I'm gonna shake my fetters I'm breaking loose,

@Jun

She was a bit drained, admittingly. Slowly dwelving back to usual habit and shrugging off most, but didn't have much energy to go diving or fishing within the depths. Her muscles were sore, she was bruised from tussling and wounds still a bit fresh, but healing well. The salt stung against, and today decided against hunting within the waters. At least avoiding shoulder and neck, for her paws were fine to the cooling tough of the waves.

Vendrussel found herself to one side of the coast, were the tide pools brought in loot to chew. She waited lightly by the side, watching the waves come in and out for what it left within the rocks and sands. Often crabs and so or stray fish found in the waves, clams on occasions hiding within the sand and she peered to the side.. The bubbling of so ; an indication of one digging itself deeply into so. She waited.. Patiently for the wave to descend and —

Quick, was she digging. Into the sand with rampant feet before it got away, buried away within the wetness of the ocean and deeper to the crust and finally did her paws feel the hardness, and dig around it. An awkward grasping, as her paws tried to hug and tug out.

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Off of the coast in the rugged foothills of the cascading rock structures Jun found himself wandering about, lingering against the open tide pools, making faint snarls towards the crabs that flicked their pincers toward his face. 

Muscles rippling against the ribbed blue of his fur, he'd jump heights to reach the hidden cave. As sore as they were, the grumble in his stomach outmatched the burning aches. The soft sounds of waves colliding with the structure soothed him, a calming sound struck him in a state of awe and wonder. 

The scent of something chilling ran across his senses, the deeper salt of the sea stinging his nose. Vendrussel. Undeniably it was her— no wolf smelled of such without having their hairs fall off. He stalked upon her scent, snaking and winding through the sharp corners until he watched her imperviously. 

She was attempting to catch something that was hidden away in the tidepool; he wanted to be a part of it. No doubt. With the rising tensions between himself and Serenity, maybe some good ol' fishing would do the trick.

Jun made himself apparent, stepping out of the shadows; "Is there room for the both of us?"

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Finally did she catch it so, though tried to plunge back, she shoved her face forward and caught the clam so. It hid in it's shell, as does it all. It was a relatively big size however, too big where she could swallow hole. A huffing within an annoyance, for in that case of so she would have to actually crack the shell to get the prize within inside. As Jun came from behind, she tended to that business.

Rather silly though, for Vendrussel lifted her head.. High in the sky, right before she hurriedly slammed it down and released the clam upon the rock ; cracking, it's shell. Normally it would take a few times, or even using a rock and angrily banging against. Though the crack was large enough that it brought into it's shell and she could use her fangs and scoop out some of the flesh that was within side ; a slurping to a fine meal as her tongue slide against her teeth.

"You know how to catch clams?" she said with a light smile, paw on the half broken, half ate clam.

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The man watched curiously as Vendrussel dug into the grounds, feverishly thrusting her paws there. She'd emerge with a clam, big and bright, and threw it into the air like a gull. Astonished and joyed, Jun couldn't help but laugh. 

"I hadn't realized the Queen of Dragons imitated a seagull." He'd notice the crack within the shell, intently turning his head to inspect it. So she was doing the Gull Method? Jun had never done something like it before, but he sure wanted to learn. 

Clams had been a fine delicacy for him as a child, but by no means did he ever try to fish one out. He'd notice the water sprouts— the clams easily giving away their hiding spots within. It was almost like they had outted themselves to the world, as if they had said 'I'm over here!'. Jun would answer that call happily...only if he knew how. 

There was a reluctance to how Jun answered Vendrussel, "No, I don't," since he preferred to know how to do everything. He'd much rather teach than learn, but the clams this season were guzzling with nutrients and life. It would be rude of him to reject an offer, if she proposed one, and set him straight running for the hills out of sheer embarrassment. 

The man would walk to her side, paws sinking into the sand, a few meters away. He'd inhale her scent, prickling chill of sea salt and exhaustion intertwining with one another to create a chaotic waltz. He could even see it in her ocean eyes that she was tired. He'd want to take her mind off of anything if he could.

"Would you teach me?"

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"You do what you have to do to break the shell," she laughed. Gulls did the same trick, and it was perhaps where wolves learned so. Likewise from the bears, she thought, that some knew the ways of fishing. Challenges were wolves were limited and could not match the beak of a bird, of the strength of a bear — they could only make due, learn and harness what they so see and do. Wasn't the phrase.. Raven see, raven do? They were smart, but at times rather silly, she would say.

Her paws pointed to the tide, the coming wave that lulled in and out of the tidepools and sands, "Sometimes they appear in the pools. Otherwise, when you see the tide pull and the sand bubbles, they are digging down. You have to dig fast for them, they move quite quick." She kept her clam ontop of a rock, now that she ate half of it, couldn't imagine it trying to slip away back into it's depths. Though they normally stay still.. Sometimes they were still slick enough to try and free if within the wrong place. Needed to be aware from dirt and sand.

She stepped back onto the beach, and as the tide pulled in — the dragoness demonstrated. She rushed to one of those same bubbling points, furiously digging for the clam that was within the sand. Deep as it was, flinging what she dug up from behind and continually dig, dig dig.. Until, she reached a tiny clam.

Though sand on tongue as she lifted it from her maw — Vendrussel swallowed it whole.

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Jun was enamored by the way that Vendrussel demonstrated her skill. First, he learned how to harness crabs from the depths of the rocks of the jedi from Dreadnought and now here he sat, gazing towards how Vendrussel eagerly dug into the darkening pools of the Sepulcher. 

He'd watch as she'd race towards the incoming tide, looking around feverishly for the remnants of tiny, nourishment-filled clams. To a glamorous avail, she succeeded. His jaw, however, did in fact drop when she swallowed it whole, shell and all. 

"You make it look so easy." Jun would approach her and the bay, now facing the oncoming tides. He would brace himself, readying his feet in the sand, feeling the particles thread through his toes. It was an uncomfortable feeling, but he was far too focused on the stretch of the beach to focus. 

The tide came up, pulling its treasures with it, and it pulled itself backward. The ocean revealed but only one beauty; a sprout of water fluttered above the surface. Jun was sent into action, sprawling across the sands. He dug downward onto the sprout, feeling the rough patch with his claw. A smile of joy resulted, but quickly faded once it slipped away from him. 

The clam was moving.

It attempted to slither away amongst the sands. Frustrated, he'd push his paw continuously through the sands, following it. He'd curse, growl, all in one motion. With one final attempt, he'd swipe the clam upward, lifting it from the sands. 

He grabbed it with his teeth, turning to Vendrussel, a proud smile on his face. Jun would sit to face her, tail wagging like a child.

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"It is if you are fast enough." She licked her lips at the taste of salt and brim. The smaller they were, the less reason to open them so ; especially when wolves had the capability to swallow and digest them whole. She hoped to gather more bigger ones for a lunch of so ; they were also excellent storage for the caches due to their shell. Less dirt to get into the flesh, but often went bad if left out too long... Maybe @Olympia-Elune and @Ghost would appreciate the taste of the snake.

She chuckled lightly, watching his successful attempt before — the clam went back into the depths, "They're fast, but they can be useless when on a solid surface. Sometimes, they try if you aren't looking." As she talked about so, she leaped to her next treasure trove. They weren't particulary difficult, she thought, more of a hassle then anything especially if dug enough just to grab nothing. Fortuently she was relatively alright with so, for when the tide returned to the ocean she was quick onto the descent.

Her paws flinging the sand around, furiously digging to grab at that morsel once more — it was a big one though. She could see it try and go down and had to dig around it, looking a quick glance over to Jun where he smiled in triumph, to his own. In that moment though, with her gaze looking upon him ; the clam vanished. Now, there was just a hole of where her prize once was.

"Ah."

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Jun's expression changed as Vendrussel would turn to him, distracted in her attempts to win her own prize, dropping to a mere melancholic disgression. Had he been at fault for losing her kill? 

Something close to a whimper spilled from his jaw, clam still full in his mouth. A large one indeed in his jaw, relenting only a tad, but he looked to Vendrussel and made his way over to her. He would drop the clam at her feet. 

"Here," he would say, nudging it closer to her feet, then turning away towards the tide pools. "I still need to practice. Besides, you seem a bit tired." A coy, sheepish look appeared on his face as he turned to look at her, but then quickly back to the rumbling pools. 

He would wait for more sprouts of clams to emerge from the sand. Nothing yet, but he would wait as long as he needed to. The tide brushed past his feet, tickling the pads of his paws, creating a soft chill up the base of his spine. He had to catch another.

Waiting, waiting, waiting. It was all he was doing. His mind would drift to @Serenity in the meanwhile, wondering how she was faring. It pained him as such to let her go, yet...yet he was true to his word, but perhaps not to hers. He would find her before then. Maybe a few times in fact. 

She wouldn't go through it entirely alone. 

He almost missed the small spout of a clam and he bolted for it, digging a hole vested in the sands. His claws raked against a hard surface and he thrust his muzzle downward. His jaw spread, clasping the object. Yanking it up, he almost dropped it, catching it mid-air.

Another one down.

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She tried to dig again once the tide return, her paws into the sand and flinging it around. She could see the bubbling, the evidence that though it was there, she simply could not reach. By the point she had dug a whole big enough and deep enough she could most likely fit herself in, curl up into a ball and look like she disappeared into the midst. Now water was filling it so and she removed herself from the spot ; an eye to the other bubbles that emerged. It was in truth though her paws were growing tired from the digging. 

"Maybe," Vendrussel yawned and licked her lips. She moved out of the sandy parts and onto the rocks, as she observed Jun who was still fishing for the clams, "where'd you come from, Jun? You mentioned being used to the sea itself, but I don't recall more then that." Lazily so, as she propped her arms forward and questioned the man.

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The man would drop the clam at his own feet, mouth meticulously wrapping around the hard shell. With the clamp of his jaw, he'd crack it open, almost afraid that he broke a tooth. He'd drop it, juices falling from its cracked surface. 

Jun would turn back towards Vendrussel, yet didn't see her for a moment. His eyes would narrow, then spot her in the built-in hollow that she dug for herself into the cool sands. He would chuckle lightly spotting her, then divulged his attention back towards the open clam. He'd suck the juices— the soft muscle leashing down his throat. 

Half eating the meat, he'd turn to Vendrussel at her proposed question, swallowing the rest in one bite. "You know...a dynasty of the seas of sorts." Compared to his regular enthusiastic monologue, he reduced himself to a monotone vernacular. "A place far across the sea. A destiny that I did not desire." He'd confess, almost lazily meandering the tide pools. The sprouts of water that floundered didn't phase him— stomach satisfied for the moment. 

"So I threw myself into the ocean and wound up here. Jumping off rocks with strangers, and becoming a dragon. Who would've guessed that?" His attempt at a humorous approach was almost at a loss, but he did what he had too adverse from...that topic. 

Jun cleared his throat. "What of you then, oh mother of dragons?"

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She hummed lightly as he spoke, "By the language you spoke as well, you sounded someone from the east." Similarly someone that Kei may appreciate as well by the familiarity of the language. She knew a handful, but the time of someone to speak her own mother-tongue was rare, or even teach someone so. It was very rare, but there was one foe within that so. But more often or not they spoke English for the general familarity it started to appear — everyone, had to speak English to understand each other. That was the main tongue upon the region.

"Who is to say you didn't deserve it?" She definitely rose a brow to the motion of throwing self to see. She'd think he was throwing his life away! Hoping, he would expand more on so, but didn't outwardly say it. Such a sway of words would make her think he held a high-title within life, nobility of sorts of unknown origins. Though her own did not have royal blood, she knew the concept. They had learned so, to not seem foolish when forced to interact with those same packs. 

"I come from a long line of warriors who believe that dragons came down and mixed with us after the world rejected them. As we helped them to settle, they helped us — and it is the thought, they would bring us to reincarnation and honor into the next life. I have learned well, that the ways I grew up is not the same here. What is right and what is wrong, differs greatly." When she mentioned so, her paws crossing with a drifting gaze to the ocean itself, glancing, toward the brim.

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At Vendrussel's comment, the man couldn't help but smirk. "Why, remind you of someone else?" the man would lightly joke, a jovial attempt to abridge such spiteful tensions. It wasn't her who was tense, it was him. Jun wasn't all that...enthusiastic when it came to where he came from. It wasn't that he was ashamed of his heritage; it's more of just... a touchy subject of departure.

She'd ask him of why he felt he didn't deserve nor desire it. The man would think for a moment, perturbed. "나는 계급주의를 대표하는 사람이 되고 싶지 않았습니다. 부유한 외교관들과 개종자들은 내가 강요받은 삶이었다. 마법 같은 것 같아요. 하지만 그렇지 않습니다. 폭력이 너무 많았습니다. 너무 많은 증오, 긴장. 나는 내 자신의 어머니를 포함하여 모든 사람을 원망했습니다. 나는 당신의 수업의 의미를 존중하면서 자랐습니다. 얼마나 역설적인가." — I did not want to be a representation for classism. Rich diplomats and deplorants were a life I was forced into. Magical, I'd suppose. But not quite. There was too much violence. Too much hatred, tension. I resented everyone for it, including my own mother. I was raised to be respectful but also the meaning of your class. How ironic. Jun would spit the final words, apparently holding some harsh feelings towards his elder comrades. The man was always an outlier that way, seeing things for what they were. That's why he was never in the limelight of the hierarchy. He'd escape in the night to the 'slums' of sorts, making up lies and folktales to the children who locked waynes-worth in the gutters. Those children—? Destined for scrutiny and a life of embarrassment, all simply because of the place they were born. The system of caste that his so-called home held was a merrited joke. 

It didn't keep anyone safe. Not children, not wives, not the elderly. Especially not the elderly. Jun got chills at thoughts, the memories that he had hoped would wash away with the rolling tide kept washing up at the shore of his bay. The memories were sickening by a fault. 

"나는 그럴 자격이 없다고 말한 사람이다." — I'm the one who said I didn't deserve it. The language of his home rippled of his tongue in soft advances, only ever really speaking in tongues when he spoke of his origin. His accent was crisp and raw alike the sea, projecting into the way that he talked. 

The man would shut his trap as Vendrussel told her own minimalized story of origin; the scheme of dragons now making obsolete sense to Jun. No wonder she valued honesty and devotion of all. A dragon's folktale relied on such attributes. Certain words caught in his ears, making them flicker in response. "Right and wrong, differing? Now you've plagued my intrigue." The man would joke, leaning in for her to continue.

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"@Kei speaks it as well. She hailed mainly from, while I was more northern," though a pitied look at the other, "though her'\s did not have classism like so. They were guardians, of nature itself. I could not say why she left it." She could not relate to the other, nor' even begin to understand such reasoning. She has never witnessed classism or any sort of disgusting acts of a divide between wolves so strongly — though.. Couldn't be denied she had seen some of the 'weaker' ones be picked upon, and those who shown fear were also, otherwise looked upon in a scorn. Even she too, once gazed upon them with an ugly indifference with slight malice in thoughts.

"I want to apologize to you, you wanted to escape that.. But brought you into a pack with war." Tension and slight heartbreak within such a voice. Her soul wavered, for though she told the other what had happened, Vendrussel didn't diverge on the ending of it all. War may bloom but she too held some sins upon the mater. She hoped it did not seem like she tricked them, for in the beginning the dragoness was honest about what was happening. She would never, turn away someone who questioned her leadership and abilities. If deemed unfit, then she would relinquish the title [mash] but only, but the Ford itself.

"Where I am from, honor, pride and strength is deeply into indebted our roots. Even the youngest is thrown into the sea, caring not whether they survive or not. You can imagine how many have perished from such trials, but within our own dive, I will help any wolf that does take the dive." The trial felt important to her. It was a milestone, and a pride to do so. But she wouldn't repeat what had occurred, much of Dragonford was an adjust from her homeland. "Though with so.. We wear our hearts upon our sleeve. If you challenge someone, or fight another, you should expect to give your life for your cause. It's an honor to die for what you believe in. For then, we will be reincarnated for our fearlessness." Since he was fully honest on his history, Vendrussel explained a bit about her own. Maybe then he could see her view on why it happened. A part of her hoped he wouldn't look at her so ugly, as others have done.

"As the war continued, a few of Ragnar's young came to the isle in a fit, one wanted us to leave. Telling her that there was peace between, she seemed confused, and left. When I met her again upon the Brim — she attacked me. I warned her, three times, of such consequences, and with my own fangs — so her death occurred. Young and without a leg. She was the pinnacle, of what every warrior dreams to be. Fearless."

As she laid down with her front legs crossed, Vendrussel spoke and did not look at him. She looked upon the upcoming waves and continued so, until her very story was complete. Only then, would she look at him coolly, a smile upon her face that was neither warm or cold — just tired.

"In my homeland, I would be honored as a warrior. Here, I have been looked at as a murderer, and some have left because of so. And I don't blame anyone for that. It the first time I regret something strongly, and all I can do is pray for forgiveness, and move forward."

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Jun hummed in a reply to Vendurssel bringing up mention of another. He hadn't had the pleasure of meeting @Kei, but if they shared the same tongue, or somewhat thereof, he'd like to know. 

When Vendrussel dared to apologize, he began to shake his head. "Nah. It's alright, I guess. You told me before I decided to walk off a cliff, and yet I still did it." Jun would opt to make the conversation humorous, regardless of the heavy undertones of it all. Vendrussel carried a solemn feeling of dread— or something of the sort that he could see. 

"It sounds noble to me," He'd shrug as she told him about her culture; how they wore their hearts on their sleeves, sacrificed themselves for a cause. "I resent selfishness."  He chose not to elaborate further. Being raised by rich elitists had taught him a thing or two about being conceited. They'd make a mockery of those who lived in the lower ends of the territory, but Jun saw firsthand how kindness could go such a far distance. 

A silence drew over him as she confessed. Something dark and eerie that troubled her so. So, she had murdered a child? Well, that was unexpected. Jun couldn't help the blank stare on his face, taking a moment to process what she had said. Young, without a leg, desiring to do what she thought was just. Yet, Vendrussel too could argue the same. She was protecting her home. So was the youngling. Jun tsked quietly to himself as Vendrussel stared amongst the waves, curled in her nestle of sand and the furs of her tail. 

Jun's head turned, finally relenting a feeling of emotion wavering upon his face. It was almost a look of intrigue, wonder, but most certainly not of terror. "Not an easy choice, I imagine." To take one's life...he would be lying if he said he knew what it was like. He wondered if she was filled with guilt. If she had cared. He wondered. 

 "I don't think you're a monster," He'd wander over to sit beside her, a few feet of space between them. The man would sit to face the ocean waves, too.  "Maybe crazy, but you know, the good kind." At her mentions of moving forward, he could only hum in response once again, taking solace in how she had decided to tell him such a thing. Had she thought it was going to drive him away? Make him spit at her feet and run for the hills? Jun may be reckless, but he wasn't one to run away. That seemed to be something that wolves commonly did here that left a bitter taste on his tongue. 

"Is that how they see it?" He'd question. "The Northerners. Do you think they'd just walk away with an apology?" Jun would look to the sand, dragging his paw along the soft terrain to create a small pattern. "I don't know if I could."

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She laid her head onto her paws, a staring into the sea as her tail tucked closely. She only gazed at Jun to see his expression, and when it wasn't hatred or scorn, she turned away. There was a moment of silence, "I was quick to try and prove myself, tired of their harassment over something like territory. It's silly, isn't it? To try and fight over water when there is a whole mountain before them." She could not see their whole claim but it was large, plenty where they needed no more and by their angle could barely enter into the sepulcher itself. But, they kept finding a way, somehow, someway. "We didn't even know there was any there, there was no claim. Though they kept coming."

"I justified it that since she was older then a year, she knew what she was doing. I warned her to stop." Her voice waved lightly, paws lightly curled within a tension as she recalled such an events. The girl not letting her go, trapped her neck and ready to kill her — but if Vendrussel was upon the floor, the other would be honored and praised, songs how she defeated the wicked dragon of the north at such a young age. But in reverse, she was a murderer, a coward — as so called by many. Their voices ringing in her head.

"To see those of the ford view me a monster hurt more then any other. I regret it, I remorse over it, but that realization is far too late. They will never forgive me — I personally brought her back to mountains, and was tossed off their very cliff in near-death. But I am tired of a battle they started, and a war I made much, much worse." He came close, a slight relief he was not running toward the hills. Most of all the wolves within Dragonford knew what had happened, she wasn't particularly hiding it. The rumors flacked around what occurred and already was confronted, and deemed otherwise. The only way to move forward was to be open about her faults.

Vendrussel closed her eyes, "I'm afraid most of all to lose wolves here for my actions. An endless cycle of hate." In the beginning there was discussion to bring Empyrean in help to intimidate, with hopefully @Hydra and @Dirge giving help now that @Altair was apart of them, but the discussion was still underway and she.. Did not want to fight anymore.

Her spirit was lost within that, for this battle did not bring an honor she desired by more felt like a conquering of the wrong ways. She had no idea which side was on the higher winning either, a stale-mate between as they ruffled against the borders every so often. So far it has been silent, besides a battle here and there while she was recovering.

They will never be at peace, but maybe there would be a day of neutrality. She could never see them as anything more, for though she knew her actions were awful.. Vendrussel could not get along with the greed of them, and the foolishness she observed.

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Jun laughed at Vendrussel's attempt at a joke— well, he thought it to be a joke— and watched her look away from him. He didn't like that she did. "It seems all a bit redundant." Jun wouldn't necessarily understand the gravity of it all, but it seemed now...necessary in a way. Vendrussel did a bad thing, he'd admit that, but in who's eyes was it? To whom would be a greater figure to deem judgment over her actions?

She shouldn't be scrutinized for what had happened in the past. She had repented for her actions, he believed that much, but to hear that others deterred her for it put a sour taste in his mouth. It caused his blood to guzzle, hot and acidic, and made his eyebrows scrunched. "What were you supposed to do, then? Allow her to seethe and add to an issue? I wouldn't stand for it." He didn't miss the way her voice cracked; nothing would slip past his ear when she spoke of something so intently. 

Jun thought that her fear was justified. If his home was on the brink of collapse, due to a moralistic decision that he believed in, he would be shitting himself, too. There was a surplus amount of hate that traveled these lands, wolves in a way that simply wanted issues. That simple wanted warfare. What Jun wanted was peace, but he knew what he was getting into before he joined. Before he jumped off that cliff. As he thought back to it, it only made him smile to himself. How peculiar it all had been— all of it. 

"Then break the cycle," Jun would say after a quiet moment, the silence that loomed over them was comforting. He wasn't looking at her then, but he did now. Looked to her with the most wanderlust gaze he could offer, the most innate expression his face could hold. "Your transparency with me didn't drive me away." His rose eyes would lock on to her indigo's, turning his head to the side in response. "It brought me closer, I'd say. But maybe I'm an anomaly."

The man would shrug. Vendrussel's appearance was solemn, yet complicated all the same. She probably was consumed by it all, teetering on an edge and barely hung on with dear life. Jun stayed there, however, despite her confession. Despite the odds that would drive many away. He was loyal to a fault, but perhaps that would be his greatest downfall.

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"It is how I justified it. But it is also how I was scorned." Some saw her point, others did not. Some viewed her as a coward, and some only viewed it as actions of anothers deeds. But within the end it was true, she was rash in the way and with so, she sentenced a death. Although no one would see or know what truly happened beside herself and the young slain, but without others of such evidence, who would believe the murderer, who warned the young one of her actions, and being attacked without another thought? Defense, honor that would bring if she was just a few months older.

In the end, Vendrussel knew she was wrong. She knew that Ynness died with honor, but that honor didn't return to her. The best that could be done was a repentance within her own time.

"I'm afraid that is hard, when her parents desire my head and do not see the wrong of their actions. The catalyst of their greed ; the miscommunication." And she sighed, knowing quite well that all would be done was continue throwing the blame onto her of it all.. And she knew too, that a good portion is now on her. Yet a pride and knowledge of those who rely on her ; she would not bow to them. Nor' would she give a head. If she came to their mountains, and asked for discussion, would such vikings let her away in peace? Along with her own wolves?

Surely not.

"At least some stand by me. That is all I can ask," and she got up, smiling at him, "come, let's tend to the caches."

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