Ankyra Sound boneless

tev is a curious creep? lol. open to anyone! c:

Tev wasn't sure what he was doing here. Well no, he couldn't claim that because if he did he would be lying. His second time to Ankyra Sound, (almost) full grown he'd came across a woman who claimed that her pack lived underground in the territory. He had not smelled borders the first time but this time the Loðbrok could smell them — stronger the closer he drew to the territory he'd washed up on what felt like four lifetimes ago. It had been only a handful of months in reality but so much had happened since then, and he had changed so much from the small, frightened, shivering and malnourished, left for dead pup he'd been when Scimitar had found him. From the child that had washed up on the shores of what was now claimed territory. Tev hung back, a more than respectable distance between their borders and himself, wondering if the woman remained. If she had been telling him the truth (though now he had no reason to doubt it). 

Things with his twin were extremely tense and he could feel the twin-bond stretched to limits that previously Tev had thought didn't even have. Jealousy was ugly, though anymore Tev couldn't claim it was jealousy that kept the distance between them. It was Charon. Charon appeared to be the source of all of Tev's discontent and issues with his family, even though Tev knew he was as much to blame. He supposed he could have tried to be something he wasn't but ...that wasn't honest. What was wrong with his ambition? With wanting things in life? Wanting to accomplish and be something? He didn't have to agree with Charon just because the older boy was his alpha. Alphas were only wolves too and they weren't perfect, either. Their title didn't make them a patron saint unable to do no wrong.

It was only a matter of time before someone went to Charon about his issues with authority (not that it was necessarily anything unexpected from him, ehem) and Tev couldn't help the suspicion that it was only a matter of time before Charon ...or even Floki himself (since he had the power now) kicked Tev out. He'd had that suspicion since his initial joining of Moonspear and there was nothing right about that in the young berserker's mind. 

Curiosity had driven Tevinter towards the Sound but it wasn't all that made the scarred viking stay.

at first, caiaphas had been surprised to see kjalarr. she had not expected his tenure on earth to be of any significant length -- last she had seen him he was young and alone and she had extended no sort of offer to secure his survival. a slight rift of annoyance lifted her hackles -- he knew ankyra was claimed -- did he come as a supplicant? observer?

in the manner of an eel the little wretch snaked towards him, noting he hung back from the borders as if obeying some hidden command. she was cross as she came upon him, though no fraction of her frame bid of violence. she was content to study him blandly for now -- yet the thin draw of her taut lips suggested she was in no mood for games.

Thanks for joining c:!

Not too long after he'd settled into observing the splice of earth that the sea had spit him back upon many months ago now, Tev heard the sound of approaching footfalls. His velveteen ears of platinum silver perked and silvery caribbean gaze fell upon where Caiaphas emerged from, recognized by no name but by her unique appearance, noted despite his monochromacy. For a moment (though not to be the first moment he'd felt as such) he sort of felt like an idiot for not calling, for having been stumbled upon just ...standing there. The truth was, he was still hesitant, weighing what was right for him and what was right for his family. He caused trouble for them, he was disobedient towards Charon, had gotten into a heated row with his own twin. Obviously being around them wasn't magically healing any wounds that had been torn open with his disappearance from their lives; if anything most days Tev couldn't help but feel that he was only making them fester like a infection, and he was just ...tired. He felt older than his ten months. Like he'd lived ten lifetimes in the stead of only ten, relatively short months.

The Sound leader did not speak, and while her body language was not omitting anything hostile Tev took her warning in stride and lowered his body into proper submission, ears slicking back to rest at half mast atop his skull. “Hello,” The Loðbrok greeted her, averting his eyes to her paws. Curiosity might have lured him here but given his openness to embrace the Gods and Goddesses that his father worshiped gave him the consideration that perhaps it'd been more than curiosity to lead him back here. Perhaps it was written in his fate, or perhaps he was fated to try and fail. He couldn't be sure ….about any of it. If he left Moonspear, regardless of where he ended up, there was sure to be repercussions and yet ...his family was already mad at him, and as far as Charon was concerned he wasn't even a Loðbrok so did it even matter? The question was bitter in Tev's mind as he considered it.

“I'm sorry I didn't howl but uh, I wanted to drop by and see how the Sound was doing,” He inhaled deeply and let it out. “And... to see if maybe you'd consider me for a spot in your pack.” He was a knotted mess of all kinds of emotions, currently, wondering if he was digging his hole any deeper. Yet, his conversation with Wildfire had gotten him thinking that perhaps leaving was truly the best option for him, whether it was leaving for her pack or for another, or even, starting his own. Tev didn't think he'd came here for that but the words were out there and he had no intention of taking them back. As they claimed, you didn't get anywhere in life if you never took the risk.

kjalarr's rightful acknowledgement of his humble deportment seemed to somewhat placate the feral queen, though there remained faintly on her countenance the dark shadow of suspicion. she cast him a sidelong glance as she awaited some sort of explanation -- and when one came, the siren queen appeared to give great and heavy weight to her thoughts.

when she spoke, it was not without considerable cogitation given to her words. he had mentioned he was intending on meeting with his brother -- why was he here now? was stavanger not family? "what happened to meeting up with your brother?" she did not recall if kjalarr had supplied his brother's name upon their last conversation, though she certainly had not forgotten he had mentioned stavanger and his brother had apparently combined with some other pack in the area.

“I met with him, and I've been apart of Moonspear for a while now,” He drew in a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh. “but it's not working out. We haven't gotten along since day one. It was ugly and I don't think I can ever forgive him for the things he said to me, about me and my adoptive family, but I stuck with it. I tried to make it work for the sake of my twin and my mother but we're just always at odds with one another and I'm tired of feeling like I'm the bastard brother or something, you know? I can't function like that,” He hated to be repressed, he hated being a shadow. Thus, he needed to step out of the shadows, out from under Charon and Floki and everything else. “My adoptive family treated me better than that and I wasn't even their blood.” Granted, Bazi's mothering when it came to Tev could be considered quite questionable but Tev hadn't held her manipulation against her. It'd been an effective and clever scare tactic to get him to do what she wanted him to do. 

"There's a lot of bad blood between us and I don't see that going away.” Unfortunately, for Tev, he had inherited his father's ability to hold a grudge, because no matter how he tried he simply couldn't let it go. “And I refuse to follow him any longer, I'm tired of watching my back all the time in a place that's supposed to be my home.” So, he was being his own man and taking a stand even if this wasn't particularly the direction he thought he would take.

caiaphas was nearly bowled sideways by the lengthy explanation. at first, she had expected the bare minimum -- yet as each second passed her ears pulled slowly forth in quiet bemusement -- they were strangers, yet he had come to the sound all the same.

of course, had she known kjalarr was referring to charon, she would have been much more sympathetic.

"so what -- you need him to be taken care of? watery grave? mysterious disappearance?" she inquired innocently, as if she were not just proposing the cold and thoughtless murder of kjalarr's dearborn kin.

He wasn't sure why he was divulging this information, so easily as it were, to someone who was, virtually, a stranger to him. Yet this did not lessen the fact that to Tev it was the truth. He didn't want to follow Charon anymore, he didn't want to follow Floki. There was something about following someone that he was stuck seeing as an equal that blurred the lines in Tev's mind. After all, Floki would always just be his twin, and Charon was his older brother. Maybe he'd been a leader when Tev had been in the Bay but he wasn't Tev's parent and thus Tev was not able to recognize him as a superior figure. Or maybe Tev was just jealous. Maybe both.

Either way his lack of insubordination was bound to catch up to him eventually and the more he tried to make it work the more he felt like he was swimming against a rip current: he was swimming but going utterly no where. So, a change of scenery ...a change of packs was the only conclusion Tev could come to that didn't resort to a challenge or violence. Her suggestions were voiced innocent enough but what she was inquiring was far from it. “What?” He blurted and shook his head. “I don't want Charon dead,” The idea of killing off his older brother hadn't ever been a thing. Not even a figment of a thing to Tev. He'd been trying to avoid outright naming his brother, favoring anonymity, but in his shock it's spilled from his lips, unbidden. “I just want away from him, out from under his rule. He calls me a child but he doesn't see how childish he is.” 

Not that Tev wasn't childish because ...obviously he was but at least he had some semblance of an excuse.

he didn't want charon dead? well.. that was no fun. caiaphas' hopeful gaze crumpled, and the sweep of her ears to her skull announced clearly her displeasure. she had offered to do something nice for kjalarr -- who was practically a stranger -- and he had returned the favor by sharply declining her offer. she felt herself puff outward not unlike an offended bird. unfortunately, charon had introduced himself as peanut (no wait - kevlyn!) when she had had the misfortune of encountering him -- alackaday, she would not find out today whereabouts peanut lived. "what did he do to you?" she hunkered down, watching kjalarr somewhat hungrily for a revealing answer in which she could manipulate.. perhaps, somehow, she could convince the young wolf to allow her to wreak some havoc.

Tev found himself squinting ever so slightly at her, though this was to aid the young berserker in discerning the difference to her body language as opposed to being anything else. She asked what Charon had done to him, and while Tev noticed that she hadn't actually answered his sort of question about having a spot in her pack he decided to indulge her though he didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took the time to think about what he was going to say. As he went back and went through it Charon hadn't actually physically hurt him ...but emotional wounds hurt and cut more deeper than any physical wound the older boy could inflict. If Tev was nasty and defensive it was because he was hurt, and that made him feel weak to reflect upon it all and come to the singular conclusion that Charon had hurt his feelings and pride. It made Tev embarrassed but he couldn't really avoid her question. He'd blown this wide open and thus he had to be honest (or so he thought anyway).

“He was an ass,” Tev grumbled. “He said shit about me and about my adoptive parents. Insulting me, when he has no idea what he's even talking about. He's not grateful, instead of saying “i'm glad they took care of you” all he could do was insult them like he had any idea. He made it sound like I'm to blame for the downfall of Stavanger Bay.” But that wasn't fair, because Tev had just been a small child at the time. “Like it was my fault my dad went and offed himself.” Tev huffed in a true, brooding teenager fashion. “Anyway he thinks he's some kind of patron saint, do-no-wrong and it's obnoxious. He doesn't know how to lead a pack, and he bad mouthed my mom.” Ok, well Charon hadn't said anything but the truth regarding to Thistle but it still irked Tev.

“Would you want to follow a leader like that?” He poised the question to her wondering if she would respond, and if she did what she might say.

would she want to follow a leader like that? caiaphas didn't even consider it -- not for a moment. "uhm, no." she responded nearly immediately, though she gave second thought to everything that kjalarr had just said. her brow wrinkled -- she had never learned exactly the nature of stavanger's collapse. she decided that was what she wanted to talk about -- not ankyra, not this 'charon' person. "your father what?" she flicked an ear curiously, confused by his terminology. she was sharp enough to notice the uncanny resemblance between kjalarr and his father, who she had met some time before ankyra had ever been conceived. "what happened? tell me the whole story." she demanded, crossing her front limbs before her and slipping into a supine position coyly in the sand. before she considered kjalarr for a position within saltwinter, it was evident he would need to amuse her.

Tev gave a firm nod as a confirmation for himself when she responded in his favor to the question he'd poised at her. Exactly. Her response brought with it some form of relief for Tev whether she meant for it to have that effect or not. She asked for a clarification as to what he meant in regards to Ragnar. “He's dead,” Tev responded sheepishly. It was the origin of Stavanger Bay's downfall...even though Thistle had told Tev that Ragnar hadn't been a leader at the time of his death or even at the time of their birth. The point was probably that Ragnar would have never allowed Charon to make that decision nor uproot his family would he have been alive at the time; leader or not. At least from the stories he'd managed to coax from his mother, this was the clear impression Tev got of his enigmatic father. “He didn't kill himself. I mean mom says he'd fought with someone and suffered a crush to his jugular or something,” Speaking about it left Tev a little breathless and subconsciously he swallowed hard, lowering his muzzle a little bit.

“I was little when it happened and it was outside of the Bay. Mom found him after...after Odin took him to Valhalla.” But it was almost prophetic in some ways for Thistle had mentioned to him when he'd asked about Ragnar more than once that his father's ultimate goal had been valhalla. “That's all anyone knows, I guess. Who ever killed him had left before mom got to him.” Tev shrugged. It wasn't much but it was what he knew. “It's not very exciting.” Tev concluded, his brows furrowing, wondering if he should have stuck to the way of the saga's and spun some elaborate tale instead.

she had hoped ragnar's assailant possessed a name -- unfortunately, it seemed the identity of the killer eluded even kjalarr. caiaphas did not hide her disappointment, though it was not directed at the pal wolf. "wrong," she corrected him quickly though there was a lack of severity in her voice: "death is very exciting." she considered for a moment steering the topic back to this 'charon' -- but if kjalarr was to join saltwinter's rank, to what end did she need to interrogate the wolf? she considered her options. "so, you don't want to go back to whatever pack this charon is running into the ground?"

Tev accepted her correction though he couldn't claim that he agreed at this point and time in his life. He was still young and though he'd had his fair share of brushes with death despite that, he was still in that stage of life where he didn't really think much about it. At the moment, it seemed like the very least of Tev's personal concerns. Yet, to look at it from the perspective of the faithful, such as his father, death was the prize and an honorable death was the ticket to Valhalla; where they fought and feasted with Odin and when Ragnarok came they would pour from the hall and fight by the Allfather's side. That was, in and of itself, pretty exciting, admittedly. “That's right,” Tev confirmed. “I don't want to go back.”

caiaphas considered for a moment the wolf's words. a more mature, empathetic wolf would be besieged by concern -- not caiaphas. it didn't even occur to her to attempt to assist kjalarr in repairing the ruined patchwork of his familial ties. she was as equally impetuous as the child -- it was neither her interest nor her deportment to consider a child did not always know what was best for him. instead her mind immediately went to how he could be of use to her -- he was a child, but in time he would not be.

"saltwinter could accomodate you, if you proved useful." she ventured, gaze landing on the youth to see how he would respond.

There was no consideration in Tev's mind that he might be making a mistake, but he was young and as the old saying went: the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Even if he would have been, even if it would have been a wisp of consideration in his mind he would have brushed it off regardless. He was an adult, by and far old enough to make his own decisions. He didn't need his family's permission to do anything and he didn't have to explain his choices to them, nor tell them where he was going. He just wanted to be free of Moonspear, out of Floki's shadow and free from Charon. He'd considered that his departure would not go over well but as in Tev's mind this would be just another thing to be held against him. What was one more reason for them to oppress him? He didn't care. He was tired of trying and failing to win their approval. He didn't need it. Only the Gods had the right to judge him, and even they were more kind than Tev felt his older brother had been to him. 

“Of course,” Tev concurred. “I was working on earning my hunting and patrolling trades, but I can also scout.” Tev offered what he'd thus had interest in to her, assuming that was what she wanted to hear. “Whatever you need.” He promised, feeling the anticipation and excitement, so palpable to him that he could almost taste it. 

want me to title?!?!? also consider this the last post for me in this thread but we can start a new one if you'd like - lmk!

caiaphas did not miss the excitement that stirred in the youth. she watched him out of the corner of her shrewd eyes, not at all concerned that she had stole away another child from the cusps of familial grasp. it seemed to be a pattern -- she hoped that this one would not suffer the same fate as her beloved kevlyn.

"alright then." the coywolf said, bemused by kjalarr's muster. "i will show you the grotto." with that the gaunt salt queen turned towards the dark chambers, a singular ear cast back to see if kjalarr dared follow.

@Caiaphas yes please & ooh yes, i'd love another thread. <3 also, since Kjalarr is what she knows him by/what he'll introduce himself as to saltwinter i'm going to go ahead and ask for a name change

The brunt of his family's sure to be anger at this decision would be a heavy thing to bear, but he did not see how they could truly hold this against him. He wasn't saying goodbye forever, and even if he was, currently, he wasn't so sure any of them would care. He needed room to grow the way his fate dictated that he did and Moonspear had never truly felt like home to him. It held people that he knew, wolves that he loved to some foreign extent but his homes had been Stavanger Bay and with the Frostfur's because while Bazi had strange raising techniques they had never blamed him, nor were once  (that he could recall) insulting to him. Maybe his wounded pride made him weak but from what Tevinter had learned of Ragnar from Thistle his father would have never stood for it either. In fact, he hadn't. He'd killed his eldest brother — that was not the big reason but Thistle had never been hesitant about the truth with Tev when he'd asked.

Her approval and acceptance came simple, accompanied by an offer to show him The Grotto. As he crossed over into the borders he felt like he was a snake shedding it's skin: behind him he left Tevinter and he'd taken on Kjalarr; the name his phantom father addressed him as, and as far as the young Loðbrok assumed his destiny. Only briefly did he felt a small pang of guilt but he told himself that he shouldn't feel guilt, and selfish as he was he was able to suffocate the guilt, easily pushing it out of his mind as he followed Caiaphas.