Honeyed Pasture Cut off his head immediately, and stick it on a pike!

All Welcome, but tagging @Jagoda for visibility.

After being tended to by a myriad of strangers he was told to rest, but could not. There was so much Tetsubo did not know about this place. The population of this place was idiosyncratic; he chose to find something stable, something familiar, so against the wishes of the caretakers Tetsubo set out to explore. His ribs would take time to knit back in to place and they did pain him, but he did not care. Such sensations had become so common to the warrior by this point in his life. He could handle the discomfort of his cracked ribs, and the ragged nature of his breathing, so long as he kept a level head.

There was nothing for him to do upon the sands and much for him to study. From the beasts of the sea to the scents upon the wind, to the grasslands just beyond - and that was where he wandered.

Away from the ocean, ducking the attention of the border patrols as best he could (which he would've managed without incident had he been perfectly healthy), and onward. He stopped only when his body refused to go any further, and at that point the boy was situated in a rolling pasture filled with stark green and gold, where the summer sun had baked the life from the foliage. He ducked his head to sniff at one errant patch of crushed reeds, and realized he was breathing hard through his nose, and clenching his teeth shut from the discomfort experienced throughout his body.

It was strange, she thought, almost absentmindedly as she strode through the grasslands, her eyes fixed on somewhere on the horizon that no one else could see. It was strange, that even after a year and some more from leaving her natal pack to make a life for herself, to wander and explore, to find a loving partner, she still somehow managed to achieve none of it. Chase knew it wasn't going to be easy - she wasn't the ideal damsel in distress, she wasn't outgoing or talkative, she wasn't conventionally pretty, she was nothing that boys liked, or girls, for that matter - but somehow, somewhere in her mind, she'd got it in her head that one day, the right one would come.

Well, now she was going to call complete and utter bullshit on 'the right one'. Mother had lied, shit like that didn't exist in this godforsaken world. But it was alright, it was all good - sort of - being a loner in the middle of summer wasn't too bad. Chase ignored the nagging feeling in her chest and the ever insistent voice that spoke in her mind, telling her that winter was coming and that she'd better find a place to lay low till it was over. I've got time, she insisted to herself everytime and shrugged it off. If only time was as easy to shrug off.

Someone's nearby. Snap out of it. Chase blinked, eyes clearing as she withdrew from the daydream she'd been occupied in just a moment ago. Turning slightly to the right, she narrowed her eyes, black nostrils twitching warily and took a few steps closer, approaching cautiously from sideways and slightly behind, her heart thudding erratically in her chest. Chase wasn't good dealing with strangers - especially random injured sorta-good-looking males (she couldn't quite catch a look at his face) - and she knew she should probably turn away and go, injured wolves were the worst - from her experience, they were usually aggressive and volatile, more than usual.

But as always, curiousity and compassion got in the way and she couldn't help but chuff softly, her countenance guarded, eyes wary but still holding a familiar gleam. "Um...are you okay?" she asked in her lilting English accent. Almost immediately, she corrected herself, "I mean, obviously you're not, but, um, do you want any help or anything?" Chase stood there, awkward and uncomfortable for a moment before taking a step back and blurting out an apology, "I'm sorry!"

Oh, how she longed for the ground to open up and swallow her now.

There was nothing here that really held his interest. The grass swayed in the manner of the sea's pulsing, beating waves. It shifted before him with every breeze, first one way, then the other, and through it all the grass whispered long and breathy notes, as if the ground was sighing. Where he had stopped though, there was a flattened patch of dried and dead plant life; as if the sun had baked the momentum out of everything here - and maybe something had rested on this patch too, because it appeared to be rounded in some spots, like a body had previously been situated here. He couldn't detect anything amiss. Nothing that could be food for his lord, and certainly nothing wolf-like, although Tetsubo's nose was still caked internally with blood. His sinuses would take time to clear.

In his current state, he was oblivious. This lack of connection to his own faculties led to ignorance, and it was as far from blissful as the emotionally stunted boy could feel. No, he did not particularly like being without one of his very vital senses; it was an inconvenience. But this lack of ability also served to humble him, and explained why he did not notice the pale wolf until she spoke, and his immediate reaction — turning sharply at the sound, lifting the front of his lip so that his teeth gleamed and grit — was well practiced. So well practiced that he did not hesitate to lunge towards her, and similarly, to stop when he realized she was not a threat. 

A series of thoughts passed through his head. First, he saw her, and his brain said, Deirdre, for that was one of the names of his caretakers. Next, upon realizing this was not her, his natural and trained aggression piqued; yet it was her voice, the sweet and foreign sound of it, that curbed his abrupt shift of gears. There was the lurch, then the catch, and he wheezed a breath, but rooted himself in one swift movement. It would no doubt frighten her, but he did not take that into account — Tetsubo could barely recognize his own emotions, so to think of others was akin to inventing a new color.

His wheeze became a small cough, and then he turned his head and spat in to the grass, which shifted as if to protest with a gasp as the wad of spit and dried blood lodged itself against its roots. It was at this precise moment that he heard her apology, sharp but thoroughly submissive, and he is taken by surprise again; this time Tetsubo doesn't know what to do at all. He cannot attack her because she is not an adversary - nor has he been given any sort of command to do so. Yet he feels compelled to ask, For what? Because he is intensely curious himself, but doesn't know it. The boy's face crunches with imitated concern, because that's the face everyone else makes when they ask questions.

The moment she spoke, the stranger turned around sharply and showed his teeth. Her fur bristled in response and instinctively, her pale ears flattened against her skull and she lowered her crown, protecting her neck in case he decided to attack her. And he did, to a certain extent. The injured male lunged towards her, and then just before she made the decision to fight or run, he stopped, as if realising she was no real threat. In that case, Chase felt sort of offended, after all, it wasn't like she didn't know how to fight because she did, she just wasn't, you know, absolutely marvelous at it.

Before she had time to feel sorry for herself, however, the stranger wheezed and she took a step forward, as if ready to steady him but he straightened himself quickly. Raising an eyebrow, — Chase had never been good at hiding her emotions — she took a step back once more, somewhat afraid to be less than a feet and a half away from the stranger. "Um..so-" she was interrupted by the guy coughing and spitting a mix of spit and dried blood onto the grass which for some reason, made her apologise profusely again.

Chase watched as the boy's face scrunches up, seemingly trying to imitate an expression and asked her why she felt sorry. At that, she frowned, her eyes fixing at a point in the horizon as she struggled to find an appropriate answer. "Um..I just felt bad because you're injured and like-" she made some random gestures with a paw "-yeah, and because I'm not a healer, you know, I can't do anything to help and I just really feel sorry that I can't help because you obviously need some help and that's why I apologised, I think, I mean—" she stopped abruptly, cutting herself off she realised she'd been rambling and babbling nonstop again. 

For fuck's sake, Chase thought to herself in annoyance. Why was it that everytime she got nervous, her tongue just went out of control? Timidly, she glanced at the boy again with curious turquoise eyes and did practically the only thing she knew and apologised, again.

Oh my god she's a ball of anxiety, I love her.

His expression was on the mark. She confessed herself before him, as he expected, and overall her rambling... It baffled him. Not because she made no sense, because she did make sense, eventually, but because she used so many words to say something so obviously wrong. Or partly wrong. Yes, he was injured, but no he did not need help. And the fact she was offering it made him... Not exactly nervous, but sort of suspicious. What would she earn out of such a venture? It would be a waste of resources and time, for both of them, to unite under the assumption that she could help him in any way. The false expression melted off his face as he comprehended her words, and then he was staring blankly at her, because Tetsubo honestly had no idea what to do about the situation. This had not been a part of his training.

I am injured, then was tended, he wheezed again, and snorted a breath back through his nose as if preparing a loogie, but instead he swallowed hard and ran his tongue over his nose and upper lip, as if contemplating something intensely. And you... Feel... Bad... Because I do not heal faster? That's what it boiled down to, in a way. She couldn't help him unless she could miraculously make his ribs pop back in to place, or knit bone to bone, or weave the tapestry of his flesh back to the way it was. More importantly, he couldn't fathom why that appeared to bother her.

The boy leaned in close then, as if to impart a secret, and he stared hard at her for a second or two. One of his eyes was still a bit dilated from the blow to his head, but it would return to normal soon - so said the caretakers - and so from one side the woman appeared to be slightly fuzzy and more luminous, and Tetsubo thought, if I am a creature of the nether, what could she be? But he voiced a different thought, and that was, Were you the one that struck me down? If that was the case, he would require retrobution - and his body prickled as he spoke - but he knew it was some other beast, something otherwordly, which had directed him towards Skellige. This woman was nothing but a random obstacle set floating through the reeds - like a puff of dandelion.

I know, she's hilarious to write. ;)

He stared blankly at her, so she stared back at him, as if trying to show that she wasn't as cowardly as she thought she was. Not that it'll make a difference, really, but she did try to help her own self-confidence. Then the boy replied, though not without wheezing again, telling her that he was injured but was cared for, leaving her to let out something akin to a sigh of relief, as if knowing that someone with knowledge had tended to him made her feel better. And truth to be told, it did, even if it was hard to believe. She didn't say that though, for she felt that it would do nothing but make the poor brute more confused.

"Uh...no..not really," Chase shook her head. "I feel bad because I don't have much healing knowledge and I know that I can't help heal you and that you can't heal any faster, but..um.." how to explain this? "I suppose I feel bad because I can't do anything to ease your pain while you heal," she said, mentally going through the words until they sort of made sense in her mind and nodded, as if trying to reassure herself she'd said the right thing.

The boy leaned in and Chase swallowed thickly, unsure if he was leaning in to kill her for speaking so much or just to speak, or whatever. Either ways, it bloody scared the hell out of her. Surprisingly though, she didn't move away, but watched with wide turquoise eyes as he stared at her for a long moment, then asked her if she was the one that struck him down. It was Chase's turn to stare at him, before laughing, and then stopping abruptly. "No, no, I don't think that would be possible," she explained, "seeing as I'm-" scared of you? crap at fighting? "-I'm not that good at fighting and you'll probably smash my head in before I can touch you." Yeah, that sounded right enough.

I'm still getting used to him, his speech patterns are clunky. :c

He grunted, which might have served as laughter in some barbaric culture, or maybe he was just struggling to suck in a breath while leaning in like that. Whichever the reason, he made a wet noise at the back of his throat and sank back again, leaving more of a gap, as if pleased by her response. He should've been happy with it — that statement she uttered would have stroked the ego of any wolf with a semblance of emotional competence — but really he just.. Didn't want to be close to her. She smelled different, although it was probably just the musk of a female, and it wasn't something he was entirely used to.

In response to her statement though, he muttered, Yes. Had he needed to, or been told to, she would be dead before any further harm could be bestowed upon himself. He envisioned how he'd do it too — how easily he could have lunged for her shoulder, redirected to her exposed throat as she spun to avoid the hit, and then the taste of her blood upon his tongue — and oddly, Tetsubo imagined a dandelion again, this time tinted red, but still floating through the air, only to land upon her decapitated corpse.

For a beast lacking so much, he sure had an active imagination. Through that mental escapade he stared off in to space (or maybe in her direction, but unfocused), and then blinked as he came back to reality. But why would you wish to try? I could heal and then take your life, but you would still try? he surmised in that matter-of-fact way that he spoke, the bass of his voice low and almost soothing, but undeniably void of feeling.

Chase watched as he backed away, allowing her to exhale softly, letting out a breath she hadn't realise she'd been holding. She raised her eyebrows, however, when he murmured a 'yes', agreeing to her saying that he would probably be able to kill her before she'd landed a paw on him. "Wow," she said, suddenly acquiring courage. "Thanks, mate. Really is helping my self-esteem, here," she rolled her eyes. "Not that you care," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head almost tiredly.

His next question was almost just as morbid. "Well," Chase began, already imagining the situation. "Now that you told me, obviously I wouldn't try. But if you hadn't, I would still do it. I mean, I wouldn't know that you'll kill me, right? I'll just think that you need some help and I'll try, even if the guy I'm helping is some fellow with huge problems involving...um...emotions and emotional connection." Then suddenly, she smiled brightly, as if seeing the light in the situation.

"Now, if you'd actually tried to kill me, it wouldn't be that bad. World's a terrible place."

Whatever she had figured out, Tetsubo could only stare blankly at her when she smiled, because he did not think the topic of one's own death should bring about such a contortion to the face. He watched her with a slight squint, as if he were about to ask, why is your face doing that thing? But he did not bother asking; he was caught upon her own statement, which also seemed out-of-place, because the world was indeed a terrible place, but dying had always been impressed upon him as being a bad thing.

I would not try, he stated flatly in relation to her comment, I assure you, your death would be quick, painless, and noble, unless my lord ordered otherwise. Did she not understand? He held the power — the prowess — and believed himself to be a great force. Perhaps it was only ego, but Tetsubo was ignorant of that term, and if questioned he would cite his creation - as a being of the nether - as the reason for his conviction. Thus far it was an idle threat, if that. She posed to him no danger, so he would not defend himself, and Skellige did not wish her dead. But if he did, then it would happen, for the will of his master could not be ignored.

The world... he murmured next, as if trying to wrap his head around the concept that the universe had a conscience, or a willpower, of its own. This too did not interest him for long, because it was such a strange and fanciful notion. The world is not terrible, nor good, it just is. Oh god, things were starting to get existential.

Chase's expression shifted to one of confusion when the guy squinted at him slightly, as if he didn't know what to make of his statement. But then again, her words were sort of morbid, so she couldn't really blame him. Well, actually, she could, given the fact that his sentences and the tone of his voice was wayyyy more morbid than hers. So she cocked an eyebrow, although her heart thumping erratically against her chest said otherwise about her apparent 'i don't care' attitude to the stranger's words.

"Um..." she hesitated then, then lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "Thanks for the....details on my death at your jaws," her face contorted into an expression of confusion and a bit of disgust. "Really, really needed to know that..mhm..yeah." Right, she was beginning to ramble again. Chase really needed to stop with the babbling; it was getting on her nerves and she was the one doing it. "Are you a soldier?" she questioned a moment later, tilting her head at his mention of a 'lord'. "Or like, a zombie wolf slave?" His emotionless attitude and killer aggressiveness suggested that, not her vivid imagination.

"Um..true," Chase agreed after a second of thinking. "But, the inhabitants of the world are terrible creatures, thus making those living in the world, those with a good conscience and shit, a living nightmare, hence the world is a terrible place."

Uh...I don't really think that made sense, Chase.
Shut up, you're me too.

The boy would have responded to her every statement, but he judged by her tongue-in-cheek responses that such efforts would be futile. He merely grumbled then, but flicked his ears and looked resolute when she mentioned the term soldier.  Yes, he was a soldier of sorts.

I am bushido, and loyal to my lord Skellige. Slave is an apt term - but I do it of my own will, as it is my purpose. That was far more eloquent than his usual diatribe; hardly clear though. He did not think of himself as a slave but more of a warrior, yet it was all he had known and all he was suited for because of his upbringing. Thus, Tetsubo could fathom nothing else for himself. There wasn't a semblance of pride as he spoke as all inflection of emotion had escaped him, but he stood straight despite his injuries, and then fell silent and brooding when she went on to describe the many terrible creatures that inhabited this plane of existence. To this he nodded, glum, but agreeable. He could not refute those claims - as he himself was a creation of the nether, and for all he knew, that was an evil force within the universe. It mattered little to Tetsubo.

Then, rather abruptly, he queried her: And what are you? Do you serve a lord? If she did not, then perhaps she could find purpose alongside him in the service of Skellige and the sea.

Chase raised her eyebrows, a curious glint entering her turquoise eyes as she regarded him quietly, almost as if unsure how to talk to him, how to answer him. "So you're a slave by will, I assume, to this Lord Skellige. A soldier servant, one loyal to the death," she looked at him now, carefully concealing the look of something resembling pity and sadness in her eyes, but gazed at him impassively, a feat of skill as Chase did not often hide her emotions successfully.

The boy seemed utterly emotionless, and Chase pitied him then, pitied the way he was now and how he grew up to become this mindless, emotionless zombie soldier seemingly without his own thoughts and will, commanded by cruel entities. She saw the life he led and would lead and involuntarily, her heart clenched and she lowered her head, exhaling softly. 

His abrupt question caused her to lift her head slightly, quietly observing him before shaking her head. "I wander for now. I do not serve any Lord, yet," Chase glanced at him. "What is your name?" She said, half ordering, half inquiring. Mostly ordering. There was something about him that made Chase want to save him, from himself and this Lord, but she didn't know how.

For a moment she seemed to understand. She scrutinized him with an expression of calm, of impassive emptiness, and that gave him... Not hope, exactly, but some kind of fleeting gladness, because she understood. Except she didn't, not really. And it became clear as soon as the girl spoke again - so he, swift to defend his lord's honor which he felt was being tarnished, if only slightly, and eager for whatever reason to make sense of himself to this stranger, he corrected her. 

I owe a debt. I was injured, and my lord found me. It was only fitting that I serve him. I am loyal to the death, as is my purpose. Again with that phrase. He said it like a mantra, and there was a bit of conviction to it this time, but that too was likely a practiced feat from when he was a child and made to recite many things. Time would tell if Skellige was a worthy lord; but even if he was not, Tetsubo was bound by his word and by the laws he inherited.

She next spoke of her own state, of being alone, of having none to serve, and Tetsubo could not fathom living in such a manner. It had been hell to traverse the world from end to end - following his departure from the encampment where he once roamed - and to be alone in that time. He had someone now. They would guide him, rule him, as he did not have the capacity for it himself. His hell had ended. He wondered if her's would end soon too, or if she would choose to suffer further.

And the order she gave him - for that was what he heard, the power in her voice, the tone that many had used with him that Tetsubo could not refuse obeisance to - made him respond almost immediately. Tetsubo, he announced, and then he went silent again. She asked and he responded, and did not wonder what her own name may be. It mattered little to him.

The boy replied quickly, as if afraid that she was tarnishing his Lord's honour and reputation, which, in a way, was exactly what Chase wanted to do, to see what the soldier's reaction would be, to see if he was completely taken over. And sadly enough, although not surprisingly, her thoughts were proven to be true for he corrected her quickly, saying that it was because he owed Skellige a debt for finding him when he was injured and that it was only 'fitting' that he served him. And once again, he said that it was his 'purpose.'

Chase stared blankly at him then, slowly processing this information, before regarding him quietly, as if all her words had been taken from her. It was very often where Chase did not speak, but rarely where she was at a loss for words. She couldn't grasp the idea of living the way the boy did, serving a Lord to the death, a mindless, emotionless, thoughtless soldier without a will of his own. She bit her lip, running her eyes over the injured stranger's body and for once, saw not the soldier who spoke of killing her painlessly and of his 'purpose', but a lost boy who'd never known any different, who, perhaps, could still be saved.

Yet for some reason, she did nothing but sighed softly as she requested his name, in which he was quick to reply. "Tetsubo," she repeated, rolling the word around her tongue thoughtfully, her previous nervousness and anxiety slowly leaving, no longer regarding him as a crazed loner, but a lost boy. In a way, seeing the best in everyone was her fatal flaw, because one day, it would backfire on her and she would see that some were not bent, but broken, completely without any hope of repair. 

"Where do you live?" she asked forcefully, after a second of thinking.

The beast adhered to a variety of rules, but they were simple, at least to him. That Skellige was his lord remained of tantamount importance; no matter how long he had spent wandering, that was where his loyalties lay. Even though Tetsubo had entertained the girl thus far with her questions, he was not about to expose his lord to any dangers, so his only response to her next order-turned-question was, Alongside the sea.

He watched her then, curious, and studied her features with a bit more intensity than before. Whatever had possessed the girl before, making her enthusiastic and abound with emotion, seemed to have petered out. Or maybe she was imitating him. He was not sure - and really it didn't matter. A part of him wanted to explain in depth where Skellige had claimed his kingdom, to perhaps coax her to follow, but Tetsubo was not accustomed to recruiting others; his role was to be a bludgeoning force, not a diplomatic one. So after stating this flat-toned answer, he was once again silent.

The boy answered her question curtly, vaguely, obviously afraid to give away too many details of their pack. Chase didn't chastise him for that, but gazed at him with something akin to curiousity as she swiped her tongue across her teeth, lost in thought. She didn't want to join his pack and serve this Lord Skellige, but on the other hand, she wanted to help him, very much so, and was torn between her two decisions. Her brows creased into a frown as she studied her options, biting her lip as she thought.

Chase made her decision then, and sighed softly, gazing at the boy. "Okay," she murmured, almost as if steadying herself. "I'm going to..go now. You'll be alright, will you, Tetsubo?" she inquired with a small cant of her head and a steady smile. "Promise you won't..like..fall over and die, or cough to death or something embarassing like that," she said before cursing herself. Why was she telling him to 'promise' her, he wasn't a kid, Jesus, she needed to control herself. "Anyways," she forced a smile now, "Good luck, mate. Maybe I'll come find you along the coast one day."

He watched the many emotions flit across her face in the form of a scrunched brow, or a wide eye, but did not know what each intricate little tell was really saying; he knew she was conveying something with each visible tic, but all Tetsubo could rely on were the words falling from her mouth. And he nodded, first to confirm he would be alright, then after a moment of hesitation as she made him promise — and his promise was true, it was stalwart like all the rest of him. He did not understand why he made this oath to her, but he knew the likelihood of coughing to death was minimal, so it was easy. Then, as she departed, her final words made him quirk his head in a mimicked confusion to her own canting face. But she was off, and when he was alone, he asked the wind, I am not your mate - but the idea of having someone in some capacity, did linger. Perhaps that was what the promise had been for; but he could not swear himself to her, not now that he had already done such for Skellige. With this confusion dominating his mind, Tetsubo turned and headed for home.