Demons Never Die [Meeting]
| Cormalin |
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Luna?s Bright Pelt, things moved fast in this pack. Cormalin frowned gently as Cairo spoke. Chrysanthe spoke up, showing a sign of her true mettle, but it subsided almost as soon as it had flared. Cairo spoke to his daughter with all the love a father could show for a child of his blood. Cormalin glanced at Erani, wondering how she was feeling about her continued lack of rank. She wasn?t showing anything, just looking steadily and sadly up at the old Alpha. His attention returned to the front. So Collision had stepped down. And there was Soleil. She was here, and her mate hadn?t even had the decency to be with her. He could smell nothing of Collision on the light breeze coming toward him as it brought her scent to him. No trace. His muzzle wrinkled in distaste. Cairo spotted her as well. The sight of Soleil, whom he, Cairo, had told Erani was dying, seemed to shatter the old male?s emotions the most. He left swiftly, and Soleil ran after him. Cormalin felt Erani?s muscles tense, as though she wanted to follow the old male. Then the forced relaxation as she turned her head to study the younger male Cairo had set before them. Icarus. Cormalin studied the male as well. If he was to be their new Alpha, with Epiphron alongside him, Cormalin wanted to see what this fellow, who had a look of a seasoned warrior, would bring to Valhalla. He wanted the male to speak to them, but he just sat there. Epiphron spoke instead, and Cormalin?s ears perked as her voice fell upon their ears. He liked what he was hearing. She was resigning from the high rank he?d known that she had once wanted. She was stepping down, and offering to switch places with Chrysanthe to wed the Seracian Prince, Maverick. From the last meeting, he?d seen her quickly hidden pain at the news of the betrothal between her sister and the Prince. He had sensed that the pain had a great deal to do with that male. Erani had been infuriated. He smiled. He had a feeling he knew what was up now. The smile grew as Chrysanthe accepted. Long, thickly furred tail thumped heavily, and he noticed Erani?s pleasure as well. Then his stilled as a young, deep voice uttered a hissed word. He turned his head at the same time as Erani. The male who was gliding through the crowd could have been mistaken for Cairo, if it weren?t for the tell tale lower jaw. Syrinx had returned. He felt Erani tense, saw her ears drop back a little. She had always had a good sense of character, something that could have saved Redwood Pack if they had all listened to her anxiety about the three wolves the Alphas had allowed into the ranks. Her unease and lack of joy at the sight of Syrinx told him that the return of the original heir wasn?t a good thing. He rose to his paws as Syrinx spoke again, watching the son of Cairo leap lightly onto Cairo?s vacated seat. He listened with growing unease as the male barked out orders then openly lied and took back one of the orders. If he wasn?t mistaken, Syrinx had just demoted Aislyn without any honors for a long, faithful service, promoting a young female, Evelette straight to Beta status. Cormalin glanced at the female. She looked as though her heart had stuttered to a halt. She hesitantly accepted the station, but he could see she didn?t feel as though she rightly deserved it. The shock was evident.
His head whipped back as Chrysanthe?s voice sang over his ears. Her voice was quiet as she spoke, but he heard the anger in her tone. That spark she had shown earlier this meeting had flared again, and this time it survived to become a flame as she barked out her words. He was impressed, pleased. She wasn?t going with the flow anymore. She was standing for her pack. She had issued a challenge, and swiftly, she ended the meeting. Erani quickly began gathering her children. Aislyn called out to his sister, and he paused in his helping gather the pups. Quickly, he helped add Liberty to his rabble of Nieces and Nephews, and let Obsidian snake them after Erani.
Erani had taught him how to check for vital signs, and he ran through the procedure. There was breathing. But the heartbeat was strangely stuttered. What did that mean? He sent a howl to Erani. By now she and the pups would be back at the den. Obsidian was a good guardian for the pups. This wasn?t a call to a sister. It was a call for a Healer. |
ooc Big fat Cormalin Post. AGH