Akihra donned a bemused look, a bit startled by the outburst of Zethrox. She had believed he would be much more patient, though it seemed that she had been wrong. Perhaps I should not have said it quite so bluntly, she wondered afterwords, careful to stifle the smirk that threatened to cross her face. She was still her sister's protege, and she knew well enough to mask emotions, even if she was not a carbon-copy of her wicked sister. It was amusing to her, however, that Zethrox was so unaware of their existence. What would he do when he learned of Tehrin and Torrah? She could not hide the twinkle in her eyes at that thought.
"I do not believe you would have known my mother. She was called Karisha, and I am a bit fuzzy on the details about her. I only knew her for about six months before she left," she explained briefly. It would be the condensed version of the story. "I am pretty sure you are familiar with my father, Ardemu. Luckily, I do not take after his looks in the least. I am my mother's daughter." She watched his expression, curious of how he would react to the news. "And before they get here, it is probably best to let you know of my brother and sister. Well, half-siblings, but related to me nonetheless. They, too, share a father." She eyeballed the alpha brute. If he had been startled by her arrival, then he would be appalled by her brother and sister. "Tehrin and Torrah are... interesting, to say the least. They take almost every feature from our father, so be sure not to let that affect your opinion of them. In fact, Tehrin will probably be most displeased that I came here without her," she winced slightly at the thought. She would hear about this later. She was sure of it.
"Now that I have answered your question, I would very much want to ask some of my own," she retorted softly, knowing well enough to remain submissive. She wanted to know about her grandfather. "All I have ever heard of you were stories from my siblings, but the twins have never met you either. I would very much like to get to know you."
The question may have seemed a bit out of place given the situation, but she was genuinely curious about her grandfather. Akihra had never had any family outside of her brother and sister, and it would be remarkable to have someone in her life. She knew who she took after - she heard it frequently growing up. Now would be her opportunity to get to know just why she heard the stories for so long.
That was the only word Zethrox could use to describe the young female before him. It was as if he were staring at a younger version of himself, although Akihra was much more sharp-tongued than he had ever been. Even in the years before his reformation, he never had the nerve to confront someone so forcefully in search of answers. For that, he admired her. However, his world was shaken when she answered his question a bit more thoroughly than he had expected. So Ardemu had pups. How interesting. How interesting, indeed, he thought sourly. This could turn out to be ugly.
What really caught his attention was the name of Akihra's sister. Tehrin... I have not heard that name in a long time. If one of the pups had to receive a family name, why could it not be that of their grandmother? I would very much have liked to see a granddaughter named Rixes. Very much, indeed, he thought forlorn. But what if the pups took after their father? If Ardemu were truly their sire, how could he know that Akihra was not just a crafty copy of her father?
"What all have you heard of me?" he inquired. Zethrox was curious what stories had been spread about him. If they were really his grandchildren, why had they not come before now? Heck, he had not even met the other two that Akihra spoke of. Maybe they were not real, and she was simply manipulating him into believing her. He would be wary of her until she gave him a reason not to be. They could not have just waited until now to come see him. There had to be a reason. And now that their father was dead, maybe there was a desire to get revenge.
But a part of Zethrox wanted to believe Akihra. She did not seem the least bit hostile, which trait he had always seen in Ardemu. She was genuinely curious about him, so why had it taken this long for her to show up? I would like to meet Tehrin and Torrah. Maybe they will be a little light on this situation, he mused with a curious look. Akihra seemed quite stoic. Were all of them like this? And were they older or younger? How long had he had grandchildren that he did not know of? There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, but he had promised her that he would answer her questions.
"Just tell me what you want to know about me, and I will try to answer your questions as best I can."
Revan listened hard. So that's who Akihra normally travels with, hmm? she thought. Tehrin and Torrah. Will they be coming here too? And is Akihra going to join our pack? A shiver of pleasure shot through her at those words.Our pack. To have a pack of her own; that had been her wish ever since she'd been chased away from her birthplace. Thinking back to her parents and siblings, she gave a silent sigh. Did she hate them? Good question. Her father? Definitely. Whenever she thought of him, a hot flame of hatred flared to life inside her, her lips would pull back, and a snarl would rise at the back of her throat. Her feelings about her mother and siblings were a bit more complex. A memory swallowed her....
Little Revan was confused. One minute the black pup was lying on the soft ground, feeling Mother's rough tongue along her back, the next, Father, tall and proud, was firmly pushing Mother aside and she was being lifted by the scruff and carried away. Looking back, she met Mother's emerald eyes with her own. There was a deep sadness in the elder female's posture. Revan's siblings sat by and buried their faces in Mother's fur. "Father?" she asked. "Where are you taking me?" But Father was silent.
Father carried her to the border. Why were they here? Father always told them to stay away from the border. He set her down. "Go," Father said. "W-what?" she asked, confused and a little frightened. "I said go."[/b] Father's voice deepened and now a hint of a growl in it....[/i]
Revan yanked herself out of the past with a physical gasp, and lurched to her feet. "D-damn," she whispered, shaking. Her breathing was fast and shallow. It took several focused minutes for the black femme to get herself under control and sagged to the ground again. Pricking her ears again, Revan refocused on Zethrox and Akihra's voices, trying to ignore the hot tears that spilled from her eyes and soaked the fur on her face.
The femme nodded to her elder. "I mostly have heard stories of you that have circulated the continent," she enunciated, "of the defeat of Ardemu, what everyone has been talking about." She sighed. Her father had been a murderer, and although she realized Tehrin idolized him, she was not at all comfortable with the lifestyle he had lived. "The three of us knew well enough to find you here as well, so it is not exactly a secret of your whereabouts. For security reasons, it may be best to keep that under wraps from now on," she instructed.
Now, it was Akihra's turn to ask the questions. "I am interested just how you came across being an alpha of this pack. Kamari has been a terrible land for many years. Why would you want to settle here?" For any other wolf looking on, the question would seem childish and pointless. But for Akihra, the answer would be enough for her to look into the mind of her grandfather. Although she was a young femme, she was crafty and manipulative as her father had been. Although she generally used her skills for good, they were also helpful when it came to getting what she wanted. Right now, it would help her figure out exactly why she wanted to come here in the first place, and be the key factor in deciding whether she wanted to stay.
"Also, I was wondering why you were so surprised to meet me. Did you not know that your own son had children?" This was a legimate curious question. Although she had been fairly sure Zethrox did not know about them, she did not underestimate him. She would allow him to put his own thoughts on the table before making a flat judgment about his intelligence. Maybe it simply had not dawned on him that Ardemu was capable of loving another. Akihra was not sure. I do not think that he could have loved mother. Otherwise, why would she leave me with Tehrin and Torrah out of fear? There is no way that a wolf like that could possibly have feelings for another.
So many questions to ask and so little time. But each answer would be like a puzzle piece in the femme's mind. Akihra was anxious to piece together what she had wondered for so long. The long months awaiting this day had brought her here, and now she would have the opportunity to truly know someone who would, hopefully, love her unconditionally. Just the way she was.
Slowly, Zethrox was realizing that Akihra was truly his kin. Despite the differences in appearance, she was a purebred eastern timber wolf, a beautiful young femme indeed. She was inquisitive and eager, but she held herself well. He could identify her position, for he had been in a similar spot not too many years ago. But what impressed Zeth the most was that she was willing to speak her mind while still holding herself in high esteem. While she was interested in his plights, she would not allow the eagerness to go further than the inquisitive nature. There was so much of himself that he could see in her, and it was truly remarkable to the elder brute.
Surely she could not be a threat to them. Zethrox would see the tell-tale signs of his son in the young one, and they were not there. In fact, he found himself drawn to her, and he was inclined to answer her questions fully and honestly. Her request to know about his pack was reasonable, and it was information he would willingly disclose to any traveler that spared a second to ask. "Well, Kamari may have a poor reputation, but it has not always been so," he chose his words carefully. "In fact, this land was once one of the most beautiful places in Anikira. I hope that, one day, it will be restored, and I am simply trying to do my part to protect it and keep any harm from coming to it again." It was not exactly a thorough answer, but he was more interested in answering her second question.
"As for you and your siblings, I did not know you existed," Zethrox admitted. "If I had known, I would have searched for you until I found you. I am very glad that nothing happened to you because of your lineage. I know many wolves would not take kindly to the children of Ardemu. But I know well enough that you are my kin, and I will not deny your birthright. Which of you is the oldest?" He was not sure whether the wolves would stay in Kamari with him, but one of them was definitely the heir to Haishin's alpha position by birthright. He would like to meet the other two before he made such an important decision. It would not be long before the brute would need to take the back seat to someone else. He had considered Terror before, but with the arrival of a blood relative, he had more options.
Zeth did not even know if the young ones would even be interested in remaining with him. After all, it had taken them this long to arrive at his humble pack, so what would possibly make them stay? It was an interesting situation, and Zethrox would do his best to manipulate the circumstances in his favor.
{OOC: I've run out of muse for this thread, so I'm taking Revan out of it. Tell me if I need to make this a full post.}
Revan got to her feet silently. So they might be getting a few new pack members. That would be nice. The conversation seemed to be turning to details that Revan didn't really need to know, and she needed to get her herbs back to the den before they dried out. Carefully picking up both fern packets, the black Tundra loped into the cold rain, heading away from the springs and the wolves talking there.
Zethrox sighed. This conversation was just going to keep going if he did not take the steps to end it now. "I suppose we should carry on this later when your siblings arrive," he suggested to Akihra. "That way, I will not have to repeat anything to them when they get around to showing up." His biggest reason was that he was simply growing tired and felt the need to sleep for some time. "You are free to stay around in Kamari. If any of the wolves give you trouble, just let them know that you have my permission to be here."
He almost snorted at the suggestion. None of the members of his pack seemed to have any regards for the boundaries of Kamari. The fact that Acarapi was in his territory without reasoning was a perfect example; he was still livid that the brute dared to set paw on his terra without asking. Sure, he got what he wanted. But Zethrox would do his best to make sure that wolf never came within five miles of Kamari if he had anything to do with it. Some wolves just never learn, he thought gruffly. The little red wolf could not have been much younger than himself, but he would still have a significant edge over the older alpha. He was deteriorating at this point, and he would not deny it any longer.
But it seemed that Tehrin, Torrah, and Akihra were the answer to his prayers. If even one of them would decide to stay with Haishin, he could name them his heir. So far, Akihra had made quite the impression on Zethrox. Maybe it was their likeness in personality, or perhaps just that she knew how to carry herself in an uncomfortable situation. Whatever it was, the alpha brute was thoroughly pleased and could not wait to meet her siblings. It would be quite the treat to greet the remainder of his grandchildren.
I just cannot believe this. Fate seems to have turned to my side, he though airily. With a blood line to succeed him in Haishin, there would not be the awkward situation of attempting to appoint someone to take over after him. Outside of the family, situations like that tended to get nasty, especially if the others did not respect the new alpha. Luckily, his grandchildren opened up another option for him. He would not dare tell them what he was thinking yet for fear of them taking advantage, but it was definitely fresh in his mind...