"We had a visitor today," Dwin began, when everyone, who they could find in the caldera had assembled at the old rendezvous site. "Alaric - a representative from Moonspear. It turns out that one of ours - Anathema - has been involved in a very nasty incident," she told. "She attacked and seriously injured one of their youth. As I understand - the fellow is in bad shape, but he will survive," Dwin summed up. "Bronte was there as a witness - so she can fill us in on the details," she cast an encouraging glance at the girl, pausing to give her time to speak, if she wished so.
"Anathema has not been around caldera for a long time now. It looks like Ponyboy has gone with her as well, but I understood that he was not involved. Might not even know, what had happened. I promised to Moonspear that we will look for her and prevent her from leaving should she return," Dwin went on. "They want to question her and they promise not to pass any judgement or punishment, should it happen that they are the first to get hold of her. At present it does not seem that this has affected our relationship with Moonspear wolves, but this does raise a serious question on, who we agree to accept in our ranks in the future," she said, falling silent and letting everyone else speak their mind.
Maia stood quietly aside as Ceridwen made her announcement, both incredibly proud of her daughter and deeply troubled by the words she spoke. She did not like the idea of one of their wolves attacking another, but... the entire thing felt wrong. Why would she do such a thing? And shouldn't they take care of those they sought to shelter, even if other packs took issue with this? She had not handed Lilitu to Akashingo no matter the promises her niece had made. She did not think she wished to hand Anathema over either. Especially not to Moonspear.
When they come back, we should hear what she has to say. I can go speak to Moonspear if I need to, and apologize formally, but we should judge her here. She's a member of Brecheliant and we don't need them to question her. I also don't think we need to let them choose who does and doesn't belong here.
Maia broke in quietly, but firmly, looking at Dwin with warmth. She did not want to question or contradict her daughter's words, but she also knew she couldn't support the outcome that was asked of them.
Brecheliant would always take in any who approached it with an open heart, and Anathema had need a home. She couldn't imagine what would make the girl turn on another child but something must have happened. Maybe she belonged here, maybe she didn't, but in the end that was their decision to make.
I'm glad the Moonspear seems reasonable, and I want to trust them. But I've seen their idea of justice before, and I think we should be careful. Try to understand more before we judge too harshly.
Different wolves lived there, but she couldn't shake her conversation with Kukutux. How Arcturus and Wraen had both been branded enemies just for choosing to disagree. Doubtless the wolves of the mountain were deeply angry right now, as they had every right to be. But angry wolves rarely made rational decisions.
Amalia'a ears perked forward at her brothers name. She had no doubt he had been kind in his approach or at least mannerly. He knew how to handle such things. But it seemed leadership didn't agree at least now how it should be handled.
Amalia chose to decide it was not her job to see how leadership thought so instead she offered services she knew she could do. Though her scars grew tight at the thought.
I have been a scout for awhile. If you should like me too. I can begin searching for them and can bring them home if I find them.
Sylvie sat among the crowd, unsure what to say or if anything she said would help. She kept her circle tight, and Anathema was not a part of the select few, but Ponyboy was. She frowned deeply at the news of his disappearance, disliking the sound of it.
J-Just let me know if I can d-do anything,
she spoke up next, keeping her head low and her eyes on her sister; she'd know how to use her if needed.
ponyboy.
teya had no investment in anathema, and her thoughts were for him and for her own. she wasn't prepared to welcome the girl back but was leery of mentioning anything until the pair had been found and questioned. or perhaps not questioned.
suppose her murderous antics had rubbed off on her impressionable son? teya would never give herself mother of the year awards, but this —
she stood. as raven, she too was expected to make a statement. "i agree moonspear not choose for us. but i say also if anathema comes back, she never left alone. always with someone."
she looked toward amalia. "i leave with you, if you will come. we find them. i sure they close. ponyboy is hurting. maybe split ways with her. but we need to know. no need to say anything to moonspear till the kids found."
injuries could heal. allowing moonspear rein over their internal affairs would not.
Bronte let Ceridwen speak first, addressing everyone who had gathered. She sat right next to her older, gray packmate. A sign that the two of them had already conversed. Her expression was pensive. Serious. Blonde brows slightly pinched in worry as she stared at the ground.
Her rotating ears digested every word, every detail that Ceridwen offered. When she looked up, it was to each wolf, to see their response.
Finally, she spoke.
"Anathema ran off before I could speak with her. I don't know where she would have gone." Likely, no one else would have, either. "Aside from Alaric of Moonspear, there was one other wolf, a little younger than me, there to pull Ana away. I assume she was a sister or a cousin. Silver white, with green eyes."
Maggak. But she was of Moonspear and needed there to look after her brother. She drew in a breath. "As for Moonspear...we need to find Ponyboy and Anathema first. She is our problem. Not Moonspear's." She looked for Killdeer among those gathered, but did not see him. "I will search as well."
Maia spoke wisely and Dwin agreed that Moonspear was not to decide, who lived with them and who did not. "Mom, if it was any of ours," she implied of their kin, "I would fight tooth and nail for them. But she was a stranger of unknown origins, brought here and allowed to stay, because Ponyboy vouched for her, while in reality we knew and still know hardly anything about that girl," she said, her voice cold. "She may have caused similar trouble elsewhere," she added.
"Anathema made herself Moonspear's problem. If that kid she injured dies, formal apology will do nothing to make it better," Maia had to understand, she was a mom herself. So did, Teya. What would they want to do in the other pack's position? No more, no less than the same.
"If handing her over to them is a way to protect us all, I will be the first to volunteer," she told. Better lose one packmate than endanger the lives of everyone here. "We are at a disadvantage here - Moonspear has the numbers and the full support of all the other Moon-packs, should we decide not to cooperate," she told. "Besides I do not want to see her here either - if she is unstable and dangerous, she will be a threat for us all. We lost one good wolf to injuries last year," she said. "We do not need to lose any more."
"Sylvie and I," she looked at her sister encouragingly and, when she did it, her stern features softened. "Will be heading out northwards. Ask around, if anyone has seen them there," she told. "And someone has to stay here too, in case they return," Dwin said.
oof sorry i am so late!!
Deliberations were already happening when Killdeer arrived, looking abashed at his late appearance. He knew through the grapevine, vaguely, of the drama happening—and was completely at a loss for how to address it.
Anathema? Didn't know her. Apparently Ponyboy did, though, and he'd gone off with her.
And though he knew Bronte, and knew Moonspear, he did not feel comfortable enough yet to step forward and volunteer for this mission.
The girl should probably suffer for her incalcitrance. But his brother. . .
I'll look for Ponyboy with you,
Killer said to Bronte, eyes and voice firm.
We'll split up, make sure we cover the ground. We'll find him.
Maia shook her head. Dwin. She became ours when we accepted her. I wont turn her over without hearing what she has to say first. Is that understood?
She trusted her daughter, but for once, she would be pulling rank. Ceridwen was not a leader, at least not yet, and while Maia would love to see her step into that role she did not like the easy way that Dwin dismissed one of the pack so casually. It didn’t bode well to her.
She swallowed the discomfort, glad that it seemed she and Teya were at least in agreement. The girl would be watched and questioned if they found her. But there had to be some explanation. Nothing about her had spoken of wanton violence when they’d participated in the hunt together. She’d seemed shy. Awkward. Not bloodthirsty.
They could search, do what they could to find both. And when they were found, Maia herself would carry the message to the mountain.
maia's voice was firm, and teya waited for an expectant hush to fall over brecheliant as they paid attention to ceridwen and her mother. "brecheliant is just us, yes. we not have a bunch of brechpacks," she joked lightly, hoping to break tension for the others. "so we must show them now, and first, that we not to be pushed around. moonspear make one decision for us, moonspear will make another."
dwin's command of the situation and clash with the older leaders reminded teya of the conversation they'd had, where the younger had not wanted to step up. like maia, the raven would not push it, but she leveled a look of interest at dwin that almost asked if there was now ambition.
she and sylvie would go, amalia and teya would go, bronte and killdeer would go. she bit the inside of her jaw for not having invited bronte first, but smiled at the girl and her older brother. it would be a chance for them to bond, and stars knew that killdeer would be far better company than she.
"we look for her. we find her. we bring her here," teya emphasized. "then we decide how to involve moonspear. ana is brecheliant. brecheliant handle this."
she wanted to delve now into directions, where which team would go, and which ones would stay behind. teya was thinking of staggering the departure of the parties as not to leave so much of the caldera uninhabited at once, and knew dwin would be a help with strategy, but not until this conflict was resolved.
"Yes, Maia," Dwin turned her gaze away and dipped her muzzle in respect, but, because she never addressed her mom by her name, this was a subtle expression of her not agreeing with her at all. Frankly speaking, she did not like the ease and almost carelesness of Brecheliant, when they accepted a new member in the ranks. Give them a chance - yes. But trust them right away, not knowing them through and through? No. Dwin did not agree with that. Trust was something you earned over time and Anathema had not done anything particular to impress Dwin. Other than being the quiet and withdrawn girlfriend of Ponyboy's.
She remained silent for the rest of the conversation and only spoke, when it was absolutely necessary. After that she left the group to think things over in solitude.