SSWM: 409
Kesho paced still, more slowly and less deliberately now, around this man who had dared to challenge him with such a voice. His warrior nature commanded him to trust slowly, if at all, and this situation was no different. A newcomer to the clan-- at least he was in the clan-- following him, supposedly in order to properly defend Inferni, but Kesho was not so sure. Red eyes narrowed once again, appraising this dark stranger named Itzal as he spoke.
"It was my business when I thought you could be a threat to the pack. And you are right, I should learn the scent. But how could I have known it if I'm just now meeting you? And I followed you because I was uncertain if you were an intruder into our pack, and also, I wanted to see where you were going. I'm sorry for my disrespectful attitude, but if you saw someone who you thought might be trespassing on pack territories, would you have treated them with respect? If you are unsure if someone is friend or foe, treat them like a foe, so you are always on guard." Itzal spoke, explaining himself in response to Kesho's questioning.
An eyebrow raised as the man finished his long-winded speech. He did not anticipate such a talkative canine, and gave a grunted response before speaking himself.
"I meant that you should know the scent of your clan. It is strong on most of us." he said darkly, appraising the last words the man had spoken. "You have a point." he muttered. "But I don't appreciate being stalked." he growled in annoyance at just the thought. How rude that was.
Kesho hoped that this coywolf was true to his word; he did not like being deceived. If Itzal were to disprove his spoken words in any way, any trust Kesho had for him would be immediately disposed of.
"Now who is intruding on whose business. I came to Inferni because I wanted a home. And I thought this would be a good one. I believed that this pack was strong and smart. So I figured it would be good for me to join. If you have a problem with me being a member, then I do not know what to tell you. I'm here to stay I believe." Itzal informed Kesho.
"The only fair exchange for information is more information." he stated. "I have no qualms with you yet; you'd do well to hope it stays that way." he stared at Itzal, his hard, dark eyes glaring with a perhaps unnecessary intensity. He would not tolerate nonsense or ignorance in the clan, even if it was not his to govern.
"If you are loyal to Inferni, then you are welcome here." he said, albeit a bit grumpily.
His posture had slackened, and he had stopped stalking the other man like prey. Still, he held himself proudly. He would not drop into such casual discourse so easily with this new arrival. Time would bring this, but having just discovered the other trailing him, he was cautious.
"You may join me if you wish. I'm just looking around here." he mentioned, turning and walking back towards the caverns he had abandoned. Large ears were turned towards the man, listening to see what his next move might be. Should he follow, Kesho would require him to keep close. The old man would not trust this strange youngster wandering off, in case he was not revealing all truth to Kesho.
.kesho-929 .ooc {font-style:italic; }
.kesho-929 p {padding:2px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;}
.kesho-929 b {color:#DEEAF3; letter-spacing:-.2px; }
.kesho-929 {background-color:#8C9398; background-image:url(http://sleepyglow.net/souls/gifts/2010dec/kesho.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:2px solid #000000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size:12px; color:#12191F; letter-spacing:.4px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:16px; width:450px; text-align:justify; padding:10px 0px 150px 0px; }
.kesho-929-border {width:454px; border:1px solid #FFFFFF; margin:0 auto;}
</style>[/html]