Heron Lake Plateau now i’m free from what you are

WC: 978

Soon, Niamh told herself. Soon.

Today was the day that Colt and Raven were meant to return from another trip out searching for Ceara, but Niamh had the same sinking feeling she’d had almost every other time they’d left- for some reason, she was losing hope that she would be found, likely because she knew Colt and Raven could only go so far before obligation brought them back to the pack. She wanted to volunteer, but Raven insisted that she go. Niamh might not have been the best wolf to send out anyway, given the fact that her heart wouldn’t really be into it. She would stay, as they needed a strong defense, and Quixote stayed with her so that there was at least one alpha around. Given the situation, though, Colt had gone off with Raven for each of the searching missions because Ceara was his sister, and because he would keep Raven safe.

Needless to say, there was a bounce to Niamh’s step as she left her den which she had just finished tidying up- making it fluffy and warm and soft, and she had left a nice fat rabbit inside for Colt for when he returned. She quite liked the domestic side of life, and sharing everything with Colt. She could hardly wait for him to cross the borders so that she could drag him unceremoniously back toward their den where she’d keep him trapped for as long as possible...A bit selfish? Sure. But they were newlyweds- and all this searching for Ceara business was really ruining what should have been their honeymoon. Of course, she was concerned about Ceara too- but Niamh was a selfish wolf, and she had been wanting a proper honeymoon for ages and wasn’t getting one. Not yet, anyway. She wanted Ceara back in the pack, but her motivation was, of course, selfish.

She’d been strolling along the borders, waiting to pounce her mate as soon as she caught scent of him when the call came up. It was Caiaphas, so immediately, her tail swayed from side to side and her ears perked. She was a proud wolf, and a capable fighter. Niamh had come to bond with Raleska, who was like a smaller version of Caiaphas, though she had yet to find the courage to let go of any self-consciousness she had. Niamh liked the adolescent, and wanted to train her to be an apprentice, the same way Tegan had taken Rory under his wing. Before the message could be interpreted, and in the moment of simply identifying the voice, Niamh felt a rush of energy- maybe there was something that needed to be chased out, and she, of course, would join her. But then came the grim, almost cryptic message that took Niamh some time to decipher.
She was taking it- and there was nothing that she could do to stop her.

Was Caiaphas being defensive over a kill? It didn’t sound like something she’d do to anyone who wouldn’t back off right away anyway. Who in their right mind would have challenged Caiaphas for a kill? But then again...The recipient of the message- and that’s what really worried Niamh- was Raven. Niamh’s ears perked. At first, she wondered if that meant that Caiaphas had caught Raven’s scent, which meant that Raven and Colt were back already, and that she’d found them along a different part of the border, or somewhere else within the pack. At first, she simply felt excited- as it meant that Colt was home...But when she reflected back upon the message, she growled. Anything that Caiaphas had, and was trying to claim for her own, would never be claimed against Raven. Whether it was a kill or a den, anything Raven wanted, technically, Raven could have. But as Niamh thought for a moment, she considered a much more darker meaning behind the message- and when it came to her, she didn’t know what to think.
Caiaphas was challenging Raven for alphaship.

Naturally, this worried Niamh quite a bit. If leadership was decided by physical power alone, she felt that Caiaphas would have the upper hand. Raven was the sort of wolf who led with reason and trust, and Caiaphas...Well, she was a powerful wolf, but she ought to have simply been thankful that she and her two children had been taken in after going through hardships. Now she was challenging for leadership? Niamh was angry, but hurt as well. What would it mean? She didn’t want Caiaphas to win...She didn’t want a battle to happen at all. She didn’t necessarily want to lose Caiaphas from the pack either, as she was a massive asset, and one of their strongest members. And if they lost Caiaphas, they’d lose Raleska and Svalinn too...But if Caiaphas won...No. Niamh gritted her teeth together. She couldn’t allow it. Having finally made her decision, she launched into a gallop and made a beeline toward the area where Caiaphas had called from, and used her sense of smell to pinpoint the female’s location once she’d found it. She rounded on the female, hackles bristling and tail raised above her back. Even though she was challenging for alphaship, she was still of an inferior rank than Niamh, so she felt entitled to stand tall. ”What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” She challenged roughly, a growl in her voice, but a pleading tone too. She didn’t want any of this to happen. She wanted Caiaphas on their side, and she didn’t want to lose the bond she was forming with Raleska. ”Caiaphas, please,” She crooned, and shook her head. ”Stand down. Don’t do this.” In the end, she knew whose side she was on. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t fight just a bit for both.