After Rain departs from speaking with Mallaidh and Summer, she continues on her way to seek out Amekaze. Worry nags at her for Nishu. If the Alpha will not accept him, then what will he do? She isn't completely sure how exactly to explain the whole situation. Though she is glad that she has quite a bit of information to share with Amekaze. She hadn't thought that she would have very much to show for her travels when the first few packs gave her nothing.
As she jumps from one cliff edge to another, Rain's back paw slips and she growls. Gathering her footing she carries on, albeit a bit more carefully. She thinks about her fall from the cliff in Ankyra Sound and knows she won't be so lucky to survive here, there is no river below to catch her. These mountains are much more dangerous than her homelands, but even so, she still loves the Sunspire and even enjoys the dangers of the cliffs.
The sores on her neck have scabbed now, but have cracked from the cold air and her movements. Small trails of blood soak her fur, but she doesn't worry about it. Once she has relayed all her news to Amekaze and figures out what will happen with Nishu, then she will tend to her wounds, or rather go back to seek out the new healer.
After so many days of hunting and patrolling until she had not an ounce of energy left, she had gone high in the slopes to regroup. Alone, she had needed the solitude to gather her thoughts in preparation for the weeks to come. Especially since lately, she had struggled to find any sort of whole mental solace. Her thoughts were far too scattered in too many directions with too many different things to focus on. Inner peace was easy to unconsciously sacrifice for the sake of other matters, namely at times when so much depended on her.
Still feeling a bit tired, but calmed, she picked her way down from the upper reaches. Ame picked a narrow path and followed its guiding, until it was a familiar scent that touched her nose over the scent of the unseasonably warm, humid winds. She moved with a touch more haste now, skillfully maneuvering the mountain's terrain.
When she spied her, the dark alpha's tail waved. Welcome back,
she whuffed as she closed distance across the rocky footing. While she did, her eyes were sweeping over Rain studiously. I am glad to see you have returned..
although her expression shifted when she detected a hint of blood, perhaps?
![[Image: 5ifpFkc.png?1]](http://i.imgur.com/5ifpFkc.png?1)
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
At her alpha's greeting, Rain wags her tail excitedly. "Amekaze," she replies warmly. "It is good to be back."She takes a seat on the path as her legs start to shake, still not fully recovered. "There is much I have to tell you, but first I need you at the boarders. There is someone I need you to speak with, it's urgent,"she informs the alpha. "He will be able to explain the situation better than I can, for I do not completely understand it myself." Rain also feels to worn down to explain it all.
"I can tell you that the new pack, Ankyra Sound, is an enemy. They will attack any wolf near their boarders. They are a female dominant pack that use males as pets." She finds that Nishu's word 'pet' feels unusual on her tongue. "You can say our relations with them will always remain hostile."
Rain gets back up to her paws, a little wobbly."We should get going." She hurriedly turns back around making for the boarder. From the way her vision has started to flicker in and out, she will need to rest soon. They have to get to Nishu quickly before she collapses. Jumping back across the gap in the cliffs, her hindlegs fall short of the edge. Clawing at the side, she manages to get back up on the path,panting. Her neck wounds bleed more freely now, giving her even less time to get things situated.
She had been waiting for Rain's return, and to see her back was a clear relief. But as the silvered female said, there was much to talk of and she wasted no time peaking Ame's curiosity by bringing up a matter at the borders. Her head tilted, and soon after, she nodded hastily as she grasped the urgency of it in greater detail when she learned of a someone else here, evidently. That provided an unexpected depth to this, but all the same, she would see to it.
Now more than ready to follow Rain to where this male waited, she was quick on her paws and continued to listen. Ankyra Sound? This is the first I have heard of them, and.. pets?
she asked as she felt her hackles stiffening at the potential of an enemy. Their last bad blood had been with the Creek, which was not really a pack all that different from their own when it came to the bare bones of it. Amekaze knew some packs subscribed to radically different beliefs and practices, but to be an enemy of that sort was not something she had any experience with. Are they what happened to your neck?
for she had seen the subtle trace of blood staining the sterling fur.
And with that, she follows, although winced and rushed forward with an extra burst of speed when she saw Rain falter. She recovered not long after, but Ame eyeballed her with quickly-growing concern..
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Nodding her head at Amekaze, Rain confirms, "Males are treated badly. And it was a black male of their pack that got his teeth into me. I was trying to stand up for a male that the pack wolves were ganging up on." She leaps over a brush in the path, and then continues, "Ankyra ended up tossing Nishu and me off the cliff we were close too. It was three against two, we are lucky to have survived." She flicks an ear, feeling angry at the remembered fight. By all means they should be dead, but somehow they had managed to escape.
Bringing her walk into a steady trot Rain says, "I believe that if Ankyra finds that we are alive then they may come to finish the job or, even if they don't find out, they may attack the Sunspire for my interference." She glances at her alpha from the edge of her vision. "Nishu belives that Ankyra will not stray far from the coast, but I will suggest to remain alert. Though, I must apologize for bringing this upon our pack."
Looking ahead, she can spot Nishu waiting for them. "He and I have a contract, but I will let him explain that." She leaves out the part about asking to have him become a temporary member of the pack. She feels that will be Nishu's place to bring up the question, not her.
To divide between the sexes was not a notion she could see the benefit of, especially when it came to treating the males poorly. Amekaze felt that gender did not necessitate a division, although was part of nature's own duality -- one without the other could not flourish as well. She scoffed softly beneath her breath, trying to wrap her head around this all as the story unfolded.
She swiftly found Ankyra leaving a foul taste in her mouth, all the more confirmed when she learned they had tossed Rain from a cliff. Amekaze bit back a rumbling snarl, frustration welling in turn. Truly, you are lucky.. after this, you should rest,
she intoned gravely, feeling suddenly justified in her worry while Rain had been away with packs such as that out in the wilds. If they come here, they will be handled swiftly and I will suggest the wardens to keep an eye and ear out.
The mountain was their fortress and Ame dared them to come here with complaints. She wouldn't go seeking trouble, or retribution of any sort. Rain had only traveled there to seek information. She could not have known she would find herself tangled into their mess.. Although as this.. Nishu says, away from the coast they may not be so brazen,
she rumbled.
How far away are they? And to the North or South?
She was trying to remember as much of the coastline as she could. Ame had been most familiar with Horizon Ridge's area back when it had been Akhlut's pack (in which she had nearly chose to settle) but that had been moons ago. I am curious as to what they will do, though..
a small smirk played across her features. Ame wondered if Rain's involvement irked them that much, or if they even suspected her survival at all, and before she could say more, she spied the figure of another wolf at the borderlands. She zeroed in on him, keened, with a confident stride about her as she approached.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Rain grumbles, "I'll rest after I've reported all that's needed." Though she hopes she can stay awake that long, and shakes off a ringing that has started in her head."There is some news besides this that I bring you," she adds warily. "You may find a part of it... interesting." She is happy to hear Amekaze take her caution at the possibility of an attack. The alpha then suggests Ankyra not to be so brazen away from the coast and Rain manages a shrug. "I'm not certain. Nishu will be able to report on them better than I." With him having been on the inside of Ankyra he is a valuable asset to the Sunspire on the matter.
"You'll find them by Gyrfalcon's keep, south of Ravensblood forest," she informs Amekaze when the confident female inquires about the whereabouts of Ankyra. She doesn't comment at her alpha's curiosity at the hostile pack's possible intentions. Rain would rather not think on it. Though with how Amekaze now strides up to Nishu, her alpha doesn't give her a chance mull an answer over.
He has been waiting for a while. He didn't exactly manage to stay put. Waiting wasn't as easy as he thought but it wasn't a bad thing to get slightly distracted by everything that passed by. He found a hole nearby and stuck his nose in it. He wanted to know if there was anything there. Maybe an animal to mess with was living there. He barked in the hole but there was no reaction. There was most likely nothing there in the first place but atleast it killed some time.
Shortly after he heard movement approaching him. He instantly pulled his nose out of the hole then he sat down but kept straight and presentable. He was expecting to see Rain or atleast the Alpha of Sunspire appear. He figured he needed to show respect to all leaders as usual but would eye contact provoke them like it did when he shared eye contact with the females of Ankyra Sound? He waited but he never noticed that there was dirt on his nose.
After this, and after she was appropriately filled in on all matters, she would take her time to make her full considerations of Ankyra. For now, it was the obvious choice to be on their guard and make word of them known to her fellows. It was a start. From there, she would put further thought into it. She did wish to know of what Ankyra's distinct pack smelled like, just so her guards would be properly raised in case of any. Ame did guess it was a very female-dominated with the obvious overtone of the sea. This, however, was just an assumption.
With that said, and Rain's mention of resting when all was done, Ame would do her part to make this time effective. And the silvered female was right; already, she was finding this interesting. The full tale of it was sure to be much the same, and with a silent eagerness, she was readied to hear it out.
As they arrived in his vicinity, she focused on Nishu -- who was a sizable wolf of silver shades. Greetings,
she chuffed first. Ame held her muzzle up effortlessly, and her tail swayed slowly above her rump as she looked to him. You are Nishu, yes? I hear that you may have matters of interest to tell me,
she tilted her head slightly, studying. There was an undeniably curious glint to her eyes in an otherwise neutral expression. I am Ame, the Alpha of the Sunspire.
She watched him keenly to see how this information would be received and how he would behave in turn. Although, she was obvious enough with the way she carried herself that he probably knew that already.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
His eyes couldn't help but shift towards her thus making eye contact, nothing could be done about. He was thought to always watch the eyes of those you haven't trusted. "Greetings to you as well Ame, Alphess of Sunspire." He said as he bowed down. "Yes I am Nishu, a Royal Knight who is at the service of Rain for now. I have information regarding the fairly new pack known as Ankyra Sound if that is what interest you. With Rain's permission I may share what I know about them."
He then glanced at Rain and waited for the word to continue. It was always better to make sure that it was alright even if it was likely a yes. He understands that Rain may not be used to this kind of behavior but there were still default rules to follow as a Knight, or else what kind of Knight would he be?
He most certainly had her attention, and while she saw him catch her eyes, he bowed as well, so she did not suspect it was out of outright disrespect. As contradictory as it seemed for one gesture to precede the other, she would have to learn more. Still, she was watching to see how he would receive her.. as it would dictate much of her response as well.
A Royal Knight was not a familiar title to her, and she suspected it tied into the contract Rain had mentioned. Which she also guessed was why he looked to her, since evidently, he was in service to her.. whatever that entailed exactly. Ame could make her guesses all she wished but hearing him detail them would be leagues more informative. It is. I wish to know.. all you may share, especially if they may take issue with Rain's involvement and how likely they are to follow through with any frustration,
she said, letting the sway of her tail slow to a subdued metronome. And, she mentioned something of a.. 'contract'? What is that, precisely?
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Smiling, she notices Nishu has dirt on his nose. Wondering what he was doing before they appeared, she decides not to say anything till they were alone. The spot of dirt isn't hurting anything and it is making her smile through the dark feelings she is having with their current subject. It will be too soon if she ever saw Ankyra again.
There was still more to say, he is just going to have to ignore trying to figure out why Rain was smiling. He clear his throat and continued. "They are located at the coast which isn't difficult to get to unless you seek the heart of their territory. It basically has a secret entrance that would be near impossible to find unless they themselves show it. Since I last been there they had around six member along with two pups. I believe their combat style is speed favored. That is all the major details about them that I could understand."
Before continuing to explain the contract between him and Rain he noticed some dirt on his nose. He turned around and pretended to sneeze then used his paw to removed the dirt. "Excuse me." he said as he turned back towards them. He felt like he scored a few bad points on his first impression due to the dirt. All he could was pretend it didn't happen. "A Knight offers his service by an oath or contract for an honorable individual. In this case with Rain, I am her Knight until we find her lost sister. It is my duty to protect her and to follow her commands until that day comes." Then he looked at Rain again, still couldn't help wondering what she was smiling about. It bothered him a bit.
Certainly, she listened. Of religion, of the sea, of males serving them. Ame nodded softly here and there, with a look of clear concentration as she busily absorbed this information, right down to the details of their territory's access point, their fighting style, and their numbers -- which the Sunspire did outrank them in. She still stood by the thinking that should they make a move here, inland, that their might would be superior.
So I am left to guess that it was no blessing to serve them, judging by.. what happened? Which, I only know the gist of thanks to Rain.. that you were being attacked?
she tilted her head. The reason behind this was unseen still. What are the odds they may seek to finish what they started -- to the both of you?
she asked next. There were a great many questions and this was only the beginning. I appreciate your insight. I did not know of Ankyra prior to this.
Which was saying something. She took pride in her knowledge and yet, the coastal pack had gone undetected.
When he stepped aside to tend to the dirt on his nose (which Ame had paid little mind), she glanced to Rain with a curious look. Then, listening on, she chuffed softly. Ah. So you devote yourself to her cause and.. then what? Do you seek out a new goal or..?
Ame was trying to fully understand this aspect of a Knight and his contract. It sounded honorable, to an extent, especially the willingness to devote oneself to the other but it was still a strange, foreign concept to her and the culture she in particular had come from.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Aftter explaining Ankyra Sound' s beliefs and location in further detail, Nishu cleverly turns to take care of the dirt on his nose. Rain glances at Amekaze from the edge of her vision. The alpha had not seemed to notice his mishap. She collects herself, thining her smile into a straight line. The dark grey male turns back to them, continuing on to explain their contract to Amekaze.
Rain listens intently to her alpha's response to the chunk of information that Nishu provided her, nodding as Amekaze mentions the small bit of insight that Rain gave her about the fight with Ankyra. The black female points out a few things that Rain has asked herself and patiently waits for Nishu to respond to these questions, feeling tense.
The next question asked had Nishu thinking for a bit. A new goal? His goal will never change. It has always been to be known as the greatest Knight that ever lived, just like some characters in different stories he heard about. For each service he completes the more known he'll become and it's even better when the tasks are more difficult. The main goal of a Knight was to help those in need and to make a difference in the ever changing world.
He looked straight at Ame and kept a neutral expression. "My goal has never changed. Contracts, Services, or difficult tasks are all steps taken to show what Knights are and that I will be one of the greatest Knights ever known." He said in a loudly tone. "I will give my best to assist Rain in every way possible as her Knight while the contract remains incomplete no matter how little the sub tasks are. Once the main task is completed I'll move on to the next one that calls to me." He said with confidence. Once a mission was completed it was better to move on to the next one as soon as possible. That was the plan, there was no slowing down on his main goal.
At least he took the good from it all, and she nodded in understanding. She was pleased that he had drawn strength from the situation, and possessed the mental fortitude to do so in the first place. Mm, that is my thinking -- that they suspect you are both dead. But, know, if they come here, I will be far from hospitable,
she huffed. Strange that they would attack you without cause, though. Was it really that sudden? Had you even been with them all that long?
Anyway, she still had a long way to go before the depths of knighthood was fully understood. But his answer did paint a clearer picture, in some ways. So, I understand you have pledged yourself to Rain and all, and would this entail.. staying here, as a part of the Sunspire?
she then asked, to get to the root of this. Since Ame, and perhaps even more, the Sunspire, held Rain's loyalty, did his translate at all as well? If he wished to stay closest to her, Ame deemed this likely. Or, maybe he did not want the affiliation. With winter present as it were, she thought this would be most advantageous to all parties involved. She would allow it, even if he did not see it fit to integrate fully. So long as her lands and wolves got respect, and if needed, his strength could add to their cause (such as, if Ankyra moved against them in the future), she would be most satisfied.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Ears perk as Amekaze tells Nishu that she will be far from hospitable if Ankyra comes around. She wags her tail slowly, enjoying the thought of fighting off the female dominant pack. Rain would love to sink her teeth into the wolves who decided to attack Nishu for no apparent reason. They had attacked her for interfering with pack businesses, so she can't blame them for that. She would have done the same, but then she would never mistreat a packmate.
Then Amekaze asks the question of Nishu staying in the Sunspire. Her tail stops and she stiffens, tense. "That would be correct," Rain puts in mildly, eyeing her alpha. Finally the question she has been waiting for has come to a head.
Now the main question at hand, where would he stay? It was clear that he would need to be within the territory to be with Rain. He thought it would be best to remain close at all times but everyone needs their own personal time, even Nishu. "If Rain is part of Sunspire then that means I must take part as well, even if it is not permanent. I'm here to assist Rain so I must not be a bother to her allies while helping out." He paused for a moment before continuing.
"So I ask for very least to being able to walk freely within the territory during the day. I can settle somewhere close to the border during the nights, I have no problem with that. I can help out with pack objectives but Rain will remain as first priority." He said, basically saying the minimum he needed. Hopefully it was acceptable, if not it would be rather difficult to get things done.
Ankyra was an enigmatic mystery of a place to her now, and she could not find a good reason to attack and exile a strong wolf from their ranks. Their loss, she supposed. He did not seem to be of poor disposition, nor health, so Ame didn't see the explanation clearly and was swift to deem the coastal pack's actions as downright bizarre. Hm, well, it is their loss then..
she scoffed softly at their poor management.
His answer was then about along the lines of what she anticipated, with Rain being his focus and the rest following. She could not foresee any issue with this, and so long as he was not trouble and would be around for the betterment of the pack, then it was acceptable. Fine. Even if it is not permanent, respect my mountain and the wolves on it and all is well. I do not mind where you settle, near the edges or not. That is up to you,
she answered with a nod of her head. It would do him best to integrate himself as he pleased, for the effort he put forth would be returned depending on his actions. If many Sunspire wolves were familiar with him, things would probably go more smoothly, but time would have to tell.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
She takes a breath, feeling winded after such a long report. "When do you wish for me to be out again?" Rain asks, wagging her tail. She enjoyed the journey and made several friends from it. For now she hopes to stay around here and recover her strength though. She has been gone for a long while and has missed the Sunspire.
He admired Rain's strength to keep going. She must have been out there for a long time yet after getting tossed off a cliff she still had the strength to keep going. She had to go through much more than he did. Rain was someone Nishu would never forget.
He couldn't help but smile. "So after traveling from pack to pack and then getting tossed off a cliff just one day ago you still have the strength to keep on going? Someone like you would be an excellent Knight." He said nearly laughing a bit. If she was a strong fighter than there was no doubt that she could be as good as a Knight. Then he added with a smirk "After the promised spar I'm sure we will be able to tell if you are as good as a Knight as I am but you might need a little rest first." In a way he was provoking her but it was just to see if she really did have the strength to keep going.
With Nishu's acceptance final, she listened on about the packs. There was much to hear. When it started with the Creek, Amekaze felt vaguely uneasy at patching anything up and wondered who she had spoken to. Probably not a wolf that had lived there when everything had happened, so therefore, not a wolf Ame would know herself. The Creek is a complicated matter. I can explain at length later,
she said. Although she was getting the sense that as more time passed and newer wolves made up the majority of both packs, the relationship was mending and some hoped for absolute peace, it was not easy to set aside everything with them just like that.
From there, the news was mixed. Some packs more friendly than others. She took it all to heart, although frowned at the mention of Peregrine; knowing they were territorial was little surprise. Amekaze didn't know him herself but had little of good to think of him just knowing he was Fox's mate by choice. So she had already long since marked him as company she was entirely uninterested in.
So it was an interesting trip.. and it sounds as if you covered a lot of ground,
she said, still trying to pick apart all of the information and decide what to focus on. The nearest packs were of most importance, although the Caldera left her displeased (largely due to Peregrine attacking her, and assuming Fox lived there) and the Plateau was at least a positive encounter from the sounds of it all. I want to consider where I want to focus the scouting first.. and if any packs are worth knowing better before I send you out again. Plus, depending on how winter shapes up..
she replied thoughtfully, whether that meant they would need to focus more on the mountain itself or if the weather took a distinct turn for the worst. I will let you know.
Her tail swayed slowly, and she smirked in silence to Nishu's words of a promised spar. Surely, they both could use a good, long rest.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
"It was a very long trip. Though I hope the report is sufficient.," she tells her alpha with a sigh. "After I rest, I would like to speak with you about Swiftcurrent."She gets up to leave, bowing to Amekaze. "Until then, I will be getting to know my fellow pack mates." She smiles tiredly at Nishu and her leader. "As well as showing Nishu around." With a final farewell, Rain takes her leave in the direction she hopes is where the healer is. Her paws feel oddly heavy and her lids are starting to droop over her eyes. She hopes her alpha does not take offense at her sudden leave.