While Germanicus spoke to individuals, Glaukos and the others kept busy in their own ways. For the bear, it was the survey of the palace exterior.
That meant: the throne room with the plinth, which was the scene of the presumed crime. It was Glaukos' choice where he ventured and what he studied; he chose the open areas with purpose.
The interior of the palace unnerved him. It was not the crying children, the busy-body servants, or even the cloying scents filling the pathways. It was the containment of it all.
So Glaukos stayed free where he could. The plinth had been cleared; there were signs of visitors to the space, dried leafy fronds on the ground, scoured earth, and little for Glaukos to understand.
tavina watched from where she had just come up the path.
"strange to have her gone." the remark hung in the air as the sesh came forward. he was a bulky, brutish looking boy. a ton of muscle. tavina did not think much of his smarts.
"do you have any leads yet? on the murder?"
There was nothing obvious to Glaukos. The group had arrived a few days after the event and that might've made all the difference when it came to collecting evidence; Glaukos did not know what to look for in the first place. Plus, he found much of the nature of Akashingo to be out-of-place, even bordering on suspicious.
What sort of wolves lived in caves? His mind came back to that again and again. A woman's voice caught in his ear next and the young man turned to assess them.
Wiry and dark. She held questions for him.
The general has not shared anything with me.
He admitted before realizing, maybe, he should not have said as much. By now Germanicus had talked to a few wolves at least.
A thought lingers in the young man's mind while he watches the woman, but he does not speak it.
"secretive bunch, aren't you?" tavina teased dryly with no true impetus behind her words other than boredom.
so they had a chain of command. she had seen this imperator. he was a cold sort, quite the stereotype of a soldier if she had to accuse.
"well, have you eaten today at least?" she asked, sharply changing tactics.
The woman's comment drew a look from Glaukos. As much as he tried to emulate the Imperator while visiting this arid place, he could not stop the flicker of distrust that came and went upon his own features.
Knowing also that he would be staying beyond the interrogations, beyond the inquisition in to the death of the queen as required, Glaukos had to play nice.
Not yet,
he would go on to admit. Something small eased within Glaukos as he said this. He did not like to be waited on but after some time observing this place, he knew that was the purpose of the fellahin and could not rightly stop them from their duty.
Do you dine together? You slaves.
He had forgotten the proper word for the service rank in that moment but was unbothered by the replacement, or the tone of his husky voice.
"slaves?" her look was unmistakably incredulous. "there aren't slaves in akashingo, and i'm not a servant, if that's what you're asking." tavina was amused. it showed in the shining of her purple eyes. "and of course i eat with the servants. i don't consider myself above them, soldier."
how this grunt thought himself speaking to a slave was beyond her. she chuckled, still shocked. "come to the storerooms. i'll get you something. i'm tavina, the doctor, by the way."
She did not sound distraught by his use of the word, but surprised most definitely. The way the woman spoke of the fellahin gave Glaukos a new understanding of them. He would not apologize for the false words he'd spoken, as he still believed them to be true. He was not one to harp on semantics; these people all served one man in exchange for food and protection, which to him meant, slave.
The offer of food was enticing. He nodded and began to move towards the doorway that led back in to the palace, but stopped short with the dark woman in front of him. The idea of going back in there was disturbing to Glaukos.
Perhaps I... stay out here, on watch.
It was not posed as a question — and he eyed the cool shadows with more hesitation. He disliked showing this weakness before a member of a rival pack, especially as a representative of Mereo, but Glaukos could not help the constricting fear that coiled in his heart when he thought of the cavernous system of hallways and enclosed rooms.
tavina rolled her eyes. "your general is down there right now conducting endless interviews. there's no one here who could attack and hold you."
it was the truth. but this soldier knew it. why did he hesitate? if he declined again she would not press, only turn away to find food for him. maybe he was afraid of them. she wanted to know.
The last thing Glaukos wanted to do was admit to a fault within himself. Any weakness he experienced within the palace would only make Mereo appear weak, he thought, or Germanicus faulty in his choices.
He felt frustrated immediately. The way the woman rolled her eyes didn't help.
Fine. Lead the way, and -- hurry up.
The man's voice was stilted, clipped. He would hurry after her as she led the way, and go quiet in the hallway immediately. When the wall inevitably brushed against his body or he nearly stepped on the shadow-woman, Glaukos' spine went rigid, or his tail lashed with a spike of anxiety.
tavina shot him a cool, measured look. but this boy would not put her out of her own mind. and so the sesh led him below.
the scent of the flowers that bloomed beneath filled all the air, a backdrop for the sobbing. a wail echoed through the hallway. "they weep for the queen," tavina said softly.
the store-room was near the wellspring, kept cooler by the flow of water. its entrance was an arch of redrock. she did not reach for any of the small, fresh bodies piled there. "take your pick, soldier," she said instead. he would not trust whatever she gave to him, so he could get it himself.
Not knowing yet what had happened to the queen (only that she had died untimely; not that anything suspicious had been found, as his conversation with Germanicus had yet to happen —) Glaukos looked in to the storeroom with some interest.
He was given free reign to choose a meal for himself. There were dried and leathery pieces of meat, and piles of fresh bodies recently culled, which all smelled amazing to him. It was unlike the meals they held within Mereo; these things were almost herbal smelling in some ways, and so he chose one of the fresh kills.
Drawing a body to himself he looked to Tavina with some suspicion in his gaze, licking his lips, and began to strip the meat from it. Wordless, quick; Glaukos did not want to be here longer than he must.
he ate efficiently. did they teach you that in military school? her mind snarked. her lips twitched. she stood aside and away from him, looking back along the hall.
a servant passed. she greeted them with a smile and a nod, and on the figure passed. "eat as much as you'd like," tavina murmured. "and i never did get your name."
Halfway eaten, not enough to be satiated. Glaukos,
he answered through a mouthful of flesh, swallowing.
The rest went quickly enough — only bones left, which he arranged in a quick pile using his snout to pivot pieces. Licking his lips, the soldier looks to the hallway and the distant, busy figures.
How do you live like this? In the ground.
His breath is sour from the meal.
"oh, very easily. there aren't storms down here or coldness. it's well-protected and well-stocked."
"what is mereo like, glaukos?" she asked him, purple eyes curious.
Well-protected? He could grant her that, although during his time among the desert wolves he had not seen much in the way of an army, militia, or even a guard; it was why he had been sent, after all.
It is free,
he answers without thinking. I can run for miles and not reach the limits. We are protected by mountains as much as by our warriors.
He could not help but compare the two territories: the mesa appeared open at first glance but the people lived beneath it, while the sandy chasm of Mereo was more imposing, yet it was open in a way Glaukos preferred.
cool to fade this! <3
freedom. running. mountains. warriors.
"maybe i'll come see mereo myself. it sounds striking."
she was reminded of nala, somehow. "come along," she invited glaukos. "i'll show you the top of the mesa."
it was a sight to behold. kintla was flat enough to where one could see miles in every direction from such an elevated height. the dark wolf waited, hoping he would humour her.