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I hope it’s okay if she goes to the church?
500+
Cwmfen had lived within Dahlia de Mai for quite some time now—nearly six moons now. She felt that she had adjusted well to the pack life, more so than she had anticipated. The young woman thought that this might be so because she chose to live life solitarily. Recently, after her Long Nights, she had found herself a den and had settled permanently within the packlands. And, while she met with the members of Dahlia de Mai occasionally, she still chose to be alone. After the Long Nights, the solitude had become a burden, for she had been shown a different type of contact that instinct bade her follow. But now, as time passed, such thoughts faded away, for time was accustom to doing such things. Solitude was a part of her as much as fighting was, or breathing. She could not part paths with Solitude, and so she did not try. There was no need, she felt.
Yet, as time passed and as Dahlia grew in numbers, as Alexey and another returned, as Firefly gave birth, Cwmfen could not help but feel as if the tension within the Dahlian boarders was growing. She had felt it most acutely at the pack hunt, especially upon meeting the pup Svara. Perhaps the female was reading too much into things, as she often did, and perhaps the pup was merely troubled by the past. But she had found that many chose to hold on to such hurts, to allow such things to become a destructive force—to themselves and to those around them. She had heard that the pup dwelt now with Firefly and that the two often made appearances together. There was something unsettling about that. Cwmfen, as a wolf of discipline, could sense when Chaos was brewing, and she felt a warning tug at her.
Or perhaps she was merely mistaken.
Nevertheless, the woad warrior sought out the white Rosea. She felt now, as she had felt many times, that the duty of a Warrior was not merely to fight battles. A Warrior was a protector, and she felt as if she must be a paladin of this pack. As a neutral personality, she felt that she would find a middle way between the conflicts she saw arising. It was a dangerous thing, she felt, that stirred within these lands. Yet, perhaps there was nothing but a warning—a warning she felt she must heed. This was why she sought Cercelee. But she had also not seen the Dahlian leader very often since she had joined. The black female respected the other, and she felt she had allowed herself to stay away too long.
The she-wolf padded silently, finding herself in St. Pepin’s Vineyards. Having followed the scent of the Rosea, she did not doubt that she would find her here. The unseen trail took her to a church, though she could not recognize it for what it was. Pausing, she looked at the edifice before approaching the threshold. The warrior brought up her paw, clawing awkwardly at the closed door. "Cercelee?" she called quietly. The darkness of dusk made her voice silent, but it cut clearly through the stillness.
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She's looking for birds she met last fall
Yeah, that is no problem!
Who said they would come back different than all
Cercelee was dozing lightly, curling up not in the living area of the church, small and hidden in back of the stone building, but in one of the pews. The colorful light from the stain glass window flooded down on her, coloring her fur in a way that no creature in nature could sport. Blues, reds, greens and yellowed decorated her body and when the scratching at the door woke her she rose easily and moved out of the light, never even noticing the transformation her coat had taken. Cercelee heard the scratch at the front door again and knew it was neither Lubomir, the only member to seek her out here as of yet, or Slay, whom had wandered off during her nap. Moving between the rows of pews, Cercelee moved to the door.
Like the back kitchen door Cercelee had rigged this one to open with merely a push, so that when she and Slay moved about in this lupus form they could come and go as they pleased. Altering this door had proved far more challenging that altering the kitchen door, which was small and light compared to the front door. The front door was heavy, thick and solid and it proved hard to move and Cercelee pushed against it, only opening it enough for one to squeeze through. Thankfully they rarely used the church’s main door. Poking her head out Cercelee was greeted by the sight of Cwmfen and she grinned at the female. "Cwmfen, welcome."
Cercelee slipped out and was assaulted by the light of the day, something that was filtered quite colorfully by the stain glass windows she was living behind. Despite the turmoil she had sense in the pack, the growing numbers and the assorted problems those members brought with them, Cercelee had been living quite the charmed life. Slay had made her happier than she could remember being in a long time and spending the days with him and made her realize just how much of her time and energy she had spent devoted to Dahlia de Mai. Part of her felt guilty about enjoying her time while the others were struggling to adjust to the sudden changes in dynamics of the pack, but part of her knew she deserved it too. Cercelee had gone too long without a break, but there was always a time when one had to return to work.
And now she stood before the pack Warrior and Cercelee was reminded of the world outside her own. The church, the church’s private yards, the small cemetery that she had found a ways off into the woods, her and Slay wasting their days away, it was all too nice to last uninterrupted for long. However the interruption was not unwelcome. Cercelee did relish in dealing with pack affairs and she did miss conversing with the others, a balance between the two lives had yet to be created. Nodding respectfully to the woad clad warrior she sat herself easily back on her haunches. "How is everything Cwmfen?"
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500+
Cwmfen did not wait long before her clawing was answered. The massive door pushed open, and the black she-wolf danced back a few steps to avoid the slowly approaching wood door. Her woad bound ears were pricked forward in mild surprise, for while the movement was not unexpected, its movement was still a novel phenomena to the human-avoiding wolf. The white orbs flickered up and down its length before she pulled back enough to allow it to pass her maw without contact. It was not opened very far, nor had the act of opening it taken as long as it seemed to within the warrior’s mind. But it was all very dramatic to her. So when the white Rosea’s head peered past the large obstacle, there was a certain amount of relief that the wolf experienced. At times, it was the simplest of things that seemed to make the greatest impression upon the black fae.
She smiled in return to her commander, and offered a dip of her maw in respect, for she did feel respect for this wolf, more so than for any other within Dahlia de Mai. It was, after all, this female who made the pack function as it did, and she did her duties well. Cwmfen was not quite the leading wolf herself, and she only had respect for the other, for she did things that the fae could never do. Or so she felt. The smile she gave was warm and held in it all her thoughts. "Hello, Cercelee," she responded, her tone almost formal. "It’s good to see you after all this time." Once again, the female was sorry that she had not sought the female out before. Yet, she figured that the white Rosea would have been busy, and so perhaps to have done so would have only slowed her pace. The woad warrior still had much to learn—but when did one ever stop learning? When one stopped dreaming. When one died.
Cwmfen caught a glimpse of the Cercelee’s den—or home, more likely—that existed behind the white fae. It was darker than it was outside, but it was strange and colourful, as if she harbored the rainbow there. The smell from inside was a comfortable one, and she thought of how cozy it seemed in there than in the other human edifices that she had visited. The house that came closest was Mew’s, but that was a good many memories away. The white eyes averted their gaze from the world beyond and returned to the Rosea as she spoke once more. "I’ve been well," the alto melody replied amiably. She followed suit, sitting upon her own woad-marked haunches. The tail swept itself over her feet before she allowed herself to continue. "I’ve kept to myself these days, but I’ve met the new comer, Ril’o. I heard of two new joiners, but I have not yet met them." She smiled as she filled the silence. The warrior would bring up her own concerns later.
"And you, Cer?" The more informal name was used now and danced upon her tongue. "I have not seen much of you since we met at the town when I first joined. Then I saw you briefly at the pack meeting, and again at the pack hunt. How has life treated you?" She was genuinely curious in her query, and she hoped that life had not been too harsh for the other.
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She's looking for birds she met last fall
Who said they would come back different than all
Cercelee nodded and soaked in the words of the other female, taking in the tones and all the subtle inflections. She spoke well, it was a voice to envy. Cercelee recalled her small bout of jealousy concerning the woad marked female, but let the silly thoughts pass quickly, embarrassed she had ever felt so about the female who had never been anything but contributive to the pack. Cercelee understood why Slay would admire the raven female, Cercelee did herself. She would forgive him that and give credit where credit was due.
"Alexey and Coli?" Or did Cwmfen refer to some other newcomers? The pack was growing so rapidly it was becoming a chore to get acquainted with all the members admitted into the pack. The white lady had personally admitted those two to the pack, but Haku and the others were free to welcome in other souls searching for a home. Perhaps another informal meeting would be needed, to have all the new faces meet the older ones. "Colibri Haki is actually Haku’s daughter... and Alexey, well you know she was a member before?" Cercelee did not mind sharing these tidbits with Cwmfen, it was easier to explain some of it now, rather than have any awkward incidents later.
Cercelee bowed her head at the words, knowing that she had been more absent than present for many of her members, yet much of that could not be helped. Svara and Firefly would say that Cercelee was far more involved than needed, but it was they, not Cwmfen, that needed a little extra attention from their Rosea. "I have been spending much of my time with Slay, we have become mates." It was strange to say out loud to another, but thrilling at the same time. It was as if every time she said it out loud it became more set in stone, more solid and less like a dream. "I was also present for Firefly’s birth. Dahlia’s numbers are growing rapidly indeed." And with more members there were more challenges the Rosea had to face, but that was part of her job and she would soon be rested enough to face them head on once again.
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500+
"I suppose that it would be those two," the female responded thoughtfully. Coli and Alexey. The latter name sounded familiar—it was the name of Sankor and Adelaida’s sister. The woad warrior was delighted to hear that the former pack member had returned. While she had never met the supposedly golden-hued female, she had heard her mentioned before. Sankor had also been worried for her and had sought her. Because of this, Cwmfen was sure that Alexey’s return would please both Sankor and Adelaida as well as ease their minds. She had not, however, heard of Colibri, though she supposed that that other scent she had caught belonged to that particular individual. Perhaps there was another that had joined the pack, for she had scented another as well. But of that she was uncertain. Perhaps later she would look into that.
Colibri Haki. "Haku’s daughter?" the female repeated thoughtfully. The black fae was aware of Haku’s sexual promiscuity, and so she did not doubt that he did have offspring running about somewhere within the lands. Yet, it had never crossed her mind that any of his children would come to join the pack of their father. Many who knew Haku harbored a resentment of him, and rightfully so, perhaps. She wondered what Haku and this Colibri Haki’s relationship was. "That’s unexpected. I suppose I never thought that any of his children would think of him enough to join the same pack." The female smiled lightly. She meant no offense in her words and merely spoke what she thought.
The white Rosea bowed her head, and Cwmfen hoped that her words had not bothered the other female too much, for she knew that the Rosea would be busy. "Mates!" The female’s alto voice laughed delightedly, a sound full of mirthful, golden tones. The female’s head fell back as her voice sang. "With Slay? Congratulations!" So Slaying the Dreamer and Cercelee were now mates. She was glad that the blue-eyed female had found love with the other, for he was a fine male—fitting for a strong female. Cwmfen wondered briefly if it was time for her to settle down, but she could not picture herself doing so. And perhaps finding a mate did not mean to settle down at all, but she was unsure as to whether she was ready to accept someone into her life. But Cercelee had, and she was glad for it.
And then their conversation tuned to Firefly. "Yes... I heard." The woad warrior’s silver toned alto became a little quieter. "I thought that I might greet her and her new pups, but it seemed so crowded.... I thought I would just congratulate her from afar. I will make it more personal later, though. Perhaps when she is alone." The black female was still uncomfortable in such large groups. Perhaps her absent had been disrespectful on her part, but she hoped that the others would be able to forgive her.
"Dahlia is growing," the female agreed quietly. "I was feeling as if we are in danger of dividing factions—the pack, I mean." The female then smiled sheepishly, for now that she said it, she felt almost foolish. And yet, when she had thought it through, it had made sense. But perhaps she was reading too much into things again. Perhaps she was spending too much time on her own.
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She's looking for birds she met last fall
Who said they would come back different than all
Cwmfen questioned Coli’s motives for returning and Cer felt a lurch in her stomach. Cwmfen had been right in thinking that none of his children would think of him enough to join his pack, although for any other father-daughter pair it would have been a logical assumption. As far as Cer knew, not counting Firefly’s latest contribution to the pack, Coli was Haku’s only living child. One could not say that she loved her father enough to seek him out. "It’s actually not Haku that brought her back." Cercelee wasn’t sure it was her place to tell any of Coli’s business, but female had no trouble telling Firefly and Svara the sins Haku had committed. Cer doubted Coli would care if Cwmfen knew, as it was she might know soon enough anyway, yet Cer was selective with her words. "Coli and I were actually raised together, by Haku. We lived in the old lands together, Clouded Tears, as well. She came back on a promise to me, I can’t say there is any love between Haku and Coli." Cer would leave it at that. That much had been her right to tell, it had been her story too.
The words became more cheerful when they spoke of Slay, which was one of the few uncomplicated points in Cer’s life at the moment. The alabaster Rosea couldn’t help but beam. "Thank you. It’s still new, but I’m more than happy with the arrangement." And Slay was too, Cer had no doubt of that. Selfishly she found that so wrapped up in her own relationship with the male, she thought less of the others. Had Cwmfen found anyone interesting? Had Mew and Lubomir worked through whatever issues hung over them? Had Haku and Firefly patch up their broken mateship? The questions were in the back of her mind, but Cer found she didn’t have quite as much time to devote to them now as she once had.
Cercelee nodded at Cwmfen’s reasoning. Firefly’s birth and the period after it had been crowded and confusing. Svara and Alexey bickering, Haku and Firefly fighting, and Cercelee just in the middle of it all, observing and feeling sorry for the pups and their first experience of the world. "That was wise. Firefly probably didn’t need as much excitement as she received. And we’ll all have our chances to greet the pups, the two living were both very healthy, or seemed it anyway." Puppies were always a gamble, there was so much that would go wrong. Yet Cer had high hopes for the first litter of Dahlia, despite the parents they had been born to.
The tone in Cwmfen’s voice told the white lady they had more important issues to discuss rather than the simple pleasantries and pack gossip they had been exchanging. Cercelee bowed her head in difference, she could not ignore it anymore. She hadn’t really been ignoring it, but there wasn’t anything she had thought to do yet. "Yes, I can’t argue that. More than ever tensions are running high." The cracks and splits were present all over the pack, Haku and Cer, Haku and Firefly, Mew and Firefly, Haku and Coli, Svara and Cer, Alexey and her own siblings. The list went on and at times Cercelee wondered what kept them all together. Yet she couldn’t guess if Cwmfen referred to it all, the general ominous fog that clung to the pack, or one of the situations was sticking out to the Tilia. "Was there something in particular you wanted to discuss?"
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500+
Cwmfen nodded silently as Cercelee told the overview of the relationship between Haku and Colibri. She did not love him, but she had come—and on a promise that had been made between Cer and Coli. She hoped, however, that there wasn’t any troubled intent that would arise between Coli and Haku. Haku was many things, she knew, and he had done many great things to disrespect other creatures. But she did not find him so horrific, for she knew the desires and temptations of freedom. However, the black female knew also of the rules of packs and society, and she knew that what Haku had done was not acceptable. Perhaps Colibri had been a product of such things, and perhaps she harbored resentment. But the black warrior hoped that she—as well as the others—would be able to live beyond what had happened and look at what was happening and what would happen.
“I’m glad that you have been able to find someone with whom you can share happiness,” the female responded with a smile. There were many wolves finding such happiness it seemed. She had not found it herself, and she had almost become...indifferent, it seemed, about the matter. However, she had been intrigued by Haku, and again by Bane Kiles, but of love she wasn’t sure. It seemed as if the black female was drawn to darker personalities and to males who could be aggressive and handle themselves—not abusive or possessive, mind you, but it was something that she was drawn to. She had mixed feeling about it, but she knew that when the time came, she would know what she would want, just as Cercelee had known. It seemed that the Rosea was still adjusting to the idea, but she loved it—Cwmfen could see that. The way in which the other wolf spoke of the matter held only a fraction of what delight she must be feeling.
She was relieved that her absence did not appear to be a matter of disrespect. She felt that she should pay a visit to the newborns, though she wasn’t sure when would be the right time. She would at least drop by and see if Firefly was busy; if she wasn’t, she’d greet them. Perhaps she would bring a gift, though she was not sure what was an appropriate gift for such an occasion.
"No, it was just a feeling I had," the female said quietly, almost inaudibly. She seemed almost to be mourning for something, and her white orbs stared hard at the ground. Perhaps she should have come to the Rosea with substantial evidence before bringing it up, but it was too late to take back her suspicions now. "I just felt...that with the pack growing, it would be more difficult to watch all activities.... It would be easy for something to happen while our eyes were turned." Then she exhaled sharply, as if laughing at what she said. It was as if there was a big conspiracy going about—that’s what her words were making it seem. She struggled now with the idea, and perhaps she was being overly maniacal. "I’m sorry, Cercelee," she said at length, looking up to the other. "Perhaps I’ve just been on my own too long."
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She's looking for birds she met last fall
Who said they would come back different than all
A feeling could be just that, a trickling in the back of one’s mind, teasing and taunting but meaningless, nothing more. Just a feeling. Or it could be more. That feeling gained power when it was shared by others, power of suggestion to make what one feared or hoped for come to pass, a self fulfilling prophecy. Or perhaps more than one shared the same feeling not out of hope or fear but merely observation. Cercelee had a feeling too. She took in the words of Cwmfen, who made no reference to any specific situation, but Cercelee could name a dozen from only the last few weeks. The bear attack, Coli’s return, the tensions between her and Haku which had gone unresolved, and so many other images swam before her, what she had witnessed, what she had heard about. It was impossible to give reference to them all. And undoubtedly there were many more that had slipped under her radar.
"Don’t apologize Cwmfen, you are right." They all danced around the issues, knowing that Dahlia was teeming with cracks and fissures, ready to burst, but merely going about their lives, letting the fissures grow wider, ready to swallow them whole. "You’re not the only one who has noticed this. I too feel it. See it. And I hate to admit, I don’t know how to fix it.” Cer looked apologetically at Cwmfen, feeling that as the Rosea she had failed once more. Before she had let the pack get swept away by the Inferni war, which had been bad enough in her book. But now the threat was not from an outside enemy, but they were being attack from within.
"I am pleased to know that I have your eyes to rely on, as my own cannot be everywhere at once." Even with a wolf such as Cwmfen to report back to her, they could not prevent or catch all incidents. Even with ten more wolves patrolling their own members they would never be able to police them all, and it was not Cer’s intention. Some how they had to repair the breaks that had occurred, get the pack running as smoothly and efficiently as possible once more, like a well oiled machine. One of the biggest breaks was that between their own two highest wolves. With a sudden burst of inspiration, Cercelee turned to Cwmfen, a rare smile playing on her face. "You would make a good mediator between Haku and I." There was no offer yet, but Cercelee was excited to hear Cwmfen’s reply.
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700+
The woad-marked fae looked up at the other female. She appreciated that the white Rosea did not find her words to be empty, and she was beginning to feel more at ease. Cwmfen, while she had been with the pack for six moons, was still learning of its ways. She felt that her patience and her observance would serve her best in growing accustom to the ways of the pack, and she had not been wrong. While the female had kept to herself much of the time, her contact with the pack members were very educational, to say the least. And while she was learning of the functions of pack life, she had known already what to expect in the ground works. That was when she had begun to feel the disjunction of the pack. And yet, they remained unified. That was the curious part, or perhaps it was miraculous. But it had seemed that the pack would hold. Yet, with the influx of new members as well as the birth of the cubs, the chaos in her mind was taken to a new level. Moreover, she had Dreamed, and while the visions had been abstract and obscure, the black fae could not shake that feeling. That was why she had sought Cercelee. She knew that the wolves were not familiar with the customs of her homeland, and so she had been unsure as to how she would have been addressed. Even without bringing that matter up, the Rosea was willing to believe her suspicions, for she too had observed this rising chaos. But that pack was not detrimental to itself yet, was it?
The woad warrior nodded in agreement. "It is difficult to say how this might be amended. The wolves are loyal—I do not doubt that. It is where they have placed their loyalty that is at times questionable." Immediately, her thoughts went to Svara. Though she did not know the child well, she knew of its habits. But there was also Colibri, and Deuce had joined as well. Deuce had once been of Pheonix Valley. Why had she joined Dahlia now? And then there were the pups to who Firefly had given life. The pups were still pure in their newness, but if they were exposed to the wrong environments, what would become of them? And they were the futures of the pack, as was Svara. Flayra seemed too passive to rise up when the time would need it. Times were confusing, but all was not beyond hope. It was always a difficult situation when the threat was from within. "We should be careful with the pups. Perhaps their presence will reunite us." Hopefully her hopes would not be in vain.
Cwmfen smiled shyly at the complement, blushing with the rarity of such words. "I’m loyal to you, Cercelee. And to Haku. To Dahlia. I have been since I joined six moons ago." The female shuffled a paw on the ground as she spoke quietly, almost muttering to herself as she seemed almost embarrassed to express her loyalty. She had been careful everywhere she went to set a good example, to represent Cercelee and the pack. Even when she had found Nikolai wandering so deep beyond the boarders uninvited, she had been amiable despite his rude and childish tendencies. When Catherine had attacked her, she knew what drove the other to do so, and she had not killed her when she could have. The only wrong she might have done was to lie with Haku on her Long Nights, but that was a personal matter that had not risen in conflict. Haku had told her to do nothing of it, and she knew that that was the end of that. The warrior’s ideals of loyalty were difficult to describe in words, and she did not try to. She only hoped that the Rosea would understand.
"Mediator?" The warrior tilted her head, and she smiled again, as if not quite understanding. "I serve my superiors and especially those who lead." She paused momentarily in thought before continuing. "It’s strange, but a warrior does require tranquility of the soul...." At times her words seemed to be random, but the Raven Dreamer was one who viewed the world through symbols. The woad-marked fae did see the two leaders as the heads of the two factions, though it may be an indirect representation. Cercelee seemed to represent the reason of the pack while Haku the chaos.
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She's looking for birds she met last fall
Who said they would come back different than all
Yes the wolves were loyal, some to Cer, some to Haku and some to just Dahlia de Mai in general, their home, no matter who was perched highest in the hierarchy. Then there were those like Cwmfen, who pleaded herself to all three entities, and Cercelee always felt secure hearing words such as the ones Cwmfen had spoken. The white lady’s job was far easier to do knowing that there were those who backed her up, who were sworn to Dahlia. Her words meant nothing if there were not wolves willing to follow and enforce. She only hoped that indeed her words were worth following, that she proved to be a wolf truly worthy of leading. She hadn’t after all earned the rank by working her way up, rather it had been handed to her by Colibri Soul, mother to Haku and the other founding leader of the pack. Cercelee had just accepted the position without question, she had been too young to question it. And while she was not so much older now, the months of leading had matured her considerably.
The image of the helpless pups cuddled closely to Firefly came to her mind, and then Svara and her fierce exit from the birthing room. Yes, Cwmfen was right, perhaps they were they key to reuniting the pack, but perhaps not. Their futures were uncertain. Svara seemed determined to stay within the Dahlia ranks, she had ambitions to become the herbalist, only it was her own lack of respect that would hold her back, her knee jerk reactions, lack of self control. The puppies, who was to say what they would become? If they took after their parents they spilt in Dahlia might only grow wider. Yet there was little to do on that front just yet but guide Svara and watch helpless as the puppies developed.
Still there was another option, one that Cercelee was considering. Perhaps it would not fixed the breaks and patch all the tears, but it would certain help to close the gap between leaders. And they need that desperately. "Cwmfen, I am pleased to hear your words of loyalty, but I know them too well already. I have no doubts about you. And further more, I trust you. Haku does too. That’s the important part." Perhaps Mew or Firefly were both deserving of the rank, but they wouldn’t serve as well as Cwmfen. Mew would prove to be too like to Cer, trusting and yet weary of Haku, and Firefly, if the Lilium and her ever patched up their turned about mateship, would have his and her own interests at heart. Cer could not have two wolves so closely aligned, what with their behavior towards newcomers, always so high and mighty. No, there had to be a balance.
Cwmfen was perfectly balance. Cercelee was too soft at times, Haku too hard, but Cwmfen was the gray area. She could see things clearly and dictate fairly, without giving in too easily to a bleeding sob story. "The pack is getting larger than Haku and I can handle, another leader will be needed soon, don’t you agree?" And the members could not argue if both Cercelee and Haku approved of that leader, both those loyal to the Rosea and to the Lilium would have to properly acknowledge the Adonis. "You are far too talented and loyal to be sitting in the council forever, Cwmfen." Her intentions were clear, but whether Cwmfen would care to step up was another matter altogether.
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500+
Cwmfen’s woad marked tail swept the cold earth once, a pleased and yet shy gesture. A light smile flickered across her maw, one of gratitude, for she was not accustom to hearing such words—at least words directed at her. She had never heard such words of appreciation expressed. Perhaps she had felt it, smelt it, but words—saying in aloud—somehow made it more real. More concrete. The white orbs lowered, slightly embarrassed, and she was silent for a moment with a quiet light lingering on her breath. She realized that even now she had not felt her loyalty to Dahlia so keenly, but perhaps this was merely due to being before the Rosea. The warrior could not deny that she felt the influence that such leaders could lead, no matter how harsh or how gentle their ways. "I’m glad that you have found trust in me," the alto melody said quietly at length. "And that Haku has too." The woad marked female knew how the male could be, how he regarded others. She was just thankful that his trust in her had been made apparent even to Cercelee.
Cwmfen nodded twice in agreement. The pack was growing, and she did not deny that the maintenance of the pack was growing also. She herself had not yet been able to meet the new members, as she had expressed earlier. Perhaps she could catch several of the wolves at once, but she was not sure as to how these wolves were around one another. The black fae had met Ril’o, had assessed his character for herself. In the end, he had proved to be a good hearted wolf, a heart that she found in Sankor also. Of course, she knew that wolves, as all creatures, were capable of treacherous things, and while she did trust in her pack members, she was not too blind. She hoped that she would never become blind, for it would be then that one would come to stab her in the back. It was always that way. That was the way the world worked. But she had learned to accept that, and she had learned to work around such troubles. Perhaps that was why she was still living, for the world without could be very harsh.
The black fae’s mind was occupied with such thoughts when the white Rosea spoke again. The warrior paused, her woad bound ears twitched, for she was not certain if she had heard the implicated request correctly. "You wish for me to be that leader?" The female’s voice was calm, and its tone strangely curious. The white orbs lifted to seek the blue eyes of the Rosea, as if she could not see what her alpha saw. And then she was silent, considering the white female’s request. The woad warrior had often thought that she would not serve well in such high leading roles, and she had greatly respected the Rosea for it. But then, was not an army like a pack? The pack was conceivably an entity that required gentler attention than an army, and perhaps the black fae would be able to help the Rosea and the Lilium with that task. For now, she allowed her respect for the Rosea and her obedience to the white female to guide her. However, she could not help but experience a certain amount of pride welling within her soul. "If Dahlia requires my service, I will willingly give it," Cwmfen replied meekly. Then the black wolf wondered why Cercelee had not chosen Firefly or Mew and made to ask. But she knew also that the blue eyed Rosea would have considered such things, and so she was silent and held her tongue.
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She's looking for birds she met last fall
Who said they would come back different than all
"Yes, I wish to make you Adonis." There is was said, clear cut and to the point. Cwmfen had shown the proper amount of humility and gratitude, and above all her main drive was to still serve the pack. That was the most important quality, or one of them. Her ability to keep peace between Haku and Cer was another. Yet, Cer would not let the female go into this blindly. "I must warn you Cwmfen, the position will not always be the most relaxing or rewarding. Haku and I do not always see eye to eye." Cercelee merely stated the fact, letting Cwmfen take it as she would.
Once Cer officially rose the woad marked lady into the rank she would be privy to all the nasty words and fights that often got flung when her and Haku had any type of meeting. Perhaps the raven female would grow to respect both her leader less for the dysfunction between them, or perhaps she would just understand, that was how it happened. Yet Cwmfen had pledged herself to the pack, and there was no turning back. Cer needed her, she had accepted. The white lady imagined Haku would be pleased to hear that another was joining the leader ranks, he too could not deny the problems within the Dahlian hierarchy.
. "Well then, I will inform Haku and he and I will announce it at the next leader meeting, until then keep this to yourself." Cwmfen didn’t need the warning, she knew the female kept to herself enough and wasn’t apt to spreading rumors, but the disclaimer was good to throw in all the same. Cer sighed happily, feeling a weight lifted from her chest, she was almost able to breath once more. "Was there anything else we needed to speak of?"
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Should we end here? ^=^
500+
The white orbs lifted, following the woad banded ears that pricked forward at the white Rosea’s proposition. It had been clear what Cercelee had been requesting, but the clear statement felt differently in her ears. Adonis. That word seemed to hold the weight of the duty tied with it. The female nodded slowly, as if there was much going through her mind, much to consider and weigh. The black warrior was grateful that the white leader had found her worthy of such a rank, and she was determined to do her duty well and to not let her or Haku down. And the female, being the introverted creature that she was, could not find a way to respond to that declaration, but she accepted it with another gracious nod.
A light smile flickered on her lips at the blue eyed Rosea’s warning. "A warrior’s duty is to settle disputes," she remarked quietly. "But I shall try and find a less violent way of settling such disputes," Cwmfen added with a quiet, silver laugh. But it was true what she said—disputes were merely verbal battles, and battles of the mind could be settled similarly to physical battles. She did not doubt that such a high position would be held easily, but she would not back down from it. The woad warrior would take such hardships as a challenge, and the warrior did not take challenges lightly. And she was never looking for rewards. Life was reward enough. At least Cercelee and Haku would be keeping her busy, so that she would not regress on her social improvements. It would be an interesting experience for however long it would last.
The black fae responded with a curt nod. "I will." The female, being a quiet and fairly modest creature, would not have brought it up anyway, for she always waited for the official word in such situations. If Cercelee was going to inform the others of her decision at the pack meeting, then she herself would be silent until then. She wondered suddenly if she would be responsible for taking up other leading duties, whatever they would be, and she did not doubt it. But the black, woad-marked warrior felt that she would be briefed on such matters once Cercelee and Haku were ready to accept her officially.
She smiled, and it held that shy quality once more. "No.... That was it...." The white orbs looked briefly at the blue ones. "I just had a hunch." She felt, then, that Cercelee might be dismissing her, so the female rose. Perhaps the white Rosea would be occupied with other things, and perhaps with Slay. Having reminded herself of the Rosea’s new mated status, the warrior smiled before she gave a slight bow. "I suppose I’ll leave you to your duties," the alto melody sang as she quietly dismissed herself. It had not seemed that her presence had bothered Cercelee. It had seemed that her presence had almost been welcome. For that the Tilia was relieved, and so she left the white female’s presence with a light-hearted mood, knowing that soon she would be taking up a great responsibility for the pack.
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