Silvertip Mountain Smooth over the cracks

It was time. In fact time was probably overdue. It had been four days since his encounter with Peregrine and the decision that he should talk to Bindi and Raissa about their differences and try to fix it. Or find the problem, if there was a problem. FitzDutiful wasn't sure a problem existed, he didn't think Peregrine had exaggerated but maybe Bindi had exaggerated the extent of her dislike. Or, more likely, the entire thing had been misinterpreted.

Regardless, Bindi had openly dismissed another pack member to a wolf who she didn't know! If she did that to a member of Blackfeather Woods... well, FitzDutiful shivered to think of the consequences that may reign down on them. Especially seeing how Raissa was effectively a deserter to them. It also didn't show well on the pack that a beta would criticise their pack members and it was that reputation that FitzDuitful wanted to uphold. He didn't want Silvertip Mountain to become the pack that had back internal links.

Pointing his muzzle to the sky, FitzDutiful called @Bindi to join him on the plateau that overlooked the Great Bear Wilderness.

She had returned from one of her adventures when a howl went up calling for her. She wondered what Fitz could want, as this was the first time she encountered him after she became Beta. She was in a good mood, after exploring she had decided on taking a much longer trip in the near future. She had responsibilities as Beta of the pack, but she was still an outrider, and the only outrider the pack had.

She was still waiting for Crescendo and that other dark female to complete the task she had given them, and Bindi was growing impatient. From what the midnight wolfess knew, no one in Silvertip knew about her deal with the two dark wolves, but suddenly she became worried. What if Fitz had found out and that's why he was calling her.

Even though she was worried, Bindi countuined toward Fitz and where he called for her. She finally reached her destination, and approached he Alpha, a small nod as a greeting. "You called for me" she said and sat ready to listen to what he had to say.

Bindi arrived quite promptly and FitzDutiful smiled to see her. He was always taken aback by how happy he got when she was in his line of sight. Pushing those emotions far down into his chest he nodded when she asked, or stated, that he had called for her. For once he was unsure of how to start, but regardless he had to do this hateful job. The main issue was he didn't want any of this to sound accusatory or very specifically about her and Raissa. He wasn't concerned about their tiff, not everyone could get along, it was the representation.

"I had a visit a few days ago from an old friend of mine. Peregrine. The alpha of Redhawk Caldera. He told me that he had come across you but that, without knowing him, there were some things said that were very hateful towards members of our pack. I wanted to get your side of this story."

He was giving her a chance to explain here. He didn't want anything to ruin their friendship or jeopardise her part of this pack. After all he had trusted her to become the beta. He knew Peregrine would never have lied about this. The thing was - would Bindi be honest and truthful about this situation?

When he started to speak of the male Peregrine, Bindi was no longer nervous. She just started to assume that Fitz called her here to talk about his old alpha and how Peregrine came to vist. However that was not the case, and when he got to the part where he spoke of how Bindi said hateful comments toward memebers of of the pack, she shook her head no.

"You must be mistaken" she began and shifted herself so that she was sitting in a comfortable position. "I would never speak hateful comments towards members of our pack" she said and waited a moment before continuing. "I would only speak about a certain member in a hatful way" she finished and waited for Fitz to say anything.

Bindi wasn't going to lie to her alpha, and she didn't. She was speaking the truth, as she only spoke about Raissa in a bad way. The midnight wolfess was positive Fitz knew exactly which member Bindi spoke badly about, and she waited for her alpha's reaction.

It appeared that Bindi had no such qualms about making this personal between her and Raissa. At her words, FitzDutiful's head dropped and he just stared at the ground for a while. Silence descended as he tried to think back over everything that he knew. He thought about all the situations that Raissa and Bindi had been together - that he knew about - of the pack sessions to try and figure out where the source of friction came from.

He came up empty. He didn't have a clue why his Beta would hate his mate and he wasn't proud enough to even consider the possibility that he might be the reason, the cause, the subject of discussion. "I need to know why." he said, softly. The words were hard to say and the hurt he felt that knowing this was so personal echoed within his voice, "Why do you hate her so much?"

He didn't know if it was reciprocated. At this moment in time he couldn't recall how Raissa had reacted when he had told her about making Bindi the beta.

Fitz seemed disappointed at her words, and even though she didn't like to see him like that, she wasn't going to lie. When he asked why Bindi hates her, the midnight wolfess shook her head no. "I don't hate her, I very very very dislike her" she said and looked to see the pale male's reaction. Bindi didn't hate Raissa, not yet at least. Bindi decided to go ahead an tell him her side of the story.

"When I first met her I was kind of a jerk, but she wants exactly nice either" she said and remembered meeting Raissa in Tempest's cave, and then the next night. "We said that we wouldn't be best friends and all, but decided we would try to work out our differences. I avoided her because I didn't want to cause trouble and figured that was the easiest way to get along with her" she said truthfully. "Then the next time I saw her she asked me if I need my ass kicked or if I'm just being bitch" she said and remembered the day her and Raissa sparred.

"I still don't understand why she said that to me, especially when I have been avoiding her" she said and wondered what was going on in the pale alpha's head. After finishing her story the midnight wolfess shifted herself so she was seated in a comfortable position and waited for Fitz's reaction.

FitzDutiful listened to this explanation with confusion all over his face. "How long ago did this happen?" he asked her, "Because it sounds very much this this was months ago, when the pack was first starting out." Now it came back to him how Raissa had reacted at the news of Bindi being beta. It had driven a wedge between them, one that he probably should fix. She had been horrified at the thought of Bindi becoming beta and yet he had done it anyway.

FitzDutiful was the kind of wolf that let the past be in the past. He didn't hold grudges, he didn't hold wolves to their past actions without good cause. As far as he could tell things that happened during the creation of the pack should be let go once the pack became established. A new pack, especially in the heart of winter, was dangerous for all concerned and led to very high strung tensions.

"Peregrine was so worried about what you said, he feared you would kill my pups." He said it as a statement. FitzDutiful didn't think that Bindi would do this. He was getting the impression that if they were Raissa and someone else's than their life would be at risk. But surely he meant more than that. "I said he was wrong, that you'd never be a danger to pups of mine, even if they are also Raissa's. I hope I wasn't wrong in that."

She listened closley as he asked when this happened, and she tried to remember. "It was about a month ago, after I held the pack hunt" she said and was sure that was when it happened. She also realized that if it was after the hunt, it meant Jensen was already in the pack. She waited to see what he would do, if he would belive her or walk away not trusting her, but it was his next statement that hurt her the most. A muder? Was that how everyone saw her? As some killer? She back away a few steps and looked down at the ground, as she never felt so hurt before.

"Is this how others see me, as a killer" she asked angrily at Fitz wanting to know the truth. In her mind she had done everything should could to be polite, and try and stop her mischievous ways, but no. She would try anymore, she wouldn't help anyone. Because who would want help from a killer? She waited for his answer and even though she heard he did not think of her this way, she had to know what others thought. Was she a monster in their eyes?

It made her so angry that someone would think she would harm a pack-mate, and even worse a pup! The very few wolves she actually cared about and she would give her life for, thought of her as dangerous. It would be her worst nightmare. "I would never kill anyone that lives on this mountain, and would only harm those outside the mountain that threaten the pack" she said calmly while taking deep breaths to relax. She began to realize she would never be accepted, she would never be good. That all she brings is hate. 

Cries! No, no, don't be mad at each other - UNDERSTAND THE WORDS WOLFIES!

After the pack hunt, FitzDutiful remembered that Raissa had been in heat then and he had been less than helpful. "I'm sorry, I was so caught up in Raissa being in heat and keeping other males away that I probably never noticed the difficulties you had with her." He truly believed Bindi in when the incidents had occurred. However, that line of conversation was quickly ended by his next words and Bindi's reaction. His eyes flew open wide as she reacted and he tried to get closer to her, to put his body next to hers in support.

"Hey, hey!" he said trying to calm her, realising he had said the wrong thing. "He was worried because you'd said something like Raissa didn't deserve the happiness of motherhood, that was all. He doesn't know you, he doesn't know anything about you but I told him that wouldn't be the case. Even if you disliked Raissa enough to not want her to have pups they're my pups too, our pack pups - I told him you wouldn't do that."

He tried to lick her muzzle, comforting, to show her the affections he felt for her (which were multiplying. What was it about women in distress?!). "I never thought you would. I just needed to know how deep your dislike for her went. I phrased it completely wrong. I'm sorry, please forgive me." FitzDutiful felt like he was begging her to forgive him, maybe he was, but he couldn't have Bindi believe that he thought of her as a killer. He needed her to know that she was everything to him right now.

Lol. I was mad that Bindi was upset with Fitz for a moment

She continued to take deep breaths and let Fitz sit next to her. She didn't know what to do, everything was just so complicated. She listened as he explained how he was sorry for not noticing the trouble between her and Raissa. She nodded her head to let him know she was listening. It was then that he moved beside her, but instead of looking at him, she continued to stare forward lost in her own thoughts and emotions.

She listened as he explained that he never thought she was a killer and how even if she didn't want Raissa to have pups, they were still his. That another reason why she wouldn't harm Raissa, she didn't want to hurt Fitz. She wanted to smile when he licked her muzzle, but forced herself not to, and turned to face him, as he asked for her forgiveness. "Of course I forgive you" she said and gave him a slight smile. Bindi didn't exactly know how to be mad at Fitz, after all he has never done anything wrong to her.

She decided that he deserved an explanation on why she even told Peregrine about her dislike toward Raissa. "I'm sorry for telling Peregrine about my dislike towards Raissa, but I just needed to get some of my anger out. I know your a counselor, but I figured you didn't want to hear bad things about your mate" she said and waited for his reaction. She figured getting her anger out through words, was better than getting it out physically.  

Bindi accepted his apology and FitzDutiful felt a huge sense of relief flood over him. He hated others feeling ill towards him - whether that made him self-centred, he couldn't say. Bindi also apologised, something that FitzDutiful hadn't expected but he found that he made him feel closer to her. He was very willing to take all of the blame for this encounter, this situation, but it pleased him that she was also shouldering the burden. "I think I understand." he said, leaning close to her, "Peregrine is easy to talk to, I know that first hand, but you can always talk to me. She might be my mate but when it comes to matters of the pack I hold neither her nor myself over you or anyone else. I'm not naive enough to think she's an angel."

FitzDutiful didn't know the half of what Raissa was probably capable of. She had become a member of Blackfeather Woods and he found himself wondering, every so often, how she had gained membership into that group. He hadn't liked Bane and he had heard rumours about their awful nature from Raissa herself who had been threatened with death if she returned. Most of the time he just tried to hide away from that. The past was the past, surely it didn't affect now.

At least things seemed to be a little easier between himself and Bindi. "Is there anything I can do to ease the tensions between the two of you?"

She listened has Fitz explained that he would still listen even though Raissa is his mate. Bindi wanted to laugh when he said she was not an angle, but didn't. She had never disliked anyone like Raissa before. There was something about her, but she was unsure what it was. The midnight wolfess forgot about her thoughts when Fitz asked if there was anything he could do to ease the tension. Bindi thought about it for a moment, but gave a sigh in return.

"I don't belive there is anything you can do, as I am sure Raissa wants nothing to do with me" she said and honestly at the moment Bindi dint want anything to do with Raissa either. "With pups on the way, Im sure I should keep my distance from her" she said assuming that pups were indeed on the way. Bindi felt that since Raissa dislikes her, she wouldn't be allowed to be near or even see the pups. It was something the midnight wolfess was sure to miss out on.

Bindi explained that there was nothing FitzDutiful could do and he nodded. He enjoyed his time with Bindi and he wanted her to be happy - he wanted them both to be happy though god only knows how that was going to happen. "I hope you find a way to co-exist." A little devil on his shoulder wondered if he could have both females as mates. Raissa as his first and Bindi as his second. It was doubtful to ever happen for they were both strong willed women that wouldn't cede to the other.

"If there's ever anything I can do for you, or even if you just want to spend time together, let me know. Please don't keep your distance from me, I don't think I could bear to lose you." he was dangerously close to expressing more than he should. With just over a month until the puppies arrived, with Raissa already being evasive, moody and spending more time away from his den than FitzDutiful liked, now was not the time to risk breaking anyone's hearts.

Except his own.

He had never thought to find himself between two she-wolves in his life, let alone two completely different relationships. Raissa he had pursued with a passion, Bindi had occurred so... organically. It couldn't be compared but FitzDutiful knew that his heart would have to put one above another. At the moment Raissa had to be a priority else he risked losing more than just a mate. He risked losing his children.