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Description
Near white-out conditions made the world feel suddenly claustrophobic. Regent stood like the roots of the world, glaring at the younger wolf with all the derision the pack leader could muster.

"So," he said finally. "You have been visiting the human village."

"Yes." There was no reason for Marcus to lie. "I have."

"You know that is forbidden."

"Yes." Marcus said. But gone were the days when he could be intimidated by Regent's strength alone.

Regent gave a grunt of surprise as the youngster's blue eyes locked with his own. Marcus has never challenged him like this before. "Consorting with humans-"

"Just because you are afraid of them does not mean I am."

Regent nearly sprang at Marcus, but checked himself. His voice, however, was a snarl. "Putting yourself and your pack in danger to satisfy some selfish whim-"

"Gabriel is alive."

If Regent had been expecting anything, it had not been that. His eyes widened in surprise.

"I've been visiting the village to find some answers. Gabriel is alive."

"Gabriel is dead," Regent said evenly, but he couldn't help the slight sadness in his voice.

"Those hunters," Marcus started, still not breaking his stare, "were here for a pup. A live pup. They left me for dead, but Gabriel was gone. Don't you understand what that means?"

Regent stared in astonishment at the young Kaleo wolf - who had always been fearful of him, the weakling, the half-blind orphan - now, even though Marcus was underweight and no match in size for Regent, he stood and challenged the older wolf as an equal. The brown wolf was suddenly seized by a memory of a similar pair of blue eyes whose stare he had never been able to challenge.

"We cannot look backward," Regent said finally. "Only forward."

"Fine then," Marcus said scornfully. "I will find him then, you coward."

Marcus was hit so hard in the shoulder that he fell, scattering snow. Instead of landing prone and belly up, however, Marcus rolled completely over, and Regent had to dodge back quickly to avoid Marcus' retaliatory strike. As it was, the brown wolf felt teeth graze the tip of his nose.

"I don't want to fight you," Regent growled. "But if you continue to challenge my leadership-"

"I'm not here to challenge your leadership, Regent. I just want you to understand what has happened to your son, and I am going to find him."

----

Snow is a pain in the butt. It either comes out looking really good or really bad, and I'm still not sure I like how it came out here. Ah well, I like how the poses came out here.

Description
Near white-out conditions made the world feel suddenly claustrophobic. Regent stood like the roots of the world, glaring at the younger wolf with all the derision the pack leader could muster.

"So," he said finally. "You have been visiting the human village."

"Yes." There was no reason for Marcus to lie. "I have."

"You know that is forbidden."

"Yes." Marcus said. But gone were the days when he could be intimidated by Regent's strength alone.

Regent gave a grunt of surprise as the youngster's blue eyes locked with his own. Marcus has never challenged him like this before. "Consorting with humans-"

"Just because you are afraid of them does not mean I am."

Regent nearly sprang at Marcus, but checked himself. His voice, however, was a snarl. "Putting yourself and your pack in danger to satisfy some selfish whim-"

"Gabriel is alive."

If Regent had been expecting anything, it had not been that. His eyes widened in surprise.

"I've been visiting the village to find some answers. Gabriel is alive."

"Gabriel is dead," Regent said evenly, but he couldn't help the slight sadness in his voice.

"Those hunters," Marcus started, still not breaking his stare, "were here for a pup. A live pup. They left me for dead, but Gabriel was gone. Don't you understand what that means?"

Regent stared in astonishment at the young Kaleo wolf - who had always been fearful of him, the weakling, the half-blind orphan - now, even though Marcus was underweight and no match in size for Regent, he stood and challenged the older wolf as an equal. The brown wolf was suddenly seized by a memory of a similar pair of blue eyes whose stare he had never been able to challenge.

"We cannot look backward," Regent said finally. "Only forward."

"Fine then," Marcus said scornfully. "I will find him then, you coward."

Marcus was hit so hard in the shoulder that he fell, scattering snow. Instead of landing prone and belly up, however, Marcus rolled completely over, and Regent had to dodge back quickly to avoid Marcus' retaliatory strike. As it was, the brown wolf felt teeth graze the tip of his nose.

"I don't want to fight you," Regent growled. "But if you continue to challenge my leadership-"

"I'm not here to challenge your leadership, Regent. I just want you to understand what has happened to your son, and I am going to find him."

----

Snow is a pain in the butt. It either comes out looking really good or really bad, and I'm still not sure I like how it came out here. Ah well, I like how the poses came out here.