Wolf RPG

Only when she entered the home stretch, passing the caldera on the way, did a realization strike Wildfire. She could not afford yet another distraction waylaying her, so she slowed to a stop near the edge of Bramblepoint and howled a message: "Happy birthday, @Nightjar!" She very nearly called for her sister too, before remembering that @Raven was no longer at the caldera. Her smile faltered somewhat, though she sent a silent birthday wish Raven's way too, wherever she was. She paused a moment longer, wondering about her parents and their new litter—had they been born yet?—before Wildfire's feet began moving again. She wouldn't be able to see them just yet anyway and it was time go to home.

The instant she hit the boundary, Wildfire threw up another breathlessly exhilarated howl. "@Floki, I'm back!" She almost added, "It's my birthday!" but she didn't necessarily want the entire pack overhearing that part. Wildfire didn't really fancy being the center of attention, though she hoped she and her beau could commemorate this day in some small way. Although travel-weary and a bit footsore, she didn't wait for him to answer or come find her; the returned scout began to scale the mountain, hoping to meet him somewhere in the middle.

The minute Wildfire called to him, Floki took off down the slope. He considered sliding down the mountainside like Dash so often did, but he didn't quite trust his balance just yet. He had only practiced a few times and he didn't want to risk injuring himself on his way to see Wildfire.

As usual, she was easy to spot against the winter landscape, and Floki barked jovially as he approached. "Welcome back!" he cried, recklessly picking his way across the rocky terrain to nearly tackle her with a hug. When he withdrew, it was only far enough to allow him to pepper her bright cheeks with kisses, his tail swinging wildly through the air behind him.

"I missed you, if you couldn't tell," he teased, rocking back onto his haunches. "How was your trip?" He had much to share with her as well, but he would wait his turn.

She had scarcely begun scaling the slopes when Floki came flying down toward her, embracing her in a reckless hug. Wildfire laughed, pressing her nose against his ear (only just resisting the urge to poke a tongue into it) and drawing in his scent. Her amber eyes closed as she simply basked in it a moment, then they reopened as the two of them began exchanging little kisses.

"I missed you too," she told him, taking a step back. "It was driving me to distraction, honestly," she admitted with a cheerful cant of her head. "But it went well! I'm sure that once I unload everything on Charon and Ame, I'll have earned my stripes as both an ambassador and a ranger," she reported with a wide sweep of her black tail.

"And guess what," she continued a little breathlessly, not giving Floki any opportunity at all to actually guess before she declared, "Today's my birthday!" It wasn't as important of a milestone as reaching adulthood, yet it was still something worth noting, Wildfire felt. She had been alive for one whole year, seen the turn of the seasons in totality and everything. Wow.

"That's great," Floki replied enthusiastically. As an outrider himself, he had an extra appreciation for Wildfire's journey -- even though he had missed her -- and was happy to hear that she was very near to establishing herself as a ranger and ambassador. He, too, had made strides in that direction on his own trip, though he hadn't honed his skills nearly as much as she had.

The next piece of information that she shared came as a surprise, and his brows shot up. "It is?" he replied incredulously, suddenly feeling regretful that he hadn't known ahead of time and hadn't prepared something for her. "Happy birthday," he murmured, lowering his voice slightly as he nuzzled against her cheek. "Is there anything special you want to do?" he asked, in lieu of having a gift to give to her at that moment.

She grinned at Floki's mildly flustered reaction, the expression broadening when he asked if there was anything she wanted to do. Wildfire paused, then nodded. "Yeah, there is," she answered without missing a beat, eyes gleaming. "C'mon, though, let's head up to our spot. I'm pretty tired and I need to get off my feet." She pushed the crown of her head into the crook where his neck met his shoulder, brushing against him and then beginning the ascent.

Wildfire had done a lot of thinking out there on the road, particularly during any long, uninterrupted running sessions or before falling asleep by herself in some randomly chosen spot. She had thought nearly constantly of Floki and how much he meant to her, how much she missed him and how badly she wanted to get back home to him. Now, with his warm breath puffing on her backside—she shot him a coy look over her shoulder—Wildfire felt... ready. She would always be a wanderer, yet her heart had found its home and it wouldn't roam, no matter where her feet took her.

"Floki," she said when they reached their little sleeping spot, swiveling to face him and slide her snout alongside his. "Boo," Wildfire amended with a quiet smile, eyes closing as she just lingered there. "I love scouting. I love getting to see the world and represent my pack and all that. But what I really love is coming home to you."

Floki wasn't at all surprised when Wildfire admitted that she was worn out from her trip and began to lead the way to their hideaway. He fell into step behind her, although he spent the whole walk wondering what was up her sleeve; there had been a familiar twinkle in her eye when she teased that there was, in fact, something special she wanted to do to celebrate her birthday.

He followed the swaying of her hips and her bright tail until they reached their destination, then halted when she did. She turned to face him and he smiled, ears cupping forward as she began to speak again. Her words made him warm from the inside out, and he realized that he truly appreciated her presence in his life. Things at Moonspear would have been much different without her.

"I feel the same way," Floki agreed softly. He, too, loved the exhilaration of traveling the wilds, but it was nice to know that at the end of their journeys, they would return home to each other.

He echoed her sentiments, earning a blissful smile from the shut-eyed she-wolf. The two of them were a pair of saps, that was for sure. Wildfire's eyes popped open again. Her gaze lingered on Floki's face and she felt her heartbeat slowly picking up pace. How had she gotten so lucky? Not only was he handsome as hell, he was the perfect combination of silly and sweet. He treated her right and Wildfire did her best to do the same in return.

"Then what do you think about making this official?" she asked, gesturing a forefoot between the two of them. "I know we're both young but I'm ready for the commitment," she continued, feeling a little out of breath all of a sudden, "if you are." Her teeth pressed into her bottom lip. She didn't think Floki would reject her, yet there was always the possibility he wasn't quite ready to take the next step.

And that would be fine, Wildfire told herself, and she meant it. She hadn't made the decision to bring this up lightly; as with all major life decisions, she had taken her time. Being out there on the road had given her lots of time to think. She had even been tempted by the idea of cutting ties, uprooting and letting the wind take her where it would. In the end, though, Floki was it for her and she was ready to dedicate herself to him if he was ready too.

"Then what do you think about making this official?"

Floki blinked. Wildfire's proposal was unexpected in that moment; it was the next step in the natural progression of their relationship, yet somehow he hadn't anticipated that she would bring it up right then. But in a way, it made sense -- she was officially a year old, and he wasn't far behind her. They were both already well-established in the adult ranks and were dedicated to their trades. And, more than that, he knew with certainty that he loved her and that she was meant to be a part of his life.

A slow smile crept across his lips. There were many implications to becoming mates -- a long-term commitment to each other, the promise of starting a family in the future -- but he didn't consider them yet. All he wanted was to be with Wildfire. "I'm ready," he agreed.

One of her teeth dug so hard into her lower lip that she tasted blood. Luckily, Floki chose that moment to reply, "I'm ready." Wildfire released her lip, her mouth slowly but surely stretching into a broad grin. Without a word, she pressed forward to touch their noses together. Her tongue curled out to kiss the tip of his snout, then she was moving to fold herself against his chest, her small head burying into his shoulder in the snuggest embrace she could manage.

Wildfire lingered there for a moment, thinking thoughts like, He said yes! Never mind that she hadn't actually asked a question. Holy crap, this means we're mates! It felt like there was a flock of birds swooping and flapping around in her belly. Her breath caught in her throat for a second before a giggle slowly tore its way out. She muffled it against his neck.

The next moment, she took a step back, beaming up at him. "Well... awesome," she said to seal the deal, perhaps a bit anticlimactically. "I love you so much, boo, you know that?" she added, unable to resist the urge to hug against him again. Looking at him right now was leaving her a little bit starstruck, so speech came easier when she wasn't drowning in those stunning Caribbean blues. "Or should I call you hubby now?" Teehee. "I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you."

And this was only the beginning. In the very near future, they would get to discuss surnames (would she take his? Would he take hers? Would they hyphenate?) and whether it was time to consummate this bitch their union at long last. For the moment, however, Wildfire just reveled in her happy place, clinging to Floki with the knowledge that she never had to let him go.

And that was that -- with just a few simple words, Floki and Wildfire had made a huge decision about their future. In spite of his initial surprise, Floki felt at peace. This was the way things were supposed to work out, he was sure of it. Everything that had happened in his life -- his father's death, the move to Moonspear, his fight with Tevinter -- had led to this very moment, as cheesy as that sounded.

"I love you too," he replied, leaning into Wildfire's embrace. He shook his head gently at her next statement. "I prefer 'boo,' if you don't mind. 'Hubby' makes me sound...old," he said with a laugh. Although, if they played their cards right, they would eventually feel comfortable calling each other "hubby" and "wifey." The thought of spending the rest of his life with Wildfire was simultaneously daunting and comforting.

"Hey," he said suddenly, sitting up straight so he could look down at Wildfire. "I have an idea. Since we're official now, why don't we ask Charon and Ame if you can be the Beta female?" His eyes lit up; this was a brilliant plan, he just knew it.

Wildfire snorted quietly when Floki stated his preference. Honestly, she didn't care one way or the other. She wasn't particularly hung up on titles. The fact that they'd just declared themselves, made a commitment to one another, was what mattered. It was what caused the swooping and dipping in her belly, the happy lump in her throat, the smile that stretched her face so much her cheeks ached.

When he sat up straighter and moved away a few inches, Wildfire caught herself chasing him, unwilling to part with his warmth. "What is it?" she murmured, only halfway paying attention as he mentioned an idea. A little thrill pulsed through her when he emphasized the word "official," but the next few words out of her new husband's mouth caused her eyes to pop open and her body to grow unnaturally still.

"Wait," she began in a stilted voice, blinking up at him, "that isn't—a requirement—is it?" Wildfire's brow furrowed deeply. "I don't—I'm not Beta material," she protested weakly, shaking her head even as her heart sank. Was being Floki's mate mutually inclusive with accepting a leadership position? Even if it wasn't, was he expecting her to step up beside him? She was pretty sure she'd told him she didn't want to be a leader...

"Boo, I..." But she found her tongue thick in her mouth, not really sure what to say. She gazed at him beseechingly, suddenly afraid that he would get frustrated with her like that day she had brought up his twin brother.

Floki had expected nothing but excitement from Wildfire. He couldn't imagine any reason why she wouldn't want to stand at his side as the pack's Beta female -- never mind the fact that it wasn't his decision. He was getting ahead of himself. But his thoughts came to a screeching halt at the first sign of her hesitation. She floundered, searching for her words and unable to form a complete sentence as she looked up at him with wide, imploring eyes.

"What? No, it's not a requirement, but --" he said, shaking his head wonderingly. "I'm not Beta material," she protested, and he started to argue with her. "Yes, you are -- you would be awesome! And just think, I didn't know what I was doing when I started, either. I can help you," he said eagerly, failing to see the root of the problem.

He paused, brow furrowed, then pressed, "Don't you want to?"

Thankfully, he didn't seem angry with her, though he was definitely a little taken aback and perhaps a touch disappointed. That stung a little, though it was quickly eclipsed by relief. It wasn't a requirement, at least. But she wasn't off the hook yet. It was very clear what Floki expected of her and she cringed inwardly, desperately not wanting to spoil this moment by shooting down his dreams of being a Beta pair.

When he asked her directly whether she wanted it, she looked back at him, a slightly puzzled knit in her brow. Very slowly, she shook her head. "Floki, I... I told you I wasn't interested in being a leader." Remember? her expression pleaded. "It's just not something I want for myself." As soon as those words left her mouth, Wildfire felt an intense need to apologize and muttered, "I'm sorry. I just... I'm sorry."

She sighed, her amber gaze dropping to her feet. Maybe one day, when they had children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, they would get to retell this story about how they'd become mates and all their descendants would laugh over Wildfire's awkwardness. But right now, in the present, it didn't feel very good. She so desperately hated letting Floki down.

Despite the fact that she had surely expressed her lack of desire for leadership before, Floki had completely lost sight of that in his excitement. He had imagined the two of them side-by-side, serving as Charon and Amekaze's Beta pair. It was selfish, but at its core was nothing more than a simple and immature mistake; just one look at Wildfire's face was enough to make Floki realize that he had upset her.

His ears fanned to either side with regret. He took a breath then released it slowly. "Don't apologize. You're right. I'm the one who should be sorry -- it's not my place to push you into something you don't want to do, anyway," he said, reaching across the gap between them to nudge her cheek with his nose.

"It was just a silly thought," he said with a shake of his head, as though he was dismissing the idea from his mind altogether. He felt a twinge of disappointment, but he did his best to ignore it. "I'm just happy that you're my boo," he added, shuffling closer to her.

The touch of his cool nose against her cheek caused Wildfire to drag her eyes upward and look into his, her own gaze still quietly imploring. He seemed a bit sheepish, brushing the whole thing off as some silly, inconsequential notion. Although relief swept through her again, Wildfire wouldn't so easily forget this conversation. It clearly meant a lot to him, which meant it was important to her. She had a lot of thinking to do in the very near future.

But, for now, she wanted to get back to simply enjoying their newly proclaimed bond. "I'm happy too," she murmured, coaxing her muscles to relax. Her earlier smile bloomed on her face again. "Does this mean I get to be Mrs. Lodbrok?" she quipped softly, immediately latching onto the idea of taking his name versus any of the alternatives. It sounded and felt so strange after being a Redhawk for so long, yet Wildfire knew it would definitely grow on her.

He smiled softly as Wildfire relaxed into him. Her next question made him smile, though it also caused a twinge in his chest that was wholly unrelated to her. Did he even consider himself a Lodbrok anymore? Of course, he would always be his mother's son, but he felt so disconnected to Ragnar -- and now Tevinter, as well. He had not seen hide nor hair of his brother in weeks, and Charon speculated that he had left Moonspear altogether. Floki wasn't sure he wanted to bestow a surname on Wildfire when he didn't even feel like he was a part of that family.

For now, he simply nodded his head gently and agreed playfully, "Maybe." He reached down to kiss her delicately between her ears, hoping to table the last name conversation for now. Once he had had more time to think about it himself, he would have a discussion with her -- but this wasn't the time.

His thoughts of Ragnar reminded him of the grave, and while he didn't want to dampen their spirits, he did feel the need to share his concern with his new wife. "Actually, I really wanted to talk with you about something that happened on my trip. I went to Stavanger Bay and visited Ragnar's grave. Someone wrecked it and stole his bones," he said, frowning.

Wildfire anticipated his immediate assent, so when he said, "Maybe," her face stilled. His tone was playful, though she favored him with a puzzled look anyway. Her lips parted to ask what he meant by that but then Floki descended on her with a kiss between the ears. Her eyes closed as a purling growl resonated in her mouth, tapering off into a soft, contented hum.

In any case, his next words shed some light on the whole situation. Only now did she recollect the fact that he had mentioned a short trip of his own while she was away. Her body froze when he told her about the desecration of his father's grave. She felt a little sick as the small smile slid off her face. Her amber eyes met his, full of sympathy.

"Floki," she said, feeling this was too serious a moment for pet names, "I'm so sorry." She paused, then quietly added, "Who would do something like that?" Wildfire couldn't even fathom, yet as she thought about it, she realized they were talking about the remains of her father-in-law. Her heart thumped and she felt an even deeper pang of dismay and disgust.

Her sympathy was welcome. Although he had informed both Charon and Amekaze of the incident, it felt good to fill Wildfire in too. The only other wolf who should have been privy to this knowledge was Tevinter -- but as Floki had no earthly idea where his twin was at that very moment, Tevinter would have to remain in the dark. He shook his head slowly, his gaze straying to the sky outside their little hideaway.

"I don't know. It seems pretty heinous. I mean, I can't imagine doing that to someone's grave," he replied, obviously thinking through the whole situation as he spoke. His words came slowly and thoughtfully. "I know that Ragnar had a lot of enemies, so it could be someone who hated him. But I also met a couple of strange wolves that had settled nearby, and something about them seemed...suspicious. So it could have been them," he continued, wrinkling his nose as he thought of Ferahgo and his comrade.

He sighed. "I'm not really sure how I feel about it. He was my dad, but I hardly knew him, and I don't think he was the nicest guy. I guess I'm mad, but it's not like there's anything I can do..." His voice trailed off as he nibbled at his lower lip.

Heinous was the perfect word to describe it, in Wildfire's opinion. Her mouth fell into a grim line as he explained the details of what he had found, as well as his thoughts and feelings about it. He tried anyway, declaring himself unsure of how to feel. She shot him another sympathetic look, bobbing her smudged snout to indicate she understood what he meant. Wildfire herself was experiencing a cocktail of emotions at the news, which was only secondhand to her.

"It doesn't matter what kind of wolf he was; desecrating his grave was..." She paused, trying to come up with another word as powerful as the one Floki had used. "Despicable," she decided. "I'm sorry, Floki. I can't imagine what it must have been like to stumble across something like that..." What a grisly discovery for one of Ragnar's children to make, specifically.

She badly wanted to comfort and console him, especially considering she could now count that sort of thing among her wifely duties. "What if," Wildfire began, the words sort of popping out of her mouth even as an idea materialized in her head, "we create a memorial for him here? I know it's not the same thing and that it doesn't erase what was done to his grave. But..." She tried to catch his eye again, to see if the idea carried any weight.

Floki was thankful that Wildfire allowed him to talk through his feelings and that she offered support. It was a weird situation, to say the least -- although, in a way, it wasn't all that surprising to him. His life had been full of odd twists and turns from the start, and this was just another chapter to reflect on. There was a moment of silence during which they both seemed to be lost in their thoughts, and then Wildfire made a suggestion that piqued Floki's interest.

The idea of creating a memorial for Ragnar at Moonspear was a good one, and had he been steadfastly dedicated to his father as Tevinter was, he would have jumped at the offer. But his relationship with the deceased viking was more complicated, and since he was having a hard time processing his emotions, he was slightly more reluctant to take her advice. That didn't mean that he didn't appreciate it, though.

"That's a good idea," he said quietly, nosing her cheek gently as he spoke. "I'll think about it." And he would; Charon had reminded him that just because Ragnar's bones were gone didn't mean that his memory had dissipated. It was too bad that Floki didn't really have any memories of him to begin with.

As with the surname, Floki didn't shoot down the idea, yet nor did he commit to it. Wildfire flashed him a small smile and nod. She couldn't imagine how bereft she would feel if she came across her father's robbed grave. Of course, her father was very much alive and he had been an important part of Wildfire's life since the beginning. Floki's relationship with Ragnar was an entirely different story, one she would let rest for the moment.

"So," she said after a brief silence, "I know this is technically our wedding night and I should totally cash in on all my love points..." She gave Floki a dorky little grin. "But I'm feeling pretty dead on my feet," Wildfire admitted regretfully. "Maybe in the morning?" she added perhaps a little too excitedly, then snickered at herself. "Although I might sleep for a couple of days straight." She found herself nibbling at her lip, hoping she hadn't just possibly disappointed him all over again. But she was weary, achy and, to top it all off, in desperate need of a bath.

Floki's left ear twitched and he gave Wildfire a sly smile. She hadn't forgotten about the points, and in fact wanted to exchange them for her prize -- but decided to wait until she had rested up. He nodded; it had been in the back of his mind since they had first discussed it, and he was eager to give it a try, but he was also nervous. He had no problem putting it off until the morning, at least.

"Okay," he agreed, drawing the word out reluctantly although on the inside he was a tiny bit relieved. "Points can be redeemed at any time," he then quipped, even as he snuggled up next to her.

An uncertain quiver passed through her at Floki's response. Wildfire shot him a quick, questioning glance, wondering if he was frustrated with her for delaying such an important moment. Then he dropped a quip on her and she smiled in relief, feeling stupid for her momentary disquiet. Of course he wouldn't pressure, rush or guilt her over something this significant. She licked her lips, then reached up to plant a grateful kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"Sorry I smell like the road," she joked, nose wrinkling even as they snuggled close. As happy as she was at this moment, she felt the heavy weight of sleep descending. "I'll get up early and take a bath," she promised. "Then we can get frisky." As those bold words fell off her tongue, Wildfire hid her face against the side of Floki's neck, muffling the giddy little giggle that burst out of her.

Wildfire was a woman of her word. Before the crack of dawn, she would sneak away from their little hideaway and douse herself in the nearest creek. Then, soaking wet and shivering, she would slither back into bed with Floki, begging for warmth and intimacy. It would be as joyful as it was awkward. Afterward, she would admit to herself that it wasn't necessarily as fun as her parents had made it look and hope that it got better with practice. But, for now, she slept.