ONCE AN EAGLE [P]

[TOMAS MCKELLAR]

Tom woke up with his face pressed against his hand, his jaw slack and his pen still clasped in his finger, the tip pressed firmly against his cheek. He started, jerked upright, and wiped his mouth with the back of his other hand. He then rubbed at where the pen had been, and figured that he'd just managed to smear the line of ink across the side of his face. Great. Tomas blinked the sleep from his eyes and yawned.

He shifted his weight in his chair and leaned back over the makeshift table, eyeing the maps he had spread across the surface. He had borrowed them to Quick, and suggested that the Beta stop by when he had the time. But it was... Shit. Tomas didn't know for certain, and he stood to stretch. He paced the length of the train-car and then slid open the door to glance outside, gauging by the moon. It had to be at least 0400 hours now--God, that was another habit he would have to break, for anyone to understand him.

He stood there doing the mental calculations to transfer military time to normal. It wasn't difficult. 4:00 A.M. he was thinking. He slid the door half-closed, leaving a crack open, before he returned to his seat and began to scan the maps all over again. His fingers traced the borders, and he rolled his tongue against his teeth thoughtfully. It was difficult to say where things were going to go, with all the conflict in the Menagerie, and he figured that he best study up on it, and any strategical options that he might find in the landscape. He had been in the Menagerie for over two years, but it was different seeing it all laid out (neatly as possible) on Quick's maps.

Tomas rubbed his temple. It was a long night, but aside from his thirty minute nap, he doubted he would get much sleep. His mind was working too much for that. Bottom line? Tomas was worried. He wasn't so concerned about having been elected Alpha--that would be easy enough, he was guessing, with the help of the Beta, Delta, and Lead Hunter and Scout. He'd always been good with people, and was confident in his Ring and those in it. He was more concerned about what might happen with the future, with Carna and Fulsi.

Can't we just be left alone? It was a tired thought. Tomas didn't understand why conflict was so necessary, especially without a reason. He leaned back in his chair, popping the front legs up. He began to wonder where Quick could be. His Beta was busy, but he had requested that he stop by, and now Tom was beginning to worry--

Just then, he heard a polite knock at the door of his train-car. The legs of his chair hit the ground with a pair of solid clicks. He turned to see his Beta, and Tomas offered a tired smile as he rose and slid the door open. "Hey there, Quick." Looking over the Beta's head, he could see parts of the Express and the desert, swathed silver by the moon. "Come inside." With that said, Tomas bent to give him a hand up.

["Quick" Taylor]

Quick dropped backwards unceremoniously onto the soft, sandy ground just a short ways away from the Switchstone. It had been a long day. Earlier, just before it had gotten dark, he'd gone to fill up his water jugs and ended up saving a trespassing rogue who had gotten lost. She was half-dead from dehydration and being attacked by a cougar when he'd found her. Luckily, he'd been able to kill the cougar and got the woman some water from the Oasis before it was too late.

As it had turned out, she'd been looking for a couple of people, both of whom were in the Fallenring. After talking with her, he'd been able to tell she was a decent person, and wouldn't pose a threat to the safety of the Ring. He'd told her about the both of them and let her go on her way. When he'd gotten back to the Switchstone was when he'd gotten really busy.

After all the sandstorms, there were people to check up on and things to do that couldn't wait until the morning. He'd directed the efforts, sending people here and there to do this and that. Finally, about midnight, everything was done for the Ring. He had a chance to just sit back and relax, and that's what he was doing.

He stared up at the night sky and thought about everything that had happened lately. The Carnaring attack that had taken Skye's life, their retaliatory burning of the Carna Waterfront, him and Adriana, and then the woman at the Oasis. It had been several weeks since the attack, but to him it had felt like an eternity. There had been so much going on, so much that he, as the interim leader of the Fallenring, had to take care of. Everything felt like a blur. Now, though, there was a new Alpha in place, and finally he could take it a little bit easier.....

He jerked up into a sitting position, looking up at the night sky. He cursed out loud when he saw how low the moon was in the sky. he was supposed to go see Tomas to discuss their next step in making sure the Ring was safe from any more Carna attacks. He jumped to his feet and ran off towards his railcar as fast as he could. It only took a few minutes to get there. He took a moment before knocking to catch his breath, then pounded his knuckles on the railcar door.

"Hey there Quick," Tomas said as he opened the door and offered the Beta a hand up,"come inside."

"Sorry I'm so late," Quick said, raking the Alpha's hand and climbing up the large step into the railcar,"I took a few minutes to sit down and...well, I passed out."

He looked over at the table nearby, noticing the maps he'd had made laying on the table. So he'd still be piring over them, making plans? At the least, Tomas' dedication to the Ring couldn't be doubted. That was something Quick remembered from his days as Lead Hunter.

"So, you get any new ideas?" Quick asked bluntly....

[TOMAS MCKELLAR]

Tom could obviously sympathize, considering that the reddish imprint of his fingers was still on the side of his jaw. "We've all been a little short on sleep lately." He didn't say "don't worry about it", because naps weren't exactly good for the job, but it was 0400 hours--shit, 4:00 o'clock--and it shouldn't be expected that he was awake. Tomas McKellar offered a wary smile, and then turned to the business on hand, appreciating that Quick had still shown up.

"Carna is a problem." It was a blank statement, delivered like a fact. He bit off the "sir" that he wanted to add, out of habit, reminding himself that it was no longer appropriate. Tomas didn't know where they stood with the other Ring, and was forced to believe that the Carna gazelle had not relayed the message. "We're uncertain as to where we stand with them right now. Was Skye's death an act of war, or was it something personal? Regardless, we need to be more cautious with the borders there." Tomas did not want to jeopardize the safety of the Ring over revenge. He knew that Quick had already led an attack on the waterfront, before Tomas had come to power, and he was still waiting for repercussions. It was bad to be seen as weak, but Fallen was not weak; they would be ready to defend themselves if it were necessary. He rolled his shoulders and edged his finger along the Fallen-Carna border. "I was thinking heavier patrols on that side of Fallen. Fulsi presents a problem, as well, being that they occasionally raid our supplies."

The military had broken him of his old, dull habit of running his thumb over his lip, whenever in thought. Now his expression took on a blank note, and Tom shook his head. "I believe that Charm is a reasonable leader. We could possibly work out an alliance. And... I have a question. Are there any active Fallen spies in the other Rings?" It was an idle musing. There was so much to do. Tomas stood up, abandoning the map to glance out of the train-car again. "Thoughts, Beta?"

["Quick" Taylor]

Quick nodded in response to Tomas' comment that they had all been short on sleep lately. That was a truth that nobody needed to tell him. He'd lead an attack on the Carna the morning after Skye's death after being awake for nearly a full 24 hours. Their reactions to the recent sandstorms had required him to stay up until midnight this night. It was all quite draining.

The Beta listened intently as the Alpha spoke, leaning against the table with his arms crossed over his chest and his gaze focused intently on the ground while thoughts whirled in his head. He looked over at Tomas as the man finished speaking.

"First, it's clear to me what the intent of that attack was: it was an attack on the Fallen, plain and simple. Whether it was personal between Manic and Skye makes no difference. She wasn't the only one that lost her life at their hands.

"For now, though, since I already lead a retaliation, I think we should wait and see," he said, turning around to point at the maps. He ran his finger along their border with Carna,"I agree, constant patrols along the border are good. Two hunters for some muscle and a Scout to keep a good eye out would probably be a good idea."

He paused for a moment, considering Tomas' idea of forming an alliance with Fulsi. It may be a little risky, given Fulsi's imperialistic nature. There could be benefits, though.

"I think, for now, a better move might be to ally ourselves with the Nakoma," Quick said, pointing to the Anthros' territory to the north," They are in need of allies, still, especially being so isolated up north right next to Carna territory. They might jump at the chance for us to have their backs. We might also consider making friends out of the Retros. We're closest of all the Rings to their territory. Having their support would make the Carna think twice before attacking us like that again.

"As far as spies, we have none in either. They were uncovered by the Carna, and we never had any in Fulsi," Quick told him. The Beta stood there for a long while, looking at the maps, studying them. He looked at the area around their border with the Carna. There wasn't much difference in the terrain in the Fallen desert. If they had to fight the Carna on their turf, they'd have to find other advantages to gain on them.

"A part of me almost wishes they would attack us again," Quick said, leaning forward with his palms flat on the table as he continued studying the maps,"Then we can march in and take Sewertown from them. Destroy their Ring for all intents and purposes. At the least would could use the opportunity to get rid of Manic."

Quick looked over at Tomas, a meaningful look on his face.

"This place would be so much better without him here."

[TOMAS MCKELLAR]

Tomas said nothing at first. Then, with his gaze still locked on the slip of desert visible through the partially open door, he cracked a bitter smile and shook his head. "Nothing is ever simple." Of course, the grin was ill-fitting on his mouth, given the conversation. Tom was right there in the fighting, alongside his Ring mates, and it had been bitter and savage. But Tomas didn't think that Carna was chalk-full of bad people--contrarily, he thought that each Ring had its fair share of hypothetical villains. He blamed Manic, sure. But he didn't want to cause more bloodshed than necessary--the burning of the waterfront had already shown Fallens so-called "back-bone". "I agree. We should wait."

Tom walked back to the table, returning his gaze to the maps after gauging Quick's expression. "Two Scouts, one Hunter. There's no sense in protecting our border if we're going to starve inside of it. We may look to moving up some Tenderfoots or adding them to patrols for extra hands, and possibly some Omegas. But then again, adding numbers who are inadequate wouldn't be so much of a strength as a weakness..." Tom had thought about it already--the border was a precarious ordeal, with the fact that it was so close to Carna and they were on such uncertain terms. Not to mention that the wrong Hunters or Scouts patrolling near Carna territory could result in a bloodbath.

He leaned against the table, so that he could glance over the maps for the thousandth time. He was surprised at Quick's suggestion--Nakoma? Tom hadn't thought about them, frankly. He'd been more concerned with their immediate neighbors. One wants to kill us, and we're at uneasy peace with the other. I haven't had time to worry about the only people who haven't been a threat recently.

"As much as I like the idea of reaching out to a group in need, I don't like the idea of reaching out across Fulsi and Carna territory to do it. Fallen is my priority and Nakoma is a distant territory in the Menagerie." Not to mention, Tom knew little about them. They were a relatively new group, and their instability made him hesitant to reach out a helping hand. "What would they offer us? It would be difficult for them to come to our aid or us to theirs in a time of need."

He pitied the anthros, frankly. He couldn't help but feel bad for someone who was neither animal nor human, but a mix. He wasn't hostile towards them--he didn't hold much prejudice. But pity in the Menagerie was no one's ally. He straightened and stifled a yawn. Tom wasn't bored. He was bone-tired.

"I like the idea of retromorphs more. The problem with that is that they could be hostile, or unopened to the idea of siding with 'humans'. And I don't know about you, but I wouldn't trust the Lawaii leader with my back if it came to it. What would we say to convince them of an allyship, anyway? They've kept to themselves all these years." That was the truth, wasn't it? Tom juggled the ideas. Fulsi. Nakoma. Retros. Why can't we just stick to our little corner? Oh yeah, because they were on the verge of war. And wouldn't that be easier? Jesus, Tom was familiar with fighting. He could do it in his sleep if he had to. Politics were another matter.

"We should think about spies, then. We have multiple able-bodied Fallen who would be good at it." He went through a mental inventory, metaphorically tripping over names in his exhaustion. "A part of me almost wishes they would attack us again."

Quick's comment surprised him. Tomas expression sharpened, and became uncharacteristically guarded as he raised his gaze to the Beta. He tried to find humor, but in those seconds he saw something dangerous in Quick. Not towards Fallen, of course, but in general. He was reckless. "Attack us again, with superior weapons, so that we could watch our friends and family get torn to shreds a second time? I know we're capable; that isn't just me being compassionate towards Fallen, either. It's me telling the truth. We wouldn't be wiped out right away. But we aren't suited for war. And we've had our fair share of it."

The line of his jaw tightened, and his light eyes were strangely bright in the light of the lantern. "To destroy Carna is to destroy Fallen. The Rings are the superpowers of the Menagerie, and a conflict between them never ends well--last time, it resulted in the destruction of the Bestia. Are you willing to drag allies we don't even have yet into a battle that would ruin either Fallen or them? At the price of Manic?"

He shook his head. "I don't want that kind of blood on my hands until its unavoidable. The Menagerie would be a better place without him, sure. But there wouldn't be many left to enjoy the victory."

["Quick" Taylor]

Quick shook his head as Tom mentioned having the Tendergoots and Omegas help with patrolling.

"They would be of more use filling in Hunter and Scout duties around the Switchstone, rather than out on the borders," he said, sittind down in a chair by the table, still studying the maps,"As for Nakoma, they can offer us a way to take the heat off our Ring if the Carna ever attack. We'd have Carna surrounded, if we can get Nakoma to back us up. Carna attacks us or them, the other comes in and tears them apart from behind. Even an alliance with Fulsi cannot give us that advantage."

Quick turned his thoughts on the Retros as Tomas mentioned his reservations about the reclusive groups. He had good points, but Quick couldn't help but feel that, at the least, they might be able to get some support from the Nilda. Gaunt had seemed more willing than most Retros to cooperate with him before.

"I know Gaunt, the Nilda's leader. I had to deal with him a while ago when one of our Tenderfoots wandered into their territory," Quick said,"He seemed willing to talk and cooperate with shifters more than the other Retros have. We may be able to at least get him to offer our people shelter as a backup plan in case of an attack. It would be a lot safer than somewhere like the Asylum."

Quick listened to Tomas talk about what he'd just said about wishing Carna would attack again. It had been a stupid idea, he knew. It had been even more stupid to voice it to the new Alpha. Quick mentally chastised himself as Tomas finished up, mentioning he didn't want that kind of blood on his hands.

"You're right, of course. Carna is better suited for conflict," Quick said without looking at Tomas. He just stared straight ahead at the lamp in front of him,"I don't want to see our ringmates die any more than you do. I know Carna has some good people in it just like we do. I know all that."

As he mentionrd that, he thought of Adriana. She was in Carna. She was a good person. Certainly better than many other people in the dome. He hadn't seen her since the night that the assassin had been sent. He wanted to see her again, but knew it would be a while before he could. His duties to his Ring had to come first.

"Be that as it may, though," he continued,"It still makes me angry that they would walk into our territory like that just to deliberately kill Skye. Manic pisses me off. He has ever since he made the first Ring here. You didn't hear the rumors about the cannibalism pop up while watching people just disappear."

"I'm going to kill him, eventually," Quick said, turning to look at Tomas,"But make no mistake: it won't happen if anything can come of it to harm Fallen."

[TOMAS MCKELLAR]

Tom made a noncommittal noise, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Tenderfoots and Omegas were honesty the least of his worries. "Nakoma is also a much smaller group, and very few of them have true advantages from their mutations. Not to mention, Carna also has the resources and experience to split if they wanted to attack both of us at once. We have nothing to offer Nakoma aside from our loyalty, and that might be something they don't want. They know the unstable ground that Fallen stands on, and their leader was also a part of the previous Bestia revolution. She, of all people, would know how the last allegiance with Fallen went."

He did not see it as an advantage. He had seen similar strategies in both Jakarta and Rome. It spread the forces too thin. Not to mention, Tom was tentative to meddle in allegiances. They were fickle, but they would also be necessary for the survival of Fallen. "If nothing else, we should arrange a "cease-fire" with Fulsi. We have constant border skirmishes, and they raid us, but they have not out-right attacked us recently. I also believe that Charm is a reasonable leader." He repeated this second part, because he did.

Tomas sighed, and resisted the urge to rub his temple. Instead, he straightened and locked his hands behind him, encircling his left wrist with his index, thumb, and middle finger. He tapped at the line of his pulse, thoughtful. "Gaunt could be an option. We would be sacrificing hunting grounds if we decided to ally ourselves with them, however, considering a lot of our Hunters poach on their land." And that was true. But Tom couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive of anyone that was actually an animal dressing in a man's skin--retros made him uneasy, and they were unpredictable.

You're right, of course. Tomas did not reply immediately. He merely looked at Quick sidelong, gauging him. "If you know it, quit acting like you don't. It makes you angry. It makes everyone in Fallen angry." Then Tomas snorted, and shook his head. "I've heard all the rumors. I've done my research, Quick, and I don't like him any more than you do, but the idea of vengeance is what gets you killed. I'm not about to make a World War III here in the Menagerie, attacking Manic like he's the second coming of Adolf Hitler."

Tom had seen too many good men fall due to things like this, and like "revenge". Hell, he was a man who had fallen due to someone's want of revenge, wasn't he? He laughed, very softly, and shook his head again. "Either you'll kill him or he'll kill you, Quick. Leadership positions do not have room for hatred. You will make mistakes and stupid decisions. I don't doubt your loyalty to Fallen. I merely doubt your intentions, and if not your intentions, then your methods."

He sighed and sat, steepling his fingers in front of him as he thought about it. This worried him. Quick's brashness. He respected the Beta, but not in this matter. "I'm not being insensitive." It was a statement, not an excuse or argument. "I'm pissed. I'm angry and sad that Skye is gone, and I'm doing my best to keep this Ring together. There are people who would support you, you know, if you wanted to lead a revolt or start a war or whatever it is you want to do." He let that sink in, keeping his expression steady. "But that's something led by anger. If you're going to start a war, you do it with logic, Quick."

He had thought he was done with warfare two years ago. But it never ended, did it? Screw it. Some of his hard-won composure broke, and Tom rubbed at his temples to try and rid himself of his growing headache.

["Quick" Taylor]

Quick listened to Tom respond unfavorably to his suggestions on the Nakoma and Retros again. Quick himself didn't trust Fulsi. They wanted to expand theor territory and bring everyone in the dome, shifters and retros and anthros alike, under their control. While he shared their belief that everyone there united would be good, he disagreed with their methods. They wanted everyone to become Fulsi, not just work together. Quick fundamentally disagreed with it.

"I agree, a cease-fire is a good idea," he said, shrugginf,"I just don't think that constitutes much of a partnership. If Carna attacks again, and we ask for help, having a cease-fire is hardly a compelling reason for them to back us up. That's my opinion, whatever it's worth."

"If you know it, quit acting like you don't," Tomas said. Quick's brow furrowed as he looked back at the Alpha. It seemed his initial intent with his statement about Carna had been misunderstood. It had been a way for him to express that anger and frustration. He let out a sigh as Tomas finished.

"Look, it's not like I've been sitting here planning how to go to war with Carna," he said, looking the Alpha square in the eyes,"I'm just frustrated, tired, and more than a little angry right now. I tend to get a little more vocal with smaller trains of thought I don't intend to act on when that happens. We all have them. I heard plenty of them before I learned to control my telepathy. Like I said, I'm just more vocal with mine than most. I guess you could say it's a coping mechanism.

"Anyway, this whole thing has us side-tracked," he continued, rubbing his eyes, which wete heavy with fatigue again,"What were we talking about? Spies, right? I can think of a few people we might be able to use. Hell, I'll volunteer. Can't ask someone else to do something I'm not willing to do myself."

OOC: sorry it took so long to get this up. Got a serious case of writer's block with this one. Lol

[TOMAS MCKELLAR]

Tom made a noncommittal gesture with his hands. It was an optimistic thought to think that anyone would come to their aid, honestly. If conflict arose, why would someone stick out their neck to help a fellow Ring? Like it or not, most people in the Menagerie did not have such selfless intentions. "We'll think on it." He wasn't dismissing the subject. He meant what he said.

"Look, it's not like I've been sitting here planning how to go to war with Carna." Tomas arched a brow. He could have been fooled. But as Quick continued, he felt a little more sympathetic to his Beta's outburst. He understood that Quick was not the same as himself--that he was much more impulsive, brasher, perhaps more passionate. And those were good traits, sure. Tom just didn't want him getting anyone killed unnecessarily.

He bit at the jagged edge of one thumbnail, moving on to a new subject without comment. "The Fallen Beta being a spy is about as subtle--and believable-- as someone painting themselves green and saying they're a leprechaun." Tom smoothed out the edge of his nail with his tongue, before examining the quick. His bright, oceanic eyes flicked to Quick for a moment. "I don't doubt your ability. I doubt the practicality of such a decision."

Not to mention, removing someone who had a leadership position, and putting them into enemy lines was stupid. Not because Quick wasn't willing, but because Fallen looked to him for guidance and familiarity.

["Quick" Taylor]

Quick gave a small snort of laughter at Tomas' analogy, a small smirk on his face. He imagined the Alpha with green paint dumped all over his head as he ran around declaring himself a leprechaun. It was an amusing thought, but he pushed it out of his head.

Still, the Alpha made a good point. Quick going off and being a spy in another Ring wouldn't do. He was needed here to help lead the Fallen. It was especially important now, since the whole Ring still looked to him for stability. Sure, Tomas was the new alpha, but Quick had been Beta well before Skye's death. His presence gave the members a sense of security that came with a familiar face in charge.

"Fair enough," he told Tomas,"I'll go talk to people and see if I can get any volunteers. I'll make sure they understand the dangers and responsibilities. I'll also work on setting up a couple of dead-drop points for them to leave information at. It'd probably be too suspicious for them to disappear to come talk to us in person."

[TOMAS MCKELLAR]

Tomas cracked a smile along with Quick, grateful that the Beta was seeing some ration in this at least. "Agreed. I'll keep some people in mind too, of course. Maybe bring it up at a meeting or something, or one of the bonfires. But... eh. We don't know what kind of spies are in Fallen at the moment." Alright, so. What Tomas was concluded from all of this was that politics were basically a bitch.

He stood up and stretched his arms over his head. Tom rolled his shoulders and loosened up his joints, feeling as though the conversation were drawing to an end. "Thanks for the talk, Quick. I think we've gone over just about everything productive at this point, and it's about time for us to hit the sack. 'Course, I'm sure we'll be up bright and early tomorrow." At least he wouldn't be up bright and early and sanding decks. Tom remembered those days of military training with a small grimace.

He turned to offer his hand to the Beta. "You're a good man, Quick. We'll get Fallen shipshape in no time." A wide grin accompanied this statement, but as soon as the door slammed closed behind his Beta, the expression fell. Tomas wasn't so optimistic without an audience.

But maybe that was the exhaustion talking.