WC: 671
Tayui smiled in reply to Dawali, nodding quietly as he spoke. Although she wanted to ask him more -- about how he was doing, and catch herself up with the news of AniWaya -- she knew that this was not the appropriate time. And she was sure Dawali would include the recent goings-on when he spoke, so she knew she did not have long to wait. Soon enough, three more wolves entered the building, all of which Tayui did not recall meeting before. She wondered just how much she had missed when she had been keeping to herself and with her children. Certainly, it appeared as though quite a bit had been going on.
Dawali quickly introduced one of the newcomers, gesturing to the male. Hemming, Dawali iterated, had assisted him in building -- and more importantly, theorizing the town hall. Tayui let her gaze slide over to the mottled male. She then noticed that Ember, too, had joined their group. Tayui realized she must have missed the other girl's arrival since she had been focusing on Dawali the whole time! She offered the girl a familiar smile, again wishing she had time to catch up with the Phoenix lady. However, Dawali continued onward, explaining the war between Inferni and Dahlia de Mai. For a moment, Tayui frowned, trying to piece together what she knew about the two packs. Gabriel led Inferni now, and from what Tayui had heard, Kaena had returned to the clan as well. So this must have been Gabriel's doing, for he had been the Aquila for a long enough time that even the return of his mother, previous leader, could not dislodge him from his post.
Tayui did not know what to think. On one hand, Haku was from Dahlia, and there was a part of her that wanted her children to know their father. But the man was a beast, and she had known this when she'd slept with him. But what was Inferni doing with Dahlia de Mai? What was the purpose of this newfound war? Tayui could still remember the war between Aremys and Inferni, and how she had once stood before her packmembers and addressed them as Dawali had. What could it mean now, for all of them?
Tayui was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Asha speak, and she instantly frowned. Perhaps some of them were wolf-haters, but not all of them were. Kaena had not outright attacked her when they had spoken, and the only reason Tayui had to suspect any hostility on Kaena's part was if Salvaged Eternity had still been in Jaded Shadows. But by the time the two leaders had met, Salvaged had left Jaded Shadows, and Inferni was at war with Aremys. Although this had frightened Tayui, and she had wondered if her pack would have been next, Kaena had assured her there was no conflict between them, and Kaena had kept her word. Even when Tayui had met Gabriel, on his own lands, and established Shadowed Sun's neutrality in the first Dahlian War. Haku had raped someone (and still, Tayui slept with him), and then attacked again. But the one thing that had stood out from that meeting was Gabriel's insistence that it was a war with Haku, not Dahlia de Mai. Tayui wondered how much of that was true again for this case.
“As long as you don't provoke them, I doubt you have much to worry about,” she retorted, surprised that there were still wolves who believed it was all wolf-hating and coyote-hating. It wasn't all so black and white. “I'd be wary in case they mistake you for a Dahlian wolf, but if you don't go picking fights, they've no reason to attack you.” She wanted to add: They just want to live their lives as they see fit, but given the context, she doubted it would be appropriate. Nonetheless, both Gabriel and Kaena's words had boiled down to the same essential principle: don't bother us and we won't bother you.
Table by Kate!
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