The Betrayal Knows My Name

Walk | Talk | Think

Not even her hospitality was enough to bring about a smile on Destruction's face - if anything her appearance seemed to have worsened her look - and Tahlia knew in that moment that whatever was wrong here was truly wrong. Even despite the history the red-eyed woman shared with her husband, Tahlia had managed to accept that truth and her as the godmother of her children, even going so far as to count the woman a friend. She knew what she was like when she was content, or at least as close to happy as she had ever gotten to see her, and this was nowhere in that range. It bothered her considerably, deepened the worrisome frown settling atop her brow as her attempted smile faded and disappeared. What had happened?

Bane was quick to join them, and Tahlia immediately turned her attention his way as if seeking the answers that she could not yet get from Destruction. He was no help. He stopped at her side and stammered out a greeting, apparently flustered and confused by their company. So he had not known. Destruction's visit was entirely a surprise then. She did not know whether that should have made her feel better or worse.

Having them both there seemed enough to get her talking, and Tahlia listened silently as she tried to discern just what she had missed. Destruction felt guilty, claiming to have failed them by not bringing them back when she had had the chance to. But Destruction had only ever been a well-respected, appropriately ranked member of the pack as far as Tahlia could remember. If Loccian had gotten sick as she claimed and she had had a chance to bring them back then... But that meant...

No. No, this could not be right. Destruction was their friend, their family's protector, a godmother to their children. She had promised to watch out for them, to both Bane and her. And she had let Loccian tell her no? When it was she who held the influence, the power, to bring them home? How could she even trust her after she had banished Tahlia and the children from the pack! What sort of godmother was she to condemn the children she had been sworn to protect to a life as a rogue, fraught with dangers and challenges that they were too young to face yet?

Tahlia had hardly listened as the woman had continued, still replaying her last words within her mind and slowly piecing the truth of the matter together. Destruction was right; she had failed them. Tahlia was hurt by the news. Here she had gone out in a limb trusting one of her husband's exes, allowing her even to get close to their children, and she betrayed them with her inaction. Sadness, even disappointment, were not feelings the golden-eyed woman often portrayed well in front of people she did not trust, and now was one of those times. Her expression hardened, her body tensing angrily where she stood at Bane's side. Vaguely she wondered what he thought of all this but in the end it did not matter. She intended to have her piece be heard before he could try and smooth things over.

"You are right," she answered, her voice becoming as rigid as the rest of her felt. "You have failed us. We trusted you to look out for our family - our children - and you leave them abandoned in the wilds!" Nevermind the fact their life on the riverbank had been surprisingly comfortable up until it had been claimed. It had still been harder on them than life in Seracia would have been. But Seracia was no more, Destruction had lost the pack, and only now that Loccian and her blatant prejudice against Bane and everyone related to him were gone she had been able to see straight. A little of her hardness broke, and she asked, "How could you rule as alpha and not bring us back?" She still could not understand. "You were alpha, you need not have listened to anyone." But she had. And she had betrayed their trust.

She could feel her hardened composure beginning to break. If she stayed any longer she risked saying worse than she already had. Only out of respect for Bane did she not say more, though she could not leave without saying one final thing. "You are no longer the godmother of my children." Tahlia stared across at the dark colored wolf and then at her husband beside her, daring him to try countering her word. Somehow she thought he would try. But for now she did not want to listen. With a final glance at Destruction, her single functioning eye dark with the betrayal she felt, Tahlia turned to leave, wishing to hear no more and having nothing further that she wished to say.

-Exit Tahlia unless stopped-