Golden Glade Timberland

@Dagfinn or @Silas or @Laurel ? someone jhala hasn't had a one on one with in a while. (:

there was always a breeze that interrupted the silence. it whistled through the grass and rustled the blooming maple trees. it was never quiet, but it was peaceful. though jhala was never one to care for peace-and-quiet, it was sort of nice. she liked the sit at the edge of the forest and look at the grassier parts of the territory. she could look out over the flatland and towards a mountain, which was a gorgeous site from so low to the ground. it reminded her of porcupine ridge and, for a moment, anwyl. her amber gaze scaled the peaks, as if they were climbing it for her.

she hadn't been on any mountains in a while, and though she did wish she could see the glade from above-- she didn't care to do so now. the alphess stood and returned to the borders, her ears perked and alert.

Dagfinn had been wandering listlessly for several long minutes by the time he came upon his returning leader. Deciding that it was high time to have a little fun, he immediatey drew himself up and bristled his fur.

"You there! Halt!" he called out, emerging from the trees and staring haughtily at Jhala. "Come no nearer if you wish to live - you are trespassing on sacred ground! Only those that pass the Super Amazing Test may enter by this way."

He stared solemnly (as solemnly as he could) at the war-like woman, waiting (gleefully) for something fun and exciting to happen. He didn't think she would be mad at him, but neither was he sure she would play along.

though jhala had matured a tremendous amount since her arrival in the teekon wilds, she had yet to truly grow up. she was still pretty young, and had a whole handful of energy. so, when dagfinn halted her at the border and demanded she gain entry to the pack by passing some test, she was fuckin' down with it. her tail raised and her ears perked, shoulders squaring. she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, but she was prepared. "hit me!" she challenged, a small smirk giving away the jest in her dominant display.

A thousand things flickered quickly through the young male's mind. You have to eat a thousand stink bugs. You have to turn in twenty circles and then run between those two very-close-together-trees. You have to eat more snow than I can.

But then it came to him. The perfect test.

"You must defeat me," he declared, taking a single, challening step forward. And then, after pausing half a beat for dramatic effect: "In a dance-off."

He gazed coolly at the woman, pretending to be aloof an unconcerned while, on the inside, he was already dancing around, raring to go. He and Lotte had had a million dance-offs, and he was sure he could out-perform this non-dancey woman any old day. With his eyes closed. Backwards.

his response surprised her, she simply hadn't expected it-- and he was right too. jhala was a burly bear of a woman, and though she was a definitely a tough opponent on the battlefield, she was no butterfly. jhala had not a single ounce of grace in her entire body, and it showed whenever she tried to run. but she was no bitch.

"fine," jhala said with a sniff, her tail swaying once. it couldn't be that hard to outmatch dagfinn, just a little extra footsteps, she would think. jhala bowed, bringing her paw to her chest to make the moment more dramatic. "after you."

Sorry for the wait!

Dagfinn cleared his throat importantly and took a deep breath before performing his first routine. This dance was called "hirvi oppii kävelemään". It began with a series of slow, stunted movements, but progressed into a beautiful ballet of leaps and bounds. The last move was his favorite - Dagfinn leaped high into the air, his nose pointed skyward, and then twisted around and kicked out his hind legs like a bucking pony. He'd fallen many times as a child, trying to learn this move, but he'd since perfected it, and stuck the landing like the practiced dancer he was.

"Beat that," he said to Jhala, panting as he trotted back toward her. Perhaps they could have a singing contest next - anything less energy-sapping than that. But Dagfinn had not sung in months. He did not know if he would ever sing again.

whoa. jhala watched with a scrunched up brow as dagfinn did his little jig. there was no way in H E L L she could beat that-- but as he walked over all cocky and confident in his abilities, jhala decided that she could at least try. "watch me!" she replied, with a wave of her tail, and strutted forward to show what she was made of.

the mama bear turned to face her opponent and stood as still as she could make herself-- setting up for her big move. suddenly, as if a swarm of bees had overcome her, jhala began to wiggle! her head wiggled and waved down to her butt and her paws tip-tapped against the ground in an unceremonious manner. eventually, the uncoordinated monstrosity ceased, but it left jhala feeling pretty proud of herself. she began back towards dagfinn with her head high and said, very confidently, "HAH!"