Twelve A.M

1

"Stupid, stupid mutt." Eliza muttered to herself with a raspy hushed tone as she dragged a stick across the faded borderline engraved into the soil. The tattered stick rubbed against the jagged rocks shoved into the small crevice marking the border centuries ago. The ash colored stones once colored different shades of reds and whites have now chipped away, leaving faded discolored paint markings nearly indistinguishable.
"Doesn't know how to play nice, now does he," She crossed her arms, sharply examining the deteriorating climate in frustration.
"The Fox district needs more land to thrive, for our food supply has grown entirely scarce over this past year." She poked at the otherside of the border, feeling the soil and playing with the hay-like grass.
"Yet, it pains me to see that the Wolf district's land isn't any better, but despite the sparse plantation on their part..the extra space can help the fox potentially." She muttered, disappointment was prominent within her hushed tone.
The grass on the Wolf district and Fox district were light yellow and hay-like despite it being the middle of a beautiful spring season. The once blooming plantation had since grown dry and scarce, the prickly shrub full of bitter "sweet" berries to attract desperate malnourished prey from their districts have since died away leaving only a prickly stick skeleton. The high trees above held dry dark gray normandy leaves. The chipping mossy bark and dry wood was older than time, useless in general.
"We are carnivores, we can't rely on rotting sour berries for much longer or the population of the fox is going to take a sharp downfall. We are starving greatly, yet the council has done near nothing to help any of us." Eliza bit her lip and jabbed the stick into the soft fertile soil.
"So much for the yearly soft soil, doesn't do anything for us anymore." she mumbled disappointed, she stood for a moment examining the dark forest more. Above her was a clearing in the trees, which let the waning moons light bleed through the clouds lighting up the small area.
"The Wolf district holds no value to this forest, for all they do is ruin everything and unbalance the prey population. At least us foxes aren't as selfish as those fools. They do not deserve even a bit of land in this once blooming forest." Her tone turned more violent, her hatred filled words echoed off of the old trees. As she was about to speak again, her thoughts were halted suddenly as her ears pricked up at the sound of muffled crunching, Her silver earrings rattled slightly at the sharp movement.
"Who are you calling a selfish fool, fox?" A deep voice echoed from the darkness, heavy footsteps crunched on dead leaves and grass as they approached closer to the border. Eliza connected eyes with the cold blue ones in the darkness, both of their gazes filled with hatred.
"Selfish you say? Take a look in the stream and you'll see a selfish fool looking right back at you." he snarled, she rolled her eyes at his useless attempts at being intimidating.
"I'm trying to save my district, Wyvern."
"By harming others?" he shifted onto one leg crossing his arms. His knife sheathed on his belt shifted with his movement and it glimmered in the moonlight. As she shifted her pose as well, He analyzed every slight movement she did. His eyes flicked from up and down, watching her movements closely...and it was quite unnerving.
"Im.." She paused for a moment. "...not. I'm not harming...anyone, Wyvern." She bit her lip slightly.
"You seem hesitant to respond there, fox."
"I'm not-"
"Yet you are, you know this is wrong Eliza, just face it." Wyvern sighed, Eliza stared at him in disgust. Offended at the fact he viewed her actions as wrong.
"Yet you and your mutts tear up the prey population leaving nothing but scraps for the others? Since when did you care about hurting others, Wyvern?" She spat. "See you only care about yourself and you know it, leaving us others to die!" Eliza yelled.
Wyvern opened his mouth to speak, yet nothing came out. unsure on how to back himself up on it. She was right, he only cared about his district not the others. But erasing a district for another's gain, especially his own was pure ludicrous in his eyes.
"Now look who's hesitant," She grinned "the big bad wolf got his tongue chopped off now didn't he?" He turned his head to the side and growled in his throat.
"Well someone had to do something to save the others, and no one else was stepping up to the plate. Sometimes you have to be the bigger person!" Eliza slapped her arms to her side as Wyvern turned his head slowly back towards her, a look of anger replastered on his face.
"The Bigger person? The others Eliza? Since when did you care about the others? I heard your delirious rants on my way here, you only care about yourself and your district only. Don't you dare lie to my face as if you truly cared about the others, you are just like me so I don't wanna hear your foolish hypocrisy!" He snarled loudly back at Eliza.
"You've got to be one hell of an idiot if you think im going to sacrifice my land for your stupid plans! Removing us won't only kill off our presence in Warnerfield it'll unbalance the entire chain within ths stupid forest! We are the most prominent predator here, and you will not be able to get rid of us just like that."
"We've got the bears to replace you, so your disappearance wont affect the chain whatsoever" Eliza muttered.
"The bears? You've got to be joking..!" He pinched his nose bridge and shook his head in disappointment.
"Listen Eliza, you cannot erase us for your foolish plans for we will overthrow the council and retake this land for ours." He spoke through gritted teeth as Eliza stared at him in near horror.
"You are insane Wyvern." She spat.
"You aren't any better than me! We are just two selfish predators fighting for a place on top!" He screamed in response.
"At least I'm not trying to overthrow the council and-"
"Pause." His voice was harsh, he stuck his hand out cutting her off.
"You want to expand the district, and you want to erase the others in your path. That sounds pretty damn close to what I'm doing, without the council overthrowing part." Eliza looked towards the ground with her tongue tied.
"We aren't any better than another, same plans..just different executions."
Still worse than what you're planning, i'm trying to negotiate-"
"Stop agan, Eliza how stupid are you?" He yelled loudly, making the once sleeping birds above flock away.
"You're trying to erase another district for one's gain, power and benefit. That's exactly what i'm telling you that i'm doing, you cant be that slow to not comprehend we are near the same, and telling me im worse and saying i should give up my land just for that is stupid and straight up hypocrisy!"
"I'm trying to fix this forest by removing the virus sucking the life out of it!"
"You only want to fix your district, not the others! You don't care-"
"Who says I don't want to help the others?!" She cut him off screaming louder.
"God you're such an idiot! Word flies high in WarnerFelid! I know everything you've been planning, and you don't know how to keep your voice down! I know your intentions just cave already!"
"Damn it Wyvern just listen to me-"
"Why should I listen to you!? You're trying to destroy this balance!" The two were getting heated at this point, a care for the surrounding animals was since disregarded. Wyvern moved his hand closer to his sheathed knife buckled on his belt.
"What balance? There is no balance in this stupid stupid forest!"
"So removing a vital predator within the chain is supposed to suddenly fix it?! Replacing us with the bears won't fix the missing patch!" The two screamed with their hearts beating out of their chest.
"It'll be better!"
"You don't understand-!" Wyvern breathlessly snapped, snarling at her as he swiftly threw his knife at Eliza, Hitting the tree behind her. She stood dazed for a moment, staring him down with a horrified expression. Her anxious breaths then turned into wheezes and growls of pure rage as she reached for her crossbow belted on her back. She didn't want to kill him but if that's what it took she would do it, he started it and it was going to be his fault if he laid dead that spring night.
"Thats enough!"
A high, yet strong voice rippled through the air. Wyvern and Eliza turned to the left to see the source, dropping their current feud due to the familiarity of the cry. A tall, about 5'6 slim pale lady walked into the moonlight, her antlers huge and decorated with flowers and vine. Her hair was soft, long and blonde. Her eyes a soft gray yet rage filled.
"You fools!" The deer lady screamed.
"Do you not know the time? Or are you too selfish to acknowledge it!" Wyvern tilted his head, obviously she didn't care about disturbing the others either.
"oh..Lilac.." Eliza trailed off scratching at her arm.
"So what is it Eliza? What's so important you had to scream about!? I could hear you fools screaming all the way from the prey quarter!"
"Lilac this is not your business-"
"I am the representative of the prey district and heavily influential in the council, it is my business! And you've awoken me and others from your piteous yelping so it's obviously not a private matter!" She snarled at the two, then sighed roughly.
"I know you two are stressed about your district and the growing food issue, and i was going to do this in the morning but i'll do it now i suppose. Your quarter needs to elect a representative for the upcoming meeting with the council." She spoke in a rickety higher voice, trying to mask her anger.
"A meeting?" Wyvern and Eliza asked in confused unison.
"To discuss the..," She trailed off hesitantly. "The idea of ridding the borders..."
"WHAT!?" The two screamed in unison once again.
"Hush it you two!" She hissed sharply.
"I'll discuss in the morning, come by the office to discuss the representative. The others should be there as well. Now stop this argument at once for it will or at least hopefully be resolved in the next week or so." Lilac struggled to keep her cool, but choked down the pure annoyance of the immature behavior the two had been acting out.
"Go home off to bed now, we will talk more in the morning. I refuse to take further questions or concerns." She glared at the two while walking away. Eliza turned to face Wyvern who just stared blankly at the figure pale walking away.
"Representative...a meeting? God, this forest is advancing too much.." Wyvern muttered.
"Advancing too much?"
"We're forgetting about our feral primitive past each day and it sickens me. We are forgetting we are primal animals..."
"To be fair we aren't fully animals-"
"I'm not having that discussion with you right now," He snapped, then sighed in annoyance. "sure we aren't fullbloods, but that..." he paused. "nevermind.., just go home Eliza."
"Whatever..See you tomorrow Wyvern, no weapons this time." Eliza yawned, she stretched and turned away. Wyvern rolled his eyes and turned around facing the dark void of trees behind him, as he walked he felt his knife blade. It was smooth, barely used and cold. It was perfectly sharp and clean. Ready at any moment to be used.
He was not going to go to that meeting peacefully, in his eyes this new order wasn't helping the forest whatsoever. It was just giving the wrong people too much power, and now they were seeing the effects of it. He then looked down at his knife, now unsheathed. He cleared his throat and said aloud,

"Tomorrow this ends."