Heron Lake Plateau now i’m free from what you are

WC: 1217

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With Towhee by her side, and Quixote now on the scene, Niamh’s confidence soared. Everything Caiaphas had said about the pack being weak was being torn to bits- what kind of weak pack would stand to let some middle-ranked wolf challenge the alpha? Niamh held her ground while Quixote confronted Caiaphas, and turned her head silently to nod when he asked if she and Towhee had done their job. Damn straight they had; she and Towhee had both stepped in to let Caiaphas know how wrong she was,. And how cowardly, to challenge a wolf for their authority when they were out on a mission.

Unlike the others, though, Niamh did struggle with the situation a bit. Unlike the others, those closer to Ceara, Niamh did not agree quite as whole-heartedly that the length to which they’d gone, searching for one member, had been necessary. She knew Ceara to be brash and impulsive, and part of her didn’t especially miss Ceara...But at the same time, she was an extremely dedicated pack member and as she’d explained to her own brother, Bruges, Ceara  wouldn’t have just wandered off without anyone knowing why. If she’d been in a fight with a pack member, it would have been Niamh- and they’d actually been starting to get along.

Aside from that, Caiaphas was a significant wolf, in Niamh’s books. She was tough, and backed down from basically nothing. She had courage, that was for sure, and conviction, and she did indeed possess a great deal of qualities that would make her an excellent, and exceedingly strong leader. Perhaps had Niamh met Caiaphas at the same time she’d met Raven and Towhee, she might have elected to follow her instead- but had she done that, it likely would have made her too confident and likely would have gotten her killed. Living with the Redleafs and Blackthorns had tempered Niamh quite a bit, and had made her more thoughtful. She could quite easily have been groomed into a hunting and killing machine under Caiaphas’ guidance, but that wasn’t the path that would have been best for Niamh. She knew that the moment that her mate stepped to her side.

Colt said something that she found both endearing and a bit foolish. She understood what he meant- that Niamh would be the next female in the pack to step up and take responsibility while Raven was away, but Quixote was still ranked above her, and she would never think to undermine his authority. She melted a bit when he spoke, and found her ire cooling considerably with him at her side. If any wolf could take her temper down without even trying to do so, it was Colt. She touched her shoulder to his appreciatively, and gave Caiaphas a look that was probably so smug it would make her look immature...But that was Niamh for you. She was proud to have been a former ‘outsider’ who was now one of the highest ranked wolves in the pack- and matched with the fact that she’d married into the pack as well, she had twice the reason to feel as though she belonged. What Caiaphas was trying to do was only separating her further from what the Redhawks valued.

When Raven arrived, she didn’t speak a word. Niamh’s eyes drifted to their swarthy leader, and for the first time, she felt concern coil up inside her, like a snake readying itself to strike. Did Raven intend to fight Caiaphas? And what would happen if she did allow a one-against-one combat to ensue? It wasn’t Niamh’s place to question her leader’s decision...But between the two female wolves, Niamh couldn’t help but feel that if it came down to a physical fight, that Caiaphas would win. And if that happened, she still did not believe that she could make herself follow a leader that she didn’t like.

Niamh was conflicted yet again; she wanted to have faith that Raven would win a fight, but at the same time, the stakes were too high for her to want to risk it. She didn’t want to intervene or disrespect Raven by stepping in at her side, or to undermine her authority by offering to fight as well. It was unlike Raven to strike such a pose, so Niamh was left slightly bewildered and unsure of what she was supposed to do. She wanted to show she had faith in Raven by allowing her to fight if that was what needed to happen, but at the same time, she feared the worst if that was what the outcome was. At the same time, she wanted to assert the fact that Raven was not alone, and that she would refuse to follow any other wolf, even if they’d won their way to the top by fighting. There was another way, of course- she could always divert Caiaphas’ challenge, and see if she would instead fight for the beta position...But Quixote had already made it clear that Caiaphas wouldn’t have a battle, that she would simply have to leave, and her children could choose to stay or go. Niamh didn’t like that either- she’d taken a shining to both Svalinn and Raleska, and didn’t want to lose them.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Niamh had to choose what she would do. She could leave Raven to fight Caiaphas, if that was what she wanted, and more than likely lose against the tougher, wilder wolf. If that happened, Niamh couldn’t bring herself to follow Caiaphas, so did it even make sense, then, to allow Raven to fight? She could also step in and challenge Caiaphas herself...But doing so would be to go against what Quixote had already set as options, as he simply wanted Caiaphas to pick up and leave, either with her children or not. No matter what the outcome was, Niamh knew that Caiaphas could not remain in the pack, and she could not follow Caiaphas. With that endgame in mind, she too lowered her head, flattened her ears and growled.


A pack wasn’t meant to be split up into individuals, but there Caiaphas stood, on her own facing the pack. ”You’re the weakest link now, Caiaphas,” She said quietly and calmly. A wolf isolated, after all, was the weakest it could ever be. The line of wolves that stood before her were the representation of what a pack ought to be- unified and strong. The one who dared go against their cohesion was the one who could potentially tear them apart- and Quixote had been right to sentence her to exile. If she should put up any kind of a fight, Niamh would be one of the first to leap into action, but for now, she held back, snapping her teeth together as a warning. Caiaphas had her options- she could get out unscathed, or fight the pack. Still, Niamh had one more thing to say.

"If you choose to leave your kids here, we'll bring them up right." And though she meant it in a kind way, simply to reassure Caiaphas- as she truely did care for Raleska and Svalinn- she couldn't help but regret those words when she realized the sting they might have possessed. 

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