Set in Borgata Xicohtli, late afternoon, high tide. Rowan is with Larkspur in this thread.
Though his family life was dealt with strife, the progress at the barn was going swimmingly. Larkspur had ensured that Sirius’ stallion alone lingered with Misty (why his sister insisted on calling the horse by a name he did not know) and been pleased to find the two copulating more than a few times. When Black (another silly name for a horse, really) had finally begun giving the mare space, Larkspur had been certain she had taken to foal. There was no way for him to reason this otherwise, but he had begun preparations for her none the less.
A collection of grain and other nuts he had deemed suitable for horses were collected with the aid of Rowan. He understood that there was no need for increasing her feed early on, but she would be heavily in foal when winter came. Ensuring that they were prepared was necessary.
The pair had stopped at the delta, and high tide offered easy hunting. Crabs scuttled about and the dark wolf snatched them up with ease. He was large enough to simply slap them out of the water, to Rowan’s delight. She had explained to him some method of cooking the things, and while he was content to eat them raw, he was not a cruel man and granted her little instances of frivolity. This was why he had allowed her to bring a metal pot, which was not filled with water and simmering over a fire.
Ankle deep in the water, Larkspur snatched up another crab and tossed it back to the red she-wolf.
Sorry, I had to totally steal this. :3 <3 Words: 347 Table by Haley.
Magnolia’s daily routine of going to the river had turned into a ritual; her daily run gave her exercise, cleared her head, and made the young woman learn the territory better. Salsola was a desolate place that often filled Magnolia’s head with an awful dread. She couldn’t understand why she felt so miserable here at the same time she got joy from serving these peculiar and strange creatures that she called leaders. It wasn’t exactly a joy, per se, but something she felt she had to do. Magnolia was bound here for life, after all.
Maggie’s return to the river was quick despite her initial slowness earlier in the morning. The sun was high in the sky and with it heat that made the teenager uncomfortable. Her arctic heritage made her coat disturbingly hot. She had her summer coat in, of course, but even then she still hated the high temperature She couldn’t resist jumping into the water every time she could. The water made her heart stop momentarily and it felt like she was jumping into a pool of knives. It was electrifying, and made the dull days pass a little easier.
From a distance, the Associate saw two figures by the edge of the water. Jade eyes squinted to see a little better, but she couldn’t see who they were. Sighing due to what was most likely nerves the girl made her way over to the figures that were slowly coming closer into view. Her many necklaces clanked against each other as she stepped over rocks and bounded over the fallen logs around the water. She wasn’t hurrying to see who it was.
As she side stepped, the mohawked woman saw the charcoal man she so adored. “Larkspur!” Magnolia called out accompanied by a wave as soon as she got close enough to look at those pumpkin eyes of his. A russet stranger was with him as well and the girl cocked her head curiously. All discomfort disappearing, the woman’s face erupted into a large grin that was followed by a wagging ebony-dipped tail as she walked over.
Oh yay! Larkspur has his utili-kilt and knife on him, for reference.
Rowan, behind him, spotted the girl long before her master. She let out a low, soft warning that had the Arbiter looking almost as soon as the girl announced herself. He rose to his full height, a giant amongst wolves, and smiled fondly at the girl. Since she had joined, he had seen little of her. It had worried him to think she might be uneasy in Salsola, but he had faith in the Thistle Kingdom. Either way, she would remain here for life.
“Hello Magnolia,” he called, coming away from the bank. He had to bend in order to greet her properly, brushing his muzzle against her own. Formalities finished, he brushed his hands off on his kilt and eyed the girl with something akin to pride. She had put on weight from the last time he had seen her. This was pleasing, for she had looked unhealthy to him before; skinny women often did. “It has been some time,” the D’Angelo went on. “Are y'hungry? Ther'll be food soon.”
Rowan, watching the food intently, kept both ears lifted high in order to listen for commands. She had adapted to the role of a slave quite well, though she did not consider herself quite so low as the others. Certainly not at all like the filthy man thing the pack kept.
The girl’s smile wasn’t going away any time soon. Larkspur greeted her with warmth and affection which the Associate took almost greedily, relishing in the attention her almost-father was showing her. Jade eyes flickered over to the russet slave momentarily, uninterested. She had seen the woman around the pack territory and wasn’t quite sure what her purpose here was. The Associate didn’t really care, either, so her attention was quickly returned to the charcoal man before her. “It sure has,” the teenager said softly, amazed at her luck of running into him. Oh, how Maggie cherished this man.
He was wearing accessories she had never seen before, and the girl looked at them with a cocked head, curious. “I am, actually…Anything I can do to help?” She was unfamiliar with the art of cooking, or using human tools in general. “Are those cooking supplies?”She said, motioning with her head to his clothing. She truly was naïve in this sort of thing. Neither of her parents taught her much about the extinct creatures that created such ridiculous objects such as the items the Arbiter wore.
He was glad to have brought her back from the edge, though in doing so, he had damned her to living her life out in Salsola. She was soft yet, and he worried she would take time to adjust. Sirius had earned Larkspur’s respect and so he obeyed the cultural rules of the pack without question—but Larkspur was also not a child, and had nothing to call him away from this place.
A faint smile was offered at her question, for Larkspur was not the type to laugh, especially when it came to something so trivial as ignorance. Until he had been presented with many human concepts, he had known little of them. “This is clothing,” he explained. “Eris gave it to me.” It paled with the gifts he had given her, but the mateship was not his choice and she was a higher ranking member. She deserved to be given greater things. “I think we have enough fish,” the Arbiter went on, looking to Rowan. She gave one short nod. Her nervousness around the girl was apparent—Rowan was confident when it came to the other slaves, knowing she was better than they were, but she recognized her role within the pack was a low one.
“Come, sit. Tell me what y’been doing,” Larkspur invited, settling above-wind of the fire.
Niro hadn’t spent much time talking about human artifacts except for the one that he used. She was vaguely familiar with clothes, but his was different from Niro’s trinkets or anything else he had seen before, so she didn’t recognize it at first. The only type of clothing that Magnolia wore was jewelry but she couldn’t wrap her head around the phenomenon of werewolves that covered themselves in clothing day in and day out. She was warm enough with her arctic wolf coat, so she didn’t see why it was necessary. It just seemed like something that would be more irritating than useful.
She smiled at Eris' mention, though, and looked at the russet slave that was preparing their meal. At the thought of fish she instantly became hungry, mouth watering at the thought of a tasty meal. She hadn’t been eating much lately only out of sheer laziness. She also never ate the pack meat, either, she preferred working for her food. She didn’t want to seem rude to the higher-ups that ran the place. Maggie gave the slave one curious look before turning back to Larkspur.
I’ve been… alright, The Associate said carefully, not wanting to express her dissatisfaction at Larkspur’s home. I ran into my sister recently…I thought she was dead. Maybe dead was the wrong word, but Magnolia didn’t ever think she would see Foxglove again. She had disappeared so long ago, Magnolia was surprised to see her face around this area again. Magnolia was still stunned from the run-in, and since then her heart had been pining for her blonde sibling. And I’ve been meeting a lot of people here like Tlantli, Janos, and Denver. They all seem okay. That was a lie, of course, but Maggie didn’t want to have Larkspur worry about her.
While he would have been fully content to live without clothing (his own father’s heritage gave him a thick enough pelt) it was Eris’ wish and he had no room to stand against her. Here, she was a Queen. Yet their own understanding, forged through blood and dominance games, was clear enough. She needed him more than he needed her—but his devotion was endless and savage, in its primal ways.
Tone, as it applied to speech, was something Larkspur had only recently begun to learn. He was not thick, as often imagined, but his world was one made of very clear rules and tones. Black and white concepts had only just begun to show gray. Some would never change, though. Like all those who knew the truth of faith, he was forever locked into the rules and regulations of the beliefs that guided him. One hand turned over as he brushed his thick fingers across it, dislodging scales as he listened to Magnolia’s cheerless story.
Orange eyes gleamed as they focused on her, wondering if she had truly realized what she had entered. This was home now. He leaned back. “Yer sister, huh? Did y’talk to her about here?” Careful words—while Magnolia had been his chosen inductee, if she turned her back on the pack it was his duty to ensure it was dealt with. Above all but Tak, Larkspur worshiped Sirius. He would see his will done.
lol yup. sorry for the wait. Words: 324 Table by Tawny!
Magnolia knew she probably shouldn’t have told Foxglove that she had a pack she was bound too, but the girl didn’t tell her sister anything overtly wrong, either. The Associate was also afraid of the Arbiter’s power, and what he might do to her if she were to act out of line or if she had given away too much information. Magnolia respected, no, adored Larkspur, and would never dream of doing anything that might upset him. The girl looked up into his beautiful, pumpkin eyes and stared into his soul. She wanted to be trusted by him more than anything else in the world and knew now was the right time to prove her worth.
No, was all she said, looking at him dead on. I only told her that I couldn’t leave, and that Cour des Miracles was no longer my home. All true statements. She didn’t know what else to say. She looked over at the slave momentarily, wondering if he preferred the slave’s company to her own. What a silly idea she thought to herself, momentarily saddened, after all, who’s the slave and who’s the ranked member?
She gave her savior a smile, and promptly decided to stop talking about Foxglove. It was too risky. She didn’t want to admit to anything she may or may not have said, but simply said She lives in the tribe now. I don’t expect she’ll be causing us any trouble, being a gypsy and all. She knew essentially nothing about that lifestyle, but Foxglove was the sweetest creature she knew that walked the earth. She knew her beloved sister wouldn’t mess up Magnolia’s life here. Though from time to time the wolf caught herself fantasizing about what might happen if Foxglove ended up here too; sisters bound together for eternity in more ways than Maggie would have ever thought possible.
While his rather fierce and terrible devotion to Sirius might have seemed peculiar, it had taken the death of a grizzly to gain it. Larkspur was not the sort to put his faith into men so easily. Haku had been the first, though it seemed misplaced now—the wolf had fallen to his son and to a pack that recognize him as wicked. Sirius, though, was clever. This was something that Larkspur believed Haku had lacked. Cleverness would keep him alive, as would the feral nature of the man that the giant of a wolf had recognized early on. For as much as he spoke high and put on airs, Sirius was a beast masquerading as something he was not.
Magnolia’s admission was one he believed, and so he smiled faintly at her. The fish was passed to Rowan, who silently and in the unobtrusive way of servants, began to season and cook their prizes. Larkspur had been lucky; she was a woman in all the ways Eris was not. Having someone able to tend to these lesser tasks made his life easier. He did not notice the way that Rowan stiffened at the word ‘gypsy’, focused on Magnolia alone now that the woman was into her chore. “I do not think most would cause us trouble,” he admitted, orange eyes gleaming. The few who had met grisly ends. “But I do think it'd be best if y'keep her away from here. The Boss has...very strong beliefs 'bout strangers.” If not invited, they were either killed or enslaved.
The girl watched the other woman make their dinner, and Magnolia’s empty belly growled at the sight of the quickly approaching meal. She licked her lips in anticipation and watched the russet slave wistfully as Larkspur spoke. She didn’t understand the Boss, nor had she ever even met him, so she didn’t know where the Arbiter was coming from. Why was it so important that they remain hidden forever? The girl took that without questioning it when she first came here, but it had been bugging her since.
Why? was all she asked, turning back to her friend. She sounded almost puppy-like when she spoke, and it annoyed her. She wanted to be mature about it, but this was one topic she couldn’t wrap her head around. She had never desired secrecy, in fact, she was quite the opposite. She adored being fawned over and known about, and even though it didn’t happen very often, she still craved it constantly. She wanted to be known. I won’t bring her back here, but even if she was my sister would she still have been harmed? Luckily, Foxglove had been outside of the pack lands when she called for Magnolia and therefore wasn’t harmed. But Maggie wouldn’t be able to deal with her new family killing her old one.
It did not take long for Rowan to wrap up her cooking. She was talented and knew how to best prepare such things; there were subtle spices used with the cooking that seasoned the meat to a fuller potential. Salt, especially, Larkspur had begun to appreciate. Such a simple thing to do, but it turned fish—which he had never preferred over hot, bloody meat—into something he actually enjoyed.
“Well,” Larkspur began patiently, a talent learned from his first children. “Salsola ain’t one for trespassers; y’gotta either keep her out of our land or have her join. We keep to ourselves, Magnolia. Sirius wanted it that way.” And Sirius was law. Larkspur looked up at a soft whisper from Rowan, who had arraigned several of the fish on a reed-woven platter. Pleased, Larkspur took them and spoke lowly to the woman, who retreated back and began preparing her own portion and the second half or their meal. A larger pot, which was now boiling, was filled with the crabs Larkspur had caught. They steamed and whistled as the large wolf picked up one of the cooked fish and began to wolf it down.
Magnolia understood. That was the end of the discussion, and she would follow the rules of the land. She had still yet to meet this Sirius that everyone talked about. She had seen him far off in the distance around the ruins and at the family dinners but the Associate was still sheepish and chose to not meet him. It probably wasn’t very good, but he scared the life out of her. She only felt evil come from him. It was funny, really, how different her perception of this land was to how it really was. Maggie chose to only dwell on the happier parts of this land; whether it was friendly interactions with Xochime or Itachi, or swimming in the river. She had chosen to be delightfully ignorant of the culture, of the mysticism, of the darkness surrounding this land. She knew about it all, but couldn’t imagine why anyone would deliberately choose to be like that. As much as she loved Eris certain practices she had were just… confusing to the wolf.
Larkspur’s words were depressing. Magnolia wished that her beloved sister could come visit her, just for a day, and so that she could see her new home in the ruins. She was positive that Aniwaya would let her come visit, a tribe of wolves seemed a lot more friendly and welcoming than the almost-prison she called home. Don’t worry, she won’t come back, she said sullenly. Larkspur started eating, and with a look to the slave, Maggie also started eating the fish. She had never eaten cooked fish before; it was peculiar and tasted like nothing she had ever tried before. What did you do to it? She licked her muzzle bewilderingly, still taking in the taste. She couldn't decide if she loved it or hated it.
There was so much he could not explain to her with words. He was not eloquent enough, not well-versed with the language. Larkspur could not explain what it was he trusted in Sirius, why he obeyed the law of this place with such devotion. It was too much to put into words; he had shed blood for his King, watched the Boss bleed and lose his own tail for such faith. Eris he loved, in his own way, and she was an extension of Sirius, of Salsola, of this place he had come to believe in and follow without doubt.
He chuckled behind a mouthful of fish and swallowed loudly. “Before she came here, Rowan was trained to cook. She uses dried plants and dried sea-water to make it taste like this.” Behind them, the slave gave no indication that she was listening besides the tilt in ears when her name was mentioned. She was obedient in the ways of subservience and found that the title of “slave” did not much change her purpose here. “She told me that once winter begins, the fat on animals tastes even better after being over a flame.” Another loud crunch and the remaining half of the fish was swallowed practically whole.
Magnolia reached for more food, curious about this cooked food. Amaranth had made it once or twice back in the kingdom but Maggie was determined to not take any of her charity back then. The hybrid chewed it carefully, inspecting the taste. The meat was a different texture, and it took her a couple of mouthfuls to finally feel okay wolfing it down.
“I see,” was all the girl said, barely giving the slave a look. She instead watched Lark as he spoke, momentarily stopping her fast-paced eating. She didn’t really know what else to say to him at the moment. “What have you been up to lately?” she asked quietly. She had wondered what the Arbiter was up to these days; he seemed to be around less and less. He probably was dealing with lots and lots of secrets, so maybe Maggie didn’t really want to know what his daily activities of late included.
The dark wolf was a beast made for his duty. While he often felt the weight on his bones, he continued with no complaints. It would catch up to him, one day, but he was still fit and still in his prime. Six years old was barely brushing against the twilight age he had seen others in. Hell, Misery had been ancient when she had come for him—he imagined she had since returned to the gods, as was the role of all those chosen by them. He wondered sometimes if Tak would claim him; as much as he believed himself to be saved, he had seen and heard so many things that warned him this was not true.
He licked at his muzzle and tilted his head, as if thinking. “Duties. We have much to do here, especially before fall.” The Arbiter reached over for another fish, and between his meal, continued to speak at length about Salsola’s preparations. They avoided sensitive topics, and once the meal was finished, traveled back to the Ruins together.
