Hideaway Strath no more alone or myself could I be

After leaving Whrist behind, Aerin decided to seek out the healer who was quickly becoming the object of her affection. The fae hadn't quite stopped to consider the irony of it but it kind of sent her head spinning to think of how she had come back because of her unfinished business with Kynareth and instead wound up falling for someone else entirely while trying to get over him and her (seemingly) forbidden attraction for his new wife. She'd rarely even seen the Grandmaster since settling into the Strath -- mainly because her friend seemed to be swept up in the responsibilities of leadership, the pressures of oncoming conflict, and his somewhat new role as a father -- and had quickly found that her thoughts had shifted from the brindled warlord and his autumn-eyed beauty. Now they were often preoccupied with obsessions of the blood-painted shaman she'd been cavorting with instead. 

The midwife had been thinking to start a plot cultivating herbs for the Sainthood but naturally wanted to get the medicine man's thoughts first, and maybe see if he would like to collaborate with her on the garden, since she thought he might have more advanced botanical tactics as well as medicinal ones. Truthfully though, she had to admit to herself that that wasn't the only reason she wanted to speak to him as she tracked his scent through the territory.  

@Vein

The Shaman stood calmly and had his chin lifted to the sun's glorious rays. His eyes were closed and he stood at ease humming softly his face and paws painted in the blood of the squirrel who's tail now hung from the corner of his maw, he had long since eaten the rest of the squirrel.  At the break of dawn that morning he had been asking the gods to bless the earth for growing things.  At his red painted paws to were several plants that had been sprinkled just a little in blood. He’d have to bring these new prize possessions to his new gardens before they died.

With his head held up a small breeze brought him a scent, that brought a warm feeling to his soul, he lowered his head and looked around a smile on his face as he looked for the source of the scent.

Her heart flickered to life as the wind brought her shaman's scent, racing with anticipation as her steps picked up -- moonstones searching through the rain-spattered undergrowth until the huge, blood-ruddied shape of him appeared before her. The fae stopped for only a moment, drinking in the sight of him with a hint of wonder for the new paint on his pure coat and the plants at his feet. Slinking forward on silken steps, the hart was careful not to disturb the uprooted flora as she curled herself against Vein's broad chest and rubbed her temple along the contours of his shoulder up to his jaw, where she peppered a few light kisses. 

"Vhat are ze plants for?" she wisped into the small space betwixt them, drawing back enough that her pale crown could fall back and allow her opaline gaze to seek his own sunbeam optics. Hopefully she would not be such a distraction that Vein would find himself unable to answer, for she continued to nibble and tease along the crook of his neck as she waited for his response.

A warm smile graced the H-meno’ob’s lips, his eyes grew soft, His painted head lifted and invited her caresses sending tingles along his spine down to his tail tip. This one had him wrapped around her dew claw and he didn’t mind it one bit. A warm hum rumbled up from his belly though he didn’t notice it himself.
He returned her gesture running his teeth through the pelt behind her ear and along the side of her neck through his teeth ever so gently.

Her words broke the spell and made him look toward his prizes, the Hibiscus and Arum plants complete with roots “I travelled far to find these, to the moonstone quarry, to be exact, the Arum is a water plant and I plan to plant in the Gaia’s altar, the Hibiscus is for you. It will make a good tea when it flowers” Vein waved his tail hoping for her approval, he then continued

“I have been transporting some of the rich soil from the caverns to a spot not to far from the cave entrance and making a garden; I hate traipsing around looking for plants if I can help it” His voice was to soft with just enough humour to prove he was joking about not liking looking for plants. Truth be told he enjoyed doing just that, what he truly hated was needing some thing and not having enough. That would Never Happen Again, not if he could help it. 

“What are you doing today? My Angel” the last two words rumbled from him with a warm rich and husky tone

The marbled waif let her lips wander only a few moments longer, giving a few last wags of her feathered tail before pulling back to listen -- settling on her frosted haunches attentively with perked auds. Despite the amber warmth of honey spreading through her veins like liquid gold at his touch, she managed to focus past the buzz the spiritualist had intoxicated her with. 

"Oh, thank you," the healer chirped softly in surprise, thinking that this was the second time that he gad surprised her in such manner. Perhaps she ought to gift him with something -- maybe the topic she hoped to breach with him today would be sufficient enough as a surprise for now. "Vhat vould one treat vith 'ibiscus?" Aerin asked then, bending to sniff at the blossoms' fragrant petals. 

"It is funny that ye ask," the colorless doe chuckled as she said it, her features lighting up at the serendipity of the moment -- though she could also feel herself warming at the words the nanuk called her. "I vas thinking of starting a garden now that spring is 'ere an' I thought maybe ye might be interested in such an endeavor but it seems ye 'ave beaten me to...eh, 'ow ye say, ze punch." 

"Could I 'elp ye vith yer planting? Maybe we could put ze 'ibiscus there?" She suggested next, truly excited by the idea but also having some benevolent ulterior motives. Hopefully, once they'd gotten there she could survey the surroundings -- and work up the courage to bring up the subject she wanted to discuss with Vein once they were busy digging in the dirt. 

Vein held the Squirrel tail hanging his lips looking for all the world like he was somehow holding the rest of the creature in his maw. His gaze which was usually cool and assessing for every other wolf was warm as his eyes roamed her body working to memorize every inch of her. He gave her the answer to the questions she had asked so as to distract himself from staring at her to long.

“Hibiscus tea will be able to help treat common complaints many females have during their heats, Pounding hearts, and tight and discomforting belly pains, It encourages sleep too though differently then Valerian root”

Vein grinned and shifted preparing to show her his work in progress, he was oblivious to her underlaying anxiety for it wasn’t so strong that the male would pick up on it yet.“Also Hibiscus tastes sweet and that reminds me of you” He walked over to his pile of herbs and bought about how to transport them and his new toy. With a little thought he lay the tail upon the pile then tried to gently pick up the tail and as many of his herb he could. He couldn’t get them all so he set it all down and picked up the tail again.

He chuckled softly and brought the tail over to Aerin and lay it at her dainty alluring paws, He lifted his large head and licked her cheek. She she didn’t want it he didn’t mind leaving it behind he could get more if he really wanted it. Then he quickly went back and gently picked up his herbs cradling them in his maw as gently as a mother might carry a pup, he didn’t want to damage their stalks.

He began to lead the way to the large patch of exposed earth he had spent a few days digging in, Having taken the time to  remove all the rocks he could in the end he had a large patch of earth that four wolves his size could lay in sprawled out on their sides with room to spare. It was surround by stones almost like a little garden fence these stones were clearly from the patch of earth itself, Dug up and set aside.

Inside the garden, There were several neatly made packed rows of soil, In one row were some plants already tended and growing  but Vein could only work so long before going cross eyed and needing a break. Some of the upturned earth needed more rows and some of the soil was darker by far then the natural earth, this was the dirt transported there from the underground altar and needed to be mixed in more thoroughly.

He lay his burden down and sighed happily admiring his work so far “You can grow what ever you want here, just tell me what patch you want for your own. It still needs work but I’ll get there.”

The halfling felt rose blooms of crimson flush at her cheeks -- grateful suddenly for the pale fur that covered them and her flustered state from Vein's sunlight optics, especially as she felt the heat creep down her throat towards her breastbone. For one wild moment, the selkie questioned whether the winterwhite knew of what she wanted to discuss that day -- if he had divined it from his gods. A sort of breathless pit opened up between her lungs and stomach at the thought but she soon dismissed it, moonstones dropping from the shaman's gaze as if he might be able to scry secrets from her silver eyes. They found the petals of the hibiscus flowers with new gratitude, remembering the powerful cramps and the anxious urges driving her during her last season though even those hormones were not enough to make her desire Aliroth's touch. 

Gibeon optics flickered back up to Vein then, dancing along the frayed and dirtied fringes of the visceral and primal male -- searching. What would it be like to desire him in the throes of the women's curse? 

If her face had been hot before it was aflame now, the diffident creature swallowing down the urge to be mortified with her own thoughts as she turned them back towards the present. She was still a bit dazed when the Priest set the tail before her and lapped lovingly at her snowdown cheek but she managed to smile at his flowered words and return his kiss with a quick peck to his cheek. She bent and gathered the squirrel tail, wondering silently what Vein intended to use it for, before trailing after the moonlit Spiritualist diligently -- silvercoin gaze sweeping their surroundings in seeking as anticipation brewed and her limbs began to quiver with excitement and apprehension. 

When the pale duo had reached the half-finished garden, Aerin set the tail down before straightening to survey the area as a smile formed on her maw. Her ears lifted to catch Vein's words and she nodded absently in his direction as he spoke but her focus had moved beyond the patch of churned dirt. 

In the distance, some dozen or so yards from the plot of land, Aerin could make out the shapes of several large boulders piled together -- the maw of a snug cave marking the dark pit of a mouth sheltered amongst the formation of stone. The perfect place to build a nest, to seclude one's self during a heat or to whelp a litter. They would need to inspect it further but it could be a good place to build a home for a family -- their family. 

"Vhat if I didnae pick a corner...vhat if we made a den out 'ere an' I 'elped ye vith ze 'erbs?" She asked first, falling silent as her gaze remained fixed on the small cave, waiting to see what his reaction was before bringing up what had been lingering on her mind for a while now. "Ze leaders 'ave given me permission -- given us permission -- to start a family zis year if'n that is something ye vould vant..." It went without saying that it was something that the midwife wanted. She had longed to have more children for quite a long time but she could not believe that she might have also found love and a husband in the process. It seemed too good to be true, the ghostly femme half awaiting his refusal with her heart lodged in her throat.

I have started drinking hibiscus tea since the first of this post and I am now in love with it. It’s so tasty!!
Also if Vein actions toward her in anyway are power playing let me know and I’ll change it

The pale shaman was oblivious to her plans, to the things she was taking note of. His golden orbs were solely on the garden, though his ear was canted toward her, showing her that his attention was upon her as his gaze was wandering over his new pride and joy. He could feel energy buzzing from her body, but he assumed like him that is was due in regard of the garden. She seemed to enjoy learning about plants soaking up everything he had told her was enthusiasm.

Without thinking he had wanted to share his passions with her, Wanted her to be more then just another pack mate, but he also was oblivious to his own feelings, He had no idea why he had made the garden extra big or subconsciously picked a spot with denning areas near by. He was proud to show her this garden and to share it with her, somehow wanting to share more then this but cluelessly didn’t know what else he could possibly share with her.

He had not known his true feelings toward her until she began to speak; when the first words she said was that she wouldn’t pick a corner. He felt cold, his tongue slipped out to cover his nares then retreated back into his muzzle as his heart stopped about to break.

How could 7 words crush his soul so completely, “What if I didn’t pick a corner” in that moment he knew, He Knew, she had become more to him then he had realized. The gods and given their Priest their Shaman a gift and then ripped out his heart before he had known it was gone.
That’s it he could just rip out his own heart and lay it on the altar before them, his heart was theirs, he had no need for it anymore.

In his weak moment of despair his body had stilled to immobility, his breathing ceased as if he wanted to sink in the ground and never draw air again, He almost missed her next words, lost in a hell of his own making, not having read the signs in his body or hers, some medic he was.

Her words had continued finally breaking through his thick skull, she had not just rejected him, he had heard something about a Den… what? Finally he inhaled as she spoke of permission his lungs burning need for air overcoming any negative emotion roiling though his unwillingness to accept the truthiness of the moment.

His wide gaze turned to her his jaw agape,  It was real and it was happening, and he had not known how much his heart had truly wanted nothing more.

He burst into motion his tail swaying as he wrapped himself around her in joy, nuzzling her teasing her neck face and shoulder’s with alternating kisses and nuzzles, unbeknownst to him sounds akin to sobs and yet joyous songs elicited from his throat. 

He wanted to lay on the ground in bask in her presence. “Yes, My sweet, My pale angel! Yes!” Was all he could manage before he lay down on his back all but wriggling, inviting her to lay across him, to take the top position, he didn’t want to smoother her or make her feel trapped in anyway and he wanted to make this moment last, to bathe her in kisses and glory to the gods for their gift. The offering of the squirrels was far to insufficient now. He’d have to right that later, He’d consecrate that cenote he found in the caves beyond the hot springs with a worthy sacrifice.

She watched the priest from the corner of her moonlight eyes, but could not quite discern the grim pall that had cast itself over his bloodworn features. The words hang between them for a moment, one awful moment where her heart sinks with the sudden thought that he does not want this as she does -- does not want her. Her butterfly auds of ice begin to droop, thinking of how embarrassing it will be to have to dance around his presence here once the icebear rejected her, how frightening it will be to have to seek a stranger to sire her children. 

And then, before she can even register the change of his expression, he is rushing to her side -- crowing agreements as his larger form wraps around her own, almost possessively. The halfling responds instinctively and with relief, hushed whines escaping her as she presses her lips to his own, to his cheeks, his throat -- whatever she can get to in their mutual elation, her body shaking vigorously with the ferocious, overjoyed wag of her bottlebrush tail. If he'd pressed onward, Aerin thinks there's a good chance she might have given herself to him in that very moment as tingling warmth erupts in her lower half. 

Instead, the shaman lays himself out on the earth -- exposing his underbelly to her. The Saluki's ears pin and her head cocks, restraining the urge to skitter back a pace or two in response to the unfamiliar position. Her opaline gaze sweeps the area regardless, as if worried someone might see the larger cleric submitting to the willow-white creature and take offense. 

But there's invitation, almost a plea for her to come closer, nestled in the goldcoin of Vein's gaze. And she knows that he wouldn't trick her -- or hurt her. Her berry nose extends, sniffing as she edges closer uncertainly -- breath whuffing across him, stirring his wintry peltage as she comes close enough to touch him. She's not really sure how to go about laying across him, hesitant gaze of gibeon flickering back up to the male's for permission before she moves to straddle him with her coltish limbs. 

Lowering herself, limbs pooling and curling on either side of him, the sighthound curled herself into the dip of his underbelly beneath his rib cage. Desire sparked in her veins once again at this position, the midwife's eyes dropping shyly as she shifted against him curiously -- wondering silently why he had wanted her to climb atop him in this manner. Feeling a bit bashful staring down into his eyes, she stretched out against him -- careful with her weight, as she wasn't sure if she was heavy enough to cause him any pain or discomfort -- and tucked her diadem of hoarfrost beneath his chin, turning to nibble at the crook of his neck with a whisper of a rumbling growl.

"Does zis mean we vould be mates?" She dares to ask him, pulling back to catch his answer, searching his champagne gaze for the truth. She wanted to clarify that she hadn't misunderstood, that they would be together in the truest sense of the word. 

I'll have to give it a try sometime! Also, since they're gonna be mates and they'll likely be mentioning each other in their threads and such, I think it would be a good idea if Vein were allowed to use minor pp where it concerns Aerin and Momoztli.

Vein felt at ease with her, no jockeying for position or rank, No wondering his he needed to submit or dominate. He glowed with pride and loved that she was comfortable enough with him to lay upon him, in a position of power, after seeing her cower under Nyra’s rage filled gaze he wanted to be the wolf she could be herself with, the one she would feel safest around, he’d give himself over to her every whim and desire and do anything she asked.

He lay his head back exposing his throat to her in joy, love, Respect and submission. He could submit himself to her and not feel vulnerable. Her words filled him will warmth and pride and his open his sun filled gaze to hers “Yes Mi’love My Mate, My Wife” He leaned up careful not to dislodge her and touched a paw to her cheek and caressed the other gently with his tongue before laying back down

“I pledge myself to you, you are next to the gods in my heart of hearts, I will serve you all of rest of my days as I would them.” His voice dropped to a whisper “If you would have me.” 

My muse feels stymied I'm sorry...

Her alabaster cheeks squidged between his digits and muzzle as a wide smile threatened to split her lips, tail wagging in wide swishes of excitement as the midwife accepted his kiss -- and vows, which sparked her eyes at their corners with the smarting sting of tears that canids could not cry. If she'd been able to biologically, Aerin might have -- with joy, of course. 

"Yes!" she chirped mirthfully, leaning in again to nuzzle at his cheek for a moment before pulling back so silver moonlight could clash again with the fierce rays of the sun. "Of course, I vould 'ave ye," the once-druid lilted, teasing tone implying that he was silly to think otherwise. 

"As yer vife, I promise to learn ze vays of yer gods -- to 'onor them an' ye. To raise our children in their faith," the halfling swore softly, solemnly. She no longer followed the stars and she was unbound, a lost spirit with no direction. If they were to raise a family, then their home should be in order. Her pups should not know a discord between their parents for a rift in religion -- or lack thereof. Besides, Vein's gods spoke to some inherent understanding within her, a balancing of the scales or accepted power exchange. The Priestess could not deny that she was excited to learn more about her husband's religion.

"Speaking of children...I know zat neither of us 'as a surname we might share vith our children but...vhat do ye think of us both taking ze name 'Bonesplinter' for our family name? Zen our pups vould 'ave a last name to call themselves," the sylph suggested with a casual shrug. If it wasn't something that interested Vein, then she wouldn't press the issue too much. It was something the once-slave wanted for herself at least, even if the shaman had no desire to adopt the title, given that she had never had the opportunity to take a surname before. She'd thought long and hard about what name might be fitting of their new bloodline, settling on Bonesplinter for the Ravine within their territory given that 'Hideaway' and 'Strath' did not make for very good last names. 

you're good, we can probably go ahead and wrap up with the next post or two if you want?

 

He thought over her question, giving it the proper attention. This was a topic that seemed to mean much to her, he cared naught for names; in fact the name he called himself was not the one he was given at birth. This name was just much easier to say and he spited his sire in not speaking his birth given name. That old skull, he almost grinned at the thought his father was reduced to a prop. Did not deserve the respect of remembered names. hummm perhaps names did mean more to him then he gave credit for. And so, On that thought perhaps names were more powerful then he had actualized.

He realized he had been staring off thoughtfully for quiet some time and smiled at his new wife, he wished there were some sort of ceremony where be to bind himself to her and her to him. Well there was if she wanted too. and there he went again off in lala land.

"I would like that" He finally rumbled, whether to the name or to the idea of raising their children in the ways of the gods or both he wasn't sure. after thinking that over too he decided it was in answer to both things. He reached forward and licked her cheek softly and sighed in pleasure as her body moved across his again. "Now about 'our' garden..." He moved on to discuss the things they would grow and let her know she could choose the den site and he would help in any way he could

fade here then?