Haunted Wood the sun comes up, babe, but it's hard to get my fill
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#1
All Welcome 
maybe @Hela ?

arcturus could stand to stay upon the mountain no longer. tensions were high, what with @Hydra shepherding those in season - and he knew if he stayed much longer, he was apt to commit an error irredeemable. he had thought to seek out @Dirge, but had found his tracks too turned away from the mountain.

so he left the spear's stony hold, and found himself near the nightwalker's domain. it occurred to him that they might also be afflicted by the intemperate hold of the season, but if that was the case, he would simply move on.. or, be discrete.. though thinking of the latter sent a ripple crawling up his spine.

he was full of vinegar by the time he came to nightwalker's borders - for whatever reason (likely, of course, related to the fact that this was the time men most needed to prove their mettle), his energy seemed barely contained. he figured if he was this far, he may as well check in with their purported allies -- and possibly even help sharpen their prowess in guardianship, if it so came to that. he howled once into the chilly air before he started inspecting the edge of the borders, making sure their scent was strong in all areas, and frequently visited.
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lions & men
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#2
the howl stagnates a moment, two, before the young warlord remembers it's her duty to tend to such things now. she veers of her scent trail, mild irritation prickling before she spots the distant silhouette of an ebony-furred wolf. moonspear, perhaps; she's yet to meet or hear about a moonspear wolf who'd veered from their colour scheme. 

she closes the distance between them, until the familiar scent confirms his alliances and she slows to an eventual stop. she chuffs in greeting, but then is faced with the conundrum of what to say. she'd accompanied Vengeance, Allison a few times as they'd greeted strangers on their doorstep; though hardly enough to instill doubtless confidence in what she was doing here. "I am hela," she begins, gaze tracing over the male as she thinks on it. opting for a neutral approach, she continues, "why have you come?" 
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#3
in short order arcturus is met by the figure of a yearling. by his estimate she was yet to reach her first year — yet much like praimfaya, arcturus is stuck with the impression she is a child-warrior. her age does not soften his impression of her — which was largely flattering, yet he could not help but indirectly look about him, expecting vengeance’s presence any moment.

he dipped his muzzle, pausing from the rumination he had exacted in the soil. meeting her copperburn gaze for the scarcest moment, arcturus spoke. greetings from moonspear. i am arcturus, moonspear’s beta — and hydra’s right hand. he wondered if, perhaps, he might explain to Hela (even though he wrongly assumed she is not the leader) his purpose here. your borders seem well- marked. i am here to check up on the welfare of our allies, and also extend my tutelage to your warriors, should vengeance allow it. in hindsight his last encounter with the titan had been poor — arcturus rather preferred hela’s bedside manner.
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#4
she does not miss the way his gaze moves to the spaces behind her, as if expecting some other to step forth. once again, she finds herself contemplating just how much their allies had favored Vengeance. his death was the way of the pack, yes, but that made her his murderer. murderer. it was the first time she'd thought of it, and an unfamiliar feeling gather's in her chest. 

the man—arcturus— introduces himself eloquently, and she is just as much learning as she is committing the details to memory. she is intrigued by the man's offer, but is sharply reminded of the details she has to get out of the way first. tongue runs over her fangs, considering a moment before she speaks. "vengeance is dead. I am the warlord, now." it is up to the man to connect the dots, boasting about killing the man suddenly does not appeal. "but the pack is well. what kind of tutelage do you offer?" her words are carefully chosen, attempting to match up to the beta's easy elegance. she doesn't wish to linger on the topic of her murder, either, though she realizes it might be rather unavoidable.
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arcturus was a far cry from connecting the dots so far -- his ears swept back as hela revealed vengeance had been killed. there had been no love lost between them, for arcturus still harbored a grudge for the man that had held his brother-he-refuses-to-talk-to hostage. (side note: arcturus' subconscious is a really rocky, messy place - he can and will be mad at someone for something as small as that, even despite writing revui off permanently for his departure.)

unsure of how to proceed, arcturus tried to read hela's expression. was she sad? did she mourn the man? had it been a great blow to the nightwalkers? he couldn't tell, so instead, went with formality. "my condolences." he dipped his head in brief acknowledgment of the nightwalker's loss. what he asked next, however, was blunt and to the point -- and the way he looked upon hela suggested he was watching her very carefully. "how was he killed?"

arcturus would withhold explanation of his tutelage until this question was answered. he saw it two ways: it was unwise to not know the nature of an ally's death, and even more unwise to offer aid, if said ally was suddenly made enemy.
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#6
she sees the problem, now. it was vengeance alone who'd forged the alliance, vengeance who knew the queen on the mountain. in killing him, she'd certainly brought the whole thing into doubt. auds flick, she considers a moment. perhaps it would have been better to have another at her side—no. she is warlord, and she will figure this out on her own. 

the man's gaze is piercing, sharp. "I killed him." she had not justified this to any of her wolves; she'd not needed to. but she does not want him to guess at the reasons she had, and so, "I challenged him. it was him or me." and I chose me. the still-healing laceration cut deep into her nape is a reminder of just how easily things could have gone differently. 

"I don't want to undo the choices he made. the Nightwalkers are still your allies," she affirms, wary of how he might respond. she does not know how to negotiate an alliance, only that she does not want enemies. if she screws this up, surely someone would challenge her then.
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#7
hela responded -- with a most unusual brand of transparency.

arcturus was not expecting it; he apprised her with a raised brow, a light shine of newfound yet wary respect to his gaze. he could not say he understood the customs of nightwalker (and in his own home, would have been most displeased with packmate maiming) but he recalled how both of his parents had ended their dispute once and for all, by taking each other with them.

he processed the news slowly. his words were carefully picked as he glanced upon the new warlord, noticing now the freshly-minted cut that glittered between her silvery fur. "our alliance was with nightwalkers. so long as our terms and conditions remain unchanged.." he glanced past hela, wondering if vengeance's end had come painlessly. he had no love for the ex-warlord, but neither would he have wished the beast to suffer. "is that custom?"
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#8
the man clarifies the terms of the alliance. she sees no problem with what he outlines, and so offers a dip of her muzzle. she is glad that Vengeance's death seems to be received rather neutrally. it is a possible consequence she'd only considered after the murder of the once-warlord. his question, then — "yes." truthfully, she did not know. she was the first to fight to the death in such a challenge, and yet an affirmative sounded better than an acknowledgement of her own lack of knowledge on the matter. 

she lapses into silence, wanting to prod at his offer once more, but waiting first to clear the air of what she'd told him. if he had further questions, she would answer.
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#9
arcturus deemed hela's answer was truth; he saw no dishonor or lie dance across her gaze. he considered himself a good reader of others -- his eyes were sharp, and suspicions high -- but hela's answer placated him.

it was not a custom arcturus loved -- or even liked -- but he would accept it as a custom for others. thankful he was not born into such a blooded lifestyle, arcturus nodded as silence rolled out between them.

"very well then. the offer of my services still stands." he only hoped he did not end up sharing the same fate as vengeance, should they take him upon his offer.

he waited for further courtesies, and then once hela dismissed him, made his way home.
when you come down to take me home
send my soul away