Kingsfall i played soldier, you played king

@Cessair should be the next to post.
Intended for @Maksim & @Naia , and of course @Kisla is welcome to jump in.
Gent and Cessair are here on a scouting mission to relay news from the Crest and discuss a few things with Maksim.
@Minka so you can be in the know.

Naia had never made it back to inform the Round Stone Crest pack of where their allies had finally settled. Gent couldn't blame the River wolves, however; he know from experience twice over how consuming re-establishing a pack was, especially when the journey made to the new land was itself exhausting. On top of it all, Kisla had been expecting, just as Minka had been; Gent could not reasonably expect resources to be spared when the lives of children were on the line. Thus, the blue black beast was not so troubled by the task of having to track down their allies by the few clues he did possess; Naia's general hints and evidence that had been laced with Kjors' scent.

Together, he and Cessair had left in the morning and pressed straight East, casually navigating the palisades and the fjord before being forced to use their tracking skills once at the lakes. It had taken two days total, as they had chosen to rest at night and ended up coming upon Kingsfall midday. Gent couldn't have forgotten that think, overbearing scent of Maksim's, and it stung his nose as they drew closer. From their previous encounter, a small primal part of him told Gent to turn back; but Gent was a man now, a king in his own rights, not the cocky teen he had been. His mind mused over the different possibilities that lay before them as they halted short of the powerfully marked border. Would Maksim see the change in him, respect him as a leader and ally? Or would he treat him as though it were only yesterday that Gent had attempted to steal a meal from his starving pack to feed his own?

With a reassuring smile to his comrade, Gent lifted his muzzle to send out a beckoning call, requesting Maksim's presence in particular.

(This post was last modified: Jun 18, 2015, 07:08 PM by Gent.)

An exciting two days it was. Cessair was back to traveling, the itch in her paws being scratched at last. She never tired of the new landscapes that appeared over every hill's crest, never tired of the wind's whispers and howls, nor of ranks upon ranks of tall soldier-like trees. This trip held everything Cessair used to love about wandering. But it wasn't at all the same. Now the weathered woman was strong. She had a new purpose, and unlike ever before, this time she traveled with a companion. A companion who just so happened to be her king.

Though she understood the purpose of their mission, Cessair was still a little nervous about it. She was familiar with none of the wolves for whom she and Gent were searching, and this was her very first official scouting mission for her pack. The role of Round Stone Crest's scout held great appeal for the former-wanderer, but she knew she would only receive the title if she earned it. And here was one of her leaders, one of the two with the authority to grant her that title, traveling beside her and no doubt assessing her abilities as they traveled. Scenting the pack borders at last was only something of a relief to Cessair. So was Gent's smile, but has his summons resounded, she found she had to remind herself to relax and look friendly.

(This post was last modified: Jun 22, 2015, 06:40 PM by Cessair.)

Having left the girls with @Jynx , Kisla was out to stretch her legs primarily. Midday had befallen the forest, and with it glimmered the sun as it broke through the tall trees branches, filtering Hearthwood River in a light that at times would clench at her heart. In some aspects it reminded her of Swift River – in others, Cut Rock River. If Corinna could see her now, at the helm of a pack that laid claim to such a large water source, she likely would have been amused.

The howl rung out across the sky. The source unknown, and while it was mostly requesting the presence of Maksim, the Baranski regal wasted no time in prowling forward, her honeyed limbs quickening in pace. Kisla had taken the backseat in terms of leadership since her initial challenge to Astra.. but no more. She was the Queen of the River, and as such, she would be making her presence known at these gatherings.

Her bright eyes swept over the two wolves before her as they came to view. Both smelled of Minka – and the swarthy male brought faint recognition within her, though she could not quite place it. “Welcome to the borders of Hearthwood River,” she offered, though her tone was not as welcoming as her words. Her posture remained lifted in one of dominance, though it was more of a natural stance than anything else. “What do the pack mates of Minka seek here?” The alliance between the two packs was built primarily between Maksim and Minka – Kisla had yet to see the true benefits of the relationship, but she did not shun it. If anything, the more friends they had, the better.

sparking up my heart

It was a disappointment to see a female answer his call rather than the king he knew dwelled somewhere within this forest. Still, through her regal airs and posturing, he swiftly understood this woman to be the queen. Gent hadn't the pleasure to meet her during his and Sagacity's little failure of a stunt, and doing so now would hopefully only bode well for him. The smile that had been gifted to Cessair now was directed toward Kisla, and the Crest king dipped his head for a moment to show deference for the woman's place and territory.

"I am Gent Lieris. I stand as alpha of Round Stone Crest now beside Minka. This is Cessair Lux, she is being trained as our new scout," he tilted his head toward the fawn-downed woman beside him when speaking her name. He hesitated then a moment, faintly considering asking her to summon forth Maksim. Instead, he decided it best not to chance pissing her off by implying that she wasn't royalty enough to hear their message.

"We're here to share news, as quite a bit has happened since Naia and I last spoke, as well as to check on your well-being now that we're both settled."With that, he nodded again to Cessair, this time signaling that it was her time to show him how well she remembered the list of information he'd given to her at the beginning of their trek. While he would've wanted to first hear from Kisla how the newly-situated pack was doing, he also did not want to waste her time, and the message Cessair was about to deliver would answer what was surely a burning question in the other woman's mind: why the hell was Gent alpha instead of the dedicated and familiar Tokino?

Naia turned her gaze toward the border as Gent’s howl rose above the redwoods. She had been expecting his call, as he had promised that he would pay a visit if he did not hear from her once the River wolves settled. Naia had not forgotten her promise to bring him news, but she had gotten quite wrapped up in pertinent scouting business here in the East—specifically investigating the Waterfall Wolves--  and she hadn’t yet found the time to trek all the way back across the Lore to revisit their allies in the West. The call was for @Maksim, which worried Naia slightly.. the last time @Gent and Maksim had met at the River border a nasty little fight had ensued. Naia thought she had better meet the two of them at the border as well, to play mediator in case Maksim was unhappy to find the former “Keep vulture” at their doorstep once more. 

 Despite the swift lady's pace, @Kisla had made it to Gent before her. Likely her queen had already been out on a stroll, enjoying a stolen moment of freedom before returning to collect her pups from the sitter. Naia joined the group as Gent was making their introductions, and her head cocked slightly to the side as he introduced himself at the Crest’s new alpha. This was news; Gent hadn’t claimed any title at all the last time they spoke. The scout’s expression darkened as she wondered what had befallen Tokino. Was he still lost, or had they found evidence to his demise? Or perhaps Gent had simply defeated him in a rank challenge?  

Gent continued to speak to Kisla, and Naia turned her curious gaze to his companion, who he had introduced as @Cessair.  They couldn’t have picked someone who looked more like Inali if they had been actually trying. Inali’s replacement was nearly identical to her in every way, save her lover’s aquamarine eyes. Naia felt Inali’s memory wrap her jaws around her heart and squeeze. Naia dropped her gaze from the woman after a painful moment. They would talk later, and hopefully once they knew each other a little better the Crest woman would remind her less of her lost love. Naia turned to Kisla to introduce the River wolves, knowing that in the presence of the alphas it was not her place to speak unless spoken to.  

Naia will have told Kisla about her and Gent’s last meeting (Tokino and Noble missing, the Crests’ relocation and name change, etc..) in the thread “sail on silver girl” which is still in progress. This might also be a little awkward for Kisla and Naia, because in that thread Naia will confide in Kisla that she doesn’t think the Crest is a smart choice for an alliance, since that bond has brought the River wolves to the brink of war twice now.

(This post was last modified: Jul 09, 2015, 07:48 PM by Naia.)

Sorry this got a little long!  I coudn't just let Cessair be good at this on her first attempt :P

Gent's call rang into the air and Cessair planted her paws a little more firmly into the earth and prepared for what must certainly be her first test in her training as scout. With gaze resting on a patch of moss, the copper-eyed lady hastily read over the script she had written in her mind in the moments before its intended recipient arrived. A rustling and a stranger's scent broke her concentration, and she mirrored Gent's greeting motion to a slightly greater degree to reflect deference to both authorities present. Again she dipped her head when her king introduced her to the stranger queen.

Another wolf had joined them, and as Gent proceeded with the explanation for their visit, Cessair took a moment to acknowledge the newcomer. The nervous woman didn't want another distraction from her frantic last-moment internal recitations, but she figured that being polite and respectful could be nearly as important to the delivery of her message as recalling the message itself, so it must be worth the effort to be deferent. Thus, Cessair dipped her muzzle toward the woman whose diminutive stature was on par with her own, and was surprised to be met with surprise. Confused distraction clouded the scout-in-training's memory as Gent nodded at her to prompt her to speak.

"Oh!  Um..." Brilliant start. Inspired, really. What was I supposed to say again? Cessair's gaze fell once more to that patch of moss as she desperately grasped at fleeing thoughts. Six topics, three categories -- it had all seemed so easily organized on the way here! Hardly a second had passed and a small dose of adrenaline was already kicking in. The instinct of danger called to mind the children whom she was sworn to protect. "Oh!" she exclaimed again before plunging on in fear of her memory escaping. "Lady Minka has had three new pups -- Marianna, Draven, and Kino. And Noble from her previous litter is still missing." Wait, those were from different categories. "Um..." Noble -- missing wolves category. "Firefly of Whitecoats is missing, and we don't know whether it was a desertion."

And the other category was criminals. "But Gabriel Harbinger did desert. So he is a traitor. And Vitani... Vitani Lieris, she crossed into Round Stone Crest territory and attacked one of our members, so she's a traitor too. Criminal, I mean." Was that everything? It felt like everything; she covered every category, but something was still wrong. Cessair couldn't remember what she hadn't said, and she desperately stole a glance at Gent as she tried to recall her categories. Criminals, missing wolves, royalty. Royalty! The sight of the new alpha reminded her. Straitening her slumped posture with new confidence and lowering her head at the last and saddest piece of news, Cessair concluded. ”And Tokino -- is dead.  Murdered.” The entire speech had been delivered in no more than a few moments, but the stress of her memory's faltering had exhausted the fawn woman in that short time, so she hardly bothered to lift her head again. Hopefully Gent wouldn't be as disappointed with her performance as she was.

Kisla stood attentive – the absence of her mate was unfortunate, and yet Naia was at her side within moments, and the she-wolf received a gentle nudge from the honeyed leader. Her eyes drifted over to the dark male as he spoke, introducing himself as Minka’s counterpart – Naia had told Kisla that her previous mate had been missing, and she wondered if the male had simply taken the spot during the time of Tokino’s absence, or if he had replaced the male in more ways than one.

“Kisla Baranski, mate to Maksim and alpha female of these lands,” she began quietly, her tail giving an idle flick as she nodded in the direction of her Scout. “And this is Naia Aegina, our main Scout and loyal female Second.” Some did not use such titles in their introductions, but in truth, without Naia and Lachesis to maintain the pack in the absence of their leaders, Kisla knew the pack would have crumbled by now.

The she-wolf who announced herself as Cessair began quite the detailed report, and bemusedly, the honeyed Baranski wondered if Naia too shared every detail of the River wolves The thought irked her – if they were to list those that had offended them in the past, the list would be fare too enormous, and Naia’s suggestion that perhaps the Crest wolves were not the best ally of choice was not lost upon the River regal.

“My condolences for your loss,” she offered then, at the mention of Tokino’s death. She had heard this only just a day prior by Kjors, and yet she made no move to state this, nor offer the information he had shared with her. She was uncertain to how she felt about the entire situation – or how she could protect her family if their allies knew they had (even unknowingly) withheld such information from them. “Do you know who murdered him?” Her tone was soft – hoping perhaps Minka’s wolves had found a lead of their own…

..And yet, who was she to protect Kjors when he had made such a foolish and selfish decision to withhold this information in the first place?

(This post was last modified: Aug 13, 2015, 05:42 PM by Kisla.)

sparking up my heart

Naia's presence hadn't been expected, but it came all the same. When the petite woman joined the three of them on the outskirts of her land, Gent greeted her with a small but vaguely warm smile. Since their last meeting, he found he quite liked the River scout's personality, and could acknowledge that he might even one day be fond of her.

The Crest king could almost feel the anxiety vibrating within Cessair, and while the weak appearance was a troublesome issue that would need to be addressed and fixed, they were in the company of friends and he assumed that they would not be harshly critical of the woman. After all, it was her first event ever, and an important one at that. Gent could understand her nervousness.

As Cessair relayed their messages, Gent's eyes turned unto Kisla, and he had to wonder if they truly were on friendly territory. The River queen's dial was void of emotion, leaving her to look cold to their information. There certainly wasn't any level of interest within her green eyes, and the man quickly received the impression that she didn't very much care about anything being said at all. Something that couldn't quite be understood by him, especially given Minka's account of why the packs were joined to begin with. It hadn't simply been a political move; Minka said that she and Maksim were friends, and the alliance had been born of such. The strength of that relationship had been proven when the River king had risked war with his neighbors to harbor Minka and her fledgling pack.

So why did this Kisla not reflect a single ounce of that amiable loyalty? Even the announced death of the pack's former patriarch did not seem to bring forth any emotion. By now, Gent's suspicions had been flagged, but this was a moment he had been waiting for ever since parting ways with that bastard @Kjors, and thus did not mind the slight distraction.

"No, but one of your subordinates does," he announced, keeping his voice casual but gaining a slight edge to it as he continued. "Kjors. Told me so himself, fully aware of the alliance between our packs, but still chose to tell me I would have to 'make it worth his time' before he would tell us what he knew."

There was no upset with Kisla, at least not yet. If she reacted appropriately, this portion of their conversation could easily be moved past. However if she supported her firestarter of a subordinate over the sanctity of their alliance, over what Gent expected from these wolves who considered themselves friends, a very sour turn could be expected. As he made sure Kjors knew, this arrangement between Hearthwood River and Round Stone Crest was not trivial, and a level of respect was necessitated.

"I think you'll agree that holding such vital information ransom is no way to keep an alliance, and therefor Minka and I have chosen to bring this information to light with the assumption that you and Maksim were unaware of the trespass."

(This post was last modified: Aug 19, 2015, 09:21 AM by Gent.)

The Crest’s newest scout might have looked like Inali, but she had none of the former scout’s composure or eloquence. The River woman tilted her head encouragingly as her fellow scout spoke, golden eyes soft and understanding.  Memorizing and then delivering a message certainly wasn’t easy, and occasionally it took some rehearsal, as @Cessair was no doubt learning in this moment. Naia shook her head slightly at the account of the missing wolves, troubled to learn that Noble was still missing along with a female whose name Naia hadn’t before heard. When Tokino’s name was absent from this list the perceptive scout’s expression darkened. If Gent was standing as alpha and Tokino was not included among the missing wolves, did that mean he was...?

Cessair continued on to describe a “criminal” woman, and Naia cast a meaningful glance over Gent. Surely the irony of that report was not lost on him. Not so long ago Gent had made the same exact trespass against the River wolves as this Vitani woman had made against the Crest, and now their “criminal” stood at the River border welcomed as an allied King.  My, how things could change.

 And then came the news that Naia had been expecting. Tokino was dead, but not simply dead.. murdered. Naia’s jaw dropped open in horror, eyes wide with genuine surprise. She glanced sideways at Kisla, whose expression gave away little as she offered condolences. Had Kisla known this information already, and if so, who had told her? There was only one wolf in Hearthwood River who held as much or perhaps more information than the head scout, and Gent spoke his name the moment Naia thought it.

Kjors.

The fur on the back of Naia’s neck stood up at the mention of the slimy little man’s name, and it was all the scout could do to keep herself from growling out loud. Naia was mad enough that Kjors had kept the information from her – the River’s head scout!—but it was unforgivable that he hold it back from their allies, attempting to capitalize on their suffering. Naia certainly wasn’t over-fond of the Crest and River alliance, and she had shared her concerns in this area with Kisla previously, but as long as they remained officially aligned it was unethical to withhold information of this magnitude. And Kisla.. what was her part in all of this exactly? Would she defend Kjors’s poor decision?

(This post was last modified: Aug 20, 2015, 01:18 PM by Naia. Edit Reason: Tags? )

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