Moonspear eyes closed, ice cold

She stalked their edges on these clear, cold nights, as the forested band gave her passageway with some cover so that she could rove even longer into the eve. Galaxy's death, still so fresh and cruel, stung bitterly, especially as the stars shone so proud and bright overhead on the endless sea of black--just as she would love, of course.. but Amekaze had seen to that in the last way she was able and ensured that her daughter's last resting place would always have a view unparalleled. It had begun her mourning, after the necessary investigations of course. She had needed time, and it was what she would take.

But with or without entire answers on why her daughter had died, she had a feeling the cogs were in motion. Drageda had already moved south, and her Cerberus had ranged plenty. They were mending the yearling from the Caldera now too.. and he'd be one less to their cause thanks to his sheer stupidity. Amekaze wasn't particularly pleased with any of it, but she was frustrated and just barely contained. Her sights set towards the lands beyond in a cold, scowling stare.

Korei had spent enough time outside of the Moonspear territory, and finally decided to come back. She crossed the border, and the first face she found almost made her want to cry. The one family member she didn't think looked down on her. 

She approached, then started into a sprint, starting to cry. "Mama!" she cried, seeking immedieate parental comfort. She went to bury herself in her mother's shoulder fur, her face wet with tears.

Hydra, Alya, and Lyra were not far behind Korei, for reasons that only they would ever know. It had not been their plan to approach the girl or their mother, but when they saw tears on the pale girl's end and the stony face of their dam, Hydra ushered them forward, sweeping in with words of comfort.

Alya cared far less for their 'sister' than Hydra, and went directly to her mother's side. "I love you, Mama," she said, wiggling against the older woman like a puppy. Maybe it would help her feel better to be surrounded by her children? Or would it make things worse? Alya wasn't sure and didn't exactly feel comfortable experimenting in this situation, but she had to do something.

She shot Lyra a pleading look, silently asking for direction.

Hydra had stopped looking down on KJ the day she expressed interest in training and bettering herself. And though for the most part KJ still looked at the stars, she was overall a better wolf than Hydra had initially thought which was saying something. The Beta thought about recruiting her to their efforts of vengeance, but as Hydra trailed her mother, what she saw changed her mind. 

KJ was soft and sweet. She doubted her sister desired to partake in the plot, but there was still time yet to decide on it. Though her nerves grated to see KJ cry (be strong!, she wanted to say), Hydra approached them both. She greeted her mother with a fond nip and circled 'round to face her pale sister. Korei Julia, she hummed, who do I need to kill to stop those tears? The words were meant to be comforting; Hydra wanted to be there for her, but really, she did not want Korei to cry. But equally, she wanted anyone to mess with their family to die, therefore, if KJ could just say she wanted the killer of Galaxy to die...

For her own part in comforting their mother, Hydra glanced toward her mother and her ears pricked. She had news for the matriarch of the family, but it could wait. Her mother was a far more austere woman, but she knew their presence would be appreciated.

The approach of a pale daughter pulled her glare off the horizon, and she soon realized the extent of what she may be met with. Korei ailed openly, tears and all. Amekaze shifted somewhat, and splayed out her ears. She gave a low note of a fond rumble as she leaned against her somewhat, hoping that it may help soothe her. "Oh Korei.. I know, but.." she sighed with the hundreds of things she should say. She loved her so very dearly, even if (evidenced now) she was so different from the others.

Unless it was something else that bothered her, she knew it was ugly, unfair, and downright cruel that Galaxy was gone from their lives all too well, but neither was she the best at comforting such hurts laid bare like that. It wasn't easy, although she didn't even know if that was the matter here. It certainly weighed heavy on her own heart.

But soon, scarcely seconds after it seemed, dark-furred sisters appeared as well. She noticed once after another and soon found one of them in close too, and reached for a nip while she could. The others were never far and she knew in an instant that she had the whole lot of them here with her once again, which wasn't frequent these days. "Love you, too," she returned soon after, although this was not limited to one of them as her tail swung a slow, pleased arc while she looked them all over, light and dark alike.

They'd all grown so much. Although Galaxy would never reach these days, it was all far from total loss. She still couldn't begin to express it, and gave a humored chuff towards efforts in comforting so far as she waited to hear Korei's thoughts on the matter. Deep down, she doubted the golden-eyed daughter would be made any happier by the head of the culprit here, the thought of it certainly had its merits to her. She gave Korei a soft nudge to encourage her, knowing well what they could do so if they pleased.

Korei cuddled up close when her sisters came, leaning in more into her Mama. However she did glare at Hydra momentarily, through her teary eyes. "No...No killing. No more" she said angrily, then went back to wiping her tears in Mama's shoulder.

On Amekaze's other side, Alya bared her teeth at Korei in silent reproval - she had no right to snap at Hydra. Especially when Hydra was tolerating her blubbering with suck patience and kindness. After all, their mother had lost a child, and there were no tears on her face. That ought to tell the pale girl something about the appropriateness of her behavior.

Tears were not becoming of a princess of Moonspear. Alya had long held on to the belief that Korei was not actually one of them.

But she didn't say any of this, and simply pressed her cheek into Amekaze's fur, ignoring Korei as best as she could. In that way, this was much like any other day.

Hydra blinked at her sister's weepy response and replied: Alright, Korei Julia. For you, I let him live, the words were indifferent, but clipped—if Korei would let the mongrel who killed Galaxy go, that was now a decision placed squarely on Korei's shoulders. Hydra was quite satisfied; she had doled out her own justice to the bastard. But now she certainly would not be the one to kill him. Korei Julia was but one of those reasons; let it weigh on her conscience that she was an enabler of murderers. It seemed their pure sister was not so pure after all, and her gaze turned toward their mother. 

For the second, Lyra was mute. She sensed the ire of Alya and Lyra both for Korei Julia, and even she herself had to swallow her contempt before her mother. The one who suffered the greatest loss was their mother, and Hydra looked at the matriarch for a long moment. She had news she knew would please Amekaze, but could not take the blubbering of their sister for much longer. The patience she had was wearing thin, as only Korei Julia could have it waste away so very quickly. Still Hydra remained, in case Lyra had anything she wished to share herself.

Unsurprisingly enough, Korei turned down the offer and she felt the rift between them turn especially palpable then. Her own hackles gave a subtle shift at this notion and when Hydra responded, indifferent, the dark mother slid forward from between them.. although she missed the warmth of daughters on either side quickly; she didn't like being the boundary any more either. She only arced around them, setting her sights on them all even better, mainly because she was curious if that would escalate, or how it would pan out. Korei had never contended well among the dark trio, but Ame had not taken a good, long look at it up close in far too long.

She frowned. She simply couldn't guarantee that there would be no more deaths. Such was life, with war stewing in the flatlands and her patience for everything growing thin and worn. "They will have what they deserve," she sighed, vague enough with a small curl of her lips--a symbol of her hate towards those who harmed her own. She had no one single culprit and neither did she understand why. Had this been Blackfeather looking to strike fear or flex their superiority, she might have had a better idea.. but Redhawk? All chaos, nothing else, and conveniently present where her daughter died. This was not something she was going to be quick to forgive, nor could she be convinced that this would be the last time Redhawk bothered her. "And for Galaxy, however unfair it is that she was taken so soon, we must live on stronger than before," she added. They carried the weight she no longer could and Ame would honor her with nothing less. If this meant some shade of violence in the long run, then so be it.

Korei Julia felt her mother move from her side, and she tried to move along but stumbled as Amekaze went out of her reach. "Mama?" She was hurt by her mother's words, she spooke as if she wanted to hurt them, to kill them. She had always viewed Mama as kind, not as violent. She glanced at her sisters, than Mama. 

"We can't kill them, Mama. We'll be just as bad as them" she replied. "And it wasn't that wolf, it was something else!" She didn't back down this time, despite never having raised her voice against her own mother.

*rudely posts again bc i am your mother*

She flicked back her ears. Korei's disapproval continued. "I never said there had to be killing outright," she said, licking the curl of her lips back down after she spoke it. Perhaps heavily implied, but she didn't appreciate the misfire, nor the comparison of her regal blood to anything akin to Redhawk--and just for murder. Her pale outlier daughter had best remember that. "And I know it was something else.. but this is not the first instance of Redhawk being a bother. It has been going on for longer than you have even lived," she reminded them with a quick lash of her tail, now arcing harder. "I have no patience, or tolerance, for any of their shit, whatever it may be. I do not like that they were there at all, simply put." she spoke with a low underlining snarl. She wasn't budging on the matter.

Alya's anger bubbled out of her, whip-crack sharp. Not even Hydra had time to curb her. "Stop it, KJ," she said hotly, glad that Amekaze was no longer between them. It enabled her to step toward the pale girl, eyes serious and words intent. "It's not your job to care about other wolves - it's your job to care about your family. It's not like we're going out and killing their innocent babies! We have to stop them before they take more of our own."

Alya turned away as her voice grew more heated, unwilling to yell outright at the pathetic girl. "You need to rethink your priorities," she huffed, pushing out of the circle of her family and striding a few paces away to cool off. It was true that she had not exactly mourned Galaxy, but that didn't mean she didn't care. It was just - what was the use? Her energy was better spent on revenge than on sorrow, something Korei had thus far failed to grasp.

She is still around, just trying to reign herself in so she doesn't say more mean things.

Hydra found her patience had snapped. Everyone said their piece, and Hydra found her own voice freeing from her lips of its own volition: 

He did kill her, Korei. His fangs may not have touched her, but if he had called, she may have been saved, Hydra's gaze bore into her sister. He gave no one the opportunity to save her. He let her die. And then, he ran. How could Korei not see this? How could Korei not understand their anger, their wrath, toward the wolf who had caused this? What was not clicking? 

Hydra moved toward their mother, placating her with a submissive nip to her chin. She understood perfectly well. Hydra's own place and alignment would always be with her family. She agreed wholeheartedly with Alya's concluding statement; it was clear Korei Julia was seeking reason to be angry with her own families violence when they were never the ones to start anything. 

But they would finish them.

Korei felt suddenly overwhelmed by voices. They were all saying that while they had not killed Galaxy, they were still at fault. She shrank back, but what hit her the most was that the las tof her family she trusted the most, the one that had always been there for her was saying the same, at least in Korei's mind. 

Suddenly, it was like Amekaze was one of the Cerberus, a larger one in Korei's eyes. They all looked down on her. It made her afraid. Very afraid. She tried to back out of the group, eyes on them. But mostly, Mama.

Her patience was minimal at the very best. The dark daughters seemed to ride a similar wavelength to her own, with cutting words all of their own designs. Ame’s expression stayed put, but she was grieving and frustrated beneath the surface. 

Korei still looked to struggle with their outlooks. She debated even bothering to justify her thoughts any more. Hydra’s appeasement took the harsher edge off her posture, though, and she nudged her muzzle against her daughter’s briefly. ”I know it sounds cruel laid bare like this, nor is it my ideal,” she spoke, a little lighter this time. They only did whatever they had to. ”But I will not stand around idle, mope, and wait for worse to happen again next time.. My family’s safety here will always mean more to me than any Redhawk, or any other wolf in these whole valleys..” she sighed beneath Korei’s golden stare, and desperately willed her to understand despite how ugly. She couldn’t turn them into pacifists and expect all to go nicely, not in these times. ”War looms between our neighbors as it is. We cannot afford to just shrug it off, do nothing and expect peace to fall into place around us,” she said, beginning to turn away. They had to protect their own at the least, even if they did not march out to slaughter others. She couldn’t rest easy doing nothing.

Hydra's ear flicked, hearing her mother and realizing what Korei must think. But she wouldn't correct that thought, not now. If Korei thought her family cold-blooded killers, then she did not know a single one of them. They did not kill or hurt others for fun; it was not a game to them. And if Korei could corrupt their vision and their name in such a way? How could she even think that Korei cared for them at all? All of her life, Hydra had cared for Korei in her own way. She protected, she assisted, she defended—granted, she also bullied, but her love had always been tough love. She bullied Alya and Lyra just the same when it suited her; they could handle it, though, and knew how best to appease her to avoid too much frequency. 

All I have ever done is protect who and what I love. I will never stop that, Hydra stated. Then,  the beta turned away from Korei, and began to walk in the opposite direction. She would not defend herself to Korei Julia, who was not blind or deaf or dumb—she was a grown woman, behaving like a baby, putting the attention on her damned self and whining when their sister was dead. 

The rational part of her grasped that Korei Julia was grieving, and this was how she handled it. But Hydra was grieving, too, and she could stand Korei's selfishness no longer.

Korei felt her heart being torn, as she once believed that the world could be peaceful. Just peace, no violence. That was her dream. A dream being shattered before her eyes, and she was slowly coming to the realization of life. Of death. Of violence. 

She couldn't bear the revelation, and suddenly turned and ran off. She ran because of how incorrect she felt now.

Amekaze felt her lips curl with ire and distaste when it was clear their point didn't get across. Hydra added her own, but inevitably, Korei simply fled in the face of it all. She bristled more openly now that the most different of her yearlings was leaving the scene. There was no need in chasing her, not to her right now, but she noted her route for later and scoffed towards no one in particular. Her heart was broken and she was left to behold her trio of darkest daughters with a low, frustrated rumble. They would feel it with her far better than any so she'd linger for as long as the situation may warrant.

She still hoped eventually Korei would understand.. maybe when she came to understand her grief over Galaxy better, or once that had settled. The world would force her to eventually. She had to know they did this to protect them, because of their selfish love of their own, and Amekaze was tired of Redhawks always being involved in her worst of days. Her thoughts on the matter felt just and her gentlest daughter just didn't get it, somehow.

Cuttin' in here again <3

Alya only dared to return when Korei took her leave, and while Hydra appeased their mother with submissive licks, Alya only felt the burn of indigantion in her gut - she couldn't bring herself to do anything but hover protectively while her duplicates comforted thier mother, eyes glaring daggers into Korei's retreating back.

"Don't listen to her, Mama," she said softly, her voice far more venemous than comforting.

Hydra was inherently aware that despite Korei being a moron, her mother likely did not want to lose her in any capacity at this point in time. Though Hydra knew Moonspear was better off without her (KJ), the girl was not better off without it. Hydra slid away from her mother and toward Alya, bumping against her. Though the sisters were not empaths, Hydra knew better than to test their mother on her devotion to her daughters, any one of them, at this point in time. 

Though of course they were all in agreeance. 

Hydra circled back to her mother, Lyra having lingered there even still. Let's hunt, she suggests, glancing toward her mother. Their outlet was often aggression, and it suited them perfectly.

Having Korei turn her back on them like this was a stinging blow but, with that angrily cold ire running down the back of her neck, she was ready to welcome the suggestion of her remaining daughters. Korei's words should hold no merit, not with how they turned against her own blood before that of strangers.. and indeed, after all of that, a hunt would soothe her aching heart.

She rumbled, appreciative, and agreed absolutely. Her tail waved to help rally them as she took off with her trio of shadows in pursuit of something to slaughter.