[html] She knew that Kaena was gone. SHe had made peace in her heart with that fact. It hurt terribly still, and would for a long time, but she felt a peace when her mind turned to Kaena Lykoi. Her heart though, was still aching. Still bleeding. For a moment, she needed to be near to the place where her lover had once rested her head. Coming to the sandy shore of the Land of Wuffluvers, the fabled mother eyed the sea, her hands gripping the shawl around her shoulders. Something was amiss, she could feel it. [/html]
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indent Her scent drew him, a familiar one that meant safety. the Great Mother was the only dog he would allow to walk these shores without question. Shaking his hair from his face, Gabriel made his way towards her location. At the very least, he wanted to talk to her. The thing that had first bound them had returned, and she needed to know. Flicking an ear back at a gull, Gabriel soon spotted the red-coated woman. “He’s back,” the Aquila said, tone indicating who he meant.
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[html] As he neared her, her posture changed. Submission to a dog was hard; but to this family, it was the norm. Gabriel de le Poer, son of Ahren de le Poer and Kaena Lykoi, had earned her respect not through his blood, but through his actions. He had aided her quest to help her family when Skoll had attacked those children. Skoll had not harmed her children, he had not touched her family. But the thought that when he realized there were children fighting him, he did not stop. He did not halt. He almost killed a child. That had scared her. Looking at Gabriel she bowed her head, hair caught in the wind as it gently blew. "Forgive me for intruding." She said softly, her ears perking to listen to him. "Why?" She muttered, her eyes narrowing and for a brief moment, the flash of a scowl covered her face. No need to ask who 'he' was, there were no other demons in her past. Her brother was dead, her mate was dead, she had no other monsters. "Is he in a pack?" Best to know who to protect the Mountain Pack from, be it a single being or an entire clan. [/html]
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indent “I don’t know,” he said in response to both questions. They were an odd formation, the two leaders—one matriarch, the other general. And yet, Gabriel respected this woman more then any other dog he had known. She alone held his trust, for they were bound by action, bound in blood. If the Great Mother and Kaena had ever truly become one, he would have welcomed her. “I don’t think so,” he added, frowning slightly. “I gave them a warning, regardless. If he comes here I will kill him.”
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[html] The woman had a strange relationship with the boy. He was no child, he was not even related to her. But she had a strong sense of pride for him. He had done amazing things in his life, short as it had been. "the Mountain Pack is not fit for war. I have young children in my pack, the same as you have in your clan. Though it will not be much aide, I do promise that should you need us, we will not hesitate to help you." She agreed with his sentiment though. If she had the power, she would end the brute's life. However, as a young and small female, she was not capable of killing him, as much as she wished she could. "I wish I knew why he left, and even more, why he returned." Disdainfully her nose remained crinkled, as if talking of some vermin. Such was the affect of power, after too long. "I know you will protect them well.....I would not lay my loyalty with any other. Not even her other children." It was not a matter of simple blood. It was Gabriel, and Gabriel alone. Ignoring the blood that ran through his veins, it was the spirit that inhabited his soul. [/html]
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indent “I would not ask you to come to war,” he said quickly. “This fight belongs to 1nferni.” It did. They had been the ones struck, the ones wounded. Still, it was comforting to know she supported his decision. He could not answer her questions as far as where the brute had gone or why now he had chosen to come back. The words of encouragement settled well with him; it had been a long time since someone had genuinely spoken that way about him. A faint smile crossed his face, and the dark-faced male sighed. “I’m sorry to offer you nothing but ill news. First Kaena leaves and now this.”
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[html] She smiled gently, the first positive look that had graced her that night. "You do not need to ask. Skoll is a common threat; he attacked your clan which is like attacking my family." How had the lines tangled? Her own mother was half dog, and further more, weren't they all canines? "It happens in threes." She explained, a small nod given. "Kaena left, Skoll returned, you have one more misery to strike...." It was an old truth, one she had lived by and one that had served her well. "You dont need to apologize Gabriel; I've grown accustomed to things not working out..." Another truth of life she had grown used to. "Are the children responding well without Kaena? Raising them must be hard..." Move on, press forward, ignore the darkness. It was the life and the truth they all had to face. [/html]
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indent Even though his blood was more then half dog, he resembled neither of the major contributors to his bloodline. He looked like a dog breed that wasn’t even in his blood—but that was how genetics worked, in some way. Things mutate. Now, though, he listened to her speak, and explain the three-fold law he had known to be true. It was the trinity at work; the highest power he knew—Father, Son, Holy Ghost. The misery was brought on by their polar opposites, but in the end, dawn always overcame dark. “They’re confused and upset. I’ve never raised children before, so I’m not sure how this works. I’m really relying on Faolin for her help.”
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[html] It was hard to raise children alone. It was harder still to try and make up for what another person had damaged by leaving. Kaena had hurt a lot of people walking off, the Great Mother was still aching from losing the woman. But her children, from the oldest to the youngest, must have been hurting even more. "It never works the same way twice. What may be perfect for one child will not work for another...and they aren't yours. Nothing will ever change that. There is an innate comfort a child gets from it's mother.....someday though, it will get easier. Easier for them, and easier for you too." She knew this simply because her own mother been pulled away from her. It was not her mother's fault, it was her mother's sacrifice. "Do they understand at all? or are they still too young?" She was glad her children did not miss their father. They had been too young to understand at the time. [/html]
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indent It was not the first time Kaena had left them. Gabriel believed this to be the third he could recall—though his first instance was personal, and only his siblings and parents were aware of it. It was just safer, he had realized, to keep himself in the dark. “I don’t know,” he said, exasperation in his voice. “One of them won’t talk to me, the other mopes around, and I think one of them might have gone to her father.” And that terrified him.
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[html] SHe felt for them. Her heart bled for them. With a small sigh, she reached out to gently touch his arm, giving it a slight rub in an attempt at comfort. It was something she had done to her own children many times, and though this boy was not her son, she felt honor bound to do all she could to try and ease the pain his mother had caused. Was that how it worked? Sleep with the mother, care for her children? Pick up the pieces left behind, when you couldn't even manage to pick up the pieces of your broken heart? "They'll come around eventually, It's just hard to handle for everyone." She said softly, emerald eyes watching him with keen interest. "The fourth one, did it go with Kaena?" She had remembered hearing about the children, but could not remember names or genders. Gabriel would know far better than Fatin could guess what had happened with the offspring, since she had never encountered them personally. "If it helps at all, you're welcome to bring them to Jaded Shadows some time. They might like a trip, and you might enjoy a break. I've got paints they could play with....my kids always seemed to like it." What could she do to really offer help? Her own children had at least had one parent to turn to when Salvaged had gone, or when Shaeniire had, and now when Ravesque had gone too. Oh, if she could just find a person who would not run off on her! She had such a huge heart, and the longing to share it. But it seemed it just would never come to pass...even Kaena had walked out on her. "My kids....they were so young when their father left...I think it helped a lot that they can't really remember him. But they do the same thing, a few wont talk about him - or maybe I wont. Another is very reserved, rarely opens up....seems that no one around here has a chance at a happily ever after."
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indent “I think she might have,” he responded to her first question. Eris, named after a mythological goddess of chaos. Perhaps she and Kaena had started over. They’re dead. He ignored the second voice, his own, and smiled a little at her offer. The next banter went to further the truth of all families he had ever known. “That’s how it was when my dad left,” he offered with a shrug. “I’m sure they’ll turn out fine without him.” Most of his siblings had. Not that he had much to reference, but that was what he believed.
indent“I doubt Andre will want to come. Arkham might.” “Though Faolin and I might come visit sometime. I haven’t seen your land before,” he added, realizing how small his view on the packs was. They were just places—borders marked in odd colors in his head.
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[html] mall-caps;">this table was touched by Misery
She nodded at the news, checking off that child from the list. At least maybe one of them might be happy somewhere, if it had only been their mother it had wanted. "No doubt they will, the rest of my kids all had some variation of a parent leave them, but they seem to be OK." She had only left Endymion for that brief amount of time, and then she had come home. She had not been able to stay away. "I cant say I've ever met Faolin...but her name sounds familiar. " Considering she was Gabriel's girl, it was likely that Fatin had heard it before from either Gabriel himself or from Kaena. She could not pin point exactly when though. "You'd be welcome to come and visit, if anyone asks why you're there just say you're looking for me. I'm never very far away, unless I'm headed here or to the city." She said with a soft smile. She did not get out much, but maybe it was for the better.
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indent “She’s one of Segodi’s adopted children,” he said, elaborating on his mate’s background. Shifting his feet and curling his hands slightly, the dirty-blonde hybrid watched her quietly. “I’ll keep that in mind. You’re more then welcome to visit here as well.” He smiled again. It was nice to be able to speak so freely to a fellow leader and friend.
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[html] mall-caps;">this table was touched by Misery
She locked the information away inside her head, nodding as he finished. Segodi, she had never met him, but he had lead the clan before Kaena, but after Kidorah. It was good, at the very least, to know who was around and what they were doing when it came to the leaders of any clan or pack. With a grin, she tossed him a wink, "It'll be good to not have to sneak around, avoiding the clan while looking for your mother!" Like little teenagers, the two had hidden themselves from the world. She had, since saving the Lykoi children, managed to move past the need for hiding though. For the most part, she liked to think she was welcome by the other coyotes. Part of her knew this was not the case though. Past him, her eyes found the sea. With a small smile she watched him, glad that their relationship had taken a good turn. She was afraid that things might sour with Kaena gone, but she felt as though their respective clans could even find some common ground, against all odds.
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indent Gabriel did laugh at her comment, amused despite the weight of the issue. Yes, his mother had been involved with Fatin. His mother was the whore of Babylon. It was just something he had come to accept. It wasn’t something he could ever change. “I’d still keep an eye out for some of them,” he said, offering her a faint warning. Even though he welcomed her, there would always be opposition. There would always be one day that a dangerous wolf crossed their border and killed another child. Following her gaze, he turned back to her and smiled again, offering his company.
indent The two walked the shoreline, speaking lightly. Gabriel smoked and Fatin spoke, telling him grand stories. Most were myth, passed on from one generation to the other. By the time they had returned to the spot they had met, the sky was darkening. They parted on easy terms, one making her way back to a wide, deep forest, the other towards the house that not that long ago had belonged to a pack long gone.
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