A light rain fell, much gentler than the storms of the weeks before. This rain was warm, and smelled of Spring. As many of the Nereides sisters likely were doing, Salish anxiously awaited the coming of the warm season. The previous winter had been difficult, cold and sparse in prey. The beige she-wolf had only recently regained her healthy physique after the months of scarcity.
She was eternally grateful with how things had changed. She and her beloved sisters and finally made their pack official, and Salish suspected that good fortune was on its way. Wearing a contented smile, the girl approached the island shore and seated herself in the soft sand. Her patrol had been uneventful. She thought she had earned a moment of rest, honey eyes watching the waves of the sea crash upon the shore.
Sitting atop her perch with a characteristic song vibrating from her throat, Kalika was one of the first to feel the oncoming rain. Though the change in seasons typically brought harsher conditions to the land, she was content to find that this rain was nothing more than a gentle trickle which danced over the land. She came down from her seat to go and see the condition of Aktaie's Bridge, as it was her primary route from the islands to the mainland. As she marched valiantly through the territory, her eyes fell upon a familiar face.
Salish.
Kalika grumbled but approached for fear of being seen as rude if she had already been spotted by the Initiate. She painted a smile on her face as she approached, barking to alert Salish of her presence. Hello. How are you settling in?
she asked in her typical fashion.
The sand swallowed the sound of the approaching woman's footsteps, so that when her voice rang out over the whispers of the waves, Salish was startled, flinching slightly as she looked over her shoulder. Kalika drew near, carrying herself with the same confidence that she had displayed upon their first encounter.
Standing up as she turned around, her ears lowered and her tail swayed from side to side. She was pleased to have some company, but unforunately, she remembered there had been a certain degree of discomfort on the day of Salish's acceptance. Still not clear as to why this had been the case, Salish conveyed peace with a large, toothy smile.
I'm settling in just fine! she answered brightly. How are you doing, Kalika?
The glee in Salish's voice did not nothing but annoy Kalika further. I'm fine
, she stated simply, though with a friendly degree to her demeanor. She was a diplomat and would act as such, regardless of interpack relationships (or lack thereof). Have you met any other packmates?
They had plenty of faces for Salish to see, from their previous seven to the other two who she had brought with her.
I'm sure you're appreciating the rain as much as the rest of us are. It's a lovely day for a walk; care to join me?
As soon as the words left her mouth Kalika was filled with regret. However, she knew that holding an acquaintance was easier than gripping an enemy, so she would keep her apprehension to herself.
Salish was glad to hear the amiable tone in Kalika's voice. It eased her nerves, making her feel a bit more comfortable in the lovely, pale woman's presence. The girl wished the be everyone's friend, and while the possibility of friendship with Kalika remained to be seen, she would keep trying.
I've met a few, she replied. You, Akantha, Galateia, Indie, hmm... oh, and Gabe. Have you met him? He's handsome, isn't he? She flashed a wry smile, falling into step beside her counterpart. Gabe's was a face too beautiful to go without mentioning. And a walk in the rain would be nice. This wet sand feels so good on my paws. She was still slightly worn down from her travels, and therefore she welcomed the soft terrain underfoot.
Gabe.
Salish had made it clear that her intentions weren't pure as Kalika had hoped they might have been. Instead, she took one of the few things which Kalika called her own and made a direct challenge over his head. Her tail ticked in annoyance, though she chose to dim her impulses rather than act on them.
As Salish began the trail, Kalika came up beside her with the heat of her anger almost radiating from her frame. Gabriel is a consort. I assume he will be treated as such, correct?
I can depend on you not screwing him? Rather than using Greek, as would have been the polite thing to do, Kalika let the words fall from her maw in common to be sure that they each understood.
She would make a note to speak with Gabe about this and inform him of his own faults, albeit a bit more harshly. If he thought that he could go around to her fellow Nereids in search of easy ass, then he was much mistaken and Kalika would make sure that he knew.
What happened next caught Salish off guard. With haste the ivory woman rushed to her side, her anger all but radiating from her body. The golden girl's ears lowered and splayed out sideways. Kalika's words were spoken in the common language rather than the language of the sisterhood, confirming that Salish had done something very wrong.
She knew the ways of the Nereides, and she had not forgotten them. Yet, in her bold and rather reckless way, Salish had not thought things through. She had not considered that a comment about one of the consorts would warrant such an intense response, but that was apparently where she went wrong.
Stopping in her tracks, Salish shook her head apologetically. I was just saying that I think he is good-looking, she spoke, her tone slightly defensive. I don't have any... intentions. She was still trying to figure out why Kalika had jumped to the conclusion that she had "plans" for the snowy consort. But perhaps her words about Gabe were considered more disrespectful than she had intended.
I'm... sorry. It was difficult to apologize when Salish still believed she had done nothing wrong. However, she also did not wish to begin her life in the Nereides with an enemy.
Kalika stopped in the same beat as Salish, turning to face her with a smile on her maw. Gabe is a troublemaker; he has to learn his place, since it seems he's still a bit confused.
She gave a breathy laugh and shook her head to hide the twinge of anger on her brow. There's no need to apologize, love.
And there wasn't, for everyone had a chance to learn. If they chose to abuse that chance and repeat their wrongs, there would be no time left for them to apologize.
That's how it worked in Kalika's mind, at least.
Have you gotten around to having a proper conversation with Akantha yet? I'm sure she's more than glad to have a new recruit in our ranks. Our numbers keep growing.
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She breathed a soft sigh of relief when she spied the smile upon the other's face. She had not been certain the other would forgive her, but was pleasantly suprised when she immediately did so. Salish raised a brow, listening intently as they began to walk to the words spoken in their sister language. I should watch my mouth more often, she spoke wryly, ending the issue as she threw a glance Kalika's way.
I have not had the pleasure of speaking with our Matriarch on my own. But I'm glad to be here. Glad that our ranks are growing. It was a happy time, indeed, for Salish, and probably for all of her sisters as well as the consorts.
How is it that you came to be here, sweet?
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Sweet?
Writing it off as nothing more than a friendly term of endearment, Kalika continued the conversation with a nod and a deep breath. Keep walking and I'll tell you all about it.
Giving a slight wink, she began to trot a few steps ahead of her companion urging her along. There was much to be said, though she wouldn't give it up so easily.