Arrow Lake & i wonder (not for the first time) what happened to your wings

Dated to 4/8. @Vercingetorix bb ♡

The week of her delivery had left her fatigued, but Aure was restless — restless to work away the nursing weight she’d gained within the months. Vonnaruil remained in her stead to preside over belea and mure, knowing they would slumber for another hour or so. She’d return before their clamor for dinner either way. In the meantime, the silver threaded her course from the thrumming falls and to the communal lake.

Her eyes trailed to the Sunspires, looming all around her like a crux and piercing the evening-limned heavens. The more she gazed upon them, the more fidgety she felt; her wispy ruff shivering out with vigor. Several months ago, she’d conquered the rises once before — so why not again? A faint rumble stuttered in her breast, nose scrunching and making the red hurts writhe. Why not? With a frenzied little lash of her tail, she set off at a flounce; thin shoulders lurched back with an unfamiliar mettle.

Verx couldn’t have been too far, yes? — so whenever she finally sighted him, the tousled mother flounced towards him and chirruped, “Vonn has his eye on ze copii. Hike with me.” After a heartbeat, Aure trilled (in a sweet-as-could-be attempt) to sound much less demanding: ”Please hike with me, dragă? I must move about in some way — please?” And, really, Verx was who she wanted to spend this time with, anyways.

Aure approached him with a lot of energy, which was good to see. But then, the kids-- With Vonn, okay. Hike with me. He laughed at her tone, and the chuckles continued as she amended it, but he gave a good-natured nod in response. If she felt well enough for a trip, he'd accompany her. He didn't really trust anyone else to. Well, he supposed Vonn, but he was with the kids, and Blodreina, but she was getting ready to have her own kids. And the Luk cousins had been scarce.

You can lead the way, he rasped, grinning. He stepped back, gesturing with his nose toward the path ahead. After you, your highness, he jested, remembering a conversation they'd had before. Only a few moons ago, but at this point it felt more like seasons. . .or years.

Listening to his words, Aure preoccupied herself with a luxurious stretch that had the her svelte back arcing beneath his chin. “Mm... I will lead,” the hum punctuated by a feathering of her tail at his snout. The snub-nosed notch from all those months ago settled back in her own muzzle, “But only if my knight protects me.” And then, all hooded eyes and with a bump of her shoulder — daring Verx to follow, to catch her — she flit from him and up the path before he could snap her up.

If he wanted her, she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. Tail feathering high over boney hips, she streaked further into the foothills of the Sunspires, arrowing from Diaspora and taunting Vercingetorix along with. Danced through paw-holds, claws scraping over crag as she pulled herself over boulder after boulder. She was entirely in her element, born for mountains — argent eyes gleaming with wild intent, fur a tousled, earthy mess.

It was only when Aure arrived at an impasse did she slow and still; where the clifface was too steep and stubborn to let them scrabble over it. The silver hadn’t even caught her breath, her whole body shivering with rasps, but she still stalked to and fro; fleet on her toes as she looked for some way to conquer it.

”There must be a way, Berx,” she could be found, groaning — pouting that name like Verhh — in a voice that should’ve been kept to their intimacy, but instead leapt from the rocks all about them. ”I’m sure there must be some path...” Hearing him straggle behind her, she hoped he’d see the look she now gave him; nothing short of mischievous as well as a little petulant. All of her teasing would be for naught if the chase ended now. She refused to let it.

In no universe would he be able to catch the fleet-footed woman, even just after childbirth. He wasn't built for speed, big and heavy as he was, nor for agility over the rocky slopes of the mountains. He scrabbled behind, nearly face-planting several times, breathing hard and fast. The breath soon turned into a wheeze, and it was a wheezing, panting Verx that approached her as she teased him, pelt askew from the wind.

Yes, yes, very sexy, ladies. Just try to control yourselves.

I thought you said you wanted to go for a hike, Vercingetorix gasped, shaking his head, eyes streaming slightly. I wasn't expecting a fucking chase! His voice was good-natured, but undoubtedly tired. He'd tried his best to mask it, but Blackhead's blow to his neck had affected his breathing; he didn't breathe as easily as he used to. Like something in his throat had been irreparably fucked up. Perhaps it would heal, with time, but. . .

He sat back on his haunches, casting a jaundiced look up the cliff. That's all you, bounkola, he told her in a gravelly chuckle.

Her brows lifted and creased at his ragged breathing, which she hadn’t taken notice of in the first moments he’d caught up with her. Listening to him, the off-kilter huff with which he spoke... ”Oh, I did say I wanted a hike, didn’t I?” There was concern in her gaze, no pity, as she ventured back to him; and maybe a little guilt for her own recklessness with the nudge to his chin she gave. ”Well, we should truly hike, then. Er... at least we know to find another way, now, yes?”

Ears splayed back, she followed his glance towards the clifface, the fur along her lower spine fluffing out in discontent towards it. ”It may be, but there should be another path somewhere. There is always is.” Stepping closer, she nuzzled into the broad of his heaving chest, fleeting, a promise to be more considerate — and a beckoning for him to follow. 

And then, after keeping step with him some ways, Aure was prancing away once more, yet at a much more leisurely pace than before. ”I could always make Mahler look at that throat of yours, you know?” A trill back towards Verx, since her eyes were held captive in their own search. ”Surely he knows more of wounds than I do. And perhaps he could give you something to, ah, alleviate whatever pains come to you.”

Sparing a keen-eyed glance for Verx, her gaze was brazen, contemplative, as it roamed down his neck. ”Mahler will certainly know more than I. You will be in much better paws, that way.” Eyes went listless, considering, before she rose from the crag she lounged against and continued her search. Thin ears remained furled back to listen to anything he had to reply with; but she soon halted in place, the tip of her tail quivering as she took in the sight before her.

It was a fissure in the crags, one of which was wide enough for two wolves to muscle through at a time. But there was so telling where it would lead... maybe... if he could rise over it? Aure looked back the way they came, for surely the passageway was too narrow for the warrior she’d wrangled along with her. ”If I go through here, there might be a path on ze other side.” Perhaps, if he could climb this gaggle of boulders, the ones that clopped above this cave... and if they headed in the same direction...? She might be losing her head, after all, but she’d sworn she’d tasted spring within this fissure.

Yeaaaaah, he drawled sardonically, a couple bursts of laughter escaping him only as huffs before he fell silent again, listening to her try and figure this out. At the mention of Mahler--and nettles, too; didn't they sting?!--his face grew less than enthused. He was sure Mahler was a great guy and all, but he didn't trust him yet. Not nearly enough to get close to his throat.

Maybe, Vercingetorix responded, unsure. He grew considerably more animated when Aure pointed out the fissure, and walked with her toward it, except— No way my giant ass is fitting through there, he agreed with her assessment. Pretty sure my head would get stuck just trying.

He settled back on his haunches, stifling a yawn. Up to you. I'm down for whatever as long as it doesn't involve intense mountain climbing.

Aure had no idea what she was doing. Love the children as she did, and ”motherdove” by Mahler — while sweet, she supposed — it didn’t do her good to be cooped up for what felt like eternity. It made her frenzied, as she was now. But she took in the sight of Verx, and his explicit offer of go-ahead... her lips thinned, all uncertain, despite her dubiously-amused expression. ”You once told me you... needed war. That you breathed for it. I need mountains, I think. I was born for them ze same way you were born for battle. But...”

Her eyes, thoughtful, found their way back to the spring-shrouded lake where Diaspora was settled, and her mind went elsewhere. Without elaborating, she rose once more and eyed the fissure sourly as she left it behind. A hike, then, from Diaspora; at least for a little while. Aure followed the trail they were on, heading to where the alpines decided to make themselves known; and rather than stride away energetically, she moseyed alongside Verx this time.

"But..." she drawled, her thoughts waxing and waning and impossible to pinpoint. "But... but, you've come to love them, haven't you? Ze children? That is good. When I first met Blodreina, she told me that... that 'home' is moreso ze wolves you are with, not so much as ze place. And I agree with her." A pause, as she sent a pebble skittering with a scuff of a pale paw. "Almost." 

 Though she'd come to be a bit familiar with Drageda's ways, it hadn't been for her; but maybe others would think different of that. She'd arrived with an eye for the stars, and had ultimately left with that same eye on herbs and her hus— Verx's neck.

Giving a shrug of thin shoulders, she shook her pelt out and skipped on ahead for a bit. Her agitation couldn't only have been from bedrest — they'd only just settled in Diaspora, even if uneasily, and Aure herself had begun to warm towards it, even if unsure. "Having children helps, of course." Looking back towards him, she tried to give him a little smile, at least, regardless of her wavering thoughts. "Still... never thought I would ever have ones that were mine."

He nodded. I get it, Verx responded, smiling softly. You can't escape that love, ever. And I'd never ask you to, either. Just a little tired is all, Aure. He rose and began to walk alongside her, the pace thankfully slower now. He was able to breathe, relax, take in the sights and sounds. At least until. . .

Come to? he asked, a little incredulously. He glanced at the pale woman. I've loved them since I saw them, Aure. Or hell, no--I've loved them since I felt them. They're mine. . .how could I not?

And of those he never met? Vercingetorix knew he would have loved them, too, given the chance. He had been way too smitten by Drago and Isi for the alternative to be possible.

So he disagreed with Aure's assessment on home, but he wouldn't voice it. It wouldn't make a difference. The only home for him was a geda, no matter how many loved ones there were around him. The kids did, however, make this place much more livable--and that was all he could ask for, for now.

Voice his disagreement or no, Aure would've accepted his thought on home either way. She took his incredulous glances without complaint; after all, they were of entirely two different minds. She knew she'd come to feel home with her little family, of course, and with Reina, too; and perhaps the Luks, though... she hadn't seen much of them since their collective arrival. But now, he affirmed his love for the bairns even before they'd come from her body; and that itself was all she could ask for, herself.

The farseer lingered with Verx in silence for a time, saying nothing and letting her thoughts dispel and wander. Resuming their trek, she would flit to and from him, and back again, pointing out certain foliage that came to light beneath her green-keen eyes. To tend to plants was a bit like rearing your own child, she'd come to find; with all the preening and nuturing... and the ease, the satisfaction that came from knowing you'd raised them right. With Isi, and Drago, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that beneath their care, they would be fine.

It was with a snout smudged with bits of green, though, that she trilled, "You never told me any stories, Vercingetorix," bumping a boney hip into the dark strength of his own. "How did you phrase it? Gros-some? Ecks..." Her teasing facade faltered and scrunched at the word, a bit helplessly. "Ecks... Ecks-pis-ist? Expisits? What does expisits mean?" Whatever; it was as close as she could recall, and her tongue was all foreign and too leaden. Eyes creased, alit like stars, then, "Tell me an expisit story, please, iubit? You... you promised, yes?"

It took him a long while to puzzle that one out, but he finally did, and laughed at the realization. Not that he remembered that exact moment (he tuned himself out most of the time) but he'd used the phrase gruesome and explicit enough, evidently, for it to stick. Of fucking course.

Ex-pli-cit, he corrected with a chuckle. He shook his head ruefully. It means 'sexy', and I'm gonna take a hard pass on that one. All the explicit stories I can tell you involve you; you were there. And I very much doubt you wanna hear about me being balls-deep in another chick.

He grimaced, shrugging. Just saying? he added, trying to smooth over the awkward moment. I don't even know why I promised you that, bounkola. You know I'm an idiot. But mmm, let me see if I can find a story that's, you know, okay to tell. He racked his brain, searching back moons and moons and moons. Goddamn, he was too ribald for this!

Full-moon eyes never left Verx's as he sounded out the word properly for her; she meant to sound it out right as he did, but her voice utterly stoppered in her throat as he continued to explain himself. "S... s-sexy?" was all the she could squeak out. Sexy? While the warrior grimaced and groaned, Aure cast a glance about them, eyes growing ever-wider by the beat, if only to make sure he spoke of her and not to... to... well, a tree.  ( You could never be too sure. )

The mention of his coition with other females was the first thing to pinken her; no, she would very much doubt she'd ever want to hear of his romps with them. Of course, though, those females he'd been with were sure to have been the epitome of... of sexy, yes? Not scarred winter bones, or— Wait— ”You are not an idiot! Y-“

"Let me see if I can find a story that's decent to tell."
Oh no.

Lips pressed thin at that. Her head lowered, as if she could elude the bright-hot sting of blood from throat to scarred crown. Ears flickered demurely; smiled with quivery timidity, as if to keep him from prowling closer with stories of... of her. "Y-you’re not an idiot, and I, I, ah- um," Eloquent as per usual, she retreated from him, stumbling a bit as she paid no mind to the terrain underpaw. "M'not s-se— no, no, Verx, I, erm—" As she bit her lips and blushed and bumbled all over this, though, a little inkling within her was curious...

Was she?

Her babbling broke his concentration, and he gave her a squint. I am an idiot, and you are sexy, he concluded, hoping to stem any arguments that may ensue. But I'm not gonna stroke your ego here, nor am I gonna tell you any sexy stories. I was thinking more along the lines of, you know, my childhood in Trigeda.

Trigeda. Verx gave a wistful sigh, glancing away. There were so many wolves there. I never wanted for friends. There were a gang of us yearlings, always getting into trouble. Hannibal, Trajan, Cyrus, and Vercingetorix. The nightmare quartet. He laughed, tossing his head back with mirth. Oh, God, we were terrible. But at least we were loyal, and dedicated to learning how to be warriors.

One time, Trajan and Cyrus got into a fight over a girl. Uh, can't even remember her name. I didn't think she was that pretty, but those two were head over heels for her. Except Trajan, he was terrible with the ladies, Verx added, looking at Aure. Talk about paw-in-mouth. Never saying the right thing, tripping over his words. Good guy, but man, super awkward. And so, Cyrus wooed her and fucked her, and Trajan got upset about it, because he'd been in love with her for a really long time.

He would have killed Cyrus, had he been in Trajan's paws. That was hormones, for you. Anyway, Hannibal and I had to deal with this fallout, he said, rolling his eyes. Try to fix the rift and all. Turns out we didn't need to, because Cyrus died on a raid, and she got super sad and turned to Trajan and they, uh, lived happily ever after, I guess?

Not Cyrus, though. Death came to everyone, but it came much too early for his friend. Were the others still alive? Did they wonder about him, every so often? He hadn't seen his adolescent friends in moons and moons; life was so different now from what it once had been, and he didn't know how to feel about it.

So, I guess that was an explicit and gruesome story, just not involving me, Verx said, gaze clouded over with memory. Fuck, he'd kind of made himself sad now. That definitely hadn't been the plan.

She could’ve squinted right back at him,sighed in relief that he wasn’t about to tell a story of them, stiffened at his final verdict of her, and— stumbled entirely over a root at her hocks. Without ever meaning to, she plomped into a sit with a warble of surprise, and then looked to Verx—

Oh, Trigeda? 

Aurëwen listened then, rapt and wondering and teetering in her unsteady sit. A terrible, nightmare quartet; scrappish males vying for an uncertain female; and she found herself sympathizing with Trajan, actually. “Oh, he sounds sweet,” the herbalist had mused, and quietly listened to the rest of the story. Cyrus’ death was a bit of a brow-raiser for her, and when the ending of happily ever after? came, her only response was a thoughtful blink.

It was a classic militant tale: a soldier passes, and his comrade protects and provides for the beloved left behind. The warmth and liveliness that Verx has spun it with, though, had made it worth listening to. Aure opened her mouth to comment further, but it dwindled when she saw the wistfulness of him.

Seeing his cloudy, nearly-crestfallen manner which he ended the story with, her eyes fell away to give him his own privacy — something she’d been slow to learn to do when it came to others, but had learned all the same. So, then, in an attempt to coax him from his sorrows: “When I was a yearling, I uh... somehow this, ah, stampede started.” 

And then, as if that explained everything away with no further elaboration at all, she rose to her paws with a little, breathy “Huh” and pranced away from Verx. He could easily overwhelm her with the pace she set, if he wished to; she wouldn’t try to dance from his reach as she always did.

Stampede, huh? Verx asked, coming out of his funk easily enough and trotting after her. Can't just end there, bounkola. This sounds like a fun one. Unless it somehow ended in childhood trauma or terrible memories, then in which case. . .nah, probably best not to drag it out of her.

He cocked his head toward her, beaming and insistent.

Her chin merely lifted at the insistence — would that she could end then and there, resisting Verx in nearly every account proved fruitless. Aure squinted over a shoulder at him, letting the indecision linger for another moment... before a gleam of her own smile overtook her ashen features. Turning from the inked male, she began to spin a yarn; silvered roots of her North.

Enshrouded within her own reminiscence, Aure drifted from his side, and took post instead upon a crag. "It was our first naming day, a winter eve, and my mother had called for a 'resplendant hunt'. But," remaining turned from her audience, she steadied herself against the rough-hewn trunk of a silver birch, "ze chosen herd had been elusive, as they tend to be, so ze entire party had to divide in order to track them down." Pink nose stretching, seeking for some property in its boughs she couldn't find. "And, since my brother and I were heirs, we had ze liberty to lounge our way along... but we were late, of course. For ze blessings and good-wishings — a meeting or two, with neighboring residents. Pheh."

With a faint shrug, Aure made the easy descent — only to flit for spring shrubbery. It seemed, with the focus entirely on her and her tellings, her paws were restless. It contrasted with the wry drawl and elfin look which she continued in: "By ourselves, we bickered ze entire way; something about 'not getting first eat,' perhaps? Actually, we went entirely for ze opposite area that our parents had designated as favorable. Oh, we quarreled some more, and then tussled..."

A worn scoff, and she finally stilled, fixing Verx with an elfin look. "...Only to find ourselves right between ze hooves of ze bull my mother sought." Everything that'd ensued — she told Vercingetorix with a languid tone that passed from simpering, wistful lips. Told him how Vonnaruil and herself hid as chaos all about had erupted; how their parents had been properly enraged, and the gathering devastated; and how, ultimately, the yearlings had gone to bed without supper, birthing-day or no.

"So, no," Aure lilted, a low and breathless chuckle, "we were not quite 'angel children,' anymore. But, myself against Vonn? Mm. Perhaps." Story finished, as long-winded as it'd been, the herbalist began to make her return to Verx. Glimmering eyes alight and inscrutiable, and there was a keen tilt to her fair head that was only now evident. Regardless of whether she'd succeeded (or not) in diverting his own sorrows, at least the pair had shared yet another tale in their time together.

Verx laughed along with the tale, grinning. You and Vonn, getting into trouble, he teased. I can see it from him; not necessarily from you, though. But maybe he was a bad influence. Maybe? Nah, more like definitely. Dude was a little firecracker.

They continued their little jaunt through the mountains, probably swapping tales, until exhaustion and duty pulled them back to Arrow Lake and their brood.