Dragoncrest Cliffs Wait for me to come home.
bury all your secrets in my skin
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Set the day after the attack on Raleska, not really sure of the outcome there but I wanted a thread with my sister.  <3

Hougeda welcomed its children home with open arms and Dacio, with his muscles aflame and bones aching, was glad for the comfort it provided. He slumped to the cool stone and set about tending to @Opalia immediately, nosing and licking carefully at the wounds she may struggle to reach.

Their enemies would no doubt seek revenge for his decision to attack the Alpha's daughter, continuing a vicious cycle of wrongdoing. It was a choice he made without thought, one he knew now had been rash and foolish. He was so bloodthirsty when it came to Rusalka and when the opportunity presented itself in the form of one closest to its leader, Dacio could not turn away. Finally he had gotten his fangs in Rusalka hide, tasted their blood on his tongue and, miraculously, lived to see another day.

The fight had returned his sister to him too, despite the chance that he could just as easily have lost her. "We should go," the young Drakru told her when they roused that morning, stiff and sore from the previous evening's drama, "they'll know to find us here." Truthfully, he was surprised they hadn't sent a hunting party by now and rose his tired eyes to meet Opalia's own.
"Trigedasleng" "common"
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Relishing in a little Rusalkan bloodshed, the pair had retreated. Circumstance along the way had panned out a little unexpectedly, but Opalia had ended up in her inevitable destination of Dragoncrest. Being able to do so with Dacio at her side was a bonus, but one she was keen to enjoy right now--especially now needing to keep her guards up and nurse a few hurts in the meantime. But, to her, it was all worth it, and she felt no remorse for any teeth either of them had thrown around last night.

All things considered, she was in good spirits that morning, though the possibility that her brother spoke on slicked back her ears, urging up some dismay as her thoughts eventually drifted to Rusalka's proximity. I know, I hate it, but.. she grumbled in their most familiar tongue. Here in the shelter of hougeda, it all felt too right to get to last. Where do we go if not here? she asked, attempting to gauge his thoughts on it, especially after traveling back himself. Before this I was scouting south down the coastline and it was going alright enough. Kiwi's band scattered, too.. That had been it, really, essentially leaving her with very few ties to anything except her own interests.
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He lowered his head, sweeping his salmon pink tongue across a raw sore where someone had managed to puncture an upper limb with their fangs, though kept a charcoal ear trained on his sister. Opalia spoke up, agreeing that it would be a bad idea to hang around Dragoncrest for too long, though she was not thrilled at the idea of uprooting. The cliffs were their birthplace, the resting place of their mother, their home. It was unfair that their enemy's proximity meant they had to be careful.

"I don't know," Dacio said, grey-green eyes lifting to seek the wolfess' features as he rose his crown once more. She spoke of her time venturing further down the cost in his absence, perhaps suggesting that she may wish to continue this scouting trip. The sterling yearling wasn't sure, and the competative part of him that yearned to lead did not approve of the idea of following Opalia, but he bit back his arrogance with a curious lift of his brow. "Did you find anything worth checking out?"

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It would be far too convenient if they could simply rest peacefully here, then leave at their own convenience when the time was right. She hated that every thought here had to be even slightly overshadowed by anything to do with Rusalka. It wasn't fair, and as the moons went on, she was certain that this fact was never going to change. Even aching thanks to their retaliations against the Drakru shit-stirring, she could still stand by this belief--even in accepting what she had to.

As for the worth in what she had seen down the coast, she wanted to have more to give but what she did have was knowledge at best. She paused her own grooming and watched her brother carefully as she shared. Not really, though the hunts stayed good and I liked the places.. Saw a couple of strangers, but no packs. Only a few places with more wolf traffic than others at best... she sighed frankly. Not as far as I went anyway, because who knew what still lay beyond that. I guess I liked being near the ocean most of all. she huffed, and set her head down on her forelegs to relieve some of the tension in her neck. What was inland like on your way? the yearling asked.
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Dacio hoisted himself into a seated position, groaning at the tightness of his sore shoulders, and hunched them to better stretch the muscles there. His sister shared details of what little she had seen along the coast and he twitched a charcoal ear in quiet contemplation.

Soon, Winter would be upon them, and life as a dispersal pair had been trying enough in the Summer months. Drageda had supported them through their first cold season as juveniles, but to face the first as an adult without a pack was intimidating. "It was..." he paused, recalling the various sights he'd seen on his way to regroup with their family, "different." Dacio, a creature of habit and too stubborn to change his opinion, was not willing to believe anything could compare to their beloved shores.

He looked at Opalia, studied the sharpness of her champagne features to see subtle similarities to how he recalled their mother's face. In that fleeting moment he pondered if Sequoia might better resemble the fallen Fisa, before he turned his face away to mask the frown that threatened to sour him; natrona was not worth his thoughts. "I think we need to give some thought to settling somewhere before the snows fall," he said, knowing his sibling wouldn't like the idea of anything but a real kru just as he did, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "Maybe the mountains? We could spend a few months on the slopes until the thaw comes, I doubt Rusalka dogs would ever think to find us there."

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Eager to hear more, she tipped forward her ears, but they soon swung back outwards into a new splay as new questions rushed to the forefront. Different good? Or no? she asked, attempting for a better feel of such a vague answer, if he truly had any leaning one way or another though. He seemed to imply that maybe it didn't quite suit him. Maybe his travels had simply taken precedent.

But, his next suggestion was not so far from what she had considered before too, quietly, alone in her moments of doubt wandering the vast stretches of empty coast with nothing to show for it. Visiting the thought now with him returned did shed some new light on it for her, and maybe with this, she could be more assured in the choices to be made--and together they could always feel out their options as a duo. Yeah... I think we may not have a choice, eventually, she sighed, for she didn't like it, but they all knew this. It was a harsh truth to face when her heart wanted to pull elsewhere sometimes.

As for the mountains? Outwardly, her expression was largely down-turned still, but she was considering this without feeling immediately unnerved, upset, and repulsed. So, maybe that could be a chance for them, and given the bit about Rusalka not anticipating a move like that--she did lift up her chin up again to nod, though the gesture was low and small. She liked encouragement like that. We could always go see. I know Elysium is at the beginning of the range--Aurë had friends there, but past that--no idea. Surely something.. Right? the little cant to her head seemed to say.  It might be good to let them get their guards down and we can train wherever, surely. Maybe winter will only weaken them more. They always smell different when I pass by--shady bastards, the Drakru growled regarding Rusalka with contempt but past that, maybe they had some kind of plan to follow now.

Anyway, she sighed again and settled back down again to enjoy the vague sort of hope she could have. Honestly, I feel better about heading inland knowing Kiwi's thing is probably gone or really weakened, too. Before I went south, I heard someone howl a claim from here.. so when I went to see it was some big silver male saying he was doing it for Kiwi, but they never followed through, obviously.. she rolled her eyes, as neither of them had scented anyone's marks on their way in yet; just stale traffic, and assortments. She wanted her brother to know this because she could scheme openly to his ears and it was in his best interests somehow, she sensed.
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He lifted a shoulder, rolled the lean and tight muscles in a shrug. "Just different," he said, not sure what his sister wanted to hear. Dacio's journey had been as short as he could make it, a strong yearning to be by his own shores cutting time for any real sight-seeing. He'd passed through rugged terrain and dense forest, but his stubborn heart failed to see beauty in anything else when it yearned for the openness of the vast seas.

"What's left of Drageda are doing well as can be expected, though. I filled them in on our plan to linger here for a while and Heda supports the cause," he offered, still feeling it strange to call anyone but Thuringwethil by such a title. Life went on though, he'd learned, and what good was an army without its commander? "Reinforcements may come if we secure land and make the progress expected." Dacio, young and impulsive, a warrior, lacked the charisma one might need to be Wormana, but felt he needed some semblance of power to see their goal through. "Father asked that I send his love to you."

A small smile for her then, warm anod encouraging to mask the very real concern he held for their aging sire.

Kiwi had reminded Dacio so fiercely of himself that he'd almost warmed to her despite the title of natrona that she would always carry, and it was disappointing to see that her own band had been unable to hold their claim on the mountain just as he failed to take the grotto. Still, he took some comfort in her downfall, for their was no honour in standing alongside a traitor.

"To Elysium, then," he was swift to suggest, eager to explore their options at Opalia's recommendation. He recalled how she'd visited their territory with Aure once, having found it odd that a pack would invite outsiders among their own kin. Dacio, thirsty for structure and strength, knew he couldn't live among wolves who trusted so easily, but his littermate had hatched a golden idea that he might be able to use them to his advantage.
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Just different, then.. and her mismatched eyes roved over the features of his face first as he told her about Drageda's former wolves. She was intent, all ears, but stinging with a low sadness. Had she gone with them, that could have been her there, too.

But, not only that--she was honestly relieved to hear that Heda approved of their wayward state and enough to potentially send reinforcements if they needed. For a beat, Opalia didn't know what to say about that. That's good, she breathed after a pause, then swiftly considered their father somberly. I miss him. Everyone really.. she said. That wasn't always something she liked to think about, but evidently it was not yet enough to drive her back to his side.

Alright. We can check them out, she shrugged. I met Lily there.. before. The rest of the pack then seemed quiet. But it still didn't feel that far from the coast, and therefore, Rusalka. But they could measure the distance for themselves on the way there. With that it was as good as settled for a next move, once they had the chance to rest up a bit.. which led her to another thought, and a soft smirk even despite the wounds she would wear. Surely it had been satisfying for her brother to catch that scrappy Rusalkan off guard like that. Too bad her fellows had been there too to interfere--but it had also brought the Drakru littermates back together. On the whole, worth it.
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Opalia spoke fondly of their Drakru family, and Dacio hummed softly to himself as he thought of them. Of their cousins Silkie and Tux, his firm friends they'd been fortunate enough to grow up and train alongside. Of their beloved father, the last true blood relative they had left. Of Tirgatao, Helix, Mallaidh, even Artaax who'd been both terrifying and inspirational throughout his younger months. His mind settled on Blixen, the wolfess who'd played so many significant roles in Dacio's young life: mentor, guardian, protector, Fleimkepa turned Wormana. She had seen potential in him when others may have not, even long before war had hardened him. Through her teachings he found a purpose, a grounding, something he would be forever thankful for.

The sterling yearling exhaled a sigh, and blinked from his train of thought as Opalia agreed to investigate their options at Elysium. Even if the pack proved unsuitable, Dacio figured it could be a good idea to lay low there for a time to rest and lick their wounds. "We'll leave within the hour," Dacio concluded as he shifted his weight, arching his proud neck to better reach the raw flesh of his chest where the sea witch's daughter had managed to assault him with her teeth. Tentatively he picked at the surrounding furs, carefully plucking the blood that had dried and darkened there. 
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Everything here, and now, left her with mixed feelings; the goods were shadowed by the bad, though they also highlighted the better parts well. Opalia just frowned silently to herself, eventually with the conclusion that she missed everyone that had provided her the foundations of her youth, but was awfully relieved to have Dacio back beside her now today--here, closer to where she wanted to be. At least it was not all loss on her end.

Anyway, she agreed. It was awfully soon, and leaving the cliffs was going to be somber, but they needed to be off on new ventures at the moment. Otherwise more bad could just find them first and Opalia had enough self-preservation to know better. They needed to keep their focus sharp. Leaving no time to stall made that easier.

For the brief reprieve they had, they had best tidy up for the road ahead. She gingerly worked herself over for the smaller details, and helped Dacio with some hard to reach spots all while taking stock of their injuries--noting their condition, should things change in days to come. Other than that, she just tried to enjoy resting up in familiar grounds.

It only felt like a blink, and soon, they were on their way towards the forest of willows..