King Elk Forest girls just want to have fun

@Vex Cruor

Striding through the darkness with her head held high, like a queen! Long-legged, broad-shouldered, dancing, floating even! A creature of Amazonian proportions; men want her, women want to be her! She was stunning.

Or so thought the leggy, too-tall teenager as she moved through the forest. Her steps weren't perfect; she stumbled more often than not, but recovered with a wild look over her shoulder, or to the trees, as if someone might see it and laugh. Envisioning herself as some kind of fey goddess was one thing — but hiding her deeper truths, such as her fear of the dark, was a whole other story.

It was dark. And her mother and father were not here. That second part, that wasn't new. They probably didn't even notice that Whit was missing! But they'd clue in eventually. Maybe they'd send a vanguard to hunt her down; this wasn't the first time and wouldn't be the last. This was the furthest she'd managed, however.

The forest spiraled. Some of the trees were giant, others only saplings. From time to time Whit thought, I saw this one an hour ago! And she'd try to re-trace her steps. It became so dark beneath the canopy that she had to stop, and would then lean against a tree trunk while trying to catch her breath. 

It didn't occur to Whit to, maybe, call out. To ask for help. She didn't want the wrong person to find her — that person being someone from home, of course. She came across the scent of wolves a few times as she journeyed, and each time she turned back, which forced her to travel in circles, as if she bounced off the invisible boundary of the Dominion.

On one last pass, she practically collapsed in the dirt - and a few wolf lengths ahead of her was the claim's edge, which meant she'd gotten turned around for the upteenth time.

Damn it! She finally called out, flustered.

With Step Daddy @Jarus Domaire in the picture, Kevalin was happy to leave the man in charge of the little rascals and stretch his legs. He used his new found freedom to defend the borders of The Dominion. He had just finished marking when a stranger's scent caught him on the wind. His tail raised over his back and he ran towards the scent. A clumsy female, no danger but one Vex would see as a trespasser nonetheless. "Do you toy with the Dominion's borders intentionally or are you lost?" He spoke without announcing himself.

Her shout drew out the natives, apparently. Not long after her emotional outburst, a voice she did not know spanned the woodland path and Whit felt quite embarrassed for herself; but she had to brush that off, and was very good at doing so.

I'm lost, actually! Yes! She confirmed as much. Her eyes looked to the shifting shadows beneath the canopy, and some shafts of light that broke through, and then motes of dust caught and glowing within it; but she did not know where the voice came from. It felt like everywhere and nowhere at once.

If daddy had taught her anything, it was to be self-reliant; and ma, well she had always been kind of a bitch so if all else failed, Whit could act the part. There was no reason to act on her mean girl fantasies yet.

I'm actually — on the run, she almost said, but stopped herself; what kind of introduction is that? I'm Whitney. Where—...? I mean, who, are you? Maybe she'd lost her mind after so long in the forest, and was talking to some moss, or something. Were those motes of dust or mushroom spores?

He had no idea what to do with this information, she couldn't seem to see him, he stayed hidden buying himself time. He didn't think Vex would be too keen on aiding damsels in distress. "To be truthful with you, I'm a bit of a wanderer myself and a complete stranger to these lands too." He laughed aloud. "Aside from my pack's territory of course." He sighed, Vex would surely catch a whiff of her soon if she was paying any attention.

"You can call me Kevalin." He said, finally stepping out from the shadows and coming to stand before her. He gave her a wink. "Look, I'm gonna be honest with you, the female who runs this place is probably gonna try to tear your throat out when she sees you and I won't be able to stop her. I'm trying to figure out a way to keep you alive before she sniffs you out, shall we take a walk and at least get you something to eat?"

Ideally the weir would be free so he could catch her a few fish, hopefully she'd be as chatty as other damsels he'd assisted in the past so he could at least offer information in repentance for his sin. Not that Vex would actually listen if she spotted them together. He'd try to send her along her way afterwards, assuming Vex didn't spot them beforehand.

The voice became something else - it became laughter which swept clear of the trees, carrying throughout the forest in a way that boggled her little mind. The person attached to that voice emerged not long after; Whit could see it was an older man, around her father's age maybe? He was swarthy and warm-toned, looking very much at-home here in the woods. No wonder she hadn't seen him!

She opened her mouth to politely say something, but stammered a second when his warning came full-force to her ears, then stood there slack-jawed. By his own admission, Kevalin's boss was not the kind to be trifled with. Was Whit in danger? Probably. Would she run? Tempting — but no.

A.. walk, heh, um sure? Okay. It was a bit of social whiplash. On one hand the longer Whit stayed in the area, the higher the chance she'd be blundeoned to death, and on the other, this man was willing to feed her. She was a teenager and a coddled one at that. A free meal was worth investigating.

She moved to follow him. Despite the company (perhaps because of it, and the warning he'd carried) Whit was eyeing the shadows with more apprehension as she walked. I really mean no harm. I got lost, is all. Would your friend really - ah, am I really in that much danger? The more she spoke the quieter her voice got, and the more sheepish she felt.

Its just, I've been on my own for a few weeks now, and I know I'm not much to look at... I bet, one look at me and she'd think, not worth the effort! Heh. He..h... right? Why had she chosen to leave home again?

Sorry for the delay, Tallie, depression's been kicking my butt!

Vex missed little in her domain, and she came upon the scene as Kevalin was saying something about Vex ripping the girl's throat out. The Cruor Queen stalked forward, head and tail held tall, and she looked between Kevalin and the stranger. Many things crossed her mind.

"No blood will be spilled, yet." Her voice was a low, amused croon. Vex turned sharp, fiery eyes on Kevalin, and she told him coolly, "And the Dominion does not feed outsiders freely." How bold of him to assume he could give it away.

Vex finally set her gaze on the girl. "What's your name, girl?"

Vexs' scent hit him like a ton of bricks. Her amused croon filled the air, mocking him as always. He would hold his tongue and behave as expected of him. "My apologies my Queen." I'll feed whoever I want whenever I want. He desperately wanted to say. He couldn't possibly say that now though, especially not now during this scenario. Besides, he could have easily left their territory, caught a few fish for the female and sent her on her way, saving her all these complications. Who knew, maybe she held secrets that would make her fit in perfectly with Vex, but with that innocent face, he doubted it.

Her guide did not answer her. Maybe the joke had failed to land with the other wolf? Despite her name, Whit wasn't the class clown kind of girl, so she wasn't sure if her humor would make any sense; she just felt awkward and a little afraid.

It didn't help that another wolf came to join them - this one was red-eyed and domineering. Kevalin reacted immediately with submission and was promptly cowed by the command of - who Whit could only presume was - the queen.

Whit. I mean —! Whitney. Whitney Boyd-Wallace, um, ma'am.

Whit had never met a queen before. Her mother liked to act the part, but in that "gone with the wind" sort of, debonair haughtiness; there wasn't anything royal about her family if one looked close enough. It was all attitude (which they'd tried, and failed, to impart upon the girl). However, she knew better than to be rude to someone in power.

After a pause she asked, —so you're not going to... eat me? Or something. Of course not! People don't... do that. Her voice held a tinny kind of mirth, straining in her throat.

The girl was afraid, or, at least intimidated. This soothed the Cruor Queen, and she chuckled lowly as Whit introduced herself. And then, her question, her assumption. It made Vex laugh. She told the girl amusedly, "Oh darling, I assure you, cannibals exist." She grinned, to show her yellowed teeth. Then, she jested, "Alas, I'm not hungry at the moment."

After a moment, she demanded, "Are you lost, girl?" Usually, she was more hostile with trespassers, but this one... this one seemed... malleable. Perhaps Vex could use her.

The girl reminded him of Vaska and his youthful innocence. He wondered how the boy was fairing now, he hadn't dared go near them since their step father had taken over his place. He worried for the little tyke though, but regardless he knew he was helpless in this situation.

Whit would be a new pawn of Vex, and he was too late to stop it. He would stand guard silently watching and listening to the exchange, but he knew his time for speaking was over.

Fading and archiving as Whit is inactive!

The girl, it seemed, was too fearful of Vex to speak. This made her lose interest, and she scoffed and snorted, Kevalin, see to it that this one is escorted out of the Dominion's territory. She would waste no more of her precious time. Turning on her heel, she would dip her head to Kevalin before pushing past the pair and stalking deeper into the forest.