xx sprint the gauntlet

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SAYANG

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"Hello?"

It was barely a whisper that floated from the she-dog's lips as she slipped over the border of the nearest territory. It'd taken her days to find her way away from the hot, reeking plains of Einheit, hours more to bolt for the nearest pack land. Even after crossing a few territories she refused to stop. As soon as Phantom knew she was missing he would look for her. If luck was on her side there would be a rain between his noticing and her frenzied escape. If not, Phantom would be on her trail and gaining within a few hours. And frankly, after what he'd done, she never wanted to see his face again.

Sayang's white and black spotted coat slipped hastily through the trees, her claws black obsidian chips as she bounced along the path. There had been faint rumors of a new pack, a new leash of control that had entered Ravensbrück. Sayang had heard stories of a dashing male with the deepest, forest-green eyes who proclaimed himself King in the wake of his followers. She'd even heard some refer to him as a messiah of some degree. At first she'd scoffed at the thought, just as the rest had no doubt. But the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to meet this "King", this healer and protector. Her dreams and hopes had been intertwined with the stories, her mind hanging heavily on the loose reality that someone somewhere would listen to her plight and save her from the madness.

The dalmatian kept a swift pace as she moved along, hindered only by the rhythmic swinging of her swollen stomach. She wasn't sure when the pups would be due, but she had been growing for a few weeks now. Surely it wouldn't be much longer. When Sayang had first noticed she was pregnant, the expecting mother hadn't quite known what to do. The pups would be half Phantom, forced to live as half of that ruthless dominor. The thought was appalling. Besides, what would they look like? Would they be spotted or cursed with Phantom's pale beige? Hmph. Like it much mattered. Either way, it would be clear who they were related to, regardless of what Sayang wanted for them. And if Phantom found out... The she-dog winced at the idea. She hadn't told him of the pregnancy. If she had, he would have kept watch on her day and night, not sparing her any privacy. These pups would be his first, true heirs. Not legitimate, granted. But the rightful, future heirs none the less.

It mentally fatigued Sayang the more she traveled, her legs tired and weary at the many miles she'd covered in the past few days. Somehow she had never expected pups to weigh this much. Maybe she was closer to the due date than she knew. No one had ever informed her on the particulars of bearing pups... Sighing, Sayang trotted slowly to a nearby oak tree, plopping down with a loud crunch. She couldn't be bothered to keep her presence a secret anymore. Either the wolves of this land knew she was here, or they never would.

Earnestly, Sayang whined loudly, hoping someone would hear her. Maybe the stories she'd heard of the King were true. Scenting the air, Sayang wondered where her journey had taken her in the blind, frantic rush from Einheit. There was a faint scent clinging to the nearby branches, musky and thoroughly male. Crack. Sayang peered cautiously into the trees at the noise, her mind racing. She had never been assured of a safe haven, just a possible leader. What if he didn't want her? He always had to option of dragging her back to Phantom, back to the heat and blistering desert air. Sayang trembled in her coat, her paws numbing with the cold air and frost that gathered around her. Softly she spoke, her voice a mere mumble.

"I've come to offer my loyalty."

It was her best shot at survival for now.

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[Dakki]

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[atrb=background,http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j361/morgan_alexander1/Stolzbackground.jpg] This was his home, his fort, his hideaway. The King pranced around, making his scent known through his vast expanse of land. He was happy that he chose this as his home base, it was secluded. Not many wolves ventured this way, and if they did his powerful scent warned them away. If he needed more members in his pack he would send wolves to scout some out, or he would pick sklavin at the Auktion Rock. He didn't believe in using Sklavin, meaning that his pack would be freedom to them. He didn't want to outright ban it though, he would allow it as long as they were being treated... well not horribly. Then is when a scent hit his nose, one that is not one of his. Stolz mood shifted, his hold body standing stock still. He lifted his nose in the air and took in a deeper breath of the smell. Female. There was something off in her smell as well, but he couldn't quite place it. The large wolf began to move forward at a determined pace, but remained silent. He knew these lands better than any other, knew every fallen leaf and every tree. He knew where to step and not make a single sound. Plus the softness of his fur on his large paws helped muffle any shuffle. Carefully he picked his way towards the female, tail raising in anger. Who dared come into his lands without his permission? His scent was everywhere, there was no way that she could have missed it. A low grown emitted from his maw as he got closer. Then, finally, she came into view. Stolz froze, paw resting in mid stride. The creature before him was beautiful, her creamy white fur covered with black dots. She was no wolf, but an amazing sight to behold. A short breath blew our from his nose, steaming in the cold air. In awe he placed his paw on the ground, snapping a twig in two. The sound startled him out of his speechless state, slamming him back into the present. Well, he could no longer admire her from afar, her eyes were darting around in fear. "I've come to offer my loyalty." Her voice was soft and muffled, Stolz couldn't help but let a small chuckle slip from his lips and he stepping into view. The huge wolf walked up to her, his green eyes amused. "I should kill you for entering my land without my permission." His tone was soft, but there was a hint of menace in it. He should be angry, pissed like he was before. But as soon as his eyes rested on her beautiful form, he couldn't help but let the anger melt away. Usually it took much longer than that for that strong of an emotion to disappear like that. He stepped closer to her, his tail still erect. Then he noticed something, and realized why her scent was a bit off. She was carrying pups. Stolz's tail dropped right away and he closed the gap between them, sniffing at her belly and prodding it gently. She was defiantly far along. "You made quite the journey for one carrying little ones." His eyes were soft as he looked up, meeting her deep brown eyes. "What courage you must have to come into these lands, but you said that you are here to offer loyalty. Let me tell you something, beautiful, things are run much differently here." He nuzzled her shoulder softly, learning her scent. He could smell another on her and tsked his tongue. "For one, we do not have Sklavin," he said, spitting out the word that he hated so much, "we treat all creatures the same in this pack. Frankly I would have banned owning Sklavin, but then there would be too much retaliation. But before I go any further with this, I need to know a few things." Stolz backed up, giving her some space, and sat down. He noticed that her paws were swollen. "You look cold..." Standing back up he flicked his tail, green eyes trailing across his surroundings. He saw a flat rock that was sitting in the sunlight, perfect for this dog to sit on. It would be warmer, the sun had seemed to melt all of the snow off of it. He walked over to the spotted one and nudged her shoulder, urging her to stand. "You will be warmer on this rock. Lean on me and I will help you there." He said, offering his broad shoulder for her to lean on. Waiting until he felt the pressure of her against him, he slowly led her to the flatten rock. Stolz backed off once more, settling himself on his rump. "First off, you must understand that once you join my pack, you will not be allowed to leave. My land holds many secrets that only its members may learn. You will not be allowed to contact anyone outside of these lands unless you have my permission. Also, we do not allow pack members to harm other pack members. If this happens, you will be punished. Now, for your pups I will personally make sure that they are healthy and well respected as members of this pack." He paused, knowing that he just pushed a lot of information on this she-dog. Then he realized, they had not exchanged names. Cursing softly, the large brute shook his head. "I am sorry, but my name is Stolz as you may know. What is your name my dear?" he asked sweetly, smiling at the female. "I will now give you the choice to leave or join my ranks. If you leave, you may never enter my lands again. If you accept," Stolz paused again, meeting her eyes with a fierce gaze, "I will give you my support and utter protection. No harm shall come to you." She was such a pretty animal, and he wanted to understand why she was here. He wanted her in her pack, wanting to protect her. He had a soft spot for pups, and apparently for her looks as well. He would protect her. words;; 1027 tag;; Sayang notes;; Wow... longest post here for me :) Man does Stolz ever like to talk music;; ---

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SAYANG

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As Sayang scanned the forest's depths, watching as a burly male came into focus along the line of pines. His fur was a rough color of mixed grey and light khaki, enthralling the she-dog as he made his way towards her. His breath was heavy in the air, a thick cloud around his chiseled muzzle. Sayang once again whimpered her innocence as his green gaze spanned over her, crouching in submission. She had to make him believe that she posed no threat to him and his pack; no one in their right mind would think such a thing, but she hadn't the opportunity to make a bad first impression. Bad impressions created fatal impressions.

"I should kill you for entering my land without my permission."

At the male's harsh words Sayang jumped, her chocolate eyes wide. Surely he wouldn't consider that! Not with pups on the way. The female glanced uncertainly down at her swollen stomach before gazing back at the male. She weakly opened her mouth to give some type of protest, but quickly thought better of it as he began to talk.

"You made quite the journey for one carrying little ones. What courage you must have to come into these lands, but you said that you are here to offer loyalty. Let me tell you something, beautiful, things are run much differently here."

The dalmatian did a double take at the King's words. Had he just called her beautiful? An expression of confusion spread over Sayang's face. No one had ever called her beautiful before. She'd been a slave, a toy for her masters. Never an actual being with a heart that beat just the same. She figured that her strange looks didn't help either. There were masters who needed slaves and masters who wanted to collect slaves. In her case, she was an original creation, a "one-of-a-kind" collectible item that dominors scooped up to flaunt and mess with. These wolves had never seen a thing like her, with the black spots and contrasting white coat. Her mother had always told her different was good. But what was good about the way everyone looked at her, the way she was an outcast? Nothing.

"For one, we do not have Sklavin; we treat all creatures the same in this pack. Frankly I would have banned owning Sklavin, but then there would be too much retaliation. But before I go any further with this, I need to know a few things."

Sayang barely heard her new master as he commented on how cold she looked. She'd already lost the feeling in her toes, and her ears were sheets of ice as she flattened them to her head innocently. It's so cold! Slowly, the she-dog wagged her tail, a wave of relief crashing over her as she realized the feeling was still there. Tingling, but there.

The male's green eyes flickered with worry at the sight of her swollen paws and Sayang's pelt went red with embarrassment. She knew she looked pathetic out here. This wasn't her world or her element by any means; she'd been bred to enjoy the hot summers of her old home, to flaunt her speckled coat among the adoring fans in a blue-ribbon dog show. And yet here she was, freezing her tail off in the dead of winter. She'd hardly grown a longer coat, despite the extreme drop in temperature. Phantom's land had provided her with as much warmth as possible, but the daily beatings made her stay unbearable. She'd rather freeze than stay with that monster.

As Stolz muttered his worries on her condition, Sayang numbly replied to him by sidling up to his broad shoulder. She stumbled along beside him, her eyes shut as she ignored the pins and needles that stabbed her frozen paws. Hopefully winter would end soon and her pups would be born in the spring. But what if they weren't? Winter's frost would surely kill them in their fragile state. Sayang blinked her eyes open at the thought. Would it be better that way? Phantom would never know of what had almost been, and her life would be easier, without having to bear his wretched pups.

Quietly, the female turned the idea over in her mind. I'd be so much easier to simply lose them to the blinding snow and glittery whiteness. Almost too easy. They would never have to be called a slave because of their mother's position, never have to experience the harshness of a howling winter. Still, something in Sayang grew fierce as the idea turned inside her. These were her pups as well. They would be different, sure. But was that a reason to deny them the chance at life? As Sayang softly pushed herself onto the warm sun rock, her mind wavered. Would she rather have these pups or let them die for her own sake?

"First off, you must understand that once you join my pack, you will not be allowed to leave. My land holds many secrets that only its members may learn. You will not be allowed to contact anyone outside of these lands unless you have my permission. Also, we do not allow pack members to harm other pack members. If this happens, you will be punished. Now, for your pups I will personally make sure that they are healthy and well respected as members of this pack."

At the male's words, Sayang let her thoughts grow quiet. She could think about her litter's future later, when she had more time to herself. She allowed herself to be comforted by the King's voice as she settled upon the rock, her brown eyes watching him carefully. She would be isolated from the world here, protected by his watchful green gaze and his sharp claws. Her pups would be respected in the pack. Things seemed almost too promising. Syang drew her deep gaze over his, pausing as she surveyed his mixed coat. He seemed open and honest enough. A far better choice in dominor than Phantom.

"I am sorry, but my name is Stolz as you may know. What is your name my dear?"

Stolz. Sayang's face screwed up in concentration as she tested the name in her mind. It was so strong and powerful, so bold. Quietly, Sayang responded with her own name.

"My mother named me Sayang."

Her voice was strangely foreign against his more northern pronunciation and again her skin flushed red underneath the pale color. She was so different from him! That was another thing she'd tried to fix as she'd become involved with wolves. Their voice were so rough and course, while her voice was light and very vowel orientated. Over time she'd lost some of her accent, but it was still noticeable, and certainly to new acquaintances.

"I will now give you the choice to leave or join my ranks. If you leave, you may never enter my lands again. If you accept, I will give you my support and utter protection. No harm shall come to you."

Stolz's bright green gaze poured into her own mocha colored one and a shiver ran up Sayang's spine. It was an easy decision. Living with Stolz seemed like heaven to Phantom's harsh regime. She dipped her chiseled head, the black spots shard against her fur.

"It would be a honor to serve you, my Lord."

ooc- RAMBLERAMBLERAMBLE. sorry. <3

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[Dakki]

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[atrb=background,http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j361/morgan_alexander1/Stolzbackground.jpg] Stolz watched the dogs reaction to his opening words. She whined softly and glanced at her belly. Did she really think that he was going to kill her? Well he did say that... but it hurt a little that she would think that. Poor thing, she was shaking in her skin. She was a sensitive one, he could tell. But were all mothers not on the sensitive side? All those hormones in her body waxing and waning, it couldn't be easy. The brute could only imagine what it would be like. Glancing at her swollen belly he squinted his eyes, studying the bump. It certainly couldn't be easy, all that extra weight and stuff. He shook his head slightly, shifting his gaze back to her face. Her coat was not long, that he could tell. Where had this beautiful creature come from? He had never seen anything like her before. And why did he feel such a burning desire to protect her? The looks the female was giving him caused an amused smile to spread across his muzzle. Was she confused by his words? Had no one told her such a thing before? "Are you lost by my words my dear? Was it when I called you beautiful? I was only stating a fact. I have never seen a creature like you, you are a sight for my sore eyes. Do not be concerned by my words, I have no intention of harming you. In fact, I feel the need to protect you and your future pups. You will be safe here." he barked, beaming a smile at her. Still no words had left her mouth, and Stolz found himself becoming more and more curious about her. Could she even speak? He shook away the question, remembering her whispered words. He didn't quite catch her words, but he knew that she could in fact speak. When she leaned on his shoulder he felt a small shudder pass through him. She was so cold, hardly any fur covering her body. She was so frail, or at least that is what he thought. When they began to move he felt her muscles ripple against him. He could tell that she was built for speed, and could see her as one of his Freifrau. They needed speed to carry messages and keep an eye on the packs below them. Excitement bubbled up inside him as he thought of her in his pack. Helping her on the rock, he settled himself in front of her, now eye to eye with this dog. He felt her deep brown eyes rake along his coat as he sat on his rump, meeting her eyes when he looked at him. He had spoken enough already, and was waiting for her response. His ears were open and perked forward, ready to learn more about this speckled beauty. She finally spoke her name, and Stolz green eyes opened wide. Her voice was so... different. It was like foreign music to his hears, something that he had never heard before. "Sayang." he said, whispering her name. "It is a honor to meet you. Where are you from? You are so different from my kind, and your voice is like foreign music. I would be happy to welcome you into my pack Sayang, to learn about this land you are from. Plus the sound of your voice eases my tired heart," Stolz knew that he was speaking freely and boldly, but he couldn't help it. He was never so open with strangers, but he liked this dog. "It would be a honor to serve you, my Lord." She dipped her head and Stolz ran his tongue across it. "It is a pleasure to welcome you to Koravelle, Sayang. There is another matter we must discuss. From what I can tell you are a dog built for speed. The position of Freifrau would fit you well. The task of these females is to patrol our borders and carry messages to the reigning Alpha's. You will not go alone, and I will not send you out much with pups in your belly," another smile pressed on his lips, his tail wagging back and forth. "They will be the first pups of Koravelle. Everyone will be very excited to welcome these pups into this world." His tail thumped madly against the earth, sending small chips of snow flying out behind him. words;; 733 tag;; Sayang notes;; Don't worry! I love ramble posts. This one is a bit shorter, but more to the point music;; ---

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