her feral wolf

They made me come. They gave me her. We are even. Rowel Deryn. Solitary Wolf. Mated to Sierra Blackbird. A Reluctant Resident of New Orleans.

[rowelxderyn]

courting honey

[rowelxderyn]

Honey grinned and shuffled the cards once more, setting the spread face down once again and flipping them over. “Let’s see… Page of cups, meaning beginnings, fresh starts, a renewal of energy. Whatever I’m holding back, it’s a new beginning for me.” She flipped the next card, tapping it. “The hermit, which signifies introspection. I should be contemplative about myself, my thoughts and feelings. – and finally the three of pentacles.” She grinned at him, “it means that I’m going to do well. I have the required skills and abilities to succeed in my dilemma.” She shrugged and left them, staring down at the set. “Could be about you, about us working out what it’ll mean to be married.” She said, tilting her head. “That’s the big quandry in my life, now. Getting married.” As he spoke, she was quiet, thinking about it. There was part of her that was concerned, although that part of her was quieter than she expected. “I was. When I first met you, I was kind of worried,” She said, honestly, “but I think it’ll be… nice. To have someone. And to have like – a home?” She shrugged, feeling a little like a silly girl believing in fairy tales, feeling a little embarrassed. “And I think relationships are supposed to challenge people and make them grow, so… I don’t want to get married because someone else told me to. I want to get married because I’m willing to work and compromise and because it’ll make me happy. What about you? What are you looking for?”

Rowel’s eyes followed her hands as she moved the cards, tapping them, shuffling them. “Still only could?” He asked softly. “What is a quandry? Is that a problem? Am I a problem for you?” He nodded at her words, taking them seriously, but he felt no embarrassment in replying, “I want to have a family. Someone who wants to stay. Someone who isn’t disappointed by what I can offer. I am worried I will disappoint you and then you will leave, even if they tell you to stay. Because I don’t think I am someone you would choose.”

[rowelxderyn]

courting honey

[rowelxderyn]

It was nice to have someone show interest in her craft, and she liked it, picking up the cards she had drawn for herself. “I don’t know. I’d assume it does have something to do with you, but it might also have to do with my family, or with the council.” She said, thoughtfully, thinking back to the last time she’d needed guidance by the cards. “If I was really in need of answers, I’d draw another three and it would specify further. Or it’ll come to me in a dream.” She shrugged, shuffling the cards mindlessly between her fingers as she thought about it. His question surprised her and she raised her eyebrows, a smile playing onto her face again. “You’re rather blunt, aren’t you?” She said – it wasn’t a bad thing. She’d rather someone was honest and straightforward with her, playing games with someone was immature and cruel. “Well… I suppose I’d like someone who’s okay with who I am. I like to travel – it’s nice to have a home, and I’m sure I’ll like yours, but I like to see new things and meet new people. I like an encouraging partner, someone who protects me but doesn’t try to control me. I want to be attracted to the person I’m marrying, and uh. Well, obviously that part worked out.” She gestured at him, vaguely, pink cheeked, “I haven’t had a family in years. That’s… that’s the biggest one, I guess. Family.”

“I suppose.” He watched her hands. “So another three? I want to know if it is me?” Rowel asked with interest. He shrugged. “I don’t see the point of a lie.” He listened to her qualifications and had to admit that he was worried about them. He wasn’t sure he had many of them except the first one. He had no interest in changing her, just knowing her. He nodded when she indicated she found him physically appealing. That was a small relief but even he knew exterior appeal would fade. “Oh.” he replied softly, gaze back on the cards that she shuffled in her hands. “Are you afraid you were given the wrong one?”

[rowelxderyn]

courting honey

[rowelxderyn]

Honey smiled, unpacking the cards with deft hands, clearly pleased with his questions. She liked showing off – she had little magical power outside of her clairvoyance and outside of being a medium, so the rare chances she had to prove magical prowess were ones she shamelessly took advantage of. She sat down on the end of her bed, patting the spot next to her for him to join, and plucked three cards out of the set and set them down on her thighs, like a triangle. “So this spread is for myself, – that’s what a form of cards is called, a spread – this card is telling me something I need to hear,” she flipped the left card. It was a magician, and she nodded. “It means that I should stop holding back, especially when there’s something that I can change.” The second card flipped and she tapped the image. “This is the moon. It means I’m misunderstanding something, or that I’m not admitting something. The last one is –” she flipped it over, “– ah. This one is the knight of swords. It means I’m starting a new challenge in my life.” She’d had most of this spread before, and it was familiar. She smiled at him, and tilted her head, leaving the cards out and handing him the rest of her deck to shuffle through and look at. “The more I know about you, the more I realize that’s a compliment. At least you’re not stuck with someone who smells bad.”

Rowel watched her little hands work the cards, admiring the pretty pictures as she explained their meaning. “So those are all interesting but then what does it mean. What are you holding back or not understanding? Is the new challenge getting married?” He asked with interest. He flashed a grin at her words. “No. You smell very good to me. What do you look for in a mate?”

[rowelxderyn]

courting honey

[rowelxderyn]

It was rather nice to know he wanted to see her, she thought, and it made her grin. She followed Rowel’s eyeline to the tarot cards, and brightened a little. She had several decks, but lately the one she left out was her favorite.  “It’s a tarot card deck,”  she said,  “I use them with my magic. They tell me things to tell other people – the pictures on them have deeper meanings. That one’s my favorite set.”  Her gaze snapped up to Rowel’s face, and her brow furrowed.  “That’s fucking rude of them,”  she said, bluntly, crossing her arms. The more she heard, the less she liked this council, trumped up assholes that they seemed to be. “They shouldn’t have said that. I don’t think you’re dense. No, they didn’t speak to me at all.  I’m glad they left me alone, if that’s the shit they’re saying. Who knows what they’d call me,”  she’s a little miffed, and she goes to scoop up the cards to pack back into their little box, something to do with her hands, familiar and comforting.

“How do you use them? Can you show me?” Rowel asked, clearly intrigued. “What do the pictures mean?” He couldn’t make sense of squiggles the way others seemed to but pictures were interesting. He shrugged at her defensive words but his lips quirked a little at her salty response. “I don’t want them knowing you. They would probably sniff you and want you like I do.” he replied seriously.

[rowelxderyn]

Olivia arched a brow when he mentioned the word “home”. “And what kind of home woud that be”? Her brow stayed arch for another moment before lowering as eh tore off another peice of her tasty pastry. Her hand reached out and grasped her coffee mug, bringing the warm drink to her lips. “So you actually came here to find love”? Taking a sip she lowered it to answer his own question, “To find a friend actually, haven’t seen him in years”.

“I have some lands in the .... he thought about it ... northwest I think. They are very large and there is a den where I live. I am the only mostly human who lives there.” Rowel replied very seriously. “Yes. I would like to have a family. Did you find your friend?”

[rowelxderyn]

courting honey

[rowelxderyn]

Honey’s eyebrows rose with his blunt answer, leaning against her dresser and watching him look around and get comfortable in her living space. She nodded, ducking her head a little.  “Well, here I am.”  She said, tiling her head and adjusting her smudged glasses on her nose, before she suddenly perked up,  “oh! I forgot to ask you, did the council question you about the dead guy?” She asked, curiously, albeit a bit concerned, “I heard they’re going around bothering all the werewolves. I can tell them you were with me, if you need me to.”

“Yes, here you are. So I came here because you didn’t come see me. I like how your place smells. What’s that?” He asked about the tarot cards scattered on the table. “Yes. They asked me questions. They said when they were done they knew it wasn’t me. Something about me being dense. I’m not sure what that means but I think they were being insulting.” He shrugged lightly, “I don’t care. Did they say mean things to you?”

[rowelxderyn]

courting honey

[rowelxderyn]

Honey hadn’t had anyone knock on her room’s door in ages, and she couldn’t imagine who it would be, so she stood on her tip-toes and tried to peek out of the spyhole in the door. When she saw the familiar face stood outside, she pulled the door open, sweeping her hair back into a ponytail, suddenly self conscious.   “Hey,”  she greeted, smiling, stepping out of the way so he could enter the room if he wished.  Her room was oddly decorated, with collected rocks and shells on most surfaces, tarot cards tossed on her bed, crystals and bags of herb mixes and candles lining the bathroom counter, and plants on the balcony; she had her own blankets on the bed and a little stuffed golden lab on her pillow, dresses and work clothes hung up in the closet and the rest haphazardly stuffed in a suitcase.  She hesitated, unsure of what to do with the werewolf standing in her doorway. “What– uh. What do you need?”

She looked good. Her room smelled like her and funny plants and he kind of wanted to go poke through it all and smell everything. But he thought she might consider that rude. At the question, he nodded and replied, “You.” Then he thought that might seem a bit blunt so he clarified, “I wanted to see you.”

[rowelxderyn]

courting honey

Rowel did not know what he was doing. He wasn’t even sure his female liked him all that much. But he wanted her too. Very much. He found himself trying to figure out how to court a mate. Technically she was already to be his but he didn’t just want her to be his on paper, she wanted her heart. He knocked on Honey’s door and waited for it to open.

@damiicos

[rowelxderyn]

Event || Rolling on the River

[rowelxderyn]

“FLATTERY – UH… WELL.”   She hadn’t expected to explain this one, although she didn’t mind.  “It usually means you’re giving someone compliments to get something. A bite, maybe, since you’re so keen on that.”  Her complacent smile dropped at the sound of a scream splitting in her ears, and she turned to look, stepping away and narrowing her eyes, her heart thundering in her chest.  She had no idea what fresh blood smelled like. Honey’d only seen a dead body once before when claiming her father in the morgue – and there wasn’t any blood then.  Part of her wanted to see this one; part of her wanted to sink to her knees on the deck and dig out her chalk, use a spell try to raise its spirit.  How was one supposed to react to death?  “I guess it’s a real party, now,”  she said, under her breath, fisting her hand in Rowel’s shirt. He could easily pull away, but she hoped maybe he’d trust her.  “Stay here? We’ll need the alibi if anyone suspects us, and it’s probably best not to be seen with the body in the first place.”  Always thinking, always detached.  “You can smell blood? Is it close? What do you mean– old?”

“But I am not giving a compliment. I am just saying things that are true.” Rowel replied seriously but then grinned a little wolfishly. “But I wouldn’t mind a little biting.... just a nip.” He leaned toward her and then they were frozen in contemplation. He nodded at her idea. “It wasn’t until ... I don’t know... something must have opened or been revealed because I can smell it now. Not fresh fresh but not cold either. Older ..” Rowel growled in frustration, his lack of vocabulary showing. He used the hand on her back to pull her into the line of his body and shielded her slightly from the rest of the crowd. “Stay.”

[rowelxderyn]

Event || Rolling on the River

[rowelxderyn]

THAT STARTLED ANOTHER   laugh out of her.  “Do you mean money? – yeah, I guess it is kind of silly.”  One question was constantly replaced with another, but she bit them back, tried to live in the moment. The way he spoke startled her; she didn’t think there was much special about her to wait for – she wasn’t powerful, or interesting, had little to her name except her clothes and some trinkets.  “Flattery will get you nowhere, Rowel.”  She told him, though it was obvious by the rosy blush that she enjoyed the compliment.  She lifted a hand, and hesitated, before settling it on his shoulder, wanting to touch without knowing what she was allowed. They had just met, after all.

Rowel nodded. He never quite grasped the purpose of money and it was almost a twist of fate that he really had quite a lot of it. He had quite a lot of land as well and that value he understood very well. “What does ‘flattery’ mean?” he asked quietly. The one thing he had noted so far that he particularly liked about Honey was that she would explain words. When her hand touched him, he took that as an invitation to slid fractionally closer. He was contemplating whether a kiss would be allowed when a loud scream and the smell of blood reached him. “Someone is dead I think. That blood smells old.” He stated as if Honey would have the faculties to be able to agree with him. 

[rowelxderyn]

Event || Rolling on the River

[rowelxderyn]

HONEY TURNED TO  face him, leaning back against the rail and chewing on her lip as she thought.  “Paper?”  She questioned.  She supposed there would be a lot of paperwork to do with caring for a large property, but it’s not like she’d know. She’s never owned a home.  “A few months? That’s… a while. I’ve only been here like three weeks.”  There’s a bit of a flush on her cheeks, charmed despite herself, and she nudged him with a shoulder.  “I definitely wouldn’t have stayed for months,” she said, instead. 

“Yes. The paper. The government paper. The paper needed to acquire things. Lots of things are traded for paper. It seems very silly to me.” He replied almost cheerfully. When her cheeks grew warm, he wanted to lick and nip at them as well as the pretty curve to her lips but he had to behave him so he begrudgingly did not. Instead, he very carefully traced his hand up her back. “You were worth staying for.”

[rowelxderyn]

Event || Rolling on the River

[rowelxderyn]

GRINNING UP AT   him, she tilted her head. Our home. That’d take some getting used to, not that she necessarily would mind.  “Torvalds?” She asked, curious. Was there family of his?  A pack?  Honey hummed thoughtfully; she could work with a river to explore and a town to find trouble in, had never had much time to do what she wanted after her coven split apart. “Is it hard being away?”  She made a mental note to ask around about werewolves and territory, just to try and understand him better, so she didn’t overwhelm him with odd questions and annoy him.  “How long have you been here, then?”   Waiting for her? For anyone, she supposed, though it felt nice to believe she meant something for once.

Rowel nodded, “They are a human family and they manage all my paper. It is good. They make sure the land is safe in their own way.” That was how his father had always explained it. “I miss my home. I miss the quiet. They made me come here a few months ago but then there was no one for me. I thought they lied to make me leave. But now I see they were waiting for the right now. To be my mate.” 

[rowelxderyn]

Event || Rolling on the River

[rowelxderyn]

A SMILE WARMS   up her face, she’s still got a hundred questions, but she bites them back to listen to him speak. “Feet?”  She supplied, gently amused. His touch is not unwelcome and she leans back into it, clearly interested as he speaks about his lands, the river he’s swam in. She can picture something green and vibrant and full of life, snaking through his property, perfect swimming for hot days or reckless nights.  “I look forward to seeing it,”  she said, honestly. She still wasn’t sure what she was in for, marrying a man she knew little about, but it didn’t seem frightening anymore, not like the first time she thought about it.  “Do you visit other places often?” 

“Yes.” He brightened as she supplied the word before repeating it, “Feet.” As she leaned back, he leaned in a little to get closer to her. He let out a soft sigh of pleasure at how delicious this little Honey smelled. “I look forward to showing you our home.” he replied bluntly and then nodded, “There is a town nearby. I go there sometimes but not a great deal. Mostly the Torvalds get me the things I need. Here is the first time I have been away for longer than one night.”

[rowelxderyn]

Event || Rolling on the River

[rowelxderyn]

SHE NODS, DRUMMING   her fingers on the railing.  The water made everything shift, constant movement, constant undulation. She edged a little closer along the railing, curious about him and about how he spoke, what he thought. “Do you prefer to listen to the world?”  Honey asked; she thought she’d never run out of questions to ask. “Do you have a lot of water where you live?” She knew the next time she left New Orleans she’d be going there, or wherever he took her, so she was admittedly hopeful to hear a lot about his home, planned on it being hers, after all. If she was honest, the idea was… comforting. She hadn’t had a home in years, so it’d be nice to have one again.  “Not really, no. I like all music and I’m bad at choosing favorites.”

“I like to listen to it. Smell the wind and feel the earth under my paws .... or ummm ...” he gestured toward his feet and shrugged, clearly forgetting the word. As she moved a little closer, Rowel took the opportunity to place his hand on her lower back the way he had seen other males do and then sighed with the pleasure of her proximity. “There is a good river that runs through my lands. But I mostly swim in it. Not so much with boats and nothing this big.” he continued with a nod. Home was an easy subject for him. He missed it. However, he had to admit now that he had reconciled with the idea, he wanted to have a mate when he returned home. And the more he spent time with her, the more he wanted this mate to be Honey. 

[rowelxderyn]

Event || Rolling on the River

[rowelxderyn]

HONEY SMILED, HER  attention flicking to the werewolf she’d be marrying; she had been peering over the railing and spotting jellyfish that were swept aside by the current the boat stirred.  “I grew up near the ocean,”  she told him,  “my father had a little single-masted sailboat, a sloop he named after me. More likely I was just on the beach, no one really paid attention to where I went when I was little.”   She’d been a wild child, always covered in dirt and bruises. Honey nudged him with her shoulder, tilting her head a little.  “Do you like it?” She kind of hoped he did, although it could be overwhelming to be somewhere without stable ground beneath you, with no idea what lingered in the depths below. “And the music? Do you like the music?”

“It feels strange... everything is moving.” Rowel replied seriously. He liked listening to her talk. He had no idea what all her words meant every time but she was interesting. “I think so.” He looked back at the water before flicking up a glance at her. “Yes. I like the music. People here always seem to have music playing. It is like they don’t like to listen to the world. But the music is nice. I heard there are different kinds. Do you have a favourite?”

[rowelxderyn]

Event || Rolling on the River

Rowel had never been out on such water before. It was fascinating. He stared over the railing of the ship and edged closer to the female that was to be his mate. She smelled very nice and he wanted very much to lick her but he wasn’t at all sure that was a desirable thing. “Have you been out on a boat before?” he asked quietly.

@damiicos

[rowelxderyn]

oh honey honey

[rowelxderyn]

Honey started to nod along, like it was a perfectly normal thing she’d heard a hundred times in her lifetime. There was something odd about discussing a bite from a werewolf as if it was a napkin or sunscreen, so normal as a part of life, exchanged between friends.  “I suppose I hadn’t thought of it that way,”  Honey mused, tugging on one of her ears while she thought that piece of information over.  “I guess if people just went around biting other people, it would cause concern –” a pause, and her eyebrows rose. This biting thing would bear further investigation if she was to be committed.  “Maybe. I have questions first.”  She ruled, finally, couldn’t deny there was some curiosity over the subject, and she wasn’t entirely opposed, but – well. It depends on where the bite was to land, if it drew blood, and what context a bite held with werewolves. 

 Her thoughts hadn’t gotten to what to do next just yet, still stuck on the fact that she had known him for less than fifteen minutes and already there was the discussion of biting this and mate that. She was quiet while she debated with herself what one did in this situation – growing up she’d definitely been more prepared for college than arranged marriage. Honey wondered if calling her mom would do her any good, or if the matriarch would just hunt her down and try to sacrifice her to raise some deranged ancestor.  “Well, I don’t know. This is a… change. For me, anyway. I suppose I don’t know how you feel about it. – How do you feel?”  

“I suppose so.” Rowel replied. In his old life, he saw very few people. Now he was surrounded. He didn’t know which was technically better. So he didn’t comment. “I will try to answer the questions.” he offered quietly. “Me? I am very pleased. I am tired of living alone. I do not like this City. It is too hot and you can never smell the wind. But I would like to have a mate and some pups and then go home again. Although if we have many pups I may need to make our den bigger.” He murmured, drifting in the direction of his thoughts before focusing on her again. “I wish to mate with you and lick you in all the soft places.”