Blacktail Deer Plateau You were my Versailles at night

Spring came quickly to the Teekon Wilds. A few short weeks ago, snow and ice were ample, but now meltwater ran in rivulets all across the plateau and down into the flatlands. There were patches of dead, brittle grass that managed to poke up through a mixture of melting snow and mud, and the gnarled branches of the trees were no longer weighed heavily with clumps of snow. The weather was fair, but Saena noted a high wind rushing across the plateau's face that no doubt made it feel colder out in the open.

Here, however, the Blacktail was warm and cozy. She laid in a hollow beneath a thin elm with her spine against the roots, staring out at the plateau's edge no more than ten feet away. She could see Neverwinter Forest and Silvertip Mountain in the distance, as well as the shorter mountains she'd never been to that obscured the very distant Redhawk Caldera from her view. The rest of the flatlands were hidden by the rocky lip of her home.

Heaving a relaxed sigh, the Gamekeeper lay her muzzle across her left foreleg and pricked her ears, listening to the whistle of wind across rock as another gust blew across the mountainside.

I hope it's okay to jump in here...I love me saena threads

Blue Willow walked quietly among the soft loam of her home. A small smile graced her muzzle, as she looked around.Spring was fast upon them. The little ones were almost 2 months old. It was hard to believe that her small, squirming, sightless, voiceless, deaf children were now not so much. They were walking and talking, could form sentences and play. She almost couldn't believe it. They weren't completely weaned yet, but almost. Almost completely done with needing their mother all the time. It was bittersweet for the healer, especially since she wasn't sure if she would have anymore litters after this.

She walked and almost missed Saena. She caught sight of her, and chuffed gently. Hello Saena. Enjoying the little bit of warmth we have.

With a freshly killed hare clenched tightly is his jaws, Koda trotted lightly through the trees, looking for a super secret spot to stash the kill. He decided to try looking in some of the more remote reaches of the plateau, somewhere a little more difficult for raiders to access. He thought he was out there alone, until he heard a voice through the trees. It was Blue Willow.

He hadn't seen her since the hunt, and they had not parted on good terms. Koda hadn't been purposely trying to avoid her, their paths simply did not cross often, as Koda spent much of his time hunting or patrolling while Blue was tucked away tending to her babies. He decided to go say hello to her and whoever she was talking with, ask how the pups were doing, perhaps apologize for his behavior at the hunt.

He emerged from the trees, and there sat the beta female, apparently talking to herself. Koda cocked his head and gave Blue Willow a puzzled look. Had she finally snapped under the pressures of motherhood? No, she was talking to whoever was in the hole. He peered inside, and saw Saena looking back. Now, he had two pissed off women to deal with.

He decided to try and break the ice with a little small talk. Weather. That was a safe topic. "Hey ladies," he said, his voice muffled by the carcass. He set it down so he could speak properly. "Out enjoying the weather?"

Thanks guys! I'm excited to see how this plays out!

She was just about to begin daydreaming when the Healer's chuff made her smile and raise her head. The last time Saena spent time with her aunt was when she was racked with a headache and confessing her not-so-secret desire to help lead the pack one day. It felt like ages ago, so much so that what remained of her tail beat a happy tempo against the roots at her back as she welcomed the Healer and Beta with an open-mouthed smile and the relaxing of her ears. The wind wasn't very interesting, suddenly.

"Hi, Aunt Willow!" she chirped, choosing to remain laying where she was. It was both respectful to the higher-ranked woman and comfortable for her, and she indicated with a gesture of her muzzle that the dark-haired mother could join her in a tight huddle if she wished, though Saena left it up to her to decide. "How are you? How are the—"

But before Saena could finish her sentence with, "kids," another voice spoke up, one that was certainly not as welcomed. Saena was actively avoiding Koda in the pack whenever possible since the hunt, which admittedly wasn't all that hard to do—she spent a lot of time scouting, and he spent a lot of time doing whatever it was he did. Seeing him dragged up that sour memory like black tar in her mind. It was all she could do not to scowl and say, "oh, y'know, just looking at the clouds since that's all women are good for, right?"

Instead, she took Lasher's advice on mastering her frustration to heart and opted for a short, cool, "hello," and a firm, unwavering stare that indicated she was none too pleased to see him, but wasn't about to let her temper coax her into lashing out at him the way she sort of wanted to.

Blue returned the smile, and tail wag. She too, was happy to see her niece. She had spoken with her about her ambitions. Ambitions, that Blue herself saw no problem with. As long as they were gone about the right way.

Hello.

Blue repeated her greeting, her tail wagging faster. Blue slid forward and lowered herself to the ground near, but not directly beside her. She didn't wish to crowd.

I am well. The babies are fine, growing quickly. We will be moving them to a rendezvous sight once, it is much warmer. We just have to find one.

Blue heard the footfalls of another, and looked up. She watched as Saena and Koda met again. Though, this time she hoped it would go well. She was immensely proud of her niece for holding her temper. She would make a good leader, if she continued honing her skills in communication as well as other places.

Hello Koda. Yes the weather is wonderful. I can't wait until it is completely spring.

She wagged her tail, happily.

Koda was pleasantly surprised to receive a warm welcome from Blue Willow. After the upset he'd caused her at the hunt, he'd been expecting her to be less than pleased to see him. Yet it seemed the Beta female had let go of her anger toward him long ago, and she treated him as if there had never been any negative feelings between them.

Saena's reaction to him was more or less what he'd expected. She returned his greeting, though her tone and body language let him know she could barely tolerate his presence. It was obvious the girl still harbored some resentment toward the man.

Koda had his share of resentments, too. He'd been stuck as a lowly eta ever since that day, while Saena had gone on to rise far above him in rank. After all the hard work and loyalty he'd shown to the pack, he felt he was being treated unfairly.

Koda pretended not to notice Saena's piercing glare and focused on making small talk with Blue Willow.

"Have the kids started eating meat yet?" He asked the mother wolf. "You can give 'em this to chew on, if they're hungry."

She waited patiently for the apology she imagined Koda would deliver. After all, he was completely in the wrong and the whole pack knew it. All that was left was for him to apologize for his douchebag remarks at the hunt. It was all she needed to know his comment hadn't been a personal attack, and she was working hard on forgiving others, provided they did apologize. Then they could all get on with their lives and the hierarchy could be stable again.

Although she was expecting an apology, instead Koda completely ignored her and spoke to Blue Willow alone. She couldn't hide the way her bottom jaw dropped open nor how she stared, clearly amazed at his sheer arrogance. She very nearly made a snide remark about how real men knew when they were being assholes, but for Blue Willow's sake, didn't.

She did, however, maintain her weighty stare with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. This time her chin canted ever-so-slightly upward and her ears preened pridefully, a subtle reminder that his dismissive attitude wasn't welcome.

Blue held no anger towards the male. She had been upset, but it had been properly taken care of. Besides that, the beta and healer, wasn't one to usually hold grudges. There were a few that she held for some, simmering there in the back of her mind. However, mostly there were none.

Though Blue did not hold a grudge against him, she couldn't really yell at Saena for it. After all, he had treated her poorly when he shouldn't have. As for the ranking, he was not held down, because of his issue with Saena. It was because of activity throughout the pack lands, and trades. The simple fact was Saena had three trades to his one. As well as other things, though she didn't know all the facts. At least it was what she thought how it was going.

Blue had thought he may apologize as well, but he didn't. She couldn't fail to notice the way Saena looked. Her shock was apparent, and she supposed she had a right to expect an apology. However, she also couldn't expect others to know what she was thinking. He may not know that she wanted an apology. She certainly hoped that he wasn't just being a jerk. She gained more pride, though for how she acted. Once upon a time, in her anger, she would have lashed out. But this time, she just picked a bit of a more dominant stance, and listened to the conversation.

Yes they do. I was just telling Saena, that we will be moving them soon enough to a rendezvous sight. As soon as we find one we like and it is a little bit warmer. Thank you for the hare, they will love it. She carefully steered attention, that there was not just she and Koda here. Despite their differences, they both could talk to each other and her, politely.

I'm so bad, and so very very sorry :(

  

Blue accepted the offering with gratitude. "You're welcome," Koda replied. So the pups were nearly big enough to leave the whelping den. By summer's end, they'd be fully grown and ready to join in regular pack activities, such as hunts. He hoped Blue and Lasher were able to produce some competent hunters.

Saena remained quiet, but continued to leer at him. If she was waiting for him to apologize, she'd be waiting a long time. Koda was not ready to admit he was wrong. In his mind, he was in the right, and this entire pack was a bunch of sissies for letting a girl do their hunting.

"Saena, I heard you were injured," he said. He didn't know the circumstances, but he assumed the little "hunter" had messed up and got herself hurt again. "Did you get in another hunting accident?" he asked her. 

No worries, it was a fine post imo! This'll be my last post, Saena's still quite dramatic at her core and wouldn't hang around. Thanks for the thread, guys!

She smiled at her aunt when the woman mentioned her by name. Perhaps that would be enough. As if reminded that she was there, the man turned to her and said her name, and her hard gaze softened somewhat. Saena thought she knew what was coming, and she intended to forgive him, to prove that she was getting better at putting things behind her. It was something Lasher advised, and she knew the Beta female would appreciate it, too.

He mentioned she was injured. She was about to say yes and tell him how it happened, but... oh, no he didn't.

All the brief warmth that was in her eyes turned to chips of ice. To Saena, that question, which could've been innocent if directed at anyone else and possibly was innocent for all she knew, was blatant mockery. After all, he'd pretty well told her that she wasn't fit to be a hunter after one accident, so to assume she'd had another was like saying she was wholly incompetent, at least to her. It also brought up heated memories of what had actually happened to her tail, which set her immediately on edge. She slowly stood, teetering between trying to discipline him and remind him of his place and keeping her cool. Though she was able to stay her aggression, she wasn't able to keep her temper in check any longer, and so she sharply spat, "I was attacked by a dog."

Practically quaking with anger, she shoved roughly past him with an agitated snarl. She would apologize to Blue Willow later for her irritation, but presently, Saena felt far too insulted to spend any more time in Koda's presence. Her intention had been to try to remain calm, even if he hadn't apologized at all, but... he'd fired shots, or so she felt. The hunting comment was enough to trigger her, even though deep down she knew it might've been off-handed and not meant as a thinly veiled insult. She whirled just long enough to coldly say, "You're a dick, you know that? I don't even know what your fucking problem with me is, but I haven't done anything to you to deserve it. It's pretty funny how you don't seem to give a fuck about anyone else being a hunter, so it's obviously personal for no reason, which makes you a jackass," before briskly walking away before Blue Willow could reprimand her for her attitude.

His words stoked the anger she'd been holding back, and finally she could no longer remain quiet and calm. Koda had meant to take a jab at Saena, but of course he would deny it if anyone tried to call him on it.

As she shoved past him he got his first look at her maimed tail, which had indeed been chewed off. 'Why couldn't he have bit off her tongue along with it,' he grumbled to himself.

But she wasn't done yet. Instead of walking away, she turned back and proceeded to give him one last piece of her mind. "You watch your mouth girl," he warned when she called him a dick. A mild insult, but offensive nonetheless. She was lucky he'd been raised better, otherwise he would've beat her senseless.

It was true that Koda was a little more lenient with other females. There were a number of qualities that made Saena a bigger target for him. She was a young girl with ambitions outside of finding a mate and popping out puppies. She was fiery tempered and dominate, whereas a good woman should remain calm, quiet and submissive. But it was her desire to be a hunter that bothered him the most. He didn't care about what small game she could catch on her own; anyone could kill a harmless fluffy bunny. But hunting big game with the pack, putting real food on the table, that was solely the work of men.

If Saena had instead been a young man, Koda would have had no problems with anything she was doing. But because she was "defying" what he expected from women, he felt he was right for trying to put her in her place.

"I s'pose you're gonna let her get away with that, too." He said to Blue Wiillow as Saena disappeared.

Blue listened and she was momentarily struck speechless at the way Koda spoke to Saena. Saena had done nothing on this day to deserve such a thing, and Blue had just about enough of it. Saena walked away before she could speak, then her eyes flashed dangerously both at what Koda said to SAena and what he said to her.



She stood up swiftly, her eyes flashing and a low growl in her throat. How dare you speak to me that way. You may think it is okay to speak to Saena that way, or your mate, but you never ever speak to me that way. I don't care where you came from Koda. I don't care how you were raised, in this pack, women are to be treated just as equally. They can hunt, fish, be a warrior if they want too. I feel bad for your mate I really do if you think so little of females. I hunt with the pack, I protect the borders just as my male counterparts do. I wasn't going to let her get away with it, but I am now. Because frankly she is right. You purposely goaded her with that remark. You should be ashamed of yourself. I assure you I will be talking to both Dante and Lasher about this, and I can guarantee they will feel the same way i do. You are acting more juvenile than she was. For shame, treating others so cruelly and snidely, just because you think because she has different reproductive organs, she isn't worthy of your respect as a hunter. Good Day Koda. Thank you for the rabbit, the pups will love it." She grasped the prize and strode away. She had delivered her speech calmly, and concisely. She had not been rude about it. She had given him respect, but she was certain regardless he would find fault with her.

well, it was fun while it lasted :)

Koda expected some backlash, but Blue Willow's anger still caught him off guard. "Calm down, woman," he said, talking over the Beta female. "All I did was ask you a simple question."

She did not calm down, but instead launched into a long-winded spiel about equal rights and how terrible he was for the way he treated women. When she accused him of purposefully provoking Saena, he tried to interrupt. "It's not my fault she took it the wrong way," he protested. 

As Blue Willow continued to lecture him, Koda gave up on trying to get a word in and tuned her out. The rest of her speech went something like this: blah blah blah, girl power, blah. He did his best impression of a rock, silent and unmoving, until she finally ran out of breath and walked away.

"Thought she'd never shut up," he muttered as he picked himself up and walked away in the opposite direction.