Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

Patrols in this particular territory were always a bit like wading through mysteries. His mother was particularly fond of the ever-present mists, even with her full-bodied brilliance, ghosting in and out like a bright spirit, and utterly worthy of the title she’d held since she was a yearling. His own movements were far more subtle, with the lower light and fire tones, but he still stood out once he got within a certain distance, especially his face, now. He moved along the tope of the wall tonight, watching for movements beyond the territory border as he walked at a leisurely strolling pace. Tel would be joining him soon enough to be a second set of eyes, and afterward would be her next fighting lesson. It was a quiet night, winter silence settled around him like a cloak, and he pondered on what the future held, whether it would be bright and happy, or hard life with hard choices. They’d just have to see. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She'd been trying to do her best to keep up with her studies, though lately she often found herself getting distracted as she wondered more and more about her parents. She still couldn't shake the voices she heard over the long nights, but it didn't do much to dwell on them too much, anyhow. It's not like she would magically know them, let alone who they were by thinking about their voices. But still, they were comforting and soothing. They were the remnants of her early pup hood, and she couldn't shake the feeling that despite the fact she had been left alone at such a young age, they loved her. For one reason or another, they had been forced to leave her. Why? She would likely never know. But she firmly believed that it was for the greater good...

She dimmed her glow as she walked silently through the mists of the Moor, heading towards the wall to meet Ardyn for a patrol. There had been some changes since the long nights happened, and a surprising one had been the markings of fire and ice that now adorned her friend's features. They were now seemingly matched in a way. Both beautifully adorned and colored creatures that she would describe as something from a fantasy. Sure, there were plenty of colorful and intricately marked wolves out there. But for them? They were far more unique. She liked to think, anyway.

She wasn't vain by any means, but she had yet to meet anyone else quite like her, Ardyn, and Aurielle.

Arriving at the wall, she climbed the ramp to the top and tracked him down fairly quickly. The near-transparent trail of her opalescent cloak that she wore beneath her swan feather cloak rippled and shimmered in the breeze. The moonlight's reflection did well to bring out the delicate colors, though, in daylight, it appeared as nothing more than a soft, silvery-blue hue. She had worked hard on her cloaked armor. And similar to Ardyn's, she was able to detach the feathered cloak to reveal the leather armor she had reinforced and crafted with her own two paws. She was proud of her work. It had taken her many hours and days to collect the resources and craft the things that she proudly wore. She had grown alot since coming to Valhalla, both literally and figuratively speaking.

Upon reaching her companion, she offered a smile and a soft wag of her tail. She dimmed the glow of her fur so that it matched their surroundings, and so as not to give away their positions should someone be spying on the other side. "Good evening, Ardyn. Anything of interest yet?" She asked, her tone light as she turned her gaze to rogue lands.

"Tel'Teukiira"

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

Tel arrived and he gave her a light grin, shifting to one side of the wall – just barely wide enough to admit them abreast – as he scanned the outer lands once more, responding softly, “Nothing so far. How’s your night going?” He padded along, ears swiveling at distant night life and the near-silent passage of Crystalloria overhead, doing her rounds as Cairo’s extended eyes in the sky. She was invaluable among the pack, even if her primary concern was Cairo. Occasionally, his eyes flicked to observe his patrol-mate. He wasn’t oblivious to her distraction, and he often wondered what was behind it. He’d tried touching upon it before, but the conversation was interrupted by a fat fish and the process of cleaning it last time. She was grown, ready to move up in the pack and dedicate herself to a path; Diplomatic Warrior. Wielder of both quill and fang. She’d be working with Drachen and Caelia, the gatherers of intelligence. Movement. He stilled, ears flicking to listen while he kept his face turned toward the wall, letting his peripheral pick out the source. “Down!” The bark of warning came just as a very large, black-striped white cat launched from the mists and moorland foliage. Claws raked through his coat, and he felt a sting in his right ear as a claw ripped through the outer edge, drawing golden light as he twisted to follow the tiger in a leap, wanting to catch the cat before it had a chance to turn back for another pass. He hit squarely between the tiger’s shoulders and staggered it, clinging to its back with his own claws. It twisted in an attempt to slap for his paws with its own, leaving it open to Tel. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

You couldn't kill me if you tried "Nothing so far. How's your night going?" She came up into the space he offered her, ears flicking at his words. "Enjoyable, so far." She grinned at him before following along on the wall. The night was relatively quiet. She could hear the sounds of rustling feathers as Cairo's companion soared above, the gentle rustle of grasses and leaves, and the soft padding of their own paws. Her heart beat sounded more distinct in her ears, and she focused on the sound of her breathing as she searched the lands for any signs of life. Of course, she had made the mistake of letting the quietness of the world get her guard down. All of a sudden, Ardyn had shouted something and by the time she focused her attention forward, a large, black striped figure had launched at them, catching Ardyn just a tad as she saw the glowing blood of his ear. Surprised by both the attack and the golden blood, it took her a moment to gain her bearings before a snarl drew from her throat and she launched an attack. Waiting a few moments for an opening, Tel launched herself at the creature's back left leg. Elongated canines clamped down and speared the tiger's leg just above the knee, causing the big cat to yowl in rage and pain as he sought to twist around to reach her. But with two against one, it was seemingly difficult for the beast. She dug her claws into the ground and pulled back, further piercing the leg with her teeth as she felt muscle giving way in her jaws. The tiger managed to twist around like a snake, one large paw coming at her like the strike of a rattlesnake and she felt the sting of claws on the side of her muzzle. It had managed to strike her just enough to get her to let go – the sting of its claws made her eyes water and she felt the warmth of blood welling from the minor laceration. She shook her head, droplets of her blood sprinkling the ground, but she was too focused on the tiger to notice that, like Ardyn, her blood was also far from normal. "Speak"

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

Tel had been caught off guard but she rallied after a beat, diving into the fray. The tiger bucked under him as her sabers sank into its flesh, and while Tel was too involved to pay attention to all surroundings – a simple consequence of less experience and his mother’s maternal tattoo of ‘remain aware of your surroundings’ mantra that would disappear with time, training and experience – He saw a flash of silver light sprinkling from her face as the tiger landed a swipe to her muzzle. Ardyn ducked his head and slashed the tips of his sabers over the side of the cat’s neck—too high up to hit the jugular, but enough to regain the cat’s ire and attention as the King leapt from the tiger’s back and drew it toward himself with a swipe of his own claws over its ribs before dancing back to evade the volley of angry swipes amid a booming tiger roar. He let the cat follow him to give Tel a chance to gather her senses and rejoin, ears and eyes aware for any other incoming danger—Cairo’s story about his and Domari’s fight with two male lions was fresh on his mind and he didn’t care to be caught off guard by a second big cat barreling in for a fight. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

You couldn't kill me if you tried Ardyn managed to keep the tiger's attention while she collected herself. She knew that if she were on her own, her momentary lapse could have spelled the end for her, if not serious injury. But thankfully, Ardyn was here, but she still mentally kicked herself for not being as ready as she should've been. She didn't have a whole lot of experience fighting something like this, but she wasn't ignorant to its power and fury, nor its speed. Though the cat was in pain even more now after Ardyn's attacks, she still had more growing to do in this field and after this, she would be sure to stay on top of her game and train even harder than before. As Ardyn danced away from the big cat, Tel went in for another blow. She raced towards the opposite side, jaws snapping at the tiger's ribs while a set of claws slashed at its elbow. Outnumbered and finding difficulty in who to attack, the tiger had swiped at her once, missing by a few hairs as she copied Ardyn in dancing back and doing her best to keep out of range. She had to admit her footwork needed a little more work, but at least this time she managed to get away unscathed. "Speak"

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

The tiger was tiring; big cats were meant for sprinting attacks, not marathon fights. If it had been far from home, he might have considered letting it live if it ran away, but here, so close to Valhalla and Aerie, which had pups, last he smelled? No. As the cat slapped for Tel again, Ardyn ducked in and slashed with precision this time, opening the cat’s throat to the great vein and rearing back out of the way as the beast whirled on him, blood spraying. A second swipe caught the King on the cheek, leaving a rake of golden ichor seeping in the fresh wounds before Ardyn moved out of reach, keeping on guard as the tiger bled furiously. His face and ear were on fire, but his eyes flicked to Tel, checking her condition. So far only the injury on her muzzle could be seen. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

You couldn't kill me if you tried The tiger was tiring. This was good. Two against one couldn't have been an easy on it, nor anyone for that matter. As she prepared to dive in for another attack, Ardyn had managed to give it a well timed strike, and before she knew it, the beasts throat was cut open and blood sprayed everywhere. She involuntarily winced at the violence of it. Though it was mostly since she hadn't quite seen something like that yet, and part of her felt bad that an apex predator had been taken down so brutally. With prey animals, it was different. But another predator like this was a different scene. The tiger gurgled and stumbled, its cries muffled by the sound of blood as it struggled to stay on its feet and draw breath. With that much irrepairable damage, it only took a few moments before its body hit the ground as it convulsed. Its legs scrabbled at the ground as the light faded from its eyes, and within a few more heartbeats, it lie still. She wasn't opposed to fighting nor was she against necessary violence...after all, they were protecting their borders from a trespasser. Taking the life of the tiger was necessary. But what if it came down to taking the life of one of their own kind if they absolutely had to? She supposed she'd leave that thought for another day. And hoped that it would never come down to it. Adrenaline still pumped through her system, though she knew it would fade soon enough. "That was intense...sorry for making you do most of the work," Her ears flattened as a sheepish grin showed. She had been caught off guard for the most part, and she hadn't really fought a beast quite like that, so her nerves had gotten in the way. But she knew that in the future, she couldn't falter like that else someone could get seriously injured, or worse. "Speak"

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

With the cat finally dead, he let his stance relax, then grinned with a slight wince as the expression tugged the fresh injuries on his cheek. “You still did well for your first time against a cat like this. Are you alright?” He let his haunches lower as he caught his breath, then studied her more intently, taking silent inventory of her health before examining the wound she’d gained with gently probing fingers. “Interesting. Has your blood always glowed silver like this?” He showed the silver light on his pads to her, head cocked to one side. Reminded of his own injury, he brushed his long digits over his ear and cheek. The wounds weren’t too bad, and the scars would be minimal, especially with an experienced healer like Eramaya in residence soon; barring her, his own mother was a decent paw at it and Ayodele’s nimble fingers could stitch the worst of the wounds shut for faster healing. He regarded the glowing golden ichor on his pads then wiped the blood on the turf, regarding the dead tiger. “Shouldn’t let him go to waste. His skin, sinew and bones will go to our trade and crafting goods store, and even the meat will be of use. Big cat meat isn’t that tasty, but every bit counts in winter.” Bears were even more useful, with how large and thick their hides were, and their claws were perfect for bracer toes like Cairo’s own bracers. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

You couldn't kill me if you tried Whew...she could relax now, right? Did tigers travel in packs? She drew in a few quick sniffs but didn't detect anything other than her, Ardyn, and the tiger they'd just killed. “You still did well for your first time against a cat like this. Are you alright?” She turned her attention to Ardyn when he spoke, her muzzle pulling up in a small smile before she winced slightly from the motion. Her muzzle stung where the tiger had managed to scratch her, but other than that...she felt fine. "I'm fine, just a scratch," She was still calming her racing heart and waiting for the adrenaline to go away when Ardyn sat in front of her and reached up with gentle hands to touch her face, “Interesting. Has your blood always glowed silver like this?” "What?" Confusion flickered over her, even when he showed her the glowing, silver droplets that he had just collected from her muzzle. "H-hey! My blood is glowing? And it's silver!?" Surprise and shock overtook her. Last she remembered, her blood had been the normal red like everything else! When did this start happening!? Had Ardyn been born with his glowing blood? Or did his spontaneously start doing that like hers was now? "My blood has never glowed before, so this is new..." She dabbed at her muzzle to get a look at her now silver-glowing blood and compared it to Ardyn's. Yep. It looked the same, only his was a different color...she went quiet as she studied what she was looking at for a few moments before she realized that of course, Ardyn had been hurt, too. Her head snapped up to look at him, "Oh! Are you okay?" He seemed fine, and appeared to have minor injuries but still, she wanted to be sure just in case she had to go get a healer. When he mentioned using the tiger and not letting it go to waste, she nodded. "I can help you harvest those things here, or help you move it closer." "Speak"

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

Tel assured him she was fine, and he agreed; it was just a scratch, but it could have been worse. His head cocked in thought at her confusion over her blood’s apparently new trait, and he grinned lightly. “You’ve joined the extra cool kids’ club. I was born glowing. Gave my parents a heart attack when they saw it for the first time. Some of the more devoutly religious Nomads are half convinced one of the upper gods blessed me.” His voice was teasing, playful, making it clear the club thing was a joke made up on the fly. He nodded at her sudden query about his own injuries, touching the injury again and studying his fingers once more. “It’s already clotting, so I’ll be okay. Just sore, especially when Amory or Lee, or Legacy and Eramaya get to me.” He studied the animal they’d fought and brought down, and nodded at her offer. “Here’s fine. You can help me roll the cat onto his back and I can start the incisions while you hold him still. Lyr and Chrystal are up there and will let us know if there’s danger.” He reached for a limp tiger paw and began hauling on it. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

You couldn't kill me if you tried She chuckled at his mention of the Nomads and being blessed, a grin splitting her lips as she grew thoughtful. "I mean, it's possible if you believe in that sort of thing, right? I have no idea about my lineage or history, so maybe we were born to be in the cool kids club!" She winked back playfully. Luckily, he was fine in the injury department. They had both luckily gotten away with minor cuts, nothing one of the many skilled Valhallan healers couldn't fix! She made a mental note to get together with one or all of them so she could learn at least the basics. It was better to know a little something as opposed to nothing at all, right? She helped him roll the tiger over, grabbing onto a hind foot and pulling it until it rolled onto its back. It was heavier than she thought, but the effort would likely be worth it, right? Once they got it into position, she sat back and watched, unsure if she should feel pity for the beast, disgust at what she was about to see, or fascination about the process to come. She'd help if requested, but she figured Ardyn was better versed in this sort of thing. She had never really skinned or dissected an animal this big, much less a predator. "Speak"