Snow in Shadows

The mundane drivel of everyday life rolled on as usual which left the Ace to revel in his boredom as he opted to occupy his time taking rounds along the territory and keeping a watchful eye on his subordinates. Though, he could argue it was equal parts staying in the cool shade and eavesdropping in on whatever conversations reached his keen ears. In all honesty, he would want it no other way. It beat lounging around in the territory with nothing to keep himself busy, other than the heat of the day to make him ever more irritable.

But currently, Othis found himself in a bit of a dilemma. He was being followed, and not so discreetly. The den site was nearby and the rustling of the undergrowth, as well as a curious angry whisper exchange not too far away, told him all he needed to know. What was more, was the scent he longed to keep at a distance. Helva. His young niece and one of Artemis’s pups the Sanzin believed him to sire. For whatever reason she was following him, he could admit he had not much of a clue. His first instinct was to assume she wanted to challenge him, as many of the youth who followed or approached him did so with that purpose. But he was not so sure the little ghost would be so pompous as to do so. She was strong but she was cautious; he doubted she would pick a needless fight.

Which left one other option: curiosity — an issue Othis was much less equipped to handle and one that prompted him to want to bolt the next opportune moment of silence that followed after him. He rounded a corner to determine if she could keep up with him as he hastened his pace. If she failed to, he would shake her off completely. But, she wasted no time in catching up, as the rustling of small paws behind him indicated she had dived for a nearby bush. How amusing. He could play this game. When he came to a stop he did not move, only kept his head facing forward. “Is that the ghost who haunts this land?” He looked over his shoulder at the general area of bushes behind him, not wanting to give himself away in that he knew where she was hiding. “Or is it a young moth who flies dangerously close to the flame?”

Othis’s icy eyes finally cast down to the bush that housed his niece. While it gave her good coverage, her scent easily gave her location away. “Be cautioned, Helva. Lest your wings burn.” More so a warning than a threat, there was not a trace of sarcasm or playfulness in his hardened eyes or austere face. He stared at her for a moment longer before forcing air out of his nostrils. The cutting quality to his eyes lessened slightly and he continued, “If you had wished to shadow me, your scent made you as noticeable as a white hare amongst the spring grass.”

"Speaking." Thinking.

An answer from the young child came promptly and was quite satisfactory to the man’s ears. He could respect admittance to folly and resilience to stand back up, but his satisfaction would never surface on his scruffy face. Instead, he stared at her blankly as she emerged from the bushes, her fur stark against the greenery. He squinted slightly, immediately disappointed that she never even made an attempt to try and conceal the brightness of her fur. He hoped she would have known better if she was daring to follow him as carelessly as she had. Not that, in actuality, it would have made much of a difference. It was the effort that counted to Othis, and so far, he failed to see much, even in the pup who was blatantly one of the strongest among the youth. No, he expected better. As a Sanzin warrior and as his niece.

He watched as she sat down, looking at him expectantly. A thick brow quirked up, his expression neutral. Curious. Did she follow him without any sort of recourse? Or purpose? Nobody else was around despite their being close to the den site, a fact Othis wanted to distance himself from, let alone the pup in front of him. Because frankly, he didn’t quite know what to do, other than return her gaze for a moment or two longer.

“Next time…” He mused, finally filling the silence. “Should I expect a tail now wherever I go?” There was a taunting edge to his voice. “Because if my tail is clumsy and careless, she has no business being here.” A harsh truth maybe but one he wholeheartedly meant. Helva had no business being by his side if she would only serve to slow him down, considering his… secretive operations. Though he wasn’t too fond of the idea of constantly being followed but, in the instance that it was to improve skill, perhaps he could be less reluctant. But Othis doubted that was the reason she was coming to him. He doubted there was much of a reason at all. So for now, he would probe.

He turned slowly and began off in the direction he was heading, his long legs easily gaining some distance. Whether she would follow him or not was her choice but he would continue speaking regardless. Without looking back he asked, “So why are you here? Not with the others?” The “others” being the pups who were often found roughhousing. Othis had noticed Helva rarely being among them as she would merely watch on the side. He could understand the sentiment but only because of who he was, and what he knew he was capable of. His tail, on the other hand, he wasn’t so sure about. “Has the strongest finally met her match?” He might as well be taunting her but it was not mean-spirited necessarily. It was a test disguised as curiosity. “Or maybe, grown bored?” Would his taunts provoke her, or would she respond with icy calm?

“A bored warrior is a useless warrior, and you, moth, have years before you can become bored.”

"Speaking." Thinking.

Othis paused upon the little ghost’s declaration, her bravado striking him even with his back to her. He turned his head to peer at her over his shoulder, silver eyes boring into her own stormy ones. As clumsy and careless as she may be, he saw in her potential. A potential that he believed was apt to falter if not carefully cultivated. “Repeat that to the void, because that is what your declaration amounts to.” Scruffy brows narrowed. “You are confident. That is good. But it means nothing if you can’t back it up.” Confidence, pride, ambition — all were incredibly valuable assets that needed to be cultivated and controlled. Arrogance had to be weeded out of even the most capable warriors. He would not let Helva get too satisfied with her strength or succumb to the indolence his foolish brother once had.

That is not to say Othis mistook her choosing not to participate in the action for laziness. He had spent time watching the roughhousing of the pups and how she bested each challenger. His taunts were a facade to get a rise out of her and he got what he was expecting. She wasn’t dealing with a mediocre challenger, however. She had chosen to cross paths with Othis, so a challenge she would get.

“I will hold you to your words, then, as you are so confident. Disappoint me again, though, and I will not be so open to a conversation,” he warned. Harsh as he may be, he wanted only for her to improve. She had it in her to impress him. It was a matter of awakening that potential. Othis would never wish to trample or dishonor the ambition of the youth but he had learned that coddling them will only do them harm in the end.

The snowy Zero and shadowy Ace resumed walking and he could hear as she struggled to keep pace with him. She stated she had no business with them and had better things to do. He hummed to himself in consideration. “Then what business do you have? Keeping my time? You never did answer me.” his tone was less harsh than before but he stopped again, placing a large paw in her path, and stepped forward, looking down at her, upturning the edges of his typical frown into a humorless smile. “You don’t seek a challenge yet you keep up with me. So why are you here?”

He looked away, shrugging apathetically. “I suppose not even the strongest could best curiosity.” His brow lifted, his head tilting to the side to feign innocence. Now that Helva was closer, Othis could get a better look at her. She was a scrawny thing which wasn’t out of the ordinary for their pups, but he has seen her battles. He stepped back so he wasn’t so much in her face. Before she could respond he continued with his inquiries, finding amusement in her reactions. “What has being on the sidelines taught you? I would hope you are as observant as I am inclined to give you credit for.”

"Speaking." Thinking.

The Ace eyed the white pup’s flourish as she boldly claimed she would prove herself. The slightest of hums rumbled in his throat. He would be watching whether she knew it or not. He was unsure but certain that someday she would begin to notice his eyes. After all, he could tell the youngest of the litter had started to sense something more, but Othis would argue that he had stopped trying so hard to conceal his presence. The pups would continue to evolve, growing into their potential, honing their skills, and setting their goals. The new generation would be upon the Sanzin and it was up to the current one to cultivate them into fine warriors.

Othis’s silver eyes squinted as Helva met them undaunted, not even flinching as he stepped in her path. He stared at her critically, watching for even the slightest shift in her face, curious to see if she could maintain her bravado. She answered his question: her business was him. Well, that explained a little bit of her peculiar behavior. She was under the impression he was her father, as foreign of a concept as it was to him, not to mention the lack of credibility the rumors held, he never denied them. Helva latched on a lot stronger than he anticipated, and he supposed such was the result of his choosing to not oppose the rumors.

His scruff brows narrowed as she lifted herself with confidence, preparing another answer to his onslaught of questions. He listened intently, thinking back to the spars he watched and the names she mentioned. Though his expression was steely, he was impressed by her attentiveness. “Combat is not just a battle of strength, but also wits. Learning about your opponent is vital; their body language and their habits. How they tick. A tendency to lean into a skill for a specific reason, or away from a weakness meant to keep hidden can render any skilled opponent defenseless. But battles evolve over time, as do enemies. A spar with Sarcosa may not end the way you expect next time.” He warned. “He may learn how to use his bad leg against you.” Something Othis had experience with, the scars on his chin a reminder. “Exploiting such a glaring weakness is a good start, but ensure it is not your only vantage point. Do not wager success all on one weakness.”

Helva mentioned Millet. Her tendency to stay low was likely a misplaced strategy — a way of maintaining a low center of gravity and therefore stability. But if executed poorly, it gave the opponent the high ground. “What did her eyes tell you? Were her attacks easy to predict?”

"Speaking." Thinking.