memories are designed to fade

Vigilante Haskel · 12-30-2011, 12:29 PM

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For Caspa! Set at the temple~ Secui form, midday.

The temple had been something completely foreign to him until recently, when Skoll had detailed his adventures there. He had never given it much thought, but the bones that his golden-furred son had mentioned had warranted a visit from the King. Perhaps they could be left there as a kind of decoration, depending on how the mood of the building read, but if they posed any sort of danger, they would have to be removed.

Instead of going inside, however, the large secui dog sat on the rusted bridge over the pond, peering down at the water. Not yet was it frozen through, but he could see where some parts were thicker, and others had ripples of water touching the bottom of the glassy surface, so delicate. The last winter had been terrible, and the dog King fretted that the coming winter would be just as violent and unforgiving. They never had found Kambujiya.

Cour des Miracles was shrinking; there was no denying that members had left in larger numbers lately. Perhaps it was because of the conflict with AniWaya. Certainly that was why Amaranth, Niro, and Jiva had left. But the rest, the King did not know. He hoped this trend would not continue, for the sake of his pack and the members that remained faithfully.

Caspa Al-Fateh · 12-30-2011, 04:38 PM

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It could not be denied the feather-furred dog had led a nondescript existence in her time at the court, for the most part. She had become a fixture in the hotel, as dusty and stationary as the ancient decor. She had let life shine through in places, just as the Courtiers could blow away the dust in places, but there was always too much to clean, too many spiderwebs in too many corners. But Caspa was not unhappy, and in a strange way she loved the old building and the wide mystery-cornered lands surrounding her. There was both strength and freedom here - the Miracles pack was not the most secure or rigorously guarded, and trouble did filter in through the cracks - but the core was one of courage and loyalty, like the bond between travellers or thieves, unspoken but unbreakable. One that didn't rely on blood or obedience, and did not turn away the outcast or the misfit. Sometimes, this nobility was not to their benefit. A sense of justice and fairness was not always easily carried, and sometimes left them with no alternative but to risk everything, such as when they'd gone to war against the AniWayan pack, or when Caspa had launched herself into the fist of the slaver, unable to stand aside and allow the oppression to continue while there was still strength in her body.

Both Caspa and the Court had made enemies, the difference being she lacked enough strength to vanquish hers. If the strength of the Cour des Miracles was waning, it was not obvious to Caspa, and that was not the reason she hadn't looked to her packmates to help her with her undertaking. She had not told a soul about her fight, and hoped she would never need to. The evil woman was hers to bring down and hers alone. But first she had to heal. She had broken bones, but nothing that to her knowledge could be assuaged by splinting or any other technique. All she could do was rest. She was fearful, though. If the bones refused to knit, the slow decline of the fractures might prove her undoing. She had training in anatomy, but she had not examined a canine skeleton for a long time, and felt the need to remind herself of the position of certain ribs, to better realise the effects violence had rained upon her own torso. It was a good thing now she was such a sparely-fleshed animal, as with her fingers she could easily feel each individual bone. She ran in lupus form, today, though and no outward sign of injury present except for the still-scabbing split on her lower lip, sure to scar, and the occasional wince of pain. She'd heard tell of these bones and this temple, and hoped the knowledge she wanted would avail itself to her here. She found the bridge guarded though, by the heavy presence of a scent she'd found in lesser quantities in the furs of his various children that gleefully roamed the packlands. The encounters with them belonged to a further away, far more innocent time. This man was almost a stranger to her, and the solemnity of his presence seemed fitting with the harsher world Caspa inhabited since the midwinter had passed. She came onto the bridge with light-pecking footfalls and bowed her whole body chest-deep as she approached, the movement a stab to the ribs but her eyes had always been used to carrying pain, and refused to let this physical discomfort show. "We meet at last... here of all places." Caspa had never been taught how to address kings, so did not try. She would take any rebuke with a good will. Her eyes turned to the water, wondering what thoughts Vigilante had been looking through into its depths. "How have you fared since the war?" Familiarity aside, she kept her head turned low, hiding the wound on her chin as best she could.
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Vigilante Haskel · 01-01-2012, 03:49 PM

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I'm not sure where this all came from. o.O You can probably skip the second - fifth paragraphs? xD; 646 words.

He heard her approach, light-footed as she seemed to be, the only indication a slight flick of his left ear. None had ever found themselves in the position of sneaking up on the dog mutt; his training in his youth had not allowed for such a thing to happen. The slightest sound, the shifting of the air around him when another was near, the slight change in the way the air smelled... These were things the former righteous killer had come to be able to recognize immediately, without conscious thought, having honed these skills so well, such a long time ago.

Though the pack was smaller than it once had been, it was strong, the King knew. Their numbers were not as impressive as they once had been, but they were a loyal group. Even without requiring submission and respect, the King was given it. Certainly he did not show submission to his pack members—he did not even show it to his mate—but he gave them the respect that they gave him, a mutual exchange. He was fond of the members of his pack, even down to the trouble-making Terra. There was no one he did not want to be within the pack's borders.

Once, that had not been so. Before his ascent to the throne, the dog King had been far from fond of a number of members. There had been Leroy; the black and white male had been his almost-rival. He had left very shortly after Ayita and Vigilante had begun their mateship, apparently unable to coexist with the man his ex-lover had taken on permanently. There had been jealousy between the two of them, absolutely. Vigilante had never been fond of the man that had fathered Ayita's first children, though he loved those children as much as he could. There was always the barrier, though, between your own and someone else's. It couldn't be helped.

The trespasser that Terra had found recently, the young girl with the torn ear and the inability to respect borders, had reminded him so much of someone else. The scent had been disgustingly familiar. It was only later that he realized it was Svara he had been smelling, another one of the pack's original members he had not been fond of. She had caused nothing but trouble and had not done so with the light, friendly heart that Terra seemed to. No, she had been a problematic female, indeed. And for that matter, so had Firefly.

Those three were gone now, along with others he had disliked, and many he had liked. Some had left the area completely. Others had gone to different packs, searching for something the kingdom did not have to offer them. He thought of Anann and Anatoliy; he absence was tangible to him. The Russian man had been someone the King had not known well, but the golden woman had been perhaps one of the only wolves here he could have ever called a friend. Ayita, of course, was another; Alaine had been, as well, before she had gone in the night.

Finally, as if he had been waiting until she spoke to be brought away from his thoughts, the dog King turned his dark face to study her wispy features. He knew who she was, despite having never been formally introduced. "It seems I am finally able to meet my son's 'ghost,' at last," he said with a small, amused smile. Vigilante had told Skoll that Caspa was not a ghost, but he could see why his son might think so, with her aberrant appearance. Even with his dog heritage, she looked nothing like anyone he had ever met, and certainly that Skoll had not. "I have been well, thank you. And have you?" The question was accompanied by a short sniff, the smell of a lingering wound faintly noticeable.

Caspa Al-Fateh · 01-03-2012, 06:36 AM

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Observant but not impudent gaze rested briefly on the black mask that turned her way. A vigilante was a maverick killer and seeker of justice, and Caspa in liking the word saw the qualities within the wolf, and they tallied with some of her own aspirations. She had little strength but her dedication and tenacity had been honed to make up for this lack, although these qualities would never show up on her ghost-frame. Perhaps this small deception had helped her survive against the slaver, who had come close to underestimating her. It also led to amusing assumptions from princes, and Caspa gave a brief smile-twitch of her lips upon hearing Skoll's name. The boy had been so bright and lively - compared to his bold character many could be called shadows or ghosts. He'd thought of her as a literal spook, though, understandably enough. "I believe I am your ghost, if anything, my King - although he has stolen my heart with his puppyish charms," she replied, as usual her intently solemn face belying the humour in her words. This was utterly gone, however as she realised she could not smooth over her injuries without dishonesty, which like insubordination was taboo in her world. "Mostly life goes on as normal. I had a little... accident recently, but I will recover." And then she would seek her revenge. She would involve nobody else, even her leader, in this matter. Nobody could get hurt for her sake, and besides, it was her right to claim the righteous victory over the most evil of vices. She had only to make sure she was properly rested. The encounter with the lord of the land had been fortuitous, as Caspa could feel now she had halted that her bruised flesh and bones were aching from the relatively long walk and perhaps she had over-stretched herself even now. She hoped he would linger awhile at least for politeness' sake, because if he left she would be tempted to push through her discomfort once more as a test of her endurance - and in this case, this tenacity would do nothing but further harm. "Do you have business in this building today?" she wondered then, only half meant as a conversation continuation, jerking her muzzle in the direction of the broodingly elaborate temple.

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Vigilante Haskel · 01-03-2012, 05:47 PM

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337 words.

He smiled at her words, nodding his large head in agreement with the comment. "Yes, they do tend to do that. Their excitement is irresistible, and so easy to get caught up in." The Haskel man was normally a stoic creature, but he found that when he was with his young children, they brought out a side of him that he didn’t know he had, hidden away desires to romp and run freely. The dog King felt that he had done something wrong with his first litter. Noah had left, and while Liam had grown and adjusted well, it was not the dog King’s wishes that his son would have had to see a war, to take part in the killing.

The hesitant explanation received a questioning glance, but the King did not ask for more details. It was not something he would ever do. Prying for information was not in his nature and he felt that if Caspa thought she or the pack was in danger, she would have the sense to tell him about it. Otherwise, it could have easily been anything trivial, and he would not press her for details about the accident, or so she claimed it was. It was not his business. "I am glad that you are safe, then, and do be careful to avoid any future... Accidents," he finished, returning his gaze to the water below the bridge that they conversed on, the King sitting and the ghostly woman standing.

His business at the temple was not particularly important and did not deal with pressing matters, so he shook his head dismissively. Hunting skeletons was not something he was interested in doing; they were better left alone where they had fallen, were they not? "No, nothing important. I had simply thought to come here, having never looked inside myself. Now that my adventurous children have explored it, I felt I should do it myself," he explained. "And do you, or is it by chance that you are here?"

Caspa Al-Fateh · 01-04-2012, 07:11 PM

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It was plain to see and hear that he'd caught the flaw in her story - but she had not wished to lie to the lord of her homeland. It was true, she did not believe her pack to be in danger - at least not as much as they would be if she told them about the malicious and violent woman who had done the damage. Then they might be tempted to seek her out, and risk a similar treatment. This pack had shared too much trouble - Caspa wanted to bear the burden of antagonism herself this time. And she didn't think that an unwary courtier could cross the so-called Amy's path easily. The woman would never be stupid enough to cross borders, and probably wouldn't come back for some time considering what she'd done. If she had any sense, she'd know not to risk facing the united wrath of a pack for killing one of its members - at least, Caspa believed she'd been left for dead: it made no sense at all for Amy to wish to leave her alive and the dog had clearly been capable of the decisive act.

The pair were lost to their thoughts for a moment, before the subject turned to their destination and she gave the temple once more a searching look. "I am a student of anatomy, originally," she explained, as usual feeling that strange disconnection from the subject that her teachers and parents - well, father - had chosen for her even before she could walk. "I heard of the remains and thought I might refresh my memory." The understanding of bones of course seemed more pertinent than ever now she seemed to have shattered quite a few of her own. "You do not know these lands without omission, sir?" she wondered gently at his admission to have never visited the temple. "Were you not born here?" How ignorant she was, that she didn't even know how her own King had achieved his appointment. She'd thought the monarchic system followed the law of inheritance, and no one had relieved her of this assumption, nor had she thought to ask.

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Vigilante Haskel · 01-06-2012, 06:22 PM

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358 words.

The ashen masked male knew a bit about anatomy, enough to know where deadly targets on the living body were, and he nodded understandingly. His prince of the sun had detailed the skeletons that had been found in the temple when he had explored them with Terra, and so the King knew that Caspa would find something to study in there, even if he had not seen them yet himself. He had always meant to learn more about the body so that he could further hone his limited medical skills, but such an interest had fallen by the wayside and he had never explored it further. It was still in the back of his mind, but the dog King doubted he would ever seriously do anything with the thought.

He smiled, almost flattered, though he knew the lack of knowledge came from her not knowing the pack's full history and how young it was. "No, for I am far older than our great pack is," he admitted with a bemused smile, the good nature of his comment visible on his face. He did not wish to make her feel foolish for not knowing. His sons and daughter had been born there, and would live there for as long as they wished. For their futures and for the sake of the pack he loved, he hoped that they chose to remain wolves of the Miracles pack for life.

"I came from across the continent, and it took me such a long time to adjust to the way of life here." Vigilante knew that many had found it difficult to adjust to, and perhaps that was a part of why it seemed that members left at an alarming rate. He did not know what to do about changing whatever the problem was, though. "The first King made me his Constable and then simply disappeared one day, and I decided that we could not wait for him forever... And so I am King." It had never been his dream to lead, but he found that for now, it suited him just fine and he hoped it would continue to do so.

Caspa Al-Fateh · 01-07-2012, 07:33 PM

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There were times when being a creature of few words was not a useful trait. Caspa had no idea of many things to do with the pack's history, including age and origins. She didn't speak to most of the other members in any depth, so she had no way of finding out. Somehow she had assumed it was older than the leader, perhaps due to the fact the territory was far larger than her homeland, which had far more residents and really needed more space - but it grew only slowly, because of their strange way of putting a tall fence around the borders instead of relying on scent marks. She had been raised to the idea of lands growing proportionally to the time the pack had existed, but now she thought about this she realised it really didn't make sense. Yet another flaw in the thinking of her strange little family. But she would never follow these flaws through to their final conclusion, never stop being ruled by even more of their strange assumptions.

"But there is no particular way of life here," she spoke, thinking aloud more than trying to be conversational now. "We live in freedom and protect our borders, and sometimes one another, but there is nothing more than that to get used to, is there? Is it so strange to be a safe haven for all who need it, or deserve it?" As far as a philosophy went, that was really all there was to the Court, as far as Caspa knew anyway. "Or, perhaps it was different under your last King, more... unfamiliar?" She could never stop thinking a thought through until its logical conclusion, and had a habit of questioning herself to reach understanding - but the dark-eyed female could never remember that others might like the pressure less than she.

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Vigilante Haskel · 01-08-2012, 12:41 AM

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334 words.

The contradiction halted the dog King for a moment as he considered what she meant by that. It was a strange statement, but she went on to further detail her meaning and he thought it over, though he was unsure of whether or not he agreed with her. Though there was not anything like the heavy culture of some of the surrounding packs, the kingdom was vastly different than other packs that Vigilante had been subjected to, and it was similar to many he had only known in passing.

"Things are very different here than they were where I was raised," he explained. "My pack was larger, made up of many big families, and the hierarchy was very different. My pack lived on imagined prophecies." Naturally, he left out any mention of his specific upbringing and the stories that had surrounded the birth of his sister and himself. Those tales were not for this time, this place; they were a part of another life completely. He was distanced from that now, by time as well as an entire continent, and he would do well to respect that.

The large dog looked briefly at his paws. His preference would always be the four-legged form, and oftentimes the larger, muscular secui form. Coming here to a place where most preferred to walk on two legs and act like humans had been somewhat of a shock, to say the least. "I still do not use my two-legged form as frequently as most members of the pack do," he admitted. The kingdom's ways were still strange to him, even after such a long time he had spent leading it.

"Is there anything you would change?" the King asked her suddenly, once again locking his aged gaze on her face. Caspa had been a member of the pack long enough that he trusted her to be loyal, though they had never met formally before now. Loyal members were the ones that could contribute ideas and suggestions, thoughts and considerations.

Caspa Al-Fateh · 01-10-2012, 07:43 PM

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She could not help but raise her brows a fraction at the mention of prophecies. So he was truly far from his occult roots now, it seemed. But were they necessarily occult? When she thought back to her own teachings, quite a few of the believed notions had yet to come to pass. Perhaps he was from similar roots to herself. Cour des Miracles had no such affilation officially, but Caspa still retained her childhood principles, though she found little cause to explain them. She would be very interested to discuss these prophecies if opportunity arose. Then she caught him inspecting his feet, and nodded slightly, it was true she did not see much of him but what she did see was usually Lupus, despite a portion of the pack's hotel-humanised ways. She herself found it easy enough to swap between the two, finding benefits in both forms. Her birth-pack had considered it something of a strength to remain in Optime as much as possible, but she had not had trouble adjusting to the four-legged form like many wolves seemed to have going in the other direction. It was certainly the case that the lupus was more natural to their species, in recent history, but they would all have to face the truth of their current world situation sooner or later: it was a virus that was unstoppably bound to spread and keep spreading.

She had been a little rude, she knew. Contradicting the leader, and pressing him for details, were not mannerly ways for an underling like herself to behave. She supposed a deep part of her had wanted to test him a little, because really she knew hardly anything about the wolf whose every order she was sworn to obey. To her surprise, instead of chiding her or even showing disapproval, the serene male met her eyes and asked for her to give an opinion. Rattled, the wounded hound turned to sit looking at the rippling water once more, understanding this moment of privilege and wanting to answer him as well as his position deserved. "Since I have arrived here," she began, hearing her own words and knowing that they sounded alarmingly like the beginning of a maudlin speech, but it couldn't be helped, "I have realised how fortunate I was to stumble across these borders before any other. The principles of freedom and justice, protection and tolerance are all I ask in a homeland." She left a beat, because of course there would be more. She would not be Caspa if she did not know how to criticise. "For those more sociable than myself, the group may be found a little disconnected. A few of us found solidarity in the fighting... most of those are gone now. I would bring the pack together somehow, and give chances for links to be made more easily. Me and Terra are working on something that may help." She remembered that she was trying not to sound long-winded, and stopped quickly, wondering if he wanted her to backtrack or continue to describe their scheme.

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Vigilante Haskel · 01-19-2012, 06:52 PM

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230 words.

Perhaps he had not been the ideal candidate for the position when he had taken on the rank of King, and though he had done well to fit it in the years he'd been here, there were still things he found himself unable to grasp. Kaktowik had never been much of a home to him, and he had been isolated from his pack since his birth. He had lived in a cave with only his sister for such a long time that he did not know what it was to be a part of a unified, social pack. The kingdom had once been that way, but Caspa was correct in thinking that they no longer were like that. Even without feeling it, the King could see it clear as day.

As the wispy-furred Courtier continued with her short speech, Vigilante turned to her with a keen interest showing in his gaze of jade. He knew Terra, though not very well. She was young and seemed somewhat impulsive and a bit of a trickster, but she did not seem like a problematic member of the Court and he liked her, certainly. She had a sense of loyalty to the pack and he could appreciate that. "What is it that you two are thinking of?" he inquired with a genuine interest in knowing. He did not know either well enough to guess.

Caspa Al-Fateh · 01-22-2012, 07:28 PM

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She felt a small moment of nervousness rise up within her then, simply a representation of the uncertainty she felt at laying bare their idea to this King, who she knew so little. How might he take the idea - what might he think of anything? She could never know - judging by what had happened here since her arrival, his leadership was based solely on fighting and war: detesting of frivolous activities such as theatrical performances as time-wasting. Of course, she knew this wasn't true. The entire feel of the pack, and especially the hotel - things did get more cavalier up by the stabling and racetrack area - was so much more bohemian than that, with many members who were more domestically or artistically inclined, who would never have survived under a brutal tyrant. Yes, he was tolerant, but he did not encourage any activity either - nothing since their attack, which had been based on necessity. She appreciated for herself the laid-back style of leadership, where nobody was required to perform in any particular way, which left their options open to choose their own lives and paths within the lands. She would never have wished this to change, but she felt there was always a potential to paint more layers into this picture. Something that brought them unity and caused them to feel and behave like a team, rather than a group of loosely connected neighbours, might lift the spirit of the land somewhat, although to Caspa's mind it did not feel low or negative - merely quiet and peaceful, which she appreciated. There was chaos enough happening in the outside world, and this place had always been designed to be a save haven, and little more. She thought of the hotel, though, the main pack residence with its sumptuous decor and embellished architecture - such a place seemed like it might appreciate a pair of dramatic personae practicing within its halls, and it was this thought that gave her the courage to break her barely tangible pause. "Just a short show of magic and theatre," she explained. "We thought it might amuse ourselves and perhaps others as well. It's still a work in progress though." She did not want him to ask her to demonstrate anything now - not with her painful bones and bruises. "It might be best seen as part of a collection of entertainments rather than standing alone." Now her inherent self-deprecation took over, causing her to underestimate anything she had a hand in to a certain degree. "Perhaps as a celebration or grand event... has the Court ever come together for such occasions in the past?" she queried, still taking in the realisation that the pack had been around for a much shorter time than she'd first thought.

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Vigilante Haskel · 01-28-2012, 06:11 PM

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1014 words.

A soft sound of interest came from the King, a small murmur as he nodded, listening to the idea that she spoke of having with the Baroness Terra. Such an event would do well for the social aspects of the pack, he could only assume, and it would give them something fun to focus on. Perhaps it could be a long-lasting thing, something that they could organize together and they could put on their show for the members of the kingdom. The King would not take part, as he was not exactly what one would call the theatrical type, but he would certainly watch their show, and he thought it likely that his children would be able to appreciate a show like that. Skoll, Hati, and little Lottie would surely enjoy a show put on by Terra and Caspa. Both had met his children, he assumed. At the very least, he knew that Terra had met Hati and Caspa had met Skoll, for the sun-chaser boy had originally thought the wispy woman to be a ghost.

Though it was not his usual focus, the King certainly wished to find something to pull the pack together again, something that would bring them all into one place for the interest of building the pack’s moral. “That sounds like a fine idea,” he spoke. “I think it is something that the pack will find enjoyable, and certainly my children would like such a show. There is a ballroom in the hotel that has a stage, if you have not already been in that part,” he suggested the place as a venue. It was where they had held the fancy-dress party that had served as the pack’s anniversary celebration so long ago. Their third anniversary would be coming upon them soon, he noted mentally, and he would need to speak with Strelein to begin making plans. It was only fitting that they do something big again, particularly after everything that had happened.

Under the former King’s rule, the pack had come together in more splendid events than it had during his reign. Perhaps this was not a good thing, as it was the spirit of the pack when Jacquez had been here to be merry and festive. It was not that he was against such things; they were simply out of his nature, out of the norm for the dog mutt King. In fact, he often found himself thinking that the whole of the Miracles pack was strange to him. It was certainly not the type of life he had grown up in, and so he had found its customs strange upon his initial arrival, and so it still seemed strange to him at times. That was not to say he did not enjoy leading the courtiers and the cavalry. In fact, he loved his pack dearly, and its members meant a great deal to him, especially his mate and children. It was simply strange still, on occasion.

At her inquiry, the dog King nodded. The pack had been the home of multiple celebrations, as well as other events that had drawn crowds. “We have had parties, both inside the hotel with fancy dress and music, and outside with bonfires. Those have always been liked, and I think we may be due for one soon, certainly,” he mused. It might be better to simply wait until the pack’s anniversary to have another party like that; Terra and Caspa planning a magic scow of some sort might be a good thing to happen between now and then. It would be something that could happen between the war and the anniversary to lift spirits. Having two parties of such a similar type so close together might not be the best idea, because it would be repetitive, but having different events scattered over the months was a very good idea.

His thoughts turned to the other events that the Miracles pack had been involved in. The first and only thing he could think of immediately was the horse race that had been arranged by Jacquez for the members of the Miracles pack, AniWaya, and Crimson Dreams, open to riders and spectators both. Though he had only watched and had not been social at the event, it had been interesting to watch and maybe once it was warmer, they could arrange a similar event. It could involve Crimson Dreams again, and they could extend the invitation to Cercatori d’Arte and Casa di Cavalieri. Inviting the tribe again was something he would have to discuss with Strelein if they decided to plan such an event again. While the tribe was now led by someone else, someone who seemed more reasonable, he was unsure of whether or not it would cause tension for the members of the kingdom and the Dreaming wolves. If they held another race, it would be something to consider heavily before anything was actually decided.

“A long time ago, under the former King, we held a horse race on our tracks with Crimson Dreams and AniWaya. It was a fun event for spectators and riders alike. I believe,” he said, though he was not entirely certain on what he was going to say next, for it was a long while ago and many things had happened since then, “that it was Haven that won, or perhaps one of the original members of the kingdom, Heath.” Of course, Caspa would probably not know of Heath or Ruri; he thought that she had joined long after they had taken their two young children and left with the intention of finding Jacquez when he had sent word to them that he, or perhaps Ruri’s mother, was ill. The details escaped the King at that very moment, though he had been sad to see them go when they had. He had met their daughter and explored the Grotto with her, and he had appreciated all of Heath’s work as Marshall. Alder was doing a very good job, though, and the King appreciated all of his hard work for the Miracles kingdom.

Caspa Al-Fateh · 01-28-2012, 08:08 PM

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Caspa had yet to discover that part of the hotel, but listened with interest. It did sound like a good venue, but rather a formal one. They would have to work hard in order to be ready. She didn't know it yet, but the first place to be graced by their ramshackle performance would be the outdoors location of the winter festival - which would probably serve as a good warm-up for the more polished production a place like a ballroom would require. His recital of the previous events caught her attention even more than the news of the ballroom: the music sounded good, the horse race, much less so, but she had to admit to herself - in a resigned and resentful manner - that it did seem every last member of this pack other than herself was obsessed by the hoofed animals, so it was likely to have been a successful event. She would have to learn to squash her personal distaste for horses if they held something like that again.

Caspa had never met Haven, let alone Heath. She had met Haven's mate though, and exchanged a brief conversation about books. In truth, she had not been the most sociable of characters in her time here. She had not gone out of her way to encounter every member, and exchanged few words, although now she had realised how little she really knew about the history of her pack, she was feeling rather regretful about this. Vigilante's last words seemed to open the way to probing a little further and Caspa took the opportunity gratefully, hoping he did not mind her curiosity, but he had been the one asking the questions a little while ago, and perhaps he was grateful to have an attentive listener as she had been. "Heath?" she repeated. "What happened to him - or her?" she added hastily, before frowning in deep thought as a few more names came to mind that he'd mentioned, names she could not fit to the current rankings of the Court. "It seems that there were other founding members who are no longer here too... am I right? Were there many of you to begin with?" It was only then that she realised she'd made another huge assumption: that Vigilante had been here at the beginning. Perhaps she was wrong about this, too.

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Vigilante Haskel · 02-07-2012, 05:28 PM

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400+ words.

Of the pack’s founding members, only one remained, and only two did the King miss at all. Jacquez, Svara, Firefly, Haven, Heath, and Ruri had been the founding members of the kingdom. Of course Haven remained with his mate and children, though he had seemed a bit off since the conflict with the tribe. Vigilante did miss Ruri and Heath, and he hoped that someday they would return to the kingdom, though he did not know if that was at all likely to happen. The others, however… Their fates mattered little to him, truthfully. Svara’s death was nothing he had mourned, and Firefly and Jacquez might be dead, as well, for all he knew or cared. It was an unfortunate way of thinking, but it was the simple truth, albeit nothing he would vocalize.

“Heath left the pack a long time ago with his family,” he began. “His mate was one of the other original members. Her name was Ruri, and they had two children, Forte and Arnette. I was not one of the founding members, though I joined less than a month after the pack was born.” He had been there for a long time, now. “Jacquez, the original King, founded with pack with two cast offs from Dahlia de Mai, Firefly and Svara, as well as his friend and ward, Ruri, and two younger males, Haven and Heath. Haven was originally from Crimson Dreams, where Alder is also from; they’re brothers,” he added, just incase Caspa did not know of the relationship between the Marshall and the Knight.

“Jacquez… He appointed me his Constable, and by then Ruri was his Dauphine, and shortly after that, he simply disappeared. He had been a sailor before settling, and I suspect he got tired of pack life. He was more theatrical and pompous than anything. When it became apparent that he was not coming back, I stepped up, and I kept Ruri where she was, happily. Heath was a member of the council, as was Haven. Svara had already left and returned, only to leave again and commit suicide, by that time. When Jacquez left, I believe Firefly left, as well, and I believe they met up later. Ruri, Heath, and Haven remained the only original members for quite some time, until Ruri received word from Jacquez that someone was ill. I cannot recall if it was him or her mother that was allegedly ill, but she decided to go to them, taking her family with her.”

He paused, unaccustomed to speaking for such a long period of time to only one other canine. The only times he spoke so much seemed to be meetings. “I have hopes that they will return, someday, but I do not know how realistic these hopes are,” he admitted.

Caspa Al-Fateh · 02-20-2012, 06:16 AM

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Oh god such a ramble, I'm sorry.

Carefully she filed it all away: names, places, events. She found the names intriguing, and the see-sawing history fairly par for the course for any normal shifting wolf-pack. Suicide aside - at that her heavy eyes half-lidded sympathetically, but of course the myriad abandonments must have been almost as woeful to the patriarch. He was strong enough not to show it, which she appreciated although appreciating he must miss his old comrades. "As long as we are here we keep their memory alive. They will always have something to come back to," she spoke solemnly, in one of her hit-and-miss attempts at reassurance. Of course, she had never met any of the faceless names from his related history, so her use of the word 'we' was meant only for the entity of the Court as a whole, and him as the king, most of all.

There was little left of the founding band, then, it seemed but she liked to think the spirit did live on in those that remained and had newly arrived. As far as she knew, there was no other place in these lands which accepted all manner of canines and their stories without a murmur. The diversity, spontaneity and liveliness that this could bring was she thought a worthwhile result of the Miracles wolves philosophy. Although, had it been the plan of the theatrical Jacquez to leave behind a war-lord who would lead a charge against a neighbouring pack? Well, at least join a charge - Vigilante had not instigated the war, and Caspa thought it sensible that they had retaliated after their own borders were transgressed. Still, something about the words 'theatrical and pompous' did catch her imagination. What a different kind of leader that must have been. Of course, he'd proved unreliable. The pack had seemed to diminish since the war though, everybody's spirits somehow damper. It wasn't anything that could be solved with a show of frivolity, although Caspa would have loved to try. There just weren't enough of them with the right temper to cut loose - even the happy-go-lucky Liam had seemed to become withdrawn and quiet since he'd stepped in as the untrained medic after the war. Time healed all, perhaps that was all they could do: wait. This was not a place suited for the grim mood of war, though. Aside from the pups, Terra was just about the only one full of cheer and she had come after the fighting was over. The rest had taken some time to recover, or perhaps there was another factor underlying their bleak mood: Caspa didn't know, but she knew she had faced her own problems recently enough so it was of course possible. She only hoped they could steer clear of such dark matters from now on. Having lost a good portion of their warriors to the new Cavalieri pack, surely the Court could do nothing but turn away from the struggle for justice. Despite their leader's name, and despite her own recent inclinations. But Caspa was determined not to get another canine involved in her vigilante crusade. She could not bear to bring anyone else down by involving them in something so brutal. She wanted only for the Court members to recuperate and regain some of that bohemian spirit it seemed they had been founded to provide. Although as she sat beside the mighty dog king on the delicate little bridge, staring into cold water only avoiding the shackles of ice by softly flowing, that spirit seemed intangible indeed. "What we need is a fool…" she murmured rather incomprehensibly, and then blinked in embarrassment. Now she'd thought out loud, she should explain herself. "Somebody to bring jokes and laughter to the land, for joy will attract newcomers to our borders… and perhaps the old members you have told me of, too." As she spoke a vision came into mind, of a laughing trickster who spoke in riddles and amused everybody they came across, spreading their name to other packs and shining a new light on the happenings within the lands through their ridiculous antics and mockery. She found herself idly wondering if she could learn these skills, but doubted their usefulness too much to consider it seriously for now: she had too much else to do. She couldn't help but wonder what Vigilante thought of her musings. What would the aloof and practical King feel about such a frivolous suggestion? Her philosophising had probably taken her too far into the realm of the outrageous this time.
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