Blacktail Deer Plateau The Elevation of Trust

ooc: private for Pied/Kat

Hawkeye sat at her new favorite spot -- a section of open area on the edge of the plateau that gave her a panoramic view. She looked across the way to the silver-tipped mountains, down to the hot springs, then followed the river as far as possible, and then started over from the opposite direction. The large, black wolf had been quietly thinking of her friend Pied while doing all of this; her unwavering loyalty, support, and friendship through everything.

Closing her eyes, Hawkeye raised her head to the cloud-spotted sky and called out. Pied, I need to speak to you. Keeping her eyes closed, she lowered her head and flicked her tail contentedly. The she-wolf admired her new home, and, as she opened her eyes, she saw the sun break through the clouds to spread rays onto the view she enjoyed so much.

set by sophie

Pied padded wearily through the sparse woods sprinkled atop the plateau, her eyelids feeling rather heavy. A volley of wretched cries had rousted her in the middle of the night and, upon frantically tracking them to their source, she had come across the ghost of a young wolf writhing around on the forest floor. Pied had been at first baffled by the sight and then the true horror of it had dawned on her. The apparition had been reliving the final, violent moments of its life. Pied had observed warily as the ghost had finished its death throes, twitched, then lay still... only to revive and repeat. She had watched the cycle three times before finally wrenching herself away and then wandering, shocked and sleepless, across the plateau. The cries had followed her, unaffected by the distance, ringing in her ears until just a few moments ago.

Her nerves felt so frayed that Pied jumped at the sound of a howl rising into the air. She froze, eyes opening a bit wider to reveal bloodshot vessels around her colorful irises. One of her soapstone ears flicked as she received and interpreted the message. It was Hawkeye calling. Despite her exhaustion, Pied began walking again, eager to find out what the dark she-wolf wanted. Hawkeye was her Alpha now, though more importantly, she was Pied's friend.

She mulled this over as she walked south to the tip of the plateau overlooking the panoramic view below, a place her cousin had frequented during her rule here. Pied gave it a brief glance, then fixed her eyes on Hawkeye's large chest and said, "I know you called me here because you want to speak with me. I just wanted to let you know that I have something I want to tell you too. But you first," in way of greeting, casting her Alpha a tired smile before reposing wearily on her spotted haunches.

Hawkeye turned and raised herself from the view and eyed her friend, worry crossing her face when the white and blue female said she needed to tell the Alpha something. "Pied, you look exhausted." It looked as if she hadn't slept in a week. "...But I suppose you will tell me why after you hear what I have to say." The midnight wolf continued, knowing that her friend would want to listen to her words first.

"You have stood beside me as a friend, and now you stand next to me as your Alpha." Hawkeye paused, trying to choose her next words carefully. "You have been infinitely loyal, and you are a vital part of this pack. I would like to promote you to Gamma, an advisor to both myself and Leto. I want you to know that I am honored to have to follow beside me as your leader, not behind me." The large female let a small smile appear as she spoke, but now she frowned. "I am worried about you, though, Pied; you do not look well. Are you alright?" Genuine concern flooded the charcoal female's voice, letting her friend know that her health was a priority.

set by sophie

Pied gave a quiet laugh at Hawkeye's observation but said nothing, letting the Alpha speak first. Before her friend even mentioned the promotion, Pied suspected something along those lines was coming, based purely on her Alpha's opening lines. Although not entirely surprised by the offer, it still made her heart flutter in her chest. She wanted to accept right away, yet she felt like she should let Hawkeye know a few things about herself first. There was the fact that Pied didn't feel cut out to hold such a high rank but, much more importantly, there was her secret.

The offer flattered her but Hawkeye's concern was even more appreciated. "It's just been a long night for me, that's all," she replied, then paused. "I really appreciate the offer but before I even address it, I want to tell you what I have to say. You're my leader and my closest friend, so I don't want there to be any secrets between us."

She paused again, sitting up a little straighter and puffing out her cheeks before letting out a long breath. "What I want to tell you may be hard to believe and I won't exactly blame you if you doubt me. But, well..." Pied decided to just cut right to the case. "I can see ghosts." She let that hang in the air a moment before elaborating, "Last night, for example, I saw the ghost of a young wolf. Its cries kept me up for hours; no matter how far I walked away from the apparition, they still rang in my ears as if I was two feet away from it. Hence, I didn't sleep." As she finished, her lips twisted into a wry smile.

After a few beats, Pied dragged her eyes upward to gauge her friend's reaction. "I've had this skill for as long as I can remember. Do you remember when we first met? There was a ghost behind you then, whispering things to me..." She mulled over the other phantoms she'd seen since coming here. "Oh, and I have a magpie that follows me just about everywhere I go. I call her Mag. I can't hear her for some reason. She isn't here n—oh, never mind, there she is," Pied said as the magpie appeared, as if summoned by the sound of her name, and perched on the bare limb of the tree closest to the nearby ledge.

The ebony wolf sucked in air at what Pied had told her. She hadn't expected her to open up about these things here and now -- and should she play dumb, or tell the truth about how she already knew? Maybe now was a time for trust and the truth.

"Pied... I, uh, I know you can see and talk to ghosts..." Hawkeye started uneasily, flinching at her own words in apprehension. "But let me explain." She quickly added. "The voice that I told you about--he told me that day I asked you about the wolf in the clearing. I wanted you to be able to trust me and tell me yourself... I didn't want to upset you in any way. Although, I have never noticed anything else besides that one wolf, especially the magpie." Hawkeye smiled at the blue-splotched wolf. The Alpha hoped that Pied would understand, and she herself would accept if the white wolf became bothered by it.

"But it seems like you are stressed and things are taking a toll on you..." Hawkeye looked into Pied's mismatched eyes. "Do you need anything from me?" Not knowing exactly what she could do or say to help, she still offered up to her friend.

set by sophie

When Hawkeye said she already knew, Pied stiffened, feeling suddenly defensive of her gift. Then the Alpha explained and it made total sense to her. "Huh," she said compulsively, her head twitching backward. "I guess you wouldn't know about Mag then because there's nothing to hear. Huh," she repeated, quite obviously marveling at it all.

"So..." she said slowly after a moment, eyes briefly meeting her leader's. "I can see the dead and you can hear them. Who was he, do you know?" she questioned, referring to the wolf who'd stalked around them upon their first meeting. Pied then suddenly recalled the first time Hawkeye had mentioned the voice. "Wait, you told me you don't know," she answered herself. "He looked pretty normal, except for the torn throat..." she thought aloud, wincing slightly, only to look curiously at Hawkeye to see if mentioning this again would jog her memory. "He also had a sense of humor; he was making faces over your shoulder the entire time I was talking to you," she added hopefully.

Not wishing to ignore Hawkeye's offer, Pied simply shook her head. "It was just one bad night. I'll be right as rain as soon as I get some sleep," she promised, not wanting Hawkeye to think that her gift was always as wearying as last night.

Hawkeye shook her head. "I wasn't hearing anything back then, but I know I assumed it had been my brother. I think he heard things, too, but it drove him crazy. I wouldn't doubt him taking on someone that was part of a pack and didn't tolerate his crazy behavior." She spoke quietly at the end, lowering her head; she felt torn on how to feel about her brother. He had been two years older than her and taught her most things she knew before he had chased her off that cliff. "I don't really count the wolf he became in the end as my brother. He was driven insane by something. His eyes were red, not emerald. I--it just wasn't him."

At that moment, she herself saw red and narrowed her brow. Looking up, her eyes widened a bit; she finally saw the ghostly image of the magpie that Pied had spoken of. She closed her eyes tightly, thinking about her friend's words. "I wouldn't doubt that it was my brother, though, if he had been making faces. That seems just like something he would do." She smiled fondly. The mountainous female opened her eyes again, connecting them with Pied's. "Let me know if you see him again, if you don't mind." Hawkeye paused a beat. "...Do you accept your position as advisor? Before you go to rest, Pied."

set by sophie

It seemed that it would forever remain a mystery, though Hawkeye at least did not seem bothered by this. Pied nodded her head quickly when asked if she would report to Hawkeye should she ever see him again. She hadn't seen him since, yet that certainly didn't mean he would never appear again. Although many apparitions made a single cameo in her life, there were quite a few that made repeat visits—her own father, for instance.

Hawkeye asked again about the position and Pied answered honestly, "Is it a leader position? I just don't think I'm cut out to be a leader. If it's just beneath a leader position, then... I accept." Although she was aware of her own fealty and contributions to the pack, as well as the important role she'd played at its genesis, she did not feel she was meant to lead in any capacity. Advising, however, she thought she could do, from a sub-leader rank.

"Either way, you have my loyalty and my support. I'm happy to advise, mediate and communicate with the dead as often as necessary," Pied quipped, only the right side of her muzzle turning upward into a dry, crooked grin.

ooc: I figured you could just do individual responses to what I have written if needed!

The midnight wolf nodded her large head and smiled at the little joke Pied had made. "Yes, we will definitely need to consult with the dead to make any and all definite decisions in this pack." She contemplated for a moment and then spoke her thoughts aloud. "I will make you Delta for now, then, Pied. But, in the future, a commitment to a leadership role might be needed, though it isn't a concern right now. Let me know of any ventures and wolves you meet in or out of the territory. I wonder if any packs could be scouting the area having heard of the Dragonwatchers' disappearance or our claim to the land."

She nodded once more, letting Pied know she was free to leave, or stay and watch the view with her. Hawkeye would walk the borders soon, but not just yet--she was enjoying the new scenery too much.

set by sophie

Pied laughed quietly when Hawkeye ran with her joke, though her expression clouded at the Alpha's next words. It wasn't that she didn't want to hold a high rank, just that she knew her weaknesses and idiosyncrasies well enough to admit that she wasn't leadership material. She wondered if Hawkeye thought she was just being weak or stubborn and felt slightly wounded at the thought. Hadn't she made it clear that she would give all she had to give, regardless of her status in the pack?

Choosing not to give voice to her concerns—especially knowing how tired she was, which might mean she was taking things too personally at the moment—Pied nodded her acknowledgement. "Thank-you, Hawkeye. I'm happy to serve as the pack's Delta." It seemed like a good compromise, in any case.

"I like the plateau a lot but I miss my log back in Blackfoot Forest," Pied mused as she climbed tiredly to her feet. "I have yet to find one like it here. I might have to knock down a tree and hollow it out myself," she quipped, her small smirk soon peeling apart as a great yawn overtook her, forcing her jaws wide open and her pink tongue to curl over her lower fangs.

"Well, I'll check in with you after I've gotten some sleep. Thanks again, Hawkeye. See you later," the newly-appointed Delta said, stepping forward to give the Alpha female a nudge beneath her sooty chin before the piebald yearling turned and padded slowly off into the woods.