Bearclaw Valley you'll have to watch me struggle from several rooms away

with reigi's return, there is sure to be a lot of drama, so this is going to be very vague!  paging my dear, my friend, my love, @Xan

it was another bitter, chilly morning.  daylight had just surfaced over the horizon, but the raven was already awake.  she was curled up and almost imperceptible in her position beside her boulder, just scarcely outside of the valley.

she had not set foot back inside it since her return, although she did not think anyone would think of it (for why would anyone care about her?) and if they did, then well, it had not been unusual for her to stay outside of the valley before her departure.

her thin limbs clattered together, with every plume of breath she released to the air the deep lacerations on her ribs screamed in protest.  the back of her neck hurt where it had been ruined not once but twice, and her tail was curled gently to protect her inflamed nether regions from the cold.

this girl was nothing like the confident woman who had left just days prior.  she was pitiful and broken-looking, and the careful gleam in her eyes had subsided.

since the mute wolf's departure, indra had come and gone from the valley like the neighbor's cat -- pleased and self-assured with her station. she was on one such jaunt when she was suddenly stopped by a hulking figure near the boulder in her peripherals. she slammed to a stop and turned her head to view the creature, her gaze hardened and hackles riffling with displeasure. no. she and laurel had driven her from the valley -- she was sure of it -- and now this thing had come skulking back like some wretched weasel flung from its warren.

with a huff of steam billowing out behind her glistening nostrils she rounded upon reigi, posture authoritative as she recalled their last unsavory interaction. her ears pressed forward in dominance and she walked stiffly -- unfortunately without a tail the picture was far from complete, but the message was clear enough.

as indra drew closer she smelled rot -- her eyes raked over the figure's lean form, spying several lacerations that laced her figure. there was no pity in indra's gaze - as far as she was concerned, reigi had deserved them for her gross insubordination and threat to laurel.

she could call for blondine or xan, and request they treat her ex-packmate before she succumbed to her injuries. indra was fully aware that was an option. instead she elected to sit primly on the snow and stare reigi down with a coldness in her gaze. if she had her way, the girl would leave or wither away before morning, and laurel would never be threatened again.

she was not entirely surprised to see that wicked, red bitch round the corner.  her posture did not change as indra flashed in front of her, instead remaining still.  the only thing that moved was her gaze, flickering up to bore directly into the other woman.

there were no winners in this game.

indra would not get the cowering creature that she desired; reigi's posture was already curled and neutral, and she would not succumb any further — she did not feel the need to, and it would also be quite painful.

indra's descent to the snow was interrupted by reigi's stare, which bore into her with unflinching temerity. in the world of wolf brethren, that stare was a challenge -- unless reigi looked away swiftly, indra's fangs would find her. that was the natural order of the world -- the law of the wilderness. indra was born knowing these things; had structured her life around it -- to see such a thing defiled rankled her to an inimitable degree.

she rose immediately, her hackles rifling out like quills as she stalked stiffly towards the wolf again. once more, indra sought to exact the wild's unspoken decree on the mute creature. it was unnatural and it was plain defiance to refuse to observe one's station in a pack's hierarchy. this woman had gone long enough flaunting her refusal of acknowledging her pecking order. it was flagrant disrespect of the pack, and indra would not stand for it.

she would only abate in her advancement if the wolf cowed before her -- if she didn't, indra would fall upon her prone form and attempt to seize the bridge of her muzzle and force her then and there to submit to her superior.

doofus incoming

He knew she was back yet he did not remain glued to her side. He wandered, within the valley and beyond, often pacing and thinking, trying to figure out his next move. It was not right. She shouldn’t have left in the first place, shouldn’t have shed the cover of safety that was his—her—home. But she had and that was now in the past, unable to be changed in any way; they would both have to live with her actions, though he’d yet to accept that.

With the urge to venture out into the surrounding territories, to search, Alexander headed towards the border. Though, what started as a quest to leave soon became a need to intervene, two masses at the end of the path catching his eye. Without a moment of hesitation, the male picked up his pace so that he could insert himself into the interaction, tail sickling over his back whilst he flashed his incisors—at both of them—in warning. He did not say a word, did not bother to even open his mouth beyond the slow lift of his lips. All he did was stare, between and at them, demanding they both stand down.

she wasn't defiling anything, laying down  on the packed snow with her legs and tail crumpled beneath her lithe frame.  indra was lucky, after reigi's encounter with the dark man that reigi had not accosted her with her own pearly incisors; she desired no company — nobody.  perhaps even akuma would have been spurned in this moment, and having been hurt so much the wild woman was quick to show her teeth.  but she did not, in fear of the possible retaliation.

the only thing that changed on reigi's face was that her brows furrowed together in silent and pitying disapproval.  but she would not be looking away.  she knew that indra wanted her gone, but she would not allow the woman to take this valley from her.  it was all she had left.

she was so focused on indra and her inevitable retaliation that she did not notice xan's approach, and she shrunk in on herself (what little room there was left, for she had already been so crumpled) and shut her eyes as his teeth flashed at her.

once again, there were no winners here.. and once again she did not know what she had done wrong, furthering the thought that she had been justified in leaving.

indra's hackles rifled high along her spine and haunches, and she pulled back her lips once more in a snarl at how obtuse the insubordinate wolf was being. indra drearly wanted to wring out the last bit of non-obeisance from reigi, but a white pall overcame the duo and stayed her hand.

xan.

instantly indra stepped back and folded her ears, lowering her muzzle dutifully. her hackles were slower to lose their flared sharpness -- if only because truly, her fur was still put at end by this wretch's bold irreverence.

and then she saw reigi do the same -- submit.

a loud scoff sounded from her clenched jaws: so reigi did understand hierarchy - she just refused to acknowledge indra's rank above hers. surely xan would have caught that. surely he would understand then the reason there was just an ugly current between them.

indra was tired of this wolf's feigned stupidity, of her outright hostility towards laurel and her for no discernible reason, of her flagrant disregard of her ranking position -- xan seemed oblivious, but indra knew a spade when she saw one. she knew the girl was nothing but trouble -- and would continue to be trouble, because in indra's eyes, xan seemed incapable of disciplining his star pet.

all of this showed in the sorry cynicism in her expression as she looked from reigi's prone form to xan's authoritative one. this was truly, genuinely stupid; she knew if this wolf existed in duskvale, or in larksong, that her lack of observation of pack hierarchy would have her torn to shreds. saena would have thrown her to the wolves - literally. instead, this insubordinate wolf was routinely and systematically protected by xan - an action that undermined the pack's social fabric, and ultimately, undermined her.

indra wasn't going to wait for xan to finger-wag at reigi. in indra's eyes this wolf had committed the unspeakable: she had many times been aggressive to another pack member, challenged and defied their rank, and then had disappeared for days with no explanation. in indra's eyes, she was not worth re-welcoming into the fold any longer.

Teeth were once again hidden from view as they both submitted, though his ears kept forward and his tail arched. He looked at each of them, gaze lingering longer on Reigi as his eyes roamed over her crumpled body. The swelling of her abdomen was apparent, though faintly so, but he recognised the meaning behind it; after seeing his sister towards the end of her pregnancy, he knew, and felt confident with his assumption. And there was no doubt in his mind that those she’d bear were his, which made him protective in a way that he could not understand; Alexander had never been fond of children, never saw any use for them, but the thought that he might have his own—the start of a family that would not break apart—felt different.

Blinking, he turned his attention back to Indra. “I told you to avoid her and I’d take care of this,” he stated. “She’ll learn her place here.” How he would convey the message, he’d yet to figure out, the realisation that she still couldn’t quite understand him having slowly crept into his head. But he would find a way to show her, to explain to her, how a pack was structured. She would learn or he would hide her away, as he could not so easily cast her out; there were too many things counting towards her, too many reasons that he couldn’t get rid of her, though they were all personal. Again, he glanced towards her, having to resist the urge to reach out and comfort her—he wasn’t used to this, viewing his own behaviour as being incredibly weird and downright unnecessary. But he couldn’t ignore the instinct to protect his own blood, just barely able to tear his eyes off of her and refocus on the fiery-coated girl.

“Do you see her?”—he swung his muzzle towards Reigi, nose pointed towards her visible side—“Do you see that? I’m not ordering you to stay away from her, I’m asking as your... friend to at least tolerate her. Until I can teach her.” His reasons were clear, to protect that which was his—but whether that was what he imagined was growing in her now or her alone, he did not make it clear because he didn’t know.

her eyes remained closed.  she had not moved out of deference but instead out of the shame and confusion and oh god, that fear! that rolled off her in palpable waves.  she had been sitting here, outside of the borders, minding her own business when this wretch came and accosted her for — what?  existing?

reigi had offered no growls, had not bared to the russet woman the dangerous ivories that lay beneath her inkstained lips.  her hackles had not bristled in turn, even the crane of her head had been painstakingly slow. xan's teeth had simply frightened her; she cowed for him in light of her most recent encounter with another wolf and shivered desperately.

perhaps this was because of the subtle swelling in her teats and her abdomen, the smell of new life that rolled off of her urine — reigi would have done the same to any female, if she were in indra's position.  but she felt like this was more personal, and after everything she had been through she simply did not have the energy to deal with it anymore.

and it seemed as if maybe he understood.  for the second time since her return he had surprised her.  she could not tell what he was saying but she could tell that he was talking about her — his position was guarding her, his tone was strained.  his frustration was apparent to her, and sent another fear-racked shiver through her body.  

indra u child wowzers. she's out unless they attack her!

indra's scornful gaze fixed unabashedly on reigi, her hackles stirring again as she noted the filling of the wolf's svelte stomach. a kaleidoscope of fierce emotions canvassed out in front of her - disgust, anger, scorn - every one as negative and stronger than the last. she looked to xan then knowingly, having at last an ounce of proof to light fire to her suspicions: he was wink-wonking her.

she had her vague suspicions, but here it was plain as day by the bulge in reigi's ribcage. his affection for her had been the death of his duty.

her blackened gums curled back in derisive sneer. more than once this mute creature had defied the hierarchy: indra had not forgotten how seconds before xan had arrived, reigi had stared unflinchingly at her - how she refused to submit or show her rank despite the silent exchange of indra's dominant posture. indra would never forget how she had slunk off of the sunken boulder days prior, threatening her sister.

she fixed her gaze on reigi's indolent muzzle and spoke slowly, her tone as cold as the iciness held in her usually honeyed gaze. "you'll never be able to teach her. she's stupid." indra meant in more ways than one: she didn't talk, she refused to observe social hierarchy, she ran away often.. every man's dream: a silent body in which to bury your dick in, with no complaints ever uttered, no conversations ever held -- just a pillow for a teenaged boy to drive into. she lifted her muzzle and regarded reigi with a simpering, knowing smile. "congratulations on your retarded children."

indra didn't wait for a response -- as soon as her words left her mouth she knew how hateful they were, but she was too angry to regret it now. without even so much as looking upon xan she turned around, childishly kicked snow in reigi's direction with a hind foot, and stalked furiously off. she needed to get away from them, away from the void that surrounded them and sucked out common sense and dignity -- she needed laurel.