Seeping Through the Cracks

[Fritz]

Date: 2 Feb, 2007 -- 11 Apr, 2007

Characters:
Caira, Ibizan Hound
Damian, Angolian Shepherd
Mar, Beauceron Mix

Summary: Caira is accepted into the DS ranks.

[Fritz]

A pale shape drifted out of the shadows.Her hare-toed paws barely made a sound as she trotted toward the gate.Her amber-green eyes glowed eerily in the darkness.Her sharp ears snapped to attention,trying to find the Death Stalkers be for they found her.Caira wanted time to mentally prepare herself for the trail that was sure to come.Her slim bodice danced through the night as she finally arrived at the rusted towers.She rested her chestnut and ivory rump on the ground,her back to a tree and waited.Her flesh toned nostrils quivered with excitement.The female warrior aspired to meet the leader to see if he really was worthy of her submittance.

The female's eyes flashed as she finally lost her patience.She rose to all fours,her hind still pressed against the tree trunk, and opened her maw.An eerie howl resounded from her ivory jaws,promising malice in every venomis note.The moon was descending from the night sky and soon dawn would come.The temptress was getting restless....


"Oh, hush up, won't you?"

Standing with an air of authority and a venomous tongue, the brute had been peering through the cracks in the metal gate for some time now, watching the newcomer with interest. Not only was he both cautious and waiting for the proper moment, but being a Death Stalker required endless patience; to see if it was possible, Damian silently rested with his ears perked for a good sum of fifteen minutes, observing. His dark eyes glowed in the dead of night, his fur ruffling with no reaction to the bitter winds, and deep inside his stomach a chruning of snake-like hisses were reverbrating against his sides.

The houng had all but patience. She should an exceptionally strong built in her upper body, and with those erect ears it surprised Damian that she hadn't noticed him yet. A malicious vibe had attacked his senses when she arrived. Good, he thought. Maybe, just maybe, he would bring this little s.crap of fur and bone to Raven himself, showing he could handle these little missions of hell-filled acceptance. It didn't take even Damian long to be given a spot in the Death Stalkers; being strong and the way he reacted to such things.

His fawn-colored pelt sparkled silver in the dim moonlight. The venomous glint subsided brielfy, giving him the chance to formally test her wits and intellect. "Welcome to the gates of the Death Stalkers. What is your name?"


Emerald-gold eyes flashed as the female heard the sharp voice.Her ears twitched and she longed to retort but kept silent.Caira knew her limitations,and her sense of hearing wasn't that great.She was a sight hound after all.When she spotted the dun pelted dog,her eyes flickered in appreciation.He looked well muscled.She dipped her sorrel and white head slightly in greeting.Even though he acted tough,he didn't have the aura of a leader.Her chestnut encased eyes betrayed no emotion as she replied to his greeting.
" It is usually common courtesy to give one's name first be for asking another."
Her voice was neutral as it drifted through the air.


"Damian."

The answer was short and sweet, just how the Anatolian liked it. Answering a newcomer and how you expressed it gave the full impression of your nature in life, as well as how the female would look at him in the future. Already Damian could tell by the reply from the hound was that she was sarcastic and certainly not a patient little pretty. This dog would give the Death Stalkers a supply of arrogance with the low way she had responded to Damian, a hard working fellow of death. Anymore of that, and even Raven may have to repeat the rules of the Death Stalkers to this beginner.

She had a lot to learn from that simple, neutral answer. "Whether you have a name or not, it is not my place to welcome you into the gates of our park. That is for either Raven, or my dear friend Mar, to choose and to access." Damian hoped that he hadn't baffled the little stray with the first set of rules: common members were only not allowed to accept bretheren. That will change soon enough.


[ooc:sorry about Caira's attitude,she's a little ill tempered Oh,and if this post is a little too perceptive,tell me ]

Hmmm....He must be annoyed with my answer... The female thought.She smirked inwardly.She had learned a while ago that annoyance and anger were worthless emotions that wasted energy.Though they could be beneficial for some dogs when it came to fighting.Caira tried to suppress emotions like that.She fought better when she was calm and thinking straight.
So only higher ranking brutes can allow members... From the way the dog said this,there seemed to be a hint of ambition in his voice.He didn't seem that different from herself.Both wanted the power of an elite....


Grumbling something to himself, Damian began to appear more bored than interested. Yes, he was lucky enough to catch an intruder near the gates. Yes, he was lucky enough to seem a good sum strong and severely venomous in eye nature. Yes, he was lucky enough to be here and redeem a few normal duties for himself. No, he wasn't lucky enough to show the true brawn in his mold. Damain was stronger than most of the Death Stalkers and certaintly had an advantage of height and mind.

Raven hadn't assigned anything, and being after dusk and his free will intact until dawn, the most he could do was give the hound a good interrogation until he left briefly to find the only elite at the moment, his little friend Mar. Ah, what good Mar could do with this little pretty. Mar, like Damian, was intelligent in the arts of blood and cold winters, as well as the only one high enough to accept this little s.crap of a female.

"Wait here," Damian barked as he raised his hunches to lumber away, "I must find an Elite. Only then will you get the proper entrance into our family." With no more than a warning flick of his ear, the large male turned tail to give a scent out to find Mar.


"You didn't answer his question, fleetpaw." A low growl came from behind Damian. The Anatolian should have gotten used to Mar's sudden appearances by now to have sensed him coming. The black Elite slid beside the Death Stalker, his tail lifted dominantly.

He eyed the Ibizan hound with a scrutinizing gaze. She looked fast, and had the vicious lightin her eye that was desirable in any Death Stalker. Yet her breeding had been for the chase and speed -- would she have the strength to survive in the pack?

The Beacueron stepped forward. The winter wind pulled at his fur. No doubt it chilled the femme...

"Well?"


((eh,sorry 'tis lame))

Hmph.This one is different.
The copper and white hued female was in awe of this male.His aura was tremendous and he oozed authority. She felt as though she were compelled to obey him and answer. She regretted her wordplay with the other brute,Damian, just a little.
"Caira."
Was the jade eyed female's reply. She kept her tail lower than the Beacueron's but still higher than submissive. A sudden chill graced the park and she to suppress the urge to shiver. She would have to be more cautious now. The Ibizan Hound could not fail. Acceptance meant life. Defeat meant death....


Raising his head and tail till it was leveled with Mar's, the Anatolian felt somewhat satisfied with Caira's more respectable answer. Normal member or not, Damian had been with the Death Stalkers for a good sum of time, and had good relations with both elites and Raven over time. He knew about respect and dignity, but also understood pain that kept him from becoming weak and soft like a little house dog. Mar's appearence only strengthened his pride.

Damian's venomous tongue rolled in comprehension. He turned to Mar, his face both serious and humorous at the same time. Damian knew Mar's intolerance for disrespectful females like the ound in front of them. "Well, at least she is accoustomed to the scent of authority, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, the venom subsiding to turn more inquisitive.

Now, he was more intent on what Mar would do with the little s.crap of newcomer. Caira didn't look like the fighting type, and Damian didn't feel obliged to fight either. Yes, he was a good fighter, but right now he was just bored. Damian had nothing to do all day, and just wanted to sit off to the side and watch how an Elite handled a new member.


Mar gave a low, warning growl as he saw Damian's tail lift up. Though it was only time before the Anatolian became an "equal" to Mar, he was still just a member of the pack. The dominance that he had expressed had yet to be earned and the Elite reminded him of it. Damian was a good dog as far as any dog in the Death Stalkers could be called, he just needed to be reminded of his place sometimes.

"She would be a fool not to," he replied to Damian. There was a hinted undertone in his words though. She would be dead by now if she had not become "accoustomed to the scent of authority."

Mar slid from out of the high gates' shadows and toward Caira. He began to circle her, eyeing her cricically as he gave his appraisal. He completed on circuit before stopping just in front of the Ibizan.

"Why are you here?" he asked gruffly. His voice and posture hinted not at his thoughts.

It was a simple question, but one that could be answered in many different ways. If the femme answered right, her passage into the Death Stalker ranks might be one of the easiest yet, but if it were wrong... well, Mar knew how to deal with that.


A smirk almost cracked her features when the Beauceron growled at Damian.Her ivory and russet fur rippled as her muscles tensed.The large,sturdy Elite circled her and she could feel his eyes analyzing her body.Caira,who preferred large open spaces, felt a little claustrophobic as the male circumferenced her.Finally,he stood before the Ibizan and asked her a question.
"Why are you here?"
She could not read his intentions,but she felt this was a test of some sort.She pondered the thought for a second an then answered.
"I feel I could be of use to the pack.Though it is up to the Leader and the Elite to decide.
And up to me to prove. she thought grimly.
I am an experienced assassin, a weapon to use as the Leader sees fit."
Her emerald eyes were veiled and she tilted her head toward the earth.She remembered her old pack.In her youth,she had been hasty on her rise to the top and it had cost her dearly.Foolish and impatient,she had tried to assassinate the alpha in secret.She had been too slow on the death blow and the old geezer managed to scream before his throat was cut....Caira would not be so stupid this time...


Mar watched Caira steadily as she answered. She was self-confident and bold -- brazen, really. Though it was not a trait that he admired, it was one that could prove to be as helpful as it could be dangerous. Boldness could easily shift to rebellion.

"An assassin, hm?" The Beauceron was wary of assassins, particularly as one in charge of his leader's safety. Not that he doubted that Raven could take care of himself, but the assassin types had a tendency to be crafty. The few that he knew had rarely missed a target the first time, and none had ever failed completely.

Mar's eyes again lighted over the Ibizan. Yes, she was more than able for the job that she had claimed. A strong, fast body for quick strikes and long, sharp jaws for the killing blow.

He was quiet for a moment before giving his verdict. "Very well. Welcome to the Death Stalkers, Caira," Mar said. His proclamation was no welcome, though. It was the ticket to hell. The Elite glanced to Damian before proceeding further.

"But don't expect your life to be easy here. We'll see just how experienced you are... And remember, pregnant dog, once you set paw past the Gate, there is no turning back. The only few that have left our pack have left by death only. Remember that."

Mar smirked and backed through the gate, beckoning the Ibizan through. This was her last chance to change her mind, but once that ticket to eternal d**nation was held out, there was no refusing it. If Caira turned and fled, Damian knew how to take care of deserters.


Damian watched as the procession neared its end. He did, however, let his tail lower until it was just a hair-length under Mar's, but did his best not to make himself look c.ocky or sarcastic. A future Elite had to be strong, sturdy, and well-mannerable towards those higher ranked than him. Although Mar was his "friend" he would gladly put aside that companionship to gain his place. Only then would he and the Beauceron regain that little "friendship" and act as partners again.

Damian was just moments awayfrom uttering a low growl to silence the female as a tiny smirked almost crossed her lips. Elite or not, Damian was older and a bit more respected by the other younger or less experienced members. He did deserve some honor, even from this stray of fur and fleas. But Damain kept his dun-colored ears erect and her posture unwavering.

The Anatolian looked back at Mar when he silently acknowledged Caira's "I'm an assassin" speech, as if the Elite was trying to say She'll need some watching. Damian returned the look with a curt nod. It was a stupid thing to say in the Death Stalker gate, proclaiming assassination. All that Damian did, smarter than most, was keep his pride in tact, show his skills, and not express a flash of fear.

Damain brushed past Caira only slightly until he was between Mar and the Ibizan. He kept his senses alert, knowing that it was his job to chase away the faint of heart. "Yes, welcome to the family." Every word was smooth and leaked with venom, just like he liked it.


The slender,cream colored paws stepped forward without hesitation. She acknowledged both dogs words with a small nod of of her russet and white head.Her ears and tail finally lowered to a respectable level.She was part of the group and now she had to act accordingly.From the corner of her eye,she noticed a wordless message pass between her two fellow Death Stalkers.
Ah, I worry them.This is certainly amusing. The Ibizan thought. She smirked inwardly.
Let them squirm for a bit,then douse their worries."
Caira's slender hips swayed as her swift,purposeful strides brought her through the Gate.


Mar smiled, dark and sinister, as Caira made the decision. There would be no going back now. The Ibizan was in this until death. Raven had taken one more soul and had transformed it into a bloodthirsty demon....

"This way," Mar growled. He turned and proceeded back into the clan lands, further into the darkness. He would soon be lost to sight.

((I'll say this thread is about over, hm?))