.: OOC This thread is intended to be a conversational thread, and sometimes shorter posts are OK when you're focusing on dialogue so don't be afraid! There will be no posting order so the characters can go back and forth when appropriate. She doesn't just mean for each member to stand and speak then back down, but for everyone to talk, relate, get to know each other more. :. .: WC 808 :.
Already three glorious nights had passed since the birth of New Dawn. Three nights, and now another day drew to a close delivering them the fourth night. The pack was so young and new but its spirit was as old as time. Titania and Zalen had always been together, and now she knew that in the heavens before her birth she ran with all of them. Soran without her limp, Shandom without his scars, and even with Noah who could runs as fast as a bullet among the stars, for there his body was complete. She had known all of them, everyone who now made up New Dawn. She knew this because her dreams had told her so.
On the eve of their fourth day, Titania Moonsong, Alphess of New Dawn, left small paw prints in the snow as she weaved through the trees. A smile was tight on her muzzle as she wandered and daydreamt about how dearly she loved her pack and how tightly stitched their souls were. But it was glaringly obvious to Titania that, whilst her spirit knew the others, she did not yet know each of them intimately, as she should. By now stories had been told, experiences shared, but those were only small one on one conversations and she had not been there for all of them. She wanted to know everything about her pack, and they all deserved to have their stories heard.
With this thought in mind the young wolfess emerged from the trees in the little area that surrounded the pack den. Their scents were strong here, each individual strain mixed together to create the whole of what now was the identity of New Dawn. She took in a deep breath, reveling in it for a moment before moving to the mound that Zalen had stood upon that first day when he delivered his founding speech.
Golden eyes turned to the darkening heavens. Evening gave way to night, and now millions of stars shone brilliantly in the clear sky. Only a small ribbon of pink could be seen in the west where the sun tucked itself behind the land for the night. She then focused on the low hanging moon, smiling. She was growing, and would be full in only a few weeks. Growing for them? She was certain of it.
Her song blessed the lands. The first verse was a long, drawn out, somber beckoning note. ‘My pack, my family, come to me.’ The howl faded and there was only a brief pause before another note chimed. ‘Come, have your story be told.’
Zalen had already shared his with the pack, now it was time for her to do the same. Those who did not yet know what she was about deserved to understand their Alphess. And they all deserved to know each other.
She sat upon the mound with her silver and crimson tail curled over her forepaws to warm them. Patiently she awaited the arrival of her pack. The howl had been an invitation and a wish, but she would not force anyone to come by command this evening. If someone chose to sit this one out, she would allow it. Then again, judging by the spirit of New Dawn, no one would want to be left out.
She watched silently as the shapes of her wolves appeared from every direction. Some from the forest, some possibly from the very den near which she perched. When it seemed that most had come, she spoke to them, though her ears remained pert, listening for others who might be straggling but still coming to attendance.
“New Dawn, there is no hiding the fact that we are a pack ripe with history. Each of us holds our own story, our own past. We have all met with trials and tribulations in our lifetime – some of us reminded of it daily by the scars we so proudly bare.” The Alphess herself had not a mark upon her pelt, nor did she know times the likes of which much of her pack had seen, but through them she would learn. “Now our paths have merged, now and forever; our stories have become one. I invite everyone, please, let us know of your past so New Dawn can understand not just one part but all of its history. Let your family support you through sorrowful memories, and let us rejoice with you for the good.”
She let her words hang there for a moment as she scanned the faces before her. No one would be forced to tell their past if they felt ashamed, but if Titania suspected them of such feelings she would later speak to them in private. Whatever happened in the past would not change the fact that they were family now.
.: OOC :. New Dawn, you are killing me :| Except not really, because now I have buckets of muse for Shandom...but almost none for Columbine. Ah, toss ups. Anyway, he's not going to give details of his past in this post. Nuki, if Tit wants to talk to him further about it, just shoot me a PM and lemme know :3 .: WC :. 2071
When he heard the beckoning call of his Alphess, Shandom instinctively dropped what he was doing and spun in her direction. It hadn't been all that important, anyway - the alabaster male was scampering around, appreciating the benefits of four legs and just generally enjoying himself. But he would not turn down an opportunity to speak with his young leader; she was interesting and ethereal in a strange way, and Shandom had found that he could respect her. He heeded the beckoning of her call, letting a deep bark pass from his lips, though she could not have heard it from the distance. With his focus slightly clouded, he did not hear the final notes of her song; if he had, the male probably would not have heeded the non-mandatory summons. His story was dark, troublesome; terrifying, almost. Wolves in the areas of Etienne knew his name, knew the story; he was ostracized and hated and feared, for both his own crimes and the ones committed by the sister he held so dear.
Regardless, he did not hear that initially, and scampered to find his Alphess. The journey did not take long, and it appeared he was one of the first to arrive. Slinking in to a submissive pose, the handsome man tucked his busy tail beneath his muscular legs and nodded to the girl on the mound. My Alphess. You are well, Miss? He was still not comfortable enough with the Alphas to use less formalized greetings, and he doubted he ever would be. Shandom demanded respect when he held their position; in turn, he expected them to have the same standards. The male had no problem with that. Respect, authority, submission and dominance - all were familiar to him, and well loved. Today, Titania appeared to be perhaps a hair more relaxed than she had been at the initial meeting. Again, to be expected. That first meeting had been one of great importance - it was the first time the pack was together as a family.
He'd missed having one of those.
The pale male sat in silence near the base of the small mound, waiting and watching as others arrived. His scarred countenance observed them and he nodded in greeting as each arrived. Shandom counted them as friends now, family in the spiritual sense of the word; he was not bound by blood to them. But, then again, he'd never been bound by blood to the Yaes. The only blood-brother he knew was Odin, and while he missed his star-gazing brother desperately some days, his true family had always lay with Linquilea, and her beautiful smile. She was his sister, his reason for existing, as well as the love of his life. Sometimes, he could not believe he ruined that bond.
When Titania began to speak, encouraging them to tell their stories, Shandom stiffened momentarily. He doubted it went unnoticed. The male's dark eyes darted to the ground and then into the distance in the direction of the West, as if a powerful magnet drew him that direction. His heart, in truth, would always remain there. Or at least a bit of it. New Dawn held a powerful attraction for him, and he could call it home, but Etienne was the land of his ancestors, and the land where the happiest memories of his life remained. This den, though cozy, could not replace the cavern where Lea and he tangled together in sleep, seemingly eternally entwined by the Fates themselves. Shandom, on occassion, wondered what transgression he committed in an earlier life to cause such strife in this one. it was certainly something to muse about.
It appeared he would go first. The male drew breath, knowing it was a long and rather sordid tale. Shandom wondered if he would be run off the land for his story, and it was then he decided he would leave the gruesome details of the crimes to a later date. Perhaps telling an entire group of wolves at the same time would not be prudent. I was born in a land far from here, a journey of many days and one that, in my wanderings, took me several years. I was not born scarred; as a youth, I employed full use of my vision and had nothing to interrupt the whiteness of my fur. My pack was not genetically shifting; until I...left... I had not heard of the virus, and I lived the first three years of my life exclusively on four paws. My parents were the leaders of the pack - Etienne - but they went missing when I was very young. The Betas, Gyek and Kora Yae, took my brother, Odin, and I, into their care - our families had long been friends, and they were not interested in disrupting the ancestral lineage of the pack. My family, the Qi'Vaex family - though I will not use that surname here, not out of disgust but out of respect - had led Etienne for as long as memory could recall. I would be the leader when I grew old enough, but until then, Gyek would lead. Shandom hoped Titania noticed he left the phrase Alpha out of his speech. It was not to undermine his story, but instead to emphasize the point that he had no interest in ever doing that again. By telling his story, the alabaster male was putting his position in the pack in jeopardy. Former Alphas were not so readily accepted by actual Alphas, regardless of how vehemently the former renounced their status.
Allow me, for a moment, to explain Etienne. Shandom interrupted his story to get this important point across, though he had a feeling it was nothing more than to distract the other wolves from the gruesome story he was about to tell. I came to these lands, having not been a pack wolf for several years, searching for a place like my home. I am drawn to New Dawn, and the wolves who live within it, for the reason that it is much like my homeland. Etienne is, first and foremost, a family. Not all the wolves are biologically related, but we lived in close quarters. The dens are nestled together, so no-one is ever far from the collective pack. Each wolf is extremely proud of Etienne, as well as extremely defensive. The culture is that of protection, first and foremost; no creature is allowed within the territory unless they are, in fact, a member of Etienne. Visitors are not permitted; growing up, I was taught to be deeply distrustful of anyone I did not know. And is that not natural? A bitter chuckle escaped his lips as he considered what had happened to his biological parents. I was deprived the opportunity to learn how to be a leader under my father, Farax, because a group of wolves who seek nothing more than chaos decided to abduct my mother. Their reasons are still unknown to Etienne, or at least they were when I departed; since that incident, the pack has become even more secretive and reclusive. But still, they are happy there, or at least I hope they still are. Shandom shook his head, and realized he was far from the conversation he meant to have. I apologize, and I hope you will all forgive my long winded tale. I am a story teller, and I love to talk; unfortunately, over the past several moons, I have been deprived of that opportunity. I assure you, after I have run myself hoarse, you will probably never hear me say this much ever again. The statement was true. The Qi'Vaex man was not a particularly long-winded creature. Speaking this much would be a first for him, perhaps ever.
Gyek and Kora had a daughter, Linquilea. She and I did not get off to the...best start... Here he chuckled, eyes on the ground briefly before they returned to the faces of his pack, careful to not make eye contact where it was not appropriate. But she soon became my best friend in the entire world. She was my Lea-Belle, the one creature I allowed true friendship; as a child, I was not so mature as I am now, naturally. Lea was beautiful, strong, kind, and.... The words here would be difficult to say. It would be an admission he had not made to anyone, at least not aloud. He hoped his new family would accept the difficulty of the statement, as for a moment Shandom struggled with it. And she was dangerously unbalanced. I did not take note of it; I am not ashamed to admit that I was smitten with her, and to this day, my heart belongs to Linquilea Yae. But Lea did not return my affections, as I learned - she found a mate when we were still young, barely six moons past our yearling birthday. I will readily admit my greatest flaw is jealousy. I loved her so passionately that it consumed my soul in a dangerous way; while I was also focused on training to be an adequate leader of Etienne, I could not think of any other creature besides my Lea-Belle. The pair of us, for so long, were expected to become mates and be the new leaders of the clan, although it was slightly scandalous - she is black as night, you see, and the Qi'Vaex line is traditionally pure white. Regardless, I was eager to break tradition for her. To this day, I can see in my mind the pups she would have bore us.... Sable mixed with the purest white; they would have been strikingly beautiful, and a wonderful combination of both of our traits...
But, as I said, Lea did not love me in that manner. I was her brother and her best friend; never anything more, and certainly never anything less. In my blindness, I did not notice her instability - in fact, I was wont to notice anything but my own jealousy and fear for losing her. When she bore pups I.... Shandom's voice wavered slightly, and for a moment he was silent. I could not handle it. We were three years when she had her children, Xyvi and Kora Dy'Nix, by a man named Jax, who I despised for reasons beyond Linquilea's affections. It was here that he reached the complicated part of his story. How to tell a collective group of wolves that he was a murderer of children, as well as parents? He had betrayed Etienne in an unforgivable way; even strangers to the land would be able to notice that. Sighing, Shandom shook his head. I committed a terrible crime, and Linquilea was blamed for it. At this point in my life, I was the leader of Etienne; nobody suspected I would act in such a manner, though she insisted it was me. She was run off the land and branded a killer; since then, my beautiful, amazing Lea-Belle... She has not been the same, and I doubt she ever will be. The girl I loved turned in to a monster of the night, rampaging lands. Her first order of business when she returned to Etienne was to break my alliances with the pack. She did so extremely successfully, and it is she who gave me this scar, and the blindness in my eye. But, to this day, I am not ashamed to admit I still love her, more than I can describe. It is a strange and complicated thing, love. It makes you do... crazy things.
His last words were spoken extremely softly, and he was silent for several more moments. I apologize, pack mates. I did not intend to babble so extensively. But you have a right to know my story, but also to know that I am not the man I once was. I am not so prone to rash, impulsive acts; my jealousy is not as potent as it once was. Certainly, I am flawed, and the furthest thing from a pure creature. My mistakes are my own, and they have made me into a stronger wolf. I hope you do not take away from my story that I am a bad creature. I have no ill intentions towards any of you, nor will I ever. My love for my sister will not stand in the way of my love for my pack, I assure you.
Don't feel honor bound to read the whole thing. It really is her whole life. 0-0;
The call stirred her from the intent gaze at various dried stalks of grass, not far from where the alphess called. She blinked once, shaking herself from her mental reverie. She had been making plans for things to do come spring time, and for roots to find now, though winter roots weren't always as potent as others. And yet, the call tugged her. She padded along, favoring the leg injured by Adelio as she did in lupus or secui. It had never healed quite right after he had bit it during that fight.
For a moment, the gruesome images flashed across her mind. With effort, she banished them, arriving shortly after the scarred white male. Titania's words made sense, though Deuce had many years to recount. As Shandom spoke, Deuce felt her heart ache for the things he had seen, though she got the sense there was more. But weren't there often things others hid, even if it was just to keep things private? As he wound down in his speech, she hummed softly, gently nudging him in a comforting manner. "I have the feeling many of us have seen sorrows."
She glanced at Titania, then began speaking softly, her rich voice still carrying a trace of her father's Irish brogue. "I have a long history, and it gets... confusing in places. Eight years doesn't seem like much when you're my age, but I assure you, it is a lifetime for you younger ones." Her eyes sparkled for a moment as she began.
"I was born in the far north, to the Light paw tribe, a tribe that had migrated from Ireland. My father supposedly died when a bear attacked my mother while she was carrying myself and my littermates. My mother died shortly after our birth. Our litter was small. Myself, Bran, and Branwen. Our tribe's bard, Taliesin, took us in as his own. When we were four months old, Bran got sick. Despite the tribe's knowledge, he slowly starved. Branwen, true to the legend she was named for, followed him into death. Taliesin saw that I had survived, and gave me my full name. Deuce Rhiannon. Rhiannon saved me then, as she has throughout my life.
Anyway... Taliesin taught me much, including reading. He could not teach me to write, as I was not a shifter, unlike much of the tribe. Around my first year of life, my omens were cast. My snowy pelt and mismatched eyes were considered to be an ill omen, spelling out the tribe's doom. Taliesin fought it, and in the end I received two choices. Stay, and be sacrificed for the good of the tribe, or leave and take my ill omens with me. Obviously, I left.
I traveled for many moons, until I stumbled onto a strange pack. Syemv, a pack of Russian luperci. Rouges, the lot of them, but they took me under their wing. It was there, pregnant with my first litter, that I met my mate, Soran. We hated each other at first." A bittersweet smile. "And yet she was there when Deirdre and her siblings were born. Deirdre was the only survivor of the first litter. Her father wanted nothing to do with her, so I ended up raising her alone. That was a rough time for me. The brightest time was when Soran and I began to realize we were attracted to each other. She helped me with my first shift. A crooked grin as she remembered the raunchy events that followed that first shift, the love making on the kitchen floor of the Syemv mansion.
Her eyes were distant as she spoke. "I was depressed because of Thanos, Dierdre's father. I was keeping a journal, talking about my suicide attempts. And once, I succeeded. I was saved by the goddess I was named after. That's why I continued to pass the Rhiannon name on down the line." She lifted a paw, displaying the jagged black line of fur running across the 'wrist'. "She healed me as I laid in Soran's arms. We became mates that very night. Our joy was not long, though. Akumu, our alphess, found my journal and cast me from the pack for my suicide attempts. I left a note for Soran... I to find Deirdre, who had not approved of me and Soran. And then, something happened... I met Erik. He was controlling. He... he raped me. And I killed him. Soran and Phasma the new alphess of Syemv comforted me, but I was in shock, even more so when I discovered I was expecting. Shadow Erikson, his name was. I hated him, he was a daily reminder of his father. Black fur and cold blue eyes..."
She swallowed. Here came the tumultuous times, more so than the early years. "A male I met, Lucifer, helped me through those days. Eventually we fell in love. He... he had a rocky past." He had raped Deirdre. He had been into drugs and drink. But he had loved her, and her son. "He helped me to see I could love Shadow, and he let Shadow take his last name. They looked the same anyways. Shadow called him dad. The coyotes took Shadow from me. They murdered him. It wasn't enough they'd taken Syemv, but they murdered Shadow. They... They did things to his body. Coyotes took a lot from me, including the tip of my ear, and they gave me one scar on my face.. I lost the pups I was carrying, Lucifer's litter. I went a little out of my mind then. Lucifer helped me through it, though. Soon, Noah and Taliesin were born. And then the fire came."
Yes, the fire that had forced everyone over the mountains. "They boys and I would have died, but Lucifer found us, he took Noah from me, and I carried Taliesin. We made it over the mountains. Somehow we met with Naniko and Conri. Naniko had helped my daughter Deirdre give birth prematurely. Sirus and Apollo were their names. We, along with another, formed a new pack, Twilight Vale. I raised my grandsons alongside my sons. Lucifer began cheating on me, I began drinking. The alphas decided I was a danger to the pups, and threw me out. I lived in Ethereal Eclipse for a while, on my own. One day, Iskata Sadira and I were talking, and we decided to form our own pack, Pheonix valley. Along of Hel, we made up a three tier leadership. Matriarch, Iskata. I was the Shaman, and Hel was our warrior. Three equal alphas.
She shrugged. "My prejudice against coyotes was stronger than ever. After Hel left with her mate Styx, Iskata and I butted heads about many things. Jefferson was our breaking point. I wanted to turn him away, he was a hybrid, and not to be trusted. She accepted him anyway. And then she was injured, and promoted him to leader. I had a daughter, Willow Soul, and didn't feel safe with so many hybrids allowed into my pack. So we left. Willow's father, Haku, found us in Ethereal Eclipse. Tal had joined us by then. Haku begged us to come to Dahlia where he was essentially the beta. I agreed. It was a mistake. Haku's mate hated us. She made life miserable. On top of that, I met Haku's oldest daughter Colibri, who told me things about her father... When Noah came to me and told me about the lands down south he was part of, I begged him to take Willow with him to protect her from Firefly. He did, and Tal too. Haku was furious. I left shortly after."
She swallowed again. "I followed the map Noah had left me. I found Noah, but not Tal or Willow. I also found Lucifer. Those were dark days, and I don't remember much of them. I remember Lucifer hurting Noah... and I remember the alpha hurting Lucifer. Then Lucifer was gone. Things got better after that. Our alpha, Chaos, began paying attention to me. The rules of Rugged Plateau were different... I was pregnant, and found his body. I assume the alpha who took over killed him, but I'm not sure.
I gave birth to two boys, and a girl. The new alpha came into my den. he..." She had to pause a moment. "He ate my boys. His mate took my daughter, Sora, and left while Adelio and I fought. I resorted to throwing sand in his face to get out of there. I just wanted to get my daughter and get someplace safe where I could recover from the wounds, including the fractured leg that didn't heal right. When I'm in optime it's fine, it's my arm. But in Lupus, it's a bit of a limp. Anyway, when she was older, we met a male named Budha. Half my age, but just as scarred as me. He offered his protection to us. I couldn't stand not knowing what had happened to my sons. I left Sora with Budha. I ended up back in Crimson Dreams. My first night back, I discovered Soran was there. Within a few months we were mates again. Tal is in the D'arte pack. Noah is here now, and so am I. And Lucfer, thank the Goddess, is dead."
Wow. That was the first time she'd told the whole story. or at least, most of it.
The silver male had followed in the tracks his mother had left after both of them hearing the call of the she leader. It was different for the male to say he was in a new pack, with new laws and rules. He was not the one to look up and out to the stars at night. That job would be given to another soul in the pack that he had turned away from, he was a New Dawn pack wolf and he was glad to be a part of such a rustic pack, part of him missed Jace, Temo, the pups, and Rendall. So many good memories he had with them. However, he was moving up and on with his life.
Coming to the group the male great the female alpha with a dip of his maw to the lady in charge while nuzzling his mother’s shoulder before sitting down. ”My mother here, The silver male nodded towards Deuce”Told you a bit a..a..about me, but I r..r..r…remember some things a…a…a..about the southern pack that she w…w…w..wasn’t able to, or w…w…w..wasn’t around see. I was t..t..the pack’s w..w..w.whipping boy. The pups o..o..o..of the pack beat me. I I could never hurt a pup. I never w..w..w..will hurt a pup. One o..o..of the many things I w..w..wont hurt. Family, L..l..ladies, pup, f..f..f.riends. It was the girls t..t..t.hat did it to me. I tried to d..d..d..defend the pack while the l..l..lady of the land was a..a..away. I got h..h..hit in the head. He gained the u..u…u..upper hand. Naturally he g..g..got leadership of the small p..p..pack. Lot of beatings took place from the g..g..girl pups…and…and..my D…Lucifer…” The male closed his eyes, he hated looking so weak so soft. It wasn’t really who he was. He had lost one fight, one single fight the most important fight ever and because of that he now destroyed and marked for life. ”I g..g..got away o..one night. Ran for life…I didn’t and c..c..couldn’t look back. I l..l..I came here. Well P..P…Phoenix Valley, meet J..J..Jefferson. He told me I could s..s..stay. Meet Jace, Temo, Y..Y..Yuki, T..T..Tala, and Rendall. I courted Y..Yuki, till she left. She left s..s..shortly after I pulled T..T..Tala out of cabin w..w..hen she was s..s..snowed in. I dug down t..t..to her cabin, it c..c..collapsed on us. It took the b..b..biggest part of my ear, took t..t..t..the fur from my e..ear base to my forehead, the beam that f..f…feel on us t..t..took my leg, but we b..b..both are alive. My Fa…Lucifer raped Jace, Tala, Y..Y..Yuki, and Rendall that I k..k..know of. I’m pretty s..s..sure there was more. I ended up taking R..R…R..Rendall as m..m..my mate. Jefferson left, left the pack to Razekiel . A..about that time Lucifer came u…up dead. Razekiel and Naryu joined together t..t..to m..m..make Ichika no Ho-en. I been w..w..with the pack till I j…j..joined these l..l..lands. “ That was all the male was able to share. It was still a raw feeling that he had over leaving his mate behind in the old pack land. He had briefly touched topic with her about him looking to another pack, but he never had the heart to tell her that he was going to leave. He wanted her to be happy where ever she was at. He could always visit her, but no longer where they official mates. It just meet they where back to courting each other. Maybe if she joined him in New Dawn and the leaders approved of it, he could take her as his mate again…again maybe. He wasn’t sure if she would even being around him after leaving again.
Then just like the child that he was never really able to be he pushed his head into his mother’s shoulder rubbing his maw all though the fur on her shoulder with a sigh, he hated his moral made him be loyal to his father, and mother, and love them and forgive them off all flaws. He held nothing against his mother, his father though….he wish he could just hate him for hurting his family and friends, for making Jefferson kill him. Noah just wishes he could hate every one that had wronged him.
The den had lured the young male earlier than he had planned. He lay curled up in his niche tucked away inside with his nose beneath his hind leg. It was not a restful sleep and he would twitch every now and again. There was so much to do: borders to mark, herds to track, new brothers and sisters to meet. It was exhausting, but he attended to all with marked enthusiasm. He’d even smiled from time to time. He fidgeted in the dark, paws twitching. A dream had him in its foggy embrace. He was following the elk herd as he had so often lately, the memory so vivid that it even presented itself in the dream world. All was lost when the sound of the Alphess’s howl caught his ears, long and solemn, but sweet and flavored with youth. His eyes opened suddenly and he drew his head slowly from his paws. His lips were turned in an odd way, making the line of his mouth appear strangely flat. He blinked slowly, eyes taking in the world around him in a drowsy haze.
Dutifully he rose and stretched each of his forelimbs before him one at a time. Her second note rang clear in his ears and the haze dissipated from his eyes. They cast an eerie glow, the hints of green in his eyes solidified in the dark, the yellow hue of day forgotten. He did not yet withdraw from the den’s depths, and instead perked his black rimmed ears to listen to her words. When she gave mention to their scars, as many the young pack had, Augustus could not help but lower his head. Those he possessed as well. It was a crime to be so scarred while still so young. His Alpha’s having nothing to mar their faces or bodies. Titania was still a young wolf, though, recently coming into her own. It would be wrong for anyone to despoil such a beauty.
He assumed a submissive posture as he looked on from her at her perch, in case she were to see him there, in the den’s mouth. He stole glances at her, at her pelt, shimmering silver in the moonlight, careful not to draw her eye when he did so. He did not want her to think of him wrongly, for he was only admiring. He knew she could never be his, and was content in the fact that she had found such a worthy mate.
He reclined to his haunches as he saw Shandom approach, and listened attentively to his tale. The void left by love was evident as he spoke, his words adoring despite the time that had passed. Augustus felt his heart go out to Linquilea as he heard of her banishment. It was so similar to his own, although no murders had been committed. It was the suspicion that drove them to banish the young wolf, although Augustus had never been truly satisfied with his father’s reasons. It was all a lie, fabricated by an aged and clever sire. He listened raptly as Shandom continued, grateful that his sanity had been spared. When his words drew to a close he found himself stepping slowly from the den. He walked to the white wolf’s side, brushing against it firmly as he did so, to show his support.
Deuce began to speak then and he turned both eyes and ears towards her. Her tale was longer still, her story full of ill characters. His eyes softened with respect and mourning for the female who had endured lifetimes of strife. He did not go to her, however, he did not want an advance to startle her. He loved her all the same, though, and soon found himself delivering words of comfort. "You are safe now.” He assured, seeing fit to meet her gaze as they were on equal standing and he wanted her to see the sincerity in his eyes. He fell to his haunches, still at Shandom’s side, and watched as Noah relayed what was left of their story, continuing where Deuce had left off.
It was not a fight but a turn of fate that had led to the more crippling of his scars and Augustus felt sorry for the poor wolf. His confidence must have been shattered long ago, he concluded as he listened to his halting manner of speaking, no longer puzzling at the history of its emergence.
His turn had finally come. As the eyes turned to him he prepared himself. The first two tellings had not been easy for him, but the presence of his pack mates all around him comforted him. He swelled with confidence. “My birth pack was far from here in the northern edge of Yukon. Luperci settlements were less common there, but there was one beyond our borders. My father hated Luperci, he told us that they practiced black magic and sacrificed wolves like us to wicked and bloodthirsty gods.” His gaze lowered, he was aware the wolves around him were all touched by the virus, so he spoke carefully. “That was the life I grew into. Hatred of Luperci came naturally to me and my brother. My brother was my everything. He was the only one I grew to trust, my parents never seemed to concerned with us, so all our lessons were learned swiftly. They had to be for us to survive.“ He paused a moment, eyes distant with memory. “Time passed without incident.” He continued. “My pack was growing restless with my father’s claims. I was only a few months old when my brother was found dead.” His voice was quieter now. “A knife was found next to his body, and when my father turned him over.” He stopped abruptly. “There was a symbol etched into his fur. My father told us it was the mark of the neighboring Luperci clan, and that we should have heeded his warnings. As I grew up I became more and more reserved…I’d lost my only friend and so young. I hardly spoke, save for when I needed to, and I grew ever distant. One day, everything changed…My father called a meeting while I was out exploring. I came as fast as I could, but I was still the last to turn up. When I arrived every eye turned to me and my pack parted before me like I was something wicked.” His brows furrowed slightly. “My father came to me then, spat in my face. He said I was plotting with the Luperci clan, planning another murder. I didn’t know where the accusations had come from…and I questioned him. Then I felt his claws connect with the side of my face and everything in me told me to run. So I did. I ran like I never had before. I could hear their paws behind me. They called me a murderer and snapped at my heels. I didn’t stop until long after the sound of their footsteps had faded. Before I knew it…I was here.” He relaxed a little, the worst of his tale over and done.
“I’ve learned a lot since then, and no longer think Luperci were to blame for my brother’s death.” He concluded, acknowledging also that he accepted them all for who they were and did not hold on to the vendetta so strongly as he had before. “It was not how I imagined my life would be, but I’m glad it happened, it led me to you.” He said finally, indicating his family around him.
The scarred male, Shandom, was the first to speak up. By his words and his visage he was only revealing part of his story, yet Titania still felt like he revealed much to the pack and for that she was thankful. The wolf had experienced loss and heartbreak, and it was saddening. The woman he loved did not love him back, and this had driven him mad. She could only imagine how torturous that could be. What would she do if Zalen stopped loving her? Even though it was just a stray thought it sent a shockwave of grief through her, visible on her visage. Her eyes became mournful and she moved to Shandom, nestling him softly as she thought of the pain he had been through.
Whatever crime he had committed was a cause for concern, and Titania would like to know, but the moon had chosen to absolve Shandom of his sins when she led him to New Dawn. Whatever his actions, if he would admit the truth to her, then he would receive his fair chance at redemption.
“Thank you for your story, Shandom. You have been through much. New Dawn can only benefit from your experiences. If well placed even your teachings at a pack figurehead can help us. If well placed.” She repeated that part twice, though gently. “ Your story is fascinating. I would appreciate the chance to talk to you more about it in private.” The statement was tactful, acting as though she were supremely curious about his history, and not just about whatever crime he had committed.
As Shandom’s time to speak drew to an end the Alphess turned to the next pack sister to step up courageously and tell her story. And a story it was, with much strife and hardship, it seemed more sorrowful than joyful, and she ached for her pack sister. In so many ways the path of Titania’s short life had crossed the tracks of Deuce’s long one, but little did she realize it. It seemed both of their worlds had been affected by one man, a man whose name Titania didn’t even yet know. Lucifer had raped her mother, Orin, and was partly responsible for how overprotective the woman had been. She did recognize the name Phoenix Valley and perked up when Deuce mentioned the land, eyes alight with wonder. She didn’t speak until Deuce’s story was done, though.
“Deuce, thank you,” she padded over to the woman and rubbed her muzzle with her own. She wasn’t thanking her for her story, but for something more. “Your past was a tumultuous one but in some way you helped save my family. My mother took up refuge in Phoenix Valley after we were attacked by a killer. I don’t know if you were there then, I was barely old enough to squeak my first howl. They protected us for a while until my mother took us back to live with my father in d’Arte. Not only that but Taliesin lives in d’Arte as well. Our families are connected by pack.”
She was glad, for Deuce’s sake, that this Lucifer fiend was dead. If she had known what he did to her own mother she would have rejoiced with wolfsong right there on the spot.
Noah spoke up then, after his mother, and her honey eyes turned onto the male with a soft touch. The stuttering, scarred wolf was quickly growing on her for reasons she could not explain. Physically he had many flaws and was weak, more of an accessory to a wolf pack than part of it, but there was a heart that was determined to make himself useful. She pitied Noah, for he would have to work harder than the rest to remain accepted by the pack, but she also revered him for his courage to try.
Much of his story had been told by his mother the moment before, but he did have his own experiences to add. He had been abused, but the fact didn’t come as much of a surprise to her. Of course they would pick on Noah with his gentle nature and his weaknesses. But when he talked about how he had lost his arm was when the Alphess really brightened. Tala? Phoenix Valley? That could not be a coincidence.
“Noah!” She barked, mirth breeching the sorrow. She slipped past Deuce and stood before Noah, tail whipping the air wildly. “You rescued Tala? Is this true?” She looked at Deuce but wasn’t sure if the woman could confirm it. Either way, she was inclined to believe Noah. Her eyes returned to Noah, standing at his side, and pawed his shoulder while she nudged his cheek happily. “Tala is the reason I’m alive. It was after the snow storm that my mother fled d’Arte, and Tala found her and took us in. I don’t remember it but I was told that my sister Juliet and I were on the brink of death, exposed to too much, too young. She saved all of us, and she was only there to do it thanks to you.”
The Alphess planted her rump firmly on the ground and nestled into Noah, who in turn was nestled into Deuce. In a strange way she owed both of them her life.
She remained beside Noah while her eyes turned to Augustus, ears cupped towards him while he told his story. Her ears fell back for a moment when he spoke of the Luperci-hating clan, being Luperci born herself. But it was not anger at Augustus that she felt, rather sadness that such ignorance could exist. It was people who were bad, not how they were born that made them this way. She nodded gravely as Augustus finished. “I’m glad that you’ve seen past that ignorance. It’s not often that someone can break what has been forced upon them their whole life.”
“As a true wolf pack we know that it is not being Ortus or Verto, Luperci or not that makes the wolf. Those of us who can shift are gifted with convenience, but those who can not are gifted with the blessing of knowing what it is like to live as we were always meant to.”
She smiled at Augustus, wondering what it might be like to have never changed.
Her eyes moved away and skimmed the group and she realized that, unless others arrived late, it was her turn to share her life’s story. She straightened up but remained seated next to Noah.
“It’s no secret that I am yet a young wolf,” she smiled, her eyes meeting each in turn. The way she looked at them all made it clear that formality was gone, that they were allowed to act casually for right now the Alphess did not require any more posturing, as sometimes the dominant wolves allowed. When she met their eyes it was not to impress the weight of her station, but to look upon them as friends.
“And my age affords me the luxury of not yet knowing the strife of my family. Even the hardest times that I’ve endured don’t amount to what you have all been through, but I will share my story just the same.
“I was born within Cercatori d’Arte, the art centered pack to the south, the daughter of the Captain – their alpha, at the time – and one of the founding members. A serpent deceived my mother and the pack into believing he was a just man, but we were only a few hours old when he broke into our home, attacked my mother, and stole away with my brother, Demetrius. When she pursued him he killed my brother, and so my mother fled d’Arte with myself and Juliet. She wandered for days until Tala found her,”
she paused for a moment to give a loving look to Noah. “She took us in and gave us shelter. It is my understanding that we were members of the Valley for a short while. I remember Tala, she was like a second mother to us… It was after she disappeared that Mother brought us back to d’Arte to meet the father we couldn’t remember.”
She smiled fondly, growing silent for a moment before continuing. “Not much happened in the months following except a lot of growing up. As I grew older and gained my independence I met Zalen while exploring, in the very place we now call Avalon. The rest you know. The rest is all around us.” She looked around, indicating the whole of New Dawn.
With that she fell back into Noah, reminding everyone just how young and prone to puppish actions she still was. Her teeth sought his ear – or the space his ear had been, depending on which side faced her – but she was only playfully nipping at him until the next person chose to either tell their story, or ask questions of one another.
As the leader spoke, Deuce felt her heart warm. The woman was young, but wise and spirited. Her tail wagged as the woman spoke of her short life. She felt pain that she hadn’t been shaman of Phoenix Valley when the woman was there. And yet with that pain was pride that the leader was pleased with her and of Noah. She nuzzled Noah briefly as Titania leaned against him. She glanced at the others, then back at the leader. ”I wish I had been leader there at the time, although Jefferson did well leading the Valley as well.” For a moment, she wished she could tell him that, that she didn’t blame him if he hated her, that she had accepted the merger of the Valley and Dahlia with grace, though her initial reaction was one of grief.
She smiled at the leader, a warmth in her mismatched eyes. ”I am glad to have you entwined with the Rhiannon family’s story, my Alphess. I am very proud of both my sons, and to know Noah had an indirect part in saving you and your family gives me great joy.” She turned to Augustus with a friendly look. ”It is good to overcome a families prejudices. If Noah hadn’t overcome my disdain for coyotes and hybrids, he wouldn’t have been in Phoenix Valley at all, and so wouldn’t have rescued Tala. Rhiannon works in mysterious ways, I suppose.” Her words of Rhiannon were spoken with an enigmatic smile.
She turned her gaze back to her son, wondering how he would take the news of Sora. She hadn’t spoken about his newest half sister, nor of the circumstances behind her leaving Rugged Plateau. She hoped that he wouldn’t be angry. It wasn’t like she’d hidden it from him, she just hadn’t spoken about it before. She hurt to talk about Sora, honestly. She felt guilty for leaving te girl behind, and she felt guilty for not knowing then what had happened to her boys. She wouldn’t leave; she had Soran, she had Noah. She even had Tal, down in the D’Arte pack land. She needed to accept that she couldn’t keep all her offspring with her at all times. It just couldn’t happen.
The male chuckled as he playfully nipped at the female leader that took his side; he was sandwiched and felt very content with it. He had his mother on one side and the youthful leader on the other side. The male gave the leader a soft yet playful nip at her shoulder. The male wasn’t trying to start a playtime or anything he just wanted her to know that he was more than okay with her being there. After all he had seen her once before as a tiny little pup, and now here she was all grown up and in charge of these lands and every one that calls them home.
His mother’s words about Jefferson did not sit well with the silver male, he growled. No one should speak ill of the coyote wolf, he lead when no one else could or would. He remolded the pack and shifted things around so that he could lead the pack without feeling the weight of others. ”Bite your t..t…t..tongue, Mother. You don’t k..k…k..know him.” From what the Soul male had told him, his mother left after the male came into power. The Sawtooth male was given the chance to prove that even though he had his disabilities he was a member of a pack and he was given a rank he had worked hard to get to that point, and Jefferson had been the only one to give the Sawtooth male the chance.
He gave a nod, he had never thought it was a huge deal about getting down into that cabin to save Tala, she was just as near and dear to his heart as what Jace was. ”I would d…d…do it a..a…a..all over again, knowing that I c…c…c…could die. Tala was and i…i…is like a sister to me. I could n..n…n..not allow any o..o..o..of my family get hurt. I l..l..lost one s…s…sister. I w..w…w..won’t do it again.” His mother had trusted his the youngest Rhiannon to him and he had lost her during the pack take over, he had gone once to try to bring her back, but the black leader was not willing to trade all the slaves over for some of the pack lands. The male knew that the pack with how small it was at the time would be able to expand into other areas, heck the male would have laid down and told the male to take his life for the slaves, but really what’s a half blind, half deaf, stuttering fool worth then there was a pup in the mix.
It was a good thing that his mother hadn’t told him about Sora, he would have demanded that the snowy white lady make that trip back down south to get the child and bring her up to be with her family, it was not right for any member of his family to be left behind because the mother was fearful of the child being hurt. She would be ushered into a pack and would not be allowed to go anywhere without a member of the pack at her side. Not till she was about the age of the lady of the lands.
