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 Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 2:28 pm
 Ainelaith grumbled quietly to herself as she trudged after her aunt. Really, the older female was always harping on her about something. If not her interest in exploration, then the people she associated with, or the way she spoke, or the way she ate. Who cared if she did not take pea-sized bites of meat like a bird? She was a wolf. Besides, it was not as if she tore into her dinner like a starving beast and got herself covered in blood and gore. She just ate like a normal wolf and then licked any blood she happened to get on her maw away. Was there anything wrong with that? According to her aunt, there was.
To hear her speak, Aine had no manners at all.
The young teen sighed to herself and glared balefully at her aunt. The weather was fine, the sun was shining. Surely there had to be a better way to spend her time than being lectured again. But no. Her aunt had insisted. Really, did the woman never take a break and relax? Apparently not, if she had nothing better to do than torment her poor niece. The only question that remained was what torture she would put her through today.
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 3:25 pm
 Truth be told, Aduial suspected she was fighting a losing battle with the white youngster. She wasn't even sure why she bothered, really. It wasn't like anyone else in the pack truly, genuinely cared how a lady carried herself. To outsiders, Draug was viewed as almost barbaric. The rough-hewn religious practices...the focus on bloody hunts...well, they weren't really a culture known for being gentle and dainty at everything.
But such things were important to Aduial. They were especially important to her because Ainelaith was blood of the alphas, whether she chose to admit that or not. And in Aduial's mind, that meant something. There was a proper decorum a wolf needed to follow.
She wouldn't have pushed matters so much if the white wolf weren't so bad at it. It had all started simply enough. She had just pointed out the tiniest little criticism on the white pup -- the simplest thing, really, just an issue of politely excusing herself from company rather than just running off to play -- but the reaction! The whole matter had grown completely out of proportion and now Aduial couldn't help but notice every single thing the pup did "wrong."
She shouldn't try so hard. She wasn't going to get a dainty princess out of her, and she wasn't even hoping for it. If anything, Aduial was probably viewed as weak by too many of her own packmates, though she knew she was nothing of the sort. Oftentimes she'd worried that she didn't quite fit in with the wolves of Draug Faroth...but that was ridiculous. She was the daughter of the alphas! She had their blood in her veins and even though she wasn't an heir, she was every bit the wolf she needed to be.
She just...felt like you could be a strong hunter, a powerful warrior, and a proper lady, all at the same time.
Was that so bad?
"Ainelaith," she said, gravely, nodding her delicate maw toward her niece. "I trust the day finds you well?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:04 pm
Oh, great. Polite speech. Just what she wanted to practice today. Aine wondered which would be worse -- pretending to act like a "proper lady" or being stuck here all day. Of course, even if she could suck it up and suffer through all of the training while living up to her aunt's strict standards, there was no guarantee that she would be able to escape early. In fact, such a thing might even encourage her dearest auntie Aduial.
Perish the thought.
No. She would just have to bear it as long as the black-coated female was determined to keep her. No point on wounding her pride and backing down from her stance on the matter under so uncertain a temptation as getting out a little early. In fact, if she were any more contrary, she would have behaved like a barbarian just to spite her aunt. Lucky for them both, she was not quite that petty.
Besides, she saw nothing wrong with her manners. She would sooner swallow worm than do anything that made her aunt think she was right.
"The day would find me much better if I were roaming the forest, aunt," she replied. Yes. that seemed like the proper balance. She could speak like a "proper lady" if she wanted to, but she saw no reason to do so.
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:42 pm
Aduial tried to hide her grimace beneath a smile. The youngster's voice grated with insolence. "It's fortunate that you should say so," she said, struggling to maintain her composure. "As that's precisely where I plan to take you, today."
There. That should make the little wild child pay attention.
Aduial glanced anxiously at her, as she often did. She had no problems with Switch, in truth, but the massive bear-like wolf frightened her. She was afraid that, perhaps overnight, Aine might sprout into a huge beast like her father and start tearing down trees.
Not that Switch had ever torn down any trees. But he could. And Aduial was fairly certain that, given her own way, Aine would.
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:58 pm
Naturally, those words from her aunt's mouth only made Aine narrow her eyes suspiciously at the dainty female. They were going to the forest? No matter the location, Aine had little doubt that her aunt would not make it a pleasant experience. Even if they were going to be in the wilds, the teen was certain that they would not be doing what she would be doing if she were alone.
That left only one question to consider. Would going there and being taunted by what was just out of her reach actually make it worse, or would it be a small consolation. The white teen suspected that this might be some new form of torture devised by her aunt, for it certainly could not be designed to make her enjoy the lessons.
"What did you have in mind, aunt Addie?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 5:23 pm
"Come, and I'll show you," Aduial said, smiling, clearly enjoying holding something over the younger wolf's head. She rather wished Cern were here to bridge the gap somewhat. He could show her all about birds, too. Oh, but Cernnunos knew everything about birds.
She started forward without waiting on the other wolf, walking as delicately as a young deer as she padded into the woods. Her paws were soundless and left only the palest imprint of a track behind. If she were walking in snow, she would have danced over the surface.
"Have you been to the river, yet?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder. The woods of Draug Faroth territory were quite large, and some of the lushest of any surrounding territories -- in part because the wolves too exquisite care of the ecosystem of the game that they hunted, which led to the plants thriving as well.
She supposed Aine had been in the river before, anyway -- splashing around making mudpies, more than likely. Still, she had a reason for heading this way. She just wouldn't show her hand just yet.
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 5:31 pm
Great. Now she was acting all smug. How irritating. Well, Aine would not give her the satisfaction of knowing how much it annoyed her when she was like this.
And really, how sickening could she be, mincing around like some kind of herbivore. Her paw-steps were just as silent, and she did not look ridiculous walking about. She shook her head in disgust. Such was Aduial.
"Of course I have been to the river," she replied.
Really, that had to be one of the first places that any wolf would explore, despite the size of their territory. She had great fun learning how to fish there. What her aunt had planned, she could only hope would be half as entertaining, though somehow she doubted it.
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 5:46 pm
"Then you know that we have neighbors on the opposite bank," she said, amicably, as they crossed through the woods. She hesitated a moment, cocking an ear for the sound of anyone's approach. Sometimes, Coccidius's companions would wander by and she would stop to communicate with them. But she hadn't seen them in awhile. Not since the..visitor...at any rate.
She still didn't know who that had been or why he refused to talk about it.
"Occasionally, we must interact with those beyond our borders. And we must take care to do it properly. Even peaceful wolves can behave...most inappropriately...if they are approached poorly."
Vaguely, she wondered what Falathiel thought of her having taken the pup under her wing the way she had. Surely she wouldn't mind?
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:37 pm
Strangers? She perked up immediately. Now, that was enough to get her interested. Perhaps this would not be so bad after all. For the first time since she had been snatched up by her aunt for etiquette training, Aine allowed herself to be hopeful that things might actually get interesting. Surely even her aunt could not dampen the meeting of other wolves? Well, not too much, at any rate.
Then again...
How would Aduial know if there were strangers at the border? Was this a regular occurrence, or was it some prearranged thing? If her aunt her set it up, it might be dull after all. The young female eyed her aunt dubiously once more. Assuming there was anyone there at all.
"I've met other wolves," she protested. "They haven't done anything bad." Really. What did her aunt take her for? Aine knew better than to provoke a stranger...deliberately.
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 8:41 pm
She shook her head. "But you never know that," she said, a little sadly. "For example. Before you were born, I traveled to a nearby pack, seeking to form an alliance with them. The Order of the Rose, they're called. They're a good pack -- dutiful, dignified wolves. Not a band of mercenaries or any such nonsense."
She paused as they approached the river, ears sweeping forward as she surveyed the area. They might not have much luck, after all. The woods seemed to be deserted. She had sworn she'd caught glimpses of another wolf here, earlier.
She settled down to her haunches and waited. Perhaps if they lingered here, it would come.
"Well. I met with the alpha. He was courteous enough. But he...certainly did not seem to have the same enthusiasm for our pack. He rather seemed to think we were a bunch of barbarians."
Her nose wrinkled. Even after all this time, she was very bitter about such things.
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 6:45 pm
"How narrow-minded," Aine said scornfully. "He can't have met very many of us, could he. What do we need an alliance with them for, anyway?"
She scowled, considering her aunt's words. Anyone deemed "dutiful" or "dignified" by Aduial was to be treated with suspicion anyway, but someone who would insult her pack without getting to know them first? That was just plain stupid.
Surely they were better off without such prissy allies. Allies who would look down on them. After all Draug was not a weak pack. They were strong enough to protect themselves. Who needed anyone else? Especially a pack with a frilly name like The Order of the Rose. Stupid.
She kicked a rock, still quietly fuming.
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 8:48 pm
Aduial smiled, slightly, pleased at the reaction -- although less than pleased with the subsequent stormy activity. "It's unwise to disregard potential allies," she said, but her thoughts were distracted, lingering back on the number of strange visits the pack had received. The stranger who had bothered Coccidius so deeply when she was younger...and then, more recently, the wolves that had come to speak with her father.
She wished she had a better idea of what was going on in her pack. She had ached to become a pack beta, but the position was not available and besides, she was viewed by most of the pack members as too small and weak for the job. So what if she couldn't overcome an interloper with brute force? There were other ways to keep her pack safe.
Feeling her mood sour, she returned her look to the river, disappointed that she had not caught a glimpse of the interloper she was certain they would find here. "It's...possible...that we have, or will have, enemies. And it's always wiser to have more friends than enemies."
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 9:09 pm
Well, friends were different than allies, right? Maybe that would not be so bad...if they were just friends. Because friends could help each other without asking. Because that's what they were supposed to do. Because Draug surely did not need help from any allies...
Not that Aine would admit any of that aloud, of course. Not to her aunt. That would be like saying she was wrong and Aduial was right.
"I still say we don't need them," she muttered rebelliously. "And why would we get more enemies, anyway? It's not like they're strong enough to win against us, right? They're just jealous."
That must be it. Because Draug was the strongest...right?
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 10:36 pm
Aduial laughed, shaking her head a bit sadly. "I hope you're right, Aineleath. But pride should never outweigh prudence...and I fear that there may be some dark days ahead."
She sighed. She couldn't quite explain this feeling of unease that had overtaken her. But it had become when those strange wolves had arrived...those wolves who had spoken with her father in secret and had never been introduced to her...
"Which brings me back to my point. Across this river is another friendly pack. I have yet to make proper acquaintance with them, and I wondered if perhaps you would be interested in joining me in visiting."
She could hardly believe she was suggesting this.
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 10:44 pm
Aine gave her rock a vicious kick, sending it skittering over to splash loudly in the river. She did not like it. She refused to admit it. It's not like she was some whiny pup, to be given nightmares by a scary story. Still, the fact was undeniable, Aduial's unease was infectious, giving Aine her own rare felling of discomfort. Feeling like she could even for a moment be powerless or vulnerable was something she could not tolerate. She hated it.
When Aduial changed the subject, it was a more than welcome distraction. A visit? To another pack? Could they really?
Aine had wandered off on her own quite a lot, to be sure. She had even ventured outside of Draug territory once or twice. However, she had not yet visited another pack's territory. This would be completely new. Different. Exciting. She could hardly wait.
Doing her best to contain her excitement at the prospect, and probably failing miserably, she spoke. "Visit the other pack? With you? Really? When?"
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