Shadow Mountain tell me what color the sun really is

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The majority of their travel up until this point has been quiet. Ukko trots along off to the side (mostly so he doesn’t have to walk behind her with his smell in his face) and watches where she goes so he’s able to keep up. Occasionally a word will be exchanged but direction and brief and it’s when the night comes along faster than usual that he realizes what’s coming upon them. 

Wind picks up around them, ruffling his thick fur, and a coolness settles over them and a large cloud rolls in. He lifts his head and then glances to @Asterr, then jerks his head for her path to change. While he doesn’t know the severity of the storm, the sudden rumbling of thunder and lightning in the distance made it urgent for them to seek shelter. Unless she tells him his new home is right around the corner, he deviates until a den-like cave is found. Most of it is guarded by an overhang that forces him to lower to the ground and weasel his way in to where it opens up to a cool, damp, and spacious room.

Asterr had spoken little during their trip thus far, having nothing to say or having no way of saying what she wished to get across. Silence had been the best of her options, so of course it had been chosen. Her intentions had been to get to the cavern quickly, leaving hardly any time for stops in their journey. And so when the wind's temperament had been altered with a cloud settling overhead, she'd fully intended for them to carry on with their journey. Yet when he'd grabbed hold of her attention, she'd allowed for her course to be altered. For some time, she had lived atop a mountain where storms were quite common, but the distant growl of thunder still had her wishing to take shelter. It was dangerous to be out during storms, she knew, and so she'd followed the lead of the male until a cave had been reached.

The girl had watched as he'd made his way inside, her gaze having found its way up towards the sky once he'd disappeared from her sight. For a moment, she'd considered keeping out, but a flash of light cutting through the heavens had her quickly following in after him. Once there, she'd glanced around, promptly surveying the room before moving further away from the entrance. She'd settled before him, but ensured that enough space remained to keep them from touching. "Are you able to read the sky?" the dragoness had soon asked. "Do you know how long it may take for the storm to pass?" She was eager to return home, to check up on those that she'd left behind and make sure that nothing terrible had happened while she'd been away.

Once Asterr enters the cave, he realizes his mistake. He whips around to watch the shadow of her move and get comfortable, reminding him what had drawn him close. His body goes rigid, he swallows the lump in his throat, and he turns away and stares at something off in the distance. It would be easy to fuck all of this up, his chance become smaller the more he allows himself to think about it, and he instead he tries to remember the question he'd been asked. 

"Um, not really. I mean I can usually feel when it's coming before some but it's by the thunder. I should have noticed this one sooner but, um.." he trails off before he lowers his rear to the ground and settle himself against the other wall. The humid room thickens the smell, hovering his nose, and he couldn't wait for the rain to start to suppress the aroma.

Every now and again she'd looked towards the entrance, wondering to herself when they'd be able to take off once again. She'd grown a bit more comfortable around the male during their short trip, feeling less inclined now to stare his way constantly. Though a quick glance was offered in his direction every now and again, it was more out of habit, rather than a present feeling of nervousness. The only time in which she'd looked towards his face with an unwavering stare was when he'd started to speak. His answers were not quite what she'd wanted, but she'd nodded nevertheless, knowing that she could not change his skill set simply by willing it. It had been enough that he'd found them a place to rest in until the storm had passed them by, and so she'd not voiced her disappointment.

"It is fine," she'd told him, picking up where he'd left off at. "You were able to pick up on it eventually, as well as find us a shelter, so it is fine." For a brief moment, she'd watched him, only to then turn her attention back towards the entrance. Asterr did not wish for the rain, but the end of the storm entirely, simply so her return home would be sooner. In the meantime, however, she knew that they were stuck there, and so she'd decided to make use of their time. "Are you so sure that you will stay even after I am no longer like this?" she'd wondered aloud, but her head had not yet turned to face him. Next to nothing was known about the man, and so she was somewhat interested in learning more about him.

She assures him everything is fine but he doesn't know what to make of it. Every mistake he makes often has consequences that don't quite match the crime. Challenging Reek had resulted in his promotion (which, failed dramatically) and standing up to his father had resulted in a beating he'd been unable to defend. Now, nearly taking Asterr for himself, he'd become her charge somehow, and it still surprises him she'd accepted and even remains as comfortable as she does (or at least as she shows) in the space they share.

"Yes," he says and looks toward the small, low opening of the cave. "I don't really have anywhere else to go."

His words present with indifference but the wandering life isn't for him. Going from one spot to another, hiding in danger, and overall not living to what he's capable of. His father might have a different expectation for his son but Ukko has yet to live up to his name and the legacy he's meant to follow. One of his brothers would have had a better chance but they only resented him from the beginning.

The sky has darkened and what light illuminated the space had dropped even more and there's thundering roll in the distance followed by an ever increasing patter of rain until the sky gives way and drops the bucket of a downpour. The humidity of the cave wafts and eventually cools, thinning the air and making it a little easier to breathe. Not by much, but he's at least able to adjust his posture and then to the dark woman.

Even after life had settled back to normal, he'd not planned to leave. It was nice to know, but she wasn't yet sure how she felt about it. She could not use him and then turn him away once his services were no longer required, if ever they were no longer required. For as long as he wished to stay, she would permit it. Though come the future, she couldn't help but wonder if eventually his loyalties might shift from the girl as an individual to the tribe as a whole. Normally it pleased her to see such a change, to witness the forming of bonds between those in her tribe, but to imagine the same happening with him had her stomach twisting. She did not want to lose him as her personal follower, she wanted for him to stay as only hers. "Once you have settled into my tribe, will your views change?" she'd asked, falling silent shortly after to consider a better way of getting across what she meant. "Do you plan to offer your loyalty to the others, or will you continue to live as mine alone?" Maybe it wasn't important, but in that moment, she'd believed that it was. With Noctura gone, someone else was needed to fill the space he'd left behind, even if the girl might never find emotions to harbour for Ukko.

When the space had been further darkened, Asterr had sat up. She'd taken a few moments for herself in order to let her eyes adjust, though never could she get her sight to be perfect within the dark space. As the rain had started to fall, she'd listened to it all, hearing the change in the amount. The storm had arrived, and so that meant that it could eventually come to an end. Sooner would the moment arrive, perhaps, in which they could leave the space and continue their journey. She'd awaited the end, but her need for it to arrive had eventually been relocated to the back of her mind. "Are you doing well here?" the girl questioned, steadying her gaze upon his form. "I am sure that this is not ideal for you. If you would like for me to wait elsewhere, I would not blame you." Though it was not the wisest of decisions, the chieftess would leave if it was deemed necessary. Surely she could locate another place to settle into until they could continue onward.

The first question causes his head to tilt a little to once side, a wave of questions rolling through, and he can't help but wonder what type of tribe she runs. Is there something he doesn't know that might scare him off? He finds it difficult to believe, certain there's no worse place than his homeland and no better place than the maplewood, that they'd do something to chase him off. When she reiterated her question, he finds a little more understanding, but realizes she's still asking questions that he can't answer with certainty.

"I don't know. I don't know anything about your tribe," he explains what he thinks to be the obvious answer. They are still within the wilds, he's certain, and he finds himself wondering about Capri, whom noted she'd lived upon a mountain she'd found, and he'd never gotten the chance to visit. A soft hum escapes him and he shrugs. With the distraction of conversation, he finds the space more tolerable, but his expression is heavy and eyes hungry even when he tries to mask them. He grinds his teeth and nods his head instead, "I'm fine. Tell me of your home?"

When he had answered, she'd realized her mistake in having not spoken throughout their trip. Nothing had been shared with him relating to the tribe, how it worked, or what to expect from it. She'd grown silent, offering not even a nod in his direction. She'd wondered where to begin, as well as if he was even interested in learning. The latter of her concerns had been extinguished when he'd answered her other question, for with it there had come a want to be told of the tribe. Still, she knew not where to begin, or how much should be shared with him. The past had come to mind, but quickly was it forced away for something better. The manner in which they lived, the ideals that they lived by—or, in some cases, were expected to live by.

"We live within a cavern," she'd said, starting off with the basics. "It is a lovely place, and I hope that you will come to think so as well." Even though she had not liked the lair at first, it had quickly grown on her and turned into a home that she could never imagine abandoning. "Prior to being welcomed, everyone must offer a vow of loyalty, though there have been plenty of times in which those vows have been broken." Times that she often wished to forget about, for every time someone did so, it was viewed by her as a great act of betrayal. To go back on one's word was most unwise, and those that did so were beings that Asterr wished to never be associated with. "We live as a family, but... I suppose even the most devoted of families encounter issues with one another on occasion." The girl could remember, still, her departure from the territory. What had caused her to leave, and then what had driven her out. "Is there anything else in particular that you would like to know?" Asterr did not mind answering any questions that he might have, whether they be of her home or herself.

She explains her home and he nods, listening as she goes. It isn't much different than most packs, he would assume. The Maplewood had felt like a family, for a while, until he'd made his screw up and ruined everything. The weight remains heavy on his shoulders and he isn't sure it'll ever go away. His only hope this time can be that he might not screw this up.

"I guess I can see for myself," he says then, shifting his weight so he can better look at her. The rain continuing to fall suppresses her scent a little but he's never forgetting it in the tiny space.

And she would love for him to see it all for himself, if only the rain would cease its downfall. Perhaps it was a message from Zennyo Ryūō, though what he'd hoped to accomplish by trapping them there could only be assumed. Of course, she'd wished to believe that it was for the sole purpose of getting to know one another, but the cards currently stacked had started to fall in favour of something else. It was but a mere notion, a thought that she could locate no solid evidence for. She could only wonder if the dragon of Ryūjin had arranged their meeting of one another, as well as if he could truly be the one to blame for the storm outside. If it had been him, however, she wondered if it was because the male had earned the beast's attention somehow—but whether it'd been by doing something good or bad, there existed no details to tell for sure.

Asterr had shifted beneath his gaze, uncertainty stirring within her chest. She'd lured her attention elsewhere, thankfully, letting her previous thoughts go dormant until she could approach the queries within her mind better. "I would like for you to stay near to me once we arrive," she'd shared, her tone of voice hardly having left it open for discussion. Thus far he'd proved to be someone that was in control himself, that she could trust, and so she'd do what she could to prevent him from straying. "You have proven to control yourself far better than another of my tribe, and so your presence at my side is necessary until everything has returned to normal within me." She did not specify when exactly his task would begin, having unconsciously decided to leave him with the opportunity to choose that bit for himself.

She makes a request of him once she’s tested out his verbal points of loyalty. It would be a test, at least for a while, and Ukko knows he can’t mess this up either. He can’t prove to Reek or Saena that he is worth it having once fucked them over—and not to mention how little he actually knows—and he simple nods his head. Perhaps, another time, he can go back to them and show them, but for now he only focuses on the tiny dark female and what he can do to rebuild himself.

“I can do that,” he tells her with a nod. He thinks, for a second, to ask about those that hadn’t been able to control themselves. One? Or more? Fighting isn’t a foreign concept to him but he realizes he’s being thrust into a pack he does not know, with wolves that may not accept him, and he’s expected to protect the small queen. “Does he need to be removed?” he asks instead, realizing it didn’t matter. If the culprit needs to be taken care of, Ukko knows he doesn’t really care for the answers anyway.

No arguments were made against her request, only acceptance. It came as a relief to know that she would not be returning alone, her thoughts on how the tribe might react having yet to mean anything at all. In the end, she knew that she served as their leader, even if her views often prohibited others from recognizing her position through acts of the body. As she currently saw it, she could and would allow anyone into her tribe that she'd deemed acceptable, and Ukko had succeeded in acquiring her favour. Their previous discussion of his loyalty to her had proved that he'd fit well, leaving little room for her to factor in how others might view the situation—she'd left alone whilst in heat, only to return with a male at her side, which would surely cause for questions to arise amongst her followers.

Asked a question, she'd had to stop and seriously consider what her answer would be. Was Jolon's removal necessary, or could they perhaps find another way around it? "I believe that he will be fine to remain there for the time being," she'd decided, believing it best to observe his actions after her return. "If he acts against me again, however, I will remove him from the premises myself." She had allowed for him to join her so long ago, and so she'd felt it to be her responsibility to handle his fate in the end. "Can I rely on you to be there if I ever do have to remove him?" was her question for him, then. "He is one of the first to have pledged loyalty to me, and so I will need you there in case that fact attempts to sway my final decision." As well as if her verdict was not accepted peacefully, for she knew that, in a physical battle, she'd stand no chance against the hefty male.

Ukko can only take her word as she says it. He’s not seen her in action much, but the unspoken authority between the two remains in tact. The wolf she speaks of had taken advantage of her, whether or not he succeeded, and she permits him to stay. There’s a rise in his chest he doesn’t quite expect as he anticipates meeting the wolf in question. Her mouth runs dry and his teeth grind together, uncertain of himself and a need to claim her for himself. The competition between himself and this other male, even though he’d yet to meet him, had already begun and the other already had a head start with the potential to sire any children.

“Yes,” he says stiffly.

His thoughts were something she could not read, as was his expression in the dimly lit place. Yet the tone in which he'd spoken had revealed all that she'd needed to understand, a slow shake of her head having soon begun. "He was unsuccessful with his attempts," the girl commented, believing there to be no need for her to clarify which attempts, exactly. "He had certainly tried, but his efforts were futile." She had gotten away in the end, for his reliance upon instinct over mind had turned him into a fool. He'd depended upon his physical strength, which had allowed for her to slip away, as her agility was something that he just couldn't match; in actuality, it had been a graceless moment that had allowed for her to flee, but still had her tumbling been boosted by the speed of her running prior.

"What would you have done had I said differently?" she'd questioned, inspired by curiosity rather than a true need to know the answer. Would Jolon's life have been in danger? The thought revealed to her a disturbing discovery: she did not feel a need to defend the male in response to the idea of him being attacked, which was quite the opposite to how she felt for the rest of the members.

As if she could read his mind, she tells him the wolf had failed and a little tension eases in his worries. While more questions sat in his head, debating whether or not to ask, she’s giving him something else to think about in the mean time. He’ll retreat to those questions later and for now leaves himself to belief she’d yet to be taken, that she’d run and hid from the subordinate until she’d came across him. “I don’t know,” he says then, grinding his jaw.

The sky brightens a little and the rain begins to slow. He realizes it has been several minutes since he’d heard any thunder or seen any lightning. Ukko promptly stands and moves to the mouth of the cave. “The worst is over,” he informs her. Anything to get out of her scent.

Uncertainty was voiced and, though somewhat disappointed by his answer, she'd nodded in acceptance of it. He did not know what he would have done had she been taken by her subordinate, and she was the same. His success could have forced her down a whole new path, and she couldn't know for sure how that would have effected her. For someone that enjoyed being able to live freely, however, she knew that it would not have been a pleasant experience at all, neither during the fact nor after. And so nothing was said in regards to his response, as it'd quickly resonated with her mind.

When he'd pointed out the death of the storm, she'd been glad, but not urged forward immediately. While the falling of the rain was coming to an end, the destruction that the storm had caused was sure to still be present, and so she'd felt skeptical about leaving just yet. "Perhaps we should wait," was her suggestion. "The amount of rain would have caused the mountains to become slippery, making them a danger to our safeties." One wrong step, and either could slide down the side or off of a ridge, which offered any number of outcomes. "It may be best if we stay until tomorrow." No longer was she in a rush to return home, the memory of Jolon having dimmed her earlier eagerness considerably.

Whatever excitement he'd been able to come up with in light of fresh air is quickly diminished. Asterr's suggestion to stay back until morning puts a halting to his steps and he freezes just in the opening of the cave. He'd lowered a little to step out, he could feel a gust of cool, soothing air, and it would be easy to slip out into the open. But he remains in place and stares at the ground a moment longer. Why she suddenly changes her mind about her return, Ukko doesn't bother to find out, and so he carefully lowers his rump to the ground where he'd been standing. It's best to keep fresh air beneath his nose if he's to last the rest of the night.

"Okay," he says, barely a whisper, and settles even lower until he's mimicking a sphinx.

In the back of her mind, perhaps she knew of the trouble that she was causing, but the assured continuation of their lives disallowed her from acting in response to said knowledge. It would cause less stress upon the male if they were to depart from the cave, but she'd worry the whole rest of the way about taking a tumble down the mountain. She was confident in the way that she walked and how much she knew about the range, but even still, she'd never traversed it in the rain before. The areas that were especially dangerous could not be seen through her memories, nor could the safest of trails. It was as if she'd been cast onto a different range entirely, and so, to her, the preferred option was to remain within the cave until everything returned to being familiar to her.

Asterr watched silently as he'd settled down near to the entrance, but it hadn't lasted for very long. "Move away from there," she'd practically insisted. "If the wind shifts you will become wet, and then you will fall ill." She could not have him catching any sort of illness, for then his assigned task would be void. He could not protect her if weakened by a sickness, and so his health was to be maintained. And though her wish for him to move away from the entrance had stemmed from a need to keep him healthy, it was with uncertain intentions that she'd opened her mouth again. "Come over here." Even as she'd voiced it, she knew not what had caused for the statement to form atop her tongue.

There’s a part of him, somewhere, that wonders if she’s doing this on purpose. Another test to see what he’s capable of, of his loyalty, his restraint—hell, she’s already complimented him on that—and so everything tenses despite the fresh smell. Ukko can only hold out for so long, he’s sure, and her insisting for him to move away from the mouth left him rigid and stiff. He lays in place for a moment longer, staring at his paws as he considers objecting to the request. 

His jaw opens to speak but nothing comes out and he’s shuffling his feet into a standing position and hoisting himself up with some effort. The thought alone puts fireworks in his paws and the rest of him periodically tenses, relaxes, tenses. A distraction, or what he considers to be one, as he moves back a few feet. He moves where he’d been sitting originally and glances toward Asterr for approval on his location, since she’d insisted he’d come back, and carefully sits again.

Hesitation upon hearing her request had been expected, and so she'd been patient whilst waiting for and then watching him move. When he finally did, however, it was towards his original location that he'd gone, rather than nearer to her own. The observation of his decision had caused for a stirring in the back of her mind, something she'd been waiting for since several days prior. From his dormant state, Draco had risen, coming forth to act as her guide once more. A quick rush of tranquility had filled her chest, gradually spreading out through the rest of her body thereafter. The silent section of her mind had returned, and he was conscious enough for her to seek from him answers—how was she to react, what was her next move to be? As always, he harboured for her a plethora of suggestions, discreetly urging her towards one or the other that he deemed most favourable.

It was her turn to rise, then, for from her unconscious state there had come approval. Her actions would not upset her otherworldly counterpart, but it was still with hesitation that she'd proceeded to take several steps in the male's direction. There were often times in which Asterr could not understand the intentions of her other half, but the current moment was not one of those. She was aware, and yet still had she chosen to further approach the man, saying nothing in the process of doing so.

He doesn’t keep to keep his space for long when, from the corner of his eye, Asterr picks herself up and moves closer. It feels all too fast and too slow at the same time and he can’t find the words or movements for the first few seconds that by the time he’s ready, she’s barely a feet away. If he could hold his breath a little bit longer, he’d have the words to say or the kick back to move into gear, but neither of those things happen and he’s barely able to lift his head. The corner of his lips move as if he might flash his teeth in her direction but barely a glimpse of his pearly whites are seen as he jerks his head away from her.

While only a glimpse of his teeth had been caught, it'd been enough to make her pause. She had not backed away, however, but gazed ahead at him instead. Confusion and rejection alike swirled around within her mind, which seemed to increase the prior. She'd yet to encounter a denial of her presence before, discovering that the feeling that came with it was an odd one. "During the days that came before our meeting, I had been left to wander without a guide," began the girl. "My guide has returned to me now, though, and it is towards you that he directs me." She spoke as if her explanation would make things clearer, and had then proceeded to take several more steps in his direction. If permitted to do so, she'd not stop again until having reached him, and would then go about settling down along his side. No more words could be found, but it was a moment in which she didn't find them to be necessary. Ukko had been marked as worthy by the dragons, and so she lacked hesitation whilst lingering beside him, wishing to keep close to his form.

Her words don’t make sense. I don’t know what that means. He can’t open his mouth enough to speak the words and he stares at the wall of the cave for a moment, trying to force himself to turn back and tell her that, but when he does, her nose is touching his shoulder. It doesn’t linger long as she moves along his side and he jerks, shifting his weight to stand. A growl rumbles in his chest as the test he’s imagined turns into a failure and he pushes her nose away from him. 

There’s a burning trail along his skin where she’d touched him and he moves forward, nipping at her cheek without making much contact. He’d held on for long enough, long enough that would normally impress him for his restraint, but he can’t feel anything but a burning desire between his legs that’s tinged with disgust for not being able to hold back any longer. His nose presses to her flank and then the back of her leg, between them, and his teeth chatter with excitement.

Everything happens in a blur that he doesn’t know how long it takes but, so far, he’d not noticed any attempts to be stopped. His hips jerk once while he’s hooking one leg around her waist, and then the other, and with balance on both sides pulls her roughly forward to search for his mark.

She had not thought to elaborate upon her words, to explain in a way that anyone might be able to understand, for the life she'd grown up in had distributed onto her certain habits. Within her family, all knew of Draco and how she was connected to him, and so there came times in which she forget that not all were aware. That in the land of Teekon, the deity she followed was unheard of, having yet to leave his mark upon the region. And so it'd been left at that while she'd drawn herself nearer to him, nose finding its way to his shoulder in an unconscious search for comfort. He'd moved, however, growling afterwards and then pushing her muzzle away from him. Though she'd allowed for her touch to be stopped, she had not backed away, keeping still as he'd then taken the moment to approach her.

The male's face had moved towards her own, nipping at but only really grazing her cheek. He'd made no stops between that moment and the next, and before she'd the time to fully register what was happening, she'd been locked into place by his forelimbs. He'd wasted no time before beginning, and she made no attempts at getting away from him. It was what Draco had insisted she do, and so surely there was something about the male that had spoken volumes to the dragon. For that alone, she'd let him do as he pleased, enjoying that which came with his actions and what was sure to eventually follow.

There's no real sound, no words, no pleas that come from the smaller female. Not that he was really listening, of course, as his body molds to hers. His frame is tall and mesomorph but his fur gains more points for his side, twisting a thin and lanky form that works its way into hers. The warmth she emits beneath him fuels the rest of his actions as he hooks his paws around her until he can't pull anymore and there's only one way to go. Ukko slips then, jaws parted to pant as he works his hips. Why he'd restrained in the first place becomes lost on him but would it be as rewarding? And a beat later, as awful?

He tries to remember the things she's said to him but as the little wheel in his head turns, he's able to tune it on, using every force he has to claim her. That she became his in that moment, from then on. She may bend beneath his power and he can take what he wants, what he deserves, that had yet to be seen. His potential wasted on his former life will not be wasted then. 

A fleeting moment brings Tavi to the forefront of his mind, and then Reek, which is quickly (and thankfully) replaced by Saena. The thought of failure remains for just a few seconds when he realizes his claim being made and each thrust encourages him. She doesn't fight or pull against him, doesn't tell him no, and so his hips work all the quicker as he takes only his pleasure from her. The swelling between his legs grows, more prominent than it had been earlier, and he pushes the anchor into her with one force lunge of his hips that connect them together. 

His movements, while limited in direction, only increase in intensive, as he works his way to his edge without considering her comfort.