Existence north of Fenrir’s Maw within the Polar Sound had been calm for awhile. Free to tend to the reindeer herd and provide them with ample grazing grounds, Delphi hadn’t thought to bring them in closer to their lands. Why would she? Everything had been quiet, perhaps a little too quiet.

She hadn’t been crowned alpha when it happened. A large group of wolves slinking in to claim the Polar Sound in every direction, decorating its borders with both scent and symbol. They hadn’t been given warning or time. If it hadn’t been for the reindeer rushing back to the steppe, they probably wouldn’t haven noticed until their next round of patrol.

Taking the loss with a grain of salt and herself now at the helm, Delphi moves toward The Syndicate’s borders. Their scent is clear and it makes her nose tingle. A few familiar scents linger, one of a man she’s met previous. Having recently returned from the alpha meeting down in Auster, she wonders if Artorias’ words have any truth to them.

With a bottle of mead carried by her companions, Delphi stops with ample room between herself and their ominous borders. It was clear that the statement was keep out. Tilting her chin back, she lets loose a call for the Syndicate’s leader to meet with her for a friendly chat.

Walking along the borders of The Polar Sound, Rhazien is savoring the sunlight that filters through the canopy of evergreen needles. The air is crisp and cool, enhanced by the light snowfall covering the ground from last night's drizzle. By now, most of it had melted off, creating small puddles on the forest floor, amplifying the earthy scent of the flourishing domain. Despite the cold, it was quite beautiful here. Soon, the autumn season would come to a close and winter would envelop the sound. Which meant they needed to enjoy this fleeting warmth while it lasted.

As he patrolled the borders, Zemir and Zemra were riding on his back, grooming his shoulders and nape with their rogue tongues and whispering obsessive coos into his ears. Their purring reverberated into his chest, the vibration bringing a delighted smirk to his lips. They trilled, and he chuckled, which earned a head bump from both of the girls. They were so outwardly affectionate. If they were wolves, they’d probably be his second and third wives- but alas, the gods had made them his fateful companions instead.

He’d just come around a bend when a howl broke the silence of The Sound, disrupting the tranquility of the moment he was sharing with his girls. But oh? What’s this? It’s one he recognizes; a girl he’s hunted with on a few occasions, and hasn’t seen in a couple seasons. Her voice resonated from the borders, meaning she was treading along the methodical line, commanding attention and stirring the dormant atmosphere. Rhazien is quick to change his course, moving at an even pace to answer her call. Wanting to beat Sephiran to it.

Emerging from the treeline, Rhazien saunters towards Delphi, his two companions leaping down from his back and taking a seat nearby. Each movement he makes is deliberate, his erect posture exuding confidence and charm as his lips pull back into a suave smile. “It’s been a while.” He says, watching her with a calculating, analytical gaze- surveying the subtle changes in her stance, trying to decipher why she was here. She smelt like the Vikings, which were just beyond the ridge. Actually, now that he thought of it. They were neighbors. “Welcome to The Syndicate.” Rhazien stops once he is a comfortable distance from the girl, his head tipping back slightly as he peers down at her through his piercing, multi-hued gaze. “Has Víðarr sent you?” Of course, Rhazien doesn’t know of the leadership change, or that Artorias held a meeting with the alphas of Ardent regarding The Syndicate. All he can do is go off the knowledge he currently has, assuming Víðarr still rules over the mountain range.

"Speech"

She's not kept waiting, and Delphi isn't sure if that is a good thing or not. The wolf that approaches is not the wolf she was expecting. Was this the Sephiran that Artorias had spoken of? It couldn't be... Last she had known, he was going by Rhazien. Is that not what he had introduced himself as? Her brow furrows a moment, but she doesn't let it set her back. If Rhazien is who met her, it would be Rhazien she would speak with.

Assessing his gait, his posture, the way he exudes charming confidence as he approaches, Delphi can't help but let her ears flick sideways for a moment. Did he always appear so pompous? So full of himself? A sigh exhales from her nostrils as he settles before her, speaking in such a way that she's certain other females probably fall for it more often than not. Though she wants to be her normal self, the daring devil he had met previously, she was in a position of power now and had to take that seriously.

"I don't believe you quite understand what welcoming means," her smirk teases her lips anyway, head tilting toward their borders with its mutilated corpses and carcasses strung throughout the trees. Delphi means to be serious, but she can't help teasing the man and his verbiage. There was nothing welcoming about the appearance of dead animals lining one's borders.

His next statement has her clearing her throat, resettling her own posture to a less relaxed and more domineering stance. "I've come on my own accord to introduce myself to my new neighbors," the gleam in Delphi's eyes is nothing to be mistaken. "Vidarr no longer rules these mountains, I do. We go by Hemlock now," it is then that Delphi turns to nod at her binturong, urging him to bring forward the bottle of mead. "I've brought a bottle of mead as a welcome gift," her companion offers it to Rhazien, placing it on the ground in front of him.

"I have information you might want to know, but it will cost you," her chin tilts upward to give Rhazien a daring look.

Ahh, so she’s the same little spitfire he remembers from before; the girl who fearlessly fought a polar bear, only to follow him into the unknown immediately after. Intriguing. He can’t help the smirk that pulls at his lips, a mischievous glint shimmering in his eyes. It’s an expression that invites her intrigue, as he is a willing participant in the game of banter.  Something he’s sure she remembers from their previous encounters, just as he remembers her competitive nature and indomitable resolve.

“Ahh, but I do,” He says, returning her jest, his head tilting slightly to the side. Beneath the veneer of his charm, there is a wit and cunning that is undeniable; one women usually ate up, but given their age difference, Delphi was just a girl to him. “We’ve been declared enemies of an empire, you see,” If she hadn’t caught wind of Artorias’ threats against the Saxe family, he’d make it known now. “And if war came to our door, our Sultan felt this… decor, was a fitting way to say, keep out.” If enemies came knocking, perhaps the carnage at their borders would detour them away. They could become another corpse at their border. Oh, and Sephiran was a sadistic fuck who loved playing in carcasses and gore. But he’d omit that part.

Shifting gears, Delphi reveals some rather interesting information, claiming she was the new alpha of Vikings - well, Hemlock now. Rhazien nods, shifting his weight slightly, the subtle curl of his lips speaking to the thoughts occurring in his mind. “Congratulations.” A simple response really; he wouldn’t dwell on how she acquired the pack. Whether she challenged for it, took it by force, hell, if she killed Vidarr and stripped the title from his cold, dead paws. It didn’t matter to him, because it made no difference. Delphi was queen now, and she would be the wolf to consult regarding pack affairs until he learned otherwise. And given they were neighbors, they'd need to establish some sort of standing.

At the gift, Rhazien dips his head, watching the odd creature toddle over and place a bottle of mead in front of him. Signaling to Zemir, one of his serval companions, he commands her to fetch a set of mugs for them to drink from. Then, Rhazien shifts his weight to his hind end, reclining down into a seated position. “Oh?”  His gaze fixates on her, his attention unwavering and his demeanor signaling his interest in her ruse. “Give me a hint at least, so I can decide if this information is something I want to know.” Zemir returns, heading over to Delphi’s binturong and prompting it to assist her in setting up the mead for their masters.  

"Speech"

Delphi holds her gaze steady with Rhazien’s. At this point, she knows if she’s the first to look away, he’ll probably take it as weakness. That’s the thing with men. Especially men who think they’re invincible. Any shred of backing down or cowering and they gobble it up like dessert. She’s spent time with men like him, him being one of them. Vidarr is similar, when he wants to be. Others are too, she knows this well. So she stands there, as small as she is, staring back as if he’s the only one in the world she’d want to look at.

His words cause her ears to perk, attentive to what he has to say. Keeping a neutral expression as he declares the knowledge of being sworn enemies of the empire, she only nods in agreement. That much was common knowledge now. Word spread far and wide and quite quickly among these lands - even if there hadn’t been a meeting at all. What she doesn’t forget are the words that Artorias spoke at that meeting and them being the very reason she’s there that day.

Rhazien’s explanation of the decor is logical even if Delphi hates to agree. The corpses at the border was a more than clear sign that they wanted no visitors at all. Unfortunately for Rhazien, Delphi didn’t listen to signs or omens or any of that nonsense, but it was fitting nonetheless for what Artorias had describes of Sephiran and the threats placed upon the empire.

Before she can get to her bargain, he does congratulate her and in return, she grins. Nodding once more, a gleam in her own eye to indicate what exactly will stay unknown to Rhazien. Had she killed the Konungr? Or was it something else entirely? Indeed, it no longer mattered, but if he wanted to believe the first option, she would let him. The more others feared her, the better.

As he sits, Delphi takes a seat as well, her companions scooting close to both keep her warm and protected. Back would not stay open for attacks during this meeting of the minds. She blinks slowly as he fixates on her, clearly interested in her words. A smirk playing on her lips, rolling the thoughts around in her mind as she lets him simmer for a moment. Though he knew of the threats made by Artorias, he didn’t know what had transpired afterward. “A gathering was called by Artorias, and I find that you might want to know what it pertained of,” Delphi’s words are careful. A hint and only a hint to see if he truly did want to know or if someone else had already leaked the information.

The flickering gleam in Delphi’s eyes was one Rhazien knew well; the intensity of someone driven by ambition, chasing the thrill of pursuit and the anticipation of conquest. It was palpable, demanded attention and respect, and could be unnerving depending on the recipient. But Rhazien was the type to revel in such things. His smirk grew wider, head titling subtly, as he wanted to see if she would reveal the details of her coming to power. But alas, she’d leave it up to the imagination. Did it truly matter how she obtained her crown? No, not particularly. But did Rhazien love a good story? Absolutely.

But perhaps she would provide him with a different story; the information she withheld, was certainly something Rhazien wanted to know. She knew it too, based on the smirk curling her lips, revealing those needle-sharp fangs in her small maw. She chose her words carefully, wanting to keep him engaged, needing to spark his interest. Because she wanted something in return.

And engaged he was. He subtly leans forward in his seat, a slight lift of a single brow raising over a bi-colored eye. He’s eager to delve deeper, to ask questions, to uncover the information she is withholding. But he’s not desperate for it. “I see.” He says, holding her gaze. “May I know who was in attendance?” He wanted to know if it was just the Ashen empire, or if there were more wolves involved. Which could be a problem. He was leaning toward the latter, given Delphi knew about it. Hell, maybe she attended the meeting.

If she chose to give that information, he’d consider striking a bargain with her, so he could find out the content of the gathering.


"Speech"

Ah, so she had his attention now. It was clear in the way that he leaned forward in his seat. Honestly, she was slightly surprised that word had not spread to him yet of the meeting, but then again, she had come to their borders only days after her return. Her smirk doesn't lessen as she tilts her chin up, a paw reaching to tap at it for a moment. Pretending to think, to consider if she would reveal such information. How much did Rhazien know of the packs already? Would the list of attendees even be of much use to him? Who had he already reached out to?

After a pregnant pause, Delphi gives the man a confirming nod. "It will not hurt to tell you who attended," she decides, shoulders shrugging slightly before continuing. "Along with myself, Basilisk from Armada, Avacyn from Elysium, Hattori from Tojo-Kai, Kotori from Valta, Haydee and Bellamy from Ethne, and Modesty from Raider's Hollow. There were a few other Hallows wolves there as well, but they weren't of significance," Delphi notes, eyes staying firm on Rhazien, assessing his reaction. She was rather curious to know what information he would give in return.