2522 words
Sudhir: *He couldn't remember the last time he had a lazy day, or a break from any sort of training schedule. He certainly didn't know when the last time he had taken leave of his family was, especially now that their training had begun in earnest and so much was expected of him. By his mother, of course, who was shrewd and clever and tough, but not quite cruel.... and then by his father, who was a completely different matter. He could see a cold indifference in his father's eyes whenever they met gazes, and perhaps he was reading too far into that - his father was somewhat aloof to all of his children, really - Sudhir still felt it was especially aimed toward him. He wasn't good enough for the burly thing, and felt like he never would be.
That being said, Sudhir didn't think he could handle his father's presence for much longer. In that brief span of time when he could breathe air not shared with another, he took off into the packlands and away from responsibility. He was unsettled, and tired, but would rather walk for hours as opposed to going back to that.*
Zisa: *Would have been quite satisfied to be kept busy with training, really, but she had the opposite problem: nobody seemed to be paying any attention to her at all, negative or positive. Not that Zisa really wanted attention -- she was plenty happy being ignored in the shadows -- but she was achingly bored with nothing to do.*
Sudhir: *There were very few wolves Sudhir could tolerate at this moment - very few, indeed, as he was hardly in any mood to be berated or dragged off on some outlandish adventure. No, Narangi would be on his own today. He could handle it. It felt good to just walk, and breathe, and hear...
The sounds of another wolf. Sudhir paused, lifted his head, and perked one ear forward, taking in deep draughts of air and focusing in on a familial black-and-white shape a handful of yards beyond his most current copse of trees. By scent he knew that this was a cousin of blood relations through his mother, and if he wasn't mistaken...*
"Zisa?"
Zisa: *perks up, grinning. Sudhir! She loved Sudhir, even if he was...well...not the usual RoT type. Maybe that was why she liked him so much. Or maybe it was just fond childhood memories. Anyway, Zisa had a hard time not liking anyone* "Sudhir. What's the matter?" *it's pretty much impossible not to see how miserable he looked*
Sudhir: *So he had been right! It was Zisa! That was a comforting revelation, as he wasn't sure how he would compose himself before any of her similarly-coated siblings. He hardly knew them. But Zisa, sweet and gullible Zisa, had been a friend long enough for him to know he was in safe territory. Unless she was entertaining some of the wrong sorts of friends, of course, but that hardly seemed to be the case.* Oh, there's really nothing the matter, *he responded genially, rolling his shoulders in a shrug and trying to shake the bothered look off his face.* I Just needed a break, is all... a nice, long break, if you know what I mean. *A break from his father. That devil. That unrelenting monster. Still, it felt best not to mention Savhir's name out loud - as though that might envoke him to appear, like some actual fairy tale monster. He wouldn't put it past his old man.*
Zisa: *Shrugs. Other wolves might question Sudhir's pressed nonchalance, but Zisa rarely questioned things that were told to her -- she was a literal-minded wolf and assumed others were telling the truth more often than not.* "Oh. Well. That's alright, then." *She smiled, tilting her head curiously at her childhood friend* "Did you hear that Lady Gabrielle left to seek tribute from....someone." She hadn't been present at the meeting -- too young, too rowdy, too impolite, stuffed up in a den somewhere and told to sit still and shut up -- but she had picked up at least a few details on her own. "She's been gone a long time already. I wonder if she's traveling far."
Sudhir: *He slowly nodded his head, remembering the precise moment when the Lady had taken her leave. He had been rather young, as well, but not quite as little as Zisa, and had heard for himself the sorts of things Gabrielle would be demanding.* For their sakes, I hope they do give an offering, *he said quietly, mulling it over.* It makes no sense to me why we shoudl demand offerings, but then, I guess the Reign is just that sort of pack. *It was a discomforting thought, as to what it was Draug would be forced to give up, but unless they matched the strength and ferocity of RoT, it would be safer for them to relent. At least for the time being.*
Zisa: *brow furrows* "We ask for offerings because we own all of Telk," *she said, feeling disconcerted that Sudhir might be questioning this, and especially that he might bring up these concerns to the wrong wolf.* "Other packs only exist because we allow it. You know that." *she had never stopped to question that before in her life, and was in no rush to do so anyway*
Sudhir: *I suppose we do own all of Telk, don't we? *He used the word 'we' rather loosely, and with a sort of ironic influx of his voice.* I mean, anyone would be a fool to think they could stop the Reign from doing what it wants. There are too many beasts here for that.
Zisa: "See, exactly. So that's why. We have to make the other packs remember their place, that's all." *her brow furrowed. She didn't like talking about these type of things around Sudhir. He always seemed to get troubled and angry.* "Well, anyway. She's been gone far too long, I think. What if something happened to her?"
Sudhir: *He understood, for the most part, why Zisa would choose to believe in such a system. It wasn't a lie - it was the truth, the whole and terrible truth that she had been born into and so easily believed. He liked to think that if the Reign didn't exist, then the other packs would be just fine - happier, even - but how was he supposed to change anything? Being only one wolf and all. Still...* You're right, I guess I haven't been paying much attention, *he replied slowly, chewing on his lip in thought.* She has been gone for an unusual amount of time. Unless this Draug place is particularly far away... *Or maybe she had just found her way out of Reign, and was taking it to her advantage. He gave a soft, whistful sigh, wishing he could have gone along with her to experience freedom beyond the Goblin King's walls.* Anyways, she's one of our best - strong, willful, intelligent. I doubt anything too horrible has happened that she wouldn't be able to handle on her own. Remember, she is a Lady to be reckoned with
Zisa: "I know...I know. It's just weird that nobody's worried, isn't it? If I were gone, I'd want people to be worried." *She looked down, ears folding back slightly in embarrassment. That probably wasn't the kind of thing she should say out loud*
Sudhir: *Zisa was right about one thing. How come no one else seemed particularly bothered by the Lady's long trek - and possible pack abandonment? Shouldn't someone have raised the question yet? Or were they all so blindly willing to believe that no one would leave the Reign, out of fear for their beastly leader? Sudhir sighed, but still shook his head.* If you were to disappear, I would be worried, *he says gently - honestly. He would be overcome with all sorts of terrible feelings if Zisa somehow seperated herself from the pack, and was out in the world beyond without someone to keep her safe.* And I mean that. *Or... maybe he would envy her, instead?*
Zisa: "If you disappeared, I'd go looking for you," *she vowed, solemnly. That was probably not a comforting thought for him.* "No way I'd let you go out and get lost. Remember that one time you wandered away with Narangi and almost drowned? Just imagine what else could happen without the strength of the pack behind you! We don't have a whole lot of friends, you know." *her brow furrowed* "I heard that Gomorrah was dwindling, and Agua Azul has broken ties. We'll have to go be sure we get them back, of course. But...still. It's not good to have our friends dwindling."
Sudhir: *He smiled at the idea of Zisa trying to hunt him down in an earnesty that was uniquely her own. She would probably do it, too, if someone bigger or more influential than herself didn't step in and tell her it was a terrible idea - because if he was outside the borders, it probably meant he was running as far away as possible. Or dead.* You're right, we really don't have many friends, *he agreed, looking out toward the boundaries and thinking of the wolves that lived beyond.* But that could be because our King demands heavy tributes, don't you think? I like the idea of making new friends, and actually getting along with them so we can avoid revolt. I can't help but fear a war is on our horizons... *That, and he was almost confident he had gleaned some sort of nod toward that conclusion whilst listening to his parents speak. It seemed someone didn't want to pay tribute, and relations were growing... strained.*
Zisa: *nods, looking dour* "Mother went to visit...some relation," *she tried to remember, but failed, and shrugged it off* "And he refused. Dad was really upset about it. I think they were supposed to fight them about it more than they did. They're not really talking now."
Sudhir: Hmm. I guess that does make sense - I think the alpha of Draug is an uncle of yours, somehow. Still, is it alright for family to fight one another? Or demand from one what the other would never demand from the other? *Now he was speaking philosophically, more to himself than Zisa. Obviously his family was filled with crashing personalities and vicious fighting, but her family seemed to be at least a little more stable... until now, it seemed, as the fight between Haemon and Raelin was news to him. He shook his head, trying to remove himself from thought.* Anyways, I'm sure the answer to our problems will come soon enough - either tribute will be made, or our King will go out, devour some innocents, and the way of life will return to... what we expect it to be.
Zisa: *brow furrows; she knew he was mostly talking to himself, but she tried to keep up and it wasn't working out very well.* "Family shouldn't fight...but family shouldn't come before pack." *She believed that, wholly and truly: there was nothing greater than the pack. How could there be?* "But you're not happy here." *A statement, not a question*
Sudhir: *He was a little surprised that she had managed to see his discomforts for what they really were - and have the words to tell him. Was he that obvious? Well, yes, he was being rather blunt about his feelings... But he hadn't expected her to call him out on it.* I guess I'm not so happy, *he said softly, looking at his paws with something akin to guilt.* If pack really does come before family, then... why can't I care about anyone beyond you and Narangi? And... I've heard that other packs value family, and consider the pack a family in itself. *He didn't know whether or not he should tell her where he was getting his 'outside info,' but it couldn't hurt to share.* Anyways, if the pack was a family, then the pack wouldn't need to be above family. I think. Maybe that's how stuff should work... I don't really know.
Zisa: *shrugging, feeling very uncomfortable about the turn this conversation was taking. He was bringing up questions she did not feel qualified to answer.* "What other packs?"
Sudhir: Well... I don't think I can say for certain which other packs act this way, but... *He paused, thinking it over seriously.* I've heard of at least one, and I think it's just a good idea. It's a bit far beyond our borders, so maybe the Reign hasn't affected it yet. *He knew this wasn't a subject that Zisa would want to talk about, and so with a bit of a sigh he asked,* Anyways, on a lighter note, I hope things have been going well with you on your side of the pack? Nothing really bothering you?
Zisa: *Wondering what other packs he could possibly have been in contact with, and why, and if that was such a good idea. But it was probably best not to push it. She probably didn't really want to know.* "I'm...fine," *hesitantly, not wanting to think about all of the unease that was spreading through her family since the visit to Haku*
Sudhir: *He knows she isn't necessarily telling the whole truth, and ponders a moment as to whether he really wanted to push her.
It didn't seem like a kind thing to do, however, and he didn't want to fluster her too badly.* Well, I'm glad to hear you're alright, all things considered. If you're right about Reign and it's relations, then I have a pretty good feeling that everything will return to normal before you even know it! *Which he said pleasantly enough, even if internally he shuddered a little. Everything would return to normal within the pack, and Zisa's parents might not fight anymore, but... well, that was only if other packs had to suffer for the cause.*
Zisa: "Yeah...well. Hopefully it all works out," *she echoes, feeling uncomfortable that this conversation had covered dangerous ground that she no longer cared to tread. Besides, she should be getting back to her duties before they got in trouble...Sudhir especially shouldn't be seen tarrying about, even with his cousin* "And...I meant what I said. If you went missing. I'd try to find you."
Sudhir: *He supposed there was relief in their parting, as stiff as the air had grown while discussing matters best left to those twice their age. Still, it was nice to know he could tell her these things and not recieve a vicious backlash, or complete misunderstanding.* Who knows, Zisa, maybe I'll have to hold you up on that promise sometime in the future, *he joked amicably, giving his tail a soft wag.*
Zisa: "I sure hope not!" *she looked almost alarmed, but a slow smile crept over her pale maw all the same. She nudged him in the shoulder before padding past, shaking her head as she thought about it. What an adventure that would be...*
