The forest was silent around her, silent enough that she could curl up and nurse her wounds. The one that had stalked out from the shadows and taunted her was gone, for now. Or maybe she was hiding back in the brush, carefully watching Shuck as if mulling over the idea of dispatching her. Well, that One would find the task difficult, the storm wrapped in fur would make sure of it.

The sky opened up to shine warm sunlight on a cool, crisp autumn day. The chill in the air made her grimace, curling tighter to her body for the extra, much needed heat. Sunlight dappled its way through the trees, life went on. Happy and blissfully unaware of her.

She still seethed, eyes flickering open unfocused on anything in particular, staring at the ground blankly. Though she lay, unmoving, with a grimace upon her maw, Shuck's mind was moving a mile a minute. Scrapping plans and ideas about how she'd return to that place, or if she would. She still had a job to do and now that hit list? Had grown some since arriving at whatever that place was called. She had to make good on that, her mind just wouldn't let that shit go.

Eyelids heavy, and body tired, she'd almost conk out right there, if it hadn't been for the rustle of grass and the sound of approaching foot steps. One eye opened lazily, but the girl gave little care other than a flick of her ear and a deep exhale that sounded more like a hissed sigh. "Go. Away." The youth said an edge to her tone, flames licking from below. The storm wanted her world quiet for the moment.

---

The sun had been particularly warm today.

Warmer than it had been, as if something had pulled the planet closer to them; it was almost unusual at this time of year. Perhaps Oriana was simply overthinking it, and because the breeze had not been quite as brisk as some other days out in the vast territory of unclaimed rule. Needless to say she wasn’t complaining, having grown up in the thick, muggy territory of a jungle some days she found herself itching for warmth again. That suffocating, choking humidity that made it hard to breathe.

Other days, she wanted the farthest thing from it.

They’d moved a bit more north now, the distant smell of salty water tickled her nose and she knew the more unexplained things she discovered the farther she was getting from Saboro. She wasn’t afraid of it anymore, but the more distance she could put between herself and her ashen home, the less dramatic altercations she needed to endure.

As if Saboro was the only source of such things. Ha!

Oriana didn’t give much mind at all to the things around her, not attempting to stealthy nor attract attention. Truly, if it weren’t from the hiss that emerged from the small thicket be her feet she would’ve walked right passed the ball of pale volatility.

Well, she was in for it now. Who, exactly, you might ask? Keep reading.

"Go. Away."

Oriana wasn’t sure if she should laugh or snort. Maybe both. She halted in her tracts and looked at the sad, bloodied ball of barely a teen before her. Another lost child— thankfully, it wasn't her's this time. “No.” She responded rather nonchalantly, feeling barely a threat from the little raging thing. Regardless of whether or not Oriana was met with a response, silence would fall between them for a while.

Seconds? No, more like minutes. Oriana simply stood and stared. She was fascinated by this child; it was far from the precious thing she met in the eyes of Ori— younger, though? Different specimen, different approach. She could sense something in the depths of it’s being, the aura oozing out from the raging waves on the brink of either simmering or exploding.

She stared right into the eye of it. The calm before the storm.

Finally after methodical amount of silence, she remarked dryly, bluntly; as if she were reading a drab headline. “You look like you’re lost.” Did she care? Enough to make a statement out of it.

---

Ear flicked at the voice of this looming shadow, but she did much else, the 'no' was registered with irritation and body wanted nothing more than spring up and bite just whoever this was, but also she was tired. Instead a dissatisfied growl rumbled in the youth's chest. "Then shut the fuck up." The same normal bite clung to those words, but for whatever reason they dripped angsty pre-teen. There were a handful of times she had said it to Tehtys or Rita, the latter could've easily slapped the taste out of her mouth, probably did. All that bullshit blurred together anyway.

The stranger spoke again, this time they'd really hear the storm's growl. "NO! ACTUALLY! I LOOK LIKE I'M TRYING TO FUCKING SLEEP!" Shuck finally bolted upward, eyes wide and face anything, but kind as she was met with the pinkish, black, and yellow hues of whoever the FUCK this was. The wounds on her neck and shoulder were like a choke chain, yanking her back to the gravity of her situation, but Shuck had unyielding resolve in the face of adversity.

She winced, feeling that familiar blossom of pain from reopening freshly closed wounds and she damn near lost her mind. "Fuck." The pale girl barked, gaze still fixed on her unwanted company, and then she slumped onto her haunches in a sort of splayed/slouchy sitting position. "FUCK FUCK FUCK!" Body nearly buckled under her as she gave the ground a harsh shove, that only furthered in that stupid fucking pain. Everything about this was a goddamn bitch of an unsatisfactory situation.

Wild gaze flashed back to Oriana, who'd either be amused by these odd antics, or not even care, either way Shuck would glare daggers up at the woman. "What what WHAT OKAY?! WHAT. THE. FUCK. DO. YOU. WANT?!"

---

"Then shut the fuck up."

Oriana scoffed. Angsty pre-teen was right, and the ex-monarch rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky to be out here with that tongue.” She muttered under her breath, thinking about the life this mouthy child would have if they tried to do this within the walls of the only pack she knew. Where was this pup living to be able to survive this long running it’s mouth like that? Perhaps she were more lost than Oriana bargained for. “Lucky you even still have it.” She said louder, not trying very hard to be quiet about her own biting words. She expected some kind of foolish, immature squabbling in response.

Temper tantrum, more like.

"NO! ACTUALLY! I LOOK LIKE I'M TRYING TO FUCKING SLEEP!"

Oriana didn’t flinch when suddenly the child bolted up, but whatever amusement Oriana had upon her face was gone now. Moving closer now, misleading doe eyes upon a stoic face looked down upon the child. She could smell the iron of the wounds from a mile away— this child had quite the spark for someone so damaged. The golden woman considered her words, thinking of a million things she could say but none of them had the weight and the snap required for someone like this. Instead she watched the silver girl recoil in her wounds, expressionless as she pondered the sight she was witnessing before her.

Continued cursing, fidgeting, hissing. Like a strangled dog left on the street to fend for themselves.

It was a little sad, wasn’t it?

Oriana waited until she was done whatever it was she did, until she spoke not even half a breath after the last syllable left the girl’s mouth.

"What what WHAT OKAY?! WHAT. THE. FUCK. DO. YOU. WANT?!"

“Are you afraid to die?” Oriana followed up with another step forward, looming down at the small, stormy child with the daggers for eyes. What she would see in return is a scarred face, red tattoos, and her own set of childlike features, masked with years of Saboran conditioning.

What she didn’t see was the dripping, oozing marks left behind from a strangling, suffocating thorn-adorned crown, the tears made of Saboran blood rolling down her face, the soot in her fur from a unforgiving volcano, the searing, smoking branding of the red tattoos around her face.

Lots of red.

A soft, patient blink and the white and silver of the child’s pelt turned to red.

Answer carefully.

---

There was a bitterness in the way she rolled her eyes at the other, scoffing under her breath and inching away just a tad before wincing once more, body clearly not a fan of movements at the moment. Eyes flashed to meet the seafoam green of the older woman's, puh, what a mom answer. It sounded like something her own mother might say. Ignoring the woman's threat for the most part besides a glare that spoke a thousand words. Try it, bitch. Shuck was a leading example of punishment not working, it only seemed to make her angrier.

And there it was, this stranger had dropped an unlit pack of dynamite in front of Shuck as if asking her to light it. Lip curling up into a snarl, but her body ached and wished for rest. Jaws flew open and she nearly felt herself lurch forward instead of speak, but in that moment her legs felt like anchors, though her heart screamed kill the bitch!!! "I dunno." She spat finally as she let silence settle between the two. She wanted to lie, because in reality she wasn't afraid of anything, but in that moment when that black and blue bitch bit into her neck her body panicked.

"I got attacked, someone tore my neck open and my shoulder. I fought them, but then I ran." The storm's words dripped with venom as she recalled her experience. "So maybe I am cause I ran, but like I said, I dunno." She gave a shrug and growled as her neck and shoulder ached into one resounding shock of pain. Ugh.

Bright, flickering eyes would stare back into yellow woman's, an unhappy expression plastered on her face as she took note of her tattoos, the scars on her muzzle. They meant nothing to Shuck and she didn't care. "But if I'm gonna die, it won't be here." It won't be you. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you got it twisted if you think you threaten me. I don't give a fuck." So piss off and let me sleep, it was unsaid in that moment, but the look she gave the older female said all that it needed to.

---

The red lingered.

There was a certain part of her that wanted to smack this child upside the head, but Oriana wasn’t daft enough to think it would make a difference. Likely that would only result in a flurry of adolescent teeth trying to make purchase on any part of Oriana’s body, and while it might be pitifully amusing, she didn’t feel like dealing with any large amount puppy teeth marks, let alone the sticky, crusty blood-filled fur that would undeniably come with it. So instead she just stared at the white faced girl, awaiting her answer that she so curiously threw in the wounded lap of the vagrant.

"I dunno."

Oriana immediately snorted. “Pretty lackluster response for a child who tries to ooze confidence.” There was an obvious sense of disapproval; whether or not that bothered Shuck wasn’t why she did it. She was simply all bark, perhaps some bite; but not with follow through. Oriana wasn’t sure what she expected from a child, wounded, aggressive and trying too hard to be anything but herself.

"I got attacked, someone tore my neck open and my shoulder. I fought them, but then I ran. So maybe I am cause I ran, but like I said, I dunno."

“I think you are.” Oriana mused, recalling for a moment a memory that seemed so distant. “Or you ran because you didn’t get what you wanted.” There was a hint of her words that spoke from experience. Shuck wasn’t the first child who tried to manipulate those around her, and she’d certainly not be the last. Oriana did it once, too; starting a fight and then when it went sour she blamed it on the victim. It was both unsettling and soothing to seem similarities in the wounded child. What scared her more was this girl was not Saboran, which meant there was just as tainted bloodlines running amuck in the world as her own.

"But if I'm gonna die, it won't be here."

“Bold of you to say.” Oriana continued to encroach on the girl’s space, uncaring as to how suffocated it made her feel.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you got it twisted if you think you threaten me. I don't give a fuck."

“Do you think I’m threatening you?” There was a change of pace, instead of allowing the weight of silence to loom between them, Oriana was responding almost a blink after the words concluded from the child’s mouth. Physically cornering her and making even her words seem to snuff out seconds after they were created. “Do you think I’m going to hurt you? Why, you’re just a child.” Her mouth slipped into a sickeningly sweet smile. She still didn’t budge. Even if Shuck tried to snap at her she’d shift her weight to avoid it without stepping back.

“Would you hurt a child?” The red continued to vibrant against the blues of the ocean.

---

The storm crackled, the clouds on a distant hazy shore, waves pulling viciously, an up turned lip to show a bit of teeth. That angry voice that had become so familiar was stunningly silent for now (for now). Shuck sized up the green eyed female just as the other was moving closer to break whatever space was left between them, closing the distance, but the kid didn't move. She stayed defiant as ever, staring up at Oriana.

A snort, a roll of the eyes, and she'd feel the fur on her back bristle. There was a lot of things she wanted to do in that moment, and all of them had her neck and shoulder screaming at her not to. Haha, fuck. "Didn't know me getting attacked and me running from the attack meant that I didn't get what I wanted, news to fucking me." She was losing patience.

The moment Oriana moved closer was the moment Shuck stood up, albeit on sorta shaky legs, a matter-o-factly look upon her pale face as the Ex-Queen stared down at her. "Like you said I'm just a cHiLd, I'm injured, and you're some grown stranger walking up on me like you know me. You keep walking towards me, like fuck man, you're doing it right now." There was the dirtiest look she gave the grown woman, accompanied by a disgusted scowl. "You fucking tell me." Shuck was wise enough to know what fear tactics were, they were used a lot in her family.

"If you think children don't get hurt or killed just because they're children, then you're fucking dumb." Or she thought Shuck was just that dumb, her time in Gemini and Inaria had taught her than anyone was a target, there were no rules on that shit. Hell, the wounds on her neck were a painful remainder. Silence remained between them for a moment, as the woman asked her next question and Shuck stared her straight in the eye unblinking. "I'll hurt anyone who tries to hurt me, or my family." And anyone who gets in the way of it. Now, are you done? Like is this conversation fucking over?