Silent Moon Plateau just one yesterday

AW

Cross my heart and hope to die
burn my lungs and curse my eyes

As the days passed, Aesire found that she had little energy to do much of anything but that would not stop her from rising each morning. Her stomach had started to swell with the life that was growing inside of her - the life that they had created together. This was the life that had brought so much controversy but it wasn't just that. Someone else's scent had been changing. Aesire had only briefly caught it on the wind but that was when she realized that Phineas had taken a lover, maybe a mate, of his own. She was so torn and confused but she hid all of these expressions behind a hardened face as she forced her way out of the den. The morning sun was rising out in front of her and she closed her eyes. How was so supposed to lead a pack if she had little support. Her own cousin had vanished, probably seeing the terrible job she had done. Ace was there as always but was he enough? Sometimes, she doubted it. She did not doubt his ability, just her own willpower to remain at the top. Slowly, Aesire was cracking.

Her peppered creme fur blew softly in the new spring wind as she reminded herself of why she had to remain strong. She was soon going to deliver her children and she would have to raise them. It was her responsibility as an alpha and a mother to raise them to be better than she was. Slowly she would walk on sore legs towards the edges of the territory though she would not get too close. She recounted everything significant that she had done since arriving in the Plateau and came up short with only two answers. She had fought off that lynx with Phineas and she had taken the crown for herself in a fight. It was probably just the hormones talking back to her but she became incredibly frustrated, hissing to herself as she tried to understand and comprehend everything. Why did Phineas do the things he do: making them fight for leadership and then becoming mad when she did her duty? Why was he so suspicious? Why was the rest of the pack not willing to see that she wasn't as bad as so many others wanted her to be? She felt cornered, trapped, and blissfully unaware of the fact that her emotions were pushing unstable.

When she'd told Anders there were packs to the south, she hadn't been lying. There were many scents lingering in the southern parts of Relic Lore – some where old, some were fresh. Males, females, pups, pregnant wolves – if you could think of it, there was probably someone who fit the description. She'd wandered close, but never over borders, not keen on the punishment a trespasser might face. Now, she'd had a bit of rest, something to drink, and she'd sampled some fish. Things were looking a little brighter, and Desideria set back out to continue her exploration. There were several things she wanted, needed, and at the top of her list was information and employment.

To gain either of those two things, she would have to contact other wolves.

Instead of trekking where she had before, the female followed Serpent's Pass out of the heart of the forest, down along the ridgeline. She continued southward until she found a plateau, and there the small timber wolf began to rummage about. The border of yet another pack was noted – exactly how many were there, she wondered. Back on the banks of her old home, there were no packs for miles, and the only groups she'd run into on her travels, she'd joined. Such a menagerie was a new sensation for Dezzy, though it'd be a lie to say the female wasn't excited.

While she hadn't planned on encroaching on the established boundaries, a distressed noise caught her attention. Drawing to a halt, the thief realized another wolf was nearby, breathing labored. Is someone injured? she wondered, abruptly turning and crossing into the pack's land without a second though. It was only as she approached the wolf, guided by scent and sound, that she realized this female smelled distinctly like the perimeters set, and her heart began to race. Surely she wouldn't mistake curiosity concern for malicious intent?

"You okay?" Dezzy called once it sight, halting several lengths away. If she was going to have to run, she wanted a head start.

Cross my heart and hope to die
burn my lungs and curse my eyes

With the voice and scent of an intruder, Aesire's eyes narrowed. She would snarl and hiss, her eyes focused on pure rage as she looked for something to take her anger out on. There was an intruder on her lands and she simply could not stand for it. She growled and snarled as she looked at the female. "I am fine now GET. OFF. MY. LANDS." Perhaps it was the hormones or a real defensiveness that kept her mad. Instead of charging like the woman would normally do, she remained still. With her belly swelling, she knew she had to be more careful. She did not want to harm her children in any way, especially before they were born. She raised a call for her packmates. INTRUDER! The howl rose as she began hoping they would help deal with the intruder.

A soft kick on her stomach from the inside would only drive her farther into her crazy. She hissed, her eyes narrowing further as she carefully raised her tail, asserting dominance on the stranger. Even if it was out of concern, the woman should know better than to trespass on pack lands and approach a pregnant queen alone within those lands. Thoughts rushed through her head but she could not focus on any of them. Would this foolish woman challenge her or would she heed her warning and leave forever? She hoped it was the latter of the two as she was not sure if she would wait for backup or fight the woman herself.

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

Holy shit. Within a heartbeat, her ears swept forward and her tail dropped, tucked under her belly as the female rounded on her. She had only approached thinking the other wolf injured or in need of some sort of assistance – internally, she scoffed at herself. That's what you get, Dezzy, trying to help a stranger out. You get your face ripped off and shoved up your backside! This was the reason she kept to herself, the reason she made her living off others, because others could not be trusted. Honestly, did it look like she had any intention of challenging the other female? Just…just look at her, she was a huge thing, easily double her size and all round about the middle. It dawned on the older female then that the stranger might actually be expecting pups and oh-- Oh.. Wasn't her own dam a vicious beast while she was carrying the twins? Oh, yes, she was, especially that time Dezzy had accidentally encroached upon the pupping den, and suddenly the maudlin memory became a flashing hazard light in her mind. The timber wolf took several steps backwards, shaking her head from side to side as she tried to silently insist she wanted no trouble from Aesire. "Whoa whoa whoa, you got me all wrong, miss!" she babbled, amber eyes wide as she continued her steady retreat. "I ain't got no trouble with you, yeah? Just wanted to check. I'm leaving, see?" If she had hands, she'd hold her palms out as she continued a steady backwards motion, to uncertain to actually take her eyes off the raging canine. "I'm leaving. No need for alarm, yeah? Harmless, harmless, it'll be okay, please, just-- I'm leaving."

LuDa-Stock & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

So sorry, meant to get this up days ago! @Aesire and @Desideria

and I don't want the world to see me
'cause I don't think that they'd understand

Ace had been tending to the pack caches by making sure they were all well stocked when call of an intruder on Silent Moon Plateau pack lands rose up from none other than his mate. Panic immediately coursed through his veins at the thought of Aesire in danger and he swiftly disbanded his task to make his way to her. The ground was almost a blur beneath his powerful body as he ran to her aid, many possibilities running through his head, none of them good. It didn't take long for him to come upon the scene, and he quickly darted to Aesire's side, noting her dominantly assertive posture. Gently bumping her shoulder with his muzzle to tell her that he was with her, he let his silvery gaze land on the intruder on their land, his own hackles raising and tail lifting up slightly. She was tiny in comparison to his size, her coat a sandy tawny hue. He could see that she was quickly backing off which made him feel a bit better, but even so, she was still on their lands.

A low warning rumble emitted from deep within his chest as he stared at the tawny female, but he did not advance as she had clearly gotten the message from Aesire. And what a message she had given. If he'd been on the receiving end of her wrath, he too would have backed off. "It's okay, Aesire, she's leaving now," he softly rumbled to his mate before focusing on the intruder. "You must have known this was pack lands, so what inspired you to trespass onto our lands?" Ace queried in a no-nonsense voice. And possibly put my mate in danger? He silently added.

289 Words

Oh, ancestors. She was going to die here. She was most definitely going to die here, skinny and alone, without having ever finding her baby brothers. Aesire's call did not go unanswered – even as the timber wolf beat a hasty retreat, a second wolf appeared. His friendliness with the pregnant alpha did not bode well for the loner. If his affectionate caress was any indication, this large male was likely her mate, and would probably be displeased a vagabond had upset his partner heavy with child. Desideria all but dropped to the ground, worried ears plastered to her skull. Her tail hugged the bottom of her belly as she halted, frozen with her fear as the guardian addressed her. "Sh-she, ah, she was, ah, you know, hissing, and pacing, and weird noises?" the thief squeaked, amber eyes a sickly yellow as she swallowed a lump in her throat. "I thought, uh, I thought, thought she was hurt, or something, and asked if she was okay. Stupid, stupid, stupid, I know, I know, she's fine, clearly, I'm sorry." The rambling became more unhinged, and Des suddenly became aware she had stopped moving. Panic seized her harder. Was she better off bearing herself and hoping for mercy? Or perhaps she'd be better served by resuming her retreat until she was well and away from pack borders. (And made sure she never, ever came within a hundred lengths of this place ever again.) "I didn't-- Didn't touch anyone, didn't touch anything, I'm leaving, okay?" Hunched over, the loner watched the pair's feet, too shaken to even watch their faces. Please just let me leave.

LuDa-Stock & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

The frantic and slightly stressed mother was still distraught at the thought of a loner being on her lands. Her mind was warped as she watched the woman agree to leave. Ace’s words helped her start to recover from such a state. She looked towards Ace with a comforting smile. “I’m sorry… I was just trying to figure stuff out and I saw her trespassing… I overreacted I think.” Her words were hard coming out of her mouth. She didn’t like the idea that she had become susceptible to freak outs but she knew family history was not in her favor. She knew now that she needed to hold her leadership from all except Hypatia for now, should the eldest Argyris child come to her for the crown.

She needed to keep her children safe within the pack and this was the only way to accomplish that. On top of everything, she needed to find some kind of way to make peace with Phineas and the rest of the pack whom appeared to be angry with her, her unborn children, and Ace. She needed to make everything right but she was lapsing on just how to do that. “I… I’m gonna go calm down.” She needed more time to think. She would contemplate all of her options, perhaps talk to Phineas and apologize? But… apologize for what? She took what she wanted and because leaders had the right to breed, it should have been alright. The only issue had been that Ace had not been leader. Phineas was leader and he had seen it as a challenge, just as she would see Aponi’s as a challenge to her. Part of her understood but it hurt.