Kingsfall like causes without rebels

For the lovely @Kisla !
Partly cloudy, 66F, late morning.

Things were going…well. It was a bizarre sensation, Kjors had to admit, not finding himself dreading the next sudden pitfall hiding around the bend. Once the Hearthwood River pack had settled, it was up to him to find a den – like hell he was willing it to share it with the rest of the large group. No sooner had he carved it out and invited his little gem to share it did he discover Zephyr Rills, and relocate himself further from the center of the area to the peaceful streamside. Once again, he ushered his @Karina to use it whenever she needed, to store her plantlife or take a rest away from the hubbub when it all became too much. It was freakish, for lack of a better word, but he was satisfied. For now. A dragon could never truly be sated, neither his treasure-lust slaked nor his need to dominant quelled. The princess had stolen his heart, what was left of the broken, battered, black thing absently fluttering in his chest, but she'd not taken from his the sharp wit between his ears. It was said unrivaled mind that insisted he visit the Queen this day – and so he did, but not without making a brief trip southward first. When he arrived at the natal den, he set down a squirrel at the mouth before summoning Kisla with a low, guttural bark. He could only assume she was present with the children – if not inside, then nearby, watching them as they toddered and explored all that would one day become theirs. "Kisla," the dragon rumbled, and fell silent. Sooner or later, she would come.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

She did not stray far from the den these days. The pups were only five weeks of age – their clumsy paws began to skirt them closer to the outside of the den, and she spent much of her time either ushering them back within the safety of their home beneath the tall tree, or allowing them to romp upon the stretch of grass under her careful watch. Maksim would visit after patrols, though she seen less of her silvered mate than she would deem appropriate. Still, she was not without company – Naia, Karina, Orren and even Kjors saw to that.

It was the one-eyed wolf that beckoned her forward today, and slipping away from her two dozing puppies, she felt the warmth of the air upon her pelt before casting bright green eyes upon her companion. She was not sure what to make of him just yet – but he kept her daughter happy, and she found herself not wishing to delve further in to the persistent thoughts that crept along her mind.. the one that questioned just how much time spent with her yearling girl was appropriate for a man of his age.

“Kjors,” she greeted smoothly, brushing her nose to his cheek in way of a pack mate greeting. She slipped past him then, senses alerted as any motherly instinct would at leaving her den entrance open to her two puppies, and yet the man had done nothing to warrant concern. Her paws slipped in to the banks of the river – the one they had named their homestead after – before she bent her muzzle down, quenching the thirst that suddenly plagued her.

sparking up my heart

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

The squirrel was ignored, much to the dragon's dismay.  His ears pricked forward as he studied the younger wolf, dipping his head in a brief display of respect.  The greeting was met with one of his own – perhaps a less enthused reception, but her licked at her chin in a subservient display all the same.  Kisla did not demand these things of him, and perhaps that was why the swarthy male was willing enough to offer them up to her.  It surprised even the former alpha in truth – so long he'd avoided dominant females, unpleasantly reminded of his own dam, but thus far had found nothing in relation between the Baranski woman, and the witch that had taken his father's name as his own. Waiting until she finished her drink, he settled his haunches.  Thick tail curled around his haunches as he gazed at the squirrel once more, hoping the queen might this time notice the offering he'd fetched.  Eventually, he cleared his throat, and began.  "While Ah'm aware y'have a scout 'lready, Ah am aware tha' Ah mentioned Ah may have some information fer yerself.  Other packs y'dunno well, an' all tha'," he hummed, position relaxed. The submission remained, easier than it had ever been for him.  It was almost like an unreality, a dream state, but he did not feel the need to defend himself from any attack, current or future, perceived or otherwise.  "Ah met wi' one of our allies, lately.  Round Stone Crest?  Used t' be Black Thorn Downs, Ah suppose.  Ah a bastard of a wolf – Gent.  Lieris.  Poor sport, tha' one.  Real bossy. Didja know ol' Tokino was murdered?" he asked casually, as if enquiring how Kisla had slept, or if she knew whether it might rain.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

(This post was last modified: Jun 19, 2015, 04:31 PM by Kjors. Edit Reason: Broke the fourth wall! )

The honeyed woman soothed her throat with the river water before pushing herself straighter once more, her eyes drifting back to the swarthy one-eyed male who sat so comfortably at her den. Kjors was an interesting fellow -- she found herself quite taken with his presence if only that he seemed to get straight to the heart of matters. Her gaze would flicker to the squirrel -- something not missed by the regal Baranski, but unwilling to throw her weight around by snatching it away from his presence. Who was she to assume her pack mates bestowed gifts upon her?

Yet his gaze would draw to it, and then flicker back at her, and pulling herself away from the water's edge, Kisla canted her muzzle toward the meal in a manner that bore a simple question -- was this for her? It was a simple statement -- and if he chose to challenge him for the squirrel, she could.. and would. She was certainly brazen enough to do so -- it was how she had challenged Astra for her rank that had ultimately lead her to the role she now sat within.

He spoke then -- his rumbling tone slurring words in a way she found almost soothing. His news, however, was not, and the female blinked, a light frown marring her slender features. "Tokino was Minka's mate, yes?" She paused, rolling over the name 'Gent.' It was unfamiliar to her -- though she would have been bemused to know it was the very same wolf who had once tried to steal from their cache at Cut Rock River during the winter. "Do they know who did it?"

sparking up my heart

Finally, the woman acknowledged that he'd brought with him a gift. As she inclined her muzzle towards it, Kjors gave a silent nod – it was killed specifically with the queen in mind. (And if he did not eat it, he'd be a fair bit sore over the matter, though he'd not voice it immediately.) As alpha, he rather imagined it was his duty as a lower-ranking pack member. (Painful as that was to admit, but she had pups to see to, and a mate he'd yet to so much as lay eyes on, though his scent remained in the area, assuring his continued existence.) Alas, the squirrel lay forgotten a bit longer – perhaps he shouldn't have played that bit of information so quickly. It was meant as a bit of bait, get Kisla hungry for what the one-eyed dragon was actually capable of. Perhaps it had worked a bit too well, and now it was up to him to decide how much information to divulge. It was the fair monarch's approval he wished for – Maksim's general absence left him as little more than a figurehead in the swarthy male's mind. Clearly, the queen who had her paws in everything, and she was the one he meant to endear himself to. So, he decided, he would speak – if she could see his potential, perhaps that would lead to an actual working relationship between the pair. "Aye, that'd be th' Tokino. They haven't th' slightest who dunnit. S'why Gent was questionin' me," he hummed, tipping his head to one side. "Ah know, though. 'Course, he wasn' willin' t' trade me 'nythin' 'fer it, an' Ah dun see why Ah should give somethin' so valuable away 'fer free." He paused, watching the Tainn regal for a reaction. "Can't give ya a name – didn' introduce himself, bu' Ah can describe him fair well. Understan', though, Ah offer this t' you 'cos, as it stands, Ah am th' lesser wolf." But for how long, well. Only time would tell.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

Kjors did not answer her silent question when she indicated to the squirrel, and so, the honeyed woman helped herself instead. She inclined her muzzle in a direction that allowed her to listen to her companion while also beginning to gnaw the creature in half – what she assumed to be a present from the swarthy male who kept looking at it, and yet she would certainly share with him if he desired it.

Upon completion, the she-wolf settled her rump down, licking the blood form her lips as her eyes fell upon him – his statement suddenly caught her off guard, and she blinked at the man before her. Did he just say what she had heard? He knew who killed another.. and wanted to hold the information for leverage?

Stoical, the Baranski lady took this in, feeling her stomach churn slightly. This was the man who kept her daughter company – this was the beast who was molding her now. Her respect for him plummeted, and yet.. she inhaled sharply, willing herself to gather the facts before settling her judgement. “And what are you looking to gain in exchange for information like this?” Her tone was neutral, her gaze sharp as she studied him – this was dangerous water they treaded now. Minka was their ally, and the information was invaluable to them.. had another withheld information if it had been Maksim.. Kisla was not sure she could be held accountable for the havoc she would wreck upon those that would do such a thing.

sparking up my heart

Finally, the Queen took part in the gift he'd brought. Some of the tension left the male's shoulders, and he remained silent while Kisla enjoyed her meal. After all, there was nothing like heavy conversation to ruin a meal. Ears remained flat, expression neutral and submissive as he waited, quietly. Despite his general inexperience, the male strove to behave himself as the alpha's subordinate. It was she (and Karina, in truth), that encouraged the otherwise asocial wolf to be an active member of society.

Kisla's question did not surprise him, and he studied her with a level expression. "This has lil' t' do with gain," he replied, careful to keep his voice even no matter how passionately he felt about the Game at large. His single eye did not leave her face, studying, seeking even the smallest change in expression that may betray how she felt about the information he offered to her so freely – surely she could realize this was a second gift laid at her feet. "Ah'd no idea th' male dead was Tokino 'til Gent described him fer me – ain't like Ah coulda come forward, knowing. Tha' aside, don't know th' name a' th' other male, only tha' he walked like an alpha, hated Tokino's bones, an' wha' he looked like. There was bad blood."

That much was obvious. But that was not what Kjors had been questions, and while that information was presented, it was not what his queen sought of him. After a moment of thought, he exhaled heavily. "Ah wanted assurance. Ah'm jes' one subordinate, an' if Gent killed me, ain't no one who'd know, 'cept @Karina – an' you an' Ah both know she'd jes' feel abandoned. But no, was aggressive, tha' one, an' without a name, 'er a promise, why was Ah supposed t' trust that he'd be truthful passin' th' information on? Best t' hear it from me, th' witness," he growled softly, shaking his head. He did not trust that shadow of a wolf – not with the information, and not to avoid disposing of his sources once he'd learned what he wished. "Somethin' weird, 'bout tha' wolf. Why's he lookin' into business a' his lady alpha, mhm?"

Finally, the dragon shrugged, lapsing back into silence as he struggled to control his emotion. He did not usually feel this strongly about anyone – if he did, it was about a woman, one that reminded him of his vicious mother. But a man? No, there was something off about Gent, he was certain of it. "Ah didn' tell him 'cos Ah didn' trust him. S'all there was to it, really."

Oooh, these threads are about to get sloppy/dramatic. :o

There was decent reasoning to her pack mates words – but that didn’t aide in the sticky situation they would find themselves in. There was no doubt they would need to tell Minka and Round Stone Crest, and so she gave a final nod. “Thank you for coming forward,” she offered then, unable to shake the uneasiness that shrouded over her like a fog now. “We will need to tell our allies – if only to allow them to rest.” She paused then, though, hearing his hesitations on the wolf called Gent. “I don’t believe I’ve met him – but perhaps you and I will go and seek an audience with Minka herself.” After all, she was the widowed wolf, and the one who truly deserved to know what had happened to her mate.

Her appetite had drained from her, but politely, the honeyed woman continued to gnaw almost absent mindedly on the meal provided. “Round Stone Crest are our allies, but I am not sure how well that is serving us,” she finally mused, knowing her mate would not agree with her. Maksim was a trusting wolf – a loyal man, who put his word above all else. But to what benefit did either pack see of it? The Downs had not aided them with Whisper Caverns – and had almost ignited a war with Secret Woodlands. The tension between the River wolves and their allies would be palpable if they knew they were withholding information for so long. She would need to tread lightly on this.

“What did the offender look like?” She was not sure it was of consequence to her, but perhaps she would better be able to provide a name. She had lived within Relic Lore her entire life, after all.

sparking up my heart

Ears rotated back by degrees, the uneasy fog blanketing @Kisla soon spreading to her subordinate. It was unusual for him to be so easily afflicted by others' emotions – was it because she was his gem's mother? Did the Queen share the same abilities @Karina possessed? A curious notion, but one for another day. The gravity of this situation was obvious, and even a fool would realize that the alpha was probably not feeling particularly eleemosynary after having a bombshell essentially laid at her paws.

The male sighed heavily, shoulders sinking by inches as he raked his mind. His single eye closed as he reflected back – Tokino was the silver wolf, as Gent had told him. "Th' other wolf, he was big, bigger than me. Very…wide. Brown, but with reddish highlights. Noticeably, bright green eyes," Kjors recalled, slowly opening his eye to study his alpha. That was all he could remember of the second male. It was clear that neither had any interest in him – given they were healthier, and larger, and he himself had only just entered Relic Lore, he was in no state to intervene.

"Ah'm naw sure Gent's th' ally y'want'. Too heavy handed. Can't say much 'bout th' rest of th' Crest, tha's th' only one Ah met. Ain't a good representative, if y'ask me," the man grunted, swinging his head. This entire situation felt like a trap, as far as he was concerned – yes, Kjors knew, but he had no idea the murdered was Tokino, and as he said, there'd been no way of knowing if Gent would report back honestly, if at all. "Dunno. Suppose seein' Minka's th' best course a' action. Ah'll describe t' her as Ah did you, if tha's whatcha want."

A silence fell over them for several minutes, and Kjors was almost content to leave it there. Something was gnawing at him, however, and he cleared his throat, waiting for the woman to meet his eye before he continued. "Ah don't…do this," he tried to stress, lifting one paw to motion to her, and back to himself. His discomfort was finally obvious, the male no longer taking great pains to shield it as his efforts were focused on instead expressing himself. "Talk. T' alphas. But Ah'll…mhm, make m' best attempt, mhm?"

For once in his life, Kjors Sørenson wanted to be part of a pack that wasn't his to lead.