Into the "enemy's" camp

[Steele]

Steele felt like a trespasser as he made his way through Ivory Kingdom and it seemed as if eyes watched his each step. With the deceased king on his back he refused to lower his head like a meek pup in presence of his teachers. Instead his tail swung behind him, though it wagged it was not for joy but to show his determination, and his head was held high. He wasn't exactly sure where he was suppose to go yet he let his paws lead him as if they knew the way. Low growls could be heard from around him yet no one attacked him. His ears turned this way and that but his eyes remained focused on his goal wherever that may be.

As he made his way along his mind began to wonder to how the other kingdom members were going to think about his being King. Well of course he wouldn't have to worry about that for awhile, at least until after the meeting with the Queen. After a few more moments of silent thought he stopped near what he thought must be his destination. He noticed a familiar scent and he gave a friendly howl to let the Queen know he was there. The number of warriors around him seemed to grow larger and he could almost feel their eyes burrowing into him. Yet he wouldn't falter.

[BlueRose]

Ruri, sitting in the very back corner of her den, her favorite spot, heard a howl that she knew was Steele's and she smelled him too. She also smelled something else. Thorin. She knew boths smells well enough. Why would Steele be here with Thorin? As she was thinking that, she noticed another scent in the air, death. It mingled with the scents of all wolves around her den and seemed to lay mostly on Steele and Thorin. With the smell of death came fear, she smelled it on everyone and gave a small yelp from shock. Something was seriously wrong.

"Steele? Thorin?" She called in a panicked voice, not her usual calm self. "Are you there? What's wrong?"

She then saw the problem. Thorin was on Steele's back. He looked peaceful in a sort of way. Just after she noticed Steele, she noticed a shining spirit floating behind him. Steele must not have noticed it when Thorin died. Now she knew. When a ruler dies, their ability traveled to their heir. Thorin must have left the crown to Steele in his last moments of his life. He must have seen a lot in Steele. It was sort of comforting to know that Steele would be ruling the Dusk Kingdom. She had respected Thorin as a leader but never really knew him. Steele seemed friendlier in a way.

"I see what has happened. You have the honor of being king now." She said as she bowed deeply, as custom. "Follow me and we can talk in private."

She looked at Steele then at the rest of the wolves in the den telling them not to follow her. She started walking down a small, dark path in the cave and stared back hoping Steele was following her. This path forked a lot and he could easily get lost with it being so lost.

As Ruri walked, she howled softly. A song of sorrow and joy all mixed together. Most thought Ruri's ability as a ruler was her singing. It was magic that she could mix all her emotions in one song in that sort of way. Other than that, which was just a rumor, she didn't know the power she had gotten from the last ruler.

As she sang, she heard howls from the other wolves. That is what her song did, when she sang, most wolves couldn't help but join in.

Ruri just kept singing and walking, turning around every so often to see if Steele was following but she couldn't see anyways so she just kept walking.

[Steele]

The Queen seemed to almost just appear out of nowhere and caused Steele to take a few steps back. He tilted his head slightly as she spoke and wasn't sure how to reply to her words right away. He pawed the ground slightly before he realized how such insecurities might look in front of the prying eyes that were watching from the shadows and nearby. Instead he continued to keep his back braced and strong to honor Thorin properly. His ears turned this way and that once more as he hear murmurs of uneasiness turn to song.

Steele kept his silence, though not out of disrespect, he didnt want to interfere in what seemed like a Kindgom riual. When all was said and done he would gather with the Dusk Kingdom and hold their own passing ceremony as well. For now he just followed the Queen in silence.

[BlueRose]

Ruri was still checking behind her when she suddenly hit a wall. Whoops! She backed up a little, but not enough to hit Steele if he was still following.

Soon, Ruri came to a lit cave. It had high ceilings and was strangly lit by an invisible source. Ruri sat down on a patch of moss that was growing on the floor. She motioned for Steele to sit down beside her. She was hoping, as leaders, that they would be friends.

"Himantra has a big problem. This will be the driest summer ever. I'm afraid we will not have enough food for everyone. I was going to discuss with Thorin what to do but now you must help. We need permission to hunt on your grounds. But we will not come to that now. That will only be for desprite measures."

With that, she rested her mussle on Thorin and sang softly in honor of him and what he had done.

[Steele]

Steele listened as Ruri spoke and was then lost in his own thoughts as she sang her song in honor of the passed King. Once aain he thought it would rude if he added his voice to the Queen's though her song was very moving and tears formed in the corner of his eyes as he listened. Yet even as wrapped up in her voice as he was he couldnt help but still thinking about what the future could be.

In the past he had defended his Kingdom's borders from snot nosed pups ad brazen warriors who wished to extent their own pack's borders. So the thought of allowing such a trespass was as alien to him as growing gills and swimming with the fish. Then again he had also been the trespasser under orders and earned himself some battle scars that his fur had since hidden. But what if it were his home that lacked food, wouldnt he want the permission to traverse the borders to help feed his pups and adults? Well permission or no he had to admit that as King it would be his job to make sure no one under his "command" went hungry but it would be best if there were no problems involved, no blood shed. In the back of his mind he also had to admit he wasnt sure he could force the Dusk Kingdom's warriors to allow others into their packlands. But that was something he would have to force and prove that his words meant law. So these were his thoughts as he listened to Queen Ruri's song.

[BlueRose]

"You can feel free to join my song any time if you want. All may join."

Ruri decided to get back on topic with Himantra's problem.

"Do you have any ideas about what to do rather than hunt in each other's territories? We may have to just tough it out. But then, only the strong with survive. We must prepare now. Get warrior to hunting now and also limit the amount of food a wolf can eat."

Ruri crossed her front paws and sat patiently waiting for Steele to reply.

[Steele]

Steele nodded and then gave a scratch at a spot just behind his left ear. He had a tendency to either scratch or bite at himself when deep in thought, a habit that had earned him a few nips by his mother, and this time was no exception. The more he thought the harder he scratched until he could almost feel a trickle of blood beginning to flow. He bit the inside of his cheek and sighed as he placed his paw back on the ground. Well maybe sometime mother does know best, guess there is a first time for everything.

"Isnt it the way of the wild, that only the strong survive?" he growled at himself as soon as the words left his muzzle. That was just stupid Dusk Kingdom training that had been drilled into his head coming to the surface. Did he really believe that he wondered or was he just spewing forth what he had heard so many times before. He had always thought of himself as different from the hard headed fellow pack mates that he had shared his life with but maybe he was as close minded as they. He didnt like that thought at all and even had to shake his head as if that would help dislodge such a notion. No Steele had always convinced himself that he wasnt like them, would never be like them, and he would do what he had to do to make sure he never walked in those sort of pawprints.

"Im sorry." he said when he finally found his tongue again. "Perhaps there is water somewhere that none of us have known about, maybe if some scouts went out and explored..." he trailed off and didnt finish that thought. After all every land had been explored right?

"I suppose storing our food and rationing is the best idea. I just wish there were better ways to keep it from going bad. I remember that one time Ol' Stubby ate a bit of deer that was infested worms, wow was he sick. He turned all shades of green and was talking to himself and...." Once again he stopped as he realized this sort of discussion wasnt what the Queen had in mind.

[BlueRose]

Ruri was astonished that Steele said that only the strong should survive. Maybe he wasn't as nice of a leader as Ruri thought. She had just started warming up to him too. That is why she closed herself to the world. Was she going to have to shut her heart again? How many times has this happened to her? She had stopped counting long ago.

"Unsearched land?" She hadn't heard of anything but that was because no one had gone outside the boundaries. "I guess we can get a search group together. There are a couple of places that need to be explored. I'm sure there is more water somewhere. All we need is to get a group together who are brave and strong. I will put that responisibility in your hands, Steele." Ruri hoped she was right with doing this. She decided she'll just have to see.

[Steele]

Steele pawed at the ground and realized he had gone to far in some of his statements. All he wanted to do was crawl back to his den, wrap his muzzle under his tail, and just let someone else deal with all of this. Truth was he was half tempted to do just that, after all Queen Ruri couldnt stop him and certainly one of the more ambitious canines would kill for a chance at running the kingdom, literally. But he was a believer in destiny and if this was his, well, he was going to have to rise to the challenge of it all. Hopefully the damage his words had caused could be repaired and life could go on.

"I will get a group togethor right away and if you have any warriors you can suggest from your Kingdom I would appreciate it. Also if water is running low perhaps we could get some ice from the ice caves and use it to water a large patch of grass. The grass would attract prey and it might help help feed everyone." He hoped by including everyone in his last statement it would show that, regardless of the rhetoric he had quoted, she would see he wasnt that heartless really, well all the time anyways.

[BlueRose]

"Great idea, Steele. Lets see... Terachi is a good warrior and will help with anything. I'm sure any Ice elements will help you to water the grass. Get some to help, even though most of them are small. Thank you for helping so much. I hope we can meet again in a more friendly fashion soon. I am setting meeting date for May 21st. All of Himantra must be there. Make sure you inform everyone."

With that Ruri walked out of her den, leaving Steele alone. Trusting him not to mark her territory or ruin anything.

[Going to Ice Cave]

OOC: I'm making it so you can only be at one place at a time. So, ya. Sorry about that. It just makes more sense. When you want to go somewhere else, just do what I did with the brackets.

[Steele]

Steele felt a little better as he gave a respectful bow of his head to the Queen and watched her go. Yet if he was honest with himself he would realize he really couldnt think of one Kingdom member off the top of his head that could be trusted with any such task. No most of them believed the brain washing they had been put through as pups. There had been countless days of drilling and being told that you never helped an outsider, you barely were allowed to help a fellow Dusker, and such teaching methods were hard to forget so quickly. But, win or lose, Steele was the teacher now and he was ready to go face his pupils.



[OOC...well that works and blends in well with the post I am doing with Summer. Sorry that post wasnt my best.]

[BlueRose]

(thats okay. just make sure you post saying where you are going.)

[Steele]

(OOC...going to Stone Caves)

[BlueRose]

ooc: good job! hehe now off you go..... but it really wouldn't be ooc. you would just do this:)

[going to Stone Caves]

(but it doesn't really matter. i'm gonna lock this now.)