White Fang: Semi-Realistic Wolf Pack

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The Lone Lands stretched across the map, a desert of barron wasteland. Few could survive in the heat for too long, and food was scarce in this region. Various oasis lay in pools dotted around the Lone Lands where the travelling could drink their fill. Many lay around the edge of the desert where the tree line began to provide shelter. Vegetation grew in masses here, and prey resided in burrows. The wanderers made dens in these trees, safe from the harsh winds and the scorching desert heat, where they could feed off the rodents, deer, or boar, using the oasis locations as their markers. Many didn't stay here long, and the lost had little chance to find home.

Further into the forest, a packland spread. The trees were shelter, with a river meandering through the land. A clearing was strewn with bones and twigs; the leftovers from a feast or the playthings of whelps. Dens were dug around this clearing; home to the pack. Guardians prowled the edges of the packland watching for intruders, leading them to the Alphas, or else reporting news of what lay beyond in the Lone Lands. Hunters rand through the trees in groups, scanning the wasteland and ambushing the oasis regions for prey. The thrill was in the chase, the reward was in the capture. Whelps yipped and played, chasing their tails or gnawing on sticks. These pups would grow into fine wolves, protecting and maintaining the land, gathering food or medical plant-life. The Alpha's took charge of the pack, watching over the betas and leading the way of the wolf. No man knew of this world.

Before this paradise would come about, one lone wolf wandered the area. She was alone in her treck, but others were soon to follow.

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Her paws padded the soft ground as she walked in a direction that lead to an unknown destination. Kiaki's fur shivered in the breeze, chills of anticipation danced along her spine, and her head was bowed as she walked. The land was bare and resources scarce. Her stomach gave an unpleasant growl and longed for food, but as Kiaki twisted her head to look around, there was not much to sustain her. However, this didn't bother her too much, as she had grown used to the independent life. After her mother's death and her father's disappearance, she was forced to tread outside of her boundaries and venture into the unknown. The horizon never neared, so this land was not a form of abyss, but Kiaki was yet to cross paths with another animal of her nature. Small ferrets and hare waited in the shadows, and the occasional screech of a hunting bird could be heard from overhead. Fear failed to penetrate her, yet her lonliness forever grew.

A forest stood just yards ahead and Kiaki approached it, lifting her front paw to scratch at the alpine bark of the nearest tree. Flakes of debris shredded from the trunk as her claws did harm. Kiaki dug around the roots, kicking up dirt and moss from behind her, hoping to find some source of food. It had been too long since she had passed by an elk or moose, and hunting alone proved to be near impossible. Her tongue was dry from her panting and her teeth grew numb in the dry air. She whimpered for the first time in days, a light squeak issued from her dry lips. Her tongue reached up to wet her nose and felt pain as it cracked from her touch. She needed to find food, and fast. But appart from nourishment, she longed to find company.

Her ears twitched at the sound of a a light hum. It seemed to differ from the surrounding winds. Kiaki trotted forwards towards the source of the noise, and as she neared, the sound became more distinctive. Rushing water. The sound hit her auds and they twitched, trying to locate the direction of the water. Excitement filled her, for soon she would feel the cool rush of liquid quenching her thirst, and where there was water, there were probably rodents or other canids nearby. Kiaki began to run, and soon she came across a stream filled with rocks and floating moss. Glacial water danced along, meandering as it went and creating white foam as it splashed against the smooth surface of the stones and boulders. Kiaki lowered her muzzle to the icy liquid and drank greedily, lapping up the water and allowing it to splash on her face, the water droplets stuck to her fur and she shook them off.

Once she had had her fill, Kiaki looked around. This place seemed cozy and could deem a good shelter. She was still brutally hungry, but her hunt would have to wait until later. Shelter form the chilly winds was compulsory. A bat flew overhead and Kiaki's eyes followed it greedily. Hunting would have to wait until later. Laying her scent on the nearby trees, she marked the region as her own territory and began to create a small den, just wide enough to fit her curled body as she slept. Tomorrow was a new day, and tomorrow, she would feast.

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If you managed to read all that, kudos to you! It lays out what the lands are like and what the pack does. Kiaki's story is pretty much my first post. For information and rules of this roleplay, please see the first post.

This is the pack (I'll add characters as they come. You can have up to 3 characters if you think you can handle it.)

Alphas:
Alpha Female: Kiaki (Jade)
Alpha Male: Akamaru (Aki)
Betas:
Beta Male: Ranger (Brandon)
Beta Female:
Deltas:
Guardians:
Hunters: (All wolves have a basic knowledge of hunting and tracking)
Medics: (All wolves have a basic medical knowledge)
Omegas:
Omega Wolf:
Whelps (pups):
Lone Wolves:
Friend: Fenris (Murdoch)
Enemy:

Any more questions, ask me ^.^ Despite all of the information, you should have a lot of freedom in this roleplay. It's one of the only ones you can have more than one character, your character can act as he/she likes (as long as it sticks to the rules), and your character can have any personality or appearance (please be realistic) you wish. The only plot as of now will be to get this pack started. If the role-play survives, I'll introduce a new one later. You don't have to start off with all your characters in the beginning. Introduce them (with bio) as time goes on, just remember to not abandon any.

Who's going to post first?

Technically, I already did =P Whoever wants to. First come, first served.

Ooooh, forgot about that. XD I will post eventually, but I can't ATM...really busy...

Aki raised his nose and sniffed the cold night air. His breath condensed in front of him as he breathed out. It was cold, probably the coldest it had been for a while but Aki hailed from the scorching heat of the Barren Lands. Maybe this was why he seemed to be doing well in this time of dwindling resources.

He jerked his head as a strange scent caught in his nostrils, he considered the area he was in his territory and even though he was alone and had problems policing 'his' land every so often he would catch a stray, sometimes they would fight, sometimes they would leave without a fight.

He sniffed again, lowering his head trying to find the exact trail. It wasn't long before he found it, it was then easy to follow.

He slowed as the scent became stronger and he lowered his body into a stalking position. He came out into a clear area that was dominated by a stream. He sniffed around and noticed a new scent, someone had marked their territory.

A slight breeze ruffles the thin layer of leaves on the forest ground, speckles of light dancing across them as the canopy leaves rustle and move. The forest is silent, save for the every-day sounds of the woodland; birds chirping merrily, crickets whirring and the odd sound of a twig snapping or a branch brushing against another branch. A tiny goat track runs in between several trees, more a track of well-trodden ground than an actual path, and one that most experienced predators and prey avoid; after all, it's the most likely place to find you, and nobody wants to be caught unaware in the open.
For the Veterans, it's the perfect trail. It is well travelled by the young and inexperienced, so it is easier to disguise your scent, and since it's the last place an experienced predator would look, it's the best hiding place for someone attempting to avoid detection.

Follow the trail a little, and you'll soon come to a clearing, beyond which can be seen- and smelt, in some cases- a small lake. This clearing is on a hill, overlooking the sparkling blue waters, and is only really big enough to contain a few animals at once. A single tree stump lies in the middle of the clearing, a mystery as yet unsolved, but not many of the residents of this forest much care what cut the tree down, or why. The layer of leaves on the ground stops near the clearing, only the odd leaf being spottable, leaving a bare, green grass layer beneath. Or, at least, it would be, were it not for the blood.

A deer lies dead and still bleeding, slumped over the stump, crimson fluid leaking out of a massive tear in its side and on the back of one of its legs onto the ground below, torn muscles and snapped bones still visible from within the gaping wounds. Its eyes are dull and lifeless, and its fur is already sticky and smelly. The killers don't care, though; three wolves tear hungrily at the slab of meat before them, teeth and jaws already thick with blood, strands of muscle and gut and skin dangling off of teeth, guns and fur. The largest of them, the Alpha, tears away a particularly large part of the stomach, the internal organs spilling out onto the ground in a cascade of blood and fluids, chews, then swallows. He goes to take another bite, but stops. Tilts his head, as if to listen. Sniffs the air. Not that it does much good; the stench of death is heavy in the clearing.

He turns his head towards the track, wondering if another meal is walking towards them as they speak. The other two wolves look up at their leaders curiosity and move up next to him, then in front of him towards the clearing.
A shape, large, graceful and white as snow stalks out of the forest, details becoming visable as it reveals itself. It snarls, showing its teeth, its white, slightly muddy fur bristling. It's a large one, larger than the Alpha of this pack by about a foot, and its throat is deeper; in answer to the rumbling snarl, the Alpha let out a similar one, only higher and sounding a little whiny in comparison. No matter. The Alpha is not about to give up his meal.
He steps forwards, in between his pack members, baring his teeth at the intruder.

Akis' ears pricked as a bark, which orignate not far from him, cut through the still night air. He glanced around, the air was clear except the falling autumn leaves which were leaving a thin layer on the mossy ground.

The bark was a warning of sorts, as well as being an announcement of their presence. He looked down and caught sight of the other canid. It was a damn, she had taken a strong stance but even Aki could tell that she wasn't built to fight.

Aki let out a gruff bark in reply, he didn't want to fight himself, it wasn't a submissive bark but it wasn't a threatening one either. He, like her, was announcing his presence as well as trying to assert his authority over what he considered part of 'his' territory. He turned to face her, raising his body and keeping his ears pricked forward, his head tilted to one side his gaze fixed on her.

The larger wolf takes a step forward, and the other three take an involuntary step backwards. This stranger smells...different. Dangerous. they can see his scars and his bitemarks and missing ear, and somehow they know that this wolf got the better of the injuries. His fur is way too white for his age- not silver, white- and his eyes burn with something that scares them. Still. The Alpha cannot afford to look weak in front of his pack, and so he forces himself to take a step forward. He's a young Alpha, and this is the first outside threat against him. He needs to handle this properly.

He snarls, and resists flinching when the larger wolf returns it in kind, but with more bass and noticeably more menace. The Alpha snarls again, and leaps, teeth bared, intending to get the first strike. Something smacks him in the stomach as he flies, and the next thing he knows, he's on his back, looking up at the sky, dazed. A shadow passes in front of his vision, and the next thing he knows, something heavy and white is pushing down on his throat, cutting off his oxygen. He starts yelping desperately, not even bothering to fight back, and turns fully on his back, showing his submission clearly. After a moment, the pressure lifts off of his throat, and he scrambles to his feet. The big wolf snaps at him, sending him and his pack running, then turns to the meat, dipping his head to tear a massive slice off of its haunches.

(Ooc: Kiaki isn't a damn, thank you very much =P)

"Who are you?" The question was blunt, but there was no need for it to be any other way. Kiaki remained still. This wolf was trespassing. She continued to stand her ground. This would may be able to overcome her in a physical fight, but that was unnecessary as of now. If he was no enemy, perhaps he could serve as some use to her. His form was still, only his fur shivering as the breeze ran through it. Kiaki waited for a response, not knowing why this bru was here, or how he was going to act upon his presence.

The stream continued to trickle, sloshing white foam over clear hydrate. It was loud, but not loud enough to mask a conversation from nearby listeners. Kiaki's stomach growled in protest from the lack of meat, but she ignored it. Now was not the time to hunt, for there were more important matters at hand than food. Thought for how much longer she could last without nourishment, she did not know.

I let out a soft breath as I rested my chin on my folded paws. I glanced around the bare prairie, blinking slowly. I could hear slight sounds in distance.

I caught a hint of something in the air. It wasn't close, but it was close enough for me to have a reason not to be lazy anymore. I stood up and stretched. leaning forward first, before stretching back.

Now; I turned and headed across the prairie, following the trail of scent. As I got closer, I got more detail from it. Canine. Another wolf to be exact. Maybe two. My guard was now heightened considerably as I moved along.

"I would ask you the same question" Aki replied, his voice gruff and commanding.He continued"Seeming as you are within 'my' territory"He emphasized the fact that this dam was trespassing on land which he had considered his for almost 7 days and nights.

"I am Akimaru, named so because of my pelt and this is part of my hunting grounds. I have told you who I am, now kindly tell me who you are"He stood there awaiting a reply. A chilly wind blew through the clearing and a leaf caught on the breeze stuck to Akis' shoulder, he made no attempt to remove it, even though he knew it would be an annoyance

Again he looked over the dam and her thin frame, it would be unfair to fight her, she looked as if she was using the better part of her strength to stand but if it came to it he would fight to protect his land.

"Your territory?" She scoffed. "What canid claims ownership of land without his mark? I am Kiaki, true bearer of these woods, and you will find I have claimed them fully." Kiaki Took a single step forward, glaring the bru down. She was not about to challenge him, for she knew he had no rights over her. She raised her muzzle to the heavens and let out a single bark that echoed around the trees. If this wolf was not to step down, she had to rights to kill him. Kiaki was hesitant to take the life of another, as her heart lay pure, but at times it was necessary if she was to survive, and somehow, she needed to start her own pack.

"Tell me, Akimaru, if my scent lays strong on these trees, and you challenge my claim, where is your pack?" She began to walk back and forth, her orbs locked onto his. She could not smell his scent on the trees, and neither did she when she first arrived. This could only mean he had failed to claim this territory, but her nares where picking up his pelt now. If he had no pack, the land was hers. If he continued to resist, they battled. She wasn't a particularly strong wolf, nor a large dame, but she was agile and willing, fast and sharp.

She stopped pacing and stood facing the wolf, ready for an answer. He looked intelligent enough, and he should know, that if he were to submit, giving her dominance, his opportunity to claim Alpha was still available. If Kiaki was to allow it. He could serve as some use to her. She admired his determination, but she began to grow tired of the contradictions.

Aki wandered over to a nearby tree, not turning his back on the dam, always keeping her in his line of sight. He sniffed around the base and the strong scent of her mark filled his nostrils, he looked up and over towards her. She had claimed this land and he was now trespassing,However they both seemed to be without a pack. Aki couldn't tell if she had a mate or not but by the fact that she was sleeping in a hurriedly dug den suggested that she was alone."I have no pack, I have been alone since I was a pup in the Lone Lands. What of your pack, I assume you have none"

Aki decided to back down and not challenge this dam, she had the claim and he would not fight her. he layed back his ears and lowered his head, submitting showing her that he meant no harm and that if she willed he would leave"I will leave if you wish but, if you have no mate and are looking for a pack then perhaps we could share this land?"

"I am not that generous. Although..." Kiaki recognized his submission and relaxed slightly. She took several steps towards him, circling him, sniffing the air. She gazed at his legs and his neck. She observed his nares, his auds, and jaw. He seemed strong and fit. No major casualties.

"I don't have a pack as of now, but I am hoping that will soon change. Tell me, Akimaru, what was your previous rank, if you ever had one?" This wolf could make a good alpha, and Kiaki needed someone by her side. A pack of two was not et a pack, but it was a start. As far as being her mate, he's have to see.

The massive wolf tears some more meat off of the carcass of the dead animal, throwing back his head to force it down his throat, when he hears something echoing off of the nearby hills and the trees around him. He pricks up his ears; that was a bark from another wolf, and a defensive one at that. Since no barks echoed it, it could be possible that the wolf is on its own...unusual, but not unlikely. Many wolves in this area have had their packs destroyed, their family killed. Fenris knows what it's like.
He hesitates as he goes back to feeding; despite himself, he is curious as to the cause of that bark. At the least, maybe they've brought down something too big for them, and although the animal before him is large and meaty, its foul taste makes him wince every time it goes down his throat. The animal was run to exhaustion and killed slowly and inefficiently, and it has already begun to go off. Maybe this wolf was faster about it.

He stands up, and turns on the spot, sniffing the air. The breeze is blowing a scent towards him, a scent of two wolves, just to the north of his position. Could be something interesting going on, and he's had about as much as he can stand of this foul creature.
Turning towards the source of the scent, he begins to lope off into the forest.

By now, I was close enough for the two to smell me. But I didn't care. I stayed hidden in the shadows so they couldn't exactly pinpoint where I was if they wanted.

They seemed to be compromising for the land. I didn't necessarily agree with sharing. I've been on my own for so long, I've just gotten used to, and somewhat content with, only having to hunt food for myself and only finding shelter for myself. It was much easier. But deep down...all wolves had a longing for a family. A pack.

I shuffled those thoughts away for now as I continued to circle them slowly and crouched in the brush.

Fenris stops at the edge of a clearing, raises his nose and sniffs. The scents of the two wolves are strong here, being blown towards him by the wind, and he can tell that they are just beyond the treeline. Padding silently around a little, he finds a convenient gap in the bushes that he can see out of, but they cannot see through to him. That, and the fact that the wind is blowing towards him, should make him undetectable until he chooses to reveal himself. The two wolves seem to be involved in a squabble or compromise or something to do with territory. Pointless, if you ask Fenris. His pack was on their territory when they were killed. Territory means nothing. He is a ghost; he comes and goes as he will, and answers to nobody save death, and even then, only once he's had his vengeance. His nose catches scent of a third wolf, too, but he dismisses him for the moment. The other wolf is probably watching as well, brought by the same curiosity that brought Fenris, and is upwind of him, which means that he isn't in a position to hurt Fenris yet. For now, he merely watches the exchange between the two wolves in the clearing.

Yonk.

"I have never had a rank although my parents were both Alphas in the latter years of their life. If you are looking for a fellow Alpha I would be pleased to take the place, although, the decision is up to you" Aki stayed low watching her as well as he could as she circled him her gaze falling upon his body, his tail curled slightly between his legs as he waited for her reply to his request.

"The whelp of Alphas. You have a lot of potential" She stopped circling him. A scent hit her nares and a rustle at her auds. "Perhaps we can put your skills to the test, as well as my own. There is another amongst us." She turned towards a collection of shrubs. Behind one of them was another canid. She guessed they were listening upon their conversation.

"Didn't your Dame nor Sire ever teach you that eavesdropping was impolite?" Kiaki spoke to the bushes, her eyes moving from Akimaru to whoever stood behind, her tail flicking in waiting.

Fenris freezes for a split moment; the wolves in the clearing have seemed to reach an agreement, but have suddenly stopped. Could they have detected him? He is still downwind of them, but that doesn't mean much. He prides himself on being silent, a ghost, but maybe he made too much noise?
They turn to the bushes opposite him, barking at that...so, the scent from before is coming from there? He thought it might, but that his suspicions are proved correct is always a little vindicating. Thankfully, he has remained downwind, otherwise he would be in that situation...although he's bigger than both of them, and he thinks he could probably beat at least one of them, he isn't in the mood to try. He really just wants to find some food and get out of here...but his curiosity is getting the better of him, despite what it did to that cat.

I let out a low grumble and stopped where I was. I knew it was only a matter of time, so I wasn't distraught upon them finding me. I remained in the brush. If it came down to it, this would become a two on one. Obviously uneven odds. So I decided remaining in the wood would give me a slight bit more chance in the fact that I could use cover tactics.

I lowered my head so it was level with my spine and my ears laid back.
"I am Ranger...and I don't remember much of them...I've been on my own for a while now. I am no threat to you two, so no need to become hostile."

The wolfs comment carries across the clearing. "No need to become hostile"? The statement would have been laughable, had he not been serious. He sneaks into the woods, hiding himself to listen in on a private conversation, choosing not to reveal himself, and he claims that there is no reason to be hostile? How stupid is this cub? Surely even the densest cub in the world would be able to realise that this would obviously make anyone else wary and aggressive. Not only is staying hidden a sign of deceit and untrustworthiness, not declaring your presence should be taken as a sign of hostility. It's only smart to become wary when faced with an unknown individual. Of course, young ones seem to always think that they're hard done by.
Bah. Teenagers.

Aki spun as the dam faced a bush behind him. He lowered his body and his hackles rose as he growled. He wasn't trying to be overly intimidating, this dam wasn't his and he was in no fit state to fight any male.

"Come out" he growled again, adding to the calm and polite request from the dam.