Private Tales Wolves At the Door

[Silver Romani]

The wolf licked the blood from her teeth with a snarl and huff at the opposing wolf as Jorg threw him into a tree, a growl in warning rattling from her throat in case the crumpled beast had any notion of getting up. She took a step forward to flick her tongue at Jorg's muzzle as he growled at her, and as soon as he started running, she followed.

The wildfire was spreading quickly, too quickly, and they had to skid to a halt and change direction once, twice, three times. Shadows of wolves sprinted by, arrows, axes, screams, yelps. All around them was carnage, and Silver's heart, the wolf's heart, pounded in her chest in panic.

Ahead their path into the forest was blocked, one one side by the blaze, on the other a formation of soldiers trying to pen the remaining wolves in. An arrow missed Silver's face by mere inches and she ducked with a whine, sticking close to Jorg, looking to him with worry in her eyes.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg didn't stop.

He had always thought it a monster, a beast, something incapable of thought and reason, but now he wasn't too sure. It was almost like it knew, like his own thoughts bled into it as they ran forward. His head whipped around for just a brief second towards Silver, and then it growled.

With three great strides the Wolf leaped into the air.

It closed the distance between itself and the soldiers in an instant. A single swipe of the claw was all that was necessary to bring down one of the mean, his body crashing low brought down another. A roar escaped him, and he whipped his head in a snap of his jaw as he tore apart a third.

Screams echoed as the formation of men broke and scattered, fear filling the air.

 

[Silver Romani]

His growl was an order to be followed, and she followed without hesitation. She tried to shut her mind down from it, but she heard the screams and saw the look of horror on the men's faces as the wolves reached them.

Silver landed on the first man, crushing him into the ground with a few audible cracks and she tore open his chest for good measure. A bolt slashed her upper arm but she registered it with no more than a growl and slammed the shooter into the ground by the skull which exploded under foot.

As she looked up the others were running, and the wolf threw it's head back to throw an ear splitting howl from it's lungs before she tore off after them, intent on killing as many as she could for the sport of it. Claws tore easily through the next man's back and she left him bleeding out to move on to the next in blind fury.

 

[Jorg]

Blood.

It lay within the ground. On the trees. In his fur. It seemed to saturate the very air and connect it all. The scent was there, clogging his nostrils and driving him further on for more. Always more. Yet Jorg knew he could not remain.

The Wolf knew it too.

As Silver howled loudly Jorg's head whipped up, beady yellow eyes gazing through the light of the fires. In the distance he could hear the howl echo, some of the other wolves answering the call. A snarl pulled over Jorg's lips, and then a low bark echoed from his muzzle.

They had to leave. The killing was joyful, good, but there was another danger. They had to get out of here before they met that too. Jorg waited until he caught Silver's attention, and then with one quick snap of his body lead them back towards where they had started their night.

 

[Silver Romani]

She was enjoying herself far too much, she wasn’t ready to leave even though her mind was screaming out for it to stop. The scent of blood hung heavily in the air, her fur, claws and muzzle dripped with it and drove her frenzy.

The wolf slammed another man into the ground, her jaws clamping down on the arm that held his blade and she tore it clean off and tossed it aside. She had been about to silence the man’s screams by removing his throat next, but Jorg’s bark caught her attention. Her head whipped around to see him turn to leave and her ears flattened with a quiet huff. The second he took off, she followed, leaving the soldier writhing in shock.

 

[Jorg]

The allure of blood, the call of slaughter, it hung over his head the same that it did over hers.

He wanted to kill. He wanted to fight...hunt, but something more compelled him. It was a fact cemented in his mind, a need that overwhelmed all the others; survival.

Not just his own.

That compulsion was always there, but before it had been cast aside. Yet now the Wolf knew that it was about more than just himself. He did not fight not because of cowardice, but a need to ensure that both he and Silver made it through the night. The Wolf would not let them die, would not let them be hurt.

Not when they had only come together such a shortwhile ago.

His head turned to ensure that she was still coming with him, that she was following upon his heels. When he saw her, his steps quickened, leading them both towards the Keep where their human forms had spent the night.

 

[Silver Romani]

Blood dripped from her coat as paws thundered into the ground, keeping as close to him as she could as they sprinted back through the darkness, the sounds of destruction and the glow of the fire growing weaker behind them until they reached their little keep.

She skidded to a halt as he stopped and crimson droplets sprayed into the air as the wolf shook out her fur. Her amber gaze turned toward the black wolf and her head lowered to press her forehead against him with a deep huff as she caught her breath, a low, guttural growl rattling in her chest.

In the depths of the wolf's mind, Silver had been trying to shut herself away without success, she witnessed the turmoil. Lived it. Ended lives and tore off limbs like the monster she was.

 

[Jorg]

The wolf stopped, froze.

It didn't know what to do from here.

Jorg looked around, the Wolf peered with his head, eyes eventually landing on Silver. The growl that echoed from her chest was mirrored from him, a step taken forward as the Wolf raised itself up and reached a clawed hand out towards it's mate.

Blood still stained it's fur, and there seemed to be no interest in shaking it out.

It stepped over towards Silver and softly grasped her. Not an embrace, but almost a...calming and controlling touch. As if easing her down off of the lust of blood that had swept over the both of them.

 

[Silver Romani]

The wolf's tongue licked at it's bloodstained muzzle and she eyed the clawed hand that reached out to her, her hackles bristling slightly but she seemed to ease under his touch and met his eyes with her own. Her breaths slowed, the thundering heart in her chest calmed and she let out a deep huff laced with a soft whine.

Silver wished she could shift back. The smell of blood was sickening and she felt a desperation to wash it off, scrub the flesh from her nails, throw up until her stomach was empty of blood and flesh. The night had not gone as planned, and now she had more blood on her hands, more guilt on her mind and more horrors for her memory.

The wolf's bowed her head and crouched down onto her haunches with a quiet growl. The hunt was over, but the wolf would cling on to the moonlit night for as long as she could.

 

[Jorg]

Time seemed to go on, drift forward.

Nothing came to the Keep.

Either the soldiers had all been slaughtered or the Wolves had, it didn't really matter. Neither made their way to where Silver and Jorg waited. Somehow the Wolf managed to calm it's own mind enough to keep itself from going back out on the Hunt, somehow they stayed.

The sun crested the forest quickly, and the Wolf seemed to duck itself away as fur and flesh once again peeled away.

It had not been the touch of the moon that kept him transformed, but the will to watch over Silver. Once the Wolf saw that she was returning to her human form Jorg's own monster followed suit. As it did the Prince could sense bitterness, anger at the fact that the Wolf had had to run.

It did not like running.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver had dozed off for only a few short minutes before her form slowly tarted to shift back. The process was calm and far gentler than her transition from human to wolf, and her bones and muscles seemed to melt back into place as fur sank back into her blood-smeared skin.

Her eyes opened as she woke in the grass, and she looked at her own, human hand that lay in front of her face. She didn't speak, or move, or cry and could only lay there for a moment, numb and stained with the blood of the men she'd slaughtered.

Finally she threw up, as she always did, her arms shaking weakly as they held her up.

"You said you wouldn't let me kill anyone.." she uttered quietly as she dragged the back of her wrist across her lips, holding down another wave of nausea at the smell of blood that filled her nose.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg lay against a stone wall, his body worn, tired. "Wasn't really much choice."

He did not like killing, had never liked it, but he wasn't about to die because of that. Between the fire and the soldiers, the Wolf had known the soldiers were the best way of survival. Flame tore at fur, and he could still see the smoke on the horizon from where the fire was still going. He doubted it would quench any time soon.

"Wolves and soldiers." He shook his head. "Those men shouldn't have been there."

He didn't understand why they had.

This area was supposed to be abandoned, left alone. Jorg frowned, his lips thinning as he pushed himself up and he slowly wandered over towards Silver. He sat himself down besides her, hand softly touching, soothing. "I'd rather kill a dozen men than see you dead."

He was sure it was the same for her.

"We protected ourselves, had to." Otherwise they both would have been dead.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver blinked hard a few times, as though trying to remove the images from her mind. He was right of course, it had been kill or be killed, but she felt how much the wolf had enjoyed it as she slaughtered for the sport of it. The beast was mindless, and Silver knew well enough that if Jorg hadn't been there she'd have kept going for as long as she could.

Her eyes closed for a moment as she felt his hand on her, but they opened again as soon as the images came back. She turned to him, shaking as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him for dear life. She was alive, but more importantly so was he. She breathed him in, trying to let his scent calm her amidst the coppery aroma of blood.

"I left one alive.." she frowned, staring at the trees with her chin on his shoulder. "I hope he dies." she frowned, for it was a far better fate than this.

 

[Jorg]

Thren slid his arms around her, holding her tight as he thought about what he had seen the night before. He could play most of it over in his mind, the scenes of violence, the wolves. All of it was still stuck in his mind, like a recording.

"I think..." He knew that he had done the same as hers, that at least one of the soldiers he'd bitten was still alive, but he also remembered what had come in their wake.

There was no real telling what those other Wolves had wanted, if they'd been there to slaughter or to...recruit. The second thought made his stomach drop. "I've never seen that many Werewolves in one place before."

His frown deepened.

"Is that...normal here?" On this side of the spine is what Jorg meant.

 

[Silver Romani]

His arms around her seemed to mollify her panic and calm her shaking body as she felt his warm skin against hers. "I don't know.." she answered quietly, she'd only ever seen one pack like that before..

"The one who attacked my friend and I was one of many.." she frowned and sat back slightly to look over his face, her hands stroking at his face attentively, a flash of rage in her eyes as she thought of the wolf who'd attacked him. She drew him into a tender kiss, one that told of how grateful she was that they were still together.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg returned her kiss, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath for a moment as he glanced up and looked towards the Keep. "Maybe..."

He wanted to keep her safe.

"Maybe we fix those doors." It seemed foolish to go out into the forest now, to leave after what they had seen the night before. If the wolves were anything like him and Silver they could easily hunt them down.

Best to have somewhere defensive.

"We'll be safer here." He told her softly. "At least for a week or two."

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver sighed and gave a short nod, her lips pressing to his cheek before she got to her feet and reached for his hand to pull him up. "I think that's a good idea.." she agreed and offered a small, tired smile, her hands still shaking slightly with nerves.

The thought of staying put for a couple of weeks would normally agitate her, but right now it gave her a certain sense of calm and she felt herself ease a little, knowing they'd be safe there. Right now, she was in desperate need of a bath and some comfort and sleep, and so she set the water over the fire and before long she was laying in the tub, soaking the heat into her bones as the water turned pink with the dried soldiers blood, and she scrubbed until her skin was raw and sore.

 

[Jorg]

Thren washed himself, though using only a rag and some of the water they had from the well.

He wanted Silver to pamper herself in the bath, knowing that she needed it more than he did. The killing was never easy, never, but for him it was something that had long ago settled. Even before he'd turned to a Wolf Jorg had slaughtered other men.

What did it matter if the monster did?

As long as those he killed were not innocents Jorg didn't particularly feel guilty. A soldiers life was fraught with danger, and at the end of the day he had only defended himself. "I'm going to fix that gate."

He told Silver softly from the doorway.

"Get our things from the woods too." They were still laying just a short walk away from the Keep.

 

[Silver Romani]

Her gaze was distant as she sat in the bath, the hot water and bubbles filled to the brim and the warmth soaking into her sore bones and muscles.

She looked up as Jorg spoke and forced a soft smile as she nodded in response.. “Alright... Be careful.” she added with a sigh and chewed on her lip anxiously at the very thought of him going off alone. Of her being alone. She had spent most of her time alone but since she’d met him It’d been a strange thing to imagine.

The moment he left she submerged into the water and stayed there until she had to gasp for air as she sat up and wiped the rush of water and tears from her face .

 

[Jorg]

He flashed a smile at her. "Always am, Doll."

Before he left the Werewolf stepped over to Silver and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, softly stroking his hand over her hair before he smiled down at her and tucked himself back out into the hallway.

Jorg wouldn't be far. He would get their things, a few supplies, then come back to the gate to make sure that they could at least lock people out if they had to.

It only took about an hour or so before he was back at the gate. He left most of his armor off, preferring to set himself to work cutting timber in order to reinforce the gate. That was where Silver would find him if she came looking, if not, he would eventually peek back into the Keep to find her himself.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver took her time bathing and composing herself. She lathered her skin in lotion that smelled of coconut and wildflower and combed her hair into damp, flowing waves to let it dry. She explored the closet of clothes that had been left behind, and was pleased to find that the woman who'd lived here had been of similar size.

She raked through the rails of dresses and lifted one out with a smile to herself, and pulled it on. It slid easily onto her olive skin, sleeveless emerald silk that floated down to her feet and. It hugged flatteringly at her hips and waist and cut low, leaving room for one of the emerald pendants to adorn her chest. Silver stared at the garment in the mirror for a moment, a soft smile playing on her lips as she rushed from the room to find him.

Her throat cleared as she stood in the doorway, and she leaned casually, her lips pursing as she awaited his verdict.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg turned around as Silver cleared her throat, sweat slick brow raising slightly. A whistle escaped his lips, eyes surveying her form as she leaned against the door. His lips quirked up in a smile.

"Already looking the part of a Princess." The werewolf said as he dropped the hammer he'd been holding in his left hand and deposited some if the nails in his left onto the ground.

He was sure now that they would eventually return to Mallian.

Jorg couldn't have said why, but it was an inkling he'd had now. Perhaps because of the comfort they had found here, or just because he so desperately wanted to show her his home. Where he'd spent his youth. "You look beautiful."

He told her as he gently grasped her hips and pulled her against himself.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver was shy and modest when it came to the sort of admiration Jorg was paying her. She had always danced and flaunted but she was never very good at accepting a compliment. She'd never worn anything as fine as the gown she did right now though, and she couldn't help but feel pretty. Still, her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink and she dropped her gaze to laugh under her breath at his words.

The thought of being amongst royalty still amused her, she could pretend, by scrubbing up and wearing pretty gowns, but in her mind she would always be a gypsy, who danced barefoot in the streets, robbed people of their coin and trinkets and slept in the dirt most nights. Then again... there was an entire life left behind in this keep that could simply be stepped into, and she could get used to the soapy baths, comfortable beds and pretty things.

Her lips curled as he approached and she tiptoed to snake her arms around his neck as he pulled her in by the hips, a breath of a laugh escaping her lips as they grazed against his own. "Thank you.." she smiled.. "You look sweaty.." she mused, and kissed, breathing him in and settling back onto her feet.

"At least I'll have some things to wear when I meet your parents." she smirked, looking up at him and biting gently on her lip at the thought.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg smiled down at Silver, his arms sliding over her hips and around her waist. "My love, you're going to need about twenty more of these."

The troubled of nobility. An outfit for every hour of the day, for every meal, and then for the resting room after the meals. It was something he had never much liked, but protocol was important. At least that was what his mother had always said to him.

One had to look the part to be the part.

"I'll take you shopping." He told her with a smile, though he suspected that his sisters would want to do that part more than he did. A brief thought flittered through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

"You won't even know what to do with all the silk." He chuckled. "I never did."

 

[Silver Romani]

My love..

Silver's head tilted at him, her lips slowly curling as her cheeks flushed slightly. She hadn't ever been called that before and there was something addictively sweet about it. "Only twenty?.." she flashed her teeth in a bright smile at him, her fingers kneading affectionately at the back of his neck and shoulders.

"I must say I am looking forward to watching you shop for silks.." she chuckled and stood up onto her tiptoes to claim his lips again, her body melting against his..

"I hope they like me.." she sighed and rested her head against his chest.