Hidden Grotto prickly thorn, but sweetly worn

All Borlla could do was withhold a very, very knowing laugh. Betrayal. That might as well have been her last name. It had a sort of ring to it. Borlla Betrayal. If there was a blacklist for the packs in the area, she probably would have been number one offender for her multiple offenses. No pack would dare let her into their ranks. Thankfully things didn't work like that and she was certainly allowed to prove herself to whoever would become her new family. What a funny thought. New family. Things didn't work like that. Sure, many thought of their pack as their family. But she doubted any of those wolves really knew what family was. If anything, it was like living with your coworkers. You were all very friendly to one another, but you certainly didn't treat each other as blood. That meant sharing secrets and being honest and enjoying each other's company. Not displaying some general teamwork in taking down an animal. So no....She certainly doubted she'd ever have another family again. She would enjoy what faint memories she had of good days and revel in those feelings they left. But that was all she'd get. It seemed Cali had finally put the pieces together, and questioned Borlla about her rather extensive knowledge of Swift River. Cali seemed nice, and Borlla was tempted to lie, but what was the point, especially if she went back to Swift River smelling faintly of Borlla. In that scenario, she wouldn't have the opportunity to tel her own story and for all she knew, she'd be slandered. Although, from the way Cali spoke, Borlla wasn't sure if it mattered or not. No matter what Borlla said, the paler wolf wouldn't give her a chance. She'd abandoned the girl's beloved Swift River. What else mattered? But Borlla wasn't about to go and make a name for herself as a liar, however, and resigned herself to her fate. <b style="color:#5c312b">"I was born there. And I left. More than once. And then I was..." Her ears twitched awkwardly. <b style="color:#5c312b">"Banished." She'd never forget when Indru chose his mate over his sister. She knew she deserved it, but it didn't make the pain any less real and terrible. Borlla felt unsure now, nervous of Cali's reaction and so braced herself for a swift getaway. Part of her doubted that a fight would come of it, but she wasn't interested in sticking around for any angry discussion. <b style="color:#5c312b">"speech."

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Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

As the moments ticked by, Cali saw a play of emotions wash over Borlla's face. She seemed to be deep in thought, considering the snowy wolf's question. It was a simple one, so the older fae was even more curious when the answer was slow to come. When the words finally did come, Cali felt her heart sink. "I was born there. And I left. More than once. And then I was... Banished." Her words would make it nearly impossible for her ever to come home. It seemed so sad that a wolf was banished, not just from her pack, but her family. Her blood. What could she have done that was so wrong? Was it the all the times that she left, or was there more to the story?

Now it was Cali's turn for emotions to roll over her. She liked Borlla. Swift River hated deserters though, plain and simple, so she should now hate this young wolf. Yet, she didn't. Something about her called to Cali. It seemed that she could use a friend and had things been different, she would easily have befriended her. Now, she also couldn't imagine hating a young wolf for foolishness that had been done in her youth. She didn't think that Borlla would want to go into detail, but maybe she'd share the basics of it. She wanted to know for somewhat selfish reasons. She was looking for any reason not to dislike her, perhaps to justify her sympathetic feelings for the young woman.

She looked into Borlla's oh-so-familiar eyes once more, her own dark with indecision. Her brows were slightly furrowed with her deep thoughts and she looked serious, but did her best not to appear judgmental. "What happened?" she asked simply. She could not honestly think of anything that would cause blood to be banished, save murder. But she had no knowledge of Borlla's transgressions, so she felt a bit adrift on where she stood in this matter.

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

It had been quite some time since Borlla had been a kinchin. Her childhood was so far behind her now that it might as well have not existed. It was a compilation of terrible memories that she wished to put behind her, but as long as she was here, she wouldn't be allowed to forget. However, this place was her home, so it was a small price to pay for a place she adored. Wracking up another enemy wasn't what she particularly wanted, but she supposed it was inevitable. Pack wolves were loyal, so she wouldn't have been surprised if Cali did hate her for her past. It was sad how she'd take it in stride, just another scent to avoid. Odd, but Cali didn't seem angry. Borlla was surprised and not even pleasantly. How confusing. She'd seemed so angry to speak of Indru's betrayal, but when Borlla mentioned her own, all she received was a curious question. The woman did her best not to let the surprise show on her face. She'd already decided that there was no point in lying, so had little problem with answering her. <b style="color:#5c312b">"I'd never been a huge fan of Corinna." She recalled, remembering the pack meeting like it was yesterday. Looking back on it, her actions had been disrespectful. She'd made her brother happy, yet she'd been so jealous...<b style="color:#5c312b">"We just never really recovered. I took too long to find myself." She wasn't too interested in divulging her entire filthy history to a stranger, but had tried to sum it up as best as she could. <b style="color:#5c312b">"speech."

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Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

It seemed to take a bit for Borlla to answer. She now knew that she was a Tainn, but when she finally spoke, her words plainly showed that she was no offspring of Corinna's. She was not a fan of Corinna, to use her own words. Cali's heart fell with disappointment as she realized that the friendship that she had hoped to kindle had been doomed from the start. Her loyalty lay with her pack and Borlla's past put her at odds with the one wolf that mattered the most. the River Queen.

Lowering her head slightly in disappointment, Cali gave Borlla a sad smile. "I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps one day old wounds might yet be mended." Until that day, should it ever come, they were at an impasse. The snowy fae began to withdraw slightly. She would not act aggressively towards Borlla as she was not near the borders and posed no threat at the moment, but she could not befriend her either. To do so at this point would be to betray her pack and that she simply could not and would not do.

She had guessed at the tawny fae's last name, but the resemblance in the eyes to Indru was uncanny enough to clue her in. A sister or cousin, perhaps. She took a step sideways, preparing to leave. She turned her head towards the younger fae once more with a sad smile before she took her leave and said simply, "I wish you well, Borlla Tainn."

(exit Cali)

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

And here came exactly what she'd been expecting. It was like she could feel the disappointment oozing from the other woman. And for some reason it rose up anger within her. It wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, though maybe partially towards Cali. She could understand pack ties, but to say that they weren't able to be friends, or perhaps anything at all...It was stupid. Borlla scowled, her ears twisting back in obvious displeasure. She'd lost interest now. This woman wasn't worth her time, and Borlla certainly didn't want her hopeful words. With an errant flick of her tail, Borlla rose to her paws. Cali seemed to have intentions to leave, but Borlla would be the one with the last word, so to say. She met Cali's eyes and flashed her teeth at the woman before brushing roughly past her form, disappearing back around the rocks and away. Once she'd found flat land again, she broke into a run, not interested in having Cali see hide nor hair of her again. <b style="color:#5c312b">"speech."

table by bryony

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention