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 Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:17 pm
 The fox-pelted lioness had kept herself busy since meeting the dark lion, but she hadn't met anyone so interesting since. She hadn't met any interesting males at all, in fact. No one that would brave her claws and her sprightly temper, no one that would run with her. Räv had kept herself entertained by manipulating people in other ways, but sometimes it wasn't enough. She needed something, someone, to keep her occupied body and mind.
Although Räv had never cared to learn where the dark lion hailed from, she found herself returning to the area where they had met. She was not consciously looking for him, only wandering where her instincts took her. The forest soothed her. She and her sisters - ah, but she hadn't seen her sisters in so long - were creatures of the forest. Despite their bright pelts, they were elusive, moving silently through the brush and disappearing when they would.
Despite the subconscious desire to meet the dark lion again, Räv wasn't really looking for signs of him. If she met him again, she met him again. If she never saw him again, she would not regret the loss. Her emotions had never settled on anyone for long enough to hurt her. Instead of looking for the dark lion, Räv kept an eye out for spirits as she walked. The red lioness knew of no gods, but she did know of spirits. If they were anywhere, they were here, whispering in the trees and the wind. She called to them, idly, a high wordless cry like a single note in a song.
If anyone were around to hear her, she did not notice nor care.
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Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 6:45 am
 For Aesir, that brief trip had been uneventful, and he'd been incredibly glad that it had been one made with only one or two companions. There wasn't much to brag of when he returned to the pride, and so he was glad he hadn't made a great deal of his departure to begin with, though no doubt someone had noticed, being that he was the Warlord and all.
In truth, the most memorable part of the whole excursion had been that fiery lioness he'd met in the woods when he'd gone to vent his temper. Probably that had been the best decision he'd made for the duration of his trip, leaving his companions to take his frustration out in the forest. For there he'd met a somewhat bewitching, fierce lioness he'd later described as a forest spirit. The slashes she'd given him as he pursued her had given an undeniable savor to their joining that others in the recent past had lacked.
And so now, with the cuts barely healed, Aesir found himself slinking past the Stormborn guarding the main entrance to the stronghold , which was easier than it should have been, and making his way into the wilds. Generations of Reavers viking had guaranteed that the lands nearest the stronghold were virtually uninhabited by anything besides prey animals. For Aesir's purposes, this was beneficial, for it meant he could make much faster progress through the lands as he made his way back to the glen where he'd first seen the foxy lioness.
It was idiotic, he knew, but every time his healing scratches pulled he was reminded of her and how much he had enjoyed her. How much they had enjoyed each other. His own mate was beautiful in a very scary way, but she was also not particularly receptive to his advances, and he refused to phrase his desires as a command, just in case she decided not to obey. That would be beyond humiliating.
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 5:22 am
Räv had fallen silent, her eyes half-lidded, listening to the background sounds of the forest. It was very quiet here. She was closer to the dark lion's unknown homeland than she had been last time, and the difference was noticeable. The predators were fewer, the silence more total. It was interesting. The quiet made it easier to hear the rustling of the wind in the branches. Räv concentrated on that sound for a while, wondering idly if it was the voice of the forest spirits.
She hadn't been listening long when she heard another kind of rustling, more close at hand. Her eyes opened fully. Something large, quiet for its size but large nonetheless. And close by, too, moving in her direction. Was it a prey animal? She exhaled slowly and then breathed in, attempting to pick out the scent of the other.
No. No prey animal. It was a predator ... and a familiar one at that. The lioness's eyes lit up. The dark lion could have been just wandering in the woods, or on some other business of his own, but Räv was selfish enough to believe that he had come looking for her. She smiled, and turned to the sound, stalking slowly towards the other.
She had supreme confidence in her ability to creep through the forest unseen and unheard, but she was also logical. The strange lion was no fool, and if she had been able to sniff him out, he had probably caught her scent as well. It would be difficult to sneak up on him unawares. She might as well announce herself. "Hello, warrior," she called softly. "You've come back."
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 9:21 am
The faint breeze brought a familiar scent to Aesir's nostrils. Until he smelled her, breathing it in through his teeth and holding it to the roof of his mouth so that he could almost be said to be tasting her scent, Aesir had not admitted to himself what he was doing. What he was doing was pathetic on many levels, and if anyone ever found out that he'd gone in search of a specific lioness on the chance that he could have another night with her, he would die of shame. The Warlord of the Stormborn should not have to do that.
And yet, smelling her was nearly as intoxicating as mint. He did not make the mistake of thinking his fascination with the fiery lioness he'd met only once before for anything emotional. His attraction to her was primal and purely physical. He was still being unfaithful to his mate in doing this, and that bothered him a little, particularly given who his mate was, but every one of the Stormborn understood that what happened outside the stronghold on a raid was nothing personal. Gods' balls, just the sound of her voice was enough to excite him. Probably due to the illicit nature of their rendez-vous.
"I did not think to find you here," he said. It seemed to Aesir, though, that she was not as far afield as she had been when they first met. He was not so lustful as to fail to notice something like that. This was his pride, and if people were encroaching on its lands, he wanted to be not only aware of it, but able to deal with it if necessary.
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 9:59 am
The dark lion did not seem surprised at all to see her. Räv noted this approvingly. His instincts were good, and his senses sharp. She had known sneaking up on him would be a fool's errand, no matter how well accustomed she was to creeping through the woods.
She admired him silently as he spoke, smiling her sly, witchy smile. Yes, he was good-looking, just as much as when they'd first met. She had no doubt in her mind that if she fled him again, he would give chase. It would be a meeting every bit as exciting and enjoyable as the first ... but, unusually, she was actually interested in this lion. Only mildly so, but still interested. Not in a romantic way - Räv had formed no real emotional connection to him, other than lust - but interested in him personally. Where did this strange and powerful lion come from? What was his story?
Although speaking usually bored her, particularly when she would rather be doing something more exciting, she would hear this lion speak.
"You were looking for me." Räven smiled, not immediately answering his implied question. Of course he had been looking for her, that much was clear. Who wouldn't look for Räv? "Who are you, warrior? These woods are empty. This is not your home."
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 10:54 am
Her sly smile brought an answering grin to Aesir's face. He didn't know her name, he realized. And...that didn't actually bother him. Maybe if he didn't learn her name, it would make this deliberate action of his less of a betrayal of his mate. At least, it would keep their encounter to a more impersonal sort of association. If one could call something like this impersonal. Aesir knew, just as he had known the first time he saw this fox-pelted lioness, that their meeting could come to but one inevitable conclusion.
"I found you," Aesir acknowledged, but he was still reluctant to say aloud that he'd been seeking her to begin with.
If he wanted her, he should capture her and take her back to the pride as a Thrall. Morrigan would be angry, possibly, but no one could fault him for that sort of action. What he was doing now was not the Stormborn way, and he was a little ashamed. He would not be doing this again, he told himself firmly. Aesir's resolve was strong, and ordinarily when he made himself such a promise there was no question of him keeping it, even if it took bloodshed and hardship. This time, as he stepped closer to the lioness, he wondered if his will would be stronger than his lust in the future.
"I'm Aesir," he told her. "And this is not my home."
A subconscious part of his mind kept his response vague. He told her his name, but not where he was from or his position there. Some part of him, at least, acknowledged that she could pose a threat to his status as Warlord. It was more consciously that he turned her questions back on her.
"Who are you? I know this is not your home either."
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 11:35 am
The lioness was pleased at the dark lion's grin. She could not tell that he felt the slightest bit uncomfortable or wary; he hid his emotions well. There was only lust, and pleasure at having found her. Her smile deepened to a grin as he spoke. Others so rarely intrigued her, but even when speaking this dark lion did not seem dull.
"Aesir," She said, tasting the name. It sounded a bit foreign, not like the names of the lions she had encountered on the savannahs or in other places. It sounded like a name of cooler places, stranger places. Her own was similar, but this Aesir was clearly no creature of the forests like herself and her sisters. He was a warrior.
Aesir had such an air of command about him that it was hard to believe that he was a loner, but Räv supposed it could be true. If he did have a pride that he wasn't mentioning, that was his business and none of hers. Räv had drifted in and out of prides, but she did not feel any particular need to tie herself down at the moment. Besides, Aesir was much more interesting out here in the wild lands than he would be in the confines of a pride. She was sure of that.
"I am Räven," the lioness said, smiling. The word meant fox woman in a distant tongue, and it was an apt description. "No, this is not my home - but I make my home in the woods, so it is fitting enough." Another smile, this time with a quick flash of teeth.
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 11:50 am
Hearing the lioness speak his name changed something, but Aesir could not have put his paw on what changed, or how. He only knew that by giving her his name, even though it was just a name, he had entered into something potentially dangerous. A Stormborn Warlord, Aesir did not fear danger, but his pride had its superstitions, and he couldn't help wondering if he had just given his name to a forest spirit, and what she would be able to do with it now that she had it.
Aesir's amber gaze shifted from the lioness, taking in the woodlands around them. If all Räven needed to feel at home was forest, then he supposed she might feel at home anywhere there were trees. However, even he could sense the differences between forests sometimes. Some forests seemed like they were filled with all manner of spirits and sprites, kobolds and trolls, whereas others were simply places where trees grew. Räven seemed to belong more in the former, Aesir thought.
"Räven." Much as Räven had done, Aesir repeated her name, tasting it and putting a hint of a growl into the first consonant. He didn't know what it meant, but even so he could tell it was a name reminiscent of the names given to Stormborn and those who came from their area. Speaking her name, almost growling it, Aesir's heart beat faster and blood rushed toward his male parts. Perhaps if she could spell him with his name, he could hold her in a similar sort of thrall using her name.
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 8:39 pm
Räv felt something change between them, but she knew what it was no more than Aesir did. She did know that it pleased her. Her bright eyes remained fixed on him as he looked away, his gaze scanning the forest. Was he frightened? No. Did the spirits speak to him?
Perhaps.
The fox-pelted lioness liked the way he said her name in return. He growled it, the essential ferocity of his nature clear in the way he pronounced it. Even though they were speaking civilly, Aesir was still the wild one she remembered.
If the dark lion was trying to bewitch her, she was a willing victim. She allowed herself to fall under her spell, approaching him with dainty little steps. Her manner was almost demure (amusingly inappropriate for her), but her eyes were as bright and greedy as ever. There was a spark of wildness in them, something almost rabid, but if Aesir hadn't been frightened before then he wouldn't be now. "Aesir," she said again, purring.
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Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 7:24 am
Surely they had indulged in enough conversation, Aesir thought to himself. It wasn't as though this was going to turn into some sort of recursive thing, so they had little need to know details about one another. Aesir surely didn't care to hear about Räven's cubhood and upbringing, though he had no doubt there would be some very interesting stories, particularly as she reached adolescence and started to become the vixen he saw before him now.
Actually, he might enjoy hearing such stories, but in a more general way, about someone like her. The more he knew about Räven as a lioness, the closer he felt he came to making a very serious mistake. Oh, he wouldn't be falling in love with her. He wasn't that stupid, and he wasn't entirely sure he was capable of love anyway. But there were other dangers for lions who became too attracted to creatures like Räven. He was increasingly convinced that she might actually be a spirit of the forest, which meant he should tread carefully in what words he spoke to her.
But such concerns were hard to hold in his mind when Räven purred his name like that. Indeed, it was as if his entire body was thrumming with his elevated pulse, and his flesh beneath his fur felt almost feverishly hot. He took a step closer to Räven, a step closer to alleviating his ardent condition. There was little doubt in Aesir's mind that this lioness of the wood could take whatever he gave her, and he was glad of that, for his almost aching desire to have her had left him with little inclination for gentility.
"I'm here," he rumbled.
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Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 11:33 pm
Räv might not know the dark lion, but in a way she understood him very well. Wherever he came from, he had a fierce, wild spirit. She was impressed that he had managed to remain civil for so long. He was an impressive lion in many ways, and she felt a lust for him that perhaps rivaled his for her.
I'm here. Yes, he was, and so was she. Räven had not thought about it consciously, but she had wandered this way seeking this meeting. He was not someone she could love, but he was someone she could want. In Räven's world, want and love were often the same thing, at least for a time.
Should she run from him this time? There was not much time left to ponder the question. Aesir was clearly near the end of his patience. Räven could always summon up enthusiasm for the chase, but she herself was growing a touch impatient. No chase, then. Aesir would undoubtedly catch her, but Räv wanted him now.
Räv matched Aesir's step towards her, closing the space between him. Ignoring his ferocity, and the ease with which he could grab her by the throat, she leaned towards him. Her face next to his, she whispered to him. "I am yours, my lord." Her eyes were dancing, bright and greedy and delighted. Yes, she was his - for now.
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