What is dead may never truly die

Walk | Talk | Think

It tickled a little, the way he made his way up and down her neck in kisses and nibbles, caused the skin beneath to prickle and shiver. But in no way was it an uncomfortable sensation. Far from it, Tahlia enjoyed it, every moment of it, and did nothing to deter him as Bane kept following his pattern. The woes that had darkened her mind were pushed away from the forefront of her thoughts by her husband's distracting actions, letting her feel what she had been missing to allow her to reconnect with that life she had thought lost to her. And because she wanted that, wanted only to exist in the moment with him, she let him pull her further into this dream that was her new reality, accepting it and him more wholly by the second.

She felt his muzzle move from her neck to her jaw, a quiet, whispered phrase nearly drawing out another shiver. Well…she had some ideas now, that was for certain, and perhaps the coy little smile she offered him as his nose touched hers might have given some of that away, but there was no chance for her to say anything or give an answer. Very suddenly he was no longer there anymore but was walking away toward the river, his attention already directed elsewhere as if he had not been teasing her just a second earlier. He walked through the grasses edging the river and into the waters purposefully. Leaving her lying there upon her back, her neck still tingling from his touch as she stared after him, and expecting a little more than she had received.

The black and russet wolf sighed, eyes closing. Of course she should have known. They were by the river again, the very same place where he had pulled something similar to this before. She should have guessed that their location might trigger a repeat of those events. Though she had to admit he had fooled her good for a second time. Tahlia finally opened her dark golden eyes again and rolled to her side to sit up, resisting the urge to follow after him and stay close. How solid was this new reality? Was it possible for her to lose her connection with him here? But no, he had been here longer, and if he knew it was safe enough to drift away, to leave her there on the riverside, then they would remain in the same dream. Trying to soothe her worries with the thought, she wondered how she might further embrace this and convince Bane that he wanted to hear her answer to his question.

A splash, a sudden diving motion punctuated the noises of the river, and seconds later Bane drew away from the water carrying a beautiful prize, a perfect catch of a fish both large and healthy. His own fishing skill had improved far more than she had taken notice of, and Tahlia was impressed. She smiled, wondering just how well his skill had improved since she had last witnessed him fishing. She let her husband approach her with his offering and moved to stand, her eyes roamed over the glittering scales of the rainbow trout and then upward to catch his gaze. "A fine catch," she remarked with apparent praise, but as she moved in her jaws did not reach for the fish.

Tahlia reached past it, tilting her head and muzzle so that she could draw her tongue along his chin and lower jaw in cleansing strokes meant to draw out the river water that still clung and dripped from his fur as well as provoke the feelings in him that he had given her. She took her time, knowing they had plenty of it, and cleaned up his chin, his jaw, his neck. "You took the river with you," she murmured to needlessly excuse her actions before she eased back and, with her dark gold eyes searching his, reached at last to take hold of the fish that he still held in his jaws and give it a tug.