Totoka River let sleeping frogs lie

Maybe @Eos can hop in? Also assuming that @Eldoris is very close by.

Even though it happened several times in a day, Lethe hated being out of eyesight of his brother. Still, there was food to catch, pisses to take, and exploring that needed to be done. Lethe was currently working on the middle of those options, lifting his leg onto a bush to relieve himself. He remained alert throughout this, keen eyes searching for any mischief makers. Dori had asked him to find food as well, so Lethe went off to procure some from somewhere nearby. He had eaten little since they arrived, having given all of the half-eaten rabbit to his twin.

With the river so close by, Lethe had thought he might be able to dig up some frogs from their hibernation homes. It was a little bit cruel to some, but it was easy food, and they were relatively simple to find. Look for the places where the frogs were likely to live, then get to digging. The success rate wasn't phenomenal, but Lethe had managed to get something out of it about thirty percent of the time. Finding a possible spot, he began to dig at the earth, hoping to uncover some of the resting, squishy animals.

CRASH

As of late, the Sound had been in some turmoil -- and seeking to release the pent up steam of her frustration, Caiaphas engaged herself in a brisk walk. She found herself at the brink of the Tokota River where the swale of dead reeds and heavy silt caught her legs -- the first rendezvous of her and Junior.

A bitter smile struck her features as she recalled the hothead youth -- but the expression was impermanent as she spotted a male deep in the clay-ridden banks, his strong forearms besplattered with mire. Curious as to his intentions, she elected to watch him -- making no care to conceal herself from the swarthy stranger.

Would Lethe be able to smell Eos? :o

After he'd gone down about six or eight inches, Lethe knew there was nothing to be found. He sat back and huffed, a thick cloud of his breath visible in the cold, salty air. He could not go back to Dori empty-handed, though, he knew that. His twin needed to eat. Lethe needed to eat, too. He was beginning to wane, and his less than pristine coat was beginning to reflect that. If they did not settle soon, Lethe worried that they would become even more weak.

Something caught his eye, and Lethe turned to see a peculiar figure lingering nearby. She was silver, save her head, which was dark. It almost looked as if she had stuck her head in the mud and come out looking like that. Lethe had never been the outgoing, social one—that was Dori's job—so he leered at her suspiciously. “What do you want?”

of course!! i didn't mention anything about her being able to smell eos on him bc i wasnt sure if they had reunited

It did not take the well-built male long enough to be astutely aware he was being observed -- and Caiaphas, shameless, continued her rapt attention despite being caught. His leer was met with an ugly contortion of her muzzle in return, though nothing of her posture bade of aggression.

She craned her neck to view the seepage that collected in his hole, though at this distance she could not discern how deep he had dug. His question was met with a shrug - Caiaphas did not want anything, and so, she could not provide an answer. There was no churlishness to her gesture to suggest she was being surly or cheeky, though she eventually forded the silence with an inquiry her own. "Who are you?"

Lethe did not approach, but a waft of her scent was pushed to him by a slight breeze. Eos. Was this one of the wolves whom his sister had settled down with? Did Neris actually know that she was so close by? Did Eldoris have any inclination? An ocean of questions washed through him, and Lethe steadied his mind. “A question for a question,” he replied. “My name is Lethe Scylla. You know my sister, Eos.” That was not a question, but a statement. His sister's scent was too strong to be a mere stranger to the black-headed wraith. He wanted more. To know where his sister had gone. What she was doing.

“Who are you?” he asked in the next breath. “And answer me with your name.” Lethe was not fond of games, and he wanted the information. He knew that Eldoris would want to know, and so did Lethe. They were family, after all. Even if Neris had never been fond of her sister, Lethe had never had a problem with her, even if it was Eldoris that he truly cared for.

Caiaphas had never been one to humor strangers, particularly demanding ones. She shot him a scolding glare as he shortly commanded her to bequeath her name. She was unwilling to acquiesce at first, but he had said a 'question for a question' and this, to Caiaphas, sounded very much like a game.

The broadshouldered male revealed he was Eos' sister -- a truth or lie that caused Caiaphas to study him more closely. He was much bigger than the tawny female that had joined her ranks -- where she seemed lithe and drab, he seemed handsome and mammoth in proportion. "I am Caiaphas." There was not more she could say without betraying her affiliation to the Nereides -- she expected her comrades to be tight lipped and so, had to act accordingly. "Did you lose Eos along the way?"

“Lose?” he repeated. “She left with no hard feelings between us.” At least, none on Lethe's end. He could not speak for all of his siblings... not even Eos. If Eos ever wanted to contact them again, to be friendly with Lethe, he would be open to it. He had no reason to scorn her, and he hoped that she had no reason to scorn him. But women were fickle creatures. Especially sisters. Which was exactly why Lethe was so thankful for his sweet Dori.

“Is she well?” he asked, hoping that the answer was yes. It would pain him to know that she had been hurt in some way. Not as much as it would pain him to hear the same of Eldoris, but it would not be pleasant. Lethe loved all of his siblings. They each had their own lovely qualities.

He answered her dry quip quite plainly, though Caiaphas' large ears flew forward as he said 'us'. She almost instantly queried, refraining as she remembered just in time that they were playing tit-for-tat. There were many things she wished to ask him, and she imagined it was the same. For now, she could entertain his questions -- if he strayed too personal or pried to far, she would end the game then and there.

"She fares well." She answered amicably enough, though somewhat terse in her explanation. "A fine creature." She added in afterthought, her gaze clouding as she remembered the altercation Eos had eagerly and willingly thrown herself into. "Who is us?"

Ah, but Lethe had not meant it in that regard. “Us,” he replied, “Eos and myself.” The others were of no importance here, nor was he quite so keen to go spraying information (lulz) all over this Caiaphas without wringing as much as he could out of her, first. There was something strangely off-putting about his sister's acquaintance (friend? pack-mate? lover?) that the Scylla could not quite pin down. It was an uneasiness, something that drove him to deal with her using a large amount of caution.

“Where may I visit her?” he asked. They could meet here, of course. It could not have been far from wherever Caiaphas lived (and where he assumed Eos lived). If she did not want to see him, she could simply fail to appear. But if Caiaphas was willing to lead him to her, that would be far more convenient. Not, of course, without Eldoris at his side.

Caiaphas did not think Lethe was alone, but he had said otherwise -- and she had no damning evidence to prove his guile. She canted her muzzle to the side and openly inspected him a moment, the sharp glitter of her yellow eyes narrowed in distrust.

She was loathe to lead him to Eos -- and if he had accompaniment, he would be most difficult to take as a captive. As strong as Spyridon was, Caiaphas did not think he could break this male asunder -- and something about the creature suggested he would make a most difficult prisoner. "Here, likely." She said, her tone inferring that her decree was not negotiable. "She does not know you are looking for her?"

I gotta run to boyfriend's house! Thanks for the thread. :D

“No,” he replied, “I was not even aware she was in the area until recently.” "Recently" actually meant the last time he'd seen Neris, but if Caiaphas prodded, he had a backup plan to ease her suspicions. As antisocial as he was, he had learned a thing or two from Dori that he used when he had to. “Tell her I will meet her here in three days. If she does not wish to see me, I will leave her be.” Lethe meant it, too. He had no desire to track down a sister who did not want to be seen. But if she did not even know he was here, how could he know that she did not want to see him.

Caiaphas had gotten the last question, and everything that Lethe had wanted to know from her had been answered. Dipping his head, he slunk off, leaving the silver and dark girl to her own devices. He had hunting to do, and he had given up on frogs for the day. Perhaps the river would prove fertile with fish.

She watched him hawkish and hungry as he shifted and made motion to leave, excusing himself by way of command. Typical males -- as Caiaphas grew more accustomed to the men in the Sound, she grew less tolerant of the men outside it. Eying him with scarcely hidden distaste, she rose to make her leave the same.

With a beguiling smile she answered smoothly: "Of course. I will pass it along." But that was a lie, and Caiaphas knew it. Being a dick was never challenging, and it seemed almost always rewarding: Caiaphas had no intention of reuniting this family, certainly not if it meant the possibility of losing Eos. Without another comment, she was quick to turn on her agile feet and trot back to the Sound.