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 Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:14 pm
His history with females concluded that the ghoul-faced girl left due to the white she-wolf who occasionally made way to his resting spot. Then again there could have been other reasons, possibly (and not preferably) another male in the area who took her away with charm, grace, and a little bit of power she may or may not have hungered for.
Either way things were not looking down for the post-alpha yet, the way his burly head glistened beneath the sun with not a hint of gloom resonating contentment. “Ah.” He murmured with a dewy breath, the coolness about mornings now settling into his green eyes. The day seemed glorious already.
Despite his missing the sweet treat of a female, Marley would prevail with the most humble of attitudes. Having moved from his cave to the local river, the air became fresher and what fog had gathered around the den vanished. His plot of land was green, great for hunting and hoarding meals whereas some plots could not manage. There were few who passed by this part of the river, lesser who managed to stumble upon his feasting grounds and almost none who even knew he existed here.
Not exactly what an alpha would want, but Marley wasn’t complaining just yet. The river babbled beneath his sturdy paws, slick pebbles making way for his weight and passing. Birds began to chirp warnings to the rest of their fellowships, signaling that the beast was awake; the beast was hungry. Several turkeys had been seen scampering about lately, a stray flock who needed tending to. He felt the urge to be their herder; his gullet being their holy place in the end. Marley resounded his own greeting to the day, then, with the thought of warm fowl by rotating his head back and grunting loudly. The birds flew up into the skies with panicking flaps, another sound capturing his perked ears attention as they stirred…
Salmon were on the move today, swaddled by one another’s girth in the tiny body of water and flopping about helplessly in order to make their way further down stream. To the basin he thought, grinning wide with eyes wondering. That pond that acted like a dumping ground for the fertile females and mate-hungry males. Some where hopeless, others held potential...it was with one, breathless lunge that the wolf snatched a flopping red fish and tossed it over his shoulder, disregarding the few who gathered on the opposite side with little less then seconds to live. Dipping his head in again the male lifted a lighter colored fish and preformed the same act.
After some time, his pile had grown from two to five; almost too much to handle for a lone wolf as he watched them squirm and flip into the air gasping for breath and lured along the bank to their stream. “Ah-ah-ah.” He teased, beneath his feet one of the fish spines did crack. “Not today little ones, down the hatchet we go aye.”
Rolling onto his rump, Marley chortled lightly to himself, winds picking up and leaving him upwards of all competition. Today was glorious. It had a different air, offereing a different kind of breath to be taken...
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 6:06 pm
 A glorious day indeed.
The large black male had just finished off the last of his meal. It hadn't been very satisfying, as he had stolen it and thusly it hadn't been his own choice of meat. However, he had enjoyed the sport of taking the kill from a bear. Or, rather, chasing the bear from the kill. He hadn't been too hungry before then, but after a little run around, he had found that his stomach rumbled as deep as his laugh as he watched the brute of a bear stumble away, astounded at the wolf's courage. Stupid animal.
Yellow eyes closed as he stood above his finished meal, enjoying the lingering scent of blood as it filled his nostrils and clouded his mind. If there was anything in this world that he loved, it was blood. Power was a close second, although he enjoyed the power to make others cringe rather than the power to make any sort of change. But, lately, there seemed to be a shortage of wolves to boss around. Either he had entered a dead zone, or his reputation rode ahead on the whispers of omegas and the stories of the elders. He hoped that it was this last reason for such quiet in the woods. It sounded better and made him look a king.
Eyes snapped open as he realized that, wolves or no wolves, he'd still have to keep his guard up. He had left his old pack, growing bored of the tedious day to day life. He had left his generals to fight it out amongst each other, and he chuckled to himself at the thought of those pups tearing each other apart for a piece of the pie. He didn't wonder who would win or what would become of his beloved pack, because Dunn really hadn't had any attachment to that pack in the first place. He had taken it over far too long ago, and the members within it were beginning to grow soft and comfortable under his rule. This wouldn't do, as Dunn knew that he needed excitement and bloodshed in his every day life. Anything else was simply unworthy of his presence.
So it was with this wandering sense of boredom that he found himself on the bank of a river, nose twitching as he took in the scents around it. But the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, so he became frustrated at the lack of information brought to him. But it was as he stood there that his ears picked up sounds, faint but certainly there. Dunn was anything but insane.
Curious, and as sure of himself as ever, he headed off in the general direction that the sound originated from, not caring who heard him.
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 8:22 pm
“Ohh?” Marley whispered, hushing the flip and flop of fish by settling his torso on the lot. He wasn’t used to company so early in the morning, not that company came very often to begin with, and looked a bit startled when the winds picked up their speed. His eyes, resting on the brown bark of trees and in between each, attempted to peer through the fog. Despite his unenthused tone, the wolf was intrigued.
Rustling bushes and quivering tree leaves were the only things in motion; yet a wafting scent erupted within his presence, taken from the stranger who marched steadily in his direction. That alone brought Marley to his feet, a calm-weariness enveloping him. The odor was strong and vaguely familiar, Marley’s flaring nostrils beckoning to know who it was that clamored down his path--.
Something clicked as he watched the white speck shuffle in the distance. Marley concluded it was hair that resembled snow, and that was characterized by the same coldness in which the substance carried. Then the dark head with a pair of golden eyes came into view, attached lucratively to the white fro and suddenly pieces began to match up. Marley grinned wide, his chest swelling with laughter--with excitement.
“Can it be who I think it is!?” His chuckles were flagrant, just as the stiffening out of his tail seemed to be. Those rarely seen hackles began to spike along his neck, eyes never leaving the male wolf that entered relentlessly into his domain. There was history here, that was apparent, but there was just too much time in between then and now to take the matter lightly.
“Dunn?” It was meant to be a question, yet as it would turn out Marley’s alpha tendencies made the name definite. He had no doubt this was his brother…
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Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 4:36 pm
Dunn tossed his white mohawk back out of his face as the passing foliage attempted to blind him with it. He was unaware of the situation he was walking in to and, though he was confident of his own strength and cunning, he would rather not walk blindly in the presence of strangers. Yet it seemed that his caution was unnecessary, as the wolf before him was no stranger. It took only a moment to register the face staring back at him and the smell that now wafted from the mottled fur of the other male, but when it did Dunn couldn't help but break into a silly grin.
"Marley," he replied, his tones equally definitive. It seemed that both males had grown accustomed to their high ranking and wouldn't let go of their tendencies so quickly, even if they were no longer at the head of a pack. At least, he wasn't. Dunn wasn't quite sure about Marley, although it didn't smell as if his friend had been amongst a great variety of others lately.
Upon glancing at the other, the darker male noticed the now dead fish lying upon the ground. His grin spread. "How appropriate your meal is for a meeting such as this. Two alphas, lost from their pack like two fish out of water." He chuckled, deep and throaty. He supposed lost was the wrong term for this, as Dunn wasn't particularly lost. Rather, he was looking for something, though he wasn't quite sure what that was just yet. Marley didn't seem exactly lost, either, just lonely. But Dunn supposed the other wouldn't get too offended at his quick and thoughtless choice of words.
"What brings you here?" he questioned easily, resting upon his haunches now that he knew he wouldn't have to go on the defensive at any moment. "Some flighty female leading you astray?" he asked, his eyes glinting with dark humor. The dark alpha knew all too well the lure of a willing female, and knew all too well the consequences he personally laid out if that female crossed him in a way that wasn't satisfactory.
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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 9:30 am
There was a girl, one in particular that had him buckling at the knees way before Pumpkin Pie, but that was some time ago and certainly (by now) he should not think all too often on that.
Then, with a low grunt and briefly surveying the salmon beneath him Marley said, “Would I have known you were coming, I would have prepared something a little less fitting.” Thoughtless as Dunn might be, there were very few wolves who could offend Marley in the slightest.
He drew up off the earth, back arching in a half stretch while he tucked his chin to his neck and yawned. His muscles were tense, despite the reassurance of Dunn and his company. For what it was worth, Marley had trusted his friend with almost everything—even now there was some discomfort in the way he sat so rigidly, but he wondered what had gone on with the silvery male during the time they were apart.
Likewise to Dunns thoughts, Marley was curious what wolves had been sucked into his friends grip. “To be quite frank, I am here because I could not be there.” His eyes became dark, brow raised only in question; had he made his statement clear for the old alpha? "I have been here a while though, you on the other hand look to have just arrived."
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:25 pm
Dunn didn't usually pry into the finer details of the lives of others, as most of the time he was preoccupied with situations and problems of his own. He had only spoken about females in an attempt to lighten the mood. Old friends they were, yet the inevitable rivalries between two alpha males could not be ignored. It was in their instincts to clash head to head.
"Perhaps it is good that I came at the time I did," he spoke, teeth glinting as he let loose another smile. "I always knew I had the instinct for catching rewards that were beyond my measure." Inwardly, the male thought to himself how he never thought of anything as being out of his reach. He deserved everything and more, the allegiance of few but the fear and respect of all. He loved the glory and the spotlight, and wasn't afraid to tear down anyone that chanced to get in the way of his victories. Marley, however, was another matter entirely. Like brothers, they were, and he hoped that they still were.
Watching the other with golden eyes, however, he noted the way that the mottled male hid his neck as he yawned. It was a guarded posture, and Dunn felt that, although they had been brothers once, the time apart had made them both wary.
At the not-so-questioning question, Dunn let another smile play across black lips. He was the last to leave their former home, and so knew the most about its condition. "I have just arrived," he spoke, playing it out a bit. "I have come in search of..." His voice trailed off as he realized that he wasn't really looking for anything in particular. "Well, I'm not sure what. Though I'm sure I'll know it when I find it." He looked grave for a moment, hoping to relay to Marley that he wasn't being vague for the purpose of keeping him in the dark.
"But let's just say that, after all the old folks left," he continued, referring to his brothers and their mentor as the old folks, "the pack became rather boring. There just wasn't the same amount of fear and respect coming from the subjects." He sighed, showing his remorse over the deterioration of the pack. "The generals were getting antsy, and me, well I just got tired of them always whining. So I left, letting them hash it out their own way." He shrugged, showing just how little he cared about what happened to them.
"Can't say that I miss 'em."
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:36 am
All he could do in response was smile, bobbing his head in a nod while pawing at the fish below. He had forgotten what kind of fun the two once shared, and certainly what kind of rewards Dunn often received. Marley, being more of the talker, had a knack for getting what he wanted through tireless efforts...his companion seemed lucky enough to stumble upon greatness.
At one time this bothered Marley, when they were younger and inexperienced...now he could no longer put his faith in fate, even when from time to time a gift fell right into the pads of his paws.
"That is tragic." He snorted finally, dropping his lips in a frown for but a moment before crooning with laughter. Their old pack... "But all of that seemed inevitable, didn't it. After the casualties they took, there needed to be a period of grief."
It was just like Dunn not to miss something as large a responsibility as was their pack. Despite his willingness to claim superiority, Marley knew his brother would have no part of a duty that became too difficult and tedious...it showed on the alpha's smug face. But he too was faulted by boredom, finding the last couple of months unsettling. Marley didn't miss the members of their old congregation, but what he did miss was their loyalties prior to the war. The strength he had over so many, and the excitement every day brought knowing their power was growing endlessly.
The edges softened then, the thoughts birthed within Marley racing to his muzzle and begging to be said. Dunn had not changed; he might have found a new home and a new lot of wolves to call his 'followers', but from what Marley could see there was very little difference from then to now. And he, settling into the conversation as if it were occurring during their kinder years, seemed just normal. He was growing tired of holding his ground on his own, and surely he was a long ways from settling down with a mate to share the work load with. There was still a flame between them, a shared ideology that could potentially be brought to life once more.
"I have had plenty of time to think about things...especially about how wrong we were to rely on Him as heavily as we had. Perhaps--No." Though his sentence drifted, his eyes never left Dunns'. "Well, what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:43 pm
"Tragic indeed," he mumbled, thinking back to before everything had gone sour. He had fled the scene of the crime, as had Marley, abandoning all responsibilities in the pack's most precious time of need. But what else could have been done? Their beloved mentor was gone, and after inheriting the pack so suddenly, they had been faced with a swell of opposition. It have been like nothing they'd ever had to encounter before, what with their power being so secure and unopposed before that. There had also been the lingering disease, spreading in mysterious ways and threatening to engulf the entire pack if the invaders didn't get to them first. It was a tragic time, but one that Dunn felt was unnecessary to visit too often.
"Grief," he huffed, his voice louder this time. "Warriors don't grieve. Mothers grieve for lost pups, and pups grieve for scorned lovers, but warriors never let themselves succumb to such weakness." It was clear which category the dark alpha put himself in. Yellow orbs searched Marley, contemplating which category he might go into. After little thought, he clumped the other alpha with himself.
Perhaps, out of the ashes of their previous loss, the two could rise and claim their power once more. Surely there were plenty of wolves still left in the world for them to gather and dictate. Those with weak minds and even weaker wills would be the easiest to catch, and it would create quite a game for the alpha to gather followers who weren't so easily swayed. A small grin played across his features at that thought, and suddenly he relished at the prospect of a challenge after so many months of idle wandering.
Listening to the other, he wondered vaguely what was going through Marley's mind at that moment. "Yes," he agreed, pursing his lips slightly. "Perhaps we should have gained some stability of our own. We should have known that he wouldn't have lasted forever." But the past was the past, he decided, and it was no use wondering about what ifs.
"Mess?" he repeated, tilting his head slightly. "My dear friend, you know I don't get myself into any messes. Or, if I do, I easily get out of them." He grinned wickedly then, remembering how he would often manipulate weaker wolves and make them seem the cause of everything foul. His reputation wouldn't get slandered if he could help it. And, more often than not, he could help it.
"What about you, Marley?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:32 pm
There, finally, was clarity. And in his friend he saw the same sort of white light which beckoned them to push forward; to breech the surface of this new day. Marley puffed his whiskers out in a grunt, the low and deviant-styled laughter he trademarked trickling out from his throat...Dunn thought right in that he had very little time for grief; time to understand, perhaps, but the male would never cry over the events he had caused. They were just in his mind—they had been just in minds of each Alpha and seemed to remain that way for at least these two. Marley was strong and independent. Without Dunn, or with Dunn, his mind had already been made up a long time ago. Now it was time to bring along the force in which he often found himself lacking.
"You will never change, brother. And for that I am thankful."
The dynamics of their conversation seemed to shift minute by minute. There was an energy felt, one that pulsed through Marley and, he hoped, Dunn all the same. "I haven't soiled my paws with drama; not in these forests--not yet." Then, there peeked a grin.
"Several months have separated us and for me to have not thought and yes, dwelled upon the past would not have been me at all, you know that. To avoid what happened back there," His head jerked to the side suddenly, behind his shoulder as if the events of history were strewn into a path leading them to where they were now...and without a breath taken he continued. "Would have been suicidal. But it is like you not to sit on the rotten eggs of time. I believe it is why we became friends in the first place; I sift through the debris and analyze while you take care of why it all happened in the first place. We were quite the pair."
The greenery played off his stare, bright eyes waiting for something...
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:54 pm
Another grin played across the darker male's lips, his mind working through all of the possibilities that opened up before him with the return of Marley into his life. That old saying of two are better than one certainly rang true with these long-time companions.
"Why change when everything seems to be going perfectly already?" he replied, relaxing his posture. It was true that he was a former alpha, techinically, and that he no longer had a pack to rule over. But that had been his own choice, not something that had been forced upon him. He had wanted the lifestyle change, and felt that perhaps he could start up a new life in this new land. Then, when Marley went to say that his paws weren't soiled, at least not yet, Dunn couldn't help but smile again. It was almost as if his thoughts were echoed in the other's words. "I notice you say yet, brother. What might be going on in that mind of yours?" He thought that perhaps he knew, but he liked playing games all too much. What fun would it be if he just said the first thing that came to mind? What if he was right? That would certainly ruin the guessing game all too quickly. No fun at all in doing a thing such as that.
When the other commented on how they were quite a pair, Dunn thought, Were? We still could be! Aloud, he voiced his opinion. "We could continue to be quite the pair, if you were up to it, my friend." He wasn't trying to imply that Marley might not suit whatever Dunn had in mind. Rather, he wondered whether his old friend's interests might have changed. Not everyone was so entertained by playing with the lives of lesser wolves, such as Dunn was.
"I'm sure, with the right sort of scouting, we could find ourselves a suitable place. Perhaps throw in some wolves to do our bidding..." He trailed off, wondering if Marley would take the bait and add into the plan.
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:26 pm
"Oooh, brother you would not believe what has gone on up there." He glanced up to the sky but meant only to gesture at his head. "But, I will show you. It seems the cards are dealt just the way we want them again." Marley had already leapt to his feet before their talk escaladed to the topic he fancied, but only when Dunn finished did he finally begin to pace. "Brother, I have been longing for this escape."
"This forest pumps out wolves by the dozens. There's plenty of room here, plenty of reasons for us to--Yes, perfect...You can see it too and that is the brilliance of it all!" His psycho babble had a purpose, the way his sentences reared into one another had always been a part of Marley's speech. Only in recent times had things begun to change, the calmer he had become...Dunn inspired greatness, Dunn inspired the truth. He felt reassured by the presence of a friend and intended to use the resources he had been given before his luck ran out.
The male sighed heavily, releasing the tension in his chest before shaking his head and looking to the ground. "There's something here, still. We would be fools to disregard it. You are right, brother, we will continue to be quite the pair..."
Lifting his gaze, Marley's face was alight with wonder. "I think we should talk further on this within the den." He turned, every hair lying flat along his body despite the thrill of excitement felt. There was no need to worry, not anymore. Things were about to change, for the better.
"Come, I'm sure you are tired from your trip as well." With that he moved toward the worn cave, rounded ears flicking back while the most childish of chuckles marked his approval.
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:48 pm
Dunn chuckled. He truly missed being with his brother. It had been far too long since they had been together, since they had ruled together. Yet fate seemed determined to have them together, at the head of a pack once more. Things truly did play out rather well for him, it seemed.
"My thoughts exactly, friend. Our prime seems to be just beginning." He grinned again, unable to contain his excitement on a straight and serious face. They would be great once more! Together they would rebuild their old empire, except this time it would be ten times better. No! A thousand times better! Better in every way. They would have stronger soldiers, even more cunning spies, and a strength between the leaders that couldn't be broken by anything. They would have such a solid hold on their pack, and they would reign unopposed. The glory days were certainly in sight, and his jaws watered at the thought of sinking his teeth into it.
"I think I am seeing what you are, brother. This place is so ripe, and it's all ours for the taking!" The last words came out in a growl, though a very nonthreatening one. It was invigorating being in the company of Marley again. Something awoke within him that hadn't been touched for months now. There was a flame, breathed into life by his companion's enthusiasm. It was contagious.
"Fools!" he repeated, his grin wider than ever. "But we are not fools, are we, brother? No, we will seize this opporunity while it's still young, and we will turn it into the greatest pack this place has ever seen!"
When Marley suggested they take their plans elsewhere, and that he might be tired from his trip, he nodded sagely. "I am indeed tired, although my energy seems to be returning with increased speed at every moment. This plan is just too ingenious and amazing to allow me to sleep. But perhaps you are right in suggesting another place to discuss the finer details." His yellow eyes searched the forest around them, as if he expected a spy to pop out and yell gotcha! or something.
Yet there weren't any spies, and probably wouldn't be until they got their plan rolling. So he turned back to his companion, following him with suppressed joy.
"We have much to plan out, my brother. Very much, indeed."
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