In the Dark [Ember, Surrogate]

[Lonetear]

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[atrb=background,http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz315/xxlonetearxx/mireibg_3.jpg] A slim form moved quickly through thick undergrowth and trees alike, flitting from one shadow to the next, unseen, wraithlike. Paws fell silently on the cold ground, spring had not yet broken the chill in the air though she could taste it on the wind. New life would soon sprout all around the island of Traum and with it would come death. The metallic yet appealing scent of fresh blood would fill the air, her own muzzle would become stained with the crimson life force, she just had to find herself a pack. Then all hell would break loose upon the earth. Death's angel she would become, her silent stalking figure would become its hand, and no foe would escape her, they wouldn't even see her coming. Silently she would strike, just as she had done time and time again. Blue orbs watched as the landscape flicked by, taking in every twig and shadow, the few new buds that were trying to grow despite the still cold weather. Nothing escaped her notice, not even the stalest scent of rabbit would be missed. Her keen mind took all this in, her strong body moving to avoid any obstacles with ease and an apparent gracefulness. Overhead an owl called, shattering the silence of the dark night around her. Up ahead she could see her goal, a twisted and long dead tree, green with thick layers of moss, soft bare earth beneath the huge gnarled roots. The perfect spot for her to catch a quick rest before moving on again. Many days and nights had been spent here, yet enough undergrowth grew that her scent was masked. Her tiny body slipped beneath them, fitting into the surprisingly large space beneath them with ease. Circling once, twice, three times, she finally came to rest, ears still pricked and alert for any sound of those unwelcome here yet still relaxing after a long days trek. This was the life of a lone wolf, one unseen by unwanted eyes, unheard by unwelcome ears.

[surrogate]

He watched. He watched and waited, listening to the winds whispering the same story, like an elder speaking of his greatest hunt. There was no mistaking it; this land has been treaded before. By whom, he had not known, for the figure was careful, meticulous even. It was so careful not to be detected that it forgot of what it could never erase; the disturbance of the land. Treading as softly as the first traveler, Malkahl had observed and over-observed, leaving no stone unturned with his watchful eye. The "Cross-haired Eye" taking note of everything, as once the traveler did. After all, if they hadnt, then the scene would be more obvious. This one doesnt want to be seen, there's a lot riding on it's survival. Meaning an attack is almost a no-brainer for this one; kill or be killed. He sunk his body low, careful to let the blades come back to their attention-like positions before slinking forward. He had been watching, the whole time. To think, all this surveillance just for a quick snooze? His paws gently greeted the lush, soft, ground with care. Suddenly, it came into view again, the large twisted dead tree that served as her sanctuary. So there you are. He had been surprised; no one has ever escaped his radar so quickly and now he knew why. Her shadow-like essence was enough to keep her shrouded for the longest period of time. He knew that, anyone being this wary of making sure it looked like no one was there, was hiding something. A predetermined agenda, something meaningful, with the stasis that'd bring ultimate dominance among anyone who dared to question.I dare.He slunk lower, to match her very movements, but he knew his hulking frame wouldn't do her steps justice, so he improvised. Flank He moved 70 degrees to his right in an arc, but knew she'd notice. Just then, his preconceived notion was correct. Two brilliantly blue spheres were staring him down, as if their rays would penetrate his own eyes. They were certainly just as blinding, yet, almost as enticing as his own

[Ember]

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[atrb=background,http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac192/fireb4ashes/Whisper-Meadow---MIDDLE.png] My sliver body dissappeared and reappeared among the moonlight, a sliver knife. The cold air soothed me; spring was only a few weeks away. My thick fur protected me from the cold as well as providing an extra inch or two of bulk for my small body. Males are scared of females bigger then themselves, usaully. I took a sniff of the air. Two others have been this way before, a male and a female. For a split second, I wavered, torn between the two paths before me. Safety and strangeness. Be protected or protect. And then my code of honor forced me to chose the later. My tracking sense comforted me; as long as I followed the scents I would be fine. A mission, at long last. My paws eagerly followed the trail layed before me; the other two took no heed to wash their scents away. Fools. Now I'll always know who they are, even if I can't quite figure myself out yet. Forever and ever. I grinned at the thought. Slowly, inch by inch, I gained on them. The male in front of me was slowing down. Soon he stopped. Aha. I smirked and hid. I watched as he circled a dead tree. Then I completely froze as a scent drifted my way. The female was in the dead tree. Boldly, I stepped out the tree and tried to play the innocence act. " Er, Hello, is anyone here?" I asked, looking around with wide sliver-blue eyes. Acting like a young pup. I smiled as I caught sight of the male. I took a step forward. " Excuse me, sir? Will you kindly tell me where I am?" I asked, looking around as if confused. I took a deep sniff. " Oh, is there a lady here, too? Sorry, my mistake, " I looked down at my paws and hide a smile. Fools. I know both of thier scents now. Now I just need names to label the scents. {{OOC: Done!!!}}

[surrogate]

And then, there were three. Malkahl studied the new player in the game. Hmm...sleek. This one blends into the moonlight perfectly, yet she chose to expose herself like I did....what's your game I wonder...
Malkahl was uneasy, and yet, thrilled. It had been a while since he was forced to make his moves. He turned back to the sleek shadowed one and observed once more, taking in her scent and differentiating it from the new silver-haired female. What is it you're thinking? All this care to keep yourself hidden, and you haven't said a word. Yet, as he recalled, neither had he.
"I'm of no importance, just passing through. Gazing at the moon as always, watching it flood this thicket of land and trees." Malkahl said, with the air of an onlooker sightseeing over a luxurious terrain. His paws dug into the earth. Someone's gonna give, and it wont be me.
"What about you? Why is it that you're lost? Your pack kept moving?" Malkahl asked, masking his uncaring tone.
So you're the second one I sensed huh... Malkahl's legs stiffened as he stood still, alert and never faltering. His eyes calmly observed the subjects. One hasn't spoken a word since our arrivals, and the other outright announces herself to the world...interesting tacts...but what's bugging me is why the silver one followed me...and why the shadow isn't interested at all..
Malkahl grew impatient. Sniffing discretely, Malkahl snapped his gaze at the shadowy one underneath the roots. Been around huh? You MUST have a hidden agenda. Interesting. Malkahl attempted to sniff for more from the silver one, but found nothing but the same scent underneath his own paws. Hmm....I suspect things are about to get interesting. He thought he saw something in her silver blue eyes, but dismissed it. A feeling overwhelmed him. Something's not right about you...
His eyes darted back to the shadow, who found Malkahl's gaze again.
....And you....

[Lonetear]

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[atrb=background,http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz315/xxlonetearxx/mireibg_3.jpg] Apparently it was too much to ask for but a moment's peace and quiet, barely having settled down for she found herself interrupted by not one but two wolves, one a grayish colored male the other a sleek silver female. Eyes narrowed dangerously, her patience beginning to unravel already as the female boldly announced herself. "Er, Hello, is anyone here? Excuse me, sir? Will you kindly tell me where I am? Oh, is there a lady here, too? Sorry, my mistake," The fool, thinking she could play the act of an innocent young wolf when with just one whiff Mirei could tell she had carefully hidden her scent, showing no sign of where she had come from and from the way she kept sniffing the air she knew that this silver female was taking in their scents, memorizing them as Mirei had already done. The male was a little bit of a different story, a little more cautious in his approach. "I'm of no importance, just passing through. Gazing at the moon as always, watching it flood this thicket of land and trees." Trying to play the part of a traveler, one who enjoyed taking in his surroundings just for the heck of it. "What about you? Why is it that you're lost? Your pack kept moving?" But she could hear the slight uncaring tone to his voice, though he did well to mask it, her well trained ears still picked up on it though, nothing would escape her notice. Liars the both of them. Internally she laughed at their attempts to fool both her and each other. She had been careful to leave as little traces of her presence as she could and most wolves would never pick up on what minute signs were unavoidably left behind. Both these wolves had experience tracking and both seemed to be fairly good at it, though she doubted they suspected that what they picked up from her was not true. Her own scent was masked, hidden with scents that she had purposely picked up during her travels, taking the time to roll in them, to saturate her fur with them. She had learned to do this at a young age, never keeping the same scent for long, never revealing her true scent to others if it could be avoided. It made it harder, almost impossible for some wolf to find her again after an encounter with her, for she would melt away with the shadows, leaving behind one scent only for it to disappear when she picked up another. Leaving false trails was also a thing she took the time to do. However when this situation was finished she wouldn't return to this spot again, at least not for some time. Though they were both putting on good acts she picked out the small details that gave them away. The way the male kept shifting his gaze between the two of them, a gleam in his eyes announcing that what he was saying and what he was really thinking were two different things. The female stared at her own paws too long, trying to hide whatever emotion had begun to cross her face. These two were a waste of her time. Expression kept carefully and completely blank she rose to her paws, stalking out gracefully from beneath the roots, her form disappearing into the shadows only to reappear some distance from the two strangers as she slowly circled them. If they hoped to gain any useful information from her then they were sadly mistaken.

[Ember]

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[atrb=background,http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac192/fireb4ashes/Whisper-Meadow---MIDDLE.png] I grinned widely. Time to drop the act now. I looked up, still smiling and said, " Well, we can stop playing games now. You're on to me and I'm onto both of you, " I smiled at the male. " Can't we be just a little bit friendly?" I said and stepped closer to the male. What was wrong with me? I'm usually the one to stay quiet, the one to listen while others speak. But not this time around. The other two were trackers, I was sure of it. The way the female hid and the way the male was studying me proved me right. I flashed another grin at the male. Why was I playing such a dangerous game? Maybe I was tired of sticking to the shadows, or to the moonlight. Maybe I wanted to be out in the daylight just for once. Stir up some trouble. I had to bite my tounge to keep me from laughing. Me, out in the spotlight. What an idea. Still, I wanted to try it. "You've been following me right?" " Now why would I do that?" I asked. " Well, maybe someone with honor in them would follow a male, who just happens to be following a female, " My face turned as cutting as a knife by the end, full of nothing but suspision. I glared at him, my sweetness suddenly gone like a switch. I turned to face the female. " And you! Why are you sneaking off like that? Hm? Are you scared?" My voice was bitter. What was I doing?! This was just another act, I told myself. One that's close to heart. I glared at both of them, the anger I drew up mostly aimed at me. Why couldn't I control myself? It seems ever since I've had these wierd memory surges, I couldn't do anything the way I used to.

[surrogate]

Something pinged. Giving up huh? This one's bold...nothing to hide it seems. Malkahl felt a wave of something overwhelm him, something he had not felt in a long time. Malkahl was surprised; no one had made him curious before, not like this. His gaze went toward the silver female, careful to watch the shadowy female, lest she make a dash. In all honesty, Malkahl wished she'd make that escape. What is it about you...that draws my attention?
"Cant we just be a little bit friendly?" the silver one had said.
These words struck hard into Malkahls mind. In other circumstances, those words and these people before him would be adversaries, people he'd over look and never give a second thought. This female's voice, the way she carried herself, they were all very different from the normalcy Malkahl had encountered. This felt different...and it felt welcoming and warm.
Then he felt it at last. Burning curiosity.
He noticed as her kind and nurturing visage turned to an accusatory and jealous gleam. He followed her gaze towards the shadowy female, whom incidentally, didnt seem to care none the less.
" And you! Why are you sneaking off like that? Hm? Are you scared?"
At those words he felt another feeling he hadnt felt in a while; remorse.
"Erm....I was following her to try to see who had been in my territory. And now I have my culprit" Malkahl said, his voice unwavering. He felt as if he should have given her more solace. Slowly stepping towards the silver female, Malkahl sensed her appearance to shift again, from anger, to worry, to accusatory glares. He got within striking distance of her, but chose a different approach. Here goes nothing.
Malkahl rubbed his muzzle against her coat gently, noticing and grateful for her soft texture. It was familiar to him, almost like home. He brushed twice, reassuringly, and spoke in a hushed tone as his eyes closed breifly for the slightest moment
"If you want to really know what's going on...you'll have to trust me. Now, someone with honor would surely trust a male...correct?"
Malkahl found a hint of something in his tone and he knew exactly what it was. Smiling, he turned his head to the other female, smirked, and quickly dashed off.

[Lonetear]

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[atrb=background,http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz315/xxlonetearxx/mireibg_3.jpg] She paused in her movements briefly to listen to the silver female's words, one ear cocked in that direction though she didn't turn to face the two."Well, we can stop playing games now. You're on to me and I'm onto both of you. Can't we be just a little bit friendly?" This female just grew more and more obnoxious by the minute and if she didn't shut up soon she would find herself in a dangerous situation before she could even blink. Deciding it would be best to just ignore these comments and continue on she began forward, keeping a slower pace then usual though it was still predatory in its movements. The voices of the two wolves still reached her and in the back of her mind she listened to what they were saying, not really caring much but still storing the information away just in case. It was all just a hum in the background until the female's words turned to Mirei, their tone bitter and angry. "And you! Why are you sneaking off like that? Hm? Are you scared?" Blue eyes flashed dangerously and she turned back around, tail lifted threateningly though her expression remained blank. Moving closer to the two wolves she spoke for the first time, circling them as she did. "One I'm not the one playing games, you two are the ones putting on false acts," A hint of malice crept into her ghostly voice as it reached out to brush against them in a manner which would cause shivers down even the spine of the bravest wolf. "And why the hell should I be friendly toward you, you have done nothing friendly toward me, in fact you attempted to make yourself seem as you weren't, though you failed to do so convincingly. As for your question, I am not sneaking off nor am I scared." Cutting into the circle she was making around them she moved between the two wolves, until she was standing directly before the female, cold gaze locked on her, ignoring the male that was just behind her though ready to spring into action if he were to attack. "I merely do not see the point in interacting with the two of you, neither of you interest me in the least bit and I see this all as a waste of my time. By continuing to attempt to antagonize me you are the one playing a game, a game in which you are gambling for your very life." Her attention turned to the male for a moment, a curt comment whipping out in his direction. "If this really is your territory then I suggest you mark it better." She ignored the female's growing anger and stepped away, her warning given, and slowly began to leave the two again, hoping that this time she would be able to actually leave instead of having to deal with the comments of either wolf again. However, she was not so far as to miss the male's words nor his actions toward the silver female. She even caught the smirk he sent her before he dashed off. With a flick of her ear she dismissed these actions and turned her back on the little clearing they had been in, eyes set on the woods before her.

[Ember]

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[atrb=background,http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac192/fireb4ashes/Whisper-Meadow---MIDDLE.png] "Erm....I was following her to try to see who had been in my territory. And now I have my culprit" " Hmmhm, " I mumbled, my sliver-blue eyes still narrowed. I bet he was. I lashed my tail out in annoyance. Stupid males. Always thinking they could overtake females. My hackles rose. And then he did something that totally caught me unprepared. If you want to really know what's going on...you'll have to trust me. Now, someone with honor would surely trust a male...correct?" He touched me. He touched me. Rubbing his filthy muzzle on my pristine slive coat. " Riiiighht, " I said, lashing out my tail at him. I was so close to leaping on him and......do what? I froze. A growl rose slightly in my throat, my hackles rising even more. He smirked and dashed off. "One I'm not the one playing games, you two are the ones putting on false acts," " Oh? Well, I'm sure you could put on an act, if you wanted to, " I narrowed my eyes dangerously at the female, my anger shifting from him to her. The sliver stood out even more in my eyes, dangerous. And why the hell should I be friendly toward you, you have done nothing friendly toward me, in fact you attempted to make yourself seem as you weren't, though you failed to do so convincingly. As for your question, I am not sneaking off nor am I scared." She spoke in an alomst formal way, a way that appealed slightly to me. Almost. If I weren't so angry right then and there, I would've been a lot nicer to the female. Hm, what's her name? I wouldn't have been surprised if a question mark appeared on my face. " I know I didn't do so covincingly, I wasn't even trying, " My mood shifting once again, at least on the surface. But I wasn't really angry at her, just at the male for touching me. How dare he. Mostly I just wanted to know a little more about this female. We seemed to be cut from the same cloth. "I merely do not see the point in interacting with the two of you, neither of you interest me in the least bit and I see this all as a waste of my time. By continuing to attempt to antagonize me you are the one playing a game, a game in which you are gambling for your very life." " A bit depressing, ain't you? I find it very intresting, however. Yous seem to be like a tracker to me, a fact that I find intresting indeed, " I said, my mood shifting once again, shedding the anger for my bloodthristiness for knowledge. Knowledge is power, and power is key. The female began to walk away. " Wait, " I called, and then hurriedly tried to explain something before she starts walking away. " If you ever need me......which I don't you will....I'm here. " I finished, giving her a knowing glance. After that, I began walking away, heading the direction the male had taken and trying to ignore that fact. Once the clearing was out of sight, I dashed towards the male, my mind fighting a battle evey step. Why was I following him? In what universe did I crave attention? I snorted. I finally reached the male, gasping from the short sprint. I wasn't made for sprinting, more for long distance for tracking. " What. Do. You. Want? " I gasped, each word a breath. If I wasn't so tired, I might have attacked just then, out of sheer annoyance. The most I could do was a slight growl.

[surrogate]

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[atrb=background,http://i52.tinypic.com/a5e0w9.jpg] He analyzed her. Although she was out of exhausted, she still carried the same grace and emitted the same light that drew Malkahl's senses back to reality. She enticed him, made him curious, but most of all; she distracted him. Mal always held a few rules to his mind, and one rule stood out more so than the rest in any situation; Focus on the main objective, unearth their agenda and you've got their strength's and weaknesses in one foul swoop. This female, however, seemed to make Mal forget this rule, thus crumbling the foundation at which he stood. Malkahl found himself flustered and frustrated. Angry how one female could detach him from his purpose. The way she spoke stood out to him as well. Her mannerisms were that of something Malkahl could not have anticipated. He saw her eyes filled with suspicion. She cant possibly think that.......not me and the shadowy one... He felt surges of guilt rising up in the pits of his stomach. He heard her growl, and feared it slightly. Throughout this whole ordeal, Malkahl had NOT forgotten, however, why they were alone at this very moment. "You followed. I'm pleased that you trust me this much. Thank you for that." He smiled as he spoke, hoping that she'd soften up a little to him. My turn. He watched her silver body move along with the moonlight and felt his heart beat quicken. "So, why were you really following me? Obviously you're a tracker, or else you wouldn't have known I was in the area. You concealed yourself well...but chose to come out in the open...your candid speech, and shifting eyes indicate that you're suspicious of my activity. So what's your game?" He had been careful to notice her and the shadowy female conversing quickly, and couldnt help but feel another feeling he hadnt felt in a while; jealousy. He chose rather not to ask at this time, however, he was still gripped by her silver blue disks, tiredly and yet alertly staring back at his emerald ones. He stepped a little closer, but noticed her hackles rise. Bracing himself for an attack, he softened his expression, taking the steps toward her, whisking his tail against the ground lightly. Mal had the sensation, that he was about to be slapped across his muzzle straight into the dirt below him. Please be worth this.