Licking her lips, the siren points to the younger blond, "You." The ten men that have decided to join her, volunteered to be there, blink and shift their gaze to the burly ruddy rouge. Her mouth twitches in a smile as her fingers gently coax the boy to come out from his hiding spot. "The young buck," she announces quietly.
The boy pops his head out from behind the male hiding him. Those dark eyes a lit with fear. Vera's gaze softens when he meekly replies, "M—Me? Me?"
Vera's eyes brighten against the darkness, as if a predator stalking its prey. Many of the males sweat out of uncertainty, wondering when she would strike. "Yes, you, boy," she smiles. "You shall be in my utmost valuable position. Befitting for the hunt and necessary even in the first round. Come with me," she states, proudly waving him to follow her.
The boy dazedly looks after her before Kaius snaps his out of his thoughts. A slap on the arm causes him to jump at attention and scurry after their leader of this expedition. His body trembles with every step, ears alert for the slightly wind change or sound. He really didn't want to be here, in the forest at night, but his father barely spoke to him. He preferred his older sibling instead of him, even discovering his mother had the same feelings. He wanted to prove them wrong, prove himself, but now he only wished he'd been a coward.
Vera stops abruptly near a stream a few paces to the group's left. Her hand caught the blond's arm, forcing him to freeze midstep. Hears and eyes open, she spots their prey for tonight. A smirk curves her lips and she leans over to the child's shoulders, "Climb the tree. Howl when the beast drinks." Without more being said, Vera sprints away, running through the overgrowth before the kid could utter a word.
He silently debates with himself for a moment, wondering if he should follow orders. The boy frowned, of course he should! Soon, he's scaling the tree in a matter of seconds and finds a visual on the watering hole. He looks around for Vera, not spotting her feminine scent anywhere near here. His forearms steady himself in the branch below while his knees are glued to the tree. He adapts to the wild, sensing a presence moving from the left. Clearly, there's a beast out here and Vera wanted to kill it.
The boy gulps, terrified of being humiliated as a burden to the tribe. All rationale leaves his mind and he befriends the dark thoughts trampling his mind. Although he could still see the water source, his fingers tremble. How was he to bypass his fears and succumb to the will of instincts? He could barely catch a carthu without bleeding. The boy felt hopeless, scared shitless, and obsolete. How could he, a mere child, take down a predator with teamwork and ability. It made no sense why Vera wanted him to howl when he sees the beast. Wouldn't that only alert it of their presence? He didn't see the logic in it.
There's movement near the steam. Not five breaths later, he sees the most monstrous creature he's ever laid his sights on. It scurries on several appendages beneath his coils and scales with such grace. With three heads on this beast, the boy knew Vera couldn't tackle the creature alone! And he couldn't save her! What was she thinking? Are females always this chaotic and unreasonable? Was he there to bait the beast and die for a noble cause?
The boy paused in thinking, shifting his fear to his gaze. He watches the dark mauve teveene slither to the stream and drink. His heart stopped. Wasn't he suppose to howl? Does he do it now? How loud? Should he just be abrupt and start it without warning? There's so many options but the kid had no idea what to choose. So, without any other thought, he raises his head to the moon and bellows out an ear-splitting howl.
It's long and obnoxious, sure to wake a few pups back in the tribe, but he didn't stop until he was out of breath. When he glances down, he spots the siren hovering above a dead beast and two heads severed with the third following suit. The disgusting crunch of Vera ripping the monsters last head off echoes his brain, even as he's waved down. The boy shakily crawls down the tree, doing well not to slip or fall from a weak branch. When his feet touch the ground again, he can't be anymore thankful for this moment.
As the boy sighs, about to fall to his knees, the younger adult, closer to his and his brothers' ages, grabs a hold of his shoulders. "Aye! Dat waz fooking ahmahzahn, Foalan! Look wat ya helped catch!" His closest and only friend beams.
Foalan breathes some ground air and timidly nods. As embarrassing as it was to be caught like he was, Foalan's happy that no one dotes on it. He doesn't say much, but murmurs, "Y—Yeah. S'cool, right?" Foalan swallows a heavy gulp, not completely convinced he aided the foreigner to kill. Not that he didn't want to kill, but he wasn't as strong as his brothers.
The exact ones who gawk after him while Vera ventures her way from the kill to the boy. In a swift throw, Vera startles Foalan and he accidentally catches the teveene's third head. Disgusted, he glances to his mentor. A feeble smile adorns her face, and a warm feeling envelops his chest. Foalan begins to refuse the gift when Vera insists.
The siren nods at the fellow youth, "You deserve it. First kill, first trophy. Cherish it."
She says nothing more, moving along to speak with the red haired warrior, named Satu, and the group moves on to another sector of the forest. All throughout the night, the males encounter multiple obstacles with dealing fairly on her choices. Alkimos and Aelin were the most angered because they were taught less. Each time the gorgeous female chose a warrior, it was never either of them. The fact Foalan, their runt of a brother, proved himself with his howl, distracting the beast so Vera could rip it apart, there'd be no need for their kinship jealousy. The two young males wanted to attract the female's attention, not give it away. They decided to come up with a plan. One that would have their new mentor attentive of them.
Kaius and Theon hung back, observed her taking charge and teaching their warriors of a new way. This could break the stature of the forest if the Wolvernrians are successful with the aid of a siren. If this results in positive feedback, the Alpha could mention how well the Garnet pack is prospering since the addition of new members. Theon looks on, seeing his mate in Vera. She's very beautiful, much like Marzena, only Vera has a certain dangerous touch to her aura. Anyone could tell she's a devil in a woman's body. Theon almost was proud of the female, then he remembers the two of his own.
Theon's eyes shine brightly, influenced by her revolutionary presence.
While every male was intently absorbing what the petite female spoke of, Foalan stays behind, staring at the beast who he and Vera took down together. Although he didn't even move, it seemed his voice was enough for Vera to acknowledge. He's ecstatic to finally be apart of something, be consider as one of the group. And it's all because of the Female Brute, of a Varken Warrior of Merfolk.. all because of Vera. Foalan followed after the group of males astonished by a female they all had misconceptions for.
• • • • •
Their piercing sounds fill my ears,
try to fill me with doubt.
• • • • •