.Dead.of.Night.

[Sivoncé™]

Never in a million years...
He had the perfect answers to an unanswerable inquisition; history stated that Bain would fail on his mission to conquer all of the packs, but conquering was not his aim. He wanted to combine, to change, to make something instead of destroying it. He was nothing more intimidating than an artist who, like Blood Mist had since its very beginning, accepted the necessity of violence as a way to acheive what one must.
"I have to admit, you are not at all what I expected," she murmured softly. Shockingly, the she-wolf was considerably humbled.
At his closing remark, she flashed a brilliant smile that was rare to surface. "It is exactly my choice. Which brings me, at last, to my original proposal."
"I wish to stage an attack against the Destinian pack, but it is of a different nature than our previous, full-frontal attacks. This involves a little bit more strategy, you see. We have staked out an area surrounded by steep rocks and cliffs in Destinian territory. We plan to have boulders pushed from the cliffs as an attack from above in addition to a frontal line. When the boulders are gone, that faction will come up at the rear. We mean to do damage, you see. The Destinians will come to ask for Yozoran aid, because the Yozorans have been hit hard and the Destinians believe they will be empowered by a lust for vengeance. I am asking you to decline any Destinian request for aid. Instead, I am requesting that you aid Blood Mist in the attack and leave this unknown to the Destinians until we meet on the battlefield. While the battle is greatly for my own purpose, it will also suit your interests; a change in the traditional packs versus Blood Mist alliance will send quite the message."

[.Rabid Lycan.]

Some portion of his subconscious sighed heavy with relief, his eyes drinking in the shift in her tone. She was won, at least for the time being. And that would be enough. He remained respectfully quiet, ever-alert during her proposal. Gradually, he came to rest on his haunches. While he remained dignified, his build became mildly weighted with more laborious breathing—hardly noticeable, but present. It was odd, considering the medical aid he had already received to his major wound.
Again, he felt the tugging sensation of falling asleep, but dismissed it.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“What you suggest… tactically, it is an impressive strategy. To what ends it will accomplish for you, I do not understand, but I suppose it is not my burden to worry over—for now, at any rate. This proves quite a development… the refusal of aid to the Destinians I can most probably secure. This other notion, however, is another matter…”[/glow]
His eyes lighted faintly, catching a glimpse of a constellation out of his eye. He studied it, memorizing its face, lost in the sweet nothings of imaginary pictures. Drowsiness.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“…I am afraid I must think on this. Even at this stage, the Yozorans will not be incredibly easy to persuade—many harbor the resentment that the Destinians no doubt seek to use to their advantage. But, above all, it may be too soon to reveal this shift.”[/glow]
A subtle quiver passed through his limbs, a soft fug curling from his lips.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“…but time is scarce, now, is it not?”[/glow]
Eyes clouded in thought behind his mask. His voice softened, lowering to hardly a whisper, yet maintaining its conviction.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“It is not quite my place to inquire, but I must ask of you, what is your personal purpose for this battle? I demand no answer, mind you, but I cannot swallow my curiosity.”[/glow]

[featherswift]

Jolon heard what Kasparr had said. He knew it had triggered his paws to move back into the forest and away from this clearing of malice. Unfortunatly, it was his mind going against him. It was that weight that tugged him to stay and watch this drama unfold in front of him as a Blood Mist wolf came into view.

This time the words made since and he remembered everything perfectly. A war was going to happen for sure, Bain was trying to put the packs together, the Blood Mist wanted to use Yozoran to kill of Destanian pack. All this information was stored in his mind and he suddenly felt heavier. Kasparr, Autumn, and him had a huge weight to lift now. They must tell the packs, most importantly his and Destanian no matter the cost.

At Bain's last question, he did not need the information to call upon a defense. He could almost sense the answer lingering on the air, coming from the she-wolf. Reality was terrifying to witness, but he finally was able to grab onto something to pull himself out of the tankard of knowledge. Realizing himself and their predicament, he put his lips over his bared teeth. Jolon didn't remember when he'd done the threatening display, but it felt good to know his body had reacted the right way.

His autumn leaf strewn eyes turned to Kasparr and Autumn who was now regaining herself. He tipped his head and nudged Autumn to hurry it up. They needed to leave now.

[Sivoncé™]

Kasparr's heartbeat raced his chest as his ears captured every word spoken in the clearing. He looked frantically from Autumn to Jolon. His sister, with his aid, managed to come to a wobbly stand, but it would be a long and precarious journey back to the Yozoran camp. "We need a plan, Jolon," he growled under his breath. "What do we tell them? They're never going to believe us; who would?" His mind was whirring but kept coming up short. How in the world did we get ourselves into this mess and how the hell do we get out?

Autumn mumbled softly, for only the ears of her companions. "What if...what if we keep it a secret? We know he has an ulterior motive. We play dumb and we wield a power against him that even he doesn't know, and maybe then we'll be able to catch him when there's no way the pack can deny it. If he tells us not to help the Destinians, or better yet, to help Blood Mist, think about how the pack will react; they'll be furious. We'll be able to get them to help the Destinians and start questioning Bain a bit more. We have to make him the villain, not us. If we reveal ourselves, we'll be banished, plain and simple. And then, there's nothing more we can do it help."

Assyria was somewhat hesitant at his questioning, but shrugged off his questions and rose to her paws instead. Her ears were catching nearby whispers, and she did not like the thought of her schemes being the fruits of eavesdropping. She dipped her head to Hades with a small, serene smile. "I am afraid their may be too many pairs of ears around for the answer to that, Hades, but I can tell you that I will be reclaiming something that was taken from me long ago. And, if you'd like, you may be witness to such an event should you choose to ally your forces with us. Take your pick, and think carefully -- is it worth raising a few questions to move closer to your goal? This world is a crumbling one; you have a gift, but the world won't wait forever for you to use it. Choose wisely."
And with that, the she-wolf was swallowed by the shadows of the forest.

(should we start a new thread soonish in the Yozoran camp?)