Myranda and Metas were on their way back from collecting water when someone so rudely called to them with a whistle as though they were dogs.
Metas growled and looked around the tree tops to see who had been so annoying - and so bold in their actions.
"What?" the Alpha called out in annoyance.
"Heheh, you don't need to get soooooo upset, I just didn't want to sneak up on you," the trill of a bright voice rang out as the person who had summoned them flew down closed to the pair with a wide grin.
"Hi." Lyrica said and gave one short wave. "How ya doin?"
"What are you doing here, creature?" Metas asked with an unimpressed voice and face. He was still grumpy from the fashion in which he had been woken up, and he was further annoyed that he was so damn tired.
"Oh..well.. I wanted to ask for something in return for something else. A little quid-pro-quo as it were," she spoke with a 'loop' to her voice that made it sound as though she were mocking him a little.
"What do you offer?" Metas asked flat-out. He wasn't interested in games.
"Don't you want to hear what I want first?" she asked with a twisted face.
"I assume it's something really valuable since you're here before me, and you whistled. That kind of attitude means you're emboldened with confidence because you have something very important. What is it you have?" the Alpha King asked again, and his voice lost patience the longer they stood there staring down at each other.
"Well.. I know of a certain wolf whose trapped somewhere. I can get him down for you - but I want hunting rights. I just want to be able to eat some game here once in a while - oh - and I want to live in the forest. I like it here, and I don't plan on killing the woods, so don't worry about that," she offered as she crossed her arms.
"You have my brother, don't you? Where is he!?" Myranda stepped forward and almost dropped her collected water.
"Oh, I don't have him. Some crazy kid put him up there," she lied beautifully. "I can get him down, but I'm not doing it for free."
"What makes you think we can't find him?" Myranda challenged with heat in her eyes.
"Hahaha, you can't see orichalcum, can you? No. No you can't. He's in a net way high in the air, too. Whacha gonna do, fly up to help him?" Lyrica asked obnoxiously and put her hands on her hips as she rolled her eyes.
"..and you thought the best idea to gain favor was to come and taunt us about what you have?" Metas asked with a darker tone than previous.
"Well, what else would have gained your attention?" she asked accusingly.
"Perhaps freeing him first, and asking for a favor afterwards would have fared far more well for you. Right now, I am annoyed and angry that you'd taunt such a thing in our face and then ask to hunt and live in our lands. Do you realize how bad of a start you've had now? You should have planned this out much better," Metas lectured to her, but really he was stalling. If he could take her by surprise, perhaps her own life would be a better motivator to spill her knowledge.
"Pah!? Are you serious? You're just going to let him die up there? You don't even know where he is!" Lyrica spat in anger as not only did his words make sense, but now she wished she had done that.
"You mean he's not in the orichalcum fields? The nets that hang in the canopies from the war centuries ago? Those?" Metas asked. The truth was, he had no idea where those were. He just knew a bit of history about the war and the different magic metals utilized through time.
"Wha- You? How did...never mind! If I get him down, would you let me hunt little things? Come on - it sucks over there in the Vampire lands. They're all annoying and its bright a lot with neon..." Lyrica complained.
"Neon? What's that?" Metas asked, having briefly gotten off topic at such a foreign word.
"Neon - the bright lights - bright color stuff...? Glows? Made by the humans?" Lyrica replied indignantly as though they shared the same culture and knowledge.
"I do not know what that is. We forbid human things here." Metas answered with a heavy sigh. "If what you say is true, bring him to me and we can discuss terms. Otherwise, you can consider yourself our enemy; which you do not want to be, I promise."
"How do I know you're going to give me what I ask for?" Lyrica replied impatiently.
"How do we know you're going to bring us Jyriah?" Metas returned flatly.
Myranda just watched and learned from their interaction. She had no idea how to handle a situation like this other than being pissed off. It seemed Metas didn't need her help at the present moment anyway.
Sometimes the best help is just to stay out of the way, and keep quiet. Plus, she was enjoying watching her mate toy with this nasty woman in front of them. Unlike her brother, though - she didn't remember the face of the woman she saved.
"You realize you're asking us for a favor after you've already received on for free? My mate let you live. Why are you pushing your luck? What makes you so foolish or desperate to do this?" Metas was angry now, and he wasn't afraid to show it.
"Wh--but...How did you recognize me? I don't even look the same!" Lyrica argued.
"Your scent. She didn't get as close to you as I did. You're not hard to pick out. Last chance to answer me truthfully before this exchange becomes lost," Metas started and then took a deep breath to calm himself before he demanded once more.
"What makes you so foolish and so desperate to do what you're currently doing?"
"....I just... It sucks over there, okay! I hate it, and I hate having to constantly fight. I don't have a lot, man. I watch movies through people's windows and steal food from convenience stores...." Lyrica replied with a waver in her words.
A waver of lies, that was.
Metas wasn't having it. Having been lied to his entire life, he knew what a pair of eyes looked like when they were telling a tall 'tail'. This woman wasn't just spinning a lie - she was straight up /living/ it. Part of him wondered if she even knew what the truth was anymore.
He was well versed in desperation, too. Both from himself and from liars around him trying to get ahead of their fellow wolf. She was desperate, that was absolutely for certain.
.....but why? 'Why' was more important than anything else in this matter. 'Why' was the key to everything. It was important for him to know her intentions before he made any deal with her - Jyriah involved or not - the health of the forest was just as important as the health of the lycan kingdom.
"No. Try again. Why are you so desperate?" Metas repeated, his patience wearing into a down to a very fragile sliver.
Lyrica couldn't answer, or she refused to. Either way, she sat locked in Metas' gaze as she bit her lower lip.Then, she took in a deep sigh and crossed her arms and muttered out, "I just hate it there, okay?"
"What?" Myranda let out with disbelief.
"You don't understand - I'm not.. I don't... The lights are annoying, and the rent is too high. Spaces are cramped and, the smells of everything else around is too much. I like the quietness of the forest, and I like eating when I want to, and not when I'm allowed to. I like sleeping in trees and bathing in the rain. Is that a crime? Is that such a bad reason?" Lyrica finally vomited up in a confession.
Now that was something Metas absolutely believed. Not just because of the way she spouted it out, but because of how vulnerable her eyes looked when she finally admitted it.
In reply, he just let out a good, long and loud laugh.
"Why are you laughing at me!?" Lyrica said with deep offense.
"- because it is better than lie you already gave, hahahaha." Metas replied in delight.
Myranda looked to him with concern as though he were going mad. Was he delirious with sleep-deprivation? What the hell was making him laugh?
"Okay, okay - you take us to Jyriah. Then, we talk about terms. First, we need to deliver water and let the pack know where we are going," Metas finished up his laughter and wiped a tear from his eye that formed from his genuine entertainment.