Northstar Vale Moonage Dream

@Norah! This all happens before the Cupid birth thread, for continuity reasons

Any day now the soon-to-be-mother would give birth and Rosencrantz would have to follow through with his threat - at least, that is how he felt about the whole ordeal. He could not turn a blind eye from the damage Cupid was doing to their own future brood. 

Needing time away from Rusalka, he wanders into the vale. Nestled between the mountains the silence that lingers here is comforting, the lack of scents surrounding him and the self-given duty to guard the borders was relaxing. A place to clear his head and prepare for what would happen in a few more days. 

Quietly he stood in the middle of the vale, tranquility was found in the sound of the water trickling near his feet under the frozen ice. Water rushing through in curved rivers, breaking through the absolute silence, but a welcomed distraction to his thoughts. His eye lingering on the distance snow capped mountain.

Norah was daughter of a Forest Queen and thus this was the place she felt best and most at home. No matter, where her travels might lead her, give her a spruce, fir or sequoia and she would be happy. Mountains - on the other hand - had always loomed in the distance. Ever present, faraway, mystical. Helga had told about the sleeping rock giants, when Norah had been small enough to still believe such nonsense. But as she grew up, she retained one thing - utmost respect to the Mother Earth's creations.

And now - out of pure curiousity - she had decided to tread a quite comfortable and what appeared to be safe mountain path. Now and then she stopped to admire the view and tell, how far she had got along the way. Her prize came in a form of a valley, nestled between two opposing mountains. Having caught scent of pika and wishing to get out of the winds, Norah left the path and entered the place. There, however, the first thing she met was neither the small rodents, nor yeti, but a lone traveller just like her. 

She stopped at a distance and watching him through narrowed eyes in silence.

His mind traced the mountain top as his ears focused on the river below, the pefect distraction to unwinding his nerves and relaxing the muscles that felt drawn and ready for all too long. He could feel every breath as they drew in and out, feeling completely at one with his own body in a moment of meditation - then the fur along his nape prickled at the sensation of being watched.

Breaking his mediation, his head wips around in one direction then the next, searching for the eyes he felt along him. The second glance granted him the sight of those eyes, peering in his direction. Though she did not seem aggressive, he was on alert with her mute presence. Letting out a chuff as a not-so-friendly but not-quite-aggressive greeting, plume of white forming from his lips and disappearing in the breeze just as quickly.

What could she possiby want?

The man noticed Norah's silent presence, whipped around and regarded her for a while. She held his searching gaze steadily, then turned her head politely to the side, polite etiquette of canine courtesy book. He did not seem to be inclined to hurt her, just seemed a little put off by her finding him here. 

Was he running from somebody? "Hallo, Hübsche!" Norah greeted him amiably, closing the distance between them, until she stood face to face with him. Confident and fearless. "Wer hat dein schönes Gesicht so hässlich zerstört?"

Translation: "Hello, Handsome! Who did maul your beautiful face so horribly.

Thank you for the translation xD

It seemed she had taken his gaze as a welcoming gesture. Though she took it well, trying to be as polite as possible in canine language - something he was shallow with understanding but just enough to not snap at her as she came a little too close, the distance between them was still a too little for his liking. Though he kept his knifes sheathed, his glare spoke levels on his attitude toward her being so close. He'd tolerate it for now and that was all.

Her words fell like foreign music, her tone was pleasant and caught his attention, but the words were nothing other than sound. English. Mildly annoyed but defeated, should she be intruding on his peace she should at least speak his language.

"Das wäre langweilig," Norah replied to the man's request to talk in a language he understood. She could switch from German to fluent English, whenever she wanted. Her specialty was the so-called "Denglish", when she spoke English with such heavy accent. It had taken years to polish it to perfection. 

Sensing his very open dislike about her being so close and up-front, she walked to the side and circled the man, smiling mischievously and taking a good look from all sides. "Na, Hübsche, warum bist du hier?" she asked. 

"It would be boring."/"So, Cute-one, why are you here?"

Perhaps if he knew what she was saying, he would have been more relaxed. But as she refused, or at lest was incapable of understanding his request, or had the lack of ability to do so, the paladin only found himself more irritating and on edge as the woman circled him. 

Taking a more defensive stance, with bristled fur, ears flat, and an eye carefully watching her, side stepping and winding himself just enough to keep that one eye of his on her. With a warning he growled, what he supposed would be more universal in wolf-language that he did not find the situation all that entertaning as her own little grin would have suggested. A flash of teeth to nail his message in, he would fight if she did the wrong move, but was more or less still trying to keep the peace.

The man did not answer her, Norah had not expected him to do so either. She did observe that for an older wolf with a considerable experience in life (she guessed that losing an eye counted towards it; most people went through and finished their lives with the whole set of limbs and other organs) he was too tense and easily intimidated by someone as harmless and feminine as her. Which raised a question of, whether she should push his buttons more?

Norah sat down, while she weighed out her options and regarded the man quizzically. "Na, Liebe Herr - gentleman?" she deliberately faked the fact that she spoke English just as well as she did German. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, she made pauses long enough and muttered something under her breath, as if searching for words. "War... why here you are?" she finally managed with a genuine look of happiness in her eyes and unbridled cheerfulness about her success.

It was his age and experience that had him weary of strangers, especially those who he could not communicate with to know their intentions of approaching and circling around him. Had she approached further, the man was on the verge of initiating, to luge and get her to back off. As he was licking his lips with exposed teeth, there was a word he caught. Gentleman, so she did speak english. 

The word drew his ears forward, lips lowering to cover the majority of his teeth, giving her the opportunity to speak. She needed time to chose her words, but it was better than nothing shared between them at all. To think. The gamma said with a huff. At least why he was here is what he understood from her, despite the words being in the wrong places. 

Why are you here? Keep it simple, maybe they can gain some ground between them without any hostility needed.

Think, huh? Norah was disappointed behind the dopey-foreign-idiot mask that she wore so well. It would have been so much more interesting, if... he was a fugitive from an enraged pack of amazons, for example. Or a criminal mastermind, weaving it's web. Or - in fact - any activity that might be fitting that rough one-eyed physionomy of his. Even a hook-up would have been better than just thinking. Though, on the other hand, you could think about all of those things.

Too much. Enough! If think it was, she had to come up with an equally boring. "Erm... Ich bin hier gekommen, weil ich nie in die Bergen gewesen bin. Ich fand diesen schmalen Weg und - ja - hier bin ich," her words came in a steady flow and the manner of speaking was accompanied by highs and lows of her tone and an expression of a person, who was truly invested in their speech.

"Es ist schön hier, nicht?" she asked, casting her glance around. "Und weißt du was - ich bin so froh, dass ich dir hier gefunden habe. Es ist lang gewesen seit ich mit jemanden ein Gespräch haben konnte. Ich liebe lange Wanderungen aber ab un zu bin ich einsam. Sehr," she went on with such a complete confidence that Rosencrantz understood every word. Then - in order to put a cherry on top of the whole cake of "I am messing with you and you have no idea" her face fell with a sudden realization.

"Oh! Entschuld... Zorry?" she smiled in sincere apology. "Understand, nicht, ja?"

I came here, because I have never been in the mountains. I found this small path and - yeah - here I am. / It is beautiful here, isn't it? And you know what - I am so glad I found you. It has been so long, since I have spoken with anybody. I love to wander, but it gets lonely.

Then she drawled on again in a language he couldn't understand. For a moment Rosencrantz thought that they would have more communication, that he'd hear her out - but instead, he was growing frustrated again. Was she toying with him? The scowl continued to burn through him as he glared at the woman who continued to speak in such a foreign tongue with him. She had to be toying with him, he decided. 

No. He spat out in reponse as she finally spoke a few words he could pick out - no, no he couldn't understand her. Are you... fucking with me? Why would she do such a thing? Why would she target him of all people? Surely it was just in her nature, a trickster looking for her next fun. Or, possibly, she was just stupid. That was possible too.

Norah looked as if she had been slapped across the face, her eyes wide in fear, as she ducked her head and tucked her tail against her belly in true display of fear. She turned her head to the side, half-closed her eyes and licked her lips several times as an appeasing and calming signal. 

"Sei nicht böse..." she murmured and wagged her tail lightly to make him ease up again. "Harm no," she added with a quiver in her voice.

That eye narrowed further at her demeanor. It won't work on him, no, not today. He had been messed around with far too often lately he wouldn't allow a female to use her charms on him for some leasure pleasure. His eye did not soften at her more submissive posture, the gamma remained vigilant and watched her every movement. Even now he believed this was all a part of her little game... so again, what was she trying to do here?

Not harm. He clarified, the baritone vocals of his throat growling softly as he spoke. Messing with me. With my head. What do you want? Taking a step forward, he breaks the stillness he had adopted for defensive reasons - not close enough though. Not within striking distance - but he approached regardless, fearless, to prove his point.

Norah had played the game far to often and had had time to practice. She could conjure true fear, immerse herself completely, so that both her mind and body believed that she was endangered. Rather than softening to his words, she began to tremble and while still crouched, she retreated from him, casting quick glances side to side, looking for a way to flee. 

She measured her steps slowly and carefully, her breathing quickened and her heart thrummed in her throat. And then - boom! - the adrenaline kicked in, began to circulate in her blood-stream and she radiated genuine fear and anxiety. "Hab' kein Ärger, Herr... kein Ärger..." she muttered, not daring to look him in the eyes.

Teeth grinding against eachother as she continued to play her little game (oh boy, he's acting like an old man now just DESPERATE to think he's right, break out the aluminum hats). Even as the smell of adrenalin filled the air, he only grew more annoyed, finding himself in that perpetual state of annoyance toward the possibly really innocent woman.

She trembeled and with fleeting glances to the side told him she wanted to be out of his presence, and honestly, he did too. Go away. He growled, backinging away from the woman one step at a time - still certain of her playing him like a fiddle, he wouldn't dare to turn his back on her until he was certain they were a good distance away.

He wouldn't be swayed by her gentle appearance, that fearful act, if he were some kind of chivalrous knight who tried to save everyone, perhaps he would have acted differently - but he was no white knight. His soul was tainted and suspicious, and he'd leave to make his way back to Rusalka should she stop pestering him.

We can end it here unless she wants to play with him further ;D

Frankly speaking there is a fine line to walk, when you decide to play "pretend" with someone. As the situation continued to veer towards very dangerous waters, Norah realized that this was a good time to stop. No, not take off the mantel of pretence, it was quite possible now that her life depended on this fearful act now. 

Therefore, once given a GET OUT, she wasted no time in obeying it. Norah fled for her life as long as the angry man could see her. And only then, when neither could no longer see each other, did her pace slow down, she gave her coat a hearty shake and she grinned to herself. That had been a close call, but - boy - had it been fun. 

No, thank you! Norah would not wish to blemish her beautiful coat. That avatar of Rosencrantz's gives me creeps. :D