The sandy colored lady licked the remnants of strawberry from her lips. The ones that she'd picked had been perfectly ripe and their scent was rich and sweet. After showing Basilisk how to feel thr difference between flesh and membrane, she went inside and fetched him the leather handled bone knife that she'd received for her birthday. She handed it to him pommel out. After he took it and resumed his task, she settled and picked up another strawberry.

His words pricked her ears and she studied the russet young man for a moment. Eventually she spoke. "What would please me is to know what pleases you." Lavender eyes glinted as she stared at him. "You've been conditioned for slavery but somewhere in there you have to have your own preferences." She tilted her head slightly. "What does Basilisk like?" No doubt it would throw him into a tizzy, but she truly wanted to know. She wanted him to think about it.

He took the knife, and continued the job. His hands were bloody at that point, a fact which he ignored. He did eye the strawberry she plucked. It answered the question on what had set color to her muzzle. “I would enjoy making you feel comfortable, and happy. Feeling you melt beneath my massage was satisfying.” He said with full truthfulness. But he knew she wanted him to say something beyond that, and he considered it for a moment.

“I enjoy discovering what makes the body work, finding the pressure points and connections of muscles, beyond the required understanding for my job.” He paused to yawn, stretching his muzzle, before continuing. “We were taught a memory game, where you massaged a slave, and then they repeated the massage to you, and then extended it. Then you were required to remember your first massage, their extension, and add to it. It added muscle memory, extended our ability to remember things, and gave us a working understanding of what we were doing.” He felt comfortable, and sleepy, and the words continued to flow. When was the last time he had ever said so much at once. “I also enjoy shaping things and watching them grow. I had a Master that had a lavish garden, I was allowed to do minor jobs in it, and I found it very fulfilling. It wasn’t working with herbs or useful things, but bushes and trees that could be shaped.” He paused, brow furrowing. “But I digress. I wisht to know how to please you.

He began to speak and she was just about to tell him that he was doing it wrong when he changed his train of thought and began speaking about himself. She listened as he told her a bit of his upbringing. Slave games. She didn't like it. It made sense and she could see how it would promote memory and dexterity, but she still didn't like it.

Working on the pig seemed to make him tired. She hadn't even done anything yet today, so already she planned to leave him behind to sleep while she went and did some training. Basilisk had spoken of his affinity for growing things. It sent a little pang in her heart simply because it reminded her of Indigo; the brother that she loved. If things were different, Indigo could most likely teach Bas many things about plants. As it was though, Iolaire would be his best bet. "Looks like you'll be spending a lot of time with my aunt then," she murmured, still thinking of her giant purple sibling.

Bas went back to the start, telling her that he wished to know how to please her. "I'm not sure," she answered honestly. "There are things that I like, but not many others seem to like those things. So most of the time I'm alone." Especially now that Az had his toy to play with. His yawns increased and she stood up. "Alright, I'll finish the hide. You go get some sleep." Not waiting for his response, she gently pushed him aside, taking up where he left off. She peeled the hide back from the boar and quickly and easily sliced through the membrane between hide and flesh. She wasn't sure why he was skinning a boar, but if he wanted the hide, she'd give it to him.

His lack of sleep would likely effect him today, but aside drew his attention to his yawns, he ceased them. The smell of food and the good company had lulled him into security. "If you thinks that's best, My Lady" he agreed. He wasn't certain that Io thought well of him, but that wasn't likely to stop him. Anything he learnt would surely be able to be put to benefit of Asla.

"I would like to hear more about those things if I may" he prompted her. She seemes on the verge of telling him things about herself, and he longed to hear more. She nudged him away from the work, and well he longed to protest, his training got the better of him. He got out of her way after only a touch, and watched carefully as she finished the job with such quick and precised ease. He wiped his claws on the grass to clean off the worst of them, and settled on his haunches. "Sleep won't be necessary" he promised her. The day was only beginning, and he hoped to achieve much before bed time rolled around again.

He wasnt certain why no coat seemed wasted here, but he was all too happy to accommodate her and learn the skill. "Is there anything else you would like with breakfast?"

"If you're tired, then sleep it's necessary." She ignored his question about her likes and dislikes for now. Asla had been shamed about her likes and dislikes for so long that she didn't often speak of them. It was her instinctual reaction to avoid the subject sul that's what she did.

Once the hide was separated, she rolled it much like the antelope hide and set it aside. Her stomach growled loudly and she had just been about to bite into a leg of boar when Bas asked what else she would like with breakfast. She'd forgotten the strawberries. Rising thr girl moved to the pile that she'd collected in a little skin. While he'd ven out hunting she had already washed them and popped the stems off.

Moving back to her guard, Aslatiel took a bite of one rather large berry. Without asking permission, she popped the other half in Bas's maw. "The rest of breakfast," she declared before sitting the skin of berries between them. That settled, Asla tucked in, filling her hungry belly with boar meat.

He gave her a bemused smile, she seemed so hooked on his well being. Like a mother hen. He coukd go a while on half-empty. It would feel a waste to sleep any of the day away. He was begining to feel... intrigued about what he might accomplish here. At Aslas behest.

He waited for her to full her in on her interests, but she kept her peace about it. Which of course only served to further his interest. He felt like he was on the verge of knowing something about her, but she wasn't ready to take the leap. The knowledge left him feeling as through he had lost something. Silly. A slave wasn't worth the confidence of a Princess.

She took a bite of a strawberry, and approached him. He suspected she intended to plop down by her side. He had not expected her to pause before him, and nudge the other half of the strawberry into his mouth. He opened it obediently, and found himself groaning softly at the unexpected sweet taste. Was this almost like an indirect kiss? Shd hadn't tried to impose another upon him since he had taken the initiative to steal one for himself. He closed his eyes, savoring the last of thr strawberry still resting on his tongue. "Mmmm." He murmured past his closed maw in enjoyment. "You spoil me, Lady Aslatiel."

While his mouth was full of strawberry, hers was full of dead pig. His words brought a soft scoff from the young wolf and she shook her head. "I'm not spoiling you. I'm simply treating you as you deserve to be treated. Besides. My aunts garden is open to all of the pack. You could have gone and picked the strawberries yourself." See? No big deal. No special consideration given. Sort of. She had picked them because she liked them, but also because she thought he might be pleased with their flavor. He didn't have to know that though.

Once Aslatiel had eaten just enough to ward off a growling stomach, she rose and shook out her cream and ash coat. "I have training to do. You can do whatever you'd like, just remember the rule." Back home by sundown was the rule. If he forgot that, she might be a little cross with him. Only because she'd worry. Asla hated to worry. He had sworn an oath though. He'd sworn and he'd promised after. That had to mean something. If he could simply break his word like that, then she wouldn't want him back anyway.

Padding into the den, Aslatiel slid into her porcupine quilled armor. Taking up her helmet, she attached it to a clip on her hip. Once back outside, she nodded to Bas and set off for the barracks. There were training dummies calling her name.

He finished the berry, until the very last taste of it had faded, and then he started in on the boar. He found he wasn’t terribly angry this morning. His stomach was slowly becoming accustomed to more regular meals. He no longer hungered and salvated at the thought of food. He still tucked it away obediently. Half expecting missing meals to be hiding around the corner, but it didn’t feel as necessary.

“You have a strangely high opinion of me, Lady Aslatiel” he pointed out. She told him to do as he wished for the day, and highlighted her own plans. He cautiously took a strawberry, and took a small bite. “I might go see Io today, and perhaps I could join you in training later?” he suggested. He wanted to learn how to work cohesively with Asla, so he could support, guard, and protect her without stepping on her toes. He eyed her armour with great interest also.

There was also very little hesitation in her leaving. Once she was gone, he would set about cleaning up her camp, and freshening up her dens a little.

-finish?-