| The body of a fighter stepped through the sloshy mud of Iromar, the depths of it reaching up past her knees. If one was not careful of their step, they would find they would easily lose a limb. It was the world she had come to call home, a place she would live and die for, a place she had given life and watched death speak in. It was a world and a land that seemed forever changing with the rise and the fall of the suns and moons. She had watched ease of power Aithne held over the moors, and watched the rivers run with her blood when Aranck slaughtered her with a backstabbing knife. Laying in wait, the brawler watched again as a loyal Iromarian once again reclaimed the throne and the land once more had someone true to the claim as Alpha. During the seasons of Aithne and Pine, Despoina and her mate had let their love burn hot, bringing their fiery offspring into the world. The passion behind the family was hardly matched by any, until the life flickered out of Eleanor’s eyes. The world beyond the boundaries of the reeds had changed. It seemed as though the flowers grew more fruitful, and laughter could be heard in the moors of Iromar. Though dark shadows hung over the lives of those who lived there, Despoina could still see the hope the new queen tried to rekindle. There was little that could be done to sooth Despoina’s heart. With the murder of her mate she had lost the fiery shine in her steely eyes. She skulked the borders out of duty and a determination to keep the lives within safe. No one would make it in without her sayso. Once she had been the voice of ‘welcome’ under the rule of Aithne. Now she was the voice of warning. There was too much blood, too much slaughter. For one as bloodied as she, even her consciousness knew there was a point where it must end. It was not long before the dark wolf came across the stanger. At once, her lips pulled back, baring her teeth threateningly. What the fuck are you doing here? She snapped harshly. Though they were in the freelands, they were too close for her comfort. With pups of her own and more on the way, this woman was not one to be tangled with. Any smart wolf would steer clear of these borders. Hackles raising to bulk up her already thick muscles, the brawler stood stiff-legged between the stranger and her home. Eyes flashed with her fangs. She never was the most friendly of greeting parties. |