What a Twist!

[Kismet]

The large brute padded through the shadows and his thick paws echoed around the cavern. He obviously was not trying to be stealthy considering his usually silence; he was able to sneak up on heard of elk without any of them hearing until the last second. However, he wasn't hunting, nor was he on a mission to kill.

Riuk lay sleeping in the back of the cave, her mangled body curled in on itself. She had been badly wounded in her earlier battle and her body needed it's rest. The sound that she heard however, the echo of pads on rock, woke her up from her deep sleep. She blinked slightly, still dazed. After a few moments she was then alert, her ears plastered to the back of her head.

"R...Ruedi?" she murmured, wincing as she tried to sit up. After a few desperate struggles to get upright, she finally gave up and hat the ground again with a grunt.

"Your Ruedi is not here." he responded, his yellow eyes piercing through the darkness. Riuk's blood ran cold, even though the eyes were not ice-blue like the others.

"Who are you?" she whispered, her heart beating faster than a hummingbird's wings. She could faintly see the outline of his thick, black fur. He must be one of the evil wolves...

"I am Kurl. " his deep, powerful voice rang out through the cave. He waited a moment and the silence quivered around them for a long agonizing second. "I was sent here to kill you. " Riuk's hair stood on end, her lips raised to show off her sharp teeth. Kurl however didn't seem fazed, as if she had remained quiet and still the whole time.

"You demon! " she snarled. "You monster! "

"Oh? How am I a monster? " Kurl tilted his head slightly.

"You are one of them! You have killed so many wolves in this forest! "

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, and Riuk was silenced. She had no words to say.

"Wh-what? " she asked.

"I have not killed anyone in this forest. If anyone is a monster, it is you. You killed my brother, did you not? " Riuk swallowed loudly, confused.

"But you are.... Fenris's.. "

"Does that automatically make me a bloodthirsty monster like my sister and brother? " Riuk stilled, her eyes narrowing.

"What are you saying? " she said. "That you are only here to revenge the death of your brother? " Kurl stepped forward, his large body towering over her small, wounded form. Riuk tried in vain to inch back wards.

"No. " Riuk was again struck with a sense of confusion. She couldn't understand what he was telling her.

"But you just said... "

"I was sent here to kill you, but that is not my intention. Blunt brought his death upon himself, he was practically asking for it while he slaughtered all of your friends. I came here for a different reason. " he said. Riuk waited for him to continue, but this wolf seemed to be a silent type. He only spoke when spoken to.

"What is that reason? "

"I want to join you. "

[Crag]

He struggled into the cave with Ruedi on his back. He stopped and took several deep breaths before continuing forward a few steps. He took a deep breath through his nose and his eyes widened in shock and horror. Kurl's here! I have to find him before he finds Riuk! he thought desperately. His breath had returned to normal. It appeared that he hadn't even been in a fight until he fell forward with a gasp. Ruedi fell of his back. Crag began crawling forward his vision blurring with exhaustion. Painful coughs racked his body, but he kept forward. He called to Ruedi in a raspy voice, "We have to get to Riuk." He didn't want anyone else to get hurt.

[Ruedi]

Ruedi tried to keep calm, but it was merely impossible. His mind was thinking about Riuk, and for all he knew was that she was in danger. Crag hurry up he thought worriedly as they approached the cave. He felt Crag stop, he heard him sniff the air deeply. He knew someone was here...something was wrong. As Crag had dropped down, Ruedi had fallen off of his transporters back and hit the ground with an 'unf.' "Crag...what's wrong?" He also put his noes to the air and sniffed and then he had realized...some other wolf was here...not a scent he had recognized either.

He stood up, tried walking, but it was more like a limp as he dragged his other leg along with him. Ruedi winced as he kept on going hearing Crag say something about Riuk, which had made him attempt to drag him self forward some more. All at once, he finally caught the sight of another big brute, standing infront of Riuk. He let out a loud defensive snarl "You stay away from her!" Ruedi couldn't necessarily do anything about his presents due to his injuries.

[Kismet]

Kurl had heard the others before they had even made their grande appearance. It had been faint, barely a sound at all, but his keen ears had picked it up. He turned from the gaping wolf in front of him, to his rear, then back again. His head tilted as he smirked.

"It seems that we have company." he said, right before Ruedi came up from behind, barking out a warning. Riuk was touched that he cared that much about her becuase she did as well, but she didin't want there to be any fighting. For all she knew, this wolf in front of them could be their ticket to freedom.

"It's okay Ruedi... I don't think he..." she started, but then she caught sight of Ruedi, and her blue eyes grew wide. She quickly stood up with shaky legs, wincing, and walked right passed Kurl as if he weren't even there. She sat down next to Ruedi, trying not to touch him and cause any unnecessary pain. "Oh my lord.... what on earth happened to you.." she whispered in a sad voice, her blue eyes roaming over his wounds. His fur was covered in blood.

Kurl turned slowly behind him, his yellow eyes glowing in the darkness. He quietly sat down, a small smile on his maw. "Why, hello there, Crag."

[Crag]

Why, hello there, Crag. he heard Kurl say. He narrowed his eyes and sat up painfully. He hadn't gotten may cuts in the previous fight, but he had been thrown around a lot and his neck was plastered with blood. If desmin's fangs had gone an inch farther Crag wouldn't have been alive this day. "What are you doing here, Kurl? Spreading more lies. Don't try to convince me that Fenris wasn't evil because, you probably already know, but Ebony killed Lobo." he growled. "You're trying to pollute this wolfs mind, aren't you?" He said this more as a statement than a question.

[Ruedi]

Ruedi calmed a bit after he had seen that Riuk had not been hurt, and she had also stated that this wolf was okay. If he wasn't sent here to kill her, what was he here for? He had wondered. Afterwords, Riuk had caught sight of Ruedi's mangled body, coming forth to comfort him. He fell to the ground on her fore-legs, letting out soft whines. He was surprised that she had actually had shown some deep care for him, which he really liked. "...W-we found her...and the others..." he told her softly, "We only managed to kill one of them, but they did not really put up a fight..." Suddenly his eyes were clouded with tears as his blue eyes caught sight of hers, I'm glad you are safe...I would never forgive myself if anything had happened to you, Riuk...Please don't think of me as a weak pup..."

After the precious moment, he looked up to Kurl, his eyes stern, but still kind of blurred with water. "Why have you come here?" Ruedi was just as curious as Riuk or Crag was, but he could see that Crag still did not trust this wolf. The question was, could he be trusted?

[Kismet]

Riuk laid down beside Ruedi, just like he had done for her when she was unable to stand. She laid her his, her blue eyes looking up to his for a moment before she looked back to Kurl. She didn't know what to think of the large brute... however.. he didn't attack them even though it would be easy for him to make a kill. Instead, he bowed his head slightly. Riuk's ears perked slightly, and she raised her head.

Kurl lowered his head in grief, knowing exactly who it was that they had killed. Desmin was the closest thing he had to a friend. He wasn't bloodthirsty like the others, but his love for Ebony made him do many, horrible things. "So, Desmin is gone..." he murmured. The wolf did not deserve such a fate. He looked up with a hard jaw, his yellow eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why have you come here?" Ruedi asked, his voice stern as if he were in charge. Kurl almost smiled at the fact that he was barking orders, and he himself couldn't sit up straight. Kurl ignored Crag.

"I have come to join you." he said, his voice still heavy with a sadness that he hid in the very back of his throat.

[Crag]

He growls after realizing he's been ignored. He stepped towards Kurl with a growl. "don't ignore me, Kurl. I'm not in the mood. I just lost the only friend I have. Now, listen when I talk to you." he snarled. "How do I know you've come to join us? You've lied to me before so how do I know you're not lying now." He was beginning to believe Kurl, but he still didn't trust him fully. He will need to prove himself worthy of trust. Suddenly something occurred to Crag. Maybe there's some good in Kurl! he thought. No! not possible! He's related to Fenris... But he has yellow eyes. Maybe there was good in one of Kurl's other relatives... Maybe there was even some good in Fenris!

[Ruedi]

Ruedi looked sternly at Kurl, he was one of the Fenris kin after all, but he wanted to join. This could be good, he could help bring down Ebony. "Yes, how do we know we can trust you?" He was growing tired of this battle, he was already wounded enough as it was, he just wanted this to all end. "And the bigger question I believe is, why would you want to help us bring down your sibling?" Ruedi managed to sit up a bit more, this time keeping himself up. He had seen Kurl lower his head in dis-pare, probably about his brother, Desmin. What could he do, appologize for trying to stop evil from spreading? Or would've Desmin join them also?

[Kismet]

"don't ignore me, Kurl. I'm not in the mood. I just lost the only friend I have. Now, listen when I talk to you." Crag snarled. "How do I know you've come to join us? You've lied to me before so how do I know you're not lying now." Kurl narrowed his eyes as the small black wolf. He bristled, standing up to his full hieght and towering over the wounded wolf.

"Don't forget our first meeting, Crag." he snarled, clearly upset at the way the wolf had spoken to him. "I may not be bloodthirsty like the others, but I do have a temper, and you are starting to get on my nerves.....again...I could easily slip and keep my promise that I had made to you." He didn't mention the fact that Ebony had many spies all over the forest, and that Kurl had to play the part of the bad guy for all of the curious eyes that had to be watching at the time that he was still seeming to be on her side.

"Yes, how do we know we can trust you?" said Ruedi. he seemed to be more reasonable, but at the same time, even in worse shape than Crag. Perhaps that explained it. Kurl calmed then, sitting back down on his black haunches. "And the bigger question I believe is, why would you want to help us bring down your sibling?"

"I don't really think that I can convince you to trust me, but at the same time, I don't think you have any other choice. And why am I wanting to go against my own blood? There was a reason Fenris had fallen so long ago. My sister has no business in bringing back the past."

[Crag]

"I don't really think that I can convince you to trust me, but at the same time, I don't think you have any other choice. And why am I wanting to go against my own blood? There was a reason Fenris had fallen so long ago. My sister has no business in bringing back the past." Crag sat down. He looked at the ground and remembered what Lobo said, "You trust whome ever you think is being true. Follow what your mind, your heart and what your spirit tells you" He looks up "It's not my place to judge you. I will beleive you for now, because for some reason I feel you're telling the truth."

[Ruedi]

"I don't really think that I can convince you to trust me, but at the same time, I don't think you have any other choice. And why am I wanting to go against my own blood? There was a reason Fenris had fallen so long ago. My sister has no business in bringing back the past."

There was a reason he had fallen, huh? Ruedi thought to himself quietly and looked to everyone in the cave. He slowley but cautiosly tried to stand, his limbs shaking and his wounds burning as he did so. He limped over to Kurl and sat beside him. He had explained himself clearly which had lead Ruedi to trust him enough. Once more, his blue eyes looked over the wolves that stood in his presence and he spoke "I trust him, and this may be hard for you to understand, Crag, but you should too.." His words were strong, and brave and so he continued.

"Once not so long ago, we spoke about us having to gather more wolves. Surely three injured wolves could not take down this foe from hell, but four can. We would now have a resistance member, a sibling of our enemy who would know this weakness and how to take her down. Who will surely stand with us until this battle is over. Soon, we and our fellow canines and forest creatures will live in harmony once again...at least I hope so. Pups will be raised, not in a ruled land, but a free land."

A smile spread across his face, for he knew that there worries and troubles would be over soon enough.

[Kismet]

"Once not so long ago, we spoke about us having to gather more wolves. Surely three injured wolves could not take down this foe from hell, but four can. We would now have a resistance member, a sibling of our enemy who would know this weakness and how to take her down. Who will surely stand with us until this battle is over. Soon, we and our fellow canines and forest creatures will live in harmony once again...at least I hope so. Pups will be raised, not in a ruled land, but a free land."

Kurl smirked slightly, now that they finally believed him. Though, he himself wouldn't believe it as well if he weren't the one that was actually trying to be trusted. His brow rose as the wounded male limped over to him and sat down, showing that he trusted him.

Riuk made a motion to follow Ruedi, but her weak legs wouldn't allow it without much effort. She decided to remain where she was and save her strength for when she would need it.

"I suggest that we leave in a few days time. I can't take down Ebony by myself, and I will need your help." He looked at the three, and then let out a huge sigh. Great, he thought. I'm going to have to play mommy and take care of all of them until then.

At the entrance of the cave, far from the eyes of the wolves below, Kaan sat. He could hear the echo of their voices from deep inside, and he was practically shaking with excitment. Oh, he knew that he would be rewarded greatly for providing Ebony with such great news. He still couldn't believe that Kurl had betrayed them. "Hmm, hmm, hmm!" he said softly, though not softly enough. Kurl's ears perked, and his head twitched slightly to the side. He would know that voice anywhere.

He looked to the group, quickly. "Keep talking as if I'm still here." he whispered, only loud enough for Ruedi and the others to hear. His stood soundlessly and his black pelt hide himself in the shadows of the cave. He slowly made his way up the cavern, his long limbs bent and his hair brushing against the ground. He could see the little spy now, though his red coat was hard to miss. He had his back turned, his tail swishing behind him. Kurl leaped through the air and landed onto the small creature with a thud. There was a clash of growling and jaws snapping before all went quiet and then the only sound left was the snarls and snaps of a small creature. Kurl made his way back down the cave then, Kaan's neck held in his jaws. The body was small enough for him to carry effortlessly, however it did make it more difficult as Kaan squirmed and growled in the air.

Kurl returned to the others and dropped Kaan to the ground. The small wolf got to his feet almost instantly, but Kurl was faster. His huge paw came down and pinned Kaan's head to the ground. He continued to squirm and shout profanities, but Kurl just turned his gaze to the others.

"It seems we had an audience."

[Ruedi]

"I suggest that we leave in a few days time. I can't take down Ebony by myself, and I will need your help."

Ruedi nodded, a few days was perfect. Their wounds would be all healed up by that time, well, more or less. "If that is what is best..." His eyes began to feel droopy. It was a long day, he was in pain and all he thought about was sleeping right now, and he was hungry too. Suddenly his ears had swiveled to the sound of what seemed like to be humming... he recognized the voice, it was that little wolf who had attacked him from behind. Ruedi gave a low irritated growl, Keep talking as if I'm still here Kurl had then said. He continued to speak, but quietly, as Kurl had went after him.

As Kurl had attacked the small red wolf, he heard the snarling and jaws snapping coming from the entrance, and soon he had come back with the Ethiopian, pinning his head to the ground. It was sort of pathetic actually, but who was Ruedi to judge? "Indeed, Kurl, it does seem we have company. What should we do to him, give him a kind wolf welcome?" Of course Ruedi was being sarcastic, as a wide toothy smile spread across his face. He wanted to tear him to shreds, but he had no strength left in his body and he was tired. "Why don't you beat him up a bit, Kurl? Send a message to Ebony, saying, she's over.." he chuckled silently staring down at the animals dark eyes.

[Kismet]

"Why don't you beat him up a bit, Kurl? Send a message to Ebony, saying, she's over.." Kurl looked up from the squirming wolf beneath him, to the seething one that took pleasure in Kaan's discomfort. He studied Ruedi for a few moments before he spoke.

"We are not going to drop down to their level. If we tortured Kaan, then we would be just as horrible as they are." He said. Kaan growled like a wild creature underneath Kurl's large paw.

"BETRAYER! BETRAYER! HE HAS BETRAYED THEM!" He cried, his body writhing against the cold stone. "SPEAKING OF THEM AS IF HE WERE DIFFERENT! ONCE HE TELLS MASTER, THEY WILL ALL DIE!" Kurl ignored Kaan as he lifted his paw. Kaan got to his feet, but Kurl was faster. With a quick, powerful swipe of his paw Kaan flew and hit the cavern wall, his still fresh wounds slamming against the hard stone. There was a yelp, and then he curled up into a shivering ball on the ground. He kept his eyes on the wolves at all times, his teeth bared, and unintelligible words mumbling from his maw.

"He will stay with us until we are ready to fight Ebony. If we let him go now, he would go to her and tell her what we are planning. We wouldn't last the day."