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 Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:13 am
 Iosef had fully intended to make the journey to YMCA -- to deal with that wolf who called himself his father, for one thing, and to check in on Casimir for another -- in the late autumn, just after that awful failed visit from Adonai. But then that storm had hit, and things had gotten chaotic with their neighbors, and the winter was harsh. And of course there was Zeke who needed to be trained, and Chimera's new little hobby, and before he knew it time had gotten away from him entirely and now it was summer and all his pups were nearly grown.
How did time go by so quickly?
Iosef had made a point of speaking with Najara recently, and now it occurred to him that perhaps he should check in with Isobel also. He'd gotten into the habit of thinking that she was the reliable one -- she and Perdicas seemed the only ones who never gave him trouble while the others made his hair go gray about the maw -- but that wasn't quite fair. Just because a pup was well-behaved didn't mean she could be ignored. And the thought that perhaps he was inadvertantly neglecting his eldest...
Besides, there was another issue at hand. He still intended to make the journey south and he wanted to take some of the kids along, as a test of who perhaps would be interested in meeting Adonai -- some of them for the only time, maybe. That would be a relief.
And those he left behind would be here for awhile. He needed to be sure they'd be alright without him.
So with all that in mind, he had spread word along to his pups to meet him just before dinner. Once upon a time, he could have just met them at the den....but they'd long since moved into their own dens, or at least the slaves had, and with the girls' training schedules...
He settled back upon his haunches and waited.
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:04 am
 The daily tasks always left Romir rather worn, and in truth, the last thing he wanted to do was spend time in his father's company to round out the day. Conversations unfinished lingered in his mind as the young wolf padded towards the designated meeting spot, and he stopped a moment to gnaw at an itch on his haunch.
His father had been hiding something- he was sure of it. Hiding something that Romir was quite sure wasn't the sort of secret one went around inquiring after. Ears flat to his head, he grumbled under his breath. It had been so unsettling he hadn't had a chance to return to the lovely spot Iosef had shown him. There were wildflower colours to consider, a perfect spot to choose for the declaration of love to his yet unknown warrior...
Rose-coloured glasses perched firmly on his nose, Romir scratched rapidly behind one ear before rising to his paws and continuing on. Nose in the air, he reassured himself that none of his siblings had arrived yet, and that he would have a moment alone with his father.
...wait. Drat. He didn't really want a mom- Ah, well, too late. Rounding the clump of brush, he saw Iosef sitting just ahead. Squaring himself, the young wolf padded closer, dropping his head slightly to squirm under his father's chest. A nudge, and he thumped his forehead against Iosef's lower jaw affectionately. Disappointed, yes, but he was still Romir's father.
"Will the others take long, do you think, Father?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:07 am
 Najara raced through the trees. Training had gone well today and she had once again received an approving look from Varia when it was all over. Father wanted for her to come for some reason and she could only guess at what it was. Training had ended a while ago which left Najara with a bit of time on her hands to do some things before needing to head to where father would be waiting. She had ran, testing her strength and stamina, scouted out a herd of deer that had recently migrated into the area and even took some time to just sit about and relax. Finally it had been time to go to father and so she had set off to make it there first.
But it was not to be, Romir had beat her there and with a slight sigh Najara stepped into the clearing. Darn she shouldn't have spent so much time idly sitting about. Her eyes settled upon her father and brother for a moment, a soft smile crossed her maw for a moment and then she took a seat several feet away from them, waiting for the others to arrive. His duties were his life, and Perdicas found an odd satisfaction and happiness course through his body as he did the menial tasks set before him by his superiors. There was a rhythm to his work and he did not stop until his job was done, unless of course a Sister requested him to preform another duty first. He was ever obedient and would continue to be. His father had requested him, and his other siblings, as well to meet before dinner. So he had hurried today, but not so much that he would do a sloppy job.
As the time came closer to when his father would expect his presence Perdicas was on the last of his duties. As long as no Sister came to ask more from him he should make it back just in time. Placing the last bones from a previous meal into the hole he had dug Perdicas quickly covered it with dirt. Making sure to pat it down so that no vermin would come to pick at the scraps Perdicas hurried along a well worn trail most often used by the slaves to travel across the lands without being in the way of the Sisters.
He arrived to see both Najara and Romir had beat him home. He hadn't meant to be running late, but duties had to be finished and he would never abandon a job just to be social, even if it was with his family. Slinking forward, head down, ears flat, tail tucked between his legs Perdicas bowed his head in greeting to his sister and then went over to his father. He smiled lightly at the patchy male and moved beside him, taking his place amongst the slaves of the family.
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:45 am
A surge of relief -- and love -- flooded through Iosef as Romir nudged him. He had expected another heartbreakingly reproachful look. He touched his nose back to his neck, just beneath his ears, and his tail gave a thump.
Then the others were arriving, and he backed away almost nervously and sat back on his haunch. He nodded a greeting to Najara as she came in; she looked tired, and he wondered what exactly she'd been up to. But no worry, he'd have to ask later if at all -- there was Perdicas.
At least Perdicas behaved himself! Watching him come in, Iosef was shocked -- not for the first time -- by how much alike they looked, even down to the way Perdicas carried himself. But they weren't quite identical. There were the markings, of course, on his face and tail. But there was also a light of optimism in his countenance that Iosef had never had -- a wolf who had not yet been beaten down by circumstance or self-loathing.  Chimera saw no need to hurry to this meeting. Fashionably-late seemed just fine as far as he was concerned. He padded in, cast a glance around, and was a little disappointed to see that Isobel wasn't here yet. Well, so much for being the last one there!
Ah well.
Moving with his now-characteristic swagger and a slight grin on his maw, the lanky teen made his way across the clearing. He hesitated for just a moment, seeing Najara in one place and his brothers at his father's side, and then slunk to a third corner, settling down at scratching his ear nonchalantly.
Iosef shot his youngest son a warning look. If looks could kill, Chimera would have been dead a dozen times by now -- but they couldn't, and the patchy teen hardly spared him a glance.
He sighed. "Just waiting on Isobel, then," he said, and cast Najara a curious 'do you know where your sister went after training' look.
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Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:56 am
Ears lifting, Romir turned his head to grin at his twin. Bounding easily to his paws, the young wolf trotted over to drop down beside Perdicas, giving that particular spot the appearance of a massive lump of calico fur. With absent-minded affection, he ducked his head to snap at Perdicas's foreleg.
Almost immediately, he ducked back, ears flattening when Najara ran into view. Having spent a rather slow day lazing about his duties, the last thing he wanted to do was attract any female's attention lest he get a nasty scolding. Romir's head lowered as he oh-so-casually slid onto his belly, shamelessly using Perdicas for cover as he swung an ear towards Chimera's late arrival. A faint snort ruffled his twin's fur as Romir dropped his head onto his paws.
His father's voice would alert him, or Perdicas would comment- that would draw his attention back when it was needed. Blissfully, Romir took the opportunity of waiting for their absent sister to slip into another carefully crafted and delicately constructed daydream.
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Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:15 pm
Oh… no.
She shouldn’t have let time get the better of her, not when she knew Father wanted an evening word! She had been looking forward to it, in fact, with such an intensity that it was a complete and utter shock that she had overlooked the sun’s position until the exact moment when she was expected - and she happened to be quite on the opposite side of the pack’s territory. She was only doing things, menial things, nothing that should have taken her attention from her father…. So why?
That was simple. She had been distracted.
As a puppy Isobel had discovered an interest in testing her strength against tall and twisted trees. Not so far from the main den site was a particularly old specimen that she and, on occasions, Chimera, had used to better themselves in both jumping and climbing; she remembered very clearly when she could barely reach the bottom branches, her tiny pup self still timid to the idea of climbing it unless her brother was there to spot for danger. That tree, however, had since been outgrown. Isobel was taller now, though perhaps not by much, and she was certainly stronger, so that afternoon after training had been dedicated to finding a new tree, one that was bigger and made of harder wood, something that she would have a time breaking in as she had done her childhood plaything.
The only problem was that her tree had been incredibly unique, and finding one that she could safely climb took much more time than she had allotted. And so when she finally realized that perhaps she wouldn’t be finding the perfect tree that particular afternoon, it was already late - she was already late - and nothing but the quickest of speeds would get her to the den in a fashion that would, hopefully, beat the unconcerned wanderings of her youngest brother.
Who was already there, doddering away while she burst upon her family in a manner that was both unwarriorlike and, in a sense, un-Isobel-like; ruffled, a bit out of breath, and more than frantic, she gave a sheepish nod to each of her siblings before settling her eyes on their father. “I am very sorry,” she managed, shaking leaves from her coat and nuzzling Iosef’s cheek. “Seems I’ve managed to be the last one to show! Sorry, brother, looks as though I’ve beaten you for last place.”
Mindfully, Isobel sought out her youngest brother and sat herself at a distance where she could gently bother Chimera while giving Romir and Perdicas, ergo the calico lump, and Najara praiseful glances - at least they had been mindful of their time, a fact which she was personally envious of.
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Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:11 pm
Half of the calico mass lifted its' head, and Romir blinked dreamily at the sight of his sister. Isobel was so beautiful... He often sighed wistfully, admiring the colour of her fur. (It just didn't look as astonishing on Chimera, in all truth.) Pricking his ears, he cast a smile at her over Perdicas's back.
"I managed to beat everyone here, but then again, I've not much to do by way of important tasks," he said, adopting a careful, formal pattern of speech. He was, after all, addressing a warrior- even if it was simply his sister.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:00 am
Chimera's brows raised and he smiled at Isobel. A smile twitched up one side of his maw. "You've got a leaf in your fur," he said, quietly, and his violet eyes gleamed. His own tree-climbing days were mostly behind him, but he recognized all the signs.
He lifted one long, lanky hindpaw to scratch nonchalantly at his ear, and turned expectant eyes toward his father.
Iosef smiled broadly at his firstborn as she arrived, his tail thumping. He didn't mind that she was late. He was quite certain she'd have a good reason to be -- and, besides, what did it matter whether she came on time? He was a slave, she was a warrior. Her time was more valuable, even if she was his daughter.
"Well. Thanks for coming," he said, a bit awkwardly. Things were always awkward now that his daughters were older. It was hard to remember where he stood in the pack sometimes. "I know we've all got duties to attend to, so I'll make it fast. You might remember, a strange male came here sometime ago. His name is Adonai, and he's my...father." This last word pained him to say. He took a deep breath. He wondered if he should have tried to ease into this. Too late now. "Which makes him your grandfather. I'm planning to travel south, to our allies, to visit with your aunt Terreis. And you're all welcome to come along, if you want....to meet your grandfather. Or to visit with your cousins."
He deflated a little.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:01 am
This was news. Romir's eyes widened as he blinked at his father before his head dropped down onto Perdicas's back. Trying to collect himself, the young wolf chewed on a mouthful of his twin's fur before he bounded to his paws, springing lightly over Perdicas and trotting to Iosef. With a broad grin, he insinuated his head under Iosef's jaw, nuzzling him happily.
"I will go! I would love to meet more of our family!" His head twisted to look back at Perdicas as his tail thumped rapidly. "Perdicas will come too, won't you? I'm sure someone would take on our duties for the time we're away. It won't be that long."
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:25 pm
Isobel always wondered how anyone could mistake the twins for each other; though, perhaps she was simply being a bit biased. She knew almost automatically that she was being addressed by starry-eyed Romir, who was a bit more of a romantic than the practical, sensible Perdicas; that, and his most audible sigh was more identification than anything. “I’m sure your tasks are just as important as anyone’s,” she assured him, “and that you’re doing a wonderful job. You’re just very prompt.”
Then, turning her attention to Chimera and his more-than-knowing choice of words, she gave a secret sort of grin before following his gaze to their father - he always seemed so proud of her, whenever they got the chance to meet, and made warm by the idea that she’d pleased him, her own tail began to wag. She didn’t care if his standing was lower than hers, and never would, though she wasn’t oblivious to the way he spoke; as though she was any other warrior, who would demand a higher amount of respect. She’d never do that, not to her father or any of her brothers, and would have mentioned it if he had hesitated with his news any longer.
But then, when he did speak, it was of some very interesting things.
Not a single word that left his lips went unnoticed, and she listened with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. She only somewhat remembered the incident of the strange male, as she had been absent (though a few of her siblings got the chance to meet him, which must have been interesting), but - but he was -
Isobel’s eyes visibly widened. This was news, and she wasn’t sure if it pleased her. She liked the idea of family, and was excited with the discovery of a grandfather, but… her own father didn’t seem quite so happy. Maybe she shouldn’t be so thrilled? Maybe she shouldn’t like this wolf, if he made her father uncomfortable. But she wanted to investigate the situation for herself, and wondered, what if their first meeting hadn’t been such a wonderful one? She wanted to see her father happy, and if this was a chance to reunite a family…
“I would like to meet our grandfather,” Isobel murmured, once certain Iosef had finished speaking. “It would be incredible to see our cousins again, too - I’ve never been outside pack borders. This coud be an incredible opportunity.”
And she had some snooping to do, too. This pack had different morals, and she wanted to know if growing up in such an abnormal environment had done her cousins any good. She could still remember sharing her mother’s milk with the three small boys their aunt had abandoned, and wondered if they were fairing well in a place where males weren’t subjugated… and everyone was equal.
Equality…
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 5:54 am
Easily seduced by praise, especially from a warrior- sister or not- Romir dropped onto his belly, creeping towards Isobel to gaze up at her with a delighted expression. It wasn't quite possible to contain his growing enthusiasm- THIS is how dreams began: a quest, a journey, a new environment- and his tail thumped rapidly as he lifted a tentative nose to the warrior's muzzle.
"Not as important as your training, but thank you! You'll come too? Oh, that will be lovely. We shan't have any trouble with such a lovely, powerful warrior by our side." Shameless flattery? Yes. Insincere? Not from him.
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:18 pm
Perdicas listened carefully to what his father was saying. So he was going to visit their allies and his father as well? He had not been there when Adonai had came up to visit last time but had heard about it from Chimera and Najara. Eyes widened a bit as Romir stating that they would go Perdicas gave his head a bit of a shake. "Well...I guess if others can take over our duties for the day then I can go....but only if the Queen approves." If Penthesilea said no then he would continue on as normal busying himself with duties and trying to stay out of the Sisters way.
Sitting quietly while her siblings made decisions on whether to go on this trip or not Najara was fairly certain she knew the answer already. Seemed like most of her siblings were eager to go, though she hadn't heard one way or another from Chimera, and Perdicas seemed a bit hesitant but surely would warm up to it should the Queen approve of their leave. To be quite honest she was a bit surprised that Isobel wanted to go. Obviously she didn't know her sister as well as she had thought. It was somewhat sad that Najara was not as close to her siblings as she likely could have been, especially Isobel. Perhaps that was something to tend to in the future.
It was decision time. Though it wasn't a particularly hard decision for her to make the conversation with her father the other day did have some effect on her choice. She now knew that perfection was not something that could be obtained - by anyone. But how could you give up on such a strict schedule and way of life just like that. No, Najara knew she would need to tone it down slowly. Besides she was one of Varia's favorite pupils at the moment, to suddenly not come to training just because she was visiting some family in another pack would certainly ruin any future chances she had with her aunt. Though she knew her father, and possibly her siblings as well, would be disappointed with her choice it was for now the best choice for her. "I cannot go." She said firmly, making it obvious to her family that there would be no swaying her decision by words.
Now to explain. "Training is important to me. I cannot afford to miss a day yet. Perhaps in the future I can go and visit them, but for now my place is here with the Sisters serving the Queen and pack to the best of my ability." There may never be a perfect time to go and visit family, but Najara felt that now, or whenever her father went down there, wasn't ideal.
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Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 12:51 am
Iosef shot Romir a flabbergasted, weary look. A "you're making yourself look like an idiot" look, tinged with a little "...you do know that's your sister, right" look. He sighed. He knew his dreamy-eyed pup didn't mean anything by it. if Romir wanted to chase windmills, Iosef was in no place to stop it, especially considering the rocky terrain they'd crossed lately in their relationship.
He was, in truth, a little bit alarmed. He hadn't expected his pups to express such eagerness. Really, he'd expected something more like Najara's reaction from everyone -- or, at least, from the sensible ones, he knew better than to expect something reasonable from Romir. "Of course once I get a head-count I'll have to clear it with the Queen. She may not be able to spare so many." He kind of hoped she wouldn't, but he had the sinking suspicion that she would. She would probably recognize that, unless some sort of closure happened between father and son, Adonai would try and make another fool's errand down here and probably actually get killed this time.
Chimera bristled a little, shooting Romir a dirty look. Defensively, he edged closer to Isobel. He was Isobel's favorite, that look said -- no one else, and you'd be best to remember that. It was a sad day when siblings had to compete for their family's love, but as far as Chimera was concerned a wolf had a finite amount of love to give -- and once that amount was exhausted, it could never be refilled. Just what had planted such a gloomy impression in his mind was hard to say.
"I don't care about any supposed grandfather," he muttered. "But I would like to see our cousins. It's been a long time." That, and he wanted a glimpse at life outside of slavery. Patroclus got to go on adventures with his dad sometimes. Chimera wanted a chance at something like that, too. To see what he was missing. To see if maybe he wanted to find a way out.
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 1:13 am
Ignoring Chimera's look- he was well aware that he was no one's favourite, and while it hurt (deeply, admit it) the young wolf wasn't about to admit it- Romir gave his twin an exasperated look, huffing a soft sigh. "There's always someone to take over our duties. We're bound to no one in particular, only the pack as a whole. It isn't as though you have a warrior who needs your care."
Najara's refusal merely gave him a moment's pause before Romir huffed a soft breath, hauling himself away from Perdicas. Padding over, he dropped next to Iosef and nuzzled their father's jaw reassuringly. "The warriors always have something better to do, but meeting family is too good of a chance to miss. I'm sure the Queen will be as gracious of this request as she is wise and beautiful" It would have been the rankest remark coming from a sycophant, but as always, Romir meant every word.
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:07 am
Isobel took her brother’s adulation with a bit of naivety, not really recognizing it as flattery but appreciating the sweet notion nonetheless. She didn’t think she quite reached the standards he had set out for her, being a little too small to be either pretty or strong, but at least she could train harder to be the latter; Najara was always best at training, so Isobel supposed she’d be the stronger of the two if it ever came to question, and their mother was so lovely… “It will be nice, won’t it?” she replied softly, noticing Chimera’s jealous shuffle and grinning. “A good warrior is nothing without the help you, our brothers, and father do, however; so it is also nice to know that you want to go. And you, too, Perdicas! We could all learn a lot from this trip.”
She didn’t mind in the least if Chimera’s fur was a bit ruffled, knowing they’d later reconcile one way or another - she had all the love in the world to give out in generous amounts, and surely, she’d never run out of affections for her baby brother. He was being silly, and it was very endearing; how jealous he got!
She had assumed all of her siblings would be interested in a little venture outside pack borders… but then, Najara didn’t want to come? She was a little taken aback. Najara had always been the most adventurous, the one to strike out not knowing what lay ahead - and actually enjoy whatever challenges that might be shaken up on the way. But she was right… it would be a break in training, and Isobel inwardly cringed a bit as she realized she hadn’t given that a single thought. Still, she wanted to go so badly…
Just this once.
Najara,” she began, almost shyly, ”you are right. I hadn’t given training a single thought! Do you think that, perhaps, when we return, maybe you could teach me what I miss?”
She shouldn’t have felt so awkward speaking to her own sister, but then, Isobel didn’t necessarily have the most intimate of relationships with her; always training, always following personal interests. This could be a great opportunity for her to get to know Najara better, and maybe even glean a little bit of that warrior prowess she possessed - see for herself just what made Najara great.
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