Swiftcurrent Creek Get you gone now, have some fun

@Akavir or @Arric?

Weeks ago she'd meant to ask a favor of Swiftcurrent Creek. That time had come and gone, but her need had never faded — and now she knew that Akavir felt he owed her. If Reverie was a better woman, perhaps, she would have dismissed the notion of any debt and left him to forget about it.

But her husband was dead and her daughters were growing quickly, and their safety meant more to her than any pretty ideas about morality. If Akavir thought he owed her, maybe he would agree, or at least not stand in the way of Arric agreeing. Still, she tried not to get her hopes up too much. Arric would always be family to her, but Akavir wasn't her friend. She had to remember that.

Reverie brought along a goat's shoulder from the caches at Hushed Willows. She laid it at the borders and called out for the two leaders. It was always odd to be here again. She would be glad to leave.

It was a moment of returnings. The past always managed to do so though. He lifted his head to the howl that resounded. Surprised that Reverie would come so close, but perhaps she and Akavir were okayniw.

So blue eyes assessed as he walked and an easy smile lit up his face.

HeyaRev. Whatcha up to?

Then he waited a warriors grace. She looked tired, but well.

Was she relieved when it was Arric who answered her call? Reverie found herself smiling back, a little surprised that it came so easily. It was good to see him. She hadn't wanted to see Akavir, not after he'd come to her home only to take Mae from her as if he still had any right to —

Maybe she wasn't as okay with any of it as she'd tried to be. But she was going to get something out of it, if she could. Hi Arric, She said softly, noting the new scents he brought with him. Swiftcurrent Creek had changed. I - well, I came here to ask for something. I came with a bribe, of course. Reverie lifted the goat leg, eyes sparkling playfully, and offered it to him.

My pack is mostly healers and scouts, but we've - we've had a lot of trouble with trespassers lately. If you or Akavir could teach some of us about defending ourselves, I'd be grateful. And we could give you something in return, What she did not mention was that soon the wolves of Hushed Willows would be departing from their home, that this was another step of their preparation. Trespassers wouldn't be a concern for several months while they were away — but the wilds were dangerous.

He hadn’t wanted to respond to the call at the borders—not truly. Her song was uncomfortably familiar at this point, but he had made a certain promise in regards to lowering their numbers, and so the shadowrunner swept forward, he felt an inkling of relief to know that Arric was there.

Catching only part of the conversation, his champagne eyes swept from Reverie who seemed in higher spirits than when he had been in Hearthwood prior—but as he ambled up to the side of his Beta, his eyes swept to Arric’s features. How would he feel potentially leaving Arlette behind to train others?

“I told Hearthwood we would try to make up to them for Mae coming home… They have new cubs.”

His eyes drifted back to the gilded she-wolf. “Hi, Reverie,” he offered then.

So muscle and teaching was needed. He found no reason to argue against it. And honestly @Arlette had mentioned wanting to travel, meet new packs. And if they were healers. She was always wanting to learn more. So he would bet that she'd be willing to go as well for a time at least.

He gave a small shrug. I don't mind teaching. We could take shifts. Me for a coupledays you, eh big guy?

He winked and then looked back to Rev. That way they learn from both.

tag for reference

She hadn't thought Akavir would answer her call, yet here he was. Reverie only nodded her own greeting at first, listening to all that each leader said. They would help, then. She tried not to look as relieved as she felt, though she allowed a faint smile.

Hi Akavir, She murmured when the man greeted her verbally, wondering for a moment what he must be thinking. Was he displeased to see her? Did he dread fulfilling the promise he'd made?

Reverie wouldn't make this more difficult than it needed to be, but neither would she spare him the discomfort. Thank you. Both of you. If - if either of you are ready now, I can wait to travel with you back to Hushed Willows. Or... you can come whenever you're ready, She blinked, suddenly a little overwhelmed with the thought of bringing Arric to her home. Not because she didn't want him there, but because — well, his opinion mattered to her. His opinion of what she'd made for herself mattered. What if he looked at her home and found it lacking?

Well. Too late to take any of it back now.

Tags for reference.

An ear flickered to Arric, considering his suggestion—surprised, quietly, that the behemoth would be willing to part from the creek for so many days at a time. Still—Arric and Reverie had a history.

The exact kind, Akavir wasn’t fully privy to. He only had certain suspicions.

With that, his champagne eyes flitted over the Hearthwood wolf now, her murmured greeting to him offered with as much careful cordiality as he spoke himself to her.

“We’ve a few we can rotate,” he noted. “Arric, myself. @Viinturuth would be an asset—possibly @Ensio and @Sovereign. Mae.” Politically, it was only a matter of the best option for either pack.

Personally, it was as if he could feel the crack of the eggshell he was walking on begin to truly splinter.

"Who would be training?"

Arric didn't mind too much. If you're alright with it. Arlette would probably be willing to teach and learn some new healing stuff?

Arric honestly wasn't sure if Reverie knew Arlette, he couldn't remember if they had ever been in the same space at the same time.

He looked to Akavir. He would have snort laughed had he known the dark alpha thought there was more to him and Reverie. They had been, were friends and he had tried to help her deal with some stuff, but that was it.

Reverie was not unaware of the tension her presence brought to Swiftcurrent Creek even now — or maybe it was only Akavir's tension she sensed. Not unaware, no, only far too weary to react. She'd wanted to be done with it for a long time, but running had never spared her. And while she'd meant to invite peace between them when he'd visited her home, it felt somehow worse than it had before.

He'd been cruel to her, but at least he'd been certain of it. Now he didn't seem to know what to do with her, and the uncertainty reminded her so much of those early days at Swiftcurrent Creek. In some ways she understood it now — because what could she ever say to him? He wouldn't hear her apologies, she was sure of that. Nor did he have any reason to forgive her; there was no redeeming explanation behind the reckless decisions she'd made, nothing he didn't already know. She'd been a foolish yearling, obsessed with her first love, terrorized by a world she didn't yet understand, convinced she could trust no one but herself. She'd been selfish.

And it seemed she was destined to be reminded of it every time she spoke to Akavir, no matter how much she wished otherwise.

Still, Reverie was determined not to give him more reasons to dislike her. She nodded even as he mentioned several unfamiliar names, reminding herself that they were Swiftcurrent Creek wolves. If she trusted Akavir near her newborns, surely she could trust his wolves in her land.

At least four of us... five or six at most, She answered softly, hesitating over the answer as she thought through it. My brother, @Everett, and I will - and we recently took in two yearlings, Carnelian and Peridot. They both have a lot to learn. Our other healer, @Reina, might want to train too - and @Dusty Rose might be interested. I'm not sure about them, though.

Her gaze lingered on Akavir briefly, filled for a moment with all the things she would never say, before flitting to Arric. She nodded. She'd never met Arlette, but the same could be said of most of Swiftcurrent Creek now. I'd like that, Reverie managed a brief, faint smile. I could introduce Arlette to Reina, too.

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He considered her words—feeling her eyes upon him, and only meeting her gaze as deemed appropriate. There was a certain amends that had been made—an understanding that the past should be put to rest, particularly when it came to the notion that Mae tied them together in a strange way.

He had promised to assist Reverie when Mae had decided to come home—he hadn’t expected this request. But it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

His gaze drifted to Arric, then, as he quietly considered. “You and @Arlette should go the first round,” he mentioned. “Or we can send @Viinturuth and @Lilitu. I don't know if Lilitu has any fighting capabilities... but it would be an opportunity for her.”

He had just returned from there, with his daughter. For now, he needed to tend to business here.

Arric felt the tension. A keen knife blade beneath the surface. Anyway they turned could potentially cut.

Arric nodded. Thinking. If arlette was pregnant it wouldbe in the earlier weeks if they lwft now so it would do her good and also she couldbe home for the harder times.

We can go first thats fine. I just have to double check she's good.

We can fade this? <3

Reverie went quiet as the leaders discussed, glancing between them. When a decision was reached, she nodded. It didn't matter much to her who came, so long as she could trust them and they could teach her wolves to fight.

Just let me know when you're ready, She said softly, gratitude in her eyes. It would be good to show Arric her home, and maybe her fears would be proven unfounded. Maybe he would be proud of her.

Arric seemed okay with it—and as Reverie allowed the two men to speak, he turned his eyes to trace over her. She noted her consent—and then the swarthy man began to back away. The two before him were, after all, friends. They could figure out the details, he was sure.

“I’ll leave you both to it, then,” he offered, and then gave a nod to either before turning toward the borders, another round of border duty calling to him as he tried not to think of this sudden plot twist in their lives: he never would have pictured a day Reverie had come to them willingly. Not after everything.