Would this trip be a mistake? Time would tell, she supposed. Her family would notice she was over her time frame estimate already. Yet, despite that, the Leader of Ethne passed along through the territories of the North alongside her companions. Her fur was on end - Bellamy hadn't thought she would be back in this neck of the woods after Wren's disappearance. It felt eerie… and the woman was sure she could feel the presence of the cursed twins, Delusion and Calamity, as well as their searcher, Chaos, nipping at their heels. That feeling urged Bellamy to be cautious, guarded. She knew nothing of these wolves… and any intel she could gather would be just as important to those she considered friends as herself. If risks came alongside it? Better her than them, right?

Bellamy approached the borders of the newly risen pack and drew in a breath. This feeling… why couldn't she shake it? Was it because of how Manea's wolves had been acting at the meeting? She hadn't met either of them either… but… Bellamy furrowed her brow. Ears gave a snort beside her. "Be careful Bells. I doubt this woman is going to be as open as your other friends… and probably less reasonable than the Warlord." Bellamy drw in another breath.

"Perhaps." She rumbled, acknowledging his concerns. "But I'll see with my own eyes. Ears, Whiskers… I trust you both with my life. Let us see what comes." Bellamy perked her ears forward. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst or some shit, right? The woman tipped her head back, her song filling the air to call for the pale woman. Then she'd wait, standing confident, not overly guarded, but not lax either. A healthy amount of caution would not hurt while she waited outside their borders.

You should see me in a crown;
Watch me make 'em bow, one by one!

Walking her borders with Samael and Ilyn in tow, Lurid set about strengthening some of the scent markers that had been snowed over. Ilyn sniffed the air, snorting quietly and looking with icy blue eyes at Lurid. Then a call rang out, causing Lurid's ears to perk up. Holographic lavender gaze fell on Ilyn, then Samael. "Come on boys, a caller has come." Lurid stalked toward the stranger, her tail up in dominant fashion and her crown held high. The look she gave the other woman was one of a curious nature, though there was a bit of anger in them as well. She had disturbed her duties after all.

When she stopped before the other wolf, Lurid offered a simple nod in greeting, "Can I help you?" She said once the darker wolf was in sight. There was something familiar about her but Lurid couldn't quite put her paw on it. Those hauntingly beautiful eyes quickly looked over the white-marked woman, lavender seeming to flash white and then back to lavender. Delicate brows furrowed together in curiosity and intense focus while her companions looked at each other with concern. How would this interaction go? Lurid watched her miniature polar bear and augur buzzard for a moment, a warning flashing in that holographic gaze before she turned her attention to the stranger at her door.

Word count: 225 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART

The woman was to appear, not that Bellamy had any doubts that she would. As a new alpha, her job would be securing the borders of her pack, gaining members, and, in due time, political relations with other packs. It might have been better to wait a touch longer before coming to check the pack out, but Bellamy felt this was the right path. She remained calm, even as her companions were guarded, uncertain. Bells hadn’t become the Leader of Ethne because she was afraid of interaction or difference of opinion after all, and simply assuming someone was your enemy was a good way to make one out of someone who otherwise might not have bothered you and yours. No, as an alpha, you needed to see others with your own eyes and make your judgements on their actions, didn’t you?

“Greetings,” The woman was to the point, and while Bellamy would give a word of pleasantries, she would skip to the point as well. The alpha and her companions before had likely been tending to something before she called them away, after all. What that was though wasn’t really her business. “I am Bellamy of Foi, Leader of Ethne, a pack down on Auster. I saw your challenge at the Oasis - you fight well, determined.” Not lies, either. The question was how those skills would be used onward.

“I was hoping you might be able to tell me a bit about your pack, and, in return, I'll tell you a bit about mine. Setting up pack relations and the like, as it were.” Another truth. She remained calm, relaxed, her gaze on the alpha alone. She trusted Ears and Whiskers to be mindful of her companions, should things shift for any reason. So far though, Bellamy wasn’t getting any immediate red flags. Could her observations before had been wrong?

Lurid sat down as the pleasantries of greetings commenced, not feeling the need to stand for the entire interaction. Another alpha had come to see Mirovis, this one brought praise with her. It was a gift of sorts, she supposed. "Thank you, I was determined during the challenge, and I still carry that same determination." The woman went on to explain that she would like to know about Mirovis, but Lurid was a guarded mother about her pack. She was not called Night Mother for no reason. Medusa had asked the same thing, but she had come bearing gifts that told Lurid she would understand. This woman would not truly grasp what Lurid aimed to do here.

"We are simply a family seeking a stable place to live, of course, others who are like us are welcome, but Mirovis is family." Latin-accented dual vocals were smooth. Her delivery was such that no one could tell she gave a lie, Mirovis was made of the darkest creatures in Boreas, housed and ruled by Lurid. A loaded gun with a highly trained marksman at the trigger. Eventually, she would have the numbers to actually fire this weapon at anyone she wished to. Until then, they remained a secret. A deadly, murderous secret.  "What about your pack?" Dual vocals were again smooth, open curiosity in her eyes. The anger she felt before was gone now, Bellamy of Foi had information she could use later.

The pale woman would seat herself and, in return, Bellamy would mimic the action. Ears, however, was still guarded, gaze flicking between the woman’s companions. He did not trust that this woman might not be a danger. Bellamy would remain calm, attention focused on the woman before her. Years of experience told her that this woman wasn’t as open about her information as Bellamy had been with some of the other alphas. A note that she made mentally. She would not overthink, but there was a reason for that. Whether it was because the pack she had come to see was merely small, not ready to defend if danger came knocking, or if it was because they were actually the pending danger, she did not know. But assuming in and of itself could be dangerous. To make an enemy out of someone who might have left you alone otherwise was not something Bellamy desired. Ethne had enough to worry about without adding more to the pile. “An alpha should be determined, and remain as such in their time of power. To falter in that can invite trouble, or so I’ve seen.” Bellamy had noticed something else as well. While she had given her name, the name of her pack, this woman had given her own. All the more reason to be a bit guarded with what she shared as well. But she had given the name of the pack… Mirovis. The name wasn’t familiar to her, and raised no red flags. She gave a respectful nod. Thus far, they didn’t sound that far off from Ethne. But something in Bellamy’s gut told her to not assume blindly they were the same. The woman had merely said that they were a family seeking like minded wolves to join them, and stability. All packs wanted that. “Like Mirovis, Ethne was founded with the intention of giving my family a stable place to call home, when others had fallen apart for one reason or another.” A simple truth. “We are growing, and also seeking others who would join us. We tend to be more on the open minded side of acceptance, so long as you can contribute in some way.” More truths but, perhaps, it was best not to share just how open they were. Their members were not prepared for confrontation… many of them are not fully trained, not ready for danger. Bellamy’s heart panged in her chest. She needed to make sure they had that training. She couldn’t bear to lose anyone. “Ethne is far from here, across the Bifrost.” She would continue to explain. “...and a pack not seeking trouble, but will respond to any who wish to bring it to our doorstep without hesitation.” While her words remained calm, there was a promise in those words. Should any wolves show up at Ethne to cause problems, they would be met with fang and claw. Bellamy would lead that charge… and it would be done with the intent to leave a mark on those that would hurt or take from her family. “Something I hope your pack, Mirovis, understands. It is never easy raising a pack from the ground up, when others might be born with power at their paws. Others have to carve their own path.” Bellamy felt Whiskers shift next to her, the badger shifting against a foreleg in comfort. There had been a note in Bellamy’s vocals as she spoke those last words that the badger caught onto. Resentment. Even as Ethne’s Leader, Bellamy still had a bit of resentment for those who became tyrannical alphas because of their “birthright” or because they saw it fit to take from others. The badger just prayed the woman could keep her calm. For while Bellamy might have had concerns about the newest alpha in Boreas, there was no denying the maned woman had faults of her own. "Speech" 'Thought.'

Lurid listened closely to what the woman had to say, nodding and acknowledging where it was fit. "I happen to be born into this role, I had to fight for my home regardless of birthright. I will fight to keep her and I will fight for her.." Meaning she would fight for her own too, no matter what it might cost her. This interaction was leaving a bitter taste in Lurid's mouth, and the pale devil caught herself growing angry again. "Mirovis is growing fast for a pack so young, and that doesn't leave me with a lot of time." Her voice was smooth as silk, anger undetectable, but her words rang out clearly enough. She had things to do, and if it was only going to be more idle chit-chat, she would not have it.