Post by Lovely on Aug 2, 2011 21:45:44 GMT -5
December 10, 2009
Night
Follows Mace's exit from: Kiss the cook
"Who does he think he is? Just because he's the 'wise' one.. the strong one, too? He just caught me off guard, that's all," Mace spat, leaving a bloody dab on the snowy mud as he walked slower than usual, waiting for the sting of his burned back to fade. He'd reached most of the singe but the center of his back was still raw and out of reach. He knelt by rows of tracks as he wandered, looking for fresher ones to hunt, but most belonged to birds that had gone to roost for the late moon and others that already smelled of the kill from his earlier hunt before the last dusting of flakes had blown into the woods. Each movement was stiff and labored, but every scent helped him to forget momentarily. He had hoped his man-like form would succumb to the chill and help the pain to fade, but he was going to need his fur and the padding between his toes that didn't feel the discomfort of the cold, hard ground quite the same as now. A new scent caught the breeze but the tracks were not yet in reach. The road? He wasn't certain, but he crouched, blanketing himself in his furry coat and groaning a little as his back bristled and the burning echoed through his body again. He twisted slowly at first, then shook down to his tail vigorously before bounding off toward the new scent. Whatever it was certainly was more interesting than Mitch or Nance or their little snacks.
Elaina should have expected something like this, her father had pretty much sent her to the slaughter by making her attend an Onmadian Noble's wedding! Still, she had thought it would happen there and not along the side of the road! The men who attacked her carriage wouldn't have been a match for her guards, if she'd had a decent entourage, but of course father sent her with hardly any protection. It was as if he wanted something awful to happen to her! That shouldn't surprise her, considering how he treated his children, but it left a bitter taste in her mouth. Her few guards had been taken down though they had also taken down some of the bandits beforehand. What appeared to be the leader faced her now while another held her from behind, they both were pretty angry about how things had gone in what they thought would be a very easy score.. it appeared they were going to take that anger out on her. Her lip bled and her cheek smarted from a couple of blows that had already landed, she hadn't meant to scream, didn't want to give them the satisfaction of it, but as they wrestled her to the cold snow and the leader started to push up her skirts, a scream slipped out.
Mace was almost of a mind to just watch the episode with the girl, but had that been all he wanted he'd have gone back to the den already to watch the others. He approved of the set-up and the means by which the girl's entourage was halted. Highwaymen were always a fortunate find for himself and his pack brothers. They were the sort that wouldn't be missed. The usual rule was to take back the spoils to share with the others, though, and tonight he was far from being so charitable. He wanted... and wanted it all for himself, the others be damned. What would they do? Throw him in the fire again? He scoffed at that thought and drew an eager tongue over his steaming jowls. The scream had intrigued him as much as the scent that drew him closer. It was this girl he wanted most and she wanted most to be saved. He granted her that wish and dove at the throat of the leader who aimed to spoil her, grasping neatly below the man's chin to pull him away and down to the ground. Mace's fierce jaw clenched harder until the writhing stopped. He finally let go of the limp mass to turn his attention on the others pinning the girl. He hoped they would try to run. He loved that hopeless chase. The fear somehow seemed to sweeten the bite... and he never missed.
It was like a gift from the moons when the creature tore the man off her before he could do what he'd intended, was she saved by a merciful moon? She heard the tear of fabric as he tried to hold onto her but it didn't stop him from going back under the creature's force. Elaina lay gasping softly as those who held her scattered, one being brave enough to lift his blade while another stumbled away. She watched with wide eyes for what the creature would do, would he charge after the men or turn on her?
He almost seemed to smile at the wealth of challenges he was given, pausing only a moment before his attention turned on the one with the blade. He took a step away from the man's fallen friend then lunged, not fearing the pierce of the blade. There was no pierce as the blade fell away and the man tried without hope to pull off the large wolf. He lost the struggle quickly, left lifeless beside the girl. Mace glanced at her where she lay, his breath heavy, excited and pulling in her scent more deeply as he looked her over then left her to recover herself as he bounded off after the scent of the one who ran into the depth of the woods. He played only a moment before the scream came and silenced quickly to the soft murmur of a wind higher in the canopy that tossed down a snowy mist into the clearing. Mace returned slowly to the scene of the robbery, looking for others and the girl. Whoever she was, it appeared her belongings were noble or of some donation from the Devhano court destined for the Onmadian walls. Perplexed, amused, intrigued.. and aroused completely by the girl's scent, Mace curiously skirted the clearing.
Elaina had grown up beneath the shadow of rivalry and war, she wasn't faint of heart but was duly distressed over the attack and what had nearly happened to her. Saved by a strange creature which resembled those she'd glimpsed from a distance during a hunt which she'd been allowed to watch from a 'safe' vantage of course. The shoulder of her dress was torn but seemed repairable, leaving her slightly less polished with the marks on her face but all in all she'd come away intact. For that she was grateful but hadn't stayed on the ground for the creature to return, it might have just wanted to eat her! She limped to the restless horses, trying to soothe them and unhook them from the carriage, she could ride one back across the border to Devhano where she could seek refuge and help in one of their houses. The scream and the light breeze made her shiver and glance around her, her gaze going to the men most recently dispatched. She should arm herself, and slowly moved toward one of the men.
"Leave them. It won't be necessary." Mace said, approaching from behind a tree and fastening a coat that had belonged to her coachman. "Highwaymen. They took my clothes," he explained, his cheeks and hands bloodied as his jowls and claws had been. He smeared the sleeve of the coat over his mouth. "Only the three of them. Are you alright?" He couldn't mask the admiration shimmering in his eyes as he looked her over again.
The voice startled her, she spun toward the sound and stared at the man in obvious shock. She'd expected growling or something but not a man's voice or one to appear who seemed to have been naked a moment ago and was smeared with blood. Her mouth opened but no sound came at first as too many questions and statements tried to get out at once. "There could be more... somewhere along the road." She finally managed to reply softly, her eyes slightly narrowed now as she looked him over more carefully. "Are -you- alright?" How long had he been exposed for? She didn't think it could be comfortable, at the very least. "You need boots.. there's a blanket on the seat of the carriage.." She moved toward one of the men again, kneeling by his feet to relieve him of his boots.
"You're kind," he said, amazed by that fact though her scent should have told him as much. "There aren't any others. I came from up the road," he added, sniffing and shivering as if cold, though he was far from chilled. He could not smell anyone but her and he was thankful for the heft of the coat that hid him well within it. "The boots are all I need," he clarified as she pulled on the pair from her murdered escort.
Night
Follows Mace's exit from: Kiss the cook
"Who does he think he is? Just because he's the 'wise' one.. the strong one, too? He just caught me off guard, that's all," Mace spat, leaving a bloody dab on the snowy mud as he walked slower than usual, waiting for the sting of his burned back to fade. He'd reached most of the singe but the center of his back was still raw and out of reach. He knelt by rows of tracks as he wandered, looking for fresher ones to hunt, but most belonged to birds that had gone to roost for the late moon and others that already smelled of the kill from his earlier hunt before the last dusting of flakes had blown into the woods. Each movement was stiff and labored, but every scent helped him to forget momentarily. He had hoped his man-like form would succumb to the chill and help the pain to fade, but he was going to need his fur and the padding between his toes that didn't feel the discomfort of the cold, hard ground quite the same as now. A new scent caught the breeze but the tracks were not yet in reach. The road? He wasn't certain, but he crouched, blanketing himself in his furry coat and groaning a little as his back bristled and the burning echoed through his body again. He twisted slowly at first, then shook down to his tail vigorously before bounding off toward the new scent. Whatever it was certainly was more interesting than Mitch or Nance or their little snacks.
Elaina should have expected something like this, her father had pretty much sent her to the slaughter by making her attend an Onmadian Noble's wedding! Still, she had thought it would happen there and not along the side of the road! The men who attacked her carriage wouldn't have been a match for her guards, if she'd had a decent entourage, but of course father sent her with hardly any protection. It was as if he wanted something awful to happen to her! That shouldn't surprise her, considering how he treated his children, but it left a bitter taste in her mouth. Her few guards had been taken down though they had also taken down some of the bandits beforehand. What appeared to be the leader faced her now while another held her from behind, they both were pretty angry about how things had gone in what they thought would be a very easy score.. it appeared they were going to take that anger out on her. Her lip bled and her cheek smarted from a couple of blows that had already landed, she hadn't meant to scream, didn't want to give them the satisfaction of it, but as they wrestled her to the cold snow and the leader started to push up her skirts, a scream slipped out.
Mace was almost of a mind to just watch the episode with the girl, but had that been all he wanted he'd have gone back to the den already to watch the others. He approved of the set-up and the means by which the girl's entourage was halted. Highwaymen were always a fortunate find for himself and his pack brothers. They were the sort that wouldn't be missed. The usual rule was to take back the spoils to share with the others, though, and tonight he was far from being so charitable. He wanted... and wanted it all for himself, the others be damned. What would they do? Throw him in the fire again? He scoffed at that thought and drew an eager tongue over his steaming jowls. The scream had intrigued him as much as the scent that drew him closer. It was this girl he wanted most and she wanted most to be saved. He granted her that wish and dove at the throat of the leader who aimed to spoil her, grasping neatly below the man's chin to pull him away and down to the ground. Mace's fierce jaw clenched harder until the writhing stopped. He finally let go of the limp mass to turn his attention on the others pinning the girl. He hoped they would try to run. He loved that hopeless chase. The fear somehow seemed to sweeten the bite... and he never missed.
It was like a gift from the moons when the creature tore the man off her before he could do what he'd intended, was she saved by a merciful moon? She heard the tear of fabric as he tried to hold onto her but it didn't stop him from going back under the creature's force. Elaina lay gasping softly as those who held her scattered, one being brave enough to lift his blade while another stumbled away. She watched with wide eyes for what the creature would do, would he charge after the men or turn on her?
He almost seemed to smile at the wealth of challenges he was given, pausing only a moment before his attention turned on the one with the blade. He took a step away from the man's fallen friend then lunged, not fearing the pierce of the blade. There was no pierce as the blade fell away and the man tried without hope to pull off the large wolf. He lost the struggle quickly, left lifeless beside the girl. Mace glanced at her where she lay, his breath heavy, excited and pulling in her scent more deeply as he looked her over then left her to recover herself as he bounded off after the scent of the one who ran into the depth of the woods. He played only a moment before the scream came and silenced quickly to the soft murmur of a wind higher in the canopy that tossed down a snowy mist into the clearing. Mace returned slowly to the scene of the robbery, looking for others and the girl. Whoever she was, it appeared her belongings were noble or of some donation from the Devhano court destined for the Onmadian walls. Perplexed, amused, intrigued.. and aroused completely by the girl's scent, Mace curiously skirted the clearing.
Elaina had grown up beneath the shadow of rivalry and war, she wasn't faint of heart but was duly distressed over the attack and what had nearly happened to her. Saved by a strange creature which resembled those she'd glimpsed from a distance during a hunt which she'd been allowed to watch from a 'safe' vantage of course. The shoulder of her dress was torn but seemed repairable, leaving her slightly less polished with the marks on her face but all in all she'd come away intact. For that she was grateful but hadn't stayed on the ground for the creature to return, it might have just wanted to eat her! She limped to the restless horses, trying to soothe them and unhook them from the carriage, she could ride one back across the border to Devhano where she could seek refuge and help in one of their houses. The scream and the light breeze made her shiver and glance around her, her gaze going to the men most recently dispatched. She should arm herself, and slowly moved toward one of the men.
"Leave them. It won't be necessary." Mace said, approaching from behind a tree and fastening a coat that had belonged to her coachman. "Highwaymen. They took my clothes," he explained, his cheeks and hands bloodied as his jowls and claws had been. He smeared the sleeve of the coat over his mouth. "Only the three of them. Are you alright?" He couldn't mask the admiration shimmering in his eyes as he looked her over again.
The voice startled her, she spun toward the sound and stared at the man in obvious shock. She'd expected growling or something but not a man's voice or one to appear who seemed to have been naked a moment ago and was smeared with blood. Her mouth opened but no sound came at first as too many questions and statements tried to get out at once. "There could be more... somewhere along the road." She finally managed to reply softly, her eyes slightly narrowed now as she looked him over more carefully. "Are -you- alright?" How long had he been exposed for? She didn't think it could be comfortable, at the very least. "You need boots.. there's a blanket on the seat of the carriage.." She moved toward one of the men again, kneeling by his feet to relieve him of his boots.
"You're kind," he said, amazed by that fact though her scent should have told him as much. "There aren't any others. I came from up the road," he added, sniffing and shivering as if cold, though he was far from chilled. He could not smell anyone but her and he was thankful for the heft of the coat that hid him well within it. "The boots are all I need," he clarified as she pulled on the pair from her murdered escort.