07-16-2009, 01:14 AM
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| http://digital-bonsai.com/katew/rp/kae/kae_columbus.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat;"> No worries. :3 The hybrid's approach seemed to scare the living hell out of the youth, and Kaena was immediately sorry she hadn't announced her approach sooner. She didn't know this young one, and the child was obviously scared out of her wits. The hybrid woman grimaced, and folded her ears back in apology. The ancient hybrid realized to a strange young puppy she was probably quite a sight, emerging from the depths of the cave—and had Kaena been in more of a humorous mood, she might have laughed aloud. But for the moment she was only sorry she'd startled the pup, and vaguely curious about this young one. She appeared to be almost completely coyote, with brilliant golden eyes not too dissimilar from her own, once upon a time The youth began to speak, shuttering and shaking. The young one seemed to be showing a lot of submission, and Kaena almost corrected her on it—no need to bow heavy on formality here, especially toward her. Inferni had always prided itself on being far more lax than wolf packs, and Kaena herself was particularly derisive toward wolfish submission. But she had already scared the girl out of her skin, so she figured she would withhold her correction until they knew each other a little better. She grinned again, her tail cricked up in a friendly manner. The scarred hybrid was trying her best to appear placid and courteous, since she already felt bad about scaring the little one. "Sorry," she said, wandering a little closer to the young coyote, trying to get a better look at her. She didn't seem familiar like any of her other relatives, but there was always that possibility—the coyote hybrid didn't know for sure, and anyone who ended up in Inferni might be distantly related to her or her progeny. "I'm Kaena Lykoi," she said, smiling again, though the knotted, hard tissue on the more scarred side of her face made the expression half-cocked, comical and frightening at once. Still, there was nothing for Diavo to fear from the Inferni elder—Kaena was hardly one to be vicious to coyote children on her own packlands. She wasn't that crazy, stupid, or suicidal—not anymore, at least. "You are?" she asked, guessing that the youth was a rather new member. Whether she'd been born into the clan or accepted, Kaena couldn't tell—though there was only a faint smell of Inferni on her. This was plausible if she'd just come from the den, and spent the early months of her life exclusively with her mother and siblings—but Kaena only picked up the faintest smell of Gabriel from the girl's fur. Had one so young actually joined the hard way? Kae was rather curious. "You've met my son, Gabriel?" she asked, casually enough. The hybrid used a rather adult tone of voice with the girl. She didn't believe in speaking to children slowly or loudly unless they needed help understanding. The grizzled hybrid rather preferred to treat the young as if they were miniature adults, partially capable of making adult decisions and still in need of guidance. It was an approach that had worked well with most of her children—they had grown up with a sense of independence and a distinct knowledge that their mother was there if they needed them. |