Time was ticking away slowly. Zelda watched as the sun high in the sky upon her arrival already was starting to begin its descent. She didn’t bit to stand her entire wait, looking to her cousin who certainly wasn’t any more at ease than she was. The longer they waited after announcing themselves the more time perhaps the wolf of Iromar could gather his own to come upon them. Zelda knew one thing, he wasn’t exactly noble. She wouldn’t put it beyond him to have gathered a bunch of his followers to beat on her and Teza as he had on Halcyon. She treated her uncle’s wounds after all, he had informed her to what had happened when he had rushed in to save his children Aspis and Archana. Her claws dug into the dirt slightly and she moved around the small clearing keeping a sharp eye out on if anyone was approaching. Though not in a fast way, more of a slow meandering pace while she machinated his eventual removal from power.

Teza too shifted around though the thick, stalwart male wasn’t moving around as much as his smaller, more lithe cousin. He wanted to help the pack after all, it could have been him here instead and he was standing behind his cousin lost for answers or any way to really help. He didn’t envy being protector of the forest at all, but still he wished to help her, wished to do more. It had been almost two years since she had created the champions and he asked to join them and she had told him no. He wanted to be one though to ease her burden if only a little. It was his duty too to help her protect the land their family established. He just wanted to keep her safe too, and help with the problem at hand. This wolf… he wasn’t sure what to think. All life was precious, he didn’t want to kill or hurt anyone, yet, this wolf was using children to manipulate parents into getting what he wanted. Teza wasn’t sure how any wolf could follow someone like him.

Zelda paused though and both their attention turned to the scents coming their way. Zelda took her place back at the font, the mostly black male leading the way with a pup, that by no means could be anyone other than Aster’s son behind him. Was this how he worked? Couldn’t greet outsiders without having a child to ensure his own skin not be touched? Her eyes flicked to him for a moment before quickly turning to the cold ones of his captor, her gaze and over all visage fairly neutral, though behind her Teza looked less than happy, a frown creasing his brown maw, his mismatched eyes moving between the pair as well. If they more bold, a more violet less peaceful lot, perhaps they would have taken advantage of the situation and attacked him, but their blood bid them to try to do things without needlessly drawing blood or hurting anyone, even if they might have deserved it.

Zelda nodded to his initial words, that they have come again. After all, Mara had come first, Zelda wondered how much of a bad taste she might have left in his mouth that she hadn’t admitted. She said it hadn’t gone well and there was evidence of that but, just what started the unwellness of it all. Mara said it had to do with her being honest and Zelda knew all well that she might have been a bit too honest perhaps. Zelda didn’t reply, and she had asked Teza to let her speak, thus far the male hadn’t commented on her choice of companion, for the moment and she would wait as well.

His quick whip did not cause her any discomfort, instead her reply was short. ”I came to seek the return of the children you have taken. You have what you want, and made your point quite clear to their parents. They have no intention of coming back for you if you return them unharmed.” A lie maybe, or maybe yet the truth? Pine and Aster seemed to be so distraught and broken by this, ”By not returning them you only insite more trouble upon yourself than if you were. I too will leave you and your pack at peace if you allow me to take them to my lands where their parents wait. I rather not make needless enemies.” Honest words, right now this is his only known horrid thing, but Aspis, relatively at least, looked okay. She could only hope Whisper and Archana also would be in good condition.

She wondered if that would be enough. Many knew Taviora was a long standing force of Moladion as well as one of the largest packs. What number of wolves did he have here in waiting? Surely not many could or would follow a wolf such as himself. Though Zelda also might be surprised in just how many he also did manage to have as well. Regardless she waited, curious to see if that alone would be enough to convince him to let the children go.