Howling in the Streets{M} DamoniquexBrokecollege

[Damonique]

However Elisabeth had expected him to respond to this unprompted and public confrontation, his casual dismissal of she and her concerns was not it, and only served to fuel her righteous indignation. Honestly, Lucent expected no less of the fiery young lieutenant, and in most circumstances, it was one of her most attractive qualities. There was a fire in her amber eyes that he couldn't help but lose himself in...and not as a contest of dominance. But he had to break the spell out of pure will alone.

Lucent lamented that despite all he had tried to tell and show her, Elisabeth hadn't yet learned to play the game, how to seperate their true selves that shared the few private moments between them from the characters they had to play for the public eye. Lucent and Elisabeth were much different people than the Alpha Mane and the Lieutenant Vaughn. However much Lucent despised the narrow-minded class and sex-based hierarchy held by much of their race, it was a society he was working to change from within....he didn't just have to meet it's expectations, he had to exceed them until the time was right. And that time was not today.

It wasn't even that Elisabeth was merely a Female challenging a Male, or merely a Lieutenant challenging an Alpha....it was that she was an Evertail challenging a Fang...the Fang. Her words and actions, and Lucent's responses to them, reflected on the power dynamic of their Alliance. To give her even this small, well-meant gesture meant admitting a need and weakness on his part towards Savic. As Elisabeth turned to leave, he caught the older russet-haired Alpha watching intently, wearing the sort of chilling smile that meant he either knew something, or thought he did.

Lucent met his eyes and maintained a neutral expression but for the slightest cock of an eyebrow...something that would translate to 'I know you know, and I don't care' It was the most he could do without giving anything away. He then turned back to where Elisabeth was stalking off, intent upon loosing her frustrations on her hapless man Bryant. The Mane Alpha found Lash He made a few gestures toward her, and turned back to Alpha Savic, but made sure his words were loud enough for Elisabeth to hear.

"I'm leaving my Lash to protect the Luna's and enforce discipline among the captives. A few may be....convinced, that they would rather live on our terms than suffer on those of their faithless fathers and mates. She can be very persuasive...." Lucent stated with a even look at his pale shadow, exactly where he had left her at his side, looking as distant as ever...but for her dark eyes following the brunette with unmistakable curiosity. She cracked her whip to emphasize his statement, with a genuine smile of her face that was twisted into something ugly by the five-line scar Khlia's claws had marked her with. While Savic might not have wanted her in his camp, a member of the Fang Elites was not a gift one could reject without giving insult.

"Tonight I've been lenient, sentimental, even....but let none mistake that for weakness. It's just that killing women of children brings no harm to our true enemies, Damon Redmoon and those that feast on his scraps. Alphas Davit and Mauric...." He stated, turning to regard to two that had shown the grace to accept his invitation, who showed momentary surprise at their inclusion in the conversation considering the uncertainty of their station under Lucent Mane, and quickly puffed out their chests to look able and proud."...Know this, I meant what I said when I raised you back up. That we are a family, a Pack of Packs. And just as any family has it's idiot cousins, it has it's scarred veterans and promising youths." He stated with a surprising amount of grace, tailoring compliments to stroke each man, the elder and the youngers, respective egos in such a way that they couldn't have realized he was only singling them out for praise because they happened to be the ones there at the moment.

"Your respective packs prosper and grow large, and so should your territories. And as Alphas, it is only right that you seize them with claw and fang. Train, prepare, coordinate your forces, and when next the moon goes black...be ready. It will be for you to have the honor of crossing the river and spilling first blood on Redmoon soil. I will give you no orders...Fang, Evertail, and all the others will fight beside you, but elsewhere, close enough to give aid but far enough as to not interfere. All glory and gains you make will be yours, and you will know it to be earned, not given." Lucent went on to explain, causing a stir in the crowd. Lucent was known for his meticulous management of time and place...this was not usually his way. But it was what they wanted to hear, and more importantly...it meant the traitor he suspected might be in their midst would know no more than they. If the Redmoon were prepared on the night of moon, it confirmed his suspicion. And if the outcome was a defeat...well, that wasn't his fault, the Nightwalkers and Skyclaw's should have fought harder. Lucent clapped his hands and rounded up his entourage, minus Lash, signaling that he was prepared to depart. Before he did, he turned to Savic, who seemed more animated that usual at this news...perhaps because it gave the other Alphas a goal to persue and robbed him of the opportunity to play on the concerns raised about Lucent. Or not. Either way, it kept him guessing. He then turned to his sister beside him, gesturing in the direction Elisabeth had gone.

"Dear sister, I believe Lieutenant Vaughn mentioned some warriors eager to join your nightly hunts, and other...nightly...activities. I'm sure she and Alpha Savic would like to give them a few inspiring words before sending them off." He added, almost as an aside of little importance, as to suggest that surely his friend and ally had approved such an exchange beforehand. Lucent greatly enjoyed the flash of confusion followed by a transition to anger that his counterpart adopted upon realizing what had been said.

--------------------

Khlia did not entirely understand the true nature of her brother's relationship with Elisabeth, nor did she care enough to make sense of the of the game of double-meanings and false smiles he played with the others Alphas. It was all extraneous to her real interests, such as weather she'd have time to take some wild game on the way back through the woods to fang land, finding out new and inventive ways to murder Redmoon spies, and how best to lord her new 'gifts' from Elisabeth over Alicia, who would have been able to share them with her if only she hadn't sunk her claws into Lucent first.

But she did know her brother, that the Mane blood ran just as thick in him as it did in her, and that the earlier confrontation, regardless of Elisabeth's intent, had wounded her usually calculating twin keenly. And that whatever he was scheming, be it with or against Savic, was his own confounding way of doing what any wounded animal would do, what she would do...biting back. She trudged off towards the building she knew by the smell of blood and sweat to be the Evertail warriors' den, where she knew she would find the aggrieved brunette.

[brokecollege]

Bryant could barely kick off his shoes and pull off his coat before Elisabeth was pulling the older male onto the mat and tossing a few throws in his directions. He managed to dodge them for the most part, though she still managed to get in a few good hits, even with all the dodging he'd done. The older male grunted and stumbled back, his hand immediately reaching up to touch the now tender spot on his chest. "Damn, Liz," he muttered.

"If you can't take them, then learn how to dodge." Elisabeth snapped, though she did not mean to. It wasn't Bryant who had angered her so, it was Lucent. And yet, Bryant was the only one there for Elisabeth to take her anger out on. She just... the woman huffed, her fists tightening as Bryant adjusted his footing. The world in which they lived was a cruel one, but it was especially cruel to women. It always had been.

Elisabeth had faced criticism and skepticism from every which direction... except for, of course, when it came to Lucent. And she had always been grateful for that--even if she never said it. But now.. she huffed, and swiftly dodged a throw that Bryant had aimed at her bad shoulder. Hmph. She supposed he wanted to get back at her for the throw she'd tossed into his chest. "Your form," she warned before subsequently tripping him. "If you don't watch your form you become an easy target. I've told you this before, Bryant. Now, get up." she ordered with a wave of her hand.

Bryant muttered a curse beneath his breath before he slowly pushed himself up from the ground. Elisabeth was normally an opponent to be reckoned with, but she was somehow always just a little more brutal when she was angry. Which was why he absolutely hated training with the brunette when she was angry. She wondered, was all that respect and courtesy he showed her just because he had wanted to get into her pants? Did he only treat her like an equal because he wanted more from her?

And if it wasn't like that, if he truly respected her and saw her as an equal, then why did he treat her like that in front of everyone? In front of her warriors, the Alphas, and even the hostages? Whatever the reason was, Elisabeth had worked hard for her position. She had spent years of blood, sweat, and tears clawing her way through the ranks to get where she was today. She deserved respect just like he and all of their warriors did--whether they were alone, or in front of a massive group like they were today.

Elisabeth stumbled back with a groan as Bryant landed a hit right in the middle of her stomach. She would have fallen to the ground, too, had she not grasped hold of a nearby wall to steady herself. Dammit. Once she had steadied herself, Elisabeth prepared to give back to Bryant what he'd so generously gifted to her, but the sight of a door opening stopped her. Elisabeth raised her hand, signaling for a pause, and then crossed her arms over her chest.

Khlia. Of course, it was Khlia. Lucent would never come to apologize, not so soon after a disagreement. Though, she wondered why Khlia was there. She wasn't exactly the kind of friend who sat down with you and talked about your feelings. Maybe, then, she was here for the men she'd been promised. "Khlia." she greeted with a sigh as she stepped off the training mat. "Have you come for Foster and the others? I assume they're all still outside with their patrols."

Elisabeth gestured vaguely outside. "I'll have Bryant gather them for you if you'd like. But, they have their orders. And that is to follow your word without question. Though, I hope you won't use that against them." she teased with a faint smile. Just because she was angry with one Mane twin, didn't mean she was angry with the other. Actually, she was kind of grateful for Khlia.

Who knew what would have happened had the woman not stepped up and separated Elisabeth and Lucent. Well, Elisabeth knew--and it wasn't pretty. "I'll send word if I need them back. But until then, please give them all the blood that they've been craving. Ah, and I'll send the others tonight. Hopefully, they won't drive you as crazy as they've been driving me."

[Damonique]

Khlia had stood in the cracked doorway for several moments, witnessing the the unlucky Bryant play the role of punching-bag for his frustrated Lieutenant, who was far more aggressive here than she'd ever seen her on the battlefield, where she was all about quick kills and reversals, always on her feet. Boxing, she stood straight-backed and threw out hammer-blow punches with precision, replacing any defense with exaggerated offense....which worked until clear distraction forced an opening and her fighter finally scored a solid strike. It was not good, that frustrations over something as trivial as Lucent being an ass could throw her so far off her game.

Finally, Elisabeth noticed the tribal woman looming in the doorway, and drove right into what she assumed Khlia was here for...clearly trying to appease her and get back to her brooding, rather than face the conversation that she surely knew was coming. Khlia crossed the length of the gym area in a long, loping stride and when she was close enough, cast her cold green eyes on Bryant.

"You, go get your hunt-brothers, and wait at the south entrance." She stated to the male, who admirably looked to his lieutenant for guidance rather than leave her alone with the usually less-than-reasonable twin so shortly after the earlier confrontation. Khlia mane had killed men for giving Lucent the wrong look...why would a woman insinuating cowardice get any lesser reaction? Khlia didn't know herself, truly...but was willing the give the woman to whom she was so very similar and different from at once the benefit of the doubt. She snarled at the impudent Bryant, but he held firm. She turned her gaze back to Elisabeth, a few paces away.

"Send him along, Elisabeth. If I wanted you dead, he'd already be on his way to the stars for standing between us. We will fight, though, and talk. Perhaps punching this face will make you feel better." She added, gesturing around her features...a very near replica of her brothers, with the same high cheekbones, broad nose, copper-gold skin, and piercing green eyes. Somewhere between a feminine pretty and masculine handsome, same as he. The difference was in the the battle injuries...while Lucent was flawless, in look if not in personality, Khlia proudly wore an assortment of off-white scars on her cheeks, neck, and brow, and her nose was crooked, having been broken in one direction and re-broken the other way in seperate fights. She smiled, and slowly raised her fists, as if to prove she was serious.

"Lucent and Savic are waiting for me to fetch you...but I'm a bitch, no whipped dog following orders. They can wait and say nice things to each other that they don't mean, and talk about who they'll make kill who for them. Why them, not us? I kill good, you lead good. Better team than they will ever be." She stated in her usual blunt and stilted manner that still managed to be profound. She loved her brother, but found his way of thinking as tedious as it was brilliant. She understood that Savic had been a fighter of renown in his day, but the sun was starting to set on his day.

For all he doted on his Luna, she had never given him a son...and age said she never would. That was why so many thought he kept Elisabeth as his lieutenant...the same reason Alpha Blaise had taken Lucent on as his, with Khlia's 'assistance'. An heirless and aging Alpha was always in danger of being overthrown by some younger, bolder man with the support of the warriors. But a woman, or a hated tribal? Surely neither posed a threat...or so they thought. If it weren't for Lucent's interference, Elisabeth had been on track to be the first Lunalpha the city had ever seen. Maybe she still could be....such a shame she was such a loyal little soldier. But if Savic died...well...

[brokecollege]

Khlia closed the distance between her and Elisabeth before she finally cast her gaze to Bryant, and ordered for him to grab the others and head to the south entrance. But, he did not move even an inch. Instead, he turned to look at Elisabeth, as if waiting for her approval on the matter. Khlia snarled at this, obviously displeased with being ignored. She then turned to Elisabeth and told her to send him along.

Elisabeth snickered at the woman's comment before she looked over her shoulder at Bryant, who stood there in a tense position with a firm gaze. She was a lucky Lieutenant, to be blessed with the few loyal men that she had. Even when she was angry, and even when she took her anger out on them, they remained loyally under her command. "Go." she commanded softly, "Get the others and wait at the south entrance. I will be there soon to bid you all farewell."

Bryant, although still visibly hesitant, nodded in understanding and bowed his head. He gathered his coat and his shoes at the edge of the mat before he was off, and heading outside into the evening breeze. Once the door had been shut, Elisabeth dropped her arms from over her chest and turned her attention back to the tall, tribal woman in front of her. "We will fight," Elisabeth agreed, "But not because your face reminds me of his."

She turned suddenly, and slowly made her way back to the middle of the mat. "We fight because, if I win, I want the bragging rights." Though, if they were to win she truly doubted that she would win. At least, she doubted that she would win this fight. Her mind was not in the right place, and when a fighter's mind was not aligned with their body then they could not fight to the best of their ability--as so proven when Bryant had managed to jab her in the gut.

But, perhaps a few punches from Khlia could fix that for her. The Lieutenant rose a brow when the woman stated that she had actually come to fetch Elisabeth for Lucent and Savic? What could those two possibly want? Savic probably wanted to discuss matters regarding the hostages and the patrol units, and Lucent... Elisabeth frowned. She did not want to think about Lucent right now, nor what he wanted from her.

Khlia continued, saying that while she may have been a bitch she was no dog, and she wouldn't be ordered around by them. Elisabeth chuckled and shook her head--she could count on Khlia to never change her attitude. She always only had two things on her mind: fucking and fighting. And it never changed, at least not in the time Elisabeth had known the brunette.

"Because they are men." Elisabeth reminded. "As good as we are together, the world will never accept us as much as they accept them." Elisabeth and Khlia were a good team, and have proven it on multiple occasions. But even with all of the good work that they did, they'd never be acknowledged or accepted as much as Savic and Lucent were. She pursed her lips in thought before she sighed and shook her head.

"Shall we fight, then?" she questioned as she adjusted her feet on the mat, "Hurry now, darling Khlia, we haven't got all day. It won't be long before the feared Alphas burst in here looking for us." she warned teasingly.

[Damonique]

"Sad facts...I've wondered myself how things would be if I been the one to come out with a cock between my legs....when we were little, few could tell the two of us apart. We'd dress in one anothers clothes and go to each others lessons with no one the wiser. It's how he learned to braid hair, stitch wounds, and raise up pup, and I learned to fight and hunt and hide my feelings. But then these came in..." She stated, gesturing around her ample bust in an exaggerated manner.

"..,and put a stop to that. And oh how they came in...hat's when I learned that men were dumb, but had their uses." She continued with an amused snort, enjoying the banter that, for her, passed for 'girl talk' for a bit longer before the younger woman gave her the teasing invitation to get on with it. So she did just that, and true to form, Khlia was not one for pulling her punches.

With over a foot of height and at least thirty pounds of muscle over Elisabeth, she used that reach and power to her advantage. She threw left and right hooks with so much weight behind them that the brunette was forced to dodge instead of block, leaving her always on the back foot while the Mane twin drove her inexorably towards the wall. Even between the flurry of hammer-blow punches, Khlia found the breath to keep talking...or at least, what passed for it, when her focus was in the fight.

"You should not have spoken as you did to brother. You care, and worry. That makes you good. But good was..." She wrinkled her brow in thought, looking for a word that wasn't 'Bad'. Khlia knew bad...and Elisabeth was not that. "...not-good, there, then. He could not take your kindness, show thanks, show emotion. Can't let it look like he has any, not where the world can see....not anymore. I was big and mean and bad, so he coud be who he was. Quiet and gentle and good....until I wasn't there. Then he had to learn to be not-good." She went on in a roundabout way, showing a surprising amount of emotion in the plain regret that seeped into her features at the later statement...and for once, Khlia Mane let her own emotions get the best of her, reacting too slow to block one of her opponents increasingly furious, and desperate, counters.

Elisabeth's fist caught Khlia square on lip, and momentum raked it with the knuckle,just so to split it with a sudden spray of crimson that quickly ebbed off to a slow trickle. It was a graze, nothing more...but it was still blood. The elder woman held still for a moment, wide nostrils flaring like a bulls at the copper tang she smelled, tongue flicking out to taste it, the whites of her eyes fading to yellow, large green pupils narrowing to canine slits as she reared back and tensed her long fingers and they became sharp nails, readying to make a move that would never belong in a sparring match.

[brokecollege]

What would have been different, Khlia wondered out loud, if she had been with a cock between her legs. That was something that Elisabeth, too, wondered often about. How different would her life have been if her mother had given birth to a son, and not a daughter? Perhaps, she would have risen to her current rank much more quickly. And, perhaps she would be dead.

Khlia explained that when the twins were little, few could tell them apart. And so they did what every pair of twins did--they swapped clothes and go to each other's lessons. That was why they had turned out the way that they had, with Khlia as a warrior and Lucent as the leader behind the scenes. They continued to fool everyone around them for years, she said, until her breasts developed. Then.. well, things changed.

Elisabeth smirked as the conversation ended, and Khlia followed after her to the center of the mat. The fight began with much warning, though Elisabeth didn't really expect one. Khlia wasn't known to follow anyone's rules but her own, so she doubted that the woman followed the rules of sparring. The older woman towered over Elisabeth, throwing punch after punch.

Elisabeth could barely dodge one punch before the next one was heading her way. Which was why she was surprised when, in the middle of throwing all of her punches, Khlia had enough breath to speak. But only to scold Elisabeth, of course. She shouldn't have spoken to Lucent as she had, she stated in between her punches. Elisabeth cared, and worried, which was both good and bad. Lucent couldn't have possibly accepted her offer in public. Not when everyone was out there, watching them.

Elisabeth pursed her lips as she dodged yet another powerful punch. When Khlia put it that way... well, she was probably right. If Lucent had accepted Elisabeth's offer of protection in front of the Alphas, and the warriors, then he would be looked down upon. What kind of Alpha accepts help from a Lieutenant, much less a woman? But, that didn't mean he had to treat her as he had. He hadn't had to talk down to her, to be so condescending in front of everyone.

Or, at least, that's what she thought. An opening suddenly emerged between Khlia's powerful punches, and Elisabeth took advantage of it. She threw a half-hearted punch, though was not expecting for it to actually hit Khlia. So when it did, she was just as stunned as Khlia. Khlia took a moment to assess the damage by licking over her now bloodied lip before her features darkened.

Oh, shit. Elisabeth took a few steps backward, her dark eyes watching as Khlia's fingers turned into sharp and dangerous nails. Oh shit, indeed. Elisabeth would have reminded the woman that they were only in a sparring match, not an actual battle if she thought that would have mattered to the woman. But Khlia didn't obey the rules of anyone--sparring match included.

"Khlia." Elisabeth quietly warned as she lifted her fists up in preparation of what was no doubt about to begin, "Don't do it."

[Damonique]

Neither of them could have expected anything they did to each other here to spill blood, the match was meant in good faith between friends, the split lip an accident of angle, momentum, and most of all Khlia's own careless distraction. But she was unprepared for it, and all of that reasoning meant little and less when the blood and pain registered. The smell of any blood in the air was enough to start Khlia on the path towards gleeful massacre, but for it to be her own blood was something else. Challenge, danger, a threat to the people...a threat to be ended.

It was a good thing Elisabeth's own warrior instinct to defend herself had kicked in, as the enraged tribal threw herself at the source of the danger, claws swinging in a wild arc that, unless something was done, would sink them right into the brunette's throat. But at the last second of the brunette's final warning, they stopped,. The mad dash became an awkward stumble that sent the larger woman careening into Elisabeth, the two colliding heavily and falling in a tangle of limbs on the thankfully-padded flooring of the training room.

Even in an addled state, Khlia responded to the new situation in moments, flipping to regain the initiative, place herself on top, and pinning one of Elisabeth's legs with a knee and bringing a broad forearm to lock her shoulder. But it was an improvement, wrestling over bloodshed. They scuffled for a moment as muscle fought muscle until either Khlia secured her grapple or Elisabeth ceased resisting, and the larger woman finally looked down at her quarry with half-canine eyes, panting heavily as she inhaled deeply of the mingled sweat and fear-scent, head cocked to one side so her braid, loosened and tangled in the fighting, fell across one predatory green eye...but the visible one was softening as understanding sunk in.

"Evertail. Ally. Elisabeth. For Brother. No Kill." She muttered, each word coming between deep breaths, and closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them mostly-human again, wearing a puzzled expression as she looked over their surrounding and then back to Elisabeth. And then, perplexingly, she smiled...after all, it was not in Khlia Mane to show remorse or make apologies, deserved or not.

"I win, Elisabeth. Mane proves the stronger. Still, bloody lip is no small feat for large man to achieve, much less small woman. Take pride." She stated with a smirk and rolled to her side, shaking her head several times to get her hair back behind her eyes and rising unsteadily to her feet, offering a hand to the stunned Evertail Lieutenant. Elisabeth would recognize this peculiar Mane behavior from Lucent....simply pretending that something they didn't like had never happened at all. It was a frustrating, unhealthy habit they shared...but one it was usually prudent to play along with.

[brokecollege]

Khlia lunged for what Elisabeth knew was her throat but hesitated at the last moment. Her lunge became a stumble, and then suddenly both she and Elisabeth were on the ground with the wind knocked out of them. Elisabeth thought that she had gotten through to Khlia at the last moment of the woman's attack. She thought that perhaps the woman had snapped out of it and realized who she was with and what she was about to do.

She had thought, but she was wrong. Immediately after breath was back in her lungs, Khlia flipped the two so she was now on top. And Elisabeth... well, she just fought to keep herself alive at this point. First, she tried to get herself out from under Khlia. But if Khlia knew how to do one thing in a fight, it was to trap her prey. And that's exactly what she did to Elisabeth. When she saw that Elisabeth tried to use her legs, Khlia pinned them down with her knee.

And when Elisabeth attempted to use her upper body strength, Khlia broad down one of her broad arms to lock her shoulder. Shit, fuck, shit. But, that did not stop Elisabeth from fighting against the older woman. She fought and fought, struggling beneath her until she could no longer gather the energy to do so. Her eyes met Khlia's half-canine ones, and she prepared herself for the worst.

Except, nothing came. Khlia's eyes softened and, in between deep and labored breaths, she began to mutter to herself. It was so quiet, that Elisabeth could hardly make out what she said. Ally, definitely. Something about Elisabeth, something about Lucent, and then... she stopped, and a smile curled on her lips. She won. Elisabeth released a breath of relief and closed her eyes as her head dropped back onto the mat.

Khlia rolled off of Elisabeth, and the woman lifted a hand to her forehead in obvious relief. Never again did she want to be on the wrong side of Khlia Mane's wrath. The woman was unstoppable in the face of her rage. Elisabeth pushed herself up into a sitting position just as Khlia stood to her feet. Khlia mentioned the cut lip Elisabeth had gifted her with, but not the rage Khlia had felt as a result, or the toss and tumble they'd just had.

She huffed and placed her hand in Khlia's to pull herself up. Yet another similarity between Khlia and her brother. If they did not like something that had happened, then they did not discuss it because to them, it did not exist. But she didn't really mind it this time around. She would gladly forget the time when Khlia nearly killed her during a sparring match. Elisabeth ran her hands through her messy hair as if to tame it some before she pulled it into a loose bun.

The young Lieutenant then turned to Khlia, whose hair was just as messy and wild as Elisabeth's had been. Pieces of her brown hair had been pulled from its usually tight braid, and a good portion of her hair hung over her eyes, leaving only one of them visible. And yet, Khlia did not seem to mind it a single bit. "I am proud." Elisabeth stated with a smirk, "I fought you, and survived. Not many can say the same."

Elisabeth adjusted her shirt before she made her way off the mat and towards the door. "Shall we go see the Alphas now? I'm sure they're positively fuming at how long you've taken to fetch me." She doubted that--if anything, the two were probably using this time to discuss this strategy and that strategy, figuring out what next move would prove to be more beneficial to them. "And we don't want to keep Bryant waiting too long. I'm sure he's gathered the others by now," she added in a hum.

[Damonique]

While Khlia would never go so far as to apologize, there was a subtle flash of relief, and perhaps even the slightest bit of remorse in her expression as she helped haul Elisabeth back to her feet, and heard the brunette offer praise for the compliment rather than condemnation for what had just taken place...and with a sincerity that proved it wasn't merely out of fear of what her aggressor might do next. Again, Elisabeth Vaughn proved herself so very different.

Herself, Khlia could never imagine allowing such mistreatment to pass without immediate, and inevitably violent retaliation, but Elisabeth let it pass as another fact of life. A lifetime of fighting and clawing her way against the odds, rising above prejudice towards her sex and station had left the Evertail with a seemingly, hopefully, infinite reserve of patience. And if there was anything her beloved brother needed, it was patience. She kept her gaze on the woman's amber eyes for several wordless moments, refusing to release her hand...though the grip was more pleading that forceful.

"Brother does not deserve you, Elisabeth. No man does. I will not tell you to love...but to care, to support. That could you do? A storm is coming, blood and death. I smell it on the wind. He will need strength during, and healing after. If any of us survive." Khlia finally intoned, solemnly, and immediately broke the contact between both their eyes and hands, as if physically recoiling from showing such pitiful emotion openly, distracting herself with a half-hearted attempt to set her mangled braid back into place and only making it worse in the process. Something to note there was that it would be the first time Elisabeth had ever seen the words 'blood' or 'death' come out of the redoubtable Khlia Mane's mouth without putting a smile on her face.

There was a momentary, awkward silence as Khlia waited an answer, but before Elisabeth could give one, she shrugged her shoulders, rejecting it, and began stalking off towards the open door. Whatever took place between her friend and brother now would be between the two of them. A few steps in, she beaconed behind her for Elisabeth to walk beside her. Whatever the so-called leaders, even her dear brother, thought, was of little consequence. What could they say or do to them, now? She and Elisabeth would be needed, out there, fighting their wars for them. If they won, all would be forgiven. If they died, nothing that happened before or after would matter.

[brokecollege]

Khlia suddenly took hold of Elisabeth's hand and, in a sort of solemn voice, stated that Lucent did not deserve her. No man deserved her, she said. Elisabeth's lips parted slightly--where was this coming from? And, more importantly, why did Khlia seem to think that? Elisabeth may have been worlds different from the Mane twins, but even still that did not mean she was perfect.

Elisabeth was as imperfect as any other being in the world--wolf, or human. Khlia would not tell Elisabeth to love him, she added, but to care and support him. A storm was coming, and Lucent would need the strength and healing of another if any of them were to survive. Elisabeth's lips opened more as if to respond to her friend's sudden solemn words, but nothing came out. What could Elisabeth say?

Everything that Khlia had said, and the way in which it had all been said, was surprising. Elisabeth would have had to take several minutes to think everything over before she could even begin to formulate an actual, coherent response. But Khlia didn't wait for Elisabeth's response. Instead, she released the girl's hand and then walked over to the door. But, she only got a few steps away before she turned to Elisabeth to gesture for the woman to follow her.

The young Lieutenant snapped out of her thoughts to clear her throat and nod her head before catching up to Khlia. She walked with the older woman across the Evertail territory, with little to no words being spoken between them. However, Elisabeth didn't mind the silence. It was just what she needed after both their fight and the sudden emotional conversation Khlia had with her.

The pair found Savic and Lucent not too far from where Elisabeth had last seen them; lingering around the area in which the hostages had been chained. But the hostages were now gone, much like the crowd who had once surrounded them. Now it was only Lucent, Savic, and a few warriors meant to act as their guards as the two men discussed this and that. "Savic," Elisabeth greeted with a bow of her head. She gave Lucent the same (if not a little more hesitant) bow of her head but did not greet him. "You wished to speak with me?"

She was still mad. Still upset, still frustrated. And yet, she was not entirely as mad as she had been before. She had Khlia to thank for that.