Eris is by me!

The dark hybrid was drawn to the river, time and time again. She loved to watch its flow, endless and unstoppable as time itself. Like any other river, it flowed downhill from the reaches of the mountains. Unlike any river she had seen before -- save those pathetic creeks in Inferni, which were certainly not wide or deep enough to be called rivers, as they were -- this river occasionally flowed backwards. Eris had connected the event with the flow of the tide, and could now roughly predict when the phenomenon was to occur simply by glancing at the ocean. A low tide pushing in meant she could visit the Pictou and watch the "water-magic" as Liliya called it.

Nothing of that sort had brought the dark hybrid there on this afternoon, however. Instead, it had been a ravenous thirst, rather unlike anything she had experienced before. Eris had grown thick for the winter, not just of coat, but of body, too. She felt heavier, and her mid-section had gained the most weight. She had pondered pregnancy, too, but the sable-hued woman did not think this felt like pregnancy. Her two litters had been large ones, and the dark woman thought she was mistress of such things, as experienced as her mother. No -- this was over-eating now that she was in Salsola, certainly. She could not be pregnant. If she was, the parentage of her young would be questionable. She romped with Larkspur on occasion, though these duties were performed more perfunctorily and out of a lack of other things to occupy her time than tenderness. She had been with Sirius once, and Eris did not know when pregnancies began. It didn't much matter, in any case. She was not.

Sated of that awful thirst, the hybrid had walked upriver in the shallows with the cool water slipping between her toes. Her eyes pondered the occasional overhanging tangle of roots, evidence of the boscage on the bank. This river would flow fiercely in spring, carrying all of the mountain run-off down and through Salsola. Eris did not mind -- they had horses to cross rivers, and if they were isolated on this side of the river a while, so be it. It would serve them well to be cut off from the other packs for a while. The dark woman did not like the closeness her pack was incubating with Inferni, but she knew it was also for the best. She would not stand in Sirius's way on this matter.

Ahead, she could see a particularly large tree. It hung over the edge of the river, and the hybrid decided it would be good to sit there and watch the river a while. Clambering up the steep banks, the wolf planted herself on the tree and shimmied out over the river a little ways, too afraid to venture much more than an arm's length away from the riverbank. Still, it was nice, and her feet dangled out over a decent drop to the water. The drop was long enough and the water shallow enough to make for a nasty fall if she was particularly unlucky, so the coyote decided not to move very much. Instead, she stared down into the river, watching the silt she'd stirred up gradually settle and move downriver. A few minutes later, lazy fish, presumably returning from her disturbance, began to appear, drifting this way and that. She watched them contemplatively, the tip of her tail occasionally giving a little twitch as it dangled out over the river behind her.

Eris was generally a straightforward canine, presenting one of two sides of herself: she was either sweet to the point of sickness, or downright mistrustful. It depended on whether or not she spoke to a Salsola member. Outsiders generally received the latter facade, the harsh and distrustful woman who, on rare occasion, introduced herself as Discordia. It was her Salsola who saw that first side, the mothering and smothering side of the dark hybrid. She was needy, and she did like to feel loved. Where was the problem in that? Eris did not think there was one.

This was why the Siv newcomer vexed her so; she did not understand the woman and her lack of love. Eris was not asking for so much as physical love -- she did not think of women this way -- but simply a sense of love, that closeness she experienced with so many of her other packmembers. There was none of it in Siv, however, and the dark-furred woman felt it would not grow within her, either. One could look upon Magnolia and the quick relationship between Eris and the pale Family member for an exemplary start to Salsola.

The sable Auxiliary did not think she would regret bringing the woman and her child into Salsola, but her integration might be more difficult than any they'd face so far. Eris had faced the darkness in the world the night she accepted Siv into Salsola, smoking some of her indian tobacco and chewing the tiniest of her mushroom caps, just enough to blur the edges of the world into meaninglessness. Her visions had been dark and terrible -- and oh, how strong they'd come for how little in the way of entheogens she had consumed. Such omens were rarely false.

These were the same thoughts she ruminated over again as she sat over the river. Shibboleth crept in occasionally, appearing brilliant and white in her mind's eye, but Eris always turned away from the girl. It was easier now that she visited the gravesite frequently, much to her surprise. She would have expected the opposite. Her private and quiet hurt should have been stronger with the constant reminder, but she would not question such subtle magic and miracles. Perhaps -- trite and impossible as it seemed -- the girl visited her, lurking around her mother in another realm entirely. The thought was comforting, but empty.

Though she seemed to look at a distant copse of trees overhanging the river, in reality, she gazed at nothing; she was entirely off in her own head. Her feet occasionally swung mindless, lazy arcs over the water below, and her tail still twitched on occasion. Her grip had loosened on the upturned branch she had previously used for support, but she leaned more heavily on it, nearly wrapped around the thing, When there was a strange sound, she came to from her thoughts, peering around curiously. She hadn't intended to daydream so long, and she was irritated with herself.

She saw the laden elk first, and this sight was strange enough to give her pause; she openly gaped a moment before her gaze shifted to the more normal encounter -- a Luperci. Presumably, he was the elk's owner. Sharp chartreuse eyes peered at him with curiosity, and she blinked, yelping her answer before she processed the question. What? Then, what he had asked registered in her mind, and she shook her head. No. Just sightseeing, she said. She had been startled and she was irritated with herself, and so, she was not at her merriest.

Eris, she responded, offering her real name without much thought. Use Discordia too close and too frequently to Salsola, and the whole thing was ruined. There should be a southerly dark wolf, a woman with a hooded cloak and oak-wood staff. That was Discordia, Eris decided, then and there. That's an elk you have there, she observed, tossing the tip of her muzzle toward the animal. Why not a horse? She was genuinely curious; what advantage did an elk have to a horse? The sable-hued woman was intrigued by this exotic thing, and she did hope he would entertain her question with an answer.

(363)

Eris is by Kiri!

A faint smile showed on Eris's muzzle, though she did not much feel like smiling. She could agree with him -- the woman found the entire stretch of the Pictou river rather gorgeous, and she did love to see its backward flow. Water-magic, she called it, though she had since connected the odd movements with the incoming tides. The sable-shaded woman spoke her agreement in a soft voice, only a single word spoken. They did not need to wax poetic on just how beautiful these lands were -- she had chosen them for that reason. The rugged beauty of these salt marshes spoke to the very heart of Salsola, after all. Yes.

Her chartreuse eyes studied him as he looked to the elk, and as his gaze returned, her own moved to the beast again, not wishing to appear that she was staring. He was large -- she had noted his size from the moment she'd seen him, though at first the dark woman wondered if his size was not an illusion of his Secui form. Her own halfling morph was a great deal larger and bulkier than either her Optime or Lupus, and the dark-hued coyote knew it was much the same for most Luperci. He spoke at length, though the hybrid absorbed each of Reykr's words, listening to them with her usual keenness. She provided a polite chuckle at his jest, her smile remaining far away from her eyes.

I noted your size very well, stranger. Why do you think I remain treed? The smile was sweet, but there was a hint of venom in her green-yellow eyes, dangerous as it was enticing. Without giving him much of any chance to interject, she continued, choosing to answer his question vaguely and provide her own in turn. I do not live far, no. By Father -- you mean, your god? she inquired, posing the question with no shame or uncertainty. She would know about his spirituality, if he was so willing to provide the information. Such conversations interested her more than where she lived -- though, of course, Eris had plenty of reason to wish to protect her home Salsola.

(717)

The dark-hued woman could not recall the last time she had taken her halfling form. Truth be told, she found such a form rather unbecoming for a lady, and her preference did seem to lean toward Optime. As many Luperci, however, the sable-hued wolf was not entirely opposed to appearing on four legs, as she had come into the world. She did find a sort of feral excitement in the form, now so foreign to her. Her yellow-green eyes regarded the stranger and she took his excitement for flirtatious interest, his words for suggestion of her own man. While Eris knew well she was spoken for, she chose not to publicize such to Reykr just yet. Instead, she passed over the momentary suggestion and instead focused her intent on his further speech, a coy smile appearing and remaining upon her shade-hued muzzle.

She offered a nod and spoke nothing, so he might continue, which he did obligingly. The names of his gods were strange -- then again, so were the names of the Eternian gods, so were the names of Larkspur's gods. Some were proven false, others proven true. At his suggestion to move nearer, the woman appeared to consider, and then chose to sidle carefully down the trunk of the tree, her claws digging at the bark for grip at every step. The river was not so far below her as to kill her in a fall, but a broken leg might handicap her for months. With solid ground beneath her feet, the woman did not move from the trunk, but instead leaned against it, appearing complacent and content with the world.

In reality, she readied herself to run, however slightly. His size, which made him so bonny to her recruiter's eye, also likely made him powerfully fast: she took the build of his body as one not for endurance, but rather a blistering, relentless sprint. The man's Secui form would surely overtake her less speedy Optime form, but she might draw close enough to Salsola to rouse the pack with a cry of distress, should he pose her any threat. Then, it would be up to the speed of her Salsolians coming to her aid. Though nothing of Reykr had suggested to Eris he was dangerous -- quite the contrary, actually -- the dark-furred woman did not trust outsiders by default, and whether or not the man shared blood with one of her pack mattered little to Eris. Many of her own family were outsiders and decidedly betrayers and devils; why should she trust the family of another?

Still, his conversation did interest her, and the dark woman saw no reason to abbreviate their conversation by so rudely departing. She retained her relaxed alert, regarding him with a countenance free of suspicion and ill-will. For all appearances, she was simply intrigued -- curious about this man and his gods. This curiosity of his spirituality was true, and one might see it, shining in her chartreuse-hued eyes as she spoke to him then. Eris had absorbed of many beliefs as she went, taking what she would and abandoning what she did not care for. Perhaps there was something to be learned of Rekyr's beliefs.

Ah, a trio! she declared, the grin on her muzzle broadening. The Khalif gods were three, and their beliefs had proven true. The Christian gods were three, albeit with one, the capitalized God, as the head of the the trio. Perhaps Reykr's gods would prove true, as well, if they were three. Monotheism, at least as Eris had encountered it in Eterne, had proven false. I am quite interested in anything of the spirit worlds, in truth, the dark woman said, gesticulating in the air around her as she did so, indicating the world around them and its shadowy counterpart. If it offends you or if it is considered sin to speak of your beliefs, then we'll speak of other things. If you would speak of them, though, I'd listen to all you say, she said, eager for this subject as well as the distraction it provided: while telling of his belief and homeland, if he so obliged, she could size him up and avoid questions regarding Salsola in one fell swoop.

Eris is by Alaine!