Private Tales Wolves At the Door

[Jorg]

Jorg stopped by the door. "Only if it looks like helping won't get you killed."

His words were quiet, a smile touching his face as he looked at her. He could hear his heart steadily beat in his chest. There was a calm rhythm to it, a slow and steady thunder that carried him forward.

"I wont let you get hurt for me." They were the last words he said before popping out the side door.

The air of the morning was crisp and cold, a heavy fog laying over the old mining town as Jorg stepped out into the cold. A shiver ran up his spine, nose twitching as he quickly moved around the building. His gaze swept as he came to a stop, voices ringing out.

"Looks like it's just the one. Corpses weren't completely shredded, it was probably her."

Jorg tensed.

They weren't here for him.

"Aye. She's around here somewhere. Tracks lead in and out of town but...someones stripped the bodies."

Jorg gripped the haft of his ax a bit tighter, creeping forward as he tried to get a closer view. He could see three men through the fog, though he knew there were at least five. All of them wore black armor, chainmail atop it. Their pauldrons had spikes and the three he could see all had silver swords.

Professionals. He frowned for a moment, picking up a rock from the ground. He knew that head on he wouldn't win this fight, but...there were other ways.

The rock was thrown, bouncing off a nearby wall and making a knocking noise. All three of the men instantly turned.

"Jerick, check it out."

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver huffed quietly at his words as he slipped out and leaned in against the wall to peer through it.. "But you wouldn't let us run.." she muttered under her breath and shook her head.. "Can't see a fucking thing from here.." she growled irritably and pressed her forehead against the wood. There was no way she'd be able to content herself with staying in here whilst he was out there, her skin crawled with the discomfort of it and she clenched her jaw..

Stay back...Only if it looks like helping won't get you killed.. If it looks like they have me, run..

His words played in her ears and she fought over what to do. If they'd tracked her here and he died for it she couldn't live with herself.. She heard the rock hit and she tensed, her pulse quickening as she peered hopelessly out into the fog, her fingers tightening around her bow as she waited for movement.

 

[Jorg]

The man that they called Jerick moved towards where Jorg had thrown the rock, his steps careful and planned as he looked around the building.

Jorg took the opportunity move closer, shifting slowly from hiding place to hiding place. He thanked Mallia for the fog, snapping off a quick prayer to the Raven Queen as he slipped behind an abandoned cart just to the left of Jerick.

"Ain't shit here!"

The man called, kicking what appeared to be a helmet before turning around.

As soon as he looked away Jorg was upon him. He held the axe just behind the blade, his arm wrapping around Jerick as muscles flexed and steel bit into flesh. Hand clasped over Jerick's mouth as he slit the man's throat, his body falling onto the ground with a muted thud as Jorg dropped him. Four to go.

Jorg thought to himself as he dropped his ax, drawing Jerick's sword from his belt.

Of course, as he did so he didn't notice the man coming up behind him, silvery sword already drawn.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver couldn’t see shit from here. Jorg has disappeared from sight and the scent of fresh blood filled her nostrils at the same moment she saw the hunter with the silver sword signal toward his comrades with a silent hand in the air. Jorg hadn’t seen him, and they knew he was there. Fuck.

“JORG!!!!!” Silver yelled out from the inn, turning heads and hopefully distracting them for long enough for Jorg to regain the upper hand. Meanwhile Silver nocked her bow and kicked the door open to take aim on the hunter closest.

“There she i— “ he fell, arrow in his throat as she drew another and the rest scattered to take cover.

 

[Jorg]

"FUCK!" Jorg swore as he whirled around just in time to see the hunter take an arrow to the throat. There was a spurt of blood that splattered across his face, and then the man fell onto the ground.

Silver sword clattered against rock and stone, another curse passing his lips as the three remaining men suddenly scattered through the fog. Yellow tinged eyes turned to Silver for just a moment, a smile touching his lips.

He would have to thank her for that later, but now wasn't the time.

With a rush Jorg moved forward, flipping the sword in his hand to get a sense of the balance as he fell onto the Hunter closest to him. The man let out a bark of surprise as their swords clashed, his teeth grating as he shouted.

"THE BITCH HAS A FRIEND!"
​

The words earned him a cut across his arm and a kick to the knee.

 

[Silver Romani]

Her heart was thundering in her chest as amber eyes searched frantically for the others. She felt exposed here, and she had the feeling they were watching her from the fog, and she was right. She took a step to move and a bolt tipped with silver shot past her, narrowly missing her shoulder and she felt her muscles squirm and shudder under her skin as she gasped in panic. Another arrow was nocked and she took a quick random shot into the fog in the direction of where the bolt had been shot.

"Fuck!!" It hit something, someone, but not fatally.. She could hear another bolt be loaded and she rushed toward the sound, firing arrow after arrow until she was above the girl, around the same age as she was, her wide, dead eyes staring up at her with an arrow in her chest and leg.

"LIANNA!?!" another male voice cried a sound of furious panic, and he let out a pained cry as he got no response from the girl. "I want that bitch alive!!"

Silver spun in the direction of the man's voice and aimed another arrow, her quick breaths tiny plumes on the cold air as she waited for the movement or the sound. Fuck this fog. She didn't see the man creep up behind her, and his arms wrapped around her to make her drop her bow and she struggled with an irate growl before throwing her head back hard, the sound of his nose breaking against her skull.

"FUCK, CUNT!" he gripped a handful of her hair and dragged her to the ground to drag her as she kicked and screamed. "Kev! Got her!! She got Lianna!!"

 

[Jorg]

Kev didn't answer.

The man was a good swordsman, and if they'd been in the middle of a duel he likely would have bested Jorg. This wasn't a duel though. There were no honorable men among the dead.

There were only monsters.

As the Hunter dashed and parried Jorg's blade a confident grin pulled at his, lips. A taunt came forth, but Jorg ignored it as yellow began to slowly creep into his eyes. A feral grinned crossed his lips, and the Hunter wavered as something seemed to change.

Sword's clashed together, but this time Jorg reached over the blades and grabbed the man's lapels. With a flex of his bicep Jorg pulled the man forward and smashed his forehead into the bridge of his nose. Blood sprayed and Kev cried out, but it was already too late. Jorg's blade bit forward, stabbing through the mans gullet and sending him to the floor like ragdoll.

Then he heard the words.

"Kev! Got her!!..."
​

In an instant Jorg whipped around, wrenching the bloody blade free of Kev's stomach as he stalked forward. Canines grew, fingers tightened on the sword. His nose twitched, tracking the scent of Silver an the last man. "Drop her."

The words were more growled than truly spoken, echoing as Jorg hid himself in the fog.

"Drop her or I tear you limb from limb." He felt claws digging into his own palm, muscles flexing.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver's nails turned to claws and they dug hard into the man's wrists but he only yanked her harder along the cold ground. He stopped suddenly though, and as Silver heard Jorg speak the man pulled her to her knees in front of him and drew a silver dagger and pointed it at Jorg.. His hand trembled. He knew he was the only one left, that he'd die anyway, and he attempted to negotiate..

"I I I'll let her go if you let me go!" he demanded and gripped the gypsy's hair tighter and she grimaced and laughed..

"So you can gather more hunters and come back?.. He's not letting you go you fucking moron he'll rip your fucking ba--.." he yanked her hair harder and pressed the silver dagger to her throat. Silver screamed as it burned instantly against her skin without piercing it, he'd only meant it as a warning and the man started to panic as she cried out. Silver gripped him by the arms and threw him forward onto his back, and pulled herself away to clutch at her throat.

 

[Jorg]

That was it.

Silver's scream of pain had been enough, but the knife to her throat was what had really done it. Within the fog something stirred, moved. As Silver threw the man forward and over herself it was not Jorg that burst from the mist, but the Wolf.

Massive raking claws caught the Hunter, his eyes bulging as he found his stomach torn into. One had grasped his throat, the already bitten into his stomach.

"P-please. We were hired...quick job...this...I have a family."​

The Wolf stared at the man, yellow eyes fixed on him as it's jaw slowly hung open. Eyes flickered for a moment to Silver still clutching her throat, and then a low growl erupted from the monsters chest.

"P-ple-AAAAAAAAAAAH!"​

There was a sickening crunch as the wolf bit into the man, ripping at his flesh and tearing his arm clean off in one quick swoop before pulling back and crunching down upon his throat.

 

[Silver Romani]

Pain seemed to spread through her body, and Silver frantically gripped at the burn and checked that it hadn't breached her skin and gone into her system, but there was no blood on her hands. She breathed out, and tried to ride through the pain. The wolf had retreated, she was no longer trying to burst through her skin and instead whined in her ears as Silver did..

Her eyes rose wide to see the wolf, how quickly he'd shifted. She knew that Jorg didn't have full control over his wold, but somehow she didn't fear him. She was his, the wolf knew that as much as he did. She didn't dare blink and miss a moment of his fury, and as sickening as it was, something in her swooned at the vengeance. She smiled despite the burn eating into her skin under her tremulous hand..

 

[Jorg]

Pieces of a corpse fell onto the ground, the promised he had made followed through.

Blood soaked the Wolf's hair, sticking to his chest and dripping from his maw as he bit down on what appeared to be the Hunter's hand. There was a sickening crunch as bone splintered and flesh was torn apart by vicious teeth.

The Wolf took in a deep breath, almost as if steadying itself before slowly it stepped over the corpse in front of it and walked towards Silver.

Even as it moved towards her one could still see the primal edge within the monster. Every muscle in it's body was taught, ears flickered, and golden eyes glanced about as though he were a Predator watching for more prey. Yet as he closed the distance between them she would notice there was no ill intent, not towards her.

It came to stand in front of her, it's eyes fixed on her. A breath flowed into it's lungs, and then slowly it reached up and gently brushed the back bloody claw over her cheek.

 

[Silver Romani]

She tensed slightly as he moved toward her, thought it was brief and she eased as she found his gaze. She breathed in, his scent and the blood of the man overwhelming her. The touch prompted a smile and her hand left her throat to take hold of the massive hand and press it to her cheek with a nuzzle and a calm breath.

"Thank you.." she rumbled against his palm, and pulled herself to her feet to reach for her face. It'd been the first time she'd been able to study one of her own kind like, she'd never imagined that she'd want to.

"Is this what I look like?.." she asked under her breath.

 

[Jorg]

The Wolf did not answer of course, it could not speak, but claws gently brushed against her check as she folded her face to rest in it's hand.

There was a calmness to it, it's chest slowly rising and falling as it simply studied her.

As Silver studied the monster before her she would come to understand what they were; predators. Taught muscle stretched beneath slight pale flesh hidden beneath a coat of thick black hair. Razor sharp claws reached from it's hands, and ears flickered wildly as though listening to every sound within a mile.

The Wolf was made for killing, hunting.

Yet here it stood, calmly caressing her cheek, looking down at her as though all the world was before it.

 

[Silver Romani]

Her eyes burned amber as she looked over his face, her finger stroking at his bloody muzzle and onto his cheek. "I wouldn't have stood a chance.." she huffed. Their numbers had grown, she'd only ever managed to kill one on her own. Running was always a better option. She smiled wearily and let herself fall against his chest and allowed herself to feel protected..not alone.

"You ruined your fucking clothes again.." she laughed quietly.

 

[Jorg]

The wolf seemed somewhat startled by her touch, almost as if it hadn't quite expected her to snap so close to him.

After a few seconds it looked down, taking in a deep breath and wrapping it's arms around her. Then the first snap could be heard. A sickening sound almost as fur slowly began to fall from his flesh, and in her very arms the Wolf twisted itself back into the man.

Deep, gauging breaths pulled into his lungs. "Fuck."

Jorg whispered as he let a bit of his weight be supported by Silver.

"I hate it when he eats them." The words were rather macabre, but he could still taste blood on his tongue. It was not pleasant.

 

[Silver Romani]

It was an odd sensation to feel his bones snap under his muscles and she held onto him with a grimace as she listened and felt his form shrink and the warmth of his skin against her. She lifted his arm around her shoulder to support his weight and she tiptoed to press a kiss against his cheek.. "I know..Me too." she frowned with a deep huff, recalling the many times she'd vomited after a hunt. It'd been worse when it'd been human flesh and she didn't envy him right now..

"Lets get back inside.." she sighed and looked down at the mutilated hunter. The field of bodies outside their little inn had grown.. "We should leave tonight.. Or burn these.. I think I might have led them here, I'm sorry.." she frowned.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg nodded his head. Oddly enough...he didn't feel sick.

He wasn't entirely sure if that should concern him or not, though he decided it would be best just to ignore it. "Brought them?"

They had been after her, he remembered that much, but hunters were hunters. When they caught a scent they followed it. It wasn't really too different from the monsters that they chased. At least in his experience. They just had more of an ego.

"Nothing to do with you." He reassured her, brushing his lips against her forehead as they began to walk towards the Inn.

"There's one with armor that should fit me." Jorg said with a glance back towards the first man he'd killed. "I'll take that later and then..."

As much as he hated to say it. "You're right, we should go."

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver captured her lower lip between her teeth and chewed gently, she knew that wasn’t true, but she didn’t argue. They were no longer a problem and they were both alive and so that was all that mattered right now. The mark on her neck still burned, it’d make a nice new shiny scar, but it could have been a lot worse..

“Shame... I was growing fond of our rickety shit hole..” she grinned. She’d never spent too long in one place, movement was her way of life and she’d learned never to get attached, but she did feel strangely sad to have to leave the abandoned place behind..

“We should rest tonight and leave at first light.” she suggested as she helped him inside and let him sit and grabbed them a bottle of wine each.. Priorities.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg grinned at her. "Well I'm sure we can find another."

There was no shortage of abandoned villages in the countryside, and he doubted that their trip would be filled with camping every night.

At least he fucking hoped not.

Sleeping on the ground was good once or twice a week, but anything more than that? He preferred even the worst sort of feathered bed. Sitting himself down the werewolf shifted in his chair, grabbing the bottle of wine Silver offered.

"First light it is." He agreed as he pulled out the cork with his teeth. "But I'm getting that armor tonight."

No way he'd let corpse rot set into it.

 

[Silver Romani]

She took a long drink from her bottle and set it down, taking his face in her hands and pressing the taste of wine against his lips. “I’ll get it..” she smirked and squeezed at his bare thighs. “Gods, we’ve spent more of our time together naked than dressed, it’s just starting to become normal.” she laughed quietly and rugged at his lower lip with her teeth before turning to go back outside for his armour.

 

[Jorg]

He grinned up at her, returning the kiss and gently nipping at her lip as she tried to back away from him, returning the rougher touch.

"What's wrong with that?" Jorg asked with a grin.

Modesty was not all that common back where he came from. Mallian was famed around the world for it's bath houses. Men and women bathed in the same room with no real issues, though Jorg had learned the Western nations were far more...prudish about the practice.

Not that he ever would.

"It's nice to have a perfect view." He called out as she opened the door. "I worship my new goddess visually."

A wide smirk drew over his lips.

 

[Silver Romani]

She licked at the pleasant burn on her lip as she stood in the doorway, turning back to flash a smile at him.. “Can’t day I’ve ever been worshipped before. You know goddesses need plenty of offerings to keep them happy. Otherwise..” she narrowed her gaze and shook her head with, a whistle blown from her lips..

“Well.. The gods are merciless..” she shrugged a shoulder with a grin at him and stepped out to go strip herself a corpse.

Silver found the one around Jorg’s size and knelt to start pulling off his armour and clothes. She recognised him..She’d killed his partner the day they’d come to her home for her.. “Shit..” she huffed, and hissed as she accidentally grazed her hand over his silver dagger. They were covered in the stuff, and the smell of wolfsbane was giving her a headache.

“Bastards..” she swore and gave his half naked corpse a kick as she turned back toward the inn, her arms laden with Jorg’s new outfit.

“It’s a bit bloody but I can wash it in the tub..” she told him as she pushed back through the door.

 

[Jorg]

He smirked after almost lecherously, but stayed put.

The ache of shifting had once again settled into his bones. The last four days had been an absolute nightmare on his body, and he was starting to feel the wear and tear on his body. He would have to be careful over the next week.

At least until the full moon, he wasn't entirely sure what would happen then. Ordinarily nothing, but with Silver around...he wasn't entirely sure. "Probably a good idea."

He told her with a smile.

"But I can do it." Jorg tried to stand, pushing himself off the table only to find immediate protest in his muscles. "You're not my washer woman."

He sat himself back down, deciding that his body hurt too much. "I'll do it later though..."

Jorg grumbled quietly.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver smiled at him with a hint of amusement.. "I'm not, but I don't mind.. Least I can do." her shoulder shrugged. He wouldn't have had to deal with that mess if it hadn't been for her.

She did her best with the clothes, and scrubbed them with a lump of soap until they no longer smelled of blood before washing and polishing the armour. And by the time a hot bath was drawn the golden hour sun was streaming into the little inn through every window and crack in the walls, bathing it in strobes of warm light that the dust could dance in.

"Come on." she reached for his hands with a grin to lead him to his bath.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg pulled himself up with Silver's hand, wrapping his fingers around hers.

"I'm going to have to be careful." He told her softly as they walked through the Inn, his eyes very clearly on her backside. He was attempting to innocently distract himself from the ache in his bones, or that was what he would say if she asked. "I've never shifted this many times so quickly."

The closest he had come was ironically when he'd met the other Wolf. That had only been twice in a week though, and right now he was at...four.

This last time had been avoidable, he could have killed the Hunter with the sword just as well as the claw...but seeing Silver hurt had awakened something in him. The Wolf hadn't broken from it's cage, it hadn't ripped it's way out.

Jorg had opened the door. "I'm not entirely sure its good for me."

He already felt like a horse had run him over.