Health of a Lupine

[Alwine Daye]

Alwine was nervous. It was a rare emotion for the diminutive woman to ever feel. Anxiety. What a dreadful thing. She had returned to Geonosis as soon as she heard from Madalena; another Lupine had been found. They were not the last.

How many times? How many times had she told Gerwald that it was impossible that the Lupines were extinct save for the Var-Dervelds and the Lechners? She had seen while growing up and trained to be a silent servant how happily men spread their seed as though it did not matter where they would father offspring. How happily women would spread their legs for men who were not their husbands. No. With the Lupine gene being dominant and turning every offspring of a Lupine into a Lupine as well, it was not possible at all for there not to be Lupines anymore.

And then that call had come. Scherezade, or Madalena as she was now with the false memories, was a woman that even with very little contact kept the youngest of the Lechner siblings on her feet. She had only spent an afternoon with her, and a handful of days later she'd received the communication from the woman who no longer held the memory that she had constructed a key that would save the known families of the Lupines – she'd found a Lupine. Entirely by accident, but she had done it.

Alwine had been unable to drop everything and come rushing. So Gerwald had done it in her stead. Gewald, who insisted on listening to the words of the auflaque and had not believed there were other Lupines as well. Her precious brother, so lost in the lies and gilded cage he had built for himself. Gerwald, her brother who had constructed danger around himself without even realizing it. But Alwine would always cover for her brother, despite the horrible things he had done. And she would never let him rest. Not as long as he continued to be with the auflaque.

But right now, there as something that would be more important than that, at least for the next little while. The new Lupine. The feral Lupine. The Lupine that, Alwine had easily summarized, would need the help of a new potential pack.

The Eternal Empire-issued transport landed on Geonosis and Alwine wasted no time as she gathered her things and headed out. She had the Lechner ship to reach, she had that new Lupine to see and hopefully… To help.

Alwine did not believe in the gods that they had been raised to believe on Stewjon. But as she walked towards the Lechner ship, heart pounding, she prayed. She prayed for the wellbeing of the new Lupine female, she prayed that she would be able to manage a healthy and helpful relationship with her, she prayed that the Lupine would not disappear in short order. She prayed… She prayed that his new female would be the first of many, and that Alwine would be able to help her out.

[member="Redd"]

 

[Redd]

Wind ruffled her fur as the red wolf streaked through green foliage. The sun occasionally shone through the trees as they moved and creaked with the wind, only to dapple the earthy ground under her paws. The sun was darkening and the wolf could not wait to return back to the village after her run to go for a moonlit run with her alphas and the other blood bonded soldiers. However as she ran it didn’t seem as if she could get there, it was as if the land was shrinking away until it snapped into sharp focus around her. The village was on fire. Wolves all around her snarled and the screams of people echoed in her ears. In the middle of the carnage laid her parents bodies and suddenly the full grown wolf was that cub all over again. Howls pierced the blood red sky and she realised that it didn’t come from another wolf but herself, as it was a single howl, not plural as she had once thought.

Then she felt the biting pain as a lightsaber cut through…

A scream parted lips as she jolted upright and awake in what seemed to be a bed in a small room and she heaved in a sharp breath as a bead of sweat rolled down the pale skin of her forehead. Redd lifted a hand to wipe it away and moved bare legs over to the edge of the bed so then they dangled while she sat. Howls of former packmates still echoed within her ears as the hand that wiped away the bead of sweat, lifted to grasp at red locks within pale fingers. Being in this form was disorientating and right now it was even more so. For so many years she had lived as a caged wolf; fighting, killing and she had almost forgotten what it had been like to walk on two legs rather than four. However, being in this form was necessary to communicate to those who didn’t understand the language of wolves. At least, that was what her mother had called it.

A sudden pang of loss was felt deep within and suddenly she had to get out of this contraption. This ship. Air, she needed air, fresh air and a form naked form slipped out of bed onto unsteady two legs. Using the wall for support, the red headed woman made her way out of the small room and into the corridor. The small, malnourished frame made her way down the corridor, not really sure as to where she was going; she just knew that she had to find a way out, but where was the exit?

Steel grey eyes searched for another door and as she found one, she opened it only to realise that it was only another room and so the search was on. The search to find the exit. How people lived in such things baffled the wolf. For many years she had longed for the open world of nature. The trees, the grass. The sound of the wind as it made the leaves above her head rustle in a peaceful harmony. A stagger of her feet had her reaching out to catch herself upon the wall again as she drew in another breath. Weak, she was weak from hunger and lack of sleep. Redd couldn’t do much about her sleep, but maybe she could find some food once she managed to find her way around the ship and out into the open.

Memory called to her, a memory of her pack playing in the sun. Even the adults partook in play, it was vital. Play, touch, loyalty and strength. Touch was another thing that Redd had been starved of while in captivity. Her pack had hugged, laughed and given each other a touch of a hand here or there to give the other a sense of belonging. A sense that they were not alone. For lone wolves had a habit of turning feral, of going rogue and forgetting who they were, who family and friends were. Touch was integral for keeping a fellow Lupine grounded and Redd was not at all grounded. She had struggled against the pull of turning rogue for years and instead used her parent’s death as an anchor, to keep fighting. As the last of her pack, she had a duty to make sure that it survived. At least, it was a duty to make sure that she would not always be the last of her pack. She thought to herself as she leaned her pale form against the wall of a corridor.

[member="Alwine Lechner"]

​

 

[Alwine Daye]

Her prayers continued as she marched through the dock yard, working hard to keep herself from breaking into a run to reach the Lechner ship. It the Lupine female was there and awake, it would not do to stress her out. Alwine covered the details of what she'd been told thus; that the Lupine female had been held captive for years, her entire pack slain.

Alwine had gone through a similar ordeal, though she had to face it in her human shape. She knew that lack of shift could affect a Lupine in negative ways. To not shift from human to wolf brought it on earlier, but she could imagine that the other way around caused more subtle damage that took longer to realize. It was merely a theory though; she had not exactly spent months in a wolf without changing, nor did she know anyone else who did. Regardless, it was not an easy predicament to be in. Being a prisoner changed parts of you, altered the way you saw the outside and the people who walked it. Alwine's trials had only gone on for a few months. What would a few years have done?

Such were the thoughts on the nineteen year old's girl as she pressed her hand against the pad to open the door to the ship.

Immediately, the smell of another Lupine assaulted her senses in the sweetest possible way. No amount of drink would have been able to keep it out of her nostrils. Despite her worries, Alwine's mouth curled into a little smile. She let her bag drop to the ground as she followed the scent through the corridor, chocolate brown eyes immediately landing on a naked woman with red hair. The Lupine female. Naturally, the one with the red hair was taller than her. It was not a hard thing to achieve though; Alwine stood at a mere five feet, and had to stand up straight to reach the last millimeters of it.

She permitted herself a glance at the woman. Malnourished, underweight, probably hungry. A more extreme version of what Alwine had looked like when she was freed of Stewjon, with less broken bones.

Alwine wanted to hug the woman, to bury her nose against her skin and inhale her Lupine scent. But she held back. She would do nothing of the kind unless invited or being told that she was permitted to do it.

"Hello," she greeted the female with a smile that she hoped was friendly, "I am Alwine."

The nudity was another thing. Alwine was proud of her body and had no qualms about walking naked, but not everyone in the galaxy, or even within the Confederacy, viewed the matter in the same ways. But hey were aboard the ship now, and they had privacy.

"Would you like clothes to wear?" she asked carefully, "I could take mine off if not, if that would make you feel more comfortable." And then there was the matter of feeding the female. She needed food. A lot of it. "Are you hungry?" came the question, "will you allow me to give you food? I can give you food that would suit you in your human shape, and I can give you food that will suit you in your wolf shape. I…" Alwine almost stumbled. How did you make one comfortable after years of torture and then being awake and naked in a strange place? "I am happy that you have been found and freed," she said, at last, "one cannot imprison or tame a wolf and get away with it."

[member="Redd"]

 

[Redd]

Thin silvery scars wrote a story along her bare back, but the scar that stood out the most, was the raised skin along her shoulder which looked like it had been done by a bite. The woman had been bitten by a large German Shepherd in her first few months of captivity. Had almost died from shock and blood loss. It was the adjustment and grief that had really dragged her down into the depths of hell, which in turn saw that she survived her first near death experience and forged the wild wolf. One that saw events more through the eyes of a wolf than that of a human. Her father used to joke to her mother about how much the wolf was so close to the surface, that they could almost see it reflected in the golden green depths of her eyes, however her mother had also known that Redd could feel emotions just like any other Lupine.

Steel grey slowly shifted to golden green eyes as she scented the incoming Lupine and she barely had enough time to look up before she noticed the small woman as she made her way down the corridor. Redd was definitely taller than Alwine as she had introduced herself as, but right now she was tired and hungry. Which the other one clearly knew about, however this Alwine smelled slightly similar to Gerwald but not exactly like him. It was at this point that she deduced that they were related somehow. It was the blonde hair that reminded her of her mother even though they looked nothing alike. Although it was at this point that she realised that the other woman had stopped speaking as if she was waiting for her to speak.

Right. Words.

A roll of her jaws had lips parting for a moment before she dared to try to speak, but it was not words that she spoke. Instead, her lips closed as she shifted from her position against the wall to move towards the other Lupine. Two hands rose and should Alwine allow it; she placed them upon the other woman’s shoulders and she leaned in to bury her nose into the crook of the woman’s neck to drawn in her scent. A greeting that the Lupines in her pack used while in human form to greet other unknown wolves. Redd took a step back then, “My name is Redd, Redd of the Snowfire pack.” A pack that was no more, but lived on within her blood. A frown knotted her brow then as she processed the woman’s words.

The Lupine was rather comfortable in her naked form, never had she felt the need to cover up or be modest. Her pack had not always seen nudity as something other than natural. Skin privileges was something else altogether. However, her pack had always been mindful that clothes had to be worn, due to the humans within their pack who felt uncomfortable by constant nudity. “I can wear clothes if that is what you prefer, but I-I do not have any. I would like food more though. I’m… Hungry.” Yes, she was hungry. Hunger had been more of a friend to her than anything else, but over the past few hours, she had found that there were many different kinds of people.

It confused her because she was no longer sure as to who was her enemy. Lupines were not her enemy just yet and they hadn’t really given her a reason to show that they were her enemy, but they were not her pack. Besides, although she was ‘free’ of the slavers, Redd still felt trapped within the confines of the ship. She felt trapped by the walls of the ship and it took everything in her willpower to not run. Not yet anyway, because there was no bars to be seen yet. “I have not seen much of your pack yet.” She said finally as her golden green gaze slide away from the other woman and about the corridor they stood in. Now that she paid attention to that fact, she didn’t really scent any other of Alwine’s packmates either. In fact the only real scents that she picked up was Alwine’s and a faint trace of Gerwald. An old scent, one that had passed through hours ago. “Is this not where your pack live?”

[member="Alwine Lechner"]

​

 

[Alwine Daye]

There was no immediate answer to any of her quests. Only now did Alwine realize that she ought to have expected that. The female had been in her wolf for so long, did she even remember how to speak? The female moved then, and Alwine remained rooted in her place, following the red one's every move. Hands were on her shoulders, and a human shaped nose buried itself into her neck.

Alwine closed her eyes, willing the tears that were forming to stay at bay. Another Lupine. Her own hands came to rest against the red one's sides and she inhaled deeply as well, letting the scent of the other one wash over her. She could not deny that she felt a strong pull towards this one, a pull that was much stronger than she felt towards the auflaque. Perhaps because this one had not sinned against her and hers, perhaps because this one was truly innocent. The scent was a stranger to her and yet it felt like home. The smallest of gasps escaped her lips and she inhaled again, wishing to never forget it.

It almost hurt when the embrace was broken. Alwine wanted to touch her more, to smell her more. To shift together and find a wood to run in. Her name was Redd and she was of the Snowfire pack. Alwine opened her eyes, the wetness still there, though thankfully no tears. She smiled, a smile that was full of gratitude. No, she still did not believe in the gods of Stewjon, but she would give a little offering in thanks later that night.

Food over clothes. Alwine nodded, her hands moving up to undo the Obsidian Strike armor that she was still in. They could find clothes later, if Redd would wish it. But if food was more important than clothes, then Redd would be remaining unclothed for the moment, and Alwine would join her. There was no shame in her body, even if it looked little like what it used to. Redd had her own scars, but Alwine's mother had raised her to have skin as clear as possible to improve the chances of finding a good match. Aside for a couple of marks of the leash on her back and buttocks, she had been as pure as a woman could hope for on Stewjon. But then had come the witch trials, and the months of torture. They had broken her bones and burned wood chips beneath her nails, whipped her and lashed her, cut her and beat her. Alwine did not mind the scars.

Soon enough, the armor and all clothes were discarded, and Alwine offered her arm to Redd. If she accepted, they would be walking arm in arm to the kitchen. Otherwise, the diminutive woman would simply lead the taller one there. The kitchen offered a small table with a pair of chairs to sit on. It was nothing fancy, but it did its job. Alwine motioned for Redd to take a seat as she began to rummage through the fridge and the cupboards to put a meal together.

Only when a few warm eggs and a few cuts of cold meat were put on the table, with a few slabs of deeper roasts and steaks sizzling in the pan, did Alwine respond to the questions.

"Our pack is very small," she admitted, "we are just three siblings. I am the youngest, Gerwald, whom you have met, is the middle brother, and there is also our eldest brother, Varick, who is currently traveling around the galaxy. I am the one who spends most of the time on this ship, and it is our home, even if we are not always here."

As the steaks were ready, Alwine tossed them onto a plate and set it on the table as well. While she was not hungry, she made herself nibble a little bit to show that the food was safe to consume, and to not leave Redd eating on her own.

"You are welcome to remain with us for as long as you wish," Alwine said with a smile, "if you wish to leave and return, or just leave, you are free to do that as well. Madalena told me you have been a wolf for years and kept imprisoned, so I assume you do not know how to operate doors that have more than handles on them. After we eat I will find you something to wear outside, and I will show you how to get in and out of the ship."

Taking another bite, Alwine realized that it had not come out as she'd intended. It was… Strange, to speak like that. It felt so surreal, to speak to another Lupine. Why did it feel so strange to her, when she had the one who'd been insisting all along that others existed?

"My whole life, I had been told that my little family was the last of the Lupines and that there were no more," she said, "but then about half a year ago a Lupine from another family found ours, and suddenly there were two families. That Lupine insisted that there were no more than these two families, and while I have argued time and time again that this was impossible, no one listened. And suddenly you have been discovered." She paused, "My heart aches that we did not know of you before, and sings with joy that we have found each other now."

[member="Redd"]

 

[Redd]

Being so touch hungry, she enjoyed the touch as Alwine took in her scent, felt the hands upon her hips as the other Lupine drew her scent in, but when she had stepped back, she hadn’t wanted to stay for too long, being as the actual greeting itself reminded her that her neck was vulnerable to sharp teeth. However, this woman had gasped and smiled. Was it not customary for these Lupines to greet each other so? To greet with contact and offer each other’s scent in the warmest of greetings? Redd stilled if only for a moment as she watched the other one undress. Why is she taking off her clothes? She wondered if only for a moment before taking the offered hand. For some reason she felt at ease with this smaller woman, as if she presented herself more as a friend, a companion rather than opposition. After all, Redd realised that it had taken trust on her part to accept a wild wolf’s nose next to her own throat.

That was more or less a symbol of trust. To allow one’s throat to be bare and trust that the other would not sink their teeth into it and rip it open. That was how their pack had worked, upon trust and that was why the greeting was so efficient in gaining some trust under the belt. However now the woman was taking her towards another room. One that she sort of associated with a kitchen. However, in her village their kitchen had been a little more basic, but as she sat down the scent of food had her mouth watering. Eggs and cold meat were quick to be served and Redd found that a cut of cold meat was quick to her fingers before Alwine spoke again. Teeth sank into the meat and she basically inhaled the cuts before moving upon the eggs as Alwine said her piece.

It was just three siblings? Redd couldn’t imagine it, seeing as her pack had thrived with at least twenty four members. Some of them had been human, but they were gone now she reminded herself as she licked her fingers of the juices from the meat. Next she attacked the eggs, although it was a little more tricky while using fingers. If she had been in wolf form, she could have just licked them up without too much effort involved. Eyes watched as Alwine showed that the cooked meat wasn’t poison and fingers moved to grasp at the meat and dip it into the egg, before teeth sank into it and chewed. It was when Alwine mentioned leaving and returning to something that no longer existed, that had Redd sliding a little backwards upon the seat that she sat on. Uneasy.

A shake of her head, which angled slightly to the right in confusion would have confirmed that she did not know how doors without handles operated. How did a door open without a handle? It seemed, strange to her. How did a door open without pushing or pulling? How did it properly close so then the wind wouldn’t wrench it open? As she puzzled upon this, the woman quietly listened as the other woman continued to talk. Her teeth continued to sink hungrily into the cooked meat. Meat which she wasn’t used to being cooked, but she still ate all the same. Food was food when one was hungry.

However as she listened, she frowned at what the blonde woman said. The last? The Snowfire pack had never pondered upon whether they had been the last, they had simply lived in the moment amongst themselves. Two families? So if there were three members in Alwine’s pack, how many members were in this unknown family? More questions formed within the woman’s mind as she ate to settle the ache within her stomach. However as the food was consumed and no more remained, she sighed as she realised that she couldn’t eat more even if she tried to. It was strange to have such a full stomach, but Redd realised that something was needed here. So she spoke.

“I… Cannot say that my pack ever thought of such things. Of being the last.” A hand lifted so then she could lick at food covered fingers as she found them suddenly so interesting. “But I can say that I am the last of my pack,” Redd said so softly that she was certain that if Alwine hadn’t been Lupine she would never have heard the spoken words. Eyes stared off over Alwine’s shoulders as the ghostly memories returned once more of the laughing eyes of her mother as her father whispered in her ear at the dinner table. A joke shared between two mated Lupines. Regardless of their status as alphas, they always seemed happy. Alphas were strong Lupines; it was a strength that could not be matched or overcome by another wolf in the pack.

A blink brought her gaze back into focus as she studied Alwine. She wanted to give the other woman more, to share the memories of the ghosts that called to her. To relive the memories with another Lupine; to show her what it had been like to run with a pack on four paws. To play and be a part of something, but it was not something that she was willing to share yet. “It has been so long since I have smelled another Lupine, I thought that maybe your brother was a memory but it was too different.” It smelled way too different, but she suddenly pulled away from the painful memory. “Thank you for the food, I may have eaten more than I probably should have,” A hesitant smile was brought to her lips then.

“I have almost forgotten what it was like to be… In human form. Do you prefer human form over wolf?” The wolf within wanted to reach out to this strange woman to show her that which made a pack work, but there was a secondary family, one of whom she did not know of, nor trust. What did Alwine and her family want? Suddenly Redd was uneasy once more. Did this secondary family know that she existed? If so, would they wipe her out? "Tell me about... This other family. What are they like?" She had to know if her existence here was threatened. If she had time to slip out unnoticed by this family and rely upon no one but herself. Redd had to know of the situation and where she stood.

[member="Alwine Lechner"]

 

[Alwine Daye]

Alwine did in fact live with very little touch. She touched her brothers, embraced them, held their hands, but aside for them… She was a pretty solitary person, respecting personal boundaries and lacking friendly relationships that permitted more than that. Her own life had been entirely absent the meanings of touch and greetings that Redd had grown up with, but she did not require that knowledge to understand that some form of trust and bond was growing between them. If the embrace of before had not been enough, the walk arm in arm had instilled it further. For the first in a long time, Alwine felt hope building when it came to existing Lupines.

Looking at how Redd ate, Alwine could not help but wonder if she had given her enough food. Perhaps more was needed? She could always toss some scraps of meat into a pot and add soup, if Redd would be willing to remain for long enough. There were also more cold meats, and eggs, and… Should she have offered various breads and spreads as well? Did someone who had been in her wolf shape for so many years even know what to do with them?

Had she been in her wolf form, the Lupine's ears would have perked up at the mention of a pack. A pack! A full pack, out here somewhere, but… No. Alwine's face sank. "I am so sorry…" Redd was the last of her pack. The new Lupine was one that would also have the species' future directly upon her shoulders, with little room for choices if she cared about the continuation of the species. It was a wretched place to be in. Alwine knew that she would not wish for children if she were not a Lupine, but she had no choice if she wanted the Lupines themselves to continue. There were simply not enough of them found for any of them to have the privilege of choice. Their only choice would be in choosing partners for the deed. But she would not speak of this to Redd. Redd needed much more, and the things she needed were much more urgent.

As Redd mentioned she might have eaten too much, Alwine quickly brought her a glass of water.

"My preference is… Complicated," Alwine began to answer, "the planet we grew up, Stewjon. It was not a friendly place. We had to hide the fact that we were Lupines because if anyone had known, we would have been accused of being devils and demons, and executed. We would wait for the dead of the night to shift and run undetected in the woods. On top of that, the place was not friendly to females. Females were considered lesser, inferior. They raised me to be quiet, to bow my head and keep my chin down, to clean the houses and night pots of those who were considered my betters. I imagined at the time that if I would ever be free of the planet, I would shift into a wolf and never wear my human shape again."

Alwine sighed. Bad as those days might have been, they seemed so innocent now.

"I used to think that I am a wolf. But away from Stewjon, with freedom and choice in my hands… I understand now that I am not a wolf, and I am not a human. I am a Lupine, which means I am both. I prefer to sleep in my wolf shape, but many of the choices I have made regarding my life, they require me to be in my human shape. And so I am both, and I am not as sure as I was before, which is the better shape of me. But I know I cannot live being only one of them."

Standing again, Alwine walked to the kettle and turned it on, bringing a variety of herbal teas and coffee to the table. She did not know if Redd knew what they were, or liked them. But choice… There was always a choice.

"Before you, I smelled another Lupine only once," Alwine resumed her tale, "and it took less than a second for it to no longer be good, to never be good again. That other Lupine arrived on Stewjon, and she took my brother, leaving the other two siblings behind, even though she had been in our home, even though she had been surrounded and coated by our scent. We came in scarcely an hour after the two of them left without a word, and my life had shattered. She claims she was too drunk to notice, yet she was not too drunk to catch the scent of my brother. She broke my pack, and that was but the first thing on a long list of things she had done wrong. I consider her a vile creature and I pray for the day my brother comprehends that she is not the person for him."

The rage was easy to detect on Alwine as she spoke of Katrine. It boiled beneath her skin, attempted to seduce her wolf to come out. But Alwine controlled it, swallowed it down. This was not the moment to make Redd feel threatened.

"She has decided to crown herself as the Queen of Lupines, a decision made when all the Lupines she thought existed were her family and kin," came the last spew of hatred from Alwine, "of her family, I know little. Perhaps twenty to thirty Lupines or so, if I am to believe my brother. He has only met one of them aside for her, and I have met none."

Swallowing down the wolf yet again, Alwine shook her head, pouring herself a mug of black coffee, and motioning to Redd, offering her the same.

"What was your pack like?" she asked, thirsty to know how other Lupines had lived, "where did you even live?"


[member="Redd"]

 

[Redd]

Redd sat back quietly and listened to the woman as she spoke, spoke of a woman who she had a dislike for and although it was easy to dislike this unknown woman, Redd decided to simply listen and not get involved with any of the story. Not yet anyway. Golden green eyes watched the blonde woman as she offered coffee and she nudged her mug over to accept, but drink it? Not yet. Not until the other woman had taken a drink of the liquid. However as she rose the mug to her lips and the woman mentioned that the strange Lupine had declared herself queen; Redd’s jaw almost dropped. However it didn’t and slowly she placed the mug back upon the table as a growl rose to her lips. “You cannot simply declare yourself Queen of Lupines.” If this Queen pretender had tried that with Redd, she would have simply ignored every order that came out of her mouth.

Respect was earned through strength and loyalty. There were many strengths but this "Queen" seemed to think that there was only one kind and Redd did not like that single minded idea. A Lupine should always be able to pick up other Lupine scents. It was something that was unique to each Lupine and something that her pack had always used to distinguish each other from one another. So for one to not scent three different scents in a home that housed three Lupines, then it was a load of shab. Redd hadn’t been drunk before but it wasn’t as if she could just simply turn off a sense of smell.

The red Lupine almost pitied the one who gave her food and drink. The one who spoke of pack breakers, but in saying that, Redd could also see Gerwald’s fault in the incident itself. However, she never said anything about it. Instead she watched the female for a moment longer and sighed in memory. “My pack was home… We lived I guess, more primitive than you and your family does now. We had houses, but it was basic and we did not really like technology. It took away from the natural beauty of the forests. We lived on a planet called Myrkr for many years simply existing away from all of..” She paused to wave a pale hand at the modernised kitchen. “This. It was simple and carefree almost. There were about twenty-four members within the pack, but that was both Lupine and human.”

Golden green eyes peered over Alwine’s shoulder again as her voice dropped a little in memory that had never been shared before. “Once upon a time, my mother said that we didn’t have human mates, but due to the inbreeding, they had to introduce new blood to create a little more fertility within the pack. When I was born, fertility was low, very low and my birth created hope for the pack. Our animal halves began to seek out life mates once more and humans were more then accepted as acceptable lifemates, except for the alphas. The alpha pair were a symbol of strength in both human and wolf forms. It’s about strength, loyalty, family and above all else, sacrifice. An alpha must be willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the pack if the time ever came. Not hide behind their soldiers and declare their life more valuable than the members within their pack.”

Slowly she lifted the mug to her lips to taste the bitter liquid and her nose crinkled up at the taste. The Lupine placed the mug back upon the table, nudging it away from her. “Fostering companionship was integral in keeping Lupine members grounded, as some would go lone wolf for a time and without touch and play, they would often go feral or rogue as we called them. A member of the pack would have to then hunt them down and kill them because they would begin to kill their family and friends. As a rogue wolf just simply… Forgot who they were. They just never knew who was friend or foe, couldn’t distinguish between them. So, touch and play was key in the pack. A touch here and a playful nudge there, helped to keep them grounded, let them know that they were not alone in whatever situation that they faced. Everyone looked out for each other and it was the alphas that had to make sure that not a single member was forgotten or neglected. It’s a job not to be taken lightly." The Lupine said as golden green eyes dimmed to steel grey.

Her parents gave everything and more, but it had all been destroyed and Redd never knew why. The Snowfire pack had kept to themselves and lived a peaceful life; what had they done to deserve to be wiped out? Hands pressed palms against the table top as the wolf within rose to the surface and wanted to break free, to rip, shred and kill. To spill blood in vengeance and go rogue itself. However the red one simply shook her head as she returned her gaze to the woman. “You cannot command loyalty through a crown, but by earning respect and loyalty from the people you wish to lead. However, I'm just a Lupine with no pack now. A Lupine who has been captive for many years but still remembers the ghosts of the old.”

[member="Alwine Lechner"]

 

[Alwine Daye]

You cannot simply declare yourself Queen of Lupines. Alwine smiled. It was comforting to at last have a Lupine agree with her on something. With Varick gone away on one of his trips, the only Lupine Alwine could speak with was Gerwald, and it appeared they agreed on nearly nothing. It was a good thing they loved each other enough to continue trying to work through their many differences.

Redd spoke. She painted a picture of a pack surrounded by beautiful forests. Alwine could see it in her mind, the colors so vivid. So many Lupines, all living together. Houses, human shapes, wolves shapes… Living together. How often had she yearned for such a thing, dreamed that some day something like that would be possible? And here, by Redd's own words, it had happened. It was there, on the planet of Myrkr.

She wanted to reach out and touch Redd's hand. To hold it and have more skin to skin contact as she spoke of those things. To scent her again as she laid the memories out and told her how her pack had behaved. How could Redd's mind have remained more or less intact after what she had been through? To come from a pack that took care of its members like that, that ensured touch and nudge to keep everyone together, and be so swiftly moved into a place where she was a prisoner, forced to fight, had no choice but to remain in her wolf shape until stumbling by accident into someone who helped set her free?

"Your ghosts of old sound wonderful," she said genuinely after a short silence, "I wish I could have known what it is to live with a Pack like that."

Alwine rose from her seat and began to move most of the dirty dishes away. She was still not hungry, and Redd had admitted earlier to having had her fill. "Should you feel hungry again, the kitchen is yours, as is anything within in. Eat and drink to your fill. There is no need to ask in advance. While I am around I will also cook for you. There are few things that are better than a warm home cooked meal."

It would be the second time Alwine cooked since leaving Stewjon. When they left, she had sworn that she would never do servant duties again. Would not cook, would not clean, would not bow her head. She had broken the cooking vow not too long ago, when she had made soup for the very woman who had later on freed Redd. Now… Now the vow seemed so juvenile and not necessary. She would cook for the Lupine female, and she would do so with pride and pleasure. And if Redd wanted to learn how, she would teach her as well. There was no shame in knowing such skills. Hunting was not always a viable option.

"Come, let us find you clothes," she said with a smile as she turned back to her, "nudity is not considered acceptable by most species when it is done by humans. Not in public, at least. I am certain we can find you a few things that could fit from my closet, and when you tell me you are ready, we can go to shops and find items that specifically suit your needs and tastes."

Holding her arm out again, Alwine hoped that Redd would accept it. The wolf inside her… No. Not the wolf. The Lupine inside her yearned for Redd. The wolf inside her wanted to be released so it could smell the female without the human nose interfering. But Alwine held the wolf back. There would be time a-plenty to get to know Redd better, both in human shape and in wolf shape.

And Alwine had all the patience in the 'verse for the newly found Lupine female.

The muth uss.

[member="Redd"]

 

[Redd]

Yes, the ghosts of old did sound wonderful, it had been a place that she had retreated to more often than not to keep to her afloat. Believe it or not, it was the haunting nightmares that kept her moving, that kept her alive, because at least in her dreams she still at least ran with her pack. No matter how the dream ended, her spirit was still running with them even when her wolf threatened to go rogue. Truthfully, if she hadn’t of escaped when she had, it probably would have happened. She had been losing the battle against her animal side and the wolf had known it. Known that the human was failing after the many years of fighting. She had even retreated within her own mind and stared over the edge into the abyss. In the end, retreating into her mind and letting the animal instincts of the wolf kick in, had saved her life. The wolf knew, kill or be killed. So she had killed.

Steel grey shifted once more to golden green as the memories faded once more and Alwine spoke about the kitchen. Ah yes, cooking. It was such a human concept, that she almost laughed; Redd hadn’t had a home cooked meal since her pack and today had marked the first time since she had had a home cooked meal. She seemed to think that she much preferred the fresh meat of a beast just freshly killed rather than a home cooked meal, but the human concept had to be acknowledge. Of this, she quietly reminded the wolf when it rose to bare teeth.

As Alwine held out her hand, the red woman stood to take it and the wolf was placated by the simple touch of skin. If only for the moment. Touch had almost been forgotten about, her wolf had craved it when she was young. Now, it was a stranger to her and to hold this woman’s arm was… Odd. It soothed the soul, made her want to reach out and claim this woman as pack, take her in and teach her the ways of the Snowfire pack, but Alwine had her own pack and it wasn’t up to Redd to determine where the woman should be. However, this “Queen” person seemed like she was going to be a lot of trouble, especially when and if she ever met her. Why? Because Redd bowed to no one, she was a wolf in her own right, an alpha that would rather rip the Pretender off of her man made throne, if only to prove her point. Lupines were wolves and wolves were meant to run free amongst nature like they were born to do. To be one with it.

Humans were the ones that craved materialistic things, her wolf knew that it's human needed some material objects to soothe it and so a balance had to be made. So the village had thrived on balance. A home and a bed for the human half, while a forest for the wolf. A balance. It was through this line of thinking that she realised that Alwine was talking about clothes and she blinked in simple response. Ah yes, clothes. Her pack had worn clothes because the pure humans within their camp felt more at ease with them, plus the human half of the Lupines felt the need to wear clothes in certain situations. Around potential mates; men who wanted nothing more than to bed a woman and the list continued.

This brought about a sigh to the woman’s lips. “Yes, clothes. I had almost forgotten that the human form needs clothes. It has been so long since I have needed to think of such material things. Clothing hasn’t been a priority for quite some time.” She admitted as she glanced to Alwine and then into the direction they were heading. Where was she taking them? “Pack used to have pure humans and so we did wear clothes, but I had forgotten about them over time. I’m very comfortable in this skin without clothes. It’s natural, but I understand, I must remember to wear clothes in this form.” Her free hand lifted to lightly squeeze Alwine’s arm in comfort, to reassure her.

[member="Alwine Lechner"]

​

 

[Alwine Daye]

The squeeze was comforting to the Lupine. Had this been what their mother had robbed them of, letting them grow up in such secret and shame for what they were? There had been touch and such comfort between the siblings, but of her mother, she never remembered such a thing. She could not even remember the vile woman sharing such moments with her brothers, though she hated them far less than she'd hated her. And now that the opportunity had come for this form of wolf-intimacy with another… It seemed as though her senses would overload themselves.

"You may still feel free to go without while you are on this ship," Alwine assured her. How could she convince Redd that by merely knowing now that she existed, her comfort and wellbeing had become a priority to Alwine? Several sentences popped to mind, yet Alwine dismissed them all, thinking that had they been directed at her, comfort would be the last thing she would feel as a result.

Entering one of the small rooms, Alwine let go of Redd's arm only to open a closet. She did not have many clothes that were not Knights Obsidian issued, and most were simple enough clothes that she could train in. Perhaps it was a small mercy that Redd was presently underweight; it meant that the likelihood of Alwine's cloths fitting her were better, and they would serve until they could go and buy her some more appropriate things.

Pulling some of the wider tunics and training pants made of stretchy fabric, she handed them to her. "Check if these feel sufficiently comfortable against your skin," she said as she did so. Alwine had heard about some fabrics causing irritation to skin that was not used to them, but she hoped that would not be the case. "There is also a refresher, should you wish to wash yourself. I personally prefer to wash in my human shape and let the wolf one enjoy its benefits. Skin is easier to clean than fur. You can rummage through the closet to see if there are any other clothes that you might find more suitable. The only thing I would ask you not to wear is the armor – that is work-issued and I do not have the right to hand it to those who are not part of the Knights Obsidian."

While she gave Redd the freedom to try the clothes on or look for others, Alwine sat herself on the edge of the bed, looking at her with softness. A new Lupine. Who would have thought.

"Do you have any goals or plans, now that you are free?" she found herself asking much sooner than planned, "you are, of course, welcome to remain here as long as you would like. But if there are other things you wish to do, I would be more than happy to assist you in any way I can. You are no longer a prisoner – that means you make the choices for yourself now."

[member="Redd"]