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Hello?

I think Lone died...

What would make you think that?

Quick OOC: I'm not dead. Just ignorant.
Seriously, it hadn't even crossed my mind to check this RP in the longest time, since it didn't seem to have collected any new posts. That's no excuse, though, and I apologize. Once I have time later, I'll post more. Gotta go!

Write on!
-LWf

As soon as Krystal had made Balto and the rest, they all prepared to rush to the aid of their friends, but suddenly Treffen swore violently under his breath.
"Treffen, what is it?" Kikki whispered urgently. "What's wrong?"
"Kalgorn!" he replied, "We've left Kalgorn behind! Go on and help Echo and Vella; I'm going back for Kalgorn."
That said, he turned on his heels and burst into a run heading back the way they'd come from the clearing. How could I have been so stupid?
At the same time, Kikki nodded to Krystal and Balto, and the three of them charged forward over the small rise ahead.

Meanwhile, Echo growled and leapt nimbly to one side, hoping to dodge the bite on his left foreleg and then tackle the wolf from the side. As he did, he gave a grim smirk. You might taste mine, but as long as I live you'll not touch a hair on Vella's head.

Vella, on the other hand, moved toward her opponent and stood protectively over her pups.
"You wicked- You'll not lay a paw on my children while I'm living." She noted the odd playfulness of the female and scowled. "I may not be as well-rested or trained as you, but I will fight you until my last breath."

Ooc: I love Keso, he's just so evil. ^.^ *strokes Keso's ear and nearly gets her finger bitten off.* Now, now, none of that.
Keso: >.<* I hate you...don't touch me.
Me: <3

Nutik's teeth clenched on nothing but air and the fight quickly whirled out of his favor as the Alpha's weight pushed down upon him. He felt his feet give way and his legs crumpled beneath him before he knew what to say or do. Echo's smirk finally dawned on him as his eyes moved up the other combatant's body and he realized that if he didn't do something quickly, things could go very ill for him.

Echo was a talented fighter; he certainly hadn't earned his way to the ruling class without winning a few fights along the way. Haldor was merely a pawn, hardly a match for the greater wolf if the fight spiraled out of his control. Even if Echo were to be distracted by the safety of his mate and pups, it would still take an enormous effort to win. Could Nutik really do it?

As he tried to kick and flail to force the Alpha off, he slowly began to realize that no, he would not be able to. The fight had already turned in Echo's favor with the larger male restricting his movements. Unless he acted quickly, Echo would dominate the battle. So, desperately, he continued kicking at his adversary, though he could get no real force behind the blows with the position he was in. With a last ditch effort to get Echo off him, he curled his head back towards Echo's rear leg, struck at it with his jowls and missed.

Adacia continued to circle in a kind of half-moon pattern, keeping her eyes trained on both the pups and the female. She registered the words that were spoken to her only halfway, still envisioning the pups as future warriors for the Hailstorms. "I see. Then if you won't hand them over, I guess I'll just have to take them." Her shoulders tensed as she prepared to strike, but thena thump to her side startled her. Her hues suddenly darted to the form of Haldor, struggling against that large Alpha, who had forcibly knocked him to the ground. "Haldor! Get up, you fool!" But even as she shouted, she realized that she'd recklessly left herself completely open for attack.

Keso watched as the last of his pack began their journey off through the forest and then nodded to Cale, signaling him to join them and take command at the other den. It was time to put the final phase of the move into action. "Nexxus! It's your turn now."

Grimly, the half-wolf approached the spot where the Hailstorm Alpha stood and awaited whatever this package was. But when Keso turned on his heel and disappeared inside the den, Nexxus canted his head to the side, puzzled. Why would this package need to have stayed in the den? And more importantly, what was so important about it? Soon enough, Keso's head emerged from the shadowy darkness, but his fur seemed to have taken on odd red and white hues. No, the shape was too irregular, in fact it almost looked like...

With a gasp, Nexxus exclaimed, "Keso! You, you monster! That can't be-"

The Alpha cut him off with a snarl and advanced on him, dropping the unconscious red husky to the ground as he did so. "It can't be what?" He placed sharp emphasis on the last word as he glared at his unwilling minion. "It can't be that mutt's lover? Well, Nexxus, it is. And you're going to stick to our bargain whether you like it or not." He spat out the last sentence.

"No! I won't do this; I have no qualm against Balto, Jenna, or any of the innocents you've massacred. It's not right, and I don't care if the town thinks I'm a worthless traitor. I won't do this for you and I'd die before I ever let you harm my family!" The husky hybrid's body shook with the effort of his words.

The black wolf backed off, rage still flashing in his eyes at Nexxus' defiiance. But then he calmed unexpectedly and circled around the way he'd come. "So, you don't care about your repuation? And I'm guessing you'd cleverly alert the town dogs to my plan if I were to go after your precious owner or your mother. Fair enough; it seems you've finally outwitted me." Without looking at him, he pondered the dirt next to Jenna. "You may go."

Nexxus was taken aback at Keso's sudden change of mind. Could it be a trick? Would he really be allowed to roam free and not have to worry about an attack? What about Jenna? His eyes moved to her body, twisted, bloodied and bruised. Had he not known her well enough, he never would have recognized her in the state she was in. He'd never be able to beat Keso in a one-on-one fight, but he had to try and save her. "I won't leave without Jenna."

"Oh really?" Keso's voice took back its former edge as he moved agilely to the husky's neck, placed his paws on either side of her torso and angled his dagger-like fangs directly for the jugular vein. Keeping his head angled this way, he watched Nexxus as more cold words slipped from his maw. "My plan fails if a town member can't take her through Nome and confuse the scent. Though I suppose after all the torure she's been through, Balto will be infuriated enough when he finds her lifeless body here. I've no use for her now." In a swift movement his jaws her around her throat, pressing slowly in and causing more blood to seep out. His teeth had carefully missed her jugular, though Nexxus wouldn't know that. He'd see the blood and panic.

"No!"

Bingo. The hybrid's paws moved, but he couldn't uproot himself from the spot. Keso removed his blood-stained jowls from the female's neck and looked up at the hybrid curiously. "I told you you could go." He bent down and licked some of the blood from her neck, as if her were licking a kill. A vicious grin spread across his maw and he returned his gaze back to Nexxus. "Or would you rather help prolong her life by doing as I say? True, there's no guarantee what will happen once she's at our other territory. After all, you can't trust what I say, can you?" He licked more of her blood off his maw, as if it were some delicacy he rarely got to enjoy. "Though I will tell you that I plan to keep her breathing at least until that mutt comes for her. I'm sure he'll find us...eventually." A moment passed and with Nexxus' silence, Keso bent down once more to take the kill.

"I'll do it," he sighed helplessly.

Keso looked up and grinned again. "Good, Nexxus. I knew you'd come around. Now remember what I said, don't be seen, no trying to warn any of the town dogs. Wolves may not be allowed in town, but they can still see what all goes on there. We'll be watching. If you stray or don't follow my orders to the letter, not only will both you and she meet your end, but you'll see your master in the after life as well." With his little speech finished, the black wolf hooked his fangs easily into the husky's pelt and moved her body onto Nexxus' back. "Remember to return here once you're through. They won't stop watching just because you've delivered her. Ta ta, now."

Echo simply took the kicks delivered to him, keeping the grim smirk firmly on his muzzle. Perhaps this ruffian thought that because he and Vella had simply formed their own pack that they would be easy pickings. Well they're certainly going to learn their mistake fast, he thought, When we ran off from our home packs, we knew what we might face, and we made sure we were ready, both physically and mentally. Just then, he shifted his weight away from the attacker now pinned under him as the brute snapped at his leg again, but missed. This one was desperate. Determined, but desperate none the less. What choices did he have? Could he really allow this one to live and hunt his children? No, he had to end him.
But as he leaned down menacingly, another thought crossed his mind: What would he be teaching his children by killing this wolf who was clearly at his mercy? Snorting, he leaned down further until his muzzle almost touched that of his adversary.
"Know this: If you ever seek to harm my family again, I will kill you. No mercy. You will die. Do I make myself clear?"

Meanwhile, Vella had been watching her opponent carefully and lept at her once her back was turned. If all went accordingly, she would have the brute on the ground and beneath her paws in less than a moment.

Just then, Balto, Kikki and Krystal came bounding over the small rise behind Vella. No words were necessary. Each one simply went where he or she was needed. Kikki and Krystal followed Vella's example and charged the female who had turned to head away from them. Balto, on the other hand (paw), made his way toward Echo, though slowed by his gouged back leg.

At the same time, Treffen listened attentively as he slowed to a trot near the edge of the clearing. As the clearing came into view through the trees, he sank low to the ground and peered out, searching for Kalgorn...

Hmm, Echo did want a storm. So, why don't we give him a storm? XD

Adacia managed to avoid Vella's attack safely, however, her scrambled mind and the suddeness with which Kikki and Krystal had jumped in to help caused her to continue making mistakes. As they charged her, she leapt to avoid them as well, but her left paw hit the ground at a funny angle and before she knew it she was on her belly in the snow. Unfortunately, a loud snap echoed throughout the clearing, but it didn't come from her paw. The female cried out in pain and hit the snow on her opposite side, writhing, but not moving her left leg. Little did she know, but it had dislocated itself, and the bone now sat outside of the joint painfully.

She whimpered at an annoyingly high-pitch for a moment or two, before gritting her teeth and shouting, "I surrender! Just please, don't touch my leg!"

Nutik cursed loudly as his jowls clenched nothing but air, then squinted his eyes together, waiting for Echo to deliver the killing blow. After all, the Alpha had won the fight, and thus earned the right to take his opponent's life. But when the end didn't come, he looked up at the other wolf's face curiously. The Alpha leaned down and spoke his warning to the dark wolf, though for a moment, he had no intention of even considering the offer he'd been made. If he could just move his paw a little to the left... But then a sickening pop came to his ears and he heard Adacia hit the ground and begin yowling for mercy. Grudgingly, he angled his head so that he could see her writhing form and after a moment, turned back to Echo and nodded grimly. "Understood. We won't bother you again." And, surprising even to himself, he meant it.

Meanwhile, Nexxus had already begun his journey with the female. He'd made it out of the forest in record time, even with the fae on his back and treading carefully so that she wouldn't fall or be caused anymore injury by him.

'How can I be doing this? This is betrayal at its worst. But if I don't, he'll kill her anyway. At least if I can make it to his sentries, she's guaranteed a bit longer, though I don't know how much longer.' He stumbled and quickly caught himself before Jenna could fall, and cursed quietly. 'Aniu, have you stopped answering us, now? Can you no longer hear our prayers to you? How can you let this mad wolf run free and wreak havoc on us?'

Above his head, dark clouds began to move in over the Alaskan tundra. They had an ominous look to them, and had he had the choice, he would have been running for cover right about now. Unbeknownst to Nexxus, Echo had prayed silently for a storm moments before he was attacked. Was it coming now? If the rain came quickly enough, would Nexxus be able to disobey orders and hope that he wouldn't be seen?

But doubt of that possibility filled his head as he neared the little town of Nome and hugged its perimeter tightly, sticking to the shadows. Even if it did begin to pour, would it be worth risking both his and Jenna's lives to try and save her?

Echo closed his eyes for a moment and nodded. When he opened them, he leapt back and off of his opponent with a brief snort. When he spoke, he voice was laden with distrust and grim reluctance as he began to have second thoughts of what he'd just done.
"Fine, then," he said darkly. Then, he spoke to his mate, though he never took his eyes off the ruffian. "Vella, is his friend quite finished harrassing us?"

"It seems so," Vella replied, turning to the female writhing on the ground before her. "We accept your surrender, so you need not fear further harm, but your leg should be tended to. It's out of joint." She turned her head to Krystal and Kikki. "Watch the pups for a moment, please." Then, she turned back to the fae. "I will help you, if you let me. It may hurt briefly, but it's better than a useless limb."

At the same time, Balto had reached Echo's side and glared down at the wolf as he bared his teeth. He then leaned down toward the wolf's face and spoke in a voice overwhelmed with hate.
"Where is Jenna?" he said slowly, menacingly. "Where is she and what have you done to her?"
To Echo, it looked as though he might kill the ruffian if he gave the wrong reply.


Meanwhile, Treffen, having seen very little from his hide on the edge of the clearing, stood and advanced slowly into the open, all his senses on highest alert. His eyes panned left and right, searching with increasing dread for the form of his ally, Kalgorn...

Ooc: I just realized that I'd been saying that Haldor was the one with Adacia...but it was supposed to be Nutik. So I went back and edited everything to fix the error. Sorry if any confusion was caused. Also, we'll hear more about Nexxus later.

At first, Nutik wasn't sure whether the alpha would be true to his word, especially with the look he was being given. But after Echo had moved off him, he began to relax and slowly stood, though he kept his body, ears and tail low in gestures of submission. He kept an eye on Echo at first, but soon his concern for his companion forced his gaze to shift to Adacia.

His gaze didn't stay there very long, however, as another canine face invaded his space and demanded to know about the red female's whereabouts. With a sarcastic tone, he replied, "If I knew that, then I probably wouldn't be here right now. Keso doesn't tell his underlings his full plan. The only other person who might even have an inkling as to what's really going on is Cale." His eyes were narrowed, but even the resentment in his tone echoed truth. And the wolf did somewhat resent his beta for being more in the loop than he. But he remembered his current position and sofented just a bit. "If I had to guess, I'd say that Keso had her taken back to his den, though knowing him, she's probably not there now." He turned back to watch Adacia anxiously, ready to leave the company of these canids and retreat, even if that meant reporting their failure to his alpha. He didn't even care if he got punished today, he'd done enough for his glorious leader.

Adacia watched the alphess wearily, hesitating to answer. But a sudden, involuntary twitch reminded her of just how much pain she really was in. After gritting her teeth to keep a yelp from escaping, she slowly nodded. "Do what you must, but please make it as quick as possible." She didn't like the idea of the enemy getting so close to her, but if it meant that she would begin healing faster, then she'd accept any help. In preparation for whatever Vella was about to do, she turned her head away from the other female, squinted her eyes and clamped her teeth shut.

Balto seethed with anger, but with an enormous breath he managed to keep it contained, though it was still easily visible on his face. He exhaled deeply, and twin trails of vapor curled from his nostrils as he glared at the now-submissive wolf before him. Thoughts of what could be happening to Jenna even that very moment raced through his mind, causing him no end of despair. But now, he had a chance to find her, to save her, and perhaps to kill Keso for what he'd done, and he would not pass it up. One glance at Echo, though, told him of the conflict raging inside his friend and he opened his muzzle to speak, but Echo spoke first.

"Balto, I'll come with you, and I'm certain that as soon as Treffen returns he will, too," Echo said slowly.
"There's no need, Echo. You have pups to care for and friends to bury," Balto replied. "I'll go find her myself; I have a score to settle with Keso."


Meanwhile, Vella, on hearing the fae's consent, leaned down and took the fae's disjointed limb gently in her maw. That done, she put one paw near the fae's shoulder and pushed the limb back into place. There was a small clicking of bone touching, and Vella was certain she'd done right.
Once she had, she backed up and instinctively placed herself between the fae and her pups, now hiding behind Krystal and Kikki.


OOC: balto678, is Kalgorn dead? Please reply, so I can know if Treffen sees him.

No, but very close to it. He's back inside the den where all this carnage started, resting.

Treffen had almost given up hope when a faint, yet familiar scent reached his nostrils. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again he knew.
"Kalgorn."
A few dozen paces away, he found a dried spot of blood in the snow and a fresh trail leading away. The scent was easy enough to follow, but with every step he grew more and more concerned. From the spots in the snow, Kalgorn's wounds hadn't healed much, if at all. Treffen quickened his pace and prayed Kalgorn hadn't bled to death. He reached the mouth of the cave and spotted the wolf lying quite still on the rock floor. He felt fear creeping into his heart as he stepped up next to him.
"Kalgorn?" he said, placing a paw on the wolf's shoulder. "Kalgorn, wake up."

Meanwhile, Echo padded up next to Vella and bent down as his children scampered over to him, nuzzling them lovingly. When he looked up, Vella caught his eye and he leaned forward as she whispered something in his ear. He listened and nodded, then motioned to Krystal and Kikki, who padded closer to hear what he had to say.

Balto, on the other paw, heard none of this. He acknowleged the male ruffian's glare with one of his own and then turned away. He had just determined which direction was east when there was a blinding flash of light overhead. He looked to the sky as a great thunder clap sounded in the heavens and from the darkened sky snow began to fall. A moment earlier, he felt certain that he could find Jenna wherever she had been taken, but now, this storm threatened to cover every pawprint and scent left behind by Keso's pack! Balto shut his eyes and shook his head in frustration, but just then, he heard two sets of paws pad up to him and opened his eyes again.
"Since you would not allow Echo to help you," Kikki said, "perhaps you will accept our help."
She gestured to her side at Krystal, who nodded and smiled reassuringly.
"Kikki, I don't want to risk anyone else's life on this," Balto began.
"I didn't ask for your permission to come along," Kikki replied quickly and calmly. "Echo has ordered Krystal and I to accompany you, and we intened to follow his orders. If you accept our help, it will make this easier."
Balto's eyes widened a bit and he shot a glance over at Echo, who responded with something between a smile and a smirk.
"Fine, then," Balto said. "I'll be glad to have you both along."
"Good," Krystal replied. "Then let's move. With this storm, we don't have long if we want to find a scent trail."
And with that, the trio took off.

I'll go ahead and make a short post real quick just to keep this going.



All Triffan would feel upon contact with Kalgorn's shoulder would be the blood drenched fur and the skin beneath the fur would be dead cold. Kalgorn was not yet dead. He still had a pulse. But it was very weak. He'd lost alot of blood. He was very near death.

His body had shut down, all his strength had left him. He didn't know up from down or who he was or where he was any more. He knew nothing other than the unbearable agony.

Thanks to the mercy of unconsiousness, he was spared a great deal of pain. Unfortunatly, it was worse than the ordeal he already had to cope with. His mind played out every one of his fears. Bringing the thing that terrified him most to life. Cale. He ran endlessly from the white demon of a wolf. But he was too fast for him and tackled him to the ground. Hard.
There was no end to the nightmare because he couldn't wake up. He was stuck inside this hell. And no one could help him.