FREEZE! ☆ [open]

[ferretface]

(And back in Australia again...)

'Retchen nodded and licked his lips. "Reckon we could eat the snake 'ere? I mean, if we didn't eat it's 'ead, an' poison an' all that, we should prolly be okay."

"Traitor indeed," he muttered in a voice just loud enough to be audible for both of them. "I'm more Juska then any wun of those idjits an' weaklin's back at me tribe." Grabbing his skinning knife, he began peeling the hide of the reptile.

[».kalani☀]

"Theres always yew if yer don't make yerself useful!"

Kalani scowled; the expression did not strip her of beauty, but instead highlighted the cruelty in her eyes, which had disguised itself as a well-mannered gleam. Admittedly she had caused such feelings of unease, but the ferret was in no way attempting to mend the broadening gap. She turned her face towards the fire, feeling the fur around her neck and cheeks bristle with unspoken anger, but she held her tongue this time.

"Yew can cook the meat yerself after we get it, though one of us warriors should prob'ly stay 'ere, an guard the place."

The only acknowledgment she gave to Furetchen at this suggestion was a flicker of her ears, rising and falling over the crest of her head in dim, reluctant agreeal. She frowned through the hungry flames, watching it devour the wood; she had always resented having to follow the traditions of genders and their roles, feminine skills being forced down her throat before she could swallow. It seemed unfair that she should be deprived of the chance to make her own decisions with her life, and now it was hard for her to live without someone controlling her actions. It was a freedom she had always wanted, but could never handle.

"I doubt 'Retchen would mind if he went out for the food, since it seems that you two could use a break from each other...already."

The doe had to check herself to keep from smiling. It's that obvious, eh? It was true that either side made no attempts to conceal their lack of opinion of the other, yet somehow Kalani thought that it hadn't been that blatant. Disagreements and arguments broke out among vermin all the time, but were their exhanges particularly petty? Tori spoke of them as though he were jaded, tired of their incessent bickering. She cocked her features at him, blinking softly; she wasn't about to admit it, but the weasel she found tolerable - far more so than his Juska counterpart. She had always admired those who could take her abuse indifference and good-humour, but she knew she should subdue any admiration.

Weasels were crafty creatures; not as widely-acknowledged as foxes, but cunning enough. The whole point of divulging her background was to get both he and Furetchen to relax around her - she had seen what happened to the hordebeasts who Captains felt uneasy and suspicious of. She needed the two to realise she presented no harm; whether this was actually true, she would decide later. She didn't want either of the tribal creatures scrutinising her with guarded eyes, constantly wondering where she came from, where she was going. It may have seemed like a lot, yet she had only really read them the front page of her life's story.

"I'm more Juska then any wun of those idjits an' weaklin's back at me tribe."

Finding his work distasteful, the rat turned her gaze away yet couldn't suppress a blush; that strange excitement over cruelty always gripped her. But it was ugly, messy work, and she found herself above looking, no matter how sadistically pleasurable. Sitting quietly, she wondered why the two still clung so tightly onto their heritage, despite betraying it? Why were their egoes so wrapped up in the place they had fled from? She would never defend her old horde, nor her fiancee and his warlord... but maybe tribes were different to armies? She knew they had ancient traditions and were riveted on the idea of seers and omens; she was far too practical for such things.

Cupping tiny paws about her face, thin fingers framing seamless features, she regaurded Tori silently; she had a sinking feeling that her charms were useless on both he and Furetchen. The definition of 'beauty' differed from species-to-species, and it was horrible to think the one thing that had gotten her to where she was today was invalid against either of them. Depressed at this notion, she allowed her head to sink further into her arms, until they bore the weight of her forehead. She uttered a dispirited sigh, faint over the crackling of the fire. Raising her head, she glanced about, as if searching for something, before settling her dark gaze on Tori. "Ye don't 'ave any blankets?"

There had rarely been a day when Kalani hadn't slept with a blanket; she'd been using her cloak as a substitute, but nothing was as good as snuggling into the real thing. She seemed awkward for a moment, teetering between words and further silence, before opting with the former. She spoke with a softiness, as though sharing a secret with the weasel. "I could make you some..."

Glancing back at Furetchen, she hurriedly gathered up the folds of her dress and skirted the fire, placing herself next to Tori. Again, a wary look was thrown back at the ferret, before the little maid pressed her side against his, beckoning for him to lower his head a considerable distance - upright, she stood far below his shoulders and it was hard for her to whisper in his ear. Hushed vocals addressed the weasel, sharing precious information that she obviously didn't want Furetchen to hear. "I'll just need ta' find 'nuff cotton for three blankets, so I'll be up early tomorr'w."

[/size]

[Varjak Juskarak Taggerung]

Zakura Salixa Rath twitched her ears.

Normal group of vermin. There was always the one who wanted his own way all the time, 24/7, and the one who thought heshe deserved better than the rest. The weasel was one of the fairly intelligent vermin for its species, or vermin nature. Zakura pressed a paw against her head and snickered. This time she was going to make an effort, however small, to talk without her usual accent.

[ferretface]

'Retchen laughed bitterly as he chopped and carved brutishly at the snake. Then, a sound. A paw colliding with a stray twig. He pulled Tori aside.
"I fink there's someone 'round 'ere, an' they prolly ain't friendly," he whispered in traditional vermin dialect.

[Sliteye]

Tori had barely moved from his position the entire time the two beast bantered back and fourth. He could easily see both of them from his spot, just just sat and watched. The two seemed to be so different that they couldn't tolerate each other.

Kalani, although he didn't like to place beasts in groups, was the typical spoiled child. Always used to getting everything their way and getting beast to bend over back wards for her.

'Retchen though, he was different. He was allot like Tori in some ways, although a much younger him. He was allot like that just after he left his old life behind him. Hanging onto traditions and customs. Tori had once held onto them, but eventually he broke away. The only things left were the things he couldn't escape. His tattoos, his memory's, and his ability's.

He looked up as Kalani moved from her spot on the other side of the fire to sit next to him. He was slightly taken aback from her action. But kept his exterior the same, a emotionless shell. He couldn't help but smile ever so slightly as she asked about blankets, further cementing her position in Toris mind. But, like all those in that group, wouldn't budge until they got what they wanted.

"If you need to be up that early I can wake you up when I get up, at dawn." He said simply before looking up at 'Retchen, just nodding as he spoke. "I know, just keep alert, I don't think Kalani knows. No need to worry her." He spoke so causally, as if he was discussing the weather, but quiet enough so that Kalani couldn't overhear him...

[ferretface]

'Retchen nodded, then turned back to his messy work with the snake. He also pulled out his bow and restrung it, placing it beside him, hacking away at the snake. He casually looked around, but couldn't see anything besides the woods. TUrning back down to his snake, he grabbed an arrow, spitted some snake slices onto it, and roasted it over the fire, laughing roughly. At the same time he skilfully spit a like kebab and roasted IT in the fire. When he was satisfied he was done, he chewed a bit.
Tasted horrible.
Just like home, in fact.
Putting it down, he placed a third arrow next to his bow. Just to be ready.
"Tastes 'orrible, but at least 'tis vittles," he informed the others.