Swiftcurrent Creek Don't make any sudden moves.

For @Arric

Her head was pounding.
The vessel that Akavir had carved, for bringing her water, remained where it had been overturned a day or so previous: it was empty, and even the earth where the water had spilled was dry.
She hadn't seen anyone in a while — but there were scents, and distant sounds that made her ears twitch; Indra wondered if she really could get up and leave, or if that was a trick. Did they wait, did they watch?

Arric moved through the creek territory with a purpose. In his maw a couple fish hung. The girl could go where she pleased, leave and all of the like, but a part of him wanted tomake sure she was okay. She was young and pretty and it hurt the gentle beast's heart to think that she would align herself with the ruckus she did, but who was he to judge. He had been allowed to leave an stayed. 

The scabs on his shoulders itched and burned. The line down his muzzle constantly cracking every time he used his mouth, and the heavy limp in his footpaw. Small particles getting caught in the open wound.

He dropped the fish at her feet and eyed the small vessel near her. You want some water?

Every tremble of the trees made her skin crawl. The sound of the distant creek rushing by filled Indra's brain with white-noise, but it did nothing to correct the pain in her head. The throbbing behind her eyes.
Maybe that was why she failed to notice the approach of one of her captors. Ring-Eye was suddenly standing near, a towering shadow; his blue eyes vibrant against the darkness of his face.
Indra flashed her front teeth — but she heard the offer, and faltered a bit with the display, then eyed the vessel where it rested. Yes, everthing about her wanted to scream — give me water!
No, she chose instead. I don't want anythin' from you people.
What sort of debt would they expect in return? They'd only get a knife in the back.

Arric didn't understand how or why the girl was still here if she hated them so much. And they had done nothing to her or her people. They had attacked first. He raised a brow and shifted, settled far away. Though he imagined he still towered above her.

I assume that you want to live to see your friends again? So don't be stupid, take what were offering and attack us later.  Cause i'm sure you will. People like you and your friends don't stop until everyone is hurt or gone. Nothing but bullies.

he sighed and eyed the vessel again. Well I can take the little bowl and get water for later or I can help you to the water, as long as you can refrain from biting into me. Or I mean you could die slowly, painfully from lack of water. there's that too. And then you won't see them again and they wont' see you.

He shifted getting ready to leave her to her pouting.

Unlike the cool-headed Yellow Eyed Man, this one took the bait of Indra's commentary and reacted; he didn't lash out with anything but his tongue, and Indra let it wag. She wanted to learn more, take what she could from these men, so that when Colt came for her she would have something to show for her struggles. Information was beneficial to the gang.
That said, she couldn't handle listening to the way Ring-Eye talked of her people. They were her people.
People like me? She flashed her teeth again and felt like she might vomit.
Way I see it, you attacked first. Didn't have ta be that way. From her perspective as someone late to the party, that was the truth. Her truth.
You think I'm gonna trust a single thing you say? You did this ta me. She couldn't show off the wound, but they knew it was there. As she spoke of it she coughed, and became more aware of her chest pains.
Bastards, could'a run. More'of us anyway. You'll see, they'll come.

He saw her tail wag wondered what information she felt she got from his interaction. Clearly she felt it was something. He stared at her wondering how someone so young had gone so wrong. It was sickening, and perhaps it was wrong of him to assume she was bat shit crazy and evil. But she hadn't proven him wrong.

Blue eyes didn't move from her face. The silence stretched as she voiced her truth, and it rankled, truthfully it did. Stomach tightened and tongue wanted to wag, but he kept it leashed. Closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself as he always did, and lifted a large shoulder.

You believe what you want to. But maybe you should ask that boss of yours who attacked first.

A sadness stretched into a deep chasm. He hadn't been the one to leave the mark on her skin, but he had knocked her about with sickening accuracy. I should have let you just attack me? or run with my tail between my legs. Naw.

Large paws brought him to his feet and he grasped her vessel and turned away. He'd get her water, drop it and leave. He was tired of this conversation and the naivety of the girl.

Indra wasn't listening to reason.
Anything either shadow said, she took as a falsehood. Her loyalty to Colt and the gang was everything for her. She'd lost all other connections in the darkness of her own freedom — after Bearclaw, in the freedom that she found for herself, there was nothing. Colt discovering her and offering her another path was what kept her alive — and so she was dedicated to him, to the gang, beyond all sense of reason.
As the man turned and grabbed the vessel, she wondered to herself if he had the same connection here, to Yellow Eyes. What did this beast know of loyalty? Of truth?
She didn't have anything to say, and watched him go - wishing she had the power to make his heart stop with a glare. Maybe she'd take that eye, the one that was circled in white, so when Colt did come to save her she'd have something to show off to him. They could joke about it later, and all would be right.

Good lord she took a dark turn lmao. Love it.

It was clear the girl wouldn't listen. It saddened him, but also solidified something in his chest. These characters she ran rampant with. They weren't worth another thought or word. They would do as they pleased this girl would do as she pleased. And when she ended up in a grave broken and bloody before she was his age, well. That was on her.

Arric D'uandris was a soul warrior. He knew well the bonds of trust and loyalty. His father had taught him that early on. Because he had told him there was nothing any better to measure a man except the words he spoke, and how he treated others, and he lived by those laws.

Arric was gone longer than necessary, but he had to gain his composure, recenter his peace. He lay the water at her feet and backed up. 

It's not poisoned and neither are the fish. But you need to eat them or their gonna make your living quarters stink.

Then if there was no more to be said, he leave her to her ruminations.

He came stalking back with some fish. She smelled them before she saw anything this time, but then he dropped the fish nearby and brought the water, and all the while Indra stared him down. Watching those blue eyes, that target painted on his face.
The man spoke to her fears. He could either read her mind, which she could easily believe, or he had poisoned the things he brought, and thought he had a trusting face - which was ridiculous. He'd been the one to tear a piece out of her.
She stared down at the fish as the man left, and wanted desperately to take them and to eat them messily, then and there. Her stomach growled; but she was petulant, and in pain.
Eventually, when her hunger grew too big to manage and herself too desperate, she would grab a fish and peel it to pieces, suspicious of every bite.