Liahan awkwardly stood by at the entrance as Jordain gathered her belongings, her father shouting behind her. A cluster of young boys, roughly in their teens, also gathered close, but stayed out of the path of the raging bastelines. Though the boys all had different pelts, they still shared certain features, and the champion guessed that they were all related in some way. Perhaps her brothers?
"It didn't have to come down to this, Jordain!" her father bellowed, tail bristled and ears flat.
A stubborn silence met him as the little basteline continued working around the room. Different articles of clothing were thrown into a small bag, while other objects were examined and eventually placed back where they were.
"You are my daughter! As my daughter you know better! I am the leader of this town, but you undermine me constantly. Constantly, Jordain, and everyone has noticed. Everyone knows that you are a problem..."
Jordain visibly flinched at the words. Pulling further away from the raging man, her hands picked through different items at a much swifter pace, as if she was desperately trying to ignore his presence.
"You know our traditions! You know how women are supposed to act! You are to be submissive, you are to respect us, you are to adhere to our laws and yet you question them on a daily basis! You dismiss my warnings and act on your own whims! Your mother would never have behaved this way."
The words froze her. Liahan watched as the little basteline flattened her ears and clenched her fists. The powder grey fur began to bristle along her shoulders, her fangs dug into her lower lip. Mentioning her mother must have been a low blow, yet Jordain finally managed to compose herself and continue.
The chief lashed out and grabbed Jordain harshly by the shoulder, forcing her to face him again. Spittle sprayed from the man's mouth, his eyes wide with rage as he roared, "You did this to yourself!"
She struggled to get out of her father's grip, placing Liahan in more of an awkward position, but when Jordain couldn't free herself, she set her jaw tightly, though through pain or stubborness, the champion wasn't sure.
The little basteline let out a sharp cry of pain as the man tightened his grip on her shoulder, and Liahan felt compelled to step in now. "If you only listened to me, it never would have come down to this, Jordain!"
The voice changed, the only reason Liahan didn't move any further. Something was different in the chief's voice; the anger was still present, but there was a pleading tone now, a small whine, hardly audible. If Jordain heard it, she ignored it, and once again tried to break free from his grip.
"Why won't you say anything?"
A tense silence passed between them, their eyes creating a small storm in the gap. At last, his claws dropped from her shoulder, and she once more turned her back on him. After a few moments, the father stormed past his sons, and Liahan quickly stepped out of the way to avoid him. A heavy sigh caught Liahan's attention, and she looked over to see Jordain hunched over some article of clothing before stuffing it in the bag and slowly standing back up.
