07-08-2009, 06:54 AM
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| http://digital-bonsai.com/katew/rp/kae/ ... tblood.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:fixed; padding-top:248px; padding-left:25px; padding-right:25px; padding-bottom:10px;"> The ashen hybrid was distinctly aware of another presence before long. His scent was weak and faint, but the coyote was secure in her perch—he was somewhere to the north of her, and she had given him a wide enough berth for them to have avoided each others' presence altogether. But it was not so, and Kaena became aware of the sound of footsteps approaching her, the mangled ear flicking in their direction. Her hearing in it was not so good, but she still heard his approach. He came into view, and they seemed to notice each other at the exact same moment. Kaena noticed he was armed, and she stiffened herself, her mind flicking to the bag strapped to her back. It would take far too long to shift and get out her knife, and this canine had a projectile weapon. She glared at him for a moment, and he spoke, the brisk, business-like tone of someone interrogating on the borders. He was of hybrid blood, and he smelled distinctly similar to Jacquez. Kaena assumed they were of the same kingdom, Cour des Miracles. Jacq had not referred to his group as a pack, but as a kingdom—he was a hybrid himself, and so was this wolf before her. Kaena saw similarities between the two groups, though the homeland of this hybrid before her seemed more similar to a pack than Inferni by far. "Kaena Lykoi," she said. There was a smile planted firmly on her lips that was both sweet and dangerous, and she gave a curt nod of her head to the hybrid. "Whether I'm nice or nasty, well, that's on you," she responded, her voice unwavering but not malevolent. She gave a slight nod toward his weapon, indicating he had her unwavering attention so long as it was pointed at her. Her golden eye regarded him with a rare emotion: fear. There was fear and respect he commanded with that weapon, and Kaena lamented that she was not born a generation or two later so she might master the art of wielded weaponry. She was dangerous enough without it—with a sword or even a bow like this canine carried, she could be positively unstoppable, even now. Her eyes again followed the deadly leaden tip of the thing, that same nervous smile dancing across her lips. "Your king, Jacquez? He was kind to me previously," she stated, having been spurned into offering information voluntarily by the fatal looking weapon the wolfish hybrid held. She added a shrug of her charcoal-dusted shoulders. Their conversation had been interesting, to say the least. They had traded notes about their wounds, and left it mostly at that—a king's duty always called, and it was strange enough finding the leader so far away from home in the Wastes. It was strange that Kaena would encounter two creatures of the same pack so close to Inferni borders, one of which was so high-ranked. She made a mental note, and thought it was worth mentioning to Gabriel later. Neither of them had been hostile—it was possible that Cour des Miracles was simply a new pack and it was scoping out its neighbors in hopes of finding an ally. That was also a possibility, and Kaena thought both things were worth telling Gabriel when she saw him next. |