Know Your History

Pups started pouring in once the call was made. Well... more than pups. Zephyrus swooped down from the skies and pulled his adopted sister into a hug. Bramble asked if Io had made the fire on her own and the wiry old woman chuckled. "Oh aye, crafted it with magic." She wiggled her dexterous little digits then gave her head a shake. "Your father built it for us," she told her true.

Ember came to nose the old fae and Io gave her an affectionate swat as the girl went to choose her seat. Elowen arrived and Nelu as well, the former asking if she'd missed anything. Iolaite shook her head, salt and pepper fur swaying with the motion. She waited a moment longer for all of them to settle down, then she added another chunk of wood to the fire and began.

Iolaire took a sip of water from a little dish beside her, wetting her tongue and preparing herself for the story ahead. Behind her, Ila cropped at grass and Enki lay sprawled out in the shadows. The tri-colored woman waited for a moment until it was dead silent, then she began to speak, her old voice surprisingly smooth and mellifluous as she wove her tale.

"All of you know the Carpathius name, but do you know how we began?" The fire crackled, sending a shower of sparks into the air. "Far away, there is a mountain range, tall and imposing with stone spires sticking up through the clouds to touch the heavens themselves." As she spoke the old fae gestured with her nimble paws, adding life and animation to her story. "The first wolves of Romania chose those mountains as their territory, their home. The lands were rich with prey, shelter and water. There were hardships, such as the steep climb to the top, the biting cold, the deep snows and blowing winds, but it was worth it. The Carpathian wolves evolved, growing thick coats and hard, muscled frames to combat against the cold terrain." Iolaire flashed a grin at the gathering of young ones. "I'm obviously a little broken." She gestured to her own diminutive stature. Iolaire had a disorder that had stunted her growth. A Carpathius in spirit, but not one in physique or build.

"It was tradition for the power of Aegis to be handed down from parent to child so long as the rest of the pack agreed with the choice of heir. For hundreds of years this tradition continued and, in time, it became a little warped." Io gave her head a soft tilt. "Power breeds greed and some of the other families within the pack wanted their chance at leadership. That was where my grandfather came in." Iolaire's green and gold gaze shifted through the faces around the fire. She took another little sip of water and continued.

"Jyrric and Steera were a mated pair, cold and ambitious. Steera had the ear of many wolves of the pack and Jyrric was a well respected warrior. Venom was spilled in the ears of the pack about the current Aegis' shortcomings. Soon, enough wolves were on the side of Jyrric that it was easy to overthrow the Aegis and claim the title for himself." Io paused for a moment, taking a breath, then continued. "Not only did he take the position of Aegis for himself, he claimed the name of the very mountains that they called home."

"They were not good wolves, the first Carpathians. The dark that tarnished Jyrric and Steera was passed down to their son, Morro. He was next in line for Aegis. Others of the pack began to see the bloodlust in the boy as he grew and began to doubt the choice of having him in a position of power. The largest daughter of the Aegis, Resin, would have been a better choice, but Jyrric had strange views on women leading."

"A season passed. A year. That was when Bala, the smallest of the Carpathian pups, went missing." Iolaire gave a little stretch and sipped at her water, content to take a little break from her tale. "Ask questions, if you have them." No doubt they would.

"Speech"