Wolf RPG

Junior rested on the lakeshore, only half awake, her mismatched eyes only partially open. The sky was still dark purple in the west and great curtains of mist hung over the water. In her dreamy state, the wolf pup imagined that the far mountain was a colossal sleeping dragon, the silvery fog his warm breath furling from his nostrils.

She drowsed, then tumbled deeper into sleep even as the sun rose. She dreamed of her mother, only it wasn't Hawkeye, nor even Thistle or any other maternal figure from her actual life. She padded after this strange mother along the familiar strand of beach at Stavanger Bay. It was dark and there was a full moon mirrored in the glassy waters.

The cry of a loon woke her and Junior lifted her head, blinking blearily over the lake, which reflected the pink dawn sky. It took her a moment to remember where she was and why. Opening and closing her dry mouth, the young wolf climbed to her feet and slunk to the water's edge to drink. She then lifted her head and looked around, wondering if any of the Nereides were awake.

Aktaiê was not one to question the gifts bestowed upon her by the Mothers, least of all an innocent sprite, but they were no longer in Themiscrya where the Nereides were feared by outlying packs. Here, they were the strangers. Here, they were at the mercy of other empires (though she planned to change that in short order). While it was likely the child had been abandoned, she was old enough to have gotten lost all on her own; perhaps even purposefully. The priestess was no believer in coincidence, however, and that she had crossed paths with the sprite twice in such a short time spoke of something more fated.

Still, she could not risk angering the packs that she saw hints of in this valley. Now that the child had time to rest, and though it was nearly time for Aktaiê to sleep with the rising sun, the High Priestess set to learning more from the dark child. Upon seeing Junior move to the water's edge to drink, the amazon approached from a distance, her gait relaxed. As she neared the sprite, her voice rang out gently over the shallows, "Καλημέρα."

<style>.aktaie {border:none;} .aktaie span { font-weight:bold; color:#07ad6b; }</style>

A moving figure in the distance drew her eye. Aktaiê? Junior squinted, then nodded to herself. As the group's queen made her way closer, the pup turned her back on the lake. She remained on all fours, her head lowering until it was just below the plane of her shoulder blades. Her tail hung limp against her hind legs, the tip twitching ever so gently back and forth.

When Aktaiê reached her, she addressed the youth in a foreign language. She had only been among the Nereides for eight hours, yet already Junior had overheard several of these mythical words. Many of the wolves themselves sported monikers with roots in this mother tongue. Unlike Lasher's whimsical brogue, it sounded so much more exotic to the youth. She wanted to repeat it, yet didn't dare; she would only bungle the pretty language.

"Hi," the pup said instead, dipping her snout to the matriarch. Junior felt the pressing need to explain her presence to the queen, even though it was likely one of Aktaiê's subordinates had already informed her. "I came last night." She swallowed. She didn't feel like she might burst into tears, at least, but it was still difficult to describe what had happened yesterday and the despair that had preceded it. "I had a fight with my dad's new mate," she admitted finally, eyes falling to her paws. "I had to get away."

She wondered whether the sandy she-wolf cared and what she might think of the runaway pup. She quietly wetted her lips. I wonder if I can go back, she mulled in a typically sullen adolescent fashion. They probably won't even care if I just never show up. They can just make some new pups, can't they? her inner voice said meanly, making her eyes prick suddenly with tears. On some level, she knew this wasn't true, yet it bit into her all the same.

Since arriving to the company of her sisters, Akantha did not need his constant care. He would be within earshot if anything did occur however; lingering on the edge of the lake, trailing various women as they embarked on their own excursions, and always returning to catch a glimpse of the green-eyed girl. It was easier now with Greyjoy to accompany him. No longer was he tasked with sustaining the one adept, for there were many now.

Atlas took to wandering - carefully, and not too far. He sought out the odd new scents within the soil, traced the errant rabbit trails or other such prey, making note of potential meals and gifts that could be bestowed upon the hungry. It was during one of these idle wanderings that the consort came upon a familiar silhouette; that of Aktaie, the woman they had been set to meet. She was not alone.

The man watched in silence, stoic and alert, until prompted with the go-ahead to approach. He did not want to interrupt. The beast busied himself with investigating another path which conveniently led him closer to the pair, but he always lurked on the edge of their vision, just in case his presence was unwanted. Should the priestess need anything, he would be ready.

Her turquoise eyes swept over the dark child, and though her heart ached for the small wolf, her expression gave nothing away. If this were Themiscrya, the priestess would not have cared to hear the child's story; at least not in the way that Junior began to present it, as a petition to stay. If they were home, there would have been no need. The Nereides would have taken her in without question, without consulting the sprite's parents. Even now, it was difficult for Aktaiê to feign caring for the child's origin pack; she was old enough by Nereides standards to make her own choices.

But it would not do to make enemies in this new land.

She was vaguely aware of a consort milling nearby, and stifled the urge to show him her teeth; the presence of Junior stifled her instinct, for she didn't wish to upset the girl further. As the young wolf began to explain, upset clear in her manner, Aktaiê moved to nuzzle along her wet cheek. "You are welcome among us," the priestess assured her, "but I must know where you come from, and why."

Those five words would, temporarily if significantly, alter the course of the youth's life. Junior scarcely heard the rest of Aktaiê's request, instead focusing on the promise that she was welcome. It made her want to cry out of despair, relief and hope all at once. Her father and Fox might be edging her out of the picture, yet these she-wolves wanted her, no few questions asked.

"Will you tell me all about the Sea and the Moon and the Amazons if... if I promise to stay with you?" Junior asked in a small, slightly quavering voice. The implication was enormous, yet all she had to do was think of the pups Fox intended to have and it solidified her sudden resolve. "It doesn't matter where I came from. I don't belong there anymore. But I was born on Blacktail Deer Plateau," she said, not wishing to disrespect the queen's wishes at such a crucial moment. "And I can tell you anything else you want to know."

For Aktaie, this was not quite so momentous of an occasion; it was natural to welcome stray sisters, to bring them back to their home in the Sea's embrace. But she could almost hear the excitement tremble in the girl's body, and a smile touched her muzzle. The priestess looked kindly down upon the juvenile, and she fought the urge to ignore Junior's past completely. In Themiscrya, it would have been easier; but here, there was not a fully established pack to ward away any backlash.

"You would be taught of Them, yes," she confirmed, "and you would climb the ranks as both your loyalty and devotion to Them grew. But there are some secrets that cannot be shared until we are sure that you will not stray from us." Aktaie paused and considered the information Junior shared, internally debating whether she should press the matter of her origins further, or let it go for the time being. In the end, she settled on, "We will send a message to your birthplace, once you are sure you'd like to remain in our number. In the meantime, tell me of yourself and your heart — what do you seek to become? What do you wish to take from this life?"

Junior felt her heart galloping in her chest when the queen assented, though she cautioned that she couldn't share everything with the youth until she was fully committed. She did not think she would change her mind. There was no going back now, literally or figuratively. She bobbed her head eagerly.

"I want to be an Amazon," she replied simply, emphatically and a bit breathlessly.

Aktaie nodded, her turquoise eyes glinting. She appreciated the conviction in this child's demeanor, and the eagerness to learn rivaled that of sprites born amongst native Nereides. Regardless of where the juvenile came from, the matriarch was sure she would become a bright and shining priestess — an Amazon, no doubt, but it was like that Junior would follow in Akantha's legendary footsteps.

"I can tell you stories of our greatest Amazons, if you'd like..?" the priestess queried, her voice growing more relaxed and playful. Knowing the answer already, she set to telling Junior of the exploits of a great, dark warrioress — and only at its end would she reveal that this particular siren would live amongst them.

The matriarch did not seem to find fault in the youth's impulsive interest in becoming an Amazon. She indulged Junior, querying as to whether the pup would like to hear some stories. Although she could normally take or leave stories — they were a bit too fantastical for her tastes much of the time — she was both invested and eager to please. She bobbed her head emphatically and threw herself to the ground to indicate her willingness to listen, the rising sun giving her bright eyes a nearly iridescent sheen as it slowly burnt off the last of the surrounding fog.