King Elk Forest just wanna make you proud

@Anatha

 
Border patrol had become a bit tedious, so Queenie thought. Her days were beginning to melt into one long episode of sleeping, marking, and (when she remembered) eating. It wasn't that she didn't think her work was important; with breeding season upon them and so many young women in the ranks, someone would have to make sure that the borders were properly maintained so as to avoid any unwanted visitors. After all, when Queenie's first heat came, she didn't intend on taking advantage — motherhood didn't seem to be her thing.

The blood moon a few nights ago had been her mental excuse for not getting up and doing her rounds, but now that it had passed, it was time to get back onto schedule. Queenie marched proudly around the border, tail raised to signify her status above any loners that happened to be wandering by.

She'd stayed near the fringes of the territory, taking full advantage of the protection of the borderline while staying far from the innermost territory, where it felt wrong to be. Somehow, simply reintegrating herself into Tindome wasn't only hard, but felt wrong. 

It was sometime around midmorning that she slipped away to the border, sky overcast and grey. Her heart beat a little faster as she neared it, nearly jumping out of her chest when she heard the rustle. he was here. he'd come to visitandhewouldhurtherhewould-

It was not he that emerged, but rather a strange female. Anatha remained lodged in her tracks, gaze huge as she stared at the woman, tail curled around her hocks as she tried to calm the raging panic that had come out of nowhere.

Had it not been for the unfamiliar scent of another female somewhere within the borders, Queenie might not have noticed her, standing even as close as she was. Fear was clear in the red girl's expression and posture, though where it had come from wasn't clear. Maybe she was just skittish, or maybe she'd seen something; either way, Queenie was unbothered. What's your problem? she asked, tail dropping from where it had once been raised, Not like I'm gonna do anything, you know.

She blinked as the woman spoke, tail curling tighter. She faltered, tail tucking tighter, before abruptly hoisting it higher - not quite enough to be dominant, but a sign of strength it was obvious the rest of her did not feel. Mahogany gaze slipped up to rest on the girl's cheek, not quite brave enough to land in her vision but an improvement to where it had been, resting on her paws. This was her pack, and she would not allow herself to feel fear, here.

 "don't know you."  She said after a long pause, voice quiet and yet steady. It was both a question and some sort of explanation for her skittishness, though a half-true one at best.

Maybe ask my name, then, Queenie thought. She rolled her eyes and continued patrolling, wondering if the girl would follow. It was a lonely job, so inwardly, Queenie hoped she did, but she doubted that the girl would have without a bit of prompting. Take a walk with me and I'll tell ya, she called back, pausing for a moment, It'll be fair game, since I don't know you either. It was equally as likely for one to take a bite out of the other but Queenie had a feeling that she would have been taking the lesser risk.

warily did the girl watch the woman a moment before ginerly falling into step beside her, wordlessly accepting her offer. her gaze fell onto the snow, but eventually darted up to rest on the woman's cheek, at once intimidated and emboldened by the stranger's attitude. "anatha" surely she ought to attempt to learn to know her packmates better, and she knew with a clench of her chest that she couldn't avoid the masculine scents forever. better, then, to start with the easiest.

Queenie, she replied hurriedly, Why're you so scared? It wasn't that she disliked being feared, but it was a bit discouraging to think that the entire pack comprised of softies. There were no other fighters from what she could tell; what if something was to happen? Would it all fall onto her shoulders? Queenie sighed and rolled her eyes as she stopped to sniff at and mark a nearby stone.

the woman's question did not come expected, and for a moment the girl faltered. her muzzle slipped open and closed a moment, though it was the roll of the woman's eyes that had her finally speak, more full of ire than she had been in a long time. "why are you so - crude?" this was said a great deal shorter than the woman's own question, and more faltering as she searched for a suitable word. she did not know if she regretted the words, only that they made her feel a little odd to match the girl's ability to be upfront.

Queenie's head lifted abruptly from where it had been pointed against the ground, her ears swiveling slowly as she replayed the comment. Why are you so crude? It was unexpected, that was for sure, but to some degree, she appreciated it. Maybe Anatha wasn't who she'd appeared to be, after all. Is that an insult? she asked, I'd rather be crude and disliked than a loveable liar. The comment was made with a smile, despite the lingering threat in her eyes.

despite her attempt to ignore it, the growing discontent in her stomach was hard to ignore. her gaze slid to the woman from where it had come to rest on a circling hawk. the woman was confrontational, and anatha did not do confrontation. she did not answer the initial question, her ears flicking as she took in the latter. there was threat in the woman's gaze, and anatha wondered if she deserved it. half of her wanted to shrink into herself, but something had her gaze harden a little, stopped her spine from curving in defeat. "you would rather be disliked?", she echoed only, wondering if only the two extremes existed for the woman.

Much to her surprise, the threat wasn't enough to send Anatha running. Good, she thought, This'll be fun. In response to the girl's inquiry, Queenie laughed and nodded her head. I don't mind it. With the way she had been brought up, one thing always proved true: friendship led to naïvety, and that was something that she couldn't afford to have. The world was too ruthless to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. 

Doesn't matter who doesn't like you when you know how to fight.

the girl's latter comment proved she was a warrior, then. she wondered if this is what they were like, having met no other like the girl in the pack. for a moment she was silent, murmuring after a moment, "don't know how." the simple admittance came with an odd facial expression akin to a wince as she was quick to shove away some memory that threatened to resurface, focusing again on the woman. "you could teach me," the words surprised her when they escaped her maw, somewhere between a statement and a question. she didn't know if she wanted to fight, but she did not want to be weak.

Before Queenie could even offer the lessons herself, Anatha had already made her request. Yes! she thought, glad that there might soon be someone else of her persuasion in the pack. Queenie wanted to say something, but an odd rustling in the nearby bushes pushed the thought from her mind. Once she'd determined that it was nothing to be concerned about, her attention was placed back into the paws of Anatha. Do you know how to hunt?

the sudden rustle had her start, muscles tensing a moment before relaxing, already on edge about this whole situation. the woman turned to briefly inspect the noise, and anatha's gaze stayed glued to the underbrush before the woman deemed it unthreatening and the girl too relaxed. her answer was delayed a moment, and she merely nodded, half-fearing that the words would lodge in her throat.

The moment of silence continued as Queenie submerged herself in thought, tongue sneaking from between her lips to lick at her muzzle. She'd learned how to fight through observation, so she didn't have any old lessons that she could go back to and reiterate for Anatha. Instead, she'd just have to wing it! Alright, she said, stopping in her tracks with her tail about mid-height. Do you know the situations in which you need to fight? Good starting point, right?

Like, okay, if you saw me, what signs would you look for that would tell you, oh, shit, it's time to get ready?

the woman stopped, and so did the flame echo her. she faced her a little warily, dipping her head a small fraction when queenie asked her question. she wasn't entirely sure about when to lauch into violence, but if the man had taught her anything, it was - "if you got too close. if you were male, if -" here she paused a moment, wondering. she had expected hackles and fangs to be obvious signs that some violence ensued, but had not he appeared harmless? she shifted, resuming her answer carefully. "too dominant, or too benign."  she finished, cautiously looking to the woman for approval.

There was room for improvement, sure, but this was a good starting point. Queenie huffed and nodded her head sharply, though she was hoping for more specific knowledge with the next question. Okay, she began, Do you know the difference between this — ears high, teeth bared, brow furrowed, and hackles raised — this — teeth less visible, ears slightly splayed, eyes squinted — and this?

With the final pose, Queenie's ears fell flush with her skull as her mouth opened and her snout wrinkled. Knowing the differences between these facial expressions could mean the difference between life and death for any wolf involved in conflict.

the girl seemed accepting of her answer, but nothing more. before she had a chance to feel abashed, she was moving on to the next question, and anatha followed along dutifully. "yes," she began, reviewing her answer once.  "first, you're defensive, aggressive - sure of yourself. then you're still aggressive, but nervous, scared. and then - you're very scared, but still angry." she hoped this would be a better answer than her first, and she shifted once as she waited for the girl's approval (or lack of). she did not notice the way her words came easier, less stinted, the longer she continued, not the way the tension eased from her as she focused on the crude girl.

The answers were flawless. Queenie nodded along with a grin as she listened to Anatha announce each one with a studious confidence, something that she had always lacked. Good girl, she praised. With a deep breath, Queenie was moving along the border again, ears perked and eyes alert. A surprise was coming, and although she would be prepared, her pupil wouldn't. At least, she hoped that she would be unprepared.

Without warning, she turned, teeth bared and eyes flashing with a bubbling growl to face Anatha. She lunged effortlessly for the girl's throat, albeit with no malintent; this was a practice drill, and if they were going to work out their teacher-student relationship, drills like this would be vital. It was one thing to learn when you were ready and attentive, but to be forced into learning the skills of a mercenary was something entirely different.

the praise was met with some greater feeling of satisfaction, and soon they were moving again. the girl was made uncertain by this sudden change of tact, the ease of which Queenie had changed lesson to patrol. it was perhaps this wariness that had the girl do a little more than drop like a stone when the girl when for her throat.

it was a mix of instinct and fear that had her drop, plastering herself onto the ground as she snarled once, feebly, before drawing her chin back and curling her fangs, gaze wide as she looked to the woman.

Gonna archive and start another one for us post-move :) Thanks for the thread!

There was no real reason for Queenie to feel so disappointed in Anatha's reaction, especially with knowing how little she knew about actual combat. The lesson had been going so smoothly, though; it wasn't fair to blame her for the lamentful sigh that she gave as she quickly stepped away from the submissive student. If I'm going to teach you, she warned, be prepared for more of that.

It was time for the two of them to part ways, Queenie thought; two much instruction in one day was bad for retention. She turned and began to head toward Delight (wherever he was), but cared enough to stop and call over her shoulder, [q]You're gonna do great![/ooc]