Stavanger Bay only you know the way that i break
settling their restless wings
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#1
All Welcome 
dalia awoke with a start that morning. it was early, earlier than the hour that she usually rose. and warmer, moree frantic. the day beckoned her forward with greedy, grubby hands, and she almost stumbled out the entrance of her den drunkenly. it had built in the following weeks, slowly and kindly -- the hormones and whatever else. she felt it, recognized it. she'd seen her mother and wifi and plenty of other wolves go through it but... never had she experienced it herself. her first thought was to find @Velen, for so many reasons. for one, comfort -- she felt suddenly vulnerable and anxious. but the greed that dragged her outside wanted him for other reasons. 

the more intelligent, clearer, part of her mind willed her to find @Ford. she knew that was the first place she should go. as much as she wanted to see velen, they were not mates, and they were not in charge. she had to discuss... this with him. so she trudged forwards, feeling less groggy and caveman-like and more spritely, her tail swishing as her trudging turned into an eager trot.
trigedasleng will be in blue.
stormblessed
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They had seen several of their members come and go without so much as a passing word. Ford wondered what the rift had lacked to send so many of them away. If he had even a fraction of the superstition that his mother carried, he would have thought that it was a sign of his own failure. He would have realized that it was the way of the universe to fall upon him and teach him its cruel lessons. Instead, his rational mind worked to overcome their turnover rate. He did not want to see passersby only so that they could abandon their attempt at greatness after only moments in the rift.
 
His mind was so occupied by these thoughts that he did not notice the approaching figure of Dalia. His brow was furrowed into a tight knit above his mismatched gaze. The dark line of his lips was turned downward into a thoughtful frown. All the while, he looked out upon the ocean and wished that he could spend the rest of his days beneath the swell instead of chained to the land and the air that they breathed.
settling their restless wings
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#3
she spotted him along the ocean, as the mayfair cairns could always be found. she felt a jolt ripple across her as her gaze fell upon the dark, pointed beast, but she kept herself at bay, channeling the most rational parts of her mind. despite the fiery energy that burned at her core, an insane desire to play, dalia reminded herself of her calm, quiet nature. this was appropriate right now.

as she approached, she called out, her tail fanning behind her in sweeping motions. "ford?" she barked, head tilting to one side, seaglass gaze rested upon him. she wondered if he already knew what she was here to discuss. if he could tell. she certainly could. "may i speak with you?"
trigedasleng will be in blue.
stormblessed
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The sound of her voice pulled him from his thoughts. He turned his head sharply toward her, latching his sights on her frame and taking in the changes that she had gone through since the last time they had talked. He had wondered if she’d avoided him after their sparring match because he had been too aggressive with her. Instead of asking, he simply let it be. It was not in his nature to push others, and he understood the need for solitary time as much as anyone else. Still, he was moderately surprised that she had sought him out after their time without having seen each other.
 
“Of course. What can I do for you?” the titan inquired with a welcoming smile and a gesture for her to take a spot next to him, if she would like. The sound of the ocean had soothed him enough that he could face anything she wanted to discuss. He felt that her tone had implied the topic was important, so he was patient and quiet as he waited for her to speak.
settling their restless wings
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maybe he couldn't tell -- or maybe he didn't care. dalia, at this point in time, had not realized she had avoided the ocean's solider. it was, more or less, just how quickly she had been swept up by velen. she spent so much of the rest of her time in her garden and at the ocean, studying, that she hadn't realized how little time she'd spent with ford. or with rannveig. or with.. anyone, for that matter. and now especially, she couldn't find it in her to make see it's importance. was there any importance, anyway?

her teeth gritted, anxiety riddling her for only a short moment. the courage brought about by her state was stronger than anything else, and so it took over. "i am in heat," she said firmly, her ears pricked as she awaited reaction -- not that ford ever gave much of one. the second part of the statement was harder to get out, because she had hardly even admitted it to herself, but she meant it all the same. "and i am in love with velen. and i would like to know if i have your blessing to procreate or if i should stay in hiding until this is over." oh she almost choked on her words. but, she didn't. and now she awaited his answer, praying she hadn't been too blunt.
trigedasleng will be in blue.
stormblessed
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Ford was not foolish enough that he was not completely aware of what happened within his pack. He spent enough time patrolling the borders of their claim and ensuring that his members were safe, he should have known when two scents had mingled more frequently than before. He had simply allowed Dalia and Velen to be. It was not his business to interrupt what they were doing, and he did not see how he could have found any sound happiness in having done so. It made his conversation with Dalia all the more important in that moment.
 
She claimed to be in love with Velen. Dalia had fallen for his brother. The sweet girl who had entered the rift shortly after he had arrived in the wilds had found love for the handsome chestnut sea wolf. As frustrating as it was, Ford remained perfectly composed. He turned to her with a thoughtful expression and gave a long pause between her ask and his answer. After his moment, the titan nodded his head softly. “I see no issue with that. Congratulations,” the warhound remarked to her in a smoky voice.
 
It would always be Velen. Ford could not deny that his brother knew how to be with others. He knew what it meant to feel love, to care in a genuine way. It still stung him. It stung him in ways that he could never have explained to another living soul. The looming titan did not know how he had managed to lead them in the rift when Velen could have done it so much better.
settling their restless wings
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relief flooded every fiber of her being to hear him grant her his blessing. had she not been so clouded with her season, she might have stopped to ponder the relationship that could have been between her and ford. she could never know his demons, she could only know the assumptions she'd made about him -- and the way that he had made her feel. it didn't seem to matter so much now anyway... it didn't seem like he cared to stop her, so maybe it had never been something worth considering. either way, with his blessing, dalia had places to be now.

what would velen even say??

her tail waved, and she dipped her head graciously to the titan. "thank you, ford," she said, ears flicking back, "enjoy your day." because what else was there to be said? and now, she left, off to find velen.
trigedasleng will be in blue.
stormblessed
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Just as soon as she had arrived, she left. Ford followed after her with his gaze until she had vanished from his sights. She was likely in search of his brother to share in their good news. Part of him knew that he should have felt jealous, and he tried to inspire something like it within himself. All that he managed to do was force a wedge between himself and the girl with the sea-colored eyes. She did not belong to him and she never would. She did not care for him in the same way that she did Velen... and she never would.

After several long minutes in his place by the sea, Ford rose from his spot and ventured out beyond the pack to clear his mind. He wandered until his limbs could not stand to take another step. It was there that he rested for a few hours before attempting to make his way back. Once on the bay's claim again, the titan felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach. Was it really home?