The young bird was so quiet, Kershov did not notice her until sunlight had fully struck her toffee-toned frame. The vague gold glimmer drew his eyes from the serious business of shredding trees to observe the first Bright Moon warrior to arrive . . . well, perhaps not warrior This poor creature hardly looked fit to defend her own borders, the outline of her form stiff as if with anxiety or wariness, her sky-eyes drifting over the line of Abendrot wolves before her in nervous attention. Ker hoped, in the back of his mind, that they young creature would dare to venture closer. His insatiable curiosity wanted very much to know what these strange Moon packwolves were like up close . . .
Aviias trotted right up like a good little ambassador, earning her a reluctant mutter of gratefulness from her King. It had been a stretch on Kershov’s part to order the (arguably) most volatile member of his pack to speak with the other army, but Aviias was apparently adept at her job. From this distance, it didn’t seem as if she had tried to attack the Bright Moonian. Perhaps there was a capacity to understand orders in that thick skull of hers yet—
Her slightly saucy remark inspired a less gratified response from the alabaster gangster. He paused halfway through another tree-disembowelment, talons embedded deeply in ridged grey bark. The subzero obsidian stare he coolly served her clearly read, well done, Omega, but please proceed. In order to achieve Ker’s ever clandestine goals, Aviias needed to continue distracting the tawny dove, keep her relaxed—or at least not on the defensive. Abendrot needed allies . . . or, more realistically, friendly neighbors. If his soldiers were going to fuck everything up, better be in front of Bright Moon’s Alpha to really go for it. None of this petty small-fish contention.
Kershov finished raking three more trees before his sensitive auds detected a rising problem. Bottomless black eyes cut over toward yonder border. Sure enough, the timorous mouse that had stepped out of Bright Moon territory had found reason to quarrel with Aviias and Fallacy. His she-wolves were admittedly close to the opposite fence; however, the frost-born Pharaoh saw no immediate reason as to why the stranger should be so upset. The last thing Kershov wanted was for this sandy sheila to call for reinforcements.
“Enigma, Marx, join Mamba by our outer walls.” Kershov barked the command, confident that his voice would be heeded with the same dignity and efficiency they were always heeded by his soldiers. He unwillingly stepped out of his kingdom into the neutral grounds of no-wolf’s land, right between Abendrot and Bright Moon. At first, he did nothing, strenuously testing his trust of Aviias’s volcanic nature and Fallacy’s collected but somewhat unnerving stillness.
Then another lady crept from the forest’s embrace, a pale Bright Moonian with a similar careful way of carrying her delicate frame. She stepped up beside the irritated blonde and acknowledged Aviias and Fallacy before singing a song for her Alpha to come.
Kershov instantly turned tail to fall back to his borders. “Change of plans—for now. Enigma, Marx, Mamba: spread out a bit along the border. Stop marking. I want to see where this goes. Should anything happen, rush to Bright Moon’s border immediately. Otherwise . . . wait for a signal.” Ker did not specify what this signal was—his gladiators would not be insulted with him inventing some sort of sign they’d all remember. They knew him well enough and possessed enough cunning to discern when they were needed. “Actually . . . if you could step into the wastelands, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
The Ice King himself trotted up toward the opposite territory line. His banner sailed proudly behind him, but he made it wag in a nearly friendly manner, wanting to approach like a benevolent ruler—not a vicious tyrant. His ears perked alertly atop his crown; his mask stayed as expressionless as it could with its multitude of facial rips. “Good morning, ladies. May I join the conversation?” Ker halted right in front of the border line, a respectful distance away. With a flick of his tail, he called Aviias back to his side, leaving Fallacy to continue her work. “I am Kershov, Alpha of Abendrot. I must say that I admire both of your attention to your borders. Very . . . diligent.”
|