Go The Distance

The stranger would introduce herself as Roman Armada, a name that had no meaning for Qanik, who knew little of the political strife of their lands and nothing at all of Isardis' far-reaching bloodline. She merely inclined her head in acknowledgement, and let the silence continue.

The appearance of Ritsuka provoked a warm smile from the older wolf - out of all her packmates she knew Ritsuka the best, and she had high hopes for the young man's future. She had come to consider him - and Gossamir, though she knew her a little less well - as truly a member of her family. Any words she may have spoken to him were cut off by the sudden appearance of a stranger. By her words and her scent, she was not a member of the pack. The call sent out had been for any wolf, so Qanik could not very well protest this female's appearance on pack lands, particularly as Roman - troublingly - welcomed her into the ranks of the pack, but she could - and did - watch her warily for any trouble. Her eyes, her scent, there was something disturbingly familiar about her, but she could not focus on that mystery when a much larger one confronted her in the form of this meeting.

Another young wolf approached, this one introducing himself as an auxiliary of of the pack, and Qanik blinked. "I didn't know we even had those," she murmured wryly under her breath, but she nodded respectfully to him all the same.

A very young wolf, hardly more than a pup really, was the next to approach and silently take a seat, followed closely by another the same age. Qanik watched them appraisingly - siblings, perhaps? And whose children were they? Deteste's, perhaps, as in many packs where only the alphas bred. But why were they here so alone, so uncertain, so uncared for? Her heart went out to the little ones, but before she could move to be closer to them, to reassure them, this Roman Armada stood up and began to speak.

Each word she spoke troubled Qanik more. Deteste, too sick to even inform his pack that he was handing them over to a stranger? Or did they just matter so little to the ambitious few who would rule them? Her unease grew as the woman spoke of becoming an army to fear. Training and learning, yes, that was something she approved of wholeheartedly, but an army? The very idea concerned her greatly, and she swept her troubled gaze out over her packmates. Gossamir spoke up immediately, welcoming the new alpha and making it clear she intended to go along with this. Qanik remained silent, but inside she was seething with indecision. She didn't like the idea of being... what? A soldier? A pawn? Part of a war machine. But she didn't like the idea of leaving, abandoning her home, her family, to the uncertainties of this new structure.

One of the young wolves spoke up, questioning Roman about the wishes of their father, her words confirming that they were indeed Deteste's children. That was a good question. What would become of Deteste's pups, in all this? Once more Qanik chose to keep quiet, though she knew that simply remaining there at all implied support for these changes. She wasn't sure if she could support this new pack, this new alpha, but she did know that the idea of losing what she'd found here, losing the redwood forest, losing Ritsuka and Gossamir, made her heartsick. She couldn't leave.

Besides, this Roman Armada was young yet. Perhaps she had simply chose her words poorly, hoping to impress them with bravado and pride. Perhaps she could yet be tempered with caution and diplomacy.



speech.