Neverwinter Forest only he looked to the stars and demanded more

set a few days before this thread.

neverwinter forest.

it looked the same as sullivan remembered; even if his memory held that same murky quality of a dream just barely remembered.

he was a boy when he'd once romped this forest as a would-be prince.

and now the man returned, roaming his lost haunts like a phantom.

he was surprised to find that the territory was not claimed, or that some remnants of his father's kingdom did not remain here. there was nothing but his memories.

of haruki and the fool's errand he'd co-conspired on to find simmik ...

the blackbird hurmphs at the memories of a foolish and naïve boy who'd been trying to be a hero and turns swiftly as if he can outrun them, as if he could carve out the memories that no longer suited him; like a hunting jaguar to stalk deeper into the heart of the forest.

With a snarl and a snap she had sent off the last male who had attempted to court her. Too young, too sickly. Garnet had no interest in waiting another year only to be saddled with weakling pups.

It was the scent of another which drew her into the forest; older, healthier, altogether more appealing. She followed his trail, weaving between trees with her tail waving high in the air. Yet she was wary. Garnet did not close the last of the distance between them but stopped short, howling to make her intentions known. It was a mate she sought, not a potential fight.

Winter would be upon them soon, and the time to claim a place of her own was now.

a howl lifts into the air; giving chase to the general hush that has befallen the forest.

full of intentions.

and perhaps the ex-prince stills feels some addled claim of birthright over this place, the stirrings of a would-be king for he is rankled; guard hairs bristling.

one would've thought that he knew by now that pride and arrogance always came before the fall but he back-tracks until the nightcloaked slyph comes into his view.

quite a brazen declaration..., the blackbird breaks his silence, steps slowing to a halt a few feet away.

The man who answered was tall, confident, with pretty mismatched eyes. Garnet allowed a brief smile to flash across her features. It faded with his words.

She half-turned away, flank facing him now, but her eyes stayed on him. If you're not interested, I can move on, Garnet rejoined with a hint of teasing to her tone, tail still waving invitingly. But she meant her words; she was not here to waste her time, or his. There were other, more willing men to be found.

he mistakes the raise of her tail for dominance, unable to entirely shake that gut thought even as she waves it invitingly.

her bluntness is a bit cutting, and for a moment sullivan is slightly taken aback. and though he draws closer to his fourth year of life, and had his fair share of flings, he thought this was a rather unconventional way of going about find a mate, as her howl had indicated.

of that i do not doubt, the blackbird murmurs. ...i do not even know you, nor you, me.

Then get to know me, She challenged lightly, a bit baffled by his lack of understanding. Garnet had been raised with the awareness that one day she would go out into the world and find a mate of her own, stake a claim. At nearly two years old, she was ready.

Hunt with me, The wildling dispersal invited next, taking a half-step away from him that implied she would be on her way without him if he did not follow. Either way, she waited only a moment for his response before turning fully away and dipping her nose toward the ground in search of a scent trail. Whether she sought prey or a new wolf scent to follow would depend entirely on his response.

the ease in which she speaks it would make it seem as if getting to know someone was the easiest thing in the world. for sullivan, who has went through several personality shifts in his life, this is not such an easy thing to do.

not to mention, he holds the assumption that everyone was as guarded as he, that wolves could put up fronts and not reveal who truly lay beneath.

it wasn't as simple as a jaunt, or a hunt together.

is a hunt meant to tell me anything about you other than your skills? he asks. that is all fine and good but shouldn't you base your interest in men beyond their skills? what if the have an awful personality?

he asks her retreating form, not really expecting an answer.