And I am Winter born


So this was Inferni's new home. It was just as dry and sullen as their last home; again, a beach. Again, it seemed as though the coyotes had chosen the most difficult hunting grounds to set up their clan, but with the best fortifications. She could see that with the way the land sloped up, any coyote watching the border could hang back behind one of the hills to survey that around them.



It was completely fitting; she supposed the skulls on the sticks helped a bit as well. She chuckled quietly at the sight of them, morbidly amused by the bloodstains. She remained, a fair distance away from their border, waiting for her giddiness to die down before calling for Gabriel. It wouldn't be very seemingly if she greeted him with a smirk and a sharp glint in her eyes.



She took a deep breath, then... howled. It was strong, not demanding, but rather, a notification that she was near their borders, and that she would like to speak to Gabriel. That she came in peace; a determined sort. She had to speak with Gabriel to ascertain what was really going on with Dahlia de Mai and Inferni.

indent The borders of Inferni had expanded, giving them fertile forest for prey that did not cross into the tall grass. Deer stumbled in once and a while, and had realized that the coyotes here hunted no differently then the wolves. Well, Anselm and Gabriel did—they were the only two large enough to bring down a full-grown white tail. Still, the position had been chosen for defense, as the elevation allowed them to see every corner of their home.
indent Gabriel was perched on one of these, watching the white figure approach. At the howl, he leapt from the boulder and easily made his way down the hill, following a worn dirt path that he and his cousin had carved along their months of patrol. Before too long, he was facing the female, on the other end of the grinning, painted skulls. “Yes?”

And I am Winter born


This must be Gabriel. He carried himself with an air of authority, and a striking gaze that demanded one's attention, and if what she had heard from others was correct, he did resemble a dog more than a wolf or coyote. His fur was an pattern she had only seen on dogs, in books she had glanced through.



Yes?



His red eyes were startling, and she gazed into them for a moment as he spoke, trying to assess the situation. She dipped her head low in greeting, then raised it so she could look up at Gabriel, if just a bit. She did not want to appear too forward or too dominant, for she was only a guest near Inferni's borders, but at the same time, submitting to this wolf when she was the leader of another pack would be completely inappropriate.



"My name is Tayui Aston, Agiad of Shadowed Sun. I represent my pack as one of the leaders, and I have come to establish my pack's role in the war. We wish to remain neutral and out of the conflict, however, I would like to know your side of the story regarding the conflict, if you would humour me. I learned about it some time ago, however, I do not feel what I know is the entire truth." She frowned. "And Fatin would never forgive me if I made assumptions without knowing everything, either," she added as an afterthought.

indent She was a leader, one from Shadowed Sun. That was the pack near the mountain, the one which favored knowledge and had become almost isolated within themselves. That explained why she had come here asking about something she was not involved in. “We’re not planning to come after your pack,” he said first, knowing that was the real reason for why she had come. “A male named Haku crossed our borders, and slaughtered a mother and her young child. He strung her body up and left flowers to make sure we knew who did it.” With the tale concluded, Gabriel kept his gold-yellow eyes on her face (Kaena’s eyes, as they had always been) and watched her silently.

And I am Winter born


She nodded, accepting Gabriel's answer. She had not suspected Gabriel would launch any sort of attack on the pack, for fighting a battle on two fronts often resulted in defeat, but wanted to hear his guarantee nonetheless. Even so, he said they were not planning to come after their pack, meaning, if they attacked first, Gabriel would not hesitate to lead Inferni against them.



She frowned this time as Gabriel spoke, the last feeling of contentment disappearing. She had been somewhat placated that Gabriel intended no harm to Shadowed Sun (at least at this point), but that disappeared soon enough. She felt herself stiffen slightly. She recalled the name, Haku, from her conversation with Asphyxia. But where did this fit in? Was it before the attack by Asphyxia, as Lubomir had told her, or after? She found it difficult to imagine that a wolf simply crossed the borders and killed two coyotes, then left them up for display without any provocation. But Inferni's long history might be enough for some. She had heard of Inferni's past atrocities, and wondered if there might ever be someone who wished to exterminate them all. "Was that before or after Asphyxia's attack? I heard mention that a female with her name attacked a member of Dahlia de Mai, causing her to lose her puppies, but is that true? Was it retaliation?"

indent Oh yes, Apshyxia. Gabriel bore a grudge against his mother-in-law, though he had no reason to take it out on her. Heabriel oven was seeing to that, and for this, Gabriel overlooked some of Hybrid’s discretions. “After,” he admitted easily, unmoved by such information. “Though Haku settled his debt with her long before he crossed our borders. He attacked and raped her.” She hadn’t told him that, but Gabriel knew. He could smell it all over her. He had eyes and ears everywhere.

And I am Winter born


"It seems... as though violence was born from violence," she said with a frown. There was no beginning or end to it. This war was just an example of the ouroboros, the snake that devours its own tail. It was the perfect paradox, of an impossible, but continuous repetition. The bloodiest example of unity and continuity. How long would it continue? It would not end if Inferni were defeated in battle- if every member were slaughtered and murdered, for there were others related to those in Inferni. Would they not seek revenge? The cycle would be born anew, continued again. If both sides stood up and fought, there would be at least a fair battle, perhaps even with the declaration of a winner and a loser.



Perhaps not.



"After that... what happened? Asphyxia attacked a Dahlia de Mai member, Haku sought revenge by raping her... did anyone seek revenge to restore Asphyxia's... honour?" Her words were old, ancient, breathing the life of past human traditions, but they were not restricted only to humans. She had read of them, but more importantly, she had experienced them. How many more would die? Return the favour, return the bloodshed until there was no more blood to bleed?

indent “Such is the way of the world,” he offered. Everything was a constant kinetic motion, action and reaction. It was something that could never change, not so long as people believed they had be wronged—violence was a natural part of this order, a natural part of the things they were. He regarded her for a moment more as she spoke in antediluvian terms, and then responded. “I don’t think so,” he said. “She didn’t tell anyone, and Haku struck again not that long after.”

And I am Winter born


"Again?" she repeated. It almost didn't seem fair-- Inferni had not yet returned with an attack of their own, and again, the wolves struck again? But then, if this was a war, they were all trying to get as many shots in as possible. In the end, you had to find a way to declare a winner (somehow). "I suppose anything after that is... a war." Once you got to the point of it being an actual war, with both sides in agreement to be in conflict, it no longer mattered who did what, or when. "When did you declare war? Was it sometime after Haku attacked again? Or did they declare war?" Of course, first she would like to know when the war officially began. But there had always been a war going on. Wolves had died due to the hatred and mistrust between the wolves and coyotes. One of Deuce's children had fallen victim to an attack by a coyote and was killed. The same war from Bleeding Souls had carried on, over in 'Souls. Perhaps it had been there all along.

indent “He killed a mother and her child, and strung them up inside our border,” he stated flatly. “After that we had to act.” And that, he supposed, was the simplest explanation. Inferni had done what was needed, and Gabriel had begun on his path to slaughtering the demon that paraded under that pack’s name. Regarding her with the same even gaze, the Aquila continued. “The pack itself was not our original end. I only want Haku.”

And I am Winter born


He killed a mother and her child, and strung them up inside our border. She felt herself go cold-- all over. That was disgusting, terrible. And then Inferni declared war. She had no doubts that Inferni had committed crimes just as terrible as this one, just as monstrous, but it did not make this incident any easier to hear. No matter who committed the crime, they were still at fault. They still had the bear the burden of their actions.



But what could she say to that? She could grit her teeth and look away, but that would accomplish nothing, and would only make it look like she could not decide between being strong or weak-- or if she really was one of them at all. "I see," she replied. She understood that one could only tolerate so much before something had to be done. She could see that someone would have acted in the end, but she could not pretend to completely understand the situation. But she could try. "And now there is war," she stated flatly. She had nothing else to say. "Thank you for answering my questions, Gabriel. If there is a time you need information, I am indebted to give you the answers I know, as you did for me today."

indent “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said flatly. This woman reminded him of Fatin, in some way, though she was less connected to the spirit and more to the mind, it seemed. Remaining still, the Aquila took in her face, making a mental photograph of whom she was in order to locate her again. “Is that all?”

And I am Winter born


She nodded in reply, a quick twitch of her head to show she understood. She felt a little relieved-- glad, even, that he would someday take her up on her offer if he so needed. She felt as though she would be doing herself a disservice by being dishonest if she did not leave the offer open. In many ways, the exchanging of information was the greatest thing one could do, for knowledge held so much power. It was intimidating at times, refreshing at others, and downright scary in many cases. Here, it seemed as though it was a mix of both. But she would not let herself be intimidated by any of this-- be it the atrocities committed (by either side) or the fact that Gabriel had told her all she needed to know. If she needed more, she would find it, in time. "Yes, that is everything. Perhaps I will see you again, Gabriel," she replied. She dipped her head once, this time as a goodbye. She paused, watching his eyes for a moment, then turned and left. She had nothing else to say, and neither did the Aquila. Her mission had been accomplished.