Eekivnoei Vea Apxn [IMPORTANT]

[I L Y I C H]

We had been walking for the full day, and as the sun had risen over the seperation of our pack the sun now fell over the begening of the new. Glancing behind me again I turned sympathetic stares towards my packmates. The folami that had followed me out into the unknown. Daiade leaned heavily on my shoulder, his frame had begun to shudder an hour or so ago. But we could not stop. Who knew what Bidziil had sent after us? Or if the humans had already begun to stalk our straggling party.

We would have time to mourn our losses when we reached the Prairie lands, but for now we must march. The black man rocked back and forth between Clarimonde and myself. Trying to brace himself from falling. My poor brother had been the only injury on our side of the line during this ferment. Now he found it difficult even to limp. His blood was begening to drip again. Some of the others were not quiet as bad but were just as fearful.

Folami were not accustom to such fear, and the stress was taking its toll. The group was tiring and I must find them shelter soon. The heat made it no better. Our pace had been faster int he wood where it was cool, but now passing over scrub desert the entire group was heavy with heat and the sound of our panting probably ran through the old Alpha's ears.

But we were almost there.

Mahal skipped across the hot sand to my side, once more coming to check before falling back to walk behind Clarimonde. Both Mahal and Paradox were suffering badly in their dark coloration. The two had taken to pading behind Daiade to take cover in the three of our shadows. Now with the sun straight in the air Paradox had given up and stumbled back over to Ayita and hung his head.

Almost there.

Slowly as we lurched and shuffled scrub shifted into low grass. Shifting sand turned into well held dirt. The ground became cooler, and moisture existed enough to stop the burning in my paws at least. Gesturing to my eldest son to take up his Uncle's right side I shifted to lead. Mahal took up his spot and watched me as I hurried to point. We had reached my place in our hot hurried travels. A place I had come to in my younger years, before the title of Alphess had trapped me in the lands.

If I was corrcet in my location... there should be a craggy bit of land before us soon. A sort of sink hole that hadn't fallen in all the way. Yes, there it was. Hurrying forward I hopped down into the irregular rather large hollow. It wasn't quiet as round as the other camp but it would hold us all. And it was shadowed even in this high sun to a certain extent.

So we could begin here. Panting I turned to stare up at my pack, watching as my son and brother limped up to the cleft. Right now I must focus on the present. Right now I could not think, I could only act. My pack needed me. My family needed me. I could mourn later, just like everyone else. If I had stayed sane for my pack we could have simply tipped Lucifer over. Maybe been strong enough to deny Bidziil when he came back in his cold stone. Now I had to stay strong so we may remain alive. It was my responsibility.

Teeth gritting I nodded into the shade of our new home. I refuse to fail this time.

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

Was it betrayal when you felt no grief?

I had pondered this thought all the way to our new home. These dogs around me seemed distraught, but my eyes held nothing but guarded frustration. The head female, the one whom my family had always taught me to hate, was helping her brother with the aid of a yearling. Her son trailed behind the young shedog, using her shadow in an attempt at some relief. The one my father had banned was here, always hiding away in a shadow. There were two other black pelted dogs, Logan and Jeremiah, that seemed to trail on opposite sides of the pack. Neither went for the shadow of another because that would draw them closer, father and son.

It all didn't make any sense.

I could not understand why dogs would let others close enough to hurt them. The lead female had let the male who had pushed down my father come drifting into her heart, making children with him. Now all the children held a pain of some sort, and the lead female had her heart ache. I couldn't help but feel like the adult male had his own tears, too. Then there was the tension between Logan and Jeremiah that forced them to stare clear of comforting shade for fear of looking at one another. Jeremiah had been a followerer of my father, while Logan had always been loyal to Carska. This had torn a trench between them, because they both felt betrayed.

If none of them had let their hearts form bonds with another, the pain would not exist and thus they could be comfortable.

Perhaps if Carska had not loved the current Folami Alpha, and if the alpha had not loved Carska, the two would have brawled and the victor would be the ruler. No one would have had to leave the pack. But their hearts had gotten in the way and it was easier just to seperate, stealing children from parents, sisters from brothers, wife's from husband's. And if Jeremiah and Logan had had a relationship like I did with my folks, both would be in the same patch of shade, perhaps even conversing because of mutual beliefs, but there'd be no awkward tension. Stupid dogs.

It was with this thought that I decided my 'abandoning' my parents and siblings was not really a betrayal. Betrayal leads to hurt feelings. No one was hurt by my actions. Pissed off maybe, but not hurt.

My eyes carried forward as Carska had her son replace her by the brother, herself stalking ahead. We were at her destination, it would seem. Mahal and Clarimonde aided Daiade to a cleft. I was confident in my approach as I followed after the alphess. She was in charge here, but I still had leadership in my veins. My father was an alpha, even if he had been dominated over. I was the spawn of great dogs, and thus had greatness born into me. I was no longer a heir to a throne, but I was still royalty.

Padding after the female, I glanced over my shoulder to see Logan and Evangeline take to the shade of a dead oak tree. The girl, with her white pelt, was not in need of shade, but Logan was dragging his feet in exhausten, panting with a dry tongue. Jeremiah glanced over to the pair before dragging his own exhausted heap towards a dying bush that still produced some shaded ground on the sand. Ayita nudged her head against the overheated form of Paradox, pushing him gently towards the shade that Logan and Evangeline resided in, her maternal instincts screaming in worry for her dark pelted mate.

"Master Carska," my father had taught me all too well, "is this our residing place? If so, maybe I can go out and figure where the nearest water source would be." It did not occur to me my age, for I had taken care of myself since birth. Hati and Lucifer had been decent quality parents, but not all too nurturing, thus leading to independent minded children.

Not to mention I did not feel as if I belonged with this kittenhugging dogs. I myself was not a kittenhugger, merely not a brutal assasin, either. I had picked the better of two shitty worlds, though I agreed nor belonged with either.

[I L Y I C H]

I looked sharply down at Kaden, releasing my face into a frown before pulling back a small smile. Master... we would have to talk about that later. Folami had such horrible loyalty problems, in so many diffrent ways. Turning fully I dropped my head enough to look the child in the eye. He was in fact far too young to be wandering around by himself, but the fact that he wanted to help out was endering. Pulling up into a straight position I msiled ernestly at the gray boy. "Yes. This is our place. Vea Apxn. New begings and all that." Pulling up slightly I glanced around myself, watching as the others found places to rest.

Paradox hobbled after Ayita, collapsing next to Logan and proceeding to roll onto his back. Mahal followed after him, grimacing, mumbling to Clarimonde about water. Daide limped between them. Looking back to Kaden I nodded. "Of course, allow me to accompany you" He was too young to be wandering by himself, but I would gladly walk with him. The pack needed water and I would like nothing more then to get to know my youngest pack member. Now that we had split from the main pack we had a chance to live. But to do so we would have to have some sort of water. If I remembered correctly there was a small spring a mile or so away.

Not too far for our kind.

Calling across camp I set Ayita and Paradox in charge wile I was away and turned back to the boy. "Off we go then. I'd like to see your prowess, could you take the lead? See what you can find for us."

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

A new beginning? I highly doubted it. We would turn into the same sort of thing as the old pack. It was just a matter of time. My stomach twisted as I came to realize that I would find a new start when that happened. I could not be part of a group with strong dogs with brutal personalities. I was weak and thus the sacrafice. For now I was safe here but I wouldn't always be. New beginnings were never new for long.

The girl said she would accompany me and I found myself looking upwards awkwardly towards her. Why would the woman want to join me? I was the kin of traitors. The son of her enemy. Maybe because she had a new man to hate now; the black brute. I could not comprehend the desire to be around me, so I found myself suspicious. "You don't trust me? Do you assume I am going to run back to the pack now and give up your location?" Even as I asked this, I took the lead as she offered me to do. The words were not said with a hurt tone, but almost matter-a-factly. I did not blame the girl for not trusting me. In fact, I expected it. I knew I would have to fight my way up the totem pole so that these dogs knew I was loyal to them for now.

People don't love the enemies' children.

[I L Y I C H]

I looked at him sharply, listening to his question fully before I would respond. "It is not about trust." Turning back to the front and moving a bit faster, I glared into the darkening sky. "I do not trust you because I do not know you. But I do not think you would be running anywhere. Children like you, my dear, keep to their chosen paths" Sighing I glared sharply before relaxing. Not that I would ever be able to relax again. The sharp rustle of sage brush alerted me and took my entire body into a standing battle poise.

Heat rushed to my ears as I lashed to my right. A creature slid from the sandy brush, a fox like animal that sniffed of humans. My frame stiffened further, a snarl creeping up on my lips. It was the oddest thing, a gray brown fox that smelt of man? The thing froze when it saw me, moss colored eyes flaring. "Er... we... are you Carska? We've been sent to find you." I could do little but stare at the thing. It spoke with a feminine tone but she did not smell female. It did not smell male either. Brow crumpling in confusion I crept forward a little, pressing Kaden to the side but not wholey out of the way. If he wanted to be a grown up and see then he may.

"We?"

The animal pulled a face, the tone of its voice changing. Gaining a male inflect. "We." It motioned to itself, the large fluffy tail waving behind it. Right. Frowning I moved a bit closer, and the animal allowed me to sniff it. "Our name is Fido" Right.

"You said you... had a message for me?" Despite the confusion I must know. Important things could come from a fox that sniffed of humans. It... they nodded, the sharp nose bobbing as they did so. Fido was an odd thing... and yet it spoke up once more with one of the most important things I would hear for a wile.

"Bidziil's pack is coming for you. You must prepare for war."

My body stiffened, ears flicking backward. Act. We had to act. My ex husband was sending monsters after me. We would die if we did not act quickly. We had to act quickly. "Kaden. We are running. Keep up. You must keep up." Claws digging into the ground I leaped forward, grabbing a hold of the fox thing and rushing. Had to get back to camp. Quickly. Fido hung limply from my jaws, no complaints coming from it. Which was odd for anything raised by humans, but I would not question it right now.

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

I listened carefully, not allowing myself to be fooled by such words. I was no mere child, not to sound overly arrogant...okay, maybe a little. I had raised myself with little more than parental instinct leading my parents. Lucifer and Hati had done their job well; they had created what they had wanted.

I was a general.

My senses picked up a strange presence of a sexless mutant. I turned to face the brute, and blinked gratefully when Carska did not fully treat me like a child. I was permitted to see the fox-like animal, my eyes boring into it's exhausted face. It smelled of humans and Folami, but no scent of gender came rushing forward. I had no time to ponder this before the creature was in Carska's jaws, her words telling us to run.

I had to keep up.

My insides grew rigid as I forced myself to be pushed beyond that of my lung's desires. I disapproved being treated differently because of my child stature, but that wretched virus was now leaping forward to knaw at my throat as I attempted to breath in oxygen. My heart protested the beating of blood, having no life to pump through the veins. I gave out a strangled yelp but pushed my muscles on. I would not let Carska know I was unworthy.

I was tired of being weak.

I could smell the camp dogs not too far away, but I knew this pace any longer would be too much. I came to a halt but did not call out to the woman, not wanting to know the proud little child had no reason to his pride. I was what one would call an 'all talk but no walk' kind of dog. It was no my fault, the gods had granted me the curse of eternal illness while my parents had engraved the idea that I was superior because I inherited their greatness.

How could one who could drowned on land be greater than the rest?

My eyes followed the woman, urging my legs to carry on. But I had stopped, and my body was not about to allow this reward to be stripped away just yet. The fluid in my lungs chose now was the time to boil, and it burned the pathway, causing bile to follow suit. I swallowed the pain and pushed forward the arrogance. I was better than the illness. I could defeat the illness if I pretended it wasn't there.

I started running again.

[I L Y I C H]

My paws landed hard, forcing me forward with as much power as I could muster. I had to go faster. It didn't matter that logic told me Bidziil could not be here in any less then a full day. Logic meant nothing. Logic could bite it. Pain ruled me now,and emotional pain allows no room for sensibility. Bidziil hadn't been able to leave me alone for less then a day. It was probably moronic of me to hope he would have left us be. Left us to be happy. But I had wanted to believe it. I had needed to believe it. Not that it mattered now. Nothing I thought was real would ever exist again. Whatever tears pressed to the rims of burning amber eyes died under the flame that ravaged me in the next instant.

Fury. I was furious. I gave him everything. My heart, my body. Everything. And that black coated monster let the humans corrupt him so easily. It was selfish, horrifically selfish of me, but I could not help it. Because one thought dug into ever thought and emotion that poured from me. I would have taken ever lash. I wouldn't have given in. The sharpness of breathlessness and the rupture of my heart caught a dug iron nails of pain into my chest. His very name refused to pull into my mind now. That traitor didn't have any right to invade my innermost sanctuary. He'd burned down every other home I'd ever had. My mind must remain my own. I dropped Fiso roughly as we neered camp. He would have to walk in.

Ears pressed backward I could here the two scrambling, my mind refused to see Kadan's problems. I heard Fido stop to wait for the boy before running once more. So it was me who rushed into the gully first. The massive brick wall I smashed full into moved aside when I sputtered furiously in a flail of limbs and teeth. Eyes coming to rest through the dust I had kicked up on Paradox I could not help but grimace at him. Fucking brick wall. He stared at me with a funny expression on his face, before he swung his head back towards his mate, pale eyes falling into a disturbing gleam. "Their coming aren't they Madame?" Head throbbing and furious already, I glared at him as I shambled to my paws. Fido's soft paw steps came to a rest slightly behind me. Glare flung towards the tiny creature, I missed the surprised expression on Paradox's black masked face.

Fido looked slightly surprised, the double minded fox like folami had never met these animals and he seemed slightly unsure of it's place here. Like it was missing a very important part of its normal life's make up. Dear Skoll weren't we all. On my paws and standing tall once more I fought for composure, sucking in air as I flung my head about motioning everyone forward. Mahal moved forward cautiously, and as I met his gaze I could not help but whimper. No child should ever look so serious. So ready for the falling stone that would crush him. Looking towards his dear friend I begged Clarimonde silently to comfort him wile I turned back to the rest of my pack. My family. The folami that would fight along side me in this war for our souls.

Turning towards Fido and nodding forward, I didn't speak until it had come to an uncertain position at my shoulder. "This is Fido, and he... it has brought us news." Even I was shocked by how calm my voice sounded. Or dead. Because it sounded pretty fucking dead too. Having been pointed out and now stared at by at least a portion of the pack, Fido crept backward, sharp snout swinging anxiously. Glancing tiredly at the informer I locked my gaze on Daiade. The injured man had hobbled forward, and all I could see was the way that nasty concoction on his chest dribbled between the forming scabs and congealed blood. Fury ruptured my seriousness once more. "The main body of the folami pack is coming for us, my friends." If it was possible the seriousness on Mahal's young black face grew thicker, turning stone out to the world. Even his normal fake smile was dead.

"We must prepare for war. This is our place. This is where we came to be peaceful and unafraid. But my friends if they are to take the war to us how are we to respond?" Paradox shuffled closer to Ayita, brown shoulders rolling. Daiade's sagging skull came up a bit. "I am going to take a party out to the badlands. If they are following our scent trail that is where they will come. We will surprise them in their own ambush." A heavy breath pressed past my anger, reality wandering back into my heart. "I won't ask you to die for me. For this. If anyone dose not want to fight then they may stay here, but I'm warning all of you. They will make you fight. You have made your decisions. Now we must back them up with our very lives." I gave the crowd one last sweep, watching as fur moved in the wind as eyes followed my head motion.

"Tonight in the dark of the badlands we will act for what we've prayed for."

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

Clarimonde
The small boy wandered in last, that quiet child that I still was deprived to know the voice of. He had been tailing a strange dog with no gender to speak of. A hermaphordite, though I had never known the humans to make a dog in such a way. He was definitly manmade, a patchwork of misplaced parts; they had really deprived that poor man. Of course, he was intended as a slave (his awkward shifting and eager, cautious gaze betrayed such); he needed no bulk.

My observations came to a juttered halt as Carska spoke her words. My eyes widened as my heart beat a little faster. That emotion, that irrational sense of terrorfied defeat, pushed passed my nonsense barriers. I was a poor fighter at best; every move was calculated and took far too long. I would be dead before I considered the situation to a full extent. I was going to die; it was inevitable. Typically this wouldn't bother me; but I had found some meaning. And that meaning needed comfort, as Carska's silent plead stated so clearly.

Inching to stand beside the hard-eyed man, I nudged Mahal in a friendly manner. It was not a joyful act of companionship; it was a need to be told it was not going to end with a field of my decaying family. I coud think of no way to beat down the man's careful barriers than to make his heart ambition to stop my fear. I was terrified to the point where shivered spasms jolted up my spine and legs every few moments.

Perhaps comforting me would prove as the best remedy to his own hidden unease.