Arise [Xena]

[Messoria]

Far above, the navy sky was bloated with a thick canopy of stars. The moon was full and creamy, beams of her light illuminating the sand beneath until it was very nearly ivory. A trail of small paw prints snaked through the otherwise undisturbed sand, leading down to the place where the oceans gentle waves kissed the land. The diminutive form of a she-wolf sat very still at the shore, her toes freshly dampened with each rush of water. Her thick, ebony-and-chestnut hued pelt stirred gently with the breeze as blazing amber eyes gazed out from the charcoal-splashed cranium, her tail draped lazily around her haunches. The noises of the ocean was comforting, cradling her like a newborn pup enveloped by its mother’s warmth as she sat waiting for a certain Kairos warrior and her young. They’d decided it would be best to show the young ones the island when darkness had just fallen, both to avoid the oppressive heat of the summer and the crowded gaggle of wolves that were present during the day. With only two pups, Messoria knew that she and Xena would be beyond capable of keeping an eye on them, and the rays of the moon were bright enough to provide significant light.

With dusk had come a pleasant breeze, intensified by the vastness of the beach so that it cooled her significantly, offering blessed relief from the earlier humidity. In the distant she could faintly make out the sight of the atoll, resting just beneath the surface of the shallow water. It was a peaceful place, and one day she would bring her own young here. As it was they were languishing in the caverns with Lichen’s pups, not yet slumbering but full and drowsy after their meals. Later she would return to them, but for now she was content to sit and watch the waves, wide-set ears perked atop her skull, delicate muzzle pointed skyward towards the moon as she waited for Xena’s approach. It was the telltale sound of heavy footfalls on sand, accompanied by the pitter-patter of smaller paws, that suggested she’d arrived. Messoria turned to face the approaching shape that was Xena, a smile coming to her lips as she waited for her new-found friend to draw nearer.

Words : 378
Muse : Decent
Tags : @xena1
Notes : =D

[Deleted]

It was late, getting darker by the minute and though her pups would usually by sleeping by this time, the large female warrior was instead leading them away from the dens. They would be exploring tonight, which she figured would not be an issue since they had slept most of the day. She could not help but sigh softly as she pushed Wraith out of the caves, the little black and white pup barely able to keep up with her much larger sister. Eventually, irritated with trying to encourage the runt to move forward, she picked the pup up by the scruff and carried her forward. It did not take her and Banshee long to make the trip to the edge of the Ina'mos, where she and Messoria had agreed to meet.

She dropped Wraith - a bit more roughly than she had meant to - on the sand several yards away, moving ahead and meeting up with her new friend at the edge of the water. Not at all interested in getting her own paws wet, the larger female stopped clear of the water, not even bothering to glance back at her pups, who were still trying to make their way towards her on the unknown terrain. They were large enough to travel with her, but she would have to slow down a lot for them to keep up with her longer strides. They had not done any great amount of traveling until tonight, but they would definitely be changing that now. She and Messoria would show them the island, and hopefully at least some of what they say and heard would stick in their tiny little brains.

"Hey." She said softly, her attention on Messoria and not the pups that had finally made their way to them. At first they explored the dark wolf, pouncing on her tail and receiving a reprimand in the form of a swipe of Xena's paw when Banshee took it in her teeth and tugged roughly. After this, they got distracted by the water, chasing it down towards the ocean and squealing before running away and back to dry safety when it turned on them only moments later. "Where are we headed first?" She asked, curling her tail around her paws to keep it away from Banshee's grasp before the pup ran back towards the water with her tinier sister.

Words: 395
Tags: Messoria
Notes: n/a

[Messoria]

Messoria watched with a patient smile as Xena reached her, shortly followed by her tottering pups. The dark fae laughed quietly as Xena’s young wove their way around her legs, and despite the sharp twinge of pain as Banshee tugged at the tip of her tail, Messoria’s smile did not falter. She remembered when her own youth were much the same, tugging on ears and nipping at tails, and she’d long ago grown used to the sharp sting of puppy teeth. Even as they lost interest and went careening down the beach, Messoria watched them. They reminded her of her own girls; three of them she’d had, and they were closer with each other than they were with the boys. Xena’s, however, would be separated before long. The thought made her chest tighten, and she turned away as Xena spoke, pausing to consider.

”I think we should avoid the swamp for tonight,” she began. ”The alligators can see better than we can, and we don’t want anything to happen.” She’d been reluctant to take her own young there at all, even in the light of day, and had avoided it so far like the plague. ”Perhaps down the shore a bit, and then up through the woods to the falls? I think they’d enjoy that.” Once more her gaze flicked to the frolicking pups, who seemed so very glad to have been released from the dens at last. She could certainly relate to them in that regard; nothing felt better than freedom, and Wraith and Banshee were finally getting a taste. Soon they would be old enough to leave the dens with Xena regularly, and then on their own. Even now her own young were nearing the age where they could branch away from her, and in two months’ time, Hyperion and Croix would attend the agoge. Frowning, Messoria shook her head to clear her thoughts and gestured with her muzzle for Xena to follow her, calling fondly for Wraith and Banshee as she trotted down the shore.

”Walk where the sand is damp, girls,” she told them, hoping that Xena would not mind her helping the young ones. ”It will be easier to walk, and you’ll stumble less.”

Words : 369
Muse : Good
Tags : @xena1
Notes : ~

[Deleted]

The answer to her question was not withheld long, and soon enough Messoria even rose to her feet and moved down the beach. Xena followed suit, lifting her much larger form up to her feet in order to follow. Although Messoria did turn to call to her daughters, Xena also glanced back at them, ensuring that they were not only alive and well, but also listening. She had no desire to turn back for them, and even as Banshee sat down stubbornly in the water and soaked her entire backside, she did not stop for them. "Either you come with or I leave you to get eaten by a shark." The warrior female called back to her daughter, turning her back on both pups and falling into step beside Messoria. Whether the pups followed or not, she could not tell at first, but after a few moments of sitting stubbornly, Banshee picked herself up and Xena could hear the soft splashes of both puppies bounding after them.

She knew that her larger daughter would be a handful, simply because she was her daughter. But she had never thought she would be so attached to her. The mother knew that she would be giving up Wraith to Ultoris, and she could not find herself to feel much of anything except obligation to either pup, but Banshee seemed a bit more attached to her than she would prefer. Either way, she had agreed to have Severus's offspring for the good of Kairos, and she had no right to back down now. "The exercise will be good for them. I can't imagine how you handled more than two of these things." She said, once again referring to her children as items or pieces of property instead of actual living pups. She could not feel anything for them, she could not bring herself to feel love that she was not sure existed. They would survive, that was all she could promise.

Words: 327
Tags: Messoria
Notes: n/a

[Messoria]

As they walked, Messoria listened to Xena’s interactions with a wry smile. It was clear that Banshee and Wraith would not have a mother who coddled or babied them, and in a way, Messoria knew it would help strength them in the long run. Her own mother had loathed her as a pup, and yet Messoria knew that while Xena did not particularly care for the pups, she would still ensure that they were healthy and taken care of. Messoria could not say that her mother had ever done the same. The sound of pattering paws in the sand had her turning, watching as the pups frolicking in the froth of the waves, so carefree and pleased to discover life outside of the caverns.

”The exercise will be good for them. I can't imagine how you handled more than two of these things."

A quiet laugh slid from Messoria’s lips as she turned her amber eyes upon Xena, bright with amusement. ”Five was certainly difficult to handle,” she admitted, recalling the days when all of her young had been just as rambunctious as Wraith and Banshee were. They were larger now, very nearly capable of exploring the entirety of Ina’mos on their own – a thought which caused Messoria’s chest to tighten. They’d grown so swiftly, and still with each passing day, they grew more. Already Morrigan and Nimue were nearly level with her own height, and Hyperion would soon surpass it. It was startling to think back on how it seemed as if her pregnancy was only yesterday; she could still feel the weight of her belly, and could all too accurately recall the feeling of her aching bones and protesting muscles.

”It was nearly impossible to keep an eye on all of them at once,” she murmured as she slowly began to cut her way across the sand, towards the forest that waited beyond. ”They were always scheming, trying to sneak out of the dens, trying to deceive me. Once I awoke early in the morning to find Morrigan gone, and she very nearly killed me from the worry. She was only watching the sunrise…but still.” She gestured towards Banshee with her muzzle as she spoke once more. ”As much as Banshee resembles you, Morrigan resembles me, and she’s so very clever. They all are. But they’re so independent now – they almost don’t need me watching over them anymore.”

Words : 400
Muse : Decent
Tags : @xena1
Notes : xxx

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[Deleted]

The night was cool as they walked slowly down the beach, careful to ensure that their pace was slow enough for the pups to keep up, but fast enough to keep them moving and tire them out. It was hard for the large female, for even with the adult females of Kairos she had to slow her gait in order to avoid exhausting them with the effort of keeping up with her longer strides. She sighed softly as she flicked an ear back at the pups, ensuring that they were both following by the set of clumsy strides that she could hear in the sand behind them. Her eyes followed the shoreline ahead as they moved, one ear instinctively towards the pups while the other remained on Messoria. She did not know much about the darker female, but she already knew that the other wolf knew just as little about her.

She let the smaller female talk as they moved, avoiding speech by lowering her nose to sniff at the ground on rare occasions, or glance back at the pups, or yawn softly while they moved. She had never been particularly social, and the proof was in the fact that Messoria was likely the only other female in the pack who's name she truly knew. Sure, she knew Datura, but other than them, she really knew no one. She had spoken with Goliath before she went off to find Severus, Titan had accepted her into the pack, and she had briefly seen Zohartze when they both been brought into Kairos. But she did not waste a lot of her time trying to memorize names or put them to faces.

”As much as Banshee resembles you, Morrigan resembles me, and she’s so very clever. They all are. But they’re so independent now – they almost don’t need me watching over them anymore.” The sound of her daughter's name - one of the ones that she actually tried to remember - made her glance over at the other female. Her pups would need her, she knew it, but she did not truly want them. Sure, she would care for them and she would keep them alive, but their birth was not out of love, or even lust. It was out of duty and loyalty. Their lives were where it stopped. In all honesty, the large female was unsure of whether or not she could truly feel love. It served her no purpose as a warrior, and though she cared for Datura as a friend, she still did not believe her feelings of loyalty and duty could be overcome by anything, especially love. "It is best that they learn not to need me quickly." She said, her words coming out more harsh than she had meant them, but just as honest and true as they were supposed to be.

Words: 473
Tags: Messoria
Notes: n/a

[Messoria]

"It is best that they learn not to need me quickly."

Messoria glanced towards Xena with a sympathetic tilt of her head, mulling over the she-wolf’s words. She could not begin to imagine how it must feel to become a mother unwillingly; she’d wanted Goliath, and she’d wanted the children they created. She still wanted Goliath’s weight across her spine each season, despite the gory and painful birth she’d experienced. She would do it again, and again – but Messoria could only wonder if her following litters would hold such a massive chunk of her heart, or if that was something that only her firsts would be awarded. She would love each pup that was brought into the world by she and Goliath, of course; she adored her mate, and while she was not his one and only, their young were still begotten through warmth and deep affection. She would always be a mother at heart…but Xena, it seemed, was not. Messoria knew that although she did not know very much about Xena, or her past, that it was simply the way of things. Xena could not force herself to be a mother anymore than Messoria could force herself to become a warrior. It was simply not plausible.

”Wraith will swiftly, I think, when she is sent away,” Messoria said. ”In a way, it’s good that she won’t be so very attached to it. It will making adjusting to life in Ultoris much easier for her. Banshee…” She trailed off, glancing back towards the pups as she paused at the beginning of the tree-line, waiting for them to catch up. They would have to be more diligent in the forest where it was possible that the pups would wander off, and where cougars lurked. Xena was a large femme, however, and Messoria was confident that the two could address any trouble encountered should the need arise. ”She will be more difficult to wean from your side, I think. Eventually as she grows older she will come to realize it…but it will take time.”

She watched the clumsy movements of the young ones, wondering how they would do when Wraith was taken away. ”Are they terribly attached to each other?” She asked, turning her coral-hued gaze upon Xena once more.

Words : 378
Muse : Ehhh
Tags : @xena1
Notes : A little short, but I tried to give Xena stuff to respond to <3

[Deleted]

Xena kept her pace slow, but found herself losing even more speed as they neared the forest. Even she knew that she could not completely ignore her helpless pups within the trees ahead. She would need them to stay closer to her, and they seemed to realize this as their paces finally brought them to the pair of mothers. She looked down at the smaller of the two, something that was not quite affection flashing through her eyes for the briefest of moments. "She'll do fine, in Ultoris. With her father as the Alpha, I'm sure she'll adjust." She said, carefully examining the black and white mask over her eyes. If she was lucky, she would be coveted for her unique coloring, not shunned. Life would not be easy for her smallest offspring, but she had birthed her, so she knew she would at least be mentally strong and determined to succeed.

She lowered her head, sniffing carefully at her larger pup and brushing a clump of wet sand off of her shoulder. "Banshee will be a handful, just like I was as a youth." She said, already having some sort of idea what she was going to have to deal with as the pups grew older and larger. "If she is anything like me, I will have to watch out for whichever pups come from Ultoris to join her." She said, thinking back to her days of terrorizing her litter. She had been aggressive, and she had no doubt that with both her genes and that of an Anikira alpha, Banshee would be a force to be reckoned with, even without the enormous size of the other Kairos wolves on the island.

”Are they terribly attached to each other?” The words made her lift her head, looking over at Messoria curiously. She could not exactly say that the two pups had bonded particularly strongly, but she could not confidently say otherwise. She, herself, had never bonded with her own siblings, but she was unsure of what her pups would do as they grew older. "I don't suppose they are incredibly attached, but we'll find out when the time comes for Wraith to go to Ultoris." She said, looking back down at the pair of pups as they slowly made their way into the much darker tree cover.

Words: 388
Tags: Messoria
Notes: n/a

[Messoria]

”I admit that I know little of Ultoris,” Messoria said as she and Xena lead the way through the forest, the sounds of the pups scampering behind them, their voices hushed in the new-found darkness. Messoria walked alongside the warrior, weaving around the trees, leading them in the general direction of the falls in the far distance. ”But I imagine that the alpha – Severus, if I recall correctly – will treat her justly. Who knows, perhaps she will grow to be held in high regard there.” One day she would have to learn more of Severus and his pack now that he was allied with Kairos, for the sake of future reference. Messoria did not pretend to not know that there was a high chance one of her own daughters would be sent there one season – perhaps as soon as next, even. Xena’s strength in the face of such a hefty decision was nothing less than admirable.

Xena’s response concerning the pup’s relationship was not immediately responded to, for the moment that Messoria opened her mouth to speak, a furry bundle collided with her hindleg and she turned, an amused expression upon her face as she gazed at Banshee. The pup had become enraptured by the sight of fireflies, it seemed. ”Careful where you walk, little one,” Messoria chided, not unkindly. ”The stoats like to dig holes here, and if you’re not careful, you’ll step in one.” With this said, she turned back to Xena, all the while side-eyeing the pups to ensure that they kept themselves out of harms way.

”If Banshee is anything like you, she’ll be a force to be reckoned with by the time she’s a year old,” Messoria said with amusement in her gaze. ”Truly though, I think she’ll be strong. Will you be allowing her to attend the Agoge if she wishes to?” As far as Messoria knew, one female was being allowed to attend the impending Agoge that was of age – Lilith from Datura’s brood, perhaps two if Eve was allowed. Messoria had watched Lichen’s daughter grow, and it had become clear what she aspired for. It was not Messoria’s place to persuade nor dissuade her, but secretly she was glad that her own daughters had not asked to go.

Words : 373
Muse : Low
Tags : @xena1
Notes :
 I kinda ghosted the pups, let me know if you want me to change it <3

[Deleted]

The warrior seemed to relax a bit more as they entered the trees, though she assumed many other mothers would have grown more tense instead. Her pups would never learn to defend themselves if she kept them safe all the time, plus with both her and Messoria here, she doubted any creatures would dare go for either pup. Not to mention the awkward scrambling and stomping of both pups would scare anything off within miles of them. She would have to teach them to be more cautious and careful with their steps once they grew into their limbs a bit more. Right now, though, she walked with them and turned her head as Messoria spoke to both her and then Banshee. ”But I imagine that the alpha – Severus, if I recall correctly – will treat her justly. Who knows, perhaps she will grow to be held in high regard there.” She nodded, knowing that if Wraith had any of her in her personality, she would force her way into Ultoris's good graces.

Her pups had a lot to live up to. Their parents were well known, Xena as the first female warrior of Kairos, and Severus as the alpha of Ultoris. As long as they were strong and confident, both pups were bound to live proud lives in both packs. Sure, things would not necessarily be easy for Banshee in Kairos, what with all the enormous pups from this season that she had to compete with, but Xena knew that Goliath already held her daughters in high regard because of her own sacrifices. But she would not allow either of her pups to simply coast on her reputation. They would both have to make something of themselves on their own someday, without her help. It was Messoria's words about Banshee that had the larger female looking over at the darker wolf a moment later. ”Truly though, I think she’ll be strong. Will you be allowing her to attend the Agoge if she wishes to?” She could not help but look down at the larger of the two pups at the words. "If she chooses to, then I see no reason in stopping her. If she's anything like me, I doubt she'd let me stop her anyways." She said, surprised to feel even the slightest hint of affection for her daughter starting to build.

But she knew it was not necessarily affection. No, she was confident that she was not capable of such an emotion. It might have been pride, but she still had no reason for such a thing yet. Once Banshee proved herself within Kairos, then perhaps she would allow herself to be proud. Right now, though, all her pups had was her reputation and potential. She picked up her pace slightly as the terrain got a bit harder to traverse - at least for the pups - almost as if she was simply wondering if they would be able to keep up or not. They were nearing the waterfall, but she had no intention of carrying either pup like she had carried Wraith earlier. They would make it to the water on their own, without her help. Messoria would have no trouble with it, as she had likely traveled this way multiple times, but it would be a challenge for the awkward pups to follow their mother at this point. She was sure they were capable, but she wondered if either would be too stubborn to try.

Words: 576
Tags: Messoria
Notes: n/a

[Messoria]

"If she chooses to, then I see no reason in stopping her. If she's anything like me, I doubt she'd let me stop her anyways."

At this, a smile pulled at Messoria’s muzzle. It was no secret that Xena was persistently ambitious, and it was this that had earned her a position as the first female warrior within Kairos – and a Praetorian at that. She would be curious to see in what ways Banshee proved to be like her mother, and in which ways she didn’t. Regardless, it was becoming evident quickly that she-pups confident and determined enough would find their way to the shores of Vor’asa with their male siblings when the time came, and should Banshee end up being one of them, Messoria would not have been surprised in the least.

”None of my girls have shown any interest in it,” she informed Xena, the roar of the falls growing steadily louder as they approached. The noise of the pups crashing through the underbrush was constant, and welcome; when her own had been younger, she’d had to keep a careful eye on them. Croix was a constant pain with his tireless efforts to separate himself from his family, and on several occasions she’d overheard Morrigan, Nimue, and Fawn murmuring about adventures. Hyperion had been the sole pup she hadn’t had to watch diligently, and yet still, she would not have traded a single moment with them – stressful ones included. ”Fawn is too small, of course; Nimue and Morrigan are large – larger, even, than Croix, but they don’t seem to have the hearts of warriors. They would rather spend their time discovering new parts of the isand.”

Finally the trees began to thin before tapering off completely, revealing a circle of lush grass leading towards the clear pool that rested at the foot of the falls. She glanced back towards the pups, wondering if they would be as awed by the water as her own had been. They would have to be careful to ensure that Banshee and Wraith did not find themselves in the water, for while the falls were of no concern to a fully grown wolves, the strength of the water might easily drown the little ones. Intending to give them a moment to explore the area, Messoria lowered her haunches to the earth, stretching her neck out and reveling in the feeling of being in the open once more.

Words : 404
Muse : Low
Tags : @xena1
Notes : N/A