His daggers glinted brightly in the twilight, bearing the signatures of many an unfortunate victim.
Hawk shuddered inwardly.

His words may have been slightly sarcastic but she found herself raising her guard once more and she let the reply slide, only answering with the faint shadow of a smile that rapidly evaporated from her lips. She felt cold beneath his scrutiny though she kept the uncertainty out of her orbs, knowing that she must not show any more weakness if she valued the fluttering of her heart. However, nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.

After her careful lyrics spilled forth into the ebony shroud, Lady felt faintly hopeful that the strained meeting would soon be over. Unfortunately for her, it was far from it. Instantly, she picked up the rapid swiftness of his breathing and felt his twins burning dangerously as they regarded her. She raised her own sunlit beacons and immediately lowered them again when they came to rest on his hideously threatening grin. From his maw poured a tirade of scathing comments that blistered on her skin as molten lava would and left her breathless with shock. The minx was so astonished she didn’t even flinch. Her pate came up and she tucked her haunches in which, when coupled with her partly slicked tulips and drooping banner, conveyed her emotions. She knew with an unsettling certainty that she had crossed an uncrossable line and her reaction was the only hope she had of her survival.

Inhaling slowly, she weighed each word as it passed her lips,

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what a poodle is and I didn’t mean to lie or sound presumptuous, it’s just, well, I just thought that when you welcomed me to Munashii you were inviting..…..” her voice tapered out as she realized how feeble her excuse sounded once voiced, despite the fact that it was the truth. She had misunderstood his tones and now she would pay for it with either her dignity or her life.

Yes, it was wiser to leave and nurse her wounded pride from a safer distance, but Ladyhawke had never been very prudent and had preferred always to be forceful and outgoing. Now, she found herself at a loss. To leave the argument would be to go against her nature but to insist upon winning back her honor would be to lose her life. So, in the absence of a decision, Lady found herself standing at the mercy of a demonic he-wolf with nothing to say for herself and not much hope that he’d understand. After what seemed like an eternity, she realized that she must at least attempt to preserve what little of herself she could and so she let her voice shatter the silence once again,

“Is there any hope of redeeming myself in your orbs or should I go?”

Yet again, the timbre of her voice held neither sarcasm nor cockiness, only a weary acceptance of whatever he had to say. Somewhere though, beneath her broiling sentiments, a tiny butterfly of hope took wing. Maybe he’d set her a test. A test which, if she passed, would prove her worthy of adding to Munashii ranks. A small hunt perhaps? A test to which she could apply her unique skills and prove herself commendable.

For now, she was too cowardly to suggest her idea.