What Jaden found in the stranger’s eyes was hard to describe. He believed that the eyes were a window to the soul. If one was a good enough observer they would be able to tell key details about a wolf from their unique gaze. X’yrin’s eyes were filled mostly with curiosity. A want to explore so strong it almost bled excitement into Jaden as an object of her exploration. There was also intelligence there, but beyond that he didn’t have the chance to see.
The explorer broke away only a step or two and began to change. Surprise froze Jaden in place. He had only expected the stranger to look and become disinterested just as most non-luperci wolves did. He had assumed she was one and the changes she started did not surprise him because they were unnatural, no, he went through the same thing every time he changed forms. What kept the man in place was the attractive body suddenly forming before him. He watched as bones realigned and listened to the stomach turning crunch. Within a short amount of time the she-wolf stood on two legs and was brushing long, beautifully russet hair from her narrow features. She bent down once more and looked as though she was about to take his weapon, which he would not have fought in his state of awe, but suddenly pulled herself back and began to speak. Jaden pushed off his knee to a standing position once more and used the brief moment of broken gaze from her figure to compose himself into the intelligible brute he had been only moments before.
While X’yrin spoke she held Jaden’s gaze. He knew she had some respect for him and could tell her gaze wasn’t aggressive, though he thought he could see some challenge in them. The brute was the first to break their gaze as he watched her slender paws and the delicate motions they made while she spoke. When she asked if he understood a moment later he nodded curtly and returned his dark blue eyes to the brisk hold of hers.
The Nomad warrior explained a life of tradition and training. Jaden could tell from the time he had spent examining her that she could not be much older than he. If this was true, that means she would have the same or slightly less experience in her combat training than he did, depending on how long she had been traveling to reach Ichika. He wondered just how much training she had; just how dangerous this petite female truly was. Training and tradition sounded much more delightful than his dark and gruesome past. He had been trained in killing and the fastest ways to. In all honesty, his hand to hand skills were not used for killing, but rather deflecting, disarming, and escaping. If any wolf he would have fought were to get close enough to him and have a chance to throw any type of free handed attack, without Jaden’s dagger sinking quickly into the victim’s ribs, then he had already failed his job. The Shishen had been an assassin and not to any noble ends. He had killed for religious fanatics who craved power and had come within a breath’s distance of becoming their Alpha.
But that was the past. He had been betrayed by his brother who took every thing from him and owned an even colder heart then Jaden had at the time, if that was possible. The assassin had barely escaped with his life and found shelter and kindness here, in what used to be Dahlia de Mai and was now Ichika no-Hoen. But the name didn’t matter. As far as the crimson and ebony wolf was concerned, this pack owned him. He owed them everything including his skills, his life, and what purpose he now had to live.
Thoughts of his former life didn’t distract Jaden for more than a few moments as he listened to X’yirn. He had spent all his time bettering Ichika and plenty of sleepless nights pondering his past. There was no need to waist this fine stranger’s time fuming in it.
The Fae’s words finally came to an end and the Shishen had an expression of pride and interest sprawled about his dark features. So you will stay then, here in our land and share with me all you know? He let the question hang as he searched her enveloping eyes again. We will see if you have enough to offer Ichika. And, If you are so eager, perhaps we could even start now? He had nothing planned for a few hours other than training anyway. That could wait. He felt he was privileged for a chance to evaluate this she-wolf. What is it that you know the very most about, He intentionally looked her up and down wearing a false mask of light scrutiny. If she indeed had lessons to teach and lessons to learn, he wanted her to understand through his banter that they were equal and that there was no need for her to address him as any thing different then “My friend”, something you pride yourself on?
Jaden does. "Jaden speaks." Jaden thinks.
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