Ankyra Sound lovin' in the moonlight (discovery)

For @Aktaie.

Ever since Junior had left for her new endeavor, Fox had been curious about the pack. She could only imagine that Peregrine felt the same way, though she had not brought the subject up to him. It was a sore one, at best, and she didn't wish to ruffle any more feathers than she absolutely needed to. Still, she couldn't help but wander toward the coast on several occasions, wondering if she might pick up on the smell of Junior or her companions.

The moon shone brightly, though it was no full moon, and the chill of autumn was certainly upon them. The nights were cooler, causing Fox to snuggle close to Peregrine when the sun went down. Tonight, though, she was on her own, listening to the crash of the waves against the shore. The petite Alpha stared out at the water, wondering what it was these wolves saw in it.

I don't want to force a dead thread on you, so wanna spree the next few days to complete? Sorry for sucking. :(

It had been a long journey, but the glowing tides had marked it as complete. Now the truly hard work would begin, though it had the illusion of ease; they were united, and they had found a territory that would be their home... what else was there? Aktaiê had not been ignorant of the work that went into leading a pack, but she had little experience in the effort required to actually establish it. Themiscrya had existed for her entire life, and for many generations previous to it; there wasn't much establishing or defending required. This venture was different. Harder.

There were times when she doubted herself and her conviction, times when she needed to slip away from the responsibilities and expectations to recharge and refocus. Beneath the moonlit night, she slipped away from her acolytes to do just that. She moved along the shore, tuned to the sand between her toes, and the salty tide that lapped over her paws. Her turquoise eyes were hooded as she drank in the briny air — but they went slightly wide as the flame-colored silhouette of another moved into focus.

She approached carefully, wondering what the little she-wolf was after, suspicious that Peregrine had sent her to reclaim Junior... but that didn't seem right, for the female had spoken in defense of the dark juvenile. When the distance had closed suitably between them, Aktaiê chuffed gently to gain the other's attention.

I just found out I'm going to be going camping this weekend (yay!), which means I won't be around much Saturday/Sunday to post (boo). And I've got to round up some camping gear tonight, and we've got a big push we're doing at work... so I'm not sure I can spree, per say, but I'll definitely keep up with this. :D

Fox's ears turned toward the salty wolf before her body did, and she swiveled around with ease to spot the dark leader who could not have been too much older than herself. Then again, Fox had never been a terribly good judge of age, so perhaps she was imagining things. Or she had come to assume that only young wolves tended to be leaders. It was just the kind of self-centered thing that she would be led to believe.

"You're the leader, right?" she asked, wanting to make sure that she had not been wrong about that assumption. Peregrine and this one had been at odds, that much was true, but Fox saw no reason for it. If Junior felt old enough to make her own decisions, she could go ahead and make them. It was clear that Fox had done just that early in her life (albeit not quite as early as Junior). Sure she had made some poor decisions, but that was all part of life.

No worries! I hope your camping trip is AWESOME, and that work goes well! It's always stressful/exciting when a project nears the "end", hehe... I'll make sure to prioritize this thread over any others so we can wrap up quickly. ^_^

Aktaie wasn't quite sure what made her move to sit next to the flame-colored female, her posture suddenly relaxed and at ease. Perhaps she was weary of the constant posturing, or perhaps she knew instinctively that Fox wasn't here to harm her or the rest of the Sound. Truthfully, the siren saw a kindred spirit in the small wolf; a proud, strong woman. She was the type that might have been recruited as an Amazon back in Themiscrya, but Aktaiê knew here it would be out of the question. Peregrine and this female were an item, apparently, though the Nereides couldn't guess at what she saw in him.

"Yes," she agreed. "I led them here." Aktaiê wasn't quite sure what else to say, suddenly aware that whatever she told the female was likely to be shared with Peregrine.

Fox wasn't the type to apologize for anybody else's behavior, least of all Peregrine's. If she was, she might have said sorry for what a dick he had been to the sea wolf. Instead, she turned her attention to the wolf who had created the conflict in the first place. “How’s Junior settling in?” she asked. Any answer would do, and Fox could not deny being curious. She was, by extension, family. And she'd once been a part of the plateau. Those two relationships combined were enough for Fox to care on some level.

The waves came closer, nipping at Fox's toes, and she glanced down at them idly. The water was chilly, but not yet cold, and the sensation was pleasant enough. Maybe living by the ocean wouldn't be so bad. She had not spent much of her time near salty water, but the thought did have a certain appeal to it.

It was funny how perception played upon individuals; in Aktaiê's mind, the disagreement had been Peregrine's fault, and in his mind, it had been hers. In actuality, it was probably Junior's fault, but all of the adults were too busy laying blame on one another to notice. Fox, at least, hadn't given voice to her opinions beyond that she believed the juvenile old enough to make her own decisions. Aktaiê wasn't stupid enough to believe that Fox was on her side, but she at least seemed capable of remaining civil.

"She seems happy," she answered, simply. There wasn't much to tell; Junior appeared to be as determined and eager as she had been the day they had told Peregrine. "We will keep her safe for as long as she is one of us," Aktaiê promised.

Fox nodded. It was an acceptable answer. She hadn't needed much, really, and being a wolf of few words, she could appreciate the brevity with which Aktaie spoke. Fox had left her own home when she was just shy of a year, and while she was not sure she had ever been terribly "happy," she had certainly only been unhappy a time or two in her short life. One of those times had been when Haunter had left her, and another when she had awoken to his cold, lifeless body. Fox blinked the thoughts away.

“Have you led before?” Fox asked. It was possible Aktaie had struck out on her own with the intention of leading, although that was quite a rough path if one had no experience. Fox had fallen into leadership by chance and had found that she enjoyed the power that came with it. In time, she would learn to enjoy the respect that others gave when she truly had their loyalty, but that did seem to be the case now.

Aktaie shifted uncomfortably, glancing sidelong at her fiery companion at the sudden change in subject — the sudden probing question. Was there an angle that Fox was trying to get at? Perhaps she had misjudged this entire conversation; perhaps Fox was actually here to interrogate and cause trouble. In return, she asked a bit sharply, "Have you?" Not that the siren had no experience; as High Priestess, she had been groomed to lead, and striking out to create her own branch far from home was the next branch.

"Where I come from, I was second," she explained a heartbeat later, her tone a little less defensive. After all, Fox hadn't given her any reason to be suspicious of ulterior motives (aside from being mates with Peregrine, anyway).

“Once,” replied Fox, completely missing the sharpness in Aktaie's voice. “I led Swiftcurrent Creek for a time, after the former Alpha female threw herself into the river. I was too young, but once I had that taste of leadership, I knew I could never keep away from it.” Fox truly believed she was born to be a leader. It was not just her goal in life, it was her purpose. Sure, she had managed to cause trouble left and right, including departing the pack on sour terms, but every interaction was a lesson, and Fox figured by the time she was three or four years old, she'd have a whole hell of a lot more experience than some of the leaders who were just stepping up to the plate.

“Did your first-in-command throw herself into the ocean?” Fox asked, perhaps a bit too intrusively. Perhaps it was common for leaders to drown themselves rather than keep leading, though Fox knew for certain she would be doing nothing of the sort. The tiny red fireball glanced to the ocean momentarily before turning her attention back to Aktaie.

Aktaiê nodded, somewhat surprised at how freely the fiery female gave information; and all without batting an eye. Nereides were naturally suspicious, perhaps due to their own behavior; quick to analyze words of outsiders to glean any advantage they could out of the information given. "I was taught to lead from birth," she offered in return, though said no more. It was her destiny to lead, and though she had been raised with this goal in mind, it truly said nothing of her skills. Only time would tell that.

Fox's next question startled the priestess, and her hackles prickled at the woman's uncanny insight — not knowing, of course, that the fiery wolf had valid reasons for asking what she did. "No," Aktaiê said slowly, "but my Grandmother did, once." Was she clairvoyant? A prophetess like Psamathe?

Gonna wrap up here because this is old and dusty. :)

So it seemed that leaders drowning themselves was common. At least more so than Fox had believed it to be. No such stories had ever been passed down where she was from, but maybe it was unique to the area. A curse, perhaps? Not that Fox believed in such things. She was hardly a superstitious wolf, although she did feel like if one more leader drowned out of choice, she might have to second-guess her stance on such things.

Knowing that Aktaie had been taught to lead from birth was... interesting, to say the least. It was a skill, Fox supposed, but it was not one she felt could be taught. It was a skill that she felt could only be picked up through the experience of actually leading. She couldn't begin to imagine how she might train somebody else to lead. You either had it or you didn't, simple as that. Fox knew that she had it, and she wondered if Aktaie did, too. Time would determine that, she decided.

“Let’s hope neither of us follow in their footsteps,” Fox quipped lightly, although there was a part of her that wondered if they would. “I should be getting back. Best of luck in your endeavors.” With a slow sweeping motion of her tail, Fox turned back toward the plateau, eager to get back to Peregrine and let him know that Junior was doing just fine here.