When the Alpha's away the Wolves will play

[kleineklementine]

It was early the next morning after the suspicions of the Black Wolf, the ridiculous incident with Torak, and the surprise visit of Melina-not-Melina. It was time for Jack to get more proactive if he was going to keep his bosses happy. The Grey Wolf headed down the empty early-morning passageways of the Den, wondering vaguely if he couldn't just take what he had and make a new life somewhere warm and tropical, full of beautiful women...

His wandering thoughts were brought back to the present when he reached the door to Zeina's quarters. The Coyote, he was sure, would be his best shot. After all, she was probably the only Wolf outside of the Bloods who knew anything about Akello, and she had such a useful ability. It would certainly be useful to Jack, he was sure of that. It was early enough in the morning (and late enough at night) that he could be fairly confident that Zeina would be back from any overnight jobs, but not yet out for the day. Straightening himself on the outside of her door, Jack made a short, smart knock.

[zozee9]

Zeina glared up at the door when it was knocked.

Really, another person? It was probably just some poor Scavenger who wanted attention. She didn't have time for that. At first she was just going to ignore it. But she knew she couldn't—it might be important.

Plus, maybe it wasn't all that bad.

She glanced over at Heinin, who had been in her room for about twenty minutes. He was sitting across the table and had constantly been talking business. And she was getting tired of it. Even if she had a relationship with Heinin unlike any other she had ever had within the pack, stuff like this made her weary and tired.

So she said, "I suppose our conversation will be slightly delayed." Then Zeina plastered a fake smile on her face, walked to the door, and opened it up.

Jack.

Great.

So much for just another Scavenger wolf. If Jack was visiting her, it was important. The smile faded from her face. She didn't need to pretend to be all bubbly if it wasn't on of her kids. Acting normal would suffice quite well. Nonetheless, she moved aside to let him inside her room.

[kleineklementine]

Jack couldn't help but give a short laugh at Zeina's fallen face when she opened the door to see him. "Good morning to you, too," he replied with an amused smile. Though he wouldn't expect it to have any effect on the Coyote, there was no denying that there was something disarming about the Grey Wolf, with his boyish looks and trustworthy demeanor. His smile was short-lived, though; he'd come here on business and serious business at that. He followed the opened door into Zeina's quarters and did not succeed in hiding mild surprise at seeing Heinin there. It wasn't unusual for the fence to be talking shop with the Coyote, Jack had hoped to find Zeina alone. Especially at this early hour in the morning. He gave Heinin a calm, polite nod. If he was ruffled by the fence's presence here, he didn't show it.

"Sorry to bother you at such an odd hour," Jack said, turning back to Zeina, "but I was hoping to get your, ah... insight on something," he finished after choosing his words.

Glancing back to Heinin, he added, "You can stay, Heinin, if you don't have business elsewhere. You might know the Red Wolf's mind on this matter better than either of us, so perhaps it's better if you do." Jack watched as Heinin, who had began to rise, sat back down and leaned back into his chair, then turned his attention back to Zeina. "If you have some time, I'd like to hear your opinion on some, ah, troubling information I've received from Gaze."

[Aeytrious]

Jack, well that was not pleasant. It seemed the note he had received to recruit Zeina to the cause had come just in time. Nobody was sure what his game was, but Heinin had been at this game long enough to know that something wasn't right with the boy. Heinin was one of the few old timers in the guild. You didn't survive to his ripe age without learning to trust that itch you got between your shoulders that said a person was likely to place a blade there. That had never been an issue with Jack until more recently.

And Jack had mentioned Rufus. That meant that the meetings for drinks had not gone unnoticed as more than just friendly banter. Heinin warned Rufus it was too regular, but he insisted he needed reports every day. Well that surely meant that Jack knew Wag and Alko were connected in as well. Perhaps the pretty little healer had escaped notice though. Rufus always kept her detached from the group, but he had been favoring her on a professional front lately.

Heinin nodded at Jacks words and mumbled ascent under his breath. While his face was clear of any surprise or emotional response, he hoped that Zeina would catch the trepidation in his aura as a warning that Jack was not safe. She usually trusted him. Lets hope this time wouldn't be an exception.

"I haven't heard from Rufus since he rushed out of Arca. Not sure what insight I can give."

[zozee9]

Something was wrong.

Zeina knew that even before she looked over at Heinin, whose aura clearly showed his distrust. Jack's words didn't make sense. Gaze told him troubling information? And not her? No, that wasn't right. Her and Gaze were close... in fact, last time she checked, Gaze was closer to her than almost anybody else in the pack. And he knew her better than to use Jack as a messenger. With her suspicious nature, she liked to hear things first hand. Unless Gaze was trying to tell her something through Jack's aura. But that wouldn't make sense, since Jack knew about her ability and would be able to mask his inner emotions pretty well.

So either Jack was lying, or Gaze had changed. Well, she had to speak to him soon anyway for Kassom. She could figure out the details then. But for now, she planned on seeing what Jack had to say.

"None of us have, Heinin, if you haven't. But we all know that Rufus is more open to you than he is to most others," Zeina responded to her previous boss. She moved over and sat back down in her seat, and motioned for Jack to sit to the one beside it.

"Nonetheless, I am intrigued by your words, Jack. Please elaborate." Zeina was starting to wonder if it had anything to do with what Heinin was talking about beforehand. And if it did... well, it was no doubt important.

OOC: WOOOO this is my thousandth postie! <3 <3 <3 I love y'all! XD

[kleineklementine]

The Grey Wolf followed Zeina's lead and took the remaining seat at the table. He left the chair pushed back from the table a bit and leaned back. Jack watched the faces of both Wolves. He might not be able to read auras, but he hadn't become as successful as he was at cutting deals and buttering up guards by not being able to read emotions. "I realize I'm not the usual conduit for informational matters," he said while taking his seat, his tone unguarded, "because normally I'm not the one to receive it in the first place. But as long as Rufus is gone-without-a-trace, matters that would normally go to the Red Wolf go to me." He said this in a way that made it plain that he would rather have nothing to do with it all. That he was somewhere near the top of People Who Wished Rufus Was Back. And that wasn't entirely unbelievable. Jack had a cushy job normally and wasn't known for taking on any extra responsibilities. Especially when it came to internal matters.

"I asked Gaze and Vent to also come this morning, but," he added and gave a wave of his hand, "you know how they are."

Jack fidgeted in his seat. His demeanor was mostly under control, but underneath it was somewhere between anxious or worried and that of a teenager forced to do a chore they hated. The latter, in fact, was not too far from the truth.

"Well," he finally said, getting to the point, speaking now primarily to Zeina, "I don't know if you're aware of he unrest in the Blood Wolves?" Heinin, he figured, was aware. But there was no real reason for Zeina to be, so he continued, "It's not so new, really. A faction – a growing faction – of the Bloods want more clout in the Guild. I think they're thinking is something like, 'We're the muscle, we should be calling the shots.'" He shrugged; he wasn't one for violence and generally avoided dealing with the Blood Wolves. He fidgeted again and it was clear that he wasn't entirely comfortable saying what he was about to say. "Until recently, it had been mostly grumbling. Or, at least, that's the general understanding. But more recently it's been... escalating." He paused again here. "Well, I won't beat around the bush about it. Gaze thinks or, I suppose, has reason to believe that Akello is involved and that they have, ah, rather bigger ambitions than previously thought."

Jack watched Zeina. He would wait before he relayed the rest of the information from Gaze. He wouldn't be at all surprised if the Coyote verified what he was telling them with the Gold Jackal, and she would hear the same from Gaze that she was hearing now.

"Well, I was surprised, I'll be honest. I don't really know Akello, she keeps so much to the Bloods and – truth be told – she intimidates me a bit, but I know Rufus trusts her." Here he gave a meaningful look to Heinin. "Far be it from me to say that Gaze might have gotten his lines crossed; after all, this is his line of work and not mine. But I'd rather have a second opinion before making anything out of it. Well, I'd rather not be involved in it at all, but there you go."

"I don't really want to ask any of the Bloods about it – including, for the moment, Bujari – as I don't want to make them feel that their loyalty is on trial. But you two joined around the same time, didn't you? When you were fairly young? I was wondering if you thought it was possible or not. Well, anything's possible, let's say 'likely' or not? Or... have you noticed anything different?"

He knew, of course, that Zeina had been trying to meet with Zahi and also that pretty little Spot had been keeping Zahi from getting any word of it. But he looked at her with an expression that said that if he had to call the shots, he didn't really want to do it alone.

"With Rufus gone, I don't want to tip the boat unnecessarily, but I also, so to speak, don't want to be the one to let it sink."

[zozee9]

Zeina leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. Her expression was completely unreadable, but that wasn't uncommon. She mulled all of Jack's words over in her head, trying to decipher them. Even just the carefulness in which they were obviously chosen told her something: he knew he was treading on a dangerous surface.

Of course, accusing the head Blood Wolf of planning to betray the pack was extremely dangerous surface.

It was true that Jack should be the one to hear information like that, though. With Rufus gone, he would be the person to go to. But that led to another strange thought. Zeina had always imagined Jack to be the kind that would wave things like this off to someone else. Either to herself or the Gold Jackal. So for him to take it upon himself... and to talk to her, the Coyote? The person known to collect information and use it to her own advantage? That was risky and suspicious.

However, the words he spoke weren't completely illogical. Yes, she was aware of unrest in the Blood Wolves. It had always been there. There were bound to be a wolf or two—in every section—that believed their section should get more power. The Blood Wolves were a prime example of that. But he was right, it was never a huge deal. And if they rebelled... that would be bad.

If Jack had spoken to her even a day earlier, Zeina would have been less suspicious of him. Even she had doubted Zahi's loyalty once or twice—and recently she had been doubting it again. Their lack of communication did not help. But even when she didn't trust Zahi as much, Zeina never expected her to try to make the bloods overthrow Rufus. If nothing else, she wouldn't be surprised if Zahi tried to become the next Rufus. But that would be an individual thing. Not the entirety of the Blood Wolves.

And with what Heinin had been talking about... no, something had to be wrong. She didn't trust Jack. In the situation that he was in, it made sense what he was doing. He didn't believe those rumors, but wanted to check with a childhood friend and still companion to get another opinion. Just in case he was wrong. It was all logical. But she didn't trust it. Perhaps she was analyzing it too much, but that was practically part of her job. Heinin's distrust, Jack's wording, and Zahi's recent lack of communication... it wasn't right. In fact, maybe Zahi's lack of communication was just all part of this strange plan. This strange plan to see which side Zeina was on.

Well, even if she was overanalyzing, there was no harm in continuing the conversation to see how things played out.

Finally speaking after a long silence, Zeina replied, "She always liked power. From when we were young. And yes, we joined at around the same time." They practically grew up together and were best friends, but he didn't have to know that. "So I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to take a grab at the Rufus position..." Zeina paused, as if contemplating whether or not to say the next part. She said it. "I would keep her under watch. Just for a little while. In fact, she's even been avoiding me recently. Maybe she sensed my growing distrust in her... but, Jack, I would be careful who you talk about this to. There are people in the pack that aren't as... level headed as I am, per say."

Zeina turned towards Heinin and added, "Unless you have anything to add, it might be best for you to leave. But I agree with what you were saying, so don't worry about finishing our conversation." She had to have Heinin know that she was on his side. There was no way that she was betraying Rufus or Zahi... unless further evidence showed up. She just had to play her cards right to get on Jack's good side, too.

[Aeytrious]

Heinin stood from his chair, and he did something out of character for him. He hugged the girl. Best he show Zeina that this was more than just business to him. He had a soft spot for her. He had no children of his own, and he'd known her since she was a pup. If anything happened to his sly girl, he'd gut the culprit himself.

"I hope you'll have a drink with me this evening." He said to her as he released the embrace. He turned and headed toward the door, nodding farewell to Jack as he left. "Good fortune find you, Master Amsel."

After exiting the chamber, Heinin released a long slow breath to steady himself. He had a great deal to take care of. It wouldn't do to stand about here. He hurried along to find Wag. He needed to let the others know that Jack was moving, and he had done his best to recruit Zeina before the Beta had arrived to see her. It was early, but already he felt like he needed a stiff drink. Good thing Wag's room was near the bar.

[kleineklementine]

((OOC: Since there are more Wolves - or Wolf writers! - around and about now, I'd like to sort of wrap things up so you're not all stuck in the middle of a plot-that's-going-nowhere. Hopefully this way my characters can be removed or step away from import for awhile, but people can still play on the tension in the Guild. ...Part Two will come when I have time to write it!))



Part One

Spot was nervous. The Shadow Wolf had just received word from one of the handful of higher-level Blood Wolves, Clarion, who knew about her "side job" working for Zahi. He'd been harried and looked like he'd been in a fight. Urgent news for the Red Jackal, could Spot deliver it? Of course she could. That was her job. She knew Clarion. She trusted him. Zahi trusted him. But Spot couldn't shake the memory of the stranger she'd seen with Kui. The one with a dead Wolf's face.

Spot tapped on the Red Jackal's door, then proceeded to let herself in. (She learned in small steps, it seemed, after the incident with the Animus. But she wasn't quite willing to abandon the familiarity she'd injected into her relationship with Zahi. At least this way she gave some warning). But when she came in, Zahi was alone. Thank goodness.

"I just saw Clarion," she said, skipping any greeting or her normal joking. She felt very pale. "He says they caught someone. Someone working for the Beta, but not a Wolf, by the sounds of it."

Zahi looked up. She had been busy writing something when Spot came in. Spot could tell that the news was both interesting and alarming to the older woman. "Where are they?"

"They have him in an abandoned smithy by the river. Clarion said you'd know which one." Recognition shown on Zahi's face, and she gave a small nod. Spot could tell her mind was already working on something else. Nervously, she added, "It looked... Well, by the look of Clarion, it didn't look like they caught someone very nice."

"I'm sure they didn't," Zahi gave short, mirthless laugh.

"Do you want me, er, do you want me to come with you?" Spot didn't really want her to go at all. For once, this information hadn't come from Kui. For all she knew, Kui had heard nothing about it. Clarion had been a Wolf for almost longer than Spot had been alive and she knew Zahi trusted him. But she nonetheless had a bad feeling about this.

"What? No." This question seemed to snap Zahi back into the present, and she looked at Spot anew. "But there is something you can do for me." She folded the piece of parchment she'd been writing on, and sealed it and handed it over to Spot. "If something happens, Spot, I want you to give that to the Coyote. Okay? But for now, let's play this hand close to our chest."

"'If something happens?'" Spot repeated dumbly. She knew what the Red Jackal meant. And the look Zahi gave her just confirmed it. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll be glad when this is all over. I like thieving, and I don't mind snooping around, but all this tension is killing me."

"No kidding," Zahi agreed and gave Spot something that, on someone else, might have been a reassuring smile. Spot wasn't entirely sure what it was on Zahi, but it seemed like a role reversal happened between them. But the Red Jackal must have picked up on her Shadow Wolf's mood because, after she had belted two long daggers at her side and slung a light crossbow over her shoulder, she looked at Spot and added, "Let's touch base on this tomorrow, okay, Spot? Keep your ear to the ground."

Then she left, leaving Spot alone in the Red Jackal's quarters. This had been real information. It had come from Clarion. Spot hadn't even seen Kui today. It couldn't have come from her. It didn't. It had to be real. And Zahi was going to go interrogate the man they'd caught and and somehow put an end to it all and then Rufus would come back and then everything would be fine. But the words repeated in Spot's head: "If something happens..."



Zahi did know the location in Clarion's message. It was somewhere they used from time to time when they wanted to detain someone in the city without bringing them to the Den. She met Clarion on the way, and hurried to the smithy with the older Blood Wolf. She knew almost immediately when they got there that something was wrong. But too late. The door to the smithy closed behind her, and Clarion blocked it. Inside were at least fifteen men. Some Blood Wolves, but most were not. She didn't have time to wonder who they were. Zahi was a good fighter, but she wasn't equal to fifteen armed men. She managed to take out three, or maybe four, five? before she was caught off guard, defending against one while another caught her in the leg, cutting deep into her thigh. Zahi wasn't aware of the pain so much as the warm, wet feeling spreading down her leg. Then things started slowing down. She knew she was losing too much blood. Her vision started to fade. And a blow to the back of the head finished it.

In the dim last moments of consciousness, she heard disparate voices.

"...the badge?"

"No. It should look like she fled..."

Then her body, heavy, being moved.

A growing warmth. The crackle of flames.

Then nothing else.



A day's journey outside of Arca, the Ora river flowed through the green fields and forests of the Serendipity countryside. It was a perfect picture of pastoral beauty, except for the body. Floating face-down in the river's lazy waters was the bloated corpse of a man. It was the corpse of Clarion, the former Blood Wolf.

[Brisinger987]

((OOC: Just some closure on the Torak thing btw!))

Torak worked his way out of the cell, leaving as quickly and abruptly as he had arrived, taking his possessions, and deserting the Soot Wolves.

He travelled, meeting his sister, and forming an assassins guild, before dying a quick death in his sleep.

[Aeytrious]

Murky watched from the shadows. He listened from the shadows. No Soot Wolf knew of his existence beyond the Red Wolf. Murky himself was not truly a Wolf, though all his actions were for the benefit of the guild. His loyalty was to Rufus, and to Rufus alone. A powerful geas had been put on him at a young age, and Rufus had purchased the contract the spell was attached to. His duty while the Red Wolf was away was simple in name, but much more complicated in execution. Shadow the Red Jackal at all times, never lose sight of her, and keep her alive without exposing himself. Magic rings kept him hidden, kept him from needing sleep or sustenance. All he did was watch her, and listen. As Zahi left that night, Murky followed. He saw the trap spring and in his rising panic, nearly revealed himself to aid her. Instead, he quickly found the only open window, crept inside with all haste, and aided her from the darkness. Too many assailants for him to have helped in a much more forward manner anyhow. Poison needles in the darkness thinned the pack and Zahi performed marvelously, but he couldn't do anymore. He would follow. He would watch and listen. If they dumped her or turned away from her long enough, that he could slip in unnoticed, he would force a potion into her. He would save her life. For now, all he could do was dart her with something to slow the bleeding, slow her heart, give the illusion of death. And he would be patient. If Zahi died, he died. He surely did not want that.

[kleineklementine]

Part Two

"Well, what an insightful letter. Too bad Zeina won't get a chance to read it. Akello realized more than I would have given her credit for."

Jack gave a very small shrug as if to say 'what a pity,' before lightly tossing the letter Spot had been charged with into the flames of his fireplace. Spot watched, the bile rising in her stomach and a tightness clamping down on her throat, but didn't dare to move. The woman who was not Melina Porter stood behind the young Shadow Wolf was made to sit; Spot's long, sleek hair was wrapped around the woman's fist and she gave it a jerk just to make sure Spot didn't get any ideas. Spot was furious with herself. She hadn't seen the trap laid for her; she hadn't seen what was now clearly the trap laid for Zahi. She hadn't gotten more than twenty meters outside of the Red Jackal's quarters before she'd been caught, gagged from behind. No one ever snuck up on Spot.

"You've played your part very well, Spot."

"I didn't do anything for you tonight," Spot spat back, though she knew it wasn't true. "Whatever you think happened tonight, your'e wrong. Kui didn't find me. I didn't say anything that wasn't fron -"

Melina-not-melina's cold laughter interrupted Spot. "The White Bitch-in-heat isn't our only messenger. You must realize that, smart girl that you are." Spot only seethed in silence in response. Pulling Spot by her hair to face her, the 'woman' asked, "Did anyone else see you go to the Red Jackal other than 'Clarion?' Did you give the message to anyone else?"

Spot huffed, glared, but set her jaw and refused to answer. Jack opened his mouth to try a more congenial tract, but Melina hit Spot hard on the side of her head, spots exploding in front of her eyes, before pulling her sharply back up by the hair. Jack winced at the sudden outburst of violence. The Beta Wolf did not have the stomach for this business.

"Did you tell anyone else?" Melina repeated, her voice calm and cold.

"No," Spot finally answered, head still reeling from the blow, hating herself and this woman and Jack.

"Good. Good girl." Melina patted Spot's cheek, then turned to Jack. "You'll have to assign someone to step in for the missing Red Jackal. Someone she trusted. And best to quiet things down for now. And you keep a lower profile until the darling Red Wolf returns. Make it look like Akello had a part in the trouble. In the mean time, with no one knowing who to trust, dischord will grow on its own. Those who were loyal to Zahi won't know what to think." She paused, as though a thought just struck her then turned back to Spot. She had her feelers, her informants inside the Blood Wolves, but the mind of the Red Jackal wasn't something she knew. "What do you think, little Spot? Was that letter all your darling Jackal guessed at? It included some interesting information about those problematic Blood Wolves she had killed, but I think it didn't say it all. What else did she tell her little pet?"

This time Melina didn't tolerate Spot's silence for nearly as long. She gave the Shadow Wolf only a few seconds before she hit Spot across the face. (Again, Jack winced.) When Spot remained silent, Melina dragged her up by the hair over to the fireplace. "Are you going to make me ask again?" Melina asked lightly, as - still holding roughly on to Spot's hair - she lifted the cast iron poker from its place beside the fire, and stuck it into the coals.

Spot's eyes widened and she felt the words leaving her mouth before she even realized she was talking. "She suspected the Beta might be setting her up, but she wasn't sure," she answered, her violet eyes fixed on the poker which was slowly heating. Another jerk at her hair let her know that wasn't answer enough and loosened her tongue. Spot was talking quickly now, almost automatically, hating herself more with every word, but driven on by fear. "She wasn't sure if it was him, or, or if Rufus was setting a trap for her. Or, if he was testing her. Especially having the Dire Wolf shadow her in his absence. And because she didn't feel that he, that he gave her very much information. She didn't like being kept in the dark."

"And the Blood Wolves most loyal to her?" The woman asked, toying with the poker in the fire that was now beginning to glow gently orange. "What about them?"

"It... it depends," Spot answered, her eyes transfixed on the glowing poker, the pain from the earlier blows to her head starting to throb. "I mean, I'm not a Blood Wolf, I - " Another yank to her hair told Spot that she couldn't back out of the question. "There are some who are loyal to her who don't like the way Rufus handles things with the Bloods, with Torak and thinking... thinking maybe he was punishing her unfairly. But I don't, I don't know what they would think if... if..." Spot couldn't bring herself to say 'if Zahi were killed.' Suddenly it occurred to Spot, through her fear, that she wasn't sure if any of the rank-and-file Blood Wolves suspected the Beta. If they thought Zahi had been killed, would they think it was his orders? Or the Red Wolf's? Carried out, maybe, by the menacing Dire Wolf... She felt her stomach fall a little.

But the woman finally released her. For half a second, Spot relaxed, only by the most miniscule amount. But it was just enough to be taken off guard when the woman - for no reason clear to her - brought the iron poker lashing down across her middle, winding her in a sudden burst of heat and pain.

"I dont' know if that's really necessary..." Jack protested, though a little half-heartedly, cringing at the open display of violence. But all the same, he didn't move to help Spot. After all, the Gray Wolf had his own neck to watch out for. Instead, with blanched pallor and a naive grasp of the obvious outcomes, he asked, "Is it wise to say so much to her? She's worked well with us, but -"

Jack was cut off by a cold, but genuinely amused, laugh. "Very astute, Mister Amsel!" With a thin smile, the woman took a knife that had been lying idle on a nearby table. Spot's usefulness had ended. It was time to take care of her, before the tool became a liability. Coolly confident, Melina picked Spot up roughly by the hair and was prepared to slit the Shadow Wolf's throat, but as the knife made contact with the skin on Spot's neck, and unseen to Melina, Spot twisted, swinging the fire poker hard at Melina. The woman, taken off her guard, was sent sprawling. Spot was wild, only half-thinking; she was not a trained fighter. Though it was shallow, warm blood was flowing quickly from the cut across her throat. Scrambling, Spot grabbed the knife that had clattered to the ground and flung herself at Jack, stabbing with all the strength she could muster at the Beta Wolf.

But Spot did not stay to check her handiwork. She wasn't a killer, wasn't a fighter, and the instinct to flee boiled up inside of her. Jumping off the Beta, Spot flew to one of the 'secret' exits from the Beta's quarters. She needed to get out. Quick. Out of the room. Out of the Den. Probably, out of Arca. So she flew like a wild animal from a hunter, employing all her knowledge of the secret passages of the Den to make her escape, finally disappearing in a trail of blood. Hers and the Beta's.

Melina-not-melina recovered quickly. Too quickly. Jack groaned, lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Spot had stabbed him just below the collar bone. It wouldn't be fatal, but Jack was not one for blood and pain. And he was surprised to hear laughter, once again, from the woman.

"Well," she declared glibly, "that couldn't have gone much better. Now not only has Akello fled, but one of her minions has made an attempt on the life of the Beta Wolf. Very good, very good indeed."



Hours later, in the inky dark of the Arca night, Spot stared in disbelief. The fire blazed uncontrolled in front of her, consuming the old building. Sick with fright and self-loathing, the Shadow Wolf (or, she was sure, former Shadow Wolf; undoubtedly Jack had already demanded her death from any Soot Wolf who came across her) had immediately set about finding the smithy that Clarion had taken the Red Jackal to. She hadn't known its location for sure, but it hadn't taken Spot long to find it. But when she had...

The fire set by Zahi's retreating attackers, fed on the debris of the old and decrepit building, had grown into something wild. Spot stood amongst the few others who dwelt in this district; those working late, and drifters who took shelter in the abandoned and derelict buildings. No one of import. No one with the authority to investigate the fire.

"Shame," an old man to Spot's left said aloud, and Spot suddenly realized he was speaking to her. "Bet it was them kids. Saw them in there yesterday lightin' the fires in the old ovens. Up to no good. Still, don't think anyone were livin' in there."

Spot turned to look at him, old and bent and poor, but no words came to her. She just looked at him wide-eyed, disbelieving.

"Whoa there, you okay girl?" the old man asked, now seeing the dark cut across Spot's neck, the bruises on her face that had been covered by the darkness. "You look like you been in trouble. You okay? You come with me, I'll - "

"No." Spot said suddenly, decisively. She needed to leave. Stay on the move. Surely this would be the first place they looked for her. If they weren't on the way already. "No, I'm fine. Thank you. I need to go."

The man opened his toothless mouth to speak again, but Spot was gone. Melted into the shadows.



Inside, everything was covered in ash and coal. Pinned under a fallen beam was the crushed form of Murky. His spell dispelled, his life spent.

No word would get back to the Den of what, before the fire, had happened here.






((OOC: Sorry this is so rough and long! That's all for now. Hopefully this gives any Wolves still around some tension to work with, without having to rely on any of these characters. For now Spot and Zahi can both b considered either fled or dead. Jack's around, laying low.))