Noctis nodded slowly, seeing the plan as Coventina formed it. "I will choose Valen." Uncertainty flickered through his maroon eyes, but he didn't change his mind. "He is rough, and will be difficult to deal with. If we convince him of this, then others will be more open to listening." Still ... the thought of combining packs would be difficult for many of the Earth clan to swallow. They ruled with pride and anger, and a fierce sense of loyalty to their Earth-bound ways. They were very much opposed to change, though Noctis hoped that his leadership might change that now.

For the first time, he felt a twinge of fear pull at his mind. What would happen if the others didn't rally around Valen?

He wasn't allowed to think much longer, however. Coventina's arms around him brought him back from his thoughts. He chuckled at her humming, and allowed her to pull him into a dance ... which he swiftly took control over. Her joy chased away any doubts about his own pack, and Noctis allowed his laugh to join hers.

As they fell, Noctis landed with Coventina above him. He hadn't wanted her getting hurt. His usual anger was replaced with an equally strong emotion, though this one didn't carry a hard edge. This one was different. This was a fire, yes, but it was beautiful. And it burned strong, bright, and fierce ... all for Coventina.

Noctis' fingers teased the hair about her features, his smile widening slowly with every one of Coventina's words. His eyes closed, and his features warmed briefly as she gently toyed with his navy hair.

"You deserve to be accepted," he whispered, slowly opening his eyes to meet her gaze. "You're bright." The word carried more meaning than just intelligence, though he made no further effort to explain. "And you've shown me something that no one in my pack ever could." Coventina had brought compassion and gentleness into his life. And to think, she'd first met him back when he'd come to see what destruction Vengeance had first sowed. He'd come without invitation, and with a biting tongue and pride-filled demeanor.

She'd shown him that pride and strength weren't the only things that made an alpha strong. It was Coventina's empathy and kind heart that had once welcomed him as an alpha when he first took his place. It was her heart that had calmed his fiery temper with her peace offerings and soothing words.

"I love you," he said quietly, pulling Coventina toward him so he could steal a kiss. "I accept you, just as you accept me." Noctis looked slightly uncomfortable as he continued, as though he were tying a bandage too tightly. "I have always been good at fighting. Peace... is new. You'll have to show me how to keep it." Everything he said was spoken bluntly, and truthfully. Yes, he was an excellent warrior. And no, he had never truly striven for peace. He was definitely going to need a guiding hand.

"You trusted me before I ever deserved it." His red eyes filled with emotion again, and their close proximity allowed Coventina to feel the hot flash of profound relief, gratitude, and something a bit stronger than mere fondness.

((omg, I just read back for the first 5 pages of the rp. They are so great. haha, just reading about them... argh, my heart. <3

Also ... Valen. This Valen will be similar to the warrior that first accompanied Noctis to the Water tribe's camp, methinks. Armor, black wolf, warrior.... mmm. Yes. I'll start looking for some smexy pictures. >:3 I mentioned that he was older than Noctis, though I'm not sure by how much. I also mentioned that he thought Noctis' actions were "childish and unrefined." This is going to be interesting.... *takes the elder warrior from the beginning of teh thread and changes him drastically, since that one died*))
-

"My mind is ..." He was about to lie, and say that it was fine and normal. Landon realized that his actions said nothing of the sort, and would quickly betray him. "Strange. I can't control my dreams."

The scrapper caught the clothes that were thrown at him, startled at the sudden action. Was there anger behind her actions? How much had she seen, or suspected?

Landon's unspoken questions were answered as she told him to leave.

His blue eyes filled with such an equal amount of horror and guilt, that he had to look away from Jazereth as she braided her hair. Gripping the fresh clothes, Landon let his emotionless features be. He couldn't bring himself to show emotion, though his eyes revealed plenty of it.

A rush of blinding hot rage shot at Jazereth, so sudden that Landon himself seemed startled. "I'm sorry." Again, he was apologizing. The male turned away from the Fire alpha, taking a slow breath before slipping his shirt over his head. There was a long silence before he spoke again. This time his words were just as guarded as his expression.

"I vowed my loyalty to you," he said, batting down the anger that threatened to rise within him once again. Every emotion he felt, Jazereth felt. It was as though she'd tapped into, cured, and taken a small piece of him with her. "You defied the other alphas to prove my innocence." It was clear after that point that his anger wasn't directed at Jazereth. It was directed at himself.

Landon turned to face Jazereth, his blue eyes startlingly piercing in that moment. He didn't shy away from her gaze as a scrapper would have. Instead, he silently allowed her to view the scars that marred his left shoulder and chest. "I fought for you," he said bluntly, no emotion slipping into his voice. "I nearly lost my life. No one noticed. No one told you, no one cared. No one noticed the little scrapper."

Suddenly, Landon felt his rage returning. "What else must I do to prove my loyalty to you, Jazereth?" His voice rose. This was the most emotion that Landon had ever shown anyone in the Fire pack. This was different, and this was what was beneath his scrapper's facade.

Once again, the burning anger flit through both of their emotions. He was so angry ... angry with himself. Landon couldn't leave his place with Jazereth - it was essential that he stay. Though he wanted to leave, duty told him he couldn't. That, and suddenly he was struggling with emotion for Jazereth. All of this was starting to wear on him, and with his mental barrier down....

"Don't push me away after what you just did." She'd saved him. He'd fought for her. It would all be false and a lie if he walked away now.

---------- Post added 11-02-2013 at 01:20 AM ----------

((PS: I lied. I just found out that I'd really like Valen to be Fenris instead. <3 I miss this guy too much.

Picture 1 - His lovely face
Picture 2 - His lovely face... in COLOR
Picture 3 - Armor :D

His wolf form, though with blue markings instead of red.

Yup. Fenris. <3 That will be the stubborn warrior that Earth clan chooses to fight against the alphas. And ... he is a mean, stubborn BUTT. I mean, I plan on making him more moody than Noctis.... >__>"))

Roulan was really struggling with getting an idea of what the game was about. Sona's patience did reassure him as he made the first move. He had learned a great deal about how to play the game from her as she made small hints here and there. He would only look up at Sona every once in awhile since he was so focused on trying to beat her despite failing.

"Of course I would like to try another round" he smiled and looked up at her blue eyes which looked even more lovely in the moonlight. Roulan had slightly turned red at how beautiful Sona was. He then revealed a mischievous but playful smile "I know I can beat you this practice round" He then started to move the first marker into place and waited on Sona to make a move.

Coventina smiled gently as she felt Noctis's hand ruffle her light blonde hair. Her feelings were like abubbling well of happiness and light. Laying on him as they rested in the grass of the cooling evning she felt at ease, and completely safe for the first time in a very long time. As her strong Earth alpha began to speak, his first words nearly made her give a soft giggle. He didn't explain the words, but being who she was, there was really no need to. He continued, and she gazed into his features softly, her gaze full of love and accepting. It was a marvel that such a hard and rough soul could indeed let his feeling through after so many years of being an emotionless warrior. It made her heart swell all the more that he felt this way towards her. She was the most grateful and happy woman in the world.

Hearing those three words, oh what a musical and magical sound. It was the fraze her heart had hungered for ever since these feelings had blossomed in her chest. Kissing him back deeply, the water wolf grinned and then chuckled softly. "Everyone deserves trust." she breathed and ran her hand down his cheek slowly, memorizing the feel of his features. "Sometimes trust needs to be given before the person realizes they do deserve it. It also helps build confidence and character. Trust is a fragile but intensely strong thing. I always believe in giving it, its the least I could do." she breathed and then leaned down, kissing his forehead softly and then his nose and then his lips. His taste was wonderful, and his warmth was like a beacon to her being.

Her small frame seemed to fit against his sturdy and strong body easily. His entire being was opposite to hers. His skin was tanned deeply from the sun, his muscles obvious and strong, his features stern, and his hair dark. Everything opposite of her, and to her, it was beautiful. The kisses continued as their link did as well, enjoying the feeling between them as they kept up the moment. The passion was hard to distinguish between who it was coming from. It was also a beautiful moment as well. Sharing all the feelings and thoughts with one person, to be accepted and loved in return was more beautiful then the moon.

"Of course you can try," Sona smiled slyly, resetting the board. As Roulan made his first move, Sona made a rather unimpressive move on the other side of the board. Or, so it seemed. That one piece, of course, was the cornerstone: it was the most important piece of the game. If her plan succeeded, Sona would have won the game in a few moves.

Giving Roulan a sweet smile, the blue-haired girl rested her chin in her hands. "You're turn."
-

He nearly shivered at the feel of her warm hand moving over his cheek. Coventina's words were ... soothing. She'd given him trust to help build him, to shape him into what he was now. While Noctis wasn't a finished product, he was certainly on his way to becoming better.

His maroon eyes closed as soft lips pressed to his forehead and nose, and he caught her kiss with one that returned her feelings. As the moments passed, they found themselves breathless more often than not! Noctis loved the open bond between them as it seemed to share and increase their thoughts and feelings. Mostly, it was emotion and flashes of thought or pictures. It was beautiful.

Noctis didn't stop himself from giving Coventina's shoulder a light push - it was just enough to start tipping her off balance as he rolled, flipping them so he could look down at her. "Better," he smirked, pinning Coventina and stealing another kiss.

Coventina gave a small gasp as Noctis pushed her shoulder, tipping her, and causing her to become pinned underneath him. Laughing lightly at his subtle but genius move, the female accepted his kiss and kissed him back deeply. When they pulled away for air, she smirked and nipped at his lip and gave a teasing growl. It was so natural being here, with Noctis. She didn't have any worries, or problems eating at her for once. It was beautiful to just enjoy the presence of the one you love and not have to worry about anything else.

Smiling as she stole a few kisses, the alpha found her body heating up from being so close to her love. His very being seemed to set her soul on fire, and caused lava to flow through her viens. It was like a warm blush on the skin, with the tingle and zap of an electric connection like nothing else. Meeting his eyes, she knew where they could go. She was ready, ready to give him her whole being. Mating with Noctis meant no turning back, but she had no where to turn back to anyway. It was obvious that she didn't want any other option anyway. This man made her happy, happier then she ever had been before.

Though even being so confident that she wanted this man, the alpha was new to this. Never before had she loved a man, never before had she wanted to give herself to someone like she did now. It made her a little nervous, and she wished she at least had a better idea of what she was doing. It seemed she was going to have to really trust Noctis and play it by ear. The trusting part was easy, the other, they would see. "I love you." she breathed, kissing his ear. The want for him was obvious within their bond, as well as the little bit of nervousness as well. Looking into those eyes, she smiled softly and nuzzled her nose with his. "I trust you." she breathed softly, her eyes glowing with the emotion of the moment.

"Alright your on!" he let out a confident smirk and made his next move in an attempt to go after the piece that Sona moved at the end of the board. I wonder why she made that kind of move he shook his head and then looked up at Sona smilingly so sweetly and innocently "Its your move" he let out a light chuckle.

As Roulan attacked the small and defenseless piece on the board, Sona suddenly defended it like it was her own child. All moves made were to keep that one little piece safe. She said nothing as they played, but her smile grew wider with each move.

Her plan had come disastrously close to failure twice as they played. There were a couple pieces that were needed. Roulan might find one of them, but she hoped he wouldn't.

Sipping the last bit of her drink, Sona turned her blue eyes back to Roulan. "Can you find the three most important pieces?" she asked curiously, trying to get him to think of the game instead of just reacting to her most recent moves.
-

With the heat shared between them, one would have thought they'd started a fire nearby. Noctis responded in like kind to every emotion Coventina showed. He was no fool. He knew what this kind of behavior led to.

By the time they were both slightly breathless, their emotions were at their peak. It was a miracle that no other mind could pick up on their their surge of mental energy. Noctis had purposefully brought them far from the gathered packs for that reason. He hadn't expected this, but he certainly wasn't shutting it down!

At Coventina's whispered words, Noctis met her gaze. He saw the confirmation there he was searching for. "I know," he whispered in return. Gently brushing Coventina's cheek, he led her into a kiss once again. She didn't need to be worried.

((Bam. Curtain. >__>" They spend the night talking and laughing and having fun. Yay! Now the packs are destined to fight, and destined to bond. >:3 2 alphas. This is something that hasn't been done. Ever. Like, distinctly forbidden. BADLY, too. LOL, leave it up to these kinds of people to break the rules....))

((Lol yes leave it up to those two! *laughs* shall we wait then or bring on the new day? Or maybe have them sleep together somewhere? I don't know just throwing ideas out there!))

(Wow my character really isn't thinking this through, this is how I am when I play a board game)

Roulan was trying to hard to go after the smaller pieces on the board since they seemed to be the most defenseless. Everytime he tried to move close to one of those pieces Sona would end up capturing his. He watched as her smile grew wider as the game went on.

He had observed the board and realized he had almost beat her, but couldn't due the fact that the smaller pieces were in the way. When he made his next move his choice was to go after smaller pieces on the board since it seemed to be the logical thing to do

Roulan had already finished his drink so he could focus on the game. He had to stop and think about which ones were the most important as he stared at the board and tried to concentrate" No I can't seem to figure it out, I thought it was the smaller ones at first but..." he stopped mid-sentence in order to concentrate on the game.

"Such tenacity!" Sona laughed, then pointed to one of her pieces on the board. It was her turn, and it would be the last move of the game. She'd won, but hadn't made the last play. "This here?" She made sure he was paying attention (and laughed again at the concentration on his face). "It looks very important because it's protected. It can make powerful moves, and it is very dangerous."

Sona pointed to another piece, her smile wide. "This one is weak on it's own. It isn't much use in any situation except one." Her blue eyes lit up as she lifted the piece, completing the move that won the game. "It is ignored, it is small, and it can pass the others without consequence. The unimportant piece wins the game because it sacrifices itself - and leaves your alpha wide open." Alpha. The pieces had names. The one Sona had moved was merely a healer - useless alone, except for its sacrifice.

"When you focus on an alpha, you don't notice the other dangers." Sona frowned a bit, then continued. "A sacrifice can leave an alpha weak, which gives the enemy an advantage."
-

((As for Coventina and Noctis ... maybe we can have them missing for a while, and then show up together. It will totally cause an uproar. ;) They're definitely married now. Ahaha))

The rest of the day went by, and then the evening. With both Noctis and Coventina gone, Navi was informed. They hadn't been seen for over 18 hours, and it was starting to frighten the Earth and Water packs.

The white wolf paced back and forth before the entrance to the walled community. She'd sent mental pings out searching for the other alphas, and Navi had even sent a few warriors out to search for Coventina and Noctis. So far, there had been no success. At this point, the dark-haired woman was willing to believe that Vengeance had gotten ahold of them.

Continuing to pace, the Wind alpha turned her gaze toward the entryway once again.

"Where are you?"

Coventina had never been more happy in her entire life. When she and Noctis decided that they should officially be together, she knew exactly what they should do. They had snuck back to the water clan's beach, and the elders left there, accepted the idea openly. They welcomed the idea of combining the packs, to them, having lived through the pain of the Day of Frost, and now this war, they new that working together had been their victory over the Dark Brotherhood. Coventina had gone into the cave where she kept the last things of her parents. Giving Noctis, the seal of Water kings on his chest sash and she had then remembered her mother's wedding dress. Shedding her dress from the Celebration, she felt so at peace as she pulled on the dress. She remembered playing it as a child, being promised that one day her father would give her away to the man worthy of an alpha female who was bound to change the fate of the pack. Standing before Noctis as they stood before the elder, she stood in the wedding dress lovingly looking into those intense eyes as the elder preformed the ceremony. Their kiss was full of zeal and happiness that she nearly found herself crying in happiness. They spent their time in her personal cave, enjoying eachother's company.

But as all good moments, this one had to end. They had to return. Sighing softly it seemed like time blurred as they loped together through the woods. Nipping each other and growling playfully. Seeing the walls of the Earth dwellings, she looked to Noctis and shifted back. Now in a fighting outfit(thats blue where the red is. And she has flat boots, and no face mask), she looked over to her new husband and took his hand. Taking in a deep breath, she knew this was going to be the challenge. But she was ready. As long as she had Noctis by her side, she could face the world.

Roulan had let out a slight smile and still focused on the board "Well this game is hard" he sighed at the fact that she was close to winning and he still wasn't close to figuring the game out. When she pointed to the piece that would help her win his concentration broke and he looked up at her and pointed to the piece she referred to "So this piece is one of the most powerful ones or the Alpha like you said" He nodded as he understood its use.

"So I need to focus on the other pieces outside of the alpha"] He smiled at her now that she had explained the game better "It looks like you got the better of me" he looked down at the board were all the pieces were missing and only his alpha remained.


"Well it looks like I've been defeated once again" he smiled "Would you like to do something else instead?" he scoffed at the fact that he had lost this game and deciding that walking around would be better since he was getting restless. He then got up and grabbed Sonas hand. "What would you like to do?".

Jazereth was shocked. Push him away? Was that really how she'd come across? He was right, she knew he was. But how? How should she put aside her habit and let him in? The situation wasn't a good time for some love affair, the Vengeance clan had their throats. But what could she do? When Landon was away, she constantly worried about his well-being. When he was by her side, she felt conflicted. Like she was letting her pack down. But was she depriving herself of what she deserved, or just being selfish? He had almost completely given himself to her, yet all she did was heal him. What right did she have to be with him? "I trust you. I just don't trust myself. I want to be with you, yet I feel like I don't deserve you. I don't know what to do. Landon, what should I do?"

((T____T I had a wonderful post all written out, but I walked away and the laptop died. *sobsob* Sorry for the delay, but it's so hard to rewrite a post when it gets eaten!))

Landon held Jazereth's gaze, his anger fading. "You put such a burden on yourself," he said quietly. "Yes, some of it comes from your circumstances, but you burden yourself with this emotion. You think you don't deserve happiness." The male knelt before the Fire alpha, gently reaching out to touch her head. He withdrew his fingers quickly.

"You say you don’t deserve me.” He hesitated, seeming to finally come to a decision. He couldn't keep lying to her. Not completely. “I'm not the sweet, caring youth you think I am." Landon reached for Jazereth's cheek, his hand resting there. "I would understand if you want to remember me the way you see me now," he said, blue eyes meeting hers. "I've been lying to you, Jazereth." There was a pause. "You think too highly of me."

Slowly, a mental image began to form. It was Landon's childhood. "If you don't want to see," he breathed, "tell me to stop."

The pictures began to blend together, forming a story. Landon used to be part of the Wind clan. He showed his childhood, ending in his desertion of his home clan. Landon hesitated, but showed Jazereth his true ability - he could manipulate memory and will. He'd done so to keep everyone from noticing his absence. Landon had manipulated the minds of those around him when he'd joined the Fire pack, too. He made sure no one questioned the meager little scrapper that suddenly joined the pack. It was only natural that he be accepted among them.

Near the end, Landon carefully showed Jazereth another crime. "Perhaps neither of us deserves to be happy." A face entered Jazereth's mind. Navi. Landon showed their resemblances - he was her son. ((I think that was the decision, haha)) He had tampered with the Wind alpha’s mind, keeping her from searching for him. He'd made Navi believe that he was dead. No one used their abilities to tamper with an alpha. This crime was worthy of death among the packs; an act of high treason.

Landon didn't tell Jazereth that he WAS the spy for Vengeance pack. He left that out. He left out how he'd been close friends with Pathose, and how he'd devoted himself to his best friend when they became part of the rogue pack. That knowledge would only make the alpha angry. That, and Landon felt his loyalty to Pathose was still strong. He couldn't just give it all away. As it was, he’d said far too much already!

"I don't know what you should do," Landon breathed. His fingers gently slipped off of Jazereth's cheek, leaving a glowing trail behind. The male's expression was blank as he met the alpha's gaze. "But let me stay here. Let me stay close to you."
-

Sona laughed when Roulan grabbed her hand. “We can wander to see what else we can do.” Her blue eyes lit with excitement. “There is food, some dancing, games, challenges, sparring matches, story-telling….”

She trailed off and glanced in the direction of a burst of colored lights. Fireworks put on by the Fire clan, no doubt. “I would honestly be interested in seeing our elements fight.” Sona tilted her head. “Fire against Water. It would be interesting!” She grinned, and a spark of mischief filled her gaze. “What do you think?”
-

Noctis seemed so carefree in their time together. He seemed immensely younger; boyish, even, while they tumbled about and spent the rest of the day together. Coventina was so happy … it made him glow with pride and joy to see the gentle expressions on her face, or the way the sun would light up her pale hair. There were too many things to enjoy in what little time they were given.

His hand tightened on Coventina’s as they approached the stone walls of the gathered packs. Noctis could already see Navi as she loped toward them. “I love you,” he said, giving his wife’s hand a squeeze.

Navi stopped a few feet away, her white eyes locked on their hands. “What have you done?” The mental voice broke into their consciousness harshly, and the pale canine huffed a breath of disappointment. She was no fool. Navi was never the fool.

Noctis said nothing as he stepped past the Wind alpha, pulling Coventina after him. They entered the encampment to the sounds of celebration. Or, at first.

The loudest snarl that had been heard from any pack suddenly crashed through the happy sounds. Noctis released Coventina’s hand a mere second before a large form collided with his, knocking him to the ground with such a show of force that many surrounding wolves yelped in surprise.

“You fool!” A broad-shouldered male attempted to pin Noctis down, his green eyes blazing with inner fire. The ground about them suddenly seemed to tremor, shifting as though it were about to cave in beneath them. "Taking the pack was bad enough, but defying the laws of our kind?!"

There was a brief moment where it seemed Noctis might actually be overpowered. Then, he glimpsed Coventina from the corner of his eye. A surge of earth burst from about them, sending the offender flying a few feet. He hit the ground with a grunt, losing his breath as the ground seemed to come up and swallow him, holding him a crushing embrace.

"If you ever strike me again," Noctis was on his feet, baring his fangs, "I will kill you, Fenris." He struck with a backhand that was merely to shame the other Earth wolf. Why? Everyone was watching. This was his way of keeping his pack. No Earth alpha could be beaten and then expect to hold his pack. They would think he was weak. They would rally to a new leader - and Noctis could end up dead.

Fenris snarled, his green eyes flashing over to Coventina. "You seduced him, didn't you?" Straining his own Earth powers against Noctis', Fenris snapped an arm free from the gravel and dirt surrounding him. "He gave in to you. You broke the code of our kind."

Jazereth could still feel the warmth of Landon's hand long after it had left her face. Her face softened, revealing her youth-filled features. "Of course, I would want it no other way." Though the images had been slightly shocking, the alpha wasn't affected. Her eyes were lively, shining with a mysterious air. Lifting a shaking hand, Jazereth reached towards his face with trembling fingers. Pulling back slightly, she took a deep breath and cradled his face with her unsteady hand. Whispering, she said,"We all have our secrets. And finding out these things doesn't change the way I feel about you. If anything, it makes me feel even more for you. Isn't it better if you keep finding out more about the person? It gives you more things to love. I too have my secrets, as does the others."

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. But then was replaced with a grimace. An unpleasant aura had filled the area. The alphas were fighting. Fearing for the worse, Jazereth's face tightened. "I am terribly sorry Landon. The alphas have created a scene, and soon the people will become rebellious. We must stop them, please, Landon, accompany me."

The Fire alpha ran towards the source of the commotion to find Noctis and another male in a scuffle. Coventina and Navi were standing on the wayside, ready to jump in. Suddenly, the man accused the Earth leader of breaking the code. Upon hearing this, Jazereth's mouth drew back into a snarl. Jumping between the two men, she hissed,"What are you two imbeciles doing?! Get yourselves together before I chop off your heads!" To reinforce the order, the female drew her katana and held above her head.

Coventina's demeanor held worry as she saw Noctis knocked to the ground by one of his warriors, Fenris. She had been warned by her new husband that he would probably be the most angry, to put it mildly. Stepping forward to interviene the woman watched and Noctis threw off the threat quite easily, and returned to standing. Letting out a soft breath, she looked into the shocked eyes of Navi. They had hurt her, and being a dear old friend of her's it was hard to see her so hurt. But such things were neccessarry. When Jazereth jumped into the picture Coventina raised her hands, calming her warriors as she met their eyes and then turned to all the others. Water clan was at least calm enough to listen. She would have to catch the attention of the others. "I have seduced no one Fenris." she stated bluntly and looked the man dead in the eyes. "I love Noctis deeply." she said openly and raised her chin in authority. "We chose this, together. To make our packs one and to give us the strength we need to fight the Vengeance clan." she said and growled loudly. "Starfish. Forward." she snapped, the warrioress's eyes surprised as she stepped forwards. Her body made for fighting and combat, and she held herself with the air of a preditor.

"Are you not one of my strongest warriors?" Coventina demanded and the warrioress snapped to attention and nodded. "Yes Alpha." she said and Coventina nodded. "But you cannot beat me in combat." the water alpha stated and the warrior growled. "No." Starfish responded and Coventina growled. "And you have tried." Coventina urged and Starfish nodded. "Yes Alpha, many times." she admitted and then Coventina turned to Noctis's chosen male. "You have challenged your alpha many times as well. Step forward." she said with firm commanding tones in her voice. As the man stepped forward after looking to Noctis she met his eyes. "You have failed to beat your alpha." she said bluntly making him angry. He lunged at her, and she gave Noctis a reassuring glance. With a flick of her hands water materialized and smacked him across the face, sending him into the dust. "You cannot hope to beat the Vengeance if you cannot beat an alpha. They are hybrids, stronger then any pure bread earth or water clan wolf." she snapped and Starfish growled. "And what does you two breaking the law and bonding have to do with it?" Starfish demanded. "Everything." Coventina said smoothly.

"Starfish, go stand next to the Earth warrior. Fight with him to beat your alphas. If you win, you will have our permission to take us into custody, if not, you will heed your alphas." she said and the warrior met her eyes with a glare and slowly approached the other warrior. The wolves gave them a large birth, Noctis and Coventina facing the two warriors. "No one interviene. You need to witness this." she breathed looking at Jazereth and Navi. Then on signal the two warriors began attacking their alphas separately. Coventina moved fluidly, blocking and dodging attacks with ease. When Starfish would almost get to her, strong water attacks would lash out. It was a rarity to anyone outside the water pack to see Coventina fight. She was known for peace, but this proved she held her worth in a fight. As Starfish and the Earth warrior were repelled at the same time and thrown to the ground, Coventina stood next to Noctis. The two warriors went at them again, but this time, Noctis was the only one that moved to strike, and suddenly water spikes shot up from the ground and Coventina hit the ground with her fist, knocking the two into the air. Noctis hit them with his brute strength and caused them to land harshly into the ground. The water alpha stepped to his side again. They tried to attack, again, and again, and every time the alphas worked together and easily thwarted their attempts. Finally it clicked, and Starfish moved in time with the earth warrior, and landed a hit on Noctis.

The real fight then began. Earth and water flew, and the two pairs moved as units. Attacking, blocking, distracting, and moving. All of it was so efficient that the alphas almost looked like they were to loose. But suddenly Coventina soaked the ground with water, and struck Starfish down into the mud as Noctis did the same with his warrior. Then the mud was wrapped around the warriors tightly and hardened to rock around Starfish, and the male was encased in a sphere of water he couldn't escape. Nodding to Noctis, Coventina stepped back and let his warrior go and looked to Starfish who slowly got up as she was released. "We almost won." She breathed shocked and looked to her fighting companion. "Think of what you could do if trained together." Coventina said with a grin. "Think of what all of us could do, if we worked together, as one."

((Starfish: http://jhgki.j.h.pic.centerblog.net/o/e140ec54.jpg ))

Her hesitation when she reached for him worried Landon. Jazereth's hands were shaking. The scrapper stayed still and silent until he felt her warm fingers press against his cheek. Landon reached up to catch her hand against him, nuzzling against her palm. "Everyone has their secrets," he agreed. When had anyone so openly accepted such hidden things? This was new to him. Very new. Jazereth was showing him care, and genuine care at that. Landon almost felt unusual with this kind of treatment, especially after so many years as the runt of the litter.

At that moment, Jazereth seemed to sense something. Come to think of it, the ground was suddenly trembling. Landon stood at the same time his alpha did. Her request for him to follow was unnecessary, but he nodded to show he'd heard. "At your sid," he conveyed mentally. He followed a few steps from Jazereth. The scene they stumbled upon was startling.


"Don't interfere," Noctis snapped at Jazereth, his maroon eyes blazing. "You have no place stepping between me and my pack!" His voice rose just as Coventina stepped in. He was about to challenge Fenris again just for saying such things to Coventina, but the Earth alpha seemed properly controlled as his wife stepped in. She called her warrior forward.

As she called Fenris forward, the earth about him released. He had to tear his glare away from Jazereth; Fenris didn't appreciate the Fire alpha - not many Earth pack enjoyed the company of the Fire clan.

Fenris had challenged Noctis in the past. He was the only other candidate that would attempt to win the pack over. In all actuality, he'd come very close to winning a few times. As Coventina made a stab at his pride, the large male lunged for her. He was easy to anger, just as any Earth pack member was.

The scene of being beaten down by two alphas would resonate within the Earth clan. Fenris was demeaned in those few moments in which the alphas returned. It infuriated him with a new kind of anger. After being smacked down by Coventina, the male seemed to bristle. He looked ready to tear her throat out if he should get the chance. He was given that chance as the alphas openly challenged both Fenris and Starfish.

Fenris growled, but stood a few feet from Starfish. The fight began. Separately, they failed. Badly. No matter how he struck, nothing would get through. It was infuriating. The worst part was how easily Noctis and Coventina seemed to shift together, using one another to easily counter anything coming their way.

It wasn't until Starfish herself initiated in the midst of Fenris' movements that he seemed to catch on. He was obviously surprised when the Water wolf moved in time with him. In all honesty, it was a beautiful picture. The strength and fluidity of the two packs was worth watching, even if it wasn't wholly trained.

Fenris wasn't good at timing his movements with Starfish, but the girl seemed excellent at complimenting and strengthening his every attack. It ended up becoming so efficient, the alphas had to back off. Until, of course, they completely stopped the two warriors dead in their tracks.

When he was released, Fenris seemed both properly reprimanded and a bit stunned. He obviously wasn't happy with what was happening. The revelation set everyone on edge, but ... it worked. It was efficient, strong, and obviously better than any single fighting style. Fenris' glare lost it's harsh edge as he heard Starfish. She was right. They'd almost won.

Noctis stepped forward and took Coventina's hand. Navi seemed just as stunned as everyone else. "This shows our strength together. The laws were made a long time ago." His crooked half-smile changed the tone. "I'm beginning to wonder if the packs knew what they were talking about."

His maroon eyes locked on Jazereth. After the fight, he was more relaxed. "We stand a chance against Vengeance if we work together. Alone, they're picking us off. There won't be anyone left to fight them if we stand apart." It was true. Wind pack was dwindling to dangerously low numbers, as was the Water clan.

"Of course, you who walked into the spot of alpha wouldn't understand. The laws were made so people like you wouldn't happen. How long have you two abandoned your pack to be with each other? If everyone did this the clans would be in chaos. Laws are made for important reasons, even if you are too blind to see it. Also, if different clans were mixed and had offspring, the results would be disastrous. The elements are finicky enoigh the way they are, if you were to mix them they would be uncontrollable. Not to mention that the elements themselves would continually eat away at the carrier until eventually nothing will be left. Another reason is because if we mixed the clans, there would still have to be a ruling system. And no matter how great the leader, they will be biased towards their own elements. That is just an open door to corruption. Logically, if your relationship had any positive products I might actually give a thought about modifying the law. But, since nothing besides in maturity and neglectance has come from it, I view your actions as none other than a childish whim. How do you expect to defeat the enemy when you turn a nation on its head? Right now the enemy is at our doorstep... the enemy is ourselves. It's because of people like you that we cannot trust eachother. If everyone went around overturning laws, then we would self destruct. Don't you understand? You are the leader of your people. When you make a decision you must also take into account your people. When you accepted your position, you vowed to put your people first, did you not?"

Jazereth's eyes evaluated her surroundings. "Everyone is hiding something, and others can tell. This is making us suspicious of our own kin. If we cannot trust each other who can we trust? The people deserve to know everything, their. lives are also in the balance."

Coventina saw the anger and rage in the eyes of Jazereth and she let out her words of pain. They hurt, like almost always whenever the young woman spoke. Shaking her head, Coventina squeezed Noctis's hand and then lifted her hand and pointed to Jazereth. "Young one, you are an alpha, and lead your people well. But you also harbor secrets within your heart, some that are not as well hidden as you expect." she said and looked into those eyes knowingly. She could detect the feelings the fire alpha had towards Landon. As she looked into the scrapper's eyes, her eyes held warning, that if he were to betray or hurt Jazereth, he would be torn apart. "Its dangerous, but the Vengeance have already proven it is completely possible. They have had young children fight us with more power and syncronized movements then any squad of warriors from any given pack. Jazereth, your warriors are great, but even you lost many in the battle against Vengeance... Can't you see that if we bring everyone together, fight side by side that we can truly win this? I admit, we were foolish at some times, and left our packs. But all alphas have done such things. We are not perfect. I simply ask of you to try. Let us try to pair up some more warriors and train them." she said logically and Starfish looked to Fenris.

The blue haired woman flicked her mane behind her shoulders and met his eyes with her purple ones. "I admit that I am not fond of Earth style fighting... But its good to have a, solid, warrior to fight with." Star said slowly, trying not to growl as she was trying to see reason. "If it means we can beat the Vengeance, I will fight by you again." she said and held out her hand to the male. Coventina was a bit surprised honestly, she knew that this wouldn't be recieved well by most, but seeing the determination in Star's eyes made her have hope. The hate for their enemeys seemed to fester within all the warriors that had witnessed the slaughter. Revenge was due, and it was going to be delivered even if they had to work together. Star would NOT loose again.

"We left our packs within the safe and loving hands of Navi and yourself for one day," Noctis growled at Jazereth, obviously straining to keep a level head. "We haven't abandoned them. We took a risk, yes, but a worthwhile one. If this doesn't work, then you can reprimand us after the war, Jazereth."

The Fire alpha's words rang true, though. Noctis felt strange knowing that this decision had been made so quickly - it very well was an emotional and sudden decision on his part. On Coventina's, however, it was a logical decision. Both mind and heart had been used in this choice.

Noctis fell silent as Coventina began to speak.
-

Landon's gaze caught on Coventina's briefly, and the scrapper quickly lowered his eyes to the ground. That one look was enough to speak volumes. And it scared him. Once again, his loyalty to Vengeance was more than a mere risk - it was beginning to interfere with everything he did and thought. It was becoming all the more dangerous to have split loyalties now that he was growing attached to Jazereth - he had the other alphas subtly threatening him.

He'd chosen the position of a scrapper so he could escape notice but keep an ear to the ground. Now, Landon worried that he was getting far too deep in this mess. For the glory of Vengeance, right? He'd make it. He had to. Still, this new information about the blending of clans had him stunned. Pathose needed to know. Now.

Landon hardly restrained the urge to shoot out a mental signal to Pathose. He couldn't do that here. Not right now. He'd have to slip away the first chance he got.

It was expected to hear everyone speak poorly of Vengeance, but the sheer hatred and anger the packs harbored toward the rogue pack was frightening. It reminded Landon that this wasn't his family. Any one of these people would tear him to bits if they even suspected he was working with Pathose.

Forcing down a brief flicker of fear, the scrapper slowly lifted his eyes to continue watching. He wanted to give a thorough report when he spoke to Pathose.
-

Navi slowly shifted forms, stepping up beside Jazereth. "I agree with Jazereth," she said slowly, meeting Coventina's gaze. "An alpha, above any pack member, should regard the laws of our kind as above every action. You've overstepped your bounds. Both of you have tread on the trust of your people, as well as ours."

Her white eyes flickered to Noctis. "I expect decisions like this from you, Noctis." He wasn't known for a level head. Looking back to Coventina, Navi frowned slightly. "If you don't obey the laws, how are we to trust you? Your actions have no boundaries." She didn't seem angry, but definitely not supportive of the joined packs. Not yet. Navi didn't hate the idea as much as Jazereth did, but she wasn't comfortable with it.
-

As Starfish spoke, Fenris seemed ... surprised. He was not used to speaking with members from other packs - Fenris had stated his disliking for any other clan quite loudly. The blue-haired girl stated that she'd fight by his side again.

Fenris glared at her offered hand, and fought the urge to slap it away. A growl built in his chest, and the broad-shouldered male tensed. He'd seen the strength of combined clans. He shouldn't be so opposed to it. Fenris still had his entire lifetime of hatred and prejudice to push aside, and that wasn't exactly a simple feat.

It looked like Fenris would decline the "friendly" offer to join strength. His gaze met Starfish's, and his green eyes blazed with disgust. "So quick to change," he snarled. "I don't like you any more now than I did this morning." Looking pointedly at Starfish's hand, the warrior took a step back.

Just as he was about to turn away, he seemed to hesitate. The strength they'd displayed together ... they could beat Vengeance. This didn't have to be permanent, did it? Fenris accepted Starfish's hand with a disgusted look. Obviously, he wasn't happy about it. Still, he wanted to see just how strong a pair of warriors could be. That, and the hatred that Starfish so obviously felt for Vengeance caught Fenris' attention. Oh, he felt the same way.

Jazereth laughed as she saw Coventina's gaze flicker towards Landon. "Secrets? What secrets have I hidden from my people? Landon has been rewarded for his bravery and loyalty by a promotion to a warrior. And, as far as the law goes, an alpha has the right to choose a mate out of the higher classes. Am I wrong? Also, concerning your argument that the Vengeance clan uses these hybrids, it is valid. But your evaluation of their powers is immensely wrong. Under my juristiction the Fire clan warriors took one of these hybrids hostage. Providing for this creature, I observed its every move. There is a weakness of the hybrids that could outweigh the advantages of their powers. If they are cut off from their partner, they can no longer control the others' element, let alone use their own. And after a long period of time without the other, they will both perish. These powers have no control and that is why our ancestors forbid it."

As Navi supported Jazereth's opinion, she nodded a thanks to the pale-eyed woman. But in the back of her mind, she could feel Landon's discomfort and uneasiness. As if on cue, the Fire pack started to file into the crowd. Forming a wall behind their alpha, they blocked Landon from view. 'You don't have to do this,' Jazereth thought to Landon,'You can go. I know you don't like these confrontations very much'

A male warrior stepped into place beside Jazereth. Kataro raised his fist and said,"We will support our alpha to the end. All of the clan has seen what happens to these hybrids first hand. Must we resort to their level to defeat them? If we do so, how are we any better than them?" Looking pointedly at Coventina, he spat,"Who died and made you the king of anything? How do you expect us to follow you when you can't even hear the cries of your people? Let alone their whispers of rebellion. You have neglected your clan and your kin. You have no right to tell us what to do. How do we know that you're not working with the Vengeance clan?"

A murmur ran through the crowd. "It makes sense, doesn't it? You came up with this idea right after you disappeared. How do we know that you didn't have a secret meeting behind our backs?!"

Jazereth brushed Navi's shoulder. In a hushed tone, she asked,"What can we do? The law proclaims that Coventina and Noctis are offenders and must be treated as such. They have broken countless laws. We must take action."

(Sorry for being so late in replying to this now what to say

Roulan had been wanting to spar for sometime now but wasn't sure if Sona was up for the task "A sparring match between the two of us would be fun" he smiled as he helped Sona to her feet.

He noticed that just as Sona was listing the events of the evening she stopped and Roulan heard a loud boom and saw a bright flash of light. Roulan looked at Sona "That would be very interesting" He blushed at the mischevious look on her face "Well I think that sparring for fun is ok but anything else would be bad" He then stopped for a second and thought to himself I normally don't say that I like sparring with other clans He shrugged his shoulders and then smiled at Sona

Roulan had suddenly felt something strange going on with his Alpha and then turned to Sona "Did you feel that just now...?he had looked around confused at the presence even though it was faint and he hadn't tried to use his mind reading since he was with Sona "That disturbance what is it?" he had started to concentrate deeply on his Alpha to link minds with her.

At Jazereth's statement about his promotion, Landon's expression faded. Every bit of emotion drained from his face. This. This was bad. He felt gazes upon him, and the former scrapper felt immensely uncomfortable with it. He was a warrior now. He'd gained a rank - a few ranks, actually. He's skipped right over the common folk and joined the ranks of those who fought for the pack.

Landon's features stayed neutral as he focused on the conversation once again.

Jazereth's mental communication with him offered him a way to back down. His blue eyes flickered to the Fire alpha briefly. "I stay," his voice was strong, and stubborn. "I am no longer a scrapper, meant to run." Leaving now would prove he was weak. Besides, he needed to hear what the alphas decided.....

His unease lingered, but Landon's focus returned to the conversation. "I'm by your side, Jazereth. I'm not leaving."
-

Noctis hardly kept himself quiet while listening to Jazereth. Finally, he let his words burst forth as though he'd been withholding a flood. "Hybrids have obviously learned to control themselves and survive without needing a partner," he growled, throwing his hands up. When Kataro stepped forward, spitting his words at Coventina, Noctis stepped in front of his wife.

"We have neglected no one." His maroon eyes were burning with fury, but he kept himself still. "We aren't telling you what to do. We're suggesting combining packs and taking down one that's bigger than any of us."

Noctis was silenced as Navi stepped forward.
-

Navi frowned, watching the others. Jazereth's question was on her mind as well. "As offenders of the law," she said quietly, "they will suffer death." Her pupil-less eyes remained on Noctis and Coventina, and she continued in hushed tones. "Destroying the alphas of two clans will cause turmoil. It is unclear which situation will be ... easier." She paused for a moment. "We will have to deal with their actions after Vengeance is destroyed. The combined elements are ... strong."

The dark-skinned woman thought about the fight. It was true - two common warriors could take down an alpha if their powers were combined. Navi stepped forward, interrupting the conversation before Noctis could get any more upset.

"Take two of Earth's best warriors," she said, and waited patiently for Noctis to comply. She needed to test it. Again. Two of the same clan, with combined powers, could not take down an alpha. Could they?

There was a fight between Navi and the two Earth wolves. Navi won very quickly. Asking for two more warriors to join her opponents, Navi fought all four of them. Again, she won. The number was raised again. Six. Navi still beat them. Once Earth sent ten of their fighters against the alpha, they finally got in a few good shots.

Telling Noctis, Jazereth, and Coventina to remain silent, the Wind alpha then called forward one Earth clan member, and one Wind clan wolf. The fight began. Just the two of them managed to get just as far as the original ten warriors. They got a few blows in - together, the elements were stronger.

Navi glanced to Jazereth, but then called forth another pairing of wolves. The test was repeated, with similar results. Mixed elements were indeed much stronger.

Noctis finally spoke, unable to keep silent. "We aren't asking you to blend the packs. We're asking you to work together as one."

((Also: Roulan, Fire clan wolf alpha, is wondering if Jazereth has anything to say about what's happening. ;)))
-

((hehe, no worries, Lonely! :3))

Sona frowned, watching wolves move by. Something was happening. A gathering. And it was a heated conversation, from the snippets she heard. "I ... did." The Water pack member took a slow breath. "Should we go see?" Without waiting for Roulan's response, Sona kept his hand and pulled him after her. She wanted to know what was troubling the wolves around them.

"Me to" he had a concerned look on his face "We should definitely go check it out" he felt the tug as Sona had pulled him and stumbled as he hastily followed behind her "Lets hope its nothing bad" Roulan had squeezed her hand tighter the closer the two of them got to the commotion. As much as he would like to know about the commotion his concern was also not seeing Sona anymore either and he shuddered at the thought.

((Pretty sure I killed this one, too.... Hope everyone's classes are treating them well! <3))