The Wild and Winter

[Cascade]

Even in the peak of winter, Frigid Plague's territory was pleasant compared to the surrounding area. The thick canopy of the redwood trees prevented much of the snowfall from reaching the ground, where there was only a light dusting. The comfortable expanse of forest was not befitting of its pack's namesake, but it provided more than a satisfactory home for the generations who had spent their lives within. Perjury felt the crunch of the frost under her paws give way to the soft soil as she led Malice into the territory, and the feeling of the earth invigorated her. The view from the mountain was surely impressive, but the sheer rock left her feeling like a part of herself was missing, although she had been declawed. Here she could feel for miles all around her, even the minor stirrings of Vanitas as he slept in his den near the western border.

Looking back to ensure that Malice had kept pace, she gestured with her tail to the large clearing where the fallen tree that served as the pack's meeting place rested, surrounded by small boulders and stumps for the others to rest in audience to the speaker. At the moment it was only the two of them, unsurprising considering the size of the forest and how many places there were to be. "Welcome," the alphess said, letting herself smile if only for the fondness she felt for her home, "From the border we passed, we are now at the center of the territory. It is about the same distance in any direction; we have protected this home for generations."

[Deleted]

—(WHILE JOURNEYING)
The forest provided a warmth that was long-missed, and the aroma that came with it was more comforting than that of the western mountain. Malice let his tail hang behind him, his head level with his shoulders, as he following a few wolf-lengths behind Perjury's speckled rump. "May I ask what brought you to the mountain?" he spoke in that calm and low voice of his. "You couldn't have been anticipating a confrontation with an outsider, else you would not have traveled alone." He kept pace with her, ears forward as he quietly examined the position of her ears.

Malice remained attentive of Perjury's position relative to his own, and made a conscious effort to maintain that three wolfs-length distance behind her. The moment they moved through the border, his form tensed, naturally. Even if he was invited, the scent was new to him, and still felt as if he didn't belong. There was a ways to go before the fallen tree would come into view, and he'd comfortably travel in silence, lulled into a calm by the crunch of cold soil giving to the weight of their paws.

—(AT DESTINATION)
The area ahead looked a to have a sense of purpose, and when the pale wolf stopped, he knew it to be so. "And what a beautiful home it is," he let out a short breath, dipping his nose to the ground. Malice carefully paced around the clearing, moving away from her so he could catch the diluted scents of wolves that had come and gone. "Frigid Plague, was it?" he lifted his head and looked to the fallen tree. "There are quite a few of you."

[Cascade]

—(Journeying)

At Malice's question, Perjury chuckled good-heartedly, "I'd hardly call it a confrontation. But the answer is quite simple; the job of an alphess can be hectic at times, and even I am not immune from needing to get away from it all, even if only for a day. As I said back at the mountain, it could be an odd thread of fate, or merely fortunate coincidence if you prefer to see it that way."

—(Destination)

She nodded and accepted his polite words, always pleased to meet a fellow evil wolf who still had a sense of courtesy. "Yes, the place itself is more comfortable than the name makes it sound. Others are not so lucky. Or should I say, not strong enough to fight for a better home." Perjury took a few paces forward, weaving between two stumps and enjoying the cool air that blew through her fur, much less harshly than the wind on the mountaintop. "Some say it is not honorable to take another's land. My definition of honor is any action which brings a swift victory to my pack as quickly and with as few of our own lives lost as possible. If it requires me to deceive or to fight dirty to prevent the needless casualties of my family, then so be it. This pack was born in the smallest and most barren wasteland, and my Grandfather with only five wolves confronted the powerful Honovi and took these lands from them with no bloodshed." She looked back at Malice and smiled proudly, "That day, the Honovi became the allies of the Frigid Plague, which they remain to this day. It is because of our pack's strong leadership that we have grown as we have. A tradition of leadership that I am proud to continue."

[Deleted]

"A terrifying name alone can ward off any weak-willed trespassers, but with a history like that," he paused, eyes following her as she moved. "I do wonder how you would fair in an actual scrap." The grey wolf gave her a playful little grin, eyes flashing as he moved to a higher perch where he could see her more easily.

At the mention of honor, a sharp exhale came from his nose. "I can appreciate a pack competent enough to utilizes tactics that bring the easiest kill, ... or victory—," he corrected himself. "A wolf does what he can to survive in a land that does not discriminate between good and evil. To do anything less would simply be... unnatural." He played with the two labels on his tongue.

"So long as there is loyalty, structure..and a firm hold on loose tongues.. I should have no qualms with this pact, assuming you were, in fact, extending formal invitation, Perjury." He rolled his shoulders, firmly pressing his paws into his stone perch as he crouched low. Malice's eyes narrowed on her form, ears pricked towards her, and tail kept low.

[Cascade]

Perjury laughed at his mention of a scrap, "I wouldn't get any ideas. I can respect an opportunistic spirit, but I assure you that the answer you seek will come in the form of a swift and painful defeat. " She hopped up onto the fallen giant in one swift motion. Although she more than made up for her lack of size and muscle with her power, speed and agility were two things that needed no compensation. Not that she hadn't come up with clever ways of helping herself in those aspects too, of course.

"You understood my meaning well." She said as she surveyed what little she could from her perch. The thick trees and vegetation did not allow for far sight beyond the boundaries of the clearing. In her paws, she felt the vibrations of his body, every movement making a clearer picture in her mental map, even as she didn't meet his gaze, "Loyalty is our most valued tenet. And we are never lacking in structure. If the principals of this pack are in your nature, then you will do well here." The ground around them began to rumble from deep below. Gradually, the rumblings grew closer and closer to the surface until the ground beneath their respective perches and all along the clearing was practically an earthquake.

"Of course," said Perjury, "I promised a demonstration of my abilities, and I will gladly deliver if you are interested in what the Power has to offer."

[Deleted]

Whatever relaxation or thoughts that had once entangled him were quickly uncoiled as the ground had begun to tremor. Malice was from a quieter place, largely unfamiliar with the odd sensations quickly climbing up his legs. He stood carefully on his stone, his attempts to keep his footing marginally successful, even as he dipped his head over the edge to examine the ground beneath them.

There- it was that feeling again. The one that caused the fur on his neck to stand. "Are you-" he pushed the partial question through nervously clenched teeth, and whatever question he'd have asked was answered right his eyes snapped back to hers. How confident she seemed. How... irrevocably calm. "Please," Despite the uncertainty he felt, he spoke clearly across the shivering soil. "— show me."

[Cascade]

The rumbling grew louder, deafeningly loud, and then...stopped. For a few seconds, all was still as Perjury stood atop the great tree, gazing into Malice's eyes with no expression but a cold and calm stare. Before there was time to speak, a loud boom rang out in the clearing and a surge of soil heaved upwards, obscuring her from view before crashing down like a breaking wave to reveal that she had vanished. Like water, the soil parted around the rocks and stumps as it flowed through the clearing, loose and in turmoil, ready to swallow up whatever might fall into it into an unknown abyss. The redwoods, as massive as they were, shook with the near uprooting of their huge forms, and a shower of snow and pine needles fell from above, many getting caught in the churning ground and disappearing beneath the surface.

For maybe thirty seconds it was like that, the soil in the clearing like tumultuous ocean waves and Perjury nowhere to be seen, but the fallen giant suddenly stuttered, capsized, and sunk fully beneath the surface, the whole trunk of the downed redwood disappearing beneath the roil. No sooner than it had done so did it reappear, an earthen sphere of near rock hardness atop its surface. The rolling soil surged toward the massive log, settling the clearing as though it had never been disturbed, save for the dark fresh scent of topsoil that hung in the air. Waves of earth like tangled arms reached out to prop up the fallen giant, returning it to its previous resting place. And as the sphere began the crumble, revealing the alphess within, expression unchanged, it formed itself into rigid levitating steps upon which she climbed high into the air. Standing now on the upper most platform, all the other soil came to a rest and crumbled back into its former state. Her last platform began to rise, higher and higher into the air at a controlled speed, and she with it, until it reached the redwood canopy. Then, as though it had dried to nothing, the platform crumbled and the alphess fell. Ten feet, fifty feet, two hundred feet she fell from the tops of the trees to the ground with a sickening crack that shook the forest floor. And when the dust settled, the alphess stood, unharmed, the dirt beneath her feet bending and bouncing like a trampoline. Shaking herself off and stepping towards Malice, she bent forward and placed a single item at his feet—a single branch of soft baby pine needles that she had taken from the treetops.

[Deleted]

Malice's head darted around as the roil picked up in intensity, and his heart beat increased in anticipation of what was to come. BOOM!! The loud bang came with a terrifying upheaval of earth causing Malice to tremble in his already unsteady footing. Ears already drawn back, his rear dipped downward and his dark tail curled between his heels as he stood deathly still before the display going on around him. Snow and pine settled upon erected fur as it was violently disturbed from the canopy above, and it was allowed it to accumulate while he refused to move in fear of being swallowed by the trenches below. How the rock he stood upon remained in its position, he did not know, but a conscious part of him deduced that he was only safe at Perjury's discretion. And of Perjury..? Where was she?

He was too startled to move. He, a wild wolf from a distant.. non-mystical land, could-indeed- never have imagined such a miraculous display. He could hardly believe what was even happening right in front of him. For what thirty seconds that it had lasted, he hardly moved. His muscled tensed, his joints locked, and his eyes- wide and.. aghast. It was likely that he missed some of the display in his fright, and only consciously snapped back when the white form appeared before him, bearing the branch of virgin pine. His nostrils widened at the scent- the only movement he had made in response, besides his extended shivering. At least he somehow -miraculously- managed to keep his bladder in check. His fur puffed out and his ears slowly swiveled forward as his brain caught up with him. His eyes remained unfocused, however, just staring off into some distant nothing behind her.

[Cascade]

"It's quite different from what you're used to, isn't it?" The alphess finally said, breaking the silence. He had been courteous to her, so she gave him the courtesy of ignoring the clear signs of his fright. It wasn't difficult to imagine that a wolf who had shown such confidence would not like her drawing attention to his shaking body, and besides, she took no pleasure in it. If he was going to be one of the Frigid Plague, he would grow accustomed to it in time. Better it was she who showed him the true extent of mortal magic than an enemy hell-bent on burning him to a crisp.

"I have had this power since birth, although it took many years to train it to this strength. This is what I use to snuff out my enemies before they can bring harm to my pack. This makes the pack strong, but a pack without its loyal members is nothing. If you join us, you will have a position of uncompromised security within these borders. In return, you give your loyalty to me, to your pack, and to our Honovi allies in the north." The alphess took a seat beside Malice in a gesture to reduce the overt threat caused by her display of power, "The choice is yours. Will you take your place among the Frigid Plague?"

[Deleted]

He would need a few more moments of silence to finish registering what had just happened, although he listened to her words, appreciative above all of her mercy. His lack of grace was less than desirable, but some truths could not be overshadowed, not by any kind of bravado or show of pride. Not long after the pale wolf took her seat did his own hindquarters meet the stone below. His head remained level with his shoulders a moment longer, before raising as he turns his snout to locate her eyes. "I would honored to be one with your pack." His ears swiveled outwards for a moment, and he turned his head back to the rest of the clearing, and the deceptively still ground ahead. "Perjury-" the name quietly left his muzzle.

"What you just showed me was... beyond words." his eyes still retained their awe. At least they were slightly more focused than they were before.

[Cascade]

Clearly he was still affected by the show of power. She didn't want to overwhelm him, had she not already, so she simply nodded and made little fanfare of the occasion, making a mental note to inform Vanitas of the new addition to the pack the next time she saw him. Perjury sat with him, observing the clearing in its now-resting state and letting the silence hang comfortably in the air for a few minutes. When she was confident that he would not begin seizing the moment she took her eyes off him, she once again got to her feet and faced him.

"The dens are in the west," she said, "A stream with fresh water to the north, and to the east, beyond our borders, a very unusual place in the forest that has been touched by the Power. If you are still interested in the many ways the Power manifests in this valley, you might enjoy paying it a visit. I ensure you that it is orders of magnitude less—impressive—than what I showed you, but a curious place nonetheless. I take my leave now, explore however you wish." With that, she gave a curt bow of her head—the kind appropriate for an alphess to her subordinate—and made her way towards the den site, the last place she had seen her beta.

[Deleted]

The grey wolf had regained his composure by the time she stood, and he stood with her. His head leveled with his shoulders and his ears perked forward as she spoke. The curt bow of the head was returned, and as she began to move away, he opened his maw to deliver an earnest, "Thank you, Perjury." Malice slid down from the stone perch and took a deep breath as he spoke into the clearing.

"You have earned my allegiance."


{ End }