Ankyra Sound I WOULDN'T SINK LIKE A STONE [mandatory saltwinter meeting]

keeping the beginning vague but this is a mandatory pack meeting - no post order - slight PP assuming everyone is here so we can get the first post out of the way -- now for tags: @Vlad @Rosalyn @Njal @Caoimhe @Kjalarr @Lusca -- @James and @Magnus, tagging you two for visibility since you are in joining thread[s]

following lasher's departure caiaphas immediately went back to the grotto. she counted the wares, inspected the cache -- and she waited until nightfall before issuing a fluting howl that drifted in cacophonous echos from the mouth of the den. by now most of the rogue band would be settling for the night, and she eyed each as they hunkered before her, eyes bright and curious for any explanation.

"salut, friends. it seems we have company on our fine shore." she canted her hips, so the scoremarks that pierced her hide would be visible. "a few days ago, i encountered a strange wolf on our borders. he was a silver agouti with a broad band of red on his muzzle. he called himself captain ferahgo and seemed very keen to learn about the sound. our conversation was cut short as he attempted to attack me when i would not humor his inquiries." her gaze flashed with contempt. "but that is not the worst of it -- after he left, i elected to travel down the strand to see where he had gone. i did not find him -- but instead, around the brim of tokota river i came across the scents of several wolves, ferahgo included. it is clear that is a common ground, but it bears no markings -- the trail grows  cold at the base of the tokota. before i could investigate further i was beset by a large pale wolf, female and from scent alone, a compatriot of ferahgo's. she too attacked me, and left me with these marks." she jutted her gaunt hips forward, her gaze trailing the angry wounds. "it would seem these wolves have settled somewhere along the strand, and are not friendly."

she took a small break, regaining her breath -- it was not custom for her to speak at such length, and she wished to provide her comrades time to digest all she had said. "as if this were not enough, it seems they have also violated donnelaith territory. for those of you that do not know, donnelaith sits south of us, by the sentinels, and is run by an old comrade of mine. they attacked a few of his packmates, and he has reason to believe they are responsible for the death of another." her expression grew increasingly incensed as she spoke. "normally, it would do well to let sleeping dogs lie -- but these dogs have put our survival in jeopardy. and in saltwinter there is only one rule -- and that rule is survival." she stood, her voice bounding from the grotto walls in powerful resonance. "and so, there is only one answer for those who would imperil our lives.. and that answer is death." the coywolf stepped back, allowing others the floor. "now - questions and concerns?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMFtTp-_DtM

Lusca stepped forward, shouldering her way through the sparse crowd that milled with both unfamiliar and overfamiliar faces alike. She kept mostly to herself, and felt no need to make social protocol noises with her mouth. "Uh, hi, concerned person here." She said. "Who knows how many others follow that guy? You don't exactly have battalion at your disposal." Her voice was shaded with pessimism and subtle amusement. The inksplat angled a lingering look over the roster of wolves flanking her, then centered back on Caiaphas, who at this point she abhorred moreso than feared. Lusca was sure as fuck not going to imperil her life to save that of Caiaphas or her peanut gallery of miscreants, though she dared not out herself as a vacated rank. 

If there was anything to be said of the situation, it was that their beloved Alpha had certainly cornered the market of causing aggro amongst the coastal community -- but Luc never swore into the lifestyle and felt entitled to truancy in their little crusade against the recent incursion of Captain Hook and his stickum of The Great Unwashed. 

Cynicism burdened her features. "The sense of community here is messed up. Seriously."  

He had caught the scent of a foreigner upon the salted breeze, but was not quick enough to subvert their approach. Njal appeared in time for Caiaphas' return from the borders and her brief meeting with the other leader, though he wasn't aware of this until she began to gather the ragtag group and begin to speak. He lingered while others appeared; but it was a stranger that spoke up first -- and Njal was silent, listening and yet hardly contemplative as he did so. He was in the same frame of mind as this odd woman, but he did not feel like wasting the energy to voice his concern. Battle was ingrained in him too, so there was a struggle in him briefly. In knowing that he was nearly too old for such adventure, yet wishing for the satisfaction of a good fight, Njal was conflicted.

The sight of Caiaphas' injuries raised the hair on Vlad's back into sharp, salty spikes. Behind the rush of anger was a feeling he remembered from long ago, before Saltwinter and the Bratstvo, and it was not one he had expected to associate with the band of sea-side ruffians. Bitterness cut through it like blue veins in a well-aged cheese, as strong as it was surprising. Caiaphas was only in a position to make demands because he - Vlad, kingmaker, master of deals - had assembled Saltwinter in the first place! It was like taking a pin to an abcess that had been festering for months. Matters of title and hierarchy that had not mattered to him thirty seconds ago rose to the surface and spilled over the edge, manifesting as flattened ears and a quick flash of teeth. Conflicting feelings fought like elements let loose on a freshly fought earth - he needed to vent some steam before the wrong words came out.

Vlad crept stepped back and walked behind the ranks as the Angry Urchin began to complain, reaching her as she spat her final word. He aimed a hard bite at her ass. "Engry oorchin must remembering she geeft," he spat in warning. Anger seemed to clarify his speech. His sharp, yellow eyes turned on Caiaphas. "You meck Vlad naamber two wulf, Vlad fight for naamber one." Even if it would just be the two of them striding into battle.

It took her a bit, but get there she did.  Mutely she listened, though her fur prickled with outrage the more Caiaphas spoke.  Seriously?  They were expected to go to war simply because Caiaphas had happened to run into some other pack's member on a bad day?  Or, even worse, because they had invaded the territory of a friend of hers!?

Shit.  You didn't see her calling for war on the cougar who she'd been unlucky enough to run into. If they hadn't attacked their land, hadn't tried to take anything of theirs, then what was the damn point?

Her ears pinned, but she said nothing.  Likely she wouldn't be in any shape to fight anytime soon anyway, and this was one battle she'd gladly sit out on.  At least the girl who spoke second had half a brain.  Too right, she thought with a little amusement, in no way guilty at being one of those not exactly participating.  When she was well, she'd contributed, and even now she occasioned to scavenging the coast when Vlad wasn't around.  Anythin else was more than necessary.

The call had risen and dutifully Kjalarr answered it with his physical presence, his eyes finding Caiaphas, taking in the wounds she bore with quiet contemplation, though his ears were alert to her speech as she gave it to the rag and tag crew that appeared to make up Saltwinter. Kjalarr did not know any of them beyond the alpha female herself, but there would be time to meet his new pack mates for this was clearly not the time nor the place. He also had a small trip to make to let his family know his decision but it wasn't the time for that either; and he hadn't wished to leave so soon after his acceptance. In the end, he really didn't owe them any kind of explanation because family wasn't what he'd felt like to them. Nevertheless Kjalarr tucked those thoughts away, focusing upon the words that Caiaphas spoke.

His eyes wondered when she spoke of war, and asked for concerns or question of which some had no qualms of jumping to. His eyes went to those that stated their concerns to Caiaphas but he did not raise his voice. It was obvious she saw them as a threat to their survival and thus Kjalarr trusted her judgment as his alpha; besides he didn't want to mess up his chances of living here considering he was so very new to their ranks; and he was eager to please and above all impress.

caiaphas allowed her gaze to slither from wolf to wolf. in some of their eyes she saw dissent -- in others, concern. in a wolf less accustomed to rogues perhaps this would have stirred a firebrand of anger in the sylph's gut -- instead, she felt only a semblance of dejection. it made sense -- each wolf valued their own hides more than their neighbor's. caiaphas was no exception to this rule. she pulled herself upright and her simmering gaze fell on vlad, who was first to speak in a manner that suggested he was not aghast by her speech. his proposition was met with a curved smile -- his ascension into leadership was not a new thought for her, and she answered with a quickness that suggested his proposition was in no way improper. "number two it is." with that, her narrow muzzle rotated and she viewed the rest of her comrades.

"the grotto housed all of you the entire winter. something threatens to sunder it and some of you would rather turn your belly up like a fat seal." she spoke rather blandly despite her comrade's lack of enthusiasm. "i would ask only in return for being housed in the grotto that you guard it as if it were your own." her gaze fell pointedly to the lot that had voiced (and perhaps, not voiced) their oppositions. she was surprised to see that the newest of members was not among those who questioned her judgment.

"when lasher visited me, we agreed he would seek out this pirate captain and see if he would be amenable to forfeiting the life of the wolf that attacked us. even so, there are now three packs along the shore.. which means food will be scarce and we are bound to come across or interact with these 'pirates' soon. it would be risky to march to their coven and declare an all out war -- so i am proposing this: any wolf you see matching the description of the wolves that both attacked myself and those of donnelaith are on a strict kill on sight policy. any wolf that approaches our borders, friendly or otherwise, is to be immediately apprehended or killed if the situation calls for it. we cannot take chances -- not when our survival may be on the line. i called you here because you are my council -- you are free to speak your thoughts, and you are free to leave. i will be traveling to donnelaith tomorrow morning to see the outcome of lasher's meeting with this pirate leader -- which means tomorrow night, we will know if our shore is in peril."

as usual pp liberties always granted to vlad and 'phas.

These incivilities rarely went undisciplined and her flank was quickly laced into by Vlad's teeth; a mean chomp––followed by a threatening message that she more or less chose to tune out––that made her ramp forward with a yelp and scurry to the peripherals of the assembly, alongside Rosalyn.  

Caiaphas carried on with her pleasant Sportpalast speech, implying they were beholden to her and her shores, and it was at this point that Lusca really started to take issue with the state of their affairs. She scoffed with disbelief––she'd rather be a fat, capsized pinniped than a reluctant enlistee to a war she had nothing and wanted nothing to do with. 

"You are free to speak your thoughts, and you are free to leave."

Her eyes illumined. The sable gamin stiffened her neck upright and smoothly interjected: "speak no more, I'll go find the sucker right now." She shifted to step away from the scene, as if she had any intention to actually make good on her pledge.

Is there a posting order? if so I apologize ^^ this shouldn't affect anyone else but I had a bit of time tonight <3

Smack me and I'll delete/repost

Caiaphas seemed to catch on rather speedily that all was not well with her merry band, and without a crew to back her up, she seemed put out. Vlad of course was all about it, vying for rank in exchange. Damn, why didn't I think of that? No, if she took a title, it would be the queen's chair. She eyed the current queen thoughtfully. She just hadn't determined yet if this group was worth leading. Who knew if she ever would.

"If you want us to attack them when they come around here, fine. But I'm not jumping into the snake pit, not for the sake of some pack I don't know nor care about." She said finally, shrugging. They hadn't struck at the sound specifically, so there was no war in her eyes yet. Still, the word 'pirate' set her fur on edge, and brought an inkling of rememberance that she quickly dismissed. She wasn't fond of any pirate who didn't owe their allegiance to her, for she knew what their lot was like. If they came poking, it wouldn't be for a lark, and she'd have no issues dealing with them as Caiaphas suggested.

quietly pulls njal away......

Evidently, Vlad was more attuned to what Caiaphas wanted than anyone else. Njal watched as he reprimanded the female, and then his attention was stolen away by the lilting voice of Rosalyn. He watched her for a moment, but quickly grew bored with the entire affair; he was not going to seek out the strangers on another shore just because Caiaphas said so. Like the others, Njal was disconnected. They were strangers to one another, and he wasn't about to spend his last days defending one group of strangers from another. With a soft sound - something like a grunt - Njal hoisted himself to his feet and began to depart from present company. He followed the route of the chastised girl, and gave a fleeting look to Caiaphas over the din of milling bodies. This was no place for him.

Kjalarr was silent, though observant of what was happening around him, his gaze moving from Caiaphas as others spoke and then left, dissatisfied with her words, with her desires. Confusion furrowed the young Berserker's brow as he watched them leave, though Caiaphas herself had welcomed them to leave if they wished to. While it did not presently seem like the newbies on the shore were of an immediate threat to them presently, it was only natural to worry that it would become a threat; and as far as Kjalarr could see it was better to nip it in the bud before they became a problem. Would the Loðbrok son know what they had done to his father's grave he would have been itching to bring justice in the form of blood; alas he simply agreed with Caiaphas' desire to protect what was hers ...what was theirs and stood resolute to his spot even as other wolves — all of them older than him — made their decision to leave. In his silence were the words he did not need to speak 'I stand with you and I will fight with you. A war might not come of it but if it did he would stand with Saltwinter.

archiving!

in silence she watched each of her comrades - there was nothing left to say. each had made their claim clear -- each had permanently etched an impression in the siren queen's mind about their worth and judgment. with a scoff the siren rose and stalked stiffly after kjalarr. if none would would assist her besides vlad and the lodbrok son, perhaps caiaphas would execute her vengeance some other more wicked and cruel way.