Stavanger Bay Cause when the train wreck comes gonna leave them out

When it came down to it, Rosalyn knew it was going to be her job to initiate fixing this situation.  As the victor, however small a victory it might feel like after Smokestep's intervention, she was the one with less on the line and all the motivation.  It was highly unlikely @Sandpiper would approach her in return.

She knew she would have no problems letting bygones be bygones, but she got the feeling the other wouldn't be so keen to make nice.  That was honestly why she'd done this in the first place; in a future where Sandpiper was higher on the totem pole, she hadn't been able to imagine her not using that rank to make Rosalyn feel small.  The younger woman reminded Roz too much of herself at that age; prickly, defensive, and insecure.  She would have rubbed another woman's nose in it in Sandpiper's place, and her gut (irrefutable by her logic) said that would have been the former First Mate's course as well.  Fortunately for herself, she had prevailed.  And fortunately for Sandpiper, a slightly wiser Rosalyn now stood on the strand.

This search was more sedate than the one she originally performed, back when the challenge took place.  She didn't want to threaten, or even posture... just to say her piece.  If the other would stick around long enough to hear it.

thanks for starting!! also - a gif of sandpiper when she sees rosalyn

about the last thing the cairn girl wanted was to run into rosalyn -- she had made every effort to avoid the woman that had dethroned her, and had been doing damn good at it too.. until now.

they were two figures on a beach, and it was too late to turn back; she had let her guard down for a moment! one moment!! sandpiper felt her insides chill and her gut clench -- and she half expected rosalyn to march over and whup her the same way she had before. even looking at rosalyn caused the ugly mark on her scruff to hurt, and she eyed rosalyn with a defensive glint in her gaze as she awaited whatever corporeal punishment the woman was preparing to impose.

haha! In turn, Rosalyn

It was clear enough that her presence wasn't wanted, but that was honestly too damn bad.  She was tired of tiptoeing around in the place she intended to call home.  She walked up casually, eyeing the Cairn without ire, for a moment wondering where she should begin.  

"Your defense needs work."  She said finally, shifting sideways on the sand to leave her her space still.  She wasn't about to close in and start something again.  "If you wanted a pointer or two....". She trailed off, then shrugged offhandedly.

It was an olive branch, and one they she personally felt was pretty damn generous.  Teach her rival a few pointers? Some might call it dumb.  But the pack wouldn't benefit from having shitty scrappers, and if Sandpiper was going to be fighting those with dirtier moves (as she), she needed to learn to better cover her vulnerabilities.

LMAO i love it

sandpiper's flinty gaze only hardened as rosalyn came forth with a critical assessment of sandpiper's fighting form. she wanted to immediately reply well your fuckin' face needs some work, but held her tongue -- not out of (deserved) deference for the woman that soundly tanned her hide, but because she knew in her heart she was being childish.

she simmered, trying to reconcile what was right with how she felt. she couldn't see them ever being friends, but raptor and smokestep would both want the two to at least be amicable, and it would do the crew no good to have two constantly warring women in their ranks. sandpiper drew out a resigned sigh, but her features were still clenched by tension. she was an intrepid enough wolf to recognize the peace offering when she saw it, but her defeat still scalded her pride, and she offered her own noncommittal shrug in return.

she couldn't bring herself to say anything - but was that better than saying nothing at all?

No retorts, no sharp denials.  Rosalyn's optimism grew that maybe they could at least learn to be crew if never friends.  The sigh, if resigned, and the shrug she took as further confirmation.  If not now, maybe sometime they could have another match.  And perhaps Rosalyn could show her a thing or two about fighting with a less direct approach.  Sandpiper was a bit larger than she, but still by no means huge.  She'd probably appreciate knowing how to turn the odds in her favor, if she didn't already know.

She didn't want to overstay, but before leaving she paused.  She saw no harm in saying something now that it had passed, and she'd come through without being booted.  "Smokestep... he has a high opinion of you.  Near thought he was going to put me out for challenging."  Again, that small taste of envy for the support and loyalty he had shown.  "If you're even half what he thinks you are, then it's really too bad we'll never get along."  She smiled, turning to leave.  If Sandpiper said anything, she would stop.  But if not, she'd continue on, leaving her in the relative peace of the shoreline.

sandpiper's expression seemed overwrought, and the bright amber of her gaze fell to rosalyn with surprise as she brought up smokestep. a sense of guilt and a sense of anguish pressured her and she looked away, her throat suddenly hoarse. she could not offer anything in return - her pride was too stung, her ego too wounded -- anything that came out of her mouth would be toxic and unkind. even though she knew she was being childish. 

so she kept it shut.

she just nodded; it was not a very fulfilling gesture, but it was a far measure kinder than the acerbic words that fluttered in her thoughts. rosalyn was a better woman than she - more worldly, a better fighter, possibly a better crewmate -- and it burnt sandpiper to the core to acknowledge that.