Nomads Pass An agreement called forever

For @Mapplethorpe <3

every flight

• NAIRA AQUILA •

begins with a fall

She had coerced one of the other females of the pack to stay with the children once more as the sun began it’s slow decent. Given the cramped quarters and the general painful nature of changing positions she had told the other female to stay the night. Now spring was well and truly on them she would be more comfortable under the stars for the night, after tomorrow it would be far easier on them all.

Despite the failing light, she was sure-footed on her pass of the borders, stopping to mark diligently as she went. She allowed her mind to wander on nothing in particular as she went about the familiar tracks, the strong scent of Mapplethorpe accompanying her all the way. Since the birth of the girls she had been otherwise occupied and she had begun to worry that she may not have been offering him the attention he deserved as her equal. Their encounters, though often had been brief, the squealing of one pup or other tearing her attention away as children were known to do. He had clearly been working so hard for them all, and the children that he worked so hard to protect weren’t even his own. Even she knew she was blessed.

So when she stumbled across his scent deviating from it’s usual path she followed it without a thought. While it came close to the den that she shared with the children, within sight and close enough to scent that all was well, it was not close enough to intrude. A grateful smile had worked its way to her face as she continued to track the ever faithful advisor right up to the familiar tree under which he made his den.

Quiet as a shadow she moved forward, his furry outline coming into focus as she drew nearer. Her head hung low in her approach as she lowered herself to lay against his back, her head resting on his hindquarters. A sigh left her chest as she breathed the familiar scent in and took a moment to enjoy the absence of squirming squeaks and squeals. She allowed her eyes to drift to his face and offered an apologetic smile. It had been too long.

template base by GINNYSAURUS | image by GREY

(This post was last modified: Jun 04, 2013, 10:51 AM by Naira.)

There are times when I look at you

Mapplethorpe

and I still can’t believe you are real

The borders had been secured and every landmark on his agenda today had been visited; and, it was with a genuinely tired groan that Mapplethorpe finally returned to the Pass. Up the slope dotted with boulders, up along the rock shelves and onto the end of a plateau before slightly descending into the heart of the territory, the Advisor went. Only when he came upon the familiar and welcoming sight of his dead tree did his pace slow down. As was customary, he craned his neck downward and sampled the scents around the area, sweeping his nose over the gnarled roots and standing to make sure the brittle bark still bore the marks and signature scent made by his own two paws. Much to his relief nothing was amiss and, with circling about between beneath the thick, crooked branches on one side of his personal quarters, he laid down with a contented sigh.

Somewhat certain Naira did not need him skulking around the den, he allowed himself to rest his head across his right forelimb, planting his chin into the cool, spongy soil. The ears atop his head turned about, facing outward at first before cupping forward, twitching with every sound that came with the arrival of twilight. He had just about drifted off into slumber when he sensed and felt someone invite themselves up against his lower back, nestling their head over his rump. His nostrils flared, taking in her scent. Of course it was Naira... He let out a soft sigh, the gentle sound simply acknowledging her presence.

For some time he kept quiet, just feeling her warmth and weight against him, waiting for the emotions in his head and upper body to briefly settle after being set ablaze by her proximity. Slowly opening his eyes, he stared to the surroundings beyond his little clearing, anticipating her to move or speak, but when she didn't, aside from shifting to look at his face, he cracked a smile and turned just enough to hold her gaze with his. While he still felt as though it was inappropriate of him to be any more familiar than he already had been or felt he had been, here she was... He sniffed once, his mind slowly coming back to him as he set his brain back into gear.

"Well, hello," he greeted her quietly, a hint of surprise curling his tone upward. "I wasn't expecting you here." His smile began to tug at the dark lines beneath his eyes, his senses pulling from her aura and seemingly collected mood that she merely needed some time away from the girls. "Is everything all right?"

template base by GINNYSAURUS | image by GREY

(This post was last modified: Jun 06, 2013, 09:06 AM by Mapplethorpe.)

Help me, she prayed, send me a friend

• NAIRA AQUILA •

a true knight to champion me

The sigh was all that was needed to set her at ease. Sneaking up on half asleep wolves in the dark unexpectedly was never exactly a wise move and yet she had every faith that he would not lash out at her and even if he did that she would be able to handle herself if necessary. They enjoyed a comfortable silence for a time and her head began to get hazy with the simple pleasure that could be derived from shared space. This was what she needed. What they all needed. It was why in the morning she would gather her pack to show them their new den.

His voice was warm in her ears and bought a peaceful smile to her lips. She could hear the smile in his own words although she could barely make out the lines of his face in the dark. Is everything all right? She breathed in and released a gentle “Mmmm.” in response while she took her time to string the words together. “Yes, just taking a night to roll where I want without fear of squashing the girls. I assumed you’d be able to handle it a little better than them.” she teased the older wolf, pressing her weight against him momentarily before easing back into the position she had originally settled herself.

“We’ll have a meeting in the morning. I plan on moving the girls to a much larger den. One big enough for everyone if they want to share. There is a system of caves close to the center of the pass, it has tunnels off the back that could be used as dens for those that want to be alone, or we could use it for storage... I haven’t explored them all, but I’m sure with time we will figure out what is usable and what is not.” She allowed her words to trail off. “Crowe has been an awful long time on his mission. I wonder if that sorry excuse for a pack actually managed to catch him near the borders...” she pondered aloud, sarcasm lacing her tone. In her own mind, the longer the white wolf was gone the more relaxed she would remain.

template base by GINNYSAURUS | image by GREY

There are times when I look at you

Mapplethorpe

and I still can’t believe you are real

In the dark his smile broadened before softening again. Feeling her this close was like being close to wildfire, feeling the heat radiate between them as well as the breathlessness and awe that came from her every move and word. Her sentiment of wanting to rest somewhere without fear of squashing her daughters made his ears lift up in interest as his gladdened heart skipped a beat. Even if she knew, or didn't know, Mapplethorpe was wholly delighted that she, like all the other times, had come to him in search of whatever it was she needed.

As eager as he was in his desire to look at her through the darkness, to gaze and feast upon her beauty, he did his best to stay still. Any wrong move was bound to set him back to square one in any of the plans he had made since being promoted as Naira's equal. “We’ll have a meeting in the morning," she informed him. "I plan on moving the girls to a much larger den. One big enough for everyone if they want to share." To all this he let out a soft but audibly attentive, "Oh?" Then, as he came to learn that she had her heart set on a system of caves that she had found, he began to muse, his tone taking on a more curious and understanding note, "I see... Sounds like a good idea to me though." In his head he fought to keep his brows from touching one another and his forehead and muzzle to remain unwrinkled. Having a communal den meant that @Sagacity and @Mercy would possibly be allowed to rest alongside them, that @Nova and @Aponi could possibly threaten his already abnormal sleeping pattern, but worst yet, the whole of Nomads Pass would be able to see for themselves all any move on his part to draw closer to Naira as she would allow. Let them see, he half-reasoned with himself. You've earned the rank... Why be denied such a simple pleasure? He did love Naira for who she was - perhaps just as much if not even a tad more than Rhysis had - and, for as long as he could and would be able to keep his rank, he wanted to lavish upon her her every desire... to make sure, first-handedly, that she was given everything that she could ever want.

The Advisor noticed her words had trailed off, her voice growing quiet as though she had just thought of something and he, too, became silent - externally and internally. He slowly lifted his head, craning his neck to one side and then the other in attempt to stretch his neck muscles. “Crowe has been an awful long time on his mission," she then mentioned and a flicker of jealousy sparked in the darkness of his chest. "I wonder if that sorry excuse for a pack actually managed to catch him near the borders..." Perhaps he should have arranged some time to get to know the man but as soon as she had pondered if Poison Path had managed to get a hold of him, Mapplethorpe shrugged. "Perhaps; I haven't even found the time to meet him." Just then the most devious of grins settled on his face but it melted away as turned to look over his shoulder at Naira. Oh, even in the faintest of light, she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes upon... "Would you like me to confront him tomorrow?" he asked, interested to know more about their absent subordinate. "If he shows up at all?"

template base by GINNYSAURUS | image by GREY

Help me, she prayed, send me a friend

• NAIRA AQUILA •

a true knight to champion me

Perhaps they were selfish motives that pushed her towards moving somewhere more open. She still keenly felt the absence of another grown body pressed against her own in rest, and even now she was struggling to remain awake as she hoarded the simple pleasure that she hadn’t even requested. She had taken it with little thought or regard to any discomfort it may cause her poor advisor. She was not a mind reader, and so could not guarantee that her presence was welcome, but something in her gut had told her that the tawny male would not dare to turn her away, and perhaps that was why she had come?

She thought she saw a flash of a smile though the light was too poor to be certain and when he offered to confront Crowe, she only momentarily managed to stifle a giggle, for the advisor was not yet aware of how rocky her own encounters had been with their current lowest, nor the nature of the pointless mission on which she had sent him.

Even in the pale light she knew the flash of her teeth would be seen as she smiled at his offer. “I do not believe he will return so soon. I told him if he wants to be a guardian to bring me leaves of nightshade from the Lake, and I told him to take the long way. I did not want him near when the girls were born. He’s slightly... unstable but managed to prove himself malleable enough once I put him in his place.” She revealed, the laughter still lacing her tone as she remembered the encounter.

Even as she lay here she realised she knew very little about Mapplethorpe’s past. Where he had grown up and what his family was like. She knew nothing of Rhysis’s either, despite briefly encountering his sister in the blackberry fields the last time she had been carrying children. Over a year ago now... and she felt like hearing a story. “What was it like where you grew up?” she ventured quietly. “What sort of pack did you grow up in?” It was idle chit chat and could easily be turned down without causing any offense, but he was her equal in standing, traditionally a spot reserved for a mate and the desire to know him, while not new, she had noticed was increasing every day.

template base by GINNYSAURUS | image by GREY

There are times when I look at you

Mapplethorpe

and I still can’t believe you are real

@Crowe, he learned, would probably not be back in time. At the back of his mind he now realized just exactly what Naira was doing - possibly something along the lines of using the brute to mess with the Poison Path wolves and any others along the way - and he turned the idea over a few times in wondering if it might have been him in such a position if he had never ascended in rank. Upon what he little he knew about the man, he assumed him to be someone who actually embodied the false front he initially exhibited when he first came to Relic Lore. "Oh, I'll make sure that he keeps his distance from you and the girls if he does return," his voice rumbled. "I'll put him in his place, too..."

A hint of a grin conveyed the inkling of pleasure he reaped from thinking of asserting himself over the assumedly unbalanced subordinate. It would be just like looking at himself in the glassy surface of the Secluded Spring, maybe even listening to himself as he threw out savage words and feral growls if their meeting ever came to such an intense point. Her laughter made his smile soften into a more genuine and characteristic smirk. When her query came to his ears, one of the dark points at the top of his skull relaxed and lowered. No one had ever asked him that before.

If Naira had been anyone else he would have made up a story. He was the son of a very powerful king in the West, a misplaced heir who had been stolen away in the night. He was once a councilman in his uncle's court, a teacher of his younger sister's cubs, an overthrown monarch whose very own son had ousted him from his place... No. For only Naira alone would his story come on closely-guarded words to another's perceptive ears.

"My childhood was nothing special," he began, his voice gentle as though he were using his words to hush a troubled youngster. "Growing up between four sisters just... wasn't my thing. In Vigilate Keep, women held all authority; my grandmother formed the pack so that her daughter, my mother, could take her place in turn. So, when she did, she was blessed with four girls and me... My family, the wolves of the Greying Glades, are very much like how we, the pack of the Pass, are now. Very secretive and isolated from others. My mother was capable of holding much more land than my grandmother had been able to and it served my sisters well. As for me, I kept to my own devices until my mother's Advisor saw it in me to groom me into something more than a son who was always cast aside. I was taught to hunt and guard, partially learned Latin, scouted the lands my eldest sister would inherit, but I would not replace anyone or be included among her attendants. Our other sister was bestowed with the gift of diplomacy also. I'd very much like to see Vigilate Keep fall to one of my nephews if given such a chance, but I'd rather not think of such things when I have so much more... here, now."

His eyes, which had drifted off towards the shadowy trunk of his tree, returned to Naira's face, admiring her for some time before continuing. "It probably doesn't surprise you in the slightest, hmm?"

His voice curled upward on a lighthearted note, inviting her to prompt him further for answers or stories.

template base by GINNYSAURUS | image by GREY

(This post was last modified: Jun 16, 2013, 09:34 AM by Mapplethorpe.)

Help me, she prayed, send me a friend

• NAIRA AQUILA •

a true knight to champion me

She had no doubt that Mapplethorpe would be able to keep Crowe in line, while he may lack the weight that she had to throw around physically, he was awfully persuasive in his own ways, and she was happy to know that she wouldn’t be the only one working to keep the large male away from her daughters. Only shifting in the slightest to better hear his tale, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. It hadn’t been the story she had expected, no, but it wasn’t exactly surprising either.

“Not surprising, but not what I expected.” she responded quietly, unable to resist drawing the parallels between his tale and her own upbringing, even if her view was from the ‘other side’ of the fence. “My grandmothers birth pack cast her out for the colour of her coat. She was black, and they were white, she stood out too clearly against the snow fields of the far north. They called her ‘bad luck’. My grandfather was black as well, as were my father and his siblings, and most of my cousins. We were different though, our mother was a tiny thing, but she was fast. As white as snow with one blue eye, and one gold. It was a large pack when I left. Perhaps bordering on too large. It seemed every other week there was another fight with neighbors for food, or land - always fighting, the taste of wolfs blood as familiar as deer.” Her muzzle wrinkled in distaste. It was hardly natural to spend so much time fighting and while it had served her well she much preferred the relatively peaceful existence she lived here.

“Myself and my sister, we set out to bring our brother home, but we got separated and eventually I wound up here, and suddenly going home wasn’t such a priority. I never thought that I would manage to get to where I am now. Children of my own, a pack... My own pesky neighbors to deal with...” the last was said with a slight chuckle and a heavy sigh. So much she had gained, and such a heavy price had been paid. But not for a moment did she think to question the cost.

And when I dared to dream I never thought that I would be here alone... she thought more quietly, until she realised that she wasn’t alone. She had Mapplethorpe, she had Rais and Sagacity, Nebet and Asta. She even had Crowe. She had Taima and Datura and Aponi and Nova, and as long as she had them the future looked bright. Her own sharing had been unexpected, but it only seemed fair. She wondered if Mapplethorpe would have any questions, a want to probe deeper into her past. This was a new experience for her, and she wasn’t exactly sure how these things were meant to work from here.

template base by GINNYSAURUS | image by GREY

There are times when I look at you

Mapplethorpe

and I still can’t believe you are real

Instead of another question, she brought to light her own story and he listened just as eagerly. His grandmother had left her pack for something better as Naira's grandmother was cast aside. My, weren't they such a curious pair? The privileged princess and the near-forgotten son in a sea of heiresses... both having found their way here after being lost for some time. Mapplethorpe had been on his own though; Naira, on the other hand, had had a sister with her. Whether or not her brother (or sister) was recovered, she did not say, but he felt that he had no reason to ask.

He had to admit that it was humbling to see Naira just as she was now, so different from the iron-willed woman who governed over her lands with an impressive power that could only emanate from her alone. The thumping in his chest cavity seemed to cry out of everything unspoken then when a gap formed between the strings of words that made up their conversation. He shifted slightly, just enough to relax his shoulders and take a deep breath. If they were going to get to know one another on a more personal level then he dared to see just how close he could get to her.

"It would seem you've come a long way then, my liege," he cooed, still brandishing his grin. "And, I must say, all the elements of authority and power are quite becoming of you." His voice had quieted almost to a hush; if he had been human he might have reached out just then to gently brush a piece of hair from her face or simply extend his hands to grasp one of her own and kiss the ornate ring - which was probably most likely an Aquila heirloom of sorts - that adorned one of her fingers. The most he could do as Naira laid there alongside the back portion of his body, using his lower back as a pillow, was to curl up just enough so that his hind foot just grazed the underside of his forelimbs. If he had wished to he was sure if he stretched enough he could just graze her tail with the tip of his nose... if only it curled close enough to him.

"Naira," he called quietly though he was mere inches from her face and ears, her name foreign yet sweet on his tongue. "My Lady... Please, correct me if I am too forward... but..." A small breath of air fled into his chest and he held it as the words came spilling over his lips, "Why did you ask me to step up? To... to take up his place when he left?" He angled his head and neck so that he could see the side of her temple, the characteristic markings that made up her helm-like markings. He blinked once and his gaze fell away as though he had suddenly become shy. Why not @Rais? The youth had merely been a boy when Mapplethorpe had first met him but he had, in time, come of age and one of her most trusted members. He was also under the impression that he was one of the last of the founding group to even meet Naira and the pack as a whole. What about Tenzin or Valiant? ...that is, if they hadn't had left. His muzzle scrunched up uncertainly and he wondered now if maybe he was just reading too much into such a thing as infatuation or hints of gratitude that he might have mistaken as affection.

template base by GINNYSAURUS | image by GREY

Help me, she prayed, send me a friend

• NAIRA AQUILA •

a true knight to champion me

The oldest daughter of the oldest son had never been in line for leadership of the pack to which she had been born. Her dark brother Chulyin stood more a chance than she ever did, practically groomed to the role from the day they left the den. Of all her siblings it was he who she was closest to, the rivalry and camaraderie they shared had always overshadowed her relationship with their younger siblings, forever trying to out-do each other. And how she missed him.

His flattery was not anticipated but it made her smile none the less. Was this how things were meant to be between partners? Mates even? Soft words in the dark of night and gentle encouragements, pointless tales shared of days long gone? This was so different to anything she had ever experienced before and so she couldn’t quite be sure - but she did like it. Her heart might not be racing like it did with Rhysis, and even @Triell, but she did not have to question their closeness or wonder if she was crossing some invisible line either. This was simply the way things were between them, but should it have some more meaningful label?

His question was unexpected, and she was not sure she had an answer. She had asked herself the same question once, and everything had logically pointed to the wolf who was at her side now. She had needed him and he had not failed her yet. Stability was something that she craved and he seemed to be the only one capable of providing it.

Her head craned forward so her muzzle rested lightly on his chest, her eyes seeking out his face in the dark, hoping to catch a glimpse of his cadmium tinted eyes meeting her own. “Because you are yet to let me down. We need stability and you have always been there to provide it to me. It is a position you deserve...” All she could hope was that it was what he wanted, to be at her side. She allowed her head to drift back a little, resting more comfortably on his hip while she considered all that they had been through.

She could feel her own defenses weakening by the day. She was already so reliant upon him and the thought of him leaving her... “Ah-are you happy here Mapplethorpe?” she had to question - it was a clear moment of vulnerability. If he wasn’t then she could not expect him to stay any longer than he wished, and she wouldn’t let herself get any closer if there was any chance that he might leave her too.

template base by GINNYSAURUS | image by GREY

There are times when I look at you

Mapplethorpe

and I still can’t believe you are real

Her words, if they had been actual physical things, would have soaked him to the bone. As they were, he was quick to memorize them, to take them to heart and keep them there to remember for the rest of his days. He deserved this position... His past self would have recoiled, pretended to modestly and humbly spurn the fact. The position of Leader, if he had wanted it, would have had to be obtained through a fight of some sort with Rhysis instead of merely stepping into it in attempt to fill the void he had left.

At present, Mapplethorpe gladly accepted her and everything she had offered, even if her inquiry made him slowly start to brace himself from the inside out. "Ah-are you happy here Mapplethorpe?” her voice was very much unlike the usual tone she spoke with, very far from the tone she had used to start this conversation. It was raw, possibly pure, even if she stuttered at the beginning. A part of him wanted to bottle it up so he could examine it further and why it had suddenly brought him into such a state of shock.

It felt as though they had been transported to a broken realm, surrounded by fire; and, at any given moment, the ground beneath them could fall through... along with everything he - and Naira - had achieved together.

In a timely fashion he answered her, lifting his head from his paws to press his nose and lips to her side, forearm, and whatever part of her he could reach, attempting to place soft "kisses" wherever he could before turning so that he could fully gaze at her. "Of course, I'm happy," he confessed. "So happy. How could I not be? I have a home... a... family, a purpose and the ability to do my duties... and, I have you. I couldn't be anything but happy. Are you?"

template base by GINNYSAURUS | image by GREY

(This post was last modified: Jul 04, 2013, 02:53 AM by Mapplethorpe.)