[html]
"AniWaya," Caspa answered offhandedly. "But this is old news now, and for months there has been a renewal of peace," she reminded the hastily-spoken wolfdog. Less historical was the topic of Amy. "A yellow dog with a wagon. If you see her, be careful. She needs killing, true, but she is very violent and strong." Caspa was fairly sure the secretive and possessive Salsola would help to protect Denver in the event of fighting Amy, but what if he met her alone? Then he was better off running, in Caspa's opinion, but she would leave that judgement up to him. "I have seen no sight or sound of her since. She may have a hiding place. Perhaps more than one." Her conjecture tailed off: really it was nothing more than guesswork, and she became quiet again to listen to his side of the story.
As usual nothing was shown during this time but within her mind jolted. Maggie, the girl who had almost accidentally stolen her sacred pendant. The unhappy daughter of the blase Niro. Caspa wondered if Maggie had found the man who'd given her the cross necklace. That had sounded like a youthful infatuation if anything, though, and something in Denver's fire-lit eyes made Caspa wonder if the girl had moved on since their meeting.
"I remember her," she commented casually after he spoke. "She never wanted to be a Miracles wolf if I remember. She was so young, and already talking of running away." Sadness tinged her tones, but at least the girl had found a better place and escaped her misery.
Caspa gave him a sly look at the mention of his promotion. His dreams of grandeur had always been amusingly transparent since the day he'd strolled up to the stables asking for directions to the palace, dreaming of a golden crown, or at least that was what Caspa suspected. "You seem to be proving yourself," was all she said, though, not teasing him for once. It was good for her friend to climb in rankings. He was one of the more trustworthy canines around, and she had a sneaking suspicion there were some good qualities under the rough surface. "I would not want to undermine your efforts by getting you in trouble, much as I'd like to see the source of this secret power of yours," she sighed, but there were selfish reasons there too - she did not necessarily want her identity to be recalled to the dangerous Thistle King whose eyes had bored into her as if she were a possession like the silvery mare he rode or the knife in his hand, a sensation only half-formed but still sending shivers down her spine. "Who is Eris?" she asked: it was a name she'd heard before somewhere. "Are your numbers still swelling? We are smaller than before, since the new pack broke away. We can still defend ourselves, of course," she added quickly, hoping he didn't unthinkingly pass on news of the Court's weakness. They still had a good force of knights, but she wasn't sure if it would be enough to hold the borders in the event of another war. But that was why she was here talking to Denver, wasn't it? They trusted one another to stay confidential, and to share all the most important news from their respective lands.
[/html]
