Blackfeather Woods The sunlight hurts my eyes

Set at Redgrove.
Edit; Wouldn't mind @Potema popping in, if you have the time for a thread. c:

 
It hadn’t been too long since his arrival to the woods, nor had he been given much time to explore it just yet. He’d spent the first few days with his father, learning what he could while trying to find a specific place he would call his own. Then came the day in which he’d decided to leave the elder’s side, and go out to see what he could for himself. Exploration was not a new concept for him, and was actually something the boy liked. As he continued through the shadow-filled land, he came to the realization that there was something else he liked, too. The darkness that surrounded him, the trees that blocked the sun from above—he liked those things. There was no deep, dark reasoning behind his liking of it, though. Being an albino made his eyes sensitive to sunlight, and with the added paleness of his central heterochromia, that sensitivity was only increased. It wasn’t until he’d entered the dark forest that he’d actually noticed the difference in how his eyes felt, and that he didn’t really need to squint as much as he’d needed to while in the valley. That then lead him to consider that, maybe, all those times he’d unknowingly glared at someone was actually caused by his optics needing a break from the sun’s harshness.
 
As Xan padded through the forest, he was able to keep his eyes opened normally without being bugged by it. Knowing his mother was like him, he couldn’t help but think that she would like it there, too. Quickly, he shoved those thoughts away, not wanting to think about his family. They had decided to go somewhere else instead of sticking together, which had hurt, and so he didn’t really want anything to do with them at the moment. Leaving thoughts of his short past behind, his legs came to a stop and he looked around the area he’d entered. Sniffing the air, it was revealed to him that he was still on the pack’s land, but it seemed different from the rest. Some trees were barren, appearing to have been stripped clean of their foliage, which allowed for some sunlight to weasel its way down to the forest’s floor. That wasn’t what caught his attention the most, though. Around him stood bushes sporting a colour similar to his eyes, which had the little Inuit approaching them before he knew it. He wondered if something had given them their colour, or if they’d simply grown in that way. Deciding to ask his dad about it later, Alexander continued walking around, and under, the coloured bushes, not wanting to miss a single thing.

Being vague about the aftermath of the Pack Activity thread

Potema was still sore from the mark etched into her body, but she was proud of it. She and her brothers were the only ones to have that mark, not even her mother or father had it! It marked them, blessed them, as special, above the rest of the pack and even the Dark Brotherhood. They had been born and raised in these Woods, with Dark Brother ideals in their minds from the start. Of course they should be marked. 

Despite her soreness, Potema prepared her den for winter, packing her den full of warm insulation made from moss and furs, creating an overhang over the entrance of her den in Redgrove to keep the snow from drifting in. It was arduous work, but she needed it. Taking a break, the princess sat down near her den, her chest rising and falling quickly as she regained her energy.

The White Princess cocked an ear towards a rustling sound nearby. She turned her head towards it, seeing the bushes shake in the distance. Curious, and secretly hoping it was a rabbit or something small as her stomach growled, she rose, creeping towards the sound. She got in close, seeing a bright white pelt. Her sight was fuzzy from this distance and the obscuring bushes weren't helping. Thinking it was one of the white deer that lived in Blackfeather, she charged forward, ramming into the small body and easily pinning it down, her fangs bared, ready to bite down on it's neck — "What in Sithis'—" She cursed, realizing what she had done. "Who are you?"

They both get an A+ for first impressions lol

There the child had been, minding his own business as he wandered through the area, when he was suddenly hit by an unknown source. In hindsight, perhaps he should have been paying better attention to where he was going, but the brightness of the land had kept him fairly distracted. Which, of course, lead to his small body being rammed into, and then pinned down against the ground. Teeth had come so close to his neck that he’d been able to feel the warm breath of his attacker fanning over it, sending a chill down his spine. Then came words, a phrase he’d never heard before, followed by a question. A query concerning his identity, but at that point, he wasn’t so sure whether giving his name would be a good thing or not. The girl had just attacked him out of nowhere, leaving him feeling a bit iffy towards her. That is, until his natural attitude kicked into gear, and had him glaring up at the older wolf. “I’m Xan Apaata,” he voiced, tone revealing how annoyed being knocked down had made him. “Who are you?” It was not to be polite, but more to know the name of a wolf he might have to avoid in the future. If she planned to just knock him down out of the blue, then he didn’t want to be near her.
 
Realizing he was still against the ground, he started kicking his back legs out against any part of the girl he could touch. “Get off me,” the whelp demanded, knowing nothing of who he was speaking to, or what type of title she held. To him, she was just a stranger who wouldn’t get off him, perhaps even a loon. He tried to roll onto his stomach, and if he was successful, he would crawl away and pull himself back up to his feet. If not, the child would continue to try and kick the pale princess, urging her to release him.

Having never known Kove's last name, Potema did not recognize the boy at all from name alone, choosing instead to keep him pinned down, relying on her age and size to muscle the boy around. His constant wriggling did not help him, as her single eye could not focus properly on the boy's body and face, so she could not focus on him and see the similarities to his parents in him. Instead, Potema snarled at the boy, using one of her larger paws to press down on his kicking legs as they hit home a few times. "Just how did you get into the Woods undetected?" She hissed to him pressing down a bit harder to keep him still. She did not fail to hear his first question, but denied him the answer. She was the defender here, she should know him before he knew her.

The boy’s struggles proved to be futile, as had his demand to be released. Instead, she’d done the opposite, pressing against him more to cease his wild movements. Which, of course, displeased the boy. Then came the snarl, and when combined with the newfound pressure against him, brought his wriggling to an end. He didn’t know what he’d done in order to end up in such a predicament, and wasn’t yet sure how to get out of it. Would he be released if he answered her question? Or would he have to yell and hope his dad heard him? Deciding to try and get out of the situation on his own, he focused on the question given, though it confused him a bit. “I live here,” he answered, watching the female with a perplexed look in his strange eyes. “I came here with my dad, this is our home.” Xan hoped that answer would be good enough for him to be set free. He was growing uncomfortable being pressed against the cool earth.
 
“How did you get in here?” he returned, then, still wondering who the girl was. He hadn’t missed her lack of an answer given towards his first question, which didn’t sit well with him. He couldn’t yet tell if he was actually in danger, or if he was just the victim of a cruel joke. “Can you get off now?” the boy asked, wiggling slightly to try and adjust the way he was laying. For someone who'd yet to find someone he could tolerate invading his personal space, the closeness of the pale wolf was like torture.

Potema had only heard offhand about the return of Kove, but heard nothing about a son. She was surprised by that, but hid her surprise and embarrassment with a sneer, lifting her weight off the boy and onto the ground. She looked down at him, wondering why on earth Kove had brought this one and if there were any more of his bastards running around the Woods, taking resources that could be used for her mother and her children. She tilted her head in an arrogant yet bird-like manner, smirking at his ignorant question.

"I was born here." She held back a mocking laugh, though her mirth made itself perfectly clear in her voice. She would savor his reaction, whatever it was. "I am Meldresi and Burke's daughter, Potema. So, you may call me Princess." She was not lying, but she wondered how gullible this boy was. No one else ever formally called her princess, it was merely a title she held. She wondered how long it would take him to realize that no one else called her Princess.

As the weight was lifted away, the boy stood up as quickly as he could, shaking his pale coat of any dirt and grime as he did so. He glared daggers at the girl, still agitated over having been pinned down. Even when she started to answer his questions, his irritation did not ebb away. Despite that, he found himself growing a bit more interested in the girl, though he tried to fight the feeling off. So what if she’d been born in the woods? That didn’t mean anything—or at least he didn’t want it to mean anything. Deep down, he understood what that meant, what privileges it may come with. He tried to keep the glare on his face, but before he could even register what had happened, it’d fallen away.
 
When Xan was given her name, and those of her parents, his brow furrowed. He’d yet to meet this ‘Burke’ guy, but he had met Meldresi and couldn’t see the resemblance. He didn’t focus on that for very long, however, growing a bit fascinated by the second portion of her words. “’Princess’?” he repeated, taking on a questioning tone. “You don’t look like a ‘Princess’.” Having taken her words a different way, he was left viewing the title as a name, rather than what it truly was. “How do you get ‘Princess’ out of ‘Potema’, anyways?” There was a faint huff to his voice as he asked that, not liking the confused state she’d put him in. His nickname made sense, but hers was just weird.

Potema stared at Xan after his response, blinking at him curiously. Then she laughed. It was mocking and sharp, mirth spawned from the stupidity of others. She wandered away, keeping her back to him as she chortled, her sides heaving. "Are you that idiotic?" She spat between her slowing chuckle. The Princess turned around and walked over to the pup. "No one informed you about royalty? I am the daughter of a Queen and a King. I am a Princess." She sat down in the bushes, careful not to snag her pelt on any of the thorns of branches of the red flowers. "My brothers, who I hope you'll meet, are Princes." She chuckled softly, still wondering who forgot to tell him about the leaders of this pack and what they must be properly called.

With the mocking laughter of the girl, there came an aggravated glare from the younger. Being laughed at, being mocked, was something he’d never done well with tolerating. It was degrading, making him feel the same bursts of irritation as he did when forced into a distasteful situation. His odd gaze narrowed in on the female, watching her with a clear look of aversion. The insult did nothing to ease his growing anger, disliking the supposed “princess” more and more. “Inittik,” he urged, obviously chagrined. He hadn’t even notice his slip of tongue, though that was usually how it went with him.
 
“I met the Queen,” he announced, voice full of scorn, though the disgruntled timbre was directed at no one other than the pale girl. Clearly, he was off to a wonderful start with making acquaintances around the woods. “You look nothing like her—you are nothing like her. How do I know you aren’t lying, ‘Princess’?” With his words, an exasperated huff left his maw, doing well to compliment his tone. Kove might have mentioned the dark woman having children during their trip, but he refused to accept that the one he was currently facing held any relation to the priestess. Not a single thing about them seemed similar, so perhaps he was being made the victim of a joke. Oh, how he wished that to be the case.

Potema paused as a foreign word slipped Xan's tongue. It made the young girl growl low in her throat. She despised foreign languages, mostly because another could be cursing you (magically or simply with an insult) and you would never know. The girl ignored the word for the moment, dismissing it merely as a little insult (for how would a child this idiotic know any spells?).

She looked up at him as he denounced her claim, smirking at the boy's ignorance. "Not everyone has to look like one of their parents. Surely you must know that." She recalled Scarlett and the pups she had introduced to her and her brothers. They were not all white like this one. The Princess lounged in the flowers, her body screaming arrogance and contempt. "And do you really want to call my mother or father here to ask them if I'm their daughter? Do you really want to waste their time? You won't make yourself look any better." The thought of either Burke or Meldresi's faces after being asked such a ridiculous question made her chuckle a little. "Better yet, go ask your father. He would know."

A trace of a smirk found its way onto his maw as he heard a noise. He could’ve sworn it was a growl, though low and guttural. He didn’t mind finding things that bugged those around him, and sometimes he even enjoyed it. It would present him with the opportunity to mess with them, and bug the hell out of them during periods in which he grew bored. “Sujuk?” he voiced, tone signifying the word was actually a question. “Tukisiven?” Of course, he already knew the answer to that one. There was no way she understood his words, he was certain of it—and he hoped for the love of all that is good in the world that she’d never learn of his slight taunts.
 
At first, the boy had not been able to grasp the fact that not everyone looked identical to their parents. It had led to him causing some issues between his sister, Desna, and himself. For the longest time, he’d been convinced they weren’t related, due to how different she was when compared to the pale wolves that had created her. Not a single piece of her had been similar to either of their parents, but through some rather rough teachings, it’d eventually been drilled into his head. Recalling that, his previous smirk fell away and was replaced by one of his most common expressions—a frown, which only deepened as calling her parents was suggested. The way she said it made his blood boil, but also made it clear that she wasn’t lying. If she was willing to even suggest the Queen being summoned, then she did not fear the consequences, and therefore couldn’t possibly be lying. Slowly, his ears folded back, realization setting in entirely. “I’m sorry for my accusation,” Xan said, having to swallow his pride in order to successfully get his words out. Though he hated doing so, he did feel it was better than having to deal with a bad situation later on.

Potema's brow furrowed again as more of the words exited this boy's lips, though they were less malicious than prior. She could handle it if she knew that this wolf was not cursing her with some kind of unknown spell. She ignored the words again, promising herself that she would interrogate Kove about this language as soon as she could.

The sudden realization of his mistake sent a small, smug smile onto Potema's face long before he spoke. She was pleased that she asserted her dominance and get this arrogant brat to shut up. Even Damien wasn't this bad, or this stupid. "I have two brothers; don't make the same mistake twice." She, however, wished she hadn't warned him. She would have loved to see Damien beat this brat down as well. "One of them could easily tear you apart for making such a stupid mistake." She smirked and turned tail without even saying goodbye, returning from her den to continue the very important things she was doing before she was so rudely interrupted.

For the first time in a long time, Alexander felt somewhat humiliated. He’d embarrassed himself by making a wrongful accusation, as well as by trying to taunt the Queen’s daughter. A part of him wished to take it all back, but thoughts of doing so where torn away by the smug smile that crossed the female’s face. Whether the look was from a Princess or not, he still didn’t appreciate being on the receiving end up said expression. He wanted to growl, but refrained from doing so and let out a huff of annoyance instead. When she spoke again, he was glad it wasn’t some snarky remark pertaining to his error. There came a warning, off all things, notifying the boy of Potema’s brothers—the Princes, he assumed. “I won’t,” he stated, making note of the girl’s appearance for future reference. There was no way he was going to do something like that again, even if it meant having to take the time to figure out who shared a similar appearance to her. Then again, he was struck with the thought that asking his dad for descriptions might be the best of his limited options.

Xan watched the girl return to wherever she’d emerged from, letting out a sigh of irritation as he noticed her rudeness. He was being a hypocrite, in all honesty, considering he would have most likely done some similar, if not exactly the same. Still, he didn’t like being on the receiving end of that type of behavior—but it no way would that change how he went about treating others. Turning away from the direction she’d gone in, the young Inuit left the scene fairly quickly. He needed to locate his father, wanting a lesson on who belonged to the royal family. There wasn't anything in existence that would cause him to make a fool out of himself a second time.