Pride was strong within the charcoal fae, imbuing her with a confidence she hadn't really known before, even back among the wolves of Ebony. She had had hundreds of subjects there, sure, but they had been her born into their roles just as she. They were given, not earned. Raisa had earned Fugue's companionship, and she would certainly earn that of others as well! Her pathway was starting to become clear, and as they walked along through the lush, verdant field she could not help but smile. The smell of prey was in the air, and spring had overtaken the world with intense gusto. She told herself that she wouldn't mind if things stayed this way forever. She cast a glance over her shoulder to see how Koros and Fugue were holding up. "How're you boys doing? I think I might be in the mood for some fresh meat, myself." The feel of her muscle's rippling, of her heart racing, legs pumping, would surely improve the day even more so. If Fugue was agreeable, that is. It was strange, certainly, to have to consider the needs of another. Not unpleasant (usually,) merely odd, but she was growing used to it. "Talk" "You" Think

It was not often that the man found pleasure in the company of other canines. In fact, Fugue could say that he was never seen in a group of wolves. He had always remained solitary and had reveled in that fact. Raisa, however, was a woman that he could honestly say he admired.
The ashen girl had spunk. She was independent, confident, easy to understand and spend time with. The auburn man actually enjoyed the time that he spent in her presence. It truk y baffled gim. So it was a complete and utter sight to see when he was walking side by side with a small alabaster fox, following in the woman's footsteps. As her soft tones reached his ears, his chin lifted in her direction.
"Doing quite well princess. Enjoying the view." He added with a playful wink. The woman knew that their relationship was not one that lovers shared, but one of friends. His flirtatious quips were simply just a part of who he was; a way to keep the voices at bay.
He too could smell the tempting scent of fresh, living, breathing prey. He would admit that it was making him salivate. His issue, though, was in the plain fact that he longed for a kill that required more skill than the average swamprat.
In a moment of excitement, he aimed his golden orbs at his companion, a twinkle of amusement playing in his gaze.
"I too am starving, love. Why don't the three of us take on a buck?"
It had veen too long since he challenged his physique. A fully grown buck would question his physical wellbeing as well as his mental strength. And truthfully, Fugue would have loved to see his new companion in action against a real threat.

The man's joke brought a short laugh out from Raisa's lungs and set her eyes to rolling. He was certainly a character sometimes, but she had grown to enjoy his presence almost as much as Koros'. It was nice to have someone around that she didn't have to filter herself with. She could tell he admired her to a certain degree, but she had also been careful to keep their relationship strictly monitored. It would not do to have her desires swayed by something so meager as friendship. That he seemed keen on hunting, though, now that was something she could get into. She smiled and nodded. "Good, then." She stopped and raised her nose to the wind, trying to find the nearest herd. the grasses here were tall and swayed above the top of her head so she reared up momentarily, trying to get the lay of the land. She fell back to the earth with a light thud and relayed what she had seen. "It looks like the land rises a bit in the west," she said, tilting her head in the hillock's direction. "We should be able to see the herds from there." She turned that way, confident for once, that she had loyal friends at her tail. "Talk" "You" Think

The tall grass proved easy to weave through as the auburn male followed close at the heels of his companion. He too could smell the herd that was grazing nearby, and the thought of the buck they would claim was giving his adrenaline an unbelievable spike. The crunch of bone beneath his teeth, the hot sticky blood entering his mouth just as the sweet tang of fresh meat slides down his throat...it was a sick pleasure that he had enjoyed since his youth. He had never told a soul.

The man could not lie though, seeing Raisa take down such a large and powerful animal would get his mind racing as well. She had a kind of grace in the way that she moved. Her muscles would ripple in perfect rythym to the powerful thrusts of her legs, her eyes focused on the goal at hand. She definitely portrayed the royalty that she claimed to be. He would not deny his attraction for the girl. She was just not one he would want to trifle with. She was the type of girl to bed a man, and not the other way around. Fugue gave a slight shake to his head at the thought. No, thank you.

Deep in thought, Fugue was caught off guard when the strong scent of elk entered his nostrils. He froze instantly and chuffed at Raisa for her to follow suit. Slowly the man raised his head above the rushes and spotted the antlers of a large male. Fugue smiled and returned to the ground, aiming his golden orbs at her.

"I'll approach him head on, get him spooked and away from the herd. Raisa, come at him from the side and surprise him on his blind side. Koros, take up the rear." He laid out his plans without breaking eye contact, keeping his voice at a barely audible whisper. His chin was lowered, eyebrows furrowed and ears swiveled forward and waiting for approval. It was still strange for him to run his actions by another before acting, but the comradery was quite refreshing.

The scent of elk hit Raisa just as it hit her companion, or so it seemed. She froze as he did, assessing the situation. When he ran his plan by her, at first a tension of sorts ran into her veins. His suggestion sounded too much like an order for her comfort, and part of her wanted to growl and bare her fangs at him. She restrained herself though, at first so that she would not startle their quarry, and then because she realized that Fugue was about as used to being in a pack as she was to leading one. If she were to be an effective leader, she would have to take such things in stride. He's only trying to help, she reminded herself. She took a deep breath and nodded her assent. Koros seemed a bit nervous at being included in the plans, seeing as most often Raisa simply hunted for him. He seemed uneasy, but Raisa flashed him a small smile. If he felt confident enough to join them, he could. Raisa moved forward without another word, putting Fugue's plan into action. She branched out, knowing Fugue would circle further around. Her nose and ears informed her of the elk's location, though her eyes were still blind. She tried to keep an eye out through the waiving grass, but it was a few moments of stalking before it's brown, plump figure came into view. It seemed well fed on the spring grasses, and her mouth started to water. Still, though, she must not lose control. Carefully, step by step the royal advanced, keeping all of her senses trained on the target. When it rose or twitched, she froze, unwilling to start up again until she felt her quarry had relaxed. She moved to the perfect position, just so, and waited for Fugue to begin. "Talk" "You" Think

He noted the brief hesitation in her eyes and the short flash of irritation. It pained him for a slight instant, feeling a natural reaction to disapproval from his self-proclaimed superior. Golden eyes instinctively lowered for a moment until his companion launched herself into action. The man then straightened himself and shook off the feeling of insubordination. Meanwhile, his dinner was waiting for him and he did not plan to miss it.

Auburn shoulders hunched low as the man lessened the distance. He could see that Koros and Raisa were already in position, and getting any closer would alert the elk of his presence. He took this moment to slowly raise his head above the rushes. The attention of the beast was currently on the grass below it. With a rush of adrenaline, Fugue jumped from the rushes and let out a loud bark. Just as planned, the entire herd of elk took off running at fast speeds. The male in front of him was prepared to follow in his panic, but Fugue had other plans.

His muscles pumped as he rushed at the lead elk head on, snarling with his ears pressed tightly against his skull. The elk lowered his antlers and whipped away from him just as Fugue pushed hard against the ground and lept at his right retreating shoulder. His jaws were parted and prepared to wound the large creature. he hoped Raisa and Koros were fully prepared to play their part in the take down. The thrill was exhilarating.

Holy water cannot help you now A Thousand armies couldn't keep me out Raisa lunged into the attack, adrenaline and blood lust filling her veins. Her blood turned from ice to fire, and her instincts took over. The pounding of hooves threw up great clouds of dust, obscuring the sun. The earth shook and trembled from the force of her prey's fear, and never before had she felt so empowered. A monstrous part of her felt enchanted by the thrill. A Fugue drove the herd her way, Raisa allowed her long, lithe, lethal body to propel from the grass. She cut into the stampede, jaws snapping and snarling like a hound burst forth from the gates of hell. It was not a difficult task to choose her mark. It was foolish, perhaps, to lock onto a young buck, but her arrogance had always been a favorite trait. The cervid seemed fearful, and she could tell it was his first spring as an adult. Oh yes, Mommy isn't here to protect you anymore, she thought with a smile and a snarl, charging the male and snapping her teeth inches from his hindquarters. She dodged a hasty, panicked kick. Her muscles sang and screamed with the strain, but it was a sweet pain. With one last burst of energy she came abreast of the deer and leaped, powerful jaws locking onto it's neck and dragging downwards. Her quarry screamed, shrill and high, and turned quickly in an attempt to gore her with velvety antlers, but she was too close now. They cracked across her ribs, hard, but bruises would fade. With a wrench of her powerful neck she twisted and pulled away a chuck of flesh. Blood poured outwards onto the ground, amidst one last tortured cry from her meal. Such was the way of life. Panting, she stood upwards, proud and coated in gore, to search for where her companions had ended up. "Talk" Think "You"

The strong creature had been entirely focused on Fugue latched onto his shoulder. The auburn man had gotten the coppery tang of blood in his jowls and would not rest until the beast was taken down. He continued attacking the same wound, lunging and lunging with razor-like teeth bared and piercing. He knew his companion would do her part, and was satisfied when the charcoal woman dashed from the rushes on the male's blind side.

With wide admiring eyes he watched the girl lunge multiple times in succession, each time returning with more crimson painting her dark pelt. Finally, and with a bit of a mess, the woman had the beast grounded and had torn a chunk out of its neck flesh. Panting, Fugue approached her with a smile.

"Beautiful, princess. I have never seen such a graceful hunt." He told her in all sincerity. His admiration may have been glowing a bit, and it did not embarrass him. She was definitely a figure to be admired.

He swiped some of the blood from his own jowls and realized that his companion was nearly drenched in the stuff. A laugh escaped his maw and he sat before her, his mind reeling.

"That elk has marked you, princess. I wouldn't be laughing but I know that it is not yours! Seems he intended to bathe you in his scent in his final moments, and of course, the first bite is yours." He confirmed and nodded his head towards the already mangled corpse of their meal.

Her blood lust had so clouded the royal's vision, that Fugue's presence at her side was somewhat startling. In her defense, of course, hunting was a rare joy in her life. A queen was not expected, and a princess not permitted, to join in on hunts. No, it was her royal privilege to have food brought to her! They had never taken into account the slim girl's keen senses or quick reflexes, or how much she might contribute to their efforts. The sweet taste of blood and the thrill of the hunt had been enough to wake her during moonlit hours, and sent her far from the den and into the thick forests of her homeland. Hunting alone was a challenge that had left her limping and bruised more often than not, but it was a passion she could not sate. The man's compliments settled over her like gilding for an already wonderful moment. She stood straighter, set her shoulders and shared a graceful smile with her companion. Koros joined them soon after, trotting through the grass at his own pace. Where the fox caught site of the blood and grimaced, Fugue seemed quite pleased. Raisa let loose and tinkering laugh and shrugged. "He got in my way," she said languidly, before padding up to the corpse. She latched onto the creature's gut and with a savage wrench, much like the bite that had brought it down, she opened the cavity. Organs spilled onto the ground and filled the afternoon air with the heady smell of fresh meat. She dug in. "Talk" "You" Think

when i wake up i'm afraid somebody else might take my place when i wake up i'm afraid somebody else might end up being me The auburn man was sitting a good distance from her, and he figured that the respectful thing would be to allow her to eat her fill before he dared take a bite. She was his leader, after all, if their pack was truly going to take off. His golden eyes watched her carefully, finding it difficult not to stare. She ate like it was her last meal. She tore into the flesh, tearing through tendons and muscles, paying no heed to the blood that stained her maw or the sick crunching of mean being separated from bone. It was....arousing. Fugue shuffled his paws and decided to lay down and wait. He cursed himself for not controlling his urges. He had to keep them locked away. Even if it meant that he needed to find himself pleasure elsewhere. He knew that Raisa was off limits. He couldn't allow his instincts to control him. Aiming to find distraction, Fugue decided to address the topic that they had been traveling for. Recruitment. "Princess, have we found others for Ebony yet? A queen without a kingdom is still a queen, but having subjects can only make her stronger. Shall I track down rogues?"He had always been skilled at tracking others. Yet he had never truly showed Raisa his ability. It was a gift, he figured, from the dreaded fates. -FUGUE- "Talk" Think "You"

Raisa ate her fill, stepping back only when her stomach bulged. By the looks of things they would not need to hunt for a while longer, as long as they stayed in the area. She stepped back with a sigh, pleased that Fugue had allowed her to eat without interference. Her blood still ran hot from the hunt, and it wouldn't have surprised her if she'd lashed out. The queen rolled her neck, loosening up her muscles, and bent to stretch her rapidly tightening muscles. Knowing she would be sore tomorrow, the ebon fae held in a wince. The ground seemed a welcome place to settled while Fugue and Koros ate as well, and she set to cleaning herself of gore. She looked up, however, when Fugue posed his question. They had not always been close at hand throughout their travels, and it had offered opportunity to reach out to others. "Several have sworn themselves to me thus far, though you of course were the first." She spared a small smile for that fact. "So far I have a promise from one, and have had words with three others. Together our number is five wolves and a fox." She let a dry chuckle escape her grasp. It was not entirely respectable, but it was just the beginning. All great things must have a beginning, she reminded herself. And this shall be ours. A request to scour the land for others, however, gave her pause. She looked over the man carefully, weighing the offer. Fugue was... a unique character, that much was evident. Her first impressions had left the woman a bit uneasy, and she felt often that it was through virtue of her own opinions that she got along so well with him. If others would feel the same, well, it could not be known. Granted, a leader must trust their followers, and trust Fugue she would. In the end, she shrugged. "If you'd like, certainly. I trust your judgement." She continued her cleaning, wondering if he would respond. "Talk" "You" Think