Redsand Canyon A mess of a story I'm ashamed to tell

It had been some time since the leg had been taken from him. Crowfeather had not argued with the healer woman. She had instructed that he rest, that he work to regain his strength. She had tended to him with gentle words and a gentler touch. The shadow had slept through many days and nights before he was able to draw his head up and engage in fulfilling conversation. By this time, Aquene had stepped away to have her children.

Regardless of the healer’s family needs, Crowfeather found that he did not mind the time alone. It offered him a chance to think and to plan. The young seer had no real idea where he would go when he left Mereo, but he knew that he could not remain there… that he could not continue to be roused from slumber by the drifting fragrance of the Imperator.

Shakily, the dark figure rose to his remaining legs and slunk to where he could feel the sun. It was there that he dropped to his belly and watched the birds swoop down to the canyon before flying away.

Katniss was wandering around. The young shewolf noticed a black male wolf lying in the sun by himself. She couldn't see his injuries from his position. Hoping he wouldn't jump up and attack her, Katniss padded over lightly to him, with a smile on her face. She made sure that she was in a somewhat submissive stance as she approached him. "Hi!" She said in a friendly tone. "I'm Katniss!"

A woman’s cheery voice roused the dark man from his rest. His golden eyes lifted to her features with some small interest. Crowfeather wondered if she had been sent to make sure that he was obeying Aquene’s orders. Worry found its way into his figure, stiffening him. He did not want the healer woman to think that he had directly disobeyed her orders to rest. All he had wanted was to sit in the sun for a time.

Katniss, he returned her name in a soft voice. Are you a helper to Aquene? Sniffing softly at the air between them, Crowfeather realized that she did not smell much like the rest of Mereo. She smelled of the wilderness beyond. He wondered if she was new. Or… did you only just join Mereo?

Oh, but he was being rude to ask such pointed questions outright.

I’m- I’m Crowfeather.

"Neither." Katniss replied. "I'm just a lone wolf. Is Mereo your pack?" She asked, then tensed. "Am I in pack territory?" She asked, smelling the air to see if she could catch any scent markers. She had assumed because he was by himself that he wasn't in a packs territory and very well could've accidentally passed some borders.

"Crowfeather". She repeated the toms name. She found it interesting. "Thats a cool name." She added with a smile.

A lone wolf.

Fear spiked within him, though not for himself as much as for the girl who stood across from him. The dark figure wondered if she had been unable to pick up the scent of the markings on the canyon’s borders. He wondered then if Germanicus would appear to chase the intruder from his kingdom. The thought made him shift nervously.

Mereo is not my pack. It is the pack of Germanicus… and he is- what? Crowfeather paused, unable to decide what he had wanted to say next. I’m only being treated by the healer here. Then I will be alone, too. It was what he was used to.

Another nervous shift of his gaze.

You might get in trouble, Katniss… he breathed in a hushed voice.

the imperator did appear then.

he had been to akashingo and back, he had been unraveling the edges of this murder, and had devoted himself to hunting since his return.

and all the while, crowfeather had lay in recovery.

to say the eagle was more sensitive was an understatement. 

to find a stranger over his borders and too near the shadow himself provoked the eagle. he arrived silently and struck the woman a glancing, controlled blow with his teeth.

Katniss didn’t even have the time to reply to Crowfeather before the eagle struck her. She whipped around, striking her paws out at the creature as it drove its teeth into her.

She turned to Crowfeather, her eyes asking for help

Just like the silver eagle that he was, Germanicus swept into the scene with speed and sharpness in his gaze. Crowfeather shook fearfully at the sight of his exposed canine. It found purchase in Katniss, and she turned horribly to try to push him away. The shadow was suspended in fear. His eyes were wide as the girl looked to him, quietly pleading for his help.

G- G- Ger- Germanicus, he croaked out pitifully. P- Please. I- I- I think she’s confused. I- I don’t think she- I don’t think she’s here to take anything.

Katniss should not have entered Mereo without having been more mindful. Crowfeather could not have helped her with that issue. His honey warm gaze was trained on the older man. The leap in his heart did nothing to settle him. The seer’s legs shook as he attempted to push himself up, to try to intervene so that  it did not escalate further than it had.

crowfeather's voice pierced him. germanicus felt as though his very presence brought pain to the shadow.

he did not want to injure the woman, if it was indeed confusion which had led her over thoroughly marked borders and into the heart of mereo itself.

but the imperator did seek to shoulder her to the ground, roughly if need be. his legs sought to block her escape. and his teeth flashed again, promising the draw of blood if she did not lie still.

Katniss heard Crowfeather try to help her and she lowered herself into a submissive pose, not attacking the bird again. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to cross your borders, I did not realize I had strayed past the scent lines as I was interested in Crowfeather. I really didn't mean anything by tresspassing. I just wanted a friend, and he was alone, so it didn't occur to me that he was in territory." Katniss explained, assuming the bird understood her.

Germanicus was frightening in this state. The man’s shrewd yellow eyes were fixed on Katniss. The rough motion of his frame had pushed her over where she submitted to him and tried to speak for herself – to explain that it had only been a mistake, that she had only wanted to speak to him. Crowfeather could only hold his breath. The shadow’s three remaining limbs quivered violently as he took a single step forward.

I tried to tell her, Germanicus. I tried to say that she would be in trouble… I don’t think she meant any harm. A flurrying snowfall of emotions spun inside of him. The beating of his heart was unbearable. The proximity of the stoic older man had made him weaker than he ever hoped to be.

P- P- Punish me, he pleaded quietly. I- I should not have left Aquene’s healing room. I- I only wanted to… to sit in the sun. That didn’t matter, though.

breath snorted bullishly through his nostrils. germanicus did not look toward the shadow. he did not think that he could bear the look he knew stood starkly in the other's eyes.

"it is not your fault she is a trespasser," he said quietly. his attention rested on the girl with her explanations. she was small and quite young. she could be forgiven, he supposed.

"crowfeather is a good man to speak for you." the imperator stepped back. "speak. tell me your name. who you are. where you come from."

"My name is Katniss." The young shewolf told the eagle, keeping her voice calm despite his scary frame. "I don't really know who I am. I've been trying to find a pack, but I kept running into issues so I've been on my own for a while. I don't remember my parents, I think they might've died when I was little, but they don't really matter to me. I've just tried my best to respect borders, and sometimes failed, and be kind to others." Katniss told Germanicus. "Crowfeather does seem like a nice man." She added

Germanicus was in complete control of their situation. Crowfeather had never felt quite so powerless in his life, even compared to his attack from Nyra. The older man would not even look at him. The shadow felt his heart sink, his stomach churned.

Katniss sputtered out her response, telling him that she was on her own, that she had searched for a pack but had not found one that was right for her. She explained that she did her best to keep an eye out for territory that had been claimed. Crowfeather hoped that Germanicus would merely tell her that she was careless, that she needed to be better. There were plenty of other wolves who would have responded with more than he had to a trespasser in their land.

Crowfeather stood quaking still. Like a kitten left in a box marked ‘free to any home.’ Useless, as usual, and still unable to overcome the feelings that he had for Germanicus. There was nothing that he might be able to do.

Even when they spoke on his kindness, Crowfeather’s cheeks burned. His snout was turned away in shame. No, no, I am not good. I am not kind. I am nothing to either of you.

he had been correct. katniss was young and her parents appeared to have died long before she was taught requisite information that could then be enforced. he relaxed in the way a soldier sheathed his sword. "as you know, i am germanicus. this is mereo. we are a place of soldiers and skilled civilians."

"if you are in need of a home, i will give you one here. tell me what skills you have or what you might prefer to learn. if you do not wish to stay, i will give you an escort to our borders." he waited for her to make the choice.

Katniss’s eyes lit up. “Really?” She said. She could have a home here! “As you can tell, I’m a very lean wolf and speed is my friend. I use it to my advantage when I know that fighting wouldn’t be smart.” Katniss told him.

sorry for the short reply, on mobile rn

no worries at all!

she was lean and swift. and eager, from the sound of it.

"i will accept you as a plebian, a commoner. you will learn a skill or, when you have settled, i will train you as a soldier."

he indicated crowfeather. "this wolf is a skilled healer. he is under the care of lady aquene, our medicus. you might learn from them both. there is towhee, who is a guardian, and lady ruenna, your matrona and my wife." he paused to see if the girl had questions.

Katniss didn’t understand half of that. “What do those role names mean?” She asked, knowing they were higher ranks but not sure if they were the equivalent to alphas or something. She understood the healer and her own role, but not much else.

welcome to mereo! here are some links: this one shows the ranks and how the hierarchy looks. this one explains the ranks by name. and this one is the map of internal territories <3

"medicus is what you would call a physician or doctor. that is lady aquene's role. her rank is equestrian, as she balances between mercenary and healer. matrona is the name for a woman who tends and guides the plebians. that is where you are ranked. she and i are the leaders, though you will report to her directly as a plebian while the soldiers report to me." his voice was even and patient. he glanced toward crowfeather.

ty. (: That first link doesn't work thou

Katniss nodded. That made more sense. "Ok... I think I get it. I have a question though. Does your pack have a policy on mates?" She asked. She was hoping he would say mates are allowed, as she one day wanted to be a mother, but she would accept no as an answer too. She wagged her tail without realizing it, as she was so excited to have a pack now.

Last for me! ^^

Crowfeather never expected that by the time they had finished their conversation, Katniss would be a member of Mereo. Yet, he stared at Germanicus with disbelief on his face. It had seemed so easy for him to extend his hand to her. She had trespassed, by the stars. While the shadow felt relieved at not having to face the older man’s anger (even directed at another individual), the deeper parts of him were wounded.

Why was it so easy for everyone else? What had happened to turn them into these distant men? Crowfeather could not answer these questions. The dark figure did not understand why it seemed this way to him. He looked at Germanicus and saw himself replaced, over and over, with such ease.

I am… glad you have that sorted. His tone was far from pleased. Crowfeather dipped his snout to the new Mereo member Katniss, and then allowed his gaze to linger on Germanicus for a second longer than he should before he began to limp back into the security of Aquene’s healing quarters. Sleep sounded good. Sleep sounded better than anything else he could face in the world.

"as a member of the common ranks, you are not allowed to produce children without a husband or fornicate outside of marriage. you may seek a mate from among the soldiers or your own tier."

crowfeather was turning away. germanicus kept his attention upon katniss but within him, he was greatly distracted. perhaps even torn.

A bit confused, Katniss asked, "So I could have a mate, but no offspring?" She asked, to clarify what she thought she heard. She could deal with that, for some time at least. She was still young.

"you are young to have children. but if you were of age, i would insist you were married first before becoming pregnant."

he was growing uncomfortable. but he must clarify for her sake.

"yes, I know that, but I mean in the future. I wasn't sure if you meant that I couldn't have offspring. But I understand now." She told him.

Unsure what else to say or do, Katniss looked awkwardly at the ground.

want to end it here? you can either make a post or just archive the thread