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 Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:12 pm
 Once again, night had fallen. Once again, the woods were still. And, once again, Alexander could not sleep. In the owl’s eye view, the blue pup was nothing but a shadow shifting on the ground. He would be a ball of fuzz that was too big to eat and too small to be a threat. However, there were no owls out tonight. Alexander couldn’t even recall hearing a solitary cricket. It was odd for him to try to sleep when the night was so young, but he had completed hunting early and needed his rest. He was, after all, a growing boy.
Unfortunately, Alexander’s mind would not be at rest. His thoughts kept drifting back to younger days, when his family was still around. He would remember the good times, feel at ease, and just when slumber was about to take him, a vivid image of one of their death’s arose. Alexander thought the world was sick for doing this to him, and he didn’t appreciate the joke.
The young, scruffy puppy tossed and turned in his small burrow. Alexander had dug a hole between some roots at the base of a big tree. As long as he was silent, the male tended to camouflage with the night quite nicely. Tonight, the pup couldn’t seem to stay still and anyone in the vicinity with remotely trained ears could tell there was a creature fumbling about in the night. Alexander closed crystal blue eyes and tried, yet again, to sleep.--- 
Deimos was livid. Not only did his flank and paw hurt, but his pride was severely bruised, and his empty belly protested painfully at the lack of food.
"Stupid fox," he growled, baring his teeth. The damn thing had stolen his dinner. His! Suddenly feeling the urge to wallow in self-pity, he collapsed to his side with an indignant huff, lifting his rear left paw up to lick at the small bite marks, the blood lost amongst his blood colored fur.
It was in between his irate grumblings that he heard the faint noise, jerking to a sitting position, his ears swiveling. Maybe his luck had changed? Maybe he would get to eat tonight? Scrabbling silently to his feet, he prowled forward, ears pricked for another sound.--- Alexander had fallen lightly into serene slumber for the moment. His furry puppy legs kicked in a dream chase. In his mind, Alexander was running through the forest during sunrise. He was chasing his brother Kael and they were both barking and yipping and having a blast. But suddenly, the scene darkened and Alexander felt his heart sink after it had been soaring so high. They weren’t alone.
He looked into the brush and blue eyes met with an adult lone wolf. Alexander couldn’t breathe. He knew that wolf. And he knew what would happen next. Before he knew it, Kael was gone, and he was alone once more.
The disturbing dream startled Alexander into waking. His nose flared as he breathed deep and silent, trying to clear his head. The young wolf cocked a nose skyward, staring at the dark sky littered with glistering stars. He shivered in the breeze, and sat up on his haunches. Without thinking to check the area, Alexander tipped his head up, closed his eyes, and began to howl. His puppy voice was higher than the adults, but anyone listening could hear him pour his sorrow out into the call.--- The sudden howl startled Deimos, and he dropped to his belly, hiding in the shadows as another pup appeared from the hollow of a tree's roots. The mournful sound reminded him of the cry he had allowed himself to make when he had finally collapsed from running away from his father's body. Simply thinking of the memory caused the hole in his chest to ache bitterly, and his anger suddenly intensified; he would hurt this pup who reminded him of things he fought to forget.--- Alexander continued on with his chorus. It wasn’t that he didn’t care who heard, but instead he wasn’t aware of anything in the world except the emotions he was feeling. Alexander usually didn’t like to let his emotions get the best of him, but sometimes he couldn’t stand it any longer. He was only a pup anyway. There was plenty of time in the future for being strong.
The blue male stood, to get the best sound he could from his voice. Alexander let out one last, long, mournful howl before opening his eyes and coming back down to Earth. It was then that his tuned wolf senses kicked in. Alexander froze, and swiveled his ears over in the direction of Deimos. His vision soon followed his hearing, assisted by a few sniffs of his nose. Alexander promptly concluded he had an audience, and decided to be brave.
“Who’s there?”--- The spotted pup agonized, pain engulfing him, but it was no longer purely physical. The flood gate had suddenly crumbled, letting a wash of memories flood over him in a terrible wave.
Feeling his mother's jaws over his muzzle just moments after his birth, cutting off his air.
Hearing the vicious snarl of his father as he tried to stop his mate from killing their pup.
Tasting the bite of the cutting cold as it sought out his lone form, forgotten in a shallow, unkempt den.
Knowing the taste of his own blood whenever his mother attacked him in her rages.
Seeing his father lying dead because of his need for food . . .
Snarling, his whole being consumed by the black rage that his memories conjured, Deimos lunged at Alexander, not even aware of what he was doing anymore.--- The question had barely made it past his lips before the pup caught a glimpse of something white and red lunging at him. Alexander, in his half awake, half mourning state, didn’t know what to do. Either way, he didn’t have much time to think about his actions. The pup’s immediate instinctual response was to raise his hackles and bare his teeth, which he did. He hunched his shoulders up high, lowering his head to protect his neck. This is what he used to do when he and Kael would pretend to be ferocious fighters.
Kael…
Remembering his brother once more caused Alexander to fully awaken in the split-second he had to react. His nose crinkled and his tail rose, ready to defend himself. He would not fall to the same fate as his brother. Or the rest of his family for that matter.
--- Deimos bared his fangs, the snarl that fell from his throat more like an adult's than a pup's. But something pierced through the red haze clouding his good judgement, and he angled his body to the side at the last minute, landing on the tips of his paws beside Alexander. Instead of harming the pup, like his fury wanted him to, he rammed his shoulder into the pup's ribs only hard enough to topple him.
Raising his tail and head high, Deimos growled softly. "Who are you?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:21 pm
Alexander was a bit shaken from that event, but he knew better than to let it show with this guy. Someone who attacks first and asks questions later, huh? Well, we’ll see how this goes. Alexander liked to play fair. That way, he knew he was really the best.
“Alexander,” the pup replied, smoothing his fur and giving a snort of annoyance. What? He was allowed to be a little annoyed after almost being attacked in the middle of the night for no reason. Alexander stared at the other male, sniffing softly, trying to memorize him. However, he didn’t lower his head or tail, and remained in the alpha position. Alexander so desperately wanted some company, but it didn’t seem like this would be his lucky break. This other pup didn’t appear to be the chummy sort.
The youngster flicked the end of his tail to and fro before asking, “Who are you and why are you attacking me?” He wasn’t sure yet if he expected an honest answer or not.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:19 pm
Deimos snorted, staring at the blue pup and the weird yet intriguing symbol over his eye. Suddenly, he turned away. "I don't know. You're not even worth it."
His words were harsh, but when he glanced over his shoulder at Alexander, his eyes were curious. No matter how much he wanted to make himself believe that he needed no one, Deimos was lonely.
"Hungry?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:48 pm
Alexander held his ground, but grinned at the other pup. “Always,” he responded without much thought. This response could have multiple meanings. He was a struggling lone puppy, which meant food was hard to come by. But, on the other hand, he was a puppy, which meant he needed extra food for growth. Alexander always though his shaggy features meant he had a lot of growing room to fill up. However, he had never seen his father, so it could just as easily be some kind of genetic accessory.
The blue male took a couple steps closer to Deimos and gave him a good once-over. “Why? Have something in mind?”
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:14 pm
His lip curled in a small snarl as the blue pup advanced, but he held his ground, looking the other male over from head to toe. "If I didn't, would I have asked you?"
Without another word, he trotted off, his nose twitching as he sought the smell he had encountered earlier. The smell of dinner.
If the other pup was smart, he'd follow.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:24 pm
Alexander wasn’t repelled by the snarl but, instead, intrigued. He wondered why the little red male thought that was a way to get ahead in the world. Alexander refused to submit to this boy, but they could at least be equals in his mind. He had finally logged away Deimos’ scent in his memory, so he had a lesser chance of being startled by the other in the future. Getting aggressively pounced upon was not his idea of fun.
Nevertheless, Alexander plodded after Deimos, hoping a free meal was in his future. He wondered what Deimos’ plan was and why such an ill-mannered pup was offering what appeared to be an act of kindness. Alexander shrugged. Only time could tell.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:38 pm
Ignoring the pup behind him, he turned all of his focus on the scent of the turkey he had picked up before that damned fox had stolen his earlier meal. If he wasn't mistaken . . .
Ah, there it was, fast asleep in the thick underbrush at the base of an old oak. A hefty tom, it would feed them both well tonight, and full bellies meant warm bodies.
Freezing, he assessed the fastest, most efficient way to take down his prey. There were no other birds in sight, but a tom this big had to have some hens about. If he startled one of them, it would be all over.
No food. No warmth. And another blow to his wounded ego.
Glancing about, his nose sniffing for any scent of the females, he slowly crept forward, inch by slow, agonizing inch. Usually, he didn't have this much patience, but a part of him wanted to show off to the other pup, and another, larger part of him just wanted food for a change.
Suddenly, he sprang.
The tom was dead in an instant, its spine snapped between Deimos' jaws. However, it gave one last desperate kick the second before his teeth clamped down, and Deimos whined, unwilling to let go of his prize even as blood seeped from the large gash on his right haunch.
Stupid bird. Stupid, tasty bird.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:47 pm
Alexander followed, unacknowledged by the other pup, but he was content to do so. He wanted to know just what this ‘Deimos’ was all about. He walked confidently, albeit casually behind the red, waiting for any sign of edible animal flesh to chomp on.
And, just as he suspected, the other male lead him straight to a delicious looking bird. Alexander felt his mouth begin to water, and he crouched down instinctively, folding his ears back and pressing his tail to the earth. He didn’t want to startle the bird and ruin his comrade’s catch.
Watching with great interest, Alexander saw Deimos begin to creep toward the turkey. He also lifted his nose slightly to sniff for hens, smelling none that were obvious. It seemed that Deimos would be in luck. It was obvious that the red pup wanted to do this alone, and Alexander had no qualms with that.
Sure enough, a dead dinner was soon clamped securely between Deimos’ puppy jaws. However, it didn’t come without a price. Alexander saw the blood leaking from his leg, but wasn’t sure how to respond. He had gotten to his feet, tail up once more, and now stood simply waiting.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:54 pm
Dropping the bird, he chewed on the feathers stuck between his teeth, trying to dislodge them. Then he took a look at his wound, trying to ignore the sharp, pulsing pain. It was a deep gash, made by one of the tom's thick, sharp leg spurs. It also was making his leg go numb.
This was not good. Weakness was bad, or so his mother had constantly beaten into him. And he refused to show weakness before this stranger.
Placing his front paws onto the carcass, Deimos stared down at Alexander, head canted to one side, his cerulean eyes narrowed.
"I'll share this thing with you on one account."
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Alexander cocked his head as well, eyes full of disbelief. His face blatantly said, ‘are you kidding me?’ Deimos dragged him all this way and now he had to do tricks to earn his food? Ah, but what could he expect from such a wolf.
The scruffy puppy could tell that his red counterpart was being generous—in his own way. He might as well humor the male. Alexander sat, and his expression softened into that of pure, puppy curiosity. His tail wagged once or twice at the prospect of food, and blue eyes stared into blue eyes. “What do I gotta do?” Alexander asked with reluctance.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:15 pm
A stab of loneliness accompanied the burning in his leg, but he refused to show it.
"Help me find a decent place to sleep afterwards. You can stay after that if you want, I really don't care," he growled, then he dipped his head and started ripping at the feathers with his teeth as if to punctuate his words.
He didn't care. Rip. Not at all. Riiiip. He'd been alone for a few months now. What did another night matter?
Deimos kept his eyes on his meal however, not even looking up when Alexander shifted.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:37 pm
That was it? He was expecting something like, ‘go find me a better meal and you can share this one >:3’ from a boy like this. Maybe Deimos had a softer side. Alexander stood staring in thought for a moment before realizing he was missing out on a wonderfully filling meal. Without further ado, he stepped up and plunged his teeth directly below the breast, searching for the stomach or intestines. Unfortunately, he had to get through feathers first.
Alexander lowered his front end, seeming to hold the meal in place with his paws as he ripped at the feathers. Feather, after feather, after feather. When it came to prey casings, Alexander was sure he much preferred fur.
“So,” the blue wolf said to the red between bites. “How did you end up,” chomp, “fending for yourself?”
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Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:30 pm
Deimos growled at him, snapping at the suddenly exposed flesh of the breast. He had brought the prey down; he would get first pickings. His mother's words kept echoing in his head, constantly reminding him that he was weak, a pushover, not worthy to bear her genes.
He would show her.
Tearing a large chunk of breast meat from the bird, he settled down on the other side of the carcass, meal between his front legs. "My father was killed by a human," he murmured, his voice little more than a growl. Alexander realized that the pup wasn't growling at him really; his voice was just very rough and low, thus making him sound perpetually pissed off.
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:25 pm
The blue pup leaned to the side at the initial growl. Fine. Fair is fair. He supposed the catch did technically belong to Deimos, so Alexander might as well respect his wishes. He didn’t mind eating different parts; he much preferred the intestines anyway. Nutritious and delicious. The digested meal of the prey always seemed to give him an extra energy boost. That said, Alexander bit down below where Deimos had taken his portion and started munching through the stomach. Oooh, tasty.
For some reason, Alexander had taken a subtle liking to the other male. He was… funny, in a way. The blue pup found that he didn’t even mind submitting that much when it came to Deimos. This was strange for Alexander, a pup who usually exhibits alpha qualities, even to adults. Something told him that the red wasn’t going to really hurt him.
“Oh,” Alexander responded. Deimos seemed to have the same sad childhood Alexander knew. “I’ve never been near humans,” he admitted, wondering what they were like. Just hearing stories about them made Alexander think they couldn’t possibly be any good.
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:44 pm
A low, deadly snarl escaped the red pup's bloody maw and his eyes flickered with fire. "Don't ever go near them. They bring nothing but pain," he spat, ripping chunks from his meal with renewed vigor, as if he were imagining it not as a bird, but as a human.
The sudden reminder of his dead father made him tense, pain lashing through him. By all rights, he should have been sharing this meal with his father, laughing and talking of everything and nothing important.
Instead, he was sharing it with blue fur over there.
Well, he might as well make the best of it.
"I have a proposition for you."
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