We should probably backdate this to June 9 or so, I think.

Be it good or bad, for better or for worse, she knew such peace could not last. She had been there for a while- for how long, she did not know, for calculations of time always escaped her when she was watching the stars- before the sound of a large creature moving through the undergrowth reached her ears. She could hear something getting closer, but was unable to determine who it might be. It could be a coyote, a cougar, or wolf for all she knew. She pushed herself up off her back, sliding her body back with her arms. She brought her legs down so they dangled over the edge of the rock and waited.

It did not take long; within a few moments, the creature had moved close enough for her to determine its specie. A wolf in its Optime form. He was badly wounded, too, for he seemed to be moving with great difficulty. She remained still, wondering who it might be until he spoke. She nodded in reply, a little relieved that it was Lubomir and a little worried. He had sustained heavy injuries from the fight and she was genuinely worried for his health. She knew nothing about healing or medicine- only that Echinacea boosted one's immune system. Aside from that one small bit of information, she was relatively useless.

"Good evening to you, too, Lubomir. Shouldn't you be resting? You'll never recover if you push yourself like this," she replied with a small frown.

Yep, this thread would be two days after, since Skoll started the other thread on June 7. :]

"It's better to feel like an old man than a useless man, which is what you'll be if you strain yourself too much, Lubomir. We all have our limits- part of being strong is recognizing when you must accept your fall. Sit down, Lubomir," she said firmly. She did not want him to argue with her- not when she could see his legs shaking and his resilience wavering. She did not want to have to carry him all the way back to Shadowed Sun. Although she was a little larger than most females, even arctic wolves who were naturally larger, she did not fancy having to carry a fully grown male all the way back the the pack lands. He would have to do away with his foolish pride if he hoped to recover from his wounds. Midnight escapades were certainly not one way to do this.

She smirked. She had never seen this side of the male before- the foolish one. The ego, perhaps? She felt the bite of his words, that he regretted not being able to move as well as he could days before. But that was what happened when you involved yourself in a fight and saved the life of your pack mate. Skoll had told her how he had jumped in despite having less experience than that fearsome SteelRose. She frowned at the thought, annoyed that some coyote had disrupted the peace of their pack. And for what? Tayui had begun questioning Skoll right after the battle even though she had known he had been injured. She knew it was not the kindest thing to do, that she was being indifferent to his own feelings, but had decided it was for the better of the pack. If a few minutes of mental exhaustion would give her closure, so be it. If pushing Skoll just a bit more, just a bit to ensure the safety of the pack, so be it. She had to make sacrifices.

So did Lubomir. She shook her head, a little exasperated with herself. She was not sure what to think, now. Meeting Lubomir only two days after the fight. She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply, trying to centre herself for a moment. She reopened her eyes as Lubomir began to speak once more, watching his own eyes as he spoke. He was determined; she was glad. "What else do you know? Why did the war start? With Inferni, it's hard to decide if they're the antagonist, or just the victim. You must be careful. Gather your sources. If you want to help, understand the conflict, but do not choose sides. Shadowed Sun cannot afford to have you ally us with anyone. Even one member's opinion reflects on the pack as a whole. I can only ask you to be careful; be discreet." She wanted to tell him not to blame Inferni automatically, to weight the evidence, but she did not want to impose her own personal bias on him. While she would encourage anyone in the pursuit of knowledge, these sorts of conflicts could prove dangerous...

Posting on absence is fun. 657 words; this turned out huge.

It always started with the coyote. She could not fault Lubomir for where he began, for she knew the surname of 'Holocaust' to be attributed to a coyote family within Inferni, and was able to recognize that the beginning of a story was not necessarily the beginning of the truth. For instance, should one ask about Shadowed Sun, it was likely that the storyteller might begin at the founding of the pack, or when the fire began in Bleeding Souls. It was impossible to discern where the story truly began. Was it at Moondust Wolfen's birth? Omoi's birth? Mordulin's takeover of Jaded Shadows? Tayui and Fatin's accession to leadership in Jaded Shadows? Or simply the beginning of everything, for that influenced all that came after it.

Even so, Tayui wished to know where the fight truly began. Had this coyote, Asphyxia as Lubomir called her- a peculiar name in its own right- begun the war with her actions? She had seen instances of violence against wolves, even those of her own pack. She had learned of Deuce's son's death, once a member of Jaded Shadows. It had been unfortunate, but it seemed as though the boy had entered the clan's territory and ended up dead. From what she had gathered, those who trespassed on Inferni's boundaries were killed if deemed to be a threat. Shadow had been deemed a threat and murdered; brutally and viciously. Her stomach turned as she remembered the day Deuce had brought her the news.

She nodded slowly as Lubomir continued to speak, noting the standard declaration of war. An attack, a rebuttal, and the beginning of a conflict. She wondered how many had died already, and how many wished they were. War was a disgusting monster that she had read about time and time again, and experienced in multiple occasions. She did not want to see this land tainted by the blood of any canine or friendly creature. This was senseless murder- not even the equal of murder for food. It was murder for hatred.

"If you do anything for one side, the other will believe you represent your entire pack. If what you say is true, Asphyxia's actions acted on account of all of Inferni. If we aid Inferni in their struggle, we might be seen as the enemy or the traitor. The stigma against the coyotes run deep. Even so, our offers of help might be rejected, for the coyotes certainly have no reason to trust us." She frowned. "And if we aid Dahlia de Mai, we risk drawing attention to ourselves from Inferni, and we do not want that. I've seen them destroy a pack before." Her frown deepened as she paused. "I'm sorry, Lubomir. I cannot allow this pack to be sacrificed. I have no connections with Dahlia de Mai. If it were still being led by Colibri Soul, I might, but there is no one I have any connection to. As for Inferni, I have yet to speak to Gabriel. I spoke with his mother, Kaena, when she was leader of it some time ago, and her message was quite clear. As long as we do not enter their lands looking for trouble, she will not attempt to annihilate us. Lubomir, you may have to break your word to the wolves of Dahlia de Mai. It is in the pack's interest that we do not form any enemies through affiliation. Hopefully we won't do this through neutrality, either." She refrained from sighing, slightly overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation. She hoped that this war did not tear the lands apart. She did not want to see the pack she loved broken a second time. If she had to ask a pack member such as Lubomir, one whom she respected to a high degree, to break his promise to potentially save the pack, she would do it. Perhaps it was ruthless, but it had to be done.