She was a good walker, this one, long stride and a nice flow, evidently making up for her lack of anything even slightly redeeming in the way of looks by possessing adequate movement. The way a wolf moved said a lot about him you know, the way he walked, stood, held himself- it was all important- maybe even more so since so many held themselves without thinking, there was simply a way, a method in which they stood without any real thought and that so often held the truth of them. I had noticed it first in Queen Isola and King Kane. Isola was never a truly prideful creature, at least, not in all things and yet she had always held herself proudly- and Kane had forever stood beside her in much the same manner. Even Heyel, old as he was- never walked with his head down. I wonder if that is something you learn when you become Alpha, although not all Alphas seem to perform as such. Maybe you’re just born with it. Maybe it’s like good hair- some of us just have it. Her question saw one Angel Marked ear flicker towards her now, head shaking slightly as the faintest hint of amusement managed to trace my features.
“Surprised it happened so quickly. I predicted it about a year ago and truly I expected it to take a little longer but it hardly matters much to me either way in the end. You merely proved me right and I like that.”
Who didn’t like being right? Truly I hoped this was a pattern I’d manage to maintain for the rest of my life. It was so much more fortuitous then being wrong after all and yes- maybe I was a little big for my yearling boots, maybe I did seem older then I was but I was raised by fairly serious parents, I was born with a task, the same task that has been whispered to my ears over and over again and maybe that changes a boy, to a certain extent. There is time for play and games and silly things- but there is time for work too and maybe when it comes to that I’m just a little ahead of the others. Besides, all these skills I was practising now would only help me in the long run, they’d only become better as I got older, more polished and one day I may very well need that. Truly I believe one cannot work on flirtation skills early enough, misplaced though they may be in some situations and from a child still attempting to understand why girls were important at all. The words the black female offered were logical, I suppose and maybe I had anticipated as much. I hadn’t expected her to be quite so wordy about it but I hardly minded I suppose, I have the time to listen and the words to reassure as my headed nodded once more in agreement, another grin flashed easily in her direction. I do have boyish charm you know.
“Then consider my position instead. I was born and raised in Diveen, surrounded by my family. My Mother Neveah was a daughter of Heyel and a half Sister to Queen Isola, I was and still am, royalty by blood to that land. This new Alpha understands next to nothing of Angels and culture, now just imagine how that might make me feel, to serve someone whom holds no respect for what I am and rather openly disapproves of it, in my opinion anyway? As for Jaidah and her family, let us say my first ever fight as a child was with her daughter and heir. I may have sinister intentions- but they are not directed at you, what reason would I have? Besides, why offside a potential ally like yourself?”
I allowed my shoulders to shrug. Maybe some in this land saw the black female before me as aged or weak and yet a female capable of defeating Reaver in battle and drawing the Black Prince to her side could hardly be entirely foolish now could she? She was either more physically powerful then she appeared, or she was clever and I am willing to take a gamble on that today.
“Things are changing in Diveen and not for the better in my opinion, I have no idea why Jaidah would come to my pack- but things are changing outside of it as well. I need time, perhaps even two or three years to fully put my idea into action but that does not mean I cannot build something of a foundation.”
The tilt of her head was met with another nod of my own, moving to step readily into her borders now, pausing momentarily to search for the things I knew I needed from the few lessons I had been given from my mother. Maybe telling her I wasn’t that good at healing hadn’t been my best idea- but it was true, I only knew the basics of healing so far, enough to stop infection and close up her wounds but nothing truly beyond that. I was learning, slowly- just another thing that took time. Perhaps I would seek Hadrian again in the next few days. He was a good teacher, my cousin. The violet of my gaze at last fell onto the sort of bush I was looking for, long limbs carrying my silvery white form hurriedly towards it, gesturing for the black female to follow as I move to snap a single twig from it, using the flat stone below it to begin to smear the leaves and berries into something of a paste- features frowned in concentration.
"Sit there. This will stop infection and it will help you heal faster, much better then any amount of licking at it will do. It’s an old family recipe. If your even in need of a truly talented healer though you should find my cousin Hadrian, he learned from Meryl, my Mother taught me some things as well.”
It was an un-needed history lesson perhaps and yet, as Heyel had said, one should never talk without a reason, my words aimed entirely at distracting the female, at focusing her mind upon myself and the words I offered before one paw reached out to smear the dark liquid on the largest of her wounds. Alright, so it stings a bit, the very reason I distracted her- shifting sideways just a little in case she took a snap at me. Truly I had little desire to be mauled, much less chased by this Tobias I hear so much about and yet have not really yet gotten a good look at.
“I don’t work for Diveen more than I have to- I work for myself and maybe I am a little selfish for that, though the pack as a whole is not what truly interests me right now, I hold little concern for Covet and his plans, let him do as he pleases I don’t really find I mind. In time I will make it right, or one of my relatives will but until then I want to have an alliance with you because, well, your one of the stronger ones, because one day I might need another pack to be safe in, me and my….companions that is, there are five of us altogether, including me. We are working, slowly, to fix things and revive other things, it’s vague I know but I don’t know you well enough yet to fully trust you by offering more. I have no problem with you, or with this Tobias wolf and I think it’s time our families were friends or at least…at peace. If you are willing to merely let me and my little group camp in your lands occasionally or pass through them if needed then when the time is right we will make sure that friendship is returned and until then we will come if ever you call for assistance. In other words I want you to open Asteraia to me, I suppose, me and my companions and in return we will help you protect it and one day ally our pack to yours.”
It was a lot of words, probably the most words I had ever said but I had little to offer her from a personal level, little other then the promise to return her favour and if she knew anything at all of Angels she would know, at least, that promise would be good. We needed somewhere not Diveen or Spirane or Taviora to meet every now and then, somewhere safer than the free lands and really, why make and enemy of the black female and Tobias when I could have them on my side and end the nightmare that has plagued our family so long? Heyel left me a lot to work with- I just need to fix it, tweak it.
“I know I’m a child and I know I cannot offer you a lot right now- but I will make good on it, I promise, we will help protect your pack, promote it if need be if you will let us move in and out of it every now and then- that’s all I’m asking. Angels helped you once, we will help you again.”
One paw lifted from where I sat, moving to press against her chest ever so softly, leaving a paw mark there though I hardly intended it so, it was a gesture I suppose, a promise in the traditional sense.
“If you help us, I will help you, I promise.”
h y r u l e
The Once and Future King
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