Secret Woodlands Fire, meet Ice

OOC: ust for @Flair to begin with, please. Backdated to 3/28, the day after she joined.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Word Count: 249

She was in. She wasn’t sure what to do now that she was once again the member of a pack and expected to do things for said pack. She supposed she could attain the role of hunter… that would make her look useful. Or scout. She always had like information, and it would allow her to travel if she needed to, without making her look suspicious.

Before anything else, Kaela needed to pass the biggest test, leap the largest creek, as it were. She needed to find the fiery young pup who had started all of this. She couldn’t just go looking for her, though; that would be admitting she knew she was here. Instead the monochrome girl decided she would hang around the pack den make herself seen. It would give her the opportunity to meet other wolves, and even have the possibility of the encounter public.

She wanted to watch the pup burn.

There would be time for that, of course. For now, Kaela just needed to be patient. If she moved to fast, they would see her for the snake in the grass that she was. It was just her luck that she was already pack beta; there would be no rank squabbles to help them spy her.

So, her vague plan in mind, the dark girl settled herself lounging not too far from the pack den, trying to be tucked out of the way but still visible. Now all she had to do was wait.

"Speech" Thought

Bored, BORED! She'd been confined to the territory ever since the incident with the witch outside the borders. Of course the old man had gone ahead and ratted her out, then conveniently hadn't been seen since. Her father had been so mad, voice louder and harsher than she had ever heard it. The one thing in the world that could make her cower was that tone, those piercing dark eyes… So she was adhering to his command, for now. But it was so, horribly, boring! She knew the Woodlands in and out by now, every nook and cranny, every corner. There was nothing to explore here; Nothing to do! How her siblings could stand it, she would never understand. Sticking within the land every day, walking their borders or gathering herbs, or whatever else the two of them got up to. Trailing their parents around, following in their footsteps. Flair had always felt out of place, while her siblings were both inclined to their parents' ways, she was the outsider, the odd one. While her family seemed deeply connected to the pack, striving to nurture it with their every being. Meanwhile, she longed for more! To go out there and explore, to satisfy her own curiosity and follow every whim; Selfish… That's what Cináed called it. Maybe he was right. But then wasn't it better if she left? Went out there to look after herself, leaving the pack to them; All I seem to do is cause trouble anyway…! But for now she was bound to the territory, and so she walked it sulkily, trying to occupy herself as best she could, hunting small critters through the underbrush. Mostly she kept to herself, holding a low profile while she was still under supervision. But every so often she would circle back to the den, trying to keep tabs on everyone else. But what she found this time around shocked her to her very core! There, lounging in the shadows just outside the den, was the witch herself, monochrome fur blending masterly with the snowy landscape. And yet she was impossible to miss. "You!" The pup squeaked, voice trembling with anger; "What th' hell are you doing here?!" Word count: 367 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

OOC: Sorry for the wait

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Word Count: 214

Well that didn’t take long.

She heard the paw steps first, then the angry squeak of the soon-to-be yearling. Once again, the child was demanding information rather than simply asking for it. It made Kaela’s fur prickle with annoyance, but she stifled the angry retort. We are above you! The voices in her head thundered, begging the dark woman to put the insolent child in her place.

All in due time.

She calmed the tempest raging inside and played her part. Her head lifted off the ground slightly, but her ears pinned back against her head. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Y-you?” She managed to whine. “No, you can’t be here!” Her voice became shrill with panic as she shrank back from the child and huddled into the ground. Her eyes flicked about, searching for the man she knew wouldn’t arrive. But why would she have any reason to know that? If she had indeed chosen the pack housing the pair that had attacked her on accident, it would only make sense for her to assume the old man was still with her.

This was humiliating. But she had to see it through. Even if the child tried to put herself over her, tried to treat her like Lowest, she had to let her.

"Speech" Thought

For a moment they locked eyes, an icy glimmer in the witch’s blue-blacks. Then she crumbled, ears pinning and body flattening against the snow, like a rabbit caught out in the open. Anger flared hotter in the young girl’s chest at the screeched protest, fiery pelt standing out as she huffed up, taking a step towards the adversary. “The fuck you mean I can’t be here?” She spat, baring her teeth at the woman; “This is my home!” What game was this wicked creature playing? Did she think she could play it off as if Flair and Vasu had been the ones at fault in their skirmish? Turn her own family against her? Is she an idiot? The russet girl would have called upon the old man instantly, to clear up this mess before it grew any bigger, but of course the gray chap had up and left soon after the incident; Perhaps unhappy with the leaders reaction to his letting their daughter into a brawl; Old coward! So Flair was left to face the invader alone, not that she minded, she wasn’t afraid. Taking another step towards the cowering bitch, the child growled lowly; “You tried t’ sneak in here not five nights ago!” Whatever this woman’s ploy was, she seemed intent on carrying it out, here. And she couldn’t be half bad, to have made it to the center of the territory without being accosted; Someone LET her in? Hackles stood on end, ears raised and tail held high as she moved closer to the other, no account for her age or size in the display of anger and dominance; “Now you answer my question: what are you doing here?” She wouldn’t take any bullshit. This witch was up to something, and the Athesila would protect her home and family, no matter how out of place she felt among them. Word count: 312 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

OOC:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Word Count: 204

This was going amazingly well, despite how much Kaela hated to be put below her. The girl was furious. If only her mother was here to witness this…

But Kaela had to be careful. One wrong move could destroy her entire plan, maybe even cost the monochrome woman her life. This required patience and cunning. She never considered herself a particularly patient wolf – she’d never needed to be – but her fury burned hot and slow.

“I didn’t try to sneak anywhere.” Kaela whimpered, shrinking even further away from her fury. She longed to strike back, to put her in her place, but resisted. “I was just passing through, looking for a pack to join.” Had she truly been afraid, she would have wondered why she’d joined so soon after the attack instead of fleeing the area. As it was, she had done it on purpose and she couldn’t help but congratulate herself on her ingenuity.

Though she didn’t feel the need to explain herself, Kaela had a part to play. When the girl asked her a question, the older woman quivered and answered her. “I joined the pack.” She said meekly. “I joined the first pack I found.” Which was not necessarily a lie.

"Speech" Thought

She was crumbled on the ground, cowering like it was her worst fear standing before her, and not just an angry yearling; Pathetic! And it made no sense either! This squirming, trembling creature was nothing like the cold, menacing wolf she’d med so near the borders, the one who had spoken down to her and threatened her openly. Flair was no smart wolf, but even she could see that this was off. This woman acted as the complete opposite of the one her an Vasu had fought at the borders, yet she insisted herself that she was one and the same, just as Flair’s eyes and nose told her. But both personalities couldn’t be real, the witch had to be playing a role, putting up a show for some sort of gain; But for who? The russet girl moved closer on stiff legs as her monochrome opposer whined an answer, no more sensical than her previous utterings. “Tha’s bullshit!” The pup snapped, teeth clicking loudly together in the air right above the black ears. Her eyes shown with anger as they glared down at the witch, voice still red hot as she countered: “We warned you away from these borders! Y’ knew we were here and… and…” She scrambled, head clouded by her anger. She didn’t know what the woman’s ploy was, why she was playing this game of pretend, but she wasn’t gonna fall for it; “If you really just wanted to join, you only had to ask!” But this snake had not been a humble joiner at the borders, she had come sneaking, and when asked about her business, she’d sneered at them and their pack; No one changes like that overnight..! Word count: 284 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

OOC: I feel like maybe Flair and Kaela could end up friends at some point once Kaela calms down xD

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Word Count: 203

Though she was taking the time to play this role, taking the time to destroy this pack, she still didn’t understand the girl’s fury. She was impressed, to be honest. Though the monochrome woman hadn’t been anywhere near pack borders – as far as she knew, anyway – when they’d fought before, the child was still incredibly protective. Kaela supposed she could admire that.

The venom in the child’s voice lashed out at her, begging a response. But still Kaela held her tongue, instead remaining in character. “B-but… but I wasn’t anywhere near your borders when we first met… I didn’t… I wasn’t…” She sniveled. Just this act made her feel dirty.

While she hadn’t been looking for a pack at the time of their meeting, Kaela wouldn’t have been likely to ask a mere pup about joining regardless. She couldn’t help herself. “Why would I ask, when you came at me in aggression before I even knew you were there?” She wailed.

She really hoped the pack leader was nearby to step in if the child attacked her. Kaela couldn’t defend herself, not right now. She had a part to play. She would have to take whatever punishment the princess decided to deal her.

"Speech" Thought