I'm walking ahead

This is right after the thread with Tove, outside of the mountain.

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He followed her at a slow pace, if only to give her time to cool off. While the gilded man was a fan of her bite and bark both, he knew better than to approach the woman when her flame was so all-consuming. If he chose to close the distance before her temper cooled, there was no question if he would sport blood-marks that he was sure she would not be pleased to answer for, for he would answer in kind and it would not be the play-marks he normally scored upon her.

When he did approach, it was with a fattened squirrel hanging from his jaws by the tail, its body limp from a bone-crushing pounce. Its fate had been decided in the moment he had laid eyes upon it; Stjornuati was careful not to let his teeth puncture the tiny creature's body, ensuring its freshness as he made his way to the flame-licked woman, the distance between them closing as he paced himself a hair faster now.

Were it a normal day, had he not followed her from the fiasco upon the borders, the stareater would have met her in silence, or even in his own tongue but the man was no fool; today was not the day for such antics and instead, he rounded the woman and stopped when he knew he was within her line of vision. There was no dominance at play, no churlish, smug grin as he sought to rile her. That had been done already.

Dropping the morsel near her, Stjornuati met her fierce eyes with the darker color of his own and examined her for a moment before speaking. “Tell this one of your anger,” He requested, for not even he had brought out such a reaction out of her. This had been building for a while, it seemed, and he wanted to know what was going on inside that head of hers.

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She had left the group - left the mountain, with every intention of never returning. The frustration that seeded deep into her being was beginning to burst into life as there was no holding back that ire any longer. None worked to gain her trust or loyalty and so she had none to give. A part of her had expected one of them to turn and bite her in the rear for the exit she had caused, and yet - could she blame them for being afraid?

No, one could not blame cowards for letting the fire burn elsewhere, away from them as they can cuddle safely in their dens. If they couldn't handle her flames then perhaps elsewhere would be more worth her time. Wherever that may be, perhaps such a place didn't exist either.

The thoughts were doing well to bring her back into a more pleasant mood, but even then... it only lingered under the surface. 

A foul mood that only shedded its thinly veiled mask as soon as someone stepped into her sights. It didn't matter who it was, she turned to face them with a hiss. Skin wrinkling deeply on her muzzle as lips peeled back with a silent promise to lash out with a hideous grimace. Bristled but lunging - the small morsel was left ignored for now in the snow as she set her cold, harsh gaze on the pale brother.

“Anger? I am FURIOUS!” Teeth clacked against each. “Are they just going to accept every little thing that comes crying to borders because their hearts bleed for the meek? How am I to agree or disagree with a leader who cannot speak my tongue!”

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He could have given her more space. Perhaps he should have. The furrows of her muzzle and the flash of her eyes were more than enough warning, the threads of her control fraying quickly, and yet the man of gilded creams only watched, listened to the rage she laid upon him. Stoic though he may have been on the outside, calm and impartial, he was not. Yet he would not say that were it him, the child would have been turned away. The fates were woven as they were and Solpallur had been the one present, not himself. Perhaps his darker brother had seen something in the wait.

“What is answer that you want of this one?” He asked, his brow furrowing for a moment as he thrummed to himself in thought as he sought better words to convey what he attempted to say. “This one seeks of understanding. You would turn girl away, yes? And Salene. She thought as you do. Engi did not. Solpallur did not.” His tail flickered behind him here, the still-warm squirrel no longer still warm as it lay between them.

“Your anger, your... furious? is because Solpallur did not ask of your thoughts?” Frustration seeded deep within him, affecting his grasp of the language, his ability to communicate. It was a nasty little creature that infected everything it touched, though for the moment, Stjornuati was able to keep his irritation from being directed at the woman he was trying to understand.

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“I. Don't. Know!” Shit, why did she have to come up with the answers here? Did he want her to tell him what she wanted to hear so she could just forgive and forget or something? Because fat fucking chance that would happen. Thalia doesn't forget - Thalia doesn't forgive.
 
“I anger for the insults, for your brother having no interest in finding a way for us to understand one another. That bitch has no idea how much of a problem the language barrier has been!” And oh how she wanted to march right back there and teach her a thing or two - perhaps without the others around to drag her off of the autumnal whore.
 
“And yet they want to trust some mute child who mutilates themselves instead and we assume she's a healer - what a crock of shit.” With a dramatic shrug, it was as if she was trying to wash herself of this. Of them. “They're your problem, not mine.” In other words, she had no need to remain. 

The dragon had never pledged herself here after all, simply taken his invitation to walk on their mountain and see what she thought; and what she thought was this. What a joke. 

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The man could not help but bristle inwardly, frowning at the draconic woman who he'd come to enjoy having around. While she had her own views, her own perspective, Stjornuati had heard nothing of her trying to meet in the middle, either. He could care less about her interaction with Engi but if she felt there was a language barrier, then why had she said nothing.

“Solpallur is warrior, star-reader. Not mind-teller. Litil Dreki is loud and voices opinion often. Why Dreki say nothing to him of "language barrier"?” The word barrier carried a weight upon his tongue he was not used to, the 'r's rolling heavily before he frowned at his own pronunciation of the word. And then he moved on, refocusing upon the woman.

“The child will prove herself or she will be cast out.” He would not second-guess his brother's decision here, in front of one who already held disdain for the suneater. He would also not try to convince her to stay, if she did not want to, for those that were forced to do something often held a resentment that eventually boiled over into anger and hatred. Feelings he did not care to foster upon their slopes.

“If Dreki chooses to leave, then it is a choice this one supports. Staying, also.” It was his way of saying that he harbored no ill-will for her either way.

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“Want me to spell it out in the snow with piss next time?” She was clearly not one to enjoy talking things out. There was little diplomacy in this woman as she simply spoke what she believed to be the truth when it mattered - and lied when it mattered even more. This was no lie. Her fury was true and they were the target. “Ah, wait, that's right - he wouldn't be able to understand it anyway. If you all think there was no language barrier then you are all as daft as that turd at your door.” By turd she meant the mute child...

“Of course this 'dreki is leaving. I will not follow those who are so desperate for numbers they will let any sad sack into their ranks. I'm not gonna waste my time babysitting.” And with a dramatic turn, she aimed to slap him with her tail. A saucy little goodbye gift that she would also swipe under his chin before trotting away. Fuck this place.

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Thalia out

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While her decision was not the one he'd have preferred, Stjörnuáti made no move to stop her as she turned away from him. The tail that trailed beneath his chin was a lure, a taunt, and he would rise to the challenge admirably, amused. Lunging forward, the stareater applied teeth to her haunch in a final taunt of his own before he stopped to watch her walk away from the mountain, their clan one more and one less. Whether that would make them stronger or weaker, only time would tell.

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