Ankyra Sound i'm sorry i didn't try harder

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Grezig had been accepted into Rusalka and had tried her best since joining to be productive, but most days she found herself sleeping in the forest, staying as far from the coast as possible. She still hated the ocean, even after being here a week. But today she dragged herself up. She had something to talk about with Caiaphas that she couldn’t ignore much longer. She knew the signs her body was giving her. She was an instinctual being and not stupid enough to ignore the fact that this was breeding season. She would be in heat soon and she needed to know what she could do with that, if anything. She felt kind of shitty even asking if breeding rights were a thing because she’d been here for no more than a week, but… but if she didn’t ask, she’d never know, right?

Feeling a strange fluttery feeling in her chest and stomach—nerves—she tilted her head back and called for @Caiaphas.

day by day the wounds inflicted on the rusalkan wolves healed. it was not a linear process; the laceration on the sylph's neck had yet to close, and her comrades still nursed their own stings -- but they were gradually, bit by bit, getting better.

she had worked hard to keep the cache stocked, but the reserves were used soon as they were collected; she was dog-tired of running to the barrow, and slept little given the discomfort her neck presented. her ear had already scabbed over, and her muzzle was still a grisly sight -- but the siren's spirits were at an unusual high, for she had noticed the first scent of spring on the horizon -- her own body's tender bloom.

soon she, erzulie, and grezig would likely all be in season; there would be little competition for stud rights this year, she assumed -- for kierkegaard was dead, and regrettably, erzulie seemed content to batter for the other team. this left only grezig -- and caiaphas too had noticed a change in her scent that announced soon, she might welcome a male to slip around her.

her ears caught the she-wolf's howl and she made her way towards her, glancing over illidan's foster-mother with what could be considered an unusual lack of hostility; there would always be, begrudgingly (on caiaphas' part) a respectful affection for the plateau wolf -- for she had reared illidan where caiaphas had failed.

she noticed the female seemed troubled; perhaps troubled was not the right word, but it looked as if her thoughts dragged heavily on her heels, and chewed at her. straightening up, the sylph gave a wave of her tail and canted her head to the side in silent question. "grezig."

“Caiaphas,” Grezig responded automatically, dipping her head in respect to the alpha. If there was one thing Grezig was good at, it was following orders and respecting leaders… but only if such leaders deserved respect. Some part of her was still sad over what had happened at the Plateau about Kavik and Liri, even though that had been months ago now. She’d never thought she would have left them when she had originally decided to follow them. It was hard still, to think of what had been.

She shook her head. “I apologize; I was lost in thought. Listen.” She caught the coywolf’s yellow eyes for a moment but quickly looked away. “I…” She awkwardly cleared her throat. “I haven’t been here… long, but. I was wondering what your policies are about… children. Is breeding restricted to leadership only?” Grezig was making this much harder than it needed to be, but her sense of propriety was preventing her from just spitting out what she wanted to say.

the sylph's posture relaxed as grezig canted her head, allowing caiaphas some measure of confidence that whatever the she-wolf intended to speak of, it was not hostile. all the same, there seemed an anticipatory mein to the agouti wolf, scarcely detectable yet present -- like a powerful undertow under a thin layer of riverwater.

she settled as grezig elaborated, catching the brief glimpse shared between them that seemed almost unsure. to hear it was puppies that had grezig so flustered caused slight bemusement in the old crow, who simply returned the she-wolf's unsteady expression with an amused one. "you are asking, perhaps, if you can have puppies." the crone finished for her, already feeling an ugly laugh well inside of her. "do you see this tired, old body -- or a mate besides me? i will bear no children ever again -- but you may do as you wish."

’You are asking, perhaps, if you can have puppies,’ Caiaphas said.

Grezig let out a breath she’d been holding. “Yes,” she said, a bit relieved that she wouldn’t have to say it aloud. Asking seemed somehow… wrong. 

’Do you see this tired, old body -- or a mate besides me? I will bear no children ever again -- but you may do as you wish.’

Grezig looked the woman over. “You are not so old. Well… and even if you are, you are still strong.” Strong enough to withstand the wounds that now littered her black-and-white body. Grezig had some respect for the woman because of such wounds. She bowed her head again. “Thank you, Caiaphas. But… am I restricted to the males within the pack? Are there any males you’d like me to avoid?” Another pause as she gathered her thoughts. “And… I do not intend to… settle down with whomever I choose to father my pups. He can help look after them if he wishes, but a mate does not interest me.”

there was an attempt made to console caiaphas. truth be told, the siren needed no balm for her wounds. kierkegaard, the only male she had ever pledged her body to, was dead and rotting on the banks of a distant river. gone were the days where the world would see fruit borne from either of them ever again.

besides, the survival of her children -- three of them, now -- cut the bitterness. like as not, they would carry the torch where caiaphas had dropped it; the siren believed as long as this world still rotated on an even keel, it would never fully eradicate the eyjolfurs.

grezig's second question had not occurred to caiaphas. she supposed the woman was free to select whatever donor it was she pleased -- after all, the very idea of letting a male into your body that you did not somehow approve of was repugnant to siren -- truth be told, she would cut any man down that did so black a deed to any of her flock.

"that is up to you. but if it was up to me, i'd pick a strong male that is good to look at, but is easy to leave. men are nothing but trouble -- had we not been uniquely designed to please their every whim, they would have no use for us. we certainly have little use for them."

Grezig nodded slowly at the sea witch’s words, thinking. She did not exactly agree with Caiaphas’ assessment of males. They were not all worthy of throwing away. Her mind strayed to Kavik on its own but she shoved him from her mind, her face twisting angrily because he kept creeping into her thoughts, even now. Perhaps they were all useless to her. She sighed. She was only thinking that in anger. She forced herself to relax and focused on Caiaphas again. “Thank you for speaking with me. I will think on it.” With a small bow of her head, she turned to leave.

[Exit?]