Wild is the Wind [Sabaoth/open]

[Liadan]

So far the Agoge had been more or less what she’d expected, although the hardest part was yet to come. Fending for herself was tough, sure – there was nobody around to make sure you were fed if you didn’t manage to catch anything for yourself. There was nobody around to make sure she wasn’t mauled by predators, or to help her if she got hurt. But at the same time, it was perfect. It was exactly what Liadan had hoped it would be. Nothing gave her more pleasure than surviving out here on her own, pushing herself to her limits and being independent for the first time in her life. She had plenty to learn, about fighting and defending herself, but already she was happy with her ability to look after herself. It was freedom, and she revelled in it.

The same could hardly be said for her brother, Kegan, though. For his sake, and hers, she hoped their father arrived soon. Liadan was tired of worrying that she would turn around to find he’d tripped over a rock and fallen over a cliff to his death. Was this how mother felt all the time? It was a ridiculous, and she hardly even cared, but now she felt responsible for him for Roka’s sake. Despite her griping, Kegan did have his benefits. Predators were less likely to attack when she travelled with him because of his size, and he made decent shade for her to rest beneath. Plus, two hunters were better than one, even if he wasn’t as skill as she was yet. Liadan figured he’d toughen up sooner or later, one way or another, but until then he was dead weight as far as she was concerned.

This particular day, Liadan had foregone the company of her brother, at least for a little while. She didn’t want to get too attached to him or anything, in case he did die, and she didn’t want to feel like she was relying on anyone but herself. They’d parted ways early in the morning, when the sun was just beginning to creep up over the horizon, and by midday she had returned to the shoreline. A new sight awaited her there, one the likes of which she’d never seen before. The structure appeared as she made her way along the beach, the cliff face giving way to it as she crested a corner. It was…Large, and dark, and made of strange shapes. As she stepped closer, she could see that it was made out of trees, but they had been cut down and put back together. It was perplexing, but whatever it was looked in bad shape.

Naturally, the first thing she did was look inside it. The wooden structure was littered with skeletons, the flesh long since either decomposed or scavenged, but the bones were like no animal she’d ever come across before. Whatever the creatures were, they were long dead, and so Liadan payed them no mind. Instead she picked her way up to the highest point of it, almost falling off the precarious ledges once or twice, and looked out at the glistening ocean. It was a far more pleasant day than the one she had arrived on. Today the sun shone and a light sea breeze ruffled her fur. Filled with adrenaline and enthusiasm for the day, she lifted her maw, and howled triumphantly.

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Word count: 567
Notes: beep
Tags: Sabaoth / open

[Sabaoth]

After meeting the giant Xolotl upon the shores of Ina’mos, Sabaoth had departed from the beach long enough to say goodbye to Roka, and to swiftly check in on Odara before at last he had left for Vor’asa, promises to return shortly lingering upon the island. The swim had been just as long and arduous as he’d originally remembered it to be, and when at last he’d emerged on the shores of Vor’asa, he’d allowed himself a brief rest. The island was much as he’d remembered it, though currently inhabited by several young wolves – including his sons. He had wished to see Liadan before he’d left Ina’mos, but Sabaoth had been unable to find her, a memory that pulled at his lips, a frown forming upon his muzzle.

At last he’d risen from the sand, shaking the grains from his partially-dried pelt as he’d prepared to venture deeper into the territory – but a howl from his left stopped him in his tracks, his eyes narrowing to slits as his head turned sharply towards the echoing noise. It was too low pitched for any of his sons, the feisty song reminding him of a single wolf; without bothering to hesitate he was off, long strides carrying him down the beach towards the strange wreckage that lay nestled in the sand. Closer and closer he drew to the landmark, his gaze lifting to find the source of the howl, which appeared to be a diminutive creature perched atop one of the remaining beams. And sure enough, as Sabaoth came to a halt at the base of the structure, he recognized the pelt that was so similar to his own – and the vivid emerald eyes.

”Liadan.” The word slipped from his tongue as he gazed up at her, unsure if he should be angry or amused. Briefly he wondered if Roka had known her daughter was leaving; if she had, she had neglected to mention it to him, and now Sabaoth knew why he had been unable to find his daughter upon Ina’mos. It was because she had already left. For a long moment he stood staring up at her, his posture and expression betraying nothing. And while the lack of knowledge concerning the fate of his own daughter was certainly irritating, the brute found that he could not bring himself to be angry with her. She had always been so very feisty; truly he should have anticipated that she would wish to participate in the agoge. He had been foolish to not think of it.

”I’m surprised to see you here. But then again, I shouldn’t be, should I?” He asked, a single ivory-touched brow rising as he took a step back to see her better, his head shaking just slightly. ”I suppose even if I had told you no, you would have come regardless. Nevertheless, it is good to see that you are doing well, my daughter. How are you liking the agoge so far?” And damn his soft heart, for Sabaoth could not fight the ghost of an amused and pride-tinged smirk that sprang to his maw.

TAG: Liadan
WORDS: 510
NOTES: awh < 3

[Liadan]

For as long as she could remember, Liadan’s sights had been resolutely set on the Agoge. For months she’d planned her departure; psyching herself up, deciding how she’d tell her mother and father that she would be leaving, deciding how to rebut whatever arguments they made to get her to stay. The same thoughts had been churning over and over in her mind as she obsessed over the possibilities of rejection, or disappointment, or even betrayal. But when it came down to it, none of that had been necessary. Roka had accepted her decision immediately, and as for her father, well… Liadan had never actually gotten around to that. She’d figured that he’d find out sooner or later. Whether mother told him, or whether he found her when he swam here himself – it meant he’d have to accept it. There was no way he could force her to go back now that she was here, unless he dragged her, kicking and screaming, by her scruff back into the roiling waves.

Now, though, she had a new task to commit to, the one thing she had neglected to consider as she fretted about her parents: how to obtain the egg.

No doubt her brother’s would use either brute force or sheer dumb luck, but Liadan was neither very strong nor very lucky. Her tactics would have to be a little different if she hoped to steal an egg, but despite the odds, she had no reservations about achieving the goal. One way or another, the egg would be hers. A little training certainly wouldn’t go amiss, but that great ass Olympus had been little help in that area, and she refused to go crawling back to him after his arrogant little show of dominance toward she and Kegan. Emerald eyes slid closed as she basked in the warm rays, contemplating her next move. Perhaps Kegan would be willing to spar with her, or at least let her use him as target practise. He wasn’t good for much else.

“Liadan.”

Her eyelids shot open, half-surprise and half-excitement causing her to wobble dangerously on the plank of wood, her paws scrabbling for purchase on the strange object even as half of her body slid off it. “Father!” she exclaimed, trying and failing not to look like an idiot as she lower half of her body flailed wildly beneath the beam. The splintered wood pierced her delicate paws and the flesh on her forelegs and chest, the sharp pain made even worse by her wriggling against it. It took all the upper body strength she had to heave herself back up to safety, and then all the personal strength she had to look her father in the eye after such a display.

As calmly as she could, Liadan picked her way down from the high beam, landing carefully and calculatedly on each lower plank of wood to be sure she wouldn’t fall, ignoring the throbbing pain from splinters and cuts along the underside of her fore-body. Stupid, she chided herself. Maybe she should have stayed at home after all, if only to save her the embarrassment of failing at such simple tasks.

When she reached the soft sand, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “You caught me by surprise…” she mumbled to her father, looking sheepishly at her feet as she regained her balance. But when she looked up, some of her embarrassment faded; replaced with gladness at his arrival. His words were not as disapproving as she’d expected, which further boosted her confidence, and a small grin tugged at her lips at his words. If anything, he sounded as if he was trying very hard to hide his pride.

“I’m surprised that you’re surprised, father,” she said, screwing up half of her face so that she could see him through the glare of the sun. “Did you really think that I was going to let you have all the fun over here?” Liadan supposed that ‘fun’ was a stretch, but so far she’d relished the time spent away from her island home. It would’ve been even better if she didn’t have to keep running into her brothers every so often, but Vor’asa was large enough that they could all go about their business without getting on her nerves constantly.

At his inquiry, Liadan cocked her head and considered whether to tell half of the truth or all of it. “I love it,” she replied. “I’d like it more if I were alone, though. I’ve seen more of my brothers here than I did growing up. And that…” Liadan remembered the black wolf who’d attacked her, and how he far outranked her. Reluctantly, she bit back the spew of insults in her throat that desperately wanted out. “That…Olympus. I ran into him, as well. I haven’t had the chance to do much yet; I’ve just been surviving, I suppose. Avoiding certain death as best I can.” Her gaze fell upon him once more, sharp canines parting in a sincere smile. Hopefully he wasn’t having second thoughts about letting her run riot out here, but she knew that despite his gruff exterior, a part of him was proud of her for coming so far.

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Word count: 871
Notes: Dammit who let Liadan out on her own. She's an embarrassment to her family
Tags: Sabaoth

[Sabaoth]

Sabaoth watched with thinly veiled amusement as Liadan started at his voice, scrambling quite ungracefully as she nearly toppled from the beam she rested upon, barely managing to pull herself upright before descending to meet him. And yet when she came to stand before him, he ensured that all traces of his amusement were wiped from his features, instead replaced with flickering warmth and curiosity. He did not wish for her to feel as if he was laughing at her, and though he was tempted to ask her if she was already, to be the doting father he’d been in the past, he didn’t. She’d made a statement by making the swim to Vor’asa all on her own; she’d proved how strong she was, and Sabaoth would not diminish her accomplishments by coddling her or appearing to laugh at her.

”You caught me by surprise…”

”It seems as if I did,” he mused, and only then did Sabaoth allow the tiniest smile to pull at his muzzle as he looked at her. ”You’ll have to be careful about that here. There are many creatures who would like to take advantage of any inopportune moment. Though, you were very wise to rest so high up. Far out of reach of others.” It was not often that he offered praise, and so Sabaoth allowed it a moment to sink in before he considered the rest of her words concerning her brothers and Olympus – who, judging by her tone, she was already having a rough time with.

”I suppose you’re right. I shouldn’t be surprised. Especially to her that your brothers are already irritating you. I believe you inherited my general disdain for company.” He grinned. ”And Olympus…well, I trained him during his agoge, and so he will have much to teach you. He’s a very capable brute – even if he does irritate you.” The last bit was partially teasing, for he was easily able to read his daughter, even when she did not always say exactly what she was thinking.

”But you seem to be doing very well so far. You haven’t been mauled by an opponent or gored by a Kudu, so that’s a plus. Do you have shelter? A reliable water source?” He quirked a brow as he waited, fighting down the pinprick of anger that rose within him at the thought of someone attempting to harm her. He could not show it now, however – he would only show pride and practicality as he attempted to train and assist her. ”What are you hunting? There are many large creatures here, but there are smaller gazelles and antelope like creatures that you might do well with. You’ll also want to consider how you’re going to get your egg, in the end. The moas are huge and travel in packs, but they’re not quite as vicious as the eagles. You don’t have the size that the others have, but you’re smart and swift, so you’ll want to use that to your advantage.” It was a bittersweet moment, he realized, to stand and speak with his nearly grown daughter as if she were a soldier as opposed to his own young.

TAG: Liadan
WORDS: 528
NOTES: WOW SAB U BIG SOFTIE

[Liadan]

The small praise that her father offered had her heart swelling with pride, had her fighting to keep a broad, radiant grin from splitting her face. That he’d managed to find a positive amidst her clumsiness was testament to why she loved him so much – anyone else would have scorned or mocked her for it. The hulking form of Olympus popped into her mind, body shaking with laughter at her mistake, but she shoved the thought away roughly. It didn’t matter what he thought of her, or even what her father thought of her, though she knew she would always care what he thought regardless. “I’ll be more careful in future,” she promised, her tone serious despite the glow of excitement that radiated from her.

As her father spoke of her brothers and the Centurion who attacked her, Liadan attempted to stifle a derisive snort, though it was once again a relief to hear that her father wouldn’t berate her for her contempt for the males. Not only did he not scold her, but he seemed to empathise with her. Curiosity tugged at her, titling her head to the side for her. Liadan knew that her father was the standoffish sort, even if he’d never acted like that toward her, but she hadn’t realised that he actively disliked the company of others. She’d only ever seen him completely involved in the lives of she and her brothers, seemingly enjoying their company. Perhaps she had also inherited the exemption of family from this rule, even if hers only extended to her parents and not her brothers.

There’s a lot of things I don’t know about you, father, she realised suddenly, the reasons for her recent anger with him springing to the forefront of her mind.

Sabaoth spoke further of Olympus, but Liadan was sick of thinking about him. “In that case, I won’t need his help. You can teach me everything you taught him instead, and he’ll be free to patronise whoever else he pleases.” A shadow passed across Liadan’s face, the clouds above briefly blocking out the glare of the sun. She glanced up with a scowl, the cold gripping her temporarily, before the wind brushed them aside and the warmth of the sun’s rays once again flooded her pelt. Looking back at her father, still frowning slightly, she listened attentively as he continued – this time questioning her on her success so far.

“I’ve mostly been eating those little – ah – what are they called again? Javelina? They’re small but they travel in herds, so sometimes I can catch more than one at once. They’re fast, too, but so am I,” she announced matter-of-factly. Liadan would never be the size of her brothers, she had come to accept this, but she could use her stature to her advantage instead. “I tried to catch an Aardvark but they’re slippery little buggers and it escaped before I could snap its neck,” she groused, displeased that she had to admit failure to her father, but she was confident that she would be able to catch another soon. “Ke and I found a large pool of fresh water hidden within the dunes, and there’s fish there, too.” Liadan swallowed nervously and glanced away, momentarily unable to meet her father’s eye. It wouldn’t do for him to know about her nearly drowning. If Kegan hadn’t been there… “And I’ve made a makeshift den near the lake – in a hollow at the foot of a tree in a small grove. It’s just big enough for me, and the roots disguise the opening. I’ll relocate in a few days just to be safe,” she added, nervously searching her father’s expression for an assessment of her progress.

The decision he presented to her had been weighing on her own mind recently, and she was fairly sure she’d reached an answer. Between hunting and resting, Liadan had been observing the moas and the eagles from a distance, careful to remain undetectable in the shrubbery that she used for cover. The moas were less intelligent, but there was more chance of her being caught in the act of stealing due to their travelling in packs. The eagles were equally intimidating, but she’d only have one to keep an eye out for. “I’ll go for the eagle egg,” she said, and though she was fairly sure of her decision, there was uncertainty in her voice in case her father disagreed. “I think I’ll have a better chance of snatching one while it’s mother is away hunting. Plus, they’re smaller, and solitary, and I’d rather take my chances outrunning one of them than an entire pack of Giant Moas.” Liadan wondered how her father felt about her talking so casually about facing such danger. He’d always been protective of her, but she couldn’t let that hold her back. It would be good for him to learn that he couldn’t always be there to save her, too.

“And, despite what you’ve seen today, I’m quite good at climbing, so reaching their nest shouldn’t be a problem.” She grinned at her father, allowing the jest to break the anxiety she felt about her father’s verdict.

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Word count: 860
Notes: sorry this took so long! <3
Tags: Sabaoth