Dogs of War

[Mark]

moving the marble along

[Matt Joule]

Matt is startled out of his focus on the tactic under discussion as Emily snaps at him. He starts to tense and then, suddenly he visibly backs down as she lays into him and the others. When she's done, Matt actually shifts to Hishu and sits down, lowering himself enough that he is looking up at Emily.


"Okay. Emily. I am sorry. You are right. I was wrong." Matt says in a low and rumbling yet sincerely penitent voice.

"I never meant that any tactic is going to solve all our problems. You are right. Like Nathaniel's drum isn't going to solve every spirit problem, but it's good to have around. The thing is, our Pack leadership is not broken; it doesn't need fixing. We are going to do what the Alpha says, or you." He says.

"It's just a good thing if our teamwork in a fight is upgraded, so when you're calling the shots, you know that's one thing you can depend on us doing right. If you call on us to do it."


Matt looks up at Emily. "I know you did everything all by yourself for a long time. I did too, lone wolfed it all the way down the coast, but not like you; I didn't stand and fight and defend Pack territory all by myself. I trust you to figure out what the Pack should do if Alpha isn't around. It's just...you're NOT alone anymore, Emily. The Pack's got your back." He finishes in a low and deep but submissive tone.


Matt looks to Bleeds Well steadily and with no submission in his eyes, just mutual respect and says, "This was a good idea. We should have brought it to Alpha or Emily first though, and let them call us together. That's the most important lesson today. Teaching a tactic but messing up the chain of command is going to do us more harm than good when the Pack freezes, not knowing who to listen to in the fight."


Matt says to Nathaniel in a slightly more quiet, less threatening tone than his usual demeanor and says, "We gotta work this all out; we have a serious war coming. Working together, thinking about how to back each other up, by grabbing a leg or an arm, is a way of thinking not just a sometimes thing, Nathaniel." He says.

"Like you always thinking about talking to a spirit instead of just biting it. It's not a trick, it's a way of looking at it. When Emily was in Kuruth, and I couldn't hold her, and you were talking to her, we were not working together. I couldn't help you talk, but you could help me hold on. Other times, you talk to a spirit and I look scary, not looking for a fight but help your talk have teeth. Always look for the way that lets us work together instead of separate. It's not about what we are best at by ourself, it's what we can help each other do together with the combined strength of the Pack. That's the lesson."

[Emily Makerith]

"I might be an Ithaeur but I was raised by a Rahu. I had to fight with tooth and claw far more than gifts." Tired eyes look to Bleeds Well as he finishes. "No-one knows the cycle of this city any more. No-one living, any way. We have the cycle the same as everywhere. As for the City, we have to make our own." It's quiet, meloncholy response.

She had nothing to add to Nate's words, so she looked to Matt. Emily still looks tired. "I know. And I'm sorry I snapped. I'm just worried about how this works. What if we're ambushed? What if there's more of them than we know? It's just a lot. So I trust you guys to act in a way that's best, because I have to. I don't know what that is, not really."

She nods. Truth be told, she was kind of lesson'ed out. "Okay. Let's just move on." A yawn creeps up on her. "If that's it? then good. If there's something else, say now before I head home."

[Bleeds Well]

The Ralunim shrugs, "It's something to do in the absence of orders, until a new direction given. If you're good I'm good."

Good to close

[Matt Joule]

Matt grunts, probably in the affirmative, possibly generally or perhaps just to Emily.

Good to close! Thank you for the fun scene!

[Nathaniel Dormur]

Emily shared many of Nate's concerns. But she was also probably the most equipped of all of them to handle it.

"I'm good. This was good." A chance to all get together and discuss, and to train. Nathaniel would have to look into ways to disable their foes.

I'm also good to close. Fun scene!

[Emily Makerith]

Emily nods.

"Maybe next time we can get everyone in one place. Put everyone through out paces, see each other's strengths and weaknesses. Then we know if there's anything to work on."

All ready to close up here.