Wolf RPG

After what had happened to Drago on that lone peak, Verx wasn't sure what brought him into the mountains. Particularly these mountains. The chance of running into one of those Diaspora wolves was all too high, and yet --

He'd once been one of them. He had family among their ranks. Former kru. His children had been born there. He'd always feel a connection to Stigmata's pack, no matter how far he removed himself from them. He'd put roots down too deep for them to be forcibly ripped up.

The brute let out a gusty sigh, tracking deer in the vast valley. He wondered why Diaspora had chosen that lake rather than this valley as a home base. It was beautiful here, not to mention huge. But with a sizable swath of land came a steep duty to guard it. The more borders, the more chance for permeation. And besides, he was under the impression that Stigmata claimed these entire mountains for himself, others be damned.

A red-tailed hawk flew overhead, letting out a cry, as if to also mock the self-proclaimed King of the Crags. Vercingetorix let out a laugh, enjoying the brief moment of coincidence.

today, praimfaya makes the executive decision that she wishes to travel further than they have before and to both her surprise and her delight, blodreina does not argue. you are wanheda, and though she is your mother your word is law. the blood of the commanders is your blood. linkoln's voice affirms to her as the mother and daughter duo make their way north(ish) of diaspora. still, they do not venture from the sunspire mountains. after their last excursion, priamfaya gets the feeling that her mother is loathe to travel too far from ingram or diaspora.

the vale is a stunning cocoon of paradise, rich with trees and lakes. an oasis nestled safely in the rugged and unforgiving peaks of rockborne fortress that protect it like rows of monster teeth. praimfaya shrugs through the spindly branches of an emerald evergreen tree just as a red-tailed hawk lets out a cry from overhead and she takes abrupt note of the ebony colossus a few feet away as he laughs, noting that his throat is marred by heavy scarring. frostbound silver gaze studies him and then her head swings towards blodreina, whose body grows taunt with tension.

praimfaya remains unaware of blodreina's current views of the man they stumbled upon — and their blood relation to him. despite blodreina's ironclad opinions, the wanlida does not enforce them upon her wanheda, knowing that it is important that the future commander of death form her own opinions and views on things whether or not they matched with blodreina's own. hei, praimfaya calls out to him in greeting, assuming ( as she has to all the others before ) that he would not understand trigedasleng but that it was similar enough to common that it's purpose as a greeting would be understood.

Two of them, one big and the other small (but growing!). Verx had left before the girl's birth, so he wasn't acquainted, but to his niece he gave a beaming, albeit awkward, smile. Then, he turned to the younger of the two, who had greeted him in Trigedasleng.

Hei, he shot back, wagging his tail. What's your name, goufa? He wondered if his children would be familiar with the girl. Probably. He hoped she had been a good friend to them.

His eyes met Blodreina's, still a bit sheepish and apologetic as well. Hei, Blodreina. It's good to see you. And it really was, despite the fact that they'd never gotten on all too well. Any chance to see kru was something he'd seize and run with.

the ebony man greetings her friendly enough and more intriguing to her than the familiar way he greets blodreina, he speaks trigedasleng. fluently. despite her best attempts to stifle this, this discovery both delights and excites praimfaya. he is one of her people — for she is quick to believe any that could speak trigedasleng were kru. praimfaya, she offers him and steels her gaze as in the next breath requests, what is yours?

only after praimfaya has finished her question does blodreina greet the male with a cool "verx,". it becomes apparent to praimfaya then and there that the two know one another. you speak trig. you are kru? though it is less of a question as it leaves praimfaya's lips and more of an assumption; continuing in trigedasleng as she goes eager to speak in the language of her people with more than just blodreina for a change.

Blodreina's icy reception was far outweighed by the girl's willingness to speak. Praimfaya, he repeated, grinning. Fierce name for a fierce girl. My name is Vercingetorix. . .but you can call me Verx for short. I'm your. . .great uncle? Your mom's dad was my big brother.

At her next question, he nodded, happy that she seemed to know so much about their old life. He had Blodreina to thank for that (and for his children's Trigedasleng knowledge, as well). Sha, I'm kru. Well. . .some would think otherwise. But I still call myself kru, and I'd call you kru, too.

He wanted to meet his niece's other children, too. Where were they? You got any brothers or sisters? he inquired, tail wagging. A big, happy, Trigedasleng reunion in the valley.

very well then, verx. praimfaya says, using the shortened version of his name with a sage nod of her head. she likes the sound of his name. it is unlike any name she's heard before and though the usage of a shortened version feels personal she is glad that he's offered it to her all the same. it wasn't so different than being called 'pri' though she much preferred 'praimfaya' over shortened versions of her name. she peers over her shoulder at blodreina as he draws the connections that they share blood, though she would ask her mother about why she didn't share that they had family still in these wilds later.

praimfaya's frostbound silver gaze goes back to verx with the motion of her head, glad to hear that he too is kru. then we are kru. whatever he'd done to earn blodreina's icy silence and for some to not call him 'kru' does not affect her, she feels. everyone deserves a second chance, in her mind ( though she is much more diplomatic than her salty bitch of a mother ). he asks then of brothers and sisters, his tail wagging and praimfaya lifts her chin imperiously as she replies, i am a fos goufa. with a tone that implies she knows very well what it means to be fos goufa.

and then, to praimfaya's surprise, blodreina speaks up: "i've been training her. grooming her for her future."

Yes, we are, Verx agreed fervently, giving her a grateful stare. It was good to feel at home again, even so far away from Trigeda. He'd never be able to return there anyway, so this was the best he'd get. He'd take it.

And then she dropped a bombshell on him.

The brute turned his widened eyes toward Blodreina, giving a slow, absent nod as she spoke. Wow, that's. . . How would that work, anyway? Hadn't he heard through the grapevine that Ajatar had taken over as Heda? Were there other fos goufas? Could Praimfaya be a true fos goufa, given her mother was natrona?

So many questions, and yet he felt no need to ask them. What an honor, Vercingetorix finally said, looking down at the fierce girl. I'm sure you know that, though. Your mother is a great teacher for you. In normal circumstances, she would make a fine heiress. But in normal circumstances. . .

Shouldn't she be taken away? his silent stare queried, eyes once more on the elder of the two women. He just didn't see how this could work. And it seemed cruel to fill a child's head with fairy tales, of things that would never come to pass.

"i know she can never be heda," blodreina clarifies. "because of me and my choices, but she is still fos goufa and she will be a heda. wanheda. i can do that much for her at least." blodreina replies. praimfaya feels a frown twist her lips as she glimpses back at blodreina and then looks back to verx. i see no natrona's here. she reaffirms to both of them, well aware of blodreina's guilt. the ferocious wanlida has told her of it and her mixed feelings of gratitude on a few, rare occasions where she talks about what happened.

the atmosphere feels too heavy and praimfaya deigns to make it lighter once more. there was no place for guilt here. she will never be accepted by the other gedas and that was ok. if they wouldn't accept her, if they dared to call blodreina a natrona then she didn't want them anyway. she would make her own geda. she's embracing her future as wanheda willingly. she is a good teacher, praimfaya hums in agreement and peers up at verx. you are kru also ...would you mind teaching me too? and then praimfaya adds quickly. from time to time at least, if you're not too busy, of course. though part of her prepares to be turned away just in case.

He pursed his lips, letting out a small hmmmm at Blodreina's explanation, but otherwise said nothing. It was only when Praimfaya spoke that he opened his mouth, going wide in his trademark grin again. I agree, he replied fervently, wagging his tail. No natronas here.

The request took him slightly by surprise, and he left his jaw hanging slightly, ostensibly hoping to catch some flies. A second later, he closed it, nodding a little sheepishly. Sha, Praimfaya, he responded. I can't get away very often. . .I have kids in the pack where I live. Dragomir and Isilmë. Do you remember them? They lived at Diaspora, once upon a time.

Before their bonehead parents ripped them away from the mountains. What's done was done, though.

Maybe you can come and visit, sometime? he suggested, including the both of them in his inquisitive look. We live at Kaistleoki, on the banks of a river southwest of these mountains. I can teach you there.

praimfaya smiles back at him, warm and genuine as he agrees with her verdict; and while her question leaves him slightly open-mouthed praimfaya lets out a small involuntary giggle. her amusement is quickly overcome with his agreement and happiness blooms large beneath her breast. she half expects to be rejected because while her mother has a duty to teach her verx certainly does not. i remember, praimfaya assures him with a sage nod. i spoke to isi recently, actually. she admits and it is her turn to be a bit sheepish.

"i will escort her when she wishes to come visit." blodreina promises, speaking to both verx and praimfaya. thank you, verx. praimfaya tells him genuinely, her tail wagging behind her, glad to have ran into him.

He raised his brows with a smile as she mentioned Isi, pleased to hear that the two still had a friendship. Isi was what. . .her cousin, of a sort? He wasn't sure; it was some sort of complicated relationship he couldn't keep track of. But they were family, friends, and most importantly, kru.

They were all kru, circumstances be damned. Too bad Ajatar wouldn't see it that way.

Don't thank me yet, he teased, grinning. I'm kind of a hard-ass teacher. But then, so is your nomi. . .so maybe you're used to it already. He turned a grateful stare to his niece. Thank you, Blodreina. I should get back to my kids.

Vercingetorix dipped his head to the fos goufa—wanheda—Praimfaya. It was good to meet you, he said. Looking forward to our first lesson.

And if she's anything like my own daughter, he mused as he headed home, I'm gonna get my ass kicked.

a soft laugh leaves praimfaya's lips as verx tells her that he's a hard-ass teacher. that just means i'll be the best, she considers with a 'bring it on' edge to her tone and an imperious lift of her muzzle. as am i. praimfaya replies to the bit about their lessons. she watches as he vanishes into the horizon and turns back to blodreina with an expectant look in her eye. lets go back. she gives the quiet command and with her mother at her side, heads back towards diaspora's wondering what her first lesson with verx would entail.