Fairspell Meadow novus

germanicus had taken the lead from the mountains. his reasoning was that they could not dwell among the stone under threat of the saints' presence. the open land where they had traveled was more welcoming.

he looked around for @Crowfeather now. the sun had not yet taken the dew from the grass, and a distance across the meadow stood a piebald stag.

germanicus watched it for a moment, caught in a long and solemn moment as he thought of the elk-woman's world.

The dark wolf was bent to sniff at the wet grass, dappling his whiskers and nose in a few droplets of dew. When Crowfeather looked up to Germanicus, he smiled.

It was nice that they had moved beyond the mountains. While they had provided some sense of security, the Saints were still prominent in the area and had left an uneasy feeling in the pit of the seer’s belly. Crowfeather was almost grateful that Germanicus had instructed them to move on.

Trotting up to the silver guard’s side, Crowfeather peered at his profile with interest.

What is on your mind?

germanicus straightened slowly, pulling his eyes from the deer. "i was remembering the snow to the east." it was not a lie, but he found himself unable to speak of her now. 

"there is a chance that we will remain longer near the caldera. if conflict comes, it will need mediation." it would need more than that. but he and crowfeather had not yet come to this proverbial bridge.

to the west, a large red shape reared against the sky.

Germanicus spoke of Redhawk Caldera, hinting that they would lend their aid if anything should arise. Crowfeather believed this was a good time to inform him of a serendipitous meeting he had shared with Towhee, the lady of the Redhawk group. 

I met their Sovereign. Towhee, she is called. She offered us a place there, in their pack. 

The words left him in an uncertain tone. It was only in that moment that Crowfeather realized he had managed to make a positive impression on a leader, one without the help of his carefully spoken companion.

germanicus listened. he was impressed, and found often these days that this sentiment arose. "i have no doubt we would be well-treated by the respect of the caldera." the eagle's grey ears twitched. "i told lady ruenna that i was not suited to follow."

again.

there was a comfortable silence. "are you considering it?"

The sentiments shared by the stoic man were a common ground. Crowfeather also believed that if they were to eventually find themselves there, that the Redhawk Caldera would treat them with dignity and kindness. There was a strong sense of familial bond that made the group appealing.

No.

The answer was swift. Crowfeather searched Germanicus carefully, regarding him with an inspective stare of his honey yellow eyes.

Not without you, the dark wolf added to his remark. In the time they had spent together, Crowfeather had not once questioned his willingness to stay with Germanicus.

But now that you’ve mentioned it. You say you do not wish to lead, but you also are not fit to follow. Where does this leave us?

wow what a diff missing a word makes smfh

us.

the simple syllable burnt germanicus deeply. the edge of his jaw grappled with a smirk.

it sundered itself to nothing. the eagle moved on, decamping back into the soldier's way. "to aid, as you said. if i have no alliance, then i can leverage that for free roaming."

he turned to set his eyes on crowfeather. "we would not have been given leave to stay at the lake if we had been part of another pack."

What Germanicus offered as response was perfectly reasonable. This infuriated Crowfeather for reasons he did not know. Something about the wayward wanderer’s life seemed strange, detached, but he could not see Germanicus matching these descriptors.

No, we would not have, he agreed with a bow of his head. Crowfeather then regarded Germanicus with a steady but fearful expression. I do not think I would have been met the way I had by the Saints if I had not been alone. I think they liked that they could take advantage of me.

This implied several things, which had been his initial reason for holding his tongue. Crowfeather did not think that if he had carried the scent of a group that they would have treated him any different, but perhaps he would have felt stronger.


Do you like to travel? Or to aid more?

but germanicus was not focused upon the question. his mind lay with what crowfeather had said before. "take advantage of you? how?" these were not demands but his voice now lacked the softer edge of their conversation. 

a protectiveness in masquerade as the man gathered his intelligence. crowfeather had mentioned his interaction with the saints before. but this was different. this sparked something in germanicus as he stood by, waiting.

Crowfeather felt fear bubble within him. He looked to Germanicus as his question was left unanswered. The dark wolf feared that he had said something to irritate the older man. In truth, Crowfeather did not wish to give the eagle another reason to doubt his ability to keep up.

Well- they didn’t do anything, the seer clarified, his voice high. But one of them said that he could claim me. He said- the words stuck in the back of his throat. Crowfeather didn’t wish to say this out loud.

He called me beautiful in a way that I did not like. Like a prize to be had. Shame burned in his throat.

the shadow's voice hit a note of crystal in the retelling. germanicus felt his own jaw tense. "the hunt is what drives beasts." his tones were gravel under a hard foot. 

for crowfeather's sake, germanicus softened, letting the anger ebb away in a controlled manner. "why did you not tell me this before?" it did not sound as though it had been a proposition. but it was a threat..

germanicus attempted to find a more centered footing on the matter in the silence that followed.

Crowfeather blinked, taken aback at being referred to something akin to prey. The shadow did not like to imagine himself being hunted by the wolf duo he had met.

Then, Germanicus asked him why he had not said anything about it before. Crowfeather’s lantern gaze fell to his paws. The dark wolf felt the same dreaded shame creep through his belly, tingling his limbs in a way that he despised so strongly.

I-

Crowfeather exhaled through his nose.

I did not want to explain- to explain what his gaze meant to me. The way he called me beautiful.

It was not the first time Crowfeather had been treasured for his looks. The dark wolf did not wish to remember those moments, not even for Germanicus’ sake, not even to grant him answers.

if he found the saint's words to be true, germanicus would not say. but he saw how moved crowfeather had become. he did not want further pressure on the young wolf. "i ask because i wonder now where this woman satsu leads you." into a trap? into another hungry throat? 

the eagle could not fight the harshness of his instincts. but neither could he deny the stricken nature of the shadow's countenance. "we do not need to speak more of what happened." his shoulders caught the light as he pushed forward, on, trotting toward the far edge of the meadow.

Germanicus had an eerie way of voicing many of the doubts that were hidden in the dark wolf. Crowfeather had wondered about Satsu since the first time he had met her. The seer was almost certain she had been a captive, but to discover that her alliance with the Saints was not something she wished to escape was shocking.

Do you think Satsu is trying to do something bad? Would it not be smarter to bolster their numbers? Appeal to wolves like us to join them. Crowfeather felt silly upon asking, only because he did not imagine there were many packs that would actively seek to obtain a member like himself.

Germanicus’ opinion was valuable, and the stoic man had a way of easing Crowfeather’s ruffled nature.

"they have moved to seek war. once it is over, they will be unpredictable."

germanicus paused. "but i have not met her. and i do not want to pass judgement upon her."  yet. the eagle had promised ruenna a report upon this mysterious outpost, and he meant to have it.

entertainments, the shadow had said. the centurion began to circle the notion.

The response was a wise one, as was to be expected. Crowfeather admired how much of this had gone into Germanicus’ consideration. It seemed that the older man had a keen eye for tact in tight situations.

Crowfeather did not know much of war or battle, but he could see that there was a sharpness in Germanicus. This mediation, the game of wander and aid, the lending their numbers where it was wise, all the actions he took were calculated.

I wonder if they will get their war. Did you get any information on the other wolves? Ursus? There was never just one side to these things.

"those who seek conflict will find it," the soldier pondered aloud. it was another of those sayings he had learned along the front. the sort of word which lodged in one's mind. 

he shifted, surveying the air. germanicus could not help but look for the stag again. it was gone. he could not help the sense of melancholy which rose now, and fell into a pensive quietude.

"i know nothing of ursus. only the name. perhaps they too are in the mountains."

The guard’s spoken thought was a worrisome one for the shadow. Perhaps it was something that he lacked, a desire to fight. Crowfeather could not comprehend seeking war to the point that he would enact it on any who crossed him. The dark wolf did not like to imagine he had ever met a wolf that perverse.

What should we do until we can gather details? Should we scout out and try to find those who can provide information?

Crowfeather felt bursting with questions. The thoughts whisked about in his mind like leaves in the wind. The dark young wolf almost could not keep track of them. Gazing at Germanicus' face, Crowfeather wondered if he was becoming a nuisance.

germanicus felt as though he might unravel beneath crowfeather's eyes. "for now we place our focus here. we must determine what they want with this settlement. there is the caldera and brecheliant to think of as well. lady ruenna tells me that the redhawks will not engage in war."

if it came to their borders, germanicus had hope that this notion would change. but the regent had been stalwart in her words as well as her expression. a mediator, if not truly a peace-seeker.

If the Saints want nothing but a war with Ursus, we are not required to step in, right?

This felt foolish to ask but the longer that Crowfeather thought on it, the more he wondered how far they would dare to reach. What was Germanicus' goal in this? The man became more complex with each passing day. 

The soldier would not stay, he would not follow, he would not lead, but he was fine to serve where he saw fit. A vagabond at his finest, Germanicus was. Crowfeather was awed.

"yes. we are not choosing a side. it is only that we must protect where we have been given leave to rest for a while. for now, that includes the caldera and brecheliant."

crowfeather was not a warrior, and yet he seemed to seek the same sort of tactical education that germanicus had been given. as was he way, he was silent once more. the eagle idly followed the semi-fresh trail of a lone hare as he waited for the shadow to speak again.

but his mind was on @Satsu. and the man wondered softly how much of his focus was provided by other factors.

there were voices in the meadow.
satsu had been following a lone cervid, not to hunt it exactly (as she was not equipped to do so), but to observe. perhaps it was a part of a greater whole; this she could report back to pharaoh. they could gather together his playthings and put them to proper work.

she heard one voice mention the saints and that drew her attention first; ursus next, caldera, and as satsu sought to draw closer to those voices she moved in an arc around where the deer lingered. it looked to where she prowled before deciding she was no threat; small and distracted by something, and not moving in a way that suggested danger to it.

the two dark shapes took form. the sun caught upon the silver stippling of a shoulder; satsu looked from one shape to the next, and recognized the smaller wolf immediately as crowfeather?

Omg that was a pretty good magic trick. Pulling a Satsu into this. *o*<3

The shadow nodded as he listened to Germanicus’ answer. It eased the dark wolf to know that they would remain impartial, albeit inclined to help the outside packs when it came to the war. If the Saints sought blood, let them have what they wanted from Ursus. There was no need to involve any of the other settlements.

I think-

Crowfeather’s words stopped short. The tall ears stood stiff atop his head as the familiar voice rang through them.

Satsu! The seer darted forward, tail wagging.

Germanicus, it’s Satsu, Crowfeather called back to the silver guard with a musical yip.

:D

crowfeather did not ask more questions.

the two were suddenly a three as a feminine frame approached them across the meadow. hearing the shadow's name spoken by this particular woman chafed the eagle shamefully.

but he saw swiftly what drew the eye. she was elegantly built with an arresting pair of lambent blue eyes. excitement shimmered around the young wolves. germanicus felt distinctly out of place. "lady satsu," he greeted with a dip of his head. "it is good to finally meet the companion of whom i have been told."

he remained spritely and warm. the fellow that crowfeather traveled with looked like an older, larger version of himself; stippled with gray hairs and vastly more stern.
satsu leaned forward to bow slightly to him.
her own tail gave a few shifts of contentment.
watashi ushiyo desu, she introduced with some formality.
i had not expected to find you first, but i am glad.
she did not want to offend the elder man, but her interest was obviously upon the boy. how rugged he looked! but healthy, and energized.