RP:The Gift
LOCATION: Sage Forest; Shrine to Lauria of the Grove
If daring enough to venture the tremulous steps that spiral downward into an even more verdant paradise than visible above, the reward is to find the haven of Lauria of the Grove whilst in this mortal realm. Hardly a cave or a tunnel, instead the shrine is nature's beauty personified, a cove where the spring above pools crystal clear and unsullied by any mortal's touch, for even the bravest and strongest cannot touch the waters, protected by an invisible barrier of the Ascendi's strongest, impermeable power. The same protects a northern inlet, shrouded entirely in mist that solidifies should anyone try to enter the most sacred portion of the domain. Warmed without fire, illuminated with a bright sunlight no matter the time of the rest of the world, the space is soothing, and offers both a lightness of spirit and body, leaves swirling and shimmering where they harmlessly hover, floating, in various whimsical arrangements. Even the walls themselves are decorated, nothing but curtains of vines and flora, but impenetrable by outside, unwanted forces. There is safety here, and security, should one not anger the demigoddess who resides within.
Leathern soles made naught a sound as they pounded down spiral staircase, purposeful. The beautiful silence of the shrine contrasted greatly with the storm within lupine mind. His paws were clenched almost to the point of his own clawed fingers puncturing his palm. Grey eyes falling upon the altar, his maws opened to utter his plea. "Lauria!... How much more must my mate endure this? Is she not a deserving soul that should be given her chance to be mother to my children? Am I not worthy to be a father?!... How many more of my own kind must I reject before you will see that your paladin is the only female I desire?!..." Penitent, he knelt before shrine, arms opened to expose the leathery padding of his palms. He begged for mercy from the Ascendi that seemed to remain eternally silent to the prayers from a wolf and an elf.
For an eternity of minutes that might have seemed the passing of hours, the black wolf appeared prostate before the altar, and a silence and stillness so heavy that it might be felt, seemed to descend upon the shrine. Water ceased its babbling in the creek which wandered through its heart, and the soft hum that more often than not went unnoticed- the hum of wings beating the air, the wings of bird and insect- likewise seemed to cease. Into this apparent absence of life, pure life would make an appearance. Heralded first by the gentle stirring of winds where there should be none, the very grasses seemed to bow stemmed heads towards the altar before which the petitioning wolf knelt. Slowly, almost unnoticeably would it begin- a single spot of light, shimmering in the lush gloom of the enclave; a spot but the size of one of those insects whose wings had ceased to beat. It would increase in size and radiance, until, before the kneeling creature, the merest outline of feminine form would appear behind a dazzling curtain of light that might make observation almost painful in the first instance. From the light source would come a voice, rippling as with the sounds of many waters, and as hushed as the wind in the trees. “I do not think I have ever borne witness to so angry a request, lycan. You dare to make demand of a god?”
Rhocielle narrowed his grey eyes almost to slivers, near blinded by the spectacular image of the female spirit. Truth be told, there came a streak of primordial fear that rushed through his dark fur. Never had he been present before the immortals, much less as a response to his actions. Despite the dominance asserted by Lauria, the black furred Lycan stood his ground but dared not to rise yet. She was not a god, however, but an Ascendi. "I seek merely answers, Ascendi. Is that too much to ask? I have made no demands that you do as we have pleaded..." His tone grew more apologetic by a few octaves, "...but what do I tell your paladin, when she whom the elf has pledged herself for, does not even grace her with an answer...?" Slowly he rose, his paw on his knee to brace himself. Standing before Lauria, his muzzle was dipped down in solemn respect, "I do cry pardon for my assumed lack of respect, Ascendi. Will you speak with me...?"
The light around the feminine outline dimmed slowly in the passing of seconds wherein only silence answered the wolf, until, enhanced only by a shimmering glow that might remind the lycan of the energies oft accessed by his paladin love, the humanoid form of the Ascendi became evident. A tumble of golden locks flowed free to a tapered waist nestled in a slender frame taller than would seem natural for most humans. Adorned in form hugging draperies the lush green of dense living forests, the pale beauty of the demi god was accentuated in contrast. Clasped in one hand, a length of twisted tree branch seemed to serve as unnecessary support rod, whilst around the other, a growing sapling wound, snake like, from palm around and over her wrist to wander its way up her fore arm. Luminous eyes of a color impossible to distinguish came to rest upon the jet furred lycan as the tree branch was extended to rest upon his shoulder. A sudden weakening of his digigrade limbs would occur, forcing the wolf to the earth again. “ Do you question my power, mortal? I am Ascendi, yes.. but god enough to grant or deny that for which you petition!” What had once sounded as the wind in trees, now contained echoes of the howling force of storm winds. Colorless gaze narrowed in what would pass for thoughtfulness, divine tones settling to familiar hush after the silence of some moments. “You will tell Arien nothing.. for well she knows it is forbidden to petition selfishly-and it is for her you petition, is it not? She wishes to bear you children.” The look that passed across the demi-god’s face might well have been mistaken for wistfulness. Did she perhaps also yearn for that ability to do what was the embodiment of nature..reproduce ? Who could know the mind of a god? The branch was removed from his shoulder then, and an almost whimsical smile offered. “I would not have come, if I were unprepared to hear your petition now would I?” Almost unnoticeably, beneath the sound of her voice, nature would begin to speak again within the confines of the shrine, and some sense of normalcy return to the atmosphere, though there was no denying the humm of power present. “ Perhaps..I have the answers you seek, but the price may be more than you are willing to pay. Either of you.”
Rhocielle stilled before the demonstration of her power over nature itself, tensing as mystical branch extended to fall upon his shoulder. Only a moment's glance would be offered to the odd gesture before he felt it. His knees buckled first from a sensation of sudden weariness, canine teeth gritted as he attempted to resist the forced humbling gesture. He was still a wolf. Maws gaped in a soft gasp and he fell to his knees. His paws splayed against the ground. Some effort was required to even lift his rune inscribed muzzle up to the Ascendi. He did not doubt her words. He felt that Lauria could even provoke him to shift to a natural wolf without effort. "Aye...," he admitted almost defeated in his husky drawl, "-We- wish to have children together..." Grey eyes almost blinked repeatedly; even without the touch of the branch upon him the pressure was almost stifling. Clawed digits flexed and dug slightly into the soft earth beneath him. He would not be able to stand again even if he tired. When finally the black Lycan felt her invisible grasp of him relax, he still remained knelt before her. It would not have been wise to risk the Ascendi's ire further. Shifting to sit upon his haunches, the wolf gazed upward towards the form of Lauria. Solemnly, he asked, "...What price is greater than that of the chance to have our family?" Despite the slow and somber tones of his wolfish voice, there was no hesitation evident. Slowly, he nodded, "What would you ask of me and Arien, Ascendi...?"
Those luminous eyes remained resting upon the dark form of the wolf for some moments that lingered free of reply. He was a fine creature, powerfully pure of heart and spirit, and the demi-god had grown fond of sitting unseen in his presence night after night as he had come to make his petition. Her enjoyment of his company had been in part the cause of her continued delay in responding to his prayers. The Ascendi had learned, countless millennia ago, that the gods were easily forgotten once their gifts had been granted. Reed slender body moved with graceful sway from her place at the alter, the demi-god seeming to almost glide upon air as she moved over the lush greenery of the shrine. Passing before him, the wolf might note how all of nature seemed to reach out for contact with her. The heads of flowers would turn, as if towards the sunlight. So too would the soft scurry of clawed or padded feet reveal fist one, and then another creature showing its face as if drawn by the essence of her power. The very air around her form seemed a living entity, blonde tendrils constantly astir in some unseen breeze, the folds of flowing garment shifting likewise gently against her form. Branch would gently brush his furred shoulder again as she walked by, life infused in a powerful surge that might leave the wolf feeling almost consumed by a strength he had never tasted. She would not pause however, but walk on towards the banks of the slow babbling brook, her unspoken invitation to the wolf implied. He should join her at her side. Colorless eyes would follow his movement towards her, pale fingers of the one hand unfurling idly into the water at her side. Immediately would darting silvery schools of fish be drawn to those fingertips to dance and weave, to kiss the power contained therein. Only when he might find himself settled somewhere near her would she speak again. “What you ask for, wolf, -that is what she calls you, is it not?- what you ask for, is beyond the realm of mere magic. It is a gift that will require the unleashing of the power of the divine itself. And the cost..ah..the cost..” A winsome smile curved the lush lips. “ ..the cost is something we shall perhaps speak of later. For now, I wish to know why. Why is offspring so very important to you? Can you not love each other without the bearing of a child? What is it about children that is so very important to you mortals? It is something, perhaps, a little beyond my capacity to understand. Such things are unimportant in my realm.”
Rhocielle kept his gaze upon the Ascendi constant. How could he ever avert his focus from those eerily glowing eyes? They seemed infinite in their depths. Lesser souls could easily lose their minds from merely a glance upon Lauria's eyes. He watched her as the demigoddess moved, peripheral vision taking note of the changes to the environment around here. Even from a distance, his fur bristled involuntarily. Were he a more primal canine, the wolf would have likely barked aloud with suspicion or perhaps fallen prey to her charm of nature. Her grazing touch prompted grey eyes to shut, maws clenched in a wincing sensation. Whatever raw strength he could feel upon turning feral, it paled in comparison to the power that surged gingerly upon the tips of black strands of fur. A moment of respite was needed, his muzzle falling limply to point towards the ground. Drawing in a recovering breath of air, he finally brought himself to rise once more, albeit slowly and respectfully. He grunted softly in acknowledgment, "I am her wolf." Jaws clasped shut immediately thereafter, not wishing to be thought of as interrupting the Ascendi inappropriately. Silence on his part was continued until at last she posed her question to him. "We love one another, despite the absence of children..., but what better way to express love, than to continue our bloodline together..." A pause ensued, the wolf thinking of how to carefully explain it to one that was eternal, "...we are mortals, Ascendi. Someday...we shall perish, but... through children, part of us will endure. However, it is not simply my blood continuing, but hers... ours. Our children would be of both myself and Arien-" He frowned slightly, scrunching his muzzle slightly, "...heh... our own attempts at immortality, no?" Wolfen head shook faintly, releasing heavy sigh, "I could care less of immortality... I just long to someday hold a child of my own, born from my High Elf."
A gentle frown furrowed the pale face of the Ascendi as she processed the information given to her. She understood the cycle of life, procreation, the continuance of the species, but the concept of the continuation of self, of the soul through offspring, was puzzling to her. Lips pursed delicately in gentle reprimand, though she cared not enough about the subject for her passions to be stirred any higher. “ You might care for immortality..if it was actually within your grasp, wolf,” she murmured. Vine clad hand reached out in idle caress of his muzzle, those colorless eyes turned upon slate grey orbs. “ Perhaps.. I shall keep you for my own.. would you not wish to live forever then? The lover of a god? The world would lay at your feet. Surely..children will not matter then.. or, your Elf.” She chuckled softly at the thought, withdrawing her hand that mind might remain uninfluenced in his reply; for none could deny her power when her touch was laid upon them. “I can show you a world, such as you have never seen. Fill you with power..such as you have never felt, if you will only say yes..and stay with me..” The smile with which she graced him was haunting in its beauty, and alluring in its seductive appeal. Seated beneath the willow tree, tendrils would seem to reach down from within its weeping branches, teasing into the strands of golden hair with attentive strokes until idly dismissed with a subtle movement of hand. There was little living, that could resist her direct appeal, it would be a test, truly of the wolf’s love for his mate.
Rhocielle did his best to not retract from the contact offered by the immortal female. He was not one to have previously put much faith or concern with the gods or Ascendi; and this encounter with Lauria herself was very uncomfortable for the black Lycan. His ears fell back against his scalp at the proposition offered. His elf would not matter? All other words spoken by the Ascendi fell upon deaf ears. All that matter to him was his elf. "No...," he softly heard himself answering well before she would even finish speaking. His grey eyes locked with luminous orbs and he repeated his word respectfully, knowing he was perhaps asking to be smote down for his refusal, "The answer is no, Ascendi... Life, much less immortality, is meaningless without my elf, this I have come to know as truth." Slowly his muzzle dipped low, awaiting her sentencing.
The shimmering gaze of the Ascendi remained upon the wolf for a moment of long silence as she pondered his rejection, before she turned her face away to look out across the shrine to the altar that rested there. This then, was mortal love-the power to reject a god. She was almost jealous of her guardian. Almost. For all her power, she was tied to this place, and weakened, for the lack of followers. Many of the wood elves, those who had survived the incursion of the Duergar, had fallen away from the ways of worship, faith lost in one who could have left them to such unfriendly fate. The numbers within her natural ‘captive audience’, as it were, had dwindled. She was uncertain if she even had within her, the power now to do what would be required. Softly, she began utterance. “ Understand lycan, that it is impossible for my guardian to bear a child of your lycan seed in her Elven form. Even I, cannot gift you this-it is contrary to the laws of nature. If you are to reproduce, one, or the other of you must take the form of the other.” Golden head turned back his way, the intensity of colorless, shimmering gaze penetrating. “ And not some pretension to the form, but the true form of the race. Your very nature, must be transmuted and it will not be without a price.” She looked away from him again. “Everything, in this realm is conjoined. Power cannot be generated without drawing upon a source-and I am too weak to gift it freely of myself. The change is possible. One can become as the other, for a period of time, but only by feeding on the life force of that other. Will you die, for your elf, wolf? Will she die for you? For that will be the cost. The lives of both, for the sake of the children you seek.”
A moment of surprise grazed his grey eyes when they opened to see that not only was he still with life, but she was not enraged. Nevertheless, his canine ears remained limp against his scalp as he listened to the immortal. Muzzle nodded in agreement to the laws of nature. Only a Lycan could breed with another. But, he would not turn her. It was a curse, or gift, not meant to be given to those not born into it. This was as far as his own thoughts wandered before suddenly jerked in the direction of Lauria's conversation. His wolfen head canted slowly, but still he did not dare to ask aloud. She had the power to turn him into something he was not? Born from Lycan sires, the thought of ever not having black fur coating his body had never crossed his mind. Until now. They would have to die for the other ...in order to have what they so desperately sought after?... "...I would," he finally answered. Drawing in breath, "She is my mate, and I do nothing that would so drastically affect both of our lives without consulting her. May I go to her before we give our answer to you, Ascendi...? ...And... so we may not be misinformed about the conditions for our desire, may I know what the exact price will be...?" Throughout his inquiry, his voice was somber. Life for a life, it was always the heaviest price to pay.
Quite how it may have occurred, the wolf would never know, but within the blinking of silvery eyes he might find himself staring at empty space where the blonde haired demi god had been seated, her voice instead coming from somewhere behind him when she replied to his question. Lauria was once again seated upon the throne like vestibule behind the altar, and with each passing moment her form became less defined, lost to the ever increasing glow that shimmered around her. That colorless, luminous gaze blazed most powerfully of all. “ I expected no less, but that you would seek to consult with her lycan. it is your nature, it is your way.” A flare of glorious light, and the wolf might believe himself suddenly alone..save for the voice that echoed in unnatural wind that moved through the trees. “ One life..must sustain three.. the other, and the children to be. Thus from the moment the gift is given, will longevity be taken. Six hundred years, wolf will be the prize, and the cost. Elf and wolf both, must give up mellenia for the gift of immortality, carried in the blood of your progeny.” The words faded on the quieting wind, leaving the jet furred wolf alone with his thoughts at last, before he might arise from his place to seek council with his mate.
Rhocielle widened his eyes in brief startlement, whirling upon a heel to bring himself to face the Ascendi once more. No sooner had he seen her once more upon her sacred throne than the flash of light blinded him, fur coated arm brought up abruptly to shield his sight. In the aftermath of her luminous disappearance, his gaze narrowed in curiosity. Canine ears perked to the fading voice that seemed beside him still, and yet also all around him. While part of him sought to speak with the Ascendi, he knew in his heart that only silence would resound in the shrine. Nodding to eyes that were not there, he took his leave. There was much to speak of.
Meanwhile..At Arien's Island Retreat on Rynvale Island…
Arien stood still beneath the silvery light of the twin moons that climbed over the ocean’s horizon. Bare toes curled into the sands of the private beach which embraced the villa that had become her retreat from the busyness and sometimes overwhelming bustle that accompanied her role in the world. Despite that the construction of the royal townhouse was all but complete, and accommodation for the governor would be provided there, she did not think that many nights would find her within its formal confines. Not when the cozy familiarity of her home was minutes away upon the beach. The gentle lapping of the waves was like a lullaby that soothed her spirit in the worst of times, and kept her company in the best. She was never more at peace than when she was walking the shores, except perhaps, when she was with him-where ever they might be together. As if provoked by the thought of the lycan, fiery head would turn, emerald gaze seeking in the dark for some sign of his arrival along the Oceanside path that led down into the residential ocean front. She smiled for her silliness before looking away. Even with her keen eyesight she would be unlikely to see him, blackness against night sky with no torch to indicate his presence. Her wolf was well used to prowling in the dark. Slender arms wrapped around her torso, warding off the encroaching chill of night on the oceanic breeze. She should not have come out onto the beach in naught but her leathers and silks-neither offered any real protection from the night and the dangers it always held; especially in a city recovering from war. But portent seemed heavy in the air tonight, and the elf was restless. As always, it was to the water’s edge she had retreated for comfort. She wished Rho would come home.
Rhocielle would not be able to count the time it took for his legs to carry him from the shrine to the harbor in Cenril. It seem all a haze, a dream. Had he really spoken to the Ascendi? His paw rose to his muzzle, where the eternal female had touched him. No, it had been no dream. Frustration briefly set in as he waited upon the deck of the ferry that would return him to the island. Restlessness. Had he been a proper swimmer, the black furred male would been tempted to leap into the ocean and swim the rest of the way to his mate. Crew and passenger aboard the vessel wisely stayed away from him, presuming that the anthro was likely to turn feral from his impatient pacing. The moment the ferry touched the restored stonework of the docks of Port Rynvale, he leaped off. Had he not been recognized immediately as one of the Fold soldiers, an alert would have been sounded about a wild Lycan racing westward along the harbor towards the beaches. Her scent reached his leathern nostrils quickly enough the moment his soles pressed against the soft sands of the southwestern coast. It urged him on faster. His elf awaited him, now only a few hundred feet away. Grey eyes narrowed at the moonlit silhouette in the distance. A siren? Never. No oceanic seductress could ever compare to his fiery Valkyrie. Her tipped elven ears would have likely heard the pounding thuds of his footfalls in the sound, alerting her. The Lycan no longer cared for her reaction, only the want to embrace her anew. In the time it would take High Elf to turn towards the rapidly approaching wolf, she would already be lifted into the sky by clasping paws. Arien was his angel, his adoration evident in shimmering silver pools on either side of his muzzle. Whether silence or shriek of surprise greeting, he greeted her thereafter with a slow and lingering kiss. In playful irony, his husky drawl only said, "...hello."
It was the soft rush of leathern pads across the sands that first alerted the elf to the arrival of her lycan mate, a soft sound of delighted greeting slipping past her pale lips as she was swept up into unnaturally warm embrace and held hovering above the sands. Slender arms were slipped around powerful shoulders, and bare toes batted against his shins in mock protest before she stilled beneath the treasured exploration of almost humanoid kiss. Angling her head away thereafter so that she might capture his glowing gaze with her own, a single flame colored brow would arch in her pale face, a glimmer of humor lighting up emerald depths. “ Hi..” she returned his greeting softly, brushing her nose against his own in wolfen kiss. “ I missed you too?..” She teased the eagerness of his greeting, fidgeting slightly within the strength of his embrace. “ You can put me down now love..” she whispered on a soft laugh into his still close ear. Should he comply, secure on the sands again, she would glance up to his greater height with curiosity in her searching gaze. “ What has happened Rho? I can feel some news waiting to explode out of you. Is it something good?” The elf might have been more inclined to worry, but something about the energy scarce contained within the wolfen frame wrought a budding excitement rather than concern within her. “ Come, speak your mind wolf.. do not tease.” Pale fingers would reach up to brush against the runed markings of his dow.
He grinned widely, foolishly even, on account of his long muzzle and toothy maws. How often had Arien seen her wolf as ecstatic as a pup? Still, he complied with her request, his muzzle now looking down to her with adoring grey eyes. While first thoughts were to tease her further by keeping silent, the eagerness in her gaze bid him to merely tell her. "She appeared before me..." Rhocielle almost barked out jovially, though ears fell back slightly. It was still a rather embarrassing admission to say that it was because he provoked the Ascendi to appear from his frustration. A paw instinctively moved to the stomach of the High Elf. It could not be helped, leathern palms gently stroking. Before she could jump to any immediate conclusions, he quickly added, "But-." His muzzle scrunched faintly, "It will come with a heavy price, Arien..." Immediately, his tone grew lower with a sense of grim. "Do you love me, elf...?" Muzzle dipped low, gently brushing her petite ivory nose with his own black. It was a true sacrifice to ask of her, of himself, and not one to be taken lightly without true consideration. His paw slid around her frame, joined by its twin to hold the elven female in his fur coated arms.
The joy radiating from the lycan spiked an answering surge of excitement within the heart of the elf, even before words spilled from his dark maw. The Lady had appeared? Finally? A thousand questions tumbled through her mind, multiplied with the pressure of leathern paw upon her abdomen. Instinctively, pale hand fluttered to cover his paw like own, her emerald gaze locked with sudden intensity upon the slate grey orbs that were fixated upon her with such adoration. The lowering of his muzzle for wolfen kiss was met with a quiet lingering of the contact , before she answered his question with a heart felt reply. “ I love you Rho..with every breath, every beat of my heart. There is no price that I will not pay-except the loss of your love. I will not lose your heart, for the sake of a child.” Her arms mirrored his own actions in embracing him, causing the pair to be knit together beneath the stars as shadow and silvery moonbeam. “What is the cost, beloved..what must we do?” Despite sincere and brave words, the soul of the warrior trembled for the price that would cause so grim a tone and expression to fall upon the wolfen features of the warder of her body and heart. The acts of the gods were fickle, and often cruel. “ Tell me Rho, my heart can bear the wait no longer.”
Rhocielle smiled warmly to the elven female held in his arms, equally warm tongue brushing her rose lips soothingly. He nodded, relinquishing his information to her. "Six hundred years, elf... My life, and yours, for our children..." Throughout this, his eyes never blinked, never left her emeralds. He sighed softly, tightening his hold of her body ever so slightly. "You are my life, elf. I have no qualms over giving of even my soul for you, and our family..." Shifting wolfen head, his forehead rested upon hers. Silver and emerald eyes mingled in reflection, a delicate shade of jade could be seen in the gaze of the other.
“ Six hundred years…” it was a soft murmur as she sought to understand his mysterious statement. The life span of the Elder races extended into mellenia. As High Born, she could look forward to living as much as two and a half thousand years. To see such a lifespan shortened, to what would amount to eight hundred years in the end, if she counted the two hundred she had already lived, would be to find herself cut down in her prime, and at the pinnacle of her potential power. For a moment, the shadow of death reached out to brush against her. Mortality. This was what it felt like, to know that one’s days might be numbered. But Rho too, it seemed, would have to pay this price and the extended lifespan of the born lycan was as much as, if not more than her own. Yet..he declared himself willing, without a heart’s beat of hesitation to pay the price. “ It is a steep price..” she whispered. Emerald gaze was fixed upon silvery as the unspoken concern in her gaze found way to her lips. “ I love you Rho..you, for yourself. We could be together for mellenia. I could love you for thousands of years. As much as I wish for a child, it is not something to be taken lightly. In choosing this path, we choose also to number the days that we have together.” The expression in her gaze was turbulent, as she struggled with the cost. “I am willing to the pay the price…but I cannot demand it of you if you cared more for the extension of our days together, than for the hope of children..” Her voice broke upon the last word. It had been the cry of their hearts for so very long. “ Will it be worth it..my love? Our forever…in return for theirs? And how will it even be possible? Did she explain what must occur?” Her mind was almost feverish with unanswered questions. Why was the shortened lifespan even necessary? How could conception even be possible? Just the thought of losing the wolf so very soon, when thought of relatively, made her tighten her embrace. She had thought to have him for what had come to feel like forever, when she looked at the ancients who still tred the lands. Six hundred years.. three generations of the fruit of her womb would be all that she might live to see. Would it be enough? Could it be?
A soft apologetic rumble could be heard in his throat, seeing the conflict with the eyes of the High Elf. Tilting muzzle further, it pressed against the contour of her neck. Clawed fingers gingerly roamed her back. Every moment in her presence was already a blessing, something to be savored. "Dear elf..., do you not know...?" he asked softly, his heated breath caressing her ivory skin. "...every day, I already love you a millennium's worth..." Furry dow of his muzzle rubbed fondly against her neck, marking her as his. Slowly, Rhocielle drew his head back to see the woman he was willing to sacrifice everything for. "And, she did not tell me exactly. Lauria gave mention of one becoming the other for a period of time..." There was her answer, and the sense of what her wolf was sacrificing. He had already denied Arien the possibility of him inflicting the curse of Lycanthropy upon her body. This left only one alternative. He was to become as her, a High Born. They would be able to step out of the shadows, no longer stealing affections in the darkness or hiding from prying eyes of a world that would scrutinize their love for one another. "You have already made my life worth living for, Arien..., our children will be worth dying for..."
Arien clung to the lycan, her heart breaking and soaring at the same time, if such a thing were even possible. His drifting touch upon her back soothed fears, the warmth of his breath against her neck an embracing comfort. His confession of love provoked the tears that had already lurked beyond the boundary, a single rivulet trickling over ivory cheek to soak into his fur as she fought to contain the shuddering sob that threatened to shake her body. Never, had she loved so deeply, and yet, she felt so undeserving of the utter and unconditional nature of his heart for her. “ Now.. I know, wolf.” Her hoarse whisper was pressed into the jet darkness of his fur, before she withdrew to gaze into his face again. Confusion, and then the beginnings of comprehension became evident in her expression. “ She would make you an Elf? You would be High Born?” Stunned disbelief of the possibility and its implications was contained in the murmured question. “ The power for such a transformation will be momentous. Can she truly do it?” Now, did the first tendrils of understanding begin to seep into the keen intelligence of the elf. “ It is why she needs our life force..” she answered her own question. They would indeed give their lives for their children. She released her hold upon the lycan, bringing her palms to rest lightly upon his chest. A somber and pensive expression came to rest upon the delicate elven features. They had reached the point of no return. Emerald gaze lifted to meet the soul of her wolf as reflected in his eyes. Would those eyes look the same in the noble face of an elf? Would he still be her Rho? She supposed, she was about to find out. Fiery head dipped in a single nod and she granted him the confirmation they both had known would come all along. “ If you are sure Rho. Then my answer is yes. I will gladly pay the price. Our family..our future, will be worth the cost…” Her fingers trailed along the fur of his chest. Would she ever feel it beneath her fingers again..once the choice had been made? She still did not understand fully how it would all work.
Rhocielle slowly raised his paw like hand, traveling up slender back to clasp at the back of fiery head in loving hold. Softly, his husky voice hushed away any remaining fears still withheld. He nodded in silent answer to her disbelieving inquiries. Nothing else needed to be said, only patience as he awaited her final decision. Slowly, he too released her from his hold. Paws lazily rested upon her hips as grey eyes kept to emeralds. Ferocity in appearance, but compassion held within. Her wolf was a peculiar soul, harboring primal strength with gentle civility within the same body. As the single word of acceptance flowed to his ears, runed muzzle dipped. Slowly, he nudged her face to lift. Ebon lips pressed her rose hued own. How their lives would change the following morning, he did not know, nor she. One truth remained constant, however. He was her wolf. Together, High Elf and Lycan would return to the beach-side villa. Not a word was spoken as paw clasped with lithe hand, Arien's shadow never leaving her.
Lauria's Shrine.. The next day.
Rhocielle was loathe to leave her, his sleeping elf. Awakening well before sunrise, it was not until orange shimmers marred the ocean's surface that he finally departed for Kelay once more. Mistaken for a silent and brooding wolf, not a soul spoke to him, nor did he make a single utterance to any mortal. Eventually finding himself once more before Lauria, the penitent Lycan took to a knee and slowly drew a pair of candles from his satchel. Ritualistically, this was followed by a flint and striking stone. One candle set before him, another to the side. His High Elf was with him in spirit. Naught a sound was heard from the altar, but still his maws opened to speak towards it, "We have accepted your conditions, Ascendi... What must be done so that it will be so?" Slowly he brought his left paw to grasp gently at his right wrist. Both paws drew close to his muzzle, index and middle digits extended in gesture he had seen the priestesses of his tribe perform when praying to the village deities. Though he never believed in such things, Arien's passion as a paladin and his own encounter with Lauria cast away all doubts. The immortals were real. When next he would return to his ancestral home, there too he would offer apologies for his own gods. Silent and patient, the Lycan awaited an answer.
The appearance of the demi-god in this instance, might seem to the wolf less dramatic than the first. Or perhaps, he might have been so intent in his prayerful stance that he would not notice precisely the moment she would appear. As it were, it would be the brush of gentle winds against the lush fur lining his body, and the accompanying tingle awareness he might feel to his core that would alert him to Lauria’s presence. The Ascendi would appear, not seated at the altar before which he bowed, but standing within a shaded area of the shrine just beyond it, her attention seemingly upon the lush greenery of vines that were spread upon rugged stone surface of natural wall there. Her back to the wolf, the demi-god would appear for all the world like any maiden tending her garden until a pale, slim hand extended touch somewhere near the origin of the trailing plant, causing a chain reaction of the eruption of lily white flowers along the entirety of the vine. From a distance it would look much like the foam crest of an ocean wave rolling in upon the shoreline. This all enacted in silence, it would be some moments before the Ascendi would turn to face the wolf, or even begin a reply. Despite her almost ethereal gracefulness and unusual height, Lauria this day would seem almost mortal to the naked eye; her shimmering aura reduced to what might seem an unusually natural and healthy glow. There would be no hiding of her true nature however, in the colorless and luminous gaze that would seek and find the silvery eyes of the wolf when she finally deigned to speak as she crossed the garden towards the shrine where he knelt. Her voice would come as the hushed whisper in the trees. “ You have made your choice quickly wolf..It speaks of a rare enough unity of purpose and mind.” The Ascendi would lower herself onto the elaborate cushioned bench provided for her by faithful worshippers, her gaze remaining trained in what might pass for thoughtfulness upon the wolf. “ There is nothing else that you must -do- lycan, but there is that which I will need. A token must be forged, and within it power imbued. Power connected to the life of one and the other. Have you some part of my guardian, carried upon you? I feel her essence here. From you, I can take something that will not be missed. I shall let you choose.” Even as she spoke, a brigher glow might be seen around the closed fist of one hand, the contents of her palm still hidden from sight.
Rhocielle took notice of the druidic maiden in the blink of an eye. She was not there, and then, she was. Gaze narrowed in curiosity, as was his habit in regards to that which he did not fully understand. He watched with focus upon the flora as they would immediately bloom to life as if by her will only. Shoulders tensed as at last the Ascendi turned to face him. Grey eyes quickly swept the more mortal-bound visage of the immortal, resting upon the eternally deep orbs of Lauria. A nod was his acknowledging gesture in regards to her comment. They had reached their decision rather quickly. A single night-bound stroll upon the beach. His focus was broken as she made her final condition known to him. In his unspoken excitement, he merely drew on his armor and clothing. Still clinging to his muzzle were wayward strands of fiery hair. One such strand lifted to brush at his muzzle. He snorted softly and raised a paw to retrieve it, along with several others that remained fixed upon black fur. "Will this be enough?" the Lycan asked quietly, a trio of red strands resting gingerly upon his leathery palm.
The glow that had begun around the loosely closed fist of the Ascendi, seemed to grow and travel slowly along her arm and into her torso, spreading and increasing in intensity until the female form seemed to become the light source for the shadowed gloom of the shrine. All pretension to mortality would fade as the clearly evident power of the demi god hummed in the air of the shrine, making it come alive and causing the hairs of the wolf to stand on end, literally, jet strands working free of his skin to fall in soft shower to the lush grasses below.. “ It will be enough..” The response would sound as the rushing of waters over the falls, those luminous, colorless eyes fixed now with unnerving focus upon the extended offering. The living wind would stir, and without moving from her place the Ascendi would draw the strands towards her person. Fiery samples lifted from the center of leathery palm, carried on invisible winds, as did the shorter offerings of his own body rise from temporary housing in the grass.
Almost invisible if not for the rapt attention that might be had upon them, the samples of hair and fur would stop, hovering before the still shimmering form of the demi god. What little could be seen of her face in the brilliant light might reveal her lips moving in divine utterance, even as the twisted branch that had previously channeled her power was extended to make contact with the airborne genetic offering. The fibers would flare alight, almost as if fuses lit by some divine flint, bonds breaking within the solid strands until what might seem a swirling mass of glowing energy, the essence of the elf and wolf both, hovered as a small glowing orb before the Ascendi. Only then, would closed fist unfurl to reveal within its glowing depths a necklace, deceptive in its simplicity. A single wolfen canine lay as a pendant, attached to a thinly braided strip of wolf skin leather. With a subtle movement of golden head towards the object within her grasp, the demi-god would cause the braided token to rise from its resting place to hover unsupported, near to the glowing orb that contained the essence of the truest natures of wolf and elf. Lips would move again, this time in words directed to the lycan. “ The token has been infused with the essence of the divine. What power I could imbue to do what must be done, has been given. There is that within it, which will unleash the power of the life force imprinted upon the strands by your essence. But the power of one must be bonded to the other for the token to be activated.”
Even as she spoke, the leathern strands of the necklace seemed to be being absorbed into the glowing orb of light which drew larger and more intense with each passing second. As the light grew brighter around the necklace, the aura around the Ascendi dimmed, and the wolf seated in his place before the altar might feel the pull of the newly forming artifact upon his own life force. Miles away, in prayerful posture, Arien would sway in her place, hard pressed to keep from fainting. Within the shadowed confines of the shrine leathern token would seem to erupt in a final glorious blaze of light before falling from its place, succumbing to the pull of gravity and land in a cumpled heap, almost invisble in the lush blades of glass. A less conspicuous accessory could not be imagined. " It is complete.." The utterance of the Ascendi seemed almost weary in tone, as her colorless gaze drifted from the lycan to the divine gift. " The first time..will be painful. Thereafter, it will be your second nature. Use your time wisely..from this hour, your days are numbered." Only then, did the demi-god lean back into her cushions, as if without the energy in that moment to sustain herself upright before the wolf. It would take days of prayerful devotion from her followers, before much of her power might be restored.
Heavy restraint was needed not to appear awestruck at the display of power both seen and felt around him. The black furred male kept stolid position upon the grass, and stoic gaze to the materializing relic before him. His eyelids narrowed slightly, shielding grey eyes from the blinding glows that came from the divine necklace as power was drawn from the Ascendi. As sight adjusted to the luminosity before him, eyes still were narrowed in careful observance of what the token was. Even now, it seemed representative of his true soul, a wolf. How fitting that it would be the fang of a wolf that would seal away his appearance upon wearing it. His fur tipped ears lifted when Lauria would at last speak. Her words came with a soft inflection of warning. A warning of what? Suddenly, it came to him. A sharp breath was drawn in, his paws falling to the ground and clasping at the soil. Maws gaped open as he felt his very soul being pulled upon, drained. Panting gasps escaped his throat for mere moments before he felt composed enough to sit upright once more. Wolfen eyes kept to Ascendi, he tentatively crawled forward to retrieve the artifact. Even as attention was lost in close examination of the wolf tooth necklace, he heard her voice and paid heed to her warning. It would be painful. Already he imagined that it would be not unlike his first feral turning, so long ago. He nodded to the Ascendi in understanding. Silently, he drew out a third candle from his satchel, using the burning wick from one alright lit to light it. "...and one for the children we will have with your blessing, Ascendi," he uttered. Three candles keeping vigilant company for Lauria, he slowly drew himself up to stand. Respectful dip of his muzzle to her before climbing the staircase to return to the surface. It was a farewell, but not a goodbye. Indebted to the immortal, the wolf would not forget her gift and would oft return to pray in her name.
Back at the Villa…
Arien was seated at the top of the still warm wooden carved steps that led from the wrap around porch of her villa, down to the sands below. She would not remain seated for long. For the third time in as many hours the elf hoisted herself to her feet, obtaining the height and perspective that she would need to see across the sands and up to the pathway Rho was most likely to take to come home. Something had happened, she knew it; as surely as she knew that whatever it was had changed their lives forever. Emerald gaze fell to her hand where it lay upon the stair rail. Finally it had ceased its trembling and she felt as if her strength might be returning to her. Thankfully she had not been engaged in the business of governance or conflict when the wave of weakness had washed over her. Blackness had swum before her eyes, and breath had for some moments been difficult to intake. She had felt as if her very soul were being drawn out of her body and it had gone on for several terrifying minutes. In those moments her thoughts had winged to Rho, wherever he might be and whatever he was going through. “ Come home to me..” she had whispered, almost prayerfully. It had been her only concern; that her wolf would return to her the mate that she knew and loved. With every passing moment, tension built in her body, dread fear that something ad gone horribly wrong tearing at her mind and heart. What if he had died? She did not think she could live a day without him, knowing that she had slain him. She couldn’t do this. She would lose her mind staring across the sands in the blinding sun of day, looking for a black spot approaching. But would it even be the black wolf returning to her? She swallowed the panic that flared, instinctive reaction to the unknown. She needed to do something, to keep herself busy. Suddenly determined, the elf turned on her heels and left the porch steps, pushing aside the door and wandering into the depths of her home. She would begin lunch..it would be something to occupy her mind. Carefully and methodically the elf would wander through the kitchen, drawing forth utensils and ingredients. Mindless in her efforts, she was not even sure what she was preparing. Tears were blinked away in rapid succession before they could fall into the stew she had begun preparing. “Please come home darling.. I’m scared..” Again the hushed words were winged as a prayer from her heart to her mate’s.
Temptation often nipped at his neck on the journey to Rynvale. The necklace was tucked harmlessly in his satchel, but still its power beckoned him. Their hopes and dreams, all stored within its divine power. However, if donning the relic was to be painful, logic dictated that he not attempt anything until he was once more within the safe confines of the beach-side villa. And so it remained within his satchel. Time was arduously slow for him, every wave on the ocean crashed against the hull of the ferry once every hour seemingly. How long had he been adrift eastward? Was this the final test of the powers that be? It seemed Rynvale was now eternally away, his own Ithica. However, his own odyssey was not be. No sooner had such depressing thoughts crept into his lupine mind that the first flickers of the harbor teased his attention eastward. Like an excited pup, his black tag wagged furiously against his cape. The moment wooden hull met with stony docks, the wolf bounded off the ship and back to his long awaiting mate. However, Arien would not know how eternal the journey had been for her wolf. Instead, she would merely think she had summoned him by her heart's prayer. Her fearful plea was answered by abrupt opening of the villa's main door. He was home.
Utensils fell clattering onto the surface of rough wooden counter top, loud enough to almost cover the sound of the elf’whimper of relief when the clatter of the door being forcefully and suddenly opened reached her ears. “ Rho.. thank the gods..” it was a soft cry of relief of a depth so deep, that she believed her heart to be beating again after the cessation of such without her awareness. The speed of her progress towards the door of the villa might only be bested by that of the wolf making his way towards her. Arien flung herself into his jet furred body, her arms reaching out to wind around and cling to his wolfen frame. “ Rho.. oh my love, thank the gods. I was so worried.” Words would be lost in the pressing of her lips and nose to his furred throat. Some part of her had feared never to see him thus again. The beloved wolf who had stolen her heart despite its reservations. Soft words of adoration in her native elven tongue were showered into his ears as she allowed her hands to drift over his body, seeking to assure herself that he was well. With each passing moment, as fear settled and reason encroached, she registered that nothing about him was different and a puzzled frown shadowed her pale brow. A hesitant question, quiet and uncertain as she stilled in his embrace would slip past her lips. “ You are..the same. Did the Ascendi change her mind? Have we not received her blessing?” She did not know if she would be regretful or relieved, if such was the case.
Rhocielle had not expected such fervent welcome, his gear dropped suddenly in order to catch the elven female in her lunge. A pleasant murring sound escaped his throat in appreciation for her concern. "I am well, elf," he uttered softly to her tipped ear. For the moment, he had forgotten the reason for his hasty return to the villa. Fur coated ears atop his scalp flicked and eyes blinked from his focus returned anew. The necklace. A fond smile greeted her emeralds, silence being his response to her. A paw like hand slowly shifted along her back, caressing her tenderly before slipping into his shoulder slung satchel. A leather necklace sporting a wolf's fang was drawn out. "...this, is her blessing...," he softly said to her, "...I have not yet attempted to wear it. She said... it would be painful the first time. I do not know what else that would mean, but I thought it best to be once more home before tempting fate..." It would not have been wise to be in a body he had never known while miles away from the safety of their villa. "..after that, she said I would be able to shift as if it were second nature...-" Like his transformation into a true wolf. Not only this, but the mention of first and further times of changing could only mean one thing. He would be able to change back. She would have her wolf, and her elf.
As only his voice could manage, fears were soothed, and comforts taken from the caress of paw like hand as the elf lingered in his embrace until finally, the racing of her heart was truly stilled. Drawing away from him with watchful gaze following his movement into satchel, the simplicity of the divine gift was absorbed and the urge to reach out and run her fingertips over it resisted. It was to be worn, something that could be put on and removed at will. The implication sank in, and a bemused smile blossomed on her lips as she lifted her eyes to his silvery pair. “ Shifting..but that must mean..it’s not a permanent change? You can choose which form you will occupy?..” She would not lose him..she would have her wolf..and the elven father of her children? Had the gods been so generous in their giving? “ It is more than I could have hoped for..than we..could have hoped for..” she whispered. She knew how much he valued his connection to his wolfen heritage. His warning sank in then-of the pain, and the frown puckered her brow again. “ How bad will it be, love? Where do you wish to be when you put in on for the first time?” A rather helpless look was cast around the cozy room. Surely, there must be something more ..ritualistic..about the way in which this might be done for the first time? Would Rho just, put on a necklace in the kitchen? Mild hysteria bubbled to the surface at the thought. Would she be able to do anythng to help him? Or would she be forced to watch him suffer? Worried eyes turned his way again, before being drawn, like a moth towards the flame in the direction of the leather necklace again.
A smirk teased at the corners of his black lips, nodding to the elf's question, "...aye, I will be to choose, Arien." A wolfen kiss was given thereafter before he drew head back to speak more solemnly regarding the apparent discomfort that he would suffer. Hesitantly, he admitted, "I do not know... I would imagine it will not be unlike the pain suffered by my kind upon their first feral turning... or the bitten ones turning for the first time as well..." Runic muzzle scrunched in pensive thought. He did not know if the transformation would not also leave him exhausted. The black Lycan did not know anything of the necklace's powers and effects beyond the fact that it would change him. "I think we should leave the necklace until we retire for bed, in case I will be needing rest immediately afterward..." Slowly he nodded, another wolfen kiss offered to the worried elf. His anxiety for already testing out the token would have to be quelled, as would his mate's. There was time enough, and now, his stomach rumbled with anticipation for something else. "Hrm..., heh, I had left this morning without bothering to feed, elf," he commented with some mild amusement to his tone, "You were in the kitchen when I first arrived...?"
Arien listened to his explanation, the wolf’s own uncertainty doing little to offer assurance to the elf. The only silver lining to the pending dark cloud was the fact that it would only have to be endured once, and that it was evidently survivable. Pale hand lifted to stroke his muzzle lightly before she finally stepped out of his embrace to allow him access to the common room and kitchen behind her. A rueful chuckle broke the quiet that hovered between them. “ I am not even entirely sure what I was making..it was a distraction only, I was losing my mind just watching for you, and waiting,” she murmured on a sniff. “ But my senses tell me that my unconscious wanted venison stew. You’ve had an eventful morning..sit, and I’ll see what we can do about dealing with an empty stomach.” It was worth the try to suggest it, though she knew that the male would likely refuse to sit around while she worked. Already Arien had turned away from the lycan and was headed back to the confines of the kitchen. Quiet chatter would follow over the meal’s slow preparation, and consumption, the business of the clan and the island discussed thereafter with peculiar intensity and focus as both attempted to ignore the promise and punishment held in simple leathern artifact. There was much to be discussed, the progress on various construction projects and the implications of new alliances formed. As the sun crept its way across the afternoon sky and towards the oceanic horizon, assessment of the role of the newly formed ranger units and the challenges presented by the upcoming joint naval mission with Larket actually managed to distract the pair from the pending trial. Inevitably, however, as the day drew to a close and long shadows reached across bear skin rug to touch the male and female in leathern couch where they sat, silence fell between them and emerald and silvery gazes both, were drawn once again to the necklace where it lay. Arien reached out to lace her fingers into his own fur covered digits, applying the gentle pressure of loving assurance. “ It is time Rho.. that we finish it, and face what it will mean..for us. I will be right here. Not for a moment, will I leave your side.” It was a hushed whisper as her eyes remained fixed with mingled hope and dread upon the gift of the Ascendi. It was out of her hands now; every necessary step of the journey had been taken save one, and on this step she was powerless to do anything but watch.
Famished from his ordeals, not less than two full servings were consumed by the black Lycan. However, he still managed to give his share of opinions on the clan matters that took priority, in particular to the ranger units that had been formed to protect many seemingly vulnerable access points into the city proper. His attention was particularly drawn towards the joint mission with the city of Larket. It seemed all too soon for their fledgling navy to already be on such an important mission. However, at the same time, it demonstrated a willingness and commitment on the part of Rynvale to offer escort. It was a doable assignment. The cogs were mostly restored, and beginning to resume their trading routes. And the military vessels were also nearly finished. This would be the maiden voyage for Rynvale's navy. And so, their discussion continued, paused only by intermittent gestures of affection between elf and wolf. When at last both would find themselves in a room lit only by fireplace's warm glow, his thoughts became increasingly uncertain as to what he would endure. "Aye..., I know," he said in reply to Arien's own comment. Slowly his paw disengaged from her hand, his claws gingerly stroking her fingers before reaching for the necklace. "Stay where you are, Arien...," he softly demanded before rising from the couch to stand in the center of the main hall. The Lycan was not sure if he would lash out at the High Elf in his painful thrashing. If that was to be the case, distance was for her safety. His armor was removed. Fitted to his larger wolfen frame, he did not wish for its weight to suddenly bear down on weakened elven form. Grey eyes sought out emeralds for one last glance of reassurance. Raised paws almost ritualistically lifted the necklace above his head. Silent prayer to whom ever would listen was given, before he lowered his arms. His canine ears flicked as leather lace brushed past, divine token coming to rest harmlessly around his neck. Grey eyes blinked with surprise and confusion.
The moment his maws opened to speak out his concern to Arien, his eyes went wide with a streak of pain that filled his body. Black Lycan crumpled to the floor as if a rag doll. Whimpering yelps creaked between clenched jaws as paws splayed out to brace his kneeling weight. He could feel it, the wolf receding. Forcing his eyes to remain open, he could see it. Paws quaked almost violently as claws bled at the cuticles to retract into his fingers. Every strand of black fur sank into the pores of his skin, revealing olive toned flesh beneath. At last, the wolf could not resist. Teary silver eyes clamped shut as his maws felt as if being crushed forcibly back into his skull. Cranium was soon to burst from the pressure, were his transformation not blessed by the divine. Fur tipped ears disappeared beneath furry scalp. Though no blood could be tasted, gum lines were surely being torn and sheared open by the withdrawal of sharp canines and the emergence of molars and other more omnivorous teeth. The volume of his black fur was not be discounted, for soon elven ears appeared through a sea of straight ebon locks that fell to his shoulders. With the last strength of a Lycan remaining, he howled out his torture. It ripped through the silence of the villa, overpowering any cries of concern from the elven female who could only watch helplessly as her mate suffered. The howl was short lived, wolfen roar dying out to a more humanoid scream that faded into gasping pants.
It was over. Elbows and knees of the slimmer elven frame buckled abruptly, the male losing all strength and crashing upon bearskin rug in a limp heap at Arien's feet. Still, he lived. Beneath loose fitting black clothing, his body slowly rose and fell. He lived. Her elven mate lived.
Arien watched as the black wolf withdrew himself from her presence, resisting the urge to pull him back from the brink of the incomprehensible. The power she was about to witness, she knew, would be second to none she had ever seen. The transmutation from one race into another, and in particular the reverse of the pattern traditionally associated with the curse of lycanthropy, would come at the cost of their very lives. Pale palms clenched into fists as she locked her gaze upon the silvery eyes of the wolf, determined that she would not look away. How she loved him. She would never be able to repay him for the sacrifices he had made, would make, to make this gift possible to her, for her. Already the tears threatened, and his trials had not begun. “ I love you..” she mouthed to him, as his paw like hands lowered the leathern necklace over thick furred neck-though no sound would be heard to come from her lips in the thick silence of the room. She saw the moment it began, the stark and primal reaction to the searing pain that blazed within his grey eyes, and the tears that threatened welled to life, rolling down her cheeks on a stifled sob that shook her body in its place. She would not allow the cry to escape her lips, for fear that it would make what he was bearing, even more unbearable. As his agony unfolded before her however, she would find herself unable to restrain her own cries of anguish for his agony, his name repeatedly falling from her lips, pleas for forgiveness wrenched from the very seat of her soul. She was blinded by her tears, and consumed by his pain. So much so that she hardly noted the actual details of his transformation as his physical appearance transmuted before her. In the moment she did not care for what he was becoming, only for what he was enduring to do so. It was his final howl of agony that tore her from her place of observation upon the sofa. It mattered not that he had bid her stay away, he was suffering, for her, and she would hold him now through the worse of it. Within seconds she was at his side, just in time for her now elven mate to crumple into a battered pile at her feet. A soft whimper escaped the paladin as she knelt to gather him to her body, her fingers lacing through ebony locks for the first time as she cradled his head to her torso. “ Hold on Rho…hold on love..only a little longer..” she whispered as his body gentled beneath her soothing touch. Rosen lips lowered to press against rounded, humanoid skull. It was then that realization set in; she held Rho in her arms, she knew it to be him, and yet she held a High Born. Smooth , tanned flesh was inches away from her touch, and gently tipped ears visible trough the ebon sheet of hair that fell almost to his waist. She wanted to see his eyes..to see his soul, to be sure he was yet her wolf. “Rho..” she lowered her head to whisper his name into pointed ear. “ Rho.. It’s over my darling..Open your eyes..open your eyes. Let me know you’re ok. Please..” her voice broke on the plea, tears springing unbidden to the surface once again.
The now elven wolf released a shuddering gasp, a newborn taking the first breath of life. Ragged breathing continued as he attempted to focus on his surroundings. His body felt lighter, the absence of fur and thicker muscles. Nothing seemed any duller, as was his worry. Her scent was the first thing that buffeted his perception. She was holding him. Slowly his hand drew up, fingertip trailing a forearm of ivory skin. Watery eyes faintly opened, stinging from the unshed tears acquired in the arduous trial he had passed. Silver eyes brimming with tears, but still they were the eyes of a wolf. Her visage slowly came into focus, her emeralds used as anchors upon which to lock his own still glazed eyes. "Ari...," his voice creaked out, softer, but still the husky drawl that was his own. A weak hand rose further, cupping her cheek while a weaker grin creased his lips. "...wasn't.. so bad," Rhocielle teased gently, a deeper breath taken afterward.
She felt him. A fingertip as smooth as the skin of a newborn babe trailing along the flesh of the arms that cradled him and she closed her own eyes briefly against the rush of emotion the sensation provoked. If she loved him any more her heart would break. Bone deep relief swept through her slender frame as eyes fell open to allow emerald gaze to seek and find the soul of her wolf in the silver grey pools that rippled beneath a sea of unshed tears. Her own palm moved to cradle the clean lines of the hairless jaw, thumb running over the proud angle of High Born cheekbones. “ I’m right here my love..right here..” she murmured to his calling of her name. She leaned her cheek into his supporting touch, turning her head to plant a soft kiss upon a hand that was a hand, and not a paw tipped with claws that could impart more harm than a scratch. Never had he been truly free to touch her without care. So much was about to change. She sought his eyes again, the one thing that had remained constant, her anchor to the soul of her mate. “ If you say so wolf..if you say so..” she replied gently to his teasing, before lowering her head a second time; this time, for a second ‘first kiss’. Lips met in brushing contact that became a lingering act of discovery. It was a kiss heavy with unspoken promise; the promise that they would live, and love a millennia in each minute that they would have together. “You are my life Rho.. I will love you until the day I die.”
Silence would reign thereafter within the cozy confines of villa common room, only the crackle and pop of wood in the burning fireplace providing a soundtrack for the otherwise intimate peace of the elves who sat, recovering in mutual embrace before its dancing flames. What the future would bring, neither knew in this moment. Only that it was full of hope, and that they would survive whatever it brought as long as they had each other.