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[Tayui Aston]

      Set in Dawn's Breath.

When beauty was in season, Endangered by reason

     The night air was crisp and cool, something she had always loved about staying up so late. From her perch on a slanted, smooth rock, she was able to see a short distance around her with the aid of the light from the stars and moon. One of the biggest problems, she had found, with living in Jaded Shadows was the lack of sky. Halcyon Mountain was certainly much better than Ashen Mountain in this respect, for the forest was not quite as thick in many areas. The foliage still made it difficult for her to watch the stars, and thus, she had decided to leave the pack lands to explore a bit and retire where she could watch the sky.
     She laid there on her back with only the sound of the wind to keep her company. It was refreshing- the quiet solitude that could make anywhere one's sanctuary. She smiled, stretching out her arms and wiggling her toes a bit. She shifted over and brought her arms behind her head. All the time, she had been watching the stars.

[Lubomir Varg]

ooc I guess I'll bleed in silence He was in pain. Still. Lubomir's entire body ached and creaked with each step he took. Initially he'd thought a four-legged state would mean less pain but every twist and turn of his body bot excruciating moments when a curtain of blindness would drop over his eyes and he would whimper, doubled over with it. Finally, he'd shifted, a process which drained him of energy and made him pass out in his den. When he woke, he was unsure where and when he was. Outside night had fallen. Wearily, he crawled out, his eyes closed tight against the pain, his body quivering in fear and annoyance. At himself. With the war going on, what in the world could he expect to do in this state? He glanced at his body, wrapped in bandages and he sighed wearily. How foolish of him, how foolish to think himself a hero. Up here, on Halcyon Mountain, the stars shone white and cold. He glanced at the forests below and towards the Waste and made up his mind. Tonight, forest cover. Soon, his grunts and loud pacing ripped through the calm forest. He watched listlessly as a rabbit ran from its den and he didn't even bother with a second glance. Moving on, gods knew where, he picked up Tayui scent and for one moment decided on going back, but then changed his mind. She needed to know. She was their Agiad, whatever that stood for. And the war would go on, whether she knew or not. Besides, he'd made a promise. 'Good evening, lady Aston.' Lubomir even sounded defeated. For him, the war would have to wait a while. He stood within view, but far enough to go if she asked him to.

[Tayui Aston]

We should probably backdate this to June 9 or so, I think.

How did we ever get this far? It shouldn't have to be this hard

Be it good or bad, for better or for worse, she knew such peace could not last. She had been there for a while- for how long, she did not know, for calculations of time always escaped her when she was watching the stars- before the sound of a large creature moving through the undergrowth reached her ears. She could hear something getting closer, but was unable to determine who it might be. It could be a coyote, a cougar, or wolf for all she knew. She pushed herself up off her back, sliding her body back with her arms. She brought her legs down so they dangled over the edge of the rock and waited.

It did not take long; within a few moments, the creature had moved close enough for her to determine its specie. A wolf in its Optime form. He was badly wounded, too, for he seemed to be moving with great difficulty. She remained still, wondering who it might be until he spoke. She nodded in reply, a little relieved that it was Lubomir and a little worried. He had sustained heavy injuries from the fight and she was genuinely worried for his health. She knew nothing about healing or medicine- only that Echinacea boosted one's immune system. Aside from that one small bit of information, she was relatively useless.

"Good evening to you, too, Lubomir. Shouldn't you be resting? You'll never recover if you push yourself like this," she replied with a small frown.

[Lubomir Varg]

Works perfectly fine by me ^_^ Would this still be after the SteelRose fight, then? I guess I'll bleed in silence Recover? What was there to recover? For one small moment of complete cruelty he felt like laughing at her, like showing her that she was wrong. But that was merely the ghost of the other, the one who did not come out unless there was bloodshed but who laughed at his heroic deeds. In a way, he could tell he was troubled. After all, he admired Tayui, her grace, poise and complete self-control. So why this instinct, to harm her? He could be nasty to her, yes, face being thrown out of the pack, yes, hurt her, yes, but would the gain be long-term? No. As quick as that, his features softened and he replied calmly, 'I am trapped in my own den. I do not move for fear of pain. I feel like an old man, lady Tayui, and that is not a feeling I cherish.' He could feel his legs shaking. What a wreck he had become. No longer the glorious wolf who had crossed the Great Frozen Plains or the brave saviour of Ember Phoenix. No more the collected savant, the wise teacher. No. He had been reduced to a carcass, a walking corpse, a zombie. A condign fate, truly, for one with the heart of a fly. Lubomir lowered himself against the tree, wincing as shards of pain twisted his very bones. It came in flashes, white hot pain and then a time of calm and rest, only to feel the ache once more. He wondered if death would not be a better option. 'War is brewing, my lady. Inferni and Dahlia de Mai are at war. I do not know what we should do. I have friends in Dahlia and enemies in Inferni. I even tried speaking to Asphyxia Holocaust, but she would not speak back. Lady Tayui, I look to your council as my only hope. Tell me what I should do.' He was begging her. His voice would not betray it, but his eyes did. He was looking straight at her, yellow orbs pleading with her, trying to make her understand what he was saying. Trying to get her to speak well to him. In a time of great need for him, he had turned to his leader. It was possibly the biggest single selfless act he had done since Frigg's death.

[Tayui Aston]

Yep, this thread would be two days after, since Skoll started the other thread on June 7. :]

How did we ever get this far? It shouldn't have to be this hard

"It's better to feel like an old man than a useless man, which is what you'll be if you strain yourself too much, Lubomir. We all have our limits- part of being strong is recognizing when you must accept your fall. Sit down, Lubomir," she said firmly. She did not want him to argue with her- not when she could see his legs shaking and his resilience wavering. She did not want to have to carry him all the way back to Shadowed Sun. Although she was a little larger than most females, even arctic wolves who were naturally larger, she did not fancy having to carry a fully grown male all the way back the the pack lands. He would have to do away with his foolish pride if he hoped to recover from his wounds. Midnight escapades were certainly not one way to do this.

She smirked. She had never seen this side of the male before- the foolish one. The ego, perhaps? She felt the bite of his words, that he regretted not being able to move as well as he could days before. But that was what happened when you involved yourself in a fight and saved the life of your pack mate. Skoll had told her how he had jumped in despite having less experience than that fearsome SteelRose. She frowned at the thought, annoyed that some coyote had disrupted the peace of their pack. And for what? Tayui had begun questioning Skoll right after the battle even though she had known he had been injured. She knew it was not the kindest thing to do, that she was being indifferent to his own feelings, but had decided it was for the better of the pack. If a few minutes of mental exhaustion would give her closure, so be it. If pushing Skoll just a bit more, just a bit to ensure the safety of the pack, so be it. She had to make sacrifices.

So did Lubomir. She shook her head, a little exasperated with herself. She was not sure what to think, now. Meeting Lubomir only two days after the fight. She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply, trying to centre herself for a moment. She reopened her eyes as Lubomir began to speak once more, watching his own eyes as he spoke. He was determined; she was glad. "What else do you know? Why did the war start? With Inferni, it's hard to decide if they're the antagonist, or just the victim. You must be careful. Gather your sources. If you want to help, understand the conflict, but do not choose sides. Shadowed Sun cannot afford to have you ally us with anyone. Even one member's opinion reflects on the pack as a whole. I can only ask you to be careful; be discreet." She wanted to tell him not to blame Inferni automatically, to weight the evidence, but she did not want to impose her own personal bias on him. While she would encourage anyone in the pursuit of knowledge, these sorts of conflicts could prove dangerous...

[Lubomir Varg]

I realised I follow some other timeline in my head XDD But it's okay, backdated is just fine for me ^_^ I guess I'll bleed in silence Lubomir knew she was right. Still, he put on a reluctant expression as he slid down the tree trunk to finally rest. It was good to get the weight off his hind legs, to feel solid ground under him and not swoon. Yes, Tayui had been right to say the things she had said. But he was stubborn. He almost had a right to be, as strange as it sounded. She had not been there, to see them fight. No, that was selfish, of course she hadn't been there. Who knew what other pack member could have been chased by SteelRose? Tayui herself, or Pilot. Would they not have stood their ground? He had done it for Ember, partly, and for Mew. And for himself. That selfish attitude may have have Skoll's life, but it had also shown him just how much of a warrior he wasn't. He closed his eyes, trying to remember everything and make order in his thoughts. 'I am not entirely sure what started it. Mew, of Dahlia de Mai, spoke of an attack from Asphyxia Holocaust, which led to her losing her puppies. I met Haku Soul, also. Asphyxia refused to speak to me, so I pressed her no further. As far as I can understand from this, Asphyxia's attack was the cause of the war.' He did, of course, have to agree that some parts were missing in the story. He had taken so much pity on Mew that he could not dare ask her why exactly she'd been attacked in the first place. At the time, the grief of her loss had hit him straight in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He knew, now, that perhaps giving his word so carelessly would have made them think he was speaking for Shadowed Sun. Lubomir couldn't quite remember if he'd given his word or the pack's word. Either way... 'Lady Tayui, I gave Mew and Haku Soul my word that I would help them if they came and asked. And now, I cannot tell for sure if I gave my personal word. Or the pack's. I very much doubt I did, because I know we are not fighters, we are learners, but my lady, I gave my word.' Lubomir looked away, ashamed. He realised now that perhaps this was all palaver, that they should really be talking about the war. But Tayui seemed to believe that this war concerned only those involved. Lubomir knew he should agree. What Inferni and Dahlia de Mai did was solely their problem. As long as Shadowed Sun were not directly attacked, a position of neutrality was for the best. Still, he needed to know. 'Lady Aston, who do we have the strongest ties with here? Inferni or Dahlia? The coyotes could attack our pack, yes, but are we not turning our backs on the wolves of Dahlia?' He felt so weary of this. Why could he not have the days of the Old Country back?

[Tayui Aston]

Posting on absence is fun. :D 657 words; this turned out huge.

How did we ever get this far? It shouldn't have to be this hard

It always started with the coyote. She could not fault Lubomir for where he began, for she knew the surname of 'Holocaust' to be attributed to a coyote family within Inferni, and was able to recognize that the beginning of a story was not necessarily the beginning of the truth. For instance, should one ask about Shadowed Sun, it was likely that the storyteller might begin at the founding of the pack, or when the fire began in Bleeding Souls. It was impossible to discern where the story truly began. Was it at Moondust Wolfen's birth? Omoi's birth? Mordulin's takeover of Jaded Shadows? Tayui and Fatin's accession to leadership in Jaded Shadows? Or simply the beginning of everything, for that influenced all that came after it.

Even so, Tayui wished to know where the fight truly began. Had this coyote, Asphyxia as Lubomir called her- a peculiar name in its own right- begun the war with her actions? She had seen instances of violence against wolves, even those of her own pack. She had learned of Deuce's son's death, once a member of Jaded Shadows. It had been unfortunate, but it seemed as though the boy had entered the clan's territory and ended up dead. From what she had gathered, those who trespassed on Inferni's boundaries were killed if deemed to be a threat. Shadow had been deemed a threat and murdered; brutally and viciously. Her stomach turned as she remembered the day Deuce had brought her the news.

She nodded slowly as Lubomir continued to speak, noting the standard declaration of war. An attack, a rebuttal, and the beginning of a conflict. She wondered how many had died already, and how many wished they were. War was a disgusting monster that she had read about time and time again, and experienced in multiple occasions. She did not want to see this land tainted by the blood of any canine or friendly creature. This was senseless murder- not even the equal of murder for food. It was murder for hatred.

"If you do anything for one side, the other will believe you represent your entire pack. If what you say is true, Asphyxia's actions acted on account of all of Inferni. If we aid Inferni in their struggle, we might be seen as the enemy or the traitor. The stigma against the coyotes run deep. Even so, our offers of help might be rejected, for the coyotes certainly have no reason to trust us." She frowned. "And if we aid Dahlia de Mai, we risk drawing attention to ourselves from Inferni, and we do not want that. I've seen them destroy a pack before." Her frown deepened as she paused. "I'm sorry, Lubomir. I cannot allow this pack to be sacrificed. I have no connections with Dahlia de Mai. If it were still being led by Colibri Soul, I might, but there is no one I have any connection to. As for Inferni, I have yet to speak to Gabriel. I spoke with his mother, Kaena, when she was leader of it some time ago, and her message was quite clear. As long as we do not enter their lands looking for trouble, she will not attempt to annihilate us. Lubomir, you may have to break your word to the wolves of Dahlia de Mai. It is in the pack's interest that we do not form any enemies through affiliation. Hopefully we won't do this through neutrality, either." She refrained from sighing, slightly overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation. She hoped that this war did not tear the lands apart. She did not want to see the pack she loved broken a second time. If she had to ask a pack member such as Lubomir, one whom she respected to a high degree, to break his promise to potentially save the pack, she would do it. Perhaps it was ruthless, but it had to be done.