Prostrated before the assembly of Seers, Axil listened as she received her orders.

She did not relish the necessary trip south, but her duty to the Bounty demanded it. Famine and a lack of victory had instilled a fear in her people. The remaining Seers decreed that the missing Fifth was at fault, though some of the men quietly asked why he was sent away in the first place if this was true. She would deal with their impudence at a later date. Now, she had more important matters clouding her mind.

He had found his way into a small community of forest dwellers. Her scouts reported they were similar to the Aalen Tsol'aa, though they partook in modern comforts that plagued most of the people south of Her domain. They were soft, though soft bellies made for easy targets.

Following their clumsy trails near Her border, Axil tracked some of their members to the butcher, Olnix. Not intelligent enough to truly register pain, it took her quite a while to crack him, but he eventually broke. They always do.

She had names and a place: Aelyn Le'Yuet, Vinceres Ebonheart, and the Heartwood Kin. Silently, she began to question the wisdom of the Seers in their belief that this task would be arduous. She had encountered more difficulty in tracing the movement of hares.

With the brother of the Fifth in tow, she began her journey towards the south. She was certain he would not come willingly, as he was always prone to indulgence in the north. Life amongst the soft-bellied would only entice him further. No, she would have to drag him back.

She could smell his scent upon the air as she entered the Eastern Ithmia, but there was more besides. Eyes closed, she thrust her birthright into the loose soil at her feet and expanded her influence, the towering trees freezing and allowing a pathway for her authority to reach towards the south.

Her senses indicated there were far more soft bellies than she had anticipated. Their lives of luxury and wealth provided the ability to procreate and expand at their leisure, while her people could barely sustain the elderly and what few children the ice could provide. Their laughter drifted through the warm, inviting forest, the lilting melodies combining with birdsong to create a cacophony that made Axil sick to her stomach.

She despised them.

Milky eyes of startling white darting open, Axil, Alpha Headhunter of the Raven motioned for the Seer's brother to begin, and they marched upon the Village of Eleusis.

~

Summary: Axil, Alpha Headhunter and Ogwin the Headhunter marched south towards the Heartwood Estate within the Village of Eleusis at the behest of their Tribe's leadership, their ultimate goal being the retrieval of a exiled Seer that had found his way there.

Penned by My hand on the 19th of Aeguary, in the year 862 AF.