Sex: Female| watch while i spontaneously combust Okay, so maybe Weldering had a shred of competence in him, being able to to provide for himself without even a bit of assistance from anyone else. However, Junai brushed this off as if it were nothing, not commending him for his skill but remarking rather exasperatedly, <b style="color:#125d7c;">“All you ever do is brag, ya know that?” There was a hint of a childish grin on her features, the hypocrisy of the statement not lost on her; Torla had told her more than once that she her unwarranted ego would get her in trouble one day in her patronizing way. Odd, Junai almost missed it... Whatever. She didn't want to linger on such things. Instead, giving a mocking gasp of surprise as his decision to go into the cave, she said, <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Woahh, who knew you could be such a man?” As for his musing on the matter of ladies first, Junai gave a matter-of-fact shake of her head and responded resolutely, <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Nah. If anything's in there, you get to die protecting me, obviously.” She stepped in after him, peering curiously around his bulky form to the cavern beyond. The darkness, after a moment, became bearable—wolves were, after all, equipped with decent 'night vision,' so to speak, which was sure to make this escapade easier for the both of them. Puzzled, she responded rather honestly, <b style="color:#125d7c;">“No, honestly. I don't remember them being mentioned...” Wasn't it obvious she hadn't known? She had thought bears lived here and the caves seemed... empty. Annoyed by the lack of, well, anything, Junai cried out uncertainly, <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Hello?!” Nothing. Hmph. <b style="color:#125d7c;">“C'mon, we gotta keep going. There's gotta be something interesting here if nobody knows about it, right?” |
TOGETHER WE'RE INVINCIBLE
<b style="color:#153059">"And all you ever do is talk." He scowled back to her still looking over his shoulder as he mimicked her childlike youthful behaviour. It's fair to say that Weldering never truly grew up completely having not lived for an ordinary childhood. There was never really any stages in his life where anything changed. Though more to the point he basically said the first thing that popped into his head half the time. Which coincidentally enough was turning this pair into a bickering pair of jokers.
The prospect of dieing first did not matter to him much, if there were to be any incidents then the result would be his death he was sure of that. <b style="color:#153059">"Yeah well if I let a bear eat you, despite how funny it might be to watch... your brothers will have something to say about it. I met your oldest brother, your leader. I guess he's a bit like you. Not so keen on lone wolves hanging out with you or whatever... not that I'm hanging out with you right now, to be fair you are following me!" But as she once again repeated that she was not having him on with one of her little games and that this cavern had really never been explored before it sent a twisted smile over his maw. Prancing forwards with even more confidence then before and allowing his tail to raise swiftly. <b style="color:#153059">"Well it looks like I've discovered a cave system beneath the mountain. Hmmm I think I'm going to call it... Darksidy Caves!"
| watch while i spontaneously combust <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Fff, and you do much more?” He was talking right on back, which made her wonder why he thought her talking was so bad in the first place. What, did he want her to leave? Was he annoyed by the idle (if not insulting) chatter that she so willingly provided? She was tempted to turn around and abandon him in these winding tunnels if not for the fact that she now felt the need to insult him more. It was a vicious circle, really, the way they jeered at each other... If nothing else, it distracted them both from thoughts that were otherwise depressing and not entirely welcome? Not, of course, that Junai saw things in such a light. At the mention of Indru, Junai couldn't help but snort. Indru had seemed ready to kill Weldering with the help of Ruiko—in Junai's mind, if she hadn't spoken up, he'd be Swift River chow right about now. And, as always, she felt the need to mention this fact. <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Him and Rui were gonna have a taaaalk with you; he thought you hurt me or somethin'. No worries, though, I told him that you were a wuss and couldn't law a paw on me in a million years!” She laughed to herself at that, apparently confident in her ability to hold her own against anyone and everyone she met. As for the matter of following him? <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Yeah right, loser! You were stalking me in the first place. What kinda creep are you, huh?” She snickered, though, and it was clear that her insults meant little—honestly, if she wasn't poking fun at strangers, she had little idea what to say to them. It was only out of luck that he was sticking with her through this cave system, though with his proclamation of naming the caves after himself, it would seem they might not stick to one another's side for much longer. Giving an audible snort, she exclaimed, <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Whatever. Does your family even live around here? I don't think so! So, in honor of the Tainn family, these will now be called Junai Caves!” Leave it to Junai of all people to take all the glory for herself. |
TOGETHER WE'RE INVINCIBLE
Was she trying to deduce that her talking was not a bad thing? The next minute alone proved that there was carelessly no thoughts put into what she said to try not to hurt feelings of anyone else. Though the first thing that Junai mentioned was about her brothers, he had been in two on one fights before when his friends pack was being raided, they had managed to drive off the vagrant attackers then and he was maybe even a little too overconfident that he could defend himself suitability still when the odds were against him. Though being unable to attack Junai because he could not? Physically he could easily hurt her but mentally despite how annoying she persisted to be, no. She was right in that respect he could not lay a paw on her.
<b style="color:#153059">"You know I was a Beta and a Lead Warrior only last month." He decided to add, not sure whether or not it was a wise idea to tell her incase she used it as fuel to mock him with. The reason why he mentioned it was to try and get her off his back about being some kind of wuss just because he showed a very passive nature.
He continued padding along a little way ahead of Junai through the tunnels, a large chamber now opening out in front of them with more tunnels and even some carved by small streams that were still flowing through. Weldering hopped down into one of the cold mountain trickles walking against the current as the water reached no higher then his ankles. Yet even though he wanted to name these caves after himself and his family Junai had other ideas. Glancing back with his bright icy blue eyes again towards her yet letting his lips curl back slightly, so far that had been the worst thing she had said. <b style="color:#153059">"That is because my family don't live anymore." He retorted, tail swaying with irritation behind him only for a few moments. <b style="color:#153059">"Therefore it will be the Darksidy Tunnels in memory of them."
| watch while i spontaneously combust Beta and Leader Warrior? Even Junai, in all her ignorant and condescending glory, had to admit that it was impressive. Perhaps... Perhaps she even envied him a little, having had both a position of power and the opportunity to explore the world—she remained stuck, happy to be with family and yet annoyed by her caged lifestyle. She wondered if he was more talented than Indru or Ruiko—after all, he had probably had more challenges to face, right? Maybe one day she'd ask him about his fighting prowess, perhaps ask for a tip or two... But, for the time being, she remained stubborn. The idea of asking him for help with anything even moderately serious struck her as repulsive, a means of admitting to his competence. Perhaps later, when she felt she could trust him, when she learned how to better act with strangers that would not necessarily appreciate her insulting (though definitely teasing) way of addressing others. If anything, the fact that she was willingly following was an improvement—though it seemed short-lived, for upon entering a high-ceilinged cavern with minute streams of fresh water running through it, the mood soured. Her words were thoughtlessly said, spoken without regard to the possible harm they may have caused due to the fact that Junai was busying herself with studying the intricate room they had stepped into. It seemed a central figure, with tunnels branching off in random directions like spider legs—she almost wandered down one, poking her nose thoughtfully into the darkness, when words—angry, vehement words—sounded. Junai turned to face him, blinking in the dim light, taking in his features with wide and uncomprehending eyes—what was his problem? She almost felt bad, but the retort of his words left her remembering and she found herself glaring right back at him, responding rather venomously, <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Not all of my family's alive either, in case you forgot the overwhelming stench of burnt wood from the southern wildwood.” The words conjured a pictured of gray in her mind—he was gray, too, she realized with growing frustration. The little reminders, she was slowly starting to realize, were the ones that were taking the biggest toll on her heart and mind. <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Can't they have some place else named after them? You're just stealing from the dead now!” Not that the Tainn's had ever truly owned such land, but... But he didn't even belong here, did he?! It was the fire, she deduced most childishly—the fire had taken away a good portion of her family and it had brought him and the others. In her rage, so naive it was, she forget their similarities, the similarities that had originally made her tolerate him; silly, she was so silly. |
TOGETHER WE'RE INVINCIBLE
While most of the summer days were hot and stuffy no such feelings were felt within the walls of this network of intricate caves. His eyes taking time as he moved ever so slowly to look into the furthest reaches of every crack and corner not wanting to miss a single detail. Unlike Junai he had no commitments and there was absolutely not need to rush through relishing the idea of discovering something new, even if she was spending more time complaining then enjoying the moment. He shuffled forwards slowly through the small stream bed, the rock below slightly slippery yet with his limbs evenly spread and blunt claws dug firmly onto the rockface below he was comfortable.
As far as his fighting skills were concerned he had been in a few fights, the scars that remained were nothing too drastic and only those that would ever get close to him would find them situation beneath his thick silver coat. One of the largest of which was several bite marks down his left flank from where he had been physically pulled backwards while two other wolves tore one of his friends to pieces in a raid. He had been visiting a neighboring pack, the home of his best friend purely because he had been walking her home. She had expressed worries about frequent attackers coming into her territory but Weldering had not believed the severity of it until he saw the sadistic wolves with his own eyes. They were fiends that did not deserve to live and after two lives in the end were lost from his friends pack one of the attackers then ended up becoming mates with his Alphess. Weldering tried to tell her the truth about him but in the end she took the murderers words over her own Beta and he was cast out. It did not make any difference though for the island burned only a couple of days later just after he had left.
Before his plight he had often trained others with combat tips, he maintained a strong belief that all pups should grow up with a basic knowledge on self defense so had taken the pups born that spring aside including his own daughter by adoption and taught them. Though the same techniques could just as easily be shown to Junai... if she was ever willing to listen. Yet for now even Weldering was lacking in his usual willingness to listen, his patience slipping away. <b style="color:#153059">"I understand that you have lost your parents, members of your family but this mountain was not theirs!" He once again retorted in a not so impressed mood right now.
<b style="color:#153059">"If you had actually taken the time to speak to some of the lone wolves that have arrived in this valley you will see that they are not thieves or monsters, most of them have suffered losses far greater then both of us and they need our support and that of your family. They don't deserve to be run out of this forest by a little girl who thinks her family owns the place! You own a river in Sacred Grove, that's it. So stop acting like you own everything or are better then them, Miss Junai Tainn." Weldering had officially snapped, his tail beating vividly and yet it was only a couple of breaths later his heart slowed and his head hung. <b style="color:#153059">"Look Junai, you should be grateful for what you have and not worry about what has been lost." The same applied for him too as he was in all honesty trying to forget his past, it was why he was thinking of setting up a home here in Relic Lore. <b style="color:#153059">"What about Tainnsidy Tunnels? I guess you found this place too."
| watch while i spontaneously combust She stood facing him, her posture perfect—chin raised, tail curled over her back, chest puffed out, and ears rotated anxious forward—in what was an attempt to keep herself from a poorly-timed breakdown. She was weak, her mind still very much that of a child's. Physically, she was mature, her sleek body well-proportioned and perhaps even alluring; mentally and emotionally, she was weak and fragile. They all thought she could handle things easily, the deaths and disappearances and disarray... She despised it; it infuriated her, irritated her... Or, perhaps most importantly, it depressed her and she was not meant to be a being of sadness, a being of weakness and vulnerability and raw emotion. She had always been so cool, so cool... And here he was, arrogant and all-knowing, picking her apart. She despised him. What was easily most aggravating about his words was that they were right. For as long as she had remembered, no one had cared to argue that Relic Lore belonged to her—the hidden streams and towering trees and minuscule berries and pretty flowers. There had been passers-by on occasion who had hardly cared to inform a little girl that she was wrong, wrong, wrong. It was her false belief that what was most precious to you should belong to you... It confused her that these strangers, these nobodies thought they had just as much right to this place as she did. What did they know about Relic Lore's charm? If she asked for ten facts on it, they'd probably give her five generic ones; she almost wanted to question him, to spit in his face, and then piss all over Relic Lore so she could honestly and certainly say it was hers. Instead, she snapped back, <b style="color:#125d7c;">“It was more ours than yours!” She was foolish, though, and she knew that well; her childish ideals of "mine is mine and yours is yours" hardly applied here. In fact, he was rather like Torla in his coaxing ways, trying to get her to be nicer, kinder—it almost depressed her further, though she didn't let this show. He was just a know-it-all, walking around all cultured and educated. Why couldn't he go elsewhere? Hadn't he lived somewhere else once? Before the stupid island that had burned? She couldn't remember, not at the moment. In fact, Junai could scarcely think, rational thought having stopped and all that remained was an incoherent but ever-present string of profanities and insults. She could not manage words, breathing heavily, appearing torn between launching herself at him and launching herself out of one of the many exits. She wanted to retort to his words, to keep up some good kind of argument, but nothing came. As prideful and arrogant as she was, Junai knew he was right. Damn it, he was right! As much as she hated the idea of change, the idea of neighbors (good or bad)... None of it was inherently wrong. It was all her, so childish and selfish; she would never be truly happy, not really. She both loved Relic Lore and wanted to explore the rest of the world; she both loved Swift River and wanted to be rid of the eternal tag of "incompetent little sister" she would forever hold there. When he calmed, she looked away, scowling, wanting little more than to scream. He offered a suggestion, a name that was a mixture of both of their last names. She spared him a glance from the corner of her eye and asked sharply, <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Tainnsidy? What the hell is that supposed to be, some shitty way of courting me?” It was sarcasm at it's finest, Junai's fondness for humor ringing through despite her soured mood. <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Either way, it's... an okay name I guess.” Secretly, she liked it because all of her surname was in it, while only two-thirds of his (in regards to syllables) was in it. If anyone asked, she decided she would say she coined the portmanteau name, though she didn't feel the need to inform him of this in her current mood. |
TOGETHER WE'RE INVINCIBLE
She could despise him all she liked for right now that was what Weldering expected but he felt no care or worry for this truth. He was still setting the majority of his attention upon looking around as he lurched forwards through the small cavern stream. Paws idly dragging along the bottom of the rocky river bed finding enough grip as he moved along purposefully. Whether Junai followed him or not he did not see it as a problem or that it really mattered. She was still just about emerging from her childlike tantrum and Weldering was hoping that after his own argument maybe just maybe she would see a little more sense.
He hated the way to Tainn family put him down just because his surname did not match with theirs or that he carried the Swift River scent, it was likely now after such a and start with them that he would never join them for it would be unlikely that he would ever agree to being below Indru in rank and able to follow under him. There was only a year in age between himself and the Swift River Alpha and since he saw himself and Junai as equals and they only had a year between them he thought the same of her older brother. The only certainty was that he was not going to be forced from Relic Lore when it did not belong to them.
Junai at last was beginning to calm down, he could hear his breathing slow to a more controlled and less angry state and it was only then did he glance back to show any signs of wishing to listen to her. She seemed to be ok with the name that shared both of their ideals yet he found it peculiar at first she confused it with some kind of quick pass at her, something that Indru would try to pull out his eyes for. <b style="color:#153059">"Trust me, I'd never court with you." He grumbled, ears twitching slightly. Though his words spoken on several levels, did he say that because he found her annoying or because he was not fond of her brother? Perhaps both but it did not matter, Spring was a long way off after all and seeing as he had never taken a mate before in the past it was one of those topics in which he would be delicate with his choice taking several months to decide, he was not the kind of guy to rush into commitment unless he was certain.
<b style="color:#153059">"Tainnsidy Tunnels..." He repeated once again letting the word more smoothly from his eloquent tongue. At last they had come to an agreement.
| i never knew that everything was falling through Slowly, the fury and the sadness left, as if expelled from her body with every exhale she made. A bit remained, her mood clearly not the snarky, upbeat way it had been minutes ago, before he had decided to be stupid and greedy, among other things. Junai supposed she would forgive him eventually, though she was the sort that had an affinity for holding grudges—it would be merciful, she reasoned most irritably to herself, to forgive and forget. If nothing else, she thought with a shudder, her mother would have done that... Her mother, forever compassionate, would not have fought in the first place; the thought was hardly encouraging, but Junai was competitive and she disliked the idea of being a failure in her departed mother's eyes. Perhaps she would be nicer... If nothing else, Junai reasoned that she would give this "compassion" a shot, though the chances of failure seemed high. Slowly, she angled her body towards him and followed, making her way the the cool water that he was exploring most curiously. The comment of courting left her snorting, ears flicking backwards as though insulted. <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Are you callin' me ugly or something?” Her words were low, a peculiar mix between hurt and irritated. It hardly mattered if Weldering thought her pretty, in truth, though he hardly had a right to insult her—what sort of freak had eyes like his, huh?! Perhaps more did around the world, but they were an oddity to Junai, who was accustomed to the gold and orange eyes of her family; as with anywhere else, oddities were perfect components to any insult. Luckily, she kept her mouth (painfully) shut, trying to keep in mind that insults hardly equaled kindness. While he probably didn't know about her attempts to be more civil (ugh, even the word was a little gross!), she hoped he appreciated them. It wasn't easy, after all, and he wouldn't be graced with kindness from Junai Tainn if she didn't feel guilty for just essentially spitting on the memory of his deceased family. Oh yes, she was smooth. <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Tainnsidy Tunnels,” she echoed, voice distant—distracted, for she was now inspecting the small stream, trying to detect any signs of life. There didn't seem to be any particularly large populations, perhaps because the streams were the child of rain water and that was hardly a dependable source of moisture. <b style="color:#125d7c;">“Well, uh... We found this place, now what do we do with it?” Tainnsidy Tunnels—the name spoke for itself, didn't it? It was theirs, wasn't it? She liked the idea of having a secret hide-out, somewhere only she knew about... Well, Weldering knew about it, too, but she could hardly imagine meeting up with him much anymore. After all, she didn't believe in coincidence, so the notion that they might accidentally (or purposefully, depending on if he was really a stalker as she liked pretend) meet up again struck her as ridiculous. |
TOGETHER WE'RE INVINCIBLE
He was not really the type to hold grudges down for too long either, yet he was not so sure about his previous leaders. Still petty arguments did not matter much and the end outcome even now was that he still considered Junai a friend even though he would not yet openly admit it. He would like to meet her again in the future yet again he would not admit it or go looking for her in case he actually did get labeled a stalker. Though he was very confident that they would end up running into each other much more in the future and beside from that he knew where she lived. The Sacred Grove was more or less in the heart of the lands of Relic Lore and easily accessible. If he did find somehow that he was missing her company, let's say if he did not come across her in a few months and was maybe a bit curious, he could always turn up at Swift River borders and call for her.
Her reply had been one he had half expected yet did not mean to insult her. he presumed that it was a mutual feeling and that him not being interested in her would actually have been a compliment. But now that she was protesting that he had no intention of courting her, was this some hidden message meaning that she actually did find him attractive? Weldering blinked slowly choosing the right words carefully as to try not to insult her further yet the only thing he could think of was blunt and to the point. <b style="color:#153059">"No."
She was not that bad looking at all, his twilight blue eyes examining her for a moment as he looked back whilst pacing forwards slowly. Yet shaking the end of his black maw slightly when he realised that he had been staring and turned his attention back to the path ahead, it was becoming narrower now and as the walls closed it around them they had hit a dead end, only a small crack remained in front of him where the cold water had trickled through filling up the small stream in the eerie darkness. <b style="color:#153059">"Hmm" He hummed quietly to himself twisting his bulky figure around now to face her as he could no longer walk forwards. Yet she was more interested in what to do now that they had explored a good portion of the caves. <b style="color:#153059">"I'm not sure what we can do." He replied after having no experience discovering things before, not like this. He had come from a small island considering the number of wolves that lived there. Every inch had been fully mapped. <b style="color:#153059">"I guess we could either keep them a secret and mention that we found them and it's name if anyone else mentions them, y'know defend our discovery claim. Or we could just let everyone know and spread the word."