Lion Head Mesa the tower

tags for reference <3

It wasn't a very comfortable trip for Eljay; trips outside of pack territory never really were. However, following the visit of Jawahir, Eljay couldn't help but think about Akashingo and Crowfeather. If @Lilitu was seriously considering the option of moving here, then maybe it was his duty as Brecheliant's leader to at least see if he thought it was a good place. @Teya had brought the stranger to their borders because she believed Akashingo was a good pack and had good experience with them. If she thought it was a good idea, then maybe this (to Eljay, absolutely crazy) idea was something Lilitu was actually considering.

Besides, Akashingo was not very far from Redhawk Caldera and so the pack's move had made it a lot easier to drop by for a visit. He could see it from the Caldera's borders. It wasn't even all that far. Yet the entire journey had been very nerve-inducing. Age certainly didn't make everything easier, Eljay had to conclude as he finally reached the Mesa's borders.

There he tried hard to remember the name of the pack's Alpha. The Akashingo wolf had mentioned it, certainly. Eljay frowned in thought as he stood at the borders and tried to remember. Pharaoh, wasn't it? Eljay lifted his nose and called for the Pharaoh, unaware it was the title and not the name of @Ramesses that he had remembered there.

someone was calling for pharaoh. tasked with getting water to carry inside, belen gleefully dropped the cupped leaf she was carrying. tavina could fetch her own supplies. she herself had not yet met maegi, being an attendant at court now as well as the priest's personal pleasure. her tail lifted as she approached. belen tried to use the seductive walk she had seen her betters employ. "this is the palace of akashingo and i am fellahin to the pharaoh. why do you call?" he had a pair of striking green eyes she liked. perhaps he would stay and enjoy ramesses' hospitality.

If Eljay was susceptible to the seductive way she walked at all, it didn't show. He smiled politely as someone approached him and greeted him. It wasn't the Pharaoh, it seemed, but someone who was something to him. A rank, perhaps, or an advisor of sorts. Or was Fellahin her name? She was polite enough, which eased Eljay's nerves somewhat. He smiled gently as he said, Nice to meet you, Fellahin? He hadn't meant to make it sound like a question, but it came out that way, as he tried to wrap his mind around whether it was name or title.

I uh, I'm Eljay, from Brecheliant. He glanced over his shoulder at the Caldera. My friend Teya has mostly been in touch with Akashingo. I had never visited, so I figured I should come check out the place. He considered mentioning Lilitu, but honestly Eljay did not want to give the Akashingo wolves the impression that he had anything to do with her decision, or that any sort of decision had been reached at all.

the girl returned eljay's smile, trying to elicit some sort of response from behind his kind and verdant eyes. "i am one of the fellahin. we all have the same purpose in akashingo. but my name is belen." a man from brecheliant. she did not know the name teya, but she had been in the mesa long enough to know their allies. "anyone from your pack is friend to us. come. i will take you to the pharaoh." belen turned, complimenting herself on the smooth gait. she walked along eljay as they went up the long and wide red road to the palace steps. "are you a leader? or a messenger?"

Fellahin was a title, not a name, and Eljay felt his cheeks heat up at his mistake. He nodded as she introduced herself as Belen and said, Oh, well, uh, nice to meet you then, Belen. He smiled uneasily, clearly a little out of his waters here, though he appreciated her friendly smile. Diplomacy wasn't exactly Eljay's strong suit.

Teya had done well in her diplomacy, he thought to himself as they set off into the depths of Akashingo and Belen said that anyone from their pack was a friend to Akashingo. Eljay smiled at the notion. He wondered what kind of wolf this Pharaoh was. As he thought about it, Eljay didn't really know what the purpose of the fellahin was. Maybe it was just a rank, though the word 'purpose' was a little funny to him if that was the case.

Eljay's thoughts were distracted when she asked him if he was a messenger or leader. He blinked, looking a little surprised at the question somehow. Then he said, Oh, I'm one of Brecheliant's leaders — I lead the pack alongside Teya. He smiled at Belen, though clearly he wasn't very used to throwing that around. He'd only become leader because Teya had asked it of him, and he didn't feel as capable as she was at leading. Diplomacy was definitely more her thing than his. In fact, this was the first time Eljay had ever done any of it outside of his own home.

belen is skippable!

"the pleasure is mine, eljay." he had a nice name and a nice face. pharaoh might be intimidating. belen leapt up each broad-hewn step and nodded toward the guard posted at the top. she led eljay through the open-air throne room and then down the path that descended into the heart of the palace. there was activity here, coyotes moving to and fro. tavina smiled at them both but did not stop. "that's our doctor, tavina. she has two patients here!" belen said exuberantly. they had come to the archway that led to pharaoh's throne room. the girl did not pause. she entered and bowed before pharaoh, seated on his throne. today the royal was alone. "divine one, i have brought eljay of brecheliant. he leads alongside teya." she performed a deep bow, but winked at the visitor as if to assure him before whisking herself off to the side.

pharaoh was not a foolish man — unless it had to do with satsu. there he found himself blinded by her beauty and his want. surely she carried his children even now, though she kept to her rooms and he to his. it was the nature of the pregnant royalty to be tended by others and to keep to themselves. 
belen entered, buoyant and lovely as ever. ramesses feasted his lapis eyes upon the girl as she made introductions for the man alongside her. his cool gaze moved then to eljay.
"welcome as an ally." the pale man did not yet descend his throne, but placidly regarded the brecheliant leader. "teya made quite the impression when she attended the wedding." her man, not so much.
"what can akashingo do for our companion?" ramesses inquired, smiling gently at the green-eyed wolf.

The place that Belen took him to was impressive in some way. Eljay wondered if this was dug or if it simply existed this way in nature, but he didn't ask her about it. Instead, he followed in silence as they reached - presumably - the pharaoh's home. It was a different place than Eljay himself was used to. He was just a simple family man, not so much for all the smoke and mirrors and glamour and gold. Seemed Akashingo was different than Brecheliant in more ways than just the way they thought about love.

Pharaoh was up on an elevated place, which made Eljay feel a little weird, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly why. Again he felt the stark differences between himself and this pack. He tried to push away the weird, uncomfortable feeling and be free of any preconceptions he might have about them.

Pharaoh greeted him in a friendly manner — a stark contrast, to Eljay, to the way that he was elevated above his so proclaimed ally. Teya had made an impression that even Reyes' mess-up couldn't ruin, it seemed. Eljay smiled a friendly smile at Pharaoh and said, Nice to meet you, Pharaoh. He hoped that it was alright he talked this way — hopefully, Belen would've instructed him if there was any particular way he should conduct himself, or something. Eljay felt his face heat up a little as Pharaoh asked him what Akashingo could do for him. He was just here to talk, really, he supposed. Figure out if they were any good, on Lilitu's behalf (and, perhaps, in part on his own so he could send her off with a good feeling in his heart, should she choose this path). Having no real answer, Eljay stammered, Oh — uh — I'm just here to meet you. Teya told me Akashingo was very hospitable and friendly, but I figured I should meet you for myself, too. Eljay smiled uneasily, hoping that it was no problem. He himself wasn't a very busy man, so he would never mind meeting others, but it seemed that Pharaoh might be a much busier man than he himself.

very hospitable and friendly. "indeed we are." pharaoh slid gracefully from his throne. "your teya was correct." perhaps the pretty peon had left her crowing firebrand of a man and this was her new husband. he was certainly different. eljay. 
pharaoh motioned to where skins had been laid on the floor. "will you dine with me?" the royal asked, but he did not wait for an answer. instead he flicked his tail toward belen, who at once departed the room. she returned a short while later with another fellahin, and both of them gave glances to one another and to the brecheliant man as they arranged a meal along the middle of the furs.
rabbit. the breast of a dove. a tantalizing offering of mice. and a tasting of the pine-liquor. it was not as strong as the berries would be, but a light buzzing might be provided.
ramesses sat back on the opposite side of the flat table. "please. sit. tell me: has jawahir been to visit you?"

Eljay felt a little awkward when Pharaoh called Teya 'his Teya', but maybe it was just the way that wolves spoke out here. So far, it was clear to Eljay that they had a very different culture around here than what he was used to. He nodded quietly, not wanting to offend by questioning the choice of words.

A question was posed. Eljay had perhaps at times called food dinner, but he never knew it was a verb, too. Oh, uhm, sure — if you can spare it, of course, he said, even though it seemed that Pharaoh had already presumed the answer to be yes as he asked Belen to retrieve some food, alongside another wolf. Eljay moved to the skins that Pharaoh'd gestured towards, and he sat down, still feeling a little awkward with all of this strange luxury around him. The culture of Akashingo was so different from Brecheliant's. Although it wasn't his cup of tea, Eljay could understand why Teya might be drawn to it.

Eljay watched all of the food; it was a feast, to be sure. Since it had not been long since they'd faced famine in the Fen, Eljay felt a little dirty having so much food at his disposal now. They no longer needed it as badly at home, but still. Up until recently, this was unimaginable luxury. The caretaker waited for Pharaoh to eat first, though, understanding that he was but a guest and he should wait. He curiously watch the strange smelling pine liquor, though Eljay had no idea what it was. He almost missed that a question was being asked as he surveyed the food and halted his gaze on the last item in silent question, and looked up at Pharaoh quickly from his seated position on the furs, then nodded. Jawahir — that was the wolf who'd visited them to ask Lilitu if she was interested in.. Eljay wanted to say.. the Pharaoh's son, right? He didn't remember all the details right, but he did remember it, of course. It was the reason he was here.

Eljay nodded. Yeah, uhm, he tried to remember if Jawahir was a man or a woman, but drew up blank. It sounded male, he supposed?? He did visit us, yes, with your request. Rather hastily Eljay added, lest expectations would be created that he didn't want to set: Though I'm not here to discuss that right now.

there was a firmness to eljay that ramesses had not expected. something passed behind his dark blue eyes a flicker of respect perhaps. he did not answer but reached for a bite of food and chewed for a moment before he answered.
"would you enjoy a tour of the palace and its grounds?" pharaoh inquired. the brecheliant man was not here to make the final arrangements, which indicated that either jawahir had not found one suitable among his ranks, or that it was left to the woman herself to decide. what an odd notion.
"maybe you will take gifts home with you when you return," ramesses suggested lightly. why had the man come indeed? but then again it was eljay's first visit. suppose he was only curious. "we have a particular brand of hospitality here." his gaze cast to belen. "the mesa is a place where i believe every desire can be sated."

He was offered a tour, and Eljay wasn't sure what he was offered initially. Palace and its grounds? He felt too flustered to ask what that was precisely, though, and so he instead nodded and said, Oh, uhm, yeah, that would be nice. He figured it was just another word for pack or something, though the word came vaguely familiar; maybe from one of Maia's stories?

He was also vaguely offered gifts. The sentence sounded oddly like a threat, maybe because it was so concealed — "maybe" he would bring home gifts? as if he would take them himself, rather than be offered? — but Eljay shrugged it off and just said, Oh, that would be very generous of you, although it's not necessary. I mean, unless you want to. He tried to stay polite and not outright decline in case it was important to Pharaoh to offer these things, while also making sure that Pharaoh knew that he didn't need any gifts.

eljay did not seem inclined to eat; the fenwolf seemed, exactly, rather flustered. shy. he was not an emperor, clearly, nor did the man fashion himself a god. still they would wait before the tour began. "are you close with the calderans?" 
as jawahir had not yet returned, ramesses had not been appraised of the disbandment nor brecheliant's move into the formerly inhabited territory. he wanted to draw the auspex out of himself; he wished to take the full measure of the man.
another swathe of time. another pause. ramesses ate and drank with relish and eventually pushed aside the remains.
"i suppose i should ask you why you have come. it would have been more polite." he probed once more into the face of the other wolf.

The question flustered Eljay a bit and he looked visibly confused at first. The 'Calderans' were his wolves, after all, but then he quickly came to realise that maybe Pharaoh hadn't yet been informed of their move. After a myriad of emotions passed the caretaker's face he said, Oh, they left. We moved to Redhawk Caldera, actually. It's where Brecheliant lives now. After a short pause he elaborated, There wasn't enough food at the Fen, so we had to look elsewhere. I grew up at Redhawk Caldera, so I know the territory well and so it was the easiest choice. He wasn't sure what the future would bring. Would the others want to return to the Fen? Eljay had felt resistant to move back to the Caldera at first, as it reminded him of a past that he wanted to move beyond, but now he actually enjoyed being back at the Caldera. Hopefully they could stay.

As time passed between them with little words and Pharaoh ate, so did Eljay. He seemed hesitant, but took some ginger bites, much less than what Pharaoh himself ate; whether it was because he was not at ease, not hungry, or naturally submissive to Pharaoh and afraid to cross boundaries, it was unclear. He didn't touch the pine liquor, since he'd never really seen liquid like that and didn't really understand it. Eljay was too afraid to make a mistake around it in the end that he decided to leave it be for Pharaoh to enjoy instead.

Pharaoh then asked him again, insistently, why he'd come. Eljay blinked, a little confused, because he thought he had already answered this question. Then he said, his tone a little nervous, I heard good things about Akashingo from Teya and from Jawahir, and wanted to see for myself what it's like here.

ramesses was silent for a moment. "you must forgive me, eljay. in my experience, rulers only visit a kingdom that is not their own when they possess ulterior motives." his brow arched; he gestured lightly to the spread. "it will be good to have brecheliant closer. not only are you able to see the mesa, those who dwell here will be able to see the caldera as well. it is a good tiding for shared hunts and messages."
"akashingo is different. it is power i want. but i do not take without giving. we are allies; if there is something you desire, you need only tell me."
he was silent then, drinking in deep satisfaction of the pine-wine and sitting back upon his elbows. "do your people believe in gods?"

Eljay listened to what Pharaoh said. There were a lot of things that did not apply very much to him in there, and Eljay said eventually: I don't see myself as ruler of Brecheliant. I stepped up because they needed someone. Brecheliant is about family, not about power. Perhaps that's why it's, uhm, harder to understand. Of course, I also want to know what Akashingo is like in case one of our own would move here to marry. He had forgotten the name of the man that she was supposed to marry, but he knew that Pharaoh would understand who he was talking about. But I don't have any need for power. I'm a simple man. I just want my family to live a long and happy life. Eljay smiled, though it was clear that he was a little nervous as well.

To Pharaoh's question about gods, Eljay said: I can't speak for the rest of my pack, because they might have different thoughts, so I will speak only for myself. I don't believe in the gods, though I respect those who do.

he had already thought brecheliant to be a peasant-riddled place and this conversation confirmed it. eljay had no true power, not even as a father. ramesses felt that their alliance would be quite one-sided indeed. but he kept his face diplomatic and interested as the man finished his words.
this time eljay did mention the pending marriage, which curled the pharaoh's lips in pleasure. but, reminded that the auspex had not come here to discuss that, he did not comment upon it.
"we worship the gods here. They have their feast days, names, prayers. holy men choose auspicious dates on which to be married or to be laid to rest." his lazuli eyes shone. "come with me now, if you are ready. i will show you all the sights in akashingo."
grandly he swept to his paws, gaze inviting despite his inward haughtiness.

Even though they were very different, it seemed his words did not offend Pharaoh and for that Eljay was glad. Eljay didn't know much of the gods, except that some wolves worshipped them, so he listened, glad to be informed of what they meant to Akashingo. He nodded at Pharaoh's words, and as the man got to his feet, so did Eljay; ready to be shown around and curious for what he would be shown, for it was clear that Pharaoh was very proud of his lands.