Tom, Swan, Dip, & Tommy

The trip back wasn't a pleasant one, but Tom was able to keep Swan under control, and the ropes bound around his wolvine captive. Guiding the mare along a row of unoccupied enclosures, Tom slid off and undid the ropes that secured Aleu to the equine. Dragging her along, he placed her in the cage. He stood poised in the doorway, placing a heavy foot on the wolf's head as he quickly cut through the ropes that bound her muzzle. Then he scrambled back and closed the door. He would let her chew through the bindings around her legs, rather than risk taking them off himself. "Lets just hope all this work hasn't gone to waste." Tom mumbled as he led Swan to a nearby stall, then left for the Cabin.

In a stall next to Aleu's was Tommy. Half wolf, half border collie. If not taken in by Ethan, the wiley little hybrid would have been a legendary himself. As it was, he was the most rambunctious, rebellious member of the two hunting packs here. Which was one reason he was kept in a kennel most of the time.

Dip offered Aleu a hasty laugh before he sauntered after Tom. His face stung horribly, and he sought the humans skills in healing.

Tommy did not share the inherited animosity towards wolves that the King Hounds did. For this, he didn't offer Aleu the less than friendly words and snide remarks that Dip had. Instead, he reguarded her with curiousity. "Humans aren't any fun, are they?" Personally, he didn't like his master, for the reason that he kept him cooped up most of the time.

.aleu

the ivory lupine had even dozed off once or twice during the long ride, her various pains and exhaustion allowing her to catch a few winks of sleep, even in such a predicament. she woke with a start when the horse stopped moving, for the first time in quite awhile. blinking rapidly to clear the sleep from her eyes, the wolf felt the ropes loosen, and she slid off the horse's rump into tom's arms. of course, this didn't quite register for a moment... then it did. eww. aleu squirmed in his arms, rather half-heartedly. she knew it was pointless.

she felt herself dumped unceremoniously on the hard ground, and a 'oof' left her vocals. what did he think she was, a sack of taters? gosh almighty! suddenly, in another humiliating gesture, she felt his foot press her head against the ground. what on earth?! with a snarl, she felt her jaws finally be released. yes! she would've lunged at tom had she not suddenly realized something- her legs were bound! a bark of frustration left her vocals, and she quickly began to gnaw at the ropes, dark eyes following tom as he left. this was ridiculous!

finally she managed to snap all the ropes, freeing herself from their bondage. aleu slowly stood, gingerly holding her injured leg a bit above the ground. as she adjusted to the freedom to move, stretching slightly, she suddenly caught sight of the dog in a kennel beside her. wary, she stiffened slightly, just waiting for a verbal assault to begin...

but it didn't. her ears pricked slightly as he spoke, dark eyes narrowing slightly. well, this was weird and unexpected.
No, they most certainly are not.
she spat, her bitter hatred directed more at the thought of humans, not the dog.
So tell me, dog, why are you here?

Tommy & Meservea

Walking over, he sat down nearer her side of the fence, "Me? Ben uses me to fight and hunt... erm... well, wildlife. Sometimes Ethan takes me to the Pit to fight as well." Tommy explained, looking skyward for a moment as he thought about something. "I'd ask you why you're here, but I suppose you don't know any better than I do. You must be a Legendary though, am I right?"

As Tommy spoke, a black-phase King Hound came sauntering towards the enclosures. She had been absent on the most recent hunting trips due to an injury this fall, and he finally recovered enough to be placed back on the team. "Looks like we have another... fighter?" She spoke, her voice cynical as she looked at Aleu. "Or maybe just bait."

Tommy raised an eye at the large dog, "I don't know, Mez, it looked like Tom went through a lot of trouble to bring her here alive... I doubt he'd do all of that if she were going to be bait." He countered, looking back to Aleu, "I fighter perhaps... it's hard to tell. They want her alive."

.aleu

aleu was silent as the mixed-breed spoke, dark eyes studying him carefully, still wary, even with the kennel sides seperating them. at his question, a slight nod of agreement was her only gesture. Yes, I am.

at that moment, the calm that had begun to relax aleu ever so slightly was shattered at the appearance of the black king hound. tensing, the pallid she-wolf narrowed her eyes slightly, taking a step back from the fence. who was this? the cynical tone of her voice grated on aleu's nerves, and she didn't respond. she lifted her head slightly, ears pricked.

as the two canines debated over aleu's fate right in front of her, she simply remained silent, slightly amused at the whole setup. after all, it was a bit ridiculous- she was right here, guys! she wasn't going to be bait. no way jose. and as for this fighter business, what was that? she'd prefer to be focusing on a way to get out of here, then listen to their incessant chatter.

Tommy & Meservea

The two continued to talk, debating Aleu's future until Tommy broke off from the redundant conversation. Personally, he found many of the King Hounds to be too stuck-up, and his thin nerves were easily frayed by their uppity personalities. "What happens, happens, I s'pose." The hybrid said, turning his attention away from the larger canine as he focused back on La Refugia dell Valle. "What kind of stuff have you done to rile the humans so much?"

Meservea narrowed her dark eyes, but bit her tounge for the moment. As much as she hated to admit it, the hound was rather curious to hear what Aleu had to say. And besides, it would give Mes all the more reason to tear the wolf to peices if she ever got the chance.

.aleu

the tension between aleu and meservea grew as the conversation lingered on, the pallid lupine eyeing the onyx king hound with wary displeasure. how did she get stuck with such a neighbor? she listened half-heartedly while tommy spoke, her narrowed gaze still lingering over the hostile dog.

at that point in time, she realized that tommy had asked her a question. tearing her gaze from meservea, she thought about his question for a moment. Oh, nothing big, really. I-I've, ah, killed a few things, you know. she said, not wanting to brag. A few humans, that sort of thing. aleu said modestly, stealing a glance back at the onyx canine.

she'd actually killed about seven or eight humans, along with maiming scott and steve. oh, and attacking tom, dip, things like that. aleu didn't keep track of the things she'd done- the humans did it for her.

Tommy & Meservea

Tommy nodded at the information, as if she were speaking on something as trivial as what she ate for lunch. Meservea, on the other hand, looked as though Aleu had just insulted her on the greatest level. "You vile, evil creature!" The dog spat with seething indignitation, "I will be sure that you die!"

"Don't mind her." Tommy said with a yawn, not one to be easily excited over anything, at least while he was locked up in his kennel. "You must have killed some important humans, or at least quite a few. I'm still baffled as to why you're here, but at least I have someone to talk to now."

The king hound narrowed her eyes, looking accusingly at the smaller hybrid, "Tommy, how dare you even speak to her! You act like she's one of us!"

aleu

normally, aleu is a very calm character. she doesn't take offense easily, or usually resort to taunting others. but this meservea- she deserves it. as the black dog spat out her warning to aleu, the pallid lupine let a sneer twist her pretty features. oh, did I do something to upset the mighty king hound? she said, her smooth words nearly dripping with sarcasm. lips pulled back in a snarl, she began to stroll (with a slight limp) along the kennel fence, relishing the fact that she was just out of meservea's reach, a terribly unfortunate thing. I'll consider myself warned. aleu said with a wry chuckle, laughing at the dog's antics. such is the canine, I suppose.

finally she turned her gaze back to tommy, still taunting the black dog. Hmm, it was seven or eight, I suppose. Of course, she looked towards meservea with wicked delight, those are just the ones I've killed. it's true. that doesn't include the attacks she'd made, like on silly scott and steve. idiots! she should've finished them off when she'd had the chance. knowing full well how mad she was making the king hound, the wolf narrowed her eyes, chuckling slightly as the dog yelled at the hybrid, chastising him for speaking to aleu.

aw, come now meservea. we aren't really that different. she said in a smooth, irritating tone, batting her lashes in a mocking gesture towards the hound. ooh, now that, my dear, is an insult. aleu was having quite a bit of fun here, with meservea. ridiculous dog...

Tommy & Meservea

Tommy couldn't contain his own mirth when Aleu took up the taunting of Meservea. Laughing at her quips, he didn't even try to hide the grin that spread over his lean muzzle.

Meservea was taken aback to hear the wolf's retorts. Never had a wolf dared to speak back to her like this. With her impressive size and strength, they would offer her at most a hasty growl. Although usually, none of her 'victims' got such a chance. Now, her pride got a serious shot to it and it took the hound a moment to respond, "Do you know who you're speaking to?! I'm a King Hound, the best of the best! I am nothing like you - you feral piece of trash! If those bars weren't there... boy, you'd be sorry." Her words grew sharp and her fangs glistened in striking ivory contrast to her ebony pelt.

Tommy was delighted by the argument. It may be in his best interest to keep in good pace with his own pack mates, but he couldn't help but get under the hound's skin this time. After all, he needed a bit of entertainment after being stuck in this kennel for so long, "I wouldn't be too sure of yourself there, Mes. This wolf's pretty bad-ass; you should've seen what she did to Tom's arm."

The king hound stood aghast now, her jaw dropping down slightly before it clenched. "You bit Tom...? Oh, you are going to be sorry for that." Rarely did Tom fall victim to the jaws of his prey. It was a good thing that the older man wasn't as vengeful as some of the other men around here.

.aleu

aleu was very, very satisfied with the response she got from meservea. it was clear she'd gotten under her skin, and it delighted her. the ivory wolf halted for a moment, watching the black dog as she ranted about her breeding and what-not. a look of delighted mischief glittered in her dark eyes, accompanied by a barely concealed dislike for the onyx pooch. a delighted smile lit her features, a very smug look accompanying it. as meservea continued to snarl and whine about feral trash, bars, blah blah blah, aleu simply yawned and feigned disinterest. Alright, Meservea, I get it. I'm feral trash who's clearly superior in brains, if not brawn, to a king hound. Anything more you wanna tell me? she taunted, her words dripping with humored sarcasm. she caught sight of tommy, noting his delight. well, it was time someone took this king poochie down a peg or two, eh? Yeah, no bars equals me sorry. I'll consider myself warned again. aleu spat, clearly not taking the hound seriously. after all, who would?

As tommy spoke his bit, in her defense, she was a bit suprised. but a knowing smile tugged at her lips as he addressed tom's, ah, 'condition.' she'd more than bit that man. Yeah, I guess I did. If 'bit' is what you call snapping and ripping. she said. Oh, bit him in the side, but I don't think that left as big a mark. Probably just a bruise. And, oh yeah. Made him fall off his horse. Nothing big. she said smoothly, as though recounting a romp in the park or a play fight. she glaned over her shoulder, for aleu was facing away from meservea, delight in her features.

Tommy & Meservea

Ebony hackles rose like the quills of an infuriated porcupine as Meservea moved closer to the kennel. Pressing her long muzzle against the bars, she glared hard at the wolf, "You think your tough stuff, don't you? Well have your fun, because the moment the humans have finished their need for you, I'll be waiting."

Tommy laughed lightly at Aleu's casual discription of what she had done. "I would have loved to see that." As Meservea started up on her rant once more, the hybrid took his time in a leisurely stretch and a yawn before standing up and turning his ears towards the direction of the house. He could hear someone coming out.

aleu

she just doesn't get it, does she? tsk tsk tsk. meservea still thinks that her little rants and threats will someone make aleu afraid of her. fat chance, doll. aleu fears very few of her own [canine] race, and meservea isn't even in the running.

aleu was quite tired from her long day, which was to be expected. she slowly and carefully lowered herself to the dirt floor of the enclosure, making sure her injured leg and hip were comfortably positioned. Waiting, eh? For what, my autograph? aleu is very sarcastic, and right now she was feeling quite cynical. well, that and the fact that she could see how easily she was getting under the king hound's skin. lounging back slightly, appearing quite comfy and at ease with her position, the wolf simply watched meservea.

suddenly, she caught sight of tommy's movement, her own eyes following his towards the house. the pallid wolf tensed slightly, her own ears pricked, listening intently.

Tommy, Meservea, & Ryan

Almost shivering with fury at this point, Meservea fumbled with a good retort. Not able to come up with one, she resolved with one last remark, "Just heed my words, you peice of trash; as soon as you're out of the safety of the bars, you'll be dead." With an annoyed glare to Tommy, the king hound turned sharply and sauntered away from the group.

About this time, a younger man arrived at the kennels, carrying a large bucket with him. There was something different in the way he moved, and a different look in his eyes. Almost like he didn't belong here. "So you're the cause of all the trouble, are you?" He said, looking to Aleu and noting the injuries she carried, and the stamina she seemed to have despite them. Probably one of the reasons she had been so hard to track and catch up till now.

As Tommy watched, the younger man said some words as he took hunks of meat from the bucket. Two were tossed in each kennel before the man snapped a few photos of Aleu and Tommy, then moved on to feed the others.

"That was strange..." THe little hybrid pointed out, but his curiousity didn't last long in the face of food. Momentarily forgetting about Ryan, he set into the meat that was offered and began to 'wolf' it down.

.aleu

the lupine's eyes narrowed dangerously as the young man approached the kennel. she allowed meservea's snide comments to pass without a sarcastic retort, all her attention focused on this 'ryan' character. aleu didn't want to get up, for her muscles were aching, her bruises and injuries causing her to be in quite a bit of pain. pulling her upper lip back in a wicked snarl, she simply watched the man carefully. as ryan tossed the hunks of meat into the kennel, aleu shrank back, a sharp bark leaving her vocals. as he shut the kennel, she slowly slunk towards the meat, which wasn't too far. eyes narrowed, never leaving the form of the human, she began to nibble on the meat. as he lifted the strange black box to his eyes [the camera] she again flinched and shrank back, lips pulled back still, ears pinned tightly against her thick skull. what did he want?

as tommy spoke, signaling the departure of ryan, aleu relaxed slightly. she finished up the rest of the meat, glancing towards the hybrid as she licked her lips. What? she inquired, wondering what exactly he'd done anyway. she glanced in the direction he'd gone, still incredibly wary, before allowing her gaze to return her neighbor.

Tommy

Licking his stained muzzle as the last of his meal was devoured, Tommy looked back to Aleu. "What?" And then, before giving her time to restate her question, he seemed to recall what she had said, "I think that human's a bit different. For one, he's not mean." The hybrid pointed out thoughtfully, turning his gaze to follow Ryan. Soon though, the man was out of sight.

Whatever the reason for Ryan's slightly different behavior than the others, Tommy was glad for the extra peice of meat. Too bad he didn't open his kennel to let him out though. Now that would have been really nice. "It's a good sign they're feeding you. I guess they want to keep you around."

.aleu

the slender wolf listened quietly as tommy spoke, her gaze following his to catch another brief glimpse of ryan. hmm. with a slight shrug, aleu refocused her attention on tommy, nodding absently. it was true, they were feeding her. and the meat wasn't poisoned, like it was the last time a human had tried to 'feed' her!

Keep me around? Why on earth would they want to do that? aleu inquired, looking a bit confused. it's true- she had her heart set on killing (or at least maiming) every single human who had touched her throughout this humiliating ordeal. she's big on revenge, in case you haven't gathered that yet.

Tommy

"Good question." The hybrid replied with a nod to the wolfess, showing he knew little of what his masters thought. Another reason he was kept in the kennel most of the time; he didn't readily obey their commands. "I'll give..." Tommy stopped abruptly, watching as a shorter, middle-aged man stepped out from the house and headed towards a nearby truck. "Look there. See that human?" He inquired, before looking sharply to Aleu, "Whatever you do, don't bite him. Tear up the other humans if you want, but not him. He's the alpha. You probably shouldn't bite Ethan either... but you can if you want." Tommy added with a shrug.

.aleu

Aleu listened as Tommy spoke, allowing her gaze to sweep towards the house, narrowing at the sight of the man. Who was this? Turning to Tommy, she was about to ask when he answered her question. Ears pricked, the white wolf allowed a small yawn to escape her, then she glanced at the human again. She was feeling a bit cocky, and so she questioned Tommy's warning. Why not? What happens if I bite him, out of all the others? she asked, ears pricked. The lupine had to admit she was curious about this whole 'human hierarchy' that seemed to be present.

Tommy

Tommy laid down again, his gaze trailing the truck as it pulled out of the drive and was lost amongst the trees. "As long as you're on his good side, you can get away with what you did... biting Tom and the others. Bite Ben, and you loose that immunity. And probably your life." The hybrid explained, looking to Aleu now that the truck was gone, "Although, you've got to watch out for the one called Dan.. he gets a bit vengeful. As far as I can tell, he's pretty low in the hierarchy, but he'll do things when the others aren't looking." Tommy smirked suddenly, a slight laugh mingling in his words, "Dan is the funnest to mess with though. If you thought that was fun with Meservea, boy you ought to try riling that guy. Of course, make sure one of the high-rankers are around to protect you. Hell, I think they get a kick out seeing us toy with Dan!"

.aleu

Aleu tucked away that little bit of information, in case it could come in handy. She too lay near the fence, listening intently to her new 'friend.' Hmm, so biting this human named Ben could bring about her demise, and quickly apparently. The lupine was pondering these new developments when Tommy spoke again, talking about this 'Dan' character. She couldn't help a slight chuckle as he described how easily this man could be riled. The canine had found it fun to pick on Meservea, and she couldn't wait to meet Dan. If he tried to attack her because she messed with him, well... he'd come to regret that soon enough.