Kaija

Seriss Alpha male

The massive frame of the raven coloured brute slowly emerged from what was left of the bush line that seperated his packland from the barren lands. It was unclear as to why the cruel hearted leader of the Seriss would even make the trek into these unforgiving lands, That is if you have been living under a rock and were completely unaware of the harsh winter that had just tore through the land. Making life difficult for pack wolf and loner alike.It was certainly eh worst one Kaija had seen since taking over control of the pack from his ruthless parents which in his opinion would have no problem handling such a situation but this being only his second year in command, most of his pack either dead or missing the large brute was at a loss for words as he continued through the dry landscape. His unfeeling gaze sweeping across the terrain in search of any sign of life. But what met his eyes was exactly what he expected to, dead brush, old decayed tracks and of course rocks and broken tree trunks.

No sign of any prey or any of his pack members to be found here, not even a loner to keep him entertained. With a annoyed scoff escaping from his lips the brute knocked a medium sized rock out of his path. Sending it a good five or ten feet before it slid to a stop on the dead ground. Turning his attention to the sky Kaija felt some relief that it was a cloudy day at least so he wouldn't be over-heating any time soon. Some good news in this bleak landscape. Slowly his pace grind to a halt then he lowered his frame to the terrain in a seated position, Closing his optics as the claws on his front paw softly dug into the soil beneath them. There the massive brute sat meditating on how he was going to rebuild the pack that had once struck fear into everyone who heard their name.

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To say that the white she-wolf was happy with the arrival of spring would be a complete understatement. She utterly overjoyed when the snow finally melted and the prolonging days promised warmer temperatures. Too bad her stoic personality didn't show a hint of her internal celebration, and instead urged her to assess the damage the cruel season had done to the pack. Unfortunately, with several of her packmates lost to hypothermia, hunger or a combination of both, the state of the pack was not... ideal, to say the least. Her herb stocks had been thinning with each breath she took, and the simple fact that many were still recovering from possibly life-threatening illnesses didn't help the matters either.

It was no surprise when she decided to leave her den in search of healing supplies, hopeful albeit not very optimistic. The frost must have damaged most of the young blooms, leaving nothing for the experienced healer to use in her remedies. She had been rather desperate to get a pawful of lungwort; a dark green herb with either purple or pink flowers, usually used to treat chest infections. Although a cough was far from lethal in adult wolves -unless left untreated- it could be beyond deadly when it came to the pack's most vulnerable: pups and elders. And when a runt of a new mother's litter began to cough at dawn, Sibylla knew what she had to do.

Pressured by the ongoing predicaments, she headed to the Barren Lands. Perhaps it was far-fetched to go looking for herbs there out of all places, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Furthermore, lungwort tended to thrive in dry, bare areas; therefore her prayers that she could find a patch of the herb might not be left unanswered. Worst case scenario, she could always pay a visit to one of the healers of the other packs and ask them if they could spare a bud or two. Her leader probably wouldn't appreciate that solution, not that she was planning on telling him if it ever came to that.

Speak of the devil, it seemed that she was not entirely alone in the Barren Lands, for she noticed the Seriss leader lounging nearby. The large male's eyes clouded with thought, and Sibylla hoped that he was too busy considering whatever to give her even a snippet of his attention. With a quick lash of her tail, she pressed her nose to the ground, praying to the highest of heavens that she would catch a whiff of the healing herb she had been searching for.

tags ;; Kaija

Kaija

Seriss Alpha male

The silence seemed almost too good to be true and wouldn't you know it the moment that thought crossed the brute's mind. The tell tell sound of the brittle ground giving way could be heard nearby. So Kaija opened his optics and slowly began a sweeep of the surrounding area for any creature that could have caused said noise but to his surprise there was nothing. Deciding to get to the bottom of this the massive brute shifted his head into motion before taking a deep breathe in  because he might not be able to see his unwelcomed company but surely he would be able to smell them right?. After a few long seconds he got his answer and again it took the brute off guard for there was a new scent in the area, Not only that but a scent belonging to that of his very own pack!.  As if on cue another dry crackle sounded off behind and off to the right of him.

As the brute turned his cold optics in that direction he half-expected to be met with the sight of one of his warriors who had undoubtedly come to tell him something he was not in the mood to hear but the sight that revealed itself was none other than Sibylla, One his pack's healers to be fair Kaija himself did not have much to do with the healers nor did anything their trade offered interested him outside of keeping his warriors alive and strong. The only reason he came to know of the fae's name is by hearing others speak it during the morning reports. After all the pack had lost alotta wolves during the winter including all but one of their healers, Her Sibylla. She was the last healer standing as far as he knew.

"Hello Sibylla" His tone which was usually laced with its deadly venom was strangely void of any aforementioned venom. In fact it almost like a caring tone which as a stark difference from the look in his optics which were still void of any emotion."What brings you out here hm?" He stated once more, turning his frame to face in her direction now as he awaited the response from his healer.

Tags: Sibylla

But alas, it didn't take long for the white she-wolf to get intercepted by the large canine. Perhaps it was a little flea-brained to even assume that she could pass by unnoticed. Most of the Seriss tended to rest with one eye wide open. Before she could utter a low murmur, the lead wolf's sharp gaze was fixed on her, wordlessly questioning her whereabouts before he even parted his jaws. Sibylla stood her ground, fluffy triangular ears angled towards the massive male, chin dipping in a mixture of respect and acknowledgment. There was no need to be afraid. She wasn't doing anything that could harm the pack - quite the opposite. True, a healer wandering off to unclaimed lands with little to no experience in combat and no squad of warriors to protect them might've looked a bit on the nose. Nevertheless, it wasn't anything Sibylla couldn't at least attempt to justify.

On the other paw, when the dark leader finally spoke, a wave of surprise rippled over the she-wolf's spine. It was... strangely absent of any hints of malice Sibylla had grown so used to hearing. When the realization settled in, she had no clue whether she should be relieved or afraid. Ah, maybe nothing had ruffled the male's pelt this dawn. Maybe he was also relieved that spring had finally arrived. Maybe, one could never be so sure.

"Greetings," Sibylla returned the greeting, mimicking the somewhat amicable tone. She decided to stay friendly for now, and see what would happen. Just as she had predicted however, her intentions were questioned; and for a heartbeat, the healer pondered how much she should and shouldn't reveal. After all, saying 'Oh, I'm just looking for herbs,' could've been perceived as too general and therefore less genuine.

"I'm looking for an herb called lungwort," she began with a flick of her tail, "one of the youngest pups started to cough this morning and I'd like to get it under control before it turns into anything serious."

tags ;; Kaija

Kaija

Seriss Alpha male

"Greetings,"

This response from the she-wolf prompted Kaija's left brow to raise ever so slightly in an annoyed manner. To whom did this fae think she was speaking to hm? Was his tone different? yes but he was still the higher ranked canid between the two of them and he would be shown the respect he was owed. With that in mind the cruel minded brute slowly shifted his frame into motion stalking toward his pack member. Normally if a warrior had spoken to him in such a manner he would have put them in their place without any hesitation but this was not a normal situation after she was a healer not a warrior so it would not be a fair fight nor could the pack afford their only healer at the moment to sustain injury. As he was debating how to address this lack of respect the fae spoke once more stopping the brute in his tracks.

"I'm looking for an herb called lungwort,one of the youngest pups started to cough this morning and I'd like to get it under control before it turns into anything serious."

"Hmm...I see." His tone rang out once more however this time the caring tone had all but faded away, replaced by his usual venom but the concern for the pup was still clear in the tone."You know this land is usually off limits to non-combatants for a reason but given the situation i have decided to overlook your foolishness in coming here alone" With that said Kaija turned his frame ever so slightly as to move around the female standing before him. Taking his time to circle her as if she was his prey for a passing moment before coming to a stop at her side. "Continue your search, I will ensure your safety in doing so...This time, but do not let this happen again."

Tags: Sibylla

Well, it seemingly didn't take long for her to strike a nerve, and she wasn't even trying to do that in the first place. Sibylla didn't perceive her demeanor as disrespectful. Sure, she hadn't rolled in the mud to show the Seriss leader just how much she revered him, but she had been trying to keep her tone formal and polite. That should have been sufficient, but far from it. But alas, she couldn't muster enough audacity to be angry at the male, as she had learned that interacting with Seriss wolves equated to treading on very thin ice. One could never be quite sure what would end up upsetting them; and if there was nothing to be mad about, they were oftentimes quick to invent something on their own.

Thankfully, she mostly managed to avoid the upcoming scolding session by mentioning the sickly pup. What followed next however made her lash her fluffy tail in a mixture of annoyance and frustration. Her lips parted, the tip of the she-wolf's tongue quivering with the desire to defend herself. Was she a fool for trying to save an innocent pup's life? In the end however, her jaws closed shut, opting to not tempt fate by outright challenging the leader. He recognized the necessity of her actions, which was... seemingly more than she could've even asked for.

Without uttering a syllable, the healer turned from the lead wolf, lowering her chin in search of the herb. "I appreciate your protection, but..." she spoke afterwards and once again lifted her chin to face the dark male, "lungwort thrives on dry, barren land like this. It cannot be found in our territory, like many other herbs. Therefore, I have to venture beyond the pack's borders if I want to restock my supplies."


tags ;; Kaija

Kaija

Seriss Alpha male

The words of his female companion was met was pure silence as the brute nodded his head before turning his attention to the landscape around them. The bruel minded daemon was never was much for the healing side of things, preferring to leave such things to wolves the likes of the fae who stood mere feet from here. Now if there was a fight to be had then you would have Kaija's undivided attention  though it did not escape him that the healers in his pack did not really care much for his tactics and that was fair he guessed after all not all would approve of how the Seriss did things but he nor any of his pack members really cared about their reputation. The brute watched in silence as the she-wolf turned from him to resume her mission he could only assume.

After a quick glance around the terrain Kaija spotted a small rocky out cropping that would support his weight and serve as the perfect look out spot to keep a watchful eye out for his pack member. So it was settled the brute shifted his pillars into motion carrying his bulky frame to the aforementioned rock formation. Climbing up onto it with little to no effort on his behalf before turning his attention back over to the light colored fae to watch as she searched for whatever herb she needed to treat the pups.

"I know you do not care much for me or my warriors Sibylla." His tone rang out into the otherwise somewhat quiet air, Was she listening? Probably not but it mattered not to him he was going to speak his piece regardless if she heard him out or not. "You see us as monsters i'm sure but what we do keeps you and the rest of the rest of the pack safe, If you hate us for this fact then so be it."

Tags: Sibylla

The dark male had nothing to add in regards to her wanderlust, and Sibylla did not bother to elaborate any further. Instead of dwelling on the conversation for a heartbeat longer, she fully focused on the task at hand; carefully sniffing the bare ground in search of the needed healing herb. One of her triangular ears twitched when she heard a dull thud as the leader settled on a rocky outcrop, presumably to keep an eye on her. Although she felt his sharp glare burning into her shoulders, she felt certain that he could protect her in case something went amiss. Nothing much to complain about, then.

However, as soon as another string of words echoed in the cool air, her ears angled towards him. To say that it caught her off guard her would be an understatement. "What makes you think that I'd willingly heal my packmates if I didn't care about them?" she queried in a surprisingly gentle tone, lifting her chin and facing the large wolf. There was no challenge in her voice, only genuine curiosity and perhaps a bit of concern. "Trust me, I would have left a long time ago if I didn't." It was odd. Regardless of how much she enjoyed bad-mouthing her packmates -and her superiors as well- at the back of her mind and regardless of how much she disagreed with the ways of her pack, she did care about them to an extent. She cared about the Seriss, she cared about her packmates, and she cared about Kaija as well. In some weird, twisted way...

The Seriss gave her life a purpose, something to cling to; a constant in her existence. In some faraway, shrouded corner of her soul, she prayed that the Seriss would reconsider their battle-hungry attitude. However, even if things stayed the same, she doubted she would ever turn tail and leave. Loyal to her pack, loyal to her duty as an herbalist. She was no prisoner of theirs, she could turn on her paw and leave one dawn. The Azryni would surely offer her refuge, and she could keep herself fed if she chose to remain on her own. And even if the Seriss decided to track her down because of her alleged betrayal, she was confident that she could outsmart them and survive with ease; she knew this pack like her own pelt, after all.

She had had the option to leave. She hadn't taken it. No one from the pack knew that that one pretty loner slain by a Seriss warrior had once tried to convince her to flee alongside her. Sibylla had chosen to stay, and she had yet to regret making that decision.

"I won't deny that I don't have personal quarrels with your ways and the ways of our warriors, but I don't hate you - I don't hate any of you," she stated. "I care about you and the pack, and I respect you and what the warriors do," she added sincerely.

tags ;; Kaija

Kaija

Seriss Alpha male

 It did not take long before the fae responded to his words and by the way she spoke it became clear that he had caught her off guard with his statements. Prompting her to turn her attention to him once more and as she spoke Kaija couldn't help but tilt his head from one side to the other through his cold emotionless gaze did not falter one bit. It seemed that she was under the impression that by his statement that he was questioning her loyalty to his blood thirsty pack and this was simply not the case. Not even close after all throughout his short time as Alpha there had been no wolf that he had seen more loyal to the Seriss cause than the healer standing before him. "I know Sibylla, your loyalty was not in question here, You have proven without a shadow of a doubt even though you aren't fully on board with our methods, you are devoted to this pack". Kaija stated in his usually cold tone shifting in place a bit to get into a more comfortable position.

As he fell silent to allow the famora to speak once more and as she did the cruel brute simply nodded his head in agreement with his pack member as she explained herself and he could only assume try to reassure her alpha that she indeed did not 'hate' him or any of his warriors. Once she had finished speaking once more the brute pushed himself up from his spot on the outcropping. leaping down onto the terrain before him as he shook the little amount of debris that had settled upon his pelt while he had rested. Once this was done Kaija shifted his frame into motion closing the distance between himself and the fae before turning at the last possible second before they collided. Pacing around her allowing his frame to lightly brush against hers in a show that was very rare for the brute but one that showed his trust in her. "We may have our differences but we are Seriss, All of us and we couldn't do it without you" his words rang out in regards to the fact that she was the only healer the pack had remaining, thus if it wasn't for her his warriors would not have been able to keep their territory secure.

Tags: Sibylla

One of the healer's ears twitched upon hearing the large male's words. It was nice to know that her loyalty was not being questioned, and that certain elements that could put it on the line had either been overlooked or forgotten completely. As for Sibylla herself, she knew that things could be a little more complicated. That everything was a little more complicated. She had had the option to turn tail and leave alongside a loner whose name barely mattered in the blood-soaked history of the Seriss. Aspen's untimely death had left her with a bittersweet taste on her tongue.

And Aspen was just the beginning. Sibylla couldn't count how many times she had travelled to the Azryni or the Darimi to trade for herbs she desperately needed to save a life. Those glares burning into her back would haunt her for an eternity to come. Some had given her what she had asked for, some had not - for understandable reasons. Who would want to aid a pack that had caused them trouble just this morning? However, a plump rabbit and a wad of different herbs were more than enough to appease the less friendly ones.

She helped a fellow healer more than once, bandaged a loner's cracked pawpad more than twice. If the Seriss higher-ups found out, she didn't even want to think about the consequences.

And yet, she couldn't leave. Not with Aspen, not without her. She had fallen in love with this pack, with this routine that had been keeping her sane for all these years. She couldn't leave, for she was a Seriss at heart. She couldn't leave even if she was called a traitor and banished for her deeds. The leader's words merely confirmed that. They all had their differences, but that didn't change who she was. His pelt brushed against hers, and her hackles spiked momentarily in response - not out of hostility, but rather instinctively.

"I'm aware, sir. Thank you," she lowered her head afterwards.

tags ;; Kaija

Kaija

Seriss Alpha male

The daemon simply dipped his head in response to the healer's words and after a brief time the touching moment between the two was over. As the brute moved away from his female counterpart, had her body's reaction to his touch gone unnoticed? Not in the slightest but there was no reason to speak on the matter after all for one she posed no real threat to the cruel hearted brute and two, Most in the pack knew and respected the chain of command and  Sibylla was no exception to this. Its is just the things were after all if you did not obey the chain of command then you were of no use to the pack and would be dealt with accordingly.Kaija instead of returning to his place upon the rocky outcropping, trotted a small distance away from his company before shifting his attention skyward silently wondering where the rest of his once mighty pack was. Cruel he might be but that did not mean the brute was without feeling, He just choose to Reserve those feelings for his pack members.

After a short moment his gaze shifted back to the ground level scanning the barren waste land that laid stretched out before them. "Are you certain you will find what you need here" His cold unfeeling tone flowed out into the silent air once more. He did not doubt her skill after all she's managed to bring many of his warriors back from the brink of death. This he had seen with his very own unfeeling optics but in his opinion this land held no promise. For as far as he could see the land was either dead or dying before his mighty paws so surely there was only a slim chance that whatever his healer had come here looking for could survive here.

Tags: Sibylla

As soon as the dark wolf left her personal space, Sibylla was stuck trying her utter best not to shake her pelt - again, a gesture stemming from instincts and long-obtained habits, not from disdain or even disrespect. On the other paw, she knew that he wouldn't perceive it in the best of lights, therefore she kept as still as a stone. As someone who had grown used to touching wolves hot with illness or cold with death, the brief interaction felt... strange to her. Strange perhaps being too weak of a word to describe her inner turmoil and discomfort. Outright alien.

Thankfully, the alpha moved away from her and went on his way, pondering about heavens knew what. Sibylla didn't mind, as she felt relieved that her personal monologues about loyalty and betrayal had gone unnoticed. Was it cowardly of her to stay quiet about Aspen? To pretend that the slain loner was just another slain loner? In a way, it did feel wrong. In a different way, it felt right. Ah, it didn't matter. Herbs wouldn't find themselves!

With a rather nonchalant flick of her tail, Sibylla got back to work, pressing her nose against the bare ground. "I'm not," she responded honestly to the alpha's question. "Foraging is a lot like hunting; sometimes you lose the track or the prey just slips away." Frankly, the only difference was that herbs couldn't run. Once someone found them, they usually stayed on their original spot. Usually. A rabbit could also hop in and destroy the buds in the blink of an eye. A painful coincidence that didn't happen every single day, true. It could happen, though!

"...I know what you're thinking," she stated, "but an herbalist can find a lot of stuff practically everywhere." With caution in her step, she approached a couple of tall stems adorned with yellow flowers, hidden in-between two jutting rocks. She nosed the bright buds before lifting her chin to face the male. "This is goldenrod, it grows well on moors and other dry areas," she said, although she doubted that he would give a rat's tail about herbs. However, she was just trying to get a point across. "It is used to treat injuries, but this patch is unfortunately too young to be picked up."

tags ;; Kaija

Kaija

Seriss Alpha male

Kaija listened to what his healer had to say and honestly if someone as versed in the herbs as she was was not certain of their location then there wouldn't be much the raven pelted brute could add. After all he did not have much experience in either hunting or forging like his pack members did. More often than not he would leave it in their capable paws after all if they weren't up to the task then they certainly wouldn't still be among his ranks. His gaze shifted along the horizon while the fae behind him did what she had to do to hopefully locate the needed herbs. It was not until her tones reached his auds once more that he realized that she was indeed trying to teach the cruel hearted brute something.

Interested in learning what his healer had to offer the brute shifted his attention back to her, listening in silence as she informed him about the plant life, it was not until she tried to assume what he was thinking that the daemon spoke up. "Correction, you do not know what i am thinking, As leader it is my duty to keep an open mind to all aspects of pack life." He stated, confident in the fact that it came off like he had been talking down to her but that was not the case at  all. It's just most of his time is spent around the warriors of the pack which require a firmer paw than most.

But he could not concern himself with whether or not she took offense to how he had spoken as he moved back in her direction, shifting his gaze to the plant she had been speaking about. In his opinion it did not look like much more than a weed to be crushed under his paw pad but if she was correct about its importance then so it be.

Speech Tags: Sibylla

With another nudge, Sibylla moved away from the patch of goldenrod. Although it was too little to be used for healing, maybe it would be more useful next moon. It needed time to grow and mature just like wolves did, after all. Needless to say, watching her alpha glare at the tiny patch took a great deal of self control on her part, for she was worried he would crush it beneath his large paw - just to make her job a bit harder. Thankfully, he wasn't flea-brained enough to do so, and Sibylla could rest easy that there was a dose of goldenrod growing nearby her pack's territory.

His next statement surprised her, however. It didn't offend her, quite opposite: it amused her greatly. She didn't know, but there was something utterly strange about the words Kaija and healing being used the same sentence; let alone him actually getting involved in the art! But ah well, the world was always full of surprises!

"Oh, don't tell me," Sibylla teased him, but although her tone could only be classified as friendly and light-hearted, part of existence was praying that such daring words wouldn't send her running back to camp with the tip of her tail bitten off. Well, at least she would have a tale to tell. Just to be sure (she was actually quite fond of keeping her body intact and her blood staying in her body), the white she-wolf took a few leaps away from the male and began to sniff a patch of chervil. "Well, one of the elders has been complaining about aching joints, so you're more than welcome to treat him," she added frivolously.

Of course he wouldn't, but the heavens had to forgive her for the joke she had to pull. You gotta have some fun before you die, right?

tags ;; Kaija

Kaija

Seriss Alpha male

The brute kinda raised one eyebrow at the fae's question then he kinda shook his head in what seemed to be a playful manor." I'll leave that up to you and the other healers" he stated which a bit of sarcasm in his voice. It was clear the brute wasn't use to joking around. he was use to being more serious  situations with dealing with the warriors. but he was trying to at least meet the fae half way and have some fun with her. "I don't think i have a good cave-side manner anyway" He laughed softly before shifting his gaze away from her. Just then a strange scent hit his nose prompting the brute to lower his head toward the ground and go into tracking mode. His experience  told him that it was most likely not something living or at the very least something that was not moving as the scent did not seem to shift locations.

As he made his way in the opposite direction then hia healer had gone in, the scent seemed to continue to grow in strength with every step the large male took. That was until it led him to a downed decaying log and of course his first thought was 'this can't be what i was smelling was it?', In an effort to find out the brute kaija placed on the decaying bark before applying enough pressure to move the log. Revealing a in his opinion very strange looking plant. Kaija wasn't the most versed in the plants the healers used to heal their pack mates but he did know the basics. It was somewhat required of him as a leader. 

"Could this be the herb you are looking for?" The daemon shouted back  in the direction of his packmate, Was it the wisest of ideas to give away their location? No no it was not but the sooner the fae found what she was searching for the sooner he could escort  her back to the safety of their own territory.

Speech Tags: Sibylla