Dragoncrest Cliffs and maybe i'm just better drenched in wine

NOT THE GREATEST BUT MWAH

another restless patrol drives blixen from the borders, seeking to escape the edges of the snow. she does not mind the cold much, used to it, but she's never worked good in isolation. and anyway, it's been a few days since she went to check in with @Mallaidh. blix isn't as keyed up as she was the other day, which is maybe for the best -- furi doesn't always respond well to her when she's all hyped up. the fleimkepa pauses on her way towards mallaidh, circling around the lake 'til she finds a suitable duck to take out, its glossy neck loose in her mouth as she carries it toward hougeda (where she hopes furi'll be, but if not, that's fine, she'll wait).

Mallaidh is coming up from the coast when Blixen is taking down the duck. She doesn’t spend as much time this way. A captive had taken residence for a while and she felt too weird to visit. The northern shores had taken her fancy but now they’ve opened up and not even the cold wind keeps her away. A coat built for the tundra keeps her warm and the sea air cannot penetrate through but she notices the dramatic difference once she’s out of the elements. The cover of the cavern offers a bit of relief from the chill and she shakes out her fur, settling gracefully as she makes her way toward the entrance.

She doesn’t stay in Hougeda often unless Blixen or Rose slept there for the night. The cold of winter has brought more of them together for warmth and she doesn’t mind sharing to those less fortunate.

Speaking of—

Her head lifts when she smells blood, Blixen carrying a fresh duck into the depths. Mallaidh smiles and wags her tail, closing the distance between them.

admittedly, it is nicer with rosalyn gone, though blixen, more accustomed to drageda's ways, had not been bothered much by their captive. it's easier to focus on furi (even now, whenever she chooses to sleep with her, even when rose is there, it gives her a secret little thrill). the flurry of movement around them, between trying to coordinate the new branch and dealing with the captive and the thread of rusalka, has made it easier for blix to try to learn how to be there in a way mallaidh wants/needs. she doesn't think she's jealous of rose anymore, at least, not to a point of distress. it's the sort of thing she'd like to talk about at some point but -- she's a little worried bringing it up will push mallaidh away, so for now, she can be chill about it, probably.

"hey, stranger," she says, voice muffled by her catch, and lays it at mallaidh's paws. "how are you feeling?" blix asks, her tail wagging as she reaches out to brush against her companion's cheek, a simple greeting.

“Hey,” she says and smiles, closing her eyes when Blixen touches her cheek. “I’m okay.” She doesn’t know how to properly put words into how she’s feeling but the restlessness is hard to miss, sometimes. Still, she makes time for Blixen when and where she can and when the other is able to make time with her. Everyone is on edge with their neighbors but things have slowly started to turn for the better. She hopes, anyway.

Mallaidh lowers her head and picks up the duck and with a quick gesture, indicates for Blixen to follow her back out of Hougeda. She picks her way through the brush and as they come out to the other side, finds a path of snow where the sun beats down, hoping to aid a little warmth into her fur.

“Share with me?” she asks once she sets it down, turning and hoping to see her friend having followed.

there is still that mad, impetuous part of blix that wants to grab furi by the shoulders and shout, what am i to you! though she does pretty good at keeping it under wraps. mallaidh has never responded well to being shoved, even if blix, by her nature, really likes to push. eventually they'll have to talk about it -- surely! -- or she'll explode, but -- right now things are nice between them and she wants to hold onto that as long as she can.

blixen follows her easily, watching the sway of her hips with a mischevious expression (e.g. B) or as close as you can get with a wolf's snout), not minding the trek into the snow. still, a shiver passes through her and she picks up her pace, hoping to steal some warmth from furi's proximity in addition to the sun. "sure," blix laughs, "but you eat first." 

presumably they share a nice snack. blix chews on a feather absently, making a face as bits of it get trapped in her throat. "it's been kinda nice lately," she says, coughing a little, "now that things are -- quiet again? yeah?"

Mallaidh is quiet as she tears into the duck, taking a few good bites before she offer Blixen a share. It’s enough to wet her tongue and warm her belly but she doesn’t want to do anything else about it. Instead, she’d prefer to wiggle up close to Blixen for a shared heat.

“It has,” she says softly, scooting a little closer and resting her head on her friend’s thigh. She is quiet for the moment. She worries their period of peace will be short lived and another cannonball will land between them at some point or another with no promise of stopping. Why does she have to put everything on hold until things are good? Things are good now but eventually they won’t and… it will only repeat itself. Mallaidh clings to it while she’s got it. “I love you,” she then says, pale eyes drifting up to meet hers.

the gentle scene lulls blix into a false sense of security, a drowsy warmth settling over her as mallaidh comes closer, heat blossoming from where that sweet dark head meets ochre thigh. she doesn't want to move, afraid even through her haze that the slightest twitch will fracture the scene. when did she start walking on eggshells, or has she always, unaware?

then furi's words steal movement out of her, surprised enough to turn toward her (not quite pulling her lower body, only curling towards her like a bright red question mark). what's that old cliché? warm amber eyes meet cool and pale, but she isn't smart enough to know if there's another shoe about to drop. "i love you too," blixen says instead, hoping she can convey all of it in those four little words.

Blixen has said it before but this time she does not say it first. She knew a while ago how she felt about the fiery girl but there were questions about others. She still doesn’t have all the answers and she finally relents because she knows she never will.

“I still don’t understand a lot of how I feel because I know I love Rose, too, and I think I loved Saarthal, too, for a while,” she says and licks her lips, suddenly dry and anxious. “I think my mom was the same way because she and my father loved another woman. I don’t remember much of it; Eirlys told me, a long time ago.” Mallaidh doesn’t really know where she’s going, she doesn’t know if she wants the same things from Rose but she wants the freedom to find out. “I always want to go home to you.”

furi's qualifications come, but blix is surprised to find her chest doesn't seize the way it once did. something uneasy pricks at her, the lingering worry/jealousy of not being enough, but after all they've been through it's hard to deny that maybe it's just how furi is and nothing to do with her at all. the details of her family make blix tilt her head thoughtfully. she's never been stranger to the idea of unconventional pairings, given her mothers, but she's never seen multiple wolves together like that. that mallaidh is sharing any detail at all feels like a well-won triumph, and it helps to ease some of that lingering worry, though not entirely.

"i don't know if i'm the same," she murmurs, almost shy. "and i don't know if i entirely understand yet, but... i want to." despite her misgivings she isn't as insecure as she once was, and if mallaidh is here, with her, telling her that she wants to come home to her, then it's worth -- figuring out together. "and i want to be your home," she adds, feeling a smile creep onto her face despite herself. taking a beat to scoot closer, she curls so that they're mirroring each other nearly, blixen's head finding mallaidh's thigh. "so..." she starts, and trails off, finding she doesn't have a good way to conclude the thought; instead she laughs a little, a nervous intake of breath, and watches mallaidh's face for a reaction.

It doesn’t matter if Blixen doesn’t understand, she’s willing to… learn. To try. To at least accept what she cannot change. It is what pulled them apart the first time and she feels a little more secure in her feelings (at least in a way she can tell Blixen and they can… mend).

The other woman makes herself a little more comfortable and Mallaidh smiles, licking the side of her cheek.

“I don’t know,” she muses and flicks her tail. This is what she wants and what she’s comfortable with and she knows if Rose was here and she and Blixen were fine, it would be perfect but if this is the closest to perfection, she’ll take it. “Will you be my mate?”

somehow, actually, it's not the question blixen is expecting; she could be knocked over with a feather. 

"i," she stammers, "yes -- yeah, of course, furi!" giggling, she shifts, more or less trying to pin mallaidh in a full-body goofy embrace, tail beating a joyful rhythm against the ground. with her head probably somewhere near mal's cheek, she whispers "i always thought i was gonna be the one to ask that," her smile audible.

Mallaidh smiles when it’s apparent Blixen has been caught by surprise. A quirk of her lips rests playfully on her muzzle and she squirms in as the fiery girl rolls over her. “Good,” she murmurs, thumping her tail on the ground and returning the gesture to Blixen’s opposite cheek. “Did you have some grand gesture prepared?” she questions, playfully, and does her best to wiggle out from beneath her mate, bumping against her with her muzzle.