Redsand Canyon to see the rainbow

(Setting: Midday, clear, 88F (31c). Territory #6 Warriors Heart. Present time.)

Auriel had grown used to the catacombs, the weaving claustrophobic tunnels no longer made her feel trapped, or made her skin crawl. She had asked Donovan to meet her in the great room of the Lions Den to discuss pack buisness. While travelling she had found many different characters exsisted throughout Teekon Wilds. She wished to be the representative of their pack to these wildlings, being as diplomatic as she was.

Everytime she came into the wonder that was Warriors Heart she felt a surge of pride and awe. This was her home. She would raise her pups here, her grandpups. This was where she would build her army. 

Donovan had not yet arrived, and so she settled down with the mountain hare she had caught him. This was a habit of hers, not matter what the rank in the pack. She liked giving to others, and receiving gifts in return.

@Donovan Azura  @Derg

Donovan had requested his presence.
Formally.
He could only think of one thing...no two, that would require this.

One, the tensions with other packs. Two, Nemisis and his new role.
However, Auriel was already there with a gift. For Donovan. So she was also invited, so it must be for the pack situation.

He chuffed lowly, offering the woman a smile, and too waited for their Grandmaster in their bunker.

Donovan strolls up with his usual confident swagger, though it is more lackluster these past few days due to the wounds he sustained from Nemisis. He shouldn’t have make the trek to Seelie Court with such wounds, but the fact that a member of his pack had gotten attacked was more important to him than his own well-being. Or at least in that moment it was.

He still has a slight limp with his frontal, right leg. Everything is scabbing and it’s just disgusting. Sure he had multitudes of small scars hidden beneath his pelt from his past life but surely these ones wouldn’t grow over. Hell, he doesn’t even think Auriel has seen him since that fateful night where he was covered in the blood of the packs previous, Overseer leader. 

Still, he walks with pride. Unafraid to show off his scars he knows he must bide his time to let them heal properly. So he takes it slow and pads up to the two. Head level with a strong back and tail not curled as tightly as it usually is on his hips. The Grandmaster steps up onto a raised section of rock to reach them and winces at the pain that slices through his shoulder. Lip snarling up for just a second before becoming neutral again. 

Finally he stops, looking between the two he offers a smile. It’s not the innocent kind, nor is it overly malicious. It’s simply Donovan’s usual caustic smirk and it only widens as he spots the gift Auriel has brought him.

“Afternoon, you two. Thank you for the rabbit, darling.” He hums in greetings. “You know why we’re here?” Comes his inquiry, honey eyes flicking between the two.

She was perfectly delighted upon seeing Derg enter the cavern, bouncing over to lick at his jaw respectfully. This was an Overseer she could get behind, much better then Nemesis. "Greetings, Derg. How are your pads?" Derg had earned her admiration the moment he tried to step in between her and that arrogant she-wolf who called herself a leader. If she had known he was going to be here she would have caught something else. Idiot. 

She only let the poor man be when the sound of claws clicking on stone bounded off of the redstone walls of their hideaway. Donovan had arrived. 

Tearing herself away from Derg she watched the wolf-dog with an almost threatened expression. Nemesis had deserved what she had gotten, Auriel would have killed the bitch herself if she had found she was planning to posion the Grandmaster. Her own alpha! And lover too. But even though the mottled she-wolf had deserved it, that was the most gruesome death of a canine she had ever seen. Nemesis' skull, dead eyes unseeing, still flashed across her eyes. She shut them tight, only opening them when Donovan began to speak. "Is this perhaps about the leave I requested?" The ray of sunlight in wolf form cocked her head, tail wagging slowly. She was happy to see him, but she dare not approach the striped wolf-dog after another betrayal.

"They're getting there," he replied, turning up his paw to show that his wounds had scabbed over, but there was still some obvious discomfort present.

But his medical check-up was for another time and another thread.
Donovan appeared, and he turned to see him struggle up a small cleft.
He frowned, concerned for the man.
Nemisis had done...a small number on him.

Her head rolling from her shaken body to Dove's feet.

His lip trembled, but he held his cool. He realised now why it troubled him so. Keen.
Alas, this was a meeting not to be delayed.
Derg shook his head while Auriel offered a supplement of topic.
Leave? For snouting about? Perhaps.

Donovan gives a quiet hum of acknowledgment to her inquiry. “Yes.” He looks to Derg. “I don’t want to send her too far just in case she gets attacked. Always have to be prepared for the worst. Perhaps she could scout north. I smell an abundance of other wolves in the valley above Healer’s Pass.” He wants his Overseers opinion. They are supposed to be his better half after all and he believes Derg is suited for the job, though only time can tell if he truly is. 

Then he wants to what Auriel herself had in mind. So he smiles to her, a much more polite one, almost sweet. “What about you, Auriel? What were your plans?”

The she-wolf waited in silence for her superiors to speak about their plans for her. She would go anywhere and do anything the pack needed of her. "We have too many enemies and not enough allies. We have the Seelie Court to the Northeast and Yuelong to the North. We share this mountain with two other packs that I can tell." 

Her tone had become calculative, her eyes cold. She was like a well-oiled machine. "Ursus is close, but if the Seelie Court and Yuelong both decided to attack, we may stand no chance. It would be a slaughter. We need closer friends, and also friends further away. In short, we need more friends then they have." Her once beautiful sea-blue depths burned with bloodlust. "And we need to know more about or enemies, we need to know how to take them down. The rivers will run red with their blood by the time our- your empire has risen." 

He listened to them both.
Donovan's plan was for a short excursion.
Her's was to find more friends.

He licked his lips, thinking.
To spy, or to make friends.
"The pack to our north," he drawled, reffering to the Empire, "Is unlikely to be our friends. I have the belief that is the case." Orlaith had said they'd moved closer to groups. And was pissed about it. So he thinks that the pack in the Vale had been present when they'd told them to fuck off in Ravensblood.
"To our south," he continued, "is a pack I think Nemisis mentioned once. She said their name was Sagtannent, and they were pretty cold. Perhaps warm them up."

He had the belief the soft-tainted woman could do so, better so than the stony, devilish Nemisis.
"Then, once you recover and tell us about them, you should scout the pack in the vale. It will be dangerous, you must not talk to them, just run."
He didn't know if he'd be able to speak to her before she left for the Vale upon her return, but the advice would be useful anyhow.

Sofie did you mean South for Sagtannet? I was a bit confused with your directions lol.(；ω；)

He nods, listening intently to Derg’s suggestions and information he provides. “That sounds about right.” He comments about the locations of the surrounding packs. “You should only skim the borders of the pack in the Vale, be on high alert.”

So he looks to Auriel, a tilt of his chin at her. “You want to go to all of them? Or perhaps pick one and rest in between? Your choice dear.” He offers, voice harder than it was moments before. This is a serious topic after all. If something goes wrong she could get seriously injured and if the feisty little Auriel gets injured, then Donovan’s going to have to injure someone else and so forth. Not a good cycle.

Auriel soaked in the information like a sponge. She did not favour this Empire she had heard whispers of, however the other pack that they shared the Sunspire with may be powerful allies. Be on high alert. "I understand. Skim the Vale, meet with the Spire." 

She was ready to risk life and limb for her pack, if need be. "I will scout the borders of the Vale before making my way to the Spire. If I encounter any...incidents, then I shall return home to seek help from Dove." There was a stirring deep in her heart, anxiety but also a thrumming of a sensation she had not yet felt. Pride? "Shall I leave at once, alpha?" The golden she-wolf looked to him with unsure, blue eyes. She looked to him for guidance.

Yeah I did, sorry for not checking lol, edited

He let Donovan instruct Dove.
He was right, she needed to be alert. It may be exhausting.

He gave her the options of either going North or South first.
And she chose their enemies rather than potential friends first.
He pursed his lips, thinking.
"I think that may be an unwise idea," he started. 
"If she were to be attacked, or the like, and they decide to send some war party into the canyon," he looked to Donovan, hoping not to find him displeased, "then it would be good to have potential friends first, then very likely enemies."

He hoped they'd see his point, and perhaps would act upon it.
But, he could only say as much.

Donovan contemplates, he truly does. Golden eyes looking off in the distance for a few seconds and a pensive expression scrunches his brow. Derg does have a point, but Donovan doubt the southern pack will be friendly. It seems like the norm to not have any other pack that views their ways practical enough to name them allies. Except for Ursus of course. If there are more packs out there like them then he doesn’t know where they are. 

Finally he sighs and looks to both of them. “Derg’s right. Though it would be important to know who or what lives right above us, we could use another ally. Though I’m almost pessimistic of them actually becoming so. If anything we can become neutral with them.” He turns his gaze to Auriel. “You cannot sugarcoat who we are. Tell them the truth; for there’s no point in gaining an ally who won’t fight for you when they actually figure out who we are and what do believe in.”

In his final decision he huffs out another breath. “I think you should head south to make good with that pack. Perhaps I’ll send another up to the Vale. We’ll see how long it takes for your return.” Turning towards Derg he tilts his chin up to him. “Any other guidance, peaches?” The brindled man asks casually.

Closing up

And it was set.
She could go and investigate the other packs as she wished.
And they'd bide their time until they could be sure there wasn't impending doom upon their ranks.

"No. Good luck Auriel," he finalised.
He dipped his head and turned to leave, hoping all would be well.
And that they would survive.