Jace shifted his weight and slowly loped down the mountain side, his head was held high and his tail too. The wounds from the foxes still smarted a bit, they littered his entire body, for small things, they had sharp teeth. The one wound constantly bled, and dripped into his eyes. It reopened at least twice a day if not more.
The bottom of the mountain came into view and he smiled softly as he traipsed across the fringes of the forest. The darkling looked around, his senses on high alert, he was constantly watching the edge of the Creek. He barely trusted anyone from there Tuwawi and Bazi still hadn't given him a reason to not trust them, but he was wary all the same. His blue eyes lit on the nearby river, and he padded over, today he would fish, add some fish to the caches that littered the nearby mountain.
As he sat and watched the ripples in the water, he thought back to his past few months, and the ripples that went to and fro in his memories and on his pelt.
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The humiliated part of Ira battering the war torn and bruised mass of self pride and ego was sensible to recognize that taking off for Tortuga without telling Jinx, for letting the impulse and romantic allure of rescuing Bones had not been one of his most clever ideas. In fact it not only ended it utter failure it had nearly brought with it his death. Quick reflexes (and maybe a bit of dumb luck) had been his saving grace and instead of the wild creature’s teeth raking across his jugular, they had raked from the side of his neck to his shoulder. It was an ugly thing and Ira had spent an hour studying the wound of split flesh, the pristine fur stained crimson before he had wadded through the sea, bearing his teeth against the sting as the salt cleansed it until it had grown numb. He still needed training, and the young assassin knew that he needed to go apologize (gasp!) to his mother and grovel at her paws if that was what it took. He had been gone for much longer than he had asked for and he suspected there would be consequences. He just hoped that whatever happened Jinx didn’t hate him for being a idiotic teenager with a crush because he couldn’t stand the idea of her hating him.
Ira was determined to shrug the wound off, though he grimaced at the fact that it might leave a scar, undermining his true beauty that he was shallow enough to appreciate. His pace slowed as he neared the Sunspire, surprised to find that there was a pack there now. It was only because Jace stood out to the Princeling that Ira even recognized him at all, despite that Ira remained far enough away from their borders as he poked about, investigating the urine scents that marked them. He recognized them, of course, and smirked as he imagined why Ferdie and Jace would branch off from Fox even though, really, he didn’t care. He was only looking to pick a word fight, of superior intellect to mend his bruised ego.
With knowledge of poisons and honed stealth skills which he had blatantly (stupidly) ignored when stealing into Tortuga.
Hello there Mary, how you doing? Getting your fur puffed and your claws filed? he gave him a small smirk, his blue eyes snapping at him, betraying his irritation at the male standing in front of him. Did I miss you well now Jane I missed you so much, it made my heart hurt. His voice was laced with sarcasm and irritation. I tell you you’re uglier than I remember.
Jace shifted his weight easily, laying his ears back on his head and offering a snide little smile. He was just itching to rip the fur out of the prince ling, just rip it all out until he was bald.
The low growl that affirmed that he successfully had claimed Jace’s attention was heard when Ira’s ears cupped forth, his sneer haughty and wicked, childhood mischief having morphed into something darker. Of course, it could have just been Jace’s presence. It was no secret that the two ex-Creek wolves held equal amounts of animosity and disdain for one another and Ira had no intentions of changing that. A dark, sardonic laugh lacking with clarity the mirth that was normally associated with such action left Ira seconds after Jace’s low growl had reached the pallid Princeling’s ears.
For now, Ira was amused by their exchange of petty remarks.
Jace smiled sardonically Lovers of mine, you are wrong I wouldn’t want to stain the memories of them nor insult them so by referring to you as them. Jace didn’t have any lovers, he was far still untainted by a lovers embrace, not that it would be a taint. Granted he wasn’t about to tell Ira that, no he was not; give the boy more fuel to add to the fire. He raised an eyebrow in mock irritation.
Naw your ugliness stems from your black black soul, demon cur. Jace looked over the wound it did look pretty bad and he felt kinda bad for it, not because he liked Ira, but because he had a similar wound and it hurt unbelievably. what brings you this far there Jane, and why aren’t you hiding behind your mommy’s legs?
If Ira had known that Jace had not even been with a woman yet, he would have had a field day with it. Though Bones and him had been much too young for that kind of intimacy they had talked about it, about their future together …a future that perhaps in a sheer streak of irony ended very much like her ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story. Except neither of them were dead, they were apart and the future they had imagined was gone. That thought shot a pang through his heart like an arrow piercing it, but he shook it off. The point was, at least Ira had a girlfriend and it had been pretty glorious while it had lasted.
Temper flared when he spoke of Jinx so ill, his black, leathery nostrils flaring as the whole irritation with Swiftcurrent’s inaction with Bones was dredged up violently.
In a sick twisted way, the dark man felt a sense of ease around Ira. And though he did not like the pale wolf, he enjoyed the normalcy that he freely offered; he could call him names and antagonize him without worry that he would think him some sort of monster from hell, as many of the creeks did. Ira already thought him some sort of freak so it was no different than the norm and for that he kind of appreciated the white demon.
Jace did not get close enough to others to have a talk about the future. He didn’t even really know any other females other than the little imp that ran around antagonizing foxes; Fox herself and Bazi that was virtually it. It didn’t bother him really, he dealt with it well. He wasn’t all that interested yet anyway, and he didn’t try and think too much of it, in case he didn’t make it that far, or in case no woman would have him. Forgive me I shouldn’t speak of mothers it’s not very kind. and he meant it, that was a low blow and if anyone had dared to say something like that to him he would have ripped their face off.
Jace snarled back at him a red gleam in his eye, Listen you pompous bastard. I did what I could for Bones I fought my hardest even killed one of them, I chased after them, I would have continued on until I caught up to them, and I would have fought till my last breath to bring her back. However, Fox stopped us. So don’t you dare sit there on your proverbial high horse and act like I didn’t do my best, because I did. Like it matters to you anyway you left! He was beyond furious at this point, his integrity and loyalty being called into question. He did the best he could that dark night and he would do his best all over again if he had to.
Who was this pompous little upstart to say anything? He had done what was needed and he had listened to his leader, granted she was not his leader now and he regretted in away listening to her, he should have chased after Bones until he couldn’t anymore, and Fox didn’t really stop him she had just stopped and he took that as a silent cue to also stop.
The apology offered to the pallid Princeling was …unexpected. He had insulted Jinx and in the next breath was apologizing for it, which, had stilled the tempest of wrath inside the youth for the moment. He could take insult after insult, got a sick thrill from it, even. Ira enjoyed the berating Jace gave him if only because he was far too shallow and arrogant to let it bother him. The perks of being conceited. Words tended not to carry the sting they otherwise would have if Ira had gave two rat shits about what Jace — or any one else for that matter — thought about him. The ebon beasts’ blue gaze took an impossible red gleam that Ira played off as merely a trick of the sunlight, though typically the sunlight made eyes lighter not darker. Jace tried to get his point across to Ira, for whatever it was worth, but all Ira heard was excuses. Pathetic ones to him, at that.
Jace stepped forward a menacing growl playing forth from his maw. He was sick and tired of others pushing off his answers as excuses, he was just tired of it. Actually I don’t want to impress you Ira, I have never wanted to impress you; I could care less what you thought of me. No I am not incapable of defying orders, why do you think I’m not a creek member anymore you dumbass. At the time I shouldn’t have stopped I should have kept going and that is a regret I’ll bear, but you have no right ot speak of it, as if you know me and why I make the decisions I make.
At the next words Jace’s blood ran cold and his growl quieted he stared at Ira and curses of all curses he felt bad. Bad for the damn demon child, because he lost his love, even though Jace loathed him, he would not wish that kind of pain on even his worst enemy. Damnett Ira why’d you have to tell me that. Now I don’t want to rip your throat out as bad you damn princess. Jace shook his head and backed up a ways.
Jace let lose a menacing growl that failed to perturb the pallid Princeling who raised his brow in a really? fashion as they continued to banter back and forth with one another like …well like boys. Nemesis. Maybe that’s what they were: each other’s nemesis. Not that Ira cared either way. This was far too much fun to stop because it was easy to get Jace riled up likely as easy as it was to pull Ira’s temper from the dredges of his core.
Jace raised an eyebrow and spoke quietly with icy voice, I don’t pity you, but I do feel bad for the situation. No one, not even a worthless son of a bitch like you should have their love taken from them. So listen and listen good cause I am only offering this bull shit once and it’s only for Bones, because frankly I hate you. Anyway, we know we hate each other that is obvious, maybe at a different time, in different places we could have been at least okay with each other, but dude I loathe the ground you walk on. Anyway, if you ever decide to go back and do a little more of your best, I’ll go with you I’ll help you get her back, why she would want to be with you I don’t know, but I’ll do my best to keep you guys together. He shook his head not believing he had just offered that to a man he hated, but for Bone sand his lack of saving her before. He’d go into the belly of the beast and bite his own pride and help. Look the offer's there just think about it, but I got to go. Good bye Ira. With that he swiftly turned and loped towards the mountainside.