=Pride= is only a {Mirage}

[Ärï]

The slender ebony form of a lightly-built femmora wove through the sparse undergrowth of the Xavrien Heights, traveling toward the Shanti River. Mirage's raven-toned fur rippled over her lean muscles as she strode through the flat expanse of earth, sniffing about here and there in search of herbs. Like all other healers, pack or loner, she was searching for something to aide in the slowing and possible cure of the sickness sweeping through the lands. Many had already died because of it, including Mirage's mother, a crippled healer named Snowstorm. Now the only one in Mirage's family that remained was Illusion, her sister whom Mirage hadn't seen since their time in the mountians where Illusion had plainly stated she hated Mirage.

Words however, meant little to Mirage. Feelings could not lie and it were feelings that Mirage read and listened to. They weren't her own, only those of other wolves. As a pup she had been so sensative she hadn't been able to touch another wolf without being overwhelmed by their emotions. Now, she could be near another wolf, touch them, heal them and sometimes even block out bothersome feelings and tastes that she got from their emotions. It was death that scared her now. She had felt so much of it, the haunting cry of wolves dying in pain or insanity, the unfathomable silence that followed, the sheer unreal feeling of being near a dying wolf. It was unexplainable, even to Mirage's best friend Liviana whom had recently died having pups.

Mirage hadn't brought herself to go near them. She didn't even know where they were. Now she was just focused on finding herbs, on curing the disease and hopefully avoiding tasting the pain and death of other wolves. It seemed that as far as she had gone, there was little hope of such a cure.

Mirage's head rose from the herbs she'd been examining near the rocky bank of the river. Deep mysterious navy pools scanned the area. Someone was coming. She could feel the tingle of unfamiliar emotions and a twisted heart coming toward her. Under her raven pelt, Mirage's muscles tensed as she waited for the newcomer to approach.

[silverpelt12]

Scarlet. Drenched in blood. His white pelt corrupt like his heart. His eyes black. He spotted the raven colored femmora. A wicked smirk worked it's way onto the brute's face. He approched her. His eyes narrowed. He walked toward her and glared at her, "Hello beautiful," he growled playfully. The dance began. He started to circle around the dark femme. His strutt long and arrogant. She seemed scared. His neck was in a hunch. He looked at her from an angle. She was pretty. He wondered what she was thinking.

His mucsles rippled under his red-dyed fur. Sharp features and handsome face hid the twisted and corrupt heart. He stalked around her with a slightly cocky air to his walk. He had a blood-lust for new blood.

[Ärï]

Mirage grimaced at the metallic tang of bloodlust. This brute was one of the cruel and violent new brutes she'd heard about from other wolves she had treated. Who knew whose blood was on his fur but Mirage didn't want to find out. Feeling it was bad enough, the shadows of fear and pain. Her deep navy eyes locked onto the brute's dark gaze. Evil. Darkness. Bloodlust.

The brute began to circle. Mirage's lip curled back and a soft growl found its way from her throat. "Trust me, I won't go down like the others" Mirage barked, eyes turning playful and cunning. Play along. She could deal with his type as long as he didn't touch her. "Your welcome to try" she invited, angling her head toward him, blue eyes playful and wickedly cunning. Her raven colored fur played in the sunlight, tail hanging limp and ears angled toward Pride as if she was interested in him. She looked pretty and perfectly innocent, a small smile on her velvet black maw though deep down she was pushing away her disgust at the thoughts of what this brute had done to others.

[silverpelt12]

Pride chuckled darkly, "You wouldn't be so inviting if you knew what I did," he growled. A wicked smirk on his maw, "Trust me, what I want to do will hurt me way more than it will hurt you... acctually, it wont hurt me at all," he chuckled. He began to walk faster. If he wanted to kill her quickly then he would need to kncok her down fast. But maybe he would toy with her mind a little. He blocked his mind. He wasn't stupid, if she wasn't scared she was either stupid, expected what was coming, knew she was going to die, or could read his thoughts. He chuckled at the last one. He and his brother wouldn't grow soft. His sister Envy hadn't but was kind to somebody other than them. He hated that brute for taking her. He would take his anger out on this fae. Weak.

His eyes lapped up her frame. Measuring every inch of it with skill. Sizing up the blows he would need to make to kill her. He would listen to her screams, his type of music. This would be fun for him. Oh yeah. This would be fun.

[Ärï]

"Oh you may say that but death is nothing to fear for me" Mirage barked, undisturbed. She saw it coming. He was sizing her up, his mind working fast. Mirage wasn't a mind reader but emotions gave away a lot. Body language told her even more. He was angry but not at her. His anger boiled, leaving a burnt taste in Mirage's mouth. I feel the pain of others everday Mirage thought. Who will feel mine? Illusion doesn't care. Mother and father are dead. My best friend is dead. My heart may beat but...inside...I'm dead. Mirage's eyes hardened at that thought. It was very much true. Deep down..she was hollow...already dead. It didn't matter really, what this brute did to her. If nothing else...maybe she could cure his anger.

Mirage thought fast and laid down in a sphinx pose, front paws out and looking up at Pride with almost blank blue eyes. She felt the pain of the world. The sorrow and pain of the dying, the unnatural chill of death. She felt it and lived with the nightmares. This brute's anger rolled through her like waves crashing on a shore, burning its brand like the rest of the world.

The raven-toned femme laid her head on her front paws, looking up at Pride. "Get moving then, I wouldn't want to waste your time. The rest of the world takes what they want from me. You're no different."

[silverpelt12]

"Oh give it up, no little sob story will stop what's comming to you, see how my fur is scarlet? It was a mother's fur, killed her infront of her pup," he growled, proud of his work, "My brother, he is a rapist, my sister, a killer," he snarled, "My, I'm an assasin," he snarled and lunger. Biting into her ear. Sweet blood filled his maw. Her's was sweeter than most, but the after-taste was bitter. The blood of one gave thier personality away. She was hollow on the inside. He knew she was already dead. But she intriuged him slightly. The raven colored femmora was pretty, he'd give her that, but it would stop him from killing her.

"Your blood is sweeter than that of others," he purred. He pushed her onto her side, "You know, it bores me when the one being killed doesn't scream, beg for mercy, or fight back." He caressed her cheek with a paw in an almost caring motion.

[Ärï]

Mirage's jaw tensed but she kept from reacting when he bit into her ear. She didn't even jerk away. Physical pain was just that, physical. Emotional pains were much worse. "You don't scare me" Mirage said softly, almost uncaring. He was curious. She had caught his interest but Mirage didn't care. Wolves kept away from her for the very reason that her gaze alone made their skin crawl. They came only when they needed her, when they found she was a convenience that they could use and then discard. She was used to it. "I'm sorry to bore you but you're no different then the thousands of others." Mirage jerked her head away from him, tearing her ear. Blood seeped down the side of her face.

The raven she-wolf angled her head so she was looking up at him. "You all taste bitter, like burnt metal, a human's bullet." Mirage laid her head once more on her paws, almost like she was ignoring the brute. Her navy eyes slid closed and she waited. She pushed away his emotions, blocking her mind and closed down. The thud of her heart was the only sound she heard.

Maybe if she annoyed the brute enough he would kill her faster and she could finally shed the weight of the world. Hopefully Twilight had a place for empathic wolves, hopefully they had enough peace for her. Maybe Snowstorm would be waiting for her, whole and not crippled as her mother had always been...maybe she was whole too...maybe there would be hope for her...

[silverpelt12]

He licked the bloodied ear. The sweet and bitter of it enticed his taste-buds. He would make this very painful for her. Very painful, "Awww... bet you want to say good-bye to your mother, maybe daddy too? Any sisters? Brothers?" He chuckled wickedly. His tail wagged gently with joy. He scratched down her thigh. Licked the blood. He felt his anger lessening and his intrest in her growing. he was sure that would get a whimper atleast from the fae. A smile crossed his lips. Obsidian and hiding white ivories. Ready for the kill. Maybe he would spare her. No emotion of that came over. Only intrest.

[Ärï]

Mirage laughed, ignoring the burn in her hind leg. "My sister couldn't give a damn, probably dead by now anyway." Mirage sighed. This brute was really not hard to figure out. He was simple minded once you got past the violence. Might as well help him out a little bit.

Sighing, Mirage rolled over, exposing her belly though not in submission. Her tail wasn't tucked and with all honesty she looked bored. "If you're going to gut me would you hurry it up. If you're going to take your time I've got patients to treat and better things to do." She sounded snappy now, impatient. If he wasn't going to kill her and just planned on playing with her, well she had much better things to do with her time. Heck, collecting herbs would be more fun then this idiot. "You're honestly getting boring, I think I might die of old age or possibly in my sleep."

Mirage rolled back to all fours and pushed herself up, glaring at Pride. She looked defiant and sharp now, almost angry. Mirage turned her head so her neck was exposed. "Come on puppy, give me your best shot" she growled.

[silverpelt12]

He smirked, he might have been simple but he could see through her, she wanted to die. He would make this as slow as he could. A glint of something crossed his eyes. Her frame was so perfect, everything about her intriuged him. How could he kill such a thing without admiring it first. He looked at her, "How about I just wait, since you seem so eager for death, I might as well wait till you die in your sleep, believe me, just as boring fopr me as it is for you so," he yawned, "I might aswell wait." he sat down at her side. If she tried to run, then he would chase her, tired to fight back, he would kill her, but if she died, he would bury her. He atleast had some repsect for those he killed. Unlike his brother who violated those femmes who he met, whether or not they were in a pack.

[Ärï]

Mirage rolled her eyes. "Whatever mousebrain." Mirage padded along her path, as if she had never been intercepted by Pride. The limp was only a light one, barely noticable but Mirage didn't care if he noticed. Pausing near a clump of leaves, Mirage bent her head and sniffed them, examining them carefully, almost lovingly. Smiling softly she bent her head and snipped a few stems on the leaves, clipping them neatly with her ivory fangs. Sitting back on her hunches, Mirage chewed the leaves. Finding a larger leaf, Mirage spit the mixture onto it and used her paw to smear it over the cut on her hind leg.

Looking around, a bush nearby had cobwebs in it. Collecting them with her paw she covered the wound on her hind leg in the patient silence of an experianced healer. She didn't care if Pride followed, stalked her shadow. It wouldn't matter to her.

[silverpelt12]

Pride rolled his eyes, a dive. Had to die quickly, he couldn't have any fun. ((Wow. That sounds wierd. )) He rolled his scarlet shoulders and slowly walked after her. His head hung low. He had courtesy, he wasn't vile, but he was a killer. His sharp features made him look angry. As he often was. His auds twitched. She made him angry. Why wouldn't she just play along. He trotted up to her and let out a huff, "Well, if I won't be killing you, would you care to tell me your calling?" he sighed. He rolled his dark eyes and kept pace with the black fae.

[Ärï]

Mirage turned her head to look at Pride, navy eyes neutral and unrevealing. Her raven-feather coat rippled smoothly as she turned to gaze at him. "Is my name worth my life? I think not. Besides, if your intention is true, it won't matter." Mirage shrugged and rose to her paws once more.

Yes she was well aware she had started out on thin ice but now Mirage could feel solid ground under her paws. The taste of burnt metal was fading from Mirage's mouth. His anger was beginning to fade. The bloodlust remained but it was quickly loosing its grip.

Mirage paused near a puddle caused by recent rain and examined her torn ear. It would scar and blood had streaked one side of her head but it had stopped bleeding. Mirage laid down in front of the puddle and lowered her head, angling it so her ear was in the water. It didn't take long for the water to start turning red but it would help to clean the wound.

[silverpelt12]

Pride let out a snort. He shook his head and looked at her, "If you haven't noticed, it would bore me to death," he growled. He looked at her. She didn't look like afighter, but she fought mentally, "If you wish to listen, my name is Pride, brother to Envy and Greed," he snorted. He knew how to nurse wounds and such from the horrible battles that he, his sister, and his brother used to get in.

[Ärï]

"I am the listener of the world" Mirage murmured, sitting up and shaking her head to get some of the water off of her. "You could tell me anything but chances are I'd never repeat it. That's how I keep my patients safe." Mirage stretched and flicked her tail, looking over her shoulder at Pride. "If I bore you so greatly, why don't you go stalk the shadows and find someone more entertaining? I'm but a lowly healer, scum of the earth and keeper of the ill. I'm no interest to you." Mirage smirked and padded toward a nearby oak tree that was hollowed out at the base. The smell of herbs could be caught occasionally on the breeze. This was Mirage's den. "Feel free to make yourself at home. If you'd care to wash your fur, there's a stream near here that feeds the Shanti River."

Mirage slipped into the den, sniffing about the neat piles of herbs in search of one that would help her ear. Poppy seeds would probably help. Being drowsy with a killer outside her den wasn't a fear for Mirage. Pride didn't scare her. Nobody did because she could feel every turn and twist in their heart.