Stone Circle so i'll follow the birdsong

the siren queen had not missed the fire that had been extinguished from her mate's once hale gaze. it was not the fault of their journey, though she surmised its advent certainly did not help. desperately, caiaphas clung to the notion things would be okay -- they had to be okay -- once they found safe ground.

yet deep within her stomach, which had sunk to new depths witnessing the atrophied mien of her children's father, she knew such conviction to be false.

it was with tentative and careful composure that caiaphas hung back, collecting her children beneath her flank as kierkegaard strode forward. svalinn, the youngest of them all, was clutched firm in her muzzle -- the rest of her true-born brood were watched hawkishly.

in no time at all, a steele-bitten female approached -- caiaphas protectively stepped in front of her children, watching the figure as it came close. yet her vigilant measure seemed in vain, for the unknown woman supplied a pheasant from her muzzle and motioned for them to take it.

caiaphas had never been one for hand-outs and felt indignant, yet she quickly scythed down the pride that rose sharply in her throat. we don't need your pity -- only your home -- she wanted to say, yet tempered the hot response that threatened to be spoken. instead she cleared her throat and placed svalinn on the ground, a long sigh extracted as she flitted from feral mother to a more toned, tempered attitude. "we're what's left of grimnismal. i was its' alpha, this is my mate, and our children." she explained, motioning the threadbare crew that assembled around them. "a bear forced us from our home." she frowned, wondering if it was better to wait for the leaders to arrive before launching into an explanation she would likely need to deliver twice. "is there room for us here?"