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 Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 6:17 pm
 They had been hunting for the traitor for some time and still had yet to find him. Of course, they found snippets now and again. The faintest of scents or the whispers of those who had seen him... But they hadn't actually found him. This had the young Brotherhood wolf a bit dismayed, if only because he wanted a chance to prove his worth to Rummy. Even now, after earning his cloak, that old fear of failure still haunted him. Almost as badly as the odd nightmare he had of the deaths of his siblings.
But on the outside, he remained a fairly jovial and helpful bloke. He was the sort to follow orders to a fault, a loyal fellow that wouldn't even think of breaking and running, even if what they did still settled in his stomach like a rock. At least, now a days, it felt more like a squishy ball of mud.
The brown wolf had returned to the pack's territory for a brief respite from the hunt from the wolf they had grown to loath. He was the perfect example of what not to be and Okeetee reminded himself of the hunt every time he felt his want to stay with the pack waning. The scarred fellow plodded confidently through the main portion of camp, coming to a halt only when he came to the den he often used for resting.
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Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:28 pm
 Rorret was growing comfortable enough here. He had learned quickly how things worked; he was, after all, a wolf smarter than most, and his sharp mind enabled him to comprehend the intricacies of internal affairs much faster than a pup his age should.
He had learned, also, to bite his tongue and bide his time. As he crept throughout the pack's territory, slipping through the shadows, he had grown to realize a few things. One, that everyone in the pack was hell-bent upon capturing the traitor. And two, that the traitor in question was almost certain his father.
The latter piece of information was, he felt, still quite secret to the pack, and so he said nothing. Still, the information he had heard matched well with what little knowledge he had of his father from his mother's ramblings, and it made sense of why he would have been placed in a position to be adopted by these wolves, and none other.
For his part, Rorret felt rather safe. But he knew now that the Traitor -- Rotiart, Traitor, the word play made him smile -- was green in color, and he wondered if that would implicate his idiot brother. And, if it did, what effect that would have on him.
So much going through his mind, thoughts racing too quickly for him to consider them all at once. It made his head hurt.
He was, for the time, quite oblivious to the approach of another, and seemed not to have noticed that he was lingering at the mouth of a den that was not his own.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 7:12 pm
Oh dear.
Someone was in his space. This one wasn't cloaked and therefor was not yet his brother, which set his mind at ease slightly. He wasn't much in the mood for a minor hovel dispute, as he was tired from chasing the traitor, Rotiart. He didn't quite know this stranger, as he was one of the two pups brought in while he was out hunting. He was peculiar, though, and had such an interesting green cloth...
"You might want to move yourself, young one. Seems you've found yourself near my den." Perhaps he came off a little more callous than he truly was. He really was nice, er, as nice as a Brotherhood wolf could be. Had he been raised elsewhere, surely he'd be a model gamma. But he wasn't anywhere else, he was there. And there the strongest survived, so he felt the need to assert himself with the younger generation.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 7:30 pm
Bow and scrape, when necessary -- and also hold your ground. Those were two lessons Rorret had learned quickly, and taken to heart.
His mismatched eyes darted over the other figure. he was cloaked, and carried himself with vigor and power -- not a sniveling omega, not a mud-crawling pupsitter, but a strong wolf. A gamma. His superior, in every way.
Best to bow, then. To submit.
"Apologies," he said, withdrawing quickly from the space he had taken, his head and tail held low in submission but his eyes still upon the other -- submitting, but from respect and not inherent worthlessness. In his heart Rorret thought quite highly of himself. But best to play smartly, or not play at all. "I'll be leaving then, sir."
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 7:48 pm
He was quite relieved to see that this one wasn't going to put up a fight. It took some restraint to keep from showing this, however. While Rorret was submitting to him, it wasn't hard to see that he would one day, when he was older, be quite the rival. He would definitely have a challenge with this one, which caused him to frown slightly. Still, he had the makings of what would be a strong wolf and he needed strong brothers.
"Good. I'm quite tired from chasing that Rotiart and my patience is a bit thin. It's good that you know your place, youngster. It is good to see that you are not weak, however. I will have worthy competition when you put some meat on your bones and get a good bit taller. The name is Okeetee."
He pushed past the younger wolf and took his rightful place in his den, though he made a point of trying to uphold the look of a stronger brother. While he would not admit it, it was always a great fear of his to not be worthy. It almost shamed him to be unable to remember his sister's name, but he definitely remembered the cloaked omega forcing him to feed on her corpse and later fight the other pups. He didn't want to die. So he would fight.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:14 pm
Well now, that was a bit of a mixed signal, wasn't it? Rorret wavered, uncertain if he had been dismissed or not. "Rorret," he replied, simply. He hoped the resemblance between his and the traitor's name would go unnoticed.
He lingered, then, and mulled over the possibilities of things he could say. He could thank the other for the compliment, but that would be a weakness. "How is the hunt going?" He asked then, settling on this. Seemed a good topic. Useful, too, if he played his cards right. "I've heard talk, amongst the pack, but...well, it's little business of a whelp to know the Brother's affairs, I suppose."
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:24 pm
He flopped in the mouth of his little den, yet retained as much composure as any wolf could while doing such a thing. His muzzle was high and ears perked as he watched the young Rorret decide just how he should respond. While he didn't say it, the young Brother was mildly amused. He wanted to get a feeling for this one, for what the future would hold. Rorret... Now, that was an interesting name. He didn't muse on it for long, however, and simply listened. His question wasn't that surprising, either.
"Perhaps not, but you do show promise as a Brother, unlike the weaker younglings that are culled. I can tell you that we will catch Rotiart sooner or later. Hopefully sooner, but finding one wolf in such a vast area, well, it's just going to take a while. Tell me, how is your training going, Rorret?"
It was nice to sit and have a conversation. Not many of his Brothers seemed to keen on it, really. Especially while on the hunt for their former member. It was rather, well, depressing for the rather talkative fellow.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:01 pm
Weaker members, he thought -- like Collier? He wondered if he would grieve the death of his coward brother, if it came to that. He wasn't sure. Likely not. That would require a depth of emotion that Rorret was incapable of. There was no room for such sentimentalism for him.
"Not as well as I should like," he admitted, in response to the other's question. He glanced up at the other through half-averted eyes, still in a position of deference. "It would seem that most of the brothers are occupied with the hunt, so my lessons have been few and far between, I'm afraid."
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:29 pm
"That's a downright shame."
He looked the other over quietly, almost thoughtfully. The two were very different, that much he could sense. He hadn't met the youngster's brother, but perhaps he should make a point of doing so, to see if the other held any visible promises? Hm. Would be interesting.
"The traitor must be made an example of, that is certain, but I don't think the pups' education ought to be short-changed. Perhaps if we bring that to the attention of Rummy, you will learn what you need a bit more thoroughly. The young are the future, after all." While he had not been put in direct charge of instruction, it was important for them to learn, just as he learned. He remembered fondly that Rummy had taken the time to instruct him, so perhaps he could offer the same, or at least try to.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:42 pm
Rorret sensed an advantage, so he pressed it. Tentatively, he lowered himself to his haunches, his ears against his skull, and he smiled an obliging, thankful smile. "Oh, I wouldn't want to trouble him," he said. He had yet to meet this Rummy, in fact -- and perhaps that was for the best just now. Until he was assured of his position in the pack. "I'm sure every Brother would be able to teach me well." His mismatched eyes caught Okeetee's, just a fleeting expression -- but the look in them was both respectful and somewhat pleading. His intentions would not be clearer. "But I can wait until the traitor is caught. It shouldn't be much longer."
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:50 pm
"Pish-posh. I've got some time off. Of course, I need to rest 'cos I literally am just getting back in from the hunt. But if you'd like, I can take some time out to show you a thing or two." He walked unknowingly right into Rorret's ploy. Of course, he really only wanted to help. Had he known otherwise, he might have been a bit less enthusiastic, but that was neither here nor there. This one was certainly crafty, something the older, darker, cloaked wolf had yet to discover. He probably would later on in his life and possibly even regret it, but it was something he didn't have an inkling of.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 10:20 pm
Well-done, he thought. This was working in his favor.
Not that Rorret harbored any ill-will or evil plans toward this new friend. In fact, he was rather looking forward to his companionship. No...Rorret simply knew that he wouldn't get far without a tutor, and here was a perfectly fine specimen that could take that role. Now it was just up to Rorret to be a good student...and to out-perform his teacher, when the time came.
But that would be a long way off. First, he had to secure his plans. He smiled gratefully. "I would appreciate it greatly, Brother." His tail thumped behind him and a smile touched his maw but didn't quite make it to his eyes. "I will begin whenever it is convenient for you."
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:10 am
Okeetee stretched out his tired frame. His muscles throbbed faintly from the taxing run he had taken earlier, but he felt rather well, in good health even. As fruitless as the hunt had been, it was still a bit exhilarating to leave the pack lands, in search of Rotiart. A few of his joints popped as he slid into a comfortable, resting position outside of his den.
"The sooner, the better, I suppose. Is there anything in particular you are eager to learn, Rorret? I'm not quite sure where your studies slacked off, but I would be more than happy to pick them up for a spell. Come, sit."
He motioned slightly with his cloaked head. A thin smile slid across his lips, but was almost hidden by his nearly translucent veil. He had to admit, he was happy for the company and to see the young one so eager to learn and grow within the Brotherhood, well, that could only be a good omen.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:37 am
Rorret pondered this, giving it careful thought -- or, at least, appearing to. His mismatched eyes wandered over the other wolf's torn ear, the scar that marred half of his face, and after a moment's hesitation, he carried on. "Xihuitl taught me many of the basics, when I was younger," he said. "How to walk in the shadows, of course, and our ways. But one thing I have yet to learn, and it bothers me."
He met Okee's eyes with a sudden, piercing glance. "I have no practice in hunting, ah, challenging game."
His meaning there was clear enough: like other wolves of the Shadowclan, Rorret had developed a taste for wolf-flesh, and he had so far never been able to satisfy that taste for himself. Some Brother he would be if he never learned to hunt and kill sentient prey.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:48 am
"Ah? ... Ah, I see." There was no mistaking just what Rorret meant. Okeetee understood it all fine and well. He had grown to love the succulent taste of wolf flesh over the seasons, yet still found a knot in his stomach whenever he considered actually hunting it. He wasn't supposed to forget, that was the vow he silently made to his sister so long ago, yet he could no longer even remember her name, only her terrified cries as he and his brother were forced to gorge themselves on their dying siblings. For a moment, he seemed as though he were lost, gone in memory as he sat still, his golden orbs staring out into nothingness.
But he survived, that was what mattered. She died so he could live on, yet he felt terrible thinking back to that time. No other death had bothered him as greatly as hers had and he wished so fervently that he could at least remember her name. He started, seemingly coming back to his senses.
"Well, I suppose that is one thing you won't learn by sitting around an old den and talking. Going after larger prey, as such, is more of a, eh, paws on sort of situation. One thing is certain, though, you have to be quick and strike to kill. Don't bother dawdling and talking will just make the job harder."
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