Surreal Adravendi

As the meeting cleared up, Surreal departed from the boulder, giving Varda a commanding look, gesturing silently with her tail for the Destruction and Kavdaya to follow. She led the way in silence, letting Varda stew. The longer those nerves of the Destruction had a chance to boil, the more likely she'd shake down easily and not attempt at lying. And it was there in her eyes; something had happened, and it was causing guilt. What it was would soon be divulged, and there would be a high price to pay for deceit. As she made the familiar turn down the narrow, fifty foot long ravine and climbed the three natural stone steps, she listened to Kavdaya muttering aloud the plants she'd be using, while she kept her own face expressionless. She took a seat, placing herself in full view of the Destruction and nodding to a place in the center of the main chamber. Another long few moments followed as Surreal gazed hard at Varda, before she finally spoke, her tone calm, patient. It was the exact same tone she'd used as a mother many times, but in this case, it was far more intensive. "Honesty is your best policy, here, Varda. Something happened. I picked up on your nerves as soon as you joined the meeting, and you have guilt written all over you. I don't even need to see the wounds to know something's afoot. You will tell me everything, from the beginning, and you will tell me clearly, and honestly, while Kavdaya tends to your wounds. Do you understand me?" Those cool, sober mismatched eyes bore into Varda's before she nodded to Kavdaya to begin her ministrations. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

The meeting was going so well until it eventually came to an end, when she remembered why she had been feeling overwrought with a sickening stress not long ago. Her eyes flew open with panic at the realisation. The meeting was almost over, and she'd have to face the Archangel. No no no, couldn't the meeting go on for just a little longer? She wanted to stall for as long as possible, run away from her interrogation and potential consequences, though as the meeting drew to a close, she trudged after the silver-furred woman and the healer. Her commanding glare remained like an imprint in her mind as she followed, keeping a fair distance between her and them. The journey itself down the ravine was painful enough for the Destruction. Her body was slightly shaking with every paw-step - a paw-step that brought her closer to her fate. She wanted the walk to last forever, though like before, she reluctantly arrived  in the main chamber, keeping her head low as she avoided the leader's gaze. She spoke stern, if not cold, words, making it clear she had to be honest. Alright, that was good to know, for she had been contemplating earlier coming up with a fib to tell, though it seemed she had to stick with the truth. She feebly nodded in recognition, mentally preparing herself for what laid ahead. With her head pounding against her chest, she let out a silent sigh and spilled out her words. Here went nothing. "I-I got into a fight," she began slowly, her vocals coming out in a bare, hoarse whisper before she coughed to allow a louder voice to travel through her dry throat. "N-not a friendly spar, but a dispute." Was that enough? Was she to say more? What if she said more and gave the alphess too much information? She'd answer all questions if she hadn't been adequate with her explanation, and she braced herself for said questions. "Speech"

Surreal Adravendi

Her expression grew stonier as Varda began, not because of the getting into a fight, but because she knew she would have to press for a full story from the Destruction. That pained her. When Varda stopped speaking, Surreal's eyes gained a slightly feral chill, glittering hard as gems. " I will reiterate what I said, Varda Destruction. 'You will tell me everything, from the beginning, and you will tell me clearly, and honestly.'" Her voice never rose above a midnight voiced, stern tone. However the disappointment in having to press for a full story was clear. "This means you leave nothing out. So start. From the beginning. What led to a fight, and with whom?" The command was clear. Clear with it was the consequence of not giving the required information. Her yes never left Varda's face, demanding eye contact. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

There was nothing more chilling than hearing the Archangel utter her full name with pure disappointment in her near demanding words. The Destruction cringed at the stern words, regretting all she had done up until this point. How was she even going to find the courage to say the entire story? How could she tell everything? It was so complicated; there was a history behind it all. Was she to explain that as well? She just wished she was dead. After a few moments of hesitation, she managed to force the words out of her dry throat, her body trembling in fear. Occasionally her bicoloured eyes met those of the leader's, though she would quickly look away from the stern gaze.  "I was wandering outside of the pack...a-and then I encountered this...woman," Was she to explain who this woman was? Well, perhaps she would leave out the name and pack. She couldn't dare imagine what the alphess would do when she discovered she had attacked one of the neighbouring pack's wolves. "She visited Threar before it was overthrown because she was...I mean she is...a 'friend' of Miksa's." At this point her vision was growing blurry with tears, though the hatred and rivalry with the ebony woman she spoke of was evident in her tone. "So we talked, normally at first before she asked about Miksa. I-I didn't want her to know where he was, but she found out. She doesn't want me anywhere near him. She's g-going to take him away from me." A sob shook her body. "I couldn't take it anymore, so I attacked her." With her head lowered in shame, she added in a small voice, "I'm sorry." "Speech"

Surreal Adravendi

Her tone, and the use of the full name of the Destruction did the trick, if only to get most of the story out of her. However, the pause in the first sentence brought a soft rumble from the Archangel, a warning. However, she heard Varda out. By the end of it, if she could have rubbed her temples, she would have been. Finally, she spoke, her voice carrying heavy disappointment. "YOu have omitted the name of this woman. We have a neighboring pack. She might have been from that pack, in which case, I will need a name, and I have a feeling you know it." Her mismatched eyes were hard. "I will make it known, here and now, that I am extremely disappointed in you. Not just that you let your hormones and emotions over-rule your intellect, but that you would have so little faith in your friend, Miksa. Do you truly think that he would let himself be taken away? He brought you to this pack." It didn't take a genius to know how deeply Varda felt for Miksa. She wouldn't have been affected so strongly by the thread of him being 'taken away' if it was merely friendship. "Is it fair to Miksa to have his friends fighting over him? Hurting each other over him? I suggest you be honest with him, and tell you how you really feel, and if he does happen to choose this woman, you had damn well better be the better wolf and accept his decision, as a friend should." Her voice gentled on her next words, though it held no less steel for it. "I know what it is like to love someone, and worry that they might not love me back. Early in my relationship with Falk, a Challnge scattered our pack. My mother fell in that challenge, and initially, my only thought was to get her to a safe place to heal. I lost track of Falk, and when we returned, I was afraid, so afraid that he would have moved on, found someone better, who wouldn't vanish on him. But you know what? I would have accepted it, supported it, even, because I love him." Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She was almost impressed by the Archangel just knowing she had left something out. Was it a mere feeling, a notion? Or did the look in her eyes or features somehow give it away? She had underrated this woman, believing that she'd be able to lie her way through the confrontation. Knowing that wasn't the case, she felt rather guilty for wanting to lie in the first place. First going against her own morals and the pack's, now wanting to deceive the leader when her actions had finally caught up to her? Who was she? It seemed like she couldn't live a single day without her impulses getting the best of her. That wasn't the Varda she once knew. "Her name," she began hesitantly, forcing the name out of her throat, the anger and contempt for the woman still evident as the name left her tongue, "is Esarosa." She was going to leave it there, hoping the alphess assumed the woman was a loner, but there was no use in that either. Of course she knew she was in Argead. She might as well spill out everything she knew to save the pain of hearing more questions. "She's from A-Argead." Oh gods, what had she done? Attacking a neighbouring pack member? Possibly disrupting a peaceful truce between the two empires? No, she couldn't take this. She just wanted to disappear. Knowing she wouldn't be forgiven for her actions any time soon, she had to think about her consequence and what she could do to earn the leader's respect and trust back, if she could ever rebuild that. "I-I can go apologise to Argead," she meekly offered, hanging her head low in shame. The words of utter disappointment washed over her like a wave, and like a wave, they swirled and turned her weak body about. They attacked her, they drowned her in the emotion. She was just lost. Amidst the regret and guilt of her actions and fear for her consequences and overall reputation, there were her feelings for the ivory male. Was it love, like the Archangel described? She didn't know herself. She didn't want it to be love; how could it be? They were friends only a few seasons ago and now she had grown so attached, so dependent, so protective of him? Oh, she felt so helpless. "I-I'll accept any consequences," she confessed with a quiet sigh. "And I understand if I've lost my respect and trust." "Speech"