So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[Katydid50]

Leaf sang quietly to himself as he worked, an old song that his mother used to sing to him as a child. Unlike her husband, Flowers Dancing in Breeze had had English. In fact, she had been very fluent with it. Despite that, she had still taught her son the songs and stories of his people in their own language. As always, thinking of his mother brought a twinge to his chest. It always hurt to think of her but he couldn't just banish her from his thoughts to avoid the pain like it seemed Wolf had done. The boy had taken the woman's passing very hard, harder even than Screech. But, then, perhaps that was because the old man knew they would not be apart for long. That idea made his heart ache all the more.

Sighing heavily, Leaf lowered his hands. One hand held a knife, the rock a stone of green, laced with streaks of white. The sun was finally starting to break through the treecover, meaning Wolf would be awake soon. Then again, perhaps he would sleep in, considering he'd stayed up half the night mending that girl's jacket. In either case, he was hungry and had to make a start on breakfast. Pushing himself off the massive stone he'd been sitting on, he headed off back towards the cabin.

By the time he returned, his knife was back in its sheathe and the stone had been stashed away in the small, leather bag he had tied to the side of his belt. Pushing open the door, he paused in surprise at the sight of Grace, up and awake, in the middle of the room. He looked at her for a few seconds before stepping in and closing the door behind him. The morning wasn't overly warm but, then, the inside of the cabin wasn't much warmer. During winter, they had to keep a fire going all night just to make sure they didn't freeze.

"Congratulations," he said. "It takes a special person indeed just to wake up before Wolf, never mind slip out of his room without waking him. He must really be tired." Crossing over to the fireplace, he grabbed a pack of matches from the mantle before kneeling down to light a fire. Only once the flame had actually caught did he straighten up again.

After Grace and Wolf had gone to bed, more or less, last night, Leaf had busied himself cleaning up the dishes, even if it was only the pot and the bowls. That hadn't taken long so he'd resumed reading his book, or tried to. His father had not hesitated to say what Leaf knew very well but didn't want to think about too hard. "Wolf will give this girl a fight, but she will tire him out in the end." Leaf had watched the two of them together. Never before had he seen that particular look on his son's face before. Oh, he had seen the annoyance and defiance often enough. But, the way it was tinged with a kind of curiosity that only those closest to Wolf would have noticed, that was new.

"So," he said, pulling himself from his thoughts and turning to Grace. "Your color's a lot better this morning. Good thing, too. You had us all a bit worried, I think. You must be feeling better, too, to be up and about at this time of the morning. Anyway, I don't know about you but I'm hungry. What do you say to pancakes?"  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She couldn't help but feel out of place here. This wasn't her home so she couldn't exactly do as she pleased but she wasn't leaving without saying thank you and getting her jacket back. Letting out a soft sigh, she walked around the room, looking at various items that they had. They were beautiful. Even if she was from the city, she could still appreciate the amount of work that went into this place. Her fingers gently brushed against a feather before the door opened, causing her to jump.

Looking at Leaf, all of a sudden she felt like she should have stayed asleep longer. Blinking when he congratulated her, she wasn't quite she what she had done that deserved that but the next moment he explained. Well Deserai always woke up really early so she was used to that. It was actually nice to wake up once without having someone jump on her bed to do that. She also had to get going soon before her mother realized that she had been gone for so long. Of course she could lie and say she woke up early to go for a walk.. but she never wanted to lie to her family. Her father had done that and she refused to be anything like him.

Seeing him turn towards her once again, she guessed that she really had been pretty pale last night. Hearing him mention food, she wished she would accept it. "I can't.." she said softly, "I wanted to thank you and Screech," she hoped it was alright for her to call him that, "before I headed back." They had done more than enough for her and she felt guilty if she asked for anything more than that. Besides, she didn't know them that well. Grace briefly glanced towards the window, trying to tell what time it was. If Deserai was awake, that meant that half the house was up as well and it wouldn't be long before the rest of them were up either.

She wasn't sure how she was going to get her jacket back without waking up Wolf though. Maybe he would be awake soon but then again he had stayed up longer than she had. She didn't even know when Screech would be awake. Even if he didn't understand what she was saying exactly, she was sure he would know that she was grateful for what he had done despite how much of a pain she had been.

Brushing a red curl away from her face, she looked at the fire that was started to expand now. It did remind her of her what she would like her home to be like again. Cozy.. safe.. stable. Closing her eyes briefly, she then returned her line of sight to Leaf, wondering what he would say.  

[Katydid50]

Leaf was not surprised in the slightest when Grace turned down his offer of food. No doubt she wanted to be home before anyone else awoke. He could understand that. But, he also knew how foolish it was for an injured person to deny themselves the things their body needed. "Your body is weak and healing. It will take what it needs, regardless of what you do," he said calmly, ignoring her thanks. Words were easy. He would see in time whether she was truly thankful for what they had done, or whether her words were just that. Words. He tried to keep an open mind but there were some aspects of the white culture that he found difficult to trust. It was moments like those that he could understand why his son wished to keep so distant from them.

As he turned towards the small chill box -it really couldn't be called a refridgerator- he noticed her glance towards the window. "Don't worry, Grace," he said, opening the box and pulling out a couple eggs. "It is still early yet. The sun has only just risen. You have time to eat before you must return."

Straightening up, he closed the door and pulled down a large bowl from the mantle. Deftly cracking the eggs into the bowl, he told her, "You should sit. It will take a few minutes for the first batch to be ready. Besides, you won't be going anywhere on your own and Wolf will, most likely, not awaken until the pancakes are ready."

Pulling down the frying pan, he carefully put it over the metal rack that rested just above the flames. While it was heating up, he grabbed a glass jar from the floor beside the chill box, opening it and pouring some of its contents -flour- into the bowl before returning it, then doing the same with another jar inside the chill box. Milk this time. "You know," he said as he grabbed a wisk from the mantle -he really did have to get around to putting up some shelves- and started to beat the mixture. "I promised myself I wouldn't ask but I can't help but find myself wondering what a girl like you was doing out in the woods at night."

Before she could answer, the front door opened. Leaf watched, unsurprised but displeased all the same, as his father walked in. His anger weakened slightly at the knowledge that at least his father had bundled up before going for a walk, but he was still annoyed. "Welcome back, Father." He tried to keep his annoyance out of his tone. He really did. Even still, Screech raised a single, white eyebrow before crossing the room to his usual chair and taking a seat.

While Leaf poured the first round of pancakes onto the frying pan, Screech reached into his outer layer. When he pulled his hand out again, it held onto a leather string. Hanging from the string was a green stone, carved in the shape of a flying eagle. Screech spoke, at length, for nearly a minute before pausing. Leaf situated the frying pan back on the rack before straightening up and translating. "My father made this for you. It's chryoprase, to help with the healing." He didn't give his father's reasons for choosing an eagle. His father had many ideas, most traditional, which would probably scare the poor girl, or at least make her uneasy.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Lowering her head slightly when he mentioned that she did need food, she knew that he was right. She still couldn't help but worry though. She needed to get back home. Her mother was already worried about everything that was going on which reminded Grace of her new sibling. Biting her lower lip briefly, she didn't know what was going to happen anymore. Maybe they would live with Aunt Rose again but she couldn't say anything for sure. She would miss the city streets if they did move out into the country though. The city was her escape even if it was a prison for most.

Holding her wounded arm, she guessed it was five in the morning if the sun had just come up. Her eyes looked at the chill box for a moment before she started thinking about food. A good breakfast actually did sound good since she hadn't eaten dinner last night. After he told her to sit, she picked a random chair that hopefully wasn't usually occupied by someone else and watched him cook. "I can help if you need it." she offered, unsure if he wanted it.

As the ingredients began to come together for the pancakes, she remembered all the times she and her mother had cooked meals. Deserai loved to be in the kitchen as well and help with whatever they would let her do. Nicholas would occasionally join in when they were making desserts but that was about it. Hearing him ask indirectly about what she had been doing in the forest last night, she then looked at the fire once more. "I-." she was going to say she had gone for a walk but Screech had walked in, catching her by surprise. She wasn't about to tell him about the news she had just received yesterday evening. He claimed to know her mother but she didn't know him through her family so personal issues wasn't something she was going to bring up. Besides it wasn't her secret to tell.

Smiling a little in Screech's direction, glad to see him but at the same time wondering how she was going to thank him. Her attention was officially taken off the pancakes as Screech seemingly searched for something. Seeing a beautiful green-gold stone with specks of brown in it, she couldn't help but stare at it. It was carved into the shape of an eagle in flight. Listening to him speak even though she understood nothing, she guessed he was talking to Leaf.

Leaf's words though made her lips part a little as she looked at Screech, taken back. No one, aside from her family, had ever really given her gifts. Sure she had friends but it was more like a gang than anything else. Wow was the single word that summed up how she felt at the moment. "Thank you.." she said after a moment of silence from her end. She wished she had something to give to him in return. "I'm sorry I don't have anything to give in return.." her voice was low and soft once again, she was still surprised. "It really is beautiful." Grace gingerly reached out, the tips of her fingers brushing against the carved wing of the eagle before it gently rested in her palm. She couldn't take her eyes of it. It almost brought tears to her eyes for a reason unknown to her, or a reason that she didn't wish to think of.

Swallowing, she pushed the thoughts that were starting to rise from their graves. She had buried them a long time ago and now wasn't the time to dig them up.. there really never would be a time for them to come back either.  

[Katydid50]

Leaf waved away Grace's offer to help. "You are a guest here," he told her, simply. And no guest was going to be expected, or even allowed, to help. Of course, if it were up to Wolf, the girl would no doubt be making the entire meal. Like he had told Grace last night, Wolf's grandmother really had tried to teach him some manners but Flowers Dancing in Breeze had not bee a miracle-worker.

Though he had promised himself he wouldn't ask, his curiosity had gotten the best of him. He hadn't asked, not directly anyway, but still he listened, wondering how she would answer him. Luckily for her, he was quickly distracted by his father's reappearance. He didn't know why his father had to worry him so much. Screech knew that he wasn't well and yet he insisted on going for these morning walks anyway. Though the old man said that the walks did him good, Leaf couldn't help but wonder just how 'good' they could possibly be for him when even the slightest breeze cut straight through him.

As his father took his seat, Leaf watched him out of the corner of his eye. He focused, for a few moments, on the frying pan as he poured in the batter before looking back to find his father had retreived a necklace. He listened as his father spoke, knowing he would have to translate for Grace. Leaf frowned when his father mentioned the eagle. In their stories, the eagle served many purposes. For some, he was a guide. For others, protection. He served other purposes as well but those were the main two. Even before his father had finished speaking, he knew he would have to hold back some of what he'd said. The whites in general, he found, were not as open-minded as his own people.

When he had translated what he felt was safe, he watched as surprise -borderline shock- shifted her expression. Were gifts really so rare among her people? He knew more of the white culture than his father and son put together but even he had thought gifts more common. When she spoke again, he found he didn't need to translate for his father. Her face said it all. After Screech had spoken, Leaf told her, "It is a gift freely given, Grace. My father expects nothing in return." He watched the two, Grace gently touching the eagle, causing it to lightly sway, before Screech allowed the stone creature to rest on her palm, the leather quickly following suit.

Before anyone could say anything more, the door to Wolf's bedroom opened to reveal a disgruntled and slightly disheveled teenager. In one hand, Wolf held Grace's jacket, which he dropped over the arm of her chair as he passed by her. If Wolf noticed the charm that rested in Grace's good hand -which Leaf was certain that he had- he didn't show it.

"I'm surprised you're still here," Wolf said to Grace, taking a look at the pancakes to see how long they would be. "I half expected you to take off the first chance you got." After all, whites were not exactly known for their gratitude, especially towards his people. Ignoring the sharp reprimanding word he earned from his father, he turned back towards Grace. "Or maybe I should just be surprised that you were strong enough to survive the consequences of your stupidity."

"That's enough!" Even Screech jumped as Leaf yelled at Wolf. The man's eyes were narrowed as he glared down at his son. "She is a guest here and you will not dishonor us by insulting her."

"She is nothing but a white girl. What does it matter?" Wolf snapped.

"She is still our guest and she is here because you shot her."

Wolf huffed angrily, turning and stalking over to the door. His outer layer lay in a heap on the floor beside it. As he jerked on the clothing, he snapped, "I'll be outside when you're ready to leave."

Once the door had been slammed shut behind Wolf, Leaf sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "I'm sorry," he said to Grace after a few moments. "He has always been a difficult child but he became worse after my mother died. He does not deal well with grief. I fear he must have dreamed of her, for him to be so feral this early in the morning."  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She couldn't remember the last time she had been considered a guest. Grace didn't really have time to go over to a friend's house because most of that time was spent fighting before she had to go home or work. It was strange yet pleasant at the same time. She still felt bad for not doing anything. She had practically been threatening Leaf to move away from her when he had tried to examine her wound. Lowering her head, she stayed silent after that until he spoke again, voicing his curiosity.

She hadn't been forced to answer the question though due to Screech's sudden appearance. The gift he gave her and definitely surprised her. He had put a lot of detail into it. Holding it gently, afraid that it would crumble, she then ran a finger over one of the wings. Hearing the translation of Screech's words, she then smiled gratefully at him before swallowing once more to hold back tears from coming up. She didn't want to cry, not here. And it was a good thing she didn't.

The next moment Wolf appeared and she moved to sit up straighter, her expression blank now as she put on the charm over her neck. Watching him drop the jacket, she picked it up and slowly put it on, careful to not move her bad arm too much. His words though.. they pierced her right as she had been going back to her cold self. Grace's muscles tense and her jaw clenched, not wanting to say anything that would be insulting in his own home, especially with the new found respect she had for Screech, and all the hospitality that Leaf had given her.

Freezing when Leaf yelled, it took her a second to get over the shock, then she slowly zipped up her jacket. She knew the arguing was about her. There was no way she was going to stay for breakfast. She wasn't welcome here by Wolf but at least she could leave in peace with Leaf and Screech. Grace winced when the door slammed.

Hearing Leaf's apology, she looked over at him before standing up. "It's not your fault." she said before pausing for a moment. "I have to leave though.. and I'm sorry for any inconveniences that I have caused here." looking at the door briefly, she then looked back at him. "Thank you once again." her eyes then returned to Screech and she smiled softly. "Thank you.. for everything." she hoped that she would be able to see him again but she doubted that would happen. If she came back Wolf would start another argument and it would probably tear at their family ties even more.

With that she went through the door and closed it quietly behind her. Grace didn't say anything to Wolf when she spotted him, she simply waited for him to lead the way back to the place to where he had found her, or simply out of the forest. There was a creek between Rose's home and the forest that she planned to stop at so she could wash the blood off her jacket. She didn't plan on thanking Wolf after what he had said to her, in fact she didn't plan on saying anything to him the whole way back unless he pushed her buttons too far.

Holding her wounded arm just so it was protected from any branches that she might hit, she looked out into the forest. To be honest, she had no idea how to get back. The forest wasn't her preferred environment and she barely knew anything about it.

((Sorry it's short >< ))  

[Katydid50]

Leaf withheld another sigh as Grace stood. She was going to leave, without even a proper meal. The girl was so weak, though. The only consolation he had was that she would not be alone. For all his words, Wolf would not leave an injured person on their own, especially not this one. Even still, he wasn't happy about Grace leaving.

At her own apology, Leaf shook his head. "There is nothing for you to apologize for. Wolf is the one who was out of line." Then again, that was Wolf in a nutshell. At her thanks, he just nodded, watching as she crossed the room and walked out the door. In the silence that followed, Leaf could hear the crackle of the fire and the sizzle of the batter in the frying pan. It was his father who broke the silence first.

"I told you, did I not?" Screech asked, turning his gaze from the door to look at his son. "He can fight all he likes but he will tire in the end, and then she will earn her prize." Leaf turned to scowl at his father, earning himself a grin for his troubles.


When Grace left the cabin, Wolf was outside, leaning back against the wall of the cabin. Both of his eyes were closed and his arms were crossed over his chest. At her appearance, he opened one eye before opening the other and straightening up. Without a word, he led the way into the forest. Despite the anger that still roiled in his gut, he kept his attention focused outward. Bears were quite common in the area. Wolves were, too, but he wasn't worried about them. Throughout his entire life, he had never had a fear of the wolf, and with good reason.

When a child in their tribe was born, they were named for the first thing their mother saw when they were born, at least until they earned their adult name. His mother, Spotted Fawn, had been taking a walk on her own when she'd gone into labor. She had been too far away to call for help and the labor had not lasted long. She had been on her back, so that the first thing she saw was the sky painted red. So, he had been given the name Fire Along the Sky. But, when she had looked down from the sky, she had seen a wolf sitting not ten feet away, watching her. The wolf had looked at her for a few seconds longer before getting up and walking over. He had given the newborn a sniff before walking away. For that reason, he had been given the nickname Wolf, one that had stuck with him when the chief had given him the man name Eyes of Hunting Wolf on the eve of his sixteenth birthday.

Suddenly finding himself wrapped up in thoughts of the mother he had lost at the age of two, he shook his head, focusing once again on his surroundings. He glanced over at Grace. It wasn't often that he felt guilty, even rarer that he actually acknowledged it. With a sigh, he said, "About what I said earlier... I apologize. There are many who would have earned such words... but you are not one of them. My words were undeserved." For a moment, he looked as if the apology caused him physical pain.

Scanning the undergrowth for a moment before looking back to her, Wolf looked her up and down. There was blood on her jacket and a single spot on her thigh. She would have to at least wash off the jacket if she wanted to get away with no one finding out about her little escapade. She would also have to be careful that no one noticed that she wasn't using her arm. He didn't know how she was going to manage that. He also noticed that her jacket was zipped up, concealing her new necklace.

"So, my grandfather gave the necklace to you," he said. "I was wondering who he was waiting to give it to. He'd only been working on that thing for the better part of a month. He said we should be expecting an unexpected guest. For a while there, I was a little worried he'd started to go senile."

((...That's your idea of short?))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Biting her lip, she didn't say anything to Leaf as she left the house. She knew that he wouldn't be happy about her leaving but she still did it. She couldn't stay after everything that had happened. It was colder outside, she had definitely enjoyed the nice fire but she wasn't going to complain, she barely ever did.

Standing outside for the moment, she waited for him to start moving in the direction they had come in. She could tell that he was angry as she followed him. Her eyes looked around the forest briefly. There was frost on the ground and she couldn't help shivering a little as she carefully avoided some of the lower branches of the pine trees. The only thing that made noise was the few birds that were high in the trees. Things would start growing again and the days would grow longer. Of course some trees were already blooming but she was sure that the blossoms would be taken down by hail.

Sighing, she pushed the thoughts of nature away, wondering how she was going to deal with school. Some of them would take the chance to beat her up if they found out that one of her arms was useless for the time being. Normally they wouldn't be able to beat her. She would have to play sick for the next week or so. There was no way she could go to school and not come back without more visible bruises or wounds. That would probably leave her with Deserai but that wouldn't be too bad.

Hearing him speak, she blinked and looked back at him. He was apologizing? She narrowed her eyes slightly before realizing he was actually being genuine about it. Seeing that the apology was actually hurting him, she let out a breath of air. "Apology accepted." it surprised her a bit, considering the fact that he absolutely despised her skin color. He had never really been kind to her except when she was asleep and he had mended her jacket.

Noticing him look her over, she tilted her head, wondering what was going through his head before he spoke once more. She could feel the light weight of the stone around her neck, comforting her that it was still there. When he mentioned how long he had been working on the stone, a bit of guilt tugged at her heart before she spoke, "Do you know what the eagle stands for?" she was aware that Leaf had skipped over some of the things Screech had said because of the fact that his translation had been so much shorter so maybe Wolf would be willing to tell her. She never thought she would be thinking that after everything that he had said to her, but it seemed like they had made some kind of peace for the time being.

((It was short compared to yours ))  

[Katydid50]

As he walked, Wolf's breath pushed out in clouds of steam in the crisp air. The world was only going to get colder, but part of him was looking forward to it. It didn't make any sense. Life was harder during the winter. And yet, something about the season had always appealed to him. Perhaps it was the silence. He'd always disliked being in places that were noisy. Of course, being with the tribe didn't count. He loved being there, but he also liked when it was just him, his father and his grandfather. At least when he was on his own, though, he could hear himself think.

Then again, that wasn't always a good thing. When the guilt finally became too much and he voiced his apology, he watched as Grace looked at him through narrowed eyes. At first, he was sure she wouldn't believe him but then she finally seemed to. When she said that she accepted his apology, he nodded once. He was glad for that. He didn't often apologise and he disliked the idea of it having been wasted.

As his thoughts wandered to her necklace, he could feel her watching him. It was like a physical touch, her eyes on him. It left him breathless in a way that wasn't entirely unpleasant. So much so, in fact, that he pushed the thought away, deciding he definitely did not want to think on it too hard.

When he finally spoke, he could see a flash of guilt in her eyes, though for what he wasn't sure. She hadn't done anything wrong, as far as he could tell. Perhaps it was one of those white things that he was never able to understand. At her question, he paused, so surprised by her question that he actually stopped walking. His surprise quickly gave way to annoyance. He wore the same look that she probably would have worn if someone had asked her if she knew what a city was. "Of course I know what it stands for," he said, forcing himself to start walking again.

He reamined silent for several moments as he tried to gather his thoughts. He knew much about the animal totems but he had grown up with it. How could he truly explain it to an outsider? Finally, he sighed deeply. "The eagle is a... complex totem. It can mean different things to different people. For some, it can be many things. Courage, wisdom, keen sight, healing, power, intelligence. Because of this, many see the eagle as a protector or a guide." He broke off with a small laugh. "In my case, I think it was intended to be both." Reaching down the neck of his shirt, he pulled out a leather string. On the string was four charms. One was a purple cougar, its ears up and head raised, as if listening or looking for something. Beside it was a silver eagle, its wings raised in flight and similar to Grace's own. Next was a fawn, its legs tucked under it and its head lowered, as though sleeping. Brilliantly coloured stripes ran horitzontally along it. Finally, an amber wolf, its head thrown back and muzzle raised in a howl.

((Hm. Well, regardless, I think you got a little confoozled. It's autumn, not spring. PS. The fawn is made from agate. I know I didn't do the description justice.))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

In return to her acceptance, he had simply nodded. Well, that was the end of that. Of course they would probably find something else to fight about but to be honest, she didn't really want to fight with him. Sighing, she wasn't sure how long their truce would last for, even if it wasn't technically a truce. Running her fingers through her curls briefly, she then continued to walk.

She was surprised when he stopped after she had asked her question, only then realizing that it had offended him. Frowning a little bit, she then started to walk again but for a moment, she couldn't help feeling dizzy. Walking for this long was starting to make it a little bit harder to breathe since she didn't have as much blood in her system to help move oxygen.

When he started to explain, she focused on his voice instead of her surroundings. For the moment, she followed the sound. Protector or guide? She wasn't sure which one it would be for her, but she guessed she would find out soon enough. He had one too? Looking at the four different animals made out of various rocks, she almost reached out and ran her fingers over the smooth stones. Looking up at his face, she then spoke, "Would you mind?" she asked him, her hand raised slightly towards the necklace. Grace did love artwork and whenever she had spare time, she drew a little. She didn't think that she was any good which is why no one ever saw them.

All of this made her think of her father.. He hadn't given anything to her in years. Sure, he sent money but that was only because he was obligated to. The fact that Screech gave her something after knowing her for one day had cut her deep, reopening that wound. She still missed her father, she had found memories of them being together but she didn't want her parents to get back together. He had betrayed her mother. That couldn't be forgiven.. she still missed him though. She rarely thought about it, but now that she was going to have another sibling, she wasn't going to accept anyone else as her father. Mom could see someone else but that didn't mean she had to accept them as family.

Pushing those thoughts away, she looked back into his eyes, realizing that they actually had a beautiful color to them. They were dark brown with a hint of gold in there as well. It was an interesting combination. It was a few moments before she realized she was staring, which made her avert her eyes, not wanting to creep him out.. or anything along those lines.

((Oh >< It seems like it's been fall for so long lol. It was good ^^
I have an idea >< What if Grace passed by Daniel's house on her way back to Aunt Rose's and the two saw each other?))  

[Katydid50]

When Wolf pulled the totem necklace out, he watched her expression change to something very near awe. He could understand that. They truly were remarkable. In fact, they made and sold them for money. It could have brought in a surprising amount but they only made enough to see them through what they couldn't make on their own. Their clothes, food, shelter, they made it all. What they couldn't make, they traded for. What they couldn't trade for, they sold the totems for.

When she finally looked up from the totems, he raised an eyebrow at her question before glancing down at her hand. He hesitated for a moment before, somewhat reluctantly, pulling the necklace over his head and handing it to her. "The eagle is from my grandfather. The cougar was from my grandmother but my grandfather made it. The wolf is from my father and the fawn is from my... my mother, but my father made it for her. Neither my grandmother nor mother were very adept at rock carving but it seems that it runs in the family. My grandfather passed on the gift to my father who passed it on to me, and I will pass it on to my sons." Unlike white males his age, he had no doubts that he would one day marry and have children. Of course, he could have daughters who had the same gift but, if he did have daughters, he didn't think they would. Perhaps it was silly but his instinct had never been wrong before.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the way she stared at his eyes. Even if he had, he wouldn't have been perturbed. Unlike in the white culture, in his culture, it wasn't an insult to stare at someone. Even if it was, he couldn't have blamed her. Sometimes, when the light hit his eyes in just the right way, they appeared to be completely gold, like a wolf's.

Each of the animal totems that had been given to him had a special meaning. Of course, he didn't know what they were, because no one ever told him anything. Rather, only the person who gave it to him knew. He had asked his grandmother once why she had chosen a cougar for him. She had just smiled in that patient, enigmatic, incredibly annoying way that she'd had and told him to wash up for supper. He had gotten much the same reactions from his father and grandfather when he'd asked them. The only person he hadn't been able to ask was his mother. When he was two, she had gone into labor with her second child. There had been difficulties and she'd been brought to a white hospital. Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to save her and she had died, his little brother with her. His father had never gotten over her death and had never even considered taking another woman. Wolf's Uncle Raptok, his mother's younger brother, had never forgiven Leaf or the whites for his sister's death.

((That's because it takes a long time to do anything in a roleplay.
Uh, sure. I don't think Daniel will be in much of a condition to do anything but they can pass him by, maybe see him sitting at a window or something.))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

((I know but we did two time skips so I guess I kind of lost the sense of time in there somewhere ><
Alright
Sorry it took me a bit to post, didn't have internet for a while and when I did it wasn't for long))

She could see him hesitate to give them to her, she knew what that was like. Grace definitely wasn't letting anyone in school touch her necklace and she would fight for it if someone tried to take it from her. Carefully holding it in the palm of one of her hands, she ran her fingers over the smooth, different colored stones. As he began to explain where each of them had come from, she then wished she hadn't asked. The topic of his mother was a sore spot, as well as his grandmother from what she had seen back at the cabin.

His sons? Grace blinked but her face stayed expressionless. It struck her as odd that he was already thinking so far into his future but she didn't mention it. She had no idea what she was going to do or where she was going to go and she was fine with it being that way... most of the time at least. To be honest, she didn't even know if she wanted to get married after she had seen her own parents fall apart. Of course she had already been in a relationship.. it didn't last for too long and she didn't give it any significance either.

After a few more moments she handed the necklace back to him. She barely knew any of her grandparents. Her mother didn't talk to her father's side of the family because they all had been on his side when she had gone to get a divorce and keep her and her siblings. Grace knew that her mother's mom had died but they never really talked about it. She didn't know why she didn't get to see her grandfather though, she vaguely remembered seeing him once when Nick was born. The only people she could really call family was her mother, Nick, Deserai, and Aunt Rose.

Letting out a soft sigh, she looked around them, her wound still causing her a bit of pain but she kept that to herself. Glancing over at him once more, she wasn't quite sure what to tell him. It was strange to not feel anger and hostility coming from him.. but in a good way. "Would you mind if I came to visit sometime?" she blinked, surprised she had let the words slip past her lips. She didn't want to take those words back though.. after all she did want to see Screech again.. and maybe.. She pushed the thought out of her head before it finished forming.  

[Katydid50]

Wolf watched nervously as she cradled the necklace in her palm, using her other fingers to feel the different stones. It looked so odd, his totems being held by a white hand. His uncle would have taken a switch to him if he'd seen it. After his sister's death, Raptok's mistrust of whites turn into a full-blown hatred. From what Wolf could remember of the man, it had been like a fever in him. Raptok had tried to instill it in Wolf and, even though his father never said so, he knew that was why they had left his mother's tribe to return to his grandmother's.

Despite her face staying exactly the same, Wolf recognised her surprise in the single blink. Besides that, anyone -anyone white- would be surprised to hear someone his age talking of such things. His upperlip twitched in a momentary sneer before fading away. "You are surprised." He snorted and looked away. "That is the problem with white people our age. They never think beyond the week's end." All they cared about was drinking and having so-called fun. He saw nothing fun in the way they behaved. Disrespecting their elders, shirking their responsibilities. It was disgraceful. If any of them were his children, he would never tolerate such behaviour.

Finally, she handed the necklace back to him and he wasted no time in returning it to its rightful spot. Once the totems rested securely beneath his shirt, he started walking again. If Grace wanted to be back before any of her family memebers awoke, they would have to get moving.

When she spoke, he glanced over at her before looking back ahead. After a quick scan of the undergrowth, and the branches overhead, he said, "It is not my house to bar you from. That would be my grandfather's right but I think he likes you." He paused for a moment before adding, "As for whether I would mind, I get the feeling you would come regardless of what I say." He paused again before saying, "Although you are stubborn, hard-headed and far too opinionated, I find your company more tolerable than that of most whites." She could take from that what she would. He would never openly admit that he liked her company, which he didn't, but regardless of what his father and grandfather thought, he saw a lot of himself in Grace despite the obvious differences and he could appreciate that. It still didn't mean he had to like it, though.

((It's understandable.
It's okay.))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Hearing his words, she narrowed her eyes. "You don't know what my life is like so don't judge it." she told him, she kept herself from snapping at him though. She didn't know how long she would live for if she kept fighting. Most of the time it was simply to stay out of gangs.. at least that's how it had started. Now she technically had a small group of friends that fought others. In a sense it was their own gang but they didn't deal drugs or drink. She wasn't fond of that stuff either. Sure, she had tried alcohol at one point, she wasn't planning on telling anyone that either, but she hadn't been too fond of it. Perhaps it was an acquired taste.

Biting her lip, she remembered her small tattoo that was on her torso. She didn't regret getting it and to be honest she wanted to get another one but considering the fact that she had no money to pay for one that wasn't happening anytime soon. Besides, she would rather get it done by a professional next time even if she had to wait a few years.

He seemed to be relieved once he had the necklace back. She didn't blame him, she already treasured her own. Closing her eyes briefly, she then started walking once more. For a moment she thought that he was going to say that he never wanted to see her again, or something along those lines but instead, he said something completely different. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips when he said he thought Screech liked her. Rolling her eyes when he said she was stubborn, after all she could say the same thing about him. Well at least he wasn't against her now, or at least that's what she understood from his words.

Blinking, she realized she would have no idea how to get back to his house. She also hadn't seen a phone in the cabin so she didn't know how to contact them if she did want to come. Grace didn't want him to know that she wouldn't be able to find the path to his home without him though. "Alright.. just let me know when a good time to come over would be." if he called, which she doubted he would, she could get directions then or ask him to meet her.. or something like that.  

[Katydid50]

At her reprimand, Wolf rolled his eyes but didn't comment. It was true, he didn't know her life, but he knew about the majority of whites and how they lived. Most of it was pathetic and selfish. How different could hers possibly be? And he had no doubt that she had judged his life over the past hours, even though she hadn't said anything. That was the way of whites. They judged others based on their own standards. Regardless of her personality, Grace was still white; she would see like a white and she would think like a white.

Finally, they started walking again. Good. They needed to hurry. Plus, he didn't like staying in one spot for very long when he had somewhere to be. As soon as he dropped her off, he would come back and go out hunting again. They had used the last of the venison in the stew last night and his father was a terrible hunter. Wolf's grandfather had been an amazing hunter in his younger years but time had weighed heavily on him. The pain of losing his wife of many years had only added to it. His years of hunting were long gone. It took all his strength just to get up for his morning walks and he was only getting weaker.

He frowned, forcing such thoughts from his mind. It would not do to dwell heavily on things, especially out in the open and moving like they were. A cougar could drop down from the branches. Of course, he wouldn't be able to do much about that even if he was paying attention. Or they could suddenly come across a bear or the wolf pack feeding. All of those situations were to be avoided, especially with Grace at his back. He would see to it that she got home safely.

Grace's question had not been one he would ever have expected. He would have thought after her first experience, she would have had the sense to stay far away from them. Like he'd said, hard-headed. He glanced at her, trying to read the expression on her face. It wasn't hard. White faces were incredibly expressive. When she spoke, he merely raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "Just because I can tolerate your presence does not mean I would purposely seek it," he told her, looking back ahead. "After all, you are still a stae twes. And, with your record, you are likely to break your leg falling down an embankment or some other such thing trying to get there." She was getting too personal. He had to remind her of her place.