Stavanger Bay come wayward souls who wander through the darkness

@Deirdre

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Doubts were beginning to cloud his mind as he pricked his way along the edges of the bay; his inky coat began to rise along his neck and shoulders. There was a wild glint in the dark of his eyes. The borders of Donnelaith were close and he could smell the wolves that dwelled in the forest. The nymphs there were not likely to have him, he knew this, but he was a beast derived of determination and the plan that he had set forth was a wise one, in spite of his lack of intelligence. The brute was well versed in the ways of the dredge and the breakers. He had known war and had thrived on it for a great duration of his life, but the ways of the diplomat were almost foreign to him, and he feared that if Deirdre would ask for him to meet the members of her pack for a meeting, he would shame her.
 
Sniffing the air around him, the wraith hoped to catch the scent of the ivory-furred woman in the wood. His dark gaze followed the stretch of trunks and he breathed in the earthy aroma of the forest. It was not a place that he could ever live; the brute belonged to the rough grit of the sands and the harsh tossing of the waves. By that same token, he did not think that Deirdre would ever wish to join him on the shores. It left a sour taste in his mouth, and he gritted his fangs together until they hurt.
 
Turning away from the wood, he opted not to call to her. Perhaps it was best if he simply let her be.  

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I'm watchin you Wazowksi. Always watchin ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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the wind brought him to her on a simple breeze, and deirdre moved toward the scent that called to her. the girl pranced in his direction, breaking free of the cover of the trees that seemed to bow before her as she emerged. 'twas merely a strong wind that brought this into effect, and it carried her voice as she called to him: skellige!

she oft thought of him, and had intended this hour to seek him out. that he was here now meant their meeting was willed by more than just herself, and this enthused her as she approached him. the pale seraph had been distraught and broken the last time he had seen her, though much of her was restored. her magick had brought the world to life again and her work was completed.

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The pearl’s voice filled his ears and they swiveled backwards to catch the remainder of his name, and he froze in the tracks he was taking away from the edge of the woods. Furrowing his brows in a tight line over his eyes, the brute thought for a moment not to turn around to face her. His mind was too cluttered with things that he should not share with someone who was getting over the death of a family member. Instead, he craned his skull and peered at her with soulful russet eyes; his expression was troubled. Flicking the tip of his tail as an invite to the woman, he waited to see if she should join him in the sands.
 
Something about being too close to the woodland made him feel constricted, and he did not like it. The beach would clear his mind and give him strength again; the waters would soothe the weary soul that he had carried around for so long. Though the ocean did not truly provide him happiness, it was very close. It was a comfort to him when nothing else was… and when he could not expect the people around him to be. While he would have enjoyed taking solace in the words of the witch of the wood, she was still far too young, and he feared for their future.  

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deirdre, an empath, could sense his distress. her heart stuttered when she thought he might not turn to her, but then perhaps he had not heard! he looked to her then with eyes that carried something peculiar in them, and she did not wait for him to bid her. the child sniffed at him to see if he had come under any physical duress. nothing was there to hint to her as much, and deirdre tilted her head as she willed him softly to unburden yourself to me. what is wrong? to see him unsure brought uncertainty to her own constitution: skellige was a man who knew, and whose convictions were things that she did not think could be shaken. for her youth, the girl was wise beyond her years. faced with as much as she was it was something that she needed to be, though she still retained her sweetness, her innocence.

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omg u get my 100

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The young woman brought herself near to him and the cold touch of her nose against his being was met only with the rigidness of his figure. When she drew herself beside him, he allowed his gaze to fixate on her face and he held her gaze with a burning intensity. She bid him to unburden himself, and the brute huffed a great breath of air through his nostrils. It was not his intention to scoff at such things, but the titan was not the type to share; he was a king of the waters, and it was not like his kind to be weighed down by such things. Should they maintain their relationship, he would be required to speak to her, and so he found himself rather suffocated in that very moment.
 
With resolve, the great brute eyed her carefully and flicked the tip of his tail upwards. “I grow worried that your wolves will not care for my presence so close to your pack,” he breathed to her as though the other nymphs of the forest would hear him speak. Then, he shook his head and sighed heavily, drawing his gaze back up to her face once more. “You said that you did not want war to ever touch the borders of your forest, but this land has been blessed by the mystics and I cannot simply let it go,” he explained. Though he was a creature of great courage, the wraith could not find it in himself to tell her that he would fight for the bay if need be.

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he did not soften at her touch, and she withdrew to look at him fretfully. deirdre knew she did not wish to make him uncomfortable and so looked anxiously to her paws, his heavy exhale causing her heart to hammer in a terrible pattern that caused her breath to hitch. the girl cared greatly for him, and now she was painfully aware of this. it wounded her to think her presence was unwelcome to him, now. 

his admission surprised her, and she looked back to him. she recalled the words of her brother, and was thoughtful for a moment. for all that she owed skellige, she could never resent him–nor could she be angered by his wish to claim a place he presumed to be blessed. deirdre had never been to the bay to know, and so could only take his word for it. the girl also knew skellige had little to worry about, as donnelaith was not a place that would seek to displace him. they themselves were no warriors. the white witch did not desire it, either–she took great comfort in his nearness. 

she remained at a distance, thinking he had gone rigid because of her, and thought again of her brother. you and yours–you would become our protectors. why should they argue this? you do not seek to steal resources–when i come into my inheritance,  the pact between us can come to fruition, for she did not forget what she owed him! and then they would share all things. i have spoken with my brother. his greatest fear is proximity. but we are united, you and i. what has he to fear? this she asked him in earnest, her eyes wondering upon him. she knew, of course–but had they this to fear from him? trust shined forth from her eyes, mingled with hope and her evident care for him.

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The worrisome expression on her face said that his rigid nature was not what she needed, and the inky titan forced himself into a calm state. The dark of his eyes searched her, hoping that he would somehow find the answers to all of his frets in the green of her gaze. But that was it; she was of the forest and he was of the sea, so how could he seek to gain answers from the witch of the wood? The leviathan wanted nothing more than to breathe in the scent of her thick ivory fur until the worries of the world vanished from his shoulders. But there were things to be done, and he had only just begun in his attempt to claim the bay as his own. The brute could not accept failure as an option. He feared what this might do to the relationship he had built with the kindly girl, but the sea king realized that she was still young and it was not very wise to dwell on it.
 
When she spoke, her words were rational and seemed to soothe his fears only slightly. The great wraith breathed a heavy sigh and his lip curled over his yellowed fangs. It was in this moment that he realized, Deirdre had not fully understood his intentions for her. A cold hand wrapped around his insides and the fur along his neck bristled ever so slightly. She had posed the question; if the sea wolves were to serve as the forests protectors, then what was there to fret over? Pulling his gaze up to meet her own, Skellige breathed in the saline of the air before offering her an answer. “Because my feelings for you are turning into something more than that of a protector,” he rumbled quietly, the fire of his eyes remained locked with her own.
 
If she could not surmount what his intentions were from that alone, he was not certain that he could continue to pursue her. The thought was a painful one and it forced his heart to clench inside of his chest. He was destined for great things, however; he could not allow a budding romance to prevent him from doing what he had ventured to the wilds to do.  

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his response caused the girl to grow still and look at him with wonder. she was contemplative, wondering what he meant by this. he was admitting to something, but it was done in a subtle manner that was neither passive nor aggressive. understand, she willed herself as she looked to him. he needs you to understand. he spoke of feelings, and then he spoke of himself.

he was a cocktail of many emotions. she sensed worry, frustration, perhaps even some measure of fear. unbidden, aria came to her mind, and her great sadness was remembered. why would this make them afraid? she breathed, lifting her head a measure and watching him. what do you mean to say? i need to hear it, there was a strange thrill that raced through her, as she looked to the tsunami of a man before her. not a protector, but she would not assume things of him. would not think in her wildest dreams he bore her affection in the manner aria spoke of.

and what of she herself? she knew very little of love, truly. but aria had taught her the art of differentiating. she understood her feelings for skellige were far different than the feelings she carried for her family. and yet, the love growing for him was no less of an influence upon her. a child could know love, but she knew, too, she bore this affectionate love for lucani, perhaps even aria herself. these strange feelings in the pit of her, these adorations, were untamed and dreamt of. but that any might look to her and think these things of her! this was the thrill! could this be what he meant?

in a quite small voice, deirdre asked him, do you dream of me? the contents of her dreams were childish, but sweet. they romped in the flowers as children would, and he would chase her; there were never any monsters with him near, never, because the monsters feared him and quailed at her power. tag, and races, and all matters of things skellige himself might never truly do--but she dreamt of him, and it caused her cheeks to warm.

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At once, the wraith regretted speaking. Her eyes widened with a desire to understand what he had meant, but all he could feel was that she was still a child and she would not be able to comprehend. Had she been older, he kept reminding himself; if there were a few more years under her belt, she would know the true nature of his intentions without needing to have them explained. The pale woman inquired to him why this would make her pack afraid and he snorted heavily, drawing his brows over his eyes so that they cast a deep shadow on his features. When she prodded him further, asking him to fully explain what he meant, Skellige shook his head and frowned. No, he had already told himself that if she could not understand then it was best for him to step away.
 
“Never mind, Deirdre,” he rumbled in a voice that suggested she should forget the words had ever been uttered from his mouth. His ears swiveled atop his crown and the frown that clung to his dark lips was not lifted even slightly. He had known it to be foolish; the sea king knew better than to attempt to have such a talk with one of her age, but he had hoped against all odds that she might be able to comprehend his intentions. And all at once he was beginning to second guess the bay and whether or not the mystics had pointed him in the right direction.
 
Angered with himself for his own actions, the brute’s fur bristled along his neck and shoulders. He turned his gaze away from her own and attempted to steady himself through the lapping of the ocean. Though he was willing himself to simply walk away from her, the question that fell from her lips caused him to madden even further. Curling his lip over his yellowed fangs, the man shook his head once more. “I said never mind, Deirdre,” the guttural tone of his voice was shocking even to him, and he felt his heart beat inside of his chest like a war drum. Perhaps this was the reason his mother had for keeping him from holding the high rank in Warsaw. The leviathan was weak and easily swayed by the beauty of some child; he was not fit to rule.

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deirdre felt lost as he revoked his words in the matter of a sentence. but they had already unlocked something within her, and she frowned deeply--the expression not at all detracting from her loveliness--as he spoke more harshly toward her.

why? why do you speak, and then not follow through in explaining? i know i know little, and i know i have much to learn, she admitted this freely, softly, but that does not mean that i will not understand. i was always taught that to assume is a very foolish thing to do, and i would never assume anything on your behalf. you are angry with me for what you think i do not know--when you will not even say the words for me to know! her soft voice grew impassioned as she fought against his behavior toward her, that had come unbidden. he had not given her a chance, not at all, to truly know. did he not understand there were thousands of words in the world to fall into? to think? that he did not think an alliance might work, that he was afraid and feeling different than merely a protector... was she wrong? ah, that thought wounded her youthful heart. perhaps he was angrier still for assuming that he dreamed of her. i assumed... i did assume... that... well, she could not even say it, not wanting to risk his anger again. she felt the fool, for following some silly romantic notion that somehow she had found her special one. but how could that be? how could one look at her in such a light, then, and see her in such a way?

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The pearl was growing upset with him for speaking of things and not elaborating. The passion in her voice spoke to him of how she truly was a rational thinker and her reaction was not unwarranted by any means. He was a difficult creature to get along with; even his siblings had found that he was a trying man, even on his best days. Skellige was not certain that Deirdre could handle him at his worst. Already she was using his words against him. What the pearl did not realize was that he was not a man of many words; he was forged on anger and action, and it made him dangerous and it made him fiery. The heat of his head was immeasurable, but she would come to know this in due time.
 
Instead of harboring that rage, the wraith forced himself into a calmer state. The water helped to soothe his ruffled mind and spirit, and he turned back to face her, looking at the face she wore against his previous words. She had not deserved his anger, but he had given it freely, and it would surely not be the last time that she would find herself wondering what could have happened to spark such an intensity inside of him.
 
Taking a few steps towards her, the great sea king and narrowed his brows still and breathed a sigh through his nares. “I am not good with words,” he elaborated softly; the gentle rumble of his voice sounded like distant thunder. “But you are. So speak to me and tell me what it is you assumed,” he implored of her. The expression on his face was genuine, though not lacking at all in the intensity that it typically wore.  

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he shifted, seemed to gather himself, and came closer to  her. heat again came to her cheeks, and confusion was quite evident. he was no longer angry, it seemed; she felt that perhaps her words had their desired effect. they were not meant to be weapons against him, only things that could help him understand where it was she stood in this. with little to stand on, what more could she do?

you will not grow cross with me, if i am wrong? she asked him, her eyes holding his own. and yet it seemed she had no fear of his anger—though she ougt to—in this moment. there was more to be gained than lost, was there not? i thought that perhaps you meant that... i might be your special one. she used the words of aria exactly, and she looked at him as the moon might the ocean which truly was fitting.

with all this, one must understand her own position. does not everyone dream of love, and being loved? and here was a piece of her dreams, standing before her! it was more than the idea--it was prophecy, it was foretold to the young witch who saw him even when her eyes were closed. equally, now, did she think of lucani. to fight what was meant was a fools errand, and the girl found there was no reason to fight it when 'twas something she wanted. he had saved her, and he was strength, and how could she not imagine him as that when the sweet idea was put into her head?

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The sea king was silent as she posed her first question. He could not promise her that he would not grow cross at her words, for assumptions were tricky matters. If she were to say something that struck him the wrong way, the brute could not fully swear that he would not react harshly to such a thing. Still, he did not believe she was capable of making an assumption so vile that it turned him wicked. So he waited for her to proceed, and when she did, the brows on his skull lifted and he peered at her with dark eyes and a straight expression. The ink of his fur seemed to rise somewhat and he found that the hammering in his heart that had been there before was slowing down to a gentle beat.
 
“Then you would be correct,” he said softly, expression still unchanging.

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her tail waved slowly as he spoke, and a wave of warmth washed over her. where they went from there, who knew? but it was the start, and it was a good start, and deirdre felt happy to know she had not been wrong.

she sucked in a breath. are you wanting to be... my husband? one day...? she was his special one, he had said it -- she simply wanted to be sure, triply so, and she glowed with her happiness at the thought and the excitement that ran through her. surely she could not become his wife this day, without the approval of her brother!

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There was a light that seemed to shine from the pearl at the confirmation that he had given her. Her eyes seemed to shine and he caught sight of her tail flagging behind her. Still, he remained as stoic as he had been before. If she had been able to feel his heart, she would have noted that it had slowed considerably to a calm thud instead of the raging war drum that it had been before. Another query fell from her dark lips, and the male looked to her as the question was posed. What were his intentions?
 
This was something he had lingered on for quite some time. The thought had troubled him since he had discovered his emotions for the young girl. There was still hesitancy there, for she was young and had many months left before she would reach adulthood. Nevertheless, he had planning to tend to in order to get his pack off of the ground. Having that time to form a relationship could very well prove to be a wise decision on both of their parts, but he still feared what those in her pack would say.
 
It was not uncommon for the youth of Warsaw to be promised to older members of the pack. They were a clan that prided themselves on breeding and their roles; if they saw a light in one of their members, they would quickly find a suitable mate for them for the future. It was not as if his feelings did not stem from his home and the culture that he was raised on. His worry was derived from the closeness of Deirdre and her pack. Surely they would not look kindly on him; he was a titan of the water and a wraith who had taken the lives of many and spared the lives of few. He could easily recall the meeting he had with the silver-furred woman on the beach, some time ago, and how hostile she had been when he had mentioned the young Deirdre.
 
“Only if you could rule beside me and take no one else,” he warned her. For when the Cairn children took mates, they were taken for life and were unswerving in their loyalty. If she could promise that he would be the only man she would look upon with love in her gaze, his desire was to take her as his own.  

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deirdre listened to him, and nodded at his speech. she would rule beside him, she would--she, donnelaith and he, the bay. two worlds, one united family. if it were approved of!

i would, she informed him. both of those things. he knew her situation as it stood, however. and so she would say no more on the matter just then, and only smiled warmly at him. before we wed, i would like it if you would get the blessing from my brother. he and i are the only mayfairs left of donnelaith, but we are a great family. you are not so good with words, but i ask that for me, you might try. she did not want to lose him, after all, not now that she felt that she had him as he had her! i will help, she offered at length, her tail waving laxly behind her. she knew it was no small thing she asked of him, but his opinion and thoughts were important to her. eilidh had gone, as had emaleth, and casmir was not so readily available for her though she thought of him, too. constantine believes that i could rule, she said this after a beat--deirdre felt that if he understood that her brother was supportive of her endeavors, he might love her brother as she did.

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The pale woman agreed to his singular term, and for a fraction of a second, the wraith wondered what he was getting himself into. Nevertheless, it was there; they had spoken to each other of the future and what they wanted, and she was willing to stand beside him. The girl went on to say that if they were to wed, she would wish for Skellige to ask for her brother’s blessing. The thought caused him to bristle and he looked at the brightness of her face and wondered how he could possibly get out of it (a little early for their relationship but whatever). Resigning with a heavy sigh, the brute bobbed his head to the witch of the wood and took another step closer so that his face was near to her own.
 
“I will speak to your brother with you, then. If he believes that you could rule the forest, then he must see in you what I also see,” he confirmed with a strong nod. The wraith then studied her features for a moment and wondered how much she might change in the months to come. If he were to succeed in building a home in the bay and bringing his wolves there, how would Deirdre grow?

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deirdre was no warfarer, as he was. she was a peaceful cherub who wished only for peace at donnelaith. she had a good soul, and a better heart. fighting was not her way, nor was it the way of donnelaith. 'twas a sanctuary where those who had fought their battles could come to relieve their burdens and rest their weary heads. a place of healers and healing. a place of great magic, and of learning. one and all were welcome in their ranks, and they would be safe in its mystical depths.

the protection of skellige, who she trusted and admired, would keep it this way. seclude them from prying eyes. any wolves that sought to be the enemy would be met by their greatest ally and perhaps soon, her husband. and the wars he fought in, he would come home with his soldiers and be healed by those of his secondary home. they could sleep beneath the trees and romp in the ocean--skellige would give to donnelaith a greater domain. and it was clear he knew of magick. implicitly, she felt he knew that donnelaith would curse the man who broke its witches heart in any manner.

but he did not seek to do this. as he drew nearer, she smiled to him. deirdre took a small step closer to him herself, staring at the great width of his muzzle and then looking to his eyes. good, she hummed. skellige... my older brother, he is protective over me. we must approach it sensitively, she did not think the man before her was in the habit of doing such a thing, and she did not expect him to be eager for this part. if you only wish to broach the subject of... of your intentions of moving here... perhaps one day courting me... deirdre blushed at that, grinning shyly to him. he had made it known to her that she was his special one, but if he had any anxieties in telling another so soon, particularly her brother, she was sensitive to him.

The two of them were a startling contrast to each other. One of them was a white and shimmering as the sun on a clear day. The other was dark as night. Their personalities were no different than their appearances. While she was a peace-loving individual, Skellige was a man who cared very little for peace or the safety of those around him. Though he was protective of his brood and the wolves who obediently followed him, he knew that death was a natural part of life and would not find himself in disarray if he should lose someone close to him. The sea would claim all, in the end, and had claimed many in his lifetime.
 
He would be fiercely protective over her, though. Deirdre would be his mate in under a year’s time, and he had no intention of losing her to the ways of the world. Having his home right beside her own would allow for him to watch over her carefully and ensure that she had the blessing of the waters on her land at all times. Though they were witches and nymphs of the woods, the mystics would look on them with an open heart and mind – as they did all things – and would understand that they were there to help build his empire into something magnificent.
 
The pearl went on to explain that her brother was fiercely protective of her. He cast a wary glance toward her and frowned once more; an image that seemed to be permanent to his features at this point. “Telling me such things is making our meeting very enticing,” he drawled sarcastically. It was his first true form of humor shown in the wilds. In reality, he was not happy to meet the elder sibling to Deirdre. Skellige was certain that he would not leave a good impression on her kind family. Nevertheless, it was what she wanted, and so she would get it… but he felt the need to warn her in case things turned sour.  

his sarcastic tones caused her ears to flick backward. an attractive roguish grin lit her features like a lamp, though she spoke in earnest: i want to be honest with you. you need not say anything you are not ready to, but she did wish for him to meet her brother. however, she sensed something in the man before her that made this prudent for her to tell him. deirdre did not understand that this was wrong; she was child, and he was not. to her, it simply felt right. her father had blue willow who he had loved devotedly and she had skellige who she would come to love just the same! she bore great affection for him already, and wore it freely.

The girl grinned at his remark, but she went on to tell him that he needn’t feign his readiness for tasks that he was not yet capable of doing. This was the difficult part of their conversation. Skellige would never be ready to speak with her family. He was not like them in the slightest, and was certain that they would find his ways brutish and wicked. There were many wolves who did not come from the culture of the Warsaw wolves who had been completely lost in their disgust of the sea-worshipping creatures. It was not likely that a peace-loving community in the forest would look kindly on the wraith of the sea taking their sweet pearl away and defiling her.
 
“Deirdre, I do not believe that I should speak to your brother. He will not look kindly on my type, but if it is something that you wish… then I suppose it will be done,” he spoke to her with a small shrug of his broad shoulder. The man was certain that this was not what she wished to hear from him, but he would remain a transparent individual and would not leave things unspoken.

deirdre hmm'd thoughtfully at his words, but the sound employed no reproach. her eyes were watchful upon him, and after a moments thought, deirdre offered: i would only have you tell him of you and i, of your intent, when you are ready to speak on it. no sooner, she urged. she wished for him to be sure and to be confident in this. she knew his hesitance had nothing to do with her, or his confidence within himself. she understood implicitly her family was a beast he was not yet ready to conquer, and why should he be so soon? the expectation was unfair. but i did tell him you would meet with him, to speak of your intent to move in. he is wary; he came from a warfaring pack before his return home... tartok, i think it was. i do not know much of them, and she quieted for a moment, trying to recall their conversation exactly. she had been relatively young when he had first returned to her family, and she sifted through their memories together in mute contemplation.

The pearl seemed to believe that he would speak of their intent to be mated when he was ready to do so. His intentions would be concerning to her family, he was certain, but there was no doubt in his mind that their answers would not deter him from taking Deirdre. The coalition of the two packs would be a force to be reckoned with and he had the fiercest of confidence in his gut when it came to such a matter. “Perhaps when you’re older and it will seem more appropriate to them,” he drawled quietly on the subject of their intentions. It would only seem wise to approach them after a foundation had been set.
 
She went on to explain more of her brother, and when she brought up a particular pack, his ears cupped forward and he frowned. “I know of the Tartok wolves. I aided them in a fight once, in my travels here,” he explained to her in a level voice. He had not pledged himself to their fight, but had offered his hand… as most dredge would. It also helped to solidify the impression of the man he was soon to meet. If the sibling to Deirdre had fought alongside the warfaring wolves of Tartok, perhaps they would be capable of coming to a mutual respect of each other. 

400!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

age meant little to her. that it mattered to some did come as a surprise to her, and brooked a glance to her paws. after a moment of silence, deirdre asked him, when i meet wolves of yours, will they know of us? her head tilted as she asked him this. again, there was no anger or blame in her voice. perhaps age would concern all wolves, and she never wished to cause this man before her any trouble.

he spoke of tartok with knowledge on his tongue, and she nodded. it did not surprise her, that he might have done this. skellige was a warrior, after all. my brothers battles have been fought. he wishes for peace, now. his concern, i believe, is that you would turn against us. she had asked him this already, but he had said nothing on it, which led her to believe this was not his intent. more than that, he spoke of his feelings to her. he knew what donnelaith meant to her. though she said what she had, she knew that constantine would fight for donnelaith if it came to it, if he must. but deirdre knew no such thing needed to happen. she did not rely on he and his men, but she trusted him, believed in him. i do not feel i am a fool for trusting in you as i do, so soon, was unspoken, and there was a pleasantly charged energy between them that she drew closer still, too, very nearly closing the distance between them, am i a fool? do you think i am a fool? the words were a whisper. a fear yawned in her. if she was a fool, it certainly was for him alone--was this his advantage? would he twist such a truth and yank on the reins? ah, no--she did not think any capable of such a thing.

The next question that fell from her lips was one that seemed to take him by surprise, if only for a moment. The brute watched her with his dark and careful gaze, wanting more than anything not to have to answer such an inquiry. She wanted to know if he would be open about his relationship with her, or that which was intended, with the wolves of his soon to be pack. The look on his face was stern, but he could not help but to soften it for the pearly female and her query of him. “No, Deirdre… at least, not yet. It is a curse to speak of such things before they come to fruition,” he answered her simply. If they were not mated, and they did not hold that title, there would be no conversation that would occur about the subject… not to his wolves.
 
It was a troubling topic for the brute to be forced into discussing with her. Her brother had finished his fighting, but Skellige was certain that his battles were far from over. He had much to do in the coming months, even years, and he wanted to ensure that these plans would not fall through. “Your bother would only need fear me turning against him if your wolves gave me a reason,” Skellige returned with a firm nod of his skull. The expression on his face was almost cold… frigid as could be with his dark eyes swimming before her. “I do not believe you’re foolish, Deirdre, but you have a lot to learn of the world…” the man then trailed with a quiet sigh. Youthful optimism was something that had been stolen from him the moment he had struck the dark waters during his drop. It was something he would never get back.