It wasn't quite dark out, the fading light falling over here to cast a broken shadow across the ground. Across the fields of Valhalla and onward to the border. Beyond the border through forests and meadows, to the lake. Wolfpaw. The place of her birth and at current. She wasn't leaving nor was she really going out, just on a stroll. Her paws had brought her here and her mind couldn't help but wander at the thought of a lake. Not this lake but a lake frozen solid, slick from the warmth of two wolves. Strangers. Strangers illuminated in a blue glow with stars in their eyes. It wasn't night, the lake was not frozen, there were no blue lights, and there was no stranger. More than likely she would never see Vixe again. Just before they had parted, he said that he had come from Tortuga but clearly he wasn't from there any longer. No way to find him and he probably wouldn't come looking for her. Speech,

He didn't know why but he had started unconsciously moving west at some point this morning, not really knowing where he was going but heading in that general direction. Though he had never been to Valhalla before he had heard of its general location, basically if he headed west and hit the coast before hitting Valhallan lands then he should head up the coat until he reached it. So that was the plan, or at least the one he had made upon realizing he was half way there already... Funny how after one adventure away from Glaciem lands and he had met someone who had made him want to travel half way across Alacritis.

He walked at a slow easy pace, green eyes turned upwards to look at the sky as the sun began to sink slowly towards the horizon. It was pretty here, he preferred the north defiantly but here was still nice enough. Though he couldn't wait for the sun to slip beyond the horizon completely, he hadn't been this hot since he had left Tortuga and he must say he didn't miss it.

Her scent hit him first, a soft breeze tantalizing his senses as he froze and lifted his nose to see if it wasn't just his mind playing tricks on him. No... Her scent was defiantly there. He couldn't help the small smile that slid across his lips as he broke into a bit of a trot, heading towards her.

Funny how they always met at a lake. "I thought you didn't like the water..." he mused as he approached though he slowed as he got closer, not wanting to invade her personal space too much. She was even prettier than before in the fading light, the sun framing her perfectly. But still it was those eyes that he liked the most about her, after having seen them up close he had found their image hard to shake.


Speech!

"I thought you didn't like the water..." It was like a dream, only it wasn't. Her amber eyes widened, getting the doe-eyed look that she had inherited from her mother. Head spun, whipping around to look at the ghostly sight. It was Vixe...i- in the west? Once she got over the initial shock, she sprang over to him. There was a grin on her face, and she felt as though she had really known him for ages. She came to a halt before him, eyes glancing around tentatively to be sure no one was with him. "Used to." She shrugged lightly, pushing his words aside. "Now, what the heck are you doing here, northerner? You're going to melt!" Even with night falling, it was still fairly warm here. Azalea was accustomed to it, though her plush coat suggested she'd be better fit for a life in the chilled north. Azalea was walking, paws carrying her quietly in a misshapen circle around the male, looking him over to see if anything had changed. The had met so recently but the north was far away and it made it seem like it had been ages. She wasn't going up north again, at least not any time soon, so time had stretched out playing cruel tricks to make her think she would never see the grey male again. Alas, here he was. "You walked away. Why?" Her tone was serious, she was once more standing before him and had actually taken a step back. Eyes glared at him accusingly.

Her excitement was almost overpowering, it alone almost knocked him back. He wasn't prepared for her to leap at him, closing the distance between them quickly and grinned like a mad woman. He chuckled softly, his exuberance not quite matching her own but it was there none the less and that was a big step for the stoic male. And then all of a sudden as she stopped before him it seemed to disappear, she shrugged off his question and replied nonchalantly. That was almost more funny and made his smile spread across his features, head tipping curiously as she spoke.

"Now, what the heck are you doing here, northerner? You're going to melt!" She exclaimed and he sighed rather dramatically, lifting a paw to see if he was melting yet. The mixture of his plush undercoat, coarse top coat and dark fur made him unsuitable for anything other then the cold it seemed. "I feel like I'm going to melt. But I met this pretty girl at a lake up north and she mentioned the west... I guess my paws just did the rest." Wow did he really just say that? Was that his attempt at flirting? He had never really been around a girl his age before, what this was the female race did to men?

And then she was moving, walking around and eyeing his form curiously. He allowed his eyes to follow her, tracing lines over her long legs and lush fur. The deep almost russet of her face so striking in comparison to the light creme of her body. He had to wonder what her parents looked like to get those kinds of markings.

And then the moment of enjoying her beauty was over and he was face to face with her again as she stared up at him with accusing eyes. "You walked away. Why?" She demanded and his ears folded against his skull. "Wasn't he your mate? It really looked like you two needed to be alone and he didn't want me there. I didn't want to start anything..." His voice was apologetic, had she not wanted him to leave?


Speech!

The towering male was laughing lightly at her reaction. She was not one to do things half way so when it came to seeing someone she liked, she was extremely excited to see them. As for seeing someone she didn't like it was either automatic fight mode. At her first response a smile came over him, his head falling to one side. He seemed to find her funny. Azalea had said that she had been afraid of water when she was younger, and seemed to think she meant that she still was but that just wasn't true. As a pup she had feared deep water, the ocean still held no joy for her, but she had grown out of it for the most part. Everything had a bottom, lakes and rivers weren't likely to kill her. At her teasing he gave a hefty sigh and lifted a large paw to look at it. Her tail waved behind her as he did, happy to see someone willing to joke back. "I feel like I'm going to melt. But I met this pretty girl at a lake up north and she mentioned the west... I guess my paws just did the rest." His first words had her nodding quite a bit, she had figured as much. It was a long ways to the north and the temperature changes were drastic! His following words took her a bit off guard and she didn't know how exactly she was meant to react. Her insides were ding cartwheels. Smiling shyly the auburn faced gal cast her eyes away from him, "Some reasoning like that is why I'm at the lake, I suppose." Her words were quiet, subdued. Her procession around him was wordless, taking in his form. He had odd markings that seemed to lightly mirror the skeleton below the skin. Her eyes wandered to his to find him looking her over and the faintest of smiled came to her face. It made her feel automatically ten times more feminine to have him look at her like that. The moment was ruined, placing herself squarely before him to begin her interrogation of why he had fled the scene. "Wasn't he your mate? It really looked like you two needed to be alone and he didn't want me there. I didn't want to start anything..." Mate. Mate. Mate. WHY THE HELL DID EVERYONE HAVE TO BE HER MATE?! "He's not my mate!" Her voice was loud and almost strangled sounding. "I don't know what the hell he was doing up in the north or what he would have done if he hadn't found us." She shook her head. Azalea didn't want to discuss Sarak with Vixe. It would be hard to explain her relationship with the dark male. "So tell me about this pretty girl you met?" A winning smile on her face as the female lay down on the ground. Speech,

She was cute, unsure of herself slightly and didn't seem to really know how to react to his words, this made his smile widen slightly as he chuckled. Although the next words to leave her mouth made his head tilt. "You met a pretty girl up north too...?" He said, feigning hesitance although he couldn't keep a straight face for long. It was hard not to smile around her. Especially when she looked at him the way she did as she walked around him.

He was taken back by her sudden outburst, head jerking back as if her voice had physically hit him. Not mates? And she was defensive about it, so obviously she wasn't like his parents who were friends but had kids together. Did he have a crush on her and it wasn't returned? He decided not to press it, this was only their second time meeting and he wasn't too interested in ruining it by asking about a boy who apparently wasn't a threat to Vixe.

And then suddenly the dark cloud that had crossed over her was gone and she was settling to the ground, smiling charmingly up at him. It took him a moment of staring down at her to realized that she had in fact flipped a switch and just like that was back to normal. Every fibre of his being was screaming at him that this girl was bad news bears but for some reason he didn't turn around and walk away. He wasn't looking for a mate, he was looking for fun... And sometimes the crazy ones proved to be the most fun. It was pretty much the logic he had put behind his parents. His mother was nuts and his father seemed to like those types...

"Well," he started as he seated himself before her, head tipping as if it was hard to recall their last memory together. "The best part about her was how charming she was, very polite and easy to talk to. We shared the same beliefs so I think she had a good head on her shoulders. But at one point she slipped and I got a good look at her eyes. I've been seeing those eyes everywhere since..." He had started off looking away but by the end he was gazing down at her, soft smile trailing across his lips as he studied her. She was just as pretty as he had remembered...

Speech!

"You met a pretty girl up north too...?" His momentary serious face made her freeze, face falling as she went back in her head over what she had said. For a second there she really struggled because that wasn't what she had said! When his smile returned to blind her, she looked flustered. When she reacted to Vixe's suggestion that Sarak was her mate, the male's head snapped back. He looked surprised by her outburst but she just couldn't help herself. All too easily she was won over by his first words. He had called her pretty and she couldn't help but beam over it. "Well," His words came once he adjusted to her change in attitude. He sat down and Azalea leaned toward him attentively. She was dying to know what he made of her. "The best part about her was how charming she was, very polite and easy to talk to. We shared the same beliefs so I think she had a good head on her shoulders. But at one point she slipped and I got a good look at her eyes. I've been seeing those eyes everywhere since..." Every word was a strong on her ego and as their eyes came to meet again, she forgot how to breathe. A goofy smile came over her and her tail waves lazily. The more devious side of her sparked and then she was batting her eyes at the male. "So you just like me for eyes?" She asked, innocent enough. Her hips were raising though, more of less play bowing, tail still waving slowly. "Well, what about my... hips?" She asked, too innocent. Clearly she was doing this on purpose, more and more aware of what a feminine body could do to a man. She flashed him a quick and winning grin.

She was cute when she was flustered, obviously struggling to comprehend what he had just said he to her. Well he had said that he was here because he had met a pretty girl up north and she had said she was here for a similar reason. It made sense to him but maybe not so much to her. Either way he had gotten the reaction he was looking for.

It was easy to tell the effect he was having on her, especially during the silence that surrounded them for that time. Her breathing slowed and he couldn't help but chuckle softly, a slightly breathless sound. But as she continued on, sounding almost hurt at his compliment of her eyes, fishing for more compliments he was happy to oblige. "Well, what about my... hips?" she asked even though the movement of her body was enough of a hint towards what she had been planning to ask. Her rear raised up in a play boy stirred something within him.

"When did we start talking about you?" He asked, frowning now as he tipped his head as if honestly confused. But once again he couldn't keep a straight face for long and he chuckled, throwing her a wink before his eyes swept once more over her body. "Are we playing the stroke Azalea's ego game? Because I'm good at it," he promised, smile turning devilish as he stood, shaking out his black coat before starting a slow circle around her in much the same way she had done to him.

Only his eyes were closed as he started his walk around her. "The first thing I noticed was the long legs, even if they were all over the place on the ice. Next was the waist line trailing down to your hips." He spoke easily, confidently as he leaned down to first trail his maw a hairs width above her foreleg closest to him and then along her side. He barely touched the hairs as he motioned to the area between her ribs and her hip bones but his hot breath would cascade teasingly over her skin.

"But I shouldn't be wasting your time like this. Don't you have better things to do Madame Temptress?" He was smiling as he came to stand before her again, head tipped and eyes glittering devilishly. Oh the fun they could have together if only she would let her take her with him...

Speech!

Vixe was amused by her reaction and that only made her more flustered. Mentally she begged for salvation, for something to save her from the embarrassment.

The conversation rolled on from there, much to her relief. As she teased him with her hips, his eyes trailed over her body to look at them. "When did we start talking about you?" He questioned and she frowned lightly, jokingly. "Why, Vixe, when haven't we been talking about me?" She hardly sounded innocent now. If Erani or some other wolf who knew here were around they would be ringing her ears over her arrogance.

He couldn't keep his serious expression for long, giving her a wink as he broke character. She was fully aware of his eyes sweeping over her again. Clearly, he liked what he saw or else he wouldn't keep looking. "Are we playing the stroke Azalea's ego game? Because I'm good at it," She shrugged, an over exaggerated motion.

The male was on his feet, shaking out his slate and white fur before approaching her. She thought he was coming to her but instead he veered off, much like her, circling around her instead. Her eyes followed him as they could, seeing held his eyes shut. "The first thing I noticed was the long legs, even if they were all over the place on the ice. Next was the waist line trailing down to your hips." She was grinning like a complete idiot, happy his eyes were shut tightly. His nose teased along her side, or rather his breath did. Her body tensed as she struggled to keep it together.

"But I shouldn't be wasting your time like this. Don't you have better things to do Madame Temptress?" He came back around, eyes open now, and stood before her with a dark glitter in his eyes. It was that look in his eyes that drove her wild now. Azalea straightened up, seating herself to where her tail wrapped around her side. "Aside from train to lead a pack and cause trouble? No, nothing better to do at all." Her tone was light.

Azalea moved forward, white paws falling quickly as she covered the distance between them. "A Princess such as myself has nothing better to do than get mixed up with a ruffian like yourself." Now her eyes were trailing him.

"Why, Vixe, when haven't we been talking about me?"

He laughed but it was true, it seemed that everything revolved around her here. He was fine with that but he was glad she could at least take a joke. Most of the women who enjoyed male attention as much as she did weren't as graceful about it as she. He had to admit, that alone was enough for him to like her. He enjoyed complimenting women but enjoyed the playful banter just as much and she was providing him with both.

Her shrug was a challenge and he accepted it. His eyes were closed partly because he knew she'd be grinning and partly because he wanted to prove that they had only met once and he could remember her already. He had always had a knack for remembering faces and bodies of wolves, especially females, who struck his interest. And it was easy to say that Azalea had his interest. He heard her breathing quicken slightly and her body squirm but he didn't go further then the faintest touch, letting his breath tease her skin.

And then he was before her and she was moving into a seated position, her look in her eye almost matching his own. She wanted to have fun... "Aside from train to lead a pack and cause trouble? No, nothing better to do at all." Her words caught him a bit off guard, head tipping as he looked at her. Had she mentioned being the heir of a pack before? He couldn't remember but he didn't let it phase him too much.

He couldn't let it phase him too much, she stood suddenly and closed the distance between them, her proximity making his mind spin. "A Princess such as myself has nothing better to do than get mixed up with a ruffian like yourself." Princess... She was a princess? But at the same time as his mind scrambled to process this new news he let a smile, charming and devilish, slide across his features. "Should I be bowing?" He asked lightly, chuckling.

He didn't wait for her to answer instead slid a hind leg back to put some distance between them. Head and torso would drop as one foreleg curled under his chest and another slid out beside hers so he dropped into an oddly graceful bow. As he came back up he slid his hind leg forward so this time as he came up his maw followed the line of her leg, shoulder, neck and then finally he was once again standing over her head.

"But your right you know. You could get into a lot of trouble with me. Fun yes... But trouble as well..." There was a promise in his eyes now, the glint was still there but he was waiting for her answer. He wasn't going to make her do anything she didn't want to do but he could promise that whatever they did it would be fun. "Do you make it your business to run with ruffians?" His words were silken, a deep sound coming from deep in his chest. He wanted her to come with him. He didn't know where to yet but he had a mind for adventure now...

Speech!

When she spoke of alternative activities he cocked his head and this was enough to take her off guard as well. Had she not mentioned her ranking? Did he even know she was an Adravendi. Sadly she couldn't remember now but he didn't take long to fall back into their game, letting the realization slid off his back like rain. As she ate up the distance between them, her words struck a smirk on his face. "Should I be bowing?" She sighed with exasperation, apparently she hadn't mentioned her rank, likely because it wasn't important outside of Valhalla. His reaction was the same as Greed's had been only this time her reaction was different. She rolled her eyes but before she could speak he was stepped back and bowing. Eyes wide she looked around in mild alarm. "Stop that!" She was frazzled again. Slyly he slipped forward so that when he went to straighten up his nose ran damn near right up the front of her body. He was so damn tall, she had to tip her head back to meet his gaze, especially this close. It almost was enough to give her inferiority complex. "But your right you know. You could get into a lot of trouble with me. Fun yes... But trouble as well..." She saw that devious glimmer in his electric eyes and suddenly she had to catch her breath. She leaned up, stretching out her neck to flick her tongue across his nuzzle, right on the whiskers, before she jumped away from him. Now that the moment was upon them she was a bit shy or things. Receptive, but shy. "Do you make it your business to run with ruffians?" He asked then and she smirked, mischievous as ever. "I wouldn't say that... rather I have a knack for running into them." Part of her mind welcomed the nerves that made her think again but another part of her wished they would just disappear to that her body and his body could be freed to become one. Speech,