A ghost amongst the grass

It wasn’t too often that the matriarch of the Sanzin got to go out and enjoy the thrill of the hunt. As of recently, even those below her were having trouble doing so, for much of the prey had gone to find water elsewhere. It wasn’t a terrible idea really. But when you had the burden of a whole pack to carry on your shoulders, it wouldn’t exactly be easy to transport them to a place more lush than this. Admittedly, the thought had crossed her mind: I could always just leave, find water for myself. But, as cruel as she was known to be, even she wouldn’t go that far. She hated her pack at times, but never enough that she would fully abandon them. She still had too much to do to just up and leave. Too much molding to force upon them.

Though rolling in herbs was the last thing that the large she-wolf enjoyed, it was still, for herself anyway, a requirement she found herself following. At this point it had become a habit for her to do what she could to hide her scent when she left home. Her Aces found it odd, but she did not. The less that any strangers she came upon knew about her, the better. And smelling like an entire pack of rabid dogs? That simply wouldn’t do.

She had separated from her Aces, as per usual, though they were not super far away. She had given them the same task she had given herself: look for any scents of prey they could and follow them, track them down, see what was remaining in the valley. And while she knew that they would follow their orders as they were meant to, her on the other hand? A little bit of time in the sun was never something she rejected, regardless of how high or low in the sky it was.

The harsh rays beat against her side and her back, warming one half of her large body draped in snow white fur. She lifted her chin, allowing the sun to touch the side of her muzzle and face, golden gaze closing for a few moments. Her large paws had come to a stop where she stood in a somewhat shorter patch of yellowed grasses, giving herself a few minutes to just absorb as much warmth as she could. Not that she had any problems with being cold. She was rather large and held far more warmth than the smaller pathetic wolves that somehow still remained within her pack. So many advantages to being herself, it was no wonder she was where she was.

The wind was not strong, nor was there a predominant breeze, but the very calm shifting of the wind brought a scent to her nostrils that caused her eyes to open and peer to the side. In the distance, a dark figure came into sight over the top of a hill. The shape was indistinguishable, and though the scent she had caught suggested wolf, the appearance suggested otherwise. Even from where she stood, that was one large creature, even compared to herself. A bear, maybe. She had seen one once before a good while back from a distance, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see one now.

Her head turned to watch this shape, and though it did not move much, she still found it rather curious, both in appearance and in the way it acted, for it seemed it was watching her as well. She had doubts as to what exactly it was, and then it moved, lifting its head to reveal what appeared to be the shape of a longer muzzle. And then it howled.

She couldn’t even deny it: that was one comforting howl. It held such a deep tone to it, one that carried its distance and was stretched naturally in length. As a large wolf herself, she could definitely admire the quality of a good howl.

A small smile pulling at her maw, the large ghost waited for the distant giant to finish their own song. She waited for just a moment, watching for any signs of additional movement. And when none came, she too lifted her head, allowing a smooth, deep-yet-gentle howl flow from her maw. While her own howl had not been as long of duration as theirs (not that she couldn’t go for that long), her song carried on the wind around them just the same, a distant echo of her own voice calling back to her from the mountains.

As her head lowered, her golden gaze remained locked on this new presence, unmoving from where she stood. A part of her wanted to investigate. A massive dark form of what could be a wolf, an impressive and deep howl? She wanted to see what sort of wolf could create such an impression. But there was still a part of her that doubted this was a wolf. The longer she looked, the more it almost seemed impossible. From where she stood, this other creature almost looked bigger than herself, and while she had met multiple wolves who stood just eye-to-eye with her, she had never met any who towered over her.

Still…..

Against her own doubts, her paws took her forward. A bear, while smart in many ways, she highly doubted would be smart enough to howl in order to lure a wolf to their doom. As long as a wolf was not threatening their cubs or stealing their food, she couldn’t think of any time a bear would willingly interact with a wolf. Which meant…

She grew close enough to see this other giant in more detail, and it was in fact a wolf, a very dark one at that. It was hard to make out the features in such dim light, but from what she could tell, this was a male. That on its own caused a tiny fire to light in her chest, one of intention and flare.

“Greetings.” Her greeting was simple and short, but to the point.

"Speaking." Thinking.

With each step forward that the large ghost took, the beast grew closer, and while she had, in some way, told herself that this was a wolf, her doubts still stood out. And she didn’t often have doubts in her own views or observations. The overall shape, the movements, the howl, all of it suggested wolf. But the size? Even when Artemis had grown close enough to make out the facial features of this being and see the way it turned to demonstrate that they were not seeking a battle, it was still quite a sight to see. While a large part of her was impressed, it was instead more of curiosity that appeared on her face, intrigue if you would.

When the beastly wolf responded to her greeting, she was met with quite a deep voice, one that seemed extremely fitting for a wolf of this size. And while she partially focused on listening to the voice, recognition that this was a very large brute clicking into place, she heard the words that he spoke and her eyes narrowed just slightly. Her expression did not shift at his words, though she found them rather curious. He was a confident one, that much was certain. She had 'a stature nearly as impressive as his own', as he had put it. Her mind played these words in her head a few times, considering in silence. While the words themselves gave an air of cockiness, his voice did not reflect said trait. Perhaps it was intentionally hidden. Or maybe it didn't exist. She couldn't be completely sure, so she waited to cast judgment on it just yet.

Instead, her gray and auburn-flecked ears flicked listening to what else he had to say. He introduced himself, which did mildly catch her off-guard, for that was rather quick timing. Personally, she didn't quite find interest in giving her name the moment she met someone. But everyone was different. And it seemed this male was comfortable doing so. Though, while she did take note of his quickness in introduction, she found herself caught on the fact that he spoke two names. She had vaguely heard of wolves who did such a thing, but she did not personally know many. If she remembered correctly, second names such as this were given when groups wished to acknowledge family relations and who was descended from who. In her own mind, it was a pointless tradition; as long as you made a name for yourself all on your own, who your genes were passed from mattered not. Herself, for example. She had been born from a King and a Queen of the Sanzin, both notable in rank and presence, yet she had shown no interest in their power at a young age. That is, of course, until she rose above them with one simple victory. In that moment, her parents did not matter, nor did her siblings or her grandparents or any other wolf. Only herself. The new owner of the title of Suit. She didn't need a family name to distinguish who she was.

Pushing all of this aside, the brute, Dire, as he called himself, spoke once more, asking for her own name. And, once again, she took note of his wording. 'The beast that practically rivals me'. But, even in this situation, the way he spoke did not suggest that this was said with an overflowing amount of confidence. Just for now, she would take this as a simple self-awareness of his own size until he gave her reason to believe otherwise. A part of her hoped that this thought would not come to fruition.

A small smile, one of the slightest amusement, crossed her maw. "This 'beast', as you addressed me, does not often select to give her name so freely to a complete stranger." Her voice contained no signs of aggression or anger at his request, but rather held a hint of tease. As she finished speaking, she leaned more onto one leg just slightly, golden eyes still locked with his own. "But, since you were so kind, you may call me Artemis."

She adjusted her stance back to normal, taking a single step forward, or rather to the side, to better examine this large male. Large pinkish-gray scars adorned his shoulders, and his body was covered in muscle hidden beneath long and rather neat-appearing black fur. His paws, matching the rest of him, were huge, and she could see the power in his legs from a mere glance. She couldn't deny: this male was certainly impressive.

"I find myself relating to your examination. I, too, have never met another of my kind who quite met my own physique, much less surpassed it." Her eyes parted from the rest of him to gaze back into his eyes, her own orbs narrowing a tad further. "From where do you come from, sir Dire? I know I have never laid eyes on you prior to today."

"Speaking." Thinking.

Calculating golden eyes narrowed a tad, scanning over the brute’s facial features and expression as he spoke. Though the words he voiced were done so in a rather apologetic manner, something she may not have previously expected from a beast of his stature, his features remained neutral. In truth, she had taken no offense to being addressed as a beast, for he was not incorrect. She was indeed a beast of a wolf, and she agreed with this examination and title. In her own eyes, this feature was something for herself to take pride in, and she did quite regularly, for it provided her the size and stance needed to hold a demanding presence. One that suggested that she held power and was not to be reckoned with. Though, when faced with another who matched her, things equalled out. A mutual understanding.

As their conversation of interest continued, the white huntress took note of the hesitation that passed over the brute before her at her question. Just as she had not expected him to introduce himself so quickly, she in turn did not truly expect him to answer her questioning of his origins. Not truthfully, at least. It would be rather foolish for him to simply give away where he hailed from in detail, if at all. The most logical way of answering, no matter who one came across, was to lie, for it was better to make corrections later than it was to avenge treachery.

When the male did speak, she found that his answer to her inquiry was done so in a rather astute way, one that while she took note of, did not waver her current opinion of him in a negative direction. He was smart to keep his response vague; this was an action that she could respect. She was left with the assumption that he had neither lied nor spoken truth. Even if he did not have any secrets to keep or history to hide, one’s own safety was more important than the interrogations of others. Clever beast.

“I see. It sounds as though you have been voyaging for quite some time now.” She took a moment to allow her gaze to pass over him once, a suspicion growing in her mind that perhaps his size was partially due to the sheer amount of travel. Or maybe taking on the size of an impressive creature had come to him naturally by way of genealogy. Regardless, it felt fitting that of all wolves he should encounter upon his arrival to the valley, it would be herself that he found, presumably as the first.

“Though, you stand correct.” Her gaze shifted, peering over the lands surrounding them just as he had. “While I do wish that our encounter had been within better circumstances, I’m afraid you have rather awful timing. Summer has never been known as one to be forgiving. But this year it has grown merciless in nature.”

Artemis’ eyes found themselves landing back on the brute when his deep voice spoke once more, returning the same question she had presented him with. Just as he had done, she took a moment to consider. She could lie, though in this moment she felt no need to. He hadn’t yet made her feel as though she were being threatened, and had even bared his side to her upon her approach. Sure, she could potentially tell the truth, but what fun was there in revealing all so soon? What better way to provide oneself with entertainment than to leave another in suspense of what was to come? While sadism and torture were often her entertainment of choice, she did have a softer side who enjoyed the far more tame variations of enjoyment gained from others. She had been indulging herself in this form of pleasure quite recently, in fact, though with a much younger and far more naive victim. At least, in this particular scenario, she was more evenly matched.

“This valley is my home by birth, though in times like these I find it is difficult to truly enjoy being within said home. Far too much humidity, and far too little prey and water.” Her eyes narrowed for a moment, once more considering something in her mind. It seemed as though her tactic of scent cover had worked thus far, for he didn’t appear to automatically assume she was from a pack. As far as he was aware up until this point, she was a loner, and nothing more. It was amusing to think of how far from the truth this thought was.

She had multiple options she could take in this moment. She could speak truth and inform him that she was the Leader of one of the valley’s three primary packs. She could keep her identity vague, as they had both done up until this point. Or she could continue to lie and leave the brute assuming that the white ghost before him was a mere loner who wandered as she pleased. While she already did wander as she pleased, loner or otherwise, it was hard to say what sort of reaction any of these answers may gain from the brute.

“Though, to better answer your inquiry, I do, in fact, hail from one of the three packs that have laid claim to this valley for generations. While I suspect that you are aware of their presence here, I do wonder if you have met any other beings from them thus far, besides myself?”

"Speaking." Thinking.

Though it had already done so previously, suspicion crept through the ghostly she-wolf’s mind, golden eyes narrowing at his words. There was potential for his statement to contain many more meanings than just one, and she took heavy note of this. In one scenario, perhaps he meant that this valley was simply not big enough, or at least not sizable to what he was used to. Perhaps he presumed that there was not enough food within the valley to sustain a wolf his size. In current times, he wouldn’t be incorrect. But size did not matter in that regard, for there was little food to maintain anyone’s proper health and well-being, monstrous or otherwise.

Or his words could hold hidden meaning behind them, which she heavily suspected. He was not born within this valley, he had come from a land far off of which she doubted many wolves of this land had ever seen or heard of. For all she was aware of, his origins could be vastly different than her own, or than that of the other packs. The likelihood was high, but she found no benefit in questioning this. Not yet, at least. If this were the case, though, he could be taking on a position of self-awareness, recognizing his own faults that could cause him to struggle in finding a place to stay. Understanding one’s self was something that could be difficult for some, so meeting someone who had a grasp on their own being was a welcome interaction in her mind.

Her thoughts held firm in her mind, though she did not speak them. She knew that this brute was careful, he was smart. He would not so easily reveal his secrets to her. While they both basked in the knowledge that there were others like themselves, and so far, from what she could tell, seemed to be enjoying one another’s company, they had only just met. Being the same massive size and of presumably equal intelligence did not mean that someone was trustworthy. If she truly wished to clip a claw on this one, she would have to be more careful than she was with any regular little pup.

“Indeed. The loss of another beast of power within the valley would be quite a disappointing outcome.”

Her ears did perk at the mention that he had not met anyone from the other packs thus far, but only slightly. It was strange to think that a wolf of his stature had managed to make it this far south within the valley without meeting anyone else. Unless he had crossed the mountains in the not-so-far distance from the Sanzin and Au’Dar territories to the west. If any feat were to be deserving of recognition, the crossing of a whole mountain certainly was one. It was still intriguing, nonetheless.

“Yes, it has been this way for a very long time now. Under normal circumstances this valley is surprisingly lush and capable of supporting three. Though, it comes with its disadvantages, as would be expected.”

A part of her mind flashed to the other packs, both of their collective existences a thorn in her side. Had it not been for them, her own territory could be far larger, and the amount of prey that typically stood healthily in the valley could all be her own. But alas, she had no such luck. She could dream of the days when the Sanzin could rise in power and eliminate, or convert, those of the other packs. But the chance of this happening, especially any time soon, was slim to none. Disappointing, really.

Her large white tail flicked as he mentioned a desire to learn more about the packs, an understandable notion on his part. Perhaps an explanation could provide him what he needed to navigate the valley better, or even give him some insight to what he may find should he ever wish to investigate the packs further. She could have her own hopes, but they would remain small and rooted deep within her stomach, far from the whims of reason and logic.

“Your curiosity is to be expected.” She considered her words before she spoke. Not that her words could bring forth any undesirable reactions or actions, but she must choose her wording carefully. The last thing she needed or wanted was to supply either of the other packs with a valuable asset.

“Within this valley resides three: the Vertok, the Sanzin, and the Au’Dar. The Vertoks live within the mountains in the distance just behind you. Though they are the smallest of the three, they live their lives open to those not of their own blood. Should you ever have a need for pity or a free meal, accommodation is a way of life in their eyes.

There is the Sanzin, who hold control over the meadows you see behind myself. Their values revolve around power and influence, both of which can change instantly in a moment’s notice. They are not quite so willing to accept outsiders as the Vertok, but they do make exceptions should someone show the resolve and determination to make a life for themselves among their ranks. It is possible for an outsider to rise in recognition and power, should they have the strength to do so.

And then there is the Au’Dar, oddities of the pine forests to your right. They are definitely a strange group of individuals, but they are admittedly the largest of the packs, so obviously they have made a way of life for themselves that works. They are the least welcoming of strangers of the three, though for good reason. They hold a very…unique…way of life. Every wolf of Au’Dar origins that you may meet in the future will have another at their side, a creature of which is not a wolf. Birds, rodents, reptiles. I don’t believe there is a limit to what beings they see themselves worthy of taming. They always have at least one by their side, a bond, they claim, or something of that nature, but there are many creatures within that forest.”

"Speaking." Thinking.

As the beastly she-wolf spoke of the valley, she kept a keen eye on any signs that may cross the brute’s features. She may not truly know where this male hailed from or his history, but at the very least she knew that he likely faced a variety of problems that she faced herself. Of course being a large and powerful being brought you many advantages in life, ones that quite often she took full advantage of, as she was no fool to let her abilities go to waste. Unlike some others that once stood where I now stand.

But such things were the problems of one individual, and what she spoke of was not. Though, the two sides were quite similar. It was difficult sustaining such a large body, and much harder to sustain a large pack such as her own. Especially when said pack was full of rabid dogs who did what they pleased when they pleased. It would be one thing if the Sanzin were the only pack within the valley, for then they would be without so much competition. But this was not the case.

Her gaze narrowed a tad, remaining silent as the large brute questioned what she meant by her words. He had already proven that he was not so foolish as many other wolves that she knew, so she would think such things to be common sense. Then again, she knew plenty of empty-headed wolves who would have no idea what she spoke of. As long as their own belly was full, they hadn’t a care in the world. Though, she had a feeling that this brute was not one of them. For the most part at least.

“One would think that three packs of stature living in the same valley would be rather complicated to maintain. And this holds true, at times. Though, as of late the packs have far more than just each other to contend with. As dry as our valley has become this season, it seems as though outsiders found this to be the best time to come here.” She shook her head, scowling a tad. She had no doubt in her mind that by this point there were enough loners in the valley that a whole new pack could form, if they so wished. Which would only make life that much more uneasy. “A plethora of loners, on top of the typical predators that remain, such as bears like yourself.”

A small smirk formed on her maw, taking a very brief moment to look the dark-furred brute over once more. She began to wonder just how it was that this monstrous male had managed to come as far as he had, how he had fed himself. The thought that he had been hunting prey within their valley was almost a nuisance, considering his size and the increased amount of food he likely had to consume, like she did. But, at the same time, the thought of a wolf such as himself taking root within the Sanzin had already crossed her mind. Sure, more food would be needed, but no good thing came without its own struggles.

As she described each of the packs to him, her eyes would momentarily dart in the direction said pack could be found in, but she kept her primary focus on him, watching intently for anything worth noting. Any expression shifts, any spark in those eyes, anything to judge what he may be thinking. And, much to his credit, she did not catch much, save for perhaps a very tiny smirk or two that quickly disappeared. He seemed intrigued and interested, at least. And as she finished speaking, an ear twitched in her mentioning of the ways of the Au’Dar. Which seemed to catch his attention.

Her eyes narrowed, though her expression did not change much. She was almost glad that she only had general knowledge on the other pack, as this meant she hadn’t had to deal with them just yet in her time as Suit. “That they are.”

He spoke again relatively quickly, rather straightforward in his question of her own origins. She did not speak for a minute, considering both his words and her own. Did she wish to reveal this much about herself so soon, or should she keep quiet in the hope for him to come waltzing back for more answers? She did wish to make the brute’s curiosity grow, but she also did not want to leave him completely empty and send him seeking out the other packs.

“I do not keep the company of another species by my side, nor have I fallen to your paws offering land and a free meal for your services, so…..perhaps.”

"Speaking." Thinking.