R A V E N W O O D

His paws ached, split open and blistered from walking so much. His ears were pressed low, eyes dim and his body simply lumbering forward. Where was he, anymore, anyways? His head slowly picked up, Ravenwood's tongue dry as he licked at his lips, stomach growling fervently. The sound of prey- not nearby, but rather far off- haunted him constantly. He couldn't reach it, not in his state. His fur hung from bones like sagging fat, but there was none of that there for him either.

He was still shivering from his swim through the water here. "Swim" was a relative term, he resolved, slowly sinking to his haunches, then sitting down. He was so tired. Raven's head tilted a tiny bit, ignoring the drilling in his head. The broken raft he had been pushed on, with no direction, no instructions, and an evil glimmer to his eye. His eye. Ravenwood's green optics narrowed, his teeth barely snarling.

"You know, you were better off without them. You know that." Were the first words out of his mouth. That black wolf with a bone face, limber limbs, an overall disgusting stench to them. Like death aplenty, rolling off of him. But he had loved him, Ravenwood did. He was obsessed with him. But he had gone and killed them, murdered them for him. Ravenwood hated him. He hated him.

By the time he snapped out of his trance, his hackles were raised and his heart rate elevated. His lips were pulled back, his teeth bared. That quickly dissolved when he rose to his paws, hearing someone approaching, grimacing.

/ he's on the hunting grounds on the west side! anyone can find him

A mask of my own face?
I'd wear that!

Icy blue fur glistened in the sunlight as the lion approached, maw bloodied by a fresh hunt. Two eyes blinked at the boy, the lion shaking out his icy-spiked fur and clearing his throat. [color=#5d47b8]"You look... unwell. What unfortunate events could lead to such a scrawny thing?" He rumbled, voice soft. Deadly claws flexed but he seemed amiable, tail flicking behind him. [color=#5d47b8]"What is your name." He considered giving the catch he managed to the boy, but considering how... ignited.. Sojourn was with the child on their lands, he honestly wouldn't be surprised she'd accuse him of treachery or betrayal just by offering food to a boy.

Truth be told she would have only cared if it was a Typhooner. No matter the age those scum were not allowed on Coalition land and it would stay that way till she met a bitter and cold end. Till then she would make sure that they and their friends suffered for their past sins. Here, she was careless. Figure perched in the trees as she watched the rather skinny and frail frame of the wolf child. She had seen him come in though the wandering waves and now he was starving on their lands. A shame. The lioness slowly pushed her way to her paws and the ghoul slipped her way from the branches. Jumping from one to another and using her claws to scrap and drag along the bark of the tree's trunk. Here she paused as she stood there, glancing briefly at Brutei before she simply looked at the kid. "Long way from home. Really shouldn't be out here. At least not looking like that. Names aside I can offer you sanctuary here in return for your utmost loyalty to me." The Kingpin stated with a sharp grin slowly pulling across her muzzle. Food for all she supposed. A home to sleep in and be warm.

R A V E N W O O D

His hackles were still raised, paws drawn closer to each other and what muscle left in his body taut and ready for attack, should it come to it. But what greeted him was nothing more than pity, if not resentment. A frown crossed his face, and slowly his ears laid back from their shoved-forward position, closing his eyes for a brief moment. He spoke, his voice full and without cracks as he spoke- despite his appearance. "M' name is Ravenwood. I've come a long way."

His eyes dropped to his paws, and realized he was in no state for a fight. He wasn't going to let it present that way, at least, gritting his teeth. He picked his head back up to respond what had happened- but Sojourn found her way out of the trees first, scraping her claws and trying to intimidate him. He stepped back, instinctively, before his hackles raised again and he stepped back forward. "Don't let them push you back. Stand your ground, Rave." His red eyes had narrowed at him, teeth at eachother's necks. He shook the thought off quickly.

Green optics shifted between Brutei and Sojourn for a long moment. "N' what's the going to cost me? M' not going t' be chained up, right?" He spoke, the frown still across his muzzle. After escaping what he just did, he wasn't going to live a life bound up at some random lady's paws. Hell no.

Certainly wasn't. She didn't mind having someone chained up up. It was fun, well, at least to her it was fun. But this was just a child. Someone potentially looking for guidance. She didn't see a reason to restrain something that had yet to fester and grow. But humor was in her gaze as she listened to the conversation. A chuckle pulling from her muzzle. Shaking her head a bit she looked to the wolf then. "I would never~" She sung brightly before she flicked her tail back and forth casually. "You can't be loyal if you are chained up. It would simply be ridiculous. Now then. If you want a place to live and a place that will protect you against all odds then follow us. Our mountain home is not that far away. And mind the slush, the snow has been melting a bit." She found the hear partially annoying but she knew that it would leave in due time. Or she would make it.

With a beckoning of her paw she would turn to show him the way. And with a light shift of her ears she would remember to introduce herself. "I'm Sojourn by the way. Kingpin of the Coalition."

A wanderer on the hunting grounds was unheard of. Most came from the mainland where most dwelled, after all. Despite this, the rare occurrence was bound to happen. With Romulus on Sojourn's heels eventually, he paused beside the Sojourn's proclaimed tree and looked down at Ravenwood with a puzzled expression. Periwinkle hues traced his outline. he was a skinny boy, probably light as a feather, and was covered in sopping wet waters from the shoreline. Needless to say, the lion held pity for him. While he couldn't conclude exactly where Ravenwood came from, he figured his fight to get here wasn't easy.

The tips of his horns light up. Flickering flames licked at his ears and mane momentarily, only to transfer to the floor in front of the boy. "Warm up," came his deep condolences. "I think she-" His paw gestured towards his sisterly, offering her a dip of his head. "-would rather have you dry instead of died." A nonchalant rhyme was thrown in. Despite that, he didn't bother moving onto introducing himself, only to inquire about the male's whereabouts. "Tell me, where did you come from?" Long furs fell into his face as he lowered his head, hoping for an answer. He wouldn't push though. Everyone had their personal secrets.

R A V E N W O O D

Another person approached. His paws shuffled again, before they spread, his toes sinking into the cold grass beneath his feet as he tried to settle himself. Come on, Rave, Just a couple of people. His ears twitched and rotated, before he grimaced again, listening to what they had to say. Not out of the question, huh? He shifted his gaze between the two woman for a long moment, before giving Aphra a tiny nod. He cleared his throat.

He looked back towards Sojourn, not giving Aphra much thought after that at her response. His eyes shifted to the man standing near her, then back to Sojo. Ravenwood nodded his head towards her. "Tha's a relief." He stated, in relation to the whole chains bit. Ravenwood slowly let his fur settle, moving to step after the group. "I um. I appreciate your guys' help." He stated, looking towards Sojourn again. "Nice t' meet you, Sojourn." He stated, clearing his throat, before his eyes shifted back towards Romulus.

And, perhaps, not a moment too late. He came to a stop as the flames danced at his paws, and while there was a moment of initial fear, Ravenwood realized that if he had been unwanted, or worse, a target for torture, they would have already done something. Not like he could do much to fight back in this state. His head dipped down a bit, the water still close to his skin on his face drying away. His eyes looked towards Rom as he spoke of Sojourn, glancing between the two for a long moment, before giving a decisive nod.

However, as Ravenwood was questioned, he felt his throat tighten up and his chest weigh down. "You know, Raven, you shouldn't tell people where you come from first. They'll probably know your parents, and that.. that wouldn't be so good for you, yeah?" His red eyes were steady on Raven's own, and it had caused Raven to consider his words for a long moment. A nod followed. He cleared his throat, picking his head back up and stuttering on his words for a moment. "O-Offshore. Far away, somewhere hellbent on making my life hell. So I.. I left." He stated, a frown on his face.

Fear from the flames caught Romulus' eyes, but he didn't comment and allowed the stranger to slowly embrace the heat. Given time, their fur would be dry. The lion merely craned his head, listening to their reply with interest. He couldn't help but feel sympathetic. "I see," he merely muttered. "Better off elsewhere given the circumstance." No need to embrace the hell of home. While Romulus was curious in what Ravenwood went through, it wasn't the time to ask, nor was it comfortable to ask a stranger such questions. Instead, he moved along.

"If you would like, you can remain here in the meantime." His gaze shifted to Sojourn for a moment, offering her a demanding glare. The lion would protest otherwise. If space was a problem, Ravenwood could remain within his quarters. With his intention made, his head whipped back around towards the kid. "My name is Romulus Malus and this is the Coalition of the Condemned," he promptly introduced. "I think this would be a more suitable fit than the hell you were in." A subtle smile grazed his maw. At least Romulus hoped so.