That grin seemed like a permenant part of Bob's face as Cana fussed at him for scaring her, a weak laugh leaving him as he nuzzled her face into his fur. It felt good to have his friend so close to him. Cana was the last canine he expected to see, but he was glad she was here and didn't dare question what had brought her here. It was just good to see a familiar face. He glanced over, not moving his head but just his eyes, to see Euro sitting several feet away. Bob was even happy to see the cat. He was just happy to be seeing again! The little wolf brought him a root of some sort, telling him it would help the pain. Not questioning her, he licked up the piece of root and began chewing it up and soon enough he felt a little of the relief she spoke of. She told him he was gonna be okay and he was safe, but Roberto wondered what he was safe from. His amber gaze glanced at his leg again, still not quite remembering everything that had happened or quite realizing that he'd never have his left forepaw ever again. Everything still felt very dim and fuzzy. He knew his name was Roberto and the dog's name was Cana and the cat was Euro and he knew he didn't know the little healer and he knew he hurt more than he had ever hurt before, but he didn't really know why. He finished chewing up the root and swallowed it, slowly feeling the relief from it. He still hurt, but not near as bad as before. He felt tired, so so tired, and he really wanted to go to sleep. Even though he didn't remember much yet, he did remember seeing the two-toned fea before everything went dark so he assumed she had fixed him. He glanced at her, his tail giving a single wag and a grin winding its way onto his muzzle again. "Thanks," he croaked out. "speech."

ooc: crappy post xD

And ear twitched at the sound of the little shewolf, making Cana lift her head and focus her faze on the black and white wolf. She quickly looked back at Bob, giving a small nod of her head before stepping back. She would calm down, take it easy so she wouldn't get him all riled up and excited. He needed to lay there and try to be calm so he could get better, so he would not be in pain.

Sitting back Cana watched the wolfy give Bob something, it looked like roots from some plant. It was a little strange if you had been watching the hound the whole time, she went from freaked out, to overjoyed, to calm within seconds. Almost as if the previous emotions had not been there.

While Bob gobbled up the roots Cana pushed herself up, walked around the black and white wolf and finally stopped once she was standing behind Bob. With a small sigh she lowered herself to the ground, laying on her belly, side against his back before laying herr head down atop her crossed paws.


"speech"

Awesome table by Muse <3

Cut me loose My parachute won't let me fall Don't be afraid of a chance for a miracle ~*~ The male took his medicine promptly - good, it would take a little while to kick in, but then the pain would be reduced to a dull ache that was much easier to handle. Depending on the strength of the male's system, he might even end up falling asleep again in an hour or so. Not the black, pained unconscious of before, but a real, healthy, healing sleep. It looked like he was going to be just fine - he even managed another wag and a smile just for her. Orica felt her ears droop meekly sideways as he thanked her. What a kind-hearted male. "You're welcome," Orica said as sincere as ever. The wire-haired giant of a girl was moving around to curl up at Bob's back. Orica watched her curiously. Any other time she would've liked nothing better than to strike up a conversation and ask about what kind of creature she was and where she'd come from. Not today though. Not after all this. Neither of the other two canines seemed in a mood to speak. The girl wasn't asking what had happened, and the male wasn't saying a word on the subject. Maybe it didn't matter to them. Maybe they just wanted to focus on the moment. Something landed atop Orica's muzzle, interrupting her thoughts: A snowflake. Orica glanced around. How long had the flurries been falling? She hadn't noticed them before. The sky had been banked with clouds all day, and no one knew better than the healer how easily the mountain weather could go from fair to snowfall. In looking around her, she spied a line of giant-pawed wolf's tracks. Demyan's. She was getting another one of those stupid, dangerous urges. This one was different though. This one had a definite sense of purpose. Grim lines creased the little medic's forehead. Her job with the hurt male was far from done. She would need to keep an eye on his immediate recovery, and for her, it was a given that she would be willing to help with coaching him through therapy and re-learning to get around. - If he even wanted her help, that is. She wasn't leaving this case... but she had another matter pressing on her soul. There was something else she had to do. Bob was stabilized now, and he had friends looking after him. And meanwhile, Orica's window of opportunity was quickly closing. She looked to the odd trio gathered in the snow. "I'm sorry," she said again, "But I have to go do something. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise." She looked to the sets of eyes, making sure they understood. She took a step, and then stopped. On a second thought, she lowered her head and snapped up another root from the leather sack. "If I'm gone too long, or the pain gets to bad, he can eat another one of these." She placed it before the grey girl's outstretched paws. But she also glanced over at the cat. "Maybe you could help with that?" The cat just seemed the more sedate and calm of the two. Better to have two minds to look after things than one. "If the snow picks up you can take shelter back in the trees." She pointed with her sooty nose in the direction she had come. "There's some fallen logs there that would act as a fine lean-to to snuggle down in - But don't try to move him unless absolutely necessary." Perhaps later Orica would stop and wonder at how naturally she had just sort of taken control of the situation. She'd always been the one to take after her mother - sweet, delicate, little - but maybe she really did have some of her father in her after all. She hoped she was making the right calls here; In the heat of the moment, she felt they were the only ones she could make. Waiting only long enough to see that her words had been understood, the girl turned and bounded off along the trail that had torn through the white wilderness. ~ The farther she went, the more the snow picked up. It was a heavy, straight-down fall, that seemed to be intent on blanketing the land, but it wasn't blizzard weather - not yet anyway. Not that she'd have turned back even if it was. Orica didn't stop to question herself further. She knew what she had to do. Long, milky-furred legs rolled forward, striding through the snow at a high lope. The level was getting deep enough to swallow her knees in places - and her medic's bag was just bouncing along on top of the drifts. Orica was lucky to be a smaller pawed, delicate animal or she would've sunk even further. At last the trail rounded a bend, and disappeared from sight into a chink in the mountainside. Orica came around cauiously, half expecting Demyan to be right there. But he wasn't. She stepped forward into the hollow of the peak. What at first had appeared nothing more than a craggy crack was something far, far bigger. It was a real honest to goodness cave! Just like the one back in Glaciem that she'd been raised in. There was a dirt tunnel, at first that she walked throughly slowly, stretching wide her blue eyes and letting them adjust to the darkness, til they seemed to glow. Then her paws clicked against stone, and she could see in the shadow swamped world that she had come to find a giant's chamber. Only now, with her nose begining to unfreeze did she smell the scent of wolf, and of cat... "Demyan?" she called into the darkness. ~*~

Orica. Orica. Orica. He couldn't get her out of his head. He couldn't stop picturing her beautiful marbled face as she looked down on him, her twin sapphires saddened as she murmured his name. Oh Demyan... She could make his name sound like it belonged to someone good while at the same time making him feel like the most horrible monster in all of existence. This isn't how they were supposed to meet again; they weren't supposed to meet again. She was supposed to have gone back to her family and forgotten who he was, continued on living her innocent life as she had been before. He should've forgotten her too...but he had unconsciously kept the word he'd sworn to her that first morning together. And now they were here. Demyan in the cave, Orica doing what she did best; healing. Maybe she would be smarter this time and not try to find him, instead staying back with the smaller man until he was in better condition. Of course that was too much to ask.


The spotted feline before him said nothing, simply gazing at him with its large curious golden eyes. He could scent no fear from the cat, nor anything that would tell the hellion it was nervous in his presence. And why should it be? It was a fellow predator. Albeit a smaller one, but predator nonetheless. Cyan gems met topaz ones and the feline moved forward, going deeper into the cave, stopping several paces ahead, spotted haunches folding beneath it as it sat, ever observant of the large man. Demyan frowned at it, unable to understand the creature's want to be around him. He was a murderer. No creature in their right mind should want to be around him. Jaws unhinged, a question at the tip of his tongue when her voice stilled him. Demyan? She was here, calling out to him, searching for him. Nape craned over his right shoulder, cyan eyes immediately zeroing in on her two-toned figure. The words he'd been about to expel died on his lips and he remained silent, staring at the little creature before him, the organ in his chest wrenching painfully. Why did she torture him? The feline in front of him hissed, tail lashing severely behind him, alerting the young she-wolf to Demyan's presence. He flicked an ear back to the cat but otherwise paid it no mind, his full attention on Orica, waiting to see what she would do.





Talk like this

Cut me loose My parachute won't let me fall Don't be afraid of a chance for a miracle ~*~ There was nothing but the darkness of the cave before her. As her eyes slowly grew accustomed to the blackness, she could make out of the silvery shapes of spires hanging from the cielings here, growing out of the ground there. Water drickled down some of them, collecting in pools and puddles that just acted as mirrors - making the cave seem absolutely endless. And in the middle of it just before her? The dark grey shape of a wolf with his back turned to her. The cat was there too, Orica could hear it hissing and see a hint of something lashing to and fro. Demyan didn't seem concerned about it - seemed like every other wolf Orica met had a pet cat these days. So long as the creature wasn't concerned with hurting either of them at the moment, it didn't matter. She was here for Demyan. The silent furry mountain. She didn't know why, but she wished he would just say something. She was having enough trouble reading him as it was, and she didn't know if she had the bravery to do this... Her ears pinned back and her chin rose up. Why should she suddenly let something like fear take her now? She didn't tremble or stutter anymore as she watched the male. When she wasn't meeting his gaze, she was glancing over the rest of his face, searching for whatever clues his expressions might hold - or glancing around them at the underground grandeur. "The male will live," Orica said quietly. She said it like a nurse informing a curious audience; it was the first thing she would've asked about if she'd ever caused injury to another. But then, Demyan wasn't like her, was he? She was from a family of do-gooders. Well, that was putting it lightly. Her father had turned a rogue into roadkill for attacking a packmate. The pack's Beta, Awaken had impaled his evil brother through the heart. Orica's Aunt Crusade had beheaded a serial killer, and lost an eye in the doing so. Orica's legacy was one of warriors, of white knights and dragon slayers. The girl took a step forward. "You'll leave him alone." It almost came out as a question, but not quite. In fact, it almost sounded like a warning. Orica's pearly brows met over steely blue eyes. "Demyan..." How was she to say how she felt? "It was different when we were strangers," She just said at least. "We had our meeting and that was it and we went our separate ways." A sharp groan of exasperation bubbled in her throat and she had to shake her head. "But now... you can't look at me and tell me that I'm just a random wolf to you." - It was a fact that scared her, scared her because she didn't know what it meant to him. All she knew was what it meant to her. "I can't ignore what you're doing. - I want to believe you're capable of so much more... But if this is what you do I can't stand back and watch!" She knew she personally couldn't do anything, but she had a family full of warriors, who had experience in hunting down killers. There was a strong part of Orica that was telling her to go back and tell all she knew. There was a part of her that told her she was wrong for not doing so long ago. Who knew how many others Demyan had hurt, even just in the season since they'd last met. Now she knew that she could've stopped it - if only she'd just been there. For some reason Demyan listened to her. And that made her far more responsible than she wanted to be. She was involved in this now. And she had to make up her mind. - No, no that wasn't quite right. Demyan had to make up his mind. ~*~

She could be a blessing or a curse in disguise. His little angel or his worst nightmare. She could make him or break him, though it seemed she was breaking him more than making him. Breaking him. Who would've thought that he would ever think those words to himself. But that was essentially what she was doing to him; unconsciously or consciously. This was only the second time he'd seen her in his life and the power she wielded over him was unlike anything else. Even just being in her presence, or knowing she was only paw steps away made the hellion want to end himself. To her, he must be the worst of the worst. The type of monster that her family hunted down and eradicated because of the high threat they posed to others. Perhaps that's what he should do. He already had her scent logged into his memory permanently. All he had to do was track her scent back to her pack, take a helpless victim, kill it and they would be sure to come after him. He wouldn't fight them. Just let them do what was needed. Maybe he would request Orica watch, that way she knew that the big bad wolf she'd saved would harm no more. How would his sister react if she knew that these kinds of thought were filtering through his mind, because of her. If she didn't like her from the beginning, she definitely wouldn't like her now.


The male will live. He could see her almost pep-talk herself into talking to him, given that he hadn't really presented the opportunity for conversation to start. She seemed to be gathering her courage about her as she lifted her head, flattening her ears against her onyx head. She didn't tremble nor stutter, but looked steadily at him, every bit the brave little medic. No response came from the man at the mention of the black wolf living. He frankly didn't care at this point. The smaller man was of no concern to him now. You'll leave him alone. He simply turned his massive frame, his paws bringing him slowly around to face Orica, grey skull lowered between his shoulders, cyan gems never wavering from her twin sapphires, a gentle nod bobbing his head in acknowledgement of her words. If she wished for the little man to be left then it would be so. in his recent realization of his pathetic weakness, being unable to deny her anything was among them. The gap between them was smaller now. It was only a stride or two for him to cross to bring him to her, and yet the gap would remain. His frame trembled once again, but now with the force of the feelings that she was awakening in him. She was changing him, breaking him, re-making him...She was doing the impossible.


Demyan...It was different when we were strangers. We had our meeting and that was it and we went our separate ways. But now... you can't look at me and tell me that I'm just a random wolf to you. I can't ignore what you're doing. - I want to believe you're capable of so much more... But if this is what you do I can't stand back and watch! Each word, starting with his name, was a talon to the heart. His ears flattened against his skull, the gargantuan lowering his head until it hung pathetically between his shoulders. You can't look at me and tell me I'm just some random wolf to you. She was right. She wasn't just some random wolf. She was the woman that had saved his pathetic life, the one wolf in the entire world that saw beneath the murderous mask he'd worn his entire life. She was his little medic, whether he wanted to acknowledge it or not. She stirred feelings in him, twisting of his stomach, the racing of his heart, that no other woman before her had ever done. She made him want to be a better wolf, a wolf she didn't have to be terrified of. A wolf that was worthy of taking a place in her life. But he was none of those things. And he probably would never be. But would Orica realize any of that? My...my little...medic... Three simple little words. Three words he hoped would convey the severity and intensity of the feelings brewing in his scarred chest. The three words that could best sum everything up. Or so he hoped.





Talk like this

Cut me loose My parachute won't let me fall Don't be afraid of a chance for a miracle ~*~ The little bird held her ground as the male turned to face. She didn?t worry about any sort of violence to herself. There didn?t seem to be any threat of it; not any longer. She had hoped he would change. Once or twice she had prayed he would change. A little while ago, when she had reached the top of that snowy peak and peered past the treeline, she would?ve said that those prayers had gone unanswered. And then this? Suddenly he had stopped, he?d stepped back, he?d even sunk down into the snow and then ran. Something was going on here that the girl just couldn?t wrap her mind around. Apparently the male could change, then ? but it wasn?t he himself making him change? it was her. Or at least? she was the start of it. For a girl who always put others first, it was strange to suddenly have that kind of importance thrust upon her. The full meaning of the realization didn?t come to her until the male?s words reached her ears; ?My little medic?; But the words themselves didn?t say nearly as much as their tone did. It was enough to set her heart racing. Not like it had before, when they'd first met and she'd thought her days at an end, no, though the beat was perhaps the same speed, it was a very different emotion that sent it pumping now. It was the sort of feeling that inspired gentleness, and concern, and protection - the things that the healer readily gave to all who need her help. But this was different. This was... more. She couldn't explain except that what was going through her head sounded like something out of the tales her family told her. Love. Oh, this was still puppy love by most wolfs' standards, of course, but it was bigger than anything she'd felt. And it was more painful too; Because that's what it means to love a flawed creature. This-this was enough to make her lungs burst. She'd just seen him torturing - on the verge of killing an innocent wolf - and yet those same bloody lips were telling her that he cared for her? What was she supposed to make of that? Her posture hadn't changed. Her tail was still stiff and low, her ears were back, and her eyes were still softly glowing in the gloom of the caverns. She still wasn't trembling, even though Creator knew she half felt like shivering into a heap. She couldn't figure this out! She didn't know what it meant! How could a wolf act so totally different so quickly? How could she still believe in him? There rang that old voice in her head that she barely knew him. That she was just a girl who knew nothing of the outside save the for a handful of old stories. And what were those things supposed to teach her?! ...Well... for starters, they'd made it clear that sometimes there were saints, and sometimes there demons, and then there were the good wovles who turned bad... But could bad wolves also turn good? It was rare, oh so very, very rare, but Orica knew it had happened. Of course, when its a story, you already know the ending. You don't have to ask what it all means, because in the end it's clear. This was real, this was here and now, where a monster was learning the pain that came with putting someone else above the value of your own desires and urges. And where little girl in a cave had to make sense of powerful things beyond her comprehension. At last the blue eyes bunched and blinked - words being knit together behind them. The healer's voice came out soft and hushed, and her chin quivered as she stared up at Demyan. "...What are you?" ~*~

He understood next to nothing about what was going on with himself at the moment. He didn't know why he was standing here with Orica, why she bothered wasting her time with him, why he was feeling the way he was feeling with her. Nothing made sense, everything was wrong and yet just maybe everything was right. Maybe this was how his life was supposed to play out. Perhaps he was meant to run into Orica, meant to have her in his life. This feeling, this hammering, this thudding in his chest of his frenzied heart, the heart he never thought he would find, was bringing the realization that maybe he wasn't so hopeless to light. She was inspiring change in him...She made him want to be better. These feelings she was stirring in him were foreign...They...They made him want to care for her, protect her, be there for her every moment of every day. He wanted to be something more than just the big bad wolf she'd saved a season ago. He wanted to be something to her, but just what he didn't know. A friend? He didn't have friends and he'd never have friends. A lover? He couldn't imagine doing to her what he'd done to so many females. She was much too precious for something like that. He wanted to be something to her...but she had to allow him to be first.


The leopard now behind Demyan made no sound nor movement to distract the pair. He was fairly satisfied with sitting on the sidelines and watching things play out. He could feel something stirring in the air, signaling some kind of change and he was curious to see what would become of the murdering hellion.


Orica hadn't moved from her position before him, her body posture still the same, sapphires never leaving his cyans. There was something between them. He could feel it and he knew she did too. The gap between them seemed miles long, when in truth it was only a stride or two away. He kept replaying her soft kiss in the snow over and over, wishing that she would touch him again like that. He had never wanted a woman's touch like he wanted Orica's. But he would make no move towards her, make no outward show of his wanting her touch. He would remain where he was, standing before her, the movement he would provide would be the lifting of his head to level his gaze with hers, ears pricking forward as she spoke, her voice soft and hushed, a tremble to her words. ...What are you? A pained look enveloped his cyan eyes, his throat tightening as that now familiar twisting of his gut hit him. A...monster...Something you should hate... His words were quaking, a barely there rumble as he allowed the word to fall from his bloodied lips. She should hate him...despise him, be revolted by him...So why was she still here?





Talk like this

Cut me loose My parachute won't let me fall Don't be afraid of a chance for a miracle ~*~ "You don't sound very proud of it," said the medic with quiet bluntness. She'd hoped for some insight from his answer, and with those sad, pained words, she found it. Though not in the way she'd expected. He said he was a monster and she believed him. She did. She'd seen now what those words meant with her own two eyes - and it had horrified her. But she'd also seen something else, hadn't she? "I think... I think there's a part of you that wants to be something more. A real monster would've kept going; Would've just ripped me and away. For a second I thought..." A stifled choke caught her words, and better judgement tucked them away. She'd thought he would attack her. She'd seen the look in his eyes as he'd gone after that poor male, stumbling and struggling in the snow - just trying to live. Demyan had had no thoughts of mercy, then. He would've killed him... and... and enjoyed doing so. Orica had run in there with the fearful knowledge that that could very well prove her feat too. So for a second, when she'd just leapt in and taken a stance over the wounded stranger, yes, she'd thought he'd just rip her apart too. And rather than make her angry like the thought should have, it had just made her sad. Orica's gaze had fallen down to their paws when she'd trailed off. She blinked at the cold stone ground. Yet even with her head tucked and voice soft, her next words were audible. "...But you didn't." Why didn't he? Well the only reason Orica could come up with was that he wasn't a monster through and through. Not yet anyway. Perhaps there was still some redeemable part of him. It had just needed to be found and dug up and dusted off. A long dormant ember that could be fanned into flame. Or was that just wishful thinking? Here there were no certain answers. No absolutes. Orica could only wait and try and somehow put her trust in a wolf who didn't seem to trust himself. It didn't sound easy, but never in her life had Orica had been the sort who would turn her back someone who needed help. Perhaps this was asking more of her than any other soul she'd ever healed, but that was alright. This was special. In her mind, Orica kept replaying those steps she'd taken forward, and the gentle lick she'd given to the self-proclaimed monster's cheek. Didn't all the fairytales say that a kiss could be magic? They could break spells and tame beasts and win hearts. Cross had once told her that she was silly for believing in that kind of stuff but perhaps... perhaps magic like that really did exist. It had certainly seemed like magic the way Demyan had fallen to the snow - the way everything had changed. She'd realized that, for some reason the male listened to her, even cared about her - in a way that he obviously felt for no others. He'd threatened to murder his own sister. He'd said that he'd killed healers. He'd nearly killed another today... and yet, when it came to Orica, he'd done nothing but try to protect her. The girl raised her head. "Demyan, will you- won't you let me help you?" She searched those eyes, almost frantically. She'd seen them burn with anger and danger and an unholy thirst for blood, but she'd also seen them dip away with guilt, muddle with confusion, and twist with pain. They'd tell her what she needed to know. "If you have any hope that you could change - that you learn to be something other than a monster then please, please say yes." ~*~

You don't sound very proud of it. He was. Or had been. Before Orica had come along. Killing, maiming and torturing were his passion; had been. He didn't know if it was anymore. There had been nothing more fulfilling than listening to the pained cries of his victims as they begged for a mercy that the monster had never been capable of before. That perhaps he still wasn't capable of unless his little medic was there to reign him in. She was the beauty to his beast. Though at times fearful for her own safety, the young woman would not stay away from Demyan, despite every other instinct that was screaming at her to run back to the safety of her family. Was she a fool for dancing with the devil incarnate? Perhaps. But was she even more brave for taking on the challenge of trying to help him? She had to be something different if she was willing to help a man that appeared to be completely beyond redemption to the rest of the world. But why did she do it? Did she feel responsible for having given him a second chance to continue ruining the world? It seemed like it. There were just too many questions concerning the situation between them and he had no concrete answers to any of them. It was a surprise he was still standing before her, willing to listen to what she had to say. She was a wonder of a woman and he only hoped someday in the future he would be able to understand her; if he lived that long.


Powerful haunches folded beneath the man, lowering him to the cave floor, audits still pinned against his level skull, cyan gems unwavering from her sapphires. She had his complete and full attention. I think... I think there's a part of you that wants to be something more. A real monster would've kept going; Would've just ripped me and away. For a second I thought... She didn't complete her sentence, but she didn't need to; he already knew what she was going to say. She thought that he'd been about to attack her when she'd run to stand before the smaller man, shielding him. He didn't blame her. Any wolf in their right mind would've thought the same thing. But he could never harm her. Even just contemplating placing his jaws on her in any harmful way made his heart stutter and nearly stop, stealing his breath away. He fought to regain his breath, nostrils flaring wide as he gulped in air. She was fine. The blood on his lips and coating the back of his throat was not hers. She was completely in tact, standing right in front of him. His frantic cyan eyes flickered down to his blood covered paws, mentally reminding himself that it wasn't her blood. ...But you didn't. Of course he didn't. He never could. I never would... came his low rumble, frantic gaze lifting to her marbled face, his heart wrenching just at the sight if her. He didn't know if his words would mean anything, but he had to let her know that no harm would ever come to her from him.


All these feelings brewing in his scarred chest confused the hellion. He didn't know what to make of them. He wanted to take care of her, protect her from the entire world, to tend to her every need so that she would never have to lift a delicate paw to do anything for herself again. What the hell was wrong with him?! The still bad side of his mind was protesting vehemently against all of these soft thoughts. Demyan wasn't the type of man who wanted to care for others. He wanted to kill. But not Orica. Never Orica. Never his little medic. Demyan, will you- won't you let me help you? If you have any hope that you could change - that you learn to be something other than a monster then please, please say yes. She wanted to help him. She truly wanted to help him become something more than a monster. No one had ever wanted to help him. But Orica did. Something pricked at his eyes and the male growled, reaching up with his forepaw to swipe at his eye
, coming away with a bead of moisture. What the hell? He stared dumbfounded at it, looking back up to the little medic. Yes... He murmured, a single tear drop slipping down his muzzle.




Talk like this

Cut me loose My parachute won't let me fall Don't be afraid of a chance for a miracle ~*~ Orica heard the "yes" and just as importantly, she saw the tear. She felt just a strange sensation at the sight of it. Did he- did he really mean it that much? When anyone cried she was struck with the urge to hug them and cuddle them and make sure they were alright, but now she couldn't help but what to grin. Because it meant that he was reachable. He was listening and he was feeling and he would let her help him. He was starting to fight his own battle - it wasn't just her imagination and wild hopes. "Then it's decided," the girl murmured. "You're best when you're with me Demyan so with you I'll stay." She said it so casually. They both knew it was true; neither had to pretend. Though Orica was still unaware of the depth of the feelings the male held for her, she certainly understood their presence. "However," she trilled quietly, "I can't bring you back to my home. Not- not after this." Perhaps she could be considered naive by some, but she was not that trusting. It was the job of a medic to put their lives on the line for those who needed them, but they didn't endanger other lives knowingly. Orica wanted to trust Demyan, of course, but when it came to her family and her packmates and the litters of puppies that were soon to be born - no she wouldn't be taking any risks. Of course that left only one option. "But if you can't come to me, then I will come to you." She knew what she was saying. She knew how heavy it was. She knew what it entailed, but she'd made up her mind. She'd made up her mind back in the snow with Bob and Cana before she'd come running after him. If there was a spark worth saving, she would save it. End of story. It had been her mother who had told her there was hope after all. They'd spoken after Orica had first met Demyan and the girl had asked advice from her mother - wondering aloud whether a good wolf could turn bad, or a bad wolf good, and how in the world one was supposed to tell. Orica had recieved some good wisedom, and then some. But more than that, it had told her that her instincts were the same as her mother's. She could trust herself to make the decisions that had to be made. And that was what she was doing now. "I'll have to say goodbye to family of course," she explained, half to herself and half to the male. "I'll tell them I'm wandering off to practice my healing craft and learn more about the world. I'm a year old now, they'll understand. And besides it's not forever-" she looked straight and true at Demyan "-just until we know you're ready." It might take only a season, it might take as much as a year, but Orica was prepared to stay with him until his darker instincts began to subside and fade. Already his conscience had grown by leaps and bounds. And he'd said yes! He was willing to let her help him, and for Orica, that was enough to give her hope. It was enough for her to leave her family and become a loner with him. Well, of course, they wouldn't really be loners if they had eachother. "I'll watch out for you, and you can watch out for me," she said gently, unknowingly echoing the words said by her mother to her father many years ago. ~*~

He didn't realize the tear had slipped out until it plopped from the tip of nose down to the space between his paws. He stared down at the water spot, unable to believe that it had come from his own eye. He never cried. Ever. For anything. Not even as a child. Tears had never graced his murderous facade, until today. He was beginning to realize, well at least the side of him that had always wanted to change that he'd never known was there, that he had stumbled across the one wolf in the entirety that was Alacritis that would ever be able to help him. But it wasn't like she was being forced to help him. There was no one telling her that she had to help him. She was doing it of her own free will, because maybe in her eyes he could become something more than a monster. She was doing it from the goodness of her selfless little heart. If someone who was still rather somewhat of a stranger could have such faith that a monster like him was capable of changing for the better, then surely it was possible. Orica didn't seem like the type of woman to put her faith in something she didn't believe would truly work. It was unbelievable how drastically she had been able to reach him. No one had been able to do before and he was sure no one else would be able to reach him like she did. She was a healer, though her abilities far surpassed any healer's he'd ever known.


Then it's decided. You're best when you're with me Demyan so with you I'll stay. However, I can't bring you back to my home. Not-not after this. But if you can't come to me, then I will come to you. Stay with him? Had she really just told him that she was going to stay with him? His heart stuttered, nearly stopping, his stomach dropping to the cave floor. She was going to stay with him. The little medic who had saved his life was now so believing in her cause of him changing that she was willing to go to great lengths to help him. An incredulous look took hold of his facade as he gazed into Orica's sapphires, trying to figure out just what exactly drove her to help him. Surely it was because of her inability to deny those in need, not because she felt something for him right? I'll have to say goodbye to family of course. I'll tell them I'm wandering off to practice my healing craft and learn more about the world. I'm a year old now, they'll understand. And besides it's not forever -just until we know you're ready. She was willingly abandoning her family to come live the life of a loner. Audits flattened against his skull, cyan gems flitting away from her own. She was giving up her family to be with him...But who was he to take her away from her family? She was a pack wolf. She deserved to be with her family, even if she was old enough to go out exploring the world on her own. I'll have to say goodbye to my family of course. She said it so surely, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Surely her parents would not approve of her running off to live with some self-proclaimed murderer because she wanted to help him. It was ludacris. But she didn't care.


I'll watch out for you, and you can watch out for me. Demyan allowed his gaze to raise, meeting Orica's once more. She was going to watch out for him. The thought almost brought the thought of laughter; almost. His face remained impassive as he gazed at her, taking in the details of her beautiful little face. He had never known what beauty was nor that it was possible that a living creature could be beautiful, but Orica was the living proof. She was beautiful, with a big heart and extremely talented in her craft. It was almost a shame she would waste her time on someone like him. Until my heart stops beating... He murmured gently, promising his life to her from that very moment. He would protect her always, even if one day he ended up loosing his life in the process. The sudden urge to feel her comforting touch surged strongly inside of him but he did nothing, simply sat there, gazing down at the woman that was going to become a huge part of his life.




Talk like this

Cut me loose My parachute won't let me fall Don't be afraid of a chance for a miracle ~*~ If anything, Orica had been expecting questions or a thank you or maybe even a protest that it wasn't safe and she was too young (to which of course she would've been quick to argue) however Demyan's was a much more powerful response than any of that. He told her that he would watch out for her... "Until my heart stops beating." At the words, Orica's own heart began to pump a little quicker. Did he know what he was saying? One glance to those cyan colored eyes of his erased any doubt. Orica felt a blush creeping into her cheeks, coloring them pink beneath the white fur. She was too surprised to even bless the dark for hiding it. But her what she couldn't hide were her ears wiggling back nervously and her eyes blinking rapidly. She tucked her chin in her soft white neck fur, unable to meet the strength of the male's gaze... even though she really wanted to. He really liked her, and it touched her little heart to the core. But he was too strong and too good looking for her to start thinking about that. If she thought about how much he liked her, then she might start to wonder about whether or not she really liked him and then if that happened her feelings would get all muddled up and she'd never be able to see things clearly. (Then again, maybe it was already too late for that) The girl tapped her big bush of a tail against the ground and then rose. She'd found out what needed to know and she'd made her choice, just as Demyan had made his. Now she just had to take care of a few things. "Well then," she murmured in a that's settled sort of way, "I'd best get back to check on Bob and Ca-" But as she started turning around she saw the slim window of light at the front of the cave. And she saw the shireking bundles of snow that were being blasted past it. Blizzard. Well Orica had been wondering if the snow would grow into that. She only hoped that Bob and Cana had made it saftly to the lean to of trees Orica had spoken of. Then again, the two blue eyed wolves were up higher, maybe the storm would pass quickly up top and then disperse into something gentler below. Unlikely but it never hurt to hope. "Hm." The note came out sharply, and was accompanied by the sound of her haunches hitting the cave floor again. So much for that. "I guess we're staying put for a while." Orica was a northern-baby, she was used to this sort of thing. It could last an hour or it could last three days, but being impatient never did anyone involved any good. Just time to relax and distract your mind to something else. - It gave rise to a trouble thought though; If things had gone another way and Demyan had proven dangerous... Orica would've been trapped, or forced to flee away into a dangerous white-out. - but instead, with the way things had gone, Orica felt much safer, indeed, and thankful that she had someone like Demyan to pass the time with. The only thing she wondered about was that cat. She twisted her back to bring her head up beside her shoulder and stare back at the spotted feline shape moving in the gloom. "Do you think we're safe here?" she whispered to Demyan. ~*~

He liked her. There. He could freely admit it to himself in the confines of his mind. He liked Orica. He really liked this little woman. She was strong, intelligent, beautiful and just unlike any other woman he'd ever met in his life. She was a healer, the type of wolf that healed the wolves that monsters like him tore up. And yet she had healed him, essentially saving his life when he'd gotten sliced by the moose. His gaze flickered away from hers for a moment, coming down to look at his chest. His skin had knitted together quite nicely, though the fur had failed to grow back over it, leaving the ugly, jagged pink line down his chest, forever marring him. Had he forgotten about Orica he would've thought that his new scar would've given him a more appealing look to the females, but now he just saw it as a reminder of the day his life was changed forever. Almost like a souvenir. But he wouldn't need it to remind him; having Orica with him would be reminder enough.


Speaking of his little medic, she had gotten pretty quiet after his little confession moments ago. Cyan gems danced back to her marbled face, the darkness of the cave making it difficult to read her expression, but the man's ever observant eyes were quick to notice the flicking of her ears and the rapid blinking of her sapphire eyes. Grey brows furrowed together in confusion as she dropped her gaze, tucking her chin against her furry ivory chest. She never shied away from him. It was always the other way around. So why was she doing it now? His jaws parted slightly, about to ask her if she was alright when suddenly her fluff of a tail tapped against the stone before she rose, words spilling from her lips. Well then. I'd best get back to check on Bob and Ca- Just when it seemed that their meeting would be cut short, Orica stopped mid-sentence as she turned towards the mouth of the cavern. Something outside of it caught her attention and Demyan allowed his gaze to follow hers, noticing for the first the flurry of white that seemed to have taken over the outside world. Snow. And a lot of it. He was a big guy. He had no problem facing a snow storm but Orica would probably be another story. Hm. I guess we're staying put for a while. He mhmed in agreement, figuring that if at any rate they would be stuck here overnight, which wouldn't be bad for him. He could use all the time with his little medic as he could get.


And then she was sitting again, her back to him yet craning her head around over her shoulder to look back at the leopard that had curled itself into a ball further back in the cave, it's golden eyes still staring intently at the pair. Orica didn't seem to sure about it as she whispered to Demyan if he thought they would be safe. He could easily kill the creature if he wanted to and the feline probably knew too, but it made no movement towards them or anything that would seem threatening. To ease her worry the gargantuan rose to his paws, closing the gap between himself and his little medic just a tad bit more, close enough to protect her yet not touch her. Much safer than out there. He murmured gently, letting his gaze fall on hers.




Talk like this

Cut me loose My parachute won't let me fall Don't be afraid of a chance for a miracle ~*~ The cat wasn't trying anything, and Demyan's words assured her. And it was true enough, unless the cat had a deathwish it wouldn't try to tangle with a giant like the grey male. Orica wondered why it didn't just go off on it's own to some other part of the cave though. It was then that Demyan moved, taking just a step or so closer, effectively blocking the cat out of sight and out of mind. The sort of tension that the male felt - the longing for the contact of fur and a gentle touch, was not really something that Orica shared, at least not nearly as much. She was still of the child's mind in that sort of way. Some days she would be crawling all over her parents without a second thought, other days she was comfortable just to keep her space. The only time she'd felt something like that for Demyan... had been when he'd asked her for help and she'd given him the lick. Then again she might as well call it what it was and say 'the kiss'. But that was something very special given in an emergency, now her mind was too full to pick up on anything like that. Or had been, until he came closer. Her body still twisted around, she stared back up at him, having to crane her head so far back that it was as though she was looking at him upside down. Even with all that had happened, even with the blizzard outside, the silliness couldn't help to put a smile on that snow-white face. She giggled; the high, clear sound of a mountain stream. She could see the markings that made up the male's nose and cheeks, she could see the top tip of the pink scar that she had been there to patch up (unconsciously she wondered if she'd done a better job, would the fur have grown back nicely?), and she saw the male's eyes. He had such a way of staring at her. She'd never really noticed it until recently. But then again, the first time they'd met all he'd ever done was keep his eyes on the ground. Now that he met her gaze... it was quite powerful. More expressive than that of most males, or perhaps that was just the raw power of the feelings behind them. Oh, he had such a potential to think and feel and be. Orica just hoped she could make him see that. All good things with time. After all, Orica's own mother had been the one to tell her that wolves don't rewrite themselves overnight. Uncoiling her body, Orica shifted a little to lay down in Demyan's shadow, the ebony fur of her right side pressing against his paws as she lay her belly to the cold stone. Her tail curled about along her free side, hepling to shelter the fur that was closest to the cave door. Luckily the crack was too narrow to let in much of the icy wind, but as the day moved on, things would only get colder. Looked like they might end up spending another night together if things didn't clear up. Orica's ears and eyes had followed her thoughts, and she was staring towards the cave door again, watching how the dim light shed upon the walls darkened on and off with the loads of snow that went past. It was just like listening to thunder when she was very young. It was scary, but so long as you had someone to watch over you, it could be thrilling too. And Orica did have someone to do just that. No matter how dangerous Demyan was, he'd only ever tried to protect her and she trusted him to do just that. Her ribcage swelled as she gave a silent sigh of contentment. "When I was in Glaciem and we had blizzards, we'd all spend the time by telling stories to eachother. They could be about us, or about old legends, or just made up on the spot." Her ears wiggled thoughtfully and she tilted her chin up towards the ceiling again so she could look up curiously at the male. "Do you know any good stories, Demyan?" ~*~

They were an interesting pair, certainly not one anyone would ever imagine together. The man was large and hulking, practically a mountain all on his own while the female was smaller, delicate, something almost fragile. He was dangerous, murderous, a monster while she was friendly, caring and a complete flower. They seemed to be polar opposites and yet they complimented each other quite nicely. He was the beast and she the beauty; the only being that could possibly tame the demons within the beast. The feline had gathered this all within the small amount of time he'd been accompanying the pair. He usually wasn't one to take up the company of wolves, but for some reason the large man that the little she-wolf called Demyan caught his attention. Not only because of his imposing size, but just the way he acted around the dove. He'd been about to murder the smaller man until the little female had come rushing in to stop him. He hadn't even tried to move her out of the way, merely halted his advance and forfeited his original plan to maul the onyx wolf. Clearly the little woman was more to the man than he let on and the leopard had a feeling that if he stuck around he would soon find out.


Now that be was closer to her, his want to feel her touch thrummed loudly beneath his steel-like coat and yet the brute made no outward signs of his want. He wrestled with it, forcing to submit so he could tuck it away where it wouldn't be noticeable. He was sure she could sense something, but she made no acknowledgement of it. Perhaps she chose to ignore it? Or maybe she just didn't feel the same way he did for her? But she'd told him that she was going to abandon her family to be with him. That had to mean something didn't it? Or was he just trying to make something out of nothing? A quiet chuff slipped past his pale lips. Wolves like him weren't meant to have feelings. He didn't know why he was still here with Orica. The snow outside would make it easier to loose her. She wouldn't dare follow him and risk getting herself lost. And yet if she was willing to leave her family to be with him who was to say she wouldn't follow him into the storm. She was a smart wolf but often times her healing instincts didn't allow her to rightly watch for her own safety and he worried that would be the case if he up and left into the storm. So to avoid bringing harm to his little medic, because anything that happened to her would be his fault, the man remained in his place beside her, willing to wait the storm out.


She sat beside him, her neck craning around to look at him, her sapphires alight as a peal of giggles bubbled past her pearly lips. Demyan startled, his cyan eyes widening in surprise as he frowned down at Orica, confused as to what that noise had been. It didn't seem threatening or any sign of her being in distress. So what did it mean? He didn't linger much on it. Orica was moving again, only this time instead if moving away she was lowering herself towards the cave floor, her left shoulder fur pushing against his paws as she adjusted herself beside him. Without hesitation Demyan copied her movement, lowering his towering mass behind her, his forepaws stretching out just beyond her shoulders, his hind limbs stretched out to curl around her haunches, unconsciously cocooning her with his own body. Her melodic voice broke the comfortable silence of the caverns. When I was in Glaciem and we had blizzards, we'd all spend the time by telling stories to eachother. They could be about us, or about old legends, or just made up on the spot. Do you know any good stories, Demyan? Glaciem. So that was the name of her home. He hadn't had a chance to explore that territory, but once he had the chance he would over to it so he could know what kind of place the little medic called home. Stories? Oh he had plenty, just none that he wanted to share with her. She already saw him as a monster. He didn't need to drive the point home. None that I'd want to share with you Orica. Why don't you tell me one? If I remember correctly you're pretty good at telling them. Besides all of the horror stories of his life, he could feel one stringing itself together in his head, but that one too he was reluctant to share.




Talk like this

Cut me loose My parachute won't let me fall Don't be afraid of a chance for a miracle ~*~ Orica hummed oh so quietly to herself, almost letting it trill as Demyan laid down to cuddle around her. She was quite comfortable around him, after all, she'd already spent one night snuggled up against his belly, trying to keep the herbs she'd applied in place. It was different though now, because instead of pushing her away or standing still as stone, he was the one brushing his pelt against hers. He even brought his haunches around to keep her close. He might as well have been a safety blanket or a sleeping bag. Despite the Northern Waste outside, Orica felt as warm and snug as could be possible. There was just one thing wrong; she'd laid down so she could get a better view of him - but the way he'd reclined - at her side with his paws by her neck, she still had to crane around uncomfortable to see what he was thinking about. She could fix that though. Wriggling about like an eel, Orica rolled over onto her back. The black fae turned suddenly to the color of milk. Her tail thrummed against the confines of Demyan's fur, and her fore paws tucked in against her soft belly fur. She even arched her back and curled her neck so that she could use the male's nearest foreleg for a pillow. With her head resting comfortably, she could better focus now on what he was saying. His words to the negative made her roll her eyes playfully. She'd have to fix that. She'd fill his head with better tales and maybe by the end of the night she'd get him to play her game and just make up one. In the meantime though... She starting rifling through the many that she knew. She was aware that most of them were just pup's tales and she thought hard to figure out which ones the grey hunter might like. 'Grey Hunter', yes that was still one of her unconscious nicknames for him. It had been what she had first thought of him as when they'd met, and, in more ways than one, it fit. "-If I remember correctly you're pretty good at telling them." Orica blinked, remembering the brief story she'd told him. The one about Clash and Drake... "Demyan," she murmured, as though about to make a confession. "I didn't tell you before... but that story was real. It was about my grandmother and grandfather, and how they met." And how they fell in love. She wanted to tell him that. To lend credit and hope to the story that could perhaps be a mirror of his own. - And then she realized just how much that mirror might be applied, and how her words could be taken. Clash and Drake... Orica and Demyan... If history was indeed given to repeating itself -- Orica blushed deeply, her forepaws tensing closer and her head leaning back, in part because she was too shy now to be that close to Demyan's eyes. But then of course that just meant that she was pressing more into his fur. ~*~

This wasn't Demyan. Or at least not the Demyan that he'd grown up as. Maybe this was another Demyan or maybe even a side to himself that he had never known about. To be so caring towards the little woman it was a thought that would've never occurred to the man. He had never seen females as anything other than objects to fuck, but Orica...she was a completely different story. She would never be that to him. She was much too beautiful, much too intelligent and much too precious for him to see her as an object only for his pleasure. Other wolves were simply objects for his entertainment and that too he couldn't see Orica as. She was his little medic, the woman that had saved his life and who was now going to be in his life for quite some time it seemed. She was the woman who was helping him change into something better than just a monster, something worthy of having someone like her in their life. She was a miracle worker.


He hadn't been aware that her reason for lying down had been to get a better look at him until she rolled herself onto her back. The darkness of her top onyx layer was suddenly replaced by the pale milkiness of her ivory under fur. She tucked her forepaws against her belly, arching her spine as she curled her neck, using his right forelimb as a pillow, now apparently comfortable as she looked up towards him, her fluff of a tail draped across his hind limbs. He could see rifling through what he supposed was her archive of stories, sapphires blinking with recognition as he reminded her of the story she'd told him the first time they'd met. Demyan. I didn't tell you before... but that story was real. It was about my grandmother and grandfather, and how they met. The way she spoke his name made his heart stutter, a bit of disbelief distracting him from his feelings. Her grandparents. One of her grandparents had been a wolf much like him and her other grandparent had been able to get through to the first one and bring them over to the good side in a sense. Was she trying to say something about them? Your grandparents... He murmured, putting the pieces together. History tended to repeat itself and it was quite possible that that history could repeat itself with them.


Unknowing of the actual story, having only heard the shortened version, Demyan was confused when he saw a shade of pink color Orica's cheeks, her twin sapphires glancing away from him, leaning her head farther back away, pressing more into him. Grey brows furrowed together, worried cyan gems intent on her pearly features, a question burning the tip of his tongue yet unable to fall free of his lips, unsure if he wanted to know the answer. She couldn't be acting like this because it was possible that she was feeling anything towards him, could she? Of course not. That was ridiculous. It had to be.




Talk like this

Cut me loose My parachute won't let me fall Don't be afraid of a chance for a miracle ~*~ Orica thanked whatever stars were watching over that the male was too settled to jump to possible subtext like hers. She could be such a silly little girl sometimes, and she mentally chided herself, forgetting that she was only a yearling. A sigh fluttered softly from her lips as her mind raced to a new topic. She didn't have more time to think about things now. She pulled out the first tale that came to mind. Short and sweet and adventurous; Demyan would like this one. Orica wriggled just a bit more, nestling herself comfortably into the side of the male, letting the border between their fur blur and letting their body heat mingle. It was cozy, like a warm meal on a chilly morning or a pretty song on a scary night. It didn't make sense - that she could feel such innocent comfort and security around this beast- it didn't make any sense at all... until one considered the moments they'd already shared. The heart-stopping kiss, the night side by side, and... -perhaps what stood out most starkly to Orica- that moment when things had first changed: When Demyan had gone from death-bringer to protector: The pink-eyed sister had been there grinning, well, wolfishly, telling her to leave, and then the grey hunter had risen, wounds and all, and began plodding forward til his bloody shadow loomed over her. Orica had been certain then that she was dead. In a moment his jaws would lower and she would be choking over the teeth in her throat. It had almost literally scared her to death. But she hadn't run, she knew that she couldn't outrun them both and that death would come quicker if she'd held still. ... But then, even, when the male had had perfect oppurtunity, his head was in a completely different place. He'd turned around to face his sister and threatened her with death if she touched a hair on the healer's head. The world had tilted in a different direction then, for both of them really. And Orica had found a shred of protection, a lifeline, in the brush of the male's tail against her forelegs. Now, in this moment, she could think of no place safer. Despite the storm. Despite the cold. Despite the dark. Despite even that creepy cat. All these thoughts ran through her head in a matter of seconds. There was only a slight pause between the grey male's question and her own hurried reply. "Yes, I know all sorts of stories about them. But I have a different one in mind." She cleared her throat and began: The Glaciems and the Polar Bear Once upon a time, about four-no-five years ago, in a land far away from here, there was a pack which called itself Glaciem. It was started by a white and brown fae named Aunt Crusadey-er- Crusade. It was really more of a family than a pack; they all had to be close, living together in the Far North where blizzards like this were an every other week sort of thing. They also had to face monsters like wild boar and mountain cats and - once!- even one of the great white bears came down out of the Arctic, mad with hunger and killed two strangers on the border. Chief Crusade and a hunting party of some of her finest braves were hunting musk ox along their southern hills. She'd taken the rear guard when she heard what was the poor rogues' final cries for help. In a moment the Chief had howled her wolves together. There was Insomnia, the quickest runner to ever grace the snows. There was the purple eyed male -oh I forget what his name was - K-something? And there was Cifer, the green eyes Arctic warrior who was known for being silent as stone. Crusade, with head high barked out that they were not ending their end - merely changing their prey - and off they ran together, like baying hounds on a scent. When they reached the border the bear was snarling and preparing to eat the wolves it had already slain. It was huge - even as bears go. An aged male with a scared muzzle and a starved frame. It's beady eyes were blazed and blinded by anger. It snarled at the newcomers! But it only goaded them all on. Crusade snapped out orders. One wolf to the right hind leg, one wolf to the left. Cifer, the bulkiest of the group, was to come with her as they took the front. Bears are such massive creatures. There's really no way a wolf can have time to bite through all their neck fur and fat to get anywhere near the vitals or the spine. The best way to take one down is first to take out the legs! But to do that they needed a distraction and Crusade and Cifer were perfectly prepared to do that. They charged the bear head on, dodging this way and that to avoid the dreaded claws. The bear twisted it's head this way and that - attacked from all sides! But Crusade took a misstep and caught a side sweep that sent her rolling back into the snow. In retaliation, Cifer clamped down on one of the forepaws. The purple eyed brave tore at the ligments. Insomnia climbed the bear itself and sought a tooth-hold between the shoulders. The monster flung Cifer away like a rag doll and rose up high onto it's wounded hind legs. But back up came Crusade, ignoring the cracked ribs in her side. There were near the waterfalls. Very near. In all the chaos the great beast had backed itself closer and closer to the icey ledge. It was now or never. The Chief howled for her braves to drive it closer. But the bear had a will to live as strong as any other beast's. At last, with the other pack mates fallen back, Crusade finished it - sprinting forward and throwing herself like a battering ram into the top of the creature's chest. One last step... and then all was falling. Even as gravity clawed at them though, Crusade pushed off the white blur beneath her and strained for the lip of stone. She made it - that is, her forepaws did, but she came down so hard on the edge of her belly that her already sprained ribs broke and she saw nothing but stars. The paws slipped. For a heartbeat Aunt Cru-er- Crusade knew she was going to die. But then came the sudden clamp on her scruff. The weight returned to her body, and she looked up to see the wounded Cifer, straining and hauling to bring her back onto solid ground. The Glaciems won the battle that day. And Uncle Cifer won Aunt Crusade's heart. Orica was not the greatest storyteller. Some things she forgot. Some things she left out. Some things she could even pronounce, but she had a knack for really getting into the tales. Her sapphires glowed when she spoke about the proud past of her bloodline. At parts her curled tail shook with excitement and her chest rose and fell with emotion. And other times were voice grew quiet and her ears tapered back. All the while her forepaws remained folded delicated in her the fur of her chest, and her head remained cushioned by the male's leg - (save when she was straining it upwards with eagerness) As was customary now that it was over, the little girl closed her eyes and bobbed her chin in semblence of a bow, just as her family had done at the end of their dramatic tellings. But then she was just beaming again, wondering what her audience had thought. ooc: 1,299 words dawg XD ~*~

The little healer nestled herself deeper into his side, breaking the bridge between their bodies as their starkly different colored pelts mixed into one single multicolored pelt. Story telling had never been something that had been a part of his childhood. His child hood had been honing his killing tendencies and sharpening his killer instinct. He had never heard a story nor ever told anyone one. He had never been the type of man to sit down and tell young pups stories. He was usually the kind of beast that others made stories up about in order to scare the younger generations into behaving. He was the one who was more likely to kill pups than actually try and have any kind of interaction with them. He'd always hated them; useless weak things. Maybe Orica would help him see those little things in a different light. Or maybe he would never be able to change his ways and he would forever remain as the monster that he was born as.


The storm continued to rage outside the safety of the cavern but Demyan paid it no mind; he was much too focused on Orica, and especially now that she was going to tell him a story. Were someone from the outside to look into the cave and see the monstrous grey beast nestled up beside the little medic, quietly listening to her tell him a story, it would probably be a very comical scene. Surely it was utterly ridiculous in nature and completely unbelievable. But it was happening. The hellion lowered his head to his forelimbs, dark nose pressing against her dark shoulder, cyan gems never wavering from her marbled face as she began her story about her family pack. She started out by giving him a brief recap of the history of her pack called Glaciem, calling the founder by name, who clearly had a relation to the yearling although what it was specifically he couldn't quite grasp it. It was a story about how the pack had been out hunting, but had spotted a massive bear in their lands, wreaking havoc all around, threatening the safety of their family. So the alphaess at the time had gathered her best warriors in a sort of hunting party to eradicate the threat. And eradicate they did, but not at the cost of a few bumps and bruises along the way. It wasn't until she'd finished her story that he realized the brave alpha Crusade was her aunt, which meant that she had to be the sister of Orica's mother or father. She came from a pretty worthy family line.


He barely noticed when she'd finished, her little head bowing against her chest as a sign of finality. Demyan's mind was racing. That could've been him. If she'd decided to run back to her family and alert of them of the monster that he was, that would have been his fate. Killed by the strongest warriors in her family, her father most likely at the head of that party. But she hadn't. She had gone off, back to her home, and kept their meeting, the most important details he assumed, to herself. But why? She was a healer, one who helped people. By keeping his real nature a secret she was almost indirectly endangering the lives of many others. She should've done the right thing and alerted her family to the danger that he was. And yet here she was, curled up beside him, having just finished telling him a story, already promising that she was going to forfeit her family for the time being to accompany him and hopefully bring something more out of him. The gargantuan looked down towards the little dame, her sapphires hidden from view, his heart thudding loudly in his scarred chest. What had driven her to help him?




Talk like this