Sweet Promises [Banshee/Xena]

[Wraith]

Her life had consisted of the warmth of her mother and sister being in the prominent fore front. With each passing day she was becoming more aware of her surroundings. The sounds in the caverns were becoming clearer to her and she knew that there were others somewhere near them. Soon her eyes were open to the world and that was the first time she saw her mother and her sister. Each of them had an exotic mask marking that tied them to one another. Wraith would never forget the smell of her mother's fur, or the feel of her sister when she cuddled alongside of her. As the time passed she grew, but not nearly as much as her older sister. Soon enough they were stumbling around and bumping into each other. Now however, Wraith had full mobility and control of her body. She continued to suckle against her mother's side until she had her fill, which didn't take very long. Wraith was well aware of her mother's distant behavior, and she knew that if she suckled against her for too long she would get a jab to the side with one of her mother's much larger paws. Slowly but surely Wraith opened her eyes, the sun gleaming through the opening and shining down on them, making her gold-brown opticals glisten beautifully. She perked her head up to glance over at her still sleeping sister. A mischievous grin flickered across her face and she began to shift her weight so she could crawl closer to Banshee. She waited and then suddenly, she pounced! Her baby teeth attempted to clamp down on her older sister's ears as she bit and tugged. Wraith loved to rough house even though she was much smaller then Banshee. Low growls escaped her maw until finally boredom overcame her.

She hopped off of her sister's back and made her way over to her mother. Wraith was eager to get out and see the sights of Kairos. Xena had already taken the pups to see the beach and although she had carried her the majority of the way Wraith was determined to fight her mother the next time. Despite her size she could keep up just as well as Banshee and wanted to prove her worth. When it came to her mother she had a very different parenting plan then the rest of the mothers of Kairos. She didn't baby them and Wraith was accustomed to that lifestyle. She didn't expect cuddles and kisses, instead she just soaked up the little bit of affection that she did receive while she slept with her mother and sister. But her curiosity was beginning to get the best of her. She could hear the birds chirping outside and wanted to chase after them. She turned to look at her mother and quickly made a break for it. Her limbs propelled her forward as she went barreling out of the cave. Xena had made their den relatively close to the mouth of the caverns so it didn't take long for Wraith to be out in the wide open. She glanced around her for a moment before lowering her muzzle to the ground to sniff and hopefully follow a new trail. Her tail was wagging rapidly behind her as she continued to walk with her nose pressed to the ground. All the different smells were so interesting and intriguing and she didn't want to stay in the boring cave anymore. Before she knew it there was quite a bit of a gap between her and her den, but she wasn't concerned. Today she was going to be out and about regardless of whether her mother approved or not.

---

notes: yay Wraith's first thread <3
tagged: @xena1 + Banshee
muse: decent
word count: 743
status: complete.

[Deleted]

The days had been long, caring for the useless and helpless pups that she had birthed not too long ago. But they were growing quickly, much too quickly. Even still, Wraith was much smaller than her sister, Banshee. This morning began just like any other, and though Xena laid relaxed and calm inside of the den while she watched over her young pups, Wraith was up and ready to play and cause trouble. The large female watched the smaller pup pounce on her larger sister, but even that did not hold the pup's attention for long. Though she could see her own personality in both of her pups, it was easy to see that Wraith's attention could not be easily focused on one thing for a long period of time. Perhaps it was just the fact that she was a young pup, or perhaps her father was like that. She had really not spent much time with alpha male of Ultoris, but her two daughters had come from him. She had to give him credit at least for that.

It came as no surprise to the Prateorian when Wraith gave her a look, and then bolted out of the caverns. Any other mother, any mother that sheltered and protected their pups like they were weak and helpless creatures - which they were - would have darted after her and dragged her back into the safety of the cave. But Xena was not like other mothers. She had seen the look in Wraith's eyes, the desperation to get away from her mother and escape into the wide open world as if she were being particularly disobedient and adventurous. Her mother, however, honestly could not care less about her 'escape'. Instead, she simply laid there, watching the tiny black and white pup as she scampered off like she was the queen of the world. Had Xena wanted to stop her, she could have easily put a paw out to do so before she had even made it a few feet away, but she doubted that any harm would come to her daughter outside of the cavern's security. The caves were frequently patrolled and filled, therefore the area around them was fairly safe most of the time. There was no way she would make it all the way to the dangerous swamp before Xena got to her feet, so there really was nothing to worry about.

After a few moments, though, the large female pushed herself up onto her feet. With a slow, lazy stretch, she stepped over Banshee and headed out of the caverns. She had made her den very close to the exit, and now she silently thanked herself for making such a decision. It was only a short walk from the entrance to a small stream, and though she kept both Banshee and Wraith in her sights, she lowered her head to drink the cool water in front of her. It tasted good, but in only a few moments she was lifting her head once more and turning around to look at both pups. They would continue to grow fast, but she doubted that either would rival her size. No, they would be smaller than most of Kairos, though she did not know what the wolves of Ultoris were like. Perhaps Wraith would live a common life within her father's pack, perhaps she would be a princess. Or maybe she would be persecuted. She could not tell, but she could not bring herself to care. She was here to take care of the pups until they were old enough to do so themselves.

Words: 601
Tags: Wraith, Banshee
Notes: n/a

[Banshee]

She woke to the feel of baby teeth around her ears, the soft nibbles causing an instinctual growl to bubble up her throat. She had every intention of engaging Wraith in a more intense version of play, stretching out her paws in preparation to challenge her, before her sister lost interest and continued on her way - she had come and gone just like the creature of her namesake. A pout spilled across Banshee's lower lip, watching her sister scamper the short distance between them and the outside of the cavern. She looked up at Xena, the careless look on her face, feeling no initiative to follow Wraith and keep her safe, but eventually duty triumphed and their mother was on her paws which meant, of course, so was Banshee. 

"Wraaaaaaaaith." The dominantly brown puppy leaned outside of the den, tumbling after her black, white masked sibling with renewed energy. She resisted the urge to pounce on her, to get revenge for the playful way that she had woken her up, but she knew Xena didn't like it very much when they acted childish, behaving like the noisy, annoying puppies that they were, so she tried her best to not be a nuisance. "You shouldn't go much farther." Banshee wanted to. Of course she wanted to. Curiosity, however, was squashed and discarded when she couldn't help but think of her mother first. It would burden Xena to have to come looking for them, if she'd even come looking at all, and the last thing she wanted to do was give her mother another reason to look at her like she was her job more than her actual blood. 

There was no denying the simple fact that Banshee was her mother's child. She was always pressed against Xena, her eyes at their brightest when she was close to finally earning her approval. She loved her mother more than anyone else, she put her wants before her own, and that was exactly why she strove to live up to a few of the more... masculine opportunities that she was allotted due to her above average size. Xena was a lot less nurturing than the other mothers that she had seen, and although she didn't quite understand why, it only made her want to work twice as hard to see if Xena had a more loving, gentle side to her. Banshee only wanted the attention, the affection, the adoration and guidance, but no matter what she did she never seemed to get it to the extent that she craved. Of course, it was the same thing for Wraith, and she knew it'd be twice as hard if she had to suffer the lack of emotion from her mother alone; she didn't always show it, but she was happy to have her sister around.

She wouldn't take it for granted, especially since the rumours going around were that they wouldn't be together for long. For what reason... she wasn't entirely sure. She had gathered that it was for the good of the pack, but it didn't make her anymore compliant to the idea of losing the only sibling she had. Xena didn't seem too phased by it, and if not for her mother's confidence in the Emperor, in the reason for the separation between sisters, Banshee surely would've put up more of a fight. However, fighting would mean publicly going against Xena, and that was something Banshee could never, ever do. Not if she ever wanted to truly be loved by her.


@xena1 Wraith

[Wraith]

Wraith's curiosity was undying, each corner she took brought new discoveries. She was intrigued by the outside world and although she knew she couldn't go far she sure did enjoy the scenery. Her golden brown occuli glanced around her as she stopped to inhale the fresh air. It was beautiful outside of the caverns. Her mother was not far behind her and she remained still, turning her petite skull to watch as her giant mother took a drink at the nearby stream. She began to mosey on back over towards her kin when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. Wraaaaaaaaith. You shouldn't go much farther. Her eyes were gleaming with fondness. Wraith loved her older sister just as much as she loved her mother. She hardly showed any emotion when it came to anyone else, but when she was around her family she was free to do as she pleased. She bounded across the ground, closing the distance between herself and her much larger sibling. Wraith showed no fear when she took a huge leap off of the ground, her tiny but stocky body colliding with that of her older sister. A series of growls erupted from her maw, a playful smirk sliding across her maw as her canines attempted to latch onto her sister's scruff. Wraith knew that they were supposed to act proper, and for the majority of the time she did. But right now she could careless about being proper, she wanted to play. Come on Banshee, show me what ya got. She teased before leaping off of her sister. She smacked her front paws against the ground in a taunting pounce, a challenge that dared her sister to reciprocate. Her auds were flicked forward, eager for some type of reaction from Banshee. Together they were unstoppable, and Wraith tried her best to ignore the rumors she had heard lately. She wasn't stupid nor naive. She had heard the adults whispering every time they were around both she and her sister. Did they think she was deaf or something? She knew they had been speaking of her in particular because their eyes would not stop staring. Half the time the gazes made the hackles on the back of her neck rise out of anger. Her fuse was short, shorter than others, and the constant staring made her furious. She was supposedly leaving, but where she was going she had no idea. Wraith didn't believe it, at least not completely. Part of her paid attention to the words they spoke, but the other half refused to fall for the traps they set until she heard the very words from her mother's mouth.

She stood back up in a normal stance before planting her haunches on the ground beneath her. She was petite, but she was not made of glass. Wraith knew of the bloodlines in which she came from, she knew what was expected of her. She did not want to be a healer nor a mother. She wanted to be a warrior. She had the mindset to do the job right, hell she would do it better then the males and the ones three times her size. She was small and nimble on her feet. Her speed would surely come in handy in the heat of the moment. Each day she daydreamed of the moment she would be given the title of warrior. She would not disappoint her mother. Although Xena looked down at her with disappointment every day she was determined to turn it around. She did seek the approval from her dearest mother, and she knew that Banshee did too. She glanced over her shoulder back at her mother, her tail wagging slightly. Even though Xena was not too fond of her Wraith would always love her. Xena had given her her very life, and she had taught her to be fearless. Wraith owed her everything. She would only have a playful puppy persona around her older sister, but when others came into the picture she would be the image of cold and collected. She knew what her expectations were, and she wouldn't be anything less then them. But her sister was her best friend and she couldn't see not play fighting with her and enjoying her days alongside her- especially if their time together was limited. The suspense was ticking inside her like a bomb, eventually it would explode. For the moment she was distracted and she turned to wander over to her mother's side. She sat next to her, but gave her the respectable distance that she always demanded from them. Wraith never got too close, unless they were sleeping in the caverns. Where am I leaving to mama? Her voice was monotone, though its bell-like tones sounded delicate and feminine despite the lack of emotion. Wraith did not care that she directly confronted her mother; it was not out of disrespect, she merely wanted answers.

---

notes: love this thread already
tagged: @xena1 + Banshee
muse: HIGH
word count: 943
status: complete.

[Deleted]

Her daughters played, asserted their freedom in the tiny space that she allowed, and as she sat there, she was not at all surprised to see Wraith heading in her direction. Both pups were extremely attached to her, which even she had to find ironic because she simply wanted to be away from them. She had not given them love, she had not given them affection, and yet they both seemed to somehow adore her. It was sickening, really, but she really had no choice in the matter right now. "Where am I leaving to mama?" The question was one she had been waiting for, though she did not have a deep and helpful answer for the pup, though she may have been wanting it. "You will be going to Ultoris, to live with your father. When you're old enough." She said, knowing that the two pups were still far too small to safely make the swim - or even be carried - off of the Ina'mos.

She had seen her daughters grow more and more attached to each other, and though they showed an unending love for her, she knew they also loved each other. They would be separated from each other soon enough, though, and it was unlikely that they would see one another again until they were both adults. Ultoris and Kairos were allied because of them - at least partially - therefore she knew that they were bound to run into one another in the future. But the split would not be easy for them, and Xena could not bring herself to care. They were her pups, the future of both Kairos and Ultoris. They would survive, she had no doubt about that. But, she knew it would be hard for Wraith, especially since she would not have her mother or sister to latch onto. Perhaps she would find the same adoration for her father, Severus, but Xena really could not bring herself to think much on it.

Words: 328
Tags: Banshee, Wraith
Notes: Sorry it's so short

[Banshee]

Wraith's attempts to rile her were tempting, and more then once she found herself holding back a playful growl and the swat of a paw; she cared for her sister, and she wanted to play with her, but how to behave whenever Xena was nearby often conflicted inside of young Banshee's mind. Luckily, after a few seconds of quiet on Banshee's part, Wraith seemed to lose interest. Her white-masked sibling strode towards their mother, and Banshee was more than content to join her; even if Xena never seemed to want them at her side, there was nowhere that Banshee would rather be.

The question that Wraith was brave enough to ask was one that Banshee had admittedly been curious about for a long time. She didn't want the rumours to be true, and it seemed that each second she had spent in fear of the two of them being separated had been well spent - her expression faltered, but for only a moment.

Ultoris was a weird name, but it wasn't one that she would be quick to forget if it was where her sister was going to be headed. There was the added bonus that her father resided there, and given that she had never had the chance to meet him, she was immediately intrigued. Slowly, she turned to look at her sister, searching her expression for emotions - perhaps a flicker of sadness that would never come - before knocking their shoulders together in a show of encouragement. She was happy that Wraith wouldn't be completely without her family when she left. She would have their father, and the chance to bond with him. That was something Banshee would likely never have, or at least, not for a while; she didn't want to leave Kairos, to leave their mother, but she couldn't help wondering if her father had the traits of a parent that her mother seemed to lack.

"Is daddy nice?" She wanted to make sure that Wraith was going to be in good hands, and there was no better way to get that information than straight from Xena. "And do you think he'll let us visit Wraith sometimes?" Us seemed like the right word to use, because even though mother never showed them any affection, no part of her thought that meant that she'd neglect being a mother to Wraith. She didn't think it possible. Her mind couldn't associate the face of Xena, someone she held in such an incredibly high regard, with something as unpleasant as abandonment.

@xena1 & Wraith

[Wraith]

Banshee's silence only encouraged Wraith to approach their mother. They sat together only for a few moments before Banshee joined them, though not before mother answered her question. You will be going to Ultoris, to live with your father. When you're old enough. Her mother's words lacked any real emotion but this was something Wraith was accustomed to. Perhaps that was why she herself would unknowingly be the same way when she matured. She let the word Ultoris roll around in her mind. It sounded so foreign to her and she stared down at the ground out of distaste. It seemed pretty obvious to her then that her mother really didn't want her here. Is daddy nice? And do you think he'll let us visit Wraith sometimes? Wraith hadn't even heard Banshee approach, she took a brief sideways glance to her older sister but continued to sit in silence. She would be leaving to go to a foreign land that was supposed to be her "home" but it felt like anything BUT that. Why did she have to go out of all the puppies here on Ina'mos? Of course she was seeming quite childish over this ordeal at the moment, but it was hard to contain the emotions that flooded her system at the thought of leaving her dear sister and mother. She let out a soft sigh, one that was barely audible to the wolves that sat alongside her. Will I ever come back? She questioned, mostly for her own sanity. She wasn't sure how Banshee felt about the news, but at the moment she wasn't too happy. Wraith didn't want to leave her home in Kairos. Here she had such a promising future but in the place known as Ultoris? She had no idea what would become of her there. They would be a pack that lived on completely different standards, and she didn't even know who her father was or what he looked like.

Her auds were plastered against her petite skull, a scowl skittering across her maw briefly. What does he look like? She questioned of her mother, wondering what her father looked like and what to expect. What if he was mean? Well then she would just have to be ten times as mean. What if he hated her? Then she would hardly speak a word. BUT if he intended on telling her how to live her life he had another thing coming. She would leave Ultoris in a heart beat and return to Kairos, regardless of some phony alliance. Needless to say Wraith wasn't very pleased that it had to be her to go, but she wouldn't fully understand for quite some time. Not until she matured and would be able to wrap her brain around the whole situation. Right now however she was feeling rejected and unwanted. She understood that she hadn't been what her mother was hoping for, but it did hurt her feelings that her mother could just send her off to somewhere strange without even batting an eye. Wraith knew that she didn't have a loving mother, that was how she was raised. But right now what she wanted more then ever was her mother's love. She had seen what it looked like by watching the other mothers and puppies in the dens. They were affectionate and caring. But her mother lacked any and all of those emotions. She could be harsh and uncaring, but Wraith didn't expect anything else from her. It just simply how it was. She knew there would be no use complaining. Everything was already set in stone and there wouldn't be changing it. She glanced over at Banshee, her golden brown occuli showing the hurt that she felt before she quickly guarded it.

---

notes: aw
tagged: @xena1 + Banshee
muse: medium
word count: 758
status: complete.

[Deleted]

The questions. She knew they would come, but that did not mean that she looked forward to their arrival. The freedom from her young daughters, however, she did long for. She would not tell them out loud, she would not crush their dreams of making her proud in one sentence, but she would long for the freedom she had before their arrival. "Is daddy nice?" She frowned, looking down at her larger daughter with a soft sigh. She honestly did not know how nice he was, but he had been polite and friendly enough when they had met and conceived both Banshee and Wraith. "And do you think he'll let us visit Wraith sometimes?" She had no doubt that Banshee would be allowed to visit her sister when they were old enough, for Ultoris and Kairos were now allies and therefore would be on good terms with each other. Visiting between packs should not become an issue.

"Will I ever come back?" Her attention turned to her other daughter, the one that would be leaving them to live in Ultoris. "Banshee will be allowed to visit when she is old enough. And you and your sister are special. Because of you, Kairos and Ultoris have formed a powerful alliance and both of our packs will be stronger and greater because of it. You should be honored to go and live with your father. He is the alpha male of Ultoris." She said, frowning at the complaining daughter that sat beside her. If only she knew how important this was, how much the packs would benefit from her obeying her parents and doing what she was told. "What does he look like?" She had only spent a short time with Severus, but she could still remember his appearance fairly well. "Severus is smaller than I am, but he is fairly handsome. He is black and white, somewhat similar to you, Wraith." She said, looking down at her daughter and finally pushing herself up to her feet. She did not want to elongate this conversation any further than was necessary, and she of course did not want to continue to answer their questions.

Words: 361
Tags: Banshee, Wraith
Notes: Sorry it's so short. Maybe we can wrap this up kinda soon?

[Banshee]

It was easy to tell when their mother was getting fed up. It was too easy, because she had grown so used to Xena's vacant expression that the eldest daughter seldom saw anything else from her aside from the same tired look in her eyes. The dismissal that sat unspoken on the tip of her tongue, but was nonetheless heard loud and clear. Banshee flattened her ears, her lips pulling into a frown, but it wasn't hostility that flashed so brightly in her yellow eyes, no, but a frustration for none other than herself. She wanted so desperately to gain her mother's approval that she didn't know anything else. When she didn't get it, when she never got it, and it instead looked like there was anywhere else that her mother would rather be, she felt utterly helpless and the feeling didn't settle well in the pit of her stomach.

Her questions were answered, as were Wraith's, and although she couldn't have hoped for a better explanation she still felt empty and unsatisfied. She looked to her sister, then, a silent question trapped inside of her mouth, knowing all too well that there wasn't room for anymore of them to be posed. Xena stood to her full height, an indication that their time in her presence was coming to an end, and Banshee knocked her shoulder against Wraith's - whether to simply show affection or to gain support unclear.

"Wraith and I are going to go play over there now." She couldn't be sure that her mother actually cared, but she pointed a paw in the direction that she was talking about just in case. She wanted to spend more time with Xena, but it was clear that she didn't want that as well, and even though Banshee craved her affection she wouldn't be outwardly needy for it. Stifling her longing with a borderline hostile flick of her tail, she once again faced her sister, her expression hopeful that Wraith would go along with what she said. Her sister wasn't oblivious, far from it in fact, so she was fairly certain she would be able to see Xena's impatience as clearly as she could.

If she would be going to Ultoris someday soon, then Banshee wanted to spend as much of her time with her as she could manage.

@xena1 & Wraith
ooc: we can end this with Wraith's next response maybe?

[Wraith]

Wraith knew that she shouldn't feel bitter about leaving but she was already extremely close to Banshee and the thought of leaving her older sister behind was sickening. Her stomach tightened into uncomfortable knots every time she considered it. Their mother was never openly loving towards them and anyone can tell that she either wanted no parts of them at all or was extremely disappointed in them. Because of that Wraith and Banshee had bonded rather close with one another, and Wraith couldn't imagine her life without her older sister. Banshee will be allowed to visit when she is old enough. And you and your sister are special. Because of you, Kairos and Ultoris have formed a powerful alliance and both of our packs will be stronger and greater because of it. You should be honored to go and live with your father. He is the alpha male of Ultoris. Wraith could hear the reprimanding tone in her mother's voice and instantly her auds flattened against her skull. Yes mother. She replied before feeling the comforting knock of Banshee's shoulder against her own. She glanced over to her much larger sister and offered her a brief lopsided smirk before it instantly vanished. There was no faking happiness here. Wraith was miserable. But she quickly allowed all emotions to be wiped clean from her face. She knew better and she didn't want to get reprimanded for something else. All she yearned for was approval from her mother and if going to Ultoris would grant that then she would do it. Severus is smaller than I am, but he is fairly handsome. He is black and white, somewhat similar to you, Wraith. Wraith glanced up at her mother then and nodded her head in response. She figured she must be similar in appearance to her father considering she looked nothing like Banshee or their mother aside from the mask marking that framed her face. Wraith and I are going to go play over there now. Banshee spoke and Wraith said nothing as she stood and began to head off in the direction that Banshee had motioned. Questions were over for the day and it was evident that their mother wanted her privacy. I guess thats that. She spoke in low tones so only Banshee could hear. Wraith then decided that it would be best to just enjoy her time with Banshee while it lasted- it would be useless to ask her mother anymore questions, especially if it irritated her.

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notes: sorry for the wait and the shortness, just wanted to wrap it up for you guys we can say that this is done now <3
tagged: @xena1 + Banshee
muse: medium/decent
word count: 552
status: complete.