The Heartwood play me like a violin

@Aries

winter had surely settled in with little care for any of the earth's many inhabitants. but then again why should it care, winter was essentially the number one predator and who had ever given a damn about their prey's living conditions when preparing to end their miniscule lives. things had been quite steadily slipping downhill for the woman although it wouldn't really appear so. in theory she seemed to be doing quite okay, she was settled now in a pack and nothing jumped out as wrong. but her mind had been causing her more and more issues as the days dragged on by slowly, oh so slowly.

she'd had to get out, guiltily slipping from blackfeather's borders just as the sun broke the horizon and lit up the frosty, snow dusted lands in a shimmering and deathly beauty. she didn't intend on being gone for long, she simply needed to stretch her legs and attempt clearing her mind. 

her paws would carry her at a brisk trot until she was a decent distance from the forest and she'd only glance back over her shoulder at the dark blur she'd agreed to call home before turning and breaking into a full on sprint. it felt good to focus all of her thoughts and strength on something as simple as running- pushing hard enough at her limits to leave her mind having no choice but to abandon any other thought processes and simply focus on meeting her paws demand to move at a certain speed. the bitter air whipped past her as she cut through it like an arrow- pale form a blur as she moved with a practiced grace. 

for a while it was simple as that, the land around her being processed as mere fleeting images that seemed detached and far away, the only thing reaching her pinned ears being the whoosh of the wind, her paws thudding against the crunchy blades of grass and her heart pumping so loudly it caused the adrenaline fueled blood to roar in her veins. however she possessed no super powers of any sort and so eventually the natural needs of the body would force her limbs to stop their frantic dashing and she'd come to quite the aburpt halt, skidding slightly before regaining her footing. quite a few moments would have to be spent standing there panting heavily but only after letting dark eyes scan the area and confirm that at the moment at least, she appeared to be alone. 

finally when her heartbeat had gotten enough of ahold of itself to ensure she wasn't at risk of having a heart attack, tundra would allow herself to properly take in where she was. it was the edge of a forest but not like any she'd ever come across before, this one reeked of death and destruction. blackened branches reached desperately for the snow laden skies as the small woman would start stepping forward- feeling an odd need to step lightly and carefully as if she truly were treading over the remaints of the dead. she was a splash of white amongst the blankened everything, looking so much more like a ghost than ever in the eerily fitting setting. 

the running had left her feeling more energized than ever- she felt as if she were attached to a live wire and every single rustle the breeze caused left her glancing quickly in its direction- have wishing for a threat to appear. however she came back empty handed everytime, it seemed she were the only living thing with a want to wander this land of death.

<3

Incorrect - she was not the only living creature to stalk within the depths of the heartwood.

The reaper had only been witness to her careful steps for a brief few seconds, though it had sparked something untold in his chest, a reawakening; it was only she who could tempt such tingles to occur at the base of his spine, clambering up through his bones like drizzles of liquid lightning. He had anticipated their reunion, though it would be a lie to suggest that he had predicted it so soon after their last, and he could recall every detail of that dangerous game with the sharp precision of a painter with a photographic memory.

The woods were draped in monochrome hues, still and silent. Even his own breaths reached up to lick at his nose, misted clouds billowing into the wintry air around him - it was sullen and lifeless here, and in the solemn realm of death he stuck his claim. Aries did not intend to rise as the king of the heartwood, or anything as such, but for now while he wandered, this was his domain. Everything she touched - his. And by enroaching upon this desolate, crestfallen land, she too became his. Her ghostly pelt blended with the stark white of the snow, and she drifted through with the unspoken grace of a faerie, a sylph, to bless his hungry eyes. He felt his heart thudder in his chest, as though thundering in impatient desire to fall from his watchtower and stalk toward the nameless wanderer.

He followed her.

It would not be long before her eyes trailed the horizon, sought relief from the sharp focus of an unknown stare - she would feel it trickle down her neck, like the frost-laden breath of a slithering ice dragon, who's claws raked the snow and across her body with a malevolent rush of deadly silence. Oh, he had not lied to her! Their game was far from over, and still he had yet to discover what exactly he desired from her.

it does become quite suddenly clear to the woman that she in fact is no longer alone. the land of death has been infiltrated by yet another soul of the living and they are watching her. her spine prickles uneasily at the mere feeling of being watched and her muscles tense in preparation but still she walks- tail swishing in as casual a manner as ever as her pale form continues through the blackened woods at a simple stroll. nothing like tempting the enemy with the element of surprise only to deliver the surprise right back at them because oh she'd be ready. 

nevertheless nothing happened and soon irritation started to spark from her paws with each soft footfall. what the hell were they waiting for? an odd craving stirred deep within her stomach, an undeniably crazy but present want for them to attack. she needed it, needed something to remind her of who she was. she draws up short on that thought, who she was? the pale fur on her shoulders ripples uncomfortably more at her thoughts than the unseen company. the whole point of her coming here was to prove that wasn't her dammit. 

flustered the woman stops dead in her tracks, dark eyes hard as she turns slowly- gaze raking her surroundings impatiently despite the slow movements she maintained. and there he was, of course it was him. anger surged through her in quite a surprisingly strong manner. what the fuck did he want, the stupid brute had plagued her mind since their first meeting back when she'd arrived in the late summer months. once again there he stood, silent and unmoved as ever- calculating gaze observing her like one would watch a herd to search for the weakest link. toying with them until fear drove them apart. "you" it slips from her jaws in a low growl as she glares, stance strong and ears pinned back against her head. fuck no was she slipping into his web again, she wanted to rip that smug look right off of his face.

He could feel her anger like a grumbling storm, casting slate-grey shadows over the sky and hissing like a rapid downpour of rain -- you, she spat, and the reaper felt a smirk tugging at his lips; he was despised by many... her own hatred would do nothing to irk him. A frigid gust of wind chose that second to whip around his crown, fur of dark silver swaying before settling -- a flurry of snowflakes dusted his pelt, delicate lacings of white to bless the solemnity of his coat. He appeared nothing but a king of death, watching over his desolate, fallen kingdom of debris.

Ravenous.

Deep in the crooks of his pallid skull, he felt the desire to move closer, to see if she would play his game again... but he also wished to remain at a distance, to see what move she would make. To see if she would run, or stay. He was hungrier than he had been before; if he felt the pointed edges of her incisors poised at his throat, he could not speak of what he may do -- when he was close enough to feel the thrum of her heart, he would be driven purely by adrenaline. His expression hardened then, covered by what remained of his silent, speculating blankness. Now, she would have no clue what he was thinking, no clue what perilous thoughts were rushing through the knight's head.

He continued to watch.