Shadewood Here we go again

@Cry maybe for Pup permission and meet and greet. For note she is officially Pro-Estrus which means she's experiencing all the signs but she is NOT fertile. Her official heat will start in a few days

How? She hadn't known it to be possible. Her heat before must not have been fully entered, because she woke up and the whole world screamed at her to breed...but something was off. Her scent wasn't quite right yet, it was definitely pungeant thought. She pushed herself up with purpose, wanting to find herbs or something else smelly to roll in. She also wanted to find her new leader. She hoped he was someone like Kavik, someone she would find easy to respect.

Cry was tendin to the egg, placing the multitude of rabbit furs he had gathered from Gwen's dutiful hunting. While he had kept it in @Kukutux 's dwelling, he still hadn't worked up the capability to speak to the platinum blonde over the looming issue, and soon the mess would fluster to a boil. A man to keep his calm, the ebony Guardian kept diligent to ensuring the egg was kept warm. Soon, he expected to bring it from Kukutux's den eventually, but he had trusted her with it, and would continue to do so until the gritty sand grew too close to the wound. 

Yet he came from the tidy and snug den, and found a scent waft through the thick girths of the sleeping giant jungle trees. It was extreme, a misadventure that many grown men knew to either follow or stay far from. It led to either richness, or horror, should it be abidded by, tasted, and relieved. And Cry knew almost instinctively it was not belonging to Gwen. So he followed, but not with intent to relieve to afflicted woman of her perfume, but to instead see who it would be.

She hurried in her goal finally managing to find a patch of fragrant frozen herbs. She dropped and rolled in them, growling about the inconveniences of being in season and finally heard his approach. She paused mid wriggle and stared at him, doing a surprisingly good job at looking fierce for someone who had all four legs in the air while on her back. She stared at the man taking a few seconds to realise who he was. Immediately she rose to her paws, body postured with her tail tucked and ears held back defensively, warily. "I know how leadership works. You get breeding rights. But you can't have me" she said misreading why he had been following her silently. "I'm taken. I'm Issun's mate. My womb is his" she said fiercely eyeing him like he was going to attack her but she was really to go for the throat.

Cry had come upon both the noise and the image of the newer female, Minori, as he had learned from Issun her name. A dark swath of fierceness who’s one eye was held to attention, circled in a single patch of ivory. It was clear she wasn’t trying to get kicked out so soon, as she tried to maintain submission while preventing herself from being taken advantage of. Cry was once a member of The Nightmares- despite its success in its violence and incarnal chaotic carnage, treachery was prevalent within its walls as well. 
And rape was one of the nicer treacheries, compared to the rest that could come to you with either your back turned or you sleeping. And Void forbid you had family, a mate or spawn. 

His glacials were unmoved as he came across her, appreciation of her submission though her need to stand up for herself, her innate instinct to force ferocity into her person just to avoid being claimed- it hurt. It made him feel pity for her, pity for her gender, as this was a hard time fore them, as women.

Usual apathy melded into something less cold, a tinge of meltwater softening his icy eyes just a bit. 

“Usually, yes. Alphas get breeding rights, sure. But I am no Alpha, and you all are not mere subordinates to me, nor my Wife.” Minori night find it odd now to be so abrasive with him mentioning he has a mate, but in many circumstances, that never stopped a man from hoeing. “You all are Family, wolves that have lost enough as it is. We all have. And the last thing me, nor anyone else here plans to do, is claim your rights as privileged.” Raziel didn’t like talking a lot, but his wife was busy filling the caches and taking care of keeping them fed- he had duties as well, and that meant educating the new members of their legacy. “Me and Gwen primarily have baby-making to ourselves; but we also allow you all to begin your own Families, as well.” How else would the underdogs move on, and strike out on their own? How else would the pack keep incest free from their line? How else could their pups grow up and meet different types of wolves before making it out on their own in the world? Everyone deserved a chance at happiness. “So do not feel the need to defend yourself from anyone, here. And if you do feel that you are in danger from anyone here, you tell me, and I will see to it.”

At the mention that he had a wife the ferocity dropped from her gaze and instead was replaced with confusion. Why had he been stalking her then? The poor girl still had not grown used to the notion that someone might simply want to check in on her, not ask her for something or try to take advantage of her. She was so used to constantly keeping her armored appearance as the General Samurai of her home pack up at all times that when folks were just trying to be nice it was difficult to just trust and drop it. However as soon as Cry mentioned that they allowed everyone to start their families it was like a switch flipped and her eyes widened, a bright smile appearing on her maw as her excitement brought out the hidden princess, the girl with dreams and a love for romance. "So...Me and Issun? We can have children? I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to...we wanted to when Kamiki was formed but it never happened" she asked the question hesitantly, fearing he would say she had misunderstood and she would be denied. "My children won't be a bother to anyone and defintely won't take from your own, I can swear to that. I have been trained in the combat arts since I could run and will devote my skills to keeping everyone's family safe here." She hoped that he would find her skills useful and lean toward approving her, If he did she wouldn't hesitate to rush to Issun wherever he may be. The babies would be their chance to have a little glimmer of happiness in the sad, dark time that was the failure of Kamiki again. It hadn't occurred to her that she hadn't apologised to the man, so excited was she for the chance to start her own bloodline.

"So...Me and Issun? We can have children? I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to...we wanted to when Kamiki was formed but it never happened..." Cry felt sadness yet again spear him. This was what the plague was in Teekon...these wolves had been accustomed to such a sad mentality as everyone else had. 
They simply never asked. 

"Minori," he began, a sigh threatening to overwhelm him as he felt nothing but condolence for her and her family, nothing but the desire to rehabilitate these few into learning that there was nothing wrong with simply asking questions. "There is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with asking me, nor Gwen anything in these woods. Even should you feel uncomfortable with such, there a multitude of other Keepers here who will gladly ask me for you, or even answer your questions, personally, as they too have seeked out answers. Never feel shame in these woods. We hide things from those outside these woods, not the ones within." Cry felt if he had cured himself of his intimate enclosure of secrets, he could cure the rest of his Family of the same. There was no need to withold such an important thing, something so major such as raising a family of your own. "I'd rather be asked than to find out on my own that it happened without my knowing." It was a short sentence compared to the rest of what he had issued unto her- but it told alot. Though he was growing more compassionate for his growing Family, he would not be fond of something as dire as more mouths to feed being hidden from him. It was something that put the entirity of the family in jeopardy, and he simply would not tolerate such danger. 

Wintery irises settled over the relaxed and beaming woman, her happiness much more important to him, much more genuine and sincere than any 'sorry' could amount to. Damn, he was growing soft. "I can see; I may not be around very much, but I notice well enough the capabilities of everyone in the Keep. The way you act, your mannerisms, your posture and attitude; all of it is very telling to me exactly how capable you are as a fighter, as a warrior. That is the specialty of a honed Assassin." A twinkle in his knowing glacials confirmed he was in fact telling the truth. He was a professional Assassin, and only just recently had he hung up such an ominous title. He may have been aging, but what was that supposed to mean to a man who got excercise every day and trained regardless? "I have plans for you, Minori. And they involve you being closer involved with the Keep than you might expect, so soon."

She could hear the genuinity in hi voice and read it in his expression and while she remained relaxed and the smile stayed though lessened a bit, she felt like he was trying to pry open the doors to a part of her only Issun had truly reached and it was much too personal much too fast. Now, she did appreciate his kindness it made her feel all the more willing to readily follow his lead and while something sharp flickered inside of her gaze her expression remained pleasant. "I will keep that in mind however..I am not going to so willingly open up to wolves I don't know. Don't be offended, I simply mean that like everyone else I have been through much and I won't pour my life story out" she said this as gently as possible.

And then he stoked the fire that was her ego and brought it to a blaze, her posture turning into one of confidence her chin rising and ears perking as her eyes gleamed with pride. She was more than pleased to know that he had noticed how she carried herself like a skilled warrior, how he believed in her skills. An interested light came into her gaze when the man said that he had plans for her. It brought to life the general, her thirst to serve and help conquer whatever goals her leaders had for her came back. "I am honored that you hold me that highly already Cry. I am sure that we will be happy here and I will do my best at whatever is needed of me." she bowed her head to her, a sign that he had won her over and she was now his general, to command as he pleased.

"We don't epect you to, Minori. We only expect you to keep the Family as your first priority, and uphold it." Cry didn't expect anyone to simply throw their life at whoever would listen- they all have secrets that weren't meant to be shared. As long as Minori was open minded, and accepted everyone here as Family, Cry could care less whether she told her past or not. Hell, he had only just recently started opening up to others. That took years. 

A nod confirmed his take of what oath she had given him. He would see what she was made of. There was much to be done regardless of whether she abided to it or not. Oaths had been broken by plenty- her actions would prove her. 
"I will see you around, Minori." He would have to talk to Gwen about this decision of his, allowing Minori and Issun to have their oppertunity at making a family of their own. Turning to leave her to her perfuming, Cry began to make his way back to his Wife somewhere deep in the hibernating jungle of their home.

All done here~

As he laid out his expectations she felt herself relax. Perhaps she wouldn't grow as attached to everyone as she had in the Plateau but she would look after everyone here alongside Cry and Gwen as if they were a trio of parents and the rest of Shadewood were their children or wards. She knew growing close would be a bad thing and she wished she didn't have to keep it from the man, that Issun, Takara and her would one day leave to start Kamiki again or so was the current plan. One day they would do the same thing to Shadewood as they had done to Kavik and Liri, to Ruenna and to the members of Blacktail Deer Plateau....to Corvus. The sudden thought of the man brought an aching, but not to her loins, to her heart. She had hurt him like Higoro had hurt her. She lost herself in her thoughts, zoning out and not responding but looking clearly troubled for a few moments. 

It was only when he said he would see her around that she came back to attention, nodding silently and watching as he turned and walked off, leaving her to her sudden feelings of guilt and sadness.