Hidden Grotto preying on you tonight

kiss the ring and let them bow down

When she said that she had no idea who had killed Mapplethorpe, his heart sunk just a little bit. He could work with this. She made an offer, asking for help and offering some in returns which caused him to consider what he had that she didn't to deal with the situation. He hoped now that he had the emotional stability to deal with these kinds of issues and with that, he spoke, ending the feud that had grown inside of him for some time. "I never thought I would say this, especially to you, but I will help you." The words were slightly detached when they came out in the form of warm air from his maw to contrast the bitter cold that had started to settle in. Winter was coming and he feared it would compare to last year.

"To start, we need to find out who killed him. I don't know if you have any leads towards it but I'd suggest checking out Willow Ridge or, more specifically, Elettra Archer. If they killed my father, they might have killed yours as well." The grudge he held for the wolves of the Ridge made his blood almost boil as he tried to direct blame to them for the death of his former mentor as well. The chocolate boy thought about it a bit more and then spoke again. "We need to plan this out and not rush into things, but I assume you already knew that. I have a few more plans in the works so it might take a bit of time to figure everything out." He was just openly thinking out loud now as he considered the pack he wanted to form. He considered reviving Pitch Pine Trail but he found that he likes his paws dry for once. He took a deep breath, looking at his frenemy.

 

Aponi would probably never admit it out loud, but she would probably always have a bit of a soft spot for the wolf in front of her. While he drove her to crazy ends of anger and spite he had also been her first crush and the first wolf she had imagined a life with, no matter how brief.  Karpos Slayer had braved a mountain range in search of a pack he knew nothing about just so he could be with her and while she tried to smother the memories they now came rushing back. As he agreed to help some of the warmth she had once had flickered in her eyes and she smiled for the first time without any cruelty, "Well I never thought I would be asking for help either." The feeling in her stomach scared her half to death, she had never thought that she would allow herself to feel this way again, it hurt too much.

Karpos had grown a clear head on his shoulders since she had seen him last, he used to act purely on emotion but now he could take charge. Aponi nodded at his words understanding them all completely and took a moment before she responded with anything verbal of her own. The yearlings mind worked quickly, running through scenarios as fast as possible, "I think we need to split up for now, I will head to the old pack grounds to search for anything that might help us." The silver maw paused, the next words striking her hard as if someone had physically struck her. She had finally ripped apart the last shred of family that she held in a bout of anger, and @Nova  had been telling the truth.

Swallowing loudly Aponi pretended to be distracted by the trees in the distance as her next words came out in a rush. She exhaled as if the air would help force the syllables out, "Nova and her mate are the only ones who might know who it was. Ineedyoutofindthemandaskpleaseasshewillprobablyneverspeaktomeagain." Blinking harshly the blue eyes still stared unwavering  at the tips of the trees, "I don't know where they went, only that they looked like they were headed to this side of the mountain>" She was done now, she had said all she could say but maybe in the end her life would work out. Maybe someday she could be happy and maybe it would be with Karpos and she would have her sister back and would have avenged her father. Maybe.

@Aponi - Fading this out <3

get them drunk on rose water

Karpos was simply shocked that he was so willing to help the one wolf he really did not want to put up with. He would have to see Lachesis after this to make sure he was alright. The swarthy youth listened carefully to her words as she read them off like a spitfire. Nova not talking to Aponi? Now that I could see. He had only picked out parts of what she had said but it was enough to know that Aponi had said or done something stupid. "I'll talk to her if I see her but I still have to put my duties to my pack above this, Aponi." There was no room for argument in his voice. She was not going to take over his life anymore.

He would dip his head in farewell, turning his back on the Aquila girl as he headed back for home with a gulp. What had he just gotten himself into? Perhaps this was the time to show Aponi that he was not some stupid child anymore. Then again, why should he care what she thought? His chocolate brown eyes were troubled as he debated this. With everything that he had been planning, Aponi's need for revenge came last. Still, he began to wonder if the Ridge wolves had been involved in Thorpe's murder or if Karpos just did not trust him since they were the reason his father was gone. He didn't know what to do. He knew he had to ask Lachesis about it when he got back home.