Out of the castle, away from the wolves of The Hallows. They were nice enough, Quill just wasn't big on mass amounts of social interaction. Having been a lone wanderer, he was used to solitude. And so he took his leave, making his way out towards a large, expansive field. Strange, uniform looking stone lay hidden beneath the thick grass. It was an odd place, but it was void of other wolves, so he'd take it.

Up above, the sun beat down, but it did little to take away the chill of autumn. Winter would likely be a cold one, if today was any indication. The maned brute made his way towards a tall stand of rocks that lifted up out of the land like a stony perch. Long legs cut through the wild grasses until, with a leap of ease, Quill was settled atop this slab of stone. Thankfully it wasn't too knobby or bumpy.

Curling one paw up against his chest, the marbled man placed his chin down upon the stone. He thought about the dream woman. She'd visited him again last night and the night before. Were the dreams more frequent now because he knew she was real? He couldn't say, but it definitely unnerved him fiercely. If she was real... what was he supposed to do with that?

"Quill Klein"

The chill of the autumn air bit at Ellara's fur as she wandered through the God's Garden, the familiar landscape now feeling foreign under the weight of the season’s approach. She had come here often to tend to the herbs, ensuring they survived the colder months, but today felt different. Today, something else called her to this place. The wild grasses brushed against her legs as she moved, the scent of the earth mingling with the crisp breeze. She needed this escape, a reprieve from the castle, but more than that, there was a restlessness within her: a lingering echo of dreams that she could not ignore.

The dreams of the man with pink and green eyes had been haunting her still, growing more vivid with each passing night. Even now, she could see flashes of him when she closed her eyes, feel the warmth of his gaze even in the cold autumn air. It unsettled her, but it also drew her closer to this place, as if the Garden itself whispered for her to seek something she had yet to understand. There was comfort here, amidst the towering rocks and the quiet rustle of the wind, but there was also a sense of expectation, as though something waited for her just beyond the next turn.

Her paws guided her toward a stand of stone that jutted out of the earth like a perch, its starkness contrasting with the greenery around it. As she drew nearer, a familiar scent reached her, carried on the wind. Her heart quickened, the air suddenly thick with tension. She didn’t expect to find anyone here, least of all him. Her steps slowed as she approached the stone, her breath catching in her throat as she spotted the marbled form of the wolf from her dreams, resting atop the rocks. She froze, uncertain whether to speak or retreat, her mind racing with the impossibility of it all. What was he doing here?

Ellara hesitated, her blush colored gaze tracing over his form as he lay curled upon the stone. The very sight of him stirred something deep within her, a blend of fear and curiosity. Gathering her courage, she took a step forward, her voice soft yet steady as it broke through the stillness. "You're real," she murmured, the words almost a question but laced with certainty. Her gaze searched his face, looking for any sign that he, too, had been haunted by the same dreams.

"Speech" - Thoughts

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Quill visibly flinched as the now familiar voice filled the silence. The brute's heart picked up the pace as his head slowly turned to see the chocolate and blush fae once more. He had tried to convince himself that their encounter had been a figment of his imagination, but this clearly wasn't the case. She stood there clear as day, the chilly autumn sun illuminating her very solid, completely real form. Fuck.

"Most wolves that you speak to are real, wouldn't you think?" He chastised lightly, his demeanor being somewhat snarky and dismissive. Even as he was acting that way, he was asking himself why. It wasn't her fault that they shared dreams of one another. It wasn't his fault either. She was a temptation that he couldn't give in to.

Quill opened his mouth to say something else snarky when movement from behind the woman caught his eye. There, back in the thicker foliage of the garden, a brown bear stalked. He caught the subtle movement of the bear crouching as if preparing to pounce on the dream woman from behind. Red hot rage flared through the marbled man and, a second later, he was flying off of the stone pedestal.

Skirting beside the woman close enough that their sides brushed, Quill put himself between her and the charging bear. He met the beast head on, teeth flashing and snapping at the bears face. The ursine stopped in confusion, not expecting a larger wolf. It apparently had been so focused on the fae that it hadn't seen Quill lounging on the rock. Having stopped the bear in its tracks, the Klein giant made his way around the side, teeth sinking into one hind leg to try and pull it out from beneath the bear.

"Quill Klein"

Ellara blinked, Quill's dismissive words barely registering as her mind tried to process the surrealness of the situation. He was real, standing right there, flesh and blood, and yet... something felt off, as if the world had shifted without her consent. The snark in his tone stung, but she couldn’t focus on that now. Her thoughts spun, trying to find some semblance of order in the chaos of emotions she felt. But before she could formulate a response, she noticed the sudden shift in his demeanor: his gaze darting past her, locking onto something behind.

Before she could react, Quill shot forward, his side brushing hers as he moved with alarming speed. Ellara froze for a heartbeat, confusion clouding her thoughts until the low growl and heavy movement behind her made it all too clear. A bear. Her breath caught in her throat, eyes wide in shock as she turned to see the hulking creature barreling toward them. It took her a moment to snap out of it, her mind catching up to the danger at hand, as Quill threw himself into battle, meeting the beast head-on with a force that took even the bear by surprise.

Her instincts finally kicked in. Ellara lunged forward, circling wide around the bear to position herself at its side. She couldn’t stand by and let Quill fight it alone, not after all that had transpired. Teeth bared, she dove in, sinking her fangs into the bear’s exposed shoulder, pulling with all her strength to keep it off balance. The rage and confusion she had felt moments ago channeled into her movements, her focus solely on the fight, on protecting them both.

"Speech" - Thoughts

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With him on one side and the earthen woman pulling from the other, the bear fell onto its belly. Quill wasted no time in giving up his hold on the leg. Instead, he leaped upon the grizzly's back, jaws finding purchase at the back of its skull. He could feel one of the ears tear beneath the strength of his teeth.

How dare this beast think that it could harm a wolf, let alone the woman of his dreams. FROM. The woman FROM his dreams... gods...

Anger surged anew in Quill and he thrashed his head from side to side, rending flesh until his pale visage was covered in thick, red blood. The bear bucked, trying to rid itself of its attacker, but Quill was holding on for the long haul.

"Quill Klein"

Ellara’s grip on the bear’s shoulder was slipping as the beast thrashed beneath their combined weight. The sheer power of the creature was overwhelming, but the sight of Quill, relentless and covered in blood, spurred her on. She couldn’t let him face this alone, not when the bear’s rage was still so potent. The thought of him being hurt (or worse) made her heart pound, and an urgency she hadn’t felt before coursed through her veins.

She released her hold on the bear’s shoulder, quickly shifting her position to strike from a new angle. Darting around its side, she lunged for the bear’s exposed hind leg, sinking her fangs into the tender flesh just above the joint. The bear roared, its leg buckling under the weight of her attack as it struggled to stay upright. Ellara pulled hard, her teeth digging deeper, determined to weaken the creature’s ability to move, to keep it off balance.

The bear faltered, its movements becoming slower, more labored, but it wasn’t done yet. It swung its massive head toward Ellara, trying to dislodge her, but she held firm, her body low to the ground, every muscle straining to keep the beast from recovering. She could feel its strength waning, but the fight was far from over. With Quill on its back and her at its hind leg, they had it trapped in a brutal stalemate, but it was only a matter of time before the bear found a way to retaliate. Her gaze lingered on Quill for a brief moment, just long enough to cause her to delay dodging a heavy hit from the bear's forelimb. Five razor sharp claws tore through the flesh of her chest and she was sent tumbling.

"Speech" - Thoughts

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