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[Dawali Amara]

Dampwoods. Word Count: 320 come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops His red fur was damp as he let his walking stick take his weight and swinging himself over a small stream. The stick didn't in reality take most of his weight as he'd jumped, but it was a nice support as he came down. He didn't come here to get hurt, after all. Or, well, he didn't know about that. He'd heard many things about Inferni, and none so far had been positive. Urged at length to stay away from them, he had done so, perhaps wisely. But now, things were changed, and he was changed. Now, this threat in the north craved investigation, and he was less scared than he would have been. What happened would happen, and what happened happened for a reason. Gvihita soared overhead, quite irritated with him this afternoon. She'd mumbled something about someone whacking some sense into him before spending the whole trip at a slow soar above. Though, if you asked him, that's exactly what had happened. Suddenly, all of his priorities had lined themselves up (which was very nice of them), and he knew what he had to do. He would not avoid this pack simply because of their reputation. Now, if the rumors had claimed they killed every living thing to walk near their territory, then he would likely not seek them, like he was now, but he'd heard no such thing. He'd heard that they were somewhat hostile, and that they, historically speaking, had been involved in more than one war around here. So, his life was not on the line, not yet, and until it was he would carry on as usual. He needed to establish contact with all of the inhabitants of this place, and so far it was only these coyotes and the pack of dogs that were unvisited. People might think him a racist if he did not pay them the same respects as everyone else.

[Kaena Lykoi]

The dull gray hybrid was no stranger to rain; the sky had been opening up on and off for the entirety of the day. Patchy sun shone through here and there, but in general, it was another overcast day to an already soaked summer. The hybrid woman was far used to it by now, and she had ceased to give the weather any thought. There was nothing she could do about it, so there was no point in dwelling on it. There was a far more important matter at hand, anyway—like the sudden shortage of prey on Inferni's land. The coyote woman was presently in the woods surrounding their territory, stalking through the forest quietly in search of anything edible. There was a young mouth to be fed at home; the hybrid woman was rather overwhelmed with the motherly instinct to protect and provide.     Perhaps it was just instinct—Kaena was the mother to four separate litters of children, all of which had been born years ago on a distant beach—she had begun her child-rearing rather late, however, though it had recently occurred to Kaena that Kerberos, her eldest son, was nearing six years of age. He was nearing old age himself. That had dawned on her one restless night and only added to the idea that she was growing old, and her time left on this earth was not terribly long. The coyote woman pushed these thoughts aside as she encountered the fresh scent of a rabbit—she crouched down, smelling a distinct smell of Inferni on it. Likely it was one of many displaced from the flooded burrows on coyote land. It did not make the rabbit their property, no, but the drab gray canine stalked neutral lands here, and there was no law against hunting them.     The hybrid woman figured the animal had no home here, and she was slow and cautious in stalking him. Likely the thing would simply run himself to death if she did not manage to catch him if he had no nearby burrow to seek. Though the hybrid woman was certainly still feeling the ill effects of her prior encounters, the herbs Naniko had provided her with had done an excellent job of healing the wound on her shoulder from Haku, and she was rather pleased with the ability to create a salve from it. The hybrid's bag of tricks was ever-increasing, and this was certainly a good thing, considering she wished to live her life as long as possible. Though she walked with a limp, she was silent and of windward advantage when the rabbit came into sight ahead.     The coyote hesitated just an instant, bracing herself before darting forward as fast as she could. She swung her good arm and her claws connected with the small animal's neck, picking it up and bringing it close, single-handedly twisting the small head with her optime fingers until a crunching pop issued from it, and the rabbit ceased to kick. Its sharp claws had scratched her on the leg, and she cursed softly, dropping the kill to the ground to peer at the wound. It was shallow and unlikely to even scar, so she left it be, her attention immediately distracted by the approach of another. Her sable ears swept forward as an unfamiliar wolf walked toward her, smelling of an unfamiliar pack.     So this was a representative of the wolves to the south? The silvery hybrid did not stand, merely crouched lower and put her good arm on the ground in front of the rabbit as the man walked her way, intent on protecting this meat for Inferni. Her golden eye narrowed, though she did not show aggression to him yet. She was still recovering from her last brutal encounter; she could not afford another one. At worst, she could pick up the rabbit and make a break for Inferni's territory. It was not such a great distance behind her. The hybrid remained quiet as the wolf approached her, waiting for him to speak his intent or, perhaps if she was lucky—avoid her entirely. It wouldn't do to encounter trouble today, and the hybrid hoped if he was wary of the coyotes their smell radiating from her coat would drive him off.

[Dawali Amara]

Totally forgot to add it to my bookmarks after making it! sorry ;< Also, she's in optime, but crouching? I'll change my post if I misunderstood it :) Word Count: 412 come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops His hand clutched the walking stick as he traversed more uneven surfaces - there were no roads here. He was a creature of habit, and was used to roads since AniWaya had them in the village. The tribe members had walked the same routes over and over again, making natural roads along those routes. Though, he really did prefer more natural walking ground. Something about roads made him think of the humans and their massive black network of broken land, and it made him uneasy. His travels through the country here was a refreshing reminder of nature at its finest. A branch was moved from being in his way, and Dawali stopped a moment to smell the air. Either he was close to the pack borders, or a member of that clan - or both. Either way he adjusted his direction towards the source of the smell, and not long after he spotted a figure ahead of him. A female stood near the ground, a rabbit at her feet. And she was certainly not a wolf. No, she leaned heavily towards coyote, but some of her features seemed familiar to him. Not just as they were wolf-like, but perhaps it was a type of wolf he was particularly familiar with. Strange - he'd thought his family were the only ones of that kind around here. A fresh wound was healing on her one arm, and his yellow gaze flashed to it for a moment. Perhaps he could help with that. She said nothing, but looked at him, and he stopped his movements - well aware of their hostile reputation. Instead of doing anything else, he smiled and spoke quietly, not wanting to agitate her. Truth be told, he'd not dealt with any other species than wolves before, and knew nothing of their demeanor. It wasn't so much fear in him now, as caution, but he would not back down to that feeling again. It had nearly cost him his life once, but he knew better, now. Greetings. My name is Tsugi Amara, commonly called Dawali, chief of the tribe to the south. I seek a clan named Inferni. Do you know of them? It was obvious that she did, but he would test his polite approach first. It was custom to greet strangers with his formal name when on a diplomatic mission, and also to assume nothing beforehand. If she did not like it he would change tactics, as he always did.

[Kaena Lykoi]

It's all good! Yes, you've got it right. ^_^

       The coyote woman knew very little of those wolves to the south. She had never encountered one before, and she had only been to the southern lands four or five times since returning. It was a far trip, and the ashen hybrid rather preferred to remain close to her homeland anyway. The furthest she liked to go was the city, and even then, the trip was rather trecharous now. Dahlia de Mai had expanded their borders, and since she now knew the identity of her chocolate-furred attacker, she also knew his origin—Inferni's closest neighbor. This was thanks to Gabriel, though he'd warned her about Haku Soul previously. There wasn't any way she could have known that the mahogany-furred wolf that she'd met that stormy night was the Dahlian subleader, anyhow. Still, the whole encounter had left a sour taste in her mouth. The silver hybrid had come close to death, though she'd come out victorious and seemed to squash him—but when she'd gone back, there was no body, nothing. That was suspicious, but it was always possible that someone of his pack had come to claim his remains.

       The single raptor's eye regarded him for a long moment. There was familiarity in his features, some similarity she could not place. He was a wolf, certainly, but he had slighter features than the average wolf, a slimmer muzzle and slightly enlarged ears. He was a red wolf, like Fatin. This was little comfort to the hybrid; though she knew that the same breed's blood ran in her veins, it guaranteed nothing. She wore the coyote badge proudly, and it was obvious to all but the blind that she was not full-blooded anything. Blood meant little to some creatures, anyway—though she'd never been outright attacked by coyotes, there were some that did not regard her kindly simply for her mixed blood. There was a surprise on the other canine's face, a smile. The coyote relaxed just a hair, and pricked her sable ears to listen to him speak.

       He introduced himself and stated his intentions openly, which was another shock to the coyote—it was enough to make her stand abruptly, scooping up the carcass of the rabbit by the ears as she went. The hybrid did not understand the concept of two names, and she was intrigued, though she hesitated to immediately inquire on about potentially deep subjects with someone she'd just met. Still reserved, the coyote was still quiet and stunned for a moment, her glittering eye searching the other creature's face for signs of deception, trickery—was he playing friendly just to get her to drop her guard? He was a rather tall wolf, for his smaller species, and most of him was a ruddy cinnamon color, though his back was a darker ashen color none too dissimilar from her own. Still, the male was painfully reminiscent of Fatin to the Veritas. Kaena had long assumed the fiery femme had moved on—she hadn't seen her goddess in many months now.

       He had several adornments of feathers and other decor around his mane, which also intrigued the silver woman. She appreciated adornments; her own blazing red tattoo stood out boldly on her chest, a painted target across her heart. There was a mark on him, as well. The coyote spoke up after a moment, deciding to test the waters. Sure, there were a lot of creatures here that were dangerous and deadly, but this one didn't seem like it. Deception was a clever tactic, sure—but there was something there that made the coyote relax some, standing holding the rabbit at her side. The ashen coyote gave him a dip of her head, rather quick but still acknowledging him. "Kaena Lykoi. What would you like with my clan?" she answered, thinking she was being rather polite. She could have lied, though it would have been obvious. No point in denying she was one of the infamous coyotes.

Thanks to Akumu for the table!

[Dawali Amara]

Word Count: 453 come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops He stood still, leaning comfortably on his walking stick, as he waited for her response. It seemed to him that a thousand thoughts went through her mind as she considered him, standing up now; she had risen abruptly as he introduced himself. The critter dangled limply from her hand and he realized he might crave a meal soon as well, but it would have to wait until he was further from here. Perhaps Cwmfen might appreciate sharing a meal with him; he'd learned that she had recently become a mother, and was keen to give his congratulations. Finally, the mix female spoke. A limited amount of words, no ornamentation - nothing like his own approach. Although she didn't express any hostility he picked up her caution easily. Many things could be said about Dawali, but he was better than the average diplomat, and his assumptions regarding others were often correct. Often, but not always. Remaining still, Dawali kept his voice calm and the smile on his face was refreshed. So, she was from Inferni. Good. It wasn't exactly a shock, but it was pleasing nonetheless. After all, she could have been someone who sought the safety of their clan, not yet a member. The wind whispered across his face from his left and he could feel the feathers in his mane moving with it, light as they were. Nodding to her words, he replied much in the same manner as before. It's nice to meet you, Kaena Lykoi. Pausing, he wondered whether these were the kind who used both their names or not. Moving here had certainly taught him a thing or two on different naming traditions: most true AniWayans had four or more names, though few of them were actually in use. Letting the thought rest, he continued; I've traveled here to learn about your clan, and to share knowledge about my tribe. This is the way to create a treaty of mutual peace, and that is what I seek. Another small gust of wind flew past the male from his left, now taking hold of some of his smaller braids as well. The large bird of prey, his spiritual companion, soared down from the skies to sit on his right shoulder. Her talons could not be felt despite her strong grip, and her weight was nonexistent. He knew that the femme in front of him could not see the bird; she felt different when she was in her visible form. The bird said nothing, but stared at the femme with one of her beady yellow eyes. Perhaps she meant to express something by her behavior, the bird, and perhaps not. Most of the time, Dawali did not understand her at all.

[Kaena Lykoi]

The red wolf before her did not seem threatening. He was an older man, closer to her age than most of the younger canines running around on these lands, but still not quite as ancient as the silver hybrid was. Still, what could he possibly want with a bunch of coyotes, if his clan was so far away? She contemplated this for a moment before he began to speak, her attention immediately reverting to the russet canine. He used her first name and her surname, which was somewhat strange to Kaena—most creatures immediately truncated it to Kaena without her prompting. But that was just an added politeness on Dawali's account, she figured, and it pleased the coyote woman. "You can call me Kaena," the hybrid told him, though she did not intend to correct him. It was simply an easier, truncated form of her name—and she almost universally introduced herself with her surname present outside of Inferni lands.     His next words caught her attention, but she kept her face carefully neutral, wondering what had prompted him to seek out the coyotes. He had not demanded anything from her, instead offering information about the pack that he was a part of in return. This intrigued Kaena, showing on her face in curiosity. The wind rustled his fur, a cool breeze that spoke of the fast-approaching fall. Summer had been brief and rainy this year, and Kaena was ready for the cold season to come. "Well," she started, pausing to consider her words. She took a step closer to him, peering at him with her curious single eye and inhaling his unfamiliar scent. His pack's banner was unknown; she had passed by their territory previously. This was her first encounter with one of their kind, however.     "I like that idea," she finally ventured, drawing a breath as she spoke. "I'm not usually keen on easy trust, but if you're speaking the truth..." she trailed off, her golden eye regarding the cinnamon-colored canine's face for a moment. "Our Aquila is my son. I could pass along your wishes of peace to him," the coyote said. She was speaking truthful herself—she did not wear Inferni's crown, there was no guaranteeing anything from Inferni based on the word of its historian alone. If Gabriel sought to make war with them for some reason—which she couldn't see happening anyway, considering their territories were so far apart and with simple care they could easily avoid one anothers' borders.     The hybrid woman squared her shoulders, her gaze breaking from the wolf's for a moment, peering around the woods for a minute. "Should we get comfortable?" the coyote asked, peering at him. "No sense standing around." The coyote woman wondered what he wanted to know, and she was curious now about what she could learn about his clan. Perhaps they were just particularly inclined to keep to their own? That was a possible explanation for why she had yet to run into a member of Dawali's pack yet. It was much more likely, though, that their distance simply made it less likely for them to encounter one another.

[Dawali Amara]

Word Count: 504 come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops Dawali simply nodded politely as she stated that he could address her by her first name. There was no need to comment on it, especially not as he had already stated that he was commonly known as 'Dawali'. Along with the nod came a small smile, a gesture not as much of politeness as of goodwill - after all he did want to make a good impression on this clan. If they truly were as dangerous and vicious as everyone claimed they were, then he would just work twice as hard to get on their good side. AniWaya had been betrayed by neighbors before, and he wanted to know he could trust them. He certainly did not care what his other allegiances thought of it. Keep your friends close, and our enemies closer. He had no intention of making an enemy of Inferni, but if they proved to become one, he wanted to know what they were and what he faced. Still, his approach to Kaena was no lie, and his intentions were pure. She spoke honestly and somewhat hesitantly - at least at first - but from his own position he could do nothing but understand. After all, why was he here, and why was he so keen on establishing contact with his neighbors? He had learned, and he knew that hesitation she felt. Unfamiliar with their ranking system, his mien turned apologetic as he responded to that, although judging by the way she spoke about it he reckoned it was fairly high up in the system. I will admit I'm unfamiliar with that rank you name, but any effort made is highly appreciated. Pausing, he considered being bolder, now, seeing as her mind seemed to be tuned in his favor right now. I can understand caution, Kaena, only all too well. My old rank consisted of dealing with burial ceremonies, and let's just say I had a lot more work than I wanted - before we moved here. It is not something I want to see again, and that is why I am dedicated to ensuring peace for my people, in all directions. Perhaps she could see his point. Given their history, he would assume they had suffered losses through the years. Gvihita did not stir on his shoulder, and he took it as a sign that things were going well. So unfamiliar was he with direct hostility, chances were he would not recognize it immediately if it was in front of him. Gvihita, on the other hand, with her endless wisdom and experience, knew better. As long as she was calm, he had nothing to worry about. To Kaena's request, he nodded with a smile before asking her to elaborate. Sure - what did you have in mind? If her intention was to invite him to their packlands, then this mission's success was as good as secured, at least in his eyes. Certainly, for a clan whose reputation was mostly hostility, it could only be seen as an act of trust.

[Kaena Lykoi]

The coyote woman had lived in a pack once, in a time that seemed like ancient history now. She had been less than a year old, her head barely at her alpha's shoulder. It was a foggy, dim time in the coyote woman's head. Her memory could not recall many specific details, just the vaguest impressions of things that might have happened. Then again, memory in function was often wildly inaccurate, only occasionally recording reality as it actually was. There was generally some slant, some skewing of perspective that only increased as the time between the present and the moment the memory had been formed. All she could recall now was a crushing sense of unity, suffocating and uncomfortable. From what she remembered, everything was based on conformity and sameness, whereas Inferni's bonds stemmed from their shared blood and a single ideal, wordless and unspoken, but pulsing beneath the surface, inherited from the coyote clans which had spawned their kind.     The coyote woman knew that the wolves used different rank systems from her own, but she had no idea how much they'd changed. Any of the names she would remember were gone, and she had no use to learn any of the leadership rank's names, only that they were leaders and subleaders. That was all that mattered to the hybrid woman; the rest of them were simply serfs, the tiny wheels of the machine that spun and kept it running. "Our leader," she elaborated, nodding to herself. Aquila was a more powerful word than alpha, she thought—maybe alpha was older, but Aquila simply had a better sound to it. The red wolf before her spoke of death, and the coyote listened intently. She was confused at first; so this pack was a clan that had existed elsewhere first, and they were an extension of the original.     The hybrid woman spied a fallen tree several feet away, relatively fresh. There was still life in parts of it—though it was totally horizontal and fully half of its roots system was exposed, green leaves still dangled from the far end of the tree, since parts of its roots were still submerged beneath the dirt. It must have fallen recently during the storms, and the coyote woman pointed it out to him. "There?" Though Kaena knew damn well where Inferni stood as far as trespassers went, she was uncertain as far as visitors went—it wasn't a good idea to allow foreign canines to creep around inside of their land, even with a guardian. The coyote started toward it, looking over her shoulder to insure the other was following.     The walk was short, after after about twenty feet the coyote woman settled onto the tree, leaning her back against a thick, raised root. She dropped the rabbit at her foot, and it crumpled into a pile. "I need to bring this back for the others. The rain caused some of our territory to flood, and hunting has been scarce these past weeks," she explained. She hadn't even eaten any herself yet; there were younger mouths still in Inferni, most importantly Mason. He was far too small to be hunting successfully on his own. This little tidbit was hardly an admission of weakness; they still had the coast to fish from, and once the rain settled and the waste drained of all the excess runoff, things would be back to normal again. The hybrid woman's single eye focused on Dawali for a moment, watching the russet wolf, again surprised at the similarity between him and Fatin. The ashen hybrid wondered if many from his clan were red wolves.     "Inferni is a very simple machine. Cross us, and we bite. Leave us alone, and we have no quarrel," she said. It was a simple matter, really—the coyotes could hardly afford to go stirring up trouble with every bunch of wolves that banded together to form a pack. Sooner or later, someone with a brain would figure out that four or five packs working together could easily obliterate a single coyote clan. "Maybe we are the same in that way," the coyote offered. "I don't want to have to bury my children or my grandchildren." The coyote woman had lost three of her children, and she did not wish to have more of them perish for no good reason.

[Dawali Amara]

Sorry for the wait - the university is ambushing me >_< Word Count: 573 come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops He nodded silently as she briefly explained the rank mentioned; there was no need to comment on it. And he was perhaps lucky. Surely, a clan of creatures who were feared everywhere had strong family ties. Hopefully, her word would mean something to their leader, the Aquila. After all, what kind of son did not consider his mother's opinion? In AniWayan tradition one should respect one's mother above all women, and all women should be respected for their ability to put children into the world. Family was everything, and they were the key. Without women, there could be no life. In that sense, they were similar to the river, for also that was needed to sustain life. They were cradles of life, and they should be treated as such. One moment his hesitation lasted, when she suggested they relax on a nearby log, instead of inviting him in. Then again, his hopes had been naïve, and he knew it. But, it would certainly have been something, to be invited to their packlands. Perhaps in time, he would be able to visit them as a guest. Certainly, he would accept a visitor of their clan with ease, soon as the two settlements had some form of agreement in order. The two moved towards the recently deceased tree, his form closely following hers, letting her lead the way. His body language was humble, but not quiet - it was clear that he was a figure of authority, but also that he understood what he was here: a guest, here under the rules of others. They sat, and as she explained, his gaze traveled to the rabbit at their feet, nodding. Flooding was certainly an issue he was glad to have avoided thus far, although Mersey Lagoon was looking very.. wet indeed. Luckily, for all the streams that flowed through their claimed lands, few had been flooding a lot. Also, the wapiti seemed not to mind the flooding enough to leave, so their supply of fresh meat was still quite good. He suspected that would change winterstime, however. Flood is no laughing matter. We've been lucky to avoid any severe effects of the rainfall thus far, but I suspect it might reach us soon. Water fell constantly these days. The words she spoke made him nod again, now in agreement. His eyes wandered over the ground as he for a moment took in her message, digested it, and found a suitable answer for himself. Of course, that was no conscious action, but an automatic one. Still, their conversation maintained some depth that differed it from regular small-talk. The subject was, after all, quite grave. I believe family to be the pillar of everything, and to us the tribe is our family. We offer what we have, and take what is offered to us, but we would not cross anyone intentionally. Safety of our family comes first, and I can only hope that the burials of children and young are a thing of the past. For a moment, his mind touched a subject he rarely thought about. He had buried six of his own children so far, and had come close to bury Noir and Oceane as well. Now, the eagle feathers that protruded from his mane were well earned; he had protected those closest to him, and now - some time later - he bore them with pride. There was no shame in demanding justice.

[Kaena Lykoi]

All good! I'm sure I'll be the same after tomorrow. D:

    The hybrid would have loved the idea of valuing woman as mothers above all else—she was hardly a feminist, but the way Haku had spoken to her, spitting the word woman as if it was a curse... that had kicked something alive inside of her, and it had given her much to churn over in the weeks she'd been recovering from her vicious encounter with him. Women were capable of granting the world with children—men helped, yes, but it was the woman who held them in her belly, it was the woman who was graced with the ability to feed these children from her body. Men could do neither; they simply donated some gooey junk that held half a child, but played little part in children beyond that.

    The hybrid woman would have to discuss the issue of bringing foreign canines into the coyote lands sooner or later; she knew some were welcome to come there at any time, such as Fatin, but others—she did not know. The hybrid had rarely been confounded with the issue of wolves wanting to visit the famed vicious coyotes. The red wolf before her looked rather regal to her, with the myriad of feathers and other adornments about his mane. She studied them for a moment, wondering if they were a symbol of anything, or if they were merely decor. She was not a particularly large fan of decoration—her own items were simple and they stood for something. The star across her chest was a symbol of the Lykoi family, hand-picked by the coyote matron herself. The necklace was the thing she had saved from Astaroth, and it meant she had lost Eris and killed the Kimaris man in the process. It was a symbol of loss, more than anything—and she wished now that she had Salvaged Eternity's tooth to wear beside it.

    The red wolf commiserated with her. The coyote's lands had turned into a swampy mess as of late, and she was rather tired of it already. "Doesn't make for a good winter, but at least you don't have to worry about drowning in snow," she said rather lightly. In truth, the silvery coyote would have liked a cold winter. She had not experienced one in two years, and she had found in the southern parts of the world that was what she missed more than anything. Snow, and cold, and ice. There was nothing quite like a Canadian winter. The coyote woman listened intently again as he spoke, turning the words over in her head. It was a good standby, and it sounded quite familiar to the Inferni way of thinking. They were Inferni coyotes together, bound in many cases by blood—though that did not necessary exclude outsiders from their sense of oneness.

    The coyote was quiet for a moment, and a very thoughtful look came to her face. She was impressed by that speech, to be certain—she often felt as though Inferni and Lykoi were pretty much synonymous terms, though there were other powerful families in their midst, to be sure. The clan is my family, she thought to herself—it was a fitting enough motto, and true in many cases. She had thought of the coyote clan as something of her own child for a very long time now, perhaps since crafting it on the beach that night with Yasu Zarah. "You have a good way of thinking, Dawali. I can only say Inferni is similar—we might have our minor differences, but at the core, we are the same," the coyote responded.

    "We aren't the best of souls, hardly. Some of us are damaged goods, but even the worst of us follow the Aquila's word. If Gabriel says we are to be peaceful to you, we are," she said. There was no blind loyalty in Inferni, to be sure—even so, the coyotes were very much in tune with each other, and most of them knew a good thing when they saw it. Allies were better to have than enemies. The coyote woman looked over toward the russet-colored canine again, and offered a smile. There was no terseness or awkwardness in it, only the twisting of the scars that crossed her face.

Table thanks to Erin!

[Dawali Amara]

Sorry for the wait. :[ Word Count: 385 come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops Now, for the first time in the span of their conversation, a smile was on his face out of entertainment. Other smiles had carried social meaning and politeness, but now he was genuinely feeling solidarity with the female in front of him. Her way of speaking pleased him, and her voice was comfortable enough. For all her scary scars and whatnot, she seemed to him (at least so far) a gentle soul. She seemed polite when met with politeness, though he suspected she would be viciously different from what she was now, if met with aggressiveness. That, however, was something he did not intend to find out. He nodded as he spoke in return, eyes shining with general friendliness. Hehe, this is true. Kaena Lykoi appeared to him no more or less intimidating than Jefferson Soul, and Jefferson had proved to be a loyal person, for all his grumpiness. Snow is certainly easier to walk on than the slippery, flooded plain, too. Four legs or two - balance was something nice to maintain. He smiled again when she stated that she approved of his ideas. It was always nice to know that there was some level of likeness between their two groups, however war-ridden one of them might be. His face moved up and down in a nod as he listened to her continue, genuinely interested. Some meetings with other packs' members were a necessity and an act of diplomacy or politeness, and some started that way, and ended up quite pleasurable. Right now, he had stopped worrying if she would not accept his attempt at establishing contact with the clan, and had started enjoying himself instead. The two seemed to think alike on certain subjects. When she finished, she granted him a smile, and he felt his muscles mirroring it and returning the gesture. It seems to me your son is a good leader, to have his clan members trust him so. Not all leaders are as fortunate either, with their subjects. If what he had heard was correct, they kept together because the majority of wolves did not approve of them. He could easily understand the need for fellowship when the rest of the population did not approve of your presence. No doubt such a clan would have quite strong ties of trust.

[Kaena Lykoi]

No problem! Take your time. <3 Everyone is busy around these times, sadly. D: In Character     There was plenty of capacity for violence within the coyote, as she had proven to herself time and time again. In her age, she had calmed down some, gained better control of herself, and in general, put her survival and the survival of Inferni before anything else. Vengeance was a petty, personal matter to be pursued in one's spare time; devotion to the clan was a full-time job that required many hours of difficult work. The coyote woman took such things in stride, perhaps her quarter dog contributing to the ease with which she slipped into the harnesses of social life and clan responsibilities.     The silvery coyote nodded, smiling almost wistfully as she spoke again. "I've spent the last two winters much farther south. Nothing quite makes you miss the cold like a disappointing, rainy winter," she said, shaking her head. Farther south, the winters were all rain and a sprinkling of sleet, with almost nothing of real snow and ice, and the temperate zones were simply not to her tastes. She enjoyed the chillier air in general; her hybrid coat was built for it, with the thick undercoat of a wolf and some of the insulation of her husky blood.     Kaena was enjoying the red wolf's company now. They had seemed to speak their pieces about one another's clan, and the information trade had been satisfactory for Kaena. If they wanted peace, Inferni would be one of the first to accept their request. They were a clan motivated by vengeance more than anything, and if the Aniwayans were truly interested in keeping their word, the coyote clan would have no difficulty holding up their end. It was strange, but the ashen hybrid was rather enjoying the company of an outsider; Kaena had not been getting out of the coyote's territory at all recently. Her encounter with Haku had made sure of that.     The compliment to Gabriel was also one to Kaena in turn, something she had not missed. He was her son, she had raised him—mostly, anyway. He had left when he was young, but now that Kaena knew why, she understood. Seeing Baneesh die had traumatized him, as she had known when he had returned for the second time, older and cut up, her tough-as-nails Gabriel. The Gabriel who came back for the second time had served a lifetime in the Scintilla war, some distant place where the coyotes and wolves had not gotten along nearly as well as they did here. Compared to that place, 'Souls was a goddamn hippie convention. At least there weren't wars breaking out every other day here.     There was another smile on her face, brought about by the red wolf's compliment and thoughts of how strong and wonderful Gabriel had become. The silver-tone coyote smiled, and nodded. "Yes, sadly I know this very well. When Inferni was first founded, we could not hold our numbers together. There were just six of us at first, but at two separate points in Inferni's long history, we had only two coyotes to our name." She thought of Vitium. He had betrayed Inferni, the Aquila, and his mother in one foul action. She contemplated adding this story, her golden eye watching Dawali for a moment. Perhaps it would be better to save such hurtful tales for when they knew each other slightly better. It still hurt to think of her traitor-son, and the silvery hybrid wondered if she would ever see him again.

[Dawali Amara]

That table is hotness! Word of the day: eldritch (Wednesday, September 23, 2009) Word Count: 340 come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops Dawali nodded and gave a simple Yeah, true. to her words, agreeing in full. Though he dreaded the winter for its snow and cold, he - too - felt disappointment when the white substance did not show itself throughout that cold season. The prey was scarcer during that time, but the sheer beauty of that white blanket could outweigh anything - that is, except when winter claimed lives. However their storage of meat and fish were strong, and he had no doubt they would be fine. Some say the summer is better, when the frogs and the birds sing - but the winter carries its own unmatched, dignified beauty. Rarely did Dawali express these kinds of opinions, but he liked this female, for all her scars and eldritch appearance. She offered him snippets of Inferni's history, and Dawali found himself intrigued. He had never known what such a society was - AniWaya was large, had always been large, and with vast ties far and wide to other tribes. The AniWaya that had settled here at 'Souls was puny in comparison, as the old tribe had held hundreds of wolves, and several large bloodlines of proud family names. He himself was one member of such a family - Eternal, was their name, and it seemed to him that the prediction that followed the name might even ring true. Out of the families, his was the oldest, but they had never risen into leadership (until now), but stayed among the ranks of craftsmen. I'll admit I have no idea how a clan of such small numbers can keep it together. Where I come from, all the packs or clans around here would be considered puny in numbers. In their opinion, none of us have defenses worth even considering to squish. He paused, and he smiled. This was not a negative thing. But I do not come from a warrior's family, and I appreciate the smaller scale. It is more comprehensible, and more like home, than the vehement bustle of a big tribe.

[Kaena Lykoi]

Thanks! <333 I are failslow.

       The coyotes and red wolves were not built for the cold as arctic wolves were; their ears were larger than the average wolf's and their coats were not as thick, their bodies smaller with far less body fat on them, all in all a poor combination for true frigid cold. But they were not so far north here that the winters were absolutely frozen, and the world melted in early spring, bringing with it blessed warmer temperatures. There were rougher and longer winters further north, and places where the snow never melted—places that would certainly kill Kaena.

       The silvery hybrid smiled at the red wolf's sentiment, nodding slowly. "Each season has its lovely parts," the coyote agreed, finding it rare for herself to express such sentiments as well. They were frequent thoughts, but the seasons were not something Kaena discussed too often unless it was grumbling a complaint about missing another, generally when one ran too long. "When autumn comes, the leaves change like fire," she added, tentatively expressing her favorite change in the world brought about by the shifting seasons.

       Coyote society was sadly not so much a society. It was common for their kind to pair up to raise children, but once the children were grown the pair tended to drift, hunting the same territory while avoiding each other until the next breeding season. For the most part, coyotes were loners and many tended to be wanderers, rejecting the idea that they ought to roam the same set territory that their parents before them claimed. Perhaps that was why Inferni seemed to suffer at times. Still, there was a strong dash of hybrid blood in them, and maybe that would help keep the clan together. Familial ties always helped.

       She listened to the russet canine speak, her sable ears pricking in interest. A slow smile spread across her scarred features, and she shook her head. "I would think you could say at those times, Inferni was less of a clan and more of a few squatters staking out the territory. No doubt if any of the wolves wanted our land, they could have captured it easily," she said with a shrug. Perhaps they were lucky they had the least desirable corner of the former world, the thin forest that rarely contained larger prey for the coyotes to fell. The hybrid woman considered his words, vaguely wondering if it was a threat he was making. She decided not. Dawali had shown her nothing but kindness, and it simply meant that AniWaya had larger, unseen allies elsewhere.

       She scoffed, though it was not a noise directed at the AniWayan wolf. "I can't imagine living in a big tribe. I found a place once, on the far coast. There were many canines and in such a small space, it was... suffocating," she said wrinkling her nose as she spoke and pausing to think of the proper word to end her sentence. "Didn't stay too long. Home feels much better," the coyote added, nodding to punctuate her sentence. The hybrid had not spoken of the Malai Ratree in some time, and she wondered if anyone else had encountered those fascinating canines on their travels. Dawali seemed like a worldly canine, and he was a likely candidate to have seen the far and obscure corners of the earth.

Thanks to Akumu for the table!

[Dawali Amara]

I win at failslow :/ Word Count: 443 come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops He nodded as she spoke, enjoying their conversation on something as trivial as the seasons and their kinds of weather. He rarely spoke of such things, and was particularly reluctant to engage in conversation on the picturesque, but when one lived hand-in-hand with one's surroundings (unlike how the humans had lived) one could not miss the beauty, nor the fierceness of nature. Kaena's comment on the autumn pleased him; true, it was like fire. Sometimes, it felt as if the change was as rapid as fire, as well. One day there was green all around, but then in a matter of as little as a week everything was brown or red or ashen. He gave her a small exclamation and a smile, agreeing in full; "M!"; a crippled version of something that might have been a word in his vocabulary once. No more was needed, perhaps, for his face gave away his positive attitude. "The spring is also a pleasant change, with its color and increase of prey. I suppose all the seasons have their qualities, negative as positive." More snippets of history, and as the tribe leader nodded and paid attention, he realized that he would likely not know what to do with himself should he ever fall from the tribe. Should he ever be on his own entirely, with no system to guide him but himself... he might survive it, but he would not thrive or feel comfortable. After all, he felt lonely now — imagine what he would feel if he was, in fact, all alone? One thing he knew for certain: Gvihita would never leave him. She was bound by a self-created obligation to guide him, but she was not bound to companionship. Though, perhaps she would take pity on him should he be in such a situation. He didn't know, and he hoped he would never know. "I know what you mean. My old tribe was powerful, but so large. Too large for my comfort. It was good to be surrounded by others, but it was also easy to feel lost among so many individuals. Even though I was part of one of the largest families, I never knew even half of the folks I encountered every day." Pausing, he shot the femme a smile. He was, in a sense, opening himself to her, and showing her his weaker sides. Talking about feeling lost and so on. But it was a weakness that could never be used against him. It was a thing of the past, and he was a different person now. "I prefer the smaller tribe, where I know everyone and consider them my friends and allies."

[Kaena Lykoi]

Me too, apparently. XD     The coyote was fond of her time on the west coast, though she felt she had overstayed her time there by about a month and a half. She should have headed home sooner than that, but facing the journey home with no direction to go by was daunting and the hybrid woman had kicked herself many times for not learning how to at least point out where home was on a damn map. If she had been able to do that, someone could have helped her a lot sooner. Instead, she had to wait for someone who had actually passed through 'Souls at one point or another. He was a wolf, yes, but he had been here, and he knew how to get back, so what did it matter? "Oh, yes—I like spring 'cause usually brings children along with it," the hybrid said fondly. True, most of her children had been born in summer, but in spring she usually knew they were coming. Kaena was especially fond of children in her old age; she missed being a mother and she enjoyed the company of puppies. Mason was a lovely young coyote, but he wasn't exactly her kid or her charge.     The coyote imagined such a place as similar to a city, and she marveled that Dawali had grown up in such a place. To Kaena, it was unnatural for a canine to be in such cramped spaces; groups of twenty five or thirty or even forty was fine, but hundreds of canines living and working together in the same small space rarely worked well. Even in Malai Ratree, there had been almost nightly brawls, but maybe that had more to do with the alcohol than anything else. "I imagine it's really tough to stand out in such a crowd. Though, I guess if you're looking for a place to blend in for a while, it'd be a nice retreat from somewhere where everyone knows your name," she said, tilting her head to think about that for a moment. She liked knowing everyone in Inferni, certainly—but when it had been made of softer individuals it had been almost awkward, and her scars and her viciousness felt out of place. She had slipped away to the city to disappear several times during those years, lurking there rather than immersing herself in the social life at all. "That's why I like Inferni. Got a core family you can count on," the hybrid said with a grin. It was like being old royalty, returning to learn of Halo, Talitha, Enigma, Ezekiel, Jael, and Zana—grandchildren, a whole new legacy. The Lykois were hybrids, through-and-through, and the de le Poer heritage strengthened them.

[Dawali Amara]

I win again!! And now I hope to -insert holy entity- I am back for sure :/ Word Count: 443 come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops His ears sprung when she mentioned children; he should have guessed she was a mother. She was around his own age after all, if not older (he never dared to try and pinpoint the age of females, no matter who they were - and certainly not one that looked like she had been through a war or two!), and it was only natural that she had children. He smiled as he thought of his own. "Yeah.. Next spring there will likely be two litters around our ankles in the tribe — I suppose that's why we're all here, for the children I mean." Sentimental as always, and Dawali never did attempt to hide his enthusiasm for his family, or the concept of family at that. He tilted his head in thought as she spoke, every now and then nodding in agreement. Yes, it had been easy to blend in, but just as easy to lose oneself. For instance; he was one of three sons of the oldest bloodline in the tribe, but a mere 10-12 members of the tribe knew him, and out of them maybe just 1-2 outside his siblings and parents knew him well. Everyone else just knew who he was. It was easy to disappear, and to be forgotten, in a place like that. Surely, Ayegali must have had a really hard time ruling over so many. He had so much to do simply running the tribe, which was so, so puny in comparison. His memories of that feeling took him away from the conversation for a moment, realizing it made him feel both nostalgia and loneliness at the same time. To be an ant in the anthill was great and it was bad at the same time. He said nothing until she spoke again, now nodding with a small smile. "That's what I've come to love about AniWaya too. I know my fellows, and I know I can depend on them as friends, not just as my tribesmembers." Ember had proved it the day he had returned wounded and broken, a hero of sorts, but not in his eyes. Never in his eyes. Had Brennt belonged to a pack they would have come for him now; murder was not something to be taken lightly. He wondered sometimes, what DaVinci had done with Brennt's body, but never sought the male out to ask. Perhaps it was morbid to think the thought, but it might be even more morbid to seek the truth. After all, the moment he gave the corpse up to Phoenix Valley, it was no longer any of his business. "Trust is perhaps what I value most in anyone."

[Kaena Lykoi]

Now it's my turn to fail for not realizing this was replied to. D:

    The silvery hybrid adored children, though she was a monster for killing them in the past. She had been younger then (sort of) and she'd been a truly cruel creature for it, as one was her own offspring. Still, the coyote woman was beyond that now, and her adoration for children (and her knowledge of her own failures as a parent) was quite apparent now. "Oh yes, I do love children. Their innocence is... I don't know the right word, but pups are just great," the coyote confessed, searching perhaps for inspiring or magnificent. She was not an eloquent canine, and it was difficult for her to express her thoughts at times. "We've only got one pup on our hands at the moment, and it's a lucky thing he survived the journey he did," the coyote said sadly, wishing more children might not endure such a thing.

    The coyote wondered what it was like to live in AniWaya; was it so different from the pack she had lived in? From Dawali's description the hybrid did not think it sounded too terribly different from her own Inferni; a tightly knit group of canines dependent on one another? Similar, indeed. The hybrid contemplated this for a moment, deciding in the end it certainly made sense. "I don't think we come from different worlds," the coyote said after a moment, deciding that was the best way to phrase it. "I'd trust Inferni with my life," the coyote said, though the idea perhaps didn't extend to everyone. Newer members naturally had to prove their trustworthiness, but the hybrid woman generally had faith their screening process was as good as any.

    Kaena was glad to have met Dawali here today; it was good on both of their ends. Even if AniWaya was fully across the territory, it was good to have friends in different places. She felt no need to stir and rise just yet, though she shifted her weight on the tree just a bit, readjusting herself after quite a few minutes remaining still. Numbness had begun to creep through her thigh and her foot, and upon moving the hybrid could feel the circulation returning to her extremities once again. "Your feathers and accessories... are they personal, or related to AniWaya?" she asked, phrasing the question politely as she could. She had no idea if they were personal or forcibly attached to him or anything like that, and she hardly wished to offend the red wolf.

Table thanks to Erin!

[Dawali Amara]

Yay that makes me feel better XD Word Count: 483 come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops He smiled and nodded calmly as she spoke. journey? She said the pup had survived a journey. So, they had taken in a stray, then? In one way, Dawali was quite surprised at the amount of strays that seemed to wander around alone in this world, and even moreso how many of them survived. If they encountered a cougar, bear or even a hostile coyote or wolf, they were nothing but an easy meal. Hell, even deer could be a threat to them, their big hooves quite sharp and hard to avoid when the animals panicked at the scent of a wolf. Curious in nature, he was puzzled by this little pup she spoke about. "His parents abandoned him?" That seemed to be the most frequent event to cause a pup to be on their own, and it saddened him. He did not understand how a parent could do such a thing. He nodded, and as she stated she'd trust her life with her pack he gave a sound in a greement, a sonud which held no words at all. That was perhaps the ultimate function of a pack, was it not? Survival. In every sense of the word, and one individual who proved not trustworthy in terms of survival had to go. Of course, those were the basics, but in AniWaya punishment was always tried before banishment. Had one of his members turned violent on another member, however, they would quickly discover that their oh-so-pleasurable Kalona could be quite the opposite of what he was now. His anger would rain down on them before they could take one step towards escape, they could be certain of that. Luckily, there had been no need to punish anyone so far. She shifted her weight, and he wondered if she was impatient. Her words proved him wrong, however, and he smiled; he liked it when others were interested in his feathers and beads. They were not there out of vanity, except myabe some of the more flashy beads. "They are both, in a way. I am the only member of AniWaya here which came from that much larger tribe, and in that tribe we used to feather our mane, to weave it with symbols. I wear them for the same reasons, but also to remember the way of my past people." He paused, bending his arm back to reach for one feather colored green. "This one means that I am a medic. And the eagle feathers state my rank as Chief." Every feather held a meaning, and he would not mention all of them. Some of them had quite insignificant meanings, such as being a part of the scouting party that found this place, or having been in the Council of Elders. In their midst a single red colored feather stuck out, but he did not mention it. He wasn't sure if he wanted to.

[Kaena Lykoi]

Lol at wet typo in previous post. >__> I had to fix that one.     The silver-furred Centurion was not absolutely certain what Mason's story was. She only knew that he had wandered for some time on his own at a very young age before finding Inferni, and for that he was extremely lucky. The coyote woman knew of too many wolves who would kill a coyote child for the simple fact that it was a coyote; the two species of canine had been killing each others' children for centuries before the Luperci virus had infected them, and it was a sad fact of life unlikely to change. She shrugged her coal-dusted shoulders. "I'm not certain. Whether they did it on purpose or not, they didn't keep a close enough eye on him, for sure," the coyote said. At least when she'd dumped her children off, it had been on a pack border, a surefire way to give them a fighting chance.     The hybrid was sadly familiar with intra-clan conflict. Her own sun had perpetrated such an act, allowing a wolf trespasser walk away unscathed and disavowed his Lykoi heritage itself, proclaiming they were wrong for hunting down wolves who threatened them or stole their land or killed their children. The hybrid often wondered how he might take up such a position, considering two of his very siblings had been slaughtered by wolves... but such was life, she supposed, with its odd and unexpected ironies.     The ashen-furred woman listened with interest as Dawali spoke of his decor, having found it intriguing from the moment she'd laid eyes on him, but only gaining enough comfort to actually inquire on their meaning now. She nodded, finding the idea quaint and lovely. She wondered if others of AniWaya continued these traditions with him. "I like those traditions. The only one I'd say we have similar is for my family alone—this star here, I tattooed it on most of my children when they hit nine months, and I did the same recently for my granddaughter Halo," she said, pride creeping into her tone as she indicated the blazing red star across her chest. "That's just one thing, though—we don't have anything to show skill or rank. That's very... cool," she observed awkwardly, punctuating the statement with a laugh for for strange it sounded. Kaena didn't often employ that sort of slang into her speech, and it was funny to her.