Redtail Rise to science

the pups have grown, strong and steady. and with the exception of insolent little Atreus—and that was unfair of her, as even he'd fought off an intruder once—they've all been productive members of the Rise's community.

now, she intends to gather them together for what's next.

Avicus leaves out Atreus for now, intending to seek him out one-on-one for her own personal come-to-Jesus conversation. standing at the center of the rendezvous, she calls for @Masquerade, @Redd, @Ancelin — the huntress's children still short of age for this — and also @Reki and @Lilia, who have, to her satisfaction, remained here.

and her brutish boy Relic, of course, who she greets upon arrival with a tongue along the mussed crown of his head. he ducks away from her and she half-smiles, admiring instead his musculature and innate ferocity.

while she waits, her tail moves slowly behind her, metronomic.

Redd flowed silently as always towards her leader's call.  This was what Avicus was - leader first, mother distant second.  The only distinctions she drew of family were those of siblings, but even these lines only existed when others had drawn them first.  Ancelin was slowly broaching the bounds.

She slipped alongside Relic, but did not reach for Avicus' chin yet.  Something was needed and her way of deferring was to watch, carefully, and wait as this was made known.  Whatever it was, she would provide.

There would be some here she had mostly ignored thus far.  She would continue to until she saw reason to do otherwise - the things they did interested her far less than the lessons she could learn from others.

Once she had conveyed enough meat to equalize the two stockpiles, Masquerade decided to retire to the rendezvous site to rest a while. She slipped beneath her favorite evergreen, panting a little from the morning’s exertions. Once her breath settled, she stretched out with a groan and fell asleep.

Avicus’s call jarred her out of sleep. It came from so close by, her ears kept ringing even as she slithered from underneath the fragrant boughs. Her mother stood in the middle of the clearing, her brother and sister flanking the Wealda. Masquerade blinked and slunk closer to the three of them, head and tail drooping low in deference.

When she came close enough, she bumped against Relic and Redd, then nosed at Avicus’s jaw, a mild questioning noise slipping loose from her rouge muzzle.

He was, of course, attending the princess. By attending one might imagine the boy was a wait-servant, or a squire of some sort, but in this instance it was the simple act of keeping Lilia company while she told some story at length about the virtues of her station. Reki wasn't really listening that closely, so when the call came for the children to assemble at the rendezvous, he was quick to cut in to Lilia's speech and urge her along.

When he arrived he spotted Red Face first, then one of the other children - someone he hadn't personally spent time with, and so he did not know their name - and he gave this other child a queer look, before passing a quick smile to Masque, and settling in among the kids, facing Avicus. He looked over his shoulder once for Lilia, but otherwise was affixed to one spot.

Lilia grew stronger with each day, thanks to the care she was given by Prophet as well as the others who tended to her. She’d not yet regained her strength or found the weight she’d lost, but she looked in better spirits. Skinny, a bit unsteady from muscle atrophy, but clean and bright-eyed.

Reki was a regular visitor, her closest friend. Dependable and willing to cater to her whims and tolerate her fits- he made a perfect squire. 

He led the way, and she followed toward the call, slightly nervous about having to meet the true leader of the pack. Her claim as princess did not stand here, though she had won the loyalty and friendship of a few other youths. She would have to impress the queen in order to barter for cause. 

She lifted her chin slightly and did her best to move with grace as she approached the group. She recognized Masque, and gave the selfless girl a warm smile and a nod. Ancelin was not yet among those called, but she made note of the others, strangers she did not recognize. She sat, prim, beside Reki. She curled her tail about her paws, hoping nobody would stare at the girl among them who still showed rib and hip juts. 

To the leader, she offered a bow of her head before she sat, still and proper, waiting for the meeting to begin.

leelee was the only unrelated girl among them. everyone else were cousins by blood. it was not that ancelin wanted to other her, it was that her origins were unknown to him, unlike the way he basically knew everyone else had been born here.
so he looked around for her as soon as he arrived to his aunt's call, bounding to lick her jawline. 
only belatedly did ancelin realize his brother had not been called — and wilted a little.

Redd is a curiosity, a mix of her fierce nature and Aventus's (perceived, at least by her) aloofness. she remains at a distance, while Masque greets her warmly, and she, in turn, gives her daughter a brusque nuzzle before sending her off to stand with her siblings.

only Ancelin is physically friendly with her after that; the others are present but distant, which makes sense, given their relationships were just that.

she hopes to change that, to forge loyalty within them. to entice them to stay.

you are growing, Avicus addresses them, once all salutations had been made. you all have a. . .parhh' 'uh play here. warrior, hunh'er. we needh 'hhat.

her indigo eyes wander through the group of youngsters, meeting each of their gazes in turn. whi'hh are you? wha' will you become?

Avicus has always known what she is. a hunter, a fighter, a killer.

she wonders if they will have the same certainty, or if they may balk at the question—and a rogue sapling of doubt within her heart knows that some—even of her own blood—will, indeed, balk.

She watched Avicus as she spoke. Her attention was eerily still, but her mind was set as soon as the options were laid out before her. She would be all of them. She was an extension of the pack, a tool to be used in its defense and betterment. It was a place she enjoyed for now - for as long as those wielding her were worthy.

Her answer was a low growl of affirmation. She was more interested in what the others chose. She did not see her sister as less for the way she seemed to hesitate, or the fears she showed. Redd would kill for them both, and for any others who did not wish to join the hunt.

Avicus nudged her aside and Masquerade hovered near her litter mates, silently watching the others as they arrived. Reki came first, shooting her a fleeting smile. Her own expression remained impassive, though she waved her tail at him. She offered the same to Lilia, though she didn’t favor her own cousin with anything but a polite aversion of her gaze altogether.

The Wealda soon commanded the group’s attention. Masque slowly reclined onto her haunches as Avicus spoke to the gathered youths, explaining that there were expectations to be met. For once in her life, the Toweard felt her backbone straighten with something like confidence. She didn’t even have to think about it. Masque knew perfectly well what role she would assume, what role she had already grabbed by the antlers horns.

Hunter, she said in a clear but quiet voice pitched deeper than many a man’s.

The other kids didn't speak up. It was Red Face that started, and she said a word with her weighted voice that Reki had heard but didn't understand, not really. He did not know the differences between hunters and warriors and was too young to really choose anything.

But he didn't want to disappoint the lady. He also didn't want anyone to think less of him for being so quiet. With a shy shuffling of his toes in the dirt, and a tipped-down nose, Reki thought about it.

Flowers. I like... I like flowers. It felt silly to say out loud. It wasn't what the lady wanted to hear, but it was the truth.

ancelin looked around for atreus automatically before he remembered, right. he focused on his aunt and how she was asking what they wanted to do. redd didn't answer, but masque did in that deep-ass voice.
the boy reki spoke up too, but it was a weird thing to say. but not bad weird. he wondered why the other'd said that.
ancelin knew. he wanted to do both, but for now he said, "warrior."

The lady spoke- and Lilia’s ears perked. Like the young girl, the leader’s speech had a flaw. Still, she led the pack, and Lilia assumed it was without any others commenting on the way she talked. Her confidence was boosted, and she regarded the queen with a level, appeased gaze. 

They were asked for their role assignments, and were offered but two trades. Lilia approved of neither of them. Hunter? That was for the low-ranked wolves. Absolutely important, but beneath her. And as for becoming a warrior, it was messy business. 

The others replied. A growl followed- the reddish youth with the hawkish gaze. Lilia assumed she meant to claim herself as a warrior. She smiled faintly and gave a light nod of acknowledgement when Masque’s deep voice proclaimed the trade of hunter. No surprise there. 

Reki would be unique, his gentle mien pulling a tender heartstring in her when he declared that he liked flowers. She, too, liked flowers. As he said he liked them, she assumed perhaps he intended to flatter her as well- she was a fair little blossom herself. 

Ancelin would make a fine warrior, she thought. A noble knight. As for herself, the last to speak:

”I’n a pintheth. Thomeday I’ll be a queen.”

her savage daughter remains silent, and Avicus wonders if she will be most like Astara—wordless, speaking only with action. Masquerade chimes in; she's surprised by the depth of her tone, but gives her a small, quick smile at her assured answer.

"flowers," says Reki, and she supresses a snort. like his presumed father, this one. Ancelin a little warrior—in his blood, after all—and then Lilia answers with something that has her taken aback.

it's a childish lisp, though she wonders if there's something wrong with the girl's mouth, like her own. 

but then there is the fact that she'd never be a queen here.

of course, Avicus would leave that unsaid for now, giving the young castaway a gentle nod in response.

a queen will needh'a learn fighh'ing, she informs Lilia, raising her head and giving the girl an austere stare. she gestures toward Ancelin with her muzzle. maybe you can 'llearn from him.

our healer can 'hhell you abouhh' flower, Avicus addresses Reki next. 

an' you? she asks Redd, the only one who hasn't spoken.

None of them earn a look from her until the last.  Lilia she studies, staring long enough to be considered more than rude.  This girl was hardly pack and considered herself to lead.  She said nothing but her gaze was coldly neutral.  Redd followed one leader and doubted another would impress her.  Lilia would fail in her objective.

Her unfeeling analysis was interrupted when she was asked to clarify.  Redd's stare moved to her mother, an answer now directly asked for.  She was silent a long moment, wondering why her previous one had not spoken for itself.  Clearly she would fill whatever role was required.  She was capable enough and the skills were not isolated.

She would not ignore a question from Avicus.

Both.  It was the first word she'd ever spoken aloud.  It fit awkwardly within her mouth, just as she'd always known it would, but her tone was firm and clear despite a lower volume.  She would not choose a preference.  Avicus could place her if she wished.

One by one, the youths fielded the question. Masquerade found herself smiling as each voice chimed in, though it slipped at Lilia’s answer. Masque glanced at Avicus, who took the response in stride. Her eyes then cut to Relic and Redd, who were both staring intensely at Lilia. The answer had inexplicably rubbed her the wrong way, and though she didn’t understand why, her litter mates’ expressions reassured her.

Then Redd spoke and Masque forgot all about Lilia. The small smile returned to her face and her tail thumped as she bent toward her sister, bumping her chin with her muzzle. The exchange was brief but as Masque pulled away, an errant thought drifted through her mind: if anyone here was destined to be queen in Avicus’s stead, it was Redd.

a princess! but that wasn't one of the options! ancelin still stared curiously between lilia and then his cousin. 
he wanted to do both too! but — well, could he? awe and surprise flooded his expression. he set his eyes on his red aunt as she spoke. 
lilia was very bold! ancelin hadn't the faintest concept of queens, except that it seemed to be on top. and avicus was the one on top. he gazed at the self-named princess with a child's unawareness, then swelled a bit when he was tapped to train her.
this time ancelin had a smile and a thump of his tail for the gathering, aware of the tension in his cousins but focused upon the fact he had gotten avicus' nod of approval.

Fighting. So, if she learned how to fight, she could be a queen. She did not guess that there were some who would not support her. She took the instruction and sat a bit straighter. In her mind, being given a bit of instruction meant that being a queen was actually in the cards for her. She firmed up her lips, and nodded diligently. She'd learn how to fight. Just so that none could challenge her...Her goal, of course, was to have those who would simply fight for her, but it couldn't hurt to be a badass on her own as well. 

And with Ancelin as her tutor? She glanced his way, to see how pleased he looked at being paired up with her. She gave him a toothy grin and nodded, accepting the assignment. She was pleased, too, that Reki's suggestion was also given some attention as well. He could definitely learn to be a healer- they'd need a healer, if their warriors got in any fights defending their home. The gruff, quiet one spoke, but Lilia wasn't terribly interested in anyone she didn't already know.

goodh, Avicus replies to her red daughter, teeth gleaming in a half-smile. her gaze flashes from one young wolf to the next, then the next—

her mouth firms. fighh', she commands them. 'hhrain. 'hhlearn.

Redd, both. the rest of them, warriors. except for—

Reki, she remarks, eyes lighting upon Ashlar's soft child. go fine' Ahh'lar, Avicus says, trying to pronounce her healer's name as best as possible. he will 'hheahh you.

but the rest. . .

fighh', Avicus says again. you muhh' know how.

with that, she leaves the young'uns to their own arena, to spar and to quarrel, her ruddy form disappearing across the hillocks of the rise.

Avi out! feel free to continue or fade!

Redd growled when the girl lifted her muzzle, a threatening sound that started with a rumble in her chest.  She accepted the approval of her statement, but now that it was decided, her focus had turned to the one who insisted on reaching above.  She had no claim by which to seek it yet.

Redd would watch her.  She would accept no dominance over herself or her siblings until Avicus willed it.

For now there was only the burning gaze, laser targeted, before she turned and acknowledged Masquerade with a returned gesture. She would move off at her side and wouldn't test things now.  There would be time for it later.

Avicus left the children with a few final words, each a clipped command: “Fight. Train. Learn.” Masquerade slowly bobbed her head, not even aware of it, but ever aspiring to meet her mother’s high expectations.

Not so long ago, Masque had obliged Lilia’s request for food. She took pleasure in looking after the pack’s younger members and sharing her spoils. But her brother’s and sister’s intense stares and Redd’s warning growl in particular established a hierarchy among the youths. Masque would similarly aspire not to disappoint her sister, whose approval meant nearly as much as Avicus’s.

Masquerade turned and retreated after Redd, perfectly content to be the second to her sister’s first. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Relic might come too, Avicus’s three firstborns moving out of sight like a well-oiled machine.

last for me! <3

fighting. fighting was what mattered. he watched his aunt leave, watched his cousins move off like the elegant hunters they were all becoming. ancelin looked at lilia now.
he stretched, flexing the little muscles that were becoming harder as the days went on. "i want to do both."
it felt like a secret. ancelin jerked his head. "come on if you want. i'm hungry." some part of him was jealous of the bond shared by redd and masque. atreus had drifted away from him. "we'll go see what we can find." his eyes were mischievous, hiding a hurting heart. the boy would move off in the next second.

last post as well :)

Lilia did her best to ignore the stark looks she got from the quiet, growly girl and Masque. She felt lightly betrayed- Masque had been so nice to her before, but now, all of a sudden, she shirked her position as one of Lilia's fans. It didn't occur to her that she'd ruffled the feathers of the other youths by stating that she wanted to be a queen someday. It was the truth; they'd have to face up to that. 

Ancelin, meanwhile, continued to be a doll and included her in on his plans. "I thinl you would be gweat at both." She was willing to stoke his confidence. Being included primed her own ego, and after giving her pelt a light shake, she moved to his side. "Let-th go get thomethin' to eat," She gave him a hungry, toothy grin. She was eager to be fed, of course, but also starving to prove herself.