Redsand Canyon where habits have teeth and the words carry knives

@Towhee - Short starter! January 28th, 2022

Aquene had settled in nicely, though the presence of the Akashingo healer had unsettled her for reasons she was not entirely confident that she could explain. It was just feelings of unease that crept down her spine. Still, she had kept her ears perked for new information to pass through, and with it came rumors of a new packmate, a new soldier in particular and one who appeared to be gifted in her craft just as Aquene liked to believe she was in hers.
 
It was for that reason Aquene traipsed around the sparring grounds, wandering away from her shelter near the oasis in order to see if she could get some first hand experience with the wealthy experience that the soldier had to offer. The ebony woman glanced around, feeling the soft and loose sand beneath her paws. She hummed as she quietly sought the woman out.

The Imperator and Matrona made certain Towhee knew her way around right away. It was all incredibly intriguing, particularly the housing arrangements and the fact that Germanicus had evidently included a Punishment Ground. But, of course, she would probably spend most of her time at the Sparring Arena, where she stood now, staring over at the leaders' more solitary den due east.

Footsteps approached, though she remained oblivious. But she sensed someone behind her and turned to glance over her shoulder at a wolf approaching the dirt pit. Towhee pivoted to face the she-wolf, her coloration reminding her of various Redhawks, though particularly @Phox. She ignored the small pang that comparison brought, wondering if this woman was an Auxillary. And would she rightfully resent Towhee too?

"Hello, I'm Towhee Redhawk. Are you an Auxillary? The Imperator asked me to meet with each of them." Well, he'd told her to perform three assessments but she not only didn't want to do the bare minimum, she also wanted to meet every other soldier—and civilian, for that matter—living in Mereo.

While Aquene had a small den she had claimed for herself, she was never there. The evidence was the way the herbal scent clung to her pelt and the fact that she’d often collapse on a pelt in the tablinum. It was the easiest way to make sure she was prepared should someone find themselves injured or ill in the middle of the night. Stranger things had happened, and she would not be caught with her guard down.
 
There was an unfamiliar woman in the circle, and Aquene figured this had to be the woman she’d heard whispers about. Towhee Redhawk. The last name was familiar. She’d heard it off of Ruenna in reference to a pack called Redhawk Caldera. She allowed herself to briefly wonder if the two were related in that manner, if the Redhawk before her had been a Redhawk of the Caldera. The question came and she shrugged, not entirely sure how to answer the question.
 
“Not officially… I am a civilian, and Mereo’s healer… but I have been training under the eyes of the Imperator to learn how to fight so I might be able to come into the field to provide first aid… possibly more.” She knew it would require even more context than that. “I… never learned how to fight before coming here. In my birth pack women were not permitted to do so… I’ve been trying to learn all that I can and one of the assignments the Imperator has given me is to spar with the auxilia to learn a wider range of strategies.”

Her mouth set in a firm line as the woman answered her question, and then some. Although she knew she must prioritize Germanicus's task, Towhee would not squander an opportunity to meet a pack mate and discuss training in some iteration. It seemed this civilian had her own homework assignment from the Imperator and the Redhawk could most certainly help her out with that.

Her brows lifted when she mentioned being prohibited from learning how to fight due to her sex, though Towhee reserved comment until the she-wolf finished. Although Towhee didn't mind the challenge of working with those who didn't necessarily want to, she relished the chance to work with someone who did want her expertise.

"I can absolutely help you with that," she replied. "What's your name?"

She saw the way that her brow lifted at the mention of the rules set in place by Aquene’s father… she was not surprised. She had garnered a wide variety of reactions to such news, from Germanicus confirming his own birth pack had been the same way to the shock this woman was now facing from it. She could not change the conditions from which she came, but what she could do was learn and grow, closing the deficits that had been forced upon her from a young age. She wanted to be the best in all that she did, and that now included fighting. She had learned much from the Imperator, and from Kallik as well. She’d learned from Glaukos too when he escorted her beyond the borders. She had learned how to best guard while on an assignment through the interruption of the strange man.
 
She let an eager grin onto her features when the woman agreed to help her. She was relieved. There was a part of her that worried the woman might turn her away because she was a civilian. Kallik sparred with her, but Kallik was also a friend, and she had yet to seek out any of the other Auxilia. She had no doubt Arsenio would indulge her, but Diesel and Glaukos were a whole different pile of worms to deal with. She had no connection nor rapport with them. “Aquene.” She offered simply, leaving her lastname out of it. She had considered removing her last name altogether from her life because she no longer felt that connection to her family that she once had, and her last name no longer held any sort of power like it had at the Trail. “Thank you, it’s an honor.” The formality leaked out in her tone as it always did when dealing with strangers, which Towhee still was, or positions of authority such as the Imperator or Matrona.

Her lips twitched when the introduction was followed by an expression of gratitude. "Don't thank me yet," Towhee replied, "as they say. But it's nice to meet you, Aquene. And the honor's mine. I have a lot of respect for healers." Several familiar faces drifted through her mind. "I'd ask you to show me a thing or two in exchange but I'll leave the medical care to the professionals." She didn't want to mess about in a field where she could kill someone on accident by feeding them the wrong leaf or whatever.

"But there is something else you could help me with," she continued after a considering pause. "I don't actually mean to get all quid pro quo on you but are you pretty well acquainted with the others living here? If there's anything you can tell me about the other Auxillia, it would really help me with my assessments and training."

Aquene offered a mirthful grin in her direction, humor hinting in her eyes as she appreciated the woman’s down to earth nature. Everyone else just seemed so serious all the time it was sometimes hard to talk to them. Truthfully, the only one she’d had a meaningful and deep conversation with prior to now was Kallik, but she felt like she could also talk to the woman in front of her. She chuckled softly and nodded. “It’s not for everyone, that is for sure… though it is worth noting my den is over there by the oasis should you need my expertise. I have an apprentice as well, Malila. She’s trained to handle basic situations so far. Many of the soldiers see me for general soreness after long shifts or if they should be punished.” The boulder, as she had heard it, was quite a brutal way of instilling discipline but it was effective.
 
Her head tilted to the side and she hummed at the question, nodding. “Fairly, there are two whom I haven’t had the pleasure of interacting with much. Diesel… she’s not a wolf like the rest of us, but she tends to stick to herself from what I’ve seen… and Glaukos, effective at his job but not much of a talker… sometimes I think he’s irritated by my presence.” Perhaps she was reading too much into it, and perhaps that was just his general demeanor when he was on the job, he just seemed so cold whenever he had escorted her.
 
“Then there’s Kallik…” She hesitated for a moment. She knew much more, given to her in confidence, but in this moment she saw a chance to advocate for someone she found herself caring for. She just needed to be careful with her words because she did not want to betray his trust. The affection was hard to keep from her voice. “He’s young, and fast… knocked me on my ass more than once when I asked him for a spar. He didn’t get much guidance growing up… and so I think a calm and explanatory way of teaching is likely the best way to handle training.” It still saddened her that he didn’t think he deserved her kindness. “He’s a good man, and a good soldier… he just lacks the early childhood guidance that you and I might have had.” That was all of the auxilia. “My apprentice, Malila… the Matrona gave her the option of being a wife or a soldier… I do not know what she has picked or if she is still mulling her choices over… but either way, she has been sparring and training. It might be worth seeking her out as well despite the fact that she does not hold a rank you are responsible for.” A quid pro quo was something that Aquene was more than capable of, and more than happy to provide to the other woman.

Aquene mentioned the location of her den for reference, then the name of her apprentice. Malila, Towhee committed to memory. She smiled quietly at the reference to punishment. She was infinitely curious about what merited punishment around here and wondered if she might find out firsthand. Especially since she was new to the whole ethos around Mereo, it was entirely possible.

She hadn't actually meant for Aquene to regale her now, though when she launched into the descriptions, Towhee didn't stop her. She fixed her orange eyes on the woman's lips, digesting every word with rapt attention. She did not interrupt, though many questions rose in her mind as her new acquaintance covered what she knew of the Auxillia.

Was Diesel simply not like other wolves, or was she literally not a wolf? Was she a coyote then? Glaukos sounded a lot like what she knew of Kallik so far: he was silent and unfriendly. That wasn't how Aquene described Kallik, though. Towhee couldn't hear her fond tone, though the civilian only had good things to say about him. Guidance and patience might go a long way with him. What about Arsenio, though? Aquene made no mention of him.

Perhaps the most interesting tidbit gleaned from Aquene's intel was that a wolf could be a soldier or a wife, not both. She found that really interesting, though ultimately irrelevant to herself. She might've entertained notions of bearing more pups someday, though she was still on the fence. And even if she did, she knew she would never again take a mate. That was a mistake Towhee Redhawk would only make once in her life, thank you very much.

"I'm going to make a point to meet everyone in Mereo," Towhee assured when Aquene was through. "Thank you for the intel. So, it's Arsenio, Kallik, Diesel and Glaukos..." she thought aloud, tail swishing. Yeah, she could see no reason not to assess all four of them, plus Aquene and Malila, for that matter. At least, she would spend as much time with the latter as they wanted, supposing the leaders supported that.

"Alright, Aquene, would you like to spar?" Towhee asked next, orange eyes sparking.

The woman was attentive to all that she had to say, and Aquene had not realized that she had left the loveable and kind Arsenio out when giving Towhee more information. She hummed and nodded at the mention of the names aloud. Aquene could inform her about the man after their spar. Truth be told, she had never seen Arsenio in a situation to equate him with being a soldier. He had escorted her, but it had felt more like a friendly conversation the entire time. She’d been meaning to see the man out for a spar, but had not yet found the time to do so with the intrusion of Qiao on her life and training Malila. She’d only found Kallik.
 
Another truth to be told was she did not know if it was possible to be both a soldier and a wife. She knew women carrying were to be demoted to Plebian, but surely a man could take a woman auxiliary as his wife as well? Either way, she was not certain and there was no one around who could properly clarify for her now either. “That is all of them.” She confirmed realizing she had never offered a verbal confirmation.
 
The question came and she grinned, nodding eagerly as she started to take up her own defensive position, her tail swishing from side to side as her body lowered slightly to the ground to give her better leverage. “Absolutely! I am quite looking forward to learning from you.” She learned with every hit she took or every attack she made that didn’t land, and she knew this spar would be no different.

Aquene’s gratitude meant a lot to Towhee, not only because some of the others most certainly didn’t feel the same way, but because this was why exactly she was here. She knew she was a master with a lot to offer and years of experience to back her. But Towhee was aware she would have to prove it.

The Redhawk shot the woman a big, genuine grin in response to her words. Then, without any warning at all, she leaped at the she-wolf, aiming straight for the side of her neck. Just like her recent spar with Shikoba, she kept her teeth sheathed, having no desire to do any actual harm, other than the inevitable bruising.

She was eager to see how the stranger moved. Before, Aquene had the opportunity to simply be around the Imperator or Kallik before she sparred with them… but this was her first encounter with Towhee, and everything about her besides her name was a mystery. She shot a wide grin and then she was leaping. Aquene found herself caught off guard, reacting at the last second. Before in her other spars there had been some kind of nod or gesture to signal the start.
 
In that moment, she realized she would not always be that fortunate. She spun her body, hoping to make the woman connect with the bony part of her shoulder instead of her neck, hoping to meet with an uppercut-like fashion similar to how she had moved against the Imperator, her maw reaching for the woman's upper leg in that moment for a light grip, not intent to cause harm.

She anticipated that Aquene might do the very same thing Shikoba had done. It was like déjà vu when the civilian rammed her shoulder blade toward Towhee’s muzzle. Unlike with the sivulluk, she dropped her head at the last second to headbutt the incoming shoulder. It still hurt but her skull took the blunt force trauma better than the softer tissues of her muzzle.

Towhee felt teeth grazing her leg and rapidly sprang backward before Aquene could get a proper grip. She rocked on her heels for a split second, then dropped toward the ground and rushed upward, once again aiming for the Plebian’s neck, this time the vulnerable underside.

I think I visualized this right but reach out to me if anything doesn't make sense, sometimes body positions get confused in my head so body positions might not line up for what was intended!

The woman had used this move against Germanicus and it had gone well, but Towhee had seen it, dropping her head without allowing Aquene the time to adjust her own approach either. She grunted softly against the force, hurting her shoulder as well though nothing that would not simply mend on it’s own. It was Aquene’s second attack that found it’s mark, though Towhee reacted instantly.

 
She reared back but the display did not stop the woman. She was relentless and Aquene appreciated it. She watched as the woman aimed for her, bracing down as she tucked her head to protect the underside of her neck, throwing her weight over her shoulder as she aimed to roll on her back and in turn plow over the woman. Better to lose an ear than your life. The words from the Imperator weighed over her still, and she’d do anything to protect her neck after a lesson like that.

I think I understood but let me know if I’m wrong about that, haha! You’re more than welcome to power-play a bit for the sake of flow, btw! :)

Aquene dropped too, instinctively tucking her muzzle inward to protect the flesh and fur swathed over her jugular. Just like Towhee, she crouched and then leaped in a single rapid, fluid movement. She was quick!

The Redhawk reared in anticipation, hoping to force Aquene up onto her hind legs too, a la the fight scene at the end of “The Lion King.” Otherwise, the Plebian might hit her square in the soft underbelly.

Very lion king! And okay! Let me know if any PP is not okay at any point <3

Aquene felt satisfaction as the other woman reared, and in many ways that was what Aquene wanted precisely. She knew she would need to act fast in order to maintain the action. She felt contact with the underbelly, hoping to knock the already rearing Redhawk onto her back so she might crouch over and place teeth near her neck, the typical showing of a victory for a Mereo spar as she had learned.

 
Did the woman know that? If not, Aquene supposed that she was about to learn. Aquene was no master fighter, but she did know the decorum of spars with the Imperator and the other auxiliary… At least she had that going for her, right?

The Plebian did not rise to the occasion, instead slamming into Towhee’s midsection. This knocked the wind out of the Redhawk, though she planted her feet and curled into the frankly horrible sensation, arching her spine and essentially mounting Aquene’s face. Choking for breath, she slid her forelegs around the other woman’s rib cage and held on tightly.

Hopefully before Aquene could discover that, despite her feminine presentation, Towhee actually possessed the perfect target—a set of small testicles—the Redhawk then tugged sideways with force, trying to yank her off her feet and slam them both to the ground.

Aquene felt the woman wrap her forelegs around her rib cage, and Aquene saw the perfect target. However, she was a healer first, and new to fighting… as a result, the sight caused her shock, her eyes widening as the Redhaw forced them both sideways, her eyes still widened as she slammed into the ground with a thud and a grunt, neck extended out to leave it in a vulnerable position and she knew that she had been beat.
 
She had heard of intersex pups before, but clearly she had never met one. The woman was clearly just that, a woman, but she knew what she had seen… and now, she was thoroughly distracted from the spar.

No teeth tagged her testes and Towhee was able to body slam the Plebian to the ground with a surprising lack of resistance. Unaware of the cause, she promptly kicked free from their embrace, gained her feet and dove to snatch at Aquene’s scruff with her teeth. She tugged, gently, then released it and backed up a few steps, panting.

Something about the strange look on the other woman’s face prompted Towhee to say, Sorry to hump your face, between breaths. You’re very quick on your feet, one of the fastest I’ve ever fought, to tell you the truth, she added.

Aquene was panting, trying to collect her own breath as she looked up at the woman, a soft chuckle as she shifted in order to rise to her paws, taking the compliment with a grin on her features. “Thank you… many times of avoiding expectant mothers fangs while helping them through labor, I suppose…” She joked before clearing her throat in a more awkward manner. How did she address it.
 
“I’m sorry to ask if it’s an uncomfortable topic… but I noticed… you have… parts…” Yeah, way to go Aquene… what a wonderful way to describe it. “I’ve never met an intersex wolf before… would you indulge me in a few questions? There are gaps in my knowledge from my lack of experience.” This was truly a treat if the woman would answer just one or two burning questions that the medic had always had. She was trying to contain her excitement for fear of appearing… weird.

Towhee huffed a laugh at Aquene’s remark about laboring mothers. She supposed that could very well teach you to have quick reflexes. She knew some mothers hated having anyone nearby while birthing. Towhee personally loved company. The thought made her feel suddenly weird.

And then Aquene’s observation made her feel even weirder. She tensed. This was not a subject she’d ever addressed with anyone except Raven, years ago now. She had been so distressed back then. Now, she didn’t mind nearly as much. Her testicles were just another body part. Not a single one of her many, many lovers had even asked her about them, which was super weird, in hindsight.

She took a breath and coaxed the stiffness from her muscles. It sounded like the Plebian had a sort of clinical interest. She wanted to ask Towhee some questions for science. She could get behind that, couldn’t she?

You want to ask me questions about my ballsack? she asked, using humor to dispel her own misgivings. Sure… shoot.

OMG I am so sorry about her

Aquene had been on the receiving end of more than a few snaps in her lifetime… everyone reacted differently, especially in labor. She had once referred to a pregnancy as geriatric due to the age of the mother and nearly lost an ear for it, luckily, as Towhee noticed, she was quick on her feet. She saw the way she stiffened and Aquene did not want to make her uncomfortable…
 
Still, that tension faded and then she was even joking about it. She offered a grateful smile. “The things I was taught… they were passed down from my mother’s mother’s mother’s stories.” It had just been that long since her birth pack had come across this kind of situation. “Do you know… is it still possible for you to conceive? There was always speculation but my mother herself did not know the answer when I asked her during my training… and can you only conceive one way or is it possible to conceive another?” The last seemed far more unrealistic than the former, but she asked anyway, giddy to finally be getting some answers to untold medical mysteries.

This thread is lolsy and I love it.

That’s a lot of mothers, Towhee thought stupidly as Aquene prefaced her incoming questions. She had no idea what to expect, though the first question that left the Plebian’s lips caused her to snort loudly. She missed a couple words after that, though she realized the woman was still talking and refocused. “…during my training… and can you only conceive one way or is it possible to conceive another?”

Towhee came this close to cracking a joke about sex positions. Then she remembered that Aquene was a medical professional, asking for the sake of learning. She cleared her throat and gave the inquiry some actual thought. What the hell did she mean? …oh!

Well, I don’t have a dick, so I don’t think I can impregnate anyone. But you just made me think a thought that’s never crossed my mind before: is there baby gravy in there? Towhee stared at Aquene’s face for several beats before adding, I’m pretty sure… I can get pregnant, but you’d have to ask one of the half a dozen kids that definitely didn’t come out of my ass, despite what some people might think.

Aquene, if she had been in a better disposition for thinking, would likely have worded the questions differently. However, she saw a purely academic reasoning behind them and had no reason to believe that they could be taken another way… oh, how foolish she was. Still, the woman answered with her coarse and blunt language but Aquene soaked it up regardless. “I don’t know, I was hoping you knew the answer.” If she had a way to get said baby gravy out, could she be a father and a mother? It introduced so many interesting questions.
 
She couldn’t help but snort when the woman admitted that she had children so she could definitely conceive. Her head tilted slightly to the side with a more serious questions. “Were there any complications because of your situation, or were the pregnancies fairly smooth sailing?” She asked again, finding a little more decorum this time around because it could be a sensitive nature of a topic, especially if she had complications as a result.

Towhee shook her head. Sorry, I can’t help you there. And as much as I support the sciences, I’m not going to let anyone experiment on my genitals… Wow, what an odd thing to say.

She pondered Aquene’s next question, smirking softly as she thought about her first pregnancy. Well, the first time, I didn’t even know I was pregnant until I took what I thought was a monster shit and it turned out it had a face. I guess you could say that was smooth sailing. And then…

Towhee paused for a long moment, frowning now. Well, the second pregnancy and delivery had been pretty much textbook, excluding the miscarriage midway through. She couldn’t say for certain, of course, but she didn’t think her strange anatomy had brought about those losses. That was a combination of stress and her body naturally culling an over-sized litter, she figured.

Realizing she hadn’t finished her sentence, Towhee said, I don’t think my weird gonads caused any complications, no. You’d think it might’ve caused complications in even getting laid but not a single one of the dudes I’ve banged has said anything about it. Maybe they were just too eager to get some to even pay attention? I have no idea. She shrugged.

The suggestion of experimentation brought widened eyes and a wrinkled nose. “No, of course not… I am not that kind of doctor.” She did not fancy getting her paws dirty in that manner and while she had a burning curiosity, it was not that burning.
 
She continued on, and her eyes widened at the mention of not even knowing she was pregnant. “Really? Was there no associated weight gain? Morning sickness? Or did you not notice the symptoms?” It had it’s own runoff questions as her tail wagged behind her, clearly enjoying their conversation.
 
She trailed off, and Aquene frowned in response. Had something happened? Had she brought up a memory best left dead and forgotten? She hoped neither to be true, and breathed a sigh of relief when the woman admitted that no, there had been no complications due to the nature of her reproductive situation. She chuckled at the woman’s words. “To be fair to them, I did not notice them until they were in my face… and men… mount… from behind so it’s possible they just did not notice?” She offered up hopefully, still, causing her to chuckle a little more. “Thank you for indulging my questions… I’ve learned so much of my craft, but even a healer such as I has a lot to learn.” It was the nature of her craft, to always find new and better ways to handle situations and to learn about more strange and mysterious circumstances.