Haunted Wood I'm gonna smoke you out

following her fight with Valour, she'd crept off to her den, bloodied and hurting. that night had been fraught with terrors, bloodied images of her mother, her sister. she'd woken to feel the earth move under her, rolling in a way she hadn't felt before. heart in her throat, she clenched shut her eyes and willed it away—as if obeying her command, the earth still again after a few seconds. 

sleep is a far-flung thing, and so she creeps out of the hollow, making for the river. on the banks, Hela pauses, glimpsing at the image of herself mirrored there. it is too dark, and the river too fast flowing, to make out any detail. she is merely a shadow on the current, disturbed when she pushes her burning face below the surface, the frigid water burning, and then numbing, her face.

I had to. I'm so sorry. Radar or anyone else can jump in too ofc!

Valour hadn't even be able to move from the spot he had been knocked down in, the force of how hard he had hit had pretty much just put him to sleep for a good couple of hours. When he woke up the first thing he was aware of was the pain. His ear was on fire, his stomach burned and everywhere else Hela had bitten and slammed into him hurt just as badly. He groaned and stood up, slowly stretching out and cringing at the dull throb in his head as he slowly shambled toward the stream craving the freezing water to soothe his hurts. 


As he got there he saw a figure already at the edge of the water face lowered. Through the darkness it was hard to make out what exactly was happening until he crept closer and saw her face down in the water. He blinked and stared at her as he tried to comprehend what she was doing for a moment feeling afraid she was trying to drown herself. Then he contemplated shoving her into the water. Then he decided he was hurt enough and simply moved around her, selecting a spot a safe untouchable distance from her and sliding his forelegs down and drinking deeply as he ignored her presence for just a few moments more of peace. He sighed softly and reluctantly came to the conclusion that an endless feud with her would not be something helpful to him. "Are you trying to drown yourself?" He finally spoke up, the question meant to be sarcastic but he turned and looked at her, seeming actually concerned for a moment.

in the cold numb of the water, the world seemed ages away. she wondered if this was how her mother felt, when her eyes had been those of a dead thing but her chest had still stirred with life. her thoughts turned to death, then—was it simply a blank expanse of nothing? no thought, no feeling? she hated the thought, and considered then Maegi's tales of sithis, who she'd thought Vengeance most similar to. was that any better, though - to spend death in the company of a man such as the leader? her heart plummeted, at the thought of her mother all alone with a man, a god, like that. her lungs seized, and suddenly the voice of another - Valour. she breathed in instinctively, filling her throat with water, before wrenching her head from the stream and backpedaling, shaken. sputtering, coughing up water and for a few frightened moments wondering if it was possible to drown outside of the stream, she finally regained her breath. wheeling, staring at the boy, she managed only a "what?" for the first time her voice held the tone and pitch of a child her age, not a trace of the carefully controlled voice she usually used present.

The loudness and suddenness of her whipping her head up and sounding like she had in fact, truly been trying to drown herself caused him to leap back in a moment of fright. He waited for a moment to see if she would try to attack him, after all they hadn't really done much else around one another besides be angry and at one another's throats. When all she did was seem confused he hesitated and gave a small wag of his tail, a sheepish smile forming on his maw "That's not how you drink" he stated bluntly and then looked down at his paws. He was at a loss for words, he wasnt sure why he even bothered to make conversation. She had come in and disrupted the peacefulness of his life, caused trouble for him but in a way he supposed he had done the same for her. Neither one knew what Vengeance would command them to do. "I'm sorry!" He blurted suddenly looking up at her and then cleared his throat, shifting and looking away awkwardly "For...for being a bully. It wasnt your fault Vengeance set us against each other" he ccouldn't bring himself to meet her gaze, he was worried she would laugh at him or call him weak.

for a moment, silence hangs between the two. and then he speaks, and she stares at him unblinkingly, confusion overtaking the grief she feels. his apology is even less expected, and she doesn't quite know how to respond, or what it is, exactly, that he's apologizing for. trying to steal her food? tearing open her face? they've known each other less than a week, and already have gathered quite the list of cruelties enacted on each other. 

for being a bully. she's never really considered that - she knows her actions toward Rowan, Moonshine, even Venamis make it pretty clear she's exactly what he's apologizing for. "don't be. you did what you had to." hadn't she, too? she had to torment Rowan, corner Moonshine in the mire. because they didn't belong, because they were weak, because—or was it none of those reasons at all? troubled, suddenly, she forces out a, "sorry for taking off your ear." or rather, part of it. stiffening, she shifts.

She took it well and Valour looked surprised, lifting his head and sitting down as he felt all the tension from the fear of another fight leave his body. He thought about what she said, that it had been necessary. Had it really? He tried to imagine what would have happened if he had disobeyed their Warlord and he pictured a variety of outcomes none pleasant. He nodded slowly, their fight had been necessary yes. Trying to take her food hadn't been but he supposed he could just pass it off as having wanted to test her skills before they were pitted against one another. "I guess that's how it is around here..." he murmured sounding like for the first time, he was realizing what he was a part of. She apologized for his ear and he gave a small laugh "You just finished someone else's failed attempt" he said dismissively and his eyes fell upon the tear he had made on her face and flashed with guilt and he glanced away  "Do you want to walk Or something?...I just woke up" another smile was flashed a humor filled one as he basically admitted to having been passed out where they had fought for the past few hours.

that's how it was everywhere, or so she thought, but she didn't bother to correct him. it was his offer of a walk that had suspicion twist her features, instantly questioning his motives. "why?" she asked, sharply, though a moment later added, slightly softer, "where to?" she truly missed her other half, and did not realize how greatly the empty space at her side seemed to weigh her down. despite her aggression, Hela was not made to be an entirely solitary creature.

Her sharp tone made him cringe, ears going back though he knew he deserved the suspicion. He would've probably been suspicious too if she had asked him to go on a walk alone somewhere. "I like wandering when I have nothing better to do" he said truthfully "It was just an idea, we can sit here if you want. Or I can go if you want quiet" he was really trying to not hold any more grudges, they had done what Vengeance wanted and the man hadn't been pleased with either of them. Neither had lost or won the battle, he had no reason to continue the feud.

exhaustion rams into her repeatedly, like an old guy behind you in the line-up at walmart slamming his cart into your heels every time you shuffle forward. but she was hardly going to admit that by going with the second option, and so straightened, saying, "we can walk." in her mind, she still had one up on him, and there was no way she was letting what little edge she had slip away by showing any weakness. 

padding a few steps parallel to the river, she glanced back at him, a silent, "come on." she may not know where she was going, but hell if she was going to let him lead.

At her agreement he wagged and stood up waiting for her before moving. When she strode ahead of him he paused, for a moment growing a bit offended because he was the one who offered but then he remembered he hadn't any idea where he wanted to go and so he trailed after her, content to let her guide their path. "Are you going to stay?" he asked curiously. He wasnt entirely sure what else he expected since he wasnt sure if she had somewhere else to go. "I think Vengeance is okay with it otherwise I'm sure he'd have kicked you out..." he trailed off leaving it unsaid that the Warlord probably would have done something worse. The man was bad to the bone but he wasn't judging, in fact the power that came with Vengeance's badness was appealing.

"for now." came her response, firm. she remembered her father telling her blackfeather was her birthright just as clearly as she remembered Eyes telling her to run, and knew that this was a good place to be right now, if the only option. she did not know if she wanted a birthright that had killed her mother. 

she glances back to him, eyes sharp as she attempts to tear away her attention from that place. "is vengeance your father?" he fulfilled the basic outline of a father in her eyes; though in truth, that idea of a father was sparse and biased. father's were only a fraction as important as mothers; she'd never seen a father involved with his young, or be any sort of use at all.

It was enough for him in that moment, that she was staying. It didnt tick him off, in fact it kind of made him respect her a little. He hoped that there would be no more fighting, that things could settle the way they were now. He was still the Alpha pup, he was nearly certain of it as neither of them had proven anything more than they already had to Vengeance during that fight. 

"No" the answer was short and to the point as he looked at her sideways, considering telling her more. He didnt want to seem cold or have her lose interest in their walk. That would mean he had wasted his time. "My father is dead. He was a weak man" he spoke coldly, without much bitterness or anger as it really hadn't affected him as much as he figured it should have. "Vengeance found me and gave me a home. Much like I did for you" he said with a wry smile and a slow wag of his tail. "Do you have family?" he asked curiously, for if she did he figured they could be looking for her. Though...he didn't think his mother was looking for him as he had wandered away in plain sight and she had never come for him.

much like I did for you. for a moment, she's uncomfortable. she feels vaguely like she might owe a debt to the boy, and being in debt to anyone is not something she wants. but, she supposes, it's up to her to decide which debts are truly binding, and this one, she decides, is not. after all, she chose to come with him; he only offered. 

"fathers are useless." she supplies, dimly surprised that she's taking part in this conversation. "no." she retorts flatly, refusing to talk about scylla here. her face is starting to burn again, and having had very little practise in doing so, she fails utterly to uphold her end of the conversation

Valour shuffles lazily just behind her looking around as the conversation continued. He was a bit surprised by how cold and to the point she was much like her fighting style though he wondered if she was as sharp intelligently. "True but Mentor's aren't. We are strong in our heads but they teach us to be strong with our muscles and teeth" he flexed his own muscles though it came across less impressive than intended because he was a lean, leggy boy at the moment. 


His tail sank and he gave her a somber look, eyes softening for just a moment when she said she had nobody. He was reminded of Phex and Bronwen for a moment before he shook his head. Having attachments didnt help you become strong. His expression hardened and he quickened his pace, face burning as he took the lead and climbed nimbly over a fallen tree standing on it for a beat "That's probably better. Helps to not be tugged in different directions" with that he jumped off the log and continued, slowing so she could catch up if she wanted.

that's what mothers are for, she amends him silently. cass was her best and only teacher, despite the fact that her lessons were well and truly over. cass had not taught her all she intended too, but all she could. to his reply, she answers only, "it's not." cass being gone was not better. the empty space beside her was not better. 

she ducks low and passes under the log he springs over, emerging a couple meters away before closing the distance again. she's sorry for bring up the matter of families at all. "you want to prove yourself to him. vengeance." she remembers the glance during the fight, his attitude at the border. there is an unspoken why, but she wants to see his reaction, first.

He couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up as she caught up quickly, faster than he had expected. She was a little killer, kind of scary but she had this kind of softness to the edges that he couldn't quite pin down. "I'm sorry" he acknowledged her opinion quietly though he didn't agree with her and pushed to stay side by side now staying silent to work on controlling his breath. 


As she asked her question he was still silent, automatically thinking that the answer was yes. Then he began to ponder over it, Expression tense as he stared ahead deep in thought. "Yes" he said firmly and then after a few beats "And more" he left it there. He did not know her yet and therefore he could not say that what he meant was he wanted to impress Vengeance and then become better than him. One day he wanted to rule the Nightwalkers, he knew it was his ultimate goal at least for the moment.

"you want to be better than him." it wasn't much of a leap; there wasn't much else "and more" could mean. and there was a kind of want in his eyes, a kind of intensity that went beyond the simple need to prove one's self. it was a goal she was tempted to help him with; she had no love for the man besides what he might teach her, the place he offered her now on which to find refuge. 

but she wasn't going to say that now, not when there was a chance he'd fail in his goal. she pauses, tired, and wanting time to think over their interaction. "I'm tired. see you around." it's blunt, and certainly impolite, but her physical and social battery is faltering. with that, she offers him a final glance before veering left, sure to wander the wood a while longer before certainly succumbing to exhaustion.

Valour's gaze dropped almost guiltily though it was really because he was cross that she had just known the truth as if he had said it outloud. "No" it came out cold and he did nothing to soften it, remaining silent as they walked until she stated she was tired and walked off. He grunted a goodbye and continued walking, looping until he came to his den and sitting outside of it staring gloomily at Vengeance's den and for once hating the stench that wafted from it.