"Hmm?" Her soft voice noted her interest. Her golden eyes were heavily half lidded but they widened and hardened as he mentioned a race. Narrowing her own challenge with her eyes, Don't you dare....

The gleam in his eyes told her more than his words did, he was playing with her. But he never gave her empty threats. She gasped, "You wouldn't-" Then he said he'd take the tea away!
"You wouldn't!" She said again, sitting up.

"You're either banking on my winning these challenges, or banking on my failure! Why would you even gamble on your own children's status? - When's the first test?" She rapid fired her words. She knew she wouldn't be getting out of them now. Maybe she could ask Ollie or Wylan to help sneak her some tea until she had a chance at these tests. She flicked her tail in annoyance. She was rankled.

"Ignita"

He laughed, and gave her a look through half sided eyes. It was true, he was yet to give her an empty threat. When it came to Ignita, he loved fiercely and took what he wanted. What he didn't tell her was that he intended to marry her before their children were born. Success or failure. But he would not be telling her that. He believed she was a wolf who worked better under pressure, working towards something she desperately wanted. He would show no sign of wavering, enjoying the indignation In her voice. He needed and wanted her to strive for and succeed here. He needed her to find her strength if she was going to have a say in the Armada.


“The way I see it, I win either way. I get to take you whenever I want, and you'll work hard to prove you can pass these tests.” He gave her a devilish smile. “Besides, you'll get a small reprieve. I need to head to The Hollows on official business for a few days, and you'll stay here and work on your meditation. When I get back, you'll have your first challenge.” He warned and lied to her. His official business would be to speak to Artorias, one of the few wolves he knew and respected who was married. He would know the right way to go about it. Even if Basilisk himself was not a traditional wolf. “I don't like leaving you on your own, I'm glueing Wylan to your side for protection, and to ensure you can’t catch anyone else's eye…” he leaned forward, and kissed her nose. “Mine.” Hmm… should he fill her again? Perhaps he would return from the Hallows to find her already carrying.

The way he seemed to enjoy her indignation!
"You're... incorrigible!" She spat. He's thinking he'd get to enjoy her at any opportunity, maybe she'll make it harder for him to get a paw on her now!

She huffed but perked her ears at the news of his trip to the Hallows, concern swept over her brow, usually he told her of such things and took her along. Was the Syndicate making a move and he didn't want her to worry about it? Was there some other news he didn't want to share with her? She was about to inquire about this trip when he went on about gluing Wylan to her side so she couldn't catch anyone's eye. She huffed and turned away, indignant, after his kiss landed on her nose.

"You are getting dangerously close to the title of Tyrant." She warned. She turned her back to him and lifted her nose high. "I might as well head back to the sands and practice some of that meditating. At least tell me what the next test could be before you leave, so I can work on it while you're gone." She liked to be efficient. She got up and started to walk away from him.

"Speech"

He huffed a soft laugh, he was definitely enjoying her attitude far more than he should be. “I’m just trying to corrupt you, sweet love.” He was laughing at her. Not with his voice, but with his eyes. Drinking her in, enjoying her. She turned her head away from him, clearly fed up with his attitude. “Tyrant, Warlord, it’s all the same thing, really.” he said idly, slowly getting to his paws. When she started to walk away, he trotted along beside her. She wasn’t getting away from him easily.

“After meditation, its defences. Work on holding your defences until it’s second nature. Wylan can help you with that.” Hmm… he wasn’t going to get jealous of his young Nephew. Nope. Maybe a little. He patted her on the rump with a paw and looked over at her. “I wonder how many more times I can try for babies before I leave for the Hallows…” his eyes sparked dangerously. Would she run again?

"Basilisk" || "Iggy"

Appalled! Corrupt her? Was she not already? Oooo how she loved it when he called her love. Damn him! She looked at the trees, the skyline, the mountains, anywhere but at him. She could get more creative with her names for him. Tyrant, Warlord, master, Beast, Cur, Mongrel, Rake, Snake, Jailer.

He sidled along beside her, she stifled a comical harrumph at him as he joined her. It came out as another huff instead.

After meditation it's defenses. Practicing defenses until it's second nature. Maybe Wylan will have - !!! She was startled as he patted her on the rump! It was the first time he had done that. Maybe if she wasn't so pissed at him she wouldn't mind it, she shot him a withering look.

"None!" She said with a feisty glare in her own eyes. She didn't know if she really meant it, she felt her self ache and warm every time she looked in his damn face. "If it hasn't worked today already it won't magically work if we do it more than once a day!" She shot at him. She wasn't entirely sure if that was true. But now that he had given her a reason to hold herself back from him, or at least give him a bit more trouble to get what he wanted from her, she was going to push. Incorrigible!

"Speech"

She was getting so fiesty, and he loved every moment of it. They walked together down the path of First Light Point. “So, you're saying we can do it as many times as we want tonight and you don't need to worry.” He teased his little Bird, swishing his tail against her. Despite her clear disgruntlement, they reached the bottom of the path and started to head towards her den. Their den. 


There would be a warm fire waiting for them to chase away the damp chill from rolling in the snow. As they neared the entrance, he took a single step ahead, turning a little towards her to look into her eyes. “I love you.” The tyrant bastard said, complete sincerity in his voice. He was looking at her like she was the only thing on this earth that mattered.

She glared at him, maybe another romp wouldn't do much, but they had other things to do! Gods she had another itch for him! It was impossible to focus when he was around her. Made her grumble as he swished her tail over her.

She had to get the ashes processed and smelt some of the iron ore, she wanted to get some of the painted labels set up around the market and- Wait a minute why were they heading back to the den? She was going to- She watched him take a step ahead and look into her golden eyes.

She pinned her ears and couldn't help the coiling within her to tense and grab him and push him inside for more.

"I love-" She started sternly but she just couldn't hold the melting effect he had on her. She sighed and ducked inside, trailing her tail over his arm. "Tyrant." She mumbled as she passed him, the edge in her voice melted away. Dammit it all! Maybe... maybe just a few minutes, make it quick. Her fur was already buzzing and she was aching again for him. He was going to force her into a whole new heat cycle!

"Ignita"

Basilisk may enter her threads without warning.

He gave a husky laugh, her inability to refrain from loving him was a major turn on. It didn't take much for her to turn into the den, muttering a word under her breath as she did so. He could smell her heat, her desire. He knew the truth. He followed after her, leaning over to whisper “corrupted little bird” before tending to her fire. Building it up to chase away that cold he knew she hated.


He pulled her bedding a little closer to the flame, and then tugged Her gently forward, towards him. Pulling her onto his chest on the bedding so he could brush his paw across the fur around her face and look up at her. “Whatever will I do away from you?” He sighed, the journey it took to get to the Hallows would be miserable without her. He leaned forward, pressing his muzzle to hers. “Love me, Little Bird. Make love to me.”

While he tended the fire, with as much grace as she could muster she stashed a sachet of the herbs on a low shelf among other sachets of herbal aromas she had collected from the market. The palo santo wood was one of her favorites. To cover her scheme she grabbed a stick of the palo santo from the same shelf. She had done it a time or two to add an aroma to the den, so the movement should be familiar to him.

She strolled back to him and the fire and stuck the short resinous wood down near the edge of the coals so it would burn slowly. She offered him a kiss when she passed him toward the fire. She huffed in a "pretending to still be mad" way as he pulled her onto him. It was so funny; he liked to plop her above him, and it was the first time she truly wondered why. She blew a feisty breath at his hand as he brushed some of the fur back from her face.

Whatever will I do away from you... " - Probably get some thinking done!" She retorted with a playful scrunch of her nose. She didn't know honestly, she hated how he had been gone briefly for the raid on Syndicate, that wasn't a whole day. This will be a few.

She leaned into his muzzle press. He whispered his own desperate plea. Oh he was ready for round two then? What was it he said? They could do it five or six times tonight and she shouldn't have to worry about a thing? She grasped his lips with her own and she teased him, and loved him all the rest of the day. Letting him fill her and fill her and fill her. She tried to escape once but he surely wasn't finished then either.

---
The morning arose with rosy lines across the sky.

Her body ached, her muscles stiff. She drew in a breath and stretched her arm long out from the coiling of his arms around her. His scent was still intoxicating. How, how could it still be riling her up even now? She slowly kissed his muzzle. He had kept her in this den all day and all night. Though at least they got some rest.

She hummed into his fur. She pressed her lips to his until he woke up.

"Speech"

He grinned up at her at that. He’d been doing plenty of thinking with Ignita. Too much, perhaps. Too much planning and worrying and wondering at their future. He return her kisses, and let it delve into something more. By the time they were done, the fire had run low and darkness had well and truly settled around them. He slept, utterly spent and exhausted, but well sated with her.

---

He rose when he felt her move, though his own waking was a little sluggish. He’d never felt so spent, and his sleep had been long and deep. He let out a soft rumble when she kissed his muzzle. He wasn’t sure he’d have the strength for another round, but when he opened his eyes and looked at her fiery gaze, he thought about the time they would spend apart.

That woke him enough to offer her a mischievous grin, and raise a paw slowly around her. Instead of flipping them quickly, this time he did it slowly. Shifting until she was beneath him, so that she would know exactly what he intended. “Good morning, my love.” He whispered breathlessly in her ear and took her one last time before he’d have to hit the road.

"Basilisk" || "Iggy"

Usually, he was easier to wake. She couldn't help but laugh at his sluggishness through her kiss when he finally roused. She kissed him again until he opened his eyes. She knew as soon as they had opened that he wasn't going to be leaving her without a final try. Not that she thought it would do him much good with her stash of tea in the corner. His grin and his slow movements told her all she needed to know. She moaned for him her good morning. Her voice was nearly hoarse. She pressed into him and held him close, she had to admit she liked this slow dance.

She intended her noises to spur him on but wanted him to take his time. She didn't want him to leave quite yet. When he was well and truly spent she was breathless against him. Her lips were dry, and her stock of water needed refilling. Ohh, she was going to be sore today, that was for sure.

"You be good now. Don't go finding any more damsels to claim while you're gone." She teased into his fur. She didn't want to let him go, her paws wrapped around his arm. But go he must, and the sooner the better. "The sooner you leave the sooner you can come back." She whispers.

"Ignita"

Basilisk may enter her threads without warning.

When he claimed Ignita this time, it was a much slower act, and he rested his head in the crock of her arm sleepily. He was almost tempted to postpone his trip another night and shake away the aches and tiredness that came from their first night of reckless abundance. But he knew he needed to go while the ideas were fresh in his mind, and before he lost his nerve.

The hoarseness of her voice told him just how satisfied she was. She could complain all she wanted, he knew she was as desperate to couple as he was. When he was finally finished with her, he sagged lightly against her small frame. Achingly careful not to crush her as he closed his eyes and made a soft, sleepy noise. Mmmm… perhaps he should just lie right here all day. He had a feeling keeping her hostage two days in a row would not go over well for him.

He knew she was right, damn it. But delaying would only hurt them both. He rose slowly from her, kissing her cheek. “I promise not to claim any more damsels, if you promise not to climb a thing-” a mischievous glint in his eye. “Or a person. Deal?”

"Basilisk" || "Iggy"

The feel of his thick luxurious fur was delightful. She breathed into his careful form hovering above her until he rose up. As soon as she was released she stretched all her legs up into the air and then rested them on her chest with a sigh. Truly sated, a little sore. She hummed when he kissed her cheek.

She snorted and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Nooooooo climbiiiiing." She relented with a drawl and a pouty sigh. She rolled over to lay on her stomach and crossed her paws as she looked up at him. She wagged her tail at him with a loving smile.

"I love you." She said softly with sincerity, her eyes warm and tender, "Now go! I have chores to do!" She said shooing him off and shaking her pelt out. She needed to get a drink of water!

"Speech"