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Lemme know if you want anything changed, this is kind of so-so ^^;
He couldn't believe how much they had grown in such a short amount of time. Not just physically either, but mentally as well. Onus had never been good with kids. It wasn't that he didn't like them, he just didn't know how to act. Their bubbly and excitable nature did not mesh with his calm and subdued one. Honor and Chastity where clearly the children of their parents though. They held that same reserved nature. They were quiet and observant. They would be smart too, the man could see it in their mismatched eyes. Cwmfen was away for the time being, attending to whatever tasks or duties she needed to, so the pups played with their father underneath the shelter of the great oak. Played as well as Onus knew how to anyway. He only held vague and blurry memories of playing as a pup and did not know the types of games they would want to play. So the father took cues from his young, following their lead.
The coyote was laying on his stomach while being propped up on his elbows. Chastity went after his tail as he moved it from side to side. At first he had started off slowly and then made the movements faster. It would help her learn good coordination and make her quick. Honor was occupied at his father's front. The man would strike out to catch his son with his hands and Honor was meant to dodge out of the way and then try to strike. A soft, nearly invisible smile was on the man's face as he play fought with his children. He had caught Honor a few times by the leg and the boy had nipped at his arm and growled and struggled until he was released. "Good." The father would tell his boy. As the play continued the pied hybrid became better at moving away from the coyote's quick hands. He had yet to land a hit though. Chastity batted at her father's tail with her paw but then stopped and watched the quickly moving blur of brown and tan and white. For minutes she studied the movement carefully. Then as Onus grabbed out at Honor again the girl moved forward and caught his tail between her small jaws. Simultaneous Honor dodged to the side and jumped, grabbing a hold on the man's large ear. His smile grew. They were learning.
"Very well done. I am proud of both of you." Smiling back at their father, the two children released their holds on him and he sat back up, resting on his knees. Chastity moved to sit beside her twin in front of their father, looking up at him with bright eyes. The male leaned forward and nudged them both affectionately with his muzzle, giving them both a quick lick. Their little tongues licked his face in return. Onus wondered when they would be able to shift, then he would really be able to teach them things. He would make sure they knew how to defend themselves. He leaned back and as he did he heard a fluttering behind him. It was the unmistakable sound of wings beating against the air and then settling. The man looked to the faces of his children as their intense gazes settled on something behind him. Imperceptibly he moved his head to the side to allow his periphery to see the avian. The hair on the back of his neck rose. It was the raven. That bird he had seen so often with Cwmfen before she had been raped. He had not trusted the creature and his mistrust had been proven by the mark that was now branded into his lover's thigh. His body stayed statue still for seconds that stretched on and on. He made sure the bird felt it was safe and then he turned and struck out at it. Its wings unfurled in surprise and it cawed but it was too slow, Onus had caught its leg. It flapped frantically against his hand and those dark eyes looked at the treacherous thing, something dangerous moving in those depths.
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Sorry for making you wait! OnO <3 Also, there is a pic of the Raven in my profile now, ^=^;
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Briefly, she had left Onus with the pups. She knew that the pups were safe with him, safer perhaps than with her. And she granted them the few moments of privacy that seemed so rare. There was marginal concern that was lifted within her, however, as she recalled the words that Haku had thrown at her, his seething words cooled by his gelid heart. She could not ask Onus to stay away from Dahlia, but she did not want to risk his safety. Indeed, she had proclaimed to the Lilium that Onus would not be found, but the warrior was not so arrogant as to assume that such a thing were impossible. She knew of Chaos and of its interjection into the workings of Fate.
The woad-marked fae had simply gone on a run. She did so more often than she once had, intent upon keeping loose the wound upon her thigh that was now a hindrance. There was mild discontent within her, but she did not keep her grudge upon it knowing that it could not be changed. She worked only to make it less hindering upon her body’s need to sing the songs of War, and that was all that she could do. Having returned with silent, fluid steps, she watched from afar as the coyote engaged in playful behavior. A soft smile graced the woman’s maw, her eyes softening at the scene that unfolded before her. But it was shattered by a black shadow, a pied form, and a harsh call. Her heart caught in surprise—the call was not from her Dream but from the world around her. That voice was one she knew well. A dark, flickering flame passed through her as she remembered what the bird had done, but when she beheld the Raven’s form, she knew that it must be forgiven, for he, as she, had been a mere puppet of Fate. That shattered bill spoke more loudly than words or the voice of the bird could tell. But already the coyote had snatched the Raven from the air, and she knew immediately his intent.
"Onus—no!" Within her voice there was a hint concern—or was it a stronger emotion. That marring emotion, regardless of its near absence, within the tranquility of her voice caused the twins to pause, their ears lifted as they listened, a question in their eyes. The black and white orbs fell first upon their mother and then upon the bird that had only seconds before been captured by their father. Both heads cocked simultaneously—they wondered what was wrong. Cwmfen’s posture seemed to hesitate, as if she wished to move forth but was held back by unseen threads, her right hand reaching out towards the bird. But she did not move forward, for she did not wish to provoke surprise or struggle within either creatures before her. The white orbs were locked upon the bird, his single eye riveting to find the keeper of that voice as he continued to struggle. She watched the wings of that large, pied bird beat against the air, and she listened to that sound. The woad bound ears adjusted slightly to catch the individual beats, and to catch again the reverberations within the air. That brief moment between two strokes seemed an eternity, and yet it was but a mere moment, a passing of time. Her eyes, that wild ferocity perhaps marginally wilder, shifted to the coyote, and her body twitched imperceptibly, itching to move forward.
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Psh, no worries! I'm sure I'll be making you wait as well <3 I saw, poor beat up thing :o
Onus was hardly oblivious to the danger that staying within the Dahlian borders posed to him, but he did not fear the Soul male. He had defeated him before. The coyote was not arrogant in thinking he could easily do so again, but he had withstood the evil of Corvus Vendetta; he could withstand that of Haku Soul. It was this very fact that made him stay so close to Cwmfen and the twins. He knew that the brute would want the children to be dead almost as badly as he wished him dead. So he stayed, and he watched them. He would die before letting that creature lay a claw on either Honor or Chastity, and if he did die he would do all he could to take the man down with him. It would be one less shadow to haunt his family. If in sacrificing himself he could keep them safe then he would gladly do so. Though he had a feeling that the brown wolf underestimated him. Perhaps it was because he was a coyote, or was not in a position of power. Both were mistakes. Underestimating your opponent was always a mistake. Haku had not found him within these lands yet, and Onus meant to keep it that way. He had told the alphess he would be little more than a shadow here and he had kept that promise. No other Dahlian had come across him but for Cwmfen and the pups.
Other things occupied his mind currently though, such as the cawing flapping raven in his grasp. The bird was a deceiver and had betrayed his love. For that, in the man's mind, it deserved to die. Though a voice called out and his ears flicked back to catch it. Why would she tell him no? Why did she want the life of the useless creature spared? Slowly his head turned to look at her questioningly. He saw her reach out for the damned thing, though she did not move forward. Everything inside of the man told him to kill the bird. It had betrayed them once and should not be given the chance to do so again. Corvus may be gone, but a rat couldn't change what it was. He made no further move to harm it though, his hand stayed on its leg firmly. He watched Cwmfen, taking in her gaze and her movements. The vigilante did not wish to obey her request, but he found himself unable to continue either. For a moment he looked to the twins, then back to her.
Grunting, he released the raven's leg and sat back down, his back against the tree. "I do not trust it. Neither should you." Yes, he had let it go, but that did not mean it had changed his opinion any and she needed to know this. The father looked back to his children and his eyes told them the same thing. The bird was not to be trusted. Their dichotomous eyes looked at him, but they were still confused as to what this all meant. Onus looked back to Cwmfen once more, the disapproval still clear on his features. It would not be clear to one who did not know him, but to her it would be resounding. Arms crossed over his chest, waiting for an explanation though he was almost certain he would get none.
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When the Raven was released, his frantic beating caused his flight to stutter. The bird nearly fell upon the earth, but those wings that were meant for flight caught him at the last moment, and the pied bird was lifted into the air. A craw was called with that harsh voice that sang through her Dreams, and the single eye, in the brief moment that he fell into the Raven’s line of view, beheld the vigilante with a little more than discontent. There was relief that moved through the warrior’s breast, and she breathed softly into the air. Her gaze fell upon her lover. What was in that gaze was uncertain. Whether there was a sadness, a contentment, a thanks, was uncertain, and only that ambiguous tranquilly could be known. It was not that she sought to keep her thoughts from him but merely that her expression was hardly ever generous in the display of her mind. "You do not have to trust him," the soft melody replied, a faint smile upon her maw. "You need only to trust me." The Raven Dreamer lifted her arm to accept the coming of the Raven. And indeed the bird came, those black claws outstretched as the wings beat and were angled for that landing. The heaviness of the bird’s large form fell lightly upon the woman’s arm, and those claws grasped gently the skin beneath the fur. The single eye of the pied Raven beheld her with that same inky, blank gaze.
She saw her reflection in that eye, and their gaze was held for a long moment. It was as if she sought something that was hidden deeper, and the Raven, with his silent stillness, was willing to let her see. And it seemed that she had been satisfied by what she saw, for those white orbs, glowing in the half-light, moved to the shattered beak. The other hand came up to stroke the bird’s shoulder and breast before she set him from her. But the Raven did not land far. Instead, those black claws held the avian body near the twins. The two were cautious as they watched the unfamiliar creature, and the warrior watched them and was unconcerned. The Raven did not move save for the tilting of his head so that he may look upon the small pups. The black fae knelt beside the Raven and faced her lover.
"Not all things are to be taken literally," the soft melody offered at length. "Some things are meant to be taken symbolically." She did not know if Onus was capable of such thought, for she knew that he lived in a world without grey. And perhaps she did not need him to understand such a thing but only to understand what it was that she was thinking. A brief glance was spared to the twins, and they paused in their slow and cautious advance. They were curious of the bird, and the warrior was willing to let them see and touch and smell, and she was willing to let the bird see and touch and smell so that they would become familiar with one another. But she did not allow them yet, for Onus had not agreed upon such a thing. "This bird is but a messenger," the quiet alto offered once more. She did not know what else was required.
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ooc-ness
The raven was at least partially to blame for what had befallen her, and that was an offense that Onus would not and could not forgive. For a moment the cry that he had heard her call out before he had broken down the door in that dilapidated hotel rang in his ears. Those large aurels flicked as if to chase the sound away and his jaw clenched. It had been one of the worst noises he had ever heard. The sound of him having failed her. Of her being submitted to abuse after abuse because he had not been able to find Corvus first. "You know I do." Cwmfen was one of the few people to have ever earned the vigilante's trust and she had never done anything to betray it. "But it betrayed you." If possible that gaze darkened even more as is drifted to look at her thigh. The mark was not in view, but he knew it was there and he knew how Corvus had come to have that knowledge. He then looked back up at her, his eyes issuing a silent request that she not put her faith blindly back in such a unfaithful creature. The man could not bear to have anything like that happen to her again.
As the pied bird landed on her arm the coyote averted his gaze and huffed in annoyance. No matter what she said, he did not like having it around. Yes, Corvus Vendetta was now gone but that did not mean that their troubles were over and all their enemies vanquished. Haku Soul shared this pack and he knew, whenever the man found the time ripe, he would try and destroy them all. Not just himself, but Cwmfen and the twins as well. If the bird's loyalties were so easily bought once it could happen again. They did not need anyone or anything supplying the brown brute with information. If Onus ever suspected more foul play from the avian, despite his lover's wishes, he would not hesitate to dispose of it. It would not be out of personal feelings, but only to keep the three people that mattered the most to him safe.
When the raven landed near the twins his muscles tensed and he stared at the feathered thing. It was a silent warning. Do anything to jeopardize them and you will die. Once again he met the gaze of his lover. He heard her words, but he did not understand them. The male understood symbols, but not in the way that she was trying to explain. The only thing that he saw that this bird represented was betrayal, and the risk of that was not something that two such as themselves could afford. He looked to their children. He did not like them so close to it, or it to them. "A messenger of pain and suffering." That was the only thing he saw when looking at it. The only thing he smelled was her blood and the stench of rape. The only thing he heard was her cry and the only thing he felt was the pain he had felt when seeing her broken form.
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