the green-eyed madeline had guided her young companion to the loveliest of woods -- claudia was quite taken with it. small tail uplifted, the girl ranged a bit, though she did not move far from madeline.
"come, ma petit," the woman called presently, sunlight beaming down upon the varied hues of crimson and scarlet that comprised her lovely coat. and so claudia wandered back, smiling sweetly up into madeline's charmed face. she had chosen wisely, this subservient and yet protective maiden, who had been at her side since the beginning of it all.
and yet claudia did not call her
maman; madeline was the name she had granted her guardian, and so it would always be, regardless of the other's maternal love toward her. the pair moved toward the stream, claudia frisking at the woman's heels.
Slightly frustrated with the previous encounter in the territory he wished to call home, Aaron did his best to remain optimistic. He had no plans on making enemies with other packs but it seemed that at least one disliked his presence. A pity really, he felt that such was a blessing.
Regardless, he moved forth.
The softest sound of a sweet, soothing accent hummed in his ears, and he looked around with a curious pair of baby-blue eyes. It was not far off, if he could hear it, and as he focused in he found that it was not one, but two wolves that he had sensed. Their scents were strong, and he moved towards them with a intrigued curiosity. He spotted the pair not far off, and gave a smile at the sight of a perhaps mother and daughter pair wandering through the territory.
<3!
in time, madeline drew herself up sharply, her ears quivering doelike atop her slender head.
"come away! we are watched!" to which claudia frowned, the gesture removing none of her charm.
"madeline, you are altogether too nervous a creature." her bright eyes, turning in the direction indicated by her guardian, soon spotted a creature striding toward them. his stance was masculine -- the child soon became aware of his maleness.
madeline grew shy, her ears folding against her skull, but the weight of her duty to claudia soon brought her forward with an imperious step.
"what is it you wish, monsieur?" she asked, placing herself between the child and the man. claudia was all too pleased to watch these events unfold, standing at madeline's slim heel.
Aaron smiled, the one seemed a bit timid, but the younger of the two did not seem so cowardly. The older stepped forward regardless and spoke, leaving the larger male to stop at a respectful distance. "Only to introduce myself," he replied honestly, bowing his head forward a bit. "Please do not act so shy, I mean no harm to you. My name is Aaron Odolf," he informed them, a kind smile lighting up his already attractive features.
beep. sorry it' so short!
no prob!
he spoke; claudia found his tones charming, and even madeline relaxed in a minuscule way. yet she remained protective, and did not proffer an introduction of their own.
"monsieur aaron, do you mind telling us the name of this woodland?" madeline murmured softly, giving a small, tight smile to the warmed features of the man.
presently, claudia slipped forward; her slight figure did not display her age, but that of a cub much younger. yet the tones that emanated from her now, perfectly Parisian despite her birth, and elegantly modulated -- that had been madeline's tutelage -- were mature.
"it is so lovely, monsieur. i am claudia and this is madeline. we are travelers here." her eyelashes brushed her cheeks as she gave a slow blink, averting her gaze with a secret beam.
The pair were lovely, both in looks and voice; Aaron was in a way smitten to their beauty. They asked the territory name, and he frowned. "I wish I could say, miss," he replied to the older one, his tail flicking with slight annoyance. "I met with only one wolf here and she refused to answer me, although it is indeed quite beautiful," he answered then the younger, attempting not to seem so frustrated with the mysterious woman.
"You'll have to pardon my anger," he then said, realizing his tone gave away his feelings. "The wolf I had met does not seem to want me to settle here, and I am quite torn in regards to the consequences," he explained. He saw no harm in sharing with strangers. It gave them insight to him, and revealed that he was friendly.
madeleine and claudia irl
![[Image: claudia-madeleine.jpg]](https://ladygeekgirl.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/claudia-madeleine.jpg)
also hover for translation
he spoke, and it was indeed an outpouring of words. claudia cocked her head toward the end of the verbal waterfall before exchanging a long glance with madeleine.
"Je ne lui fais pas confiance. il est trop amical," madeleine declared, her emerald gaze flickering between her charge and the man.
"vous ne faites pas confiance quelqu'un," claudia rejoined in a fierce little whisper, before her expression cleared and she smiled sweetly at aaron.
"sweet monsieur, forgive her. we have come such a long, long way. is there no place we might rest and have something to eat?" she approached slowly as she spoke, gazing up at the man with a pleading look in her sky-blue eyes. behind her, madeleine remained unconvinced by the male's friendliness, but secretly amused by claudia's performance.
omg Claudia is adorable <3
Aaron did not feel he was being too friendly- make friends make a pack, he believed. He spoke no french, except perhaps the more simple of the language such as the monsieur that Claudia so delicately spoke. So when the two exchanged a gentle conversation he only assumed they were discussing him, and stood patiently in wait. He was being polite, and he saw no reason for them not to trust him. But then he frowned.
"I'm so sorry. It's only me, for now," he added the last part with a quick recovery, sharing that perhaps he did want to begin his own pack. "I do not have the caches that some territories do, but if you'd be willing to accompany me on a hunt I would not mind giving my share to you," he dipped his head to the two girls, smiling kindly when he raised it.
lol thanks. small PP to get them moving; tell me if u dont like it! <3
madeleine nodded, wearily agreeing to aaron's offer.
"merci, monsieur." her paws had become as sore and worn as claudia's were, though the girl showed no sign of this. the wolves of crimson and gold fell into step with their escort, madeleine politely and yet firmly placing herself betwixt aaron and claudia. yet the child did not care for this, and so ran from her designated place 'round to the man's other side.
pleased with what she had achieved, claudia granted madeleine a sly glance below the overhang of aaron's fine neck-ruffles and then turned her attention to the man.
"how did you come to live in such a charmant place? you indeed have an exquisite taste. doesn't he, madeleine?" she prompted her guardian, eliciting a forced smile in aaron's direction from the crimson-pelted woman.
The group moved along, and Aaron was pleased that he had already snagged two possible recruits. He beamed at her slight compliment, giving her a small flash of a grin. "I'm from down south," he told her, although he didn't hold the accent of the territory- perhaps the two didn't know the difference though. "I just got up and started walking... and here I am," he told the two, smiling at Claudia with fondness. The girl looked a bit young, but he appreciated her boldness and elegance. "It is quite beautiful, I'm hopeful that we will be allowed to stay," he told them, his tail flicking behind him.
He lowered his snout to sniff at the snowy earth, soon gazing up and around the territory. "It seems there are deer nearby," he woofed, a bit frustrated with himself for not noting them previously- he should be tracking them! They cannot leave the woods. "Are you both okay with that?" he asked, mostly referring to their physical capabilities. If they were too weak he would gladly try it himself or they could move to smaller prey.
at aaron's soft mention of being 'allowed,' claudia forgot her hunger. this inferred a conflict of some sort, and one she was keen to know more about. as the trio paused, the cervine scent of nearby and foolish deer flaring before them, claudia lifted her little nose into the air and took a mere sniff before her attention riveted itself once more to aaron. "perhaps something smaller, monsieur," the golden child murmured softly, nuzzling his shoulder briefly and lifting a worried gaze to the gentle sky-shade of aaron's own eyes. "madeleine is so very tired, and i cannot hunt!" she exclaimed, glancing down at her small frame with a little sigh of long-suffering.
they pressed on. "what was it you said about being allowed?" claudia inquired, curiosity decorating her features. "who might seek to drive you from this place? it seems rather unclaimed."
"Of course, Claudia," he replied with a respectful dip of her head. "Let's see what we can find," he continued, smiling kindly to her. "If you'd like, I could teach you some basics," he offered, glancing to Madeline to see if she would approve. The trio continued on, and the girl asked now of who might try to stop them from settling. He gave a long sigh, not answering right away but instead taking a pause to attempt to get scent of another creature- catching faint scent of some rabbits. There was no guarantee that they would be nearby, but it was worth a shot. After beginning the follow the trail, the male began his answer.
"A pack, further north of here," he told her. "I don't know their name or numbers, but I'm hoping the threat was empty," he tried to calm her nerves- if any. "If it is not though..." he trailed off a moment, letting out a sight sigh of frustration. "I will leave without violence. I have territory south of here that was just as nice, but it did have it's drawbacks," he smiled to her again, his tail wagging stiffly.
the girl liked the way her name sounded in his proper tones, and loped gracefully at his side. madeleine appeared to have few reservations -- beyond her normal distrust of all other wolves -- in regards to aaron's proffered lesson, and so claudia nodded eagerly. the man's sigh did not go unnoticed, of course, and the girl listened closely as he spoke. it seemed he had been threatened by a nearby grouping of wolves if he settled here. "how selfish!" she opined -- for all her seeming maturity, the sheltered child was quite ignorant to the ways of wolf-packs, and could not know that aaron's intended claim threatened the continued existence of wildlife for all the clans in the area.
she mimicked the man as he cast about for scent, noting that her crimson guardian did the same. her father had chosen well when he set madeleine up as his daughter's protector -- upon claudia's pointed suggestion, of course. the woman was subservient but fierce, with charms that claudia did not think she herself would ever possess.
The man gave a weak smile. Even though he did indeed agree that it was selfish of them, he was aware of the prey problems that would arise. His pack would be fine, but unfortunately the others may struggle. "Perhaps," he replied, feeling a bit of that selfish guilt laying upon himself. His stubbornness however, refused him the will to leave, and so he continued to attempt to set claims in the lovely aspens as if the others did not matter.
The girl imitated him quickly, and he smiled at her each time she did it. She showed such promise to him as a pack member, he was quite excited to teach her all he knew- even though that was not necessarily much.
The scent grew stronger and stronger as they followed the trail, and Aaron assumed they must've gone into their burrow; pity. It was however found to be wrong as they came across a pair of snowshoes digging furiously in the ground. Whether they were digging up stores or perhaps a home he did not know, but he prayed that soon they would be doing neither. With a light exhale of air, he used his shoulder to hold Claudia back. If she did not know how to hunt, it was foolish to teach her when they were both famished. He looked to Madeline with an expectant gaze- she surely was well enough to help.
claudia averted her eyes charmingly when aaron set his smile upon her, though in truth she only faked a blush. to play the infactuated and simpering girl -- that was truly an art she had perfected, for it was not her true visage she showed the man now. a sharp intake of breath she drew as aaron halted her; the girl's eyes fell upon the digging rabbits, blinded to the scent and appearance of the wolves.
she frowned prettily as aaron looked to madeleine, wanting to join the older pair in the chase, but sat down in the snow to watch instead. the lithe form of her guardian moved in tandem with the gentleman -- she saw madeleine give the man a level and appraising look when his attention was distracted, and smiled secretly to herself, for she knew what it was the woman did now.
is it okay to assume they catch? just for the sake of feeding the bbies? also slight PP if that's okay. (:
also claudia you lil sneak
Aaron gave a nod to Madeline and the two were off, mirroring each others movements as they held a snake like approach towards the rabbits. The male held his breath as he bared his teeth, a smirk crossing his jaws as he readily made his move. The pair struck, the pale brute feeling his entire body airborne as he leapt from behind the bracken. His jaws snapped, and the man found himself with the metallic taste of warm blood, followed by the screeching sound of the rabbit as it's body was crushed. He let out a huff, dropping the limp body and sniffing it curiously. Aaron then looked up, curious to see if Madeline had made her catch.
fine by me!
the girl gasped again as aaron's dashing frame melded itself into that of a hunter, and with swiftness he and madeleine swept down and quickly dispatched the pair of rabbits in a jagged spray of blood and burst of thrown snow. a curious thirst seized the child -- in the next moment, she had flown from below her cover of bracken and juniper to her guardian's side.
"donne le moi!" she hissed, and madeleine heeded quickly.
aaron went unremembered for a moment as the scarlet-cloaked woman tore open the still-pulsing jugular vein of her kill, exposing it to her charge's ravening mouth. claudia's lips descended upon the font; she drank deeply, ecstasy filling her soul as the blood warmed her chilled limbs.
presently she returned unto herself; she blinked her long-lashed eyes apologetically at aaron and smiled, as did madeleine, her emerald eyes full of affection for her charge.
"merci, monseiur," claudia murmured in the direction of the man, her voice somewhat breathless.
Madeline had indeed caught her rabbit, but the situation took a turn to well shit damn alright you go girl. As the male watched the situation with much interest, his tail wagging awkwardly behind them. It wasn't an unnatural display, by any means, just different from his far more sophisticated ways. Regardless, he attempted to be open to whatever these weirdos wanted- he smiled politely when they were finished.
"Of course, young Claudia," he responded kindly, nosing the rabbit towards the two. "Please, take this one. I am healthy and strong, no reason for me to take away from you," he continued, giving the pair a genuine smile.
haha poor aaron
claudia sensed the man's discomfiture and smirked where he could not see. licking the remainder of the blood delicately from her small jaws, she shook her head at his offer of the other rabbit. it would be unseemly of them to take two; in addition, the blood of the second had already cooled to an unpleasant temperature, she knew.
"no, no! we cannot," she lilted, giving aaron a smile of gratitude.
behind her, madeleine made swift work of the drained lapin, though in her usual elegant manner, now padding to join them. the pair looked expectantly at their escort now -- what would he suggest next?
The man hummed curiously as the girl declined it, glancing between the two. "I hope I do not come on so strong," he woofed humbly, dipping his head with hopefulness. "But I do wish to settle a pack here, and you both would make wonderful packmates, if you would join me," he smiled to the two, his tail wagging. "I would be honored, if you'd do so," he added, his ears cupping forward as he waited eagerly for an answer.
the two exchanged a glance once more. they had traveled far and saw no other prospects that seemed so very appealing. "we would be honoured, monseiur," claudia rejoined smilingly, pleased that he had asked. with his support, they need not wander so far again -- she hoped.
They agreed! The spirits of the male soared and his tail wagged elatedly behind him. "You would?" he confirmed, dipping his head in a thankful manner. "This is wonderful," he continued, smiling to them both. Had they allowed, he stepped forward and nosed the shoulders of both the females, taking in their scents and in return allowing them the same.
"Should we head out and explore? I could show you around," he offered, his tail held high with confidence. He picked up his rabbit and watched them both curiously for a moment. Before waiting for an answer he turned and go, assuming that the women followed behind.
claudia made a little wolfish curtsey and followed at madeleine's side as they walked in luke's tracks. "que pensez-vous de lui?" the child whispered in only a voice her guardian could hear. "je te l'ai dit," the redfurred woman rejoined with a sniff. "je ne lui fais pas confiance."
but still she trekked behind the man, who had been the only provable source of a potential home.