Post by Therdde on May 11, 2009 20:55:05 GMT -5
Characters:
Skelaghe - Female Wolf
Helaku - Male Wolf
- Wind-Blown Lowlands -
Winter is quickly coming to an end. Snow is beginning to melt in some places, and the temperature has been slowly warming. In addition to this, Skelaghe's pregnancy is extremely evident, even as she walks... And she has been walking a /lot/ recently. Despite Sketch's recent death, she is certain of her safety, due to the scent from the violent cougars being absent from the area, and the young cougar she found needs help every bit as much as anyone she has ever met. As such, she has rarely been here. An hour or so a day to look for her mate. Nothing more. This is that hour for the day, as she seeks out Helaku.
Helaku himself had been rather aloft, here and there. Since Sketch's death he had been likewise silent. His patrols were always usual, nothing out of the ordinary, but he was looking for someone. At the moment he appeared between a pair of trees, and the moment he did, the slop of melting snow fell about him as he came into the open, his scent still covered, barely carrying as he preferred it. No howls, again. Just silence.
It is as much luck as anything that Skelaghe finally spots her mate. And, as she approaches him, her tail wags slightly. She is glad to have finally found him, if only because it means that she can stop the daily walks back and forth. Her pace remains slow, though, as she is heavy with her pups. Soon. It won't be long, now, before they are born.
Helaku's tail swayed from side to side behind him. She had grown in size, but that was a good sign. Slender or round, she was still his Skel-Skel. Ears alert, he slowly approached. He murmured, brushing his muzzle against hers in greeting. "How do you feel?" he asked. "It is your first time, as I recall."
It is Skelaghe's first pregnancy, but she was not entirely unprepared. After all, she often kept their former alpha company through her pregnancies. With a smile, she nuzzles against Helaku and says, "I feel fine, Helaku." It isn't that she has been entirely unaffected by the less pleasant aspects of pregnancy. Only that she has handled them well. "I have something to speak to you about... And I want your promise to keep an open mind." Are there risks involved with bringing Ashen back here? Yes. Are they worth it? Skelaghe thinks so.
Helaku blinked softly. "I've always have an open mind," he said softly. "There are things I must inform you about as well, but you first." He offered a smile and slowly sat before her, tilting his head one way, the other, then back. There was also Teketa...hadn't seen him a while, but he trusted him enough to stay close.
"I met a cougar to the south. A child. He has been injured and doesn't feel like he can return to his home... And I should like to bring him here." In this, she will defer to her mate. If he forbids it, she will simply continue to offer what care she can for Ashen while he is to the south. That doesn't mean she isn't prepared to argue her case... But at least she gives Helaku a chance to respond /before/ she begins arguing it.
Helaku eyed her softly, considering it. The decision was quick; they needed more. "If he feels is forbidden from returning home, then he may be brought with us, made part of our group if need be, have him as one of us." Strange idea...but Helaku knew exactly what he was doing by approving of her potential request.
Skelaghe shakes her head a bit. "I don't mean to make him one of us." Could it happen? Of course, it /could/... But Skelaghe doesn't think it will. She is friendly enough with the Amaranth tribe, but cougars and wolves are simply very different creatures, both socially and physically. "I just don't believe that /any/ child should be forced to recover from an injury alone." Is it also possible that Ashen will never be capable of survival on his own? Sure. If his eyesight never fully returns, if his leg heals very poorly... The cub /could/ die no matter what she does, but she is determined to do everything she can.
"We will let him choose that when the time comes," said Helaku. "but while he is injured and uncared for I am not opposed to him remaining with us." The Amaranth--he did not mind them, so long as they did not interfere in his own agenda. He did give Kein that warning, which he felt no regret for. Though, for Helaku, having a cougar around if he decided to stay would be greatly helpful. After all, he'd done it before.
Good. Skelaghe nuzzles against her mate again. In no way does Skel see Ashen as a powerful future ally. That simply isn't why she wants to help him. "Thank you, Helaku." That was all she had to speak with him about... And now, she is rather eager to get back to where she left Ashen. She remembers Helaku saying he has something to share with her, though, so she remains here.
"You're welcome, dear," he said. He returned the nuzzle and lightly pressed himself upagainst her, nipping at her neck. "I've met with Haze of the Lazuli; he is hunting for cougars responsible for killing his mate's father. Seems to desire allying if the two he is hunting are the same two that killed Sketch." There it was...touchy subject. He wasn't sure how Skel would react. "...For which I've been hunting on my patrols."
Haze? The male alpha? Wasn't she suppose to... Oh. Yeah. Before she got a chance to tell Helaku about Haze, Helaku mentioned Sketch being dead, and... The ones who killed Sketch also killed Falstride? Lowering his ears, she says, in a quiet voice, "I meant to talk to you about Lazuli a time back. The new alphas... Well, they are much kinder than the old ones. If you're asking for my opinion-" She'll have to speak to Haze again. "-I think that every effort ought to be mae to extend friendship to them, regardless of individual motives." In Skelaghe's opinion, /no one/ should be hunting Malak and Revan. She won't get into an argument over it just now... But she will stress that, regardless of whether the same cougars who were responsible for Sketch's death also killed Felstride, there is no reason not to befriend the new, young leaders of Lazuli.
Malak and Revan--he would hunt them. Yes, he would, but not actively. Passively. As passive as hunting could be in a sense. "He seemed respectable, but is new to being a leader," he said. "He was...impressed by some aspect of me. I could see it in his eyes." He blinked, looking her in the face. "I've offered to give him a chance to confirm if the same killers of Felstride are those of Sketch. I advised him caution, however, in dealing with the Amaranth should he inquire them."
Skelaghe does not know of her mate's journey to Amaranth... And what he says confuses her a little. Sure, she has mentioned Kein's caution, but... "Why...?" Ah. The other one who was attacked. Someone important to Kein? "I've never seen the Amaranth Chieftain act with anything but honor, Helaku. Caution is wise in dealing with all animals. Undue caution, though? That's dangerous, Helaku." There are violent cougars roaming around. The last thing Skelaghe and Helaku ought to be doing is sowing seeds of fear about the honorable tribe in the mountain, because frightened animals behaving unpredictably. What if, for an undue fear of Kein caused by the fact that there are other cougars about who are violent, Haze or someone else in his pack decided to attack before they could be attacked, and something horrible happened because if it?
"I...Skel...am dangerous, apparently," he said, staring her in the eyes. "In Amaranth eyes, it would seem--or at least their guardian. But, the other attack victim was the Amaranth Matron; the guardian of their land was on edge. Not too keen on anything being near his borders, but I obtained the information I needed with little difficulty. He was ready on the attack and most-likely would have done so eventually. In truth, his first maneuver to intercept me was a pounce." He slowly stood and stretched out his legs, keeping his attention on her. "He missed, however."
The Chieftain tried to attack Helaku? Of course, it makes sense. Still, she is surprised. She sits with a frown. She wants, so badly, to visit Amaranth, but... She is too near giving birth, and she told herself they would be moving either before or after she gives birth. And there is Ashen to think about. She simply doesn't have enough time. "You should have told me, Helaku." She knows her mate has a tendency to rub some animals the wrong way. Not many, but some. Still, she can't brush it off the fact that he was nearly attacked as simply as that.
"Perhaps, but I did not want to worry you," he replied. "He and I talked; Sketch's body is on Amaranth land. He told me that unless you wish for it to be moved, that it would remain on his land with no question. He seemed...touchy about that. A bit arrogant, I must say, being as I was technically Sketch's packmate as much as you were her guide and friend. I would have taught her skills to better survive should she have ever ended up on her own. Thus, however, my warning to Haze about approaching the Amaranth territory. I'm not too sure he is capable of taking a cougar on should the guardian be on edge as he was with me."
Arrogant? What cougar isn't, at least a little? /Helaku/ is probably more arrogant than Kein. "He gave us protection when no one else would, or did you forget about that part?" There is a good chance that, had she not been able to stay in Amaranth for a while, she would be dead now. Her tone remains quiet as she tries to think. More than that she wants to visit Amaranth... She rather feels she owes them a visit, now. Maybe, were she to travel as quickly as she could, and only stop to take some food to Ashen... Maybe she could do it in the time she has.
"Us? You, the others...but not me," he said. "I was not with you while you stayed among them." This fact, and the other being that he felt the Amaranth never extended their word to apply to him. Even if it did extend to him, he would reject the protection offer for him, personally, but not the rest of the group.
"I meant me and Sketch. Of course, if the fact that he protected your mate and your 'packmate' matters so little to you..." Okay, so, perhaps Skelaghe is not entirely immune to the hormonal imbalances caused by pregnancy. Pulling herself to her feet, she says, "I have to go, now. I've left Ashen alone for far too long." Will she return with the boy tonight, or continue on up the mountain? She's not sure, anymore.
Helaku sat there as she made to get up and find the cougar child. However, there was something he had to say...but he wouldn't say it. Kein failed to protect Sketch, and that is where he sees weakness. While not an enemy, and not hateful of the cougar, he wanted no favors from him...for now, anyways. Maybe in the future if things change. Helaku judged others in such positions harshly ever since his experiences. Or...who was he kidding? Skel was always a counselor of sorts. His ways with the Eloone guided him one way while his past experience tugged for another. "Skelaghe," he said, "Sketch is dead...protection does not end with the death of the protected."
Under normal circumstances, Skelaghe would almost definitely handle this calmly. With the recent death of Sketch, even if she has recovered remarkably from that, and the nearing birth of her pups... Calmly isn't even in her vocabulary. Whipping around to face her mate, after having half-turned around, she says, "Sketch wasn't /his/ to protect anymore. She was /ours/. /Mine/. It wasn't him who asked her back there. It was /me/." Teketa assured her that they did not blame her. Tears stinging at her eyes, she continues, "I don't care if you have to blame me, Helaku." Lie. "But how many others are you going to falsely blame before you feel you've gotten your vengeance?"
"Vengeance?" he said. "No, it isn't vengeance I seek. It is explanation, reason--I want to know why they killed her. I do not blame you; your scent was not the one that interupted the scene of her death--it was his." He sat stiffly before her, cautious on approaching her for the very fact she was pregnant might be affecting her emotions. It could cause...anger in a way that was physical. He said what he needed to...Kein was the at the scene of the murder. Skel was not.
Skelaghe stares at Helaku as he speaks. Anger? Sure, it's in there... But it's mostly covered by despair. "He couldn't even stop his own mate from being hurt. I can't believe I'm hearing you blame him for being outnumbered, or for not getting there quickly enough, or... /Whatever/ you're blaming him for." Skelaghe shakes her head, and again turns around, allowing her gaze to leave Helaku.
What was it Helaku was getting on about? Kein could have killed Malak and Revan right there. Ambushed on one, bite the neck, and fight the other. Of course, he wouldn't speak that and it wouldn't have probably saved Sketch. "Something tells me the two responsible have been causing trouble for some time," he said. "And here they are, continuing to maim, kill...and no one does anything about it because these things happen on unclaimed territory."
Skelaghe hasn't walked away, yet. And she doesn't now, though she doesn't look back to Helaku, either. "Fine. So you can blame me for fleeing from them when they first chased us, instead of blaming me for sending Sketch back there now. What does it matter, Helaku?" Her energy has been completely sapped out of her by this, and she can't stay here arguing with him... But neither is she goes to stand by while Helaku blames whoever doesn't match his expectations. So, she finally takes her first step away.
"Skelaghe," he said. "In all this time...not once has anyone mentioned why they were chasing you or Sketch." He remained where he was, sitting there and watching her closely. This lack of information had bothered him for some time. No one explained things and that was a problem. "And I've been wondering for some time why no one has bothered explaining this in the first place. Did one of you have something to hide?"
Skelaghe looks back to Helaku. So he's going to interrogate her now, is he? She doesn't turn around, but she continues looking back over his shoulder. He's really asking her if she was hiding something from him? Really? "They chased us from our home because we were /there/, Helaku." How should Skelaghe know their reasoning, if there even was one? "Before I could even speak, we were being chased." She remembers it well. The pain in her leg, a remainder from a hunting injury. The peaceful conversation with Sketch. And then, suddenly, being chased. "I don't know what answer you think you're looking for, or why you think it'll satisfy you. And I don't know what I'll tell /our/ pups when you just don't come back from your foolish hunt for a meaningless answer, an answer that won't bring her back." Has Skelaghe /ever/ referred to a real animal, as opposed to one of the ones in her stories, as being foolish before?"
Helaku remained sitting there...again. He had nothing to say. Further questioning would do no good; the answer must have been with Sketch. Meaningless answer--if the answers as to why Sketch was killed, then that means her death was as meaningless being as the circumstances of it were not understood. This, he thought. This, he would not voice to her. She was upset enough by this dicussion. He wished his old pack, the Eloone, were here. They would perfectly understand his reasons. But they were not here. He was the only one left. He closed his eyes and 'looked' away.
Of course Sketch's death was meaningless. Meaningless and cruel. Her life wasn't, though. Skelaghe continues watching her mate for a moment after he stops speaking. As he appears finally ready to let her go, though, she faces ahead of her and continues walking. She has already decided she won't be going to Amaranth. What good would it do? She could apologize for her mate, but he obviously isn't sorry. She could visit Sketch's resting place, but... She truly doesn't mourn her friend's loss any more. No, there is nothing in Amaranth but more upset for her... And she /will/ need to return to her mate soon. Once she has calmed down, once she has collected Ashen.
Helaku wouldn't say any more. Not on that subject for a while, anyway. Not knowing what she died for bothered him. He wouldn't be returning to Amaranth for any reason, as there was no need. At the same time, he wondered about this region all together. It seemed soft, weak. Too peaceful, too quiet. Where was the massive conflict? It was not here, only isolated. It bugged him. Silly little creatures guarding their territories as if they owned..they only borrowed it. He grunted and slipped off under the trees.
Skelaghe - Female Wolf
Helaku - Male Wolf
- Wind-Blown Lowlands -
Winter is quickly coming to an end. Snow is beginning to melt in some places, and the temperature has been slowly warming. In addition to this, Skelaghe's pregnancy is extremely evident, even as she walks... And she has been walking a /lot/ recently. Despite Sketch's recent death, she is certain of her safety, due to the scent from the violent cougars being absent from the area, and the young cougar she found needs help every bit as much as anyone she has ever met. As such, she has rarely been here. An hour or so a day to look for her mate. Nothing more. This is that hour for the day, as she seeks out Helaku.
Helaku himself had been rather aloft, here and there. Since Sketch's death he had been likewise silent. His patrols were always usual, nothing out of the ordinary, but he was looking for someone. At the moment he appeared between a pair of trees, and the moment he did, the slop of melting snow fell about him as he came into the open, his scent still covered, barely carrying as he preferred it. No howls, again. Just silence.
It is as much luck as anything that Skelaghe finally spots her mate. And, as she approaches him, her tail wags slightly. She is glad to have finally found him, if only because it means that she can stop the daily walks back and forth. Her pace remains slow, though, as she is heavy with her pups. Soon. It won't be long, now, before they are born.
Helaku's tail swayed from side to side behind him. She had grown in size, but that was a good sign. Slender or round, she was still his Skel-Skel. Ears alert, he slowly approached. He murmured, brushing his muzzle against hers in greeting. "How do you feel?" he asked. "It is your first time, as I recall."
It is Skelaghe's first pregnancy, but she was not entirely unprepared. After all, she often kept their former alpha company through her pregnancies. With a smile, she nuzzles against Helaku and says, "I feel fine, Helaku." It isn't that she has been entirely unaffected by the less pleasant aspects of pregnancy. Only that she has handled them well. "I have something to speak to you about... And I want your promise to keep an open mind." Are there risks involved with bringing Ashen back here? Yes. Are they worth it? Skelaghe thinks so.
Helaku blinked softly. "I've always have an open mind," he said softly. "There are things I must inform you about as well, but you first." He offered a smile and slowly sat before her, tilting his head one way, the other, then back. There was also Teketa...hadn't seen him a while, but he trusted him enough to stay close.
"I met a cougar to the south. A child. He has been injured and doesn't feel like he can return to his home... And I should like to bring him here." In this, she will defer to her mate. If he forbids it, she will simply continue to offer what care she can for Ashen while he is to the south. That doesn't mean she isn't prepared to argue her case... But at least she gives Helaku a chance to respond /before/ she begins arguing it.
Helaku eyed her softly, considering it. The decision was quick; they needed more. "If he feels is forbidden from returning home, then he may be brought with us, made part of our group if need be, have him as one of us." Strange idea...but Helaku knew exactly what he was doing by approving of her potential request.
Skelaghe shakes her head a bit. "I don't mean to make him one of us." Could it happen? Of course, it /could/... But Skelaghe doesn't think it will. She is friendly enough with the Amaranth tribe, but cougars and wolves are simply very different creatures, both socially and physically. "I just don't believe that /any/ child should be forced to recover from an injury alone." Is it also possible that Ashen will never be capable of survival on his own? Sure. If his eyesight never fully returns, if his leg heals very poorly... The cub /could/ die no matter what she does, but she is determined to do everything she can.
"We will let him choose that when the time comes," said Helaku. "but while he is injured and uncared for I am not opposed to him remaining with us." The Amaranth--he did not mind them, so long as they did not interfere in his own agenda. He did give Kein that warning, which he felt no regret for. Though, for Helaku, having a cougar around if he decided to stay would be greatly helpful. After all, he'd done it before.
Good. Skelaghe nuzzles against her mate again. In no way does Skel see Ashen as a powerful future ally. That simply isn't why she wants to help him. "Thank you, Helaku." That was all she had to speak with him about... And now, she is rather eager to get back to where she left Ashen. She remembers Helaku saying he has something to share with her, though, so she remains here.
"You're welcome, dear," he said. He returned the nuzzle and lightly pressed himself upagainst her, nipping at her neck. "I've met with Haze of the Lazuli; he is hunting for cougars responsible for killing his mate's father. Seems to desire allying if the two he is hunting are the same two that killed Sketch." There it was...touchy subject. He wasn't sure how Skel would react. "...For which I've been hunting on my patrols."
Haze? The male alpha? Wasn't she suppose to... Oh. Yeah. Before she got a chance to tell Helaku about Haze, Helaku mentioned Sketch being dead, and... The ones who killed Sketch also killed Falstride? Lowering his ears, she says, in a quiet voice, "I meant to talk to you about Lazuli a time back. The new alphas... Well, they are much kinder than the old ones. If you're asking for my opinion-" She'll have to speak to Haze again. "-I think that every effort ought to be mae to extend friendship to them, regardless of individual motives." In Skelaghe's opinion, /no one/ should be hunting Malak and Revan. She won't get into an argument over it just now... But she will stress that, regardless of whether the same cougars who were responsible for Sketch's death also killed Felstride, there is no reason not to befriend the new, young leaders of Lazuli.
Malak and Revan--he would hunt them. Yes, he would, but not actively. Passively. As passive as hunting could be in a sense. "He seemed respectable, but is new to being a leader," he said. "He was...impressed by some aspect of me. I could see it in his eyes." He blinked, looking her in the face. "I've offered to give him a chance to confirm if the same killers of Felstride are those of Sketch. I advised him caution, however, in dealing with the Amaranth should he inquire them."
Skelaghe does not know of her mate's journey to Amaranth... And what he says confuses her a little. Sure, she has mentioned Kein's caution, but... "Why...?" Ah. The other one who was attacked. Someone important to Kein? "I've never seen the Amaranth Chieftain act with anything but honor, Helaku. Caution is wise in dealing with all animals. Undue caution, though? That's dangerous, Helaku." There are violent cougars roaming around. The last thing Skelaghe and Helaku ought to be doing is sowing seeds of fear about the honorable tribe in the mountain, because frightened animals behaving unpredictably. What if, for an undue fear of Kein caused by the fact that there are other cougars about who are violent, Haze or someone else in his pack decided to attack before they could be attacked, and something horrible happened because if it?
"I...Skel...am dangerous, apparently," he said, staring her in the eyes. "In Amaranth eyes, it would seem--or at least their guardian. But, the other attack victim was the Amaranth Matron; the guardian of their land was on edge. Not too keen on anything being near his borders, but I obtained the information I needed with little difficulty. He was ready on the attack and most-likely would have done so eventually. In truth, his first maneuver to intercept me was a pounce." He slowly stood and stretched out his legs, keeping his attention on her. "He missed, however."
The Chieftain tried to attack Helaku? Of course, it makes sense. Still, she is surprised. She sits with a frown. She wants, so badly, to visit Amaranth, but... She is too near giving birth, and she told herself they would be moving either before or after she gives birth. And there is Ashen to think about. She simply doesn't have enough time. "You should have told me, Helaku." She knows her mate has a tendency to rub some animals the wrong way. Not many, but some. Still, she can't brush it off the fact that he was nearly attacked as simply as that.
"Perhaps, but I did not want to worry you," he replied. "He and I talked; Sketch's body is on Amaranth land. He told me that unless you wish for it to be moved, that it would remain on his land with no question. He seemed...touchy about that. A bit arrogant, I must say, being as I was technically Sketch's packmate as much as you were her guide and friend. I would have taught her skills to better survive should she have ever ended up on her own. Thus, however, my warning to Haze about approaching the Amaranth territory. I'm not too sure he is capable of taking a cougar on should the guardian be on edge as he was with me."
Arrogant? What cougar isn't, at least a little? /Helaku/ is probably more arrogant than Kein. "He gave us protection when no one else would, or did you forget about that part?" There is a good chance that, had she not been able to stay in Amaranth for a while, she would be dead now. Her tone remains quiet as she tries to think. More than that she wants to visit Amaranth... She rather feels she owes them a visit, now. Maybe, were she to travel as quickly as she could, and only stop to take some food to Ashen... Maybe she could do it in the time she has.
"Us? You, the others...but not me," he said. "I was not with you while you stayed among them." This fact, and the other being that he felt the Amaranth never extended their word to apply to him. Even if it did extend to him, he would reject the protection offer for him, personally, but not the rest of the group.
"I meant me and Sketch. Of course, if the fact that he protected your mate and your 'packmate' matters so little to you..." Okay, so, perhaps Skelaghe is not entirely immune to the hormonal imbalances caused by pregnancy. Pulling herself to her feet, she says, "I have to go, now. I've left Ashen alone for far too long." Will she return with the boy tonight, or continue on up the mountain? She's not sure, anymore.
Helaku sat there as she made to get up and find the cougar child. However, there was something he had to say...but he wouldn't say it. Kein failed to protect Sketch, and that is where he sees weakness. While not an enemy, and not hateful of the cougar, he wanted no favors from him...for now, anyways. Maybe in the future if things change. Helaku judged others in such positions harshly ever since his experiences. Or...who was he kidding? Skel was always a counselor of sorts. His ways with the Eloone guided him one way while his past experience tugged for another. "Skelaghe," he said, "Sketch is dead...protection does not end with the death of the protected."
Under normal circumstances, Skelaghe would almost definitely handle this calmly. With the recent death of Sketch, even if she has recovered remarkably from that, and the nearing birth of her pups... Calmly isn't even in her vocabulary. Whipping around to face her mate, after having half-turned around, she says, "Sketch wasn't /his/ to protect anymore. She was /ours/. /Mine/. It wasn't him who asked her back there. It was /me/." Teketa assured her that they did not blame her. Tears stinging at her eyes, she continues, "I don't care if you have to blame me, Helaku." Lie. "But how many others are you going to falsely blame before you feel you've gotten your vengeance?"
"Vengeance?" he said. "No, it isn't vengeance I seek. It is explanation, reason--I want to know why they killed her. I do not blame you; your scent was not the one that interupted the scene of her death--it was his." He sat stiffly before her, cautious on approaching her for the very fact she was pregnant might be affecting her emotions. It could cause...anger in a way that was physical. He said what he needed to...Kein was the at the scene of the murder. Skel was not.
Skelaghe stares at Helaku as he speaks. Anger? Sure, it's in there... But it's mostly covered by despair. "He couldn't even stop his own mate from being hurt. I can't believe I'm hearing you blame him for being outnumbered, or for not getting there quickly enough, or... /Whatever/ you're blaming him for." Skelaghe shakes her head, and again turns around, allowing her gaze to leave Helaku.
What was it Helaku was getting on about? Kein could have killed Malak and Revan right there. Ambushed on one, bite the neck, and fight the other. Of course, he wouldn't speak that and it wouldn't have probably saved Sketch. "Something tells me the two responsible have been causing trouble for some time," he said. "And here they are, continuing to maim, kill...and no one does anything about it because these things happen on unclaimed territory."
Skelaghe hasn't walked away, yet. And she doesn't now, though she doesn't look back to Helaku, either. "Fine. So you can blame me for fleeing from them when they first chased us, instead of blaming me for sending Sketch back there now. What does it matter, Helaku?" Her energy has been completely sapped out of her by this, and she can't stay here arguing with him... But neither is she goes to stand by while Helaku blames whoever doesn't match his expectations. So, she finally takes her first step away.
"Skelaghe," he said. "In all this time...not once has anyone mentioned why they were chasing you or Sketch." He remained where he was, sitting there and watching her closely. This lack of information had bothered him for some time. No one explained things and that was a problem. "And I've been wondering for some time why no one has bothered explaining this in the first place. Did one of you have something to hide?"
Skelaghe looks back to Helaku. So he's going to interrogate her now, is he? She doesn't turn around, but she continues looking back over his shoulder. He's really asking her if she was hiding something from him? Really? "They chased us from our home because we were /there/, Helaku." How should Skelaghe know their reasoning, if there even was one? "Before I could even speak, we were being chased." She remembers it well. The pain in her leg, a remainder from a hunting injury. The peaceful conversation with Sketch. And then, suddenly, being chased. "I don't know what answer you think you're looking for, or why you think it'll satisfy you. And I don't know what I'll tell /our/ pups when you just don't come back from your foolish hunt for a meaningless answer, an answer that won't bring her back." Has Skelaghe /ever/ referred to a real animal, as opposed to one of the ones in her stories, as being foolish before?"
Helaku remained sitting there...again. He had nothing to say. Further questioning would do no good; the answer must have been with Sketch. Meaningless answer--if the answers as to why Sketch was killed, then that means her death was as meaningless being as the circumstances of it were not understood. This, he thought. This, he would not voice to her. She was upset enough by this dicussion. He wished his old pack, the Eloone, were here. They would perfectly understand his reasons. But they were not here. He was the only one left. He closed his eyes and 'looked' away.
Of course Sketch's death was meaningless. Meaningless and cruel. Her life wasn't, though. Skelaghe continues watching her mate for a moment after he stops speaking. As he appears finally ready to let her go, though, she faces ahead of her and continues walking. She has already decided she won't be going to Amaranth. What good would it do? She could apologize for her mate, but he obviously isn't sorry. She could visit Sketch's resting place, but... She truly doesn't mourn her friend's loss any more. No, there is nothing in Amaranth but more upset for her... And she /will/ need to return to her mate soon. Once she has calmed down, once she has collected Ashen.
Helaku wouldn't say any more. Not on that subject for a while, anyway. Not knowing what she died for bothered him. He wouldn't be returning to Amaranth for any reason, as there was no need. At the same time, he wondered about this region all together. It seemed soft, weak. Too peaceful, too quiet. Where was the massive conflict? It was not here, only isolated. It bugged him. Silly little creatures guarding their territories as if they owned..they only borrowed it. He grunted and slipped off under the trees.