I'm gonna marry her anyway

She was unaware what the compliment was doing to her young rival's ego; she said it because Fox deserved it. If some telepathy had been possible, she might have known, and revoked it. Still, it stung her pride a little to know that Fox hadn't trained anywhere but in her whelping den with her littermates. Jinx had been Nutaaq's pupil, and already saw two losses in the Wilds. She could not suffer a third loss, lest it leave a permanent bruise upon her ego, and remind her of her incompetence.

"My siblings were not fighters," she revealed, giving no further details on her training. "My brothers were both tools to our Gods. My sister, though, was arrogant enough to fight... But also fat. She did not succeed with tooth or claw, but with her ass." By which Jinx meant Kaskae sat on losers and won by default. She had done it all throughout their youth, and coupled with her cunning use of Jinx's young naivety, had been her biggest rival. The slighter Kesuk would not dispute her sister's ability to fight now... But in the beginning, Naga had won arguments not with skill, but with her greedy big piggy butt.

Realizing that she had trailed off and not picked up the conversation again, Jinx returned her attention to Fox. There was a stinging reminder in the youth's proud expression that the ashen wolf had just lost a fight, and ought to be departing soon. Her memories swam with images of Kaskae: Kaskae warning her that dark shadows from the sea would eat her. Kaskae threatening to squish her into the earth for losing track of a butterfly they both coveted. Kaskae's rippling snarl clashing with lightning the night they fought for Nanuq's rank... The night her sister's complete arrogance took off for receiving the same reward despite doing half the work Jinx had in their childhood...

It was only now that Jinx noticed her distaste for her sister had grown in her absence. Feeling the sickening taste of acrid disapproval rising like bile in her throat, she made a tch sound and said, "you may go now. I will not bother you further." She would tend her wounds here at the side of the lake, with the expectation that Fox would not press her company. The Kesuk had lost herself in her mind again, where she hadn't retreated for a long time... Sharing that state of mind, that return to youthful jealousy, with Fox was certain to sour both their moods. Resigned to the belief that the Swiftcurrent Creek female would leave, Jinx turned to the water, intending to dip into it and soak her injured cheek.