A wide ravine where a shallow, gentle river flows. Years of drought and silt deposits have built this area into a fertile delta. The river remains low and dry most of the year, staining its waters brown and creating muddy shores.
When she started to speak, Caedwyn felt a wave of insecurity wash over him. He didn't want to stand by and be second-best to Rin. He didn't wan to wait around as simply a replacement until the day that Rin returned. He couldn't. He wouldn't. But when his actions forced an ultimatum on her, he doubted he'd made the right choice. Was it right to be so bold? Maybe he should've waited and seen how things played out first. No. He needed to do this now. Just as much as she didn't want to be heartbroken, he knew his own heart wouldn't be able to withstand it if they had somehow built a life together only for it to be stolen by Rin later on. He listened as she started to explain about those who had been turned to stone in the cataclysm and those who hadn't. He wasn't sure at first how any of that was related but he waited patiently. "I'm not going to let a memory hold me back." So this was about Tsillah's judgment. Did Enya believe Tsillah had caused the wolves to turn to stone? Caedwyn hadn't been sure, but thinking about it now he wondered if it had indeed been a test (or judgement) from the goddess.
He felt relief cool his anxious blood when Enya said that she wasn't going to let Rin hold her back and his ears pricked slightly at the word 'beautiful'. Did she think that something between the two of them could be beautiful? Perhaps she was more optimistic about a relationship that she'd previously let on. Caedwyn's tail gave a subtle wag behind him at her reassuring words. Then she finally said what he only hoped she would. She had said she could love him in return. A smile moved to his maw and he felt overcome with emotion. He'd been so afraid of all his mistakes. He'd been afraid of Rin and that she'd choose Rin... or anyone... over him. He was afraid he wasn't good enough. But she was giving him a chance. Not only that, she didn't say she would "Try" to love him. She said she was sure she could.
He blinked away the wetness that was still there from earlier and tried to stay calm as she finished speaking. Her final words were a proclamation, and a request of him. She was giving him her heart and he needed to protect it. Even before his mouth opened to speak, he had started nodding.
"I'll defend it with my fangs," he said finally, dipping his head to stick his nose under her chin to nuzzle it carefully. "... and hold it carefully with my claws. He pushed forward a bit, rubbing his forehead into her cheeck. "And keep it warm with my fur. Your heart will have all of me." After nuzzling her he leaned back again so he could look at her face once more. Where did they go from here? It was all new to him. His eyes searched her face as though some sign would become clear from looking at her, studying her features.
The evening light had dimmed almost completely, turning to twilight and soft blue tones of early night were upon them. When had the night crept forward? The sun was just below the horizon, leaking a few golden rays in the distance and staining the sky with a deep purple. But he wasn't looking at the sunset. His eyes were focused on her and he suddenly noticed now how little clumps of mud were stuck in her hairs from where they had touched. In fact, they were both absolutely filthy. He of course had gone swimming in the mud earlier and some of it had smeared her side when they were galivanting in the riverbed, but now with everything that had happened he could see how it had dried into dusty clumps all over her body.
"If-if you haven't had enough of me, would you like to go down to the river with together?" he asked, his voice sounding a little timid as he motioned with his nose to follow and took a step away from her to indicate which direction he was going. "There's a place a little north of here where the river isn't all dried. I didn't mean to get you all muddy." How things had changed in an afternoon. Only earlier he'd been teasing her about how muddy he was (and contemplating throwing her into the mud alongside him as a joke), and now he was apologizing to her over it. But he figured a good first step in showing his commitment was at least offering to get her cleaned up.
He smiled. He didn't grin. He didn't smirk. He didn't sneer at her as she spoke, making a large request of him so early into this newfound relationship. He smiled. She wondered how often she'd seen him truly smile. He countered her request by elaborating how he would protect her heart. With his fangs, his claws, his fur. As he nuzzled under her chin, she leaned into the touch, gladly mixing her scent with his. This was it. She'd made a choice, and it had been Caedwyn. Perhaps it was with Tsillah's encouragement, but wasn't that what gods were for? They helped guide those who needed them, and she had clearly needed her Goddess' influence to see the reality of the situation, something she'd been blinded to throughout her life. Rin's Will had been devoured. He would never be reborn again. So, she would do as Tsillah beckoned. She would move forward, leaving the weak willed behind and embracing one who's Will proved over and over again how strong it was.
Somehow, the day had turned to night during their encounter. She'd been vaguely aware of the transition, having shifted her eyes to the sky multiple times throughout the entire process. And yet, when she looked skywards and she saw the soft twinkle of stars high in the sky above, she wondered where the day had gone. Throughout the discussion, they had slowly shifted from beneath the canopy of the trees back out into the open sky overhead. She gazed upwards briefly, silently thanking Tsillah for her encouragement, then shifted her teal gaze back towards Caedwyn to spy him watching her. Had he always paid such close attention to her, and she'd just never noticed? Perhaps, she realized with slight embarrassment. She had grown so used to everyone staring at her, that she hadn't noticed how he had done so before. Being the center of the spotlight wasn't new to Enya, but being Caedwyn's center of attention was. Her eyes caught him looking her over and she blushed from the movement, suddenly feeling bashful. Boy, these emotions were shifting like hurricane winds tonight.
He shifted the topic from both his and her proclamation to one less intense, stuttering in the process. The confidence that seemed to ebb and flow in him had flowed right back out, it seemed. She smiled at him, her own tail mirroring his soft wag. At last, it came untucked from between her legs to gently float just above the level of her spine. He stepped, and she was right there with him, reflecting his step. "Mhmn, sure you didn't. Maybe that was your plan all along, to impress your fashion style on me" she teased. She wanted to lighten the situation as a whole. They had a long journey ahead of them emotionally, so why bother stressing over every detail in this very moment? Besides, there was no reason for him to be nervous. She was still Enya, and he was still Caedwyn. They just... had a bit more complication between them now. "I'd love to go down to the river with you - the wet part, not the muddy part." She stepped forward with a prance in her step. With all the emotions of the day still reeling through her muscles and fibers, a run felt like just the thing to work out all the kinks. "Had enough of you... pff." she teased further, bumping him with her shoulder along his own - or what she could reach of it with their height difference. "You've sealed your fate, Caed. You're stuck with me now. Like sap on a pine tree." Her smile turned into a grin and with a swish of her tail, she brushed him across the face, before leaping forward to disappear back down into the riverbed below. She was waiting for him at the bottom, but the impression had been yet another game of chase. Round two, if one would.
She teased him and he felt his heart lift from under the invisible burden he had placed on it, worrying about everything. His nerves calmed and he was finally able to let a smile come to his face and let a small chuckle escape at her comment. She had accepted his invitation to the river and seemed equally light-hearted, bumping her shoulder into him and continuing to tease him. His smile widened a bit further as he grew more at ease. "You've sealed your fate, Caed." She teased, brushed against him before leaping away once more. Caedwyn grinned, pausing for a moment to watch her disappear into the darkening forest and shook his head with a laugh. "Here we go again..." he thought to himself before starting off after her. He could hear the pit-pat of her paws hitting the ground somewhere ahead of him but the darkness did a good job of hiding her exact movements. The cool night air whipped against his fur and the sweet scent of dew filled his nose. As they ran farther, he could hear the gentle sounds of water ahead as they came nearer to the river. "This way," he called out, leaping off to the side toward the riverbed. He came to where the bank dipped down and paused, looking down on the water.
The current here was slow and gentle, the banks were filled with thick plants of reeds and grass. Thick moss covered the smooth rocks the lined the shore and lily-pads floated in the water. Here and there blooms poked through the surface but many of them had closed for the night - leaving only a few straggling flowers still blooming. Overhead a large moon had appeared, its light shining through drifting clouds to reflect onto the water below. As the current moved, the light danced off the water into dancing specks of light that shone all around.
Caedwyn paused for a moment, waiting to make sure Enya had followed before starting down the bank. "This is the place," he said, using his paw to part the grass as he neared the waters edge. He looked down at the water, his reflection looking back up at him. It was surprisingly light out with the moonlight flickering around. As he looked into his own reflection, his mind wandered over everything that had happened this night. Only earlier he'd been bathing in the mud, alone, intending to seek out Enya to update her on the progress of forming their pack. Now they were carefully exploring their newfound relationship. Relationship. The idea was so new to him. Even before when he'd been with Rosita that hadn't been like this. He'd enjoyed Rosita's company but never once had he considered himself in a relationship with her. He'd never had someone at his side like this before. He was hopeful but apprehensive for what came next. Pulling his eyes away from the water he took a step forward. The water was cool, but not too cold, thankfully. His body dipped farther down into the water, wading out from the shore before he turned back once again.
Where did they go from here? He'd never had a problem talking with Enya before but now suddenly he was quiet. His mind kept wandering, comparing himself to what he thought relationships were supposed to be. Enya had shared some of her history but Caedwyn had been so caught up thinking about Rin earlier he hadn't really addressed what she'd said. He hesitated, wondering if he should say anything. He didn't want to hurt her again bringing up things but his curiosity tugged at his mind.
"You don't ruin things." He said quietly, before looking over to her. Well now he'd done it. He wanted to comfort her but what if he'd only brought up a sore topic again (and he definitely didn't want to bring up Rin again). Why did he say that! He backed further into the river sinking down farther until the water had come up to his head, dipping his muzzle down into the water so his mouth was covered and the water came up just below his eyes. His eyes remained on her though and from his mouth, he gently blew some bubbles, making a loud gurgling noise. Maybe if the water was over his mouth he'd stop saying idiotic things. Hoping to change the topic, he pulled his head up from the water. "Do you need me to help get the dirt off?" He said, inviting her down to the water.
Throughout their run, Enya frolicked where she could. With the night time air, descending sun and rising moon came lightning bugs springing up from the tall grasses and forest that covered the bank of the dried river. She kept in step with Caedwyn, occasionally deviating to snap at a bug in the air, until he slowed her, leapt down the bank, and paused at the water's edge. She followed suite, sliding down the dry bank with careful tractions, and came up beside him panting lightly. The run had felt good. It had invigorated her and helped shake away the heaviness of the situation. Catching her breath, she took in and admired the scene set before her. The moon had rotated far into the sky and caused the surface of the water to shimmer with reflected beauty. She watched as Caedwyn parted the grass and stared down at himself for a moment. She watched and stared at his silhouette, the dark blacks, reds and browns a stark contrast to the backsplash of glinting moonlight and green foliage decorating the lake. His golden eyes shined brightly in his reflection, she noticed as she slowly stepped forward to the edge of the bank. The scars on his face - void of fur - were clear in the water.
Enya turned her gaze to stare at herself in the water. Her torn ear twitched as she glanced at the picture in the water. Her own scales seemed to glow from the reflection of the water and moonlight dancing off of her neck and belly. She turned her gaze back towards Caedwyn as he turned to step into the water, slowly wading further out into the depths of the river. He turned to look at her, and she thought he was going to beckon her in to join him. Except, that wasn't what came out of his mouth. "You don't ruin things." he had said instead. She blinked at him, wondering where that had suddenly come from. She had hoped with her teasing, playing, and their run that he would have left it behind. It had been a moment of vulnerability, and mentally, she was exhausted from the conversation. She had been hoping that this dip in the river had been to relax together with one another. Why that particular phrase out of everything he could have said? And why on earth did he decide to blow bubbles in the water after saying it?
When she spoke, her voice was soft and quiet, ignoring the comedy of the bubble situation. "I nearly ruined you." she countered, referring to his entire life and well-being that she had jeopardized. He dipped his body down further into the water, and Enya took a step forward. Where her paw touched the surface of the water, bits of ice formed beneath, steam escaping from the contact of ice and paw pads. She took another step, and another, and each one followed suite after the first. The moment her paw left the water, the ice caught in the current and floated downstream. When his muzzle came back up from beneath the water, she was about halfway to him. Did she need his help to get the dirt off? Well, no. But she would quickly snap up the opportunity for someone else to groom her. Letting go of her magic, Enya tipped herself forward to do a half-attempted dive into the water, coming up beside Caedwyn. She shook her head intentionally to splash Caedwyn as she surfaced and smirked. "I appreciate the offer, since you were the one who got me dirty." She turned her back towards Caedwyn so he might be able to start grooming her there, but took the effort to tilt her eye and head so she could still see and speak to him past her shoulders. "Why do you think you can claim that I don't ruin things?" He had opened the can of worms, so she figured she mind as well go fishing to hear his side of his reasoning.
"I nearly ruined you." He remained quiet at her remark, unsure how to respond. He didn't want to argue with her, and he regretted having brought up the topic at all. Yet he didn't want to agree with her, so he just shifted around in the water, his eyes watching her carefully as she stepped out onto the water. Ears pricked forward with curiosity as ice and steam formed at her paws, supporting her weight as she moved out across the surface of the water. He couldn't help but smile at the event. Enya always knew how to be dramatic. He looked up at her, about to comment on her lack of swimming when the magic ebbed away and she slipped forward to dive into the water. He supposed that was one way to get into the water without wading through the mud at the shore. When she shook, sending little bits of water flying into his face, he turned his head away with a grin. "I appreciate the offer, since you were the one who got me dirty." He chuckled at the comment and waded over closer to her when she presented her back to him.
"Why do you think you can claim that I don't ruin things?" He had hoped the conversation would be lost but she had managed to bring it back up again. Thinking back, the pair of them had a lot of history together. A lot of strife. From outside, he wondered if it was easy for someone to imagine that he hated her or to agree with what she'd said about ruining him. There had been a time when he would have agreed with her, but that time seemed so far away now.
"You certainly know how to make an entrance," he laughed, using his nose to gently swish water over her back and licking at her fur between his words. "I was beginning to wonder how you planned on getting clean standing up there above the water." His eyes moved from where he was working over to hers, seeing that her head was tilted where she could still see him. "Maybe getting you covered in mud was the plan all along?" His words had a little mischievousness to them. "How else was I supposed to get you to take a bath with me?" He gave her a little wink, before reaching his mouth up to nip playfully at the fur on the back of her neck. Was it too soon to be making jokes like that? All of this was so new, but the teasing came so natural to him that he'd said it without really thinking. After pulling at her fur a bit, he let out a short, playful growl and slunk back in the water away from her. He'd spent so much time today chasing after her, he wondered if now it was her turn to do the chasing.
Enya hadn't thought anything about her use of magic or how dramatic of an entrance it had made. It had simply been her. It wasn't until Caedwyn made a point of commenting on her actions that she considered what she had done. He laughed and moved to splash water over her, starting the grooming process, once more commenting on her entrance. She simply smirked and closed her eyes, leaning into his grooming and enjoying the sensation of being cared for and pampered. Man, it felt good to be a Queen, especially when it was the King who was doing the grooming. As Caedwyn proposed that it had been his plan all along to cover her in mud, Enya lifted a paw to her muzzle and gasped dramatically, shifting and turning herself slightly to give him a shocked look. "I knew it!" she exclaimed, twisting her expression back into a playful grin just as he claimed that it had been his elaborate tactic to lure her into a bath with him. She chuckled as he reached up to pull against the fur of her neck. "You could have simply asked." she countered just as he nipped her again and with a growl and slinked away. As he did so, her eyes closed once more.
He had avoided her question, she had noticed. Instead of satisfying her with his point of view, he had omitted a response all together. She wondered on it briefly: did he refuse to answer her because his answer was something that could shift their current mood? Was it an answer that would once more remind her of her history with him? Or had he omitted an answer because he wasn't sure how to answer her? Regardless, she let the question remain as it was, a lost thought left to the winds. Today had been such an emotional day that she was fine with letting the question linger unanswered.
She hadn't realized at first that when he had slunk away, it was to initiate a game of chase. She had turned her head back around and waited patiently for him to resume the grooming. When she didn't feel his nips and licks, she opened her eyes to catch Caedwyn drifting further away in the water with her half-turned head. Her teal gaze lingered on him a moment, trying to see if the grooming was over already, and it seemed likely that it was. Well, that had been short-lived. Fine then.
Enya turned with a swirl of water to pursue Caedwyn, ducking her head and body beneath the slow-moving currents to wash the rest of the filth from her figure with a bit of help from her magic. She resurfaced, once more shaking the water from her head and neck, and flicked her tongue pointedly at Caedwyn with a curious twinkle in her eyes. He did realize that he was in her element, right? There were options upon options of how she could quickly catch Caedwyn with a simple touch of her Will. But... that all seemed to easy. So, instead, she doggy-paddled forward in the currents to propel herself forward, her body creating a wake as her paws kicked up the dirt and muck of the ground beneath her. "You invite me to a bath, then swim away?" She grinned at Caedwyn as she tried to close the distance. "I sense an ulterior motive here." With that, she ducked down beneath the waters once more, disappearing from the surface, and approached Caedwyn's legs, reaching to nip at them with her jaws before resurfacing once more.
Attack Roll:
Success: Enya nips Caedwyn's legs
Failure: Enya doesn't nip Caedwyn's legs. Maybe it's a fish instead? Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's Maybelline.
She returned his playful jesting, and he smiled as she grinned at him and moved closer. "You invite me to a bath, then swim away?" Before he could respond, she had dipped below the water and his ears flicked forward quickly as he strained to detect her body beneath the surface. Though the moon hung overhead, reflections flickering on the water, the night made it difficult to see through the murky depths. Instead it was like looking into an inky blackness and he couldn't see exactly where she was, but he could see how the water was moving - a large ripple moving in his direction. "Oh, no...." he said teasingly, feigning distress. "I think there's something in the water!" He grinned a toothy smile at her antics and soon enough he felt the current of her movement hit against his legs. He pulled his legs back, jumping to the side hoping to avoid her movement. He took aim where he thought she might be and swatted his paw, extending his leg out from his position in a reaching gesture, toward her in an attempt to 'tag' her with his foot.
---
success: slaps her with his foot somewhere (your choice)
fail: misses (or you choose what happens)
Ever the fancy-feet, her nip at Caedwyn's legs missed their mark and her teeth closed with a click beneath the water, a small gathering of bubbles escaped her muzzle, revealing her presence. She heard him say something above the water, but couldn't make out the words. Drat the muffling of the water! She wanted to hear what she was sure a witty comeback! Instead, she saw his leg come out towards her through the murky water and ducked to the side and back to avoid the swat. The water swirled about her, stirring up more debris from the bottom of the river. She surfaced, then, and shook her head half-heartedly. Some of the water was shook away, but there was plenty still that dripped from her cheeks and chin. She blinked her eyes and stared at Caedwyn, smiling and letting herself enjoy this moment with him. It was nice just playing with one another, and it made her feel young. It made her wonder just what sort of future they would have together, and it made her wonder if he was wondering the same thing as her. Probably not, she figured.
With a leap and a splash, Enya jumped forward at Caedwyn to wrap her legs around his neck and cling to him. Whether she caught him or not, she intended to chastise him for shorting her on the grooming he had offered her. A few nibbles on her nape wasn't nearly enough to get the mud out from between her scales and out from her second layer of fur! Once the water had settled from her attempt, she let out a laugh as she spoke through her words, "So, prince charming, just what was the real reason you wanted to drag me out into the waters? Hmm? I know it wasn't for that grooming session, because if it was, I'm going to have to teach you how to properly groom your Queen." She grinned at him, reaching to rub her face against his chin and cheek, making an obvious effort to wipe her scales against his fur. "I've got extra bits that need special attention, you know. These scales don't stay beautiful and glistening with such little effort. It's a lot of work!" Her hind legs repositioned beneath her to help hold her near him against the currents, stirring up more muck down beneath. "Or!" she suddenly started, pulling her head away as if suddenly she'd figured everything out. Her eyes widened and the grin on her muzzle lessened, yet still remained. "You were trying to get me to groom you! Oh, you sly dog." Then with a long, exaggerated motion, her forked tongue slipped from her muzzle and was pulled up the side of his face, making an effort to both have it be as ineffective and as silly as possible. "There, now we're even." she spoke after making a face, pretending to spit out fur and mud alike. "Both so flawlessly groomed" The grin spread wide across her muzzle once more, her tail swaying behind her in the water, making her own current behind her.
Combat:
Success: Wraps her front paws around Caedwyn's nape to hang on him/hold him/catch him
Failure: Splashes in the water and wraps her legs around him but slips and loses her grip and/or he steps/swims out of the way.
