Dusk Stalker

Velvet had chosen her half-sister for this particular mission, a strategic move for the lioness. From what they knew of Nachi, the wolf had a peculiar obsession with felines, and seeing that Dusk Stalker was a gorgeous, 280-lbs cougar and lion mix, she was a perfect candidate for the role. If she could get Nachi in cahoots with their group, they would hold a very strong advantage over not only the Shadow Haunters, but it could very well work out to gain the Aspen Grove pack as allies as well... or in the very least, keep the quiet pack from attacking them or daring to join up with their enemies. Of course, it all depended on whether Dusk could convince Nachi to join them.

The graceful feline padded quietly into the land, stopping to sniff here and there and figure out who all was in this particular pack, and more importantly, if Nachi was anywhere around.

Darling

Keap and Ranui were the apples of her mother's eye, but Darling... she was treated like a pest and lowly vermin. She was fed and kept warm, but if she ever tried to romp around with Nachi, she would get rebuffed and snapped at more often than not, and was driven away from meals until Nachi and her brothers had gotten their fills first. It was almost as if she were the omega of the pack, and yet she was just a pup still, only a few months old, and at an age that she should have been treated like royalty and doted over. Then again... her mother was Nachi, who was infamous for her bizarre behavior and widely known for have a few screws loose in her head.

Seeking to avoid the bullying of her mother, the beige and tan pup sought to go off exploring by herself, leaving the safety of her den, and knowing that she wouldn't be in trouble anyway even if she was caught wondering so far away. Would they even care if she came back? Darling doubted it. Maybe her father would, but Nachi seemed to have lost all interest in her. Either way, Darling focused away from those sad thoughts, and more on what her nose was telling her. There was a very interesting smell in the air, one that she hadn't ever come across before! Not knowing that this was the scent of Dusk Stalker, the little pup curiously followed after it, not even considering that she could be putting herself in danger.

Dusk Stalker

To the skilled huntress, it didn't much effort to hear the youngster coming her way. When she heard the rustle of paws against the ground, she stopped and waited, spotting Darling probably before the youngster saw her. "My, my, what do we have here?" Dusk Stalker purred when the pup came close enough, "You look rather small to be walking on your own. Where are your parents?" If only she wasn't tasked with trying to draw Nachi to her side, this would have been the perfect chance to nab a pup for the group.

Darling

Darling jumped up with a squeak of fear. "Ahhhh!" Her nose was working overtime, and she was so dedicated to the scent along that she hadn't been paying attention to what was going on in front of her until she had nearly walked right into the big cat. After giving her squeak of terror, Darling scrambled back so quickly that she tripped over her own big paws and fell back on her haunch. ears instantly flatted back against her head, and her eyes were so wide they looked like they might just overtake her entire face. "I-I, uh... M-my parents..." She had never seen something as massive as Dusk before, and try as she might to formulate an intelligible response, nothing but stuttering jibberish spilled out.

Dusk Stalker

To refrain from frightening the pup any more than she already was, Dusk Stalker hid the grin that tried to form, and instead went forth with a voice that was sweet and purring, "I'm sorry little one, I didn't mean to frighten you. My name is Dusk Stalker." Her ears pivoted this way and that, reacting to the various noises around her. She honestly didn't fear this pack too much, unless they all showed up at once; she was a big cat after all, and could handle herself. That said, she didn't want to blow her chances with Nachi by getting in a tussle with a protective pack member, which is precisely what could happen if she continued to scar Darling like this. "Your mom's name is Nachi, isn't it?"

Darling

"Y-yes..." Darling stammered. She was going to be eaten, she knew it! Her heart pounded like a jackhammer within her chest, and she could hear the pulse thrumming threw her ears as adrenaline pumped through her. Taking a quivering step backwards, Darling tried to put some space between her and Dusk Stalker, as if that might somehow save her if the big... whatever it was... pounced at her. "My dad is here, and-and Irie, and th-the others...." She was trying to intimidate the big cat by informing her that her pack was surely around, but Darlings voice was nothing more than a quiet squeak of noise that sounded far from confident.

In'Alak, Recon, & Iariadie

Darling's meek attempt at intimidating Dusk Stalker turned out to be more believable than she realized. Dusk Stalker might be quiet footed and stealthy, but her scent was open for the trio to pick up on, and they followed it readily, with the safety of the pups in mind. "Hey!" In'Alak snarled in a sharp tone, bursting into a lunging stride when he was within sight of Stalker and Darling. "Back off, cat!" All fangs and bristled fur, the 95 pound wolf knew better than to directly engage the big cat. Instead of that, he circled around her while his brother and nephew closed in to back him up.

"You wanna piece of us!?" Iariade, a good ten pounds lighter than his brother, and a shade darker, was also no match for the tresspasser; but they had numbers on their side. His son circled with the others, then placed himself right over Darling, with the youngster positioned between his two front paws. Head lowered and canines bared, he dared the cat to make a move.

Dusk Stalker

Try as she might, this conversation with Darling just wasn't going well. Either she was going to end up scaring the poor thing to death, or... the rest of the pack would arrive. Hearing the approaching paws shortly before either of them spoke out, Dusk Stalker wisely took a few creeping steps backwards to put more distance between her and Darling, and hopefully look less threatening to the youngster. "Easy, you guys, I'm not here to make a meal out of anyone. I just want to talk with your alphess, okay?" Annoyed as she was by their interruption and threats, the big cat kept her tones in line and didn't get snappy with the canines. She couldn't afford to ruin her chances and upset Velvet's plan.

In'Alak, Recon, & Iariadie

Using his paw as a guide, Iriadie tried to nudge Darling back a little more, so that she'd be more under his belly, and out of range of any sudden paw swipe or pounce from Dusk Stalker. "Nachi?" Not believing the cat's intentions straight off the bat, Irie raised an eyes and shared a look with his son and brother. His blue orbs flashed back to the cat, "Why do you want to speak with her? A cat has no business in our lands!" In'Alak starting stalking off towards the side, placing himself on the very fringe of Dusk's sight, so that the cat would have to keep turning her head if she wanted to keep an eye on all of them. It was a tactic that the pale brother hoped would dissuade Dusk Stalker from trying to attack.

Darling

She felt a little better for having the three wolves show up. It wasn't enough to stop her from shivering however; nerves still on edge, the daughter of Starscream and Nachi stumbled backwards as Iariadie nudged her that way. "I want my daddy..." Tucking her tail and dropping her muzzle down onto her paws, the pup whimpered in earnest, wishing to see her father rather than her mother, seeing him as the strong protector while Nachi... well, she wasn't so sure the wolfess would actually protect her against an attack.

Dusk Stalker

Her tail switched behind her in subtle conveyance of her irritation. She did her best to control it however, not wanting to loose her temper and ruin a shot at speaking with Nachi. "As you may or may not know, she and I were once part of the Shadow Haunters pack." Mention of that name usually either brought shivers or looks of pride, depending on who was hearing it. She wasn't sure how these brothers thought of the pack, or whether it was wise to mention it, but she was clearly getting no where fast anyway. "Neither of us are part of that pack now. I merely wanted to extend a friendly alliance proposal, and since we know each other, I figured it would be best to speak to her over Starscream."

Nachi & Pups

"Stand down, boys." The tawny, brown-gray female could speak for herself, and did so as she approached the group with a high held head and tail. The scent of a big cat didn't go long unnoticed by Nachi, not when the wolfess was so bizarrely obsessed with the felines. Almost more so than her love of small creatures. A single look, the dreaded 'alpha stare' was given to Iriadie and his brethren in a clear command for them to stand down, "Dusk, it's been a while since I've seen you. What are you here for? A home?" The rest of her pack might cringe at the open invitation to the feline, but Nachi asked it as pleasantly as if she were dealing with an old friend. Not once did she take note of her trembling, fearful daughter, aside from a casual glance to note where she was.

"Are you okay, sis?" Rainu slunk over to his sister, leaving his mother's side to comfort Darling. "Don't worry, Keap and I won't let anyone hurt you." Responding to her brother's words, Darling scooted closer to the black pup and continued to watch Dusk with wide eyes, "...I thought she was going to eat me!"

Meanwhile, Keap was standing near his mother, feeding off of her confidence near the big cat, and showing far more interest in her than the others.

Dusk Stalker

The indifference that Nachi showed to her daughter was a little irksome to Dusk Stalker. She didn't have cubs of her own, but the wolfess and her slightly off kilter behavior was a little... unsettling to the feline. It was part of the reason Velvet wanted an alliance with the female though, because if she could be so disregarding of her own offspring, it should be simple enough to get her to give up future pups in return for.. well, whatever it was that the alphess would agree to. "Not quite, Nachi, though I see you've got a lovely abode here, and loyal members. My reason for being here is to seek an alliance with you. And... a little something else." She was sure Nachi would agree to the terms, but she didn't want to say it in front of the other canines, "Might we speak in private?"

Nachi & Pups

Nachi's fatal flaw, aside from not being 'all there', was an insatiable fascination in felines that went so far as to disrupt how she dealt with the rest of the pack. Where a normal alpha might have consulted their partner, or in the very least, shown a bit more consideration for their offspring, Nachi not only agreed to have a private conversation with Dusk Stalker... she actually arched her neck down and gave a warning bite to Keap, "Don't follow." That stopped Keap in his tracks, his breath momentarily stalled in his lungs as he absorbed the sudden change in his mother's behavior. "What do you have in mind, Dusk?"

In'Alak, Recon, & Iariadie

Dusk Stalker wasn't the only one a little put off by the wolfess' manner of dealing with the situation. Not that any of them were going to bring that up with her. "I'm sure your dad will be here soon. It's okay Darling, that cat isn't going to hurt you." Iariadie picked up where Darling's mother completely failed at and took a shot at cheering up the youngster. "Come along, why don't the three of you come over here?" After giving Darling a reassuring lick on the top of her head, Iariadie stepped over the two and moved towards In'Alak and Recon, who looked just a little stupified as Nachi left her offspring in favor of cavorting with the cat.

In'Alak shook his head after the alphess was out of sight, and sat down as Iariadie moved over to him. "If you ask me, I'm not so keen on having a cat as an ally." Beside his uncle, Recon kept his trap shut - he didn't particularly enjoy the idea either, but had lived in the Ruins long enough to be comfortable around felines.

Dusk Stalker

Dusk Stalker moved along silently enough, with her big paws making next to no noise on the cold ground. When the both of them were out of hearing of the rest of the pack, the hybrid lowered her head down and spoke in a whispered voice only loud enough for the alpha mother to hear. "I belong to a new order now, the Nuova Alba. We were hoping that you might be able to help us with some things, mostly in the realm of cubs..." 'Cubs' was all she needed to say, Dusk figured, for Nachi to pounce at the opportunity. "...we need someone of your dedication to help us... acquire more cubs, and possibly look after some if we need help." That was only half of the deal, but the other half she needn't inform the slightly crazy she-wolf of.

Nachi & Pups

To get his sister up and moving, Rainu had to nudge her a few times and give her an encouraging lick on the muzzle, similar to what Iariadie did moments earlier. The kindly ministrations finally urged the adolescent up onto her paws, to trail after the three adults. She sought out Iarie and sat down next to him without saying a word and kept her ears pinned back.

Keap moved after the others too, after looking over his shoulder a few times to watch his mother and Dusk retreat some distance away. "I think a cat would be cool to have in the pack." The youngster asserted firmly, "She can help us get more food, and protect us against intruders. Plus Mom likes cats, so it would make her happy." Hearing this, Rainu narrowed his eyes a little and shook his head, "I don't like her... she scared Darling."

Nachi was having a much more pleasant conversation with her feline chum several yards away. Her dark eyes were brimming with excitement and peculiar fondness that should have been reserved for her pups, but instead was being honed on the big cat, "Of course, of course, I can do that. My mate's sister has some offspring, it wouldn't take much to capture any one of them. My brother still lives with the Haunters, and they always have a surplus of young things. Yes, I can help you."

Dusk Stalker

The true level of Nachi's odd devotion was revealed in the surprise revelation that she would happily steal pups from her mate's own sister. Dusk Stalker tried not to let the surprise show on her face, and personally, she couldn't care less whether Nachi would backstab her own mate like that, if it meant getting more young recruits for the Nuova Alba. After all, they weren't a pack built on the same morals as most others were. "That sounds perfect. Whatever you can do to help will be greatly appreciated. There is one more thing I need to ask of you... would you speak with your mate on our behalf, and let him know of our alliance?" Nachi might be easy to win over, but Dusk Stalker was hesitant about Starscream and wasn't sure how he would take to it. They way she figured it, he'd be more likely to agree to the terms if they came from his own mate, rather than some strange cat.

Nachi & Pups

Keap rolled his eyes and narrowed them right back at Rainu, "Darling needs to start being brave like Mom is, then she wouldn't be so scared all the time." He spoke unflinchingly to his brother and sister alike. His larger size made it much easier for him to be dominant over the other two, and it probably didn't help that Nachi preferred to baby him a little more than Rainu. The darker pup rumbled in the back of his throat, not at all liking how Keap was siding with the cat and not with them, "If you tried being a little nicer, maybe she wouldn't be scared so much!" The rumble from Rainu spurred a growl from Keap, "Being 'nice' isn't going to make her tougher, dumbbutt! You've gotta be brave and fearless if you want to survive!"

While the brothers were getting into it, a war of words that made Darling sink lower to the ground and feel more miserable about, Nachi was brimming with excitement in her discussion with Dusk Stalker. "I'm not sure where he is right now, though I'll be sure to let him know of our arrangement." Her yellow-gray eyes, holding such a light of endearment and wonder that it was near impossible to gage what sort of intelligence might be lurking beneath, studied Dusk with the sort of devotion of one looking over the face of a long lost loved one. "When I've captured these pups, do you want them delivered directly to you, or should I hold onto them for some time?"

Dusk Stalker

For all the creepy looks she was getting, Dusk Stalker remained admirably calm and showing no outward signs of being disturbed or uneasy. A soft smile still played on her soft muzzle, and her wideset eyes were patient and inviting. "Thank you; I thought it may go a little smoother if you explained the situation to him. And please let him know that he and your pack can count on us for support. I know you are a master at what you do-" Lavishing praise on the crazy wolf ought to help, shouldn't it? "-but should you encounter trouble and have another pack after you, we will step in." Ah, and now for what to do with the pups captured, an aspect that Dusk Stalker still had to speak with Bandit and Velvet about. For the time being, she decided to wing it now and work the details out later, "If it is easier for you, you can keep them here, and we can send envoys out to collect cubs from time to time. Does that work for you?"

In'Alak, Recon, & Iariadie

Sensing Darling's need for continued comfort, Iariadie eased down onto his belly, laying down next to the frightened pup and curling his tail partly around her side for further support, much like a friend might put an arm around their comrade's shoulder when they were upset. At first, he listened to the brothers' argument without intruding into it, but when the growls and rumbles started up, he darted a look to In'Alak for help. And while In'Alak got the message and stepped forward, Iariadie began to groom Darling in an attempt to relax her somewhat and let her know that all would be well.

"Break it up, you two." With a stern glare at both of them, and more pointedly at Keap than Rainu, In'Alak warned them both to mind their manners. His hackles rose and he showed the tips of his fangs as a visual backup, even if he wouldn't dare harm either of the alphas' pups; he wasn't sure if Nachi would murder him or not for such a thing, but Starscream sure as hell wouldn't be happy about it. But then, neither would either of them be happy to find their sons betting the tar out of each other over a trivial matter. "The cat might look neat, but felines have no place in a wolf pack, and are unpredictable."

Nachi & Pups

Keap had been all for poofing his coat out and having a go at Rainu, to put him in his place. His dark brown ears went forward and he expanded the fur along his neck, and was just taking a step forward when In'Alak raised his voice and ordered a cease and desist - the sudden act made Keap falter and swing his muzzle around to look up at the other wolf. For a second or two, he debated listening to Alak, and in a surge of impunity he really bristled up and snarled back at the older wolf, "You can't tell me what to do!" Rainu's eyes went wide, and so too did Darling's. The brother and sister shared a look of surprise with one another and took the wise route of not speaking up and getting into the middle of the new quarrel. Darling, as it stood, was just starting to come down from her earlier fears anyway, and didn't want a part of the new action at all. With a muffled sigh, she shuffled a little closer to Iariadie and was more than happy to let him continue grooming her.

"He won't mind." Well, whether Starscream would or wouldn't go for this alliance, Nachi was bound determined to see it go through. "That system works for me. I'll keep the cubs here until you can find time to take them. Do you have any falcons to help with sending messages?" She was use to the winged couriers of the Haunter's pack, who could deliver detailed information, and do it privately where a howl could not.

In'Alak, Recon, & Iariadie

The white of In'Alak's pelt and the black marks of contrast sprinkled heavily around his ruff and face made for quite a display when he got his fur really puffed out and fully expanded like a thick mane around his snarling face. Dark gold eyes were targeted with authority on Keap, responding immediately to the youngster's challenge. Whether he was the dominant pup or not, In'Alak was going to defend his own position, and let the youngster know that his place was not as high on the totem as he liked to believe. "I can, and I will." The male's voice rumbled deeply without going over the top or getting out of line. He was even and calm, but there was a definite tenure of 'you'd best watch what you say next' carried in it. "I won't tolerate your insubordinance around me, and I won't put up with you bullying your siblings."