We want you home in one piece now

 Night came across The Elk's Crown with a vengeance. The clouds were angry, sending waves upon waves of water down into the forest and pelting the elk within with water. She watched them passively, crouched amongst the vegetation within the Exalted Grotto. She had found the sinkhole shortly after the rain had began and, seeing it as the closest thing to protection from the weather that she knew of, had slipped down the hill and found a soft spot against one of the rock walls.

 So far her time here in her new pack seemed fair. There was some level of nervousness about her coat and other strange physical attributes, she figured, but so far nobody had come to attack her or chase her away.

 The queen herself had brought her in with open arms, giving her a rank at their first meeting. It was a job, like any other - with roles that were more of the same. For now, in peacetime, she was here to hunt, to protect, to mingle?

 The elk that grazed in the rain nearby were not prey. Not according to the laws of the land - her new Queen had made it very clear that not a hair was to be touched on any regular elk, though she had noted that the woman appeared to slip between elk and deer so frequently that she was unsure if she knew of the difference. In the end, she figured that in the eyes of the law of the land, elk and deer were the same so neither should be eaten.

 So she turned her passive eyes from the herd on to the depths of the grotto, wondering if anyone else would find the hole as a safe place to avoid the lightning and rain.

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Remus didn't mind the rain. 

As it poured down across Elkshire, even now he kept watch.  Now would be the ideal time to invade if another band of scoundrels decided to encroach.  Clinging to itself and matted together Remus' fur was completely soaked.  His mood was no better.  The guard had spent many quiet days on the periphery of the shire, wondering what he was doing here.  Was he really putting his life to good use here?
His fantasy about serving the righteous in this place had been crushed, since witnessing the true side of elkshire:  their alliance with the nightwalkers, the true nature of Celenes, the lack of a better vision.

Tonight, he would take a rest.  So he made his way into the cave, for once unaware, shoulders drooping.
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 Amidst the scents that pervaded the grotto came a much fresher one and she looked up, spotting a familiar, albeit not overly friendly face. She didn't know of his distaste for her so she simply thought of him as neutrally as any other. After all, he was a fellow Elkshire, a fellow Bearbuck. There was no reason, in her mind, to dislike the man.

 So, when he came shuffling out of the water and into the grotto, his shoulders hunched and his mood clearly sour, she rose to greet him.

 “Ho, Remus,” she called, approaching him and glancing at the rain before turning her attention back on the man with the drooping shoulders. To be rained on was never a pleasant ordeal, especially not such a powerful storm. “All's well?”

 If the pack's two Bearbucks were cornered by the storm, she wondered if it was her duty to rise and go out into the night, to let Remus rest while she took night shift. It had not been ordered of her and indeed it seemed that their roles as protector weren't very commonly called on, but it was still the first that came to her mind. She glanced again at the rain, as if to ask if she should go, though she truly didn't wish to.

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As soon as she called to him, he sprung to attention, his posture ready for a threat.  Only a moment later, he realized it was Meissa, the other guard. She had tended to Celenes so closely. As he relaxed his posture returned to that of a professional, leaving no trace of his downtrodden mood.  

"...Meissa",  He replied with a mild nod.  His eyes traveled from top to bottom of her body, observing.  She was not very wet... He did not care, he could not expect such a level of devotion to a nonexistent cause.  Besides, even he himself was resting in a storm like this. 

While shaking out his coat, he thought of Meissa and her devotion to the queen, remembering their previous encounter. It spurred a question, "Why are you here?" 

He stared deep into her eyes, patiently awaiting her answer.  His own eyes, sunken and cold, as if viewing a glorious and sorrowful battle in his minds eye.
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 She watched him, uncertain. She knew very little of her fellow guard except for the fact that he seemed to... close everything off inside. He didn't show emotions, except for flashes of annoyance or otherwise. To see him so downtrodden, even if he masked it when he recognized her, was strange to her.

 The man said her name and looked her over and she chewed on her teeth slightly, a bit uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

 He asked why she was here and she considered the question briefly. Did he mean why was she here in this cave, or why was she in Elkshire, or why was she on this plane that the world had spat her out onto? She decided to go for the first and figure he would clarify if he wanted to know something else. “Patrolling - the rain started so I decided to shelter in the Grotto and observe the herd.” She would indicate with a point of her nose out to where a scattered few still remained, mostly unperturbed by the canines. “Still learning the land.”

 “Why? - Everything alright?” Had she missed some call, perhaps a meeting? She assumed at some point there would be an announcement for the pups but she was sure she would have heard the call, even in this rain.

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He would have loved to open up to her, the counsel of a comrade in arms was always a great boon.  But, she seemed to take his question in the more professional fashion herself.  She couldn't be blamed for that.  Times where dangerous and consolidation of power was imminent.  

Seeing that his gaze caused discomfort, he couldn't help but feel like she was defending her honor to someone to someone of higher experience.  It was not unlike an answer a recruit might give, yet he would not doubt her combat prowess based on this.

Lightning cracked, momentary lighting the shelter as it ripped behind the treeline, lighting the horizon with an otherworldly boom.   Remus did not flinch.  "Everything is well", he answered calmly.  Turning to gaze out at the rain, Remus continued,  "We all want something to die for, tell me Meissa, do you have a vision?"
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 Perhaps, given time, the two would indeed open up to one another. There was nothing she longed for more than friendship and camaraderie but that required time and trust. She did not distrust him for being himself, but there was an inherent nervousness tied to her vision of any man. At least, until she had the chance to get to know him and learn to trust that he would not simply turn on her, discard her the moment she became useless to his ideas of growing a kingdom.

 Wait, what?

 With a start, she realized that she was projecting something from far beyond the sea that had spat her out. Yet, she had already met at least one man who desired to hurt her, demanding exchange and causing her to flee. Meissa didn't want that again, didn't want to have this fear within her. She wanted to be able to trust and make friends and not just believe they would abandon her.

 She shook it off. This was not the time for pointless introspection.

 “I once had a vision,” she said, at first unsure but then certainty filled her gaze. Yes. She had a vision, a queen who she would have died for. There was a certain pain behind her eyes. “I failed. Then the sea sent me here, to this strange land. If there is a vision for me, I hope to find it here.” It was not meant to be lifting herself up, acting the all so special knight who would follow her new queen to the grave. Perhaps she would - it was her duty, after all. She had failed in her duty in her past life and she felt like this was a new chance.

 The woman sighed, then straightened up, determined. “I will not fail again.”

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Remus got the feeling that they were not so different.  Both soldiers clinging to any banner they could fight for, yet to proud to sell their services.  She appeared to want the same thing that he did, a better vision, something worth dying for.  --Perhaps they where both fools--  

As the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled, Remus could once again see her illuminated out of the corner of his eye, a split tongue and tail, a ring. Others would consider it odd, though Remus figured it irrelevant, she appeared to have the soul of a warrior, it was practically dripping from her maw as she spoke passionately.  Though she couldn't see it the battle hardened wolf cracked a small smile looking into the rain, masked by the darkness. For a rare instance he was pleased. Though she seemed a but Naïve,  Remus was happy that he had found a kindred spirit here.  In that moment, she had his utmost respect.

Based on what she said the he figured the female warrior would throw herself at Celenes.  In fact, he had observed as much. So he offered some open ended advice, "Stay true to your vision Meissa, don't compromise, don't settle"
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 They sat in silence for a moment, the lightning illuminating the herd as night continued to envelop the forest in its embrace. Her eyes slowly grew used to the dark, though with every flash it appeared that night vision would come no sooner. The moments that the light allowed her to see, he was in her periphery but looking out into the forest as she was.

 The herd was moving on, searching for better shelter no doubt.

 He spoke again and she listened, eyes flicking over to his shadowy form. She gave a soft grunt of agreement, then pondered the meaning.

 Don't settle?

 She considered her past, her endless motion. She couldn't remember everything, but she knew she had never had the chance to really sit and breathe. Even when her life had been stripped from her, she had continued to work, trying so hard to bring Eve, her queen, back. Even when the wolves who had taken her place had mocked every effort. Her wings had been clipped and yet she had struggled against the wind.

 I never do.

 Then she pondered the man before her - closer to a veteran of the pack than she but not too much older. Had he been a warrior, in his past life? No doubt, he was clearly experienced in at least the atmosphere though none of them had yet been forced to show their prowess at their chosen careers. “Do you have a vision?”

 How similar were they?

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With a long exhale, the breath of Remus met with the cold air. "There is a place... a shining light, ruled by the just, an empire so vast, its claws span across the land. There will come a day when a great ruler will step forth to claim their mantle. What they will achieve with their people, will bring envy to even the gods. A true land of justice and peace, paved with the blood of warriors. Where the wicked shall be torn to bloody shreds. "

The thunder once again rolled, lighting the heavans.

"I will to serve that ruler..."

The rain continued to pour, and the wolf sat in silence.
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 His statements would be met with silence as the soldier listened, lips shut. He spoke of lights, of vast empires. A future ruler? She wondered if what he spoke of would have been considered blasphemy or treason in the eyes of the queen - and then realized that if or if not, it would not matter. He spoke in hypotheticals, of visions of the far future. If he were to find this new leader, then surely it would be in every wolf's best interests to follow?

 It was a fanciful tale that she wished she could long for.

 “Then let us hope this great ruler comes soon,” she murmured, “There is far too much wickedness in this world.” For how early her life in this land, it seemed no different from the last. Full of skeevy men and women who claimed what was not theirs. Ambition had its place, but when there were too many ambitious wolves in one place, there was sure to be bloodshed.

 She looked back at his silhouette in the shadows. “This empire... was it your birthplace or how did you learn of it?” Perhaps it was just lucky thinking but she couldn't help but be curious. She meant to ask if it was in the mythology of his birthplace. Meissa had heard of places that did that, that had prophecies of grand futures, but she could remember no such stories in her own childhood.

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Her question caught him. It was a question he didn't exactly know the answer to. A long drawn inhale began a length of silence as he thought it over. 

How did he know of this place, this empire?

After a moment of lengthy thought, it came to him with a voice dripping with conviction, "Its a place I hold burning in my heart."  Remus himself was surprised by his answer, it was vague, yet somehow expressed his answer to the question.  The truth was: he didn't have much of a memory of where he was before he was here.  He only knew he was a soldier, a guardian. 

His thoughts turned back to his fellow warrior.  The answer she gave of her vision was guarded.  Remus could understand this, it was in their nature.   So he once again asked, "Meissa-- what is your vision?"
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 So, a place brought from beyond but unsure of the origins? She could respect that. Her own memory of the past was flooded enough to know just how muddled it could be. Not to mention, she was lucky. Some wolves had no memory of their pasts at all. In a way, she wished that was her case. Having memories but murky, like looking through glass? It was awful.

 Her dreams were clearer than her memories.

 Then he turned to her and asked once more: What is your vision?

 She chewed on it for a long moment, thinking. “I can't tell you for my vision for this place, I haven't found it yet.” But. “But my vision for the time before? Her name was Eve, she was my queen, my everything.” Her eyes had returned to the shadows of the forest. “I loved her.”

 She sighed. “Forces out of my control - other packs, stronger ones. They took her from us. My pack's new 'leaders'...” This was said with derision, as anger was already filling up her chest and clawing at her throat. She saw flashes of this - the capture. The three shapes that mocked her request. Being chained up and finally escaping by tearing the throat of a human out. “They didn't care. To them, she was a threat - my loyalty to her was a threat. They refused the resources to look for her, so I looked for her alone.” She was lost, lost to the wind. Captured first by the pirates that sold herself and the rest of the party to a pack of humans and their dogs - and then sold Eve to a place they would not say. “She was beyond my reach.”

 A place Meissa could not find.

 A place Eve had surely died.

 She shook her head, trying to clear it. “I suppose... that is why I work so hard. It's all I have.” All that could distract her from her overwhelming failure. Perhaps that was the sin that caused her white coat, as Celnes said? Her failure, for surely that was in itself a sin, if there was such a thing.

 Enough? She wasn't sure why she had spilled everything to this man who had before only shared glares, but she supposed it was right, given what he had said of his vision.

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So she had tasted the bitterness of defeat, and lost her queen. Remus could only imagine what this would feel like: ultimate defeat, losing your everything. He took a long moment to let the thoughts roll over.

"I'm sure she was... truly admirable." Remus said, doing his best to console. "I'm sure she walks with you, even now." His eyes wandered to the sky, watching the rain fall from the heavens.

It was the best he could do to try to comfort his fellow warrior. What he said he meant, he figured someone like her would have chosen a great queen.
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 It was true that her defeat had been long and painful, something she struggled against without hope of relief for so long. She sighed, noting a small hush of steam escape her lips as she did so - the night was settling in on itself. The cool air here was much gentler than the heat of the desert and she enjoyed it, despite herself.

 Was he... trying to console her?

 The soldier looked at him quietly, giving a soft nod to his statements despite his eyes not being on her. “She was.” she too looked to the sky. “She was the only one who didn't just look at me as a burdensome abandoned child.”

 What pained her more than that was that she couldn't picture her face. Sure, she could remember the softness of her fur, the gentle but commanding way she moved... but her facial features were gone. The colour of her eyes was gone. As if looking through the rain, through a fog that masked and warped.

 Despite everything, her efforts had been in vain.

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Her whole story was full of pain. Pain wasn't something that a warrior would be afraid of. Yet, this type of pain, the kind extracted from failure was the worst of all.

Remus wasn't sure what to say, but could imagine the feeling. The rain slowed a bit, changing from an all out pour to that of a steady beat.

"Stay strong Meissa, your life has a purpose even now." With that, the soldier stepped back into the rain. He would continue his vidgalence. Remus turned to look at Meissa before taking a step back into the storm.
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 Pain was all that Meissa had known for a long time.

 He offered some final words of comfort and she responded, “Thank you,” before watching him go, leaving back into the rain. He looked at her and she dipped her head before turning and making her own way back to the spot she had been using as her nest. She circled herself there twice before curling up, tails hooking over her nose. There, her eyes closed.

 God, emotions were exhausting.

---

Done!

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