Private Tales Wolves At the Door

[Silver Romani]

Her brow rose, but she was smiling at his laughter as she looked up at him. She rumbled as he pulled her against him and her eyes rolled.. "Just a Prince..." she muttered through a grin.

"Well, how do you know you're not one of those champions that you speak of?.. You are everything you described. If you believe in your God then there's no reason not to believe you're on of her chosen. Personally I don't see what's so funny, mister 'I'm just a prince'..." she smirked, her fingertips trailing up and down his forearm..

 

[Jorg]

He shook his head. "I dunno, I've never really been religious. Haven't even prayed to her in..."

How long had it been?

There were a few when he had been changing at first, and of course some dropped randomly as he'd been in danger but those didn't count. For a few seconds Jorg doubted himself, a frown pulling at his lips until he felt Silver draw her fingers down his arms.

"Maybe if I meet a Raven in the woods I'll ask it." Jorg chuckled. "But I doubt we'll see one with the proper eyes."

The thought of being a champion alongside being a Prince terrified him. Something he quietly tried to hide.

 

[Silver Romani]

"Mh.." she shrugged and looked up at him.. "You never know.." she smiled.

Silver's eyes closed for a moment as she enjoyed the soothing sounds of his breathing and the cracking wood in the fire, soaking in the warmth from both his body and the hearth. "What would it mean, to be a Champion?.. You said she wants balance.." she frowned curiously.

 

[Jorg]

His fingers played slowly through her hair. "There's...conflicting thoughts on that. Different people say different things."

Jorg frowned for a moment, his touch soothing and soft.

"The Priestesses back home claim that Mallia wants her city to grow, her people to expand and 'tame' the Wilds." His lips thinned for a few seconds. "There are...others who think it the opposite."

The soft touch of his hands stopped a moment. "They claim that Mallia wants the Wilds to remain as it is. Untouched, a haven for monsters and men who would test themselves."

He shrugged, his touch continuing.

"My father has always believed she stands for both. Making sure neither fall into the other." Jorg wasn't sure what he believed. "I suppose I believe the same. Being Champion would mean ensuring that balance."

 

[Silver Romani]

"So, like a sort of bridge between the two? Protect the Wilds from humanity and those who'd seek to harm it?" her brow quirked. It was like listening to one of her mother's old stories, and with his fingers stroking through her hair and the sound and smell of the fire, she found herself sinking into a sleepy sort of contentment in his arms.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg considered for a few seconds, and then nodded his head. This was the first time he had ever really given it any thought at all, at least in a decade or so anyway.

"I think...yeah." He shrugged, his shoulders heaving for a second as he wrapped himself a bit tighter around Silver.

"But." Jorg began. "Not like we have to even worry about it."

Another small chuckle. "Mallia probably isn't even real."

As he spoke, the angry hoot of an owl echoed outside.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver's lips curled as he tightened his grip on her, a soft rumble sounding in her chest that was something akin to a purr.. She blinked at his words however, catching the sound of the owl outside immediately following his words of denial and she frowned.

"Don't tempt the Gods, Jorg. I'm sure she is very real.. I'd take that back if I were you." she muttered and nestled herself into his chest. "I'm sure there are humans all over Arethil who say that werewolves aren't real. But they're wrong too.."

 

[Jorg]

"Mm." Jorg said softly, his fingers playing over her for a few more seconds as he nodded his head.

Silver was probably right.

He himself had thought Werewolves were a myth until one had bitten him. Mallia might have been real, she might not have been, but he wasn't one to tempt fate. Not when it had been so good to him as of late. A yawn slipped passed his lips. "I'll be sure to apologize."

His eyes fluttered closed.

"When I see her." His words were sleepy as he began to drift off.

 

[Silver Romani]

His yawn was contagious. She grinned sleepily at his words and felt him settle and drift. Everything felt right and peaceful cocooned in his arms. He loved her.

She wished she could extend the night just so she could stay this close to him for longer, safe in his arms. They seemed to bring a sense of peace she'd never known before, a calming of the storms in her heart and mind. She started to believe that there was nothing out there to fear, and for the first time since being torn apart by a wolf she lay thinking about her future. Their future. She was so happy she couldn't even conjure the feeling of dread she usually did whilst thinking about the next full moon.

Even as she succumbed to sleep, her smile remained and she fell into a peaceful sleep.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg was the first one to wake up, his muscles aching and sore.

Fingers tightened for a brief moment as he felt the weight of Silver pressed up against him. He caressed her for a brief moment, taking a deep breath and simply enjoying her scent catch within his nose. For a moment he considered just sitting there, relaxing and enjoying the feeling of waking up feeling content.

A year ago he would have ran from her, funny that.

His eyes shifted opened for a moment, glancing over towards one of the taller windows. He spotted a small black raven sitting upon the sil there, and instantly a shiver ran down his spine. Goosebumps rolled over his flesh, and the bird gazed at him. There was a strange swirl to the creatures eye, as though its pupil had been swirled with a knife.

It let out a loud caw, and then suddenly a loud thunderous knock echoed through the Keep.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver's sleep had been comfortable despite being stacked on top of Jorg with little room to move. She had no desire to. She was still dressed in the emerald gown, though her makeup had smudged a little and the waves of her hair were a little dishevelled. She let out a deep sigh and squeezed her hold on him as she seemed to sense him waking but had no intention on opening her eyes herself.

Her brow furrowed as she felt a chill on her spine, as though his shudder had been contagious, and her eyes shot open with a flash of amber as the knock came. Her senses flared and her muscles rippled under her skin, ready to burst free of her skin should they be in any sort of danger. She subconsciously pulled at the air in search of a scent, her ears fine tuned to detect any hint of movement, and a quiet growl rumbled deep in her chest.

"What was that?.." she asked, now fully awake as she sat up and looked toward the door.

 

[Jorg]

His eyes now fully open Jorg let his gaze wander over towards the doors of the Keep. The central doors were still open, and the knock had sounded distant.

"The gate." He said gruffly.

Arms tightened slightly around Silver, shifting her from his lap and gently depositing her onto the chair besides himself. He searched for his sword, finding the blade resting on the dilapidated tabletop they had been using.

He snapped it up, motioning towards Silver. "Do you have your bow?"

Jorg had no intention of moving without cover of some sort.

Not after what they'd seen under the full moon.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver got up with a nod after Jorg had shifted her, retrieving her bow from where it leaned against the wall nearby the hearth. She ran her fingers over the arrows in her quiver, swiftly counting with her fingertips.

Her jaw ached with the urge to form rows of far more dangerous teeth than those she was currently armed with. The wolf stirred uncomfortably close to the surface and she pushed it down, for now at least. Silver slipped the bow over her shoulder and reached down to tear a slit in the dress she wore, anticipating the need to move quickly.

She looked to Jorg before turning to rush upstairs to get a view from the balcony..

 

[Jorg]

The smell of blood filled his nostrils as he stepped closer towards the gate, his fingers tightly wrapping around the hilt of his sword as he stepped closer.

"He-he-"​

Words echoed out from beyond the gate as a fist slammed against the gate of the Keep. It was thunderous, a stronger strike that had any man had a right to. It pounded against the doorway, resounding again and again in a desperate plea.

Jorg glanced upward, looking to the Balcony where Silver had perched herself. "Wolf?"

He could smell it on the man beyond the gate.

It was a tinge of earth, or something else beyond just a man. There was no doubt in Jorg's mind that the man beyond the gate had been one of the Wolves who'd slaughtered the Soldiers they had met the night of the full-moon.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver nocked an arrow and aimed it at the gate, glancing down at Jorg with a quick nod.. The man wore no clothes, he was bloodied and blackened by smoke and he was just a little larger than Jorg. She could smell the wolf on him and recognised the scent from the previous night..

"Will you stop that?!" she yelled irritably at the pounding on the gate. "What is it that you want?!" she called down, keeping her arrow aimed should he manage to break through.

 

[Jorg]

"I'm hurt!"​

There was a gruffness to the man's tone, a ragged edge that spoke of experience and age. Jorg frowned for a moment, peering through one of the gaps in the door. He shifted his stance, trying to get a better look at the figure.

His hair was white, face grizzled, long scars marked his body as though they had been there for decades. Jorg didn't recognize him, but there was almost something...familiar to his eyes. "Why should we care?"

A decent enough question.

"Look I can smell what you are. I'm not here to hurt you. My pack was scattered..."​

Meaning that the Wolves had lost. Briefly Jorg wondered where the army was, how many of them were left, if they could be headed here. Why had the Werewolves even attacked them in the first place.

"I need help."​

The man said, and Jorg looked up at Silver wearily.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver gave a cynical frown at the man's assurances and she cast her gaze through the thicket and trees beyond the keep, searching for any sign of others and pulling at the air, but she couldn't pick up any more scents from here. She'd never been the type to deny someone help, but things felt different now, if it meant keeping them safe she'd have left him out there to die.

"So they'll be tracking you here!" she answered from her perch and looked down at Jorg. If he was telling the truth and they let him die at the door for his 'pack' to find, it'd only mean more trouble.. He was only one man, he was already outnumbered if he came in alone.

Silver sighed and gave Jorg a slight shrug as an answer, the decision was his, but she'd keep her bow string tight and her arrow aimed until she was certain it wasn't a trick.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg hesitated for a moment, frowning as he saw Silver shrug at him.

He wondered briefly how trouble always managed to find its way to him. All that he wanted was for a day to go easy. To encounter no troubles and actually get to where he wanted to go. Yet here was another bump in the road. Another barrier that they had to overcome.

It was starting to get annoying.

Jorg was about to open his mouth to speak, to give his answer, but then he heard the caw of a crow. His head snapped to the side, lips thinning as he spotted the bird perched up on the Walls of the keep. It's eyes caught his, and then it gave another quiet caw.

He frowned, and then nodded his head. "Alright, but try anything and I'll cut you down."

It was a simple warning, and one he was more than willing to follow through on.

With a hard wrench of his hand Jorg removed the beam blocking off the door, pulling open the gate and letting the old grizzled wolf through the door. The man gave a thankful nod, and then slowly limped Into the courtyard.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver's gaze narrowed on the man as he limped into the yard, her arrow aimed at his chest should he try anything at all.

"What is it that you want?" she called down to him, her brow furrowed in scrutiny. Wolves tended to heal quickly, without the aid of mundane methods. "Are the humans still hunting you?.." she added quickly. The last thing they needed was him leading hunters to their little sanctuary, all she wanted were a few days of rest.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg still held the sword in his hand, keeping a step or two away from the Old Wolf just in case he tried to jump him.

The wound on his leg looked genuine, a gash deep enough to have hurt. Oddly enough it did not seem to be healing, at least not at the speed that he and Silver usually enjoyed. A frown touched his face for just a moment, but he asked nothing.

"Just need a place to heal, day or two."

The old man looked down at the gash in his leg.

"They used silver swords."

Jorg cringed slightly. "And the other question?"

"Aye. They're still hunting. Probably will be for a while. They've been trying to find us for months now."

Jorg looked up at Silver. The two of them had spoken or things like this before, whether or not Werewolves traveled in packs or most of them were alone. Jorg had never really thought about it before meeting his now lover, but it seemed more and more important.

 

[Silver Romani]

"What do you expect when there are packs of you?..You don't exactly try to blend in." Silver's brow knit. It was only natural that the humans would arm themselves with silver and hunt them down before allowing them to slaughter villages and towns. Then again, she realised the vicious cycle, in that they were probably forming packs to keep themselves safer too.

Silver's bow lowered as she returned Jorg's look and sighed. "Come inside and get warm." she grumbled and turned to leave the balcony and make her way back downstairs.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg waited for the old man to move passed him, mostly so that he could keep an eye on him as he stepped in turn with Silver and moved into the Keep.

"We were a pack, but we didn't bother no one till they came for us."

"I somewhat doubt that." Jorg said gruffly, still not sheathing his sword but instead keeping it low.

He didn't want to have to cut the man down, but at the same time he hardly trusted him to run around their 'home' without a second thought. The mercenary was far too cautious for something like that, a fact which showed in how he walked.

"We kept to ourselves in the mountains. Far off from any village or city. Only reason they came after us was a bunch of rumors, and then they just wanted our heads."

Jorg frowned. "So why'd you attack them?"

"Only chance we had, strike first or be wiped out. They'd already slaughtered half of us."

 

[Silver Romani]

"So you...choose to live more like wolves than humans?.." Silver called from the next room as she rummaged. It was curious to her that they'd adapted so much to their lycan side, then again, Silver was more wild than most humans, she wasn't exactly used to home comforts.

"How many of you are there?.." she asked, an empty basin and some linen in her arms as she approached, more curious than cautious now. She set a pot of water over the hearth to warm, and gestured for him to take a seat in the large armchair that sat in front of it.

 

[Jorg]

"There were forty of us."​

Jorg tried to close his eyes briefly, resting the tip of his sword on the ground as he tried to remember how many wolves he had seen in the fight last night. He wouldn't have placed the number more than a few over two dozen, though that wasn't far off.

Especially if that army had already killed a few of them. "How many now?"

The old man looked back towards Jorg, a grimace crossing his features as he took a seat in the armchair that Silver had gestured to. It was clear that his wound was causing him more than a little discomfort.

"I don't know. I might be the only one left."​

Jorg looked at Silver, still a little weary.

"Used to be we could live with no problems, but things been changing."​

 

[Silver Romani]

"Forty??" Silver's wide eyes blinked and she looked at Jorg with a frown. As the man considered he might be the only one left, Silver knelt down in front of him to take a look at the wound, her head shaking as she muttered at him. "Somehow I doubt that. And if they come here looking for you, we want no part in your troubles." she frowned.

The wound was blackened, the veins under the skin like black tendrils surrounding it. Silver wasn't much of a healer, but she'd have to wing it. She tore a long strip of linen and tied it as tightly as she could just under his knee before pouring some hot water into the basin and soaking a cloth to clean the blood.