07-08-2009, 08:57 PM
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The hybrids walked a thin line. Neither world fully accepted them—some of them ran too small to even compete with their larger wolf bretheren, but their obvious wolf heritage made them despicable to some coyotes, too. There was always Inferni; though they had established it as a coyote clan, Kaena herself had been subleader, and it seemed from the start Inferni had always been a hybrid clan. Other than this single place, Kaena did not know where else her kind were so readily accepted. They were outcasts in the worlds of the pureblood, and Kaena had stood for that for enough of her life to know she did not want to be part of a lower caste. So she had fought and slashed her way out of that bracket, painting her name in the sands with the blood of her enemies.
Sable-dusted shoulders shrugged at his statement, and the hybrid looked uneasy for a long moment. She had already condemned Vitium to a harsh life by ousting him from his birthpack; it was not so much of a stretch for the coyote to simply imagine him dead. It was more convenient that way, anyway. She didn't hate him as his children did, but she certainly did not trust him, and it was a stretch to say she was even fond of him anymore. There was a piece of Kaena that would love Vitium forever, no matter what he did—her children could not fully extract themselves from her heart. Even if Andrezej had raped one of his sisters, putting Kaena in almost the exact predicament Gabriel had been... Kaena did not know for certain if she could have acted like he did, pulling the life so callously from a family member.
The youth spoke, and Kaena was impressed by his wisdom. His mind and soul had years on his body—years on her, even. In many ways, Kaena was still very much a stunted child, parts of her never having advanced past their developmental stage. It was as if the power had gone out and the clocks were stuck on that very moment when the electricity died. When Kairo had forced himself on her, parts of Kaena's mind had simply ceased to grow. The Lykoi matron peered at her grandchild thoughtfully, mulling over his words. She did not mindlessly hate; on the contrary, Kaena had loved three wolves in her lifetime, and there were small pockets of wolves she would even extend a helping hand to—namely, Fatin's family, Ahren's family.
His next words caught her completely off-guard, and the surprise showed plainly on her face, though her brows immediately knotted in thought, taking on much the same expression she'd held while thinking on his previous words. His blood certainly still mattered, and Kaena would have caught that tiny blur of coyote across his features regardless of their relation. Would he still be a de le Poer? This, too, mattered—or did it? She took another long look at Jael, and realized what his question meant. He looked the perfect part of a wolf, and he knew it. "I can't say for sure," the Lykoi matron said, shaking her head. She was too arbitrary to ask "what if" questions of—it all depended, it depended on whether he was still a de le Poer, whether she recognized the coyote in him, her mood at the moment, his behavior—with perfectly careful steps the might have become the best of friends. With blatant insults at outright rage at each other, she would have slit his throat as quickly as any others. "Sometimes I don't understand myself," was the best she could offer, shrugging helplessly at the pale hybrid. "If we were civil to each other as strangers?" You probably walk away without a mark. I'm feeling nasty or you say the wrong thing..." she trailed off, not wishing to continue. It was a difficult thing for Kaena to admit, and her yellow-gold eye turned toward the ground.
The hybrids walked a thin line. Neither world fully accepted them—some of them ran too small to even compete with their larger wolf bretheren, but their obvious wolf heritage made them despicable to some coyotes, too. There was always Inferni; though they had established it as a coyote clan, Kaena herself had been subleader, and it seemed from the start Inferni had always been a hybrid clan. Other than this single place, Kaena did not know where else her kind were so readily accepted. They were outcasts in the worlds of the pureblood, and Kaena had stood for that for enough of her life to know she did not want to be part of a lower caste. So she had fought and slashed her way out of that bracket, painting her name in the sands with the blood of her enemies.
Sable-dusted shoulders shrugged at his statement, and the hybrid looked uneasy for a long moment. She had already condemned Vitium to a harsh life by ousting him from his birthpack; it was not so much of a stretch for the coyote to simply imagine him dead. It was more convenient that way, anyway. She didn't hate him as his children did, but she certainly did not trust him, and it was a stretch to say she was even fond of him anymore. There was a piece of Kaena that would love Vitium forever, no matter what he did—her children could not fully extract themselves from her heart. Even if Andrezej had raped one of his sisters, putting Kaena in almost the exact predicament Gabriel had been... Kaena did not know for certain if she could have acted like he did, pulling the life so callously from a family member.
The youth spoke, and Kaena was impressed by his wisdom. His mind and soul had years on his body—years on her, even. In many ways, Kaena was still very much a stunted child, parts of her never having advanced past their developmental stage. It was as if the power had gone out and the clocks were stuck on that very moment when the electricity died. When Kairo had forced himself on her, parts of Kaena's mind had simply ceased to grow. The Lykoi matron peered at her grandchild thoughtfully, mulling over his words. She did not mindlessly hate; on the contrary, Kaena had loved three wolves in her lifetime, and there were small pockets of wolves she would even extend a helping hand to—namely, Fatin's family, Ahren's family.
His next words caught her completely off-guard, and the surprise showed plainly on her face, though her brows immediately knotted in thought, taking on much the same expression she'd held while thinking on his previous words. His blood certainly still mattered, and Kaena would have caught that tiny blur of coyote across his features regardless of their relation. Would he still be a de le Poer? This, too, mattered—or did it? She took another long look at Jael, and realized what his question meant. He looked the perfect part of a wolf, and he knew it. "I can't say for sure," the Lykoi matron said, shaking her head. She was too arbitrary to ask "what if" questions of—it all depended, it depended on whether he was still a de le Poer, whether she recognized the coyote in him, her mood at the moment, his behavior—with perfectly careful steps the might have become the best of friends. With blatant insults at outright rage at each other, she would have slit his throat as quickly as any others. "Sometimes I don't understand myself," was the best she could offer, shrugging helplessly at the pale hybrid. "If we were civil to each other as strangers?" You probably walk away without a mark. I'm feeling nasty or you say the wrong thing..." she trailed off, not wishing to continue. It was a difficult thing for Kaena to admit, and her yellow-gold eye turned toward the ground.