Stavanger Bay towers and shadows

Smoke spoke, and Raptor cringed like a dog expecting a lash from a hand raised overhead, shrinking into himself as he clenched his teeth. But the words that came were not the ones he expected, and no teeth buried themselves into his snout. The sable wolf opened one eye and peered up at his Captain with disbelief and suspicion.

"Ye are?" He questioned quietly, hesitant to believe but unfurling himself tentatively nonetheless. Raptor chewed at his lip as Smoke spoke further. He found his Captain's words genuine, and truthfully, had never known Smokestep to be as sly as the last Captain he served under. He was unable, however, to form a reply, opening his mouth several times only to close it again and search both his companion's face and paws in vain.

The subject changed. Raptor pressed his lips together, sucked in a breath through his nose, and laid it all on the table. "I tried to kill that wolf who I thought was yer sister," he stated, casting his gaze aside and bitterly focusing on the horizon. "I wanted to prove myself to ye, and to Piper, and to the crew, and to myself. Raptor turned his burnt umber eyes to his friend's for a moment. "I didn't though. I ended up screwin' her instead."

Raptor licked his lips. "Ye wanna know why, Smoke? Why I did that?"