Blacktail Deer Plateau Desolation

This can be a RO if nobody in Basilica snags! Set for today 12/21/22 <3

 

The Crown Prince rested great lengths of time. 
Her body hurt in many places still, but she didn't move much beyond leaving to relieve herself, get some water, then return to her spot in the medicine den she had been posted within.

She remembered the dark man saying something about a life debt, but she wasn't sure what that was. 
The girl wondered then, if that same man would come see her today at all to discuss whatever a life debt was, what hers would be to them.
A small whimper of worry muttered through her maw as she rested her head over her forelegs...
At least she was healing, and so far no signs of infection. 
The medic that had been tending her was doing a splendid job in that aspect at least. 

Sovereign watched the entrance of the den for a long time, seeing if anyone would come.

that ingram seeks her out after having spoken to both ash paw and the seer is only to be expected: it'd been in his plans: to gather words from the two women involved and make his next, calculated decision. despite that he'd already made up his mind when speaking with ash paw. the circumstances changed some things.

cub or not, ingram's conversation with her might be grim but it would be serious.

there would be no coddling, no protecting, no sheltering from the dreadfather.

he approaches the den where ash paw keeps her and lets out a low chuff at it's mouth to alert the girl to his presence.

A low chuff at the entrance.
Sovereign raises her head slowly and with hesitance.
At first, she does not answer, for she knows who is outside.
But eventually she lets out a sort of rumble-chuff sound that might've been an acceptance of his company, not that she felt her word here would matter.
She figured he would come around, whether she wanted to face him or not.
Best to get it out of the way...

The child would not rise to a sitting position, she didn't feel she could, with how she hurt.
But she was attentive, watching, and inquisitive.

cub, greets the dreadfather in a rumble; rough like splintered basalt, like something terrible arisen from the void the daedric prince had been summoned from. it is impersonal, this greeting, but he does not know her name and thus 'cub' is what he settles on. it sounds less accusing than young murderess. that she calls it accident to ash paw, regardless if it was truth or not, leaves a sour taste of feathering disdain in his mouth.

the committer of matricide believes that what kind of beast one was should be owned. not hidden away with shame.

ash paw has told me. he tells her simply as he moves into the mouth of the den, seaglass gaze cutting across her. everything hung unspoken in the creeping winter air, invited into her place of rest by his entrance.

as cruel as it might seem, basilica's help and resources do not come without a price. your lifedebt, he explains without cushioning. none would find any sugarcoating from ingram. another pack might've sheltered her, might've healed her and left her go without demanding a price. unfortunately for her, basilica was where she ended up. i will start by telling you further cruel truth, he draws in a breath. if the wolves who knew and loved the one you slew come to our doorstep, basilica will not protect you. your lifedebt will be theirs to collect as they see fit. that is bloodmagick i do not intend to intervene with.

wouldn't, even if he could.

what she chooses to do with that information was up to her.

He greets her as cub.
She didn't intend to give her name. 
Especially not as the man mentions they won't protect her if her attackers come to their doorstep to collect her lifedebt. 
Her smoldering amber gaze narrows upon him as she flatly rumbles to him "Point?" 

She didn't understand the point of him allowing the Medic to save her if they weren't going to keep her safe. 
Isn't that what medics were supposed to do? Keep their wards safe from more harm?

Privately, she was making plans in her mind to leave as of his words. 
The intent was unreadable behind the tired look on her face.
For now she would make do with appearing too weak to go anywhere, and even if that were partly true, she felt she had enough strength back to get home. 
To her mother.

her blunt question draws a low rumble of warning from the dreadfather's throat. he forgets for a moment that ash paw has told him she cannot speak much and it does not occur to him it doesn't necessarily mean dismissive bluntness.

a wild moment grips the daedric prince, the want to sink teeth into her flesh and let her bleed out there in ash paw's patient den.

it would be easy. unfairly so. like his 'fight' with praimfaya so very long ago.

too much lately there has been disobedience within his ranks and his natural reaction to anything remotely resembling it is prickly.

my point cub, ingram hisses, tone sharp; cruel. is that if they do not come for you before you leave for home that your lifedebt is ours to collect. and i will come to collect. the when, the how, the what ingram wasn't sure — the only thing he is sure of is that he would collect.

She is unwavering in the face of his prickly response. 
Her face practically deadpan as he rumbles out a growl in warning.
She is not his to dominate, and she doesn't intend to bend for him. 
Her mother was a different story...She was loyal to her mother.
But he was not her, and as far as Sovereign was concerned, he was in no way worse than Fury was.
But the child wasn't stupid enough to voice these things in front of such a man as Ingram - who she saw as having a frail ego, among other things. 

"Fine." Was all she said. Her tone was neutral, slightly gritty if anything else.
The golden gaze gave away nothing. 

She just wanted to go home.

fine —

the singular word, her deadpan expression smarts at him, perceived as insolence. it warrants a low rumbling growl from him: he did not want her here and if it had been up to him she would've died where she collapsed. her meat would've fed the crows and maggots of the earth.

he did not have ash paw's kindness.

it was the thin tether that the cub clung to, whether she knew it or not.

next time, he would tell ash paw to care for her injured strangers outside of basilica's territory and to not return until she was done being generous. his lip curls, growing ire steeps beneath his skin and he turns abruptly, exiting the den and leaving her behind.

the sooner she was gone, the better, he thinks.