Iskata was furious, upon returning from Twilight Vale she'd been confronted with the scent belonging to the boy who'd once been her daughter's mate, now just another monster in these lands. She snarled with rage as she trailed after the scent, anger making her blood boil as she raced through the lands towards the source of the scent. She couldn't believe of the things Conri had done, her daughter and son hadn't been innocent in their action but Conri should have the sense to forgive even though he might not be able to forget so quickly.
Her heckles were raised as she came to where the trail paused, the sun shot sky blue eyes raised as she realized she was at the home of her own fellow council member. Her voice rang out, "Deuce!" the one word was frosty as she paced back and forth before the lady's doorstep, waiting to see if the ivory lady would show, and what exactly she had to say on where the exhiled leader from her old pack was.
Deuce was exhausted at the events of the last week. She was laying onm her couch, an arm over her eyes, just thinking. She'd invited her once step-son to stay, and he had vanished. She was not responsable for his actions, and yet it was on her watch that he had left. She knew he was ill, and she'd let him go. Did that make his sins also hers? She didn't know.
The matriarch's voice rang out outside of her house, and she sat up, puzzled by the cold anger in Iskata's voice. She sat up, moving quickly to the porch. Upon reaching the porch she was confronted by the sight of the pacing woman. Gut instinct said this was about Conri, Deuce could smell Naniko's scent wafting from the silver and gold toned femme. The pale woman stood calmly, not fidgiting. This was not her pack leader she had to answer to, this was her equal. She had no reason to cringe or submit. "Yes, Iskata?"
Iskata knew she was letting her emotions get to her but she had every right. Her teeth were bared as the scent seemed to enclose around her. She knew it was old but in her mind it was just the night before. She didn't know what in the world she was doing calling out her friend with such anger inside her as she paced the lawn. Her daughter had been hurt and she wasn't sure where Conri was, though she knew he had been here recently, with Deuce.
She lowered her head and stopped her pacing when Deuce made her show. Her eyes were clouded with pain as she gazed up at her fellow council member and friend as she asked, "Where is he.." Her words were simple and straight to the fact. She wasn't angry at Deuce, but she had to know. She wasn't even sure if Deuce knew how Iskata tied into it all, few know that the Sadira woman had taken Naniko in and raised her as one of her own, but if she didn't know now she would soon.
--sorry was waiting to see if Amber would reply to our thread--
"Where is he.." The woman looked at her fellow leader cooly. "He left. I had invited him to stay, but he elected to leave." She absently wondered if Iskata knew of the ties between the hybrid boy and herself. How the male was in a way her stepson. Dierdre's brother in a way. Once upon a time, when a black femme loved the pallid woman.
"I wanted him where I could watch him." An offhand explanation, but the truth.
Iskata's anger was slowly turning into a numbing cold as she stared at Deuce. She didn't join the lady on the steps like she normally would have, instead she dropped herself to the ground, her cheek pressing to the red dust as she whispered. "You know what he did.." her eyes were filling with tears as she gulped. "to my daughter.." If only she knew the truth of it, to her daughters.. but the silver and gold lady was blissfully ignorant to the whole of the situation. The only good thing out of the whole damn torment to her soul.
Iskata's eyes turned towards Deuce's as she growled softly. "Watch over him for what? Do you think you could stop the beast from returning?" She knew she was a hypocrite, she'd tried the same thing with Haku. She'd wanted to guard him like he was an innocent child that needed protecting.. she knew better but her heart wouldn't admit that.
"He told me what he did to naniko, yes. And I feel horrible about it. But tht doesn't change the fact that he's lost and scared. He didn't know what he was doing, Iskata. And yes, I believe if I'd had him here, i could have kept him from doing it again." She paused then explained softly. "He's the son of my former mate, Soran. That makes him my son too. My responsability."
She looked odwn then, twisting a starnd of her fur around her finger. "Is Naniko and the pups okay?"
Iskata rose up from her feet as she shook her head at the words that Deuce spoke, her fangs bared halfheartedly as she growled. "He knew full well what he did.. you can't blame his emotions for the acts he committed. Even when your emotions take hold you still are responsible for what you've done." Her eyes flashed as she seemed to feel like she was scowling her fellow leader. They were at ends on many things but Iskata would not allow Conri to stay here, not even under the watchful eye of his foster mother.
She turned her face away as she answered the last question. "She'll live, they may live... She wants us to be there when they're born." She turned her eyes back to Deuce as she spoke again of Conri, knowing from both sides what a monster was capable of. "He can't stay here Deuce.. If it was you or I he hurt I could live with that, but not the pack, not with my family here.." She was begging Deuce to make the choice herself, not to make Iskata force her hand by going to the rest of the pack for their own voice.
She sighed and admitted, "You're skilled at your arts, I won't make you turn anyone away who needs your healing touch.. but for the pack's sake they have to go as soon as they can.. Conri, Haku, even if it is one of my own children. They can't stay, not with blood on their hands, not in these lands.." She knew they'd have to bring up the topic of the war soon enough to the pack, not everyone knew of the dangers in these lands but Iskata wanted to keep the peace as long as possible, atleast until it came knocking at their door.. which she knew would happen sooner or later. There would be a choice to make, every other pack had made theirs it seemed. Phoenix Valley's time would come too.
"He knew full well what he did.. you can't blame his emotions for the acts he committed. Even when your emotions take hold you still are responsible for what you've done." This made Deuce bare her own fangs in a snarl as the memory of the blade sliding into Erik's body entered her mind for the first time in a long time. "So your saying that when I killed my mate Erik out of fear for my life, I am still a murderer." She straightened further, her bi-colored eyes cold.
Her eyes softened momentarilly at hearing about Naniko and her desire to have both women there at her birthing. That pleased the woman. And then Iskata continued about Conri, and Deuce's eyes hardened again. "As a healer, it is my duty to heal body and mind. Not just of pack, but of anyone who is in need of healing. There is no one who is without blood on their hands, Iskata. Not myself, not you. None of us."
After a moment, she relented, to a degree. Her voice was cold as she spoke. "I will take the patients of mine you deem unfit for your society to the cabin on the far end of the territory. Will that be acceptable?" Her tone of voice more suggested, 'That had better be okay.'
She bared her fangs in disgust at the words that Deuce tried to use against her. Shaking her head sadly she spoke softly. "Do you think Conri feared for his life when he raped Naniko? I don't think so.." She sat quietly as she returned the cold eyes of her fellow leader, knowing that they were both at faults but Deuce was taking it too far. "You know what I mean Deuce.." she said with cool precision.
Iskata sighed as Deuce gave argument for the arts she held. Iskata shook her head and admitted. "Deuce, I have nothing against you dealing with anyone who needs healing, but you've a duty to this pack as well.." she reminded her friend, pleading with her to remember that this was her pack as well, no mater what she owed the rest of the world she owed just as much to her pack if not more.
The line seemed to be drawn as Deuce budged to one degree or another. Iskata's ear flicked back against her skull for a brief moment before she hissed. "Don't do this Deuce.. you know as well as I do what some are capable of.. You've witnessed in your own life the madness and grief they can bring. I'm just warning you.. the first time one of them hurts one of our pack I won't make it a public issue, it will be personal." She stared sadly at her friend, knowing that they agreed on most things thr world had to offer but today was another matter.
Deuce nodded shortly. I understand, Iskata. I will keep the misfits away from the pack. Her own voice was chilly, her eyes distant and somewhat injured. She had to do what was best for her family, and Conri was family. The pack was family too. But Conri was family as well.
Deuce shifted her weight, the beginning of the steps back into her house. I trust this interview is over? She wanted to go back in and read or something. She wanted away from Iskata and her anger. Away from her own guilt over not being able to protect naniko. Away from the memories that had arisen for te first time in months.
Iskata and Deuce normally weren't on ends over much at all, and the sudden burning embers between the two right now made a weary feeling settle on her shoulders. She never had thought that their leadership would bring their own personal issues to light like this. Her ears flicked back she replied sadly. "You know that's not what I mean.." but she knew it was too late, the damage had been done on both halves. Flicking her tail back and forth, her own anger seemingly spent as their friendship was at ends she hung her head and sighed.
The last of Deuce's words made her flinch as she raised her blue eyes up to gaze at her ivory friend. Hurt filled her orbs, quinching the anger that had just blazed there as she softly stated the truth. "Yes.. Deuce.. don't.. Nevermind.." she shook her head and turned away, knowing that they'd crossed the line and only time would be the balm between the hurts one another had caused. She shook her head again and padded away quietly.
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