rebirth and ashes [birthing thread]

The seas wine red; This is the death of beauty

this is the time and this is the place to be alive

. . .

The fall of Amenti had been painful to Champion. A strange thing, for she never felt the sting of pain in battle or her travels - this was something different though. This was inside. This was seeing her friend dethroned and her pack unhomed. She'd never been at risk to that sort of thing when she was on her own - a fact which led to a strange crisis within the breast of the massive she-wolf. She could pansy-paw around it all she liked, but eventually she would have to make up her mind. Did she stay loyal to herself and continue with her wandering? ... Or did she stay loyal to the wayward Newt and help her with whatever her plans were? The unknowing was the worst part. Champion didn't know if the Grey Queen was planning on a re-claiming, or a challenge of her own, or an all at war. Champion didn't even know if the fae was even in her right mind after all that grief. At first Champion had stuck around with the group - she had been their Beta after all- but Newt had grown distant and voiceless and Champion had taken to roaming again - but never far enough to say she was free of them.

Vioxes accompanied her on most of her travels now. The male had become rather important to her now. As he had said himself - he was fond of her. He was her servant or slave no longer, though she had never really treated him as such to begin with. Now he was her devoted friend. Perhaps he even wished to be more than that.... but Champion didn't know. She was still trying to figure out where she was supposed to fit in this world, and despite her hormones beginning to kick in as she aged, she had no intention of settling down or picking a mate just yet.

There was still too much to do and see and figure out.

Plus for all she knew there was a war on the horizon.

Champion went in search of Newt that day to speak upon this. She needed the presence of her friend to help her make up her mind - but it seemed that more time had passed than Champion had been aware of. Newt's howl split the air - rising above the not-too-distant thrum of the falls. Champion had only heard Newt use such a tone once before.

Suddenly the gold-white bear was running. Just like the time not so long before, when the last litter had been born - Champion sprinted across the terra, snapping up the occasional useful find - til she found herself at the side of her friend's chosen den. She wriggled inwards with a meager clump of greenery in her mouth. The leaves, which were lavender, raspberry, and borage, she placed not far from the once-queen's paws. "Rest easy, Newt, I'm here to help," she murmured simply. Encouraging the grey one with a paw brush to the shoulder, Champion began to sink once more into the old training of her early days - when she had been told she was to be a midwife and not a warrior. She had resented it then and it had even led to her running away, but how the knowledge came in handy now.



. . .