Who's There?!(Featherswift&Bain)

[.Rabid Lycan.]

His pupils roamed, almost analytical in nature. She digested his words, appearing reasonable about it, and his gaze softened slightly as she uttered her response. Ah, truthful answer, I do not doubt. But still… not quite the most open.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“Fair enough. But, it would seem, the dead are not dead, are they? They are alive, much the same as you or me. Simply because they should not does not indicate that they cannot. But you already know this, I presume. In any case, they are here. They have changed things. While it may not necessarily be for the benefit of the packs, there is change nonetheless. And the packs will need change if they are to thrive. Beneficial change.[/glow]
[glow=maroon,2,300]“Now, then, what are your reasons for disapproving of the Hellfirians, aside from the fact that they were recently deceased?”[/glow]

[featherswift]

Featherswift bristled at the question. Why did she not agree with the Hellfirians? Well, what the wolf had said made sense to her, but that wasn't why her answer had been warped.

Thinking about the question she realized quickly why. She pinned all the wrong that had happened on her on them. Especially that stupid female Babylonia, the wolf she'd come across many a time and never seemed to actually have a real fight.

"I blamed them for everything that happened to my friends and my life in the pack. It all fell like a domino effect."

Thinking about how this wolf would judge her, her gaze softened. By talking about her problems she instantly realized she had said 'blamed'. Her mind had come to a decision. It wasn't the Hellfirians' fault at all, but the way her friend felt about another wolf. It was the emotions. She quickly felt guilty.

"It's not their fault though," she said while gritting her teeth. The packs' had twisted the way they talked about the death to make it seem as if everything was caused by Hellfire. Even becoming a traitor automatically associated you with them. Why was this all becoming clear now when she was with a wolf she barely knew? It was because he listened without cutting her off with harsh stares or cruel words or harmful actions later.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

The creature managed a fleeting smile, now genuinely admiring. The grin, truth be told, was marred by the ribbons of teeth, locking the pleasing display within macabre prison bars. It appeared deranged. All the same, the parent emotion was sincere.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“You are an intelligent wolf, you know, and courageous. Admitting the innocence—or, at least, partial innocence—of the obvious scapegoat is a feat not many wolves hope to accomplish. Many, in fact, will never submit in this. It is undeniably easier to blame than it is to forgive. You are wise to see past that.”[/glow]
His eyes glittered, losing their focus.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“It is quite the shame, really. We are all children. You, I, and every Hellfirian—we are all sons and daughters. What we have done in our pasts differs, and yet that is all that seems to matter to most wolves. A Hellfirian is evil. They have done evil things, and so they are always evil. But it is so depressingly prejudiced a statement. Perhaps I am wrong, but perhaps even the Hellfirians would gladly cease the warfare, if given the correct opportunity and support. Perhaps the minority of their kind is more willing for compromise than we assume. Or, in the other case, they could all be vicious creatures. All the same, there is room for packs to shift and adjust themselves for the better. Change does not happen often with them; for now, it has been done for the packs. But they must continue to nourish the change, and learn to carry it on its own.”[/glow]
He coughed hoarsely, slipping into momentary silence.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“Do you think me traitorous for such talk?”[/glow]

[featherswift]

She looked at him with open eyes and noticed the strange effect that his smile gave. To not be rude, she said nothing about it and listened.

Mulling over what the 'Hades' had said, she figured out her answer to his question. His speech wasn't traitorous in her mind. What would my pack think? Probably that he was being traitorous? But why? Don't the packs allow free speech? This whole thought confused her to no end, why the packs didn't think like she did one some subjects.

"No, I don't think you're words are those of a traitor at all." It was the first time she'd fully agreed with him and it felt as if a rock had suddenly fallen inside her chest.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

[glow=maroon,2,300]“Well, that is certainly refreshing. You are an odd creature, Featherswift. In the best of ways.”[/glow]
His figure shifted, straightening slightly. Despite the exaggerated amount of blood splatter, fleeting strength began to restore the mobility in his limbs. His muscles tensed, his skull remained low, but his breathing was not quite as labored as it had been mere minutes prior.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“Perhaps the packs need to perform some soul-searching, and give even the most seemingly guilty their due… for once. Tell me, what future would you, personally, like for this valley?”[/glow]

[featherswift]

Featherswift looked at 'Hades' as he said her name. She waited for what he said to sink in and a weak smile played about her muzzle. It soon flew away as the wolf tried to get up and succeed.

Her body leaned in to help him as she gasped at the blood falling onto the ground as moonlight played upon it. The head of the male remained low, but he didn't seem to be struggling for every breathe. Muscles were tensing along his legs and Featherswift was worried he might collapse again due to the sheer amount of blood loss.

The low voice of 'Hades' then caught her ears. Seeing the blood on the ground as he said the first sentence unnerved her a bit. His question though made her look straight at him. She didn't hesitate on this question for it had been burning in her heart forever.

"I want the future of the packs to be full of honest living, in which all wolves don't have to struggle to keep their ranks because of a few measly words they said or a fight they lost. I want the packs to be at peace and allow other packs to visit into their territory without hostility. The packs should want to help each other in order to survive. Don't get me wrong, there should still be order and the occasional danger, along with things to keep us fit and strong and not make us into fat fur lumps."

Her eyes were shining as she said her vision, but when reality hit again they turned dark and she looked down as he fur got hot. "I'm sorry if I said too much."

[.Rabid Lycan.]

A determined calm settled on his features, quieting the ragged huffs of breath that disturbed the flow of his muzzle. A silence fell upon him, listening, memorizing, and subconsciously reciting every syllable that this fae uttered. Not even a smile passed his jaws this time; there was no need. The coals of his eyes beamed with unspoken approval.
He finally stirred into speech, quivering his lips with a certain trepidation—as if afraid that the introduction of new thoughts would taint the female’s confessions.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“One can never speak too much if such words are spoken from the heart. You have earned my faith, as your words sound sincere. It is quite the beautiful image. Harmony, and not simply that, but harmony that preserves strength. A unifying danger, perhaps—a utopia without the blindness of eternal overindulgence. Truly… beautiful.”[/glow]
A wide glance shifted from Featherswift to the inked canvas above.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“Oh, how I so yearn for that reality as well. But wishes on stars will not rein the results. As we can only deduce now, no prophecy will come. No superior and heavenly power will guide our paths to victory. There is only us, and our choices. Do we wish to stand idle, or nudge these aimless creatures toward this distant triumph? This eventual paradise may not be in our power, in our grasp—in our generation. But what we leave behind? That legacy is what proves so formidable. How else would the legends of old make such an impact? It is the legacy of Blood Mist, of all the packs, that we taste now. It is but a decision of whether to act, and how to act.”[/glow]
He slowly lurched into a stand, ebony pillars spreading out to garner support. The pads of paws absorbed the cushion of grass below, and his physical form ached for respite. In a sense, a strange force beckoned him with the notion of leaving, but he opted to remain for longer yet. Perhaps now is the time to initiate the attempt.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“If there were only more souls that were willing… then, perhaps, the transition could be carried upon a swifter vessel.”[/glow]

[featherswift]

The fae turned her head to look at 'Hades' again as he responded to what she had said. She was glad that he didn't just dismiss it as fairytale as others had. It felt good not to be looked down because of her thoughts of how the packs' should be run.

Featherswift allowed her gaze to follow the males as he looked up while talking. She was eating up the words he said and knew that what he said was true. They needed to act now to achieve it, maybe not for themselves, but for others later on. It was exactly what wolves had done generations before by carrying the Golden Wolf's word throughout the years.

Her ears flicked towards the form near her and so did her gaze. The male was standing up and looked to be unstable, but quickly got rid of that problem. Featherswift was glad the blood had finally clotted enough for him to move around like so. Recovery seemed not to be a problem for him either.

What he said next made her cock her head in confusion. Her legs pulled her up as well as if to make sense of what the being in front of her was saying. "Pardon me, but you are talking as if there are others with similar thoughts." Her eyes glittered questioningly at the male. Unease and fear clawed at her as if to shut her up and make her run, never to look back on this male again. To her quick mind it seemed as if this was a set up, but if it was why had he been hurt? Why would he have allowed her to heal him, knowing full well that she could have not or killed him? So what if it was, who said it was a wrong one? If it helps the packs in a good way and overtime they get to live how we should, then certainly this was just to see if I had the right heart and wasn't too stubborn to even think about helping.... Featherswift shook her head, dismissing the thought. She was thinking too much again. Finding conspiracy plots everywhere...too paranoid to face the truth. The fear and unease fell away as she waited to hear the answer to her question.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

[glow=maroon,2,300]“Why should there not be others, Featherswift? I myself have encountered a few, and would be astounded to discover that there were not a couple dozen wolves in this valley who would agree with these musings. Most will meander along, considering these ideas, but unable to express them as succinctly. Or, even worse and just as probable, they realize their doubts, but are rendered unable to act. It is not even the established pack traditions that prove their undoing—first and foremost, it is one’s own self that renders one unable to act. Now, if they were to open their eyes and realize that it is in their responsibility to initiate these necessary alterations, well… I suppose they would just need a bit of encouragement from others.”[/glow]
A ghostly smile lit his face brighter, the pale of the moon setting his skull aglow.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“In any case, I have certainly enjoyed your company, Miss Featherswift. You are a conversationalist of the upmost caliber, and a fine healer besides. I would most certainly have succumbed to an earlier grave if not for you.”[/glow]
His body slowly arched into a low bow.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“However, time is short, and I should probably make my departure… unless you do not possess any further inquiries, of course? Or, rather, inquiries that cannot wait for another time… that is, I hope we will meet again sometime, if that is alright with you?”[/glow]
A long pause stilled his tongue, and he studied Featherswift with an almost anxious glance.

[featherswift]

Her eyes locked onto the males' as he said there were others, but they didn't act. It seemed timed had stopped suddenly, but restarted at a faster pace until his speech was over. She cocked her head as she thought over what had come out of that skull headed wolf. Featherswift had to give it to him, he knew how to talk politely and make conversations very intriguing.

As he thanked her for saving him she merely nodded with a faint smile, but when he was about to leave and searched her gaze, she figured out exactly what she was thinking. Inside she wanted to scream to make sure he stayed. She wasn't going to be one of those wolves that did nothing but imagined.

Before she could stop herself she said softly,"Wait....". Realizing she had talked she stood up fully. "This can't be just mere talk, there has to be something that can be done. The way you talk is like there are others who think, but use actions. Are you one of those? And if so, is there a way I may help? I don't want to see the packs merely vanish from existence due to the problems abounding." She said this confidently and almost assumed a defensive stance used for fighting from her shear emotions.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

The contour of his body had already swerved from the company of the Sheeran fae. His pads sank into the cool of newborn ferns and grasses, the tips of toes pointing in this new direction like the needle of a tilting compass. But a new sound, an audible slew of lyrics, anchored him in his tracks. The dual heads curved to absorb the gravity of her words, their meanings reeling him into a long period of silence and immobility.
Beautiful.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“Dear Featherswift, there is always something to be done. I am afraid, at this very instant, the circumstances are very complicated… but, indeed, I fit that description. The world is changing, and we are the catalysts. And, when the time comes, I would expect nothing less from you. The time when wolves like you are needed is very near—near enough to scent, in fact—but it is not yet. For today, merely stirring other minds with such thoughts is acceptable. But when the time comes to assume action—and, more frighteningly, responsibility—then it will be our hour. You may be branded horribly, labeled with all manner of treason, but the goal will inch all the more closer. When the time comes, Featherswift, I will be sure to let you know. Your valuable mind shall not be wasted on my account, nor any other. Until then, miss, remain vigilant, and remain thoughtful. Farewell.”[/glow]
The fluid swivel of his onyx pelt slipped silently into the dusk. Leaves trembled with the onset of a chillier season to come, the noon warmth fading quickly from their grasp. Until then, moonlight served as a radiant supplement, shaded momentarily by the passing of lupine shadows across their figures. He was a silhouette, a mournful guardian of the silence. A reaper’s heir, with his sole desire to perfect the reality of misery before them. A deluded dreamer with blood on his hands.
A psychopath.

[featherswift]

Featherswift took in every ounce, every syllable coming from the wolf before her. She made sure to remember every bit of what Hades had said. Labeled as a traitor had already occurred once and she could accept it again knowing for sure that this time it would be for something that would help everyone. The female wouldn't have to question her own acts if it was for the good of everyone was what she thought. If it came to death? That hadn't even crossed her mind.

Her eyes watched without wavering as the wolf with a skull disappeared into the forest. He was a silhouette of hope in her eyes. She'd come here to find an answer and calm her mind, it seemed now she had. Featherswift wanted to ask when she could start helping, but she held it back knowing her questions would go unanswered by the forest.

Forest sounds came back into her consciousness and she finally looked around, ending her gaze at the lake. Her effort to find calm amongst calamity had almost been in her grasp. The caress of it being so near had given her a glimpse of the future she could help create and in turn it had put some thoughts at ease.

Flicking her ears, she looked around once more and began to pad off towards Sheeran territory. Her paws pushed down the ground, but didn't smash the shoots with her carelessness. She was light on her feet again and she felt alive. The feeling of being alone in her thinking had been diminished a bit a bit and she felt almost all back to her old self.

Light cast shadows upon her fur as the forest swallowed the hopeful light coming from the wolf. It was sad, the female knew nothing about the other wolf's history or the blood spilt. She knew not that she had just saved a lunatic who would be better off dead and had unknowingly agreed to help his cause.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

~ FIN ~

Excellent job, Featherswift ;D We are one step closer to shaping our conspiracy x3