Round Stone Crest god save the queen

For @Raela only.
9/23/2015 - 7:09 AM

She was under the ground now, buried by those who had loved her most, who owed her their survival. When they had covered the last of her, taking her away from their sights forever, Gent had retreated into himself. He'd done his best to be there for the children, to console them and usher into sleep even if only for a little while, yet he couldn't bring such peace unto himself. Despite wanting not just to make time stand still, but to reverse it, his mind marched forward, anticipating and calculating the future. As much as part of him wanted to deny the tragedy that had befallen him, the king knew he had to accept Minka's death and mitigate the damage done.As the sun's light began to precede it over the horizon, burning through the fog that had taken residence amongst his timbers, the king departed from the children with a mission in mind. As horrible as the night had been, he could not allow things to get worse. A gaping hole had been left in the hierarchy that must be filled, and Gent could not bear anyone to stand beside him other than the woman who had been his guiding light since first aligning himself with the pack. Yet Cessair stood before Raela in the line of succession, and technically now it was the would-be-scout that stood next to him. His mind did not slight the woman, who had been nothing but kind and hardworking, and perhaps she deserved this chance to lead.

Gent didn't have it in him to be so selfless, however.

Distancing himself from the den, he allowed his thoughts to further crowd him, now willing to give his full attention to the planning of their future. Perhaps, if he could keep them all going forward, it would help them to overcome their grief all the more quicker. The thought of leaving Minka, even her memory, behind pained him in ways he hadn't imagined death ever could, and yet what other choice did they have? To dwell would be a death sentence to them all, and he could not let that happen. Especially now, it was Minka's legacy that lay on the line. This was the pack that she had risked her life to form and keep time and time again. Gent would not let it be overtaken by this tragedy.

Ceasing his tracks a safe distance from the others so that a conversation may be held in private, he extended his voice unto the air, letting out a series of soft whoofs beckoning Raela to him. If this was to happen, it needed to happen immediately, before anyone became comfortable with Cessair's presence as leader.

More sickening than the darkness that had taken their queen, was the way the light rose without her. While sleep had been fitful for most; for Raela it had been slow to even come. She was absorbed in keeping her golden eyes open; if only to make sure that the misfortune little ones didn't vanish from the den in their anguish. The distance and angst some of them directed at her stung, but she couldn't fully blame them for grieving in their own ways. If some of them didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't bring it up. If others wanted to cry, she would be their shoulder, but they would never be allowed to believe she wasn't there to help them. None of the members would for that matter.  On top of things there were thoughts and worries to be had; and she never was good at quieting her own anxieties for very long. Images of the wailing children tormented her as much as the sight of death. Memories of Tolas' mangled body reappeared vividly as day, and so it was no surprise that when she did finally close her gleaming eyes that she slept soundly; like a stone. Gent's calling roused her from this deepest sleep, and all memories of what she may have dreamed faded. Instead, she was left feeling... odd. Something was definitely wrong, but her waking mind couldn't quite remember. Then her eyes fell about the den; to the place where Minka should have been sleeping, to where the children lay alone, and she remembered. Her heart sunk as she rose sluggishly to her feet. Oh, everything was very much wrong.  It wasn't as if the consequences of Minka's passing hadn't occurred to the russet woman. There was a leadership to be filled; just as there had been in Tokino's absence. And just like then there wasn't time to be left sulking while the ranks fell apart and their stability crumbled. Though Cessair stood above her in the hierarchy Raela had already felt the pressure creeping up on her since the night before. Cessair was small, meager, mild-mannered and hardly seemed like the type to be capable of leading. Moreover, it was herself that was closest to the King and even in training to be his advisor, so it made all the more sense for her to step up and take the place of the woman she owed so much to. For a moment she could have cursed her sloth in finally challenging the tawny female she now considered friend, but it was too late for that.  And she was terrified; numb even. As the chilled morning air brushed hastily by her face Raela emerged to galumph after the patriarch in silence. He could have wanted to speak to her about any number of things, and which it was she had no idea. Now the Crest's new second sought only to comfort him any way she knew how while the rest of the group continued their sleep. The way he'd crumbled the night before still hurt her. She drew up beside the man, questions in her eyes as her muzzle and then her whole right side brushed up against him in passing. Her head was tucked once into his chest in an embrace before pulling away to seek the answer she knew Gent would have for her in this hazy new dawn.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

She did not dally in answering his summons, and an immense sense of appreciation welled within him. Her touch brought him immeasurable comfort, and as she pulled away a small part of him longed to reach out and draw her to him again, to simply hold her and close his eyes to everything that had happened and the world it had rendered for them. Yet he acknowledged this as again the ridiculous yearning to freeze time, and dismissed the urge. He couldn't allow himself to mire, to dwell, no matter the grief that rested within his ribcage. Time was moving forward, and so must he, one step ahead of every one and every thing else.

"Challenge Cessair," he commanded, not even a trace of hesitance upon his tongue. "I refuse to have anyone other than you as her replacement." At my side.

Part of him suspected that Raela might pull away from this opportunity, for many reasons. Her ego may still be fragile enough to hold her back at this point, or she might not desire the power. Perhaps she would view it as sacrilegious to scuffle over Minka's rank so soon after her death. Yet he held faith that she would see the reasoning behind his urging, that she would agree with him and act swiftly. His pale eyes never left the pools of honey within her skull, intent on drinking in every emotion that may pass through them, needing to know what she was truly thinking about all of this.

The mentally worn woman stared up at the black behemoth she called friend, feeling the breeze as it gingerly picked at her fur; as if waiting awkwardly for whatever it was Gent had in store. The notion he spoke of wasn't alien to her, but the way it was delivered left her staring. She knew her friend could be gruff; blunt or any of the other associated terms, but it was clear in his eyes that he did not expect her to decline under any circumstances. Feeling a trembling in her bones she let out a long, drawn out sigh; averting her once sunny eyes as he finished. They returned to their home in the arctic snow of his for only a split second as she weighed the gravity of what he had just told her.  No one else would do. No one but her. It was true, wasn't it? Cessair was meager, Calanthe was awkward at times and new to the pack, Moraxia was strong as anything but she'd just arrived. Rae had been with them since the winter. She knew the founders of this pack; she knew what it stood for and why it had to continue to stand. She knew what Minka would want for them and she couldn't envision the woman choosing anyone else from their ranks. Why, she had even been here longer than Gent. She was his trusted advisor. Was she not logical enough to lead them? Reasonable? Trustworthy? Compassionate? She could be those things... right? Gent thought so. It was right there on his face. And the pack as a whole seemed to like her... But was she strong enough? In might it was doubtful but in mind as well. It was a concern that had refused to leave her when the very thought of challenging Cessair first appeared the night before. Cessair wouldn't want the position; or at least she thought as much. What if she fought just to prove a point? To hand it over with due ceremony? It made her shudder just to think of. Finally her lead-weighted pupils rose from their place on the ground, looking for him, but warily. Her mouth moved ever so slightly as the words tangled together. “I...” she stuttered, glancing away. “I can't really say no can I?” she asked somberly. “I think I'm the one Minka would want too, but-” she frowned, ready to level her greatest worry on him.  “Gent what if I'm not strong enough?” Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

Not strong enough? The slightest of frowns turned down the edges of his mouth as he regarded her somberly. There was nothing she could ever not be enough of for him, but he knew by now that no amount of words uttered by him would make this a reality for her. Yet this did not make matters hopeless, for eventually, she would be able to prove it to herself, or so he thoroughly believed. All he needed was to keep her at his side, to ensure she had everything she needed to succeed, and she would.

"It doesn't matter," he stated matter-of-factly for her, his tone and posture both easing up a bit given her relative acceptance of his demands. "Whatever comes, I'll help you be ready for it. We'll spar more, if you want. Whatever you need, I'll provide it for you. I just..." at last his voice faltered as the agony began to creep in, and he fought it back, taking a pure second to regather himself.

"It has to be you." She had to be his balance. Even Minka herself could not have done it, he knew that she would have been tainted by his darkness, corrupted more and more with each step closer that she took toward him. Only Raela could resist it without rejecting him for it.

As her ironically brilliant sunshine eyes moved up to take in his words, they widened. “It doesn't matter.” She certainly wasn't expecting that, and certainly not in such a flat tone. Confusion pushed her brows together and the King went on. His voice began falling away; desperation reaching its black toxic claws into the once unshakable man's candor. Orange ears slid forward to catch every slight hint of it; this thing that only seemed to come out around her. She was grateful for his promises and his willingness to help, even if she knew she was hardly good enough to be everything she needed to be; for all of them. Her face softened more once he'd finally stopped, hanging on the last syllable until the monarch was truly done.  “It has to be you.” her gaze slowly fell away as the agouti woman retreated into her own mind. She stared at the ground some yards away; swimming in the fact that he was ...probably right. Who else would do it? Not Cessair, not Calanthe, not Moraxia – there was no one more fit for the position in the whole pack. And still; how could it possibly have fallen to her? At long last a deep sigh slithered from the smaller woman's chest and into the chill air in exasperation. There was no way out of it. She had to do this for all of them; her moral code would not allow her to shirk this duty. She was needed, and for Raela that was enough. It was always enough. Her eyes danced over to him in small bounds until honey met ice once more. “Yeah,” she answered meekly, looking exhausted again. Her muzzle tipped downward to stare at the dirt between them, and she sat. “But I'm not sure I have any idea how to do it,” the girl admitted, curling her tail protectively around her feet. “Gent I was nothing higher than lowest before I came here.” Raela's tone lifted as she lent him this sore information. She was so far from his rank-climbing prowess that it was laughable. What kind of a leader would she even make?  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

(This post was last modified: Dec 04, 2015, 03:41 AM by Raela.)

            

As she chose to recline, so did he, and with a weighty sigh he released the remaining tension from his shoulders and neck. There was no confidence behind that single word of agreement, yet he was relieved to hear it all the same. It seemed that whether she felt capable or not, Raela was resigned to accept what was needed of her. Such was not his desired outcome, and certainly could not be allowed to last, but even if he thought he could climb such a mountain in one afternoon, he did not have the energy for it.

His ears pricked forward once more as her past peeked its head above the water, and once more the urge to delve into those murky depths worked its way up his throat in the form of questions. Yet once again, this was not the time for such digressions, and the past was not where he wanted to tread. Too much relied on facing the sun of the future.

"And look how far you've come," he answered, reaching out to nudge her cheek a single time in hopes of coaxing her into lifting her head once more. "It wasn't all by accident, Raela."

Her ears tilted upward to catch his soothing words; but the woman only looked on in confusion and bewilderment. As sweet as the sentiments were it was still hard to convince herself of their meaning. She accepted his touch placidly; hardly moving as the dark man swept in closer once more. When had he become so tender with her? Raela's ears fell as he went on; but her honey eyes rose. She searched Gent's face with a hint of warmth in her chest, stoked by the simple statement. Minka's passing perhaps, had been a horrid accident. Just finding this pack had been only chance. Her rank; where she stood now in relation to the others, was the result of time and desertion; not any measure of skill or strength. However; she'd not died last winter – and it was only her perseverance that had secured that outcome. And here she was; knowing deep down that Minka would have wanted her to take the throne.  That was something, even if small. Minka was no fool, and if her choice landed on Raela well... "I suppose not," she relented smoothly, dropping her gaze once more. There were a few breaths of hesitation while her thoughts marched on, but at last something more pushed past the Crest wolf's lips. "I'm glad you're here," she offered; her golden eyes flicking aside to catch onto Gent's icy stare. His presence would make this easier; for all of them. Image © Chris Smith PhotographyManipulation © Jenandra

 

(This post was last modified: Dec 30, 2015, 07:58 PM by Raela.)

            

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

Glad he was here; the sentiment caused his chest to tighten uncomfortably with an opposing mixture of emotions. Mostly, it was the question of whether she would be the only one to feel that way which caused him anxiety. Vividly he recalled the blame within Kova's eyes, the hate within Kino's. Had any of the others felt the same, only with more maturity to hide it from him? His throne was thoroughly shaken, and he felt as though it were crumbling from under him. That he would now need to scramble to keep the pieces of it together.

"I'm glad you're here," he admitted quietly. Of them all, it was Raela he trusted to always be honest with him, no matter the thoughts within her head. Even if it all came crashing down around him, at least he had her to look to, to hold onto against the battering waves.

Suddenly, he gave a rough twist of his shoulders to shake out his pelt before turning upon his paws, indicative of his desire to leave.

"I should patrol," was all he said, willing to allow Raela time alone to come to terms with what she must do. He needed to busy his own mind, in the mean time.