Forth he came to Kisla's den, this time he came with a better meal and much better news.  From his jaws dangled a freshly killed snowshoe hare, wearing its summer coat.  It had blended in well to the forest floor, dark brown fur camouflaged amongst shadows and fallen leaves, but a wolf had his nose and ears to guide him where his eye could not.  The offering would be well received, he hoped, setting the carcass down in front of the opening.  One scent of the air and he realized the den was empty of the Queen and her children and the one-eyed dragon set forth to more common grounds.

Once there, he set his prize at his feet and settled up upon his haunches.  Up his muzzle went towards the canopy and he released a singular howl, requesting the presence of his alpha.  His call echoed around him amongst the massive trees, but he remained patient as his ears began to pivot and turn.  It'd not do to appear impatient now, would it?  The woman would come when she could, his news was not so urgent he had to hound her until she arrived.

When @Kisla did emerge from the forest, Kjors nosed his kill forward towards the leader, ears set at a pleasant angle as he bobbed his head.  "'lo," he greeted her easily, bushy tail sweeping the forest floor in slow swipes. "Ah bring news from th' wolves a' Oak Tree Bend.  Ran into them south a' here while lookin' fer plants."

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A wry smile spread across the dragon's grizzled muzzle, something glinting in his eye. So @Kisladid know about the presence of her Uncle further south - @Drestig had not been wrong. But it was as he'd informed the larger male, the queen's personal life and family business was not his own, and not something he was made privy to unless the woman wished it. Ah, but that was neither here nor there, and he cleared his throat. "Ah met two wolves, actually. Anna, a scout, up north here when Ah was around. Bu' she didn' share th' information. Ah met Drestig close t' their borders – gettin' plants fer @Karina, as Ah said. He was friendly enough."

And the Mother knew they could use allies. If the wolves of Round Stone Crest were their only accomplices at the moment, there was a great deal of room for improvement. (Perhaps it was a personal bias, but he did not trust Gent as far as he could through the brute – he didn't have to meet the others to be of a general, mild disdain for the entire lot.) Oak Tree Bend sounded like a reliable cause, especially with family ties. It was also wise to spread out a bit – a friend in the south could inform them of what happened further away, and vice versa.

"Triell's had two pups this year, said. An', more importantly, said they're in th' business of an alliance – Drestig was gonna report back t' his alpha, an' then said he'd send us a runner t' talk."

See, look at that. Kjors, out doing good work – much more productive than perhaps his past run in with the unknown wolves of the west.

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First was amusement, and Kjors felt a bubble of pride for bringing such good news.  Were he a less stoic man, he might have even wagged his tail – instead, he settled for the upturn of one corner of his mouth.  But soon the bubble was burst, mirth morphed into a much more serious demeanor and bewilderment washed over the male in a cold wave.  His body stilled as his ears swept back in a single motion – why hadn't Drestig mentioned that one of Kisla's brothers still lived among the pack?  Here he thought he was bringing good news, and it was only what the Queen had already known.

Ears became even flatter as the confusion clouding his cleared with the sobering notion that he'd brought nothing sunk in.  The alpha was not pleased with the notion of an alliance, obviously.  Kisla was forthright, and he imagined she'd have said so if she liked the notion.  If at all possible, the subordinate slowly got flatter, tail pressed into the ground as his shoulders began to sink.  "Ah didn' know," he muttered softly, refusing to drop her gaze despite his growing humiliation.  "Ah dunno if they'll actually send a scout…but nothin's set, only ideas, so…" He rolled his shoulders in a shrug, in a rare loss for words as he finally turned his head, gazing away into the trees.

Ah, yes, he thought.  This was the very reason he hated packs.  This was the reason he hated other wolves, this creeping, slimy feeling threatening to pull him in on himself as the dragon was tethered and chained by self-loathing and imperfection.  

"Ah'll escort 'em off, if y'don't wan' 'em," he muttered, drawing to his feet to back away slowly.  "If y'wan'.  Jes' give th' word."

He needed to get out of here.

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Ah was tryin' t' help, he thought glumly, trying to cast the thought off the moment it bared itself. Ears remained flat against his head, though the subordinate no longer tried to escape as he held himself still, allowing Kisla to draw near. Such a soft touch was met with surprise, perhaps even a twinge of anxiety hinted at only by the twitch in his shoulder as he sought not to shy away. He did not seek out physical contact, did not truly enjoy the presence of other wolves as he should, save for @Karina and her gentle nature. Perhaps it was not only he who was mentoring the princess, but perhaps the oldest Baranski princess was teaching him something in return.

After a moment, he turned his single eye back towards the woman, ears still flat in a sure sign of submission. "Fair enough," he rasped, and suddenly gleaned why she might not have been so quick to shed Round Stone Crest as an associate once Gent's true colors had been made known. Something lit back up behind his eye and he bobbed his head once before leaning in, tongue flicking out to lap against Kisla's jawline thrice in a rare display of true appeasement before stepping back again, removing himself from the Queen's space.

"Ah'll do better," he decided after a moment, ear shifting out to one side. This was important to him, for reasons he could not explain, but he needed Kisla to approve of him, for better or worse. Something dawned on him, then. "There's another, far, far south. On th' mountain, m'friend told me. Silent Moon Plateau. Ah know only that they're cruel t' her, but…tha's th' extent. S'all Ah have 'fer ya, now."

That, and the snowshoe hare he'd brought early as a prize.

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"Because she's different," Kjors answered as easily as breathing, his voice catching on a far off memory.  How well did he understand such a plight?  "They're cruel t' her 'cos she's different – she says she stays 'cos she feels she owes them loyalty 'fer takin' her in.  Bu' wha' kindness was it, when she's offered only abuse by the alpha's daughter?" he asked, tipping his head to study the Queen.  Knowing her as he did now, he could not imagine she would ever allow Karina (or her two young puppies) to behave so poorly towards any of their packmates, princesses or otherwise.  But perhaps the foreign princess's father (or mother, he was not sure) didn't care what she did or did not do – he only knew @Mahle suffered for the yearling's temper.

But that's not what Kisla asked – or rather, he hadn't quite gotten to his answer.  "She stays 'cos she's different.  Ah offered, y'know, 'fer her t' come with me, back t' Hearthwood River.  She's trainin' t' be a healer, an' she's Karina's age, an' since Amisun left…" The male rolled his shoulders in a shrug, assuming the younger wolf could understand what he was alluding to.  But it didn't matter now, for the priestess hadn't come, and Karina remained without another her age outside of her own brother – Orren was to his sister as the sun was to the moon.  They loved each other, yes, but how rarely would their interest coincide?

As if she could read his very thoughts, the alpha brought up the thread member of the litter – her missing son.  Kjors swung his head, lips twisting in an unhappy scowl. "Ah haven't.  Looked.  Fer him an' Amisun both.  Ah did tell Drestig t' keep an eye for 'im – he promised if Aleksei was sighted 'round Oak Tree Bend 'er those parts, 'e'd bring 'im back himself…but tha's all Ah've got.  No idea where he's gone…"

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