The witch went east and while he had considered chasing her down into the thick forests of the grove, he knew it would make little sense. She would keep eluding him—so, the best answer he could think of was regroup… and then hunt her down, like the creature of the night she was, with a pack that could herd her properly.
It was early morning when he finally made it home—the blood crusted now, on his leg, and his ebony fur plastered with mud and muck.
As much as he desired to simply seek out the familiar sight of Jakoul’s den with their children, he instead went straight for the creek. On his way, the Mayfair tipped his muzzle up, sharply calling for Arric to report to him—they needed to move fast.
Coming to the edge of the creek, Akavir was quick to dunk his muzzle in, eager to wash the tainted taste of the woman’s blood from his teeth and snout—bitter and resentful of it.
Arric moved about the small area he was patrolling between the den of Reverie and the den of Jakoul. God he wished they were closer together.
He heard the call, gave one last look around saw no immediate threats. Told the she wolves where he was headed and went towards his leader and friend.
He smelled blood heavy on the air and it was in the dark, dark fur of Akavir. He traced along it, his eyes going to his leg.
Tell me you got some of her too please.
At the voice of his friend, the shadowrunner glanced up, a huff offered in return at first. “Oh, I did… But she’s small and squirmy. She ran further east instead of taking my advice to leave the valley. Toward the grove, likely,” he surmised, his features darkened.
With that, he stepped into the rushing creek, allowing the grime and blood to soak off—hopefully cleansing the wound to avoid infection. “We need to act fast. Call the pack together—we should try to send someone to Kvarsheim and Riverclan and give them a heads up on this woman… And then we need to send out a hunting party.”
She wouldn’t leave willingly. And so they would have to force the issue.
Arric sighed. Hate those ones. They never stand still to put up a good fight.
Arric blinked and gave a soft growl. Well that's great. What is this shebeast's deal.
Arric hated nothing more than liars and bullies and this woman seemed to be both, but there seemed to be more to teh story than what Reverie was telling. Oh he had no doubt that Moss had been honest, but Reverie was starting to make him worry that she was lying about things. He liked her sure, she was his friend absolutely, but well he just wasn't sure where her head was at most of the time.
Bellatrix? or Jasmine? Swordfish? The hunting party? We gonna leave Sword here to protect teh babies and the girls?
He was primarily worried for the babies. The girls could probably take care of themselves, but he couldn't expect them to take care of the babies and themselves. Moss would probably stay too, but he felt she would be an advantage in a hunting party too, unless Akavir bade him stay again, which was irritating, but he'd do it.
He grunted in agreement. The bi-toned woman was nothing more than a lowlife chicken—running from the events she had triggered with her threats. “Said she’s drawn to curses and abominations,” he sneered before ducking his muzzle under the water, using a large rock that jutted out from the center of the creek to break the rapid pull lest he be swept further.
When he surfaced, Arric offered thoughts on who to send—it was unfortunate at just how little options they had, given they now had two mothers and Lestan was still MIA. “Jasmine,” he considered. He hadn’t witnessed her diplomatic skills but he needed their heavy hitters closer to home… or on the hunt. “Moss needs to be part of the hunt for the woman. She clearly wants a piece of her.”
Arric shuddered. Great a demon shebeast that likes voodo. Wonderful.
Hoodoo, voodoo all of it, he stayed so far away from it, it was like a bad smell. It made him nervous. he wasn't one to give into hysteria, but there was something about those two things that just made his fur curl. It wasn't something you messed with.
Jasmine's a solid choice. We gonna talk to her privately or tell ehr at the meeting?
The next part though and he realized with a sigh. I'm staying here again aren't i?
Curses and abominations. That was the first thing Reverie heard as she wandered over to where Arric had gone to meet Akavir, drawn by the scent of blood. She'd managed to fit both Blossom and a small bundle of herbs in her jaws, and took a moment to set them both down nearby before she addressed her leaders.
It wasn't difficult to surmise who they were speaking of. You found the woman,
She said, eyes flitting from Akavir to Arric. Did she - did she tell you why she wants Blossom?
Reverie glanced down at her daughter as the question left her lips. Her sole meeting with the woman had been brief, nothing to indicate what might have warranted this.
But honestly, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know.
Akavir was about to make a comment about the reference to the curse—of magicks—and Arric’s instant discomfort on the topic when a softer voice was heard, like a whisper on the spring breeze.
Instantly, his jaws clipped shut, the topic set for a later time. A snort of amusement escaped the man as he sloshed to the edge of the creek, emerging from the waters and dripping—his own eyes then drifting to tiny Blossom—the first he had actually seen of her.
He would have questioned Reverie if she felt it wise to have her tiny daughter out in the open—most mothers he had known or seen kept close reign on their pups until at least five or six weeks, remaining in the den and away from predatory danger… But it seemed a moot point. Reverie just seemed to do things the way she did.
“Not if you want to be a part of the hunting party,” the Alpha offered his Beta first, though he wasn’t certain if both of them should go—should he stay back, then? Or, would he be able to leave the pack in the hands of Swordfish or Bellatrix while they went on this excursion?
And then, ensuring he prowled away from the tiny babe and new mother, Akavir gave a shake of his pelt—settling swiftly after that, feeling stiff from the fight, the travel and then the frigid waters.
“I found her,” he verified for the Gamma. “She seems to thrive on chaos and mischief. I got an attack on her, but she evaded me further and took off eastward.” He paused, ears sliding back as his eyes drifted to the horizon. “But we’ll get her, Reverie. I don’t even know if she wants Blossom so much as she just wants to cause trouble and fear.” Either way, he didn’t have patience for the bi-toned witch.
Arric didn't necessarily have a problem with witchcraft, he just didn't want to be on the wrong end of it. That was where the problem lied. He was fine if it was not being used against him in some way, shape or form.
Arric shook his head. You already got a piece of her. I will stay and keep the kids and girls safe.
He didn't like it, but he knew where his part was, and in a way Akavir had more stake in this than he did. After all the children that belonged to Jakoul were Akavir's and thus his right to chase her.
So she's a bully.
Reverie listened to the two leaders in silence, a faint thoughtful frown on her features. Maybe Germanicus could help,
She suggested quietly, gaze turning to Arric because he was the one who had spoken to the man after her. Then she looked to Akavir, offering a brief explanation: He's not really part of Riverclan, I don't think, but he was interested in hearing about conflict in the valley - and he wanted to set up patrols between the packs.
I brought this for you, Akavir - if that's alright,
Reverie gestured to the herbs she'd brought, but didn't make any moves toward him just yet. She wouldn't do anything without his permission. She glanced at Arric, eyes scanning the wounds he had received just recently too, and wondered if Moss would come back wounded as well. They would need more herbs, it seemed, and —
And I need someone else to teach some healing basics to,
She decided aloud. It doesn't matter who. But - you're both hurt, and this won't be the end of it.
It went without saying that Reverie could not be here every time someone got hurt, not while Blossom was still so young. It would be better for the whole pack, really, to have a healer who was not attached to a vaguely-wolf-shaped potato.
It was unfortunate he couldn’t take Arric with him—the two worked together with a precision he had never had with an other before when it came to battling at one another’s side, and he held no doubt they could certainly offer an important message to the woman stalking Reverie.
If there weren’t pups within their home, he would have thrown that caution to the wind and taken his Beta—but there were simply more important things to place at the forefront.
At Reverie’s offer, the shadowrunner stilled, shifting his weight before giving a light nod—he didn’t plan to rest long, but some herbs could perhaps help keep any infection at bay. Raising himself, he allowed her access to the teeth gouges along his flank and hip—his thoughts still at the task at hand—
“Maybe Jasmine can also tell this Germanicus then of the threat when she runs the messages to the other packs. He can meet up with us if he makes it in time. The less time we give this woman the better—I don’t want her settling anywhere too long and getting comfortable.”
At the suggestion that more healing expertise was required—he gave a grunt of agreement, a sideways glance given to the pale dove. “We’ve always needed more healers. We need to recruit…”
Arric liked a good fight sometimes and he and Akavir did work well together and they played off each other's strengths so that helped in a big way. There wasn't much they could do about it though. There were babies. And Moss was itching to get a piece of the woman. Why he wasn't entirely certain. But she ahd a soft spot for Rev. Perhaps that was what it was.
Arric's brow furrowed. What about trades? I think Riverclan has at least 2 healers, possibly more....I don't know what we could offer, but we have that at least.
Arric, would you mind holding Blossom?
She was already moving to place her daughter at his side; he'd done it before, after all. Not for the first time, Reverie wondered at the change in herself. The sight of blood didn't send her spiraling the way it once had; instead she felt an eerie sort of calm settle over her, episodic in a different sort of way. It was preferable, because she could work around it.
But it was funny, how much she'd fought the idea that her future would be rooted in such things as motherhood and healing, the path of nurturers, only to end up here. Reverie mulled this in silence as she took the herbs over to Akavir and worked quietly on his wounds. She glanced up every so often to show that she was listening, but allowed the leaders to speak for now. Honestly, she didn't have a lot to add; she'd exhausted most of her usefulness with the suggestions she'd given.
And it was all a little overwhelming. Akavir meant to hunt the woman, with a group — no one had told Reverie directly of these intentions, and so she only came to the realization now. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. All of this was her fault — all of this violence. If she didn't have Blossom to tend to, Reverie would have left then. Not to run, not to abandon her pack, but to find the woman who was stalking her. Such a meeting would put an end to all this, one way or another, she felt. Reverie knew better than to say it, though. She knew what Akavir and Arric would think of that idea.