The journey is exhausting, her sides swollen beyond ease. Virgil feels uncomfortable; she is a warrioress and yet she finds even walking difficult these days. Alas, there is nothing to be done. All she can do is let her feet carry her forth, determined to at least visit one other pack. Pregnant or not, she is the Empress, and she needs to at least make her name known. She stops outside of the first pack border she finds, reclining onto her haunches so as to give her weary legs a rest. She pauses for a moment, catching her breath and making certain that she looks composed before she dares to announce herself. Her muzzle turns upwards to the sky, a summons parting from her ebony lips as the goddess awaits the arrival of others .Virgil hopes they won?t make her wait long; she is pregnant and hormonal and irritable, and she does not want for this trip to be entirely in vain. Alas, there is little to be done but wait and see for now. Then, she would make her judgment about what she desires from this pack. Table by Lu - Image by Poison - Code for Ala Only

Cherokee was still quite scarce, she knew how busy he was but she missed him fiercely. He was taking his duties much too seriously, and since the pups were now old enough that she felt comfortable leaving them with a babysitter she was ready to shoulder more of the responsibility of the pack. She just had to convince Cherokee such was a good idea, if she could find him. Her still slightly swollen form was taking a break from the den, Novel had volunteered to watch her baby brothers and sisters so the Oracle was able to get out and relax. The day was rather hot and the falls seemed a wonderful place to cool off. She was sitting a rather shallow pool, her head resting upon the rocky lip as the rest of her body remained submerged beneath the water. Half conscious she would catch the scent of another wolf, a she wolf who smelled of pregnancy. She was not the first to arrive at her borders pregnant and in need of help, though as the call rang out Song would doubt her first theory.?

Though her body was not laden with the forms of her children any longer her stomach still boasted the signs of recent birth. Her teats were still quite full of milk and her body had yet to return to its normally thin existence. With only the slightest bit of labor the she wolf would pull herself from the water, curious of the Wolf's intentions at her border. She wondered if Cherokee would be there, his protective form seemed to always be patrolling their borders. Her trot would bring her quickly to the presence of a woman, her sides swollen with pups of her own. Song's gaze was one of kindness as she brought herself within talking distance. A smile played on her lips as she nodded her head respectfully to her company, "Greetings Stranger, Song Destruction The Oracle of Ludicael, what brings you to my borders today?" her haunches would fold beneath her as she let herself sit before the queen. Her attention fully focused on the stranger and her business within the pack.?

The call that rang out across the land was not familiar, but Anthem was not particularly interested in the source of the sound. Instead, he knew that the call of strangers meant that one of his family would like show up. He was interested in seeing Song, and meeting her babies. He knew they had been born, but had not seen them yet. Though he was not the brightest creature, he knew that Song would be tired and might not have time for him, so he kept his distance for some time. As he drew closer to the source of the sound, he was not surprised to see Song approaching. She was slower than usual, and he assumed she was tired. A happy bark escaped his muzzle as he drew closer to her, utterly oblivious to the woman that had called, instead briefly engrossed in his dear sister's presence, moving to nuzzle her tenderly. It took a long moment for him to notice Virgil's presence as Song addressed her, and he suddenly grew confused. It was the woman he had met just a few weeks ago. She had fallen, and he had tried to help her. Beyond that, he could not remember well -- and did not understand.

As an apprentice, Novella of course held no real power within the pack. It wasn't something that bothered her in the slightest really, she was rather happy with the way her life currently was, there were a few little things she wouldn't have minded changing, though her rank wasn't exactly one of them. She knew she had plenty to learn, and even once she had gained some sort of expertise within the different areas, well Novella still had no real desire to usurp anyone within Ludicael. All the same, knowing that her sister still wasn't quite back to her usual self and that Cherokee had also been rather scarce lately, the young Destruction girl took it upon herself to head to the borders upon hearing the sound of a howl. It wasn't anyone she recognised and perhaps that was the main thing that had her a little concerned and wishing to look out for her sister. She was hardly the greatest person to rely on in any sort of back-up, not yet anyway, though something was definitely better than nothing. Song had beaten her to the call and stood there greeting the stranger, a female that Novella could safely say she had never seen before. The pair were not alone though, Anthem it seemed had apparently also decided to join them. It wasn't rare for him to act a little nervous around strangers, though the young girl frowned as she watched his current reaction to their visitor. "What's the matter Anthem?" Novella questioned quietly, affectionately nuzzling her brother in greeting though leaving Song to the pack business for now.

image by lunarcat7

Satu

The call had nothing to do with Satu, who had no rank in the pack nor any desire for such, and generally speaking a call from the border was looking for ranking wolves. Still, it meant that something interesting was actually happening. It didn't take longer than the space of that thought for Satu to abandon her fruitless hunt and make her way to the call. She slowed when she came upon a group clustered there - Song, Anthem, Novella, and a gravid stranger. Why was it that all pregnant wolves seemed to eventually find their way to Ludicael? Satu shook off the thought. Though normally her natural exuberance would lead her to bound up to her cousins and greet them with enthusiasm, she knew that it would likely leave a bad impression on the empirical-looking stranger and make Song look bad. So she tamped down her first impulse, much as she'd had long experience doing in the pack she'd grown up in, and walked up with as much seriousness as she could muster. It had always made her miserable then, to always need to be dutifully calm, but the chance to be part of whatever was going on would be worth it right now. She dipped her head to Song with an assumed regal air that was no doubt comical to anyone that actually knew her. "Oracle," she greeted slowly, nearly bursting with holding in the urge to wriggle or grin or bounce at least a little bit. "Cousins," she nodded as well to Anthem and Novella, glancing quickly away from Novella lest her cousin do something to make her burst out laughing. She moved to take a position to obviously support Song, then plopped her butt down on the ground and glanced between Song and The Stranger with wide-eyed curiosity.

She is greeted by a white woman who announces herself an Oracle, and Virgil cannot help the brief tensing of her body at the arrogance of this heretic. In her current state, it is enough to start to put her on edge. ?My name is Virgil Olympus, daughter of the true gods and Empress of Olympus,? she tells the woman. However, she does not get far into her introduction before another, unfortunately familiar frame shows his face. Immediately upon his arrival, her assaulter has her full attention. Virgil?s posture drops from diplomatic and firm to flat out aggressive in an instance; her legs spread equally apart, weight evenly distributing, toes spreading, claws biting into the soil, knees bending, tail curling up to protect her unborn children, hackles raising, shoulders rolling, head lowering to align with her spine, neck scrunching, chin tucking, eyes narrowing and ears pinning back. She does not notice any others that approach; he has all of her attention. ?You bastard,? she snaps, and it is the only warning he gets. She rushes forth, attempting to tilt her head to the right and lower it, hoping to bite into the top of the smaller man?s throat, hopefully where his jaws meet his throat. She wants to crush, to dig her teeth into his windpipe, to smother the life out of him. At the same time her chest hopes to collide with his, her left foot raising (her weight redistributing amongst three grounded limbs) and seeking to slam down upon his right foot. Virgil doesn?t fuck around; she intends to bleed him dry. VIRGIL vs. ANTHEM for PUNISHMENT 1/??? OOC: This probably won?t result in a full fledged fight if people intervene, as Virgil is pretty heavily pregnant xD Table by Lu - Image by Poison - Code for Ala Only

Hermes raced along the border, zeroing in on the scent of Virgil, his cousin and his queen. He'd learned that she had become pregnant and while he didn't know the full story he could only guess as she'd returned to Olympus alone and she had also left to Ludicael. He picked up her scent on the outskirts of the Sunset Falls and quickly tracked her to a gathering of wolves. As far as he could tell he was the only other Olympian there. The rest were of Ludicael. Steeling himsef, hackles raised and shoulders rolled forward he struted ahead to fall beside his cousin. His red eyes glowed in the sunlight, athletic frame expanding with every exhale of breath. He was a fighter but no massive knucklehead. Hermes was a creature of both grace and power.


Glancing to Virgil he waited, praying it would not come down to battle. They were sorely outnumbered but hopefully the Queen of Ludicael would not let it come to that. For while Olympus was small it had allies.


Hermes gaze shot forward at Virgil's sudden show of aggression. His own bloody gaze lingered on the brute. He still did not know what the full story was but if his cousin commanded him so he would attempt to rip the throat from that brute before he was felled by the bastards pack mates. However, it seemed it was not to be his fight as Virgil dove in for the brute. He stared in shock, it was dangerous being as pregnant as she was.


"VIRGIL STOP! You are in no shape for this. If there is too be blood then let me be the one to draw it but please let us try and negotiate first." His limbs were shivering with anger he would not allow to claim his mind. There were two options. Either it was a bitter one night stand or she'd been taken against her will and he shuddered to guess at the second.


talk, think

He heard it. The howl from a stranger unknown upon their territory. Luckily he wasn't too far away, and knew that perhaps Song would probably already be there. He moved quickly, unwilling to miss the stranger that would decide to tread nearby. As he drew closer, he could hear the voices of those who had arrived, as well as scent his family among the strangers. It was what happened next that would spur him forward, the golden stranger beginning to turn hostile and even from his point, he could tell something would escalate. As soon as the stranger lunged forward, Howl was on his toes and within range to close the distance. Ears flattened against his head, eyes narrowed, hackles rose, muzzle wrinkled in a snarl as he rushed to place himself in front of his dear brother Anthem. Why the hell was she attacking him?! Jaws widened to catch the woman within them if she so chose to continue her assault. He kept himself grounded, claws digging into the dirt and weight shifting to become balanced. Why would someone attack his brother? Anthem was harmless, innocent. But this woman seemed intent on causing serious harm if not killing his brother. Howl voiced nothing but the protective rage within his roaring snarl, then again, would the woman really care to listen to anything? She was outnumbered, and pregnant from what he could tell. Even still, if someone sought to harm his family then Howl would do everything to protect them. It was his job as the oldest male. And loyal brother. Howl Vs. Virgil OC: Lolaf wants to post next. Howl is just trying to intervene the attack. Talk like this

The falls had become one of her favorite haunts not usually visited by non-pack members though it did cover some of the pack borders, not that they didn?t occasionally linger at the edges. She had been lazing beneath a tree near the tumbling water when she heard the call, and lifted her head to look at the golden stranger. Then her mother came from the trees, approaching the woman. She was not in the white Oracle?s sight, that much she knew. So the ebony girl would watch from the roots, eyes narrowing as more and more of her family appeared. She could hardly see the golden woman anymore, not through the throng of wolves. Rising to her paws she approached, watching as the woman came into view, her demeanor clearly hostile. The young girl may not have done much fighting but what little training she had kicked into gear, barely even aware of her uncle Howl coming to stand before his brother, as she skid into place beside him, angling herself so as to try and carry the brunt force of the woman?s attempted slam with her shoulder. One year old and the girl was nearly as big as the aggressor, a height she had learnt to use to her advantage. With her knees bent and tail out she tried to stabilize herself. Toes splayed and claws digging into the dirt she would seek to act as a shield for her uncle, he may have been older than her, but she had grown to learn that Anthem was harmless, he would not know how to deal with this attack. Howl and Canta vs. Virgil OOC. Canta is also just trying to intervene Speech, Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire, Thank you Nine!

She would barely let the words from her pale jaws before the presence of Anthem was announced. His sweet bark would gain her attention for only a moment as her bicolored gaze flicked to him with her warm smile. He would nuzzle her gently as she took in the sudden difference in the stranger's demeanor. She was glad Novella had suddenly appeared as she began to grow nervous at the pregnant Wolf's behavior. She would call herself the empress of the true gods, Song's confusion at the statement would be withheld. She answered to nameless gods, did they speak to this woman too? She wouldn't reply to Satu's greeting as suddenly the diplomat became incredibly aggressive. The Oracle had no choice but to mirror her movements, "Novella get Anthem away," the alabaster she wolf would bring her legs underneath her once more as her hackles raised similarly. Her eyes would narrow at the same time her knees would bend and her tail would raise over her back. Her spine would align with her skull as she tucked her chin and felt her abdomen flex. Pearlescent ears would fall against her crown as her toes splayed and her claws dug into the earth. She balanced her weight evenly on her toes, making sure to place herself between the crazed monarch and her handicapped brother. She would gladly show her pearly canines as the Olympian jumped for Anthem. Song would not see her daughter and other brother step in front of Anthem she would only see the other woman's gaping jaws. Song would push herself from the earth in an attempt to collide with her opponent. She would aim her left shoulder at the broad fleshy part of Virgil's right shoulder in an attempt to throw her off course. she didn't want the woman or her children hurt, but her own jaws would attempt to collide with Virgil's own open jaws. She wanted to grab hold of the upper portion of the woman's jaw she wanted to grab and stop the attack all together. Her left front leg would try to lock itself into place if she made contact with the woman, her rear limbs gaining the extra weight that was not put into her shoulder attack. Her right foot would remain off the ground in an attempt to wrap around the woman's right foot to pull it out from under her and cause her front end to tumble to the ground.?

Everything happened so quickly. Anthem had already grown suddenly confused, unsure as to why he felt abruptly fitful and unsure of this woman he had met. She had been hurt, but she seemed fine now. He relaxed slightly as Novella came to his side, and he happily leaned into her. But his attention would be taken away from his sister as he saw a flash of the strange woman coming toward him. Instinctively, a whimper would escape his lips, and he would cower against Novella. More wolves had arrived, and he heard the sound of snarling and fighting. He was painfully naive -- so blissfully unaware that it all of this was caused by him. All he knew was confusion and fear, and he would turn and press himself as close to the ground as possible, unable to keep himself from whimpering aloud softly. He would close his eyes, hoping desperately it would all end soon.

The recently appointed Centurion had taken to keeping tabs on the Empress, knowing that she was in no state to be alone as often as she liked. Natalya had experienced pregnancy at a young age just as Virgil now was, and she understood the difficulties. Virgil's condition made her position as Empress an even greater risk to her safety, and it was too much of a risk for the Olympians to leave her to her own devices. Of course none of the other family members knew of the pregnancy yet that Natalya knew of, so she felt that this duty fell entirely to her. It seemed that she would not be the only one to know for long, however. Today she had her husband by her side, but it was not the knowledge he would attain that surprised her. She arrived moments too late to Ludicael on the trail of the matriarch and found not only Virgil, but her son as well. She stopped abruptly when she reached the area near to them and let her hearing take over, listening for the positions of the wolves around her before dropping into a defensive stance letting out a fierce growl, her voice rising as high above the others as it could. STOP! When the echoes of her shout died away she would approach the chaos at a deliberate pace. Helios, please see to Virgil and ensure she is okay. Hermes, please tell me what is happening here. Once the news was delivered from her son, her head would turn for her eyes to seemingly scan the crowd of scents before her. I would like to speak directly to the leader of this pack. My name is Natalya, and I am the Centurion of Olympus.

Noticing the tension of the golden before her, Novella found a small amount of concern rising within her. Perhaps the other simply hadn't expected such a gathering and felt rather nervous. A little worried and knowing now was hardly the time for concerns she simply gave a glance of recognition and a small nod in greeting to her cousin, it was of course not the normal manner she greeted her family, though Satu seemed to realise that this was hardly the time for games. Anthem of course was a little different, he'd likely only be confused if they didn't act towards him as they normally did, and Novella remained firmly in place at his side as he pressed against her. All too suddenly the reason for Virgil's tension became revealed. ?You bastard,? Although not entirely sure within those seconds that Anthem was the one being targeted, Novella found her herself rather offended by the spiteful words. There was no one but her family here and not one of the Destruction's deserved to be called such names. And then of course the woman would lunge at Anthem. Her hackles immediately raised and a deep growl resounded from her throat, so unlike the young Destruction but not only was this woman attacking her family, she was attacking the completely defenceless Anthem. There was no way any of them would stand for that but with Howl, Canta and Song all charging to meet Virgil's attack Novella had no choice but to listen to her sister's words "Novella get Anthem away," She had stopped her growling and attempted to calm herself for Anthem's sake, as she she protectively stood over her brother behind the wall of Destruction's. Her hackles still had not flattened, nor had the fierce look faded from her gaze. More wolves were arriving, and although they both shouted for the crazed woman to stop, Novella still didn't like the fact that they were here and clearly members of this lunatic's pack. They seemed to have calmer heads on their shoulders, though for how long she had no idea. "Check that she's ok?" Novella repeated the words, far more concerned for Anthem than Virgil seeing as she had been the one to instigate the attack. It didn't help that of all the wolves gathered here it had been the completely harmless one she had chosen to lunge for, whilst she may not have quite realised this, surely it had been completely clear to her that not one of them had shown any signs of threat during this meeting, least of all Anthem. "She just attacked my brother and I'm sure we'd all like to know why." Her words were stronger than perhaps even she could have expected. She had been practically frozen with fear upon witnessing her first fight, and she hadn't even known either of the wolves involved, now however her confidence certainly hadn't faltered, perhaps this protective instinct over her family fuelling her more than she ever realised it could.

Satu

The stranger turned aggressive very suddenly, attacking poor Anthem without warning. Satu's cousins rushed to protect him, even the ones who hadn't been there previously, and Satu found herself shoved to the side. She stood aside from the tumult and confusion, frozen in uncertainty. There wasn't really anything she could do, as Song, Howl, and Canta had taken on the stranger and Anthem had retreated with Novella. The younger stranger who had appeared had shouted for her - Virgil appeared to be the aggressive female's name - and called for a diplomatic solution. Diplomatic solutions sounded like a good thing, but how diplomatic would this wolf feel to see his pregnant friend? packmate? fighting by herself against three Ludicael wolves? Satu was sure that Song wouldn't let the wolf get hurt too bad, even if she had attacked Anthem, but this guy didn't know that. So Satu squared off with the younger wolf, pelt bristling more out of alarm than anger, her gaze anxious and confused. She couldn't imagine why anyone would attack Anthem. Was she rabid? Would she infect Song and Howl and Canta? Was this wolf rabid too? If he attacked her what would she do? She'd only had one self-defense lesson! Another voice, commanding and female, snapped through the chaos, and Satu flinched, though she kept her position. Novella's voice rose too, and Satu nodded along with what she was saying. "He wasn't even doing anything," she added, though in an anxious mutter that was very unlikely to reach the completely black wolf that was approaching. "He wasn't," she insisted again to the red-eyed wolf she was facing down, probably the one who had been referred to as Hermes, trying very, very hard to resist the urge to stick her tongue out at him. He wasn't the mean one who'd attacked Anthem, after all, and it would probably make things worse... She still really, really wanted to.

They jump in front of his way, and she halts her forward attempt. The infuriated Empress halts, if only to rethink strategy for the moment, before the voices of her family cut in. Her attacker cowers and she wants nothing more than to rip his balls from his body, to free him of his male burden so that he will never inflict such a horror on another woman again. There is no sign of calming down in the Empress, not even with the arrival of her Aunt, who assumed control of the situation for now. Virgil cared not for diplomacy anymore; she had little respect for a pack of heretics who housed a rapist. They had no idea, did they? Her gaze falls into the ruler?s once more. ?Wasn?t doing anything wrong? He raped me,? she snaps. Her body tenses again, as if she might lunge. ?Get the fuck out of the way,? she tells all those who stand before the coward. Her defenses stand maintained, but for now she does not calm down. She wants to punish, to destroy, to inflict the wrath of the heavens above upon her attacker. She knows not the reason why those surrounding her desire to defend the wretched soul, but if they do not she will break them. Her swollen stomach should tell the deeper parts of the story, the unfortunate union of the currently feuding families, the souvenir that Virgil never wanted. Not like this. Table by Lu - Image by Poison - Code for Ala Only

It was madness! Wolves sprang in front of the bastard to protect him. Hermes fur and hackles rose, ears pinned back, shoulders rolled forward and neck scrunched as he prepared to enter the fray. But all to soon his mother was there. Hermes almost breathed a sigh of relief at her presence. She would sort this out but unfortunately he did not have an answer for her, all he could do was shake his head. Suddenly there was a young female infront of him. Her stance begged for a fight and he snarled at her as she spoke. "Clearly he has done something, now get out of my way before I soil the earth with your blood." She didn't strike him as a warrior, her body language clearly anxious. If Virgil called for the attack, if the battle did not stop then he would not hesitate to view the girl as an enemy and bring her to her knees.


He saw Virgil pull back and he glared again at the femme who blocked his way. "We have drawn back, now move" Hermes did not wait for an answer as he made to push roughly past her to stand with his family. He wanted to know what was going on as well but as soon as Virgil spoke he wish she hadn't. She was raped. Hermes surprise was replaced with wrath as blood red eyes sought for the form of her rapist. That fucking scum had the gall to violate his cousin and then cower when his punishment was at hand. Hermes growled, muscles tensing, limbs bent. "Base criminal? Olympus demands restitution for this heinous act! I say we snip off his seed and trowel, sedate him first if you like. That would be a reasonable price?" He glanced to his mother and Virgil. They had to leave with something for the sufferings of their Queen after all. Ruby gaze fell again on the Ludicael wolves.


talk, think

He was proud of his wife, she had stuck beside their young niece even when he hadn?t been there to support her. She had earned her promotion, and while he had his own ambitions he did not begrudge her, her rise in rank, he could not been unhappy with his wife being successful. He was just happy to be accompanying her as she went to aid their now clearly pregnant niece. He did not question either of the women, if Natalya knew who the father was the she would not divulge and he trusted Virgil to let them all know when she was ready.
He walked with the Centurion occasionally gently nudging her affectionately. They drew closer to the border of a neighbor pack, the golden form of Virgil rising up on the horizon. The sounds of aggression reached him and suddenly he and Natalya were rushing forwards, his fur bristling and fangs barring as he approached ready to defend his niece. Nat stopped but he moved forwards a bit more, ready to jump in to block any attacks upon the vulnerable girl. But his wife?s command stopped him and he moved off to step in front of his niece and glanced her over as she spat venom at the family before them.
He cast a quick glance at his wife as Virgil mentioned that the male the other family was so eager to protect was her rapist. He remained where he was, despite his niece's commands. Full of righteous anger or not he would not allow her to risk herself in this venture. Helios felt an anger grow inside him, his family defiled by that coward before him and yet it was his own son he snapped at next. ?Hermes control yourself!? He commanded, snapping his gaze towards his son. ?Lest I remind you all that we are on their territory, mighty we may be but we are at a distinct disadvantage! He looked back at the cowering fool, the one that did all this, eyes narrowing. ?We will have our price but I suggest you not be so eager for a fight.?







talk, think

She would catch her brother's terrified posture out of the corner of her eye, his cowering form pushing into Novella. He didn't deserve such attention.. she was so confused about what was even going on. The erring she wolf would halt her attack as both of their families appeared. They were obviously outnumbered and very much in the wrong, coming to her home and out of the blue attacking her handicapped brother. What kind of nerve did this woman have? Suddenly the wolves that had gathered would be brought to attention by a very darkly coated she wolf, her words would be rather authoritative. She wondered how this woman was not empress, it was obvious their queen was not fit to make decisions. She would hear as Novella and Satu would chime in and she would make her way where wolves had more sense. Her gaze would narrow as she slipped past Virgil as she made an accusation before them all. Anthem?! A rapist?! She would do her best to hold back a scoff and rude glare, doing her best to remain political and even tempered about the situation at hand. She would certainly not tell her family to stand down. "Certainly do not move out of her way, she is obviously mistaken." There was a venom in her voice she'd not heard before as she presented herself to Natalya then, "I am Song Destruction, the Oracle of Ludicael. I'm afraid you shall not have your penance, because I know my brother is no rapist. From an early age he has been.. sick. He's still a child, despite his adult body. He can not hunt for himself let alone force himself upon a fully fledged warrior." She would stand firm, her body showing only the slightest hint of her dominance within the arena. She would never let anything happen to Anthem, she didn't know how this woman thought her brother was capable of such atrocities. She only knew that no harm would befall her sibling. "Speech" Think "You"

She would listen carefully to the words circulating around her, giving all sounds adequate attention. The ebony woman missed nothing. She need not acknowledge most of it, thankfully. Hermes was quick to retaliate to any instigation from the other side, and he was quickly put in his place by his father. Natalya smiled slightly at the intelligence her husband offered to settle the nerves of their most vocal son. Her attention turned quickly to the woman who presented herself as the leader and she offered a curt bow of her head. The Centurion then returned to her relaxed stance, still holding her head high but attempting to convey only calm. The wolves here needed to settle down and listen to the information before making judgments, but they were full of rage, both families seeking only to protect their own. The situation begged Natalya to take over for Virgil in the negotiation. The matriarch was enraged and the situation was too personal for her to hold it back at her young age. Natalya hoped that the girl would not begrudge her for her authoritative actions now. Something this Song said peeked Natalya's interest, causing her to widen her lids slightly and shift forward on her paws. An illness of the mind then? She paused, taking a deep breath as she fit the pieces together. Everyone, please stand down. There will be no fighting here, if the Oracle will agree? She gave a pointed "look" to her own family before turning back to the woman who awaited her response. Our Empress was not forced into submission by her attacker. As I understand it, she had fallen from the side of the mountain near your lands and was wounded. She was in heat at the time and conscious enough to know what was happening, but too weak to do anything. Please, ask your brother if he has seen her before and the circumstances of that meeting. I'm sure knowing what he remembers will help us put this issue to rest.

Novella certainly lacked any fighting experience, she'd had a few self defence lessons though knew she still wasn't quite sure what she was doing and the idea of having to use any of the things she'd learnt was rather terrifying. All the same she still stood there over Anthem, ready to protect her brother like a seasoned fighter. It was likely down to the adrenaline coursing through her, the urge to protect her brother and the support her family members around her. And confirming that support, at her side Satu chimed in with similar words of defence for poor Anthem.



Together it seemed that she and Satu had prompted some sort of explanation from the golden empress before them. The words shocked her and certainly helped her to realise just why Virgil was so annoyed right now. The words couldn't possibly be true though, not in their entirety; Anthem couldn't be the culprit. So used to the way her elder brother was she had never questioned why he was different, never bothered to explain it to anyone else. The words to try and describe his condition were lost in her mind, though she certainly didn't move away from his terrified form.



Fortunately Song managed to find the words and Novella relaxed her mind a little more, letting the topic drop for now. She still stood over her brother though, refusing to leave him now until all of this had been resolved in a more civil manner. Her mismatched eyes were far more attentive to Virgil and Hermes, the two who seemed far more likely to try and attack any of her family. She wasn't sure she liked these wolves and their pack all that much, though at least the two elder wolves present were willing to speak for now, Natalya in particular.



Natalya seemed reasonable though ready to forget any fighting, though Novella wouldn't relax until the other Olympus wolves stood down. However the black woman went on to explain that there had been no attack, that at least made sense, there was no way Anthem could attack another wolf though it still seemed utterly ridiculous to her for anyone to think that any one of the Destruction wolves, especially childlike Anthem could be capable of rape. "Even if your accusations are true, he certainly wouldn't have meant to harm Virgil." Novella pointed out once more, words aimed mostly to Virgil and Hermes. "I'm sure you are all able to understand the world better, to attack Anthem would be like attacking a child." Song's explanation of her brother's condition had been good in her opinion, she wanted to remind them of that fact once more before humouring Natalya's request.



Gaze now dropped once again to the terrified form of Anthem. "Anthem, have you seen that lady before? The one that tried to hurt you?" Novella spoke in a far softer tone now, nuzzling her brother in an attempt to comfort him.

by macabre