Try Honesty-- open!

[Paint]

Well I tripped, I fell down naked
Well I scratched my knees, they bled
Sew up my eyes, need no more
In our game there is no score

It was one of those intensely rare times when Duke had decided to go into No Man's Land. He wasn't sure why it was that he never did- he supposed that he'd outgrown stalking the borders of the Stars land to scare them. Perhaps the big bad wolf had settled down into his own land, not seeing the need to enter any other- he was king of his castle, that was what mattered. So what had brought him here today?

Duke knew there were rumours circulating about his fight with Onisim. His own son thought he was weak enough to be dethroned. Despite winning, hands down, Duke knew that it had put ideas into the heads of other headstrong, violent youths. He was growing old but Duke would not go down without a bloody fight. If someone attempted to kill him, it would be the fight of their lives- and if they ran, he would hunt them down. No border would stop his fury if anyone dared to ignite it.

So with these dark thoughts clouding his mind, Duke entered the Foglands. He'd crossed from his own lands into this more vulnerable space. Part of him was itching for the snap of his teeth around another creature's neck, and another was just testing the water. It was hard to tell with Duke, who could be so silent and yet still so volatile. He moved slowly through the fog, enjoying the damp dreariness of it all. He took pleasure in the misery of the place as he wandered in solitude.

But he wasn't in solitude. For another had decided to wander No Man's Land that day, and that other was Bandit. A scent had entered her nose as she travelled downwind of the great lumbering bear of a wolf, and she found herself growing terrifically still as she caught sight of him. He had not yet noticed her, but his ears were flicking, constantly checking the environment for any sounds. Her pelt was just as stark in its black and white as his was. She knew, though, that there was only one way for this meeting to happen. The wolf that had killed her father was meandering aimlessly in front of her and she was... hesitating.

She decided to play it smart. He didn't need to know who she was. She could kill him when the moment was right, not clumsily amongst the mist. No, when she killed Duke she wanted it to be in front of everyone. Just as he had humiliated her father in death, she would humiliate him.

"Hello," was all she could muster. His great head snapped up, dark eyes furious at the intrusion and at being snuck up on. The female was tall, strong- not your usual petite little fae with not an ounce of fighting skill. Duke stood, watched her, and said nothing.

Forgive me father, why should you bother?
Try honesty, Try honesty

[[Midnight]]

Actually, neither Bandit nor Duke were the only two to happen upon the Foglands that day. It was getting to be dreadfully hot for Caden in the lower parts of his territory. He rather not wished to expend the energy to climb to higher altitudes just for his temperature's sake, so his idea was to wander into the Foglands, where the hot sunlight wasn't as thick and suffocating. Here he could also be alone, as it didn't seem in his opinion to be a popular hangout for many creatures. He was pondering his solitude when he happened to catch on to the scent of a fellow packmate; he could not quite put a name to the scent. The fog combined with the stench of baking mud was interfering with his senses.

But he figured he might as well randezvous with them, check out which Stars wolf it was who had come the same way. It wasn't suspicion that had crossed his mind, but an intense interest to see who else had the same idea as he did. Perhaps someone who was just as familiar with this part of the territory as he.

He was busy working his way through the dense undergrowth when he realized he was closer than he thought to his comrade. He heard a voice nearby. It was short spoken and he couldn't make out what it had said, but Caden's ears perked in case there was more to heard. Frowning, he picked his way forward a bit carefully so as to try and sneak up. But the breeze was rolling the fog downwind of him; if anything, he was already detected.

His heart skipped a beat as he recognized two shapes just ahead. One was a female, and one he knew all too well. The other was a huge male, and one he should have known too well, but really didn't. His hackles instantly rose. His paws would not move any further. This was not the time nor the place to be meeting up with another Alpha, and one who's reputation Caden was not fond to hear about. Caden considered turning around and saving this for another time, but as his head turned, he chastised himself. How could he turn tail? Especially since he'd be leaving Bandit behind.

His eyes turned back towards the duo. It seemed they hadn't noticed him yet, as they were just finishing acknowledging one another. Caden studied Bandit's body language. Was she familiar with Duke? Was she a traitor?

Certainly not. He already knew that before he picked out the tension in her muscles, the hardness in her flinty eyes. Bandit was far from happy, but there wasn't any fear evident in her posture. The Star's Alpha immediately felt a new respect for this strong female. He didn't know why; after all, she said she was familiar with the past Stars and Moon packs. Perhaps everyone really did have Duke misunderstood, and there was no reason for Bandit to fear him.

Either way, Caden was about to find out.

Lifting his tail to make sure no mistakes were made about his identity, Caden strolled forward confidently, his eyes shining with something like excitement. He might not have anyone but Bandit to back him up, but that was enough for him. He only stopped in his tracks when he was at Bandit's side, shoulder to shoulder.

"I thought I smelled you," he said to her, giving her a small smile. He looked at Duke then, still retaining the grin. "Duke. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. How's the prey running?"

Caden waited politely after his not-so-spectacular greeting, but secretly, he had no idea what was about to happen, and he was jittery. This was a refreshing change of pace.

{have they ever met? }

[Paint]

Duke had his black eyes dead set on the other female. He could feel every fibre of his being welling up with rage. What did it take to get one minute of peace around here? What was this poncy Stars female doing sneaking up on him? He felt ready to snarl out the words Do you know who I am? but found himself saying nothing. His lips had instantly raised over his teeth as he turned to face her. She was a Stars wolf, no doubt, but not the type that Duke had expected. The idea of a Stars female usually depicted someone friendly, soft and vulnerable. Duke felt almost - but not quite- threatened by the tall duotone wolf before him.

Bandit was unsure of what to say next. She could feel the intensity in her amber eyes, feeling this fire inside of her rising as she looked upon the enemy for the first time. But suddenly a familiar scent rushed into her nostrils, and without even a slight turn of the head she heard Caden approaching. It was a curious rush of emotions that reached her next. Part of her felt glad that he was here, that she wasn't alone. The other part was mildly frustrated, because he could be interferring in something very important to her. Still, either way, his greeting was heard loud and clear as he came up alongside her. She could not smile back at him though, as her serious nature took hold of her.

Duke lifted his head and tail instantly, having caught sight of Caden. He had only seen him briefly from a distance before, and certainly they'd never met face to face. But Duke would recognise an enemy Alpha anywhere. Recognising that he would now have to speak, simply to assert himself, Duke felt a low growl rumble in his throat. The place seemed to stink of Stars wolves now.

"The pleasure's all yours," he responded, voice as low and dark as his fur. He moved very slowly, shifting his great weight, testing the mottled ground beneath him. What an odd set up they had here. He fully ignored Caden's question. "Who's the bitch? She's got an evil eye on her, you'd be best to leash her to your side of the river once in a while."

"Namecalling already? How charming, Duke, I didn't realise you had brains and braun."

Bandit found her voice leaving her before she had realised it. Normally so upfront, Bandit's years of resentment rolled suddenly into what could only be described as an arctic tone of voice. Duke growled at her comment, but chose to ignore her, turning his dark eyes back on Caden, believing him to be an idiot for grinning his way through his greeting.

[[Midnight]]

Keep your cool.
Caden knew that was the best solution for the next series of events unfolding. He felt he had stepped into something bigger than simply natural rivalry, but he was unsure of what that meant. Really, Caden was getting a lot of mixed up feelings, and he wasn't welcoming any of them. What he wanted was to stay far away from Duke and keep on good terms; right now, that would be best for the pups and their mothers. Surely Duke didn't want this to escalate, either.

Ohh, what a trusting soul Caden was.

On the surface, Caden's demeanor didn't change, or if it did it was simply to one of curiosity. But inside he was battling with sudden defensiveness. What exactly had Bandit done to spur a reaction like this one? Caden decided to risk playing on that instead of letting it go.

He glanced again at Bandit, wondering now about her history with the Stars. She had told him once, though rather briefly, that her father had founded the Dancing Stars. That accounted for her desire to lead the pack, but not for her current station with Duke. Oh well, he'd ask her later why she'd dare to cross lines. For now, Caden would jump in full force to the conversation.

"Does Bandit frighten you?" A light chuckle escaped his lips as he shook his head once. A third time his eyes whipped to hers. "I guess that's about right. She's not one to be taken lightly."

He looked back at Duke, this time looking serious. Caden did not at all appreciate Duke insulting one of Caden's favorite subordinates. She might seriously be frightening at times with her bark, but that was all the more appealing to him. Yes, he had a soft spot for Bandit's sincerity and her fearless way of getting her point across.

"But I don't see why I would have the right to keep her off of No Man's Land. This is free territory," he said, furrowing his brows. "And anyways, nobody leashes any of my wolves."

He hoped that Bandit would keep her cool, and they could leave soon. Seeing as how she seemed to want to kill him, however, Caden doubted it. He prepared for things to get fired up, feeling his blood racing. But he could only wait out the next moment or two...

[Paint]

Duke decided not to say anything. He was not the type of wolf to take part in verbal sparring. He would rather bite now and ask questions later, but he wasn't stupid. There were two strong wolves in front of him, packmates who knew each other. He knew that he probably could not win a fight against them. Had it remained as just the female, or just Caden... he probably would've just leapt straight into battle by now.

Truthfully, Bandit was aching to fight as well. But she was more determined to keep her cool, as she vaguely sensed that Caden was. She caught Caden's glance, and felt a sense of pride to hear him speak highly of her. She would thank him sincerely for that later, but for now she would not break concentration. Her body was wound up to the point of breaking, but she would not make a fool of herself or Caden here. This was not Duke's time to die.

"I'm sure Duke's just feeling a little outnumbered," Bandit responded. Duke lifted his great head even higher, shaking it ever so slightly. Caden was his real competition here, surely, but he could practically taste the hostility rolling in waves from Bandit. As Bandit opened her mouth to speak again, Duke snarled loudly to shut her up. Suprised, she did so.

"Enough of the bullsh*t. This is free land, we get it, but I did not come here looking for a fight," he found his voice hitting bloody-curdling levels of snarl. "If you're truly up for it I'd be more than happy to demonstrate exactly why I'm the most feared wolf in this valley. But if you're not, then I suggest you keep your distance and your teeth snapped shut."

Bandit found herself a little dumbstruck. She hadn't exactly been expecting that. Of all the things she'd heard about Duke, she had fully expected him to either attack or... well, actually, she had only expected an attack. If only you knew who I was, she found herself tensing even more, almost shaking with rage as she recovered herself. His arrogance was sickening.

[[Midnight]]

Caden was a little dumbstruck as well. Like Bandit, he only expected this to end in a scuffle, and likely not a pleasant one. But now it was clear that Duke wasn't all he had heard him to be. He obviously had a proactive head on his shoulders. Caden should've known better than to trust all of that superstitious talk about a mindless murderer.

He tried not to let this peaceful meeting go to his head. It wasn't like it was a victory. Caden wasn't sure if he had missed anything before he arrived, but obviously there was something between Bandit and Duke. Whatever it was, Caden was rather angry that Bandit should have provoked him at all. What could have happened if he didn't show up when he did?

He gave Duke a cordial dip of his head.
"No Duke, I agree. I'd prefer to keep things the way they are and leave here peacefully. We've got nothing against one another," he concurred, his pointed ears perked atop his head. He gritted his teeth, fighting his competitive urge to reply, Funny, I'm not scared at all.

"And I will be sure to relay that to the rest of my pack," he added, though he didn't look at her, he clearly meant Bandit.

If he wasn't an Alpha representing his pack, Caden knew his nature would have brought this encounter to a different conclusion. He nudged Bandit with his shoulder, ordering her to head back where she came from.

[Paint]

Duke simply stared at Caden. He had nothing to say. To him, Caden sounded like a coward. He sounded more old than Duke did, with his peace-keeping. Duke had made his decision based on self-preservation, but Caden seemed to genuinely just want peace. The large male had to stop himself from snarling, or perhaps laughing, at the other Alpha. He just shook his head, almost in disappointment. They were so pathetic.

Bandit felt as if they certainly were not finished here, despite Caden's prompt to leave. She didn't understand Duke's choice here- they had more pups to lose, was that it? She'd heard that they'd been pretty prosperous this Spring. Was Duke actually protecting his pack by choosing not to fight? It killed her to think that he might have more in common with them than they first thought. A need to cry, from all the unfinished business, rose up Bandit's throat like bile. She immediately took control of herself and converted it to anger.

"One day your past will catch up with you, Duke."

She snarled openly, and Duke found himself suddenly standing. So they did intend to fight. He growled back, the sound reverberating from deep within his chest. What did she mean? What did she know? But she simply snapped at the air in front of her, a warning, and began to walk away. Not once did she take her flaming eyes off his as she moved away. The anger boiling inside her continued as she finally reached a safe enough distance to turn and walk away.

Duke lowered his lips ever so slightly, finding them quivering over his long white teeth. He looked at Caden, searching him for the answer to that behaviour. Surely no ordinary subordinate would disobey her Alpha's desire. But Duke was not so good at reading other wolves- he usually just demanded that they tell him what he wanted to know. So the large black and white wolf just stood there, watching Caden, showing nothing but hellish hostility.

[[Midnight]]

Caden didn't take an eye off of Bandit, to be sure that she was indeed leaving. But to his dismay, she seemed once again determined to make a scene. Duke not only seemed fired up and ready to snap at the slightest movement, but now Caden looked like a huge fool. He shrugged off his own shame and snarled a warning at Bandit.

"It's time to go home," he repeated, in a stern tone of voice. Though he was clearly frustrated he held on to his cool manner as best as possible, once again venting to himself by making mental remarks.
You're determined to make an idiot of me, was his first thought. I take back my earlier notes of you.

Still, something itched at the back of his mind, the desire to know the story unfolding before him. It seemed like it could be of some importance, but right now he had other things to address.

He felt uncomfortable leaving Duke behind in this manner. But what choice did he have? It wasn't just the peaceful way of life in this valley that Caden wanted preserved; it was the fact that he had no mate, and no successors. If he happened to die or get maimed, there was the chance that all of his hard work would be wasted if the Stars were to fall apart without a leader.

He turned back to Duke, his eyes dark. He saw the expression of disbelief on the other wolf's face. He was wondering just who Bandit was and why she just about undermined his own authority. Funny, Caden didn't have a clue, either.
"Didn't I say she was something of a firecracker?"
He turned his head back to Bandit, to be sure she that she was stil walking away. At least with her out of the picture, Caden didn't have to worry about her practically commiting suicide. He could relax a bit. He looked back at Duke with a much more professional gaze.
"Bandit is my Beta."

He hoped he said it quietly enough for Bandit to miss. He was simply lying through his teeth to make himself look a little better. Just a tactic to regain some of his higher ground. Caden was getting imaginative and seeing Duke's perception of himself as one of a weakling who couldn't control his own pack. Maybe it was true. The hostility in Duke's eyes certainly didn't speak of good things.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have a pack to attend to," he said, with a small dip of his muzzle. For a moment he held Duke's gaze, wondering if he was doing the right thing by being civil. Maybe he should attack, right here, right now, with Bandit to back him up. If they could kill Duke...

He turned his back on Duke and began to walk away. There was no way that was a good move for Dancing Stars. Caden was honest and ready to admit that the Stars were probably at a disadvantage. Caden was mateless, and that was the worst of their problems.

[Paint]

Duke felt the slighest lick of sympathy for his fellow Alpha. He knew what it was like to have a fiery upstart for a Beta. Justyn was no piece of cake either, although Duke wasn't sure if Justyn would really undermine his authority in front of Caden. Truth be told, Duke just didn't know. And it wasn't even important right now.

The great bear of a wolf sat down slowly, watching Caden walk away, saying nothing. He felt a smug sense of self-satisfaction when it occurred to him that he had made the two of them leave. It had not been a fight, true, but it showed him what he needed to know about the Dancing Stars. Caden did not want to battle him. Duke wasn't sure how he felt about that.

One thing he did know was that this is why he didn't go into No Man's Land. To run into Stars wolves made his skin crawl with displeasure, made his lips raise over his teeth. He snarled at nothing in particular, shaking himself to rid him of the presence of the wolves. They were gone now, far enough away, but he realised that this had been a risk. He had a mate and daughter with pups back in his land. What was he doing causing friction here? What if there had been a fight, and he hadn't returned to them? A dark mood took over him as he stood up, heading back towards his own land, looking for something to kill as he did.

[[Midnight]]

When Caden took a moment to glance behind his shoulder, he saw that Duke was headed in the opposite direction. Now he could relax, and let the smile play across his maw. Oh yes, he was glad to have met Duke. How exciting it was.

But his smile faded rather quickly as he looked back to the shape in front of him: Bandit. His eyes narrowed as though he was searching for more clues. What a strange turn of events; though, really, it shouldn't be odd. Bandit had said she was associated with the old packs, after all. He quickened his pace to match her strides, and only when he was sure that they were out of earshot of Duke, he spoke, first clearing his throat.

"Care to give me a proper explanation for your actions?" he asked cooly, whipping his head to avoid hitting a low-lying branch. He was certainly furious with Bandit. She had know idea what she was messing with here. If Caden had wanted to be reckless, oh, he more than could have. It had been all he could do to keep his civilty back there.

"I thought, Bandit, that you had told me once about how much you care about the Stars," he continued, his face grim as he peered forward through the thick fog. It was easy to get lost out here, especially when distracted. "Whatever's happened between you and Duke shouldn't be worth getting your packmates involved."

He stepped in front of her tracks to curtail her movements, waiting for her explanation, if one was offered. He was frustrated, but kept his temper supressed.

[Paint]

Even as Bandit was walking away, calming herself down, she knew that she had done wrong. She'd been caught off guard, that was her problem. She wasn't used to events being out of her control. She shook her head as she walked away, until she heard Caden approaching. Before she had a chance to reply, he had stepped in front of her to stop her, although she had every intention of explaining herself.

Before she could rest easy, though, she glanced behind her and inhaled deeply. No sight or smell of Duke. She waited just a moment before turning back to Caden, staring him straight in the eye.

"May I just sincerely apologise for the way I treated you back there."

She kept eye contact, absolutely determined for him to know that she meant every word she said. She sighed a little, glancing away as she tried to find her words.

"Please don't think that I don't care about the Stars. The Stars are my life, they always have been, even when I've not been around. The pack's ethos, the wolves we know and love... I would do anything to protect them. But they're also the very reason that I found it difficult to control myself back there."

She waited a moment again, but still kept her amber eyes trained on him.

"I can explain, but it may be a long story. I know you deserve the truth, Caden, and I have never lied to you. I've just withheld all of the details because I did not want to waste your time."

[[Midnight]]

Bandit's sincerity quickly deflated Caden's anger. As he sat back on his haunches with perked ears, he studied her facial expressions. She certainly seemed so unlike her usual self. Caden's perception of her was one of strength; he hadn't considered that she might have shadows to bring her down.

He was prepared to hear her out, certainly, since the story about Duke could only be to his advantage. He was also trying not to jump to conclusions, though he couldn't stop speculating. Duke didn't seem to recognize her, so why did Bandit recognize him?

"Apology accepted. Though, it was more concerning about how you treated Duke," he replied, head slightly c0cked with his curiosity. As she continued with her explanations, he began to examine the dirt at his paws. He was grateful for Bandit's honesty, and was glad to finally be hearing her whole story. It could shed some more light on Bandit's ambition to lead the Stars, perhaps.

"I don't know, Bandit, do I really deserve the truth? It's not my buisness. But it's clear you've been wounded by Duke," he conceded, his face grim as he spoke. "If you think it's best for Dancing Stars that I hear the truth, then I'm all ears. I really know very little about Falling Moon and its Alpha."

He stood back on all fours and watched her expectantly.
"We can head home while we talk," he offered, wondering in the back of his mind if she was in the mental state to come across any other wanderers.

[Paint]

Bandit felt a little of her old self returning. She nodded to him, beginning to move forwards and sighing as she did. Glancing around her, she began her story.

"My father founded the Dancing Stars pack back in Empyrean valley, with his mate Lotus," she began. She glanced sidelong at him. "Don't worry, I will try and keep this as short as possible. I'm not one for long rambling stories.

"I had two younger siblings, Shadow and Vesuvius, and I took after my father so much it was just assumed that I would be the next Alpha. My mother grew ill when we were young, and left us to die in peace because she did not want us to be traumatised. I left the valley when my father chose a new mate, not for love, but for business.

"I came back once a season to speak with Vesuvius, so that he could tell me what was going on. A group of wolves led by -no, not Duke- a wolf named Shaye had left my father's pack. His sister was one of them, my aunt Cocoa. That tells you how broken things were.

"Time passed. The news got slowly worse. Duke had taken over Shaye's new pack, aptly named the Falling Moons. Xaka had fallen in love with Quianna. They were having pups. Then... Duke staged a takeover. From what I've learned, my father fought well but Duke caught him out. He killed him and took over our lands.

"Quianna was unable to cope with the new lands. She couldn't support the pack, so she handed over to her son, Caerwyn. He was barely out of his first summer and leading a whole new pack."

Bandit shook her head, angry. Although it was apparent that she was angrier with herself for leaving than at anyone else.

"He developed a mental illness. Whether it was from the stress, or what... I don't know. Just before the earthquake happened, he even killed his own mother. He was that violent."

She took a deep breath, and had to stop. She cast her eyes away, over the lands, over the world that she knew. The sense of guilt was heavy in the air.

"If Duke had not killed my father, then that wouldn't have happened. The pack needed someone like my father. When I came back, and saw all of the damage... I headed for the scent of the other wolves. It led me here. I've now dedicated my life to trying to achieve the pack that my father would have been proud of. The one he once led."

She inhaled deeply, and stared at Caden for the first time since she began.

"That was the first time I have encountered the wolf who ruined my family's life. And that is the reason that I could not keep a hold on my emotions. I apologise, again."

[[Midnight]]

The story she told was certainly a grim one. It seemed as tragic as all the others he had heard from old Dancing Stars' still bleeding from their wounds. He could feel Bandit's guilt tugging her down, and his frown deepened until it crinkled his eyes. He became thoughtful and empathetic and wondered for a moment if that was what his life would turn into. Would he ever regret staying behind here to create a pack, instead of following in the footsteps of his large family? He hadn't seen them in two years now. Were they all alive?

A moment ago he was belittling her lack of self-control, but Bandit was now telling him that she had done quite the contrary and had remained as calm as she could have in such a situation. He admired her just ever more so. If anyone had ever touched his sister, Sayuri - killed her, for that matter - Caden would probably lose it as well. He tried to look at it from that perspective.

"Don't apologize. I'm the one who had no clue," Caden replied sullenly, shaking his head like he was shamed. He was having an out of character moment now and felt at a loss for words. His eyes shifted to meet her gaze, and then dropped back down to his paws. He had gathered by now that it was probably quite fortunate that Duke had not recognized Bandit's real identity. Caden couldn't fathom what would have went down right about now. Now he was far more than glad he had taken what Duke was probably calling the "cowardly way out." Knowing what Duke is capable of makes him all the more dangerous, even if he had aged quite a bit since his prodigal history.

Strangely enough, Caden felt himself go into some sort of inner tumroil. Duke had left deep scars in the Dancing Stars pack, the pack that Caden now led. Duke had hurt Bandit badly. Caden was strung between feelings of justice, obligations to his pack, and his feelings of loyalty to Bandit herself. Was she asking Caden to declare war on Duke, or was he reading too much into it? His troubled gaze was evident for a few long moments as he tried to gather his thought processes and come to a conclusion.

He dropped it for now. He could hardly consider that an unwise decision. His undivided attention turned back to Bandit in her time of need. She undoubtedly needed someone.

"Bandit, listen to me for a moment," he said quietly, his voice free of reprimandment. "Everyone is responsible for their own actions. We all have our own life to dictate. You were responsible for your decision to leave your home - but that's where your responsibilty ends. Did you cause the pack to split? Did you influence your father's sister in her decision to leave her brother's side?"

He gave a few moments of pause and looked at her seriously. The answers were obvious; Bandit was long gone at that point in history. If she looked at things rationally, she'd admit that she had no part in the splitting of her pack. It simply wasn't possible.

"Of course not. You are not responsible for their decisions, Bandit. Cocoa evidently did what she thought was right, just like you did. From the sounds of this Caerwyn fellow, there wasn't much to do about him, either, if his own mother was killed by his teeth."

He wondered if he was coming off too harsh and unfeeling. He certainly was feeling plenty of things, but he was just trying to get that fire back in Bandit's eyes that she had back when she told him not to mess up.

"You know, daughters and sons leave their parents all of the time. It's just nature, Bandit. I chose to leave my family, too. So please don't wear such a haunted face. Even if you had stayed, Bandit, with your father and his pack, do you honestly know whether or not he or anyone else would have survived the earthquake? You could have stayed, sure, just to see everyone dying around you. So don't ever say 'that wouldn't have happened' or 'this would've happened.' There is no telling what one day can change. I could very well die tomorrow."

That was his speech, for now. Caden supposed he had brought up every perspective he could and decided it was up to Bandit to let it go, anyhow. It was her scar to fight away. He just hoped he helped even if a little bit. Personally he thought it absurd that she thought she could have stopped her father from dying; Caden very well knew, without having ever met Bandit's father, that things likely would not have been different. No father or Alpha would have let his daughter take his place or to interfere. However...he could feel Bandit's pain, and understood why it ate at her.

He took to pacing a few times in a tight circle, before he stopped and faced Bandit again.

"This may not be the same pack you grew up in, Bandit, but the way you talk about it makes it sound like it's nothing like a great pack at all. If your father couldn't be proud of this," he lifted his tail and lifted his head, as if to display what was around them, "then I can't say your father would be proud of very much at all."

He frowned again. He hadn't ever liked the way Bandit seemed to downplay the importance of this pack. She spoke as if it needed to achieve something greater. What was it missing that she wanted to see? Apparently she was trying to bring back the dead. This was his pack. He had founded it. It was only everyone else who suggested the name for it.

"I'm sorry you've been suffering. Now give it up, Bandit. Let the dead rest. You deserve to live your own life. As for Duke..."

Still, he was frowning. All of this was bombarding him at once. He still was having the feeling that Bandit would demand him to take action now. He was not ready for an instant decision.
"...We will deal with him later."

[Paint]

Haunted. That was the perfect way to describe her. Every day the demons of her missing siblings and ripped up family, the sense of disappointment in herself not following in her father's footprints. It all hung over her, dragging her body down, leaving her lying awake at night. Normally it fueled her, it put the fire in her eyes and the strength in her step. Now though, it seemed that she was exhausted with the effort of it all.

"I just feel as though, even though I couldn't have stopped my father from fighting his own battles, I could've been there when he died. I could've taken over instead of leaving Quianna, as much as I disliked her, to fall and Caerwyn to go mad. I was the most obvious choice, and because of my own selfish attitude I walked away. I heard what was going on and I never came back. I left it too long."

She knew that what she was saying was living in the past. But it was the first time she'd said it, probably ever. Bandit never spoke to anyone very much. Even some of her closest friends and family never knew what she suffered. She was strong and silent by default.

"I know that I need to let that go. It doesn't help to say that I could've done this or I should have done that... I know that," she felt the odd, violently uncomfortably feeling of her eyes filling with water and her chest tightening. Despite herself, she had to sit and hang her head low. She didn't want Caden to see her crying, even if he could tell that she was. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks and she felt furious with herself. For a moment she felt like a pup again, crouching in front of Xaka and being told off. She felt tiny.

"I thought that if I found the pack then I could make my amends. I've been in other packs, I had high positions, I had enough purpose to keep me there," she spoke softly, but loud enough to be heard. Her voice wasn't much effected by her crying. "I wanted to come here and be the wolf that I'd failed to be for so long. But you, Caden..."

She shook her head a little, still determined not to look up and let him see her wet eyes as she ears folded back against her skull.

"I have too much respect for you, Caden. For the pack you've created, no matter how much of it is my family or friends. I know how much you care about them and you're a brilliant leader. I knew that as soon as I met you, and I knew that I could never attempt to really take that away from you. That would be more selfish than leaving in the first place. But then... if it's not my purpose to be here, to take over, to really make use of myself as a true Dancing Star, then what is? What is the point in me being around at all?"

Her voice had grown very dark, so she fell silent after her last question. She wasn't sure if she expected him to answer it. Part of her thought this was just her heart slowly but surely breaking, and he had to watch. She felt awful for inflicting this upon him, but his kindness towards her was making it harder to hold it all in. She shuddered a little, still crying, still unable to meet his eye. All of her body language was screaming an apology that she couldn't quite say.