"Eska"

During the several days that Eska had been a part of The Hallows, she and Ulric had been somewhat inseparable. She told herself that it was because he was showing her around, getting her accustomed to pack life, but really... she truly enjoyed his company. There was something about the massive, kind man that made Eska personally invested in his happiness. She wanted to see him smile. She wanted to see the scars on his face crinkle as he looked down upon her with an expression of joy. Mostly, she wanted to chase away the sadness and worries that plagued him. So, that's what she set out to do.

Excusing herself from the Aegis, Eska cut out early in the morning. She took a few supplies with her, but the rest she would collect out in the wilds. The woman had gone far to fetch what she was after, but it would all be worth it. By the time she returned, the sun was low, setting the sky ablaze with a plethora of warm shades. At the far edge of the plains, the brindled woman tilted her muzzle upwards and released a long, low call for the leader of the Hallows.

While she waited for Ulric to arrive, Eska began to arrange her gift to him. She spread out a thin, summer fur over the long, sweet smelling grass. Upon it she placed a few items, a personal feast for the man that had been working so hard. Once everything seemed perfect, the woman lay upon the fur, curling her silver spattered tail around her hip. All she had to do now was wait.

After spending so much time with Eska it felt almost strange to not have her at his side, even if it was just for a day. He had easily fallen into a comfortable rhythm of life along side her and even though he still felt the same glimmers of electricity each time they touched, he had stayed the course. He was determined to help her be comfortable here and even more determined to let their relationship grow. He was a man of bad habits and it had taken him falling into the same tropes and the same painful habits again and again to finally get it through his thick skull that something had to change. Eska had reminded him of that. She was worth every single moment.

He went about his normal routines around the pack lands and doing his patrols, always waiting expectantly to round and corner and find Eska there. He didn't though, she did genuinely keep herself away from the castle for the entirety of the day and it wasn't until after the sun began to set that he heard her howl for him, immediately taking him away from his task in order to go find her. He grew exceedingly curious as he went further and further out into the Starlit Plains, finally spotting her graceful, silver marked form laid across a fur that she had clearly spread out for them, his silver gaze drifting across the spread she had created for them with a curious eye, a grin pulling across his face.

"Well, what's all this?" he asked with a chuckle, leaning his head down to her cheek to affectionately tap her with his nose, his tail wagging slowly behind him.

Ulric Adravendi

"Eska"

She didn't mind the wait. Ulric was a busy man. He had innumerable duties to attend to and so she didn't expect him to rush to her side. When he did appear though, she imagined that he'd made his way here quicker than he ought to have. Ulric moved up beside her, touching his nose to her cheek before questioning her. The silver spattered woman laughed softly. "You work so hard, I thought you deserved a break. Something nice just for you." It wasn't always the males that should present the females with surprises. It was perfectly acceptable to turn the tables.

Eska patted the fur, motioning for the big man to sit and get comfortable. "I caught us a bit of dinner." Two fresh rabbits, skinned and ready to eat lay before them. "There are also fresh berries for dessert." She'd almost been mauled by a bear collecting those berries, but if they made Ulric happy, then it would be worth it. He deserved nice things and she was intent on delivering.

From the castle, she'd brought another bottle of the wine that had loosened both their tongues and lips not so long ago. It would do them both well to take a little break. Too much work wore one thin. That was something that Resin often did, she was told. Never ending work. Eska didn't want Ulric to be like that. One could be a perfectly good leader and still take time out for themselves.

The woman cast her yellow gaze towards the earth dappled man. "Eat your fill," she urged him, pushing one of the rabbits close enough for him to grab. She took the other, but only after she repositioned just enough to make sure that their sides were touching.

When Ulric heard the explanation behind the delicious looking spread in front of them he felt his heart warm in his chest and a wider smile pull across his lips, a bit of emotion welling up in his chest. "Eska, that's... that's incredibly thoughtful of you." He was a terrible over worker and perhaps Eska had noticed that about him even just in the few days that they had spent together. He never let himself stop, partially because he was horrible at delegating the work and partially because he still fought with his own self doubt and worry that he would let the pack down. He drowned it out with more work, more patrols, more building. Taking time for a break and a nice meal like this wasn't something he let himself do - at least not until he met Eska.

At her insistence he moved to lay beside her on the fur, looking at the rabbits, the berries, the wine that she had gathered for them, genuinely touched that she had put in all this effort. He looked at her for a moment as she passed one of the rabbits to him and shifted close enough for their sides to be touching, flaring to life that now familiar electricity across his skin. Smiles came easier when Eska was around. He dipped his head to gently nuzzle his cheek against the top of her head, saying, "Thank you for this. Really." That still didn't really cut it to tell her how he felt, but it would have to be good enough. Leaning his side more into hers, he turned his attention to the rabbit at his feet and started eating and picking it clean, enjoying every single bite of her hard work.

After several bites he reached for the wine, taking a long drink before placing the bottle within both of their reach. This one was a bit sweeter than the last and a bit easier to drink. He chuckled softly with a little smirk, telling her, "Good choice." He enjoyed these quiet moments with her as he ate and drank while the sky darkened above them, slowly revealing the dazzling stars that gave the plains their name. Everything had felt easy with Eska from day one despite the dark tone their meeting had started on. He didn't feel like he had to be anything he wasn't and there was no conflict or struggle in his thoughts. As that pleasant warmth from their wine started to spread through him with his stomach full of delicious rabbit and this beautiful woman leaned into his side he struggled to think of a way to make this moment better.

He pulled the bowl of berries closer once they had both had their fill of the rabbits, catching one carefully on one of his claws. "Lady's first?" he asked with a smirk, holding it up to her. His tail came to curl around her hip as he naturally shifted closer, pleasantly foggy in the haze of alcohol and happiness.

Ulric Adravendi

"Eska"

The look on the rust colored man's face spoke volumes. Her efforts were well worth it to see the smile cross his features. He was a very serious wolf and was constantly working well into the evening. It was about time he got to relax a bit. The Hollows wouldn't fall apart if he took one night for himself.

Ulric nuzzle into the top of her head and Eska allowed her eyes to close for a moment, savoring the touch. Laying beside her, there was that constant tingling as their fur mingled and their bodies touched. She doubted that she'd ever grow tired of that. Together, the pair consumed their rabbit dinner, sipping the wine and passing it back and forth between one another. Night had fallen, but the stars above were brilliantly bright and illuminated what might otherwise be a blackened plain. It was the perfect setting for a shared meal and some relaxation.

Though she was thanked aloud, Eska merely nodded, the corner of her maw closest to to him rising in a lopsided smile. Taking another drink of the wine to clear the bite of rabbit from between her teeth, she directed her full attention to him. "I'm happy to do this for you. Everyone deserves a break." It seemed as though he worked nonstop. During the few days that she'd been part of the pack, she'd barely seen him take a breather. The wolves of The Hallows needed him. He couldn't go working himself ragged.

Once the main course was complete, Eska sprawled out on the furs for maximum comfort. The wine had done its work and she was feeling extremely relaxed. Her golden gaze drifted upwards, staring at the bright, twinkling stars that danced in the black, blue and purple swirl of sky. Ulric's voice pulled her attention back down to earth. She turned to him, noting that he was offering her a berry. With a soft chuckle, the woman deftly plucked the strawberry from between his claws. She chewed the sweet fruit, savoring its flavor before taking a berry from the basket and offering it to him in kind, one silver dipped paw lifted so that he wouldn't have to bend. The wine had warmed her, dulling her inhibitions just as it had once before. There was a mischievous glaze in her eye and, at the last moment, she placed the berry between her teeth, offering it to him that way instead.

Ulric grinned softly as Eska pulled the berry from his claws, only just barely keeping himself in line and preventing himself from glancing down along her body as she stretched out comfortably on the fur beneath them - something that was becoming increasingly difficult the longer the wine took hold of him. It was difficult to not think about how the cool light of the stars and moon played off of the silvery bands in her pelt and how soft her fur felt when their sides brushed together. Gods, he wondered sometimes if she knew how often he thought about that light taste of a kiss she had given him and if she felt the same electricity he did every time they touched. Or was it just his own lonesome desires getting the best of him again? For once in his life he didn't want to rush things. She was worth every single moment he spent getting to know her.

And yet when he went to take the berry she offered him and return only to pull it away at the last second and place it between her teeth with a mischievous gleam in those stunning yellow eyes he felt his resolution threaten to crack. A smirk pulled across his lips and he chuckled deep in his chest, assessing her for a second before he leaned forward, his heart fluttering in his chest as he brushed the side of his muzzle ever so lightly against hers before catching the berry between his teeth and taking it away, a similar took in his own silver gaze. He only just narrowly avoided brushing his lips against hers - as much as it pained him to do so. But even just that small, teasing brush of their muzzles fed fuel into the fire of his desire for this fae and as he chewed the sweet fruit and watched her with a curious glance he wondered how much of this was a genuine want on her part and how much was influenced by the wine they had just consumed.

Ulric let his gaze linger on hers for a long moment, letting his paw closest to hers brush her foreleg. "Eska..." he said rumbled softly, the looseness the alcohol provided forcing the words out of his thoughts and past his lips. "I like you a lot," he admitted with a shy grin. "I... I've always moved fast and it's always burned me. I don't want to mess up what we might have." He hesitated, his paw brushing hers before resting his larger paw over hers. "I do want to kiss you though." He chuckled softly, looking at her again, that mischievous gleam returning to his gaze.

Ulric Adravendi

"Eska"

Eska played a game with Ulric and he surpassed her expectations. He touched her muzzle with his own, then took the berry from her mouth without so much as a brush of the lips. A soft laugh left the striped fae afterwards and she took another drink of the heady, sweet wine after. Between her stretched out hind legs, the woman's tail swished languidly back and forth. She was enjoying their little back and forth immensely. The fact that he hadn't kissed her only made her want him to kiss her more. He was a most desirable man. Surely he knew that.

Lifting another berry from the basket, Eska popped it into her own mouth, chewing lightly before sipping the wine. She like the two flavors melding together and had just been about to share her discovery with Ulric when he spoke her name. The woman lifted heavily lashed eyes to search his silvered gaze as he spoke, laying out his feelings and fears. It was obvious that he'd been hurt in the past simply by the wording that he chose. He moved fast. He got burned. Ah, but he liked her though. That was a plus. Eska blinked her golden eyes, the corners lifting as he admitted that he did want to kiss her.

Eska had two choices. She could pull back and give Ulric the feeling that he was taking things slow this time for his own mental well being. Or she could do what her inebriated body wanted to do and that was roll him onto his back and take him right now with the stars in the sky laying witness. In the end, after a bit of muddled thinking, she opted for a third choice.

"We'll go as slow as you need to," she promised. Eska raised one silver dipped paw to gently cup Ulric's scarred cheek. "I would be terribly offended though if you didn't kiss me," so she kissed him instead. Eyes drifting shut, the brindled fae moved in, her lips touching his for a moment before she was tasting the berries on his own tongue. A low, soft groan pulled from her before she broke the kiss. Slow, they were taking it slow.

Since they were taking it slow, she could share her discovery now. Lifting a berry, she offered it to him. "If you chew a berry and take a sip of the wine, it tastes exquisite." Not as good as he tasted by far, but she was trying to keep the subject neutral. Not too fast, she reminded herself. Not too fast.

He watched her considering and thinking for a moment and he couldn't really decipher what it was she was considering. Was she not feeling the same way? Was she not interested in a deeper relationship? Or was it the opposite? Was he completely misreading everything and she only wanted the physical part of their time together? Was that why she had set all this up? It certainly wouldn't be the first time he had thought something was more than it was or misconstrued a situation. Finally her words broke his wine muddled thoughts, telling him that they could go as slow as he needed. He gave her an appreciative smile, though if he was being honest going slow wasn't necessarily something he wanted to do, but it was something that he felt like he needed. That was only emphasized when her paw rested on his cheek and told him that she'd be offended if he didn't kiss her - only to kiss her himself.

His eyes widened for a moment as her lips connected with his only to slide closed as he gratefully sank deeper into the affection, the taste of wine and berries on her tongue and the feeling of her lips working perfectly against his lips stoking the fire that he was desperately trying to keep at bay. The soft groan she gave into their connected mouths sent a shiver through him, testing his resolve and restraint. As soon as she pulled away he wanted more and a husky chuckle left him as he blinked open his silver gaze. Gods, she was certainly making it difficult on him, wasn't she? Especially with the wine that they had nearly finished at this point messing with his inhibitions. She made disregarding his previous intentions very appealing.

He glanced to the berry she offered as she suggested how he should eat it with the wine and he smirked as he dipped his head to take it, his tongue lightly swiping across her paw as he pulled it into his mouth. He gave it a few chews before he lifted the bottle to his lips, taking a drink of the sweet wine and letting the favors meld together on his tongue. His brows lifted with surprise at the pleasant combination they made and he grinned giving her a nod. "You're right, that is lovely. Very delicious." He picked up another berry, one of the last few left in the bowl, and held it up to her, a smirk pulling at his lips. Desire pulled at his silver gaze despite all his efforts to keep it in check. "Not as delicious as you, I'm sure."

Ulric Adravendi

"Eska"

With each passing moment, the threads of fate braided more tightly together. The kiss was slow to end and Eska found herself yearning for more. Heat filled her body and she wanted nothing more than to have him take her right there under the stars. That was the wine talking though. Eska could feel her inhibitions disintegrate but she had enough of her sense of self left to remember that Ulric needed to take it slow. She repeated it in her muddled mind like a mantra. Take it slow. Take it slow. Take it slow.

Ulric's words brought a husky chuckle from the woman and she gave her head a shake. Anything she said would have only fueled the fire, so she chose to say nothing. When the berry was offered however, she wasted no time in quickly plucking it from his paw and swallowing it down. Eska wouldn't make eye contact this time. If she did, it would be incredibly difficult to not kiss him again. Instead she looked upwards towards the starry sky.

With a yawn and a stretch, Eska sprawled out on the fur. She placed her cheek upon one bent foreleg and continued to watch the sparkling stars above. The woman's eyes pulled closed and her blinks came slower and slower until eventually she fell asleep pressed into the man's side. That night she had very racy dreams. Very, very racy dreams featuring a certain silver eyed man.