Hanged Man Comin' Down From The Gallows [Amon v. Ganta]

Night continued to draw around them as she watched her brother's face, eyes scanning his, as if by sheer force of will she could pierce that mysterious veil that cloaked his thoughts.  She felt a glint of excitement as he stated she had a valid point.  Excellent, so he hadn't rejected her thoughts outright though there was still the issue of Ashiel's age.  Pyralis drew back with a frown, her brow knitting for a moment as she thought about her son.  In her eagerness for her own desires she'd failed to think properly about Ashiel.  "Hmm… you are right Amon.  He's still young and still… hesitant.  No where near seasoned enough to lead and to give him time to learn would require me to lead for more time than I currently care to manage."  

She turned her head upward, gazing for a moment at the stars.  The raging sea that had been boiling in her moments before was now calming, the excitement that had sent her mind into a whirling, vicious frenzy was now growing clearer as she felt the rush of emotions becoming more manageable.  "I wasn't thinking properly about him and his readiness. Some mother, eh?"  She laughed.  Their kind was always meant to grow up quickly and who knew what the hell it really meant to be a parent in this family anyway.  She took a deep breath and laughed again.  "Besides, it would look poor wouldn't it?  For me to just hand Ashiel a pack.  He needs to work for it… fight for it. Nothing worth having is ever easy to attain.  I'll make him work harder, train harder… he will have to gain the respect of others on his own and prove that he is worthy of the Abraxas name. I will not coddle him, even if it's for my own benefit."

Pyralis stretched.  "Amon…"  She looked at him for a moment and spoke anyway, detesting the sliver of sentiment that was seeping into her voice.  "Thank you for putting up with my tempestuous nature. I know I'm fickle, and not the easiest sister to have but you stick by me anyway.  That means more than I know how to say."  What was that about a single self-absorbed streak?  For some reason when it came to her brothers, to Apollo and especially Amon, that streak had a tendency to run.  She shook her head.  "You know, it just occurred to me that whatever challenge this ends up being it's got to be you versus this alpha.  Either way I'm sitting on the sidelines.  When this was a death match I felt I needed to be there, to witness you should they be your final moments. Perhaps now I'll go and sink my bloodlust into the alpha's hapless pack while you take care of business here?  Or perhaps you won't mind a cheering section or commentary while I chat with my daughter about your performance?"  Perhaps she could garner a few tips to pass on to her son.

She chuckled at the mention of the mortal.  "Oh, lets not tell him.  Let him sputter and bleed for a bit before he realizes you won't give him the sweet mercy of death." She gazed out across the horizon enjoying the last few moments they'd have alone before the others showed and she decided if she would indeed head back to the packlands to check up on her son and the rest of the family.