She'd been in his dreams again, kissing his neck, whispering in his ear. Éldi had woken up feeling far too hot and so he'd taken a stroll along the black sand beaches, watching the moonlight shimmer on the water as the ocean waves rolled in. Autumn continued to linger and some how even the moon reminded him of Eyrún's eyes. It was time to admit it. He desired her and he wanted to be with her but he had no idea how to go about all of this.

Éldi swiped a rock out into the ocean. He'd grown up in a traditional family with the assumption that his marriage would be arranged. He had no idea how to court a woman. Courtship was frowned upon in his family and his father told him that courting a woman was an excellent way to bring down the wrath of the woman's family and end up maimed or dead. Marriage was best left to the parents to arrange and he needn't worry himself over it.

Well, his parents weren't here. He was free from their political maneuvering and could choose to pursue whomever he wanted and as far as he knew Eyrún's parents weren't here either. However, she was a Finnvi, and that presented two problems.  Éldi sat down on the beach as his mind whirled through thoughts. What would Valkyrie think? Also, the Finnvi's were a well known family. While his parents were both respected fighters they were not as high up as the Finnvi family. Would Eyrún even think him worth it?

Éldi shook his head. Too much thinking. That wasn't like him. What he did know was he wanted to see here again and at that moment the shrieking cries of a band of coyotes started echoing out across the cove. Éldi grinned and padded stealthily over to Eyrún's den.

"Psst, Eyrún? Want to help me chase off these coyotes?"

The Hjarrandi Band had moved quite a bit further north than they'd ever gone before, and Eyrún found herself glad for the change of scenery. As much as she'd enjoyed the market and exploring the lower areas of Boreas, the north felt much more like home to her. The shifting season only exacerbated that familiar sense of nostalgia, and Eyrún found herself dreaming often lately of lands she traveled in her childhood. Occasionally she found herself wondering if she'd been too hasty in leaving, but that decision was one she'd committed herself to, and she wouldn't dream of going back on it now. She was committed to Valkyrie and her band and that was that. Though loyal to few, to those she felt a true camaraderie with, her loyalty was unbreakable.

At least until it wasn't.

But her mind wasn't on these sort of things today, and when she heard a suspiciously quiet set of paws outside of her makeshift den, her thoughts were even further derailed. Instinctively she stiffened, though relaxed once she caught a whiff of Eldi's scent, and subsequently his voice. He had a way of brightening her mood, though in general she hadn't been prone to any particularly bad mood swings lately, and when she did... well, they were rarely directed at her comrades anyway. "Coyotes? Let's go then," she barely hesitated before slipping from the darkness and into the moonlight to meet Eldi. The air was brisk tonight, and she lifted her head and tilted it as she heard the shrieks of the coyotes begin again, not far away. A good fight was something she'd never pass up, especially if it meant definitely Hjarrandi's (temporary) territory from some unsuspecting intruders. Eyrún flashed him an eager grin before setting off toward the sound, sure that he'd be following alongside her.

Éldi smiled as Eyrún's voice floated up from the depths of her den and she agreed to go coyote hunting with him. She left her den like a ray of moonlight and she flashed him a grin before she started heading for the coyotes. Éldi was quick to catch up and fall in pace beside her. This was going to be fun!

It didn't take them too long to find the coyotes. There was a small pack of them singing over some dead rabbits and probably breeding too if he had to hazard a guess. They eyed the wolves and didn't seem particularly intent on abandoning their kills. One gray male bounded a few steps forward, hackles raised and head lowered as he growled aggressively at the wolves. Éldi chuckled, tail wagging lazily before his own hackles raised. His lips pulled back and he growled back at the coyote, taking a few steps forward. "Cheeky little bastards aren't they?"

Could a night be any more perfect? Eldi had quickly become one of the wolves within Hjarrandi that she was closest to. He was deeply loyal to Valkyrie, and though she knew little of his personal beliefs she had to hope he had similar ideals to Valkyrie, if nothing else. Eyrun wasn't foolish enough to think that everyone was half as faithful as she was, but she couldn't help but be curious what he thought as the two walked together. But her attention shifted right back to the coyotes, focused mostly on the task at hand. The sound of their shrieking cries was already beginning to excite her, and she felt the warmth of adrenaline beginning to pump through her veins.

They drew closer and the pack of coyotes stood their ground, no doubt protecting their kill. They were infringing on their territory, even if Eyrun didn't particularly want to steal their kill, and they'd soon be run off. A wild pack of coyotes hanging around wouldn't do them any good. "You could say that," Eyrun chuckled, flashing him a grin before charging at the grey male that had begun his approach. She hardly hesitated before lunging at him, hoping to use her larger size to overpower him. Instantly he lunged for her throat and she ducked, before kicking off and mirroring his moves, sending the frantic coyote stumbling to the ground - and of course her body followed, hitting the sand hard and flipping over with him, growling and snarling all the while.

Éldi's mind was split between fighting the coyotes and trying to figure out how to ask Eyrún a few questions without making it painfully obvious he was lusting after her. The last thing he wanted to do was overstep his bounds and offend her. The grey coyote charged but Eyrún was swift to counter him. Her pelt seemed to sparkle in the moonlight, contrasting sharply against the ebony sands. She was a stunning warrior. A large black coyote suddenly leapt out of the night, its jaws latched onto Éldi's shoulder and he swiftly grabbed the coyotes head, his fangs on either side of its temple. With a swift pull, much like removing a flat tick he threw the coyote off of himself, sending it crashing into the sand.

"What do you think your parents would be saying if they could see us now? Mine don't intend to follow me here. It's kind of a strange feeling being totally independent." Well, not entirely. There would still be a few things his parents would expect of him if he did end up marrying.

Eyrún grunted as her body hit the ground, the coyote she'd taken down flailing beneath her as she tried to wrestle it into a position where she could sink her jaws into its throat. The feeling was satisfying and she let out a pleased growl as she felt the sweet release of blood on her tongue. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Éldi flinging a coyote away from him. The way the sound of its body crashing down made it obvious to her that it was too injured to pose a threat to them any longer, if it lived at all from that brutal blow to the ground.

Were they having a chat, or fighting coyotes? Apparently both. Had it not been with someone she was friendly with, she likely would've been annoyed at her attention being dragged away from the task at hand, but with Éldi somehow multitasking felt like a challenge - and a way of letting these coyotes know that dealing with them wasn't much of a problem at all. "I never met my father," she admitted without shame. She knew nothing about the man that had sired her, so she had no opinion on his lack of influence in her life. "But my mother would likely call me a damn fool and try to drag me back home by both ears."

Sometimes Eyrún wondered if she really had any traits from her mother at all; she doubted she'd even been faithful at all except by association with the group she'd found herself a part of, something that she now believed was merely for her own benefit. Though she didn't blame her mother for it, Eyrún certainly had little interest in staying home with her. As soon as she'd learned of Valkyrie's band she'd made it her life's purpose to come to Boreas and to worship in the way she knew best - through action. And now here she was. "What about you? Would yours be cheering us on?" Eyrún grinned up at him, lapping blood from her mouth as she took a leap toward another coyote who lingered near the edge of the kill pile, amused at the way at flinched away from her.

The stubborn coyote stumbled onto its feet but by that time Éldi was already at it's throat and with a swift bite and a struggle he dispatched it. Éldi dropped the coyote and licked the blood off his fangs. Eyrún stated that she didn't know her father. Oh? Well, that was an interesting development and it bid well for him being able to court her. Of course her mother sounded like a fierce woman. Would she consider Éldi fit enough to be interested in her daughter?

He grinned as he sat down on the sands next to his kill. "My mother certainly would but my father would give me crap about talking and fighting at the same time. He was always more the stern type. They don't intend to follow me over her. My father made that quite clear and to be honest I don't think I'll head back. I'll stay here with Valkyrie." It was a strange feeling to be a completely independent adult. "I have no idea what to make of my future. I always kind of figured I'd just fight alongside Valkyrie and at some points my parents would drag me aside and I'd be married and just sort of… carry on I guess. What about you? What do you expect from your future?"

Before she was able to lunge for the next coyote that she'd been eyeing, it scampered off, clearly terrified beyond belief. Serves it right, Eyrún thought amusedly to herself. They had no business here, and even if they did, she didn't mind running them off anyway. Éldi was dealing with the last one, and she watched with interest as he lapped blood from his mouth, the last coyote clearly dealt with. Their little hunt, if you could call it that, had been a wild success and her adrenaline was soaring. It was making it hard to focus on any conversation in particular, though Éldi seemed as interested as talking as he had been in coyote-hunting.

His father had been the stern type? Interesting. According to rumors, rumors she had always worried were unfounded, her father had been the eccentric sort. Unstable, but devout. Sometimes she wondered if she was more him than her mother. "Staying with Valkyie is what I have planned too. I see little benefit in staying in one place, and in worshiping in private for all my life. The Finnvi were meant for greater things." Not only did she doubt such an idle life was frowned upon by the Aesir and the Vanir, but it sounded dreadful. Count her out. Eyrún found herself grinning at the thought, finally reclining and eyeing the rabbit pile. Some had been picked clean, but a few looked like they had fresh meat on their bones still. Maybe a snack was in order.

"I don't put much weight into thoughts of my future." What lay beyond this mortal plane was what she truly worried about. As for how religious Éldi was, she hadn't the faintest idea, but suddenly she wondered - though she wouldn't shy away from expressing her own beliefs, which was easier now that her breathing had steadied. "At least... not in the way you speak of. I'm more concerned with making sure I'm welcomed into Valhalla someday. It's all that matters to me." Perhaps he'd be turned off by her zealotry? It was hard to be certain, but she wouldn't soften it for anyone, and the way her eyes blazed with passion made it clear she was being deadly serious.

Éldi considered her words. "Call me an idiot but did you say Finnvi? Are you and Valkyrie related then?" He'd been so focused on training and hunting and raiding that he realized he only knew the bare minimum about his band mates and he felt some shame in this. He knew for sure he wanted to get to know Eyrún better. She was constantly on his mind after all, but he made note to also chat with other members of the band.

Éldi nodded thoughtfully. "I think that is a concern for all of us to at least some degree. I would not throw myself so readily into battle if I did not think it would earn me the gods favor, as well as the respect of my pack mates. Without honor we're no different from the worms that til the soil beneath our feet." He settled down across from Éyrun on the other side of the rabbit pile. He picked out a half-eaten hare and chewed on one of the ears thoughtfully for a moment before grinning at Eyrún. "I think you are already favored by the gods. The way you move in battle, so full of grace and fury. Surely Freyja has blessed you."

His genuine surprise at her lineage earned a delighted laugh from Eyrún. "Indeed we are, but I'm not sure how closely. My father was a Finnvi, I've been told. I heard of Valkyrie's ambitions when I was young and decided to follow her here once I was ready to be onmy own." And the rest? Well, like she'd admitted to Éldi already she wasn't terribly concerned with what happened in her future, so long as it aligned with her overall goals in life. So far Hjarrandi was proving to be exactly what she'd hoped for in that regard.

And...  well, Éldi was proving more like-minded than she'd originally thought. She'd had no doubt he lived the sort of life that she found worthwhile, but she knew nothing of his beliefs, though the emphasis placed on honor was something she had mixed feelings on. When it came to her comrades, it was surely important, but otherwise? Eyrún wouldn't comment on that matter for now. Honoring her gods and goddesses was more important than any other sort of honor. "I can only hope as much. If I even step foot beyond Valgrind I'll consider myself blessed." And no sooner, lest she become lazy and complacent. Such a life wasn't meant for her.

"What about you? Your future, I mean." She wasn't really one for small talk but she was interested in getting to know him, and much more willing to sit and chat now that they'd gotten some energy out of their system. Occasionally she glanced into the darkness of night, making sure there were no foolish coyotes waiting for them in the shadows. "I know you said that someday your parents might try to drag you off to get married. What if they don't?" She raised a brow, curious, returning to eating the rabbit she'd started on in the meantime.

Éldi nodded as Eyrún spoke, her story so similar to his own in some ways. He was also a young thing when he'd chosen to follow Valkyrie. It was hard to believe it had been over a year already and already he found himself itching for another raid, this time with the blessings of their gods. With their gods behind them surely the next raid would be a success.

Éldi chuckled. "They won't drag me anywhere. I've pledged my loyalty to Valkyrie and her mission and I wouldn't dream of going back." He did care for his parents but he was a full grown man now and it was time for him to live his own separate life. He looked over at Eyrún, admiring her form in the moonlight, her beauty and her strength. So lovely, so deadly. "Well, in the short term I'm anxious to raid again. In the long term though…I would like to marry and have a family of my own." The wind picked up and he gazed out at the ocean and the moonlight shimmering on top of its waves.

He didn't seem confused at her reasoning, which pleased her far more than Éldi could ever realize. He asked no questions nor did he probe her line of reasoning. In fact he'd said openly he hoped to earn the favor of the gods, something she had hoped he might believe - though part of her had worried his beliefs might stray too far from her own. Rarely did she concern herself with the affairs of others, but he was a comrade and a friend, one she quite enjoyed the company of, and knowing they were so similar was something she was pleased to learn.

And thankfully, he admitted his parents wouldn't be dragging him anywhere now. Eyrún laughed at his words, amused. "Family is important," she remarked, more conversationally than anything. It was hard to imagine herself never having children - the Finnvi legacy had to live on, didn't it? - but she'd never spent much time thinking of marriage. "I certainly see children in my future some day." Perhaps not in the near future, unless the gods saw it necessary, but she was hardly in any rush. "Though I've never considered marriage. At least... not in the traditional manner." Eyrún had never met anyone who made her consider such things, let alone a relationship. Her duties were first and foremost to the Aesir and the Vanir, and secondly to herself.

Yet The Raven Knows If I Fell…

The wind picked up and carried a roll of thunder with it. He grinned and nodded thoughtfully, eyes still turned skyward as Eyrún mentioned that she saw children in her future some day. He nodded. "I do as well. Though I can't say for sure what kind of father I would be." It was a frightening thought but it always been expected that he would carry on his bloodline. At some point he knew he'd have to try. He hoped he would raise strong offspring.

Éldi's head cocked to the side. "What do you mean not in the traditional manner?" He turned to look at her, green eyes filled with curiosity. His parents had only ever talked of a proper traditional marriage and being careful where he uh, sowed his wild oats.

Now that was enough of their little meal, at least for her. She pulled herself away from the kill piles that the coyotes had so generously left them them - the thought nearly made her chuckle - and she lapped her lips clean of any blood that might remain. "I believe that sort of thing is hard to know until it happens," Eyrún admitted, feeling uncharacteristically thoughtful about such matters at the moment. Truthfully she wasn't always such a talker but she appreciated Éldi's company quite a bit. Likewise, she really wasn't sure the sort of parent she'd be, eventually. Though she knew she'd love her own blood more fiercely than anything else she could ever dream of caring for, she knew she'd be a far cry from a pushover.

Éldi asked what she meant and she had to grin. "I find it difficult to imagine committing fully to someone, for commitment's sake," Eyrún spoke, matter-of-factly. A quirked brow showed she was wondering what Éldi might think of what she was saying. Being so frank about who she was... well, she'd never had to do this before. "But only because it's what I want. I don't like playing by the rules," she admitted with another light chuckle. She had no doubt if she connected with someone on a deeper level that her feelings would be true, but the thought of being tied down didn't appeal to her. Life was too short and too full of opportunity.

Yet The Raven Knows If I Fell…

Éldi nodded at Eyrún's comments on children. It would be hard to know for sure how he'd do as a parent until he actually became one. Well, there was plenty of time. How old was he again? Three? It was alarming how quickly time seemed to be ticking but but even so he felt like he was going to be around forever.

Eyrún's words on marriage gave him pause. They were so different from his own and he turned to look at her for a moment before speaking. "Ahh... In my family when one is married they swear an oath to Thor and to each other. To be unfaithful after such an oath would be like betraying one's band. A most egregious crime." Sure, one could fool around with slaves but always had to be aware of the potential for children to be born from any such unions. He couldn't stomach the idea of his future wife becoming pregnant by another man.

Another roll of thunder echoed out across the sky. "Well, I think we'd best get back. I don't care to be caught out in a storm."

Eyrún wasn't oblivious to the way his attitude seemed to shift when she explained herself, but likewise she couldn't pay too much mind to it. It seemed his culture was more traditional than her own, and while she wouldn't fault him for it, she wouldn't pretend to truly understand either. They were from different upbringings, and suddenly that seemed very clear to them both. Ah, well - she wouldn't dwell on it for very long at all. For her, the body was merely a vessel... surely carrying the child of someone she deemed unworthy wouldn't be preferred. Crimes of the soul were far more egregious than whatever one might choose to do with their body. "To each their own," she commented simply, stretching her forepaws far in front of her. Regardless of what Éldi believed she still viewed him as a comrade, regardless of whether or not their friendship would ever morph into something more. "You're right, we should." With that she rose, stretched out all of her limbs, and made her way back the way they'd came.