Blackfeather Woods I call to you, Dark Sister

@Nemesis

Burke wasn't really sure how he should do this, but he was just going to go with it. Since Akela's departure there was a hole in the upper rank department. Meaning he didn't have anyone to fall back on. The alpha male wasn't ready to appoint a new Beta. He would probably train Damien for Beta-hood with the idea in mind that he could take over being alpha once he was too old to lead, or if he would die and then Black Feather would have one to follow in his footsteps. 

However, Nemesis loyalty hadn't gone unnoticed. And even though the male wasn't ready for a new Beta he could however I've her a rank of more honor. Yes they had the whole testing procedure but Kove hadn't gone through that either. He was going to make Nemesis a Dark Sister though with one rule that she would work on a specialization. Burke was at Meldresi's keep, where the alpha den had been before. Now it smelled abandoned. It was quite tough to be her but Burke sucked it up. He needed Meldresi's infirmary later for the ritual. 

Burke howled for Nemesis, putting some urgency behind it so she would hurry and he wouldn't need to wait.

After the ordeal with the children, she took a few hours to get her sanity back in place before she reimbursed herself back into the Blackfeather congregation. The whole thing had terrified her to the core and what lay ahead for the two youngsters. But most importantly, she didn't know how to tell Burke. Surly she expected him to be mad, at the least. Whatever else came, she would deal. Most importantly was his trust in her, and she would do anything to ensure it, let it be telling the bitter truth.

As the call rang out, her feet traveled faster than her mind. Burke had summoned her, for what she did not know. Instantly, she panicked. Did Kendra tell him? If so, she only felt dread for what was to come. No, she wouldn't fret. Her loyalty had been placed forever in the pack and it's laws, and shown through her every move. One day, they would come to know who exactly lay in Redgrove, but she would never let them have the image of Meldresi like that, her skeletal remains. 
As she neared the Alpha, all worries evaporated. She would not show such unnecessary emotions that would in no way aid her. "Alpha" Her head dipped in a bow; her submission was something she would not forget. "May I ask what this is about?" The Keep was somewhere she was hesitant to go, for the haunt of Meldresis's presence still struck her. She had no reason to dabble about in the infirmary, she was not sick nor injured. 

It seemed abandoned then, the lack of scents made it feel empty. As if nobody had even remembered the place. With Potema gone as well, she doubted anyone spent much time in it, to her displeasure. Perhaps she would visit it more often, bring it back to life. With logic of her own she had to find her cure anyways, the Keep was her only source of knowledge to what Meldresi used for her remedy.

The call had been urgent, a matter of something important, no doubt. Certain possibilities roamed in her mind but none of which she payed much attention to. To get ahead of herself was something she would not do, no matter how badly she wished it were true.

It didn't take long for Nemesis to arrive. Burke was still clueless about the whole ordeal that happened between her and his young. Though if he would check the redwood then he would probably smell their scents, knowing that Nemesis entered along with his cubs. Burke's mind was on something else right now. He wasn't a priest yet he had to do the initiation like one. The large male greeted Nemesis with a nod. "Nemesis," he spoke. The alpha quirked up his lips a bit. "I was getting to that," he pointed out to her. 

"Follow me," he spoke and then went inside the tunnels. It was only a quick walk. Burke remembered it well when he was getting his brotherhood mark. There was still some red paste left, which he used to apply Kove's mark and his own mark. There was also a red mark on the wall. "Nemesis. You have been very loyal to our pack, and if there is a trespasser you are always there to help kill the wolf. Anyhow. I wanted to reward you for being a loyal member by offering you to join the Brotherhood. I know you worked on joining, and I strongly encourage you finish those recruitments so you can have you specialization." 

Burke wanted her to stay motivated and expand. Maybe once she gotten her specializations she could become the mentor of that branch. Burke was now the mentor of the spy and assassin branch. But maybe it would be nice to help someone help him out with that. That was something for later though.

Her anxious words had been noticed, to her dismay. As she followed Burke, she reminded herself to calm, that anxious actions only led to bad decisions. Yet, the Alpha's mind seemed to be on something else, to her relief. The short walk might have been the most longest of her life, with the course of her future about to be set exactly where she wanted it, how could it not? Once again, the possible theory surfaced in her mind, yet her exterior was kept calm. She had not finished her Dark Sister training, so the possibility of her initiation seemed wary. 

The scent of herbs filled her nostrils as she entered the Keep. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the red pawprint on the wall, the mark of the Dark Brotherhood. Her heart rate increased as she realized the glorious fate that awaited her. Her efforts had been recognised unknowingly, as Burke explained. Rewards was something that never resonated with her, having no idea why she would be praised for carrying out her duty and promise to the pack. But yet, this was an honour. All thoughts of ailment cleared from her conscious as she spoke, her voice clear from any hints on anxiety. 

"All i've wanted is to join the Brotherhood, to serve this pack and what it stands for. To belong in a place that praises darker morals and holds together as a family through that darker times. Thank you," She spoke with pure honesty, her tone clear about what she wanted. "Of course, I have not forgotten my will to become an Assassin. My decision will never waver" She added, without hesitation. The title, while a huge honour, was just a title. She would not be content until she knew it was well earned and her place had been properly fought for. Becoming one with the Brotherhood would open up so much doors for her to expand her horizons, to fulfil and savour her place she was meant to take. Fate had been kind afterall.

Burke nodded as they stood in the rather dark chamber. He knew that Nemesis was worthy of the title since she proved that she could be loyal to the pack. Her being there when there were trespassers and even trying to babysit his children were on of those things that showed that she was versatile and wouldn't deny any task asked from her. Burke liked that the could always count on her. He motioned to the hole in the ground filled with a red paste. He tried to liquify it before he called Nemesis, seeing that it worked he placed his paw into it. "Come closer," he spoke. Trying to remember what Meldresi said to him when he was getting his mark and was allowed to join the brotherhood.

"Before you join the Dark Brotherhood, there are five tenets you have to follow. They are the only rules that a Dark Sister has to follow, without question. One, never dishonor the Night Mother, Mephala. Two, never betray the Dark Brotherhood or its secrets. Three, never disobey or refuse to carry out an order from a Dark Brotherhood superior. Four, never steal the possessions of a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. Five, never kill a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do any of these is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis, the God of Death," he spoke from memory. Burke would never forget his vows to the dark brotherhood. His pale eyes on her as she had to swear her loyalty, which wasn't probably going to be any problem for the dark female.

Nemesis stepped forward, her heart beating faster as Burke pressed his paw into the red paste that would shine against her coat for the rest of her life. She didn't know exactly how it stained and was able to stay mixed into her coat for years to come, but she didn't question it. The mere honour of showing the mark was exhilarating in itself. Many before her had gone through the same initiation, but she would honour the mark till her last breath. She could only assume the former members of the Brotherhood had abandoned its cause or had simply died, for there was only Kove and Burke left; even then, Kove had left the compounds of the dark haven. No, she would never do that. She would rather die than be separated from her home, the Brotherhood and the Blackfeather Woods. She would not abandon her duty, no matter the troubles that faced her. 

She nodded, listening carefully to the rules. At some point, the line about peace between the packmates might have bothered her, but she had changed. Sure, her cold and intimidating exterior to newcomers was less than cordial, but such emotions were expected to anyone who wanted to join Blackfeather of all places. She was simply guarded, but would never harm her packmates. She had made that same mistake before, and had paid dearly for it. "I accept the tenets of the Brotherhood, and never shall I disobey its laws" Clearly, her head was in the right place when she said it. There was already no task she had refused, no matter the safety of her mortal being. From babysitting to spying, she did what she must and no less. The question of her loyalty was one with an honest answer. She seen Blackfeather as the reign of the Teekon, superior to it's neighbors. Her undying loyalty to the Alpha and his pack was unquestionable.

Nemesis was the one wolf that did prove her loyalty. This only proved how many wolves at the borders talked shit about being loyal instead of actually being loyal to a pack. The whole ordeal with Ayana and betraying them was something that hurt the Alpha deep. Since his lack of trust had become even worse. Yet, Nemesis made it better now. She proved that she wanted to be there. Burke have a clear nod. "Welcome to the Brotherhood, Dark Sister Nemesis," he spoke and then lifted his big paw and pressed it against her shoulder. He hoped that it would stick. Usually it had to be redone around each month or so. Burke would have to deal with the paste running out later. 

Burke 'limped' to the small stream that went through the chamber and pressed his red colored foot into it. He didn't want any prints on the floor. He scrubbed his feet a bit against the bottom and then stepped out of it. The alpha quirked up his lips. A smile was rare for him, but Nemesis just gotten one. Maybe she could also become in charge of making the paste. He knew she would give her 110% of doing that. "If you focus on being an assassin that would become useful later, since now I am in charge of mentoring the spy and assassin branch, but if you do the assassination well. You might become mentor of the assassin branch one day."

As the paw was pressed permanently onto her shoulder, she was content. Joining the Brotherhood was her goal since she found Blackfeather and now her work had paid off. Of course, she would still have to prove her worth but in that moment, she believed she could be no happier. Burke's trust in her was something she greatly valued. Other's could turn a blind eye to her but as long as he found her worth and dedication in his pack, she was fine. Though she had failed in keeping his children from the Grove, all she would do was earn her forgiveness and show that she would not fail again. "Thank you" Was all she could muster at that point for she was far too in shock that it had even happened. 

Yet soon, she snapped back into reality as Burke possessed an offer to be the Assassin mentor. She had been working on her social skills, though to be the Assassin mentor, she didn't need to be kind. She needed to know her stuff. At Burke's small smile, she found herself shocked yet returning the pleasantries. "I'd like that. Anything for the Brotherhood," Her voice was without the usual coldness. The assassination was something that didn't weigh heavy on her mind, for she knew that given the order she would do anything without hesitation. It wasn't hard for her to kill nor take an innocent life, the consequence just didn't reach her thought process nor impact her emotionally on any level. If it was said, she would do. 

She knew it was a rare thing for the resilient Alpha to give a smile, as it was very occasion for her to do so also. It was something she would remember, that even though one was surrounded by darkness even a smile was still possible. Smiles were something odd to find directed to her, or at least she believed so. Yet, it seemed to occur way too much in her direction. While Burke was professional, the other one was not. Her mind wandered to the ivory male that had so troubled her thoughts. Even then, she could not understand what exactly had occurred between them and what it all meant. Deciding against the whole experiance, she redirected her focused attention back to Burke. Now what not the time to get into that mess of strange emotions.

Burke gave her a short nod. He would have to get back to his children. The days were getting shorter and as the day grew dark he liked to be around. He didn't want any cougar to snatch them from his den. He battered his pale eyes at Nemesis. "I know Nemesis," he spoke in return on a kind tone. Burke could sound rather cold but lately he had less of that. He only had his calm demeanor. Burke stepped back watching the mark. He knew that she would wear it with pride.

"I will have to go on to the next task of my day. I just wanted you to know that your efforts have been seen," he returned to her. With that said he gave her a nod in goodbye. To be really honest he really didn't want to hang here any moment longer. Maybe he would show Kendra one day, and tell about her mother and how amazing she was. Burke trotted out of the den and went back to his young.

- Burke exit -

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As Burke departed, she stood silent in the Keep for a little while longer. Meldresi's presence still seemed to touch the edges of the alcove, a bit of her in the very walls it stood. Almost instantly, she understood why Burke didn't take anytime staying longer than necessary. He was recovering, while the pack moved on. Those who didn't know the Dark Queen continued on their business, resilient to the heart ache that would have shocked them still. They were lucky, she was lucky. Burke was now a single father and an Alpha. It only pledged her to strive harder and do more, and now she could. One goal complete and more to take it's place.

Soon enough, she dipped out before sniffing around for the familiar scent of her medicine. As she suspected, no scents matched. Her heart sunk even though the conclusion was inevitable. Soon, it would run out and she would be left stranded again. Leaving the Keep to its whispers, she walked on to find the borders once more. For now, all she could do was wait until the sun went down and night consumed her thoughts. Only then would she have peace.