Sex: FemaleWe need to talk, Jessie had started. That was usually never a good starter for a conversation. The woman traveled in silence with her companion, away from Whitestone Monadnock. The meeting had not gone well, from her perspective, having been threatened more than once from the opposite party. She had hoped that it would not come to this but she could feel the itch within her paws and knew what needed to be done before she even opened her mouth to her beloved. He would not like it, she was sure, but the Tainn woman had passed the point of care and knew that out of everyone within their little pack she was the best one for the job. Askan was apparently too aggressive, Icicle too antisocial and awkward, and Jessie hardly knew anything about Adelayde but the woman was currently sporting injuries and was in no condition to travel. To add on, Jessie had years of experience tacked on to her. And Percy was still just too young to do what had to be done. Truthfully, Jessie wanted to get some of her own worried addressed during what had to be done but Drestig did not have to know this, even if it was what he assumed. The pepper-and-salt colored woman did not utter a word until she felt as if she were a comfortable enough distance away from their rival pack. She slowed down considerably, her words tumbling out before she could stop them, ”I need to leave!” There, it was said. Surely, he would understand what she meant. Jessie Tainn |
He'd nodded stiffly, they most certainly did, but not here. It wasn't until they'd gone almost halfway, the sun long set to their right, that Jessie spoke up, safely away from unfriendly lands; Though not by their standards apparently! Anger and righteous indignation still churned in his chest, and he would have loved to dish out some of the choice words he'd have to keep in earlier. But his mate's declaration pushed all of that from his mind. "You what?!" He squawked, stopping in place mid-stride. Ember eyes turned to the grayscale woman, wide with shock and worry, for a moment he didn't understand what she meant, and panic raced through him; No! We can't just give up! Then he met the steely, emerald gaze, breathing deeply as was reminded of what they had been through together, how strong she was; No… She was not giving up. Anything but.
The Rye king swallowed, his ears folding back. She was right, if the Whitestoner's broke the agreement, and really it was more a question of when, they would need allies. But still; "Right away?" Concern lined his features and voice, he didn't like the idea of her travelling all across the Lore in the middle of winter, and if worst should come to worst sooner than expected, well, he wanted her by his side. The look in her eyes spoke clearly though, she wasn't going to be easily swayed. Still he pleaded: "Can't it wait, at least till the worst of the season is over?"
Word count: 254
"Speech" Thoughts
She was very angry. The meeting with the other pack had not gone well at all and as she glared up into the eyes of her mate she could see the confusion and anger within them. Jessie did not utter a word. She would allow him to figure this one out on his own. After all, she was still quite angry at him. His outburst surprised her but she would not be swayed on her decision. She knew what had to be done and knew it had been some time. Jessie had to repair some of the relationships she had broken. She looked away from him for a moment, allowing them to bask in silence, for him to process what was going to happen. When he questioned her, Jessie could feel the anger build and she stepped closer, grateful that they were not too close to home and no one could overhear them, ”Yes! Right away, Drestig! I do not particularly want to be around you right now. Especially after that little stunt that you pulled back there. I'll deal with Askan and then I'll go.” She fumed. The pepper-and-salt colored woman meant for it to hurt, especially since she knew he did not particularly like when she lost faith in him. She added some on for extra measure, ”I taught you better than that.” The Tainn was not truly angry at him, maybe a tad, but she was mostly angry at the Monadnock couple, that they had threatened their daughter, thinking they could get away with it. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes before looking back up at him, ”I'm sorry. I am at fault too. I also lost my temper. But we cannot wait until the season is over and I do not want to send anyone else out there. We both know that I am the one with the best connections throughout the lore and I know it best.” I also want to see Triell. She stepped away from him, creating the distance that she needed for the time being. She had not meant to be so harsh and she looked away from him, waiting for a response. They were, after all, partners. Jessie Tainn |
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Her turning away should have been a clue. Really there were a thousand clues, but he was too caught up in his own anger and worry to notice hers. Instead he felt hurt by her rejection, the notion that she would leave him now when he needed her so much, needed her strength to protect their family. The silence between them rang with a discord he hadn't felt since they first met; But so much has changed..! They knew each other now, as intimately as was possible; So what..? His selfish anguish was abruptly cut off when she moved to him, closing the distance that seemed to have build between them, at least physically. But there was no comfort in the motion, nor in her dark eyes as they shot daggers up at him. The graying man starred back in confusion, completely unready for the wrath she was about to unleash on him. The words stung like claws across his muzzle, sending a wave of shock through him. Here he had been thinking about how he needed her and she; Don't want to be around ME?! The bubbling anger in his chest flared up in full force, all his frustrations about the Whitestone bastards turning on her as he shouted back: "The stunt I pulled?! Were you listening at all? They threatened our daughter! They spoke down to us like we were petulant children, acting like they owned the entire Lowlands, treating us like pests!" He growled in his anger, grinding his teeth like he had at their meeting, but this time he would not hold back his protests; "I went there to solve a conflict, not to grovel at the toes of that hideous brute and his psychotic bitch! Take their insults and say 'yes sir' 'we won't cause any trouble sir'! I treated them exactly as they treated us!" As far as he was concerned, they should be happy he hadn't torn into both their throats and ended this conflict once and for all; Would have been a hell of a lot easier! The rage that roiled inside him was an old and familiar beast, yet he hadn't felt it for years. He'd thought himself past this, too old and wise from their previous encounters to let it seize him again. But here he was, baring his teeth and wishing death upon his enemies. Of course it was not an enemy he was looking at now, and even in his powerless frustrations, he would never hurt Jessie. At least not physically. But he did snarl an addition, voice lower now, but just as venomous; "You taught me to go with my gut, kicking me into deep water and letting me fend for myself. So I did, I showed those bastards that I won't roll over at their whim!" Her common sense was lost on him, swept aside by his raging emotions. Even as he contended her, he was proving her right, letting his feelings run away with him above his better judgment. "Go then!" He spat, turning away from her to start moving again, unable to stand still and eager to get back home; Unlike SOMONE! Perhaps some time apart would do them good. After a few steps he called back over his shoulder: "I'll try to keep everyone alive until you come back!" Word count: 576 ”Speech” Thoughts |
His reaction was as she expecting and she steeled herself against the worst of it. The woman's lips thinned as she starred at the man in front of her, hardly recognizable. Jessie remained silent as he ranted, his voice ramming into her like a tsamani. Yes, she had been there but she was smart enough to acknowledge when they were outnumbered and on enemy grounds. She had tried to reach him, even apologized and now he was throwing it back in her face. She felt claws sink into her heart and her mind briefly flashed back to when she use to argue with Hotei in Oak Tree Bend. Of course, those fights always ended physically but it was not all that much different. As she starred into the eyes of her current lover, she could not help but feel a tang of sadness and a flare of anger at the reminder. She was not that woman anymore. Not only was Drestig walking away from her but he was also insulting her intelligence. The pepper-and-salt colored woman could feel her fur standing on end and as he walked away from her, she briefly considered her options. Was he even worth it? Her paws were already in motion before her brain could respond. She skidded to a halt in front of him, emerald eyes glimmering brilliantly, ”I don't think so. I do not know how much more clear I need to be so that you understand. When we are on enemy lands, clearly outnumbered we do not insult them and we do not demands of them, especially when we did not actually get what they wanted out of them. And I want to make it very clear that I know that they threatened our daughter's life and that is why I am going to fix this mess that we created.” She had stepped closer during this exchange, her chest rising due to the excertion. She smirked then, stepping back slightly. Her voice holding a hint of amusement, ”Besides, I can't leave yet, I need to stay to make sure you do not fuck up the meeting we need to have with our pack.” She turned tail to walk towards their home. It was her turn to walk away from him. Hopefully, she had done what she could to alieviate any ill feeling on his part, but she knew he had a temper. Her heart pounded eagerly in her chest, still aching from a reminder from the past. Jessie Tainn |
The outburst had blown the top off his rage, the worst of it already fading as he trotted decidedly homeward. It still made him sick to think of the arrogance they had faced in the north, reliving that wheezing charlatan dealing out slights and accusing them of being rude, while his unstable partner offered thinly veiled threats. He hated having been the smaller party in that confrontation, having had to swallow so much righteous anger just to avoid war. And then Jessie had accused him too. Something painful tightened in his chest, something that wasn't quite ire, at least not entirely. Ember eyes kept firmly fixed forwards, head low over the ground, only the back-folded ears giving any attention to the woman still behind him. So he heard her approach, but didn't bother to turn or slow down; Let her catch up! Which she did, but instead of falling in step as he expected, she cut in front, forcing him to stop in place. Fire twinkled in his gaze, but it was nothing against the blaze in the emerald eyes he met, paired perfectly with an icy tone. He'd seen her angry before, but it was something different to have it all turned towards him. For a moment his sharp tongue was frozen as she delivered her lecture, his face locked somewhere between anger and shock. He even took half a step back when she came forwards, head ducking a little, despite her size she cut a striking figure in her fury. Making the sly smile a welcome change on her face. Drestig's ears flicked up from their flattened position, tail flicking at his hocks at her addition. Then she spun and was on her way again, mirroring his own behavior from before; Guess I asked for that..! Now he was the one to play catch-up, though his longer legs made quick work of the distance. This time he didn't try to stop her but simply fell in stride by her side, bumping her shoulder with his own in a not-too-gentle manner. He held his head low to bring them on eye level, flashing his teeth as he snarled lowly: "Do not talk down to me!" A grumbled sigh fell from his lips and he added in a less bitter tone: "Please." His eyes shifted forwards as he rolled his shoulders, shaking out his fur; "I've had more than enough of that today." Then he couldn't hold back a smirk of his own, eyeing her sideways as he drawled: "So you think fucking up is all I'm good at, huh?" There was still a cold edge to his tone, but it had warmed some, so had his whole demeanor . She was right that her cool head had kept the situation from escalating further, achieving the truce they had hoped for. But that didn't mean he'd liked hearing her apologize to Captain Arrogant and his psychotic side-kick. "You gotta admit those two were a piece of work!" Word Count: 497 Thoughts "Speech" |
She kept her eyes trained forward, not bothering to listen or see if Drestig was coming to catch up with her. As the Tainn mentioned, she wanted space and she would sure be getting plenty of it on the trip she would be going on. Her mate was quick to catch up to her, his dark coat in contrast with the fields. She saw it in her peripherals but refused to turn and look at him. A rough bump to her side knocked her off balance but she was quick to regain it, emerald eyes fixed firmly up ahead. A small snarl that sounded in her ears caused a warm thrill to go down her spine but she did not turn her head until he finally said something she did not hear very often, or really ever with him. Please. Emerald eyes looked back over to her companion, slowing her pace slightly but still staying on the move. He was now facing forwards but it was hard to miss the smirk that was covering his face. Sardonic bastard. She faced forward, ear perked towards him to hear if he had anything else to say. His response to her earlier jab warmed her. She had gotten through to him. Pleased with herself, she responded, her tone bitingly sarcastic, "Indeed. In fact! I think you should reconsider scouting as your role. Fucking up sounds more realistic. Silence passed between the two of them. Jessie felt as if they were on safer grounds now and she could breathe again but knew that after the meeting it would be quite a while before she saw him again. The woman hoped that they had released all grudges now. His next comment made her tense up again. She was hoping that they could drop the subject of them but knew that they would not be going away anytime soon. Completely serious, she responded to him, "Quit yer yappin'. We need to be on er way." She did her best impression of the rude woman she just left behind. She remained silent for a little bit before bursting into laughter. She turned her emerald gaze onto her mate, eyes softened, "Yes. They were quite a pair." She sighed then, eyes drifting forward again, her voice softer, "In all seriousness, I do need to leave as soon as possible. You know I can travel in weather like this. I'll be fine." She was not being completely honest with him and her throat felt constricted when she spoke again, her words strained, "And it'll be awhile before I get over there but I need to see them, everyone at the Bend. I miss them." They were her family for years and while she was happy with the family she had now, she would be denying a part of her if she erased them from her completely. |
He snorted at the sharp remark, flicking his tail nonchalantly net to hers. He was reminded of their humble beginnings, how she'd bossed him around acting teacher, and their conversations had mostly consisted of exchanging snarky comments. They'd come a long way since then, but he still found something thrilling about their rows. But every lovers spat had its limits, and the spell was broken when Jessie snapped again, the screwy intonation of her voice causing the dark man's hackles to bristle. For a breath he was dumbfounded, frozen in place while his mate continued on ahead, unperturbed. Then the charade clicked in his head, just as she turned back to him, her laughter ringing brightly through the open space. That was a sound he could never get enough of, and as he regained himself, taking a few lopes to catch up to her, a bright grin spread on his own face, accompanied by a husky chuckle. Their eyes locked for a moment and Drestig felt the warmth of that look spread through his entire body, loosening the last tension in his muscles. They still weren't home safe, but the worst frustrations seemed to have been aired and resolved; Long live the power of sarcasm! He certainly was composed enough now to recognize the dismissal in her answer, nodding briefly and letting the subject drop. His gaze, just like hers, had drifted back ahead, absently watching the horizon for the first hints of hills, marking the edge of their snow-covered Fields. His brows furrowed as she mentioned leaving again, but this time he held his tongue, though his smile had vanished, jaw set tightly. He still didn't like it one bit, didn't like her heading out there alone, and didn't like being left behind. But she was also right, as always, this needed to be done, and they might not have the time to wait for the snow to clear. Worried as he was, he would need to trust her. Her addition, and the change in tone that came with it, took him by surprise, his frown softening. Turning to look over at his mate, he felt an ache in his chest, seeing the longing on her face, just as he'd heard it in her voice. He couldn't blame her, he felt part of it too, but knew it had to be even worse for her; How long was she with them..? As far back as Swift River, far longer than him; They're family. Swerving slightly, the dark man brushed against his grey companion's side, much gentler this time, lowering his head to touch it against hers. "I know," He answered softly, a faint quiver in his voice too; "I'll just miss you, that's all. But I understand." He didn't know what else to say, wasn't sure how to articulate his feelings, or trust his voice with the words. So he had to hope his love and recognition shone through, a tiny smile playing at his muzzle as he implored: "You'll be careful?" Word Count: 503 Thoughts "Speech" |
She watched him out of the corner of her eye, the tension in his jaw not going unnoticed by her. As they moved towards their home, she braced herself for another outburst. Though she did not wish for another argument, it was what she expected from him. It came as a surprise to her when a soft touch to her cheek brought Jessie out of her thoughts. A soft intake of breath was all that was heard for a moment before Drestig's voice resonated in her ear. Her heart melted. He understands. His next question caught her off guard and for a moment she took a full glance at him. A small smile formed on her face, nodding her head, "Of course. I always am." It would be harder now that it was winter but Jessie had the hope that she would be back on time. Drestig just had to keep the pack in check and she had no doubts that he could do that. Before she left, she would ensure that there were others that remained who would watch his back and support him in the time that she was gone, especially if her trip took longer than was expected, or if she did not return. Emerald eyes turned back on her mate, taking in his brutish handsome features, her voice sofer now, they were almost home, "I love you." She was still mad at him but she did not want him to feel like they were ending on a bad note. When it was time to face the pack she would once again have to harden her heart in order to be who they needed her to be, and it would probably be someone they didn't want to be around for the next several months. |