Of kingdoms far away

The days were growing shorter, the air imbued with the unmistakable taste of oncoming winter. A cool, crisp breeze blew over his dark coat, teasing its tendrils in the morning air. He breathed deep, taking in the aromas surrounding him, his snout flared out in his search. Beck's steps were slow, determined as he maneuvered his massive body down the steep sloping of terrain. The earth was moist and scented with flora of all kinds, it was the draw that lured him to this land. Large claws permeated the ground, tossing dirt with him as he scaled the hillside in his careful pursuit.

Once at the bottom, his mismatched eyes shifted upward, taking in the towering mountains in the distance, and the thick lush foliage in every direction. Beyond him was a lake as blue as the sky, a perfect mirror to the cloudless morning. The sounds of insects filled his ears, a gentle hum, the only thing that kept the silence of his journey from overtaking him. His pace steady as he moved through the foliage, weaving through trees and flowers of colors so vibrant they were easily noticed by enthralled eyes against the emerald backdrop. If he was lucky, he would succeed in finding a blossom or two that particularly peaked his interests. Maybe he would even be so lucky as to find a few seeds.

A pop of rose colored petals caught his eyes, beckoning him toward the small bush. His tail swayed back and forth with every step, excitement building inside him as he approached. The blooms were beautiful and fragrant. He gave an approving sniff, but the scent was strong, almost too much. He could feel his sinuses burning from it. A sneeze was coming. He closed his eyes, a huff escaping before the sneeze took over.

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She had no memory of what had happened. Her sense of time felt distorted and far away. A strange cloud seemed to haze the world around her, as though she hadn't used her eyes in two hundred years. The sensation of light felt foreign and brutal. The clarity of the water as the sun struck its pristine surface was mesmerizing. Yet all Stella wanted was a drink, and that was what she did.

The sneeze startled her, mostly for how close it seemed when it echoed through the trees and off of the lake's surface. The sand-coated wolf turned toward it to find the source.

Through rosey bramble and wild grasses she walked, surprised when she was forced to limp her way there. One of her back legs had some sort of hidden injury. She was favouring her back left, and it had become mildly swollen. She didn't remember that upon her arrival in this world, Astra themself had dumped her on a jagged rock, twisting her ankle and over-stretching the tendon there.

When she found the snoot-blower, she raised a brow. “Allergies?”

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He was silent for only a moment, swallowed, then a slight smile twitched upwards the curve of his lips. “Not usually. I’ve never had allergies that I know of,” He shot the offending plant a dubious look. “Up until now.” His smile cracked the smallest bit further. How unusual these plants had been. Some were familiar, some he had never seen or heard of before, and some may had caused him unknown reactions. His thoughts drifted briefly to Kaida and the fog that swirled around them, the small purple blossoms bursting by the thousands at their feet and the strange sensations that rattled him.

Slinking free from their powerful hold, his gaze drifted over her. A pleasing medley of creams, grays, and charcoal atop a stage of gold, her body had been painted like a canvas to behold. Perhaps the only flaw was the disproportionate size of one of her hind legs, an injury swelled while the other compensated under the added weight. Beck’s brows immediately turned down, his face pulling subtly with concern. “You’re hurt?” It wasn’t much of a question, he could see it clear as he could see the exotic flowers that bloomed and danced around them. He blinked, taking a tentative step forward to better analyze her wound. Within him lay an urge to aid, an instinctive sense that he would not hesitate to follow. Even that of a complete stranger could knock upon his door and seek solace under a veil of compassion that seemed to hold no bounds. It was both a blessing and a curse.

@Stella

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He was quick to answer, staring at the rose that had caused the terrible noise. Stella looked at it too, eyeing it with a small grin. There was something entertaining about a delicate little flower making such a large male incapable of functioning, if only for a moment. And he was quite big; she probably should have been a bit more cautious in her approach, but that had never really been her style.

While he looked over her, she smiled more broadly, returning the favour by inspecting him from nose to tail. His paws practically dwarfed hers, but he had an elegance to his build. He was fit and beautiful, a dark Adonis out for a stroll on a floral morning. Like a prince from a storybook, she mused.

But he noticed her back leg, and quickly she pulled it forward and put almost full weight on it, swallowing the pain. “It's nothing,” she lied, not wanting him to see weakness. “I just hit it on something. It'll go away,” she assured him, but ended up shifting her weight not-so-subtly to her other foot. She walked a careful, elongated step, trying to hide the limp while getting a better look at him.

“I'm Stella.”

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His eyes were trained on her. The way she moved, how she reacted, and how her body betrayed her even as she attempted to hide her wounds. A lie so bold had left her tongue. His ears gave a gentle twitch, the corners of his mouth turning down just a hair, the muscles within his jaw flexing. Was she only being modest? A passerby unwilling to allow a stranger to aid her wounds. Or perhaps, she worried that he may seek out her vulnerabilities. Use those weaknesses against her like no more than a dog. He couldn’t say with certainty, though the last thought left a sour taste in his mouth.

She moved with an effortless elegance, but her injured leg remained heavy. She shifted, trying to hide the limp with a slow, elongated step. His expression softened, the tension in his jaw relaxing as he watched her, his heterchromic gaze moving along the length of her golden frame. A low hum rumbled deep in his chest, a quiet sound. He would play along for now, but only until he could convince her to let him take a closer look.

Meeting her eyes when she spoke, his attention returned to those large brilliant multi-toned eyes. She offered her name, an introduction that he readily accepted. It was one that fit, a name meaning star for a girl who was painted with gold. His own name tasted bare in comparison. “I’m Beck,” His smile was soft, a polished politeness that had come effortlessly to land upon his lips after years of practiced, reflexed expressions. “And that,” His eyes swept against her injured leg once more, attempting to judge the severity from the distance that extended between them. Beck hiked an amused brow. “might go away faster… if you let me get you something.” He reacted before she could refuse him. “Wait here a minute.” A smile quickly flashed his dark lips as he trotted away on large paws. Seeking what exactly, he hadn’t been altogether wholly confident. Though he assumed he would know it when he saw it.

A few moments later, after searching through the myriad of plants that littered the dawn lit landscape, something caught his eye. It was a small leafy plant growing close to the ground, a familiar twig he would gently pluck between his jaws and return to her with.

“This should help,” He spoke gently, padding back to her and setting the plant by her feet. His gaze moved back to her injury, his tone taking a soft and sincere edge. He meant only to comfort her, to let her know she was safe. Even if he was a stranger, even if she didn't believe him. She was safe with him. “It won’t taste pleasant, but it’ll make you feel better.” The smile reached his eyes this time, if only just.

@Stella

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The dark prince met her eyes. She was nearly startled by the brilliance of his gaze; the colour shocked her. One golden, like the rays of the sun when they met the ocean. The other was blue, an ice-like hue that recalled winter from its slumber. His name was Beck. Predictably, Stella liked him right away.

He wouldn't drop the leg thing. Stella took a big breath in and exhaled in a long sigh, half-annoyed and half-charmed by the nature of this big softy. She was shaking her golden head, but a little smile made it undeniable that she didn't exactly mind the attention. She did think that the pain would probably go away by itself; most pains did, after all. She was too young to be wandering around looking decrepit though, and the thought of hastening her recovery was attractive indeed.

It didn't take Beck long to come back with what to her looked like a green stick. It had some leaves sticking out; it wasn't something anyone would select to play games with, that was for sure.

She looked at it. She looked at him.
Bending down to sniff at the plant, she arched a brow before licking at it. “Well, this is a new one.”

Accepting her fate, Stella ate the greenery, trying desperately to cut it into pieces small enough to swallow without tasting anything. That didn't go all that well; her pleasant face contorted into a wrinkly mess as the flavour of the leaves became far too evident on her tongue. “Augh,” she moaned in disgust before sliding the thing down her throat forcefully. “Ack, I should have made you eat it first,” Stella snarked, shaking her entire body as if she was wet and that was going to get rid of the flavour.

“Where'd you learn that anyway?”

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Beck couldn’t help the relief when she accepted the treatment, a quiet exhale leaving him. She may not have been thrilled, but at least she hadn't refused it. He chuckled lightly as she began to show signs of skepticism, the sound warm and inviting as it rumbled through his chest. As she investigated the herb, he watched with a hint of amusement and a touch of admiration. Her stubbornness was an attractive feature he could not deny. The corner of his mouth quirked into a small smirk as she eyed him, her brows raising. She was a fighter, that much was clear.

Stella's brows pinched in disgust as she swallowed the plant, a comical look painting her face. Her body jerked, the muscles twitching as her face twisted, her tail whipping back and forth. When the plant disappeared, his smile stretched just a little, amusement and satisfaction battling for territory on his dark features. He'd tasted the plant himself, and it was a bitter flavor that would take some time to overcome. It was a good remedy though, one that he had become familiar with for not the most pleasant reasons.

Beck's laughter came again, a little stronger, his gaze sweeping over her. “I tried to warn you.” Her complaint only made him smile a little wider. He wouldn't have minded a bit if she had. The next words that left her lips caused him to stall, his expression faltering in a subtle way. It was another moment before he would answer.

“My brother.” A quiet admission, his gaze turning from her and out toward the field of flowers that swayed lazily in the gentle breeze. A fondness had touched his voice, the softening of his expression as he recalled a myriad of memories from a shared childhood. His ears tilted back just slightly. “He was... always getting into things.” A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He remembered the days spent out on the fields, his brother's bright eyes and wide smile. An expression full of childlike wonder. He shook his head, the memories a distant thing, something he wasn't always sure he wanted to dwell upon. “It’s not a bad trick to know though,” He leaned in closer as if sharing a secret, the mirthful smile returning as though it had never left. “If you can get over the way it tastes.”

@Stella
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If nothing else, Beck seemed entertained by her display is absolute disgust. She had wondered if he had just gotten her to eat something gross just to mess with her, but he had seemed too genuine for that sort of deception for the sake of humour. It was something she would have done in his position, but she wasn't exactly a great person.

Stella ran her tongue over her teeth several times, trying to scrape the plant matter from her taste buds, too lazy or perhaps too enthralled by the tall dark and handsome prince to bother returning to get a drink of water.

She had her tall drink of water right here.

“You did,” she answered, before he went on. So he wasn't an only child? He had family, like she did once upon a time. Unlike her, he could actually remember them. The golden woman couldn't help but smile to one side, a smirk-like happiness appearing as she shared in his cheer. Though she didn't fully understand, she could tell he was remembering fondly, and that pleased her. It was not everyone who had kindness in their past. “Sounds like a goofball,” she mentioned, thinking it obvious who the person was to get his brother "out of things."

“So you say,” she rolled her eyes, “how long does this crap take to work anyway?” She wiggled her leg as if to make a point that it "wasn't working." He had moved in closer to her to speak, and rather than leaning away she had dropped the volume of her voice and leaned slightly to the side, unwilling to remove distance.

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Her voice touched his ears. He had heard her response, though his tongue had no plans to formulate a reply. Not in regards to the small white wolf, his kin, a brother that never passed through the corridor into adulthood. Instead he only smiled softly at the words, quietly acknowledging the truth behind them but leaving that branch of the conversation to wither there and die in the silence. It wasn’t a line of dialogue he wanted to continue.

Unable to admit otherwise, he had enjoyed the company of this woman. She was fiery, a flame that burned bright and hot and golden. A flame that would not hesitate to bite or burn, and a flame that did not allow the unworthy to trifle with her. Or so, he would image. The way she moved, the way she simply held herself was that of a regal woman untouched by the squalors of the world. One would not lower her head, nor let that invisible crown slip. Even under the pain of an injury, she maneuvered herself as though the obvious hurt emanating from it had been beneath her as well. As if she could simply will it away, pushing the sensations down beneath the weight of her confidence alone.

Equal amounts of both amusement and concern wrapped his features, Beck’s eyes watching hers. For something she insisted didn’t bother her, she was quite impatient for the herb to have immediate action. It had only amused him more, a small taste of what went on inside those elegantly constructed walls. He’d purse his lips, those large dark brows knitting together contemplatively as they strayed back toward her injured leg. “It’s hard to say…” His attention came back to her quickly, back to those hypnotic eyes bursting of color as their hues faded into one another. “How hard did you hit it?” Beck mused, something teasing is his expression. He’d move toward her then. A single step forward, nearer to her injury. He’d convey a wordless request, an offer to examine it more closely, if only she’d allow him. If she accepted, Beck would near himself to her even further, closing the distance between them so that he may bow his head toward her wound.

@Stella
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“Well say it anyway!” Stella joked, rushing him to an answer. She had pulled forward with that response, partly to breathe in his scent, as she was quickly becoming addicted to its evergreen nature. He smelled of woods far and beyond this beautiful place, adding all the more to that distant feeling that she was dreaming and none of this was real.

And then he moved toward her, and she let him.

Stella knew this feeling well, but she had never grown used to it. He was meant to be a stranger. She should not trust him. She should fear him even, and there he was, scent and body surrounding her in senses and nailing her to that spot. Her body tensed with excitement as he drew nearer, but he was innocent. He moved only to inspect her, like a doctor. A professional.

“How hard? I don't know. I can't remember.” Stella answered honestly, but her voice drifted beyond them. She felt like she wasn't even there. In a deep breath, she closed her eyes as she felt the warmth of his body closer to her. He was innocent. Be a good girl, her thoughts said. She waited.

“Is it bad?”

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