Moonspear You make me feel

She had come from Neverwinter feeling pleasant, lightheaded, strange. She could not dwell on the thought of what had transpired. An alliance; that was all. Whatever else had happened, she was sure it would lead to nothing, mean nothing. She felt dizzy as she made her way to Moonspear. Some part of her wanted to return home- to confront Ying, to find a place to lay down and sleep. But if she did not find Moonspear and the supposed Hydra now, when would she?

She was tired enough by the time she reached the border. The scents were strong and many, communicating a large pack. An alliance here would be smart, she thinks. Huā sits back on her haunches to relax before throwing back her head to release a call for @Hydra , and in the time waiting, she would lap at the downy fur upon her chest, neatening up her appearance.

forward dated to just past hydra's heat!!!

 

The days past had blended and blurred into one another until they bled into one large inkblot. The events of them would surely lead to what it had the year prior, and Hydra celebrated the thought of it alone for now. As it stood, she could not be sure; it was much too soon to know. But she held onto the idea that her womb would be swift to quicken with the seed of her husband—more little ones to love with every ounce of her being. 

So, the spring in her gait was not at all imagined as she traveled. There was a lightness to her step rarely seen as she moved through The Netherwood. A call came, not from a voice she recognized, and Hydra moved to meet the voice given her proximity. All was well up until Hydra caught sight of the stranger from where she stood—

Blackface. From here, Hydra could not note the color of the eyes. They held themselves in a way that was far from threatening, though Hydra was no fool and would not be deceived. All lightness was gone in a devastating blink, much like the way a star will wink out of existence. Hydra prowled downward, pantherian and savage in demeanor and carrying the look of death upon her. There would be much to think on later, but for now she could only think of the swiftest way to dispatch the wretch upon her doorstep. None of this was revealed upon her stoic features, though her eyes had already assessed the exhaustion the other wore and imperceptibly searched for more even still. 

The closer she became, though, the more Hydra could see. A complete and utter lack of scars upon her, for one thing. That the other, by scent, was clearly not older—more like they were around the same age, with that. And then, the blue eyes. Not yellow, as Vengeance had described (the eyes of her children, though Hydra imagined the mother with much the same shade as their own). 

She would not leave it to question. Hydra would know, and now. Who are you? she drawled, voice dark as she regarded the other—Hydra stood before her as a woman who knew, and would use, her own power... if the answer she received was less than satisfactory. Already her weight was squared, and though she stood before the woman looking like the very picture of authority, of a Queen, her defenses were set in preparation of the other being who Hydra had initially suspected. 

If that was the case, she certainly would not be here to talk. But the discrepancies were enough that Hydra would listen, for now, unless she breathed that wretched name. Would fortune favor her so?

The wolf that came to meet her was the epitome of intimidating. Dark in color, muscled and powerful-looking, confidence in each step. Huā gulped down the rock in her throat like a cartoon character, sweating buckets in nervousness and straightening up her posture the best she could in her dizzy state.

This woman must be their leader- Hydra, as she recalled Ying saying. She very well had the appearance of a leader- and if for the first time in her life, Huā felt slightly envious of the woman's powerful, strong looking figure. The coastal girl feared she would never give off the appearance of an empress, with her dainty body and willowy limbs. She could only make up for it in the way which she spoke, or the confidence with which she carried herself. It was why she had to remind herself to tilt her chin up like she was taught as a little girl, to keep her posture dignified yet with a feminine charm. Perhaps her mother's scolding would turn out useful after all. 

The woman wastes no time, not bothering to appease her with friendly greetings of any sort. Her voice was powerful like thunder, and Huā was so nervous in her presence that she nearly considered saying her farewell and booking it. Instead, she bows her head deeply, as she learned to do in the south. Rising up again, Greetings, Hydra... my name Huā. I am... as much as it pained her to say it at this time, Ying's sister. I come from coast, I empress there now, of pack called Yuèlóng. For my family, also for hurt people. She shares, pausing just momentarily as if to let Hydra process the information. My sister mention you, your pack. I come to talk about pack friendship... And for now, she would leave it at that, awaiting Hydra's words. She could only hope her stunted common would be understood.

Hydra listened to the other long enough for the name, and her accent, to register. The bow did much to mollify her, temporarily—but when heatscent came, nothing else was heeded in full. Her hackles were blown out as the matriarch became leonine in her defense, all too ready to remove this stranger from her doorstep—by force, if necessary. Huā, Hydra greeted, and continued tersely: you are in heat. Today is not our day for diplomacy; you must leave, and now—unless you would like for me to end it prematurely, she spoke in a voice that brooked no argument. For Hydra would not have her scent lure any of Moonspears men, and she assumed Huā herself had someone else in mind when considering bearing children. Hydra would have been insulted if she did not think the delicate Huā a little naive, to come to her doorstep in such a state. 

Be careful with men. This is the time their seed may take within you, Hydra forewarned, thinking that given the she-wolf was here she had not the slightest idea of what was going on. The Ostrega lifted her own chin before draping it neatly over her throat, and took a step forward in silent warning as her ears pricked forward.

Hydra seem to ease up, if only for a single moment. And then she was bristling, as if she hadn't already been frightening enough. Huā had to keep herself from trembling in fear as the woman spoke. Heat- a word of the common tongue she had learned... but what did she mean? Heat? It was winter, patches of snow lay on the ground beneath her feet. If anything she was 冷- cold as ever. Heat? She could only quietly mumble awkwardly in confusion after the first sentence was spoken.

The second only served to confuse her more- seed, the source of a tree. A tasty snack for little birds and good bait for catching a gull. But men were not trees, and she knew nothing of the word which Hydra spoke. Hydra... I s-sorry, I will leave, b-but... I feel confuse. I not understand, my common not good. Heat and seed, from tree and sun? And men... why? Um... She frowned as she bent her head a little lower, cautious about the message her stance gave off.

They did not leave. Were it not for the display, for the apparent confusion, Hydra would have thought it was for malicious reasons. As it were, the other was very clearly confused. Who does not teach their daughters of this?, she thought with anger. Did Ying not know, either, then? Her tail lashed behind her as Hydra considered the best recourse. Teeth, her instinct demanded. Have a heart—what if this were your daughter? her mind grit out. 

It could never be her daughter. Never would she allow Vega to be placed in this position of not knowing her own body, and what it was capable of. Life-enders, they—but also lifebringers. 

No, she answered to the other who had pressed herself a little lower. Heat—from where children come out of. A womans heat. Worse than the sun, but better, too, if you are prepared. she drawled. And then... Seed—this is what is inside of a mans member. They mount you, it goes inside—and their seed, as some will call it, goes into you... where the heatscent comes from... and children too, later. That seed, it will grow in your womb, if it takes. Like a tree-seed takes to the fertile soil. That is how cubs are made. Here, Hydra considered. Perhaps this would make more sense to the foreigner: right now, you are fertile. And unwelcome here while in such a state.

There were other words, here and there, which she could not understand- mount, womb. But the mention of children coupled with some graphic detail had Huā feeling dizzy again. It was enough to understand. Seed- 精液, as it were in her language. A dirty word that had Huā flashing back to last summer. Prisoner to her own cousin, forced to fuck and kiss strangers goodnight, be a good girl for them, and never speak a word. Oh yes, she felt dizzy now alright. 

So the 精液 could take? Within her? Now?

I... I did something, for she knew not the word for it, with man two day ago... She mumbled, feeling sick to her stomach again. It had been enjoyable, but all the while it was filled with pain. She had wanted it so badly, and yet, in the moments it had happened, she could only think back to being a slave, wanting to escape. She'd known the whole time that it was not so- that there was a warm and good man behind her, her ally even- but it had reminded her all the same. So I gonna have child? She mumbled again, this time even quieter, as her eyes went somewhere distant like she was unable to process.

Hydra listened, ears pricked. Which man? She asked, knowing well enough it was not her own mate. But perhaps any from Moonspear. Perhaps Revui. It still could be Revui; he was out there now, protecting her from men. But she could not smell him on her—no, there was a scent alright. Vaguely familiar, but she could not be certain. Not until she said it herself. 

The question was met with a nod. You could, she informed. And if you breed with another, your odds do not get any less. But I would not advise it. It would be cruel to what you might have made—to that wolf, more boy than man, as she recalled him—but she supposed, now, there was yet another wolf she had to educate before he begot children from all around the Teekon without even knowing, she was sure, to your children. To you, too, she drawled. That is why I want you gone from here, from my Wilderness even; it is an insult to me. I know you did not mean it, or recognize it, but now that you do: do not insult me any further, Hydra finished darkly. If Hydra found that she had, there would be two Blackheads to dispose of. And this one, she imagined, would be easier to remove than the elusive Caiaphas. But Hydra had been kind to her, and she thought of her own twin sister Alya—perhaps the kindness would have meant something.

Which man? 

Huā trembled beneath what felt more like a demand than a question. There were ears all around. Ying had met Hydra before... if they met again, she would not risk her sister knowing what she'd done. She knew she had already shared too much. Her lips remained sealed awkwardly. 

Hydra went on to tell her that there was a possibility of children. For now, Huā felt panic bubble up within her, and she fought to keep down the contents of her stomach. No, no, no... there could not be children. Not from Mal. Not from anyone. She could not, would not, let the men take her. Each man that touched her threw his hat into the ring for impregnating her. 

So why didn't I get pregnant back then? When men touched me daily? 

For now Huā would not remain to hear answers to questions like these with something like you were still a girl then, for Hydra explained that she was insulted. Huā still was not sure what she'd done. She knew what sex was- Hydra didn't need to explain all that, she had lived it herself many times- but the concept of heat was something unknown to her. How could Hydra be angered when Huā had no control over her body? She had been scarcely aware of what had happened, only aware of the fact that she'd suddenly wanted Mal so badly. Certainly this had something to do with it all.

And yet no longer could she cloud her brain with thoughts of these things. She felt dirtied by this foreigner who spoke so openly of topics considered taboo in Huā's culture- she was nearly insulted as well, though she wouldn't say such a thing. But the dirt in this woman's mouth would've made her into a cheap bride back home. Crude and vulgar and lacking the careful words of a real girl. This is how Huā saw it. She would not stick around to hear any further words from the nasty and frightening woman. How Ying could speak highly of her, she did not know. I s-sorry. I leave now, She told Hydra simply as she began to back up, then turned to leave the scene. She would stumble awkwardly over her own paws a few times, dizzy as ever, before eventually disappearing from sight.

If Hua did not understand it now, in time she would come to. Sooner, or later, they always seemed to. Hydra was nasty, and she was frightening, and she would be as vulgar as she needed to be to be understood as nothing else had translated for the paltry empress. Ask, and one would receive; Hydra had educated the other in a tongue they understood well enough. But as it were, Hydra only felt shame for the stranger who at last left her doorstep. They had been taken advantage of, and had not even known it until well after. 

As the other turned to depart, Hydra did, in earnest, call after her: be careful. It was all she could do; Hua was no subordinate, but led her own pack. She, ultimately, decided her own fate and path from there... though Hydra did not think it would be an easy one. With her scent still apparent, Hydra went to find @Lyra and @Alya to ensure she had left the Wilderness without being attacked... 

Or worse, disrespect her unwittingly. Worse yet, with the bad sense to. It did not take her long, and she felt much more at ease for their own support.