Welcome to Death Valley
#1
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She had heard the name only in passing, Inferni, the place where wolves go to die. This place, beyond anything else in the whole of the lands, would be the single deciding factor in whether or not her Tribe would be able to survive in the area. Her brother had already voiced his concern of the potential danger that she faced traveling to claimed lands, seeking council with their leaders, and Ayegali had heeded his words to some extent. Tsigili flew high above, perching himself upon one of the few sparse trees in the area, from trees to rocks, keeping up with the raven colored woman. Ayegali set out of the lands in the middle of the day, broad daylight, atop her companion horse. It seemed though, as she neared the borders of the 'Valley of Death' that not even broad daylight may save her. Skulls on pikes, remnants of wolves long passed.


Ayegali brought Vtsi to a stop, dismounting him in one swift movement, to land on the barren ground carefully. Her spear was strapped to his side and she took a moment to ensure that it could be quickly removed in the need came. With one careful pat on the neck, a few quiet words to her horse, she turned from him and began off a bit of a ways. She wouldn't stray far, of course, but she moved forward, closer to the borders, to examine the skulls from a bit of a closer distance. Surely, if her brother had seen this place before she had, he would have protested her trip to meet them to no end.
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#2
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indent The Waste wasn’t truly a valley. It was a hill, rising out of the ground, giving the coyotes a high ground. The only real valley in the area was near the ocean, but the Cliffside was only barring on one side. That was where Gabriel had been, sitting on the shore and staring off into the distance. A lot of things were weighing on him, and in such times, he went to listen. The Voice had been quiet for a long time, but he understood that this was God’s Will. He and his family were being tested, in a trial by fire, and if they were able to survive and remain faithful then they would be rewarded.
indent Marlowe’s shadow interrupted his meditation, and the raven was soon on his shoulder. He spoke in brief terms about a black and red wolf with a horse. Puzzled by this, the Aquila had made his way east, and found the culprit. She had come from the south, it seemed, and was examining their constructed warning system with mild interest. With both feet taking him closer, and the raven still perched. Even though Gabriel wanted to keep the fact they had such a tool hidden, one raven would not stand out as opposed to the others. “Do you need something?” His tone was even, though his own interest was perked. He had never seen anyone like her before.




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#3
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Ayegali wondered, for a very brief moment, if they were the skulls of enemies. In truth, she wasn't as foreign to that concept as one might have thought, it was only that her tribe did it in a different fashion. In times past, the skulls of enemies were taken by the warriors that defeated them, a trophy of war and a sign of respect. That had been a long time ago though, whereas now warriors often dyed their fur with different designs to symbolize their success in battle. Ayegali couldn't even count her own anymore. Taking one last look at them, the raven colored woman retreated her attention back to the lands ahead of her, sweeping silver eyes across them just in time to see the stranger approaching.


The sight of the stranger and the black raven that rested on his shoulders caused her to take a step back away from the borders, a signal that she had no intentions of passing, and would instead wait for him. It didn't take him long to reach her either, where Ayegali immediately took to examining him. He didn't look like a coyote at all, not even a wolf, and the creature on his shoulder didn't seem to be a Spirit. "I came seeking council with a leader of this place." She answered promptly, her voice calm and strong. "My name is Ayegali Kala, the Chieftainess of a tribe called AniWaya." Tacking on more information in the hopes that he might better understand why she had come. Instead of growing quiet, she turned her head to the bird on his shoulder, speaking again, but in low speech. "I am Ayegali." She told him quietly, finding it only to be respectful to introduce herself to both.
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#4
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indent The majority of these skulls were trophies, taken from Gabriel’s own kills (which had, after his breakdown, multiplied), the war with Dahlia, and those unfortunate few that his family had found. Luckily, though, they were all picked clean. Some were painted, as the Aquila had taken to doing in a small reminder of his mother. Wherever she was, dead or not, Kaena lived through him. That much he owed her, despite the way she had left them, despite all the things she had done. She had always loved her children, and engrained that in them.
indent He gave her a slight nod after the greeting, motioning that she could relax. With the war fresh in his memory (and on his body) Gabriel was not about to pick a fight with someone seeking peace. Especially someone who was leading a group, formidable or not. “I’m Gabriel de le Poer, the leader here.” On his shoulder, amused by the low-speech, Marlowe tilted his head. "Ah, m’lady, you may call me Marlowe. Beautiful name you have there." Unable to fully grasp his speech, Gabriel cocked an ear towards the raven, but did nothing more. Despite his haphazard speech with the coyotes, the bird was remarkably eloquent. “What can I do for you?”




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#5
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The raven woman smiled faintly at the words from the larger male, nodding her head carefully. So he was the one that she had been seeking, though she shouldn't have been very surprised. Before addressing him more fully, the woman turned her attentions back to the raven, smiling in his general direction. "Ah, thank you, Marlowe." And she left it at that for the time, turning silver eyes back to his friend. "I have actually come here because I hear stories of your clan, ruthless killers and a danger to all." It was a bold way to start but it was the truth, she wasn't about to lie to him. Of course, from the sort experience that she had thus far, the fact that he and even his friend, seemed civil, it made the woman wonder where the stories had come from.


"I like to believe that stories are just stories though, and that your clan doesn't simply attack without provocation." Even those that had driven them from their own lands had been provoked, frightened by a way of living that they didn't quite understand. "I have come to see for myself. A portion of my tribe is still days behind in travel, coming here in hopes that we've finally found a place to settle. I've decided to stop through the area, to visit each pack, and get a better understanding of the situations here before making a decision." In other words, she was on a hunt to see if their kind would be accepted in the lands or if they would be met with hostility.
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#6
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indent A thin smile crept across Gabriel’s face, amused by the horror stories she presented. “What you’ve heard and what you believe is true. We are dangerous, and we have killed without mercy. However, very rarely have these attacks been unprovoked.” Except for perhaps, Samael and Hybrid. They were problem children that he used as weapons, and as long as they were keeping the whispers of the terrible boogieman alive, they served a purpose. The rest of the clan worked as a group, and obeyed Gabriel’s orders to the letter. Even those two would do so if it came down to it. “The wolves here harbor grudges against us, and hate what we are. Inferni is simply trying to exist, and sometimes that means we must fight.” Anyone could understand that.




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#7
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His words were slightly unsettling, however, any sensible being would understand. They all would fight for survival, or might need to, at some point in time. Her own tribe had attempted to do so, only to be outnumbered and forced the leave their home behind and go in search of another. Ayegali nodded her head slowly in understanding, considering his words and her own thoughts for a moment before responding. "We live with all, be it wolf or coyote or any other type that comes our way." She explained quietly, a careful way of stating that they held no grudges. "To us, coyotes or any other type are cousins, brothers, sisters, some type of family. We wish only to stay here in peace though." She knew she likely didn't even need to bring it up, he probably knew what she had come for. "Your clan then, wouldn't have issue with us so long as we respect your borders and your members?" The dark woman asked finally, thinking it only made sense for one group to do so for another group, lest they were just looking for trouble.
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#8
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indent They were meeting on equal ground, an afternoon conversation between two politicians. She worded her concerns carefully, and he respected that she was not playing around with him. Someone at least, it seemed, had the brains to take care of things with words as opposed to muscle. Tayui had done the same, but her pack and her power was gone. Esper Hollow did not concern him. Dahlia had been beaten, so to speak, and Pheonix Valley was nothing but idealists and dreamers who had nothing to threaten them with. “No, we won’t. I’ll instruct them to do the same. I’m sure that my cousin will want to come and meet with you once you’ve settled.” Then they would know where they were, how many members they had, and if they really could be a threat.





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#9
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Ayegali liked to think the best of others, or at least give them the chance to be or do what everyone else seemed to think they couldn't, and in this case it seemed worth the trouble. Of course, she was also aware that things didn't always go in that fashion or that they may not stay that way. For now though, she was content with the way the other leader handled himself and the acceptance of what she was seeking. "It may be a bit before we choose a place to settle, but your members are welcome to seek us out when the time comes. I will pass word through my own members to treat yours as they would members of our own tribe. I could also send word this way once we settle as to our location." In some way or another, Ayegali felt as if offering him the information would only set in stone her position of peace. Why would they worry about concealing their location from a clan that they had come to an agreement with? Distrust was a nasty thing.
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#10
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indent It was not so much distrust that weighed down the Aquila, but he was far too aware that they needed to be prepared. At any point, something could change. He would assume nothing about these wolves aside from the fact that Inferni needed to be prepared. As long as they remained at peace, neither group would have anything to fear. Despite everything else, Gabriel was level-headed when he needed to be. “Certainly. ”






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