut for an uncomfortably long period. The overcast sky seemed impossibly bright, and she blinked owlishly until she grew accustomed to the light. Having ascertained that everything else was essentially in order, she turned her mind to the next course of action. Her body was too weak for her do much more than stand, she guessed, and frankly, she had no desire to talk. He wouldn't listen. Instead he'd throw her about some more until she couldn't disturb the peace of his vile thoughts, and she didn't fancy that either. No, it was better she remained silent. At least until she was suitably recovered and given adequate reason to answer back. "Speech"

[Deleted]

King of the Coast, Kerberos

Eye watched the female as she hit the ground, and the small satisfying sound nearly escaped his mouth. But then he sucked it back in, and allowed his stance to become more serious. He listened to her cry, and the contentment etched onto his features. As he moved away from the edge, he pulled himself back to full height. Once he hit the side of the stone, he jumped down confidently, shaking the nearby stones when he landed. Shaking himself off lightly from the impact, he turned.

Approaching the female who had been dropped and surrendered to gravity was no rushed task. It was unlikely that she could run away, although she had committed herself to the hell he offered already. So he offered a content stride, and his eye shined lightly as he examined her. By the time he reached her, the large dark wolf positioned himself over her, and leaned down, sniffing for the blood he would have easily found if she had shattered something.

Paws massaged the stones as he considered what to do next, but instead he simply leaned down and sighed. Pushing his head against hers gingerly, his words seemed almost apologetic. "You won't listen to me any other way.” In reality, the male was rather incapable of handling such a situation in any other method. Intimidation, pain. It was something he had understood for a fair long time. Now the slight pain of regret touched, and he attempted to pretend it did not exist.

His head cocked lightly as he surveyed her though, taking in the sight of her so limp beneath him. In a way, it was exciting. In another, he felt the tinge of regret. He would shove this body into the nightmare that plagued him. Loneliness, it was hard not to have it consumed in his mind. But still, he studied her as he loomed, more concerned with making sure some things hurt. His nose reached down to touch what he assumed would be sore, prodding around to make sure he was satisfied. "I am a social creature, little wave.” His voice grumbled, "Don't sentence me to death simply because I'm not as good as you.”

[Deleted]

She knew he was standing over her from the prickle of apprehension that tickled her skin. She stayed perfectly still, facing the opposite direction with unseeing eyes. She was still at a loss of what to do: give in to the beast and risk losing herself in the process, or continue on this reckless path of defiance. His words snaked through her ear drums, their meaning crystallising sharply in her mind. Wouldn't she have learnt another way? With nothing better to occupy her pain-dazzled mind with, she turned to examining his statement. Words were, after all, that which she understood best.  On the one hand, he probably spoke a grain of truth. The way he handled his pack was based on fear....and how else was he to instil that fear if not through needless violence? And yet, why not tell her in detail first? Why not paint the picture of his rules with that poisonous tongue of his? Perhaps he didn't speak much, but all it really needed was one monologue. One long speech coupled with the crazed glint that she caught in his eye from time to time. Then again, if she was going to be honest with herself - and she did make a point of doing so - this was a lesson she was less likely to forget. For the time being, at any case. She knew in her heart that things wouldn't go smoothly for her - her spirit was as unruly as the ocean, and whilst land could temper the ocean's might in the end it was always powerless. There was no escaping the water; it could bury itself within the very heart of the land, carving great chunks out of the rocky land and it would fall from the sky in frozen spheres, hard enough to crack the skull of even the densest of creatures.  No, she was going to learn her limits the hard way. Like the storm-borne waves that crashed relentlessly at the cliff, she would fight until her energy was spent. Then, in the lull that followed, she could slip through the cracks in the stone facade. There was no quenching her spirit; not as long as the sea breeze still played upon her face, and the sharp cry of the seagull's echoed in her ears. She yelped as his questing nose pressed forcefully against the ache in her shoulder. She wasn't sure whether the rock had managed to puncture the skin or not, her nose too full of his scent to determine whether her blood was on the air. She grumbled in reply to his words, more a sound of assent than dissent. The only thing that really impacted was his talk of death. He didn't want to die! He didn't want to leave this earth, simply because he wasn't treating its inhabitants with the respect they deserved. It was a rare insight into his mind that she stored carefully away in her heart. The mind could be broken, but not her not. As long as she found it in her to love and forgive, her heart would forever be safe. "I never wished to consign you to death" she rasped, her throat sore from his manhandling. "I simply wished to point out that there are other paths for you to walk; journeys free of mistrust and terror." She closed her eyes, the sadness in her heart weighing her roughened vocals. "But you are deafened by your ambition and blinded by the darkness in your soul. You will not listen to me...not even if your life depended on it." A soft, defeated sigh passed across her lips, her head resting sorrowfully on her paws. She could only try so much. "Speech"

[Deleted]

King of the Coast, Kerberos

Once more, she argued. Oh, he waited her out this time around and attempted to give her something to understand. But when he made the attempt, it seemed like the unlikelihood of anything worth it was going to have him ended. The mouth twisted in disgust, and he huffed in his chest roughly as he counted his blessings. At leas the was alive now, he had never been eliminated quite as he had expected to be in his early years.

Ears swayed on his head, and the male acknowledged her with a dip of his head. If he would have been able to give her more, he would have. "Trust?” Laughter tinged in his voice at the mere notion, his eye wild as he backed away from her body. Pleased, satisfied that she was hurt he sat down, stunned with the notion she would offer him. "I've never been given or have given trust in my life—any trust was eliminated when my mother left me outside a mountain lion’s den in hopes I would be a good kitten treat.” Sharp voice reminded himself, and he tossed his head.

It was unthinkable, it was impossible. What would make her think there was even a fairness in speaking on such matters? "Little wave, there is nothing to me other than terror and mistrust. The first female I ever offered my heart to in friendship laughed in my face, and screeched that I was a monster when her father found out.” His voice was steady, and his eyes lingered on her, waiting the judgment. Or worse, that little hum of pity. His words were dead, though, so factual.

You don’t even know how to feel. The accusation was sharp in his ears, What, you think a bunch opened up dead animals left tossed all over the ground would make me like you? What a waste. You’re such a freak, Ker. Why did we ever take you in? His peace making ways had never worked. The young wolf had not been completely attached to the realization that he was evil, not until he heard the words. They had to be true, so he adjusted to them.

His nose flared lightly and he growled, irritated with the pain that stabbed him. The she-wolf still lived, it was the only one who had ever burned him to the ground. Had completely destroyed him, and he had loved her, simply out of the lack of understanding. As he swallowed, the male shook himself briefly as he raised back to the full height that he needed to become. His eye stabbed in the direction of the female to make sure she was recovering, then he turned away. "My father, it’s said, only ever felt pain once. And it was the day he discovered he would never be loved, never respected, never given anything for his worth. I’ve made sure to avoid that.”

It was a lie, in ways, but his voice remained brisk. Businesslike, as if he had not a care in the world over the matter. That was the problem of being a psychopath with feelings.

[Deleted]

She hadn't expected him to hear her out, and even less that he would actually listen to what she said. She felt him shift away, and she twisted, opening her eyes so she could watch him. He looked a little out of sorts, and she felt a rush of triumph that she had finally managed to impact him. It washed away the aches in her body, raising her onto a soft cloud of enhanced understanding. Now, when he finally thought her too weak to retaliate, he was going to listen to her. She made a mental note of it. In future, the best way to make him listen was to impress upon him her complete vulnerability to his actions.  She felt the breath catch in her throat when he did more than just listen. He was opening himself, giving her a fleeting insight into his soul. It pained her, to hear his derisive laugh at the notion of trust. It pained her yet more to hear the admission that no-one had ever trusted him...and by extension he trusted no-one. It was a bleak life, forming acquaintances with the constant fear of being betrayed. In retrospect, it was no wonder that he fairly flew off the handle for her wandering off. He had no idea that she held honour and loyalty in high regard - he didn't know that she'd uphold her end of the bargain until he took things too far.  She exhaled gently at his read admission, almost reliving the scorn he must have felt at the female's actions. That too, would explain his blatant disregard for her as a physical entity. Through punishing her and whichever hapless females fell into his grasp, he would try to punish she who did him wrong. It was twisted and unfair, but understandable. For one who had never known love, whose own mother had left him to die....well, compassion and forgiveness wasn't likely to be found there. She swallowed the urge to haul herself over to him, and forced the sympathy from her eyes. He would see himself as weak for ever being in such a situation - to acknowledge so with any warm gesture on her behalf was sure to set him raging. But perhaps...in time, she would be able to soften those rough edges. He wouldn't change...he was too far gone for that; but he deserved more out of this bleak life he'd fashioned for himself. "That pains me" she informed him softly, her open gaze resting lightly on his broad features. "Though such callous acts of disregard are common, I would not wish to see anyone suffer for them." Perhaps she was just too sentimental, too compassionate. She was never going to get anywhere in life; not in the sense of pack hierarchy or anything of the sort. She cared for others just as much as she cared for herself...the soft-hearted fool who'd willingly sacrifice her heart for another. She listened to his talk of his father carefully, this time. He had been no saint, from what she gathered, but his mate had been just as much to blame for Ker's current mental state. She huffed sorrowfully at his announcement, wincing as she shifted to watch him better. That shoulder was going to be sore for a while. "To avoid such pain, is to forego the beauty of peace." She let her gaze slip away from him, staring sightlessly through the rocks by his side. "A broken heart may still be mended, but the world cannot be made colourful when the light is extinguished." "Speech"