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Post by Joliette Thorne on Aug 8, 2008 13:52:13 GMT -5
--Somewhere, At the Jungle‘s Edge--
She'd found "good hunting", to use the favoured phrase of a clanmate, though not without its perils. Reeling slightly from a scratch to her cheek bestowed by a pygmy dart, and having lost some of her hard-earned meal via a bamboo javelin to the shoulder, Tene was nevertheless relatively replete, and on her way to the beach to wait for the others. Slung over the necromancer's uninjured shoulder was a snack for later-- an unconscious pygmy, its little arms and legs dangling, and she was looking forward to a change of clothing and a wash as well as the prospect of returning to the mainland. Still, difficult as her journey was at times, there -had- been high points. Wearing a little smile while she mused on those, she had to admit-- it had been some adventure...
Senka isn't sure what she's doing here but doesn't care either way. Deliriously happy as she still is with her wolf's form returned back to her the wolf rushes for no other reason that she can, her old famous speed regained, reowned and the pleasure of it is so much that she actually skips. Until, of course, a familiar and unfamiliar scent happens to reach her nose, making the albino pause and lift her snout curiously. There's barely a pause before Senka is off again, paws familiar over rough terrain and bringing her near the vampire in no time. Though aware that the vampire may have smelt her as well the wolf nevertheless utters a short whine in a greetings of sort before her pearly coat can be made out from between the leafs. She doesn't bother to approach too soon yet though the necromancer may spot red eyes taking in the little form dangling from her shoulder with interest.
Tenebrae, well-fed and musing, was still a predator in an uncertain environment and not clear enough of the jungle's canopy and its denizens to allow any real kind of relaxation. Aside from her prey's vengeful relatives, there was a good chance the scent of blood could attract other killers. Bigger ones, even. She stepped up her pace toward boggier ground, clear of the tall forest that marked the end of the tree-people's territory, with her ears perked, so to speak, for danger. So it was she caught the scent of wolf, though had not the capacity to tell one canine from the other by it. Assuming it her mate, she grinned, expecting a crash of blond fur to come barrelling through the undergrowth, or perhaps.. ah, a wolf-sound. "Leo!" Peridot eyes were bright as they glanced toward the soft sound of foliage parting-- until it became apparent that it was pure white and not sandy-hued fur the beast wore, and the being who'd made the sound was not Leoxander, at all. Tene narrowed her eyes a little. She only knew one white wolf who'd be out here. The red eyes only affirmed her assumption. "Senka?"
Senka blinks at being called the pup at first, taken aback but then amused rather then offended. Hey, even the homocidals can have their good days...And so the wolf merely utters another whine in confirmation as her name is spoken, appearing from the embrace of the jungle with a rustle of the undergrowth. She not only feels better but looks it too, any signs of her wounds having been hidden by her welcome fur and her pace energic and mainly just full of life. There is a shadow of her usual hunger behind that red gaze though as it fixes on the kill slung over Tenebrae's shoulder. Well, the vampire was right in it drawing bigger predators at least...
If the necromancer looks closely, she may even spot a mild wrinkle of a sniffing sound and the quiver of a hungry bottom lip.The albino refrains from drooling though, that'd be the mutt thing to do.
Tenebrae had meant 'bigger' more along the lines of those hut-sized fungi that roamed these parts now and then.. But Senka was big enough. And hungry, if the way she was ogling Tene's supper had anything to do with it. The hapless little being was summarily tossed to the lycaness' feet, where it landed with a soggy thud. "Help yourself." Her shoulder was giving her a hard time, anyhow, and she'd be glad for an excuse to pause, though kept her eyes and ears keen for any interlopers. "You're looking a sight more perky since I saw you last." Notably, the wolf's chains were gone, and she seemed in something of a good mood. Perhaps she too had been hit by one of those darts? "But grab it, we'll head back to the beach. Safer there."
Senka is a hunter above anything else but when there is food first dangled in front of her nose and then freely offered, who is she to refuse? So her proud head lowers and fangs rip eagerly in flesh she's not tasted before, only the flick of her left ear showing that she's listening as the statement about her health is made. There's a pause as she's -told- what to do but reason defeats pride, for once, and so her muzzle is opened enough to take a decent part of that little body and lift it easily. Predatory eyes fix briefly upon Tenebrae's face again but then the white one is lightly lifting her paws, turning towards the beach without a complaint. Not that there is much complaining to do when there is food...
Tene didn't give a second thought to the way she had spoken to the wolf. Leadership was in her blood and gristle, after all, however haphazard that occupation might seem to outsiders at times. She trudged onward, trusting that the wolf would follow, if she wanted to. Either way, Tene was headed for a wash and some fresh clothing. She'd have to see about something for Leo, as well, perhaps there'd be something on the ship. Again, her mind busied itself with details of the journey back and the sundry duties necessary to it, sparing from it only the wit needed to keep her falling into the bogs they'd pass on the way to the shore. She;d not interrupt the journey with speech nor intrusive thought. Once there, she flopped down on the sand to take her rest, and allow Senka to have her meal in peace.
Senka isn't used to following, or offering others leadership for that manner but instead learned to be on her own and think only of herself. So it comes as a surprise to find that she doesn't feel like making all that much objection besides one moody growl, tail swinging lazily as she follows the two-walker. A dull 'thud' sounds as she drops the other's kill carelessly near her, lips already curling back so that fangs can sink into meat and begin to tear at foreign flesh. The albino takes a while but sometimes, it's worth being quiet and patient with her. "You're without your pack," the familiar husky voice once again enters the vampire's mind but though Senka's eyes are glazed, they're not fixed upon that pair of opposite colour as they usually need to be. "Why?"
Tenebrae sniffed, the pollen residue of some toxic jungle-flower or other having irritated her nose a bit, probably. "I'm not without them. There's some here..." Her gaze roamed the periphery of the mangroves. ".. somewhere. And Gom." No sign of any of them, but then, the island was bigger in area than it might seem from a distance, and they all had things to do before it was time to go home. "They're never far, usually." The odd, collective way she spoke of the Cabal, in part or whole, wouldn't occur to her. "And what about you? Been a while." She wasn't in a hurry for an answer, seeing as Senka's maw and mind both appeared occupied with pygmy-meat just then, so took the opportunity to retrieve her back pack. She'd still be digging through it, should Senka deign to reply at any point.
Used to the sound of flesh tearing from bone the wolf can easily hear the other's words over the noise that comes with eating, her muzzle already stained pink but that left ear still turning towards the necromancer with every sentence while the other remains somewhat lowered. The albino doesn't even bother to look where 'there' would be, figuring it'll be the island and not all that interested anyway. Still, it's a novelty to hear from a pack that is together yet...apart. She's used to being restriced to suffocating closeness, yet the vampire seems quite relaxed with her pack. The next tear might be a bit more moody but then, it'll probably just be her usual temper returning. Which would also explain why she takes her time responding, preoccupied instead with licking some of the bared bones until finally red glazes again, though it's still focussed on that easily attained food. "Been hiding," the husky voice shows her distain much better then that wolf's head does, especially when said head is currently burried in flesh, "Took some time to heal and avoid pesky two-walkers," She doesn't add the bit of information about a certain stubborn someone giving aid anyway, her pride hurting enough as it is but there is something about her tense tone that gives her away anyway. "You were right about the...two-walker cloth but I stuck to the woods anyway. Back to hunting now..."
If Tene had any smirking to do at the wolf's reply, she hid it completely, merely nodding quietly while she tossed a few articles of garb onto the sand. A quick look around to make sure the women were alone, and she'd strip off her ragged and beyond-dirty leathers, stained with a good many things by now. "Back in a moment." The seawater beyond the mangroves was at least clear, and in the absence of a warm, vanilla-scented bath served well for washing up. Tene splashed about only as long as needed to feel a bit cleaner, and returned to the shore. A rough bit of cloth delved from her voluminous bag did for a towel, and she was soon dressed again. By then she had given Senka's words some thought. "You know, I'd be pretty annoyed if I was a lycan, and somebody took to calling my breed "mutts" in front of me." Her tone was blithe, unnaccusing. "Anyway. Given any thought, to what I said?" This time she didn't hide the smirk. "You know.. right before you threatened to kill me, by the stream?"
Senka barely even offers the other a glance as she goes to seek out the water, merely turning the carcass over to nip as some left pieces of meat. As a survivor, the albino knows not to waste any type of food, not even a given one...By the time Tene returns Senka has all but licked the thing clean only to blink and look up at that careless remark. The beast may not be trained in the art of being subtle, at all, but even she realises there is more to those words then a careless statement. But she's distracted before she completely figures it out, the question and smirk making her lower her ears but never her eyes. "I don't know your pack," the voice, when entering the other's mind again, is almost comically sulky compared to the large frame it 'comes' from. An agitated toss of her head follows before the albino, even sulkier adds, "And I didn't mean it," That admission, short and straightforward, hurts her pride but quite frankly, the albino wasn't one for lying in the first place. "I figured it would stop you from asking me again, you don't even like me," And I don't like you, the wolf doesn't bother to add as fierce eyes finally linger on the vampire, taking in the other's expression. Sure, the wolf may not like the vampire all that much but it can't be denied that she hasn't bothered to attack either. For a creature with such a simple thought process, Senka can be a very confusing beast.
Tenebrae sniffed again. The tip of her nose was slightly red, and she swiped at it with the back of her hand. "I don't dislike you. You can be pretty damned irritating at times..." The vampiress went on, in a casual tone, sans smirk again. ".. but if I did, you'd be a head on my wall by now after that threat. I knew you were just being difficult." A lovely and parasitic flower, plucked from the bough of a mangrove on her way back to the beach, was tucked in her hair once that black mass of tendrils was suitably gathered at the back of her neck, exposing a large and jagged scar. "And you know me. Leo. Isen, I gather. I'll bet there's a lot of us you know, and didn't realise. Cabal are many, these days." Her eyes drifted to the orcish sailor's hut. "Damn it all, my nose is itching like mad. Wonder if Gom's got something to soothe it." She made her excuses and wandered over to the whalebone shack, cursing softly and itching at the offending organ.
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Post by Joliette Thorne on Aug 8, 2008 14:20:58 GMT -5
Leoxander had given a light touch to her back, made meaningful eye contact, and then he fell behind and turned his attention toward the forest. True to his rogue nature, he moved into the shadows, but it was far easier to chase down prey in his crossed lupine form. Leo was out of sight for two or three minutes before his enraged howl might encourage her to get to the beach, sooner. He'd appear later in the day, maybe even at his preferred time when the sun was sinking down beneath the water. Only a glint of feral, amber eyes at first, and then the beast crawled onto the sand on all fours with a rough shake. Dusty fur went flying everywhere, sinking back into his pores and disappearing from most of his body... though he lacked full control of his shift and several odd patches remained. Fangs jutted out of his mouth, his ears were still tapered and tipped in light brown hair, and each of eye inhabited by an eerie ring of gold around a jagged center. Most of the blood had been washed from his skin but his clothing was more ragged than ever, a hole at his knee revealing the scratches from the night he hadn't done much sleeping. He tried to push up to his hind feet but it hurt to get stuck in the middle of a transformation, muscles would spasm from the strain of resetting bones. Adjusting his jaw by opening and closing his mouth into a more straight and human bite, he finally found relief after a stumble that landed him in the soft terrain on his knees. Once he was able to stand, he didn't wander too far from the swampy boundary, but scanned the distance with squinted, sober eyes.
She was glutted with blood, lain on her back under a palm tree, through the spiky fronds of which she could watch the moon's sliver, like the glint in a bad man's eye. Washed, dressed, replete, her hands were resting on her belly and in the evening glower she felt more peaceful than she had in a long time. Oh, she'd heard that howl alright, but her hunger had taken Tene in the opposite direction-- into the swarming, moody jungle where danger had become a meal for a hungry vampiress, and later an equally hungry wolf.
Tene had returned from the hut to find Senka gone and, alone, had indulged in another swim. The remnants of the feast now lay strewn on the sand, the skull picked to a yellow-white gleam by first Senka and later the tiny carrion-crabs that so often had cause to creep beyond the mangroves to clean this beach. Basking thus, in fond and recent memories, the necromancer had a time of rising when she heard Leo's return. Struggling upward, she groaned softly as her full belly rebelled against the motion, but Leo didn't look... well, he didn't look all that comfortable; even from that distance his bones didn't seem to lock together properly, and she wouldn't be selfish enough to make him come to her. "Cap'n.." Newly booted feet, the shoes outsized, but serviceable, slipped across the sand and dunegrass tussocks to halt her a little distance from where he prowled, and a tiny frown would speak her concern, if her tone did not, while she gave him the once-over for obvious wounds. Or best she could, from there. "Did you find something to eat?"
Leoxander could be easily inspected in just a ragged pair of shorts, and again, he had to pull them up from where they sagged on his hips. He looked relatively healthy considering the fall they'd had just days before, no obvious wounds just some scratches on his skin from the struggle of prey and the discipline of rocks and tree branches, once hidden beneath his fur. "Yeah..." The way he sighed that word revealed he was in a fairly mellow mood, perhaps the reason it had been so easy to become more or less human. Sloppy, but maybe he was getting the hang of it. In return, gold flecked eyes drifted over her well dressed frame. "You were on the ship..." He made this observation suspiciously, like a child ready to have a tantrum because he wasn't ready to leave yet. Any reason to get angry...
Senka may not have been on the exact spot but she lingered close all the same for reasons only her own. Soft fur, so glaringly white in the midday sun, now seems to be reduced to a soft glow, silvery strands now noticable in that weaker light. So it is not hard to make her out as she comes out the safety from the forest to silently gaze at the familiar pair, her wolf's head unreadable as ever and red eyes merely showing her usual curiosity. There isn't even a pause in her steps as the creature makes her way over the sand, impulsive as ever and apparently not minding company so much today. Perhaps it's the satisfaction of her recent kill still stainting the white pink.
Tenebrae's brow hiked up a notch, and she shook her head. So much for romance, then... "No, got it all from my pack." Well, except the boots that she'd stolen from Gom's hut. Too small for the orc, perhaps a trophy from some ill-fortuned meal the cannibal had taken, but she wouldn't explain it out loud. "I fed, too. Met up with Senka." Her eyes shifted to the skull and back. "She stayed for a bite." The vampiress trod backward, slowly, toward the beach. "Thought we might take stock, for the trip home later, if you're up for it." Maybe such a everyday, routine task'd get him out of that sulky wolf-mood that loomed like a sudden stormcloud on a clear night.
Tenebrae looked at Senka. "Speak of the devil.."
Leoxander noticed Senka just a moment before he name was spoken, nose twitching as the scent of her hit his awareness. But a step back and Tenebrae recaptured his attention. He stalked a step after and reached out possessively for her arm. "Why do we have to leave? ...We should stay." Leo didn't expect Senka to judge his actions, and as for his mate... well, he would expect her to understand. His mind didn't register responsibility, just yet... the clan, their fortune... none of it mattered after days spent in in a feral lifestyle, exploring newfound territory. He hardly looked civilized, holding up what was left of his pants, dirt smeared across the bridge of his nose, torn leaves in his hair, with a more brown complexion from the grime of that murky atmosphere if not a tan from sunlight. The gold refused to leave his eyes, and they searched the vampire's imploringly, waiting for her to give in and reassure him he could have his way. This solitude was so much better than the criminal and political fame they faced.
Senka twitches her left ear at the words spoken by the vampire, not quite sure what the devil has to do with her appearance but not about to ask either. There’s still a light bounce in her step, something that comes with being content for the first time in a while, but not enough to drive the lethal grace from her features. The possessive reach of the pup towards his mate doesn’t impress her one way or the other for the lycan indeed thinks nothing of it, instead merely continuing to approach until she’s close enough to communicate but far enough to make sure no touching will happen. Though this is more or less an automatic thing since the two present will most likely be the only ones who don’t usually have silly ideas like that anyway. So the albino is relatively relaxed, uttering a simple short whine in greeting to the both of them before tilting her head to the side, staring unashamedly and with amusement within her gaze. If this is going to be a quarrel of sorts, it’s bound to be amusing.
Tenebrae let him take her moon-bathed limb, the sojourn in the oubliette having given her a newfound confidence in his less-than-human form. Her head, too, would tilt a little to one side when he spoke, tipping the flower from behind her ear to fall to the sand, and she gave him a soft grin. Perhaps there was a little relief in it. "Sure, we can stay. I like it here." The necromancer drew a long breath of the cooling night air, savouring the saline taste of it on her tongue. Her eyes went to Senka, then. "Evenin'.." She half-expected some snapped reply, still not used to the mellow side of the lycaness, and when it didn't come right away, she'd lean in closer to Leo-- not in a possessive way, just revelling in the fact she could, while he was like that.
Leoxander would drag his fingers part way down her arm, keeping a loose grip on her wrist. Her arm would only fall if she wanted it to. The sound in the wolf's throat causes his head to turn, and he still had a thicker scruff of fur down the sides of his jaw, on his chest and arms, indicating the wolf hadn't entirely left his mind or presence, yet. He kept his sharp eyes on the albino as he stooped to pick up Tenebrae's flower, almost losing his pants to the narrow definition of hipbones, and sadly, nothing on beneath. Catching them just in time, he held the orchid at a pocket. More mellow once Tene promised they wouldn't leave yet, the greeting he gave Senka was no more than a silent communication between locked eyes. When he finally spoke, he murmured to anyone listening. "There's more to see, and I haven't found Jack..."
Senka growls distractedly in answer as Tenebrae greets her, her eyes already travelling back to the forest she came from now that it becomes obvious that the two are only, well, going to act as mates really. There’s bound to be something more interesting in the wild jungle she’s only just begun to explore…Yet amusement flares back to life without her having to move for it as the pup reaches to the flower and ends up struggling to keep his privates covered, mostly because she doesn’t get why one would bother with a mate nearby and another one who couldn’t care less. Still, it’s not until Jack is mentioned that the wolf makes a sound again, this time a sort of mocking snort. Red glazes then, and it wouldn’t take long before Leo can hear her familiar husky voice, “You care a lot for your mutt, don’t you?” If there’s a little bit of challenge in her tone, well, the albino can’t help it. Now that she’s healed she’s pretty much bursting with energy and more then willing to start a little tussle.
Tene eyed the lycaness darkly. Yup, there was the Senka she knew and.. well. Anyway. she wasn't about to allow those pants to take what seemed to be thier determined course south, and while Leo was occupied with whatever wolfish communication they were doing, tugged free of the pirate’s grasp and comtinued her slow pace a few yards distant, to where one of the ropes Myrall'd gifted them was hung up on the side of a mango tree, a short dagger doing for an erstwhile hook. She tugged the knife free, slicing a length of cord, keeping one eye on Senka all the while. If Leo didn't fetch her back, she'd return in short order anyhow and without sparing the manners for asking or hesitating to watch for his temper, she looped the rope around his waist, tugging a knot in place if he kept still. Senka's mocking tone had those little hairs standing up on the back of her neck again- hardly visible, even though her hair was pinned up in a makeshift way. "Family's family," came her low-voiced reply, though it mightn't have bene her place to make it. "Dog's Cabal, same as th'rest of us." Her chin tilted upward, jaw clenched in that arrogant way that spoke of lines that didn't bear crossing. She'd hush, then, and let Leo deal with her as he saw fit.
Leoxander is drawn to the challenge of the wolf's thoughts like a moth drawn to flame. He had been looking for reason to argue with someone, an excuse to get angry and resort back into his stronger form, but Joliette had stayed too calm for that. A raise of his chin and he stared down the red eyed albino, his voice low and pushed through his teeth. "What are you looking at the swamp for?" There was a growl in his throat, one that said in subtle ways... 'You think this island isn't already mine?'... "Planning on staying?" Leo settled for that easy going question instead, tilting his head just enough to crack the stiff bones at the top of his spine. All the while, he knew Tenebrae had stepped away, but he kept his peripheral vision on the necromancer to make sure she didn't go too far. He hardly noticed as that makeshift belt was knotted, and even lifted his hands out of the way while she tied it. "You can help us look, then."
Senka can only be amused, too arrogant for anything else and perhaps not familiar enough with the other’s skill yet, at their fierce responses. As one who considers dogs, mutts, merely a weak imitation of a wolf she cannot understand why one would care so much. Cannot understand why one would even include it in a pack, but if the vampire says so, Senka can only assume it to be true. She can’t remember either one of them lying to her of course, though it’s highly likely that she wouldn’t know even if they did. But Leo manages to make her hackles raise anyway despite her best efforts, snout wrinkling at that response to her challenge, red unwilling to turn away from the odd coloured pair of his. It figures that the pup has already claimed it, but she can’t help but growl lowly back in the arrogant opinion that she’s still the stronger, experienced one of the two. ‘Think you can keep it if I decided to take it from you?’. The message may not be subtle but the way it’s brought is, yet the albino makes no move to show further interest in the swamp. Territories have become too dangerous for the white one… “Maybe,” she thus replies with that hazy look again to the question poised, wanting to keep the other on his toes for it’s, to her, much easier to deal with an angry pup then anything else. At least she knows what to do with anger…The next statement takes her off guard and apparently without her knowing, Senka flickers her eyes back towards the swamp. “Fine,” the answer is impulsive, anything but thought out and merely an instinctive reaction to the challenge she thinks to still see in both their forms, “I was going to explore it a bit anyway,”
Tenebrae couldn't help the slight roll of eyes she gave, while she went to fetch her pack. It wasn't far, just under the same tree the rope had been pinned to. The vampiress couldn't pick up all of the lycaness' speech, most of it not directed at her, but flecks of impressions here and there, when Senka wasn't quite guarded enough to exclude her. Enough to gather what was being implied, at least. Leo was given a not-quite-so-withering look, while she shrugged into the slightly greater protection of a shirt over her brief top, and the rest of the rope was hooked over her head and one shoulder to cross her chest. The knife was slid to the belt of her pants, and that was that, as far as preparation went. There was no way she'd be caught without necessities again. "Let's get goin' then..." It was a grumble that would trail off a bit as she started trudging north, not waiting for the lycanthropes to follow, or stay and argue territory, whatever they decided.
Leoxander said, "Mind where you step." That rugged remark could be taken two ways. A warning to let her know the area was dangerous... but that seemed too obvious. The more likely reason was his desire to get that last word in, one more scare to maintain his dominance in both female's presence and keep the stronger, wiser lycan from taking newly discovered territory... because that was how instinct urged him to behave. He kept his eyes glaring her way but made no move to stop her from looking or walking toward north from there. Finally, he'd look toward Tenebrae, leaning in to brush his whiskered cheek against hers. A slight touch of just the very tip of his tongue, because taste and smell were important, and he sealed an innocent kiss against her cheek. "I hope you got somethin' for me to wear packed away."
Leoxander was all too glad to retreat away from the ocean, back toward the swamp.
Senka makes a short impatient growling sound at Leo’s last remark, somewhat disappointed and the lack of fighting but nevertheless turns to follow the necromancer. She had not missed the annoyance in the other female’s tone but ears soon rise anyway. For all her grumbling and moody attitude she’s happy enough to do some exploring, a little adventure to keep her busy. Perhaps it’s that that keeps her from taunting ‘the pup’ further, instead merely approaching Tenebrae’s other side to become the silent companion she had been before. After all, she was there when they went in to rescue an orc, a race she usually only fought and if she can get herself to do that, then surely a mut is just as acceptable for now. Besides, it’ll give her something to waste that energy on, something a little more productive and less likely to anger friends. If that is what she even considers the two…most likely not.
Tenebrae said to Leoxander, "Probably." She'd let him halt her pause to allow that kiss, the icy tension in her frame melting somewhat. "Got me worried 'bout Jack."
-- Swamp--
Tenebrae was more at ease now and, flanked by the two shapeshifters, found a peculiar sense of rightness in the arrangement. Things had cooled a little, too, and she lowered her hand from where her thumb had been hooked to a belt-loop, loosely, near the knife's hilt. Her patience with Senka was about at an end, and if it was a fight thd wolf wanted, a fight she'd get, and it wouldn't be pretty. But it didn't seem that was to be thier fate today, and Tene was glad of it, for Jack's sake. Snapping off a branch as she passed a bush, she'd use it to swipe prickling leaves out of the path of her face when the foliage grew more dense, using her annoyance with the plants to mask her worry. Walking fungus, pygmies, giant beetles... Lots out there that'd make short work of a shaggy black dog.
Leoxander took a step, grabbing hold of a twisted tree root to haul himself over the bank into the swamp. Even without shoes he was sure footed, knowing just the right places to step without disturbing a leaf... that is until he started to sneeze, followed by a shake of his head and a hard shiver. Soon he sank into a frustrated, crouched position with a hand over his head and an annoyed groan in his chest, his voice was muffled when he spoke, back hunched into a defined curve. "Help me change..." Leo kind of dreaded the pain his novice attempts to switch his mindset resulted in, and even though he'd only seen Senka in another form once, she had to know something, some trick or tip that would bring him a step closer to Isen's effortless skill. Fingertips trembled as deadly claws retracted back into blunt, flat fingernails, and he dug his hand into his hair as though it might help him keep control of his mind, if nothing else. "You... have to know an easier way."
Senka has a way of testing people’s patience but for now she seems to behave well enough having had her fill of picking fights for today. Shoulders lift and lower in a steady rhythm as the wolf remains at the female’s side for now, picking her way through the bushes and such with experienced ease but unable to keep from slipping behind Tene now and then as she makes a free path as the foliage becomes more dense. Her low growling is mostly for show and dies out now and then, when she’s distracted by a foreign smell or sound. Yet she’s brought to a stop as the pup suddenly sinks to a more compact position, turning her noble head with obvious curiosity before slowly approaching him again. At first she isn’t sure who he’s talking to but then as Leo asks for knowledge the proud beast knows enough. Her actions are a reminder as to why one would keep her around, despite her obvious flaws, for she whines and lowers her head to gently nudge the side of that agitated head with her wet nose in a more gentle gesture then one would expect from her, ears lowering in displeasure at seeing him in this state. Red glazes again and her husky voice easily enters the pirate’s mind but like before, Tene will easily catch it if she wishes too, the wolf makes no effort to hide anything from the vampire, “I thought you would’ve mastered it by now, pup. You looked talented enough,” There’s a hesitant pause, long enough for the albino to whine softly in displeasure and dart a nervous glance around. It’s not a friendly place to stop after all. “I can help you though…If you truly wish it,”
Leoxander stiffened his shoulders when nudged, but he didn't react violently to this contact. It was encouraging in an unspoken way, kind of saying that Senka had some understanding despite her words. A shake of his head admitted enough, but he spoke his words in an annoyed growl, brow furrowed under the hair in his eyes. "It just... hurts. Too much, sometimes. That pain sends me into..." Well, he didn't want to go into detail of how violent he could get, because he tried to block his most bloody memories out. When he squeezed his eyes closed and groaned as though in pain for a second time, followed by a sudden pop of bone as his spine jutted out between his shoulder blades, Tenebrae would know enough to give the lycan his distance. She'd watched him wash Cenril gutters with soldiers' blood the first time she'd seen him transform. "Son of a..." A snarl would replace his curse word as he arched his lower back to try to relieve the pressure. This would go on for awhile, without the other lycan's help. But he wasn't safe to approach quite yet.
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Post by Joliette Thorne on Aug 8, 2008 14:38:32 GMT -5
Senka is on the very same island, though it would be a mystery as to -how- the stubborn proud wolf got here but she's been here a while. Her pearly white coat is dirty with mud, small branches hanging in it and even an occasional pygmy dart dangling from her soft fur. Born for a life in nature she makes no sound when a new two-walker catches her attention, keeping within the bushes out of habit but no matter how great her skill, her fur makes it not impossible to spot her with it's glaring white state. Predatory red eyes wander over Madeline's form as the bard is stalked by something else, something bigger, then a pygmy for once. Something else that is deciding whether the woman will make a proper meal...
Madeline doesn't notice Senka at first. She's too busy watching for pygmies and a certain vampiress she'd came a-searching for. The princess looks this way and that, and is careful about finding her footing along the swamp trail. One wrong step and she'll end up food for whatever creatures live in that fetid mess of water. Something - a flicker of white fur, a dash of a pygmy - whatever the source, something catches the princess' eye. She turns her head quickly, expecting another horde of those miniature predators and their blow guns. Instead, she sees white peeking through the bushes at her. Her entire body stills, she still isn't aware what exactly the white-furred creature it. She doesn't make a single move - relying on the possibility that the creature won't think her a tasty meal...
Senka narrows her eyes as she's spotted, suddenly keeping deadly still in the faint hope that the glance will pass but instead her prey freezes as well. The albino knows it's useless then and a paw is lifted to carefully place it closer, edging her body forward as her snout wrinkles. Ears remain strained upright, trying to catch everything from Madeline's heartbeat to the sounds of the surrounding enviroment, knowing it is hostile, while her nose tries to catch that delightful whiff of fear. A deep unearthly growl slowly swells in volume as it comes from the wolf's throat, louder then the rustle of leaves as her body pushes them aside while Senka edges closer...closer...
Madeline very carefully edges herself backwards as Senka moves forward. It becomes obvious that she's a wolf as she makes her apperance, and the princess actually breaths a sigh of some semblance of relief. A wolf -might- be easier to handle than some of the other various jungle creatures on this island. Then again, maybe not. With a shift of her shoulders, she slides her pack down an arm and drops it to the ground - knowing that it will prove more hindrance than help if the situation goes as bad as it looks like it will. A dagger is slipped from a well-hidden sheath at her waist and she holds it so that the blade is pointing behing her - the hilt pointing toward the wolf. Emerald eyes never leave the wolf even as long, pointed ears twitch with the sounds of the jungle - the pygmies rallying around the edges, waiting for the right moment to attack, the moment when both parties are at their mercy. With a careful sidestep, Maddie will attempt to keep Senka at a distance by circling her, assuming the wolf doesn't just outright charge.
Tenebrae had stalked silently after Senka, when the wolf had become distracted and wandered off, or however it was Tene had lost sight of her. It was fascinating to the vampiress... how Leo had reacted so to the female, and she had almost mothered him-- in her cranky, red-eyed way. Beyond shock at that response, Tene had felt not a hint of jealousy, the lack of which was so profound it struck her. For the first time, she saw Senka not as a threat but as a potential ally in her battle to understand her mate's relatively new state. And if something was important enough to drag the wolf away from him, she wanted to know what it was. Torn between staying with Leo or following, she wouldn't allow any threat to come while he was so incapacitated. So now, beyond that hint of glaucous hide in the tangle of plantlife, there'd be seen an almost equally white face peeking through the branches. Her next footfall was a mis-step, and her boot cracked down on the length of a dry branch, alerting wolf and elf to the fact that -something- else was in that area, and not too far away. Any surprise they might have had was further exacerbated by the sound of the necromancer's voice, loud enough to frighten a little squad of parrot dozing in the branches above. "She's Cabal!" As the birds exploded upward, squawking into the high canopy, Tene stepped forward to Senka's proximity. "The place is crawling with us..." Peridot eyes matched the calm of the quieter tone she used now, Maddie given a wave before the glance was returned to Senka. "Might want to refrain from eating anyone taller than one of those ugly tree-gnomes, for now. Just in case. Can't have you chewing up one of your own."
Senka had been distracted by the presence of what she had thought to be a threat, the only reason why she'd leave the side of “the pup” at that precise time. With her head lowered, ears now flattening against her scalp and eyes without mercy, the wolf makes a frightening image even -without- the drool that slowly begins to slide past ivory teeth, bared freely by trembling lips the moment the dagger is aimed at her. Shoulders bulge, her front legs tense as the albino prepares to pounce the poor elf only to be distracted by a sudden snap of a branch, her left ear twitching as her entire body gives a twitch. Another threat? Another one she has to deal with? But no, it's a familiar voice that calls out for her then and snaps the concentration and hunger from her blood lust state. An agitated growl escapes Senka then as she's hindered from a tasty meal when her adrenaline rushes the fastest, her noble head soon tossed in that same emotion and animal way before she turns her head to moodily snarl at the vampire, despite the soothing tone. To Madeline it may or may not appear as if the lycan is about to attack Tenebrae as well but soon her predatory gaze returns to the elf to get rid of that illusion. For a moment it looks as if the wolf will attack Madeline anyway, her red gaze lingering longingly but then slowly that tense state is broken and her ears slowly rise again. A snort, a short impatient sound that does little to ease the threatening look of her large fanged body, escapes that black spot of that white nuzzle and another just as impatient look is send towards the vampire then as if to say; “must you spoil -all- the fun?”
Leoxander was just part of the background noise at a distance, at first. His agonized yells and frustrated growls were nothing new. A vicious bark might sound more disturbing than usual, but not entirely out-of-the-ordinary behavior for the rogue. They probably wouldn't realize something was wrong until the lycanthrope came crashing through the thicket and sliding down a muddy bank, several small brown skinned creatures attached to one end of the makeshift woven ropes lassoed around Leo's limbs. Their voices raised in alarm, not a word would be understood between them, but they seemed to be hollering out demands to try to save lives while the werewolf tore into them. A huge claw scooped up a pygmy and slung it hard enough that he couldn't hang onto the frayed 'string' that he tried to bite off his arm. But it was coated in some stinging venom that made him foam at the mouth like a rabid beast. Tall ears pinned back against his skull, he turned and swung his over muscled forearm back toward three of them, sending the group scattering. A hollow-sounding -thunk- cut though the air before a dart impaled into coarse fur and flesh tipped with... only pygmies knew. Enraged, he ripped it free and threw it at the one who blew it out of the war painted tube it was holding. They finally tried their luck to bring him down, but clearly Leoxander wasn't giving in to this hunting party without a fight.
Tenebrae might've offered Senka some sort of wise-crack reply, had her mate not barrelled out the forest like a hairy Gulliver with bone-and-featherclad Lilliputians in tow. Tene, of all of the Cabal, had the most experience with the tiny aggressors -- in fact, she was considered Pygmy Enemy Number Two, right behind Gomrak, the cannibal orc who'd preyed on the creatures for years. A scant second passed while she took in the chaotic melee, during which time Leo had flung one of thier number off with a ferocity she'd witnessed only the once before, in Cenril. She was about to let out another cry, when once more her words were cut short, by that very same savage, which flipped through the air like a fleshy, feathered failure of a boomerang to crunch into the vampiress' torso. Wind was expelled, not words, as she buckled in half, hands clutching for the nearest tree for support while she fought to keep the pirate in sight. The darts in his hide didn't escape her. The poisons used in those blowguns were not deadly, as was evidenced by Leo's continuing motion, but designed for stunning monkeys out of trees. or had been, til Tene came on the scene and they'd had to up the dosage. Still, it would more than likely cause mild hallucinations rather than death. The bamboo javelins were another thing... "Ca...." She kicked the pygmy, which had a broken neck and wouldn't feel her wrath. "Cap'n.."
Madeline had been about to replace her dagger in the unseen sheath at her waist - Tenebrae's words enough for the princess to lower her weapon. Of course the wolf had no way of knowing she was Cabal - there's no marking or insignia on her or her clothing to indicate as much. She holds up her weaponless hand as an indication at peace, using the fingers to wave to Tenebrae as well, "Hey Te-" Her words are abruptly cut off by the crashing and swearing and growling that precedes Leoxander. Green eyes swivel quickly toward the lycan and the princess actually curses when she takes in his state. Mind you, it's a mild sort of cursing. Her dagger isn't sheathed after all. She barely has time to register much thought at all - like the fact that she doesn't know Leo - before the lycan throws the pygmies from him. A pygmy flying at Tenebrae is briefly seen before the elf is assaulted by a feather and bone-adorned monstrosity of her own. The thing barrels into her and knocks her flat on her back, though she managed to hold tight to her dagger. Acting on instinct, she raises her weapon-laden hand and shoves the dagger hard into the flesh of the rabid thing, which only proves to make it grow more rabid. Yanking her dagger from just underneath the creature's shoulder, she uses her free hand to toss it from her. If it's still alive, she's unaware, and she starts to push herself to her feet, crouching in order to retrieve a second dagger from within the confines of her boots. Right about now she's really wishing she had her own spear, but alas she does not. She takes in as much of the situation as she can, at least...she does until that blasted pygmy jumps her from behind. The princess has a pygmy on her back and the little thing seems intent on taking a bite right out of her neck...
Senka’s ears twist towards the commotion before her head does, red eyes taking in the scene with the speed of one used to sudden chaotic situations. While pygmies fly harmlessly past her, the lycan having fortune on her side for once, the albino comes to a decision and heavy paws bring her towards the ‘pup’ within seconds. There is no fear in approaching Leo, not in any form, as the more experienced lycan knows how to deal with others but there is weariness for those weird little creatures. The only times she’s seen them was with Tenebrae, really, dead and alive and so the wolf isn’t even so surprised they should turn up now. Either way, Senka only has one thing in mind and with the viciousness once directed at the two-walker-elf whose name she still doesn’t know she mingles into the chaos to sink ivory teeth in flesh that is only just becoming to be familiar. The pygmy lets go of the rope that was once in its tiny hands, squeaking in pain and yelling something in a language she doesn’t bother to know as Senka tosses her head from side to side in a wild uncontrolled fashion. Of course, pausing to do so turns out to be a mistake as a sudden biting pain is in one of her ears, making her yelp in surprise and anger at that another brave pygmy coming to the aid of the one currently in her hold. No matter what way her head turns she seems unable to shake it from her noble head though the wild movements has her drifting from the group. But it is not until the nasty little creature begins stabbing at Senka’s eyes that the albino truly trashes, disappearing in the bush with a sudden muffled howl (she still has a half-dead one in her mouth after all) after which is silence. The others will most likely have no way of knowing that the wolf has found herself a muddy slide that takes her into a shallow grove and quite trapped. Not that they don’t have other things to worry about.
Leoxander had done the right thing, returning to gathered Cabal. As powerful as he could be when he was made that angry, there was still some thief left in him, and somehow he always ended up running to the Necromancer for help in dire situations like those. So he brought them a very small war (pun intended), but several of their numbers would fall once the lycan had allies in the fray. One of those coincidental reminders to prove they are on the same team, despite appearances; a lesson learned a brutal way, as always. He spun an ear, then turned his eyes to look toward Joli's voice, and just then one last spiteful dart went into his shoulder from a concealed branch above. A retreat scattered the small inhabitants of the island into the swamp trees and overgrown brush, and the attack would die down as quickly as it began. That second dart was about to be chucked in that direction, but he just dropped it from his clawed hand instead. Slumping forward but still on his hind feet, he yanked the poison coated ropes from his wrists and threw them angrily to the ground, tossing his head and spitting up whatever it was they used for that stinging, burning taste. Leo stumbled once, the bend of his banded arm catching his near seven foot tall structure (though slouched a bit) against a root large enough to be a trunk.
Tenebrae regained her wind about the same time the pygmy had decided to play pony with Madeline. The necromancer's nerves were tensile with rage and alarm by the time her knife was drawn, a swift dagger to the little man's back not an option, since Maddie was moving and would likely wind up an unintended target. Senka was handling herself with expected savagery, quite occupied with her own set of troubles, and Leo... Tene was torn between helping the elven princess, ungifted with claws or teeth or the strength of a lycan, or coming to the aid of her beloved Cap'n, who was clearly victim to the venemous weaponry of the tree-people. A split-second later, she'd hurled the dagger high, a shrilly ululating savage cut short on his vine-swinging attack on the lycan, thudding to earth with a sickly crack drowned out in the battle's noise, and was on her way toward Maddie, pausing to scoop up a discarded spear. This was jabbed and poked into thin air while that struggle went on, until she felt it sink into flesh -- hopefully the pygmy's -- and holding in faith that she'd been of use wheeled back to the fray to find Senka missing, pygmies retreating and her Cap'n swaying against the trunk of a tree. "Leo!" That she had sustained a dart or two herself went unnoticed, Tene for once unlacerated by those damned bamboo spikes they liked to carry. Ascertaining that he wasn't too badly wounded, her eyes shifted Maddie's way, and darts plucked from her own flesh were lofted, and aimed toward the elf's pygmish foe.
Madeline yelps as the persistent pygmy on her back manages to bite into her shoulder. Dropping a dagger onto the jungle floor, she throws her now free hand over her head, reaching for that fountain of hair on the vile creature's head. Making contact with the coarse ponytail, the princess uses all the strength she has, which isn't much compared to others present, and whips the monster forward by it's hair. It hits the ground with a thud and then the damned thing actually gets up and scampers off, beating a hasty retreat with it's companions. It's while she's whipping the thing over her shoulder that Tenebrae's strike comes. It certainly does hit flesh, but it's not pygmy flesh it finds. No, it's elf flesh. And Madeline lets out a loud screech to indicate that. Once the pygmy is running off, Madeline whips her head around to get a good eyeful of a bamboo spear jammed right into her shoulder. Her other dagger is dropped as she raises a hand to the damnable thing in her shoulder, grabbing onto it. She breathes heavily, and seems to be hyping herself up for the possibility of pulling the spear out, when a dart slips through the curls of her hair and finds it's point at her neck. Luckily, the second dart Tenebrae throws misses her altogether and finds its mark in a nearby tree. Another shrill cry echoes as she raises her hand from the spear to sift underneath her hair, looking for the dart. Finding it, she rips it out and drops it to the ground. She's in the process of trying to move her hand back to the spear when her vision blurs in front of her. She shifts her head to glance at Tenebrae and Leoxander, and even that is too fast - the jungle swimming before her. Apparently, she'd been hit with more than one dart... and she is just an elf after all.
Leoxander would hit the ground with dust billowing from his fur, or maybe the ground beneath him. A heavy grunt and eyes would roll before they closed, sending Leo into a tranquilizing sleep.
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