lay me down on a bed of roses

Walk | Talk | Think

The drizzle that had started up some time before had driven the russet and black she-wolf into taking shelter, sensing that it would not be a mere drizzle for long. She lay sprawled upon one side within the cozy space of her den, golden eyes half lidded and content as she stared out into the growing storm. Even overcast and gloomy as this, she thought the weather still enjoyable, encouraging rest and relaxation until things could turn around. And holding a strong preference for enjoyment when it could be had, Tahlia was happy to sit out of the rain and have a little quiet time.

A call prevented that, however. It was familiar in its authority, though the emotional drag upon it was entirely unexpected. Still, she knew the voice of the Seracian king when she heard it. The only question was why did he sound so distraught? To her knowledge, he had only been away on business, tending to a call that had taken him outside of their borders. A challenge of some sort. Whatever it had been, Tahlia had not been worried; she had never been properly introduced to Gerhardt, but what she knew of him made him sound like a capable leader and completely inclined to handle himself well in this task. But the sadness for her simply did not make sense.

Out of curiosity as much as it was duty, Tahlia clambered to her paws and slipped from her den into the rain, letting her feet carry her swiftly in answer to the King's call. Her coat was misted over and damp by the time she found him, but it was nothing in comparison to his own appearance. Battle weary, dirty, and bloody, he looked as if he had been to hell and back, and mentally scarred as he outwardly appeared. And not only that, the ground at his paws was raised, disturbed from its natural level, like... Like a grave. Sensing a seriousness here that should not be taken lightly, the she-wolf humbly lowered her head in respect to the king before stopping to stand in his midst alongside Loccian and Maverick, expecting many of the questions she was likely to share with her pack mates to be answered soon.