winter begins it's descent upon the wilds, though sheltered by on the plateau, away from the sea storms and biting northern winds, rusalka finds it easier to manage. the loss of the last priestess has not slipped beneath his radar. at first, he had extended his patrols into the neutral territories touching their borders but her trail was faded and he is left to assume that she is gone.
he does not focus upon it long, though with her disappearance, he is left to wonder if the rank he occupies is ... necessary. originally, he had been tasked to guard the temple and those who would seek peace within it; and yet even that had been left behind to the keep.
it brings up thoughts of his ever-growing children, of his hope for new life in the coming months, of where he stood unwilling to speak for the pack that he called home, for the queen he called wife.
so, rusalka seeks
@Solveig; following her newest scent trail, words playing across his tongue, taking space in his mind with the ferocity of unrest.
Solveig had been travelling along the borders when she caught a familiar scent; one which brought a smile to her features. She licked her lips and tidied her coat, preening lightly so she might appear in good condition as she made her way to greet
@Tamar. The woman earned an easy smile, and an affectionate rumble in the tone of her growl used for greeting welcome visitors.
"I am glad for your visit," Solveig stated soon thereafter.
"I am happy to see more of you; would you like something to eat?" She offered, pleased to offer hospitality. She noticed that the woman came alone- she had half expected for the children to be brought over more frequently for play-dates, but she was satisfied nonetheless to earn a trip from the woman on her own.
Her husband neared, and as she caught sight of him, she beckoned for him to approach as well.
solveig was welcoming.
a large stormshadow stood not far off. intimidated but determined to make this a good meeting.
she moved to solveig's shoulder, stomach in tight twists. "i do not think i could eat." she meant it as a joke of course, a jest, but her humour fell flat. arsenio and their sons had become quieter in the last months. she felt alone.
her eyes maintained their brightness; she waited for the man to approach.
it does not take rusalka long to find her along the borders. golden gaze sweeps across her figure, appreciatively, before falling upon tamar. if there is a swell of frustration that he cannot speak to her in private as he'd intended, it is swiftly battled and put into it's place.
he is beckoned and he approaches with a warm rumble of greeting and a affectionate nip to his wife's cheek.
solveig,
he purls her name before turning his gaze to tamar. queen tamar.
he offers with a dip of his head.
the seafarer was not one to shy away from things and so, largely to solveig he broaches, there are thing i would discuss.
though what he had to share might also benefit tamar, as well, as epoch was their ally.
If there was some nervousness to Tamar's admission, Solveig did not notice it. She looked the woman up and down, noting not for the first time that she was impeccably trim. She huffed lightly. "Bahh, you will eat- soon, if not right now." She knew not to be too forceful, but she was more accustomed to wolves who fed often, and kept their waists girthy. She would like nothing more than to watch Tamar grow round, and develop fine, hearty cheeks and a nice roll to her fur when she moved.
"Ah, my husband," She greeted as he joined them, lifting her muzzle as if to prompt a kiss to her cheek. Her forest green eyes blinked when he set the tone for their discussion, and she sighed. "And he is all business," She commented with a laugh. "I will discuss any business so long as it is party business though," She said, and inhaled- shifting into a more professional mode, "I am thinking it will not be that today." She too was aware of Vaettir's disappearance, and knew that their heirarchy was ready for another shift.
"You have come as well, to discuss something?" She asked, turning to Tamar. While Solveig preferred a life of festivities and feasts, she knew how to read wolves, and had seen the gleam shear away from Tamar's gaze earlier.
a smile, gentle.
tamar enjoyed their banter and the roll of accented words. she missed arsenio. each day they spent often, each night together, but he had long been from leadership.
and he was not with her now.
it was for him she hungered.
party business; her tongue caught, but she nodded to solveig. "epoch — needs to come out of the mountains. it is isolated. one of my sons is recovering from an attack. i —" and pride flared, and she cut it down, "i came to ask if you would be interested in our numbers joining your own?"
even for the winter, just to ease the burden on what amounted to four hunters and children not yet old enough for the hunt. her eyes did not plead, but they were hopeful. "i know it is a lot to ask, and so suddenly. i am willing to go and to come back another time for your answer."
solveig welcomes the kiss to her cheek, and rusalka offers a wiry, if not sheepishly apologetic grin to tamar.
though he wished to combat that he was not all business all the time, he does not: for it was exactly that reason he had sought her today. and... it would come to be that he wasn't the only one.
tamar brings with her, her own voice of business.
she wished to join their numbers together: epoch and ravensthorpe, even if for a short while. even just to survive the winter and the coming spring... it was a good idea, and put many of Rusalka's concerns to rest then and there.
we could both benefit from joining our packs.
he gives his opinion on the matter; in favor of it. it would ease a lot of my concerns about the months to come and,
he pauses to look from solveig to tamar. yours.
a breath is taken, his next concern bubbling to the surface.
to solveig he admits, I had to come to ask to stand beside you not just as husband but in rank, to help ease the burden with the priestess gone and so that when i speak with delegates of other packs i can offer answers they seek.
but joining forces might force him to shift that desire aside.
if we join, that may not be needed. how would the leadership be divided?
he takes the initiative to ask, not too keen on bowing to wolves that were not his wife, incidentally; but he was not so blinded by what he desired and how he felt to turn away something that meant his family's survival.
"An attack?" She murmured quietly, her gaze narrowing. She would have thought that in the mountains, they might have been isolated, but safe. But in Tamar she could see and hear concern- not for just her son, but for the pack as a whole. She began nodding softly as the woman spoke, glancing to her husband to see a similar look on his features as well. Her nod grew, and her jaw set firmly.
Their friends would not go without for the winter; the Plateau would be home for them both, as one.
Her husband agreed, and she felt pride rise like a tide when he accepted what Tamar had come to ask for. She knew him to have a mind and a heart that would choose as her own did, and when he mentioned a changing of rank, the time seemed a bit odd- she wanted nothing to drag him off into the woods and be held tightly by a king- but was well received nonetheless in the company of one who would soon be a part of their family as well.
"Yes and yes," She said firmly, answering them each with the same conviction she wore as commonly as her own skin. "Though- yes, there are some matters to discuss, such as leadership. It might make the transition easier if a wolf of Epoch were to be a part of the leadership as well. Our ranks are typically trade-based, so we can integrate everyone into our system by their passion, their craft or art, if this would please you?" She asked. "It would be a pleasure to have you alongside us in leadership, if this is something you would like?" She asked.
"yes."
"my son, saleem, was hunting. he says the figure smelled like blood. he attacked. he was bitten. wolf-teeth," tamar added with a touch of quiet exhaustion.
her attention was respectful upon rusalka and solveig, though her frame almost weakened with relief to hear their acceptance. "my co-leaders and i do not expect to share your rank," the morphe assured the pair.
"we will join you as soon as you are ready and we can travel," came her next venture, tailtip stirring with pleasure.
wolf-teeth.
a soft frown tugs at the edges of rusalka's lips.
did saleem recognize the scent of the wolf?
he asks.
on the matter of the merger itself, rusalka agrees with solveig: that it would be easier for the wolves of epoch if one of their leaders stepped into leadership at raventhorpe; that it would help greatly with integration, offering someone they trusted in a decision making role of the pack that they had merged with. i agree,
rusalka adds. we would be honored to have you with us in leadership, tamar. but if you wish to step down and take a break, i understand. still, perhaps one of your co-leaders might be interested? or someone epoch trusts.
he does not intend to speak for solveig, but he believes he understands what she means, the vision she sees.
we want the wolves of epoch to know that they are family. their concerns will be heard and addressed. that they are more than just numbers to bolster our ranks.
in truth, rusalka had never been apart of a merger before, but could only imagine how he might feel, what concerns might arise within him if the tables were turned.
Her husband, newly crowned as her King, stepped into the role as effortlessly as he had stepped into the role of being a father. She had truly been blessed when she had found him, and while she did not pray often, she thanked the Gods for putting him in the right place at the right time.
The invitation extended to Tamar was encouraged, with a nod. She knew she could accept one of the others, but she knew her own preference was to have the rust-gold woman lead alongside them. She considered voicing her opinion, but then decided against it; pressuring Tamar into leadership would not likely help.
'We will have a meeting, where we can discuss it all," She said. "Once everyone has come, and had the time to settle in." The choice for leadership, however, was still in Tamar's court.
she shook her head.
wishing that there was another way to be useful, tamar nodded at solveig's words. "i would like this. and to meet everyone, together."
she wished now to go back to arsenio; she did not want to waste the last few nights beneath their red bower.
rusalka offers a nod to his wife's and then tamar's words.
so it was settled then. a meeting would follow the festivities.
with nothing more to say or add, rusalka chooses silence; content to linger by his wife's side.