Howling in the Streets{M} DamoniquexBrokecollege

[Damonique]

"This one here, and the other two braves as well? You sure know how to spoil a girl, Liz....but if decided I like them, I may not be so eager to give them back." Khlia jested with a wolf-whistle as Elisabeth named three of her most capable...and desirable elites to the be among the first to join the 'Honor Guard' of sorts the Evertail lieutenant insisted upon. Lucent was surprised as well...those three, along with the somewhat younger Adam and older Bryant, were rarely far from Elisabeth's side. Lucent grimaced slightly, as not it was turn to be concerned for Elisabeth's safety. While the brunette was not a named target in-and-of herself, Savic was, and his chief lieutenant would be in the way of any would-be attempts on her leaders life.

Lucent silently decided for himself that when he spoke with his opposite number, he would insist on a trade of warriors....a few of his Fangs to even out the Evertails that would be residing in his own camp, and in doing so sneak in someone special to keep an eye on Elisabeth...to protect her, of course. The only question was who? He considered Caine...the russet-haired male had a good deal in common with the young lieutenant, when it came to values and temperament, Lucent hadn't failed to not. He was brave on the battlefield...but not bloodthirsty. Perhaps too much in common... Snuck in the irrational, jealous thought, Jude non-withstanding. And Caine talked...constantly, about everything and everyone...and that wouldn't do.

Instead, he turned to his next-best choice....Lash, glancing over to where the stoic, raven-haired young fighter stood silently in Khlia's shadow, blending in, seeming neither interested nor bored with the conversations around her. Ears open, mouth shut....and whip at the ready. Having such a shadow behind her would do Elisabeth good in more ways than one, especially considering her current exasperating task of keeping the hostages in line...and would spare her the need to dole out any punishments warranted personally....lash did so enjoy using her whip. And another woman was more likely to be allowed to remain close to her in more personal settings, bathing and sleeping...so long as Lash knew well enough not to share too much of her philosophy when it came to the Omegas she trained.

Scheming still occupying his mind, Lucent made some vague statement of agreement with Elisabeth and indicated for his entourage to follow after them to the main courtyard of the Evertail compound, where withnesses were beginning to gather and observe the unlucky souls marked for punishment. Savic was there, deep in discussion with two of their new subordinate Alphas, old Davit Nightwalker, and his nephew through a younger sister, Mauric Skyclaw. Lucent wondered if they'd be joined by Windpelt, Proudrunner, or Thunderhowl as well.

Whatever conversation the three Alphas had been engrossed in died back as Lucent and his Fangs made their entrance. It was a delicate balance to show them both the authority he possessed and the respect they deserved. So he did not increase his pace, as not to appear too eager, keeping to a measured walk, flanked by his twin on one side and the massive Grigori on the other. When he reached them, he favored Savic with a friendly greeting, but waited for the other two to make some show of recognition, a handshake, a nod of the head, before offering them the same. A reminder that while they were all ostensibly equals, some of them were more equal than others.

[brokecollege]

Khlia seemed delighted with who Elisabeth had chosen for her detail, and she let the young Lieutenant know. In fact, if Khlia came to like them enough then she might even half trouble sending her men back to her. Elisabeth chuckled and shook her head at the woman's jests. With all joking aside, the group turned and made their way to the front of the packhouse where everyone, Savic included, was gathered for the trial.

Savic had been enjoying a lighthearted conversation with his fellow Alphas when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the Mane twins walking over towards them. What perfect timing they had. The conversation that he had been apart of drifted off into silence just as Lucent and his sister approached the three. "Ah, Lucent, how good to see you!" Savic greeted, the corners of his eyes creasing as he greeted the younger male with a friendly smile. He glanced over at Khlia, extending the woman the same smile.

But while Lucent had extended Savic a friendly greeting, he did not do the same to Davit and Mauric. Instead, he waited for them to make their greeting first. And they did, if not somewhat reluctantly. Only after they did, did Lucent extend the same respect to them. "I was just speaking with Davit and Mauric here about Jon Huntsworn, and what a shame his betrayal is," Savic explained as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"He was a good man and a good warrior. Just did not have enough sense, apparently." Savic muttered with a disappointed shake of his head. Hopefully, the others would not lack as much sense as Huntsworn did. He would hate to see another fellow Alpha fall as his old friend had. Though, with how things were so rapidly changing... "You've spoken with my Lieutenant already, I assume. I've yet to speak to her today. My Liliana has hardly let me leave her side these last few days." he sighed. Though, he supposed her worries were not without reason. Since he has allied with the Fangs, there has been a hefty price placed on the older man's head.

And even though his Lieutenant always made sure her best were watching him, his mate still worried. Even more so now that they had a handful of hostages on their watch, and Elisabeth spread out so thin.

[Damonique]

Once Lucent's point had been made and pleasantries taken care of, he waved his off his entourage so that he and the other Alphas could get down to business....and quite a bit of business there was. Lucent took in all of Savic's statements and questions, deciding to start at the bottom of the list, at the mention of his Luna's fears, and work back upwards from there.

"Ah, yes, the bounties....empty words, I'm sure. If Redmoon had the means or the nerve to see us dead, we already would be. So he postures and threatens and hopes that somehow we'll just go away if he wishes hard enough. Still, if it would set your dearest Luna at ease, I'd be glad to offer some additional protection for her and our dearest Luna Mallory..." Lucent trailed off, looking about for the fiery redhead and finding her not in attendance....a passing server informed him that the Luna had resigned herself to bed-rest to wait out the final few weeks of her pregnancy. That was....less than ideal. Lucent had been counting on the Moonhowl Luna, and the favors she owed him, to sway some minds in deciding what was to be done tonight...but there was nothing for it.

The next matter, the one on everyones mind, was Jon Huntsworn paradoxical return to the city. While Lorne Sharptooth's actions on the night of his exile in taking his fighters over to the enemy had seemed understandable...the man had seen one final opportunity to remain the leader of anything and had been bold enough to take it, Huntsworn and his vendetta alone would be of no great value to Damon Redmoon or his plans.

While wounded pride could make a man irrational, if at all, then why now? Such foolish decisions were usually made immediately, while the blood was hot, not over a week later, after time to reflext. There was some piece missing there that Lucent didn't know...and the thought bothered him. He asked his fellow Alphas their view, and they at least claimed to know no more than himself. Frustrated, Lucent lifted a hand to call a pause to their discussion and heading for the center of the main camp, where the prisoners waited, washed and dressed according to their stations, but also chained wrist and ankle to posts, as if being offered up in sacrifice.

He tried not to look too hard at their downcast faces until he found the one he was looking for...young Avory Huntsworn, Jon's younger brother....fourteen and staring sullenly ahead with the sort of stupid resolve only a boy who thought himself a man could have. Lucent looked him up and down, and then gestured for Lash to come over, a command she dutifully noticed and obeyed, as if she had just been waiting for it to be given. All eyes were on him now, wondering what precisely the Alpha mane meant to do with the unlucky whelp.

[brokecollege]

Lucent made sure to put both Savic and the other Alphas' worries and fears to rest with a few assurances and well-placed words. And once their fears had been dealt with, Lucent then addressed Jon Huntsworn's appearance and possible reasons for why the man had suddenly reappeared after his long absence. But neither Savic nor Davit or Mauric had a good theory as to why that was.

But just because they didn't have a good theory did not mean they didn't have theories. Davit and Mauric had plenty--and so did Savic, though his differed greatly from theirs. Whereas their theories centered around revenge or the desire to save his family, Savic's theories centered around it all being a trap. Why else would Jon suddenly reappear after his betrayal weeks earlier? Lucent excused himself in the middle of the conversation and wandered off towards the hostages.

Elisabeth, who had been discussing the position of the hostages with Bryant, spotted Lucent walking towards the hostages out of the corner of her eye. She gestured for Bryant to follow her before she, too, headed in that direction. But whereas Lucent walked directly up to the hostages, Elisabeth did not. Instead, she hung back and watched as Lucent slowly walked by the line of trembling women and children.

Lucent eventually came to a stop in front of Avory Huntsworn, the teenaged brother of Alpha Huntsworn. For all the time that he had been under Elisabeth's care, the boy had barely uttered a full sentence. He ate what they gave him, slept where they told him to, and did what was asked of him. No more, and no less. Lucent studied the boy for a moment before he turned slightly and gestured for Lash to step forward.

Elisabeth sucked in a quiet breath, her eyes narrowing as she watched the two. She wanted to go over there, to stop Lash from doing what she knew Lucent was going to order her to do. But, she couldn't do that. Nor could she blame Lucent for whatever order he was about to give the woman. The life of a werewolf was neither easy nor without guilt. And innocence and youth were an all but fleeing thing.

"What do you think he's doing Lieutenant?" Bryant suddenly questioned, breaking the long silence between them. Elisabeth frowned, tearing her gaze away from Lucent to momentarily glance at the male beside her. Honestly? She didn't know. But, she had a feeling that it was tied in with Jon Huntsworn's sudden reappearance. "I suppose we'll find out once he's done." Elisabeth quietly answered.

[Damonique]

The immaculate Alpha paused for a moment, studying the boy. A grey-eyed, brown haired youth who was extremely plain in both appearance and stature...if one passed him on the street or in a crowd, they wouldn't give him a second thought. Just another listless teenager who'd drawn the short end of the stick when it came to the family he was born into....Lucent could pity him, but that would only make doing what had to be done more difficult.

For his part, the younger Huntsworn was either absolutely fearless of had been so afraid for so long that it no longer showed, looking Lucent Mane, decider of his fate straight in the eye, unblinking, neither pleading for mercy nor offering up any sort of resistance. He simply was. Off to the side, Lash clicked her tongue in annoyance, glancing her leaders way and rolling her thumb over the leather handle of her whip, just waiting for the word. Lucent didn't give it, just keeping up the staring contest, before finally giving a dismissive shrug.

"Your name?" Lucent asked in an almost bored tone, as if he didn't already know. If the boy was going to pretend he didn't care who he was, he would do the same. The youth obliged to answer, and Lucent went on to ask several more questions, about his elder brother, his pack, their loyalties and general makeup. Avory answered each one without emotion, in as few words as possible, usually just 'Yes', 'No', or 'I don't know'....there was a lot of the last one, and little that led him any closer to any real answers. There were some grumbles in the 'audience' of sorts that was watching the proceedings intently...most had come for a bloody spectacle of the sort the Mane Twins were known for, and instead they were getting tedious courtroom minutiae. Lucent gave an exasperated sigh, already regretting what he was going to be forced into.

"Do you know who I am?" Lucent asked, waving his arm to indicate the question was rhetorical. To his chagrin, the boy answered anyway.

"You're Lucent Mane. Tribal. Mongrel..." Lash acted as if on instinct the moment that last word left the boys mouth, without even consulting Lucent, her well-oiled whip sailing through the air with a screech to fall across the Huntsworn heir's chest, cutting right through the loose grey garments he had been provided with and drawing blood and a scream. To his credit, it was cut short to a snarl so that he could continue. Lucent was somehow both sad and glad that this one would never come of age...he would have been an exceptional warrior, and ferocious adversary.

"Lucent Mane, usurper of the Fang, who had a man who treated him like a son killed to seize his place. Who whores out his own sister for power and thinks he's too good to get blood on his shiny black suit..." Lash struck again, more sharply when Khlia was mentioned, this time slicing the boy's leg open from hip to ankle. The Huntsworn heir dropped to his knees and let out a scream that he couldn't bite back...but that slowly transitioned into a low chuckle. He looked the Alpha before him in the eyes, wearing an unhinged smile, and in that look of hate, Lucent saw a familiar blend of pride, madness, and determination.

"Lucent Mane, who's standing here letting a twisted girl hurt a chained child for having the audacity to tell the truth about him. And all of you pathetic so called Alpha's just watch like it's something to be proud of, like it's justice..." Avory turned his attention then towards Savic and the other two, spitting in their direction in disgust. "...as if it won't be your own families in chains the moment he finds you inconvenient." The bold, stupid...absolutely correct stripling finished, and then cocked his head to the side, giving Lucent a look, one that said 'I Win'.

[brokecollege]

The exchange between the two started out simple enough: Lucent asked a series of questions, and Avory answered them. Well, that is if his short responses could have even been considered as answers. At the end of it all, Lucent asked whether or not Avory knew who he was. And Avory, without fear or hesitance, responded that he did. Lucent, he said, was a tribal. A mongrel.

Then, without consulting her Alpha, Lash stepped forward and cracked her whip on the boy. Elisabeth winced and looked away, but Bryant did not. He stood there beside his Lieutenant, his dark eyes watching as the young lad let out a scream, which was then replaced by a low snarl. Hm. "He is strong." he quietly noted. Elisabeth nodded, all the while not looking back at the scene before her.

Yes, he was strong. Strong, and stupid. Stupid enough to continue speaking, even though Lash had so very clearly cracked her whip to get him to shut up. He threw a jab at Lucent and the Alpha whom he had replaced, before shifting his attention to Khlia. Or, as he so kindly called her, Lucent's whore sister. Lash did not like that one bit, and she cracked her whip on him a second time.

Even though she wasn't looking, the sound of the whip still made Elisabeth tense. She did not like this. She wished it would end--and she didn't care how, either. She just wanted the poor boy's screams to stop, and the questions to cease. But the boy didn't stop. Not for her sake, or even his own. He continued, taking yet another jab at Lucent before he turned towards the nearby Alphas.

Savic looked from the boy to Lucent, and then to his Lieutenant before his eyes drifted back to the boy. And he frowned. Not because the sight was upsetting to see, or because he was upset at the jab that had been tossed in his direction. He was upset because he knew that Avory was right. Lucent was mad with determination, and he was willing to sacrifice almost anything in the name of his dream. Even if that meant sacrificing the other Alphas, Savic included.

But... his gaze drifted back to Elisabeth, who stood with her gaze directed towards the dirt. But Savic had something the other Alphas did not: a playing card. He studied his Lieutenant for a moment before his gaze returned to Lucent and the young man, whose blood had begun to stain the dirt beneath him. "And what about your brother, Huntsworn? Would he not gladly stand in our position if he had the chance? Would he not force us onto our knees if he could?" Savic questioned.

"You are young and idealistic. You've yet to realize that nothing in our world is perfect, and everything is completely arbitrary. Though you might have come to realize that eventually, had your brother not betrayed his people and his family. If anyone is to blame for the position that you are in, it is your brother." he huffed. He stepped back, "May the Gods have mercy on you."

Elisabeth had, by that point, looked up from the ground and back to the scene in front of her. She watched how her Alpha reacted to Avory's words, and then watched as silence filled the void afterward. She moved to step forward, but Bryant quickly took his Lieutenant by the upper arm and gently pulled her back towards him. "Let him handle it, Lieutenant," he muttered to her. Elisabeth frowned but did not resist.

Bryant was right. This was between the Alphas and Avory. She shouldn't step in, not until she was asked by one of them. She sighed and shook the man's grip from her arm before she crossed her arms over her chest.

[Damonique]

Lucent fought hard to retain his composure despite the unending stream of vitriol the brave youth had unleashed upon his name, holding up a hand to keep Lash and her whip at bay, lest he lend further truth to the accusations. Looking at the other Alphas, only Savic seemed unperturbed by any of it, while Nightwalker and Skyclaw traded nervous glances between them.

The Fang Alpha cursed his hubris, the drive for validation...or perhaps some remaining shred of honor, that had driven him to personally face those he might sentence to death. He wondered how long Avory Huntsworn had been seething, waiting to turn Lucent's own favored weapon, the power of words, against him. He was busy trying to formulate just the right response when Savic stepped up in his...defense, for lack of a better word...accompanied by a cold understanding behind them that was clearly leveled at he alone.

That if the Evertail Alpha went along with Lucent's plans, it was only because it suited his needs for the moment...and if his needs changed, so would their 'arrangement'. Lucent then did exactly what Avory Huntsworn thought he wanted, and gave up the starting contest between them, turning on heel to face the Evertail Alpha, putting the wounded boy out of sight, out of mind, and robbing him of the importance the attention gave him. The adults were talking now, and he could wait bleeding in the corner, full of impotent rage. He looked at Savic, and then to Elisabeth, off to the side and found her staring forlornly at her feet, unwilling to watch what she thought was going to happen next...in that moment, he knew how to both save face before his peers and redeem himself in her eyes.

"Well said, Savic...though I'll admit to having something of a soft spot for the young and idealistic. After all, youth is the time of greatest change, and ideals, misguided or not, are the foundation of ambition. You are right that we in power have the right to be arbitrary. " He said to begin a fresh speech, come up with from thin air, careful to use every one of the Evertail's own words, to make whatever he decided to do seem like Savic had suggested it. After all, wasn't this a equal partnership?

"To persue freedom is to be Wolf. How much of it you have is what sets Alpha apart from the Beta, and the Beta from the Omega...." He continued, enunciating that last word to get Elisabeth's attention, waiting for her to look up to regard him, to see him utter the next part, brash and confident. "...as an Alpha, I do as I like. And I'd very much like to prove you wrong, Huntsworn. Not just the gods can show mercy." Lucent carefully extended a foot and placed it under Avory's chin and raise it up so he was looking down into his eyes.

"....chin up, boy. You'll live, at least today, while I'm feeling generous." He finished with that same smile his young adversary had worn almost minutes before. He gestured to a few of the surprised Evertail guards. "Have him cleaned, patched up, and returned to neutral ground unharmed. From there, he can either go to join his traitor brother or come try to kill me when he's feeling better. Lash, Grigory, make sure the men know to let him through if he tries...this one deserves a fair shot." He stated with finality, and then turned to walk away, shrugging his shoulders dismissively. After a few moments of silence, the whispers started again from the incredulous crowd. Was that it, really? And if so, why? What game was Mane playing? He cut them off by suddenly turning to look over his shoulder to where the callow youth was being dragged off.

"See you soon, Avory Huntsworn...and just so you have some incentive, I'm taking your little sister home with me. No matter what poison you and your brother have filled her head with, I'm sure she'll never want to leave my bedroom within a week." He added, keeping the smile and turning a predatory gaze at the unmentioned second Huntsworn hostage...a meek, brown-haired stick of a girl by the mane of Elvira, who was still reeling from the shock of seeing her brothers sure death-sentence commuted in the most unlikely manner. She went pale, her brother shouted a string of curses, and the mutters resumed, but with something new to discuss...Lucent Mane was known to like his women, and they were known to like them. He winked in the direction of Elisabeth for good measure, although he hoped she knew him well enough by now to realize that forcing himself on a thirteen-year-old fit nowhere into his plans. He would find some use for her, surely...perhaps the girl was good at braiding hair.

[brokecollege]

After a moment of silence, Lucent turned away from Avory and looked at Alpha Savic. Lucent, he said, had a soft spot for the young and idealistic. Well, that wasn't wrong. He liked Elisabeth, and Elisabeth was young and almost as idealistic as young Avory Huntsworn. And to pursue freedom, was to be a wolf. How much freedom, he said, set apart the Alpha from the Beta, and the Beta from the Omega.

And Elisabeth agreed with that, just as much as she agreed with everything else he had said before that. But then, in a surprising turn of events, Lucent declared that the boy was to live another day. Elisabeth's mouth almost dropped to the ground in surprise. But, he wasn't just letting the boy live. He was setting him free in neutral territory, where neither the Fangs nor the Evertails could scoop him up and claim him as a hostage.

But, the surprises did not end there. He was going to let the boy have a shot at killing him. He even ordered for Khlia's elites to let the boy onto their territory, should he ever actually come. And if he hadn't planned on coming to Fang territory upon his release, then Lucent was going to give him some incentive to do so: by taking the boy's younger sister for his own personal pleasure.

Had she not been as close to the Mane twins as she was, Elisabeth might have been mortified by Lucent's little incentive for the boy. But, she was close to the twins, and she knew when Lucent spoke the truth, and when he spoke directly out of his ass. He was going to do no such thing to the poor girl--if anything, he would just force her to clean and do chores alongside the Omegas.

So, that part did not bother her. What did bother her, was Lucent's order for him to let Avory Huntsworn in for a "fair" shot at killing him. The brunette waited until Huntsworn had been dragged away by the guards before she rushed over to Lucent. Not even Bryant could stop her from going over to him. "Lucent, have you gone mad? I know he's just a boy, but that doesn't mean he won't come back to you fully equipped and with allies behind him." she frowned.

Elisabeth knew that Lucent wasn't incapable of handling himself. He had shown how capable he was to Elisabeth when they had first hunted together, all those months ago. He was just as much of a warrior as he was an Alpha--even if he didn't always show it. But, that didn't mean that he could defend himself from every single threat that crossed his path. "I'm assigning Bryant to your guard." she declared. "He'll be sent over tonight, along with a few others."

[Damonique]

Lucent couldn't keep from smirking as everything clicked into place around him...the spectacle surrounding Avory Huntsworn had been so enthralling that there weren't even calls for punishment concerning his fellow hostages, they would live another day. Lucent had made his point without bloodshed....that his word from law, and that he could be as harsh or as lenient as suited his mood.

He was off to head off his sisters inevitable fury at his decision, but before he could even reach Khlia, there was another irate female to contend with first. Elisabeth had broken decorum and moved to confront him immediately about his abrupt decision...with prying eyes all around, he had to be firm...or at least what passed for it when he was dealing with the headstrong Evertail lieutenant. Lucent rose to his full height from his usually easy gait to accentuate their difference in stature, and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder in an almost patronizing manner, meeting her gaze and taking it as a challenge.

"Lieutenant Vaughn, your concern for my safety is...touching. But my offer was for the boy, and he along. Any friends he finds will die at the border like any others. Do you really think I have any reason to fear that...pup?" He stated with something akin to amusement, eliciting a few bemused chuckles from a few of the gathered warriors. What gave a mere lieutenant, a female no less, the right to tell an Alpha what he meant to do? It hurt Lucent to encourage such derision on the younger woman, but it was something that he had to do, or risk losing face.

Khlia, though, was having none of this confrontation She stalked up to stand behind Elisabeth with a snarl, lending the younger woman her support. She knew her twin would be able to kill young Avory in a straight fight...but had concerns as to weather or not he would. She knew the truth, that the Huntsworn heirs words, and the truth behind them, had cut Lucent deeper than he let show...that while he'd played it off as a demonstration of power, his gift of mercy may have just as easily be given out of some sense of guilt or shame. It was...concerning, and something the two...no, three of them, she was surprised to realize it was now, would need to discuss. But not here.

"Let the boys play their silly games, Hunt-sister. My brother sees so little action from up on his throne...this gives him something to look forward to." She stated with a dismissive snort, gently nudging the brunette away from the center of attention, hoping to cut the tension before either Lucent or Elisabeth said anything damning. Khlia was scandalized by the idea of herself as a peace-maker of any sort, but she was the only one able the volatile combination before her in check. Her brother and her friend could bring out the worst in one another as easily as the best.

[brokecollege]

While Elisabeth had expected for Lucent to be somewhat unhappy with her demands, she certainly hadn't expected for him to respond in the way that he had. He placed a patronizing hand upon her shoulder and, in a voice that reminded her all too much of her critics, stated that he didn't need protection because he had no reason to fear that pup. Her eyes narrowed as a few nearby warriors began to laugh--and they certainly weren't laughing with her.

Lucent had always treated Elisabeth as a sort of equal. He had always asked for her advice or her thoughts on the matter. Why just a few minutes ago he had asked her thoughts about the Alphas! And now... now he was treating her like everyone before him had. Like a woman who did not know what she was talking about, nor what she was doing. And it infuriated her, perhaps even more than it should have. Had the words of her critics ever infuriated her as much as this did? No, never.

She opened her mouth to snap back, to demand that he cut the act and start treating her with respect again, but a snarl from behind her stopped her. Khlia. Elisabeth thought for a moment that Khlia had stepped in to defend her brother, and so was surprised by what the woman said next. The young brunette glanced over her shoulder and at the woman, her tense from relaxing some as she slowly nodded her head.

"Fine," she muttered as her gaze returned to Lucent. She then gave the man the most sarcastic and exaggerated bow of her head that she could muster, before adding a sickeningly sweet and formal farewell, "Goodbye, Alpha Mane." and then she was being nudged off by Khlia, though that was probably for the best. If Elisabeth stayed another moment she might have just bit the man's head off.

Elisabeth returned to Bryant's side, though obviously still fuming from her encounter with Lucent. And Bryant could tell--which is why he wasn't too surprised by the woman's next orders. "You, me, training room, now." she snapped before she was storming off and in the direction of their training courtyard. Bryant watched his Lieutenant for a moment before he turned back towards the warriors and Alphas.

He gave them all a brief bow of his head before he silently gestured for the remaining warriors to gather the hostages and return them to their rooms. Then, he turned and quietly followed in the footsteps of his Lieutenant.