Nomads Pass Consuasor

@Mapplethorpe - long overdue <3

(After breeding thread with Rhys and sneaking off to see Triell)

She doubted her absence had gone unnoticed by the wolves of the Pass, an almost constant presence since her return from the Hollow, her last voyage had been... unplanned... in more ways than one. She returned with a scent far more heady than the scent of heat - to her mind at least. It was a beacon to the rest of the pack, a sign of their triumph yet again. There would be cubs this year... Though whose...

She cut herself off mid-thought. She was struggling enough to deal with the way that Rhysis had come to her, conflicted about their encounter to the point she couldn’t bring herself to stay. She had sought comfort in the only place she knew to find it... Rhysis... he had been so wild... so dominating - something she had come to think she could never bare to stand again and yet, she had submitted. Her heart racing and her thoughts a blur... It was wrong - or so she kept telling herself. He still slept separate to her... What had her submission gained? Nothing had changed.

Her brows were drawn together tightly in thought as her paws left heavy tracks in the thin coating of snow that remained. She settled herself by one of the taller falls that made its way through the Pass and waited. Someone would be by soon, she could only assume... Curious what new heavy scent now laced their border and to see if she had truly returned... She was dubious that all had been quiet in her absence.

mapplethorpe

prævalent illicita

As determined as he was to keep well away from the Pass at nearly all hours during the day, Mapplethorpe had found himself worrying about the absence of his queen. Instead of lurking about the edges of he Ghastly Woods and rummaging about the Wildwood for something the significant wildfire had pitifully claimed, he waited for any sign of her return. On his first watch, he had taken up a post far up along the mountain side with his eyes trained on the distant horizon. Hours later, the shelf where he and Tenzin had first become acquainted with one another; and, hours after that, another post somewhere at the base of the Pass. By evening and well past night fall, he prowled the rocky ledges before finally retiring to his sleeping quarters. Then, come sunrise again, his patrol would continue.

He was just about ready to deem new routine a waste of time when he deviated from one of his posts to start traveling along the crooked trees that grew along the slope leading up to Nomads Pass. It had only taken a couple meters and a mere hint of her scent to snap him out of his developing reverie. The brute had to stop and inhale two deep breaths before he was able to fully recognize her scent. While he acknowledged that he was roughly a few years her senior, his mind still reeled; and, with the addition of Rhysis' cologne in addition to another's, the desire to be the first to possibly discover her ballooned in his chest.

His limbs tensed but once he had unlocked himself from his rigid stance, he set off after her. Wherever her tracks had left indentations in the melting snow, he stepped, and wherever cold stone harbored her aroma, he made sure he was still on track by setting his nose to the ground. Up, up, and up he clambered; with the change of seasons it was hardly a challenge to find her. Once on level ground again where the pass somewhat plateaued, his eyes caught sight of her, waiting patiently at the foot of the waterfall that fathered the several cascades that snaked through the pack's territory.

Immediately, as he came within view, his body lowered. His orange-dusted ears folded back, his tail curled at his heels, and his eyes settled on her shoulder as he drew near. Only when he came within earshot did he set his gaze on her for a brief second before fully averting his bright yellow irises. His ivory muzzle dipped down as he craned his neck closer to the ground.

"Your Grace..."

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Lost... lost. Perhaps she should have stayed lost? The lull of these falls was so different to the crash of the Bramble Falls and helped to remind her of exactly where she was as she threw her thoughts away with the ever increasing current. Something deep within her had... softened since her little adventure. Though what it was she couldn’t quite put her paw on. A heavy sigh left her chest just before the gentle voice came to her ears.

Slowly, her head turned, golden eyes falling on the oldest member of her pack. A gentle smile graced her lips as she all but whispered "Mapplethorpe..." A small gesture of her head indicating the tawny man should move closer. Possibly more-so than any other, he had been there for her. She found his gifts and ear when needed and once again, it was he who came to her in such an unsure time... and to think their first encounter had been so... different.

"I did not expect to be gone..." at all.. "for so long." As the familiar scent of pack washed over her she relaxed herself some more. This was where she was meant to be... Although where she was to go from here was yet to be determined. "Has much occurred in my absence?" It was obvious she was making small talk but best to keep the discussion neutral for now, even if her inner turmoil was painted clearly as if it had been written across the skies.

mapplethorpe

prævalent illicita

"Mapplethorpe..." her voice sounded like music to his ears. To hear the soft "m" on her lips followed by the rest of his name - a strained "ay" and the hushed "pull" and "thôrp" - made his tail wave about behind him. His eyes closed briefly and he waited with utmost patience for her to speak again. To acknowledge him further and exchange much valuable information. She began by stating that she had not anticipated being gone and that she had initially expected to be home much sooner than she had planned. The tawny man kept silent, knowing quite well that while Rhysis' distinctive smell still mingled within the strands of her pelt, Naira had at least seen someone in the pack just recently... and he was quite glad that it had been the dark monarch himself.

One of his ears rose upward but flattened again when she asked him directly if anything had happened while she was gone. He opened is eyes, staring now to the ground at her feet. "No, Your Grace, but I admit that I have kept my own agenda while you were away. The pack, however, seem to be doing well still as a whole. The caches have been replenished, the markers well guarded, every belly kept full and your sons well looked after."

He chanced a fleeting glimpse at her face, just a second to gauge the emotion held in her eyes. "If I may have the permission to speak though, Your Highness," he slowly enunciated, his tongue ready to weave a number of white lies as a form of punishment for her impulsive trip beyond the Pass. "The boys ought to be properly tutored in their skills; their preferences in amusement seem to suggest that they would rather play. All. Day. Long."

A slight pause for a hint of flair and the Advisor began again, his tone continually calm and uniform in tone, "As Leader, might I suggest that special care should be taken in regards to Sagacity?" He fought hard to keep the smile off his face and when he was unable to stop it from curling the corners of his mouth upward, he lifted his head to fully glance at her and give her a rather audacious smile. "The girl's been quite resourceful and she has proven herself to be quite sharp. I fear she may have been scheming while you were away." The grin abruptly disappeared, "I am certain whatever courses of action you choose will be adequate... I would loathe to see the day your throne is taken from you by some lowly Scout."

He grew quiet and for some time the seconds ticked past. Perhaps he had said too much... One of his forepaws lifted from rocky soil then set back down further away from where it had once been, making his stance sturdier than before. "I've left you something to eat at your chamber... told the young masters to leave it alone if they know what's best for them."

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(This post was last modified: Mar 07, 2013, 08:47 PM by Mapplethorpe.)

It was with great care that she listened to all the wolf at her side had to offer, the news of the boys want to play was new to her but Adonis had been robbed of such times when he was younger and although it broke her heart to think of the need to crack down on them, Thorpe had a point. She was after all, carrying the next litter of little Nomad’s and they would need to begin to pull their weight long before their siblings were born. Time was running out and she nodded along with his words in acknowledgment.

His next words had a more instinctual effect, a low growl sounding at the mention of her name. It would seem she wasn’t the only one to hold such thoughts although as time had passed she had come to convince herself it was all in her head. If he saw it too, perhaps she wasn’t so mad..? It was there, the seed of doubt... it didn’t take much to get the words flowing off her tongue. It was too much for one wolf to bare.

"He reeked of her... When we..." She admitted in hushed tones, trusting her suspicions would go no further than the two of them. "He said she almost fell off the mountain..." Her tone more than conveyed she wished she had. "We... fought..." a small smile betraying her true feelings about the encounter, "Still he stays away."

The confusion was clear in her voice, perhaps she was expecting too much from him? Maybe the best course of action would be to make the first move, and join him in his den instead of waiting for him to join her in hers? But was she ready to swallow her pride and do so? Or would she continue to push him away?

♫ Winter is Coming

mapplethorpe

prævalent illicita

He noticed with extreme care when the queen let out an edgy growl. Oh, she already knew... His brows rose and he nodded after she informed him that Rhysis had smelled of the young woman presumably when Naira had last met him. Though he had been spending time isolated from the pack, the Hand of the Queen, showed just where his loyalty truly rested by keeping notes on the band of Nomads. It seemed mostly everyone kept to themselves and it was only when he realized that Sagacity and the King were often nowhere to be found did he really decide about bringing it up to his dearest Naira Regine.

"Don't let it trouble you so, My Queen," he consoled her, turning his head to one side out of respect. The confusion in her voice came across as clear as day and he reeled momentarily about his words, what encouraging truths he could use to restore her morale. "You are the empress of the Pass and you will be denied nothing. You are to be denied nothing if only you let them know who truly owns this realm. So Rhysis stays away... then show him!" His ears returned to their rightful positions atop his crown. "Use determination instead to show him that you will not stand for his evasive behavior any longer. If it seems he does not agree with the sleeping quarters you have claimed, then make one closer to his." An underlying tone in his voice rose up with such verve that his next sentence seemed to roll from the tip of his tongue with the aid of invisible flames, "If he will not yield then I will see to him myself. You need only say the words."

Mapplethorpe shifted his paws again, his filled out frame now standing at its full height. His head leveled but he immediately corrected himself and tipped his muzzle to the ground again. He quietly swallowed, waiting to see if the air between them would change, if his heightening senses could feel her confidence rising. "No queen of mine ever takes what little she deserves; she seizes what is rightfully hers... without question."

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He was right of course, to tell her not to worry. Surely the girl wouldn’t dare and nor would Rhysis wander so willingly... Although the same could have been said of her until a week ago... Her eyes did not betray the truth of her journey, and she listened closely as Thorpe continued, his bold tone lifting her spirits and confirming what she knew to be true. She bought herself to sit a little straighter, her ears drawing more directly forwards, far less the defeated wreck she had considered herself only moments before. Of course he was right.

His words of truth were music to her ears and the fervor with which he offered to see to Rhysis left another smile on her face. She saw his movements from the corner of her eye, his straightening, then respectfully bowing his head again. She turned to him, tipping her own ears back as her nose dipped below his chin with a nudge. There was no need for such formality when they were alone.

Her eyes rested on his face a moment before turning back to the water. Eye contact was hardly something many were comfortable with and she didn’t want him to feel as if he were being reproached for such bold words. Especially when they were exactly what she needed to hear. Her look had been softer than her usual piercing glare. Something had certainly changed.

She was not a young wolf, having just recently passed her fourth birthday, but nor was she entirely knowledgeable in the way things should be done. Having been raised in an entirely dysfunctional pack, where others were allowed to breed willy-nilly she sometimes found herself conflicted when it came to her own rampant need to drive other females from the pack lands. "What do I do if she does go behind our backs? If she is too cowardly to outright challenge as she should?" It completely slipped her notice that she had said our instead of my, although it was clear this was a conversation of a more personal nature.

Every instinct was screaming to rip, and kill... but that had not been the way she was raised, and so she was conflicted. "If my grandmother had enforced breeding rights after her first year... Well I certainly wouldn’t be here. It just feels... wrong though to let her stay... But I guess after that last fiasco letting any female stay would feel wrong..." The last was laced with a far more bitter tone than the pensive one she had been using earlier, it was clear she was not yet ready to forgive, nor forget. She was sure somehow that Rhysis had a good reason to accept the girl in the first place, it was just the timing that was all wrong, surely? If only she could convince herself that were the case...

mapplethorpe

prævalent illicita

When she lifted his muzzle with her own, he adopted the lofty position with ease when she pulled away again. His right ear twitched as though it were warding off an irksome fly. Out of the corner of his vision he noticed that the hard lines usually harbored on her face had gone soft, that trouble still stirred in her metallic orange eyes. Something had changed, and he hoped, above all things, that this change, whatever aspect had morphed permanently or temporarily, did not further weaken this monarch of the mountain.

Doubt. Questioning. Bitterness. It all poured out over his dear superior's lips. Every leader did well to have some uncertainty and the means to question what did not yet make sense, but for one as such as Naira Aquila, Mapplethorpe vowed to himself that he would share some, if not most of, the burden. To shoulder her worries just as he did kept him secure, snuggled deep within the Nomads' core... so long as he made sure he had both his head and heart in the right places. For as long as he felt needed, a necessity to her, he would keep giving so that he could also receive in turn.

"If... he has taken her," he began, his words still fatherly in tone as he slowly seated himself at her side. "Then we will know. If she is too cowardly to do what it takes to declare herself as Rhysis' companion, then so be it. Let the girl continue to be foolish in her ways; she can live under your shadow for all eternity if need be." With observing how she had insinuated that maybe Sagacity and Rhysis had bred, he careful to add, "Let her suffer the consequences. You laid down the law and you will uphold it by any means you see fit."

He looked at her, only briefly looking at the water and her reflection of the sky before turning back to her face, "Do what you must, but a ruler also shows compassion... tolerance. If you and Rhysis are to be equals then you must also treat him as such. Go on and punish him, and cast him away, letting him come and go as he pleases, but also let him know you are also... his." An amused smile suddenly crept up on his face as he took into account how he alone presently operated. "Relationships are a give and take kind of matter," he lent. "You went your way and he went his. It was only fair."

Mapplethorpe cast his gaze over his shoulder, sitting still for several seconds before setting his eyes on the falls. For an instant fear rose up from him like a wisp of smoke from a snuffed candle, but it was immediately stamped out as he steeled himself for any defensive remark on her part. The boundaries Naira maintained were blurred, but so long as she kept them as they were, Mapplethorpe would constantly dance from one side to the other. He needed her approval just as much as he needed her to strike him down.

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A kind of peace came over her with his fatherly words. It was true there was nothing to be done - for now it could all well be simply in her head. After all, on her return she had found the girls scent to be less and less about their borders, leading her to think that perhaps she would not be a problem that Naira would be left to deal with after all. He seemed to condone whatever action she wished to take on the matter which instilled her with a new bout of confidence, if he believed in her yet then maybe there was hope.

His last words however were quick to draw a snarl from her lips as her rear lifted from the ground, a quick step to the side bringing her close to the advisor before she caught herself, the gravelly tone fading from her chest and being replaced with a wary glance. If he had needed more proof of her apparent infidelity, physical or emotional - she had just served it to him on a silver platter. Where Triell was concerned, she needed to learn to reign her emotions in, as tattered and confused as they were.

There was a stiffness in her joints, some of the hard lines returning to her face, feeling more herself again she had to wonder if she could give Rhysis what he wanted, if she could be all the things had whispered in her ear as he had taken her, and large part baulked at the thought, while a small part cried out in longing. She had much to think on yet. A nudge begging forgiveness and offering thanks was offered to the advisors cheek, while the burning desire to run ate her from the inside out. She needed to get away. She needed to be alone.

{Naira out}

mapplethorpe

prævalent illicita

As he had expected, she snarled. The Advisor did not even flinch and she drew closer, he took a deep breath then quickly exhaled, his eyes trained straight ahead on the cascading water. His brows merely lifted from their places on his forehead, waiting... anticipating the closeness of her bared teeth to his face or the sudden sensation of her teeth piercing his shoulder. With open ears he waited, but nothing came.

His eyelids draped over his citrine eyes and only when he felt her touch her nose to his cheek did he open them once more. "You know where to find me, my lady," he whispered, his smooth voice low while she still kept close. When she drew away from him he released the breath that had sought refuge in his lungs. Again, his head tipped downward, but remembering how she had corrected him, lifted it once more as he stood up. A quick scan of his surrounding and a wistful gaze confirmed that she had gone, to be alone, he assumed. Maybe it would be best if he made himself scarce as well.

Slowly taken steps brought him along her path only for some time before he branched off in a different direction, heading for the dead tree he had claimed months ago as his own personal sleeping quarters. His ears lowered as he replayed the conversation in his head twice over, skimming details at first before overanalyzing the second time around. When he truly considered the matters at hand, he had already laid himself down between the old tree's crooked roots. Tenzin... Rhysis... Triell... Mapplethorpe... Perhaps she had seen enough of beasts, men, and dogs to last her the whole of Spring's passing. Until his Queen had use for him again, it is here that he would remain.

(EXIGO.)

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