Greatwater Lake some women are lost in the fire, some women are built from it

Qilaq isn’t entirely sure how far she’d gone and, if asked, wouldn’t be able to make her way back. The morning sun shown overhead, illuminating the world in a hazy grey, and she finds herself in an open terrain with the distant sight of blue. She peeks behind her, the trees lost in a far off land of darkness even on the brightest of days. Standing in the sun as it brightens up, she’s filled with a new level of energy. Her legs ache and her stomach rumbles with hunger, but the sun is enough to distract her.

Her gait slows considerably, not having gone this far alone and now she’s certain she’s lost for good. She’d only been searching for her parents when she’d woken up without them. Qilaq takes a slow breath as the water gets closer and soon she’s face planting the muddy bank and just barely does her nose touch the water. The young girl closes her eyes and rests in a mess of wet puddle while her limbs burn from walking.

Leaving the red wolf behind, Doe found herself remembering where it was she ought to be going - the bay, of course. She had a pack there, a lover - and she was Atoll. Den-mother. They would surely miss her, and Sharkbait might be wanting something more to soothe her throat. Slippery elm bark had been found in abundance on this longer trek, and there would be plenty to help the foundling girl.

She stopped short when her musings counjured said child, and Atoll crept toward the weak-scented black ball with trepidation - Skellige would surely be missing this one, if he did not already miss his Atoll!

But Sharkbait is a gold wolf, bigger than this one, the sensible voice reasoned, forcing her to look again and more closely at the child. This one was small and dark; couldn't possibly be Sharky. It seemed silly now to have mistaken them, but already, there were other thoughts on Atoll's mind.

"Hail, little wolf," she said gently, coming up beside the floundering child. "What are you doing out here all on your own?"

Unable to pry her eyes open, Qilaq slumps into the wet soil. The lake water occasionally meets the tips of her lips but it’s barely more than a tickle and certainly not enough to disturb her. The warm sun heats up her dark fur and the ground is warm around her, giving her enough comfort that she can forget some of her hunger for a little bit of sleep. Too tired to do much else, even quench her thirst, her breathing becomes even and slow until a voice startles her awake. 

She fumbles forward, sucking in a breath of water and then sputtering, eyes wide and blurry with an attempt to force herself backwards. Qilaq stumbles over her own feet and plots down, swinging her head toward the source while her sides heave with long, troubled gasps.  The words spoken to her are long gone as she stares with glassy, blown pupils. Her front legs give out from beneath her weight and she hits the ground against, snout burying into the mud as a whimper slips out as a pitiful cry.

Some serious pp going on. Let me know if you want me to change anything at all!

The child's distress urged Atoll out of her inquisitive state of mind - without asking, she plicked the girl out of the mud and carried her up the bank, settling herself on the ground and the child rather fussily between her paws. A low croon - almost a purr - thrummed in her chest as she began to groom the child, tongue laving gently over mud-smeared snout and then more forcfully over her dirty little paws. The peculiar damp-heat of a pup felt good and right against her chest, and she locked her paws around the girl in a gentle but unyielding grasp. Any attempts at escape would be quickly thwarted by the determined female.

When the girl was as clean as Atoll's tongue could make her, her ministrations calmed somewhat, and she sought to learn about the girl once more.

"Where did you come from, little River?" she asked, eyes moving almost critically over the tiny form.

I don't mind!

The girl stiffens when the other wolf comes upon her and she sinks when the woman takes her by the scruff. Still young and easily man-handled, she’s all gangly limbs and undistributed weight and while she doesn’t put up a fight, her rear drags the ground into place where she’s settled. Paws are settled around her and there’s careful strokes of a tongue against her fur, wiping away moisture and mud and adds a comfort she can’t deny. Soon, Qilaq forgets the sudden approach of the other as she hunkers down in her embrace. 

Qilaq’s bath ends and she shifts a little more so she can tuck her legs into herself and sends one glance upward as the other speaks. Her attention doesn’t last long as sleep weighs down her eyelids and her muzzle buries within an unfamiliar grey fur.

Well, Atoll thought to herself, looking down at the dark-furred image of Riverbone that was huddled into her chest, it's not like I can sit here forever. She didn't want to disturb the child's slumber, but she really had to get back to the bay - she'd lost track of time once more, and had no idea how long she'd been gone. For days or for hours, it did not matter. Skellige would probably have made note of her absence right now, and her reception would be twice as bad with the young female in tow.

But still... still. She was too soft and too small to leave here in the great unknown, and Atoll already adored the child's likeness to her alpha - both old and new. Perhaps Skellige would feel the same?

Atoll's eyes slid from the baby girl to the bundle of precious herbs that she needed to take back to her home. One might be there, if she had to come back for it. The other would be vulture food if she left it alone.

Decision made, she scooped the girl up once more and headed for the coast. It would be a long journey, but she was certain she could make it with a few rests in between.

*shamelessly butts in*

Much like the outsider that Damien had been to Nemesis' pregnancy, the Dark Master had not been there to witness the next generation of Spiderlings pop out of his Silencer. He would have been useless anyway, having more than enough hands capable of handling a delivery. Potema, Kove himself. That, of course, in case Nemesis saw herself in need of assistance at all. No, Damien was not needed.

But what was curious was that, instead of the new lives, Damien felt a sudden curiosity for the one that came before them. The dark child, the silent one. Kove had vowed, as well as Nemesis, to keep it as their own, and Damien had allowed it, even though it a good idea; but it didn't cross his mind in the moment what she might feel about the new lives.

And as soon as he asked himself the question, he got an answer. Xivilai was not in the den with Nemesis, and she wasn't around her father either. He didn't know what drove him, but as soon as he realized she was absent, Damien engaged on a desperate attempt to find her, picking up her faint trail and following it blindly out of the shadows of Blackfeather Woods. She had gone far, further than Damien would have expected a child so young to endure, but Damien was lucky to find his way to her, and apparently, some captor.

As soon as he made out the girl's silhouette hanging from the thief, Damien charged like a beast to recover what was his. Xivilai was his, Kove had brought her to him, and he would have her back.

The woman lets her sleep undisturbed for a little bit and she keeps herself tucked between her legs. While she’s off in slumber, she doesn’t have to worry about how far she’d gone or where her parents had been. She doesn’t even get enough time to worry about the hunger in her stomach when sleep was taking over her mind. She yawns once, smacking her  lips a few times and buries herself deeper.

However, later, she’s awoken as the strange picks her up. Her eyes are heavy and her limbs circle into her form as she dangles from her jaws. Oblivious to the world around her, she doesn’t struggle in her grasp and quietly waits to see where they go.

Atoll did not get very far before very dark, very rude figure bowled her over. She dropped the child at once and leapt up with a yowl of displeasure. She abandoned her prize without a second thought, running several yards away before pausing to see what had attacked her, and what had become of Riverbone's daughter.

Understanding came at once when she saw that it was Riverbone himself who had come to take the child from her. Though she'd thought she'd grown past her need of him, his want for the baby girl made her heart ache anew. That he would protect the girl over her and from her made the hurt sink deeper, the pain all the worse. But it was little enough that she could still squash it down and remember that she served a new king, now, and that he would be expecting her home - medicine and all.

Hiding herself in the bushes, Atoll decided that she would wait for Riverbone and his true daughter to depart. She would rescue her herbs from the riverbed, and she would return to the bay. She mourned the loss of father and daughter, but there was still much to be thankful for.

Doe might never again emerge for anyone but Szymon, but Atoll would live to see another day.

Without much effort, Damien got the thief to drop the spiderling and flee in one jump. But before he tended to the child again, the shadow beast made sure to chase after the skittish creature until she was far enough from the child. A growl was added just in case -although it was probably very unnecessary- and his nose flared like a raging bull, daring the female to get near Xivilai again. And once his point was through, Damien returned to check on the child with care.

"Are you ok?" he asked sniffing all around her, looking for any signs of injury, but none were found.

Qilaq drops to the ground with a thud and yelp and it takes a second to realize she’s left alone. The tawny wolf disappears in a blur and greying blue eyes struggle to find her disappear into the brush, pursued by a blur of black fur sweeping by her. Her eyes widened and she scrambles to get to her feet to take a few shaky steps forward for the woman. The child realizes she’s gone, unable to find the unfamiliar female—she’d never seen anyone like that before—and she wanted more, only faced with the large male as he turns back toward. 

He says something and she stares at him for a moment as he gets closer. His sudden arrival on the scene sent a shiver down her spine and another course of panic. She barks, a sound that surprises her, as attempts a lazy run for her former companion. Legs weak and weary from travel and lack of food, she doesn’t get too far from the male before she collapses on the ground again in a saddened heap.

To her surprise, the little river ran not for her father, but toward where Atoll sat in the shadows.

Because this is not Riverbone, and I am his only daughter, she remembered, realizing that she'd fallen into her old traps once again. There was no such thing a Riverbone. Not here.

Already irritated with the black wolf, and emboldened by her worry for the dark child, Atoll emerged from her hiding place and gave a huffy growl.

"Leave her alone!" she snapped, hoping to distract the male. It would be to not end, she knew; she could not hope to fight off this man, and could not escape him with the girl-child in tow. There would be no help for it, but her heart would not allow her not to try. "What did she ever do to you, huh? Why don't you pick on someone your own size!"

@Doe I didn't know if you'd want to post again!
omg I ghost-posted you! sorry! editing!

She tries to run away with a loud yip, and for a moment Damien holds back to see where the child aims to go. His face darkens when he realizes Xivilai is walking towards the thief, and chugs angrily when she drops to the ground in defeat. Pale eyes seek the female once more, this time with a thunderous, but calmer look. Once more he approaches the pup with care, placing himself next to her much smaller body and resting his head over his paws, looking into Xivilai's silver eyes curiously. What did she want?

Once again his nose trails over her figure, bathing her in his warm breath in an attempt to get a reaction out of her, a word, a whine, a cry. Anything. But before anything could come from her, hell came back to take her in the form of the thief. Damien rose, stood over the child once more and warned the female off with a deep, violent growl.

"I will end you if you come any closer," he stood his ground. "She's mine, I came to take her back home," he adds, still casting a shadow over the pup's frail figure.

She doesn’t register Damien’s approach. He remains silent as she stays on the ground, looking across the grass, but there’s a rustling in the distance and the tawny wolf shows up. She snaps back to the other and that’s when her head turns to see the dark wolf nearby. His familiar in scent but beyond that, her memory remains fuzzy. It’s short beyond her parents but she knows she doesn’t like it. Where were they, anyway?

When the dark wolf speaks—something she doesn’t understand but knows the severity—she feels her heart lurch out of her chest. A shadow casts over her and she peers up but during the silence, finds herself looking to the small female in the distance. Qilaq tumbles a few steps forward but comes to a stop a foot or two in front of Damien, uncertain if her legs will keep her up if she kept going forward.

Atoll's eyes flashed at the threat, but she remained where she was, unwilling to test the larger wolf's words or temper. Her eyes strayed sorrowfully toward the girl, but what could she do? And, if she had to make the choice between her life and the girl's happiness, she already knew that she'd choose to live.

Still, she felt a ways off from death. Maybe she couldn't rescue the pup, but she could further plague the wolf who would claim her.

"I don't believe you," Atoll replied, glaring mistrustful daggers at Riverbone's imposter. "She is mine - she is the daughter of Riverbone, and I have come to collect her!"

The words, though earlier refuted, still rang true to the young wolf's ears. Besides, if the imposter truly knew the girl, would she not be happy to see him? Far better it would be for the girl to return to the bay with Atoll.

The wraith did not like to wander far from his pack lands for fear that Ksenia might have gone knocking on his doors while he was away. The numbers that he had gathered in the bay were few, but they were a strong group and were capable of holding down the land while he scoured the outside territories. The scent of Doe had traveled away from their home, and the inky titan had grown curious as to what could have drawn her in that direction. Though he was able to stay to the water, it did not taste of the salty ocean depths and his aggression was beginning to rise upward like bile in his throat.
 
Keeping his head held low toward the earth, the leviathan trudged along the twisting rivers and finally found himself in the presence of a large lake. The brute could only assume that it was the base of the smaller water forms that ran toward the sea. With a quiet huff, Skellige gazed on it and found himself missing the rolling waves of his bay and the company of the Blackrock wolves.
 
A noise drew his attention and the brute turned his head to catch sight of the woman he had been searching for: Doe. His Atoll stood defensively with her sharp muzzle snapping at the figure of a dark male and a small child. The strange man stood towering over the inky whelp, and Skellige wondered faintly what had drawn his witch doctor to this couple. Only the tail end of her words had caught his ear, but the wraith found himself far too curious to leave the situation. He prowled forward with swaying muscles and lifted his skull upward as he drew beside Doe.
 
A savage snarl escaped his parted jaws and he snapped his yellowed canines together threateningly. “You have taken a child from my witch doctor?” he spoke in a guttural tone. The fur along his neck and spine began to bristle and he took a threatening step forward. Two of them would be far better than having Doe attempt to fight this brute on her own.

Setting aside his dislike for forests and other such inland territories, Szymon doggedly followed the scent of his Chosen One and the fresher scent of his Leviathan to a place he had never been before.  His wound was healing as well as could be expected; he had suffered worse, being a Cairn.  The journey did not trouble him — what did trouble him was the scent of a third unwelcome male, bitter and virile.  Doe’s distress was evident in her shrill cry; Szymon knew of her hunger for mothering, heightened since Sharkbait’s arrival on the Blackrock shores.  If she wanted this cub, as Skellige so evidently approved, she would have it.  Sidling up along his brother’s left side, he lowered his head to protect his throat — silent.  Waiting.  His tail lashed his hocks like a whip as he looked obliquely up at the other wolf with seething golden eyes.  With his body tensed in eager readiness he awaited the inevitable spark that would put the events that would no doubt end in bloodshed in motion.

The pup tries to move towards the thief once more, and Damien watches helplessly. He grunts, realizing that she would much rather stay away from him, and looks up at the female to hear her claim Xivilai belongs to her. Conflict kicks in. He growls to warn her off, but knows she can't do anything against him, not if she valued her life at all. For all he knew, the thief could have been speaking the truth, Kove had simply showed up one day with the child, with no explanation as to where he got it from, and decided he wanted to keep it. Perhaps Xivilai was in fact the daughter of riverbone.

But that train of thought was crashed by another, large and muscular, much like Damien himself. His own snarl joined what became a chorus that professed death, and the fur of his nape bristles in anticipation. The weakly thief was one thing, easy to handle, but this brute alone was a strong match to Damien. The question goes unanswered, but the shadow monarch holds his ground. And as though it hadn't been enough, another male one comes to join the thief and her beast. The odds are against Damien, and for as much as he wants to bring the pup back home, the looming possibility that Damien was the actual thief made everything all the less worthy.

He takes two steps back, releasing the pup from his shadow and exposing her to the brute. He never looked away from the wraith, holding on to his pride, but he knew better than to engage in a battle he had no chance to win.

Last one from me, I believe! She's running off toward Wild Berry Meadow.

The smaller wolf objects to Damien and Qilaq stands there on trembling legs. Everything happens quickly and she barely registers where she is or how she'd gotten here. She remembers being awoken by the other and groomed and, if the large wolf would let her, she'd let to curl back up and sleep in another's embrace. The growls and threats overhead amplify her worries and her tremors increase, making it difficult to keep standing. The young puppy sways on her feet, ready to plop down and give up. Always tired, always sleepy, an abnormal life for a child but the girl doesn't know any better.

When another wolf shows up, bristling in anger, she manages to widen her eyes in surprise and a new set of emotions she doesn't like. He stands near the woman that cleaned her up but his posture and harshness leaves her feeling unsettled and she looks to one side for an opening.

It is when the forth wolf arrives that, standing off to one side, that makes her feel cornered and trapped. Her breathing increases and there's a surge of adrenaline pumping through her as life renewed. She lowers her head, forcing all her thoughts on making her legs move, and with the opening that divides the three wolves against one, she runs as fast as her weary legs will allow away from all of them.

Her heart thudded uneasily as she faced down the larger wolf. She shouldn't be doing this, she knew - what would she even say to her family when she got back with a child in tow? This was senseless, unnecessary, dangerous. Atoll knew all that very well, but there was an ache in her chest that would not be denied, and before her laid the very thing she was sure could release the painful pressure.

And then there was a scent on the wind, the thud of paws, a strong voice -

"Skellige," the woman breathed, eyes wide as her king came to champion her cause. For the moment, all other hurts were forgotten and she simply gazed at her master. The little woman's heart was flooded with adoration, and she stood in awe of his power, his greatness. And then, when it felt as though her heart could take no more joy, he appeared, Szymon, her love, her Chosen One! They both stood before her, strong like the sentinels of Donnelaith, unmovable as the arms of stone that embraced their home, and with eyes as cold and savage as the sea.

Her brother and her love stood as gaurdians above her, and Atoll - and Doe had never felt so moved.

The dark child ran, and Atoll thought nothing of chasing right after her. The girl's tormentor would be no match for her own, and Doe would be much more use to the girl than to her packmates.

The strange male did not appear as though he wished to take on all three Blackrock wolves. He offered something of a wary glance toward them and then – without warning – the inky child took off. Pulling his eyesight away from the male who had loomed over her, Skellige turned his skull toward Doe and gestured that she might follow after her child. The male who stood before him was no longer of any interest, and so the wraith did not return the burning stare. Instead, he motioned with his muzzle for Szymon to follow after Doe and tend to the frightened child. There would be no luck in luring her back to the bay if she was fearful of all of them.
 
Offering only a flick of his tail tip, the swarthy sea wolf glanced toward Damien one final time before he turned to depart. The wolf had been wise – he had not provoked the rage of the Blackrock wolves. There was a pricking thought in the recesses of his mind that caused him to wonder how they had been so lucky to walk away with the child in their possession, and how they had not been faced with bloodshed. The only logical reasoning behind it was that Doe was truly meant to watch over the inky pup. It was all that mattered, and so he disappeared from the sight of the confrontation and made his way back toward the waters of his home.