Dragoncrest Cliffs and if she refuses gifts,

pack meeting! the wives have some news :D no post order @Rosalyn @Raleska @Aningan @Kaertok @Miranda @Njord @Alarian @Midar @Rosencrantz @Chacal @Solaire @Regin @Arcelia  

they had spoken of the dimming threat to the lands behind them, the words alarian had borne back. and they had talked of other things, discussing, trading, laughing, until it grew time to call the pack together.

as one erzulie and rosalyn walked to the flat expanse of stone bordered by low rock walls that erzulie found suitable for a meeting place. a bracing breath of evening air, laden with salt and the taste of sea-things.

she sang to them, beckoned their wolves closer with the promise of greater things to come.

After arriving within Rusalka's new claim, the paladin spent his day familiarizing himself with their new claim, the boundaries and every advantageous spot atop the cliffside that he could learn. There was much still to see, much to find, too much for one day - and Erzulie was to call a meeting to break into his new-old daily routine.

A welcomed break to do something different since his arrival and perhaps take a look at all the new faces that must have come since his departure earlier in the year. Upon his arrival, Rosencrantz took a seat to wait for the others to come and for the reason for the call to be stated. Offering Erzuile a pleased nod of his head to acknowledge her presence and demands in the meantime.

The call came, and Kaertok answered by arriving with his eyes on the latest face to grace them. The ever-so-brief interaction between the half-faced man and Erzulie led Kaertok to believe they were at least somewhat acquainted. He made a mental note to get to know him as well.

It dawned on him that Rusalka felt more like a home in the past month than Legion had ever felt like in the almost year he had lived with him. He had not connected to a single wolf who had lived there, sans Arbiter, and she had drifted away from him after the children had been born. She had gotten what she'd wanted, he supposed, and whatever he had wanted hadn't mattered.

Kaertok took a seat, making sure to place himself between the newcomer and their leaders. Posturing came naturally to him, and Kaertok wanted it known that he was above him. There were few above him, and Kaertok showed them the same respect he expected from those below him.

Rosalyn watched as they came and her smile was easier than it had been in weeks.  Valravn was still missing... but this was the only shard that still twisted.  The business with Sagtanent was over, the cliffs were theirs, and it was time to begin building a home here.

Her approval reached Rosencrantz and even Kaertok.  She had as good as ignored him on the encounter upon the borders, but she'd noticed how he'd stepped up and supported with seemingly no care to his own gain.  She was beginning to hope his silent humility was genuine, not some facade the way Wintersbane's had been.  They'd need to have a talk soon.

Not now.  Here she would let Erzulie speak, unless her wife wished the pirate to step forth.  She'd led them here, delivered news of potential war... and she wished her wife to do the honors of christening this ship truly theirs.

WC: 152

Njord was perched upon a cliff’s edge, watching the sunset, when Erzulie called. A meeting! The islander sprung to his feet and raced off to the heart of the territory where Rusalka gathered. The wives sat together upon a deck of stone, two men seated adjacent to the leaders. One was familiar: Kaertok. The other could have been the Tartok’s twin – large, broad, and mature-looking, but his face was scalped on the right size. The flesh was puckered and twisted from a burn (an affliction Njord had never seen) and it made the Sveijarn do a double take.

Njord remembered how Kaertok postured and displayed his self-worth in his stance when they had last met. It made the boy straighten up and remember that he wasn’t the little brother of Meares Island any longer. He approached the newcomer, Rosencrantz, with a new (and somewhat awkward) assuredness. He took scent and wagged his fox red tail in welcome, unaware that this man had history with Rusalka. Njord then turned and took a seat away from the two men on the opposite side, as if to fill in the space. He waited for the others to arrive.

wc:373

The move hadn't been difficult for Chacal, who was well suited for travel regardless, but she struggled with the thought of leaving the Moors knowing that Valravn might not know where the pack had gone if he returned to their former home. Their tracks leading from the Moors to the Coast would only remain for a few days, and she knew that if Valravn came back after those scents had faded that he wouldn't likely have a clue where they'd gone. And while she had a voice and some semblance of speech, she didn't have the ability to communicate her concerns effectively.

So she moved with the pack willingly, and without any unusual amount of silence. Most did not expect her to speak, anyway- so she was content to follow along with the others and settle in without complaint, though her features bore a look of concern that might have spoken volumes to those who knew her best.

When she heard the call assembling the pack together she did not answer but followed her mother's voice toward where the group had begun to assemble, and she looked from one wolf to the next as she approached, noticing quietly that there were a few that she did not recognize, and there were several that she knew she would recognize who had not arrived yet. Most noticeably was the male whose face had been torn and scarred to the point that his teeth were bared- which made her feel...Odd. She wasn't sure whether ti find him intriguing or frightening. There was something vaguely familiar about his face shape too, but she wasn't sure why she felt that way.

The wolf she took the most notice of was the newcomer whose tail was bushy and red. That was unusual, and amazing. One of Chacal's favourite tricks was chasing and catching her own tail- so she could only imagine how easy it must be for this fellow to catch his own, given how fluffy it was, and how easy it was to spot. She gave him a curious but friendly smile, and chose to sit next to him, panting softly as she caught her breath after travelling toward the gathering, and waited for the announcements to begin.

While quite a few reassured Grim there was no war, she still fretted over the possibility. Her homeland were but warriors who declared for bloodlust, and she saw the horrors of their injuries and brutality of others, and themselves. She truly dread the thought.

Holding herself up near the beach, this time the wives beckoned others, including the reaper for a meeting of sorts. Like the rest she fell behind, ruby eyes curiously looking at them.

Uncertainty found its way into his footsteps, each placement of a paw more careful than the last; the land was one he was yet to decide how he felt towards. But his wondering was soon smothered by a summoning, carried by a voice he followed with ease. And upon his arrival, the northerner was quiet, attentive but lowkey.

gonna start the next round! no post order and please feel free to hop in late <3

they gathered, and she breathed happily to see them. "dis be a good day," erzulie told them all softly, the wolves of rusalka, who had followed she and the pirate so dutifully and tied themselves to the heart of who they meant to be. fitting, comforting, that rosencrantz be present for this. she was grateful that he had returned, and had not missed the silent, minute exchange between himself and the archangel. commentary upon that reserved for another time.
"we feel dat comin' here means a new start for us. a protected land that has stood for a long while. something to build upon. we would like to end de constant shift in leadership, maintain our place as your leaders as we have been since leavin' de moors." she dared anyone challenge her upon that front, but knew to the polar boy aningan she would always be grateful for the chance to come to this moment.
"and so, from dis moment, rusalka will be known as sapphique. we wish to embrace de sea and de stone, de tenets of family and of loyalty dat have always marked our group wit'out being demanded. i would not stand here today had it not been for de dedication and de trust of t'ose who have chosen to follow rosalyn and myself."
a breath; her gaze growing affectionate. "sapphique. we will never forget de history of rusalka, but we truly begin new here."

phone post!

The posturing posed by the younger pale man did not go unnoticed by the older, scarred knight. His gaze grew hard as he glared for a moment before choosing to ignore the clear challenge in paotions within Rusalka. Be gone for a month or two ans suddenly all position one held previously, all seniority was gone. He had made the promise to himself to not focus into he ranks this time around and simply focus on keeping the wives safe... but perhaps old habits died hard.

certainly he deserved better than this. 

but now was not the time. Shifting his focus from the rude behaviour, he kept a calm eye on Erzulie and greeted Rosalyn the same way he did to the previous wife earlier. A dip of his head and he would only cast a shallow glance to the others as they rolled in. 

young ones appeared and every now ans then he wondered which was his, which was rosalyn's last litter? He couldn't tell... not with confidence. 

it wasn't long after Aningan's appearance did the meeting truly start. Before his mind could begin to linger on all the lost challenges earlier this year, to think that someone else would succeed where he hadn't so quickly. As Erzulie spoke, his focus changed. A new leadership, new rules, new name and new land. Rusalka seemed to be shifting into it next phase and his timing in retuning couldn't have been better it seemed. Of course the Palladian had no quarrels with the claim, and simply waited to see if anyone was brainless enough to speak up against the sea wives.

Wolves filtered in one by one and a small dark girl came to sit next to him. It made Njord smile from ear to ear, “hi!!” he whispered to her under his breath, red tail thumping on the ground. She was the second child, after Solaire, who had been so kind and welcoming towards him and it made the islander feel really good about his position in Rusalka.

Eventually, all became quite as Erzulie spoke up in her iconic drawling lilt. Njord’s ears cupped to listen better, total focus on the sea captains in the middle of the gathering. A new start. Embracing the tenets of family and loyalty. Sapphique. “…but we truly begin new here.” Njord crowed out a cheer – whoop! – excitedly.

He wondered about the extensive history of Rusalka. The old name was being shed like the skin of a snake, pearly new scales revealed underneath. He was happy to be here, and content to follow the women however they may lead.

Erzulie said it all better than she herself could, so Rosalyn was content to listen and allow her the finish.  She'd already determined it this time around - she had no interest in driving this place as she had in the past.  In most things they were of the same mind, but should they differ, Rosalyn would allow Erzulie her call.  It was a resolution that she had not voiced, but silently rested on, one born of a long-seated desire to see her wife in her rightful role and a weariness that ached deep.

She still stood proud though, and looked over them as they reacted.  A proper crew, loyal, standing as one.  There would be tensions (seen even now) but as a whole they would become a family.  Sapphique would be no scattered band.  

If you seek to rise, you'll prove it to us.  Fighting is only one measure of strength.  She allowed her gaze to pass over Kaertok and Rosencrantz, then the rest of them.  While you are here, you are family.  To us and to each other.  She smiled, glanced at Erzulie, and then stepped back.  This was all she wished to say.  It was the largest divergence, the biggest change perhaps to affect them, and she hoped they took it to heart.

WC: 215

There was a lot of unfamiliar faces. It only made her shrink back even more in a wariness, fearing just a bit for repeating history. An eye for the males and wondered if they would follow Wintersbane footsteps, or if they were like the general one's she was used to, being war-born and power-hungry.. It was a sanctuary however that Erzulie the one who accepted her the most, was the Alpha amongst the mixture.

With the changes there was even more hesitation; Grímnismál wasn't a fan, because she feared it.  The best she could do was trust them and stay in the shadows.

Others trickled in, most of whom he recognized. Njord was a good sort, as was Grim. Aningan he barely recognized, but there was some sense of familiarity there for him. He had been the one to take over when Kaertok left before.

Kaertok struggled to understand each and every word Erzulie said on account of her thick accent, but he got the gist of it. It was good news to him, who had left once because of the constant shift in leadership. The new name did not mean much to him, but that did not matter much to him, either.

The sharp glance from the newcomer did not go unnoticed, but Kaertok ignored it in favor of keeping his attention on Erzulie as she spoke, then to Rosalyn as she reiterated what Erzulie had said (sans the thick accent). These were values that Kaertok already held. He had been trained a fighter since he was young, but it was not always the way to earn trust, he knew.

Raleska was oddly nowhere to be found, and he glanced in the spaces between the gathered wolves, wondering where she might be.

Her golden gaze was drawn to the soft thumping of the male's red tail, which meant to her that he was friendly. To his greeting, she flashed him a quick smile, turning her ears back in deference to the fellow who was likely a new addition to their pack. He had come at a time of change, when the heirarchy passed from the dark male who'd defeated Aningan and over to her mothers, who ruled now. With their new homeland and new title, they would move forward as a pack. 

Most of the pack businesses which were spoken of did not necessarily apply to Chacal. She figured her mother spoke mainly to the males of the pack when she referenced how they allowed ranks to be seized by challenge, but it seemed as though things might change. Fighting was not necessarily the only means with which to rise through the ranks; and Chacal was grateful for this. Fighting wasn't something she was interested in, and had only rose to the occasion of fighting once- in order to stop Regin from picking on Valravn. But she remained attentive to mothers' words, a devoted and loving follower.

last post for me! feel free to get another in before archival <3

to us and to each other. erzulie let her eyes flick over kaertok and rosencrantz, but said nothing else. "i hope dat you will take de day, an' t'ose to come, to get to know one anot'er." a breath, and then she was gathering herself with a nod to the assemblage of sapphique that they might depart.
erzulie would watch them go with a fond look, and then turn back to rosalyn, gathering their children together as she exchanged a quiet word or two with her wife.
drageda was no more.
in its place, something that could be filled with the purity of new memories overtop the old stone.

Last post for me, as well!

Family. Njord was on-board with Erzulie and Rosalyn’s method of leadership. They didn’t care how strong you were, how good you could, or how devout you were to Atlan. Here, in Sapphique, the islander felt he could thrive.

As Erzulie concluded the meeting, Njord stood up to mingle with his pack-mates and collect scent. He would also partake in some small talk and tell his pack mates:

• How he crossed the sea to Teekon
  
• How he came from Meares Island, and departed from his devout family
  
• How he met Erzulie on the moors and traveled with her to Dragoncrest.