Venom was convinced her mother looked like a true warrior queen when she adorned the huge polar bear hide armor. The beast’s giant head slipped over the Empress’s sharp features and Deathbelle seemed to channel its ferocity. The young Princess decided she needed a similar set of armor. None of the furs she currently had were really what she was looking for, it would take too much effort to try and kill a polar bear, and the princess had little desire to be her mother’s clone.

So after a conversation with her new avian acquaintance she decided she needed something completely different. A bird. Not any bird would do, a raven might have looked nice, and an eagle even more impressive, but what Venom wanted was the biggest of them all. The first time she set eyes on a condor she knew she had to have one. After some work and much persuasion on her part Venom was able to acquire a carcass to work with.

She was secretive about it, and didn’t tell anyone about it. She knew she wouldn’t be able to continue that streak if she remained within Ashen’s borders. Most of her family kept to themselves and didn’t pry into her activities, but she didn’t want this to be the moment someone sought her out. The Crown Princess gathered her supplies in the early morning hours. After she was sure her mostly nocturnal family was sleeping deeply. She never realized she was being followed however often she looked back or stopped to listen.

The girl made her way over the river and to the West. Careful to get far enough away even the scouts wouldn’t likely happen upon her. Venom made her way carefully down into the gulley, vibrant eyes unable to rest on one thing for long. The vibrant greenery coupled with elegant water features reminded her of her first home, the ravine. She tried to brush away memories as she settled on a flat moss covered stone.

Her crafty squirrel companion joined her. Most of the time the giant tree rat kept to himself, which suited Venom just fine. However, she did enjoy the intelligent creature’s companionship when he chose to join her. Especially when she had much use of his hand like paws. The two of them settled down and Venom felt her heart race in excitement, she was going to be a real warrior princess.

WC:403

Pestilence had a lot to think about, she knew she was free to leave Ashen whenever she wished now that she was a yearling but still found it hard to make the decision and abandon her family. While the relationships she'd built were not exactly the strongest, it didn't change the fact that she wanted them safe and secure. Even the Abraxas-blooded members of her family still were Kleins too, and it was for that half of their name that she would resist whatever negative feelings she had towards them. Pesto was growing up, or at least trying to.

When Venom snuck out a part of her wanted to let her go, though once she crossed the border Pestilence felt duty bound to follow. She called quickly to her monkey, Pasketti - who had in his arms a bundle of supplies that were to be used for her next crafting session - and commanded he come along. He followed obediently, though much slower then he could have seeing as he had nowhere to put down the things they'd spent so long collecting. Pestilence had her new claw covers on and her viper coiled around her neck, and when she stalked Venom out past the Ashen borders she was ready to defend her sister from any harm.

It wasn't until Venom settled down in Fern Gulley that Pestilence allowed herself to be seen. There were no obvious threats around, but that didn't mean the crown princess was exactly safe. She seemed awfully distracted by whatever she was working on, and a distracted wolf could be a dead wolf. Silently Pestilence gestured with her head to have the monkey set down the supplies and approached her sister. "You should be more careful, it's not safe out here." She told her, coming up alongside to see what it was she was doing. "What's so important that you can't do it safe at Ashen?" The yearling huffed, scanning the area again to ensure none of those bears that she'd seen so often could be nearby.

With that Pestilence lay down beside the pile of supplies, shaking her head and turning to address the monkey. "We'll do it out here, that way Venom won't be alone." At her word, Pasketti unrolled the hide he'd placed down and began to sort through the various items brought for crafting. Pestilence was planning on crafting bracers. She'd fought enough with Sirius to know about his hidden blade, she'd had her legs sweeped out from under her more than once. They'd spent many hours harvesting the hollow porcupine quills and tanning the hides, and her intention was to embed the sharp quills into the leather at an angle so that if another wolf tried to sweep her legs out from under her, that it'd get a shocking surprise.


TOTAL WORD COUNT: 872/3500 (3 wolves)

Recluse Ithuriel-Klein Unlike her cousin... or were they step-siblings now? Recluse wasn't really following anyone, she was simply looking to get out, so maybe she was following in one of the other girls' paw steps. The young Klein had a few hides she'd managed to tan and dye dropped across her back, topped on top of those were a strange sight, a pair of full snake skins, as well as a few scraps she'd managed to get from the refuse of Lilith's molting. The serpent was, similar to Pestilence, coiled around Recluse's neck. She simply wanted a change of scenery to work in, it would also mean fewer distractions and consider which litter had just been born she was almost certain she'd get nothing but distractions if she stayed in the pack lands. So Recluse had set out with a plan in mind. But plan change and they did so quickly for the albino. She easily picked up on the scents of her cousins and curious, and maybe a little mischievous, she followed, slowly and without much rush. They were yearlings now and though she knew one of them was set to inherit their mother's pack she had little real understanding of who they were... but more than that she was curious about their thoughts on the new set of siblings they now all shared. The trail led her further than she anticipated but finally she found the pair in the gulley, materials in front of both girls as well. Recluse chuckled as she emerged from the undergrowth. "What's the phrase? Great minds think alike?" She said, moving to settle herself near the princesses, not asking if her presence was welcome. One of them was the girl she'd had her training against, and she remembered the sting of her quills all to well but Recluse was nothing if not cocky, and proud. No younger wolves, not even those who were the daughters of her empress would tell her what to do. Recluse set about getting her materials ready, she had an image of inky black bracers wrapped in snakeskin, simple and sleek but something she could use if she planned on ever putting her paws in her opponent's faces. WC: 367 (1239/3500) "Speech"

Art by Sirinsong

Venom and her siblings were growing, they had finally reached their year mark. Adulthood was theirs. With that fact weighing heavily on the Crown Princess and she knew the responsibilities she would be in charge of would only become more intense. Already her mother suggested that she be the one to lead the charge against the Armada. The thought brought a flutter to her heart, but she pushed away the feelings. She would finish her headdress and take up the courage of the condor. Celaeno seemed revered when she had offered up the giant bird’s corpse and Venom promised to wear the creature proudly.

She probably should have sought out a companion to join her besides the squirrel Poison, but her brightly colored companion was a decent look out. He couldn’t fly but his skill at climbing trees was unmatched by anyone. His naturally flighty demeanor made him an excellent look out. Even he hadn’t been able to detect the wolf following them. As Venom made herself comfortable and laid out her supplies she heard the squirrel’s warning bark and looked up to see her sister. Now more than ever Pesto looked like their mother, she was much taller but lacked their mother’s soft curves.

After their battle with their half brother Venom had felt like their relationship had become strained. Though she had to admit that even before, right after their father died she had seemed to split off from the rest of the siblings. She wanted to leave Ashen. Venom hadn’t decided what to think but as Pesto spoke she knew that at the very least there was loyalty left there. Venom cared deeply for her siblings despite the rivalry that blossomed between them. Like Deathbelle, Venom hoped that Pestilence’s ventures would expand the Empire’s influence.

Pesto chastised her as her ivory marked form came up beside her and took in the supplies. Venom's purple pink gaze was distracted by the primate laying out her sister’s own supplies. She narrowed her gaze slightly, upset about getting called out but not upset about her sister’s sudden presence. They hadn’t spent enough time together, and with her planning on leaving Venom found a desire to spend a few moments together.

”You should be more careful,” she tried to reverse her sister’s accusation lightheartedly as she shifted over to allow Pesto to sit beside her. ”I’m.. glad you followed me.” She admitted softly, even if she had sought solitude she couldn’t deny how good it felt to have Pestilence working here beside her. ”I thought I needed some time alone…” Venom offered simply as she was interrupted once more.

Venom looked up to see their cousin Recluse. The girl was older, and help more tightly to the albinistic trait that was so common within the Klein lineage. She didn’t know her very well, but she did know about her aspirations. Recluse was in good company, she craved power as much as the crown princess did. ”Great minds indeed.” She offered Recluse with a wicked grin as she returned her attentions to the dead vulture at her paws.

She would carefully removed the head, thankfully the harpy eagle hadn’t damaged the skull so badly. It would sit on her forehead at the rest of the armor trailed down her neck and the wings pointed downward to frame her face. After a bit of effort in preservation Venom was sure that her intimidation factor would soar like the condor had only days before. ”What are you two working on?” She questioned softly, only curious, not meaning to pry. She enjoyed her privacy as much as the next wolf. ”I am designing a helmet or headdress with this bird. It’s supposed to be like my mother’s polar bear armor.” She mentioned almost absently as she worked with the vibrant squirrel to fashion her piece.

wc 652
total: 1891

Somehow it was difficult to settle beside Venom and pretend everything was okay, but the more her sister spoke the less angry she felt. It wasn't her fault that she was born with the wrong name, and maybe her position as heir would teach her how much more important their Klein heritage was. It would be interesting to go into battle not only beside her, but with Venom at the lead. It seemed all the pups of the litter were growing so fast now, it was hard to keep up. Pestilence herself had just surpassed Harbringr in battle and was exceedingly proud of herself. Hopefully once she'd finished her accessory she'd be even more formidable an opponent.

The girls were speaking, and Pestilence busied herself by sorting her porcupine quills into piles by their individual lengths as she responded. "I'm making a bracer to protect my wrists." The yearling paused, and shot a small smile towards her sister before she continued. "I think quills are a good defensive asset, so I'm embedding them into the leather so anyone who tries to swipe me there will get a surprise." Though when she came up with the idea she was not thinking of Venom, a part of her wondered if her sister unconsciously influenced her decision in some way. She continued sorting the quills, ensuring she had enough long ones to overlap the short ones properly so that the mouth or pawful of quills would incapacitate her attacker the most. At the same time she had to ensure she didn't use too many on one bracer and leave the other bracer short any.

Once her sorting was done, Pestilence looked towards Recluse. "How are the new pups doing?" She asked. "I haven't been around the den much." Pestilence wanted to elaborate, to explain that she was too busy training or something else... but the truth was that she was avoiding her family so she wouldn't need to admit her desire to leave. If she got too attached to her new little siblings, it would make it that much harder.

The monkey unrolled a small piece of leather and measured it against her wrist, Pesto held her limb still while he threaded a firm stick through it temporarily to keep the size while they added the quills. Later on they'd add buckles or rope or something to secure it, though Pestilence was still unsure what method would work best. "Do either of you have an idea on how to make a sort of latch?" Pestilence asked suddenly, eyeing the leather. "I should have asked to get a look at someone's bracer before I started this. It's gotta come on and off, I guess." The girl sighed, but continued on regardless.

Pasketti held the leather steady for her while she began to poke quills in through the back. They were easy enough to thread into the leather, but she wondered whether or not they'd come out the other end just as easily. "Pasketti can you please go find me some sap?" She asked the monkey, staring down at her work in progress. He didn't take long to return from the nearby trees, and Pestilence got to work smearing the sap over the back of the quills on the inside of the bracer.

It then occurred to her that this method would make her wrists all sticky, and the girl groaned in frustration. She reached for another piece of leather they had spare, and held it against the inside of the bracer. If she did it right, she could double layer it so the bracer was thicker but also so the inner layer of leather would both hold the ends of the quills and keep the sap from smearing her wrists. She unhooked the stick that was keeping the leather looped and carefully lay the leather down so Pasketti could get to work sewing the pieces together.

WC: 652
Total Word Count 2531 / 3500

Recluse Ithuriel-Klein Recluse was glad neither of the other girls raised much fuss when she joined them, setting about separating her materials into piles so she could easily move between them. Venom asked what the others were making and she gently peeled some of her leather away from another piece. "I'm also making bracers, nothing quite as fancy as spikes but just something to help cover my forelegs. Especially if I feel like putting claws in someone's eyes." She said that with a dark chuckle and a brief wink. Lilith had slid down to slither around the girl's paws, beady black eyes watching carefully as the pale wolf considered how best to proceed. Her other cousin asked about their shared siblings and she shrugged, trying to look as unconcerned as possible. "I'm not exactly fond of their bastard of a father right now." She said, a clear edge to her voice as she referred to her own father. "He's too busy playing the doting father for me to get close right now." And she was certain he was playing, those kids had better be ready for disappointment, once they were old enough to wander away from the careful eyes of their shitty sire she'd teach them well enough what to expect from him. They were lucky they had their mother at least... Recluse glared down at her paws as she thought that, her jaw locking and her muzzle wrinkling in anger but her eyes prickled with the tears that belied the pain behind that thought. She was old enough now to leave, to do whatever it was that adults did... but that didn't mean missing out on having a proper childhood didn't hurt, she was acutely aware of the fact she had no one to turn to... well she had Banshee but she certainly didn't want to bother her sister with her weakness when she was so busy being the commander's newest toy. Recluse blinked furiously, banishing the sentiment and focusing on the task at hand. She gently nudged the twine she'd woven, gesturing for her cousin. "I"m planning on tying my bracers, I'll keep the knots loose enough I can slip in and out and then just tighten them when I need to actually wear them." She paused for a moment, suddenly very aware she had no idea how she'd lace them. "I haven't uh- considered how to get holes into the leather." Recluse scanned their surrounding for a sharp rock or stick to try and drill holes into the tough material. She watched as Pestilence got her own companion to fetch sap for her and she gestured towards it with her chin. "If you don't finish that any chance I can steal some?" She said, grinning, she had a special touch in her mind for finishing her bracers. She softly asked Lilith to scout for a stick she could use to cut into the leather then as the serpent slithered off into the grass set about gently cutting open the snake skins with her claws, simply trying to get the former tubes to lay open and flat. WC: 517 (3048/3500) "Speech"

Art by Sirinsong

The tension seemed to relax as the two sisters spoke to one another and rekindled their relationship carefully. Distance was good at making the heart grow fonder, hopefully that fact remained true between Venom and Pestilence with her plans to leave the pack. Maybe there was a little animosity in that regard. Venom felt like her sister was abandoning them. Would her loyalties shift to her new pack or would she feel the constant draw of Ashen’s call? Pesto was so different from her and their siblings, Venom knew she would never be able to predict or guess her sister’s emotions and actions. Mostly she tried not to embrace the feeling of betrayal that had crept in the day they’d fought with their half brother.

Pestilence had her own reasons, and she was just as affected by the results of the volcano as the rest of them. She hadn’t left yet though, so there had to be something in her sister that was still loyal to the Klein name and pack. Venom’s dark ears perked as her sister explained what she planned on making that day. Venom used her own paws in tandem with Poison’s almost opposable thumbs. She wanted it to look intimidating, but she also wanted it to be functional. She’d aim to fashion the huge wings down her neck with the skull resting on her forehead. She didn’t want to block her quills on her back most of all.

Her sister went on to ask about their newest siblings. Venom didn’t have a good relationship with their half brother, if there were no animosity there would be no relationship at all. The Princess didn’t enjoy him or his company so she kept her distance. The new ones were innocent though, and if she were admitting to herself they were almost cute. ”They’re sharp.” Venom warned as she picked up a paw to show off one of her little toes. There was an obvious scab. ”They bite.” She warned them both.

Recluse as well was making herself a pair of bracers, and Venom wondered if she should have thought harder about her armor. But no, half of her reasoning had been the imagery. She liked her cousin.. step sister’s… idea for her bracers. Her comment about the new Kleins focused on Hannibal. Venom had gotten to know her uncle, she wasn’t upset about his relationship with her mother, but she wasn’t completely comfortable either. One of three big lessons they had been given as young Abraxas had been to avoid making a family with those who shared your name, but it was hard to fault them too much when her Klein lineage put such a relationship on a pedestal. She just had more to correct when she became Empress.

Carefully Venom continued her headdress, Poison helped her to fit the piece as they reinforced the feathered skin and mounted the bird’s skull. ”I think Recluse has the right idea. Unless you can find an artifact.” She’d seen a few items from the technologically advanced civilization that had come before them. She didn’t need a latch, as her headdress came together it would fit perfectly over her head. Her vision wouldn’t be obstructed and her head and neck would be protected.

wc:548
3500/3500