Ascending Legends

[Dragongal]

Arryn nodded slightly and smiled thankfully at his meaningful smile. Yes, it’s probably still a little too early for that. When he laid down, Arryn smiled, saying, “Well, we wouldn’t need to carry winter bedrolls,” before cuddling up closer to Dayn and closing her eyes, still holding his hand.

Spoiler

Again she was in her old equipment, in the small meadow outside of her house in Rorich. This was where she’d practiced with her team, trampling the short herbs, thistle, flowers, and grasses as the dodged and lunged. But now she was just facing her father again.


He was a tall man, with hair as red as hers and bright, sparkling emerald eyes. He was very well built, from years of mining and leisurely swordplay. Their relation was evident just by a glance. Their identical swords clashed together, then they made an identical swing, blocking it with their identical shields.


It was odd how lucid this dream was - it felt very real for a dream, but it was obviously so. Since the nightmares had started, she hadn’t had a dream like this but for one or two occasions. He blocked her low swipe, locking her blade between his sword and shield. “So, picking up the conversation where we left off, you’ve been well?”


“Besides the occasional nightmare, and, you know, going insane, yeah. But I told you about the insanity already.”


“Well, more recent than that. Last week or so?”


Arryngale smiled as he let her blade go and she resumed her attack stance. She could tell her father anything; he was dead, after all. “Well, Dayn got bit by a lycanthrope, and now… we’re figuring things out.”


“Alright… Back up a bit. So, this Dayn boy…”


“Athair, worry not. He’s a noble, third-born, we were put together on a mission, and… yeah.”


“Well, you seem fond of him, at least. ‘Bout time you got to courting, anyway. I was starting to worry you’d let our line die out.”


“Well, I was a bit distracted raiding the Black Market hideouts and going insane,” she commented with a smile, raising her shield in the nick of time, then backing up into a defensive stance.


“I regret not being able to threaten him. I was looking forward to getting to do that eventually.” He smiled a bit somberly then raised his shield to block Arryn’s blade and laughed.


“You wouldn’t need to, Da.” Arryn lunged forward, sliding on her very scratched greaves, going for a low slice to his legs. He blocked it with his shield as she smoothly moved back into a defensive position. “He’s a real sweet guy. Even as a lycanthrope, he’s still gentle and sweet. I mean, I really do love him.”


“Glad to hear it. So, what do you love about him?”


Atria stayed silent for a few moments. “He’s nice. He’s funny. He tells jokes and doesn’t care about formalities. He likes to dance. He’s patient and gentle. He likes to learn. He cooks. He likes the rain, and he likes to hear the birds sing. He takes care of me.” She chuckled quietly, “He makes me wonder if I’m Atria or Arryn.”


“Which do you want to be?”


She was quiet for a few moments, then said, “I liked Arryn more.”


Her father stepped back, pressing the tip of his blade into the ground. “Well, seems to me like you made a good choice. But you also got a good way to go as of yet…. Arryngale.” He smiled knowingly. She was still struggling to get back to her old self, but she was getting there.


Arryn nodded. “Yeah. I admit to that…. See you for sparring again sometime soon?”


He smiled. “Sure thing.”


Arryn opened her eyes, noting that it was a bit before dawn. She shifted a bit, kissed Dayn very lightly, then nestled closer to him in his arms, falling back into a dreamless sleep.


(You can timeskip if you like)

 

[BookWyrm]

It was a good lazy morning. Sometime during the night a light rain slowly turned into a moderate downpour, so the festivities were put on hold. Dayn had a bath prepared for Arryn and while she bathed he thought he would try and work on shifting. He had locked the door and pulled the curtains, making sure no one would be able to get or see into the room, before stripping down to his bare skin(no more ruined clothes of Arryn might just skin him), and sat in the floor. He slammed his head into his hand after another failed attempt. "I don't get it. I'm calm, I'm focused, but I can't seem to shift."





Dayn sighed, taking a minute to slow his heart rate, before closing his eyes and trying again. He breathed slowly, taking time to focus on each breath as he held it it, before slowly exhaling. Maybe I'm doing it wrong? Dayn wondered if it had to do with emotion. The previous night he had had moments where he felt a little more wolf like, but he didn't fully shift until he was asleep. Dayn shook his head, focusing on staying focused, and then suddenly just...drifted off, his thoughts turning to the moon. His breathing suddenly became more natural, even a smile formed on his face as he focused on the image of the full moon. Something about it was comforting, inviting, beautiful even. It almost reminded him of Arryn. Unbeknownst to Dayn, who was completely focused, his body had begun to shift and change, slowly becoming more wolf like.


Suddenly Dayn found himself pushed forward onto his arms. Before he opened his eyes he noticed how his senses had sharpened considerably, even more so than his now enhanced senses when he was human. Dayn opened one eye, then the other when he saw to fur covered limbs out in front of him. It had worked! Dayn stood up and spun, looking over himself and almost looking like he was chasing his tail. Dayn stopped quickly, realizing that he had been stomping around slightly. But how could he not, he had been able to shift! Dayn looked over towards the privacy wall, behind which Arryn was bathing. He remained quiet and laid down, patiently waiting for her to come out from around the wall.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn heard some noise from the other side of the privacy wall, but decided against saying anything. She dried off and got dressed in a white longsleeve shirt and brown pants, stepping out from behind the screen, intending to brush her hair. She jumped a bit when she saw Dayn laying there, then sighed, "I don't know if I will ever get used to that. Did you doze off and have a nightmare?" Arryn paused, then sighed, sitting down next to him and running her fingers through his fur. "We really need to find a way to communicate when you're like this. Whenever we go to Rorich, I'll take you to Libro. He might be able to help us, and not just with the communication." An idea occurred to her, and she looked at the bed, then around at the floor: no ripped clothing, and he'd been fully dressed. And she hadn't heard any sounds of pain either, so the shift must have been painless. "Did you shift at will?"

 

[BookWyrm]

There was one expression that was shared among wolves and men. Dayn looked up at Arryn as she sat down and smiled before playfully pushing her over with his head. He stood over her, licking and nuzzling and rubbing his head against her. After a couple of minutes Dayn laid down next to her, nuzzling her neck with his nose before gently licking her cheek. She was right though. They really did need to have a way to communicate to each other when he was like this. Or at least a better way to communicate. It was a little more one sided, with Dayn only being able to use expressions to communicate his thoughts back to Arryn.


Here came the big challenge though; he was able to shift at will, now, could he shift back? Dayn rolled over and moved closer to Arryn, laying his head down on her stomach. He looked up, meeting her gaze before rubbing his head against her, then slowly closed his eyes. He focused on Arryn, her voice and smile and laugh, anything that reminded him of her. As he focused he felt his body tingle and begin to shift again. The process moved along as it normally did, and within a minute or two he was human again. Dayn pushed himself up onto his arms as he looked back at Arryn with a smile. "I think I might have figured it out." He sat up and pulled on the pants he had laid aside for when he had shifted back. "I just wish there was some way I could speak or communicate clearly."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn sat up, her stomach still hurting from laughing so hard as Dayn had been playing with her."Well, Though we should perhaps wait to go see Libro, I'm not going to say I don't know of a possible way, though it would be expensive. There's a special class of enchanted items that, forged properly, together, when worn, can convey the thoughts of the wearers to each other when willed. Now, there is no way in all of Trulane we could ever afford one that would work all the time, however, if it was only for when you shifted, or perhaps one sided, only to me, well, we could make it work somehow. If we went to Libro, it'd likely be free, or he'd have another solution, but...." As far as enchanting went, creating a pair of telepathically conveying items was incredibly hard. The items had to be forged together, with the peoples' blood, usually had to have a gem to hold the enchantment on, and then there was the actual spellcasting which also required the two people. One-way communication was significantly easier, and therefore less expensive, but it was still pricey.

 

[BookWyrm]

"Cost is one thing, the process to get the item is another. I've read some books on enchantments, and from what I recall, they can be pretty foul if they back fire." Dayn sat down in front of Arryn and took her hand in both of his before gently massaging it. "As long as this Libro is trust worthy, and worth the price, I think it would be worth looking into. I am just weary. I don't want to go to just any old enchanter or mage. For all I know they might see me as more valuable than money. From what I can tell, wolves aren't that common around here. Last thing I need is a crazy mage coming after me when I already have to worry about fur trappers, shepards, and farmers."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn shook her head quickly, saying, "Libro isn't just any mage or enchanter, he's a dwarf living in the mountain caves near Rorich; he devoted his life to the study of legends, stories, and enchanting. He helped my team and I many times. He may even know of a cure for you, he may know of another way to let us communicate, I don't know." She hesitated; she didn't want to tell him what she was about to. He surely thought she'd told him all of her secrets, besides the trap, which he knew she couldn't talk about, but she had to tell him this now. She sighed heavily, then slowly said, "Dayn, the one problem is... I'm not exactly welcome back in Rorich...." Eventually, eventually she'd be welcomed back, when she'd completed her promises and proved herself to those few who had chased her away. But until that time came, she wasn't going to get back into Rorich without some opposition. There was no way to get to Libro's cave without passing through Rorich, it was on the opposite mountains as the main roads, and the foress were filled with beasts and traps... maybe even some of May's traps yet unsprung.... Arryn shook her head slightly to bring herself back on track. She knew this would obviously require further explanation. Perhaps she would even get to explaining that damned list she kept forgetting. "I-I'm sorry, I think I may have accidentally misled you when I spoke of Rorich as I did... I never considered it as misleading until this moment. It-it's very complicated, really...."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn frowned slightly. He knew she was touching on a hard subject when she began hesitating. "Arryn," Dayn scooted closer to her, laying a hand against her cheek, "I know you have some rough spots about your past, your home, and all of that. You don't have to apologize to me about holding back some of your story that you feel uncomfortable talking about yet. But," Dayn smiled as he continued, "I am always here when you feel like you are ready to talk about it."





Dayn was curious though. What could have happened that would bar her from returning to her home? Dayn stood up and walked to the curtain before peaking out. "The rain is pouring down, so even if we were supposed to be traveling we would have stopped already." Dayn grabbed some pillows from the bed and laid them down next to Arryn. "We have all day, and I am all ears. If you would be more comfortable just talking I could always try shifting back. You did seem to enjoy cuddling with me as a wolf anyway."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled slightly. "How could I not when you're so warm and cuddly? But no... I'd rather see your expression, and... well, if you're going to hate me, I'd rather figure that out when you're a human." She sighed heavily, saying, "After - after the trap, um, we were in a different village, not far, just barely a week's walk - very short considering the mountain passes. It was just Matthias and I. I was still... so weak, I was basically useless, it was hard to think past the pain, Matthias wouldn't have suggested leaving if it weren't for... well, I was chased out of that village too. They thought - well, nevermind that.... We got back to Rorich, and I was immediately put on a complete rest leave, my mother and Theodas taking turns helping me. I couldn't stay conscious for much longer than a few hours. Some of the villagers, they... well, they didn't like that I was around. They were scared, and I can't blame them. The majority of the village was okay with it, as long as I stayed at a distance, and about a quarter still supported me fully, but... some of the people, they were - they were radicals." Arryn closed her eyes, remembering vivdly when she'd woken up to Theodas sitting watch over her, and his gently explaining that her mother was taking care of Matthias and Taddereus. She remembered questioning Theodas, trying to get to the other room to see her injured teammates, but Theodas easily preventing her. She remembered eventually getting past Theodas and seeing Matthias and Taddereus lying on the spare beds, bruised and cut, both unconscious and covered in bandaging. She remembered Theodas gently pulling her away, and herself letting him.


She felt tears starting to streak down her cheeks as she opened her eyes and continued, "They hurt some of my teammates who'd been defending me, one of them was defending me from slander, one was calling a man out because he was, well, he was threatening to kill me before I could even fight. They hurt them bad, two of my best-trained fighters. Matthias and Taddereus, they'd been scared of hurting their own neighbors, but... nobody minded hurting them. I could have stayed and sorted it out. If I'd have stayed long enough, it would have been okay. But, I didn't want to risk any more of my friends, or family, getting hurt. Thing is, if I can - if I can just get the name of the bastard, the disgusting filth that set that trap, I can drag him back, alive, and force him to confess. I would have been a traveler anyway, eventually, but....





She tried to laugh but her fake laughter was caught by a slight sob, but she did her best to keep a straight face. "That's what I've been doing for two years, when I wasn't hiding in the woods, insane, I was hunting for this... bastard, I just needed a name, and I could do it. And - and here's the worst part, you got dragged into it all. My love, I didn't mean for it to happen, but... when we raided the fort, I found a list." Arryn got up and grabbed her weapons belt before sitting back down and taking out the list labeled "Black Market" (the engineer hadn't been discreet about his buyers) with seven names written in dark ink, one crossed out and two with symbols next to their names, marked with charcoal. She waited for him to figure it out, tears streaking from her eyes. How did he think those names had been crossed out and the symbols written if they had picked up that list together? They hadn't spent a night apart, after all.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn looked over the list, thinking about what Arryn had told him. He laid the list down as he scratched at his chin. Arryn had snuck out at least a couple of times during their travels, obviously taking care of loose ends when she found them. Dayn looked at the list again carefully before looking back at Arryn. His eyes said it all really. Sure, he was hurt to a degree, but there was also compassion. She had risked herself to go after these men, extremely dangerous men with connections to some of the darkest happenings in Trulane. Of course she was far more talented than she let on, so obviously she had held her own in each situation. So yes, he was hurt by her keeping this a secret, but at the same time he would have done the same. If the roles were reversed he wouldn't have trusted her enough to drag her along on these outings, let alone tell her about them. But now the situation was different, and they had a distinct advantage now.


"Well, I am," Dayn bit his lip as he tried to think of the way to say this, "I am....hurt, to say the least." Dayn wanted to say more in truth, to tell her it had been foolish to have attempted these raids, that she could have gotten herself killed or worse, but he didn't. He didn't think she needed to hear that even, because he didn't think it was true. "I'm hurt because at this point we have grown to trust each other fully, and even though we have reached this point now, I have to remember that back then, at the time, we barely knew each other. If you would have said something about this to me back then I would have kept you from going. I didn't expect so much from you, let alone respect you and your capabilities like I do now. To be honest I just thought of you as another healer, not really capable of much else, and you have continually impressed me the longer I've known you. I would have forbidden you from going, and by doing that I would have kept you from being this much closer to going back to your home again."





Dayn pursed his lips as he thought about what he was going to say next. In truth it was going to hard for him to say this, but he knew he needed to. "Or it could have been worse, I could have insisted on going with you. I can only imagine how that would have gone. I'm a knight, not a raider. I've been trained to fight with honor, not to fight like my life depended on it. I would have expected those people to fight similar to myself, to fight with some kind of honor, and I would have probably been killed because of my foolishness."


"Arryn, this paper is your ticket to going home, back to your family and friends." Dayn was crying by this point. Not from anger, but from emotion. "You are trying to rebuild a bridge back to the people you love, and with all of my being I cannot deny you this. If I had a chance, even the most fleeting possibility, of bridging the gap and being able to see my daughter's grave...." Dayn choked, trying his best to hold back the sobbing that racked his body. "If I had the chance to see my wife and daughter's grave, just one time, I would have done far worse things than hide this list and go on clandestine raids. But unlike my wish, your's can be achieved. All I ask is that, now that you have filled me in, you let me help you."





Dayn reached out and took Arryn's hand in his and squeezed it tight. "But, before you let me help you, Arryn, I have to ask you for something. Will you train me? If I'm to be of any help to you during this I can't attack this like a knight. I have to go at this like a raider, and like a wolf. All I am asking you is for your help, and then I will do everything within my power to help you catch this bastard."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled through her tears, mostly from relief and awe. Help? That hadn't been an option before. She'd never considered it. She'd slipped away from him once, and only once, and she'd hated herself for not regretting it; but she'd gotten plenty done on the one night. Her heart had hurt so badly when he'd begun speaking, admitting that he felt hurt, but now it didn't hurt quite as bad, now that she had more hope. She couldn't speak, so she nodded slightly, then moved closer to him and wapped her arms around his neck, crying with both pain and relief. When they'd both calmed down a bit, Arryn pulled back and smiled slightly, tears still running down her face as she said, "You can shift to being a wolf now, love. We can get you to their graves, easy. All I need is the family name, and I can even get you in as a human. I'll teach you."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled, the last few stray tears falling down his cheeks as he shook his head. "As a wolf I might be able to, but they have long had the people of their fief indoctrinated that I am a criminal. They have posted my face in the taverns and inns stating that I am, well, I'd rather no go into the details. Unless I could change my appearance somehow, or unless you have a plan I don't know about, I won't be getting into that place as a human."





Dayn wiped his face with the back of his hand. A thought occurred to him suddenly. "Arryn, the snows will be coming soon. The only way to get to Ironcrest is to cross over the mountain pass at the far end of the fief or to go the long way around and cross back down into the South and skirt the edge of the pass before coming back up through the Western swamplands and then push into the North, but that route takes us miles of course. Even that isn't the biggest obstacle though. By the time we reach the pass the snows will have either blocked it off or just be starting to fall, meaning we would get trapped in the pass until the snow thaws. If we traveled the long way we would still run into the snows, and then if we made it to the West we would have to brave the uncharted haunted swampland for miles before reaching a road."





Dayn laughed as he shook his head. "We won't be making it to Ironcrest until the snows melt."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn sighed, smiling. “Oh ye of little faith. We can’t go by the main roads, sure. Remember, love, the night in the North is my realm. There’s merchant paths with heat spells or shield spells, they’re always there, in case of siege, keeping the path clear. They’re very little known, but my team found one into Rorich on accident, then mapped out the rest.”


Arryn laid back on the pillows, saying, “I recently heard they were considering extending the magic to the main roads, but it’ll be plenty expensive, whenever they do do it. Besides, not all of the leaves have fallen, we could at least get into Ironcrest before the snows fall. Then I’ll take you on the merchant path out.”


After a glance at him from the corner of her eye, she quietly said, “Pick a time, give me the name, I can get you in, human or wolf. Easy.” Though she knew she shouldn’t, she also knew that his situation wasn’t fair, and her burning anger over it wasn’t so she added, “If you like, I can even discredit them fully. Make everyone distrust them, hate them. Easy. Just the specific ones, I don’t believe in hurting people because of their family, but the ones who did this, I can hurt.”

 

[BookWyrm]

"Even in all my pain I can't bring myself to hurt her parents. It was her brothers that did the deed, and they paid for it dearly. They were just lucky that I wasn't a wolf back then." Dayn smiled as he lay on his side next to Arrryn. He gently traced his finger over her face and neck before slowly reaching over and tracing his fingers lightly over her stomach. "Whenever the rain lets up we can head out, if you want. Though we do need to start considering how we are going to pace this one out. I've got to work on fighting, magic, and learning about my inner wolf now, which now that I think of it, we may need to be careful around full moons, just encase."

 

[Dragongal]

“All I worry about with the wolf is your temper. If I get hurt in a fight, you can’t shift unless it’s an emergency. Remember, my body reflexively begins healing itself instantly unless I consciously stop it, or have no mana.” Arryn rolled over to face him and nuzzled against his neck, closing her eyes and smiling. He seemed warmer all of the time now that he was a lycanthrope. Or maybe that was her mana regenerating, keeping her body from reaching its usual temperature. Innate mages always ran a little warm unless they were out of magic, or in a recovery phase, as she was. “I worry that if we disappear to the elven garden more than a few times, someone might figure it out and see you shift… we can’t practice with the wolf here for long. And we do need to practice fighting while you’re a wolf, so we can work cohesively, and… remember, you can’t bite anyone unless you intend to kill them. Your magic, we can practice easy enough as long as we’re outdoors, and same with the fighting. Though there’s a lot more to the raider fighting style than fighting. The market place tonight will offer a good chance for some practice.”


Arryn opened her eyes and said, “I’m going to need to practice healing you now, since your body seems resistant to my magic. It’s probably just healing you’re resistant to, but… if I practice, I can do it. It’ll eventually be like it was before you were bit.” Suddenly her stomach rumbled, and she laughed and sat up. “I’m starving, let’s get some food. My metabolism is crazy high right now, recovering mana and all.” She stood and tossed Dayn a shirt from his pack, waited for him to pull it on, then took his hand and led him downstairs. She grabbed a pear from the kitchens and left a bronze in its place, then led him outside into the rain, which was light compared to earlier, biting into the sweet fruit. “Show me somewhere nice,” she laughed.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled as he wrapped his arms Arryn, holding her as the stood in the rain outside of the inn. "Somewhere nice, hmm. I might know a place." As Arryn brought the pear to her lips again Dayn leaned in a bit into the other side, holding the chunk in his mouth teasingly. "I wull wet wu hab it if wu wiss me?"





(Short post is short, but I had to include the scene)

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled and leaned forward, put one arm around his neck, gently running her fingers along his spine, as she kissed him. By her figuring, this would surprise him to at least some deal. She easily got the piece into her own mouth and pulled back, smiling, saying between chewing, "You could have just asked."

 

[BookWyrm]

Arryn was right, Dayn had not been suspecting of what she had planned. As Arryn ran her fingers along Dayn's spine he felt a slight tingle as gooseflesh spread all over him. He shivered just slightly before smiling. "It was worth the fun." Dayn leaned in and stole another kiss. "We might want to be careful about doing that in public again though, I almost felt like howling." Dayn smiled as he took Arryn's hand and led her towards the town. Somewhere nice, well, Dayn could only think of one such place. Out in the East district, which was built into the wall overlooking the river, the city took a more elven style. Dayn led Arryn through a grand elven door way and into a small courtyard where they were able to get out of the rain. A young elf walked up to them and bowed slightly. "Two?"


"Yes."


The elf smiled warmly. "Right this way sir." They followed the elf through a beautifully decorated red oak door and into a room that resembled an elven hall. The wood and stone work blended seamlessly into the flowers and vines that grew throughout the room. There were several musicians playing traditional elvish songs and instruments, as well as several voices singing out in the almost hauntingly beautiful elven language. Their host led them to an intimate corner near one of the small chimneys that provided warmth throughout the room.


After they had been seated Dayn took Arryn's hand and kissed it gently. "What do you think love? Riverbend is full of surprises no?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled widely and nodded. "Absolutely. This is very similar to the elven hall our celebratory feast was held in... only, this isn't in the trees." Arryn's team had helped a large clan of forest elves - a generally reclusive group, while their homes were built on the ground or under roots in the forests just South of the mountains, public areas and formal areas were for the most part built in the trees. Arryngale and her team had had some... fun... trying to get up there the first time. "Let me order for you," she said with a smile, "if you trust me."


When the waiter returned, she whispered to him, and he nodded and smiled - evidently this was something that had happened before. They were each given a tankard of mead and some bread for while their food cooked. When their food arrived, Arryn was given a large bowl of beef and mushroom stew, and Dayn was given a large slab of medium-rare steak. She smiled once the waiter walked away, saying, "You still like meat, right dearest?" It was easy to figure that Dayn's appetite and tastes might be affected by the lycanthorpy as well.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn gave Arryn a a half smile, his eyebrow raised as he watched her secretly order their dinner for the evening. Of course he trusted her, but he was curious about what she was up to. The mead and bread was outstanding, but Dayn's senses perked at the smell of the steak that was laid in front of him. He leaned down and smelled the aroma that wafted off of the perfectly cooked steak. His mouth began to water, and Dayn could have swore his teeth were forming into canines again. He glanced back to Arryn, straightening himself up as he remembered that they were eating in public. Couldn't get to crazy here. "Oh yes, I still very much like meat. I must say love, I don't think I could have picked a better plate myself." Dayn actually had to restrain himself from tearing into the steak. Each piece was carefully cut, a process that took more effort than Dayn had thought in the beginning, and he carefully placed the bite in his mouth, but from there it was chew twice and swallow.


Slower. Got to eat just a little bit slower. Try to restrain instinct.





The meal went by well, even if Dayn had to stay on top of his manners around such a well prepared steak. They had just walked out of the courtyard and into the street when Dayn closed his eyes, letting his head tilt back. The rain felt good on his skin. "That was such a good steak. I kinda had to hold back a little bit in there. I guess I was hungrier than I thought." Dayn suddenly felt his stomach growl. He looked down, his eyebrows coming together as he tried to understand what had just happened. It growled again, there was no mistaking the sound. "Arryn....I'm still hungry." Dayn frowned, feeling a little bad about admitting what was simply an honest truth. "It isn't that the dinner wasn't good or the steak was bad, I mean, I ate the whole thing, but I still feel..hungry." Dayn looked to Arryn, slightly concerned but more embarrassed than anything.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled, hiding her worry. "I didn't want to be the one to admit it." She knew she was still hungry because of mana burn... what of him? Did the meat trigger his wolf side...? She recalled that he'd eaten a lot more than he'd expected before they understood what was happening...but he'd been fine since then.... She quietly asked, "You don't feel... wolf-ish, do you?"

 

[BookWyrm]

He'd be lying if he told her no. "The steak might have....well, wet my appetite, if you get my meaning." Dayn didn't want to worry Arryn, but he found his thoughts drifting back to the deer he had seen milling about the garden. "I have an idea, but I want your thoughts on it. There is a herd of deer that live in the elven garden. I know we are trying to be careful, but I also know that not many people are going to be out in the rain or anywhere near the garden. If you want we can stop and pick up a basket of food, I know a stand that has some fresh pears and apples, and we could head back to the garden. It would give us a chance to really start to see what I am capable of, but I also understand if you are reserved about it. If nothing more we can still run by the stand and get some fresh fruit for the room so we don't have to keep raiding the dining room at the inn."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked at him for a few seconds, then said, "To the garden, then." She held his hand as they walked, refusing to let go for more than a few seconds. When they got to the garden, Arryn sat on a ledge, the basket of fruit next to her, a pear in her hand. "Well... get undressed, I guess, and don't over exert yourself. I'll be right here the whole time, promise." Arryn paused, then said, "Only kill one, if you're going to kill any."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn suddenly became very embarrassed, his cheeks turning red as he stood there, trying to undress, while Arryn sat watching him. "I..uh......wow it's a little odd having someone watching you undress." Dayn wanted to laugh but couldn't find it in him to. He knew she was worried about him. He could tell it in the way she held his hand the whole way from the elven district to the garden, though even if she hadn't he would have known. He had sensed it about her. He couldn't explain it, but he could feel the concern.


He had finally managed to undress himself and remove the talisman. He walked over to where Arryn was sitting and laid his clothes down next to her in a neatly folded stack before reaching over and taking her hand. "I love you, with all of my heart I love you, and I always will Arryn." He gently kissed her hand before taking a few steps back. He smiled, laughed even, as he looked at her. "You know, I almost think this was your idea at times. With as often as you've seen me naked over the past few days I'm almost beginning to wonder if you staged the lycanthrope from the beginning." Dayn smiled as he closed his eyes, letting his thoughts turn to Arryn and the moon before he felt the same tingling sensation as he body shifted. He felt relieved to know that it didn't hurt him any more, that first time had been damn near excruciating.


Within seconds, note, this was the fastest he had shifted yet, Dayn stood before Arryn in the image of a wolf. He looked to his love, flashing her a wolf smile, before swiftly running off to await the deer.


It felt odd at first as he tried to get used to moving in his new body. With this being the first time he had ever really moved at a decent pace, Dayn was still learning the ropes. But his nose was quicker to catch on, and he found the deer scent before he had gone too far. He followed the scent a short distance before spotting the herd. There were six, maybe seven of them all grazing contentedly, not a care in the world. Thankfully, with the garden being mostly in an enclosed space, there was no real wind to worry about blowing his scent around. Dayn crept up to within a few yards from the herd, surprised at how smoothly he was moving. He was still very much aware and in control, but it was almost like his wolf instincts were there as a guide. Dayn watched the herd carefully before spotting the one he would take. It was an older deer, judging by it's faded color, and it had a slight limp in it's hind leg. Dayn felt his muscles loading, almost coiling like a snake as it prepared to strike.


And then, to his surprise, he launched forward into the chase.


Dayn had never felt such power as he did now. His body pushed at it's limit, he had cleared over half the ground between him and the herd before they realized he was there. Deer amazed Dayn, they had for years. They were ghosts when they wanted to be, and despite their frail appearance they were extremely fast. The herd had taken off quickly, but the older deer, his prey, struggled to keep up. Dayn was on him within seconds of having started the chase. It almost happened in slow motion: the deer staggered, it's leg giving some as Dayn leaped into the air, his jaws opened wide as he aimed for the deer's neck, then the feeling of his jaws closing around it's throat to the sound of a shattering neck bone as Dayn landed gracefully on the ground, the deer now dead in his jaws. He wasn't sure why he had practically carried the deer back to Arryn other than he wanted to be close to her, but he made sure to stop far enough away so as to not possibly bother her. He didn't know if she were squeamish when it came to watching an animal being eaten, but he also wanted to give her the opportunity to observe him closer as he began to feed on the deer.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn muttered with a smile, "I'm a doctor, Dayn...." after he joked to her. Once he was gone, she looked at the uneaten pear in her hand; she'd only grabbed it from the basket as a facade, she was too nervous to actually eat it. When he returned dragging the deer, she sighed with relief. For some reason, she'd been concerned. What if he lost it and killed the whole herd? But he hadn't, which was a good sign. Now was the time for a real test of his animal tendencies. She moved over to his side and sat down next to him, despite the fact that he was eating the deer. She poked the carcass, watching him daringly. If he growled at her, they'd know he needed to work on control. If he hurt her, well... she could throw up a shield in time... probably.