The scent of Death and Predator (Varian)

[Silvy]

Timestamp: 25th of Fall, 511 AV Location: On a walking tour to the stables 'Just one step into the clear!' She thought urgently. Silvy hadn't eaten in three days and she was due for a good meal. With fall here, the game were fat for winter storage and the eating was tremendous. She'd bypassed the doe herd, waiting impatiently for the bachelor herd to follow. A magnificent stag with five points to each horn was about to enter the clearing. He outweighed Silvy three times over and his hooves and horns were a formidable offense. But he was fat, and she was starving. Once he set one cloven hoof into the blind canyon, the wolf raced at him with startling speed, and landed half on his back and half on his shoulder. Perfect aim! Now if only her teeth could find purchase without getting stabbed, struck or killed by her enormous prey! Whip fast jaws snapped a breath away, just missing the right point of the neck and she felt herself slipping. If she were caught under the hooves, she would die for sure! She pivoted her hind legs off the back of the deer, to add impetus to her aim of the deer's throat--and latched on with all her might! The stag bellowed and its tongue stuck out as she started strangling it as hard as she could. It lashed out with a sharp hoof, catching Silvy a glancing blow across the ribs. She exhaled only through her nose, and ground her jaws together firmer, tighter, as her hind legs dangled dangerously close to those razor sharp, jagged hooves. Massive horns aimed at her eyes in a last defense and the silver wolf twisted her mouthful with swift savagery, snapping the buck's neck in an instant. She twisted her neck as tightly as she could, keeping the horn away from her eye, while maintaining the strong grip needed to hold onto the large ten point stag. When the blood tasted a shade cooler, she felt the animal's death as complete and opened her maw full of large, sharp teeth. Blood stained her muzzle, face and neck, but eating was the first priority. She wasn't used to changing form so much and it left her ravenous. She was growing into her full size and strength, now able to take down an Avanthal stag! Hunger overcame pride and she placed both large front paws on each side of the deer's belly and dove in head first. She snarled to herself in great pleasure at gorging on a much needed meal that was her biggest kill to date. Once she'd eaten all the best parts--heart, liver, intestines, lungs and tongue, she moved on to the delicious shoulders. The strong tendons and thick bones felt good and solid with resistance against her fangs. Silvy shredded the tendon playfully, pulling it outwards and shaking her head quickly from side to side in a rapid motion. A sudden shift in breeze carried the scent. The scent of death and lavender! Varian! Silvy raised her bloodstained muzzle and wagged her tail at her Bondmate's approach. She gave no thought that he'd never seen Silvy in her natural form and that her horrific slaughter scene and blood spattered wolf fur might be a little....intimidating.

[Varian Snowsong]

Another day had passed, another endless night. While his bondmate had left to hunt, the Nuit wandered the area surrounding Avanthal aimlessly. Unlike her he didn’t need to eat anymore. He didn’t drink or sleep or work. In the months since his death his existence had changed beyond measure. He wasn’t like them anymore. Sometimes he couldn’t help but wonder if the others of his kind were right, that Nuit were something else entirely, that they couldn’t just resume their previous existence. No matter how hard he tried, he felt like an outsider in the city where he had been born. While they aged, while they fell in love, had children and died, he stayed the same, a walking corpse, a strange kind of creature that had to jump from body to body if it wanted to survive. There were only two things that kept him from running away as far as he could, that kept him from losing his sanity. One was his music, countless melodies played on a flute, in the morning or the middle of the night, enough songs to fill eternity with. The other one was a young woman or maybe a young wolf, depending on how you looked at it, although he had never seen her in her animal form. He still didn’t understand why she had chosen him. Did she really understand what it meant to be with a Nuit? He hadn’t told her that the face he had now, the face that she was drawn to would soon be gone. Would she still want to be with him when he looked like a different man? He stopped for a moment, inspected his hands, let his fingers run across his face. Had it changed? Were the signs of decay more obvious? How much longer did he have? He had begun to treat his skin with all kinds of mixtures to slow down decay. When he looked into the mirror, he could still recognize himself. He didn’t look that different, but sometimes he imagined that he could feel it, some kind of disease, slowly consuming him from inside. It scared him. He shook his head, as if he wanted those unpleasant thoughts to go away, and then he saw her. At least he thought it was a she. It was hard to tell with animals sometimes. Her muzzle was smeared with blood, and there were the remains of a stag in the snow in front of her. He stood completely still. If he had still been alive, his heart would have begun to beat faster. He didn’t know what to do. He was aware that wolves normally didn’t eat Nuit, but did this wolf know that he was a Nuit? He looked like a human. He moved like a human. He raised his hands as if to tell her that he meant no harm, even though she probably didn’t understand the gesture. And then he realized that she was wagging her tail. „Silvy?“ he whispered. Was this wolf, this bloodstained wolf that seemed to have killed a stag effortlessly his bondmate? Was this wolf the same as the gentle young woman that had given him hope when he had thought he had none?

[Silvy]

So happy to see Varian, Silvy pounced on him with huge paws in a wolfy hug that would knock him to the ground if he wasn't balanced. Enthusiastically, the silver wolf greeted him and wagged her tail, indeed, wagged her whole self as hard as she could. Within seconds, the gorey wolf smeared blood and unknown entrails all over his face, neck and chest. Bright crimson thoroughly stained both the wolf Kelvic and Nuit in less time than it took to blink. 'It's Varian! I haven't seen him in days! I missed him so much! I'm so glad to see him! Why does he look so scared? So nervous? Oh! He's never seen me natural before. But he must know it's me, after all, he did say my name.' Finally finished with the overly exuberant meeting of her bond mate, she fell down to all four paws on the ground again. The gruesome red marks left a trail to the ground, making pink paw prints on the snow. Her happy wolf smile was truly macabre with blood still clinging to her large fangs. Only one thing took away from the gore; her long pink tongue hung out sideways from her mouth, making her look like the goofiest wolf in Avanthal. Silvy wagged her brushy tail widely and gave a loud, puppyish bark of joy to see Varian.

[Varian Snowsong]

As the wolf pounced him, the Nuit realized two things: She was indeed Silvy. No other wolf would simply do that and wag her tail rather than try to take a bite out of him or stick her tail between her legs and run away because he smelled all wrong. Besides, he could feel her. He didn’t know why, couldn’t explain it, but on some level he was aware of her. He also realized that she was heavier than he had thought. He nearly lost his balance and fell. It would have resulted in an embarrassing situation and possibly a few bruises that wouldn’t go away again. For a few moments he was too stunned to do anything, and then he noticed that she had smeared entrails all over his body. It nearly made him sick. He was used to dead things. His own body was dead, slowly decaying. It probably looked worse that the half eaten stag inside, a fact that he tried not to think of too much. But being dead and having a dead animal’s body parts smeared all over you were too different things. Of course it was Silvy, his Silvy, she was a wolf, and wolves ate other animals, but still, he couldn’t keep the look of shock entirely off his face. There was something macabre about a wolf that was covered with blood and happily wagging her tail. As she barked, he hesitated for a moment, and then he walked over to her and stroke her head. „I always thought you looked different as a wolf“, he murmurred. Unlike the older undead, his face still showed emotions. His voice wasn’t monotonous yet. He still sounded human, confused, a little shocked, but above all happy to be near her, even though she was an olf and covered with the remains of her latest kill. He hadn’t been happy to see somebody in a long time. „Smaller. I had no idea that you were so big, big enough to kill an entire stag!“ He stroke her again, but then he stepped away from her and raised his hands. „Do you think you could clean yourself before you try to pounce me again?“ he asked. „It’s hard to get the blood out of my clothes.“

[Silvy]

'Varian is here! I couldn't be happier! Oh my Bondmate! I love you!' When the Vantha's large and gentle hand stroked her head she leaned into it adoringly, her silver eyes gleaming with love for him. She puffed out her chest and shoulders, looking proud of her accomplishment. It was so nice to be recognized for her first major kill all by herself! Oh dear--she was all messy in front of her bondmate! Silvy threw herself to her back and rolled in the snow this way and that with a flurry of waving paws. The wolf dove her entire head into a snowbank and shook it quickly, removing blood and snow in one, efficient shake. When she gracefully rolled to her feet, she was pure and shiny clean silver again. With large, swift paws, she dug up a snow pile for Varian to roll in to clean himself and huffed to show him what to do. Cleaning fresh guts was easy when nature provided snow. She put her white muzzle over his hand, holding it gently between her large teeth to lead him to the snow, implying to copy her earlier motions. It wasn't just a way of cleaning yourself--it was good fun too! To make sure she got the point across clearly enough, she splayed her front paws toward a mounded pile of snow, raised her butt in the air, wiggled it with a wagging tail and POUNCED into the white fluffy snow with enthusiasm. Silvy rolled on her front, sides and back and then stood, giving a mighty overall shake that sent snow flying in all directions. The Kelvic smiled a wolfy grin at him, totally overjoyed at his presence and unable to tear her mercury gaze from his. She looked up at him with utter devotion and complete trust. He was -her- Varian and she loved him with every breathe of life in her wolfy body.

[Varian Snowsong]

How could her eyes be filled with so much love? How could she adore him so? Part of him was still surprised that she had chosen him, that she had decided to be with him, a dead man, a freak. As he noticed that look in her eyes, he forgot that she was covered with blood. The fact that the entrails of a dead animal were smeared across her body suddenly didn’t matter anymore. She was wonderful, no matter what she looked like. As she rolled in the snow, he watched her, a little amused. It seemed as if she was having fun. The fact that she dug of a pile of snow for him though was met with raised eyebrows. Still, he allowed her to lead him to the snow. He knelt down and touched the snow as if he wasn’t sure what it was and what he was supposed to do with it, and then he looked at her. „I’m not a wolf, Silvy“, he informed her. „People don’t roll around in the snow – although it looked like you had fun!“ If he had still been mortal, if he had still been a human he might have worried that he would get a cold from rolling around in the snow because his clothes would get wet, but it occured to him that he couldn’t fall ill anymore. It was one of the few good things about the undead condition. Still, at twenty-four he felt a little too old to do something like that ... So he just took a bit of snow and rubbed his clothes with it until most of the blood was gone. And then he put an arm around her and rested his head against her furry body. When he was with her he felt normal, human.

[Silvy]

'Oh! That's right! Poor human has no fur!' Silvy leaned into him with all her weight, soaking in the feel of his arm around her, his closeness and the mingling of their scents. She watched him avidly, taking in his expression, his features, everything about Varian that she could. It was a shame he didn't play more. It would make him happier and take some of the sad look from his eyes and mouth. His arm around her felt nice and she rested her face on him. The young Kelvic couldn't speak words in this form, but there were times, like now, where a mere look could say so much more than the empty mouth sounds. Silvy couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if Varian were a wolf too. Then with thick protective fur, he could play and enjoy the cool crisp weather as she did. The thought was only a brief one for it was foolish to continue along that line. After all, she could be human for him so that was bound to make him happy. With a sprinkling of light engulfing her, she changed to her woman's form and felt the brunt of the icy wind on her bare skin. She shivered as she worked the clothing out of the pouch from around her neck. Awkwardly, she managed to get on both the dress and cloak. Per usual, she sat in the snow, clumsily ramming her feet into the boots. They were the hardest parts to put on quickly. By the time she was fully dressed, her cheeks were rosy from the chill air and she pulled on her gloves as well. Silvy flung her arms and indeed her entire self at Varian again, this time in human form. She looked up at him, her silver eyes locked on his. "I love you Varian."

[Varian Snowsong]

Varian smiled as she leaned into him. She was still slightly wet, and she smelled like a wet dog – which was a fairly unpleasant smell – but at the moment he didn’t care in the least. He probably didn’t smell much better either since he was a dead man that was slowly decaying. All that mattered was that she was here, that she was here with him. Her presence made some of the pain go away. She made this strange existence between life and death almost tolerable. He stroke her furry head. For a moment he was almost content. And then he saw the light. He abrutply withdrew his hand and stared at her. He had never watched her change from wolf to human, and thus he didn’t know that it was harmless, that everything was as it should be. As a man that had only died a few months ago, he still showed his feelings openly, and at the moment he looked very worried. „Silvy?“ he asked. „What’s the matter with you? Are you alright? Do you need help?“ Before he could decide what he should do, it was already over, and she was standing in front of him in her human form. „Did it hurt?“ he asked her. To him going from wolf to human in the matter of seconds seemed fairly painful, but on the other hand she didn’t look as if she was in pain. She just looked cold, and thus he put his arms around her as well, in a vain attempt to warm her a little. „I love you too, Silvy“, he whispered to her. „More than you can imagine.“

[Silvy]

Silvy blinked in confusion at Varian's concern. The scent of death and lavender were tinged with fear and worry. "Nothing is the matter with me and what do I need help with?" She looked up at him with large silvery eyes, studying his features. Slowly, it dawned on her that her form change was something new to him. It certainly frightened him at the most and worried him at the very least. She placed a gloved hand affectionately on his cheek to reassure him and gave him a sharp toothed smile. "No, it doesn't hurt to change forms. It's cold and annoying to change to human form, but not painful. It does make me very tired and hungry though, so I don't change often." The lovely young woman snuggled into the Vantha's arms as if not able to get close enough to him. Which in a sense, was true enough. His whispered words sent tingles down her spine and she reveled in the shared closeness of their bodies touching. "I'm glad to see you. What shall we do today? Where should we walk to this time?" The Kelvic looked up into her bondmate's whirling eyes with adoration and complete trust. They'd enjoyed long walks where they talked and talked and never ran out of questions or lacked something to say. At other times, their shared silences while enjoying holding each others hands were more soothing than any words could convey. Just soaking in Varian's nearness was an incredible comfort to her. "I think you mentioned something last time about the market place or stables that you liked. Would you like to go to one of those places?" Secret : Sorry it's so short. I'm a little distracted today.

[Varian Snowsong]

As Silvy assured him that it didn’t hurt to change forms he breathed a sigh of relief, or at least he would have breathed a sigh of relief if he were still able to breathe, if air still passed through his lungs. But he continued to hold her nevertheless. Despite the fact that she was a wolf and could have torn his throat out if she wanted to, despite the fact that she could have ripped his body to shreds in her other form, she seemed vulnerable to him now and incredibly precious. He didn’t think that a change such as the one he had just witnessed could leave anybody unaffected. „I’m glad to see you as well“, he told her. „More than you’ll ever know. Let’s get away from here.“ He had accepted that she was a predator rather quickly, but still, he wouldn’t mind leaving that half eaten animal behind. He wanted to go somewhere with her and pretend that he was just another human, that he belonged here, that everything was as it should be, that he was simply a man enjoying the day with his bondmate and not a walking corpse. „Maybe we should go to the market first“, he answered, remembering that she had said that changing forms made her tired and hungry. „I could buy you something to eat and drink so that you feel a little better, if you don’t mind human food.“ He had never asked her what she preferred, whether she preferred to hunt her food and kill it herself or eat something that was already dead and cooked. As a wolf, did she mind fruit and vegetables? „And after that we could visit the stables and take a look at the horses.“ He smiled at her even though the thought of food always made him a little melancholic. „Do you think the horses will know that you are a Kelvic?“