Broken Antler Fen Begin

Pausing within the cedars and willows that forested the area, Coriander lifted her head and gauged the time. It was still early morning, sunlight brightening the tips of the trees where it had managed to touch them over the horizon, and feeling the promise of the day the timber-marked wolf pressed onward at an easy trot. She hadn't the slightest clue where she was going, what she was aiming to find; she just knew she had to keep going.

A few more minutes of travel brought her to the edge of the woodland and to the beginning of the fen proper, where she stopped and took a moment to survey the openness. At about the same time, the sun slipped behind a curtain of cloud, dimming the reveal, but it seemed no less magical to the bright-eyed girl. Cori smiled softly to herself, ears perking as the sounds of ducks greeted her, a few already visible where they had taken refuge in the water. How lovely.

Her stomach gave a small, inaudible gurgle, a modest suggestion, but she chose to ignore it as she left the cover of the trees to venture closer to the waters. Maybe if a clear opportunity presented itself, she would try to grab a duck. For the moment, however, she was simply curious to explore this new territory and all the little wonders it had available for her perusal.

The deadline for the bet Bruges had made for his brother was drawing near- but the swarthy male had more or less forgotten about it, just as he'd intended to do. Such trivial things were of no importance to the male who had yet to find anything he really and truely cared about...Aside from himself, of course. So it didn't bother him at all that he was wandering further and further away from the meeting point he was supposed to attend with his brother a week or so from the present. Bruges didn't care about silly little bets- not when he never intended to win them anyway. As far as he was concerned, it was for the best if his brother won- but he didn't want Ambrose to know that.

He hoped in time his family would see that he did these things for a reason- and though he put as little effort into making his family succeed as possible, he'd actually made some fair contributions, even though his methods were somewhat questionable. Nevertheless, he knew what he was doing- and in the grand scheme of things, Bruges was winning- though it was his two younger siblings who were benefiting from the situation the most. 

Now all he had left to do, since his siblings were taken care of, was find something meaningful for himself. A home, perhaps, or in the very least a companion. And for Bruges, finding the latter had always been fairly easy. He was not surprised, then, when his path crossed with that of a female, one whose attention seemed to be focused on a few ducks nearby. He smiled; Bruges, like his younger sister, was an excellent birdhunter. But now wasn't the time to steal someone else's catch, or intervene. Sometimes, he knew, it was best to allow the others to steal the spotlight, as unconventional as it seemed for him to do so. 

She pleased him, visually. She was quite healthy, with a short and plush coat and a build that proclaimed she was a successful hunter, which was an invaluable trait. The fur along her shoulders and saddle of her back was slightly darker, and accented the shape of her torso well. There was a comely, handsome air about her facial features and a mildness about her lips that proclaimed no demons. This one, he was sure, would be a kind-souled individual- with such a warm aura, how could one who looked like this ever be malignant? He approached quietly, but remained far enough away that he would not spook her possible future meal. Nevertheless, he perked his ears, and gave her a quiet chuff; a polite way to request that he joined her.

Her attention shifted every couple paces or so, from watching her footing on the increasingly damp earth to the pond-like water sources teeming with ducks who chattered among themselves. Coriander's face lit up minutely the closer she got, already beginning to wonder what it was that the ducks were saying and wishing she understood. They hadn't seemed to notice her yet, her approach still relatively slow and non-aggressive, and she debated whether she ought to stalk closer.

A new sound, quiet and almost lost within the din of the birds, drew her short of taking her next step, and with an almost confused expression--questioning whether she had actually heard what she thought she'd heard--Cori paused and turned her head. There was another, a dark figure with a bright patch of white and a seemingly friendly face.

For a second, she merely stared. In truth, she hadn't done much socializing since departing from her family all those months ago. She felt that familiar loneliness call out, itself wanting this individual to come closer, and despite the sudden swell of nerves that overtook her Coriander mustered a small smile, inviting and perhaps a little eager beneath the surface. She said nothing but waited, offering the opportunity for the stranger to join her. Her tail gave a few timid sways then fell still.

Truth be told, Bruges was used to getting stared at by females- and it stoked his ego. He could see her become lightly embarassed, which meant that his natural looks had done the trick, and rightfully so, he believed. She had a friendly, meek smile on her features that became an unspoken invitation, so he drew closer, still mindful to keep his posture unthreatening, lest the ducks see fit to take off. His footsteps were silent, though there was a slight sway to his step...Yes, he was a man who knew how to swagger. 

...And he also knew how to soften his sterling gaze in such a way that made it seem like the only thing he would ever care to look at was the wolf before him. He cast her a fond grin, and bowed his head to her as he approached, his feathery tail sweeping from one ankle to the other in a manner that expressed his harmlessness. He could still sense a bit of tension about her, but that was to be expected; he liked it, and possibly preferred it, if he made the ladies a bit nervous.

Only briefly did her gaze shift in the direction of the ducks--a quick, nervous little gesutre in which she didn't actually see the birds she appeared to glance toward. It was hard to pull her eyes away from the wolf approaching her, and it wasn't just the fact this was likely to be her first true interaction with another since striking out on her own.

There was something inherently captivating about the male. Something like a natural allure, he drew the eye and held it, capturing it with his own gaze and keeping it there with the soft intensity of his stare. Cori swallowed as he neared, shrank almost imperceptibly in place, and once again wagged her tail in answer to his.

The birds were all but forgotten now, her attention fully taken in by this stranger's warm expression. Her smile almost faltered because of nerves, but she brightened it a little and managed at last to speak, "Hi." It wasn't much, but Coriander spoke quietly and quickly, eager for the silence to be gone and for the air to feel alive with conversation that wasn't just the chatter of water fowl.

She was still somewhat distracted by the waterfowl nearby, but he was certain he could make her forget that. She looked a bit nervous still, and even seemed to retreat within herself a bit, but at least she was trying, and gave him a smile. He continued to reassure her with his posture that there was nothing hostile about him whatsoever- and it was no trick. Bruges knew better than to ever harm a creature of beauty...Physically, anyway. Breaking hearts was another thing altogether and the man was a shameless flirt. Fortunately, no one in this area knew his track record save for his siblings- and they were days away. 

"Well hello," He greeted warmly, blinking languidly as he regarded her. "A fair day, is it not?" He asked, tilting his muzzle up slightly, without removing his gaze form her kind features. It was small talk, sure- but he needed her to relax a bit before he could gain her trust and earn a bit more information from her.

His voice was just as warm and inviting as his expression, and Cori was delighted by it. It'd been too long since she'd had a nice, casual conversation with someone, anyone, and already she felt promise here. Her smile brightened yet again a fraction more, and she nodded in answer. "It is," she answered, only vaguely recalling the cloud cover and realizing with a glance upward that the morning was still overcast. Perhaps not the fairest of days, in actuality--but the company at least was hard to beat.

"Maybe it'll...brighten up later," she suggested optimistically, certain at the very least that the sun wouldn't stay hidden the entire day. "It was really lovely this morning. The clouds hadn't covered the sun yet, and the forest looked sort of golden at the tips of the trees." Coriander had started talking, and now it felt difficult to stop. There were so many things she could remark upon, little comments that she'd saved up, but she stopped herself with a self-conscious chuckle. She didn't want to monopolize the conversation.

Bruges hadn't exactly paid too much attention to how cloudy or sunny the day was. It was bright enough to be fair, but not so bright that he had to squint...Meaning he could look at her, and the fair colour of her pelt, without having to make his own face look squinty, lest he mar his own handsomeness. She seemed to think that brighter was better, but nevertheless eanred a smile from him. "Beautiful," He crooned, without taking his eyes off her- as though he hadn't heard the words she'd said at all, but was merely commenting on what he was seeing at that moment. Typical Bruges. 

"Well," He said, sweeping his tail about his ankles, "Why don't we go for a walk? It might brighten up a bit, as we do...And I've nowhere else I'd rather be," He purred, and moved forward, simply assuming that she would follow him. What else would she do, really?

He said only one word, but it had a profound effect. Coriander felt her cheeks heat beneath her pale fur, a distinct flutter starting within her stomach as her ears tipped meekly back. Why did it feel like he wasn't even talking about the weather? And why was it suddenly so hard to meet his gaze but also so difficult to look away? She chuckled girlishly and managed to avert her gaze only for a second, trying to hide her nervousness but failing.

In comparison to her, her company appeared quite at ease, suggesting they take a walk together and beginning to set off then. As expected, Cori followed right along, an awestruck obedience carrying her alongside him. Her eyes continued to peer at him as they walked, and she wracked her brain for something else to say, something to ask, so she could hear his unique, stirring voice again. "What's your name?" she eventually settled on, and looked expectant of her companion's answer.

He could tell already that he'd have to be careful with this one; she was almost hypser-sensitive. Not a bad thing, necessarily, as it meant that he wouldn't have to try hard at all to make her admire him, but at any moment he was certain that if he went too far, he could scare her off. She seemed nervous; perhaps a sign of her lack of experience, but that was something that Bruges could take in his stride easily. It wasn't like he was planning on sticking around, really; he liked the chase for whatever he gained from it. And as tey walked, he could feel her tension growing, but he stayed content and quiet, willing to enjoy the company if she would allow him to do so. 

"How impolite of me," He said, apologetically, bowing his head. He touched his nose gently to her cheek- watching out of the corner of his eye for her reaction- before he introduced himself. "I'm Bruges DeMonte," He said, figuring his name sounded better without being hyphenated. "And you, my dear?" He asked, tilting his ears forward to elicit a response from her.