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.
Swing and miss. His paw swished through the water but somehow Enya had evaded him again, only to emerge from the surface and give a little shake. She may have been wondering what sort of future they had, but Caedwyn was fully in the moment with her. His grin softened into a more gentle smile as he looked back to her, wondering if she had seen his leg slapping at her beneath the water or if it was merely chance that she had avoided him. He wasn't left wondering for long, as she lunged at him with a splash and her legs wrapped around his neck. He stepped back as the momentum of her weight pushed him in the water. He steadied himself as she spoke. Her words were teasing and his smile widened once again as she made fun of his grooming efforts. "I'm going to have to teach you how to properly groom your Queen." Oh really? his mind responded, despite only a chuckle and an amused expression coming out in response. That sounded like an interesting idea. He seemed to be doing all the work. It might be nice to have Enya show him how it's done. He had half a mind to tell her that but she continued, elaborating about the amount of work that went into keeping her scales looking their best.
"Oh really?" he said encouragingly.
"Or!" His words stopped when she spoke and pulled away. She had him hooked. He leaned in closer as she continued. "You were trying to get me to groom you! Oh, you sly dog." He couldn't contain his grin any longer. That was exactly what he was thinking. His jaws parted, letting out a guttural laugh and his eyes shut for a moment in enjoyment. Whether she meant it as a joke or not, it was true - and that was what made it all the more hilarious to Caedwyn. The water around him splashed with his laughter, so much so that he hadn't really noticed Enya's motions. He didn't notice her jaws part or her tongue emerge. It wasn't until the wet length of her snaked-tongue drug across his face that he realized. His eyes snapped open and his head flicked back over to her, laughter coming to a shocked halt. He blinked a few times as he stared at her in pleased, over-exaggerated surprise. He tried to hold a serious face as she exclaimed that they were evenly groomed, but his lip quivered again with laughter, turning into a grin before he started to laugh once more. His lips pushed together as he tried to choke down the laughter.
"Oh, yes, what a fine groomer you are," he teased in return. "You've caught me. It was my dream, from when I was a wee young pup, to learn your secret ways of grooming." As he spoke, his voice became exaggerated as though enacting a dramatic proclamation. "Now I retire these old bones without regret." His eyes flicked over to her as he paused to look for a reaction from her before letting out a few more laughs. All that laughter was making him out of breath. He let out a pleased sigh and shifted his weight, moving his legs to carry them both through the water back toward the bank. As he moved, his eyes kept looking to her. He could feel her magic flow around them, through them. Pulling at that energy, he willed the water to move up from the surface into many tiny orbs and droplets. They sparkled under the moonlight, like little crystal tears rising above the water. He pulled at the droplets with his energy to land gently all over her pelt, brushing through her fur to carry the water and muck away from her (hopefully).
His laughter had quieted as he looked at her with a more somber expression while he willed the water to groom her. "There, see," he spoke softly. "I just needed one of your lessons to help me out." He smiled again and gave a little wink, incapable of holding a serious moment too long. He let out another relaxed sigh and spoke again.
"Now that my Queen is all cleaned up, perhaps she'd enjoy some food?"
---
ooc. He's using mimic to borrow her water ability. If fail feel free to say something else happens. Also when he 'carries' her while he's walking, I assumed she still had her legs wrapped around his neck. Feel free to say she lets go or anything if doesn't want to be carried.
The sound of laughter erupting from Caedwyn at her antics made her heart swell with joy. It was music to hear ears, hearing him happy and laughing. He had always been the serious type, or the prankster type really, so to hear him open up so freely to her gave her an insight to what being with Caedwyn might truly be like. It made her excited. As she leaned on him and gave him a big sloppy kiss (her silly exaggerate attempt at grooming him) and he paused, she pulled back to examine his reaction. His laughing had come to an abrupt halt and he stared at her with a serious expression on his face. She had drawn back herself, but her expression was anything but serious. A grin spread ear to ear across her muzzle, waiting for him to explode either with exasperation or another bout of laughter.
Sure enough, he broke into laughter once more, and Enya joined him, giggling and laughing alongside him with pure joy. He teased her through his laughter and Enya's own laugh grew louder, her head turning slightly to the side to give him a side-eye through her grin. The banter was refreshing. It was nice being able to go back and forth with someone. She could dish it, but she could take the teasing just as well, and here Caedwyn was finally, finally treating her like an equal. He wasn't afraid to say the wrong thing - or so it seemed. "Old!" she blurted out as he proclaimed such a statement, even with his exaggeration. She, with her front legs still wrapped around his neck, leaned in towards him to whisper into his ear, "So that was the problem. I understand now." She quickly moved to lick him in the face once more before pulling away and dropping her grip around his neck, quickly trying to prance away through the water before he could retaliate against her. She knew it wasn't the truth, but she was trying desperately to bring humor around to the situation they had endured together before.
Before she could escape to the shore, she was stopped as she felt a strange pulling at the waters they stood in. It wasn't her magic... then she remembered when she'd first encountered Caedwyn out in the fields before. She turned to smirk at him before shifting her eyes to admire the small droplets of water as they rose up and shined under the stars and moonlight above. How romantic she mused inwardly just as the water droplets were shifted towards her and dropped across her body. They didn't simply melt away on her guard hairs, however. They pressed deep into her undercoat and ran through the cracks and crevices between her scales, giving her a more thorough cleaning. She shivered as a tickle ran through her body involuntarily, not used to such a sensation coming from anyone other than herself.
He stepped out onto the bank and like a magnet, Enya was there beside him, pressing herself against his side once again. She had craved physical affection for months upon months now. While it was just the two of them, while they were encased underneath a beautiful cloud-free night with stars and the moon shining down on them with the warm summer air wrapping her gentle arms around them, she intended to fulfil her cravings. Speaking of cravings, Caedwyn mentioned food and Enya nodded her head along eagerly, though there was a touch of exhaustion creeping up in her steps and the way she held her posture. The day had been long and emotionally taxing, and the excitement of the situation was slowly leaving her - that and all the running and playing they had done had certainly added onto her feeling of weariness. "I could use a midnight snack" she mused as she leaned into Caedwyn, letting him lead her along to wherever he pleased. "What did you have in mind?" she started, lifting her muzzle to nip beneath his chin, "Perhaps some rabbit? Or maybe you've got a buck stashed away for the end of this elaborately planned date? Or! Are you doing fresh catch from the creek?" She yawned as she finished her guessing, smacking her lips together at the end of it.
"Old! So that was the problem. I understand now." Before Caedwyn could react to the comment, Enya had hit him with another lick. He grinned, shaking his head in a "you're too much" type of gesture. It had been embarrassing for sure, but he had to admit it was a little funny when she made such a clever joke about it. He had a feeling that would be a joke that would take a long time to live down. As he stepped away from the shore, he could feel her return to his side and he waited, pausing to look at her and smile once more in her direction. She might have craved his touch, but he was equally craving her desire. He wasn't even fully aware of it; only aware of how it made him feel when she followed. He wanted her to want him, to need him, to choose him when she was perfectly capable of choosing anything else. It made his heart flutter a bit and his tail gave a gentle wag before he turned his head again, thinking of her question.
He hadn't fully considered what they would eat. Rabbits were tasty though somewhat small and they had the horrible habit of darting into holes right when he thought he had them between his jaws. And he didn't really have much stashed away. A few scraps and dried meat, but it seemed a little lackluster to present such meager offerings to Enya."Turtle." He stated, rather abruptly. The word had escaped his mouth as soon as it hit his brain, without much forethought. Shit. Why did he say turtle!"I haven't had turtle in awhile, but I don't think there's many around here. The swamp is a much better place for that." He mused, strolling away from the riverbed as he thought. His eyes moved to a path that had been worn through the underbrush, beaten down by the frequent passing of beasts. In the dirt, he could see a slight indentation. It was a track: a hoof-print. He paused, drawing nearer to the marking to investigate.
"Why have old, dusty meat when you could have fresh? There seems to be a deer that passed through recently. " He said a little more energetic, turning again to look to Enya. But was she wanting to go on a hunt after all the adventures the afternoon had brought them? They'd already spent their energies swimming and playing chase, among other things."But, if my Lady prefers to relax - " He stepped to the side as he spoke using his paws to scratch the dirt quickly to clear it of any twigs, leaves, and debris, " ... she could lie here while I procure us some frogs from the river. It's not turtle but frogs don't have annoying shells." His voice was clearly over-exaggerated but it was still fun to him. Caedwyn had lowered himself into a somewhat play bow, using his legs to indicate the area he had cleared for her. "So what says the Queen? An exhilarating chase through the moonlight? Or an evening of relaxation while I gather the frogs?"
He awaited her reply, the eagerness on his face not hidden at all.
Turtle wasn't exactly the answer she had expected. He had said it so suddenly and abruptly that it had caused her to jerk slightly, feeling roused from her earlier sleepy feeling. She was sure she had eaten turtle before, but she couldn't recount a specific time in her life. Snakes, sure. Fish were enjoyed in the plenty. Even gator had found it's way into her belly, but turtle? She was intrigued by the suggestion, first smiling and then frowning as he proclaimed they would probably be easier to find in the swamp. That was an awful long way to travel for some food. She'd have to add that to the list of eventual meals to put alongside the others of her past, apparently, for she was sure that if she didn't eat tonight, she would certainly wither away and die of starvation (which was saying something, considering she'd known true starvation before in her life).
Caedwyn moved them away from the shore, and she leaned back into him to follow along, letting the smaller size of herself lean against his larger figure for support until he pointed out a deer track on the trail up ahead. She paused to let him investigate for a second before walking up to study the print herself. Her nose lowered down and not only did her nostrils work the scent, but her tongue as well. Her senses confirmed what Caedwyn had pointed out. Was she ready for a hunt when she was just thinking about tired she was? As if reading her mind, Caedwyn had moved to clear out a spot for her, offering to let her relax while he did some frog hunting for the two of them. Frogs absolutely did not sound as appetizing as fresh deer. "Queen" she quickly corrected with a grin on her face as Caedwyn spoke 'Lady'. It hadn't been improper use, and in fact was a perfectly fine title, but she wanted her new title emphasized! She was the Queen, while he was the King.
Caedwyn dropped down into a play bow before her and left the decision of what they did next to her. This time he had used her preferred title - until perhaps one day they grew to call one another their marrows - if the day ever came. Each option laid out by him sounded appetizing in their own ways. Did she want to participate in a hunt, or relax while he did the work for her? When she laid out the option in her own words, it was easy to decide which one she would pick. Laying out and being served food of her choice was certainly something she was worthy of receiving as the Queen, but not from her King.
Enya jumped down to echo his play bow, then leaped forward at him, diving to nip at the bottom of his muzzle with her tail wagging briskly behind her. She dropped down into a second bow after her leap, then sprung upwards to bounce to his side and behind him. There she paused, waiting for him to lead them onto the hunt. The feelings of exhaustion were still present, but the idea of a hunt alongside Caedwyn pushed the feelings away easily enough. Already she was salivating, nearly tasting the fresh meat before they even tracked down the deer. "An exhilarating chase through the moonlight for sure" she confirmed, "Lead us for the hunt, my King." she encouraged, grinning as she said his new title. She was having far too much fun with the game.
OoC:// Feel free to move Enya along so they can find/track the deer down <3 Or whatever else they may find along the way.
When she leaped over to him, nipping at his chin and bouncing away again, he matched her movements. He jumped forward, mock biting at her and then jumping away again when she came at him again. She had corrected him on not referring to her as Queen and he had half a mind to give her a teasing response of 'well punish me then' but instead he enjoyed their little game. She had confirmed her choice and Caedwyn stood a little straighter, extending his paw in a gentlemanly fashion and dipped his head a bit. "Right this way, my Queen," he said, inviting her forward before turning to trot off along the dirt path that lead through the bushes. He stopped here and there, sniffing the ground and then lifting his head to scent the air. "The scent is stronger this way," he commented in a quiet voice, looking over his shoulder to make sure Enya was following before leading the way forward once more. They had moved quite a ways away from the river, travelling at a fair pace through the surrounding trees and had finally come to a clearing.
Caedwyn paused, his nose dipping once more as he noted a fresh track in the dirt. The scent was fresh. They must've been close. He turned to Enya, nodding his head in a motion to beckon her closer and used his paw to point to the track. "It's close." He whispered now, not wanting to spook their prey. Waiting for her to observe the marking, he began to move at a much slower pace, pressing forward through the under growth to come to the edge of the clearing. His eyes scanned the tree line quickly, finally landing on his target. There on the far side of the clearing as a large buck. It's antlers had not yet fully emerged and sat atop the creatures skull like two misshapen knobs covered in soft velvet.
Caedwyn's motions stopped and he crouched. "There." His voice was barely a breath as he nodded his nose to point out the deer to Enya. It may have been more practical to verbalize his plan to Enya, as he planned to go around the far side and drive the deer back to her, but without thinking he only said "Wait here" in a whisper before he quietly slunk away back through the underbrush. He hadn't watched to see if she had obeyed his instructions and instead started to make his way around the outskirts of the clearing. Coming up on the far side, he began his approach. The ground here was littered with an array of dried leaves and crumbly twigs, much to his disdain. Each step was treacherous and threatened to give away his position. He moved forward again, pausing when the buck lifted its head. When he was sure the buck hadn't noticed him, he started forward again. He was almost into position to start his charge. But there were so many twigs. His foot came down and he felt the brittle branch underfoot, too late for him to shift his weight back. The branch snapped. His eyes flicked from his feet as he cursed internally, then up to the buck. Shit shit shit. Had the buck heard it? Fuck. It was too late to find out now. If he waited, the buck might take off before he did and get a lead on him.
Caedwyn jumped out. He wasn't quite in the right position but he had no choice. now.
---
Sneak Roll:
- Fail: Twig snaps loudly and the deer starts running before Caedwyn can get into position. Creative freedom for what this means or where the buck goes.
Success: Twig snaps but the buck doesn't hear it. Caedwyn jumps out.
The sweep of his paw and bow of his head as he called her by her preferred title made her smile grow. She would have never guessed that Caedwyn could offer up so much charm. The sarcastic prankster had a side to him that she felt lucky to get to know. It made her feel special. He moved off to investigate the direction that their prey had escaped off to, and Enya fell in step behind him as they made their way with solid pace towards their target. Each time he looked back to check on her, she added pep into her step with an extra bounce. When he looked away, however, her bounce disappeared. Tracking took a while, and it was nearly unavoidable unless they got lucky, but it sure killed the vibe of an exciting hunt underneath the moonlight. She felt exhaustion sweeping over her - much stronger than before - and let her legs lag, taking shorter paces over long extended once. She didn't particularly bother to match her tracks with Caedwyn's long strides.
When Caedwyn sniffed at fresher tracks, she joined him, her tongue once more working the odor. A stag, she picked up. Her heart started to thump faster in her chest as the excitement of the hunt grew within her once more. Again, the weariness edged its self away, but not entirely. There was some strange feeling that loomed inside her - part of her and yet not all in once. She lowered her head and slinked through the underbrush of the forest with all the stealth she could muster. Here her slender frame and long legs benefited her greatly. It was easy for her to step over fallen logs and obstacles that might interrupt her stealth. Soon enough, her eyes found the figure of the buck standing not far from them. Her forked tongue scented the air once more, and she recognized a familiarity to the odor. Definitely Stag - Red Stag at that.
There was a pause in Enya's steps as she looked and stared at the buck standing before them, hosting small nubs for antlers due to the season of the current. There was no collar strapped around the buck's neck. There was no indentation in the buck's fur to indicate that one had been worn within the recent at all. In fact, the closer she looked, the more she realized that the scars he wore did not seem to be visible, either. Caedwyn took the opportunity to (she assumed) move around to the other side of the buck. They had a better chance at catching it if two of it's sides were covered. If it bolted away from her, perhaps he could catch it on the other side or vice-versa. After a few moments, Enya anticipated Caedwyn's approach from the other side. Her head stayed low as she crouched, ready to spring and charge forward. Movement exploded from the other side, and suddenly Caedwyn was on top of the Buck, sinking deadly weapons into the stag's body.
Enya's own cover was suddenly blown as she felt a sharp pain erupt through her back. She raised her head and cried out with a furious, high pitched snarl through barred fangs. Her body twisted as she leapt up into the air, jumping away from where the pain had come from (in her head). All thoughts of the deer were gone in that moment, and only returned when she heard it cry out as well, simultaneously alongside her. Open wounds formed along her backside. "No! Stop!" she cried out not just to Caedwyn, but to the buck as well. No, not the Buck. She cried to Buck himself. Within her mind echoed one angry word, spoken so furiously that if anger could kill, she would have flopped over dead. "WOLF!"
"Caedwyn!" Enya cried out, hoping to direct him away from the hunt and to join her side - which she now laid on having landed poorly after her leap up into the air. Buck whirled on Caedwyn, trying to throw him off, bucking wildly like the ferocious animal it was. Enya tried to get to her feet and succeeded, just in time to look and see Buck flailing like a crazed animal. "Stop it!" she shouted louder, but something strange was happening to her. Something strange she hadn't noticed until just now, after the wounds across her back had opened up. This was her Buck, but she could hardly sense his tie to her. The pain, the impact of sudden weight on her had been present, but otherwise it was like sand running between her toes, just slipping through her grasp. Normally one to obey her commands - even if he fully desired to defy her - he ceased to listen now. Regardless, she had to make the fighting stop.
He leapt onto the back of the deer, using his powerful legs to send him forcefully into the air and sharp claws dug deep into the flesh of the beast. It seemed even with the twig snapping at an inopportune moment, Caedwyn had still managed to get the beast by surprise. His jaws flashed open before snapping shut again. His teeth pierced into the back of the bucks neck. Any moment now, he was sure Enya would jump forward and take the buck by the throat and bring it down. "No! Stop!" He hardly had time to hear her cry out, much less comprehend it with the adrenaline of the moment pumping through his veins. "Caedwyn! Stop it!" When she shouted louder, the noise hit him unexpectedly. It sounded pained and desperate. The urgency of her voice drew his attention, eyes flicking over to where he had left her as his jaws opened and head lifted to try to find her. But she wasn't in the bushes where he'd left her. Instead she was on the ground, laying on her side. Something wasn't right. SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT. Had some creature caught her? Was there danger? His forelegs released their grip on the bucking deer and he slid off, not paying attention to see what the beast did when he let go. His attention was fully on Enya now.
"Enya!" He shouted back, his voice full of a worry he didn't know it could have. The sound was strange and equally desperate. What had happened? He rushed to her, his breath ragged both from his attack on the deer and from the quickness at which he made his way to her. His eyes darted over her. Blood. Blood!? Why was there blood? His noise picked up unmistakable scent and his eyes began to search her. "Are you hurt? W-What happened? H-How?" He was speaking so fast that his words came out jumbled. There! Along her back he could see the flesh was torn. His head lifted momentarily to gaze back at the bushes where he had left her. Was there some sort of predator nearby? Another wolf? Something else?
But nothing had emerged behind her in pursuit.
His eyes moved back down to her and he pushed his nose in close to examine her. A bite mark on the back of her neck, and long cuts on her shoulders moving down her back. It was almost like... like... the deer. A thought crept in the back of his mind. Not fully formed but just as potent. It was like the buck. His nose was close to the bite mark. He could see it now. The marks lined up perfectly with his jaws. But how? It didn't quite make sense, and yet somehow this malformed suspicion... this evil fear began to grow in him. Had he somehow hurt her? Maybe an illusion? Had he jumped on Enya thinking it was a deer? Was this some sort of cruel trick being played on him? Some evil force lurking to turn him against Enya?
"I don't understand." He said, his voice shaking and his body trembling. "Did I... did .... I ...". He couldn't even finish the words and instead looked down at Enya, his eyes began to shimmer on the verge of tears.
