Lost in the hallways? (open)

[Ayren]

When Ayren saw her look, one between stern and pity, he sighed a little bit inside. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen such a look directed at him before, in fact many of the hunters he had gotten close to had given it to him at one time or another. There was just some part of him that wished she would understand why he didn't, couldn't hunt. He understood that there was the cycle, and anyone who spent any time outside would soon find that death was just another part of life. Any animal killed, for protection or for food, as did the Inarta. He just couldn't do it himself. All he could think about was a life ending, not how that ended life would benefit the hunter. Ayren was grateful when she changed the subject. His reasons were his own, and it wasn't up to Sira to understand all his inner motivations. Sira began to tell of her parents, and how her father had left before she had been born. He sympathized with her, a parent was a terrible thing to lose, even if you hadn't know that parent. He also understood her need to look for her father. There were times when Ayren had also felt that way, although the desire had faded slightly as he had grown up. When his father had left, Ayren had been too young to look for him and when Ayren had been old enough, he had blocked out the memories and didn't want to get up hope by looking. For all he knew, his father was glad to not have to be burdened with coming back to Wind Reach anymore. "Questions..."Ayren mused, "There are always things we wish we could ask." He cut off as he wondered what things he would have to ask his own father. Then decided that this was all just idle thoughts, to be debated on a later day when he was alone. Then he asked Sira, "So do you have any other family? Brothers or sisters?" As they stepped out of the city proper, the breeze rushed around them and Ayren smiled as it took with it some of his sadness as it went. There was something calming about being outside away from the confines of the tunnels. Automatically turning to take a rarely used path to his camp, Ayren looked to make sure Sira was still following. She was looking up at the stars, obviously lost in thought and muttered something Ayren couldn't quite catch. He followed her gaze up to the skies, and looked at the brightness. The moon was large, and illuminated the trees. He really should walk out at night more, there was a strange beauty in the moonlight falling through the trees. Everything looked different at night, more peaceful as if it had fallen asleep with the sun. Any hunter knew that it was deceptive and night was deadly, but at that moment it was hard to believe.

[Sira]

The night was indeed beautiful, and Sira couldn't help but take a moment to appreciate it. So rare was it that she actually came out at night, it was nice to be out under the stars for a change. The glow of the moon cast a pale light on Sira making her appear almost ghostly. It took a moment before Sira answered, her eyes tracking the path of a shooting star. I wonder where they land, she thought idly. Yes, the night was beautiful but Sira knew it was a deceptive beauty. Things lurked in the dark that were dangerous, and Sira's hand subconsciously checked for her sword as she came back to the moment. People often asked her why she bothered with the sword when she could turn into something that could easily rip apart or escape most opponents. Most times Sira just shrugged or said just enjoyed it, though the real reason was more personal. Sighing, Sira tore her gaze from the sky and finally registered Ayren's question. As they walked down the trail she finally answered. "I have two older brothers. Half brothers really, from a different father than me. Both of them are Endal as well, but I don't see them very often. Kavik is a flight leader and I used to work under him.. but we clashed too often." The reason they clashed so much Sira decided to leave out, being that it had to do with her being a Kelvic. Sira paused, stooping to pick up a short branch. She had already walked into a few spiderwebs, a constant nuisance when walking through the woods, but mostly she just wanted something to keep her hands occupied while they walked. "My other brother Toby I almost never see. He doesn't like me, always resented me. The last I heard he had taken a trip to Lhavit for some reason or other. He should be back late this spring. As for my mother.. I see her from time to time. She is a chief and used to work in the nursery. That's where I was raised, by her and the other commoners who tend the children. Now she is retired and lives with Kavik." Sira walked in silence next to Ayren for a while, contemplating the situation with her family. It had been some time since she had spoken to any of them, she wondered if they even knew about her and Addy. Kavik almost certainly did. He was a flight leader and it was his job to know what his Endal were up to, but Toby wouldn't know. Nor would he care. And then of course there was her mother. She would likely be thrilled that Sira had found happiness, but did Sira even want to bring her mother into her new life? Sira sighed a bit, wondering how much further they had to go. It wasn't as if she had anything better to do at the moment, she was just getting antsy. Her ordeal in the wilds had left her jumpier than usual, a fact that Sira found very irritating. Breaking the silence Sira asked her own question. "What about you? Do you have any family?"

[Ayren]

Ayren listened attentively as Sira told about her family. From what she said, she didn't seem to be very close to them. It was something he could identify with. There was sadness in it though, because, even if his family was gone now, he had at least grown up with one. A brother who had played with him, a father who loved him, a mother who cared...they had all been there. Sira didn't have that, and it was a great loss for her. Even so, he didn't let it show on his face other than one glance in her direction that expressed his sadness over her loss. He had gotten so many looks from people that said they were sorry you didn't get along with your family, but none of them truly meant it. Those looks were the ones that hurt, worse that the ones that said just get over it already. He left her to her thoughts as he turned his attention outwards to the trees. He recognized a trio of smalls ones on the right, and turned to take a different path. From frequent travels, he knew that they were only about a minute or two away from his camp, and it was none to soon for him to get there. The night, while beautiful, wasn't safe. Ayren would feel a lot better when they were in camp away from the dangers of the darkness. Ayren regretted that he didn't have his bow, but he didn't usually have to walk home in the dark and with wasn't the best idea to bring a weapon into a classroom full of rowdy Yasi. He saw Sira play with her sword, and knew she was having similar thoughts about the danger. Then he heard Sira ask about his family. With as sad smile, Ayren said, "Not really. I had a twin brother, Kimri, when I was little, but he...died." Ayren stopped, remember that day. Even though he had been but a child her remembered it clearly, as that wind tore Kimri from the cliff and threw him on the ground below. It wasn't a happy memory, and somewhere deep inside Ayren still felt guilty about Kimri's death. "My father is a traveler. He left when I was eight, and didn't come back. He's out exploring the world, or so I like to think. My mother, well we don't talk. She is dead set on me following in her footsteps, being a falconer, but its just not something I can do. She won't accept it, so I stopped talking to her." Ayren sighed again. Sometimes he wished that he talked to his mother. She was still an amazing falconer even though she was clearly getting a little old for the job. Yet he knew that the instant he walked back into her life she would keep trying to press him into falconry, and he couldn't do that. Falconry had been Kimri's thing and Ayren wasn't him. Still, he loved his mother in the way any child does, and somewhere in his things he had a stack of all the letters she had sent him that had went unanswered. Someday, maybe he would get up the courage to meet with her again.

[Sira]

It seemed Ayren's family situation was similar to her own, except for the fact that none of Sira's family members were dead as far as she knew. Ayren's father was gone and he did not speak to his mother, both things Sira could relate to even if the reasons behind them were different from her own. So far the night had not been a total bust at least. She had met a new person, hopefully made a new friend, and got to have a nice peaceful walk under the stars while enjoying a friendly conversation. Sira considered what she would do when she reached the camp site, which she suspected was near from the way Ayren seemed more confident in his steps and picked up his pace a bit. She was growing tired of conversation, as pleasant as it was to talk with someone who didn't know what she was, but she didn't feel like sitting around and talking all night. There was always the option of bedding the handsome man, but Sira found herself longing for more familiar arms that night. She supposed it would probably be best to just head back once they got to the camp. When they finally did arrive Sira glanced around the campsite. Nothing seemed amiss so Sira figured it would be alright to leave him there. She doubted anything dangerous would be this close to the city anyway, so really there was no need to worry. Sira gave Ayren a moment to check on things or settle in or whatever he would normally do when first returning to his campsite and took one last look at the night sky. It was bright, she had her sword, and if need be she could fly short distances. Certainly the walk home would be safe. "Well, Ayren. It was nice talking with you. It's always good when you can make an unexpected friend. Perhaps we will meet again some day." Sira nodded respectfully and then waved goodbye. The nod may not have been much, but it was more than most Endal would do. She certainly wasn't going to bow or anything, not to a chiet, but the nod was a sign that somehow he had earned her respect. Sira turned and walked out of the camp, not wanting to draw out the goodbye. It was highly unlikely their paths would cross again and she didn't want to get too attached, but Ayren had been a pleasant distraction nonetheless and she realizes she wouldn't mind at all meeting him again. Sira set off down the trail, heading back in the direction from which they had come. At first she was in a pleasant mood, happy about her chance encounter with Ayren and how things had gone. But then her paranoia started to kick in. It was quiet... too quiet, even for the night. There should have been something, but all was quiet. Never a good sign in the wilds, it meant that the forest critters had been frightened away by something more dangerous. Sira's hand fell to the hilt of her sword as her eyes darted around and she slowed to a stop. A haunting howl sounded somewhere to her right and Sira turned, drawing her blade. The howl was joined by two others not extremely far away, which meant the wolf was summoning reinforcements. Behind her Sira heard something move and she spun around, but it was just a rabbit fleeing to it's hole. She heard the snarl a moment to late and turned too slow as the wolf pounced and knocked her to the ground. The fall send shooting pains through Sira's injured body and her sword clattered to the ground just out of reach. The wolf snarled and Sira cried for help, hoping her voice would not be lost in the trees. The wolf lowered it's head, yellow saliva dripping from it's mouth onto Sira's face. It bared it's fangs as Sira struggled to shove it off, but the wolf was very heavy and it wasn't proving to be easy. Not far away the other two wolves howled again, they were getting closer. Even of Sira escaped the first wolf, she could not defeat three on her own.

[Ayren]

Ayren sighed in relief as they walked into his camp. While bright and beautiful the night was losing it's peacefulness. There was now an air of waiting over the forest, and Ayren didn't like the feelings it triggered. He felt much safer now that he was back somewhere he knew was relatively safe. Nothing would come into his camp. Still, for good measure, when he walked in the first thing he checked was that his bow was still lying up against the door of his tent next to the quiver. Sira followed him in and watched as he checked around to make sure everything was still where he had left it. You didn't usually have much problem with thieves in the wilderness, but it never hurt to be to careful. Sira said a polite goodbye, and with a respectful nod she walked out of the camp. Ayren started a little. Endal didn't usually make an effort to befriend the Cheit, let alone openly display respect for them. He wondered what he had done to earn such praise. Besides, she had said they could be friends. Although they would probably never meet again, it was nice to know that he had at least made a good impression. There was a tinge of sadness though, Ayren would have liked to spend more time with Sira. She seemed a good person to talk to. As Ayren gathered sticks to make a campfire, he noticed the quiet. The bad feeling he had came back, in force. There was no animals out there. Something must be wrong for all of them to hide away. Then he heard a wolf howl, and reached automatically for his bow. Strapping his quiver on he was glad that he was safe in his camp. Turning back to the sticks he had been gathering, a dreadful thought occurred to him. He might be safe in his camp, but Sira had just left and would be out in the open. Ayren jumped up, taking a firmer hold on his bow as he dashed out of camp in pursuit of Sira. It could be nothing, just the pack singing, but from the sound of it, it wasn't. Then up ahead he heard a snarl, a clatter, a cry for help that echoed through the trees. Desperately hoping he wasn't to late to answer that cry, he sped up as he rounded a bend, while at the same time drawing an arrow. He didn't like what he saw. Sira lay on the ground under a large gray wolf. She was struggling to get free, but he knew the wolf would not be easy to dislodge. Her sword lay a short ways away on the ground, when she had probably dropped it when that wolf tackled her. Off to her side were two more wolves, both snarling and inching close to Sira and the third wolf. From where he was standing he had a perfect shot at the wolf on top of Sira. He knew that if he could just get the wolf off of her, she would be able to grab her sword and fight them off, hopefully. There was just the issue of if he could actually do it. Since he had been small and his brother had died, Ayren had never believed in killing things. Life was precious, not something to be snuffed out, even if it was necessary. That wolf had a family just as much as any of the Inarta people did. It had the same right to live, to contribute to the world around itself. Then, a series of images flashed before him. His first sight of her in the tunnels, the look on her face as she looked up into the star, the respectful nod as she bid him farewell. Ayren knew then that Sira really was his friend, and there wasn't any way he could let her die now. In a way, it was a way to avoid guilt. Deep down, he knew that he still wished he had been able to prevent his brothers death. Back then, he would have killed the wolf in an instant if only it would have saved him. It was the same now. He would feel the guilt of Sira's death for the rest of his life if he didn't help now. She wasn't as special as his brother had been, but she was still a friend, despite their short relationship. Such a monumental decision made in only an instant. Decision made, Ayren took his arrow and nocked it in the bow. Drawing the bow back he sighted the wolf on top of Sira, and fired. Still, long held beliefs were hard to contain, and his hand was shaking as he let loose the arrow. It wavered from the desired course and missed the more direct target of the wolf's heart, hitting him in the side, but it had the desired affect. The wolf was thrown off of Sira, and back towards its companions. The wolves turned their attention from Sira to Ayren, try to determine if he was a greater threat than Sira. Quickly picking another arrow out of the quiver, Ayren ran forward to make sure Sira was alright. He kicked her sword into reach as he passed, and looked at her with concern for a moment, before turning his attention to the wolves again. She had seemed pretty injured earlier, he hoped she could hold up at least until this was over. Nocking the second arrow, Ayren took a defensive position next to Sira, and prayed that she had some great battle plan. He most definitely wasn't a warrior, his style was more to sneak around in the trees. This was not his forte. From Sira's promise of protecting earlier, he hoped that it was hers. If not, this was going to turn out very badly.

[Sira]

Everything happened very quickly. One moment Sira was struggling with the wolf, the next there was a thud and the animal was thrown free. Then her sword was kicked to her and Ayren was there asking if she was alright. What is he doing here? Dammit Sira, why did you call out for help!? Now Ayren is in danger! Sira's hand gripped the sword while she pushed off the ground and was on her feet in an instant, moving in front of Ayren. He saved me. He broke his vow and killed something.. well, tried to anyway. And it's my fault. I could have taken care of this myself! The injured wolf was on it's feet, more angry than hurt, and it spun at Sira once more when it saw she was back on her feet. Sira stepped to the side and slashed with her sword. She was certainly no master, but her skill was enough that she was able to cut a deep red gash in the wolf's side. The animal yelped in pain and one of it's pack mates snarled upon seeing one of it's mates injured again. A second wolf leaped at Sira and she dove to the side, while the third wolf turned it's attentions to Ayren. Ayren had little choice but to fight now as the large wolf advanced slowly upon him. It was huge, likely the pack alpha, and Sira was preoccupied with the other two wolves and likely wouldn't be able to help him much. Why do they keep attacking Sira wondered as the two wolves circled her snarling hungrily, Are they just starving or is something controlling them? What if they are more kelvics sent by Kragoth!? If the latter was true Sira knew they were in trouble. She needed to end the fight, and quickly. The second wolf snarled and jumped at her but Sira ducked and hacked at it with her sword just barely missing the animal. She stepped forward and sliced again as it landed and turned to face her, cutting it across the nose but dealing little real damage. The wolf yelped but did not flee, only further enraged. Sira glanced over toward Ayren and spotted the third wolf closing in on him. Would he be able to kill it? No! He shouldn't have too! Sira let out a cry of rage as the two wolves jumped at her at the same time, determined to make a meal of the Endal, and in an explosion of tattered clothing and colorful swirling lights Sira was replaced with a giant good feathered Wind Eagle. The wolves were thrown back by her sudden increase in size and upon seeing their new foe the injured one retreated. Before the second one had a chance to do do anything Sira spread her wings, possibly knocking Ayren and the third wolf down in the process and beat them hard kicking up dust and launching herself forward. Sharp talons reached out and snatched the wolf, digging into It's flesh and trapping it in her grasp. Sira let out a high pitched screech before dipping her head and severing the wolf's spine with her beak. She released the dead wolf from her talons then spun around, eying the alpha which could not help but notice her now. OOCFeel free to kill the alpha yourself or you can let me do it if you prefer.

[Ayren]

These were the times that Ayren wished he had learned how to use a sword, or dagger, or anything that you could use in close up fighting. A bow fit him, in that it allowed him to hide and shoot out of the line of fire, but right now it looked like a sword would have worked much better than his bow. Sira seemed to be doing alright with hers. From the corner of his eye he could see that she had her hands full with the two smaller wolves. Both wolves were bleeding now, but he didn't know if she could fight them both off. Most of his attention, however, was on the one larger wolf, presumably the alpha, who was now advancing on Ayren. The alpha growled at him and leaped forward, but Ayren dodged to the side then automatically retreated a few steps towards the forest along the path, hoping for the cover of the trees. Drawing another arrow, he nocked it in the bow and aimed at the wolf. Before either the wolf, or Ayren could notice, they were both knocked back as Sira changed into a large Wind Eagle. Stunned the wolf stood still for a moment as Ayren looked in amazement at Sira. Now significantly larger, she filled much more of the open space, and had not only knocked him and the alpha back, but her two opponents as well. One had retreated, and he watched as she quickly dispatched the other one in powerful talons. By now the alpha had begun to move again, this time towards Sira. Ayren could see she hadn't noticed it's first movements, and as she turned her attention towards them, Ayren took aim again and fired. It went better than his first shot, hitting the alpha through the eye, killing it. Watching it fall to the ground, he mourned the loss of its life, even though it had been trying to attack them. He wished that they hadn't had to kill them. Wolves were magnificent creatures, who cared deeply for their packs and had a strong sense of loyalty. Looking around again, this time scanning for the third heavily injured wolf, he saw that it had vanished off into the forest on the left. A trail of blood was left behind, and he knew that any hunter could follow it easily, but Ayren thought that there had been enough death among that pack today and it was better to leave it alone. Some part of him did wonder if it wouldn't be better to find it and put it out of it's misery, it had taken not only an arrow from him but a couple hits from Sira, but Ayren knew that he couldn't kill it, even if it was for a purpose such as that. Then Ayren turned back to Sira, still in the Wind Eagle form. He had to admit that it was amazing. With dark brown feathers, accented by lighter ones, and sharp golden eyes to match, she was one of the most beautiful Wind Eagles he had seen. It was no wonder that Wind Eagles were so revered among the Inarta. Not only necessary for hunting, they also help a certain power and grace that was amazing. Then he saw her wince slightly as she readjusted her position, and he remembered that she had been injured before, and possibly hurt during the fight itself. Unsure of how one addressed a Wind Eagle, or a kelvic Wind Eagle for that matter, he hesitated for moment, before remember that it was just Sira who he had easily been talking to not 20 chimes before. Walking towards her, he asked, "Are you alright?"

[Sira]

Sira winced at the sight of the arrow penetrating the alpha's skull, not because it bothered her but because she knew it bothered Ayren. She felt the same way, or at least close to the same way, any time Addy had to kill something. Damnit Sira, you weren't fast enough. She then glanced in the direction the surviving wolf had come, considering going after it, but as Ayren did she also decided enough was enough. The wolf wouldn't be coming back, and there was no point killing it. The wolves had not been the kelvic assassins Sira had feared they were, but simply hungry animals who had unfortunately chosen the wrong targets. Their deaths were unfortunate, but Sira would at least make sure they wouldn't go to waste. Contacting one of the watch riders she sent him a message, I got a pair of wolves out here for processing. I'd fly them in but I'm supposed to stay grounded. Send some deks to collect them please. The message was accompanied with a visual accounting of the route they had taken in the form of psychic photos. The watchmen sent back a quick confirmation and Sira thanked him before returning her attention to Ayren. Sira shifted back to her human form, dropping down on one need and holding her side. Her ribs hurt, but after a moment the pain died down and she realized it had only been the jolt of the shift that had bothered them. Sira took a deep breath, slowly letting it out in an attempt to breath away the pain. When it had finally subsided she looked up at Ayren and smiled. "I'll live," she answered with a chuckle. Sira grabbed her sword off the ground then stood, shivering as the cool spring breeze blew over her exposed skin. Only then did she realize she was standing there naked and a quick glance at the destroyed pieces of clothing littering the ground brought another small laugh to her lips. Modesty was not a word that was in Sira's vocabulary, but it was cold out and would only get colder. "You wouldn't happen to have something I could maybe wrap up in back at your camp, would you? It's a little chilly.." Sira followed Ayren back to his camp, remaining silent for the most part. If Ayren said anything about the bodies she would explain that deks were already on the way to take care of it, bit other than that Sira was lost in thought. At first she berated herself for calling for his help and putting him into such a dangerous situation. She could have shifted and fled instead of fighting the wolves. But if she had done so, it might have left Ayren in more danger. Normally wild animals would not approach a campfire, but then again they wouldn't have stayed to fight against two armed opponents if they weren't desperate either. When they arrived at the camp Sira went to stand by the fire, basking in the warm glow of the flames. Holding her hands over the fire she watched between her fingers as the flames danced about. By the time Ayren retrieved whatever he was going to give Sira to wear her mind had turned to other things. "Thankyou," Sira said quietly when he handed the item to her, only to drop it at her feet, instantly forgotten. Sira took a step closer to Ayren, reaching for one of his hands. Her golden eyes were lustful, her lips moist. "Thankyou for saving me. I know... it must have been very difficult for you." She moved closer still, her bare skin brushing against the fabric of his clothes. Sira's other hand found it's way to his belt, already working to loosen it as her lips brushed against his and she spoke barely above a whisper, "Please, allow me to show my appreciation." Maybe it was just the adrenaline, but at that moment Sira found Ayren completely irresistible. OOCSo.. I am perfectly fine continuing along his line or, if you are uncomfortable writing about this topic, we can gloss it over with vague innuendo's and wrap things up in a post or two.

[Ayren]

They stood there for a moment in silence, Sira assessing the situation just as Ayren had. Then she shifted back to a human form. It amazed Ayren that she was Kelvic and somewhere in the back of him mind he remember of a rumor he had heard once of a Kelvic Wind Eagle, although he never would have thought he would meet her. He supposed this would be something he would remember for a long time. After the change, Sira fell onto one knee and Ayren took a small step towards her in worry. Maybe she wasn't okay after all. He couldn't see any visible signs of injuries, there was no blood and all her limbs seemed intact, yet she clearly seemed in pain. Ayren knew he wasn't a healer, but maybe there was something he could do to help. About to ask if she needed anything, Sira looked up and assured him that she was alright. Doubtful, Ayren looked at her skeptically. Now, though, that he wasn't looking for injuries, he noticed that she was completely naked. He had to admit, she had beautiful curves, and cut quite the figure. Then embarrassed, he looked away. He shouldn't be thinking such things about her, especially after such an event. When she asked if he had something she could cover up with, he responded with, "Oh....sure. It is a little cold out" Briskly walking back to camp, Ayren wondered about the bodies of the wolves, and what would happen there. He decided that he would go back and clean it up later, if some other animal hadn't gotten there first. Nature usually had its own way of dealing with things like that, if it didn't the world would have been filled with corpses. When they reached the camps, Sira stood by the fire as Ayren walked into his tent and looked around for something. She looked as if she might fit into some of his clothes, she wasn't that much shorter than he was. Grabbing a spare pair of Bryda and a blanket, he walked back out to Sira. He handed the items to her, but as she thanked him they just fell to the ground. Sira took his hand, and thanked him for saving her, even if it had been difficult. He cocked his head at her, thinking that it didn't matter if it had been difficult. Sure he had his own beliefs, but all that matters was in the end he cared more about her life than those of those wolves. He had had to make sure she was safe, even if it meant breaking his own personal vows. Sira moved closer still, brushing her lips against his as she murmurer about showing her appreciation. Surprised at first, Ayren froze, then moved to put his arms around her neck. He had to admit, she was quite beautiful. He admired the way the firelight danced around her body as he kissed her more deeply. The evening had taken quite a twist. First getting lost, then the attack, and now this. He wouldn't have been able to guess earlier today that it would end up with him and Sira together. Not that he minded. Pulling back a small inch, Ayren smiled as he told Sira, "Well, only if you insist" OOCYeah, we should probably wrap up in the next post or two. I really have no idea how to talk about this, and I can't really fake it that well.

[Sira]

"Oh, I do insist." Sira's practiced hands worked to remove the belt holding up Ayren's pants as her lips explored his neck and shoulders. Once the belt was free she slipped him out of his clothes, finishing with the shirt, and pulled him to the ground next to the fire. Their shadows, dancing with the light of the fire, mimicked their passionate endeavor as Sira rewarded Ayren for his heroic actions. At first Sira enjoyed herself, but as they continued a strange feeling crept into her. Sira did her best to hide it from Ayren, determined that he should enjoy his reward, but by the end Sira was no longer enjoying herself. It wasn't that Ayren was bad, he most certainly wasn't, and physically Sira's body had loved every minute of the time they spent together. But emotionally Sira found herself confused. When Ayren finally collapsed on top of her, his energy spent, Sira gently rolled him to her side, doing her best to hide that anything was wrong. She was so distracted she didn't even think to stop him just before the moment came, and though she didn't know it then, his seed had been planted. As they laid there together, Sira's hands idly absentmindedly trying to keep him distracted so he wouldn't notice her change in mood, her mind mulled over what had just happened. She found herself wanting to be with Addy more than ever. It wasn't really guilt she felt. Sira and Addy had realized when they first began their relationship that they would dabble with others occasionally. But this was the first time it had bothered her. What had changed? Sira might not have understood why she was feeling the way she did, but she realized that it would be the last time she slept with a man.. At least, the last time without Addy being there as well. The thought of sleeping with someone else without Addy gave her the same feeling she had just felt with Ayren, and it was something Sira had no desire to feel again. Sira sighed, pushing the thought from her mind. She didn't want Ayren's reward to be spoiled with her sour mood, and she could feel his desire returning. Sira rolled on top of Ayren, her lips kissing their way down his chest, down past his waist, and Sira pleasured her rescuer all over again. When the nights pleasures had run their course, and Sira was sure Ayren was sound asleep, Sira crept out of his tent and walked over to the smoldering embers of the fire. She stood there a moment, glancing down at the clothes Ayren had offered her, before leaving them where they were and retrieving her sword. It was so rare a chief was given fresh clothes, Sira did not want to take what was probably his only extra pair. Sira left the campsite and returned to the place where they had battled the wolves. There was nothing left of the animals, the deks had done a good job cleaning up, and not even the tattered bits of Sira's clothes remained. Sira sighed and glanced at the sky. She had been told not to fly, at least for another five to ten days or so, but she wanted the sky. And above that, she wanted Addy, and the fastest way to her was by sky. Her mind reached out to the healer, I'm coming home, Addy. Sorry for staying out so late. Sira shifted and spread her wings, flexing then tentatively. There wasn't much pain, only a slight soreness. Sira beat her wings, taking to the sky. The flight was a bit painful, but as she worked her muscles they began to loosen up and before long she was flying with moderate ease. As much as she enjoyed the feeling of being in the sky again, Sira wanted to be with Aidara, and headed straight for their aerie. She she arrived she quickly joined her love in bed, curling up next to her for a peaceful nights sleep. The following morning she told Addy all about her newest revelation, as well as everything else that had happened the night before. No matter her reaction, Sira could only see it as a good thing. In her eyes she had taken the next step. She wanted only Addy, and could find no pleasure in others. It was something she had known all along, but the previous night had been the final test. Their bond was sealed, and nothing would pry Sira from Addy now. As for Ayren, he would wake to find Sira gone and would not hear from her again until fate, it seemed, brought them together once more. OOCSo I guess go ahead and make your final post then we can submit for xp.