Ascending Legends

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled genuinely as he leaned his head gently against Arryn's. They sat there for a while longer in silence, just enjoying the beautiful scenery and each others company. The moon was rising by the time they had started back towards the inn. As it peaked up over the mountains Dayn felt strangely exhilarated. He couldn't explain it. His body felt relaxed and loose, yet strong and formidable. His shoulders, which had been tense for the better part of the day, relaxed along with his demeanor and stride. His shoulder stopped aching, and Dayn even felt like his bruising from being knocked off the horse was gone. But what really made him wonder was when his senses seemed to dial up a notch.


He could see things clearer than usual for him at night. The sounds were crisp and sharp, the smells revealing in detail things he never expected. When someone walked by he could tell where they had been, who they had been with, and possibly what they had been doing. One man, a traveling merchant, smelled distinctly of two different women, causing Dayn to not only wonder what the man had been doing and why he was able to understand these things now. But what really bothered him came after they arrived back at the inn.


Dayn had walked Arryn to the room to get some rest, stating that he was going to grab some food before joining her. The crowd was rather lively, with people from all over the fief coming into Riverbend for the Harvest Festival and to seek refuge from the beast. As Dayn sat at the bar finishing up his meal he caught a whiff of something that set his senses off. A band of traveling minstrels had been playing tonight, one of which was a beautiful young blonde haired girl. She wore the snug fitting attire of a dancer, all of which accentuated her ample curves. But it was more than just the sight, it was her smell, that of lilac and gooseberries, something Dayn found oddly arousing tonight. When it occurred to him what was running through his mind Dayn downed the rest of his ale, laid his payment on the counter, and walked back to his room.


He entered quietly, making sure not to disturb Arryn. He checked the fire before taking off his shirt and walking towards the bed. Out of curiosity he checked, and to his amazement, his scars were barely, if at all, visible. Despite feeling better than he had in weeks Dayn yawned, realizing that he would need some sleep, and climbed into bed before snuggling up against Arryn and wrapping his arms around her. Despite his moment in the dining hall Dayn knew that there was only one woman for him.


His dreams that night were filled with strange sensations. He was running through the forest faster than a galloping horse. He would leap across streams and over logs and boulders. He felt amazing! The strength and power in his body made him feel ten times the man he knew he was. But in the dream he knew he was pursuing something. He was on the hunt, and his prey was close. He stopped in his tracks suddenly as a scream broke the silence. Arryn! She was in trouble! Dayn charged forward, running harder and faster than he could imagine, before coming upon the sight of a warg on top of Arryn, it's jaws snapping just above her face. Anger filled Dayn as he charged the beast, tearing into it with a fury he had never known before.


After he had slain the beast he turned to Arryn, slowly walking over to her to make sure she was okay. When she slowly backed away from him, panic in her eyes, Dayn felt like he had been struck through the heart. Suddenly a group of men appeared, all armed with spears that flashed like silver in the night. Dayn tried to run, but found himself surrounded. He looked to Arryn, hopeful that she would tell them that it was just him, it was her Dayn. When the spearmen began to drive their blades into his flesh he awoke with a start. He ran his hands over his body, checking to make sure he was whole. Content when he didn't see any blood, Dayn got up and tended to the fire before pouring himself a glass of water from a silver pitcher. As he grabbed the handle his hand burned with an intense pain, causing him to jerk his hand back, his palm reddened, though it slowly stopped hurting and returned to normal. Dayn stared at the pitcher before grabbing a hand towel and using it to pour himself the water. He carefully sat the pitcher down, making sure to keep his body away from it, and drained the water in one gulp before crawling back into bed. He didn't dream again that night.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn woke up a bit after dawn, though she was still tired. She ignored it though, and looked at Dayn. She hesitated in waking him; right now she didn't have to worry for him, he wasn't concerned, he wasn't at risk, he wasn't in pain. She'd thought it odd last night, when he'd gone downstairs for more food, but they still didn't know exactly what was happening to him, so she didn't pry. After a few moments, she sighed and nuzzled lightly against his neck. "Dayn, mo chroi, it's after dawn. I don't know if you want to be up or not." Were they supposed to expect a visit from his family this afternoon? As much as she wanted to meet his parents, she hoped not. Not until they knew what was wrong with Dayn.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn woke, his head slightly in a daze, but overall he still felt really good. He sat up and yawned as he stretched out surprisingly loose muscles. For some reason as he yawned his tongue brushed up against his canines which, oddly, felt longer. "But do we have to get up, love?" Despite being awake Dayn laid back and nuzzled up against Arryn before kissing her lightly. Suddenly he felt the desire to go further than just a light kiss on the lips. He kissed her again as he ran his fingers gently, slowly through her hair. He would have liked to go further but a knock of the door killed the moment. Dayn sighed, "I'll get it." It was one the inn-keeps assistants with a tray of food and a letter. Dayn accepted the tray, gave the kid a coin, before closing the door and bringing the tray back to the bed. "I don't recall ordering breakfast?" The letter explained it all.


Dearest Son,


The elders drug their feet about making any decision, as usual, and we have had to push the meeting on into today. I give you my deepest apology, I am dying to see you and your dearest Arryn.


Love, Madame Josephine De'Laurentis.


PS, I sent up a tray on me. Enjoy


Dayn sighed both in relief and disappointment. He would have liked to see his family, but with the matter of having just been attacked and already mostly, if not completely, healed would raise suspicion, and since tonight was the full moon Dayn needed to know what he was becoming. Already he felt like he was a new man, awake and lively instead of his usual tired morning norm. "It would look like we have one more day to ourselves. I suppose we should probably make use of it to look over those books, though I think breakfast and a good hot bath are in order first."





(If you want to skip to where they are looking over the books you can)

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn flipped patiently through the Northern lore book, her wet hair in a loose braid over her shoulder. While she could easily have slept another eight hours, and then some, she was back in healer mode, determined to help Dayn. She had her book propped up against her raised knees and her head laying on Dayn's chest. "I don't see anything, however, I'm not even a third the way through." The fact that irked her more than anything was that she had some faint recollection of this legend, but it wasn't in the book; well, not yet, at least. Were they back in Rorich, she'd know who to ask, if her own mother didn't know of course, it'd be an old dwarf who lived in a cave in the mountains and called himself Libro, olden tongue for "Book". He knew just about any myth or fable in existence, as well as most of Trulane's history, almost literally a living book. She, Matthias, and Kalie had discovered his mountain hideout while hiking on unsafe ground for fun. "Are you having better luck, mo chroi?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn flipped through the book, scanning mostly around the pages he had found the information on the first time. "Still no luck." Dayn was frustrated, a little bit anyway, but he was enjoying being around Arryn too much to care at the moment. For some reason he had been feeling exceptionally good all morning. Even his bath had been more invigorating than usual. But now, as he flipped to the very end of the book, Dayn shut the covers, a small cloud of dust poofing into the air, before sighing. "Besides that partial page there is nothing else in this book. I don't get it though. Why has no one tried to rewrite the information?"

 

[Dragongal]

"Perhaps nobody has looked in that book in a long time," Arryn suggested. She flipped a page and paused, then took Dayn's hand, quietly saying, "Mo chroi... 'The only thing that can truly cause harm to the afflicted is pure silver, especially when in the beast state. The afflicted can easily be found by being near them on a full moon. The transformation takes place on a full moon, the afflicted shifting from man to beast. There is no guarantee that he will recognize any family or friends during this time, though there are reports of this being the case. During this beast phase, the afflicted is most certainly... dangerous to be around....'" Arryn read the last part slowly, looking up at Dayn.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn could feel the color drain from his face when Arryn grabbed his hand, and it almost felt like his heart stopped when she read the last words. Dayn sat on the bed in silence as the words sank in. What was he supposed to do now? The full moon was tonight, and according to the passage, he would become a beast, unable to recognize friend and family. Dayn sat up on the bed, his hand still gripping Arryn's, covering his face as the tears began to fall. "I am a beast....."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn folded in the corner of the page for later and set the book aside. She wrapped her arms around Dayn, still holding his hand, quietly saying, "No, you're Dayn. You're my Dayn, mo chroi, we'll find a way to fix this, I promise. I'm going to be with you no matter what, okay? We'll work with it in the meantime. My only concern isn't about you, it's about the hunters not recognizing you. When's the next full moon?" Arryn honestly had no idea when the next full moon was, which was ironic, when one considered that - well, that was unimportant for the moment. At the moment, it was Dayn she was concerned about, not because of what the full moon would bring, but because of his apparent fear of it. She used her free hand to pull his hand away from his face and wipe off his tears. "I love you, Dayn. I'm not leaving you, ever."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn looked up at Arryn, knowing that even though he didn't want to tell her she needed to know. "It's tonight." Dayn held onto Arryn tightly. "The next full moon is tonight." Dayn lost control after that, unable to hold back the tears. He laid his head against Arryn's shoulder as he cried. Foolish, scared, worried about Arryn, Dayn was torn between what emotion to feel at the moment. But despite knowing what was going to happen that night Dayn was less worried about himself and more worried about Arryn. She would be there with him whether he liked it or not. There was nothing he could say to her that could keep her away, and she knew that as well as he did. Finally, after calming down, Dayn placed his hands on either side of Arryn's face, slowly rubbing his thumb along her cheeks as he laid his forehead against hers.





"I know there is....nothing I can say to keep you from coming with me tonight. We will go to the old elven garden, but Arryn." Dayn looked up at her with red, tear stained eyes, "don't put yourself in danger on my behalf. I don't know what will happen tonight when the moon rises. I don't know if I'll be able to control myself. If something happens.........please don't get hurt."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn quietly said, "Dayn, no matter what happens, I don't think you'd hurt me. And remember, I can cast shields anyway. I promise, I won't let anything happen." It was good that Dayn accepted that she wasn't going to just leave him to his fate. Her words were a partial lie, as she doubted she could truly cast a formidable shield more than once, but numerous minor shields, likely. She smiled to him, and said, "We have all day before we have to worry. Why don't you take me around town?" She wanted to get his mind off of this, at least for a little bit. He obviously loved Riverbend, and she as curious about it, so this seemed like an excellent way to occupy him.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled, even laughed, before kissing Arryn. He loved her, now more than ever. She always seemed to find a way to cheer him up. "Let me get my act together and I'll take show you the town." After Dayn had calmed down completely and cleaned up a little bit he took Arryn's hand and led her out into the city. The mist still clung to the lower levels around the river, but overall the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. The warmth of the sun against his skin brought at least some peace to his mind as he led Arryn across the bridge and into the city. He knew of a few places that he for sure wanted to show her, of course, but lingering in the back of his mind the whole time was the nagging feeling of looking up at the sky or checking the nearest sundial when Arryn wasn't looking.


They first stopped at the forge. The blacksmiths hammered and worked away at plate armor and weapons of many shapes as Dayn led Arryn inside to look over the collection of armors and weapons that the owner had collected from across Trulane. "Some of the most legendary suits of armor or weapons reside in this collection. Here," Dayn pointed to a full suit of plate armor that looked to be forged with dragon scales, "This is suit of armor belonged to one of the dragon knights from the kingdom of Thaonna. If the legends are to be believed the steel was forged in dragons fire. It is said that steel forged in dragon's fire is impervious to damage, like the beasts flame imparts a bit of it's magic into the armor. There were only ten dragon knights, or dragoons as they were called, and they were said to be the sworn protectors of Thaonna. Their legends inspired the man who would become the first knight-errant, and their lineage is continued this day by all who take up the Path."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled, saying, "So you're tied to dragons, in a very roundabout way. I should have figured." She paused as she looked at a shield, her smile fading, her heart stopping then quickening. The shield was steel, with silver on the edges and a brass and gold griffin in the center. It was a large shield, but not so large that it was a hindrance. She knew the shield very, very well. Next she noticed the longsword hanging next to it, a beautiful blade, steel with a pure silver layer over it, the hilt wrapped with delicately wound and braided silver wire rather than leather. The pommel was simple silver, with a griffin design etched in. She knew this blade very well too. She had to try very hard to resist the urge to pick up the blade, or run her fingers slowly over the griffin on the shield. She squeezed Dayn's hand tighter, and looked to him, internally fighting keeping tears from her eyes. "I've seen those before," was all she said, flashing him a quick little smile. Why are those here?


Before they left, Arryn said, "Remember when I took your sword to fight the wargs, and I slid on my knees? That used to be a big part of my fighting style. Problem is, I bruised my legs up pretty bad; I used to wear greaves that went over my knees. helped with kneeling next to wounded, too. I never thought I'd need any again, but... well, I've regretted not having them enough times to warrant buying a pair." Arryn was able to quickly pick out a good pair of greaves and pay for them. The simple steel covered not only her shins, but her knees also, and provided plenty of flexibility, and was remarkably lightweight. She put them in her pack for the moment, then took Dayn's hand again. "Where next?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn laughed. He had never thought about sliding along the ground during a fight, but given the right circumstance he could see how it would be effective. They left the forge and continued on, Dayn taking note of the midday sun as they moved among the crowds that had been gathering. Dayn turned down an alley way before leading Arryn out into a colorful bazaar that was being set up for the festival. "Merchants, tradesmen, and peddlers come from miles around during the festival, bringing goods from all over Trulane. Part of the reason we have such a wide variety of flowers is because of the seeds that have been brought from other regions that rooted in the rich river soil."





As Dayn and Arryn walked down the decorated streets the sound of minstrels tuning up instruments of getting in some early practice filtered in from all over the city. People danced and cheered as they took time off from the preparation. The smells of fresh produce, hay, and warm baked goods blew in on every cool winter breeze. Dayn stopped suddenly in front of a two leveled bakery before turning to Arryn with a smile. "Wait here." Dayn was back within a couple of minutes, one arm behind his back. "Close your eyes and open your mouth. No, don't peak, just trust me." When Arryn finally had her eyes shut and mouth open Dayn pulled a bite off the warm sweet roll before gently placing it in her mouth. The rolls were freshly baked every day, the bakery having an almost legendary status for the secret sweet roll recipe. "Well, what do you think?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn finished the bite then smiled widely. "It's fantastic. It's quite obvious why you love it around here so much." She smiled roguishly and said, "Whenever we get to Rorich, you must let me do this for you. There's not much to see, but I'm sure we could find something fun besides the village pastime of drinking and fighting." She looked back at the merchants setting up, hating that she noted how they wouldn't be here to see it tonight. It was easy for her to figure Dayn had probably thought the same thing. She looked back to Dayn, and daringly pulled off a bit of the sweet roll, putting it in her mouth. "Well, mo chroi, any other plans of things to show me?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled as he hugged Arryn. He spun the two of them around gently before kissing her, tasting the sweet roll icing on her lips. "I'm sure Rorich is more fascinating than you have been letting on." Dayn pulled off a piece of the sweet roll before holding it out for Arryn, only to tease her by tossing it into his own mouth. He let his mischievous smile flash across his face as he kissed her again. "I have one more place to take you." Dayn knew that he wanted to give her a good evening before the sun went down, so instead of waiting around Dayn decided to treat Arryn to an early dinner.





Dayn led Arryn through the decorated streets of Riverbend all the way to an alley. As they walked down the narrow alley Dayn smiled as he saw the familiar hanging sign above a stair leading down a story below the cobblestone street. The sign read, though worn and faded, read, "Hollow on the River". Inside was a small but beautiful dining area that was built up around a small stream that ran down into the river below. An older man looked up from a massive red oak counter and smiled when he met eyes with Dayn. "My boy!" He walked out and locked Dayn into a bear hug. Though the man was no doubt in his fifties he was still thick with muscle. "How are you Dayn? Where has the path taken you?"





"The path has led me to adventure and love, old friend." Dayn turned, laying his hand on the small of Arryn's back as he introduced her. "This is my dearest beloved, Arryn." The man bowed low before taking her hand and kissing it. "My fair lady. Dayn, I know just what would make your evening. Have a seat, I'll take care of everything!" Within a few minutes of sitting down at the table a small troupe of minstrels walked out onto a stage and began to play and sing ballads of heroes, adventures, love, romance, and the tales of Riverbend. The finest mead that could be found, aged ten years, was poured for them as the smells of roast pork, potatoes, and many more delights wafted out from the kitchen. But Dayn thought it all pointless if it weren't for the company of his beloved.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled widely, watching the minstrels. She put her hand over Dayn's as they watched. Deep down, she knew what was in the back of his mind, as it was in hers, but she was glad to see that he was trying to ignore it obviously. "Dayn, this is wonderful," she said quietly. She tried to focus only on Dayn, the food and drink, and the performance, but she felt herself keeping track of the time mentally. What exactly would happen when the moon rose? Would it be quick, or would he hurt? The biggest question, would he recognize her? The book had said it was possible, but not exactly likely. Then again, they were very close; they had bared their hearts to each other, and loved each other all the more for it. She was determined that, while he was a beast, she would prevent him from doing anything he would regret.


She did honestly enjoy their evening, despite the questions in her mind.When they had departed the Hollow on the River, she stopped him in the alley for a slow, sweet kiss. After she pulled away, she put her head against his chest. "I love you, mo chroi." She wanted to reinforce this before anything else happened that night.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn held Arryn closely, trying to prolong the intimacy and delay the inevitable. "I love you too." Dayn looked up at the sky, the sun painting the sky in hues of red, pink, and purple. Dayn felt his heart beginning to race as he realized what was coming. "It is time we head towards the garden. Is there anything you need before we head out?"


(Sorry for the short post)

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn shook her head. "I brought my pack, I have everything we could need." Then she took Dayn by the hand, beginning to walk him toward the garden. The whole way there, she didn't let go, often slowly running her thumb over his hand. She tried to smile to him, pretend it was just a walk, but they both knew it wasn't. She tried to tell herself she was watching the sunset because it was pretty, but she knew she wasn't. Once they got to the garden, she made certain to close the latch on the gate behind them. She regretted not bringing chains or rope to make sure nobody disturbed them. Once they were inside, she kissed him again, giving him a quick, soft smile. "Moon's about to rise, beloved. I'll be here the whole time, I promise. Do you want me to stay at a distance?"

 

[BookWyrm]

The whole walk was a somber experience for Dayn. Arryn was by his side, her hand in his the whole time, but he couldn't help but feel his heart racing as they neared the gate that led into the hidden garden. Dayn watched Arryn latch the gate, almost wishing that they had something stronger the keep people out. Or was it to keep him in? Dayn checked the latch, which held strong. He sighed, running his hand through his hair as he turned to Arryn and walked into the main garden.


"Moon's about to rise, beloved. I'll be here the whole time, I promise. Do you want me to stay at a distance?"


"At least until it is completed. I would feel more comfortable if there was some distance between us, just in case something happens." Dayn held Arryn tight, kissing her as if it would the last time they would be able to. Finally Dayn raised his eyes to see that last rays of sunlight dying and the first period of night, before the moon had risen, begin. "Its time." Dayn removed his shirt and the talisman, handing both to Arryn before watching her as she walked a safe distance away.





No matter what happens, I will not scream.





Dayn took a deep breath before looking towards the opening where part of the roof had collapsed. The clouds rolled away, revealing the full moon in all of it's glory. The light poured in through the hole, gently caressing his bared skin and awakening the wolf inside him. Dayn felt his heart begin to race. He could hear the blood rushing through his body as his body began to shake. Dayn heard a sickening crunch as his skeletal structure began to reshape, the bones pressing and contorting against his skin. The pain shot through his whole body, but Dayn restrained himself. Short breaths and gasps replaced the agonizing cries and screams that wanted to echo forth from the deepest parts of his lungs. Slowly his skin rippled, as if something was underneath and trying to come out. Dayn suddenly fell to his knees as his body contorted, his legs and feet becoming more wolf-like as the stretched out. As his body grew the skin that once covered began to rip, revealing a thick, damp coat of coarse hair underneath. Dayn's face began to stretch out into a muzzle as tears streaked down from his now green eyes. Claws formed in place of fingers and toes, and sharp teeth and canines replaced the former human molars. Finally a tail began to sprout from the base of his spine, pushing out from the now dead skin that covered his body.


With a shake the last of the skin and blood, as well as any dregs of his clothing, were shaken off, revealing the damp werewolf that had formed underneath. Dayn whined quietly, tears still streaking down his muzzle as the lingering pain of the transformation began to subside. His chest heaved in and out slowly with each breath, the thickly muscled body rippling underneath his new skin. Finally, Dayn opened his piercing green eyes before looking up to the Moon and howling, the first song of the new wolf being sung to the Night Mother. Slowly Dayn turned, still on all fours, looking more like a giant dire wolf in truth, and looked around the garden. All around him he smelt the blood and flesh that had been his old form, but something else was there. Dayn raised his eyes to where Arryn stood just a few feet away. Dayn titled his head as he focused on her, reacting as if he had just laid eyes on her for the first time. But, the female smelled like he did. Clearly, they might have known each other?


Dayn raised up onto his hind legs, now more than towering over Arryn, and slowly walked forward until he stood directly in front of her. He slowly circled her, dropping down to all fours again as he sniffed of her; first her hand, then slowly up to her torso before traveling down around her pelvic region, trailing around behind her before raising up to sniff at the back of her neck, then continuing the full circle. He stopped in front of her, staring into her eyes for several minutes, before finally moving up and leaning his head against her, whining quietly as if to say, "I remember"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn's heart nearly broke as she watched Dayn's transformation. By every medical standard she knew, this shouldn't have been possible; it must have hurt horribly, but if he'd cried out, she didn't know if she'd have been able to restrain herself. She held stock-still as he sniffed her, not wanting to risk startling him. She was prepared to throw up a shield in a second if need be, but she wasn't going to do it a moment before it was clearly necessary. When he leaned his head against her, she broke into tears. "Dayn...?" She gently ran her fingers through the fur between his ears, like she used to his hair when he was human. She wiped off the remaining tears from his muzzle, murmuring, "It's alright, love. I'll make sure nothing happens."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn could feel Arryn's emotion as well as hear it in her voice. Dayn closed his eyes as Arryn ran her hand through the fur on his head, shuddering still from the pain that had shaped him into this wolf. But, even despite the pain Dayn could feel incredible strength flowing through his body with each breath. And the fact that he was aware of it, that he was aware of this new strength as if he had been born with it. But, then again, he was also aware of his connection to Arryn. Arryn, yes, that was her name. Dayn opened his eyes and looked up at his beloved before gently nuzzling his nose against her neck. He whined again, anxious for some reason he was not fully aware of at the moment. He could recall bits and pieces of memories, moments frozen in time, but it was enough for him. He was aware, and that alone brought him some comfort even in this state.


On all fours Dayn's shoulder's came up to Arryn's chest, on his hind legs he stood at a towering seven foot. Yet even for such a powerful creature Dayn was incredibly gentle around Arryn. He slowly sat down, which put him eye to eye with Arryn, before slowly shifting his right arm, raising it carefully. His hand, now favoring a wolves paw more than anything, slowly reached out and lay gently against Arryn's cheek, though it encompassed one whole side of her head now. Dayn whined again, his ears laying back in a submissive posture as he leaned forward and nuzzled her again. Arryn.....

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn laughed slightly with relief and wiped off her tears, which were quickly replaced, and gently wrapping her arms around Dayn's neck, murmuring, "My Dayn...." She didn't want to startle him, but she wanted his closeness, even if he was a very, very large wolf at the moment. She pulled back and smiled slightly through her tears, saying, "Well, least you're still plenty handsome as a wolf." He didn't seem to be in much pain anymore, which was good, though she did feel him shudder when she touched him. She looked around the elven garden, nodding slightly. "This is a good place for us to hide out for the night. We'll just - just wait it out. Alright?" She sighed, then mumbled, "I don't even know if you can understand me right now." He did recognize her... did he understand her too?

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn felt overwhelmed when Arryn wrapped her arms around his neck, her tears shooting pain through his heart as he lowered his head against her. When she pulled back and spoke he listened intently, and to his surprise he understood her completely. But, how could he express that to her now? Her face was damp with tears that seemingly continued to streak down her face with no end. Dayn bowed his head, ears still low, a somber look in his eyes as he gently licked her cheeks, trying to "wipe" away her tears. Arryn....my love....don't cry for me......





Dayn opened his mouth, trying his best to feel out words and speak, though all that he was able to do was growl and mewl. Finally stopping, he huffed in disappointment before looking back at Arryn and licked her face and neck. For now it seemed that he was restricted to using a wolf's expressions to communicate. Dayn slowly got back up, circling before laying down, his body wrapped around Arryn. It might not be the same as her laying against his chest, but they could still be close tonight as they figured this out.

 

[Dragongal]

"I think I got the message." Arryn smiled and wiped off her tears, setting her pack where it wouldn't be too far, but it wouldn't be in the way either. She curled up on the ground, leaning against his shoulder. She put her hand on his head, gently running her fingers through his fur. "Well, I guess we'll have to find a way to keep you hidden every month. Can't have anyone see you like this, they might attack you, think you're the beast that, well... attacked you. Shouldn't be too hard, I suppose. If we fashioned a collar for you, I could say you're mine, from the North... but I'd never do something like that to you." Collars reminded her of some of the slaves she'd freed, and some that she'd gotten to a hair too late. She shook her head, returning to the subject. "Maybe we'll find a way to fix it... get you back to normal. The shift looked like it hurt so bad, mo chroi...." She buried her face in his fur, trying not to cry. After a few moments, she looked at him, and said, "Just have to wait 'til dawn... right?" Arryn smiled quickly to reassure herself, then began quietly humming the elvish tune Theodas had taught her. She didn't know why she did it, it just felt right at the moment. As she hummed, she ran her fingers through Dayn's thick fur, more to comfort herself than anything.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn closed his eyes as Arryn ran her fingers through his fur, humming the old elvish tune. It was incredibly peaceful here with her in the garden, even despite his wolf state. The pain had finally subsided, bringing much appreciated relief. Dayn for his part felt slightly useless in his ability to comfort his love. He stirred again, his tail moving closer in and brushing up against Arryn's leg. Dayn suddenly became aware of his tail. He hadn't been paying much attention to it until now. Slowly he lifted it, trying to get a feel for moving it around. An idea came to him, and he gently brushed his tail against Arryn, hoping that it would make up for his lack of expressions. I wish you could understand me.......





Suddenly Dayn began to think back on the books. There might be something in there that would allude to being able to communicate with someone while in wolf form. Dayn raised his head and licked Arryn's hand before pushing under it with his nose until he was able to move his head underneath it. He pressed his head into her hand, enjoying the feeling or her touch even with all of the fur that covered his body.