Stonewatch Timbers all fifty-two cards in a row

It was like both of Naira's chosen (nevermind failed) sanctuaries had been melded together, just for Gent's personal revitalization. In the higher altitude, even with the thinning air, he felt he could breathe more easily and think more clearly. It was such a relief, to no longer crawl amongst brambles and thorns at the forest's rotting floor. As thick as the woods were, they only served to remind him of Hollow Heart Keep, while returning to the mountains took him back to Nomad's Pass. Despite the uncertainty that still plagued his pack and lone remaining alpha, Gent felt all the more ready for whatever may come. For this felt right, this felt like his domain. He need only prove himself to the pack to claim his tattered birthright as king.

There were still many trivialities, but up here he felt far better prepared to tackle and unravel them one by one. Most present on his mind was one of the pack's few remaining females, and the more-or-less argument he'd had with her. He was not seeking her, but his mind was heavily considering it. After patrol, he told himself, as he worked his way around the new territory's freshly marked boundaries. Despite how friendly the terrain was to Gent, it was still foreign land and he found it crucially necessary to be on high guard until the surrounding areas had been more thoroughly explored.

Luck and coincidence strung together to work on his side, however. As he determined to be diligent in his duties, @Raela 's scent snaked past his muzzle, tipping him off to her location. She was nearby, perhaps patrolling herself? Whatever she was up to, she was doing it alone, and that created a perfect scenario for the nature of the talk he desired to have with her. Better yet, perhaps he could convince her to continue the patrol with him so that they could simultaneously benefit the pack's claim and their own budding friendship. At least, he hoped the metaphorical bud could still be saved, and that he hadn't completely stomped the poor thing into the dirt, leaving it to die back within the blackberry bushes.

Gent called out with a bark, requesting her to join him whatever she may be doing. 

Her ruddy-colored radars were the single piece of the woman that was currently active, save for her eyes. The sunlight was especially warm today as the dark rain clouds moved off into the distance, the timbers now coated with moisture. She had taken refuge from the downpour beneath the sturdy giants, now content to let the sun toast off the last bits of water that managed to slip down between their protective needles and burrow into her fur. The stress of her missing leader, the other royal child's absence – along with Inali's treachery, Lugh's injury, and the dreadful tension with the Woodlands wolves had wore her fluttering mind down to an exhausted pulp. She could worry like nobody's business. On top of it the rain had put her in a low mood, but its departure was beginning to help. The russet coated girl was comfortably spread over a rock on a steeper section of the mountain, content to lay still and observe the forest around her.  This new home was wonderful. There were no bushes to avoid, and she was miles from the enemy. Sure it was more tiring terrain to traverse but her fitness would only benefit from it. The new-found sense of safety had finally managed to relax her a bit. In response, her body was overcome with fatigue. She had slept soundly in between marking the new borders and scouting nearby for any threats or potential food sources. Having rested she was now simply weary. Not tired enough to sleep or energized enough to be productive. With a sigh, the girl's weight shifted. She'd barely managed to turn over to dry off her other side when Gent's bark pulled her out of her daze. Rae stayed frozen there, her head raised. She didn't know if she wanted to see Gent.  She had found she didn't really know anything about Gent. Was he a peaceful man or a vicious beast? Did his anger always win out over his logic, or was she just lucky that day? Raela remembered their encounter with the loner as if it had taken place minutes ago and it still heated her blood. Why did he do that? She couldn't seem to figure the man out, and so the woman had turned to indifference. She'd not sought him out or outright avoided him either, but she'd also not been warm with the brute. She couldn't trust him after that outburst.  She was on her feet reluctantly, utilizing her acute hearing to determine his direction of approach. Fine. If he wanted to see her she would not hide. It was curious that he had sought her out now – though she suspected it had something to do with that “conversation” he mentioned wanting to have after their little standoff. She could explain herself if that was the case; but she didn't fancy listening to his excuses for that brand of aggression. With a cool flick of her tail, the woman emerged from the trees, rounding the steep hill and descending toward her pack mate. ”What is it?” Her tone was that of casual business. She didn't need to let on that she was irritated; it would only prolong the tension between them. Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

Gent hadn't really expected anything warmer from the woman. She certainly had been quite (to him unreasonably so) offended by his actions toward the foreigner, and while he hadn't really carried many conversations with her the puzzle pieces of her personality were falling quickly into place within his mind. A part of him was greatly interested in what she was anticipating from him; had she pegged him for a liar yet? Did she expect an apology, stubborn explanations? Hopefully he would be able to implement his chosen course of action without a hitch, and it would work to smooth things over between them. However, Gent wouldn't get his hopes too high.

From the pack that had adopted him as an orphaned whelp, he learned well what it could mean to be so raptly sworn to a code of morality. Sometimes, it was unshakable, uncompromisable. Those sorts of wolves would never be trusted by the Lieris man, for they didn't know what true loyalty was. Inali had served as the perfect example; she was so bent on protecting her code of peace, that she betrayed a woman who was not only her alpha, the founder of the domain which sheltered and fed her, but also was supposedly like a sister to her, as well as the rest of her pack mates. If Raela was just Inali in a different pelt, Gent was determined that they would not be able to make amends and in the end, he would not be sorry about that.

There was a fine line between zealot and strong-willed, however, and that was one he would walk with the Asurn woman.

"Care to join me on patrol?" he  asked her, as she came to answer his call with stoic words. He paused for a moment, before continuing; "I still owe you that conversation."

So that's indeed what it was. The man wanted to talk. Inside she was torn between wanting to resolve things and suspecting that the “talk” might burst into argument. On the outside she remained calm, padding steadily onward through the woods. She did not meet his eyes but for a moment. ”Sure,” came her cool response. Patrolling in itself was a welcome activity with Minka's pups due soon. The girl could tell by the mother's size and increasing absence that the time was coming. Rae's protective side was coming out more and more as the date drew nearer. Having something to protect was one of the russet woman's biggest drivers, and much of the reason she had reacted so fiercely to Gent's assault. No one had ever protected her. Not even Tolas. If she could be for someone else what she so desperately needed but never got, that would be enough for her. The need to defend would only get worse around the pups. So, in the interest of once again securing the borders, she began to walk with Gent; allowing her once hunting-partner to determine their course and move a step ahead at her side. Her head churned, deeply hoping that they wouldn't run into any more loners today. They might wind up attacking each other instead of any potential threat – that is unless the brute kept to his word and refused to fight. This was not something she wanted, and the Crest wolf tried to push the dread from her tired mind as they ambled along. Her mouth was shut, unwilling to start the exchange. She'd wait for his explanation so she could counter any excuse he had. It was a dialogue she'd had many times in her idle mind. Things she should have said to him then, and certainly would now, crammed for attention and space at the back of her tongue. What would he start with? Which set of words would drip past his black lips in defense of excess violence? Really she hoped he would have thought it through and realized that his behavior was extreme that day, but in her dealings with others and certainly those of what appeared to be his type this was never the case. He was far too pissed at the time for her to anticipate an apology today. But she was not one for useless grudges, and if he did she'd be in a much better place to work it out. It was a good thing she was so exhausted too – it did wonders for her nerves. Raela's golden eyes found the dirt and leaves of the forest floor, charting her path and keeping well away from the sleeping volcano with glacial eyes that strode beside her. Oh when would his next outburst be? Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

As they walked, he allowed for silence to fill an elongated piece of time, wondering if she had anything pressing against the back of her teeth, begging to be said. It turned out she must not of, for as the quiet consumed their space she remained tight-lipped and avoiding so much as looking at him. He truly had struck a very wrong chord somewhere.

"You must not be as eager to make amends as I am," he commented, a soft chuckle rippling through the silence to chase it away once more.

His eyes scanned ahead, through the tall and tightly-clustered threes. It was such a peaceful day, the smell of rain still hanging fresh even as the sunlight bore down through the canopy. Gent truly was in love with their new home, and it only served to make him more determined to preserve it. Once more his gaze drifted to her, before he decided to just saw his piece, in its entirety now; he wasn't used to lengthy spiels, but it would be better than coaxing words from Raela bit by bit.

"I'm not looking to convince you of anything, so you know. You don't seem the type to have such strong compulsions without your own solid reasons behind them," even if he didn't understand or agree with them.

"If you'd like to share them with me, I'd never turn that down, but I won't ask you to. But I'm also not here to be convinced, because I have my own reasoning and my goal is to preserve both without clashing. The pack is only as strong as our bonds, after all. So what I'd like to discuss is how we can come to terms to bypass conflict. That is, if you're willing."

(This post was last modified: May 01, 2015, 01:59 AM by Gent.)

Her tail was flipping about very subtly; only the tip appeared to shift direction. The woman still refused to look at her pack mate as he spoke; his voice rumbling quietly but clearly through the moist post-rain air. She wanted to make amends of course, but she would not apologize nor roll over in the dirt to appease him. As far as she was concerned all the wrongs were made by him that day. She was glad that he was bold enough to start first, and his verbal olive branches were enough to momentarily draw her gaze toward his own. From the corner of her eye she regarded him, her face still flattened and almost cold. She would surely try to convince him of her reasoning whether he wanted it or not. The point was not to drag an apology out of the man, but to simply make him understand and even agree that at the end of the day, what he'd done was excessive. That is, if you're willing. Of course she was willing. Rae's mind rushed now, trying to break from its sleepy haze and compose just the right words. She had to keep him waiting for a moment while she thought. A soft, very tired sounding sigh slithered out from between her open jaws; a signal that she was going to speak. The girl put her eyes back to the ground, her mind occupied with all the things she wanted to tell him. Instead of trying to explain herself yet, the girl settled for a question. ”Gent,” she started, sounding a little exasperated with him. ”Why did you try to attack him?” Her ruddy-colored head raised now, no longer lazily floating at shoulder height. She wanted answers, and as her paws drew to a stop, the words that followed were now far more confused than angry. ”I don't know how much you heard but you must have heard enough to realize he wasn't endangering us.” How long had he been lurking there; listening to them talk? She was thoroughly puzzled by both his aggression and the horrible fountain of obscenities that had flowed from his mouth just before he launched at the boy. Her orbs searched his face, hoping for some explanation but not the one she expected. She anticipated the brute to spout something about dominance and fear; the need to make others afraid; to make them obedient simply because he was a pack wolf and he could. That somehow the young man had deeply offended him and in doing so he had asked to be maimed; only for stepping too close to the territory for Gent's comfort. That hurting Kajika was the only way to teach him anything.That was her old pack; and that was inexcusable.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

Or they could miff about the details. Gent fought back the urge to copy her sigh, but knew that this route of talking could also lead to his desired outcome, so long as he chose his words right. However he also sensed that they could easily be dragged down into an outright argument. Resigning himself to what would be, he stopped his own strides to turn and face her, blue eyes not betraying a single thing.

"He was disrespecting you," he put bluntly, pausing for only a moment before he explained."His words might've been right but his posture wasn't. He was disrespecting you by not lowering himself, and disrespecting the pack by seeking shelter near our borders without the intention of asking for permission. I was not attacking him. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that if I wanted to spill his blood I would have. I was asserting our authority, and while you might have thought it an over-aggressive approach, as I said then it's a lesson someone needed to teach him lest he be killed for it."

Was that it, she didn't trust his temper? Gent's nostrils flared as a stream of hot, agitated breath blasted out of his lungs. This irritation was not directed at her, but rather himself, however. This was why he had not wished to inherit his father's wrathful nature. It only worked against you, burning up all the connections you worked so hard to create. Gent would not let it best him like it did his dear patriarch.  Yet he would not admit this as a fault to Raela. An apology was something never before uttered by the cobalt monster.

Gent pinched his eyes shut, concentrating on chasing this dissonant train of thought away before opening them again. Suddenly, they no longer held the hardness of ice, but had sublimated into something slightly softer.

"What do you think of me then, Raela? My presence makes you tense, that's obvious enough. Why?"

(This post was last modified: May 04, 2015, 06:39 PM by Gent.)

When the hulking man turned to face her, Rae tensed internally. Thankfully, he did not react out of anger or bitter defense. At first his voice was plain and unapologetic, but tension seeped in as it continued to rumble. His words of defense became more strained, more determined to prove his innocence. Raela's ruddy ears rotated back, a silent signal that she didn't quite agree. Perhaps it was disrespectful to her and to the pack, but she could not believe the boy truly meant anything by it. He certainly wasn't instigating, no, that was Gent. She was truly confused though, that Gent admitted having no desire for blood. Anyone could have mistaken his hasty charge for an attack; she was sure of it. Still, the woman had been prepared for this turn in the conversation.  Without flinching an inch, her ears pricked forward again as he huffed. Whether he was angry at her or the situation she wasn't entirely sure. Likely it was a bit of both. Again he had defended pain as “teaching,” and the girl felt anger prickling at her ribs. He was wrong. ”Why didn't you just ask him to submit then? Why did you have to lunge for his neck before he could utter a single word?” Her eyes were hard now, and she was aware of the fire creeping into her breath. If she started yelling, things would go downhill fast, knowing how volatile her pack mate had proved to be. She didn't need to be on the receiving end of that. Calming herself a bit, the woman's speech continued. ”I'm sure he would have if you'd just asked him Gent. He could have understood why you were upset without you shoving him into the dirt.” Again she had to push back the venom in her teeth. Rae's conviction kept turning up the volume on her voice, threatening to sabotage the peace. The girl lowered her head to compensate, glaring at the ground instead of into his eyes. ”His posture was disrespectful, yes,” the girl conceded, hoping to make the man feel heard, at least. ”but I don't think he was looking for trouble or anything. Couldn't he just have bad social skills? Or have been unaware of the rules? What if he's not all there Gent, what if he doesn't read body language well?” There were many possible explanations for the way Kajika acted, none involving blatant rudeness. Pausing, she lowered her head again, eyes clenching shut with a sigh. She would give Gent the answers he wanted now. Her speech was slow and stony, each word emphasized on its own. ”I just think you were too rash. I really thought you were going to hurt him.” Raela's tone returned to that of pleading. ”Don't you think it would have been alright if you had spoken to the boy first? Even if you reprimanded him...” the words seemed to fall apart slowly as her thoughts began to reorganize. Yellow eyes finally met his as the final sentences left her mouth. ”I'm tense because I hate the way you acted toward him. I don't think he deserved it. I don't care if you think so, but I care that you'd rather assault someone than try to talk to them when they aren't an obvious threat. ...and I don't know if someday you're going to snap like that at me or at our pack mates.” There. She was afraid of his temper, she was afraid of the kind of wolf he was turning out to be in her eyes. Was this really the same man that had compassionately cleaned her wounds back among the berry bushes? Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

None of this was going the way he wanted it to. Gent was left to wonder what had become of his silver tongue. Not only was she arguing with him rather than complying to focus on how they might move past the disagreement, but she was causing him to think. Doubt was not a familiar feeling to the man, yet this was beginning to truly eat at him. What she said made sense, though he didn't see it as proving him wrong. Rather what swayed him was the emotion behind her words, the hard glint in her gilded eyes.

His ears swiveled away from Raela as her words affronted them, circular glaciers regarding her with little hint to what was going on inside of his head other than that he was deeply considering what she had to say. Indeed, the gears within his mind were hard at work as he seemed to have come to yet another fork in the road. For a second he reflected on how vastly different this year was growing to be in comparison to his last. When he had entered Naira's service, he had been so cocky, utterly sure of both himself and his father's teachings. This year, well, Raela wasn't the first to send him reeling.

He came to realize that what mattered wasn't necessarily whether or not he had been in the right, but what his actions spoke to the others. While he had taken Raela's overzealous defense of Kajika to be a betrayal of some sort of innate pact between pack mates, he saw now that his own actions had relayed to Raela that he could not be trusted. For his temper. It wasn't what he wanted in any measure, and for once he was considering that perhaps swallowing his pride was at times the best measure.

Gent shifted uncomfortably on his feet, breaking eye contact for a moment. Damn her. But maybe... he knew now that maybe he didn't know everything, perhaps his father hadn't been the ultimate authority. After all, hadn't Gent himself found cracks in the foundation as nothing but a child? It was incredibly unnerving to consider this, much less feel within the pit of his stomach that it was true. A whine leaked from his throat, and he swallowed to try and stifle it as he raised his blue eyes once more to Raela's face. For a second, they lingered on the healing cut made by the groundhogs they had hunted together. It caused him to recall that day, and how he had attempted to clean it for her. How still she had come to be, like prey trying to hide from a predator.

That wasn't what he wanted.

"I would never turn against my pack mates without reason..." he assured her, voice firm with confidence. He valued loyalty strongly, and could only see himself standing against those who betrayed the code. This was something he knew he could promise. What he wanted to say next seemed more subjective, and yet what he knew of her and what he wanted to be true mixed within his chest to give him cause to promise,

"I would never hurt you."

(This post was last modified: May 05, 2015, 01:15 AM by Gent.)