Paths Meant to Cross
06-30-2013, 04:49 PM
Crusade heard the pawsteps coming her way. They were the tread of lupine, decent sized, but delicate in movement. With the bending of the wind, Crusade was given enough whiff of the wolf's scent to know she was Female. And Vallhallan to boot. For a minute Crusade considered vacating. She even lifted her chin up from the moss, but no, she was too comfortable. The old fae let her head drop back down and her eyes droop closed, collecting every bit of rest of she could get until the fae came into sight. -Which Crusade knew to occur when the pawsteps stopped. When the the old Glaciem opened her eyes (well, eye and socket) she was greeted by the sight of an alabaster she-wolf on the distant side of six, but still looking healthy enough. She had a gentleness to her face, and smelled strongly of every kind of herb Crusade had ever heard of - and probably some others. So a Valhallan healer then, well, no harm there. Crusade's relaxation was enough to keep her belly fur glued to the log, her legs training limply on the ground, and chin resting in the bark and licken. She gave a simple wag of her tail in greeting just to show she was still alive. With her fluff filled ears, Crusade harkened to the new comer. She hadn't said four words before the Timber cross decided she liked her. 'Good day'? 'Friend'? The healer was taking Crusade's usual conversation starter. The initial good impression went so far as to draw a benevolent smirk from Crusade's maw at the jab towards Glaciem's preferences. "Just because we've grown thick coats, doesn't mean we can't appreciate the more temperate climates." The fae's voice was so old and tired (mostly from laziness) that it came out in a sort of grumble, but her left eye sparkled with humor. She even rattled off a chuckle as she raised her head and popped her neck. "Well, Erani, it is a pleasure to meet you." She searched the other woman's face for a critical second. Crusade didn't feel like digging through old dirt. Maybe she ought to just give her 'penname'. There were plenty of wolves out there that knew her only as 'Sadie', and it had been a valuable identity when speaking to Valhallans or Starlites or whatever they were back in the old days. It allowed her to get to know a wolf an equal terms, and, more importantly, for them to get to know here without initially branding her butt for a traitor or exile or whatever else she was supposed to be. Of course, times had changed right? Cairo and her were good. Collision still hated her guts thanks to Guin's indoctrination, but at least he didn't openly try to kill her anymore. And, according to the news brought back with Gargoyle on his last trip to Valhalla, the current leader was someone totally alien to Crusade. A daughter of Cairo and Guin, was it? Ah, the fae felt such a strange mixture of feelings towards the offspring of such a marriage. Too strange for her to put names to. Surprise? Jealousy? Traces of Motherly instincts? And all muted by her unconscious sense of good judgement. Perhaps that was another reason why she ought to give her nickname - she could ask questions about Valhalla's ruling family without being suspected of anything other than curiosity. But Crusade had never been good at anything related to deceit. It just wasn't in her. Especially at this age. Trash it all. She'd just be her usual blunt self, who knows, the conversation might take an interesting turn. "My name's Crusade, and depending on how long you've been in Valhalla, you might know something of me and my rank already." Even if Crusade had been capable of arrogance, the statement wouldn't have held any. If anything her tones rang with a hint of reluctance. The version of the story that Erani knew would depend entirely on how close a 'Theta' was to her Alphas and at what time she'd joined the pack. "Speech." |