Redtail Rise wetfish

@Avicus

She had, in fact, taken @Lilia up on her offer. In her mouth swung the hefty body of a fox, hips thickened with the barest promise of life come spring. Had Metis not taken the creature, she would have birthed more in the spring.

But she hadn’t even known that when she hunted her down. And the vixen had, she had fought to the bitter, burning end and left Metis herself with a carved chunk of her shoulder gone, exposing the raw muscle underneath and staining the fine white hairs of her pelt bloody red.

But she had her offering. And, hopefully, that meant something to these wolves. She lugged the body to the edge of the border, where she dropped the vixen to let her blood spill into the snow. Then, the youth would throw her head back, offering an iron tinged howl into the heights of the sky.

I said "YETHHHHHHH" to myself out loud as soon as I saw the tag <3

A gritty voice called, and Lilia grinned. She tilted her head back and gulped down the last bit of the rabbit she'd caught for herself, before she quickly preened her fur. She didn't bother with the blood that stained the golden fur of her ruff, as she liked giving the impression that she was a successful hunter- but the rabbit fur she could get rid of. 

She imagined herself sweeping forward and saying something captivating to Metis when she arrived, but went through many different versions of her greeting before finally settling on one that she liked. She cared greatly how she might seem to the wanderer, as she'd been chosen by the young Toweard as a potential new recruit. She didn't want to seem too keen, but couldn't help the expressive glint to her eyes when she caught sight of the pale foxhunter. She'd brought a gift- as she'd been instructed- and bore a wound she'd likely obtained in the struggle to find as fine of a prize as that. She came with an offering that had cost her bloodshed; a higher value than a mere meal. 

"Well," She said, as she slid to a halt. Her heart thrummed. "I thee you don't back down from a dare."

A call.

He unfurled himself from a resting place. Followed the fresh scent of his daughter towards the borders, where a pale figure stood on the other side. Young, small. He could not help but think very much of Lilia in the other girl.

However it appeared that Lilia had a hold on this. It flared pride in his chest and he watched from behind his daughter.

Red eyes settled heavily on the pale figure.

The first one to approach was, of course, Lilia. She offered the bloodstained woman a bloody grin of her own, her gray tail lifting to wag happily at her approach.

Hey. She said all cool like, wishing for a moment she had a tree to lean against to complete the look. Metis instead just loosened her stance, shrugging her shoulders up and ignoring the twinge from the bloody one when she did so.

Yeah, I’m never one to back down from a good dare. So I got you guys a present. She gestured to the fox. Her eyes caught the sight of a dark figure behind Lilia, but she didn’t let her eyes linger long.

I don’t know why it’s so fat but tada. One fat ass fox for you guys.

quick question: the 's' on the end of Metis' name is pronounced, yes? Lol, I wouldn't have Lilia say it this way if it was a silent 's' :3

A present. She wished she could accept it for herself- the fox did indeed look quite plump, and though she didn't care for the meat of other predators (only their blood) but its pelt looked like it might make a nice lining for her den. She felt she deserved the offering, as she had been the one to find Metis, and send her this way- so it could be seen as a reward, perhaps...But it would likely have to be relinquished to Avicus. She might appreciate the offering more, considering she was probably pregnant by now. 

"It ith," She said appreciatively. She wondered vaguely if it might have been pregnant- and if that might come across as a curse or an insult or some such thing...But that would be nonsense. Metis wouldn't intend such a thing. Her eyes drifted to the wound on Metis' shoulder and she was about to comment about it when she saw the girl's lilac gaze flick past her. 

She flicked an ear back, and then turned to see Prophet approaching over her shoulder. She rumbled a low, affectionate growl. She moved to greet him reverently, before she gestured to Metis. "Thith ith Prophet, he'th my Dad. He'th the Bertherkr, the lead warrior of the pack." And she was certainly proud to belong to him. "Thith," She said, now speaking to Prophet, "Ith Metith. I met huh when I wath thscoutin'. She'th a good huntuh...Thee, she brought uth a fokth."

Avicus rouses upon the call and heads down from digging her whelping den, but it seems the matter has been handled. something curdles, quick and sour, in her stomach, upon seeing Prophet and Lilia handling the matter together—but she keeps it at bay. for now.

instead, she watches from a distance, perched upon the slopes, waiting for the moment where she'd need to intervene, if at all.

skippable until called/noticed! pls tag if so

He had seen such a rounding in a body before.

It was a needless detail to share, that the vixen would have given more come warm days. Perhaps sooner. Yet he knows that surely it fought hard, knowing it carried life. Now the pale girl carried marks of it.

Lilia was quick to fill in all little details.

His nostrils flared in inspection and protection. Then softly he nipped at Lilia's crown, content to keep her close to him while he appraised the young girl who had come to them as a hunter — or did she mean to be a warrior?

The detail of the gift's pregnancy riles again and in it he sees a test.

Is she a guilty hunter and killer? Does she accept fate for what it is?

It is fat with life. Pregnant. Was, I suppose.

The one who came to them, dark and silent on his feet, was named Prophet. Lilia’s father. Metis’s bellflower eyes did not leave him, watching him with the characteristic wariness of a child used to violent adults. She flicked her gaze from Lilia to the vixen, then back to Prophet.

I…didn’t know that. She gave a rolling shrug, trying to brush it off as best she could. She had killed youth before, young deer and eggs of birds. She’d brought food.

Life would go on without one mother fox.

Explains why she bit so hard. But she should be enough for a good meal. What she gives can be used to further our lives. Or something like that anyway. She was pretty sure she was quoting one of the old Myrmidons.

Pregnant. 

Lilia looked up, mildly perturbed by the notion that there were tiny, baby foxes inside this one- and also morbidly curious, wanting to open it up and see what they looked like. Such a thing could, however, be seen as a slight- to kill something while it was pregnant. She thought of Avicus, full of young just like this fox was, though she stubbornly put the parallel aside. 

"Theveral leth foktheth we'd have ta worry about raidin' our cacheth in the future, then," She decided with a nod. It was the only way to look at it, at this point.

You understand.

His words a soft snort for the both of them. Each one took a lesson from this. While he would expect nothing less from Lilia, it was good to see it now in their newcomer.

I see no reason to send you off if you continue to provide like this.

And he meant it.

But you should meet @Avicus. She is Wealda. Ruler of all.

Immediately, it became clear this was a test. And she, in her infinite wisdom, had somehow managed to pass.

At least, she passed the first gate. The second would be the Queen herself. Metis swallowed down the spittle that came before bile, a sudden shiver of nerves knotting her stomach and turning her thoughts into shapeless goo.

A deep breath. Another.

I’ll meet her.

Just show’er to me

Self conscious, she went to lick at the blood drooling off her shoulder, sundering the white into red. Like a canvas soaking up the paint of a mad artist.

her voice over the wind is invitation enough.

she descends from the hill, chuffing roughly to make her presence known, and gives the pale girl a cool stare of appraisal. glances to her packmates, then back to the young woman, nodding.

you bringh foodh, Avicus notes. she's pleased. that's how the yearling from before had wanted to ingratiate himself, and to her, it's a winning strategy. she'll take all the fodder for caches that they can get.

she turns toward Lilia. you know her? the two seem acquainted.

is she worthy? her stare reads. she trusts the savage girl's judgment.

”I met huh before, when I wath thcoutin’,” Lilia said, watching almost hungrily as Metis began cleaning the blood from her pelt. She felt a faint, fond smile tug at the corner of her lips. 

”I then her hunt too. She’th fatht.” Lilia appraised, though she tried to keep her tone relatively indifferent.

Skipping Prophet after discussion to get this thread closed <3

Metis watched the woman as she drew closer, not able to help the want to look down and away. Her ears went back, slightly, and she reached back to grab the fox and drag it between them.

Then, she backed away from it. It wasn’t her offering, this was her gift.

She crossed her mental fingers, and prayed for this to work.