The Sentinels tea party pardon

It'd been a few days since the den night, and Atoll wondered more and more about the absence of Donnelaith. Considered how things had been going lately, she wasnt' exactly surprised that none of them had showed up; but she was accustomed to thinking the best in people, especially Deirdre and her brother Con, whom the Atoll still had an unaccountable liking for.

For this reason, she'd come to call on her forest neighbors, hoping to premptively invite them to the next den night, however far from the moment it might be. Perhaps they had only been uncertain of their welcome, and that was something Atoll could quickly rectify.

Sending up a questioning howl, she called for someone - anyone who might pass on a message to the rest of the pack. Hopefully, they would be receptive and friendly, but Atoll was prepared to be blithe with anyone who might quarrel as well.

Standing near to the border, Atoll allowed her mind to wander as she awaited company. The changing of seasons had a much stronger affect on the wood than the shore, and she worried, distantly, what they would do in the colder months, when the seaside breeze raked across the land. Surely, the damp dens they now inhabited would not do? It served them well in the summer, when the weather was hot, but they needed something more solid, more substantial in the winter. Perhaps she would have to look into those caves under the western cliffs...

Hoping for anyone, but perhaps someone she has not met. @Lotte or @Starbuck or maybe even @Emaleth.

Not a day ago Starbuck had returned from her long journey. Her heart and mind were troubled, and she had a message to deliver, but she could not bring her weary legs to take her any further. Once she was within the safety of the borders, she had curled up at the base of a tree and slept. Again she heard the voice of the old willow, though he was far away and these were only echoes of what she had already heard. She had yet to try the spells that he had taught her, and she looked forward to trying them as much as she looked forward to sharing them. Soon, she resolved, she would visit Potema.

It was a howl that woke her, one calling for any member of Donnelaith. Well, she was a member of Donnelaith, and perhaps she would find Deirdre answering it as well. It was only a short distance to the borders and the source of the call, since the coywolf had not gone far into the heart of the territory to answer it. The woman whose call she answered seemed distant as Starbuck approached; her mind had no doubt wandered as she waited.

Hail, stranger, she said kindly as she approached. I am Starbuck. What message do you have for Donnelaith? It wouldn't hurt to carry this one as well. Head cocked, she awaited the stranger's answer.

The Atoll could not have said how long she waited - her mind was elsewhere, in a stone den filled with puppies and Szymon and her girl - perhaps Artemis, too, and the Leviathan would surely be invited to share in such a gift! She came out of her mind when she heart Starbuck's easy approach, and her tail wagged as the woman came into view - and then harder as the familiar greeting reached her ears.

"Hail, hail!" she responded at once, unable to keep the pleasure out of her voice. Was this woman, this ija, from a place like her own? Or perhaps even from the same area! She would surely endeavor to find out, as soon as her more important message was given. "Hail, good lady - I am Atoll of Blackrock Depths; the beta in those lands. I have come to invite you to join us during the dark of the moon for times of song and story - a celebration," explained the scruffy shewolf, her words slightly jumbled in her own excitement at meeting yet another coywolf (ah, but the land was rife with them!) and hearing a word used so often in her homeland. Too, she was nervous about her reception, and hurried to get her invitation out before the genteel woman could rebuke her - for as innocuous as her words seemed to her own ears, she thought Donnelaith to be a touchy and tempermental group.

"It is a peaceful time for a pack to reaffirm their connections - but in light of our nearness, and the love that we bear for Deirdre, and the respect that Donnelaith is due, it felt right to include the forest wolves as well. So let it be known to all of Donnelaith - the dark of the moon is the time for community and merriment. All are welcome at Den Nights."

Peering almost bashfully at the ija, she awaited response.

At once the woman greeted her, and named herself Atoll, Beta of Blackrock Depths. But how could she be? Her behavior was so at odds with the Bay wolves that she had met (or thought she had met) thus far. They had proven themselves to be brutish and unkind, lacking in both empathy, sympathy, and humor. But here was this Atoll, who greeted her like an old friend and invited all of Donnelaith to join them in celebration. There was a great disparity between what she knew of Blackrock wolves and how this woman behaved. The juxtaposition was startling, but Starbuck could not sense any ill will.

Hail indeed, Starbuck replied, giggling girlishly at the repetition. She thought about Lærke and his word, rakeet, which translated to the same greeting. But let us put the word aside, for we are well met, Atoll, and must discuss the matters at hand. You and yours are kind to invite us wolves of the wood. Happily will I relay the message. Look for me at the next new moon, for I will come as sure as it will.

She looked again upon Atoll and now saw their similarities. They were similar in coloration and in the prick of their ears, though one of the Atoll's was limp from injury. Starbuck did not doubt her sincerity, and would not repay kindness with suspicion. She would attend Den Night if she could, and she would not dishonor their hospitality with the supposition that they were all so foul as Skellige or the still-nameless Murgash.

Atoll started at the bubbly nature of the shewolf, having not pegged her as the type for levity. (Donnelaith would always have this effect on her, due to her mixed first impressions of the bunch.) For a moment, she floundered, her formal invitation forgotten in light of the breezy nature of the other girl. Soon, though, she recaptured her composure, and gave the woman a demure smile and a flirting twist of her ears.

"It is a joy to be so well received," she said succinctly, unsure how to continue the conversation. Easily enamored, Atoll was caught up in the ija's nature; A strong desire to stay and get to know the woman gripped her fiercely, but she knew from experience that she would make a fool of herself if did so.

Besides - she'd promised to attend the next den night - Atoll would see her there, and - if she practiced - that would be the perfect and proper time to converse more freely with her. Maybe then she would ask where the coywolf had come from, and from whom she hailed.

"Thank you much; I'll depart, but can I ask for your name?" she said in a breath, wiggling the discomfort at her awkwardness out of her body.

The woman expressed her delight at her reception, and Starbuck countered with her own, genuine niceities. I am heartened to see that our neighbors are so hospitable, she said, and if her smile was a little forced, it was because she could only think of Skellige and his expletives. And his hostiliy. Despite her poor experience with Skellige, he was only one wolf. He would not define her experience with Blackrock Depths. 

Though, now that she thought of Skellige, she felt as though she should let him know that Larkspur was safe. He seemed to care for her, in some strange and backwards way, and for fear of letting him worry, Starbuck decided to send a message along with Atoll. It might go a long way towards smoothing things out between them. I am Starbuck, she said. Could I ask you to take a message to Skellige? Please tell him that I returned Larkspur to her home, and that I am sorry we had to meet under such circumstances.

Atoll's ears fell back on her head when she heard the woman's message for Skellige. She was glad that she'd been here to intercept it, and that the woman had not tried to say such things to the Leviathan on her own. Indeed, there was already a brittle edge to her smile when she spoke of them man - the Atoll could not blame her, and was only glad that she'd seen enough to know that she would not want to deliver this news by herself.

Still, she felt that she could not leave this mention of her king all alone - she understood Starbuck's view of him, having seen him in his moods and experienced his ire. But even through all that, the Atoll still loved him dearly. He'd saved her.

"He is not an easy man to get along with," she said hesitantly, the truth sounding blasphemous to her nervously twitching ears. They steadied, though, as she imagined that even Skellige himself would not dispute this - her king did not seek to get along. "I imagine you must know this, by your words - I will not disagree. He is not nice, nor is he very diplomatic. But if you have seen him near the child, you will know that he takes care of his own. He found me weak and shattered and took me under his wing - I have been blessed to know the man. Not nice or pleasant, at times, but kind in his own right. Good to me beyond anything I could have earned."

She shot Starbuck a wry smile. "I do not ask you to like him," she reiterated, wanting the wolf to know that she still understood and appreciated her view of the man. "But please, do not think too badly of him, either. He is a duitiful man. If it needs doing, he does it. And if he does it, then - often - he feels that it needs to be done. Grumpiness aside."

Hoping she had not overstepped, but at the same time, hoping she had helped Starbuck to understand the Leviathan's actions a bit more, the Atoll turned to leave. "I hope to see you again," she said with a hopefuly grin. "And I will protect you from the sea king, should the need arise. And I will deliver your message as well."

You're welcome to wrap it up or we can do one more round, depending on what feels natural. I liked this thread! Doe is sweet.

The very mention of Skellige had a swift and obvious effect. Atoll was quick to defend her lord, but just was quick to caution Starbuck against him. Starbuck admired the way Atoll went about it with both respect for her Alpha and honesty about his dangers. And she was touched by Doe's concern for her, which Starbuck would have said was needless, but accepted anyway. We met at a time when stress was great, I do not fault him for his behavior, Starbuck assured her, speaking softly and drawing closer. The woman offered to protect her, and Starbuck felt that that was permission enough for affection.

She bumped her head into Atoll's shoulder once, then looked into her eyes as she spoke, you are kind, sweet Atoll, and your love of your leader is a testament to his true nature. He is lucky to have you at his side. Atoll turned to leave, and at last Starbuck offered her goodbye. Farewell, dear friend. I will see you again at your Den Night, if not before. She had liked Atoll for her sincerity, and would not mind meeting her again.

That's all for me; Doe just wanted to pass that on. If you want to use it for another trade, feel free to have it un-archived, and I'll reply one more time. If not, thanks for the thread! Strbuck is great, too <3

Starbuck's affectionate nudge warmed the heart of the Blackrock beta. She smiled uncertainly at the woman, on the edge of executing some grand gesture or else declaring her adoration for the other, but thankfully kept her peace. Even when the ija called her sweet and other praises, she did nothing but dip her head in humble assent, no matter how her ego swelled.

When at last she was dismissed - though she wished it were not so! - she loped just out of sight and allowed herself a brief, all-over wiggle to dispell the fluttery, crawling sensation in her belly. Then, with a bemused but joyful laugh, she continued on her way, wondering what Szymon would have made of the woman. Resolving to tell him about the encounter when she next saw him, the Atoll trotted on.