Redsand Canyon [PACK MEETING] Power, Is Power II

She had rushed from the Mesa without stopping, but upon coming into the safety of the deep of her canyon, she slowed, letting her shoulder throb and ebb slowly with her blood.

A sigh, and the Grandmaster called every Saint to her. @War @Arlette @Simran @Xicor @Charles @Turmeric @Thyme. Once everyone was before her, Nyra raised her voice for all to hear.

"I have failed all of you, started a fight I'm not sure we, I, can finish. I went to Akashingo, to see the progress of Ramesses and Satsu. Ramesses has claimed his hold isn't under the rule of the Saints any longer, and like a fool, I attacked. Ramesses has always been a fake, in my eyes. And in his ragefit, I cannot guarantee he won't do anything within his power to see our end. @Arlette, I promised to look after you and your pups. For your sake and theirs, I ask you to leave us for the safety of yourself and them. Take Turmeric as Thyme to a different pack, and make a home where you will be safe from my recklessness. @Charles, go with her. @Simran, @War. You are both soldiers. If either of you wish to follow me elsewhere, I will welcome you at my side. But as a pack, I feel we are no longer safe." Here, Nyra shed genuine tears. She was afraid. Not for herself, but for the wellbeing of her packmates. They needed to be safe. They needed to live.

Simran had never seen Nyra so frantic as they did in the moments between when they left their perch to find her and finally making it to the meeting.

The news was something they did not expect. Nyra had acted out of turn, attacked an arrogant man, and thus, sent their pack into war, or worse, utter annihilation. Simran closed their eyes, grief written into their features. This was the twilight of the Saints. Their contract was unfulfilled, Kynareth was gone, and they still stayed.

They did not speak for a long time, warring internally with a Mandalorian’s want to fulfill a contract, and a wolf's desire to survive. Simran blew out a breath.

I will stay by you, Nyra. It was an obvious choice, one they were happy to agree to, even if they scattered to the four winds. There would be somewhere for them, even if they had to retreat into the furthest corners to find it.

Nyra had called. There was something abort the call that made it obvious that it was urgent, that it could not wait for long. War began setting in motion, a slow walk at first but soon she ran toward the howl. Nyra had called for everyone left at the saints, and it was very few, few indeed. It worried War that so few were left, but even more so, it worried her than they all had been called.

War slowed her gait upon arriving and seeing others had come too. She was second to arrive and the other she recognised only as having seen them once maybe. She stepped closer to Nyra and saw her distress. War looked puzzled at her, her head tilted as she came forward.

Oh how War wanted to comfort her so badly, but did not know how. Her brutish way had never taught her love or kindness, it was a new emotion to her she had it figure out all by herself. She felt distressed seeing Nyra like this and before she spoke War decided to step toward Nyra and offer her a very gentle, though still rather rough, touch of her nose. She wanted to give her a sympathic gesture, but ended up mostly poking her with her nose on her shoulder.

Then Nyra spoke.

War was coming at last.

It did not occur to War that this was faulted by Nyra. It was a natural part of the world and she recognised that it could not be faulted by anyone. If they wanted a fight they would have a fight. The enemy of Nyra, whom she did not know, were now War’s enemy too. She looked at Nyra with stern eyes, not directed at her, but with an expression that spoke a clear language.

”No”

She stepped even closer to Nyra and put her heavy head on top or Nyra. Silly woman. Did she really think War was going to leave her at the prospect of a lost caused war? ”I will not leave.” Then she turned toward the rest of the pack and left Nyra’s side for just a moment.

”This is war. We do not abandon each other at the prospect of war. This is what we are made for. This is what we have prepared for. No one leaves.”

She spoke more than she ever had. She looked at the rest of them, her watchful eyes looking at anyone in doubt. No one was leaving on her watch.

Well, that was unexpected. Charles listened as Nyra told what was left of the pack of something that'd happened with Ramesses. It didn't surprise Charles so little of the pack was left now; with Kynareth's blinding charisma gone, it was harder to stick around for anyone, Charles supposed. Then Nyra went on to tell him and Arlette to take the pups and go elsewhere. Like, what? Charles blinked, surprised, hurt by the fact Nyra would push him out like that. He knew he was no soldier, but she made it abundantly clear this way, and publicly.

Charles glanced at Arlette, hoping to get a grasp on what she thought of this. Did she want this? Charles told himself then that he would deliver her someplace safe if she wished it, but after that, he needed to get out of this shithole and forget all about ever joining the Saints of the Dying Light. He wasn't too sure there was a home for him anywhere where he could be useful and safe — wasn't sure either of those things were in the cards for him — but he'd be damned if he didn't at least try to find a semblance of peace somewhere.

Arlette came as soon as possible when the female called for her. Instantly her gaze went to her shoulder. She wanted to help or at least gather supplies but Nyra started right away with her speech. Arlette's ears flattened when the other spoke of starting a war. No! Arlette frowned, she didn't want a war. They were too small and to vulnerable right now. The red eyed female's first thought was indeed to agree with Nyra's words. Arlette glanced at her children. Was it fair for them? Then she saw Charles look at her. She had been with off and on with the male in a pack together.

She was about to speak when War spoke that no one was leaving. The other didn't really have a saying in that matter Arlette felt like. "Nyra, can't you reason with them?," she asked then. But maybe that was her foolish innocence. She tugged her children close. She wanted to give them the best future, but to leave the Saints? She had just agreed to saying in the canyon so @Derg might be able to find them. Arlette bit the inside of her cheek. "Nyra, if Charles and me leave with the pups then you hardly had a pack to fight with. Can't we just move back to the Strath? Another territory? And-- Vanish?," Arlette asked. The white female also really wanted to know what her children thought of this. She wanted to speak with them.

She stepped back a bit. "Thyme, @Turmeric, @Mulberry, come closer," she told them. This was going to be a very adult decision for them, but they would stay together no matter what.

Can Mulberry be added to the ranks? :)

Thyme had followed his mother when the call came. He had been keeping close with her, not very keen on losing her either. When they arrived, Nyra had spoken to them. He had always liked the woman. It made him look for Lotus though. Where was Lotus? The younger female he hadn't seen in a long while either. It made him a little nervous.

Then came the news that they had to leave. Thyme frowned, why did they have to leave. But what about waiting for Alduin and Kynareth... and... Their father. If they would leave... It meant that they might not ever see them again. He looked at his mother with wide eyes.

He followed his mother when she called them closer. "Mom, we can't leave! Dad might not find us. And Alduin and Kynareth," he offered to her. He didn't understand that it would be very dangerous here. He didn't like his mother's option that they would have to vanish. That was his biggest fear to vanish like all the others.

Starting the second round! <3

Nyra watched through her tears as the currently-dwindling numbers of her pack decided what they'd do. 
For a minute she almost didn't notice War, who was obviously trying to offer comfort. Nyra nipped War's cheek fur softly as a gesture of gratitude before the russet woman and Beroya said their piece. 
Beroya would stay. 
War refused to let anyone leave.
Arlette, always the logician, offered her voice to the mix, suggestions of reasoning, of the fact that if she and the kids and Charles left, there was hardly anyone left for the fight ahead. 
Nyra considered these things with a guilt-ridden face. Little did she expect things would start to look upwards for them in the near future. 
The Grandmaster heard the plea of Thyme. 

After a moment or six, the Alphess spoke again. 
"For the time being, those of us who stay will lie low, either until we gain the numbers to assail, or until we know the immediate worry is past. In the meantime, I will be patrolling more often and further out, both to scout for recruits and to make sure nobody unwanted gets close. War, Beroya, I ask of you to help tighten and secure our borders. Anybody that isn't pack that's caught within our claim and not at the outskirts will be met with hostility. Especially with the children at risk." 

Here, she quieted, looking from face to face with an air that asked for the input of everyone else. This was all paws on deck, and every Saint's word mattered here.

The words that War spoke hit Charles like a cannonball. She said that nobody should leave. Arlette spoke against leaving, too. Charles just nodded along with them numbly. There went his opportunity to get the fuck out of here before shit went down. The coywolf still considered it; it would be better, probably, just to leave. What did he have left here? Lotus was not here anymore and Nyra wasn't exactly speaking to him about it. Lotus was sort of the one thing they had together, and now, they had nothing. Charles didn't see why he would stay here, now that Kynareth and Whrist were gone.

But for now, he just nodded and stayed at the back. The last thing he wanted was for War to come at him for deciding to leave now. No, he had to do it sneaky-like when nobody was paying attention, once he had made his final decision.

Closing!

It's settled then, everyone would stay within the ranks. 
With a final glance to everyone and a dismissal wave of her tail, Nyra turned and prowled for the cave that had once been Kynareth's. Her den would be there from now on. 

The dust was rising. 
Could they handle it?