Hearthwood River in service of the queen

Set August 1, a few days after this thread.

Forth he came to Kisla's den, this time he came with a better meal and much better news.  From his jaws dangled a freshly killed snowshoe hare, wearing its summer coat.  It had blended in well to the forest floor, dark brown fur camouflaged amongst shadows and fallen leaves, but a wolf had his nose and ears to guide him where his eye could not.  The offering would be well received, he hoped, setting the carcass down in front of the opening.  One scent of the air and he realized the den was empty of the Queen and her children and the one-eyed dragon set forth to more common grounds. Once there, he set his prize at his feet and settled up upon his haunches.  Up his muzzle went towards the canopy and he released a singular howl, requesting the presence of his alpha.  His call echoed around him amongst the massive trees, but he remained patient as his ears began to pivot and turn.  It'd not do to appear impatient now, would it?  The woman would come when she could, his news was not so urgent he had to hound her until she arrived. When @Kisla did emerge from the forest, Kjors nosed his kill forward towards the leader, ears set at a pleasant angle as he bobbed his head.  "'lo," he greeted her easily, bushy tail sweeping the forest floor in slow swipes. "Ah bring news from th' wolves a' Oak Tree Bend.  Ran into them south a' here while lookin' fer plants."

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(This post was last modified: Aug 25, 2015, 05:07 PM by Kjors.)

Hearthwood River was unsettled – after the news Kjors had delivered to her of his knowledge regarding the murder of Round Stone Crests’s alpha male, and then the visit from Round Stone Crest and their disdain for Kjors in her ranks, the honeyed she-wolf was met with a certain dilemma. @Naia had been on edge after the meeting as well, and above all others, Kisla took her best friend and scout’s advice to heart.

But that did not mean Kjors did not serve a purpose in these ranks.. nor that she did not feel a certain pull to the darkness that seemed to whisper within him. Yet it was that very surfacing darkness that terrified her for her daughter. Karina would not have a grasp on the politics that currently surrounded the pack, nor would she necessarily care. Kjors was her friend, and seemingly new mentor – though had she stopped taking lessons from Lachesis as well?

Her thoughts were pushed aside when a call summoned her. The very beast that whispered in her thoughts called her forward, and she did not hesitate to respond. Her own muzzle tipped back, answering him – notifying that she would be with him soon.

He was quick to greet her when she did emerge, and once more with a meal. Her green eyes flashed upon him, and she gave him a nod, though a grimness had settled upon her features. “Kjors,” she murmured, her tail giving an idle lash. “We do need to talk – but let us here your news first.” Oak Tree Bend was not a commonly known pack – she had taught her children their heritage, but her family managed to keep to themselves, for the most part. “What does my family have to say?"

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A wry smile spread across the dragon's grizzled muzzle, something glinting in his eye. So @Kisladid know about the presence of her Uncle further south - @Drestig had not been wrong. But it was as he'd informed the larger male, the queen's personal life and family business was not his own, and not something he was made privy to unless the woman wished it. Ah, but that was neither here nor there, and he cleared his throat. "Ah met two wolves, actually. Anna, a scout, up north here when Ah was around. Bu' she didn' share th' information. Ah met Drestig close t' their borders – gettin' plants fer @Karina, as Ah said. He was friendly enough." And the Mother knew they could use allies. If the wolves of Round Stone Crest were their only accomplices at the moment, there was a great deal of room for improvement. (Perhaps it was a personal bias, but he did not trust Gent as far as he could through the brute – he didn't have to meet the others to be of a general, mild disdain for the entire lot.) Oak Tree Bend sounded like a reliable cause, especially with family ties. It was also wise to spread out a bit – a friend in the south could inform them of what happened further away, and vice versa. "Triell's had two pups this year, said. An', more importantly, said they're in th' business of an alliance – Drestig was gonna report back t' his alpha, an' then said he'd send us a runner t' talk." See, look at that. Kjors, out doing good work – much more productive than perhaps his past run in with the unknown wolves of the west.

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Kisla had known Drestig – not well, but enough that she had considered him a loyal addition to her family’s pack during her time there. Given he still remained within their ranks, it would seem she had been right. She had not known him well, though, and she was uncertain as to what information he would have to relay. Her heart ached to hear more about Serach and Triell – had they found Sceral, even? She gave a nod, but spoke nothing of his news thus far. She was uncertain who this ‘Anna’ was and do placed her as unimportant. Little did she know, it was a she-wolf who had once been a part of Maksim’s pack, prior to her courtship with the man. News of her uncle would come, and a small smile broke free upon Kisla’s warm features. “That is good news,” she determined, pleased to know she had two other cousins welcomed in to the world. Of course, it was always a lingering question as to whether or not she would ever have the chance to meet them – her duties kept her tied closely to the River land. Bemusement surpassed her then, but she did not reveal it. Kjors spoke of an alliance then – and she was a bit confused as to the degree of his scouting he had taken. Who was to say Maksim and Kisla would agree to any other alliances? Especially one that was not founded on the knowledge of either leader. Not that she would deny her family an alliance – but nor would she place them in danger. “My youngest brother lives in that pack,” she determined then, feeling a twinge of regret at being separated from him. “They are not wolves I would ever ask to risk themselves for us.” ART COMMISSION BY mangycoyote

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First was amusement, and Kjors felt a bubble of pride for bringing such good news.  Were he a less stoic man, he might have even wagged his tail – instead, he settled for the upturn of one corner of his mouth.  But soon the bubble was burst, mirth morphed into a much more serious demeanor and bewilderment washed over the male in a cold wave.  His body stilled as his ears swept back in a single motion – why hadn't Drestig mentioned that one of Kisla's brothers still lived among the pack?  Here he thought he was bringing good news, and it was only what the Queen had already known. Ears became even flatter as the confusion clouding his cleared with the sobering notion that he'd brought nothing sunk in.  The alpha was not pleased with the notion of an alliance, obviously.  Kisla was forthright, and he imagined she'd have said so if she liked the notion.  If at all possible, the subordinate slowly got flatter, tail pressed into the ground as his shoulders began to sink.  "Ah didn' know," he muttered softly, refusing to drop her gaze despite his growing humiliation.  "Ah dunno if they'll actually send a scout…but nothin's set, only ideas, so…" He rolled his shoulders in a shrug, in a rare loss for words as he finally turned his head, gazing away into the trees. Ah, yes, he thought.  This was the very reason he hated packs.  This was the reason he hated other wolves, this creeping, slimy feeling threatening to pull him in on himself as the dragon was tethered and chained by self-loathing and imperfection.   "Ah'll escort 'em off, if y'don't wan' 'em," he muttered, drawing to his feet to back away slowly.  "If y'wan'.  Jes' give th' word." He needed to get out of here.

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(This post was last modified: Aug 25, 2015, 04:22 PM by Kjors. Edit Reason: Tags. )

It was amazing how disappointment absolutely rolled from the man. The words she had shared had not meant to be so harsh, and yet to look upon the dark wolf before her, one would have thought she had struck him with tooth and claw! Her own ears drifted back to her skull, and the honeyed she-wolf took a tentative step forward, closing the distance between them. Hesitantly, her muzzle drifted to graze his cheek, a gentle touch of comradery from one pack mate to the next. “My apologies, Kjors, that is not what I meant,” she murmured, pulling back as her green eyes regarded him quietly. “The wolves of Oak Tree Bend are noble – Triell is my uncle, and I would be surprised if they did not send word, or if they tried to refuse your request.” She paused then, allowing herself to settle upon her haunches. “Nor would I deny an alliance to them. I simply meant that I would be hesitant to utilize an alliance in the way that I will with Round Stone Crest, should we consider keeping them as such.” Canting her muzzle to the side, she could only wonder of the beast before her. Such a proud creature – a shadow wraith, who had denied a wolf the knowledge of his leader’s killer, and who had sparked a fight with Naia at his side at Broken Timber Pines. And yet now he remained before her – ashamed and humbled, because.. why? He felt she was disappointed in him..? ART COMMISSION BY mangycoyote

sparking up my heart

Ah was tryin' t' help, he thought glumly, trying to cast the thought off the moment it bared itself. Ears remained flat against his head, though the subordinate no longer tried to escape as he held himself still, allowing Kisla to draw near. Such a soft touch was met with surprise, perhaps even a twinge of anxiety hinted at only by the twitch in his shoulder as he sought not to shy away. He did not seek out physical contact, did not truly enjoy the presence of other wolves as he should, save for @Karina and her gentle nature. Perhaps it was not only he who was mentoring the princess, but perhaps the oldest Baranski princess was teaching him something in return. After a moment, he turned his single eye back towards the woman, ears still flat in a sure sign of submission. "Fair enough," he rasped, and suddenly gleaned why she might not have been so quick to shed Round Stone Crest as an associate once Gent's true colors had been made known. Something lit back up behind his eye and he bobbed his head once before leaning in, tongue flicking out to lap against Kisla's jawline thrice in a rare display of true appeasement before stepping back again, removing himself from the Queen's space. "Ah'll do better," he decided after a moment, ear shifting out to one side. This was important to him, for reasons he could not explain, but he needed Kisla to approve of him, for better or worse. Something dawned on him, then. "There's another, far, far south. On th' mountain, m'friend told me. Silent Moon Plateau. Ah know only that they're cruel t' her, but…tha's th' extent. S'all Ah have 'fer ya, now." That, and the snowshoe hare he'd brought early as a prize.

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He responded to her touch in submissive nature, though it seemed her proximity to him stirred more unease. Gone, now, was her desire to question him of the attack on Broken Timber Pines – and why he had not fully told her that Round Stone Crest knew that he had knowledge of their ex’leader’s murderer. Gent had been passive aggressive at her borders, and she had not appreciated it – and Naia’s opinion of the dark male before her seemingly plummeted even further. She relaxed her slender figure – having offered her companion space, the she-wolf found he had more to tell her. Silent Moon Plateau was a pack she had not heard of, and gave a gentle shake of her muzzle. “Why does the girl stay if they are cruel to her?” She held little concern to others outside of her pack and family – yet all she could do was take the knowledge that perhaps this other pack on the mountain should be avoided as well – the last thing Hearthwood River needed was even more enemies. She studied the humbled Kjors with light curiosity. The man seemed to be off and about quite often – what did @Karina do during these times? She rarely saw her eldest children now, ever since Aleksei disappeared.. and she made a note to herself to check in with them, now that the pups were older, at three months. “Have you seen any trail or found a scent for Aleksei?” Her heart thudded heavily in her chest at that moment – her missing son. ART COMMISSION BY mangycoyote

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"Because she's different," Kjors answered as easily as breathing, his voice catching on a far off memory.  How well did he understand such a plight?  "They're cruel t' her 'cos she's different – she says she stays 'cos she feels she owes them loyalty 'fer takin' her in.  Bu' wha' kindness was it, when she's offered only abuse by the alpha's daughter?" he asked, tipping his head to study the Queen.  Knowing her as he did now, he could not imagine she would ever allow Karina (or her two young puppies) to behave so poorly towards any of their packmates, princesses or otherwise.  But perhaps the foreign princess's father (or mother, he was not sure) didn't care what she did or did not do – he only knew @Mahle suffered for the yearling's temper. But that's not what Kisla asked – or rather, he hadn't quite gotten to his answer.  "She stays 'cos she's different.  Ah offered, y'know, 'fer her t' come with me, back t' Hearthwood River.  She's trainin' t' be a healer, an' she's Karina's age, an' since Amisun left…" The male rolled his shoulders in a shrug, assuming the younger wolf could understand what he was alluding to.  But it didn't matter now, for the priestess hadn't come, and Karina remained without another her age outside of her own brother – Orren was to his sister as the sun was to the moon.  They loved each other, yes, but how rarely would their interest coincide? As if she could read his very thoughts, the alpha brought up the thread member of the litter – her missing son.  Kjors swung his head, lips twisting in an unhappy scowl. "Ah haven't.  Looked.  Fer him an' Amisun both.  Ah did tell Drestig t' keep an eye for 'im – he promised if Aleksei was sighted 'round Oak Tree Bend 'er those parts, 'e'd bring 'im back himself…but tha's all Ah've got.  No idea where he's gone…"

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(This post was last modified: Aug 25, 2015, 05:38 PM by Kjors. Edit Reason: I can't tag today. )

Kjors seemed taken with the unknown girl -- perhaps, Kisla could only muse, because she was close to Karina's age. She did not feel pity for the girl -- only took t heart that the pack Silent Moon Plateau should likely be avoided.. thought her intention was to avoid the majority of the packs within Relic Lore. My, how the population had risen here, even since she her childhood. She focused instead upon what he spoke of regarding Aleksei and Amisun -- in truth, the former being her largest worry. Amisun had proven to be useful, but her stay with the River wolves had been unfortunately short. Aleksei had always been the responsible, level-headed son -- and now he was nowhere to be found.. the thought unsettled her, and the worry she felt gnawed at her when she had time to let her mind be still. "Add Jynx to your list as well. Her scent has faded from the borders, and she was never one to scout much," she requested gently,  releasing a sigh then. "Our numbers have dwindled. I normally would not worry, but the tension between our pack and Round Stone Crest makes it hard not to -- though, thankfully, we've heard nothing about Whisper Caverns since our claim here in Hearthwood River." She paused then, giving her muzzle a soft shake. There were things she had wanted to discuss with Kjors, but given how disappointed he seemed to be about her reaction to Oak Tree Bend, she was not sure she had the heart to do so. "Perhaps you and Naia could go out and see if you can find any trace of Aleksei, Amisun or Jynx?" ART COMMISSION BY mangycoyote

sparking up my heart