Silent Moon Plateau leave nothing that resembles a soul

For @Aesire only.

It was time to start acknowledging those who lived within the same domain as him. If he was to be an aid to his brother, which was the debt he would finally be determined to repay, then he needed to know all the players involved in this chess match. Erebos believed just as strongly as Phineas did in securing that the line of descent of Silent Moon Plateau's crown should fall squarely upon the head of legitimate Argyris blood only. It had yet to be decided if this would include his cinnamon brothers' little mistake, Kyna or not, but it was certain that this could never include the two bastard children who claimed the treacherous name of Caravello.

From what he'd been told, and from what he believed to be proper and moral, the boy and girl had been born of nothing but sin. If Aesire hadn't earned her way to the top of the female hierarchy, Erebos would've wondered why the entire little family hadn't been run out already. He still, certainly, couldn't believe that the thieving Ace had any place amongst the plateau. Their indiscretions were seen as a stain upon his brother's land, and Erebos wanted nothing more than to rub the smirch out of existence.

This would take time, however, for many reasons. Firstly, Erebos was in no position to be inciting such things. He was still physically weakened by his solitary life and age, and thus currently held the lowly position of fifth among the pack's males. Even if he was capable, Phineas still did not trust him; the olive branch that had been extended to the age-mate sibling had been wilting. It would take time and encouragement for the sickly plant to grow strong once more. Both of those ill situations needed to be remedied before Erebos could even think of acting, but most pressing of all, he didn't have the full story. Erebos had never even met the wolves he begrudged, nor anyone else amongst the pack truly.

That was the reason he sought her out today, the current queen of Silent Moon Plateau. It was aggravating even thinking of her as such, not just for her crimes but for the simple fact that she wasn't Borlla. It bothered him incredibly that Phineas' old wife was gone, and even more so the lack of explanation given. Abandoned them? Why? It was difficult for Erebos to accept that he may never find the answer.

As her scent grew strong and the man knew he would catch sight of her at any second, Erebos swallowed back the bitter taste upon his tongue and tried to look relatively pleasant; at least he was able to wipe the disgust from his face. Still, his general mask of distrust remained, a genuine trait of his aging personality.

"Aesire Caravello?" he called out, hoping she would heed his request for conversation and not make his time searching a waste.

@Erebos - Hope this substitution is fun!

The young child had been growing at a slow but steady pace, maintaining the proper skills for his given age. There was a sense for adventure, but more of a sense of protection. There was a desire brewing in his chest to protect those he loved. He didn’t understand why his parents remained so protective, but it had carried on and had been passed to him as he secretly watched his sister when she went on her escapades to speak and play with Kyna. He had told his mother about it once, and she seemed fine with it even if she was a bit tense about it, so he supposed he should treat them the same, almost like a mission. He was in the den, thinking while his parents were out doing their respective jobs when he heard a voice. Aesire Caravello.

The pup approached the end of the den, a small smile on his face thought suspicion planted in his eyes. “She’s out doing her pack job stuff, and she’s a Destine, my dad’s the Caravello.” He greeted the stranger, feeling bold enough to talk to him given the fact that Maeve was allowed to have her secret playmate. He often found himself watching Tannis, though he had not spoken much with him since their first encounter. “I’m Wren Destine-Caravello and I can help ya if you need. I’m a little bored.” He was nothing if not honest, and he needed someone to talk to.

The emerald eyed child had a plot brewing in the back of his mind depending on the petty feelings he felt. He had a plan to become a prince, despite his parents explaining that he would not be one within the confines of Silent Moon Plateau. He was told he had to make his own legacy, and was told stories about how his mother’s parents had created theirs. He had determination, but his plan wouldn’t work if he didn’t know anyone. He knew Aunt Vitani, who liked to talk to mom, and he knew Kyna just from observation. He knew Tannis as an advice giver. Apart from that, he was secluded and anti-social. Something he was set on changing.

Swift as a Deer. Quiet as a Shadow.

Wren Destine-Caravello

Fear Cuts Deeper Than Swords.

The man crested a knoll, still following his nose, and looked down the mild slope he realized that he had tracked the woman all the way to her birthing den. His nose crinkled as the scents of her children and @Ace entered his lungs, decipherable now that the fog of his own focus had dissipated and his mind opened to receive other things. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to keep going, to poke the mother bear at the threshold of her own den, but as he lingered in indecisiveness, a child made up his mind for him.

Stepping from the dark of the den's shadowy embrace was a young boy, who declared not only his mother's absence but a correction as to her name.

"Yer mother didn't take yer father's name?" he couldn't help but ask aloud. Whore.

The boy had offered to help him, and the elder visibly bristled at the suggestion that he might need any kind of assistance from a whelp so young. Once again he considered turning around and leaving, but the child seemed to be well informed none the less, and thus he thought that, so as not to make this venture a complete waste of his time, perhaps he could dig a bit of knowledge out of the little creature.

"Bit of a long name, don't ya think?" he questioned as he drew closer to the boy. He seemed intelligent enough, and so Erebos didn't want to go asking obvious questions and raise any suspicions. No, he would begin with seemingly unimportant though casual conversation. As if he actually cared to know about the bastard child's life.

"Why not just take yer dad's name?"

(This post was last modified: Aug 24, 2015, 10:07 AM by Erebos.)

@Erebos - A tad rambly this little boy is xD

Wren had a small grin to his face when the man asked why his mother didn’t take his father’s name. That was something he could use to show how smart he was becoming! Quickly the boy would answer, remembering one of the stories his momma had told him about it when he asked why he himself had such a long name. Then, the man also asked the question he had once posed. “My mother told me that it was a tradition from her birth pack, to keep her surname and then add her new surname on the end like she did with mine. I mean, technically she is a Destine-Caravello but that is really long so I just say Destine. When it’s my birthday, momma says I get to pick which name I keep.” The boy glowed, a grin on his face.

Why not just take yer dad’s name?

“I dunno, I kinda like having both names. It’s really long but it reminds me of who I am.” The answer was a strange one, there was no denying that, but the pup didn’t particularly care. This man was so strange, and Wren had no idea to know what his thoughts were. If he did, Wren probably wouldn’t be talking to him anymore. “Momma says I can be a guardian and I can protect the princesses and I can work with the princes! It’s since I’m not a pack prince, just her prince, but you know that already ‘cause you in da pack. It’s kinda weird but momma hasn’t lied to me yet soooo.” The boy declared proudly, getting off into his own little side conversation as he slowly started to lose focus.

Swift as a Deer. Quiet as a Shadow.

Wren Destine-Caravello

Fear Cuts Deeper Than Swords.

@Wren

The kid was pretty eager to answer his questions, and while he rambled quite a bit, Erebos found he didn't mind so much. While he may not be speaking with the one who had been his main focus, the boy's words were still leagues better than the scuttlebutt he'd been forced to rely on thus far. In fact, this could possibly be better than speaking directly to Aesire herself. The child was young enough to be thoroughly naive, unable to suspect Erebos' ill intent, and therefore the man would be able to better trust all of what came out of his small mouth.

The most interesting bit was what was said at the end of his little speech. Not being raised as little heirs, eh? That was not only a curiosity, but pleasing to his gray ears. Still, perhaps Aesire knew her children could be exploited for intel; perhaps she had not shared her true intentions with them. Erebos could not help the wealth of paranoia existing within his mind, for regardless of Wren's innocent answers, his parents were still lawbreakers who had gravely disrespected his brother. They could not be trusted, and such a fact upheld the barricade between himself and these Destine-Caravellos.

"Who y'gonna pick then? D'ya know?" Erebos inquired. It would an odd thing for the boy to continue his mother's lineage over his father's, though he supposed carrying the queen's tradition would be a greater source of pride.

The question seemed like a simple one, though the puppy still tried to wrap his head around the idea of which name he would pick. He knew that either one of his parents would love to have him pick their own but he had found himself leaning towards one in particular. He kept a soft smile on his maw as he answered as honestly as he could. “I’m probs gon’ end up with ma dad’s name… ‘cause both of my parents have Caravello in their name plus I’m a boy so it’d make sense.” He explained his logic to the pack member, hoping the answer would suffice.

Erebos intrigued him, made him wonder about who else was in the pack. He’d remained in a state of solitude simply because his adventures had not led him to any interactions, like wolves were avoiding him though that was completely and utterly ridiculous. They were a pack! They didn’t ignore each other because they all had to work together to survive, or at least that was what he had been told. The wolves in the stars watched over them to help them with it, of course, something that he had learned about from his mother as well.

When the boy answered, Erebos wasn't sure if it was the worst option or not. Either way, the boy was dangerous if he was to attempt to pass on either of his parents last names. To know that the one he chose was not even royalty, however, did irked him, and his ears leaned back slightly in a subtle sign of the affront the elder felt. Aesire at least must have done something to earn her crown, or else Phineas would not have allowed her to slither into Borlla's position. Right? God, he hoped so. Ace however was nothing in the man's eyes, nothing more than a pin he would need to one day topple in order to achieve the coveted rank of second so that he could best protect his brother. He vocalized none of this, instead choosing to hum his acknowledgement.

As these many thoughts passed through his mind his ember eyes had wandered, scanning over the horizon passively. He supposed this was all the questioning he had for the child for now. Truly, Wren was far too young to be of consequence. For now, it was only his parents who proved truly threatening, and Wren was too youthful even to be able to properly test the waters of what he might one day be to the Argyris lineage. Ultimately, he would need to move on and attempt to find the boy's mother still.

"Well," he spoke up, gaze traveling back to Wren's tiny features. "I'm gonna head out, go lookin' for 'er. Time I met the queen."

Wren may never know of how Erebos felt about his mother, and certainly not any time close to now. He supposed he should work to make the child like him, garner favor with him in order to use it later on. Tentatively, he offered, "You uh, wanna come with me? Help me track 'er down? Y'look like ya got a good sniffer on ya."

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

There was a certain light dancing around his eyes, the naïve pup willing to give out all the information he knew because if there was one thing he had been, it was sheltered from the happenings within the pack and the tension. He couldn’t recognize the difference between curiosity and probing for answers… but that it was a bad thing for everyone involved. The pup listened with interest as Erebos spoke of going to find his mom, asking if the small child wanted to help him. For a bit, Wren considered staying in the den like his parents would have probably preferred.

Then, it hit him… a chance for adventure! He wasn’t ready to pass up an opportunity like that! He gave a furious nod, his tail wagging lightly as he answered. “Yes please, sir!” He responded with a certain jubilation around him… then it occurred to him he hadn’t caught name. “Sir… what’s your name?” It was good for the kid to start to get to know names and faces around the pack, seeing as he’d met very few outsiders. He was a curious look to him as he started to move out of his family’s den so they could walk whilst he discovered a name for the face!

Feel free to fade & archive with your next post. Thanks for trudging through this with me. <3

It should bother the man that he lacked such probity even to the face of a child, yet it didn't. Everything was justified, and in the end, his blood was all that mattered. The youth that bounced before him, so enthusiastic about the opportunity just presented to him, was but a casualty in the war begun by his mother. Perhaps she hadn't meant for things to go so far, perhaps her intentions had been pure within her mind. He supposed that was something he'd soon find out, if he was able to have the conversation that he wanted to have with her. It would do little to tip the scale, however.

All of this would occur far above the innocents' heads, however. While Erebos held great disdain for the circumstances of their birth, he would not outright allow for them to receive any of the brunt of the consequences. Not from his direction, anyways.

"Erebos," he told the boy with a lopsided smile, loosening up some now that the interrogation was over with.

"I'm Phineas' brother. Tryin' to be a guardian here." Or something. It felt odd to speak aloud about having any kind of goal, but he supposed it was accurate enough of a statement all the same.