The Heartwood blackwound

aw but can be an RO if no one replies <3 do not feel obligated to match length if u do!

teya did not know when she finally made the decision to have an affair. it wasn't like she woke up that morning intending to fuck someone else. it was the hunting trip she took into the wilderness that left her exposed for a rainstorm to drive under a stand of berry-bushes.
and it was there that teya had plenty of time to think, to let herself feel the bruising rush of anger that choked her and asked why she shouldn't hurt reyes? more likely he wouldn't care. whatever desire she felt for him was fleeting and sparked mostly by the moments with all three of them present, where they made a tableau of a perfect family in the twilight.
at first she had considered going to back akashingo in search of that skilled coyote, but as the married leader of their ally, she could not be seen fraternizing so blatantly. she didn't want reyes to know but more than she didn't want bridget to know either. the cardinal had said she would not share. and the raven had chosen the father of her daughter, not the healer. it would be deeply selfish for teya to approach her in any way other than friendly. and it would be insanely hurtful to know that teya preferred a quick and nameless encounter rather than resuming the deep feeling that existed between them.
so it couldn't be bridget. it couldn't be a woman. that was in direct odds with a secondary dream she never let herself entertain, one where sorana was grown and teya could let herself make the choice to leave reyes — for the red-masque.
god. she was so fucked in the head. whose fault was that?
by the time the rain passed, teya was riddled with guilt for even considering an affair. it had come from anger and desperation that she could exist in a space without sorana and with someone who acted like they wanted her, if only for an hour or two. and so the raven dragged herself gingerly from the brambles and stretched, heading along the bright side of the heartwood in a slow arc for home.

XD

After leaving the woods, the hebsut decided he wasn't ready to return to the mesa where eveything was solemn and stuffy. He had always dealt with his negative emotions in a very specific way, and as guilty as he felt about his actions, he found he couldn't help himself. 

So instead of going back south, he moved west, towards the trees he could see in the distance. He had no real direction in mind.

But once he had arrived, he was delighted to see the lovely Teya from Brecheliant. He hadn't seen her since the night of the pharaoh and queen's wedding—that made a waves of sadness wash over him, which only propelled him forward towards her. 

My lady, he greeted. It is good to see you. Sayf smiled and dipped his head, hoping she was in the mood for company.

I tried to be as quick as my little fingers could go. Reno doesn't need to hang around at all depending on how this goes. Sorry to you both. :(

The dusty road had diverged the path of Reno and Amalia. He’d enjoyed his time with the friendly young woman, even hoping that he might cross paths with her again. There would be plenty of chance for such things as the rangy man made his way across the unknown expanse of terrain. There would be plenty of chances for many things.

The rain did not bother Reno. He’d prowled through worse than the tumble of droplets. What he had not anticipated was that he might cross paths with another wolf. More surprising was that she appeared to him from the brush like a flame-touched ghost.

Reno regarded her from several paces away. The light gold of his eyes shifted along her frame, recognizing the signs of motherhood that she wore. The season for families was upon them, but the dust wanderer had not been made aware until he had seen the stranger emerge from the rain-touched foliage. Her frame stretched and he found himself burning at his cheeks.

Howdy, ma’am, the rough-edged wolf chuffed to her.

There was another, though. One who had not mesmerized the cowboy in the same way. A slender man stepped forward, seeming to know the woman. Reno stepped back, feeling that he’d intruded on a secret meeting that had been designated only for those two.

M’apologies, partner. Didn’t see ya there. A swift and roguish grin.

no worries at all! this is shaping up to be incredibly interesting already 0_0

sayf's greeting and the stranger's howdy overlapped one another. teya was a freeze-frame of surprise, one paw still lifted from where she had been taking her next step. she set it down and looked at them both, grey-orange ears sweeping forward.
sayf received a tremulous, surprised smile. despite herself and the reneging she had done upon her decision, teya told herself there was nothing wrong with looking at him, at least. he was still handsome, and she remembered the things his mo —
the little violet turned her eyes onto the newcomer, a rangy rogue of a man who regarded her with a winning interest. "hello." her gaze lingered on him as well, and between both sets of eyes she found herself quite breathless but not quite quailing.
"what are two of you doing in rainstorm?" teya asked conversationally, her coolwater gaze shifting between sayf and the other.

*eyes*

Sayf was surprised to hear the voice of another. He jumped a little and backed up towards Teya before he got himself under control. There is no need to apologize, he offered the handsome stranger. His accent was different, but in a good way. Sayf had ideas about how it might sound in other, less formal ways. 

But he was quickly distracted by the lovely Teya's voice. Sayf turned to her with a smile. I am exploring, my lady. The rain does not bother me, but we can find somewhere dry if you would like. His invitation was extended to the stranger as well, which he made known by looking his way and dipping his head. He reached over and groomed the damp hair on on Teya's cheek if she allowed the touch.

The longer he stood, the more he realized that their meeting was a curious happenstance. Three wolves seeking a place sheltered by the rain, or at least he believed as much. The two who knew each other shared a moment of conversation before the slender man glanced to Reno and seemed to invite him. The cowboy regarded him for a moment before offering a squinted and crooked smile, ivory fangs peeking from beneath his lip. 

Course, yeah. I’d be pleased to- To what? Reno paused with a small chuckle. He’d stick around the company of the fair woman and her slim companion. The dusty wolf had no qualms with that. 

Name’s Reno. And I’m a bit like this fair fella, here. Not much bothered by the rain. A thoughtful pause as Reno regarded the two of them again. Don’t much mind the company, neither. Another smile offered to the two.

reno was attractive in the sort of way that a dry creekbed might regard a pending deluge. teya was rendered incompetent by his accented voice. her skin warmed to a heatpoint as sayf touched her, and she was a little nervous that he could hear her heart racing.
the widewater rapids of her gaze steadied herself against sayf's own. the fact that he knew her intimately brought a flush to her cheeks. "i ... tremelia." she tried that little white lie on, trusting that the man from akashingo wouldn't give away her secrets. "and i outnumbered. maybe we go into rain instead."
she moved into an open patch of earth. the droplets started to wet down her fur as she glanced back toward her companions. and while guilt did rise — why agree to be married if you're going to be like this — it was put to death by the memory of weeping hopelessly next to reyes while he did nothing more than stare at the water around their home.
and so teya waited for reno and sayf to join her, winging every moment with no coherent plan of what came next.

Sayf dipped his head respectfully when the larger man introduced himself as Reno. I am Sayf, the coyote offered, pairing his own introduction with a friendly smile. Teya introduced herself as Tremelia, and the hebsut gave no indication that it wasn't the truth. Whatever her reasons were for lying, he wouldn't out her to the stranger. 

She wanted to go out into the rain, and Sayf would go with whatever she wanted. He only wanted to be in her presence; if it lead to more, then of course he would be delighted. 

So the coyote danced out into the rain with her, the chilly drops making him feel frisky. He nipped at Teya's shoulder playfully, sending an inviting look to Reno in the hope that he would join them.

Sayf… ‘n Tremel…ia. The rugged man nodded his head with a thoughtful frown. Her name was spoken with a long drawl. It was clear he’d never heard a name much like that one. Didn’t mean there was anything wrong with it, but Reno would struggle to draw it from his lips if they were to continue talking. Hope ya don’t mind if I call ya Mel? It was still a piece of her name, after all. Not like some nicknames that weren’t even close. 

The two of them danced out into the rain. If the cowboy didn’t know any better, he’d have thought them a pair. It was curious that he’d been invited along. Reno wasn’t all too aware of the changes in the world. Most pairs in Stillwater stayed paired with each other monogamously, through hell or high water, through the worst of each other. Til death… but Reno had also seen many of those types turn on each other’s throats. 

Reno followed out into the rain. He trotted easily to draw near the slight man - Sayf - and bumped his shoulder gently to the other figure. A playful crinkle of his eye and a small chuckle followed. To the lady, Reno smiled toothily.

mel. it was simple. nice. the rain sluiced through her fur. she gently nipped the tip of sayf's ear, turning as reno joined them. the air soon grew misted with the mingling of their body warmth. "reno." teya felt daring. she moved to join he and sayf, brushing her body against the cowboy's own.
though the raven did not linger, a spark raced through her, one that she had not felt since —
it was the physical, she told herself, the hungers in her body that were unsatisfied. her mind dragged bridget to her innermost vision, but teya refused to quail.
"what do you like about rain?" she asked both of them, circling and arriving back beside sayf. in many ways the safety of quiet he gave her, first at the palace, and now in her lie, brought a thrill to her as well. the sensations grew, sparkling.

Sayf felt the other man's shoulder against his and reached over to nip playfully below Reno's ear.

Teya nipped his ear, and it sent bolt of excitement through him, which in combination with the chilly rain on his skin, was enough to drive him a little crazy. He watched as Teya brushed her body against the stranger's side before circling back around to stand near him. He ran his muzzle through the fur of her neck, bold but gentle. 

She asked what they like about the rain, and Sayf smiled. It excites me, he told them both. I like the way it feels on my skin. He would turn to the other man expectantly then, eager to hear his own answer.

Tremelia’s voice was soft. His name sounded foreign when spoken with her lips. Reno didn’t mind it, not at all. She seemed to carry herself confidently enough that the softness of her words was only momentarily disarming. The cowboy was pleased that she had not argued against his offered nickname. He was further pleased that she moved to step alongside him. The warmth from the three of their frames seemed to mingle in the air.

Mel wanted to know what they liked about the rain. Sayf’s response was quick, simple. He liked how it made him feel. He said that it excited him. Reno smiled at this, finding that he might have agreed with the slender man’s remarks. The question was turned toward the dusty ranger, though.

Reno’s expression shifted to a thoughtful one.

Hmm… there’s a question. Another moment of thought before Reno offered them the simple truth.

I like that it washes away the grit. Like its cleanin’ the world er somethin’. His cheeks were warm. Not quiet as personal as Sayf’s response. It was perfectly Reno.

teya's pulse seemed to race and expand into a rosy dancing that chased away any misgivings. she did not think about sorana. she did not think about reyes. it was bridget that the raven could not quite force from her mind, the soft look and the direct tone of the cardinal's voice holding fast at the back of her brimming thoughts.
reno was speaking and teya tied herself to the drawl. "what kind of grit do you wash away?" the little violet asked before she thought, asked before she processed and listened to what it is she was saying.
on impulse she leant against sayf, enjoying the strength of his body and the way he warmed the skin beneath the soft pelt there; teya felt electrified.

Sayf was content to worship Teya with affection, and he would offer the same to the man, too, if he acted to seek that from the coyote. For now, Teya leaned against him, her body delicate and soft. He ran his nose through her scruff and nibbled the skin there. He remembered the last time he had been allowed to touch the lovely Brecheliant leader, and it sent heat across his skin. 

His ears were turned to Reno, though, as he was also curious what kind of grit he wanted to wash away. It was a personal question, but Sayf thought personal was more interesting.

All of it, miss. All them things that need washin’ from ya… just get cleaned away with the rain. Don’t matter if it’s blood er, er… dirt. Don’t matter one bit. Rain’s fer cleanin’ this world.

The dusty gold of his eyes shifted toward Mel with a small smile upon his lips.

And then ya get to start anew.

Or so he had hoped. The truth was that Reno had walked through rain and storm since leaving the Blackwatch gang. He’d rinsed his body in rivers and lakes. Some stains didn’t leave. Some things were so deeply ingrained that no amount of scrubbing could make him clean again. None of that needed to be shared with the two lovers who walked with him. They were better company than that – worthy of better talk.

Nuff ‘bout me, though. Are ya two a pair? Ya make a fine one, if I am at liberty to say. A fine pair, indeed. Reno nodded his head softly.

sayf knew in what way to touch her. "we ... play together," she told reno. it was amusing to her to take the name of mel, to be anonymous. it emboldened the little violet. here she was not teya. here she was not a raven. she was only wrapped in a sudden determined and desperate want.
"maybe you let us wash you, reno," teya murmured. she licked sayf's jaw and then turned into the wolf. he was tall and even beneath the rain he smelled of places she had not been.
slowly she lifted her muzzle to his beneath the droplets.