The Deep Forest thought gasoline was on my clothes

He only began to catch his breath when he saw the interlopers retreat. It came in waves, breathing in, breathing out, but never letting his tongue loll out beyond his lips or teeth. Just to make himself clear, a tumultuous bark vibrated in his chest. It probably discouraged them further; he couldn't tell. Those brown-furred backs had plunged into the underbrush within seconds.

"Didn't know you had it in you, mudman!" Castel sounded out behind him, but Niles did not hear. His heartbeat reverberated in his ears, the adrenaline still coursing through him. He stood in place as her sensed his mate come around, to look him over and sit down with a hiss. He waited for some time until he could get regain his bearings and when he did, he heard Castel, "You okay, Ni?"

His pale eyes slowly widened so that he could fully see her. His lips sealed and his jaw jumped before it came loose again. His muzzle began to wrinkle. "Am I okay?" he echoed after her, the fire in his chest flaring up as he saw the wolverine's blood on her muzzle, the mussed up fur at her side and shoulder where drool and blood had adorned them. His voice became more acidic, his tone growing louder even, "Am I OKAY?!" That black tail did not even lower and his ears remained aggressively forward. He was still locked in battle mode.

"LOOK AT YOU!" he bellowed in her face, his molars grinding together. "The next time I tell you something, you listen! Lookatyou! Gods, Cassie..." You could have died. He shook his head, absolutely at a loss for words. His hackles remained spiky and high, everything about his body language told her that he was deeply upset and angry.

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

What was supposed to be a victory march back to Quaking Vale with news of their valiant destruction of the weird demon creatures from hell was now turned into a shouting match. Or, well, he was shouting, but if he didn't think she'd shout back, he was completely wrong. Especially at the 'The next time I tell you something, you listen!' part. Her own adrenaline revved back up and all of a sudden, those wounds didn't hurt so bad anymore.

The young wolf was back on her paws in a heartbeat, her own tail rising to match his. "Shut the hell up!" she snapped back, fur bristling on end. "You don't get to tell me what to do, okay? Especially not when you're in danger! Did you think that I'd let you risk your life to play hero on your own?" Her tail gave a furious lash and she stepped forward, right into his face like he'd done with her.

"I thought I made it perfectly clear to you the first day we met that I am the only one in charge of my life," she growled, her voice lower now. Not shouting, like before. "I'm just as capable as you are. Did you see me fall and stay down? No, you didn't." Her ears angled forward, her body moving into a more dominant position. "That's because I can handle myself. Can you honestly tell me you would have survived that fight with both of those creatures?" she challenged, blue eyes narrowed into chips and boring right into his stormy grey ones.

Niles fumed as she spat fire into his face. "Shut the hell up!" she, too, was still mad. Good. That made both of them. He was not done with discussing her streak of defiance and how she should've listened. She went on, leveling with his tone and the intensity in his words.

She squared him up. His own head was held a little higher than hers. His joints had locked; he wasn't going to lower himself. He was all Lyall: too sensitive, too proud, too stubborn.

He opened his mouth to counter her but his train of thought was cut off by her proclamation, "I thought I made it perfectly clear to you the first day we met that I am the only one in charge of my life."

She was capable. She had fallen but had gotten back up. She was all right (for the most part); at least, her spirit had not been broken. Niles had been grateful for that, but not for her tone.

Castel's ears drew upward and her eyes narrowed. Instinctively, as Elettra and Angier had preferred, Niles averted his gaze and turned away, backing away with two heavy steps. His tail did not tuck, however, and he still raged inside. She was right, but he was not about ready to admit how angry he was about her getting injured.

The last test against her show of authority was a deep growl, but that was it. He was done. He was too furious to talk right now. Niles shut down, he turned to walk away...

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

Somewhere amidst her bellowing and raging, Niles had stepped away. "Hey!" she shouted after him, ears pressing back to her skull when he turned to walk away from her. Because no, nuh-uh, no way. You couldn't just leave in the middle of an argument like that! "I'm not done being pissed off at you!" Her banner held high, she quickly stepped back in front of him, blue eyes blazing an inferno.

"You don't get to walk off like that - not after pulling that shit," she snapped, posture rigid and trembling - just slightly - from the exertion. And also because her temper was fading, and the adrenaline along with it. In its wake rested achy joints and burning open wounds, but her stubbornness would not allow her to back down now. "That's what cowards do, Niles, and I know you aren't a coward."  

Her head tipped expectantly to the side, her eyes still narrowed and ears flat against her head. "Clearly you've got something to say to me, so you better freakin' say it." She wasn't quite angry enough to break out the f-word on her mate. That would be saved for a more serious argument.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

As soon as he had oriented himself away from Castel and the place where the face off had begun, Niles came face-to-face with the tawny sprite. He breathed heavily through his nose, absolutely livid. "I'm not done being pissed off at you!" He met her eyes in defiance, his own tail curling over the small of his back.

"You don't get to walk off like that - not after pulling that shit," she had made him stop in his tracks. "That's what cowards do, Niles, and I know you aren't a coward." His eyes narrowed at her but his lips remained sealed. His own frame trembled, impatient for the calm of the aftermath following the fight.

"Clearly you've got something to say to me, so you better freakin' say it."

He blinked once, his eyes opening no wider than the slits they had been since the retreat of the freakish creatures. There were many things he could have said, but all that came in response to the Leader of the Quaking Vale was a growl so loud that it shuddered in his throat and echoed in the ears. He flashed his teeth once at her. A warning likened to a snake waiting in tall grass -

Leave. Me. Alone.

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

He didn't say a word. Not one single word. And it hurt, not that she'd admit that. She couldn't help the light flinch when his teeth flashed - she was worried she'd screwed something up between the two of them. Of course, Cas' bravado was only a front. Born an anxious, worried little wolf, it occasionally slipped back through and caused problems for her brave and bold façade.

Like flinching.

It was fine, though. She could see all the words she was spouting at him were doing nothing. So, instead of pushing the subject further (like she was oh-so tempted to do), she just shrugged her shoulders and met his eyes one more time, now trying hard to keep her angry face on and hold back the tears that were threatening to well up. "Fine," she said, voice neutral and cold, before she turned around to head back off in the direction of Quaking Vale's territory. She tried to keep the limp out of her step, but it was becoming more difficult with the pain skyrocketing now that the adrenaline and anger was out of her system.

Two could play at the silent treatment game.

But it still didn't stop the dropping sensation in her stomach, or the fact that her eyes were burning with tears. She was pretty sure her posture fell before she got out of his sight, but she didn't give a crap. Because everything hurt - physical and emotional - and damn it if it wasn't all Niles' fault. And a bit of her own, for being such a stubborn asshole, but that was completely besides the point.

She was just afraid she'd messed everything up.

{ exit Cas }

He felt it in him that he was going to snap; and, in his mind, he had aimed, too. Just a snap of his teeth near her the left side of face. His mother had taught him that and, in that moment, he had mimicked her exactly. His lips did not seal and the words still would not come. He would make up for this little squabble later, but he believed that she should have listened. He had picked up on the danger before it even emerged and she had thrown herself right in front of it. This was what Niles had been bred for, built for. He was the Queensguard, a "Paladin" in training (and this title had been bestowed upon him by his father as to distinguish him from Sven, his "Prince" of a nephew), meant to protect a reigning matriarch or leading lady. Within Willow Ridge he had been taught that women, no matter how hasty or headstrong their ways, were meant to be looked after. They had to be strong, mentally prepared, intuitive and loyal. If it was not his mother he was meant to look after, it was his sisters; then, when Isolde had died, so did his fortitude. He should have prevented it. He had been close to Isolde for a reason and that was it... most especially since his father had gone blind. He had failed his sisters and had failed his mother, and now he had almost lost his mate from some impulsive decisions (both his and hers).

"Fine," she had said and Niles snorted as he brought his lips back over his teeth.

He watched as she withdrew from his space, walking away as steadily as she could manage. His eyes stared at her back until the aspens stole her away from view. When she was gone, he sniffed, wiping his nose as best as he could with the back of his wrist. There were no more thoughts to be had about what had just happened moments ago nor was there anything left to say or do. He needed the alone time - time away from her - to think, to tumble the scenario in his head over and over until he discovered what should have been the best course of action. What if it had been Isolde? Or Ravenna? Or his mother? What if he had defended Castel or removed her from the scene? Could he have removed her by force? There were too many questions and he was hurting and he was suddenly too tired for much else.

For good measure he rubbed his bloodied side against the trunk of a bone-white tree, careful to press his paw pads against it also as to declare that this part of the forest had been claimed (or visited recently) by him - and, the rest of the pack he was affiliated with. The blood would remain for a few days yet until it dried or was washed away but, too, would serve as a warning. Heaving a sigh, he slowly walked back to the base of his aspen and curled up in the tightest ball he could manage and let the world simply pass him by - battle wounds, mud, musk, and all.

(Fade.)

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!