Moonspear beautiful

looking for @Hydra but tagging @Osiris b/c i know chan wants him to be present & @Opalia if you want/have time even though i'm not sure how our current thread is going to go so i'm going to be super vague.

there is a part of praimfaya that suspects as she crosses the waterlogged territories towards the towering peak of moonspear and the mountain wolves' claim that this might be a mistake; but she promised opalia she would come and give them an explanation for her disappearance. loathe as the commander was to explain herself she feels the ever present pull towards opalia; to protect her, to ensure that hydra and her wolves did not take their anger out on her kru. the only kru she has left in these wilds.

the pelting rains do not perturb the wanheda as she slows upon a respectful distance from their scent borders, probably leaving more space than is necessary. due to the fact that all she smells is damp earth, she isn't willing to take a chance.

she tips her head back and releases a call; driven to this by her most recent encounter with opalia and with the knowledge, the growing well of information of the saints she holds; coveted to her chest but unsure where and who she can trust with it. she wants to trust hydra, trust that the queen of the spire would appreciate the information towards military advancement even if she cares not for the stain the saints appear hellbent on leaving in the wilds. she holds it close to her chest, but is willing to part with it as an olive branch should the moonspearians be willing to accept it.

Osiris was surprised to hear Praimfaya's voice; he had convinced himself that she wouldn't keep her word, given her past with Moonspear. A fire began to burn in his belly—it was resentment, mostly, but there was an innate desire to get achieve some sort of clousre closure. He wasn't entirely sure what she could do to re-earn his trust, but this visit was an unexpected first step towards some sort of positive impression. 

 Osiris had moved quickly, navigating the slick terrain to meet Praimfaya at the borders. When he arrived, he stopped at a distance, his posture tall and his stare strong. "Praimfaya," Osiris greeted cooly as he lifted his tail and pushed his ears forward. "My mother should be here shortly."

swallowing her pride is not an easy thing to do but she is here because of opalia, because she is all that praimfaya has left in these wilds. it is not long before a figure approaches; osiris, praimfaya realizes. praimfaya can't help her unbidden surprise that he took her sudden and unannounced departure rather personally, for they hadn't spent a whole lot of time together. nevertheless, she doesn't spend much time trying to puzzle it out. instead, she takes note of his tall, strong posture with a sweep of her frostbound gaze and murmurs osiris, in greeting with a respectful bow of her head.

in the silence that follows his announcement that hydra should appear shortly, praimfaya feels ...awkward. she isn't sure what to say — if anything — and small talk appears to both elude her and strikes her as inappropriate at a meeting such as this. so, she keeps her posture on the lower side of neutral; lingering in the metallic tang of swallowed pride as she waits for the matriarch of the spear to appear.

@Hydra was not prompt, and Osiris wondered what possibly could have been holding her up. Like Priamfaya, he felt incredibly awkward, and just wanted to get this meeting done. 

When the silence became too much for Osiris, he tipped his head back and howled for his mother, requesting an ETA for her arrival. If Hydra were busy, Osiris would gladly take over this meeting, but he needed her permission first.

Hydra heard the call, though had been hunting with @Dirge and @Alya when it first came. In the din of the hunt Hydra thought of little else but for taking down the meal for her cubs and her pack, though once the young thing was brought down Hydra, breathing heavily, found recognition sinking in. It had been Praimfaya that had called, and the matriarch thought of the time she had spent searching for the runaway girl. Thought of the time she had discovered the girl had not been hurt, or missing, but had fled wordlessly in vengeful mourning. For the girl Hydra had a seed of hope planted within her own heart that she would grow here, fight among them to see vengeance done... train to aid her in reaching her full potential... but in her absence, Hydra plucked the thing from where it had begun to take root. 

Minutes were nothing to the days Hydra had worried after her. After a girl she would have protected with her own life, killed for. Hydra was granted no such respect, and she recalled that not all things would be requited. It was disappointing, to be sure, but a reminder that further grounded her. 

Hydra answered her son after he called, the hunt finished: I am on my way. And then she was, though she was not quick about it; she picked her way across familiar paths long since memorized, thinking all the while of why it was that Praimfaya had elected to come now. Some might say "better late than never", but Hydra was as of yet undecided as to where she fell upon that spectrum. It was fortunate that Praimfaya was young; the matriarch found it was she, herself, who was wrong to overestimate the girl who was born to be Commander. She was, after all, still a girl. 

It was with this thought that Hydra increased her pace until she found them; she emerged from the woodwork with blood and gristle still upon her person, and her nostrils flared as she saw the girl she had searched for. She drew alongside her son with her plume settled comfortably over her hindquarters and ears erect, and her hard gaze lingered upon Praimfaya; there was nothing about her to reveal how she felt to see her there, then. Hydra herself had yet to determine her feelings on it even still, after all.

She went down the mountain, too, picking herself a sound route in light of the rains. More withdrawn lately, she had found it easier to keep to herself and stay dutybound and alone, but the sound of this call warranted her interest more than anything. Though it could be for the best in the long run somehow, she found she greeted it with a strange twist of her heart, and a hint of dread. Hopefully, hopefully, there was not any need but the pale gona was anxious about all of her uncertainty, often wondering what turning point could be next.

Other howls rose up--Osiris, then Hydra's answer, and she knew she was getting close too, but held her own tongue compared to them.. for surely, they knew she still had interest in the wanheda's company, though it had become confusing since everything had happened. Knowing that it would be the both of them present perhaps upped the ante, though. She flattened her trot, and arrived quietly after the alpha, who sided swiftly with her son. This left Opalia to mind herself well, and join the scene next as she dipped her muzzle in greeting to the wolves that outranked her, then looked to Praimfaya--glad to see her, aiming to silently convey such as she waited to hear the progress of the situation she suspected might be at hand so far.. and hope it went well, however it must be.

when hydra approaches, praimfaya shifts her posture lower: a gesture of respect; despite that she feels like a bug under a microscope. the thought annoys her but she sweeps it away. she is not here to make things worse for herself ...even though she isn't exactly sure how she should apologize. it's not something she's used to doing. she lifts herself only slightly, so she is in a more comfortable position but keeps her body on the low neutral side. the commanders hiss in her ears that she doesn't have to subjugate herself to anyone and for once in her life, praimfaya ignores them. tunes their collective voices out.

thank you both for coming to meet me, praimfaya begins, her frostbound gaze flickering to opalia as the woman appears. praimfaya's heart pangs and though her tongue grows thick with joy and dread that unknowingly matches her once subordinate's own, she is nevertheless bolstered by opalia's presence. i am here to apologize for the way i acted, for my abrupt departure without word. you and yours have been nothing but generous to me and my kru, even now, and how i acted was poor. this time, she doesn't excuse it away with her devastation at dacio's death; nor that running away is the only way she appears to know how to deal with it.

that is not how a commander should treat her allies, her mentors and her friends. i should've been better and i am sincerely sorry. and she is, perhaps, surprised to find how true those words are. she looks from hydra, to osiris and then back again, keeping opalia in her peripheral vision. i don't expect forgiveness, she continues. i only wish to, at the very least, own up to my mistakes. for now, word of the saints and ursus could wait ...at least until she has a better feel for how this would go.

Once Hydra had arrived, Osiris assumed his position as a spectator. Opalia joined him shortly after, and he acknowledged her arrival with a nod—just as he had done when his mother arrived. 

Despite Priamfaya's explanation, Osiris didn't entirely forgive and trust her. After all, she had left before without a word—what was to say that she wouldn't do it again? Osiris remained silent, his expression neutral as he glanced at Hydra. He couldn't help but wonder what she made of all of this.

missed that is was my turn like a dingbat

 

Hydra listened, quietly and patiently, not a thing upon her to betray her thoughts on all that was said. Blinking, the matriarch drawled, I searched for you. And two others had found you, well at the time, looking for revenge. True, you decided on your own to become a lone wolf, but you risked your kru and my own for seeking it in the way that you did. Without word, or warning. I would have fought with you, she informed levelly, ear twitching. You are meant to be Heda, are you not? It is inherent, within you. From one leader to another, the wellbeing of at least your kru should always come before your own desires. Your apology will only mean something to me if you stand by it, she hums. Think not solely of herself, but the rest too. 

Hydra shifted her weight and licked her chops. With a sigh, she asked with true interest: did you find your revenge? hoping that she might have delivered some pain to those that had harmed the ones they loved. Hydra was prepared to achieve her own too, but she had no intentions to be quick about it. Hers was a slow blade, one that went on in time without forgetting but grew all the sharper for it. It would cut deeper than all the rest, of that she would make sure of.

She was painfully present, not waiting long before the words began and gave her something else to focus on. Still, she found she was still awfully tense--though so far, none of this came as a surprise to her. She was silently grateful. Praimfaya explained, apologized, and otherwise.. then the volley went to Hydra, where more unknown could come. Opalia kept dreadfully quiet as the Moonspearian commander brought up kru, the risks to them, and all else. The golden gona knew this. She didn't like this any, however, but.. something deep in her bones said that the risks had been accepted, she bore the weight of some of them, she felt. But time was moving on, with or without her. She was piecing it back..

Beneath a flicker of unease, she glanced to Osiris to gauge his thoughts but saw little so far. Swiftly, her attentions were back to the leader soon after. She would give wanheda space to answer on the revenge.

hydra is right and praimfaya bows her head in understanding, taking in the lecture as gracefully as the commander can. she already knows she was wrong …and she was working on it, though improving was subjective without much of a chance to prove that she’s learned the lesson. regardless, the topic turns to revenge and whether praimfaya was successful in extracting it. for dacio’s death? no. praimfaya admits. his killers still elude me. and though she hasn’t forgotten about the revenge she is owed for his death …a more pressing concern and plight for revenge has claimed her priorities.

she sees the opportunity to speak of it now and seizes it. how much do you know of the saints? as i told opalia last we spoke a week or so ago, timelines are messy and torvi can’t be arsed to keep super close track of them. i successfully have infiltrated their ranks in my personal quest of fulfilling jus drein, jus daun for attacking me. it doesn’t matter to her anymore than nemisis is dead …the fact that she was denied taking her life irks her ( though future events and exchanges will simply add to the running tally against donovan ).

they’ve just allied themselves with ursus. praimfaya says, thinking that out of everything that happened in the time between opalia and her last spoke to now, this was the most important. though i feel that the alliance is mostly one sided. the saints, from what i’ve seen thus far, need ursus and pledge to fight beside them while ursus wasn’t half as concerned about pledging. even now, praimfaya isn’t sure what the basis of the whole alliance was built upon — though given donovan’s much-talked-about sexual prowess she can take an educated guess.

No, she had not found them. 

Hydra wondered if she ever would. She did not know the scent; she knew vague details. Wounds, that may not have even scarred. That have, by now, already healed. Hydra remembered, of course; she would never forget. Who could forget the scent of one that had touched their son? 

As for what came next, Hydra listened quietly. Praimfaya, a spy—such a thing did come as a surprise to her. The explanation made sense, though Hydra did not particularly agree with the method. Clever as the matriarch was, she preferred the tried and true method of simply killing the bastards that wronged her. It might take time, but it made things all the sweeter when it was done with. Still, it would be good to know whether or not the method worked. Praimfaya could, feasibly, break them from within. 

What did she know of the Saints? I have heard tell of their leader, she hummed, a fool, if rumor is to be believed. What of their ally, Ursus? I have not heard of them, she drawled—not yet, in any event—and she asks, do you know of their own leaders? And why your own would align with them, if he receives no benefit? She wondered at that, and since Praimfaya knew Donovan she presumed she might have a better idea than most.

There was nothing but truth in Hydra's reply, and Osiris didn't expect anything less from his mother; action would determine whether or not Priamfaya's apology was sincere. Seizing the occasion—by name-dropping The Saints, Ursus and her intentions of infiltrating the former's ranks—she began to rectify her reputation.

He was conflicted, although his expression did not betray his initial impression. Priamfaya had wronged them before, and presently, Osiris was unable to confirm the validity of her account—what if this was all a scheme to get back into Moonspear's good graces? Unsure of what to think, and with a quick glance towards Opalia to guage her reaction, Osiris remained quiet as he listened as Hydra and Praimfaya continued to converse.

She remained tense about this entire situation, but attentive, and carefully so as the subject shifted towards the Saints wolves--as well as the bonus piece of their allies, Ursus. That opened the floodgates for all sorts of new uncertainties, and added an extra element to the vague enemy of the Saints she had known prior. The scene was expanding, and Praimfaya in the middle of it...

Opalia was quiet, offering only a small, soft nod here and there. She wanted to hear more, though, of what they thought this alliance was made of, and what worth this Ursus may be. Given how little she heard about them from here, she guessed they were far, but this too made her wonder.. were they more warriors that Grandmaster was collecting? Or was this something else?

fool. in the herenow it is the most accurate word to describe donovan and praimfaya cannot help but agree with these rumors that hydra has heard. those rumors would be right. unbeknownst to praimfaya, in the weeks to come ‘fool’ would become to kind of a word to use. still, the saints were half a joke …but being a fool did not always mean that someone wasn’t a threat. oft, they were more dangerous because they didn’t realize how catastrophic their choices and the consequences of their actions could be and often times were. that doesn’t mean, however, that he isn’t a threat. praimfaya speaks the gist of their inner thoughts aloud. the court jesters could weld a knife just as well as a warrior and without the disadvantage of being seen. this was not an advantage praimfaya was willing to permit donovan or his loyalists.

we had a massive meeting of the packs, a stupid mistake. ursus is formidable, from what i’ve seen and their leaders strike me as far too smart to have anything real to do with donovan. praimfaya scoffs. personally, i think the saints are being played for amusement. and the wanheda couldn’t say they didn’t deserve it if they thought that ursus actually needed them as anything more than canon fodder. i don’t think it occurs to donovan that the saints are just being used. and even if it did, he was so high up on his self-appointed pedestal that praimfaya doubts he’d pay it much mind, think he could outsmart the cunning folk.

praimfaya would get much satisfaction of tearing him down brick by brick.

and even if it does, praimfaya also gives voice to those thoughts with an simple shrug. he likely thinks he can outsmart them. he thinks highly of himself. and arrogance, praimfaya knows and has learned from experience, would cut the quickest and the deepest.

Hydra agreed with the others sentiment, though did not say as much to start; amusing though fools could be for a time, their jokes oft outlasted their lives. Fools were threats; it was why Hydra killed so many of them, when given the opportunity. Give them the chance to live, and when would it end? Never. The cycle would repeat—if not with them, then through their sons, their daughters. Hydra wanted a world without such beings. 

Donovan was arrogant; it was a good thing to know concretely. Pride comes before the fall, and all of that—but not for that reason alone. Hydra could hardly rely on anecdotes. You are wise to know such a thing. Several see a fool, and take little care to learn much more than that, she commended, ears leaning toward the young warrior. All, fools included, could carry a knife and use it... however they desired. 

Ursus, though. Formidable how? She asked then, truly curious as to that. What made Praimfaya feel this way versus the wolfs pack she decided to shadow, and infiltrate? Was it simply the mystery of them, or what Praimfaya herself had come to see?

There was a lot of information for Osiris to process, and he was silent as Priamfaya continued to provide her intel. His expression remained neutral and only changed at the mention of Ursus's formidability. There was a noticeable shine of interest in his gemstone-like eyes, and his ears pushed forward as he waited for Hydra's question to be answered.

This continued to deepen right before her eyes as she listened dutifully on. Foolish leaders with too much power, a gathering of packs, even? So much had been going on out there, it seemed, and Praimfaya's footwork got it back here to them now.. neatly packaged for the mess it actually was. She wondered at what cost for only an instant. Instead, this was the chance at something.

Another contender was slowly gaining a clearer picture, this Ursus. Hydra was quick to pick up on that mention of their strength, and question further on them, right along with the gona's thoughts.

Fading with permission of @Praimfaya. Torvi told me all the infromation that would be relayed to the group. If there are any concerns, please feel free to PM me!

Priamfaya told the Moonspearians everything that she knew; Ursus' member count (five adults and two children) and how The Saints were more willing to pledge themselves. The information was valuable, and Moonspear was sure to use it to their advantage. 

Once Priamfaya left, Hydra, Osiris, and Opalia discussed briefly discussed the information before parting ways. He would make sure to meet up with his mother again once she had made her rounds so that they could discuss the information privately at length.