Madness Marches

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Zenobia

The burning sensation wafted through her nose, and somehow she knew it was a dream. It was winter, there was hardly enough in existence to burn. Everything was freezing away, and the cold swept over her with the snow blanket that had been falling. Normally, she knew little about the snow; but she was receiving a crash course as the winter barreled down on her.

The tightness of the ball was effective enough to keep her from fading away completely. Her shoulders rolled with the notion that she might freeze to death in that very spot, but she cast aside the concern in favour of lifting her head. Defiant on the cold grounds, her lips curling distastefully. This was the reason she missed her desert  home, she was not well enough acclimatized to embrace the winter.

Her head twisted though, ears flicking on her head. The little female was crafty, she was not as stunned as most of the Northern born wolves. Quickly she had learned to outmaneuver those around her, steps swift an capable. It made her a hard prey to catch, especially when the idiots mistook her for a coyote.

It was only then when she saw the passer, her head cocked to the side as she internally debated making herself aware. Of course, on the slopes of this coast she blended in nicely at the spot she had chosen. A golden rock among other dust covered stones. But at the same time, she sighed, knowing it was inevitable.

It was pack lands, she had known it and still entered. Stubborn as she was, she knew she had to investigate everything. The crossing would not open until the new seasons; the warmth of summer beckoned her, but she knew it was not on her tongue to taste yet.

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MAXIM

Marching. Walking. Always checking the lands. Such was the life of the gatekeeper, charged with keeping his pack-mates safe no matter how desperately he despised each and every one of them. He remained only because of his loyalty, and none would ever have been able to convince him otherwise. He was a brutal creature with everyone, his affections saved for the one who deserved it above all else, the very one who had already proven that he did not wish to receive it.

Nose lifted into the air as the scent of a stranger began to swirl around his head. Creatures wandering into their land was not something particularly uncommon, but most turned around at the realisation that the lands were marked by a pack, and he assumed that this one - a female he suspected - had probably done the same. Foolish was the woman who remained when the land was scented so strongly of the two males who kept guard of the black coast, but the scent was surprisingly strong. Had she turned on a heel to retreat, it had not been long ago, but his nose followed the trail regardless. Better to be safe than to risk the possibility of an outsider coming onto their territory and posing a risk to the king.

Eyes flashed to the dusted rocks in search as he approached them, finding nothing for the longest time, until te reflection of eyes caught his gaze, and his heart instantly began to race. Strangers on their land. Trespassers to be beaten and abused. Tongue flashed across his lips with anticipation, the early stages of a growl staring in his throat as his tail curled high and his face twisted into a snarl. He was still some distance when he caught her in his vision, too far away for any damage to be done. His message was clear though, as he locked eyes with her. Would she run? Would he get to chase her until she collapsed? Feet started forward in a hurried walk, but he was soon charging forward in an all-out galllop.

Growling, and snarling, with drool quickly starting to hang down the sides of his mouth as he moved, there was no doubt his intention was to attack, to drive away the threat, however small she may have been. This was not her place. She did not belong here. Ker would have told him if someone new was in the area, and no such news had been delivered to him. Only one option was left. An invasive female. He would tear her head off before she even had a chance to explain herself. Her severed head would be at the paws of his ruler by the time the sun would have even set.

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Zenobia

Tail swished from one side to the other as she realized that she was now facing the nightmare that was coming her way. When she first saw him, the ripple of intimidation rolled through her. Again it was a shock to her system, besides Arastan and his followers she had not been accustomed to the wolves of the North. Now she was forced to look at them on a regular basis, come across their tracks. The tension whispered through her, and when she knew she could no longer hide - she stopped doing so.

When he no longer was immobile, she watched his quick run. It was nice, it was well placed. But the small female was on her feet in a heart beat, and all of a sudden she was taking off across the rocks. Muscular body moving efficiently, careless of the slippery slopes and the coat of snow. For a living, the female had always run on sand or cracked earth. Anything smooth was still a relief and confusion to her well hardened paws.

Her head turned as she performed a wide circle, snarling at the offensiveness of the male. What the hell was going on? Who did this idiot think he was stepping up to the plate and thinking he could make her run with her tail tucked? Eyes flashed and her fur stood up merrily on end, and the swift footed, small female was able to dodge around the intent.

Staring at him was always helpful, although his coat was thick there was such a clear intention in his muscles. She was able to skirt around him, almost playing a game. Happily she would tire him out, making sure that he forced himself to think about his actions. What a naughty boy he was being, chasing a well intentioned girl. "Stop, you idiot!"

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MAXIM

The girl was making no effort to escape. That much was clear from the moment he took off. She was standing though, like she was going to try and challenge him and all his might, and that only made him that much more excited. By the time he was half way to his target the drool was flinging from his tongue as it swung from one side of his parted muzzle in anticipation of the taste of blood. The closer he got the more his heart was pounding, ready to feel the solid thump of his body crashing into her like a freight train without brakes. Only then she moved, and it was too late for him to stop his momentum.

His legs stopped swinging, but his body kept on moving, feet skidding across the ice and snow until he came to a very gradual stop well past where he would have liked to have slammed into his target. Agility was by no means his strong point, but the moment he had a chance he whipped around to face her in one rapid little turn of his hips, snarling as he started towards her again without sprinting. This time he was more conservative, trotting at a steady pace back over to where the stranger was holding her ground. He may not have been as intimidating as when he was running, but he was far more threatening, as the failed attempt had given him a chance to think, and he came to face her with his jaws snapping in threat, and eyes pinning her down with clear hints of insanity.

"Bothersome old hussy!" Irritable tones came with a wash of saliva as he stood a short distance from her, coming to a stop with his tail still curled and his lips scrunched in a snarl, the fur along his spine prickling in aggression as he sucked in a breath and exhaled with a vicious sounding bark from the back of his throat. "Lumbering into pack lands without a soul to protect you from my fury." Head shaking, he kept it lifted high, holding his own ground as his claws kneaded at the snow beneath his paws, ignoring the fact the tracks behind him were a clear indication of his mistake.

"Malicious intentions, no doubt!" His chest was heaving as he started to pant, more than ready to unleash a howl should he for some reason need to make a call to his pack for help, although only one of them was likely to be of any use to him. "Tell of your motives, right now, or you leave me with no alternative but to eviscerate you on the spot!" His intentions were clearer than the ocean of the coast in summer. There was no doubting he was capable of carrying out his threats, his job after all was to play guard to the lands. Failing the male he had come to love was simply not an option.

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Zenobia

Clearly she was just a bad time type of creation into his world, and her shoulders were shaking with a show of pleasure with the game. Yes, dancing around him like it was an honest show of torture was enough to get her where she was going. When she finally had someone on her at her neck, the fury was evident in her features. There was no doubt in her mind that the wolf was crazy, be damned if he still should have had some manners!

Staring up at the male as he pinned her down, tongue flicking out of her lips. Her growl was soft on the air, and her eyes flashes against the snow. She was a golden little monster but so easily brought down to the ground. So her head arched and the arrogance was shining on her features. "I'm younger than you, drool-face."

The dryness in her words proved she was unafraid, not intimidated. Perhaps she was just being a pain in the neck with the fact she was not overly worked on by Northern Wolves. She had outsmarted them on her territory enough to pick up on some of their smarts. Tail swished, and she found herself wanting to spit in his face - oh, it was tempting.

"I wasn't doing anything, doll," The female continued in that little tone of arrogance. The look on her face was not one that could be denied, and the curl of the lip was evident. "I was having a rest. I have been traveling for longer than you've known how to walk." Which was not true, considering she had just declared herself likely younger than the male who was holding her down. Not that she knew for sure; again, the Northern wolves were so big it threw off her spectrum.

"I am of the Desert," The words were soft on her tongue, making sure it was clear. Perhaps he needed to be thunked on the head with the matters, however. Head cocked to the side faintly, and the sigh was heartfelt. "I am simply headed for the Island in the summer onset, and have been exploring these... upper regions ever since. No malicious intentions at all."

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MAXIM

Oh, how he wished he would have landed that first blow. She would have been choked to death by now, strangled through a struggle until her body had fallen limp. Luck was apparently not on his side though, and he was left with little else to do but stand with his body tense and snarl sounds of aggression in hopes that it would cause the female to back down and retreat to whatever hell hole she had crawled out. The desert, so she had said, but nothing that spilled from her was taken with any kind of intent. She would have to prove herself before he would believe her, and she would not be around long enough to have the chance to prove anything.

"Pretension will not serve you well here." Head shook a half inch to each side, jaws snapping in a show of strength. The female may have had more agility than what he did. "One howl and my brothers..." he lied to make it sound like there was more than just the two males "...would be on you in a flash." His curled talk slashed against his spine, raised hackles blowing in the cold breeze the swirled around them.

"The alpha does not take kindly to strangers on his lands." Head shook again to make a point. "His standards are high, and it does not pain me to tell you right now that you would not be up to par." Licking his lips, he lifted his head just a fraction higher into the air, inching a little closer with a half-step in her direction as his mind began to race with the thoughts of what would happen to her should the king be made aware of her arrival.

"He's known all over for the habit of feasting on out own." He let loose a devilish snicker that drowned into a rumbling growl from deep in his chest, threats that were made with obvious honesty. "Pray he would likely want to feast on you, too." He could almost taste her now - her stomach, the piece he was to be given in the moment of consumption. Where would his king be in the moment now though? How long would it take for him to arrive if he were to howl.

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Zenobia

Zen knew she was in a risk that could not be ignored in the way she wanted. The male was arrogant and confident in his ability, and she had to give it to him. So long had she been unaccustomed to someone frothing at the mouth like the creature standing before her. It was enough to make her frown, staring a little bluntly on the features of the creature who was threatening her.

The snarl she echoed back was one just to tell him to get backed off from his intent. “Oh stop being so scary,” Her words were sharp on the air, and she found herself wanting to be a bit more aggressive. The problem would be that she would be downed and taken apart, ripped wide open and destroyed. Her head was shaking lightly, and she found the frustration evident through her feelings.

“Cannibals.” The word was spat with a little bit of a tone of horror, shocked to the core. Her paws massaged the ground and she found her lip curled, her eyes sparkling with the disgust that could not be denied. Whatever she was expecting, it was enough to make her beat the ground with her paws, attempting to get away from the nastiness. No wonder he looked like nothing short than a bear! He was being nasty because he was eating the souls of others, it would ruin just about anyone.

“Best watch your mouth before your pretty boy alpha realizes you’re threatening a messenger.” The lie was sweet off her tongue, her eyes flashing with a show of murderous intent. Could she get him into trouble? While she was not the best liar in the world, there was always that chance that she could wiggle out of her situation. That sort of reality was the one she had to cling to now, “We are coming to the times of war, and threats have been made against the welfare of us all.”