Blacktail Deer Plateau The Gathering of the Clouds

Raleska already had the solution for Mal: be less abrasive.

Of course, that retort was held on the tip of her tongue as she reeled from the boy's diatribe. Yeesh -- he hadn't specifically said this wasn't his land until she had asked -- and he hadn't been specific on where his territory was, either. No wonder Raleska felt confused and now angered-- she wasn't a mindreader.

"And being likeable isn't your strength either." Raleska fired back, already finding her patience for humoring this miserable person at zero. It wasn't her fault he wasn't clear.

If Mal had of been a bit less sarcastic, and a bit less barbed in everything he had said (oh -- and if he hadn't insulted her not once, but several times now), Raleska might have been inclined to let him pass and see the world from whatever vantage he wanted. But, he hadn't been nice -- and she wasn't going to be nice either.

Placing her body firmly in his way, Raleska's tail upturned. "No." She said, having absolutely no fear that this boy would push back. Oh, he might run his mouth at her, but Raleska assumed he had used most of his vocabulary already -- he wasn't going to fire off anything she hadn't already heard.. Besides, with Valtari at her back, Raleska was even less likely to do this boy any favors. Treat strangers poorly, and they were apt to be inclined to do you no favors -- it was just that simple. Now he was the one with no ears -- hadn't she already been specific that her family was in the Plateau? She wasn't going to let any of them have to unfairly endure his presence. "You can fuck off."