Great Bear Wilderness Heaven can't help you now

it is not long before the deep chuff of aleks and the footfalls of dacio bring their presences, each taking post on either side of her. it is in moments like this where she feels the loss of ingram keenly and it aches beneath her breast alongside the ache of her mother's death. nevertheless, with an imperious lift of her chin the young commander sheds the mirage of 'young guardian'. there is little need now and little use hiding who she is when dacio and aleks stand at her side ready to protect her ...their combined presences and assertive stances give way that she is far more important than she was willing to initially let on. and ...there was no reason this could not be civil. dirge's warning may linger in the forefront of her mind now confronted with two of nightwalker's dwellers and her past meeting with their whelp may prove a brandishing spark of caution, these two women are adults and praimfaya suspects that speaking to them may get her further than their aggressive charge.

frostbound gaze moves to the dark pelaged woman with cardinal red at her nape as she speaks. 'i've been busy', though true, sounds like she does not view them as important. her focus most days is on roankru and split to isi and dragomir who are the last of her bloodkru... she has not forgotten about the nightwalkers but she has prolonged the inevitable. the truth, regardless, doesn't make for good diplomatic skills in this case and though she is not inherently fond of lying praimfaya isn't sure how much truth she should tell these women.

the other dark pelaged woman speaks then and praimfaya's gaze flits to her, noting the formal introductions issued. serem, consort. tzila, packmate. while praimfaya isn't overly familiar with the term 'consort' nor how it relates to their ranks she thinks it might be a title of power given how she announces it while the other woman, tzila, was given the simple title of 'packmate'. i am praimfaya, worlida. this is dacio, my klikalida, and aleks my skairipa. she introduces them, pointing them out with a graceful gesture of her muzzle; returning the favor of formalities.

have you and yours had much luck? praimfaya asks conversely, tapping into her diplomatic skills to extend the niceties. as far as praimfaya was aware the famine was still holding, though even if it wasn't the herds would be thin and sparse anyway with winter breathing down their backs.

nanowrimo: 421