Bullets -- open (Fallon?)

[Paint]

Im my lifetime when I'm disgraced
By jealousy and lies
I laugh aloud 'cause my life
Has gotten inside someone else's mind

Duke rather liked the heathlands. Although he was sure that the Stars had a better version of it somewhere hidden in their lands, he liked the openness and the scratchy grass. He sat in the middle, gazing around from deep brown eyes, ears flickering. He knew technically that he was in a rather vulnerable place here, centrally, but part of him didn't mind. He was listening for everything. Moreso, he was within his own lands here. He was safe.

He never wandered into No Man's Land anymore. Was part of him afraid? He snorted at the concept, the rough sound echoing as he thought it to be ridiculous. But subconsciously, he considered it more. Somewhere in the back of his mind the cogs were turning. He never visited No Man's Land, but he was sure that he used to. Although the exercise seemed rather pointless, perhaps it would add a bristle to the Stars back if one of them saw him stalking around.

Then again, he would be by himself. If enough honour-seeking pathetic Stars were there, he wasn't sure how he'd fare. He knew nothing of their pack, whether they were strong, fast, intelligent fighters. The ignorance was irritating him. But he knew that part of it just didn't matter. The new pups, that was what was important. His mind wandered to Myu's bulging tummy. Any day now. And Rose, he needed to see her, but he was sure that Raiden was looking after her.

He rolled back his shoulders, feeling his muscles release, and closed his eyes to the warm sun as it passed out of a cloud. He wondered what the new pups would be like. Would there be a leader amongst them? Someone who he could proudly allow to take his place?

Moreso, was he making the right decisions currently within his pack? He'd let it all go slightly out of his control recently. He wasn't sure who was coming and going. He had not recently asserted his dominance over this out-of-control pack. He chuckled darkly under his breath at the thought. Out of control? Never. The wolves in his pack were independent, but they were in his pack for a reason. He was selfish enough to believe that that reason was him. Surely he still had some allies somewhere along the way?

Look at me... look at me
Look at me
At least look at me when you shoot a bullet through my head
Through my head
Through my head

[Malo]

Here she was again, wandering the Heathlands. She wasn’t particularly fond of the area; the rough grass was long and scratched her chin, and well as caught in her thick flowing coat. The average sized female made her way deeper in though, wondering if she could hide out here for awhile.

The grass came a little above her elbows, and she realized she had grown a little in height since the last time she’d been here, in the winter. Now she could see nothing but a sea of green as the grass blew in the wind. One particularly long blade reached up and tickled her nose, and Fallon scrunched up her face as a large sneeze escaped. She had come to the Heathlands to think, but was quickly deciding that it might not have been a good idea. Suddenly, the wind changed direction, and she almost froze in place.

Duke was nearby. The Alpha of her birth pack was lurking someone in the grass nearby. Fallon tried to remember the last time she had had an encounter with the intimidating male, but couldn’t. But his scent was unmistakable; she inhaled deeply to be sure, and it was confirmed. He was definitely here.

So she had a decision to make. She was close to the heart of the Heathlands. If she decided not to approach him, he could easily track her down and catch her in moments. If he felt the motivation. She had heard the rumors, knew of his consistent anger and how unpredictable he was. Yet she knew, too, that there was some hint of sanity in his dark heart; he cared enough about his family to go all out to protect them, as stated by Rose at their last encounter. Fallon looked at the other side of the coin. Should she risk contacting Duke? She would never know what kind of mood he was in until she arrived, and it scared her.

Somehow though, Fallon respected Duke for that. His presence either scared you straight or made you turn tail. His reputation inspired loyalty and hatred at the same time. Fallon admired him for many reasons: for being able to take control over a pack of vicious fools, keeping his power over that pack, and eventually taking over all of Empryean Valley. He had to be an intelligent, and influential, leader to accomplish those tasks. The fact that he had managed all three was a passed test of strength and intelligence, and Fallon hoped one day to have as much skill as he.

She decided to try her luck. Turning in the direction of his scent, she headed towards the middle of the Heathlands, her stomach full of nervous butterflies.

[Paint]

Duke's black ear flickered again and his great head turned in the direction of a sneeze somewhere near by. He waited a moment. The wind was not in his favour, so he found that he could not scent whoever it was. That must mean that they could scent him, if they were positioned right. In terms of an ambush, this was against him, but for some reason he just didn't sense an attack. He waited a little more, wondering if he was to be approached or if they had left again. It was not unusual for him to make wolves turn and leave. He supposed it was either fear or them not being in the mood to deal with his fits of anger. He didn't mind at all, frankly.

As Fallon came into view, Duke's eyes remained expressionless. His lips did not curl up into a smile, as many Alphas would do at seeing a fellow packmember. But this was Duke, not just any old Alpha. He watched her, partly curiously. When she did not speak, he vaguely tried to read her expression, although he knew he did not really care. He did not know Fallon terribly well. Was she strong and upfront? Or sly and cunning? Or weak and easily led? Perhaps selfish, and narcissistic? He'd known females to fall under all of those categories. He wondered briefy which one was her calling.

"Hello Fallon," he greetly, tone low but surprisingly even. Duke's voice was also dark, almost as dark as his eyes, but both were calm. Something about the warm sunshine and the cool air, his heirs on the way and no scent of trouble- somehow Duke was in a good mood. Lucky Fallon. He wondered if she would say anything more than a hello. Still, she'd approached him, when she had the choice to escape. He felt no need to puff out his chest or stand and raise his tail to assert his dominance- he was not at all dramatic in that way. No, he simply sat, and stared mildly to see what Fallon had to offer him on this bright spring day.

[Malo]

As soon as she arrived, she made it a point to dip her head low in greeting and out of respect. Raising her head again, she looked at Duke, green eyes taking in the sight of her mighty Alpha. Her role model, in a sense. She could sense no hostility, and she relaxed her muscles, which she hadn’t realized were tense, slightly. Duke hadn’t made any move towards her, so he was probably in a decent mood, so far.

She looked in his deep eyes, not seeing the blood lust that was rumored to hide there. She relaxed a little more, and found the courage to speak. Jeez he was intimidating, even on a good day. “Hello Duke.” She paused, wondering if he would snap at her for asking why he was in the Heathlands to begin with. He might view it as nosiness, and tell her to mind her business. Then again, he was out in the open, so what harm could it do?

“What brings you out here, sir?” Her tone was respectful and even. She straightened up, realizing she’d been standing with slumped shoulders. She didn’t want to appear weak in front of her Alpha. She stood tall and firm, but not with a threatening or challenging demeanor. She tilted her head, honestly curious about the large brute in front of her. So far, he had been the opposite of what she expected, even taking the small effort to greet her first. The sun shone down and warmed her, and she felt at ease, though she didn’t dare let her guard down.

[Paint]

Duke watched as she changed her posture slightly. She certainly had a respectful air about her, and it was quite relieving to finally feel as if he had a pack member on his side. He had begun to feel uneasy as of late, with the rumblings of rumours floating around. He knew he could defend himself, but if anyone got to his family then he wasn't sure he'd be able to control his anger.

He pushed such thoughts from his mind, vaguely tuing in to what she said again. He paused to consider, dark eyes surveying out around him.

"I don't know," he replied, ears flicking, still taking in his surroundings. What life had taught him was never to relax- not when you're an Alpha, and definitely not in a pack like this. To relax and let your guard down meant instant vulnerability. Duke did not take well to vulnerability.

"Thinking."

The last word escaped his mouth almost absent-mindedly, as he looked around him. He could hear the sounds of wolves stirring, but nothing dangerous. He glanced back at Fallon, face fairly expressionless apart from slight curiosity. Who was this female? He tried to remember her parents but found that too many wolves had come and gone for him to remember now. Nobody should expect him to, either. He had more worries than that, these days.

"And you?" He asked. His words were clipped, his language almost imperative without even giving orders. His momentary glance at her was once again replaced with looking around. He liked it here. He felt like the world stopped for a moment, even though he could still hear everything. Almost like he was in some sort of bubble. But Fallon would not understand that, and nor did Duke want to tell her. He was not the type to announce every little thought he had and he was certainly not the type to have a heart-to-heart with random pack members.

[Malo]

Fallon couldn't help but notice his ever wandering gaze. She supposed he had every right to watch his back; after all, he was the alpha of one of the most ruthless packs around. It was wise to be suspicious of everyone. You never knew who would be your ally one day, then staging a coup against you the next. Such was life as a Falling Moon.

As she thought on this, she couldn't help but think of Justyn. He didn't have all the traits of your stereotypical Moon, but he was damn close, and far better than most of his subordinates. She looked at Duke curiously, remembering what Justyn had said about their relationship. It was like walking on egg shells. Yet here she was, and Duke hadn't threatened to rip her to shreds. As a matter of fact, he was being more cordial than she thought he would. Maybe it was his wide spread reputation, or the fact that he was supposed to be acting like a cranky old man, but he was not what she expected. Her idol seemed...normal.

She realized that in the middle of her thoughts, she hadn't responded to him. She straightened up before looking at the great alpha once more. "The same, more or less. It's so empty out here, ones thoughts are rarely interrupted." She didn't like the Heathlands, but what she said was true. She didn't know anyone who liked to come out here, so one could literally disappear in the Heathlands for a few hours if they wanted to. In all honesty, thats why she had come this far, to avoid the others for awhile.

She did have a lot to think about. Justyn, being Beta...though she wasn't sure that was a conversation she wanted to have with Duke by herself. Justyn said he would handle it, but then again, he was sure Duke hated him. She looked at her alpha curiously, seeing no emotions so far. But she doubted Duke would reveal himself so easily anyway; she had to give him his credit. "Did I interrupt you, Duke?"

The thought had suddenly occured to her. Maybe he had important alpha business to attend to, or was thinking of things to improve the pack. He surely didn't need a young delta bothering him, if that was the case. But she couldn't help wanting to stay. She wanted a chance to learn from him. His strength, emanating power, battle prowess, intelligence...all things that kept him in charge and, in her case, respected. She didn't move any closer, unwilling to overstep her boundaries, but a puplike eagerness flashed in her eyes.

[Paint]

"Precisely," he agreed, but it was more of a murmur. He wondered sometimes if he should try a little harder to be as vicious as he used to be. So volatile that he would snap at the slightest word. The kind of wolf that wasn't happy until he was ruling the roost, and would stamp on anyone to get there. But since achieving his position, starting his family and the earthquake... he had calmed down. He had learned a lot about power, and what a repuation could do for you. Stomping around and snarling at everyone for no reason was childish, and he was long since past it. Now he only did so if he truly had a reason- like a foul mood that clung to his fur like a bad stench.

Her question slightly amused him, but his face remained mostly serious. Only a slight glimmer in his dark eyes revealed anything more. He shook his great head, noticing for some reason that this was the first time she'd used his name in conversation with him today. She'd said 'sir' before. He wondered if this was the price to pay for not being a hell-hound, suddenly you were Mr. Approachable. He looked again, dark eyes boring into her, vaguely more interested.

"So tell me, Fallon," his voice was low, dark, but not menacing in his current state of calm. She seemed respectful, but not fake, something which he appreciated. "Who were your parents again?"

He felt that this was the safest question to start with. It would answer a lot of questions, about whether she was a Moons wolf from birth, or if she'd joined after the earthquake, and so on. Duke was not an idiot, and he knew that he had to know about his pack to understand how to control them. She didn't seem so uncontrollable right now, but he was sure she could be if she chose to. He was not arrogant enough to believe that she was always this respectful.

[Malo]

Fallon nearly winced when he asked who her parents were. Josiah, he was a sweetheart and she missed him dearly. Almira...well, if Fallon had her way she would drown her in the river near No Man's Land, that traitorous bitch. She mulled the question over, wondering what exactly to say about her parents without coming off as weak or extremely bitter. Revealing too much, could make her seem self absorbed and emotional; okay, so she was self absorbed, but emotional was not a trait she wanted to portray.

"My parents..." she started off slowly, seemingly thoughtful. "My parents were the previous Betas before Justyn, before the earthquake. Josiah and Almira." Her response was short and to the point, but try as she might, she couldn't stop the bite that came out as Almira's name slipped from her lips. Old habits died hard. She paused for a moment, wondering if she should say more. She wondered if mentioning her mother's gallavanting with her loner lover would get her kicked out the pack. It wasn't like Almira was much of a team player anyway. Decisions, decisions.

She decided against it. Fallon had said enough, at least enough to answer Duke's question without babbling on like an idiot. Whether it was a satisfactory answer still remained to be seen. Would he badger her for her weak father and wandering mother? She hoped not.

[Paint]

Duke did not care for gross displays of emotion, and thankfully did not usually have to bear witness to them. The joys of living in this pack never failed to surprise him. Still, he noticed the slight bite on Almira's name. Duke's memory was momentarily searched, but it wasn't long before he placed them. Yes, she looked a little like her parents, now that he thought about it. He was sure Almira was still around, although not a terribly useful pack member these days.

"Yes, I remember. They fought for their positions. Clever wolves, Josiah had a lot of heart in him for a Moons wolf. Still, it never did him any harm," Duke responded, musing aloud on the subject. "Did you know he was originally a Stars wolf?"

He couldn't resist a slightly dark chuckle. He remembered that little family feud, Josiah leaving his sister in Stars. Back then he was very easily led, but he proved himself in the end. Some wolves need a tougher environment to really flourish. Fallon seemed to have that edge to her too- she didn't look like she'd take to affection all that easily.

Duke found himself relaxing a bit. He enjoyed being around wolves who automatically accepted his leadership. He didn't often come across wolves who didn't, but this was a bitchy pack, there were enough shallow wolves to go around. He wondered how the younger female would respond to his question about her father. Did she know already? It seemed as if he had been around for ever, really, watching the generations come and go.

[Malo]

The she-wolf internally swelled with pride at the acknowledgement of her father. So, Duke hadn't thought of Josiah as a weak minded pup. For whatever reason, that had worried her. She didn't care about what others thought of her, but her father was another matter. She relaxed a little, feelling a sense of relief.

At Duke;s questio, she meerly shrugged. She knew of her father's past, which was perhaps why she thought he had been such a target. He had grown up in the Stars, alongside his sister, and had switched sides when Duke rebelled. She felt like the story was ages old. How long had their oack been around? Four years, five? It wasn't so long ago when Duke had made a stand in the stars pack, and yet he seemed like he had been around forever. Surely all his old enemies were long gone, so maybe that was why he seemed so god-like and immortal.

Returning to the question at hand, she thought about her aunt and cousins, none of which she had seen in Caden Valley thus far. She assumed that like her siblings, they too had perished in the earthquake and its aftermath. "Yes, we all knew. He made it a point to mention his family there as well. I guess to make the point that we shouldn't forget where we came from." Fallon looked off for a moment, knowing that Josiah had also made his background known for other reasons. He had been trying to prove a point; family is family, no matter where you go. She had no doubts that Omari would have taken up her father's noble cause and gotten in contact with their aunt, if the earthquake hadn't occured.

Oh Omari...she missed her baby brother. Denzin too, even the weak hearted Naila. How could they all have disappeared? She was left to suffer the pains of her mother alone, unless she opened up to Justyn. Oh, life and its obstacles.

[Paint]

Duke began to take a little more notice of Fallon's expressions. He saw the relaxation at the acknowledgment of her father, the slight pain when reminded of her family. He wondered how many broken wolves he was housing here in his pack.

Part of him knew it was more intelligent not to get involved, and naturally he did not take to caring for random wolves. He was not a nurturing or affection being, having come from such a broken home himself. He'd had to learn to fight hard or die young, and that attitude had stuck. Sure, he'd grown up a lot since having his own families and dramas, but his strength of will would never leave him.

He vaguely wondered whether she would ask him anything. It had never really occurred to him before that not many wolves actually asked him about himself. Did they fear getting their tongue bitten out for crossing a line? Probably. But as usual, Duke remained fairly unpredictable. He wondered if there were rumours about him, or if everyone just took what they saw as being all there was. Brute force and arrogance.

"Don't dwell on what you've lost," he finally said, voice gruff with wisdom. "You were strong enough to survive and make it here. You're still here. That counts for a hell of a lot."

[Malo]

Fallon came to attention as Duke spoke, ears forward, her face intent. She nodded slowly, twirling his words around in her mind. It wasn't often that Fallon listened to advice and actually decided to take it, but Duke was a wolf she respected, and with his years of experience, it was wise to take what he said to heart. She couldn't change the fact that her father was gone, nor her siblings. Her relationship with her mother was not one to be envied, but in recent weeks Fallon had begun to have a slow change of heart.

She had hated Almira for years, ever since the day she'd abandoned them in the den. But she had grown tired of arguing, tired of hatred. Sure, she still wanted to hurt her mother as much as Almira had hurt her, but with her mother's recent disappearance, that wasn't likely to happen. Her mother was a wanderer, always had been, always will be. Why chase a dream that wasn't feasible? She doubted she would run into Almira soon, which gave her time to simmer down.

"You're right. I managed to make it here on my own, without help." That was an accomplishment, especially for one as young as she was. And she'd found her way back home, on top of that. She would be lost without a pack, and knowing she wouldn't fit into the Stars way of life, she didn't know if she could have stayed in Caden Valley. "It's good to be home."

Even if home was in a new location. She'd found her way back. The lands weren't bad either, except for the Heathlands. It brought up a question. "Out of all the places you could have taken the pack, why here?" She wasn't questioning his authority, but she was curious. Seeing as how the Dancing Stars had taken up residence on the other side of the river, she wondered what Duke saw when he walked through his territory.

[Paint]

"Exactly," Duke replied. He remained decidedly detached, and although actually quite enjoying the conversation, he felt no real emotional attachment to Fallon. But he was beginning to see her as a key ally. If he could keep her on his side, respectful but strong-willed, she may come in very handy in the future. What with Onisim and Justyn both foolhardy and arrogant, Duke wasn't going to fancy his chances against one of them in a few years.

These worries were merely niggles in the back on his mind at present, though. He pushed them away, as always, refusing to believe that he would be defeated. That thought had gotten him this far in life- comfortable, surrounded by family and a lethal pack. That thought had provided him with the reputation that served him so well.

Fallon's question made his ears flick forwards slightly in thought. He considered it. He didn't much mull over his own actions. In assuming that what he did was always right, there was never any need to analyse his behaviour or his decisions. He'd seen too many wolves come to their ends from self-doubt, and he'd never suffered from it. So the question was actually very interesting to him.

"I suppose," he started, genuinely thinking hard about it. "It was the natural course of action. This valley is the best land near Empyrean Valley, and we were lucky enough to stumble across it."

That was one answer. He considered for a moment, a wicked glint momentarily entering his eyes before fading again.

"On the other hand. I had lost everything in that earthquake except Rose and Tallulah, and taking Justyn under my wing. My mate, my pack, my land, my other five pups. Last time I had nothing I was a vicious delta who took over Shaye's lead in the Moons pack, and then I killed Xaka and took over the Stars. I was reverting back to my old ways, so to say. I had lost enough to violently seek power again, and I went for what I knew- bringing down the Stars. Wherever they were."

[Malo]

Fallon considered this for a moment. Every wolf in Empryean Valley had lost something the day of the quake: family, friends, homes, health, sanity, even lives. Leaving the valley and starting from scratch was the only solution for survivors. Caden Valley was a beautiful and bountiful place, there was no denying that, but it wouldn't erase the memories of their original home. His second reason was really what intrigued her.

Causing chaos for the Dancing Stars seemed to be a pastime for her great alpha. He had the option of moving on from Caden Valley and starting elsewhere, but he chose to stay. Because he was comfortable. It made her wonder; would she ever get so used to the way things were, that she wouldn't be able to move away from it? Surely, Duke knew what he was doing, she didn't doubt that. But didn't he just tell her she should not dwell on the past? She thought it was better not to ask that question. Fallon didn't fear Duke, but she knew he had no qualms about taking out disrespectful wolves. The thought didn't show on her face, and she thought of a response.

"Take them down when they're weak? But just as we have recovered some lost souls, so have they." She paused, trying to choose her words carefully. "It's only been a year since the earthquake, but the scars are still there. This valley would be a wonderful prize if it came under the paws of Falling Moon, maybe greater than Empryean was. But our forces may not be up to it just yet." She gave a small chuckle as she thought of what could be. Duke was a go-getter if nothing else, a wolf with a determination unrivaled by any one else. If he brought down the Stars, which she was positive he could if he really wanted to, than that was one less thing for Justyn to worry about if that time came. "Of course sir, I've heard the stories of your triumphs and they're something to be envied. You've broken the Stars down on more than one occasion, and outlived all your foes. If I had half of your experience and skill, I would be more than happy." Fallon thought that for a second, maybe she was babbling and sounded slightly obsessed, but she didn't really care at this point. Duke was a legend, in all actuality.

[Paint]

Oddly enough, although Duke knew that wolves respected, feared or even admired him, he rarely received a compliment. His composure remained, but he looked at Fallon in a completely different light suddenly. And more to the point, she didn't sound too gushy or fake, it sounded like she genuinely meant it. Truth be told, Duke was quite taken aback. He dipped his head in thanks, to give himself time to process all of the other things she had said.

"You asked me why I chose to come here," he began, his usually serious composure giving way to a small smile. "You did not ask me why we've stayed. Or why we have not attacked the Stars yet. I imagine, from what you're saying, that you think I intend to bring them down again."

He considered for a moment, smile leaving again but his mood was still slightly lifted. He felt very relaxed now, worlds away from the wolf he had been when Fallon approached him first. Still huge, imposing, but more laid-back. Actually enjoying a conversation with someone other than a close family member.

"The pack has changed. You're right, we are no longer an army. That was always my first intention when I took over this pack, we needed to be strong, and ruthless. But now? Times have changed. We're not breeding warriors anymore. I believe we've grown into an actual pack. Families, perhaps not friends but allies within us... What started as an entirely selfish operation has unfortunately given way to the politics of wolf life."

Needless to say, Duke chuckled darkly.