i've been staring at the edge of the water

the faerie was astray.

she'd gone from her home, staggering out, hoping she'd land somewhere more stable -

WHORE!

accused of things she had .. well, done.

yes, she was a whore. she had loved him. aelfgifu sucked in her breath, moving across the territory. she hadn't expected this - she had expected her parents to forgive. to love.

but now, cast out.

and the other perpetrator behind, choosing not to follow.

her azure eyes scanned the horizon, blinking back tears. she was hungry; she needed to hunt, to eat. her stomach rolled, and her nostrils opened, searching for game.

alone.

so alone; when had it ever been this way?
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Taut muscles entwined with finesse around the dukes legs now holding him taller than he was a few weeks ago. Becoming very much the leggy teenager, and loping around after his queen frequently on her days she would patrol or just looked for a stroll. He'd seek this opportunity, to follow the winds that slithered its path around the trees, his nose kissing the bark of the scattered trunks, gathering up as much information as he could sponge. 

Once another full moon had lit the forest with its white light, the duke knew with each passing one, meant they were granted to further the fenceline of their perimeters. 

Mother pursued one track and Warick gravitated to the border that hugged the side of their sacred forest. The vast field once golden the last time they picnicked here, now was dull and the forage was dissolving to nothing more than a stomach filler; the richness of its nutrition dying away as the colder seasons of autumn and winter now swept summer and spring to the side. 

The young prince scouted for the elk, only yearning to take a quick glance, to check their wellbeing, before returning to his mother and reporting back to her. But a beauty caught his eyes, taking a moment to process if she was tarnished with the disgraceful white... though she wasn't. 

He watched, with mesmerisation, as they moved so fluidly, so gracefully. And for the first time, something shifted within him. A strange pull he was not yet familiar with.

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movement caught her eye, and she turned quickly, gaze shifting - oh. 

a boy, the color of rain-darkened earth. "oh," she said aloud, as quiet as a midnight sigh. a smile curved her mouth, though it was taut with pain.

he was young, this one; not much older than the children she could have borne to her love. it filled her with dismay, and she forced herself to hold his stare, no matter how much it hurt. he didn't know, after all.

he smelled of the woods, and of other wolves. the elf-woman drew closer with a chuff, tail swaying behind her.

"hello - can i help you?"
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The duke had yet to explore the horizons where other females would dance upon his heart. Only the girls closest to him right now were family, a familiarity that sat in his heart with a different meaning. 

When she noticed him, he visibly gulped his nervous energy down his gullet, pushing it toward the pit of his stomach that now churned more so when those heavenly blues studied him. 

Her invisible wings glided her to him and she spoke. She was talking to him. 'Uhhh', he made a noise, but no words came through. With a shake of his head, to restabilise both mind and tongue, he sat. 'H-Have you seen the umm.. Elk here?'. 

Was he meant to be talking to her? Was mother nearby watching? What if he got into trouble? Had she told them to not speak to strangers?

His thoughts matched the same pace as his thrumming heart.

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Her children were growing, and had the ability for a more independent state. Some were able to hunt on their own, though others may struggle — she would gently teach. Though sometimes more.. Hardened lessons were needed as  she gradually remembered her time with them and Remus. A day many would not forget and still hold a grudge against, but she still valued the need of confidence. For those who didn't peaked the following day in desire — those who do not work, do not eat.

Yet, she was still a mother even though the Queen title held above so. Her instincts urged her to ride close to them when they went a bit too far to her liking, but didn't stop them. They needed to learn, to expand their horizons, and meet wolves, she could not control in her forest. Of course though she was prepared to fight off, and summon her guards if they proved danger..

But the Deorwine wanted her royalty to improve their speech and way to dealing with. At the moment Celnes hide downlow within the shadows, a fiery eye gazing upon her eldest and a stranger who was within the range..

She would watch, and listen for the time being.

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her eyes softened even further at his halting speech, and she came closer, unaware of the stilted effect that might have upon the boy. (the elf-woman was aware of her own beauty, but not with regards to a child that could be her own.) she sat, and then lowered herself further, placing her forelegs out and paws crossed, almost catlike.

for what could a youngster do to harm her ... ? she was not ignorant, but she doubted very much this one posed much danger.

"i have not," she answered, smiling ruefully. "but ... i just arrived here. i am sure they are somewhere. are you looking for the elk?"

he was a little young to join the hunt, too - but perhaps his family was precocious. her eyes wandered, glinting in the sunlight as they read their surroundings, looking for movement other than their own.
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She stepped closer, his senses heightened, and he sniffed at the air that drifted over to him; her smell was as alluring as her looks. It was unusual for him to smell a wolf that wasn't bathed in the scent of his homeland. But he enjoyed her perfume, taking a few deep breaths, to a. steady himself, and b. to commit her scent to memory.

When she lay, he shifted in his seat, his mothers' lessons of etiquette chanting in his mind. He sat tall, moving his chin upwards to elevate himself, moulding into the noble duke he was to be.

'This is my home. The Elk are under our protection', he did not speak of their beliefs, for he was still a pupil to their religion, 'I wanted to check that they were okay'. Whilst the princes' words bore confidence, he could feel his heartbeat still anticipating the whole encounter. 

Just as the female was, Warwick was oblivious to the watchful eye of the queen of Elkshire.

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