Tarkik | 20 Years Old | Male | Herbalist
Location: Camp | Mentions: All

Tarkik could hardly smell anything through the pungent scent currently wreathing around him, wafting from the thick wad of plants gingerly carried between his jaws. Although the delicate purple flowers carried a strong aroma, it wasn't at all an unpleasant one, and the young wolf's spirits were high as he followed the trail back to camp. Using herbs for healing hadn't been a common practice among his former pack, it was quite a unique method, and Tarkik was eager to learn more. A stranger on his travels once informed him this particular plant, lavender he believed, was good for bringing down a fever. Perhaps one of the other herbalists would be able to confirm if such a claim was valid.

The tension hit him long before his packmates came into sight, gathered around their sovereign as he revealed important news. The flowers dropped from Tarkik's maw, falling around his paws. He must have heard wrong...the disease was back? The herbalist licked his mouth nervously as Yifan issued out orders and reinstated the old laws, his words threatening, ending his speech with a chilling snarl that ensured them all the price for dissent was death. Tarkik couldn't help flinching further back into the crowd, ears pressing flat against his skull and tail tucked between his hind legs.

Even knowing he was unlikely to break any rules, the promise of violence for any who disobeyed the new rules left him fretful and trembling. Once the other wolves around him began to disperse, talking amongst themselves or else getting on with their duties, Tarkik finally calmed himself enough to attempt recollecting his dropped goods. However, he came to find that most of them were trampled and dirtied beyond use. He nosed a tattered petal sadly and sighed, amber eyes scanning the camp hopelessly. Where were the other herbalists? Was there anything specific they should be doing?

Before long, his gaze settled on Maculoses just as she posed an important question, Kismet's words bringing him a sense of comfort and renewed vigor. The pale-coated female was right. Panic would solve nothing. He must be strong. He must find courage. The pack would need him. "I would like to know that as well..." He agreed meekly, voice barely above a whisper and still dreadfully shaky despite his attempts to keep his voice level. "E-even if it is t-the same disease i-it m-may have changed. Evolved. S-sometimes a sickness will seem to die out and then return years upon years later worse than ever. We should prepare ourselves."

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Frostbite | 25 Years Old | Male | Combatant
Location" Camp | Mentions: All (Indirectly), Kismet, Khalida (Directly)

Frostbite kept to the fringes of camp as Yifan shared his news, his dark pelt melding with the shadows, the only hint he was present being the glaring patch of white splattered across his chest and a flash of piercing yellow irises. His tranquil expression faltered as the sovereign confirmed the deadly disease that took so many in the past was among them once more. To think they'd all lived through it once, rebuilt, salvaged what was left. They would have to do it all again now...if they managed to survive at all.

Alarm, fear, inquiry. A crescendo of voices rising to ask questions or offer solace to their companions. Frostbite was content to remain silent. He doubted there was any question in his mind that wouldn't be asked by someone else. He watched the others, semi-flopped hears tilting forward to listen as each wolf spoke. Kismet and Khalida were quick to give reassurances and propose a hunt, something to put their minds to use. His head tilted thoughtfully before at last lifting himself to his paws, Frostbite strode toward the females, dipping his head politely. "Should you need volunteers, I am happy to assist," he offered simply.

aka | female | forebearer

location ; somewhere inside camp| mentions ; the gathered pack.

the albino wolf curled her thick tail around the paws of the infiltrator. shielding her pink hued eyes against the shadow of the wolf. god the sun killed her eyes more often than she'd like, but she wanted ti make sure the wolf was alright. she knew better than anyone else that kiyoshi had a way to strike fear in others. her ears flickered upward, slowly raising her head up to squint. she made out the dark frame of the sovereign. "ah, yifan-san." she took a moment to slowly pronouce his name, knowing that his namr held a chinese accent in it's letters. it was strange for aka to pronounce it, but she tried her best. her white ears fell back, listening to the mentions of the disease. picking out the words she could understand, but she understood the venom in hjs voice. "no, no. sickness need lie. it need lie." she murmured to herself, denial of the rise of the sickness. she couldn't believe her ears really. there was so few from the disease when she joined as a pregnant wolf. as a forebearer, she had a job to protect those pups. at least, it was because it was yifan's law now. she watched the panic in her packmate faces raise. she gave a slow nod of gratefulness to magnus as he stepped closer to yifan. "ah, Kitto umaku ikuyo, aka." (Kitto umaku ikuyo = it will be ok) she murmured to herself, soothing herself for a moment. her thick accent lacing her words with dignity and grace. she watched the wolfs try ant calm themselves down. the disease has impacted so much in each of their lives, more than most would've liked to admit. she stood beside kismet, her pink eyes squinting over the faces of her fellow packmate. their shape only in large blobs. "no fear! sickness did lot fear, but we strong. we need remember of ganbatte, and keep strong. strong will kill fear." she called out among the group, though her english was more than just broken, she seeked encouragement. her own paws felt weak, but she had to keep hold of her strength. she had to keep hold of her determination to get through this. the albino wolf gazed among the blurry haze of wolves. unsure of some where listening or not, but she spoke out her heart. which made some of the fear from her paws escape.

kiyoshi | male | reaper

location ; somewhere inside camp| mentions ; the gathered pack.

another huff escaped the battlescarred wolf, his olive eyes stared among the pack. the disappointment in aka eyes made kiyoshi somewhat sad, but he burried it with the surprise of the disease. "damnit." he cursed under his breath. kicking out some of the earth to the side in a fit of annoyance. kiyoshi felt... lied to. he felt the shame and guilt, but the humiliation althogether. the tall wolf lowered his broad head, his ebony lips curving into his natural frown. his white paws glued onto the earth as the black saddle of his body soaked up the sunbeams. his black ears pointing forward towards the earth as his head hung low. truthfully, he was still trying to process the news. his stocky body had the muscled beneath his pelt tense up. in fear of who would've been the next victim. "don't be foolish." he finally murmured to the male herbalist. kiyoshi raised his head to look at the face of the herbalist. "evolved or not, there will be no goddamn way it's going to be stronger. we might've missed one, afterall, there was only one wolf yifan killed. it couldn't have gotten stronger with such a short period of time." he spoke up on her doubts, but more began to blossom in his thoughts. gazing downward as the doubts of his own words began to eat his muscles. "that couldn't be possible." he murmured, his black tail twitching as he turned his head away from the herbalist. his ears flicked back against his head. his thoughts racing as he ignored aka's words. kiyoshi couldn't understand iy himself. just how the hell could the disease be back, but another question rose. who and what is making these wolves sick?

okami | female | herbalist

location ; somewhere inside camp| mentions ; the gathered pack.

huffs and puffs escaped the ginger wolf as she skidded to a halt as aka protected the wolf. okami heard the commotion outside her own den, but she was happy to see aka take care of it. with a sigh of relief, she turned in her paws to head back to her den. she figured that magnus would've been lying, she's scared kiyoshi with the same lie before. let's just say, he actually left scars on her ears. she wasn't going to hang around such a messy place, for the sake of her own fears. what yifan said absolutely corrected her worries. her scarred ears fell back as she stared at the den enterance. her tow colored eyes held fear and confusion, the hairs of her neck fur rose in alarm. almost lile she felt a predator lingering over her shoulders. her sandy and ginger maw was let open in awe, she turned on her paws and sprinted towards the sovereign, her tow eyes bewilder as she stared at the fully black wolf. "you're joking. I know that venom in your voice isn't joking matter, but you've got to be kidding." she let a small laugh escape, her eyes flicking over his broad face in hopes to find ant glint of humor. giving up several heartbeats bas she lowered her eyes. "you... ah." she let a groan escape. "you're not going to send these wolves out there to tell those sick wolves are you? we don't know how contagious it now is. hell, we don't know if you could've gotten those nasty sickness on your coat!" she tried to gain denial, truthfully, she was as mentally scarred as thr next wolf. remembering those faces, the lives they must've had, and those that she burried before the pack. "goddamn." she murmured stepping away, okami knew better than to doubt anyone. fear was just the maneater that lingered in everyone. picking out ykur confidence right out it's scary teeth. "I apologize." she let out a sigh, and bowed her slender head down in a solemn manner. denial still chewed in her bones however.

(this seems to be the easiest way to RP with several characters, so until they separate I'll be doin it like this)

| | Everest/Aspen/Echo/Leora|F/M/M/F|Rookie/Rookie/Infiltrator/Combatant ||
| | Location: camp|Mentions: each other, Yifan, everyone | |

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Kismet | 20 Years | Female | Combatant | White and Cream Pelt
Location: Camp | Mentions: [Direct] Khalida, Frostbite [Indirect] Yifan

Kismet met the piercing amber eyes, nearly akin to her own eerily fluidic ones, gilded and guided by the fractions of light she stood beneath. She offered the she-wolf a dip of the muzzle, though keeping her head raised, as it always was. She had long ago promised herself to never lower it without proper reason.

She was grateful to the blinding lass though. It was nice to know there was someone out there who knew how to work a crowd as well as she did. It pleased her enough to let some of her gratitude and civil approval of her work slither into her gaze before it went back to an undisturbed calm, the surface of a peaceful lake.

The willowy she-wolf turned her attention to Frostbite, a tall male with some interesting scars. Ones Kismet found eyes drawn to whenever she let her eyes do their unabashed roamings, much like she studied the way Fell’s own scarifications affected his features and how they moved. She yet again refused to lift her head, a sure exposure of her throat, but offered the male a slow, curling smile, like wisps of smoke. Here and gone. She murmured her gratitude for his services and turned to the rest of the pack.

They had enough for one hunting party already, but seeing as the two wolves at her disposal were the only ones with a kernel of sense and an air of calm in these alarming times, she didn’t wish to tug them away just yet. So she waited, patient and unbothered, allowing a certain tenderness to soften her intense gaze as to not pressure those her eyes roamed over. Her keen hearing picked up on the acidic-smelling herbalist and, curious as well, waited for Yifan’s answer.

Tempest | 20 Years | Female | Combatant | Off-White, Gray, Brown Pelt
Location: Camp | Mentions: [Direct] Tarkik, Kiyoshi [Indirect] Yifan, Maculoses

Tempest was never one for crowds. She hated being so close to those she wasn’t close with. She didn’t want to smell them for more than she needed to, closer than she needed to. Especially when she could already do so from a distance. So she remained closed off, almost entirely, a loner within a pack, with only a tang of fear deep within her morning dew and lilac scent.

Her eyes did roam their usual haunts, though. The younger wolves, the smaller ones, especially if they showed fear. Her eyes never dared to linger on the larger ones. She offered her presence to those worried enough to shake and stutter — aside from Tarkik, who always seemed to stutter and stumble over his words — in hopes that her muscular frame and dead calm would give a sense of physical protection. She knew she couldn’t fight off a disease with brute force, but she could let herself be some sort of beacon for those unwilling to hunt, as Kismet suggested.

She had watched the shock and terror ripple through the pack like rings of water in a pond. She didn’t blame Yifan for their poison and snarling. She saw more than a cold brute, but a scared bastard. And she didn't blame him. Fear was instinct. Fear kept wolves alive, kept them smart and on their toes.

But, as a curious question was posed, her paws seemed to move on their own accord, drawing her closer to the herbalist that spoke it, and Tarkik who seemed to have been grounded by Kismet’s little spiel. It was good, that the lass was good with words. Tempest was only good with her teeth.

She strolled forward, her muscular frame moving like an oncoming storm over towards the pack, sticking close to the herbalists as if they were her charge. She turned her attention to Kiyoshi, her eyes narrowing as if debating crunching his tail between her teeth, and just how much trouble it would get her into. She had no doubt of the herbalists, let alone Tarkik in his attempt to bring pressing concerns to the forefront of the conversation. It was a concerning topic. “I don’t think you’re in the position to doubt an herbalist on the topic of sickness, Reaper.” Her voice was smooth and cutting, as calm as the veil that settled onto her sharpened and dignified features. She spoke his rank as if it were to remind the male that he was the bringer of death, and the herbalists were bringers of life.

Her eyes stayed fixated upon Kiyoshi a moment longer before her attention began to wander, boredom evident in the way her eyelids drooped a fraction, standing with preternatural stillness at a respectful yet protective distance next to her favored ranking before her eyes went to Tarkik, brows lowering as if she had picked apart his suggestion. “Do you or any other herbalist know how we would prepare? How we would know if the disease evolved?”

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Source

Yifan|M|Sovereign|Mentions: Gathered pack

Yifan's ears twitched repeatedly as the onslaught of questions and fearful yelps came crashing down on him, and he only managed to pick out one that was softer than the others, but firm.
The question, it seemed, was important.
The young male's eyes shifted from one wolf to another, watching as two others managed to calm the crowd of canines. At first, the control-hungry trait of his took over like an unexpected hurricane, but relief thanks to their help quickly calmed him down.
Yifan bit his lower lip grimly, forcing himself to stare down at the one who asked the question in the first place- Maculoses. "I'm sure it is the same disease," He replied, making sure to appear unbothered and composed, but he couldn't help the faint trace of weakness that seeped into his tone. "As it has the same symptoms, but rather I'd say it evolved, as Tempest stated and questioned." The tall male forcibly put a hardness onto his expression as his internal self swirled with panic, for he was trying to recount the memories he had of the disease, something he was not so keen to do. His soft ears flattened back and he stared blankly at nothing as he remembered, flooding his head with images he'd rather not remember. "I-I had a friend, and a close one at that," The first signs of his struggles came as a stutter to his words. "She... She had been infected right in front of me, and..." He trailed off, bile rising from his throat. The male looked nauseatic, but he continued nevertheless. "And she didn't die due to the disease, but was put down by someone I know very well. I saw the disease at close quarters, and it doesn't kill, but merely takes. The diseased wolf I had encountered died without me laying a single paw upon her."
The leader sighed. "The disease now kills after a period of time, and I dont know if any herbalist knows how to heal it."
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Tarkik | 20 Years Old | Male | Herbalist
Location: Camp | Mentions: Kiyoshi, Tempest, Yifan

Kiyoshi's scathing retort saw Tarkik's ears flick back against his head, wishing he never spoke at all. Would Yifan be equally dismissive? "I-it was just a thought. I know I'm not very old yet, but my last mentor was very knowledgeable. We may not have had an advanced system for healing like this pack, but we still survived..." He trailed off, amber gaze lowering to his paws. Tempest's looming presence and the sharp scolding she delivered gave him the courage to peer back at the reaper, ears perking up again before he turned to glance the she-wolf's way in gratitude, a silent thank you.

"We won't know more until we see the symptoms. The behavior of one infected wolf is not enough to form any conclusions..." He started, only for Yifan to interrupt and confirm his fears. He hadn't expected a change on quite that scale. It was more than concerning, this revelation was downright terrifying. Tarkik respectfully fell silent as the sovereign shared his tale of a lost friend, and recounted the most recent occurrence, his eyes gleaming with empathy as the dark-furred leader struggled with the words tumbling out of his maw. "It's true that may be the case, but we should rule out any other possibilities. We don't know this wolf's history. She could have had a pre-existing condition that caused her death. We should study it," he murmured thoughtfully before his eyes widened, as if surprised by his own suggestion.

"I know it would be dangerous, but...we can't heal something we don't understand. Perhaps a cure exists out there somewhere." It was a troubling dilemma. Observing infected wolves would likely lead to causalities, or someone being bitten. They could capture and trap one perhaps, but the thought felt cruel. Like an experiment. Even if the wolf should die, was it right? Could confining them be excused for the sake of research and protecting others from their deadly bite?

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Source

Yifan|M|Sovereign|Mentions: Tarkik

[Sorry this is so short, its basically Yifan's reply so-]
Yifan turned his head fully towards Tarkik, his head tilted to the side ever so slightly as if contemplating his words. After a bout of silence, he nodded thoughtfully, but there was a threat in his narrowed eyes as he gazed at the herbalist. "Well, Tarkik, what do you propose, then?" There was not a hint of snide nor of a mocking tone in the sovereign's voice, but with the way he worded it paired with his unnaturally deep voice, it sounded intimidating and maybe even a tad terrifying. "How do we study this virus?" The leader prompted impatiently, a velvet tongue passing over his lip.
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Magnus | Male | Infiltrator | Location: Camp | Mentions: All

The earthen brute watched the events that unfolded with well disguised anxiety. The young healer proposed an important question, but Kiyoshi's snappish response was enough to curl Magnus' upper lip, unveiling a gleaming canine. The reaper was really pushing his luck with everyone today. But Tempest delivered a scathing response, and it was enough to drop the wolf's curled lip, though he still kept a round eye on Kiyoshi. Yifan then delievered a heartbreaking story of death and lost friendship. Magnus respectfully lowered his broad head, but he felt that loss and withered companionship was a mutual feeling. There was little that hadn't been tainted by the disease.

He still felt remorse, oh yes, and he offered his support in the way of a respectful glance, a simple motion that spoke of his loyalty. They made it this far. Maybe, just maybe, they'd make it a little farther together. The brute figured together was the important part. The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack. No one made it far on their own. No matter how much they pissed him off- he sent a short- lived glare in Kiyoshi's direction- he would stick with them. This was his pack. This was his life. In the silence that settled itself, heavy and smothering, over the pack after Yifan's story, but the young healer was quick to fill it. Study the disease? The earthen creature allowed a soft hum to escape his lips. Interesting idea.

Adair seemed slightly anxious as her voice seemed to catch in her throat, like water struggling to pass over rocks. She had a valid, if a bit spic-ily put point, and the wolf tipped his muzzle in approval. She was right, how many would die studying this virus? How many more would they lose for the sake of getting to know this disease? It unsettled him, but he placed forth his rather medically uneducated opinion.

"We have lost a lot of wolves. We don't have enough to say 'what's a few more dead' anymore. We need to really weigh the pros and cons of studying the virus. I doubt any of us are keen to die that kind of death. Maybe it will go away on its own, just like it did last time."

Ah, Magnus. Ever the optimist. Ever the fool. But he'd discovered a pessimistic viewpoint often left no room for hope, smothering opportunity as soon as it arose, simply because it is often dressed in the clothes of struggle. No. This situation, whatever may happen, was dark enough. Magnus knew adding to the void would only make it grow.

Maculoses | Female | Herbalist | Location: Camp | Mentions: All

The icy and stone lady, still battling the nausea that threatened to drown her, sent a kind glance to Tarkik. He was such a clever creature. Once he had a bit more experience under his belt, he'd be a very innovative herbalist. Even now, though they were mangled by their unplanned fall, he carried a plant she'd never known to have any healing properties. And she knew of some... unconventional... methods. The idea of studying a diseased wolf of course brought back the idea of getting bitten, assisting the seemingly hellbent virus on its world domination quest. But that made Mac think of her own health.

The seizures were getting worse, longer lasting and more frequent. They made her joints ache long after they'd passed, and the feeling of mild sickness never seemed to leave her anymore. They had other healers, she wasn't the only one. The stench of vomit emanating from behind her was almost enough to choke her, along with the weight of the words she was contemplating. She knew that once those two simple words, that one sentence, slipped from her tongue like weighted honey, it would never return. But the near constant rolling of her stomach urged her on, pushing her forth like an insistent prodding.

Mac somehow made it to her feet, leaning against the wall of her den for support, and poked her sharply angled head farther out of the den. Her scientific mind turned slowly, the cogs seemingly stuck from her most recent seizure. There had to be some scientific explanation as to how they all survived. It couldn't have just been dumb luck. No. Luck was finding a mostly intact deer carcass, the organs ripe for studying. Luck was deciding to take a different route home and finding some new creature on the way. Luck was not mysteriously surviving some terrible disease, some scourge of all wolves. There had to be a reason...

Then, before Mac could even straighten out that thought, the words were sliding out of her mouth, tying her stomach into a tight knot as the meaning of what she'd just said settled in.

"I'll do it."

Suicide. This was suicide. But maybe that didn't seem all that bad to Mac. It would distract her from the pain, bring her joy. She did love science, studying things, learning how they worked. And if it meant she could save her pack, then all the better. The cloud colored wolf found her hind end buckling and she reluctantly complied, sinking into a sit as she awaited the near guaranteed denial of her wishes.

Tempest | 20 Years | Female | Combatant | Off-White, Gray, Brown Pelt
Location: Camp | Mentions: [Direct] Tarkik, Maculoses [Indirect] Yifan

Tempest kept her eyes from reaching the sovereign’s, through kept her feathered ears perked as he struggled to speak about death. Death of a friend. She wondered how one could come to care about someone enough to still get weepy long after their death. Wondered how one could have friends, even. She’d never had a death that troubled her, never one she couldn’t sleep after. And she most certainly never had a friend. Looking as Yifan — their cold bastard of a sovereign — struggled, actually struggled, with words to explain his own occurences with the disease, she wondered if she ever wanted friends. They might as well be as good as any weakness at this point.

Tempest curled her lip, a fiercely contrasting sight, of delicate and soft features sharpening like honed claws as her face contorted into something less than gentle. She held it there for a moment before it crumbled swiftly, spotting Tarkik’s glance in her direction. Thankful for her sharp tongue, apparently. Her expression went back to its true neutral, focused eyes seeming less scorching as her tail rose from its stationary position to brush at Tarkik’s hocks, the contact breezy and ephemeral, a note of acknowledgement.

As Tarkik fired valid option after option, suggestion after suggestion, the cogs began to click into motion. Slowly, slowly, then all at once. And she clamped her mouth shut, letting the herbalists speak. She had a mind for opportunity, and often worked to glean it for all it was, working from all angles, wide and narrow. But she never saw things deeper than a strategic battle, a foothold for greed. And when Maculoses spoke up, the she-wolf still struggling and reeking of vomit, a shiver ran down her spine. Her ears stood prominently upon her crown and she opened her mouth to fight it, to suggest otherwise, but ultimately let the protests fall short. She wouldn’t pretend that she didn’t understand, as greedy and selfish as she was. She just lacked the moral compass to strive for what Mac was.

Sharp eyes took in the weakness of her body, and the strength it took to utter those words. There were many reasons she kept the company of herbalists, and this was one of them. They thrived were she failed, and she hoped to learn more from them. “If you will have me,” Tempest began, her voice thick with something close to admiration and woe, “then I will walk with you.” She knew the danger, but she also knew that the damn she-wolf probably wouldn’t take no for an answer. She offered the she-wolf a slight dip of her head and a look of understanding.

Just a short-ask response ^ ^;;
| | Aspen|M|Rookie||
| | Location: Camp|Mentions: everyone, Maculoses, (i) Echo, Leora, Everest | |

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Tarkik | 20 Years Old | Male | Herbalist
Location: Camp | Mentions: Maculoses, Tempest, Yifan, Aspen, Adair, Magnus

Yifan's tone held a thinly veiled threat and it took everything in Tarkik not to wither under the sovereign's intense stare. As Adair spoke up, offering her skepticism, swiftly followed by Magnus, Tarkik found himself for once feeling quite frustrated with everyone around him. "I'm not asking anyone to die," he murmured a bit reproachfully, regaining his courage, so long as he didn't look Yifan in the eye that is. "I would never ask any of you to risk your lives for this. It's my idea and...and I'll do it myself," he declared boldly, raising his chin a bit.

Maculoses' offer to join him saw his eyes widen, horror crashing over him. "Mac, no!" He gasped, sounding utterly distressed by the notion. "You needn't risk yourself! It's too dangerous! The pack needs you more than it needs me. You have more experience, you know more than I ever have! We can't risk anything happening to you," Tarkik insisted urgently, but even he knew the only one who could order her to stay behind was Yifan, and she might not even obey him. Tarkik could still scent sickness wafting off of her and something in his own stomach seemed to turn. He couldn't stand if anything were to harm the older herbalist.

Tempest stepping forward, selflessly volunteering herself as well set his jaw clenching. She was strong, fierce, a force to be reckoned with. She always had a gentle word or gesture for him, and he couldn't deny the thought of her by his side did ease some of his anxiety. The truth of the matter was he would need the assistance of other wolves for this. "I want you both to think about this," he finally mumbled, though he already sounded defeated. "This could mean death. It's not a decision to make lightly."

Finally turning back to Yifan, he steeled himself to meet his leader's gaze. "We have two options. The next time we see an infected wolf we could try observing it from afar, hope we aren't noticed and take note of the disease's life cycle. If that doesn't work then...then we'll have to trap one somehow." As he finished speaking and young Aspen trotted over to join them, voicing an interest in participating, Tarkik's heart nearly leaped up his throat. "No," he stated firmly, though it wasn't his right to give orders. "That's very brave of you, but I can't let you do that."

(Still short... but it's improving.)
| | Aspen|M|Rookie||
| | Location: Camp|Mentions: Tarkik| |

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Yifan|M|Sovereign|Mentions: Tarkik, Aspen, Maculoses, Tempest, Magnus, Kismet, Fell

Yifan didn't know what got into him.
The sea of darkness suddenly obscured his vision, drowning out the the voices around him, reducing him to a shivering mess of a 'strong' male. The composure he held crumbled, his stance faltering from confident to fearful.
All at once, the fears and anxieties he buried within the deepest part of his skull erupted loose again, overpowering his conscience. Instincts took over, and he was suddenly upon Aspen, his tall frame towering over the inexperienced rookie as a heavy paw shoved the smaller roughly onto the ground and at his mercy.
"You will not go out there," The male snapped harshly, his gaze now a piercing shade of gold, rapidly growing darker, that was alight with unreadable emotions staying focused on his unfortunate target. "Do you have a death wish? If so, that is unfortunate for an age as young as yours. You, in any cirumstance, will not get yourself killed. You are a rookie, you still have a life to live, and so," The male stepped back, withdrawing his almost violent hold from the younger. His lips were curled back into a furious snarl, showcasing long, laser-whitened fangs that somehow went unstained from blood. "And so, with my authority as leader, I won't let you toss away your life like that." Even after his words, the sovereign remained a dim, cold stare on the adoloscent, his expression sharpening as he, relieved, felt serenity settle onto him yet again.
Almost as if he had already forgotten, the male turned calmly to Tarkik, but there was still a slight snarl remaining on his expression. "You do know you will put your life at risk? Both of you, I mean." He stated simply, staring down at the smaller herbalist before glancing at the woozy-feeling Maculoses, seemingly analyzing their physical and mental state. His expression remained oddly stoic, as it would be expected for the leader to have another outburst of emotions after what had happened earlier.
The leader sighed, exhaustion evident in his gaze as he raised his head in a stature of confidence. "I cant lose any of you... I cant." He mumbled under his breath, making sure none of the others heard, but his stance didn't falter.
"Tempest, you wont be going. You aren't ready, even if you are strong and fit." He didn't bother even sparing a look at the female combatant, already imagining her seething expression at his words. "Magnus, you are the older and more experienced of the infiltrators. Accompany Maculoses and Tarkik, make sure they do not come to harm. As for Fell and Kismet," Yifan continued, sounding... Utterly and undeniably tired. "You two will be the new proxies. It's time to prepare if any lives are lost." An eery sounding chuckle escaped the leader once he was greeted with the sound of stunned silence.
"Yes. I am saying what I am saying. Maculoses, Tarkik and Magnus will find a diseased wolf, and capture it. As for the rest of the pack, be prepared. We don't know what may happen." With that, the leader turned for the last time and disappeared into the afternoon forest, the tip of his black tail vanishing along with the rest of his lean figure.

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