The Tangle [M] And roar beside the lions thinking how is it so easy

The weight of responsibility felt heavy, and it settled in like cloak with stone-filled hems when Ashlar pulled away. She wondered if like her, he was a part of his pack’s leadership. She blushed- there was so very little she actually knew about him. While she too had responsibilities, her reaction was to shake her head, lean against him once more and utter a plaintive whine. No, she would not let him go. 

He seemed to say he might not be missed for a while yet, which made her lift her head and look up at him hopefully. If he could sacrifice some time…Perhaps it meant that he was not too tied down with responsibility. She smiled. 

”Please, Ashlar,
Stay with me, if you can…
I hope your pack will understan’.” She couldn’t stop the small, ashamed laugh that escaped her next. 
”If I could, I would steal you wid me, 
To come an’ live beside de sea.
But if dat not be what you wish, I’ll let you go,
Just know dat I will miss you, so.”

He didn't assume that she would want him to stay, but a part of him felt like even if she had to leave, he'd linger in the area. Ashlar felt guilty again to be thinking like that, but he was not a bad friend if he only stayed for a few days more. He would be home before anyone needed him and after that, well. He was not sure and did not bother to think of it.

Every time she sang, Ashlar was captured by it. He still did not know why she chose to sing instead of speak but it seemed like a natural choice. She had a voice and a way with rhyme that it would be a shame not to put on display.

Miss me? He was shy again, silenced by the pleasure that burbled in him at that tiny phrase. It was such a simple thing but it said so much. He'd grown so used to running with those who did not voice such things.

If they don't, I'll just explain
that it wasn't you who was to blame.
I just couldn't bring myself to go
when there's so much still I need to know.

Like how you captured and tamed the sun,
And from it, somehow shaped and spun,
A voice, and a you, so perfect and warm,
that could pierce through the clouds of any storm.

He hoped that this wasn't too much, and his cheeks were hot as he quietly sang the second verse. Ashlar couldn't go so far as to say this was a love song - he barely knew what that meant, and knew he barely knew her. But she was kind, and caring, and she had shared this with him. Even if she could not steal him, he knew he would carry this experience always.

When he sang to her, it felt like she’d finally found someone who really understood her, and let her be true to herself without asking for an explanation. He wasn’t showy, but skilled still with his Melodies. She tended to struggle with her words sometimes, but when Ashlar sang, he seemed to have a natural talent for making his phrases and rhymes flow. 

He flattered her, causing her to blush and tuck her chin against her nest. He seemed to show a bit of sheepishness when he finished singing, so she picked up his melody and continued along with it.

”I did not reach an’ tame de sun,
Ashlar, Chéri, you are de one,
Who sang to me, an’ my heart be won,
Your voice is de nectar for my soul.” She confessed. She drew near again to him, to press herself into his fur as she begged him.
”Stay wid me, Ashlar, please-
For anot’er day, or two at least.
De future can wait, for just some time.
Just here, an’ now- stay an’ be mine.”

wrapping this <3 if you like, feel free to fade/archive

Rather than laugh at him, Chacal matched his versus and turned them back. Ashlar's heart grew even fuller as she shared that with him, and he couldn't believe how wonderful she was.

He nodded, completely captivated, as she pressed in close and asked him to stay. I'll stay. He replied quietly, wrapping himself around her gladly and pulling her into another embrace. As many days as I can.

Ashlar would remain in the tangle with her for another few days and do everything in his power to ensure she had what she needed. Be that food, company, or a willing and giving partner. The next few days were like a dream for him, one that finished far too soon and left him longing for a way to pause time, just for a while longer.

<3

She'd take whatever time he could spare, before she too would have to wander back, light-footed, to return to her own obligations. They shared laughter, songs and warmth for the time being, short-lived as it was. While Chacal had set out simply to find a father for her children, she returned to the pack feeling as though she had perhaps found something else- something more new and wonderful than she every could have expected.