Otter Creek honigsüß

@Alheis :)

he meandered with a pika struggling weakly between heavy jaws.
mahler had caught it during his descent from the lofty reaches of sagtannet. the foothills demanded patrols of their own, stone teeth reaching up to encircle the base of the peak.
here he caught a glimpse of harried eyes and patchy grey fur, a herd of deer who fled from the predator suddenly in their midst. tongue lolled; the eisen rested, lavender stare roving after them with a muted interest. 
but it was water that finally captured mahler's full attention, and he descended into the curved lands below the edge of the sunspire, seeking the frozen edges of a creek that burbled there.

fore. dating to after this <3

The stricken still felt weak after a (presumed) meal a sunrise ago, yet took it it upon ruined paws to leave the vale a travel onward. Searching for what, he did not know. His lips quivered at the thought of being lonely and forgotten among the gazing spires, the lips not unlike that of a boy waiting for his wayward father to return from the duty of war on a eerie, bleak summer night . . .

and only as luck would allow, he was stopped by the ever enlarged webs and paths of the creek, unbeknowst to him a ghostly man traversed them, with ease he had not yet retained, toting a pika from his descent of sawtooth spires. The stricken on the other matter, was shaken. The water was still as his mind flow, but it failed to ail his senses. Water. He feared it like no other material, once a speck of nothing in its wide workings of the expanse of the Teekon. 

❝ . . . der Scheißkerl,❞ he wheezed, as his head was light with fear . . . 

mahler lay his kill down and began to approach the waterway, but not before spotting a stranger at its border. wary of anyone near sagtannet, though he recognized this as irrational, the gargoyle stepped forward in time to hear the muttered words.
"was hat der scheißkerl jemals mit dir gemacht?" mahler chuckled, in the hearty tones of a man who had just clapped another round the shoulder with brotherly affection.
and in the next moment, the man realized he had spoken a tongue not yet rusted, and flared suddenly with a light of relief and amusement.

He was suprised to see another (ravishing) male approach him who bore the same tongue and pronounced its language as swiftly and elegantly as the ones who had the mind to render it. He couldn't help but softly chuckle at his question, not poised to be suprised nor even fully acknowledge him with his ambers.

❝ Das wasser, ❞ he replied gently, still keeping in under his eye as if it could grab him and kill again. ❝ Ich bin im Wasser gestorben und so aufgetaucht,❞ he finished, knowing the other would certainly be perplexed at his cryptic explantion for his aquaphobia.

mahler's interest was piqued, shown by a quick blink and a forward tilt of his ears, two gestures that were the only things to evince his rather abrupt shock. was this a madman? if so, would he be of issue to sagtannet? a musing look, and then the joviality returned to his expression.
"tote würden keinen hunger haben," the gargoyle said softly, tail flicking at his heels. "mit mir jagen?"

sorry for the late post, i've been busy and tired and all around a mess :,)

If he had not met a man so warm and joyous as this one's one uplifted countenace, then perhaps he would have allowed the prospect of depression and despair to take over his muddled senses. But he was of a great contraist ot the startling and gruff bane, he was as warm of as his hazel hues and pelt, welcoming him in. 

❝ Das ist wahr, ❞ as his lips crook upwards in somewhat newfound delight. ❝ Wie kann ich das leugnen? Führe uns?❞

that's totally fine! <3

mahler grunted with pleasure, gestured with a sweep of his heavy muzzle, set off into the forest that lay against the curve of the river. "es ist lange her, seit ich gesprochen habe," the gargoyle revealed gently. no one else he had met since kierkegaard had known the old tongue. he was happy, then, to have met this stranger. "ich bin mahler."

This man had an aura and allure to him the ashen could not quite yet understand. Gruff but warm, unlike the cold stare of the bane of winter, he followed without dithering. It ailed him the leave the domains of water, a fear he was not willing to conquer at this time. the man explained to him how long he had done without speaking the hevy chants of his old tongue. ❝ Für mich selbst? Ich habe keine Ahnung, wie lange ich ohne Sprache war, ❞ the stricken hums in reply, simply enjoying the air, the light, the company.

Mahler.

It suited him like silk gowns on a newly appointed queen, still rich and shimmering with delicacy and yet strength welded into its roots. ❝ . . . Ich habe keinen Titel, ❞  they realize slowly, forgetting, interesting.❝ Gib mir eins?, ❞ whe almost jests, but for somethign as strong ans mahler to come form the thane's lips and dub him, maybe he would ahve strenght and allure like him as well.

"du bist ein interessanter mann," mahler laughed briefly. "fein dann. ich werde dir einen namen geben." 
he was silent a while, thinking over the qualities he had only just discovered in this odd, charming stranger. "edelgard," mahler said after a moment. "edel, aber bewacht."
such an odd request! and yet it enthralled the gargoyle, held fast his attention. who was this man sprung up from the river?[/hover]

okay, finally figured out the whole hover thing, LMAO. i also spelled mahler's name wrong in the last post, should be fixed by now.

The stricken felt pleased the gargoyle took up his rather direct and deep request, effectively enthralling him so. Edelgard? Noble, but guarded. He will use it. ❝ Edlgard. Ihre Gnade spricht Bände, vielen Dank,❞ he rumbles softly. His tracks slow as his nose twitches, interest and senses peaked. A hare was moving along the weald of the undergrowth, subject to the thrall of it all. it would be hard to follow efficently, mush less catch. He hoped by his stance and bodily language his newfound Mahler would understand.

lol absolutely no worries i seem to have forgotten to close a tag in my own last post

edelgard accepted; mahler's tail swung once, and then he was focused too upon their quarry. what better way to cement the budding bonds of brotherhood than with blood? he was reminded of stigmata, and then wintersbane; mahler resolved to know his fellow eisen better upon return. but for now, he would run with newly-made edelgard.

since i'm in quarantine, going to try to be better at responses, loving the direction of this thread and their relationship! <3 thanks for sticking with my lazy ass :,3

Edelgard, the name rolled off his tongue similar to praises of a fallen martyr, as he lowered himself to the earth. It felt still except for the blood pounding in his veins — perhaps from the pulsing of his heart and shaking core of himself, or the euphoric upcoming of brotherhood, solidified in the entrances of one's heart? He could never forget a thing like this, no matter how hard the elements would try and kill him again.

His tail pointedly guided the other's eyes around the growth, to block potential escape. The stricken and newly dubbed Edelgard, would wait until the trap was set. Nothing could symbolize a brotherhood like a shared bloodbond, whetehr it be inherit or through the escapades of the hunt.

i love this thread! worth waiting for! and me too, friend. solidarity <3

linked by the ancient communcation of their wolven bodies, the pair moved through the wood, and mahler was content to allow edelgard the lead, to glance where directed, to crouch low and move slowly until the quivering eartips of the hare could be spotted through the foliage.
readying himself, aware of his companion's location, mahler locked himself to their prey and waited for his companion to signal a call to action.

New ardor aiding his will; he somewat clumsily  shot his jaws towards the target onc ehe had crept up form the behind only a half a tail length. Undoubtly, it was somewhat hard to follow and the prey swerved between the obstacles in a flurry. The fleeing figure of white would soon run into the jaws of Mahler, who waited just as he had directed.

It felt surreal to lead the hunt, even if it was small. Something flitted in his chest as he remembered a sense of feeling, leadership, strength, but that was so long ago . . . if ths had occured during his punce, it would have ruined the trap. His memories were at a crossroads and he simply blinked, not seeing what was unwinding with his newfound brother.

edelgard hesitated. mahler kept tense watch, but his lavender gaze flickered back to the man. movement then, after a beat; the pair could not wait. he lunged forward, twisting in a snap meant to drive the rabbit toward his dissociative friend.
perhaps that then would move him, shake him.

Edelgard swung his jaws for the flash of fur as soon as it darted a hair's length from the forelegs. Almost missed it. The stricken begged that Mahler did not notice, and inquiry him about it. Feeling the pulsing blood in the body slow, he sniffed and circled in place, happy with his sucess at the very least.

"gute jagd," mahler murmured, settling some feet away. what had happened to his silent friend? the gargoyle opted to ask no questions, instead moving in with an affable chuff to allow edelgard his first choice of their kill.

❝ Ich hätte das nicht gefangen, wenn nicht für dich, ❞ he replies, somehwat embrasses. He chuffs and seperates the thigh, leaving another for Mahler. 

"vir haben uns gegenseitig geholfen, freund," mahler intoned, refusing to take credit for a hunt they had made together. taking his portion, he settled lionlike a small distance away, tearing flesh from bone with an open gusto.

Eating with ardor, he eyed Mahler, with sadness to in his gaze. He knew he could not stay in these mountains for long, as he his body was itching to find something more. He could not bear to share his wants, or rather needs at the time, so he continued to eat. With less of a malice driven by hunger, they could perhaps easily point out his weariness. Edelgard was not keen on leaving his blutsbruder, but he was not keen on living among rocks for the rest of days either. 

fade w ur next post? i loved this <3

they finished their meal as brothers, and mahler saw the well-traveled look in the other's eye. their time was drawing shut, but what a pleasant glow in the space of a day it had been. at length, the gargoyle stood to his paws, lapped blood from his lips, lifted his chin in edelgard's direction. "wir werden uns wieder treffen."

eee me too! <3

Edelgard watched as Mahler spoke his goodbyes before he even could, his own eyes glistening. They would meet again, he promised. They had better, for the sake of their own hearts and his companionless self.