In the shadows of the forest

Despite usually being keen-sensed and aware of her surroundings, Ember was so deep into her herb searching mission that she hadn’t realized she was being stalked through the dark forest. Every so often, the Carpathian fae’s ears would swivel to catch the soft sound of disturbed snow somewhere near her, but it was almost perfectly timed with her own steps; not enough to alert the adolescent girl. It wasn’t until she’d stopped to inspect a bare bush for any signs of plant life that she finally heard a step out of time with her own, a crunching somewhere nearby. Ember’s head snapped up in an instant, oceanic blue eyes scanning through the dense fir trees to seek the source of the sound. Ember's breath hung in the cold air at the end of her snout, each steady breath releasing a small cloud that vanished a second later. She couldn't see anything immediately, but that didn't mean that something couldn't see her.

Ember's multihued eyes narrowed, scouring her surroundings for any signs of danger. Something felt off, that unsettling sensation in the pit of her stomach when you knew something was amiss but couldn't quite place your finger on it. The forest was absolutely silent now, so still that Em could hear her every breath as loud as if she were panting after running a marathon. With no obvious threats in sight, the midnight fae slowly settled enough to turn her attention back to the task at hand. Her guard was up now though, ready for anything. What she hadn't been ready for was the heavy footfalls that crushed down the snow just behind her.

Ember spun on her heels, whipping around to face the trees again. The sound of crunching snow echoed all around the deathly silent forest, seeming to come from all angles. It was only once she heard that threatening grumble and saw the foliage begin to part did she finally see her stalker. He was a chimera of a wolf, equal parts black and white mixing... and fuck, he was big! Easily towering over her despite the youthful look to his face. A yearling, or maybe not just yet, but already so large. There was no doubt he possessed dire genes, and his body was taking on the shape too. An adolescent on the path to becoming a brute. Em's mouth hung open slightly as she stared up at him with a mixture of shock and defiance, refusing to appear scared by him. His piercing gaze was intense. His voice was spoken like a tease, but his words were clearly meant to intimidate. For better or worse though, Ember was not one to be intimidated.

Sapphire and turquoise swirled eyes steeled as Em held her ground, looking up at him in the eye as he loomed over her, holding his gaze, unflinching. "I can take care of myself," she retorted, suddenly longing for the sword she'd left back in her den in Hemlock. How dangerous could flower picking be? How foolish that thought felt now... Dark nose twitched on the end of her muzzle, sampling his scent. Natural, masculine, and a pack scent amongst it. She didn't recognize it though. Em's mind rushed through the packs in her head. Insomnia or Avalon, one of the two. "Do you make a habit of stalking faes through the woods normally, or am I just the lucky one?" quipped the Carpathian princess back at him, never letting her gaze stray from his. He felt like a predator, and she would not be his prey today.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"