「 ❈ the empty city 」「 dog rp 」「 invite 」

[autumn,]

fa

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
"welcome to the empty city. it is the place th
at many call the city of death, but do not fea
r. you can make a decent living here, if you're
smart enough. in this city of wreckage you ma
y find many like yourself, abandoned and alon
e. they too have no real place to call home, as
their old ones were destroyed, just like every
one else. of course, this place isn't an easy pl
ace to conquer. there is little food and even l
ess water, disease is quite common among us
all, and finding a safe place to sleep at night
can prove to be difficult. our water is poisone
d by black liquid that seeps from broken mac
hines, the food that we manage to find is old
and stale or wild, and shelter is found beneat
h the torn buildings left behind by the big gro
wl. life isn't easy out here without your preci
ous longpaws. they are no longer here for you.
they abandoned you along with the others, to
starve and die in your panic to survive. they k
new what would become of you all, yet they s
till left you. how pathetic and embarrassing y
ou all must feel... and now you must care for
yourselves. your days will be spent searching
for anything that could deliver you on to the
next day. it will be a tedious life for all of yo
u mutts indeed, and remember to have your
wits about you."


"oh yes, but what about me?" the great brute
lifted his head high, revealing his yellow stai
ned teeth inside his mighty and powerful jaw
s. the much larger creature leaned in closer,
piercing amber eyes staring straight at you in
the darkness. "I am the alpha of the lost pack
. the strongest pack that there ever was, and
the only one to survive. now, the real question
n is... will you choose to die out here alone or
live amongst us?"
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

▬▬ W E R EwnL O S T ! ! ▬▬

one. follow all of the basic rules of cs,
please. two. this is probably one of the
most important rules on here, be activ
e! I expect at least a post every two or
so days. three. pm me all reservations.
four. you must post all forms and ooc o
n the discussion thread. five. all charac
ters must be realistic, they are all nor
mal stray dogs so they may have injuri
es. no serious injuries, though. six. I w
ill only accept hetero dogs. this is beca
use I want it to be realistic. seven. this
is literate! I expect a 500+ words. also
, disable your signatures when posting o
n either thread. eight. keep the discussi
on thread talk related to the role-play.
it's fine to talk a bit here and there, bu
t remember I do not want this locked! n
ine. you will be allowed to have three d
ogs at the max, please keep genders eve
n! ten. the alpha will be the only wolfdo
g, no exceptions. sorry!!! eleven. when
naming your dog, try to base it on wher
e they came from. if they were always
a stray, names like 'princess' wouldn't b
e logical. they would more likely be na
med 'lucky' or something of the sort. tw
elve. include everyone in the role-play.
if your dog is open and someone else's I
s, interact with them! that's what we a
re here for, after all. thirteen. when p
osting, have a font size 75-85, be awar
e of the setting, make it pretty, and ty
pe your best! fourteen. please also ma
ke your forms pretty, it shows that you
put effort forward! fifteen. have relati
onships develop over time, you can hav
e set up crushes and such but keep it re
alistic! drama is encouraged, and in this
setting it wont be hard to find. just pm
me for anything too drastic. sixteen. la
stly, please enjoy the role-play! <3
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
┌────────┐

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│

hello and welcome to t
he somewhat new role
play! this role-play has
been started already,
however, it is not too l
ate to join in on the ad
venture! ( that is, if yo
u are invited! ) we will
start off where we left
off on the previous thr
ead, here is an explain
ation of setting below:
there has been another
big storm after the big
growl, leaving trees fa
lling over and rivers ru
nning high. the pack an
d all strays are finding
it difficult to find food
in the very wet territor
y, which puts all dogs o
n alert. the pack dogs
now have a prisoner, a
nd the strays are just n
ow beginning to group
together themselves, a
lmost like travel buddy
groups. overall, tension
s are very high and any
dog found guilty of a "c
rime" will be dealt with
very, very seriously!

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
└────────┘

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

[autumn,]

fa

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
[ alpha ]
caleb . ♂ . 6 . fawn . x

[ beta ]
marmaduke . ♂ . 3 . animallover . x

[ healer ]
name . ♀ . age . user . form

[ patrol ]
thea . ♀ . four . wildwolf . x
name . ♂ . age . user . form
name . ♂ . age . user . form
name . ♀ . age . user . form

[ hunters ]
lexie . ♀ . 4 . fawn . x
name . ♂ . age . user . form
name . ♂ . age . user . form
name . ♂ . age . user . form

[ scouts ]
bluejay . ♀ . 3 . mylostshadow . x
name . ♂ . age . user . form
name . ♀/♂ . age . user . form

[ omega ]
fluffy . ♀ . five . animallover . x

[ strays ]
samson . ♂ . 3 . fawn . x
iris . ♀ . 2 . animallover . x
melanie . ♀ . 3 . twin . form
gunther . ♂ . 5 . cat noir . x
dodge . ♂ . 2 . cat noir . x
splatter . ♀ . 5 . scotland . x
name . ♂ . age . user . form
name . ♂ . age . user . form


▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

▬ W E R EwnL O O K I N G ! ▬

ever since the big growl shook the ear
th and drove all the longpaws away fr
omthe city, things have been mostly q
uiet in the city besides the occasional
settling of a building and it crashing t
o the earth's surface. the city is a gho
st town, everything is how it was left
after the big growl. buildings are des
troyed, vehicles lie scattered around
the streets, and the only life that liv
es here are animals. their are often
houses or vehicles left open, a key p
lace to search for food and shelter,
outside the city limits lies a wide flo
wing river that has stepping stones a
cross the middle. in the quake, howe
ver, the river became poisoned and is
now highly toxic to animals of all kind
s. behind the river lies a large green
meadow where many rabbits and othe
r small game reside, but they're fast!
through the meadows lie hills that hou
se a decent amount of trees. this is a
normal place for a stray to rest before
continuing on their way. the trees sur
round a medium sized lake that belon
gs to the lost pack. it is heavily guard
ed by patrol dogs and is very difficult
to get to. the pack's territory spans a
good section of land covered in trees
and grass, though is slowly becoming
invaded by the poisonous leftovers of
the big growl. the pack's territory is f
lanked by the territory of a smaller, y
et scarier group known as the killers.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
┌────────┐

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│

[ love ]
lex likes gun
splatter likes caleb
dog likes dog
dog likes dog
dog likes dog
dog is mate with dog
dog is mate with dog

[ family ]
bluejay & chase
gunther & dodge
dog & dog
dog & dog
dog & dog
dog & dog
dog & dog
dog & dog

[ companions ]
dog & dog
dog & dog
dog & dog

old thread
old discussion

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
└────────┘

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

[autumn,]

[ ♕ ] xC A L E B ! !
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
( ✧ gender: male ) x ( ✧ age: six ) x ( ✧ rank: alpha ) x ( ✧ location: near his den ) x ( ✧ tags: dodge, thea ) x ( ✧ words: 1481 )
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Caleb's post. credit for coding goes to f a w n.

bbcaleb♕ the alpha was the farthest thing from pleased that morning. the bad weather had put a hold on all patrols, hunting, and even the scouts were unable to go out of the hollow for very long. the wind and rain soaked the dogs' pelts, chilling them to the bone, and he had already heard of the small bit of sniffling going around camp. there is no room for sickness! he growled inwardly with a faint sliver of hope that the storm would just blow over. he had to admit that things were going a bit smoother now that the weather had calmed down, and at least he had something to be somewhat happy about. yet lately there had been a lot of things that weren't so lucky. even with the weather and possible sickness, caleb was burdened with something much bigger. something that he had always thought about but never wanted to come true, a stray was in his camp. the ebony brute thought back to only a few days ago when he had found the canine trespassing and hunting on the pack's land.

bbcalebcaleb had laughed at the dog's weak attempts to free himself from the much larger male's grip. he squirmed and snapped at him but caleb hadn't felt the least bit threatened in his craze. his blood had been boiling with pure rage and adrenaline at the possible chance to get revenge on his kind. if it hadn't been for his beta standing nearby, the pup underneath his strong paws would have been injured a lot more than he had been. despite marmaduke's enthusiasm in trying to find the other stray that was bound to be roaming on his land, caleb had known that it would have caused an uproar from the great dane and within his pack if he had hurt the young dog. they would have seen it as an act against all dogs, not just the strays. the alpha didn't let him get away unscathed, however, and had made sure to score a few claw marks and nips to his sides and chest. anger had coursed through him from nose to tail when the pointer refused to "let" him go after the other stray. caleb had never felt so annoyed, angry, and amused at the same time. "no! don't even think about going after him! i won't let you! do with me what you will, take me back to your stupid camp . . kill me if you'd like, but don't lay a single tooth or claw on his pelt, or i'll tear you apart no matter how long it takes or how many of your packmates stand in my way. no one threatens someone that i care about and lives to tell a single tale." caleb had snorted loudly and shoved his muzzle close to the hunter dog's ear, snarling threateningly. "do you think you could stop me? I could kill you with a single paw if I wanted to stray! I can and will do whatever I want to on my territory, do you understand? perhaps I might take up that offer about killing, though. I haven't killed a trespasser in a while and my paws itch for some blood." he growled while looking deep into the smaller brute's eyes. of course, he wasn't truly going to kill the young dog, but instilling fear into the canine would be of great help to the alpha. "i might agree to spare your life, however, if you listen and do exactly as I say. now get up. you will be coming to my camp and staying there." he chuckled darkly, swinging his head over to marmaduke. "don't worry about finding the other stray, duke. now that we have this pup . . . he will be finding us."

bbcalebthe feeling of satisfaction that caleb had gotten from the situation was reasonable and understandable though. caleb had grown to hate the stray breed ever since he had first been kicked out of the wolf pack as a pup. the pack wolves had attacked him and chased him away, leaving him to die after the alpha pairing decided that their pack was no home for a wolfdog. he still bore the marks of the wolves that he might have considered his family at one point in time, but he had truly been traumatized by what had happened afterwards. as a young pup would, caleb sought out shelter and comfort. all he had wanted was to feel loved and cared for, he wanted to be special and needed. the brown and black male went to the city, hoping that perhaps he would be accepted as a leash dog or fit in as a stray somewhere, anything to keep far away from his abusers. unfortunately for him, the city was no more welcoming than his past life and he was chased away by every last longpaw that laid eyes on him. caleb was crushed and was forced to turn to his last option, being a stray. at first the job of finding food and shelter was easy because the young pup was able to keep to the shadows and out of the way, and it wasn't until he grew in size that his problems started. unable to hide in the city's corners, caleb was forced to travel the alleys in the open. he was still recovering from the wounds down his side and face when he ran into a large bachelor group, who truly wanted nothing to do with the young wolfdog until one night, caleb took a very small bit of their food. this mistake almost cost him his life as the group beat him up and left him in the alleyway to die, just like before. after a very long time of healing, caleb fully recovered and set off once more to the hills, though he would never escape the constant reminders of betrayal that marked his darkly-hued skin. he then decided that he was going to be an alpha like he had always wanted to be, after all, what did he have to lose?

bbcalebcaleb was aware of the secrets and whispers that went around the hollow about himself. no other dog knew about his past and the things that he had went through to get to where he was now, how could they truly judge him when they had the littlest idea of who he truly was? the brute would never understand the reason for gossip, he always judged a dog for what he saw and knew, not for what he had heard. secrets did nothing except cause trouble and hurt people, just like they had done to him during his entire life. suddenly, a white coat caught his gaze and snapped him back from his thoughts into the present. the alpha male stifled a sigh and sat up from the mouth of his den, taking a few steps forward and beckoning his packmate over with his brown and black fluffy tail. the fae was one of his pack patrollers, responsible for not only the safety of the entire pack but the land that supported them as well. she was a valuable asset to his current plans to find the mystery stray and he wanted to get any information that he could from her about the borders.

bbcalebhe waited until the white coated female gave her quick respects to her alpha before speaking bluntly. "I've called you over for a full report of the territory. this rainstorm has kept all of us locked in camp for far too long, and I want to know what animals have been taking advantage of our absence." the alpha male clenched his jaws together for a few heartbeats, trying to figure out a plan for a patrol. no matter how badly I want to catch this other thief, I want to make sure the killers aren't up to anything either . . . caleb felt a growl in his throat as he thought about his mother, who was most likely one of the senior killers within the group. she has never been my mother! he thought stubbornly while blinking away the poisonous idea. "actually, I would like to lead a patrol myself, up to the border near the killer den." he announced with a puff of his chest, trying to look more confident than he actually felt. caleb knew that thea had experience with the killers as well, which was why he thought it would be a good idea for her to accompany him up there. "i will take you on my patrol. we will leave soon, got it?" he ordered with a growl rumbling in his chest, though it wasn't threatening whatsoever. in fact, the brute was somewhat looking forward to getting out of the camp with a dog who didn't annoy him. perhaps it would be a quiet and peaceful trip that he needed badly.

place holder lel

[ ⚜ ] xL E X I E ! !
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
( ✧ gender: female ) x ( ✧ age: four ) x ( ✧ rank: hunter ) x ( ✧ location: corner of camp ) x ( ✧ tags: gun, dodge, chase ) x ( ✧ words: 946 )
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lexie's post. credit for coding goes to f a w n.

lexiebb ⚜ crack! the sound rang in her ears, over and over until she thought that she might go crazy. it made her sick to think about, surely the entire thing was a dream, right? but no. there were too many things in those camp walls that reminded her of it, one of them being a young stray huddled in the corner of the camp. crack! her stomach twisted and she covered her ears with her soft white paws in an attempt to get the snapping out of her head. crack! never ending, never stopping. crack! it felt almost like she was being haunted by the ghost of her packmate. was he looking for revenge? crack! why hadn't i been able to save him?! what if it was my fault that it ever happened in the first place! crack! i can't do this anymore!

lexiebbin a flash the female was on her paws, panting heavily and sweating from the nightmares that had plagued her sleep for the past few nights. she was only able to escape the memories when she opened her bright blue eyes, but even then the thought of her packmates leg snapping in the jaws of the handsome stray was never far away. lexie blinked her eyes wearily and gazed around the den, thankful to see that she was the only dog still left in the hollowed out stone. a tired sigh escaped her muzzle and she hung her head low, all of the questions that swirled in her mind from before the big storm would be left unanswered, for there was no one left to give her an answer in the first place. once again, she was thrown into the terrible memory that occurred on that fateful day.

lexiebbthe scream of her packmate sounded from nearby, making her shiver fiercely with dread. only moments before she had bowled into the side of her companion's attacker, an attractive chocolate brown pointer who hadn't introduced himself formally but lexie couldn't help but feel captured by his striking amber gaze. however in the moment that he had made himself known as a threat, lexie had pushed her own thoughts of him aside. he had been hurting chase! nothing, and i mean nothing, could have prepared her for what had happened next, though. as soon as she had made contact with the larger brute's side a very distinct snapping sound met her ears, which stopped her directly in her paw steps. horror coursed through her body immediately after and she stumbled away from the stray to her packmate's side. blood had been gushing out of the collie's leg from the injury, but it wasn't until she saw the very slight glint of white under his flesh that she knew what had truly happened. "you broke it! you broke his leg!" she gasped in terror, her ocean blue eyes widening into round disks. sadness and uncertainty had clouded her gaze as she stared blankly at the black and white brute before her, only the flick of an ear told the trespasser nearby that she was still on guard. not even minutes after he had handed over a possible death to her comrade, lexie could hear the voice of the stray filling her ears. his voice was edged with guilt, though the remainder of his tone was laced with bitterness as he taunted her. why can't he understand what he just did?! despite her reluctance to leave chase behind, the anger that prickled beneath her pelt told her to give the stray a message that he would never forget. how can i do that, though, when i can barely keep my legs from crumbling to the ground? however, when the male took off into the fields, she gave chase. it took a moment before she caught up to the pointer but when she did she lunged sideways with her teeth and bit down on the brute's shoulder. it wasn't very hard, but she could still feel at least a bit satisfied that she had been able to inflict a bit of pain to the dog who had broke chase's leg. i just wish it was enough to make up for it...

lexiebblexie scuffed her paw across the dusty den floor and drew in a shaky breath. there was nothing she could do about it now... but how could the pack survive without one of its best hunters? with one last deep breath, lexie forced her paws to take her outside and into the camp. out of the corner of her eye she could make out the frame of yet another stray, the one who had ran away with the pack's rabbit. she had to keep herself from growling at the sight of him, telling herself that he had nothing to do with chase's broken leg, he was just a pup! and besides, he left before the entire thing happened... i wonder if he is settling in well? she thought with a flashback of her own first few days in the camp. knowing just how hard it could be to fit in with the group of skilled dogs, lexie decided that she was going to be the one to befriend him. perhaps i can prevent him from hurting others in the future... the fae said to herself while walking towards the brown brute, "hello... how are you... settling in?" she questioned quietly, making sure to keep her voice down incase some of the other pack dogs were listening in on their conversation. in particular, lexie knew that her alpha would seriously disapprove of her speaking with a prisoner, so she made sure to stay hidden behind a small bush in camp.

place holder lel

[ ☘ ] xS A M S O N ! !
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
( ✧ gender: male ) x ( ✧ age: three ) x ( ✧ rank: stray ) x ( ✧ location: meat shop, edge of city ) x ( ✧ tags: iris ) x ( ✧ words: 1444 )
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Samson's post. credit for coding goes to f a w n.

samson☘ "sammy, look. do you see that right there? a brown and white speckled muzzle nudged the pup's side gently to get his attention. he gave a small yip and turned to see what she was pointed at with her tail. the large fae towered above his small self, one blue and one brown eye staring at him seriously. the young canine snapped his jaws shut as soon as he realized the situation, his mother was teaching him another lesson. "be quiet, son, and listen. this may just save your life one day." from the day the pup had opened his eyes his mother had been filling his mind with different tips and tricks that he would one day use to survive. "you see that rabbit over there? the one in the street? it has been poisoned." her voice was quiet as she spoke close to his large floppy ears. the young tyke tilted his head to the side ever so slightly, "is that why is looks so weird momma? is it dead? what would happen if I got near it? would I get sick too?" he inquired with curiosity filling his youthful voice. the pup heard his mother laugh lightly, touching her nose to his muzzle. "no, little one. but if you tried to eat it, you would. that is why you must be careful when eating wild food and always make sure that it is safe before you eat it, do you understand?" she looked at her son with seriousness, knowing exactly how important it was for him to listen and remember the information that she was giving him. a smile formed on the fawnequin colored female as the young dog nodded his head eagerly. "good. you never know when you might be on your own, sam, and you must be ready for anything."

samsonI wonder if she knew how much her words would mean to me? the brute thought, looking around at his surroundings anxiously. samson, now a three year old on his own, often thought about his mother's impact on his life and where he might be
if she had never taught him the things that she did. I probably would be dead by now. sam gazed at his surroundings, fixating his golden-brown orbs upon the figure of another canine. the dog, a smaller yet muscular fae, was resting on the tile floor, looking exceedingly bored. a weary sigh escaped the brute's white muzzle as he rose to his paws. for the past two days he and the female had been trapped inside a little meat shop located on the edge of the city. the inclement weather had locked them indoors, only allowing them to escape the closed walls to get a quick drink while the rain ceased briefly. the merlequin male was growing tired of sitting around in the cramped building, despite the endless supply of meat, and was greatly looking forward to the end of the storm. the idea of weathering it out had crossed his mind several times, but each time he ruled it out when he reminded himself that he could easily be killed if a bolt of lighting struck him. samson shook himself free of the debris that clung to his short black speckled coat and lifted his nose into the air.

samsonthe dane wasn't surprised as the smell of the earth's perfume met his nose, damp and earthy like stone. the thing that did excite the large dog was that the scent was staler than before. sammy's head tilted to the side, just like it had done when he was a young pup, and his tongue lolled from his mouth. he listened carefully for a few heartbeats . . . no rain. his long tail behind him wagged ever so slightly as his excitement and relief built up. the brute turned his cranium to look over at his companion, "iris, the rain has stopped." he said happily with his tail still wagging. he closed his jaws and put a more serious look on his face, "i'm going to go outside, are you coming?" he inquired, with the knowledge that leaving the meat shop could be dangerous for both of them. however, they couldn't worry about that now. both of the dogs had been strays all of their lives, or at least that is what iris had told him when they had first met.

samson"me? oh no, I've always been a stray. i've never really called a certain part of town my 'home' as you would say." the fae's reply seemed to be filled with hidden amusement, as if he had asked something ridiculous. he had nodded slowly, tying to figure out exactly why she was so humored by his question when he clearly hadn't meant it to be funny. did she find it offending and was just covering it up? or maybe he was just making a big deal out of nothing? probably. "i've just been here and there, never resting on one place. what about you? how long have you been a stray?" the question that had come from her jaws was surprising, and suddenly he understood how she felt when he had asked the same question. it was almost like she was questioning who he was, his purpose in life, his passion. "i'm a stray dog from the bottom of my heart. always have been, always will be." he had responded strongly, feeling a bit of pride in how far he had come in his life as a stray. it wasn't an easy lifestyle, after all, and he was proud that he had managed so far without serious injury or getting himself killed. the much larger dog looked up at the german shepherd, "i don't think I could live any other way, do you?"

samsonsamson shook his head free from the recent memory, allowing his gaze to rest on the door of the shop where he had first entered. the entrance was now gone, closed shut by the strong power of the wind in the midst of the storm. he blinked a couple times as he realized that there was only one other way out of the building, a medium sized crack in the wall. what if I never get out of here? he thought nervously but forced himself to remain optimistic, he would just have to fit through the crack like he had planned on doing before. once again, the memory of when he had first seen iris filled his mind. only a few days ago he had been sure that the space would have been big enough for him to make an escape, but now the gap looked even smaller. he swallowed hard before padding over to the crevice and sticking his nose through, he had to get out. samson lowered himself onto his belly, feeling the shattered debris from the broken wall scraping his stomach. the great dane crawled forward with his head low to the ground, trying not to dwell on what iris would be thinking about his awkward escape. he grunted with effort as his back raked against the top of the gap and growled as he stepped on a sharp piece of cement with his forepaw. after what seemed like forever, the grey and black speckled brute gave one last heave before making it onto the other side.

samsonsamson grumbled to himself as he got up and looked at his minor injuries, though he was thankful that he had made it out of the meat shop at the very least. "well that was fantastic, I think I might have lost all of the fur on my back!" he said with a humored edge to his voice. "if you are coming, you should be good to go. it's times like these that I envy your smaller size." he called through the gap to the brown and black fae. samson turned around and looked at the remains of the city, wincing slightly as he recognized very few of the buildings. most of the taller buildings had fallen even further than before, thanks to the hard rain and whirling winds of the storm. "wow . . ." he breathed before setting off in the direction of the meadow where he might find a decent puddle to drink from. the great dane traveled across the dirt lot at a slow trot while keeping alert for any unwanted strays or even pack dogs, even though it was highly unlikely for one to stray away from their own borders. the male located a medium sized pool near the edge of the tall grass and leaned over to drink the cold liquid once he deemed it safe to do so.

[MyLostShadow]

B L U E J A Y

✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖
║ Gender: Female ║ Age: 3 ║ Breed: Border Collie ║
║ Rank: Scout ║ Tags: None ║ Form: The Scout ║
✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖

She'd practically begged the Alpha to let her go out and try to find Chase. The raging storm wouldn't stop her from finding him, but Caleb seemed to disagree, and simply wouldn't allow it, despite her unusually vocal protests and fighting back against the dogs who tried to stop her from leaving. Her brother was out there somewhere in that storm while she was taking shelter in the camp, hiding from the angry roars from above and the cracks of lightning which lit up the sky. Normally these type of storms scared the Border Collie, but now the only thing she was worried about was where Chase was. He'd left on a hunt with Lexie only that morning, but hadn't returned. He would return, of course he would. "He has to return" she mumbled quietly to herself as another flash of lightning struck the ground, accompanied by a deafening rumble which shook the very earth beneath her paws. A quiet whimper escaped Bluejay's mouth as she curled her tail tighter around her shaking body. Lexie's account of what happened still rung in her ears. His leg had been broken by a stray? But that was a death sentence!

"No" she growled to herself, stopping in her tracks. She had been pacing about for awhile now, unable to sleep, unable to accept the fact that her brother was lost, or worse. "He's still alive. He's out there somewhere...Oh, what am I doing just pacing about in the camp, I've got to try and find him" Bluejay' lifted her head, icy blue eyes laced with sadness fixing on the camp exit. She could hear the buzz of her pack mates' voices, though she paid no attention to them. It was very unusual behavior for Bluejay: growling to herself, pacing around the camp, and disobeying orders from Caleb. Rather, about to disobey orders from Caleb; Bluejay had already made up her mind, and was going to go out searching, whether he liked it or not. Sure, she'd probably get in a lot of trouble for it, but what else was she supposed to do? Sit here like a leash dog and wait for Chase to return. Impossible! She'd have to take matters into her own paws.

A brief glance around the camp, and she was off, paws pounding the soggy earth and eyes fixed on the exit. Lexie said they were by the meadow, but the storm would probably have driven him into the city... Once the Border Collie was out of the camp, she made her way towards the city, despite the dangers that lurked among the fallen streets: stray dogs, crumbling structures, contaminated water, she'd have to be careful of it all. It wouldn't stop her though, nothing would at this point, not even the threat of Caleb's wrath when he found out she'd entered the city.

Glad to have not encountered any dogs on her way to the ruins of the city, Bluejay slowed down, coming to a stop on the outskirts of the city. "Wow" she breathed in awe of the sight in front of her. The destruction was almost beautiful, as weird as that may sound. It was like nature was fighting back against the longpaws, using sturdy green vines to tear down building and plants to crack the roads. The Border Collie took one step forward, her paw resting on the familiar concrete below. This was the city she had grown up in, the streets she had roamed when out walking with her longpaws, the very same skies she had gazed upon day after day from her dog bed. From a newborn pup to only hours before the longpaws left, this had been her city.

Her world.

Once over the initial shock of seeing the crumbling city, Bluejay trotted down one of the streets. The paths were lined with shops, most of which had crumbled and fallen due to the recent storm. One particular shop caught her eye though, or rather, the scent of dogs caught her nose. Perhaps he's in there? she thought to herself as she padded up to the shop. The scent was fresh; there had been dogs here very recently, though they seemed to have left. Casting a glance up and down the street, almost as if she were expecting the strays to appear out of nowhere, she began searching for a way into the meat shop. She found one in the form of a small crack in the wall, just begin enough for her to squeeze in to. Bluejay wasted no time in climbing through the gap, dust clinging to her fur as her sides brushed against the walls.

The interior of the meat shop was surprisingly clear of rubble, though it seemed that the storm had made the structure fragile. "Chase?" Bluejay called out, her voice bouncing of the walls in a mad effort to find the missing collie. Silence. A sad sigh escaped Bluejay's mouth as she padded further into the meat shop, her side lightly brushing against a counter as she turned to explore the shop. Various bones with small chew marks lay scattered on the floor, clearly the work of strays dogs. She couldn't stay here long though; Chase was still missing. And so, despite her mind telling her to stay, she clambered back through the crack in the wall, heading down another one of the many streets. She would find him.

C H A S E

✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖
║ Gender: Male ║ Age: 3 ║ Breed: Border Collie ║
║ Rank: Hunter ║ Tags: None ║ Form: The Hunter ║
✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖

His fur may as well have been red, you couldn't see the true colour of it through the crimson blood anyway. His broken leg was coated with the stuff, clinging to the soft fur like a parasite that refused to let go. A quiet whimper escaped the collie's mouth as he glared at the stray. Who would've thought something so simple could cause such a problem? When the stray next spoke, Chase picked up on the slight guilt in his voice, though there was no apology coming any time soon. Why would there be? This dog was a stray after all.

It seemed Lexie was just as shaken as he was, gasping in terror at the sight of his mangled leg. Useless. Useless as a hunter, useless as a guard, perhaps even too useless to become an omega. Taunts from a stray would usually make his skin crawl with annoyance and hatred, though his senses seemed to be numbed by pain. Chase didn't respond to the stray. He didn't even look up as the stray turned and ran, Lexie following close behind. He stood no chance of catching up to them in his current condition, and so turned and tried heading back to the camp. Lexie was more than capable of taking care of herself.

A few days later and the poor collie was still stumbling around. He never made it back to camp. He wasn't even close to making it back, his sense of direction lost, instead leading him in the opposite direction, towards the river. Coat soaked in rain water, frail body shivering with cold, and stomach growling feebly from having not eaten in days, the Border Collie certainly was a sorry sight to behold. He'd made it to the river where him and Lexie had planned to cross what seemed like years ago. The stepping stones desperately reached above the gurgling water, gasping for breath as they fought against the current. A shiver shook Chase's body, so violent that it almost made him lose his balance as he stood on three legs. The fourth was covered in a mixture of blood and mud; he had given up trying to lift it above the ground about halfway through the storm.

A flash of lightning lit up the sky, earning a whine from the cowering dog. A small bush provided little protection from the raging storm. Crouching awkwardly beside the bush, balancing on his three good legs, he tried to back up further into the bush, though the leaves dripped freezing droplets of rain onto his back, and the branches tore at his fur. The collie would find no shelter here.

The flowing river acted as an illusion of an oasis, a paradise, of safety. Any dog in their right mind would see straight through it's deception; everyone knew the river was contaminated, and the stepping stones far to dangerous to try and cross when slippery. Thirst, hunger, and desperation had taken a hold of the collie though, piloting him towards certain doom. What's the worst that could happen? It's just a little drink...Those stones don't look that scary, do they? You're a hunter, it's no match for you! It seemed that his mind was against him as slowly, step by step, he inched closer to the river bank. The water beckoned him closer. Just one small jump onto that first stone... The voice this time was Bluejay's, humming inside his skull. That's right! He had to get back to the camp and let Blue know he was okay! A sip from the river would give him the strength to limp back to the camp; if he tried hard enough he was sure he could find his way back. Muscles tensed, eyes locked on the first stone, Chase sprang off of the bank.

His paws slipped, and the water engulfed him instantly.

The illusion shattered.

[~animallover~]

♘xM A R M A D U K Ex♘xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx▐ word count: 1422▐
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

| ↣ breed: great dane ↢ | x | ↣ gender: male ↢ | x | ↣ age: three ↢ | x | ↣ rank: beta ↢ | x | ↣ location: under a tree ↢ | x | ↣ tags: open ↢ |

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

xxxxxmarmaduke had waited for his cue to go and hunt for the other dog, but claleb had only laughed at the stray, looking as if he was about to tear the poor brute to bits. for a moment, marmaduke was a bit scared. what, with his alpha showing a boiling vengeance to kill, who wouldn't be? he looked like a killer. it was something marmaduke would never say out loud, but it was true. the tint in his fur, the anger, the size, he looked like one of them... marmaduke was glad he hadn't darted off just yet, or the pointer would've been dead right then and there. although being concerned for his alpha's actions, the beta remained calm until he was yelled at by the dog pinned down by his leader's paws. "no! don't even think about going after him! i won't let you! do with me what you will, take me back to your stupid camp . . kill me if you'd like, but don't lay a single tooth or claw on his pelt, or i'll tear you apart no matter how long it takes or how many of your packmates stand in my way. no one threatens someone that i care about and lives to tell a single tale." at this, marmaduke growled and looked down at the brute, he meant business if this dog didn't shut up, and he wasn't going to give any warnings. calm down, mutt! I was talking to the alpha. not like you can do anything even if you tried! he sneered before looking up at caleb, awaiting the answer that at the moment he hoped would be a no. just until the hybrid in front of him was able to calm down. marmaduke let out a silent sigh of relief once the alpha spoke his disagreement angrily, but also with amusement in his voice, as if he had been waiting for a fight for years.do you think you could stop me? I could kill you with a single paw if I wanted to stray! I can and will do whatever I want to on my territory, do you understand? perhaps I might take up that offer about killing, though. I haven't killed a trespasser in a while and my paws itch for some blood. a bluff obviously, or at least the beta hoped it was for the sake of the pack. i might agree to spare your life, however, if you listen and do exactly as I say. now get up. you will be coming to my camp and staying there. don't worry about finding the other stray, duke. now that we have this pup . . . he will be finding us. and at that moment the relieved sigh had been queued, and marmaduke was left to watch how the seen was yet to go down.

xxxxxthat had been days ago, before the big storm had made it hard for the pack to do anything at all, even go out for a simple walk around the borders. he remembered the incident well, and although the chaos had died down after a while, they had taken the pointer hostage, and marmaduke wasn't sure if it was the best idea. sure if they had scared the dog off he had a chance of returning, but ultimately it would've given him a wake up call to buzz off. injure the canine? it could have also worked, and it would have showed the other strays that the pack meant business. but what if there weren't just two dogs? what if it was a group of strays? even a small pack? now that they had a hostage there would be dogs looking for the stray, and since they had no idea how many dogs he had been with, they had no way to prepare. marmaduke had pondered this situation for a while, and he worried that some pack dogs would be in harms way. he hoped the weather got better and that it got better soon, because they had been dormant for a while and it was best to get the pack back on it's feet. shaking the thought from his head, marmaduke looked up at the tree he was under. it was a willow tree not far from camp, one of his favourite spots after he had found the pack not too long ago. it was somewhat hidden and was big enough for a group of long paws, which was tons of room for duke. it's leaves danced and swayed in the wind, and in the spring, small, colourful blossoms could be seen amongst the leaves. but, the blossoms only lasted the season and were gone again by summer, leaving just the leaves hanging from the droopy branches.

xxxxxhe had made a nest with the fallen leaves not very long after finding the tree. nothing extravagant, just a place to lay down after a hard day in the pack, like when he got into trouble with caleb, when he was frustrated, or simply on a day like the one today, under the safety of the branches. it was peaceful and he enjoyed it, for he was never one for anything too outgoing and adventurous. but, the time to go back to the camp always came up and marmaduke was always forced to leave his resting place eventually. he sighed and hoisted himself up on his tall legs, crumpling the leaves in his makeshift bed as he did so, and walked out of the shelter of the willow tree. as soon as the branches rested behind him once again, he regretted exiting out of his hidden hide out immediately. the weather was still dreary and humid, causing him to break out into an uncomfortably cold sweat. it was also slightly windy and would probably cause a slight wave of illness in the pack, something that he knew the dogs wouldn't be happy about. he sighed again at the miserable look of it all and continued to walk.

xxxxxas he walked through the forest, he wondered if the storm would be the start of many, something he had wondered ever since the big growl had come. this wasn't a rare thought for marmaduke, he would always let his mind wander, just to amuse himself and keep him thinking. for what good was your brain if you didn't keep it entertained and intelligent with random thoughts and ideas. nothing in duke's opinion, an unintelligent brain was worth nothing when you needed to survive on your own or work together in a pack. so the brute started to think about his unsettling question. he supposed that there might be a number of other storms to come, maybe they were to come fast in the near future. or perhaps it would take a little time for a storm like the one they had to show up again. marmaduke would always remember lying around his old home after his boy had went to school, his other longpaws looking at a shining box that seemed to speak, a extraordinary invention in itself. a male and female longpaw would take turns talking about different unsettling things, as words and pictures showed up on the box's screen. things like 'murder' and 'kidnappings' but storms were talked about quite a lot too. he wondered where the storms were, and how the longpaws in the box knew about such things, but now he most of all worried if the storms had happened in the same places, and if the same thing would happen to them. it was a complicated thing to think about, and would never be something the beta would really quite understand.

xxxxxhe chuckled to himself at his lack of an attention span as his mind wandered from the pack hostage to storms, to tiny longpaws trapped in boxes who knew about everything around the world. he listened to the squish of his paws as they sank in the mud with each step, his paws turning from white to a dark brown from the filth the rain had caused. finally, he started to reach the camp, dogs in sight and bringing some life to the dead surroundings of the forest, for most of the wildlife was still in hiding in their shelters or crowding near the fresh water granted by the rain. with long strides and a lolled out tongue, he reached the camp and returned to his serious, second-in-command demeanor, wondering if any tiny longpaws knew about what was happening in their city.

♙xF L U F F Yx♙xllxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx▐ word count: 915▐
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

| ↣ breed: king c. spaniel ↢ | x | ↣ gender: female ↢ | x | ↣ age: five ↢ | x | ↣ rank: omega ↢ | x | ↣ location: at the lake ↢ | x | ↣ tags: open ↢ |

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

xxxxxthere was one thing about being omega that fluffy didn't mind too much, and that was the fact that she could go anywhere she pleased, and no one ever cared. unless she did something troublesome or selfish of course, but being the suck up the little dog was, she would never actually do such a thing unless by accident. today she had made her way to the lake that was highly guarded by the pack. well, of course it would be, it was one of the only places in the city you could actually find water that wasn't full of filth. she never liked the water, for the fae wasn't the best swimmer due to her stubby legs, although the look of the water after the storm had showed and the overall beauty of the risen water level made her extremely curious, and she just had to go explore. she loved to explore. it was a wonderful thing for any dog to do and it gave her a better understanding of the huge pack territory, which she swore she still hadn't fully been around. it made her extremely curious of what was out there, beyond the battered city streets and forests full of trees, but for now, she would stick to the lake as her furthest exploration point for a while. no sense in getting lost when no one cares to come look for you. that's simply a one way ticket to long hard nights and inevitable death. she told herself in her thoughts. she didn't like the thought of being alone one bit, being the social dog she was. so, she decided to find a dog that could put up with her and push her horrid thoughts aside.

xxxxxshe got up from the bank and lapped up some water, stretching and shaking her pelt before walking along the edge of the body of water. surely she would find someone here, right? the lake was always heavily guarded and even though the weather had been quite dreary, the dogs wouldn't give up a main water source for a clean dry pelt, would they? fluffy remembered when she had first showed up to the pack, her fur nicely groomed and trimmed, a nicely adjusted black collar around her neck, accompanied by a small pink bow. she looked like a leash dog no doubt, and it must of made other pack dogs sick of her from the start. if she could see herself when she had first been introduced to the pack now, she would be have at least gave the spaniel a chance to prove herself. wouldn't she? she'd accept her offers of food and not assign her to the omega spot immediately, right? no. she wouldn't have. she would've made the same decision caleb had that first day. fluffy could barely hunt and was anything but scary. heck, when she had first arrived she didn't like getting dirty and made sure to keep clean. she was a train wreck for a pack dog. simply unworthy. but times had changed since she had arrived as the princess leash dog she used to be.

xxxxxnow, her for was dirty and matted and only really got cleaned when she was brave enough to venture to the shallow side of the lake, and even then the water was slightly murky and dirty as well. the fur on her ears was overgrown and so was her coat in general, making her hot easily being a longer haired dog and made her appreciate winter tremendously. her fur flopped around and there was no doubt that she had had a case of fleas numerous times, what pack dog hadn't? lastly, her collar was gone. it was a cheap collar, really. just something to put on your dog so they looked pretty and cute, nothing that would help her in the long run. and as much as it pained fluffy to leave it when it finally ripped one day, she did and it was gone forever. it had made her very itchy though, so she guessed it was for the best. something that she did appreciate from her longpaw was that she had gotten an excruciating ear treatment to prevent her from getting ear infections when she still lived in a house, and this helped a great deal when you were leaving as a pack dog that was open to sickness. as much as it was absolute torture when she had it given to her. she shivered, remembering it all too well.

xxxxxslightly saddened by the thoughts of her old longpaw companion but at the same time greatful for what she had done, fluffy kept walking and stopped, giving up on finding somebody to talk to and instead sitting by the shallow water she had come across instead. she barked a little and stopped, panting and barked again. it was a simple call for some company, as yippy as it sounded, and if anyone cared they would show. although, being the omega fluffy wasn't sure if any of the pack dogs actually did, and awaited if anyone would arrive at the lake. whether it be because of her call, because they were on patrol or even if they just needed some water, she didn't care which, she just wanted someone to talk to. she sighed and looked at her reflection with a yawn, making a little squeak as she did. man. she said softly, a sound barely audible, this'll be a long day.

☪xI R I Sx☪xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxlll▐ word count: 1446▐
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

| ↣ breed: german shepherd ↢ | x | ↣ gender: female ↢ | x | ↣ age: two ↢ | x | ↣ rank: stray ↢ | x | ↣ location: the meat shop ↢ | x | ↣ tags: samson ↢ |

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

xxxxxshe had seemed so amused because she had lied. lied about being a stray her whole life, about never having a home, about everything. she had lied. she wasn't a life long stray, she was a killer. a cold-blooded, aggressive and nasty, killer. but she wasn't like the others, she would never kill a dog and she would never be in a pack with so much anger, she just wasn't like the others. but how was she going to explain that to samson? that she wasn't like the rest of the pack that craved blood and the death of others, no no, she was different. that would never work, any dog in their right mind would leave a killer, past or present, to die. they would never want to even be near them. so she wouldn't tell him, at least not for now. she would avoid the question for as long as possible and would figure something out when the time came. but for now, she would keep quiet. i'm a stray dog from the bottom of my heart, always have been, always will. samson had replied afterward, the proud edge in his voice making it clear he had sensed her amusement, i don't think i could live any other way, do you? at this, she sighed and looked out the door of the shop, watching the strong winds battle against the door as it struggled to stay open. she nodded her head and looked back toward the dane, her next response true no matter what the circumstance, no, i suppose not. and at that moment, the rain started.

xxxxxthat was a few days ago, before the two strays had been trapped in a shop as their only shelter, before the rain had turned to a storm and before the door had finally given up and slammed from the force of the wind. iris wasn't too bored with the company of the brute, but she wasn't having the time of her life either, she was getting very thirsty, and she itched to go out in the storm despite the danger to get something to drink. she had made plans to do this on many occasions, but each time she had cursed herself more than the last. did she not know what was out there in the storm? what lurked when the rain started? the damage it caused? yes, she knew very well what happened to the city in a storm like this, all the dogs did. and it wasn't good, it never was. so, the fae had stayed inside the shop with samson, feeling more and more bored and tired the more the days went by. the thunder had frightened her much more than usual, and on several occasions she had hid away in a corner and silently whined, hiding her fear from the fellow stray. but, the thunder was gone now. actually, the rain seemed to be quiet now too, there was no loud rumbling or pitter-patter at all as she could tell. could it be? after a couple long days of waiting was the storm finally-

xxxxxiris, the rain has stopped. samson called out, his tail wagging furiously, his expression changed serious quickly and he looked at her with a steady glance, i'm going to go outside, are you coming? he asked her. anyone could tell the seriousness he portrayed was fake, that he was itching with excitement at the thought of going outside, but who wasn't? even iris herself was feeling giddy at the thought of running out and finding something to drink while also getting out of their boring shelter. she wagged her tail and nodded, yes, i'm coming, it'll be great to get out of this place, after so much waiting. she said. although she had loved the abundance of food in the shop, iris had never been so bored in her life after staying in the same shop over such a long period of time. having sam as company was great, but there was no place to run around in the shop and they both needed to stretch their legs out in the open for a while. she looked around the building with a safe feeling bubbling inside her chest. she was surprised that the meat shop was able to hold it's overall structure for the big growl and a thunder storm. she was grateful that was for sure.

xxxxxshe walked around a bit to stretch her legs before looking over to ask sam if he knew where they could exit the meat shop. her mouth quickly snapped shut as she saw the dane pulling and wriggling himself through a crack in the building's back wall. iris couldn't help but let out a quiet giggle at the sight of her companion. although it may have been quick, it was more than she had showed any other dog of her humorous side. she was never one to laugh or make jokes in her killer years, and that trate plummeted even deeper when she became a stray, but the sight of the great dane making such an awkward escape to freedom amused her greatly, and when he was finally out of the clutches of the nasty crack in the wall, his response made her laugh even harder. well that was fantastic, i think i might have lost all of the fur on my back! iris didn't question this, for it definitely did look like he might have left a few tufts of fur on the jagged edges of the gap. yes it looks like it. are you alright? she said with an amused smile, proving it was more of a teasing comment than a question that needed an answer. if you are coming, then your good to go. it's times like these that i envy your smaller size. iris grinned, knowing that on the other side of the wall, samson couldn't see this. she quickly returned to her serious but equally happy at the moment personality and wriggled through the crack in the wall with ease.

xxxxxshe shook off the dust and cement from her pelt and nodded her head quickly, as if to say that she was ready to go. with this, the brute turned to walk, the fae close behind him. she wasn't used to this following business and would have rather led the way, but knew not to say anything. this arrangement was best anyway, for iris never really had a very good sense of direction after big storms. she learned this after the big growl when her search for water turned into a fight for her life, both single life and overall life, when she ran into a group of bachelor brutes who had made the junk yard iris was heading for their home. of course, the german shepherd came out unfazed and had yet another few scars to prove it. after all, the brutes were much too lazy to run after iris once she had gotten bored of the fight, and they had definitely heard of the damage killers could do, which was helpful when she lied to them saying she was still part of the wretched pack. she remembered the fight well, as she did with all of her encounters. a boxer, a small black lab, most likely a runt, and an eskimo dog. savages, that's what they were. iris thought to herself.

xxxxxwow... she heard samson say in front of her. a breathed word that was barely audible. she looked around, and was in the same amount of awe. the buildings were definetly even more damaged than before, making it look like the big growl had struck twice. it was beautiful in a way, something that was amazing in itself but at the same time frightening. she had mixed emotions about it all. she looked up at samson who was walking a little faster over the roads and dust, making the fae trot as well. finally, near some tall grass, they spotted a pool of water big enough for both of them to drink from. it looked safe, and the sight of sam drinking the water proved that they were in no danger, so iris joined in too at the opposite side of the pool. she drank fast and gratefully, letting the cool water flood her mouth. it was heaven after days of being cramped in the meat shop. but, the fae kept her ears perked, knowing that even though packdogs didn't wander too far from their territory and strays were probably still in hiding, it was best to keep a look out. and as she drank from the pool, that's exactly what iris did.

[deftonesly]

❝ (( ☄ ＧＵＮＴＨＥＲ ！！──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
( • age: five years ) ( • breed: gsp ) ( • rank: stray ) ( • location: meadow; city edge ) ( • tagged: iris, samson ) ( • words: 2135 )
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

INDENT it had all happened so quickly. the brown retriever's panicked cries had reached the pointer's floppy ears a second before he'd dashed off into the meadow's arching fronds of grass: "you broke it! you broke his leg!" . . and even now her words, specifically the horror and rage in them, that horror and rage that had been directed at none other than gunther, stuck with him. he heard them everywhere; they invaded his thoughts and his daydreams, and he could hardly do anything without hearing them over and over in his head. "you broke it! you broke it! you broke it!" and the worst part was that he only felt the smallest traces of remorse for what he'd done to the collie . . whom he knew was as good as dead, seeing as he was a hunting dog that could no longer, well, hunt. he knew that he should feel worse than he did (after all, his life would be over and his will to live vanquished if he was rendered unable to ever feel the thrill of a chase and a hunt again), but he found that all he cared about was that retriever. that stupid retriever. the pointer couldn't help it: he cared about what she thought of him, strange as it was, even though they'd only met merely a few days ago. and when she'd chased after him, tearing across the meadow with legs granted great speed due to her ire, he had gotten the sneaking suspicion that all she saw him as was a monster. a monster that had to be taken down . . a mangy stray that had just condemned her friend to death, or worse: a life as a cripple. and take him down that smaller dog had, lunging at gunther and sinking her teeth into his shoulder, and pretty hard. hard enough to cause blood to well and his skin to break. he remembered biting back a yelp (psh! gunther hadn't yelped since he'd been a puppy, and he hadn't been about to start right then and there) and letting out a gasping groan. he'd wriggled free from her with a hard blow to her chest with a hind-leg and had continued to retreat deeper into the crevices and rolling hillsides of the meadow. the german shorthaired pointer hadn't looked over his bleeding shoulder at her once, for he knew that there had been no need. he'd felt her ocean blue eyes on him until he'd scurried up and over a hill and out of sight; they had burned holes in the back of his neck and made guilt burn all the more in his gut. even now he still felt under the influence of that angry, damning stare of hers; he knew that the next time they met, she'd be doing a lot more than delivering a harsh biting nip to his shoulder. so he'd ran away from her and her eyes and the blood that he'd spilled and the leg that he'd broken until he could physically run no more. as the downpour of rain had finally been released from the clouds that had been looming overhead, gunther had flopped down in a small hollow within the folds of two conjoining hillsides. the sound of the rain and thunder that had torn the very sky apart - a beautiful symphony created by nature - had somehow lulled him to sleep. but even as he'd slept, nonchalant to how much his shoulder hurt and the pickle he'd gotten himself into what with him being separated from his brother, he'd heard the pack dog's voice.

"you broke it, gunther."

he stayed in that same spot for days, at least, too paralyzed by her voice to even move. however, a few days after the incident had gone down, a few days after dodger had gone missing, gunther awoke to a new dawn, a new day . . . and a land still soaked and rain-heavy from the storm. for a moment, the older dog was bemused, and he scrambled to his paws in a flurry of dirt and meadow grass with a series of grunts and huffs. his amber eyes were wide to the point that they were ringed in white, and his body was slicked with sweat and grime and blood - that was not his own - from a few days ago. some things even the rain couldn't wash away, the dark dog supposed. only when his shoulder - bitten and looking a bit infected and still oozing blood - shrieked in protest did he remember the events from the night of the storm and how everything had changed in a flash. he and dodger had been hunting . . they'd been caught by two pack mongrels. gunther had told his adopted sibling to run with the rabbit they'd wrestled to the ground, and when he'd attacked one of their confronters, he'd succeeded in breaking his leg. everything after was a blur of shame and fear and lightning flashing directly above his narrow head. but through the blur, two things came to him: the retriever's terrified words and the feeling of her fangs lodged in his shoulder. "you broke it! you broke his leg!" pinged around in his head, louder than it had ever been in his cranium before. the german shorthaired pointer growled at both memories, and gazed down at his wounded shoulder with narrowed amber eyes. grunting, he twisted and ducked his head to lap at the pulsing injury, as he'd learned long ago after tussling with a raccoon that a dog's saliva had healing properties within it. it didn't take long for his tongue to be stained a gruesome pinkish red color. as he lapped, the white-speckled dog began to ponder what his next move would be. a few things were certain: he had to find dodger before he was captured or killed or worse. who knows what had happened to the dog now? he also had to hunt, as he hadn't fed for at least a week, and his belly was making some unholy gurgling noises. and he also had to steer clear of the retriever should she be out and about. yes, gun especially had to heed the latter; hearing her voice in his head was bad enough. but how could he hunt, and how could he travel, with such a nasty wound that was sure to leave a just as nasty scar?

doesn't matter, the chocolate pointer thought stoically, drawing his muscular, sore legs beneath him and propping himself up. he slowly but surely inched his way out from under the rocky overhang he'd collapsed under a pawful of sunrises ago and entered the small, shallow hollow that lay beyond it. he stretched as he walked; gun wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep for . . but he had to guess for a while. his legs felt as if they hadn't been used in eons. i must find dodger before it is too late. what's a little bit of pain anyway? it will be worth it whenever i find my brother again. gunther, grunting, limped out of the hollow without looking back at where he'd bedded down. his scent was all over the place, and so was the scent of his lifeblood. there was utterly no point in returning to the same location later today if he wanted to stay away from the pack dogs, for he knew that they would pinpoint where his fragrance was coming from eventually. he had stayed for far too long anyway. it was best to forget the location of the hollow and its rock, that way his whereabouts wouldn't be compromised. as he walked away from the site, he continued to muse with his head held high and his docked tail sticking straight up. he wouldn't show weakness, injured shoulder or no. what we did was pointless, as he's most likely already eaten the rabbit - or lost it to a predator - and now we're only separated with nothing to claim for our efforts. i must find dodger again. he is still my responsibility, and, despite that . . he faltered, drew to a halt at the foot of a grassy hillside. despite the fact that he's my charge, i just cannot bear to lose him. he is family, and a family must stick together in such hard times. the older dog glared upward at the hill and narrowed his bright eyes with determination for his imaginary foe that was the incline. without further hesitation he, panting along the way with his shoulder begging him to stop and telling him that he was crazy, tore up it. i swear to you, dodger . . i will make this family whole again . . but i must find fuel for my body in order to start my search. surely you can understand that?

gunther raced up the hill and down it, and when he reached its base on the other side, he came to an ungraceful stop. his paws were swept from underneath him by the rain-soaked meadow grasses, and he, forgetting himself and letting out a yip, slipped into the branches of a prickly gorse bush. growling as the prickles of the clump of gorse met his shoulder wound, he dragged himself out of his prison and continued on his way, this time picking a route that seemed to be less full of hills: a route that led towards the city. while he padded along through the muggy, humid morning with his paws slipping and sliding and his gangly legs sometimes collapsing, his ears pricked in interest as a thought entered his mind. maybe dodger fled to the abandoned city? there's plenty of shelter there in the tumbledown buildings . . and though, judging by the direction he took, he wasn't heading toward the humans' former home, he may have switched his course? the city is my best bet. it sure will not beat the peacefulness of the green meadow and the open, rabbit-infested lands . . but going there is my only option. there may even be richer pickings there, too, if other canines have not pillaged the place dry of anything useful. set in his decision, the german shorthaired pointer picked up the pace so that his long legs were brown blurs against the meadow's grass. there were a few small hills here and there, he noticed as he traveled, but there weren't nearly as many of the towering ones he'd limped up on his way over here. he guessed that the hills were thinning out because he was drawing closer to the outskirts of the city, thank the sky dogs. maybe this journey wouldn't be so long and dreadful after all?

the pointer bounded down a small hill - at its crest he had made out the city's distant skyscrapers that were silhouetted like angry, massive gargoyles against the pale sky - and pressed on. just when he was beginning to grow hopeful that he wouldn't be encountering any problems or other dogs along his way to the city, the scent of a canine filled his nostrils. instantly, gunther hit the floor, in spite of his shoulder's trills of annoyance. who was there? the retriever? please let it not be her . . he thought as he crawled to the shelter of a clump of weeds. nosing his way through the prickles and keeping his nose aloft in the air, he, with a small sigh of relief, identified what he was up against. there were just two dogs before him, and they didn't carry the musky odor of the pack dogs . . but rather the stench of urban filth. these were city strays, likely straight from the city's heart itself. what were they doing way out here? gunther, amber eyes narrowed in curiosity and suspicion, looked the fellow strays up and down. they didn't look that malnourished . . especially the massive gray great dane. though, then again, the shepherd-looking mutt beside him didn't look like she was too starved, either. after staring at the dogs for a few moments, with a jolt, gunther realized what he had been blessed with: an opportunity for directions to the city . . directions to dodger, too! steeling himself and sucking up his pride and nerves, the pointer dog rose to his feet and purposefully made a ruckus to announce his presence before he slid from the weed thicket into plain sight. he limped up to the strays (whom were bent over a puddle of rainwater and were drinking from it) confidently even though his wound had reopened again. once he was a few strides away from the great dane, he addressed him; he took great care to speak respectfully, as he needed the dogs' help, and badly. "greetings, you two. i'm sorry to interrupt, but i needed to ask you a few questions?" he tilted his head. "my name his gunther, and i'm looking for someone important: my brother."

❝ (( ✧ ＤＯＤＧＥＲ ！！──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
( • age: two years ) ( • breed: gsp ) ( • rank: stray ) ( • location: pack dog camp ) ( • tagged: lexie ) ( • words: 1852 )
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

INDENT dodger was not a fan of the pack dogs' alpha. in his short time with the pack, he'd been able to identify just what breed the hulking brute was: a wolf-dog. it was a no brainer as to why the half-breed had been able to tackle and hold him down with such steadfast, massive paws that fateful day that he was sucked into the life of the pack: he was part . . part . . beast! and yet his name wasn't exactly very wolfish, in the young dog's opinion. what sort of name was caleb, anyway? that sounded like a human boy's name! the candid's hate for the alpha had only manifested and grown stronger with every passing moment that he was kept prisoner in the pack dogs' camp. he still remembered the way the wolf-dog had released a barking laugh right in his face, how his harsh claws and teeth had drawn blood and given him a series of small wounds along his flanks, back, and chest (thankfully nothing he couldn't handle, and all minor injuries that had scabbed over). and he, above all, still remembered the bloodcurdling snarl that had sounded in his ear in response to his protesting cries. the alpha male, with his teeth, stained yellow long ago, a whisker's length from his temple, had drawled out these words . . and every syllable that had come from his narrow maw had chilled dodger's blood. "do you think you could stop me? i could kill you with a single paw if i wanted to, stray! i can and will do whatever i want to on my territory, do you understand?" dodger had nodded at this part, his hazel eyes - so bug-eyed that they looked about ready to pop from his skull - glazed over with pain and fear and an endless amount of spite for his captor. the stubborn male had kept his jaw clenched shut against all that he had wanted - still wanted - to say, letting caleb drone on to the point where the pointer eventually got bored. "perhaps i might take up that offer about killing, though. i haven't killed a trespasser in a while and my paws itch for some blood." dodger's eyes had grown wider, and had drifted from the wolf-dog's baleful yellow gaze to fearfully study his equally yellow teeth, which had been turned white in the fleeting flashes of lightning all around them. he resisted the urge to fight to free himself, fearing injury and fearing whether or not the wolf-dog really would take his gallant statement to heart. "i might agree to spare your life, however, if you listen and do exactly as i say. now get up. you will be coming to my camp and staying there." at the proposal, dodger really had had no option other than to comply. he sucked up his pride and blinked, showing that he had acknowledged the alpha's words and was going to heed them . . despite the fact that every fiber of his being was telling him not to obey, but to fight with all he was worth. to not allow these evil brutes to take him back to their camp so they could torture and question him more there.

in truth, he'd been about to, daringly, surge up and sink his teeth into the alpha's muzzle while he had been distracted with the great dane behind him, but something told him to stop. something told him to listen, to go with the males . . and to, most of all: survive. that was his goal, and his only priority: survival. and then somehow find his way back to gunther. to this day, dodger was convinced that gunther had somehow gotten into his head and convinced him to stop before he did something stupid; of course, that was simply fictional - a puppies' tale - but he believed it to be true. so, only restraining from wiping off that snarky grin on the alpha's face with his fangs because he believed that his brother wouldn't want it, dodger had listened. when the males had ushered him to his feet rather roughly and jostled him along through the wood, he had doggedly walked (as slowly as he could) between the two until they'd reached their camp. he hadn't been able to get the full picture of the camp - the camp, the one gunther had constantly lectured him about not going near - in the darkness that the storm had brought. the brief jolts of lightning that had illuminated the clearing hadn't been enough to do the heart of the pack dogs' territory justice either, but dodger had seen countless pairs of eyes glinting at him from the underbrush. the scent of hate, confusion, raw fear due to the raging storm, and the unfamiliar odor of the pack dogs had flooded his senses and disoriented him so much that, before he knew what was happening, he was being thrust to the camp floor by the great dane known as marmaduke. dodger had remained relatively in that same spot by the camp entrance for the next few days, most of the time either sitting up and staring off into space or curled up in a tight ball. no dog had approached him, no dog had offered him anything to eat or drink, and the only acknowledgment that he even got of his presence was caleb's furious stare and the nearly-as-furious glares that the wolf-dog's packmates tossed his way.

the days dragged on . . the hours merged together. dodger's life had shrunk to the dimensions of his own body, which was slowly growing more and more knobby and rib-riddled due to a lack of nutrition and food. the pointer's world had become one of endless hunger pangs, endless hate for being help captive here, and endless wondering if gunther was going to come back to rescue him from the hellhole that was this camp. he wasn't even aware of how long he had been in the camp, not that it mattered anyway. dodger was convinced that he was going to rot here if his brother didn't pop up sometime soon. the pointer was no longer a bouncy, energetic, and mischievous pup: his time under the alpha was breaking him into two and sucking his puppy-like nature from him. but in spite of all that caleb was doing to starve and break him, dodger held onto the tiniest scrap of hope that his brother would come from him. gunther wasn't without his morals, and he loved dodger . . right? surely he was hunting him down right now, and certainly he was going to bash this stupid "alpha's" head in when he found dodger . . right? for some reason, as the days in the camp went on with dodger lifelessly observing the hustle and bustle of the pack dogs from afar, he was starting to doubt gunther. when he never had before.

dodger unfurled himself from his curled up position beneath a dark, berry-speckled holly bush where he'd taken shelter the night of his arrival. he had slept in the same spot for so long, hadn't moved in so long, that he had worn himself a miniature hollow among the roots of the bush! yawning and shaking his head so violently that his collar tags jangled against his worn brown collar, he lifted his head from where it had been tucked close to his bob tail. he gazed at the camp with bleary hazel eyes for a second, caught sight of the brown-and-black alpha chatting with a white female, and then set his head back down onto the camp floor when the alpha caught sight of him watching him. he furrowed his brow and stuck out his lip, swiveling his head away and hiding his muzzle underneath one mud-caked paw. just another boring day in a "paradise" full of dogs that would love nothing more than to kick the snot out of me, dodger thought with boredom and irritability as he closed his eyes and struggled to go back to sleep even with early morning light heating up his dark pelt and making him hot. his beautiful hazel eyes snapped open again, however, when he heard a rustle in the next bush over. he tensed, allowing a defensive and wary growl to slip from behind his fangs and allowing his lean muscles to go taunt beneath his short pelt. but then the red-brown-and-white head of one of the pack's huntresses - the very same retriever that had approached gunther and dodger all those days ago with her collie friend - poked through the bottom of the piece of vegetation. once again, dodger was struck by how beautiful the dog was; oh, he had indeed studied her with interest when they had first met, make no mistake. with her long red-brown, white-patched fur, floppy ears that looked soft enough to touch all day, and ocean blue eyes that he could easily drown in . . she was quite the looker. but he had to remind himself that she was his enemy, that she was one of the factors as to why he had ended up in this hairy situation without gunther by his side. she was not for him; she was against him, just like her packmates and her foul-breathed alpha.

he was about to bitterly gripe out a question - something along the lines of "what do you want? what could you possibly want?" - when the duck tolling retriever beat him to it. her salmon-pink nose twitched and her voice was hushed as she said, softly, like she was about to tell him her greatest secret, "hello . . . how are you . . . settling in?" dodger couldn't help widening his eyes as shock stirred through him, washing him clean of his bitterness that only had a little to do with the red-brown before him. she was . . being kind to him? even after he had stolen from her, even after her alpha had taken him prisoner? immediately, dodger softened, and he relaxed ever so slightly. this is the first time a pack dog has so much as uttered a single word to me in the past few days other than "move it, stray"! maybe she's not as corrupted as her alpha as i originally thought. only one way to find out. after looking the fae up and down for a few more seconds, dodger at last replied, and his voice was hoarse and about as attractive as the sound of pebbles scraping pebbles as he spoke. "mornin'. i'm settling in fine," he glanced down at his chest and then at his flanks, which were still covered from the healing wounds that caleb had dealt him. "i'm a bit worse for wear, in thanks to your alpha. but fine." he peered at her curiously from his spot beneath his holly, but before continuing, his gaze darted to the side. where they being watched? the answer to that was no, and since caleb had just left with the white dog, they should be in the clear. "what's a pretty dog like yourself doing talking to a prisoner and disobeying her leader?" he croaked out, trying to get his voice used to conversing with others again.

[MyLostShadow]

B L U E J A Y

✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖
║ Gender: Female ║ Age: 3 ║ Breed: Border Collie ║
║ Rank: Scout ║ Tags: None ║ Form: The Scout ║
✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖

She'd practically begged the Alpha to let her go out and try to find Chase. The raging storm wouldn't stop her from finding him, but Caleb seemed to disagree, and simply wouldn't allow it, despite her unusually vocal protests and fighting back against the dogs who tried to stop her from leaving. Her brother was out there somewhere in that storm while she was taking shelter in the camp, hiding from the angry roars from above and the cracks of lightning which lit up the sky. Normally these type of storms scared the Border Collie, but now the only thing she was worried about was where Chase was. He'd left on a hunt with Lexie only that morning, but hadn't returned. He would return, of course he would. "He has to return" she mumbled quietly to herself as another flash of lightning struck the ground, accompanied by a deafening rumble which shook the very earth beneath her paws. A quiet whimper escaped Bluejay's mouth as she curled her tail tighter around her shaking body. Lexie's account of what happened still rung in her ears. His leg had been broken by a stray? But that was a death sentence!

"No" she growled to herself, stopping in her tracks. She had been pacing about for awhile now, unable to sleep, unable to accept the fact that her brother was lost, or worse. "He's still alive. He's out there somewhere...Oh, what am I doing just pacing about in the camp, I've got to try and find him" Bluejay' lifted her head, icy blue eyes laced with sadness fixing on the camp exit. She could hear the buzz of her pack mates' voices, though she paid no attention to them. It was very unusual behavior for Bluejay: growling to herself, pacing around the camp, and disobeying orders from Caleb. Rather, about to disobey orders from Caleb; Bluejay had already made up her mind, and was going to go out searching, whether he liked it or not. Sure, she'd probably get in a lot of trouble for it, but what else was she supposed to do? Sit here like a leash dog and wait for Chase to return. Impossible! She'd have to take matters into her own paws.

A brief glance around the camp, and she was off, paws pounding the soggy earth and eyes fixed on the exit. Lexie said they were by the meadow, but the storm would probably have driven him into the city... Once the Border Collie was out of the camp, she made her way towards the city, despite the dangers that lurked among the fallen streets: stray dogs, crumbling structures, contaminated water, she'd have to be careful of it all. It wouldn't stop her though, nothing would at this point, not even the threat of Caleb's wrath when he found out she'd entered the city.

Glad to have not encountered any dogs on her way to the ruins of the city, Bluejay slowed down, coming to a stop on the outskirts of the city. "Wow" she breathed in awe of the sight in front of her. The destruction was almost beautiful, as weird as that may sound. It was like nature was fighting back against the longpaws, using sturdy green vines to tear down building and plants to crack the roads. The Border Collie took one step forward, her paw resting on the familiar concrete below. This was the city she had grown up in, the streets she had roamed when out walking with her longpaws, the very same skies she had gazed upon day after day from her dog bed. From a newborn pup to only hours before the longpaws left, this had been her city.

Her world.

Once over the initial shock of seeing the crumbling city, Bluejay trotted down one of the streets. The paths were lined with shops, most of which had crumbled and fallen due to the recent storm. One particular shop caught her eye though, or rather, the scent of dogs caught her nose. Perhaps he's in there? she thought to herself as she padded up to the shop. The scent was fresh; there had been dogs here very recently, though they seemed to have left. Casting a glance up and down the street, almost as if she were expecting the strays to appear out of nowhere, she began searching for a way into the meat shop. She found one in the form of a small crack in the wall, just begin enough for her to squeeze in to. Bluejay wasted no time in climbing through the gap, dust clinging to her fur as her sides brushed against the walls.

The interior of the meat shop was surprisingly clear of rubble, though it seemed that the storm had made the structure fragile. "Chase?" Bluejay called out, her voice bouncing of the walls in a mad effort to find the missing collie. Silence. A sad sigh escaped Bluejay's mouth as she padded further into the meat shop, her side lightly brushing against a counter as she turned to explore the shop. Various bones with small chew marks lay scattered on the floor, clearly the work of strays dogs. She couldn't stay here long though; Chase was still missing. And so, despite her mind telling her to stay, she clambered back through the crack in the wall, heading down another one of the many streets. She would find him.

C H A S E

✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖
║ Gender: Male ║ Age: 3 ║ Breed: Border Collie ║
║ Rank: Hunter ║ Tags: None ║ Form: The Hunter ║
✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖

"Now remember, keep those tails wagging, heads held high, and no fighting" The mother Border Collie spoke softly as she gazed down at her four pups, all four of them gazing right back at her with love and excitement in their eyes. "You've got nothing to be afraid of, these longpaws are here to give you a loving home and---""But I don't want to leave! one of the young pups interrupted. His fur was mostly white; the only black fur on him on his left cheek, both his ears, left hind leg, and a small spot on his tail. The pup's eyes were dark brown in colour, and practically gleaming with anticipation, though there was a slight sadness in his voice, "What if I never see you again? Any of you?" At this, another of the pups let out a quiet whine, padding up to the male pup who had been speaking and headbutting his side gently, "Don't say that Chase! Of course we'll see each other again!" This female was quite different to the male: bright, sky blue eyes, fur a blend of many different colours, and concern in her voice as she spoke. The pup gave her brother an affectionate lick on the shoulder, "Do we...do we have to go, mum? I really don't..." her voice trailed off as she sniffed, burying her head into Chase's long fur. Her other two brothers (Cody and Tucker) at this point both got up to comfort their sister, "It'll be okay sis, don't you worry! I won't let them split us up" spoke one of the brothers, whose coat was very similar to the young female's. Chase turned his head so that he could rest his muzzle on his sister's side, "It's as Cody says: We won't let them split us up, Blue, don't you worry" A comforting silence settled over the four pups as each of them comforted the others, reluctant to move away as they all knew this may be the last time they were all together as a family. Even the mother Border Collie's seemed slightly sad, though soon perked up again as the sound of a door opening caught her ear. "You'll all do fine, I promise" she gave each pup a lick on the head as they slowly began to perk up themselves, turning to look in the direction that the sound had come from. Footsteps crept closer. Chase stood up, making sure he was stood right next to Bluejay as the door to the kitchen opened. Three new longpaws entered, as well as the two familiar longpaws who had looked after them. The strangers, two adults longpaws and a younger one, approached the dogs. A look of disinterest painted the older longpaws' faces, though the young one appeared to be very excited as he pointed at the collection of puppies. Chase felt his sister edge closer to him, her side brushing against his fur as she shivered with anticipation or fear, Chase wasn't sure which. A pang of sadness struck the male as he thought about the possibility of never seeing any of his family again. What would he do without Cody's friendly taunts or playful nature? Without Tucker's cheer that could make him feel better in seconds? Without his mother's soothing voice? What would he do without Blue? No matter what any of the others said, he knew they'd be split up, and what could he do about it? Nothing. There was nothing he could do.

The screech of the small longpaw dragged Chase out of his thoughts. The longpaw was pointing at him with those weird hands that every longpaw had (five digits on each paw? And those claws, they were good for nothing!). No no no, not me, don't pick me... he silently begged the longpaw, though there was nothing he could do as two paws stretched towards him after the gathered longpaws had spoken to each other in words that he couldn't understand. It was one of the new longpaws, the male, whom he already disliked: his cold paws grabbed Chase's soft fur, lifting the pup off the ground despite his obvious displeasure at being picked up. The sound of Blue yelping and whining as she desperately tried to climb up the side of the pen made Chase wince, knowing there was nothing he could do, "Chase!" "No Chase, don't let them!" "Chase please don't leave me! By now all three of his siblings were barking madly, completely ignoring their mother who tried to quieten them down. Chase joined them in barking at the longpaws. He didn't want to go! This wasn't fair! He attempted to nip at the longpaw's paw, though all it seemed to do was earn him a stern stare and the longpaw's grip to tighten. At this even his mother stood up and started barking, but what could one dog and four pups do against five longpaws? The only thing that happened was more mumbling from the longpaws, and then him being carried out of the kitchen and away from his family.

Their faces full of panic and sadness was the last he saw of them before the door slammed shut behind him.

Even if he were in top condition, the Border Collie wouldn't stand much of a chance against the strong current. His back legs kicked out feebly, his one good front leg trying to propel him upwards in a desperate attempt to take a breath, but his attempts were in vain; all he got was a mouthful of the murky water as he tried to take a gulp of the clean air.

The current pulled him under the surface once again. Debris littered the already filthy river and battered the canine's side. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't see anything. He couldn't hear anything but the deafening gurgle of the water. Even his mind seemed to have abandoned him, and for perhaps the first time in his life, he couldn't think straight nor see any way out of the very bleak situation. Muscles beginning to tire at the effort of trying to reach the surface, Chase swallowed another mouthful of putrid water as a large branch slammed into his side before continuing down the river. Pain shot through his side, threatening to drag him to the river bed there and then, but no, he had to keep trying. With one final effort, Chase pushed himself through the water, gasping for breath as his head broke the surface. The sun shone down onto the river, watching to see what would happen to the canine but making no movie to help. He truly was on his own.

Another branch with bright green leaves drifted over to the struggling canine, perhaps feeling sorry for the collie. Chase quickly threw his front paws over it, glad to have a moment of rest. The sun, hanging like a golden coin in the sky, shone on his fur, and he was briefly reminded of the times when he would wake up in the pack's camp with the sun's rays shining down on him. It helped comfort the canine for one precious second before the taste of the contaminated water filled his mouth and the branch broke in two as it hit a rock, sending him back into the rushing water. Desperately he kicked out against the current, trying to reach the surface once again, but to no avail. His legs were tired. His eyelids began to droop. How bad could one, short sleep be?

It was the first night of being chained to the tree outside. It was raining, absolutely pouring it down, with an icy wind to accompany the icy rain. Menacing dark grey clouds rolled across the sky, flooding the drowning earth below and soaking anything that was unfortunate enough to not have any shelter from the onslaught. Chase fell into that category; the tree he was chained to served as no sort of shelter at all, and in fact seemed to be against him too, as every time the wind howled it let out a creak which made the collie fear that it would come crashing down on top of him. He certainly was quite the opposite of the longpaws inside, who were warm, safe, and had no doubt not even shed a thought for him. No, he was alone outside in the world. Cold. Hungry. Forgotten. All he could do was wait for the storm to blow over, and another to approach after that.

It was almost peaceful in a twisted sort of way. Chase's body had washed up on the bank, his side rising and falling softly as he slowly awakened. It was too bright. He squinted as, reluctantly, he opened his eyes. Everything was blurry around him, and he couldn't hear a thing. Apparently when he had fallen unconscious in the river, his head had hit a rock rather hard, and left him unable to hear anything, and his vision a little shaky and unreliable. It should've been hurting the collie a lot, though he was too tired to even feel pain anymore. Even the effort of breathing was beginning to weigh heavily on the canine. His whole body felt numb as he picked his head slightly off the ground to look around. He could see the green and brown blurs of trees, the colourful dots of flowers, the grey blobs of rocks, all merged together into one. It was...strangely beautiful.

Eventually the Border Collie's head came to rest on the ground, no longer having the strength to lift it up to see the world around him. For the first time, it was completely silent: the constant harmonies of the birds didn't reach his ears and the sound of the water was drowned out by the quiet. Chase could see himself staying here in the tranquility he was so caught up in; even his mind agreed as it too grew completely still. One last breath drifted peacefully out of the collie's mouth before he finally lay as though he were simply sleeping. The last image he saw was the sky above him.

It was blue.

[vervainium]

✧ ＳＰＬＡＴＴＥＲ ！
──────✦✦✦ [ ranking ] stray [ interest ] marmaduke [ breed ] mutt [ tag ] open [ words ] 500
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

splatter. splatter was lost . . . splatter was always lost. no matter how many times she could pass the same car abandoned on the side of the road or the same broken down building, she still seemed to manage not having a clue where she was. just a few days ago she had stumbled up caleb who was busy snarling savagely at another stray, and splatter wanted no part of that, she didn’t even stay to watch what would happen, she didn’t want to risk getting caught by caleb later on and having the same thing happen to her. she didn’t really know what his problem was with strays, even if they weren’t inside his territory he seemed to hate them. splatter had found herself interested in caleb for a while, but ever since she had actually started to notice his hatred towards the four legged strays, her feelings were quickly put aside for the wolf dog. splatter had no one with her any more . . . she was all alone, really.

splatter.her sister had been killed by a pack dog a couple years ago, and so splatter was all alone. it was a real wonder how she’d survived this long, she hadn’t really known how to hunt, nor even how to defend herself really. she was living off luck, pure damn luck. and to be quite honest, she was hating it. she had wished her sister was with her, or at least somebody who could be with her. really, what she needed was someone smarter than her, or at least someone who could teach her how to hunt properly, and maybe how to defend herself. splatter was five years of age, you would think that she would have a vast knowledge of things, but in reality her intelligence was paper thin. her sister knew quite a bit . . . but they didn’t spend very much time together, and splatter’s parents didn’t do anything to help the fact.

splatter.there splatter was, all alone and sniffing at something on the ground, there was nothing there but the strong scent of caleb, it had to be the territory borders of the dog pack. but, splatter didn’t acknowledge that and she kept sniffing at it, even taking a couple steps inward of the scent. by now, she was trespassing, but she still hadn’t realized. she rose her head and looked at her surroundings, trying to make the image burn into her brain for future reference . . . but likely, it wouldn’t and she would still be as confused as she was now if she stumbled upon the same area once again. the scent, however, she could probably remember. her eyes flickered around, she noticed some movement, but there was nothing to worry about – so she thought – at the moment. it was so unlike splatter to stay around the same place, unless she was sleeping, for so long. normally, she would have tucked her tail and bolted straight for something else.

[autumn,]

[ ♕ ] xC A L E B ! !
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
( ✧ gender: male ) x ( ✧ age: six ) x ( ✧ rank: alpha ) x ( ✧ location: near the border ) x ( ✧ tags: chase ) x ( ✧ words: 1,176 )
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Caleb's post. credit for coding goes to f a w n.

bbcaleb ♕ the alpha dog set off at a brisk pace leaving the camp. he was bubbling with anger at the fact that there was no available dogs to join him on his patrol, but at the same time he was relieved. now there would be no distractions or any others to hold him back from what he wanted to do. his mission was to get inside the territory of the killers and investigate what they were up to after so many moons of silence. caleb was set on his plan, nothing could stop him now. the large brute plodded through the damp earth and with each step he could feel the slimy mud seeping through his toes and onto his skin. the sensation was not pleasant, but it didn't stop the black and brown male from carrying on towards the border. fallen trees blocked his path as he traveled through the forest and cold droplets of water fell from the trees that had survived the storm onto his mostly black fur. the brute shivered as one fell on his nose and a growl rumbled in his throat. caleb had never been a fan of the rain. to him it was much more of a burden than a help and besides, the lost pack had the lake to rely on, so why would they need the rain?

bbcalebthe brute neared the border after his long trek and slowed down while sniffing at the air. the disgusting scent of the killers hang thickly in the air, filling the wolf-dog's nostrils and making him feel nauseous from the overwhelming smell. caleb was thankful, and not for the first time, that he had never been raised in the chain-linked fencing where his mother and any siblings that he might have had lived. the place was far too small and not to mention the longpaws that had controlled the place before the big growl. caleb was far more content with what he had done with the pack, living in the freedom of the forest and being in charge of it all. caleb had sworn to eventually destroy the pack of shepherds from a young age, and now that the earthquake had weakened them it might be the perfect chance. as the tall shiny fence of the territory came into view, caleb was extra careful to be quiet. he padded up to the see-through wall and sniffed at its base, taking in the most recent smell when a bark sounded in the distance. the large brute scowled as he recognized the small yowl of the pack's omega, fluffy, and quickly bounded for the shelter of the trees. only a heartbeat after he crashed into the bracken and it fell still, two voices spoke. the pack alpha narrowed his eyes as he looked through the bushes and his gaze landed on two tan and black dogs. they were agile and slick-furred as they walked side-by-side along the fence, barking to each other lowly. "did you hear that, rocky? sounds like one of those pathetic pack dogs." caleb snarled at their mocking tones and forced himself to stay put for the time being. "rocky, tank! get over here and stop chattering like a bunch of crows!" a much deeper and mature voice spoke from up ahead, but caleb couldn't see who it had come from. "stupid tree . . ." he muttered angrily, while still trying to listen to what the killer dogs were saying. "yes ma'am!" both of the younger dogs barked in chorus before marching off in the direction of the commanding fae.

bbcalebcaleb stayed in the shelter of the undergrowth for a short while longer before pushing his way through the prickly branches. the brute cursed as a few tufts of blackish-brown fur clung to the thorny bush. once he was back at the fence, he began checking the scent marks and looked for anything or anyone that stuck out to him. he wasn't pleased to find that the group of guard dogs had been frequently marking their border no matter the circumstances. the wolf-dog marked his own territory while he was there and then set off for the meadows that would lead him home. the grass was covered in dew and raindrops from the cooler mornings and his fur clung to his frame as it began to soak his thick pelt. he growled in annoyance ever so often (being the grump that he is) until he neared the river. the ground became harder and he walked across the pebbly earth, grateful that the grass thinned out the closer he got to the bank. caleb was walking towards camp peacefully when a dreadful scent hit his nose. death. it was a scent that caleb knew well, whether it be from smelling prey or killing an attacker himself, he knew exactly what it meant. for the first time, caleb got an uneasy feeling because of the smell as if he knew that it was bad news for him. one of his packmates were dead. with heavier paws, the male gazed across the water until his dark amber eyes locked onto an all too familiar black and white coat. a sigh left his jaws as he took in the sight, even hinting at a bit of sadness. caleb shook his head clear of his small bit of regret that he had let show through and leaped out onto one of the stepping stones. it took a second before caleb gained his balance and leaped onto the other side, but he eventually made it to the other side of the bank.

bbcalebcaleb padded up slowly to the lifeless body, his face showing nothing but his usual coldness. leaning over, he sniffed at the white and black canines sodden fur and the smell of death filled his nose again. with yet another sigh, the much larger hybrid reached for the dead dog's scruff and fastened his teeth in the foul smelling pelt. he gagged as the brute's fur brushed across his tongue, tasting foul and sickly like the river water. and at that moment caleb realized what had happened to cause the hunters death. carefully, he dragged the limp body across the rocks and grass until he was at the entrance of the camp. the alpha male drew in a deep breath before lifting the smaller dog off the ground, leaving chase's body dangling from his jaws so that they could both fit through the camp wall. caleb heard gasps of horror almost immediately after her arrived into the clearing, one specifically rang in his large ears. chase's fellow hunter, lexie, yowled and stood staring with a terrified expression. caleb lowered the male's body to the ground in the middle of camp before stepping back. "where is bluejay?" he growled loudly, exhaustion showing clearly in his eyes from the struggle of carrying an extra dogs weight for so long. there was no doubt that caleb cared for his packmates, no matter how harsh he was. how many more dogs will I lose before this storm wipes out my pack?

place holder lel

[ ⚜ ] xL E X I E ! !
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
( ✧ gender: female ) x ( ✧ age: four ) x ( ✧ rank: hunter ) x ( ✧ location: corner of camp ) x ( ✧ tags: dodger ) x ( ✧ words: 1,102 )
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lexie's post. credit for coding goes to f a w n.

lexiebb ⚜ as she looked at the pup's scars from her alpha's teeth and claws she couldn't help but feel sorry for the young canine. any dog could see that the alpha male had tore at his smaller body when he had first found him trespassing on their land. lexie somewhat wished that she had caught the younger dog herself, maybe that way it wouldn't have caused so much damage. now that she was closer to the brute she could tell a little more about him. he looked no older than about two years of age and he looked different than his brother . . . no! the retriever stopped herself before she let her mind wander to the handsome stray and reminded herself that he was the reason that chase was missing. dragging her thoughts back to the burnt umber colored canine before her. she noticed that his light brown orbs had dilated into big round disks. the fae was surprised that he seemed so shocked at first but eventually let it go as he seemingly calmed down. "mornin'. i'm settling in fine," the dog (who was about her size despite their age difference) glanced down at his chest, revealing a few more wounds and scabs that lexie hadn't seen previously. lexie felt heat spread beneath her golden-brown fur and knew that she would have to apologize for caleb's overly hurtful ways. she wasn't sure if the young dog would take her apology to heart, but at least she would be able to say that she tried.

as if he had been reading her mind dodger began to speak about the pack dog's ill-treatment, "i'm a bit worse for wear, in thanks to your alpha. but fine." lexie blinked sympathetically, "yes . . . our alpha can get a bit carried away at times, and I apologize for that, but really he isn't a bad dog." she said carefully, aware that one of her packmates might be listening nearby. well, he really isn't a dog at all but . . . she thought before pushing the thought away quickly. he was bound to know that the alpha wasn't a pure dog by now and lexie wasn't willing to bring it up. the dog peered up at her as though she had grown wings before glancing around the camp, ah he is watching for the other pack dogs, smart. she admired his instinct silently for a moment before he croaked, "what's a pretty dog like yourself doing talking to a prisoner and disobeying her leader?" lexie was shocked to hear such a thing come from such a young dog but after a moments thinking she grew quite defensive. "i am not disobeying my alpha by speaking to you." she growled, though there was little anger behind it. she was mostly just trying to defend herself and explain why she had come over in the first place. "my alpha gave no strict orders to stay away from you, therefore I am allowed to ask you a simple question." she raised a brow, "and if you ask me . . . I was quite generous in doing so. seeing as you haven't had one dog to speak to in the past few days." she pointed out to the younger dog. goodness! did no dog teach him manners? she thought with a sniff.

rustling in the direction of the camp entrance and a familiar scent told lexie that caleb had returned from his outing. the fae rose to her paws and dipped her head to the stray, "perhaps the alpha will allow you to eat tonight, if you are luc-" she was cut off as she realized that the body that the large wolf-dog was holding was not a small deer or a large rabbit. this "prey" was not the same as a squirrel or a trespassing stray. the lifeless body that caleb held up in his massive jaws was something much more than that. he was a brother, a great hunter, and an even better friend. as lexie's ocean blue eyes fell upon his soaked fur, a loosely detailed mixture of black and white, and his closed eyes the world around her spun. it seemed like only yesterday that herself and chase had been training together under the careful watch of the alpha to be pack hunters, and in that time that they had spent together chase had become like a brother to her. the opinionated, agile animal that she had learned to trust with her life was lying on the clearing floor, unmoving . . . still. the words stuck in her throat as she shook for a few moments, completely forgetting about the stray dog that she had been conversing with before. "oh . . . oh no, no, no!" she groaned loudly as her eyes met caleb's. they showed no emotion, a dark and cold pit of nothingness. with a heavy heart, lexie made her way over to the lifeless body of her friend and nuzzled his head with her nose. no response. the pretty retriever bowed her head in sorrow before looking at his torn up leg.

the golden-red fae growled deeply at the sight of it. that was what had killed her friend, she was sure of it. no matter what had drew chase's last breath, she would always blame his broken leg. if only she hadn't intervened, if only it had been her and not him. chase wouldn't be dead, he would be alive and happy with his sister bluejay. snap! the sound of bone crunching, breaking, sounded in her soft and delicate ears once more, reminding her of the horrendous dreams that had plagued her sleep. they had come true, after all this time of worrying for chase's health his life had ended in tragedy, and far too soon. lexie lifted her head and glanced around at her gathering packmates while caleb stared at them all blankly. however, her gaze didn't remain on them for very long as she spotted dodger sitting alone in the corner. for a moment she pictured the handsome brute beside him and gave them both a hard stare as if to say, "your brother killed my friend, and I don't know if I will ever forgive him." yet deep down, lexie knew that this was wrong. no matter how hard she tried to get the male's capturing amber eyes and speckled coat from her mind, she couldn't. it was a curse. she had only met the brute once and when she did, he gave her friend a death sentence yet she still was intrigued with the good-looking pointer. and in that moment she thought, oh my . . . i'm in love with the devil.

place holder lel

[ ☘ ] xS A M S O N ! !
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
( ✧ gender: male ) x ( ✧ age: three ) x ( ✧ rank: stray ) x ( ✧ location: edge of the city ) x ( ✧ tags: iris, gunther ) x ( ✧ words: 1,139 )
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Samson's post. credit for coding goes to f a w n.

samson☘ the water was cold. and even more so than normal, which was unusual for the time of the year. with every year that had passed, samson has always known august to be one of the hottest months. the big growl really has changed everything. he thought with a small jolt of anxiety. it was worrying to think that everything he had ever known was changed, only faint traces of what had been before were left behind. even now, many weeks after the shaking of the earth's core had occurred, the altered buildings and gaps in the soil still managed to shock the great dane every time he opened his caramel eyes. for most canines, the moment the quake struck it had flipped their entire world upside down, but he really didn't have any difficulties adjusting to the new changes. he had lucked out, really, when his mother and other kin were taken from him at an early age. he no longer had anyone to care for, he had been spared the worry of losing someone in the midst of the storm. his only responsibility was himself, and that was something that he enjoyed thoroughly. there was no doubt that he missed his mother and his past traveling buddies but at the same time he felt free and was able to focus on himself for once in his life. that was, however, until he ran into iris. he didn't mind the fae's company as of now, but what would happen if another big storm hit like recently? perhaps it would be worse . . . would samson spend his time worrying about himself, or would he be worried about iris?

samsona breathless voice spoke from behind him, snapping him away from his thinking. the bark was barely hearable, but the brute guessed that iris was experiencing the same astonishing sight that he had been only heartbeats before. he swung his large head to look at her, following her gaze to where previously two very tall buildings had stood but had been reduced to debris in the rain and wind. the dane breathed in deeply, taking in the sight once more. his thoughts were dark as he looked at the rubbled mess. how many dogs were over there . . . and didn't survive? the horrible illusion of being buried in the heavy cement and dust covered his sight, making him shiver. "i pity the dogs who didn't find shelter." he murmured quietly while blinking away the mirage. sam shook his head lightly before glancing at his companion, who was drinking thirstily from the puddle. with a glimmer of amusement in his amber eyes, samson stuck a paw in the freezing water and then lifted it out. it dripped constantly for a little while before the flow of the water slowed. feeling a tad bit confident that iris wouldn't be too serious about it, sam flicked his paw and sent little droplets of water across the female's face and fur. he gave an amused snort and perked up his floppy ears, trying to look as innocent as he could despite the humored grin plastered upon his face.

samsona rustle of leaves and grass nearby made the brute jump. he had let his guard down for too long! samson growled and rose to his full height while his amber gaze bore down on the moving patch of tall grass. moments later a pointer-like dog slid through the green stalks, making samson feel uneasy. he eyed the brute carefully, making sure to take in both his current attitude as well as his physical condition. the male was beaten up and battered as far as samson could tell but one thing stuck out to him about the brute, his wounded shoulder. the nasty bite wound looked to be infected, and samson was curious as to how he had gotten the lesion. the chocolate canine was confident, nevertheless, and greeted them respectfully as he strode up. "greetings, you two. i'm sorry to interrupt, but i needed to ask you a few questions?" he tilted his head. "my name his gunther, and i'm looking for someone important: my brother." samson raised a brow at this, a brother? it was definitely not what sam would have expected, but he wasn't about to turn the brute down . . . at least not yet. the great dane exchanged a glance with iris, who was still next to him by the puddle, before responding. "hello, gunther. i'm afraid that I haven't many dogs as of late, but if you would like to describe him to me I will see what I can do." he spoke casually and smoothly to the shorter male. the dane didn't know every dog that lived in the city, but he could at least help the pointer with some directions if he needed them.

samsonthat was one thing that samson was proud of; he knew every road, every building, and every space in the city. he had traveled around for so long that he had been over the paved roads multiple times and knew the best places to get food, water, and shelter. the big growl had changed much of that, yes, but he reckoned that he could still point out some helpful things to the dog. samson could tell that he was a bit lost because of the fact that he was asking for help and the canine smelled of forest and greenery, which could only be acquired by being outside the city limits. once more, samson brought his attention to the female standing next to him. however, her reaction to the dog was different than his own and made his pelt prickle. she seemed intrigued by the brown dog's appearance just as he was, but hidden in her eyes the great dane could see something different. was it defiance? anger? or a threat? samson found it unlikely that the female would be feeling that way but he could shake the image of a much bigger force out of his mind. sharp teeth, cruel claws, black and brown fur flashed before his vision but he shook his head to get rid of it. no. iris told me that she has always been a stray, and that is what she is. she is probably just nervous about meeting another dog near the meat shop! she hasn't given you a reason to not trust her. the brute told himself sternly before dragging his gaze back to gunther. he eyed the wound on his shoulder once more, "how did you get such a wound?" he asked carefully, knowing that it could be a touchy subject. samson let a very faint feeling of concern for the dog's shoulder show in his caramel eyes. if there was something outside of the city that could infect a dog, he wanted to know about it for himself and iris's sake.

[~animallover~]

♘xM A R M A D U K Ex♘xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx▐ word count: 1018▐
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

| ↣ breed: great dane ↢ | x | ↣ gender: male ↢ | x | ↣ age: three ↢ | x | ↣ rank: beta ↢ | x | ↣ location: camp ↢ | x | ↣ tags: splatter ↢ |

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

xxxxxwalking back to the lost pack didn't take too long for marmaduke, and with long strides, he made it back quickly. as he neared the camp, marmaduke spotted the back side of caleb standing in front of the camp enterance, blocking the great dane's path. by the looks of the pack dogs surrounding the alpha, something had gone terribly wrong. marmaduke entered the camp and walked towards the rest of the dogs, resting his gaze on caleb and the dog that lay lifeless at his feet. the dog was chase, a valued hunter of the pack and a dog that marmaduke had always known as a talented brute. his leg was twisted awkwardly, no doubt it was broken, and his naturally white coat was stained with the murky waters of the contaminated river. he looked sickly, and marmaduke had no choice but to look away, away from the sight of his fellow packmate, dirty and lifeless. there were many dogs crowding around the poor body of chase, lexie being one of them. her helpless cries and stares of hatred towards the stray behind the group proving she was at much more of a loss than marmaduke was, for the brute was much too calm in this situation, at least for his liking. he had seen many dead strays before finding the lost pack, many of them being dogs he'd never even seen before. he would've thought that his reaction towards a packmate's death would be much more heart felt, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything. the brute was simply at a loss for words, mourning in silence. marmaduke turned back toward the pointer that caleb and him had found just days ago. did he have anything to do with this? by the look that lexie had given the brute, he must have.

xxxxxmarmaduke bared his teeth at the young canine, a silent growl escaping him that was could not be heard. he turned away to walk back to his den, but was immediately stopped when he heard caleb's voice from behind. where is bluejay? that's right. where was bluejay? she couldn't have snuck out during the storm, could she? she must have, marmaduke concluded, knowing that the collie had been very worried of her brother when he hadn't come back from the hunting trip. the beta was almost relieved that she hadn't been here to see her brother's lifeless body. it would have been much too hard on the fae, and marmaduke knew that most dogs had a tendency to shut down in a blatant escape from the trauma they've went through. they couldn't loose another pack dog, not chase and bluejay. they needed all the help they could get to dispose of chase's body, to go on hunting patrols, to mark the borders. they couldn't risk a pack dog shutting down. don't be selfish duke. you're beta, go find blue. with a sigh, marmaduke looked back at caleb with a nod, cursing his better judgment forcing him to do the right thing. bluejay deserved to know about chase, it was only fair. chase was blue's own brother after all, and if she had went out in the storm to look for him, then it only made sense that she got the truth. i'll find her alpha. he said calmly. he turned away from his den which he longed to go inside to rest in and ran back out toward the city, the first place he would look for his fellow packmate.

xxxxxas he walked towards the ghost town full of strays and crumbled buildings, marmaduke came across the scent of a dog. but, this wasn't bluejay, nor was it a pack dog in general. no no, this was a stray, and it was in lost pack territory. baring his yellowing teeth, marmaduke got low to the ground and inched towards the smell of the stray, his fur stood up like a feline's would be. coming closer to the scent, marmaduke soon was able to make out the silhouette of a mid sized dog sniffing through the grass frantically, like a pup trying to find his ball. it was a fae no doubt, and didn't look like any breed he knew of, making him turn toward the idea of her being a stray. the stray was a deep black color, and was lean and thin. it was clear she had no interest in starting a fight, nor did it look like she even knew she had stepped foot in lost pack's territory. nevertheless, marmaduke let out a low growl and leapt out of the underbrush onto the fae's back. he was in no way trying to seriously injure the dog before him, but his goal was to scare her off. marmaduke barreled into the fae with a snarl, slobber building in his mouth. the blow was just enough to wind the fae, and it sent them both tumbling down to the grass and dirt below them.

xxxxxfull of dust and panting heavily, marmaduke reacted with no hesitation. hurriedly, marmaduke got back on his feet and pinned the fae with his front paws, the pressure he was forcing being just enough to hold her down. he had to admit, the fae was a beautiful canine and did seem quite sweet. with her sleek black fur and amber orbs, she was quite the sight for sore eyes. but marmaduke quickly slipped the thought to the back of his mind, he was not here to make friends or anything more, he had found a stray on pack land and it was his duty to chase her off. growling with an eyebrow raised, marmaduke looked down at the stray angrily, trying his best to act threatening. you're on pack lands stray. he barked, his paws still resting upon the fae's chest to pin her down. he contemplated whether to alert caleb, but decided against it. he was in over his head as it was, and he could deal with one measly fae, right? knowing he could deal with the mutt himself, marmaduke looked at the canine, waiting for an answer.

♙xF L U F F Yx♙xllxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx▐ word count: 915▐
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

| ↣ breed: king c. spaniel ↢ | x | ↣ gender: female ↢ | x | ↣ age: five ↢ | x | ↣ rank: omega ↢ | x | ↣ location: at the lake ↢ | x | ↣ tags: open ↢ |

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

xxxxxthere was one thing about being omega that fluffy didn't mind too much, and that was the fact that she could go anywhere she pleased, and no one ever cared. unless she did something troublesome or selfish of course, but being the suck up the little dog was, she would never actually do such a thing unless by accident. today she had made her way to the lake that was highly guarded by the pack. well, of course it would be, it was one of the only places in the city you could actually find water that wasn't full of filth. she never liked the water, for the fae wasn't the best swimmer due to her stubby legs, although the look of the water after the storm had showed and the overall beauty of the risen water level made her extremely curious, and she just had to go explore. she loved to explore. it was a wonderful thing for any dog to do and it gave her a better understanding of the huge pack territory, which she swore she still hadn't fully been around. it made her extremely curious of what was out there, beyond the battered city streets and forests full of trees, but for now, she would stick to the lake as her furthest exploration point for a while. no sense in getting lost when no one cares to come look for you. that's simply a one way ticket to long hard nights and inevitable death. she told herself in her thoughts. she didn't like the thought of being alone one bit, being the social dog she was. so, she decided to find a dog that could put up with her and push her horrid thoughts aside.

xxxxxshe got up from the bank and lapped up some water, stretching and shaking her pelt before walking along the edge of the body of water. surely she would find someone here, right? the lake was always heavily guarded and even though the weather had been quite dreary, the dogs wouldn't give up a main water source for a clean dry pelt, would they? fluffy remembered when she had first showed up to the pack, her fur nicely groomed and trimmed, a nicely adjusted black collar around her neck, accompanied by a small pink bow. she looked like a leash dog no doubt, and it must of made other pack dogs sick of her from the start. if she could see herself when she had first been introduced to the pack now, she would be have at least gave the spaniel a chance to prove herself. wouldn't she? she'd accept her offers of food and not assign her to the omega spot immediately, right? no. she wouldn't have. she would've made the same decision caleb had that first day. fluffy could barely hunt and was anything but scary. heck, when she had first arrived she didn't like getting dirty and made sure to keep clean. she was a train wreck for a pack dog. simply unworthy. but times had changed since she had arrived as the princess leash dog she used to be.

xxxxxnow, her for was dirty and matted and only really got cleaned when she was brave enough to venture to the shallow side of the lake, and even then the water was slightly murky and dirty as well. the fur on her ears was overgrown and so was her coat in general, making her hot easily being a longer haired dog and made her appreciate winter tremendously. her fur flopped around and there was no doubt that she had had a case of fleas numerous times, what pack dog hadn't? lastly, her collar was gone. it was a cheap collar, really. just something to put on your dog so they looked pretty and cute, nothing that would help her in the long run. and as much as it pained fluffy to leave it when it finally ripped one day, she did and it was gone forever. it had made her very itchy though, so she guessed it was for the best. something that she did appreciate from her longpaw was that she had gotten an excruciating ear treatment to prevent her from getting ear infections when she still lived in a house, and this helped a great deal when you were leaving as a pack dog that was open to sickness. as much as it was absolute torture when she had it given to her. she shivered, remembering it all too well.

xxxxxslightly saddened by the thoughts of her old longpaw companion but at the same time greatful for what she had done, fluffy kept walking and stopped, giving up on finding somebody to talk to and instead sitting by the shallow water she had come across instead. she barked a little and stopped, panting and barked again. it was a simple call for some company, as yippy as it sounded, and if anyone cared they would show. although, being the omega fluffy wasn't sure if any of the pack dogs actually did, and awaited if anyone would arrive at the lake. whether it be because of her call, because they were on patrol or even if they just needed some water, she didn't care which, she just wanted someone to talk to. she sighed and looked at her reflection with a yawn, making a little squeak as she did. man. she said softly, a sound barely audible, this'll be a long day.

☪xI R I Sx☪xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxlll▐ word count: 1044▐
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

| ↣ breed: german shepherd ↢ | x | ↣ gender: female ↢ | x | ↣ age: two ↢ | x | ↣ rank: stray ↢ | x | ↣ location: puddle ↢ | x | ↣ tags: samson, gunther ↢ |

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

xxxxxthe water was heavenly, completely mouth watering and sensational. it was just what iris needed to settle her stomach from all the food she had in the meat shop. hearing the dane mumble something, she lifted her head to look at samson when a splash of water was flung at her face, leaving spots of her fur damp and a smile on her face that she wouldn't usually give to any other brute. was this a challenge? did sam really want to test iris's limits? smirking at her sarcastic questions and the water still dripping from her muzzle, iris dipped her paw in the water as well. she looked the great dane in the eye and laughed, oh, i see how it is. well then, i guess it's on the- the shepherd was cut off at the sound of rustling leaves and grass behind them. fur bristled, iris swirled around in a flash, the water that had soaked her paw going everywhere but her target dog. a low growl escaped her throat and she looked up at samson, who had clearly heard the noise as well. she was in no mood for a fight, but wasn't going to let a stray come steal sam and her drinking spot. she tensed her muscles quickly, hoping there wouldn't be a problem with whatever lurked on the other side of the tall grass.

xxxxxto iris's surprise, a sleek pointer emerged from the grass, smelling of stray and forest than anything else. the fae let a sigh escape her mouth, knowing that the pair hadn't been spotted by a pack dog. the brute that had emerged from the grass took no time in trying to act scared nor reserved, and was actually rather confident. almost a little too much for iris's liking. he spoke like a gentleman and looked at both iris and sam equally. greetings, you two. i'm sorry to interrupt, but i needed to ask you a few questions? iris watched in curiosity and silence as the brute tilted his head. my name his gunther, and i'm looking for someone important: my brother. so he had lost his brother? iris did indeed feel sorry for this 'gunther' dog in front of her, and was also concerned about the wound on his shoulder, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. this dog, no matter how calm and truthful he looked, could not be trusted in iris's opinion, and she thought it would be best to stay away from the brute. but samson had other ideas and soon spoke up...

xxxxxhello, gunther. i'm afraid that I haven't many dogs as of late, but if you would like to describe him to me I will see what I can do. iris looked up at samson, her fur still bristled and her eyes still showing concern. was he crazy? what if this dog was just leading them into a death trap? or wanted to steal the puddle they had found? she was still viewing Gunther as a threat, and wanted nothing to do with him. you look like a killer. the thought rang inside iris's head like a church bell, loud and everlasting. she did look like a killer, she looked down-right threatening herself. with her claws dug into the ground, her pupils dilated viciously and her fur spiked up in all directions, she looked like she was ready to kill the pointer before her right at that moment. she was ashamed of her image, and quickly returned to her normal state, her tail low and her eyes calm. how could she let her instinct get the best of her? in front of sam? she had to be careful, or next time she wouldn't be able to control it. she breathed out deeply, and looked towards the pointer.

xxxxxhello, gunther. she chirped, i am iris and this is samson. my friend is right, it would be helpful to get a description of your brother if you would like to help us find him. the words were like poison on her tongue, spewing out of her mouth like a snake spraying venom. if she was alone, she would have never trusted a fellow stray this quickly, especially not after a huge storm when everyone was at their lowest point, willing to do whatever it takes to survive. but, with samson beside her, she did not want to look like more of a killer than she had made herself look seconds before, and had no choice but to go against her gut instinct and trust the brute before her. looking down at her paws and then at the two canines that sat before her, iris waited for the pointer to disrupt the silence and answer with the his brother's description, hoping and praying that her rushed decision to trust gunther was a good one, and that iris and samson wouldn't be at stake now that they did.

xxxxxbut it was not Gunther who spoke after iris, it was samson who was asking another question, one that iris had also been wondering about from the minute gunther had emerged from the grass. how did you get such a wound? iris nodded as if to second the question also wondering why the brute's shoulder was in such bad shape. the wound was full of dirt and blood, no doubt that it was or was close to being infected. had Gunther gotten into a fight with a pack dog or stray? was he in a fight with the brother he was trying to find? did he have something menacing up his sleeve that other dogs had tried to stop? was the wound even from a dog? all these question barreled through iris's head and made it even harder for her to trust the pointer, but she knew she had little choice in her decision. with a deep breath, iris sent all the menacing and threatening thoughts about gunther out of her brain and looked at the pointer with a steady gaze. he might have been trustworthy, might have been telling the truth, but iris was to hold her ground as she listened to the brute, and no amount of trust was going to stop her from doing so.