i didn't think i needed to tell you twice

Ethne has been in mourning since the return of the raiding party and the culmination of all the recent events weigh heavily on the young woman’s shoulders. There is still so much that she needs to do because her mother is struggling with the memories that raid had brought forth, the grieving that Baecette’s family is going through, and the guilt that all she has been doing has only brought misery to their doorstep. The call from the borders finds her sitting in pack’s the graveyard, where she has been in silent mediation about what the path forward could be.

Ears swivel as she pulls in the call, recognizing the man’s voice from the very first raid that had taken place on this land and Haydée stands with a bone-weary sigh. Bidding her father and nephew a quiet goodbye, she follows the call and the smell of the Raid King as he boldly trespasses into Ethne land. Before, she might have taken offense at this blatant disregard of their borders by the pack’s self-professed enemy but, right now, all she wants is for all this animosity to stop.

Her approach is slow and she catches all of her mother’s words as she appears from behind Bellamy and moves up next to her. However, she does not stop, instead moving to place herself between the two larger wolves as Haydée literally places herself into the middle this conversation. Sorrow-filled emerald eyes move to look up at Bellamy as she calmly, yet firmly, states, “Mother, stop. This is between me and the Raid King.”

Gaze then turns to Gilgamesh, the weight and exhaustion of all the recent events plain to read in the tight lines of her face as the small Leader tries to catch his amber eyes while she says, “Gilgamesh. You find yourself in Ethne lands, uninvited. I hope that the fact we have not attacked is taken in the good spirit that is intended.” Lifting a paw, she sweeps it in her mother’s direction and says, “This is my mother, Bellamy of Foi. She is the new, Co-Leader of Ethne.”

Paw falls back to the earth as she explains, “I took everything that you said, to heart, and have asked her to step up and lead alongside me so that I can continue to learn.” The berating that Gilgamesh had leveled at her in front of his wolves still stings but the young woman has sought to grow and learn from this whole experience. With a small tilt of her head, Haydée continues in her calm tone as she says, “Now, please tell me. Did you come here to talk or seek a payment in blood?”

As weary as she is from everything, the young Leader is ready to match Gilgamesh either with words or in a fight. However, Haydée finds herself wishing that they could bury this silly hatchet and start over… if only the world could work that way.



"Haydée Kedieo"