Ankyra Sound the odyssey

Please wait for @Leucothoe, @Callantha, and @Nesaea to reply first! Joining thread, so I'd appreciate fast posters. If replies take longer than a day or so, I may skip turns. :x

She had high hopes for the daughter she named Aktaiê, after her grandmother— a great matriarch, though not without her faults. Still, the daughter that had been sent to create a branch of the Nereides bloodline on a distant shore had disappointed her. Aktaiê no longer sat at the helm of Ankyra Sound, abandoning her post and her mission, leaving it in the hands of a sister only freshly returned to the breasts of Mother Sea and Mother Moon. She loved her daughters fiercely, but she expected greatness from them. Minthe had told Aktaiê exactly what her failings were, before sending her to serve within the Protomedeia's congregation; a far more fundamentalist clan of Themiscrya, by necessity. She had been easier on Psamathe, who had only followed, who was ever at the mercy of the visions granted to her by the Sea— for Psamathe, Minthe only insisted she continue to nurture her gift, for she had the makings of a promising High Priestess, perhaps of the Protomedeia herself.

As for Ankyra Sound— well, Minthe would make up for the failings of her daughter. Knowing not the state of the newest branch, the woman gathered a careful few; two of her youngest daughters, each gifted in their own right. A third youth joined them, sent by a distant relative, with the hope that Minthe could set her straight even as she also sought to guide the fledgling Siren Queen of the Sound. Despite the clutches of winter, Minthe began their journey— there was no time to waste.

It had been long and difficult, particularly the stretches of time that had seen them separated from the embrace of their Mother Sea. But the scent of salt, the tall sentinels that were giant sequoias— they were here, Minthe firmly knew. Standing at the edge of the forest, the woman turned to rest her eyes upon each of her companions in turn; her daughters and her ward.

"We arrive, daughters," she told them gently, voice cast low— "I know not what we shall find. Remember, though she is not of Themiscrya, this Queen demands the same respect. She is not of blood, but she is a Nereides returned to her Mothers." Minthe had her own fears, would judge Caiaphas' claim— make no mistake— but she would honor the female's station and would ensure her daughters did the same. After all, Caiaphas had remained where Aktaiê had abandoned. If Ankyra was too far lost, Minthe and her daughters would return to Themiscrya.

When their eldest sister returned, Leucothoë was there to see the repercussions of her failings. Truth be told, Leucothoë was surprised in Aktaie's return having heard no hint of it from the Sea, who often whispered to her trinkets of information. But Minthe—her mother—saw something Leucothoë, perceptive though she was, had not then... and as the near-yearling was later told, the Mother had not willed Aktaie's return then. They would go to the Sound that she had found, and they would restore it to a perfect balance. Leucothoë had been foretold of a journey by the Sea, but looked quite deep into the matter thinking that the Mother meant personal growth. Leucothoë knew that moment more than she ever had the Mother knew all, omniscient and ever watching. Leucothoë had never doubted that the extent of Her power was limitless, but she was still learning.

The journey was an arduous one. Leucothoë prayed frequently. Her pieces of home were with her—her mother, her sister, and even the rambunctious Callantha who tested her patience—but everything in her longed for the Sea. Fortunately, they did eventually arrive; for this, she felt great relief. Her long ears leaned forward as her mother spoke, and the gunmetal youth found her eyes moving from her mother to the trees, waiting for the Queen her mother spoke of to emerge. Her silence ultimately meant her compliance.

Since we're on the subject of drama with Aktaiê, let it be said that Callantha had not exactly paid a whole lot of attention to that fiasco. She'd meant to, she'd started to, but when things had become tense and the lectures of should-dos and didn't-dos and the doling out of disappointments had begun, the young sprite had shut her ears to it. A different wolf might have enjoyed hearing the frustrations of her elders taken out on another wolf - it would have made them feel better to know that they weren't the only one who was a disappointment to the clan. Callantha was not one of those, however. She'd had enough of those talks of her own, and it only caused her weary heart to squirm with discomfort to hear another.

While the journey had been long, it was nothing Callantha wasn't used to at that point. After all, she had not been born upon the shore of Themiscrya, but in one of the sister packs further north. She'd been a disappointment there, and now after being a disappointment in Themiscrya, she was on her way to becoming a disappointment in this Ankyra Sound place. It made the youth bitterly miserable that her sisters considered her to be such a burden, but she had become a master compartmentalizer. So when she pulled up into the wake of Minthe and her fellow sisters, it was with only a sullen, resigned gaze that she stared at the trees that towered before them like prison bars.

Like her sister, Nesaea too prayed routinely, wishing for a safe journey to the place their sister had abandoned. She hoped Aktaiê found herself well serving under the Protomedeia, not wanting to have ill feelings towards her older sister but agreeing with her mother's decision to send her there. It wouldn't do to have a branch of Themiscrya led by an outsider, one who could easily lead them astray — and so the girl was happy to come along with her mother and sibling who would return to this Ankyra Sound and set things straight.

She found herself growing irritated and anxious the further they strayed from the sea, her aching paws and muscles adding to her displeasure, though she never voiced her discomfort, remaining silent for most of the journey. It was only when the fresh scent of the ocean and sequoia trees grew stronger did the nymph perk up, quickening her step as they came to the edge of a grand forest. She gazed up at it with fascination before taking her place slightly behind her sister, ears lowered shyly.

She turned to her mother as she spoke, giving a small nod before her gaze flicked to Leucothoë and then Callantha, who was staring off into the distance sullenly. The tip of her tail flicked in mild annoyance, both at the white-furred ward's moodiness and the fact that they would be required to show respect and acceptance to the foreign Queen of Ankyra. She didn't like the fact that one not of Themiscrya blood led the Sound, but she would withhold her judgement until she came out to meet them.

Prioritizing this thread!

The sea was tempestuous today. If Kevlyn were a woman, he would recognize this as a sign of trying times to come, and would leave immediately to alert Caiaphas that things were amiss. He was a simple man, however, and saw only inclement weather in the crash of the waves against the bases of their towering cliffs. He stood atop one of them, his head angled down to watch the ocean curling away in high, frothy peaks.

Besides, the consort thought as he turned away from the water toward the sequoias, he didn't need the ocean to tell him that things were amiss. His cunning queen had set into motion a great conflict spanning miles of coast. They were instructed well to maintain appearances for the sake of allowing this conflict to pass them harmlessly by and set in motion the undoing of two strong, neighbouring packs. Kevlyn knew that should any messenger arrive from either pack to discover them here on the cliffs, he was to deny any knowledge of either pack or, better yet, spread deceitful bread crumbs to the other.

Because of this broiling conflict, Kevlyn's time tracing the pack borders was nearly double its usual length. He patrolled tirelessly, upholding his duty as consort to the Nereides and guard of the siren queen. It was no surprise, then, that the first Ankyra Sound representative to meet the party of four was himself.

They stood tall and silent, four mysterious women: a grizzled female with a dark agouti coat shot through with beige and silver who looked pretty damn old; a drab grey female, much like himself, who probably thought she was hot shit by the way she was groomed; a sullen looking girl with a pale coat who was staring deadpan at the trees as if she lacked any ounce of intelligence; and another female who was identical to the first yearling, and probably also very into herself.

It was clear from these mental descriptions Kevlyn made that he was very much into himself and didn't think a whole lot of good about anyone that wasn't from Ankyra Sound, or really anyone else at all. Regardless of these harsh inner thoughts, his eyes didn't betray his judgment, and he stood respectfully. They were females, but not Ankyra, and so he did not lower his gaze from them. That privilege was given only to the sisters of his pack and not outsiders, however much like the sea they smelled.

"You stand upon the threshold of Ankyra Sound, led by Siren Queen Caiaphas. What is it you seek?"

Feel free to skip me if I haven't responded in a few hours. :)

Spyridon had upped his patrols over the past few weeks, fueled by his queen's desire to bring unease to their neighbors. He had advised when he had been asked to, many weeks ago, to not cause unrest between the packs. She had not taken it, and that was her prerogative. She was his queen, and he was her ever-obedient follower. He had been tailing a quarter mile or so behind Kevlyn for the better part of the day, and when he came upon the younger male facing four unknown females, Spyro drew up to the boy's flank, silent and steady.

Kevlyn had grown into a respectable consort, and Spyro knew that his own worth was judged by such things. Caiaphas seemed to have taken a particular liking to the grey spawn, which was all the better for everybody involved. Sea-green eyes found the feet of the women in front of him. In Hippo Tang Cove, even outside sisters were higher than the most respected consort.

Shadow-posted Spyro! Editing...

Her daughters accepted her commands in silence, and her soft gaze lingered upon them for a moment. For all their nerves and inner turmoil— they were young, after all, and with the exception of Callantha, they had never lived anywhere other than Themiscrya— they were obedient and respectful. Even her ward, so troublesome and eager to go any way but the Nereides way, had followed dutifully. Minthe nodded her approval, facing back toward the tall sequoias that marked the Sound, and waited in silence. It was the way of the sisterhood to be secretive, and the elder knew better than to announce their presence with a howl— a call that could pinpoint their location for surrounding, rival packs.

But they didn't need to wait long; a sturdy consort approached, his gaze— so much like Grandmother Aktaie's— analyzing them in turn. She could divine none of his assessment, but he appeared to accept them neutrally. They were not chased outright. Still, a tension hung in the air, perhaps Minthe's own, until the grey male introduced the territory and its Queen. She exhaled then, a breath she hadn't known she was holding, and murmured softly to herself, "We have made it, then."

He hadn't spoken in the Sea's tongue, and so Minthe met his gaze with words with lilting common, "It is the Sound we seek; and Her Queen. I am Minthe Nereides, emissary and High Priestess of Themiscrya Coast— and these are my daughters." The male before them was but a simple consort, and so she fed him no more information than that; it was Caiaphas that she truly wished to speak to. Her gaze shifted to a second male— briefly, for he showed deference as was expected— before it returned to the arrogant grey. Her posture was relaxed and unchallenging, yet not submissive; of the Sound, it was only to the sisters that she would show such respect.

It did not take long for a someone to arrive. By scent she noted that the wolf was a male, and he looked as pristine as she did. For the moment, she did not wear the sand the Sea so often lent to her. In their travels, the encrusted jewels had fallen away as they passed through freshwater sources. Leucothoë thought him a good consort on that principle alone for a moment; he was smart to keep so pristine so as to not offend the eye...

But his eyes lingered. Not on her, in particular, no, but on the whole of them. For an instant Leucothoë felt infuriated and nearly betrayed this... but the calm of her mother soothed her. Another came and looked away swiftly—wisely—but Leucothoë felt her anger had been misplaced for the moment. There were many lesser wolves who lived near Bays and upon the shores that carried the scent of the Sea, and Leucothoë herself had been taught to never judge one by their appearance. The sterling youth heard her mother speak in their tongue and still was silent, though took a step forward now that she knew they had arrived so that she was just behind her mothers shoulder.

Leucothoë did not look to the sullen Callantha, nor to her sister that was identical to her; no, her eyes remained upon the male that so boldly looked to her family, and she mirrored her mother in mind and body. Now that there was no questioning who they were, she waited for him to look away.

There were two that came to greet them, and each were given a curious gaze by the young female. Both were men, but only one seemed to know that to be such demanded that they avert their gaze out of respect. She'd never been one to push the whole I-am-woman-bow-before-me thing, but the males she'd been around had always just.. done it. He was a youthful boy, though, so Cal assumed it was a mistake of naiveté. Minthe carried on as though it was nothing, and so her ward kept quiet on the subject and merely observed. All traces of her prior mopeyness was gone as curiosity replaced it and settled neatly upon her pale features.

A few quiet minutes passed before a grey-furred male appeared from amongst the trees. Nesaea visibly tensed as he approached — flanked by a larger, hulking man — and watched them both carefully. Her nerves were quelled, however, as the younger one stated the name of the territory and its leader — the very one they were looking for. She, too, let out a breath as Minthe did, looking to her as she spoke in their native language before switching to the common tongue to address the foreign wolves.

Normally, the girl would try to sink into the shadows when confronted with any number of strangers, though she felt slightly more confident with her mother and sister by her side (and Call, she guessed, solely because she added to their number). Her ears slowly pricked forward and a flicker of amusement flashed across her gaze as Leucothoë seemed to stare the simple boy down. It was bold that he dared not lower his eyes, but Nesaea couldn't commend him. She, too, stared back though perhaps with less intensity than her twin, tail flicking at her haunches as she quickly regarded the darker consort. At least one of them was proving to be respectful.

Any day now, Caiaphas expected retribution -- Duskfire had stolen her ward, and in return, she had delivered to their doorstep a dark and formidable present. She surmised soon they would learn the true nature of the gift, and eventually detect the Sound's hand in the matter.

Because of this, Caiaphas had redoubled her daily patrols -- she scarce had enough piss to fill a deer's skull, much less enough to mark the entire territory. As a result she was tired, irritable -- the gaunt sharpness of her gaze grim with exhaustion. Yet for all her enervation, she could not mistake the wafting scent of strangers on the breeze -- upon their detection her hackles rose along her spine like a primitive fish's fins fanning outward in a flare of aggression.

She was quick upon the scene, striding forwards with flatboned limbs and a feral propensity about her. Spyridon and Kevlyn, her two most trusted consorts (and perhaps, packmembers) had already intercepted the party. The Siren Queen briefly took stock to each -- one sea-crone dressed in ghastly greys, a whelp whose outward appearance rivaled Kevlyn's meticulousness, a pale and cheerless cub with eyes adverted, and at last, a carbon copy of the first prissly youth Caiaphas had laid eyes upon<.

She claimed her space confidently, her ears pressed forwards as she hailed the eldest of the group. It was not often that wolves came by the bevy to her doorstep, and what little she had learned of the world was that parties did not often go in her favor. Caught between perilous times and war, Caiaphas could not chance her pack's safety to a sundry band of sullen travelers. Γιατί ήρθες ; While she had caught the tail end of Minthe's explanation, it did not soften Caiaphas' defensive anticipation -- times were troubled, and enemies everywhere.

The ghostly fae loped silently to the place of many voices. As she neared, the scents of two males, of the pack, and Caiaphas became apparent to her. It was not until a moment later that the scents of four others, unknown to the fae, met her nose. They too, smelled of the sea, but not of any packs that she knew. A voice, that of Caiaphas, spoke in Greek. Phantom had some knowledge of the language, but was not quite fluent.

The ghost slipped in beside her queen, her sharp green gaze analyzing each of the new comers. All female, and all seemed travel weary. She was silent beside the queen, watching and waiting, for now.

The eldest of the group introduced herself as High Priestess of Themiscrya Coast. Of course Kevlyn knew of Themiscrya Coast and how it was the origin of the Nereides clans, where the sea and moon were always blessed. He knew that Ankyra Sound originated there as well, but understood that Caiaphas was not of their ilk. The importance of this meeting was not lost on the young consort, and yet he did not drop his gaze, even when the twins fixed him in theirs.

Granted, his gaze held no spark or challenge in it. It was level, mistrustful, but not truly disrespectful. Nothing about him denied them or defied them, but he held his gaze nonetheless, as if to say, you are not those things here. Even the Protomedeia herself would receive this welcome from him, should she ever appear.

Spyridon arrived as well, silently and more deferentially. Kevlyn felt no uncertainty in his actions despite his elder's own, and calmly addressed the females in Greek: "Σε τι οφείλουμε αυτή την τιμή?" His voice was level but soft, gentle, as though smoothing things over; it made it clear that although Kevlyn matched their gazes, he understood their significance, he just would not bow to them the way that Spyridon did because they were not of his pack.

He would, however, bow to the siren queen, and so as soon as Caiaphas made her presence known, his eyes and snout slanted downward and he tucked his ears back. "Η σειρήνα βασίλισσα Καϊάφα," he introduced, slipping a few steps back as she took centre stage. Another sister arrived in her wake, silently; Kevlyn tilted his head briefly toward her, acknowledging her without breaking his submission in the slightest, and then turned back to listen to whatever Caiaphas decided for these women.

The eldest (from what Spyridon could tell) spoke, though Spyro only caught a couple of words. Nereides. Themiscrya. His ears perked at each of those, intrigued by how these sisters knew of them. He had been taught of the various packs that lined the coast, so he was at least somewhat familiar with Themiscrya. The others remained silent. Kevlyn responded, his Greek fluent and blooming satisfaction in the older man's chest. He had learned quickly and well.

Caiaphas arrived, followed shortly by the white sister whom Spyridon had met only days prior. As for the Epivitoras, he waited patiently, showing deference where it was due. There were many questions hanging in the air between the two groups, and he knew that there were many answers to come.

Apologies for missing yesterday! I got distracted by Magpie...

She remained firm in her silence, ignoring the question that fell from the grey spawn's lips— Minthe had no way of sensing his internal dialogue, but her refusal to respond was a wordless judgement as well. You are a mere male; my words are too important for your ears alone. Even that he spoke the Sea's language did not move her; it was expected of the consorts to know it. She would wait for the presence of the Queen, but she would not beg the male for audience— that he hadn't summoned her yet caused Minthe to flick an ear in annoyance, though her expression remained stoic.

They had not long to wait; a hybrid woman with grey fur and black crown strode confidently to the center of the gathering— Caiaphas, she knew from description. Minthe relaxed her posture in deference, then, a clear signal that though the consorts were not worthy of such respect, she would acknowledge the standings of the sirens that inhabited the Sound. Minthe trusted her daughters would do the same. "You have met my eldest daughter already," she began, "though she abandoned her cause. I am here to counsel and guide as required. My daughters are here to serve— and my ward," she added, eyes sweeping over Callantha, "to learn."

She paused. "Aktaie failed the Sound. We have come to support you in your success, Matriarch." Minthe spoke carefully, no trace of judgement or challenge in her tone— they would do as required to ensure that Ankyra thrived, and Caiaphas would receive the benefit of doubt until her actions spoke otherwise.

She said nothing. The offense that she felt gripped into her heart, but she did not openly express it. Leucothoë was not sure of what to think, but her mother did not reprimand him; perhaps what he was doing was not bad. Leucothoë was learning day by day the rights and the wrongs, and no man had done anything to deserve her hatred or true dislike. They were all respectful, obedient... and this was the first that showed any degree of, well, anything. It intrigued her, though it frustrated her, too. How she hated to be unsure.

Her mother did not respond to his query. It was a quiet chastisement (she had been on the receiving end of this when she was wrong, as a youth) and she felt its burn, knowing what it was like although it was not for her. Her attention on him only shifted when the Siren Queen arrived. One look to her mother, and she knew what to do. Her own head lowered deferentially, and as her mother spoke of she and her sister, she remained silent but nodded. Yes, she was here to serve and to grow, to aid her mother although she was young in her task was an honor she was prepared to fulfill.

When the boy addressed the high priestess, there seemed to be an almost palpable shift in the demeanor of the Nereides women. Minthe remained just as poised and calm as ever, though her reprimand to the young man was obvious in her silence. Though the other two didn't outwardly show it, Call knew they would be none too impressed either. Nesaea would probably ignore it, but sternly like her mother. Leu would probably be downright pissed. As for the ward, she simply watched the scene unfold with intrigue.

The Sound's Queen did not take too long to arrive. She was a sharp creature, full of edges of points with a certain cleverness shining from her eyes. This one was most definitely not of the Nereides by birth. She struck Callantha as being more of a witch than a queen, but she too shifted to a pose of respect as Minthe introduced each of them.

Aside from a single question from the young consort, there was nothing but silence between the group of females and the two males. Her critical gaze shifted between the grey-furred boy and the darker man, sharing her mother's silent contempt for their kind.

Suddenly, out of the forest a hooded creature strode, and the girl immediately knew who it was from the description Aktaiê had provided upon her return. It wasn't hard to mistake her for anyone else — the Queen's appearance was unique, if not rather unimpressive. She kept her thoughts to herself, though, watching with mild interest as a white-furred pack mate appeared just after the Queen. Nesaea dipped her head politely in unison with her sister, knowing that Minthe expected them to show the upmost respect to the foreign leader. She quickly stole a glance to make sure that Callantha, too, had bowed — the ward would face a harsh tongue-lashing from the youth if she dared disrespect both her mother and the new Queen in this important meeting.

Her fears were quelled though, as the other girl showed proper respect and, pleased, Nesaea drew her head upright again, turning to her mother and then the Matriarch again as she offered their support to the Sound.

everyone should have a rank now -- you four all have the same post counts, so the rank shuffle this weekend was a little interesting, sorry! feel free to assume that 'phas et all will fill your wolves in on the AS/DFG turmoil - if any of you want a thread about this feel free to pm me. i've been sick this week so i'm going to fade phas out as to not hold everyone out up :)

That was it then, these emissaries sent from Themiscyra. Caiaphas wondered what type of world it was there, that foreign shore -- were all wolves as hardborn and lean as the bedraggled party before her.

Minthe's explanations did not entirely allay Caiaphas' defensive posture, though the harsh glint her eyes certainly yielded. "She did not abandon us." Caiaphas interjected staunchly -- whatever goddesses above had instructed of Aktaie, it had been ordained -- Caiaphas did not feel the previous Matriarch's absence as a failure. It was rude, perhaps, to interrupt Minthe -- but the wretch was a hotheaded thing prone to all manner of barbarous practice.

With the welcome party fading to a close, Caiaphas' ears swept backwards, eying the Sound's small convoy that had come to greet them. "I suppose you'll be wanting to rest -- Spyridon and Kevlyn will bring you food. Tomorrow once you four have regained your energies we can reconvene." With that the Siren Queen would turn back towards the Sound, leading the way for the wearied travelers.