[html] I can't remember who we said was gonna start it, but here ya go!
This was her first time going outside of the house since everything had happened. She kept expecting to see him everywhere, that she might go around a corner and find him standing there, smiling at her. Bad dreams had been plauging the female lately, keeping her up at night, so she felt a little drowsy as she padded down the front steps and around to the garden. There wasn't a lot that she could do in this form, but she felt useless just sitting around the house all the time. She needed to do something. She still ached from the bruises on her back and neck, but she set to pulling the weeds anyway, gripping the plants with her teeth and yanking them up out of the ground.
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Iskata had spent too much time within her own packlands, a few days past she'd tried to come searching for her adopted daughter yet had never actually completed that search. Once more she tried again, wondering where her child was, well, when it came down to it she was wandering where all her children were. She'd stopped at their borders last time and it had taken so long until another had found her wandering on the outskirts of their lands that this time she wasn't so polite, if she was going to find Naniko she couldn't be spending her time on the edge of the world.
Padding along the old path towards the townhouse she smiled to herself as the sun glittered off her fur, enjoying the morning. Raising up her head as she caught the scent of her daughter as she quickened her pace, turning round the bend and catching sight of Nani digging away in the dirt along the garden. "Nani!" she called as she cleared the distance between them. She didn't know what to expect or find when she'd entered the packlands here, but it seemed to be very quiet, almost chilling.
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She wasn't starting to show very much yet, only midway through the pregnancy, but she could feel the extra weight. It felt like her skin was stretching down, too, hanging there, even though she hadn't gained a lot of weight yet. She wondered what it would be like trying to raise them by herself, but shook her head. She wouldn't really be by herself...she had the pack, along with the support of her friends. Savina and Lucifer would help her, she knew it. Her head lifted when she heard her name, her bruised neck muscles protesting. Her tail wagged back and forth, sweeping along the ground behind her as Iskata approached, green eyes bright. She hadn't seen her mother for a while, but had heard rumors about a new pack to the southeast of them, along the coast. "Hey, Mama." To everyone else she would be the leader, the strong female that they could look up to...but with Iskata she could slip back into her old mannerisms, dropping the leader-mask and putting up the daughter one. It was easier to be the daughter. "How have you been? I wanted to come and see you, but you live so far away"
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Iskata's maw split with a grin as her daughter realized who it was who was calling her. She padded the short distance between them, the apparent joy at seeing Iskata was obvious, but the silver and gold lady felt the same way. It had been much too long since she'd visited the lands, she knew that, but she couldn't be on hand at every turn and bend in life. Smiling at her daughter she closed the gap between them and dug her nose into Naniko's ruff and nuzzled the child who was no more a child than her own mother.
The words that Nani spoke made the silver and gold lady smile, she didn't know what Naniko was tlaking about, she barely lived that far. "We're not as far as Shadowed Sun's lands. Just barely a skip outside the old city..." She was teasing her daughter, she knew the ivory lady had a pack to lead, just like Iskata, but unlike Iskata she didn't have two others right beside her to take care of things if the Matriarch wanted to get out and about. She had things a little easier in their home, atleast for now they did, no one knew what the future held.
She sat there studying her daughter for a moment as she sighed softly. She could tell Naniko a million things that she'd been doing or she could tell her the bare minimum. It was obvious by the freshly healed wounds on her that she'd been up to some trouble, but that wasn't worth talking about, really, now was it. "We've been doing fine. Deuce and I live in a whole new pack, Phoenix Valley. Like one big family.." She smiled at her daughter, who never really had needed Iskata once she'd become a teenager.. but it was still good to see her.
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"Ember's been staying over here a lot. I didn't ask her why, or anything...but each time she comes she's got a new injury. Do you know anything about it? I don't want to pry into her life, but if she's involved with someone who's hurting her..." Then it would be her duty to make sure that they didn't hurt Ember any more. She couldn't stand males sometimes, males who thought they could get away with that kind of thing. "I did hear about that. That's so great! I'll definitely come down with the pups when they're old enough, to show them their grandma's lands. Deuce is sort of a mother to me, too, in a way. Her daughter and me were both taken in by Physe for a while before you found me" She sat back, still smiling. "They'll be here in about a month, the little ones. You'll come, won't you?" Naniko was still a little worried about it, who would be willing to come and help her. She hoped that Deuce might be willing to come, too...it would be good to have an experienced wolf there to help her.
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Iskata's brows knitted together as she shook her head at the words that Naniko had to offer her. She could make a good guess at what had caused Ember to keep herself in another pack's lands but she wasn't sure if it was best to blow Firefly's cover. She just sighed and admitted the truth. "Firefly. She lives in Dahlia de Mai.. and the two of them haven't exactly been on best terms.." Iskata knew the two had never been on best terms but it was hard to explain. Firefly, though younger had always been the dominate of the two girls and Ember growing up had always been calm and collective, but it seemed that maybe the eldest of the last litter had grown tired of being second best.
Iskata sighed and just looked over to Naniko as she smiled softly, the thought of her other daughters worrying her mind but she knew she was only their mother, she couldn't run their lives. "I know Deuce and I would both love to see them when they've finally arrived." She could remember the conversation she'd once had with Conri about how he could love her and her he in the way he was, yet it seemed that everything had worked out fine, atleast to some degree. She laughed softly as she promised her girl she'd be here if she could. "I'll make certain we're here, even if one of us has to stay here when you come closer to time.." She knew she wouldn't have a problem with staying near her daughter and she knew the pack would understand, they were family after all. Her eyes were shinning as she admitted. "I should have known this was coming.. Conri wanted so much to make you happy.." She didn't know the words she said were probably the worst she could, but it was too late now.
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"I've never met her. What's she look like?" She asked curiously. Naniko was always up for meeting new people, especially brothers or sisters who she'd never seen before. She was pretty close to Ember and Kansas, eh..Kansas in more ways than one, but she'd never seen Firefly. Back then Naniko had been busy in Clouded Tears with Conri, and hadn't gotten to see the little ones as much as she had wanted to. She was silent after Iskata's last comment, then shook her head. "He left, mom. He's gone now" She didn't know if he was dead, or wandering around somewhere...but he'd definitely left for certain. Savina had checked everywhere for him, and had said that his scent trail led outside of the packlands. "I can do this myself, though."
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Iskata smiled wistfully as she thought on what Naniko had asked her. She shook her head sadly and laughed. "Once she looked identical to Kansas, but over the seasons her pelt has changed dramatically, sortof like yours did... and even her eyes lost their puppy blue." She turned and gazed off towards the lands that she thought Firefly was within, unknown of the war her daughter was so happily waging with the coyotes. "Her eyes are emerald, the same tone as Ember's.. she's slight, but wiry with a coat of cream, silver, gold and bronze.. She's not like the rest of her litter.." Iskata didn't really know what she meant by the last comment. She knew that her daughter was different but she didn't know just how different she was, she tried to turn her eyes away from the lives of her children, she couldn't run their world, there was no point in worrying for the things they did.. but she was a mother, she couldn't help it at times.
Her thoughts turned suddenly when Naniko spoke up, Conri was gone, Iskata had no clue what in the world to think of that. With brows knitted together she asked, "When did this happen? What happened?" She knew she shouldn't press, but she was a little past lost. The love that the boy had held for Naniko had been so obvious, everything he'd wanted.. and now he was gone? Iskata frowned at the determined words that Naniko said, her reply was soft as she admitted. "I thought I could too.. It's not so easy Nani..." Concern shone in her eyes as she watched the creamy hued woman before her who was also a child in her eyes still. She didn't want the same pain and fears to envelope Nani that had overtaken Iskata's life.
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"Ah, I see." She hadn't seen anyone around that looked like that before--she would have remembered. And surely Firefly would smell at least a little bit like her family, or like Dahlia de Mai, which would help Naniko to recognize her. But there were a lot of wolves out there...maybe she'd never run into her. Who knew.
"I did some bad things...he did some worse things. Savina would have driven him out if he hadn't run away--she was really angry. But...I don't know. I can't stop thinking about him, even when I don't want to." They had gone through a lot, she and Conri...she was still coping with the fact that everything was over now. "I'll have plenty to do to keep my mind off of him...especially with the babies. We tried forever...it's ironic that I get pregnant right when he leaves."
She nodded at Iskata's words. She knew it would be difficult...but this pack meant a lot to her. "I want to at least try. I think I owe it to them." To the pack, to her unborn puppies, even to herself.
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Iskata stood there quietly as her daughter spoke of the relationship problems between Conri and herself. The words she spoke of a friend within the packlands made her frown as she asked dryly. "What sort of things.." Her voice was cool as she could imagine quite a few things that someone would be driven out of a pack for. She didn't believe they were just little mistakes if it had driven others into a fury as it seemed they were. Iskata knew that Naniko was trying to dance around the topic but the silver and gold lady wasn't going to let it go.
She shook her head sadly at the words Naniko spoke of, trying forever for thier perfect ending and after it all there was nothing left but a mother alone. She wasn't for certain she really wanted to know what had driven between the children but by the way her daughter acted it was something she had to know. She spoke softly as Naniko admitted she had to try. "You know your family will be here for you if you need us.. no matter what." She meant it, and she knew the rest of the family would stand by as well, they might not love eachother fiercely, but they were still family.
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"He is a rapist, mother. I was mated to a rapist." She had heard about those kinds of things happening to other people before, like Dierdre...and a few others...but she had never thought that it would happen to her. She had been stupid to decide to stay in her four-legged form during her pregnancy. She'd thought that it would be safer for the pups, though, if she was closer to the ground. Not as much of a fall if she did fall down the stairs again. But it had just ended up being turned against her; Conri had taken advantage of the fact that she had been practically defenseless in this form.
"It was a mistake getting back together with him when he came back. But I couldn't help it--I couldn't tell him no. He sacrificed so much for me, losing his leg...I felt so bad." She knew that they would be there for her. "Thanks. I'll be there for you, too."
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Iskata's eyes lit with fire at the words her daughter had spoke of, she'd been through the torment and self shattering events that a rapist could bring to the secure world you once knew but she'd never believed that Naniko would ever fall victim to the same. Her voice was cold as she replied. "I'll find him..." the words were a promise, she wasn't going to just let it go, even when she knew that confronting the monster would probably bring nothing to the situation that had already crashed upon her daughter, but perhaps the male could come to understand the world wasn't like it use to be.. rapists weren't just released with a slap on the wrist, atleast Iskata wasn't about to let him.
She bowed her head slightly in sorrow as she tried to banish the terrifying thoughts from her mind, of her own repeated rape and tauntings from DaVinci's father, the pain her friends had suffered at the hands of their own personal monsters.. and the knowledge of Naniko's fate at one she loved. She rose her head and smiled sadly at her once little girl as she shook her head. "You're all that matters baby.. not me."
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"Thanks. I'll keep around the packlands. I don't want to run into him if I don't have to...and I don't think he would show his face here again. I'm really thankful that I have wolves like Savina and Lucifer in my pack--they're great." She was. Lucifer had been there from the start, and Savina had joined up soon after the pack had formed...but she felt like she had known both of them forever. She'd only met Lucifer a few months before the fire, too.
"I'll be okay here, Mom. You have your own pack to run. But...when it gets near time for them to come, I can send someone to tell you?"
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Iskata's ears flicked back at the mention of Lucifer, she'd never really liked the male too much after all the chaos he'd caused with the females of her own pack. The drama and pain of her friends wasn't something she took lightly and at the hands of a male who was suppose to show responsiblity and leadership.. she had to wonder, but then again perhaps it was just his manner with women and not with the pack he guarded. "Let's hope he doesn't.." she stated softly as she glanced away from her daughter for a moment.
She smiled softly as Naniko asked if it was okay to see for her whenever the time came. With a slight nod she said. "Yes, I'll make certain Deuce and I will make it." She wished that they had all the time in the world to play catchup but they were both leaders and had packs to watch after. Sighing softly she admitted. "Yes, I should get back.. there's so much to do now that we've come together.." but they were strong and they would become stronger, that she knew, both packs were lead by strong leaders and strong packmembers held them together.
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