Private Tales The Horn Calls

[Oakley]

His blood burned through him, pure liquid heat that caused a fine mist to rise from his skin. He could taste his own blood mingled in their mouths as tongues tangled, the sound of her growl sending wild tremors straight to his bones. She could do whatever she damned well pleased, if it was control she wanted, she'd have it, just so long as she did... not... stop.

She stopped.

It felt wrong not to have her weight atop him. His brow knit as he pushed himself to sit up onto his elbows, watching her in confusion. Her smile told him of her intent to leave him there before she stepped back and he reached out a hand just as she disappeared into shadow. "Wait!... Where are y-.."

His hand curled into a fist in the thin air and he dragged in the last remaining scent of her on the air before falling back to the grass and slamming that fist into the ground with a growl of frustration. "Now that's just fucken cruel." he groaned and draped his forearm over his face as he lay panting, his free hand lifting to point in Beckett's direction as he felt his friends approach.

"Don't." he warned with a growl.

 

[Glendora]

It wasn’t until many hours later and she was a long ways off, limping by the amount of magic she used, that she finally dropped her illusion. And the shadows that had wrapped her up like a steady guard. A hand swept moonspun hair away from her eyes as she leaned against the rough bark of a tree in the thick woods that surrounded the border just before the night court.

A shadow melted from the darkness smelling of sea and rocks.

“M’lady,” the rock nymph bowed to Glendora. “If I may. Tonight was…reckless.”

Silver eyes flickered to one of her oldest friends and allies. A second in command to her secret retinue of spies and warriors. All females operating unknowingly beneath the fists of her brothers.

“If I didn’t know any better, Katya, I’d say I hear real concern in your voice for my well-being. And not just for the plans being forged.”

Her eyes were like black rocks. Her skin granite. A bow of her head. “If something happens to you, I doubt Vaer will continue your plan. There are many who have a hope in the future.”

Glendora released a sharp exhale through her teeth. “I am well aware…”

“I only ask that you do not go alone. Next time,” Katya bowed her head. One kelpie emerged from the shadows. Stomping her foot, impatiently. Glen’s face softened for a fraction of a moment. Katya knew her as well as blood. Better than blood considering who her family was.

“I’m coming Uki,” a small nod of her head to the kelpie. With no small amount of pain, she pulled herself up. Eyes that missed nothing steadily on her. “Back to the north,” she murmured.

She’d meet with Vaer Nhimei soon. And unless there was another hunt between now
and then, she wouldn't venture to the Autumn court again for a little bit. And no matter how much she tried to erase Oakley's face from her mind, he wouldn't quite go away.

 

[Oakley]

As terrible ideas went, this one was one of the worst he'd had. She was an obsession. A fucking addiction that he'd only had a taste of and she'd already become a habit he wasn't ready to kick. Weeks had passed before he found himself on the border of the Night Court. He was a tracker, after all - but this, this was venturing far too far, and he knew Midir wouldn't be best pleased if he knew where he was right now...

But what was She doing here? She was here, somehow in his bones, he knew it.

The darkness was thick, even with his eyesight, he struggled without the guidance of the moons. And by fuck it was cold. Oak stopped at the edge of a sharp ridge overlooking a small outpost, the dark figures below barely illuminated by the flickering brazers they gathered around. A breeze billowed at his cloak, and he carefully stepped back from the edge. The two soldiers who looked up saw nothing but darkness.

"Who's on patrol?" one of them asked.

"Rafe.." another answered.

"RAFE?! THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" the first called.

"Up here!" 'Rafe' called from right behind Oak, and the second he turned, his world went even darker than it had already been.

He felt himself be dragged and felt the pounding ache in his skull as he drifted in and out of consciousness. He was loaded into a wagon, and he wished they'd fix the creaking wheel. Blood trickled across his face as he lay on his side, only half aware that he was being searched and his weapons confiscated.

"The fuck you doin skulkin' round here, eh?" one of them asked as he slapped hard at Oak's face in attempt to wake him.

"You hit him too hard." another said with a snort. "You'll get nothin out of him like that."

"We'll keep on til mornin', then see what he's worth before we go shoutin' about it to the General.."

Oak slept. And as promised, as morning arrived, he was unceremoniously awakened when he was rolled out of the wagon to land hard in the dirt, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He couldn't cough, or breath, but a swift kick to the side allowed him to drag in a burning breath.

"Up you get, sunshine.." Rafe grunted at him, a blade drawn and pointed at him as he rolled onto his back. They were by the side of the road, and he could hear a river nearby.

"I have to say.." Oak spat. "Your hospitality has been nothing short of shite."

 

[Glendora]

"Who the fuk are you?" One of Oak's captors spat. He had muddy-tan skin with golden eyes and black hair. Violence threatening his sneer as he went to kick at Oak's side.

"Don't mess him up too much before the prison or we won't get a fair share. Ain't no good to our pockets dead." A second who almost looked like he belonged in summer. High cheekbones and bleached blond long tresses.

"Yeah well I don't like the fuking mouth he has on him."

"You're just jealous 'cause he's prettier than you."

"Shut the fuk up."

On the river bank, too far for anyone to really see, there seemed to be a shift in one section of the rocks along the water. A glint of sun on one. A shadow and then it looked, for second, as if a set of eyes blinked before they too disappeared.

 

[Oakley]

Oak curled in on himself as the boot collided with his side and he coughed into the dirt with a growl, listening to the two bicker. He laughed then, a pained and husky thing but he knew it'd piss them off and that'd be worth another kick or two.

"I am the King's dearest friend.." he answered with a grin up at the sky and a shake of his head as his eyes closed. "Fuuuuck are you two going to be in trouble.. Perhaps.." he turned to spit a little blood onto the ground. "You halfwits should try asking questions first.." he groaned and grimaced as he tried to pull in a deep breath..

 

[Glendora]

"Alright smart-arse. What the fuk were you doing in our territory?" It was the high cheek-boned one who asked the question. The other one snorted.

"What King? The Erlking? That old man is such a fuking has-been." The Night Court denizen snorted and looked around them. He frowned as he saw a carriage coming down the rocky, frigid path around the corner. Before he attention resettled on the prisoner.

"Fuk it, what if he means Kana'ti?" It was the other one that spoke. Nervous now.

 

[Oakley]

Shit. The fucking last thing he wanted was for them to realise where he was from. He'd hope they'd jump to the wrong conclusion and now they were talking about Midir. His jaw clenched, and he glanced up the road toward the sound of trundling wheels.

Fuck. What the fuck was he doing here?! .. Midir was going to kill him.

What if he means Kana'ti?​

"Aha. Maybe you don't all have pig shit for brains.." he growled, his cheek dimpling in a smirk as he looked up at the bickering males. His gaze glinted dangerously, daring them to test the theory.

 

[Glendora]

Unfortunately for the Night Court but fortunately for Oakley, the two that had captured him weren't the smartest. The other one paled after Oakley spoke.

"Ah fuck," he growled and rubbed the back of his neck. "We'll get flayed for this."

"This is why you should ask questions before knocking randos out," the other said, reaching down and cut Oakley's restraints free, releasing the male. The other one still teetered on looking unconvinced but with a greater fear of being killed by Prince Kana'ti. Still, he didn't make a move to stop the restraints from being cut.

"Why the fuck were you sneaking around up there?"

Back at the border.

 

[Oakley]

No no, they most certainly did have pig shit for brains. Priorities in place, Oakley ruffled his fingers through his unruly blonde hair the moments his restraints were cut, and he got to his feet, wincing as the new aches. His jaw clenched with the urge to teach the fuckers a lesson, but he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself than he already had.

"Looking for a girl, why else?" he spit angrily, rolling his shoulders to ease some tension.

"Are we done here? I've better things to do with my time than hanging around here answering stupid fucking questions." he growled.

 

[Glendora]

One guard looked ready to snap him in cuffs again. The other looked too nervous to move. "We're done." He quickly stammered. The other one gave Oakley a steady stare as if to say...if he caught him sneaking around again he'd gladly bring him back to be in the same spot.

Meanwhile, across the bank of the river where a rock had been it was suddenly gone.

And further in the kingdom, Princess Glendora walked within the shadow of her brother Kan'ati. Hands were folded demurely in front of her. Chin trained downward. The air was cold and damp as it always was.

"Dear sister," his cold voice cut through the silence around them like a knife promising violence. "You seem more tired of late. You must watch your appearance to keep your value to potential suitors."

Glen knew better than to lift her eyes. To voice a protest. There was only a small clench of her jaw as they continued through the courtyard together to meet the Summer delegates. "Of course brother. I will do...better."

 

[Oakley]

Oak was tense, he only hoped he wasn't too tense. He was generally not too bad at playing cool and collected, but his temper often got the better of him and after a beating, he wanted nothing more than to let it loose and maul his way through these idiots. But he wasn't in his own court. In fact, he was in the worst fucking court that he could possibly be in.

Why?...

He'd been well known for his ability to track, his senses were keen, keener than most, but surely this time he was wrong? If he was right it meant that a Night Court female had crossed their border and took part in their hunt, and that just didn't make sense. Or, she could have simply been.. passing through here? But what female would ever wish to pass through such a fucking hell hole? It was no secret the way these males treated them. Fuck if they'd treated her like that....

Why did that thought bother him so much?! The only answer he had was that something about her had dug it's claws into him so deep that he'd let her drag him wherever the fuck she pleased if it meant another taste. She'd left him addicted at the first breath of her - and he knew, he knew she was here.

They let him go, which was lucky because the longer they kept him from his hunt, the more likely it was that he'd snap and cause more trouble for himself. He was sure they wouldn't back off entirely. There would no doubt be eyes on him one way or another. His gaze cast up as a raven flew overhead.. Everything had eyes here. He'd just have to try to blend in, he decided, since hiding would only look more suspicious. And so he walked...and walked....... and walked, following that strange tug, like a thread had been tied to his ribcage and led the way.

Oak paused and drew down his hood as the city of Unnuaq came into view, at least what was visible above the surface. His mouth fell open and he dragged his hand down his face with a long growl. "Of course she's in there." he muttered to himself before carrying on.

Midir was going to kill him. He had to get in, do what he had to do, and get out. No trouble. He could do that. The closer he got to the inner city, the more his stomach churned. He avoided looking directly at anyone in the streets and tried not to pay attention to the looks he got here and there when some realised he didn't quite fit in..

Where was she?

 

[Glendora]

She followed her brother, the King of Uunuaq as they exited the wet, wind buffeted dark and grey air from the courtyard into an inner corridor. Everything was always so frigid here. Colorless and biting wind. Only to enter corridors of darkness and flickering torchlight with stolen faerie light along alternating sconces.

Even with its harshness, there were thick gilded rugs of burgundy and gold along the hard stone and rock beneath. The corridor she and her brother traveled in opened from a back entrance into a large and wide hall. There was more light here and the place nearly seemed cheery. The stone in the hall was lighter, making the space seem brighter than the corridors they traveled through. And it was bustling with activity. Citizens of the Night Court wove about. Platters of food and drink went around on the hands and hips of female servants.

Those milling about freely were mostly men. Some with their wives in tow. Among the night court citizens were the Summer Court delegates. Proud noses and sneering lips as they managed to look down their noses, even if some were shorter, on those around them. Kan'ati curled his fingers around Glen's arm and squeezed in a warning before he disappeared in the crowd.

As he left, Glen managed to let her finger uncurl from the fist she'd squeezed at her side. One of the female servants strode by her, slipping a note too fast to see within the pocket of her gown. Finding a spot along the stone walls of the room between the flickering glow of firelight, she took out the note unable to hide the surprise that briefly flickered across her face.

He was here?

 

[Oakley]

Yes, he was here, and he could feel himself wander deeper and deeper into trouble with every step he took. His downcast gaze had only drawn more suspicious eyes, and so as he found himself in some sort of soiree, his cloak was discreetly discarded, his damp, blonde hair tidied with a quick tousle and his head was held high.

He could feel his blood heat with hatred of these fae. The sorts of fae who had robbed him of his family, the sorts he'd sworn to hunt. But he wasn't here for that, and by fuck he could only pray to whatever Gods would listen that none of them would realise that he didn't belong here.

Despite his sweating palms and pounding heart, the knot in his chest was beginning to fray and loosen. She was here. One step in the wrong direction sent a subtle tug through him, and he clenched his jaw irritably at whatever magic she'd had over him.

Unbeknownst to him, he had been heading straight for her when the crowd parted in front of him and his gaze settled on Kan'ati. He almost swore aloud as he turned and side stepped through the wall of people. Again with that incessant tug. Oakley growled at it and rubbed a hand firmly against his chest, but as he turned to look in the direction that it wanted to take him, he saw another female. An insanely beautiful female, who reminded him sorely of the one he sought and yet.. It wasn't her..

He rubbed at the tension at the back of his neck as he watched her for a moment, the crowd moving around him as he stood stagnant and struck stupid with confusion. And then she was moving away and the knot in his chest tightened and urged him to move too.

It isn't her.. He thought bitterly to himself and yet, he couldn't help but follow her. He stopped as the area cleared and he stood in full view of her now, only a few paces away. Everything seemed to settle into place, some strange feeling of satisfaction and contentment coursing through him, as though his hunt had been successful and yet his mind twisted and tried to find an explanation.

..."Huntress?.."

 

[Glendora]

As quickly as she held it in her hands, the note seemed to disappear.

Even if the party-goers hadn't parted. Even if he hadn't stood so still among the tide of the tug and pull of the gathering. Her eyes still would've found his. And as they connected with his own, her features sharpened as she remembered what she'd been trying to forget in dreams.

The way his scent tingled in her nose. The taste of his skin and blood on her lips.

What was he doing here? Fool of a Pixiesnark.

Though her gender was considered lower than a servant, being a princess and Kana'ti's sister would bring scrutiny to anyone she showed attention to in a place like this. A quick shift of her eyes to her brother. He was surrounded by the summer delegates. His guards ever present at his back. A bored sneer crossed his glacial features but they were firmly away from her. And Oakley.

For now.

Moonbright eyes returned to Oakley's. He shouldn't be able to recognize her. And yet...the way she'd read the words on his lips. The weight of his gaze. Feigning indifference, she plucked a glass of bubbly from a passing servant and boldly turned her back on the hunter. Even as she felt the back of her neck prickle at the action. Slippered feet strode purposefully toward one of the side entrance halls.

 

[Oakley]

He didn't recognise her, but he knew that his hunt ended here, that somehow she was what he'd been looking for. Either this was her, or she knew where Ora was. The blonde male stood there dumfounded for longer than he'd realised, a wash of confusion settling over his features as he took in the female's appearance, and who she seemed to be.

His silvery gaze cast a glance toward Kana'ti. Of course, he knew who he was, and he was precisely the very last person in the entire world that he should have been anywhere near to, and by fuck did he hope his gut feeling was wrong. A princess of the Night Court would have every reason to disguise herself in any other court...

Someone passed in front of him, obscuring her from view as she turned away from him, and he craned his neck to watch after her. He was moving instantly, trying not to push through and cause any sort of scene despite the flutter of panic that he might lose sight of her again..

Free of the crowd he wandered into the entrance hall, turning on his heels in search of her, the urge to speak her name tingling at his lips but he refrained, and followed his instincts and his feet in search of her.

 

[Glendora]

Between the flickering sconces of the main hall, there were multiple dark stained doors on either side of the stone walls. Glen took a sip from her fluted glass and casually opened one on the right, not closing the door all the way as she entered. It was a small library. Shelves were cut directly into the stone walls piled high with books and scrolls. A singular dark-stained shelf that matched the door to the room stood within, creating a natural hidden nook on the other side.

Slippered feet whispered quietly across the thick carpets layered on the floor. The short trail of her dress drifted behind her, the back of her gown plunging dangerously low on her back. With a few steps, she slid behind that singular shelf and into the alluded safety the nook offered. Fingers trailed idly along the spines of the book as her lips graced the edge of her glass once more.

As if she had all the time in the world.

And was completely unconcerned about who would enter.

 

[Oakley]

He froze for a moment as he caught sight of the dark train of fabric slide along the floor into one of the rooms. The orange lights of the sconces flickered against his face as he followed, glancing warily over his shoulder before he stepped through the door and let it click shut behind him. He moved warily. He might've still been wrong about this entire thing, and if he was caught here, then the likelihood of returning home was slim.

His brows furrowed as he ventured further into the little library, and he stopped and stilled in front of the shelf, his hand reaching up to slowly pluck one of the thick tomes and reveal a window to the female's face. Eyes like storm clouds fixed upon her face, brow creased in confusion as he searched it for recognition. Fuck she was.. breathtaking, but what if he was wrong?..

Oakley took a breath of that decadent scent, and the silver in his eyes flared like a wolf about to pounce. He swallowed. "My Lady.." his head tilted slowly, a coy smirk curling at the corner of his lips, knowing how much Ora had hated being referred to as such.

 

[Glendora]

Luminous eyes locked onto his own. A coy smile with lips sharp enough to cut briefly curled through the shadowy-window of books between them. And for a moment, he'd see the female from that night. The change in hair and eye color. The illusion was gone before a blink and one would question whether it was every truly there at all. And as his scent hit her nose, her smile faltered for the briefest of seconds.

"Tell me," she purred. "Are all fall boys foolish enough to tramp and blunder deep into this court?"

Stupid, stupid male.

Did he realize how dangerous he was making this for himself? For her? What in the nine HELLS was he doing here?

 

[Oakley]

Every sense shuddered to attention as her features shifted slightly and he saw, once again, the huntress he'd been hunting. Each emotion was betrayed by the idiosyncrasies that played out in his expression. The realisation, the triumph, the awe of her beauty and the desire to claim her here and now.. But then, the anger that she was a woman of the night court and what that meant, how she must have lived and been treated here, and then... That 'oh fuck' moment as it dawned on him that she was no ordinary woman of the night court..

She was Tulok's sister. She was royalty, and she shared the blood of the most heinous male of any fae he'd known of.

His brow furrowed at her words. How true they were and how ridiculously stupid he'd been to 'blunder' in here expecting to find her and take her back. But the thought of returning without her was oddly painful. "I told you, I'm a hunter. A foolish one, perhaps, but a damned good one.." he flashed a sharp canine in a half smirk at her.

"Most females would be impressed.." he commented huskily, trying to keep his voice low. Ora wasn't most females, however, a fact that was becoming infinitely clearer now. He glanced at the door behind him and rounded the bookcase, his silvery eyes taking their fill of her as he closed the gap between them.

"What were you doing in the autumn court?" he asked, a dangerous edge to his voice. "Spying for your brother, perhaps?" his brow quirked.

 

[Glendora]

Nostrils flared as he rounded the corner and she caught the smell of woods and campfire smoke. Smells that stirred memories of the hunt not so long ago. Her mouth watered as she remembered the taste of blood on her tongue. How it had been smeared all over the undulating skin of the hunters after their kills. How she'd tasted it on his lips.

If she was concerned about being cornered, she didn't show it. Didn't flinch or give him any ground. Slippered feet remaining firmly on the thick carpet where they were.

Eyes like twin moons did survey his form up and down as he stood before her no longer seeing him through the spines of books. A small sip of her drink, lowering the glass between them. "While my brother is more progressive than the one we left behind, he is a far cry from thinking female duanan have more to offer than securing a marriage of political or financial power. As to what I was doing there," her index fingers tapped gently against the side of her glass.

Once.

Twice.

"Is the hunt not open to all members of all courts?" A challenging and shrewd look offered back to the hunter.” And what if you still think me a spy no matter what I say? Are you going to drag me out of this keep? Past all the guards? Past the borders of this court and back to yours?”

She never would’ve been able to speak to any other male like this in this court. And perhaps she shouldn’t be so foolish as to speak to Oakley this way. But there was just something about him that she couldn’t walk away from. Besides, she had to make sure he left quietly. If he got caught, her own secrets would be in jeopardy.

 

[Oakley]

"Not to Princesses of the fucking Night Court." he growled and stepped in, ripping his hood down revealing the mess of blonde hair and the few bruises he'd been gifted with upon his entry to said court. He closed the gap between them, shoving her glass aside to press her to the bookcase, his eyes flashing in warning as they caught the light.

But the warning wasn't for her. The warning was for any who might think to stop him doing exactly what she spoke of. Of course it was ridiculous to think on taking on the entire Night Court but he'd do it before leaving her here. "I don't think I'll need to drag you.. You'd be more likely to beg me to take you with me." he frowned at her, a dimple in his cheek..

"Nothing you say will convince me that you'd rather stay here. You're a hunter, like me - you don't adhere to rules, nor do I. Are you really going to let your brother sell you off to the highest bidder?" he asked, his skin heating with fury at the thought. She was stronger than that and he knew it.

"I've known you for less than a day and I've hunted you for weeks.. Would you really turn me away?" his brow quirked.

 

[Glendora]

She frowned. It was hard to tell whether it was for the fresh greens and blues spreading across his face or his sudden invasion of her space. Eyes lingered on the bruises, even as her back pressed against the scrolls and leather bound books of scholars that had come long before them. Her chin lifted, face framed by white-blonde wisps of hair.

Ardent gaze met his own.

"Beg?" A single, delicate brow lifted as a brief, wicked smile curled along her lips. "You wish I would beg."

For a brief moment, her gaze flickered to his lips.

Her jaw clenched.

His scent. His emotions. Everything was tugging at something she refused to acknowledge and instead, she buried it deep down inside. None of this was in her plans. He was not in her plans. Her well laid, meticulous plans.

Are you really going to let your brother sell you off to the highest bidder?

"I let my brother do a great many things." A cool reply with a narrowing of orbs like moonlight. There was a small clink as her glass was set upon the small space of a shelf all without taking her eyes from Oakley. Hands lifted, palms sliding from his shoulders, down the muscular curves of his upper chest. As if she'd touched him a thousand times before. Then a tilt, step forward, and guided push so he'd be the one pinned to a bookshelf.

"You are not going to make this easy for me, are you?"

She didn't know how quietly he would leave. If he would run back and share everything to his Erlking. If he would leave at all. And if he did, if he wouldn't come back. Or get caught in the process. There were too many unknowns with him.

 

[Oakley]

The cruelty in that smile sent a chill spider-walking its way across his back, but he grinned none-the-less. "Ah but if I recall it is you who enjoys the sound of begging." he leaned a little closer to hear ear with a quiet purr.. "And for you, I am not above it."

He could see the muscle feathering in her jaw as she clenched it, and he wondered if his presence affected her as hers did with him. His body and mind was in turmoil, his thoughts and pulse racing and his senses of overdrive. And Gods, when she touched him with such familiarity. His gaze fell upon her hands, and as she pushed him back against the shelves, he didn't care to fight her. She could do whatever the fuck she so pleased with him.

"That all depends on what you mean by this... If by this you mean, turning me away, then no.. I'm afraid not." he grinned and let out a breathy laugh, showing off his pointed canines as he studied her face. "If you stay, I stay, even if it will break my heart to know that we will never hunt together again. I will know you, Ora, Huntress of the night court." he growled, and balled his fists by his sides rather than risk them wandering too far.

 

[Glendora]

"Stubborn male," she hissed, though her eyes never left his. As if she was seeing him for the first time. A slow, feline-like blink. Her hands would fall away and she took a calculated half-step back.

"If you are to stay then I need you to make a binding promise with me." Promises were no small things among the fae. It was close to a bargain. "You must promise not to share my plans, work, or other activities with anyone who will use that information to their advantage or cause me and my own harm. You must not share what you see here with anyone in your court or with anyone who might share it with someone in your court unless I give you permission."

Her gaze slowly appraised his figure once more, traveling from boot-tips to the top of his head. "And you will need to act more like a citizen and male of the night court. You need...much better clothes."

A rare twinkle flashed in her bright orbs.

 

[Oakley]

She. Was. Magnificent..

"Has anyone ever told you how attractive you are when you're angry?.." he groaned quietly, unable to suppress the shudder that rolled over his shoulders as she stepped back from him. He reached, hoping to take hold of her wrist in case her intention was to turn her back on him again, but her words caused him to pause and his brows to rise..

"Stay?" he asked incredulously. It hadn't been in his plans to remain in the Night Court for any longer than it took to get in, find her, and get out. He realised now how presumptuous it had been that she would agree to leave with him, but what female would want to be here?..

"I.." The word 'can't' turned to stone in his chest, and he realised that he couldn't refuse her. Leaving this place without her simply wasn't an option. Nor was stealing her away.

"Fine. Whatever you want, I swear it.. But, you know the strongest of promises are sealed by means far more sensual than simple words..." he grinned. "There has to be something in it for me.."

It was worth a try..