Lion Head Mesa 家 okaerinasai

in the storeroom had been a compelling blend of honey and berries, left to turn in the cool darkness. pharaoh had plied him with more and more of it. the fermentation compounded within his head. maggie was laughing alongside him, offering meat to settle his stomach.

pharaoh's face cut in and out of shadow. 

germanicus ate the fruit again and this time it flushed him with a great and heady warmth. he heard his own laughter rising among their own, and staggered into the pool after the lithe hips of the harlot.

pharaoh was singing a bawdy and familiar song. germanicus felt that he had lost control of himself. 

he looked about for crowfeather but the shadow was not there. maggie was, however, and she ducked closer to kiss him. she offered the same to pharaoh and then again, giggling, came to germanicus again.

it was not something he would have tolerated were he not himself.

"now to feast," pharaoh declared, and pulled himself from the water. he was only slightly slurred. 

they moved now, to discover crowfeather and satsu in their sedate speaking. maggie did not leave his side. 

the eagle would remain undone long into the night until she spirited him away.

the soldier was easily led and easily plied. ramesses watched gleefully as the roman grew more and more drunk. he watched with great interest the way that maggie persuaded his interest and touched the shoulder, the hip, the cheek of the man with whom she would lay this night. it was as if she saw no others around them.
she was truly skilled.
in the pool, he allowed her to tease them both before pushing her into germanicus' sodden and unknowing arms. to corrupt the imperator who had so insulted him at the gates to akashingo; it was a fitting end.
ramesses lifted his voice in words that described a ribald story and and its obscene details. maggie's laughter was high and devilish. pharaoh glinted and spun.
eventually the dampened entourage made their way to where satsu and crowfeather rested in polite conversation. ramesses filled the room with pronouncements and declared them all caught by hunger. the berries and their unique effect kept him for once from his great jealousy. he spoke gently to crowfeather and sweetly to satsu, glancing often during their meal to where maggie appeared to have captured and subdued the proud eagle of rome.

it sounded as though crowfeather had gone to many places, met many people. most of which were the same as where she'd gone after leaving the strath, and that similarity made her glad. it meant that maybe their paths were meant to converge somewhere - here in akashingo? perhaps.

whether satsu had more to say or not, the menfolk soon returned. their raucous voices carried through the hall; mostly pharaoh who was singing something, followed closely by germanicus, maggie hanging close to him. they smelled of berries.

the mood seemed lighter now between them; ramesses was friendly, his breath hot and sweet. before long germanicus was slipping away - but satsu did not notice, she was busy being charmed by ramesses and his new charm, or listening to crowfeather, until the night slipped away from them all.

The time spent with Satsu was pleasant. The dark wolf was eased into further comfort simply by her familiarity, her kindness, the soft way that she spoke. Crowfeather did not feel as though she judged him when they sat side by side, conversing about the time they had each spent venturing. It was good to have found a friend in her. Good that she accepted his odd nature and did not press him, but instead treated him gently and sweetly.

When the men returned to them, the shadow could not help the way his eyes fell on the pale woman who wove herself around Germanicus like a white worm. The older man seemed as though he had enjoyed himself, which must have been good – why did Crowfeather feel so sick about it? The Pharaoh was joyous in his intoxication, as well, singing songs and speaking gently to Satsu, even to the seer. The man was confusing, frightening.

The dark wolf did what he could to engage with the happy group of wolves. He laughed softly at the words Pharaoh shared. He spoke in hushed tones with Satsu until his tongue had grown tired and his eyes felt heavy. Even still, he could not stop from staring enviously at the white woman and the silver eagle. Their closeness was burned in his mind’s eye.