Mature Content Warning

This thread has been marked as mature. By reading and/or participating in this thread, you acknowledge that you are of age or have permission from your parents to do so.

The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning:

Although not unlike @Nirali, she has been gone for a stretch of time today—and Aldric finds himself desiring to seek her out. Perhaps it is their new relationship status that makes him clingy, but on the other hand, he’s always been the type to follow the patched woman around like a stray. He follows her scent, trailing towards an overflowing creek—more like a river at this rate.

set 10/12

Aldric's scent on the breeze draws her from her thoughts, soothing some of the frustration building within her. After hours of scouting, she has finally determined there is no way to reach the pack she'd discovered the day before from this direction. She turns toward her mate's scent, breaking into a run when she spots him some distance away. She doesn't stop until — well, actually, she doesn't stop at all. She aims to knock him over, though she knows it's unlikely she'll actually succeed unless he allows it. It's fun anyway.

At first, the footfalls are barely heard—the thief ever swift and elegant on her feet—and yet, stealth must not be completely on her mind. For he hears them soon enough. His dark tipped ears swerve first, and he looks over his shoulder and sees her running towards him. A mimicry of the day they reunited! Though the roles are reversed. Aldric turns to face her, bowing with tail wagging and a playful growl. Her run does not halt, so Aldric takes her tackle—thankful he grounded himself prior, for Nirali can pack a punch when she wants to. He shifts to attack her with kisses to her muzzle.

She meets his kisses with a few of her own as she crashes into him, reaching up to briefly capture one of his ears between her teeth. She releases it with the faintest tug, following with a nip to his neck before she pulls away. Eyes sparkling, she takes a step back and drops into a play-bow. The invitation is already clear, but she can't quite stifle the soft bark of excitement that slips from her.

Play often a greeting on the sandy beaches of Minrathous, he is relieved to see Nirali in such high spirits again. He missed this, more than he can express. Even the stoic Aldric takes to curving a small smile, something becoming more common as of late. A chuckle escapes his lips as Nirali grabs an ear, tugging it lightly before teeth nip his neck shortly after. The ex-prince accepts her invitation, and so he charges after her, suggesting another game of cat and mouse.

Her chest fur brushes the ground for only a few moments before Aldric's movement sends her flying in the opposite direction, tail waving behind her. Adrenaline floods her system, though she knows there is no real danger of being caught; even on a bad day, she knows she's much faster than any follower of Toth. She follows the creek, moving past it so quickly that the water becomes a silver blur at the edge of her vision. She keeps a few yards between them, feeling cocky, but she can't help glancing back at her mate every so often as she leads him away from the mountains.

A streak of lightning, she takes off in a blur of grey and red. Aldric may not be as fast, but… well, he doesn’t quite have an advantage at all in this, does he? For while Nirali’s speed may affect her stamina, Aldric’s bulk did the same. The lanky boy nonetheless sprints after her, going full speed once they stride parallel to the creek and leave the mountains long in the dust. Alas, his warrior traits may grace him with excellent maneuverability on the battlefield, he is no ballerina over terrain, and Aldric trips upon something—perhaps his own feet, or a branch that stuck out just right, or a gremlin Nirali hired while Aldric caught up. Staged. No matter the reason, Aldric takes a tumble.

The sound of Aldric hitting the ground is not one easily missed, and after all this time, Nirali likes to think she's learned to recognize the specific thud he makes against the ground. Bet his face is in the dirt, she thinks as she slams the brakes and whirls around, bursting into laughter when she sees that her guess had been accurate. She knows that, as a warrior, Aldric has been through far worse, so his fall doesn't worry her as much as it amuses her. Still, she can't help being a little concerned. She's at his side in seconds, sniffing him briefly and licking the dirt from his face between giggles. I know prey has been scarce, but there are better things to eat than dirt, Aldric, She teases, cleaning a few dark streaks from his muzzle.

Indeed, he’s been through terrible circumstances—supposed haunted areas, overnight patrols and the rogue coyote trying to test their luck. Kidding, perhaps he has been an actual warrior figure at some point. So the hit to the dirt does hurt, but he can shake it off. Which is what he plans to do, when he spies Nirali whipping around to investigate the poor sod. He shifts, going flat against the ground as if he’s decided to lay in the grave he’s made. Comfy enough, but not as good as Nirali. His skin feels hot where she leaves her soothing kisses and attempts at cleaning the mud from his face. »Are there?« His tone equally teasing, as he abruptly stands and attempts to nip her cheek—caught you again.

She's slightly startled when Aldric rises, though it only shows in a brief shift of her limbs. His words have a more visible effect on her. Heat sweeps over her, and her affection ceases for a moment as she glances up to meet his gaze. If you don't believe me, you could find out for yourself, Her tone is softer now, losing most of its teasing edge. Her kisses are a touch more heated, more urgent when she resumes her affections, leaving little doubt about her suddenly-shifting intentions.

He has found out rather quickly how addictive her touches can be; how much he wishes to melt into each one and savor it. Impatience curls within him, however, and brews a storm of conflicting feelings; a desire for consuming each and every hint of affection as if he's been starved. Aldric nuzzles into her, a noise of appreciation escaping his lips at her heated kisses. His own following Nirali's lead, pressing kisses and nips to frame her face and down along the sides of her neck.

It's easy to forget to think at all with Aldric touching her, and for several minutes she loses herself in the feeling. But the heat under her skin only grows, eventually snatching her abruptly from her reverie. She pulls away, a little breathless. Do you want to — Her cheeks start to burn, somehow even more than the rest of her. Am I supposed to ask? Or did I just make it awkward? It's awkward now, isn't it? I didn't want to assume though, I — Her heart is in her throat, racing, and she clamps her mouth shut as she realizes she's rambling, and still unable to make herself say the words directly. All she can do at this point is hope she hasn't completely ruined the mood.

He is fixated, consumed in touching and the heat that he tries to rein in—resist. Never has he experienced these feelings— Those around him often spoke about it, of pleasure and how good it felt. Aldric thought himself broken. Now he does not know what to do, he follows instinct, repeats what Nirali seems to enjoy. She pulls away, breathless, and he halts. Dark tipped ears point forward, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession himself. Her words register belatedly, as if his mind hasn't quite caught up with reality yet. Nirali is nervous, too. Aldric sucks in a deep breath, leaning forward to nuzzle her cheek gently. »I've... never done this before,« he admits, quiet and shy—if anyone is making this awkward, it is him.

She's grateful when Aldric chooses not to respond directly to what she'd said. It almost makes her feel like the situation is under control again — and that's enough to get herself under control. I haven't either, She admits when she finds her voice again, leaning into his touch. We can... take it slow, and figure it out together. Confidence slowly returns to her, and she kisses his muzzle softly, overwhelmed with gratitude. It is rare for her to so thoroughly lose her composure, yet Aldric has always taken it in stride, whether it is her temper flaring or nerves fraying, and she has never appreciated it more than she does now.

Together. Relieved by that simple word, Aldric is reminded they do not stand on opposite ends. They are equal, at each other's side, to support and nurture. He had not realized how anxious he'd been until the cloud is lifted, and he is able to focus less on making a mistake—on doing anything Nirali does not like—and more on enjoying himself. He is a passionate lover, possessive in his need to stay close. A shy, slow nod is all the silver prince can give, before he returns to giving her affection. He adjusts to what seem like positive reactions from his mate—his love. Eventually, Aldric grows daring, gaining confidence with his touches. Never great with expressing himself with his words, he shows Nirali how much he treasures her with his actions.