Anger was nothing something that this brindled lass normally gave into - rash rage and a thick head were traits that Hellene had inherited, not Athene. Yet somehow, for some reason, Athene had lost all bits of her closely captured sanity and had given into anger when it came to Pierce. He had been only the second wolf for Athene ever to open her heart to, and the first brute with whom she had lain - hell, the only brute with whom she had lain. And yet though he had provided exactly what she had always searched for in a mate - strength, wisdom, power, pups... she had given it all away by aborting her pregnancy because of his previous litter. It had been the right thing to do in her mind and according to the code that she had been taught as a pup. Only the strongest survive... thus leading to the ideology that only one survivor from each litter must be allowed to live. It had served her birth pack well, providing them with masters in each of their 6 career paths, but Athene had quickly come to realize that such sentiments were not fondly looked upon in this land. That was what they had fought about - her fucking sentiments. He had criticized them, critiqued the way she had been brought up... and now? Now she was left alone again. He had stolen the pup she had taken as her own. Though Sabelle was his by blood, Sabelle had been Athene's too, at least in spirit and soul, and though were the more important of the two.
How many times had Athene been closer to one of her students than that very same student had ever been with his or her own parents? Like minded souls bonded. The way that she and Pierce had. But it seemed now that their bond was broken.
"Only the strong survive, only the chosen remain."
Athene repeated it to herself as she finally rose to her pads. She had remained active in his absence, hunting to both keep herself fed and to remain fit. But it had also been to keep her mind steady. She had nothing else to do with all of her free time now - she had no mate, no Alpha, no pups, no students. What was she to do with all of her time other than train and hunt? 'Survive' was the quick and obvious answer. At first she had thought to perhaps join Aurora Borealis so that she would at least have the companionship of her sister... but when she had visited the pack she had found that her sister had returned to their homeland. On the way, Athene had come across Stormy's scent - new paths of her perfume... but none of them had lingered in Spring Grounds and so neither did Athene. So now her plan was something different. With a bemused grin, she pointed her nose toward the other packs. Which land it was did not matter much to her. Rather what she most cared about was the wolf leading it. She would serve under a kindred spirit - no healers, no religious folk, no spiritual advisors or pacifists. Though Athene did indeed believe in the gods, she believed that above everything else she was in control of her fate. And thus, only a warrior king would do.
Many of the packs were quiet, and those that weren't were still quiet in their own right. It seemed that when Pierce and Sabelle left, it had been a cue for the rest of the inhabitants of Blossom Forest to do so as well - or at least to hibernate. But the timberess still continued onward, her pelt rippling in the warm breeze of springtime. Her pads - well calloused, complained not at all as she continued farther from Spring Grounds and to the border of Bright Moon. She had came across a distant yet familiar scent, and the intrigue had seen her through - following it to this place. Furrowed brows struck her facade as she examined the border. It was not well marked saved for scratch marks against a solitary tree. The rest of the boundary was simply covered in musty colognes that were faded from disinterest. Athene grinned and immediately cross the border without another thought. She would assume that any who had so poorly claimed the land would quickly remedy the situation if indeed they had claimed it at all instead having merely used the tree to sharpen their claws much like a cat would.
Steadily paced, her limbs trotted forward, covering the unfamiliar ground in stride. Her sweet honey pools looked at everything, missed nothing. The trees that hung down over her, the overgrown weeds in her way with no clear path through, the faint smell of bear. The last bit nearly had her lip raised, but then voices reached her audettes and she found herself amused yet again. Enter stage right, if you will, this oddly painted femme, brindled white and gray - so different and unique for her breed. She sees in front of her first a femme, but she sees that the vocals she heard came from the brute who stood near her. He commented on her choice of resting areas, before declaring the land as his own and demanded either complete submission or - in essence - for her to get the fuck out. Athene smiled and slowly walked toward the pair.Her step paused long enough for the fae - apparently Athene's kinship in the status of 'intruder' to answer. And it was all snarky comments and shitting rainbows that spewed from the fae's maw. Athene stifled a laugh before her manners had her instead frowning. To disrespect an Alpha in their own territory was to go against natural wolf instinct and law. Still, it was along the same lines as to what Athene's quick response would be.
"You cannot blame her for entering your domain
When indeed the marks you left were so utterly plain.
But she should indeed submit or leave post haste
When an ultimatum such as yours is the one to be faced.
As for myself, I too will prefer to make this my home
And will openly admit that many packs I have roamed.
First Spring Grounds, then Andere Seite after
And then Spring Grounds again, which causes some laughter."
Athene rolled to her back briefly, allowing a show of her ventrum and her delicate nape - it was the position in which any wolf was the most vulnerable. But it was what he had demanded of the stranger, and it was the proper submission that she had been taught. After a few moments, she rolled to her paws and stood, shaking out her pelt before she also tucked backward into a short bow.
"I am dubbed Athene, of a land far away
And I want your pack to be where my head now lay.
I am a warrioress, trained by my father since birth
Give me a chance and you will see exactly what I'm worth."
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