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 Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 5:42 pm
The memories brought another, fresh wave of fury to her, but Tisiphone embraced it, coddled it, and told it to be patient. Soon. Soon.
“He came one morning, sniffing around our territory,” she recalled, her voice cold, distant, as though telling someone else’s story. “He seemed cordial enough. He gave us no cause to completely distrust him. But there was something disquieting about him. It set us all on edge. That might not have been cause enough to be rid of him, but he seemed particularly interested in my sister. And he had a certain gleam in his eyes when he looked at the pups that we could not tolerate. Even Ajax, my sister’s mate, ever calm, could not abide him.”
His reaction had been most surprising, in fact. Perhaps it should not have been startling, considering that it was his mate and pups who were being targeted, but he was not the sort to be anything other than composed. But this wolf, Belial, he set Ajax off. They had never seen such a display of emotion from him. Even her easy-going Cith had been terse and standoffish with the strange male. Alecto was blatantly hostile, of course. She had never been shy about letting everyone know how she felt. Yes. They all knew there was something dangerous about the stranger. Too bad they didn’t realize how dangerous until it was too late.
“We sent him away, but he lurked around the edges of our territory. We couldn’t quite seem to get rid of him. Then, after a couple weeks worth of skulking about, he struck. I was away at the time. Hunting, I think. It hardly matters, now, but the point is that I wasn’t there when he came. I heard the howl and came back as fast as I could, but it was too late. They were…” She closed her eyes, holding back the pain and grief that threatened to overwhelm her.
“He had already killed them and gone on his merry way. I tried to find him, of course, but I lost his trail. He has eluded me ever since.”
Tis took a moment to acknowledge that this was the first time she had ever spoken of the death of her pack before. Still, there was something about Poine and the entire situation that made it possible, even satisfying. Finally, the truth is out and justice will be served.
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Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:50 pm
Poine listened to this, patiently, rolling the details over in her mind as she spoke. "And he never came after you?" She asked. This was an important point. If she were to work for her, absolute honesty was key.
This seemed like a sticking point. Then again, perhaps the wolf's interest had been the pups. She'd witnessed such things, of course -- wolves with some special breed of madness who had a perversely inverted instincts regarding younglings.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:53 am
“Never,” she said, not without frustration. He hadn’t even stayed long enough to attack her when she returned. He had simply left. Gone. Never to be seen by her again. It was maddening. Why had he fled so quickly? There had been no scent there save his and her pack’s. It made no sense. Yet another source of endless frustration for her.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:09 am
Intriguing. This was an interesting sort of monster, to be sure. She contemplated this for a moment, then nodded. "And where is this territory, that you once occupied? I'd best start my search there."
She hoped it wouldn't be too far away. All the walking was terribly boring without someone to talk to.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:32 am
“About a week’s journey east of here,” she replied. It was ironic, really. She had traveled so far and so long only to find a new pack so close to her old home.
“You will know it by the great tower of stone.” The huge, sandy-colored mass had always intrigued her. They had had great fun playing on it and seeing how far they could climb as pups. Such innocent memories. It was almost too much in contrast with the carnage she had found waiting for her the last time she had ever been there.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:45 pm
"Tower of stone," she reiterated. This raised a number of questions in her mind about the old pack, but they were irrelevant so she avoided them. Nothing but the facts, ma'am. "Alright. I will begin searching."
The search may take awhile. But she was alright with that. Perhaps she would be able to pick up some easy jobs along the way.
"There is one final detail, before I depart," she added, almost cheerfully. "I hate to bring it up, honestly, and the satisfaction of a wrong-doer brought to justice is really almost reward in its own..." She smiled another of her patently unfriendly smiles, her glowing eyes almost supplicant upon her. "But it is a bit out of my way, and payment would not be amiss."
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:19 pm
Tis’s eyes narrowed at Poine’s tone, but she could not really be angry. After all, the other wolf was clearly a mercenary and mercenaries always wanted their dues. Still, she could not help but be wary as to what the other wolf might want. Speaking of…
“What did you have in mind?” Honestly, Tisiphone had no idea what the other wolf might want. What would she value? Information? A prize?What could Tisiphone possibly give her? Well, only one way to find out.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:56 pm
The black wolf had said she was new here, so Poine doubted she held any rank. A shame, as her first request was always immunity -- a wolf like Poine tended to rack up enemies faster than fleas, and it always helped to have a safe pack to duck into for a little reprieve.
"Tell you what," she said, considering it. "You're searching for someone, and I am too in a way. I had a companion, at one time. Looked rather like me, only larger -- and male. Teeth and eyes splashed across his belly."
She met Tisiphone's eyes. "We've been separated on our travels, and he might be following my trail. If you find him, tell him where I've gone and that I was looking for him."
Was this payment? Well, not precisely...but Poine had the sudden feeling that she might want an IOU from this wolf, a favor she might collect down the line.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:17 pm
Tisiphone considered this. The request itself was nothing that she would have any qualms about fulfilling. In fact, it was something that she would have been willing to do even had Poine not been helping her. Therein lay the problem. It was too simple of a request to be payment.
“I am willing to do this, of course,” she said carefully, “But it seems a very small payment. Is that truly all that you desire? I prefer to know where my debts lie.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:30 pm
She shook her head. "You've given me a difficult task, and it may not be successful. It seems hardly worth it to charge if the whole plan might not reach fruition."
Also, it often helped to have wolves -- honest wolves, anyway -- sleep awhile on their debts. It made them apt to over-pay later on. "We'll discuss further payment when I bring the prisoner to you and then you can decide what his life is worth."
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:52 pm
That sounded fair enough to Tisiphone, even if she did not like having an unknown price waiting for her. Still, she was almost certain that whatever the price would be, it would be worth it. After all, she would have her revenge if Poine succeeded. Then, she would finally be free…
Yes. So long as the price did not jeopardize those in her care, it would be worth it.
“Very well,” she agreed. “I hope your hunt is more successful than mine has been.”
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 12:08 am
"As do I," she said, and nodded to her. "Well, Tisiphone, it has been illuminating. I shall see you sooner than later, I hope."
And without further discussion, she turned tail and padded away, disappearing like smoke as though she had never come.
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