Cortinarri

The wind was sharp and blew bitterly cold on the edges of the canyon's many cliffs and rock outcroppings. Winter was swift on its way, sure to bring months of cold and snow. If she weren't part of a pack, Cortinarri knew that she would stand no chance to survive these long weeks ahead. She couldn't have survived this summer if it weren't for her children and packmates in fact, so stiff were her arthritic legs and bum ankle. Her senses had long since started to fade, leaving the world fuzzier and less defined through her once lively amber eyes. Smells were more mundane, sounds more obscure. Everything was slowing down for the old wolfess, and eventually, it would all come to a stop for her.

But not today. There was still fire in her heart, and her mind was one thing that had not dulled as the years crept up on her. It spun with thoughts and cunning ideas as she sat on her haunches, looking out over the Valley that she had called home for the last ten years of her long life. There were still a few deeds left undone, and a few loose strings needing to be tied up.

Delom

The brown and black brute walked along the rocky cliffs of The Canyon. Why he was here, he did not know. All he knew is that he was thirsty...Thirsty for blood. Oh how he loved it. He hadn't sank his fangs into another animal for a while. Of course, logically, he has. But no. He didn't mean rabbits, deer, or any prey. He missed the taste of wolf blood.

The hessian sniffed the air, and a smile tugged at his lips as a perfume found it's way into his senses. A female was nearby. He laughed but not a cheery one or not even an evil one. It was more like a laugh of insanity. He started towards the scent of the female.

The hessian slowed down as he was getting closer to the femme. He crouched down and stalked forward, being careful not to fall into the Canyon. Maybe he would give her time, speak to her for a bit, before ripping her apart like he usually did. He got close enough to see her on the cliff and he let out a small cackle. He stood up and stalked into view. Hello, missy. he barked, his voice filled with his insanity.

Cortinarri

His steps were too quiet for her ears to pick up until he'd stalked closer, but the laugh reached her loud and clear. It was a laugh that sent an unpleasant tingle down her back and caused the fur along her neck and spine to prick up. The sound was... unnerving. And it was close. Cortinarri didn't stand up, not wanting to reveal how lame her hind leg had become, so she remained sitting and watched Delom stalk into view along the rocky, cliffside trail.

Something's not right with this one. His voice, his mannerisms... The shewolf warned herself, while noting that she was practically defenseless right now. Old and by herself, Cortinarri didn't stand a good chance fighting a healthy male, and if she was reading him right, his intentions didn't look exactly friendly. The only defense she had was her wits, "Do I know you?" The wolfess shifted her position ever so slightly, angling her body so that her head was turned partly over her shoulder to look at him. She showed no fear, nor any surprise, even though her heart was starting to thump a little faster in her chest.

Delom

Delom cackled once again. Deciding not to rip the femme apart then and there, he sat down, scanning her body over with his red-orange eyes. He took note in her old look and drew in her scent once again. Yup. This femme was diffinetly (sp?) old. He pouted a bit but then smirked. Even though it wouldn't be as fun to kill an old person, he still liked the taste of other canine's blood.

Finally, he spoke, his voice of insanity echoing off the cliffs. No, you do not know me. But let me introduce myself. I am Delom. Or what others refer to me as. "The Bringer of Death" He smirked as he said his nickname that was giving to him long ago. And what would your name be, pretty lady?

Cortinarri

The way Delom looked her up and down was yet another thing that unsettled the old wolfess. It wasn't a casual look, it was something more sinister that didn't bode particularly well for her. When he spoke again, his voice sounded maddened like one with a few screws loose upstairs, Cortinarri took in and exhaled a deep breath to steady her nerves. "That's quite a title, Bringer of Death." More cautiously than before, Cortinarri responded to him. Knowing that she could not outrun him or outfight him, her best hope was to keep talking and try to figure him out, "Cortinarri, retired Alphess of the Aspen Grove pack." She bit back a growl of disdain at his 'pretty lady' quip, and continued to act calmly. "You look like a wolf in your prime, Delom. Surely, you have a pack you are part of?"

Delom

The demon smirked as she complemented his nickname. She then introduced herself as Cortinarri. Cortinarri? Ah, such an interesting name. It just made him more tempted to rip into her flesh but he still resisted. She also said she was a retired alphess. Now that made it even more tempting. After, she asked if he was in a pack and this made the brute release his cackle to the air. Ha!! Yea right. I don't care for packs. There don't deserve my attention. Better yet, I'd rather just kill every wolf out there that's in a pack.

Cortinarri

'Where is Namir..?' She thought anxiously to herself and discretely tilted her muzzle up to deep in a deep breath of air. No trace of her cougar friend's scent was to be found. Cortinarri's ears flinched back at the cackling laughter, finding the noise unpleasant and more alarming that the less than stable tones of his voice. "So... you're one of those? A taste for wolf flesh?" This wolf was clearly driven by a blood lust, which she hoped to use to her advantage to get out of this situation. But how....? Ah ha! A sudden idea hit her, drawing a sly smile across her grayed muzzle that produced a coy, almost dangerous look to the old huntress' face. "I have a proposition for you dear Delom, if you're interested." The wolfess rose up on her legs, holding herself proudly, as if she could shake off the weight of age and lethargy that had robbed her of strength and vitality.

Delom

Delom cackled once again and nodded, a smile of insanity plastered on his maw. "Oh yes. I love the taste of other's canines' flesh. Especially there blood. Oh, it's amazing." He barked, licking his chops. But when the sly smile found it's way onto the features of the old wolfess in front of him, he tilted his head. When she spoke, she said she had a proposition for him. A proposition? Like a job? "A Proposition, huh? And what would it involve?" he asked, his tail swaying from side to side softly. Just thinking about this...Proposition made him excited a bit, whatever it was.

Cortinarri

Cortinarri kept a grimace from forming on her face. Sure, she'd had her fair share of fights with other canines and the taste of their blood was not foreign to her, but she was far from craving it. Hearing Delom talk about it with such delight was enough to make bile rise in her throat. With every word he uttered, and every maniacal cackle that left his jaws, Cortinarri developed a greater fear for her life. "Interested?" In a slight bid of fortune for her, Cortinarri thought she picked up excitement and a piqued interest in Delom, which at least shifted his bloodlust from her to someone else. "I have been looking for quite some time, trying to find someone with just the right skills and lack of connection to any surrounding packs, to take out an old enemy of mine." Cortinarri wanted to bait him further, to keep his curiosity on the proposition instead of herself, "Her name is Nachi, and she's been quite the thorn in my paw for the last few years. I would have had her taken out already, but she has many allies, and I cannot afford to be connected to her assassination... that's where I think you would be perfect for the task." Her sly smile took on a bit of a sinister look, and her voice lowered conspiratorially.’

Delom

Ok. Now the old wolfess had the brute's attention. He had listened to her speak, starting to get a bit bored with her explaining that she needed someone with the right skills and such. Sure, he was flattered but he really didn't care. It was when she said that he had to take out an old enemy of hers that he got interested. His smile of insanity grew wider and he licked his kissers, just thinking about the blood. When she continued, he listened intently, explaining why she couldn't kill this 'Nachi' herself. She finished with saying that he was perfect for the job. The brute noticed her sly smile turn more sinister and he was starting to like this old wolfess a bit. She was cunning and actually quite evil on the inside it seems.

Delom raised himself to his full height, a smile on his face as he nodded. "I shall take this proposition and task of yours. It sounds like fun. I have not killed any wolf for a while and I can't wait to sink my canine into this 'Nachi'. Just tell me where she is and I will kill her for you. But I also expect a bit of payment from you. I don't do things for free, even it is pure fun for me. Do you have anything to offer me?"

Cortinarri

Cortinarri knew she was going out on the limb here, trusting some stranger with a task as delicate as this one. But what choice did she have? If she hadn't turned his attention elsewhere, she strongly believed he'd have killed her instead. That's what she reassured herself with anyway, as she continued to gauge this mentally imbalanced canine before, "Payment? Of course..." Now the fae had to get creative... what could she give in return for his services, and still keep herself away from him so that it wouldn't look like she had a hand in Nachi's death? "There are a few possibilities, one being a food reward. Name any prey you want, and I will get it for you. Or, if you'd prefer.. I have a few connections with the local wild cat population, and I could have it arranged so that you would have their protection and help whenever you needed it." Her mind continue to whirl, trying to come up with other possible payments for this fellow, if either of those two didn't suit his fancy.

Delom

The brute of insanity listened carefully as the old femme started listing off possible payments. The mention of food made him lick his lips but he shook his head. I can hunt on my own. And if I can’t catch regular prey, I can catch other canines, yes? Easier to kill another wolf then to chase a rabbit and waste energy. His smile stretched wider as he thought of the taste of the delicious red liquid that poured from other animals. Especially the wolf kind. His audits twitched on top of his head as he listened to her second suggestion. Once again, he shook his head. Me? Need protection? He let out a loud cackle, his sharp canines flashing in the sun. That’s very funny. You doubt my skill to protect myself? I can as easily kill another animal as I would break a twig. And I would enjoy it to. No. I don’t need protection. He listened for any other suggestions.

Cortinarri

In the few minutes that she'd been talking with Delom, Cortinarri couldn't get past that queasy knot in her stomach that tightened every time he mentioned killing and feasting on the blood of other canines. Of all the individuals she'd met in her many, many years here in the Valley, she had never come across one quite as sadistic as this fellow, and she still wasn't entirely convinced that she was going to get out of this alive. When he declined her offers of payment, that fear grew more steadily in her, until she was wishing fervently for Namir's help. But alas, the mountain lion was likely off doing whatever it was that he did when he wasn't spending time with her. "Yes... I suppose that is true." 'Disgusting!' Cortinarri another shiver and held back the look of disdain that wanted to form on her long face. "Oh no, I don't doubt your skills at all. That was a rather silly reward for me to offer, wasn't it?" The old wolfess delicately retracted her earlier statement, and had to press her mind for something else to offer this brute. Her eyes flickered to the ground, then out across the many trees that sprang up along the canyon's rugged landscape. Finally, they landed back on Delom and as she came up with something else, "...how about this, my friend. You seem to enjoy killing very much, and I happen to know many lowly beasts that need to be picked off, but are far too dangerous for the average wolf to take on. It would offer you weeks of fun and food, and be quite the... entertaining challenge for a brute as cunning as you are." She was hoping to play on his ego here, and was fully prepared to come up with a list of victims for him to hunt down, if it would keep him from going after her and her pack.

Delom

Delom nodded. "It was......quite a /silly/ offer." The brute kept his redish-orange luminaries on the old female as her eyes scanned the area around them. Maybe she was looking for a way to escape this situation...He wouldn't let her do that. As soon as she made a move to escape, he'd pounce. Then she started speaking again. This time, she came up with a proposal that immediatly caught his attention. More victims that he could hunt down huh? So very interesting. His black audits perked up straight and he stepped a bit closer to listen. After she finished, Delom licked his lips and nodded his head. "Now that is such a very interesting offer. It could keep me busy for weeks on end. Ok then." He stood up straighter and nodded his head in a affirmative. "I will hunt down this little creature for you, as long as you keep me entertained as the price. Now...Tell me about this wolf you want me to rip apart with my canines."

Cortinarri

Oh, how those red-orange eyes of his kept watching her! The dominant side in her wanted to snap at him and tell him to mind his manners and show her some respect, but fortunately common-sense and a strong sense of self preservation kept Cortinarri from doing or saying anything foolish. She had to continue biting her pride and hiding the trepidation if she wanted to survive this encounter. It was a hard thing to do when he moved closer, an act that drew a sharp breath of fear from the wolfess. Instead of attacking her as she thought he was surely about to do, Delom accepted her offer, and she released a quiet breath in relief, "With me to keep you entertained, I'm sure your cunning skills will only grow in the coming weeks." She gave him a bit of praise and incentive to try and seal the deal, and keep herself from becoming a target in his twisted games of murder. "Nachi... she is a gray and brown mix, with paler gray eyes. She is also an aging wolfess, and in that I'm afraid she won't be much of a physical challenge for you. But where killing her shouldn't be so hard, I offer you a challenge in catching her alone and ending her without any witnesses. There are many members in the pack, and none of them can witness the killing, or be able to track you down. Do you think you can handle that?" She honestly didn't care whether the pack figured out who he was and tried to hunt him down and kill him later; she was more concerned with Delom killing Nachi, and only Nachi. She hated the wolfess, but could not bear to think of her offspring or grandchildren harmed by this brute.

Delom

Delom couldn't help but notice how she drew in a sharp breath as he stepped closer to listen. That brought a smirk on his kissers. Seems she was very afraid of him. As she should be. He also picked up on the realease of hot air when he accepted her offer. Was she thinking he was going to attack her? Afraid for her life? Again, he smirked, thinking that's how it should have been. Then she started speaking and explaining his mission and target to him. Resting his haunches on the ground, his jet black audits perked up to listen to her. An aging wolfess, huh? This seemed a bit easy for his liking. And she even pointed it out to him that it probably would. So she offered him more of a challenge. So he had to kill this Nachi without any witnesses and making sure that this pack of hers wouldn't track him down.

Now this was a very interesting challenge. Usually, he didn't care if anyone saw him kill another wolf. But this time, he had to make sure not to be seen by any animal. With a blunt nod of his crown, he accepted. "It will be a bit more challenging then my regular kills, with making sure to not be seen nor tracked. But I will do it. The taste of another wolf's pure red liquid we call blood and the feeling of their bodies being ripped apart by my own canines and them crying out for help, when none will come, is worth it. But what is this pack she is in? And she is important to it? Is she the alpha?"

Cortinarri

She could feel it, those crazy orbs of his judging her. Feeding off her discomfort and fear. It grated on her nerves and bruised her pride, but she had to swallow all of that done and keep on playing nice, if she wanted to survive. Of course, now that she'd gotten him baited on killing Nachi, the old wolfess felt a certain satisfaction that wasn't so far removed from Delom's own callous cruelty. It was one small token of control she felt, when this blood-thirsty brute otherwise held all the power today. "You think you can handle that, then? Good." Cortinarri forced a grim smile to grace her grayed muzzzle, "She resides in my pack, and she has recently taken up the position of alpha, though she is hardly a leader." Scorn and disdain were rich in her tones, making clear that she did not like Nachi in the slightest, and was even more put off by the fact that Nachi was her alpha. "She is mate to my son Starscream, who is of slighter build, and lighter color. She is not the most social wolf, so you will have to hunt with caution around the packlands to find her. Unless..." Still feeling very antsy about even letting Delom into their territory, where she feared he may go against his word and attack her family, Cortinarri offered him a choice. "...I could lure her to a more secluded location." Part of her doubted he'd take this route, since it would detract from the thrill and challenge of the hunt, but she had to try.

Delom

Delom listened as she continued. Then she started to answer his questions. It seems this Nachi is the alpha of this old fea's pack. She must have been a bad leader since the fea’s voice was filled with menace and distain. What was even worse for the femme, was that Nachi was mated to her son. Delom would have to make sure her son was not near Nachi when he assassinated the femme. She also said that Nachi was not very social so he would have to hunt the pack lands cautiously. Then she offered him a choice. Maybe he could get her to a secluded area. Now that sounded fun. It would present a new challenge to him. He would have to use his brains and not just his brute to kill her. ”I will lure her into a secluded area. I already have a plan that might work. Now, if you will tell me where your pack is, I will plan out an assassination.”

Cortinarr

As she suspected, Delom wanted to lure Nachi himself, and she didn't dare try to dissuade him from that. After all, she viewed him as an unstable beast, and she wasn't sure how far she could risk pushing him before he might snap at her. She dipped her muzzle down in a slow nod, "As you wish." I have to find Starscream and the grandkids. She thought that to herself as Delom went on to ask about her pack's location, and again she felt a twinge of uncertainty. You're giving this killer directions to your home! But... if you don't, he'll kill you. Cortinarri blinked quickly, as if trying to banished the hesitation in her mind. "Directly south of here, along the foothills of the Croal Mountains - you can't miss the border." The old fae dared to turn her head slightly, looking away from the male and out across the Valley that could be seen from their lofty height in the Canyon. "She is very fond of hanging around the foothills, so I would search there first if I were you."

Delom

Delom smiled as the fea nodded in agreement to luring Nachi out into a secluded area. When he asked her where her pack territory is, she seemed to have hesitated. She definitely did not trust him. But she soon told him where it was; on the foothills of this Croal Mountain. Turning away from the demon, she looked out over the valley. Following her gaze, he also did, and his mind wandered to his plan and every time he thought about it, a sadistic smirk crossed his kissers as he thought about tearing this Nachi apart. Just thinking about it sent a nice shiver down his spine. Then she told him where he would find Nachi the most. At the foothills. Nodding to the fea, his lyrics broke the air. ”I will do that. Then I should leave to think of my plan. I will execute the plan in a couple days. See if you can get the other wolves away from her in the time being.” He stood up and turned to leave. But, before he did, he looked back, a sadistic smirk on his face. ”Before I leave. What is your name, fea?”

Cortinarri

Throughout the entire conversation, Cortinarri had continuously kept her tan ears on alert for the soft, swishing steps of Namir, and her nose testing the wind for his faint scent. Yet he never came. Fortunately, the old wolfess was still able to use sharp wits to save her own live, where her strength and agility has since left the wolf in her advanced age. As she looked out over the Valley now, Cortinarri closed her eyes for a moment and tentatively counted her blessings for having survived one more potentially deadly encounter. "A few days will be enough time for me to separate her from the pack, with some careful planning." Amber eyes flashed open and she turned her face back to Delom, now watching his back and hindquarters as he'd stood and started walking away. Cortinarri had to force her expression to remain nuetral and respectful when the brute turned back for a moment and leveled her with that sickening smirk, "Cortinarri."

Delom

Delom's ears twitched as the old fea said she can probably seperate Nachi from the pack in a few days. Then she told him her name; Cortinarri. "Well. Cortinarri. I am Delom. Remember it well, for I never tell other wolves my true rightful name. I always tell them I am The Bringer of Death" With that, he started away from the femme and soon was in a full out run as he went to go plan his assassination.