Grouse Thicket thou bleeding piece of earth

She realized something, when the piece of Nico she longed for never surfaced, when the male slipped from her grasp. Her relationship with Nico had been built on a great deal of trust between the two, and she had little reason to doubt what he said. But now, confronted by this male that was becoming more and more substantial, her stoic facade dissolving at a rapid rate, she stopped. The other was beside her, but she didn't need this right now. Taunting words echoed across to her, but she only half listened, struggling to control her anger, her emotions. She was slipping, into something where she would do little but act on feeling alone, and she knew very well that that was the best way to get killed. 

Her rage, her fear, her unease, she suppressed, until logic and reason held some semblance of control in her mind. This situation was a delicate one, and she needed, to think. This meeting had been a whirlwind from start to finish, leaving little time to process much of what both parties involved had said. She ducked her head a moment, and when her gaze fell upon Sargent again, it was not the anger, tense, weak one it had been before, but one more focussed, sharper. He spoke, and she made no move to follow, already regretting her first act of violence in dealing with this. She needed to know more, and while trusting Sargent's words blindly would be an incredibly foolish thing to do, she suspected that they held more than a grain of truth, or at least, were truthful in the eye's of Sargent. 

He seemed hardly the violent monster Nico had described, instead, using malicious words to do his work. She paid attention as he spoke now, accepting what he said in silence, wary of the other girl still some distance from her as she kept her focus rapt on Sargent. 

He submerged, and it was some time before she reacted, for a number of reasons. First of all, this seemed a trap. Or a very well thought out trick. Two options existed here, drown him, or save the beast that once was Nico. By drowning him, they would directly ignore his words, and the fact that he was letting them do so sparked about a dozen miniature alarms in her mind. Or perhaps this was some elaborate ploy that involved them saving Sargent, and playing into his schemes. She snarled, in anger at the two horribly simple actions that existed here and the repercussions that came with each in this moment. 

If nothing else, Nico was her friend, and she protected her own. He had awoken an odd feeling she had never felt before, and she had been foolish to trust it so immediately, the small, odd bit of her that felt love for Nico, something the woman had not felt before, playing those previous suitors for her own enjoyment, when she had been a vastly different person all those months ago. But now, she risked losing that little piece of herself, the one that felt for Nico, should she not choose right. 

She could not choose on such little information. And she would be damned should she let the Sargent choose his next course of action. Mind made up, she moved, strong strides carrying her to him, then down, as her jaws sought for something to grasp, to pull up, to save. She needed information out of this male, more than the vague bits he gave out in his taunting tone. She needed to be in control of this situation, not him. Should she catch in her jaws a grip on the male, she would do her utmost to pull him back up, and fervently hope Shalon, who she had neglected for a moment in her thought process, would catch on. Together the two could subdue him, and by her reasoning, if all else failed, she could always drown him again, when she decided so. But she was done making half-assed decisions in this scenario, and letting her emotions rule her.

sorry for my short absense!

Shalon was confused. Who would let themselves be drowned, it was a terrible way to go. Waiting to see if Aero would go in to the 'kill' so to speak. Shalon glanced between the woman and the submerging creature. Had she really gotten wet for nothing? Shalon loved water, but not so much the swimming part. Shallow streams were more her style.

With and angry huff, she pulled herself out of the water. Noticing the Aero was attempting to pull the male out of the water. She wouldn't help, she would save this thing. If Nico wanted to die, then her shouldn't have fallen in love with Aero. Shalon wasn't here on this earth to prevent Nico from dying. So she let Aero do whatever she wanted. Save the best or kill Nico. She would wait on th edge of the water. Ready to drown the bastard if something went wrong. "Would you both make up your mind!" she growled.

He submerged and even as his head went underwater, his lips were still tugged upwards into a smug smile. Truth to be told, Sargent didn't want to die; he wanted to live, he'd always wanted to live. It was his alter ego, the soldier that had a death wish. But he knew that to persuade his two attackers to stop attacking him, he would have to do this, and as the air went out of his lungs and he shut his eyes tightly, the reality sunk in. There was a chance, a possibility, that the two girls did not have the curiousity he deemed that they had and that they would let him die, but even then, he did not struggle for his life, but went through with his plans. Like he always did.

But before Sargent lost conscious completely, he felt a pair of strong jaws clamp around his scruff and pulled upwards. His eyes shot open, only to squeeze shut almost immediately again. He allowed himself to be pulled up until his muzzle broke through the surface of the water. Sargent's jaws parted and he inhaled huge gulps of air, eyelids fluttering dramatically. Paddling furiously, he blinked, still panting, and met his rescuer's gaze with his own cool green ones.

"What do you want to know?" the corner of his mouth twitched upwards, but his eyes, usually dancing with malicious mirth and mischievousness were dark and shadowy, hiding a secret within their depths.

Control. She needed to regain it, make things go her way. The other's words, Shalon's, were barely heard, but she shot her a glare, moving to shallow waters when she found her little rescue mission to be successful. She stood, taking a moment to regain her composure, before looking first at Shalon.  "Silence. Your brashness will be of no help." She shot her a gaze who's meaning she could interpret for herself, it was not hostile, but a warning, to be wary. She looked away, a moment later looking at Sargent. When she did, her gaze was sharp, firm, focused. For that was what she needed to be in this moment. 

Then he spoke, and she surveyed him. "You will tell me more than mere riddles. What makes you think that Nico needs you to live? And why should we defy his wish, which was to end you?" she asked. Her stance was not as rigid as she may have liked, her strength flagging from two rescue missions. She would truly appreciate it if he would stop drowning himself.

Shalon just rolled her eyes, she wasn't entirely sure how to take this situation. Didn't she want Nico back? Wasn't that her goal? They HAD him! And she let him go? Why? This was Aero's love right? Didn't she want him back? Shalon couldn't understand, but quite frankly she didn't care, as far as she knew Nico was leaving. The only reason she stuck around was to keep the promise she had made only minutes ago. If this sargent became aggressive Shalon would do her best to bring him down. She knew her combat skills weren't the best, but she would try. After all Nico was still her friend, even if she only admitted it grudgingly.

For now Shalon shrugged of Aero's glare, let the pale female do what she wanted with her supposed 'love'. She would watch from the sidelines, only mildly interested in the conversation.

You can skip me this turn :) I dont think I have anything to add atm @Nico @Aeronwyn

The silver fae spoke, but her words did not appear to be directed towards him. Nevertheless, he allowed the corner of his mouth to quirk upwards in the bare beginnings of a smile and he dipped his head in an imperceptible nod. When she looked back, her gaze was sharp, and his smile grew just a tad bit wider, quietly admiring her attempt at regaining control in this situation. Not many would be able to achieve what she did, especially if they had feelings for someone who was locked away in the mind of another. 

She spoke, requesting him to tell her more than riddles, and proceeded to drill him with numerous questions. Sargent's lips hitched upwards, and he averted his gaze for a moment, eyes lowered, before lifting upwards to meet her sterling orbs once more. "I don't think it's quite fair that you know my name, but I don't know yours," he murmured softly, yet loudly at the sametime, and his eyes danced with unfathomable amusement. "Nevertheless, I will answer your questions."

And so, he canted his head and surveyed her with intelligent, yet shadowy green eyes and he smiled a cold smile of a fallen angel, "Without me, Nico cannot live, because despite what he wants to believe, he knows, deep inside, that without me, he is not whole, and he cannot survive. I am the part of him that he suppresses, the part that he thinks he can live without, when in reality, he can't." Sargent's ears cupped forwards and he leaned towards her, muscles shifting beneath his pelt, "I am here because Nico suffered, and he, himself couldn't cope. I am his coping mechanism; I'm here, because he needs me, though he might not think he does, and perhaps, in his own twisted manner, he wants me here as well."

Sargent's maw parted, and he let loose a soft sigh, the smile still lingering on his lips, "And I need him as well, because without him, I am not much, I'll admit that. Still," he tilted his head, a thoughtful look flitting over his angular features, "I think Nico doesn't want me here because he's ashamed of me, and he's selfish. Not in the way that you might define selfishness, because, in that aspect, he is selfless, but in other manners, he is selfish," Sargent cocked his head inquisitively. "Although, to be honest, I'm not sure why he would be ashamed of me. I am part of him, after all, and him, me."

His gaze wandered for a moment, and he shifted his weight between his paws, tail waving idly behind him. It was only after some seconds of contemplation did he turn his gaze back on the silver fae that believed she loved Nico, and smile a small smile, "Does that answer your question, sweetheart?"

He smiled under her gaze; yet she did not falter. The other remained silent and was ignored. She was becoming rather annoyed with the woman she had likened to a sheep all those weeks ago. She ignored his words about titles, names, for she would give him no more leeway in this situation. 

He began to speak, and she began to understand. As she may have lashed out, hurt those around her in anger and grief,perhaps gone into a deadly rage, he had done different. Nico had created a monster, and kept it safe inside himself, away from others. And he had gone on, until the monster wasn't locked away as tightly as before. And there was a cure, for this demon inside, which he had uttered promptly before letting him out. Her gaze was a burning brand as he spoke, focused and not without a hint of challenge. 

"One needs the other." a statement, not a question. Simply relating the fact that his sentences and rambling had boiled down to. And until such a "cure" was found and achieved for the demon before her, if she wanted Nico by her side, she would have to deal with Sargent. And having one side of Nico hating her with a passion would not benefit her. Already she was thinking ahead, watching him. His final words had her gaze meet his, though expression remained the cool armour she had placed over herself.

Manipulation, the carefully undermining of an opponent. Perhaps it could apply here. An idea came to mind, and she considered it a moment.  "I don't take well to being called sweetheart." she said, eyeing him coolly. She was Warlord, that did not mean she was a shallow creature of brawn and not brain. Though her mind reeled, suddenly sure of who to trust, and exactly how much, her gaze remained steady, her armour solid as it always had been. "You may call me Aeronwyn. As for my question, yes, that you have done. Yet I would not have survived this long trusting blindly as a fool would."

Still she watched him, legs setting into motion that took her to the bank, regarding the male in the water. This whole situation presented a great deal of problems, however, dealing with them was her speciality. Truthfully, most occasions "dealing with a problem" involved blood and a great deal of fighting, yet she solved others in much other ways. "I have no basis to prove your words. However, I am none the least interested in killing you. You are a...conundrum." And yet, she understood, in a way. Her life had been no merry affair of joyous singing, rather, a rollercoaster of mistakes, regret, guilt and anger, fierce, fierce, anger. Perhaps she could understand this Sargent, in a way. 

She stayed well away from the other woman, aware of her yet not particularly impressed nor interested by her in the moment. Perhaps that would change, but Sargent held much of her attention now. She had many questions, many theories, many thoughts swirling around her skull. Yet now was not the place, she needed time in which to gather her thoughts. "And what would you do now, Sargent?" the question was short, simple, as she watched him, the way he seemed so...augmented. Nico, and yet, something was oddly...off.

He smiled, small and humourless, and canted his head in an almost mocking manner. "Indeed," the chuckle that rumbled from his maw was cold, holding within them not even a hint of amusement. "Nicolas needs me, as I need him." It was no opinion; it was a simple fact, as far as Sargent was concerned. "We are two, stuck in one body." The corner of his lip hitched upwards in the shadow of a smirk and he narrowed his eyes, burning brilliant green and shining fiercely. He looked at her, contemplating his next move.

"Doesn't matter," he dismissed, smiling, "no one really does. Unless it's by someone they love. Still, that takes the fun away, doesn't it?" and when his smile grew, it was the same cold one that he used just a moment before. Gone was his boyish humour, and carelessness. This was business, and facing the silver fae, Sargent felt the need to just be a tad bit more serious than he usually was. 

"Aeronwyn," Sargent tested the word out and smiled a small, curious smile, eyes lighting up with an unfathomable gleam of emotion. "I can see why Nico likes you," and when he grinned, it was a genuine one. "Don't let him go so easily, yeah?" he spoke, then frowned and sucked in a breath, "well, if he ever comes back, that is," Sargent added, lips pressed into a thin line, countenance wiped free of any hint of emotion as various thoughts came rushing forward. 

He moved away from the water and onto the bank in graceful movements; there was no hint of aggression in the way he walked and gestured, and he kept a careful distance between Aeronwyn and himself. "I don't know," Sargent lifted a shoulder in a languid shrug, and while his demeanour appeared to be one of insouciance, it was a genuine answer: he didn't know what he was going to do next. "Living my own life separate from Nico's never works, fighting against his life just brings us both pain." Sargent lifted his eyes, bracing his shoulders, "I'll just go with the flow, see what shit I can get into."

But when Sargent attempted the charming boyish smile that more often than not was plastered on his face, he found himself slowly slipping away and his expressions contorted as he grimaced painfully and his knees buckled beneath him. 

When his eyes opened once more, they were still the same apple green and his expression was still carefully emptied of emotion, but now they were just a tad bit more guarded, and while Sargent's gaze was more open and welcoming, albeit with a curious glint within their depth, his were shadowed and secretive, dark, reserved and guarded.

He rose to his paws, narrowed his eyes and sucked in a sharp breath.

"What happened?" were his slow, careful words, devoid of any emotion as he struggled to maintain his composure.

This Sargent proved not what she expected. She expected a monster,  a villain,  those were so much easier to fight and hate. Yet Sargent seemed for all the world someone almost...likeable, and from the few moments she gleamed to be genuine, somewhat...she did not have a word for it. 

When she pushed away his malicious chiding, and he became like this, Sargent was not what Nico had described. Not in the least, yet she would be a fool to trust appearances.  Yet before she could speak again, he buckled, faltered, and as she neared him, standing a short distance away as he seemed to recover, she felt, oddly enough...nothing. No relief as green optics slid open the reveal orbs with a different light, no trepidation nor anger.

Things were too confusing, too strange and sudden for her to truly feel anything anymore.  So when Nico utered his questions, she standing a short distance away, collected and cool, said merely "Sargent happened."

Shalon shook her head, and couldn't believe that the woman who supposedly loves Nico would let this Sargent speak. He was obviously dangerous. They might need each other, but Shalon was convinced that Nico should always be in charge. As he faltered, she took a step foward, what now? Although the gaze that shifted to Aeronwyn, finally got a name, she thought smuggly before she refocused on the return of Nico. "Is that all you can say?" She spoke angry at the other female once again, "Are you ok Nico?" She was genuinely concerned, was he in pain? "We should have drowned Sargent, Aeronwyn." Shalon was annoyed to say the least. "I think I've had enough excitment for one day." She had learned a lot, but also lost a lot as well. "I'm returning home." She gave Nico a look, would he need help home or was he even coming home? Was he going with her? Shalon didn't know. "She can experiment with you all she wants, maybe she can help you home, since you trust her so much." She headed toward the territory, she knew he was leaving eventually, she wouldn't show loyalty to someone who would just up and leave eventually. She had stayed this long, he could sort out his own loyalties without her.

He watched Aeronwyn, eyes narrowed and shadowed as she replied, confirming his fears. Nico sucked in a sharp breath and closed his eyes for a moment, composing himself and suppressing the flood of emotions that threatened to drown him. But before the soldier could say anything, Shalon spoke up, her tone annoyed and immediately, he felt Sargent pushing at his mental barriers. No, he was definitely not okay. Nico was losing control of himself, and he knew it. Fear gripped him; it'd been a long time since this last happened, and a part of him had forgotten how scary it truly was. 

Shalon spoke, and he listened, though he found that he could no longer bring himself to care, given that he now had a bigger crisis than what the Court thought of him. To be honest, Nico didn't care much for Shalon's words, but her last sentence sparked something within him. "Experiment?" Nico lifted his head, eyes narrowed, green eyes lost in a pool of darkness, lips in a thin line, "experiment?" he repeated, his tone low and dangerous. Nico prowled forward, blocking her path, ears slowly flattening against his cranium. "What are you implying?" he growled lowly.

Bitch.
the word exploded against her skull, and her eyes grew solid with fury. so long, logic, reason. control. she snarled as the woman's final sentence, words ignorant and heartless and sharp brought her anger to an inferno. first concern, then a longing to have killed the Nico? what was wrong with the woman?

their whole pack she suddenly felt anger against, this stupid woman and her king and that idiot of a queen. she was at Nico's side,  her eyes flamed and her maw was pulled back in a soundless snarl. "You know not of which you speak, woman. do not tempt me further to gut you for your sheer idiocy." she snarled through her teeth, and a tiny part of her registered fear. of herself. for her anger was so great, should the woman tempt her further with her stupid words, she would seek to kill her. and she did not want to revert to that woman, the woman she had been months ago.

"MY Idiocy!" Shalon exploded in anger and annoyance, "You say you love him and yet you sat here and listened to the Sargent! Instead of trying to get Nico back, or at least trying to talk to Sarg to get your Nico back. You just couldn't help yourself, you had to know everything. You got all the information you need from the Sargent INSTEAD of trying to get Nico BACK and ASKING HIM!!" Shalon shook her head, "I don't see how I'M the idiot in this situation." Shalon could only shake her head, "You were the only who could bring him back, and all you did was ask quesitons? There was no pleading for Nico to come back, clearly "I love you," wasn't enough." Again Shalon tried to move past the two, trying to head back home, let the too of them squable domestically.

Aeronwyn backed him up, then Shalon exploded, but her words were directed not to him but to his silver friend and at that, Nico drew back, brows furrowing in surprise. Nevertheless, he still stood there blocking her path while looking on and listening to his packmate's little rant. 'You say you love him and yet you sat here and listened to Sargent' He blinked, eyes narrowing as the words registered. She said she loved him? What? She listened to Sargent? What? What was going on? I'm so confused.....someone help me. 

'Instead of trying to get Nico back, or at least trying to talk to Sarg to get your Nico back' This didn't make any sense. What was she talking about? This didn't make any sense. Nothing makes sense.

'You got all the information you need from the Sargent instead of trying to get Nico back and asking him!'

I don't understand. What does she mean? What do you mean? Aeronwyn? Nico blinked, muscles tensing beneath his sleek silver coat and his breaths were beginning to come out in short harsh bursts. His eyes were narrowed and flashing dangerously, flickering rapidly between the two girls. 'There was no pleading for Nico to come back, clearly "I love you," wasn't enough.' She said I love you? And he didn't come back? What? What had happened when he was gone? Why didn't he know this? Why didn't he understand anything?

"You love me?" he whispered hoarsely to Aeronwyn, fixing his eyes fiercely on her. 

"And you, what are you talking about? Don't you fucking go until you've explained what you're talking about, you hear me? Do you fucking hear me?" He turned to Shalon, blocking her path, unwilling to let her go so easily. There was a certain feralness in his expression as he looked at her, and it was clear that he was ready to fight her if that was what it would take to get her to stay. "Elaborate. Someone, anyone, elaborate on what's going on. What is going on?! What the fuck is going on?" 

Anger. It grew, and grew until it consumed her with it's burning flame, until it  radiated in her stance, expressing pure rage. And then she tried to brush past them, and she was about to sink her fangs into the woman satisfy her intense anger. But then Nico spoke, and as her eyes met his a moment they were clear, in silent affirmation. She did. And it was terrifying and new to care for another in the way now, but-

anger flared again and once more she blocked the woman's path. "You don't get to leave, bitch." She snarled as her eyes blazed. She stepped closer, until she was inches away from the woman. "You're stupider than I thought. You think there was a magic switch to bring him back? You think you can tell blatant lies and scoot your ass back to your glade, expecting to be totally fine? As I recall, you say back and watched as I listened to Sargent's shit and tried to get him back." She spat, stepping an inch closer as she at with true malice. "coward. Nothing but a shallow, fucking, coward"

there was no way that she would let the woman go unless she...Aeronwyn did not know. Honestly, what did she expect from the woman now, after all she'd said? An apology? Truly, she did not know.

"As I recall you also stood back and listened to Sargent's shit!" Shalon growled back at the woman, she had put her paw in her mouth now. She had no backup, was to far out of her own territory, and she had no idea what Nico would do is Aeronwyn did indeed attack. Shalon was a somewhat okay fighter, but she knew that she probably couldn't handle this woman alone. "You call me a coward! And yet it took THIS situation for you to admit that you loved Nico? And you didn't even tell him directly, you told Sargent. I might have thought that I had feelings for Nico, but I know I didn't love him like that. At least not yet." She finished begrudgingly, "Yes I followed your instructions, but I wish now that I hadn't. That I had found another way to bring him back. I failed my packmate, and that will haunt me for a long time. But WE should have found a better way." She sighed ultimately drained from the emotions of the day. But she was glad to have said her thoughts.

"Now let me pass."  She spoke firmly, "You two can try to mend the whole this ordeal has punctured in your buding relationship." Shalon couldn't handle the drama anymore, and while she hate to admit it Nico wasn't worth it. If he truly had feelings for the woman than so be it. "I just hope you know what you are doing Nico. I wish you the best." She even sent Aero a quick glance, she honestly did wish them the best. "If you let me go now, you both can return to your new home unhindered. If you don't let me go, there could be serious consquences to both you and your pack." Shalon didn't mean it as a threat, it was more of a warning. If they wanted to be happy together, they would have to let Shalon go. It would even mean a clean break for Nico, perhaps Shalon could leave a few details out when she reported back to Alder and Aspen. "Besides I'd rather not see either of you again. If I can help it." 

Shalon waited for them to let her pass, or attack. It was up to them. But Shalon wouldn't go down easy.

Nico didn't know what the hell he felt when Aeronwyn silently confirmed Shalon's words. He didn't want to think about this, he didn't want this life - he wanted simplicity and happiness but of course, he couldn't have that. No, life was full of sorrows and hardship and pain, with a few slivers of happiness. Nicolas was done with this bullshit, he didn't want to deal with this anymore, he didn't want to deal with anyone. He just wanted to have a simple life again, without his stupid mental illness and stupid people. Ughhhhhhhhh, his mind felt as if it was about to explode.

What was with both of them having feelings for him, anyways? Nicolas wasn't even that great, in fact, he was pretty sure there were thousands of other wolves who were better than him, in every way. Why him? Okay, obviously he liked the fact that he had two pretty girls falling for him, but not now. He couldn't deal with both right now, not when he was probably the weakest wolf alive in this moment.

When they were both done speaking, Nico lifted his crown and fixed his green eyes on Shalon. "Okay," he said, exhaling sharply. "You were my friend once, and a packmate, once," he stated, confirming the fact that he was no longer returning to the Court. "I don't want to endanger the Court. So this is goodbye, I guess," there was a bitter look in his eyes as he turned away from the girl, unwilling to say anything more. Once, perhaps, he would've developed feelings for her, but now, he felt emotionless and numb, and truthfully, now, he couldn't care less. Nico walked away, allowing Aeronwyn to take over and do whatever she wanted to do. He would wait for her some distance away.

She stepped aside. Though ever instinct screamed to stomp out the woman who had belittled and threatened her, she simply followed Nico. Her anger was a raging thing, but a glance at Nico, and the future he could present, has her fight down her anger and go to his side, sparing not a glance at the woman. She was finished here, and the woman could scuttle back to her glade.