Heron Lake Plateau and when you wanted me, i came to you

aw

the days were getting colder. already caiaphas could feel the shiver that ran through the boughs at night, and the change in the westering wind. summer's meridian had at once been its' end -- no sooner had it bloomed its petals had been fraught with ruin.

another season come and gone, and caiaphas powerless to stop it.

svalinn and raleska were growing; they reared up like shoots of fresh sage in the spring - rapid, rapacious. they grew into lean coltish limbs and long muzzles -- in svalinn she was daily reminded of lycaon, and in raleska, tormented by the noble set of her muzzle that so dearly favored her father.

yet life soldiered ever on - as uncomprehending as the change of seasons, and the roar of the tide.

she supposed soon snow would flank the plateau; the den they had selected now was in an airy, open glen, not at all favorable against the cold bite of winter wind. in truth there were not many natural fortresses mounted on the flatheaded plains, but caiaphas was determined to find something better than what they had now, and moved among the tall grass with her hungry eyes searching.

The turning of the leaves reflected the wildfire hues of Ceara's pelt; it was autumn in which she was the most confident.  She had been scouting more often lately — what for, she did not know — and her time inside the Redhawks claim had been scarce the past four or five days.

It wasn't a good feeling.  Her duties had been tended to, but she hadn't checked and re-checked them like she usually had.  She was still hardworking, but she could no longer say she pressed herself to her limits.

Nobody had asked her to do that, anyway.  With more leisure time on her hands she was healthier.  She had more time to spend learning about plants and sparring.  The only drawback was now she was not tired enough at nights to simply pass out, and she relied a bit too much on the apples.

Maybe it would pass, maybe it wouldn't.

She was alert as she traveled through the turning autumn grass, and her eyes caught Caiaphas' form parting them in the distance.  She had avoided the mother not because of any dislike but because seeing the sea wretch brought forth the unpleasant memories of ripping out the stranger's throat, but if she were going to heal and move on at all, she'd have to face her packmate eventually.  They'd gathered herbs side by side when she brought Towhee back and it had been fine.

She hoped this would go just as well.  She chuffed to draw Caiaphas' attention (for the woman looked busy and focused), and then called out, Anything I can help you with?

rummaging between tall fronds of grass was fruitless work, and caiaphas was happy for the distraction of soft foot-falls. she lifted her muzzle from the shuddering blades and caught the familiar bladed shoulders of rifling wildfire; the firebrand from a few days before.

caiaphas paused, affording the she-wolf a brief delve of her muzzle in respect. she supposed gratitude might be in order, given the red sylph had intercepted (read: executed) svalinn's would-be assailant. she did not wrestle with the idea that wolf had met a cruel end; yet, that lack of empathy for life may have been one of caiaphas' many flaws.

as for the flamekissed she-wolf's question, caiaphas considered it quietly and then answered: "looking for a winter-worthy den. hard to find it when everything's flat." she waved a thin wrist in disdain before her -- how she missed the undulating shores of her home.

Ceara was a girl who liked to have her ego stroked, no doubt about it.  She liked that she carried the highest rank under leadership, and she felt like she deserved it.  But regarding the starving wolf that had tried to consume the last two pups of the sea witch?  She was glad that there was no mention of it.

I'd bet it would be, she said, having never considered it.  It was no secret that Ceara really had no interest or desire for children, and she wasn't the kind of weirdo wolf that liked to den up for no reason (cough cough, Niamh).  Are you wanting to stay on the main part of the Plateau?  On the North side, we have some trees, and it slopes towards the accessible side, but..  She knew that there was a thicket of trees that grew into the territory by her apple orchard, and that the Plateau sloped downwards towards its Eastern edge* where it was accessible.  I don't know if you want to be that close to the edge of the territory.

*(i think don't quote me i'm not pulling up the map, it's the left side by TRI)

the sylph focused her full attention on fire -- who doubtless, knew the plateau's realm with far greater familiarity than caiaphas. her gaze slid to the aforementioned northern rim - a swath of territory the crone had not yet considered.

there was little appeal to caiaphas being nestled in the heart of things; perhaps fire's suggestion held great merit, for it placed her and her brood in some semblance of privacy.. yet, at what cost? they would be closer to the borders, more vulnerable -- the siren considered this trade-off in quiet engagement.

eventually she spoke, largely in agreement with the firebrand's assessment. "i do not. it would make us vulnerable." she thought of the starvation ravaged she-wolf that had nearly killed her son and felt a familiar twinge of bile along her tongue. "a cave would be nice, but it seems the plateau has other designs; all i can find is water." an ironic lamentation, given her sea-side upbringing, where fresh water would have been considered a boon rather than a mild annoyance.

She cannot fault the mother for her assesment.  Had it been Ceara's own brood, the suggestion of moving close to the borders might have been offensive, and she is glad that Caiaphas does not seem to think so.

She considers the rather flat landscape that the Plateau has to offer, and the thin line of her mouth tightens as she mulls it over.  It breaks with Caiaphas' assessment of the Plateau, and she offers a quiet laugh.  You're right.

There is a small section of the territory that might be hospitable, and it is one she has not traveled as much as the borders or the Thicket.  Do you mind digging?  Some mothers dug and others found already available caves or other similarly sized areas.

There's a small field towards where the water's edge ends.  There will be plenty of small freshwater pools.. she didn't know if Caiaphas' brood was old enough to not drown, and she didn't know of their seadwelling history.  The Plateau becomes more hilly in that area, and there are rocks and stuff.  Maybe we can find one big enough to move you guys next to.

the sylph casually follows the gunmetal bite of fire's eyes across the flat, formless expanse. a wasteland of stagnant water and flimsy reeds (in caiaphas' eyes). she saw no promise for a densite in that unbroken landscape, lest it was a buried and deep promise, in which she would be unlikely to find.

fire spoke of a small field; grasslands often had hills, and small nooks in which to seek egress. caiaphas looked to her expectantly, ready to quit the endless stretch of water and marsh. "i can dig." it was no lie -- she was used to dark corridors, and scrabbling through tunnels most wolves wouldn't dare dream to ford.

curious to see what the firebrand had in store, the sylph deferred to her lead.

She dipped her head respectfully in Caiaphas' direction, despite her rank; the woman was aged and tenacious in battle, and it was obvious to Ceara that no matter her standing the intimidating woman deserved to be treated with the appropriate reverence.  

She wordlessly traveled towards the cloverfields, which thanks to the Plateau's flattened landscape, she found to be visible much before they'd arrived.  The slopes at its foot were gentle and rolling, but towards the Plateau's edge they rose significantly.  Rocks were sparsely scattered between the grasses.  She turned to her packmate and swung her head towards the promised land.  There it is.  I don't know if it's what you had in mind... but I don't know if we have anything better, heh. 

a quiet flicker seemed to cross caiaphas' gaze, though its meaning was shielded. she was not used to the deference -- saltwinter and grimnismal had been full of raw, coarse wolves. reckless wolves. it had not been since the nereides, and later ankyra, that caiaphas had felt that strange shade of -- what was it, reverence?

a dangerous feeling, she surmised -- for it stroked her ego and clouded her judgment. she had been treated fairly in redhawks -- in a few short months her bones had endured more kindness in the plateau than she had witnessed in five years, fire's execution of nashoba included; for a moment caiaphas wondered if this was how normal wolves acted, normal families -- happy to help, nurture, and heal.

they arrived at the rolling back of a sloping hill. caiaphas studied the verdant green, no trace of displeasure on her sharp muzzle. it was an upgrade from the soggy banks, and she could work with the loam here. there were few rocks to frustrate her progress, and she appreciated the firebrand for bringing her here. "it'll take some getting used to, is all." she said at length, a gentle admission that she missed the ocean terribly: "it seems strange to me still, but i can make this work. the ground seems soft enough. thank you." caiaphas strode towards a handful of boulders which turned their frowning faces westward; they were a good windbreak, and she nosed the foot of their wizened surface as if testing the ground.

A look crossed Caiaphas' face that made Ceara nervous; she could not discern the intentions, and she was unused to wolves so raw and guarded.  She was glad when they arrived in the clover fields.

I worry about winter, she admitted, casting a glance back at the terribly wet lands behind the pair.  It's flat.  It's wet.  It'll be damn cold.  She turned her moonsharp gaze back to where Caiaphas had begun to work.  I'm glad this will suit your family.  She hadn't seen Raleska or Svalinn since the Incident, and she takes a breath.

Would you mind some company?  I can help.

caiaphas tested the ground with a lean limb; soft earth, and beneath it she believed she'd find riverwashed clay. her ears flicked as fire spoke of winter; a sore subject indeed for the sylph, who harbored no love for the cold.

she was solemn as she cast a glance to the she-wolf, her so pelt touched by summer-fire that it was hard to imagine winter hulked around the corner like a slavering, hungering beast. "winter is no friend of the wolf's." she remarked, her nose now trailing along the ground once more. one area scented heavily of water, and she would avoid it.

caiaphas too was glad that this would suit her offspring, though her haggard form didn't show it. nor did it show the interest she had for the she-wolf who had killed in the name of duty -- naturally, she could not deny fire's presence so long as the firebrand willed to be there. "digging is sorry work, but i welcome the company." she heaved a score of raw earth upwards, and thought of her recent exchange with towhee. "you can tell me about how you came here, if it pleases you." caiaphas had always had an interest in the lives of others - it was not a romanticized or even caring interest, but it was a burning curiosity nonetheless. the sylph believed every wolf's story told more about them than about the lives behind them -- and many times, she had gleaned more from a wolf than they intended to share, simply by listening to the language delivered in their narrative.

The change in subject was welcome.  The coming winter was not something she was eager to think about, at least right now.  Raven's children were not yet old enough to move even if it turned out that everyone agreed with her so she was content to put it on the backburner at least for the time being.

Her paws turned over the earth alongside the Theta, and she was quiet and thoughtful before she responded.  I was born in the Blackthorn clan.  Half of the wolves in this pack are Blackthorns, 'n it was led by some of us for a while.  The other half are Redhawks.  

Her legs moved mechanically, and the beginnings of Caiaphas' den was beginning to form.  Thing is, when you're surrounded by family.. it gets a little competitive.  There were a lot of big shoes to fill.  'S not why I left, though.  She'd always been confident she could show up anyone, anywhere, anytime — well, at least for the most part.  Standing next to the imposing she-beast, it felt a little different.

My brother, Tuathal, he got into an argument with our parents about that 'n some other things, like, our family gives out nicknames to all of us on top of our given names.  His was Tadpole.  She paused for effect.  Tadpole.

We were closer'n anything.  And he just picked up and left.  Didn't say a word to me.  Her lip tightened.  I took off after him.  Stayed with a group of boys for a while in the desert somewhere and worked my way to the top.  But.. young boys aren't exactly the most stable.

I moved on, found my way to the Thicket, and Raven found me there eating apples.  She let me try on the pack and if I decided I liked it, I could stay.  That's about it.  I haven't been here more than six months, I don't think.  Oh, and I did find my brother.

Well, that was like, her entire life story and probably not what Caiaphas had asked for.  Cough.  Oops.  Uhhh, anyway, sorry to lay that all out there like that.

the haggard crone busied herself between till and earth, listening to the pause that hung between them. ceara spoke at length, though it was not without consideration -- all the same the siren toiled the rough gouges of earth, never pausing in her hearty digging.

ceara spoke of her family, of redhawks and their origins -- yet as caiaphas listened, she believed she was listening to the wolf's struggles with her own identity (and subsequent abandonment)-- certainly, making a name for oneself in an immeasurable clan was a herculean task.

caiaphas understood, well as she was able.

she thought the naming convention ceara mentioned strange, but did not question it -- each clan had their own rulings, some beyond the hope of understanding lest you shared their blood. caiaphas ruminated over a broken split of rock, not at all taken aback by ceara's willingness to share.

"that is unfortunate," she replied after lengthy pause -- an inadequate surmisal, but one meant genuinely. "yet i have learned you cannot put your faith in others, or places. they will let you down." she spoke with experience then, her expression as dark as the faithless twinge in her voice. "i am sorry you lost your brother. perhaps the pieces he leaves behind will be arranged in your favor. time only will be one to tell."

The crone's response comforted Ceara.  Perhaps if she were to become hardened and world-weary like Caiaphas, she wouldn't get hurt anymore.  The black-masked woman's words would stick with her for some time, and the lesson would begin to sink its teeth into her future interactions.

She is silent for a while before she looks up from her digging.  Thank you, she says quietly, ears faltering to the sides.  For listening.  And for the advice.  As weird as it is, Caiaphas reminds her a little of her mother in this moment.

caiaphas would have been pleased to learn the lesson she imparted was absorbed earnestly; it was a hard lesson, even for the most resilient -- yet it was a lesson in which once one understood ruthless selfishness of the world, very few would be able to stop them. in a way the sylph wished she had learned it sooner -- it certainly would have saved her heartbreak.

that it might save ceara her own heartbreak was of little comfort, for the siren queen was indeed one of the very wolves she warned against: cold, selfish, self-serving. perhaps in time the firebrand would come to learn this.

"tit for tat." the sylph replied, sharing that the gratitude was accepted, but unnecessary -- for ceara had shown her a place for her whelp's den. "you helped me, i help you. i appreciate beneficial arrangements, and i cut all others loose."

A small smile works its way across her lips, and there is a gleam in her eye as she turns to depart.  This second offering of wisdom is taken more eagerly than the last, and this lesson would impart on her sooner than the former.  

See you 'round, Caiaphas,  she says before heading off, undoubtedly to do some other duty.

the siren queen continued her examination of the rotted stone and earth, one ear turned to ceara as she made motion to leave. caiaphas did not stop her; it was her will to do as she pleased. caiaphas grunted a farewell in reply, but as soon as ceara was gone buckled to work heaving earth from stone, and dirt from the ground -- until at last a burrow was dug of an appreciable size. for now it would do -- and later, she could design it deeper if her heart so pleased.