i am the blood of the mountain

A hardened visage turned towards me as I approached, though perhaps not so cynical an expression as the one she'd worn when first we'd met. Instead, it had been replaced with something that, to me, showed her dedication to a job and the seriousness with which she treated it. Maybe I was reading too much into the steeled blue eyes that stared back at me as she moved directly into the matter of business that needed tending to. An acknowledging nod of my crown was given as she spoke of the first task she had completed in bringing Los to Spirane. I had been aware of my nephew's arrival, though where he'd gone from there was a mystery to me. Sleekwing had not seen his son, but there had been no trail of his scent indicating he'd left either. Either way, Viora's duty in this had been completed - she had brought a wolf who was quite suitable for Spirane within our borders by means of stealth. His decision to stay or go did not detract from her accomplishment, and good judgment, in this.

Without pause she continued, summarizing how she had fooled Fjallraven into thinking she was a wolf by the name of Ahorvi. Though I remained focused on the conversation and that which Viora told me about the encounter, a smile met my eyes. It was pleasing, then, to know that there was a part of this wolf that stood before me that could soften when it was required of her. Fjallraven was a sweet girl, and my first impression of their interaction was that Viora only just tolerated her presence. They had clearly spent much time together before coming to Spirane, and so it showed a mastery of the ability to mask one's identity that she could trick Fjallraven into thinking she was another wolf. Once more my head nodded in acknowledgement of her feat.

It was with the shift of conversation to matters of true information gathering that the smile in my eyes was blinked away, replaced by brows drawn slightly together as she spoke of Spirane's oldest and longest standing ally - Diveen. My nostrils flared slightly as Viora spoke of Zeus and his attacks, and murder, against the population of the plateau pack. When Isola's family had sought shelter within the mountainous realm, a small group that had straggled behind the main exodus had been attacked by the same wolf. It was years ago that I had first met the wolf I had come to realize was deluded, he had well and truly believed he was a god and controlled the stormy skies. It was only in the past year that he had become violent, and I could only wonder what had pushed him over the edge into what I identified as complete insanity. Majora was a name I had not heard before, however, and charcoal stained ears keened forward attentively as she spoke of this mystery informant. Already, as she takes a moment to collect herself before continuing, I know I must pass this warning of imminent threat on to Achilles. I had asked of him to keep communication between our packs, and thus I would be the first to do so, to demonstrate my good will in this alliance. When Viora echoed my thoughts in her recommendation to inform Diveen of the pending threat that faced them, another nod of my head was given, this one more firm than the others, more serious. I did not take what she told me lightly; it was important.

Viora's comments about Kiyomi's rapist and then an allusion to someone who must have committed a crime against her mother caught me off guard, but my expression did not betray it. It did bother me, to know that the vile wolf who had stolen Kiyomi's innocence and left her with a brood to raise alone may very well still walk freely throughout Moladion. I wanted to know who he was so that he could be punished for his actions. Perhaps Viora could assist in this, and she seemed willing enough to do so. But it was the mention of her mother that truly caught my attention, and I wondered what had happened to her that the memory of which caused Viora to tear her gaze from mine and stare into the distance with resolute determination. As quickly as the look had been there, it was replaced with frustration as she looked back to me, posing a question to me after all of the information she had provided me with. "I do not think it is outside the realm of possibility. I have met this wolf, Zeus, once before. It was years ago; he came to me boasting of divine power and the ability to control storms. I barred him access to the pack, and it would seem I was right to do so. I knew then that he was mad, but I did not venture to guess he would become quite so addled as he has." There was an air of concern to my voice, wondering if there was something I could have done then to prevent what was happening now. It was unlikely. "I will inform Achilles, as well as the Armament that they should increase their patrols and keep watch for a white wolf marked with black on his muzzle, the tip of his tail, abdomen and legs." It was as best as I could remember the wolf's appearance, from the stormy evening when we'd met. "And a scar, across his eye," I added.

She had done all that had been asked of her, efficiently and clearly with a form of dedication I was not quite sure the foundation of. I was made curious about her, wanting to learn why she was so driven by the idea of tracking down wolves like Zeus, like Kiyomi's rapist, like whoever had committed a crime against her mother. "Thank you for this report, Viora. You have completed all that was asked of you to the highest standard. I am sure that the web you will weave throughout Moladion will only continue to spread in due time." Respect shone subtly in my gaze as I bestowed upon her with this simple phrase the rank which she had strove to achieve.

While it had become apparent to me throughout her speech that long winded addresses were perhaps something she did not seem to favor, my interest in her and what drove her was not sated. I wanted to know more about her, for in knowing more about her I thought that maybe I would come to trust her beyond the ties of that which she had accomplished to gain her stature among the pack. "Tell me, Viora, are there other wolves that walk Moladion's soil that I should be concerned about?" There was no wolf that lived and breathed within Moladion that did not know of Tobias, but what other creatures slithered through the darkness, spreading malice and cruelty in their wake? All might have been well within the confines of Spirane, but I had long since learned to always watch my back. Did Viora know of someone that I needed to watch out for?

daenerys