Huckleberry's ears twitched at the sudden torrent of loud and angry honks coming from mother and shame and hatred washed through their body like water. They hadn't betrayed, no, no! It was just a wolf! Just a wolf that helped! Their face turned down, stress coursed through their veins, causing their whole body to shiver and mumbled words to stream from their mouth. "Nothing wrong, nothing wrong, I did nothing wrong, Mama doesn't know, no no no, she doesn't, she just helped, nothing more nothing at all. Mama can't know, no no no she can't. Wolf was nice, wolf was kind. Wolf helped and help was good and more and good and I liked the wolf the wolf was nice. Shiny, glowy, helpful. Helpful. Nothing wrong, it isn't anything wrong, didn't betray, didn't leave, just a wolf, just a wolf..." They continued on like this for some time, the words just under their breath as Mama finished speaking and the other children responded.

When the silence fell, they continued to mutter until they realized, with a jolt, that they had not yet spoken. They looks up at the family and bent their head, their ears swiveling nervously, eyes darting around them, not meeting anyone directly.

"I-I...Huckleberry...I..." No words would come to their mouth and they swallowed heavily, looking back at Mama, keeping their gaze fixed over her shoulder. "Sorry, sorry, sorry, I am sorry, so sorry, wolf helped me, saved me, what could I do? What should I do? Didn't hurt family, no no no, not at all, it wasn't wrong!" Their voice had risen almost to a shout and they trembled with fear, suddenly covering their head with their claws, as if to block out the faces of their family, protect themselves from them. They couldn't be seen, no, they were fine. Nothing wrong, nothing wrong.

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: here
notes: here

Blackberry listened to the apologies and the explanations of her children through narrowed eyes, suspicion quivering every fiber. But she had to admit, few of them had ever showed any signs of breaking from the family. Well, at least, not yet. Besides Huckleberry and Baneberry. By bringing the wolf to the nest and by refusing the summons, they both were under her furious glare. Any wrong moves and a confrontation would take place.

She first looked towards Elderberry, feeling a small wave of calm pass through her. Why was she angry at him? He had proven himself to her already, his devotion far outpacing the others of the family, his complete trust in her and his love for battle made him the son she had always dreamed he would be. A perfect child. Yet feeling the barrier, the inability to truly understand her son, made all the motherly instincts within her alert and frustrated. She shifted uncomfortably, wondering what to say. "You make the family proud, Elderberry. You are worthy of your name. You are strong and loyal, but yet I can't help but feel that there's something missing." For a moment longer, she gazed at Elderberry, at a loss for words before turning to Mulberry next.

She glared at the young hyena, wondering if she should trust her words. She remembered the time they had practiced together - Mulberry had been the weakest, the worst at her moves. Perhaps she had become stronger. Perhaps she was lying. Or perhaps she was not cut out to fight. This thought almost brought a hiss to her beak, but she held herself back. No, Mulberry was as devoted as ever. "You shall have a chance to prove it to me soon," she replied, coldly. "And, by the Spire, hope that you have practiced enough." Without another word to Mulberry or another thought her way, she turned her head to Jayberry, interest finally pricking at her eyes.

She hadn't thought much of Jayberry. She knew her the least, having never met her before Blueberry brought her to the tunnel and rarely spending time with her. But would she be the child to kill first? Would she be the one to truly prove herself to the family? "Have you, now? And who have you fought? Who's blood has touched your tongue? Who have you killed?" To think that the wolf would be the first to follow in her footsteps. To be the first to kill their enemies. The other had fought, sure, but, to her knowledge, none of them had killed a Greater Gembound. Not like she had.

She stood and walked towards the wolf, leaning her head close to inspect her face. They were pretty much level now, with Blackberry's head only raising above Jayberry's ears a little bit. She stared deep into her eyes, but she didn't see the darkness she had hoped she would see. A darkness that she saw in herself whenever she gazed in a calm pool of water or a thin sheet of ice. He daughter had not yet killed someone. Without a word, she stepped back.

Her head snapped towards Huckleberry, rage flaring in her vision as she turned to face her last child. Once they had finished speaking, her whole body shuddered with rage and the silence stretched out as Blackberry comprehended all of this. She bared her teeth and took a step towards Huckleberry. "You brought a stranger into our home, a stranger who insulted me, berated me, and could be a threat to our family! You allowed yourself to be pampered and carried, like a helpless stray! You associated yourself with an enemy! And you think you've done no wrong?!" She suddenly jerked forward as Huckleberry moved the claws away from their face for a moment, raised a claw, and scoured it down their face, feeling blood well beneath her claws.

She stepped back, giving her talons a small shake to get off the blood before wiping it on the ground. She would not taste her own child's blood. She turned away from her child coldly, stepping back towards her nest. "No strangers are to come here," she announced. "Anyone that doesn't belong here is an enemy. Only with my permission may anyone besides the family enter the nest." She glared around at her children, as if daring them to disagree with her.

@Elderberry
@Jayberry
@Kitaka

Elderberry's leaf-green gaze focused on his mother, meeting her gaze with an even stare. She mentioned that she felt like there was something missing. Elderberry's ears lowered. "I haven't killed yet. Perhaps that's what it is," he said with a certainty in his tone. "Mother... One day we'll fight side-by-side. Training can only go so far."

He was relieved that her anger appeared to have subsided, and fell silent once more as he watched her continue to berate his sisters. She questioned them, and hissed at them; asking whom they had killed; some of them, at least. Elderberry remembered that some had worked together to make their first kill. But it seemed that the caves had offered a quiet upbringing for most. Perhaps greater gembounds had come to know of the danger that lurked in this tunnel.

Elderberry's gaze twitched as he watched his mother lay into Huckleberry's face with her claws, but he didn't flinch or look away, simply staring in quiet judgement. When his mother once again spoke, Elderberry bowed his head. He wouldn't even consider it. This was a sacred place, for their eyes alone.

---

"When I speak."

When I think.

@Blackberry

Huckleberry babbled apologies, and Jayberry restrained the urge to flinch. Mama was not going to like that, not at all. She couldn't help but to wonder, however, if Mother had ever struck Huckleberry, as the Moosegoose huddled to the ground, covering their head. She wanted, desperately wanted, to step in and soothe her sibling, but knew better.

And then mother was addressing them, and she didn't pay any attention to Huckleberry aside from some twitching of her folded ears. Mother's word was Law, and she would take Mother's words to heart. Elderberry was complimented, told that he was a pride to their family.

But Mulberry, however, was not nearly as kindly treated. Mother's words were cold and clinical, threatening the hyena without explicitly saying it.

And then Mother was looking at her, and she went still, waiting for judgement. Her fur laid flat, and she pressed the underside of her jaw against the dirt as she waited for judgement. "I have not killed any Greater Gembounds, but I've practiced and practiced on Lessers. I can finally kill Cave Deer on my own, and I am learning to fight larger."

Mother's eyes met her own, and she shivered. Her instincts told her to look away, but she didn't dare to. And then mother was speaking to Huckleberry, and there was a scent of blood. Mother addressed them all, then, and Jayberry gave a quiet whine. "Understood, Mother."

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

Huckleberry sunk deeper into himself, groaning, as if Blackberry's words lashed him like a whip. But he refused. He refused to see anything wrong. Kin-Kin wasn't a stranger, Kin-Kin helped! Nice, nice wolf. And he didn't bring her, she brought him! Mama had to understand, she had to! Didn't mean to!

But it was unfortunate timing that he opened his claws to try and talk sense into mother as she chose that moment to react. He screamed as the talons pierced his face and he jerked back with surprise, stumbling to his feet. For a moment, he simply stared at Blackberry with terror, immobilized by shock. But then fire blazed deep in his eyes and that signature rage of his mother came bursting forth.

He roared, a terrible noise stuck between the braying of a moose and the honk of a goose, mixed with a scream, horrible and loud. Without even thinking about it, he called forth lightning from his gem and tried to thrust it at his mother with all of his rage, shock her and electrocute her, punish her for every drop of blood running down his face!

But nothing came. No spell burst from his body. For a moment he simply stared at her, a little shocked and then suddenly crumpled to the ground, guilt running through his veins. He had tried to hurt Mama! How could he do that?! "Mama I'm sorry, I was mad, so sorry sorry sorry! I won't ever ever EVER do it again!"

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: here
notes: here

Blackberry's eyes raked her children, looking intensely at each one of them. How would they fare in a fight? Would they compare to her or even Blueberry? Elderberry, perhaps. He was committed, strong, loyal. She looked forward to see what he could truly do. Mulberry? Maybe. She showed promise. She wasn't as natural a fighter as she would expect from one of her children, but she wanted to get better. And she would. Blackberry would make sure of that. Jayberry is the one she was excited about. She could see the bloodlust in her eyes, the want to fight and to tear apart and to kill. She wanted to see it for herself, watch her child tear open an innocent creature, destroy and ravage a hopeless carcass. Take their gem for her own. But Huckleberry? Blackberry didn't know what to think. They were strange and their mood swings had never gotten better. Weak and pitiful, dropping out of fights for one reason or another, but still displaying the fighting spirit passed from their parents.

As she looked at Huckleberry, the child gave off a terrible roar. She didn't flinch as she narrowed her eyes. She wanted to see what would come next. Would the child give into their anger and attack her? Or would they attack another child? Or run? Or just sit themselves down? She felt the energy building in their body and prepared for a strike, but nothing ever came.

Disappointment coursed through her body. She was both excited to give her child a thrashing and desperate to see their anger and hatred. But they just collapsed on the ground and cried pitifully. "Get up," she snapped. "There's no use mewling to me. Your anger is your weapon. Strike true and fast and don't give in until your enemy is dead." Her eyes flashed. "But strike me once, Huckleberry, and I'll make sure you'd wished you'd never been hatched." Her words were stone cold truth. No mercy would come from Blackberry.

Turning towards the rest of the family, her gaze softened and lightened a little, now gleaming with excitement. They were ready now. Finally. The bird they had fought had been a quick decision on her part, but now it was time to lead a full planned assault. She nodded towards Elderberry. "Oh, we will fight together soon." She glanced at Jayberry. "I will give you the opportunity you desire."

She stood tall and glanced at them gathered before raising her voice. "Children, we have waited long enough. You are all almost full grown and it is time for our first true fight. I have an enemy that has eluded me for some time now. I made the mistake of leaving him alive and he tormented me when I was in Hell. He lives in the forests and claims to be their protector." She spoke the words with a mocking tone. A ridiculous fool. "I shall face him soon and you shall stand beside me." She narrowed her eyes, stopping on Huckleberry for a moment, as if to dare them to refuse.

@Kitaka
@Jayberry
@Elderberry

Elderberry's ears simply flicked back from his sister's heart-wrenching scream, honourably enduring the sight of her suffering, and watching her magic peter out. His body relaxed slightly, having been at the ready to spring to his mother's aid; although he was certain she wouldn't need it. The other hybrid sank into weeping and begging, and Blackberry's stone-cold response rang in Elderberry's ears. Her words were truth, and Elderberry doubted not a single word, nor feared them. They were not made for him. He was loyal, and he would never even think of disobeying her. Still, Elderberry made careful note, putting them away for careful reference of what not to do. Just in case.

As Mother promised that they'd soon fight side by side, Elderberry felt the feathers along their spine prickling upright. Something big was coming, then, and soon. "Then we will put him through Hell," Elderberry grunted, anger tracing through his chest at the thought of the pain the cat had caused his beloved mother. "And we will make sure he does not return."

Elderberry's ears twitched with anger, and he added a moment later, looking deeply and lovingly into his mother's eyes. "And if he does, he will have nothing left to protect."

The spill of words was over. his adrenaline was running high. Elderberry was ready for a real battle, excitement thrumming to his very bones.

---

"When I speak."

When I think.

@Blackberry

The sound Huckleberry made startled Jayberry, and she jolted up. Whirling, she snarled at the hybrid, sensing the Magic he was attempting to summon. He dared try to hurt Mother!?

With a baying snarl that could have rivaled Huckleberry's roar, that sounded not unlike the hound's of hell hunting for blood, she launched forward, eyes wild. Her teeth sought out the haunches of Huckleberry, wanting to ensure that he would never forget this transgression. Whether she landed her strike or not, she would step back, fur bristling and making her seem much larger than she was.

"If you ever try to hurt Mother, or any other Bloodberry, ever again, I will leave you wishing you were dead. Do you understand me?" she snarled, all body language screaming aggression.

But then Mother was speaking, and the wolf's gleaming eyes darted between the goose and the moosegoose. She licked her lips, not letting her growl die down, and shifted her weight as she listened to Mother. It seemed Mother was of the same mind, and that soothed her some. If it was up to her, she'd never allow her family to come to harm.

Her eyes lit up, then. Mother said they would be fighting together soon, and eagerness flooded the wolf. Oh she wanted to fight, she wanted to kill, she wanted to prove to Mother that she was a Bloodberry!

"I will make him regret ever meeting you, Mother." she growled, licking her lips.

@Blackberry

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.