Those Yellow Eyes [1x1; Zephora]

The woods were quiet, every living creature was at peace in the glade with the soft sunlight filtering from the treetops. A young male wood elf sat cross legged with his back against a tree, head resting on his shoulder as he dozed. Cash has been wandering for quite some time now. He and his sister had been forced to leave their clan's land and so here they were in this bizarre new nation. So far it has treated them kindly and as long as they keep their noses clean, well, hopefully it will remain that way. Though it has been awfully lonesome having only each other. Better than having no one but it's still difficult trying to get through town when the people are so closed off. Which is why they've retreated into these woods to live for a short while.

A small brook flows through the glade and here a great white stag lowers his crowned head to lap at the cool water. The stag is known as a halla, a white feral stag whom only answers to his chosen companion whom is regarding her brother's sleeping form from a protective distance. Having quenched his thirst the majestic creature raises his head to observe Cash's sleeping form. Dareth the halla bugles softly, making Cash twitch. The young elf grumbles and rubs his eyes as he stood up to stretch, bare toes gripping the grasses as he did so. Dareth good naturedly walked off, tail flicking in jubilance as he made his way through the thick foliage to scout around their surroundings.

From a sloping hill above the glade sits a creamy wolf. Her eyes are glowing yellow as she remained on the alert while her little brother had been resting. Blysse watched Dareth wake Cash up and move off. Knowing that the halla could look after himself much better than Cash could look after his own person the she-wolf howled. This startled her brother whom fell back on his rear though in the distance she could hear the replying bugle of Dareth. Howling again Blysse excitedly charged down the hill to leap upon Cash, snarling and barking as she began to harmlessly gnaw at his forearms.

A young woman stood from where she had been crouched low to the ground; in her right hand she sported a bow, her left hand pointed down at the ground where she had been inspecting a faint trail. She had been in these woods for a long time now; she escaped here, to this sanctuary, as soon as she laid eyes on it. No where else she had been had so reminded her of home. The thick branches of the trees stood tall and wavering above her, darkening the forest floor as the leaves absorbed what sunlight they could. The smells of dirt, old decay, moss; the sounds of a distant babbling stream, the creak of bowing live wood, the occasional snap of a twig.

A ghost of a smile touched her lips as she drank in her surroundings, thankful to have found this haven. She turned her attention back to the faint trail before her and waved her hand, gesturing for the black steed, grazing a few paces away, to follow her. She waited for him to come along side her, taking an arrow from the bundle that had been secured to his flank, and placed it along side her bow. She didn't draw it yet, not until she laid eyes on her target. She pat Dubhradh who responded with a flick of his long tail and a lazy toss of his head.

The pair continued forward a few paces when Dubhradh came to a sudden halt. Zephora pitched him a concerned glance, eyebrows drawing together when Dubhradh tossed his head and snorted. Zephora attempted to quiet him without speaking, a hand straight out against his snout and a shake of her head. The stud didn't respond to her ministrations, whinnied and stamped his feet. It was a show of frustration, negative anticipation, and outright dislike -- but for what? Zephora had no clue.

She pat his shoulder and attempted to shush him; when that failed Zephora placed a hand over his raised snout and pulled it down, eye level with herself. Dubhradh pulled back, tossing his head high and away from her, whinnying again. Zephora's eyes darkened and her voice was like a whip, "Dubhradh, uist!" Silence!

The steed quieted immediately, in time to expose the noise of snarling and barking a short distance away. Zephora positioned her bow once more, ensured her scent was not being carried in the direction of the cacophony, and began to make her way towards to sound. It had been a few days since her last successful hunt and she was growing rather hungry.

The barking and snarling grew steadily louder as she approached -- as quickly as she could remain quiet. She drew her string back, taut, and readied her arrow. Zephora leaned around the tree she was positioned behind and found herself witnessing a sight she did not expect. A young elf lie prone on the forest floor, arm raised as a cream colored wolf latched onto it - the source of the snarling that drew Zephora here. She took aim, intent on slaying the wolf to save the man, when the she-wolf twisted her head in a way that allowed Zephora a clear look at her prey.

Her draw hesitated as the face began to elicit memories forth from her past -- that elf, he was certainly familiar. Now that she thought about it, the fur of the she-wolf looked rather familiar as well... and the elven man wasn't quite screaming as one would expect the victim of a vicious wolf attack to be. She dropped the draw, arms relaxing, and the arrow's tip drooped to aim at the grass beneath her feet.

"Cash? Blysse?" Her deep voice was thick with accent, though there was no mistake as to what names she was speaking. Her tone was hopeful, if not entirely disbelieving and her eyes reflected a similar sentiment.

"Ugh! Sister, stop that! You're so annoying...you're slobbering all over my arm!" Cash barked in annoyance, face pinched in his trademark scowl as he used his free arm to swat at the pale wolf's ears. Blysse only wagged her tail and continued to lightly chew on her brother's forearm, playfully growling and snarling. They were entirely oblivious to anything around them having believed they were safe here for this moment to gambol. The elven siblings wrassled on the forest floor until a voice startled the both of them.

In a flash that creamy wolf was no longer friendly. She whirled around with her forelegs tucked against her chest, slamming her paws down on the grass to stand tall, bristling as her mass shielded Cash from view. Muzzle crinkled she showed her pearly teeth and raised her tail up high. A seriously aggressive snarl sludged from her throat as she narrowed her eyes. Behind her Cash sat up quickly, placing a hand between the wolf's shoulderblades. That voice...it was very distinct and one that was difficult to forget. "Blysse, no! Atisha...Blysse. It's Zephora." peace...

The she-wolf sniffed the air, her snarl dying in her jaws. Since that group had been divided she had become more feral and in tuned with her wild nature. Still that scent was unmistakable. Her fur smoothed down and she stood at a relaxed posture, back slumping and tail dropping. It began to wag slowly as she whined, inhaling the air more. Now she could clearly smell the earthy odor of Zephora as well as that faint, irked musk of the great black stallion whom accompanied the nomad. Cash stood up and wore a genuine smile as he looked at the dark haired woman crouched in the foliage.

Blysse took off at a dead run from where she was at, whimpering and yapping like an energized pup. She remembered Zephora well and had often wondered about the woman. Where was she, who was she wandering with now, was she happy. Those questions might be answered later for now she has a friend back! The wolf lunged for Zephora, ears back and tail curling under her legs a little from her sheer excitement. Shaking from said excitement the wolfess reared up to slap her hind paws over Zephora's shoulders, licking at the woman's neck and face urgently, sniffing at her shoulders and giving yappy partial howls in her joy.

"Blysse stop being a pest!" Cash laughed and jogged over to the two, still smiling. As much as a prat as he was, he knew a friendly face when he saw one. Zephora was someone he had trusted and still does. He also knew she was a great friend to Blysse which meant he did respect her although his brotherly protection was often triggered from how close his sister had continued to get to Zephora. Blysse soon wrapped her forelegs around Zephora's waist and lightly humped at her leg, exhilarated to see her friend after all this time. "Blysse! Oh Blysse stop that, you're not an animal!" Cash gasped and gripped a fistful of Blysse's ruff to try and pry the she-wolf away, face flushed.

When the she-wolf rounded on her, Zephora wasn't certain that she didn't make some sort of horrible mistake. Her arms prepared to raise as her hands tightened around her bow. The sound of Cash's voice, however, allowed her to relax again. Her reluctant smile blossomed as Blysse's stance shifted from offensive to extraordinarily welcoming. As the she-wolf began her charge, Zephora discarded her bow and arrow; her arms extended as Blysse made impact and she wrapped her arms loosely around the other woman.

"Blysse, 's fhada bho nach fhaca mi thu." It's been a long time since I've seen you. The woman's voice was just above a whisper, heavy with emotion. It had been too long since she had seen her friends. They had lost each other a while ago and Zephora was always worried about what may have become of them. She put the thought out of her mind, however, as Blysse planted her slobbery kisses about her face.

Zephora chuckled, looking up at Cash as he approached. She nodded to him, her hand stroking the coarse fur along the she-wolf's shoulders and back. "Cash, ciamar a tha thu?" How are you? She had doubts that either of them knew what she was saying, but she knew that they would understand her sentiment.

It wasn't until Cash was trying to pull Blysse off of her that Zephora realized exactly what had transpired. Her smile grew and soon she was laughing -- her laugh was throaty and full, not whimsical, but still carried a musical tonality. She looked from Blysse to Cash, her excitement and his embarrassment, and her laughter only increased in volume and intensity.

"'S e madadh-alluidh a tha ann." She's truly a wolf. Zephora's laughter subsided, but another glance at Cash sent her into fits again. He was so very prim and Blysse was so very carefree. How different Zephora had forgotten them to be.

As soon as Blysse calmed and regained her bearing, Zephora would whistle for Dubhradh. A few moments later, the great steed would lumber out of the tree lining looking frustrated and irritated. He knew these folk and with these folk came a particularly irksome creature.

Blysse, so overcome with her excitement at seeing her friend, realized vaguely what she was doing. And unlike her sibling it didn't shame her at all. She's simply showing her thrill for Zephora! It was easy to hear and understand the emotion in Zephora's smoldering tone. Forelegs dropping from her long lost friend Blysse whimpered frantically once more before she began to shift, hearing Zephora whistle. Her fur shortened and smoothed into skin as her limbs grew, slender but strong, her ruff flowing out to her golden length of hair. Blysse stood in her green undergarments, simple bikini styled panties and a bra, and was comfortable being as such.

Cash took off his cloak and tried to put it on Blysse. His older sibling only growled faintly, using her wolf voice, before tossing the cloak over his head and shoving him to the ground. The woman then hugged Zephora with her arms in order to feel her friend; breathing, heart beating and present with them. Blysse's eyes stung somewhat as she gave the dark haired wanderer a slight squeeze, sighing happily and kissing her cheek affectionately. Drawing away Blysse cooed at the sight of the cranky stallion.

"Dammit Blysse..." Cash grumbled as he struggled to sit up, thick hair landing every which way around his head. He sighed, causing a tuft to float up before drifting down against his face. Cash smoothed his hair back and retied it before standing up. He brushed himself off, moving slowly with that violent horse nearby. With a smile at Zephora he went forth and gave her a short hug. Cash never was one for hugs but it was just so good to see a friend out here! "Oh we've missed you, Zephora...you're health relieves us." he then released her, still smiling as he took a step back to observe his wild sibling.

Blysse had crouched down into Cash's pack, withdrawing an apple. She recalled a time she had teased the horse with...a carrot maybe, making him follow it around until he quickly caught on to the game and gave her the cold shoulder. Such a clever creature! Standing up she faced the horse, knowing he was annoyed that the halla might be around. "Dubhradh...", she said to get his attention as she approached him respectfully, "[Thank you for watching over Zephora and for taking care of your strength as well. I've missed you.]" the soft words of her native tongue pooled around the glade as she held out the apple under the ebony horse's soft mouth.

Attracted from all of the noise the white stag had quietly slipped back towards the glade. Dareth observed them for a few seconds, reserved and calm as always. The serene buck all but glided as he walked towards them. He's roughly the size of Dubhradh. Recognizing the moody stallion an intelligent twinkle showed in his sugar brown eyes, however he saw the apple and chose to give the horse space. Instead Dareth approached Zephora with his cloudy nose snuffling at her sleeve to register her scent. With a soft exhale he leaned forth to touch his forehead to hers, bordering her with his pearly antlers in a ceremonial greeting.

Zephora found herself laughing again as Blysse pushed Cash to the ground -- how she had missed these two! Their playful interaction reminded Zephora of the sweet bitterness that was her past and her laughter subsided into a smile. As Blysse hugged her, Zephora returned the act, arms wrapping tightly around the petite elvish woman. She inhaled deeply and sighed contentedly; Blysse was like the smell of something familiar and comforting that you had nearly forgotten, she warmed her heart. The kiss to her cheek left Zephora with a grin and she grasped the woman's hand, squeezing it, before releasing her to greet Dubhradh.

Zephora smiled fondly at Cash, holding him in his offered embrace longer than he may have preferred. Though the two had never been as close as Zephora and Blysse, and probably never would be, Zephora cared for Cash and it lifted her spirits to see him. His tone was happy when he spoke and Zephora understood her name, but little else she could gather from the words he spoke. "Chan eil aon chànan gu leòr." One language is never enough... She muttered, smiling softly as she reached to Cash to tuck a loose strand of hair behind his pointed ear.

Dubhradh watched Blysse approach him warily with the apple in hand -- her game with the carrot had not been forgotten. He stood stoically as she offered the apple, ear twitching, snuffling at the scent of the crisp fruit. As Blysse spoke, his stance relaxed -- his head dropping lower, the tenseness of muscles reduced. Her soft voice and her language always calmed the beast. It was far from the guttural inflections of Zephora -- it was soothing, despite being relatively unfamiliar. The steed's lips drew back as he began to make the short decent to the apple when another scent crossed his nose.

The stallion was drawn to the appearance of Dareth and snorted in irritation. His ears became pinned to his head and he stamped at the ground as the two locked eyes. Dareth turned his attention to Zephora, however, which suited Dubhradh better than if he had turned his attention to the apple. He relaxed again, grumbling as he returned his own attention to the treat Blysse offered. After the apple was consumed, the grumpy steed would nuzzle her hand in appreciation.

Zephora chuckled at the two bucks as they interacted briefly. Dubhradh was jealous and cranky and Dareth seemed to enjoy their one-sided rivalry. The tanned woman clucked her tongue as Dareth drew close to her, voice engaged at just above a whisper. "Halò, Dareth." She muttered a string of words, mostly complimenting the stag on his appearance and attitude, caressing him as their foreheads touched. She gathered something from the pouch at her side and offered it to the companion before her. It was a root she had found growing in the forest -- safe to eat, slightly sweet, akin to a carrot, but certainly different. She wasn't sure if Dareth would accept it, but she offered it nonetheless.

When Zephora held Cash a bit too long he grumbled softly but made no move to force her away. The elf tolerated this prolonged contact before she was pulling away and saying something. Oh he wished they could communicate verbally with Zephora...perhaps that will be a project for him, to construct a talisman that will allow for communication. So distracted by his new thrall of thought that he did not have enough reaction time to moodily duck when the woman touched his hair. He blinked and pursed his lips, cheeks reddening. The young elf flailed his arms a bit and stepped back to return to his pack.

Blysse saw the exchange between Zephora and Cassius out of the corner of her eye, inwardly giggling. Her attention zeroed in on the ire induced stallion once Dareth entered the glade. The stag kept his distance respectful and did not encroach on the offering the elven maiden was gifting to the obsidian equine. As he ate the apple she cooed softly to him, stroking his muzzle with her free hand as he nosed at the palm that was holding the apple for him. Even chancing kissing his forehead she murmured an olde elven blessing to Dubhradh before pulling away slowly with a smile.

The large white stag nearby however was not pulling away from Zephora anytime soon. He easily recognized past allies they had wandered with. Her whispered language was welcome to his soft ears as his velvet nose breathed against her neck gently. Zephora's hand was welcome to touch him as it was to offer him a snack. Ears swiveling forth he raised his crowned head and angled it to get a good look at the vaguely crooked root. He touched his nose to it and inhaled deeply, savoring it, before opening his mouth to take in the treat. Dareth ate it slowly with dignity before swallowing. He licked her palm, tail waggling as he bleated softly in gratitude. He then raised his head to look at the black horse and uttered a soft noise of welcome.

The blonde elf woman watched her regal yet impish stag carefully. He didn't move to bother the horse so she was certain everything should be alright. Using her huntress skills she slowly dropped low, crab walking around out of Zephora's line of sight. Wiggling her bum a bit Blysse dove forth to tackle Zephora to the ground with her fingers relentlessly wiggling along the woman's sides. It was high time for a tickle fight with her friend and to simply rough the dark haired woman up! Cash, meanwhile, gave the tussling two a wide berth with a very pinched expression.

When Blysse pulled away from the stallion, Dubhradh snorted and nosed after her. He wouldn't show it openly, but Blysse had become one of Dubhradh's favorites, even with her annoying companion. His attention was captured by Dareth as the stag began to issue forth noise; in particular, the greeting poised to the stud. Dubhradh blinked at the large, white creature and, after an extended pause, huffed in response. Though not the most polite of greetings, it wasn't a bite to the rump.

Zephora was busy watching Dubhradh with a keen eye -- his response to Dareth's kindness making her laugh. The steed was so finicky and possessive; it was as though he was worried that Dareth was present only to take attention away from him and serve as an annoyance, rather than an ally or a friend. It was during Zephora's musings as she watched the two companions that Blysse tackled her to the ground. The woman let out of shout of surprise before Blysse's deft fingers went to work at her sides, the sound quickly turned into barks of laughter.

It took a few moments to gain her bearings, left helpless by the sensations that coursed through her body and caused her muscles to seize. As soon as she was able, Zephora would attempt to turn the tides, flipping the two so she was securely atop the other woman -- the new vantage point would allow her to begin returning the favor of wriggling fingers at the blonde woman's own sides. She had no doubts, however, that this tickle fight would end there with her the victor; the two would play a game of give and take, with each gaining the upper hand before losing it again to the other.

After a decent amount of time had passed and both women were out of breath, Zephora would collapse onto her back and hold her hand out to the elven woman. "Iochd. Iochd." Mercy. Mercy. Panting, Zephora would grin at her friend and shake her head, eyes closing in either a draw or defeat, depending on the status of Blysse. As a werewolf, there would be little questioning if the woman had a much higher stamina than Zephora had -- to be honest, it had never truly been tested.

Dareth decided he was heavily blessed to even get a passing glance and a moody huff. Dipping his crowned head he gently took off into the woods to scout again, white tail flicking behind him in joy of having familiar faces joining them. Blysse too was pleased to see the stallion did not take such offense as to attack her halla. Oh if only Dubhradh were less grumpy!

Blysse was very happy to tackle her friend, fussing over her and growling excitedly with her teeth bared playfully, showing they were slightly lupine even in elven form. She was soon turned over on her back though and wriggled about, gasping and giggling. Her arms shook as she furiously dappled her nimble fingertips along random points on Zephora's sides and belly, making sure not to go over the same spot more than three times so as not to dull the tickling sensation.

They alternated positions, fighting for power and struggling to remain on top. Blysse was feeling her end drawing near and was glad Zephora called it off at a draw. Flopping on her side the elven lady panted lighlty, still laughing as she smiled at her friend. Scooting up close to Zephora she snuggled her a bit and rubbed the dark haired woman's sides soothingly to ease the buzzing skin.

Cash meanwhile had started a small fire, heating a tea kettle and a few buns with herbs and meat wrapped in them. He had two vegetable buns going as well since he didn't care to eat flesh. Watching the two he shook his head with a posh frown though he was deeply pleased Blysse was so happy. And that Zephora was safe of course, though he doubted she would ever go down easily from anything but old age. Holding up the tea kettle he whistled at the two to invite them to join him, pouring the herbal tea into three wooden cups and lightly drizzling honey into them.