Searching for a Pack [Finished]

[amilemorgan]

Amile Morgan made her way through the mountainous forest eating up the miles in her true form. Her grey fur, touched with blue tips and complimentary black and white markings did much to help her blend into the misty background. Her body moved with the grace of her kind and she thrilled to think that this night she might just find what she was looking for. Excitement filled her steps and anticipation colored her mind.

The old country was dead to her now, she would more than likely never go back there. Too much pain, too much of her mind had splintered away living on the edges of the human civilization scavanging for her survival. The lonliness of centuries had driven her to madness on more than one occassion and if she were to survive she would have to dwell amongst her own kind. It was that or perish...suicide by vampire or human...it would matter not how she went and for years it had not mattered to her even if she did. That it had begun to matter after all these centuries had suprised her. But she could question the whys later, for while it did matter she knew she could no longer do it alone. Were she to dive back into madness once more she knew she would never make it back.

She stopped on a high peak to take the scent of the night sensing her kind in the area. Her pulse quickened and the light of the moon reflected from her grey eyes. Calling into the night, her moonsong lilted out across the forest, bathing the wilderness with her Welsh tones. She laid upon the rock with her head upon her forepaws. All she need do now was wait. Wait and hope the pack would accept her...

[Hideki Minami]

The rays of the full moon felt amazing against his skin that night. His paws crashed into the earth as he ran, twigs cracking beneath them with each their own distinct sound. The wind blew through his fine silver-tipped fur, the snow-white of his underbelly matted with traces of dirt and grime; a casualty of his tracking, but not important to any degree. Branches from the many trees around him broke under the sheer pressure of his body as he pressed through them with very little effort; his shape was toned, massive and tall and it was going to take much more than the thin arms of nature's forest growth to halt him.

Tonight he was free; free from the shackles that humanity had clasped about him in the city, from any law that a man may have imposed and definitely far from any scent that they could have left in the midst of the beautiful forest. There was a river directly in front of him; not anything impossible to pass. The lycanthrope's hind muscles flexed and his body dipped slightly in the front, and he used a swift combination of his momentum and muscular power to cast him over the steadily running body of water. The sight would have been beautiful to any spectator; a white knight in the sky, the luminous moon reflecting its delicate white light off the surface of the clear liquid and the silver tips of his white coat simultaneously.

Hideki heard the beautiful call-- and subsequently picked up the scent-- of the female off in the near distance. His paws landed with a 'thud' on the other side of the river, but seamlessly kept their pace with a new source of motivation: he was going to track her down. Contrary to what the vampire may have believed, the scent of a lycan was not simply "earth-smelling"; rather, each of them had their own distinct scent. They knew who they were, what the other smelled like; it was a crucial factor in the hunting process, and would have been a crucial factor in the general social process, had they not possessed the ability to morph into a humanoid shape. He stopped, standing on a soft patch of bare earth and soil; target sighted. She was straight ahead. The male slowed his pace, raised his head to a higher level and let his tail stand at a slightly elevated position to let her know that he was the one with the rank and power in the situation, but meant her no harm -- at least, not yet. When he was a decent distance apart from her he stopped, standing still and gazing at her with his head held high. He barked in one low, deep sound and waited for the moment in which she would turn around. If or when she did, he would stare into her grey eyes with his own crimson pair, as though he were saying "Go on, explain yourself."

[amilemorgan]

She felt his presence, smelled his scent drifting to her upon the breeze long before she heard him behind her. With some trepidation she turned her head to face him letting his scent imprint forever his identity in her mind. Would his answer to her call be one of welcome or of censor? Perhaps the death she had sought at different times in her life would come at the jaws of this pack lord, for by his body language and the etiquette peculiar to their kind, she knew him to be one used to command.

Still, she was no churl, no pup to be cowed by this youngster. Rising to her feet the light of her former glory was reflected in her eyes and conveyed to him. She would bow to him, but let it be known she did so because she dined to and not because she was his inferior. For a moment she kept her proud pose. Her flanks were well defined and her fur reflected a good state of health, though there had been times in her life when just the opposite was true.

Only when she had generated the pose of her own kind of power did she lower her head and sink to the ground in the posture of one seeking admitance into a pack.

[Hideki Minami]

"Oh?" his own voice expressed within his mind. This one had an air of defiance; it shone in her eyes... not the best approach to take when standing in the midst of an Alpha. His ebony lips peeled back into a one-sided snarl, revealing his extraordinarily large ivory canines in anything but a pleased expression. Regardless, she was here and so was he; he needed pack members and, if he had not gone deaf and misunderstood her call, she was looking for a pack to call her own. A lucky chance on both sides. Or was it?

Under her defiant gaze his form began to quiver. His jaws parted and strings of saliva clung to his teeth and the inside of his cavernous mouth, stretching and breaking as it opened wider. He could hear the sounds of his bones cracking as they changed their form; a sickening set of audio to say the least. The lycanthrope's skin morphed in unison with his skeleton, and in mere moments the fur on his body was no longer fur and white but black and hair, rapidly receding into his body. Not a sound escaped his lips as his transformation was set into motion.

Within seconds he was crouched before her, naked; the only traces of his wolf form being his elongated teeth and the intense crimson stare that had become his trademark. "... If you don't mind, I'd like to be able to speak to you in mortal terms. You may stand." His voice spread into the night, clear, fluid-like and deep in tone. He made no concerned effort to conceal his nudity, though his crouched position along the earth may have hidden some of the more sensitive or controversial parts of his anatomy; but they were lycans, not humans, and therefore there was no reason in his mind why they could not remain as such when conversing with one another.
"There are some things that I would like to discuss with you."

His expression was solid, emotionless; he was not angry, nor was he happy. He simply 'Was'.

[amilemorgan]

It was dificult for her to be in the presence of another, more so than she had first assumed it would be. Much remained within her of her old status, her old ways. She would have to bury them deep within or fall prey to his ire. Trying to keep her eyes on the ultimate goal, that being survival, she vowed to be...submissive. The thought cause a low moan to escape her throat despite her resolve.

Watching him shift into the human form she respectfully complies with his request. She was , afterall, the suplicant and it would be well to remember that. Her own transformation was no less stressful than his. As her bones realigned themselves from the lupine to sapien configuration, she stilled her breathing and quieted the fire within her eyes. Her over abundant pride fell to the earth as her human form emerged to reveal a pale and fragile looking woman.

She too was bare and unconcerned for human convetions such as embarassment or modesty. Her brown hair hung down about her shoulders and obscured her face. Reaching up she tucked the strands behind an ear and raised her eyes to meet his. Their frailty conveyed much of her need, much of her pain and years of deprivation. Lowering her eyes to the ground she spoke in soft and subtle tones. "It is to be expected, venerable one. I am at your leisure." Despite his permission to stand in his presence, she moved from a low crouch to sit upon her calves with her feet tucked beneath her so that her head would remain lower than his. It was a measure of repsect in recognition of his power over her and was given in all honesty. She could sink no lower and the days of her elevated status were long gone from reality depite how they lived on in her memories.

[Hideki Minami]

The male passed her a curt nod. "To the point. Where do you hail from and have you been followed? where is your pack and how many of them remain?" his voice picked up, mellow but with a sense of authority. His eyes focused on her own the entire length of his speech, intense and burning with a clear interest in her story. His hands, their nails pointing and tipped like claws, dug into the earth for stability; the sweat on his body shone in the presence of the moon, casting a beautiful shade in the contours of his muscular frame. Quietly, he awaited an answer; all senses on alert and waiting to notify him of the slightest oddity. If there was anything out there that he should have known about, he wanted her to let him know lest they be taken by surprise. And, well...that wouldn't have been pretty on either side.

Nevertheless, he noticed the ancient wisdom-- and the pain that accompanied it-- in her soft blue eyes the more he soaked his gaze in her facade. There was a large gap between her previous posture and the one she assumed now. Rather than the momentary sense of pride-- and perhaps power?-- he had felt well up within her but a moment ago, it all began to slip away; her slender, fragile frame seemed to him like that of a helpless or lost child. Fortunately for her, she had been found. The sound of the chilling wind rustling through the pine and the vegetation of the forest was audible atop the peak, and he could hear the sound of the river flowing some distance behind him.

[amilemorgan]

Amile didn't care much for the human form, however years of adapting to unnatural habits had forced it upon her. She's much rather feel the earth moving beneath her paws than walking upright as a poser. Although her human assemblage was not awkwardly performed, it was not who she was in any sense of the word. So it was with a certain distaste that she conversed with the male in this inferior state of being.

His direct nature pleased her. She preferred not to engage in the mental warfare of the human just because she was in its form. Rather, she preferred the open discourse of her kind. You could not disguise a scent, a look, or a posture. But to speak with the words of humanity left open a world of possible deceptions and deceits one could indulge. Instinctually she knew to play those games here would end in destruction. She was at the end of her options. Choosing life she must also choose honesty and submission. This time she as able to stifle the moan which threatened to break from her soul just thinking about subservience.

She turned her gaze upon him with determination in eyes and began to narrate a portion of her story...the bare bones equivalency of her life story in response to his demands. "I have not been followed, do not fear. My skills are such as to prevent that. I do not bring the threat of encroachment unto these lands." She let her hands rest open palmed and facing up within her lap,keeping her shoulder erect and her head poised and relaxed. Her tones were respectful but as she continued to speak the light in her eyes seemed to drift off to some distant time in her memory.

"My pack is dead and has been for centuries. Originally I hale from Wales across the sea where the rolling hills greeted the soaring peaks of my homeland." Were she in her lycan form she could have presented him with a much broader description through her song. Human speech put too much constraint upon her thoughts and forced them to confines they were never meant to obey. "Centuries of running and solitude have driven me here to seek admittance in the security of a new pack."

Pain was evident in her voice but she did not try to disguise it. A lifetime of subterfuge was eroded away until she sat here bare to his perusal.

[Hideki Minami]

He raised an eyebrow to her tale. He had been through a similar experience... And he had to tough it out. "Very well," he said in a tired voice. "... you may join me in the ranks of my pack, if you so choose." He dipped his head in a show of acceptance. "There is but one issue, and it is that of your rank. What are your aspirations?" he asked her, down to the point and with a hint of curiosity laced atop his words. He had no idea as to what her abilities were; what he did know was that at that point, he didn't much care what they were; his pack had to grow and that was a sure fact, the only fact that mattered.

[amilemorgan]

She was surprised to be so readily accepted. Was there to be no challenge? No battle of wits or combat skills? She arched an eyebrow and turned her head sideways slightly. She could only surmise that he must be as desperate for pack members as she was to belong. His earlier concerns about her being followed seemed to take on more than just a usual precautionary stance. What was the situation in the safety of her kind here? Snorting at her simplicity she knew the answer to that without having to be told. The old days were long since gone. His clan's status, and every clan in these modern times, was as threatened as any other. Till the end of time she imagined they would live in a stage of battle readiness.

His question intrigued her, for she had not thought beyond the security of finding a pack and being accepted within its ranks. But here he was concerned with status? How readily the pack mentality was returning to her and with what swiftness. Long centuries ago she had been a personage of some considerable power. Her children had multiplied and so had their territory. She had progressed through the pack as was the way of the lycanthropes of Wales. Not because of her lineage but rather her abilities. No one was beyond being challenged and she had served in a variety of positions.

In her youth she had scouted and brought in reports to help coordinate the movements of the pack. Being lithe and strong in those days, with a gentile exuberance for life, she had indulged her playful nature among her pack mates. Skill had seen her rise to leader of her own hunting squad training and perfecting their skills in one another while keeping the pack fed and protected. During the incursions of humanity she had helped to orchestrated maneuvers in such a way as to remain hidden and protected in a territory for ages. And when her time came she had led the pack, small remnant that they were, and protected them against all. And for a while she had been mated to he who caused the moon to shine...

All was dust now and with the passage of time so too had passed her need for power. She would content herself with life whatever this one should bring. Rising to her feet it was obvious that her body was that of a trained warrior. She walked with purpose of stride, her muscles lithe but strong as she crossed the distance between them. The moss covered ground gave way in response to her light tread only to spring back into place with her passage. Standing before him she looked to him with clarity of mind and spirit, more of either than she had exhibited in ages. "I would be the least of your minions adding my strength to that of the pack in whatever capacity you deem fit. My skills are great but my ambitions few. To live is enough for me now."

[Hideki Minami]

His eyes traced her body's every moment with care, wary of any act of malice that she may take against him. He craned his neck to match her gaze and was met with the light of her blue eyes. Her words touched his ears, and the intensity and the flare within his burning crimson pools were swept away. It had just hit him then -- that she reminded him so much of his past. He could vividly remember the mountain ranges of Hokkaido as they had been during his earliest years: there were no tourists, no humans. There was only the natural beauty with which they had been created during the long course of the planet's existence. As the moon cast it's empowering light over these peaks of earth it would create a twinkle in the snow unlike any other light he had yet to witness. He could pristinely recall the life that he had once lead in said territory: it was a period in time that he could never forget, no matter how long he struggled to ignore it. There was a halfbreed; her name, 'Yuki', would be forever imprinted in his mind; and she had taken him under her own clan after the mysterious disappearance of his birth-parents. Her mate, or rather, the Alpha of the clan, was anything but a kind entity -- he lead his pack by the "Law of Tooth and Claw": and made no effort to conceal that fact; he was a brute of the highest calibre through and through.

On a daily basis he would feel the sting of the Alpha's fang to his shoulder. If he hadn't the capability of regeneration he would have been scarred to such a degree that one would wonder if there was truly a live creature beneath them. These acts he would come to believe as cold-hearted displays of discrimination against an outsider, rather than simple punishment: there was very little to warrant the violent lashings when they were administered; yet only one soul, his dear Yuki, would plead for his defense during these outbursts. In time he would accept the brutality willingly, for he and Yuki shared a secret that the guilt he thus felt would dissipate only when fang met flesh: their forbidden love for each other. There were nights when the pair would sneak from the pack, and run through the snow without a care in the world. When the snow fell for the first time in his fifteenth year and he lay upon his back, just staring into her beautiful blue eyes atop the highest peak of Mount Asahi, it seemed to him then that nothing could have torn them apart from each other; he couldn't have been any further from the truth. The reality of the ordeal to pass a minor two years after that night, would be engraved forever within the darkest depths of his mind, and the anger he felt within his soul just the same.

He could feel the earth beneath his hands begin to warm with the rising of his temperature. The blood pumping through his vains found a new heat within the passion he felt for the image of his -- no, their -- future pack. The wind picked up, rustling the pine and the many blades of grass surrounding; it caressed his face and hair, taking advantage of its soft texture and dancing with it as it passed. He stood. "... I see," he said, hushed and calm; almost soothing. "Though I was never accustomed to names in my youth, I am known as Hide when in the presence of humans. My Hunter, you must also have a name." His tone released into the night, now dripping with honey: her place, her purpose, had been decided. Did she truly expect a test? a trial to test her abilities? No, she would not find the conventional means of a test within this pack. Survive in the world and nothing more: it was all he could have asked her to do at that point. One day, the pack would be solidified -- and along the path she could prove her abilities -- and much more importantly, her loyalty.

[amilemorgan]

His words were indeed calm and soothing to her ears, his gaze clear and piercing...one of authority, but she sensed there a detachment as though he were not really seeing her. It caused her no discomfort as she had become a solitary beast and needed for centuries no living creature. It was the litany she used to keep herself alive through the ages but it was something she would have to shelve in this new life she was to embark on. Hide's question though troubled her as momentarily she could not recall her own name; it had been several lifetimes ago since anyone had used it. The Welsh had names for everything and were as long and melodic as the music that they breathed in every waking moment with every motion or guesture of their being.

Turning her body out and away from him she let her mind flow back over the last time anyone had called her names and flinched...within her family, her pack they called each other many things depending upon the relationship or some sort of memory each had shared with the other. Their names tending to be long descriptors from these feeling, events, and sensations associated with each person. It was a bonding amid clan members to speak of each other in these terms. Their screams had called to her as she was drug away and forced to watch by the vermin who were evangelizing her world and erasing her evil kind from existance. Amid the flames her names floated on the winds wrenched from their tortured voices...'running swiftly by my side she floats on air'...'stalking in the midsts is she who wakes the doe for us to feed'...'furiously guarding our sleep is grey warmth and nurturing creator'...her children's voices snuffed out forever. She had drank deeply from the blood of those men in a moment of their stupidity.

Looking to Hide she blinked away the past. And with it she named herself, something that her people never had done. Names were to come from those who lived and loved and fought with you for survival. "You may call me Amile then. And I shall as you say be your faithful hunter." The word was a simple one and in her language it meant 'solo flight'. Standing erect before him she wondered what this new life of hers would bring. "I have many concerns, Hide as to particulars. What is the extent of the pack's lands? Where shall I be permitted to dwell, what are our numbers and such things." She wonderd also if there were children in the pack, did they even have the hope of a future or were they a collection of souls meerly surviving.

[Hideki Minami]

"Amile," he confirmed under his breath. He shook his head, standing to meet her height. "There is one other of importance, but I have not seen her in a long time," he paused here, a twinkle of wonder in his eye. "Our number is not great. If there is any White Fang out there they aren't showing nearly enough participation. As per living arrangements, I trust you can find that out yourself. You must have resided somewhere before you met me." His tone assumed an angry pitch with these words. Here he had taken upon himself the mantle of leader, the vision of a dream he once had long ago in his mind's eye; but there was an exceptionally large paucity of members willing to build or expand on that dream. It was unlikely that it would ever happen at the rate the packs were growing; which is very unnerving, when you are in a position of power.

"Regardless, we need skill, and we also need people who are not afraid to use it." He spoke with a calm sense of determination. The answers he had for her questions may not have been to her liking, but it was not as though he were lying or trying to mislead her. As far as he understood, the Blood pack was nearly non-existent; there had not been any word of them for a time or he was simply misinformed. The Moonlight pack was rather solid, the last he had heard. And White Fang, well, White Fang was not giving up any time soon - that is, not if he could help it. The goal was as clear as ever, what with the newest addition to the pack.

There was something in the air recently, however; some sort of sense that he couldn't quite pick up on. In the back of his mind he thought that soon enough, the packs would be solid enough to face their enemies. But again, this was only a superstition and nowhere near clear judgement in the slightest. For all he knew, it could have been the complete opposite: maybe they were destined to be wiped from reality itself? or to be enslaved once more? The possibilities were incredible. Nevertheless, he would keep his wits about him. "You must be hungry. What do you say we get something to eat?" He cocked his head to the side, his skin rippling as he turned his body away from her. The next she looked upon him he would be his natural self, the true shape of the lycan: the wolf.

[amilemorgan]

“Amile”, she heard him breathe. It was her name now, forever reducing all that she was to just one word. Confining though it was, it was also terribly appropriate now that there were none to call her by her clan names. So be it. Watching him rise to his feet she was surprised to see he only stood taller by three or four inches. His strength however was unmistakable and palatable to her senses. Hearing Hide’s words confirmed her earlier suspicions concerning his pack…White Fang, her pack now. There were only three to their number, and it was a grave matter for concern. Strength of the leader became insignificant when the numbers were not there to support the pack. Even the strongest of warriors could be brought down provided there were enough hands to do so. She saw reflected in him the frustration that leading in troubled times brought. It was easy to recognize, not only from his angered tone and body posture but also from having endured the same obligations in her time. It was the news that there were no children that sealed it in her mind. To live in the decline of her species was a harsh sentence. She wondered what crime her had been to be sentenced to survival past all regeneration of her kind. There was much she would pass on to the next generation, much of life, in skill and wisdom, and in heart. It seemed these things would die within her.

Throughout the entire exchange she uttered not a word. It was not necessary or respectful for that matter. He would see of her what he needed as it was required when the moment arose. Excessive talk and braggery was a human trait she did not engage in. When it was pertinent to relay information she would. Detesting this form she would be glad when the time came that she could revert to her normal state. His tone was a bit insulting and she bristled internally. Of course she could fend for herself…she had been doing that for centuries. Propriety must be maintained though and to inquire about living arrangements before just claiming a portion of the pack lands as her own was merely logical and diplomatic. She could feel her ego rising and that she must not exert. Those days were centuries dead, buried and lost to time. Here she was of low status, her ego had no place within this new life.

So it was with a sense of relief that he suggested they eat. As a further point in etiquette a wise soul did not hunt another’s lands until invited to do so. Although she was quite hungry she had abided by this tradition of behavior handed down to her by her parents and theirs before them. She wondered if these old ways would be of use in this new land or if she should let them fall to the ground to wither away in the night. The offer of food though caused her hunger to lurch up within her flashing from her eyes in gray tones. It was with relief, like a person who discards a flea infested robe, that she removed the mantle of humanity and assumed her rightful form. Arching from her head to her tail she reveled in the feeling of her own body; her joy radiated from her in waves of pleasure. Turning to Hide she communicated much in the way of her gratitude as she moved to his shoulder. She luxuriated in her fur once more and let her black lips curl into the faintest of grins. Life would continue for a pace more; whatever it would bring she would be there to meet it.