{ and then there were none } { 1x1 shadow~wolf + angelonia }

[angelonia]

Jada took a step back at first and continued her investigation but when the pup looked at her for answers, she felt her heartstrings tug. She could only imagine this type of loss. Jada sighed and shifted her weight as she waited for the right words to come to her, "They're missing, Dove." Jada couldn't lie to the pup, but she feared the whole truth would be too much of a burden. "I'm going to try my best to find them, but you gotta promise me something," the alpha said as she sat down next to Annie. "You gotta promise to stay close to any of the older dogs so they can make sure you stay safe." Jada tried to keep a level tone and remove all emotion from her voice the best she could. It was had, sitting next to the crying mother and confused daughter. Coming from the East, she heard the floppy, almost careless footsteps of Soot. The mutt made eye contact with Jada and tilted his head before Jada commanded, "Go get the others. We all need to get caught up." Soot nodded and bounded off. Jada returned her attention to the small family and sat in silence for a bit.


Cash stood up to follow Dagger when he noticed Soot running from the treeline. "Cash! Dagger!" he panted as he skidded to a halt. Cash's ears perked up as he gave the other dog his full attention. "Jada called us all back to camp!" Soot then shot an intense look at Dagger. "You too, Dagger." Cash's gaze flickered between Dagger and Soot for a moment before he shook out his pelt. "Let's get going then!" cash responded, happy to shift his life away from the pitiful squirrel hunt. He wondered what could have happened for Jada to call back the pack but if it had anything to do with the recent dognappings, then he had a good guess.

[ just a heads up, i have a lot of papers due this week and my friends want to do stuff for valentine's day so my responses might be slow/intermittent. ]

[shadow~wolf]

Annie
{location; junkyard | tags; jada | mood; upset}
she gathered herself after a few moments of saddening whines. she lifted her head slowly and looked to her puppy "i'm sorry, dear.
mommy's fine now." she woofed quietly, sniffling. she knew she had to collect herself so she wouldn't scare and worry the little one. the spaniel looked towards jada "thank you for your help, alpha." annie sighed. she felt so defeated, how could she sleep through her puppies disappearing? it made her feel so bad.
dove's head dropped when jada told her the sad news. she listened to what the alpha told her. she picked up her head and slowly nodded. "okay, i will.. but please find brothers so mommy's not sad." she barked, scratching her ear with her back foot. she didn't understand fully. she just thought they might have gone on an adventure without her and got a little lost. it was better she thought this, though. "can i help find them?" she asked after a moment of silence. of course the pup would stay with the other adult dogs if told, but she wanted to be helpful.
annie glanced to jada again for help. she'd feel bad to tell dove 'no' but it was important that she stayed near the other dogs at this point and time.

Dagger
{location; park | tags; cash | mood; irritated}
shaking out his coat of fur, he almost kept walking away and ignoring soot's words, but stopped in his tracks and turned around. jada rarely needed them all at the camp at once and if there was something going on, he wanted to know what the drama was about. the brute began walking after cash and soot. "alright, alright i'm coming." he barked, following the other two brutes back to the camp. he flashed hateful glances towards cash the whole time that they headed to the junkyard. he couldn't believe that mutt had the nerves to talk back to him.

[sorry its super short]

[angelonia]

Jada mulled over the pup's question for a second, then looked at Annie. The alpha opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. She just couldn't form the words. "The best way for you to help is to stay by an adult at all times. I know it's hard and I know you want to help, but we need you to stay safe," she explained as gently as she could. She then turned to Annie and said, "I'm going to tell the others and get everyone on the same page. Feel free to take as long as you need to heal from this." Jada stood up and faced where she saw Soot leave when an idea popped into her head. She looked at the pup and wagged her tail. "Why don't you help me with the meeting? If you still want to help, that is..." the alpha offered. She figured it would give Annie an opportunity to grieve and calm down a little, plus, she could personally look after the pup.

Cash could tell the larger dog was shooting him nasty looks but he wagged his tail regardless. He wasn't in the mood to fight or be walked over. He wasn't a doormat. He followed Soot to camp, keeping a similar pace to the younger dog's trot. The terrain slowly changed from the open park to the wooded junkyard and Cash could feel the tension in the air. As the neared the center of camp, he looked and saw the others slowly filtering in which Cash thought was weird since Jada rarely needed the whole pack. He held in a whine and expected some bad news.

[shadow~wolf]

Annie
{location; junkyard | tags; jada | mood; upset}
annie offered a kind smile towards the alpha. she was very grateful to have such a helpful and considerate dog as their leader, and their friend. dove looked to her mother with slightly raised brows, "can i, mommy? can i please?!" she asked joyfully, her tail beginning to wag.
annie nodded her head silently in response to the small pup. dove looked back to jada with eyes that were now bright and happy. the little dog nodded eagerly. her short tail wagged back and forth just like a jet propeller. dove walked closer to jada, beaming up at her as she did. "i wanna be an alpha one day, too!" she woofed. annie sighed softly, trudging towards her den, dragging her paws along as she made her way into the den. she curled up in it slowly, placing her head down on the dirt as she laid down.

Dagger
{location; junkyard | tags; pack | mood; irritated}
the brute caught scent of stress coming off of the other dogs in the junkyards' area. although he didn't stay quiet and respectful like the others while they neared the alpha. "okay, get it over with. what's happening?" it felt too early in the day for any drama to happen within the pack. he didn't really want to deal with any personal problems that the pack members had, even though he did want to know what the latest drama was, he certainly didn't want to help with anything that wouldn't be of concern to himself. dagger sat on his haunches, impatiently awaiting for what ever news was to be told.

[angelonia]

Jada smiled at Dove before she took a few steps to the gathering crowd. She could tell that they were worried and she had to admit she was worried too. She looked down at Dove, then over her shoulder at Annie before she officially faced the crowd and spoke,"I'm sure you are all aware of the dogs that have gone missing recently." The stares she received were intense but not intimidating to the alpha. She found solace in the sea of familiar faces and comfort in knowing they cared enough to show up. They have struck again, this time taking all of Annie's pups but one." Jada paused after this to allow the crowd to settle and questions to be asked. She shifted her weight but kept eye contact with the crowd."I know this is hard to hear but we cannot stand idly by while this continues to attack our pack. I'd love any questions, comments, concerns, ideas..."


Cash, for once, had to agree with Dagger. But once Jada spoke, his heart sunk. All he could think was poor Annie. He noticed the little black pup at Jada's paws and assumed it was the remaining puppy. Cash couldn't even imagine the heartbreak Annie must have felt. The cattle dog sat and listened to the alpha's speech but he couldn't get his mind off Annie. So he quietly slipped from the sparse crowd and made his way to Annie's den. It was much like his own in that it was carved from the ground. He slowly padded up tot he fae, his head low. He stopped a few paces from the opening of her den. "How are you holding up? Is there anything you need?" he asked with his head tilted slightly and a genuine look in his eyes.

[shadow~wolf]

Annie
{location; junkyard | tags; cash | mood; upset}
she began to let out some soft cries when she knew she was finally alone to grieve by herself and the other dogs were listening to the alpha's speech. there she laid, alone in the comfort of her den, quietly crying and grieving the loss of her puppies. it had been an emotional roller coaster for the mother dog. at one moment, she felt like sobbing her heart out, the next moment she was glad to have the comfort of her friends and felt a little bit better and like she had finally gathered her feelings. right now was one of the times she felt like sobbing her heart out, fearing the fate of her little bundles of joy. annie had remained crying when cash had entered the den, not even noticing the dog through her sorrows until she heard his voice. she lifted her head and her eyes met cash's eyes. she looked like a tearful mess, not in a ugly or distasteful way, really. just ever so heartbroken. she appreciated his kindness, but couldn't managed to pull her emotions together in time to respond calmly. "oh i'm so afraid, i'm so terribly afraid. i miss them, i want them back!" she pouted. although her pouts were rightful in the moment, of course. anyone who wouldn't allow the spaniel to feel her emotions and grieve would be extremely rude and uncaring.

Dagger
{location; junkyard | tags; pack | mood; irritated}
he let out a loud and exasperated breath of air through a crowd of silence after the alpha announced what the news was. the brute rolled his eyes and swished his tail in irritation. dagger was quick to step forward and speak up. he narrowed his eyes towards jada,
"oh yes, you speak of no more standing by while the members of our pack get taken, although you've been standing by this whole time.. and have done nothing to protect us from the dangers!" he barked rudely, his ears pinning back. his body posture became very tense and he revealed his bared fangs. "If you haven't done anything yet..exactly when will you be brave enough to do something about this?!" he snarled, stepping up and dashing in front of the alpha, pushing both jada and dove out of the way as he faced the crowd. "this coward isn't fit to be a leader, if i'm your leader, i'll do something about this situation and you'll no longer have to worry for your own safety!" he yapped, his voice raised significantly. dagger was basically yelling every word. he looked down to the other pack members, and looked surprised to not hear cheering and chanting for him to become alpha. his eyes widened and he looked back to jada. yikes, now he was in trouble.

[angelonia]

Jada was taken aback when Dagger pushed her and Dove aside but it only took her a moment to figure out what was going on. She stared daggers at the other dog, her lips curling back. By the time he had finished his failed coup, she had started to growl. She took a few steps toward him, snarling, "Are you really so daft that you would believe that I haven't been trying to figure this whole thing out?" She stepped over Dove, making sure the pup was well behind her before she snapped at Dagger, missing him by a hair's length. "I stepped up to be alpha when Benz went missing. I organized the missions to find those who went missing. I care about this pack and I will until my heart stops beating!" she exclaimed with her head held high. She glanced over the crowd, seeing a lot of scared faces and a few halfhearted tail wags. She narrowed her eyes at Dagger and lowered her voice, "If you care about everyone's safety, then why don't you get together a search party?" Her voice was sharp and she maintained eye contact with the other dog as she spoke.


Cash let out a sympathetic sigh and laid just outside her den, his paws facing her and his head resting on them. "This is scary and you have every right to feel that way. Jada is trying her best to help the situation but if you need anything, please ask." Cash kept his voice low and tone even. The poor spaniel looked so torn up inside. Her sad eyes and heartbreaking words. Then he heard a sharp snarl and yelling. He lifted head and looked toward the noise in a swift motion. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening and he moved to shield the grieving mother from any violence that might come out of the fight brewing. He looked into Annie's den and reported, "There's something going on between Dagger and Jada... I-I don't know what it is but... It's concerning."

[shadow~wolf]

Annie
{location; junkyard | tags; cash | mood; upset, drained}
the spaniel looked past the entrance of her den when cash told her about jada and dagger having an argument. she was relieved to see that dove wasn't caught up in the scene. dove had dashed away from the two dogs, and to sadie, who gently took her off to the side of the scene. sadie had not wanted for the pup to get hurt, but she also wanted to give annie some time to grieve without the responsibility of her puppy, so the pack member had just gently escorted her away from the tense dogs.
annie continued her hushed cries as she put her head between her paws. she enjoyed remaining in the safety of her den away from what could be turning into a possible fight. she was actually quite scared to be in dagger's presence at any time. that was the only dog in the pack that she couldn't trust. "i don't think i'm-" the little spaniel choked on her own words. "i'm just not fit to be a mother. i don't want to lose another puppy, i-i can't handle this responsibility." this was obviously very difficult for her to admit this and speak out. she began to whimper and cry more a couple of seconds after her words to cash.
annie loved dove one hundred percent, but she just didn't know if she could go on carrying such a big responsibility after this loss. she had failed her protecting job as a dam. perhaps she just needed some time without needing to worry about another dog. if a pack member could be a temporary mother to the pup, she could have plenty of time to grieve and get herself back on her paws. "y-y-you're a great friend. i think right now i just need comfort." she said, after feeling bad for not ever answering his questions about if she needed anything.
the damsel began to quiet down after a bit, her weeping had seemed to steal the energy right out of her. her whines were now just barely anything but sighs, and her eyelids began to close. she attempted to fight sleep, trying to keep her eyes open as long as she could. crying made her so drained, but it also made her feel a little bit better emotionally, and she had gotten some things off of her chest.

Dagger
{location; junkyard | tags; pack | mood; irritated}
he had begin to slink down and take some steps back, away from jada. that was before he remembered he was in front of a crowd and his prideful attitude that he held up was on the line. he quickly straightened up his posture and bared his teeth back at jada. he completely ignored her words. "i'm not afraid to fight you for your alpha status." he snarled, loud growling arising in his chest. dagger was tired of conforming to rules and his ranking being just the same as the others. he wanted to rise to the top, to be a leader and to be able to set his own rules in place. "but i know you're just too scared to fight me, you wimp!" he barked, his chest puffed out and he held his head up just as high as hers. he started to circle around her with bared teeth, getting ready to attack if that was what would happen. he was ready for these dogs that looked up to her to see her fail at a fight, and for him to be their hero.

[angelonia]

Jada watched as Dagger circled her and scowled at his vile words. "Is this what you want, Dagger? she asked. She had managed to regain her composure before she spoke again, "Do you really think that it's best that a fight is started instead of a search party sent out. I know you aren't afraid of me."She threw her head as she motioned to the pack watching them. "I don't wish for anyone to be afraid of me. I wish for respect." She narrowed her eyes at Dagger. She was afraid for the pack's safety, not of Dagger. She glanced at the small pack but no one dared come forward. She was sure Dagger could rip the smaller dogs to shreds. She looked back at Dagger, making sure to make eye contact when she could. She refused to start a fight with Dagger. She knew what he was capable of.


Cash let out a sigh before he turned to the spaniel. Annie, you're a wonderful mother. Don't you dare think that anyone of your pups wasn't prepared for life." He flopped over onto his side and stretched out his legs. "They were happy and healthy. They were all wonderful and they wouldn't have been that way without you," he said the last part looking at her. He stopped talking when he noticed her falling asleep. The poor thing must be exhausted. Cash sat back up but didn't budge from the opening of her den. He watched as Dagger circle Jada, Cash's heart racing. He aimed to protect her if things got out of hand. Then he saw Dove, too near the action for his liking. He stood up and tried to wave his tail and send a few looks Dove's way in an attempt to get her attention.

[shadow~wolf]

Annie
{location; junkyard | tags; cash, dagger | mood; scared}
sadie noticed cash from annie's den. she scooped up dove by the scruff and hurried to move her far away. annie slept soundly until dagger had lunged at jada and loud growls and barks came from him as he attacked their alpha. annie gasped as she saw what was happening. she sprung up with an alarmed yelp. "we have to help-!" she barked quickly to cash, her voice seeming to leave her from the stress and fright of everything she had been through, and now this. without thinking, annie rushed out of the den and towards the scene. she skidded to a stop just a few dangerous feet away. "dagger, stop! this won't help anyone!" the little dog woofed, she just wanted to help the alpha. her heart raced and her eyes widened as growls continued to escalate.

Dagger
{location; junkyard | tags; jada | mood; aggressive}
he snarled, a blood thirsty and violent look suddenly coming to his eyes. "even benz was nothing but a coward! it's time to give this pack the real alpha they deserve!" he snarled, circling in closer to her. his posture wasn't prideful anymore, it was just extremely tense and he had a very frightening appearance. he stopped and crept towards her, the fur on his back standing straight up. he began snapping his jowls and a loud growl rose from his chest while he stared her down intensely. dagger lunged at the alpha, ear-ringing barks and snarls coming from the scuffle. the dogs in the pack whined out in fear, moving away from the two as fast as they could. the brute went to snap at jada's back leg, trying to push her down. he'd lunge at anyone that were to get near. he had turned on the alpha and had seemingly uncontrollable aggression, or perhaps it was the heat of the moment. either way of course he'd be a danger to the pack, he couldn't become the alpha!