Arrow Lake KELĪTĪS! (chl.)

@Stigmata & @Mahler for reference!
Die rolls here.

Whatever the outcome in this unsparing claim, the greenseer would look back on this conquest without regret. She neither expected victory or loss — only to duel for that which she thought was right.

Imposing herself against Mahler was out of the question: he’d watched after her delivery, her children, and had tended to her anguish in the wake of half-sight. ...This was still a manner of imposing upon his person, she supposes, but the the doe hunted for the basilisk instead. I will take this with winter and rime.

Long, long legs reaching like moonsilk, Aurëwen strode. She’d never meant to stay in Diaspora for forever; still didn’t mean to. But for the time that she was here, for the time that she remained out of love for her ëarnil and their babes, who was to say that one such as her couldn’t guide mountainmade militants?

And if today turned unfavorable, then, in the seasons to come, she would seek to guide those of her own.

With each print nearer to her litigant, each knead of claws pressed into loam with the bitter reminiscence of the past fortnight — words of leave-taking, should the basilisks’ creed go unheeded. Lording words, vainglorious words; she stept by those speakers now, rubied crown and ivory tail held as an ensign of reigning intent. The indignant fury that’d been felt there now crept up from her marrow once more; molded her once-lovely guise into something inscrutable, magisterial. Frostbound.

So when she found @Stigmata, eyes alight with searing, frigid stellaflame, she only uttered a low, looming, “Manwa intyë,” in a wisping breath.

Eä, an ni apairë.

And then, moonmaid swept for mountainman, fangs gleaming starbright.

stigmata was a suspicious creature by nature - trusting very few, and loving even fewer. such a disposition had kept him alive thus far, and it had made him a leader further still, but at some point he had stopped being that way within diaspora. he'd become too comfortable; and each wolf who kept his company these days had individually earned their way from under his searing scrutiny.

this made it so that when one of his own came at him with abrupt vitriol, the general was caught completely off guard.

he turned to see beautiful aurewen, in all her risen self-glory, leaving his expression to evolve from one of concern to one of enraged bewilderment as she leaped forth with teeth flashing; conveying her intent without him needing to understand her spitted language. she came with no discussion for him, no respect... and in turn, he showed her no margin of mercy.

for despite being startled (to put it mildly) by the angel's fierce attack, stigmata was able to react with a warhound's reflex: forcibly pinning aurewen into submission after a brief and violent scuffle. 

he caught his breath against her bedraggled nape, waiting until she was still to relinquish her from his iron grip. the ruffled, though mostly unharmed general stood back and fumed silently for a spell as he seemed to come to terms with what had just happened... as he finally realized who aurewen was. who he should've known she was the entire time. "you impulsive little ingrate," he hissed.

there had been clues of her weakness, up to and including the departure of her unloyal twin, but he had ignored them all for the sake of her companionship. for her supposed allegiance. and now she was suddenly not a wolf he trusted or respected anymore, and it stood to reason that these were the kinds of "values" being instilled in her own children as well. how dare you? his eyes screeched, as he let a fresh wave of betrayal wash over him.

he wanted to kill her.

make an example of her.

it was the only way he might be able to keep her pups; but it was a futile afterthought. the basilisk knew that she neither deserved to die for unreasonably challenging him, nor would she leave without her brood. it left him with only one option to give her, and he refused a mental cue to discuss this choice first with @Mahler.

"leave diaspora. now," the devil demanded.