Dead Empress Backwater I've created a monster

For @Asmund only, but @Viorel for ooc knowledge

She was done. With everything. She'd spent months being scared - terrified - of straying too far from Viorel or Archer's side, fearing every shadow and each call beyond their borders. Was it him? Was he still waiting for them? All the bravery of her puppy days had been stolen away in a single moment of naivety.

And she was done.

She loved her bror. She always had, even though their personalities had always been so different. She'd been frustrated and sad that he withdrew and didn't seem to want her around since their mor died. He was scared too, she knew, and she didn't know how to help him. She didn't know how to help herself.

Until now. Because she was done.

"Azzy," she called as she approached the place she thought him mostly likely to be hiding out. "Jeg drar. Kom med meg." (I'm leaving. Come with me.)

Currently traveling with Loach and Claw

Asmund had been slumbering, sparse patches of dark fur here and there sticking through the icy brambles the only glimpses another could get of the well-hidden boy. His sister's voice roused him, every the light sleeper, and he began to shimmy backwards out of his makeshift shelter.

Jeg drar.

He froze briefly, but swiftly convinced himself that he'd either misheard or misunderstood her. Surely his anxious mind had simply jumped to the worst case scenario without any basis in reality. Right?

He faced her and let his hindquarters fall to the ground gracelessly, green eyes regarding her flatly.

"Forlater hvor?" Asmund asked, brows knitting ever so slightly with confusion. He added bitterly, "hvor er det å gå?" for good measure to stave off that awful possibility.
(Leaving where? ... Where is there to go?)

(This post was last modified: Jan 05, 2023, 10:51 PM by Asmund.)

For the first time in a long while Llinnea was sure of herself, of her decision. She was calm... or perhaps numb would be the better description. She had no doubt her brother would come with her; she could have said "let's go" upon her arrival instead. It was only a whim that gave her the words she'd used, more of a request than assumed demand.

He backed out of his hiding place and faced her before offering a bitter, flat response.

"Hvor som helst. Hvor som helst som ikke er her." (Anywhere. Anywhere that's not here). She watched him expectantly, already making to turn and lead the way from the territory to find a new life where they could be free.

Currently traveling with Loach and Claw

His sister spoke as though it were all so simple, like this had been the answer waiting for them all along. Had she completely snapped? The pace of Asmund's heart began to quicken, and he lurched forward without thinking when Llinnea moved to undertake this horrifically awful plan of hers. He blocked her with his gangly form, emotion beginning to seep into his beryl sights.

"Det er bare to steder, Llinnea. Her inne der det er trygt, og der ute med det... det monsteret!"
(There's only two places, Llinnea. In here where it's safe, and out there with that... that monster!)

What else could she possibly think there was? These were all the choices the world had afforded them, and if she wanted to survive then she needed to accept that reality.

Llinnea did not expect to find her path suddenly blocked by her brother, speaking frantically. She stepped back to avoid running into him and regarded him with cool eyes. "Tror du dette er trygt?" (You think this is safe?) She said. She couldn't believe what she was seeing - what she was hearing. She'd expected him to fall in behind her and set out to find their way.

"Her?" she gave an ill-humored laugh. "Han vet at vi er her. Det er bare et spørsmål om tid før han kommer tilbake."(He knows we're here. It's only a matter of time before he comes back). She didn't know why he wanted them dead, but she had nightmares about his fettied breath on her neck and his voice rasping to her, telling her in their special language that she was going to join their mor in death. Did Asmund really think they'd be safe from him here?

Currently traveling with Loach and Claw

What she had to say in response sent an icy shiver down his spine. It was what he tried not to think about, was desperate not to feel like; that they were just sitting ducks, waiting for the day the magic spell failed and the wolf got in. Asmund began shaking his head, and took a step back from his sibling then.

"Han kan ikke ta på seg hele flokken," he spoke again, forcing volume into his voice when all he really wanted to do was run. It seemed to always be his only recourse.
(He can't take on the whole pack.)

"Det er hele poenget, det er derfor vi skal bli her."
(That's the whole point, that's why we have to stay here.)

Distress rose up in him, sparking something akin to anger in his own gut. It wasn't at their mother's murderer, however.

"Ingenting av det hadde skjedd i utgangspunktet hvis du bare hadde blitt hjemme!"
(None of it would have happened in the first place if you had just stayed home!)

(This post was last modified: Jan 05, 2023, 11:50 PM by Asmund.)

Asmund's response was to raise his voice even as he denied her concerns. Now her numb was broken by a tingling of irritation. "De kunne ikke beskytte henne," (They couldn't protect her), she said, but the rest of her thought was cut off by his sudden anger and next words. Llinnea was struck, feeling as though he'd landed a physical blow deep within her chest. She blinked at him, the flicker of her irritation doused in a wave of grief, only to rekindle in a roaring flame of anger.

Her hackles rose and her legs stiffened. "Og hvis du ikke var så feig, hadde jeg kanskje ikke vært lei nok til å utforske!" (And if you weren't such a coward I might not have been bored enough to explore!) she shouted. "Jeg ville bare at du skulle leke med meg!" (I only ever wanted you to play with me!)

Currently traveling with Loach and Claw

It was clear he cut a nerve, but she wouldn't take it with her tail between her legs. Llinnea fired back, attempting to put the blame on him instead. Asmund scowled deeply, and his own agitation fanned and flamed within his tinderbox chest. Maybe he hadn't ever been enough, for anyone, but he hadn't endangered them, not like she had.

"Vel, jeg er glad Mor døde fordi du ble lei. Hvorfor skulle jeg spille med deg? Du er irriterende, du holder aldri kjeft og du tenker aldri på oss andre!"
(Well, I'm glad Mom died over you getting bored. Why would I want to play with you? You're annoying, you never shut up and you never think about the rest of us!)

It wasn't true, the things he shouted back at her, but Asmund spoke as though they were all the same. He let the poison inside speak for him, driving the wedge further. If she was so determined to get herself killed, maybe this way it would hurt less when news was brought back about her found corpse.

The words cut deep, deeper than any teeth or claws ever could. She hadn't expected them from her bror, which made them hurt all the worse. Had she been older she might have said something different, spoke calmly and reasonably. Maybe she would have tried reaching out to him sooner, before they reached this boiling point. Maybe they could have found a way to grieve together.

But Llinnea wasn't older. She was still a pup and in this moment felt betrayed by the only family she had left. She growled, teeth clicking together. "Bot," she snarled savagely. "Hvis du vil bli her og vente på at han skal finne deg, så er det greit. De vil ikke beskytte deg, ikke hvis det kommer ned til deg eller deres egne barn, spesielt etter det du gjorde mot henne." (If you want to stay here and wait for him to find you, then fine. They won't protect you, not if it comes down to you or their own kids, especially after what you did to her.) She knew about her bror's confrontation with the other girl, but not very much about it.

She wished she had the words to hurt him like he was hurting her. For now, in her anger, all she could do was leave him with a few stinging remarks. "Gjør det som vil. Jeg kommer aldri til å være avhengig av noen andre for å beskytte meg igjen. Hvis du vil bli her og gjemme deg og vente på at han skal drepe deg, så vil jeg ikke stoppe deg. Jeg skal komme meg ut, bli sterk, og så skal jeg finne ham og få ham til å betale." (Do what want. I'm never going to have to depend on someone else to protect me ever again. If you wanna stay here and hide and wait for him to kill you, then I won't stop you. I'm going to get out there, get strong, and then I'm gonna find him and make him pay.) She stalked past him, taking care to bump her shoulder against his as she went.

"Kom og finn meg hvis du bestemmer deg for å vokse ryggrad," (Come and find me if you decide to grow a spine,) she snapped over her shoulder as she left.

She would just have to make her way on her own.

Exit unless physically stopped. She will not respond to anything said to her.

Currently traveling with Loach and Claw

His words seemed to have a similar affect in his sibling, riling her to spit flames of her own. Asmund's expression darkened, but the worst of it was that he couldn't argue her point. He hadn't considered it, but Llinnea was right; @Isla could spin things however she wanted to turn the others against him. They might have always been there for them, but they weren't blood, and he was young enough still to remember when they had been kept separate.

The boy's shoulders hunched against her words, fangs gritted with resentment and other unpleasant emotions. Would he ever see the end of them? Or would his troubles only ever collect like this, until his life was forcibly ended as well? Because as Llinnea turned and walked away, he couldn't but be utterly convinced that she was as good as dead.

He would now be all that was left of what had once been a family.

(This post was last modified: Jan 18, 2023, 03:44 AM by Asmund.)