backdated to almost right after the pack was formed please?
IC- She had no clue where she was going or where she'd end up in the end, right now it was just obvious that there was nothing left of their old lands. She paced across the mountain until she caught the scent of other wolves, startled slightly by the scents of a group of wolves she made herway towards the scent, wondering just what in the world was going on. The scents seemed so familiar, she knew them she realized. So soon after the fire and yet the packs were being reestablished.
One paw infront of the other she finally came to the edge of a scent marker and felt the fur along her neck bristle. She did know the scents here, former members of her own pack, yet this wasn't the pack she remembered. Pausing at the edge of their lands she tried to keep from falling into thinking and imagining what had happened. She knew she hadn't been there when the fires had raged, so she couldn't even imagine how it had been like, or what had resulted from it.. atleast maybe now she could find out where her family was.. or if they had even made it... deep inside she was slightly afraid to even ask..
The bronze wolf had just gotten done eating, and was about to shift back into his were form when the scent of Iskata came to his nose. He typically wanted to present a strong front to outsiders, it was his job to be intimidating at the very least, so it was odd that he was unshifted. He needed all four legs to hunt, however, and given that he knew Iskata, there seemed to be no need to be ready for a fight. Making swift progress toward the woman who he hadn't seen since his exile, he slowed down upon making visual contact.
"Greetings, Iskata," he said somberly. Surely she had seen the devastation that had been left in the wake of the burning of the valley they'd both called home. Surely she was worried about her children. Or perhaps she had found them already? He had gone to check on Phoenix recently, only to find that he had gone. He had mentioned that he would do so eventually, once his health returned to a great enough extent to travel. Perhaps this burning event had been enough to get his blood pumping, and to get him back onto his feet. Maybe they'd met up, or perhaps they were both looking for their children and she was just here looking to see if any had made their way to this mountain, perhaps following the familiar face of Pilot. "I'm glad to see that you made it."
When she saw the form of an old pack member she smiled, though she realized after a moment longer that he was one of the scents she'd caught upon entering the area. Giving a slight wag of her tail she nodded at his greeting and sat back on her haunches, relaxing just a bit. Hello Skoll, it's been a while.. That phrase would be the understatement for a while, seeming how of course it'd been a while. She hadn't even been anywhere near Souls when the lands had gone up in flames and yet everyone had assumed she had... Iskata was coming to realize that she'd spent way too much time between visiting her old friend if they hadn't noticed her missing from the old territory.
When Skoll made the next comment she met his eyes for a moment, wondering if he knew where she'd been. Looking down at her feet she shook her head sadly, the guilt of not being there for her friends and family weighing at her soul. I wasn't anywhere near the lands when the fire raged.. I was far south with Firefly and DaVinci. I'd just only returned after the fires had calmed down and saw the state of things.. Her words wandered off as she tried to gather herself to ask the next question. Looking back into her eyes the worry shone through, Do.. do you know if Phoenix and our children made it? I haven't seen anymore since leaving the aftermath of the fire.. She could always be hopeful that they had all made it and were waiting her return, but she knew that was almost next to impossible. She'd ventured off far away to bring back her runaway babies.. they probably all believed she would never find them again.
The older wolf could clearly see the regret in her eyes, she made no effort to hide it, but he had a feeling that it had a strength such that she would have been unable to keep in back if she tried. Such was the feeling of loss one would feel at losing one's family...it wasn't something he could fathom, his lifestyle had never allowed for it. He had lost his family once, but the circumstances were far different.
"I carried Phoenix out of Bleeding Souls myself, but I didn't see any of your children. He was suffering from pneumonia at the time, after tackling a cougar into the Yawrah to save a Storm pup. If he had been well, he wouldn't have left the inferno without every single child. As circumstances were, I was one of the last people to leave, I didn't know if the children had already escaped or not." He would have looked down, but he didn't feel that it would help the situation any. He didn't have anything to hide, and any questionable gestures might scare their mother. "Once we made it out, I set Phoenix down and checked in on him periodically, bringing food once or twice. He told me that he would wait a few days for his condition to improve, and then go looking for his kids. He wasn't there a few days later, so I am fairly certain he is looking for your remaining children now."
Certainly the news he delivered wasn't what she'd been hoping for, telling her that he'd seen each child leave ahead of him would have been the best, but he couldn't honestly say that. The fact that Phoenix had survived would hopefully be of some solace to her. There were other things to talk about, but he knew there were priorities, and she would need to learn the fate of her children before anything else could be discussed.
When she heard the words she couldn't help but feel her fur bristle along her neck. She wanted to curse Phoenix for the things he did, always out to be the hero with no care for himself. She didn't respond at first when Skoll spoke up and explained things. No one knew who had made it yet, if the children were even alive, and yet she'd believed Phoenix when so long ago he'd said he'd wait for her, no matter what he'd wait. She shook her head and lowered her eyes as she stared at the ground.
He said he'd wait... he promised.
She stared back the way she'd come and frowned. She'd been in Storms lands, she'd been across Clouded Tears and Jaded Shadows. Phoenix hadn't been there, she would have know, she always did. Sighing softly she looked back at Skoll for a moment. She wasn't really sure what to say.. Phoenix hadn't been across the wastelands and ash. Shaking her head she spoke up. He wasn't over the mountain, I would have know.. I would have seen him. No one was anywhere near those lands... not recently. She knew there was the hope that he could be here in these strange lands searching, but did she even want to let her heart survive on hope.. and then be crushed.
She wanted him to be there, she wanted them all to, but deep down she felt the darkness and cold creeping in. She didn't believe he'd be returning... not over the mountain, not back to her and their messed up family. She didn't even know if their messed up clan still lived, or if they'd all been killed in the fire.. She knew three of her children yet lived, or atleast, hadn't had to face the terror of the fire that had swept through these lands. Pilot made it? She knew his scent and it lingered here.. atleast someone else from Storm had lived. Had the children even had a chance?
"Pilot made it. I came to be here by following his scent. He is the first Storm wolf I found after the fires, so it seemed fitting that I remain here." Pilot and Phoenix had been very good friends, it fit that he and Iskata would be friends as well. He only regretted that he hadn't found more Storm wolves here.
Iskata's earlier words were confusing to Skoll, though. What exactly did she mean that he'd wait? Peculiar. He knew that the two of them had suffered some rough times. Phoenix had needed to help bring her memories back just for her to be the same person he remembered, and the two of them had lost a child just before Skoll had returned to the territory from his last campaign. Iskata had gone off to seek the child, while Phoenix had been forced to contend with the wiles of Fatin and Gabriel and the strange political union they maintained, despite Inferni's transgressions against the once alphess's own people.
"I don't know where he promised you that he would wait, but he would have burned alive back there. He only got here because I carried him, and only left from where I'd dropped him out of concern for his children. I might be missing something, but it seems like he had no choice. I'm sure he would keep his promise if at all possible." He knew that his opinion on the matter was of little importance, and that she was obviously dealing with a lot of emotional turmoil, so he spoke gently. He really did want to understand what was going on. The two of them were friends of his, Iskata who had understood his justifications the day he'd fought the Infernians to save Naniko, Phoenix who had been a friend to him as he coped with the loss of his friend Graelthrim, and who had helped him survive two skirmishes since. He was glad that both of them made it through, and wished them luck in locating their children.
She shook her head at Skoll's words. She was glad that Pilot had atleast made it, but she was hoping to have found out a litlte more. Pilot's and her past were.. a little bit complicated and she wasn't so sure what it consisted of anymore. They'd never really come out and talked about all that had happened, but then again they knew. She didn't know if he'd explode if he saw her next or just ignore the past. He'd probably put it behind him, she just recalled it as a memory now.. but the subject was touchy and she wasn't going to tempt fate at least.
Looking up at Skoll she laughed sadly and just continued to shake her head. A single tear crept from the corner of her eye as she spoke softly. He wouldn't have been that stupid to go back. Skoll you know as well as I do that he'd have known the moment one of our children died.. He'd have known who had made it this far or escaped completely. He's different.. you know that. He would have waited here, or at the least kept coming back here to make it apparent he was here. Don't act so shallow Skoll.. you know him. She wasn't trying to be harsh or cruel, but the truth was bitter. Phoenix had been their leader, he'd had a decent head on his shoulders, knew he was needed and knew to trust his feelings... She didn't want to admit that if one of their children had died that perhaps he wouldn't be able to hold himself together to believe the worse..
...he wasn't the one who had snapped so long ago. He knew better..
Something was wrong. Iskata wasn't thinking rationally, she wasn't making sense. Had something happened? Had her search for her lost child been in vain? Perhaps she held Phoenix's abilities in higher regard than they actually deserved? Regardless, there was concern in his eyes.
"Iskata, I do know him. He wouldn't have lied, not about this. He cares about you and the children more than anything else, it's completely in keeping with what I know of him that he would go searching after the fires died down. He wasn't even fully conscious when I dragged him out of Storm, how would he have known about those within?" It was almost like she wanted to not believe in him, like she wanted him to have done wrong by her. The older wolf didn't understand this inclination, didn't understand why she wouldn't give her mate the benefit of the doubt. He had never been a disreputable wolf, to the contrary, he'd been one of the most stand-up people in the valley.
"Iskata, his powers are great, but he is far from omnipotent. He stumbled across my mind once, at a time when he lost control and his mind ranged out as far as it could without restraint. He didn't step into my thoughts until he was a few dozen meters away. There's no way he could be aware of the entire valley from where I put him." There were many sixth senses: the ability to see spirits, the ability to see the future, the ability to see thoughts, the ability to see past, and many others besides if stories were true. But none of these people were gods, and none of them were without limitation. He knew that Phoenix's odd trait had been potent, but it hadn't been nearly so potent as she seemed to suggest. Skoll had seen it at its peak, when all control had been lost and he completely failed to restrain it, and the range hadn't been very great.
She turned away from her onetime packmate and shook her head. She wasn't for sure if she could even explain it. How could you explain what it was like to have children and the things you just knew--could know by that stronger bond, that blood tie.. She didn't think the male had ever had a family of his own, much less any sort of love interest, but she knew what she did. No Skoll. Maybe not with you, but they are his children. He knows. Our bond was close, but his bond with them is something more, it had always been.. they're his blood. He'd have known if something had happen.. if.. they didn't make it. She hung her head, not wanting to think about the words she'd said.. but then again she knew there was nothing she could do.
She sighed and contemplated the idea that perhaps he had snapped. She'd been perfectly sane once and over times things had gone bad.. but would Phoenix have done the same. Her shoulders slumped she whispered. Someone didn't make it.. The words made her feel hollow inside.. and knowing that her mate had been in no shape health wise to be running across the lands she wasn't even sure if he would have made it back out there. He had loved their children with his whole heart, he would have died for them.. but was it worth dying for one that was already lost. He knows better Skoll.. you can't save everyone..
"You're guessing, Iskata. I don't know what strange pall has fallen over you, but you're giving up hope while hope still lives. If my words are to have no impact on your thoughts, though, I won't utter them. You will do as you will, and you will think as you will. You know what I know of Phoenix, and of Pilot. Is there anything else I can do for you, or do you wish to depart immediately?" He'd be more than happy to catch up with her, but he would understand it if she needed to leave. She was still trying to find her progeny, after all.
"You could rest here a while, though I understand your need to be away. Tell me, was your hunt for FireFly successful?" He knew that at least one of Phoenix's children had survived the fire, presumably having been far removed from the valley when it occurred. It would be better if Phoenix returned shortly, he knew, but he understood that the wolf had to go looking for his children. Regardless of what the mother before him said, wolves had limitations, and while love and desire could push a wolf to test and reach those limits more readily, it could not break them. He had seen too many wolves fight with the belief that their anger or their desperation would actually give them the skill or the strength to defeat a more experienced or larger wolf. These emotions uncovered the wolf's true limitations--provided they hadn't discovered them already--but did not change them. Phoenix had pushed those limits before. Skoll did not believe he was capable of wide sweeping psychic search Iskata suggested.
She hung her head at the scowling, knowing she deserved it. When he finally stopped and asked her if there was anything else she just shook her head and tried to keep the tears at bay. She was acting like a child, but she felt it was so unfair. There had been no sign of their children, but Phoenix had made it through, and yet he'd run off again at the first moment possible, not even well enough to go. She sighed and gazed up at Skoll looking as guilty as she felt. I'm sorry... IT just feels like last time. Losing everything and everyone all at once. Just like last time. Fears had just been killed but I had the children.. then they were even taken away. I'm not sure if I even have that much hope left in me anymore Skoll.. but I can try. She didn't even stop to think that Skoll might not know anything about her life in Tears, her previous mate or even care really, but there was no other way to understand unless she explained it.
She hung her head again and tried to get a grip on her emotions as he was kind enough to offer her some refuge from her relentless hunting, but she knew she had to go on if she was going to find them. She'd try and find each of the packs and clans that were reforming. Her children would know like all young that they'd be welcome and safe within a pack. That was what she would have to do and she was determined to see it through and find her family.
She was so lost in her thoughts and plans she almost hadn't heard Skoll's last question except for the fact of hearing her daughter's name. Raising her head back up she smiled wearily and nodded to him. Firefly is fine. Phoenix was wrong about DaVinci though, he might be hard to understand, but he didn't steal Firefly. He'd come to tell her goodbye and explain he was going to look for his sister Magdalena and the little scamp followed him out of the territory. They found their sister and are all together. They promised they'd return when the time was right.. I'm sortof glad they didn't return with me.. atleast, not to this. She knew it sounded wrong to be glad your children didn't come home with you, but atleast they were safe from the grief and the shock of what had happened to their homelands.
...Skoll.. do you know if there are anyother packs that have joined together? Maybe.. my kids found some protection out here.. A little bit of hope wasn't bad, but she wasn't sure if she had enough for the whole lot of them.. for everything all at once. One step at a time..
Skoll was glad to see her pull herself out of her funk, though he was saddened to see her fall into another. If she was going to feel badly, though, it was better to feel bad for honest reasons, than to be disappointed in someone who had been a victim of circumstances. Still, his heart went out to her as her pain was made apparent to him. He may not know where Phoenix was, but he was still a friend of the family, through both parents, and he would be there for every member therein.
"I know there are others, though I do not know their names or their exact locations. Inferni was the first to reorganize, probably just because they were furthest away from the fire, and didn't suffer any disorganization in the exodus. They live to the west of us, far closer than they were to Storm. I would help you seek your children, but I fear that the coyote leader will try to capitalize on the weakness of our position. If he does so, I need to be here for those who have entrusted their safety to me." At times he regretted joining a group so early. He would have liked to offer assistance to Iskata and to Phoenix, he would have liked to help a lot of people to get things running again...but as always he was limited in his efforts by the meager capabilities of a single body. Though many would look upon his tall, scarred frame and see strength, he yet wished that he was capable of more. The power of one simply wasn't enough in situations like these...he needed to be more places than he could be.
"The scent of wolves will have drawn them further south, I am certain. Inferni announced their aggression for all to hear in no uncertain terms as soon as they settled on a piece of land. The children would have heard that with the rest of us, and almost certainly tagged along with other wolves as they ran. I don't think you need to worry. Phoenix was well-liked, and even those who did not care for his association with me would not harm his children." Certainly, even Fatin--who had hated Phoenix for taking the golden warrior's word over her deceits and Gabriel's testimony--cared deeply about family. For all her faults, she had the reputation of the mother figure common with the last leader of Jaded Shadows, and he had no fear that she would hurt Phoenix's progeny.
Iskata stared at Skoll for some time after he was finished speaking. She wasn't sure what to say to him, but in the end she just shook her head. She hadn't agreed on what had happened to Skoll so long ago, but times were changed and the new leaders of the coyote clan weren't really the same as the old. "Skoll.. Don't worry about the Coyotes so much, their leaders are a bit busy right now. She didn't want to go too far into detail, but she felt like she was sitting right in the middle of a big problem.
Shaking her head again she sighed. "Inferni wouldn't trouble my children, atleast not on purpose. Faolin is like family, though Gabriel and I hold no liking to each other it's personal, not because of blood.." She stared off into the distance trying to forget the memories before she continued. "Besides, the leader is more worried about his children right now and intruders coming upon their lands, not coming out into the lands to cause trouble." She turned back to Skoll and stared into his eyes as she left him with a few last words. "If I hear anyone causes them trouble from your pack Skoll I won't be pleased. Don't go looking for trouble." She sighed and turned back towards the woods. "I'm going to try and find my children now.." She didn't know why she felt she had to protect Faolin's children, but she was trying hard to keep what they had alive.
OOC: Is that a good place to stop, then?
IC:
"I don't go looking for trouble," he said simply, humorlessly. "I simply find that others forget too easily the transgressions of the past. Gabriel supported the slaughter of Aremys children as orchestrated by his mother, and I will not trust him to respect the borders of other packs when he trespassed openly and with intent to kill before. If he comes here looking for trouble, don't hold it against me when I kill him." Again, humorless. Gabriel was certainly fierce, as far as Souls' wolves went, and therefore a threat to those that he protected. He had attacked without warning before, and made it abundantly clear through his support of his mother and his use of his siblings as diversions that he did not believe that honor had any place in violence. Had he led a lifestyle different from the one he had, Gabriel would pose a serious threat to him, as well.
The fact that Gabriel had children of his own meant something, though. It meant that he would want to cease hostilities until they were old enough to join the fighting, at which point he would probably invite them openly again. That technically should have meant that Skoll could let his guard down, but he knew that he couldn't. The Lykois had fooled people into thinking they could be a respectable family before, but in his experience all they generally did was spawn a brood to add to their ranks for the next conflict. They had posted their children as sentries on their border, not only allowing them to bear witness to a battle but to openly engage in one as well. Gabriel hadn't batted an eyelash at the involvement of his younger siblings in a fight with the warrior-wolf. His low tactics had worked well, too: Skoll had taken extensive damage in his hesitation to fully let loose with such young combatants.
"Good luck finding your children, Iskata." Had he known that she'd been thinking of the safety of Gabriel's children when she asked him to keep away, he would have been shocked. After all, it was the Lykois that put children in the line of fire habitually, it was their fault for putting him in a situation where he had to hurt children or die himself. Truth be told, had he acted differently in any number of ways, all three children that Inferni had involved in that conflict could have been killed. It seemed his name would never be cleared fully of the lies they besmirched it with.
ooc: yep, sounds good to me.
She paused before turning back to the male, her hackles raised slightly at the comment he left lingering in the air. She bared her teeth slightly as she spoke up. "Maybe we'd all just like to forget the past.." She stared off into the distance of where Inferni had taken up their new home before finishing her comment. "I'm sure you'd understand if you'd ever been in our place. Sometimes it takes more than what a fighter can offer Skoll." She wasn't sure if he'd ever understand, but she wasn't going to try and explain to him either. Her temper was on a short leash and she had places to go and her children to find.
She flicked her tail idly as she nodded at his words, she would find them, but she had to tend to other things along the was as well. "IF they are alive I'll find them. With her mate off on some journey to who knows where for who knows what reason she knew she had to gather up their children and keep the family together. She sighed softly before turning and heading off into the woodlands again. "Goodbye Skoll.." she said softly as she went to face the future and whatever misadventures where there now.
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