Wheeling Gull Isle The Arch

Forward dated March 13th. For @Ying.

 

It had only been a day since his acceptance into the island pack, Yuelong. After being escorted along the sandy bridge which led onto the island, Aiolos had first thought to seek our @Ruò but then thought better of it, wondering still or not if his presence here would be wished by her. He didnt know. She seemed to enjoy his company and yet she was a mystic all the same, leaving him to consistantly wonder. As for Ying? She was more forward, seemed to speak her mind. So as the sun rose, so did Aiolos, seeking out the scent of the woman along the seaside. He had yet to explore inland where the rocky hill and forest was, feeling comfortable in this new place out in the open for the time being. He pauses then as he takes in the sight of a large rock formation just barely out into the sea, shaped like an archway. Maybe when the tides lowered he would go explore it and see if he could make way to the top.

Overwhelmed and increasingly frustrated, she pushed her patrol inland. There would be something which she could use as a distraction, right? Ying huffed as she walked, kicking rocks and slush-snow as she went.

Aiolos's distant frame immediately caught her attention. She barked — I'm coming, so be prepared — and immediately charged forward for her first attack.

Her barked caused his ginger ears to perk, immediately brought to attention not only by the call of a woman, but by @Ying, his captain amongst the seafolk warriors. Ah yes, CAPTAIN of the crew sounded so much better. 

Spinning around, she is charging, having given her quick warning to him. After defeating Orochi and being a part of her Junshi, there was a good chance she wished to test his abilities further. She was a well built woman with a raw strength in her for certain.

He prepares himself just so in those seconds, long legs crouching down low, head back, ears down. When she drew near he sprung much like he were darting forward and low at an attack on a hare. Instead, he went for her legs, aiming to barrel the entirety of his bulk straight through and out the other end from under her, as though to knock her legs out and toss her up over her backside. Sure, he might get pumbled by legs. Sure, it will hurt. But the oddly and hopefully unexpected move just may be worth it.

Aiolos was quick to react. She dipped off to the edge, but still received the bulk of his attack. Ying's hindlegs rolled through the sand as she used for forepaws to plant her weight. Immediately following the attack, she lunged forward once more, this time aiming to grab onto his tail. If successful, Ying would use this leverage to pull herself forward, going for a subsequent attack on his scruff.

Ying's counter was successful, teeth finding purpose directly onto his red tail causing teeth to clench as he held a yip from his throat. As a direct side effect would Aiolos arch his body around in a U shape, jaws agape, fiery eyes narrowed as he went to bite down onto the side of her scruff. Given the fact that she too was lunging forward now, her teeth would slice along the side of his face, though not to directly hit her mark like the tail grip had because of his current aimed attack.

Ah! His teeth sunk into the skin along her scruff, breaking through and pulling droplets of blood. Ying buckled beneath the impact and whimpered her surrender, finding her current position unsuitable for another attack. She nipped at the fur behind his elbow, hoping that she could (at least) coax Aiolos into loosening his grip.

Success. She grumbled out in protest as he grabbed a mouthful of fur and flesh. She buckled down onto the ground, a clear sign of her surrender in the fight. Of she were a make and this was about dominance, he would have shoved her down, growl and make sure she knew her place. But he didnt. Her place was above him, after all, and a fight against a woman... well, he couldnt remember much of those, if any. 

He felt her teeth nip at his elbow hairs and he quickly let go, taking a step back to give her space. Her licked his maw, trying to reach the wound on his cheek but could not. Slices of thin red weld up on his short fur there. Instead, he stepped back to Ying, whining and lowering himself to the ground and tried to steal a lick at her wounded nape.

Immediately after being released, she stood and bounded out of reach. Aiolos groomed himself while she watched, and eventually, Ying walked over to help him.   You are good, she told him. He lowered himself onto the ground, so she did the same; here, while within the borders during peacetimes, their formal titles meant nothing. Continue to practice, you will be better.

She stood and walked back to her post, tail whipping as she moved. Ying took a seat, looked over both shoulders, and finally began to speak: I have a job for you. Want it?

When she lowered himself to the ground along with him, he couldnt help the smile on his face and his tail would thump on the sands behind him. He nods and when she lifts, he does the same by pulling himself into a sit and turning his gaze towards her. She settled and this caused him to lift up and walk into her direction. She looked around as though to make sure no other were around before offering him a mission. Instantly, his thoughts trailed to Kalika... Yes, He spoke and then to confirm, Of course.

One of the women here might be pregnant. She looked up at him, eyes thinning to slits. I need more wolves at the border. Her sister's potential pregnancy was at the forefront of her mind. Ying had spent the hours since their most recent conversation planning resource allotment and wolf assignments for the coming weeks.

She knew that where there was one mother, there could come many. Aiolos belonged to Ruo, as far as Ying knew; her cousin could be the next to fall heavy. She bristled at the thought, turning to the Ensign with a slight snarl. Keep the other women inside, too. When they burn, they do not leave the island.

You don't touch them either.

She mentions then that one of the females within the group may be of child. As of yet he had only met her, Ruo and Hua and at the time had not noticed any signs or change in his Empress to learn that she was the one which Ying spoke of. He nodded on behalf of watching the border to assume she only wanted to protect those pregnant women against any intruders and then... 

She demanded with a slight curl up of her lip, that when any of the woman were in heat and he caught wind of it to not allow them to leave the island. He couldnt imagine holding them against their will, using force against them... but if anything he could call out to Ying in a warning and follow annoyingly behind until she came. Couldnt breed with a stalker around hu? Unless, of course, He was the very male to watch. 

He nods. Yes Captain. Was only what he spoke, ans awaited further instruction or dismissal, knowing that soon enough Ruo could be one of those women... and what then?

Deciding that she should clarify, Ying continued: You and Ruo are not together. If you make kids before being together, I will bite your penis. There was no smile to soften her words, because for the most part, she meant it. She had no problem with either mauling or chasing Aiolos away from their home; ultimately, the choice would depend on circumstance.

But I like you, so I want you to be together. Will you be her mate? She shifted in her seat and turned a curious eye to the Lion, wondering how he might respond.

She continues then but not at all with anything he would have thought. Fiery eyes widened to what could have been as large as the very sun, a sudden fear taking him. YIKES!! And yet, underlining it all was the knowledge in knowing Ruo had in fact mentioned him to his family and not only this, but a man of interest to her. He wanted to smile, oh yes he did, but he couldn't find himself to as a hard lump was forced down his throat with an equally hard swallow.

He nods furiously in agreement to her words though knowing still that if she willed it of him, he could not object her and yet, as he had with many, had a hard time explaining his way of living formally to her. It would only let her know that there was a probability of them breeding without being... together. 

I...I dont know. He spoke honestly but was quick to explain himself. I will be whatever she wants me to be. It's her choice. And then he went further... Where I lived, men didnt have the option of taking a mate. Men were not equal enough to ever stand by a woman as mate. They were chosen per breeding year and it was an honor to be chosen. Last season, his first, he had not been.

She shook her head. You listen to women? Ying asked, I am a woman, and I am higher than you. I am higher than Ruo, too. Her head tilted downward, Ying looked over at Aiolos with one raised brow. Was he understanding?

Ying cleared her throat and continued. This is a new place. You can be a mate here, and really, it is better that way. She was somewhat of a traditionalist. The wolves in their pack weren't getting any younger, so marriage should have been something on everyone's minds.

You will not be able to stand over Ruo. She is too strong.

He nodded to confirm and then she went on, confirming her rank above him, her rank above Ruo too and the knowledge of it made his jaw tighten. It was true, if she said no, if Hua, said no, he would have to do the same to Ruo as well. Well, he doubted he could...  That debate would have to be left to the females to figure out amongst themselves and then allow Aiolos to know what to do. At least, that was traditional how things went but Aiolos was beginning to wonder if these females were even on the same page with one another. 

She went onto explain how this was a new land, new traditions of their own. He knew he would need to conform, need to pull himself out of his past and yet, it was his past which had built him to the man he was now. 

That I'm certain... He speaks on behalf of Ruo and then turns his eyes out to the archway out in the shallows, the tide having gone down some. Speaking of marriage and, they were just near the place where it was done, unknowingly to him. If she is unallowed to breed without first having a mate, then surely me being near shouldnt be a problem. With his words, it as though saying if Ruo knew the rules and still broke them, then it wasnt like she had been forced upon. 

Speaking of ranks... He shifts awkwardly on the sands. Hua, she made me Shǐzhě. 

I tell you this: in peace, we are equal. She nodded her head, confirming his assumption, and began to walk away. Turning over her shoulder, Ying continued, In war, I am higher. If you do this thing that I ask you not to do, there will be war. Hua's ranking system didn't matter in her eyes. The decisions of an unfit leader held no weight, and while she held more power, this would continue as a truth. 

She looked at Aiolos for a moment, flagging her tail to communicate her growing irritation. Ying was too stressed for another unreasonable opposition; if Aiolos wanted to disobey her, he was welcome to do so, but only if he was willing to accept the consequences. She turned back to her path and made way for the border, deciding that she would complete the task herself.

She speaks that in peaceful times, they were equals... though, as she turns to leave, she makes it certain that in times of war, she was above him and war there would be, should he touch Ruo without first being mated to her. It seemed pretty crazy, to announce war by breeding without marriage first. He understood being kicked out of the ranks, being punished, but an outright war? It wouldnt have been much of one with just him against the Junshi as a whole. As he could only assume, per their placement in Junshi, she was and always would be his Captain over him. 

He was speechless, watching only as Ying turned and whipped away. His body hunched with a deep sigh as she left as he realized he had been holding his breath. Yikes. She was sure easy to rub the wrong way. Maybe he had been mistaken to get caught up in this whole Junshi business?

Lifting, he decided he would scout along the island away from Ying for the time being.