Let's Make a Deal....(Gaunt)

["Quick" Taylor]

Quick walked quietly through Nilda territory with the one Scout and two Hunters he'd brought along, just in case some trouble befell them on their way to meet with Gaunt. The Scout, a bloodhound shifter, had taken up sniffing out the scent of Abigail Jenx, following her path through the canine Retros' territory. The Fallen Beta did not know what had possessed the girl to come all the way out here, alone. He did, however, know that she'd given him some work to do that, so far, was proving to be more problematic than he preferred, mostly due to how long it took for messages to go between the Fallen camp and Gaunt, the leader of the Nilda Pack.

Quick reviewed the situation in his mind as they followed the Scout. about a week-and-a-half ago he'd received a messenger from Gaunt about a certain Fallen member he'd taken captive for trespassing. From the get-go, he'd known this situation wouldn't go well, and it hadn't. Quick wasn't particularly good with words, and his aggravation at the situation had made it harder to use the right ones. That had helped to slow the negotiations by messenger, a process which was already inherently slow. Finally, in their last correspondence, Quick had said he would come personally to speak with Gaunt, face-to-face. That, he had a feeling, would go much better.

And so here he was, just three days after having given Gaunt's messenger word of his intent to come speak with the Nilda leader. Quick had decided he wanted to follow Abigail's trail into their territory, which was proving difficult given the time that had elapsed since. However, the Scout was able to pick up the trail often enough to be able to tell them where she went.

finally, they came upon a lake and the Scout stopped, then shifted.

"This seems to be where they picked her up," he said, turning to Quick,"happened probably about two weeks ago. The scent is barely there anymore. I almost missed it. But it's there."

"Then this is where we'll wait for Gaunt. Have a seat, boys. We could be here for a while," the Beta said, moving over to a rock and sitting down. They were likely in for a long wait......

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 496px; height: 765px; background-image:url(http://i45.tinypic.com/1z4j0ip.png)] She lay there, lifeless on the floor, nothing more than a mangled mess. Maggot stared as the truth slowly sunk in. She was dead. Abigail was dead. The dog flew into a merciless rage, ripping apart anyone in his sight. The black and white pooch lifted his muzzle to the sky, and howled, shattering the eardrums of whoever was close. Now, it was not just Abi, broken and defeated on the ground, but a large portion of the Nilda pack. The dog dragged his beaten body over to the limp girl, collapsing at her side. He had failed. He was supposed to protect her and keep her out of harm's way. It was all his fault. "Abi... gail..." "No!" Maggot cried out, awaking from his nightmare. He was breathing heavily, eyes watery. All he did was lay there for a few moments, realizing that the dream was not real. With a sigh, the dog stood and shook out his coat, freeing it from any snow that had fallen upon him. That was when a very familiar smell hit him. Fallen members. Before he could think, Maggot was charging through the snow to the lake, now fearing for his pack. He knew the day would come when Abigail's pack came for her, but what would Gaunt do with more trespassers? How many were there? Was this a surprise attack? He reached the body of water and slowed, coming to a halt behind a tall boulder near the shore. They had no doubt heard the dog coming, since his paws had moved around quite a few pebbles and rocks of different sizes. Now was his time to think things through. What would he see beyond the boulder? An army? No... it wasn't likely a war would start over a single member. Bracing himself, Maggot shifted before revealing himself, ready to blow out the Fallen's eardrums if they took a step near him. The dog, now a teenage boy, clenched his fists and took a cautious step towards the four shifters. He examined the situation. The first thing that the teen was able to recognize was Quick, the Fallen beta that had escorted him out of their territory. He was accompanied with three other shifters. Now that Maggot thought about it, he owed one to Quick for not taking him prisoner. And in return his member was taken captive? It wasn't right at all. The boy flipped his shaggy black hair out of his eyes and put his hands in his jean pockets to show he meant no harm. "I'm guessing you've come to see Gaunt." Maggot stated out loud to the four. It didn't seem that any other Nilda members were around, so if it came to a fight by any chance, Maggs was at a huge disadvantage. He doubted it would, though. The breeze shifted, sending all scents to his nostrils. Luckily enough, it seemed the retro had arrived just before his leader, the chieftain. -- words | 506 ooc | -

[Gaunt]

Gaunt had been pacing above on the high-tops of the Nilda territory, pausing when a casual wind brought a strong Fallen scent to his nose. He knew they were coming to negotiate about the release of the girl, but he had no idea when it would be. It had seemed like only yesterday that the messenger came to him with the news and he found himself lost in thought. He was not overly upset with the fact the girl was on his land, as she had not done any damage to any of his members or somehow damaged the lands; though the fact that there was no respect to the borders was becoming tiring.

He spotted them as they made their way into the territory and pondered announcing his coming, a howl into the air would tell them to not proceed much further into the land; although Quick and his entourage stopped at the lake edge where they had picked Abigail up the weeks prior.

Making his way down the low cliff edges, he easily maneuvered the terrain like he would be able to do so with even his eyes closed. Moving from one outcrop to the other and moving easily down the steep paths that snaked their way along the edges of the rocky walls. He ended jumping quite a bit from the ground, landing in a crouch to only push off and fall into a steady gait as he made his way over. He noticed as he was a little ways off that Maggot had made it over there quickly enough, stepping out from behind a boulder as the four looked to him.

Gaunt padded along the beach-like end of the lake as he came around the group to shift mid-stride to stop a little ways from Maggot. He was silent for a moment, glancing to his Head Predator before the Beta and his underlings. "Quick," he said nodding to the slight male that had stood to face him. "I am glad you made it quickly enough, I am sure you are as busy as us in preparations for winter," he said as he hooked one of his thumbs in the pocket of his cut-offs.

[Najeri]

"Chieftess!" The voice came slightly breathless, as if he'd been running quite fast. The jackal's feet planted firm in the path, stopping as one of her scouts came rumbling to a stop, panting. Her ears flickered forward, head turned in his direction as she gave him a moment. "Najeri." She corrected gently, as she often did with those that tried to use her 'title'. She didn't want to lead, but she had accepted the duty cautiously; and she still corrected them often enough.

"Najeri." The red fox said, before continuing. "The Fallen have come to the Lake, the High Predator, Maggot and the Chief are there as well." He said, nodding his head as he spoke. Najeri didn't need to hear anymore, knowing exactly what the shifter humans would be here for, the girl that had been overstepping her boundaries and was now sitting in one of the dens, guarded. "How many did you see?" "At least three." Well, damn. Naj's paws were moving again without warning toward the lake.

The fox joined her side, but she sent him away to send word to Fang as well but to keep his distance. There wasn't going to be a fight here today if she could help it, although she did not like the idea of her co captain meeting strangers without backup. Maggot was too much of a risk in her own mind to let him stand, too close to the humans as all housepets were. She shifted as she got close, her human form not as comfortable as her jackal but she needed to be able to speak or use hands if she had to. Her boots scuffed the lake's sand, all of the shapes becoming their own person as she grew closer.

Her eyes befell Maggot first, choosing to ignore him as her gaze moved over Gaunt and then their guests. She did not smile or offer her name as she joined them, her dark hair falling in a mess around her shoulders. Her arms folded under her chest, her face clearly impassive. She wasn't here to talk, she'd let Gaunt handle all of that since he knew more about this than she did having seen it all. She was just watching his back, like she always did.

["Quick" Taylor]

Quick sat on his rock at the Nilda Lake as they waited for their hosts to arrive. Johnathan, the bloodhound scout, was lounging near the water's edge in his animal form. The two hunters, a pair of grizzly bear-shifting twins, were sitting cross-legged on the ground nearby. Quick continuously swept his gaze over the area,keeping an eye out for threats. The Fallen had recently made enemies out of the Carnaring, which had prompted Quick to bring the two Hunters for added protection in case their new enemies decided to ambush them in Retro territory. After all, the Carnas' anger knew no bounds, including territorial bounds.

A sound off to the side snapped the Fallen Beta out of his thoughts. The other three jumped up to their feet as well. The Hunters took up a defensive position around Quick, since he'd instructed them not to pick any fights with anyone. They were to strictly act to protect him and defend themselves. He didn't need them getting into fights with Retros and making the Fallens' political situation worse than it already was. When the individual proved to be Maggot, Quick let out a small sigh of relief and motioned for his team to stand down.

"He's fine, you guys," he said to them before addressing Maggot himself, "Yeah, we are. I'd sent word by messenger that I would be coming. How've you been Maggot?"

As Quick finished speaking, Johnathan popped his head up, looking behind them. Quick gave him a small nod of the head for acknowledgement and began probing out with his mind. It didn't take long for him to brush up against the mind of a wolf moving towards them. He was a retromorph too, and Quick could clearly feel the cool confidence of command in the wolf's thoughts. The only possibility that occurred to Quick was that this wolf must be Gaunt. He wasn't disappointed as the Nilda chief moved coolly among them and up to Maggot, shifting mid-stride. Quick looked to the retromorph leader as he addressed him.

"It's a pleasure, Gaunt," he said in response to the man's greeting,"And the Fallen have been quite busy, yes. With both preparations for winter and for war with the Carnaring."

He was about to continue straight to the point when a woman came into the area around the lake. She had a severely disgruntled look on her face as she came up to stand next to Gaunt, eyeing Quick and his Fallen companions warily. She did not offer her name, nor any greeting to any of the Fallen. Not wanting any trouble, Quick discreetly and quickly scanned her mind for any malicious intent. With his telepathic scanning, he discovered that she was Najeri, co-leader of the Nilda pack with Gaunt. She was there out of worry for her partner's safety, and to back him up if things came to a fight. Quick could understand both of those feelings.

"And this is Najeri, I assume?" He said, giving her a small, courteous smile and a nod of the head,"It's a pleasure to meet you as it is Gaunt. But, if you'll excuse my bluntness, I think it's best we cut to the chase."

"As you know, I am here to request the release for one of my Ring's members. We can negotiate any terms you might want for that. However, I have an offer that I think you might find acceptable. The Fallenring almost always has a surplus of weapons. I believe they could be of use to you and your people. they may not realize it, but sometimes having something as small as a knife in human form can save a life where an animal form cannot."

Quick stayed quiet for a few moments to let his words sink in, waiting for Gaunt's response....

OOC: apologies for the delay. Real life got in the way for a bit.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 496px; height: 765px; background-image:url(http://i45.tinypic.com/1z4j0ip.png)] Maggot relaxed when Quick told his guards to stand down. He seemed rather calm, so Maggs decided to be the same. He leaned his weight on one leg and let a small smile pull at his lips. Before he could answer the Fallen Beta with a light-hearted comment, Gaunt appeared. Everyone turned at his arrival, eyes on him. Without thinking, Maggot dipped his head in respect, making sure to avoid eye contact. He didn't say a word. It was what the retro did naturally to his leader, as he admired the wolf very much. Even in his human form, the retromorph sensed the coming of Najeri, Chieftess. She stood beside Gaunt, not bothering to even glance at Maggot. Nonetheless, he still dipped his head to her as well. The teen had an equal amount of respect for the two, as they were his 'masters'. He listened patiently to the laid back conversation between the retro and shifter. While the two talked, Maggot stared at the pebble covered ground, feeling a little... low. This was his fault. All of the commotion would never have to had taken place if it wasn't for him befriending the Fallen member. Still, he had no regrets meeting Abigail. But he couldn't help but feel that twinge of guilt. Idiot. If you hadn't gotten into Fallen territory in the first place, you'd have never met her. But because you did, she followed you home, and instead of putting her in place, you became friends with her. She got captured, and it's all your fault. You put a girl in danger. It doesn't matter that she's a shifter, she's still a young lady, and you've brought her hell these past weeks. Now you've caused trouble for Quick, the one who rescued you. Even worse, you've become a burden to your own leaders. How stupid could you be? He kept putting himself down more and more while the two conversed. Maggot's attention was caught when Quick offered the Nilda weaponry, something that was probably much needed within the pack. Maggs glanced over at Gaunt, waiting to see his reaction. Would he deny the offer, or gladly accept? Weapons were certainly something the predators could use, and as high predator, Maggot personally found the request appealing, though he had no say. it was up to the Chieftain and Chieftess.

[Gaunt]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 497px; height: 668px; background-image:url(http://i49.tinypic.com/2qkqpvn.jpg)] Gaunt was constantly aware of what was going on around him, his senses open and alert even in this mildly-useful form he had become comfortable with in using - though before his time here mostly. As he glanced to Maggot - nodding his head to the other in acknowledgement - and the Fallen males, he felt the familiar presence of his Chieftess behind him, a casual glance to his side as Quick addressed his pack-mate and partner. "Yes, I'm sure you love being here as my pack enjoys your stay," he said with a bemused glint in his eyes. He was indifferent when it came to shifters versus retromorphs; though he respected each of the two-leggeds uniquely - he hardly would let on that he didn't so much like the fact that the constant traipses into his lands had become an aggravation. Though he had already had a word with Maggot, he felt maybe not so much a blunt rule but a mutual respect of the others supplies would be more suited to this situation. Quick spoke of weapons, and this wasn't to say it didn't peak the Chieftain's interest - but the thought of his pack wanting to use the human tools was on the fence. Even if he did negotiate weapons for the girl, would his people use them? Even if they were useful? His brows furrowed in thought and he gave a slight 'hn' to the idea, pivoting in his spot as he turned to Najeri. Catching her gaze he tilted his head a fraction, his question in his eyes and the pull of his mouth. Her sharp eyes caught his, and narrowed a fraction before she dipped her head in a short nod; this exchange was silent but clear as day to the Chief - they had spoken of the possibilities beforehand. He turned then to the Fallen group, glancing over the three lower party before his eyes settled on Quick. "We will take the weapons you offer in gratitude for the exchange. Though some would prefer to use their natural form, it is helpful in times where such natural claws and teeth would not suffice. "In the future Quick, although I know it is hard to deter young or curious minds from wanting to explore, I implore you to not let them come close to our camp. They should be careful when they tread into our forests, as I believe in the natural order of things," he said with a toothy grin. Though he was being friendly, there was a warning to his tone. "And although I am not prone to violence, members of my pack cannot be watched at all times when others that do not have permission venture here." His grin relaxed into a shadow of a smile as he let his thumbs hook into the loops of the fabric that covered his bottom half. "I do not like the stench of death that isn't needed Quick, so I make myself clear when I say no Fallen will be put to death because they come here. But next time the exchange of prisoners may not be so easily done." Straightening his stance he rolled his shoulders, itching to move from this spot he had stood in; though held fast as he breathed through his nose. "We can do the exchange tonight at the border if you wish. The girls scent in my dens makes my people uneasy as it is. The sooner we would be able to finish this the better." ---------- OOC | Permission from Han for the slight PP with Naj. <3 glad to get going on this thread! :D ALSO! Han/Najeri doesn't have anything to say so she's gonna stand there for this bit o.o So it's Quicks turn again!