He allowed Lucy and the others to rest and recuperate as much as he could. It weighed heavily on him that he refrained from admitting Haydee's status to either of them but he was convinced it would only make the healer restless and disturb both her own and Haydee's rest. He had told them the news of the shift in leadership again but insisted that they get some rest before he would allow them to ask him any more questions about it.

He waited two days after their return, allowing her to at least have a full day's rest and a full belly before he approached the den where she was resting. No doubt with Bae-cyl as well as who they said was Beauregard, the last Norad leader.

"Lucette, are you well enough to bend my ear? I have my own news for you besides the pack change, though I know you wanted to speak to me about it before I announced it." He said. He would remain just outside the den, perhaps where Bae-syl and Beauregard could hear them if they were present.

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Two days had passed since their return, and since then Lucette had been thinking about the changes that had happened to the pack she had called home. To say she was uncertain where the future of her mate, children, and herself were in regards to the pack would be putting it lightly. It had been one thing when her mother had stepped down, placing her heir in charge. Seeing the hardships that her sister Haydee had endured, and the struggles the pack ended up in without proper guidance had concerned her. She didn’t blame Hay… she had been doing her best with the knowledge she had, with the lessons their mother had taught them. She had little doubt that had it been her and Bae in charge things would have gone the same way…

But then bigger changes happened. The pack was passed to their polar bear sibling which would have seemed fine were it not for the fact that the pack started to shift away from what her mother had created. Maybe that was the biggest problem Lucette had now. Her mother was far from perfect, but her intentions to create a home, a safe place for her family, had been pure. To watch the pack change hands, to shift in identity as a whole, had hurt her heart. And now… someone that wasn’t even her family was in charge of the pack. She had no doubt that Eltrys was trusted… but… still she felt uncertain. Uneasy about the whole thing… it left her wondering where she and Bae-Syl stood, too.

Was that doubt because of her time away, when the slavers had grabbed her? Or was there something else at play here? Lucette mulled over it as she lay next to Bae-Syl, having made a temporary spot for Beauregard as well. The man had been in and out of sleep since they had returned… Lucette suspected the journey had caused a great deal of inflammation and pain in his broken limb, so she was keeping a close eye on him for now. At least until she heard Eltrys within the main tunnel of the cave system, calling outside the den she and Bae shared. Lifting herself from the furs, she moved out to greet him with a small nod.

Her alpha…

It still felt weird. Her uncertainty was evident in her expression. “Eltrys.” She sat, curling her tail around her body as she tilted her head to the side. “If I’m being honest… I’m not sure how to feel about the pack changing paws as it has… and the shifts it has taken away from what my mother had intended to build for us. It feels like we’re trying to hide who we are… and even she…” She trailed off, her gaze turning to her paws. She had noticed the lack of her mother’s scent in her old den and put two and two together. Her mother had left… she’d given up on herself as a member of the pack… Her ears fell.

“I just don’t know where Bae and I remain in all this… He had come here with a pledge of loyalty to my mother, which had extended to Hay as her chosen heir…” She shifted her gaze back to him. “I am sure that Saga chose you for a reason… What do you intend to do with this pack? How do you plan to… change us?”

"Speech!"

Eltrys could practically see Lucette's sense of trepidation like a cloak and hood over her minuscule frame. He leaned back and pressed himself onto his elbows, to keep her from craning her neck at him. He was about to ask how she was faring when she wasted no time in presenting what weighed heavily on her heart.

He nodded along with her, sagely agreeing that yes, it had felt at first like they were hiding. He nodded when he heard of Bae-syls pledge of loyalty to Bellamy and in turn to Haydee.

He let her question hang in the air as he gathered his carefully formulated thoughts. Bringing forward the promise Bellamy asked of him to aid Haydee in anyway she needed.

He drew in breath and let a hopefully comforting warm smile crease his lips.

"Bellamy wished this pack to be a sanctuary for her family. Where they could feel safe and protected. Where her progeny will carry her name and deepen the roots she started here. Many moons ago she asked if I would aid Haydee in any way I could. I told her that if Haydee asks it of me I would without hesitation." He sighed and glanced away for a moment, "I do not wish to change you, or the heart of what this pack was intended for, to protect you and yours Lucette. That is my goal. No matter what name we carry, what banner we hold, I aim to hold these lands in Bellamy's name and protect her bloodline. As such..." He glanced back up again, his glacial eyes resting over her summer greens, "She has the same eyes as you... I call Haydee beloved..." He let those words sit in the air for a moment for her to parse the meaning of it, "I hope to marry Haydee, when she is ready. As for what I intend for this pack, I intend to breathe new life into it. To make it a quiet refuge where ex-slaves can find healing and purpose. I do not intend to partake in many if any offensive raids and instead be a pylon of peace. The name Ethne was unfortunately soured in the mouths of others but I do not intend to hide, I intend for the pack to be reborn. Bae-syl, Gavroche, and I can not defend our borders alone. I cannot protect you and your kin with hardly any fighters to do so. So I must bring in a few more fresh bodies and inspire them to join us without them fearing the sins of the past. So, I intend to change the name again, to Vedia, meaning spirit of the forest or sanctuary. I don't intend to change anyone's way of life, beliefs, or way of being. I intend to protect the helpless and defend the defenseless as long as they are within our borders. I hope to inspire a new sect of Druids but that won't be forced upon anyone if they don't choose it. Besides, not much should change in your day to day. I hope to give a chance to our Norad guests to join us if they choose...."

He tilted his head to her, measuring her reaction. "So how does that sound to you? Am I off the mark in some capacity or have I read the situation properly? I appreciate your honesty."


"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Art & Code © Rex/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Lucette listened.

She had not realized that her mother had spoken to Eltrys, that she had asked that favor of him. She hadn’t realized that Hay had fallen for someone, and she gave a small nod. Eltrys, since his arrival, had been kind and supportive. Having someone like him by her side would help her. She watched him, examining his face, listening for the truth and honesty in it. For what he meant in his heart. It was sound, what she could have hoped for, and yet her gaze fell to her paws. There were still struggles in her heart…

…but they were through no fault of his.

“Your words are everything I could have hoped to hear, Eltrys… yet… there is doubt, there is struggle within my heart.” Her words were quiet, saddened. “There is weight in this pack, weight I wished I didn’t have… weight that you would need to bear if we stayed.” She sighed. “I love my mother, my siblings… but the history here, what we’ve done, how we’ve all… changed…” She paused.

“Maybe what I’m afraid of isn’t the pack changing… but some of us going back to what it was meant to be.” She squeezed her eyes closed. “Hell, my mother, who sacrificed everything for us, now feels she can’t even be here with jeopardizing the ones she loves… she’s not young, Eltrys… she will die out there alone…” Her gaze lifted, tears within her eyes as she continued, her words a flowing river of hurt and worry.

“My mother and Bae have both taken their share of flesh. If you mean for this to be a pack of peace, I can not sit here and say that Bae-Syl wouldn’t do everything to protect this pack, even maim another even if he felt they threatened us. I saw what he did to the slavers…” She looked away again. “What if we can’t change…? What if we only cause more harm than good by staying here?” Were they capable of healing…? Or was she just too scared to try, to do her best to shake the cloud that shadowed her?

"Speech," 'Thought.'

His ice blue eyes studied her, even in their stark chill he was a warm presence. She nodded and yet something was intensely weighing on her still. She struggled with the idea of starting new, the pain of losing her son, her father, their safety, and her recent trauma's were all sunk into her bones like a slick black oil that refused to be let go. He knew the type, her mother and Haydee were all cut from the same cloth, holding on to transgressions as if it was their lifeline.

Her words shifted to the fate of her mother, Ballamy. He nodded sagely, he had not forgotten.

He looked down the corridor as he heard of her worries about Bae-Syl taking his pound of flesh when he was enraged. He could see the hearty warrior doing as much, his vigilante mission was a testament to his tenacity and chaotic nature.

He tilted his head back to her, his eyes searching through the anxieties into what she was truly clinging to, what path was it that she needed to open herself to in order to stand up from her grief? He brought his breath into his core and let the wind take what it was he couldn't control in this instance. Her reactions, her hopes, and the path that she faced.

"I hear you." He rumbled soothingly, "If I could see into the future for you I would. As it is, I cannot, and I cannot lead on the basis of what-ifs. We will be raided on occasion, We will have enemies. We will have trespassers and attacks on our borders regardless of our peaceful natures. That does not mean we will lie down and take it. To establish our peace we must establish our strength to defend it. Our guests of Norad know that intimately. We must fight for our peace. And if that means we take our pound of flesh after we have tried other means then so be it. My focus is peace in our pack. Peace for what is ours. Maims as a last resort, death is righteous in the face of our survival." His baritone voice had grown passionate and his eyes hard as he glanced away from her. But as he finished he looked somewhat taken aback by his own ferocity, but he knew he meant every word.

"This is a land of blood and bones and if I dare to place myself as a pinnacle of peace, I will have to fight for it." He turned to Lucette, determination aflame in his cold eyes. But his demeanor softened, not wishing to scare her.

"I will, of course, wish for you and Bae-Syl to remain with Haydee and I. But if you both wish to be released from these pack obligations I will not hold it against you, and you both will always be welcome back. Know, though, that I cannot protect you if you do not intend to be a member, and you will not be able to speak for this pack once released. Those within these borders are under my protection, and those who devote themselves to the strength and well-being of the pack are under my protection. We cannot save the world Lucette." He had landed on these shores with the belief that he could. He knew now, he could barely save what was in front of him.

"Speaking of Haydee..." He started, knowing he was about to tread on sensitive ground.

"Now, know that I tell you this not for you to rush off to her side, but hear me out first. She has been given excellent care and I wish for you to see her as soon as we are done here. She grew severely sick, more so than the darkness that haunts her and your mother. Lia, an accomplished and knowledgeable healer has just been welcomed into the pack and I had her treat Haydee. And the girl Alexa watches over her when I cannot. She is recovering and would very much enjoy seeing you again." He finished with a measured tone.

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Art & Code © Rex/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Lucette had laid her heart out on the table for the man, to see the concerns and worries that plagued her. She listened, a part of her hoping to find the answers she sought in his words. There was comfort, at least. Eltrys understood that the peace he sought was something that would need to be fought for. Bae understood that too, she felt, in his own way. He’d do anything to ensure that his family was safe. Lucette worried more for him than herself. She had never been one to long to draw blood, and even rising up for the pack in times of need had been difficult. She was a healer and teacher by nature, one who wanted to nurture, not hurt.

“I understand, Eltrys.” She took in a deep breath and then exhaled it in a heavy sigh. “I fear so many of us are bearing the burdens of the past, the mistakes made, heavy on our hearts. I know I’m not the only one.” She again thought of her mother, and her sister, Hay, too. “I want so badly for things to change, but I’m afraid of being able to do so… afraid that I might only hinder the growth of this pack… and Bae too… you can’t fight for peace if there is turmoil within your own borders.” Her mixed emotions reflected within her eyes.

“For now I… we will try. I want to give the pack a chance, and see if we can heal from this. Eltrys… the weight you’ve been passed is heavy, but if you are unable to bear it… I can’t promise we can stay.” Her ears were pressed against her head. She meant no ill will saying that. But should the pack change hands again, or break its stance of peace, Lucette was sure she couldn’t take it. If the pack was going to heal at all it needed to start with some form of unshakeable foundation. It needed to start with him.

But the subject shifted, and Lucette’s eyes widened at the news. Despite his words Lucette was quick to her paws, catching herself to hear him out, but it was not without a churning in her gut. “Thank the Divinities another healer arrived…” With Dorian having left, and herself having been kidnapped… Lucy swallowed hard. “Eltrys please, take me to her. I need to see that she is recovering with my own eyes.” She wanted to believe him, but with something this serious there could be nothing left to doubt.

"Speech," 'Thought.'