Woods of West Rendali

So here I am starting another RP! I'm assuming you all know the basic rules, but let me remind you anyways.

- No killing. However, fighting is fine. Actually, with the things Icarus tend to say I wouldn't be surprised.
- Anyone is allowed to join. Be warned that (at least my Shinlai) isn't particularly kind to either humans or Dalians, but you are more then welcomed to rp with anyone.

Using the map, this rp takes place somewhere in the forests and grassplains between Talin, Maia, and Norport of West Rendali. If you draw a triangle between the three cities, you'll get a rough idea of where this is. The forests are Boreal, and animals such as black bears, deer, moose, woodland birds, etc. would most likely dwell their.

- Also! It's later in the day. Around 3 PM.

-----

Something crashed through the brush and undergrowth with what seemed the force of a freight train. Fallen tree limbs snapped between it's wide paws, shrubs and bushes were flattened if they stood in it's way. A bramble patch was trampled under the sheer weight of the beast. A coat of white and flash of orange wasn't quite easy to miss, and nearby wildlife were quick to move out of the way. After all, it was the most feared predator in all of Elashia to the native wildlife.

The Shinlai wasn't just rampaging through the forest though, but was on the tail of a nimble deer. At a rather poor attempt at an ambush, Icarus had startled the creature and set it running. His nostrils flared and his mouth was open, drawing in as much air as possible to his lungs.

"I'll never catch the creature at this rate." Icarus thought to himself, his brow furrowing with frustration. Time for a different approach.

A shadow from behind a tree ahead suddenly blackened and shot out, slithering in front of the deer's path. The deer tripped over the shadow like a rope and toppled to the ground. In a flash Icarus' teeth were at the deer's jugular and bright crimson splattered the snout of his dark mask.

Damn it. Icarus thought, unclipping his mask from his piercings and taking a quick look at it. He flicked a tattered ear and dragged the deer carcass a little ways to a nearby river. He sat on the banks, carefully washing off the blood. He frowned, he hated it when his mask was blemished with something like this.

With a sigh he gently set the mask aside and turned back to the carcass, tearing pieces from the shoulder and scarfing them down.

Lycu sat by the river’s edge, watching the fish swim about. He was relatively calm for once, listening to the water flow by and the gentle murmur of voices. He was alone at the moment, but where ever he went the voices followed. He shifted slightly, tucking his paws closer to his body. Glancing down was always weird to him, as currently, he wasn’t there. That never helped his unstable mind very much. But he continued, it was a way of feeling say as well as in control.

He looked up as he felt vibrations in the floor, hearing the crash of leaves and the heavy breathing of a large animal, the lighter breathing of a smaller animal too...

‘Shinlai...’ One voice whispered through his mind fading away.

‘Chasing a deer.’ Another said, stronger than the first, but fading away also.

‘I know. I can hear.’ Lycu responded curtly. The voices falling silent. ‘Three... Two... One...’ He counted slowly. Moments after one, a loud crash filled the air and the smell of blood filled his senses. He in hailed deeply, enjoying the smell, but uninterested in going to discover who it was. ‘Told you so.’ He thought smugly, hearing grumbles of agreement.

It wasn’t long before a white Shinlai dragged a deer over to the stream. Lycu watched, directly opposite him, still cloaked in his Element, wind blowing towards him so to mask his scent. He watched, head slightly to one side as the male Shinlai cleaned his mask before setting about eating the deer. He smiled as he noticed the mask symbol.

Dark.

How lovely.

The white looks of the Shinlai were certainly misleading. He yawned widely, before closing his mouth and letting his invisibility seep away slowly. Normal he would have just dropped it. All the better for a dramatic introduction, but this Shinlai seemed young, and a potential recruit. Best to make a gentle entrance.

Something on Icarus' peripheral vision caught his eye and he whipped his head around to stare directly at a silver Shinlai, electric blue eyes staring with caution and hostility. He bared his teeth slightly, set on edge by his seemingly random appearance. Icarus hadn't heard him, hadn't smelled him, hadn't even seen him until just now. He bared his teeth ever so slightly, his red-stained fangs flashing. He stepped forward, placing a paw over his kill. It was mostly a bluff, but Icarus hoped it was one hell of a good bluff, because this Shinlai before him was clearly older and very likely more experienced.

Icarus' eyes caught the last of Lycu's disappearance and he narrowed his eyes. Invisibility. A skill common to Air Shinlai. Icarus was aware that both Dark and Light Shinlai were capable of it as well, but it was rarer. Besides, Icarus would have sensed if it were Light. After all, he grew up around a Light Shinlai, his own brother was one. Icarus gave himself a mental shake, he wouldn't think of his brother. Such thoughts were bad.

Icarus swallowed, and prayed to whatever gods there were that his words would get stuck this time. "..." Icarus opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He snorted angrily, and opened his mouth once more. "What do y-ou wa-ant, stranger?" Icarus was seething inside. His words sounded broken up, like he hesitated in-between them, at least his growl had stayed constant. Icarus swept up his mask beside him and clicked it back on in one smooth movement. Perhaps it would help hide his questionable speech and aid in his intimidating front. Icarus knew all too well how feared and rejected the Dark element was.

The afternoon sun glinted from its peak in the sky down through the branches of the trees, their leaves shrouding the forest undergrowth in a radiant display of dancing shadows. The scattered patches of light illuminated the small game trail imprinted in the leafy brush with just enough light to make out the dark figure as he tread with an intent ease down the deer worn path.

The Shinlai paused in his tracks, the meager rays of the sunlight highlighting his black form as he lifted his snout to test the wind.

Marrinus’s silver eyes flickered with satisfaction, “There is blood on the air,” he said aloud. His lips curled into a smile and he raised a muddied paw to wipe his disheveled mane back from his face. The trickle of a stream could be heard nearby and as he moved further down the trail, the signs of an apparent chase became more evident. Snapped branches littered the trail, plants had been flattened where the course of the chase had been diverted off the game worn path. Earth had been flung from beneath heavily paced paws, leaving a mix of shredded claw and paw prints overlapping traces of cervine hooves in the thick ground.

Lightly moving around the scene of the chase, it was not long before the Dark Shinlai came across that of the take down. The blood of the prey lay freshly soaked into the dirt and about the tops of the plants nearby. There were signs where the deer had been forced to a sliding halt across the ground, flattened and muddied brush lead up to the bloodied mess at his feet as he stood idly over the red indication of the show’s finale.

“My,” he continued to himself speculatively, lifting his paw from the bloodied ground and peering down at the deep red sheen it left about his claws, “And here I thought I enjoyed the thrill of the kill,” Marrinus chuckled, “Someone sure is messy.”

His eyes glinted excitedly as he turned his head towards the narrowing trees edging the game trail. The blood spill and drag marks in the earth lead decisively towards the stream. He grinned, “Eating on the water, huh?” he thought, “Ah well, a meal’s a meal. All that’s left is to take it.”

And with that, the silver eyed Shinlai cloaked himself in his element and made for the tree line.

Lycu watched the young Shinlai stand over his kill defensively. His bright blue eyes glaring straight at Lycu. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing happened, no voice, no sound. The youngblood tried again, this time successfully. "What do y-ou wa-ant, stranger." He said, his voice fragmented, but defiantly angry.

Lycu snorted, raising his eyebrows, as he peered down at the smaller Shinlai. “Nothing.” He replied, ignoring all the voices clamouring for attention. “I ain’t interested in you or your kill.” He said shrugging. To show how unintimidating he was, he dipped his head and drunk from the stream. Raising his head he licked his lips, briefly flashing his teeth. “Are you aware you’re on the fringe of Darkblood territory?” He enquired, casually enough.

He heard a faint chuckle on the wind, still sweeping towards him. And smiled at the young one. “Relax. Keep eating, I’m not interested in it.” He said with a slight gesture of his paw. He held the paw out infront of him, turning it back and forth, working on making the invisibility hide his paw, but not his glove. It was tricky getting it between the fitted leather, patches of the glove would fade in and out of sight.

“Nothing.”

Why would he show himself if he wants nothing? Icarus raised his head defiantly, his ears (or what was left of them) twisting back to lie flat against his head. The silver Shinlai was so uninterested, and his voice stayed smooth and even. It put Icarus on edge, the elder had such an... an air about him that said he truly wasn't interested that the young Lai was flustered even further. He watched the other carefully. “I ain’t interested in you or your kill.”

Icarus' eyes followed Lycu to the stream, watched him closely as he bent his head to drink. Icarus knew he was being a bit paranoid, it gnawed at the back of his mind, played on his nerves. His fur rose slightly and he gave a shake to his ruffled and unkept mane, which always seemed to stick out in all directions. Icarus breathed in softly through his nose. Relax.

“Are you aware you’re on the fringe of Darkblood territory?” The question had Icarus' guard up again in a flash. He caught the Shinlai's tongue flashing over his fangs, which were noticeably bigger than his own. In truth, Icarus had guessed that it was nearby, but he wouldn't have said he was on the fringe of it. Icarus battled briefly with how to answer. "No." The answer was curt and too the point, short enough he wouldn't stutter over it. Some of the hostility had faded from his voice, but his tone was still just as guarded and cautious.

Icarus surveyed the other Lai. What did he want? Surely he wanted something. He had to. Nobody struck up a friendly conversation with Icarus. “Relax. Keep eating, I’m not interested in it.” Icarus watched him a moment longer, but when the larger Shinlai turned his attention to his paw, making it disappear, Icarus returned to his meal. He kept his ears tilted forward though, ready to catch the slightest sound of movement from the Air Shinlai (he was certain it was Air now). He didn't dare take off his mask again, for fear he would be loosing protection from a possible blow or an intimidating factor. He frowned slightly, and ate more carefully. He didn't want to splatter blood all over it again.

The putrid scent of the deer carcass lead a shadow-cloaked Marrinus straight to a break in the trees, he could hear voices up ahead and without making so much as a sound, he gingerly sidestepped from his course and made his way a couple yards downstream, and downwind of the conversation. From there, he crouched down low in the bank’s undergrowth and listened in.

“Are you aware you’re on the fringe of Darkblood territory?”

“Hold up, I know that voice,” he thought with a smirk, peering around the brush and vegetation to get a good look at Lycu from where he sat relaxed over on the opposite bank. From where he was, he could just catch sight of the young white coated Shinlai through the bushes as he stood over his kill defensively.

The young Lai paused for a second, mulling over the older Air Shinlai’s inquiry, “No,” he said finally.

“Good grief, somebody get this kid a map,” Marrinus snorted, rising to his feet as Lycuvayu gave the boy an uninterested remark and proceeded to play invisibility games with his gloved paw. “Well there goes my fun,” he thought with a roll of his eyes, there was no way Lycu would let him creep up on their now dwindling confrontation without somehow giving him away.

Still shrouded in the shadow of the trees, Marrinus padded up the bank, covering himself and his tracks by manipulating the shadows cast within the prints to mimic and reflect back the natural flow of the sands as if he weren’t there.

With a childish grin, he flopped down onto the stream moistened sand just feet away from the young Dark Shinlai and his kill, uncloaking himself as he said, “My, my, who decided to host a dinner party and didn’t invite me?” he cast his gaze impishly over at Lycu, his eyes flashing with mischief.

"No." He replied, short and to the point. Lycu didn’t even look up from his paw at the kids response.

“Hmm, well you know now.” He mused to himself. His eyes scanned the banks, frowning slightly. Either his mind was messing with him again, or the shadows really were moving. Then again he was sat opposite a dark Shinlai. “The shadows are active today...” He said softly.

Moments later, the shadows did indeed move, dropping away to reveal a black Shinlai with glinting silver eyes. “My, my, who decided to host a dinner party and didn’t invite me?” Marrinus said.

“Hmm that explains it.” He muttered, before sitting up a little straighter. “Now, now Marrinus. Try not to scare off the youngblood.” He chided lightly. He scanned the banks around him. “Wait, where’s your brat?” He asked frowning.

(think i could possibly join in with Twi?)

(YES. VERY BIG YES.)

(alright so i'm using a 10 year old Twi, her design is #4 from http://saphirawolf.deviantart.com/gallery/?catpath=/#/d3w82co save not having the mask, her face would be black with a smaller red spot on her head, as well as black ears.)

If Marrinus was up and about, it didn't need much knowledge to know Twi wouldn't be far behind. The black and white pup followed the chatter through the woods, hoping Marrinus would remain unaware of her presence, as well as the other shinlai. She nearly walked in to several trees, if not using her element to help guide her around them, however that did not stop the twigs under her paws from cracking. Twi winced once the sound was out and spat a curse in whisper, crouching down against the ground.

(Bringing Rhan in, since this is a good chance for her to meet some of her superiors xD. Hope nobody minds?)

The deer's ear flicked in Rhan's direction, and she froze, shrouding herself in shadows so that she was less likely to be seen. Being such a big Lai, hunting could prove to be a rather large difficulty, and she had to figure out more effective ways rather then just jumping out at her prey. Observing the exposed roots of the trees around her, she began to knit a makeshift net from them that she could hopefully chase the deer into and ensnare it. However, before the net was even halfway done, her deer, the one she had been stalking all afternoon, took off in the other direction with a completely different Lai chasing after it.
Rhan sat dumbfounded for some time, listening to the loud commotion as the white and orange Lai disappeared into the forest with her dinner. She growled to herself. "That's the way, just scare EVERY other prey-animal in the vicinity away. Who even cares? It's not like I was hungry or anything", she rolled her eyes sarcastically, and caught sight of a slight movement not much further ahead. She narrowed her green eyes, perhaps not all the deer were gone? Yet this was much too large to be a deer, or any other sort of prey-animal. As she shifted her position to get a better look, she found herself spying on a black Shinlai, his eyes glinting silver in the fading afternoon sun. Rhan remained silent, for it appeared that he had not yet seen her, and sure enough it was not long before he began heading for the treeline on the opposite side of the clearing, his form disappearing into nothing as he went. "What're you up to, hmm?" She whispered to herself, watching as the foliage parted around his invisible form, and was about to head off in the same direction when yet another Lai wandered past, following the trail of the Shinlai before her. This Lai was much younger, for she was still unmasked and eared. Rhan's curiosity was peaking, she waited for the young Lai to go before she stepped out from her hiding place, ensuring that her horns did not get caught on any hanging branches. But she did not follow the other Shinlai through the trees, she turned her nose to the ground, scenting her deer and the Shinlai that had stolen it, and set off in the direction of the thief instead. She was positive that the other two would end up in the same vicinity anyway.

“Hmm, well you now know.”

Icarus hesitated before he ripped a piece off the deer carcass. He wondered why the other Lai didn't seem worried about it, or at least he seemed pretty casual about it. Icarus gave himself another little shake, he was being paranoid again.

“The shadows are active today...”

Icarus jerked his head up, looking around. Why can't he just leave me in peace? He thought. Icarus glanced at a particularly dark patch of shadows, but didn't see any movement from them at all. He flicked his bushy tail nervously, shadows weren't exactly active. Shadows were manipulated to be active. Only a moment passed by and yet another Shinlai, dark as the shadows that melted away, appeared. His silver eyes glinted terribly. “My, my, who decided to host a dinner party and didn’t invite me?”

Icarus' fur rose to stand on end. And he bared his teeth at the new comer.

“Hmm that explains it. Now, now Marrinus. Try not to scare off the youngblood. Wait, where’s your brat?”

Icarus shifted himself so that he could keep both the silver Lai and the black one, Marrinus, in his gaze. By the sound of it, they knew each other. It put Icarus on even more of an edge than he already was.

"I've a name." Icarus could have whacked himself for the slip of the tongue, he couldn't help it. Whatever came to mind he said it, and it was obvious how much easier it came to him than a thought out response. "Icarus."

“Now, now Marrinus. Try not to scare off the youngblood.” Lycu chided. He took a second to shift his gaze about the area before he frowned. His eyes landing back on the Darkblood he asked, “Wait, where’s your brat?”

"I've a name.” the young male quickly interjected, "Icarus." The black Shinlai didn’t even hear him.

Marrinus’s expression went blank, his eyes cold and unblinking. “Do you think I’d lose her, Lycuvayu?” he leaned forward and inclined his head toward the point in the treeline from which he had entered. At just that moment, the sharp "crack!" of a branch sounded from within the shadows of the trees followed instantly by sharply muffled cursing.

The Dark Shinlai glanced away from the underbrush and locked eyes once more with his friend, “Honestly,” he continued, “I don’t think you give me enough credit.” He peered back over his shoulder and calmly called into the trees, “It’s okay, Twi, come on out.”

His expression changed suddenly. Grinning, he flicked his attention back over to the Dark Shinlai beside him, “Did you say something, kid? I didn’t quite catch that,” he said, his eyes baring down on the timid younger Lai.

(yes Marri is the type to take his frustration out on others, how could you tell? D:>)

"I've a name. Icarus." The young one said. Lycu flicked his eyes to look at him. But Marrinus distracted him.

“Do you think I’d lose her, Lycuvayu?” He said, as a loud crack sounded. “Honestly, I don’t think you give me enough credit.” He said, a cold look to his eyes.

Lycu rolled his eyes, Marrinus clearly having missed the fact he was toying with him, and turned back to Icarus. “Lycuvayu.” He said gesturing to himself. “Lycu fits better.” He said.

“Did you say something, kid? I didn’t quite catch that,” Marrinus said, glaring Icarus down.

“Icarus.” Lycu repeated loud enough to catch Marri’s attention. “Marri I think you need your ears checking.” He said, grinning at Marri.

“It’s okay, Twi, come on out.” Marrinus spoke as he took a glance back at the trees. Twi sighed when she had been spotted and lift herself from the crouch against the ground. "Stupid twigs..." she huffed a pout as she padded out towards the group. Twi used the other shinlai's shadow's to pin point exactly where and who they were, as well as not crash in to anything. It was quite the different way to be using her element, but it was almost a way of 'seeing' through the ground. She walked up behind Marrinus, head lowered in submission. "Y-You're not mad, right Master?" the pup let off a nervous grin. Master. It wouldn't be the first time the pup spoke to Marrinus like some high class gent, as if speaking to Darrius himself.

"Rhan", the great female stated whilst strolling casually into the group, lucky to have just caught the introductions. She dipped her head politely to the light-coloured Lai; Lycu, and Marrinus, the darker one who she recognised from the clearing. There was movement from the edge of the treeline and the younger Lai emerged, Twi, was it? She dismissed her pondering, she'd find out soon enough.
Bringing her full attention back to the orange and white thief before her, Rhan sidling up to the smaller male and tentatively sat herself down beside him. "Tell me, Icarus", she lowered her head to his height, looking at him through her eyelashes, and continued in a voice not much louder than a whisper,"how does it feel to be eating the carcass of a stolen deer?"

(( I joined another RPG. It seams like I killed the last one D: also remember Eldon dont have a mask yet. It is yet to me remade. He still has scars on his face like his old mask was ripped off and the piercings just didn't want to un clip.))

In a small clearing in the woods Eldon starts to sun bathed in the in the warm sun thinking of his love Siren, hopeing to see her again. Listening to the birds is quit calming to him until his tummy starts to growl, but he trying to ignore it but its not working. He just continues to lay there until a deer jumps over him, running away in fear. He perks his head up and watches the deer run for his life. "Well here's my food." He mumbled. He gets up and starts to dart at him. He chases after the young deer until Eldon decides to trap the deer. Eldon makes a earthly wall that surrounds the stag. What Eldon made caused the ground to rumble for miles way like a small earth quake. Then it calm down in seconds. The poor deer is trapped and Eldon slowly creep closer. The deer starts to panic and tries to find a away out, but it was no use. Eldon charged at the deer and pounce on him and clamps the neck of the deer, killing it on the spot. “Mmmm lunch.” He said as he drags the deer away from the wall. Then Eldon puts the wall back in the ground how the area once looked and starts chowing down on the deer.

Icarus bristled at the Shinlai that entered. One more Shinlai was the last he wanted right now. His social nature was battling with his paranoia and he wasn't sure whether to bolt or stick around. It didn't help when the Lai, who introduced herself as Rhan, sauntered right up to Icarus and sat beside him. Icarus' fur bristled once more, he wasn't quite sure how to react,

"Tell me, Icarus," The female asked, lowering her head to his height. Icarus stood at 11'2, so to see a female taller (not to mention noticeably larger) was quite surprising. Icarus drew himself up slightly.

"How does it feel to be eating the carcass of a stolen deer?" She practically whispered.

Icarus smirked slightly, "Fine, actually." Shoot. There he went again. "This deer isn't st-olen. I hu-nted it do-wn myself." Icarus moved away from Rhan, putting a slight bit more distance between them. She had sat uncomfortably close. He flicked his tail with annoyance, giving Rhan a glare. He hesitated a moment, then shrugged. "You're wel-come to ha-ave it. I seem to have los-st my appeti-ite." He fixed his eyes on Marrinus and Lycu once more, trying to figure them out. They knew eachother. Marrinus had a Dark pup with him as well. They were dwelling on the edge of Darkblood territory. It wasn't out of the question they were Darkbloods themselves.

Icarus smiled inwardly. He wondered if it would be a stroke of luck or a terrible misfortune. He was a self-proclaimed Darkblood, but was honestly unsure if they had ranks of their own- other than the Elite that is.

Marrinus smirked at Lycu’s quip, his brow raised.

"Y-You're not mad, right Master?” Twi asked lightly as she slinked her way out into the open and found a place behind him.

“Oh why did she have to put it like that?” His tail twitched slightly behind him. Of all the things for the kid to learn to call him, he loved how “Master” was the first thing to pop into her blank little head. Sighing, he said, “No, you’re fine,” he glanced back at her and examined her expression, “Just try not to get in the way,” he added coldly. Who cared what the girl saw or heard while she was there? If it all goes downhill, it’s not like she wouldn’t have to witness it eventually.

His gaze shifted to the largely built female, Rhan, as she sauntered onto the scene, taking a tentative seat opposite his side of the Dark male and his kill. Marrinus couldn’t help but grin at her sharp tongued approach. The woman had wit.

He let out a laugh and looked at Lycu, “Gonna’ try and back up the kid now?” he joked.

“Twi!” Lycu said with exaggerated cheerfulness. “Come over here and give your uncle Lycu a biiiiiig hug.” He said with a broad grin, and stretching out one arm for a hug.

"Tell me, Icarus, how does it feel to be eating the carcass of a stolen deer?" The large female said tauntingly.

“Gonna’ try and back up the kid now?” Marrinus quipped with a laugh.

Lycu pretended not to have heard him, instead lowering his head and looking up at Rhan, batting his eyes at her sarcastically. “Tell me, ‘Rhan’, how does it feel to pick on a youngblood.” He said sweetly. He raised his eyebrows in a ‘well?’ gesture. “Surely its not that hard to catch food these days.” He said, jabbing a paw into the river and snatching a fish. He let it thrash for a moment, before sucking all the air from it, the fish almost shrivelled in his grasp. He tossed it into his mouth and wolfed it down, running his tongue over his teeth.

He perked up as the ground shook beneath his feet, the tremors running up his spine. Eyes flicking back and forth as he tried to work out the source, a flock of birds took off, showering the small group with leaves. “Eaaarth quaaakeee.” He said in a slightly sing-song voice.

Icarus drew himself up and smirked, "Fine, actually." Rhan laughed at his blunt reply, following him with her eyes as he moved away with the limp deer. "This deer isn't st-olen. I hu-nted it do-wn myself."

"If you could call what you were doing hunting", Rhan snorted, a smile on her face. She was toying with him, she was no longer bothered that he had stolen the deer, but she still enjoyed pushing his buttons to see what reaction she could provoke.

"You're wel-come to ha-ave it. I seem to have los-st my appeti-ite."

"I'm not interested in your scraps", Rhan replied with a scrunched-up nose. Noticing that Lycu was staring at her, she turned to face him and found him batting his eyes at her sarcastically. Rhan stared at him blankly.

“Tell me, ‘Rhan’, how does it feel to pick on a youngblood.”

"Fine, actually", she said, mimicking Icarus' reply, mischief glinting in her eyes.

“Surely its not that hard to catch food these days.” Lycu thrust his paw into the water, bringing it up to show off a fish he had just caught.

"Impressive", she said with a grin, "but unfortunately I find fish dissatisfying, and you see, if all the animals have been scared out of the forest", she glanced at Icarus, "it can indeed be difficult to catch food that is not actually there".
The ground beneath Rhan's feet shook, and leaves showered from the canopy above. Rhan heard the voice of Lycu through the rumbling; “Eaaarth quaaakeee.”
It stopped as suddenly as it had begun, and Rhan scanned the surroundings for any movement. "Earth Shinlai?" She questioned. It was much too brief to be the rumbles of Elaisha itself.

“No, you’re fine, just try not to get in the way,” Marrinus spoke, she nod "Y-Yes Sir!". Suddenly a voice spoke from the side “Twi!” Lycu said with his exaggerated cheerfulness. “Come over here and give your uncle Lycu a biiiiiig hug.” He grinned, stretching out one arm awaiting a hug. The pup couldn't help but chuckle a smile and trot over towards the silver male "Hello 'uncle' Lycu" she grinned. However the grin quickly fade as Twi actually took a moment to gaze upon the situation, especially the large female she'd yet to meet or see. She stuck close to Lycu and pulled herself up a little "Uncle Lycu, who's that?" she asked in a mix of curious and fearful.

"If you could call what you were doing hunting."

"I caught something and I killed it. By definition, it's hunting." Icarus through caution to the wind. He finally realized that the Shinlai before him, both Rhan and Marrinus were toying with him. Playing games with the "youngblood". Well, Icarus decided to prove that he had a backbone- and a few good quips of his own.

"I'm not interested in your scraps." The female scrunched up her nose with distaste.

"And yet you seemed so interested just a moment ago...." Icarus said absently, gaze wandering to the pup that had wandered over to Lycu. He wondered what a pup like that was doing with a Lai like Marrinus. Anyone could see the black-coated Shinlai wasn't exactly the nicest to cross pass with.

“Tell me, ‘Rhan’, how does it feel to pick on a youngblood?”
"Fine, actually."

Icarus chuckled, eyes sliding back to Rhan. "Rha-an was it?" Icarus inclined his head slightly to her, a sign of well-meaning- as opposed to his earlier growling. "A plea-sure to me-et you."

Unexpectedly, the ground moved beneath Icarus' wide paws, leaves fell from the overhanging branches of the trees. He looked around, confused and surprised. This wasn't an area prone to earthquakes. What could possibly...? Surely there were no more Shinlai in the area? They had quite a gathering here. Just as quickly as the tremor started, it stopped.

Marrinus steadied himself by leaning on his left forearm and bracing himself with his right as the sudden tremor began to subside. His eyes narrowed as a small smile of amusement played out across his face.

Someone was being a bit reckless with their powers this far into Darkblood territory. At this rate, with that kind of display, they’re just asking to be spotted. “Someone’s being a bit noisy,” he muttered, “How careless.” He looked over to Lycu and Twi and then shifted his gaze to the bickering pair beside him, “No sense in going to check things out now,” he thought sourly, he would have to save his curiosity for the next idiot to come make their presence obvious.

Buuut, if he were lucky, maybe it was only a matter of time before this careless Earth Shinlai managed to meander his or her way into their little gathering. He looked over to Lycu and grinned. It was less fun letting others sneak up on him, but sometimes things just got to play out that way. “Looks like we have another joining us,” he said matter-of-factly. Turning to Icar, he couldn’t help but add, “Too bad mister ‘deer thief’ over here ate all the food.”