Ravensblood Forest i rarely answer questions, is what i do

sorry this post is poop! i'm getting sleepy so my focus isn't the best right now, lol. xD

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Arturo thought of Lotte as he walked his borders, wondering how opposed she would be to him boldly calling for her at the borders of her home. He wanted to talk to her, wanted the distraction she would give him. Even to put his always scheming mind at ease for a few hours, and there was so much on it these days. He had not forgotten his promise to allow @Isley to teach them basics of her trade at the Family Meeting, and he had every intent on allowing her the time on the floor to address it and spread her knowledge; but there was much for them to discuss as a Family. The potential alliance with Donnelaith, his stance on breeding — something he had not really worked out in his mind until Furiosa had posed the question to Isley pushing it to one of the forefront spots of his mind —, the situation with Zephyr, Chusi's ex-guardian.

It was the previous one that caused the stoic, hard look to settle across the melanistic coywolf's sharp features. Chusi hadn't deserved that situation. She'd been a child of unfortunate circumstance, passed from one caretaker to another. Even Arturo himself had uprooted her from his lovely mummer to bring her to Teaghlaigh. He had given her the choice, though. To stay with Lotte or come with him. Lotte hadn't abandoned her and the two were free to visit one another (of course Arturo wasn't about to complain about Lotte visiting his Forest). Not even the routine of border patrol could calm the writhing storm of his thoughts, though he made an effort to push them aside and focus on the border as he paused and marked a section of it before he pushed forward, determined to strike the balance between his thoughts and his patrol.

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Isley was still mulling the concept of children over. No doubt she would go into heat in the following year, probably after the seasons shifted into something more favorable. To have children so close to winter seemed a death wish to her, something that she would not subject her offspring to no matter what. She swallowed back a soft sigh, pausing in her trek around the forest as a cool breeze picked up. They needed their caches strong, needed to be certain of their stocks to survive winter as it approached. Certainly it would be here in a moon, maybe less, and she did not know for certain how prepared they were. 

It was better to think of practical things than of the children Furiosa had put in her mind. Looking back on the conversation she had not even questioned her position with Palisander - instead, it was only a question of the potential of offspring. Still, she was uncertain if her orange eyed paramour was interested in fatherhood yet or if he longed to continue his boyish games. She caught Arturo's scent, halting her movements with her head lowered respectfully. "Sir,"  She greeted, green eyes focused on the ground for a moment. 

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The soft footfalls nearing him became aware to Arturo before her familiar figure materialized from the large sequoias. Isley was a striking contrast against the earthen colors of the forest around them, a brilliant streak of fiery colors, tempered by the vivid green of her eyes. His steps drew to a slow as she approached ceasing when her own halted. She lowered his head and greeted him formally. “Isley,” The Ceannasach greeted her with an acknowledging dip of his head. “How are you?” Arturo inquired, genuinely interested in her response. Their moral and well being was important to the gangster. A last glance was given to the territory outside of their borders and when he was content that there was no immediate threat of danger he turned his attention back to her, offering it raptly and freely.

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Her tail gave a couple wags as Arturo asked about her. It was pleasing to feel her leader genuinely cared about his packmates, something she was finding settled her more than anything else. Her tribe had been close, it had been family in both blood and companionship - and she wanted the same of the Forest. She hoped desperately for that and so far she felt rewarded for her trust and her efforts. "I am well," She said with a small smile - her wounds had faded and in some places scars had taken hold, in others, her fur was returning. "I feel that Teaghlaigh is prepared to fend off our enemies." She said with a fond look as she finally met Arturo's eyes. It would not take much more time before they would call out to claim the pack formally. 

no need to match the length, haha. arturo needed to vent apparently. ;p

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“Good,” Arturo offered Isley a small, warm smile. “I'm glad to hear it.” He added honestly. A soft chuckle left the gangster's lips when Isley added that she felt Teaghlaigh was ready to fend off enemies. “I do not doubt it,” He murmured, his fiery eyes dancing with amusement when the fire kissed woman met his eyes. A vibrant green against the flame of his own. “We're growing, rapidly,” The smoky reticence of his accented voice was deep, like the roll of thunder from a gathering storm as he contemplated her words. “We're strong and the talents of each of us are varied. It's a good balance. Everyone had exceeded my expectations and there are no words to express just how proud and grateful I am for you and everyone.” Arturo confessed to her, earnestly. Arturo knew that without them he and Teaghlaigh would be nothing and the credit was as much of theirs as it was his. Teaghlaigh wasn't his accomplishment. It was their accomplishment and they were entitled to bragging rights and pride for their own hard work just as he was.

Arturo inhaled deeply and let it out in a slow exhale. “I keep telling you things about the meeting before hand,” Arturo drew with a soft rumble of a chuckle and a sheepish glance sent her way. “but the more I think about it, I'm not so sure I want to push the spotlight on Chusi about this ...incident,” Especially in case it cut her every time he mentioned it. “I haven't decided how I'll go about telling the others but there's been some trouble. Her caretaker before me, and before the woman she calls her big sister,” For the respect of Lotte's privacy he kept mention of her vague, though his eyes which had hardened at the talk of Zephyr had warmed measurably as his the beautiful Donnelaith mummer came to his mind's eye. “came to our borders, seeking to join. Chusi had came, whether she wanted to hone her guardian skills or because she recognized his voice. He told her that he was sorry for leaving her, and ...I'm not sure what happened. I'm not sure if he was jealous that she clung to me and did not readily jump into his embrace. I allowed Chusi to decide whether I should give him a chance and accept him into our Family or not. She vouched for him but when she offered him the olive branch he refused it. Tried to make her feel guilty, I suppose.”

“He told her that he would leave her here, that it was better for everyone. That he would visit her when she was grown because he didn't want to make it hard for her,” Arturo's teeth had begun to grind together speaking of it, his blood boiling beneath his skin, because the sound of her sob as she pressed her head against him would forever haunt him. “I told him he didn't get to make that choice for her, that sometimes you'll upset your children and if it was a misunderstanding, as he said, then he could accept her offer and that he and I would talk like men and he could fix what was broken between him and her, but that it would take time and his patience.” His salmon tongue drew across his jowls with more force than was necessary, his eyes hard as he stared ahead, not realizing how much he needed to talk about it to someone aside from Chusi. Chusi's understanding and healing process was more important to him then his own need to vent but now that he was confiding in Isley about it he found that he wanted to vent it out.

“I told him if he turned his back on her and ran that he would never be welcome in Teaghlaigh, that if he was caught near our borders or in any of our surrounding territories the order would be to kill. I will never forget the sound of her sob when he shoved her second chance back in her face. He hurt her and it was like he didn't even care. He told me he didn't want pity but that if she wanted him here we could talk. By that time the damage was already done. Chusi told him if he didn't want to be here then to leave and he didn't even stay and try to fight for her. He just fucking fled. Chusi didn't deserve that and I wish I could go back and — and protect her from it.” Zephyr had slighted and hurt Chusi and The Family looked out for their own: thus he had slighted and hurt Teaghlaigh. “Now she's afraid I'm going to leave her, like he did.” And that hurt Arturo. He didn't take it personally, no, he hurt because she hurt, because abandonment became something she feared. Perhaps she even felt unloved — which was something no child should ever feel.

“His name is Zephyr. He's black with distinctive white markings on his chest and paws, he's got green eyes and scars on his face. So if you, or anyone finds that fucker anywhere near us you instill the fear and wrath of The Family in him. Better yet, you bring him here and I'll kill him myself.” Arturo didn't care how it made him look. There were many different sides to him, and the merciless gangster was not one that anyone truly wanted to see. He loved The Family and the Arturo they saw was vastly different from the distanced, cold gangster the associates and outside world saw, save for a rare few. And perhaps he was being over protective of Chusi but, in all fairness, it wasn't anything he wouldn't do for any one of them. He was the Head of The Family, after all, and protecting them was apart of his job.

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A part of her, a large part, felt honored that Arturo would choose her council and to keep his secrets. She was an ambitious thing with eyes eventually on leading herself, but she had no desires to take a position now while she was still recovering and they were focusing on establishing themselves. Isley listened, her facial expressions shifting as the story was given bit by bit. It was clear that it enraged the leader and Isley briefly reached out, snout rubbing his shoulder as if to soothe him and to offer her support. 

"It is horrendous that he would be willing to walk away from her. Had I a child of my own, or one I had cared for, they would have to be drug from me by tooth and claw and I would not stop until my heart did." She said, her voice a lower more icy register than she had ever used around the man. Palisander had heard her angry, heard the tone she took when threatening someone - her tiny body was deceiving for the strength of her fury. "She will recover - she will learn to trust in our love and our strength in ways she has never been able to." Isley was certain of that.

Isley turned her head up to look at Arturo, tongue teasing against a canine for a moment. 'There are fates I can inflict far worse than death." She said with a smirk. "It just takes creativity; he sounds like a fool, it would not be hard to trick him."

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Isley listened as he spoke, as to which Arturo found himself immensely grateful for. It was best to work out his feelings on Zephyr's appearance and the idea that he would brazenly return even after the threat of death had been issued from Ceannasach's lips now and be able to deliver the words clearly and concisely at the Family meeting. He glimpsed over at her when he felt her snout touch and rub against his shoulder. Arturo was reassured that he had not reacted rashly at the low, angered and icy tones that Isley used as she spoke that she would never abandon her child(ren). Arturo had made the decision that had felt right and he would have done it for any of them not just because Chusi had become like a daughter to him. Yet, that also played it's own role. She was a child and she had been abandoned more than Arturo cared to count. It wasn't fair to her and he knew that taking her from Donnelaith, even if it meant stealing her from his lovely scarfed mummer, had been the right choice. She needed the stability that he and Teaghlaigh could give to her. She deserved to be loved and to know that she was loved.

“Thank you, Isley,” He murmured to the flame kissed woman. Truly, he was extremely grateful for her and he believed her words. Chusi would recover and she would realize that he and Teaghlaigh loved her and unlike the others (excluding Lotte, of course) they would not rip their love from her. Arturo eyed her, took in her smirk and words with careful contemplation. The idea of making Zephyr suffer was a pleasurable one to the gangster but her words of him being a fool went against his idea of “demonizing one's enemies was bad ethics and strategy”. “It's never wise to underestimate our enemies,” Arturo spoke softly. “but I would not mind letting that bastard suffer as he has left Chusi to suffer not once but twice.” Pay back was supposed to be a bitch, after all, and you didn't cross a Fearghal without suffering the consequences, and those that did very rarely lived to tell the tale.

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Isley offered her leader a gentle smile, hoping that her reassurances were not just temporary balms to his concerns. Isley truly believed what she said and she thought the best would come for Chusi as one of their wolves. "It seems that young Chusi has endured a great deal in her tender age." Isley said with a small sigh. "I came from an unfortunate situation - my mother became twisted. She poisoned me against men for a very long time - the only reason that I have come so far I would say is because of Palisander." She admitted quietly. It was not something she felt comfortable sharing with many and so far Palisander was the only one - and now Arturo. He had proven himself trustworthy though, in her eyes. 

"Teaghlaigh is so familiar to me already because Awenasa was much the same. Our tribe was tight knit, it was built on family and tradition - many ceremonies of celebration. After my Mitexi - my coming of age - I was granted permission should I want it to take leave of the tribe. My great Aunt did not want me to feel obligated to stay to tend to my mother. I know she is with the best wolves possible. Trust, despite circumstances, comes from being proven - and I know that Teaghlaigh has proven itself to Chusi." Isley trusted in the capabilities the family had shown her already, they had come together, founded something very real and true. "It is from the wolves of Awenasa I learned my trade. We have been masters of the plants for generations upon generations. Creativity gives us many options, should he dare show his face near here again." Isley was not one for idle threats, after all, and she would be happy to help extract revenge for their youngest member's sake. 

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Arturo trusted Isley. She had been one of the first to join The Family — her and Palisander. Admittedly, the gangster felt that he did not know her companion as well as he knew her but in time that would come. If he could not trust his Family then they would not survive long, admittedly. Arturo was silent as Isley spoke of her own experiences growing up, confessing to him that her mother poisoned her against men. “I am sorry you went through that,” How hard it must have been to always be hesitant, always filled with trepidation towards the opposite sex. “Palisander is a good man.” Arturo might not have known him as well as he felt he knew Isley but he didn't have to know everything about the other man to know that he was a good man.

“She's incredibly brave and resilient,” Arturo murmured in quiet concurrence. “She will flourish and reach her true potential with us.” He would make absolute sure of it. He saw that she wanted for nothing. Perhaps he spoiled her a bit too much — a bit like an over eager parent — but in part that was his own paternal, nurturing nature. He was not a cold father. Strict, at times, but there had to be clear and concise rules. Blood or not, Chuis was no different from his elder children. She received the same amount of love and attention that he had bestowed upon them. Arturo enjoyed fatherhood greatly — all of it's ups and downs. It wasn't easy and they tried his patience more times than he cared to admit but he held fast onto the belief that his children were his redemption ark.

“You have my permission to be as creative as you please.” Arturo would not lose sleep over it at night and was not bothered by the idea of torture via whatever concoction Isley could whip up with her vast knowledge of plants. Which served as a reminder to him, “Are you prepared for the meeting? Do you have what you need for your demostrations?” He wasn't sure how in-depth she would be with the basics she intended to show them but he had wanted to check in with her all the same.

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"That he is." Isley agreed - Palisander had been good to her, he had risked his life to keep hers and he had not betrayed her trust. Theirs was a slow, sometimes rocky path, but it only made Isley think that there was some true worth there since they were willing to put in the time and effort. She wasn't sure if she was ashamed of her upbringing - there was of course a lot of reasons it was not ideal but she was who she was because of them. If given the chance she didn't know if she would go back and change things. Of course a happy home would have been better but she had earned the life she lived now and the trials and tribulations of her youth made their impressions on her present and on her goals for the future. 

"I am prepared. I will just offer some plants, both roots and leaves, that can be used for common ailments. I do not want anyone trying to self medicate and causing more harm than good, but, it would be a solid foundation for those that travel past our borders." Isley explained. "Come spring I have ambitions to raise a garden so that we are stocked properly for the coming years." It also revealed her trust that Teaghlaigh would stand strong in the years to come - of that she had no doubts. 

wrap this up soon? :D also, sorry for the short, crappy post.

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Arturo listened as Isley spoke that she was, indeed, ready for the meeting. The Ceannasach offered the fire-kissed Leifteanant a sage nod of his head in approval. “Good,” The gangster mused aloud though his nod had likely been enough to communicate his satisfaction to Isley. He drew in a deep breath, knowing that there would be a lot to cover in the coming Family meeting, yet he looked forward to it. He valued their individual opinions and he found that a pack functioned much better when everyone was on the same page. “If I am not keeping you from anything,” Arturo began, offering her an out should she wish not to join him. “would you mind running a patrol with me?” He inquired with a cant of his muzzle. She could say no, and regardless of her answer he intended to continue on with his patrols. “If you don't mind. You don't have to say yes.” He added with a wiry smile towards her.

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