She wandered. Little food despite them eating all they could weeks before. She'd returned and it was no surprise there were only bones left of the body. 
She drifted towards the borders, ensuring they were all marked. 

Tree, look to the outside for dangers, mark, continue.
One, two, three, four.
Tree... she continued until she'd nearly circled the entire forest. Making a kill in the process. Just a nest of mice, but it was enough to sustain her for another day or two.
They'd have to start eating others soon. Ah, the captives. Of course.
Always the captives.

Her ears turned, looking into the woods. Someone was there. She stared hard at the undergrowth, commanding whoever was there to emerge. 

Ah. It was that creep that always had that dumb twig tangled in his fur. How it didn't annoy him was beyond her. That's why he was a creep.

"I'm not." Much. She wanted to be ready for any prey. She watched him, her lips pressing a little. "So, what are you doing, creeping around?" She grinned, her ears pressing forward and chin dipping slightly. 

Perhaps he was right. Maybe she was tense and worried. But about what?
It wasn't her promotion, she knew that. She'd never feared for her rank before and was sure she could hold it. She could beat Serem, and Black Hat had defeated Serem. He gave her the neck wounds. 
She wondered how they'd fare pitted together. If he came for her rank she'd defend it with her heart. This was the start of her making an empire again.

"Vanity." She remembered him. She knew all in the woods. As she should. As a hunt leader, she needed to ensure she knew where to put her players. "So, what happened to your face?"
She thought she might as well find out what sort of foes he'd faced, maybe it would help her.

 

She snorted. Did he think her as stupid?
He wore a twig on his head for decoration.
"As far as I know, you stabbed yourself with a twig." Her voice came out flat and deadpan, showing she was dead serious. Well, her picture would be complete if her eyes didn't hold her mischevious glint.
"I was wondering what you got in a fight with, if I have to be so bare with my words."

She faced him fully, letting a soft twitch of a smirk rise up, She wanted to know more about him, it was clear he wasn't ready to give up the information so quickly. She'd have to dig. Maybe even pull rank, if she felt so inclined to do so.
So, how was Black Hat going to play it? So far, he was matching her. MAybe he'd take this conversation in a different direction. (I know y'all are thinking the sex but not this time, BH lost his chance calling her tactless lmao)

"Aw sweetie, is it a sensitive subject? It's ok, I understand and care about your emotions."
Her shit-eating grin split her maw, tilting her chin up to look at him properly, where the light could cast on his sharp features. Cliff face, he reminded her off. Jagged and ugly, unless it was the right time of day.
But this was a wolf, so perhaps the right mood, would be more appropriate.
No Vanity, you cannot fuck every male that swaggers across your path.

Ok, maybe she was a bit tactless.

"Well, right now I don't know what to think of you."
There's a present. She didn't know what to think. Usually, she thought asshole, or sexy. Not nothing. She was feeling emotions. But ones she couldn't string together. Disgust, admiration, hate, attraction. 

She pouted but is a friendly sort of way. Like when you make your girlfriend grumpy but she can't be mad at you. Unwittingly, her snow-capped tail swayed. Maybe she was enjoying AssHat's company. 
Heh, impossible.

"I'll give you intelligent; but seriously, you look like you were dragged across a cliff."
It wasn't a dig, but honest opinion on why he wouldn't be handsome to her. Vengeance was handsome, Alison was beautiful, Serem was sexy, Alula was cute. Black Hat...she'd find out.

Anyway, she followed his topic change because he did seem rather uncomfortable.
"I am. I was a hunter in my lands and I will hold myself to my title." She wouldn't waste her breath being grand towards him. She realized he was the sort to laugh at her and call her something that she probably was... oh shit vain was the word. Her Mother was right in naming her. "From pup-hood, I was taught how to be silent and stalk my prey, then as I grew older I learned how to not even make a mouse twitch whilst I was directly above it." Ok, she couldn't help being vain. Cut her some slack. 

She laughed at his words. She’d never really had anyone insult her so blatantly before. Probably because they thought she’d rip their face off and actually wear it. But here she did not have such privileges of causing pain to those who wronged her. Though she did outrank AssHat. 
“Tact is having the ability to understand and care about feelings. But then again I’m forgein, and if I amwrong you mustn’t  laugh or I will show you how I hunt.” She smiled sweetly like she didn’t threaten him. She liked games and hoped something would find themselves in the woods which was a play toy. So far, they were all to proud or a pup. 

Surprisingly, he started to open up. Why be so adamant about being a secret when he’d give away snippets anyway. Sooner or later, she could form an image in her mind whether he intended to or not. “And I was the Queen.” If he wasn’t giving away enough then ahe wouldn’t be specific. She was a Queen and a Warlord. Perhaps here she can regain the title, seeings as Venny so graciously made his tilte that. 

"Useful," She let herself relax a little. He was a packmate, she was a higher rank, and they needed strength. No more threats, they'd made their points. 

Her tail rested, swaying softly as she approached him. She doubted he'd be too happy about her being too close, but she wasn't being such a vixen - or serpent for that matter - today. She was just curious. She chuckled softly at his comment. It probably did, in all honesty. Like why she was such a snotty, stuck up bitch sometimes. But he made no move to compete with her, so she accepted his silence as a win because he clearly couldn't beat the title of Queen.  

"So, what is the deal with your twigs? Do you have a permanent itch or something?" She smirked, wondering if she could coax an answer from the secretive man. She sat down perhaps a stride from, that if he hadn't already started backing up, which would be when she sat down anyway so she didn't provoke him further. 

So. He didn't like being approached even so blatantly. What a wonderous being. She'd have fun with him; he liked to play games too and she knew it. She was sucked into his personality, not his mystery. That was just a bonus for her to pick away at until she hit the 'release emotional garbage' button.

Then he said some dumb shit. Memento? A fucking stick as a memento. Oh she had to do her best poker face for that one because laughing at him would make him angry and hate her. That would be the wrong game. But a memento of what? Did he roll in a bush and found it tickled him the right way? She blinked, shoving her questions aside for her to think over because all the confidence seemed to ebb from him. She didn't want to repulse him.

But he left anyway. Hopefully, it was him just not wanting her to see him cry or something, but that stick meant a lot to him, it seemed. Dumb plants. They had one use and that was the poisonous ones. And the ones that fed prey. Plants were made to be eaten, not worn.
"Later Ass Hat." She grinned, standing and letting him go back to his stalking...or whatever.