Blackfeather Woods Spooky Scary Skeletons

I took a bit too long to finish this up, huh? Either way, thanks for another cool thread.

The child was not so easily fooled, seeing through the woman’s white lie thanks to past experiences. Never had death been brought up back in Bearclaw, and not once did he show the leading male an ounce of respect. He couldn’t, in all honesty. To do so would have suggested that he actually recognized the Roman as a leader, which he definitely had not. Despite all the times he’d challenged Raziel’s authority, however, the threat of being executed had never come up. He believed that was because it was the way things worked, though a few stray thoughts had him considering other reasons. Back in that pack, he’d been a prince. Though neither of his parents had been stationed at the helm of the ship, it did not mean much in the child’s mind. They’d been the founding leaders, and had once held a claim to the land that was not to be questioned. That made him a prince, as did his father’s lineage—or one of several, if he was correctly recalling how the Inuit’s birth pack worked. Either way, he wondered, briefly, if his status back there had held any effects over how he was treated. That thought, and those similar to it, were quickly snuffed out as his brain drug forth memories of how often he was chastised. Despite his having seen right through her lie, he made no comment on it, letting her believe she’d managed to fool him. Different pack or not, the roots of it could not truly be so different that the killing of loyal pack mates was permitted.

Alexander’s mouth parted, then, about to throw in a smart-aleck remark, but he was cut off by the woman’s words. Unlike the false threat, her last sentence actually managed to snag hold of his attention, as well as awaken what little concern burrowed itself deep within his body. It was true that he didn’t want his father getting into trouble because of his actions, it was a fact that he couldn’t ignore no matter how much he may ever try. Kove was the only member of his family who’d decided to stay by his side despite the boy’s way of living, and for that he could not wreak havoc upon the elder’s life. The idea of doing so was enough to keep him silent, even long after Nemesis had taken her leave. Xan knew that, in order to keep his father from being disappointed in him, he needed to act better—or at least not get caught during times in which he would decide to act out. Ideas and strategies drifted around within his skull for the remainder of the time spent outside, before he’d eventually chosen to take a break and head for home. To act better was not something he’d ever considered doing, but for the sake of his dad, he knew he needed to at least try.