Sleeping Dragon Knock me off my feet

The instant Wildfire's paws touched familiar soil, she thanked @Gavriel and then went in search of @Thuringwethil. She knew she needed to report back on her findings about Rosings and that the Heda was probably curious about her visit with the Redhawks too. As seriously as the Bandrona took her duties and the need to report to Drageda's commander, Wildfire had to admit to herself that she could barely even think of any of that stuff right now. She couldn't think about anything but seeing Thuringwethil, smelling her, touching her...

She marched up the leader's den, well aware that she might be elsewhere. Wildfire poked her head inside. "Thur?" When she didn't appear to be in there, she backed out and called more loudly, "Heda?" If she still didn't reply, the yearling would consider howling or perhaps going to Gyda's den to see if the commander was there. It would be a good excuse to see the puppies too, though much as Wildfire loved those little jellybeans, she had serious trouble caring about anything other than reuniting with her main squeeze right now.

"main squeeze" omg so cute UwU

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An awkward crack shoots a sting of pain down her hips in her attempt to roll on to the other side of her new den. The walls seem to embrace her tightly, which wasn't a good thing. She needed more space, and perhaps if there was a way she would have to snatch some bear fur to sleep on. But for now she had to settle for this, she did not have the energy to do all of that just yet.

A bark picks her attention. Uleön had a sharp hearing despite her sight, and the proximity of the caller plus the urgency it carries makes Uleön nervous.

"Is everything alright, dear?" she calls, emerging from her den which was conveniently close to Thuringwethil's cave. "I'm afraid Heda isn't near," she explains, inspecting the flaming youth's uneasy expression.

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The wolf that appeared was not her Thuringwethil. In fact, she was nobody that Wildfire knew. The yearling's mouth clapped shut as she eyeballed the stranger, taking in both her appearance and her scent. She belonged, though she must be relatively new. Licking her lips, Wildfire took a few steps closer to the pale and possibly geriatric she-wolf, amber eyes shrewd.

"Yes," she answered a bit absently before pointedly asking, "Do you know where she is? I'm Wildfire, the Bandrona, and I just got home from a mission she sent me on. I was hoping to report to her." That was true enough, as she did want to update Thuringwethil on her trip... right after she kissed her silly.

She’d run into Gavriel at Gyda’s den not long ago before she gives the man a chance to be with his children. He’d been a little more involved than Thuringwethil expects but she doesn’t limit his chance to get to know them. She picks up the pinecone she’d found earlier in the day and began her trek away. There’s a brief moment she doesn’t know how to find Wildfire but with the information she potentially has, she supposes she’s looking for her anyway.

Thuringwethil turns to her den and eventually catches the flame’s scent and for a moment she’s blinded by the other in the area. She comes up behind Wildfire as she speaks, ears cupped forward to find she had been looking for her but the sudden few of her newest member. The dark leader drops the cone between her paws before she clears her throat.

“Right here.”

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The title doesn't mean much to Uleön, but it was probably a high position given the way wildfire carried herself. It would be wise to learn more about the culture if she wanted to climb up to a suitable spot for her work, so Uleön made a mental note to seek Thuringwhethil some time to ask the questions she needed answers to. But just like an apparition, the dark Heda appeared before Uleön could even ive an answer to the young flame. The crone blinks and turns her gaze to Thuringwhethil before shifting away again and bowing a little in greeting. Then she felt silent, for more pressing matters needed the monarch's attention.

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The instant Thuringwethil materialized, every muscle in Wildfire's body twitched in her general direction. She wanted to throw herself into the commander's embrace, slather her face with kisses, hold and be held. Instead, she ground her teeth together and resisted the powerful impulse. They were not alone. Even if the pack had been in the know about their relationship, it was not appropriate for one leader to snog another right in front of one of their members, especially a newer one. The Bandrona would just have to hold her horses a moment.

With that said, she looked toward the stranger and said, "It was nice to meet you, um..." The yearling meant to say her name, then realized she'd never gotten a chance to share it. Wildfire paused now, hoping she would provide it, then continued, "But if you'll excuse us, I need to speak to Heda privately." She felt a little thrill at how well she was pulling off her poker face right now. She bobbed her head and smiled a little apologetically. She truly hoped to get to know this pack mate better, later. But right now, Wildfire could hardly focus on anything other than the Alpha's scent as she subtly drifted nearer to her.

Thuringwethil doesn’t leave the spot she’s dropped her pinecone and watches the awkward exchange, eyes landing on Wildfire as she stiffens. Her head tilts a little, looking her over quickly to make sure there is nothing to attend to and then to the elder wolf that has fallen silent. Wildfire then rushes into her words and she realizes she hasn’t come very far into the conversation and neither of them had been waiting long with one another.

“This is Uleön,” she says though isn’t sure she should introduce someone for them. Her slate eyes turn apologetically but the girl has her point. “Thank you for keeping her company. You may go.” Perhaps if the older woman has been a member for longer than she has, had reached the potential she’s spoken about, she might been allowed to stay, but Thuringwethil is far more interested in the information the girl has waiting for.

sorry for the wait omg

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Out of habit, Uleön did not leave the pack leaders to solve whatever needed their attention. She had been there to hear such kind of things in Zeneth dozens of times, but for a moment she forgot she wasn't in Zeneth anymore. Here she still hadn't earned the right to sit among the council.

Uleön did not excuse herself immediately after being dismissed by the commander, but she did not refuse to carry out her command. "Uleön. It's a pleasure," she spoke to the Bandrona with a polite smile, then turned to the commander and nodded respectfully, "Heda," she woofed, and without much more she turned to give the females their space.

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Wildfire just barely managed to scrounge the brain cells together to reply, "The pleasure's mine, Uleön." Despite her misgivings about her leadership role, she thought she sounded particularly diplomatic right then, especially considering she was sort of under duress. She offered the elder wolf a smile, amber eyes tracking her movements as she turned to go. They remained fixed on her retreating figure until Uleön disappeared from view.

She knew Thuringwethil wanted to get down to business, that the mission was important to the commander. But Wildfire had a different sort of business in mind first. After one last, quick glance to make sure neither Uleön nor anyone else was around to see, she forcefully smushed herself against her lover, pressing kisses to the underside of her throat, up along the curve of her neck, to her cheek and finally the corner of her mouth.

"I missed you," she breathed between heady kisses. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was prepared to be pushed away for propriety's sake but Wildfire couldn't help herself and didn't plan to stop until then. Now her tongue touched the corner of Thuringwethil's eye. "Did you miss me?"

Thuringwethil watches the older woman as she lingers a moment longer and she feels a bristling against the back of her neck. She waits, though, and ultimately she realizes what’s happening and takes her leave after a brief introduction of her own. Steel eyes watch her turn and go and for longer than her bandrona. She’d have waited, typically, until she knew for certain of their seclusion but Wildfire had a different idea.

Seeing her approach from the corner of her eyes, she turns her nose quickly to meet the kiss. Perhaps the thing to save her as Thuringwethil softens, for a moment, to allow their closeness. If she could, she’d allow it anytime, but she knew her duty won’t permit. Nor does it help her not being an overly affectionate wolf to begin with, separated from all forms from a young age.

Heda takes a long breath and she nods then, feeling her muzzle pull into a smile.

“Of course I did,” she tells her and plants a kiss of her own along the bridge of her nose that ends just between her eyes.

Unable to let the affection remain any longer, even if she doesn’t quite want to pull away, Thuringwethil turns her head and takes a step back to put some space between them. There isn’t a spot they can go where they are alone, and can be certain to remain alone, and she wonders—briefly—about searching for one.

“How is your family?” she asks first, even if she desires to know of her mission more.

The fond reassurance soothed the sting when Thuringwethil eventually pushed her back, as did the kiss square between Wildfire's eyes. Her belly swooped and dipped, the yearling grinning foolishly even as she stepped back accommodatingly. Every nerve in her skin and every drop of blood in her veins tingled, craving the commander's touch again. But Wildfire savored what she had been given.

"They're well," she said, a little bit distractedly, though her focus cleared a bit as she elaborated, "I told them I met someone. I didn't tell them much about you but they know you're a woman. It surprised them but they're supportive." Wildfire chuckled, feeling a slight flush of self-consciousness before continuing. "One of my brothers was lost to the famine. But otherwise they came through it okay. It was good, really good, to finally catch up with them."

She found herself falling back on her haunches. Wildfire knew she should cut to the chase, mention her brief and peculiar meeting at Rosings. Business was more pressing than pleasure. But recollecting her rendezvous with the Redhawks made her think of something, a question that had popped up in the back of her mind as she and Gavriel traveled back to the dormant volcano they called home. And it was relevant while she was still feeling doe-eyed and regaling Thuringwethil about seeing her family.

"What are we?" She hadn't meant it to pop out of her mouth without warning and so bluntly too. Wildfire blinked at herself, then tried to backtrack. "I mean, I'm not super fussed on labels and stuff... but when I tell my loved ones about you, what should I call you?" Her cheeks heated and her amber eyes dropped, feeling suddenly like she might have overstepped her bounds by putting Thuringwethil on the spot.

Thuringwethil finds herself unable to feel excited about Wildfire’s trip when she’s hit with the information their relationship had been shared. Had Gavriel been nearby to hear that exchange? She doesn’t know much about Wildfire’s home and whether or not they’d let a stranger hand around or send him off somewhere nearby to wait and as much as she wishes to blurt the question out, she hesitates. The smiling reaches Wildfire’s eyes and Thuringwethil is only able to frown, glancing away to try and hide it. While she worries about being found out, she knows she doesn’t have anyone to tell and to keep it hidden only adds the weight of it.

What she doesn’t expect is the next bit, expecting her to take a moment or move on to her purpose, but she becomes rigid in her posture. She’s asked a question that Thuringwethil doesn’t have the answer to, doesn’t even know where to begin, because she does not have the wolves she needs to succeed in this way. She has the power to changes things, has changed things, but it holds her back still. Her changes have been for Drageda and them alone and she’s faced with something that is a change for her. The young leader swallows a hard lump hanging around in her throat and frowns, bring her attention back to the other woman.

“I don’t know,” she decides and her face twists in frustration. She can’t correct her own ship with their ways if she’s changing them around every corner. It should be easy to severe the ties with her but something keeps her muzzle locked tight. Thuringwethil knows she can’t keep it secret forever but it’s the only move she has to make but she remains planted. “I’ll figure it out. I just need some time,” she tells her, knowing it’s not good enough—it won’t ever be good enough.

For some reason, the commander's uncertain reply twisted like a knife into Wildfire's rib. She regretted saying anything and wished she could snatch back the words and cram them back into her big fat mouth. When Thuringwethil asked for some time, she could only nod mutely. She herself had needed time once, even though that had all been a giant misunderstanding. All the same, the Bandrona was suddenly terrified of pushing too hard. What if the Heda pulled back from her completely? What did titles matter anyway?

"Okay," she said softly, putting on a brave face. She fell silent for a beat. Wildfire desperately wanted to ask how much time Thuringwethil might need, yet she didn't dare ask. Instead, she eventually added, "Um, would you like to hear my Rosings report?"

Even though Wildfire doesn’t say anything else, Thuringwethil feels a little out of place. She stiffens, like she wants to say something more, and a frown settles on her features that she’s not able to let her continue. If she had the answers, she would give them, but here she stands, faced with changing her own culture for one girl and there’s not a single wolf to help her process it.

The ambassador moves on and Thuringwethil nods her head, eyes scanning back over her features. She’d been anticipating the news about Kierkegaard for some time now but it’s been tainted by the previous question. Heda pushes it away and shifts her posture a little as she waits for the news to come though she struggles to keep it at bay.

When originally planning what to say to the Heda about her mission, Wildfire had considered making light of her faux pas. Now, she didn't dare spin it as anything but factual. Still trying to swallow the discomfiture of the past few minutes, she crammed the previous conversation into an overstuffed filing cabinet in the back of her mind, slammed it shut and locked it.

"A wolf I took to be Kierkegaard greeted me at the borders. After we exchanged some greetings, it turned out it wasn't him at all, though. It was a wolf called Aaron. He didn't appreciate that I took him for Kierkegaard. It was pretty clear there was no love lost between them. He did say he has a strong, loyal following, and that Kiekegaard wasn't welcome anywhere near them. We left quickly after that."

Wildfire almost mentioned that Gavriel could corroborate her story, if there were any doubts. But of course Thuringwethil didn't need to be told that and it wasn't as if the Bandrona had anything been truthful. She drew in a breath and shifted her weight, feeling that she should probably make an exit soon. She was tired and a bit footsore anyway and now she felt like she needed some time to process what had passed between them.

There is a little surprise when Wildfire starts to speak, indicating she hadn’t found whom she’d been sent for. She knew his claim on Rosings hadn’t been very stable and Thuringwethil didn’t get the chance to offer any sort of reinforcement on the claim. Now, he’s lost it and he isn’t sure where the male has wandered off to. It doesn’t sound like this Aaron gave any more information they could use and she quietly hums to herself.

“I’m sorry I sent you into danger,” she manages, her frown remaining. If Aaron hadn’t been too pleased about the situation, she’s glad Gavriel had been there with her. A whole pack against two wolves wouldn’t stand a chance but the most reassurance she can manage.

Thuringwethil steps forward and nudges her cheek, then pressed beneath her chin to lift her nose.

“Thank you,” she murmurs and lets a smile linger on her features for a moment longer. “Are you hungry?”

The yearling shook her head lightly. "He was belligerent," she admitted, lips twitching faintly, "but he didn't threaten us." She meant to say something more but Thuringwethil moved toward her again, her cool nose pressing against Wildfire's warm cheek. Her heart skipped a beat as the heat of that touch melted away her earlier discomfort. Maybe she hadn't bungled everything entirely.

When the Heda bumped her chin, Wildfire's eyes flicked to hers and she smiled bigger, more genuinely, before respectfully averting her gaze. Yes, she thought, her insides tightening, hungry for you. But of course she did not voice that, not right now. Instead, she simply bobbed her head. She had been prepared to make herself scarce but honestly she was grateful for every second she couldcling to the commander, every moment she could keep Thuringwethil all to herself.

It is lucky Aaron hadn’t done anything to harm either of her wolves, regardless of whom she’d sent down there. Any scratch on either of them and an army would be upon his head faster than he could comprehend, but she’d scanned the girl earlier in their conversation and hadn’t picked up anything but a little wear from her travel. Distracted in the thought of bloodshed, for the moment, she almost misses her head bobbing her answer.

“I have something I caught this morning by my cave. You can eat, then rest,” she says and smiles, nudging her along to follow.