Naia exhaled a low rumble of condolence as Gent delivered the news of Minka’s death, her ears flattening in dismay. The Timber lady’s golden eyes landed on the child that the Laginas had left behind, brimming with sorrow for the boy’s situation. She was reminded of Karpos in that moment, her nephew adopted after he too lost both parents so young. The boy – a man now really— now wore a least a half dozen scars and an austere expression that Naia could only assume was permanent as well.   It was now up to Gent to steer this young man in the right direction, and Naia had to wonder if allowing a child in mourning to make such a decision now was the best course of action.

 
Naia’s gaze flicked to Gent himself, and it dawned on the scout that with Minka passed, Hearthwood River no longer had any connection to Round Stone Crest apart from their formal alliance. If not now, then very soon Kisla would have to make the decision to maintain the alliance or let it crumble. Kisla had already heard her Second’s opinion on the matter, and Naia noticed that there seemed to be no lost love between the two leaders. If Kova chose to pursue his father’s murderer, wouldn’t Hearthwood River be asked to assist? Naia inhaled slowly, knowing that to agree to help their allies would surely lead to more blood and sorrow, but that denying the Crest this assistance would likely be the final straw that would break this alliance wide open. 

There was that look again upon the River queen's face, and Gent found that he had to consciously keep his muzzle from wrinkling with distaste. This was the reaction she should have given to the news of Tokino's death, and it was confirmed within his brain that she'd had some inkling as to the information her dragon had been hoarding. When she extended her sympathies to Kova, he found himself disbelieving of the sentiment she claimed to hold for Minka. If she had been so respected, they would not be here so many months late, on such shaky ground with this Kjors allowed to simply walk away from the insults he had doled to them via his initial actions.

When Kjors too spoke up, suddenly an empathetic creature, the same skepticism held the king's heart, yet this internal disgust did not manage to mar the mask he upheld upon his features. He regarded the serpent cooly as he imparted what he knew, and it did not take too lengthy a trail of thoughts to connect who this killer most likely was. His gut twisted as he considered what this might mean for his blossoming relationship with @Nina and Secret Woodlands as a whole, and his gaze flickered momentarily to @Kova's face, curious to know if he too had made the connection and what he would ultimately want to do now that he had access to the identity of his father's killer. They were certainly in for a lengthy conversation, and he hoped to have it before the boy took his temporary leave to relocate Kino.

"We'll talk about this shortly," he murmured to the boy, his gaze considerably softer each time it landed upon his grayscale features. "Go back to the summit, please. I'll meet you there." For now that this portion was out of the way, Gent had other business he wanted to handle at this moment, for which it would be best if Kova wasn't present given the possibility that things might swiftly turn sour. Despite the possibility, Gent knew what next must be done, as when it came down to it, the River wolves could not be trusted, and thus an alliance was far too intimate of a relationship to be anything more than a burden and liability for both packs.

Once the boy was gone and out of range, Gent's gaze fell upon @Kisla alone. At last, it was time to bury the unrest, and hopefully the foreign monarch would agree that such was for the best and be willing to leave their land without harboring negative feelings for the Crest. He wasn't sure such was possible, but he would aim for it all the same.

"Kisla. I think you can agree that with Minka... gone, our packs no longer hold common ground, much less enough connection to maintain an alliance. I thank you for keeping your word and allowing Kova this information, but I'd like to dissolve this relationship here and now and return our packs to neutral ground. Is this possible?" He was aware that there could still be facets of the alliance that were unknown to him, perhaps promises made by Minka that had yet to be fulfilled. If such was the case, he was offering Kisla a chance now to speak up so that he could tie up such loose ends. If she chose to harbor anything to herself, he was content to say that it would be her own fault and move on from it regardless.

This being the first time she heard the details, Naia listened carefully as Kjors described the Lagina King’s murderer. A russet coated, green-eyed man was certainly a distinct description, and Naia knew immediately that it was not a wolf she had ever met before. The scout was unable to discern from Kisla’s closed expression whether she knew more about the murderer’s identity than she was letting on… Naia wondered if Maksim had heard the description yet. He was the one who had lived longest on the west side of the pass—it was he who was most likely to recognize the copper-coated perpetrator.


Naia blinked in surprise as Kjors faltered. He seemed to be making an attempt at some sort of.. apology. Well, it wasn’t quite so much an apology as an explanation, but it was closer to atonement than Naia had ever expected Kjors to venture. He had failed to step in when he saw two wolves arguing, and now one of them was dead. Was it possible that this self-proclaimed dragon felt guilty? Did he feel bad that Tokino’s child was now orphaned, and he’d had the opportunity to prevent it?


Gent dismissed Kova then, and which was curious to say the least. So Kova was old enough to make a decision concerning his father’s assassin—a decision where he was emotionally compromised to say the least-- but he was too young to have a say in the rest of the pack’s business? Gent wasted no time after Kova departed, diving straight into the heart of the matter between the packs. Naia appreciated Gent’s directness though; it would have been painful to try to tiptoe around the issue. Now that he had his information, Gent no longer had a use for Hearthwood River. That was fine by Naia. She was weary of being swept up in the Crest’s drama, and she had already told Kisla such. The scout remained silent, waiting for her leader's response, tail flicking back and forth as it often did when she was on edge.

Kisla gave the response that Naia had hoped for as well as expected, with one little addition.. she tossed out the name Ash Hervok, neither confirming nor denying that she personally believed him to be Tokino’s assassin. Among the River wolves, Ash Hervok was demonized like a monster in a child’s bedtime story, as it was rumored that he left a defenseless pup to drown when he abandoned his pack to flee with his illicit lover. Perhaps Kisla mentioned him now as a distraction, so that Round Stone Crest might once more wrap themselves up in strife with Whisper Caverns and leave Hearthwood River alone. It was a play Naia admired, and she wondered if Kisla might have become a scout herself had she not desired to lead beside Maksim.


Kisla turned and left without another word, though Naia remained facing the Crest leader for just a moment longer. She nodded a silent, yet respectful farewell to the man; despite their rocky beginning and Kisla’s dislike of the man, Naia and Gent had a sort of understanding that deserved at least a courteous goodbye.  The scout then hurried to catch up with her Queen, heart fluttering as she spoke of Inali. Naia had hardly dared to get her hopes up that she and Inali would ever be free to associate, and as Kisla lifted the ex-Down scout’s ban everything seemed to brighten around Naia. Her paws felt lighter and her spirit soared. This was the news that would get Naia through the long journey home, and in the hours to come the Timber woman would hardly feel the sting in her paws or the wind’s icy touch as she imagined her and Inali’s sweet reunion.  

It was a great relief to Gent that his worries were given absolutely no life. With far more grace than he had expected of her, Kisla voiced her agreement, simply and directly. As far as he was concerned, then, the matter was aeonianly at rest, and neither pack would ever have to worry about the other again. It was easy achievement to anticipate, given the extreme distance between them and the lack of shared ties, and he no longer felt an ounce of concern in regards to those who were leaving his borders for the final time.

He stood stoically as he watched them go, wishing to see them disappear from vision before turning his back. Thus his ears were standing ready to capture Kisla's unexpected addition, pointing him toward the man he had already begun to suspect. That she considered him the prime suspect as well only help to confirm the connections he'd placed within his mind. Unfortunate, given Ash's ties to the Woodlands, but that was a tangled mess that he would take his careful time unraveling.

"Thank you," he replied, and when his pale gaze caught Naia's acknowledgement, he returned the gesture with mutual introspect. When at last the trio was gone, Gent turned to begin the trek back up the mountainside and rejoin with Kova.