Blacktail Deer Plateau broken bones

Sorry if I slow things down, but I think Aktaiê would want to be here for this. I'll be able to churn posts out more quickly/throughout the day this weekend.

Junior had insisted upon informing her birth pack of her plans, an action that Aktaiê might have deemed unnecessary in different circumstances. In Themiscrya, the Nereides were known to adopt daughters that found their paths crossed with the sirens, though they made a point never to keep them against their will (obviously, their reaction to stray males was vastly dissimilar). As it was, the Nereides was quick to support the newfound sprite to the best of her ability, and if for some reason the young amazon had not wanted to inform her parents, the priestess likely would have gone anyway. It would not do to make enemies before they had settled, or their mission might end before it could truly begin.

She had waited where the scent of the plateau's wolves was just barely noticeable on the breeze, taking care to ensure she followed every bit of etiquette. Aktaiê shifted in something akin to nervousness, knowing that it was a male that led here, knowing that she would need to put every notion she had been raised to understand aside — at least for this. There was little need for diplomacy on the Coast, where Nereides reigned supreme, but it would be different here. Her namesake had told stories, instilling in Aktaiê that it would be frequently necessary if she were to ever form her own branch away from the security of Themiscrya. She paid little heed to the other escorts with her; for there were others here, prepared to defend if the meeting went sour.

When Junior's summoning bark cut through the air, faint from the distance, Aktaiê adjusted her posture accordingly. She moved with confidence, but her tail relaxed between her legs, her head carried respectfully. If any of the others followed, she would also be watching their behaviors closely. They were Chosen of the Sea, it was true, and stood greater than any male ever could — but here, amongst strangers to their ways, they could hold no authority. To assume otherwise would be fatal, and instinct overpowered any sense of pride in the priestess.

As Junior and a large male appeared in her field of view, Aktaiê slowed to a stop a respectable distance away, though she grit her teeth at the fact she was showing deference to a male that had clearly overstepped his station. But when she spoke, her voice was as gentle and lilting as it had ever been; any strain that might have been heard could be mistaken for the tension of the situation. "I am Aktaiê Nereides," she introduced herself carefully.