So you're what all the fuss is about

Ember wouldn't get the chance to make the decision of whether to stay and push her luck or call it a day and retreat. Before the choice could be made, a flurry of movement from the shadows of the decrepit old wall caught her attention from the corner of her eye, sharp senses locked in with a laser focus. Ember's head snapped in the direction of the stranger, monochromatic ivory and ebony. She stood at about the same height as Em did, though her body boasted some more noticeable musculature compared to her own lithe form, showcasing the unknown fae's physical fitness. She didn't seem much older than Ember was herself, and she was adorned with a crown of antlers bedazzled with colorful stones like a crown. But what struck the Carpathian fae immediately was the intensity of those emerald green eyes, almost sinister in the way they leered at her.

She looked like trouble...

Ember's body tensed, her muscles preparing her natural fight or flight response while her own oceanic eyes held the stranger's gaze with a similar intensity. She spoke, asking in an almost mocking tone if she was lost—or was that flirting? No, surely there was no way another woman was flirting with her, right? Ember was about to question who the stranger was when the arctic breeze kicked in, washing the scents of both faes toward one another like a cyclone. The stench of death and decay hit Ember's nose immediately, making her nose wrinkle at the acrid smell. It smelled exactly like the Syndicate borders did. This was a Syndicate wolf. And now she'd know Ember was a Hallows wolf. Fuck...

Suddenly the stranger's words seemed much more threatening when asked if she was looking for trouble. Her blue eyes steeled in their resolve, showing no weakness, no signs of panic or fear. Ember did not back down from her would-be ambusher's approach. "I'm not the one harassing wolves out in wild lands. Guess I shouldn't expect much better from a Syndicate wolf," she snapped back, paws subtly spreading to shoulder width apart, bracing on the snow. "So are you gonna tell me why you're jumping out of shadows like a creep or what?" Em's eyes narrowed, keeping her gaze on the stranger. The weight of Ravenedge on her back was a comfort, the short sword still tucked neatly along her back and under her cloak, out of sight.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"