OOC Night - Titania in Lupus - At CdA's Border Tree 400+
A moon’s turn… Thank the stars that she didn’t have to wait a moon’s turn. When she and Zalen had parted they agreed to meet back in Avalon after that span, but she was sure if she had to go a whole month without seeing him that her very spirit would escape her body so she might run the ethereal plains to find him. Luckily there was no need for such melodrama as she and the dark man had arranged to meet before then. When they parted it was so she could return to her pack for a time, and so that he could make preparations for their hatching plans. Oh, how dearly she wished she could have been with him, could have been doing something more productive than be grounded.
Her father had humiliated her when he sentenced her to a week at the Treetop Terrace for her little disappearing act. It wasn’t fair, all she was trying to do was find a present for her mother when she left. There was no reason for that overreaction! Well, she had gone to the Capitana with this and had gotten her punishment reduced, but only after receiving the same talking to from Skye about leaving without notifying anybody. She could see their point if she had meant to be away that long, but the length of her journey was purely by accident. It was like no one believed her.
And then to top it off she had told her father that she met someone, a fact that he wasn’t happy about. Titania suspected he’d gotten so mad and punished her because of that, that his reason was a hidden excuse. None of it made sense, it was all an injustice.
Where was he, anyway? The silvery girl paced back and forth near the decorated Border Tree, her golden eyes searching for his shadowy figure in the darkness. The stars shining down upon her back in clusters that shone through the patchwork clouds. She had instructed him to meet her here, it was the most easily located landmark and at the edges of the territory. She had warned him about her father’s affinity for traps so he could be on the look out for snares and pitfalls. It would be simple enough to make it this far, and after their rendezvous she could lead him safely into her home.
Maybe he had set off a trap and was tangled up somewhere? Since her pack was peaceful her father’s traps were generally non-lethal, but she could just imagine Zalen being strung up by his paws in a tree. She began to grow anxious, her mind imagining the worst. Perhaps it was time to go looking for him? No, wait. Give him more time. He’s too smart for that. She reassured herself as she paced impatiently around the tree.
Tonight was the appointed time and the hour was nearing. Like a liquid shadow Zalen moved through the trees and fields, and felt his day long trek was coming to an end. Lethargy did not touch his muscles and windedness stayed away from his lungs; he was like a black bird flying on a soft breeze. The air was cool, and moist, it had been raining for the last several days, and his trek was only marked by the large paw prints that trailed in his wake.
He was headed to Cercatori d’Arte, a pack he had only heard of but never visited as it was farther south than he journeyed before , but he was confident in his sense of direction, in his sense of smell, and the call in his heart to find Titania. It was like his entire soul was drawing him straight to her, he could sense it, and as soon as he was near enough to even get a small hint of her enchanting scent he let out a soft howl, one that held her name within its depths and one that was for her ears alone.
Soon her scent became stronger, and as he came over a small ridge he saw her standing underneath a large ornamented tree and she shown in the faint moonlight like a diamond. He did not hesitate, all caution left his mind and he bounded towards her like a spring buck, closing the gap between them very quickly. Once next to her he tackled her into the moist ground, his paws on her back and he nuzzled her ferociously, drinking in her scent once more, Titania! He barked out excitedly, glad to be with her once more.
Just when she thought she couldn't take the waiting any more a shadow caught her vision. It was like trying to differentiate smoke from storm clouds, but when she focused on the spot that drew her attention and narrowed her eyes she was sure the movement was a wolf. Her heart tripped, skipping a beat and then pounding double-time to make up for the error. The silhouette cleared the space between them with quick, long strides, and soon any doubt that this could be Zalen was banished from her mind when the wolf sang out a soft greeting howl. She knew that voice well, and forever would remember it since the night she had first heard him sing amidst the rocks of Halcyon.
“Zalen!” she cried in near ecstasy. As soon as she knew it was him she abandoned her vigil and helped close in the gap between them. Neither of them slowed down a fraction of an inch even when they were nearly nose to nose, and they clashed a moment later, Zalen sending Titania toppling over backwards with a joyful laugh. “You made it!” She cried gleefully as she planted several quick, loving laps on his nose and nuzzled his neck. Something whipped at their hind legs – it was her overactive tail as it lashed back and forth in delight.
“What took you so long?” she joked as she pawed at his muzzle. They both knew that he wasn't late, she had just been over eager to see him again. Never had the thought crossed her mind that he would have stood her up, too young and naïve to believe such things, but out there in the wild and away from her many things could happen.
She wanted to yip and howl her happiness but she couldn't make too much noise. It was unlikely that someone would happen by and discover them... then again, she was an adult now and could rightfully escort Zalen into Cercatori d'Arte without violating pack law, but she still didn't want her mother or father to find out he was here yet. They didn't understand her at all and Titania didn't want this moment ruined by their skepticism.
She was just as elated to see him as he was to see her and this just spurred on his joy. The two of them tumbled and kissed and nuzzled like pups and Zalen panted happily above her. She teasingly asked him what to him so long and he responded by playfully mouthing her bottom jaw. But soon the two of them quieted, laying in the moist field there, only their breathing making a sound.
Zalen quickly scanned the area with crisp green eyes making sure that there wasn’t anyone else around, anyone watching them. He couldn’t sense anyone, save the unfamiliar smells of wolves. He suddenly became wary, very aware that he was on another pack’s territory most likely uninvited; why else would they meet in the dead of night? Zalen looked back at Titania, a smile coming to his face once more I missed you, a lot. And it was true, he had pined after the crimson stained wolfess until he was nearly at his wits ends; luckily he had managed to keep himself busy, preparing for their eventual journey to the north.
Standing, finally untangling himself from her, he looked around again, seeing it was safe and then put his head down to nuzzle her again softly, So, what’s the plan? He said with a mischievous grin. Something about her made him so playful, made him forget all his worries.
OOC PP of them going to the field and starting their hunt ok. 300+
His caution wasn't lost on her. As they lay there in the blissful night elated to finally be together again the silence of their surroundings slowly crept in, and as in tune as she was with Zalen, she noticed when an edginess slowly crept in. He was careful not to let it break into a paranoia, a dangerously infections state of mind, but she noticed and understood his caution well. Her ears perked up when she noticed this and she sat up a little straighter, glancing around with him, and then turning to regard him. “I missed you, too,” she said with a little forehead bump. “You would not believe how things have been since I returned. It's been horrible here.” Well, that might have sent a million false messages, but to her it had been horrible.
“Don't worry,” she said, guessing his thoughts. “If anyone finds us, you're with me, I'll vouch for you being past the borders. But I'd rather not be interrupted as long as possible.” She smiled as she brought herself to all fours.
“I thought I could show you some sights of my home. Are you hungry?” she pranced past him, heading north. “I thought you might be. We could get something to eat first. Flander's Field is this way, just past my family's home in Treetop Terrace. It's ripe with the snowshoe hare right now. I've been trying to get one of those little bastards ever since my first hunting lesson. All I've ever gotten was a few strands of fur and this...” She angled her jaw up so he could see. There was but the tiniest of scars beneath her jaw, from something that had been nothing more than a small scratch. The fur had grown back around it and it would never be noticed if she hadn't tilted her head and pointed it out – heck, it could hardly be seen even then – but it still marked her vendetta against those damn quick and slippery hare. She has yet to catch one to this day.
He sensed her shift beside him and he knew she could tell he was nervous, and somehow, in her own special way, the way she spoke, the way she laid against him, made him calm. He looked at her, misty green eyes twinkling in what little light there was, totally enraptured as she spoke. The way she said things had been horrible he knew there wasn’t much truth behind it; her being so young, he wondered what her parents had said to her when she had returned, and what she had told them, and if that had anything to do with how “horrible” things had been.
She was soon up, and bounding around him like a new born fawn which caused him to stand, wagging his tail. She offered to show him around her home, and though it was trespassing to some degree, he found himself very excited to see what she had to show him. She also offered to hunt with him, and though he wasn’t particularly hungry this seemed like a fun prospect as well. Then she showed him the small scar on her chin and something in him snapped and he had the sudden desire to kill all the rabbits on the planet, Yes! Let’s get those furry bastards! Interesting word. He wondered what it meant.
With an excited growl building in his throat, he loped beside her, once again surprised at their difference in size, but it didn’t faze either of them in the least bit as the two trotted out towards Flander’s Fields. As soon as they arrived on its edge, a couple rabbits had already skittered before them deep into their burrows; Zalen knew that stealth and quickness would be needed in this situation and he lowered himself down to the ground, keen eyes watching, darting between each hole, waiting…
She was elated when he began to move with her, coming willingly along toward the north to hunt. All the while she trotted with her tail and head held high like an Alpha wolf might, her ears pert and alert. He made her feel so alive, so strong even though she was but a small wolfess. She didn't even realize what his presence did to her fully, her posture purely out of instinct rather than defiance to her pack.
They were like thieves in the night, stealing along the d'Arte landscape with expert precision. Titania led just a step ahead and Zalen followed her, but it was more like he moved in time with her body, like he knew what she was going to do and where she was going to turn each moment just before she did it. From time to time her yellow eyes would turn to him, lit up brilliantly in the moonlight, and she would afford him a grin, and if she could get close enough, a loving nuzzle.
They were at Flander's Field sooner than she thought – time passed so quickly when she was with him. The last week had felt like it was a drawn out nightmare, but now that they were together there was no more angst, no more pain, and time and the world moved for them.
Instinctively, Titania crouched at the edge of the brush, her body half shrouded by the trees. Her head and tail dropped in that threatening posture of a wolf hunting – one of the most valuable moves for a pack wolf. One stalked the prey in plain sight, frightening and herding them toward the place where the other lay in wait. This was most surely the plan tonight.
She glanced at Zalen and instantly knew who would take which post. It was only obvious – they were the perfect pair. With his strength and sleek, dark body, he would be able to hide in the shadows and wait. She, with her swift speed and bright coloration, could pop out into the moonlight and chase the prey, running them out of energy and leading them right into Zalen's open jaws.
As soon as he was in position she dropped to her belly and inched out into the clearing. Puffs of white littered the plain and it was difficult to choose which one to go after. In fact, so young and never having a successful rabbit hunt, Titania did not know which to hone in on. Her eyes darted from one to the other, but a decision she could not make... until... There, just off in the distance, she sensed him. She barely saw his silhouette and only because she knew to look. She made a single, gentle nod as she took his cue, picking their prey from the fold. On silent paws she advanced forward, and once she was close enough she raised herself up so the other creatures would see her in that wolfish tactic.
The rabbits closes to her scattered, bounding towards their burrows and disappearing into the night. Some alarmed others and caused more of the warren to flee. She dropped her head and let her jaw fall slack, showing her pearly teeth. There was only a slight hesitation before she stole forward towards the snowy hare...
It dodged left and she was just a moment behind, her paws drumming on the ground and cutting it off. The creature leaped right and her jaws snapped at its tail, frightening it back the other way. This went on for a moment, the silvery girl chasing her prey across the field in the moonlight. Finally they closed in on the other end of the field, the place rich with foliage where the animal could hide. Titania kept up the sprint but quickly grew tired, a length spanning quickly between her and the much quicker hare...
Titania mimicked his movements, it was like when they moved it was choreographed, like their interactions were a constant dance, and for a split second Zalen wondered what it would be like to make love to her. This thought caused his heart to leap into his throat once more and his breath hitched, but Titania’s look and her swift movements towards the hair knocked some sense into him. He kept an eye on her as he skirted the edge of the clearing, wondering if perhaps the number of hares was overwhelming her. She glanced at him, somewhat hesitantly, and his eyes flitted to a plump fur ball in front of her. She seemed to get the hint, and bounded at the individual he had glanced at.
It was somewhat comical to watch the young femme chasing down the hares, it was like watching a fox chase mice. She was so bouncy and young Zalen nearly laughed aloud, her inexperience was noticeable, and Zalen thought that perhaps he should introduce her to Saxif for some pointers, but soon she was running straight towards him, a wide eyed hare in front of her. Like liquid shadow Zalen quickly sprang forward and snatched the hair in his jaws, immediately snapping its next. The other hares had already disappeared into their warrens, and Zalen dropped the prize at his beloved’s feet, his maw now stained crimson.
Good job! He said, smiling at her with blood stained teeth. He was excited, and his blood was pumping fast and he bent down to nose the still warm kill towards her, Please, eat. He wanted to see her feast on the hare, and wanted her to be the first to taste it, somehow he felt that she should always eat before him, and like a lightning bolt he realized he had fallen in love with her.
In perfect time with her chase Zalen sprang from the brush and in a flash the white and black combined as his jaws snatched the hare. A moment later, a few trickles of crimson seeped into the animal's coat. It was a clean, quick kill, and Titania admired it. She had been on hunts with her parents before but had never had the opportunity to make the kill, usually playing the role of the runner as she had tonight. Her drumming paws changed tempo as she slowed down, and she made an arch around Zalen and came back up on his other side, her tail curled up and wagging with excitement.
“That was amazing!” she sang out in a chortling chime. Her nuzzle bumped up against Zalen's and she congratulated his kill with a nuzzle. Her eyes widened when he deposited the kill at their paws and then nudged it over to her. She looked at the rabbit and then back to him, wanting to shake her head no. He had made the kill so he was the power, he should be the first to eat. Yet the offer, she couldn't insult him with the suggestion.
Her cottony muzzle drew back with a smile and she gave him an appreciative nose bump, then turned her attention to the still warm food. She nosed at the kill, rolling it over to find the choicest part. It might have seemed selfish to start with the best, but with an offering like that Zalen probably wouldn't have wanted it any other way. After a moment of searching for her favorite spot, her teeth dug into the corpse. She made quick, surprisingly clean work of peeling back the hide and devouring one half of the rib and belly meat. When she started to feel full she stopped and stepped back, her pink tongue lapping out to clean her muzzle.
“I could eat the whole thing, it's so good,” she said appreciatively. “But then I'll just get sleepy, and I don't want to waste our night sleeping.” She nudged it toward him. “You finish it.” She said as she laid down next to him, a good span away from the food conceding the rest to Zalen as she licked her paws and muzzle, already feeling a bit slothful from the meal.
She lay content in the moonlight while the dark wolf ate his fill. She watched him lovingly while he ate, thinking about how well they hunted together. “We make a good team.”
When he was done eating she sat up, glancing around. They were still alone in the faux silence of night – though truly they were accompanied by the sounds of the night dwelling creatures, of the wind, and of the trees. “Do you want to see the place where I was born? It's in Thornbury.” She hadn't been in to the book store since they had come back, but she was dying to see it. She didn't remember it from before, not what it looked like or how it felt in side, having been too young to know at the time, but now she was desperately curious to see the place. Who better to accompany her than Zalen?
Thankfully Titania did not object, though he could see her want to glittering in her golden eyes. But she went to eat the hare, rolling it over and devouring it’s most tender parts, just as he hoped she would. He watched her lovingly as she ate, almost in a brotherly way. He had been raised without siblings, but he guessed that this might be what it would have felt like to see them and be near them. But he loved her even more deeply than that, a love that reminded him of what he had felt to Lucia, but ten-fold that. He knew that this white, crimson stained wolfess was taking over his heart, where the darkness that had been Lucia’s once was. He would have to let that black wolfess go he decided; somehow, he had to let her go.
After Titania was finished, she offered him the rest of the carcass, and though he was not hungry, he graciously finished it up. It tasted good, tender; he didn’t have the chance to eat many rabbits back near his den. She mentioned how they made a good team and he paused to smile up at her, mouth now complete stained ruby red from the blood. It was true, they did seem to make a fantastic couple. Zalen never wanted to be apart from her.
When he had finished, she offered to show him where she was born, in Thronbury, a place he hadn’t heard of. He nodded, wagging his tail and bumping his forehead into her neck, I would love to, he said, and the two of them headed off.
She received his tender gesture with a returned nuzzle of her own; if she could she would have outright purred. Her ears perked when he took her up on her offer to see her birth place. She wanted to see it, too, for she had never been in the shop. “This way,” she said excitedly as she turned and, once again, trotted off. This time she led them through the woods toward the south, being sure to make a wide arch around the Treetop Terrace, unwilling to risk running into her parents or Juliet.
They moved quickly through the night, led by Titania's expertise about her homelands. Once they came upon a spot where she nearly skid to a halt and looked at Zalen, stopping him before he could trip a wire. “Eep wait!” She blanched at that moment, then pointed her muzzle to the wire. “It's a noise trap. My father is good at making those, he really over does it. It's his way of keeping tabs on me and my sister. Come on, we can go around it...” and they did. The rest of their travel to Thornbury was without incident.
Soon they were at the edge of the trees with several buildings standing before them. It was a small town, more of a village, very rectangular and very orderly. Much of the pack resided here but they would all be inside or caring for night time chores now. She glanced at Zalen, wondering what he thought of the human village that her pack so cherished.
“It was one of these buildings, over here...” She led him down one alley and out into Thornbury's shopping square. A few more steps and they were in front of a two story stone and wooden building with a porch; it was a store, and by the looks of it no one had been inside for a long time. “It's my mother's book store.” She said as she trotted up the steps. She nosed at the door and to her surprise it swung free. She was shocked and it showed on her young features. She looked at Zalen and gasped. “No one has been in here for months! I don't know why it was unlatched.” At least, no one had been there as far as she knew. Still, there were no fresh scents, so she padded inside.
Her nails clicked softly on the wooden plank floor. It was dark inside, the shuttered windows closed long ago, but some moonlight filtered through the open door. To the right stood several old, dusty shelves full of books. Straight back was a sales counter and a store room with no door, and to the left was a staircase. “Well, this is it...”
Zalen was nearly swooning as Titania spoke, thinking on his new found feelings for her and nearly floating above the ground as they moved together, and had she not been so swift to point it out Zalen would have tripped right over the trap. His movement hitched quickly as she explained what it was for and he shot her a wide-eyed look; Your father? Up until now Zalen had not thought much on his new love’s family, but now thoughts of an insane, trap setting father who ate wolves like him for breakfast and viciously guarded his daughter came to his mind. He shuddered inwardly.
Zalen’s interest peaked as the two of them headed towards the town. Before it was clearly in his sight he could smell things that were unfamiliar; smoke, cooking foods, other wolves. It was a strange cacophony of scents that he tried to sort through, but then they entered. Zalen was completely shocked by what he saw, having never been into the heart of any pack lands before; there were buildings here, hume buildings, and Luperci were living in them. Had his race gone mad? What were these wolves doing?! Or could he even call them wolves anymore… he was not so sure what they were anymore.
These thoughts boiled in his mind as they arrived at their destination; another hume building, dilapidated and ugly. She pushed open the rickety door much to her surprise and he warily followed her inside. This was the first time he had been in a hume dwelling, save the storefronts he had rummaged through in Halifax, a place he now avoided like the plague. They entered and were silent for a moment before Titania looked at him and spoke, he grimaced at her. This wolfess had grown up, even been born, in a hume infested world; how could he reach her if all he knew was the wild?
With a sigh he circled the room, sniffing the dusty shelves that were lined with books; he read some of the titles but nothing caught his interest; he wondered why he felt this way. Of all the hume things that he despised, books were not one of them. Having been taught how to read by his mentor, he had grown quite fond of the written language; something about it was intrinsically natural, and not hume at all, and that’s what he loved about it. He turned back to Titania, looking at her small beautiful frame for a moment before walking over to her and rubbing his dark head into the soft fur of her neck deeply, Let us leave this place; I respect that is the place of your birth but it was not right for us… He wasn’t sure if she knew what he meant by this, but he somehow felt she would.
The note of apprehension within Zalen was not lost on her as they entered the town, and even more so as they moved into the bookstore. The man tensed even more than he had after they nearly ran right into the noise trap, but still he followed her into the dark store. While he looked at the books she peered through the darkness with bright, golden eyes. She wanted to remember this place from before but she couldn’t. As hard as she tried she couldn’t make the layout seem familiar to her, or act as though she had some fond connection to this place. She only paced the floor blindly, looking at all the things she couldn’t remember.
After a moment she walked to meet Zalen as he came back over to her. “You’re right,” she muttered, her disappointment palpable. “It doesn’t feel like… like anything to me. I haven’t been in here since a few days after my birth. My parents keep me out because something bad happened here, but I thought I should feel connected to it.” She sighed and shook her head. [b]“I don’t. Let’s get out of here.”
She agreed with him, there was no strange spiritual connection to this place. It was just a dusty, old, abandoned building. Her life may have started here, but this wasn’t any sort of place for it to continue. She was gladly the first to trot toward the door and lead him out. When she stepped onto the porch her head drooped. It felt like some strange mystery was solved and now all the magic around it had burst. “It was a stupid idea.”
She sat down on the porch, peering over her shoulder at the bookstore. “Places like that… they’re only meant to trap people in. There’s nothing special about them. I think they were meant for protection and shelter but they’re not. Evil can walk right in there just as easily as anywhere else… and it did. A murderer took my brother from here. I don’t remember him, but my parents say the story is true. If my mother hadn’t lived here alone… if she had denned with the pack like we were meant to… he might have survived.”
It wasn’t as though she blamed either of her parents for her brother’s death. She couldn’t remember him and only loved the thought of his spirit now, but she did not feel a great loss over her missing brother. Her family had only felt broken because of the world she was raised in – a life on the run – but not because she missed the brother she couldn’t recall. Still, there was a lesson in it; one she knew that after everything her parents hadn’t learned. If they had they wouldn’t live like they do now… isolated in the Terrace, away from the rest of the pack.
She turned away from the building, staring out over the dark square. A few clouds had rolled in making the moonlight splotchy on the little town. With them they brought frost, and here and there a few powdery flecks danced from the sky, melting just before touching down. “They still don’t see the error in their ways.”
