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One pack two pack old pack new pack
Thoughts are colored brown.
Ariadne and Rendar are their own little pack. Rend is pretty insanely protective of her, treating her basically like his kid: his own mate and cubs were killed by aberrations and Ari is pretty nonfunctional. Ariadne has a gift of prescience that lets her See beyond the present (If you're really curious, see: http://www.aetolia.com/bardic/farsight), but she surrendered control over that gift first to wanton, addicted use of it, and then to complete ascetic denial of it at Rend's insistence, and she was rather helpless without being able to abuse her gift. Over the past few decades, she's been learning to be stronger, social, discovering what relationships are, and has been slowly growing up. This makes Rend uneasy.
--------------------------
Congratulations, you are now a professional tailor. Consult HELP TAILORING for details.
The massive core of the Great Oak. (Duiran.)
You see exits leading north, east, south, and west.
Raest, Hunter of the Heartwood takes a seat, bidding you to do the same, and supplies you with a needle and thread to begin a lesson in Tailoring.
Pointing at a small pile of various materials and a jar of buttons and beads, Raest, Hunter of the Heartwood has you choose some fabric and urges you always to use a thimble, lest you prick yourself and get blood on the garment.
--- Etc, tailoring lessons ---
Aliod arrives from the north.
Walking over to you and pressing his lips against her cheek, Aliod says, "Tailoring...Very nice."
You have emoted: Ariadne blinks in surprise at your words, starting as you kiss her - the lesson has clearly occupied the full scope of her attention and it's obvious that she did not even notice your approach. She's silent a moment, smoothing down a bit of doeskin that she's been practicing stitches on, and then she nods.
Quietly, you say, "Can make own gear, now."
Aliod turns his gaze down to the doeskin and the criss-crossing of stitches covering the thing. "I see, will come in handy if you need a pack or tear something.." The Idreth cants his head to the side, pulling his lips away from your cheek, "..And I can see how that can help stitching a wound closed if need be."
You have emoted: Ariadne gives a slight nod as her hand reflexively slides down to her side, grazing the tangled knot of scar tissue twisting across half of her torso. "Should have learned before..." she says, words quiet but firm, tinged with a faint hint of dark emotion.
Aliod narrows his bronze eyes as you speak, those pools locking onto your hand as it slides down to the scarred tissue. "Hey.." he whispers as he lifts one hand up from his side and lays it atop your own, the warm palm resting atop the back of your hand. "..At least you are learning now.."
You have emoted: Ariadne's only response is a grunt, eyes downcast for a moment as she stares at the scar - and then they lift, her head abruptly turning towards the west, as if hearing some unheard sound or sensing something outside of perception. A few moments later, the undergrowth rustles and sways, and out slips a large black wolf, sliding out of the shadows in a quiet lope.
A savage, black-furred wolf carries in his mouth a brace of rabbit, his teeth remarkably gentle around the fragile bones. He snuffs once at you in interest, a faint fleck of blood from his kill splattering out with the snort, before he dismisses you as inconsequential - he knows you, you're safe - and pads over towards the woman.
Aliod watches your gaze as it twists towards the side, "Better late then never.." he whispers, more to himself than to you. He dips his head forward as the familiar wolf lopes into view and he follows the trail of that bleeding rabbit as it passes him. "I see you got something there." With a lingering moment, his hand slides away from the scar on your torso, and up to affectionately pat your cheek. "A gift maybe.."
The wolf's thoughts are clear and bald, playful teasing mixed with an uncertain worry as he focuses on images of other women, women he's seen since he's taken watch over the girl-cub, meek and weak and giggling, simpering, useless.
You have emoted: Ariadne flatly regards the wolf, mirroring his snort. Around the rabbit, his mouth pulls into what almost looks like a lupine grin, as if taunting the woman, and she lifts her head, tossing her hair, and grunts. She shoots the wolf a side-eyed stare, a faint scowl twisting her lips, and - odd as it is, an almost pouting, injured tone comes into her voice, for just a moment: "Rend is mean."
Aliod drops down onto his knees as you and the wolf have your exchange, the grin on his lupine features seeming to draw the Idreth closer. "How is he mean?" he asks as he scoots closer to Rend, his elbows now resting on his knees as he regards the wolf curiously.
"That's not fair," the woman thinks back at the wolf, thoughts sharp and flaring up into anger for a quick, blazing moment, before they falter, faced with the images. "I still hunt," she insists. The wolf's reply is damning, his memories bringing up the last elk they brought down - it was winter, a year past, blood bright against snow. Four seasons have come and gone.
You have emoted: Ariadne breaks off her stare, grunting even sharper, and - almost viciously - sticks her needle through the doeskin and draws out a quick, decisive stitch. Her eyes narrow. She exhales sharply. Her shoulders roll and...that's it. The surge of emotion is gone in moments, melting away to leave her in her familiar, impassive state once more. She traces a finger across the threadwork, eyes fixed on the leather, and quietly, pensively asks you, "Am I like other women now?"
Aliod shoots an evil stare at Rend, the glimmer lasting for just a moment before it fades away like the dying ember of a fire in its last crackles of its burning existence. A low sigh pushes out past his parted lips, a faint whistling seeming to fill the air: "..No.." he merely states as he turns his gaze back up to you and he rises slowly, almost cautiously. "Not like other women, you try, you be, you are true to yourself.." He folds his arms behind his back as he comes to his full stature, which isn't saying much. "I think we need to talk about that."
You have emoted: "Talk about?" Ariadne echoes, eyebrows lifting.
Aliod looks over between the two of you for a breath, "Things, we haven't done that in a bit."
A savage, black-furred wolf lets out a snort, clearly done with the conversation. He sinks down onto his haunches and begins to tear into the meat, teeth precisely and impressively ripping the rabbit into bite-size morsels.
Dragging his tongue across his front teeth, Aliod says, "..I see."
You have emoted: Ariadne doesn't seem particularly enthused by a prospect of a long conversation - she defers her answer by taking another few minutes to practice her stitching, hemming along one side of the leather in whipcord threadstrokes. Finally, almost warily, she asks, "...what things?"
Aliod lifts his hands up from his sides in a half shrug as the Idreth's tail uncoils from around his waist to sway about behind him. "Things, I haven't had a chance to speak to you at length in awhile.." Those lifted hands fall back down to his sides as his bronze eyes slip over to your form, "Things you might be worried about, things that could happen, things that could not happen.."
You have emoted: Ariadne looks up from her stitching to glance over at you. Her face is blank and it's clear she has no idea what you are talking about. Still, she shrugs once and steps closer, clearly ready to follow you.
You begin to follow Aliod.
Aliod closes his eyes and begins to focus.
A look of rapture fills Aliod's face as a white nimbus encompasses his body. When the light fades Aliod can no longer be found.
You follow Aliod to the ether.
Inside a burnt homestead.
The scent of earthen decay permeates this dilapidated home, its gutted ruin of a belly exposed between jagged beams of charred wood in a skeletal frame that encroaches upon a twilight sky beyond. Glass and refuse litter a once warm sanctuary, the dead remains of all that was within emerging belligerently from the semi-darkness, tattered gray curtains billowing from a broken window to the crumbling floor like a bedraggled spectre, or a flag of surrender. The framework of a doorway still stands in silent greeting, the remains of a door hanging sideways on hinges that in turn clench the splintered wood for dear life. Though the desecration of this homestead could be fresh, telltale growth, intrusive green frond and choking vines, all attest to its age as rebirth has already taken hold, life emerging from the holocaust of a violent death. A midnight black stallion trots menacingly here. Shallow and long, a porcelain bathtub sits here on clawed feet. A tapestry depicting a majestic waterfall scene hangs here. Covered with twisting vines, a cozy bed made of branches stands here. A high-backed chair stands here, awaiting use.
You see a single exit leading up.
Aliod wanders over to the arrow laying on the floor and snatches it up, the motion leading him away from you and the wolf. "Also I think this is yours." he states, seeming to already know the outcome as he pivots and offers the arrow to you.
As the two of you blink out of sight, a savage, black-furred wolf scrambles to his feet with a growl, snapping up the rabbits to leap after you - he reforms in the haven in mid-jump, his paws hitting the ground with heavy thuds.
You have emoted: Ariadne gives Rendar a cool stare, apparently indifferent to his potential exclusion from the conversation, before her gaze turns to the arrow. She frowns, and shakes her head, gaze dropping. The faintest blush creeps across her dark complexion as her shoulders hunch inwards a bit. She glances quickly at the wolf, and then back to the arrow, and quietly admits, "Do....not have a quiver. Have...neglected..."
Aliod spins the arrow deftly between his fingers as he watches that blush creep across your features. "..It will be here when you are ready.." he whispers, matching the volume of your voice as he lays the thing across the corner of the bed. The Idreth moves over to the foot of the bed and eases himself down onto the plush surface, his hands hanging between his legs. "..So what makes you think you would be like the other women?" He seems to play Rend no heed as he waits for your response, the crimson flakes in his eyes radiating a dull sheen.
Badass forestal bed:
Tendrils of climbing vines cling tightly around the roughly-cut square of this unusual bed. Moss-covered and gnarled, several boughs have been shortened and tied together to form the ominous construction of a wooden frame. At all four sides, the boughs connect to a sharp-edged cross, kept in place by firmly-knotted vines. Below a cover of plush winter fur, fragrant ferns lend a fresh and earthy note to the overstuffed padding of a roomy mattress that offers ample space for a couple or perhaps three dwarves. A pile of cozy pillows has been placed near the bed-head and adds with hues of vivid green and pristine white some basic comfort to this simplistic resting place.
You have emoted: Ariadne doesn't answer at first - her attention is caught by the bed itself, her stare lifting to rake over the natural contours and rugged construction as a brief look of perplexed amazement skips across her face. She blinks, and it's gone, like a candle being extinguished, and her features are neutral and impassive once more. She glances over towards the wolf. He snorts back and tosses his head, settling down on his belly to continue his assault on the rabbit carcasses. She frowns, a faint, slight wrinkle in her brow, and stares back at you.
You have emoted: "Sewing," Ariadne quietly answers. "Rarely hunting." There's a long pause here, and her frown deepens a bit as she regards you. She does not look away or display any sort of polite discomfort that most other normal humans would, openly staring at someone else for so long. Finally, a hint of a question in her voice, she concludes, "This, maybe. Us..."
Aliod turns his head to the side as he watches you curiously, the silence seeming to draw him further in. The flecks in his eyes die down as he looks between the two of you as he leans back to rest his weight on his hands, the thing giving a slight creaking groan as the weight comes down onto it. He stays silent for a bit, listening as if your words were on the breeze: "..I see..." He pushes himself deeper into the bed, coming up to the headboard with a slight grunt before he finally reclines onto the soft mattress. "..come here.." he states plainly, his tone neutral as he slaps the spot beside him, sending the bedding rippling with the blow.
You have emoted: Ariadne does not hesitate, approaching the bed with her usual deliberate, stalking sort of pace. One hand trails out, sliding across the vines and moss with interest, fingers curling in lightly to explore each twist of the bed's frame, until she is standing beside you. Lithely, she sits and shifts her weight, settling in next to you.
"Sewing is learning on how to make sure nothing goes to waste," Aliod whispers quietly as he slips an arm about your shoulders, allowing his bicep to be a makeshift pillow, "You can use that skill to make packs and all sorts of things, that right there pretty much dictates that you will need to hunt for skins.." That arm beneath you cranes down, his scarred palm pressing against your bare side as he pauses for a moment to brush a long lock of hair from his face, "..He is just afraid that things might change..things he might not be ready for.." An almost tangible silence falls over him as he stares up at the charred beams of the ceiling, "..And..I..well..I am fond of you Ariadne."
You have emoted: Ariadne nestles in closer, her body innately settling in close to yours, as she rests her head on your arm. "Not weak, then, for tailoring," she states. It's not a question, but a statement, quiet, but firm. She says nothing for a few moments more, before she then follows up with, "What is fond?"
"Well..it means..." Aliod hesitates there and his lower lip sucks between his teeth as if that would jog the words free that he is looking for. "..It means that it shouldn't make you seem weak to be around me.." he mutters as you settle down closer against him. "It is a feeling that you get when you can relax around a person..You trust them.."
You have emoted: "Am fond of Rend?" Ariadne asks, trying the word out for herself. Across the cabin, the wolf lifts his head, letting out a snort, before focusing again on his rabbits.
Turning his head to the side as Rend lifts his head up, yet it soon rests back against the bed, Aliod says to you, "Umm..Yeah, you can be fond of Rend..but this is a different fondness, you two are friends..I think Rend is worried that I will hold you back."
You have emoted: Ariadne twists around, shifting onto her other side to face you. Candidly, simply, she asks, "What do you mean?"
Aliod lifts his free hand off the bed, while the other that you are laying on shifts to press his scarred palm against the small of your back, gently urging you closer to him. "He is afraid I think, that if we mate..or become closer..You will lose that feralness..you will be weak.." That lifted hand comes up and he gingerly slides his fingertips across your lips, the touch light and barely making contact. "I will try to tame you so to speak."
Again, another flash of thought from the wolf, laden with disgust and a ting of nausea, as if staring at a rotting carcass while hunger gnaws at one's stomach. Sensory impressions, whiffs of smell twisting into individual identities as they skate through the woman's mind - one simpers, another giggles insipidly, all pose and are weak and helpless. "Stop it," the woman harshly insists, but the wolf persists, sending a final arrow-beam of thought-scent towards her - it's her own smell, twisted and changed, resolving into something soft and flailing and useless.
The world halts as you are frozen in time and sp--
The air irises open glutinously, running wet with ocular fluid. A purple eye gazes at you, throbbing from end to end with swollen veins.
--ace. Everything has begun moving again.
You have emoted: Ariadne is absolutely silent in your arms, her body slowly tensing, muscles stiffening as her jaw clenches. Her eyes squeeze shut and then, as if ripped from her, she lets out a ragged cry, fingers curling into sharp claws to dig at your skin, grabbing at you, holding on tight, as if to steady herself, tether herself-
The woman's thoughts of disgust at the wolf's impressions are sliced away, rent to ruin by the impression of the Gaze. Mentally, she trembles and, as if freed by that Stare, something detaches inside her, a dizzying sort of feeling as her identity slowly begins to separate from her physical body. Upwards, onwards-
A savage, black-furred wolf is on his feet - something has happened, something is happening, something will happen - and is growling, rabbit abandoned as he snarls around him, as if trying to menace at some unseen, unknown threat.
Aliod stares down at you for a moment as the silence charges the air around the two of you. He half-sits up as your ragged cry forces him back down beside you and as you dig your nails into his skin, tiny welts of blood bloom from beneath them. With his lips parting to speak, he folds his arms around you, pulling you tightly against him even though no words slip from his lips. He risks a gaze over at Rend, his bronze eyes locked onto the wolf as he holds the huntress tightly against him.
You have emoted: Ariadne's tension abruptly melts away, the stiffness in her muscles draining away alarmingly fast as her eyes roll up in her head. You've seen this before, felt her like this before - and, as if to confirm it, a howl splits the air. The last time Rend howled was-
Aliod stares down at you as you go limp against him, those bronze eyes taking in this familiar scene and he cuts those bronze pools over to Rend. "This.." he mutters to himself as he slides away from you and down to your hips, he throws one leg over your waist and eases himself down onto you and then leans forward. "Come on Ari.." he whispers, his tone slightly frantic as he reaches up and cradles your chin in his palm, "Come on.."
The wolf's thoughts are like birds, little broken birds feebly battering against a shuttered window. Faint scrabbling impressions scrape at the woman's mind, but they are whispers, barely heard just as the man's touch is hardly felt. Instead, she is pulling away, dragged upwards towards a gleaming, glittering nexus of threads, time and space wriggling outwards in a brilliant radial display - for a flaring moment, she stands among them and glimpses everytime, and everything is right, and beautiful and soaring-
A savage, black-furred wolf howls again, lunging in to jump atop the bed and shoulder in beside Aliod. He snarls and snaps, diving down to bite at the woman.
-and everything shakes, colors crumble, sparkles blink out in ragged rends of sharp black pain. "No-" she thinks, frantic. "Don't take it, nonono, let me keep this-" But, inexorably, she's reeled back, tethered by pain to the present. The wolf's thoughts press back in, stinking with fear, as images of his mate and cubs swarm up, bloody and mangled.
Aliod hisses at Rend as he bites down on Ariadne, his face twisting for a moment as he swats and pushes at the beasts muzzle. "Gods Rend, why that way?" he bellows as the wolf justles him about atop the prostrated huntress. An almost frantic motion of his hand sends it up to slap at your cheek, the thing marred with flecks of your own blood, and the saliva from the gnashing beast beside the two of you.
You have emoted: This time, Ariadne is gone only a moment, her eyes snapping open as soon as the wolf bites at her arm. She cries out, and the sound is wrenching, laden with loss, as she twists frantically, flailing to escape the teeth, the claws, your arms, everything. A splash of blood streaks out to splatter across your chest as she pulls away from the two of you, and she screams, a hoarse, pained cry that's ripped out of her, angry and sad and aching all at once.
A savage, black-furred wolf lets out a whine as he's struck at, sinking back onto his haunches, shoulders hunched high and head low down over his paws, to stare at the woman with a wide-eyed, confused stare.
Aliod stares down at you with a mixture of relief as you come to, and his lips part to whisper a quiet praise before you cry out and twist frantically, knocking him back and away as you flail and turn. He tumbles off the side of the bed and onto his shoulders and the back of his head hits the ground with a loud crack which tears a groan of pain from his lips as he lays there, comically splayed out with his legs practically straight up in the air, his hands encircling the back of his head.
"I AM NOT THEM," the woman mentally screams at the wolf. Her thoughts fly at his, slashing his memory to ribbons, her anger hot and heavy and metallic in his head, like blood, like hunting, and he finds himself both loving and fearing it. Her scent dances before him and it blooms, swirling out into something sharper and richer, more nuanced - she has changed, he realizes, and he has not noticed, until now.
You have emoted: Ariadne falls silent, drawing herself up to sit at the head of the bed. Her arms splay out straight to either side, blood spiraling down one in thick tendrils to seep into the moss, while her hair twists around her face in a wild, tangled dark halo. Her eyes are wide, and clear, and piercingly blue as she stares at the wolf. She seems to have forgotten Aliod, everything focused instead on Rendar, as, firmly, sharply, voice low, she growls out, "Am NOT a cub now."
Aliod rights himself, his legs falling to one side as he comes to sit up, his lips turned up into a grimace and his bloody chest, caked with your blood, peeks up over the edge of the bed. He pushes himself up to rest on his knees, one scarred palm pressing against the jagged nail marks that adorn his form and his eyes snap between you and Rend, unsure of what to say, and uncertain as to what to do.
A savage, black-furred wolf slowly rises to all fours, a low growl building up in his throat as his fur bristles up to stand on end. He takes a step closer, towards you, but she does not move, save to dig her fingers into the moss, wrapping them in the vines around the bed, as she meets his stare, blue eyes to feral brown.
You have emoted: "Am grown," Ariadne she repeats, voice still low, but firm, her stare unwavering. The wolf advances closer, his growl shifting to a snarl, lips pulling back to expose long, sharp white teeth. The woman does not move. He takes another step, and his muzzle reaches for her neck...
Aliod staggers to his feet and with a heave, throws himself back up onto the bed, tiny trickles of blood falling down onto the floor beneath him. His motions quicken as he reaches forward just as Rend's muzzle makes its way to her neck, his blood soaked fingers matting the fur. "..Easy.." he whispers, the strength returning to his voice as his eyes seem to stare at both you, and Rend, "...Easy..."
"I am your pack," she insists to the wolf. "But not the one you lost. There are times that I need to fly-" The wolf's response is anxious, frantically trying to piece together memories: the ripple of sunlight across his mate's fur, the yelp of the cubs as they took their first, clumsy hunt.... But each thought is firmly met by the woman, her mental touch soft but resilient, like pliant, strong moor grass, wrapping around the wolf's memories, without breaking or yielding. "We will avenge them," she promises. "But they are gone. I will never be them-"
You have emoted: Your intercession is not quick enough - the wolf is upon Ariadne now, and she sits, motionless, as his muzzle presses flush with the tender skin of her throat...and he draws in a sharp sniff. His breath stirs her hair. She blinks slowly. He sinks down and lets out a faint whine, lowering his head to her lap. She exhales, breath shaky and slow, and rests her hand atop his neck, eyes closing.
Aliod slips his hands down Rend's back as he leans forward, a look of confusion on his face briefly being seen before he face plants beside you, his cheek brushing against your thigh as he lets out a slight groan of both confusion and relief. He lays there beside you, a mixture of wolf's fur, his own hair, and a spattering of your blood and his own mixing together into a gloriously sticky mess.
The wolf's thoughts are simple and direct: the girl-cub has grown, his mental image of her sharpening, colors growing richer and scent fuller in acknowledgement. The woman's response is more complex - a bit of surprise, and shame at the confrontation, but ultimately, there is pleasure there. "I love you," she thinks, drawing in the word Serrice taught her those many years ago, finally using it, with confidence and certainty.
The wolf's reply is merely a mental snort - of course you do, he seems to agree - and a lazy progression onwards, his thoughts already turning hungrily towards his next meal.
You have emoted: Ariadne's other hand shifts down to find your face. Gently, she brushes away the hair from your brow, fingers tracing the contours of your features, the gesture absent and distracted, as she sits there, eyes closed. Moments pass in silence before, abruptly, as if continuing a conversation she's been carrying on unheard, she quietly states, "And you. Think..." Her eyes remain closed and her fingers pause for a heartbeat in the caressing, before she concludes, "Yes. Love you, as well."
Aliod rolls over onto his side as he feels you brush his hair away from his brow. The sweat streaked lines of his face turning up into a weak smile as the Idreth pushes himself up a bit to sit and face you, yet he keeps his head dipped forward, keeping the contact between the two. "Well..that is good..I was starting to wonder.." he whispers quietly, that blood-streaked hand coming down to rest on your torso.
You have emoted: Ariadne says nothing, for a long span, and merely sits there, the wolf resting his head on one thigh and Aliod on the other, her hands lightly stroking each. Finally, her eyes open and she quietly says, "...was a Gaze." She swallows slowly, clarifying, "Time stopped. Began to See..."
Lifting his head up for a moment before it comes back down onto your thigh, Aliod says, "..Seeing..You mentioned that last time, wanting to See for me."
You have emoted: Ariadne frowns. "Another time," she answers, deferring the discussion.
You stare implacably at a savage, black-furred wolf.
A savage, black-furred wolf's tail lifts in a single, heavy wag, thudding back down against the bed with a thump. Hopeful thoughts fill his mind - bloody elk flank, fat plump rabbits, maybe even a few fish-.
You have emoted: Ariadne rolls her eyes and kicks one knee up, nosing the wolf off of her as she shakes life back into her leg. "I hate fishing," she thinks with a scowl. "You know that." The wolf only replies with a panting grin, deftly springing away as she stands.
Ariadne and Rendar are their own little pack. Rend is pretty insanely protective of her, treating her basically like his kid: his own mate and cubs were killed by aberrations and Ari is pretty nonfunctional. Ariadne has a gift of prescience that lets her See beyond the present (If you're really curious, see: http://www.aetolia.com/bardic/farsight), but she surrendered control over that gift first to wanton, addicted use of it, and then to complete ascetic denial of it at Rend's insistence, and she was rather helpless without being able to abuse her gift. Over the past few decades, she's been learning to be stronger, social, discovering what relationships are, and has been slowly growing up. This makes Rend uneasy.
--------------------------
Congratulations, you are now a professional tailor. Consult HELP TAILORING for details.
The massive core of the Great Oak. (Duiran.)
You see exits leading north, east, south, and west.
Raest, Hunter of the Heartwood takes a seat, bidding you to do the same, and supplies you with a needle and thread to begin a lesson in Tailoring.
Pointing at a small pile of various materials and a jar of buttons and beads, Raest, Hunter of the Heartwood has you choose some fabric and urges you always to use a thimble, lest you prick yourself and get blood on the garment.
--- Etc, tailoring lessons ---
Aliod arrives from the north.
Walking over to you and pressing his lips against her cheek, Aliod says, "Tailoring...Very nice."
You have emoted: Ariadne blinks in surprise at your words, starting as you kiss her - the lesson has clearly occupied the full scope of her attention and it's obvious that she did not even notice your approach. She's silent a moment, smoothing down a bit of doeskin that she's been practicing stitches on, and then she nods.
Quietly, you say, "Can make own gear, now."
Aliod turns his gaze down to the doeskin and the criss-crossing of stitches covering the thing. "I see, will come in handy if you need a pack or tear something.." The Idreth cants his head to the side, pulling his lips away from your cheek, "..And I can see how that can help stitching a wound closed if need be."
You have emoted: Ariadne gives a slight nod as her hand reflexively slides down to her side, grazing the tangled knot of scar tissue twisting across half of her torso. "Should have learned before..." she says, words quiet but firm, tinged with a faint hint of dark emotion.
Aliod narrows his bronze eyes as you speak, those pools locking onto your hand as it slides down to the scarred tissue. "Hey.." he whispers as he lifts one hand up from his side and lays it atop your own, the warm palm resting atop the back of your hand. "..At least you are learning now.."
You have emoted: Ariadne's only response is a grunt, eyes downcast for a moment as she stares at the scar - and then they lift, her head abruptly turning towards the west, as if hearing some unheard sound or sensing something outside of perception. A few moments later, the undergrowth rustles and sways, and out slips a large black wolf, sliding out of the shadows in a quiet lope.
A savage, black-furred wolf carries in his mouth a brace of rabbit, his teeth remarkably gentle around the fragile bones. He snuffs once at you in interest, a faint fleck of blood from his kill splattering out with the snort, before he dismisses you as inconsequential - he knows you, you're safe - and pads over towards the woman.
Aliod watches your gaze as it twists towards the side, "Better late then never.." he whispers, more to himself than to you. He dips his head forward as the familiar wolf lopes into view and he follows the trail of that bleeding rabbit as it passes him. "I see you got something there." With a lingering moment, his hand slides away from the scar on your torso, and up to affectionately pat your cheek. "A gift maybe.."
The wolf's thoughts are clear and bald, playful teasing mixed with an uncertain worry as he focuses on images of other women, women he's seen since he's taken watch over the girl-cub, meek and weak and giggling, simpering, useless.
You have emoted: Ariadne flatly regards the wolf, mirroring his snort. Around the rabbit, his mouth pulls into what almost looks like a lupine grin, as if taunting the woman, and she lifts her head, tossing her hair, and grunts. She shoots the wolf a side-eyed stare, a faint scowl twisting her lips, and - odd as it is, an almost pouting, injured tone comes into her voice, for just a moment: "Rend is mean."
Aliod drops down onto his knees as you and the wolf have your exchange, the grin on his lupine features seeming to draw the Idreth closer. "How is he mean?" he asks as he scoots closer to Rend, his elbows now resting on his knees as he regards the wolf curiously.
"That's not fair," the woman thinks back at the wolf, thoughts sharp and flaring up into anger for a quick, blazing moment, before they falter, faced with the images. "I still hunt," she insists. The wolf's reply is damning, his memories bringing up the last elk they brought down - it was winter, a year past, blood bright against snow. Four seasons have come and gone.
You have emoted: Ariadne breaks off her stare, grunting even sharper, and - almost viciously - sticks her needle through the doeskin and draws out a quick, decisive stitch. Her eyes narrow. She exhales sharply. Her shoulders roll and...that's it. The surge of emotion is gone in moments, melting away to leave her in her familiar, impassive state once more. She traces a finger across the threadwork, eyes fixed on the leather, and quietly, pensively asks you, "Am I like other women now?"
Aliod shoots an evil stare at Rend, the glimmer lasting for just a moment before it fades away like the dying ember of a fire in its last crackles of its burning existence. A low sigh pushes out past his parted lips, a faint whistling seeming to fill the air: "..No.." he merely states as he turns his gaze back up to you and he rises slowly, almost cautiously. "Not like other women, you try, you be, you are true to yourself.." He folds his arms behind his back as he comes to his full stature, which isn't saying much. "I think we need to talk about that."
You have emoted: "Talk about?" Ariadne echoes, eyebrows lifting.
Aliod looks over between the two of you for a breath, "Things, we haven't done that in a bit."
A savage, black-furred wolf lets out a snort, clearly done with the conversation. He sinks down onto his haunches and begins to tear into the meat, teeth precisely and impressively ripping the rabbit into bite-size morsels.
Dragging his tongue across his front teeth, Aliod says, "..I see."
You have emoted: Ariadne doesn't seem particularly enthused by a prospect of a long conversation - she defers her answer by taking another few minutes to practice her stitching, hemming along one side of the leather in whipcord threadstrokes. Finally, almost warily, she asks, "...what things?"
Aliod lifts his hands up from his sides in a half shrug as the Idreth's tail uncoils from around his waist to sway about behind him. "Things, I haven't had a chance to speak to you at length in awhile.." Those lifted hands fall back down to his sides as his bronze eyes slip over to your form, "Things you might be worried about, things that could happen, things that could not happen.."
You have emoted: Ariadne looks up from her stitching to glance over at you. Her face is blank and it's clear she has no idea what you are talking about. Still, she shrugs once and steps closer, clearly ready to follow you.
You begin to follow Aliod.
Aliod closes his eyes and begins to focus.
A look of rapture fills Aliod's face as a white nimbus encompasses his body. When the light fades Aliod can no longer be found.
You follow Aliod to the ether.
Inside a burnt homestead.
The scent of earthen decay permeates this dilapidated home, its gutted ruin of a belly exposed between jagged beams of charred wood in a skeletal frame that encroaches upon a twilight sky beyond. Glass and refuse litter a once warm sanctuary, the dead remains of all that was within emerging belligerently from the semi-darkness, tattered gray curtains billowing from a broken window to the crumbling floor like a bedraggled spectre, or a flag of surrender. The framework of a doorway still stands in silent greeting, the remains of a door hanging sideways on hinges that in turn clench the splintered wood for dear life. Though the desecration of this homestead could be fresh, telltale growth, intrusive green frond and choking vines, all attest to its age as rebirth has already taken hold, life emerging from the holocaust of a violent death. A midnight black stallion trots menacingly here. Shallow and long, a porcelain bathtub sits here on clawed feet. A tapestry depicting a majestic waterfall scene hangs here. Covered with twisting vines, a cozy bed made of branches stands here. A high-backed chair stands here, awaiting use.
You see a single exit leading up.
Aliod wanders over to the arrow laying on the floor and snatches it up, the motion leading him away from you and the wolf. "Also I think this is yours." he states, seeming to already know the outcome as he pivots and offers the arrow to you.
As the two of you blink out of sight, a savage, black-furred wolf scrambles to his feet with a growl, snapping up the rabbits to leap after you - he reforms in the haven in mid-jump, his paws hitting the ground with heavy thuds.
You have emoted: Ariadne gives Rendar a cool stare, apparently indifferent to his potential exclusion from the conversation, before her gaze turns to the arrow. She frowns, and shakes her head, gaze dropping. The faintest blush creeps across her dark complexion as her shoulders hunch inwards a bit. She glances quickly at the wolf, and then back to the arrow, and quietly admits, "Do....not have a quiver. Have...neglected..."
Aliod spins the arrow deftly between his fingers as he watches that blush creep across your features. "..It will be here when you are ready.." he whispers, matching the volume of your voice as he lays the thing across the corner of the bed. The Idreth moves over to the foot of the bed and eases himself down onto the plush surface, his hands hanging between his legs. "..So what makes you think you would be like the other women?" He seems to play Rend no heed as he waits for your response, the crimson flakes in his eyes radiating a dull sheen.
Badass forestal bed:
Tendrils of climbing vines cling tightly around the roughly-cut square of this unusual bed. Moss-covered and gnarled, several boughs have been shortened and tied together to form the ominous construction of a wooden frame. At all four sides, the boughs connect to a sharp-edged cross, kept in place by firmly-knotted vines. Below a cover of plush winter fur, fragrant ferns lend a fresh and earthy note to the overstuffed padding of a roomy mattress that offers ample space for a couple or perhaps three dwarves. A pile of cozy pillows has been placed near the bed-head and adds with hues of vivid green and pristine white some basic comfort to this simplistic resting place.
You have emoted: Ariadne doesn't answer at first - her attention is caught by the bed itself, her stare lifting to rake over the natural contours and rugged construction as a brief look of perplexed amazement skips across her face. She blinks, and it's gone, like a candle being extinguished, and her features are neutral and impassive once more. She glances over towards the wolf. He snorts back and tosses his head, settling down on his belly to continue his assault on the rabbit carcasses. She frowns, a faint, slight wrinkle in her brow, and stares back at you.
You have emoted: "Sewing," Ariadne quietly answers. "Rarely hunting." There's a long pause here, and her frown deepens a bit as she regards you. She does not look away or display any sort of polite discomfort that most other normal humans would, openly staring at someone else for so long. Finally, a hint of a question in her voice, she concludes, "This, maybe. Us..."
Aliod turns his head to the side as he watches you curiously, the silence seeming to draw him further in. The flecks in his eyes die down as he looks between the two of you as he leans back to rest his weight on his hands, the thing giving a slight creaking groan as the weight comes down onto it. He stays silent for a bit, listening as if your words were on the breeze: "..I see..." He pushes himself deeper into the bed, coming up to the headboard with a slight grunt before he finally reclines onto the soft mattress. "..come here.." he states plainly, his tone neutral as he slaps the spot beside him, sending the bedding rippling with the blow.
You have emoted: Ariadne does not hesitate, approaching the bed with her usual deliberate, stalking sort of pace. One hand trails out, sliding across the vines and moss with interest, fingers curling in lightly to explore each twist of the bed's frame, until she is standing beside you. Lithely, she sits and shifts her weight, settling in next to you.
"Sewing is learning on how to make sure nothing goes to waste," Aliod whispers quietly as he slips an arm about your shoulders, allowing his bicep to be a makeshift pillow, "You can use that skill to make packs and all sorts of things, that right there pretty much dictates that you will need to hunt for skins.." That arm beneath you cranes down, his scarred palm pressing against your bare side as he pauses for a moment to brush a long lock of hair from his face, "..He is just afraid that things might change..things he might not be ready for.." An almost tangible silence falls over him as he stares up at the charred beams of the ceiling, "..And..I..well..I am fond of you Ariadne."
You have emoted: Ariadne nestles in closer, her body innately settling in close to yours, as she rests her head on your arm. "Not weak, then, for tailoring," she states. It's not a question, but a statement, quiet, but firm. She says nothing for a few moments more, before she then follows up with, "What is fond?"
"Well..it means..." Aliod hesitates there and his lower lip sucks between his teeth as if that would jog the words free that he is looking for. "..It means that it shouldn't make you seem weak to be around me.." he mutters as you settle down closer against him. "It is a feeling that you get when you can relax around a person..You trust them.."
You have emoted: "Am fond of Rend?" Ariadne asks, trying the word out for herself. Across the cabin, the wolf lifts his head, letting out a snort, before focusing again on his rabbits.
Turning his head to the side as Rend lifts his head up, yet it soon rests back against the bed, Aliod says to you, "Umm..Yeah, you can be fond of Rend..but this is a different fondness, you two are friends..I think Rend is worried that I will hold you back."
You have emoted: Ariadne twists around, shifting onto her other side to face you. Candidly, simply, she asks, "What do you mean?"
Aliod lifts his free hand off the bed, while the other that you are laying on shifts to press his scarred palm against the small of your back, gently urging you closer to him. "He is afraid I think, that if we mate..or become closer..You will lose that feralness..you will be weak.." That lifted hand comes up and he gingerly slides his fingertips across your lips, the touch light and barely making contact. "I will try to tame you so to speak."
Again, another flash of thought from the wolf, laden with disgust and a ting of nausea, as if staring at a rotting carcass while hunger gnaws at one's stomach. Sensory impressions, whiffs of smell twisting into individual identities as they skate through the woman's mind - one simpers, another giggles insipidly, all pose and are weak and helpless. "Stop it," the woman harshly insists, but the wolf persists, sending a final arrow-beam of thought-scent towards her - it's her own smell, twisted and changed, resolving into something soft and flailing and useless.
The world halts as you are frozen in time and sp--
The air irises open glutinously, running wet with ocular fluid. A purple eye gazes at you, throbbing from end to end with swollen veins.
--ace. Everything has begun moving again.
You have emoted: Ariadne is absolutely silent in your arms, her body slowly tensing, muscles stiffening as her jaw clenches. Her eyes squeeze shut and then, as if ripped from her, she lets out a ragged cry, fingers curling into sharp claws to dig at your skin, grabbing at you, holding on tight, as if to steady herself, tether herself-
The woman's thoughts of disgust at the wolf's impressions are sliced away, rent to ruin by the impression of the Gaze. Mentally, she trembles and, as if freed by that Stare, something detaches inside her, a dizzying sort of feeling as her identity slowly begins to separate from her physical body. Upwards, onwards-
A savage, black-furred wolf is on his feet - something has happened, something is happening, something will happen - and is growling, rabbit abandoned as he snarls around him, as if trying to menace at some unseen, unknown threat.
Aliod stares down at you for a moment as the silence charges the air around the two of you. He half-sits up as your ragged cry forces him back down beside you and as you dig your nails into his skin, tiny welts of blood bloom from beneath them. With his lips parting to speak, he folds his arms around you, pulling you tightly against him even though no words slip from his lips. He risks a gaze over at Rend, his bronze eyes locked onto the wolf as he holds the huntress tightly against him.
You have emoted: Ariadne's tension abruptly melts away, the stiffness in her muscles draining away alarmingly fast as her eyes roll up in her head. You've seen this before, felt her like this before - and, as if to confirm it, a howl splits the air. The last time Rend howled was-
Aliod stares down at you as you go limp against him, those bronze eyes taking in this familiar scene and he cuts those bronze pools over to Rend. "This.." he mutters to himself as he slides away from you and down to your hips, he throws one leg over your waist and eases himself down onto you and then leans forward. "Come on Ari.." he whispers, his tone slightly frantic as he reaches up and cradles your chin in his palm, "Come on.."
The wolf's thoughts are like birds, little broken birds feebly battering against a shuttered window. Faint scrabbling impressions scrape at the woman's mind, but they are whispers, barely heard just as the man's touch is hardly felt. Instead, she is pulling away, dragged upwards towards a gleaming, glittering nexus of threads, time and space wriggling outwards in a brilliant radial display - for a flaring moment, she stands among them and glimpses everytime, and everything is right, and beautiful and soaring-
A savage, black-furred wolf howls again, lunging in to jump atop the bed and shoulder in beside Aliod. He snarls and snaps, diving down to bite at the woman.
-and everything shakes, colors crumble, sparkles blink out in ragged rends of sharp black pain. "No-" she thinks, frantic. "Don't take it, nonono, let me keep this-" But, inexorably, she's reeled back, tethered by pain to the present. The wolf's thoughts press back in, stinking with fear, as images of his mate and cubs swarm up, bloody and mangled.
Aliod hisses at Rend as he bites down on Ariadne, his face twisting for a moment as he swats and pushes at the beasts muzzle. "Gods Rend, why that way?" he bellows as the wolf justles him about atop the prostrated huntress. An almost frantic motion of his hand sends it up to slap at your cheek, the thing marred with flecks of your own blood, and the saliva from the gnashing beast beside the two of you.
You have emoted: This time, Ariadne is gone only a moment, her eyes snapping open as soon as the wolf bites at her arm. She cries out, and the sound is wrenching, laden with loss, as she twists frantically, flailing to escape the teeth, the claws, your arms, everything. A splash of blood streaks out to splatter across your chest as she pulls away from the two of you, and she screams, a hoarse, pained cry that's ripped out of her, angry and sad and aching all at once.
A savage, black-furred wolf lets out a whine as he's struck at, sinking back onto his haunches, shoulders hunched high and head low down over his paws, to stare at the woman with a wide-eyed, confused stare.
Aliod stares down at you with a mixture of relief as you come to, and his lips part to whisper a quiet praise before you cry out and twist frantically, knocking him back and away as you flail and turn. He tumbles off the side of the bed and onto his shoulders and the back of his head hits the ground with a loud crack which tears a groan of pain from his lips as he lays there, comically splayed out with his legs practically straight up in the air, his hands encircling the back of his head.
"I AM NOT THEM," the woman mentally screams at the wolf. Her thoughts fly at his, slashing his memory to ribbons, her anger hot and heavy and metallic in his head, like blood, like hunting, and he finds himself both loving and fearing it. Her scent dances before him and it blooms, swirling out into something sharper and richer, more nuanced - she has changed, he realizes, and he has not noticed, until now.
You have emoted: Ariadne falls silent, drawing herself up to sit at the head of the bed. Her arms splay out straight to either side, blood spiraling down one in thick tendrils to seep into the moss, while her hair twists around her face in a wild, tangled dark halo. Her eyes are wide, and clear, and piercingly blue as she stares at the wolf. She seems to have forgotten Aliod, everything focused instead on Rendar, as, firmly, sharply, voice low, she growls out, "Am NOT a cub now."
Aliod rights himself, his legs falling to one side as he comes to sit up, his lips turned up into a grimace and his bloody chest, caked with your blood, peeks up over the edge of the bed. He pushes himself up to rest on his knees, one scarred palm pressing against the jagged nail marks that adorn his form and his eyes snap between you and Rend, unsure of what to say, and uncertain as to what to do.
A savage, black-furred wolf slowly rises to all fours, a low growl building up in his throat as his fur bristles up to stand on end. He takes a step closer, towards you, but she does not move, save to dig her fingers into the moss, wrapping them in the vines around the bed, as she meets his stare, blue eyes to feral brown.
You have emoted: "Am grown," Ariadne she repeats, voice still low, but firm, her stare unwavering. The wolf advances closer, his growl shifting to a snarl, lips pulling back to expose long, sharp white teeth. The woman does not move. He takes another step, and his muzzle reaches for her neck...
Aliod staggers to his feet and with a heave, throws himself back up onto the bed, tiny trickles of blood falling down onto the floor beneath him. His motions quicken as he reaches forward just as Rend's muzzle makes its way to her neck, his blood soaked fingers matting the fur. "..Easy.." he whispers, the strength returning to his voice as his eyes seem to stare at both you, and Rend, "...Easy..."
"I am your pack," she insists to the wolf. "But not the one you lost. There are times that I need to fly-" The wolf's response is anxious, frantically trying to piece together memories: the ripple of sunlight across his mate's fur, the yelp of the cubs as they took their first, clumsy hunt.... But each thought is firmly met by the woman, her mental touch soft but resilient, like pliant, strong moor grass, wrapping around the wolf's memories, without breaking or yielding. "We will avenge them," she promises. "But they are gone. I will never be them-"
You have emoted: Your intercession is not quick enough - the wolf is upon Ariadne now, and she sits, motionless, as his muzzle presses flush with the tender skin of her throat...and he draws in a sharp sniff. His breath stirs her hair. She blinks slowly. He sinks down and lets out a faint whine, lowering his head to her lap. She exhales, breath shaky and slow, and rests her hand atop his neck, eyes closing.
Aliod slips his hands down Rend's back as he leans forward, a look of confusion on his face briefly being seen before he face plants beside you, his cheek brushing against your thigh as he lets out a slight groan of both confusion and relief. He lays there beside you, a mixture of wolf's fur, his own hair, and a spattering of your blood and his own mixing together into a gloriously sticky mess.
The wolf's thoughts are simple and direct: the girl-cub has grown, his mental image of her sharpening, colors growing richer and scent fuller in acknowledgement. The woman's response is more complex - a bit of surprise, and shame at the confrontation, but ultimately, there is pleasure there. "I love you," she thinks, drawing in the word Serrice taught her those many years ago, finally using it, with confidence and certainty.
The wolf's reply is merely a mental snort - of course you do, he seems to agree - and a lazy progression onwards, his thoughts already turning hungrily towards his next meal.
You have emoted: Ariadne's other hand shifts down to find your face. Gently, she brushes away the hair from your brow, fingers tracing the contours of your features, the gesture absent and distracted, as she sits there, eyes closed. Moments pass in silence before, abruptly, as if continuing a conversation she's been carrying on unheard, she quietly states, "And you. Think..." Her eyes remain closed and her fingers pause for a heartbeat in the caressing, before she concludes, "Yes. Love you, as well."
Aliod rolls over onto his side as he feels you brush his hair away from his brow. The sweat streaked lines of his face turning up into a weak smile as the Idreth pushes himself up a bit to sit and face you, yet he keeps his head dipped forward, keeping the contact between the two. "Well..that is good..I was starting to wonder.." he whispers quietly, that blood-streaked hand coming down to rest on your torso.
You have emoted: Ariadne says nothing, for a long span, and merely sits there, the wolf resting his head on one thigh and Aliod on the other, her hands lightly stroking each. Finally, her eyes open and she quietly says, "...was a Gaze." She swallows slowly, clarifying, "Time stopped. Began to See..."
Lifting his head up for a moment before it comes back down onto your thigh, Aliod says, "..Seeing..You mentioned that last time, wanting to See for me."
You have emoted: Ariadne frowns. "Another time," she answers, deferring the discussion.
You stare implacably at a savage, black-furred wolf.
A savage, black-furred wolf's tail lifts in a single, heavy wag, thudding back down against the bed with a thump. Hopeful thoughts fill his mind - bloody elk flank, fat plump rabbits, maybe even a few fish-.
You have emoted: Ariadne rolls her eyes and kicks one knee up, nosing the wolf off of her as she shakes life back into her leg. "I hate fishing," she thinks with a scowl. "You know that." The wolf only replies with a panting grin, deftly springing away as she stands.
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