Why so deserted...?

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

The dead grass crunched unhappily beneath my paws as I trod over it to get to the lake in the middle of these loner lands. It had been a long time since I'd come to this place. I wanted to keep a low profile, and that was hard to do in the very middle of the loner lands. I wondered vaguely why there were so few lone wolves on this island. They're all probably members of Hitoban's pack... Mother would not be happy with me. It had been far too long since I'd been home. She would think I had failed in my mission. But I haven't even started it yet. My mission was to kill Hitoban, my half-sister, but it was so hard with so many wolves around her. But I've seen her recently, wandering alone. Those would be the perfect opportunities to kill her. I wondered where her family was. Her mate, her protector...they were all nowhere to be found. So if Mother was mad at me when I returned, at least I could tell her I'd been gathering information. Not that that would make much difference in her eyes... Mother always had been a mite cruel-this was no different with me.

I lowered my maw to the clear water, drinking from the exceptionally sweet water. That was one good thing about this island. Maybe I would get some cool powers like some of the other wolves on this island had. You have to be kidding. You're not good enough for special powers. Quiet your qualms, Rasputin. I rolled my eyes. Rasputin and Phoebus, my demons. Well, technically my demon and my angel. Hitoban had them too, but hers were not so evolved as mine were. I let them run free often, so they have their true forms. Hitoban's demons do not.

I whirled my head around. I heard something off in the grassy meadows. Probably just a rabbit or something, but one never could be too careful. I was too open here-what if Hitoban or one of her pack came and found me here? They would try to kill me, for sure. I shrunk down and made no noise in the anticipation of whatever was in the grass.

[Kyuu]

Kyuushuu hated here, in these lands. There was not nearly as much wildlife, and at night everything was so quiet. It was quite unnerving. Especially to someone like him, who loved the sounds of the forest. I need to get out of here before I go crazy.

He raised his head, smelling the air. There was water nearby, and he was a tad bit thirsty. He though he smelled something else, as well, but discarded it as nothing. He hadn't seen another wolf here in so long, it was probably an old scent.

He made his way out of the tree line toward the water. Kyuu didn't know why, but his instincts were going crazy. Someone was watching him, and not someone with good intentions. His whole body went rigid, his tail stiff. If someone decided to attack him, they would be in for a fight.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

I could see him now, some brute I'd never seen before. He's probably new to the island. Obiously not born here. Do you think he's a threat? I was about to answer, but I was interrupted. Of course he is-kill him! I heard Rasputin's evil laughter in my mind-space and rolled my eyes. You know, that gets old really fast, Ras. Why can't you be just a touch more normal, like Hitoban's Katashi? That wench? He scoffed. She cannot truly be called a demoness. I've seen true demonesses, and she is not worthy of such a title. No matter! Just stop arguing and let him think! Thank you, Phoebus. I sighed softly, the sounds in my head finally put to a stop. I studied the brute cautiously. He looked as most brutes do-large and strong. He looked young, too, so he would probably be stronger than most. But he didn't look...youthful. He looked...wise? Not old, but...seasoned, perhaps. He didn't seem like such a threat. If he turned out to be one, I could just let Rasputin on him. This thought incited a gleeful cackle from the demon, to which I rolled my eyes once more.

I backed up so I didn't spring up right at his feet, and stood slowly, showing myself to him. I dipped my head slightly with a smile. "Greetings. I am Ryuunosuke, but you may call me Ryuu."

[Kyuu]

(Sorry for the wait. The last few days have been kind of hectic.)

Kyuu's head whipped in the new arrivals direction once he heard the wolf stand up. The wolf was of a good size, though not what some would call large. The wolf was also black, making him harder to see in the fading light of dusk. Kyuu was also surprised the wolf had managed to avoid detection, at least to the point he was able to. Not many wolves were able to hide from Kyuu's senses as much as this wolf did.

"Kyuu." Was his crisp reply to this Ryuunosuke. He decided to forgo giving his full name, not trusting this stranger at all. Ryuu seemed to reek of what some called 'evil'. Of course he wasn't one to judge someone completely by their scent, but it was still part of first impressions.

His body did not loosen, but what was once a small snarl was gone. He made his way over to the water, meaning to fufill his original purpose of getting a drink. His tongue came out, lapping at the water, but he kept one eye on Ryuu. During his stay in the loner lands, he had learned quickly never to turn your back on a stranger.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Not very talkative, is he? Rasputin's snarling voice-which always seemed to be "snarling," no matter what he was talking about-snapped in my ears, startling me. The silence around us was deafening. It was strange, how little he said. Then, I hadn't been around many wolves who weren't family or being attacked, so I couldn't rightly say how much a stranger should speak. I shuffled uncomfortably in the silence, wondering if I should pursue information from him or not. He did seem to be new to the land, and clearly not wanting any attention. I sidled nonchalantly over to the water and took a drink myself, making sure to keep close watch of the trees for any of Hitoban's pack. I couldn't forget my duty, no matter how many people I meet. I sat and looked out at the fading sunlight. The evening was growing cool-not as oppressively humid as it was in the summer, but not yet as cold as it was in the winter. I cocked an eyebrow, trying to think what to say to this wolf. Finally, I said the first thing that came to mind.

"I've not seen you around lately-are you new to the island?" Best not to be making assumptions-get what solid information you can. It was one of the first lessons my mother taught me.

[Kyuu]

Kyuu wondered what was the deal with this wolf. Ryuu, as he called himself, didn't seem the least bit cautious. Almost like he thought Kyuu was no threat. This only made Kyuushuu more uncomfortable. Not because he suspected Ryuunosuke was a threat to him, but merely because a non-chalant enemy usually has friends to back him up.

"No." Was his simple response. While some could see it as a lie, he saw 2 years as not much of a timespan. He looked up, eyeing the wolf carefully. "Wha...What d-do you want?" He tried his best, but he was unable to keep the stutter from his speech. Kyuu tried his best to make it sound intimidating, but he knew as soon as he lost control of his speech he just sounded stupid.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

I watched the expressions on this new wolf's face curiously-they didn't change much, almost as if he were hiding his true feelings. When wolves met each other, this was not uncommon, but I like to think I have the innate ability to open others up. He replied to my question-a short, sweet, and to-the-point "no"-and fired back one of his own. I was taken slightly aback by his stutter-he showed no sign of it from the outside, but apparently if he said more than a few words, he began incessant stuttering. I expertly hid the surprise on my face and answered him easily. "I only wanted to introduce myself to a new face. I am fairly new here myself, and I was hoping you knew something about the packs here. I don't intend on being a loner forever, after all." The lie was seamless. Years with Mother have taught me how easy it can be to weave a web of lies right before someone-especially someone who knew nothing about you. I continued, sitting down and giving a slight smile to prove my harmlessness. He seemed slightly ill-at-ease, and I wanted to change that.

"So if you are indeed not new here, perhaps you could tell me about the dynamics of the Kuran no Hikari pack? It seems no one knows much about them. I know plenty of the other packs, but this Kuran no Hikari pack tend to keep to themselves and the Full Moon pack." I suspected he was lying about being new to the island. After all, I would have seen him before now, wouldn't I? Unless, of course, he was a member of a pack here previously, and was then expelled-either willingly or non-from said pack. But that was just as unlikely.