Silvertip Mountain And if love keeps giving me lemons

Maia had never scouted this particular mountain before even though she was sure she had passed it.  She climbed carefully, remembering what had happened the last time she went rock climbing - and this time there was no ocean.  

As she climbed, she spoke to herself, a new habit she had just begun.  She was trying to slowly drown out the voice in her head, the little one that tended to chime in every.... always.  You are awesome.  You are amazing, and creative, and super great.  She hesitated.  And you are pretty.  For some reason, that was the hardest one.

She could feel still that she didn't believe it, and that the voice was still skeptical.  Shut it, you,  she thought at it.  Anyone would be lucky to have me.  Eljay, Illidan, even Arcturus.  Cept I'm pretty sure he and Wraen are a thing and just not telling me.  She grinned as she said this last part.  The best stories weren't made in a day, and she wasn't expecting this to work right off the bat.  But eventually she'd get better at it, and the more she repeated it, the better chance she had of eventually convincing herself (and everyone else) it was true.

He'd gotten the hell outta dodge after his altercation with the other wolf, who'd attacked on sight. Draper was still recovering from his wounds; thankfully none of them appeared fatal. He was a little worse for the wear, but what else was new? With a heavy sigh, he had decided to take himself somewhere less accessible. Sure, it would be more difficult to get in and out, but that meant the same would be true for anybody who wished to bother him. He could heal up there, then return to the fen. Or maybe he would swing by and check on Charles just for the hell of it.

When he heard a voice drawing near (complimenting themselves, no less), Draper couldn't help but get up from his spot and meander toward her, watching his step as he went and trying not to make his aches and pains any worse. Draper never knew what to expect from any wolf he met, so he stood quietly, unwavering as he watched her from a little further ways up the mountain. He was fully prepared to make a break for it and rush past her if she showed any hostility, but he would welcome conversation if she had any to spare.

Maia didn't realize she wasn't alone until she was almost on top of Draper.  I'm g... oh.  Oh!  The first thing that registered was embarrassment when it dawned on her that this guy probably heard all that.  The second was shock because this... wasn't a wolf.  At all.

Umm, hi, she said nervously, backing up rather rapidly.  Which wasn't the best idea since she had abruptly forgotten she was, in fact, climbing.  Her hind paw hit the edge and slipped, but she jerked forward.  Woah!  Okay, wow, not that way. So she instead just stopped, lingering near the edge and hunched a bit to keep from suddenly (for no reason) toppling off.  They were higher than she was strictly comfortable with.

She'd heard plenty of stories about coyote encounters from Wraen and was trying to control her panic response of 'oh no, are we going to have to fight right now?'  Because Maia didn't fight.  At all.  Ever.

WC: 158

He was about to bolt until she appeared to finally realize he was standing there. And was that... embarrassment in her voice? Apology? Now that was something Draper didn't see very often. She was now the one scrambling backward, and Draper went wide-eyed when it looked like she was going to slip right off the edge. Surely he'd get blamed for that if anybody was following her trial.

Hi, he said after she seemed to find better footing. He searched for words, some sort of conversation starter. The best he could come up with was. First time on a mountain? Wow, way to go. Very lame. She's definitely going to murder you now. Not for being a coyote, but for being an idiot and insulting her.

Wait, was he judging her?  Maia flustered and forgot, for a second, who it was she was talking to.  No.  I explore mountains all the time.  I was just giving you space, that's all.  She answered with a definite defensive bluster to her tone.  Outside of stories Maia was a terrible liar.  Then she seemed to recall and blanched a little.  Were there more of him lurking somewhere, waiting?

Look, I don't want any trouble or anything.  You stay there, I stay here, and we are good!  Yeah?  Her voice had a nervous intensity to it as she tried to keep her speech light and cheerful, the usual 'Maia is uncomfortable' calling card.  If she couldn't even fight on flat ground, fighting on a mountain would definitely kill her.  You can't even stay on your feet when you walk normally half the time.  If he had buddies, maybe she could... like... jump to that ledge over there?  10 foot jump, no problem.

Nah, she was in trouble.  Yipes.

WC: 168

In came the defense, but at least she didn't rip his face off (yet). Luckily for her, Draper was completely devoid of buddies. Or pals. Or friends. Or much of anything resembling anything beyond an acquaintance. It was a bit of an issue for him, but this isn't a therapy session.

She suggest that he stay here, she stay there, and they would be good. Draper stared at her for a moment, wondering if she had wolf buddies, and they were on their way up. How do I know this isn't a trap? he asked, craning his neck to try and see anybody coming up behind her. Maybe you're just trying to stall me until your friends come to back you up. A shaky stalemate, but at least no blood had been drawn.

Maia could hardly believe it when he tossed her worries right back at her.  My friends!?  How do I know your friends aren't waiting!?  She asked, puffing up a little as if insulted by the insinuation.  She kinda was!  

I'd never hurt a soul, but if you plan on attacking me, I have to let you know that I'm an expert.  So I wouldn't try it.  She was full on bluffing, but the fact that he hadn't turned on her yet was starting to give her some hope.  She took a step away from the edge that she'd backed closer to, but still kept her eyes on him, waiting to see if her lie worked out for her.

WC: 118

Draper scoffed at the accusation turned back on him. As if he had friends at all, let alone ones that might be anywhere nearby. Not that he was proud of that, but coyotes did tend to be less pack-driven than wolves. Her next statement was all kinds of contradictory, which at least led him to believe that she was outright lying now. If she'd never hurt a soul, then how could she simultaneously be an expert fighter? The answer, at least in Draper's mind, was that she couldn't.

This put him at ease, at least to some degree, and he didn't move toward her or attempt to squeeze around her. Still, he was wary, as he'd always been, being in the presence of a creature who had historically attacked him on sight. Draper wasn't about to take his eyes off her, but at least she was less of a threat now.

Well then, go on back down the mountain, he said, pointing to the path with his pointed muzzle. But I'm following right behind you. I don't want to be stuck up here in case you do have buddies who are coming to check on you.

She opened her mouth to insist that she definitely didn't have any thugs coming behind her, but then shut it immediately when she realized, again, that this stand off was way preferred to him knowing she was out here alone.  Generally Maia was a pretty trusting individual (something that would get her into trouble soon, actually) but in this case she was taking history into account.  

Who says I was ready to go back down yet?  She asked, a little accusing.  You can go ahead.  She had a bit more enjoying the view to do.  The way he spoke, though, was starting to pique her curiosity.  From the way her sister made it sound, the coyotes she'd spoken of had never really started off with conversation.  So as she continued to watch him, her stance relaxed some, guard dropping in the interest of figuring out what he was about.

WC: 149

Draper narrowed his eyes at her question, unwilling to turn his back on her so long as they were on unsteady ground. He gave a little "hmph," sound, then he sat down, deciding he would plant his butt here until she decided to leave. That's right, this was now a game of chicken. Or a game of coyote. Whatever it was, he had a feeling he was much more suited to it than she was.

If she did have buddies, he thought it was better that he retained the higher ground. At this point, she seemed to relax a bit. His suspicious nature made him believe that she might be hiding something, or maybe she was relaxing because her buddies were on their way. That thought wasn't very pleasant.

As she was watching him to see what he'd say, he simply sat down with a hugely skeptical look on his face.  Or maybe stubborn was better?  Either way, she couldn't help it. Her face split into a grin that she quickly tried to hide.  Let's face it, Maia's intimidation was practically nonexistent.

Alright, suit yourself!  What are you doing up here anyway?  She asked, and a lot of the tension had left her.  He hadn't attacked yet and she was beginning to take that as confirmation she wasn't going to need to worry about it today.

She was at least comfortable enough to ask a few questions.  She'd never met a coyote before now.

WC: 115

There was something uneasy about Maia's presence, though Draper could not quite place it. Upon reflection, days later, he would realize that the strangeness was that she was actually somewhat kind to him in comparison to the myriad of wolves he had met in his lifetime. The coyote allowed himself to relax, only a little, and he flicked an ear in her direction at the question. Hiding out, he replied. Some asshole wolf attacked me on sight. Maybe the boy had thought he was somebody else. More than likely, though, he was simply a coyote-hater.

Oh, wow.  Well, that's rude.  Maia replied, clearly bothered by that statement.  Why would a wolf do that? I thought normally...  She trailed off, as though realizing what she was about to say probably wouldn't land well.  Nevermind.  She fell into an awkward lull after that, considering the conversation so far.

She'd never met one of his like before, and as always, Maia felt she had an obligation here to learn more.  The best stories came from the strangest places, and this was the first creature in a long time that she felt really had the potential to give her something new.  Why was he different?  Was he different?  Where did he come from?  She had so many questions, and now she just had to figure out which ones to ask first.

WC: 132

Draper's face contorted into a "no shit" expression when she mentioned that was rude. When she trailed off, he was set off.

You thought normally we pick the fights? Somebody 'round here seems to have put that notion in your head. Why would a coyote pick a fight with a wolf? We're at a disadvantage. We like the scraps you leave behind. We're on the same fuckin' team, and y'all just go around pretending like all we want to do is murder your children. I'll have you know, I've not murdered a single wolf cub, but I can guarantee that's the only thing you lot think of me.

How was she so clueless? How were they all so clueless? Draper knew that talking would do no good. Why would it? He huffed, the forced, steamy air swirling around his muzzle a moment before it dissipated.

Maia immediately felt guilty as he ripped (rightfully) into her for the statement, but she couldn't help arguing.  Just a minute.

Maybe when it's one on one, but stuff happens, okay?  It isn't like we interact much.  It wasn't an excuse, or even a particularly great statement, but for some reason she felt the need to justify her older sister's fights with his kind.  From what she'd told, usually she'd been outnumbered.  One once had been to save.... what was her name?  Fennec?

Anyway, sorry.  She honestly was, for whatever it was worth.  She wondered if maybe she should just go, but decided to try one more peace offering first.  My name's Maia.

WC: 113

There was something cathartic about voicing his grievances to somebody who appeared to listen. It was doubtful that anything would change, but boy howdy did it feel nice to get that off his chest for once. He was placated by her apology, however thin it was. It wasn't as if a quick "sorry" would do away with the constant bounty on his head, but whatever, he would take what he could get. He didn't really have a choice in the matter.

Draper Featherwind, he said when she offered her own name.

He let the silence settle in for a second, feeling that it was now less tense than it had been before his verbal tirade. If she did have friends on the way, they probably heard all of that. Well, good for them. They deserved to hear it.

Draper Featherwind.  That's a pretty name, she responded, almost without thinking.  Then she froze and inwardly punched herself.  Pretty name?  It was, but c'mon, some people would hardly take that as a compliment.  Nice name, maybe, or dignified.  But pretty?  Maia, jeeze.

She didn't really know what else to say, and she thought about bailing despite her earlier insistence that she wasn't ready to go back down yet.  Yet Maia's curiosity won out over her better judgement, and she couldn't help trying before she left.  D'you have any stories?  Like, your parents, yknow?  Did they tell you any?  It was a bit of a personal question, but she'd already fully inserted foot in mouth once and not gotten a bite for it, so it couldn't hurt to attempt.  Worst come to worst she could just jet off and leave him to it.

WC: 142

Draper squinted at her assessment of his name. He had never heard it called "pretty," but then again, the conversations he had were usually about keeping the peace and not much more beyond that. The coyote still didn't trust her all the way, and she was being kind of weird, but he'd take that over aggression any day.

What? he said, not quite understanding the question at first.

No.

I mean, maybe they had, but Draper didn't remember any of them, and he wasn't particularly keen on sharing them even if he had remembered.

Why was she still trying to make conversation with him, anyway? He still didn't quite get that part. But he would be as polite as he could.

Maia released a breath when he answered with a fairly immediate veto.  That's.... okay.  She was going to say sad, but at this point, she wasn't taking chances on setting this guy off.  It would have been cool to chat and be friends but that answer had pretty well clarified that there was no chance of that happening.  Feeling a little crestfallen about it (did he really not? or did he just not want to share?) Maia gave an internal shrug.  She couldn't blame him after all.

Some ambassador.

Well, have a good... whatever you were having.  She said with a touch of forced cheer.  I'm just... gonna go.  She wasn't sure why that answer in particular had bummed her out so much.  Maybe it was just how abrupt it had squashed her hopes?  Either way, her mood had sunk in a big way and she kinda just wanted to disappear now.  Without really looking at him she went to depart down the mountain, though she did keep her ears trained back while she left.

WC: 175

Draper was well aware that talking to him was much like talking to a brick wall. But what was he supposed to do? Buddy up with the very kind that was lurking behind every corner, plotting to kill him? That just did not seem very smart. And he liked to think that he was a little bit smart. Maybe if circumstances had been different, he and Maia might have gotten along. If they happened to meet again, he would realize that she did not have any "friends" waiting along the path. That would mean that she had lied, but at least she had not put him in harm's way.

She made her departure, and Draper was satisfied that he had won this game of "who leaves first" chicken. He would stay here for some time, watching and waiting for her to bring backup, although it would never come his way. Today, at least, he was safe. Tomorrow it was unlikely that he would be, but those were the breaks.

Draper settled himself a bit more comfortably, ready to wait this out for at least a few more hours.