Krove & Others

Greyfell would be mad. Greyfell would be very mad. Not only had Krove and Kane led a group of defects to the Nuova Alba, they had kidnapped his daughter too.
Luna Moth walked in the middle of the group, surrounded by Krove, Kane, Hannibal, Black Swan and Exodus. The four canines and one feline kept her from escaping, even though the zorse tried.
"You'll never get away with this! My father will kill you!" Luna screeched, snapping her teeth at Black Swan in warning.
Black Swan chuckled a bit. "Your father will be dead before he can rescue you." The clouded leopard/black panther hybrid said curtly, a sadistic grin on his face.
"You bastard!That's just a warning." With that, the group continued onward. Soon they could see the basin. They were almost there.

bandit

With only one entrance to the Basin itself, the group were quickly spotted by Kamari, who stood as one of the sentry's watching for incoming threats. From up on the small outcropping of rock, she had a good view of the oncoming party of five. However, she did not raise an alarm. Not yet. For behind the small group that approached the Basin, there came another group.

Bandit was covered in blood. Lurker blood. Lyckos' father had not stood a chance, and the tearing out of his throat had left Bandit's tan coat covered in a thick layer of blood from his head to his paws. Behind the Commander followed the ambush brigade that had sent a very clear message to the Lurkers; War was just around the corner. Risen herself may have been gone, but her goals would still be realised by her 'new dawn', her Nuova Alba. Behind Bandit padded his soldiers, cats and canines alike, some wounded, but they had all been trained in the old ways of the Haunters; they would not feel the pain.

Bandit's pace was fast, and they caught up enough with the other group before they could reach the Basin. Luna Moth and her friends were technically trapped, between Bandit, and the rest of the Family. The scent that stuck to the group instantly gave them away. "You best have a good reason to be here, Haunters. The Family does not take kindly to strangers."

Vaermina and Ardeth had merely been barriers for the ambush, and so they themselves were not injured. Harrow had some bite marks on his face, but was otherwise fine. Onslaught had a limp from torn up ligaments, but still could put up a decent fight on his own turf. And Bandit...well, he was a sight to behold. After all, he wasn't Commander for nothing. He glanced up to the usual sentry posts, and spotted Kamari. To her, he gave an almost unnoticeable signal to fetch Velvet. After all, if these Haunters had come to bargain, the Oracle would be needed. An army is only as strong as it's leaders, and it's leaders need the brains, as well as the brawn.

Krove & Others

Krove, the wolf hybrid who had the overall appearance of a Rottweiler, stepped forward to meet Bandit and his allies. He quickly noticed the blood, which he took as a sign that the Nuova Alba had either attacked or had been attacked recently. Krove was curious, but he said nothing about that matter in particular. Instead, he went on the introduce his group of Haunter defects.
"I am Krove, son of Huerosan and Shadi, former member of the Shadow Haunters." He nodded to each member of his group as he introduced them: "That's Kane, the one in the back is Hannibal, the leopard is Black Swan, and the African wild dog mutt is Exodus. We've got Frostlit coming along soon too." He then grinned and nodded to the equine in the middle. "And this is Luna Moth, our prisoner. She is the first daughter of Greyfell. He says he doesn't play favorites, but he does like Luna best. I figure you could use her for something."
"Let me go! Krove, I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!" The whites of the zorse mare's eyes were showing as she reared up. "My father will be here in no time to smash you into the mud!"
Krove simply looked back at the angry mare before addressing Bandit again. "...Which brings me to to reason we're here. We would like to join the Nuova Alba to see Risen's plan unfold. Greyfell is weak. He can't lead an army." As Krove said this, Black Swan nodded. It was the big cat who spoke next. "You, however, will change things in the Valley, and we would like to be a part of that."

Velvet & Others

Compared to the Ruins, the steeper land leading up to the basin made for a more treacherous climb, and one that required good footing and a keen eye for loose rocks and scree. The pale-coated horse handled the terrain without too much complaint and kept up with the group that was leading Luna Moth to the Basin, wanting to make absolute sure that Greyfell's favorite daughter would never see her father again. She wanted her daughter to be the apple of his eye, and if that meant sabotaging the others... well, so be it.

"Well well, what a gathering we have here." After being summoned by Kamari, the lioness Oracle of the Nuova Alba made her debut by leaping atop an angled boulder that stretched five feet above the ground where the others stood. Velvet's voice purred with curiosity, first taking in the sight of her Commander and the troops he brought back. Bloodied, but otherwise... wait, where was Malacath...? The feline turned a questioning look to the Commander, before addressing the more pressing issue at hand. "Former?" Her tightly coiled muscled propelled her into a leap, sailing gracefully from her rocky perch, and landing nearly in front of Krove. "Interesting indeed." She began to stalk slowly around the canine, sizing him up and testing his reaction before coming to a stop in front of him again, "Would you be willing to turn your fangs against former packmates, family, and friends? Because once you join us, the Haunters will be your enemies, without exception."

Leope had been all for getting back to the Basin and lounging for the rest of the day, to lick his wounds and hopefully be brought back some food. But now the lion stood at attention, holding his regal body in an attentive posture, despite the mauling he'd took during the assault. As far as he was concerned, he didn't care if Krove and the others joined or not - he left those politics up to the leaders. Camanche was a little more wary however, but knew better than to speak up against her elder sister Velvet. She hung back with her father and the rest of the assault group, prepared to follow whatever orders would be given, whether it was to chase away the would-be Haunter defectors, or cautiously embrace them.

bandit

The group listened in disciplined silence. Bandit did not even seem to react when they mentioned they were former Haunters. The prisoners outburst also brought no emotion or reaction from the Nuova Alba. Bandit simply watched her through cold, unfeeling eyes. As Velvet took about testing the defectors, Bandit signalled to the band behind him to enter the Basin, but not before telling them to prepare for an attack from the Haunters. Greyfell would not leave this prisoner business for long.

Instead of Bandit, the defectors would hear a different voice. From behind the group, Incalia emerged from the only entrance to the Basin. The old hybrid still held that prowess and power she had from her youth, and though she physically was not her former self, those eyes still held the fire that had driven her so far within Risen’s old Haunters. "Son of Heurosan?" she asked, a wicked glint in her dark eyes, "then Welcome, my grandson. Many of your blood relatives live with us." Bandit continued to watch with an unreadable mask, before he added his own question to Velvets. "And if I know the Haunters as well as I do, they will not let this go unanswered for long. Are you prepared to strike them down as they come for the zorse?"