Stavanger Bay Wondering

@Thistle Cloud

Onyx sat at the Bay's edge. She hummed a little song that's word's meanings were long forgotten, something Mama had taught her.
There was something nagging at her brain that she had wondered about in the back of her mind ever since her meeting with her alpha Ypres. She wondered if any of the wolves at the bay could answer her questions. She had many. Why did Majesty go away? How did Ypres really die? Was her pack angry with her for leaving? And the one that had been bugging her. She recalled the event very clearly.

"I had an unsettling meeting this morning with Stavenger Bay's Alpha. I will not tolerate insubordination from any of you. Apparently some of you have been interloping on their lands. We just underwent a terrible war with the Silvertippers and now we sit at the brink of a possible threat of a new war now with Stavenger Bay because of the actions made by some of you.."

Ypres had seemed very angry, her tone had not been at all happy. It didn't even really bug Onyx what Ypres had said about Stavanger Bay. What had bugged Onyx was Silvertippers. Apparently they had gone through a terrible war with whoever Silvertippers were. She had no idea what Silvertippers meant or who they were. She had not been at the location of the war the day it happened. She hoped she would meet some wolf soon, she needed her questions answered.

Thistle Cloud walked slowly along the border lands. She stopped short when she saw a small female humming to herself. She approached a little slower, curious but wary. She smelled like Ragnar, but was she a new member or a captive? Thistle chuffed gently to let the girl know she was there, and she waited then sitting and curling her tail tightly around her paws.

Thistle did not know the inner turmoil that the girl had, but she did know that turmoil ate you apart. She wondered at the small lullaby the girl sung under her breath.

She noticed the wolf approaching and her humming died down till it could not be heard. "Hello" She said when the wolf announced herself. She walked slowly over and willed herself to look brave. She was an adult now and she needed to act like one. "Who are you?" She said and tilted her head in question. This wolf did not scare her as much as Silvermane or Ragnar would have.

Thistle was taken back a bit by the girls little bit of rudeness. She supposed though she was young, and she couldn't know she was the alpha female. I am Thistle Cloud Loðbrók and Wife to Ragnar and Sister Wife to Nerian. Who are you? She supposed she deserved a question too, since the girl had asked her one. She wanted to know who this younger female was. She waited silently just watching.

She had never heard a wolf make a long introduction like that. She noted in her mind that this was Ragnar's wife, meaning she must be the alpha too. "Onyx." She said, and she had no true relations left to make her intro as long as Thistle Cloud's.

Thistle took the moment to study the child in front of her. Not so much a child now as a gangly youth. She was taller than Thistle herself, but really who wasn’t she was not a big wolf. Her fur was black as the darkest night and she had the bluest eyes Thistle had ever seen. Though this was probably due to the huge contrast of black fur and blue eyes, that offset them. There were white toes on her tiny feet and Thistle studied them for a moment, they were actually cute.

Her introduction may have been a long one, but she just wanted the girl to know who she was. It is nice to meet you Onyx. Are you settling in well?

"Er- Yes." She said. Except she hadn't really met anyone besides Ragnar or Thistle yet. So she didn't really know anyone. She was even more nervous that she hadn't started her trades yet. Ragnar had said to start her trades immediately, and she hadn't gotten off to a good start with him. She decided to start with a small simple question. "What's a jarl?"

Thistle heard the slight hesitation and she wondered at it. Was she not getting along with the other pack members? or was she just still so new that she didn't know anyone? Would she be alright? Was she learning well? All these questions ran through her mind, but she asked none of them, instead focusing on the girl that stood in front of her.

She frowned as she thought of the correct answer for her. It is a king or an alpha. It is just in the language that my husband speaks, is all.

"Ragnar speaks another language?" She asked. She hadn't met any wolves that she knew spoke another language. Mama had said that there were very many languages and the one they spoke was just rather common in the area. She delighted at the thought of over hearing new words here and there, she liked learning.

Thistle was surprised, surely the girl had heard her husbands accent. It was very thick, one could not speak with him, without knowing he was not from these shores and this place. Of course he would speak a different language. But she just nodded yes Yes Ragnar, myself and our three children as well as Julook speak Norse. We are vikings, except for Julooke.

"Vikings, ok. Can I ask you something?" But she proceded without the answer, it was tearing her apart. "What's Silvertip?" She asked, and it felt like a weight had lifted from her sholders. Maybe Thistle Cloud would know.

Thistle cloud looked at her and shook her head. I'm not sure I believe it is a pack that lives further away from us on a mountain. Thistle thought she had heard stirrings of this pack, but she couldn't remember. There was so much going on outside of their little borders that sometimes it was hard to keep track.

"Okay, that makes sense. A while ago Alpha Ypres had told us that we were at war with them." It hurt to mention Alpha Ypres. A small image of Ypres's body laying among sharp rocks came to her mind. Her flaming fur blowing with the salty winds. Go away, bad memories.

Thistle shrugged I know nothing of Wheeling gull isle or who you were fighting, I don't care to know. She grew quiet again and looked out around their little world. SO tell me Onyx what are you doing today? Just having some relaxation?

"Yeah, I guess." She said. "What are you doing?" She asked quietly. As she waited for Thistle's answer she looked out at the sea. Wheeling Gull Isle was a dot in the sea. Seagulls flew above it, marking its name correct. She wondered why Majesty had had to leave. He had seemed a wise wolf, there must of been some reason.

Thistle shrugged I am merely patrolling the borders. She shifted her weight and followed the girls line of sight. The sea gulls ducked and dodged across the winds, like tiny dots dancing in the sky. SHe smiled softly, wondering briefly what it would be like to fly? She supposed it didn't really matter, and she wouldn't really want to fly completely, much more preferring to be ground bound.

"Okay." She said, without an attempt to continue conversation for a moment. After a minute or so she asked, "Did you ever see Majesty? Alpha Ypres told me he left." She thought for a moment and added "Majesty is a brown wolf with honey colored eyes. Ypres was my alpha before."

Thistle's hackles rose of their own accord as she thought of that foolish leader, but she did nothing about it. Forcing herself to swallow the bile and disgust that rose up within her throat she nodded yes. I have met him once and that was all I needed to. I have never met this other one.

Onyx noticed Thistle's hackles raise but she did not comment. "His other one?" She asked. What did that mean? She was curious as to why Thistle's hackles had risen, but she did not ask.

Thistle shook her head No I meant I've never seen Yrpres. I have never met her. I have only met Majesty. She had met Majesty and frankly she found him foolish and wanting. He was not as daunting or formidable as everyone had made him out to be. It was a shame really. He maybe could have made a fair leader if first he had chosen a home far away from her husband. Secondly if he had put his pack before himself. And finally if he had not abandoned them to go walking on the Seashore in the midst of a storm. Foolish, stupid male.

"Oh, Alpha Ypres was nice. But she never told me what happened to Silvermane." She paused a moment before adding quietly. "[size=small]I wish she hadn't died...[/size]" It wasn't really meant for Thistle to hear. But she did not work to hide it. "Anyway, Ragnar seems really smart. But he wasn't so kind or what." She said. She had not used manners those four months once. So some of what she said could sound rather rude when it was not meant to be harm.

Thistle stared at the girl and though she didn't really want to cause conflict she knew that the girl needed ot learn to ask questions a little better. Thistle didn't much care, but another wolf might just very well rip the girls face off for rudeness. I don't mean to be rude Onyx, but You may want to work on the way you phrase your questions. It sounds rude and intrusive. And I did not like Majesty because he was not very kind and he was too close to my family. He made his home to near us.

"I'm sorry." Her ears pinned against her head in guilt. "I didn't know. I hadn't asked things for a while." She was referring to the times she was alone. She could not see how the two packs couldn't of just been friendly neighbors. However she did not speak this opinion.

Thistle saw the girl lay her ears to her head and she momentarily felt bad. But if her correcting the girl made her mind her manners in the future and she wouldn't get hurt, she could deal with the guilt. It is okay Onyx. I am merely pointing it out so you mind it in the future.

"Okay... Thank you Thistle Cloud Loðbrók." She said, her ears beginning to go back to normal. She looked around the bay a bit then back towards Thistle Cloud. "It's really pretty here." She said. The sun was quite a bit lower than the top of the sky and orangey light cast a calm glow on everything.