Arrow Lake In her face, the mirror of your dreams.

Hoping for an @Ingram but AW   :)

As a yearling branching off from her birth pack, Nyx had made a stubborn vow to herself that she belonged nowhere and to no one. She felt herself a free spirit, tied to nothing and content to press onward into the unknown without even sparing a glance over her shoulder.

But the years had changed her, pushed her, tested her. In the end, despite having found companionship in a brother she'd longed to find again, she was forced to face the harsh reality of her situation: for as long as she remained in the Teekon, she could not be whole again.

Quietly and with shoulders bowed beneath the weight of her shame, she abandoned her most beloved sibling and returned to Winterheart to face the family she'd left there. 

In large part, she hoped her mother and sisters would reveal the judgement she deserved, for Dirge had reserved his own. Nyx, steadfast in the belief that she did not deserve their kindness, sought the resentment in Kasaka's lovely eyes only to find nothing but appreciation for a safe return.

She spent many months piecing life together again, rebuilding and finally giving herself permission to break free from the chains of her dark past that bound her. Nyx committed herself to Winterheart to the best of her ability, integrated, forgave herself for the mistakes that she had let define her, but knew she could never forget.

To leave her family again was sorrowful, but she could not deny the itch to wander that drew many Ostrega wolves away. There was still so much beyond the forest that Nyx longed to see and, undoubtedly, unfinished business in the Teekon that drew her closer to its familiar shores.

The agouti wolfess dared not venture too close. If the coywolf remained on the coast with Grimnismal, she would be sure to tear at her throat without hesitation. What might Caiaphas have made of Nyx and Lycaon's sole son? She couldn't help but wonder from time to time. The memory remained a vivid one: a tiny porcelain babe, downy pelt spattered with the blood of his slaughtered siblings, mewling on cold stone of the grotto's slick floor.

A shudder trailed the length of her pepoered spine, and she welcomed the distraction of an unfamiliar park's aroma. Nyx lingered beyond their territory outskirts, nose testing the fresh markers that acted as deterrant, before she made a swift decision to try her luck and sent forth a request for attention.

it was the general himself that slithered down from his lakeside perch to greet a caller at diaspora's borders. he arrived in a smooth trot - for once, without slouching or appearing particularly moody. the three newest pups born to their ranks had put stigmata in an unusually buoyant mood, but it had also retracted his willingness to abscond from arrow lake on a recruiting venture. his task-list as a father had grown beyond his capabilities to fulfill them, as takiyok had "kindly" implied, and he knew (without needing to be told twice) that he needed to be here more than he needed to be anywhere else.

in short: he was glad to meet an inquiring stranger, as he could not go out and find them himself.

coming to stand tall and sharp before the shapely summer-agouti, stigmata pressed his ears forward and wagged his erect tail in a sign of good nature. this did not mean, however, that his present state of mind would make him any easier to appease. quite the opposite actually...

he opened his mouth to speak, but turned abruptly to look over his shoulder as the newly named @Ego emerged from the brush behind him. something about stigmata's face must have stilled him, though, because despite sniffing with interest in the direction of the stranger, the boy took a hesitant step backwards and came no closer to the scene. the warhound turned back to their guest, and resumed his thought: "you called, my lady?"

A brute appeared, and he was an impressive sight to behold. Nyx followed his proud stride with toxic yellow eyes, studying his sturdy physique and gunmetal hide as she swept with ease into a submissive posture. Her peppered tail was tucked firmly to her rear, its tip curling curiously at a slim hock despite his friendly greeting. Movement just beyond her greeter drew her attention toward it, and she was quick to peer beyond Stigmata's shoulders to investigate.

A youngster, one she assumed to be sired by the ashen wolf who'd answered her call as she compared the sterling shades of their pelts, lingered in the background. Her muscles slackened, and her focus returned to the handsome features of the stranger who'd so politely dubbed her "my lady".

A raven-tipped lobe sprung forward, and a corner of Nyx' mouth tugged upward in a coy smile. "Well," she started, her words amused but not unkind, "that's a new one." This guy certainly wasn't like her Grimnismal boys, who would've sooner called her an asshole or a dickhead. "My name is Nyx. I'm looking for a fresh start, you know... a new place to call home."

She was without her twin today and had been wandering around the territory, bored and searching for anything interesting. Small, snowy paws carried her from the lake towards the borders where the scent of dad and one of her brothers caught her attention. Once she locked on to their scents, she sprinted forward, running as fast as her little legs would allow.

Finally finding them, she skidded to a stop next to Ego, looking at him curiously, her expression questioning why he was all the way back here when there was a stranger talking to dad. Didn't he want to help protect the territory? She certainly wasn't going to stay back here where it was boring. Monarch bounded forward, stopping next to her father. Her hackles raised a little, and a little snarl left her chest as she stared up at what she thought was an intruder.

o: nyx!!

ingram heard the lilting howl; he did not recall the voice. had he, perhaps he would have arrived sooner and been overjoyed to see a ghost from his past, here in his home.. but ingram remembered little of grimnismal, and what fragments he knew had been pieced together by chusi's narrative when they had met two months prior.

when ingram did arrive, nyx already had gathered a following. stigmata stood before her - the sight of him always struck fear in ingram - but two of his offspring trailed behind. one seemed to linger watchfully, but the other was bold -- so bold even, that a puppy-growl sounded from her cupped mouth.

ingram smiled bemusedly, his posture neutral but not uncaring. he stepped behind ego, his gaze trained to the (familiar? why was she familiar?) woman. a clouded expression overcame him as he caught glimpses and flashes of something (a beach -- a pale faced wolf with a knowing smile -- grey skies and a gull --). these images dissolved the second he focused upon them, so instead he concentrated his attention on nyx and stigmata, resolved to ignore the mental images that danced elusively out of his grasp.

well, that's a new one.

the warden's spine tingled with wry amusement, and a smirk creased the corner of his dark mouth. you have had poor company then, he might have said, but his physical reaction was fairly reduced from the one that crossed his mind; where stigmata the bachelor still lived. the one who called herself nyx was nothing to sniff at: with her athletic physique and a pelt the color of half-buried gold.

a treasure, surely. but could she be trusted around his young children?

the queen monarch seemed eager to prove as such, darting forward before he could reprimand her, and greeting their guest with an unfriendly attitude. the general appeared nonplussed -- despite inwardly being quite angry that she'd put herself within harm's reach -- because he wasn't about to reprimand monarch in front of a stranger. her indiscretion would be discussed later, and her conduct corrected behind closed doors, so to speak, but for now, she was in charge. it was nyx's job now to impress her.

"you are well met, nyx, though my daughter seems to perceive you as some sort of threat." he glanced down towards the rumbling girl at his side, and noticed in his peripheral that ingram had come to stand near the somber-looking ego. stigmata looked back towards their guest. "so, is that what you are? a threat to my family? is there some nefarious reason as to why you need to start anew? will your past come here to haunt you?" though dramatic, as usual, he was quite serious -- even if it was all only a test to judge her resolve. he really didn't care where she'd come from; he only wanted to know if she could be honest, and serve them as they would serve her.

Another youngster arrived on the scene, striding boldly to the steel-furred male's paws where she directed a juvenile snarl in the newcomer's direction. Nyx' ears swung forward briefly, both surprised and rather impressed by such a display from a cub so young, though she was quick to take a careful stride backward and dip her muzzle again as her vivid gaze found the dark features of another adult. The last thing she needed was to be seen as what she feared she may always be: a danger to children.

There was something familiar in the hawkish yellow of the most recent arrival's eyes - could it be? - but she didn't wish to disrespect these wolves by letting her gaze linger too long. The thought had barely a chance to bloom, however, as the first of her welcoming party went on to bombard her with a number of questions and guided their initial friendly encounter toward something that took a very uncomfortable twist as he pointedly asked if they should see her as a threat.

"What?" Nyx responded at once, suddenly very aware of how delicate this situation had become. She continued with a shake of her head and some urgency to her tone: "no. Nothing like that."

She found herself holding her breath for a long moment, and encouraged herself to exhale smoothly. Stigmata's mention of a "nefarious past" brought to the forefront of her mind a most sinister memory: a frightened ivory newborn amid bloodied siblings, the echoed despair of a man she could've loved, clacking fangs of a masked coywolf at her snout.

Silence lingered, and a shiver trailed the length of the Ostrega's spine as she inhaled deeply to regain control of herself. "I have no past worth speaking of," she managed, lied to the best of her ability, for who in their right mind would allow a baby-killer into their ranks in the presence of his own offspring? "My home pack held no ambition to expand territory, nor extended breeding rights beyond Alphas." Nyx rolled a peppered shoulder to better support her best drama-free explanation as to why she chose to relocate. "I want to believe that I have a greater purpose than to sit around supporting leaders without spines."

stigmata watched the newcomer's features closely as she responded - his expression openly intent on finding her deceitful in some way. he thought her reluctant, and a little avoidant, but nothing about nyx seemed disingenuous. he narrowed his eyes over her, though this was more out of natural suspicion than any true concern. "sounds innocent enough," he drawled, silver-tongued voice washing in on a sarcastic undertow - but then he seemed to move on from it. the general, for all his grandiosity, wasn't actually one to pry. so as long as she wasn't looking for charity, and looked healthy enough, then he didn't really care where she came from or why.

anyone had the potential to become diasporan, if they did not fear or resent it. "i can assure you this is not a pack lacking ambition, nyx. we are the diaspora. have you heard of us?" he asked coolly, though her answer would not change his following spiel.

"we proclaim to own this entire range, and we will not let another pack settle comfortably in these lands, if they are not founded by one of our own. you see, these mountains belong to every member of my pack - each with their own potential to claim a peak of their own - and we all aim collectively to preserve it all for the future of our bloodlines." he had to explain. she had to know what she was asking for at this particular doorstep. "it is not without assuming a great deal of risk, and the broad potential for failure, but the rewards could very well be legendary."

She listened quietly to the exchange between dad and this stranger, her gaze zeroed in on the woman, holding a shrewdness reminiscent of her mother. Most of what was said went quite a bit over head  despite that fact that she held herself as though she were just as big and old as the adults around her. She understood that dad had asked if the stranger was a threat, and that the woman had stated she wasn't, but Monarch wondered how he actually knew she was telling the truth. How does someone trust a stranger they know nothing about? She decided that regardless of what her father decided, she would have to make up her own mind about this intruder. 

When it seemed it was the woman's turn to speak again, the snowy child continued to stare, her suspicion never diminishing.

skippable for now <3

he held his tongue, listening as the words exchanged freely between basilisk and loner. ingram could not chase the scurrying feeling that bumped around in his mind; she was familiar, why was she familiar, why?

he resolved to ask her later, if she was indeed accepted, if they had ever met. he knew, from what chusi had imparted, that there were parts of his life blotted out he had no earthly idea had transpired. for now he would be the dark sentinel that supervised this rather strange discourse -- he could not help but feel there was an edge of coyness to both their words. ah well -- not his business, though he felt rather awkward standing there like a silent and ignorant oaf.

She felt each of their stares on her hide. Her discomfort was visible in each brief flick of tongue over her lip, every anxious twitch of a whisker. Remaining in her crouched posture, Nyx maintained the aversion of her own gaze as yellow eyes lingered on the earth at her paws. A raven-tipped lobe lifted slightly from her peppered nape to listen intently to what the steel guardian had to say of his pack - Diaspora, she decided at once that liked the sound of it - and as he shared his vision for the future of their mountain, there came the quiet wonder if this could be an inkling of acceptance.

Still, she stayed silent until the opportunity to chime in was presented. "I have not, but I think legendary is exactly what I'm looking for," was all Nyx had to include, and she dared to peek up past her lashes toward Stigmata's muzzle. To him she offered a thin smile, one of hope, as she awaited his judgement on her worth to bear the Diasporan name. 

ingy out! <3

there was little need for him here, but ingram felt compelled to stay a moment longer. something about the woman seared distant fireworks in his mind -- but the more he pressed, the deeper these thoughts fled.

troubled, ingram cleared his throat and then canted his head towards the group in silent goodbye. stigmata had this quite under control, and if need be ingram would be on standby for any tours or welcoming wagons, should the need arise.

Would it be alright if we closed this? Last post from me.

She quickly grew bored, most of the conversation above her head, and it was becoming quite obvious that dad was not going to let her chase off this stranger. In fact, it seemed like he was going to let her join them. Her anger deflated, replaced by irritation and boredom, and with a roll of her eyes and a soft sigh, she turned and trotted away. She gave glared a little at Ego for being such a baby as she passed him and then disappeared within the territory to find someone or something to terrorize.