Great Bear Wilderness Don't worry bout me and who I fire

Maybe @Sitri if you aren't too busy? I know we have an ongoing thread but if you want this one, assume Jinx eventually snapped out of it and figured out he wasn't Majesty (and he can harbour any bad feelings he wants to)! I'll leave it vague so someone else can join if they'd like, but assume Jinx collected them from STM and brought them here unless you've a problem with the powerplay! If so just let me know. :)

The pale Outrider had been ceaselessly active the last few days, travelling without tire between Silvertip Mountain and the circle of mountains she had found. Each trip back and forth took the better part of two days, but when Jinx was at home on the mountain, she continued her regular duties as if nothing had ever happened. Those who asked were given answers, and those who didn't ask were left to merely assume what Jinx's frequent trips were about.

Craving another look at the luscious pine forest spread out over The Spine (a name Jinx had recently given to them for how they appeared like a curved backbone), she sent up a quick and choppy howl for her wolves to attend her. Gathering whoever would accompany her, the Alpha female set off in the early dawn, leaving little room for argument from her subordinates. They would rest in the shade of Neverwinter Forest during the hot afternoon and would arrive at The Spine, a large basin encompassing roughly the area of Silvertip Mountain and then some, as the sun was beginning to paint the sky orange.

“This will sustain us permanently,” Jinx said as she led her follower(s) up the shortest mountain, the one that was mostly scrub and grass. When they crested the ridge, she knew they would see exactly what she was talking about. The Spine was perfect.

The wounds were barely healed on Sitri's muzzle, but like all good servants he held no ill will. He had been used to abuse, so it was not small task for him, to be dealt blows by Jimx and not be bothered. One thing though was that he was now, extremely wary of the queen. He would still follow her with devotion and he would still do what she asked. However, he would do so looking back over one shoulder.

She had been moving tirelessly between two place, though as of yet he had no idea what she was doing. Today he was asked to come along, so go along he did. He kept an even pace with the queen, keeping his ears ticked forward for any and all strange noises. He would do his best to protect her if the occasion arose.

Sitri's eyes went wide as he looked down over the beauty that the gods had set before them. His red eyes were bright and encompassing as he looked out over their new home. This a good place, Queen Jinx.

“I agree,” said the Kesuk, sweeping her gaze over the tall, ancient pines until it came to rest on Sitri. She felt no remorse for the wound she had cut into his muzzle, but she also didn't expect him to think nothing of it. He hadn't commented, however, so Jinx had assumed he'd already forgotten about that episode. She angled her snout down to nibble at a few stray hairs on her breast, then flicked her ears up and invited him to descend into the basin with her.

“There seems to be a floodplain down there, and I've noticed a landmass in the middle of the lake. I suspect both support prey populations.” Even as she said this, a pine marten darted past them and disappeared into the thick understory.

“Our proximity to other packs has done nothing but coax our wolves from our grasp,” continued Jinx, who was happy to blame everyone except herself for the disappearance of her wolves. “Too many loners flock there due to our numbers. I wish to be away from them.” She would happily start her pack anew here, and even if it did nothing to curb the mutinies of her subordinates, it would ease her to be well away from the traitors. “Do you think it is wise to move us here, Sitri?”

Sitri did not expect any to feel remorse for hurting him. It had been the way of things before, so why on earth wouldn’t it be the way of things now. He did however, feel wary of the queen and he would for some time.

Sitri watched the Pine marten skitter by, and his mouth pooled with Saliva. It would be a tasty morsel to catch, however he was not here to hunt yet. He studied the area she spoke about and the spoke quietly It may do us good to learn to fish. Sitri has never fished before, but it may prove a worthy task to learn.

Sitri studied the layout some more, there would be a good defense position here as well, though the mountains had been best, this would be a good place as well. Prey was certainly abundant and though it would be a pain to move everything, it would be nice. Yes Queen Jinx, Sitri thinks this is a good idea. There is enough prey, defense will not be hard, and we will be away from traitors and mutineers.

The female bobbed her head in agreement. Even if every wolf in her pack had spoken against her, she still would have made grand and elaborate plans to shift Silvertip's range from the mountain to this basin, although she might not have actually gone through with those plans. She remembered keenly where she discovered Majesty and Erika's scents, and it was disturbingly close to her territory. Close enough that she could launch an assault on them without worrying too much about resources, but way too close for the female's comfort.

As was shown by Erika's fraternization with Majesty, it was much too easy for the brown scheming bastard to hook his claws into her members and drag them away, and too many of them were easily swayed by a kind word or two. It made her uncomfortable, and the mere thought of claiming this paradise instead was immensely soothing.

“I wish to explore most of it first,” Jinx said, ”but those trees are so tall, they must be older than maybe even Ravenswood Forest. This place has been around a long time, and untouched by wolves.” Not even a stale trace of paw pads seemed to filter through the fresh mountainous air. “I suspect we will see prey here, undisturbed, that we have seen nowhere else before.”

She bumped her shoulder amiably against his and led the way downward, intending to reach the lake today to explore its shore. Nearest the lake, the valley seemed swathed in rich grassland, but everywhere else she looked was conifers. To the southwest there appeared to be rockier slopes, perhaps housing mysterious cave networks like the one on Silvertip, but that was merely speculation.

It was not in Sitri’s nature to speak against those who he followed, however even they could not control his thoughts. But even in his mind he found nothing wrong with the place. New place new place the voices chanted as he stood there looking over the new home they would lay claim too.

Majesty had not even tried to take Sitri with him, and Sitri would not have gone. He looked at the queen and spoke around the dry mouth he held. Sitri would have ripped out the traitors throat had he asked him to go Queen Jinx. He did not know that she had been thinking of the traitorous dog, he just had decided to use the moment to speak what he hadn’t the day that she had given him a new scar to carry around.

Sitri studied the ground New prey he would find this a challenging place, it made him smile a sickly twisted smile, due in part to the fact that scars obscured his once handsome face. Sitri will like that challenge, new prey to stalk good. What does Queen Jinx think is hidden here? Many secrets? He looked down as the voices whispered Many secrets for sitri, many secrets

She hadn't realized she'd been self-conscious, but as they wound through the noble pines, skirting massive root systems and colossal logs alike, Sitri made a comment that brought that realization to light. She had worried once about the wolves of Shearwater Bay staying loyal to her and Kaskae, even though they were the daughters of the Warchief and the rightful heirs, but she had never felt so helpless as she did leading Silvertip Mountain and watching mutineers run off, safe and sound.

Her breath hitched in her throat and she ducked her head somewhat, willing away her memories and croaking out a hoarse, “Thank you, Sitri. I only wish others shared your sentiments.” They did, of course. Jinx couldn't imagine Lecter ever leaving, and she was confident that Kaname and Cara were both loyal to her cause as well. Mordecai was quickly climbing the ladder of respect, as well, and Bagheera had ever earned Jinx's admiration. If she worried about any, she worried about Tiarnan... But the willowy warlock had done little to earn Jinx's trust yet, so her worry was minimal.

“Ancient ones,” the Alpha said, lifting her lips in a mysterious little smile. “Maybe we'll find magic in these woods.” As much as she believed in the spirits and the loa and magic, however, she didn't expect her subordinates to follow these beliefs, and so she chuffed amiably to show she was joking. The gloom of the conifers pressed in all around them as they loped past miles of forest toward the lake, but somehow it was soothing rather than frightening.

Sitri bowed his head to her, in a silent your welcome. He then looked down over the land again, slowly moving forward. He did not know any in the pack other than Lecter and Ira. Lecter would never leave, Ira had been gone for a few weeks now, Sitri tried not to think to much on it, as it was none of his business. He wondered if the boy would ever come back.

Sitri looked down and spoke softly Dark magic hides in shadows Queen Jinx. He was a simple male, and he had believed in magic as a child, and no one had diffused that belief, so deep down it was still there. Sitri watched the lay out of the land as they loped towards the lake, making mental notes on landmarks and prey paths. He would have to come back and explore this place on his own, so he could learn it and learn it well.

“Yes,” the Alpha female muttered, her lips quirking into a smile. It had been many days since she had last thought of Sos and Atka, having lost touch with her original faith, but the Dark Father rose up in her mind then. “Dark magic is not evil, Sitri,” she assured him, mistaking his glance at the ground for uncertainty regarding the magic.

She could feel it too, a heavy sense of power and majesty about these woods. It wasn't magic at all, but rather, the sheer weight of thousands of years settling on them in the embrace of untouched nature all around. Nevertheless, the superstitious Kesuk thought it might mean something, and she found herself glancing around as though she might glimpse the loa here. Not that she had ever seen them, aside from the four of Bon Dye, who had long departed, so she thought.

They emerged into a bizarre, lopsided clearing at that moment, with a fairy ring in the centre. Jinx remembered such a fairy ring from her time back in the Seahawk Valley, unable to recall its name but knowing it was named for someone. “Look, Sitri,” the Alpha said, clearly pleased with their discovery, “the loa must favour this place.” Loa and fairies were all the same to Jinx, but she had never heard bad things about fairy rings. Only that the loa and spirits met at them to revel and celebrate.

Sitri listened, he had always been taught that dark magic was evil, well at least as a child. Perhaps he had been taught wrong. Everything else he had been taught had this far proven to be wrong so maybe that too. And he was still a bit uncertain of magic, having the mindset of a child where it was concerned, though his thought went back to Lecter and his teaching of Atka and Sos to him.

It was a crushing feeling being among the trees, but it was not unpleasant. It was just very deep and very contending. It was strange to be among the oldest trees around. It made him realize how much some things could survive and persevere, maybe this was where he had meant to be. After all, he had wished to die so much, but he had always survived in some way whether by chance or fate or otherworldly design.

Sitri sniffed gently at the fairy ring and then looked at the queen, he was still a little confused about the loa. The loa are Atka and Sos yes? Or are they different? Your King Lecter told me of them.

Sitri moved forward to inspect the ring, and Jinx seated herself at the edge of the clearing, inhaling deeply. She found the question he asked when he turned back to her highly amusing, but fortunately was able to contain any mockery. She had grown up since her youth and was getting better at controlling her tongue, even though occasionally she still spoke venomously to others.

“Atka and Sos are the Gods,” she clarified, “and the loa are their servants. The loa are the spirits of everything that once lived and did not live. The mountains have loa, the trees have loa. Every blade of grass has loa. They are mischievous, though, and dangerous if trifled with.” She had learned that firsthand once, in the grip of despair. She was lucky that Lecter had been so forgiving of her weakness.

“The loa give us insight into the will of Atka and Sos. Lecter knows much more about them all. He was a shaman for many years.” She was a Mambo, she reminded herself, but she had also been only seven months old when initiated into that position. She had had much to learn then, and did even now.

Sitri moved to sit beside the queen, but he made sure to keep himself lower and to not look directly at her. He was a subordinate, even if he was no longer a slave.

Sitri listened with ears perked and wide eyes. He asked one question Lived and not lived you mean rocks and trees and stuff? He wondered if he was considered a loa of physical ungod-like way. He had been a slave to masters, he had been mischievous as a child, not so much now and he was dangerous as was any wolf.

Sitri nodded in understand Yes Lecter told me he would show me the way of them if I like. Those weren’t the shamans exact words, but the brownie wolf could not remember the exact words really. He was a bit of a head case, so memories always did not serve him well.

Mind if we fade this soon? :D

Had he breathed his question aloud, Jinx would have reassured him that their souls and the loa were distinctly different, but that an accomplished wolf's soul would be elevated to loa status when they passed into the next world. A series of complicated questions could easily undo Jinx's religion, but that was the beauty of it: as simplistic and unreasonable as Shearwater faith was, she nevertheless put her full trust in it and in her Gods, whom she had been neglecting lately.

“It is a decision we all make,” Jinx said, where once she would have insisted that Sitri come to know the Gods. Recently, Jinx selfishly coveted her faith to herself, unwilling to share it lest she birth another like Hawkeye into the Teekon Wilds. She could not stand the thought of heathens running amok with half-baked notions of Atka and Sos, proclaiming they knew everything when they were as ignorant as babes.

“It is your choice. Atka and Sos watch all wolves whether they worship or not, and treat all wolves alike... But They give special favour to those who acknowledge Them and remember the old ways.” That is, that all wolves had been brought to life by Atka and Sos, as had all other manner of creature, and to Them was owed everything.

Nope :D

Sitri listened to her with rapt attention even daring to look her in the face once and then away, keeping his eyes clearly averted and his shoulders slumped forward. He did not wish to have any misunderstanding where she went ape shit and beat the crap out of him again. I think i'd like to learn more, and perhaps some day even worship them. I'd like to get to know more about it before i do so, so that I do not do it wrong. he did not want to worship wrong and have a god coming down on his head, he had suffered enough abuse in his life thank you very much.

He shifted his weight and looked around wondering what was he to talk about now. They were going to move, the place was ideal, and he would learn about Sos from Lecter unless the queen wished to teach him a bit, but he wasn't sure if she would.

Yay just need 1 more finished thread to relocate! \O/ Thanks for joining!

She carefully guarded her Gods, partly because she often forgot about them and partly because she was selfish about her worship. The last time she had opened up to others about her faith, they had run amok with the idea and insulted the very nature of Atka and Sos. To Jinx's knowledge, they continued to do it to this day, although that wasn't true in reality.

But Sitri had been with them from the start, and she knew there was something trustworthy in him. “There is hardly a wrong way,” the mountain matriarch said, gently leading him in a turn to the left. “Atka is a most forgiving God. Sos is harder, but the rewards are... Greater.” She would go on to talk about the Gods themselves and what they stood for, and of the great Amarok and some of the other lesser entities, as they explored the rest of the valley. After a time they would return home, and by then she would have spoken of all she wished to speak of for now.