Wolf RPG

After leaving his gift for Kiwi at the borders of the Copse, Artaax's paws did not stop until he came to the edge of Drageda's claim. He was tired from his jourmey, but seeing his home stretched out before him was reinvigorating enough to waylay that exhaustion. He never considered before that he had left the pack or forfeited his rank. In his mind, he was still Drageda and would always be Drageda, no matter how long away from home he was. But still, he paused at the borders like any other stranger begging attendance, tilted back his head, and called for @Blixen.

There were things to discuss before he stepped onto Drageda's soil and slipped back in with the ranks. Things his sister may or may not like. Actually, she probably wouldn't like them. She never liked anything. But that perhaps wasn't fair of him. Maybe Thuringwethil's death had changed her. It had certainly changed him. So he kept his mind open as he waited - a very bizarre thing for Artaax to do, but like I said - the boy that left in a torrent of rage and heartache was not the stoic man who stood calmly on the precipice of his home.

If Artaax wanted to go on some self discovering pilgrimage through the Teekons, the least he could have done was told somebody. Blixen, Bobby, Dio, hell he could have just just tossed up an "im going away for a bit, peace out" howl and saved everyone, especially his family, the trouble of worrying about him. He had selfishly left not only his home, but all of his responsibilities behind and now here he was calling for his sister rather than the leaders like Rose believed he should have done.

She assumed Blixen would answer and rightfully go on to question where he's been all this time but, would ultimatley let him slide back in, claim the title of Feisripa and continue on as if he'd never been gone. Fuck that. If he wasn't going to be labeled Natrona then he sure as hell deserved to be called Branwoda and Rose intended to make sure his abandonment would not go unpunished. So despite the call not being for her, the Opkepa answered it anyway and settled herself a few feet away from him, silent while she waited for Wormana to show up.

Artaax allowed his eyes to unfocus in the time he spent waiting for attendance. The rest of his senses stayed alert though, which is how he was able to snap his attention smoothly to Rose when she strode through the woods to him. He peered at her silently, remembering how very nervous this woman used to make him. He'd been so emphatuated with her as a child. He'd brought her meals when she was hurt, but been so nervous about actually speaking to her that he'd just abandoned them somewhere near her den in hopes that she would find them.

Funny how so much of his world was so different now.

She said nothing aloud, but the hardness in her eyes spoke volumes. He dipped his muzzle to her by way of greeting, but otherwise kept his own silence. He hadn't come to speak with Rose. He'd come to make amends with his sister and find a way to start moving forward again. Together.

Rose was forgotten when Blixen thundered into the scene. He sat calmly as she rushed him and didn't fight when she grabbed his ear in her teeth and yanked his head down. He'd expected this sort of greeting. If she hadn't attacked him, he'd known he was in some real serious shit with her. Violence and shouting was a good sign. Of course, he'd had no expectations of receiving anything different.

He followed her lead with the language choice. He'd always felt more comfortable in it anyway. "West," he answered simply as he gently tugged himself away from her and gave his head a centering shake, "To the mountains." He settled his gaze on her for a moment before informing her of the obvious (since she'd probably missed it), "I am back."

Blixen accepted his epic tale easily and was smart enough to not ask any further questions. She clearly knew him well enough to know that was all she would get because that was legitimately all he had to say on the matter. He would keep his run in with Kiwi to himself, as well as his encounters with the girl who’d tried to clean him and the one who’d he’d had a whose-life-is-more-tragic shouting match with. Not because he didn’t want his sister to know, but simply because he didn’t see the point.

The news she proceeded to share was not expected, yet the feisripa took it in stride. The cliffs did not mean for him what they once did, only the family he had left here. And if they were leaving (and by they I mean Blixen and Mallaidh - the rest could go fuck themselves), then so would he. The only thing he didn’t particularly like was their choice of Trigeda. He had never trusted wolves from their sister packs, but he was learning to reconsider where he placed his trust. He had once trusted his mothers to never leave him, and seeing as that had worked out so well for him, he considered that perhaps he ought to alter the way he trusted.

He also thought it was stupid to leave because of Rusalka, but he let that go too.

”When?” was all Artaax asked. His gaze flickered briefly to where Rose has stood, only now noticing she had slipped away at some point. He wondered who else would join them, but held that question back for now.

The answer he was given was short and obscure. A frown slid across his face at this, but he held his tongue as she continued and made it a little clearer. As soon as he'd reconciled himself with leaving (which had taken all of twelve seconds), he'd decided they might as well just go now. There was no reason to linger here. The cliffs held only ghosts and memories now, both of which he could do without.

Artaax followed as she beckoned and responded to her comment with a softening of his features and a small nod of his head. It was the closest he could come to saying the same. "Will the whole pack follow?" he asked as his mismatched eyes wandered across the trees. So familiar, and so soon to be just another part of his past.

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They would talk for a while, Blixen sharing her plans and then finally, Artaax sharing his. Overall, he was glad to hear that one in particular of their number had turned natrona. He was on death's door as it was considering Artaax had no intention of allowing him to continue in his role as cheka. He would strip the man of the duty he had failed. And, in traditional Drageda fashion, would end the man's life.

Because Artaax had decided that day in the crag that no one could be trusted to keep his family safe. Only was capable of doing the job. He who had no real loyalty to Drageda or to their ancestors. Fuck the pack and their glorious history. He saw now what loyalty to those ideals could do, and he would have none of it anymore. He had loyalty only for those he loved and for the things that could be trusted not to bring harm to them. The pack had failed to stop Thuringwethil from jumping, so fuck them. The ancestors had told her to do it, so fuck them too.

Artaax would protect his sister from any threat that came to her. No one else was willing to question the narrative that had been drilled into their brains since birth. Artaax had always been stubborn, ignorant, and unflinchingly obedient. His job was to protect those he loved, so now he would. He would protect Blixen from her own damn self if that is what it took to keep her safe.

There were likely protests to this plan. Blixen was no longer Wormana and that perhaps meant there was no longer room for a cheka at her side. Artaax would do his usual and not listen. Blixen was fully capable of protecting herself and didn't need him haunting her footsteps from now until eternity. Artaax wouldn't listen to that either. He would inform her she was an idiot and of course she needed him. She always had. And maybe that would placate her, or maybe she had been placated from the very beginning. I don't really know because Artaax wouldn't pay attention anyway.

He would just do it. Because Blixen was his home, along with Mallaidh. Wherever they went, so would he. And it wouldn't matter anymore that there was no cliff, no redwoods, no hougeda, and no mothers to watch over them. They would have each other for always. Because Artaax had decided that was how it would be. He'd had his last lesson, and he was ready now.