| {ѕolιтαιre} | {coммeɴт αɴd crιтιqυe, pleαѕe} |

[. sakorian rage .]

The calm before the storm, when all is tranquil. When life is good, and it can't get any better. But it can sure get a whole lot worse.

Alaer is part of the Siton pack, living amongst wolves who are descendants of the ten legendary figures in history. Her ancestor is Akeri, and she is the only one in the pack related to him. As it turns out, she may be the only one left in the world to be related to him. When a member of the Oratala comes to the pack calling for Alaer's death - which will wipe out Akeri's line forever - she finds herself losing grasp on reality.

Caught up in a blood feud that dates back to Akeri's time, she becomes the unwilling victim of the tide that sweeps her to her doom.

[. sakorian rage .]

Descriptions of important characters that show up in the story - how they start out, not how they are by the end of the story. Next to the name is the pronunciation and on the line below is which chapter the character first appears in. The list is organized in chrnonological order, so you would have to scroll down to see a character that appears in a later chapter. An image is provided as well as a short description on their looks, a rundown of their personality, strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes.

αlαer: all - eye - ERR
First appearance: Chapter One
Fiery-tempered, capricious and stubborn as a mule, Alaer is a skilled huntress - but other than that, she is hardly fit to be a heroine. A mediocre fighter and absolutely atrocious at identifying plants and herbs, the only other bright spot in her is her intellect, which she likes to use to make rather terrible comebacks instead of applying it to other, more useful things. She loves the rain and the moon. Aside from her pale green eyes, everything about her physical appearance is made up of shades of gray and silver. She is the last descendant of Akeri, thanks to the Oratala hunting down the others.

тαre: TARE
First appearance: Chapter One
Tare is beautiful, and she will use that to her advantage. Thick, creamy fur and soulful dark eyes, combined with a smooth melodious voice are the props she uses in getting her way. She has sugar sweet words capable of charming almost anyone out there, but she is righteous and tries not to go too far with it. She has a startlingly large appetite for one so petite, and if you offer her the rest of your meal she will jump at the chance. She is a stickler for rules and hates taking risks. In her free time, she swims in the lake and searches for shiny things in the forest to appease her penchant for sparkly stuff - although she's careful not to touch them, because she's found that they often cut her; once, she tried to bring one back and it gave her an infection, so she admires from a distance.

dyre: DIRE
First appearance: Chapter One
Dyre's sarcastic and somewhat mocking demeanor can come off as hostile to some, but his intentions are good. His fur is an auburn-red color, which stands out even among Siton pack's varied appearances. He is fiercely devoted to those close to his heart (which, unfortunately, is barely anyone), but can seem to push away those that aren't, making it difficult to get to know him. He generally maintains a cool and unruffled facade, his amber eyes being the only link to his mind, which is always moving and working at a rapid pace. Although it is difficult to provoke him, once you do, it's best to run; his temper rarely makes a show, but when it does, it takes over. Dyre is rather lazy and likes to laze around in the sun and sleep. He dislikes ignoramuses and young pups.

тαlαvoѕe: TALL - uh - vose
First appearance: Chapter One
WIP

αмedυ: AH - may - due
First appearance: Chapter One
WIP

reĸezιr: reh - keh - ZEER
First appearance: Chapter Three
WIP

тedre: TEH - dray
First appearance: Chapter Three
WIP

[. sakorian rage .]

Here, I've posted random information. It includes things about Siton's territory and anything else I feel is worth knowing.

In Siton, life always explodes when spring rolls around. After a weary, white winter, the bright color contrast stands out particularly. The forest turns into pastel pinks and whites, and the sounds of nature reenter the air, though the flowers on the trees fall within several weeks. The wolves eat more to make up for the lost weight over the winter. The lake's ice melts, but the water remains too cold to swim in for the duration of early spring. Days grow longer, and a certain reinvigoration visits the pack. The dirt is hard-packed from the snow and chill, but will loosen over time as various burrowing animals resurface.

Summer is easy on the animals; there is always an abundance of plants that allow the prey to grow fat. It gets humid and hot, which makes a swim in the lake refreshing - but sometimes the lake grows warm as well. The river that ends in that lake is lazy and slow-moving, teeming with fish whose scales flash in the sun and make them easy to spot and catch. Prey is bountiful. It is a time of indulgence, but near the end of summer there is always the reminder that fall is just around the corner and that they must be ready to start stocking up on food. The good conditions draw in other predatory animals, however, and extra guards must be appointed to chase these out of the territory.

By the time autumn comes, the air has turned brisk and a slight chill becomes apparent. Some days remain warm, while others verge near the coldness of winter. The animals begin to become scarcer, and the soil grows cold once more. The wolves begin to stock up on food, burying it in a designated area in camp in preparation for food shortage. Leaves change color and fall, and the ground becomes crunchy and makes it more difficult to hunt. The time for relaxation is over, and they must focus all their energies on surviving the upcoming winter.

Winter is very harsh, not what you'd expect from a place where spring, summer and even fall are so mild. Snow smothers the ground in a blanket that is usually around two to three inches thick, though after a storm it can be much thicker. The river and lake freeze over, and the trees are spindly and skeletal. Food is almost nonexistent, and many fall ill. This makes the pack weaker and more vulnerable to attackers, and should those attackers be strong enough, they could potentially conquer the territory. Everything from the white ground to the bare trees to the washed-out skies is gray, and it is always a relief when spring finally comes.

[. sakorian rage .]

A little lesson in wolf history that will introduce the ten legendary figures (known as the Legends for short) that the wolves look up to. I will add bits and pieces as the story progresses, so it will be filled with useful information pertaining to the main storyline.
IT WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS ABOUT THE PLOT.

αĸerι: uh - KEY - ree
ιzorαɴ: EATS - zor - an
ɴovιтαr: NAH - vit -tar
rιɴαre: rin - NARE
ѕαverυĸ: SAW - vur - ick

ARE - roar - ret :αroreт
uh - TAWK - er - ree :αтαĸαre
ERR - uh - tee :erαтι
EAR - ree - ell :erιel
VORE - uh :vorα

Five males: Akeri, Izoran, Novitar, Rinare and Saveruk.
Five females: Aroret, Atakare, Erati, Eriel and Vora.
They weren't always great. There was once a time when they were just like you and me. Chance brought them together over and over again, and fate tore them apart just as many times.

WIP

[. sakorian rage .]

Well, I hope you enjoy whatever I post here. I usually abandon stories very quickly, but maybe this time will be different (but then again, I always tell myself that xD). Anyway, I'd love it if you commented; it would probably serve as motivation. Critique is also welcome.
Feel free to step into Alaer's world.

cнαpтer oɴe - 1520 words
cнαpтer тwo - 1577 words
cнαpтer тнree - 1479 words
[url=nanananabatman]cнαpтer ғoυr[/url] - word count

[. sakorian rage .]

{alaer finds out that someone wants her dead}

Alaer shut her eyes and tilted her head up, allowing the raindrops to catch in her silvery fur. It was only a gentle drizzle, and the sun still gleamed at the clouds' fringes, the light shimmering rainbow on the droplets of water; her favorite kind of weather. She was supposed to be hunting, but the prey had been so plentiful lately that she figured no one would notice if she took a little break to admire the sky. She was balanced and nimble on her toes; she would be able to make up for the wasted time. Anyway, her packmates thought she had amazing potential. Their praise fell on her like the rain did now, colorful with promises of the future. Of course it got to her head and some wolves thought she was growing arrogant, but how could she help it? It wasn't her fault that hunting was her talent and that they were just jealous of her.

A rustle in the undergrowth beside her broke her out of her reverie. She swiveled around to face the source of the sound and padded forth cautiously, suspicion taking root in her mind. Pushing aside the bush, she found nothing; it had probably just been a rabbit, which reminded her that she needed to be hunting.

The sun had come out now, quickly drying off her fur and leaving her warm and serene. She set off through the forest, all senses on the alert for prey.

__________________________________________

Alaer trotted into camp, three rabbits and a vole being proof of her work. Someone fell into pace beside her, and she looked in the opposite direction, already knowing who it was. Perhaps if she gave him the cold shoulder, he would take the hint and leave her alone. But he didn't, and those accursed pawsteps did not recede. She should have guessed; Dyre never got the hint. He never left her alone.

He spoke as she dropped her catch into the kill pile. "I saw you straying off task this morning."

"Oh, is that so?" She fought to keep her voice even; how any one wolf could grate on her nerves so much, she did not know.

"Why are you always so irritable?" When she did not deign to respond, he continued, "I could report you to Talavose. You're not supposed to sunbathe when you're on duty."

"I wasn't sunbathing, for your information, and I hardly think it's your business to be spying on me," she said stiffly, remembering the noise in the bushes. "And you wonder why I'm always annoyed at you." She picked up one of her rabbits again and set off toward Tare, who was waiting in their usual eating spot under a tree. Without glancing back, she sensed that Dyre was still standing by the pile, likely staring resentfully at the back of her head.

"I don't see why you hate him so much," the other wolf commented mildly. "I think he's okay."

Come to think of it, Alaer couldn't even remember when their rivalry had started; it simply was, and she did not question it. Dyre was easy to hate, anyway. "You don't know him," she muttered darkly. Her friend gave her a quizzical look but did not press further, for which she was grateful for. She tore into her rabbit with unnecessary savagery, not even bothering to relish in the tender, juicy meat that was the signature of summer's indulgence. It was amazing how Dyre could ruin her mood just like that - and, had she not been too stubborn and hotheaded to realize it, completely unnatural.

Alaer was halfway through when she suddenly pushed the rabbit away.

"Something wrong?" Tare appeared about as concerned and sincere as one could with a mouthful of meat stuffed in their mouth.

"Not hungry."

"Look," she sighed, "I know you don't like Dyre, but if it's affecting your appetite..."

"I'm just not feeling the best. It doesn't have to do with him." And it was true. Dyre didn't make her feel sick; he kindled the rage she never knew she had inside of her, fanned it until it was a blazing bonfire, stepped back, admired his handiwork for a moment and then ran as fast as he could before she caught him and they both went up in flames. "I'll go lie down in my den. You can have the rest of my rabbit if you want."

"Oh, really? Awesome!"

Alaer laughed a little and moved into her den. It was large and spacious, not because she had a high rank or anything, but because she was the only wolf in the pack descended from Akeri. Everyone in the Siton pack was somehow related to the ten legendary figures in wolf history. Some, like Tare, had mixed blood, and so she stayed in the den dedicated to the wolf her father had been considered to be descended from, Erati. All of the other dens had several wolves. Alaer didn't know why no one else had Akeri as an ancestor, but it was awfully lonely at night. Darkness gathered in the corners and framed her vision, and her imagination often ran away with the shadows. The nightmares came on a regular basis, and it was even worse in the winter, when there was no one to share body warmth with. Thanks to the direction the den's opening faced, she could not even see the moon, which would have been an enormous relief; the silvery light had always soothed her, and the stars were simply not sufficient.

She sighed and rolled onto her back, flipping her world upside down. She was lying near the mouth of the cave, watching the afternoon light paint the entrance gold. Some of the light reached the back of the den, revealing dust motes where Alaer did not like to go; she generally avoided that area, sticking where she felt less isolated, less alone in the world.

Wrapped in silence and loneliness, the eruption of noise struck her with full force. Alaer was on her feet in a moment and flying outside to see the commotion before she fully realized what was even happening.

__________________________________________

The moment the intruder saw her, he went absolutely ballistic, restrained only by the two wolves who stood beside him, the tense set of their shoulders showing that they were ready to attack him if need be. She wondered if she had really disturbed him so much, and the curious and wary looks cast her way only confirmed her suspicions. Was something wrong with her? She had never felt quite as one with the pack, being left all alone in Akeri's den as she was, but she had never been truly left out, either.

Yet now her packmates, the same ones who praised her hunting skills and told her she would one day become great, were shying away from her, backing off and forming a semicircle around her until she felt surrounded by a wall of carefully guarded faces she once thought she knew. Feeling more and more trapped, she fought off the claustrophobia that was beginning to set in. She wasn't really surrounded, she knew; if she wanted to escape, she could turn around and flee. But Alaer was not used to having the limelight, and it pressed at the edges of her sanity. She wasn't meant for this. Never before had all of these wolves directed the full force of their attention on her. She was insignificant. Her fur was even composed of shades of gray; everything about her was monotonous. The most significant thing about her was that she was descended from Akeri.

She shrank away and looked down at the ground.

Just as she thought the weight of the attention would crush her, Talavose finally spoke. "You seem to have perturbed Amedu here."
This didn't help her situation at all. Alaer sought out Tare, met her friend's hazel eyes desperately, only to be greeted with uncertainty and fear. The pack surrounded Amedu now, who was babbling something about traitors and execution, and they all faced her in a line. She was truly abandoned now. She, a single young wolf, faced her entire pack's searching gaze. And Tare wasn't even speaking up for her.

"I- I don't know what about me upsets him, Alpha."

"Traitor! The Oratala cries for your blood!"

At the word 'traitor', Alaer found herself once again subject to her pack's mercy. Their glares were accusing, but she didn't even know what Amedu was talking about. Somehow, she found her voice. "Don't look at me like that; I'm not a traitor!" It shook with anger now; how dare he accuse her of betraying her pack! "This wolf is obviously insane! I don't know what Oratala is!"

Amedu continued ranting, which she hoped made him sound mentally unstable; if the pack believed he was insane, he would not be taken seriously. Unforunately for her, he finally managed to string together something coherent: "Akeri and all his children bring shame to the wolves! Deceit runs in the family! Kill the young one, and perhaps the Oratala will rest at last."

[. sakorian rage .]

{an unpleasant surprise lurks in the forest}

Amedu seemed to have realized that no one understood what he was talking about. "Akeri took advantage of the others' generosity. He was greedy and corrupted. He sold information to the enemy," he said with conviction. With a start, Alaer realized he really believed what he was saying. "Rinare was the first to realize it. He warned the others, but they trusted Akeri. They didn't listen. It was too late then. They had enough time to banish them and forbid him from having children, but then their enemies attacked and killed them. Akeri didn't listen to them anyway. History erased his betrayal. Only one of the Legends' children remembered, and he founded the Oratala. Akeri's last descendant still walks the earth today, but she will not for much longer."

Her pack clung to each word with speechless horror, and when they looked at her, their gazes were hostile. She bristled. "How can you believe such a thing!" she cried. And how can he manipulate you so easily?

"Did... did you know about this, Alaer?" Talavose said carefully, sensing that he was treading on thin ice. One wrong step, and he would plunge into a pool of nerves.

"No! Don't you trust me? I've been with you since I was a pup!" All her life, she had worked to pull her weight in the pack, and now the words of an intruder made them stop trusting her? Had they ever really accepted her? It was too much; she turned and fled into her den, darting into the very back where she rarely ever went. The ground was damp and unfamliliar beneath her paws. She shuddered but did not leave, squeezing her eyes shut and taking a few deep breaths, ignoring the unpleasant, dank smell that filled her nose.

Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. In and out, in and out. Don't overreact. Inhale. It will be okay. Exhale. Amedu is insane. The pack will realize that soon.

"Alaer?"

"Tare."

"Alaer, I'm sorry."

She turned. The white wolf stood in the entrayway, framed by the sun. Her outline turned gold, almost too bright to look at. Tare would have looked like an angel if her face was not cast into shadow. "What are you sorry for?"

"I... I should have said something. They're all talking about you out there."

"Don't tell me they actually believed that crazy old wolf."

An uncomfortable pause. Then, "Alaer..."

"Hm?"

"They're saying- they're considering-" Her friend's voice was pinched, like the words were choking her. Dread settled in her stomach, heavy and unrelenting. "I think they-"

"You think they do believe him?" Alaer laughed hollowly, a mirthless and harsh sound that caused Tare to cringe. "I would have expected better of them. I can't believe how he can change their minds just like that. He wasn't even invited or anything, he just waltzed in and told me I had to die."

"Well, his explanation did sort of make sense..."

"Don't tell me you believe him too, Tare. It doesn't take much to invent a story."

"Of course I know it's not true." The response was a little too hurried for Alaer's liking. "But I'm just saying, Talavose is considering handing you over." At the silver wolf's outraged exclamation, she quickly added, "He really thinks he's doing the right thing. It's not like he hates you or anything."

"Oh, really?" Alaer's throat seemed to be closing up, and it was a struggle to keep from breaking down completely. "This is ridiculous. I'm not a traitor, even if Akeri was. If you want to get back at somebody, why punish their children? The pack took me in when they found me all alone in the forest when my mother abandoned me. They promised I would never be left without a family again. And they did become my family. But now they're turning on me at the word of a trespasser. How could they?" The remnants of Alaer's outburst echoed around the cave but quickly died, leaving a blanket of silence to fall over them.

Dyre popped his head in and addressed the space above the two wolves' head, unable to meet Alaer's eyes for the first time. "Talavose wants to see you." He left nearly before he even finished delivering his message.

Alaer glanced at Tare, to find that she was watching her with sad eyes. "Well," she said. "I guess this is it? It's all going by so quickly." To think that just hours ago, she had been hunting with not a care in the world. Her head spun, and some part of her still thought it was yet another bad dream. At any moment, she would wake up. The world would be gray, nature having not yet painted in the sun. She would walk outside with the knowledge that it was all okay, all okay.

But it wasn't okay. She supposed it never had been all right. Even as she made for herself a new life in the pack and forgot her hazy past, she had never fit in quite right, still stuck out like a sore thumb thanks to her heritage.

"So, um... it's been nice knowing you, Tare, and you've been a great friend, and I suppose I'll just walk off to my death now..." It sounded ridiculous even in her own head. Somehow, she could not take this quite seriously, and she bit the inside of her cheek to smote the sudden urge to laugh.

Her friend seemed to have no response, which puzzled more than upset her, so Alaer simply turned and walked out. Just when she was nearly out of hearing range, Tare's voice reached her ears, barely above a whisper. She couldn't make out the words, however, so she just nodded and walked toward the end of her life.

__________________________________________

"Talavose! Are you just going to let him take me away? What about all I've done for the pack? Will you just forget that?" Alaer cried as she was taken away from her pack.

Her leader, so tall, so strong, so brave, could not look at her. "Amedu was a childhood friend," he said wearily, suddenly seeming ages older. "I trust his judgement."

"Talavose!" She had never dared to show such anger at him, yet he seemed to deflate at the fury in her voice, though he did not say any more.

The other wolves had been told to leave her alone, but they still watched her, and she suppressed a scream. She had thought they cared. Evidently, she was mistaken. It broke her heart, shattered it into a million pieces, but she turned her head away and resolved not to show any pain. When she looked back at them, she caught each one square in the eye, and her gaze was flat and hard. Most flinched and severed the contact first. Tare and Dyre were nowhere to be seen. Bitterness creeping into her soul, she gave her pack - her former pack - the cold shoulder and allowed Amedu to herd her into the forest, head held high.

__________________________________________

"It will be a week-long journey," Amedu informed Alaer as they left behind the place she had called home. He was friendly enough when not babbling about how she disgraced the wolves with her name, and she supposed she would have liked him if he had been part of the pack. No, don't think about that, she told herself firmly. Her packmates were cowardly and weakminded. "We will be meeting up with some other members of the Oratala soon, and they will help escort you to the base." He was tactful enough not to mention that that would be where she would die. She could only hope it would not be too painful.

They walked in silence, Amedu keeping a close eye on her in case she decided to make a run for it. His face was kindly, but Alaer knew he would catch and punish her if she tried to escape. So she went along willingly, focusing on her paws. One in front of the other. One in front of the other. A step at a time. A step at a time. Counting down to her demise. Occasionally he would tell her to make a turn, and she would obey without question. Perhaps a braver wolf than she would be putting up a struggle and making it difficult, but she figured it would be best to proceed to her death calmly. Her last moments would be dignified, she decided.

"Itome! Urtah! Is that you?" he called suddenly. Alaer looked up, startled. Wolf-shaped shadows moved swiftly toward them, wending through the trees with feline grace and poise. Something about the way they moved seem odd, like they had been trained for stealth, so unlike Amedu, who snapped twigs whenever he stepped and scared off all the prey. She looked harder. Their figures were blurry and indistinct, but it didn't look like there were two of them.

"Amedu," she said suddenly, "I don't think they're-" She could have escaped then. She could have run and saved herself, leaving Amedu at their mercy. But even though he was leading her to her execution, she couldn't bring herself to ditch him - her conscience would never let her live it down. "AMEDU! RUN!"

The wolves charged toward them, and as they drew close, she saw that there were not two but five of them, lean and wiry and definitely not part of the Oratala.

[Harpy•]

asdlkjfoaiwjeflkjasdf! Keep going, right meow!!! D:

[. sakorian rage .]

I'm glad you like it! :D
I should be making progress on the third chapter today.

[Lonin]

c: You're a really amazing writer.
I don't even like wolves and I want to read more. ;o;
It'll be interesting to see why they didn't just kill her then instead of taking her off somewhere.