Dragoncrest Cliffs And though i made you gentle for a time

for @Yami if you think she'd wander this way! If not I can open this thing up

Kiwi wondered if she'd find any sleep at all that night, knowing what was coming for her the next day.  Maybe it was stupid to leave home, especially without saying anything.  What if...

No.  She wasn't stupid, and they were if they thought they could underestimate her.  The dark faced woman had no right to force her to leave this place, and she would not run as her family had.  If they wanted blood, they'd need to take it from her by force.

This savage notion gave her a note of pleasure.  She'd enjoy killing a wolf, she thought, if they deserved it.  Certainly she didn't feel as if she'd lose any sleep over it.  

Somewhat soothed by the fanciful thoughts of what she'd do to any wolves who dared show their ugly faces here tomorrow, Kiwi lay in the shade of Hougeda's entrance, watching for any sign of movement out in the trees.

It took a while before Yami found the will to get up and start moving again. She'd never felt so low and so awful in her life. The days had passed around her while she sulked in her own woes, going back and forth feeling sorry for herself and feeling justified in everything she'd done. Yami might have laid in the grotto forever were it not for the other emotion that had pestered her into action--Loneliness. For all of her bluster and all of the things she'd done in her life that would've suggested the opposite, Yami desperately craved companionship. She wanted to find somewhere in this fucked up, piece of shit world that she belonged. So, there was nothing for her to do but to get up and start moving again, no matter how difficult it was to do so. And boy, was it a fucking bitch.

The next problem on the list was she didn't know where to go or what to do. Part of her wished her brothers had succeeded in taking her back to Moonspear with them. Of course, in that fantasy, they had actually greeted her with hugs and affection and not violence and anger because, as we've seen, it would never work otherwise. At her lowest moments of all, she wished she hadn't bailed on Firefly. But then she realized how utterly pathetic it was to wish she was the mate of some fucked up psychopath just so she wouldn't be alone, so she stopped wishing that and started feeling like she was a fucked up psychopath for wishing it in the first place.

Eventually, for some reason Yami couldn't explain herself, she found her way to the coast. She couldn't say she had been happy at Rusalka, but it had been a hell of a lot better than her current situation. Not that it really mattered, of course, because there was no way she was crawling back to them and go beg that they let her back into their ranks. She would never sink that low.

Aaaaaaaaaaaand yet, here we are.

Yami picked her way through the territory, wondering if she had taken a wrong turn somewhere. She'd been surprised at herself to discover that the coast had somehow gone from beside her to way below her while she'd traveled. Apparently she'd been too busy agonizing over the dramas of her life to notice. She'd turned away from the cliffs to try and find another way down, which had lead her here. Here being... where?

With an aggravated growl, the yearling dropped heavily to her haunches, lifted her head skyward and shut her eyes, unwittingly doing so just outside of where the stranger lurked. She clearly hadn't actually retained that lesson about how she needed to pay better attention to her surroundings and stop getting lost in agonizing over her own drama. But! She was getting impressively good at agonizing over her own drama, so... #winning?

Kiwi saw Yami as she entered, and watched as she approached.  Was she from the other pack, coming to follow up early on her threats?

That didn't make too much sense, because at first glance Yami didn't seem very menacing.  But she could be wrong.

Hey! What do you want here? She asked, leaving the cave and looking at the other girl intently.

Yami jumped when she heard someone shouting unexpectedly at her. She turned her head quickly to one side (the wrong one) and then snapped to the other where her gaze landed on the other girl. She blinked at the stranger for a moment before stammering some sort of response.

"Uh.. Nothing," she called back, her expression shifting into a curious frown, "Just passing through. That a problem?" She hadn't noticed any border markings, so she was certain she wasn't on claimed land. But again, she overlooked how very good she was at overlooking important things like just about everything. For all I know, she did just traipse right on past 'em.

Was it?  She supposed not, as long as she wasn't looking to cause problems.  No, not so long as you aren't with that other one who came.  she said with a wrinkle of her nose, frowning.  But as soon as I get my pack started here, and am Queen, that will be different.  She stood and straightened up.  My name's Kiwi.

She looked to be about her age, and that made Kiwi a bit more friendly because it meant she was less likely to be a threat.  When the time for leading came, she wouldn't accept anyone near who might think she was too young to be Queen.

...........Major deja vu. Have we had this thread before?

Yami's confusion wasn't exactly abated by the answer she was given, but she did relax a bit. The aggression that had been there a moment ago was easing, which was a bit of a relief. She wasn't here to get into any fights, after all. That's just my personal prerogative.

She looked around at their surroundings as though really noticing it for the first time. It didn't seem like anything particularly special, but who was she to judge. What did she even care, anyway? Yami looked back as her turn came around for the introductions. "I'm Yami, and I'm not with anyone let alone that other one," she replied, offering a flash of a smile and adding whoever that is in her mind.

"You're starting a pack?" Yami asked just to keep the conversation going. Now that she felt more confident that she wasn't going to get her head ripped off, she tentatively eager to make a friend.

:0

Kiwi might not be great at small talk, but boy was she ever wonderful at dishing.  As soon as talk turned negative and demeaning, she was all about it.

Yeah, my family used to have it and my Nomi was leader, so now it is mine.  Because that made sense.  They got chased off by some wolf who came here today.  She said if I didn't promise her my pack's first puppy or whatever she was going to come tomorrow and attack.  She scowled, then lifted her head with a little scoff.

She doesn't have any right to make me do anything.  I'm staying right here.  She glanced at Yami, to see what the other girl thought of that.  Pretty brave and impressive, right?

Yami shifted her weight as Kiwi began to tell her story. She was definitely intrigued now. One, because it was interesting. Two, because it was gossip, and she was about it. She didn't exactly follow the first bit, but she shrugged that off anyway since it wasn't interesting (and wtf is a nomi). But the rest was intriguing in that way watching Criminal Minds is intriguing--not because it was pleasant, but because it was different.

"She asked you for a kid?" Yami asked, her face twisting into a wtf, "That's weird. And fucked up. Who even was she? Just some wandering weirdo child molester?" Her mind goes to dark places, apparently. Or maybe I did this by bringing up Criminal Minds.

Yami was all about that validation, and Kiwi was eating it up.  Right? What kind of a psycho wants someone else's kid? Kiwi didn't even want her own, let alone some rando's.  Honestly she wouldn't have minded giving one if there was a real reason for it.  But it was the principle of the thing she couldn't do.

I have no idea, she didn't say.  She had this weird dark face, and she said her pack lived nearby.  She was pretty much the worst, so I bet they aren't much better.  Why do they even care if I want to live here? It isn't theirs.  Ugh.  She had done her fair share of scoping out the neighbors when she was Regent, and she hadn't exactly been subtle about it.  But she'd never had to deal with a situation like the one Rusalka had gone through; so she had no concept of why they'd be so opposed to her claim.

Yami snorted derisively as the conversation crept further along. She too had zero interest in kids whatsoever and under similar circumstances, probably would've just let the crazy bitch have one. It would've been one less for her to deal with, anyway. Unlike Kiwi, she didn't really have principles. She was kind of in it for herself. At all times.

Unfortunately for us all, the description didn't ring any bells for Yami. Girl was pretty, but she was also dumb. For the first time in days, she didn't feel like utter shit, so things like where she was and where she'd been heading (which might've clued her in... maybe) were far from her mind. "Yeah, that makes zero sense," Yami agreed, "If she has her own pack nearby, what does it matter that you live here? Are these their hunting grounds or something?" Even that wouldn't make the woman's weird ass demands okay. How was a kid an even trade for hunting grounds? Unless she was a cannibal. Which who knows--maybe she was.

"Well good luck with that, anyway," Yami shrugged, "Do you think she'll actually show up? Are you guys ready to fight her if she does?"

Kiwi had no idea.  Beats me, she replied, with a careless shrug.  All she did know was this wasn't what she was expecting claiming a place would be like.  And she was kinda living for it.

I am.  I haven't really had time to find anyone else.  Dacio maybe, but that thread hasn't finished so don't wanna assume for sure.  I only just claimed today and this crazy bitch came right after.  I bet her pack isn't that strong though, and that's why she's so scared.  Her pack that chased out Drageda, the rational part of her mind warned.  Maybe she should find a way to play the long game here.  But maybe I shouldn't just fight them right off.  Maybe there's something else we could do. 

Would you want to help? Kiwi asked, semi-hopeful.

That's about when Yami started to feel a little uneasy. She had expected that Kiwi's confidence in the situation had come from her own pack's power to defend itself, but there was no pack yet. There was just her, and she seemed perfectly ready to fight for her home completely on her own if that was what it took. Yami wondered for a moment if the girl was mental. She didn't seem crazy, though, just... super confident.

It was kinda cool, but Yami did not share that particular trait with her. At least not when it came to fighting. "Oh, I don't know..." she said hesitantly, her face a mix of uncertainty and guilt, "I'm not much of a fighter myself. I've had some training, and I want to get better, but I don't think I'd be much use to you really." She let her gaze move away then, feeling embarassed until a thought struck her.

"Do you have to fight for it tomorrow?" she asked, turning back, "I mean, the place will still be here if you didn't. You could go find more followers and come back in like a week, couldn't you? Or atleast take some time and figure out what you're up against before you have to face them." It felt cowardly to say, but to stand and fight an entire pack, even if they were a bunch of weaklings just felt unwise. Especially if Kiwi didn't actually know what to expect. And maybe, Yami could train and learn how to fight better... Though that would probably take more than a week. And why was she thinking this way anyway? Kiwi seemed cool and all, but Yami didn't owe her anything. Why should she risk her own skin?

Still.

Kiwi definitely felt the sting of disappointment as she got through response, though she wasn't unreasonable enough for it to not make sense.  Kiwi wanted to tear that woman's face apart, but holding off was smart, and if she got some numbers then no one could say anything.  Just... what if someone else got there first?

Then she'd have to take it from them too.

Okay, yeah.  She couldn't give in to Caiaphas' demand, but her personal sense of pride was definitely ok leaving it for a while.  It was an action on her terms and would give her some time to sort out how the hell she wanted to sort this threat out.

They might follow, she replied, thinking now.  We should go north, and there's a river we can cross.  It would hide their scent and make them hard to find.  I can totally teach you how to fight.  I learned from some of the best.  Niamh and Artaax, and she felt like she was pretty great as a result.

Yami expected to be called a coward and told her idea was stupid, and so she was already ready to go on the defensive when Kiwi deflated her with her agreement. She blinked at the other girl in surprise for a couple of seconds before she straightened her face back out and focused on listening. It appeared her new friend had turned the situation from a she to a we, and in spite of her misgivings a moment ago, Yami found herself on board without even consciously deciding to be.

"Sounds like a plan to me," she agreed easily, feeling a bit relieved. Yami knew she wasn't afraid of defending herself when things got dicey, but that didn't mean she would choose that route when it was possible to avoid it. This conflict seemed easily avoidable from her perspective. Plus, maybe she could eventually talk Kiwi out of coming back at all. Then they could avoid their problems forever! Just the way Yami (apparently) preferred.

Running had been a thought on Kiwi's mind too, but she hadn't wanted to back down herself from the woman's obvious challenge. This seemed like a big game of chicken and she did NOT swerve.

But when Yami was suggesting it too, that changed things because it meant it was a plan.  She could train her, and find some friends, and together they would show them who was scared.

Let's go now, she said, stretching and smiling at her new friend (score!).   Better to be gone a ways before they came, and they might not actually wait until tomorrow.  She started off, leading the way.

last for me!