Hero

Hero was of royal blood, Kahvi had said. She was the great-granddaughter of Greyfell, the new leader of the Shadow Haunters. Her father tended to live with the humans, which Hero wasn't so sure about, and her mother sided with Saydin. They were her parents only by blood. She respected her father, even though he was more of a pet, but she wanted nothing to do with her mother. Again, she had no relation to them in any way except for blood. Nightshade raised her, and Hero shared her adoptive mother's goal to kill Saydin. She'd love to be the one who stomped on the little roach's head and squashed it flat, but she was only one of many who thought that way, so there was only a small chance that she would be the hero.

The alphas had been in the meeting for a long time. Hero didn't dare intrude and get everybody in trouble. Instead, she stayed way down the shore, so far that she couldn't really see them, let alone hear them. But she smelled the tension in the wind. With a sigh, the zebra hybrid walked rather carelessly but gracefully across the snowy landscape. Not many creatures were out today, leaving her feeling somewhat lonely.

Pulse & Thlayli

Further down the shore from the alphas' meeting and from Hero herself, the young buck was traveling slowly across the snow-covered rocks with a rabbit trailing idly after him. Every now and then, the sambar-hybrid would stop and nuzzle at the snow, or scrape at it with a hoof to unearth a morsel of green vegetation hidden below, which he'd share with the little rabbit that was tagging along. Like any good deer, Pulse would lift his head and take his time looking over the surroundings and listening for danger before he went back to searching for food and chatting with his long-eared friend.

"It all sounds a little risky to me..." Drawing his muzzle up, Pulse gave a forceful snort and shook his head, trying to shake off the snow that had collected on the front of his snout. "What would they think of me? And what about having kits?"

Thlayli skipped a few feet in head of the deer, taking his turn to nose about at the snow and search for anything to eat, "Nonsense! The task will be quick, and done at night. There'll be little risk of the humans catching us. And of the does? They'll love having you around, to chase off the foxes and hawks. Kits... well, I'll figure something out..." The buck rabbit trailed off when he looked over his shoulder and saw that his giant friend wasn't paying attention to him anymore. Pulse's giant eyes and his radar-ears were focused further down the shore, where he'd just now spotted Hero. Thlayli lowered his voice, "Now, now, that's a Friendly. A horse, you know? And it looks alone. Don't get panicked - you know I can't keep up with you when you run."

Seadashen

"A deer, a horse, and a bunny?" Seadashen had been watching the group from his perch on a larger, flattened rock a few feet from the shore. The harbor seal rolled lazily onto on side and watched the group from a sideways stare. Despite being alone, and having some significant scarring over his body, including the loss of part of his tail, the rolly-polly creature appeared to be in very good health, and not at all alarmed by having potential predators both in the water, and further on down the shore where the canines were meeting. Sea rolled again, this time stretching out on his back and looking at them in his new, upside-down view, "You do know it's hunting season, don't you? It's kind of dangerous to be prancing around in the open like this." Never mind that he was laying out in the open, and could just as easily be shot.

Pulse & Thlayli

A horse was one thing; but a seal? He hadn't been near the beach much since entering the Valley, and this was his first encounter with the flippered beast. The shape was a little boggling to him, but the face and the teeth spoke of a predator. Warily, Pulse took one step back and raised his head a little, and directed one ear towards Sea and one towards Hero, "Who and what are you?"

"That's a seal, a water hunter, but a Friendly as well." Thylali couldn't deny that he'd jumped a little too when the creature first spoke. His nose had told him Seadashen was there, but the seal blended in so well with the rocks and had been so still that the rabbit failed to see him before he spoke up. "I daresay it's hunting season all year round, in this area." To the harbor seal, Thlayli responded, with a little huff at the end to show his disdain for the two-leggers. "It's it kind of dangerous to be playing on a beach where your own predators lurk around? The wolves of the sea live here."

Hero

Hero was always nervous around strangers when her friends weren't with her. She really missed having Kahvi always there to save her, and even now, Nightshade was off on her own mission. She just felt alone sometimes.

The zorse's ears perked up as soon as she sensed another creature. She could hear and smell them, and she knew by their scent that they were herbivores. She turned around to look at them. She mumbled something under her breath, hearing the rabbit talk quietly to the deer. The then raised her voice. "Can I help you?" She asked indifferently, seeming patient but not happy. It wasn't that she was upset with them, but she did seem upset.

She jumped a bit when she heard another voice. She looked at the direction from which it came and saw a seal. "The bunny has a point, fishbait. I seen crocs, sharks, and other things with big teeth in that water, and the humans are hunting for treasures like yourself. Just came back from the city myself. So many hunters leaving, and so many coming back with dead things. I saw somethin' like you, but it was fatter and had two giant fangs. No lie, I'm tellin' you. Fangs! And the humans still hauled the bloody thing home!" Her head lowered a bit and her eyes squinting, trying to get her dark warning across. "They've mostly got enough of me on their farms..." She looked all around at the three, "...but they're looking for more of you. Nevertheless, I'm stayin' safe too." It was obvious that she spoke a lot, when she had something to say. Nightshade even got a bit annoyed sometimes with Hero's endless talk.

Pulse & Thlayli

The sambar-mix wasn't so sure about the seal yet, and thus kept his giant eyes on the rounded, mottled creature to make sure it didn't rush forward suddenly and attack them. One ear was still back though, and this is what picked up on Hero's mumbling and the clop of her hooves on the rocks. Pulse his head to the side to see the horse, "We were just foraging. We didn't mean to bother you." He was always quick to avoid conflict, even though Hero herself didn't look aggressive; in his eyes, she was still big and strong enough to be a serious throat to him if she had it in mind to attack.

Thlayli had more to say however, and quickly picked up on the troubled expression and tones that the equine seemed to harbor. "Between my knowledge and keen hearing, and his eyes and nose, we're safe enough from humans right now." An ear flicked towards Pulse as he explained their bit of teamwork and how they helped one another look out for danger. "...say, what's a horse like yourself doing down here anyway? Looks like you've got something on your mind, and it's not a pleasant thing."

While the buck rabbit was questioning Hero, the deer was focusing on all of what she said about the humans. A seal with fangs?!?! He'd never before seen or heard of a walrus, and in his mind, he envisioned some horrible cross between a giant wolf and the strange creature that Seadashen was. The image made him shiver a little.

Hero

Hero was usually suspicious of strangers, but these ones didn't seem so bad. Well, the seal did, but the deer and the rabbit seemed good. She felt that there probably wouldn't be any trouble. She nodded to Pulse in acknowledgment, also as a way to say she meant no harm.
"I sure hope so." Hero said indifferently to Thlayli. "The humans are gettin' craftier and sneakier." She herself usually traveled with Astra, Bulletproof and Switchblade, but they were all busy in all different places, leaving her alone to fend for herself.
Hero paused for a moment after Thlayli's question. She truly did seem upset, and she was. "Yeah..." She said monotonously, "There's a war coming. There's a meeting being held - you might have seen them - down the shore." She nodded in the direction that the alphas sat. "It's...really complicated, but you can probably see that I hate it." She didn't want any war. Kahvi had already died, and she didn't want to lose anybody else. Perhaps these strangers had a way to help somehow, though.

Pulse & Thlayli

Tentatively keeping track of the harbor seal, Pulse raised his neck a little and peered off down the shore where Hero had pointed out the gathering of canines. At this distance, he couldn't get a great view of them, but they were close enough that he could see when they moved, and his nose easily picked up on their scent. "Are you affiliated with those guys down there?" Of course he'd heard of the mixed packs, and how some of the herbivores were working with predators, but he hadn't yet met any of them in person yet. "I've heard stories of wars in this area, but I didn't realize they were still going on."

"What is this feud about?" The buck rabbit hopped atop a smooth rock with a skitter of his claws as he almost lost his footing and slid off the side. Once he'd gotten on top of it, he stood on his enormous hind legs and tried to see the meeting down the beach, and just managed to perk his head high enough to get a glimpse of the gathered predators, "Between these wars and the pressures of the humans, surviving has gotten a lot trickier." Thlayli's nose twitched and he looked up at Hero, "We are always in search of friends in these troubled times." That was his way of more or less asking to be chums with Hero, and offering his help to the equine who looked so bothered.

Seadashen

"Most of the orcas in this bay know me well. It's an odd story, really." Seadashen shrugged when they warned him of the dangerous in the sea, and by the looks of the scars he carried, he'd certainly had his fair share of predator encounters with the locals of the sea. "I appreciate the advice about the hunters, and believe you me, I've been around long enough to know when to take cover in the sea. Say, you're in search of friends?" The seal invited himself into the conversation, whether he was welcome to or not, "I wouldn't mind being part of this. I may not be much use to you guys on land, but I can still be of help."

Pulse & Thlayli

Thlayli stood up on his hind legs, not that it really made him that much taller, "We're always looking for friends where we can find them." The buck rabbit was quick to not only acknowledge Seadashen back into the conversation, but to Pulse's slight dismay, accept him as a friend as well. The rabbit didn't mind that one quick snap by the seal's jaws could thoroughly squash him - he may be small, but he was quick on his feet, and perfectly safe from the water creature. Besides, unlike the deer's concerns over being friends with a predator, Thlayli understood Seadashen was more interested in fish than the flesh of any land animal. "We spend most of our time around Pike's Lake. I think the river leading to it is big enough that you shouldn't have troubles swimming there, if you're interested in that. It would keep you safer from some of these predators in the ocean."

Hero

Hero listened quietly for the most part, until she was asked a question. "It's a long story, really..." But of course, she was always ready to explain it in hopes of gaining new allies. "You see, it started with this old pack I was in, led by a wolf named Saydin and her mate, Kahvi. Shortly after I was born, Saydin killed Kahvi, leading to the group being split up, and naturally, I went with Kahvi's children. Saydin was always a dangerous wolf, and apparently, she had already done things to upset the Shadow Lurkers, with whom I am now allies." She stopped there, not wanting to go any further. Her dark eyes landed on Seadashen when the seal began speaking. "My territory doesn't have any big bodies of water, but I do wonder if you could aid us, perhaps. Provide strength from the sea? I'm sure Nightshade will give you something in return." She then addressed Pulse and Thlayli. "For you, we could provide protection straight from our territory. We'll make sure no hunters ever touch you."

Pulse & Thlayli

"Wolves... they are dangerous, and hardly trustworthy." The buck rabbit nodded with authority, though it was probably unsurprising that a bunny like himself was so adamantly against the canines. Strangely enough, it was Pulse who better understood why some of the plant-eaters got along with the meat eaters, though he himself was always just a little nervous around even the 'friendly' ones. "Ah, she's got a good point, seal. Having friends in the water could come out handy in ways we may not think of yet. You say you're friends with the whales, or they at least don't try and eat you? Perhaps we can see about speaking with them."

He wasn't so sure about meeting the 'wolves of the sea', and in his uncertainty, the deer took a few steps back so that he was closer to Hero than he was to the shoreline. "I like your offer, uh... I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name?" The sambar hybrid swiveled an ear towards Hero, then gave a sheepish smile, "I'm Pulse, by the way. And this is my friend, Thlayli."

Seadashen

"Now that depends." Seadashen lifted his head and flicked his long, bristly whiskers while he sniffed at the air. He could smell neither hide nor hair of any humans, and a quick look along the coastline and the dock showed the place to be empty of the two-leggers right now. "I've yet to meet a wolf I didn't like, but then I am a seal, and you're but a tasty snack." It wasn't the kindest thing to say, but for as brusque as it was, Seadashen honestly didn't mean any offense; he was just speaking the truth of the matter. "To answer you-" His giant, dark eyes focused on Hero, twinkling pleasantly, "-I'd be very interested in a kinship, and I agree that we can both provide each other with benefits. I'm good friends with these particular orca pod that lives in this bay. It's a trade-off, you see... I can swim freely among them without being attacked, but the same does not go for any of my friends or family. I choose to live here because it is very safe, but without any other seals to lounge with in his bay, it is also lonely. Perhaps if you or your friends would come visit me often, I can offer you something in return. Fish and water creatures for your wolf friends to eat, and tasty seaweed for you and your plant-eater friends to snack on. Oh!" The seal bobbed his serpentine neck, "We've got shiny objects from the sea that you might be interested in. They aren't of much use, but they are pretty to look at and collect."

Hero

Hero was used to being around predators. Although she didn't think he ever met a seal or an orca, she had her share of canines, felines, snakes, and all those other animals that would normally be dangerous to a horse. "My pack isn't really dangerous to critters like you and me. If you're their friend, they won't eat you. They've adapted to be more like scavengers, unless they go into the city..." She stopped right there. Right now, she wasn't going to tell them about her pack's affinity for killing humans and their pets. Nightshade was one of the top most wanted predators in the valley, with a big bounty on her head, but so far anybody who tried to kill her ended up in bad condition...but usually dead.
"Oh!" The horse said, being reminded that she hadn't introduced herself yet. "I'm Hero, daughter of Corvus...and Fierce." She left her mother at a young age to live with Nightshade, after the murder of Kahvi.
Hero took a look around.The place smelled of predatory animals, but they were nothing new to the horse, and most of them never really meant any harm, having adapted to live with their prey. "I guess it is pretty safe here, except for the hunters and fishers that come around sometimes. But hey, between me, Nightshade, Failure and Astra, we can all handle it." She lowered her big head to look at Thlayli. "You see, we don't really run from hunters..." There was a sly look on her face as she said this. If only they knew. Maybe they did, though, with the way rumors fly around.
"But anyway..." Hero continued, diverting her attention to Seadashen again. "I'd be glad to visit you a whole lot, and I'm sure the rest of the pack would too. The wolves enjoy a good meal of fish, but they're not expert fishers like you are." Astra especially loved fish. It had that salty and, well, fishy taste to it. "Seaweed? I've heard it's good, but I've never tried it, since it's underwater, y'know, but if you can find some sometime, I'd like some if it's not too much trouble." Her eyes widened when the seal mentioned his next offering. "Ooooh! Shiny things? For some reason, my whole pack likes shiny things. Astra keeps a collection of shiny things she finds. She calls her favorite kind 'tiny stars,' and they're usually stuck on little metal circles or chains. When I ran into some humans, one of them was wearing those tiny stars on her ears and fingers!" Come to think of it, Hero would like to have some of those shiny things to wear like the humans. But back to business. "So it's a deal, then?"

Pulse & Others

Thlayli picked up on Hero's lack of fear against the humans, and rather quickly, his mind fell back to the conversation he'd been having with Pulse before the mare had been invited into the talk. "I'm not sure about the friends with predators things, but you do sound like a brave soul. Humans don't frighten you much then, do they?" The buck rabbit hopped onto a slightly larger rock and stood up on his hind legs again, trying to make himself a little taller, even if he still came no where near reaching the height of his hooved friends. "Maybe you'd be interested in helping Pulse and I in a little something tonight?"

The deer looked a bit nervous again, clearly not having the same determination against humans that Thlyali or Hero seemed to have, but maybe that was just the deer in him making him flighty.