Redtail Rise It’s Chemical

After patrolling with her sister, Masque resumed her work. There were a few caches that needed filling, though by the time she checked the last one, it was late. She was tired. She slunk beneath her favorite evergreen tree and tried to sleep, though nightmares continued to plague her.

Dawn broke and she emerged. Groggy at first, the cold winter air soon roused her. The Caru went looking for @Watcher first, alert to any scents that might waylay her and observing the general mien of the rise this morning. The stillness was somber somehow. Her rapidly beating heart sank a little as she thought of Avicus.

When a distraction presented itself, Masque leaped at it. She saw @Riley striding along the foot of the rise, his dark fur standing out against the dusting of snow. A dozen thoughts flitted through her head at the mere sight of him. Some of them should’ve surprised her, but not much did after these past few days.

Closing the distance, the Caru recalled their last encounter and hesitated before deliberately pressing her nose to his cheek. She exhaled, her warm breath tousling the fur there, then drew back to study his face with goldenrod eyes.

Following the altercation of blood, Riley had sensed Masquerade’s need for space and prowled to the borders alongside @Watcher. The two shared a mutual fondness for silence, and he appreciated a moment of stability that seemed rare these passing days.

When their patrol finished he had found Masque gone from the Rise. Conflicted by this, but finding Mulherin’s tracks pursuing, Riley stayed.

Masquerade surprised him then, coming close with a heavy press of her nose to his cheek. For several beats, all that Riley did was stiffen — but then, incited by their contact, he reached for her in return in a silent hug meant to communicate a thousand things he could not say.

He looked sort of how she felt lately: bewildered. But after a beat, he reached for her with a surprisingly fierce embrace. Masquerade stiffened herself, grimacing when Riley accidentally brushed her sore shoulder. But as his strong forelegs wrapped around her, his scent filling her nose, something in her core melted.

She pressed against him as unfamiliar feelings flooded her. Masquerade whined, overwhelmed. Part of her was uncomfortable with this intimacy and wanted to yank free after a few seconds, put some space between them. Another part of her warmed. She felt cared for, safe, in Riley’s arms.

The whine turned into a happy little grumble as Masque arched her neck around his and really pressed their chests together. She then took a step back, blinking and breathing a little unevenly. The Caru swallowed, slowly collecting herself and reaching to touch her muzzle to Riley’s again.

Thank you. I needed that.

Fleeting as this moment was, Riley would think of it forever.

Their embrace ended with a press of her muzzle against him. Riley’s heartbeat slowed. He thought of the chaos of the last few days, of how Masquerade had left the Rise. No doubt to sort out her feelings, or maybe sink her teeth into something that wouldn’t hurt so much when it fought back.

Either way, he understood.

While her breath seemed a little uneven, Riley’s had never felt so sure. It had felt right in that moment, and he pursued it. He gave a little smile, the edges not quite reaching his eyes. It’s been a trying couple of days. Did she want to talk about it, or find something to drown out all the thoughts?

Masquerade exhaled and nodded at his astute observation. She wondered if he was just sympathizing with her or if he was having a hard time himself. She didn’t think he’d been close to Avicus, though she knew nobody on the rise was immune to the repercussions of her death.

Suddenly, the Caru remembered how Riley had been the only one to look her way after her defeat. Mulherin had come to find her later and she loved her brother for that, but she’d still been an afterthought. Masque’s heart tripped in her chest.

You picked me, she marveled. The words didn’t feel quite right but the sentiment did. Then a more errant thought followed. What if I returned the favor?

But she’d told him she wasn’t meant for those things. Hell, she’d directed him toward her own mother, then her sister. As Masquerade reminded herself of this, she felt an increasingly familiar flare of jealousy in her belly. Redd wore the crown now. She could choose any man she wanted. But this one, Masque wanted for herself.

As that realization came over her, she found herself pining for him. But he was right here. She reached out to touch her nose to his neck, grounding herself in his presence. Her eyes closed. Masque wondered how Riley would feel, if she gave voice to these thoughts and feelings. She wondered if she should even say anything.

Another thought hit her. What if he’d taken her suggestion? What if he wanted to court Redd, especially now that she was queen? Her eyes snapped open and a possessive noise rumbled in her chest. Riley wasn’t anyone’s to claim but she wanted him to choose her.

Even if these feelings were brand new and confusing, she would need to make a move. Masque started by pivoting so she stood parallel with the swarthy Ulfr, then tentatively slid her head under his.

Though Masque was silent, the exhale of her breath and her soft nod communicated enough.

She moved alongside him. Riley sensed a current rifle through his fur. Their proximity in hunts was a given, but here, she was willingly in contact — as she slid her muzzle under his chin, his eyes widened in surprise.

Were he human he might have pulled her so close he could feel the jut of her shoulder against his thrumming chest. He pressed close, turning his muzzle sidelong to rest against her head, his breath shaky. Adrenaline pounded in his blood, but he wanted this —

Riley preened against the ruff of her fur. He wanted desperately to tell her that all of it — the Rise, the world, and him, could be hers if she only ever said the word.

Riley pressed back, which was encouraging enough on its own. Then she felt his muzzle drop ever so slightly to rest on the crest of her head. It wasn’t the crown she’d expected to wear, though Masquerade’s heart skipped a beat. She felt a jolt of giddiness for the first time in many days.

The tips of his teeth pressed into the longer fur of her nape, which sent a peculiar tingle down her spine. Masque visibly shivered, marveling at yet another batch of entirely new feelings coursing through her. They were as bewildering as the furious jealousy, yet not nearly as unpleasant. She wouldn’t use that word at all.

Actions spoke louder than words, she knew. As much as she enjoyed the grooming, she pulled away from Riley to look him in the eye. She found she couldn’t resist the urge to close the gap again, briefly, Masque’s nose touching his before she took a step back.

I know I told you to go after my sister, she said, breathing a little shakily, and I know you said no take-backs. But I take it back.

I take it all back! a voice cried in her head before her own echo replayed: “I want to rule. I want the right to choose a mate and build a family.” Just because she’d lost the first to Redd didn’t mean she had to lose the rest to her too.

I know I’ve given you mixed signals. I’ve given myself mixed signals. She laughed softly, then admitted, I don’t know what I’m doing. I can’t explain what changed, even to myself. But maybe we could…

She wasn’t even sure how to finish that sentence. It felt right to reach out and touch him again, so she did. Masque pressed the tip of her red snout against his again, the intimacy almost overwhelming her. She drew in a breath and then pressed her tongue to his nose in a proper kiss.

She shivered, stepping away with a brief kiss. When her gaze leveled across his vision, Riley sensed the turbulence behind it.

His heart skipped a beat. She wanted to take it back — but he knew there was more there, too.

You could have it all, Riley’s expression twisted with earnest. I’ll help you. He meant it, too. It stung him just as much that day she was turned from the summit, as if she weren’t a good enough candidate for Wealda.

When she pulled in for a kiss he was there to meet her. Insistent. Strong. Holding onto her just a little longer than seconds before. In this moment, he couldn’t believe she had finally touched him in a way he’d longed for months. He pulled away just long enough to hold the burn of her gaze. No take backs. Riley smiled, pulling her close.

Without knowing what he was doing, Riley appealed directly to the new voice in her head, the one she thought of by Avicus’s name. Her breath caught in her throat as she contemplated it for a moment, particularly his absolute loyalty to her flag. Her eyes flicked up, catching his.

Yes, she could try to usurp her sister again. But Masque thought about their last conversation, her promise to stand beside Redd. Part of her coveted Wealda and all its vestments. But her inner Caru argued that there must be a middle ground, where she could support her sister while still claiming what she deserved. After all, hadn’t she carved out her very own space in leadership? And who else but Masque would define it?

She shook her head lightly, mustering up the bravado to kiss Riley for the second time. At the same time, he reached for her again and she went willingly as he pulled her close. Masque’s heart felt like it was on fire.

You are enough, she said, voice muffled where her mouth pressed against his neck. If I have you, I have it all.

He was breathless as he embraced her, his heart quivering with an unspoken anxiety he’d never felt before — thrummed to life by Masquerade’s roving touch.

He pulled away only reluctantly, the fading notes of her second kiss still warm along his warming cheek.

You have me. Riley urged, tail low but waving against his hocks. He would give himself to Masquerade and her goals absolutely. As she laid her head against his neck, he felt a soaring of his heart that felt as if it would never sink again. He pressed against her, marveling the tautness of her every angle, the warmth of her fur flush against his own, and the steady hum of her breathing and heart rate as it beat in tandem to his.

It meant so much that Riley was in her corner and, now, her heart. They kept touching one another, noses skimming and teeth nipping gently. Masquerade still found the press of his body against hers overwhelming, though the discomfort dissipated. She wanted to cling to his warmth, smother herself in his masculine, woodsy scent.

After a while, she murmured, Come with me.

Masquerade led Riley to the evergreen she’d been sleeping beneath since her childhood days. She settled down and reached for him, nuzzling him in the hope he would lie down beside her. It was still early, though the Caru wanted nothing more than to just cuddle with him a while, perhaps catch a little more sleep. She had a feeling his presence might keep the nightmares at bay.

Riley followed the Caru as her silver form slid through a brethren of moss studded trees. The forest was quiet; only the soft crunch of their paws underfoot announcing their passing.

It was as if he was being led somewhere safe and sacrosanct — his eyes roved the canopy of bare branches and glimmering sun, in awe by the peace here.

She circled in an area indented with her presence. Tufts of her fur lingered on the bark, her scent impressed on every feature. He breathed this in as he set down alongside her, still in blissful disbelief that this moment he’d pined for over months had finally come true.

He folded down beside her and Masque immediately gravitated toward him, shuffling a little so they molded together. After this, they would both smell of one another. This thought pleased her. Soon everyone on the rise would know they belonged to each other.

That prompted her to murmur, I think this probably goes without saying at this point but… you have me too, Riley.

Masque complemented this vow by sliding her snout beneath his again, then pressing forward until her head rested in the space between his head and his chest. Lying down like this allowed her to rest her cheek against the broad expanse of said chest, her ear pressed to it.

She counted his heartbeats, the steady sound lulling her into her first restful sleep since Avicus’s death.

For the first time in a long time, a whuff of contentment escaped Riley’s muzzle. To hear her affirm something he had only dreamed of caused his tail to beat softly against the snow.

Soon their shared scent would commingle strongly in their pelts. For now he relished the press of her body to his, the rise and fall of her steady breath, and the enveloping silence that wrapped its arms around them in this quiet place.

She rested against his heart, her head pressed in the soft plains of neck fur. Riley held her as close as he could, as if afraid she might slip from him — and fell into a deep sleep thereafter.