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Winter’s weather had finally grasped the land, setting frost, ice and snow loose to cover the trees and ground and freeze the rivers and streams. Still, Adelaida knew, for her mother had taught her to pay close attention to the daylight hours and moon cycles, the shortest day of the year had not yet visited. According to the human’s calendar, winter had not officially begun. Of course, like so many other things Adelaida found distasteful, the human calendar was of little consequence. So far as Adelaida was concerned, winter was in full effect, how could it be anything but when the large flakes were falling through the mid-afternoon air?
Focusing on the weather gave Adelaida a bit of courage, as she and her sister’s small rodent companion, Pickles, made their way through the dampwoods. The chinchilla, who at times did not care to tread on the frozen ground, was huddled in the shoulder blades of the wolf, Ade did not mind giving the little creature a free ride. He kept good company, for besides her brother Sankor, Ade had no one to turn to in these lands, and often Sankor was off doing whatever it was he did. And so, it was just the two of them, stumbling through the woods, Ade trying her hardest to keep all the dark and dreary thoughts from filling her head, and Pickles keeping his eyes and ears alert since Adelaida was all too often absent minded. Pickles would give a warning squeak or squeal if anyone came upon them, it was his duty he felt, to protect Alexey’s sister until they became reunited.
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The small girl shivered a little, rubbing her hands together. She was nervous today, more nervous than she'd been the day that she had met Ezekiel's father and officially joined the pack...more nervous than the day that she'd been chased out of her old packlands by her mother. Because today was the day that she was branching out on her own. At least a little bit, anyway. She'd never taken a single step outside of Inferni since she'd gotten there. She was wearing her normal white parka with the furred ruff, but for some reason it didn't feel like it was keeping her as warm as it normally did. She wasn't really sure where she was at any more, how far away from the lands she had gotten. It felt like a really long way away, though. The white coyote looked to the sky, where the snow was falling down from, and smiled. At least this place had one thing in common with home. The snow.
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Pickles learned of the coyote’s presence long before Adelaida, whom as always was lost in her own thoughts, did. Scurrying up Adelaida’s foreleg, half climbing half hopping, he came to be atop her head and squeaked as quietly as he could in her ear. Knowing Adelaida’s biased towards the species, Pickles wished to be as quiet as possible as he raised the alarm, hoping that Adelaida would understand, as she never did fully understand him as well as Alexey could. Hearing the squeak and taking note of the chinchilla’s strange behavior Adelaida paused and sniffed the air, strained her ears, and found the tell tale smells and sounds of the creature Pickles was warning her of.
Limbs froze and Adelaida debated retreating. If she continued forward, she would come face to face with the coyote, but if she returned the way she had come, they would never meet. Taking one step backwards Adelaida felt the rodent atop her sigh in relief, and the masked female couldn’t quite explain it but this annoyed her. Voices of her siblings filled her head once more, Pickles, like them, felt that he knew best for her and without another through Adelaida plowed forward. The snow crunched underfoot and her breath came in huffs. Certainly, now that she was so close, the coyote could hear her, but even as the coyote came into view Adelaida did not speak. She simply came closer, closer, closer, until there were merely yards between the two canines. Still Adelaida did not speak, but stood in plain sight of the creature, the air escaping her lips in bursts, and a silly rodent atop her head. Brilliant blue eyes stared at the white creature, such a strange pelt for a coyote, and Adelaida waited to see what would happen while Pickles held his breath.
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She stumbled a little bit as her feet slid over hidden, snow covered rocks. Back home it had been ice over ice on top of ice...with no real threat of tripping. One could just give up and slide if they wanted to, and most of the time they would be able to get pretty far. It depended on the temperature outside, though. The colder it was, the easier it was to slide. But there had been days where the snow had been smushy and where her feet had gone right through it, too. But it had never completely melted. Siobhan wondered idly about what the seasons were like here in the South. She was uneducated, really...she wasn't sure if it stayed snowy here all year round, or if the snow would melt away later on. And if it did melt away, what would that look like? What was under all the snow? She thought about this as she walked, putting her hands into her pockets. Her eyes were focused completely on the ground in front of her, on watching for more rocks, and she didn't notice the presence of the other until she took a glance upwards. Siobhan froze, eyes wide, unprepared for the sight of the other, much larger creature. There certainly were many strange looking creatures around this area! She'd never seen a wolf before in her life; she began taking steps backwards, but tripped over another rock. She was up again in a moment, though, glancing back to look for some sort of cover. Of course, snow was probably the best cover she would be able to find...with her pelt the shade it was. But there wasn't anything really close to her that she could hide behind; she was completely at the other's mercy. Surely this big animal was capable of chasing her down; she could cross the distance in a few leaps! Siobhan put a hand up to her mouth, mind still racing. What if it wanted to eat her? It wasn't saying anything--maybe it didn't speak the same language she did. Then how would she be able to tell it not to eat her?! And would it even care? And that weird thing that was there with it...what the heck was that? She reached for a small tree for support, using it to help her keep her balance on the slippery rocks. Siobhan was shaking, and her small movements shook the tree as well, making the leaves quiver and rub together. Small bits of snow fell down, littering the ground around her, some getting onto her brightly colored parka. "You...eats Siobhan?"
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The bright azure eyes of the wolf stayed glued to the shifted coyote as she noticed Adelaida’s presence. Although Adelaida was bigger, this was a coyote and a shifter, both very dangerous creatures, and so Adelaida felt a great deal of fear. Yet the creature before her seemed to have been startled by Adelaida, which was a novel idea to the wolf and thus Adelaida was enthralled by the following stumbling and fumbling of the creature that took place. Still she did not move, did not indicate her fear or amusement at the other’s fear, but merely stood, eyes wide open and watching.
You eats… Siobhan? This elected a flick of Adelaida’s ear, and a tilt of her head. Not only was the creature’s grammar off, which was excusable due to the young age of the creature, but she had her logic all backwards. Adelaida remembered the other coyote she had come across, the one obsessed with sea monsters, and she wondered if delusion was a common trait among coyotes, Adelaida decided it was. The wolf stood still, staring back at the creature, debating if she really wanted to engage in conversation with this creature of it if would be best to just turn tail and leave. However the female was only a puppy, and so Adelaida decided that the risk was not that great, despite the other’s shifted state, and spoke, her soft timid voice a little irritated at the others (what Adelaida believed to be) a lack of knowledge. Wolves don’t eat coyotes, it’s the other way around. Coyotes kill wolves, didn’t you know that?
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She had not been born within the Souls territories, and knew nothing of the constant battles between the coyotes and wolves that lived there. Siobhan had been isolated, for the most part, living in a simple den with her mother up in the deep tundra of the north. Her mother had been the only one she had seen for a very long time...up until she had left. If she had a father she didn't remember him. "Wolf? You is a wolf? But how is Siobhan eating you when you are so big? And she is so little? She asked. This conversation didn't make any sense. Why would one like her even want to eat one of those wolf things, anyway? They looked like big coyotes, sort of...but with longer fur. She wouldn't eat another coyote.
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Adelaida wrinkled her nose at Siobhan’s lack of knowledge on the dynamics between wolves and coyotes. Even more shocking was that the small coyote didn’t know what a wolf was. Of course I am a wolf, what else would I be? Adelaida’s eyes challenged the child, hoping that the creature would ignore the question or in the very least not say ‘a coyote’. Wolves ruled the roost, they far out numbered the coyotes, how could the child not know that? You’ll get bigger… not as big as a wolf, but coyotes like to work in pairs or even more, that’s when they attack wolves. That how the trio of coyotes had gotten to her, how they had turned her into a monster like them. Adelaida stared hard at the girl.
I don’t know why the coyotes like to hurt wolves, maybe you can tell me that when you get older… if you haven’t turned into one of them. Adelaida tried to offer a smile to the creature. Right now, Adelaida decided, the coyote pup truly was harmless. She did not seem like the mindless blood thirsty monsters that the rest of Inferni was. Ryan hadn’t been either, but Ryan still lived among them and Adelaida couldn’t forgive her that. Siobhan still was too young to be on her own, so Adelaida would over look it for her, for now. I’m Adelaida… The female offered, trying to sound friendly.
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Whoever this creature was, she still didn't seem all that okay with Siobhan. All of the coyotes that she had met had been very kind and accomidating...how could she speak badly about them? They were so nice! All that she knew was that this wolf thing didn't really care for her. She could see it in her posture, in the way that she spoke to her. Not a good way to start to trust someone, really. But Siobhan was a curious soul; she couldn't leave without saying at least a little bit more. Just as she was considering to leave the other spoke, though, and she stopped. "Siobhan has never seen this before. There was always just her and Mommy." She said. A trio? What was that? "Where is you from, Adelaida?"
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Adelaida titled her head at the child, her odd way of speaking, her curious nature. For a moment she forgot the creature before her was a coyote and offered a genuine smile. It was hard not to be drawn into the child’s charm, even being the species that she was. I’m from here, Siobhan. I’ve lived here my whole life. There use to not be many coyotes, before Inferni came. Adelaida spoke almost apologetically, perhaps if coyotes had been more plentiful before she would be better able to cope with them, or in the very least learn to avoid them. I left with my sister and parents when my father got ill, when I returned the lands were full of strangers. Lots of them. Wolves and coyotes. They had come over the mountains, and Ade still wasn’t certain she welcomed them.
Bright blue eyes bore into the crimson ones. Remembering her manners she returned the question, it was only polite. Where are you from? And then she considered the child for a moment and spoke with real interest, and something close to compassion. What happened to your mother?
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Strangers had moved into this wolf's home? She could understand that. She wouldn't have liked it very much if strangers had come into her and her mothers' lands to take them over. It was good that Adelaida hadn't tried to fight all of them--Siobhan was beginning to learn that there were many, many wolves throughout the lands. Too many to fight.
"Some coyotes is nice, but maybe some is mean." She nodded, thinking about this. "My mother is at home by herself. That is where she wanted to be--she did not want Siobhan there with her and told her to get out. Where is your mother?"
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It was a novel question, if only because so rarely was that question directed to an adult with such sincerity. The mother child bond seemed to grow weaker with each passing year in a creature’s life. Rarely did Adelaida come across a grown canine who cared deeply for their mother, and even with how strong the Koios family bond was Adelaida knew that she did not revere her mother as she had when a child. Still, she care where Katanka was, even if the women had chosen a dead mate over her three children. My mother is laying by a grave, mourning for my father . Did Siobhan even know who her father was? She hadn’t mentioned him, she probably hadn’t known him.
The chinchilla, Pickles, who had been so absorbed into the conversation between coyote and wolf had barely made a peep since their first meeting Siobhan and Adelaida had forgotten he was huddle between her shoulder blades, out of sight from the coyote pup. Now, annoyed at the lack attention give to him the small creature climbed Ade’s neck and perched itself on top of her head, peering with beady rodent eyes down at the coyote puppy. Feeling the creature climb her, Adelaida remembered the chinchilla and smiled to Siobhan. I don’t think Pickles even remembers his mother... are you going to be a mother when you are old enough? Adelaida wasn’t sure why the question slipped from her lips, but she was curious if the white colored coyote wanted to pass on her own genes.
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She was very interested in learning about others. She hadn't had much experience with having conversations, so she couldn't really tell what a good conversation was. Was this one a good one? She thought that it was going well, with each of them exchanging words and reacting to what the other was saying. If there was anyone out there that she hadn't met before then she wanted to meet them and hear about their lives. She didn't want to be ignorant.
"I meeted my father once. But only that one time." She nodded. At least Adelaida had known both her mother and her father. When had her father died, she wondered. How long had she gotten to know him? And was her mother still alive, or was she just laying there next to the grave? When she was asked the question her ears went back. Why would she want to be a mother? To act that way toward a child? She hadn't liked what her mother had done at all--she didn't want to be like that. So she wouldn't have any puppies. "No, that does not sound like a good idea to me. My mother was not a nice coyote--I do not want to be like her in any way. Is you ever been a mother?"
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Adelaida titled her head at the child, puzzled by her logic. Bad parenting did not run in the genes, at least Ade did not believe so. You don’t have to act like your mother did. Would Alexey or Ade be good mothers based on the fact Katanka had been? Would they pick mates similar to their own father, caring and warm and followed directly in her foot steps. Ade doubted it. She knew that neither her nor her sister could be as attentive and perfect as their mother had been growing up, with just the right amount of guidance and independence. Still, neither of them would be bad parents... Adelaida hoped.
No, I’ve never been a mother. I want to be a mother some day, but I don’t think I ever will. The words stung to admit this. The only male that got along with her was her own brother, and even if another male took an interest in the female, Ade did not wish to pass on the Luperci genes that she now possessed. Wishing to turn the thoughts away from her lack of children, Adelaida spoke softly, hoping not to upset the creature, coyote that she was. What’d your mother do that was so awful?
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"She eated one of them." She hadn't wanted it to come out, but the truth was hard to keep in sometimes. She had wanted to tell somebody about it...and she'd probably never see this wolf again after today. Adelaida didn't like coyotes, and Siobhan didn't wander outside of Inferni too much. Maybe sometime in the future she would...but by that time this wolf would have forgotten her. Hopefully.
In either case, it didn't feel like it mattered as much to tell Adelaida. She wanted to know. "We was real skinny. Zeke said that I was too skinny when he first see'd me, that it was bad that I was so skinny. I did meet my sister and my brother, but after mom eated one, the sister, Dad tooked the boy away." Raoul. Raoul. Raoul. She had repeated his name in her head so many times that it was easy to recall it. "He was Raoul. But the girl was dead. She had no life left inside. When Mom told me to runs...I runsed really fast away." She didn't want to eat any of her babies. Siobhan didn't know if that kind of behavior was normal or not--but it was what she had grown up with. She didn't know anything else. The only thing that she did know was that it had made her feel sick to watch it.
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The answer was far more revolting than Ade was prepared for and she felt a surge of sickness rise from her stomach into her throat. The masked female had to fight the urge to vomit right before the child. Breathing heavily, slowly she regained control of her digestive system and weakly, and some what unwillingly, she asked for confirmation. She a-ate one of her own… children? It was unthinkable, disgusting, revolting. Adeladia almost didn’t want to believe it. Yet, what else could be expected from a coyote mother?
Adelaida tried to imagine Siobhan skinny, starving, to the point that cannibalism was deemed acceptable. Even if the victim was a coyote, the thought was to cruel for Ade to continue with. I’m sorry. Her words were meaningless, not because she was not sympathetic to the girl’s past, but her words could not change anything or bring the child any comfort she had not already found elsewhere. But Inferni…you stay with them right… they treat you well? Pickles squeaked a warning to his larger companion, but Ade did not heed it. She knew she was treading on thin ice with the subject of the detested Inferni clan but she was curious to hear the girl’s answer.
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