Raven's Watch You slept on a feather bed, I slept on the floor.

AW <3 Scout trade - keeping any reference to injuries from Sagtannet vague.

The Tangle had been heavily patrolled by Rusalka. It was strange to Raleska, who had threaded through that thorny thicket a hundred times on Ankyra's side, to suddenly be on the opposite side looking in.

She had avoided revisiting the Sound. She could sense -- as well as feel -- a burning resentment linger any time she came close. Avoiding it entirely was best - besides, it was unlikely Valravn was there.

Picking her way south, Raleska began to familiarize herself with old haunts and footpaths she had not traveled since her first year on this earth. It was uncanny how quickly old paths came to her, familiar but new. She had little hope of discovering Valravn at this point, but she kept her nose trained to the ground as she scouted. 

From this path she learned a pack was established at the Willows. While the scents were repetitive and faded, it was enough to convince her to avoid the Willows and swing south. Skirting the Court's front step, Raleska ended up to the south of Barrow Fields. The Court's presence had since faded, but now there were new scents threaded along the Watch; Raleska peered past the invisible barrier of a fresh-laid scent, her tail stirring against her hocks as she calculated a new path along the rocky ledge.

As the willows grew quieter, Bridget began to range.  Not far, since she was one of few still there to represent the Court, but in search of members or... perhaps... a new home.  She was loyal to Lumiya still, but a Court devoid of life was no place for a faerie, and even the queen could surely admit this place was too quiet.

She huffed.  Weird thoughts for a fucking weird night.

No doubt she'd do well either way.  She hoped at least Teya and Izumi stuck around; the rest she did not know quite as well, to no fault of her own, since the rest seemed to keep to themselves.  She flicked an ear.  Not much use for a healer, either, since nothing had ever happened with that war.  

She'd traveled up the mountains and around the river to arrive here, and now seemed to be on the opposite side, looking out over the forest that held the court.  It seemed so small from up here.  She stopped stock still, however, when she smelled a scent.  And went even stiller when she recognized it.  No fucking way.  It was those fucking bastards from before.

Oh ho ho HO you have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.  Bridget fumed, her tail lifting as she stalked along the line.  HERE?!  She didn't notice Raleska lurking nearby.  Her entire attention was on the claim that the thugs who had jumped her had staked, apparently right next door to the Court in the willows.

WC: 250

The wolf who prowled ahead looked nothing like Ephraim -- at least not physically -- and still, it did not stop the gawking of the young Eyjolfur, who for the briefest moment had felt joy and hope rise to her throat;

only to die violently, like a bug under the wave of the tide.

Her ears pinned as she heard the she-wolf yell something, followed by exclamations of what sounded like disbelief. Raleska was too wary a wolf to blithely come up to Bridget and ask what was wrong -- instead, she lifted her muzzle and tried to scent from the air what it was Bridget was fussed over, wondering just when that storm might head her way.

Bridget, meanwhile, took absolutely zero notice of the woman (or any reaction she might have caused).  Instead she was entirely focused on the assholes who had seemingly set up shop right next door... the ones who had jumped her, laughed at her, and then fucking humiliated her.

Round two, fuck-os?  She wasn't sleeping this time, some random easy mark to be caught unawares and made mockery of.  Oh no, this time they'd find Bridget was nothing to be messed with, and she was two second away from bringing hell on them both potentially when she finally spotted Raleska.

Do you run with these clowns?  She asked, turning marching forwards a couple of paces indignantly.

WC: 114

Raleska's briefly undetected stint was over in short order. She steeled herself to remain still as Bridget saw her, but the temptation to run was strong.

Her jaw tensed as the she-wolf came close; Raleska studied the rich chestnut mark on Bridget's features -- no trace of Ephraim in this woman's body, truly, but still her heart twisted at the memory of her brother.

Brow furrowing as she parsed Bridget's question, Raleska shook her head. "Who?"

Tweedle-dumb and tweedle-dumber.  Shithead and his fucking lackey.  Apparently they're claiming this place, but last time I ran into them, they thought it'd be real cute to jump me while I was asleep and make a game of it.  Bridget growled, then let out a huff.  

If you aren't one of them, I won't start shit.  If you are, might want to think twice because who knows what other stupid shit they're capable of.  Brains the size of walnuts.

She'd been real tempted to call them down and finish this conversation but the stranger made her think twice about it.  Maybe after she got clear.  Bridget was itching for round two but she wasn't about to drag this (extremely pretty, in a rough way, shit) stranger into it.  Sorry.  Anyway, name's Bridget.  She smiled amiably, her switch flicking from rage to friendly on a hairpin.  Raleska wasn't the source of her troubles, so no use pointing fingers there.

WC: 158

This one's brother made a mistake, He said, announcing himself as he approached, tail lashing in irritation. And, if one chooses to recall properly, this one stopped him. Dark eyes settled on the loud one, though he showed no aggression to her, not yet. She had startled Solpallur and they had squabbled, but no blood had come of it. Nothing but bruises and hurt feelings, and yet she still seemed to hold a grudge, despite him having checked with the sterling one.

This one even stopped by your willows to see if you were alright. The silver one, Izumi, relayed that you were in good health. The meeting had been tense, of course, but Stjornuati would not let it go unsaid. They meant her no harm, now, though if she would seek otherwise, he would surely rise to meet her.

Raleska could appreciate harboring a grudge -- she had her own, some she'd carry with her to her dark and lightless grave.  Beasts like the bear, like those who had abandoned her -- Raleska found herself studying Bridget with something akin to familiarity. They were, perhaps, not so different.

"Raleska. What did they look like?" Raleska inquired, cut short by the presence of footsteps. She froze, gums lifted and hackles flared, as she turned one ear and then the next, locating the source of sound in short order and turning her body towards it. When a heavily furred yet athletic male broke form cover, Raleska pinned him with a distrustful gaze and quiet snarl.

It took her only several seconds to read the room, and understand this was likely either Tweedle-dumb or Tweedle-dumber; Shithead or his Lackey. While she noticed the male's affectation was no different than the pitch wolf she'd met several weeks prior, everything else was different. His bearing, his way of introduction -- it screamed of overconfident male ego, and set Raleska instantly on edge.

She squared up, tail rising. Between the two of them, she'd pick the woman always -- she was fucking tired of wolves (read: MALE wolves) arrogantly strolling up to her and others to correct them, steamroll them, or otherwise fuck-and-leave-them. If he was pulling a Drageda and chasing wolves off of neutral territory, he'd earn even more than Raleska's misplaced ire -- he'd earn her vengeance, too. "This one thinks you should fuck off." Raleska mocked him and his tone bitterly, wondering what type of man it took to stroll up to two women and correct them with his tail lashing in irritation behind him. Nothing screamed uninvited houseguest to Raleska more than a man coming to spoil the party.

Bridget let out a loud and extremely uncouth snort when Raleska responded to what's his face (did he even have a name?  "This one" god what an annoying quirk).  She'd been just about to tell him the same thing when the other woman (Raleska) burst in instead.  Girl after her own heart.

Oh, fuck off sparky.  Don't get your nuts in a twist.  We're outside your little border and everything.  Bridget responded, bristling slightly.  She didn't like the corrections either, which completely minimized the humiliation and tried to invalidate her entirely justifiable anger.  Where did he come off, acting like some kind of self-righteous white knight?  He had to be joking.

If by tried to stop him you mean laughed your ass off and then asked him to please let go while he had my fucking neck in his teeth.  Real hero, so sorry I forgot to say thanks.  Oh sarcasm.  I don't think I need your brand of sympathy.  She glanced over at Raleska with a look of clear 'is he serious?' before glaring, again, at the man.  He could defend himself all day long, she wasn't buying it, and she still hadn't heard an apology. Not one worth anything.

Their fire burned bright, a blaze that Stjornuati felt turn in his direction almost immediately; something he should have expected, even in the weeks-old wake of Solpallur's squabble with the woman formerly of the Willows. Some wolves held grudges for a breadth of time so long, Stjornuati wondered if such things truly consumed them; he wondered that of the woman before him, too.

Their curses of him went unacknowledged, a staunch refusal to rise to their bite and bark. There is no sympathy, only explanation. The northerner knew no sympathy, not for her, not for his foolhardy sister, nor for any other wolf he had come across. It was not an emotion in his repertoire, and had never been.

His lungs expanded, a breath taken in so that he could force himself to lose some of the tension that his body held. How can the slate be cleaned? He asked after a moment, looking to the once-Willow wolf, then to the wolf that smelled of the sea.

I am sorry Raleska is such a b

Typical. Raleska had (politely in her opinion) invited the northerner to shove off, and instead of accepting her gracious invitation, he stood there and corrected Bridget.

She had half a mind to lunge for him as a sigh expelled from his body. It was a mistake letting his guard down - her needling eyes were all over him, studying, looking for any sort of hidden vantage writ in the stories of his pelt; the way his fur parted, any scar, the subtle way a limb or posture was held.

The other option was leaving. Nothing told a man that a woman was flat out disinterested by departing without a word. Many a man's ego had been shattered by that kind of maneuver, but Raleska hated the idea of giving this wolf any ground. They were here first -- he could make like a gull and piss off.

A shared glance to Bridget to measure her impression, eyes glazed with gloat as Bridget followed her barb in suit. Nice.

Raleska wondered if next, this textbook male would start to interrupt them as they spoke, or if he would start waxing poetic at the top of his lungs about how their impression was wrong and blah blah blah...

She'd had enough of that. Bridget had given her enough information to piece together (incorrectly or not) that this man's wolf had assailed her at some point.

Raleska began to crouch, simmering gaze hungrily holding the man who if he was smart, would start running.

Bridget looked at him with a clear are you kidding? when he corrected her.  The two were the exact same because, by explaining, he was hoping to probably get some sympathy in return.  Well, not from her!  Chuckles could take a flying leap for all she cared, especially now that he'd essentially blocked her extremely interesting interaction with this gorgeous stranger.

You could start by getting lost,  she replied with heavy meaning, catching the look from Raleska and feeling it travel up her spine.  The girl looked ready to fight and honestly Bridget was very into it.

Not to be outdone, she glanced back at the white male, her eyes narrowing.  We won't cross your little line, swear it.  Her tone had a slight mocking edge, and her posture mimicked Raleska's.  She didn't necessarily want a fight more than she wanted to talk to this new friend, but she didn't not want one either.