Actions Have Consequences

This was the last straw, she was done. Vendrussel was heartless and would rather shun who was supposed to be her own people, just to make herself feel better. She wanted to get back at her, get back at the Ford that turned their back against her in her time of need. There was one main way to do that. Northfall, the enemy of the Ford and Serenity was quickly realizing why the Ford had so many enemies. Now they had another. 

Upon leaving the Brim, the woman would walk directly onto Northfall's borders, lifting her head to howl for someone, anyone to hear her call. It was clear the woman was pregnant, beside her she carried @Gaia, though typically she let the girl sleep. She didn't want her to get caught up in this when she was still young. Sitting, she tensed herself, unsure of how these wolves would react to her.

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Freya knew the signs. Not only had she experienced them before in another life, another body and a body similar to this one, she was trained in other lives to know, too. So when she was squatting to pee more often than not and vomiting, Freya had an inkling. The feeling if neasua would hit her like the crash of waves on a sea front and she would grimace but it was not overly bad. It was too soon to tell by any swelling, the only changes so early were not the that grew her belly. She knew though that the way her stomach grew light with discomfort that it had a chance to get worse with each passing day but in the end she held comfort that it didn't matter.

Pregnant or not, the goddess knew there was no one that could compare. If only there was that trusted mirror one of the witches had given her oh so long ago, enchanted to tell her of her beauty. Freya sighed wistfully as she recalled that particular life where she had been a Queen and the Coven of the Kingdom had been at her beck and call. Oh, her Soulbound had been there too and it had been one of her favourites --

Though nothing would compare to Olympus.

Freya was brought out of her thoughts by a howl, one summoning attention. A coy smile decorated her lips as she would gracefully trot towards the source, attempting to ignore the way her stomach felt as if she might throw up again. The Goddess approached the sight of another, a female though Freya's spine didn't tense. She had nothing to worry for here. Confidently the Goddess would approach and coo, "you called?" There was a dog child in the company of the skinny wolf and Freya hummed, curious. ^^

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The woman wasn't a stranger to the nausea that seemed to follow her wherever she want. She knew it was from the pregnancy, but that didn't mean that she enjoyed it. Her stomach was swelling slightly but the pups weren't yet moving in her stomach just yet. This wasn't entirely new to her, but that didn't mean that she liked this part of the pregnancy.

Rather quickly, she noticed that her call was answered, something that she honestly didn't expect that soon. Nonetheless, she would offer the woman a smile, noticing that she was rather nice and not the big bad boogie man that Ven made her believe. "Hello, there's really no point in beating around the bush." She was tired, hungry, and not in the mood for pointless conversations. Not after the talk she just finished with her previous leader. "My name is Serenity and this is Kailani, my daughter. We got shunned by Dragonford because I'm pregnant and I refused to kill them off. Are you accepting members with children?" 

She tensed herself slightly, unsure of how the other woman would react. Though her stomach had begun to swell, the other parts of her body seemed to be skinnier then they should be. However, her daughter was healthy and full, something she always made sure of, even if she didn't eat for a day or so.

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The voice of a woman sang out over his borders- their borders, all of whom was Northfall. It was an unfamiliar voice but as he drew nearer, the scent was much too familiar. He could hear the explanation of her venture here explained. Her words were flat, matter-of-fact and the irritation edged oht into her tones.

The golden king came to stand at the Amazon Goddess side. “You are not the first to come to my home after learning Vendrussel's true nature. She conveys herself as a noble and proud woman, but she is not a good one.” He spoke, his mouth forming a tight line. A dissatisfied look on his features. But he wouldn't pity the island wolves. Their loss was his gain.

“Freya here is to be a mother of Northfall.” It was most fitting to her namesake as the Goddess, Freya. He murmurs these words as he turns to side glance at Freya, a small smile on his lips. With so many men (including himself) at her heels, keeping both her food down and others noticing her early signs was near impossible. Turning back to Serenity and Kailani, “We also have two yearlings within our walls. Children are the future of any pack and so are most welcomed.” He would give her room to speak on behalf of herself before continuing.
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the child kept her head bent down, and in her dark eyes was a worry a size larger than her own diminutive self.

mama was unhappy. the people she'd talk to as the girl cowered behind her hindlegs were mean and disagreeable. kailani felt protective over her mother, the adult so sad that her feelings had built up in her stomach and made it grow big and rotund. she wished she could pop it like a bubble, have all the bad within burst out and leave them alone - already kailani thought her own worries would make her inflate to be twice as large!

now they were again somewhere where the pup could crane her neck and see dragonford trough the mist, expect that here the chill was sharper, and the seasalt only a tingle on the wind. she wished to know what they were doing there, but mama was far too grumpy to be asked questions.

the child curled up by her parent's legs and shivered as the howl carried itself to the peaks.

-

the lady who came was huge, well-furred and pale, with dots on her muzzle and bi-colour eyes. despite having learned to keep quiet and uninvolved when the adults talked, kailani poked her head around her mama's limbs, her butt and cautiously wagging tail poking from the other side.

please, be nice to my mama.

another came. a slightly shorter mister, also pale but his eyes were like ice. she would have assumed goodwill, but she did not like how he spoke of vendrussel.

true, she made mama angry, but kailani found it hard to follow the emotional trails of the adults. aunt ven was nice to her, nice to mama - until then - why couldn't things stay the way they were?

kailani gently headbutted the inside of her mother's leg, eyes shut in an attempt to ignore the bad words adults spoke about one another.

why couldn't everyone just get along?
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dice rolls for freya's responses <3

---

She understood where the other woman came from but she did not like her tone. The Goddess appraised the other from down her nose, her bicoloured gaze twinkling with thought. Sometimes others would edit a story to fit their needs but other times, what they told was the whole truth -- which one did this woman do? Her attention slid down to the child that hid behind the womans legs. How did a dog manage to come across wolves? It was curious, certainly, but she supposed the arrival of others -- like herself -- meant that anyone could arrive here. She hadn't been a wolf through all of her lives and yet she had arrived here. Freya supposed it was no different, even for a dog.

Ragnar seemed to materialise at her side and her freckles features became amused, he certainly had some sense to arrive when he needed to, didn't he? Freya was a social creature yet with the pregnancy hormones raging within her, she found her moods fluctuating and sometimes... well, sometimes she didn't want to be the one to do all the talking. Freya's thoughts on the issues between Northfall and Dragonford were limited, not being a woman to take a side before she had all the knowledge -- being someone who had been to war herself and eventually, on different sides in different lives... she knew things were not always as they seemed.

Yet currently her loyalty was to Northfall so she had little issues with listening to Ragnar reaffirm the womans on thoughts on Dragonford. It did nothing to sway her 50/50 thoughts. A mother of Northfall and a smile on his lips, for her and Freya's own smile was one that was sure and somewhat affectionate for the King of the North. It was of no secret that Freya thrived on being number one and cherished and oh, she had been cherished -- and continuously. She felt no threat from this other mother-to-be. From any stand point.

"I will be in the Moors," she murmured to him as she flicked her tail against his flank, the flowery hills of the Moors being her favourite place to frequent. To the woman and the dog she dipped her head, "be well," the Goddess cooed before she would turn and saunter her departure. ^^

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The woman quickly caught the scent of another, a male that approached. Instantly, she would place one paw in front of her daughter, shielding her just in case everything went south. However, as the male approached and started talking, she would slowly start to relax, listening to what he had to say. After a few moments she would speak up, but not before nodding her head in farewell to the pregnant woman that found her first. 

Turning back to the man, she would sigh slightly. "All of this comes down to a simple question. Will you accept us into your pack? I understand if you have questions or reservations and I would normally be able to explain better, but as you can see, I'm not in the best of ways right now." She was hungry, tired, and hormonal. Even just having this conversation was tough.

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Can always skip ahead a few hours after they rested and ate?

---

Ragnar watches Freya leave towards the Moors. He hated to see her leave but loved to watch her go. He was unable, for long because his attention was pulled to the thin and pregnant woman standing at his doorstep with a shaken little...dog of some sort? His knowledge of domestic breeds was little but it certainly didn't look like a fox or coyote.

“You may be both welcome in Northfall, Serenity...tentively.” He adds and turns his body to the side, a silent gesture for her to follow. “I would like to speak with you in more detail when you and your child have gotten your needed rest.” He remembered when Valmua and Kuhn had arrived, where there was little room for words when the manner was dire. Serenity was moody, off put by what had happen and was a bag of tired hormones. Ragnar understood this all. He also understood that this was of no fault by Northfall and if she were to stay, she would need to gain their trust and respect.

“There is a small cache for visitors just there.” He points along the base of a certain tree. “I will not be far.”
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Small timeskip where she eats and then comes to find him.

The woman nodded slightly at his words, but still kept herself on guard. His words did little to really calm her, but she was out of options now. However, she would follow him, picking up her daughter as she offered the little girl a small, comforting smile. As she followed the man, she would remain quiet until she got to the cache, moving to place her daughter down there. She would take the time to eat and make sure her daughter had a full belly, before laying her daughter down to sleep. 

"Mama will be back." She said with a small kiss before moving to find the man again. "You wanted to speak with me?" It was clear she hadn't necessarily rested, but did take some time to eat. She didn't want to rest or relax at all until she knew she would be safe here. Even now, she refused to move out of eye sight of her daughter, always glancing back to check on her. 

"I would like to talk about everything now. No offense but I don't want to sleep until I feel safe here." She wasn't trying to be rude or offensive in saying that. She was simply unsure of her surroundings and a rogue mother against a whole pack or well trained, fed wolves would not work well for her.

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Serenity was weary of him and his group, uncertain if she could trust not only herself, but the children which she protected. Ragnar felt the exact same, for those already born and those yet not.

Serenity returns to Ragnar and when she finds him he is sitting at the treeline of the evergreen forest which bordered the eastern edges of his home. Ragnar watches should Isle wolves come looking for Serenity as a traitor, as Aarkon now was. He turns to her and silently nods his head to her question as she makes way nearer. She agreed to speak about everything and so Ragnar began...

“As I'm sure you well know we are at war with Dragonford...” But did she really know why?“ If you see them near our claim, send for help and we will fight. I'd not want you or your unborn pups injured despite this fued.”

His icy eyes shift from her and then behind her where she kept looking, likely to make sure her pup was settled wherever she had pup them to rest. “I first ask, why did you choose to come to Northfall, in knowing we were your enemy?” It was a risk, coming here. She could have been attacked- killed, smelling of Dragonford and all. Perhaps she knew she could find some sense of security given her pregnancy and child at her side. Still, why allow the risk?
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The woman stayed quiet for a moment, listening to everything that the man had to say. After a few moments, she would cock her head to the side slightly before nodding. "I know of the war, though I was never told why or any details. Vendrussel likes to keep her members in the dark on that stuff, something I didn't like while being there." Listening to his next question, she would shrug slightly, glancing off in the direction of the Isle and not looking at him. For a moment, she appeared lost in thought. "I knew it was a risk coming here. Ven gave me a place to go called Elysium. But I figured that if they were allied in any way, then my pups would be in much more danger than if I just came here. I was hoping that, considering I was never told what the war was between the two, that you would accept someone who was kicked out of there. My choices were either die of hunger or risk myself trying to find a home."

She would finally turn to look at him, her eyes glancing up and down him for a moment. "I have no problems with pulling my own weight, but I have no one. Vendrussel kicked me out and stole the man who was my soon to be pups father from me. I want absolutely nothing to do with them and as far as I care, they can rot in the water they live in." Venom was clear in her voice, hatred and hurt clear in her eyes as she spoke. Everything was still new and very much raw.

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“Vendrussel perhaps does not tell it, for fear she will loose those which may be willing to fight blindly for her otherwise.” The words are murmured on his lips. If they knew the truth of it, as @ "Aarkron" had learned it, perhaps there would be nothing much left of a pack able to hold the claim over both the islands and the Brim she so sought.

He is silent then, watching her, who looked out towards the south and the ocean there. The black rocks of the Sepulcher rising out in the gloom. “I know of Elysium. A pack far out to the east of here. Their leader is good and fair, as I have so far learned.” Though how Vendrussel had come to know them, Ragnar did not. He could only assume they had ran into the islander when on their visit here.

She explains her reasons, explains the risks. She could have chosen a home within Cloudrest but perhaps she didn't know of them. That pack was keen on staying neutral even if it meant leaving what was their allies stranded. It would have been safe for Serenity, even if not morally so.

She turns back to him, her words stinging. The true and raw pain and anger clear in her words, clear in the eyes which looked to him. Ragnar's golden ears fell and he sighs though does not turn her away. His icy eyes remained fixed on her face, a softness in his tone. “I am so sorry this has happened to you, Serenity.” Then he speaks again, firmer now and with certainty. “You are not the only one to learn the truth of Vendrussel's self righteous nature. @Aarkon was once of the Ford too and has joined us. Feel free to seek him out and know one another on these new terms.” Now that they were on the same playing field again although Ragnar didn't know if she had even met Aarkron yet before.

“Now that you are here, I will not hide the details of this war from you.” He allows. “Tensions were high when Vendrussel decided to take the island as her home but we were small, just Sindri's pups and I- we could not stop them. Then they took more. One of my young daughters had trespassed on what they now also claim as their secondary territory, the Brim. She was murdered for it. We have been treading the Brim since, trying to draw the serpent out. We won't stop until we have our vengeance.”
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The woman couldn't help but chuckle humorlessly, hearing his words. She had been lulled into a false sense of security within that pack and it was still an open wound for her. Her attention turned to the mention of Elysium, nodding slightly. Perhaps she should have tried them first, but nonetheless she was here now and Northfall had done nothing to make her feel in danger. Granted, neither had Dragonford, but she was hoping for a new chapter in her life. 

She noticed the softness in his voice and face, letting her relax slightly though staying quiet to listen to everything he said. Her body shook slightly as he spoke about what Ven did, anger clear in her face. This was what the woman that she had shared a home with hiding from her? If she wasn't pregnant, she might have gone there and attacked Ven herself. 

"I want to help." She said simply, turning to look at the man. "I may not be able to do much in my current state, but I'll do what I can for your pack." She hadn't noticed that she didn't call the pack her own, maybe because she still didn't trust anything. However, she wanted to help.

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Ragnar took note of the attention which Serenity offered to him as he spoke, first nodding and then the anger which showed on her expression there after his short story. It did not surprise Ragnar that Serenity's upcoming pups would be seen as a burden then a blessing. Raising pups was hard but having pups in the pack insured the pack's survival through the generations even if some did leave 'the nest' to venture on their own. Vendrussel had murdered one child, why not Serenity's too?

“You will be well cared for as well as your children, within Northfall's borders. I do not expect you to exert yourself, especially in your later weeks but feel free to help our medics gather or if you've the patience for it, to fish and search the beaches for crusteans.” He pauses, a thought, “Had you gotten to enjoy much fishing while on the islands?”
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The woman watched him for a moment, nodding slightly at his words about caring for them before she spoke, a small smile on her face. "Thank you, no offense to you or your pack when I say this, but it will take me a bit of time to trust you all. I thought before that I was in a pack that would take care of me only to have them stab me in the back. I hope you understand my hesitation." She would cock her head to the side slightly as she shook her head. "Unfortunately I only ever really got to fish once, though I think it would be nice to head out and explore your beach. Maybe I can bring back some crusteans for the pack." She would offer the man a smile again, her body relaxing considerably since they first began talking. 

She paused for a moment as she glanced off to where the other woman, Freya, left. "That woman from earlier, Freya, is that your mate?" She wasn't trying to pry, but she was also rather curious. The earthen woman knew she was a considerable flirt, even in her current predicament. So, she figured it was always best to find out who was taken as the last thing she wanted was to flirt with a mated man.

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“I understand.” Ragnar speaks with a nod of confirmation as Serenity mentions time needed in order to gain trust. “It is the same with any new member in our ranks. Trust and loyalty is earned.” Of course, it might take a bit more time with the former Dragonford wolves. Ragnar was willing, open and could only hope hum giving them a chance would be worth his and the rest of the pack's time and effort.

The tri-colored woman seemed to have visibly relax more since their second conversation began and she seemed happy at the thought of getting to hunt down sea food. It was far less risky then hunting the goat and ram in the mountains or taking on the caribou within the forest and out in the open tundra.

Then, she speaks of Freya. Ragnar chuckles, shaking his head side to side. “Ah, no, she is not although I admit I would not mind if she were.” He speaks through gentle laughter. “She is an otherworldly woman and I do not think it would be in her to be settled down and claimed.” Nor tamed, for that matter. @Freya was far beyond being bound by anyone or anything.
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The woman seemed to relax as he didn't retaliate towards her openly saying that she didn't trust him or his pack. Most leaders would become defensive or aggressive towards her for that. Instead, he simply accepted it and stated that he felt similarly. Chuckle slightly, she spoke up. "Thank you. Most leaders that I've met would have come at me with aggression for now instantly trusting them. You have surprised me many times during this singular encounter." She moved to get up, stretching slightly as she did so. "I have a feeling we will get along wonderfully." At his words about Freya, she would let out another soft chuckle, shaking her head. "She is quite beautiful, though I can see why she isn't one to be tied down. I only met her for a few moments but she certainly seems like a fiery woman. Though I am surprised you aren't taken." With that, she would nod her head in fairwell to him before starting to make her way back to her den. "If you need anything, you're free to come find me." It wasn't supposed to be as flirtacious as it sounded, but Serenity didn't mind. Even with a daughter and a litter on the way, she always enjoyed flirting with everyone.

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A smirk toys at Ragnar's features, his icy gaze a shimmer as he looked her over. No, they needed not trust one another with their lives in just this day they had met. But, maybe, if she were to stick with them through the long haul, especially during this war, maybe one day they could consider themselves as close.

“I think that we just might.” He agreed, smiling further as she chuckled, complementing Freya in ways surely she would be happy to hear and then retreating back towards where he young adopted daughter slumbered.

“I hope you won't stray far...” A murmur, eyes slitting as he watched her go. “I often travel, as the tundra is vast and our friends and allies at a distance. Sindri is our Regent, for when I'm gone.” Though now with Serenity and Freya pregnant, plus the yearlings, there were plenty to keep eye on the pack where their first Watcher, @Krakarak did not see.

Then, with a tip of his furry chin, Ragnar turns and leaves his newest member to her own devices.
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