VANITY

She had said she would be a few days. It should not have taken her too long to scout for a new territory for her pack, so she could not afford to waste time. If they found out she had lied, they would kill her. Her heartbeat was frantic, and she tried her best to be as nimble as possible to skirt through the alleyways. Oh, she shouldn’t be here; it was so wrong. If her father knew…she shuddered.

The alleys, the home of the Shadow Lurkers, it was like an alien land to her. All the concrete and buildings and stench of human, this unnatural jungle bewildered her. It was so unlike her old home of Sedge Creek, unlike any of the wild lands across the river that her pack now stalked seeking a new home. It was abnormal for a pack to live her, she thought, as she tried her best to navigate this confusing wasteland.

Damn! She cursed mentally, finding herself crossing her own trail, I have no idea where I am! She realised this was going to be harder than she had thought. She was in for a whole world of trouble. Even if Valian and his pack never found out she had been here, she knew the Lurkers were hardly going to welcome her. She would smell like the smell that had covered the bodies of the murdered Sasha and the little pup that had mewled beside her, and she could only hope they would hold off attacking her long enough that she could explain why she was here. She paused, testing the air, trying desperately to pick up a strong scent that might lead her nearer to the Lurker den so that she might see her…the little pup who had been left for the Lurkers as a mockery of Sasha’s death, and the weakness of her pack.

Vanity was small, mirroring Dawn’s little sixty pounds, with the same fluffy black coat, and bright yellow eyes. The only difference between them was the patch over their chests; Dawn’s was brown, perhaps Sasha’s way of claiming her heart to be similar to that of her mother, where Vanity’s was white, the same as her father. She was his replica, his mini-model. Yet she had gone against him, and had ended up here.

What am I doing!

Tyrannis & Iphito

Tyrannis and his aunt Iphito had been walking the alleys together on patrol. The two hybrids were rather at ease, as had most of the Lurker pack been of late. There had been little conflict in the valley recently, and the Shadow Lurkers had been enjoying the rare lull in activity. The joy of a new alpha pair, and a new litter had raised spirits, and they had rebuilt and rebonded after the attack of the Nuova Alba that now seemed to have happened a while ago.

"...yes, and Argolis seems to have calmed down and become more rational with the birth of his pups, and with Dixie around." Iphito mused to her nephew, padding round a corner into one of the wider alleyways when she caught a scent. She stopped dead, her floppy ears perking as she listened carefully. Tyrannis stopped too, his tall ears flickering when he caught the sound of rapid paw-falls nearby. His light brown eyes shot to his aunt, whose face was set firmly in controlled anger; she couldn't place the scent, but something in the back of her mind told her it was somehow familiar, and she did not trust it. The pair began their hot pursuit, taking a path that meant they rounded the corner in front of Vanity. The little wolfess was greeted by Tyrannis first, the brown brindle wolfdog a pretty impressive size, and strongly built. Beside him was his taller aunt, slender and graceful, but powerful, her dark fur with brown and almost orangey brindle streaks paired with deep burnt-amber eyes that fixed her with a hard, unfriendly stare. While Iphito was not outright aggressive to Vanity, her posture was not at all welcoming, and Tyrannis had his ears back against his skull, and the hint of a growl rumbling quietly in his throat, rocking side to side threateningly.

It was Iphito who spoke, being collected and cool in most situations, not matter how heated, "You are trespassing in the territory of the Shadow Lurkers. Who are you, and what do you want?" A glance from Iphito had Tyrannis tip his muzzle back and issue a howl to the alpha pair. She was probably not threat, being small and appearing to be on her own, but something about this felt wrong, and the two were not taking any chances with new pups in the pack, and elder canines to worry about.

Argolis & Bullet

A mate and new pups had indeed gone a long ways to iron out some of the wrinkles from Argolis' hotter personality. He was more approachable of late, and far less preoccupied with all the minor and major things that an alpha had to deal with on a daily basis. Dixie deserved a lot of that credit by appealing to the softer, more logical side of the hybrid that had lain dormant in his personality, and having someone to share the burdens of leadership went a long ways in clearing some of the stress from his mind. That wasn't to say that Argolis had lost any that edge which had made many in the pack skeptical when he first took alphaship, but kept it tempered much better until such a time came that it needed to be unleashed. And just such a time might be soon at hand.

The brindle wolfdog, with the tall, triangular ears of his father and the feral yellow eyes of his mother, was out with his uncle today as they investigated the scent of rats around the Den. The rodents had invaded the nest of Pirqua and Blackfeather during the night and made off with one of the pair's two unhatched eggs. "This's their main entry point here." Bullet pointed out open sniffing at the sad remains of an old drainspout, with enough holes corroded in the metal shaft to leak half the water out before it reached the ground. Argolis brought his darker muzzle down beside Bullets and wrinkled his lips back faintly at the smell of the rats, "We'll have Mesa ans Alanaque watch it during the day, and Juliet can monitor the drain at night. Then..." Not too far off, a howl broke Argolis' line of thought and brought his head snapping upwards. Tyrannis. With no further words, Argolis turned away and bolted for the location of his nephew's howl, with Bullet thundering after him.

It didn't take Argolis long to reach the scene. He had an intimate knowledge of the Alleys and all the little shortcuts to get where he was going, and he used that now as his heavy paws slowed to a stop beside Iphito and Tyrannis. With a high-held tail and eagle-eyed stare directed unflinchingly at Vanity, there was no question who was the boss around here, and Argolis was going to make sure this stranger knew it. His relatives received a passing glance before the alpha brute stalked boldly up to Vanity, repeating Iphito's demand, "Who are you?" From Argolis though, the question came more bluntly and with a greater intimidation factor. Much more quiet and reserved, Bullet approached the scene a few seconds after his nephew, and padded up beside Iphito while Argolis took control of the situation. From the looks of it, this appeared to be just another stray who'd wandered into their territory, until... a passing scent got the older male's nose to quiver. His tail cricked to show distress and he sniffed harder; there was something familiar about the smell, something that made Bullet's stomach want to churn with discomfort. Even the passing of three years could not erase this particular odor from his memory..

Vanity

Vanity froze when she was confronted by Iphito and Tyrannis, her small, slender frame dwarfed by theirs, which were almost three times her weight. She dropped her yellow eyes to the ground between them, her tail tucking between her hind legs, and her whole body lowering in hopeful appeasement and submission. She winced at Tyrannis’ snake-like movement, rocking from side-to-side, and felt the cold stare of his aunt on her. She was out of range of any strike, but in this confusing network of alleys, she couldn’t have felt more vulnerable. Vanity gulped, about to try and voice a reply to the large hybrid, when the other howled loudly. The sound chilled her to the core; he was summoning the pack, or at least their leaders. I’ve made a huge mistake! Her muzzle was practically brushing the group when her voice croaked from her, “My…my name is V-vanity. I-…” she stopped as she heard more paw-falls approaching them, and her heart was thumping so hard in her chest she felt like it might burst any minute. The approach of Argolis and Bullet meant her sleek frame dropped even further to skirt just over the concrete, all her muscles tensed for flight if they were to try and attack her. She could hopefully outrun them. Argolis approached her, and she risked a quick glance up at him, his posture confirming he was the alpha. Her ears immediately snapped back against her head, her eyes dropped back to staring at his chest, and she swallowed before trying to bring herself to speak again. Her whole body shook with fear. “Vanity,” she breathed out again, for the alpha’s benefit, “I…my sister – well…half-sister - lives h-here I think…but…” she recoiled, shuffling backwards to try and put herself out of Argolis’ reach, and away from the jaws of the gathered Lurkers, “…she was l-left here I think…my father, he…” She didn’t know what to say, her words broken and weak, but rushed, as though she didn’t quite want to say them, so thought best to spit them out quickly, “I don’t know her name, o-or that of her real mother…all I know is that she’s here, and soon they will come looking for her! I came to see her, to warn her…and to warn you all.”

Argolis & Bullet

Argolis' gruff, no-nonsense attitude eased up in response to Vanity's submission, and the obvious anxiety she was displaying. His first priority was always to ensure the safety of the pack, and it was clear that this she-wolf didn't mean to cause any harm, so there was no need to exert any further aggression her way. That wasn't to say he relaxed entirely. No, the alpha brute retained his assertive posture with a mask of cold indifference to the stranger as he waited and listened for her explanation. And once she gave it, fumbling at first before she gathered her words and wits a little better, Argolis had to draw his furry brows together in thought. And almost immediately, all that aggression came flooding back to make his hackles rise and his eyes narrow, "Vanity you say... who is your father? And who are 'they'?" His brindle-black muzzle swung back to pass a look over Iphtio, "Go warn the pack - have the falcons on alert, and get all the children upstairs!" 'Soon' was such a relative term, but Argolis was not going to take any chances, especially not when he had offspring of his own to protect, and so far in his reign over the Lurkers, he'd not had the opportunity to guide them in either an attack or in defense.

Bullet had grown significantly more tense. He couldn't quite place that scent yet, and his plane of thought was distracted by Vanity's frightening message. At least one thing was for certain; she didn't smell like a Haunter, and that was good news. But if not a Haunter, what other enemy of theirs could this be? Or was it even someone they knew...?

Vanity, Iphito & Tyrannis

She remained practically pressed against the ground, tensed and almost shaking with her muscles so taunt. The little black wolfess winced at his gruff tone, a whine breaking from in her chest involuntarily, as she avoided his fierce eyes. Vanity could not bring herself to respond, and Argolis was dishing out orders before she had composed herself once more.

Iphito and Tyrannis had watched the female with little in the way of sympathy. Her submission was working in her favour in that they did not outwardly show much aggression, but neither hybrid looked at all friendly. Tyrannis was a little more like his uncle, still rocking from side to side, his fur on end, eyes blazing. Iphito was more composed, sparing a glance for Bullet, before Argolis had orders for her. The news of a warning received soft growl from both of them, but Iphito nodded her head and hastily rushed back to the den to warn the others, and send up the sentries. She would make sure the vulnerable pups and elders would be protected deep within the den, and that the rest of the pack were on full alert.

Vanity glanced up when Argolis issued orders, she seemed a little surprised by the urgency she sensed in them all, “…I-I don’t think you need to w-worry right away, he doesn’t even know I’m here,” she explained, her eyes returning swiftly to glance at his chest as soon as his head turned back, completely submissive to the alpha would dwarfed her. “You may not have h-heard of him,” she said, her voice a little more together, “his name is Valian,” She tensed and flinched back almost immediately, uncomfortable at saying her own father’s name, but also terrified of any reaction the Lurkers may have had to it, if they recognised it. “…’they’ are him and his pack…my pack…the pack run by him and his mate, Saydin. Once we lived at Sedge Creek, but we have moved on since…” The little wolfess finally drew her eyes up to look at the bridge between Argolis’ eyes, avoiding direct eye-contact, but trying to show her sincerity in her bright yellow eyes. “You must be wary of them… - of us - …we may not be many, but my father he is cruel, and my brothers and sisters have been raised by Saydin to be demonic creatures…”

Tyrannis growled viciously, any fear from Vanity’s warning being channelled into aggression and rage, “Why are you telling us this? Surely you think we are a foolish bunch to believe you! This must be a trick, Uncle, to frighten us…”

Argolis & Bullet

It was truly unfortunate for Vanity that Argolis' mate was not here, for the boxer was far more prone to kindness than he, and had a much clearer head in such tense situations. It left the poor wolf under the scrutinizing gaze of Argolis and the two males that remained with him after Iphito dashed off to put the Aegis Den on alert. And if the alpha's aura of barely suppressed aggression wasn't unnerving enough, Tyrannis' swaying certainly put the icing on the cake. Even Bullet found it slightly unsettling, but that didn't stop the big wolfdog from standing firm beside his packmate, while Argolis continued to deal with the stranger. "Valian?" The name wrung a bell for sure, but it had been a few years ago that he'd heard it, and he wasn't familiar with the Sedge Creek pack, other than being vaguely aware that it was out near the mountains. "You believe they will come in force then, to take their relative back?" It was mostly a rhetorical question given in a haughty snarl, "Perhaps you should give your father a warning in return, Vanity. The Lurkers are not to be trifled with-" Just behind the alpha, Bullet was surprised when Argolis swung his head down and snapped at the cowering female, not to inflict a serious wound, but to snatch a mouthful of fur from her nape. Confused by the act, but saying nothing, Bullet remained silent while Argolis spit out what, if any, fur he managed to get from the she-wolf.

"Tyrannis brings up a good point. Why bother alerting us of this in the first place?" The alpha didn't turn his head back at his nephew, not wanting to let him his vigilance on Vanity, but an ear had gone back to listen to his words. "If it is a trick, you picked the wrong pack to hassle."

Vanity & Tyrannis

Vanity still remained cowered to the floor, her eyes dropping their gaze back to Argolis’ chest to appease him. “I-I don’t know, I doubt my father will come here looking for a fight…He much prefers other means of achieving his goals…He is cunning….” When he spoke of giving Valian a return warning, Vanity’s eyes shot up in surprise to stare at the face of the Lurker alpha, in time to see his muzzle drive quickly for her nape. Her cry of pain and shock was sharp, a high-pitched yelp that actually made Tyrannis’ swaying stop in his own surprise at the alpha’s move. His ears flicked back just for a second at how raw her cry was, but he was bristling once more as quickly composed himself. Vanity scooted away from Argolis, leaving him with a sizeable clump of black fur, her yellow eyes wide as she bore her fangs in fear, her whole body becoming instantly defensive. She was shaking as she next replied to him, but her soft voice had taken on an instant bite to it, and her eyes held an anger bourne of disbelief at his seemingly unfair attack, “I came to warn you for her sake – the sake of my half-sister,” she spat, “so that you can keep her safe. She is better off away from us. I do it for her. Then again, to attack a tiny, lone female who has come to aid you…perhaps you are no better than him!” She hissed at him quietly, her voice wavering with her frightened state. “You think I risk my own life to trick you! I’m more afraid of what they might do to me if they find out I have been here to tell you, than what you will do to me, Lurker!”

Rather than try to plead with Tyrannis, who looked just as irate as Argolis, Vanity turned to Bullet, the calmest of the trio, as she cowered before them all, “Please, you must believe me. I don’t know what he is planning, but it will not end well for your pack, or for my sister. I know my parents did horrible things to her mother before they…and I do not want anything like that to happen again. Please.”