Makoa|Female|Lunar|Hunter|Valda-Cleo-Malumbra-Keefe

Makoa sat down in the clearing of the camp, she was eavesdropping on the commotion between the alpha male and a hunter, Mal. She was a bit shocked to hear that Mal was going to challenge the alpha female. The damp and humid weather made her a little uncomfortable. Rain wasn’t her thing, nor anything made out of water was.

Makoa looked over to the hunter and alpha, she had suspected they were a thing but was a bit scared to ask. She licked her paws as her eyes fell onto familiar paws. “Valda.” She smiled as she lifted her head up, she listened to what Valda had to say for a bit.

After some time of thinking she nodded, “Of course, hunting should be easy. It’s spring.” She got up and nudged Valda to come with her over to Keefe. She lowered her head as she sat down, “Keefe, sorry to interrupt but may Valda and I go hunting?” Her voice was low and quiet, not wanting to stir something up with the alpha male. She couldn’t help but look at Mal too, she raised her eyebrow as she waited as requested to go hunting to be accepted.

Xola || Female || Lunar Pack || Healer || M: Malmbra (Ind), Keefe (Ind), Kaiser, Morozko, Ghost (Ind), Lunar Pack (Ind)

Xola… couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. A challenge? At this strenuous time? For… Keefe’s paw? (That wasn’t the only reason, but it still came with the position). Her ears pin backwards at the thought, even if she was ashamed to have it. She was about to lose him, wasn’t she. Even if he was never hers, she would still be losing any chance she may have had. Oh, who was she kidding? Of course she was! No matter the outcome, this dispute would determine who the male would spend his life with – and in no way would it be her.

Honestly, deep down, she guessed that she had always known that this would be the outcome. Afterall, she was just some weak healer and he was a powerful alpha. Him and Ghost both were. Unless she somehow mustered up the courage to challenge and – even more impressively – defeat the current alpha, their relationship would have never gone anywhere. This truth didn’t make it hurt any less though.

With a sorrow filled sigh, the night-pelted female pads her way over to where the other wolves were beginning to gather. Her head hung low as she made her way over, and her tail dragged across the ground as it drooped in her already mounting signs of sadness. Her paws dragged just as much as her tail did, if not more – leaving trails in the grass around them that were sure to disappear within a few minutes. Though, for her, they may as well have been there for the rest of time – just as the scars of this event would.

Sitting beside her apprentice and her nephew, Morozko, the healer glances up with her striking eyes to the scene before her. A familiar white and gray stood before the reigning alpha, staring her down with golden eyes. Her stance was solid and strong. Determined and battle ready. While Xola didn’t know who would win, she knew that the wolf before her would at least put up one heck of a fight.

When the vines leading to the alpha’s den began to move, she turned her head away from the scene – burying her face into her nephew’s fur. She didn’t want to be here. She didn’t want to see this. She didn’t have the heart to watch as she lost the one she loved to one of the females before her. Nor did she have the stomach for this violence. But, she had to respect tradition, and tradition said that she had to be here. No matter how much she didn’t want to be.

Only one thought ran through her mind when the battle began. No matter what happens, as long as Keefe is happy with the outcome… so will I be, her head pushes deeper into her nephew’s fur as she grits her teeth, even if it breaks my heart.

The battle ended quicker than she expected. Opening her eyes, she glances over. Her gaze was slightly blurry with wave of tears that had flooded her senses, but she could still make out what was before her. The warrior had won, and Ghost was to be exiled.

If there was any chanting, Xola missed it – her ears refusing to listen to anything but her own breathing and pounding heartbeat. Neither of them would steady, her mind racing and her heart breaking bit by bit as realization settled upon her. Taking a deep breath, she settles her gaze on Keefe to gauge his reaction. He was… happy. Joyful, even… She respected that, even if it hurt like hell. She had lost him (or, at least, a chance with him), just as she lost…

Her mind trails off at the thought as she mentally slaps herself. Now was not the time to think of such thoughts. That was in the past, and she refused to turn into some sorry sap with a depressing backstory. Life was hard. It always would be. Things were bound to go in ways that she didn’t want them to. But, no matter what happened, she just had to keep trekking through the challenges and fighting through the pain. Not complain with every fiber of her being and hold grudges. There was no time for such things. A pointless waste of energy, as far as she was concerned.

Taking another deep and shaky breath, she closes her eyes and removes herself from Morozko’s fur. She didn’t realize how shaky she had become during the battle – either from the simple prospect of violence itself, or the loss of Keefe. Deciding to stand there for a little bit, she attempts to steady herself, not trusting her legs enough to take a single step.

It’s over, she told herself, it’s over. Do not dwell on the outcome. It was meant to be.

Opening her eyes, she glances at her apprentice and nephew before turning back to her den. She takes a few steps to get away from the scene make sure she is stable, before looking over her shoulder to speak.

“I-I’ll be in my den if either of you need me. The two are… bound to have some injuries… I’ll need to take care of them, even if Ghost is to be banished.”

Without another word, she stalks off into her den – paying no mind to any attention that may have fallen upon her.

Malumbra || Female || Warrior || Lunar Pack || M: Ghost [d], Lunar Pack [ ind], Xola [ind], Keefe [d]

Malumbra's ears twitched as she heard the pack gathering behind her, astonished whispers and murmurs shifting through them. She knew it was a crazy time to be challenging the alpha position, with the Nightlock Pack breathing down their necks, but she didn't care. She had waited too long, and she was ready for whatever the Alpha Female might bring. Squaring her stance even more she waited, but not for long.

The vines brushed as if by the breeze, and Ghost burst out, teeth gleaming, ready to tear her apart. With a swift movement she leapt to the side, narrowly missing the female wolf that leapt past her and spun around. The battle had begun.

While Ghost did have the power of surprise, and already established dominance, Malumbra was evidently the faster one on her feet, and she had more to fight for than just herself and the position. The two wolves prowled around each other, making leaps for each other's throats then dropping back down, cuts and bites beginning to show in their fur. Again and again they clashed, claws scrabbling for purchase, grotesque snarling and roaring filling the clearing.

Malumbra knew she had to end the violence, she had to triumph, and triumph quickly. With a quick, snake-like movement of her head she feinted upwards, drawing Ghost's head up, and dove for her throat. Her jaws locked around the females neck, teeth digging into her fur. The Alpha female struggled in her grasp, claws tearing at her, teeth snapping, but the warrior held on.

Finally, Ghost began moving less and less, until finally she rasped out in a sullen tone "I yield". At that word Malumbra released the she wolf, raising herself up head held high, and placed a paw on the wolf's side, tail and ears swinging upwards, showing her new dominance. Her golden gaze swept over the pack, her breathing hard and fast as relief, joy, and pride flooded her. She had done it. She had triumphed.

As her eyes moved through the pack she turned her head, looking to the one who's approval meant the most to her. Keefe. Her eyes glowed with joy, and her tail wagged slightly as she lowered her head an inch, indicating for him to come forward.
Until the promotion ceremony, he was now the only Alpha, and therefore would determine Ghost's fate before all the wolves.

Varsha (& Vinay) || Female || Nightlock Pack || Apprentice || M: Cronan, Nightlock Warriors (Ind)

Varsha was very punctual when it came to what time she’d be waking up and what she’d be doing after she did so. She almost always woke up during the early hours of the morning where the sun was just peeking over the trees – in the spring, anyway. The only exceptions being the days where training magically managed to wear her thin, or when she simply had too much energy to fall asleep at a proper time. After getting up, she would look over her nest and fix it up where she could. In particular, put any feathers back into their proper places if they managed to fall out of the nest. (In her mind, a perfect nest led to a perfect wolf and she was a perfect wolf. Or, at least, she was trying to be. So, she made sure to keep on top of this “duty” of hers.) Then, once the nest was just as she liked it, she’d zoom out into where the rest of the pack was.

And today was no different. The moment she felt an ounce of wakefulness, she sprung into action – literally. There was no hesitation or “five more minutes” that would ever be coming from this wolf. The minute she could sense anything, she was up and about. Turning to her nest, she noses anything out of place back to its assigned position and changes a few things that she deemed inadequate (despite liking it the other day). Once satisfied with her work, she turns to head to the rest of the pack… only to pause at the sound of a familiar ‘caw.’

Glee sparks across the young female’s face as she quickly looks upwards, scanning the trees around her for the source. There. Right above her head was where the familiar avian had decided to perch. He was shuffling through the pitch feathers black under his wing – cleansing them of any dirt or grime, and plucking out any loose feathers he could reach. Her tail begins to wag as her eyes finally drift to his form.

“Vinay! Good morning, ya rascal! How are ya this fine day?”

The pitch black bird responds to his “partner in crime” with a single croak, tilting his head to the side as he stares down at her with eyes equally as dark as his plumage. While the wolf had no idea what exactly he was saying, she could still understand him based on the sounds he would make and motions he would – in a sense – mimic. (Honestly, she sometimes wondered what it would be like to see and hear from his perspective. Did she sound as odd to him as he did for her? Or could he actually understand precisely what she was saying?) Still, she could gather enough information from the bird to know how to respond. He made it a habit of correcting her when she did guess wrong, anyway, so she didn’t have much to worry about.

“That’s good ta hear! Now, let’s get started for the day, yeah?”

She doesn’t wait for a response from the avian before she takes off at a canter towards the rest of the pack. The raven shakes its head in amusement (not that she could see) and takes off from its perch a second later, flying above her as she moves about camp. The sooty wolf scans the immediate area as she canters past various hunters, looking for something to do or someone to bother.

Her eyes eventually landed on the form of a dark, young wolf. One that she had the pleasure of calling her friend. Or, at least, that’s what she considered him. She wasn’t sure what he thought of her. But, no matter. He’ll get the same treatment as any of her other friends.

Not slowing down her pace, Varsha runs over to the older apprentice and jumps on top of him before he could even react. Without hesitation, she begins to gently grapple his neck (which was slightly awkward given his position on the ground) – wrapping both of her forelegs around it as best she could. After a few minutes of playing, she hopped off him and circled his lighter built form.

“Cronan! How are ya? Doin’ well? I’d hope so! Do ya have any idea what we’ll be doing for training today? Ooo, I hope we’ll be following the warriors on their patrol. I can’t stand it when they force us to train in camp. It’s so boring,” pausing in her movements she stares down at the male before her with a slanted head and perk ears. Her amber eyes bore into his own as she waits intently for a response. Vinay, who had been circling the two, proceeds to land upon his ally’s back – which Varsha takes little notice of with how “used to this” she had become. His dark eyes watch Cronan as intently as his friend’s do, but with a little less energy and more curiosity.

Malumbra || Female || Warrior || Lunar Pack || M: Keefe [d], Lunar Pack [ind]

Malumbra took a step back as Keefe moved towards them and spoke to the pack. As the defeated wolf got up and began moving off she snarled after her, pride and strength filling her. Sure she was wounded, but those were minor things, and she could already tell that none were life threatening. As long as she got them treated before that night they should be fine she thought to herself.

When Keefe spoke her name she stepped forward, glancing at him, eyes flashing with undisguised affection as he corrected himself for using her nickname. She stood tall and proud as he announced that the promotion ceremony would take place that night, and watched as the other wolves slowly disbanded.

Then he came over to her. At his words a flash of doubt crossed her mind. Did he actually care for her, if he didn't want her to sleep with him after that night? She couldn't quite catch his tone as to which he preferred, so instead she boldly spoke her own opinion. "Keefe, If you'd have me i'd love to stay sleeping in the den with you" she said softly, golden yes glowing with hope for something she'd long thought had been out of reach.