Ankyra Sound ugh, the ocean

Wow. Grezig hated this place already. She hated the ocean, the smell of salt, the sand. But this place was really her only option right now. Besides, Caiaphas and Illidan were both here, and in lieu of any real family (besides maybe @Derg, if he had followed her) they were all she had left. Hoping they would even accept her--for if they didn't, she would probably end up wandering alone by herself for the rest of forever--she tilted her head back and howled for whoever was closest. She just wanted to stop wandering. Grezig was not a creature who enjoyed going on long trips. She was a homebody. And if this gross place was to be her new home, then so be it. Maybe, in time, she'd learn to love constant sand and salt... though she doubted it.

---

For the whole time, the man trailed his sister. Towards the coast he'd momentarily drifted closer to on a whim. And nearly got crushed by a tree. He often felt his face, feeling the thin scab that ran down it from the crazed man. A reminder to steer clear of ones that dabbled with the plants provided by the lands.

Soon, he could faintly smell the border over the strong tang of salt that forces itself up his nose and doused his senses. He did his best to avoid kicking up the sand, but nothing could stop the wind whipping it up in intermittent bursts that stung at his eyes. He knew his sister thought just as much of the beach as he did, but kept his stoic silence between them.
She had failed at her empire, her own chance of a family that could've been rebuilt.

He'd stayed with her.
But for how much longer would his loyalty to her last? His judging character would make it harder to for him to just blindly trust his sister and hand himself over to this pack she'd led him to.
His jaw feathered as she tipped her head to howl and awaited to the greeted by the dwellers here.

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there were many things caiaphas enjoyed about packlife -- but the summoning howls was not often one of them. too often she expected trouble at the borders, and too often trouble had delivered. cautious and clearly sore, caiaphas gritted her teeth and made for the borders with grim obedience.

her steps were stilted and her eyes blurry with pain as she met them; one wolf she recognized -- the she-wolf that had been both a surrogate mother to illidan, and the wolf to reunite her with her son. for grezig, caiaphas would always share a begrudging warmth -- for without the stern huntress, illidan might not be alive at all.

the other wolf caiaphas did not recognize, though her gaze trailed his form with idle curiosity, as he bore some resemblance to the she-wolf he stood beside. dipping her head (an action that was very subdued given the snarling wound to her pelt), she glanced between the two of them. "what brings you here?"

Grezig’s tail wagged at Caiaphas’ approach. She’d wondered who might answer her border call, and was glad that it was the mother and not the son in the end. She desperately wanted to see Illidan again, but nerves made her stomach roil. What would she say to him? How would he react to know that she would live among him and his mother soon? That is… if Caiaphas let her join.

Soon, the woman was close enough for Grezig to see her wounds and she stepped forward in concern, eyes flashing this way and that over Caiaphas’ body. “Caiaphas,” she said, voice full of worry. “What—what happened? Are you all right?” Her wish to join the sea witch’s ranks could wait. For now, she was too shocked by the woman’s wounds. Who had done this?

---

The man hung back. Letting his sister greet the woman she seemed to know. Her appearance was strange to him, yet reminded him of the forest girl. What was her name again...did she even give him her name?
Could she be related to the sea-faring woman before them, who had appeared to have been in the wars.

He studied how Grezig went to her, the care. They certainly knew each other
Caiaphas
He wondered what had brought the two together. If he'd stay long enough to find out.
He was yet to decide on his own choices here.
Would he leave his sister, just like the others that had come to her then dispersed?
It wouldn't make him any better than them.

He grunted softly, dragging himself back to the concerns of his sister. He moved to her flank, tail brushing his ankles. He assessed the stark woman's wounds and cupped his ears forwards, wondering what the story was.

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grezig's concern was idly brushed aside by the bitter crone; she lifted her scarred muzzle, her gaze traveling with contempt to the cliffs above. she would spare grezig the long details, but knew the she-wolf to be fond of her son, and so, afforded her more transparency than she would have given a stranger.

"our neighbors must take offense to our presence. they stole one of our own - we tried to rescue her, but were overwhelmed. it gave us insight to their ranks, at least. next time they trouble us, we will be ready." she drew her gaze back to grezig and her companion, her expression lifting of its clouded enmity. "but that is neither here, nor there. hmm, illidan is safe - that would please you -- but why are you here?"

sorry for the wait. school started.

Grezig listened to Caiaphas’ short tale and grew more worried with each word. Perhaps coming here had been a mistake. She wanted no part in a war. Her mind was already in turmoil enough. But Illidan and Caiaphas were, aside from her brother, the only family she had left. Kavik she had abandoned for he was thoroughly enthralled with Liri. She would not go seek him out now. Illidan was safe. She supposed that was all that really mattered to her in the moment. 

The coywolf asked what she was doing here again and Grezig cleared her throat. “Caiaphas,” she began, and then faltered for a moment. In the end, she decided that the truth, depressing as it was, was the best course of action here. “I have come to join your ranks—if you will have me. Myself and my brother.” She motioned towards Derg. “Derg does not speak much but he is a good worker, like me.” She sighed. “I attempted to start my own pack after leaving my original home—the place where I led you to so you could see Illidan. That did not work out, and seeing that it is winter, I thought it prudent to fall in behind someone. I have no real family left, besides my brother, so my first thought was of you… You and the boy.” Not a boy anymore. “Illidan, I mean.” She halted there, unsure of what else to say. “I can fight and will do whatever you ask of me as long as it is not… heinous.” Here she gazed at Caiaphas hopefully, in a bit of a pitiful manner. Grezig was currently depressed at rather at her wit’s end. She was not her usual stoic self and could not hide the anxiety and exhaustion in her eyes.

---

Here, at his sister's words, he stared intently at the seafaring female. Slim build and all. Taking in the wounds; to have obtained them must've been caused by a fight. She must know how with her build a possible disadvantage. A predator in every right.

Illidan.
His eyes narrowed slightly, tilting to his sister. She knew of others, why hadn't they joined her? Them, in their quest for a pack. For land. His jaw feathered, reigning in question. Later. But his sister worried about heinous work. What kind of woman stood before them? Did Derg want to submit himself before tyranny and evil again; blocking his own path to being better, kinder. To teaching and learning.
He heaved a great sigh, letting the salted air fill his lungs, thick like muddied water.

Would it make him bad, however, to leave his sister here, unsure of her future and wellbeing? To leave her at the hands of the sea-witch that posed possible threats to all despite her gnarled state. But they knew each other, no hostility. He trusted her, yet he saw the tiredness. The weakening. The reason why she would gladly submit herself here.  His chin rose, casting another thoughtful look over the black-headed female before uttering his rasping words like rocks grinding in the depths of a ravine river,
"Convince me."

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it would have taken a truly oblivious wolf to not note by the end of grezig's speech that an exhaustion had crept into her tone and her eyes, rendering her absolutely the way being run ragged so often did. caiaphas did not miss it, but her gaze had roved from grezig's plaintive features to the male besides her. "you have a place here, alongside illidan. he would be happy to see you again. hmm, it would do well to have you." while she spoke to grezig, she could not help but measure derg with the full scrutiny of her cold yellow eyes.

so far, he had been silent... and how so very like a male, to think that a woman would beg for his company -- that a woman was somehow lesser or invalidated, without him present. 

the sylph scoffed, her sovereign muzzle lifted in turn. "no." she answered, her tone firm. "stay, or don't.

we do not grovel."

with that, the siren canted her head towards the grotto for grezig to follow -- with or without her brother.

Convince me.

Grezig closed her eyes at her brother’s words, inhaling slowly, holding it, and exhaling just as slowly. So it would be that way, then. Had Grezig not known Illidan as well as she did, had not had some small inkling of Caiphas’ character, she probably would have said as much to the woman herself. But the relationship was different. She didn’t need to be convinced that this was the right place. But Derg… Derg was like her, but her from before. Before the Plateau. Before she’d softened a bit around the edges. Derg was still feral and needed much more from his alphas before he would follow them.

Caiaphas’ reaction was expected enough. If Illidan’s gruff exterior was anything to go on, Grezig had to assume that his mother would be at least something like him. Assuming that mothers and sons were alike was not always fair, but she did it anyways. Grezig watched her walk away, nodding to the coywolf when the yellow eyes looked at her. I will follow. 

She turned to her brother. “You can go if you wish,” she said simply, not one for long goodbyes. Saying goodbye to the Plateau had been hard enough. “I will not stop you. But I am staying.”

---

His gaze narrowed slightly. The pack was strong, or the woman just too proud to talk about her ways of life here. Why should he follow someone who wouldn't open the pack to him? It was off and in mistrust. 
He didn't like that. 

"Grezig..."
The name trailed from his lips, looking to his sister before bowing his head. This was his failure, or was it hers? He'd decide later. But for now, he'd say goodbye. For now.
 "I will find you, sister." 
His eyes tilted up to her, etching the feature into his mind again; ensuring that next time there'd be nothing amiss. He sighed softly and pressed his muzzle to her, sighing softly into her fur. Her scent had changed, different yet it was still familiar.

With that, he removed himself from her and turned, moving off and away from her pack to do something. Anything, but dwell here.
And he didn't look back.

---

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