The Floodlands Expense For My Passage

@Cry

Daylight had broken twice since she last left her confines for nourishment. Emotions fought and tangoed through her mind, making the desolate silence increasingly intolerable. Anger kept her lasting in the presence of misgivings. Had he done as vowed this would not be her present. He was to protect, sustain, and provide without subsidy. Yet mere days prior her gullet was filled by her own means whilst she continued to wait for his return. Why should she sit? Evidently, his companionship was no longer adequate or essential. But anger was only the leading partner of this dance. Stepping on the toes of its more skilled adversary, concern. Preventing it from taking hold of the audience that was Cordelia's conscious. Concern asked why he did not return. Why would he have left her or what was keeping him away? Perhaps their close proximity to his desired destination caused him to wonder ahead, but would he not have retrieved her following his arrival? Was an injury curbing his retrieval? Or had he truly abandoned her, having lost interest? 

Perhaps it was the prospect of having worthy a reason to scold his actions or the proposal of his safe return that had kept her stationary thus far. Regardless of the culprit neither proved strong enough to hold its baring now as she made her way to attain resolution. Having been lead into the Golden Glade from the East she exited the West, not wishing to retrace her steps. The ground was concrete here and maple stood as she passed. Their presence began to dwindle as the ground turned to a soft mush. Leaving the mask of the forest she entered a slightly flooded valley. In the floor lay imprints of varying creatures both prey and predator. She thought to move quick and quiet, citing the time when Dawson educated her of the savages in these lands.

Uncertain of what she was looking for she cantered blindly. Until a fallen log came into the forefront and a blur of white appeared in her peripheral. Crimson, ivory, and gold were all she saw before hastily averting her eyes. An appalled gasp escaped from her muzzle was she was faced with his fate. A sunken heart landed in her stomach. Gently she returned her gaze to look upon her protector. Blood drowned his upper body, concentrated on his jugular. Pine jabbed into what remained of his optics, as natures decomposers had their way. Tears welled in her eyes as she lazily walked to sit at his side.

Until this moment evidence of the factions presence in the Teekon Wilds had been lost. Even present no clear connection could be made. But to assume anything other than the worst would be simple and perchance noxious. She retrieved the memory of her first arrival in the Teekon Wilds. How her destiny would have mirrored his had he not shown. All the while keeping them a stride ahead of her assailants until now where they came to collect and Dawson paid her toll. Her debt still ever existent. Sorrow and guilt played a duet. As she sat praying for his forgiveness beyond the grave.

The gray woman had left the borders of the keep to start her preparations for what could be a very difficult mission. She had no idea what was to be expected once she reached the Melonii. Many questions ran through her mind each day before she would finally push them away, she needed to get into the mindset that Cry had spoken of. Still she worried would she “sell” herself as he had put it. Would they accept her and how tight lipped would they be once she had become one of them.

The first part of her preparation was to wash her coat thoroughly of all scent that would indicate she was a member of the keep. Next she limited the amount of food she ate to purposely lose some of the weight she had gained during her time in the keep. If she was to present herself a loner she had to look the part.

Amaya spent a lot of time exploring the lands surrounding the keep to gain knowledge of the area but also gain the scents. She needed the scents of the wild to cling to her coat and mingle with her scent so it would be believed that she had been on her own for a long time.

During one of her excursions she came across the scent of another wolf and with it the scent of blood. This worried the gray woman causing her to hurry through the underbrush until she came to the scene. In front of her sat a snow white wolf and as her gaze drifted searching for the source of the blood she noticed something horrible. There on the ground covered in blood was the pale figure of another wolf. She'd encountered a scene similar to this before but there wasn't anything to be done for the fallen. Amaya stepped a little closer, “Are you okay?” She asked quietly.

The smell of rotting flesh and crusting blood masked Dawson's original sea peppered scent. Along with the scent of an unaccounted foreign female. At the sound of an adjacent voice, Cordelia sprang up on all fours and turned to face this outlander. She was larger than Cordelia's petite frame and held a variety of colors within her pelt. Her appearance did not sway Cordelia's mind. This was to be one of two individuals. One of the factions or a native of these lands. 

Her mind held a mirrored image of her first day in Teekon and her body thought to react the same. But things were different now. Without injury, nothing kept her from fleeing. Her smaller build was sure to advance this female in pace Cordelia had convinced herself.

Taking a pace backward her body activated her flight response. But as her limb graced the fallen body of her former companion a competing, irrational thought ran through her head. She could not leave him. He had sacrificed much for her welfare and to leave him now was cruel. There was nothing that could be done for him, and to leave him would change nothing, but despite this truth, the thought still plagued her mind.

After the initial graze, she took another wide stride back, followed by another. Till her body stood above his own. With tears still pooling in her ducts she returned her graze to the matron. Her initial words had been neglected. Clearly, they were not of genuine concern, Cordelia though convincingly.

"Save me your sarcasm. Have your kind not done him enough. Leave him rest in peace!" she voiced strongly. Her voice unconsciously beginning to trail as she continued. "If your quarrel lies with me could you not have been more direct. Rather than drag unaffiliated lives in." her voice quite near the end as moisture trailed her cheeks.

Amaya hadn't any idea what had caused the scene before her. She couldn't remember hearing any sounds that would surely have risen from the apparent struggle between the fallen Male and whomever had done such damage as what she saw. It was clear that the small female hadn't had anything to do with it since she appeared rather Heartbroken.

The gray woman searched for any sign of injury on the woman since her initial question had gone unanswered. She didn't move from the place where she'd first addressed the stranger but it soon became obvious her presence was making the smaller woman nervous. She wanted to take a step toward her but refrained not wanting to push her to running.

Confusion slipped over her features as she listened to the words that came from the stranger. Amaya shook her head not understanding what she was even talking about. She did gather that she was being accused of what had happened to the man but she chalked it up to the woman's fear and grief speaking.

“I mean you no harm nor do I have any quarrel with you,” she stated first hoping it might ease the smaller woman. “I needn't be afraid. I've come to help you if I can but your going to have to trust me a little.” Amaya spoke gently hoping that might help her to get through. She hoped that by showing herself to not be a threat then maybe she could give this woman the help she seemed to need.

The female proceeded to claim she had no affiliable with the events that had transpired here. It was something Cordelia wanted to believe. With everything coming for her and taking place around her she wanted no harm to come to herself. But how willing could she be when others could take advantage of such hopeful spirits. Dawson made it clear that he was the exception within this land. That others would choose to exploit her. But there he had been, a prideful exception. His existence alone proved that not all would be so savage. But how much luck could she have? Having the only two beings to cross her path in this new world be of the minority.

She lifted her front legs and brought them back over Dawson so that she could once again sit beside him, this time so that he lay between Cordelia and the unnamed female. Tears still leisurely made their way down her cheek as she spoke, staring at the floor between Dawson and the female. Looking at neither of them directly. "Because you would be willing to do such as he offered." she spoke with a sarcastic, hopeless tone. "Provide protection, shelter, and sustenance... Out of the goodness of your heart." she proclaimed. She said these things knowing they would not be offered. "This is what he had lent. And without it... " her words fading. Without it she had nothing.

The woman was in a bad place that Amaya knew she couldn't help by herself. It was already proving difficult to gain just a small sliver of trust so that she could do something to help. She hoped that by trying to show and explain that she meant no harm she might get somewhere. That the trust would come but it was clear the stranger was grieving for her fallen friend and perhaps that was making her unreasonable. Still the gray woman knew she couldn't leave the other here with her dead companion. Amaya already knew that if she could convince the other woman to go with her she would take her back to the keep and perhaps she could find a place there where she could recover from her tragedy.

Amaya watched the movements of the other woman feeling very badly for her. She knew what it was like to lose someone she cared very much for. Her thoughts returned to the present and her silver gaze moved back to the woman from where they had fallen upon the male. At first the words didn't make a lot of sense but she finally put it together. "I can't offer that myself but I am part of a pack, good wolves. If you decided to join with them they will treat you as family. It's a really great place to live and you won't have to be lonely. You will also have all the things you need, everything he provided for you and you won't have to worry." Amaya hoped that what she said might help the woman to see that she would be better off going to stay or Join the keep.

Cordelia was correct in assuming that this female would not be able to care for her as Dawson had, but alternatively, she proposed a place where she could be. A pack, presumably close by, that could provide and tend to her. It would surely be a change of pace from the last few weeks. Surrounded by multiple bodies each working in tandem as compared to traveling with a single individual. She claimed the residents were good, not the savages Cordelia had been lead to believe they surely were. Perhaps all those civil in the land had found one another and bound together. But how could she be sure? This female didn't seem to harbor any ill will in her heart, but perhaps she was meant to lure others to their territory so as to make their prey easier to catch and feed on in the future.

She had two options. Stay where she was an attempt to fend for herself, in a foreign place she was sure to be turned around in. Or she could muster up some faith within this individual and be lead to a possible haven. Finally gaining the gall to look this female in the eye she asked "And you would be able to vouch for their decorum? What be their values and culture?" she paused for a moment before continuing "And what might your name be?" she asked realized she was still unaware.

Amaya hadn't forgotten her mission and knew that she needed to be on her way. She wasn't sure the distance she would need to cover or how long it would take. She knew that Cry was counting on her but she also didn't think that he would want her to leave this female alone in the forest. The gray woman was well aware of the things that could happen to her. She didn't know the situation between the fallen Male and the woman that seemed to be his companion. That didn't matter just then because she could see that help was needed and she was there offering it and could only hope she would be taken up on it.

She didn't forget the vow that she she had given to Cry when she'd joined when she was asked about the pack. "I can tell you the leader is kind and fair and the members I have met have treated me well. My pack is a family blood or not you are still considered family from day one. You will have to pull your weight but it's a good place and I think you will like it there." If she was lucky Cry would even take her under his wing like Amaya felt he had with her. "I'm Amaya, what's your name?"

She spoke fondly of the pack’s leader. Complementing his treatment and expectation of other under his rule. Though this pack did not follow a blood line as Cordelia’s kingdom had, the sense that one should hold their own was a shared sentiment. If this female were telling the truth it could be the perfect place for Cordelia to seek shelter in. With another group of wolves to surround her and mask her scent those of the faction would have a harder time finding her. 

The female introduce herself as Amaya and promoted Cordelia with the same question. “I am Corra” she answered nodding her head, resisting the natural urge to curtesy her front leg over the other as she would have commonly done back home. 

There was little left to do then follow Amaya back to her homage. The longer Cordelia stayed out in the open the more likely it would be for her to be found. She knelt down beside Dayson’s former shell, closing her eyes and thanking him from the bottom of her being before rising a few moments later. 

“I appreciate your care and I would like to accept your offer if it still stands.” She said making her final decision. It was a risk to follow these femaling knowing so little about her and knowing what she did of this land. But in this game of odds it seemed to prevail. Before following the female Cordelia thought of one more imperative question. “Is it customary for those in your pack to search out and recruit those in these lands. Or is this more of a special circumstance?” She asked wanted to know the level of secrecy should could expect to have within the pack. Should its members be looking for new member, how likely would it be that one of the faction should infiltrate it?

With her final question asked and soon to be answered she was ready to follow Amaya, and awaited this new chapter of her tale.

Amaya was careful of the things that she revealed about her pack. She didn't want to betray Cry or the promised she'd made when she'd joined the keep. Even in doing that she tried to give the other woman enough information that would convince her that she would be safe with the pack. The gray woman couldn't just leave her out there on her own especially now that her companion was dead. 

It was all very sad and Amaya felt she had to help in some way even though she had somewhere of her own to be. She just griped her words would help the other woman in making the best decision for herself. 

Amaya quickly learned that the woman she was speaking with went by Corra, "It's nice to meet you," she said politely and with a smile. She already liked the woman and was kind of sad that she would be taking her to the keep only to leave her behind so that she could start her mission into finding out more of what happened to Phex. She could check in though and let Cry know where she was in her preparations. 

After their introductions and the decision made Amaya gave the woman some space and privacy to say goodbye to her companion. It was something she'd never had to do herself but she could imagine it might be hard. Not knowing the history of the two she wanted to respect Corra's need to have closure.

"Of course it does, I can take you there directly," she expressed once Corra had spoken to her again. Amaya took that as she was finished in this place and ready to move on. The next question her new companion asked was a strange one but Amaya answered it easily. "This was certainly a special circumstance but I don't think my pack recruits much. I think mostly they wait for wolves to come to the border. To be honest I haven't been there too long and in the time I've been there I haven't seen many new wolves. Your question would be better answered by Cry or Gwen," she explained hoping it might help Corra one way or another.

Once she had given her answer she gestured for Corra to follow her, "Its this way and shouldn't take too long to get there," she explained wanting to keep the other woman aware of their progress, she thought it might make her feel better since she seemed a little nervous about the whole thing in the first place.