Larkcall Lowlands which to bury, us or the hatchet

She had not slept well that night. Her restlessness was nothing new, a reminder of her first pregnancy but now with Percy gone, it only served to make Jessie's mood more sour. And so once everyone was awake, Jessie gladly directed her displeasure upon her love, knowing that it was a direct result from her lack of sleep. Thankfully, once the Rye wolves left the den, Jessie had settled back down to take a much needed slumber. The Tainn knew that it would have been better to be doing something productive around the territory but she did not have the energy to do it and remained inside for most of the day.

It was when a call from the borders roused her from her slumber that emerald eyes glared up at the exit of the den. Why today of all days? Huffing in irriation, the pregnant woman stood up on all fours, stretching her limbs and yawning before making her way to where the voice had called. She had no doubt that another member had already intercepted them and kept her pace liesure, not wanting to upset her stomach or waste anymore energy than was necessary. Jessie only increased her pace when the Whitestone Monadnock's scent drifted past her flared nostrils.

Eyebrows creased in confusion as she pushed herself forward, wanting to know exactly why they were here. Yes, Jessie had heard about Morganna's assistance with their help with Percy but there was no relationship between them and no reason for them to be visiting. When she arrived at the borders, she heard the tail end of Drestig's piece, jade eyes drifting over the two newcomers, unfamiliar to her. Don't they seem comfortable. The expectant mother took her place on Drestig's other side, offering nothing more than her name to the Monadnock wolves. "Jessie Tainn." She spoke smoothly, her voice holding the business-like edge it usually did when they dealt with diplomatic relations. As she inhaled again, taking in their scents, she could detect the strong scent of the Monadnock, but the scent of their testy alphas were harder to find. With this in mind, the Tainn curved her ears forward, ready for an answer.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

He was pleased huh? As earnest as he seemed, Askan couldn't help but be dubious. So much so that he suspected that Wraith was outright lying to his face, all in an attempt to come across as civil and neighbourly. By now the Selwyn knew that he'd probably heard all sorts of unflattering things about him, either from Craw and/or Lorcan. And yet here he was playing all nice and acting as though they were on good terms. As though the things he'd heard were positive and not slanderous lies.

What a two faced bastard. He had such nerve to stroll up to their border as though he...

Askan sighed and let it all go, or at the very least tried to shove his aggravation to the side. What good would it do? It was difficult, he was still working hard to rein in his temper, but he managed to yank back the biting words and instead nodded slowly, as though he appreciated the sentiment. Which he didn't. Wraith could shove his pleasure up his own arse for all he cared.

"Oh thanks. I'd like to say the same, but I've never even heard of you before." He shot Wraith a smarmy, brittle smile."Well met." If he could have gotten away with it, Askan would have cackled with devious delight. That would serve him for being such an ass. He would just have to enjoy his victory and keep it to himself till he saw Reyes again.

Fortunately Askan wasn't left alone for long, as Drestig soon drew up beside him and offered his own greeting. And sure, he had shared the Northerner's company, but he'd claim it was anything but good. It was okay at best, as in he didn't feel like ripping off his own ears. Moments later the Rye Queen made an appearance as well, which honestly surprised the Guardian somewhat. Wasn't she supposed to be resting? Considering her condition and all? Not that he had the nerve to say that to her face, for her small stature Jessie was formidable. Terrifying in her own sort of way. Soon after she joined the conversation, as was her right.

Now that his alphas were here, he could have left them to talk it out. But considering that they were Whitestone wolves, well he wasn't inclined to do that. They appeared to have come in peace, but Askan wasn't willing to take any risks. He'd stand back and just watch and only intervene if he had to. For the sake of his alphas, of course.

It was easy to see how @Askan would have riled @Craw's overwhelming ego. And even without knowing his advisor well yet, he could tell the male was just as annoyed, but appreciated his ability to shove it down and let Wraith handle it. But that was the thing - Wraith didn't see the Rye male as something to be handled. The Rye wasn't his circus and he didn't expect their wolves to hold up to his standards of civility. With the issues from the past, he hadn't expected a warm and friendly welcome. But he'd do his damndest to ensure any ill will wouldn't remain between the packs.

Behind the male, Wraith saw the approach of another. By the way he held himself he assumed this to be the Alpha. He spared an amused smile for Askan and his barbs, but did not engage otherwise. Farther behind him, Wraith spotted another. So the Alpha pair would grace him after all. From the swell of the last one's belly, he imagined both their packs would have their paws full in a few weeks.

Wraith's golden gaze twinkled merrily at the @Drestig's introduction and affirmed the Alpha's assumption that his subordinate was well behaved. "We haven't shared blows," the black man rumbled with a grin, tail wagging to communicate his ease with meeting them. As the female arrived and introduced herself gruffly, the brute dipped his head with respect.

"I'm Wraith Kael and this is my advisor, @Roosemooth Boor. My mate, Piety, and I are the new leaders of the Monadnock. I wanted to take the time to meet with you and extend an olive branch. I know you and my predecessors did not get on well, but wanted to let you know I don't share the same feelings towards you or your pack for whatever sleights they felt were owed. I hope that we can move forward if not as allies than at least on friendly terms." Unlike Craw and Morganna, Wraith's ambitions were not so far reaching as owning all of the north. He wanted only to ensure the safety of his pack and promise for a future for his children to grow. Any other qualms were so far beneath his sight that the thought of maintaining any illegitimate grudges were rebarbative and abhorrent.

"If there is anything I can do to assist your pack in the coming weeks, I'd like to offer assistance so long as it doesn't interfere with the welfare of my pack." As altruistic as Wraith could be, those under his care would always come first.

Well, well, well, it would seem new winds were blowing at the Monadnock. Drestig snorted at the visitors remark, a slick smile curving his own lips. At least this guy wasn't a stiff, though the older man he had brought looked to be more along Craw's quality, but so far he was keeping silent; So there's a plus! Graying ears flicked back at the sound of paws in the snow, surprise striking the king as his queen waddled up beside him. He'd have thought she would be enjoying some well needed rest, but perhaps their unexpected callers had disturbed her. And while he worried about her over straining herself, he also couldn't fault her for wanting to be here for this – whatever it is – besides, he wasn't about to question her judgment. So he nodded a silent greeting, touching his shoulder to hers lightly before turning back to their guest.

Indeed he was here with new of change, as he introduced himself as new leader, causing a silvered brow to cock curiously. So Wraith Kael was here to make peace, feeling differently than his former leaders, 'for whatever sleights they felt were owed'; Is that so? Now that all sounded very nice, but there was more than feelings behind the Avalon's beef with the northerners. They might be able to put the past behind them, but could he? After what had happened to Ade? But with new leadership… He wasn't much for grudges, all he truly wanted was peace and safety for his family.

Still he could not forget the suffering they had gone through thanks to the northerners, and when this Wraith offered assistance, he had to suppress a fresh, and much less good-humored, snort. But it was a start, and Drestig was willing to swallow his pride; "You know, this was all I wanted from the beginning." There was a tired note to his voice, but mostly it was friendly, his tail giving a soft sway behind his back. He glanced briefly at his partner, then looked back to the Monadnock leader, expression somber; "You'll understand our trust will take time to rebuild, but I'm willing to try." No, he didn't want a feud with their neighbors, and since Wraith had taken the first step, he was prepared to follow suit. Assuming @Jessie agreed.

Word count: 386

Thoughts ”Speech”

kuschelirmel-stock @DA & Dawnthieves.de

OOC!

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Word Count: 248

This was tedious. The thick man – and he didn’t necessarily mean that in a physical sense – continued to throw out barbs that tempted even the calm of the advisor to retaliate. Still, he remained silent and expressionless. What kind of advisor would he be if he couldn’t ignore the slights in respect shown by a poorly-monitored wolf?

To his immense surprise, a clearly pregnant woman sidled up and took up position next to her mate, simply stating her name and leaving it at that. He nodded to her in respect; just because the manners of her ‘guardian’ were lacking didn’t mean his should be. He didn’t speak though; the advisor simply nodded his head when his leader introduced him. There was no advising to be done; Wraith was performing beautifully. His diction was well organized. His posture was respectful.

It took a few moments for their counterparts to respond, and Roose eyed this ‘Drestig’ with distrust. He could see how Craw would have disliked this man. He could understand how broken trust would take time to mend – he was the same way, after all – but he wondered if the man knew that every wolf who had been part of Craw’s pack, with the exception of Wraith, Piety, and the small girl he had yet to get to know, was gone. Cheedo, Mittani, and himself were all new members; though to be fair, they had been part of his pack long before.

But he didn’t need to know that.

"Speech" Thought

Had Jessie heard Askan's quip towards the Whitestone wolves, she would have happily reminded him of his place within the pack and the promise she had made to him before she left for her journey. It was his attitude that had gotten them into the situation with Craw and Morganna in the first place. The Tainn did not want any conflict with them and she hoped that whatever this had to do with went in their favor. She kept an open mind, her eyes sweeping between the two males when introductions were made. Her eyes remained on Roosemooth for a moment, taking in his neutral, straight-faced appearance. The woman's tail waved behind her, pleased. Her gaze drifted back to Wraith, clearly in charge of this excursion, because she did not want to appear rude. When he was finished, Jessie felt a large pressure lift off her chest. This was better than she thought it was going to be. Her head turned to put cold eyes on her mate, not wanting him to mess this up for them either. Despite their past with the Whitestone wolves, this meeting could obviously turn into their favor if they responded correctly.

Black lips remained in a straight line as she turned her head back to look at the new lead of their enemies. While Whitestone had been the root of the problem, it seemed that their leaders were the real culprits. After all, subordinates simply had to follow orders, whether they agreed with them or not. The Tainn was well accustomed to that. When Drestig spoke, she let a soft sigh leave her maw, grateful that he had not caused any more problems for them. Peace was what they always wanted and it seemed as if they were finally getting what the leading pair had wished for. However, when Drestig did not continue speaking, the female pursed her lips, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Are you fucking kidding me? It would seem as though Jessie would have to pull the wait around the Rye. Her lips twitched upward into a small smile, eyes returning to the king of Whitestone. When she spoke, however, she made a point to address both of the wolves that had bothered to come meet with them. "Thank you. The Rye's resources are also available to you and yours, provided that it doesn't impede my family." And none of your wolves attack them again. Though she hoped that would not be a problem now that Morganna and Craw were gone, and Askan was attempting to rein in his temper. She had offered her own olive branch but she did not think it would go any further than that today. As Drestig mentioned, trust had to be formed.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Well wasn't this going along swimmingly? Askan couldn't say that he trusted their words, or that he was even interested in trying to mend things between them, but of course it wasn't his call, now was it? And perhaps that was for the best, though as of then it was yet to be seen. He trusted his alphas, with everything he had, but that didn't mean he put them up on a pedestal and placed insurmountable expectations on their shoulders. They weren't perfect, by any stretch, and like everyone else they could make mistakes and falter. The Whitestone wolves were no longer the threat they used to be, like dark set of clouds looming on the horizon to the north, but even so it would be unwise to completely dismiss them.

After all, any man who called Craw a friend had questionable judgement in Askan's eyes.

The idea of sharing resources was one he wasn't at all fond of, but rather than bitch and complain like he wanted to, he bit his tongue and rolled his eyes. Yeah sure, they'd all play nice and pretend to be one happy family. As long as they left him alone, Askan supposed he could deal with it. As pesky as the Whitestone wolves no doubt were.

"As long as your people play nice, we won't have any trouble doing the same."It's not like the other Rye wolves were difficult folk. From what he could tell they were all pretty damn laid back. "I'm sure we can put the past behind us." That was a lie, but he had the mind to at least put some effort into making his words sound earnest. Or as much as he could manage anyway.

Relief speared straight through to Wraith's heart. For all of the bonds that needed mending, he was grateful the Rye wolves were willing to let bygones be bygones. "I wouldn't expect your trust to come easily," the brute rumbled, eyes bright but soft in a way that matched his smile. "You'll find I am a much different wolf than Craw." Not for the first time, Wraith cursed himself for not being present when the two packs first met. Had he been at Craw's side that day, perhaps they would not be in this position at all. But there was no use wishing for a different outcome when this one was just as suitable.

"Well," he said, turning to smile at Roosemooth. "We best be off then, eh?" To Drestig, Jessie, and Askan each in turn, the black man dipped his head. "Thank you for the audience. I'm glad we could all come to an accord. Here's to a brighter future between our packs. Be sure to let us know if there is anything we can do for you."

Though he waited to be certain they had no other concerns, Whitestone's Alpha gave one last dip of his head and turned to lead Roosemooth back towards home.

He wouldn’t have noticed Jessie’s sigh, if her mouth hadn’t been right next to his ear, a sound too soft to reach across the way to their visitors. But now the dark alpha glanced sideways, quirking a brow questioningly at his mate’s sharp stare; What? He’d accepted their offer, hadn’t he? Surely she wasn’t expecting him to roll right over just because this Wraith promised that things had changed. But their little intermezzo was over quickly, as Jessie turned to the Whitestone wolves, adding her own piece to his concession. And now it was his turn to scowl, mouth tightening into a thin line and brows furrowing ever so slightly at his co-leaders offer. He would not have gone that far, sticking firm to his distrust - it was way too early for that kind of commitment.

But it was out there, and he would not openly disagree with his mate in front of strangers. If ever the Monadnock chose to take advantage of the offer, they could have the discussion then. For now his focus remained on the dark wolves across from them, though an ear flicked towards Askan when the guardian added his own remark. The corner of Drestig’s mouth twisted into a smirk and he nodded ever so slightly, agreeing fully with both sentiments, though he doubted the younger man was completely truthful about forgetting the past.

Wraith certainly did seem like a positive change from his former leaders, relaxed and accepting in a way Drestig found much easier to deal with than the condescending manners of Craw and Morganna. He even smiled back at the larger man, nodding his own head - and gave the silent, elder wolf a similar farwell, just to keep to form. “You’ll hear from us,” the Rye king assured, in a tone that suggested only friendliness; This might all work out in the end.

Only when the visitors had disappeared beyond the soft hills, did he turn, smiling at Askan and nudging Jessie’s shoulder slightly, a hopeful tone to his voice as he said: “Looks like everything’s gonna work out after all.”

Word count: 351

Thoughts ”Speech”

kuschelirmel-stock @DA & Dawnthieves.de