#/A RRRGGGGGG HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[sirsharp-a]

I Have Chosen You. ❜

Summary:  Edgar returns to his duties  -  and with a mysterious request for some of his hunters.

Warnings:  N/A.

                ❝ ALRIGHT. ❞      The hum surrounding the tavern was cut short by the Alpha banging the butt of a bottle harshly atop the counter.     ❝ I desire silence. ❞

                There was a lot to address:  where he’d been;  why he’d disappeared without a word for several weeks, only to be bedridden upon his return.  Only Grace--  and now Moxie, through his ‘scientific research’ regarding Edgar’s newfound immortality--   knew of his situation, and it was time for for him to grant the rest of the creed some amount of clarity.

                ❝ I know things have been tumultuous as of late.  Your leader has been MIA for a number of weeks, and for that I can only apologise.  There are things in this life that cannot be avoided. ❞ 

                 He didn’t need to go into the details.  All most needed to know was that he’d never had any intention to leave in the first place.  Much like birds with their owners, an inferior’s trust in their Alpha could easily be diminished if they exhibited unwanted behaviour.  Unwilling to see all of his hard work and prestige swirl down the drain, Edgar intended to fix it.

                ❝ I won’t go into the entire thing.  All you need to know is that I had a brush with death, needed some time to recover, and am now back in full throttle.  May I remind you that though I am your Alpha, I am not indestructible.  I do not expect your compassion--  only your tolerance.  I had no intention to leave, nor to leave you all unattended, but I trust that you all did just fine without me.  You have no need for me to hold your hands.  I am particular with who I allow into this creed, meaning you are all capable, intelligent and intuitive.  I expect there were very few complications while I was away, and that you all came through as a team.  Things will resume as normal.  The Strahvern will run as before, as I am finally ready--  and able--  to return. ❞

                Surveying the small crowd might have been nerve-wracking for some, but for a man who had spoken in front of hundreds of thousands of people on a  multitude  of different occasions, this was the equivalent of a social gathering.  Though the topic was dreary and the tone was serious, he spoke with the ease of somebody who was speaking to an old friend in private;  no nerves;  no need to stop and fumble;  responsible and authoritative.  As he glanced around the room, taking in the sober faces of his fellow creedmates, all he saw was the same trust they had always had in him.  Fractured in some places, perhaps, but it was no doubt treatable.

                ❝ I expect your full effort.  And you can all expect mine from this moment on. ❞     After a final sweep of the room, he pocketed his hands casually, eyebrows raising high.     ❝ Any questions? ❞

                 The room was silent save for a couple of hushed ‘no sir’’s.  Edgar clapped his hands, the sound ringing through the tavern.

                ❝ Alright-y then!  Off you go! ❞     He snaked around the bar, stopping a handful of hunters on their way out.     ❝ You two wait.  I have an assignment for you. ❞     When he began to walk back, he heard obedient footsteps behind him, the two men both curious and apprehensive.  Edgar sat atop his usual stool behind the bar, still towering over them despite it.     ❝ I am on the hunt for another Alpha.  I want you to team up with Moxie and a small group of scouts that I have assembled to find out her location and bring it back to me.  You will do nothing else.  I do not want you to make contact with her, nor any of her members, and I want you to remain discreet.  I strictly want her current whereabouts and nothing more.  Is that understood? ❞

                  Flint was the first one to nod, face a mask of stone.     ❝ What’s the name? ❞

                ❝ Nyx, ❞     Edgar replied, the word doused in venom.     ❝ Nyx Allura. ❞

                ❝ What’s your business with her, boss? ❞

                ❝ It matters not.  It doesn’t affect your mission. ❞     He paused to reach into his pocket, lighting a smoke and propping it between his lips in order to take a drag.  After exhaling, he held it between two fingers, the swirling vapour a hypnotic ally to his bitter delivery.     ❝ I have already given the scouts a physical description.  She is known to dwell in the South.  Past No-Man’s Bluff.  You may not be back for a week or two.  I don’t want any of you to return here until you get some sort of ‘coordinates’.  You must understand the seriousness of this request;  this is something that I  must  deal with, and I have chosen you because I have faith in your abilities. ❞

                 Flint nodded slowly, glancing sideways to his assigned teammate.  Sparrow was a quirky fellow;  he barely spoke, but he was as fierce as they came.  Feral, often frothing at the mouth, and hungry for destruction.  Briefly, Flint wondered how he would fare when it came to resisting the urge to blow their cover and charge straight for the kill.

                ❝ Should be easy enough.  I guess Grace is accompanying us if you’ve assembled some sc-- ❞

                ❝ She is not coming. ❞

                ❝ What...?  But she’s the Lead.  How is it possible that she isn’t necessary? ❞

                Edgar shook his head, taking another deep drag from his smoke.     ❝ Under normal circumstances, she would absolutely be accompanying you.  But she has some personal connection to the Alpha in question.  To use her would be dangerous;  both for her and for us.  I need level-headed lyes that are free from pre-conceived judgement.  She is not suitable for this particular mission.  I would also much prefer it if you did not discuss this with her.  She is not to know yet. ❞

                He wasn’t ready to expose himself as the lovesick fool that he was.  He’d sooner  die  than tell Flint that the reason she wasn’t accompanying them was because he couldn’t bear to expose her to the one that had ruined her life.  Not yet--  perhaps when the time was right.  When the context was fitting.  When he himself wasn’t so terrified of losing her.  Though immortality would be handy in his conflict against others in the future, Grace’s lack of invulnerability worried him a great deal.  The idea of being forced to live on without his lover was a horrifying prospect, one that he wished to avoid with every fibre of his being.  For that reason, he wouldn’t wittingly put her in harm’s way--  whether she could fend for herself or not.

                ❝ Has all of that sunk in? ❞     he asked, a deep calm passing through him as the smoke did its job.  When both hunters slowly nodded, he smiled wide once more.     ❝ Good!  Prepare yourselves tonight, then leave in the morning. ❞

                ❝ Is this gonna result in a war, Alpha? ❞     Sparrow asked, voice a deep monotone drone.  Despite the lack of emotion on his face, there was a crazed glint in his eye, one that longingly thirsted for blood.

                ❝ Mm, ❞     Edgar hummed, smile sharpening somewhat.     ❝ Probably. ❞