Just imagine it!

The brown-coated girl bounced along in no particular hurry, but excitement bristled through her. She was in an exciting pack! She was going to learn to fight! She would get to hunt with her packmates! The minute she'd left the meeting she'd gone racing out of Fehu lands, excited as all get-out, to go let her family know. Well, she probably would hide just how excited they were so they wouldn't feel like... left out or anything. But she really did feel guilty that she'd been wandering for so long without even stopping by to let them know she was still alive. Besides, she could talk to them now without feeling guilty or pressured into joining, because she already had a pack.

Her first stop was Song's pack - though her feelings on Song were decidedly mixed, Song had been head of the family in Ala for so long that it was second nature to think of her as such, even with Novella having her own pack.

Stopping at the border out of politeness since she wasn't part of the pack anymore - though habit almost had her barreling right through into the mangroves - she sent up a loud, enthusiastic call for any of the Destruction wolves to come see her.



""

There's a whole world to explore

The woman prowls--quiet, foreboding. Prowls for prisoners, for potential members, for those settling where they should not be. The mangroves prove quiet, as she suspected. The cowards are too busy hiding away, more than likely. Somewhere. She'll seek them out, later. But for now, a Destruction-seeking call captures her attention and her lip curls to reveal slightly-yellowed ivories, audits pinning against smooth skull. The woman lunges at the call, sweeping forward with a warped eagerness to correct the poor soul that still believes that Destruction rule still taints this land. There were still plenty of them here--Jupiter had ensured that. But she doubted a single one would come to even speak to their little friend. Anger-empowered stride morphs easily into a casual one as she comes into view, relative and masterfully-feinted affability overtaking the scarred woman's features. Low voice rumbles from deep within cavernous chest. "You rang?" comes her croon. Inwardly she almost mocks but she allows a sort of odd friendliness to permeate her tone outside. Friendliness--something reserved only for her son, her mate, her companion. Those willing to fight for what they believe in rather than preaching about it on a throne tarnished by their lack of spine.

Just imagine it!

Her call produces results but not ones she'd expected. It wasn't Song who answered her, or even any of the other, many Destructions in the pack, but a complete stranger and Satu regarded her with undisguised curiosity, though her expression remains as open and friendly as ever. "Hello!" she returned in bright greeting, oblivious to any undercurrents and nuances that might be coloring the other's speech. "You must be new to the pack? I was hoping to find Song, or maybe Legend?" Who all was still here rather than in Threar? She couldn't really remember. Her cousins' failure to respond at all to her call was rather disappointing, even a little hurtful. Not even one of them had come, and there were so many to choose from! And instead it was just some border guard or something.

"Or, well, any of the Destructions really. It's kind of a personal thing, you know? Family stuff." Not that she didn't trust this complete stranger or anything, she'd just been hoping to let one of her cousins know in person rather than sending the message along with some random packmate. It seemed like it was kind of her duty to tell them herself and leaving a message was almost as bad as not telling them at all.



""

There's a whole world to explore

Amusement flickers faintly across her features as the woman requests for beasts that might as well be ghosts--she has seen hide nor tail of Song since the challenge. Shoulder rises in a rolling shrug at the woman's final words as the Sol waits for her to finish before responding. "I understand," she responds affably, gaze flicking about as if she's searching for something. "Song's around here... somewhere..." Tone trails nonchalantly and she gives another shrug. "If you can get her to answer your call, feel free." Not having any business here, persay, she turns to depart. "I'll leave you to it--duties of a queen call me." Without a further word, she slinks casually off into the mangroves, her only curiosity lying in the mystery of if the family Song isn't willing to protect is enough to bring her out of her hiding. [ exit Jupiter ]

Just imagine it!

The way the stranger spoke of Song didn't ring any warning bells for Satu, who blithely naive as always took the words at face value instead of reading anything more into it. It seemed Song was a little hard to get hold of, but was that anything new? Since Satu had first come to Ludicael Song had been a little out in left field, caught up with her gods or whatever. Maybe she was off doing something... religiousy. Though that didn't really explain where everyone else was... and she was a little put out that no one had bothered to answer her.

As the stranger turned to walk away, her parting words finally penetrated the clutter of preoccupation that distracted Satu. Wait. What? Queen? "Whoa, whoa, hold on a minute," she called out, ears pinning as she moved to block the stranger. Satu might be naive, but she wasn't stupid. And however she felt about her cousin's actions and despite having found her place in another pack, she was loyal to her family. If something had happened to Song she deserved to know. "What do you mean by that then? Queen? You can't just say something like that and walk off. What's going on here?"


""

There's a whole world to explore

Chin raised as the woman blocked her path and she stepped to the side, not moving past her but clearing her own path should she feel the need to walk away. Finally, something struck the woman as off about the situation. "You tread the borders of Ludicael," she responds neutrally, almost boredly. "She's somewhere here. Or she might have left the territory. I'm not her keeper." Tone shifts to brisk and dismissive. The fate of her prisoners aren't her problem--they obviously hadn't been doing much when she'd retaken Ludicael so the stagnation in their pack status probably won't make an awful difference now, she supposes. "The pack has returned to what I founded it as--with its rightful name and in its rightful place," is all that she offers otherwise. Ludicael has always been nothing but hers and that is a stubborn concept in Jupiter's mind, no matter what kind of reasoning may exist to combat it. A wolf could change their name and home all they wanted but the blood that coursed through their veins will always be the same--and that is what Ludicael is to her: a tangible creature tamed by none but her.

Satu's ears remained pinned, sepia-toned pelt bristled, her body tense as the woman spoke. Spoke but said absolutely nothing of value or interest to Satu. She hadn't been around when Song took over Ludicael, had never learned the history of the pack or it's relation to the woman before her. All she knew was that her family had lived here, might still be here, but that this woman was apparently ruling it instead. "Listen," she insisted, "when I left my entire family was living here. They're kind of a big group, a little hard to misplace that many wolves all at once, and you don't seem like the kind of person who would just let rogues wander around over your borders without even caring so obviously if they're maybe here they've got to be still part of Ludicael. So what's going on here?" It was in Satu's nature to leap first without looking, but she wasn't as a general rule violent. This rather than caution or common sense was what kept her from leaping on the woman and shaking the information out of her. What had happened to her family? Uncle Dutiron? Aunt Novel? All the kids? All the KIDS' kids? Heck, the Destructions bred like rabbits, Uncle Dutiron probably had great great great grandkids by now. So where did they all go? Her voice, far more often playful and laughing, hardly ever even raised in anger, was hard as she demanded, "I want to know what happened here and I'm not leaving until you tell me straight out, no more riddles. I need to know what happened to my family." All thought of telling them about her new pack had been pushed aside - now she was nearly frantic just to know they were safe. "

Finally, she extracts it from her--some spine, some guts, some will to stand up for herself and her proclaimed family. Teeth slip into view in the form of a smile and for the first time, Jupiter's gaze fixates directly on the woman--and on nothing else, making it clear that with this stand, the meek lady has finally earned her attention. Eyes narrow not with spite but with interest as she examines the other. "If it weren't for the eye marking," she muses, "I would doubt you were of their blood." It surprises her, honestly, that an adult member of the family (or, rather, a supposed member) that will stand up for themselves and the people they love exists outside of Canta. Dozens of Destructions had already proved that they wouldn't and she had expected little else. And so Jupiter gives her full attention, and tells her. "I am the founder of Ludicael. Before it was Sawtooth or whatever else. And it is mine again. Song chose not to fight for the freedom of her family like I had fought for hers for years. I killed to defend Ludicael while her firstborn children rested as pups within it. And so they are prisoners here for their cowardice. Some, unwilling to even take a stand for the freedom, have left Alacritia. Song is among them." Voice is even, bored, but she speaks with an undeniable straightforwardness.