Before Memories [Closed]

A small figure was hiding behind a tree, heavy gray camouflaged cloak wrapped around her lithe body. Short spikes horns were barely visible under the hood, saddened golden eyes watching as the small group of Reaver clan made trade deals with her kinsman. I wonder... if any of them lost anyone recently.

Skold Adjusted the strap holding Jernulv to his back before turning back to the small group that had followed him up into the mountains, the majority of the clan had chosen to stay behind, tending to the pups and the older wolves. Katlin was close behind him. The Clan leader cocked his head to one side
"Where's Jacob" the woman laughed before pointing a little way off, where the young Reaver was brandishing a stick, trying to catch rabbits as they darted off into their burrows. He had been one of the few pups unafraid of the Dragon people, of course, the lad knew no fear, he was his father's son after all.

Hira shivered and flared her aura, her cloak blowing up from the sudden surge of energy. Snow blew out in a circle, leaving a small cleared patch around her feet. A look of panic crossed her face, her eyes flickering to green in anger at herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid! You know that flaring your aura does that! She thinks to herself as she hides further behind the tree.

Jacob lifted his nose to the air, his ears pricking. He lowered his gaze to a small tree a few metres away. He growled, though it wasn't threatening in the slightest.

Arnkneiger looked to the side dismissively as he addressed Skold. "It appears your little pup has found something interesting in the trees."

The young dragoness smelled the air and her eyes immediately revered back to gold, her cloak quietly rippling around her ankles.

"He's a hunter, that's for certain" Skold chuckled, before turning his attention to Arnkneiger in full
"Shall we go inside? Wouldn't want you to stay out in the cold on our account" he grinned, baring his fangs.

Jacob crouched and scampered across the snow, sniffing at the air every so often as he tired to track down the source of the smell.

Arnkneiger gestured towards the main hall and starts walking towards it, his heavy platemail clacking against itself as he walks. "Now now, we aren't very bothered by the cold you know. We just prefer being warm."

Hira watched helplessly as the wolf boy came closer and she quickly backed up, before turning and starting to run into the forest. Her cloak flapped around her, the snow displaced under her feet from her bubbling aura.

Skold laughed, a grating chuckle as he gestured for the small band of wolves to follow. Katlin stopped and called out for Jacob to follow them.

The little wolf paused in his hunt, staring at the silhouette of a figure amidst the trees. He stole another step forwards, his head cocking to one side
"Jacob!" the call sounded again, and Jacob visibly winced, before darting back towards his mother.

Hira stopped running once she was sure she wasn't being followed anymore. With a glance back over her shoulder she started to flank around the group, heading for the back door to the hall while staying in the treeline, just a darting shadow.

The pack entered the fire lit chamber, beating the snow off their pelt cloaks and shaking flakes from their hair. Skold punched his palms a few times and looked around himself
"You dragons seem well set here in the mountains" he stated.

Jacob kept close to his mother, staring up at the carved walls and high ceiling. His maw open in awe of what he saw around him.

When Hira entered the back of the hall she immediately climbed up into the rafters, hiding among the shadows and watching the group shake snow from themselves.

Arnkneiger let out a low chuckle, his voice deep and seemingly well-oiled. "It is due to the hunter pair that resides in the village. They are known as the Bloody Tank and the Bladed Horror. I'm not sure if you've heard of them, seeing as you live in an area that doesn't get much news traffic. They recently went to war with the Gafflynder Corporation though. Their little girl is somewhere around here I believe."

"We wolves prefer to stay away from humans" Skold said bluntly "they're more destructive than they realize. Although I'm sure they're not all bad" he grunted " they're certainly not as volatile as those White Fang."

Jacob picked up that scent again, the one from outside. With fresh determination he ran over to one of the stone columns and began to scramble up it. Skold excused himself before hoisting his son down by the scruff of his neck
"Feet on the ground boy, you don't want to offend our hosts." he muttered, ruffling Jacob's hair.

Arnkneiger laughed loudly. "These columns are made of granite. If he can break one or even damage it I'd eat my own helmet. I've thrown people into those things before. Let him climb, it does no harm. And about humans... we used to have a family of them here. The Godhammer family. Lovely people. Their little boy was Hira's best friend before the entire family just disappeared off the face of the planet."

Glowering down into the room, Hira's golden eyes glowed softly in the firelight.

Skold kept a firm hand on his son's shoulder
"I'm sure they were" he nodded "but I may have to keep the pup on the ground, you'd be suprised at what sort of trouble he can get himself into, when he was teething he managed to eat half an Ursa pelt, kept it down too" he grinned looking down at Jaocb as the boy turned red with embaressment.

Turning his attention away from his father's jokes, Jacob focused on the thing in the rafters, he could see its eyes glaring down at him. He bared his teeth and growled again.

Hira flinched back from the glaring wolf boy, immediately looking down and away. Her downcast eyes caught the gaze of Arnkneiger and she pulled back deeper into the shadows, clutching her fingers around a heavy combat knife.

Arnkneiger sighed, having seen the little dragoness in the rafters. "Hira, come down. They're not going to hurt you." He says softly while beckoning the small child down.

Skold looked up at the small girl hiding in the rafters
"Thought I could smell something" he muttered. He looked down at Jacob, suddenly understanding why the boy was growling, he delivered a slight cuff to the side of his head "cut that out" he cautioned, more affectionate that stern.

Hira placed her hands on the side of the rafters and vaulted down, landing on the table with a soft thud. The cloak still concealed her face and body, the Mark of the Unrelenting embroidered across the back. She spoke softly, her voice quiet. "Arn-Gna... who are these people?"

With a heavy clank, Arnkneiger sits to one side of the fire. "They are from clan Reaver."

Skold smiled at the young girl
"Hello there little one, you've nothing to fear from us, we wouldn't dare trying anything with such a vigilant guard protecting the village." Jacob puffed out his chest and tried to cast a more imposing figure, contrasting with his father's friendlier stance.

Hira stood up, her golden eyes scathing as she unclasped the cloak. She walked over to one side of the room and shrugged it off, multiple knives sheathed on her hips.

Putting his hand on his forehead, Arnkneiger sighed loudly. "Hira, how many times do I have to tell you? Stop taking my hunting knives. You may have some training with them but they're not yours. Use your parents if you must."

"This is the little one who's parents are fighting in the war?" Skold cocked his head to one side, observing the storm of a girl as she revealed her bladed arsenal.

The village chief nodded in confirmation. "Yes. She's been... anti-social at best. She doesn't believe that her parents will come back from the war, considering the power of the Gafflynder corporation and it's tearing her apart from the inside."

The armed girl acted like she didn't hear Arnkneiger, unsheathing the knives and throwing them across the hall to firmly plant into a rectangle of wood. She then unclasped the knife harness and hung it on a forged metal hook before storming off to the corner of the room, sitting down and pulling the cloak around herself once more.

Jacob ventured forwards, closing in on the small girl cocooned in the cloak. Skold watched him, smirking to himself "Aye, he's fearless alright".

Hira noticed the small wolf boy neared and send a smoldering glare at him, a low growl coming from deep in her chest as she shrunk back into the cloak.

Jacob puffed out his chest and reciprocated, baring his fangs and continuing in his advance.

When he came within arms reach Hira launched herself at him, winding around him before slinging him over her shoulder, her true strength being shown as she only uses one arm. As she's throwing him over her shoulder she's careful to make sure he lands on the cloak, making sure he isn't badly hurt.