Redsand Canyon amarillo

when belen was certain she was out from under the princess' eye, she went to @Crowfeather. "pharaoh's daughter is here." she pulled the former prince deeper into the tablinum, whispering. "i am not sure when she is leaving, only that i had to lie to avoid being commanded back to the palace!" she stopped to catch her breath. "i know you wanted to leave later, but either we leave now or you must lie very low until she departs. she will want to come and question you, after all, crowfeather." another idea was taking form.

Belen arrived with news. The Pharaoh’s daughter was in Mereo.

Crowfeather stared at her, eyes wide. He felt his pace quicken and glanced fearfully to the side as though the young girl might appear before him and whisk him back to the mesa between her teeth. She could not have been very old, he thought. The young man blinked a few times, shaking his head.

We- We can leave sooner. I just fear-

No, he did not fear… he knew that he would be slow. They would not cover much ground when he had not found the grace to walk confidently without all his legs. There were many times that he stumbled or swayed dangerously on his paws. Though he tried to push himself to travel further than he had the day before, it wore him to the bone to do so.

It will be slow, Belen. I will be slow.

crowfeather was worried. belen paused and looked seriously at him. she was not concerned for his slowness, only the weather and wolves they might encounter. she would not be good protection. "she cannot order you back to akashingo. you are no longer her subject, nor that of her father." the courtesan's voice was resolute. "so we will stay. but if you want to leave, say it. we will be gone today."

Belen was right to say that the Pharaoh’s daughter could not order him back to the mesa. He only thought of what the man might do if he discovered that Belen was with him. The shadow knew that the ruler of Akashingo would not take kindly to the girl traversing eastward with the young man who had slipped from his kingdom in the dark of night. He wondered if the lapis-eyed man would send his Mazoi after them.

But you- I do not want anything to happen to you. He wouldn’t be happy to hear that you left the island and then never went back to him. I think he would be less happy to hear that you had left with me.

Crowfeather did not have proof of it, but he suspected that the Pharaoh was not very fond of him. He did not imagine that this would have improved much since their last talk. He was not keen to test his theories, either.

belen rakishly shrugged. "the pharaoh sent me away. as long as i visit at some point, he can be charmed." she did not elaborate. crowfeather had been a part of akashingo. he understood her role as fellahin. the young wolf's glassblue eyes blinked. "what will happen is he will — want an alliance with whatever we make in the east." proverbial hand in the proverbial pot, as it were. she tilted her head to one side. "if i asked you to name me like one of your people, what name would you choose?"

The shadow could not be certain whether he liked the idea of allying himself with the Pharaoh. They did not share ideals or purposes in their lives. Crowfeather blinked at Belen, knowing that she could soothe any anger the royal man might have felt, but disliking that even more. It was not her place to pet his ego. The seer did not feel that the man was entitled to have them as an ally.

We could discuss that, but… we do not serve the same purpose. I do not know if I wish to be connected to the Pharaoh in that way.

The Starsea had never shared allies. They were friendly enough with the other clans, but this was kept in place by monthly gatherings held in a meeting round – a place where everyone was on equal footing. Crowfeather considered this for some time, wondering if the Pharaoh would agree to gatherings in the way that the boy had known them.

Belen surprised him with her next question. She wished to know what name he might call her, a name of his people.

Oh- his voice was soft. Belen was beautiful and intelligent. She had a way with her words that he had never seen in another wolf. She was soft when needed, sharp when the situation called for it. Crowfeather could not offer her a name without considering it closely. He peered at her with a thoughtful expression.

The people of my home are named for their abilities or their features. Your eyes would be a rarity. Your ability to- to communicate would be good, as well.

Crowfeather had only shared names with two other wolves since he had arrived in the new lands. Germanicus and Satsu had been given names of the Starsea. The young man believed that Belen deserved one, too.

The girl who speaks with silver words – Silvertongue. Or, maybe… since she had seemed to enjoy her time spent on the island, Runs with the sea – Searunner. Crowfeather looked to her bashfully.

belen scarcely heard the rest of what crowfeather said. searunner. silvertongue. she loved the sound of both, though in the end she leant more toward the former royal. "silvertongue," the young wolf murmured softly, glowing with delight. she looked back at the wolf who was once prince. "if there is no belen, there is no pharaoh to follow me." did he understand? she hoped that he did. "we do not have to make an alliance with anyone we do not wish." her eyes were bright. "will you be a prince there also?"

Silvertongue, he repeated gently, pleased that she seemed taken with it. The girl went on to say that if there was no Belen, there would be no threat of the Pharaoh. Crowfeather grasped this, uncertain. She seemed to think that it would solve that problem. She even assured him that they did not need to be allied to anyone that they did not wish. This was some relief to the dark figure, as he had followed many of the wolves who had been kind to him and had accepted their wants as his own.

The glass-eyed girl wished to know if Crowfeather would remain a prince in their new home. He blinked at her and shook his head softly, smiling.

There are no princes or kings where I come from, no Pharaohs, no soldiers… the shadow was almost certain that he did not wish for that in his new home. He wanted the comforts of his home. There would be small changes, things that needed to be shifted to fit their new lives. I was supposed to be a seer to my home clan. If I were to form this with you, lead it… with you, he felt himself grow uncertain. Crowfeather did not know if he could lead anyone.

I would be a Star.

"you want me to lead? with you?" surprise overtook the fact that leaving the name belen behind would take some time. but as the seconds ticked on, as she listened, the newly named silvertongue was appreciable of the chapter that was about to open for each of them. crowfeather would be a star. she thought for a long moment. "maybe i could be sky." her voice was quiet, solemn. the gravity of it was descending, and now she only looked silently in his direction.

The girl seemed shocked that he would say something like that, or at least moderately surprised. She said that she could be the sky to his star. Crowfeather felt his cheeks grow warm. She would need to learn if she wished to join him, he knew this much.

The shadow stepped toward her and found a place beside her to sit. He glanced to her from the corners of his eyes. There are leaders, usually one wolf, and at the end of their name they carry the name of Star. There are deputies, the most trusted of the leader’s wolves. I think we will call that role Sharpfang. That will be you. His snout touched her leg softly.

There are medicine wolves. We can call them Dreamleaf.

Crowfeather thought of the others. Elders were respected members of the Starsea. They had lived long lives as warriors to their clan. We will respect the elderly. Elderfangs… they will have known the life of a warrior for a long time, and they will deserve peace and respect. Then there will be the majority. The warriors… we will call them Fangs. The shadow nodded softly.

The young ones will be pups until they are old enough to learn, then they will be paired with Fangs as Apprentices. That’s how they’ll learn how to become Fangs themselves!

Crowfeather wondered if Belen- if Silvertongue would want to learn about the stars and the messages of spirits that had gone to the skies.

belen — silvertongue — listened. sharpfang appealed to her more than dreamleaf, which held a meandering sound that did nothing to describe her own focus. she was amused; she had gone from servant to acolyte to leader, now. "you have put a lot of thought into this, crowfeather," silvertongue said quietly, her glass-blue eyes near reverent upon him. he had already dreamt the foundation. now all they needed was to scout. to move. to search. to build. "do you intend to have pups? in the spring, i mean."

Pups?

Crowfeather’s mouth gaped. He was unsure of how to answer that question, as he had never held a mate and had been told as a boy that he would never know children of his own. The young shadow had crossed those ideas from his mind at an early age. He had only considered the idea of children when he had grown closer to Germanicus. Even then, the children that he saw in those daydreams all looked like the Imperator.

I- I do not know. Not for myself… I have no mate. I have no one who would wish to be that.

The dark figure frowned thoughtfully. He glanced toward Silvertongue with a curious glint in the gold of his eyes.

I do wish for there to be children, though. There must be- so that we can grow.

Did Silvertongue expect pups in the spring? Children for herself and the wolf she loved? Did she love another?

crowfeather was so flustered! silvertongue reminded herself that she did not think he had ever lain with another. lovesick the former prince was, but carnal he was not. the idea of bringing him fully into this, when he was ready, fired something inside her body that she did not understand. there was a question in his golden eyes. the youthful courtesan shook her head. "well. they will not come from me. but i think you will be able to create a place for mothers, crowfeather. you are safe and kind." her gaze was thoughtful as she made this declaration, wondering if he still wished her beside him.

The dark figure wished to ask more but he was not sure how he might. She said that they would not come from her, but that she did not doubt Crowfeather would make a place where mothers could feel safe, and their children would be cared for. That was all a child needed, was it not? It was not so long ago that the seer was a child himself, but his own childhood was filled with the pressures of his role. It had been fleeting, that feeling of being young.

I used to think of a family for myself. When I was younger… I had a friend named Mothwing. She was very smart, and she knew all about herbs and healing. We would talk about making a family far away from our home. Crowfeather’s expression gave way to something sad. Mothwing had never had the opportunity to see the world outside of their clan. She had gone to the stars shortly after their secret talk of the future.

But- But you do… do not want children? Your own children?

mothwing. silvertongue was quiet. she wondered if this spectre from his past would hinder his future as this man germanicus had done. but she would not allow it to happen. her face was a smooth mask of utter training as she leaned toward him. "she must have been a good woman indeed, to leave a scar on your heart." silvertongue's voice was as her name had become: gentle. wan. moonlit. her lips curved. "you know what it takes to create children. i find that act far more pleasant than the idea of being pregnant, is all."

She was a very good friend and now she gets to watch me from up there, he motioned toward the skies with his nose. Mothwing had found her way to the stars; he was certain of that. She had been dutiful to the Starsea, and she had tended to many wounded warriors in her time training as an apprentice medicine wolf.

Silvertongue answered his question in a peculiar way. It made Crowfeather laugh nervously. She said that she enjoyed the act of making children over that of carrying them. The shadow wondered what she might look like as a mother – the image was difficult to make in his mind.

Oh- I- Well- I have… never done that. I don’t even know-

Crowfeather thought of the night Germanicus had laid beside him, close and warm. He thought of how he had wanted it. He thought of how he had dreamed of the man turning to him with love in the yellow of his eyes. Those thoughts stung him still.

I’m not sure I would be good at it just for the… pleasure.

The shadow smiled softly.

crowfeather confirmed his chasteness to silvertongue. she chose not to comment on this for now, because for a man it was a large admission. he certainly had been saving himself; she knew in akashingo that he would have been entertained by far more than her. he had only needed to speak it. but now they were in mereo and speaking of the future. it was different now. "it is a skill, like anything else. and it is one i can teach." her look was meaningful. silvertongue graciously swept on. "what sort of place are you envisioning for home?"

It was different for the young man. He did not see what she spoke of as a skill, by any means. In fact, if it was a skill… Crowfeather felt his cheeks grow warm at the thought of his own awkwardness. He knew that he would not have much talent for it. Missing a leg did not even dawn on him for several minutes. If there was ever a partner for the dark wolf, they would need to have patience and understanding.

I don’t think- It’s probably not a skill for me… I would need to- I couldn’t just try that with anyone. The more he spoke about it, the worse he felt. Silvertongue was special and she was offering to show him a skill he’d never learned. Crowfeather simply couldn’t tell her that he was horrified at the thought of disappointing her. What if he could not even stand? I just think skills take practice… and I haven’t even done it once.

Grateful that she shifted the conversation to talks of their future home, he thought on her question.

I’d like for there to be water. Rivers or a lake, maybe both. Lots of trees. I want it to feel protected from the elements. Crowfeather looked to his companion and smiled gently. What do you want in our home, S-Silvertongue?

crowfeather stumbled more around the edges of what she had said. silvertongue's mien was placid, but inside she burned with the want to show him directly what it was she meant. but that would be for another time. he described the sort of home he might want. rivers. protected. she considered. "i passed near a green valley when i traveled. it might be nice to visit it again." her eyes shone radiant; her lips curved with a smile. "i want the same protection. i want us to be able to disappear, ay?"

She described a green valley that she had trekked through. Crowfeather thought it would be nice to see it. He wanted to know what kind of land appealed to her, just so that he might have a glimpse into her mind. 

Let’s start planning to leave. 

The shadow felt his heart clench at the thought. It was different to say that he would leave Germanicus and all their failed promises. Those were only words. With Silvertongue at his side, he could not afford to dally. 

Somewhere no one can find us…

Could I tempt you with another?

ABSOLUTELY <3

"somewhere no one can find us." the words felt like a vow. silvertongue's heart cantered a bit faster, and she hid this with a rakish grin. "now. you stay here. i am going to sneak us some food." and before he could stop her, she would be gone, darting off with a wild laugh.

She spoke his words back to him and grinned. Crowfeather blushed beneath her gaze, always so delighted with what he might say.

Then, she was off. She had spoken words of food and vanished before he could stop her. The shadow breathed in the air that had been left behind. He wondered if it was wise, their running away. He could not help but feel that he was indulging in his bad habits. Crowfeather had always been good at disappearing.

He waited for her to return and thought about their plans until his stomach had been turned inside out with his nerves.