[html] It had only been six months. How could so much had changed in that short amount of time? By the scents alone, Adelaida could tell that the lands, her lands, were infested with the newcomers. She had returned through the hills, gone up along the coast, crossed over to the other beach on the other side and came back down into these dark, damp woods. The trek had taken up quite a bit of her time, yet still none had stumbled across her. And she had found the scents of many wolves. Too many, she thought. In certain areas the scents were far too concentrated, there were probably packs established. Pacing back and forth through the dark woods, Adela shook out her dark fur, a habit she had acquired when she felt irritated. Where had they come from, and why here?
Pacing back and forth, Adelaida stared down at her own feet, black as soot. The black crept up her feet to form what looked like boots until they were directly cut off by her rich brown fur. The same color black spread on her face, like a mask. Boots and a mash, like a bandit, and now, like an outlaw in her own country, the female paced irritably, trying to decide what to do next. Greet these wolves? What else could she do. Certainly she would be unable to defend herself, one against how many dozen? And even if she were to find any of the others she had known before leaving, which had been few, as these lands had been scarcely populated by the canine type, there would never be enough to reclaim a large portion of the land... not any of them needed that much space. Yet, it had been nice to wander, to not worry about running into claimed land, not to worry about running into rogues or ill tempered canines. And now here she was pacing like a manic, running a track into the earth where the grass wore thin from her obsessive pacing.
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OOC-Does she have a ringed tail too! IS she a raccoon?!?! XD
IC-
She had been sleeping up upon the branches of the old oak tree when the sudden back and forth rythmatic sound of pacing started to wear into her sleep. She'd been dreaming about when she was a child and her father had been trying to teach them all how to climb trees. She had never been able to accomplish the feat until long after he'd disappeared. She'd forced herself to learn to climb trees because her father had been such a great tree climber which was something she'd never seen anyone else do. She yawned and stretched her limbs along the thick branch as she stared down from the foilage to peer at the creature below that was causing so much distress to the small plantlife. Shaking her head as she caught sight of the wolf below she smirked, wondering what was ruffling her feathers.
When the wolf had begun pacing back towards her tree again Iskata stood up and stretched out once more before leaping down to the ground. She didn't even think of what would happen dropping in so unexpectedly on the female, but then again she'd never actually dropped in on someone like this. When she landed she stopping to lick her ruff once before eyeing the female. Smiled slightly she shook bark from her fur, "Hello. she said casually, as if she hadn't just falled from the sky.
[html] OOC- LOL NO!
The female came out of nowhere. Dropped straight from the heavens. And yet, Adelaida knew that was not possible, and before addressing the stranger, her dark eyes shot upwards, her expression quizzical. The trees. The female knew how to climb trees? Adela had never bothered with such nonsense, why climb in the air when you have four feet perfect for the earth? Ah well, some wolves were just weird. Looking back to the stranger, she noted the calm air she had about her, such a contrast to Adela’s own frazzled frame of mind. Yet that couldn’t be helped. It wasn’t as much the fact that she didn’t want to share the abundance of land, just that she was perplexed returning to her home, only to find a hoard of strangers.
Her pacing had paused without her realizing it. She had ceased once she heard the thump of the female hitting the soft earth. Now that she let herself think for a moment, she seated herself as well, as if they were old friends about to have a nice long chat. ”Hello, It came out a bit distracted, her voice a bit shaky. Could anyone really blame her though? The two year old had expected one thing, only to find something completely different. The female wasn’t normally rude, but she had forgotten in her haste to introduce herself. Instead she simply rushed into what had put her in this mood in the first place. ”Where did all you come from? Why are there so many wolves here now?” She assumed that this female was one of them, again not because she was rude, but because her words rushed out just as fast as her mind was racing. [/html]
OOC-Don't lie to me!
The silver and gold wolf cocked her head sligtly as she made note that the wolf before her seemed a little bit nervous about something. She smiled warmly at her, trying to keep the past weeks events out of her mind as she nodded to the female when she sat back and returned her hello. Iskata hadn't expected a warm greeting, but she hadn't expected what happened next either.
She was utterly surprised by the words the female blurted out suddenly, but upon reconsidering it she felt a bit foolish that she hadn't realized that there were probably other wolves that lived in these lands before the ones from their old territory had moved on. She leaned back slightly at the onpour of words the female gave her before she smiled apologetically, not sure what to really say. "You didn't see the smoke from the fire?" she asked as she looked towards the mountains off in the distance, pulling her gaze back towards the female she shook her head sadly before continuing. "There was a great fire across the mountain, the whole territory surrounding the city there went up in flames.. Many packs lived there.. they had to go somewhere.." What could she really say to the female. It was obvious that she wasn't part of any of the other packs but she seemed to act like she didn't know a thing about the terrible ordeal. Surely the ash must have fallen here or the smoke blotted out the sky for a while..
OOC- Me lie? Never *shifty eyes*
[html] The female’s warm smile seemed to sooth her, as a well as the calm explanation. Surely Adela didn’t believe these lands were going to be as empty as they had been always? Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing, having others about. Certainly life would prove to be more interesting, yet all the same it was discomforting to come home to such a surprise. Her ears perked at the reason. A fire? Just over the mountain? The female had never bothered to journey in that direction, it did not surprise her that such a large amount of wolves had called that area home. Surely they had to go somewhere. ”I did not see the smoke. I have been away. Just return really. You can imagine what a shock this all is to me?” The female had calmed somewhat, the frantic expression gone from her face.
Turning her eyes up at the female, she smiled meekly. The annoyance at the intrusion was still there, she still felt like pacing, but at least she had better control of herself now. And this female, she was friendly enough. Perhaps she should learn as much as she could in the time they spent talking. ”These packs... You know these wolves? What sort are they? None of them with bad intentions I hope?” That would be the straw on the camel’s back, if any of these new packs seemed to be out for blood. Adelaida did not even consider coyotes, for they had never been a problem before, and she had not ventured far out enough to stumble upon those that had establish themselves here. Looking to the female she attempted another smile, this one a bit warmer, with more feeling, but she still felt lost. [/html]
OOC- I think you need a raccoon as your avatar now!
Iskata watched as the girl seemed to change her mind a little, calming slightly under the perfectly sane explanation. She smiled at her once more and accepted her reason for not knowing, her gold shot blue eyes twinkling slightly when she admitted something to the newcomer with the strange pelt. "It's alright, I only survived the fire because I'd been away too... it was a bit of a shock to find everyone I knew from my pack suddenly belonging to some strange new packs." her smile was soft as she met the eyes of the newcomer.
Iskata shrugged at the next question the lady asked before she raised one paw to nibble at a small itch between her pads. After a moments time as the flood of questions began to cease she dropped her paw back down and wrinkled her nose slightly as she thought about the wolves she knew. "They're like all wolves, some grumpy, friendly, shy, wise, old, young.. Everyone is a bit different, but they're well enough along.. but the coyotes, they're a different story." she advised as she gave a jerk of her head towards the beach where the coyotes had set up their lands. "Nasty bunch they become if you set paw on their lands. 'lot of them will hate you for no reason at all, but they're not all bad... just mind your p's and q's around their lands.." She knew what she told her was the truth, but she felt she should advise of the war that was beginning to bred on the lands. Ill deeds made it hard for everyone to live.
She turned back to the female and studied her for a moment before admitting a bit more about the wolves she knew. "My daughter lives in a small pack called Labyrinth Glen.. They're alot like a tight knit family, looking out for eachother and making sure everyone is getting along ok.. and Twilight Vale is headed by my foster child and her mate, most of that pack is related in one way or another. they are very close too and seem to be doing fine. Shadowed Sun seems to be filled with scholars and those interested in the human literature... There's another pack that is mostly relatives as well, Dahlia de Mai I think.. and there's some pack that seems to speak another language.. I haven't met them but I've heard them while out hunting.. strange accents.. but I don't think there's anything wrong with any of the packs.." Then again.. she hadn't joined one either, but she was just taking her time. "Not everyone belongs to a pack though..." That was true, there'd been lone wolves driven out of their old lands too, and many of the old pack wolves hadn't joined anywhere at all.
OOC- XD That might confuse some people. Sorry this is so short and sucky.
[html] Adelaida’s ears perked at the mention of the coyotes. What were they doing in the lands? She had met one or two in her time, rarely a polite one. And now they were here too. They shouldn’t be here... the coyotes. Why do the wolves allow it? Adelaida couldn’t help but feel that way. She had been raised to not trust the species, and any encounter she had had with them only reenforced that idea. It was upsetting to hear that they had settled here, and even more so that the wolves seemed to accept it, to the point of “minding their p’s and q’s.” Maybe though, the wolves had no choice. Are there a lot of the coyotes then? And if there were, did that mean she had to watch her back around certain areas now? The panic was starting to rise again. The invasion of wolves was bad enough, but she could accept that. But the invasion of coyotes? That was a different story.
The female went on, there seemed to be more packs than she realized. Five that the wolf spoke of, and she seemed familiar enough with all of them save for the last one which she didn’t know the name of. Which made sense, the stranger had known them before, perhaps her family and friends had spilt into all different packs. Maybe that was normal with this group of wolves, for really in Adelaida’s eyes they all belonged to the same group. Yet that made her feel somewhat an outcast. Before these were her lands, she knew the area well, she knew certain wolves now, and were they still here? Now these strangers were probably close enough to have family and relatives in the different packs, and she, who did she know anymore. Why so many different packs? Why didn’t they all just band together? [/html]
Iskata just shook her head at the wolf before her. She seemed so utterly confused and overwhelmed by having so many new neighbors. Iskata could understand a little, she just didn't know how to really respond to it considering she was one of those invaders. When the girl asked why they allowed the coyotes to stay Iskata couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Allow it? If you want to try and tell them to leave go right ahead, but if they 'allow' you to live don't say I didn't tell you so.." She shook her head sadly and gave a nod in the direction that the coyotes lived. "Most of them will hate you just for being a wolf, some of them are decent.. but what makes you think they don't deserve to ban together?" Iskata didn't know how many coyotes had made it alive, she just knew there were still enough to cause a problem. She didn't respond to the second question since there wasn't an answer, just a shoulder shrug was all the response the girl got.
When she was asked why the packs hadn't just joined into one big one Iskata scowled. She really didn't know, it probably would have been easier to just do that, or just join back into their old packs.. but it just didn't happen. "To many alphas? I don't know.. there's just always been many packs.. I don't see that changing now." She stared at the female before her as she answered, wondering why the girl was so concerned about so many wolves. It wasn't like there wasn't enough prey in the lands. She titled her head to the side as she voiced her question. "Why so concerned about the packs.. they're not cruel.. they'd probably like you if you gave them half a chance, it's not like we had a choice to move here."
[html] Adelaida shook her head. This female was being kind, but she had the wrong idea. Although masked female was put off by the massive amount of wolves that had appeared by what still seemed magic, despite the logical explanation, she was not concerned about the cruelty of the packs. Didn’t the female see that? No. I do no fear the packs. I mean, if there are so many of them, why do they not band together to better defend themselves from the coyotes? I have never met a friendly coyote. You say that the coyotes will hate us for merely being wolves, and I ask again, why do you all allow it? I understand they are a menace and fierce, but surely the wolves out number the coyotes? I don’t understand. Perhaps she had said too much. This wolf, maybe she did accept the some of the coyotes as more than pests. She had said that some of them are decent, perhaps she had friends among them?
Sighing she opened her mouth to explain again, although she was sure that if the hole had been started she would just dig herself in deeper. I don’t want to seem heartless, but when I was growing up my family never allowed coyotes to live near us. If they didn’t leave willingly, we made them. I don’t think many of them are capable of compassion for any species other than there own, and that is why I don’t think they deserve to ban together. From what I know and from what I’ve heard, too many of them are just out to start trouble. The two year old swiped at the earth. It was frustrating to learn all this news in such a short amount of time. It was worse still that she knew if these strange wolves hadn’t already banned together to eradicate the coyotes from the land, there wouldn’t be much hope of convincing them too. [/html]
I hate you stupid leached wireless and your tempermental ways.
She stared at the female quietly as she studied the things she was saying. The thoughts marching back and forth in her mind as she tried to form the words to defend her friend and yet she didn't want to defend them either. She openned her mouth and closed it once, twice, a third time before she finally swallowed and shook her head sadly. "It's a bit complicated..." was about as far as she got. How could she explain to this near stranger the war, her past, the friendships and betrayals. There was too much in the past that she wanted to be left there, even the past week held memories that were best left forgotten, but she couldn't.
Raising her head up again she frowned at the lady before her and tried again. "I'm Iskata Sadira, I came from a pack once called Clouded Tears. The coyotes always weren't bad, just misguided and now after the wars broke out it just seems that everyone has bred their children to hate one another. Once it wasn't thatway but now.. try having a friend who doesn't look like everyone else, all it gets you is heartache and pain. You ever had a friend your family didn't approve of? It's just a pity things can't go back to the way it once was." Shaking her head she sighed and looked back to the girl. "Frankly, I wouldn't want to get rid of them all.. if you don't come off hostle in the first place you could walk away with the best memories of a lifetime." Smiling a crooked smile she laughed softly. "If you ever run a pack you can try and ban everyone together to drive the coyotes off.. but I don't think they'd listen.. everyone might like eachother, but aliances are a strange and temperable thing.." she wondered just what would happen if the wolves did get the bright idea to ban together.. but she didn't want to think too hard on it.
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See my avatar? Not a racoon!
Complicated? No, it was so simple. Why couldn’t the other wolf see this? She seemed intelligent enough. Letting out a sigh she listened. It was clear that this Iskata was close to at least one coyote, if not more. The female cleared her throat. "Well miss Iskata, it seems we might have to agree to disagree. I can’t believe that they were really any better than they were before. If they can’t see past mistakes, war or whatever it was, then the potential for what they are now has always been there. I don’t doubt that a lot of the negative feelings are out of place and misguided, but perhaps there is a reason for the mutual dislike and distrust. I however, have never met a coyote worth their weight. If there is one, I think they are few and far in between, I’m sorry if that offends you ." Yet still there was no helping it. As Iskata had pointed out, there was no inclination of the wolves to ban together, and Adelaida knew that the odds of getting enough wolves together were slim to none. There was no reason to even try.
Another sigh escaped her, it was tiring to learn so much information, information that she should have been here to witness in the first place. The fact that numerous souls had turned up in her absence made her feel somewhat a failure, but there was no helping that either. She could go and mope about it at a later date. "Well then Iskata, I am Adelaida. Adelaida Koios." A mouthful was her name, but it seemed to be the trend with many wolves. At least most names she came across flowed well off one’s tongue. Her own, she thought, had a nice flow. "I suppose than, you haven’t aligned yourself with a pack yet? Or have you?"
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OOC: She looks coonie to me...
She smiled sadly at the black and brown hued wolf's words. With a shake of her head she chuckled softly and spoke up, looking off towards the clan's lands as her words rang out. "They are far and few, but I'm thinking that wolves are starting to become the same, atleast in their eyes. I have a friend who once though there wasn't a bad thing to be said about wolves but overtime she's changed her tune... Perhaps we're just as bad, would you allow a coyote to set foot on your pack's lands? I know many that would attack in the blink of an eye without asking questions.." She shrugged her shoulders at the idea, it was what it was now, nothing could really change. She looked back to the lady and frowned slightly. "I wish that there was no tension between the whole lot of us, but if you can't get the wolves to drive them out there's no change of them finding peace." she flicked her tail back and forth thinking of the two ideas before shaking her head and settling on the truth, there was no space between for them.
When she was finally offered a name Iskata dipped her head in greeting as the lady asked who's pack she bleonged to. Iskata shook her head at the idea, she didn't belong to anyone just yet, she wasn't sure if she would, though recent events could change that she realized. "No, not yet. I don't know if I really belong with any of the packs, though I don't like being seperated from my children.. I may have to just join up with one of them to be close by, they grow up too fast.." she wrinkled her nose at the idea of finding a pack that she fit into, but in the end she just sighed. She wished that everything was easy, one thing she knew, it was hard living alone when you were a social creature.
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"I don’t think the wolves are becoming nearly as bad as you think. You said so yourself, a lot of coyotes will hate wolves just because they are wolves. There are probably a few wolves like that as well, but I think most of the hostility is just a backlash from the hostility of the coyotes. Do you think the wolves should just stand by and not defend themselves? It hard to keep an open mind if the other side won’t let you." Perhaps it was a lame argument. They started it! Adelaida couldn’t really believe otherwise though. Although her interaction with coyotes had been limited, the individuals she had encountered had been aggressive without any real reason, other than the species difference. She had only fought back when attack, defending herself. Her family had only kept the coyotes away from their lands because the coyotes posed a thread. More defense.
Perhaps it would be best just to drop that subject. They could debate all night it seemed, and certainly Adelaida had nothing better to do with herself. She knew no one, she had no pack, and she wasn’t really too keen on the idea of dropping in on these strangers any time soon. However Iskata might have something better to do. She had a family, after all. "You have children? It must be nice . My family’s all gone now, I left with them because my father wanted to die in the lands he was born in, my mother and sister went with him to stay. I came back. I’m not sure why, it seems without them, I don’t really know anyone here. The few friends we did have seemed to have vanished, perhaps because of all the new wolves? I don’t know. How many children do you have?"
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She smiled at the lady and chuckled under her breath, "Hang around here long enough and you'll understand what I mean about the wolves.." she said it a little bitterly as she realized half her family was included in those numbers. Shaking her head she flicked her tail back and forth over her paws as she stared into those eyes infront of her. She knew the lady had her own experience to rely on, but she felt strongly as well, though the stranger before her would probably wonder if she knew anything about the silver and gold lady's past. She didn't love the coyotes, but she didn't hate them with a passion either.
When her new companion changed the subject Iskata smiled and lifted her paws up and down a few moments as she spoke excitedly. "I wish my family wasn't so prone to wander, I miss what it was like when we were kids.." her eyes shined as she turned to her own babes. "I've had two litters, Magdalena and DaVinci were my first, Ember, Kansas and Firefly are from my second. Icarus didn't make it from the fire..." the spark in her eyes seemed to fade as she was absorbed into the memory of her recent loss... She shook her head at the idea and sighed softly. "We're probably lucky we weren't around when the fire broke out..." she didn't even stop to think that the wolfess before her wouldn't have been over the mountain where the horror and fear had shaken the world of those she knew.
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Adelaida just smiled politely, it would be too redundant to try to argue any longer. Perhaps one of them was wrong, but more likely the clash of opinions would always be present, as the issue of hostility between the species was one that seemed very personal to some people and based very largely on life experiences. And as there was no way for Adelaida and Iskata to swap life experiences, it was best just to leave it at that they disagreed and that was fine. Again as Iskata brought up the subject of the fire and her loss of a child, Adelaida didn’t really have words, so she could only smile and nod sympathetically. The two year didn’t bother correcting the older female on the fact that Adelaida was not from Iskata’s lands, and that the fire wouldn’t affected her had she been present, but she kept her mouth shut. Iskata spoke kindly and with good intention, no reason to argue about such a trivial manner.
And although Adelaida felt like perhaps this visit with the near-stranger was getting too long and too personal, she didn’t quite feel like departing just yet. Perhaps it had been the weeks of wandering by herself, perhaps it was because she was just settling down from her frenzy, but even if Iskata and Adelaida did not see eye to eye, she enjoyed hearing the other one speak. "Iskata, I hope this doesn’t seem too personal, but you speak of children. What happened to your mate?" It was a logical question, at least to Adelaida, whom the two words, “children” and “mate”, went hand in hand. "I hope that he too didn’t get stuck in the fire?"
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Iskata smiled weakly as the other woman questioned her about the one thing she tried to forget for now. Shaking her head as she raised her eyes to meet the lady's she sighed. "My mate.. disappeared shortly after the fires. He made it here alright but everyone from our pack had scattered.. We think he'd went searching for our child who hadn't made it... Kansas and Moon when with him.. They were attacked, Kansas made it back alive, but he doesn't think that Phoenix or Moon will be returning.." she looked away as she finished the words, not even able to say the last one, alive. Kansas had witnessed his own father's stabbing and the kidnapping of his adopted brother, she believed that he was probably correct.. Phoenix wouldn't make it back alive, not without care.
Looking back she narrowed her eyes slightly as she went on, "Magdalena and DaVinci are not Phoenix's children.. Magdalena's father was killed... by accident.. by my friend's mate. DaVinci's father.. was killed by my own alpha, but he deserved what he got." Her eyes went from sudden sadly to being stone cold as she thought of DaVinci's father and the death he'd deserved. The male had caused so much pain and destruction in her life that she didn't care what the hell had happened to him. The things he'd done were cruel and selfish, the death he'd received hadn't even been worth it, he'd deserved the same treatment he'd dealt others.
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Adelaida listened to Iskata, trying to conceal the on her face surprise that she was sure was showing. Three different males this female had been involved with? Perhaps it was different with these wolves then, perhaps they did not have such strong traditions and values as the wolves Adelaida had know all her life. Or maybe Adelaida didn’t know the whole story, but for her it was rare to know a wolf whom had produce children with more than one partner. If a mate did die, then perhaps some day another mate could be taken, but most likely not for at least a couple of years. And this female didn’t look that old. Despite the fact that this idea shocked her, Adelaida could sense the hurt in the female’s voice, and she sincerely felt sorry for the female. "Attacked by what?" Adelaida hoped that the answer wasn’t a coyote, but that was her guess until Iskata spoke otherwise.
Adelaida also wanted to speak more about the father whom “got what he deserved” but from Iskata’s tone and expression the two year old knew that the female probably wouldn’t wish to share that aspect of her life, especially not with a stranger. In fact, although Iskata answered all of the younger female’s questions quite politely, Adelaida knew that she was being beyond rude to pry into a stranger’s personal life, and knew that the questions that had already been asked, and those left unasked were inappropriate, at least by her own set of standards. If the female could blush she probably would have, but instead she merely raked at the ground idly with a paw and spoke somewhat sheepishly. "I’m sorry about your mate. And I apologize for taking up so much of your time."
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Iskata already knew the words were coming after she'd stated the bitter history. When the lady before her asked the question that was weighing on her mind Iskata stared at the ground silently as she contemplated how to explain everything. Finally she just rose her head up and said the simple truth. "He's now the leader of the clan, and my best friend's mate.." if the masked lady didn't catch that then there was no use trying to explain further. Gazing down at the small army of ants that was marching by she sat and listened to the everyday sounds of the forest as the silence between the wolves sat there.
When that silence was broken Iskata looked back up at the lady and shook her head. She wasn't asking for the lady's pity or an apology, though she seemed to have received both. Smiling bitterly she sighed, "They're old wounds, I try and let them be. My hearts scarred enough without me picking at bittersweet memories." She watched at the lady seemed bashful by the things she'd done and Iskata smiled again, thistime without the bitterness. "Don't apologize.. it's not like I have anywhere to be.. or anything to do. It's one of the benifits of living outside the pack you know." she smirked at the idea of being a lazy loner who did nothing but catch dinner and sit and bask in the sunlight all day. She knew she could live that life, but did she want to, now that was another question.
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Adelaida had been expecting a similar answer to her question, and Iskata did not disappoint. Coyotes it was then. Although she had been expecting it, Adelaida was still taken by surprise. If it was indeed coyotes that had taken this female’s mate from her, why did the wolf insist on defending those despicable creatures? Adelaida could not wrap her mind around the logic, or in her opinion lack of logic. Adelaida also couldn’t help but feel as if that point, although beaten into the ground by the two females already, need to be further argued upon. Perhaps Iskata did not realize just how much harm she was doing to herself, how disrespectful towards her mate it was, and how unproductive for all the wolves in the land, it was that Iskata defended the coyotes when clearly they had played negative roles in her life, as well as other’s. And yet, her statement had something else. Her best friend was a coyote? That was outrageous, and completely unacceptable.
How could one be best friends with the attacker of one’s mate? Adelaida looked at Iskata and all at once the anger rushed out of her. Pity and sorrow took it’s place, feelings that if Iskata had known what the other was thinking she probably would have been insulted, but with Adelaida’s up bring she could not help but think these thoughts. As far as Adelaida was concerned, Iskata was misguided and confused, and no amount of arguments would help that. Look up at the sky, as if to check the time by the position of the sun although the thick overhead of trees successfully thwarted that attempt, Adelaida began to excuse herself. "Well Iskata, it was certainly a pleasure to meet you, but even if you have all day, I feel I really must be going. I’m sorry for digging at your past, my curiosity something gets the better of me." Adelaida looked at the female again, and quickly turned to leave before she changed her mind on the need of an argument.
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