All welcome <3 dated for the 7th!
A restless energy had overtaken Candle, one she did not recognize. Unlike many of the priestesses of the House, she was unaltered; still free to choose children, if she wished. But stress and starvation and injury had staved off the hormonal shifts of her first season. Until now.
She pranced from the ravine into the sandy dunes beyond, unaware of what this change meant but driven across the sands by it. She called out to
@Zoug as she went, and then again to
@Sari, to
@Koa, all of them. Candle darted among the dunes, sniffing at every oddity she found, glancing up to see if anyone had answered her call. She'd meant to wait for them. But this restlessness — she had to keep moving.
zoug was not far behind. he returned from a hunt with
@Koa to find his mate in fine form and warm with affection.
her changed fragrances called to him; he nipped playfully at her passing plume and stepped after candle, yipping a low note as he invited her to bound about the ravine with him in a very rare public show of delight for zoug.
Day and night, he traveled south. By the time he arrived in the lowlands, Talisman had decided he would suck it up and check in with The Tribe. He still feared Zoug’s disappointment above all, though he hoped the dead marmot slung over his shoulders might assuage any contempt.
Finally, he crested the dunes. He could see the ravine in the distance. Talis paused to catch his breath, spotting two figures in the middle distance. It was Candle and Zoug, frolicking in the sands. The elder looked more playful and younger than Talis had ever seen him.
He steadied himself with a breath and descended toward them. He moved slowly due to the burdens on both body and spirit. Would they be happy to see him? Or would they scorn him? They both seemed to be in a good mood. And everybody liked presents. Right?
Zoug came to her first. Candle greeted him with a series of her own high, excited yips, whipping around to dart to him and cover his face in quick playful kisses. At first it seemed as if they would be alone in their play, dancing among the sands together without a single other soul in sight.
Then she saw Talisman.
He carried food with him, but that was secondary to the joy Candle felt at the simple fact of his return. Zoug, look!
Her eyes were bright on her mate. Talis!
She nudged him in invitation and set off toward the man, still quite unaware of the effects of her season; unaware of its existence entirely.
among the clan, your wife was your wife. your husband was your husband. sharing was not often done, unless a hunting party had been gone a long while. a man then might politely ask his wife to entertain one or another of the restless unmarried hunters.
but zoug would not ask for such things, and as candle approached the returned talisman, his anger rose.
anger at the disappearance of the younger coyote despite all the lessons which had been given, irritation at candle dancing so close.
but these reactions were only instinctual, zoug realized. he did not move to stop candle, his single eye moving once over talisman. the other had said he would be going. zoug had no right to be angry, and so added a nod of recognition and welcome.
this was not clan land. a clan place. s'ari and koa and candle might choose both males now. in the manner of a man grabbing his spears, zoug took himself from the ravine and out into the sand on the appearance of a hunt.
Candle’s delight was obvious, even from a distance. Talisman smiled tentatively as she cried his name and ran to meet him. He halted in his tracks to let her close the distance, tail low and waving.
He glanced past her toward Zoug, a breath trapped in his chest. The elder male remained motionless, a fact which made the yearling’s tail droop, lifeless. But then Zoug nodded and it lifted along with his heart.
Feeling giddy now, he returned his attention to Candle, who was much nearer at hand. He carefully unshouldered the marmot, a sigh of relief escaping him as he straightened and smiled more readily at the dark female.
Her scent hit him rather abruptly. Talisman didn’t even notice Zoug moving away in the background as his entire focused narrowed down to Candle. He felt his insides tighten as a needy whine escaped him.
Talis stepped over the carcass, meaning to move closer to her. He had no idea if she would allow it but he craved nothing more than to take her the way Inji had showed him.
Zoug departed. Talisman advanced. Candle, for her part, was wholly confused. Why did Talis look at her like that? Why was Zoug unhappy?
She took a few tentative steps toward Talisman, mirroring his whine in far more solemn tones and then turning her eyes toward where Zoug had disappeared. Talis?
Her eyes were questioning as they found him again. She didn't understand.
He closed the distance, touching his nose to hers. If she let him, Talisman would nip at her whiskers, then the soft fur lining her cheeks. Eventually, he hoped to press kisses along her neck, shoulder and hip. His belly swirled with excitement at the mere thought.
Do you want to?
he murmured huskily.