Storm Front

@Týrr <3!

Today was not a day she shadowed him. Actually, she wasn't sure if anyone was shadowing him and today, she just... didn't care. Xiuhcoatl's appearance had been a heavy reminder of what her life was supposed to be like. What she was supposed to be like. Talking to Sebastian had been a mental slap in the face, her thoughts on certain things set loose to rampage around her head; they'd all been quiet and passive before. Such things caused the girl inner turmoil, enough that she wasn't quite sure what to do or how to move forward now.

So, uncharacteristically wordless, Nochtli had slipped away from the few of them she'd seen this morning and off in some random direction. This wasn't her normal wanderings, for those took her much farther than wherever she'd ended up. But despite the lack of distance, she was no less enthralled by the natural beauty here, the spots and beams of sun that broke up the gloom. Such a view did the same for her expression, the first smile of the day finally breaking over her lips.

She moved forward on her feet, intent to explore this place, not minding that — presumably — no one knew where she was this day.

Thanks for starting this! <3 Also, if you'd rather him not smell Seb on her let me know and I'll change it! c:

For once it was not Týrr that was followed, but rather he that implored the tactic that his garrison had been doing to him for ...weeks? Months? He couldn't remember, and in truth, it did not matter. They were apart of him, something  that he knew deep in his bones without knowing how he had the knowledge. It was as if he were a small pup once more. Unlike his younger self,  Týrr's current situation was quite different and he did not bring these tidbits of knowledge to question. The answers would reveal themselves in time, or they would not reveal themselves at all. The arrival of Xiuhcoatl — apparently his blood aunt — had Týrr ...weary. Weary that his garrison would turn on him the moment she twitched her nose at him. Not even Manauia (whom the Rekkr had come to trust over the months) had been so against him. She had argued, sure, but she had not persisted and had not threatened his very life because it meant something to her. Despite being Xiuhcoatl's blood Týrr got the very distinct impression that he meant nothing to her. He was a born slave risen to something far beyond his natural station in their hierarchy. He didn't trust her not to rip his jugular out while he slept and that had him on edge. He should not have had to worry about the loyalty of his fledgling pack but he did and it could not so easily be ignored.

But Tuwawi's arrival was a godsend. He had hoped for her return but had not expected it; and yet she was there. He had a chance to prove himself to her, that he was a worthy friend, leader, and maybe if the Gods (that he didn't believe in) were truly feeling generous enough something more. He had kept his affection for her muted in Duskfire, worrying that it was too soon, or that he would be rejected; but there was courage where doubt had been months before — perhaps it was a boon from Tezcacoatl; or perhaps it simply meant he'd grown into his own.

Caught up in his thoughts as he'd been Týrr had nearly lost Nochtli as the shadow amazon moved through the territory unfamiliar to him. Like every one in the Taiga he'd seen so far, it was beautiful. A feral beauty to be sure, but the cold never bothered him anyway was not bothersome to him, likely from living in Odinn's Cove for however long he'd been there as their captive. He had noticed an unfamiliar scent upon her, male and of a different pack — and not one that he readily recognized. It was enough to give him concern if only because he did not want other packs to seek him out, nor did he desire to seek the other's out. He did not fear Stavanger Bay's retaliation for killing their Jarl for who was there to retaliate except Thistle and her son and few others? Though he would not hesitate to kill them — all of them if it came to it — he would rather not. Just because he was a “savage” did not mean that he had to seek out death and carnage. He did not know the circumstances of Nochtli's new friend but it perplexed him and though she did not have to tell him because he really didn't have to know, he figured it never hurt to ask.

“Nochtli!” He called to her, quickening his pace to close the distance he had maintained between them to keep low key. “Making friends?” He inquired, subtly referencing the unfamiliar scent she faintly carried, and wondering if she realized that it might bring her serious trouble with Xiuhcoatl — if his golden virago aunt was not already aware of it. 

Totally okay!

At some point, she became aware of his presence, if only vaguely. Nochtli chose not to acknowledge her new found shadow, if only because she figured he'd come to her when he felt his timing was right. Unlike the other Amazonian females, the Fire sister's head strong qualities were a little bit different, a little less crude. She wasn't into forcing others to do things so much as she was stubborn enough to wait until they were ready. It was yet another difference between she and her sisters in the long list of them that tallied up in her brain over time. Not that she was looking for those differences, but they were just there.

Her name, his voice. Her ears twisted backwards to listen to his quickened pace. Pausing in her venture, the girl looked back over her shoulder to watch him approach. "Hm?" It didn't take her long to piece together what he meant. There was only one wolf she'd been around recently that he didn't know. "Yes, I suppose you could say that," She answered, her posture naturally deferring to his own, unlike Shoebox's own posture might have been around him. "He traveled from the Southern region to visit me, so we've been hanging out. Hope that's alright." Truly, her demeanor was quite different when not around her fellow females, though today was a different story altogether with everything she had on her mind.

"How about you? Made any friends yet? I know Xiuh is probably trying to join at your hip or something right now. How'd you get away?" Purposefully, she deterred the conversation from Sebastian. She was still trying to sort all of that out in her head, though FitzDutiful's words flickered through her mind; A counselor was bad at venting their own frustrations. How true that was. 

Nochtli responded to his question with what Týrr took to be honesty. Out of all of them Nochtli seemed to be the ...perhaps not softest but the one least likely to rip a chunk out of his hide (or kill him?) to get him back to Coatl's Rise . She was admirably more personable and th Rekkr appreciated that of her. It made sense in some ways to him (though not all) since she was the diplomat. She had to be good with others. “I can't exactly stop you, can I?” Týrr responded in a soft murmur. Though the idea of her befriending anyone from another pack made him weary, especially since there was likely a ransom on his head (even if they didn't know it was him, specifically) for killing Ragnar, though in truth it made uneasy in general. He had yet to think about other packs in any sort of measure besides knowing that he had no interest in alliances. Coatl's Rise had none, and neither had Odinn's Cove. Besides, it wasn't like Týrr and his Amazon's needed to rely on other packs for no doubt they could hold their own in a war. They were strong women, a quality that he found he liked; and initially it was what had drawn him to Tuwawi and Duskfire Glacier. “Avoid the coastal wolves, specifically Stavanger Bay, or whatever is left of them. I will not hesitate to kill them all, as I did their Jarl but I would rather not seek the war out.” He had taken his revenge, justice had been served and he saw no further need to be a thorn in their side, nor they in his. He had put Ragnar behind him, buried all the repressed anger and dead was how the Rekkr wanted it to stay.

“Is he anyone I may know?” Týrr inquired conversationally. After all, he'd been in the Wilds for a long time now and he knew a few wolves here and there. The conversation switched to him shortly after he inquired his question. “Depends what you mean by friends,” Týrr responded with a soft smile and chuckle; though these days it felt like he made more enemies than he did friends; and even old friends had turned to enemies. “Ha!” The Rekkr snorted when Nochtli made a comment about Xiuhcoatl trying to join at his hip, the idea so strange to him that it was amusing. “I think she'd rather eat her own hip than join with mine. I believe she wishes me ill will and I fear she will turn you and the others against me,” He felt that he could trust Nochtli, though he spoke simply to get it off his chest. As for the burden of his aunt, that was his alone to bear. Xiuhcoatl might have not came out and directly spoken of sabotage to get her way it had been heavily implied, nevertheless. Another thought occurred to him them, one that caused his blood to run cold. “Do you think she'd ...ah do anything to Tuwawi to ...get to me?” He hated to plant the idea out there for talking about it made it feel like a huge jinx; but he was truly concerned. As he probably should have been.

Her tail flickered. No, he couldn't stop her — for now. He would soon supposedly be king of the Ridge and she would defer to him, at least while they all remained here. Her ear stayed trained on him, moving to continue her trek into the caverns. Somewhere, water dripped, and she was intent to find its source, being a water-loving canine. "Understood," She confirmed easily, her tone much more subdued than normal. "He is not from the coastal region but I will keep that in mind for my explorations." Truly, she was no homebody. Only every few days could she be found back at the Ridge, much preferring to wander here and there.

A look was cast his way, invisible eyebrows lifting at his question. "Doubtful, unless you know any from Redbird Caldron." Something like that. @Sebastian and her had talked about a lot the two times they'd met and right now, her brain wasn't "on".  "You've been here this long and you don't have anything that could pass for a friend? That's pretty sad, Tez." She couldn't help but poke gentle fun at him, an amused smiled hinted at for a moment before falling serious again at his mention of Xiuh.

"It is likely her intent to do such a thing," Another confirmation slipped her mouth. She had no qualms telling him for she had been sent with him to be his advisor. Not Xiuhcoatl. As if the woman would even begin to listen to her advice. "She will use any means necessary. So if you're that worried about her getting to Two-Face Tuwawi, talk to the woman yourself. Your lady love, I mean. Not Shoebox." Her honesty was simple and straightforward. The girl had never liked talking in circles or being deceitful, even if he had abandoned them. 

A fleeting glance let her look sidelong at him as they delved deeper into the cave. "Do you really not remember anything?" The disappearing act really had bothered her, though she didn't have the words to explain quite why.

Nochtli affirmed in a softened tone that she would stay clear of the coastal wolves. He would not tell her who she could and could not associate with but he doubted that she would be received well by Stavanger Bay and he had no doubt that they would always want revenge for Ragnar's death even if he had accepted his death. He was a Viking and Berserker after all — they lived to see Valhalla. He only wanted Nochtli to be careful who she befriended. Týrr's head tilted to the side as she named off a pack — one that did not strike him as familiar. “No,” Týrr murmured in response though he understood her statement had likely been rhetorical. “Well there is Tuwawi,” He paused and added softly, “And a woman named Fox, I guess, if she even remembers me.” Maybe a few more but he hadn't kept in touch with them if he had any beyond the ones he had named off to her. His sad number of friends was not something that the Rekkr chose to dwell upon.

Nochtli confirmed as much when it came to Xiuhcoatl and Týrr's face contorted into a frown. Though he had expected no less of an answer he had still kept a small sliver of hope for something better than sabotage. “How do we know that what she says is really Quetzalcoatl's will? I mean...she let me take this journey in the first place. She had to have known that there was a chance I wouldn't return.” Surely a Queen as revered as Quetzalcoatl had held the suspicion when she had seen him off with his garrison. If she hadn't accepted such a thing as reality why wouldn't she have just shot him down and commanded him to stay?

Týrr couldn't speak for her, though. He didn't remember enough to make such a claim of his mother and that frustrated him beyond measure. “I will warn Tuwa,” Týrr murmured in soft response with an affirmative nod seconds after the adviser had offered it. The rekkr had gotten half a snort out at Nochtli's nickname for Xiuhcoatl (not that he was sure what a shoebox was) that he choked upon when the shadow called Tuwawi his “lady love”. He felt a soft flutter in his chest at how casually Nochtli spoke the words, and he gasped a softly ragged breath of relief when he ceased choking on the air that he'd managed to choke on and let out a soft cough in a feeble attempt to hide it despite that he had come to the unenviable conclusion that Nochtli had more than likely caught it and trying to play it off smoothly was irrelevant. “Lady love?” Týrr  questioned, figuring that it was too late to go back now. The only path was forward, though he couldn't help but wonder if he was truly that obvious. Regardless, Nochtli had hit the nail on the end and frankly the soon-to-be King was tired of hiding it; or rather trying to hide it.

Her question hadn't been meant to take seriously but he did jut that. For a brief moment, she closed the distance between them to gently knock her shoulder against his. "Don't be so serious. It's not like I have a bunch of friends. Citali. Sebastian. Maybe you. So I'm not much better off." Which was true enough, since she wasn't even sure if the two of them were friends. For all she knew, he hated her. Oh well.

His question turned her thoughts, making her think. "Because we heard her say it. She never wanted to lose you all together, Tezca. We all thought we'd return after a month or two and that would be that." (Gina: totally guessing on that LOL) Admittedly, what he said made sense but she could not speak for the Queen and say why she hadn't expected him to simply strike out on his own, as he was doing now. Even back then, he'd been hardheaded and strong-willed.

A laugh left her as they walked, both at his reaction and his question. "Don't even. After that look you gave me when I barged in on you two? You're totally easy to read." She was joking, of course, but it had been apparent once she'd broken from them and thought about it. "And you ignored my question." 

Nochtli drew closer to bump her shoulder against his, though why she had been drawn to do such a thing had not became clearer to Týrr when the shadowed amazon spoke. Her words came out sounding soft to the Rekkr as she assured and seemingly tried to console him by admitting that she did not have many friends either. “I never had friends in Odinn's Cove either though I had thought it'd been because I was envied as the Jarl's son...” Of course now their aversion to him made absolute sense. He was the son of their rival and not just any old son but the crowned prince of the Amazons; Ragnar had been arrogant and would his mother or any of the woman had gotten word of his presence there it would have brought war upon the Vikings. Not that they feared war for they were a warmongering culture but he was an internal threat to them even if he had amnesia. “There are few I trust in this world,” And that survival instinct was not without good reason.

Týrr's frown increased and a small nagging of guilt agitated in his chest. He felt guilty for not feeling guilty. After all how could he feel guilt about something he couldn't even remember? “Still,” Týrr insisted though not unkindly. “I like to think my mother is wise enough to know that it was always a possibility.” He didn't want to speak bad about her, nor for her so he settled for nothing less than an assumption which was all that the Rekkr had. “She has likely replaced me with strong daughters. Let my sisters rule in my stead and keep to the true traditions that Coatl's Rise was founded upon.” His will was selfish and yet also selfless at the same time making it feel like an entire contradiction. Was it even possible to be selfish and selfless at the same time? Týrr didn't know.

They continued their descent into the cave, the light from it's mouth gradually decreasing the deeper in they went “I wasn't going to deny it,” Týrr reassured her briskly, and then let out a soft albeit heavy sigh as he contemplated for a few moments, ears splaying to either side of his head. “I care about Tuwawi, a lot; and more than in a platonic way,” Of course it was extremely likely that Nochtli had picked up on such a thing but he felt better getting it off his chest, regardless. “She is beautiful, passionate and strong,” He had admired her greatly before his admiration took a different path to form his initial crush; and her return had brought the crush to light once more but also made him realize a harder, perhaps more frightening truth: that his crush had moved into the next stage. Dangerous, especially not knowing if his feelings would be reciprocated. “I don't know if she's even looking for another mate, or if she could ever return my feelings. I just... don't know.” He admitted heavily. He wasn't good at these kinds of things because he had little experience in the area. He felt like a fumbling fool and worse yet like a pup with a boyhood crush that could be crushed at any given moment. He was ...scared and he didn't know what to do with it.

“Only wisps of things and brief flashes like deja vu. Names, like Tartok, and Siku ...at least I think they're names. I seem to have more subconscious knowledge without knowing how I know it than anything. I feel like I was split when Manauia revealed the truth and Ragnar's widow confirmed it and that I am re-merging together with the more things I remember.” Slow as the process was. He didn't know how to explain it, and hoped she could somewhat understand what he was trying to communicate.

He had few he trusted, and Nocta just had few. No reason, other than she didn't quite fit in back in the Ridge. That comment, and his ideas of the Rise's recent power changes went uncommented, if only because she didn't know. She'd been gone as long as he had and had no knowledge of it. Of any of it. 

Ears twitched. Water. She heard water under the tune of his words, which were still important. She just wanted to find the source of the sound. Tez went on to explain what she'd guessed. He had a thing for Two-Face and had some doubts floating around his head about it all. Nochtli told him what she would have told anyone else. "Just tell her. Don't beat around the bush. It's better to get it out there and know her response, rather than just let your mind come up with scenarios that may not even happen." 

She let him go on again though, nodding at his answer to her question. It made sense that he was not only remembering parts of his past, but that the Tezcacoatl she knew was also becoming one with the wolf of now. In that moment, she broke from him and surged ahead, only to have her paws splash into cool, crystalline water. "Beautiful," She whispered, delighted that she'd found her target. Her tail wagged, eyes glancing back at hi, "Care for a swim?"

Nochtli's response was blunt and it made sense but it was not what Tezcacoatl would have considered comforting either. His experience in this area was extremely limited, and he as looking for some kind of advice that likely Nochtli couldn't provide him with, likely none of the Amazon's could, not even his own mother. They didn't have to worry about rejection because they didn't grow attached (Tezca thinks but has no idea his mother grew attached to her partner, ha) and if they were spurned then it couldn't hurt. It could aggravate, certainly, maybe even cause punishment but at the end of the day they wouldn't nurse a broken heart.  Perhaps their way was better ...but it was not something he had to consider as an option, yet. If he didn't tell Tuwawi then he and she would never know. “I was afraid to tell her before and when she left I thought I had lost any chance I'd had, if I had any chance at all; and the whole situation with her mate, previous mate now I guess, was confusing. I hadn't wanted to make a move on her if she still cared for him or hoped for his return,” But now? He didn't harbor those fears; only of being humiliated (which was a perfectly fine thing to be worried about).

“I'm not afraid of those things anymore, only my own humiliation if she doesn't or can't feel the same way,” It was easy to be open with Nochtli, though he supposed that was the Amazon's charm, well suited to being the diplomat. “and I don't want my feelings for her to get in the way of our friendship. I value her as a friend too much to lose her over that.” Words he would echo to Tuwawi days later. “How would you handle it, if you were in my situation?” He inquired, truly valuing her hypothetical advice. “Maybe you Amazons have it right, don't get attached and there is no whiplash from the rejection, only the desire to punish.” That was the Amazon coming out of him. He did not mean any specific situation just a general observation, considering it a potential option if everything went south when he approached Tuwawi about his feelings.

Nochtli pushed ahead of him, stopping when she splashed into a crystalline pool. As he joined her, his own steps slowed as he took in the sight, and made a soft noise of agreement to Nochtli's 'beautiful'. “Why not?” He muttered coyly to her before he surged into the pool, stopping on the incline when his shoulders were partially submerged.

Welp. That was unexpected! Thanks for the thread!

He rambled and she let him. Sometimes, you just needed to talk things out on your own instead of someone else giving you their opinions. She'd given her own opinion and now he was thinking it out. Good for him. If he was going to lead, then he needed to think rationally, and it sounded like he was doing that. Now, he needed to make sure that rationality translated from his love life to pack life.

She hid her frown, her offense at the comment he made. A mark in her book that proved he was unfit to rule more than his gender, which held no bearing for her. His automatic assumption that they were all the same, that they thought the same and felt the same, showed that he never be a true King. Every wolf was different and Nochtli's way was a far cry from most of her fellow Amazons. She got attached, probably more than she should, and was hurt when things happened to destroy such attachment, much like how he had simply abandoned them.

Her mood fell further. She should have stayed at the Rise. 

Without a word, the girl moved as he rushed into the water, slipping below the surface to silently swim away in the dark, finding her way to a quiet tunnel that would, hopefully, eventually lead her out into fresh air again. If not, she would find her way back all the same. 

Nochtli exits.

Tezca just can't seem to get it right, lol. I'll archive this for us! Also, I'd love another one, though he'll likely try to figure out why she gets so upset at him and never tells him why, LOL. xP

Without another word the dark amazon slid into the water and left, her posture giving Tezcacoatl the very distinct feeling of “cold shoulder”. The serpent king did not deign to follow her, her body language making it blindingly clear that she had nothing further to say to him. Tezcacoatl's brow furrowed in confusion as he watched her depart deeper into the cave until she swam out of his line of sight. Pursuing her would have been easy, and demanding she tell him what he'd said wrong would have been his right as her King — but she had a choice in whether she answered or not. He couldn't be sure he'd said something that had offended her but there wasn't anything else that it could have been, except playing through his words in his head he couldn't figure out what had caused the abrupt change in the woman's mood. He hadn't said anything that hadn't been true, or so he thought. Baffled and aggravated at the way she kept doing this to him: getting angry at him without giving him any sort of explanation why (or so he assumed), Tezcacoatl's own mood turned stormy and he swam back to the edge of the pool and hoisted himself out of it, giving his coat a vigorous shake, blood boiling with his anger at her. One day, however, she would have to tell him, Tezcacoatl thought. After all, he wasn't a mind reader. He knew only what he remembered (as vague and few and far in between as it was). With heavy steps he stalked his way back out, leaving her there, though he had far from let this instance drop.