Dragoncrest Cliffs Yeah she steals like a theif

Lilia's bid for independence and experience sent her travelling a bit. To the West she went, scouting out through the Tangle until she came upon an expanse of territory which was clearly marked. As a princess, visiting another pack was important business. She had things to learn about this pack, and she wanted some answers. She'd come quite some way, after all- it seemed for the first few years of being a princess, it was going to be quite a lot of work! But she was ambitious, and would not be held back. 

She sat quite prim and proper at the borders, waiting for someone to patrol, so that she could greet them cordially and they would hopefully entertain her, politely.

and who was this?

quennell had never met anybody near his age who was not family, in some way. all children in sapphique felt like extended family.

this girl was most certainly not. she looked wild. mysterious. perhaps that was just by the nature of being a stranger upon the borders. so he stepped up to the task, approaching her with the strutted walk of a peacock.

you be at sapphique. he welcomed her with a snaggle tooth grin. and i be quen. how can i help you?

As soon as she caught sight of the slip of cinnamon approaching her, she straightened up her posture, placing her two paws together and pulling her shoulderblades back and down, elongating her neck. It made her look more elegant, she thought. While she'd been hoping for an audience with the queen of the pack (surely, there had to be a woman in charge) she was instead approached by a boy who might've just been a bit older than her. Taller, more muscular, and he smelled of briny air and earthy sand. He walked with a swagger, and the glint in his golden eyes made her heart flutter a bit. 

The grin he gave her was a bit unrefined- more toothy than what would have been proper, but she wasn't too put off. She extended one foreleg so she could offer him an elegant bow of her head, before she straightened up again. "Thank you fowa meeting with me," She said. She wasn't sure she could pronounce his name, so she didn't try. "I am Li-Li-a, an' I come fwom u-Wedtail u-Wise." She had practiced her name so that she could at least introduce herself now, but the pack's name was much harder to muster. Still, she didn't flinch even when she lisped. "I have come to leawn about yowa pack, if you would be tho kind?" She raised one shoulder and smiled hopefully.

oh. she was laying down.

no, she just dipped. quen realized all at once that she had bowed to him. which cued a sudden flare in his ego. to be seen as so important that she might bow to him! it did little to halt any showboating from the growing boy, who offered a soft puffing of his chest as she rose.

her accent (for that was what he assumed it was) struck him as odd. not once had he heard one like it! not njord, nor his maman. but he at least knew better than to balk at it. especially when she was interested in learning.

ah, i guess a lil exchange won't be hurtin' anyone, eh? the grin stayed, lingering on his features. miss leelee (as he had decided from what he'd heard) seemed kind enough — and she was a girl. an important thing to sapphique! some o' my siblin's be leadin' us, but my mamas led it first. we been along de coast a loooong time. his smile grew a bit bigger there. so that she might know that sapphique was strongly rooted! by his family!

Hmm. If only he'd show a bit less of his teeth, she thought- but otherwise, he was faultless. Friendly, and willing to have an exchange with her, so she could learn a bit about the pack that was so close to the one she lived in. Had there been some issue, surely she would have been warned not to stray to the West. She nodded slightly, hoping to learn something that might be important for her pack to know. 

It pleased her a lot to know that A. Quen was related to the leaders (score!) and B. that women were largely in charge. "Tho yowa pwactically u-woyalty, then, hmm?" She asked. "I like that you have ladies in chawge. We do too; owa leada ith altho a lady." She affirmed. "You muth-t be a knight then, yeth? You look like you could be th-twong," She said. She dipped down into a play bow. "My leada thaid that if I wanted to be a queen thomeday, I hafta leawn how to fight," She said, before she straightened up and shrugged. "But I'd wather juth-t be a queen, an' leave the fighting to the weally th-twong knighth, like you."

oh, oh, oh!

she liked the ladies of sapphique and found him a knight. for a moment he matched her play bow. vibrant nape briefly prickled down his spine from his excitement, stimulation. why weren't all visitors like her?

i be a pirate, s'like knight o' de sea. he told her as he stood tall. a cocky little toss of his head. y'know der be pirate queens too, don' cha? his tail curled softly, swaying with an eagerness.

"A thea knight?" She asked, allured by the idea due to Quennell's contagious enthusiasm. Normally, she didn't like it when the rules of her games and ideals were changed by someone else, but this actually seemed to suit him a bit more. Maybe pirate knights were a bit rougher around the edges- but it made them no less valuable, of course. "I like that idea," She said, nodding and scooting a bit closer. For all the effort she put into looking poised and aloof, it was hard to maintain when she was being pulled into this fun scenario. 

"A Piwate queen?" She was mystified. She dipped down into a play bow again. "Okay, you're gonna be a piwate knight, an' I'm gonna be the piwate queen, an' you hafta thave me fwom..." She trailed off. Maybe they were a bit too old for a game of pretend- and there was nobody to play the enemy. It was the first time she'd really forgotten herself, and had had a chance to revisit the childhood that had been stripped away from her. She straightened back up a bit. "Thowwy. That'th kind of...th-tupid." She apologized quietly.

he was ready to play along, ears perked up tall. any excuse to tussle with her would be a good one, in his mind.

only she seemed to momentarily shut down.

"Thowwy. That'th kind of...th-tupid."

tcht! he quickly made the sound, similar to how his mothers scolded their nonsense. none o' dat. pirate queens be commandin' — no t'ing be stoppin' dem. he encouraged her as he moved closer with the hopes she'd allow him to nose at her shoulder.

ya want to see a beast o' de sea? it be de kinda t'ing i be fightin' off.

She looked up at him with doleful eyes as he moved to touch her shoulder. Her cheeks grew warm, and a smile grew across her features. She blinked up at him, a bit overwhelmed by his sudden closeness. She could smell the sea in his fur, and against the sky his fur was emblazoned with rustic highlights. Her heart fluttered again. 

Her courage was buoyed, and she straightened up again. Still, she felt the warmth in her cheeks, but she stepped forward now with renewed confidence. "I wanna thee thith beath-t!" She said, before she politely added "Pweathe," With a fluttering of her eyelashes. "What kind of beath-t ith is?" She asked, curious not as to what exactly he was referring.

i don't wanna make you double write here so if you don't wanna throw chacal in he can just be a bad boy trespasser with her ;3

a whale. dey only be o' de sea. he told her with his pep returning. glad to see her come back to life. quen was not a boy made for the sad or boring. his eldest leading sister had found it washed ashore, but that did not mean they did not be fighting beasts like it!

i t'ink you should be meetin' one o' my sisters on de way. he thought of chacal first. one of the whale and the singing. leelee might like her most for a first meeting.

he let out a short, quick call. wondering if she was free of his niece and nephews to come meet them on the way.

She'd never heard of a whale before, but something about it sounded very impressive and rare. Her mouth shaped a little 'o' in surprise, but rather than ask him a million questions about what it was, she flicked her ears forward and carried on alongside him, keen to see what this whale was, and how much of a beast it was. She could return to Redtail Rise, having seen and survived an encounter with a real beast! Wouldn't that be news!

She had to stop herself from frowning when he mentioned meeting someone else. She didn't want to invite anyone else to play with them, she wanted him all to herself- but then she remembered that she wasn't here to play, she was here to learn more about the pack, and make herself amenable to the royalty. His sisters, she remembered, were leaders. "Yeth, pweathe, intwoduth me to them," Was the fit answer, and she smiled. She was a treasure, after all- no doubt they would enjoy meeting her. 

And within moments, a dark figure approached- cloaked with golden hints about her shoulders, not so different from Lilia herself, but fully grown, and lovely in every aspect. Lilia drew closer to Quennell, hoping he would take it upon himself to introduce her.

Chacal, like many others, had been enjoying the bountiful feast that her come to their shores- but she knew better than to become a glutton, and that there were border patrols to do. As such, she was not too far away when the boy called, and she picked up a trot to see what it was that Quennell wanted brought to her attention. The boy had been making himself quite useful lately, which was always appreciated. It made her heart twinge to know he was growing up so fast- but also, she knew the pack would rely on him and the others his age to become more responsible as they approached the adult ranks. 

She caught sight of him in the distance, his rust fur a beacon in the open. With him, though, was a young wolf whose markings were actually similar to hers, and to Theo's as well- but this young one was much smaller, petite and feminine. She smelled of the Rise, and Chacal found herself wondering what the girl was doing at Sapphique. Together, the kids looked quite happy, though the girl became a bit bashful when the Tanzanite approached. She gave her a soft smile, then looked to Quennell, reaching to nuzzle him fondly. 

"Quennell, 'ow are you dis day? What be your quest?
An' who is dis, dat you have brought as a guest?"

he was happy as a clam, walking the girl alongside him towards the coast. knowing that he could show her all the best sights on the way to the remains of the whale. not once thinking that seeing whale remains might not be the charming move.

huh. did he want to charm her?

the thought stirred something funny and he kept his eyes out for chacal. not ignoring how the girl tucked close to his side when they did find his older sister. poised as always. she welcomed them in her melodic ways. his tail swayed as he stepped forward for a moment to bump his muzzle against hers softly.

just as swiftly he moved back to stand alongside his guest.

dis be leelee-uh — doing his own best here. from de rise. she be wantin' to be a queen some day. this he shared with a wide grin to both of the women near him now. so i be teachin' about pirate queens.

i wanted to show 'er de beast on our shores.

She was grateful that Quennell was there to vouch for her. While the Pirate Queen looked friendly, there was something intimidating about her as well; likely her confidence. When she spoke, she spoke with a musical voice, and sang to them. Lilia was shocked- this was something completely unexpected- nobody she knew talked like that! Surely there was some magic at work here, to make the queen's voice so beautiful. Quennell stepped back to her side, and she reached out to touch her nose to his shoulder, gratefully. She didn't fear the tall, handsome woman, but she did feel quite small in that instant. 

Quennell's confidence made her a bit shy, though she gulped and nodded. "Thomeday," She echoed. She wanted to make sure that this queen didn't get the idea that Lilia had come to usurp her throne. When the beast was mentioned, her ears perked, and she regarded the tall woman beseechingly, licking her lips to wet them.

Her brother introduced the lady, who was in fact from the Rise. She wondered whose child she was- if she belonged to the leader perhaps. Likely, given the fact she seemed ambitious enough to want to be a queen someday. The idea made Chacal smile, and she nodded, as though giving her blessing for the girl to pursue her ambitions. 

"Welcome to Sapphique, Lilia of de Rise,
Come in peace, an' see de beast wid your own eyes.
I be Chacal, an' I give you my permission,
So long as Quennell escorts you on dis mission." She said

To Quennell, she gave a faint wink, before she lifted her head to address him more formally; there was a glint, still, in her eyes. 

"Make sure Miss Lilia is fed well; dis be an order;
An' escort 'er home, 'til she be safe at 'er borders." 

Satisfied with the effect that might have, Chacal turned, and left him to his new friend, smiling to herself as she went.

he knew he loved his sisters for a reason.

chacal easily gave them both blessings and quennell imagined there'd be no reason for him to not stick with leelee. he was even given permission to travel with her home!

aye! he offered his older sister as she began to take off.

she ain't so bad, is she? he tease to his companion as he began to trot along the path. planning to take her right through the bluepeace meadow.

Chacal; a singer, a siren. Lilia noticed the way she switched from being friendly, welcoming and informal to being a leader, deftly issuing a command to Quennell, who looked happy enough to have been given such responsibility. The pack was certainly tight-knit, for them to function like this, and she found herself feeling quite envious, but appreciative nonetheless. "Oh, she ith a queen awight!" Lilia commented knowingly. She knew one when she saw one, and Chacal was definitely a queen. 

She trotted alongside Quennell as they began to pass through a meadow. There was more wind here, and it smelled of water and salt; fresh, but perhaps a bit cooler than it was inland. She leaned into the wind as they moved, drinking it in and smiling slightly. "Tho how many wolveth awe in Thapphique?" She asked. Her mind went back to the questions she was supposed to ask, to learn a bit more about Sapphique's status. "I think in Wedtail Wise there'th....Eweven owa twelve but a bunch of uth are kind of the thame age. Thew'th only a few adult-th." She said.

he had thought they might go back to romping some more. eager to show off what a good pirate he was becoming. only she seemed to become a queen herself! asking about numbers and things that mattered to regal folk.

oh, maybe it be about fifteen? maybe closer to twenty. lotta it be family, though! he laughed, hearty and warm.

whatcha make o' de coast?

he was far more interested in talking about her than any diplomacy.

Maybe twenty wolves? That was impressive! She felt herself wishing that she had more family with her...But only found herself barely remembering her siblings, and incapable of picturing her mother's face. What Quennell had,  that sibling bond that created trust and reliability, that was something Lilia wanted, but she didn't have family. Not anymore. In their place, she wanted more admirers, more wolves who looked at her and smiled, the way Quennell did, even if his grin was a bit snaggletoothed. 

"It'th beautiful!" She said, straying from his side to whirl in a couple circles, dancing as dried leaves fluttered and fell when she brushed against them. She could see tall evergreens ahead, and above them the gulls circled. She watched them for a moment, and smiled. When she dropped her gaze, she caught sight of something dark in the distance, and she slowed her pace. "What'th that?" She said, gesturing toward the tunnel entrance.

he watched her as if she was magical, the way she moved. he wasn't sure he had ever seen somebody as happy about the coast as he. not counting those who had already lived on it for years...

oh! dat be de tunnel out to sea. do you be wantin' to race wit' me?

his brisk walk turned into a bit of a jog, prepared to take off. which was perhaps not what a good host should do, but he was far more concerned with being a good pirate first.

A tunnel? Dens were something she was used to, but a tunnel? It looked dark, and she could not see light at the other end. There was a whistling sound from it, but Quennell, brave as ever, seemed unphased by it completely- and in fact, wanted to race through it. She couldn't be a coward. Queens weren't cowards. She wanted to race, but this thing...This looked scary. 

Ohhh, okay," She said, trying to shake the nerves that had fallen into place as she looked toward the dark mouth at the end of the field. She had to be bold, she had to be a queen. He looked like he was preparing to sprint, so she gritted her teeth. "Thwee, two, one....GO!" She shouted, and sprinted forward, though she quelled her acceleration some. She wanted Quennell to go into the tunnel first, anyway- so she could follow after him. She fixed her gaze on the dark opening that loomed before them, coming closer and closer with each stride.

nerves were lost and wasted upon the boy.

the boy who became his default state all at once. laughing as he booked it, taking off into the tunnel at once. he may have invited her to the concept of pirate queen, but he was still a pirate first! the symphony of his humor likely bounced softly off the tunnel.

although light and cold salted air waited for them on the other side. prepared to tangle their fur in a way that was familiar to him.

he tossed a look behind his shoulder for her, hoping she was still near.

She held her breath as she entered the tunnel, and immediately, she was engulfed in darkness, and the odd, moaning sound of air as it passed through the tunnel and back again, like the windpipe of the breeze. Her eyes adjusted quickly, to see that Quennell had made quite a lead on her- and as the ground sloped downward, she slowed, trying her best to make sure she didn't have a mis-step and twist her ankle. She didn't realize that she was still holding onto her breath until a blast of sea air hit her in the face, causing her to inhale with a gasp. 

In the tunnel, the pattering of Quennell's feet disappeared, and she was surrounded by the whine and wail of the ocean's breath being exhaled from the beach, forced through the tunnel. It suddenly became quite frightening, so Lilia pressed herself up against the side of the tunnel, seeking some sort of pressure, and she wailed. "Quenewwwwww!" She moaned, gasping slightly as even her own voice became a part of the worrying bellows that echoed around her.

a wailing moan of his name.

it was enough to nearly frighten him! thinking some sort of sea monster had emerged in the tunnel. only to discover that it was his pirate queen leelee calling out to him like a mourning siren. quickly, accustomed to the terrain of sapphique by now, he made a u-turn in the tunnel.

feeling his way along in the dark with minimal light for her.

oi, pirate queen! he kept his voice light and jovial as he called out to her. slow and steady his pace had become. listen! i say marco you say polo! he instructed so that they might be quicker reunited.

MARCO!

If pirate queens had to live in, or use tunnels like this, she wasn't sure she wanted to be one. Quennell's voice rang out for her, but it was muddled at first by the natural reverb. His instructions, however, came through, though she seemed a bit confused as to why she had to say "Polo?" Her voice was pleading, quiet. She stepped away from the tunnel wall, drawn toward his voice now that she knew he was still ahead of her, and still alright. 

"Polo?" She asked again, a bit louder as she ventured forward timidly.