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 Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 11:04 pm
 Iosef felt strange, somehow, in taking the lead for his sister; he was hardly in a position to be leading much of anyone, and especially a well-trained and high-ranking creature of beauty and intelligence. He was, after all, only a slave -- and more importantly, only a male -- and the entire notion struck him as very much odd.
He caught himself, mid-stride, and slowed his pace, so as to fall behind Terreis. She hadn't been gone for so long as to forget her way around the territory; she could find her way to Penthesilea quite as well on her own, he reminded himself.
He glanced up at her, and smiled. "Sorry," he said, and averted his eyes. "Got excited, thinking of meeting my nephews. Please, walk ahead of me."
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:19 am
 Terreis smiled as she watched Iosef so happily lead her towards the dens. It was funny how even though she knew these lands like the back of her own paw he wished to lead her along. When he slowed down and fell into step behind her she looked over her shoulder at him. "It's fine. But since we are getting close to the dens it is best that you stay in the proper place." Terreis did not want Iosef to get into trouble because she was easy on him. No, now that she was coming towards the main pack area best to treat him as what he was to all the other sisters - a slave and nothing more.
Carrying herself high, like a warrior should, Terreis led the way, even barking an order at Iosef as she did so. "Come." If only to put on a show for any watching sisters to show them all that even though she may not be part of this pack anymore she knew the rules and followed them well. Penthsilea was taking a break from things at her den. Sitting outside the entrance the queen was quite happy with how things were going. The pack was doing well, though it would be nice to get a few more members to boast its numbers, she had a consort who with any luck would provide her with a strong heir in the near future and Glacier was growing up to be a good and loyal slave much like Iosef was.
Of course there was one thing that was bothering her, and had been since the pack had been reformed. So many of the old blood were still missing with no indication of where they were. The one that concerned her the most was their missing shamaness. True, one could be trained in those ways, but only a fully trained shamaness knew all of the rituals and no one in the pack currently had those skills at their disposal. Penthesilea knew some things about the role but not enough to confidently train a new shamaness - not yet at least. After all the Queen was willing to wait a little bit longer before taking the drastic measure of training a new shamaness from scratch.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:23 am
Iosef demured, lowering his head, a softly obliging smile upon his maw. "Yes," he agreed, quietly, and trailed after her, head and tail ducked low in submissive stance. He folded his ears back to his head as they approached the densite, glancing up intermittently to take stock of their surroundings -- reflexively looking, as always, for work that needed to be done.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:40 am
With the dens and Queen in sight Terreis picked up the pace a bit. It was always good to see Penthesilea even when there were troubling issues to address. This issue was a mix of good and bad, good in the sense that Iosef would be given time off to see his nephews and bad because Terreis still felt much shame for not birthing a daughter. Later she would speak to the queen in private about this, right now it was most important for Iosef to be given permission to take time off from his duties.
Terreis came to a stop not far from the queen and inclined her head. "My Queen." She said before lifting her head up to look at Penthesilea. "Iosef and I wished to speak with you."
The Queen was in somewhat deep thought when Terreis and Iosef came up, but she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and smiled at the pair. "Sister it is good to see you." Her smile grew a bit and then she turned to Iosef. "And you as well Iosef." She knew well of Terreis' litter already, how the female had been robbed of the one thing every female, Antianeira or not, wished for - a daughter. Hopefully the trend of male heavy litters would end whenever Penthesilea was graced with one herself.
Her attention was still on Iosef when she spoke again. "What is it that I can do for you?" She questioned, though the Queen had a pretty good idea of what the two wished of her.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 12:00 pm
Iosef smiled; it always sent a thrill through him, being addressed kindly by his Queen, as though he were worthy of such attention. He glanced uncertainly at Terreis, not certain if he should speak...but then, Penthesilea was looking at him, and he felt it rude not to address her. "I hope the day finds you well, my Queen," he said, head still low, eyes carefully averted in respect. "We...I wish for some time, if I may take it, to travel with my sister and see my nephews."
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 3:04 pm
Terreis sat quietly after the Queen asked her question, she knew it was directed at Iosef and not her, so it would only be after he spoke that she would as well. Her eyes were on her brother as he spoke. "He would not be good for too long, just a couple of days." She told Penthesilea. Best to keep the visit short for a number of reasons, one Iosef couldn't stay away from his duties too long, two she wasn't sure how well Derecho would take having her brother come since he was a slave and three well she could think of that reason later. "I will be staying here for a couple of days so it would need to be after I leave."
Penthesilea looked between the two siblings. This was exactly what she had expected when she had seen the two of them. Of course it would be perfectly fine for Iosef to visit the pups, had she not previously spoke with the pups father to ensure that such a thing would happen in the future. "Of course. I believe the sisters can manage a couple of days without you." She said with a smile on her maw. "Besides Glacier is old enough now to handle most of the duties himself." The Queen nodded to Terreis. "You are always welcome to stay here sister. When you know when you will be leaving again we can arrange for Iosef to be given the time off then."
She fell silent for a few moments as she wondered whether to bring a certain subject up or not. Well she certainly couldn't hide it forever, and so she needed to start spreading the news. "I am glad you two have come to see me. There is something I have been meaning to inform the pack of, however I have not seem to have found time to gather them as a whole, so I shall tell you two for now." Licking her lips Penthesilea felt a bit nervous, and that was a very rare thing to have happen to her. Best to just blurt it out, she told herself. "With the pack now well established back in our homes I have taken the next step as Queen and secured myself a consort so that I may produce an heir in the future." There, that wasn't so bad. Now all she had to do was wait for one them of to ask who this consort was, and hope they took the news well.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 7:43 pm
Iosef smiled a bit shyly, taking her comment towards the sisters handling his absence as a sort of compliment. "He's grown well," he agreed about Glacier, with a certain degree of pride, though he knew that Penthesilea's upbringing of the pup was far more valuable to the way he had grown than anything Iosef could have done.
Then, his ears perked forward, brow furrowing. Had he heard that properly? "Consort?" He repeated, head tilted, uncertain smile upon his maw. Well...he knew it wasn't himself or Glacier, and that narrowed her options considerably... "Oh, my Queen, that is joyous news!" His tail wagged, but he couldn't help but wonder....still, it wasn't his place to ask. He glanced curiously at Terreis to see if she'd say anything.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:11 pm
Terreis perked up as the Queen confirmed that Iosef would be given time off. It would be good to spend some time with her brother away from the prying eyes and ears of the sisters and at the same time he would get to see his many nephews. Lowering herself onto her haunches her one ear flicked just a little bit as Penthesilea announced she had taken on a consort. My, but that was some interesting news. But as far as she knew there were very few males in the pack, and outside of Iosef all of them were mere pups, so who had she wrangled from outside to fill the role. "This is good news." She said after it had all sank in. "And who is your consort?" It was a valid question, for the Queen's consort would need to be given a bit more respect than the slaves were given.
Penthesilea smiled at Iosef's puppy like excitement towards the news but of course it quickly faded considered what she would have to say next. No doubt he would probably think it not the best choice because of what happened previously but Penthesilea thought otherwise. "Save your excitement Iosef." She said in a somewhat stern voice before looking upon Terreis. The queen took a deep breath before explaining just who her chosen consort was. "I needed a strong consort so that I could produce a strong heir, so I have taken on Achilles as my consort." There was no need to explain to Terreis who Achilles was for surely Iosef would have told her already, and even so whether she had to explain it or not there was likely to be some negativity towards her choice.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:50 pm
Achilles....his brow furrowed; the name sounded familiar, but it took him a moment to place it. Wait...
He couldn't help the surprise and concern that erupted within his violet eyes. "The male you bested in battle?" He questioned, and then cowered immediately, hoping he wouldn't be chastised for the question. Well...it made sense he supposed....clearly she was his superior in fighting....she wouldn't take him as her own unless she knew she could handle him.
He wondered, though, what her half-brother thought of the arrangement, if he knew...but of course, that was hardly a question he was in a position to ask.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 9:20 pm
Terreis was quite taken aback by what the Queen had said. Achilles had previously attacked the Queen and now she had taken him as her consort. That didn't particularly sit well with her. And yes she understood the need for a strong heir but really couldn't she have picked another male. You know one who hadn't tried to kill her previously? Clearly her throat Terreis decided to speak bluntly, for now was one of those times where such a thing was demanded of her.
"With all due respect my Queen, do you think he is the best choice. He did try to kill you once, who is to say he hasn't taken on this role if only to get closer to you, to find out your weaknesses and use them against you?"
This was exactly the reason she had expected, though downgraded given it was only two pack members instead of the entire pack. Of course there would be objections to her choice, usually that happened just to test the Queen more than anything. But this time it was different. Never before had a Queen taken on a consort who had on a previous occasion tried to kill her. "Yes it is he." She confirmed to Iosef before turning to Terreis. "I stand by my choice. Achilles is by far the strongest male I have encountered in a long time. He is in a sense my equal in many ways." She smiled slightly, in that reassuring sort of way. "I trust that he will not turn on me again. We have a developed a mutual respect for each other."
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 4:20 pm
An equal? Iosef perked at those words, puzzlement crossing his features. He had never heard of a male being described in such a way, and it intrigued him. Nearly an equal to his queen? He must be such a fine creature...such a worthier creature. Iosef longed suddenly to meet him, to compare...to understand, so that he might better see his own flaws and compensate for them.
Never expecting, of course, to rise above his rank. Because, in truth, Iosef wasn't certain that he could live any other lifestyle.
He glanced between his sister and his queen, uncertain if he should say anything, and decided the whole business was very much not his matter to attend to. There was, however, one thing...
"...He is to be my superior, then," he said, tentatively. "I should like to meet him, so that we can discuss the routines of the slaves." He averted his eyes. "When it is convenient for him, of course."
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:01 pm
Terreis really couldn't argue her point much further, the Queen had made her decision and that was final. With a bow of her head Terreis spoke once more. "I hope the two of you can produce a strong heir together. Please forgive me for my harsh words." Warrior or not, Terreis knew the importance of keeping in good graces with the Queen, even if Penthesilea wasn't as extreme in her punishment as previous queens had been. It was best to err on the side of caution.
Penthsilea watched Iosef carefully. He was always one to keep his manners in check, his words quiet or sometimes unspoken and always took to his duties with pride. She did not reprimand him for his comments, it was after all a valid statement. Achilles was his superior for as long as he remained her consort, so he would need to meet the slaves soon enough. "He is your superior." The Queen confirmed with a nod of her head. "Achilles comes and goes as he pleases, but the next time I speak with him I will inform him of your request."
Turning she looked at Terreis. "You are forgiven sister, you are only doing what you have spent your life training to do." For protecting the Queen was by far the most important duty any wolf in Antianeira was expected to fulfill. "And I look forward to the day when you can come and visit the packs heir."
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:56 pm
He nodded, satisfied with that for now, although the curiosity still blazed inside of him. A very small, protective part of him hoped that things would not change much with the queen's consort overseeing things; as much as pride was ill-befitting for a slave, Iosef had come to regard himself has at least a small authority, for the welfare of the other males who were after all quite young.
But, he reasoned, any male the queen chose would certainly keep the best interests of the pack in mind....he hoped.
Odd, though, that he would wander so freely...but, well, it was again no business of his.
All these thoughts flashed quickly through Iosef's mind, and within the space of his submissive nod and a soft smile, his anxieties had been eased. He glanced at his sister, as always following her lead, before returning his attentions to the queen. "Thank you, again, for allowing me my absence."
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:58 pm
With the Queen passing forgiveness for Terreis' words on the subject of her consort the splotchy wolfess could breath easy. There was one other matter that she wished to address before she could leave. "My Queen, I wish to speak with you privately tomorrow. There are some things I hope you can help with me. But first I would like to rest and catch up with Iosef some more." She didn't think Penthesilea would object to this request even though she was certain the Queen was quite busy, perhaps more so now that she had a consort to keep track of and train.
Penthesilea gave Iosef a small nod. "We shall discuss the finer details of your time off later." Attention back on Terreis the Queen offered a warm smile. "Of course sister. I should have some free time mid afternoon tomorrow that we can speak during. Until then go and spend some time with your brother. I'm sure some of the sisters will wish to see you as well. Now go, I don't wish to cut into any more of your time together." The Queen sat tall, her subjected were dismissed so unless there were any other issues they immediately needed attending to they could leave.
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Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 9:51 pm
Iosef nodded, smiling complacently as he bowed to his queen. He said nothing further, but bowed away from the higher-ranking wolves, and made his way back to finish his work quickly so that he could spend the evening with his sister.
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