Northstar Vale i'm coming home, i've got some things to say

vaguey-vague for reasons. :-)

the days were growing shorter and there was a notable dip in the temperatures that meant autumn was on it's way ...not that worripa was used to anything but the summer he'd been born to. still, his coat has begun to grow thicker in natural preparation for winter and his instincts are developing and forced to sharpen in his ...streak of independence. he was getting better at hunting but the meager small woodland critters he was catching did little to sate the full demand of his hunger.

thus, he is left to take his bigger meals from refuse left behind by other ( perhaps larger ) predators.

for the moment, the war reaper makes northstar vale his place of rest; spending his days hunting and bringing back his pathetic kills to the small cavern he has made his temporary home though how long he would linger here was anyone's guess.

regardless of whether the boy had accepted her proposal, asperas lingered near all the same. there was strength in this one, and the shroud of spirit-wisps about him. intrigued, the unchild twined closely with his trail, awaiting any opportunity to catch him outside of the bloodlust that prey seemed to induce in him. now, it seemed, was the time.
from the shadows the changeling detached herself as if molded of the dark itself, appearing in an instant when she sensed the moment was ripe. asperas greeted the boy with a long catlike stretch, enjoying the silence encircling the perimeter. no words needed here; only intention, and the actions that followed.

also vague, i couldn't resist <3 i can spree any time

kind calls to kind; and there was something about asperas that enraptured worripa into doing as she bid him. there is a soft of comfort drawn from the err towards quiet that he enjoys ...even if he isn't sure how to feel about the other boy that too shadows her. perhaps it is the seedlings of jealousy — what could be nurtured into testosterone fueled competition but has yet to reach that point. regardless, worripa wasn't here for him. he was here for her; and whatever unspoken kinship that had ( tentatively ) formed.

even so, that does not mean he has a desire to be too near.

he is accessible but solitary until he saw reason to be otherwise.

she tails him; worripa only notices her when she wants to be noticed, merging out from the shadows she'd taken her refuge in. seaglass gaze studies her as he stretches and he lets out a small breath; tail brushing against his haunches with a small chuff offered to her in greeting.

a chuff of acknowledgement marked the moment the boy laid eyes on her. she drew nearer with ears forward, tail at a slow sway, more inclined to treat him as one of her own than any of ursus because she had chosen him. languid whisper-soft steps brought her within range to nip at his legs and butt her head against his flank in a friendly, albeit rough, gesture. the voidsent turned abruptly, head dipping to sniff at the prey-trails among the verdure. hunt with me, she invited wordlessly with one more sweep of her mismatched gaze, and set off in pursuit of a trail.

seaglass gaze watches her with an unbridled weariness ...despite that their companionship was chosen; deemed by her and accepted by him — as she draws nearer. a tautness pulls at the muscles of his shoulders; a gallop to the wild wardrum beat of his heart as she nips at his lip and butts her head against his flank. his ears flutter against his skull but he allows the touch(es) and tries not to led it feed into his ego.

as wordlessly as she offers her invitation, worripa accepts; heavy footfalls trodding after her as she starts down a prey path. something better than the meager meals he's managed to scrounge up ( and the rotten corpses carelessly left behind ) would be nothing more than godsend at the moment.

and, beyond that, worripa hoped to impress her. at the very least, prove that she had not made a wrong choice in accepting him into her ( once ) duo.

hare scent filled her nostrils, fresh and strengthening with each slinking step along the forest floor. it reminded her of first love and first betrayal, the bitter taste of being the unchosen still thick on her tongue. the need to replace it with the salt and metal of preyblood quickened the voidsent's feline stride, one ear trained to the pawsteps of her gunmetal companion. with the other she tracked the faint rustle of her quarry just ahead, and when the sound was close enough to warrant caution the unchild's posture dropped to a crouch, her gait slowed to a skulking stalk. she looked to the boy, then, the question in her eyes leaving to him the decision of how their little team will function for this hunt.

the scent of hare trails the duo along as they stalk their quarry; the war reaper content to follow her lead. she has, intentionally or not, asserted herself as heda and though he is commander born, he also knows that it's not his destiny.

no, in time to quickly come, he morbid destiny as fragheda — the commander killer — ( if not worse ) would become abruptly and glaringly clear —

his companion looks to him then and he fixes gaze of seaglass to the hare through the thicket, grazing unawares. the tactician in him begins to awake as he considers; glowing to life like an ember coaxed awake and to new life from its ashy slumber.

judging what he assumes would be their strengths he gestures to his chest with his muzzle and jerks it to the left, communicating that he will sneak around and attempt to corral the hare towards her. with the next movements of his muzzle, he gestures to her and clicks his teeth in an exaggerated snapping motion to indicate that he thinks she should make the kill.

he rolls his shoulders and waits for confirmation from her before he moves into action.

with a few quick gestures, the shadow's companion silently laid out a plan for them to follow. she nodded, teeth itching suddenly for the warm-wet feeling of open flesh beneath them. the war reaper disappeared among the foliage for a few heartbeats — and re-emerged in pursuit of the hare, chasing it right into the shadow's waiting jaws. the end came swiftly after that.

the pair shared their hard-earned meal in silence, and returned to alduin in time.