sparrow

@caiaphas

A light drizzle was passing over the Sound, and Leucothoë stood upon a ridge that overlooked the Ocean. She imagined if she were to fall–or to push someone–they would be taken by the Sea and carried to Charybdis. The Sea looked hungry today, and Leucothoë knew why. Always with the coming of war did the Sea crave for the blood of enemies; someone had stolen a cub of theirs, and for that, there would be blood. This she knew the moment Caiaphas spoke of it; it was just a matter of when.

The young witch knew she would need many things to do her Scrying properly. The sea would tell her things, but so would bones and seaweed and stones the sea expelled from it. Leucothoë knew (in her mind) she was clairvoyant to the Sea and the Mother and Her will; never had she misheard something, never had She denied her. It was a privilege, though it weighed heavy on her. It was a lot of responsibility.

The drizzle shifted to rain, but water had never bothered Leucothoë. The Grecian youth turned to find shelter. Wet alone was one thing, but the cold nip the wind brought alongside the wet was a bother to her.

hounded by the mercurial drizzle's sudden change in precipitation, caiaphas sought shelter. it was balmier today than it had been in a long time and she had spent most of the morning inspecting the lowlands from the cliffs. the sting of salt and water was one thing, but caiaphas knew that wetness and cold had the uncanny ability to seep to the bones and wither comfort away.

she took refuge under the gentle hang of a sequoia's bough, quick to shake herself and roll in the pinestraw. when she looked up she saw the female leucothoe -- if ever there was a pleasing sight to eye it was the blood that their family bore. she was striking in the manner aktaie and psamathe had been, though she possessed a character unlike them. the siren queen ventured from her respite to follow the youth wordlessly -- eventually once proximity had been breached she imagined the two would enjoy the miserable weather in company.

this house was my flowered heart,
but my petals have fallen.

The water had disabled Leucothoë from knowing beforehand of her leaders location, else she might have sought to join her in the first place. Leucothoë, however, was joined by Caiaphas. Her ears swiveled stop her head, the girl blinking water out of her eyes as she kept her eyes ahead. There was much she wanted to know about the Siren Queen of this land, but much she did not know how to ask.

Instead, Leucothoë continued to walk beside her leader. She knew right now they were not in the fighting phase of their war, but when the time came she was prepared, rituals coming to mind... But sacrifice was still high on her mind. “A full moon comes...” This she knew, being devout and studying the phases of the moon as often as she did the stars in the sky. “perhaps a sacrifice is in order, for continued fortune,” and for their Mothers continued watchful eye, though this she felt went without saying. The rain continued to fall quietly around them all the while.

their joining was amicable, the two walking alongside each other for a time. when leucothoe mentioned sacrifice the bony siren queen turned to inspect her, a dark interest overriding her ugly features. sacrifice she had done only once before in the name of the mothers -- and it had been but a fox kit. it was true caiaphas' knowledge of the nereides creed was dismal -- and while she had over time warmed up to the religion, it was still evident even now that she was not seaborn like her packmates.

she trusted this wolf's knowledge of their culture, however young, for it was evident she was borne of both mother moon and mother sea's blessing. "we have not had a high priestess, or any really, since aktaie's departure." she returned, considering the offer. "our last sacrifice was in the fall." the siren queen flicked an ear as rain fell upon it and then continued. "how do they do it in themiscyra? what do they sacrifice"

I pmd Em to ask for more details on if any were premise so I'll adjust anything I need to when she gets back to me *____*

Leucothoë was surprised to hear how long it had been since the Sound had taken part in any ritual. She being highly religious felt this did not bode well; their sacrifice, then, would have to be grand to have The Sea truly look to them and know that they were faithful, just misguided for a time through no fault of their current Siren Queen. She had not known the ways; but, this was what she and her family had come for.

The young Leucothoë snorted to keep some of the rain from coming into her nasal cavities. She recalled the full moon and the rituals performed during it. “The full moon is a ritual only the women participate in, to honor The Mother. The consorts are able to bring their independent sacrifice by day... But She is watching, and whatever is brought She must find of worth. The Sisters of Themiscrya will bring to Mother Moon a gift. The more valuable, the better... The sacrifices she had seen were many. She paused, looking to Caiaphas. “I have observed and partaken in many, but never have I lead one before.” She aspired to become High Priestess herself, and would work for it. “Since it has been so long, what we offer must be grand.”

caiaphas did not share similar feelings of foreboding, having lead mostly a succulent's heathen and parsimonious life. their last sacrifice had been long enough that the blood had been washed from her mind -- though they had recently crowned two adepts in ritual and baptized the pups.

she listened to leucothoe explain what she had learned, and was intrigued. "we had an adept ritual, and a baptism shortly thereafter. the mothers were pleased with our sacrifice, for we had booming success in our last several hunts. but it has been too long, and if they are just they will view our lapse a slight." she did not deserve the mantle for religious ceremonies, and it showed.

"what do you have in mind?" caiaphas had already been troubled as of late considering that they had yet to complete a mating ritual.

literally just making stuff up here but whatever emblee PM's me back we can work w daT... also shift key doesn't work for quotation marks COOL so will edit them in

Leucothoë was glad to hear that there was more going on than she had initially imagined. The clarification was necessary for her to understand precisely where they were at... and she nodded at Caiaphas's words. For the Sea was just in all things, although sometimes cruelly so.

The Sea prefers new life, or sometimes the life of those very old. It is believed that the new life given from the land will add to the lives within the Sea. The old that might be given share their knowledge gleaned from this place and take it to the next. That was why Leucothoë did her scrying with old bones; the dead had learned lessons the living had yet to learn. Leucothoë looked to Caiaphas, and continued. It does not matter what it is, so long as it is something of value. A meal we will never have. A wolf we may never know. It must be something sacrificed and virtuous. New life might be more difficult to find than old. Either, this time, would do.

virtuous. the word stuck with clarity upon the gullet of the seawretch, a look of skepticism drawn across her narrow frame. so little in the world was truly virtuous -- and caiaphas had long been convinced of the notion that the world had little supply of the way of innocence.

she kept her dubious thoughts at bay, curbing the acerbic wit of her tongue. let little leucothoe not know of your impiety, the brinehag thought. "do you pick the sacrifice?" there were many things caiaphas had no qualms sacrificing -- the young, the old -- specifically, her enemies.

Leucothoë would one day learn that none truly kept to the straight and narrow path. Leucothoë had always been one to never question that of which the sisters told her... but as she took part in practices, she would learn truths that she had not yet been able to see. For now, however, Leucothoë believed the best. Of her sisters, of Caiaphas. She could sense something about them all, as anyone might be able to, but had never thought to open the door.

Caiaphas question was answered with a nod. The High Priestess who holds the rituals typically will, but as there is none, it would be up to you. My mother was High Priestess at Themiscrya, I think that she would be happy to help if you required it. Her eyes turned to her two-toned leader, and though she knew she would be teaching Caiaphas things of Themiscrya and of rituals, she also knew she would be a pupil. Caiaphas knew more of this land than she did, and her tail waved. Have you any ideas? Leucothoë asked in a lilting voice, her voice pushing through the rain that slipped over her nostrils. She turned to snort, and looked back to her leader. She would be happy to aid her Queen in finding the sacrifice, bringing it home. Perhaps her mother might come, too. And Nesaea... and perhaps Callantha, who might be changing for the better.

caiaphas had many ideas -- all ideas -- and every one of them insidious. the grey girl had mentioned minthe and her former profession in themiscyra. while caiaphas did not deny that old fox her prestigious title, it troubled her she had seen nothing of the female in the two weeks since her arrival.

"i have not seen minthe since you showed up on my shore." the siren queen growled, a wry smile contorting her hideous features. "there is a certain honor in performing ceremonies." she paused and considered what she was about to say -- and then said it anyway. "you can lead it. you and your sisters, find anything -- a stray too close to our borders, a wrongful supplicant, aella for all i care."

Leucothoë saw her mother nightly, though admittedly had not smelled much of her around the territory. So she could understand what Caiaphas meant there. But when Caiaphas suggested she lead it, there was no disguising the shock that flit over her typically well-composed features. That was not something she had expected to do so soon... And uncertainty crossed her facade for a moment.

But she also was an opportunistic girl. Was she capable? She believed she could do it. At the mention of deciding to pick whatever she pleased to sacrifice, Leucothoë nodded. Aella, she asks, turning her head; she had not yet met her, and also did not verbally know she was even a part of the pack. Leucothoë Knew only who she had met. But that her leader mentioned a name had the intuitive Leucothoë desiring to ask.

the uncertainty leucothoe expressed was to be expected, but it did not sway the siren queen's edict. in the same manner an unwanted breeze may gently storm the port, but not alter the course, caiaphas remained convinced of her demand. it had been leucothoe to suggest it, and so leucothoe, (an initiate already ahead of her peers) would lead it.

caiaphas was not surprised to learn leucothoe did not know of their resident amazon -- a fierce wolf in which caiaphas shared no love for. it had been a need of bodies that had allowed her the grace to accept aella's return. even still, she did not love the woman. "an adept." she answered simply, wishing to speak of something else as the thought of aella soured her thoughts quickly in the manner lemon curdled milk.

Leucothoë sensed this was a topic Caiaphas did not want to discuss. Leucothoë Was but a Sprite, but she supposed now she was a tier above it. Certainly not an adept yet, that required ceremony. Aella was an adept. By the sound of it, Caiaphas carried no positive feelings toward her own adept. This was strange to Leucothoë who had only known of unity within the ranks. Still, these were thoughts for another time. Leucothoë herself enjoyed Caiaphas; she was an active leader with a keen eye.

They continued moving, heading toward the shore. “I would be happy to lead the ceremony,” she verbally accepts then, her tail waving. “Where was your first sacrifice placed? And what was it?” Leucothoë waved her tail lowly, curious and eager to hear of her leaders past experience with their religion.

leucothoe was intrepid enough to sense caiaphas' clipped reply was a signal to change topics -- in which she artfully did so. caiaphas did not begrudge the female for her interest, even if she had withdrawn it in favor of pursuing a more approved subject. the sacrifice. caiaphas thought back on it -- they had done several rituals without sacrifices before they had elected to spill blood in the name of their goddesses -- it had been performed by herself and tethys (alongside kevlyn) in the cold heart of caiaphas' grotto.

"our first ritual was done on the shore. our first sacrifice was done in the grotto's hearth where the sea-door sits. a fox was used, one we caught sneaking into our cache." caiaphas thought back further. "after the sacrifice we had the most successful hunt to date, though soon after the mothers claimed tethys and a few other worthy sirens."

After her leader had finished, the silver girl nodded her head. May you show me to the grotto's hearth? If it's okay with you, perhaps that is where we can perform this sacrifice, too. If the Mothers had taken well to the first sacrifice, Caiaphas had done quite well. Location was an important aspect of it all, and Leucothoe had little time to discover one all her own before the full moon came.

The Mother must have had another purpose for them, she decides aloud, looking to Caiaphas and wondering if she would agree. She was no Tethys or the other sisters, but she aspired to be one of the greatest Nereides to date. Leucothoe was ambitious, her goals lofty ones but ones she did not think out of reach.

last post for me? ty for the thread ^_^

the mother was cruel then, if she had tricked caiaphas into enjoying her adepts' company only to swallow them entire and wipe them from the face of the earth. eos and tethys the siren queen thought of often. one a sylph, the other an amazon -- women of which the soundwould never see their like again.

caiaphas nodded at the erudite youth's request -- with a flick of her tail she turned towards the direction of the grotto. she looked behind her once only to ascertain the female was following -- and with brisk, lofty steps the two would soon come to the dark mouth of the tunnel in which caiaphas spent many hours of her day inside.