Northstar Vale "Would you believe my faith if I gave it to you freely?"

@Vangard to bump post counts (waaaayy forward dated, vague times but perhaps a week or two after Vangard's arrival?) pp that can be edited, sorry for the novel

She'd quickly become intrigued by the norseman who had found himself amongst the grouping of rogues that had come together to survive the previous winter.

It had been more brutal than Liri could have imagined but the healer was recovering. No longer did the harsh angles of her bones potrude from beneath the thin paper of her flesh like the posts of a child's fort beneath bedsheets. Wounds healed and ivory fur grew plush, soft and silky as it was once more tended to. Some measure of this self grooming was not solely for the benefit of health; the healer could not deny she had spent extra time with her appearance of late, even going so far as to roll in patches of recently bloomed wildflowers to perfume herself in the light floral scent. Some unspoken part of her was reluctant to admit it but Vangard's presence in her life caused her to pay more attention to such details, though even the northron refused to reflect on why. 

It was not only her feminity and self-assurance that had been reawoken by the time spent in her Nordic mentor's company but also her faith. Vangard's gods called to her, sang to some ancient aspect that called for the return to an older way. A sense of wholeness and contentment she had lacked even in the teachings of her northern homelands.

Yet, even as her thoughts lingered restlessly on the pagan warrior as spring warmed the world arround them - she felt concern brew beneath her hunger for knowledge, her dedication to the son of Odin. Would the wolves at her back support the extraordinary male as she did? Would they turn to his religion as she had? Liri could not ask them to follow the customs of gods they felt no allegiance to - though of course, they would be accepted if they to felt a call to follow Odin's path. 
 
The healer had invited the aspiring Kvasir for a midday meal, where they might speak privately though satisfying his appetite was not her only intention for their meeting.

Some aspect about the norse seemed to revive the teachings of her native people. Liri found herself subconsciously emulating the behavior of the tribal women in his presence, even down to their manner - soft-spoken, feminine, reserved. As he joined the gathering of those who came to call the Vale home, it was natural for the fae to concern herself with his well being - to worry whether or not he was eating a proper amount, which was partially why she insisted he attend her within her home. Anxiously, she flitted about her dwelling like a pale bird cleaning, preparing, organizing, as if the male might find the space unacceptable. 

She had chosen her living quarters with care - given that she intended on residing here for as long as possible - and was rather pleased with the location she had chosen and the home she had made within. 

The stone dwelling was far too open and light - if not for the bare hints of walls hugging the corners of the gaping doorway and the high ceiling, it would have seemed a three-walled, oblong space - to be considered a cave. A narrow stone wall adjacent to the doorway blocked the wind and elements from the healer's sleeping area - a pre-existing raised earthen platform in which the healer had dug a shallow but wide trench. It was stuffed with soft moss, bird down and pungent pine needles. This nest of stuffing peeked between the hides of several small animals.

Few of the others in her pack bothered trying to remove the skin and coat of their hunts but it was something Liri had done when residing in a permanent home as it took time and patience. After removing the head and limbs (as well as ripping open the underbelly), one could carefully peel the hide off the meat in a ragged square. The undersides would dry stiff as they tanned in the sun but the fur kept its soft and pliable textures.

To the side of this bed lay a mat of several large leaves, upon which lay several rows of drying herbs amongst other medical paraphernalia in an organization the tribal woman alone understood. This area was quite obviously her pharmacy of medicines, stocked and lying in wait of some unfortunate soul to require her healing hands. 

A low slab of rock across from the doorway of the room served as a table of sorts - a stack of flat sheets of old bark and a few shoulder and pelvis bones, those of an old elk carcass Liri had found some ways beyond their boundaries near Porcupine Ridge, lay piled neatly at one end. She founds the items served well as plates - some for grinding herbs and others for serving food. 

Two of these platters lay in wait - holding half a skinned hair each, seasoned with coltsfoot and sorrel. A shallow stone dish that roughly resembled a trench held water, resting between the two servings, scooped from the lilly pool just a short travel from her dwelling. 

A broken tine from the elk carcass rested in the wall alcove to the right of the table, where the waif kept her few personal belongings. It rested alongside a cave rock, which resembled petrified brain coral, and a few fresh lavender blooms. Liri could not say for sure why she had gathered these items save that they were unusual, or just pleasant and she was certain they had some unseen purpose - if only she could grasp what that was. 

The deer's foreleg bone - or at least a portion of it - rested against the wall, waiting to be used in the garden outside which she had only just finished tilling recently
The northron darted to and fro - assuring herself that everything was in place for her to entertain the male within her home. At last, as the sun approached its zenith and the time for Vangard to arrive approached Liri settled to one side of the table to wait. 

She settled upon her haunches patiently, dark gaze looking out across the Vale through the wide stone doorway - sweeping the distant treeline as a spring breeze danced amongst the branches in search of the Viking's powerful build.

The confident straightening of her spine, the calm that settled into her dark eyes and the grace of her poise concealed any sign that she felt her heart was about to beat right out of her chest.

He had stood cloaked in darkness as he watched her dash around inside of her den, a cave was more the proper term but he liked it. She seemed frantic, almost like how his mother used to work herself into a fit whenever his father came home from a raid. Her scent was alluring as well, he easily detected the flowers lacing her normally pleasant smell. He smiled and then finally stalked from the shadows "heil og sæl Liri" he said the familiar viking greeting and then swept his gaze around her home "Very well kept for a den" he complimented her and then strode closer, extending his neck to embrace her. He noticed the meal she had set up and smiled, wondering what exactly he had done to deserve such a well thought out dinner. Of course he noticed how extra well done it was set up, he knew the signs of women who desired a man he wasn't a virgin, but he couldn't quite contemplate why Liri would desire him.

Her eyes flinched slightly in surprise as he materialized seemingly from nowhere - a trait she was beginning to suspect was the norm for the male, a suprising one given the bulk of his body. 

The words that graced her sooty auds were only vaguely familiar as the healer had only just begun to learn his tongue. "Heil," she murmured in weak imiation of his command of the language, curling her pale head over his shoulder in a hug though she had to reach for such a feat. "Thank you. Please, make yourself at home," the healer continued, soft voice tremulous with nerves.

Something glimmered in his bicolored gaze as it swept over the meal she had prepared. It was something ancient like his gods but visceral, causing a warm flutter to stir in the pit of her stomach. 

With an indrawn breath, her eyes slid away - silently wondering if she had been too forward in her invitation. She was unmarried now, after all, and taking pains to look after a male who was not hers to worry about - she could only imagine what it must look like from Vangard's perspective. 

The Blackfoot forced herself to will any embarrassment away, lest she lose her nerve. 

"I see no reason to keep you in anticipation, wondering why I invited you to my home," she began, dark eyes lifting to his resolutely despite her anxiety. 

"The group I have gathered here means to see me lead. They have chosen me," Liri murmured softly, observing him for any sign of anger or bitterness at this - knowing that the Viking had aspirations of guiding a pack of his own. 

"But I have chosen you," came her next words, soft and hesitant between them. Her gaze dropped, the words were far too intense for Liri to hold his gaze. 

"My wolves will too, once they come to know you," the healer promised, her dark eyes truthful. "Earn their trust and I do not doubt they will see what I see in you."

She felt a tight band begin to constrict about her chest as her next words rose to her tongue, a knot closing around her throat and keeping her from speaking for a moment. 

"The only thing I ask..." Liri began, heat spreading across her cheeks beneath her pale fur, swallowing heavily against the culture that dicatated that women did not speak with men of such matters. 

"..is that I be granted the right to have children." If her eyes had had trouble finding his own then it was nothing compared to the crushing anxiety that kept them averted now. 

She had longed to be a mother since before she reached sexual maturity. Now, more than ever, she wanted to bring a piece of her own flesh and blood into the world. 

It was no small thing that she asked. The healer was unmarried and had no true blood relations in these lands. Her children would rely upon the pack for protection, she would turn to them for sustenance while out of commission during the first weeks of her childrens' lives. Liri had considered asking the Viking for his assistance in arranging a union for herself. She had no father or brothers and Siqsa was still recovering. In her lands, men took care of such arrangements but in the end, the northron could not bear the thought of putting herself through another arranged marriage - especially not when she had so recently been betrayed by her last mate. 

"I am not one of your people; I am ignorant yet to your ways. But I have never desired something so badly as I have to be just that," she admitted, glancing to him at last to gauge his reaction. Perhaps this one condition was not so great that he would turn down her offer. 

"If you should teach me to be a woman of your faith, should we adapt this pack to the customs of your lands...it would only make sense that we strengthen our claim together." Did he understand what she was asking? 

"That my children, the children of one of the leaders, be sired by a man of a proud, Viking bloodline," she finished, her gaze vulnerable as it searched his for some sign of his reaction. 

"Heil" he whispered in return, pride gracing his features. Something inside of him unraveled hearing her mimic his language, hear her welcome him in his own tongue. She was learning so fast, accepting all he taught and Learning to hear what Odin had to say. Upon her blessing he settled down, laying upright so he could look at her. She seemed so nervous but he watched as she lifted her gaze to his and began her speech. He listened throughout it all, his lips curled up a few times, with humor and pride. He made notes on her manners, her behavior and sighed softly, his gaze simmering with low heat and patient understanding. Of course they had chosen her, she was a kind soul with viking in her heart. A chieftess if he had ever saw one...if not for her lack of confidence. 

"But I have chosen you...."

The words roused him from his professor mode and he blinked once at her declaration, thinking it meant something more intimate. Then she went on to include the pack and he realized he had been wrong, his cheeks heating and something akin to disappointment curtling his stomach. At the pause in her speech he broke her gaze and sniffed at the meal, taking a bite and using it as an excuse to say nothing. Then she continued and he swallowed thickly, a stirring of passion blooming as his eyes roamed over her neck and down her body. His breathing grew deeper so he could smell her and he shook his head slowly as she plead her case before saying the one thing that ignited his flame. He slowly stood up and smiled down at her "Silly woman you are one of my people. As soon as I saw the spark my words caused you became viking" he slowly made toward her, gaze warm as he waited for a reaction, a sign to come closer "You can have all the children you want, you are their leader. I hate to be forward but I want them to be mine...I can't imagine letting someone else claim you" he whispered this softly, sounding confused. "I'm not meaning mateship but I do like you Liri, I just...consider that before choosing me" his knack for honesty came back to bite him in the ass and he winced, hoping she wouldn't take it badly.

It had taken courage of an unfamiliar sort to speak the words trapped behind her lips. The pagan was of a more assured standing than she - how could it be any different looking at the lives they had led? He had been groomed to leadership, prepared for the eventuality of being charged with authority where Liri had known only endless strife and struggle to carve out something to call her own. It was a continuous surprise not to have to fight for the man's approval. 

It seemed a unique brand of torture as she waited with bated breath, eyes on her own untouched plate as he struggled to swallow the morsel. She half expected indignation, to hear his outraged bellows fall upon her ears harshly as he stormed from the dwelling. 

Surprise brought her optics back to his own as relief crashed over her small, tense form in a cold, dizzying wave. Her lips parted as if to speak but no words were forthcoming, shocked into speechlessness as she was by the Bjorkborn's easy acceptance. 

The fae forced herself to swallow against the constriction in her throat - once more touched by the kindness she never expected to come spilling from his maws. 

Before Liri could formulate some response, the norseman was stepping forward - his musky, male scent causing her head to swim as her submissive instincts were ignored, her eyes lifting of their own accord. Her cinnamon gaze searched his, looking for some sign that it might not be true - that he merely wished to oblige her tentative demands in order to secure a leadership position. 

The bicolored orbs were sincere, not only truthful but burning with the unspoken attraction that had sparked between them. A soft gasp escaped her at his next words, a blush spreading across her features as she sensed he was genuine in his desires of her. 

Another might have found the possessive words, the territorial edge to his voice, offensive - even demeaning, as if the sylph were a possession. To Liri, it fell within the behavior considered normal in the northlands, it was but another breach between their two worlds. It was not an insult in her world to be claimed by a man, to care and be cared for in return. It was rare that a woman was taken against her will and in any case, such a thing was not looked upon favorably in the Teekons. To be claimed by Vangard did not seem negative in the least. He was strong, brave - he would sire healthy pups and be able to provide for them. Beyond that, her mentor was a patient and gentle man, it had not taken long for her heart to warm to him. As the magnetism again flared between them, Liri could not help but think that such a partnership would not be so awful.

Some urge took hold of her, a confused and longing drive to step forward and seek the warmth of his touch. 

Her heart beat a frightened rythm. 

Could she truly do it? Would it change things so much if she took that tiny step, if she let her curiosity guide her towards the pagan and see what he did next?

His confession cleared the swirls of fog in her mind. Closing her eyes briefly as she steadied herself, the healer attempted to focus on the conversation. 

Her feeble heart, which had been prodded back to life by the Kvasir's presence in her orderly world, stirred at this revelation. Their connection was undeniable but suppose all this planning was for naught and Vangard decided he would rather rule on his own? Or perhaps Liri allowed herself to feel deeply for the male and it went unreciprocated? 

Wearily, she pushed her anxieties away. How long could she spend her life overthinking?

"It doesn't change my opinion of you," she murmured, determined to see the Viking rule at her side. 

Did she dare utter aloud the words dancing on her palate with the sweetness of spring berries?

"It is not one-sided, the feeling you speak of," she reassured, voice dropping to a whisper as she dared to take another glance in his direction.

He felt something new, something strong that caused his heart to hammer wildly inside of his chest and his head to swim dangerously as if he had hit the mead a bit too hard. Vangard had been a ladies man when he was younger and he of course was no virgin but he was untouched by love, he had no idea how to handle such a thing, what to do. He could handle friendship with a woman, he knew how to please one but he had no idea how to keep one by his side. He knew the dangers, he knew that to open himself in such a way was to risk great pain and destruction. How could he know yet if Liri was the one? "I will lead by your side. I will provide us both with pups because I want you. But...you must allow me some patience. Let me take my time getting to know you more, not as a student or friend but as a lover" he gazed deeply into her eyes, speaking from his heart. It was another step toward maturity for the man and the first possible crack in his armor. 

Perhaps had Leaa known the unspoken fears that had curled around his heart like choking vines she might have divulged her own concerns, those which had been borne of the uncertainty Kavik had placed within her heart. She might have confessed a past of forced claims, rape and assaults, of a marriage ruined by her husband's lust. But now was not the time for such sad tales. 

"I would not have it any other way," the fae murmured honestly, with a touch of relief coloring the reassuring smile that graced her pale features. It seemed that perhaps this period of familiarization was a disguised attempt at courtship, whether the pagan meant it to or not, and this custom of normality grounded her nerves. 

"I would like to know you," Liri admitted honestly, ears flattening against her skull as the words spilled free. "But only time fosters a bond."

His request hung in the air, the silence causing his heart to pound harder until she spoke and accepted his request seeming pleased with it. He returned her smile with one of his own, posture relaxing and tail swaying at ease behind him. She spoke of wanting to know him and that it would take time and he chuckled, the sound a soft one that drifted around the warmer air of her den. "I'm going nowhere Liri, we have plenty of time. I'm not a specter or a figment of madness, I won't vanish" he murmured reassuringly and gently nudged at her ears so they would raise again. He was a bit put on edge by her nervousness, his different hued eyes searching her face for the answers but coming away with none. Had she not wanted to be courted? Did she just want his pups? "Do I scare you igða?" he asked, slowly sliding to his belly so they were eye to eye. His muzzle was closer to hers than he had intended it to be and his breath tickled her lips before curling back in his direction.

For reference igða means "A small marshland bird; a flitting songbird" and will probably be Van's nickname for her :)

Something inside her yearns at his words but no words are forthcoming - something broken within shifts painfully as his muzzle dances over her ivory auds, encouraging them to stand. A lump swells in her throat, preventing the vulnerable question on the tip of her tongue from tumbling into freedom. 

How do I know that you mean it? 

She had fallen for Kavik harshly, suddenly. There was no room for doubt in the intensity of her devotion to the Tonrar, no reason to suspect what lay beneath the veneer of a kind heart. Liri had trusted completely in the bond they shared and the pain of being cast aside, utterly forgotten, had nearly destroyed her. 

It would be some time before she could believe the compelling norseman would not vanish as so many others had before. 

Her eyes opened reluctantly as he pulled back - a weaker, wearier side of the healer shining through as the dark orbs begged him to return. She swallowed, pulling herself together; her ears flickered as the question left Vangard's lips though her eyes were slower to return. The pale fae could not be sure she had heard him correctly. 

"No," Leea answered softly, truthfully. Woodland optics searched, considering silently. Though Liri tried to find similarities between their two backgrounds it was abundantly clear that Vangard was unlike the tribal men. 

He was warm, involved, passionate. Men of the northlands did not display emotions in such manners nor were they as forward in their advances. More so, he was patient, gentle. Liri's father had been stern and brutish in comparison - it had not been uncommon for him to strike his pups when his anger grew too irate or his patience too slim. 

Vangard brought to mind no unpleasant memories of her past nor had she ever been frightened that he might hurt her - as she had with Sorin on occasion. 

When the raven was possessed by recollections of Livia, the healer had not thought it impossible that he might harm her. They shared a connection but Liri sensed it fading, their paths diverging. It was a bond forged between birds of clipped wings and the sylph intended to fly again. 

"I am afraid of me," she admitted, husky voice gone soft as the words fell like summer showers. "I don't trust myself. Not where it concerns you." They tumbled free of their own accord, betraying her as they pelted the atmosphere between the two wolves. 

Stretched upon the ground in a sphynx-like position, the Nord was eye level with the tiny fae. Her words hung suspended, revealing more than she had intended. 

The northron wavered, searching for some hint in his mismatched eyes - fire and ice - and seeming to find it, or perhaps she just hoped she had, her head dipped. Her paws fell on either side of his steely forelegs, pale crown bypassed his khol-lined lips for now as they were buried in the fur of his shadowy ruff. 

Her heart pounded an exhilerated but nervous beat for never even with Kavik had she been so forward. Leea dared to burrow her muzzle gently into his coat, freckled snout sweeping over the curve of his neck as she groomed him with reverent nuzzles. 

Each pass of her lips brought her ever upwards, an inching pace that would soon find her hovering near the corner of his mouth. 

The healer's tongue would dart out to rasp gently against the underside of his jaw - body curving to curl into the crook of his neck and chest given that she was not stopped by the Bjorkborn.

He knew for certain the moment she opened her eyes that he would not -could not- leave her. Her soul was bared through her eyes and he ached to see so much pain, so much weariness in such an otherwise beautiful spirit. He wished he could find out what exactly had broken her so he could properly begin to heal her inner wounds but he didn't feel they were close enough for him to pry that deeply yet so he held his tongue. He was glad he did for the next moment she began to speak, confessing it was herself that she feared where it concerned him. "You can have all the time in the world to figure your heart out. I will be right here waiting and helping" he said softly just as she stretched her neck toward him.


His breath caught as she pressed her muzzle into his scruff her maw preening at his fur in a way that roused a curious sensation. It was almost how Odi sometimes showed her respect, her gratitude for his friendship except there was something different, something more heated about this gesture. His eyes fluttered closed and he groaned, the deep sound vibrating in his chest in an almost purring fashion. He turned his muzzle ever so slightly so his cheek pressed to the top of her head as she swept her affections upward. A surprised gasp burst from his maw as the grooming turned to kisses and he swallowed thickly, holding still though his body burned with the urge to roll her over and see if she would allow him to give out his own affections. As her tongue flicked the corner of his mouth he claims his eyes, opening them once more as she curled against his chest. He lay upright for a moment more, his heart beating so hard and so fast that he was sure she could feel it against her back. "You are safe with me igða, I promise. Even should you decide that your heart lies elsewhere, I'll follow as your friend" he said this as he rest his muzzle across her back, embracing her and placing a few affectionate kisses to her fur.

My heart is a forlorn creature, easily won and even more easily broken. I fear it belongs to you already.

The thought crosses as a trespasser, both full of hope and fear, but no words escape her lips. It's too soon for such declarations - despite the organ in question's inclinations. 

His head brushed over her own, a gasp escaping her the Viking's lips at the tentative kiss she plants - not quite flush with his mouth but dangerously close. Leea's heart is pounding so harshly she can no longer discern whether the throbbing comes from within or the man against her back. 

"You are safe with me, igda; I promise." 

Dark eyes fall shut, inner protests that no one is ever truly safe falling silent. Vangard is as stolid as the stone that colors his pelt; he will not let her down as so many have in times past. 

Her auds flutter at his next words, surprised. Truly, she knows somewhere it should make her feel relieved but the notion of a faceless stranger taking the place of the Nord in her fantasies is discomforting. 

Liri says nothing, curling further into his embrace as if to protest the thought of another. 

She's already decided. 

Whatever his reservations, she will see Vangard lead at her side and perhaps, their relationship would not be restricted only to business.