Krahe Moon Inn ::[[ Late summer, evening ]]::

[Kleine Krahe]

Ailm grinned as though he had been waiting for her to ask. He had expected her to be at least somewhat curious. He tossed the fruit up to her and grabbed another one for himself.
"They go by a few names, like quench fruit or burst fruit. Instead of being filled with pulp or seeds its pure juice when you bite into it. " He explained before biting the fruit off at the stem as he had before. The easiest way to not make a mess was to eat them whole. The sweet fruit flavor short-lived, disappearing as soon as he swallowed it.
"There's this outpost I visit, on the borders of what you might call a desert. The guards there will brave the empty land just to find these, and they'll even share if offered the right price." Negotiating for rare goods was a fun game, and especially rewarding was seeing a poker face turn into an open book the instant Ailm mentioned what he had brought to trade.

[Candeania]

She caught the thing and watched him down his fruit with a frown. She turned the fruit around in her fingertips, inspecting it much like she had her arrow. She applied pressure to see how squishy it was, and inspected the shade off purple and how the stem fit onto it. She didn't think she could eat it in one gulp like he did so instead she balance herself cross legged on the tree branch and put the bloodied arrow into her quiver so that both her hands would be free. She spared him a glance as she bent over the fruit. Her idea was to bite into one side of it and then hold the fruit like a bowl, her teeth sunk into the fruits skin just as a geyser of water shot into the air from the scorched clearing behind them, quickly followed by the sound of Trevelyns laughter.

Trevelyn was moving about the clearing lifting large chunks of burnt grass off the ground to reveal the fresh green blanket hiding beneath. Despite how tired the Fae looked Trev had to admit she was doing good work, though why the portal needed to be remade was beyond her. Tess would be safer it remained closed, no more Danil's could come through. The fact that Treve had not been present for the first Danil Chafed her to no end but at least she was here now. Tess sat next to the tree's a small bubble of water between her palms and a look of intense concentration on her green face. Apparently this close to the place of power caused her glamour to shatter leaving her a shade of green trev had never seen before. She pushed the water onto the red stains on her skirt and tried to make it bubble back out of the fabric, she managed a bit of pink froth before a geyser of water shot up from the spot Tess had been staring at so hard. it lasted less then a second and returned to the earth as a thin misting of water. Tess had been blown backwards into the line of tree's with a look of such shock on her face Trevelyn couldn't help herself. She fell to the ground hands on her stomach laughing her a** off.

[Kleine Krahe]

Ailm had finished chewing and swallowing his second snack, watching Riven and waiting to see how enthusiastic she would be about the strange fruit. So far, the little treasures brought from his home seemed to get positive reactions.
In the distance he heard a ball bouncing, being kicked back and forth. From a distance it sounded like 'tick...tick...tick..tick.tick.tick.'
'tick.'
'Boom.'
Ailm's focus snapped behind him to see Teshika being launched by a burst water. He leaned to the side, getting ready to get up when he heard Trevelyn's laughter. If the tiger was laughing, then it must have been a relatively harmless little mishap. He let out a soft chuckle and leaned back against the tree.
"Still getting the hang of things, I see."

Riqouzi appeared just outside the inn. With it being such a nice day outside, the last place he would look was inside the inn. When his indigo gaze did not find his emerald maiden, he set off in the direction of the trees. Since she didn't seem to be in the immediate vicinity, he could only look in the other outdoor area she frequented, the destroyed clearing that had held the gateway to her realm. He heard a noise in the distance as he walked, but didn't seem to think much of it. With the canopy of the trees blocking his view of the sky he assumed it was nothing but distant thunder.

[Candeania]

Riven had much the same reaction as Ailm, her head snapped around and her eye's grew wide. However she didn't make any move to rise or investigate and soon was rewarded with Trev's laughter. She bit into the fruit as he commented and had to wait till she swallowed to reply. IT took a bit longer because she stared at the fruit as the flavour settle over her tongue and melted. She did give him a one shoulder shrug as a sort of answer while she finished eating.
"She has some things down, but other's are more volatile, harder to control. She worked on the wind first but water seems to be trickier. One of our brothers decided to have some fun with her when she was back home. Caused a tsunami to annihilate his tree house......"
She shrugged again at this then popped all but the stem of the fruit in her mouth. Her eyes closed and she leaned back down onto her branch with a sigh.
"That is very interesting, If given seed Tess might be able to reproduce them. you might not have to trade what ever it was your so mysterious about"
Her eye's remained closed as she dropped the stem to the ground.

Tess tried her best to glare at her platinum haired friend but she couldn't manage. Water returned to the ground in a fine mist that left every one and every thing covered in dew, but at least the giant red splotch of blood was now a faded pink stain. Tess picked herself up and retrieved her over dress, she wrung the water from it the stuck her head and arms into the garment. Letting the long streams of fabric settle around her.
"It wasn't that funny"
Trev was still on the ground, wiping tears from her eyes. Tess turned her face in the direction of the Inn and her face broke out in a luminous smile.
"He's here!"
Her voice was breathless and excited but she didn't make any move to meet him, instead her eyes roamed the clearing and filled with clouds. He would know she'd be here but the clearing was still in shambles, he would know she was exerting herself to fix it, it concerned her how he would take it. Specially since there would be no hiding the watered down scent of Ailm's blood on her clothes and skin. Not when it had been so recent. She fingered the vial of blood at her throat while Trev picked herself and shifted into animal form, hugging the edges of the clearing. The tiger was CLEARLY going to bolt the instant Riquozi was close enough for her to fell that Tess would remain safe.

[Jade_NightWarrior]

Samael caressed Eirian's cheek gently and smiled at her with a soft look. She averted her eyes and pushed herself away from him, apologizing softly.

He didnt say anything and simply stood up, and then guided her back to her spot under the tree. He noticed she was limping a little and he frowned.
He sat down next to her and took her foot in his hands, and took her shoot off. She tried to pull away but he didnt let her. He gently took the sock off and checked her fooy delicately.
"Mmm you sprained your ankle I think....luckily it's not so swollen and with your rapid healing, youll be fine in a couple of hours I suppose...." he rubbed his thumb on her foot gently.

[Kleine Krahe]

Ailm couldn't help but laugh at the image of little Teshika summoning a tsunami fierce enough to destroy a house. He could understand how water would be considerably difficult to handle. Wind was free enough to be easily affected, and she was already familiar with the earth she blanketed herself in, but water was both free and limited, and drastically different from solid earth. Hakkai could attest to such freedom and limitation, as he could be solid and liquid, but he could leave his home and prison unless particularly wet weather permitted.
Ailm nodded to himself as he heard Riven mention getting seeds, giving a small shrug and smiling.
"I don't think anyone really knows how the plants grow, gardening isn't a prime interest there." Most of the 'greenery' was just...there. Plenty of theories surrounded how plants grew in a land of the dead, from the unnatural weather to energy from souls, but that was the extent of common knowledge. These days, most became more in more interested in realms beyond their own.
Ailm sensed his Alpha's return, his presence calm and neutral. For now, all he sought was Teshika and with the danger of Danil gone, there was no sense of urgency. Soon enough he saw Riquozi's distinct white and orange hair shining in the light that came through the tree branches and watched as those indigo eyes scanned the terrain.

It wasn't surprising to see all four of them in the same area, two of them being close to Teshika and one sticking around out of what he thought of as curiosity, but what was somewhat surprising was that Tess didn't shoot across the clearing on her surprisingly fast wings. Her hesitance to approach him alerted him to something being...off. Confirmation came when he caught the scent of Ailm's blood coming from two separate sources, from both Ailm and Teshika. Seeing the Fae otherwise fine, Riquozi's eyebrow raised in curiosity and what could be an attempt at hiding a rising hostility toward his subordinate. He stopped several yards away from Ailm, fighting the urge to grab him by that wounded shoulder of his and demand an explanation. No one beside Ailm seemed injured so it was safe to assume that Tess had not healed the injury, but there was still no reason for his blood to be anywhere near her.
Still, his eyes narrowed in what was a silent demand for explanation, politely waiting for a response.

[Candeania]

Tess stood stalk still staring at the place he would emerge. His orange and white hair appeared through the foliage first, her face lit into a brilliant smile and she couldn't help but to relent a few steps toward him. She managed to root her feet to the earth when his nostrils flared suggesting that he sniffed it out. The question formed in his eyes and guilt crushed her, not because she helped Ailm but because now she was unsure if she washed enough off to prevent it from hurting him if she did go to him. Her fingers laced together before she twisted her hands into fists. They had to say something or Riquozi would just piece together the worst or assume she broke her promise, but she couldn't stop staring at him.
"I am unsure if I am clean enough to touch you"


Riven heard him after everyone else sensed him. Some times having her abilities sucked, last one to know every thing. She glanced at Ailm and his shoulder then she rolled across the branches, twisting herself so she slipped through them. Her feet made barely a noise as she crouched to absorb the impact. Riven's eye's went to to Tess, watching her sister's face transform when Riquozi stepped into the clearing. Slowly Riven reached over her shoulder and removed the bloody arrow from her quiver. Turning to him she moved to present the arrow at his feet, a sign of respect and apology among her people. However before she could even cross the distance between them Tess's hand clamped down on her shoulder like an iron vice.
" I wont allow you to give that to him, but you may explain. He wont be angry."
Riven frowned in confusion but opened her mouth anyways.
"I shot him with an arrow. Tess was working so didn't sense him, he is lucky he is so damn fast or it would have been worse."
She paused to glance again at Tess then Ailm.
"They are more concerned about your wrath then I, but I did hit one of your men so I apologize."

[Kleine Krahe]

Riquozi's gaze upon Tess intensified as she said she was unsure if she was clean enough to touch him. Ailm's blood, for whatever reason it was on her clothing, was washed off enough that it would not harm her. His indigo stare snapped to Riven and she jumped down from the tree and made is if to move toward him, but Tess stopped her. He listened to their words intently, much like a feline would stand back to assess a situation before making its move.
After the elf's explanation, Riquozi's stern gaze relented and melted into an amused smirk, his eyebrow raising as he looked at Ailm.
"He's not always as smooth as he thinks he is, and has some tendency to be careless. It's more his fault than yours."
After he spoke, his feet finally moved from being firmly planted on the edge of the clearing, walking calmly toward Ailm.

Ailm stood when Riquozi began to approach, bowing his head in agreement. Even he knew himself well enough to acknowledge that he slacked off. Rarely did it result in serious consequences, but he always accepted responsibility for his own actions no matter how small. As such, he was expecting his master to do something and so stood still to accept what was coming to him.

Knowing Ailm would not flee, Riquozi strolled over to him and stood in front of him for a moment before lifting his hand and placing a well-placed punch on his injured shoulder, close enough for it to hurt but not so close that it would tear it open bleed again. He wasn't surprised when Ailm merely grunted with the impact and clenched his jaw against the pain.
"You'd do well to not put them through so much trouble mending your careless a**."
His tone was conversational, lacking the tense tone of an order. He knew Ailm knew better, but he also knew Tess was stubborn enough to insist on doing something to help. It seemed like she had only dressed his wounds, which he decided he could be content with.
Seemingly moved on from the situation, he turned to Tess and spread his arms in invitation.
"I see you've been busy out here."

[Candeania]

Riven moved to follow Riquozi, Tess could see the determined tilt of her jaw and grabbed her arm, stopping the elf's forward movement. It was not their place to get involved no matter how little Tess wanted to see some one get hurt. She closed her emerald eye's as Riquozi hit his second, she didn't want the image to replay in her head over and over again. She felt responsible for this but there was nothing left for her to do. She knew Riven watched every movement avidly, guilt eating at her. When the sound of flesh on flesh passed Tess released Riven and opened her eye's, her wings fluttered lifting her feet off the ground. She brought her gaze up to Riquozi just before he turned and opened his arms to her. Her face broke out in a smile despite all the feelings that had just raged through her, and she shot across the space between them. She collided with him a little faster then necessary but he wasn't a weakling and she doubted he cared. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck and her body pressed into his as she planted her lips on his, giving him the welcome he deserved since he first walked into the clearing. Replying to his question was put on the back burner as she poured all her concentration into the kiss, a solid minute going by before she pulled away far enough just to answer.
“I wanted to see if I was strong enough to rebuild it”
She glanced at the clearing and gave a half shrug before lifting her gaze back up to him.
“You must have been busy too, something had to have kept you from here”
She smiled before pressing her lips to his again.

Riven watched everything. Every movement, every breath taken, every facial reaction. Watched as one man's fist connected with another's flesh and she did nothing. Tess's restricting hands only made the matter worse. Riven blamed herself for this she should be the on that is punished not Ailm. The elf ground her teeth together in frustration as Tess flew into Riquozi's arms and got lost in him. She balled her hands up into fists and stepped closer to the tree her and Ailm had occupied only moments ago. She tugged on the strap of her quiver and strung her bow up again, looping her arm though and settling it on her shoulder. Then she turned her back on her mistress, Trev's white body could be seen threading through the tree's keeping close enough to watch but far enough to give Tess and Riquozi privacy, which meant that Riven could leave. Anger bubbled through her as she slipped between the tree's and into the forest, moving slowly away from the Inn.

[Kleine Krahe]

Riven's distress did not go unnoticed by Riquozi, but when he decided that this was one place he was not required to give attention to every person that had a problem with him. In his mind, the situation was easily dealt with and done.
His feet remained firmly planted in the ground, his lithe body remaining a sturdy wall as Tess crashed into him. His long arms clamped around her tiny waist, holding her against him as his lips met hers in a the brazen passion that never ceased to surprise him. Clearly her efforts to replace the scarred land had not hindered her strength enough to take away from her enthusiasm.
He gave a short nod of acknowledgement before he found her lips against his once more.
For a brief moment, the fatigue he felt faded away and he didn't feel a tremendous weight on his shoulders. He pulled his head back and looked at the scarred land, thinking for a moment the easiest way to explain his absence. It was pitiful the Ailm was here more than he was.
"Sitting around a table of so-called comrades and listening while they question my competency is absolutely thrilling, but I would have much rather have spent my time here trying to help you."

Ailm knew that Riquozi striking him was his way of accepting what happened at face value and still making it fair. He could have asked to see what really happened, but he didn't, trusting that all Ailm deserved was a light punch to cause discomfort as punishment for causing an inconvenience. But, as Riven made her sullen escape, he realized others may not see it the same way. It only took a glance at Teshika and Riquozi enveloped in each other to decide that it following the elf was a more desirable choice of action. Turning on his heel, he casually followed Riven. An easy smile was on his face as he allowed himself some relief that things to not turn out worse. He was still alive, and Riquozi wasn't mad at anyone.
"He handled that well." He said cheerfully.

[Candeania]

His words brought a frown to her lips and a crease of concern to settle on her forehead. She pulled away just enough for her to place her forehead on his and search his face with her eyes, her fingers tracing delicate patterns across the back of his neck.
"These comrades don't sound very comrade-y to me."
She supposed that might have been why he said so-called but she ignored that. With a soft sigh she tore her eye's from him and surveyed her work in the clearing, despite the thin carpet of green peeking up from under the ash it didn't look like she had done much. She had mostly focused on the portal itself, testing to see if it could be done and if she could do to it what she wished. She wasn't telling any one but she wasn't just trying to regrow a powerful ancient tree. She was trying to change it. She wanted to make a masterpiece, she wanted to push this more powerful version of earth magic she held, and she wanted to make something beautiful for this place she now called home. She wanted it to be intricate and delicate and to speak of the fae, but she found she couldn't ignore the strong demon population in the vicinity. She shrugged her shoulders and swung her gaze back up to him.
"I'm unsure on the amount I'm able to do. It is also very frustrating."
Trev huffed a laugh somewhere off in the tree line making Tess' cheeks flood with colour. She was still learning how to control her new gifts, and how strong her pull with the earth. She kept losing control and making matters worse but the soft thrum of power emanating from the stump was reassuring, it told her she could do something, which was a lot better then doing nothing. She shifted her heated cheeks and assessing gaze back to Riquozi's face, pressing a kiss to his forehead.


Riven moved easily through the forest, her temper cooling the further she went from the clearing and the Inn. She didn't need her eyes to know Ailm was following her, a smile on his face despite all the injuries he had recently received. She snorted softly at his comment but refrained fro m making her own as she ducked under a few branches. She swung her bow off her shoulder and placed an arrow on the string before tucking the whole thing against her side to protect it as she moved. She had been surprised once today and she was determined not to be again. She pushed her way through a bush and found a small creek burbling over a smooth bed of stones, the water was clear and cool looking so she took a seat upon the shore then brought her eyes up to inspect Ailms face.
"I suppose he would take it worse if she healed that?"

OINK OINK.....

[Kleine Krahe]

Riqouzi could neither agree or disagree with Tess's statement about the people he vaguely termed 'comrades'. On one hand, he knew those people were fellow Alphas and Betas and were only voicing their concerns, but Riquozi often felt they were too confident in their convictions against him.
His indigo gaze followed Tess's as she looked again to the clearing. She may not see all that she had accomplished so far, but his last memories of this place were of a land covered in mud and ash. Once a desolate patch, it was beginning to show promise once more thanks to the power of the Fae.
"You've already done quite a bit from what I can see."
He smiled and kissed her cheek before releasing his grasp on her.
"Has anything else happened?" It had been a while since he had returned. If the clearing was already turning green, he couldn't help but wonder was else might have happened while he was away.

Ailm followed easily enough, though he probably made more noise than light-footed Riven. He was relatively quiet when he moved, but his larger body came in contact with the brush more often and in this case, he wasn't focused on stealth. He watched as Riven drew her bow and held it against her at the ready and found himself looking around for danger. Finding none, he stopped near where Riven was seated and slid out of his boots and socks. He stepped into the cool water and grinned.
"My dear, I can easily imagine him recreating the wound in both shoulders, then proceeding to rip my arms off. First and foremost, I would have been putting his dearest in harm's way and even causing her harm because of the nature of her healing abilities. Two, I am a soldier and if I can't take care of myself I should just die anyway. Three, I have been injured far worse before and therefore have no excuse as to why I shouldn't suffer with an arrow wound," He ticked off the reasons why Riquozi wouldn't hesitate to hurt him while he stepped around in the water, his black jeans getting wet halfway up his calf. His smile remained on his face as he looked down at the glittering water.

[Candeania]

● ● ● ● ● ●

Tess smiled shyly.
"Sometimes I believe your too nice to me"
His touch on her skin always seemed to fill her body with giddy electricity and she never could help but smile at his kisses. His words brought her from her happy contentment and she replied with a half shrug..
"A few visits from royal convoys for both the seelie court and unseelie court. Seems they are not getting along at the moment and they wish me to side with one or the other. They seem to think that I will willingly stand among their front lines. However neither convoy will enter the property line of the Inn. Our dealings with Danil has left them wary of the people that reside on these lands."
She had moved closer to the tree stump while she talked and now she idly ran a finger along it's ridges.
"It appears that you have a reputation among my people now"
She grinned at him but it quickly disappeared.
"I've worried about you and your war. About how your mistresses treat you."
She fluttered back to him and rest a hand on his chest.

Riven's mouth dropped open in horror as he described the cruelty's he might endure at his alpha's hand. What was more shocking was how he delivered this news, like he was ordering icecream from one of those musical cars with freezers on the back that human children flocked too. Though she whole heartedly agreed with his second reason, if a soldier couldn't handle pain he had no right to be a soldier. And if she agreed with one reason why should all the others seem so outlandish. Riven watched him wade into the water her features softening at the smile on his face. To distract herself she removed her soft leather hunting boots and placed her own toes in the cool waters. then she proceeded to empty her person of weapons and begin to clean and sharpen them.
"Let me know when you need your bandages changed."
She fell silent as she worked but eventually she couldn't hold it in any longer.
"I've lost count of how many of my scars she bears. Back home those that do what she can do work for the greater good. It's expected of them to give their bodies for the over all health of the court they serve."
She frowned, as she spoke, her nails digging into the small crevices of her knives as she cleaned the already sparkling weapons.

OINK OINK...

[Kleine Krahe]

Riquozi softly chuckled at what a mixed reputation his kind may have conjured in the minds of the Fae. On one hand, many had suffered at the hands of Danil. On the other, their leader's lover was the same creature as Danil. He shouldn't find it too humorous however, since he could imagine her relationship causing trouble between her and her world.
As for her people's opinion of him alone, he was unsure about asking Tess what exactly that was.
His mind drifting along several rivers of thought before Tess's emerald gaze and soft touch called his attention back. Here she was, governing her lands from a different realm and trying to repair what had been damaged, yet all the while she was worrying about him.
Riqouzi gave a reassuring smile and lifted her hand from his chest, holding it in his own and placing a light kiss upon her knuckles.
"The war has taken a pause, the main concern for everyone is rebuilding and maintaining the fragile truce. As for the mistresses, they've kept me busy enough but I'm soon hoping to find someone capable of taking my place for their care."
Between being called to finally be an Alpha as his title deemed him to be, and trying to keep the mistresses' estate in order, he had trouble finding the balance. Even he knew he couldn't do both, and he didn't want to either.

Ailm chuckled to himself as he saw Riven's jaw drop out of the corner of his eye and glanced over as she busied herself by cleaning her weapons. He only nodded when she mentioned his bandages, taking it as only a statement meant to fill what could be perceived as an awkward silence. He slowly walked in lazy circles along the creek bed, all the while grinning to himself while he waited for the silence to bother Riven enough to say something that could continue their conversation and when she finally spoke up, he realized the reason for her silence. He wondered if she might feel guilty for perceiving Teshika's gift as something that must be given away.
Ailm slowed to a stop as he took a moment to collect his thoughts, his injured side facing Riven.
"For us, it's a bit different. In all actuality, just about every demon has the ability to heal, but it is seldom used because healing ourselves just causes more injury, and healing others is...just as intimate as is it dangerous." He laughed a bit as he referred to healing as intimacy, but continued.
"When we heal another, since it is our blood magic, our blood becomes a part of the person's body that we're healing. Because of that, someday they could use our blood within their own body to target, attack, and even kill us. For us, healing is a very trusting, and foolish, thing to do."
After a few moments of silence, Ailm decided he didn't like ending on that depressing note and added, in a light playful voice.
"So to Riquozi, Teshika healing me is as bad as getting in bed with her. So could you really blame him for wanting to kill me?"

[Jade_NightWarrior]

The days passed without unexpected events for Arianna and her young charges. The twins were walking and running all over the place, talking and playing.
They kept Arianna on their toes. And to keep them occupied, she would have sessions of gymnastics with them and then let them practice on their own. Irina would oversee the practice as Arianna would go away to do errands and such.

Eirian had started to spend a lot of time with Aristar and would often be gone for a couple of days and come back. She'd come back with disheveled clothes and hair, and a few nasty bruises or cuts here and there. But then shed be good as new the next day. Her body had started to mature as well, her figure becoming more femenine, curvier, but with strong definiton. Aristar was teaching her how to control her transformation and her thirst as well. And when she was home, she'd play with her siblings or practice with Samael.

Eirian was helping the twins do cartwheels in the open area of the bar, while Samael simply watches from the bar. He looked at her intently, admiring how lovely she was becoming. Like her mother. Eirian still didn't know about his past and his relationship with Jade.