A Lakeside Gathering [Open]

[athaza]

"So there is a heart behind that smirk."

After that little comment Taurus had decided to keep his mouth shut for a while. He could be generous, but he disliked people calling him a softy. For that, he had decided to give her the silent treatment till they got to their new unknown destination. He reminded himself that this lack of communication could wound their thin alliance, yet Taurus believed she needed him more than he needed her. He had gone on for weeks alone. It appeared, by her quick agreement to come along, she extremely wanted company. Her commitment was even stronger because she was willing to deal with his cynical tongue just to be near another.

Brown eyes gazed over the new scenery around them that had drastically changed from when they were sitting on the warm beach. They must have been walking a long time to go from a sandy seaside resort to a musty death filled place. It was like the beautiful happy-go-lucky world had been killed by a bloodlust darkness. Taurus couldn’t help, but smile at that thought. This was his type of place, for sure. Denali might have noticed that Taurus had taken a liking to this new environment and actually had begun taking a new stance. His body was lower to ground and he moved more stealthily then he had before. As they had crossed the border, the scent of another large male wolf had nearly slipped under his nose. He had thought that it might be an alpha that had left it behind, yet he wasn’t certain. So instead of howling or doing anything a submissive wolf would do, he decided to just approach cautiously. The male wasn’t too worried about a confrontation. He knew how to hold himself and get out of sticky situation as long as Denali didn’t make any stupid moves. Or should he worry that he might mess up, instead? He after all wasn’t a charmer with anyone. Countless times he had met alphas and offended them to the point that they warned him he’d get thrown out of their lands. Whatever. He didn’t think they were worthy enough for him to serve under anyway. They were all snotty idiots that didn’t know how to use the power they were blessed with properly.

Taurus’s pace hadn’t let up for a second until he stumbled over a clearing where the trees separated. As he stopped a puzzled expression formed on his face when his eyes looked over the mist in front of him. Why did the trees suddenly stop? This place wasn’t a meadow or a valley. It took a few more steps before he could see through the mist and figure out the grayish tint was from a lake. No wonder he had smelled water when they were moving through this terrain. “What an odd color for water.” he chuffed, more to himself than to his company. That liquid looked disgusting. If Taurus didn’t know any better he would assume the liquid was poisonous. Nonetheless, out of pure curiosity, he walked closer until he felt the water on his paws. “Let’s rest here for awhile. Your probably tired from the walk.” He wouldn’t admit it, but his pads were a bit sore. Taking his paws out of the water he took a seat by the edge of the lake and looked over at the white fae. With all these thoughts of death revolving around him now her comment on the beach suddenly surfaced again.

"You make it sound like there's no point to living."

A smile twisted on his lips as she said that bitterly. He hadn’t meant for his words to depress her, but then again, no matter what you say someone will always be offended. The male’s coolness also appeared to have somewhat disturbed her about the whole subject of death. It wasn’t that the idea didn’t scare him; he thought he should acknowledge that death was an occurrence. Just because you didn’t think about it didn’t mean it would go away. Actually, if people thought about it more then maybe they could avoid it instead of pretending like it didn’t exist. Wolves could do so much to add time onto their short lives. Unfortunately, many took the tough road and arrogantly turned their backs on these few options that could benefit them. “There’s a purpose to existing. If you were born and graced upon this complicated world, then there is a reason you are supposed to be here. Of course, I couldn’t tell you what yours is. You’d have to figure it out yourself.” he spoke coolly. He felt like had to respond to her. In the long run it could help her out when she was feeling glum. Or maybe it would just make her feel worse?

[Deleted]

A slience fell over the pair that Denali dare not break. Her last statement must have been just enough to upset Taurus, seeing as he was now giving her the silent treatment. She thought it best not to prod him, lest he take back his offer to let her tag along. She couldn't really think up anything worth saying anyways, still too overjoyed at just being invited to form coherrant thoughts.

The scenery slowly changed as they walked along, sand shifting to solid earth. The atmosphere was changing as well, and in the silence Denali was more accutely observing their surroundings. The long walk saw the coast of the beach disolving into nothingness, taking the calming charm of the area with it. The farther they walked the more depressing the lands became. Fog and mist, dying trees, a scarce presence of life... It was as if Death himself had touched an icy finger to the land, smuggly watching the destruction he could quickly spread.

Denali snorted, trying to divert her thoughts to a less depressing train of thought. She didn't want to kill her current good mood. Unfortunately, with that quick exhaliation of breath came a deeper intake of the gloomy air, and with it the scent of a foreign brute. The lands themselves were enough to make the femme shiver in fear, but now that they were crossing into packlands she couldn't help her mind that jumpped to too many conclusions. All her senses went on red alert, ear pricking foreward and eyes more carefully examining the area they tread upon.

Unlike her, Taurus seemed rather comfortable in such a dreadful place. He was slightly cautious, yes, but he made no signs that would call attention to them and he certaintly didn't bother to try and contact the alpha, if that scent was indeed that of an alpha. Denali also didn't use her voice, though it was more out of the fear that was slowly creeping up on her than anything else.

She had been easily keeping up with the brute, the walk not fatiguing her in the least bit. She was a little surprised when he suddenly stopped, but one glance at the scenery explained everything to her. The trees had suddenly vanished, replaced with a glum, misty clearing. The smell of water filled the air, though the source of it was a bit shocking. "Mmm..." It was her quiet agreement to his muted comment. The clearing they'd wandered into was that of a lake, though the gray water would never give up that information upon one quick glance.

Unlike Taurus, Denali didn't dare go near the water. She was still a bit paranoid that the wolf scent she'd smelt earlier would suddenly appear from no where, ready to rip them to shreads. Compared to when they'd first entered the lands, however, she was noticably calmer. Nothing had happened to them yet, and there was a small chance that nothing would happen to them at all. "I'm not tired at all, really," she replied, not completely sure of the idea to stop. Her paws were a little sore, yes, but the pain was dull enough that it was barely noticable. Years of running at every little noise had given her fairly impressive endurance. "You've seen me run, remember?" She said it more to back up the fact that she wasn't tired than to relive the bird moment. That had been a pretty long full out sprint, though, and if she was still easily walking after that it was a bit obvious she wouldn't be tiring out any time soon.

Still, she let herself pad closer to the brute and sat down a few feet away, letting her gaze skim over the lake's surface. She couldn't see into it's depths at all, and quietly wondered how deep it was and what made it so dark. Her ears caught his attempt at conversation and her mind jumped back to their earlier comments on death. She was still in too much a good mood mixed with a bit of fear to let the depressing thoughts phase her this time though. His words also weren't as morbid as the first; this time he was speaking of the purpose of life.

"I suppose," she replied, shifting her attention to him. Her tongue slipped out from between her jaws to dampen her nose before she continued. "I just wish it didn't have to be so complicated..." She fell silent for a moment, letting her gaze slip back to the water. It didn't stay there long though, and curiously she watched the brute. "Tell me, Taurus... Have you figured out your purpose in life yet? Or are you still wandering in search of an answer, like myself?"

[silver]

Along the way, the large frame stopped at certain areas to mark its territory to make the bind official. Besides, it was obvious other wolves were entering without his approval and unannounced. Silent as the graves, Exodus stalked through his land; his intent eyes focused forward while his muzzle scented out the intruders. Slipping from one shadow to the next, his auds finally picked up the noise of two talking and the ever so persistent buzz of the insects. Stopping short of the couple, Exodus made absolutely no noise as he crouched down to just listen to their conversation. Finally, that came to a stand still and now was his time.

Gliding up into a graceful stance, Exodus’s tail hung low as did his head. With his hawk like silver optics focused forward, Exodus slowly and silently crept through the mist that engulfed his bodice. Watching the two, the brute made his way out of the mist that seemed to part way and give him a damp, slow rolling crowd on either side.

“Hello, brute, femme.” He said in his deep, coarse voice that resounded deep within his chest and with a short nod of his head to each. Optics flickered from each white wolf and, for a moment, he wanted to laugh aloud. The world seemed to be being taken over by white wolves, or so it appeared seeing as three in the last few hours had entered upon his land. "My calling is Exodus Sivor Alastor, though others call me Exodus or Sir.” He spoke, his words slow and measured as he sized up the two before him.

“I am Dominator of these lands, Acerbus, and Alpha of the pack Salen. Welcome to my lands. Now,” turning to look out over the grey waters, he asked, “How may I assist you?” His stance was quite loose and hardly showed dominance, though the aura that shrouded the brute demanded respect. Exodus was powerful and silent, a true predator; a true Alpha.

[athaza]

Her question rang in his ears agonizingly and his lips twitched as he tried to stop himself from baring his teeth. Instead of looking away from her like most wolves would do when they had to answer a question painfully, he looked deeper into her yellow eyes. Forcefully, he burrowed his brown orbs into her head so his reaction would be imprinted into her skull. A small bit of anger flickered in his eyes, like a flash of lightning, and he answered rather coolly for such an angry beast, “I once thought I had uncovered my fate a long time ago. But you can’t always control who gets in your way. It might seem odd, but I believe a few wolves were put here to destroy other’s destinies. An obstacle if you will. So, with that destiny gone I’ve been searching for another. When I find it this time, not even a mercenary will rip it away from me.” His bitterness was evident in his body language, but he continued to keep his tone as calm as possible. In the darkest part of his mind he was going crazy as he reflected his past. It might sound insane, but for a split second he could even see crimson red everywhere. As the lake had been when he helped another wolf into the next world.

This dispassionate remembrance of his past was cut short as the scent of a new male rolled in to the area they had been occupying. At first he continued lying down and peered at the man with calculating eyes. He was a large muscled male and the black color made him only appear larger. This thought sneaked a smile onto his lips and he mutedly commented, “The perfect alpha for a perfect land.” He was not sucking up in anyway. He just thought it was ironic for a ghost town to be owned by a dark dangerous figure. If he had to write the description for a qualified alpha for this dreadful place, this male would fit the picture.

Finally he rose from the ground, the light grin still bearing on his lips. It wasn’t still there to mock the male or insult him; his greeting just amused him. It was nothing to take too personally. "My calling is Exodus Sivor Alastor, though others call me Exodus or Sir.” A snort was barely released from his nostrils at this introduction. ‘Sir’. Why not just call him ‘lord’? Nonetheless, he didn’t comment on it, as he didn’t want to get his tongue ripped out if the male proved to be short tempered. “I’m Taurus, and this is my companion Denali.” As he spoke her name he lifted his head towards her direction. God, that word sounded so weird. His lip even twitched a little bit as it left his mouth and into the air. Maybe it would make her stay on his side if he and this male ended up getting in some random fight. “Sorry, for not calling out to you earlier. I hadn’t been aware this terrain was currently occupied.” What a lie. Even if he was caught, he could always admit he thought the stale scent was old. He soon continued, “We’re just resting here for the time being as we continue to wander. I hope you do not mind.”

Eyes continued to trace the male, feeling the power flowing through his veins easily without even having to try and look. By his introduction, it was obvious he thought he had it too. Was it real power though? Or was he another phony pretending to be what he really wasn’t? He had the physical power, but from what he had seen so far he couldn’t determine if he had the power that derived from his soul. The real reason he was being polite was because he was searching for this second power. If it was present he might think about requesting to join. Having this Alpha might actually benefit him if he played his cards right. The male’s land smelled empty so far and that made Taurus highly doubt he’d be rejected. Maybe he would be given a task, but other than that the Alpha might open with welcome arms…

[Deleted]

Denali's ear pinned inself to her skull when Taurus began to give his reply. His eyes bore into her own, which only caused hers to widen in fright. Maybe accompanying him hadn't been the best of ideas. Her latest question had put him in the worst mood he'd displayed so far. Denali was fairly good at handling the teasing and taunting. The bite in his words this time accompanied by his burning gaze was enough to send the female's mind into a panic though.

His responce had so frightened her that she hadn't even been able to give a reply, letting a silence fall about the area. That's when a new scent caught her nose, and cautiously she turned her head in its direction. Out of the mist came another wolf, stalking ever so silently. Denali's worst fear was coming true. They had been found and now they would be punnished for intruding. She didn't hear the alpha brute's words at all as her mind jumpped to wild conclusions, the scare Taurus had given her combined with the appearance of this new brute enough to send her spiraling downwards.

A wimper escaping her, she shut her eyes tightly. Maybe when she opened them again the big, black wolf wouldn't be there. Maybe he was just a hallucination, a product of her fractured mind. She'd had hallucinations before, and wouldn't really be surprised if the one who called himself Exodus disapeared. It was what she was hoping would happen.

Slowly she opened one amber eye, and then the other. She had been holding them shut so tightly that it took a moment for them to readjust to the lighting. When they did, the black alpha was still there. She only partially registered that Taurus was now speaking, not even realizing he'd introduced her. Her mind was too filled with fear to properly register anything. Denali was scared, ten times moreso than when the bird had spooked her.

She opened her mind to utter a cry, but no sound came out. Here eyes were wide open, pupils dialated. Her right paw was slightly raised, high enough that it wasn't touching the ground but low enough that creases of the two joints that made a leg were clearly visible. She sat still like that, frozen in place. Her gaze was vacant, staring off into space. The panic attack the brutes brought on was so bad it had caused an onset of her schizophrenia. Denali was completely immoblie, only able to utter a few incoherrant sounds every so often. If anyone tried to communicate with her, she'd be unresponsive, lost in the recesses of her mind.

[silver]

At the white brute’s comment, Exodus’ silver optics flickered toward him. His muzzle held a stoic expression and it was obvious the comment went over his head. Exodus was not the type to be flattered by such comments. Blinking once, Exodus sighed then listened to the introductions. Today was a lazy day so he would grant them permission to stay upon his land. Though, if things got out of paw, he’d certainly exert his power to show he meant business. That was one of things that made Exodus so hard to read sometimes. No one every really knew how he would react to certain things. “Welcome Taurus and Denali. It is a pleasure to meet you.” He said and gave them both a small nod of his large head.

It was obvious Taurus had told him a lie, yet he let it slip by with nothing more than a few seconds of narrowed eyes. This brute seemed interesting. It wouldn’t hurt to get to know him better. “It is fine, I imagine the mistake was mine seeing as I have yet to have time to truly go around and mark my terra. I have only claimed this land for a short amount of time.” Spoke the black demon. Taurus said his last line and Exodus once more turned to narrow his eyes at the brute. Interesting, yes, very.

Noticing something amiss with the femme, the marked one turned his head gracefully toward her. Moments ticked by as the black one studied the white one. “What is wrong with her?” He asked, his voice low as he stepped forward one step. Hearing her whimper, Exodus’ auds flickered back then righted themselves again. “Miss, are you alright?” He asked, his voice showing what little compassion it could through the deepness it always seemed to possess. Was she unstable? As if thinking that Taurus would know what was wrong, Exodus turned to him looking for an answer. They were companions after all.

As if to put a damper on the already dim mood, several trickles of rain drops sprinkled the ground here and there. It was only several seconds before the overcast clouds over head dropped their heavy load upon the three wolves. Within a few other seconds, all three were soaked. Blinking away the rain, Exodus looked up and closed his eyes. This is what he lived for; the rain beating against his frame, soaking him to his very core. It left him with a light sense of euphoria that made him give a quick, small smile. Not since he was run off had the brute experienced the rain. Now it felt as if he were being cleansed of his previous life fill with power, anger, and deceit, not to mention disappointment. Lowering his head, he turned his silver gaze upon the femme once more.

[athaza]

A crooked grin formed on his face as the Alpha took the blame for not marking his territory properly. If Exodus found his lie why not shove it in his face? Not pretend like the words coming out of Taurus’s mouth were genuine and then glare at him five seconds later. You could be mad at him or you could ignore the lie. There was no way you could try to do both. Either way, Taurus nodded in gratitude for being allowed to stay. Now that he wasn’t going to be kicked out he could study the male at ease. Like he had done with Denali, he was gradually forming a profile for Exodus. It was too bad he was such a statue... If he showed numerous facial expressions and maybe talked more, Taurus might have additional information to work off of. If Exodus continued to act like a rock, this might as well all be a guessing game.

Ears shifted towards Denali’s direction and soon did the male’s head. A disgusted frown soon marked his face as her calm status suddenly shattered into a million pieces. Couldn’t she stay calm and relaxed for two seconds? The black wolf was a large beast and all, but that was no reason to crack under pressure. Snorting lightly, he turned his attention back to the male calmly stating, “Well, sir, not to be taken personally, but you aren’t the kindest looking creature she has ever laid her eyes on. She is easily frightened. And… a bit unstable from what I know about her.” God, she was such a fool. How could someone lose their dignity so quickly? Again, he shook his head at her in disapproval. His sharp tongue might have also caused her gentle manner to deteriorate, yet it wasn’t his fault she came across a soft spot. Hopefully she’d learn to not poke her nose in his past.

Eyes were brought back to the male, as he lamely attempted to try and comfort Denali. Stepping closer to her was bound to scare the pathetic dame even more. Opening his mouth to remark about the situation, a speck of water stopped him from starting. Of course, that raindrop brought more cold water down and soon it poured towards the ground in buckets. It wasn’t long before the male’s entire body was soaked and the scent of wet fur wreaked the air. Ears pinned against his skull at this change of weather. He was pretty fond of rain, he liked it a lot more than he liked snow, but it just appeared to be bad timing. For a second a smile quivered on his lips before disappearing and leaving his expression blank. Head turned towards to the Alpha and a brow raised at his adoration of the rain. He’d have to take a note of that.

[Deleted]

Her quiet muttering didn't cease, and she paid no notice as the dark brute stepped closer. All conversation fell on deaf auds, even the conversation directed towards herself. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak... She had absolutely no control over her self. To the the brutes she probably looked rediculous; she knew she looked rediculous.

Her schizophrenia, while a serious matter to herself, was laughable to any other. It was rare she explained to anyone what the humans had done to her mind. No one ever gave her a chance. They'd just laugh at the babbling statue of a wolf and be on their merry way. And there was nothing she could do, no way for her to retain some dignity. Had she suffered usefull hallucinations along with the attacks there was a chance she could have gained a respected rank as a Shaman. Alas, all that aflicted her in her worst state of mind was paralysis and babbling, traits that left her pegged a crazy loner.

The rain began to fall, at first a few drops at a time. Denali didn't notice. The cold, wet drops were not enough to rouse her from her state. The pitter-pattering of the perspiration rapidly increased as the moments ticked by, but still it was not enough to snap her out of it. It wasn't until her coat was fully soaked through, heavy from the weight of the water, that she showed any signs of life.

With a snarl the fae jumpped back from the Alpha who had neared her a step more than she liked. Her ear was pinned against her skull, fangs glistening with siliva as she growled. Her eyes were wide with fright as she looked back and forth between the two brutes. Her mind was sinking into an angry state of depression, and there would be no pulling her back into a friendlier mood for a while.

"What's going on? Where am I?" The fear and panic were evident in her voice, despite her incessant growling. She was at a loss for everything. The last thing she remembered was walking with Taurus. Now she found herself staring at a large black brute while standing near some lake. "Who are you?" The question was directed at Exodus. "Why am I here?"

Denali couldn't get a grip over her emotions or her mind. With every question she asked she grew more panicked and confused. On a one way trip to depression-land, this only caused her to grow angry with her frustration. She was crouched low to the ground, hackles raised as she looked like she was ready to pounce on the first thing that moved too close to her.

She was terrified, not only of the world currently surrounding her, but also of herself. She hated when she got like this, ready to try and rip anything to shreads. In such a state she often attacked her fears instead of running from them. It never brought any good though, only sending her into a spiraling, regret-filled depression when she finally calmed down enough to get control of her anger.

[silver]

At this comment of how Exodus was not exactly the equivalent of a cute little hare, the brute gave a toothy smile. The look of disgust that seemed to develop upon Taurus’ muzzle caused Exodus to wonder just what kind of companions they were. Perhaps they were brother and sister? Distant brother and sister, that is. Returning to his former, stoic self, Exodus peered at Denali once more. With his gaze, he looked over her body then blinked away the rain. Unstable… The word rang through his ears and refused to leave him alone. With a flicker of his right ear, Exodus licked his muzzle. The sudden appear of the pink tongue against his black snout stood out vividly.

For several moments, it was serenely quiet save for the pleasant sounding drops of shower that soaked the entire earth. Taking a step away from the two newcomers, Exodus padded to the very edge of the lake and dipped his head. Sniffing lightly at the water, his rose tongue flickered out to lap up some of the grey tinted water. It tasted normal, so what gave it that odd color? No matter, as long as it was drinkable, it served its purpose. Hearing a snarl behind him, Exodus’ head spun around causing droplets of water to mix into the rain.

Watching as Denali sudden reverted to some wild, caged beast, Exodus’ nostrils flared with confusion. Unstable might have been an understatement. Clearing his throat, Exodus wondered if it were simply best to ignore her inquiries or to answer them. Being the somewhat of a gentle wolf he was, he decided to answer them, though, he mad sure to stay back from her so as not to pose a threat. He did not fear her attacking for he knew he could take her quite simply, but he did not wish her such harm.

“You are on my lands.” Was his first answer. His tone was blunt and straight to the point. Now wasn’t the time to beat around the bush, which he rarely did. “My name is Exodus. As for why you are here, you walked here.” He said with a raised brow. Hopefully she didn’t think he had kidnapped her or something of the sort. The problems that would present. Yawning as if the present situation bored him, Exodus shook off his bogged down pelt and sniffed once. “Would you two like to accompany me to another part where it shouldn’t be raining? I was about to see if I could find some food.” He said wanting to move along. He’d spent enough time at the lake.

[athaza]

As the rain continued to pour, Taurus grew increasingly anxious to get to a sheltered area and away from the rain. The wet sensation on his back was beginning to feel like bugs crawling all over his skin, as the raindrops slid down his pink flesh. His head lowered and eyes narrowed in annoyance. Hopefully, Exodus would lead them to another area soon. Then again, he seemed to be enjoying the rain falling down from the sky…

Denali’s state was growing worse and worse as the seconds ticked by. Of all times to go insane, she had picked now when they had just entered a new area. Talk about first impressions. Knowing he had brought this burden upon himself, Taurus cautiously moved towards Denali to figure out a way to try and comfort her. It would probably be a lousy attempt, but at least he could say he tried. Maybe he’d talk to her about where they had met on the beach or ask her calm questions about interesting experiences she had gone through. All of it was pretty mushy for his tastes, yet isn’t that what small talk was all about. This wasn’t the first time he had actually socialized with other wolves. He just didn’t have these fake small talk conversations that were so dull they might as well be black and white.

Taurus had sensed the hostility before it jolted out of the female. Just the tension in the air was enough a warning that she was going to explode. Ears pinned against his skull again as she snarled and growled like a rabid dog. Other than that small motion of shock, Taurus didn’t seem too surprised that this all turned out the way it did. First off, he wasn’t a very lucky wolf. His luck sucked and he only found the craziest people to be acquainted with. Rarely any loner was completely sane. Second, Denali was unstable at the start. It wasn’t her fault he had invited her and put her into such an ugly situation with a threatening looking wolf.

A thrown off expression did show on his face when Exodus patiently answered every question that Denali snarled his way. He didn’t seem like the type that could stand an unstable person on his terrain. However, he was happy to hear his request to move to another area. “That would be lovely.” Taurus said with enthusiastic relief. Before taking a step he waited to see what Denali would do now. Please, just recover from this little episode.

[Deleted]

Exodus's calm replys to her harsh questioning caught the fae off-guard. She hadn't expected such patience, especially from such a scary looking looking brute. Even Taurus seemed a little concerned about her. It was odd. It was nice. It was even a little comforting to the poor girl.

Slowly, Denali's growling ceased. She straightened her posture and shook out her fluffy coat, sending water dropletts every where. That really didn't do much though, as the rain was still pouring down on the three soggy forms. Her head ached, and she was still pissy, and the fact that she had detected hints of compassion in the brutes was just enough to calm her to a tollerable state.

Slowly she opened her mouth to speak, not quite sure of herself. "Y-yes. Let's get out of t-this rain." She had a bit of a stutter, resulting from her frazzled nerves and an attempt to keep her current temper in check. She felt miserable at the moment, and the best thing for her would be someplace where she could sleep.

Hanging her head, she slowly followed after the black and white brutes. She was angry at herself for having such a reaction. Her gut was twisted with guilt at the harsh way she'd acted when coming out of her stupor. She'd shown terrible disrespect to a foreboding looking alpha, and he'd met her with nothing but patience. It was astonishing really. Even Taurus was still sticking around.

Counting her blessings, Denali knew what she had to do. She raised her head and quickened her pace, catching up to the two in front of her. Finding her voice best she could, she took a deep breath. She then blurted out, "I...I'm so sorry. And I want to thank you for still letting me come with you. Both of you." She managed to chase away the stutter, though her voice was heavy with the emotions currently tearing at her soul.

Not waiting for any reply from either of them, she slowed her pace again. She didn't doubt her abilities to keep up. She just really didn't want to be too close to anyone at the moment. In her mind she'd made a complete mess of things, and she didn't want to ruin what little hospitality the two brutes were still offering her.

End Thread