Ankyra Sound don't blink

Something was wrong, Spyridon suddenly realized. He had not seen Larus in days. The sirens' numbers remained low, with only Caiaphas, Eos, and one new sister among their ranks. Kevlyn remained, and there was Nakai, though Spyro had seen little of him since he had joined the sound. It worried him. He feared for the safety of their territory, and even more for the safety of the sisters.

The moon was nearly full, and yet Spyridon felt anything but. He worried, he fretted, and eventually, he tilted back his head and called for @Caiaphas. It was, perhaps, not his place to do so, but he knew that she was his leader. She could help them. She could save them.

Larus had grown more and more distant of late - an action which had first caused Caiaphas to squirrelishly pursue him. He had made it clear he wished for his independence, and after a few weeks of this behavior the coywolf had left him alone.

It was Spyridon who first noticed his absence -- and shamefully, Caiaphas answered his call by seeking him out on the strand. She suspected more than anything the Duskfire wolves were at the helm of Larus' disappearance. Spyridon's howl was tinged with worry, and when Caiaphas came upon him she could see he had been most agitated by a state of unease. "Είναι αυτές οι κολασμένοι λύκοι Dusk - Φωτιά ." She suddenly spat as she closed the distance between the two of them. Δύο λύκοι έχουν έρθει σε μένα , αναζητώντας τον . Είπα ψέματα και είπε ότι ήταν μέρος του κόλπου .

She looked to the male to ascertain his thoughts -- he was not as rash nor as impetuous as she, and likely had his own (reasonable) conclusion about Larus' disappearance.

Spyridon, of course, put the blame on himself. He was directly responsible for both Kevlyn and Larus, and any harm that would come to them was his fault. When Caiaphas put the blame on some other pack, though, he was shocked. Why would she not blame him? It was his duty to protect the young males of the pack, and yet he had failed. One had slipped away—or he had been stolen—and it had been Spyro's mistakes that had gotten them there. He had not been watchful enough, and he had not even known of the Duskfire wolves she spoke of.

Still, it was not his place to question who she blamed or even why (though she gave the second answer as well). "Τι θα θες να κάνω;" he asked. It was likely the only question he ever asked of the sisters, as he had been trained that most questions weren't worth asking. He needn't know every little detail of their lives or plans, only what they wished for him to know. Spyro suspected that he would be asked to help in searching for Larus, though doing so would require him to have somebody to do the talking. Perhaps it would be a task for himself and Kevlyn, since the boy spoke the common tongue well, and Spyro could act as the brawn.

Caiaphas had not considered Spyridon at fault -- and as a result, missed the guilt the black male harbored. As intrepid as the coywolf often fancied herself, she often overlooked certain cues when assured of the perpetrator. In this case, she missed Spyridon's surprise and instead focused on the hate that grew in her gut that the Duskfire wolves dared be so insolent and steal what was theirs.

At the thought of Larus being frisked away her hackles slowly rose in outrage and her expression seemed perturbed with ire and agony. It was a curious thing, the state of unrest that seized her -- and as Spyridon broke the vexation that threatened to consumed her she stopped as if blinded and looked to him quite plainly. Τι θα αδελφές σας έχουν κάνει , πίσω στο Hippo Τανγκ Cove ; While she was agitated, Spyridon's logical question drew her back from her irrational impulses -- despite the fact she was certain the Duskfire wolves were behind Larus' disappearance, she wished to hear first what the wolves in Hippo Tang would have done facing the aftermath of a stolen member.

He thought long and hard on her question, piecing together the many interactions he'd had with the sisters between his birth and now. It was uncommon for him to be asked for advice, and giving it was not something he was entirely comfortable with. He was a servant, a slave, and was much better at following directions rather than coming up with them. Unless, of course, it had to do with the consorts he was attending to. Telling Caiaphas what to do was beyond his realm, and yet... she requested it, so he did his best to answer. Spyridon chose his words carefully, speaking them with care.

“Δεν θα θέλουν σύγκρουση. Θα έχουν κριθεί Larus ανάξια του σπιτιού μας.” It was a shame, really, that the boy had not stayed. He could have made a good companion for Kevlyn. There were other things he wanted to discuss with her, wanted to prepare for her, but now did not quite seem the time. Caiaphas seemed... off, as of late, perhaps because of their dwindling numbers. Spyridon knew that spring often solved that problem, but she had said nothing of the ritual that would build their base.

The waif was content to allow Spyridon ample time to answer -- as he considered and weighed his options she nosed about him, her svelte muzzle pressed to the cold sand as if Larus' scent would suddenly be upon them. It was clear the dark male was selecting his answer carefully -- and the coywolf never once pressed him.

When he spoke she flicked an ear in his direction and deliberated the worth behind his words. He was right to surmise that conflict should be avoided -- but Caiaphas was far too rash to heed the sable man's motion. Instead of an outright answer she shrugged then -- and with a roll of her narrow shoulders slung her head to the ground once more to scent about them.

She said nothing, and the only indication that she had even heard him was a pause in her sniffing about. Perhaps it should have concerned him, but it did not. He had been asked for what he might think the sisters would have done, and he had answered it freely. Spyro was under no assumption that she would follow his words. Caiaphas was no follower. She was a leader, as she had proven time and time again.

“Θα σχεδιάζουν επίσης να τροφοδοτήσει τις τάξεις,” he added. Spring would soon be upon them, and preparation for the many rituals would need to happen quickly if they wished to do them. There was fertility ritual to perform, to ensure that the sisters were well-prepared for the mating ritual. Rituals and prayers for the new life that the sea would give them. Songs to the moon to ensure that there bellies were full with not only babes, but food.

As she nosed upon the cold sand she kept an ear tilted behind her, certain that despite the pause in conversation their interaction was far from over. True to her gut, Spyridon spoke only moments after -- Caiaphas slowly raised her muzzle from the frozen ground and regarded the black male quite carefully.

She hadn't considered that spring was often a time of whelping -- as of now, she could name no female worthy of the honor. Tethys was gone, and she had not seen Eos in weeks -- the only other female within their ranks was the fresh-faced Akantha, who Caiaphas did not know well enough to be certain she would stay. The males were a different story. Caiaphas said nothing, her expression somewhat taut as she solemnly considered Spyridon's words.

I love that Caiaphas does not include herself in the pool of puppy ovens.

She said nothing in return. Perhaps Caiaphas was wavering on Ankyra Sound as a whole. Did she doubt her ability to lead the sirens? It was true that she had not been taught from her birth to be a queen, but she had grasped it with such ease, Spyridon had never questioned her leadership. True, much of that was in his own upbringing, but he could say with confidence that she had kept Ankyra Sound alive even when it was at its lowest point. Aktaie had left, and Caiaphas had prospered since her leave.

Spyridon remained where he stood, dutifully awaiting dismissal or further instruction.

sadly im on the fence on whether or not she is good enough for pups!!!!!!! i was hoping we'd have more females to take that honor!!

Her silence had not been contrived to make the dark male unsure -- she looked up quietly, suddenly cognizant that her quietude may have struck a curious chord in Spyridon's inner thoughts. She considered how best to answer -- the idea of a ritual for the Siren's whelping season seemed overwhelming. Her last few attempts had been gross failures, and even now, it seemed their faith was fading. Having not been borne into the Nereides' culture, it was hard for Caiaphas to feel panicky by the creed's waning importance -- but she was sure both Akantha and Spyridon would have by now detected that most of their members were absent from worship.

She sat down in the sand, her figure piteously narrow. A frown worried her features as she thought a little longer. Κρίνεται σκόπιμο να σας ζητήσω να επιλεγεί αρσενικό μας . Θα σκεφτώ λίγο περισσότερο στις οποίες θηλυκό είναι πιο άξιος να φέρει ένα γεμάτο στομάχι . She had no doubt come spring that Spyridon would still be here, resolute and as unmoving as a rock -- but of the female harem, she was not so sure.

Psh, you. I ♥ Caiaphas (and so does Spyro in his own weird way), so I may be biased, hehe. Writing this before Loki goes to his first "trial"... which is really just an all-tunnels fun run, but don't tell him that.

“Θα ήταν τιμή μου.” Of the females, well, that was the queen's decision alone. In Hippo Tang Cove, their queen had often reserved the rights to herself exclusively, but as she grew older, she let the younger sisters squabble amongst themselves to determine who was most worthy. But they were a much larger pack, and it was possible Caiaphas could not burden children this year. For all he knew, she was too young to do so. Still, it was her duty to replenish the ranks with their own kind, even if it was not from her own loins.

“Υπάρχει κάτι άλλο που μπορώ να κάνω για σένα, βασίλισσα εκεί;” he asked. There were caches to be filled, and Kevlyn (studious as he was) surely needed attention in some way or another. He was growing and learning quickly. In many ways, the boy reminded Spyridon of his own youth, albeit he had been born from a mother of the sea, not stolen.

oooo good luck loki!!! feel free to put one more post in if you'd like, ill leave this open in case you want to end here

Caiaphas frowned into the sand, reflecting on the scarcity of available women to participate in the breeding rites. She had no intention, at least not yet, of bearing children -- she thought herself much too young and truth be told, did not wish to commit to more mouths to feed. The pale wraith considered Kevlyn and Larus her children -- she was not yet ready to accumulate more.

She flickered an ear as Spyridon, ready as always, awaited dictation. The male's guardianship of Kevlyn she was immensely satisfied with -- but Kevlyn was growing, and soon he would be a pledged consort. She saw no need to instruct him on that front -- he had proven moreover an excellent tutor. But other things would soon compete for their attention -- Caiaphas had neglected the cache as of late, and soon winter's hyperborean weight would be upon them. Προετοιμαστείτε για το χειμώνα , ο φίλος μου .

With that, the frail wretch rose and prepared herself for the task of restoring the cache. She would swing towards the woodland, where she had spotted some fresh ermine tracks earlier in the day.

He did really well! We have a mock trial this weekend with ~all~ the different obstacles. So that should be a riot.
Ending here!

With instructions given, Spyro did as he was told. Caiaphas departed, and the consort trekked toward the Monolith Forest, hoping to catch a glimpse of the herds that sometimes lingered there. Perhaps he could take down something larger with the help of one of the sisters... or perhaps it would be a good lesson for Kevlyn to learn more of hunting and providing for the sirens. In any case, he would find a way to bring sustenance to the Ankyra Sound sisters and ensure that the were nourished through the cold days of winter. It was especially important now that children might come into the world.