The Heartwood thunderstruck

open heat thread! no guarantees.

by now khaba and dagur were back at the lakeside, presumably with ensio. zharille felt confident in her choice so far. the man from the darkwood was strong and confident, and likely could hold his own against any challenge.

her own desire drew her away. it was safer for the men if she kept far from them, lest she arouse some animosity because of her current state. she moved now through unfamiliar woodland - the trees were narrow spires which made her feel gargantuan, given the space.

Hope you don't mind Sov coming in! <3 being vague about her ongoing thread w/ Ensio

Sovereign had yet to follow Ensio from the Wood.
She wanted to prepare herself first, at least. 
Being the daughter and heiress and then successor to a throne, she wasn't sure she was ready yet to follow the orders of someone who wasn't her mother. 

Seeing a female as big as herself walking through the Heartwood with a strange scent wafting from her, Sovereign watched from some distance as the woman traipsed through the ashy terrain. 

The teenager didn't feel particularly territorial over the Wood and so despite her posture - regal, assertive, she didn't hold any aggression or make any noise indicative of malevolence. 

Eventually, the girl began prowling a tad closer, eyes alight with curiousity.

Khaba can remain cameo through this. He will still be visible, but will not approach unless summoned/addressed.

That same, warm and pleasant scent continued on, floating in the air around them. Khaba knew well who it belonged to, but did not pursue it this time. If it was what she would have wanted, she would have sought him. But she did not. 

He still remained close, however, finding himself faintly possessive over the woman he had shared a dance with. And he was lucky he had been, for another wolf waltzed dangerously close.

Large, like them. Not a man, which his nerves. Though barely. She was a curious thing, tiptoeing closer in interest. 

The dark man kept to the shadows, watching from afar. He knew the sable woman was capable to fend for herself, but he would not yet leave, simply to be sure no unwanted scene occurred.

when she caught sight of something large and pale moving through the woods she thought of the ice man (@Ensio) and was elated, so her pace increased and her posture briefly slackened.

then she saw the prideful way the stranger walked, the lack of darkness to their face - and knew promptly it was not him. zharille paused and bristled, alert, concerned.

Also just a cameo unless approached.

He did not stray far these days. Not that now, there was a loosely knit group of like minded wolves slowly forming what may one day be a pack. But, bitter experience taught him not to get his hopes up too soon. He would keep his reservations until he was sure each and every one of them was here to stay.

And, true to his pledge, he kept within easy reach of his young friend, Sovereign. Only ever a short scent trail or a call away. He would not let her out from under his radar. Would not abandon her like so many others. He hoped she understood that he meant to be a symbol of certainty in her otherwise turbulent life.

What drew him out today, was a pungent scent that no wolf, male or female, could ignore. Though fully mature in size, he was not yet of breeding age. Lacking the desire or instinct that would drive a more mature male to procreate. But, the wintery season had spiked up his hormones. The results were a mixture of heightened aggression, tenacity and possessiveness. 

He followed after Zharille's trail with nothing more than a few investigatory, if not disinterested sniffs. Two others mingled close by. One, of a much older male. Mature and in his prime. And, more to his greater focus, Sovereign. Glacial eyes darted between one wolf to the next, lingering on his white companion the longest. She was new to these wolves, he knew. A wave of white hot protectiveness rushed over him. Prudently, he hung back, chiseled jaw firm. Letting her test the waters on her own. If she made a wrong move, he would step in only when he felt the situation may escalate.  

Sovereign did not see the dark giant hanging back, nor did she see Ensio. Though she did smell him nearby, she wasn't sure if he was closer than she currently knew of. 
The brownish woman seemed elated at first, perhaps out of recognition before her posture grew alert, at least from what Sovereign could understand. 

The pale teenager tilted her head the other way and swayed her tail a couple times, wide horizontal arcs as she loosened her posture: 
I mean no harm to you, and I am not possessive of these Woods. 

Sovereign attempted to solidify her current harmlessness by swiveling her ears back for a moment before they came forward again, as she cocked her head to the other side, flaring her nostrils as she took in her fellow giant's scent with that still-curious light in her golden hues. 

The teen came a few paces closer, but tried to stay a respectful distance at the same time, as she swayed her tail again many more times, eased and steady, not frantic or fast.

def forgot those were cameo posts so i was waiting for others haha my b

the pale stranger kept their distance. their posture was muted, submissive. the woman zharille was cautious a moment longer and would keep an ear trained for signs of distress or aggression, but otherwise became ambivalent.

her focus was on the men. she wanted them so much closer. khaba she had already enjoyed - but she was eager for more, and sought out @Ensio with a bold strut towards him. her tail was high, her body standing tall and proud while her scent wreathed the scene.

briefly her gaze flashed to khaba, to see what he might make of this display. she crooned a note to her ice man and as zharille pushed the boundaries of his space, grabbed playfully at the fur of his shoulder.

Sovereign watched the older female as she seemed to relax if only slightly. 
Then the bold movement forward. 

The pale teenager watched with a strong zing of jealousy as Zharille approached where Sovereign didn't see Ensio lurking.
The Fallen One resisted the urge to growl and flag herself taller, but the silent displeasure would be keen to a trained eye. Perhaps even an untrained one where Sov didn't yet possess the discipline and tact her mother had.

Regardless, the girl watched, still curious about the scent wafting so strongly from the brown woman. 
But she didn't yet try to get closer. 

Instead her gaze would turn into the trees to briefly try and find the form belonging to the other scent that was close.
But it quickly flitted back to Ensio before she could ever see Khaba.

He huffed heavily. A puff of cold air blasting past his nose. So far, Sovereign was controlling herself and had not gotten in trouble. Zharille appeared to be tolerating her. 

Rolling his shoulders, he watched Zharille as she approached him. He stood tall, his tail stiffly aligned with his spine. He tolerated her grab at the pale fur of his shoulder, but did not return the favors. Letting her close, there would be plenty of Sovereign's own scent on his fur. A way for her to scent the girl before getting more up close and personal.

When he had enough, he made it clear with a rolling growl and a snap of teeth on empty air. There was no menace in it. Just a simple back off, I am not interested. 

Why should he be? He was not yet of age. Ensio had no desire to compete. Far from forgotten, he turned and sauntered towards Sovereign, hoping that Zharille was following. His goal; get her accepted into their budding pack.

what she found when she tasted his fur was - zharille turned sharply as the boy rebuked her, and shot the pale woman a glare. you're all over him. what did she want with the ice man? a ripple of distrust tensed zharille and she shoved away from ensio, towards the stranger in their midst.

she was scowling, pressing close. ensio's scent clung to her too; he had refused zharille though, and together the knowledge set the woman off. a shock of jealousy, possession, and a kind of arrogance flooded zharille.

she pushed up against sovereign to test the girl. checking boundaries, attitude, strength - and eager to prove the top dog here was herself. how dare she come along and try to temp the ice man away?

Plopping in a short reaction o. 0

The pale girl that had come forward had almost all but been ignored. Zharille's interest had been focused elsewhere. On another man. One who Khaba knew had walked this territory for a time. 

But when the sable huntress approached him in hope of affections, he dismissed her.

The dark beast that loomed in the shadows became slightly more visible, frame tense as he watched all of this unfold.  

Too many men had been near her. He was not about to let another get too close without warning. But he would not make any advances until the other man stepped out of place.

Sovereign watched as Ensio denied the agouti woman, who shot her what seemed to be an accusing glare before Zharille ended up coming too close and pressing herself into the pale girl, who let out a loud, guttural growl of warning and a flash of her teeth, the sharp clap of teeth on air near the face in a final warning to back the fuck off as Sov stood her ground and even shoved back some, tail flagged high, nape and hackles razored along her spine to hopefully send the message that she was not going to be an easy target or anything close to the sort. 
She had lost so much already and her dignity nor pride was going to be next.

If Zharille wanted to fight to earn her place as ''top dog'' in Sov's mind or whatever else, so be it, but otherwise, the pale giant was not bending willingly. 
Not yet, at the very least.

sorry i keep leaving this for so long, i can't tell when its my turn. i thought it was ensio's! if i should remove this reply let me know and i can wait for them first.

zharille had backup in the form of khaba and, so far as she understood, ensio, even if the ice man carried the scent of this child upon him. the fact that he'd shunned her in favor of the pale stranger did not do sovereign any favors: nor did the teenager's attitude, the flash of teeth or obvious posturing.

there was no place for a woman who did not heed zharille's law.

all that was necessary was the slightest bending, the most subtle moments of acceptance, at least until sovereign made her display; then, zharille needed more. she loosed a snarl and pushed closer to the stranger, intent on proving her point. they were similar in size but not in age, not in desire, and certainly not in confidence. zharille was the boss here. the woman would heed her.

she moved to snap her teeth as close to the girl's face as she could, not caring if a tooth clipped her snout, not caring either if anyone came to her aid. sovereign would accept and bend the knee, or be driven away with extreme prejudice. zharille had no intent to entertain any rivals.

Mai has OK'd skipping Ensio for this reply, in Discord PM! As well as the ability to reference him watching Sov <3

Sovereign felt she needed to make her decision quickly.
Would she fight this woman, or not?
She felt Ensio's eyes watching her, but this was her battle now, not his.
She would not ask of him to defend her here, nor did she think he would, for both their sakes. 

The teenager felt the brief brush of fang through fur in a flash, though she did not feel the pain of torn flesh. 
A warning in return it seemed, from the tri-colored woman.

Sovereign begrudgingly decided it would be best long-term, to bend to the authority of the other bitch.  
She could probably stick with Ensio this way, and live to fight another day as she got the rest of her strength back...

The pale behemoth would let out a low whine, averting her gaze, slanting her ears back all in the same moment - and offering a lick of her lips in submission, bending her limbs to bow away from Zharille and expose her stomach in a more open display. 
She curled her tail in and wagged it between her legs to say You win, I submit. 

The girl would stay on her back until the bearish woman would give some signal that Sov could get up again.

the girl cowed.

she buckled quickly with the threat of zharille's teeth, and flashed her belly. this stoked the fire of ego within the woman, but she pushed it further: so there could be no mistake.

zharille loomed over sovereign with a grimace in place. she moved as if reaching for some tender exposed part of the girl as a reinforcement of her power.

i could end you here, but i grant you mercy. it could very well be an action she would regret, if this girl took ensio away. zharille relented after that, snorting, tasting the scents upon the girl a moment longer, pulling away from her so they could stand.

a reminder was given to ensio as zharille stalked by him next: a pinch of teeth at his cheek, the drag of her earthen shoulder across him roughly; mine.

but they did not come to blows, and the woman saw no reason to linger. she had appetites to feed.

Last for me!

Traditional displays of dominance and testing boundaries were exchanged between the two females. He had no doubt Zharille would enforce her status, and she did. But Sovereign came from a strong blood line, as did he. He watched, as she begrudgingly submitted to the older woman.

She was young. Younger than him. But not nearly enough to be considered a whelp. He would look out for her. Keep her in his sights. As Zharille grazed him with a nip of teeth and a brush of fur, he feigned indifference on Sovereigns behalf.

If she understood their bond as well as he did, she would see past his cloak. He turned away to go on patrol duty.

Last from me here! <3

 


Sovereign allowed the bearish woman to make her display, keeping her teeth shielded behind tense lips as Zharille eventually pulled away.
The teen rolled to her paws, watching her newfound Alpha as she claimed Ensio as hers by the nip to his cheek, drag of her shoulder.

She noted Ensio's expression, indifferent. 
Half of her was unsure why he didn't deny the bear-woman this time, but the other part of her was more certain - it was a buffer, in a way...surely?

Self-confidence warped after everything she had experienced, she didn't truly know, but figured maybe she would understand much better, in time. 
Sov watched Ensio disappear to go do...maybe scouting, while she would decide to wander a different direction (within calling distance!) to do the same until it was time to go back to wherever their claim was.