Under the Unknown [Sheba]

[kelka]

She rested on the edge of the lake, watching the stars above. It had been only a few days since the pack had been formed. And since she had been accepted into it. She was still starting to adjust to it. After all, she had thrown her life behind. At least she had a lake to go to.

The she wolf stood and started to pad to a weack part in the ice, she had found it awhile ago, and she would use it now. She reared up and smashed at the thin ice with her paws. Than after she had cleared a hole, she slipped under the water. She dog paddled for a few moments, before her tail appaered and she could swim.

She swam down, past the glimmers of silver and gold. She swam till she couldn`t think about anything but singing and swimming. After all were they not things that were to come natural to her?

After many minutes of wandering about the lake water, she found the thin ice hole and came through, looking around to see if a wolf was there before going on the ice wand waiting for her tail to fade.

When it was gone, she wandered to the edge of the lake, and rasieing her muzzle to the stars, started to sing.

[Bathsheba]

[atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true][atrb=background,http://i37.tinypic.com/p60eo.png] Sheba’s immense figure strode through her new Empire with her loving Anthony upon her back. The sound of it still tinkled in her mind. Balkamir Yikaxy… Her heart fluttered with every mentally recited syllable. Ever since starting a pack, her voice had gotten its old edge—at least some of it and sounded like it suited her. And then, a gorgeous sound washed over her; it made her eyes sparkle with a candied expression of awe. The voice of a Cael wolf resonated and filled the atmosphere with a treasured and impossible note as it strung up on a high note. Then, the song continued. This beautiful melody made the new Empress prick her ears in delight. “Do you here that Anthony?” Of course, the pelt upon her back gave no reply. Nevertheless, Sheba started on her way towards the source of that heaven’s fountain of music. And then, Trinket Lake came before her view. The sparkling precious metals beneath the ice mocked the greedy and provided a lovely sight to behold for those of more virtue. It was nothing to Sheba. She padded clumsily over the ice, which cracked under her weight. She noted this, and thus, started back. Her packmember’s song still ringing in her ears as Sheba identified her by name. Thankfully, Kelka was on the edge of the lake. Sheba only had to walk around the perimeter rather than straight through the treacherous ice (which was beginning to melt due to it being the warm summer months). Then again, she was Empress. Why walk when one could summon? “Kelka!” Sheba summoned from her spot. And then, she lifted her own muzzle into her crooked song. Badly toned compared to the lovely Cael’s song, but glorious the same. And it was the song every wolf sings at least once in their life—the song to summon another.

[kelka]

Kelkas mind was wrapped around her voice and song, ear ears toned to the music she herself was making. She did`t hear the crunch of ice as Bathsheba walked across the ice, and she only realized that her leader was around once she started to sing along with her.Her leaders voice was not as finely toned as hers, but she could sing. But it was not the song of singing out words, it was a summon.

Kelka turned to look at her ruffled green colored leader, wondering for a moment if she could keep singing or answer her summons. Of course, as the loyal wolf she was, she stopped singing and turned to her leader. She hesitated for a moment, before standing and padding toward her leader.

She walked on the edge of ice, and wished for some water to break through, that way she could swim down, down, down, and not have to worry again.

But it was not so, and when she reached Bathsheba she sat and tilted her head, waiting.

[Bathsheba]

[atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true][atrb=background,http://i37.tinypic.com/p60eo.png] The massive Empress smiled as her member tiptoed on the ice’s edge. It was slippery, but Kelka was obedient in Sheba’s summoning of her. Her member, loyal as she saw was just, and Sheba smiled. “It was your song yes?” And her voice crackled a bit, still getting used to being used so often. Nothing speaks as much as a leader. Everyone thinks that a pack is led by power—no, it is led by voice. Sheba pulled her Anthony from her shoulders. She held him in her jaws. His pelt was mostly colorless now. With only a hint of the red-brown he used to have. And then, she gently laid him on the ground. Sheba nosed him so that he was stretched out fully on the snow. His pelt was shrunken from that one time when he fell in the ocean and Sheba had to dry him on the rocks. And she gave a long sigh and a lover’s gaze to the pelt. “Sing to Anthony please. He would love it.” She licked the pelt on the head, not minding that the top of the muzzle was gone on the skin by now. She nuzzled it though the skin was cold and pretended that she could still feel Anthony’s warmth. “Sing please, Kelka. Show me and Anthony. Make us wonder.” She lay in the snow, expectantly. The Empress smiled as she nodded. Sing.

[kelka]

Kelka lifted her light blue head and gave a nod at her leaders question, her songs were made up, or passed down from her mother and father, or even, "stolen" from other wolves. Yet she hardly ever used the "stolen" songs. Kelka turned her orbs to the starred sky, maybe about the sky? Or, Anthony? Her leaders long dead mate pelt?

She stopped for a moment pondering between the two. She would sing about lost loves, and moonlight nights. Yes, that would go quite well with both happenings on this night. With just a bit of something added in. And on that note, she ruse her muzzle to the sky and gave a low howl, than started to sing.

Her words were entwined by air, and sounded like the soft chime of a bird song, with the lightness of a falling feather. Such was a Caels singing voice, such was the way of them.

[Bathsheba]

[atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true][atrb=background,http://i37.tinypic.com/p60eo.png] The large Empress smiled and she took the nape of her dead mate to pull him up to face the small songstress with his long-gone eyes. His tattered face held no expression except perhaps a withered one that made him look like he was both miserable and lovesick at the same time. Sheba nuzzled her mate. “He loved it Kelka. Can’t you tell?” Despite this oddity, the Empress led her pack well. She was good enough. In fact, she was more than proficient—for someone who had started a pack on something of a whim. Her copper-colored eyes beamed through her heavy bangs and the female flipped the bothersome hair from her face. “I loved it too, Kelka.” Her voice had a subdued note to it. Her awe made her sound a bit childish in her wonder. And then, the hulking leader took one lumbering step forward. “Show me more. I know you are a Cael by your song. I’ve seen them. Show me your tail--it's like magic, is it not? Entertain me and Anthony.” And she passed Kelka and stepped onto the ice, forming a deep crack in it because of her strength as she pushed on it. And then, she looked to Kelka. “Jump in the water. You are a Cael. All water is comfort to your kin, correct?”

[kelka]

Kelka stifled a yelp as Anthony was shown to her, the slits for eyes started at her for a moment before Bathsheba walked forward, heading towrward the ice, what was her leader going to do now? She had spoken her leader had, while she was showing her her mate, and now walking forward to, breack the ice?

Kelka wondred for a moment why her leader was asking her of these things, she was a Huntress not something pretty to toy with. But of course she would listen. With a nod she stepped into the water. Dissapearing below for a moment before swimming up and hovering there, waiting for her tail to spring. Soon, it did, and she flicked it in the water.

Deciding to give her alpha a show, she did a back flip, than swam a s deep as she she could, before swimming quickly to the ice hole and once above air, doing a flip and landing back into the water.

Finished, she stuck her head above the ice, waiting.

[Bathsheba]

[atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true][atrb=background,http://i37.tinypic.com/p60eo.png] Sheba smiled softly as she watched her packmember shift her shape. The elegant Cael’s tail was a sight to behold, yet Kelka kept it, understandably under the water for most of the time. Sheba said, “Why have I put you as a huntress? You are better to entertain us.” She picked up her mate, and forced his eyeless face upon the Cael, as if she thought that he would watch the world with the same eyes she watched it—never mind that for too long the only world she had her eyes on was the stony walls of a den and wherever food was. She still kissed the pelt and pretended like she was a worldly wolf despite the fact that she had hidden herself away and her years as a Commander were long gone. She had to regain her former glory. Rise like a Phoenix from the ashes and cry out her name until the sky echoed it with storm. Her momentary day dream existed as Kelka disappeared beneath the waves. And when she rose up for a beautiful backflip, Sheba gave an excited howl because she loved each moment of it. The female wagged her bobbed tail and picked up her mate to stand near the ice. She dropped his at her feet. “Kelka! You must forfeit your Huntress rank! It’s not who you are!” Sheba’s voice carried far as it picked up an ember of her fiery tone. “See! You need to be the Entertainment of the pack! Something for the eyes to behold! Something for the ears to listen! Can you not see how gloriously it matches you?” Sheba cast a loving gaze to Anthony’s pelt, as if she heard him agree with her before resuming a steady eye upon Kelka, who was in the waters now. Sheba expectantly waited for the Cael to take up the new rank merrily. And if not, then she would enforce it. And her paw rested on the ice, ready to close that open crack that had freed the waters. If she moved that large sheet of ice, then Kelka would be trapped. Sheba tested it a bit with her paw, digging her blunt claws in. It would be heavy. But worth it.

[kelka]

Kelka listened as her leaders voice carried down from the layers of water. Entertainment? She gave a scoff that ended up as bubbles that floated to the top of the ice. Can you not see how gloriously it matches you?

She sighed and gave a twirl under the water before swimming to the surface. She took a breath as her head came above the ice, and she noticed Bathsheba, now standing upon a block of ice. Anthony as always was near her.She thought for a moment, be Entertainment, slave, or be a Huntress, a proud Huntress at that.

She gave a smile and turned her maw near Bathsheba, singing out one last song for her, a short one. She was to be a Huntress, as she was born to be.

"No, I am a Huntress."

[Bathsheba]

[atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true][atrb=background,http://i37.tinypic.com/p60eo.png] And thus, Kelka defied her Empress's wishes. And thus, Kelka invoked a hidden wrath that no other wolf would see in a long time. Sheba growled and said, "Why Kelka? Why is it that wolves with gifts deny others the right to hear them? To see them? To witness such lovely things!" She kissed her Anthony, as if in good luck and good humor before turning a crazy smile towards her former Huntress. "Kelka. Believe me! You'll be happiest as our Songstress!" And she shifted her foot on the cap of ice. "As our beautiful lyricist! And what else can you sing but praise!" She pressed down on the ice, but was careful not to break it. Her dull claws scraped at the slippery surface, but found their grip as she spread her toes out. "Tell me, please, Kelka. You love this pack?" And with that, in a feat of strength (for Sheba, despite her overweight and ragged appearance was quite strong--even for a Yagi), she shifted the great sheet of ice that floated on the frigid waters. A rush of frozen shavings kicked up and a small center was reserved for the Cael--who was forced to be the Songstress. And Sheba smiled as if she had done a heroic deed. She placed all four paws on the comfortable earth and left Kelka trapped in Trinket Lake--her only purpose to sing and dance in the waters for the pack. Sheba looked to Anthony, "See, Anthony? It's what she always wanted!" And Sheba felt proud of herself--oddly enough. She looked to Kelka. "Entertainment! Entertain!" She smiled, as if to dare the Cael to try to escape, but it was in a strange, self-proud light. She felt a power that she never exercised since her years as a Commander. This was her glory--of that, Sheba was sure. Isn't that right, Anthony?

[kelka]

Kelka watched and listened as Bathsheba trapped her, noticeing with hoorror that she was trapped, forever, underthe ice. And as Bathshebas voice bubbled down from the thin, yet not thin enough to breack through, layer of ice above the hole, panic started to set in.

Trapped, trapped forever. How would she eat? Only fish and crabs? Were would she sleep? Kelka pushed those worrys away for a moment, to fix a icy gaze at were Bathsheba had dissapeared. Entertain, eh? So would do the opposite of just that.

With those thoughts she swam down , to find a lake cave, and some food.

Though she couldn`t pull Bathshebas words out of her mind. "Entertainment! Entertain!"

[Bathsheba]

[atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true][atrb=background,http://i37.tinypic.com/p60eo.png] Sheba nestled softly in the sad lands. She had to make a point to Kelka how important her new ranking was. No… how much more important her new ranking was. Sheba gave a scared expression, as if she knew the horrible deed she had done. But then, a warm smile spread upon her face and she padded tediously onto the ice and she leaned to the side so that her side spines were puncturing the ice. With a small half circle motion, slow so that she would not fall into the frigid waters, Sheba cut a half moon circle. She started back towards shore after punching the hole through. “You will be well taken care of Kelka. Enough that one would think you Queen.” Of the lake… Sheba smiled as her voice reached a gentle tone. She almost purred, but instead her voice cracked a bit as she said, “I’ve created a new rank of Caretaker—inspired by your plight.” She put Anthony near the hole. “Can you hear us, Kelka? We care!” And she raised her hefty body so that she stood, almost nobly. “Sing for us please. For the whole pack.” Sheba looked in the small hole she made, wondering if Kelka could fit through. “Sing now or die.”