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Quote:JOB PROMPT: Locate an enclave away from Salsola for interrogations. Bring a Salsola member of trust (i.e., Confidant or above) along -- encountering a Loner or other pack member is an automatic fail.
This is for the Interrogante Job.
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(598) I forward-dated it because all my dang threads are in January xD If the date doesn’t work for you, lemme know and we can change it to something that does! This starts in SL but moves away from SL into Sticks & Stones
There was a calm after the storm, believe it or not. Even after the storm dumped some eight feet of snow upon their homes, their lands, and their livelihood, mother nature made up for it by offering a few warm days afterwards. What didn’t melt soon turned to ice and frost, and that allowed some to carefully and easily walk above the snow drifts if they were light enough. Lithia was not one of these lucky ones, especially not in her two-legged Optime form. And as she walked with Julius, she struggled a lot, wondering why they had to do the scouting on a day like today. Perhaps when the snow was more like powder instead of a frozen, crunchy, wet mass, it was easier to traverse in. To Lithia, there was no happy medium, no meet-in-the-middle, no common ground, and certainly no wagers won with these conditions.
In the forest, in between the trees where the snow hadn’t built up so bad, so deeply, it was a bit better. The sound dappled the ground, allowing for them to see when it dropped off, when it covered something that might hurt them, or when there was something tall enough to stick out from the snow – like the tops of some bushes or smaller trees. Sometimes rocks, too.
There was a strange smell on the breeze, somewhere distant and far away. The wind diluted it, and Lithia and Coaxoch made sure it wasn’t anywhere nearby, over their borders, or in their pack lands. Lithia trudged onward – her heart pounding both from the exhaustion and the excitement that they would hopefully find a place that’d be useful for interrogating. She imagined a copse of trees set in a dip of land, sort of like a miniature valley of sorts. She imagined it dark, secluded, and cut off from the main trails that Luperci took from time-to-time through these woods. If it had a house, that would’ve even been better. Houses muffled sounds, and if she had to hurt someone to get information out of them, she didn’t need strays coming wrongfully to their aid.
”Do you smell that?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at Coaxoch. She wanted to make sure she wasn’t the one smelling things. Perhaps it was a loner in the area, but not on their borders… or perhaps it was a strange creature coming down from the mountains due to all that snow. Lithia’s mind reeled to what Evelyn had told her – there had been instances of trespassing on their borders during the snowstorm. Had there been trespassers planning to do it again? Nearby? Would they burn one of their own at a makeshift stake again to prove a point? What if she and Coaxoch missed it today? Perhaps he would quell her worries with a factual, logical answer to what that smell was. Perhaps he had smelled such a thing before; perhaps it was nothing she should have been worrying about.
”I’m glad you agreed to come with me today,” she said, looking over her shoulder at Till’s son. The two of them hadn’t had much of a chance to get to know one another in the past, and Lithia was kind of excited to read him during this journey like a book. Was he anything like his father? He surely differed by his missing limb, but his personality? What was he like? He seemed quieter to her, but that might’ve been just circumstance. ”Did your father recommend it to you?” Till would've been her second choice had Coaxoch not agreed in the first place.
Coaxoch did not know how the woman decided to come to him, or who had told her of his existence, but when the salt and pepper Luperci woman had come to his door, asking the Warden to do her the favor of escorting her outside of Salsola, he had wondered why. Was she just becoming friendly with her packmates? He had heard a rumor about a woman from long ago being seen with his father quitefrequently to the point where it was beginning to feel a bit suspicious. Strange, for Coaxoch knew his father did like to move on quickly, Till had made it seem like this time would have been a bit harder for him to get settled with another woman.
Truth was, Coaxoch did not know if his father had been fraternizing with women again, but from what he had seen before, he did not seem like he was going to move on quickly, or trust anyone that was not of the family. It made sense, for Coaxoch had been the same way. Faith had died, and he had not even been able to say goodbye, and since then, he had been staying away from not only women but also relationships in general. His brother, Dirge, had mentioned something about Sebastien a few times in the past, but something just wasn't really clicking in Coaxoch's mind, and Sebastien had yet to say anything about it, so he didn't need to worry about it. He didn't worry about it.
Coaxoch had only accepted the invitation because he needed to know if the rumors had any credit to them.
Coaxoch had put his white wolf cloak over his shoulders, and he wrapped up his stump to make sure that the wound was covered and out of sight from onlookers who might decide to try and pick on them because of his disability. He wore only his loincloth besides that, which exposed some of the muscular chest and taut torso of the tall male.
He was mostly quiet on their walk, which was likely much different from her experience with Till, who he knew could talk someone's ear off if given the chance. Coaxoch was quiet and also observant. He noticed the way that this woman carried herself. Confident, as if she knew she was beautiful and exotic. Poisonous, like a frog in the way that it's colors warned you to "stay away". She asked him first if he scented the air and if he smelt the same thing that she had. His speckled nose lifted and he scented the air. He nodded lightly, but was not willing to pursue a loner who traveled too close. They had border traps to take care of intruders.
I will have Ixion find the scent and keep an eye on it. He will be able to make it to us and let us know if we needed to head back to take care of it if needed. he told her, as he sent his pale lynx after the scent and the feline easily ran off. When they had gone back to business, she had asked him what had put him up for this. His bright eyes of pale and deep blues and bright lavenders seemed to narrow at her, with the once slightly bigger pupils contracting into smaller dots against their pale backdrop. His half-tail flagged lightly, and if he had two arms, he would have crossed them across his chest. I came of my own volition. My father might have rank over me, but I'm an adult now, and as the eldest of his children, I get away with not always having to follow his word.. one could accuse him of being more loved than the other children, and it was true, there were lesser sons of Till, and others who barely even knew who he was.
I've heard you've been hanging with my dad a lot. Mind if I ask why? he asked her, wondering why she spent so much time with his father, if she had other friends within the kingdom. Coaxoch knew his father to not have many friends because of lifetimes of stepping on the feet of others who he deemed less important, and he did not expect that to change anytime soon, especially with the male's ego being stroked with every step of the Hierarchy that he conquered.
Lithia nodded to Coaxoch when he sent his Lynx away to track the strange scent on the breeze. A companion was a good thing to have in times like these, and Lithia considered making her Anatheman crow more of a companion than a messenger bird. It was good to have eyes in the skies when one was dealing in such underhanded schemes like she was sometimes. A bird might’ve even helped with her short mission with Kamari that one time. Perhaps as a lookout or just an overhanded leverage tactic. Perhaps the crow would be able to spot a caravan off in the distance instead of them having to intercept the thief in the first place. There were so many opportunities there.
The Salsolan border scent was strongest where they crossed over the border, but once they were past the threshold of Salsolan pee, they were free of the scent. Lithia had adorned herself with mint and pine, two strong scents that did well to hide her Salsolan scent just in case they ran into trouble out there. It’d also make it harder for another to particularly pick her out against the forest and follow her… should they want and need to, though Lithia didn’t have any enemies.
Lithia looked up from the snowy ground to regard Coaxoch, noting the way his muscles rippled beneath the cloak. He was pretty well-built for a guy without an arm. He asked about Till and the time they spent together, and Lithia sighed quietly realizing how their trips might’ve looked suspicious to the prying eye. He was bold to ask so forwardly – as if it was something to him. Lithia assumed that she might’ve wanted to know who her mother replaced her father with, too, had that been a case. ”Till and I are friends, and nothing else,” Lithia began, noting what the son of Till might’ve been getting at there. ”I’ve heard rumor of your father and mother’s split, but that’s not why I’ve been spending time with him. Till and I are compatible hunting partners, and sometimes I trade him some of the things I find on my travels. Our relationship does not go anywhere beyond that, though.” She had Greed for that, and nothing more. She desired no other Luperci; certainly not Till.
Once outside the borders, the two of them banked in the direction of the mountains. Lithia was hoping to find some dip in the land or some valley to use. If not, perhaps a cabin up in the mountains would be a suitable compromise. Something to muffle the sound, to block prying eyes from seeing inside, to close off from the rest of the world. Somewhere she could store a few rusted tools that others might not have even thought of utilizing for anything. They should have been able to find something like that.
The woman was perceptive, to say the least. She seemed to understand why he had asked the question of their relationship, and while he might have seemed a bit sour about it, it was because he wanted something better for his father. He wanted Till to be happy, and for a long time, he had seen Till with Helena, and Calla and saw that he was not happy. He was used for what he had, for whom he was, and once that was enough, they threw him away. It was a relief when the woman had told him that they were just friends, and that they liked to hunt together. That seemed like a professional relationship to him, for he knew that Till often did not mix business with pleasure in the sense that he would not ever really hunt with someone he was sexually interested in like that.
At least, he didn't know his father to be like that, for he knew that he never hunted with Calla or Helena. It was likely that he did not think that either woman could hold their own while hunting, and would have rather hunted alone so that he did not need to babysit his own wives. Coaxoch did not know this to be true, but he could guess that this might have been a reason. Till was a mysterious man, even to his own son, so he could have been completely wrong about Till not mixing business with pleasure, but he did believe that the girl was telling the truth about her relationship with Till.
Good. Nothing against you, or anything. My father is just not in a good place to be bedding yet another woman. he told her, bluntly, and with little emotion in his tone other than the slight huff of relief that had followed. His eyes turned from her and he looked off to their objective. They needed to find somewhere that was not too far off from Salsola where they could hold interrogations, but somewhere quiet and that wouldn't be disturbed by other luperci.
My father is a good man, strong, intelligent, wealthy. He has a big family now, but I remember when it was small, when he had nothing like the riches he has now. He did not gain this without his own hard work, and I would hate to see another luperci try to drag him down as others have done in the past. his eyes turned back to her as they walked on, wandering around until something of interest would come to them. I won't let someone do that to him, again. he spoke as he felt a shiver run up his spine, for he thought of how the Ulrichs —specifically Till— had been under investigation for the murder of Loki and Ondine and whom had been the one to accuse him of such.
If you are here to help him, and not hurt him, then you are fine in my book. he muttered as he looked back to her and nodded his head lightly.
Lithia found it a little curious that Coaxoch would ask her intentions with his father like that… as if he were fishing for her denial only to suspect her later. And perhaps if Lithia had stood on the other side of the glass window looking in, she might’ve suspected something as well. Two Luperci always going out in the woods alone together… it was the perfect scene… except one thing. They always brought home dead things – deer, rabbits, moose on occasion and were not shy about calling for Salsolan aid to help them get it back to the pack. Perhaps if she had been feeling ashamed or sneaky about their actions, they might’ve opted for more covert ways to get the prey back to the pack lands without intervention from their friends or family.
There was a tree line coming up in the distance, which bore the first sign that they were edging closer to the mountain. It was a dark line that interrupted the snow in hairy, pointy branches. Some snow even sat at the tops of them, but most of the ones that sat at the outer edges of its copse of trees were shaken free of the snow – likely due to the lashing they got from the wind whipping at them first.
Lithia thought about Till’s wealth, and thought about how much she wanted to be there someday. She supposed if she got smart about the way she traded, she might’ve gotten there a bit sooner than later. But with wealth, came respect – and vice versa. She lifted her pink eyes and regarded Coaxoch – who dressed in a way that didn’t suggest he was rich or well-respected by the noble class of Salsola. He wore a loin cloth, furs, and antlers like a true outdoorsman. Unfortunately, this style of clothing didn’t exactly nod at his fortune in Salsola.
”That’s quite understandable. Getting over a longtime lost love will take time,” Lithia responded, letting a silence fall between them for a few beats. ”I don’t intend your father any ill-measure or ill-intent. You have my word on that. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me about it than assuming what you don’t know for sure and passing judgment like many in our pack do.”
A long time love, lost. If that was what it was called. Coaxoch had held back a chuckle that stifled in his chest at her words. He nodded his head though, and looked at her with his bright eyes. She thanked him for not assuming the case and taking the time to talk to her about it, but it was really something that he would have rather done than to let the wound fester until it made things so terrible and unbearable. Coaxoch shrugged to her. When it comes to the affairs of my father, things are not always as they seem, so it is better to find out for yourself than to let the rumors make your truth. he told her, as he looked at her and he frowned lightly. He might have brought up the whole accusation thing if he had not been very upset about it still. He didn't think that he would ever forgive those who believed that the Ulrichs had a hand in the murder of their Crone, because this had made it seem like the Ulrichs were not a driving source in Salsola. They served faithfully, even if they were unorthodox in their ways, they were in no parts unloyal to their home.
I am glad that my father has found a friend in you, then, Lithia. he told the female with genuine tone of honesty put forth in him words. He easily had told her this, and while he wanted to believe that she was telling the truth, he had been very, very cautious, for women had often told him that they were friendly with Till, only to turn their back on him when he really needed it. While the Bastard clan would have been nothing without the contributions of Calla and Helena, there had been scorched earth where they once sat in the Ulrich Hall.
They moved on, coming upon the mountain's forested edge, and while Coaxoch had not wanted to venture so far out of their home to find such a secretive place, he knew that it might be necessary in the future. The thought of finding such a secluded place had reminded him briefly of the Cerberus, a man long faded away in myth and legend. The man who took his arm.
Even men were not to be totally trusted, in the eyes of the Wendigo. In the end, every lover Till had would leave him, as they all knew. Coaxoch's own luck had not been the most positive either, for his love had died within a month of them announcing that they were to be married. He was unconvinced that things would remain as they were, and maybe this had been why Coaxoch so vehemently avoided talking to Sebastien about their feelings.
There was always a better conversation to be had.
We should be careful not to get lost on the Halcyon. It gets pretty snowy up there, and it blankets scents a bit too well. he told her as they started up the mountain. He hoped that the area they needed could not be too much further, for he did not know how long he would be willing to go before inevitably becoming frustrated and wanting to be home.
”Thank you, Henchman Coaxoch. That means a lot coming from someone who’s almost a stranger to me.” Perhaps it sounded harsh, but in truth, she did not know Coaxoch, and so, he almost was a stranger to her. He hadn’t known much about her, and she hadn’t known much of anything about him. They were more strangers than acquaintances, really. The only relation was that they lived in the same place together.
Their walk toward the mountain had been full of things about Till and Till’s love life. Lithia couldn’t say that she didn’t care, but she could’ve asked for a better conversation topic to settle on. Till was now her friend after all, and it paid to know a bit about him, even if it were the bits and pieces she got from those around her. They would eventually fit together like pieces of a puzzle and tell a story. Lithia wanted to know more about Coaxoch, about Spartacus, about Evelyn. She wanted to know more about this family and what made it tick. She wanted to know for her own, future reference. There was no doubt that she and Greed would someday be in their shoes, with their own rambunctious pups running about the place, bred to be warriors, spies, and soldiers by the two better warriors to come out of Anathema kicking and screaming.
There was once a time where Lithia was ashamed of her origins - due to all the trouble Anathema got itself into - but in hindsight, looking back on it now, she was proud to have had origins there. Anathema had taught her some very valuable lessons, as did Sapient, and as did Salsola.
The further they trudged onward in the snow, the more blustery it became. As they began their trek upward, past the base of the mountain, Lithia turned to Coaxoch. ”Should we begin to mark trees then? Or mark our path some other way? With tree branches, perhaps?” She knew from this point, their journey would grow in difficulty, but some things needed to be sacrificed for hard work in this world. Lithia had not intended to give up just because their path got hard, the snow blew into their faces, and from where the stood, it was literally just a blanket of white.
Once they figured out a way to mark their path, though, that would hopefully change enough. Just a bit more... and hopefully, they’d find a cave or copse of trees that’d serve its purpose as the enclave she needed.
