Redsand Canyon Blood In The Water

@Kynareth Deagon
Territory #7 - Paradise Falls, late evening, clear skies 65° F

She wondered when she would see either of her alphas again. She needed to apologize to Derg, for one, and was curious as to how the talk with Ursus went. Honesty, she expected she'd be told one way or the other. The great wraith was still sitting outside the Healer's Den, watching the water. Maybe she'd get another visit. Nyra didn't know.

Just after Donovan settles back to the red sand of his domain, he scouts the area. Going to only larger landmarks at first, scoping out his territory just in case. He’s been on edge lately. With his shrinking pack and failing alliance the Saints are in quite the pickle.

He knows Nyra is hurt though. He needs to check in her. Maybe she’s finally been scolded enough for one day. So he makes his way to Dove’s healer den, golden hues dancing about the area, he calls out for Nyra near the entrance of the den.

She heard his footfalls and turned her head, watching as he peered into the entrance of the Healer's den and called for her. 

"I'm right here." Nyra answered, limping up next to him from where she had been, close to the waterfall outside. She nipped gently at his ear and swayed her tail in a friendly manner.

Though his face isn’t grim, it is moderately more serious than he usually is. At her playful greeting and the wag of her fluffy white tail he allows his lips to tilt upwards even if it is only slightly. 

“Evening, Nyra.” He greets back casually. “I’d ask how you’re feeling but I’m sure I know the answer to that one. We do have more pressing mattering to speak of though.” 

He hardly lets her reply before he continues. “Ursus wants us to kill you.” He scoffs. “They’re fucking idiots if they think I’d do that to my own pack member for throttling their disrespectful ass kid.” He chuckles with only a sliver of real hatred in his tone. “You both learned your lesson — an eye for an eye — but they won’t take that. So I guess that might mean the alliance is off, but we’re still pending on that it seems.”

The wraith isn't blind to her Lord's more serious face. 
she listens to him talk, about Ursus, their brat, and that they want to kill her. 

"I expect Merrick's whore will come for me, try to finish the job. Though there's no certainty, I think it's a safe assumption. She seems like the sort." Nyra answered, sighing softly as she eased herself to the grass to lie down in front of him. 
"If the alliance really is over...and any of them comes here, especially the blackbird...may I kill her?" She perked her ears a little as her golden hues looked up to his face.

Donovan doesn’t even flinch at the insults she throws towards the silent wolf of Ursus — their queen. He even chuckles at her last words. It a caustic sound that says ‘Go for it’. 

“Darling, if she comes for you, and you kill her, I will worship the ground you walk on. But,” He adds heavy emphasis on the last word. “she’s a killer, ruthless and unhinged. She doesn’t give a fuck. Those are always the most dangerous.” He warns with a mischievous smirk. “She’s not the worst I’ve seen yet, but she is skilled. I’d be careful with that one. Stick to running until you’re healed.” He suggests easily.

Nyra listens to his words some more, making note of what he says about the purple-eyed queen of Ursus. She will take note not to underestimate her when that day eventually comes. 

A thought crosses her and gingerly, she sits back up, looking at him with furrowed brows "She might come for you, too...she might come for all of us." The Giantess sighed, looking around before she offered her gaze to him again "I know I'm only a Blade, but I think we should do what we can to reinforce our patrols along our borders. I think until things cool over at the very least, anyone who smells like Ursus or we recognize from Ursus should be killed or chased off on sight. It feels like the best way we can protect everyone..." Nyra offers the strategy, concern on her face

Donovan assesses her first statement and deems it completely plausible. Astara has only one thought in mind — death. She’s likely just out for blood right now — anyone’s blood — the blood of the Saints. He will not bend to her will, neither will any of the other Saints. 

He shakes his head at her words only a blade. Input is important from every member in the pack no matter Rank. “I agree with you. I’ll be howling for the pack soon to inform them of the final decision. If Ursus wants to kill us over a mistake on their own packs fault then so be it. All because of a fucking disrespectful kid who doesn’t know about pack politics. Hilarious.” He chuckles humorlessly to the shewolf before him.

Nyra nods softly, once, to his words, before she continues speaking "If we end up going to war with Ursus, we will likely need the backing of another pack to be able to wipe them out. That means...we may need to make other alliances, find other packs with a common enemy. Which also means we need to bend to other rules next to our own, or we risk being at war with more than one pack, and then we're all done for." The giant beastess has an inferno storming in her golden hues, but it isn't one of challenge - it is one of wanting her pack, her family, to be able to survive.

Kyn smirks to the shewolf before him. Eyes filled with that mischievous glint as he eyes her down. “Oh yes.” He hums almost ominously. “War it would be. I don’t mind being a good boy to gain some other packs approval to shoot them down. By attacking you they practically betrayed us. I’m sure you know how I feel about being betrayed, hm, Nyra?” He hums with an upwards tilt of his chin. He peers down to her.

Her ears slanted back as he peered at her with that mischievous smile of his, that gleam in his eyes. 
Nyra normally would have been stuttering and nervous by now, but there was a numbness that overcame her then, and she just sat there, looking at him with uncharacterisitc composure "I'm lucky I'm still alive, I know." The beastess sighed, "I also know I haven't been the best of packmates as of late, but I want to make up for it any way I can, and right now, it doesn't feel like I can do very much except offer strategy." She sounded a lot more mad at herself than she did at his upward tilt of his chin at her. She looked away from his face as she stiffly rose to her paws again, wincing at the strain it put on her for the time being. 
"Aside from the extra border patrols and networking with other packs, I think we should take another precaution step, such as ghost patrolling maybe a mile, give or take, outside our real borders, so we know if anyone is coming, and can take word back to the Heart before said outsiders reach that part of our home...to ghost patrol, we should make our scents blend in to the terrain and even try to blend in ourselves so those of us with brighter pelts won't be seen as easily, and make sure our pawsteps are quiet like those of a panther."  

He’s proud of the shewolf as she stands her ground and admits to her previous mistakes. Tho he doesn’t want self pity. So he shakes is head, disagreeing with her first statement. “You are doing as much as your able to. Don’t put yourself down. Ursus is in the wrong here, they will pay for their mistakes against the Saints.”

Then he smiles to her. “Your strategies are good. They show skill and intelligence. We will do just that, but we want our borders heavily guarded.” He sighs then. “You’re fucked up. Lie down, gather your strength. We’re going to need it here soon.” He hums ominously, concern obvious in his voice.

She smiles a little as he accepts her strategies. 
then as he tells her to rest, she wordlessly obeys, lying down in the lush grass and visibly sighing with relief as her muscles relaxed more than they had while she was upright.

He grateful that she accepts his request to rest. He only watches her for a couple seconds more before turning his back on the shewolf. He begins padding off and he looks back. “I’ll be checking on you periodically. Have a goodnight, dear.” He offers as a goodbye before he disappears.