there's one more thought that demands attention now that she's fulfilled the will of the first, that has been nagging ever since the warlord told her the blackfeather had fallen. she wants to see it. there is some disbelief at his words, despite the apparent sincereity of them, and it is only now that she stands at the shores of the great lake that they seem real. the wood is quiet and yet no less menacing, and there is no reek of carrion here. tongue slicks over her muzzle, still wet from drink, as she watches in contemplation the raven that swings low toward her, come out from the wood. she has avoided it for so long, to come here of her own free will seems to bring about a shift in the same way her last meeting with Vaati did, and keeps her from making headway into the wood that lays perhaps 100 meters from her.
Since laying down proper boundary markings in the name of his sister, Ramsay was rather loathe to leave his woodland home. But his nature and the instability of his upbringing demanded that he wander, so he allowed himself the luxury of extending his range several miles in all directions from the dark woods, and that was how he happened upon Cassiopeia.
He wasn't following the raven, but his eyes lingered on its sleek form as it dipped over the lake. He followed the line of its flight down to the narrow-waisted she-wolf t the lake's edge. Ramsay didn't recognize Cassiopeia, seeing as they'd never formally spent time together, and she looked so different here in the light than his faintest memory of her in shadows. Nevertheless his approach was slow and a little cautious, but he held his ears and his short tail with some assuredness as he asked, are you lost?
the wolf that came from the direction of the wood took a moment, two, to recognize for what he was. the distance between them and the darkness of his pelt made it diffucult to figure out what, exactly, had his silhouette radiate wrongness. head-on, it took her a moment longer than it ought to to pin the blame on his length. piercing this and his arrival out from the dark wood together, it was easy to match the man before her with the pup she'd known (however distantly) in the dark wood. "no," she offers, but does not name him. "that wood, is it claimed?" she motions then to the dark stain of a forest at his rear, gaze stoic.
She was not. A pity; Ramsay's question wasn't born of simple altruism, after all. But then she asked about the woods and his ears perked a little higher. Blackfeather Woods,
he confirmed, turning sidelong so he could look upon it from the corner of his eye. A place rich in history. Yes, it is claimed.
As far as Ramsay was concerned, it had never not been, even if the resident pack had fallen; now it was claimed by someone he considered worthy of carrying her ancestors' legacy and improving it.
Are you interested in it?
he asked, returning his expressionless gaze back to Cassiopeia. Her green eyes were alluring, he realized; he did his best not to stare directly into them.
he names it and turns sidelong; she can see more clearly the line of his spine, though her gaze settles on it for only a moment before moving to the wood beyond. history was a nice way of putting it, she supposed, though it was true that the wood held secrets that she would never know, far more than those few she'd discovered in her time there; secrets stretching back years. she'd been right to think the wood wouldn't go unclaimed for long, even if the warlord had been right and the original pack had disbanded. "rich in bloodlust and heinousness besides," she offers. she remembers her question to maegi - would she go back? if her brother is here, perhaps she is, too. she does not expect the wood's old legacy to live on if this so is the case, but she isn't willing to put her trust in her own suspicions. in answer to his own question, she asks, "is it still?" the wood cannot go unclaimed for long but perhaps it's denziens motives can change.
Cassiopeia had the right of it. The former inhabitants of the woods had reveled in dark things indeed, and all that had ever got them was a target on their back. Maybe once it had a genuine reputation and outsiders avoided it and respected its power, but that was likely way back in Meldresi's day. Ramsay could hazard a guess that the wood's reputation was as much the priestess' doing as anyone's. Now it still seemed a point of fascination. Cass spoke of it with neither fear or reverence, and he knew that in the end, all the bloodlust had done was turn Blackfeather Woods into a disgrace and a blight among the local wolves rather than the fearsome pack it had claimed to be.
The foolish preferences of foolish wolves,
said Ramsay, with the slightest darkening of his gaze to suggest he looked down on such things. What was the good in heinous acts if their sole purpose was to bring ruin to your family? He still remembered the invaders and how they had struck down Miraak. Blackfeather Woods had accomplished nothing but death with their feats. It is not,
he shared. The mistakes of its forebears will not be ours. We claimants desire only a place of our own, and safety, in the land of our birth. None of that other stuff.
He blinked at her, silently posing the same question: interested now?
he denounced the wood's forebearers, but it was the subsequent darkening of his gaze that moved her to believe him, tentatively. the blackfeather of the past had fallen and their wood claimed then by the very ones Potema had sought to snuff out. his use of the plural, and the fact that he acknowledged this place as their land of birth, had her curious how many of the old order were there now. his blink conveyed a clear question, but she was silent a beat before speaking again. "Maegi is with you, then?" there was a third, she remembered, but his name was lost in the slew of memories from this place. there was disappointment in knowing that the woods don't lay empty, as would provide some measure of closure, but she is content in the knowledge that it is not as it was.
It seemed that his sister's reach was far and wide. He squinted a little at Cassiopeia following her question, trying to think of if Maegi had ever mentioned another comrade. But despite some familiarity, he just couldn't place her. His memories of those in the woods besides his brother, Relmyna, and his littermates were foggy at best. He remembered how he felt about the more notorious ones and would recognize them by name, but had this been none other than Potema looking at him, he wouldn't even have recognized her face.
Protectiveness surged up in him and he fought to keep his expression clear of it as he asked, as politely and levelly as he could, who is it that asks after my sister?
He wasn't about to tell just anyone of her whereabouts. He was more guarded than that, especially because of Flicker and her 180 change in attitude when he refused her. They couldn't be too careful lest they invite trouble, so he needed to know before saying that Cass wasn't another of Damien's errand runners come to try to bargain with them.
he was defensive of her, and she was glad. when she and maegi had parted last it had been her hope that she'd find her pace, move past Mou's death. she'd been alone when they'd last met, and though her scars had been fearsome there had been no fresh ones, and cassiopeia was confident that she could look after herself. still, this place, her home, was better than being alone. "cassiopeia. I was here when you and your siblings were born. a prisoner, perhaps, but I cared for Maegi. I still do." the man's name is fleeting, somewhere in the back of her mind, but she thinks it must start with an m, an r. the third pup, she remembers only as the grey one, furtive.
It all came clear after that. Maegi had mentioned Cassiopeia and how the woman was held captive by Vaati. From outward appearances it had seemed to a very young Ramsay that Vaati's comrade was just that: his partner in all things. But Cassiopeia confirmed the very same thing, that she was a prisoner of the woods, and likely made to do the things she did just to save her hide from torture and punishment. The thought made his stomach roil.
She is well, and in the woods,
Ramsay confirmed, lowering his guard just enough that he could relax in her presence and tell all. I am sorry you were held prisoner. It is not a practice we intend to continue.
His experience with prisoners told them that all they were good for was escaping and talking. Better to kill an enemy than capture him; they couldn't wag their tongue from the grave. That said, he wasn't one to relish that thought, either. There is a place for you, as a free wolf, if you wish it
he offered with a flicker of his tongue. Maegi would be very glad.
he seems to accept this, and offers the information that has relief settle. she's glad for the girl, and for the man that stands before her. she hopes for the both of them that their claim is strong, an alien thought. never once had she thought herself wishing for the good fortune of the wood, but much had shifted in the past week alone.
he offered his home, then, and at this she paused. again, her gaze travelled out toward blackfeather, the familiar loom of it's branches. she considered it, life beneath the canopy again. she remembered the dark and the carrion and nights alone against the cold rock of wolfskull. "it is you home, but it can never be mine." she offered, soft yet firm in her decision. "still, if you ever have need of me, I will do what I can to help." she feels bound by her care for Maegi to offer this, at least.
Cassiopeia's response wasn't what Ramsay hoped for, but he understood. In a way, a part of him was reluctant to be there after so long as well, but it wasn't nearly as strong as his desire to rebuild the place under better leadership with better principles. Home was home, even if it wasn't accompanied by the happiest of memories, and hers was elsewhere.
I will let Maegi know you've been around, if you wish,
he offered instead, having dipped his head just a little, with an awkward motion, to acknowledge her wishes. A friend of hers recently betrayed her. If you happen to see a red-and-cream furred wolf in the vicinity of the woods, would you let us know?
Not that he expected Cass to stick around here for long, but more eyes meant better odds of catching Flicker before she did something rash and stupid, assuming her threat had been anything at all.
she accepted his offer with a dip of her own muzzle. he accepted her verdict with good faith, for which she was glad, and there came a kind of relief with those words. still, he was quick to offer some way in which she may help them, and her gaze narrowed a fraction at the news. she knew the burn of betrayal, the hurt and rage of it, and again did she dip her muzzle a fraction. "if I find her, I'll bring her to your borders." something rolled in her stomach, something unrelated to their conversation. "does she have a name?" her stomach calmed, but there was an offness about it. she offered no outward reaction to this, but merely kept her gave evenly on the boy.
We appreciate it,
said Ramsay, preparing himself to part ways with Cassiopeia with a shuffle of his paws. Her name is Flicker. I'm unsure where she went, but she claimed she would be back. Not in a good way.
He didn't like having to worry about such variables, but the more he dwelled on it, the more suspicion and doubt gnawed at him. Best to put her from his mind for now, let others keep their eyes out for signs of her. Is there anything you wish to convey to Maegi before I go?
Then, for good measure, I'm glad you are well, Cassiopeia. I regret that I don't have more memories of you.
she absorbed the name, the description, and placed it carefully in the forefront of her mind. perhaps she'd remain in the flatlands a day or two or more, for while she held blackfeather at a distance she was protective over those in it, mainly, Maegi and this boy who in turn protected her. ramsay. the name burst into the forefront of her mind suddenly, certain. she paused a moment at his question, searching for the right sentiment to offer. "tell her I am glad she's found her place." perhaps, in time, she'd find her own. "as am I." she offers, and her gaze settles on the boy a moment longer. "good luck, Ramsay." the words are sincere, and for a moment she holds his gaze. and then she turns and moves at a brisk trot parallel to the lakeshore, mind turning as she absorbs all he's told her.
I will,
said the dark wolf, and then, best of luck to you as well, Cass, wherever the spirits may take you.
With a subtle tilt of the head, the most he could offer without moving his shoulders to compensate, he watched he step away, then turned to return to the woods. It was a shame she wasn't returning with him, but now word was out that Blackfeather Woods was claimed once more, and not by the depraved, bloodthirsty souls who lurked there before. With any luck, that word would spread.