Deonte

Two golden eagle feathers (emblem of office, worn on right shoulder)

## Application Sheet

Deonte was a dark-furred male wolf with vivid green irises set in dark eyes, and a silver-furred back. He was a Gold Feather of Riverfell. He was mates with Sheranee, and the father to four pups: Atsila, Jericho, Teba, and Karna. Deonte served his pack loyally for many years, ultimately losing his life during a battle against the Hive, during which he killed General Sledge. Deonte was created and RP'd by ChateauLatrans.

## Personality

* ***Stern, Silent, and a Traditionalist Workaholic.*** Deonte is the silent type. Very stern, old-school, and cynical, he's not exactly the life of the party. Firm believer in the "kids are crazy" theory, you'll find that he's a traditionalist, workaholic, perfectionist. With his undying work ethic, he makes a fantastic teacher, if you're a devoted student. Deonte never sits still; always up and about, there's always something to be doing.
* ***Sarcastic and Boastful.*** He does have a sarcastic side, and loves to boast and tell stories, as he has seen a lot in his day. Maybe he'll get a bit imaginative, if he happens to be babysitting anyone. He may usually appear to have a stick up his ass, but if he likes you, you'll know. Definitely plays favorites.

## Pre-Group History

Deonte was born and bred as a means to be a pack guard. While the ranking was prominent, he actually didn't mind the thrall work he was given, but rather felt as though he just had a stronger sense of purpose. So, as a young male, him and his siblings would be raised to serve the pack's higher-ups.

This wasn't a role normally enforced, but a pack that had known war over a territory fued was bound to need protection.

The first couple years of his life were stable with no such threat. He'd progressed into an adult with incredible strength for his age, his frequent training becoming an addictive lesson. He'd learn to hunt, fish, defend, travel long distances, and withstand outrageous temperatures.

And then, it happened when he reached four years.

The war - the war that would take his home.

He was prepared for it and had minimal emotional attachment to the members, but what hurt him the most was that the alpha pair had just given birth to a litter.

The litter which had already been killed, aside from one child. Deonte didn't hesitate fighting his way to the cave.

With a trespasser's fangs just over the unknowing infant's head, Deonte eliminated the threat, took the child, and fled. He learned what shame was, and that he wasn't invincible.

It took the male searching tirelessly; the boy needed milk or he wouldn't survive. This was his duty; he would mentor him as he was selected to beforehand.

Fortunately, as it was spring, it was relatively easy to find a nursing lone mother. He'd hunt for her and take care of her, as long as she'd feed the child for him.

Sorren, he was called, believed this female to be his mother, and Deonte kept it that way. He didn't keep him there long enough for questions to arise, leaving the day he started eating meat.

Deonte would grow the boy into a young, working bloke like he used to be. Sorren had often found it too laborious, but he tried to keep up.

It was those two years the pair would grow to learn each other, realize differences and appreciate one another. When he was called "uncle" for the first time, Deonte learned he had a heart and such things could melt.

Eventually, Sorren expressed interest in being a pack wolf, and - while promising to see him again - set off to a pack that Deonte said would be safe that he'd known in traveling.

Back on his own again, Deonte came across the patriarchal pack of Riverfell. It was there that he met Morgan, who became his first true friend. He was allowed to stay as a guest, and eventually a member who trained as a Gold Feather alongside Morgan's daughter, Kara. When Kara was heard to have been impregnated by the Riverfell alpha's son and blackmailed, Deonte was appalled. While he understood Morgan's initial disbelief, he would try and help him see the situation through Kara's eyes.

Soon, Pyre was announced dead, and Morgan was nowhere to be found; so Deonte left. He searched tirelessly for his friend for many moons...

Eventually he found Morgan, and many events transpired, eventually leading to Shiloh coming to challenge Rhaegar for the title of Alpha of Riverfell...and *winning.* Deonte and Morgan were both welcomed back to the pack after her victory.

## Group History

With Shiloh as the new Lady of Riverfell, Deonte was ready to settle back into his Gold Feather duties...only to realize he'd have to start his training over again. That was fine - he'd worked his way up through the ranks once, he could do it again. Still, he was a bit disappointed that the senior Gold Feather was a younger wolf than he - Howl.

Deonte would help with the training of the many new Young Feathers in training, like Calumina, but Fawzie and Yulian became his primary students. Even though Yulian elected to become a Guardian instead of a Gold Feather, the two wolves hit it off and he became an official mentor to her regardless.

Still, despite focusing on his duties, he would take time to enjoy life in a newly-relaxed Riverfell like the rest of his packmates. Prior to the Quarter Feast, Deonte had worked with Fawzie to bring down an elk, and their catch was greatly appreciated by their packmates! However, he was grumpy at some of Shiloh's announcements - particularly that Alice would serve as Beta. He didn't have much respect for the newcomer. Avoiding Lynx and Fawzie, he elected to nap through the morning festivities, and woke later to speak with Yulian (who was upset). Later in the evening, he tried his paw at traditional Riverfellian dancing with Ricci, but mostly dedicated his time to sitting with the other older wolves of the pack - Morgan and Lyza.

As the months passed, Deonte would become quite familiar with the other newcomers to the pack. He took the training of the youth very seriously - even those who weren't Gold Feathers. Devina, for instance, would be suddenly tested as she patrolled the borders...by a surprise attack from Deon! Ezelle would be challenged like this, as well. He'd also hunt a boar with Belladonna.

He would also be assigned to important duties, such as discovering why trade with Damasca had stopped. Deonte escorted Sasha, Yulian, and Keezheekoni to the territory (which Keez had formerly lived in), and they discovered that the pack had completely abandoned it. Damasca was *gone*, and the four wolves would report it to the alpha.

Deonte and Lynx were attacked by a bear at the northern trading post, which was against the rules of the territory, which demanded all predators to cooperate and get along. Deonte heaved Lynx onto his back and fled from the bear, getting Fawzie and Ruby for help. At Shiloh's orders, Deonte took Sheranee, Yulian, and Devina to fight the bear and deliver a message it would not soon forget! He wasn't completely unscathed, though, and had to have his wounds treated by Mutaias.

As autumn turned to winter, Deonte would find himself spending a bit more time with one of his fellow Gold Feathers - Sheranee. She enjoyed teasing him and challenging him to competitions, and he was determined to prove he could keep up with her. Through the winter, the coldest the Domain had ever seen (known thereafter as the Deep Freeze), Deonte realized he was feeling...strangely towards her. There was a sense of attraction under the surface, but he was determined to keep these feelings hidden away.

The winter was harsh, and it was easy for Deonte to push his feelings aside and lose himself in his duties. Other distractions - *grief* - would rear their ugly heads as well, when Deonte and Orsu, while escorting Freya and Lynx to a trading post, discovered a bloody scene. Mortified, they would search for Yulian, but eventually came to the conclusion that she was lost...*dead.*

He would grieve losing her, but not publicly. He kept the grief to himself, bottled up, and threw himself into his work. The Gold Feathers, desperate to feed their packmates, led them on a hunt to bring down the most dangerous kind of prey - horses. Fortunately, they were successful. Still, the cold brought challenges, and the truce with other predators was almost shattered quite a few times. In one instance, Deon kept the peace (barely) between the wolves of Riverfell and a mountain lion!

Slowly, though, the Deep Freeze would release its grip on the Domain, and Deonte could feel a bit of his grief easing. He'd enjoy spending time with Freya, who was a very sweet and understanding soul, and allowed Deonte to show a softer side he didn't normally get to express.

Still, the springtime brought a new threat - the Hive. Deonte would join a patrol of wolves (Orsu, Freya, and Fawzie) traveling to the eastern trading post, where they met with representatives of a formerly unknown pack: Mhor. Deonte was wary of the Mhorians, Faolan and Theia, but was more concerned by the loner who'd accompanied them, Macgyver.

The two packs exchanged information about the strange white wolves they'd seen around their territories. The meeting went well, and the two groups parted ways.

Time passed. The summer Quarter Feast arrived, and Deonte found himself drawn to Sheranee. The pair danced, Deon unable to keep his feelings hidden any longer.

Around this time, one of the pack's newest arrivals, Yseult (who had borne a litter of pups after she arrived: Ezellohar, Sadhbh, Eridani, and Fiadh) approached. She asked if he would teach her about fighting and defense, explaining that she needed to know how to defend herself and her new brood. Deonte agreed.

But shortly after, Sheranee approached him and told him that the confession of love they shared...had led to something else. She was pregnant. Deonte was horrified - they were Gold Feathers! They weren't supposed to have pups until they'd retired! Still, he was an honorable wolf, and after discussing it with Shera, they approached Shiloh to admit to their mishap.

Shiloh decided to temporarily demote the pair, making them take on omega duties for a time, but didn't exercise any further punishment. They needed all the fighting wolves they could get, and expelling or harming Deonte or Sheranee would make things difficult for the pack moving forward. Shiloh wouldn't have even wanted to do something like that, anyway. Deonte felt it was degrading, but Eridani, a fellow omega, insisted that it was important work and he didn't think it was degrading at all.

Shera would eventually have four pups: Teba, Atsila, Karna, and Jericho.

Deonte was an incredibly protective father, but both he and Sheranee would have *very* high expectations for their children. They expected their children to be *fighters -* Gold Feathers, like them! However, Deonte was blind to the wishes of his children themselves, particularly Atsila, who was softer and didn't want to fight. Jericho, on the other hand, absolutely adored his father and aspired to be just like Deonte!

Deonte returned to his duties as a Gold Feather by midwinter, and was sent to investigate a band of loners who were spotted in the Emerald Forest. The group, composed of Deonte, Calumina, Orsu, Lynx, Fiadh, and Oscar (a mountain lion guest) set out to investigate. They found a scene of utter carnage. The group fell into bickering, mostly fueled by Fiadh and Oscar, and tempers flared, but fortunately, nobody drew another's blood. The loners were identified as former trading partners, and the group buried them before returning to report their deaths to Shiloh.

As the winter subsided into springtime, Deonte threw himself into training his children to become Gold Feathers. As soon as they'd become young adults, they'd taken the task of Young Feather to begin training, and Deon was very much involved in their training.

In particular, he dedicated himself to training his eldest, Atsila. Out of respect for his old pack of Rockteau, he wanted to make sure Atsila became a Gold Feather to be proud of. He was frustrated that his son wasn't showing much enthusiasm for the training, but on occasion, during their training sessions, Atsila would make Deonte proud with his technique!

However...Deonte's friend, the Sage Lyza, was attacked and killed by the Hive, and apart from causing Deon immense grief, it also caused a confrontation between the Gold Feather and his eldest Atsila.

Atsila was upset that Deonte *still* wanted him to train as a Gold Feather when Sages were needed now more than ever. Deonte insisted that Atsila keep at his training, that Gold Feathers were needed now more than ever. Atsila stood up for himself and told Deonte that he didn't want to learn to kill and harm others, he wanted to *heal.* Deonte was disgusted by this, and told him to get out of his sight, turning his back on his son in disappointment.

After taking some time to reflect - a few weeks of tense silence growing between the two - Deonte sought out Atsila and offered an apology. Atsila was thrilled by his father's inquiries as to what kind of future he wanted. When he learned that his son wanted to learn from Ruby and Heather to become a Sage, or perhaps even become a Rider like Sasha, he announced that he would make arrangements for Atsila to start taking lessons from them.

But then, Fiadh burst from the undergrowth. Deonte immediately asked what was wrong, and she reported that the main den was being invaded by the Hive. Deonte demanded Atsila find his siblings and hide - they were still young and relatively untrained - and Atsila obeyed.

Deonte rushed after Fiadh, and the pair arrived at the main den. There were many white wolves, many swarming around the Sages' den. There, the injured Sasha and Devina were sheltering with Ruby and Jedrek. Howl, Morgan, Calumina, Fiadh, and Deonte rushed to the rescue, attacking the Hive wolves with the utmost bravery and ferocity.

When Morgan recognized the wolves' general - Sledge - he launched an attack, but Sledge overpowered the older wolf and felled him. Deonte witnessed it, and for the first time in ages, screamed out in agony. His best friend had been killed in front of his very eyes.

Furiously, Deonte rushed Sledge. The two fought fiercely, and both wolves sustained major injuries. Deonte lost an eye and his back was broken, causing him to lose use of his rear legs. Sledge, severely injured, impaled by a sharp branch in the throat, turned his back on Deonte, believing him dead. Deon was determined to get revenge however, and dragged himself towards the injured Hive General and finished the job.

As his life ebbed, Deonte collapsed beside Morgan's body, realizing that he was still barely clinging to life. The two wheezed out a few last words - promises to find each other on the other side - and Morgan passed. Deonte, however, would not go as easily. Atsila arrived on the scene and looked in horror at his father. Deonte apologized for not being able to finish their conversation, but it was too late now. In agony, Deonte asked Atsila to do the merciful thing and speed the death process...and Atsila somberly agreed.

Deonte whispered one last praise of his eldest son - **"Attaboy"** - and Atsila ended Deonte's life. Deonte's spirit passed from this world into the next, determined to serve his loved ones just as dutifully as he had in life.

His pack and family grieved, but Deonte would be honored for his sacrifice and bravery, giving his life to save his packmates.

## Trivia

* Deonte's left ear is pierced by a fang, and he wears a fringed onion flower in his mane on the left side. On his right side, he wears his Gold Feathers - a sign of active duty.
* He developed cataracts towards the end of his life.
* Despite dedicating himself wholly to Riverfell, he still worked hard to keep his birth pack's culture alive, by training Atsila as a Gold Feather and intending for him to become the head of the family when he was gone, as was tradition in his birth pack.
* He and Lyza took an interest in the younger generations of Riverfell, even when they themselves were a bit younger. Deonte would sometimes spend time with Rhaegar's son Bourne, and Jedrek's son Mutaias, when they were being ignored or neglected by their father.

## Quotes

* "My voice is in time. Your steps are not. Look, you're moving like a bear with tree bark for legs. Pick it up! From the top now!" (to Yulian, *Dancing Lessons*)
* "Hierarchy and structure is important, and cannot, will not, and shall not be tossed aside. Those mature enough, those *wolf* enough, will understand that being promoted to higher ranking means more responsibility. Riverfell has an excellent high-ranking team you can confide in that will help you progress. You'll all get there one day, if you aren't there already." (to Oscar and Fiadh, *The Hanging Tree*)
* "But no matter what, you've always been so bright. You've always done your best, tried your hardest, and...You and your siblings have been following my stars, and not your own. And I wanted to hear from you what you want to do with your life. It's important to me." (to Atsila, *Contrition*)
* *"When I left, perhaps the distance had brought my heart to melt further. When I brought Mor back, I was met by a bunch of kids with new beliefs that I couldn't wrap my head around, at first. But time and beliefs weren't as important as relationships. Had I only learned that sooner. Yulian, Orsu, Ezelle. Sheranee. Jericho. Teba. Karna. Atsila. I love you...And perhaps I'll see some of you soon. In my next life, I will serve just as dutifully."* (dying thoughts, *Dear Riverfell*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* ChateauLatrans's deviantART Gallery