Northstar Vale pale widows

as he turned his ears towards the sounding of finch's call, stigmata caught the aggressive approach of a rapier male, ruffled and thinned from solitary travel, out the corner of his narrowed eye. he continued on, letting the provoked wolf come near out of curiosity (and a bit of vanity) towards the duskhound he thought looked rather like himself. he was not as brazen, surely, but he could appreciate the attitude - sometimes.

this was a lucky moment; because though stigmata was not an incautious creature - and was, by nature, particularly aloof - he had grown overconfident in his decision to claim the mountains, and it was this mien of superiority that staved a typical response to the pompous stranger. the knowledge that finch was nearby kept him calm too; there was nothing like knowing another set of teeth would be there to support him at a moment's notice.

he remained reserved in the face of the male's ire, though stopped moving entirely as the trotting brute sought to lead him forward, which the smokewraith did not accept. he stood still, and lifted his own chin, ears twitching backwards in a quiet flicker of defiance, before pressing them forward once more and lifting his tail. finch came near then, and he didn't need to turn to know it was mahler's virile gait as the gargoyle came to flank him.

they were but two, but they were steadfast behind stigmata, and as a raw awareness of pride coiled through him, he knew that he would not waive their loyalty without a massive effort on the challenger's part.

"you will not starve," he asserted; the resident serpent of eden. "but let us not be confused about who is helping who." his tail lashed.