The days were getting warmer as Spring made itself comfortable in the midst of Vufrien.  Summer was just around the corner which meant the waters would soon be warming enough to allow for longer swims. Such thoughts brought a sense of excitement to the huntress while making her way up a nearby hill. At the top, she had come to discover not long after moving into her little abode within the wilds had proved to be a perfect spot to watch the sun set. There was enough tree to provide the needed shade in the later afternoons, but little enough to not obscure the skies.

With her, she carried what looked to be a small satchel and a blanket resting in her arms. Resting atop the blanket was just one of three picture frames. Two of which were carefully placed in the satchel along with a few snacks to tide her over. It wasn’t long before she had found her destination at the very peak of the hilltop. The workday had been a long one and after the minor scuffle towards the end of the day, Tethys thought it best to take an extra day off to decompress. There was enough tension in Kaisermont after the recent fall of Dunmeath – there was no reason to draw out more of it. Though the black eye was going to take more than just a few days to heal.

Instead, she unraveled the large blanket, spreading it out across the earth and then promptly placed the remaining of her belongings before she began to rearrange things. Two more picture frames were removed from satchel. The one she’d been carrying displayed a portrait of an older woman and another slightly younger woman though older than Tethys. There was some similarities between the three of them. The other two and older man and a younger boy where each were placed alongside each other. “There we go.” she hummed with satisfaction. “Not exactly the same, but at least we call all enjoy the sunset today. It’s a pretty cool spot I think.” She mused with a sobered smile, while adjusting her weight to sit with one leg out and the other tucked. Arms stretched back supporting the upper half of her weight.


“Oh. I think I have a neighbor, dunno if I’ll see him again. He seemed kinda grumpy. Kinda reminds me a lot like you, dad.” She chuckled softly.
!

Forest ferns unfurled their budding tops to splay wide across the leaf-littered ground until it held nought but greenery as far as the eye could see.  Brambles begged for one's attention by snagging at the limbs of passersby; some muttered curses, others shrugged it aside.  There were many things to take in on this day of spring where the sun glistened through the barring veils of tree leaves and the river yawned in its wide bed.  On all accounts it was peaceful, serene, a picture turned into vivid reality and the wolf would soak it in.  There were birds for company, their mating songs a vibrant melody among the occasional shift of the wind-swept treetops. 

Were it not for the blood still warm upon the wolf's black lips and the idle corpse at his feet, one may say that this was a place of paradise.  Alas, it was nature, naturally cruel and unforgiving.  Hunt or be hunted - the inevitable circle of life. 

Coral tongue swept away the remainder of the meal, the visceral gore and the petite shards of bone and blood.  Kongen would pledge a final thanks to the hapless squirrel whose life would ensure that his continued.  Satisfied, the wolf moved on, footfalls light and cautious as he walked.  He was aimless and without ambition.  A mere entity swelled with simplicity that cared little about the final destination.  So long as he was away from the pretenders and their cities and far from the reaches of civilization, the better. 

Of course, he couldn't be that lucky.  He'd heard that familiar voice long before he caught wind of her scent.  Dark brows furrowed and for a moment he contemplated turning away back to where he came.  While Kongen's rationality wished for that course of action, his irritation longed for another more volatile approach. 

"What are you doing back here?"  There was a hint of distaste in the way his mental voice reached out to her.  This time, he wouldn't attempt to hide himself and walked into her view yet kept his distance. 

Her left eye still throbbed leaving the hunter to wonder if the drunken man who had picked a fight in her shop was wearing anything on his fingers. She hummed thoughtfully while reaching for sun-dried meat in her satchel to snack on in the meantime. Icy gaze would cast a glance towards one of the photos where there was the older woman – the one addressed as her mother stood with a beaming painted smile. “I know, I know but I didn’t start it this time.” she scoffed as if to respond to a mother scold. While she wasn’t there, Tethys could still here her mother’s gentle chastises and motherly concerns over the wellbeing of one of her children.

Instead, Tethys took the time to enjoy the quiet of the world around her other than the distant white noise of natures’ choir, sharing the oddities of the days since her solitude. What are you doing back here? A familiar growl rippled through her thoughts, shattering that moment of solace. The rustles of leaves and the weight of crushed summer-dried grasses pulled her attention to the maned wolf. That same grumpy look on his face. The huntress wondered if his face just happened to be stuck like that? She withheld the want to laugh and instead offered him a lazy smile all the while wearing a black eye.

“Oh hey.” she greeted with a casual toss to her hand, placing the framed photo down and shuffling her weight to make room on the blanket. Ah he did ask her a question, didn’t he? Maybe he just forgot. How long ago was it when they first met? “Oh I live in that little cottage just down the hill, remember?” There was a brief pause while she patted the blanket next to her. “Watching the sunset, wanna join? The company is good – and I have some cured venison. Made it myself. Kongen, right?” Oblivious to his obvious distaste.

!

There was no hint of soot and powder, no tang of fire-licked silver folded into the likes of a diligent blade.  Only the familiar tang of the weird woman and the oddities carefully placed around her.  Kongen paid little attention to either.  His focus lingered beyond the barrier of trees with his ears turning hither and yonder, listening for any hint that they were not alone.  One couldn't be too cautious.  The last thing he needed was to be caught in another ambush without a means of preparation or defence. 

Wind, leaves and chattering birds.  No heavy breathing.  No rustling ferns. 

Satisfied, Kongen allowed his body to fall into a lax repose with hackles lowered and taut sinew unfurled beneath the skin.  He was drawn in by the informal welcome and the bold shift of her body upon the coverlet sparing her from the grime of the grass and dirt.  How very... human of her.  Then there was the darkened skin around her eye - a bruise, a badge of violence.  His brow furrowed, a snear accompanying the slight movement.

"You get that shiner from your little cottage too?"  Cerebral murmur was a biting jab.

Then there was bemusement, bold and violently vivid upon the contours of his lupine visage when her dainty hand pat down an invitation to join her.  He contemplated rejecting her, heavily considering turning tail and going back to the den far away from the weirdo and her friendly ways.  Too cordial for his liking.   

But he didn't run away.  Couldn't explain why, either.  He took her up on the offer by sitting awkwardly on the blanket, uncomfortably close despite the distance he attempted to maintain.  It made his skin want to crawl.  Emerald eyes watched from the corner of their vision, always alert to her every move but he couldn't help but look down at the faces peering back at them.  It was obvious the resemblance in some of them compared to the others - family. 

"Kongen, right?"

She'd been talking this whole time.  It only registered now and he looked up at her almost sheepishly. 

"Just ate."  He retorted.  "Surprised you remembered my name though."

Kongen returned his stare to the photographs lined around them.  "What are theirs?"  Curiosity bested him.

You get that shiner from your little cottage too? Telepathic word hissed through her mind. Oh, right. One hand wanted to touch the dark circlet around her eye though refrained from doing so and instead her features tugged while a matching tired smile managed to find her lips. “Ah, I nearly forgot about that,” came the half-hearted laugh while shaking her in a means to dismiss. “Nah, I got in a fight at work today.” Taking a bite of cured venison in hand. Focus broke away looking out towards the horizon. The sun hung just overhead, soon to make its descension and welcome lunar night while offering him a seat next to her with open invitation and meal.

The offer was there despite half-expecting him to forgo the invite and remain seated where he was. Which was fine Tethys thought. The company was welcomed nevertheless. It did come to a sliver of surprise when the maned wolf took it upon himself to break the gap between them. Instead of ruining the moment with childlike excitement she simply offered him some of her cured venison. Just ate. She simply shrugged putting the remains of the snack away, tossing the small satchel to the side to enjoy the rest of the evening. Surprised you remembered my name though. What are theirs?  His question followed prompting Tethys to sit upright, one hand on a knee and the other reaching for the nearest picture.

“This is my mom.” She pointed to the older woman. “Her name was Gaea, and with her my older sister Nephali.” She smiled, returning one and reaching for the other. “This picture here is my younger brother Kreios, and then the old man there is my dad Ophion.” Tethys was intentional to keep the pictures near each other.  “I think you and dad would’ve gotten along to some degree.” the laugh was lack-luster. They both shared the same distance and temper so far. “I inherited his butcher shop before he died. It was supposed to go to Kreios, but,” She shrugged, following a deflated sigh as if to assume the story spoke for itself without needed to continue. 


!

Never judge a squirrel by its tail.  To the green-eyed wolf, Tethys was all softness and stone and unlike the fires lit in the hearts of volatile fighters.  Brawlers had a type; tongues of steel and infernal eyes.  They didn't scurry along these ancient paths carved by years of primal migration nor did they soak in the wild waters of the river.  They didn't sit among a vast crowd of portraits out in the middle of nowhere. 

What line of work, then, could lead to such a prominent discolouration?  Had she mentioned it before the first time they met at the river bank?

Kongen's eyes narrowed upon the closest picture to him, the one of the elder woman.  "Where do you work?"  Magic spoke that which lips could not.  Curiosities that would get the better of him.

Attention lingered on the photos, each given their turn when Tethys offered their introduction.  A quaint little family.  The elder was her mother, a resemblance he'd noticed at first glance.  Same with the rest of the portraits, each harbouring some element of the weird woman.  It'd be a lie to say his heart didn't sting for her, didn't resonate with thumps of sympathy at the mention of her loss.  For the first time, he looked at her with a foreign gentleness. 

Then she answered the question he'd pondered on moments before.  Kongen regarded her with a lofted brow, a slight glimpse of bemusement resonating behind the glean of emerald.  It made sense that many wolves made lucrative work in such industries.  Butchers.  Hunters.  They did have a natural... talent, shall we say. 

He shifted on the blanket, settling his ribcage to the warm ground as he laid comfortably in the audience of the small family.  Awkward paws crossed over one another as he studied them, as he contemplated his thoughts and sorted through those which sought voice.  "Did they live in the cottage, too?"  Bemused gaze sought hers.

It was a menial scuffle, at least to her. Some drunk ass trying to start nonsense and bringing it into the shop. There was a lot to which the hunter tolerated. A lot all things considered. Intentional cause of damage to either customers or her shop was something she wasn’t going to allow fly so easily. Even if the assailant was intoxicated.  Where do you work? the question tugged at her thoughts just as she took another bite, finishing off the cured meat in hand. “Kaisermont.” Came the simple reply. 

“It’s a bit of a walk but it’s not that bad once you get use to it.” she shrugged stiffly. She took in a breath, allowing her arms to stretch back and lean into her palms. Her work was not something she often spoke about unless brought up. Not that she was entirely evading the subject – she would just much rather be out by the sea than further inland. “It’s just a small shop, nothing fancy. I just sell what I catch. Some days are better than others. Craft with the hides sometimes when I feel like it.” Her laugh was half-hearted.  Usually when winter rolled around when blankets and furs were in high demand. 

Icy gaze simply glanced, watching inconspicuously as the maned wolf made himself comfortable. She contemplated converting to her wolf skin, but she was already tired from the long workday. Did they live in the cottage, too?  Her focus returned to the company of the photos. This time, Tethys sat up, crossing her legs as she shook her head. Chin resting in the palm of her hand, supported by her elbow. “Just Kreios and I for a while,” she answered honestly. There was a hint of hurt behind her eyes which she otherwise managed to save face.

“I’m not from around here. In the beginning it was my dad, Kreios and myself.” she lifted the picture of her father. “We… came here hoping to start over. We knew nothing of this place. Dad bought the store with what savings he had. Kreios helped with the produce, and I was a nuisance.” A half-hearted chuckle escaped her lips while sun-kissed digits gently swept over the frame. “Ah, sorry, I’m rambling again.” she returned the photo back to the rest of the family tucking her knees close to her person this time and wrapped her arms around them. Her chin resting atop as she looked out towards the sun set. “I just miss them, that’s all.”


!

Mayhaps it was all these years of self-inflicted isolation that made Kongen's tongue grow loose and his curiosity to rise from the mire of sweltering rage.  The sea found itself calming in her presence; a tempest turned to nought but quiet squalls.  Quiet.  Though her voice tore it asunder, ripped through the birdsong and the far-away river's babble, it was still peacefully silent.  Eerily so.  Kongen couldn't help but wonder if she really was a wolf at all.  Despite all his doubts and the niggling whispers that told otherwise, he knew better than to follow that thought. 

He could smell it there, lurking just beneath her skin.  Eager to be released, he surmised, he assumed, speculated that all wolves were like him to some degree.  Ready to be free.

Or perhaps Kongen chose to stay at her side because in that demure voice, that delicately angled face, he saw a version of himself that longed to be rid of the encumbering loneliness.  In that sense, they were kindred hearts.  Each seeking just a sliver of light to peer through the otherwise ashen gloom. 

Green eyes watched the way her lips moved, he listened to the stories they told, a history of how she'd come to be here of all places.  Immigrants from another land far from the shores of Klewyth.  People who made their way into an unwelcoming country weary of outsiders.  People that Tethys had alluded to being gone from their mortal shells.  He watched her fold into herself much like a child seeking comfort.  Another may have sought to ensnare her little body in their arms, but not him.

He never had been good at this whole emotional stuff.

"Hey,"  He warned with a low rumble.  "you better not start crying." 

Stiff joints loosened as he rose from the warm comfort of the blanket.  The tall lupine form shook away the dirt and debris from the dull, lifeless shell of his orange coat.  He bowed down to stretch the soreness from his muscles, awakening the sleeping sinew from their temporary rest.  Once settled, Kongen turned towards her, glancing first at the belongings around them. 

"If being out here has taught me anything,"  He began while shifting his head to limber up the stiff pillar of his neck.  "it's that running solves all your problems.  Bears?  Run.  Hungry?  Run.  So... when your heart hurts, run it off."  Despite himself, a wry grin pulled at the left corner of his maw.  "You ready?"

There was a yearn to be running through the coastal breeze. To feel warm sands between her toes be it in the guise of her wolf skin or not. To relish in the salty brine of ocean waters to harass the sea life beneath the surface and explore the colorful vibrancy of the reefs. Instead, there was this invisible obligation – guilt -- that she needed to remain further inland, and inherit the small family business. It just wasn’t her and she knew that. Though, abandoning something after all the hard work had been put into it: she couldn’t bear to allow it to go to waste. Not without feeling that ugly sense of disappointment. Tethys sighed, pulling the picture frame and allowing sunkissed digits to trace the frame. Hey,

Icy eyes blinked as she looked to the maned wolf, almost forgetting he was ever there. … you better not start crying. Tethys scoffed playfully with a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes. “Of course not.” she reassured. Crying never fixed anything, it didn’t undo anything. A bitter reminder her father had taught both she and Kreios days after their mother and older sisters’ murder. There was every right to be angry, to be upset – sad of course about it. But anything there on out: nothing would rewind time to keep the events from happening. Life just sucks that way, I guess. she mused to herself.

The pictures were soon carefully returned to the basket she had brought them in just as Kongen had stood, stretching out those lanky limbs of his. If being out here has taught me anything, She tilted her head slightly, indicating she was listening while putting away her things. …it’s that running solves all your problems. Bears? Run. Hungry? Run. So… when your heart hurts, run it off. She couldn’t hold back the chuckle which bled from her lips as a smile swept up following shortly after. “Oh, so, literally run, and not just metaphorically.” she teased.

The passing breeze came as quickly as she shifted comfortably into her wolf skin. Chocolate toes flexed, teal claws digging into the soils while partial brindled milk chocolate furs shook. There were small hints of watercolor pastel blue streaked along either side and just beneath glacial gaze. Matching nose twitched as extended a lop-sided grin, striped tail dancing amicably behind. You ready? his grin was as sly as a thieving fox. “Just a second—” as the need to hide away her belongings for now and return to them later on. Limbs moved casually back, bridging the gap only briefly just as she sought to reach her nose and nudge the others’ shoulder with playful just. “You’re it!”

Without a second to hesitate, Tethys darted off down the hill stopping just a few yards away with a stance initiating play. Her tail up right, swaying from side to side, ready to take off again in another sprint should he get near enough.

!

Kongen watched the bronzed glisten of human skin ripple and burst with a thick coverlet of fur.  Girlish arms branched out into paws and the contours of Tethys' face elongated into something more primal.  Her body became a beautiful chrysalis, a shell that formerly held back the fearsome beast woven into the delves of fairytales.  It felt almost invasive to watch the shift, but his stare's prying green could not tear away.  It was always mystifying, intimate, a curious observation to behold when man shed their mask for something more... natural.

Her wolf skin was lovely.  It was an outlandish collaboration between earth and water, delicate art that did not betray the woman within.  Truly, this face suited her. 

"Just a second-"  And he patiently waited, watching as she put away her precious belongings before bumping the tip of her nose into the arch of his shoulder.  "You're it!"

For a moment he stood, puzzled and bemused, an arched brow accentuating this inner puzzlement.  Before he could say anything the forest engulfed her, the shadows toying with her form that lowered into a playful stance.  Kongen first shook his head before dashing after her, ready to take part in this little game.  The energy of the dirt branched up through his legs with each violent clash of paws to soil; the wind toyed with his matted fur, the length of his tail swaying to and fro for balance.  As he neared, Kongen sought to lunge forward, to touch her shoulder the way she'd previously touched his.