Dragoncrest Cliffs Diplomat

Tagging @Chacal, @Mireille, @Sobo for visibility and also @Erzulie! Backdated to 8/30. There is also this thread going on, way backdated, where Lenora comes to join Sapphique, but her stuff is really slow-going so she hasn't had a thread here yet and me and the system are kinda confused about what to do, but... yeah lol. Other tags for reference!

Noir had come to the cliffs for two reasons — one, to check on @Lenora, and two, to find a mentor for @Vagabond. Sapphique had helped Sacrarium when they were fledglings, Erzulie had trained Lorelai, and so Sacrarium was in their debt. She came today with a gift, the pelt of the doe the Vicera had hunted with her family, processed and turned into a soft skin. It was not close to enough payment, but it was what they had. Stopping some distance from  the borders, Noir called for an audience.

With the help of her family, caring for four growing children and leading the pack was manageable. She’d taken some time to be a mother first, but as the children grew and demanded less of her, she had been able to patrol more, and resume her duties to the pack.

A call sounded, and she made her way toward the wolf’s summon, wondering what might be asked of her today. The wolf she spotted smelled of another pack, and she had brought with her what looked like the cleaned, prepared skin of a deer. Those who came with food or other types of offerings usually came in peace, so she allowed her tail to wave softly, though level with her spine. She flicked her ears forward, and regarded the woman with an interested gaze. 

”Welcome to Sapphique, what might your purpose be?” She chimed musically.

Noir was approached by a stranger, whose tail wagged neutrally; Noir reciprocated with a swift bow of respect, and at the other's question, she answered, I am an ambassador, Noir, from Sacrarium. One of yours, a Jorunn, I think, has been caring for one of our children, Lenora. We wanted to check in on her. Then, she brought the deer skin closer, shaking it out so it could be seen clearly. Erzulie helped us once, tutoring our medic. We have come to ask for another tutor, but this time, a warrior. She blinked, then smiled easily.

An ambassador. Chacal eyed the woman, earth-toned and with a steady, honey-beige gaze. She was small in size, but there seemed to be nothing diminutive about her professionalism. Chacal warmed to her, finding her admirable for being so devoted to her duties and the youth from her pack. 

What they sought, in addition, was another tutor- one to teach the skills of a warrior. Immediately, she thought of her swift, strong, battle-scarred mothers…And it caused a slight ache in her chest knowing she could not ask them to train a warrior. What they wanted now was a life of peace, and age had made once powerful joints and muscles become tight with aches. 

And while each wolf possessed the ability to fight, they were not a military pack. Chacal was not aware of any who sought to train as a warrior or establish themselves as such within the pack- but she would not admit such a thing to a stranger. To do so might expose a potential weakness. 

But they had other affairs to discuss first. She nodded.

 ”Indeed. 
I am Chacal, welcome to Sapphique; 
de child of whom you speak, 
She be in good ‘ands. 
Jorunn be skilled wid youth,
Dis I speak, it be de truth.” She assured the ambassador. 

She suspected she might want to see Lenora for herself, but if she would take the assurance as it was, she’d be content. Tracking down a young, energetic wolf involved in scouting training might take some time.

The skin offered was quite a nice gesture. When it was nudged forth, Chacal smiled warmly and moved to investigate it. But when presented, it had come with the question of relying on Sapphique for yet another trainer. 

We’re they to be training grounds for Sacrarium for yet a third time? A deer pelt was a nice offering, but not something they could not procure on their own. She felt Sapphique might stand to have more to gain, if they were to be offering their expertise for a third time. 

”We are ‘appy to share our knowledge an skill,
Wid friends an’ allies- but still,
I’m sure you understan’ why I say it so-
We prefer some sort of…quid pro quo.” 

She did not mean to dismiss the pelt, but she hoped Noir understood that it was a relatively small offering in comparison to months of training. She could not have her packmates sow the field, when they would reap nothing from it in the future. 

”I will talk to my brot’er an’ sister an’ see,
If we have de time an’ ability. 
If we do, we will be ‘appy to discuss
An arrangement dat works for de bot’ of us.” She said.