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+--- Thread: Moonspear I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster (/showthread.php?tid=37723)
I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Hydra - November 26, 2019
Open! Tags for reference.
Hydra prowled Moonspear, thinking on all that they had learned of their new enemy... an enemy in which did not yet know they had gained several new ones. There had always been something so familiar about the way in which others had spoken of her... it had been in her description. Hydra, for days, had dwelled on it; she had spoken with @Dirge at length as though he might bring to the fore an old memory she could not seem to recall.
Blackhead, they had all said. Blackhead—black head. Not simply a name, a descriptor—it was not as though she had another name (though it had become, unwittingly, a moniker), she simply had a head that was black.
Hydra snarled silently; this was the woman who had attacked her father. Who had rendered one eye useless due to her assault. Her father, the only wolf who likely could ever best her other than her mother... bested by Blackhead. The womans skillset must be enormous; so, too, were her victories in her lifetime, the Queen imagined. A longer lifetime than Hydra. Who they were up against was a woman who would not be easily beaten, she now knew this for certain. Before Hydra could not hunt her, having not had her scent—a good thing, too, that. That was a battle she did not think she could have won, then.
Now, though?
She had a far better chance at it—still, though, this Blackhead had not survived for as long as she had by being idle, that much was clear. Hydra was glad herself that she had not stopped in her training and was never content to be idle for very long, either... remembering did little for her but to further solidify Hydra's justification in killing her on sight, and, more than that, understanding just what Blackhead was capable of. This would be no ordinary opponent.
Moving across the snow-laden mountain, Hydra paused as she looked to the bleak, grey evening sky; a warm exhale provoked a plume of mist to rise from her nostrils where she could see her own breath. Swinging her head left, Hydra's gaze traced the horizon. She wondered, then, if one could feel when their own death was coming. One ear twitched as she licked her chops and moved onward, heading toward one of her mothers once-favored haunts.
RE: I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Dragomir - November 27, 2019
Returning to Moonspear with no further clues to Isilmë's whereabouts or condition was always painful. He found it was getting easier and easier every day, though; the same way that living without his parents was getting easier, although in different ways. He crossed the borders seamlessly upon returning from the lake, no longer with the hint of hesitation that a newcomer naturally might exhibit, and immediately sought Hydra.
It was quite the climb to reach the Alpha female. It took its toll on Dragomir to reach the snowy heights even now. He'd done a lot of work with his legs and could get around with convincing ease, but that didn't mean it truly was easy for him. The steepest slopes still challenged him greatly, but that was where Hydra could be found prowling. When he saw her black form passing along a ridge, he called out in a low bark.
It could be Lyra or Alya, he supposed, but it made no real difference. Anything he said to either of them would inevitably reach their sister.
Hydra,he greeted presumptuously, swallowing thickly and trying his utmost to mask how out of breath he was.
I was down by Bramblepoint. Smelled some new wolves down there. Multiple. Scent's too strong to just be passing through.
RE: I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Hydra - November 27, 2019
Hydra paused upon hearing her name, though even that was no true sign that she had been who was called; she often did the same when either of her sisters names were called, given they were much the same and the mistake was made more often than not. It was an easy one to make, even for wolves who knew them best; the differences between them were so terribly subtle there seemed to be none at all. Even their parents, up until the very end, could not discern one from the other by appearance alone.
The Ostrega's head followed the direction her ear had rotated toward upon Dragomir calling out to her, and soon her gaze latched onto his figure. From here only the subtle heave of his flanks foretold of his need for breath, and so she mutely let him catch it as she took in his words. Multiple wolves at Bramblepoint; this was news, indeed. Her mood at the news was clear as her features darkened, though she was not irate with him. Food was too scarce for this number of wolves to be congregating in her Wilderness.
She suspected he had not met them yet, since he had not said as much. Hydra turned, descending to meet him. Hydra would have invited him to join her on her climb, but she knew he would need to get used to the thinner air. Exertion and that both would likely double the challenges he faced, and though the progress he made was clear (he had been working hard, Hydra knew and could also see) the higher reaches were not something she would rush him to arrive to.
Stopping before him, she regarded him with a full, sweeping wave of her tail—though the news he had shared was not at all what she wished to hear, she was glad to see him—before she drawled,
we will have to see the manner of wolves they are. Best to know ones enemy, if it is at all possible to do so, before striking. They will come to find they are unwelcome here,her ear twitched and her muzzle wrinkled.
Winter comes; food is scarce enough. We need no more competitors,she rumbled darkly. More than that, she was tired of trespassers; the more wolves that loitered, the more likely this was to occur, and so she finished with,
nor any more seeking to steal what is ours.Hydra's muzzle wrinkled, her contempt for such a manner of wolf quite clear. She was quiet then, leaving room for his rejoinder if there was any.
She had her children to think of, Dragomir among them as he was a cub of Moonspear—he was still recovering, and to do so in full he would need all the nourishment he could get. And her four were growing bigger themselves; they needed the very same. Many saw children as a point of weakness, but it made Hydra all the more fierce and her convictions that much more firm. And Hydra would kill for them, each and every one, if it meant their survival. She looked at Dragomir now, thinking all of this, and despite the ruthless thoughts that ran rampant within her mind, her gaze had become softer. She was loyal to her own, and Dragomir had become that quicker than most, likely due to his youth and her own maternal instinct... though helped, surely, by his own devotion to learn and work hard.
Have you trained more with Arcturus?She inquired after a beat, curious as to his latest progress in the regard of defending.
RE: I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Dragomir - December 03, 2019
There was a time, once, when Dragomir would've disagreed wholeheartedly with what Hydra said. There was a time when he might've grown up to share his mother's opinion: a pack's territory was theirs to sustain them, but wolves had no right to lands beyond what they had claimed. He might once have valued allies over hunting grounds. His life had taken him down a different path, however, one that had shaped him into a harder and harsher wolf than his mother ever would have wanted him to become, and famine had fashioned of him more of a possessor. Now, he agreed completely that they were unwelcome.
We should pay them a visit?he assumed. Not a friendly one, but a demonstrative one. Although he'd fainted in the end, Dragomir recalled the way that Moonspear's wolves had commanded the scene at Big Salmon Lake with the moose. The power and respect that came with a show of force like that was intoxicating even just to think about, especially to a boy who had lacked both of those things for the entirety of his life.
She asked about Arcturus, prompting Dragomir to sheepishly look away.
Not really,he admitted, attempting to distract himself from the disapproval he expected by fixing his eyes on a jagged stone at his feet. He swung a paw halfheartedly toward it, kicking it down the slope.
I've been looking for my sister.
RE: I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Hydra - December 06, 2019
Hydra had not expected his rejoinder, and so came a rare look from the matriarch as she looked to him. Delight twinkled in her eyes, and upon her lips in this moment was more smile than wolfish grin. Dragomir was learning, and understanding, the ways of the wild... cruel though they could be. And at the same token, embracing Moonspears way. Truth be told, were the food less scarce than it was she would have been less frustrated by the newcomers... but this could not stand, with things having been as they were. They had allies enough for the time that was upon them, and so Hydra did not consider such; and given Moonspears territory boasted precious little by way of large game, the matriarch became all the more tenacious in prowling wherever she could (nearby) for evidence that they might be elsewhere.
And so, Hydra nodded.
Yes,she confirmed with the sway of her tail.
and we will. There are those that believe they are entitled to the lay of the land simply because it is unclaimed; but with resources as limited as they are, they will come to find that is not the case. The food that is found is not for those passing through this Wilderness, nor for those that do not align themselves to Moonspear. Our allies may partake, given they assist in maintaining our stronghold upon the Wilderness,she explained, before finishing with:
For our family to survive, and thrive as I desire you too, we must eat. Food sustains us for both the hunt, and the fight.
It was important for him to understand that at the root of it all, all they did was for one anothers continued survival. That was pack. Selfish though her grandiose claim over territories such as the Glen, and even Bramblepoint here and now, might be... Hydra cared little for that, and most of all for her own. The rest could perish.
As he admitted to her that he had not trained in recent days with her brother, Hydra did feel what he had suspected she might (not that her now stoic features revealed such)... though only briefly, as he explained why this was. Hydra watched the stone that descended downward, ear twitching as she heard its edges rebound against whatever it collided with on the way down. His actions alone revealed to her his lack of fortune in that task.
I have been, too,she revealed, nostrils flaring as a fierce wind came then. And not just her, either. He was not alone in his hunt for Isilme, though Hydra wondered by now if the girl was Isilme any longer herself, thinking perhaps she had taken after Aurewen-now-Andraste entirely. Still, Hydra was relentless. She would hunt all of her life until she knew the truth of it. It was her nature.
She would do the very same for Vela, even though she assumed her dead. Perhaps someday she might come across evidence to the contrary. Terribly, and not unlike Dragomir, she hoped she would not if it meant that Vela had willfully left Moonspear to return to these wilds and not tell her when times had been so dire... it was not as though the freckled girl did not know her own sisters feelings on the matter.
Not knowing what emotions this might yield, and recalling too keenly Dragomir's sadness to know that he had been abandoned by his mother, Hydra hoped to bring the topic back to what she had hoped to focus on; she was not at all equipped to deal with such things. Any sadness Hydra herself had experienced she (unhealthily) translated into something, though hardly better, that she did. Anger, aggression, something she could do something with or about. Sadness had never given her answers, only more questions—questions without answers.
And she hated that most of all.
When it came to sadness, she would likely alway be out of her depth; she was not a very compassionate wolf, though she was a present one at the very least. She could be there as an ear. Hydra far more preferred delivering wounds than healing them, but she did what she could when the latter was absolutely required of her. Never would the matriarch turn tail from the plight of others that she truly cared for.
He must, she imagined, feel powerless for his failing to find his own sister; and so, as thoughtful as she could be in the moment, Hydra hoped to give him some of it back in taking control of their moment with one another. Strangely enough, the power of making a simple decision was not one to be thought little of... not when one felt they hardly had the ability to, otherwise, due to the circumstances of, well, life.
We will train now, then, if you would like,she offered, though left him room to decline. If he did not, Hydra offered:
what is it you would like to focus on today?
idk where the HECK all this writing came from, v sorry
RE: I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Dragomir - December 23, 2019
Dragomir nodded along as Hydra explained why they would need to visit these new bramble-dwelling wolves. It all made sense to him. Diaspora's philosophy was the same, and somewhere far away, Aurëwen might be sad to know that the very lessons she'd sought to remove them from in Diaspora were now being fed to her son on Moonspear's soil, and he was lapping it all up eagerly. Control a whole area and the resources were yours for the taking.
I just don't know where to look anymore,he admitted, willing his sadness to keep out of his voice. He didn't want to crack in front of the pack's matriarch. He didn't want to crack, period, but he often did when he was alone and no one could see.
It's like she just... vanished.Maybe that was exactly what Isilmë intended to do, but he couldn't think such things.
Before he could seize upon another topic, any topic to push those ghouls back into the closet, Hydra offered to train. Dragomir pressed his lips together thoughtfully, then said,
I never really figured out how to defend a kill. Arcturus always was able to throw me off guard no matter if I tried to attack or just defend.Flicking his tail, the boy fixed his hazel eyes upon her nose and asked,
can you teach me how you'd do it?
RE: I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Hydra - December 30, 2019
Hydra hurt for him as he spoke, though it did not show. The Ostrega knew how such a thing felt, albeit to a different degree; the abandonment Dragomir had faced in his own lifetime was far more severe than the sort Hydra had. Yet she felt irate by it nonetheless (on his behalf); he was but a young boy who deserved none of what had happened to him in his short lifetime. It was terribly unfair, yet such was life. She hated so how Isilme had left him this way, without a word; the same as Vela, and so many countless others. There was nothing she could say to soothe this pain, having experienced it herself.
We will continue to search,Hydra drawled,
it is all we can do; we will not give up, no matter how much time might pass. We know her scent; if she can be found, someday she will be,Hydra hummed. Hydra hoped for Dragomir's sake that the girl had not abandoned him of her own volition, though there had never been an indication of otherwise. No sign of struggle, no sign of anything except for the scent-fade that came when one left them of their own free will.
If her own family could do it knowing how Hydra felt on the matter, Isilme surely could too; if she took after her mother, she likely thought little of it by ways of consequence to her. Hydra herself would not be so very forgiving unless something contradicted this belief.
But he latched on to the subject shift, fortunately; this was something Hydra could work with in more ways than one. Hydra nodded, shifting her weight as she thought of all Arcturus might have taught him and all Dragomir himself had even seen. He had been with them the day Hydra had taken over the fallen moose with the Nightwalkers, and she wondered how much he remembered from that day.
Control is important,she drawled,
and it is easier to control things if you are not alone. Naturally, this sometimes will happen. It is important to take charge of the situation as best as you are able to,she advised. Hydra considered for a moment, and asked so she could know what all he had been taught by Arcturus at this point,
what else has he taught you, thus far?
The Ostrega looked around them for something that could be used as their proverbial kill in the moment; something easy to grab and defend alike. Sticks were too easy for any aggressor to steal, given their light weight... and yet to that end, easy to defend in that they could be grabbed back at the other end. That was a decent place to start at to see how far along he was there, but Hydra contemplated defending a rabbit in their stores for the sake of understanding the difference between the give of fur and meat which also came into play when defending the kill. One ear remained upon him all the while, indication that she was also listening to him fully in the meantime. Hydra had settled upon the idea of going to a cache to acquire a kill to defend, and after he answered she'd reveal as much.
RE: I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Dragomir - December 30, 2019
He nodded mutely, but said nothing more on the subject of his missing sister. If she could be found, someday she would be. It was too late for it to be a happy occasion if she was... but that didn't stop him from hoping there was some real explanation for her disappearance. Preferably one that didn't involve Sanguinus and his shadow.
So he followed along, wondering but not asking about their destination, and tried to recall what Arcturus had shown him.
Well,he said, pressing his tongue to the backs of his teeth thoughtfully.
He told me to defend the stick, so I lunged at him when he got close, but he just pushed past me and grabbed it. Then I tried to stay on it and he bit my paws.That was all he could remember at the moment. He forgot about a lot of the verbal lesson that preceded it... a lot had happened since then.
It just seemed like there was no right way to defend it,which made sense considering Arcturus was the one who maintained control the entire time. Dragomir had not wrested it from him or even tried. In fact, he had no idea how one went about taking control in a situation like that.
RE: I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Hydra - January 09, 2020
Hydra listened to him, and asked in turn:
and what did you do when he bit your paws?Her head tilted as she asked the question, curious; did he retreat? Or did he bite back? Depending on the answer Hydra would give him her advice. She supposed he ought to work with those at his skill level, too; he had been practicing more than her children, she felt, though they were now beginning to work at it. No doubt this would help bolster him in areas of technicality and the like. Arcturus was hard to beat, and Hydra harder still; but he could learn from what they did to repeat all that they did.
As for his next statement, Hydra nodded in understanding.
It can be difficult. And wolves have different styles of fighting, too; I have learned much of what I did from experience myself. It is good to practice, and practice often. You can call on me any time you wish to,she offered. She thought, too, that it might be good to practice with her children as well; perhaps she and Arcturus ought to gather them up again to do so. Now that her own cubs were retaining information better, it could be beneficial to each of her young pupils.
RE: I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Dragomir - January 11, 2020
I didn't know what to do,was Dragomir's somewhat exasperated reply. As if on cue, his ears flickered toward his nape and his lips turned down at the corners.
I told him to stop it.It probably wasn't the answer Hydra wanted, and knowing that made his heart sink. All he wanted to do was impress them—become an impressive beast like them, make his father proud, show his mother what a fool she was for leaving him—but even the simplest of things sometimes seemed insurmountable.
Arcturus was right: Dragomir learned a lot that day, but a lot of that was mired in his persistent low self esteem, so it was difficult to see the light of it at times.
I got mad, I kinda lunged at him. I didn't try to bite him,he quickly added, in case the Alpha punished him for hostility toward a pack mate,
just... needed him out of my space. He ended the lesson there.Dragomir was not proud of it.
Since then he had tried to think of the best ways to defend a kill, but was left with just as many questions as when Arcturus had issued that challenge to him. He still didn't know what to do.
RE: I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Hydra - January 15, 2020
Hydra mmm'd gently at his words, drawling:
speaking does little to help in fights. In fact, it can be used as a time to strike. I find I do not want to hear a word of what any has to say in a true fight; if they speak, I do not care to hear it. Their time for talking has passed once we begin the fight,and they could not talk their way out of the inevitable outcome, the consequence of coming against her. Her advisement was so that Dragomir did not distract himself with bandying words in a true fight, though she did not necessarily think that he would in the future as he had likely seen for himself how unhelpful it was.
It is alright not to know what to do as you are willing to learn how to do it,she comforted, taking a step nearer with a slow wave of her tail.
There are many who quake with the idea of it, and yet you rise to the occasion. Someday, no one will be able to steal from you,Hydra spoke the thought into existence; he had something to work toward, and a motivating goal ever helped Hydra fight for her desires.
As for his tactics, Hydra found no reprimand within her.
You can bite, so long as you do not draw blood. Pinching teeth can be quite the effective distraction,she offered as advisement.
When he goes for your paws, go for whatever is within your reach to dissuade him. Not to injure, but to harass him away from what you are protecting. I have always found the best defense to be a good offense,she drawled with a lash of her tail.
Hydra decided she would let him mull over this.
You and I will practice such tomorrow; then, we can investigate Bramblepoint more,she offered. In thinking of Blackhead, she needed to advise the rest of their family of their deeper link with the woman. An eye for an eye was necessary here; they would have to take one back from her.
maybe last one from me here?!? gonna start a new one for us soon!
RE: I wear my long black dress, and a veil of disaster - Dragomir - January 21, 2020
Yeah,he said, berating himself for being so stupid as to use his words when only actions mattered.
It didn't help.If anything, Arcturus took the opportunity to show him that words only left him open to attack. It wasn't something he would try again in the future, unless it was a true teaching spar, with opportunity to ask questions.
The best thing for Dragomir now would likely be to observe how two skilled wolves fought, perhaps with a narrator to explain when and why their moves were made. He was an analytical sort; breaking it down that way would be easier than having to try to figure it out in the thick of it, though he understood that was how real life worked.
Luckily, Hydra knew just the right words to say to stoke the fires of competition and determination that burned behind his sternum. Someday, no one would steal from him. Someday, no one would be able to push him off the mountain. No one would be able to hold him hostage in a cave. Someday, no one would dream of threatening him or his family. That was a goal to work toward.
Arcturus and Hydra had such different tactics. Arcturus believed that a strong defence could shut down any offence, while Hydra believed that harrying an opponent was the best way to keep oneself out of harm. Both had merits. Dragomir needed to learn where he best fit in... perhaps he would one day amalgamate the two, creating his own unique and fluid style.
I'll do that next time,he promised, beaming when Hydra offered to practice it with him. Next time, Arcturus would find him a more capable opponent.
Bramblepoint awaited after that, and Dragomir departed with a good many things to look forward to.