I am yours - your heart is mine.

^^Embarking on this adventure was supposed to be something amazing. It was supposed to feel perfect, and maybe he was being an idealist, maybe a touch of a romantic even....but this didn't feel like he thought it would. He didn't think that he and @Elowyn would have been perfectly in sync immediately, but as Laurence's daughter he thought she'd be more excited for the path that they were on. The path that they had been chosen for. If they weren't bound by love they were at the least bound by duty. They had been tasked with establishing the next branch of Heartmouth, and it was something that Tetsujin had no plans to take lightly.

Instead he found that he and his bride were mostly curt with one another. Tetsujin's best attempts so far to cajole even a smile from her had mostly flatlined. The night before had ended in a mild argument, they'd disagreed about where to bunker down for the night. The forest that loomed around them wasn't exactly defendable enough for Tetsujin but then Elowyn had wanted to settle for the night rather than press on. In the end, his bride had been right. She'd found a clearing and in the middle a lake had been stretched out, the full moon shining beautifully in it. Tetsujin was almost sure that it was even glowing.

He had hunted for them and they'd fallen asleep, Tetsujin facing Elowyn but not touching her - trying to respect her space. The last thing that Tet remembered was flowers from the trees around them falling in the light breeze - a soft scent before they'd fallen asleep.

When he woke it was cold and he woke with a gasp. Sunlight only slightly filtered in through an opening further from them and Tetsujin quickly looked for his wife. He couldn't find her yet, a slight trembling overcoming him as he tried to get his barrings. They were in a cave? How did that happen....he hadn't moved since he'd fallen asleep. And where was his wife? His eyes struggled to adjust between the darkness of the cavern but he could make out the jagged rocks that seemed to fill the cavern itself, careful not to injure himself as he stood and tried to figure out where they were.
^^

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Her life had changed pretty drastically in the span of a week. She had heard from her parents that she found a mate for her, but not only that, she would be expected to make a new sister pack. She had lessons with her mother but she never figured that it meant they expected her to start a new branch, a new pack. Then there was the fact that she met her new mate, Anteon. She had known all her life that she would be mated to a stranger, now he had stood before her it was suddenly so real. She had begged her mother to let them stay a bit. She didn't want to be taken away yet. 

Anteon had been nothing but polite to her, though she had hardly been receptive to it. It probably had to do with the fact that she wouldn't only be with a stranger but also that stranger would take her to a new land, a different location that was not even decided yet. The day came that they were leaving and Elowyn desperately pleaded with her eyes to her parents not to let her go. Her mother Elenore reminded her of her duty and to be a good mate to Anteon. She would never win this, she had questioned things earlier. She obediently followed the dark colored male, her mate. Her ears folded back against her head. It was not easy to leave behind everything she knew. Her big and loud family.

They traveled on, where the male was burly and strong, she was average in height and rather slender. She wasn't used to walking the many miles so when the night did come and Anteon wanted to continue she started to protest. Eventually she got what she wanted when they settled by a lake. The moonlight coming down at them. It lit up the male's dark pelt. Elowyn made sure to drink, and briefly thought about running away while the male was hunting. However, that wasn't very honorable of her. Her legs were far too tired too. She ate a little of the meal he hunted. The fawn colored female curled up in a tight ball protecting all her vulnerable parts. It took her a bit to finally drift of though, contactless aware of the male and not wanting him too close.

Elowyn woke up later, it was the scent of damp moss and the coolness of the morning that woke her. When she opened her eyes, she frowned. A second later she was on her feet, alert and taking in all of her surroundings. She wasn't at the lake anymore. She was in a cave but it was nothing she had seen before. The moss, it... glowed! Elowyn stepped back but it was surrounding her. There was even some hanging from her sides where she had been laying. She felt her backside hit the hard rock. Her tail tucked between her legs. She ducked down when she heard someone moving, lowering herself to the ground.

Her eyes settled on the familiar shape of a wolf. A wolf! He was dark in coloring, hardly able to see. Though it was those light eyes that made her recognize that she had seen this male before. It was her mate. She frowned. She tucked herself more back against the rock, scowling. What had he done to her? Had he put something in the meat and kidnapped her so she wouldn't know how to return home? Elowyn felt dread grip her heart. What if this male had been pretending to be nice? What if he... She scowled at him. "What did you do to me? What did you put in my food?!," she snapped.

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^^Before Tetsujin had his bearings in the musty cave his wife had flung accusations at him. He turned sharply, giving a petulant huff as she accused him of somehow causing this. “What?!” He spat out, one paw lifting to gesture to the dim cavern they found themselves in. Mushrooms were everywhere - disgusting - and when Tet fixed his silvery gaze back on his wife he was almost insulted. “It happened to me too, why would I do something to myself??” He asked quickly. “Elowyn - you can't honestly think that I did this to you, do you?” His voice had softened them from the sharp bite of accusation into something more concerned. She didn't think he was that monster, did she?

Her parents had approved of him, Esme had vouched for him, so many people had chosen to let him be enough for her but if she actually thought that he'd hurt her, it was....it made his stomach crawl. Tetsujin let out a slow breath, sighing softly. “I'm not...I wouldn't.” He stepped closer to her, a bit of the panic and confusion set aside so that he could just look at her. Focus only on her. “No matter what you think of me, I wouldn't ever hurt you.” He said it softly before he turned around, carefully starting to navigate the rocks along the floor and the slick path made by the moss. “There's a little brook, if you watch your step, we might....” He trailed off, coming to an area that was more in the early sunlight of the morning. It was easier to see over here and he turned to look and watch her. “Please come talk to me, Elowyn.”

The heat of panic had abated some as he was able to focus more on her and how she was doing. It was easier to set aside his own issues and tuck them away for the sake of insuring that she was feeling okay. He just wanted to be sure she didn't think he was actually that kind of monster. He still felt so tense, the feeling settled in his shoulders like a heavy shawl weighing him down. He wanted to shrug it off - to be who he was with Esme, to be playful and funny. Instead he felt cold and like stone right then.^^
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The way the male reacted surprised her a little. She shrank more against the rock when he exclaimed his surprise. The female kept her ears folded against her skull. She didn’t know what to think of him, not really. She quietly eyed at him, as far as she could read his expression on his face, seeing it was covered in dark fur. The sandy colored female looked around, she hadn’t really assumed that he might be surprised as well of where they arrived. In her eyes he had been already up and running. He could have moved her somewhere, or something. 

She stayed wisely quiet when he asked that she honestly thought that. She had said her words, so he knew what she honestly thought. Why would she lie and now retract those words. She wasn’t a liar. Elowyn swallowed thickly and lifted her chin a little, keeping herself pressed against the rock behind her. It was kind of comforting that no one could approach her from behind and she could keep her eyes on him. He stepped closer telling her that he wouldn’t. She might not have believed it save for the desperation in his tone. Elowyn still had a skeptical gaze on her face, just a little hesitant. 

His promise, that remained to be seen. Though she didn’t think he would actually hurt her. Not really. It was just, she was only moments away with this male and this strange thing happened. She didn’t know him or what he did. How he was a person. He turned away from her, and she relaxed a little. She watched as he made his way through the stream to the area that was a little lighter. The female watched him as he moved, it looked easy when he did it. She gritted his jaw for a moment before she pushed herself to her feet. 

Her paws slipped a little on the wet moss and slick stones. She was quick to adjust herself and be balanced to take another step. She moved forward, when she was close to him she slipped a little again. She quickly stepped into the light  as she didn’t need or want his help. Her eyes took in his posture. He was tense, and it almost felt that he accusation was right with the way how tense he was. The scowl he had wasn’t really helping either, especially with those ice blue eyes. Her ears fell back. He was unhappy with her, it seemed. Elowyn gave him a green eyes scowl back and then continued to walk on, starting to feel normal again now her adrenaline settled. She quietly walked to the light of the mouth of the cave, sometimes her paws slipping and sliding to the side but she always rebalanced herself. The moss creeped her out. This cave creeped her out, and the male, well… he also creeped her out now.

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^^She shrank back at his surprised exclamation and Tetsujin sighed, trying to put a bit more space between them to give her room. He didn't want to make her feel more uncomfortable than they already had but this is probably what he'd always heard about 'never going to sleep angry.' Still, eventually she did move and Tet moved more to the side, only moving towards her when she started to slip. She caught herself though, even with the slick of the moss and the water that seemed to make everything in the cavern damp even though they'd only seen one brook so far. When she was closer and slipped again he did lean to catch her, skull against her shoulder until he was sure she had her footing again and then gave her the proper space.

She just scowled at him and that green gaze cut right through him. He had been tasked not only with protecting her and keeping her safe but in reality the task would be harder. His expectations for himself were more than anyone would ever be able to put on his shoulders. Once she was further out of the cave he gave a last glance to the interior, still finding it to muggy and the mire made him want to move on as quickly as he could. He moved slowly, trying to give her space while at the same making sure he was close enough to catch her if she fell.

The early morning light bathed her in a rosy glow and for a moment, he was a bit dumbfounded. She was beautiful. He'd have to be blind to not notice that. “Some sleep,” He deadpanned once they were both out of the cave. “I won't ever hear 'sleep like the dead' the same way now.” What had happened to them? Nothing even smelled the same - the forest they were in couldn't be anywhere near them. It wasn't like they could have slept through an earthquake. “You aren't hurt, are you?” he wanted to make sure before they took care of anything else.^^

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She really didn't want his help when she stumbled. She felt clumsy enough already. Elowyn continued on though, not making any comment of it. Of course now he wanted to help. The morning light streamed through the cave's entrance and the light caught the sandy tones of her fur. When she reached the entrance the female stood still. Her eyes going over the land before her. They scanned over the trees and bushes. It was definitely another forest then where they came from. The female did recognize some of the trees through. Fir, oak, ash, maple, birch, and pine. That soothed her a little. 

Her ear turned to the male that now came up next to her, mumbling something about sleep. She licked her lips. Unsure about his saying, or what he wanted to say about it. Now they both were in this strange world. Elowyn had no way to know how they got here or how to return home. It made her want to burst into tears. She swallowed thickly. Now the male was really all she knew, and she didn't even know him that well! Elowyn turned her head towards him and then shook it gently. "No, I am not hurt. Are you?," she asked. Though perhaps that was a little rhetorical because she kind of had the idea she hurt his feelings by accusing him.

She stepped out into the light fully with slow steps, sniffing the air curiously. "It smells like a normal forest, and the trees, I know their kinds," she quietly spoke to him. The forest however, wasn't familiar to her. Elowyn offered him a glance. She wasn't really used to taking any of the lead sos he wouldn't. She would quietly wait on his opinion of this all and what their next steps would be. She just hoped they would run into any landmark that looked familiar. It would give her hope she would see her family again one day.
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^^Even as they were met with the light of an early dawn, Tetsujin spared a passing glance back to the cavern. It seemed to come from nothing itself, the eerie glow from the mushrooms everywhere inside only casting a suspicious glow over the cave itself. Whatever was in there, he didn't trust it. He didn't want it touching Elowyn, either. “No, I'm okay - just my wounded pride.” He attempted to offer her a smile but he felt it fall in the middle. He did despise the fact she'd accused him - as if he'd willingly take them away from everything. He thought of Blair, then, and hoped she was okay. It was too much to ask for that the first week of his marriage went well, wasn't it?

“It's not the same though - nothing smells the same.” He agreed with her then, and was pleased to hear that she knew the trees and lands. He'd used the trees to tell him where he was - what grew in certain areas. “I don't.....I don't understand.” He admitted, and that bothered him more than anything. He started to walk towards the treeline - hoping that when they could see easier that he'd be able to find something familiar. “It's like.....like we got spit out somewhere else entirely. A whole other world.” He said it more softly, as if to himself. She'd probably be thinking the same thing.

“I don't understand - I know we were supposed to go on and find a new place but I didn't think we'd find this much new.” He said before he looked back at her.^^

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Elowyn was a little surprised by his honestly when he motioned his wounded pride. Her eyes softened a little. She just nodded, perhaps she had been a little unkind to him. But it was just her first reaction. She couldn't refer back to things in the past because she didn't know him that long. Their first week together, their ceremony, everything had been a blur. Her dad wanted to get to know him and her mother just went in overdrive to ready her. It had all been a little intense. Before she knew it she was bonded to this male by duty, since well, they hadn't consumed the marriage yet and for that she had been grateful.

Elowyn knew her thoughts had drifted, she realized. Her focus was back on the male that exclaimed that he didn't understand. She had accidentally missed that first part. She lifted a brow at him. "That isn't possible, Anteon," she commented, and looked -perhaps a little forlorn- at the wooded lands around him. Her ears fell back. She inhaled softly. "Technically nothing changed," she tried. "Yo-- I mean, we," she paused because it was unfamiliar to refer to them as 'we'. "We went to find a suitable place for a new pack. We only traveled to somewhere we didn't expect." Elowyn really didn't want to think much about how far or where they traveled or the fact that she might not see her family ever again. She needed to be reasonable and this was what she knew what her duty was. 

Her ears were not good at hiding. They flopped back, insecurity. She didn't like it, not yet. Perhaps one day she would grow to like to have her own pack but now, all the duty that came with that scared her a little. Unnerved her. She should see the positive side of things though, she told herself, trying to cheer herself up. She always wanted to explore and now she could do that. She gave Anteon another glance and then just started to move, move further away from the cave. She knew her wouldn't leave her out of her sight. That was a pleasant change. Maybe she liked to go north, or west! She looked at the upcoming sun and decided to walk into that direction.
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^^He was caught off guard when she said his name. His actual name. It didn't make much sense to him - his mother exclusively used it, Blair used it half the time too, but somehow hearing his name from Elowyn's lips seemed more like a title. It was formal, official, it was more charged than anything he anticipated. “Elowyn,” He said her name softly, focused purely on her. “I don't understand how we didn't wake up when we moved.....the ground couldn't have just opened up and unearthed that cavern and us stayed asleep.” He concluded finally. He didn't like ho it felt and the uncertainty wasn't promising to him. All around he didn't like it. It made him uncomfortable, the not knowing. The uncertainty.

He licked his lips - trying to be subtle - but then she'd set a path and decided on where they were going and he didn't mind. For a moment he was behind her, too distracted by their situation to admire the view.

After a bit he caught up to her, side by side with her, brushing his shoulder against hers only slightly. She was the only familiar scent to him here and that was comforting. “I wouldn't vote for here as our new home.” He quipped, offering a slight touch of humor into the moment. “What do you dream about as your new land?” He asked, silvery blue eyes keen for any sort landmark that might help them.^^
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Her ears perked up when his voice spoke her name so softly. She quickly let her ears flop back against her skull though. She didn't know the answers either. How they could have slept through. There was still a little wariness around the male, but it genuinely seemed that he too was shocked about the fact that they changed locations. The female was mulling over the fact how it could have happened when she noticed the male right next to her. Their furs brushing together as they walked. She glanced at him before slightly moving to the side so they were next to each other but shoulders not touching. She hoped it didn't offend him too much. Frankly she wasn't used to a male so close to her that wasn't one of her brothers. She he was hardly allowed to socialize much with other males. That could become a threat to future arrangements. So it was more the fact that he was male, than that she didn't want him close because it was him.

She quietly shook her head, no, she didn't like the cave either. The female was mildly surprised when he asked for her opinion for her... dream home. She blinked and looked at him with surprise on her face as she continued to walk. "My new land?," she parroted sheepishly almost. She was a bit shocked. Elowyn raked her mind together to think of something but what mostly came to mine was that he should probably decide that. "Isn't that your decision to make?," she asked, curious now. There was no judgement in her tone, just mere curiosity that he would let her think along with those things. With that question out of the way she did start to think of what she would want. The first thing that came to mind was safety. Oh, and maybe somewhere she would have lots of plants that she could use to heal or make others better. Those were the lessons she always enjoyed the most.

"If you insist...," she started. "Perhaps a location that can house medicinal plants and herbs. So supplies like that won't need to be gathered from outside the territory?," she suggested. Then again, wouldn't she work against herself like that. Then she would be again homebound to one territory. Though she just had the feeling that if she always needed to be protected when going out she would enjoy botany less with someone watching her every move. "And somewhere safe. The forest of Hearthmouth felt safe, like nothing could happen to us. I liked that," she admitted quietly. But that was perhaps also because she trusted all the wolves there. Now she felt open and exposed. Unsure what would happen to her. It was strange to voice her thoughts so openly. "What about you?," she asked then.
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^^The further they got from the cave the better that he felt. It was unsettling, overall, to the dark man. He frowned slightly when she moved away but he didn't force her into contact. It wasn't worth it to him. He didn't want her to despise him and it seemed so far she was colder than he'd anticipated. Somehow he'd just thought... Maybe things would be easier? His expression softened when she seemed so surprised - as if no one had ever asked her for her own opinion before.

He nodded quickly, “It's not just mine after all.” Tetsujin said. He wasn't only going to seek his favorite types of places and ignore any of her wishes. That was more callous than he wanted to be. “It's ours. Our realm. It's important to me that we're both happy there.” Tetsujin trailed off a bit - because he almost felt foolish talking so much about why it mattered what she thought or wanted. In Northacre, they did listen and hold their partners equally - although the Alpha Male had the last say.

“A garden then?” He offered, but he liked her idea. He could see it - somewhere that was easy to defend and that they could make their own. “I like the idea of somewhere with lots of old trees - big ones. And a little waterway cutting through it, so it'll keep your plants alive.” He added quickly, a small smile on his face. It wasn't a bad feeling - just talking, just understanding each other.^^
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Elowyn glanced at him. She was right it wasn't only his but it still felt weird she had so much saying in it too. She wasn't used to it. Her mother could give suggestions when asked but often she was more a help to her dad in what he wanted to achieve than ask her about anything, at least, that was what she assumed. All the developments of the pack were mostly her father's choice. Plus, she as his daughter hardly could give her opinion. She had said she hadn't liked the idea of a stranger mating her, as a teenager, and her father hadn't been too keen on her saying that. Elowyn did remember that.

It was just all very new to her. This male was hers, her mate. It felt strange. He was considerate though. She nodded quietly. Yes, a garden. That would be nice. "It doesn't need to be a whole garden. A locations with a lot of different types of plants would be good too," she reasoned quickly, not wanting to ask too much. Maybe there weren't even so much locations like that. "That... that does sound nice," she admitted when she spoke to him. "So no tundra then like Wintergarde then," she spoke, that she didn't mind at all. 

When she looked at him, and he smiled, gosh, he was actually pretty handsome when he did that. She blushed a bit and glanced away. She wasn't unaffected by his looks, she wasn't blind. Perhaps if he smiled more she would be more comfortable. Sometimes he did look a little stoic and when she had been to accuse him he didn't look too happy with her. Which of course made sense, but still. His smile was definitely better. It made her feel less like a failure.
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^^There was probably a good amount in him that valued his mother and sisters too much to see things purely in the man's word was law. At least, where his mate was involved, he'd extend the same amount of loyalty to her. It was the least he could do. “Well....we can start small. But maybe make sure it's open enough so any time we find something interesting, we could take it home?” Tetsujin would remember that. She liked plants. She wanted to grow them. Maybe that would be something that she could teach him about, seeing that he didn't particularly know much more than ones to avoid.

His laugh was warm when she mentioned not like Wintergarde, immediately shaking his head. “No way! No way I want to freeze my ass off in my own home - not willingly!” He had visited the frozen packland and hadn't enjoyed it much. It wasn't like he was used to snow and cold like that anyway. Northacre was so open and vast, it seemed to him impossible to even build up that much snow. “They had legends, about wolves who froze up there. At night when it's the coldest and the wind picks up you can hear their last howls as they beg for help.” Testsujin said. He leveled her a glance to see how she reacted to the old children's fable.

“Maybe we find somewhere with lots of sunlight, too. It's best for naps at least.” That was also a little tease - trying to learn more about his bride. Did she like napping? Did she look down on it? Was laziness something that they'd abhorred or were those stolen naps the absolute best? It felt like Tet was going a mile a minute in his head, but, he was careful to try and not overwhelm his bride while he tested the waters, so to say.^^
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Elowyn looked at the male. She didn’t completely understood what he meant. She wasn’t familiar with actually planting plants or taking them to be replanted. The female looked at him. ”How do you mean?,” she asked him curiously. ”You mean with starting a cache of dried plants?,” she asked to clarify. She just hoped that the territory they would settle in came naturally with a lot of plants she could use.

Elowyn’s eyes widened a bit when she spoke about freezing his ass off. Her parents or siblings hardly used that language. Crazy! But she did agree with his statement. She really didn’t want her ‘ass to freeze off’ either. Elowyn looked surprised. ”I never heard that,” she commented, almost a bit shocked even. It sounded scary. ”I’ve only heard about the other packs in the alliance, I’ve never actually been to any of their packs. This is the first time I am really away from Hearthmouth’s territory,” she admitted to him.

The female looked at the male. ”You don’t look like someone who likes naps,” she commented. In fact, it felt if he would be always on alert and awake. ”You… like naps?,” she asked curiously. She never had time to nap. Always someone would need her for something, if not her lessons she would help members of the pack. She only realized now how much she actually did in a day. ”I never have time to nap. There is always someone injured to heal or help,” she admitted.
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^^Tetsujin had heard it before, that sometimes healers would make themselves little troves to fawn over and raise their little plants. “They can be planted, they used to move plants around in Northacre that way.” Tetsujin didn't even know how to start describing Northacre. “I think your brother visited once. Darius, I believe it was.” She did have a number of siblings after all and Tetsujin had met a number of them quickly. At the time he hadn't been much of anything - an Envoy, a young man trying to see the world as much as he could. He couldn't remember even speaking specifically to him. It had been big pack news, though. Any time a member of the royal family of another court visited there was always a flurry of activity.

“But I'd see healers move live ones around. Always made me laugh seeing someone drag a bush around or if they had a new sprout they'd bring it like a puppy with an antler.” He grinned then, casting her a sideways glance. Puppies, although he'd never admit it, always managed to be a soft spot for him. When she admitted to not traveling Tetsujin nodded. “If my mother hadn't fled Dusksong, I don't know if I'd have been free to travel as much.” He knew his father was fairly well respected - or had been - in Dusksong but in Northacre, they'd basically been anonymous. They'd just been free to work on their own lives. “It's nice, getting to see things. And now you get to, as well.” He offered her something meant to be uplifting. He didn't know how she'd felt about it really, though.

When she said he didn't look like someone who liked naps he had to laugh then. It wasn't malicious at all, his tail wagging a bit behind him. “I like plenty of things, Wife.” The title was said affectionately enough. “It will be important for us not to push ourselves too much. You were right to have us stop last night - if....if something happened to use overnight, we shouldn't wear ourselves out like that again. You might come to like naps, too.” Not that he'd ever expect that they'd be cuddled together and acting like they knew each other.^^
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Elowyn blinked, because that would be something she loved to learn, relocate plants to a desired location. But her mother always warned her not to mess with nature or take too much. Wouldn’t that be taking too much? She was doubtful. But it was an interesting technique one she might never have known about if she hadn’t met the male. But apparently they did so in Northacre. She wished to talk to their healers, but that wouldn’t be possible seeing that they probably wouldn’t find their way back. The female grew sad with that thought.

She quickly forced herself to listen to the male through. Even giving him a tentative smile when he spoke of wolves moving around carrying bushes. That did sound silly. He had also mentioned something about her brother. It was quite normal for them to travel and visit other packs. Darius seemed to like travel a lot until he met his mate. She actually really liked his arranged mate. She looked at Anteon. When he grinned like that it was actually a bit infectious. It was better than the scowl she gotten before. Elowyn was surprised when he spoke of Dusksong. She wasn’t as familiar with that one. ”You weren’t born in Northacre?,” she asked, confused. Elowyn looked around and nodded. ”Yeah, though it still feels weird not to have a pack with us, or around us,” she admitted. It did give her the opportunity to get to know her mate better. Otherwise she would need to get to know a whole pack as well.

Elowyn looked at him when he barked out a laughter. At least he seemed happier and more comfortable. Her ears flopped back when he mentioned her as his wife. It was still weird. ”Wife makes me feel old,” she admitted to him. She scrunched up her nose cutely. That reminded her. ”How old are you?,” she asked curiously. She paused for a moment. ”Are you saying this happened because we were exhausted?,” she inquired. That reminded her that she really should focus on the way they were heading. It was weird to travel to a place you didn’t know where it was yet.
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^^Elowyn's smile, small as it was, felt like enough validation for him. Even a small victory was still a victory and he found he craved it. He lifted a paw at her question, rolling it a bit as he sought the easiest way to explain things. His story had begun even before he and his siblings had been born, and it was hard to try and know how much she'd heard about him and what happened to his mother before he had been born. “No.” He admitted, his voice a bit softer. He came to a stop after a moment, looking over at Elowyn. “My father was from Dusksong. He beat my mother while she was pregnant and she fled, making it to Northacre....they took her in, and I was born there. That's how my sister Blair was married in - I was first born, she was second, and Mama offered her second born to the alliance.” He explained. It seemed....well, impolite to talk about a heavy topic that way while they were just walking, and if Tetsujin was anything he was a Mama's boy first.

“As far as we know Howard was punished and exiled from Dusksong and the Alliance but we've never cared enough to look for him. Apparently I look a good bit like him.” He'd heard that from his mother before - but never in anger. Almost like a sad resignation to what they couldn't escape. It wasn't anything he hated, necessarily, he knew he had his mother's eyes and those were some of the things he liked the most. One thing he loved the idea of was that maybe their children would have Maria's eyes too. They started walking again and Tetsujin chuckled when she said it made her feel old - and then in the next breath she asked how old he was. “What about Fawn? Would that be allowed?” He asked, cocking his head to the side. “I'm three. I turned three in May.” He'd been born just before summer truly reached it's full warmth.

“I don't think it's because we were exhausted....but maybe there was something in that water....maybe the meat, if they drank the water too?” But what had sedated them so heavily they didn't even notice being moved like that? Still, it was an unsettling idea.^^
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Elowyn didn't know how much her smile meant to Anteon. She quietly listened to his story. His father had been abusive. Oh no. She felt bad for his mother. Though, what if that was genetic? That... he would be abusive. She schooled her face though, into more that one of pity and not one of worry. "I'm sorry your mother had to go through that," she commented. She hadn't heard much about Dusksong or what had happened. However, when she learned of his age it all made sense to her. He was a year older so this all happened far before she was born. 

She nodded then. "I see. So your sister stayed with Northacre then," she commented. "Did your mother get a new mate at Northacre?," she asked curiously. You did hear that, her parents sometimes decided to split mates and assign them to another since the couple didn't work. That must be awful though. When he spoke about looking like him she couldn't help herself. "But hopefully not like him in character," she quietly added. So far he hadn't put a paw on her. So she would only judge what she knew and that was that so far, he hadn't harmed her. 

Elowyn blinked. "Fawn? Why?," she asked. She scrunched up her nose. "Aren't fawns easy to grab while hunting?," she asked. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be compared to prey, small prey that they would eat, or prefer to hunt. Or was it something... sexual she didn't know about? Her brothers had teased her a little with that. Until she begged her mother to tell her. She hadn't want to be clueless, though she doubted her mother just explained her just the basics. She quickly pushed those thoughts away. 

'It is still so strange,' she admitted to him and then shook her head. "I don't think we will ever find out," she admitted with a soft sigh. She then looked turned her gaze away from him. Since they had stopped walking, she continued their path again. She kind of wanted to be as far away as possible from that weird glow cave.
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^^It wasn't a pleasant conversation to have, and it was one that Tetsujin felt was more appropriate to have early rather than let things just....be hidden. It explained some of his behavior when it came to him - specifically why he would never tolerate the mistreatment of women. Not in his pack, in his care, or anywhere in his presence. “It isn't fair.” He agreed quietly. “No - she was allowed to stay unmarried, given what happened to her, and was given the title Matron. She helped with the children and young women, especially.” Her comment about him being like his father in character only made him stamp a foot down harder than he'd meant to, shaking his head quickly. “I'd rather die than be like him.” He answered immediately.

If it were a choice, that was his one to take. He wouldn't accept what his father had done and he certainly would never repeat his behavior. “Y'know....fawn's are....well they're cute.” Easy hadn't been what he'd thought about - not when it came to how she looked. Fawn was just a cute thing in his mind, and he preferred not to eat the younger generation. It seemed unfair. “We didn't hunt the young. Sure, they're easier, but, if the young dont live, there wouldn't be more to hunt anyway.” Someone had to continue on even for the prey just like they were continuing on for their packs and their families.

He nodded as they walked, agreeing with her assumption. It would be fair to say they wouldn't know exactly why this happened - but it didn't mean he had to stop hoping someday they did. “With any luck we might find something out.” He wasn't sure they would though. And who knew how long it might be before they saw another member of their family. Those were sadder details, though, and he didn't want to think about it. “And if we don't....well. I'm glad I'm not alone.” He said softly, his blue eyes seeking her gaze for a moment.^^
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Elowyn look at the wolf next to her, her husband. He hadn't grown up with a happy family like she did. In fact, his mother had run from her mate. It didn't seem that the male missed his father, or was missing a father figure. "Oh that is a nice solution. Your mother sounds great," she commented then. Elowyn glanced at him from the side and gave a short nod. The way he had said that was a clear indication that the had no intention to be like him. That was good. She rather not want to flee herself. Where would she go?

The female raised a brow at the male. "Cute?," she asked and then realized that indirectly he called her cute. Her ears fell back perhaps out of shyness this time. She never really had anyone call her that, well except her mother but that didn't count. She nodded quietly. "That does make sense. I know the basics of hunting but more small game," she admitted, and then she didn't look if it was young or old. When it was weak she would try and catch it. Elowyn wasn't the most skilled hunter at all. She was used to being cared for. She looked at him. "For now you can just call me, Elowyn or Wyn is fine too," she spoke then.

Elowyn was curious how they would ever find out. They hadn't really ran into other wolves so far, so they couldn't check if such things had happened to them or not. Otherwise they would never know and she rather wanted to find a home. As much as she liked this exploring she didn't really feel safe or the feeling that she could even sleep. Maybe they would be transported again when they would sleep?! That was kind of scary to think of. Her green gaze met his, and it was in line was she was thinking. Elowyn dipped her head in confirmation. "I do have to agree on that," she returned and offered him the tiniest of smiles. It was a start.

Wrap it up after your post? :D Then we can have another one!

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— Yes plz!

^^When she said that Maria sounded great he gave her a pure beaming smile. He nodded quickly, tail even wagging a bit. He was purely, even through his more tough exterior, he was a Mama's boy. “She is. I'm sad you didn't get a chance to really meet her.” It was customary that both parents would spend time around the new couple when possible - but Maria hadn't been able to spend much time with the couple before needing to make the trek back to Northacre. It had been a far trek for her, and Tet was happy that she'd had Rhett and Giselle with her too for safety.

“Cute,” He agreed, looking her over for a moment before he turned back to the trees. “Wyn,” He repeated. “Will Wynnie get me in trouble?” He was teasing, but, he did want something else to call her sometimes. Something positive. “I was given the name Tetsujin - when I saved Esme, she'd said it meant 'made of Iron' and that's what I had to be.” It was no secret that Esme had been his closest friend and if things had worked out differently, she might have been his bride. There wasn't the feeling of love beyond just their deep friendship - but it was something that Elowyn might understand. He wouldn't have felt threatened if she'd had another friend. It was the nature of their lives.

Her smile, brief as it was, warmed him. There was a chance for something other than open contempt between them. “I am sorry this happened - but no matter what, it doesn't change things. Not for me.” The realization that they could part and no one would ever know better was real. That wasn't what he wanted though. He had dreams of their own empire, of growth and of so much more than what they had so far. “I vowed it then, and I do now too. I promise myself to you, and only you, to protect and care for. To build with you - to make something more than just ourselves.” He said it softly, but his voice was nothing but genuine and earnest. No matter what this world held, he wouldn't abandon her. Not now, not ever.^^
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Too good not to continue

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Elowyn had only briefly met the woman but that was it. Her mother had dragged her off to get her ready for the ceremony and she was expected to mostly be around her mate. Plus the woman had to leave soon any how. She wondered what her life would have been if she would have gone to Norrthacre instead of being where she was now. She missed her family, especially now she was unsure if she would ever see them again. Elowyn was pulled from her thoughts when he mentioned her nickname, Wyn. She gave him a dark glare the moment the word Wynnie came from his mouth. "If you call me that I simply won't listen." Would she listen to him anyhow? Probably. 

The he started about this Esme again. She had heard of the female. She was the daughter of Northacre's leader and it was the reason why Anteon gotten so much credit. It was nice but also strange to her that the opposite sex could be friends. Heartmouth was far more traditional that way that she definitely wasn't allowed to just hang out and be friends with a male. "Tet---Tesuuin. Tet-su-jinn," she tried to speak it. "I've never heard a name like that," she commented. She looked at the dark male. She kind of like the name Anteon, the other one sounded complicated. "Sounds like a name for them to use, not for me," she commented quietly, unsure about it. A name of the past. Maybe they would never see them again.

The male reminisced the past and how he wouldn't be like that. How he vowed he would stay with her. The girl knew he meant it, and perhaps that was what scared her. She suddenly felt a very constrictive feeling, a little panic rise through her. "To make something more than just ourselves." What did that mean? Oh god-- pups? She didn't want to think about that. That felt far too big of a problem to deal with already. Maybe he just meant it as their pack, a new home. The girl in her panic just nodded quietly. She could hear the genuine tone but her mind was panicing because how could she not. This stranger vowing to protect her and tying his whole life to hers. He truly seemed to want this. A good wife. What if she wasn't anything like that? He deserved better.
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