Bramblepoint The Last Adventure

Probably the last thread farther away from Moonlit Hills for Malice. I was hoping someone from Redhawk Caldera, but AW :)

Signs that she was pregnant had yet to come, but she felt like she was chosen to carry children. She hoped she was pregnant. Not only because she truly adored the older male, but because she now had the change to proof she was capable of something grander than killing and lying. Creating life may seem like a normal thing, but it was simply magical for the woman with the scarred eye.

Today she awoke with a plan. She would explore for the last time, now that she still could. Sitting in Phantom Hollow and waiting for signs wasn't very time consuming, but meeting others was. And so, as soon as the sun painted the earth in golden, she left, knowing that Sage could handle things very well for one single day. It wasn't like she was going to the mountains or beyond, she was just going south again. Maybe check out that weird smell that didn't belong to Sebastian's pack.

She followed the river south and reached the borders of the thorny woods. She had passed through here before, and she well remembered the path she took last time. Some of the thorn bushes had been altered by her big body, and it made for an almost-safe path. A few of the blueberries that grew here had been trampled, and it left this weird purple like stain. Malice quite liked it and thought she could maybe do something like the Dark Brotherhood. But that'd be idea stealing, so perhaps she would just keep this discovery to herself for later use.

Have another bitchy snarky woman from the DB! :D

Her quest to restock the Dark Brotherhood's herb stores brought her to this thorn filled forest close to their closest rivals: Redhawk Caldera. Potema hadn't been here by herself before — before, it was always with her mother when she was still alive — but the lonelieness of her trip did not deter her from stepping into the thicket of brambles and thorns. Potema winced at the burrs that began snagging into her thick fur, but she wanted to — needed to return with something for her efforts. She knew this place to be filled with berries and fruits of all sorts and with spring here it would be a good time to even collect the flowers of said fruit trees before their fruits began to blossom through the summer.

The white witch sniffed each bush she passed, not looking for any plant specifically, but hoping to find a rarity before returning to collect the more common plants. Berries were already beginning to sprout on some of the bushes. Potema nipped a blueberry off a branch, chewing to determine its ripeness. Almost there. A few days, maybe even a week from being ripe? She mused to herself quietly as she chewed, her ear cocked towards the sound of shuffling nearby. As she swallowed, the white witch turned towards the dark female in the blueberry thicket, the eyebrow above the still remaining eye raising as she watched her progress through the thicket.

XD Yaay

These woods were far more lively than Phantom Hollow. Everything lived here and the faint smell of fire she was used to was gone. She breathed in loudly, sighing in relief. A beautiful day, she would answer a question about the weather. Spring was the best season, that was for sure. Almost all signs of the mild winter were gone, almost like all her negativity. Almost.

The daughter of Lucifer made her way, yelping here and there from the thorns pricking her legs and sides. It was annoying, almost as annoying as Nemesis. She chuckled lightly to herself, pleased with the jokes she made in her head. She had no one to share them with, of course, but it helped to brighten her mood every day. Not everything could be shared and that was perfectly fine. Some things were meant to stay hidden. Like a great powerful weapon should be locked away. Not that her jokes were even remotely close to being powerful though.

Malice stopped in her tracks. shuffling and walking sounds were the cause. Through the sweet smell of just not ripe berries the strong, sickening scent of Blackfeather Woods made it's way to her. She knew it all too well, having been stained by the scent herself when she had her little "meeting" with Burke. She hoped the scent was gone now, and dearly hoped it wasn't Nemesis who had found her so far from home.

She turned, only to blinded by a white pelt. Nope, not Nemesis. She sighed, actually first thinking it was Cicero. But no, there were no black marking in this wolf's fur and the bi-colored eyes were also missing. Though, there was something with this wolf's eyes, that was for sure. And, to top it off, the scent was definitely female. Thoughts about her own scarred eye roamed her head for a moment, but she soon came to her senses.

Hello there. She greeted, awfully friendly in comparison to her normal, cold tone.

Potema watched as the woman finally caught sight of her. She noted with interest the fresh wound over her eye and the lingering traces of heat wafting towards her. It was not strong enough to lead males to her yet faint enough to tell the white witch that it had passed. The witch wondered when her heat would come — she was over a year old at this point — but secretly hoped it wouldn't come soon. She didn't need the attention of every male on her.

The dark female greeted her and Potema, after a brief pause did the same. Hey. She wasn't much of a conversationalist, for her talents were of herbs and magic rather than spinning words. She could leave that for Cicero. She wasn't sure what to say next as she didn't know this woman at all. After a brief moment of consideration she spoke again. Are you from around here?

It took a little while for the white woman to respond, but Malice didn't really care. Perhaps the other was shy, or just not fond of having conversations with strangers. What it was, didn't matter for now. The daughter of Lucifer was glad to detect no aggression, something she had come to expect of members of the Dark Brotherhood. Maybe it was wrong to stereotype them.

Sort of. She answered, not sure how to answer it. She wasn't really far from home, but to call it a jiffy away wasn't right. I'm from Phantom Hollow. She said, not sure if the pale woman knew where that was. Their homes were only separated by a lake, and yet not many from the Dark Brotherhood came to visit. It wasn't really a problem, nor was it very interesting. They were neighbors, why not act like it?

You're from Blackfeather Woods, right? She asked, following Sebastian's advice. He had said Burke wasn't overly fond of people calling it the Dark Brotherhood. Secretly, she actually knew a lot about the old, charming male. But he was pretty much the only one she knew pretty good from Blackfeather Woods. Sure, she knew Nemesis and Cicero, but to call them close friends... Not really. She knew Cicero a little better though, and he seemed pretty nice. Was he already fixed up? Would this female know?

Potema hadn't heard of their neighbors of the Phantom Hollow, though she had been to the location many a time. She was disappointed to hear that the hollow had been claimed by another pack, but what could she do about it? other than poisoning them or planting intrigue to run them out of course but she didn't have the energy for that Potema opened her mouth to respond with her place of origin, but found that the dark woman already knew. Yes, I am. She said, wondering what she knew of her neighbors. What's it to you?

Ha-ha! Another thing she was right about. Not that it had been hard to guess, but still. It was an achievement of some sort. The scent was a dead giveaway, circling around the white woman like vultures. But who could've known if this wasn't one recently banished from the dark woods? An outcast, just like Malice? 

The next question was hard to answer. She couldn't answer with: A threat, for that might seem weak. And she was anything but that. She might have been scared of Burke and slightly annoyed with Nemesis, but she didn't fear them anymore. They were neighbors, a part of her life that she had to accept. She knew claiming the silent hollow would make some enemies obstacles appear, but they weren't even that anymore. They were like the tasteless soup you would get before a great meal. A neighboring pack, nothing more, nothing less. She said, a slight shrug accompanying her words.

But now, she left herself become curious about Cicero. He had looked like a wreck the last time she had seen the boy, and she was genuinely concerned about him. Had he fixed himself like he had said? Had he died from an infection? Would this female even know? Tell me, how's Cicero doing? Last time I'd seen him, he didn't look his best. She asked, a concerned look on her scarred face.

Her eyebrow rose inquisitively. "Nothing more, nothing less?" Something about that suggested that they were more than just neighbors. This was her first encounter with a Moonlit Hills wolf, though it would be far from her last. She didn't know the intimate nature between Malice and Burke and their packs, but if she had, she would reluctantly approve. Religion and all that. But she didn't like the intimacy with which she spoke of Cicero. Potema knew that her brother had a love of travel that far exceeded her own, but she never knew he could get familiar with anyone but her family. She scowled slightly, then wondered what the woman would think if she revealed her familial ties with the scout.

Cicero? She began, watching the woman's face. Cicero...my brother was fine the last time I saw him. And he was, though his scars were worryingly raw, they were healing. You seem to know him well, what's going on with him? She wondered if they were more than friends...was such a thing possible with Cicero?

Perhaps, when the pups were born, Malice would see the Dark Brotherhood more as family. Maybe, she would even abandon the quiet hollow to be there. But then she would have to put up with Nemesis. She chuffed softly, debating something in her head. Was she really thinking of abandoning her followers? No, no, she would never, not even for the life of her children. Well, that sounded horrible too. Of course she wished them the most normal of lives, being at peace with themselves, but with this situation it almost sounded impossible. She almost forgot she was actually talking to the white ghost.

So she did know him, was even related to him. Hmm, weird. She was so much more calm, so... Less weird than him. Well, that's good to hear then. She sighed, happy he wasn't dead or anything. Oh, oh no, I don't know him all that well. We've talked a few times, and he seemed quite nice. She informed happily, remembering the old days.

Potema noticed the dark female's eyes grow distant with thought, and she grumbled with annoyance. Why are you ignoring me?! NOTICE ME!! She wanted to snap, but kept it to herself. Didn't want to seem like a desperate drama queen after all (which she totally was). Instead the woman broke out of it herself, speaking of her brother again. I see. She said. She hadn't seen Cicero that often since her return, hell she hasn't seen anyone since her return. So how long has your pack been around? And before you ask — I haven't been in Blackfeather Woods for more than three moons.

Potema: "Notice me senpaaaiii!" XD

Malice looked around a bit, actually feeling slightly relaxed around this female. She didn't know why, but anything was better than being around Judas or Nemesis for a long while. She looked at the white ghost again as she spoke though, letting her eyes rest on the blood-like stain near her eye. She wondered what had happened to her, though was afraid it might be a little too personal to ask.

A bit longer than 2 moons now, if my math is correct. She answered truthfully. A lot had happened in those 2 moons, that was for fucking sure. Pleasant thing and less pleasant things. But then she remembered that she didn't even know this female's name yet. Oh, how rude of Malice. I am Malice Lanius, by the way. How may I call you? She asked.

Potema noticed a shift in the dark woman's perspective, and felt a displeased shudder roll down her spine. She was looking at her eye, wasn't she? It seemed to be a place of choice for most people who meet her for the first time. She wasn't surprised, especially with the red dye adorning it, practically screaming for people to notice her wound. But it still riled her up nonetheless. Potema snorted, her annoyance made clear, returning to the topic at hand. Potema Melonii. She didn't give her middle name, considering it too sacred to throw around, especially to strangers (despite their semi-familiarity).

That is amazingly cute XD

Her ears perked up at the other's snort, not knowing where the sudden change of attitude came from. Her tail thumped against the ground a few times, as a sort of apology or something. Or maybe nervousness. Her eyes darted to the other's body, having had enough of staring at the red stain -as cool as it looked-.

Potema. Just as weird a name as Cicero was. Really awesome sounding, yet out of the ordinary somehow. It was way less specific as something as "Malice". But, alas, it seemed there weren't any more topics in the pregnant woman's head. Perhaps it was time to go. Well, Potema, it was lovely meeting you. She said, not wanting to waste any more of her time -or the other's- with mindless babbling. I wish you all the luck in finding whatever you were seeking here. She added. She wasn't lying though, for why would she? 

Potema was relieved that the wolf gave her an apology, nonverbal as it was, in response to her snort. Serves her right for being so damnedly rude. But, she could never blame those wolves for what they do. It was hard to miss her wound, especially with the track of red leading from her chin to the bottom of her eye. Potema relished this small moment of superiority, then bid the woman farewell. Safe travels then, Malice Lanius. She said, quickly slipping off into the brambles in search of more herbs.