Redsand Canyon might just fuck us over

@germanicus @ruenna @aquene @arsenio - tags are for reference / any/all welcome. i hope the slight PP is ok <3

queen satsu is dead. qiao informed in grave tone, once her howl at the borders had been met by their arrival. ramesses believes she was murdered. qiao's gaze slid down her thin muzzle, olive eyes studying each before she continued. i am here with this message: he requests it be known he is calling upon your soldiers now to fulfill their duty to akashingo.

she remained composed, though her gaze roved along each to measure their reaction. would they let a good crisis go to waste?

She knew the moment that @Kallik arrived and saw her out this far, that he would frown and bid her to return to their den so she could rest for the days to come. However, she had heard the grave tone of Qiao’s call and concern had brought her waddling along… along with the opportunity for a request should the Matrona and Imperator allow it.
 
Her eyes widened upon hearing of the murder, the shock washing over her followed by concern, wondering what had happened and how they could be of assistance… it was not long before at least one of her questions was answered. They were being called upon to serve. “How did she die?” She asked softly, wondering if the believes aspect of the woman’s statement meant it had come from a more medical procurement than being torn by tooth and claw.

Kallik was not happy at all to find his very pregnant wife at the borders, greeting the Akashingo healer. The fact the she wasn't a stranger gave him no relief; Aquene could go into labor any day now, and she was supposed to be resting. Not to mention, he didn't want her near the borders at all. It was too dangerous. 

But Qiao had come here to inform them of grim news. Their queen had possibly been murdered, and now the pharaoh demanded the presence of Mereo soldiers. 

Kallik stood at Aquene's side trying his hardest to put himself between her and the border. He hadn't said anything because they were in front of others, but she likely knew how upset he was. 

He was curious about the details surrounding the queen's death, as well, so he tried to keep his focus on the Akashingo wolf, all the while, fighting against the urge to escort his wife back to their den.

qiao was here once more.

aquene had greeted her. kallik was ever present.

the imperator stepped to the scene. he had come to hear the lady's message and now he stood unmoving.

"what happened?" he asked in a solemn baritone. his eyes did not shift to the others.

kallik remained silent, the ever present guardian to his gravid wife. aquene and germanicus each spoke, their questions lingering in the air. 

it is my opinion the queen was poisoned. qiao’s tone was one of practiced solemnity. i came here immediately. i plan to conduct thorough investigation upon my return.

She did not miss the way that Kallik positioned himself. While she knew he would not say anything here, outright in front of the healer or their Imperator who arrived not long after… there would be a conversation when they returned home. Still, she had not gotten to the true motive for making her way to the borders of the healer’s call yet therefore she would remain.
 
Germanicus questioned what happened as well and Aquene frowned as the woman decided that she was poisoned, or at least believed it to be so. “What was the manner of delivery?” She asked, figuring that murdering a queen was difficult to do, especially with poison when so many had to be looking out for the woman. She paused for a moment before stating her own case.
 
“I… realize the difficult position of your investigation and that time is of the essence… but I admittedly came to greet you because I have a request for you while you are here. I am due to delivery within the next few days, and we do not have a trained midwife beside me. I was wondering if I could trouble you to remain in Mereo to oversee my birth before you return.” Her tone was almost guilty, because she felt guilty for pulling the other healer from her investigation, but Tamar was not yet at a level where she could oversee her birth and she figured Mahler was busy with his own wife and children and she did not wish to bother him.

The queen had been poisoned. Kallik had never taken that into account before, that someone's food could be poisoned. Now he added another thing to worry about. Maybe he should just hunt all of his wife's food himself just to be sure nothing like that ever happened to her. It wasn't exactly sustainable, so he would have to think of a fallback, like testing her food before she ate it if it didn't come directly from him. 

He was spiraling. It wasn't the time for that, and there other things he needed to focus on. So he called on his training and forcefully cleared his mind. Is there anyone that you suspect? he asked. Maybe that would be a good place to start. 

Aquene brought up something else entirely, but he was glad for it. She needed a healer present for her own birth in case something happened. He could hear the guilt in her tone and it pulled at his heart. Kallik nuzzled the side of her neck briefly in comfort. There was absolutely no need for her to feel guilty. The Akashingo business was important but so was her safety and health.

poison.

hardly unexpected in a place of royalty. they quite enjoyed the sport of plant cultivation for this very purpose. still it was a blow, thought not one meant for mereo.

he nodded.

"if you will stay, lady qiao. your presence will be invaluable. i will gather and dispatch a battalion within a fortnight."

he felt kallik's commanding presence and knew that mereo would be safe.

the imperator quietly awaited qiao's answer.

i cannot speak in certainty. qiao admitted to kallik, glancing between the trio. they would understand -- between the three of them, there was exceeding cleverness. but my guess would be the piece of meat we found not so far from her mouth.

she waited then for each to say their piece, her olive eyes falling knowingly upon aquene. of course -- it would be her honor to serve as midwife. certainly, my lady. qiao bowed, noting then how gravid aquene appeared. her hour was almost upon them.

how very like fate, to twist a thousand little strings in the strangest puzzles! she turned to germanicus, thinking then of her last meeting with ruenna. you are very gracious, my lord. i will be happy to stay. how fares lady ruenna?

Aquene felt even more troubled when she heard the mode of delivery. It was not possible to prove that anything intentional had happened. “Is it possible the creature ingested it before it died? If it was hunted before the poison had a chance to take effect and kill it from the inside it could have been contaminated.” She could only imagine what overprotective plans her own husband was cooking up healing the two healers talk of such things. She preferred to think that no one had attempted to murder the queen. Regicide would mean war, and Mereo was bound to answer Akashingo’s call.
 
She agreed and offered a grateful smile and her own bow of her head. The healer had accomplished that which she set out for but she would wait for the pleasantries to be done before beginning the exhausting hike in her current state back to the den for a nap. She listened as the healer asked about the Matrona but did not answer. That was a question best left for her husband to answer.

Qiao didn't seem to have any concrete suspects; she only had speculations, one of them being that the queen's meat had been tainted. Kallik didn't even know it was possible to do that, but now he would be sure to inspect any meat given to Aquene that wasn't from an animal killed by his own jaws. He will request that any other food be left outside for him to check. Whether or not the pack would comply, he didnt know. He didn't expect that sort of thing to happen in Mereo, but he could never be too careful in his opinion. 

He was grateful that the other healer would stay and help Aquene when she went into labor; he felt some of his worry slip away. 

He was hoping Aquene was done here so that he could escort her back to their den, but he had no such luck. She had more questions, and he was growing impatient. His face was as composed as ever, though he wasn't sure how much he hid from his wife; she knew him too well.

"she is well and delivered of four children. we both are grateful to aquene for her skills."

germanicus glanced sidelong at the healer with a small look of appreciation. kallik was silent but the imperator knew he did not long wish to be present. the medicus remained quiet, for this too was an important matter. he wanted to hear the priestess' answer.