Felltree Marsh The journey begins

It is assumed that Sen would have told Zephyr of their leaving for Rosings and the disbandment. If you want for him to join them, feel free to post. If otherwise, please let me know. @Chusi & @Zephyr Maverick
Others may feel free to pop in, but beware Sen, aha.

Between how low their numbers had fallen and the Saltwinter wolves, Sen had decided that it was time to leave. She'd spoken to Zephyr earlier that day, telling him of her plans before having started to ready her daughter for the long journey. She had met the leaders of another pack a long while ago, and finally the moment had arrived for her to set out to meet them again. After noon had passed, she'd gathered up Chusi and let loose a howl for the older male, informing him of their departure, but otherwise leaving the choice of what he would do to him. Whether if he were to follow or not, she couldn't be bothered to care, her main focus being on getting her kid there safely.

Once the marsh had been reached, Sen had allowed for a short break to be taken, leaving Chusi to sit while the serpentine woman checked out their surroundings. Certain that no trouble was lurking nearby, she'd let herself rest next to her daughter, eyeing the child carefully. "You need to stay close to me at all times, alright, Chusi?" the woman had voiced. "We are going on a journey and there could be monsters waiting to snatch you away from me. You don't want to be eaten by one of the monsters, do you?" She had not traveled away in a long while, and so she knew not what types of wolves might be around.

Chusi was called by her mother. Never had she been taken out by mum. Perhaps mum had finally realized that she wanted to go out and explore. Only that thought held her still as she watched her mother check out what was around them. Her little muzzle went from side to side, desperately trying to see where she was and where they were going. soon though, mum was done spying on the environment and finally payed some attention to her.

She listened carefully, only recognizing a few of the words. Chus chus! She called out as her name was said. Soon though, all cheeriness disappeared from her face to show a very scared little Chusi. Her eyes, who were now the color they would be for life, widened. Monsters not friends! She yelled as she lowered her little body further to the ground. Chusi not want be eaten, Chusi make friends!

Zephyr had talked with Sen earlier about their leaving, and though he was sad to go he knew it was for the best. Rana had vanished, as well as almost if not all of the other Seadogs. Chusi and Sen were all he had left in the world right now, and even if Sen hated his guts he would go for the little pup she was raising. Chusi liked him, so he told himself, and he needed to be there to protect her if she were to need it. 
The dark woman called their departure, and with great strides Zephyr turned and cantered after them. They wouldn't wait, he was sure, for someone who meant very little now. It didn't take him long to find them, slowing and trotting up on the other side of Chusi and flicking his grassy orbs around them. Nobody would hurt them if he had anything to say about it. The ebony brute stayed silent, dipping his head in silent support of the two and simply following.

However cruel her method might have been, it had worked. Something deep within her had twinged upon seeing the terrified expression slip comfortably onto her daughter's face, but quickly had it been waved off in favour of admiring her results. "That's right, the monsters aren't your friends," she'd voiced, lowering herself down so that her gaze was level with the child's. "So you better not leave my side, okay? If you do, the monsters will take you away and trap you in the darkness. If you're lucky, they'll eat you quickly, but if you're not..." With her voice having trailed off, she'd straightened herself back up and shook her head, placing a somber look upon herself in the process. Of course, it was all an act, but a necessary one. This time around, she was not gaining anything through her acting, but was instead giving something back—life. The life of her daughter, whose siblings had since departed from the world.

Zephyr had arrived shortly after that, and it was towards him that the serpent's gaze was drawn. From gloomy to coy, the look in her eyes had change in an instant. "So you're actually coming along?" she voiced, the query obviously rhetorical. "Why?" Though Sen could be close-minded at times, she was not daft. She understood that she'd never been the kindest to the man, and so for him to follow was an interesting development. She was suspicious of his decision, but did not voice her reasoning for why. Instead she'd waited, listening for his answer.

She listened with a terrified face to her mother. She didn't want to be eaten by monsters or be in the darkness. But something popped on in her head. Mum kept her in the dark too, did that mean she was a monster? She was confused, to say the least, and scared. She pulled her body closer together as a shiver ran down her spine. She didn't like to hear about monsters. She wanted to hear stories about colors and butterflies, but it didn't seem that mother could appreciate these things. Chus stay close... She said in a whimper that was somewhat close to a disappointed sigh. Why monsters eat Chus? Why monsters not friends? She questioned softly in a scared tone just before Zephyr arrived.

A big grin appeared on the girl's face as her very best friend came closer. Zephyr come journey? Zephyr not monster? She asked with a smile and cheered softly. She wanted to go to him and play, but mum had said to stay close. What if Zephyr was a monster and she had made friends with one of the beasts that wanted to eat her? did that mean the other monsters could become friends as well? 

Sen seemed almost surprised he was coming, but Chusi greeted him with a grin. Zephyr smiled, tail wagging, and gave answer to Sen before the little one's questions of him being a friend and not monster. 
                 "You two are the only beings in the world I can call friends, and I'm sure its no secret that I do my best to defend you both at every turn. Truth is, I have nothing else. Why NOT come with?"
She was no longer an alpha, he no longer her Gamma. They were, in a way, equals, even though he and the dark woman put the two females above himself. Turning his smile on Chusi, he nodded. 
                              "Zephyr comes, yes Chusi. I'm not a monster and I'd never hurt you."
Quite the opposite, in fact, if she'd been able to understand all his words to her mother. He was there to protect them FROM the monsters, to see them safely to wherever they go. Ruling his own pack was a thought of the past, it seemed: Shadowfax was dead. If fate wanted him to be at the head of a pack again, he would be.

An agreement had been made, yet still there were questions. When did children not voice the thoughts of their curious minds, though? Sen waved her annoyance off, deciding that she could use the query to further strengthen her hold upon the girl. "Monsters like the taste of children that don't listen," the mother revealed. "The worse the kid acts, the tastier they are." She did not mind frightening the girl, having told herself right from the start that it was for her own good. As long as Chusi was afraid, she would not wander, and she would not lose yet another child. She would be able to witness the growth of her daughter, all the while grooming her to be something that the Gorgon could use. "Monsters don't like making friends, Chusi. They'll pretend to be your friend, lure you over to them, but that's when their jaws will clamp down around your throat." Just as if they were on a hunt.

When the male had arrived, the girl's attention was stolen away. And though the questions had not been meant for her, Sen had answered anyways. "Zephyr isn't a monster, he exists to serve you and me," was her reply, eyes never leaving the smaller shadow. Only when the other had started to speak did she look back towards him, her expression unchanging. "We aren't friends," was her correction, having been swiftly delivered with a hardened stare. But that was where she'd left it, having nothing to say about his choice to accompany them. Sure, it might be nice to have another set of eyes upon her daughter but, even after so long, she still didn't trust him—not fully, anyways.

With big eyes Chusi watched her mother explain. She was confused. How can a kid be tasty? Chusi wasn't tasty at all when she nibbled on her own paw at night when she couldn't sleep. And she didn't really behave, at least, not in mum's eyes. For a short amount of time she wondered if it was really true what her mother was saying, but she soon shook that thought away. Mother was mother, she wouldn't lie to a helpless, scared girl, right? Monster my friend, I eat monster. She responded, meaning that she would kill the monster before it could hurt her. That way she could be friends with the monster for a short while, which was all she wanted.

She listened to the two adults, confirming both that Zephyr wasn't a monster. Good, that was she didn't have to be scared of him. Still there lingered a question on the top of her tongue. Mum monster? She asked as her attention shifted to the dark form that was her mother. It wasn't an insult, she thought, just a question to be sure.

While Chusi seemed content to keep asking of the monsters, her mother shot him a hard glare, deeming him no more than the help. As if that weren't hurtful enough, she said they weren't friends, effectively crushing what comfort he had left. If only Rana were here.... Where had she gone off to?
Silent, Zephyr kept his agony within. Sen clearly wouldn't care, and Chusi was too young to be burdened with it even if she was to understand. SHE was his friend, right? 
Rethinking his decision to follow these two, the ebony brute stayed close to the females. He'd stay with them for now, make sure they had somewhere safe to be. Then perhaps he'd live as a loner for a while? Who knows. At this point, everything was too hectic to make a decision like that. He'd told himself he'd talk to Sen and propose a co-leadership deal with her, and yet here they were loners again, their lands overrun with Saltwinter wolves. Hell, maybe he shoulve joined THEM. They were doing good for themselves.

The girl had insisted that the monsters would become her friends, and then went so far as to suggest that she'd be the one to eat them. It was amusing, though Sen's face never did betray such thoughts. She knew that, depending on the type of wolf that they might meet, Chusi wouldn't stand a chance. The girl could be torn to pieces and then strewn across the earth as if she were nothing. A child she was, and weak was her body because of that. All of this was not explained to the girl, of course, a simple sentence having been settled on instead. "You won't make friends with the monsters, and you won't be able to eat them." It was as simple as that.

A question was asked, towards which the woman shook her head. "I'm not a monster, Chusi, not always," she voiced, working to explain herself in a way that the child might understand. "When I am, it's to keep you safe. I can't let what happened to Sao happened to you, too." The Gorgon women were proud creatures, always standing up for what they believed in and stationing themselves above the rest of the world. They were arrogant, they were selfish, but they looked out for one another, and she had failed by letting her daughter be taken away. The same would not happen to the one that remained, she would not allow it.

"Rest for now. We'll begin moving again after you've slept," decided the woman, settling herself down and motioning for the girl to approach. After the child had received the necessary amount of rest, their journey to Rosings would be continued.

Last post from me. You can fade with your post and then archive, Marie.

Short post to wrap this up!

She mumbled something that resembled an annoyed little insult. It was her future, she decided what she could and couldn't do- and for now she was hungry for friendship with the monsters and their flesh. She heard her stomach rumble a bit, but didn't dare say anything. She wasn't paying attention anymore, instead settling snuggled against her mother's soft fur, getting ready to fall asleep. Night night... She said sleepily and soon drifted off to her own little world.