Man or animal, I don't care at all

For @Blackfoot any other tags are for visibility!

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Against his wishes they kept travelling with the pup, who apparently was now named @Arncine. Naming the thing made it that much harder for her to get rid of it, he was certain, which only annoyed him further and soured his mood despite the good exercise that @Freya had given him earlier in the week.

The serotonin had faded, leaving him now just as bitter as he was before. At least now it was somewhat tolerable.

As they reached some frozen falls he doesn't turn to address the small group of two behind him and instead speaks over his shoulder, uncaring if they heard him properly or not. “We rest here for a while.” After all, even he needed some food and rest during their travels. Such were the hardships of being a nomad.

Once he was done speaking, he wandered off. Inspecting the lands for any possible dangers that may be lurking that would push them to move again and find somewhere else to rest instead. He would do for a while as the sun began its descent over the treetops, cascading a shadow of darkness over the snowy lands. Eventually, he was pleased with what he didn't find. Enough to take a drink by the falls and have his attention be caught on the falls... something was in there, behind it.

Some caves?

Curious he ventured in. A good place to hide if the child or Blackfoot didn't know about it, some peace and quiet without seeing the thorn in his side wandering around.

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Next time I forget to reply to a new thread for that long, please DM me and yell at me OTL

 Blackfoot was not nose-blind. She could smell Rosencrantz's escapades on him like a gross perfume. However, it was none of her business so she didn't question it. If he wanted to go off and get his rocks off, then he was more than welcome. In her opinion such things were a waste of time, especially if you intended no relationship behind it... but whatever. Who was she to judge? 

 Then why was she staring pointedly at the back of his head as they moved? Why then, did she feel irritation at him for it? It was irrational. Stupid. She shouldn't care. 

 At the call for a rest, she settled in with the pup. Making sure that the girl was asleep and properly hidden, Blackfoot would set off. In her own way, it was to cool off and to hunt for a peace offering. It wasn't good to be traveling angry with one another... So, while out, she would take her annoyance out on some hapless creature and hopefully prey would placate Rose. 

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 A while later, she was back at their meeting grounds with a rabbit. It was scrawny but the best that she could find. The problem was... Rosencrantz was nowhere to be found. The blue she-wolf tracked his scent to the falls... and then it disappeared. 

 Seafoam eyes would narrow and then she would study the falls... something was not as it seemed. It took a little while before she took a leap of faith and landed in the cave behind the falls. There he was. 

 She didn't speak, because she knew that he would know she entered. Her claws were not silent upon the stone ground. She would approach, if he would allow, and she'd drop the rabbit in front of him. Should she apologize? No. Because it wouldn't be sincere and therefore, pointless. "Will make sure she doesn't impede us." Because that was the best she could offer. To train the pup to hunt, to survive, and promise that she wouldn't be an issue. She would make sure of it.

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Or at least it was a good place to hide.

The clicking of claws against the stone echoing in the chasm announced Blackfoot's presence before she spoke; and he didn't turn to greet her. He may be annoyed with their current situation but he was not on edge enough to turn in distrust.

Pale ears flickered back to catch the sound of something hitting the cold ground, the smell of rabbit blood filling the air as the dinner bell rang in his head.

"Will make sure she doesn't impede us." She said, causing his one and a half ears to turn and catch her few words. The silence lingered for a beat longer than it should as he let her words hang for a moment. “And what if we come across another?” Only now did he turn his single eye over his shoulder to cast a frosted glance at Blackfoot.

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 Her offer was there, the olive branch extended. She wondered if he was so far gone that he would rather spit on the rabbit than take it. At least he hadn't turned to her in anger and remained cold with his back turned... that was something. At least. 

 It was a small modicum of hope to hang on to. 

 "If we're in no pack. We will leave it." Finally, she was given something else. Rosencrantz's gaze which was cast back over his shoulder. Hopefully her words would appease him enough. "Two is too many." Perhaps her reasoning would if the initial words did not. 

 One could be too many, one might argue... but there was something in that pup, that she couldn't ignore. She wasn't sure if it made a difference to him or not. If the roles were reversed, she wasn't sure if it would make a difference to herself either. Pups were a liability, especially when you were a loner. Yet, here she was, raising one with zero experience.

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Truly, he was baffled. Was this a female thing? Their motherly instincts kicking in at a certain point in their lives wanting to adopt any lonesome pup they come across? Even if Blackfoot said it was just this one, the paladin didn't quite believe her.

The sound of trickling water over frozen rocks filled the silence as he pondered how to answer. Should he accuse her of not being truthful and dishonest? “Do you even plan on giving it up to a pack?” Instead he chose a different accusation.

A part of him believed she was filling some kind of void within her with this whelp. Some need to care for something, someone that wasn't hers to care for.

After a while, he turned around to face the dark woman. There was some annoyance but mostly confused as to what was going on in her head. The confusion was aggravating, which painted a light frown onto his chiselled face. “What of the pack you left behind? Wouldn't it be better to turn around?”

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 The other shifted gears, changing from the topic of finding another and back to the specific one that they had. She listened, her tattered ear flicking. "Yes. Pack can raise her better." Although, if one was perceptive, they would hear the slight hesitation when she spoke. She did believe what she said and would do what she said... so long as the pack ticked the correct boxes. Handing her over to weaklings would just recreate the same problem where they'd found her. She didn't say this part and hoped not to have to answer about it. 

 There was silence, one that she didn't breach as she waited for the man to turn around. She was rewarded when he faced her, his scarred features familiar as she looked up to his face. Briefly, she met his single eye but trailed her gaze away. It was a hard lesson she'd learned once. You only stare into someone's eyes when you're challenging them or if you were intentionally disrespecting them. She wanted to do neither. She respected the hell out of him, and his sound logic was something that dragged her back to reality when... well, when her emotions were trying to get the best of her. The thing that she hated.

 "Feel that would be pointless. Pack was as few as we." It was her, Hua, and Blackfoot. Hardly worth the effort of bringing the pup back to them. Sure, it would be offloading the pup off to another group... but she might as well keep Arncine where she knew she'd be safer. And then, it was her turn to bring something up. "Why do you care so much? Don't have to care for her." It wasn't an accusation, just an effort to stay honest. The pup was her responsibility and she had taken that seriously so that he had to do no care.

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Her answers were short and to the point, but still he was apprehensive. She could be just saying what she knew he wanted to hear, reading him like an open book Rosencrantz didn't want to be. He wanted to accuse her of lying, of pandering to his rejection of the child and possibly holding onto it for as long as she could. Remaining silent for a beat longer than necessary, he didn't reply to her answers or prod deeper, letting them go and holding onto her promises and assurance.

Why did he care? That was what broke his silence. His ear and a half swivelled back defensively while winkles formed between where his eyes would be and under the one remaining socket. “Because we travel together.” Even if he didn't want to take responsibility, he was still there. Still going to hear and see any problems arising. Just because he told Blackfoot the pup was her problem, Rosencrantz knew he would do something should trouble arise. Thus... being a pain in his ass.

Stepping forward to invade Blackfoot's personal space, he aimed to stand chest to chest with her - only now noticing how he had to look down at her to see the woman eye to eye. “Why do you.” Unlike Blackfoot, his tone was accusatory.

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 She couldn't think of a counterpoint to that. He was right. This was her problem but also his problem because if she was put in danger because of the pup, then it affected his survival. She hated it... she hated that she couldn't just abandon this tiny defenseless creature. That when she looked at her, she felt a rush of emotions coming back to her. 

 Fuck.

 She exhaled through her nose, unable to think of a rebuttal... because he was right and she couldn't even be mad because of it. 

 He stepped closer, chest-to-chest, and she felt her hackles raise. Not exactly because of him but because this situation was familiar. She could see green eyes staring back at her instead of his gold ones. Could see a taunting sneer instead of his look of justified annoyance. She had to intake a breath of air, close her eyes, and focus. This was not Amelia... this was not someone who wanted to hurt her. He was trying to understand and had damn good points. This was her travel companion and he could be trusted. 

 She forced her fur to lie flat and then she opened her eyes to look up at him, having to force herself to stay blank. Why did she care so much? It was just a pup. Just a pup like any other... and yet she wasn't. 

 She grit her teeth together and then forced the words out, "Don't... know..." And then, her mask broke and she looked... miserable. "I don't... know." She sat down heavily and looked to the side, gaze focused on nothing except what was in her mind. A pup's face cloaked in shadow, saved from a pool of their parents' blood. So similar to Arncine. The situation almost identical. So much so that she couldn't differentiate them... she felt obligated to care for Arncine. She could no more abandon the pup than chop off a leg... and it was just because of... what? A memory? Was it even that?

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As he hackles rose in a defensive manner against his rebuttal, he didn't feel the need to lash out before she did. There was an air of trust, of knowing that she could not be the first to break skin, and so he didn't need to beat her to the punch on that one. Instead, he stood his ground. An unmoving obelisk to her frustration and confusion of her own actions. Whatever was going on internally he would perhaps never know... but it wasn't for him to pry.

She didn't know.

Defeated, deflated, she sat. Eyes looking away from him while he stared down at her, almost judging... not hateful, nor pity did paint his expression - just a bland stare impossible to read. Even he wasn't certain what to feel in this moment... Void of much internal thought or feeling, he let the silence speak for itself as she pondered over her own demons.

There wasn't much else to talk about. Not that they spoke much to begin with, but there was less now than usual. Enough was shared to think over as they prepared for a new day. “Figure it out before it breaks you.” He wasn't quite certain where that came from... of sympathy? Concern for her safety should something happen to the pup? Or perhaps a threat. A darker shadow that lurked over them that never seemed to fade over the duo as though destined to remain cast in misery.

Unless Blackfoot had more to add, he would leave the cove, no longer feeling it to be the haven away from the two to rest and perhaps elsewhere was needed to find. At least she now had shelter for her and the whelp to share while he could sit outside in the silence... watching, as usual.

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