It was getting warm out. The midday sun was beating down on the land. Greed himself was lounging in the shade under a willow tree. He resembled a great cat waiting out the sun for night to fall. His black coat was a tad too warm for this weather. he was made for the cold arctic tundra where caribou and hares thrived. Polar bears and other wolves would be the only predators, unless you counted the fox that lived there, but they were only scavengers really. The day was hot, but night was cool and pleasant.



The man crafted of shadows and starlight gave a lazy sigh, bi-colored eyes starting to slowly close. He should get up and do something. Hunt. Explore. Find a pretty girl. Hmm, yeah a pretty girl would be something nice to go search for on such a fine day as this. What was it called? A bluebird sky. No cloud in sight at all. A pretty color that he could enjoy from the shade of his tree. His white feet were splayed out. His cranium rested on his large white paws that looked a bit more grey then white at the moment. His back feet were twisted so they rested on the same side, his left that was facing away from the tree. It wasn't the greatest position to be in if something bad happened, but it was comfortable for the moment. Now, where was that pretty girl to make this day complete? Speech!

Whistling Willows. She had been here before so the setting was not as strange as it was once. The willows hung heavy with their vine likes limbs, reaching for the water that pooled at the center of it all. A breeze sent the trees chattering, leaves brushing together in symphony. "Shhhh," they said, be quiet. It was a place to be silent. She couldn't imagine speaking loudly here, something about it was just... rude. The old trees stood quiet guard, sentinels to a place that she doubted had ever even seen blood fall. Paws moved delicately, silent as a fox. Her fiery eyes sweeping the grounds. She didn't anticipate being alone, she hadn't been alone last time she came to this blessed place. Her eyes caught on a shadow in the shade, body freezing. Head rose, eyes blinking as she looked at the dark wolf. A male, clearly, he sat in the shade. It was getting rather warm now, summer right around the corner. She was very nearly a year and a half old now. Well on her way to be a full fledged adult. All her growing was done. Thirty-one inches, her stout build a gift from her mother. The red headed wolf took in the character for a moment. She was in a plain sight so she couldn't just walk away. Unafraid, she approached the fellow, seating herself a good three meters away from him. "Good day, don't you say?" She looked up and around taking in the clear sky and warm breeze. Yes, summer was definitely coming. Speech,

Someone was coming up on him.



This realization caused him to turn his furry head to view the one approaching. She was a pretty little thing. An autumn leaf fallen on to a patch of clean snow. Two amber orbs shined out at him. Yes, she certainly was pretty. And unmarked with scars too. Plus, she was young. Young meant inexperienced. Something that he could certainly work with, if he so desired. Before he even let his mind wander in its current direction, it would be god to find out a few things, like if there was a big brother or frightening father that may come after him if what he was thinking, hoping happened.



"It is a very nice day, Missy. It's peaceful out here," he replied as he pulled himself up to a sitting position. It was hard to have a great conversation from the ground. Plus, she wouldn't be able to see his handsome face as much, or at least his good side. Burning gold held a friendly and polite note to it as he watched her features.



"Could I inquire you name, Missy? You may call me Greed if it suits you."
Speech!

The male watched her approach. He was a patchwork of black and white, heavy on the black. There was nothing truly spectacular about him and his colors were nothing striking. If one wanted to meet a wolf that really grabbed the eye, she would point them to Vahva. Azalea had never liked Vahva, from the moment the colorful girl opened her trap at Aza like she were nothing more than a whelp. Azalea mentally shook her head, ridding herself of the thoughts that threatened to derail her. "It is a very nice day, Missy. It's peaceful out here," Missy, he called her. She didn't like it and her reaction was to pull back her ears. He pushed up, away from the ground, to sit facing her. Azalea took in his eyes, unable not to. Grey and gold. Now that was different. "Could I inquire you name, Missy? You may call me Greed if it suits you." That name grated her again but she was happy to know that he wished to know her real name. It was odd, how pleased she was that a stranger was requesting her name. She really didn't know what was wrong with the little pet name he had given her other than that it made her want to claw her own ears off. The medium framed gal smiled politely, "My name is Azalea," she said with a pause, "Greed is an odd name. It implies to me that you are a bad individual. Tell me, Greed, should I trust you?" Her eyes bore into him, eyes locked. He was much bulkier than Gael and she had lost against him which made it easy to figure that Greed would be very capable of destroying her. She had never shown so much outright caution for her own life before. Speech,

Azalea. It would roll off the tongue and make a sweet sound. It would be perfect for a loving whisper. he had to try it with his tongue. The dark knight gave a charming grin and said, "Azalea. That's a very beautiful name, my dear. Who gave it to you? Your mother or father? Or might you be one of those who name themselves?" No, she wastoo young to really be using a name other then the wane she was born with. He used a name he had given himself, something he didn't plan on telling this little beauty.



Alas, she was suspicious of him. His name was an unusual one, and a negative word too. Not good. It was amusing at the same time, though. She was much smarter then she might seem, though she did't look unintelligent by any means. A good head would be harder to sway in to his favor. he would still have to try, though. he wasn't one known for giving up in the pursuit of something.



"Yes, greed is something that is seen as bad. We all have a touch of Greed in us though. We are willing to do anything to stay alive, which is greedy. You probably don't want a lecture on greed though, right? I would probably end up boring you." he stopped here and gave a low laugh before he moved on to answer her question. "I'm a stranger that you have just met. You know nothing but my name. I have no intentions of harming you, or forcing myself upon you. I am no vagabond, but a gentleman instead. So, yes and no. You would be foolish to place trust in me, a stranger, but you can since I do not wish you harm. Confused at all, sweet Azalea?" He gave a sparkling smile to the little fae. Should he change tactics? Try and gain her trust before 'getting in to her pants' so to say? Or maybe he wouldn't do that this time. An intelligent conversation could be entertaining also.


Speech!

The male grinned at her name, he seemed to like the way it sounded. "Azalea. That's a very beautiful name, my dear. Who gave it to you? Your mother or father? Or might you be one of those who name themselves?" She smiled, the action barely showing up on her face, only enough so to lighten her eyes. "Thank you. It was given to me by my mother, she's a healer so she has a passion for plants of all sorts." He then seemed a bit amused by her reaction to his name though the meaning behind it was all there. He was a stranger so she knew nothing about him and his name was a not a good word, at least not by most vocabularies. "Yes, greed is something that is seen as bad. We all have a touch of Greed in us though. We are willing to do anything to stay alive, which is greedy. You probably don't want a lecture on greed though, right? I would probably end up boring you." She eased a bit, raising a figurative brow at him. "I can tell you, Greed, that your statement is false. My mother is the most selfless wolf I know. She refuses to learn to fight because it is something she just doesn't have in her. She would give up her life for others. Should she be attacked, well then I pray my father or someone else shows up to save her." It was the silliest of notions to her, that a wolf could be the way her mother was. Only in being her mother's daughter did she know that there wolves who were so meek. He laughed though, continuing with his words. "I'm a stranger that you have just met. You know nothing but my name. I have no intentions of harming you, or forcing myself upon you. I am no vagabond, but a gentleman instead. So, yes and no. You would be foolish to place trust in me, a stranger, but you can since I do not wish you harm. Confused at all, sweet Azalea?" Azalea snorted, his words sparking the fire in her needed to get past her sudden caution, "I am rarely confused and if I were I would not tell you." She stood up now, moving closer toward him, looking him over. "So, you're a rogue? I'm not, but I'm sure I didn't have to tell you that. I'm from Valhalla. Are you from the region or somewhere else?" Her words were rapid fire, not waiting for him to answer her first question, which was rhetorical. Speech,

Greed gave a nod and another charming smile at her explanation, but chose to not reply. He didn't feel the need to. He didn't particularly care. Her mother being a healer though, that was interesting. A healer knew what killed and what saved. He was interested in the killing hand of the medical plant world, but the other side of that coin was just as useful. Did this little treat know anything about her mother's trade?



Her answer to his assessment of greed brought a rolling laugh from his chest. A smart little thing! The laugh went on for a small bit before he got in under control again, an amused grin staying on his features. His reply came out quickly, holding the amused tone that he had hidden away in his smile, "That might be true. But from my point of view, not learning how to fight is just as greedy too. Your mother doesn't have to deal with deliberately killing another of her kind. She can walk through life with fewer sins upon her shoulders, letting others carry that weight instead. Plus, believing that she doesn't have it in her to fight might just be a lie so simple that she trusts it with her whole heart. I, for one, would put my next meal that if it was some stranger she doesn't know or you, her flesh and blood, she would still fight. Mother instincts are a bit hard to overcome. Is that true, darling Azalea?"



"I am rarely confused and if I were I would not tell you. "So, you're a rogue? I'm not, but I'm sure I didn't have to tell you that. I'm from Valhalla. Are you from the region or somewhere else?"

His brows rose as her tone changed. From something that was either caution or a close cousin to that emotion, to a fire that impressed him. 'Spunky little thing. I like her,' He thought to himself. He waited a few heartbeats before answering her rapid questions, choosing the right words and seeing if she was done talking or not. "Well, I am a traveler. I follow directions the winds are blowing and reap what Nature has sown. I have never heard of any Valhalla pack, so I am going to say no, I am not from your home. If you wish to tell me about it, go ahead. I am always interested to learn about new places."



I speak I think I hear

He had no words to spare her in response to where her name came from, however he did grin. She was less worried by him now, easing into the way she normally behaved. He laughed as she spoke of her mother, amused enough that it took him more than a second to grow quiet again. His silence didn't last though, words falling through his smirk. "That might be true. But from my point of view, not learning how to fight is just as greedy too. Your mother doesn't have to deal with deliberately killing another of her kind. She can walk through life with fewer sins upon her shoulders, letting others carry that weight instead. Plus, believing that she doesn't have it in her to fight might just be a lie so simple that she trusts it with her whole heart. I, for one, would put my next meal that if it was some stranger she doesn't know or you, her flesh and blood, she would still fight. Mother instincts are a bit hard to overcome. Is that true, darling Azalea?" Azalea shrugged, "Well, perhaps but I'm far to young to know first hand and I tend to keep myself separate from motherly things." She made a face, sneering a bit at the thought of having to do den-mother work or having pups pulling at her tits. No, she was just fine being young and totally oblivious. "You'd have to meet my mother." She said finally, her voice a bit of a mumble. Their conversation rolled on, away from her mother and motherly instincts. It was a change for the better. "Well, I am a traveler. I follow directions the winds are blowing and reap what Nature has sown. I have never heard of any Valhalla pack, so I am going to say no, I am not from your home. If you wish to tell me about it, go ahead. I am always interested to learn about new places." His reply came a bit late and was thoughtful as the words fell from his lips. Azalea pictured him literally following the winds. What did he do in the desert when dirt devils came up? Did he run in circles chasing his tail? He wanted to know of Valhalla, curious and perhaps nothing more. "Valhalla is only a portion of the region, its really not all too far from here. I believe we are still the largest pack. There are other packs, of course, Seracia, Ludicael, Glaciem, Amenti, and Tortuga. Valhalla is ruled by the Adravendi's, my kin. My aunt, Chrysanthe is our leader and my other aunt , Epiphron, wed Maverick the Prince of Seracia. My other aunt and my uncle held Glaciem for a very short stint but she chose to abandon her seat and now is god knows where surely about to pop, last I knew she was pregnant." When she realized she was rambling she stopped, laughing a bit, "but anyway, if you haven't figured it out already my last name is Adravendi. I am Heir to Valhalla. Before Chrysanthe, Epiphron held the crown, before her my father, and then before my father my grandfather." So maybe she was bragging... just a little. She smiled winningly, "But I don't always say my last name, clearly I'm awesome enough with out." She puffed out her chest, these last words showing both how arrogant she could be and that she was still not all grown up. Speech,

He gave another smirk at her reply, but chose to not answer her with some comment. he was busy reading in to what she said, along with the sneer at the end. She might have sneered at the motherly things part of it. Being a mother was probably not something that a youth like her would enjoy, based on what he had pieced together so far on her personality. But now, she mumbled something else, her words lost to him. His eyebrows lifted a bit, but he did not ask her to repeat it and speak up. God, he would sound like his mother if he did that, and sound as old as he really was, something that he definitely did not want to seem at the moment. Probably a bit too late to act younger to get her to be more at ease with him. Talking to a peer was easier then an elder.



"Valhalla is only a portion of the region, its really not all too far from here. I believe we are still the largest pack. There are other packs, of course, Seracia, Ludicael, Glaciem, Amenti, and Tortuga. Valhalla is ruled by the Adravendi's, my kin. My aunt, Chrysanthe is our leader and my other aunt , Epiphron, wed Maverick the Prince of Seracia. My other aunt and my uncle held Glaciem for a very short stint but she chose to abandon her seat and now is god knows where surely about to pop, last I knew she was pregnant." He nodded and tried to keep track of the who's and the what's. He was mainly interested in the mention of the other packs, and the fact that her aunt was the leader of the largest pack in this land. That little tidbit might put quite a damper on things. Fooling around with a princess would be bad if the queen found out. From his experience, moms didn't take to him well. A powerful mom would probably be even worse. Much, much worse. Bad enough that he feared he could loose his manhood.



"That wounds like a complicated family." He managed to comment before she was talking again, reveling that she was the heir to this large and powerful pack. A crown Princess then and not just some other princess that would never truly rule unless the other siblings all died or ran off in to the world. "So, should I be calling you Your Highness now, Dear?" He gave a chuckle and lifted an eyebrow at her, a trick he had perfected. "And you clearly are awesome enough without having to be a princess. You probably have quite a lot of boys begging for your attentions in your home." A gleam entered his two eyes.



I speak I think I hear

The male was quiet enough, letting her ramble on about her family and all the greatness her bloodline. Maybe he was impressed but if he was he wasn't letting her know it. He said her family was complicated and she grew an uncertain look. It wasn't really complicated, you just had to know all the names. "So, should I be calling you Your Highness now, Dear?" Now this had her laughing. The young female shook her head rapidly, "Well you would be the first," was the answer she gave him. Not a yes or a no. She really wasn't sure how she liked being called Your Highness. It was better than Missy that was for damn sure. She supposed it was a title she could slip into easily. "And you clearly are awesome enough without having to be a princess. You probably have quite a lot of boys begging for your attentions in your home." He was giving her a look now, a look that made her a little hot under the collar. The female laid down to calm her nerves. "No, not really. Most are too young and those who are close enough to my age to be serious are related to me. Only one fits the bill and honestly I seek his attention more than he seeks mine. We're friends and I drag him all over Alacritia though I'm fairly certain he hates it." She grinned winningly. Oh, how innocent she was. Azalea was growing more in tune with her feelings and as the two year mark approached, she was growing more and more sexually inclined. She enjoyed the company of males more than ever. She still wasn't sure how exactly she felt about Sarak or just how he felt about her or even what it meant if he did. She stretched out, legs out before her, her back arching. When she was finished stretching she army crawled nearer to the male, so that they were not so far apart. Speech,

This little princess had a nice laugh. It almost made him want to smile and laugh too. He gave a grin and executed an over the top bow with a curling grin lighting up his face as he said, "Well then, Your Highness, Azalea it is. Though, now he would probably remember this and call her Your Highness or Princess when he forgot her name, or when he was afraid he would call her by the wrong name. And there was probably a good chance of that too, if this encounter really turned in to anything. Women tended to not like being called by the wrong name, he had found.



He nodded along, a smile that matched the glint in his eye creeping about on his face, as she spoke. "No, not really. Most are too young and those who are close enough to my age to be serious are related to me. Only one fits the bill and honestly I seek his attention more than he seeks mine. We're friends and I drag him all over Alacritia though I'm fairly certain he hates it."So, nobody that she knew of that was head-over-heels for her. She had someone that she had feelings for, which was a bit sad for him since she probably wouldn't be too welcoming to him trying to woo her for a one night stand. She was probably a bit too young anyway. Or. . . maybe not. "You sure he doesn't have feelings for you, Dear? I find that hard to believe. A boy would have to be blind and heartless to not have some sort of romantic feelings for you." He gave a wink at the end of this, having to keep his eyes on her face and not on her form that was now laying down. How easy it would be. . . But, no. The flirting and playing was half of the fun.




"Speech"

The male grinned at her and Azalea laughed even more, watching him bow before her. It was over exaggerated but only made it that much more funny. "Well then, Your Highness, Azalea it is." "Why, thank you kind sir," She replied nodding regally. He seemed younger to her now, not as reserved. He turned more serious though as the subject turned to the attention she got from males. Given it was a male asking, it put her on edge but not in a bad way. Her insides tingled. "You sure he doesn't have feelings for you, Dear? I find that hard to believe. A boy would have to be blind and heartless to not have some sort of romantic feelings for you." She shrugged, her stomach doing a flip. She was growing hot and beginning to get restless. He winked at her, keeping his eyes locked. She glanced away, a shy reaction. "Once can't know what hides in the hearts of others." It was rather philosophical of her to say. Her tail waved a bit, perhaps teasing him back now. She met his gaze with a glint in her eyes, "And you, Greed, how is it you feel about me?" She was playing with fire, begging to get burned. Speech,

He only gave a grin in reply to her thanking of him, struggling to keep a laugh to break free. This was turning in to quite the enjoyable encounter. He didn't pursue the thought as she glanced away from his gaze, a sudden shyness that surprised him a tiny bit as he had gotten used to her previous manner. It was a good sign though, or at least so he thought. It might mean that she was falling for his charms, or she was still unsure of how she felt. It was better then disgust, though, right?



Greed nodded in reply, the curling smile back, a devilish tilt helping the curve. "And you, Greed, how is it you feel about me? He didn't answer immediately, gaze getting a contemplating look to it while he decided how to answer. He could be poetic or vulgar here, even though his poetry skills were somewhat lacking. A normal princess wouldn't appreciate vulgarity, but little Azalea didn't strike him as a normal princess. He could be on possibly thin ice now. he might drive her away if he answered in a too straightforward way, losing everything here. " I want to know every curve of your body, every hair, everything that makes you shiver. i want to know where to touch you, where to touch you. I want to know too much about you, Darling. The question is, though. . ." He slipped forward, to put his lips by her ear and barely sigh the last part, voice painted with a want and need that was like a throbbing pain in his mind. "Just how much will you let me learn about you, Darling?" He wasn't sure how she would respond to him. He might not have given the answer she wanted, or had completely misjudged this situation. No, he couldn't have been too far off, right? She had been the one to ask him after all. So it couldn't be his fault if she didn't like what he said, right?



"Speech"

The look that came upon his face made her stomach tangle itself up and her breath hitched in her throat. He had a wicked smile and let silence fall between them as he took into consideration how to respond to her question. For a moment, only a moment, she wondered if he intended to be cruel to her. "I want to know every curve of your body, every hair, everything that makes you shiver. i want to know where to touch you, where to touch you. I want to know too much about you, Darling. The question is, though. . ." She swallowed hard, her throat dry. Suddenly the male was in motion, sliding like liquid silver toward her. She pulled her head back, doe eyed, until she lay with her neck coiled like a cobra ready to strike. "Just how much will you let me learn about you, Darling?" His lips were at her ear and his words were little more than a breathy sigh. She shivered now, toes flexing so that her claws dug into the ground before her. There was a burning fire inside of her unlike anything she had felt before. This male, this Greed, he knew how to talk to her. Azalea had too many people afraid to leave a mark on her yet this stranger was eager to break all boundaries and know her more intimately than any before him. Instead of filling her with fear, it filled her with desire. Azalea pushed up, legs full of tense energy. She stood very close to the male, who had not moved away from her. Cheek to cheek. Legs locked in place and words lost to her, the little royal let a whine leave her throat, tail wagging stiffly but excitedly. She bumped his muzzle with her nose.

Cormalin

Cormalin had been keeping an eye on the members of Valhalla. Heir included. So, when Azalea had slipped off on one of her adventures, he?d decided to trail her, just beyond her ability to sense him. When she had encountered the male, he had kept his distance, waiting for her to do the smart thing and turn the male down as things escalated. She did not. So as the stranger began sweet talking her, and she reacted, he stepped forward with a low rumble. ?How about you get to know my teeth better? If not, then kindly take your desires elsewhere, unless you wish to become a part of Valhalla as Azalea?s mate.? The words were uttered in a conversational tone, casual, almost friendly, but the hard gems of topaz and sapphire were unforgiving. They flicked to Azalea with disapproval written plainly. ?Do this if you wish, little Heir. But do you wish to risk having pups as when you are young as you are? From a stranger?s seed? Think before you leap. A female can conceive, even if she is only a yearling, and not in her season.? Heavy tail flicked gracefully in a nonchalant gesture and he turned to leave. ?I believe it would be best if you returned home, Azalea Adravendi. You are our Heir. Not a whore. Save your most special gift for the one you want in your life until you die. Don?t waste it on some random stranger unless he?s willing to stay at your side until you die.? Calm wisdom was uttered as he padded back toward Valhalla.

His smile this time was gentle and almost tender as he started to nuzzle his little beauty here. he had her. She was his. He had wooed her for a fling. His teeth moved to gentle nibble her ear, a tender move to draw her further in to the tangled web he had spun. His nose bumped her muzzle in return, heart speeding up a bit at the whine. Desire. Want. Lust. Call it what you will, but he thought that he could feel that in her.



Then somebody else was here, ruining the moment. His head turned to regard the older man who had run in on them. He knew the princess. Her bodyguard? Oh, he was talking. Get to know his teeth? Become this little princess' mate? Uh, no. He grinned and said in an easy voie, "If you want to fight, good sir, then please go ahead. I'm not one to back down from a fight." He gave a devilish grin to the older stranger before casting a glance at the little Azalea.



What this man was saying might ruin all of his sweet talking and work talking to her. This made the male frown slightly. How could he turn this back in to his favor? The male was leaving now, so that negative influence would disappear at least. he took a step back from Azalea, gazing at her face to see how she had responded to her bodyguard's words. "He does have a point, my dear. It is a possibility that you might get pregnant, but I personally think that it is highly unlikely to happen. Having sex once doesn't make a whore, though. It makes you normal. I say let loose and have a good time, either with me or with somebody else." he paused here, lowering his gaze before continuing in a sad tone, "If you decide to leave now and forget this entire thing happened though, Darling, I won't stop you. I will go my own way off in to this world." His lower lip went out a bit, heart hoping still that she would want him. If she didn't, well then shit. He wasn't a rapist.




"Speech"

The stranger was nuzzling her now, a light smile on his face. Teeth nibbling in a way that sent shivers down her spine. She exhaled heavily, breath taken away by the want that filled her body. How was it even possible for feelings to be so strong? ?How about you get to know my teeth better? If not, then kindly take your desires elsewhere, unless you wish to become a part of Valhalla as Azalea?s mate.? The words had her eyes wide though they were spoken as calmly as possible. Her head whipped around to see the wolf who was speaking, as it wasn't Greed. No, it was Cromalin. Of all wolves, why him? Azalea was even more alarmed by Greed's return words, egging on any fight that might be in the making. Cromalin did not seem to have a want to fight though. He was concerned with her well-being and her innocence. Azalea wondered what all Erani had told him. Cromalin's word were pointed, heavy with words that made her eyes water and her ears pull back. His words were enough to turn her off quite quickly and with that he was gone. She nearly glared after him, despite seeming the wisdom in his words. Still, maybe he was just trying to scare her. The brute, Greed, removed himself from her personal space, at least some of it. "He does have a point, my dear. It is a possibility that you might get pregnant, but I personally think that it is highly unlikely to happen. Having sex once doesn't make a whore, though. It makes you normal. I say let loose and have a good time, either with me or with somebody else." Her amber eyes met his and she nodded weakly. He had a point. The fire in her stirred, weak and nearly destroyed by Cromalin's downpour. It all came down to more logical thought and that alone made her unhappy. "If you decide to leave now and forget this entire thing happened though, Darling, I won't stop you. I will go my own way off in to this world." She rolled her eyes at him, sitting down firmly. Did she still want to do this? Yes, actually. The lust she felt was completely overpowering. She just needed a moment to convince herself it was acceptable and she didn't mind any persuasion he might offer her because she liked the way he talked to her. Speech,