Northstar Vale Brick and mortar as thick as scripture

SETTING:Cherry Blossom Grove (at border)
Weather:Sunny
Warm
Midday
TERRITORY: Northstar Vale
TAGS: @Vespera

'Every good intention, every good intention
Is interpolation, a line we drew in the array
Looking for the faces'

Heart heavy within his chest at the memory of his farewell to his mother—her face adorned with sadness and a smile hiding it as if a mask, Clay grimaced. Once again he was disappointing his family.

Running away.

He felt the stares on his pelt at Easthollow, the fear of whispers and certain atonement. He didn't belong there. He wasn't one of them. He wasn't kind as his mother, noble like his father, smart like his sister, brave like his brother. He was Clay. The runaway, the soldier, the pup that was kidnapped.

He would never belong.

Which is why he found him parting a goodbye to his mum before slipping out and making his way to Kaisteloki. He had heard of his sister telling his parents of this place, of... some type of empire. He didn't hear all of as he lurked in the bushes, only bits of pieces. So here he stood, upon the borders of what he assumed was a pack given by the strong smell. He grimaced.

It smelt different than him. From Easthollow.

A place no one would know of him.

The pregnant Duchess was at it again, her constant worries and anxiety were making her sense of self all out of wack, she just had to check around again, patrol again, just something to keep her mind off of what was going on inside of her. The dark woman felt like she was on constant adrenaline that was preventing her from resting, even though that was what she should have been doing. However, her patrols were always accompanied by the samurai @Yuudai, she had found herself a little at ease with him around since he was basically her conscious in case she did something stupid. The two had become acquainted with each other, but not to the point of any romance since she just saw him as a useful ally.

But this patrol, in particular, would have made the woman's stomach turn in a different matter.

The cloaked woman was traveling with the white warrior when she had almost tripped over herself while climbing over a rock and immediately started clawing and chewing at the rock with erratic force until Yuudai had to pull her off. She wasn't herself, in fact, she was losing herself, and it was only getting worse as the pregnancy went on for every little thing set her off and Yuudai came to her rescue to reel her back into reality.

Things would take a quick turn as the two continued their patrol with Vespera shoving her nose into the dirt to see if the worms would spring up and attack her, but once again, Yuudai had to come and tell her that the worms in the dirt wouldn't do such a thing. At this point he was probably getting tired of her shenanigans. 

But Vespera perked her head and ears with her nose twitching fiercely, her violet orbs widened at the sudden scent that hit her nose. Her instincts were all over the place and she didn't know what to think but she knew that someone was there this time. With her face looking like she snorted a line, she bolted off towards the scent with Yuudai quickly at her heels. The Duchess really had no idea what to do once she saw the stranger, but her mind was screaming to kill at first sight so that's what she was going to do.

With her paws thundering through the valley, the scent got stronger, it was like a bad odor. But the world felt like it slowed as she turned the corner and a glimpse of a wolf came into her view, but it wasn't just any wolf.

No way...

The woman skidded to a stop before she would come into view and heaved her chest, did she see a ghost or something? She was sure Yuudai had loads of questions but she couldn't answer them at the moment, she was just too amped up to think clearly. The dark woman put her ears slightly back with a curious but confused look on her face, she crept up to the corner to peek her head out. "Clay? Is... Is that you?" She said breathlessly as those words came out of her mind without any thought, it just came to her. The scared woman blinked in disbelief as she stared at the young boy and could only sense a broken man, it was obvious in the scars that he bore, what happened? Vespera revealed her pregnant self, unafraid of the male that was at the Empire's borders.

Yuudai was beyond worried. Hiromi was missing, and Reiko had up and left. Hime was wandering around and Takeshi had also been oddly vacant recently. Which left him unsure of where he was most needed. He was beyond exhausted trying to keep track of everyone, and the one person he expected to always be in his corner, his wife, was no where to be found. So he had painfully stayed in the territory, protecting the Empire it seemed everyone except Ibis and Vespera had abandoned.

Which had led to this day. Where he was left to watch the young restless soon to be mother pace the edge of their territory. He knew Vespera was nervous, the frantic energy washed off of her in waves. If he were so noble he might have felt pity for her. Alas she was a good friend, and Yuudai was determined to help her see this pregnancy and parenthood through to the end. So he took the babysitting duty.

The stumbles he understood, and the paranoia. What he did not expect was for her to take off after the scent of a complete stranger without thought to her own safety. "Wait! Verspera!" Yuu called quickly chasing after her. When the other man came into view the samurai's panic only grew. "Vespera, no!" He tried calling again, before she suddenly stopped?

Yuudai came to a screeching halt beside her. Glancing between the pair. Clearing his throat, Yuu flashed Vespera a glare asking her to at least take a step back. He was nervous of this man, even if the duchess knew him, Yuudai was less sure. Although he was wary, Yuu waited patiently for the yearling to answer the question possed.

A figure tearing over the land, dark like a nightingale and fast enough to race one. Clay gulped, feeling his body freeze up with the flash of their open mouth at the distance that what he assumed was a snarl. He wondered if he would fall to the same fate as he did with Ursus? Would teeth catch his skin?

He took a paw step back, clearing his throat as they neared. The woman, judging by her bulging sides, looked at him with shock before speaking his name. Instantly, the prince rose a brow and became concerned, face pinched in the family frown his father wore so well. A Greyback frown. "How do you know my name?" he said a bit too harshly. A bit too defensive.

It didn't help that another figure appeared, a male beside her who sought to keep the distance. The display reminded him to keep his manners, and he stubbornly tried to seem nonthreatening as he relaxed with a bated breath. "Is this the empire?" He questioned, looking around at the cherry blossom trees. "My sister is leader of Kaistleoki. I wish to join you.. If you will have me." he added.

The samurai wolf was unsure of the male, but Vespera's heart told her that the boy in front of her really was Clay, she was sure of it! She remembered the little pup when Valette introduced the pack to the newborns, he seemed a little shy unlike the young Leta and West. Oh how she missed West, the boy was so full of light, a light that Vespeara was missing in her life. But she couldn't dwell on the past, she had to focus on the present, the now, the fact that her life was changing faster than her brain could contemplate it.

The young boy was quick to respond to her statement with an all too familiar glance, a glance that she had come to absolutely loathe as he asked her how she knew him.

Oh yeah, he's definitely his kid, she huffed with annoyance in her mind, but she couldn't pass judgment just because he was the son of a man that she had come to hate. As Reiko said, Reneian was a place to start fresh, a clean slate, and she would have to come to terms with that no matter how much she hated the wolves in her past, except Valette, West, and many other of course.

She felt the growing concern of Yuudai as his powerful glance laid onto her, and she could just tell that he was skeptical and wanted the Duchess to step back but Vespera wouldn't let pregnancy stop her. The woman gave a reassuring glance at the samurai as she rested her eyes back on Clay, her violet orbs full of sympathy, "you and I were living in the same pack once, Easthollow." The woman began simply, "she introduced you and your siblings to the rest of the pack," she stated her case of how she knew the male slowly since she needed to catch her breath.

The boy then stated Ira, the Count of Kaistleoki was his sister, which was a fact that she already knew, and asked if he could join the Empire. The Duchess didn't have a problem with him probably because she only saw him once and her emotions and thinking were all over the place. Vespera looked to Yuudai with a small smile, she was being a little too trusting but she knew this boy just a bit, she knew his mother, father, older sister, and siblings. "I don't see any issue with that, I know his family and they are kind and honorable," except one, the Duchess bit her tongue a bit but continued to look thoughtfully at Yuudai then back to Clay.

Despite Vespera trying to reassure him that everything was well and good, Yuudai was not known for his trusting nature. He didn't like outsiders, and rarely trusted anyones judgment in people aside form Reiko. It was difficult for Hiromi to even try and get him to like and except someone. Yuu was wary to let him come any closer. Neither of them had the ability to officially except him, and there was no way he was entering without speaking to the Empress or the Queen. But again! Yuudai wasn't sure what to do. Reiko wasn't here! And Yuu knew Ibis was also pregnant.

His violet gaze landed on the boy. From what he could gather Vespera knew him as a young child. But he was not a young child any more. But he was Ira's brother. And Reiko trusted Ira. Vespera cast him an imploring gaze, to which Yuudai pursed his lips before nodding softly and throwing his head back. His howl rang loud and clear calling for @Ibis to come and greet a potentially new pack mate.

On a good day she could make it from the middle of the territory to the border in an hour, maybe. If she'd gotten the right amount of sleep, hadn't eaten too much or too little, didn't feel like stopping every few feet to urinate, and could focus her mind long enough, it wouldn't take any time at all.

Today was not a good day.

When the howl rang out Ibis was on her third bathroom break in as many hours, trying and failing to squat and pee a few dozen feet from where she'd struggled to find sleep. She was cranky (which was a bit abnormal for her) and tired (which had actually become her norm). The call was specific in that it called for Ibis by name, and came from one of the ridges bordering the vale; she was currently squatting somewhere in the middle of the territory, and with a huff, oriented herself on an intercept course.

Ibis did not know what a blimp was, but had she been human, she'd find herself easily comparable. Her belly had swollen to the point that she was uncomfortable no matter what position she placed herself in, and half the time she couldn't even see where her paws were landing. The extra weight caused her to huff and puff before she'd even reached the smallest of the hills, and by the time she'd crested one batch of heavily forested lumps, she wanted to quit. Gravity was not her friend.

It would take her much longer than normal to reach the blossom grove, giving the gathered wolves plenty of time to talk among themselves. The moments would stretch on and go stale, all the while Ibis toiled against the slopes of the mountain range, feeling like one wrong step would send her tumbling aaaaaalllllll the way back down again. Whatever she was being summoned for wasn't worth the possible damage to her unborn, so she took her time where it mattered: pausing before particularly dangerous pathways, or lingering over small puddles to catch her breath and slake her thirst, as she needed.

When she arrived she looked terrible. The breaths wheezed out of her as if she were a cheap plastic whoopie cushion or something. There was a scowl on her face, and her mouth was hinged in to a perpetually open gape. She caught sight of the gathered wolves from afar and did not pick up her pace; rather, she was liesurely as she came upon them, hoping to gather her wits by the time they noticed her.

The queen recognized Vespera and gave her a once-over with her eyes, then the same to Yuudai; but she didn't know the boy, so her gaze lingered there. A moment later she'd gathered enough breath to speak, although her tone was firm and words somewhat clipped, almost impatient: Are you seeking refuge among us? That much she had presumed—otherwise they'd summoned a hormonal teenaged mother for nothing.

'Easthollow'

Not Nightwalkers.

Clay gave a small prayer to whatever gods were watching over him. This wolf must of known him when he was only a pup. "Thank you. I assume by 'she' you mean my mother, Valette?" He questioned, tipping his head. Odd- mostly people talked about his father to him, he supposed it was because the man was intimidating and imposing, unlike his mother who was deemed soft and loving in his mind.

Catching the gaze of the other male, Clay held it within him emerald one with a turn of his head. The emperian hadn't said anything to him, only regarding him with a gaze that spoke volumes to his unease. The prince tried not to take it personally.

Tried.

He waited for whomever the howl was for to arrive. Un-thankfully it took long. He huffed. Were these wolves not punctual?

Lifting his gaze to see a white orb coming their way, Clay was shocked to see yet another pregnant queen;Their sides even larger than the dark one that resided by him now. "Yes, ma'am." He responded in a confident tone, unwilling to flinch at the others sour attitude. "My sister is the leader of Kaistleoki, my parents of Easthollow. I am not in need of refuge, just a place to start my own."

The young Clay responded by asking if Vespera was referring to his mother, well who else, she thought sarcastically to herself, "of course," the Duchess gave a small nod to him. The dark woman had many questions for him but felt it was best to keep them to herself for now, but they were buzzing through her head like why was he away from Easthollow? Why was he scared like that? Does Valette know he is here?

Her stomach felt like it was twisting, but not from the pups that were resting within her womb, but a sort of empathetic wave that was now coursing within her.

Thankfully, Yuudai complied and threw his head up and broke the sky with his summoning howl, and while the sound echoed through the valley like an ominous melody, she turned back to Clay with a brief reassuring glance before she would turn her head back to see who would answer this howl. Hopefully, it wouldn't be Takeshi, from what she heard from Yuudai the male sounded like a foul creature, and since Reiko wasn't here, her heart raced thinking that was what the poor Clay was going to get. However, her ears would perk with interest but there was a bit of concern in her mind as moments later, an inflated Ibis came heaving up the mountain.

The Queen was pregnant as well but looked like she was just about to burst and soon pups were going to be flying out of her any moment, so the Duchess politely took a step back towards Yuudai to give her some space. Ibis cast a quick glance at the samurai and the cloaked woman, Vespera gave a quick apologetic glance at the Queen since it must have been a chore to get up here, "oh Jesus..." She whispered to Yuudai as the pregnant Queen now gave her attention to the Easthollow male. 

Ibis was understandably a bit irritable when she spoke to him, it reminded Vespera how she used to act when approaching strangers. The cloaked woman felt as though the swollen Ibis was interrogating him instead of inviting him which worried the dark woman a bit but she had respect for Ibis so she silently shoved her concerns in the back of her mind. Clay stated that he seemed refuge and start a new which struck a chord with the Duchess and those same questions that she had popped up in her head again.

She looked to Yuudai, then to Ibis, the Queen would be the judge here today, and she was hoping that her current mood wouldn't sway her evaluation or else Vespera might have to persuade the moody teenager.

It took much longer than even Yuu had calculated for. But the samurai kept his gaze firmly fixed on the new comer. He didn’t mean to be so abrasive, but it was a tense time, not only for the pack but Yuudai personally as well. And he had to admit it was easier to be frustrated and aggressive with a stranger rather than a friend. Although he had thought of visiting Takeshi. Yuu wasn’t sure if he could control himself if he were to encounter his soon to be emperor.

His anger diminished slightly, only to be replaced by shame. He regretted the call the instant his violet gaze landed on the heavily pregnant female. He felt terrible for dragging her all the way out. Yuu knee he should have simply run the boy off, but Vespera had gotten to him. Besides they could always use more help, especially with potentially four litters on the way.

Catching Ibis steady gaze for a moment, Yuu drooped his gaze. But he remained fixed to his position, easy enough to defend should the need a rise. The instinct so deeply set in his bones, Yuudai turned his full attention to this —Clay.

Sorry this is short - migraaaine.

Her focus wavered slightly. Only because the discomfort of her situation was impossible to ignore; it wasn't meant for Clay, although Ibis' expression remained a little sour. As the boy explained himself she did lighten somewhat, and connected Clay to Ira immediately. That was the tipping point—and Ibis' little face erupted in to a big smile.

Yes, I know Ira—I met her when I lived in the valley. Does she fare well..? Her interest in Ira seemed more poignant than anything else Clay had to say, which wasn't appropriate in the moment. Ibis caught herself after asking, her little ears pivoting back and forth and her face warming bashfully. Wait. Nevermind, that's... You're not here to gossip about your family. Hm.

She sighed. Refocused. You are more than welcome here, sir..?

It seemed The Queen's attitude had improved at his mention of his sister. Of course. Ira. Perhaps Valette and Greyback's name preceded them on the East, but the young prince couldn't help get the feeling his sister held the equivalent here.

Interesting.

The pregnant dove had asked of his sister, and he opened his mouth to reply in earnest but hesitated with the quick advance to another topic. He only nodded gently, clearing his throat and shifting idly in the patch of pink petals. "Clay—Just Clay. 'Sir' is reserved for my father and wolves in high positions." He said wrily. Or meant to. He had aimed to be charismatic but truth be told the boy was anything but that. His tone fell flat; stone-like.

"What is your name, Miss..?" He regarded. He had no idea of this pregnant lady's name, but she seemed to be in a high position of power and the male would do good to learn such things. Better yet, he would do well to learn all of the current wolves here. "And if it is not too much, what will my starting rank be here? Am I to be a steward under someone?" He hoped that would be the case as he glanced to the white scar ridden male and dark female.

Clay knew he wouldn't fair well being in a position of low power such as an omega.

Thankfully, the situation didn't call for the Duchess to intervene and her worries could be put to rest, for now. There was a wave of relief flowing through her body as a larger smile peeled on her lips as she looked back at Yuudai to ensure that her friend was truly okay with this. But what she found strange was how quickly Ibis turned from a sour teenager to a peppy woman with a flip of a dime, Jesus, does pregnancy really do this to a woman? Though to be fair, Vespera was like this before she was pregnant.

It seemed to be official that Clay was to be welcomed into the Empire as a peasant for now, but she was sure that the son of the loving Valette would get him climbing the ranks in no time right?

Right?

Though when Clay did mention his father it did leave a sour taste in her mouth, but no matter, she would put that man behind her... Hopefully.

The young boy asked what his rank would be as he cast a glance at Yuudai and the dark woman, the Duchess wondered if it was her place to say where he would start up, but she didn't want to have Ibis do all the work. "You will start out with the rank of "Peasant," yes I know that rank doesn't sound ideal, but then after you are in this pack for... About a month, you will be moved to the "Nobel," rank," the Duchess said simply. Though Vespera didn't know how the boy would take it, even Vespera found the rank "peasant" a bit of an insult, then yet again she was immediately put in the Duchess rank.

The woman then looked to Yuudai if he had anything to add in case she forgot something.

Yuudai hadn’t met Ira yet. He knew Reiko and her were friends, but hadn’t the opportunity to properly acquaint himself. However he was surprised by The Queen’s reaction. She too knew Ira. He allowed a subtle softening of his features, but he was still wary. As he would be any new comer. Yuu was a fairly suspicion person, and as such meeting new people wasn’t his forte.

But Ibis had accepted him, and just like that the boy was a member of the pack. Clay seemed polite enough, and knew his manners. A skill he had found many were lacking in these parts. Vespera took the question posed about position, and Yuu gave an affirmative nod to her explanation. Turning his eye on Ibis, Yuudai waited for her to speak and add anything she needed. “I am Yuudai.” He offered softly, his tone neutral and highly reserved, but exceedingly well mannered. The samurai offered a tiny bow as well.

When he asked for her name she murmured softly, I am the Queen, Ibis. Which felt proper, but also clunky and strange on her tongue. She had not yet adapted to having such a title and it was unwieldy for her. There was little significance to the position for her as well, as Reiko was always a step above, and Ibis wasn't exactly the most attentive member of the leadership.

The woman to her side, Vespera, went ahead and explained the ranking situation. It was a good thing she did. Ibis had no idea what to say at that interval and felt her nervous energy bubbling beneath the surface; however it lessened as Vespera explained, and Ibis watched the boy carefully.

As the explanation concluded, Ibis smiled and stepped away, giving Clay room to move. Much as she had with Corra, she welcomed this newcomer with a dip of her crown and said, Welcome. Do you need anything to help you get settled..?

The dark woman explained and Clay couldn't help but feel his heart sink.

Peasant.

He was a prince! Coming from a long line of great wolves on both sides of his family, even his sister was a noble wolf. But it seemed feeble to try and fight it. He only took a sharp breath in, mouth crumpling to fight a frown that ultimately showed as a cheesy grin to the three. "I... see." He said through clenched teeth.

Hopefully the moon would pass by quickly this month.

"Yuu...die?" He repeated. "Queen Ibess.. Ill... biss—Ibis." He struggled with the names, their soundings unfamiliar to his eastern tongue. How many wolves were within their ranks that shared their names? He felt uneasy knowing he butchered them as he flicked his ears down. It began to dawn on the ex Easthollian that he was no longer that; an easthollian.

No.

He was in a new place. A new realm—a new culture. An imperian. "Forgive me, your names are very unique. But I believe I will find my way around. Thank you ma'am's... sir," 

Much to Vespera's surprise, Clay seemed a little displeased with the title of Peasant, but she did say that he would only be there for a month,  whatever. But the more she thought about it, the more she got a rising suspicion about the boy, but she couldn't dwell on those thoughts now so she decided to shelf them for later and observe Clay for now. The Peasant boy seemed to accept the role for now though, but Vespera wanted to reassure the boy, and yet she felt it was best to keep silent, everyone had to accept it whether they liked it or not.

The Duchess would probably need to learn that just because he was the son of Valette that he shouldn't get special treatment.

Clay was finding it hard to pronounce Yuudai and Ibis's names which reminded the girl that she forgot to state her name, how silly of her, "oh uh, I'm Vespera," she added with a small smile. All seemed right with the kind-hearted Queen that dark woman knew and loved was finally in full form now that Ibis seemed to calm down as she took a few steps back as she asked Clay if he needed anything. The boy was apologetic about him struggling to pronounce the Samurai and Queen's names and stated that he would be fine on his own. 

Everything would seem to be fine for now, but Vespera feared that something would go array, but she didn't know what. But, for now, she was just happy that the Empire was growing in ranks.