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.
Spring faded into early Summer as the days passed. The wet rainy season turned into warm humidity and then to dry heat. Today was a particularly sweltering day, despite still being early in the season. The midday sun hung overhead in a clear sky and the unusually warm air was thick and humid. Seeking relief from the warmth, Caedwyn had trekked into the grasslands, moving into a dry river valley. At the lowest point, a shallow river made its way across the landscape. Its shores were wide and caked with mud and dry dirt. Coming down to the banks, Caedwyn carefully made his way out across the expanse of mud, watching each step to ensure safe footing. The mud was thick and sticky and after examining the terrain for a moment, Caedwyn lowered himself down into the mud, allowing his legs and belly to sink into the cool, dampness of the mud. He laid, legs stretched out comfortably in front of him, watching the gentle flow of the river move in front of him.
Over two months had passed since Caedwyn had spoken to Enya about forming a home here… about forming a pack. As much as Caedwyn hated to part ways, he needed to gather information if he was truly going to make a home worthy of their ideals; worthy of their aspirations and those they hoped to reunite with. So Caedwyn had set off to explore the continent, returning every week to make sure Enya had not disappeared. Sometimes he would find her directly, but others he simply caught her scent and moved on, knowing she was still nearby. In that time he’d met many of the inhabitants of this land. Some of them were hospitable. Others not so much.
His most recent journey had been to the mountains in the northeast. He’d finally managed to scout the area to his liking and now it was time to return again. This time, he hoped he’d have time to speak more at length with Enya. His journeys had given him plenty of time for thoughts of the future, thoughts of their pack, and now it was time for things to begin.
Caedwyn had not been the only busy bee buzzing around the bustling blooming bluffs and bleak bogs. After agreeing to help Caedwyn build a home here, she did what she did best: put herself hard at work. Perhaps it was to help distract her from her missing companions. Perhaps it was to prove to herself that she could make this place a home. It wasn’t an unreasonable thought. She’d done it before in her life. She just hoped - nay prayed - that this might be the last home she would have to make. She couldn’t lie to herself. Enya was getting older than she’d like to admit. She was by no means an elder wolf, but she was now well traveled and versed in the different varieties of worlds and cultures. She’d learned a massive amount of information throughout her five years of life, held loves and and lost them, birthed children and watched (albeit without their knowledge) as they took off into the world to have lives of their own.
However, Enya was tired. She was tired of searching. Tired of ending up empty pawed. Tired of being ran off and out of her own homes because they weren’t really ever her homes. They were the homes of others that she had moved into. Vrolga, as much as it was her first home, had hardly ever really been hers. Sure, she’d lead it. Sure, she’d commanded the entire force and ruled as Queen, but it had never been hers. She had taken over the home, and eventually relinquished it, to those who truly belonged there and grew up there. The Kingdom, it had never really ever been hers at all. She’d been given a promise and held a wish, both of which had manifested into nothing, simply a fake position of power.
Caedwyn had offered her something that no one else had. This was not a home already formed. This was not an established pack with history to learn and adapt to. This was all brand new, and this was theirs. In truth, this was Caedwyn’s. It had been his idea, after all, so in her mind it would be his but she would be there beside him. She would be there to support him. Nothing had changed since the very first day they had met so many years ago. The conversation they had held together, the exact words had escaped her. However, the feeling of the meaning still remained firm. He had offered her a place of refuge and she would accept his offer.
After exploring the depths of the jungle, Enya had made her way south and had stumbled upon a coastal region. Seeing the region made her heart ache, suddenly missing the pack of pirate wolves she’d grown so fond of as Queen, the first pack she’d practiced true diplomacy with (and succeeded). She did find some stragglers here and there scattered about and fishing the beaches, but there was nothing organized that she could find. It also seemed that those she found weren’t exactly fond of outsiders. They’d done their best to chase her off and she had let them succeed. Across the waters she’d found desert wasteland. She’d turned away from it almost immediately, not willing to relive the memories of her beloved frozen in stone. Back to the jungle she had returned to settle into the small pond she’d found. Caedwyn had been here recently, but she couldn’t find him in the immediate area.
So, Enya did what she did quite well at this point. The crystal around her neck began to glow and her teal eyes turned almost to an ice-like color as she stared into the pool, thinking strongly of Caedwyn as she did so. In the water his figure appeared somewhere in a region she couldn’t identify immediately. She focused her energy further and saw several glimpses of him in the past - leaving the jungle in a northerly direction - crossing through some forests and over mountains - entering plains - finding more mountains and rivers. A heavy gasp left Enya as her magic vanished, her eyes returning to their usual teal color. She panted hard as the crystal around her neck ceased to glow. She couldn’t see everything he had done, but she could see enough to know that he had gone north somewhere.
She was going to go find him.
The tropical jungle with its heat and humidity was left behind as she took her days traveling north across waterways, through forests, and over rivers. Luckily she was so familiar with his scent that tracking him was not too terribly difficult. Occasionally the trail was lost but with some effort, she could recover it and pick it up once more. At last, she’d found her companion lounging near where she’d last scryed him just the day before. She overlooked the dried riverbed from the elevated bank, picking out his figure after some effort. It was impressive, really, how well his red and brown pelt could blend into the landscape. Especially when it seemed that he’d taken the liberty of slathering mud across his legs and lower half. Enya barked a high pitched yip from her perch above then quickly ducked back behind the ridge to hide her figure, toying with him. Slinking down south of the ridgeline, she peeked her head back over the edge once more and grinned at him, letting out another yip. Instead of hiding this time, however, she leapt down the ridge to land in the ravine, stumbling and catching herself at the base of it. Unlike Caedwyn, however, she would not be coating herself in the mud. Blessed with a thin coat, she didn’t feel the need to pant and seek shelter like those with thicker coats. Plus, if she ever got too hot, she could just cool the liquid in the air around her. It was really much cleaner than what he was doing.
“You know, if you’re hot you could have just asked me for some help.” She stood her ground on the dryer cracked banks where snow melt once would have pushed the river level higher than it was now. “Or is this some sort of fashion statement I’m witnessing? Doesn’t it bother you, getting stuck in your coat? Between your toes? Ah, nevermind. I’m not here to judge your methods. I’m here to catch up with you, see some new lands, and share what I’ve found so far. Plus, I’m sure you’ve missed my company terribly.”
Caedwyn was fully enjoying himself, soaking in the thick, cool mud. That was until a sharp yip came from up over the banks. He looked toward the sound but instead of being greeted with a familiar face he saw only the dry bank above him. He knew that voice though. His ears cupped forward as his eyes stared in the direction of the yip. Was Enya playing some sort of game? It was certainly amusing. And just as he was about to get up, another yip. This time from the side. His head swiveled sharply, in time to catch her grinning face as she left down from the bank. He couldn’t help but smile at her antics. His tail wagged lightly, making a soft squishy sound as it tapped against the mud.
“Oh yes, haven’t you heard?” he jested with a coy smile. “Mud is the newest trend. It’s all the rage.” He teased, offering her a smile as he spoke. He pushed himself up onto his feet, listening as she questioned whether the experience bothered him. He wiggled his toes, squishing the mud around beneath his paws as she continued speaking, thinking about it for a moment.But as quickly as she’d brought it up, her comment was brushed aside by her own words.
“Yes, I had been meaning to find you. I’ve traveled quite a ways north of here. It’s much colder up north but the land seems plentiful enough.” He’d never really liked the cold. Despite his thick coat that would seem ideal for cold weather, Caedwyn rather disliked being cold. He’d grown up in the sweltering heat of a jungle so being hot was the norm for him. Being cold was just miserable. “The terrain to the northwest is mountainous and steep.” It reminded him of the plateau where he’d gone undercover in Athadia. It brought back memories he’d long since pushed behind him and he paused slightly. Whether it was a noticeable pause or not was unknown. But Caedwyn then quickly started again, moving those memories from his mind.
“But most importantly, I haven’t seen any claim on the lands here. I have not seen any traces of markings to identify pack borders and those I have come across have all been vagrants and wanderers. But I have found a few wolves who are interested in joining our endeavor so far. ” His words grew thoughtful. It was a bit odd, thinking about it. How was it that in such a wide place that they’d found, no one had yet laid claim to any part of the land? He supposed it worked out better for them in the end. “What of your travels? Have you come across anything interesting?”
Caedwyn’s sarcasm caused her own tail to sway too and fro behind her, her muzzle returning his smile. “I’ll have to pass on that trend I’m afraid. Brown just doesn’t go with the rest of my color scheme.” She watched as he stood and maneuvered his paws - presumably testing the mud, and shuddered at the action, imagining the icky feeling of the mud pulling against her paws between her toes.
So, she’d gone south and east and he’d gone north. The two of them had covered a fair bit of land, it seemed. The mention of the colder north made Enya’s tail wag harder. Many were fooled by her thin pelt, thinking that she wasn’t made for the cold. In fact, she’d believed the same about herself until only a year or so ago now. Gosh, had it really been that long? She had learned that she was made for the cold, not by physical design, but by her birthright and element.
She’d have to go pay a visit to the north and pay homage to her ancestors.
He spoke what she’d come to realize alongside him. She’d ran into wolves who could almost be considered a group, but nothing official of pack-life existed in this region it seemed. However, unlike her, he claimed to have found some wolves who seemed interested in the idea of joining a pack. Interesting. They were willing to join one, but not willing to run one themselves? She’d have to run them through trials to see just what they could offer the pack Caedwyn imagined - though what he imagined she hadn’t the slightest idea.
The conversation was handed back over to her. She idly shook her body, her tail slowly wagging behind her as the conversation turned from jest to a more serious tone. “Well, to the east of the jungle there’s a large coastal region. I ran into a few wolves there who didn’t seem interested in my company. They ran me off, but it was more a small family than a true pack. There were no territory marks. I continued east and found a desert. I didn’t step foot into it, and instead turned back towards the jungle. There were others here and there, but I only caught them by scent and distant sight as I traveled through the grasslands to find you here wallowing in mud.”
Enya took a moment to shake and settle down into a sit. It was hot, so she panted slightly, just enough to let her tongue hang from her parted jaws. She could use a rest after the traveling she’d done. Oh, how she sometimes (most of the times) missed the easier pampered life of being Queen. “So, what’s the next move from here?”
Caedwyn listened thoughtfully as Enya detailed the regions she’d traveled: A jungle, a desert, and a coastal area. This place certainly didn’t lack diversity in terrain and ecosystems. If the lands Enya had explored were as large as the ones Caedwyn had ventured, this place was truly massive. Good, he thought. At least if they were going to make their home here, he wanted space. He wanted room for them to grow and not worry about diplomatic yipping and yawing. In fact, he wanted more than just space. He wanted it all. All of it. Every single rock and tree and blade of grass. Was it ambition that drove his thoughts suddenly as he began to think it over? Or was it greed?
“So, what’s the next move from here?” she asked.
Between the two of them, they had found wolves willing to join, wolves that chased them away, and everything in-between. He continued to think before answering her. It was a problem. The wolves that ignored them weren’t so much of a problem as the ones that had chased Enya away. They were a threat. What would happen next time if they got bolder? Or wanted to do more than simply chase her off? Of course, Enya could handle her own but what about everyone else?
“There are no borders here.” he said vaguely, still thinking. “That is the nature of this place. We will lay claim to these lands… all of this will be our dominion. I don’t want to squabble over resources, over petty ideologies, over territories. We will make use of those who are willing, and as for those who oppose us - well -” he smirked a bit as his tone changed and a little chuckle escaped, “Well - they can meet Tsillah sooner than expected.”
Would Enya think this was too ambitious? Claiming all of the lands? He had his reasons though. He only hoped she’d come to the same realizations he had on the topic.
What Caedwyn said next made her see him in a light she’d never thought to see him in before. The confidence. The drive. The ambition. It almost shocked her. Almost, but not quite. ‘All of this will be our dominion.’ Enya loved that idea. Owning the entirety of the lands that they roamed? Yes please! She could go wherever she pleased, whenever she pleased, and not have to sneak around or ask permission or beg forgiveness or owe pounds of flesh just for wanting to exist in a certain location. She could stake out little claims of her own, a place in the north for her winter rituals, and a place in the south for some warm sun and relaxation. There would be fishing aplenty anywhere she went. She could roam as her heart desired. Her mind swam with the possibilities and her tail picked up wagging quickly behind her once more, brushing against the dry cracked soil beneath her.
And, Caedwyn openly giving permission for her to strike down those who opposed them? Oh, she could just about kiss him right now! He was giving her everything she could have wanted and dreamed of, handing it to her openly right here and right now.
Deciding to stay here, with him, and deciding to make a home here with him was quickly and decidedly becoming the best decision she’d made in a long, long time. Oh, her family would be so spoiled once they arrived - whenever and wherever that may be. And until then? She would be a Queen once more! Or would she?
“That’s a bold claim, but one I support whole-heartedly. I’m sure Tsillah will be grateful for us directing those who oppose us to her doorstep.” She smirked alongside him, her eyes sparkling with excitement at the prospect. “I’m just curious though… where do I fit into all of this? You asked me to join you. You proposed and conjured this whole idea and plan. I told you before that I will stand with you and that has not changed, but where exactly is it that I stand?” She wanted to be Queen, but what she wanted didn’t matter much if she was following Caedwyn’s lead on this adventure.
When she responded, Caedwyn's anxious heart relaxed and his tail gave a quick wag. She was pleased with his plans. He had worried she would caution him to be more 'realistic' or to not be so bold with his plans. His ears flicked back in happiness as he imagined their success. He was so relieved with her reaction that her next words caught him a bit off-guard. Where did she fit into this? "... but where exactly is it that I stand?" The question was jolting. His wagging tail slowed before dropping and becoming still. He had been so quick to make plans that he'd made assumptions and he hadn't stopped to discuss how this would actually work with her. Where would she stand? What was her part in this? He was doing all this for her. Well, partly for himself, but at the end of the day all of this was so that they could have a home together. It made sense she'd want to know what her part in all this would be.
You'll always be my Tsiltan. His heart spoke into his mind but he dared not let the words escape. The title he gave her was that of a leader. His leader. But that word didn't fit anymore. It was a word from his old home, from Vrolga. But Vrolga wasn't here. He wasn't Vrolgan anymore - as much as that pained his heart to admit. That pack was far behind. She wasn't Tsiltan and this wasn't Vrolga. So, what was she then? They had to become something new.
"You've already answered that," he replied. "At my side." It was the only way this was going to work. He already knew Enya was too proud of a wolf to follow him blindly. More than that, she was too strong. He'd tried to challenge her once before and lost (not that he wanted to challenge her now). They needed to be on equal footing. Enya had charisma and experience as a leader. She was powerful. Despite his willingness and ambition to lead, Caedwyn lacked experience. Enya would make up for those shortcomings. Side-by-side, they would carve out a home from these lands. "I said I would follow you, and I meant it. I want you here, with me, as equals. I need you, Enya." The words came smooth and strong as his eyes looked to hers. Was this what she wanted though? Or was she done being a leader? She had been through so much - much that he knew and surely more that she hadn't shared with him. He wondered if she was done playing that part. Maybe she just wanted to sit back and enjoy what life had to offer at this point.
But the way she had answered before. That smirk. The twinkle in her eye. It all told him she wasn't done yet. It told him she wanted this. "I need your power." He said, taking a step and moving closer to her. His voice held a bit of a mischievous tone. "I need..." he teased the word, pausing as he side stepped and let his eyes move across her body. "... your fangs. I need... " He leaned in close, looking at her face and letting his eyes trail down to her maw. He leaned desperately close, until their noses nearly touched and he could feel her breath. "...your mouth." He smiled a mischievous smile, finally letting his eyes glance back up to hers.
"Our pack will need your voice to follow... and your fangs to punish those who refuse us. The top is the only place suited for you, obviously." Oh how he missed playing these games with her. It reminded him of the first time they'd met. He could hardly hold it together as his heart pounded heavily in his chest. It was a dangerous game toying with her though. When they had first met, Enya had been scared and easily tricked by his antics. But now she wasn't. She wasn't a wolf to be easily frightened anymore and he knew at any moment she could simply overpower him if she wasn't amused. His blood rushed at the uncertainty of it all, wondering if his trickery would amuse her, excite her, or anger her.
Caedwyn's answer relaxed Enya's nerves. She hadn't realized that while asking the question, she'd subconsciously tightened her body, worrying that he would immediately tell her that she was beneath him. It wouldn't have been an unexpected answer and if it had been spoken, she would have accepted the position regardless. Perhaps she would have given him shit for it, but she would have accepted it. However, that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be Queen. She wanted to be in charge. She wanted to hold the power of a leader. There was no way she could lie to herself and tell herself otherwise. 'I want you here, with me, as equals. I need you, Enya.' Equals. They would be equals. Not mated equals, but equals in rank, equals in responsibility, equals in ruling the entirety of the lands they claimed as their own.
She would be Queen after all.
Caedwyn took a step towards her, causing her to stand from her sit. 'I need your power' he claimed, causing a warmth to stir in her chest at his acknowledgment of her prowess. 'I need your fangs.' he claimed, drawing out his words and letting his eyes obviously gaze over her body. Enya's fur stiffened at the action, standing along the ridge between her shoulder. Her tail flicked behind her subconsciously, though she didn't flinch away from the actions or movement. In fact, Enya's lips lifted just slightly, revealing the tips of the fangs hidden in her muzzle. He leaned in closer to her, their noses nearly touching. 'I need your mouth'. She felt his breath intertwining with hers as she remained standing, tense against his actions. Was he testing her? Teasing her? Pursuing her? She wasn't sure and opted to hold her ground and see just what he had intended for her.
He pulled back enough to let his eyes wander over her again and suddenly clarified his meanings. 'The top is the only place suited for you, obviously.' Her body remained tense, her fur remained bristled, and her fang tips remained exposed, but the serious look on her face melted away. The smirk she wore before, the smirk she wore nearly all the time, pulled hard at her lips. Enya leaned forward, closing the gap between herself and Caedwyn to rub her body along the side of his, pushing against him to ensure their scents intertwined. The mud gained on her pelt was worth it. "Queen it is, then." She wrapped her tail under his chin as she circled around from one side of his body to the other, pausing to stand beside him now on his right, still pressed against him. Her muzzle lifted upwards towards his ear and she whispered into it, still wearing her smirk on her face, "I hope you know what you're doing, Alpha."
He noticed how her hackles rose at his words; how her lip quivered slightly to reveal her fangs. Inside, he was trembling with anticipation and uncertainty. It felt like he was on the edge of a knifes blade. One small tip to the side and he'd be at the mercy of her anger and fangs... but on the other side of the knife, if she was pleased with him - well, he wasn't sure what to expect there to be honest. He had never known Enya to hide her feelings and he was sure she would let him know quickly if she disapproved of his antics. When she leaned forward, Caedwyn's body tensed and his ears flicked forward. His body was poised, ready to react to whatever she was going to throw at him in the coming moments. He stood his ground as she leaned in, pressing herself alongside him, and his eyes followed her movement - not even noticing how the mud on his body was transferred to hers. No, he was too busy watching her eyes, watching how she moved. He was too busy feeling a rush of excitement at her touch.
"Queen it is, then." Whether she meant it to or not, to Caedwyn her words slipped out like thick oil, coating his senses as he listened and watched intently. Yes. She was certainly worthy of the title Queen. There was no denying that. He did nothing when her tail flicked under his chin, but he let a wickedly pleased smile stretch his maw as she moved around him again, circling to his other side. When she leaned in, his head titled ever so slightly but he didn't turn toward her. Instead now he kept his gaze forward, looking out ahead of him as he let her move freely.
He wasn't going to try to control whatever was happening between them. Instead, he was just going to stand there and take it in every second of it and let her touch wash over him. "I hope you know what you're doing, Alpha." A shiver went through his body at her words. It was sweet, sweet victory. Hearing her call him that and finally acknowledge him felt better than anything he'd ever imagined. He hadn't realized he had wanted it so badly until the words danced on his ears. Enya was acknowledging him. He wasn't just her underling, following her will or doing her bidding. No, he was the one calling the shots and she had admitted it. He was finally walking beside her. He was her equal. Without even realizing he was doing it, his tail smoothly rose behind him, arching up over his back in a proud, dominant display.
It felt good. Really good. He could feel her against him and his heart pounded. His breath was heavy as he tried to contain the rawness of his emotions that coursed through his veins. Was that her breathing he could feel or his own? Was it her heartbeat pressed against him that he felt pounding or was his own? And why was she touching him this way? He'd made a short-sighted decision to tease her, to imply,... to flirt. He had expected embarrassment. Or maybe more likely than embarrassment, he'd expected her to sass him and tease him right back. But not this. Was this a game or... the thought lingered, as he questioned whether this was simply a game they were playing back and forth, like cat and mouse, or whether he was the one who had misjudged the situation all this time. But despite his questioning, he couldn't deny how good it made him feel. The way she touched him; her confidence; the way she whispered in his ear: all of those things made him feel powerful, and it gave him an insatiable hunger deep in his belly. What was this hunger? This desire?
Thought it had felt like eternity, letting the surge move through his body, only a short moment had actually passed. As her voice finished in his ear, he turned quickly to finally face her. Their noses were nearly touching and with a quick movement, shifted his weight backward to balance more on his hind legs and lifted one of his front legs. He moved to place his paw over her shoulder, near the base of her neck almost as though he was pulling her in for a hug. Just as quickly, he lowered his head, leaning in close, and pressed his mouth into the fur just behind her ear, letting his lips touch her as he let out a deep, low tone.
"My Queen." The words were quiet - being that he was speaking directly toward her ear almost like a secret shared between them - but not quite a whisper. No, this voice was not a sly teasing whisper. It was a confident, commanding voice. "I always know what I'm doing."
The moment of contact was broken. Caedwyn left her side, leaving an emptiness in his wake. Her side suddenly felt cold and barren without his warmth against it, and she began to recognize that in his wake, mud clinged to her pelt. The very mud that she had tried to avoid coating herself with to begin with. He shifted and Enya stilled, watching and waiting to see what he would do next. Dare he do the unthinkable... well he'd have to meet her fangs. He reared up, shifted his weight, and a leg came down on her to wrap around her neck, his large body weighing on her, making her stiffen her front legs. Her neck braced, pushing back against his weight so she did not fall and stumble forward from the sudden gain. She was pulled forward by him and she allowed it. He spoke into her ear.
"My Queen"
A flurry of emotions rushed and surged through Enya. Faces flashed by in her mind's eye, faces that had all used the same term in such an intimate way. She shuddered and started to wonder if she had pushed this game too far. Her breath quickened, her heart beating faster in her chest. Was it simply a term used because she was the Queen at his side, or was it meant as a term to make claim to her? Their lives had been intertwined for most of her living, breathing life. He was the first wolf to welcome her to Vrolga, to the place where she had found herself as an individual, and he was the remaining wolf here with her, now, in this strange realm. They had time apart, but somehow they always ended up back together again. Through all of that time, they had played a game with one another. Enya had never considered herself a prude, and yet when the chances had arose, she'd not once considered Caedwyn for her games. Why? What had made him different from the others? It was no secret that she enjoyed exploring, and yet Caedwyn had never been an option. She couldn't wrap her mind around the reasoning.
"I always know what I'm doing."
The challenge, the confidence in how he spoke, it was enough to break Enya from her internal wonder and worry. 'Is that so?' she pondered inwardly to herself, steadying her beating heart and her nerves alike. At least one of them did, because she sure as hell didn't know what she was doing right now. All she knew is what she felt which at the current moment was reckless. 'Fuck it' she told herself. Take advantage of the situation. Let the game continue and see where it lead. The worst that could happen would be heartbreak, and honestly if that was the worst, then she could handle it. She'd had much worse before. What was one more dose of such a foul medicine?
Her muzzle lifted and with a playful nip, Enya snipped at the scar on his muzzle. She said nothing to him as she wiggled from his grasp, slipping free with a fluid motion, and stepped backwards to put half a length between the two of them. There was no anger in her body posture, no evil glint in her eyes. In fact, the moment she backed away and put the distance between them, she dropped down into a play bow with her tail flagging high in the air behind her waving to and fro. She grinned as she stared at Caedwyn, a challenge in her eyes. 'Come get me' it said. The game of cat and mouse would continue, and the ball was once more in his court to see who would duck out of the game first. And if neither did? Well... that was later Enya's problem to cope with.
With an action just as fluid as the previous had been to free herself from his embrace, she bounced up from her play bow and spun, taking off down the edge of the muddy riverbank. She wouldn't make the game of catch easy on him.
