Phantom Hollow Identified my devil

Looking for @Damien

The beast was not particularly comfortable with the way things had played out. Their attempt to take the woods was thwarted, and Nyx had been forced to give birth to her children in an unknown forest. All of it set Midar on edge, and he felt like he needed to be everywhere at once, which was pretty impossible. But he had promised his dark leader that nothing would happen to Nyx or their puppies, and it was not a promise he took lightly. It was rare that he gave his loyalty to anyone, so now that Damien owned it, the beast would do just about anything he asked. 

He walked the borders of the territory, marking trees, bushes, and rocks so that anyone accidentally wandering through would know that his pack was here, at least for now, and would heed the warning. If not, then Midar would gladly teach them a lesson. He was looking for a reason to dole out his brand of justice anyway; it was one of the few things that calmed his nerves when he was feeling so restless and anxious.

While Damien too was in distress for the situation in which he had been forced to put his family in, laying low for a few weeks did not seem like a bad idea. It took him a whole four nights to make sure that the den at which his family rested was secure, and only then did he move on to join the claiming efforts with te rest of his troop. He followed Midar's strong scent to the edges of the little forest, senses on edge as he made first recognition of places he had never paid much attention to. This dead forest was not suitable for his children to grow up in, and if they would make an effort to secure it it would only be a temporary station to serve as refuge for as long as it took his children to learn how to walk.

Damien joined Midar in silence, brushing against him with a friendly waving of his tail in greeting. And even just from standing next to his young second Damien could tell they shared their worries. I don't like this, he admitted as he raised a leg to mark a nearby tree, looking over his shoulder as though something was about to jump on him. He only trusted Midar enough to share such personal information, for it was fear that he was really communicating.

He was soon joined by the object of his current anxious thoughts, and he turned to offer him a nod in greeting as he brushed up beside the beast. Damien's words mimicked how Midar how been feeling about things. Neither do I, he replied first, rolling his shoulders a little to release some of the tension that had settled there since leaving the weald. What is the plan once your children are old enough to be moved? The beast asked, eager to have some kind of plan instead of constantly worrying about what would come next. He brushed his thick raven coat along a tree as he spoke. He didn't like being so close to the blackfeather wolves; he felt like they could come waltzing in at any moment to cause problems. He had no doubt that they would be swiftly dealt with should that actually happen, but being constantly tensed for a fight was starting to wear on his nerves quite a bit--not that he would ever complain about it, most especially not to his leader who only needed to know that he would do whatever was required of him.

It was almost relaxing knowing that Midar wasn't stupid enough to feel comfortable in their situation. Thankfully he had kept his calm and fulfilled his duties with precision and without questions. Damien truly needed someone like that in his life now and Midar had been sent like a gift from oblivion to take the vacant.

Midar asked what the plan was once the pups were old enough to move, but the answer was rather obvious. To move, of course, said Damien sharply, perhaps unintentionally sassy. The real question is what the plan is to be prepared for when that time comes. said Damien thoughtfully. We can't keep wandering aimlessly. We need to know where we're going and have a fixed target. and hopefully they would settle down in a place near Blackfeather Woods so they could continue to press their claim and strong enough so that they could hold it against whatever monsters his niece might bring down on them. The plan was probably really straightforward this time. We need to send scouts to find us a new home.

Obviously he knew they were meant to move, but he wanted to be more prepared this time--have a set plan and more time to make said plan than what they had when they moved from the weald. It seemed Damien felt the same way, bringing up the need to know more about where they were going and as well as the need to send out scouts to search for nearby territories that were worthy of being their new home. Midar nodded his agreement. But who is trusted enough to carry out such a task? the beast asked. It wasn't like they could just settle anywhere, and with Blackfeather so close, they needed to send out wolves they trusted not to turn on them while they were out there gathering information so close to their enemies. He would do it himself, but he detested the idea of leaving the hollow while the pups were so young and everything was still so tentative; he needed to be here to make sure they were protected. Again, he wished he could be multiple places at once, and it caused a ball of frustration and anxiety to form in his stomach.

They had to work with as little as they had, for it seemed Damien's last big decision had caused his pack's morale to falter. He would not allow their family to break again, and so he had to find a way to both protect his family and find their new home without leaving them behind.

But that was precisely their biggest problem. The few wolves Damien could trust were the very ones he needed guarding his family. He couldn't compromise their safety to make yet another shot in the dark and risk losing everything he'd worked so hard to build. We don't really have many options, said Damien thoughtfully, for the few capable adults he had were already occupied. Suddenly he thought of something he hadn't even considered before, mostly for very obvious reasons. Do you think Megara could make it? he wondered out loud. She wasn't precisely youthful and energetic like some of her descendants, but she was quite a decent diplomat and she had a history of journeying that Damien knew of.

He agreed, their options of wolves trusted enough to carry out this task were slim, but when Damien suggested his grandmother, Midar considered it for a few seconds before answering. He was inclined to agree; she was his family, and so he felt like she had the least motivation to betray them. But some of the Blackfeather wolves were kin as well, and that hadn't stopped them from denying them what was rightfully theirs. Still, he had no reason not to trust her yet, and he thought she was probably one of their best options. So, he gave a stiff nod of agreement. I think Megara is a good choice, he answered. His mind moved through each of their other packmates, searching for someone else to suggest but found himself struggling to find anyone else capable enough. He wouldn't send his own mate out there; it was too dangerous, and he hadn't really been himself lately. Midar didn't trust that Alarian wouldn't do something stupid and get himself hurt or killed. And the man that claimed to be his father was not really an option either; he was unpredictable and volatile, not to mention he didn't really do the speaking thing very well. Sending him out to scout for a new home would probably land them in a war with someone else. So then who? Was his grandmother the only viable option? If anything, this situation had opened his eyes to the reality that they needed more bodies in their pack. Their numbers put them at somewhat of disadvantage, and he just couldn't have that. 

I am having trouble coming up with any other pack members that would be capable of this task, he finally added. I would suggest Aries, but it seems he has given you reason lately not to trust him, Midar finished. The male had certainly been around long enough to have earned their trust, but the situation at the borders of the Weald had made the beast wary of completely trusting him, which meant he wasn't all that excited about sending him out to perform such a delicate task.

Damien nodded, seeing no other viable choice than Megara to perform such a task and resigned to appointing it to her as soon as they crossed paths again. He trusted the woman enough, and saw no reason for her to fail other than the obvious set back of her age.

Damien didn't need to be reminded of the dreadful fact that there was probably no one else who could perform the task, but Midar spoke his mind regardless, and even pointed out the fact that some of his most loyal followers were in fact in probation. Things could really not be going any worse (they totally could tho) and if Damien didn't take action fast he would be facing his legacy's doom. He was hoping he could rely on his children to make up the foundation of his new empire, but kids didn't quite grow at the rate he required them to be able to fulfill said expectations. Right now, to fill the void he hadn't foreseen would be looming over them he needed to recruit new followers. It wouldn't be too bad anyway, for there existed a chance that he could convert them to his ways.

Perhaps new blood is what we need, suggested the sovereign, just thinking out loud. I don't know if it's safe to recruit while in our position, but we need more bodies to cover these bases, he explained further, confident that his most trusted adviser would understand his preoccupations.

It seemed he and Damien were on the same page yet again. He loathed the idea of letting strangers inside their fold right now when things were so tense and uncertain, but his leader was right, they needed more help; they couldn't do everything, and if they ever hoped to reclaim the woods, then they would need to start building an army. 

I can start scouting the surrounding territories for anyone that might prove valuable, the beast offered with a stiff nod. He was not really good at the whole ambassador thing, but he could scout out potential members without scaring them too much. That is, if his leader wished him to do so.

And as expected Midar agreed with Damien's worries. It was only obvious that Damien would want to strengthen his forces with so much at stake, but the dilemma of needing new people, who he might not really trust to get too close to hus family was a worrisome thought.

But there was no choice.

Yes, but don't stray too far. I need you here. and no one else's presence could give him the tranquility that Midar had given him since his arrival. There was no way he could ever repay the gods for putting such a trustworthy servant in his life, but an honest thanks, brother seemed like a good place to start.

I won't, he promised. He would make brief trips close to the hollow, returning frequently to offer peace of mind to his king. With any luck, he would find someone worthwhile to bring back and integrate into their fold. 

A brief shake of his head was his initial response to Damien's gratitude. Of course, he added. Aside from the fact that it was his job to serve the other man in whatever way he required, he felt he owed Damien a great debt; he could never fully repay him for everything he had given the beast. If he had not found him that day in the mountains, who knew where Midar would be now. Let me know if I can do anything else, he offered. 

He would continue to patrol with his leader until he had to return to his family, and then the beast would set out on his first mission to find new blood.

There wasn't much else they could do but keep their spirits high. Recruiting would only do so much good if they found the right people, people they could trust and that believed in their way of life. Darkness wasn't an easy path for every wolf, nor was it the most common, so the wolves they needed to find weren't easy to come by.

I will he said gratefully to Midar's offer. Only seeing him in charge of the recruitment efforts would ease the night king's mind, for there was no one else he trusted like he did his right hand. So with their tasks and priorities clear Damien dismissed the dark beast he called his brother -knowing he would deliver like he always did- and found his own path back to Nyx and his little shadows.