Barrow Fields she sells sea shells

Ah, the sea.

Maegi had grown fond of it, all things considered. It still wasn't her favorite place on earth, but the memories it brought up within her—Undersea, Mou—far outweighed any flaws she found in the open waves. She spent a moment atop a rise, eyes half-shut, taking in the brine that stung her nostrils, the breeze that fluttered through her silky pelt.

Out in the distance, she thought she caught the distant dark bulk of the island. . .though it could have been a colossal whale reaching for air, for all she knew. But it didn't submerge, eventually—it was strong and steady, permanent. Her heart raced excitedly in her chest as she stared that way.

It was the happiest she had been in quite some time. Which just went to show that even sisters of darkness needed light every once in a while.

@Caiaphas -- dated earlier this afternoon

rusalkan's alpha was a frequent visitor of the barrows, but even then the strange mounds never ceased to strike a faint quiver of apprehension in her. she believed them to be monuments of a past race long forgotten, and she often kept her business in the fields swift, eager to return to the familiarity of the sound.

scrounging around for moss, caiaphas watched as a lone figure moved across the plains' expanse, its attention turned seaward. at first she mistook the distant form to be that of aure, but the scent was was unfamiliar. from the wind, caiaphas could detect it to be a female, but little else. stashing the pitiful collection of moss at the mouth of a mound, caiaphas slunk warily towards the figure.

she was not one to seek company, particularly the company of a stranger, but in light of recent events with drageda, the sylph could not be too careful. holding her tail level with her hips, the siren coursed after maegi just as the wind explosively changed direction, bringing her scent right to the pale she-wolf and thus exposing her presence.

Unlike the woman from afar who'd set foot in the valley, this warrioress did smell like she belonged—of salt and sea and all that went with it. Her scent came first, followed by the dark-headed sight of her, striding confidently along like she knew the place. Maegi swallowed quickly, afraid she was trespassing yet again.

It wouldn't be the first time the pungent ocean aroma had messed with her sense of borders.

Yes? the girl asked, pitching her voice above the keening of the wind. She'd been too lax in her scenting; she had a sinking suspicion she was about to face the inquisition squad, and she deserved it.

while the wind proved fickle in its loyalty, it told caiaphas enough -- maegi carried no scent of the cliffside wolves. the siren's prickled hackles settled, and as she pulled closer she caught the disfigurement that hounded one side of the girl's would-be pretty features. a shame, given the dryaid's pale constitution -- but caiaphas was not one for sympathy.

she halted a polite distance away, canting her muzzle this way and that, suggesting she was hungrily examining the woman and taking her time doing so. once she had visually drawn all she could from maegi, she answered. "who are you?"

Had Maegi known this small but imperious woman had met both her grandmother and her mother, she would have perhaps pestered her a little more. As it was, she was no more than a stranger, and it was doubtful that bit of trivia would come up. The Melonii wouldn't name-drop Mephala under any circumstances, and Potema, well. . . Fuck her.

Peryite, she answered, choosing the name that felt best on her tongue in the moment. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at the seawolf. Is there a problem? Am I not allowed to be here? She had become only more combative as she aged, less likely to follow orders than before. Through the many acts of renunciation in the course of her life, she had become much more like rebellious Ramsay and Euron than the dutiful girl she'd once been.

a name was given easily enough, though caiaphas inwardly balked at the sudden antagonism in the she-wolf's tone. feeling her own hackles rise slightly in combative response, the siren smoothly allowed her haunches to fall to the ground, advancing no further.

"one can be wherever they wish." she replied cryptically, a knowing smile briefly illustrating her sharp features. "but that does not mean they are safe there." her gaze glanced to the cliffs beyond, and then back to the girl, her disfigured face, and the faded brand of a paw on her body. "you are far from home."

If you're going to hurt me, can you at least stay on this side? Peryite asked sardonically, turning her grotesque cheek toward the sea witch. I'd like at least part of my face to not scare people. Her mouth twitched in something that was almost a smile, then straightened again as the statement was made.

She knew the Dark Brotherhood was notorious; she should have expected this eventually. Not so far, Peryite responded, her tone cool. I'm just passing through, anyway. Wait-- She'd caught something on the other's pelt that she found familiar, and it was only now that she realized she had smelled it before.

What do you know about Vaati? she asked, lifting her chin in query.

caiaphas blinked slowly in response to maegi's quip, having little use for sarcasm or the notion that she would attack another woman -- least of all, a loner bearing the sigil of the collapsed kingdom caiaphas had once extended her alliance to. she sniffed the air with a resigned sort of patience, giving the snow-hued wolf a precursory look of indifference in response to the notion she would attack. "i would not attack a wolf unless it benefited me to do so, girl. and there is no sport or benefit in killing a loner - even if she bears the sigil of the wolves that betrayed me."

but then the woman mentioned vaati -- caiaphas supposed she ought to expect that, given she knew vaati had sprung from blackfeather's cursed depths. "i know he is alive." she answered, not bothering to hide (not that it was possible) the scent of him on her pelt. "he is in my pack."

she supposed it was a cruel twist of irony that brought vaati to her -- it had been blackfeather that first twisted the knife of betrayal into her backside, having failed their end of the bargain in the nereides-duskfire war. while caiaphas had never forgotten that, she had simply bid her time in exacting vengeance.. but it appeared that time in of itself was the cruelest avenger, for it had steamrolled right over blackfeather's dominion until they crumbled to dust and were as dispersed to the wind as a scattered kingdom. and here she was, alive and kicking, still scheming and still plotting.

gods and avengers both could afford to wait, she reflected wryly, knowing it was she that had the last laugh when it came to blackfeather's demise.

Nothing in the woman's response intrigued her until the word betrayed surfaced, flung out like it was old news. It wasn't to Maegi, though, and she peered at Caiaphas, even more interested in that thread then the whereabouts of her brother. Although. . .if Blackfeather had betrayed her, in the past, Vaati staying with her was quite curious, indeed.

How did they betray you? she asked, not really expecting a straight answer. Any response would do, though; any more light shed on her family was a boon. Maegi had long knew her family had done some unsavory things both before and after her birth, and they had reaped what they had sown more than once.

It was long past time to bury bad blood. Perhaps she could convince the woman to let go her grudge, and then there would be one less enemy of her home in the world.

expecting some sort of persistence in deriving more information about vaati, caiaphas was surprised when maegi instead focused on the past crimes of her former pack. already feeling ruffled to dredge such grievous memories to the surface, caiaphas steeled her voice and spoke flatly, despite the rising bile she felt in her stomach.

"they dishonored a pact. and during war, those cowards hid in their dark forest rather than help their allies. cowards - just another word for survivor, sure -- but cowards always get what is coming for them." caiaphas reflected with an internal bitterness the loss she had endured during her campaign against duskfire, but spoke no more.

Hmm. It sounded like Blackfeather, honestly. Maegi wasn't surprised in the least. Her face was blandly neutral, but at Caiaphas's last statement, she allowed her nose to wrinkle just slightly. Well, they did, she remarked, in a tone cold and empty as deep space. Their enemies came, killed some of my family. It's not been the same since. If that pleases you, she added, eyes slitted as she gauged the woman's reaction.

She wondered whether the sea-witch knew of the Redhawks, and if so, how she felt about them. But that wasn't a can of worms she wanted to open right now, not as she was on her way to retrieve Mou and shepherd him into hiding from his former family. It seemed like more trouble than the intel was worth.

for most of caiaphas' incensed speech, maegi's expression had remained unchanged -- up until the last of it. the shrew caught the wrinkle, the distaste -- it caused a smirl to widely unfurl across her features to see her words barbed the girl. good -- blackfeather deserved it, in caiaphas' eyes -- and it had been a long time coming.

she had, of course, known of blackfeather's imminent demise, and had once offered vaati and his roughshod crew safe passage -- for a price, naturally.

"hmm, it does. vengeance is a sweet thing, but karma can be sweeter." the smile disappeared. "is that how your face became mauled?"

Maegi shook her head. No. That was. . .that was a different time, she murmured, the ghosts of her past clouding her gaze as she turned, thinking of Molag Bal. Every time he came to mind, she felt the pain anew, like fire along each jagged curve of the wound. Would it ever not hurt, to think of it?

I was a child when they came, the Melonii said. It was horrific. I don't think anyone deserves that—but I know my family did bad things. Grudges aren't easily forgotten. Another round of memories, as Towhee's burly form came charging at her, dissipating with the crash of waves.

the girl seemed pained, perhaps by malign nostalgia -- caiaphas shrewdly watched the unmarred side of the girl's face, measuring her emotions with accepting silence.

do terrible things, and one makes terrible enemies. caiaphas had little empathy.

but caiaphas would not be caiaphas if she did not try to somehow spin her chance meeting with this girl to her advantage. delivering a flimsily fashioned smile, the siren gave a sigh, let her gaze flicker over maegi knowingly, and then spoke.

"i could help you pay them back, you know." she said, more menacing angler-fish in that moment than sweet, benign house-marm. "and give you a chance to see vaati again."

Maybe Caiaphas thought these two things would be of interest to her, but the woman was mistaken. Maegi cared too much for Mou to seek revenge against the Redhawks and stoke that fire once more. And as for Vaati— I've already seen him recently, she said, her voice dull. I don't need to see him again. Did she even want to see him again?

Thanks for the offer, though, Maegi added half-sincerely. She dipped her head. I have to go now. Goodbye. She hadn't learned the other wolf's name, but the sea witch had such a unique look about her that Maegi didn't think she'd forget her, either. Only if the devious things she saw within that steely gaze caused problems would she worry over this stranger.

She hobbled on down the coast, nose pointed toward Undersea and the future she so desperately wanted.

the siren's hook had fell short. in hindsight, not surprising given the bait had been feebly fashioned.

as caiaphas watched maegi's form limp down across the tan swath of sand, she wondered if she was gradually losing her touch. certainly, manipulating wolves had always come easily to the siren queen -- but now, as her summer years witnessed their slow sunset, perhaps she was slipping.

the thought was very swiftly buried, executed in some dark corridor of her tangled thoughts. without a word, caiaphas too drifted down the shore.