Sleepy Fox Hollow this love it is a burning sun

The first light of dawn barely brushed the sky, a soft hue of lavender spreading across the horizon. Elowen wandered through the thick underbrush, her paws barely making a sound as she moved. The cool morning air was crisp with the scent of pine and earth, each breath she took filled with the stillness of the waking forest.

There was a calm here, at this hour, before the world stirred into chaos. She felt it most deeply—this peace, this perfect quiet. She was a creature of both the forest and the dawn, the kind of creature that slipped through the shadows, a part of the world but always on the edge of it.

Her fur was dappled with the first light, each strand catching the glow of a sun still shy in the sky. The silence was broken only by the rustling of leaves as a bird flew low overhead.

Elowen sat at the edge of a small stream, watching as the water reflected the growing light. Her tail curled tightly around her legs, the softest sigh escaping her. The world felt like a quiet promise—if she stayed just long enough, it would never ask anything of her. It would only give.

Peace, perfect quiet.

Squashed under her nasty paws. Envy slipped through the brush in scattered movements, quick one moment, halted the next. She'd grown rather good at traversing the mountains. Like the shadows, she moved in and out at her leisure.

Now, she usually hated walking long distances, much preferred to make a man do it for her, but alas, she needed to know where things grew before she could delegate such a task to another, and anyways, she didn't know how much she trusted anybody else's ability to identify accurately. The mountain valley was lush and teeming with all sorts of lovely things for her stock, dwindling, now that snow and frost scourged the land. The scrawny wretch let out a shiver as she carried on. If only she could say her intentions were pure, as per usual, she'd gotten distracted, the scent of fox strong here, she thought she might find one to toy with.

Instead, she'd come upon a wolf, wistfully watching her reflection in the water.

Toy all the same. Envy was curious and curiosity so often overpowered. Today was no exception. She'd scramble down from her slight vantage, making no secret of her approach and quickly closing the distance. She wanted to get a good look at the other girl. Their near equal stature tempted Envy towards the more cruel of inclinations, though for now she kept herself reigned in. Hello! You look lonely. She'd muse casually, circling in the distance she did still leave between them.

Elowen had been lost in the reflection of the stream, the way the water caught the light of the breaking dawn, the gentle ripples distorting her image. She felt a kind of quiet solace there, in her own company, watching the light dance over the surface, broken only by the soft movement of her own tail.

But that peace didn’t last long—when did it ever? A shift in the air—a disturbance, subtle at first—drew her from her reverie. Her ears flicked forward, catching the movement in the brush before the scent of another reached her.  It didn’t take long for the approach to become audible, the soft pad of paws on the earth, the rustling of branches, the unmistakable presence of something curious.

Her posture stiffened, head turning just slightly to catch the other’s form coming into view. The stranger circled her with unsettling confidence—no hurry, no intent to strike, just observation. It made Elowen uneasy in a way she couldn’t quite explain. The voice came next, light and almost teasing.

Elowen’s ears flattened, tail still against the ground. Her gaze shifted, eyes narrowing slightly. Loneliness wasn’t something she felt all the time—no, she was used to being alone, to watching quietly from the edges of things. 

The dove rose slowly, her movements cautious but fluid, like she was measuring the distance between them. "I’m not lonely," she murmured, her voice soft but firm, the quiet of the morning still clinging to her words.

Lorcan trailed Envy at a respectable distance, his movements light and practiced, the snow crunching faintly beneath his paws. His sharp eyes stayed fixed on her silhouette, quicksilver and restless, slipping through the brush like the whisper of a storm. He had no intention of interrupting her; the mountain path was hers to take.

But then he saw her.

Not Envy, but the soft figure by the stream, her light fur catching the faint glow of dawn as she stood, so achingly delicate against the rugged terrain. Elowen. His dove.

For a moment, the world narrowed to just her. Lorcan froze mid-step, his breath lingering in the crisp mountain air as he studied her. The way she rose, cautious and reserved, stirred something deep within him—a possessive need to protect, to draw her into the warmth of his shadow and shield her from whatever danger the mountains might bring.

He moved closer now, his steps heavier, deliberately breaking through the quiet. His presence was no secret—he wanted her to see him. The curve of his mouth tilted into a slow, deliberate smile as he finally spoke, his voice smooth, low, and unmistakably coy.

Well, if it isn't my sweet dove, he murmured, his eyes fixed on her, a gleam of something almost predatory behind the warmth. Not so lonely now, are you? I've seen you met my Envy.

Ah, she rattled her a little. Envy thought it was funny. She drank up the caution in her step and the unease that flickered through her eyes; moved a step in when she moved one back, looked her up and down, tilting her head in intrigue. She prepared to make some sort of quip, and had been tempted to do things far worse; intrigued by the nature of this one, eager to test it, but she quieted as a shifting in the bracken revealed the shadowy figure of Lorcan, trailing behind.

She swivelled an ear, black tipped and shredded to high hell before she'd tear her gaze away from this stranger, who Lorcan seemed to know. Pity, maybe not pity? She was curious. He came in with his usual air, suave and confident, she even perked up a little as he denoted her 'his'.

Part of her found it satisfying, to be known in such a way. Worth keeping. She didn't mind it. She let out a breath of amusement, and fell back onto her haunches, casual-like. Hardly met She corrects, chin raised in playful disapproval of his intrusion. It was welcome of course, she couldn't help but wonder who this girl was, to have earned the same denomination. Dove. Pretty.

Envy was sin. She couldn't help but wonder how the two knew of eachother. She must've been interesting. Envy stared at her with a scrying gaze, trying to gleam what she could.

Elowen's gaze flickered between the woman and the shadow that had emerged from the trees—Lorcan. His voice, low and unmistakable, made her heart stutter in her chest, as if he could shake the stillness around them with nothing more than the weight of his presence.

Sweet dove. It sent a ripple through her chest. It was possessive, and yet, there was something about it that made her breath catch. She swallowed, trying to steady her heartbeat. She didn't know if she liked the way it sounded or if it unsettled her. "Lorcan," his name fell from her lips like relief.

The air around her seemed to thicken, the quiet turning heavy with tension. She’d barely registered the woman’s approach, but now she couldn’t look away from her, the predatory gleam in those dark eyes unsettling, even as the words came out with a teasing lilt. Envy’s gaze was like a weight on her, like the stranger was trying to see through her, poke and prod at whatever it was she kept buried. Elowen held herself still, lips pressed together in a quiet line. She didn’t like the feeling of being so... seen.

At the her words, Elowen’s ears twitched, and she couldn’t help the faint frown that pulled at her lips. "Hardly met," she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper, as if trying to match the low tension in the air. But she didn’t push it further—no need to. Lorcan's gaze was warm, but there was something in it that prickled at her skin, like a storm building just behind his eyes. She swallowed, the quiet of the morning suddenly feeling far too heavy.

Lorcan's gaze shifted between the two women, the tension between them as palpable as a coiled wire ready to snap. Envy, his sharp-edged muse, and Elowen, his delicate dove—both so different, yet equally captivating in their own ways. His lips curled into a faint smirk, his amber eyes gleaming with that signature blend of charm and mischief.

Ah, my little dove, my envy, he began, his voice smooth and warm, a balm against the taut air. He stepped forward, placing himself between them—not as a barrier, but as a bridge. No need to bristle, little loves. There's plenty of me to go around. He let out a low, amused chuckle, the sound breaking through the silence like a soft crack of thunder.

He turned first to Envy, his gaze steady but soft. You’re as sharp as ever, I see, he remarked, his tone playful but firm enough to dissuade her from pushing too far. But let’s not scare off the dove, hmm? She’s not used to the rough edges we’re so fond of.

Then he shifted his attention to Elowen, his expression gentling as his voice dropped a note. And you, sweet Elowen, he said, his words laced with reassurance. Don’t let her rattle you. Envy’s bark is worse than her bite, most days. He cast a quick glance back at Envy, the teasing glint in his eyes making it clear he wasn’t entirely serious.

He settled between them, his presence deliberate, grounding. Now, I’d much prefer if we all played nice, he continued, his tone still light but carrying a subtle edge of authority. After all, what’s the point of tension when we could be enjoying ourselves instead?

His smirk widened slightly, an invitation rather than a command. Shall we start over? Envy, Elowen. Elowen, Envy. Two of the finest I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. He inclined his head toward each in turn, the air around him exuding a confident ease that seemed to dare the tension to linger in his presence.

i am delighted

Schemes thwarted! She just wanted to have some fun with her... Being an attention whore aside, she did like toying with the nervous ones. Envy tilted her head, feigned a moment of innocence, confusion! Accusations unfounded! Oh—Have I scared you? She'd lean back, snicker at the absurdity of it, I'm not that scary. I was just.. curious. Thought she mighta' wanted company.

Bark worse than her bite, it was true she could ooze venom in troves when the mood allowed, but Most days, that was the keyword there.

Honestly though, Envy's interest only grew. She wondered about this girl.

That, and she looked at Lorcan like he was a liar. He kept none close, and yet she could taste his tension in the air, shear in his voice, however much he masked it, a demand for peace, not a de-escalation, but a demand. She held his gaze, undaunted, piercing and veiling the thinnest of challenges, unspoken. If she could've carved a ring around his head and popped it open, she would've dug through it. What was so worth protecting?

Elowen must've been interesting. Envy liked interesting people. She got a little giddy inside at the prospect.

She still looked at her strange, but the intent did not match the action. Her paws shifted, up down, up down. Nervous...Tentative. She wanted to know sobadsobadsobad. She looked to Lorcan as he passed by, protesting with a playful huff I'm playing nice— She didn't wait for an answer before conceding.

Well we've all met now. I don't feel tense.. do you? She'd spring to her feet to accompany her words, and trot over to the side, a subtle offering of space, rarely given. Her crooked tail swept across the ground to coil at her paws.

Her eyes lifted, meeting Lorcan’s. His smooth voice was meant to soothe, but there was an undercurrent to his words that made her wary. She felt like a fragile thing caught in the center of something far more deliberate than it seemed—like she’d wandered into a web spun long before her arrival. His reassurances fell lightly, but they didn’t quite reach her guarded heart. She’d learned that charm was often a mask, and even his warmth—something she might have otherwise leaned into—felt like a carefully placed net. His tone wasn’t cruel, but it wasn’t entirely comforting either.

Her gaze flickered to Envy again, the fox’s movements quick and sharp, her words laced with something Elowen couldn’t quite place. Not malice, not entirely, but the bite of them lingered all the same. The comment—Have I scared you?—sent a flicker of heat across her cheeks. Elowen lowered her head just slightly, her breath soft but measured.

"No," she murmured, a quiet protest that didn’t sound nearly as firm as she’d intended. It was true, though—Envy didn’t scare her, not in the way that sent her running. But she unnerved her. Her and her blood-red gaze seemed to want to peel her apart and look at what was left underneath. It was almost too much. Almost.

Elowen didn’t know if she could trust it—them. Still, when he called her "sweet," there was a flicker of warmth, fragile and fleeting. Her tail swayed faintly, betraying a hint of gratitude. And then Envy shifted. Moved back. That space, however slight, felt like a sudden breath of air after too long holding it. Elowen straightened, her slender frame drawing up just a bit as she studied the woman with cautious curiosity.

Her voice, when it came, was quiet but steady, laced with a tentative sort of hope that this strange interaction might settle into something more bearable. “Not very,” she echoed softly, her gaze flicking between them. Still, Elowen let herself breathe, trusting, for now, that Lorcan’s presence would keep things from tipping too far. Her tail brushed lightly against her legs as she settled into the quiet that followed.