Blackfeather Woods Maggots! Another lover lost to the tunnels

@Potema :))

What had tipped her lover off, she had yet ask - of course, that was impossible; he had locked himself in the tunnels and refused to listen. For a moment, Nyx was lost in the world he had taken with him down there, but she did not depend on him anymore. No, she was a strong woman now with priorities and a position of leadership. She took the bent crown of Damien that had been worn by so many wolves and placed it upon her own head. The Dark Mistress was she now, until her forest king got better. Surely he would... right? Perhaps it was better to talk to his sister.

And so, she called out for the white woman, ready to grant her a power not many could resist. She was pure of blood and knew much about the brotherhood, but Nyx didn't know her well enough to know she stood behind Damien's claim the way she did. She did not want another evil queen upon their throne. Surely this could be understood; Nyc could even lie about Damien having bestowed the crown to her in the first place. No one could make sense of him now and she had been his right hand since... she was born, she presumed.

Damien's disappearances had only recently been noticed by the witch. His growing scent inside the tunnels and the fading of his marks from the borders was what tipped her off. Confusion and curiosity led her to search the tunnels for her brother, calling out for the Dark King time and time again, but he was no where to be found. His reluctance to be found was familiar, drawing back to his youth, but he was Dark Master now. He could not draw away, not now when he was needed.

So when Astrid called for her, she had no choice but to answer, if nothing but to find the truth. Her brother was close to Nyx, the last vocal remainder of Nemesis' rule. There was an authority in the girl's voice that rubbed her the wrong way, but she dared not question it when she finally found the speckled girl. What is it?

When the mother of the woods' latest litter came, Nyx had to take some time to get her mind straight. Usually she did not have to think about what she was going to say to anyone, but one wrong move now could mean her end. She was the daughter of a traitor, and no matter how much rebellion she had showed against Nemesis, nothing could ever change from whom she had come. She turned to Potema with concern in her usually devoid of emotion face, nostrils flaring ever so slightly as she took another breath.

I am afraid your brother has gotten mentally ill. She started with, not wanting to say that he probably "lost his mind". Sure you have noticed him retreating underground... The truth is, Damien is unfit to rule at the moment. I will not dance around that fact. She tried to keep it as formal as possible, but it was hard not to feel watched and judged in her position. As his former Speaker, I have taken it upon myself to rule the woods until his recovery.

Her words came at a slight shock, but after a while, she understood. The pieces that had floated about her condensed into a clear understanding of her brother's predicament. He was mentally ill.

From what she knew of her mother's genetic past and Damien's own life, it had only been a matter of time before her brother snapped. Cicero had done so a year before. When would it be her turn? It already had been, she thought back to her early days chasing after invisible figures and hidden voices.

But Nyx's rise to power was unnerving. She had already curryed favor with Damien after her mother's abdication, and now? Now she was in charge. How auspicious for you. She deadpanned, not hiding her distrust from Nyx. Vaati had railed to her his hatred for the boys Nyx had brought in. Now she understood. They were a threat, in a way, to her family. But Nyx was not Nemesis. What do you intend to do with me then?

Honestly, Nyx had never desired power. She had desired recognition; love for who she was and what she could potentially be. A mother figure to keep her safe and tell her she would be alright, no matter what, because she was with her. A simple thing that many children had; affection. Now she sought it from the woods, from Damien, and with it had earned the former Dark Master's favor. She merely acted accordingly, and though she didn't dislike being in power, it made her anxious to be in her mother's shoes. It was time to kick them out altogether; bring glory back to their supposed blood line by being the best Dark Mistress she could possibly be to them.

It was time for every blackfeather wolf to get along; pure of blood or not. Her wards were to be accepted, for they had been approved by Damien and had already been by her. Even though... One had turned traitorous. Nyx sighed a soft breath.

As the former Dark Master's sister, only mother of the woods and one of the most trusted members of the brotherhood - I wish to promote you to rule beside me as Listener. Would you accept my offer? A slight raise of the head was all Nyx did to show her authority, her willingness to abandon the idea and pick her young ward instead - or the old Miraak who had taught her so much. Perhaps even her own father. But it was hard not to notice that, out of all the wolves she could have picked, she had chosen Potema first; another strong female trusted by most if not all of their members.

She waited, and Nyx spoke. She had expected some sort of offer for her, for indeed, Potema wielded power. Not only as a priestess and witch, but a woman's power; the power to produce more of her bloodline. Nyx was not old enough yet, only able to bring in wandering children, and Nemesis was gone. She was the only breeding female in Blackfeather Woods, and she was ripe for pups soon. Nyx was smart to recognize that.

She hesitated, only to not seem so eager for power. She was not a natural leader like her brother. Her influence came from her ability to advise and suggest to those who wielded the trappings of power. But was that short moment of contemplation was enough to fool Nyx? Probably not, she finally conceded. I accept.

It was a tempting offer for anyone, Nyx found, but perhaps the witch held different interests. Perhaps she was happy with what she already had, as they all should be. But the curse of everyone was the hunger for more, and it was this exact thing she offered her. Even as the silence hung in the air could she sense it; Potema would join her, for her children or simply out of concern. Nyx was the daughter of a traitor, even though she found she was not to be blamed for Nemesis' faults. A smile flashed across her features, if only briefly, and it was a weird bonding moment for her. Like Potema was the mother she should have always had.

Good. She replied rather softly. And it goes without saying that I will return the rank to Damien if... - when he recovers. She added, wanting this to be seen as a temporary change. But, there was a part of her that doubted Damien would ever return from the tunnels.

Potema took no awkwardness in the silence that held over them. Instead, she nodded and returned the smile that Astrid gave her, hers smaller and tighter in comparison. She knew that she liked Nyx better than Nemesis, but her hatred and distrust of Nemesis came from Nemesis' claim and clawing at power. But now that Nyx was mirroring her mother's ambitions in power grabs, distrust grew, but not hatred. It was clear to her that Nyx was not her mother — she was trying hard not to be. Power would be relinquished as soon as Damien came back to his senses. If. Her words were without hope, thinking, knowing that he would not return. Sheogorath did not give up his new subjects so easily, and even if it looked like he did, his taint never disappeared from their minds. I will check on him, if he allows me,

It was rather grim how his sister thought he might not recover, but Potema was dismissed. It were difficultlt times, even more so in the future when winter came and Damien still wasn't on his feet. She also couldn't fault anyone for comparing her to Nemesis right now, even though she was positive she was better than her mother. Far better, though imperfect nonetheless. And I will leave food in the tunnels so he will not starve, at the very least. She promised. She had not much more to say and it showed in her expression; seemingly waiting for Potema to depart or ask something else.