Dragoncrest Cliffs she says that i am changing, i am more than she bargained for

the wound on her shoulder is mostly healed, leaving a knot of nearly translucent flesh piled along the jagged line ingram's teeth left. her first scar, and not even from a fight she'd won (unlike artaax, she does not count shitty teen brawls with no clear winner as victories). 

still, it'd been sort of invigorating. (and, man, furi'd looked so good too -- beside the point.) and it's gotten her thinking, along with the everything else that's happened recently -- the war, their new threatening neighbors, arrille's betrayal, her relationship with furi. there's a determined slant to blixen's mouth when she sets out after her morning patrol, calling for an audience with @Thuringwethil. it's time for a talk with nomi.

Thuringwethil finds Drageda buzzing a little more than usual but she wonders if she’s gotten used to the overwhelming gloom they had once been in in the shadowing of the war and Wildfire being gone for so long. Everything, for once, has fallen into place. They are still short a few wolves but she isn’t sure if they’d left in their absence because of the war or if something is particularly wrong.

When her daughter calls for her, ears cup forward and she moves in that direction with an even paced trot until she locates the origin of the call.

as nomi arrives she steps forward to greet her, nudging her with her nose affectionately and noticing, not for the first time, how much she's grown lately. nomi still dwarfs the redhead, who took after her slight mother, but she doesn't feel like a tiny child peering up at an adult anymore. 

"hei," blix says, clearing her throat. she takes a deep breath, fixes nomi with a stubborn look, that determined slant returning, and says, "nomi, i've been thinking about it, and -- i want to be your cheka." ambition has never been one of the girl's characteristics -- she doesn't want to unseat dio or take on a higher rank for the sake of power. from the moment she decided she would pursue this path it has been for one reason only: protecting her family and her pack. serving as nomi's guard would be her way of doing both at once.

Thuringwethil has known of Blixen’s ambition for a while but she realizes she doesn’t know the extent of how far she wants to go. The fiery girl is her daughter and Thuringwethil is her protector. When did it turn around and become the opposite? Blixen is slight, taking after her mother, but she knows better than to challenge a capable woman no matter her size. Gyda and Eske both prove to wield power comparable to her own, speaking from having been bested by both of them at least once.

”Why do you want it?” she asks but only gives a few seconds before she moves on to consider, ”what makes you capable?”

she holds her breath, waiting for the questions, and when they come, she's prepared. the words burst out of her in a flood as if she's been rehearsing (which she has).

"all my life i've been working to keep us safe -- i trained with you because i wanted to make sure what happened to mother didn't happen again. i went to war to protect mother and -- i kept the redhawk kids safe. you know i'm dedicated to protecting our borders --" even if artaax was the one who got that kill, whatever " -- i held my own against those wolves from the sound, too." blix knows she's young but she also knows deep down to her bones she's more than capable of serving nomi. after all, she's already seen war and fights and traveled across the teekons twice, and she's got a dash of exuberant youthful arrogance to buoy her the rest of the way. "being cheka is a way to -- do both at once. protect drageda and protect my family. 'cause heda is drageda. i wouldn't be serving as your daughter taking care of her mother, but as one of your best warriors serving her commander." 

abruptly she stops, swallows, and waits for nomi to deliver her verdict.

As Blixen falls into her answer, Thuringwethil studies her face. The girl’s conviction is honorable and she sees Drageda in her and she’s done nothing but pursue her interests and talents to stand before her, requesting a higher position. Blixen has almost everything she needs to be a capable cheka to her, to their home, and she nods her head slightly—you know I’m dedicated—and she shifts her weight a little as she considers the rest of what she has to say.

She is more proud of her daughter than she has words for. She is able to make decisions for herself as an adult, getting older and forming into a young woman. It is this that helps push Thuringwethil in the direction to continue their family, rather than close off everything and redirect her focus. Drageda is in one piece and more capable than ever, thanks to this girl. But something stifles her immediately handing over the title as she recollects the other day, when the three of them came home bruised and battered from an impromptu battle.

“Your answers are right,” she decides, tongue flicking against the back of her teeth as she steadies her gaze upon the girl, “but you are not ready.” Thuringwethil falls silent then, pregnant pause as she holds back the answer, waiting for the backlash that will likely prove her words true.

your answers are right, nomi says, and blixen fluffs up, pleased, ready, only for the other foot to come crashing down:

but you are not ready. 

it isn't that the gona didn't anticipate some pushback, but the way nomi deliver the words feels final in a way that suffocates any chance at turning the conversation around. not that she isn't going to try, being the brash thing she is. "i --" she starts, realises her voice is loud, stops. takes a deep breath. she has to control her temper here if she wants to prove nomi wrong. "i can prove that i'm ready," blix says, all wide eyed determination and stubbornness, "give me a chance, nomi -- heda. i won't let you down." there is a creeping suspicion she feels that nomi's mind is made up no matter how much she wheedles, but really, would she be blixen if she didn't at least try to persuade her nomi to see what she believes is right?

Blixen speaks up but catches herself, causing one brow to lift curiously. The girl backtracks a little, clawing for a chance to change her mind but Thuringwethil’s expression holds fast and she only gives her a slight shake of her head. “I know you won’t let me down. Not when you’re ready,” she says and she makes a gesture with her nose to follow over a few trees. “And you’re right, you are going to prove to me you’re ready but it will not be in one day. I will help you get you there,” she tells her and hopes it is enough not to squash the dreams of her daughter but she knows it would be irresponsible to hand her something she’s not ready for.

“Call for Eske,” she adds, gesturing with her nose to the side as she moves to a familiar clearing not too far from where they are.

although she'd expected nomi not to change her mind, it still stings a little, and she ducks her head to hide her disappointed expression. but nomi seems to have plans -- by the time she's gotten to "i will help" the redhead's bounced back (jeez, nomi, giving her an emotional rollercoaster here), still a little disappointed but eager to prove herself however is needed. maybe it won't be immediate but she can wait a little if it means proving herself properly and earning nomi's trust. 

blixen blinks. "sha," she says, unsure if this is the beginning of proving herself or if something else is going on, and lifts her head to howl for @Eske, following nomi to the clearing.

Hvit poppin’ in like—
Cameo, unless he’s acknowledged.

When the summoning howl weaseled its way through the territory, it was curiosity that lured the yearling into responding, despite it not being for him. Abandoning his place by the borders—he liked it there, especially when his pack mates were all awake and moving through the innermost reaches of the territory—Hvitserk made his way towards the source of the call. Thus, it was not his sister to arrive first, but the male himself as he entered the clearing and glanced around, eyes finding their way to pair. His gaze lingered on the red-furred girl for a moment before sliding over to the heda, at whom he dipped his head before settling back on his haunches to observe whatever was happening.

blixen's call rises into the air for her. it comes as something of a surprise to the wanlida if only because she isn't overly close to the girl. eske, however, knows that blixen and furi are close and things that her daughter second is the reason for the call until she arrives upon the small gathering and her suspicions towards the call's meaning shifts. she moves past hvitserk acknowledging him with a stink eye only — he may be kru now but that does not mean he is forgiven in her eyes. eske believes that he would abandon them in an instant if freyja were to show up at their doorstep and that belief on where hvitserk's true loyalties lie keeps her from trusting him in much of any capacity. she moves towards blixen and thuringwethil, steps ceasing when she reaches the place where the two women wait. "heda," she addresses the commander first, offering her a submissive lick beneath her chin before wanlida looks then to heda's daughter. "blixen." she greets the young gona with a small inclination of her head before she takes a few steps back to focus upon the pair content to entirely ignore hvitserk's presence.

There’s no more argument from her daughter. Instead, she agrees to the call and howls for the Wanlida. Thuringwethil doesn’t say anything as they wait, finding comfort in silence. A slight disruption causes one ear to flip, listening as it approaches and materializes in the form of Hvitserk. His nod is not acknowledged with one of her own but her dark gaze rests on him for a moment longer, then glances away until Eske shows up.

The woman greets her first and she angles her nose up slightly to allow the lick, then looks to her daughter. “Blixen wants to be Cheka,” she says, turning to Eske. “I thought she could learn from you. I’d like to watch should you guys spar.” Thuringwethil has sparred with her daughter many times but she has spent very little watching her battle someone else. And any advice coming from the woman that formerly held the title will open up a new light.

hvitserk shows up before eske, earning a curious, faintly annoyed stare from blixen. she hasn't had the chance to meet the boy properly and though she feels neutral toward him as a member of drageda, she's just slightly more inclined to be judgemental of boys. 

eske arrives after and blixen turns towards her, dismissing hvit with a shrug. "eske," the redhead greets, her excitement building as nomi explains the situation. learning from eske sounds, frankly, really fun -- she doesn't know eske very well but she is a former cheka and she's the one who brought furi home to them, so it's a good opportunity to study from her and get to know her better at the same time. 

to eske, blix bows slightly, suddenly formal. "beja ai lev op," the gona requests, schooling her features until they are serious and hopefully trustworthy enough to be accepted as a student.

you get my 300th post! italics + bolded is trigedasleng.

it’s brought to eske’s attention by heda that blixen desires to be cheka and eske’s gaze looks to the young woman who would take the rank that she once held. she is young but so too was eske when she took up the mantal of the commander’s bodyguard. heda mentions that she would like to see the pair spar and eske offers a soft nod in acceptance. she asseses the flame kissed girl once more as she asks eske to train her by blixen herself. “i will train you.” eske tells blixen. “are you ready?” she inquires in regards to the spar, the muscles in her body pulling tight as she encourages the girl to make the first move.

skippin thur w permission -- shall we do rolls for the spar please?

 eske agrees to train her -- blix nods again, grateful. not that she expected eske to rebuff her, but it is nonetheless an opportunity and one she appreciates. while it would have been ideal for nomi to accept her as cheka immediately she knows she needs to prove herself -- and that earning the position will be all the more satisfying for having done so.

 she mimics eske, falling into position as she watches the wanlida do the same. she takes a moment to ground herself, sucking in a deep breath, and then launches forward, aiming to knock eske off balance by barrelling into her side, teeth bared to try and sink into whatever flesh she can grab.

eske watches as blixen mimics her stance. in a quick movement, the girl is barreling towards her. though eske's instinct has always been to fight with unbridled aggression she has learned over the years that fighting that way would only get her killed. she tempers the instinct to retaliate and dodges blixen's seeking teeth. she moves opposite of the girl and is quick to circle around her. wanlida, for the moment, chooses to remain on the defensive, allowing blixen to attempt another attack without yet making one of her own. patience doesn't come naturally to ekse; it was a skill hard earned and she trusts in it now, getting a feel for blixen's fighting style.

by now she is used to this particular song and dance, all of her sparring partners thus far having been the type to begin defensive. is it a strategy, she wonders in the seconds before springing into action, a way of luring the enemy forward on your terms? 

her attack had failed, teeth not finding purchase where they wanted, but still eske does not strike back. the impetuous youth lets out a small huff, falling into rhythm, mirroring eske's slow circle as she tries for once to think instead of haphazardly throwing herself into the fray. it lasts about half a second (okay, maybe half a minute) before she springs forward, this time using her size to aim low, aiming to get her jaws around one of eske's front legs.

Most of her training with Blixen have been one on one. She can only see so much from one perspective and getting to sit on the sidelines and watch how she throws her weight around, retaliating against Eske, provides more insight and clarity on their future from this point.

Thuringwethil halts the spar before there’s any clear winner and nods her head, giving them a few encouraging words to continue their training, from one cheka to another, and eventually Thuringwethil leaves them to it.