Hold me like a rip cord

 She had heard the order go out, the news that spread like wildfire. Rosencrantz was no longer welcome within the halls of Haldis. Why? A conflict. A fight. Serious enough that he was to be killed upon contact. Blackfoot could stay loyal to Haldis... or try to get to the bottom of this. The latter was where her moral pendulum swung. At the bottom of it all, she was far more loyal to Rosencrantz than to the new pack that they had just joined. Rosencrantz was a kindred spirit, one who'd stuck with her even with her... questionable decisions, and one who'd talked her out of staying where she would not thrive. So, she was loathe to follow the new instructions sent out by Sorina.

 So, under cover of darkness she would seek out the man. Her nose was down, nostrils flared and sniffing as she tracked him down. The light snow fell across her blue fur, lightly touching upon the hairs and adding a slight layer of camouflage as she stalked after Rosencrantz's scent trail.

 She was quiet, a wraith, as she finally pinned down where to go and then she would bark softly into the darkness. Sure she'd caught sight of his pale form.

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In a day or two more he would be back in the mountains, South of the Tundra and ready to leave the frigid north behind and all who inhabited it. Snow fell from the heavens that spat him out of their golden gates even as a young babe, knowing what kind of creature he would become.

Forward he strode, catching the bark that halted his advancements as pale auds twisted to catch none other than Blackfoot who had tracked him down a day after his exile.

Turning to face the woman in black, he had no words. She must have found everything out by Sorina, here to judge him too - or perhaps furious he hadn't reached out to her sooner despite the hatred brewing for him in Haldis. For now, ears folded back half-apologetically, half-defensively, he said nothing while waiting to see if she would break the silence with something. Anything.

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 It was he and not a mirage built of snow. She approached, unafraid, for that was the trust they'd built up. No fangs turned against each other and words would be shared freely. As stunted and blunt as they were. She read him, his ears turned back in apology as well as defense. Ashamed at what had transpired? Perhaps. What had happened? Blackfoot was no blind follower and she would not turn her back on a friend over the word of their queen for no reason. No, for her to turn on Rosencrantz it would have to be a damn good reason.

 And so,

 "There's a kill order on you." Her words were even, her face impassive as she looked at him. "What happened?" The full story, she wanted it before she decided to pass judgement. There were two sides to every coin, to every tale, and she would not let emotion cloud her judgement here.

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He relished in the silence they shared. Few could hold such quiet moments without giving into an awkward uneasiness - yet the two, yin and yang, stood in complete comfort in one another's stare.

There's an order to kill you, she said cooly. An utterance that didn't crack his shell but instead solidified his beliefs in who Sorina was. For a moment he wondered if she was indeed here to collect his head - something that was quickly tossed away as Blackfoot continued. Asking him what had occurred.

He breathed. Steadily and slowly as he pondered how to answer. The words he would use... what was appropriate and what would hold true to his thoughts. “I slept with Sorina.” He'd say flatly. Matter-of-factly. “She wanted it.” He made sure Blackfoot knew it was consensual. Somewhat. To him, she had taken advantage of his fury for her satisfaction.

“I left... she confronted me... we insulted one another, and that was the end.” In the end, he kept the nitty gritty details to himself.

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 He slept with her... uuuuggghhh.... did he have to stick his dick into everything that moved? Could he not just... Well, she didn't just know what but something. Be more frugal with whom he chose to have relations with? Such intimate things could bring terrible emotions and baggage if one wasn't careful. Just like now... with this whole mess that this had conjured up. But surely, just sleeping with someone couldn't cause this. "Insults and sex brought this?" Surely that could not be it. A whole order to kill someone over that? "The fuck did you say to her?" Her eyes narrowed minusculely, simultaneously curious and just a tad bit irritated that his is what caused him to lose his home. It had to be some terrible thing because she doubted it could just be because of the sex. Was that really all?" Because it was still hard to believe.

 And potentially hers as well if she wished to go with him. Depending on what he answered, that was still very much up in the air.

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He grunted a reply. It was... the gist of it he supposed. As Blackfoot asked for more details on what exactly he had called Sorina... his eye fell. Half-ashamed, and almost amused thinking back to it, he couldn't help but grin lightly as he mumbled. “A whore.”

Was that really all? Not quite... but he wasn't quite ready to re-open that wound today. How she reminded him of a past romance, how that woman had tore down his walls just to tear his insides to shreds. How Sorina was tantalizingly close to doing the same, luring him with bedroom eyes after coaxing him to speak.

He frowned. Biting down his words and refusing to say any more on the matter. “She's a spoiled brat.” He spat instead with ire. Letting the hairs along his spine rise unconsciously so.

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 He called her... a whore.

 Blackfoot wasn't prone to laughter. In fact, she was not prone to anything that resembled a smile in any way. Today was no different... but if you looked close enough you might see a small twinkle in her seafoam gaze. One thing she did do was let out a snort... the closest she ever came to actual laughter, so far. Still, it wasn't a judgement. It was amusement. "If the pawprint matches." Was that... wryness in her tone? Not that it mattered, it was her opinion on the matter. Act like a whore, get called a whore. Queen or not.

 She had to fight to not roll her eyes. "You have a kill order because you hurt the queen's feelings?" And that seemed like the gist of it to her. Granted, two sides to every story but she was a tad biased --even if she wouldn't' admit it-- towards Rosencrantz. Although, from what she gathered from him... it appeared that he was right in her assessment. One didn't kill another for hurt feelings, if that was the case she would have a long line of dead wolves leading to her. Granted, one should respect the higher-ups... but perhaps the higher-ups shouldn't wantonly hop into another's bed. She had yet to allow Rosencrantz that opportunity with her and they'd been together for months now. Granted, she was certain that no one would want that with herself... so she didn't even humor the idea.

 "That's stupid." The whole situation. Him sleeping with the queen and the consequences that didn't match the offense, in her opinion.

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Unlike Blackfoot, he cracked a little more than she did. His grin grew with her words and expression, that light humorous twinkle in her eye didn't go unnoticed. He was almost... surprised and impressed how nonchalant she was with his endeavours. “So it seems.” He sighed, if he had fingers he'd be pinching the bridge between his eyes. When will he learn not to stick his dick in every woman he has eyes for just because they give him bedroom eyes is beyond him, and he may never learn... but when will it be the day that they don't screw him over after?

“I assume that means you aren't here to collect the reward.” With her reaction, he felt relatively reassured in that assumption. However, greed can run deep in the best of men and women and when offered a high enough bounty... could sever the strongest of ties. If that was the case, Blackfoot would have one hell of a battle coming the day she believes his guard is down... The paladin wasn't quite ready to sink his sword into the ground just yet.

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 He grinned, clearly amused at her words and she was... pleased, with that. After all, they were travel companions and it did well when he was pleased rather than pissed. Not that she minded rocking the boat and pissing anyone off. So long as it wasn't a life or death situation which this was not. Not for her, anyway.

 At his question, well, hardly a question. It was more of a statement because deep down, she was sure that he knew. Just in case he didn't, she would look at him. Flatly, in a "what do you think", sort of look. "If I wanted to kill you. Never would have said a word." Talking to a dead wolf was pointless.

 "Next time. Keep your dick to yourself." This time, she did roll her eyes. "Or away from queens." Because that seemed far more trouble than it was worth.

 She sighed then, looking back towards the Everfrost and the life they had tried to carve there. She could go back, she was not the wanted one... but did she want to?

 Rosencrantz was... well, her friend travel companion and she was loath to just leave him. Besides, if a pack was hunting him, he would need backup. This was probably stupid of her; she could be safer with Haldis... but that stupid emotional half that she tried to keep tied down was signaling for him. She would not betray her true loyalties, especially since she was certain she'd heard all that she needed to. If all this nonsense was over disrespect --and she was choosing to believe in Rosencrantz that he had done nothing else-- then it wasn't worth it to stay where an errant word or insult might mean capital punishment. "Where to now?" She asked, looking back at him with a flat expression and one raised brow.

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"If I wanted to kill you. Never would have said a word.", she was right. But he was also certain that some would love to lul someone like him into a false sense of security to make him an easier target... However, he trusted Blackfoot to be honest. And far more volatile than using a backstabbing move such as that. One filled to the brim with cowardice.

“What if they were nobodies?” He jested half-heartedly, jokingly to a sense... he was but a weak man. He enjoyed sex when offered and it just so happened that most women he had chosen, if not all, to bed, had ulterior motives.

Shit... if Blackfoot showed any interest, he would have a hard time saying no to her as well. He had enough respect for the level-headed woman to try and keep his thoughts pure about her, but every so often... as a man, wandering with a woman... he had thoughts.

Then the inevitable of "where to now?" came and he moved on from his light-hearted, poorly timed, teasing. “South, away from here.”

---

End?

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 Another eye roll at his "joke"... but she was not annoyed, in fact, one might think it was a jest in and of itself. If they knew her well enough. She was hardly overt with any emotions that weren't negative. It was her choice to go with him and her choice to stay with him... because she enjoyed his company. It was easier, emotionally, with him. She wouldn't dwell on the "why" of that. "As long as it doesn't make problems." And she would step forward to come abreast of him.

 She said nothing to his words of moving south, simply nodded her head. It was good enough for her, maybe they'd find another pack more suitable for themselves. It was fucking cold here anyway.

---

exit stage left

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