Long Road to Nowhere

[Zero]

[This is open by request ONLY. Please PM with offers.]

When Tobias had first laid eyes on the sleepy little town his heart had about leapt into his throat. At first glance it could have been the village he'd grown up near. Everything was there, the lazily flowing river lapping at the docks, the older, but lovingly tended houses, the boats, the nets, the smell of fresh water and fish, the children running and playing in the streets. Of course it wasn't his village. Looking closer it was a bit bigger, with a larger road coming and going on the way to the capitol.

Finding work wasn't difficult at all. He spent a week mending fences, creaky porches, and helping haul loads of fish. Not only did he get meals and beds among the various houses that he worked on, but by the end of the week his coin purse also had a nice weight to it from the copper coins he'd collected. They clinked and jiggled in a very pleasant way as he hefted the bag in his palm. Tobias had never had a lot of money, and had never seen very much, so to him his little collection of coppers seemed a fortune.

This was a nice place. So when the itch to move on started to get to be too much to bear, Tobias packed his few belongings and wrapped them up in his bedroll with a heavy heart. Not once had this nagging need to wander plagued him before that awful night years ago, and during his three years with Mable teaching him, this need to keep moving hadn't bothered him at all. Why now did his feet grow restless? What was he searching for?

It was shortly before dawn when Tobias left the still sleeping town behind, heading out on the road towards Ketra. Maybe in the capitol he could find long-term or even permanent work. That seemed wishful thinking, really. Nowhere else had let him stay before, why would Ketra be any different? His tall physique made a lonely figure as he plodded down the road slowly, almost dragging his feet as a sort of defiance to the animal that urged him ever onwards.

In his boiled leathers, light linens, with a bedroll, quiver, and bow strapped to his back, he didn't really look much different than any other hunter or vagrant might - just another weary traveler on his way to the big city, although there weren't any others until almost noon. About that time his ears would detect the rumbling of cart wheels and the steady plop of horse hooves on the dirt road that wound through the never-ending forests of Adela. Occasionally he would even cross the path of another person on foot, though he kept his head down and avoided looking at anyone too closely.

Thankfully it hadn't rained recently, so the road was dry and packed down hard, his feet kicked up little puffs of dust with each step. His thoughts drifted easily, thinking of the taste of blood, maybe from a nice, juicy rabbit. The sound of a wagon had steadily grown as it drew closer to him and he stepped to the side of the road to avoid getting in the way. Merchant drivers and guards weren't a friendly bunch in general and he'd learned it was best to just stay out of their way.

There was a sudden crack in the air. The sound rang through his head like thunder, his sensitive ears aching from the noise. Now what on earth? Tobias blinked as he realized that he was sprawled face-first on the ground. How had he gotten down here? There was a chorus of laughter as he glanced painfully up to see the driver of said wagon shaking with the force of his booming guffaws. There was a whip in his hand.  "Out of the way you flea-bitten vermin."

Confusion and pain contorted his face, though somewhere inside him a mindless beast howled in rage. The urge to succumb to that monster seized him, but with an effort he forced it back down and away, terrified of his own ferocity. Casting his gaze down Tobias crawled completely off the road as the wagon rumbled by. He hadn't even been in the way! There wasn't a great deal of traffic on the road, but no one seemed interested in what had happened as they continued on their way.

Tobias lifted a hand to tiredly rub his face, but was shocked when his fingers encountered something sticky and wet. Pulling his hand back to look down at it skeptically his coppery skin was smeared with blood. The whip had bitten into the flesh of his cheek, just below his right eye. Damn, was that guy a dick or what?

[Katsa]

Another branch snags her pack and Freyra slices it clean through with her bone knife, too weary to spend the time to take it off. She slides her knife back into its sheath and continues to tromp through the undergrowth. She pauses when she catches the scent of of a deer; sniffing around, she catches sight of the hind and then two more. She memorizes their place in her mind to come back for them once she has found a place to rest her feet. She spots a few mint plants, arrow root and willow flowers and places them in her pack for later - herbs are always useful. She spots the edge of the forest and the possibilities of a road, and feels her second (or third, or fourth) wind come.

Holding a few branches aside, Freyra watches the encounter with narrowed eyes. She dislikes whips in any situation, even with animals and that poor man isn't an animal. A breeze tugs gently at her braids and clothes; she shifts into a defensive position once she smells that musky odor that every werewolf has. She doesn't know why werewolves have a different scent than others, but she has smelled it often enough to know that one of the people over there is a werewolf. She watches the wagon move along and the scent only gets stronger. She can even detect hints of fury and fear. Such an odd combination she thinks.

Noticing that the man is bleeding, she begins to hesitantly step towards the man so as to not to startle or frighten him, this wolf filled with fury and fear. She slips some fine linen bandages from her pack while she steps slowly towards him.

[Zero]

The wind was blowing in his face, carrying his scent towards the woman he hadn't seen, and blowing her scent away from him. Tobias didn't even realize someone had noticed that he was in distress. Well, he knew that some of them had noticed, but not that any of them had cared. Lone travelers weren't exactly the most well-loved group of people. It was rare that he received outright hostility though, which made the incident with the wagon driver all the stranger to him.

"I don't have fleas." He growled grumpily as he sent a glare at the swiftly receding wagon. Raising his arm he wiped again at his face, there was only a little blood, and the wound had closed over already. Even the pale mark was darkening back to the proper color. Swallowing the beast's rage, he pushed that part back down inside of him. The wolf inside him was agitated by the unjust attack on his person, but he sighed and suppressed those emotions.

Suddenly his attention was caught, brown-gold eyes snapped up to look at the odd woman that was approaching him. The wind shifted softly and his eyes narrowed as his nose picked up her scent. In his eight years as a werewolf the only one he could remember "meeting" was the one that had bitten him. Scrambling back and away from her his heart began racing in fear.

"S-stay away from me!"

[Katsa]

Even with the wind not blowing exactly in her direction, she was able to detect the massive increase of fear. The spike stopped her in her tracks, and she felt her heart ache with remembrance. She slowly spread her arms from her body, opened her hands as much as she could with the bandage in her left hand. Slowly reaching for her water skin, she pours some water onto the bandage. Still moving very slowly, she crouches and offers the damp bandage. "You have some blood on your cheek and hand." She says softly.

She hasn't taken any steps forward after smelling the increase in fear, and another whiff of that sickly stench made her shiver as memories surged. It felt like an hour passed but it was only a few moments. Her eyes fluttered open and refocused on this poor soul in front of her. She raised one eyebrow and said softly again, "Well? Do you want it?"

[Zero]

To say that Tobias' gaze was riveted to the unusual woman would have been an understatement. His brown-gold eyes were swirling like a tempest as he watched her every movement, no matter how slight. She was moving slowly, almost like she was trying to approach a timid prey animal that was ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. With a soft groan he realized that kind of was exactly what she was doing.

That thought made his wolf surge forward in his mind, not liking the idea of feeling weak or vulnerable, and the brown leeched out of his eyes, turning them to a molten gold as he growled low in warning, the sound rumbling through his chest. Honestly he thought his wolf was uncertain and edgy, despite the show of bravado.

He heard her voice wash over him, soft and decidedly non-threatening. Blood? Tobias lifted his hand and again touched his face where all trace of injury - aside from the small amount of blood - had vanished. Eyeing her, still wary, he tentatively scented the air, taking in her smell again. His wolf calmed and retreated as the gold melted back out of his eyes, turning them to a deep brown.

If his wolf was calm and not afraid, then he supposed that he should trust the animal's instincts, despite his human reservations. Shuffling forward awkwardly, not quite trusting himself to stand up, and with her crouched down like she was he didn't think that was a good idea anyway, he reached out and took the damp bandage nervously.

"Uh...thank you? And sorry, my wolf and I were...startled." He muttered sheepishly, now embarrassed by his initial reaction and for growling at her. Trying to distract himself from that he wiped the blood from his skin, keeping his eyes lowered so that he wasn't gazing directly at her.

[Katsa]

Freyra doesn't even blink when she notices the eye color change, or hears the growl. She and her wolf had gone through enough experiences for her wolf to not feel the need to react to this male; her wolf knew that her human would take care of them.

"Of course. Lone travelers should always be wary on the road... Although most people should probably be more wary of us instead." She grins playfully, trying to relax the large man. Noticing his attempts to be inconspicuous and blend in, she leans forward and places her finger under his chin, tilting his head upward gently so that his eyes met hers. "My name is Freyra, and I have not had the pleasure of meeting another lone wolf for some time. What do they call you?" While she speaks, she removes her finger and offers him her hand to stand. She feels her wolf's confusion inside of her. She stops herself from shaking her head at her wolf's feelings. She isn't normally so outgoing with complete strangers, but she feels a strange... kinship with this broken man. She wants to find out why he is so broken.

Even though she keeps her posture calm and relaxed, she mentally plans her actions if this man can't keep his cool. While she stands she reminds herself of the nearest knife that would do a sufficient amount of damage, and she decides that the ones on the small of her back would probably be best - he is a very large man.

[Zero]

Rather than relax, Tobias stiffened at her words. Why should people be wary of them? Of course he knew first-hand why humans should be afraid of werewolves, but that didn't make him feel any better. At least he was one of the "lucky" ones. He'd ended up turned and not dead. He still wasn't convinced that was the better option, and of course his wolf disagreed.

Her touched caused him to flinch. It was with great reluctance that those brown eyes lifted to meet hers, but when they did, his brown eyes swirled softly with gold and locked onto hers. The man in him wanted to drop his gaze to the ground, but the wolf in him refused to back down. Lone wolf? What was she talking about? The wolf in him seemed amused at his ignorance. For a moment he just stared at her before realizing that she was offering him her hand.

"Tobias Slate, and I've never actually met another wolf." He really didn't count the one that had destroyed his life. It wasn't until they were both standing that he realized just how tall Freyra was. Never in his life had he met a woman that was nearly as tall as he was. Tobias wondered how strong she was, she seemed confident and relaxed to him, but his nose told him there was an alertness there as well. Did he make her uneasy? She had certainly terrified him at first, but then again, his only experience with another wolf had been decidedly unpleasant.

For now he relaxed, brown eyes flecked lightly with gold, but they stopped their constant shifting and swirling. His wolf was calm and curious, not worried. Risking his wolf's ridicule, he licked his lips and asked the question he had thought of a few moments ago. "What do you mean about being a lone wolf?"

[Katsa]

Eyes narrowed in confusion, Freyra wonders to herself, Never met another wolf before? How is that possible?. She doesn't want Tobias to misinterpret her body language, however, and soon regains her calm facade. "I simply meant a wolf with no pack or group with which she or he travels." She scans the land around them. "You are alone, right? Because you would have to be with a crummy pack for them to not come over after those asses hit you." She looks around again, "You seem to be alone. Would you mind if we traveled together for a bit? It is always easier to find a place to sleep when I have another traveler with me. Every male over puberty seems to think a woman that travels alone is an easy target." She laughs softly. "Not that I am an easy target, I just don't want to cause a fight at every SINGLE town I come across."

Seeing how tense he still is, she took a wild stab for the reason. "I hope you haven't misinterpreted what I have said. Especially if you haven't met another wolf... Before, I had meant that people should be more wary of us because usually lone travelers are seen as easy targets - but we are able to protect ourselves. And I don't enjoy fighting humans, but I can only turn down men for so long until they think that they can "force" me to submit to them. I try my best to blend in, but I don't do that too well." She says the last part with a small grin.

[Zero]

Tobias felt at a distinct disadvantage, and as her eyes narrowed he felt himself tensing again, feeling a bit defensive. Her response was like telling a child the most obvious thing in the world. Well how was he supposed to know? It wasn't as if he'd ever been given instruction on proper wolf knowledge and etiquette. Mable had done what she could over three years to prepare him for life on his own, but she hadn't been a wolf either. He actually suspected she was some kind of witch. All he could do was trust what little wisdom she'd been able to impart upon him and his wolf. Not that he really trusted his wolf, or that the animal trusted him either.

The talk of packs had him listening in intently though, even his wolf wanted to hear what she was saying, and disappoint flowed through him when it wasn't much. Why did he care! He didn't want to be around other wolves! His mind flashed back to the night that had turned his world upside down and his left hand clenched subconsciously. That hand still displayed the mangled-looking scars that had been inflicted by the bite of that beast.

"Alone, yes." Tobias snapped his eyes shut and suppressed the whine from his wolf. Alone. The animal inside howled mournfully at that. Wolves didn't like to be alone. Even as a human he knew that. Humans and wolves were similar in that regard, they both craved companionship from their own kind. Distressingly, he didn't know who his "own kind" were anymore. His humanity clung to the desire to be around humans, because they were "normal" and familiar to him, but at the same time he felt the need to withdraw for fear of what he'd become. Yeah, he could hurt people before, he had always been a big man, but the kind of irreparable harm he could do now...

Growling softly in frustration, unable to suppress the feral sound, he rubbed the back of his neck, brown-gold eyes observing her with a mixture of longing and distrust. His wolf wanted to get closer, to study and learn and be at peace with another wolf, his human wanted to run in fear of what this woman might be capable of doing to him. He distinctly did not want to feel the bite of a wolf again. His wolf insisted that it wouldn't happen. He nearly jumped when his wolf actually formed a coherent thought at him. The animal had been listening intently to her the whole time while his own mind had been spiraling in a thousand different directions.

Males are bothering her, we should help. The wolf insisted to him. The man nearly snorted, wondering if the wolf was just looking for an excuse to hover around another wolf now that he'd actually found one.

"I'm sorry. Men can be real animals." Tobias blinked, realizing what he'd just said. Well shit. He kind of was an animal - sorta. Covering his face with a groan he couldn't help himself as he chuckled. "That came out...right, but also so wrong. I guess if you want to walk in the same direction as me I can't stop you, but I'm pretty lousy company. I growl at weird times and my eyes shift colors faster than I can even blink. My wolf and I haven't really, uh, we don't understand each other?"

[Katsa]

Putting the pieces together - the strongly fluctuating mood shifts, the fear but also rage, the twitches - and then seeing the scars on the hand he unconsciously flexed and his confusion with his wolf, Freyra realizes that he didn't have a choice in his turning either.

Unable to stop herself, Freyra remembers when she turned. She feels the back of her neck burn while the memories of running, her father's booming but belittling laughter, and those horrible auburn eyes. Freyra shivers unconsciously and comes back to reality. Freyra feels her wolf pacing, not liking the memories of before they were together. But at least they lead to us being together she thinks to her wolf. Her wolf calms slightly but still stands at attention. Freyra doesn't notice, but her eyes were getting colder and colder while she was remembering, and only returned to their normal blue-gray after she calms her wolf. With a sarcastic grin, she replies, "Yes, they can be."

Taking a deep breath, she decides to trust this man. Her wolf agrees maybe this will help him and his wolf become one her wolf thinks to her. She laughs, and continues "I do usually prefer to be by myself, but I also noticed some hinds back in the forest and I would hate to leave only one. And maybe... maybe I can help you out, if you would like." While she speaks, she slowly puts her pack on the ground and is loosening the ties on her shirt. "Because, you see, my wolf and I had a few... misunderstandings.... also."

She turns her back to Tobias and with one hand moves her dreadlocks aside while the other hand moves her shirt so the nape of her neck is visible. Massive teeth marks from a massive jaw dimple the nape of her neck while the tops of long scratch marks mark the top of her back in a downward manner.

She ties her shirt back up and arranges her hair with her back towards Tobias. Once her wolf and her emotions were back under control, she turns to face him. "My.... father... I use the term very lightly... decided that he had control over my life. He thought that he could tell me whom I should marry and how I should live my life. I did not wish to follow his path and as... punishment he put me in a room with a werewolf. I didn't realize it was a werewolf at the time because he or she was in their werewolf form and it just looked like a massive wolf to me. My father took me out before the werewolf killed me. My mother was no help. She followed my father around like a lost puppy, forever following him around. I ran away as soon as I was able. I had been running for a few weeks when I happened to come across a shapeshifter who could turn into a panther. Over a few days she helped me understand what was going on and how my life wasn't ruined, since I happened to shift right in her backyard. My father found her and had her beheaded, while I shifted and ran away faster. Ever since then it has mostly been just my wolf and I. We have been together for many, many years, although it feels like just yesterday when I was 17 and everything changed."

Freyra's jaw clenches as memories threaten to rush her again, but she clenches her hand and keeps the memories at bay. "So you see, I also had to learn a few things. I would be willing to answer any questions you may have, while we walk in the same direction."

[Zero]

Tobias had always figured it would be very obvious to another wolf that he had not been born a wolf. Mable had warned him that some wolves might show disdain, mistrust, or even hostility towards him because he was turned and not born. Of course, he could only take her word for it, as he'd had no experience to tell him otherwise. As far as he knew they could even smell the difference, but that really wasn't so. A wolf was a wolf, in the end, if he could accept the animal he'd been forced to share his mind, body, and soul with.

A growl resounded in his head, and Tobias realized his mind had wandered. Focusing on the woman again, he understood why his wolf had wanted his attention. Brown eyes swirled with gold as he sucked in a sharp breath. His wolf growled again, and this time he could feel the sound rumbling in his chest, his canines had elongated slightly, causing his jaw to ache. His fingernails had begun growing and sharpening into claws.

Closing his eyes, he drew in several raged breaths as she spoke, and with an effort he forced the  wolf to back down. He hadn't expected the animal to surge to the front of his mind like that. It was almost dizzying to know how close he'd come to losing control. His chest still vibrated with a low rumble, but when he opened his eyes again they were brown flecked with gold, rather than glowing amber. That had been an intense response to the sight of her scars.

Her father had done that to her? Just seeing the remainders of the attack had made his wolf ready to lash out in anger. Here he had thought his mangled hand had been a savage attack! The scars he bore were nothing compared to hers. His jaw was clenched and he ground his teeth, but they were normal teeth, he let his tongue slide over them just to be sure that the wolf had retracted the forming fangs.

"Why would your father punish you by turning you into a werewolf?" His brows furrowed as he looked at her skeptically. That made no sense to him whatsoever.

[Katsa]

Freyra grinned sadly. "I don't think he knew it was a werewolf. He just wanted to savage me into submission. I'm not sure he realized I was a werewolf from the stories of a wolf from the places I had been, or that the wolf that had turned me changed back into a human at some point. Whichever it was, my father was able to spin his secret hunting for me into his searching for his lost daughter that chose to be a werewolf. He was suddenly perceived as merciful for forgiving his rebellious daughter and wanting to.... fix.... her." Freyra's jaw clenches tightly, remembering not being able to trust anyone, terrified of sleeping, always hungry.... but her wolf soothes her with memories of the beginning of their relationship: the enhanced senses, the freedom of running on four legs, of her first hunt... Freyra grinned happily with the memories.

Freyra looked into Tobias' eyes. "My father did punish me, but he also blessed me. If he had never did that than I may have never met my wolf, my other half. I would never have known the freedom of running on four legs, or the true smell of the wind. It took some practice, but my wolf and I are happy together - she is someone that truly understands me." She pauses, and then asks, "Would you like to meet her? I promise she will be on her best behavior and it will only be her, not my werewolf form. If you would rather not, that is okay, my wolf will understand, she just wants to meet you."

[Zero]

"No offense, but your father is more of a monster than the thing that made me." Tobias wasn't going to dignify the werewolf that had turned him by referring to it as anything but a monster, beast, or thing. He was surprised when he heard his wolf rumbling agreement on the sentiment that this female's father was vile. Normally they didn't agree on anything.

The way Freyra talked about her wolf had Tobias fidgeting uncomfortably. She acted as if it was the most natural thing in the world. For him the wolf in his head seemed the most unnatural and unnerving thing that could possibly happen to him. Sharing his thoughts with an animal that possessed completely different thought processes and perspectives than him was definitely not a blessing of any kind. His wolf, as usual, disagreed with him - that was more like it.

"Meet her?" Unconsciously he took a step back, eyes widening. His wolf, on the other hand, was eager to become acquainted with this exciting new wolf. Stifling the animal, he shook his head vigorously. "No, I really don't think...no." Tobias hands came up defensively. His wolf's annoyed growls echoed through his mind.

He was such a coward, but honestly he didn't think he was up for meeting the other half of this woman just yet. Just encountering another wolf had set him on edge and had him struggling to control his own wolf. He didn't want to think about what would happen if the other woman's beast was actually on the loose. What if she shifted and then he couldn't stop himself from shifting too? Would either wolf become aggressive when they were both free? His wolf didn't seem to feel aggressive towards the woman, but who knew how the animal would feel when face to face with an actual wolf.

"If you say your wolf would behave, then I don't want to imply you're lying, but my wolf..." He didn't trust his wolf, and the feeling went both ways. It was a trying and exhausting way to live, with the constant battle of wills between man and animal.

[Katsa]

Freyra smiles sadly, "No offense taken, he is a monster. And don't worry about it, we understand. We both recognized your look from how I looked before. If you would like to talk about it, we are willing to listen. If you would rather not, we also understand that too." Freyra readjusts her pack while she confers with her wolf and explains that it's not her fault, that this man needs some space and then of course he would want to meet her. Her wolf sends images into her head, of the wolves frolicking together, hunting together, practicing fighting together, and Freyra apologizes that her desire for solitude has kept her wolf lonely. Her wolf strongly denies this - she isn't lonely, rather, she would love to be able to compete with other once in a while. All she needs is Freyra, but others may be nice once in a while. Freyra hesitantly agrees, although she loves the peace and quiet of just her and her wolf. Her wolf nudges her mind, telling her that silences in front of others expecting a response aren't polite. Freyra grins and meets Tobias' eyes again.

"Please, don't freak out. It was only a question, I won't do anything to make you so clearly uncomfortable on purpose. It was too forward of me to ask anyway - we have only just met, of course you can't trust us. But seriously, if there is anything you would like to know, wolf-lore or otherwise, I'll answer as best as I can." Freyra readjusts her pack again, tired of its drag on her shoulders. She glances down the road, "Do you know how long it is until the next town? I would love to get the deer I saw earlier, but I definitely don't want to carry it for very long, especially raw." Freyra pauses as her wolf denies this - raw meat is so much better! - and Freyra chuckles. "Well my wolf disagrees, but she forgets that I will still have to carry any remains anyway, since unless she wants to roll to the town, she can't eat it all."

[Zero]

Tobias was a swirl of emotions, anger that someone would put their own daughter in a position to be harmed, his wolf agreed that was deplorable, you protected pack and family. Confusion, wariness, and fear were more prominent than anger, though. Mable had been someone he felt safe questioning about his condition, even though she didn't share his ailment. Freyra seemed to be open and honest, and very forthcoming in a desire to share information with him. She had gone through the process, same as he struggled with it now. How long had it taken her to adjust to sharing herself with a wolf? Was he doing everything wrong? Probably.

"It's okay. I'm easily...excitable, I guess. I mean, I was always kind of flighty, but happy. After being turned I've just been a complete mess. Conflicting thoughts and feelings, between me and the wolf, I guess." He gave her a frustrated look. "Sometimes I don't know which of us is feeling what, it gets so jumbled." As time went by his wolf became more and more assertive, too. The animal fought him constantly for greater control. That was probably his fault too. A wolf wasn't meant to be kept on such a short leash, but he was afraid to let the thing loose.

The next town, on the way to Ketra. Tobias tilted his head and closed his eyes, trying to recall, but honestly, he hadn't really been in this part of the country before. Until his dramatic life change, he'd never even left his little village of birth. Opening his eyes he shook his head. "Sorry, I don't know how far the next town is, but there are two of us, not just one - remember? Two wolves would eat a lot more and leave the two of us a lot less to carry..."

The mention of a hunting opportunity had his wolf chomping at the bit, salivating at the thought of fresh meat and blood coating his tongue. His stomach turned slowly in protest at the images his wolf was flooding him with. Their difference of opinion on what constituted fine dining was a constant and heated contention between them. Did he want to hunt with this woman? His wolf definitely said yes, but he wasn't sure he could manage shifting and maintaining control with another wolf running beside him. His animal was so much harder to control in that form under normal circumstances. These definitely weren't normal circumstances.

[Katsa]

Freyra grins crookedly, remembered the onslaught of strange thoughts and feelings at first. "Yeah, it's crazy confusing, especially when the cravings of raw meat come on. I almost threw up the first time I realized what I was craving." Freyra puts her bag on the ground and starts checking her knives, making sure they are all in their proper place and not too tight nor too loose.

"Have you ever fought before? With a weapon. Shot a bow? Do you have a weapon that you prefer?" Freyra looks around at the trees, looking around if she would want to make a bow or if she wanted the thrill of chasing the deers to see who could outrun who. She grins to herself as she imagined the challenge of hitting a deer with a knife while it was running. Her wolf agrees it is the better challenge, but it would be even more of a fun time if they could hunt together - flashes Freyra an image of their combination as a werewolf stalking the deer. Freyra agrees it would be more fun if they could do it together, but then sighs at the weak challenge a deer would be to them as the ultimate predator. Her wolf concedes - they hadn't had a proper challenge in a while. Freyra mentally pets her wolf, stroking her ruff around the neck. We will find a challenge soon my love, I hope. Snapping back to the present, Freyra blinks at Tobias and reminds herself of what he said.

She grinned, "True, true, forgive me. It has been just my wolf and I for so long that I forget to include others in my activities. Yes, both of us should be able to eat enough that it would only require minimum carrying afterwards.... I have a few alternate options for you. I could hunt the deer myself and come back and bring you to where they are, or we can hunt them together, as humans." Freyra laughs softly, "And I can help you fix the eating situation between your wolf and you." Freyra pauses, then continues, "Also, do you have any needs for the other parts of the hinds? The furs and such. Maybe even the antlers if we can can find the stag. I can make them into leathers, as you can see." Freyra grins and motions to her outfit. "So if there is anything you needed, replaced or desired, I could make it out of the leathers." She focuses on nothing, "Hmm, maybe I could make something out of the antlers...."

She talks with her wolf, debating different things to make out of antlers. She was thinking she could make some more of the wrists daggers, and maybe add some more ribs around her torso. Her wolf agreed, and suggested using the shoulder blades on her back, reminding her of a few spaces she hadn't covered yet, exactly. Grateful, Freyra promises that she will somehow allow her wolf to eat some of the meat raw, that she will work it out with the man somehow even if she has to have him walk away or something. Her wolf grins and licks her chops.

[Zero]

Tobias felt a little better at the confession. At least he wasn't the only one that had to suffer through the upset stomach at the change in dietary habits. Of course she said almost threw up. How many times had he emptied his stomach because of his stupid wolf? He heard the animal huff in his head. They were never going to agree on food, he thought sourly.

"Well, uh..." Brief flickers of images rolled through his mind, things that he knew had happened, but could not actually remember. For a moment the smell of blood overwhelmed his senses, he could almost feel the hot sticky substance splattered across his fur, oozing from his mouth, vicious fangs and claws dangling strips of savaged flesh. His wolf barked at him urgently and he shook his head, dispelling the foggy memories, as he lifted his hands to massage his throbbing temples. His wolf was pacing in his mind, alternating between growling and whining. He shuddered softly, wondering what would have happened if the animal hadn't snapped him out of those thoughts.

"I grew up hunting and fishing. I'm a pretty good shot with a bow. Actual fighting is not something I want to think about. I don't want to hurt anybody - ever." Only if they hurt us or our pack. The thought filtered across his mind with a growl from his wolf. When had the animal learned to talk like that? Usually the wolf could only convey to him through images and feelings, it was a disturbing development. I learn from you. You are the one that isn't learning. Was the wolf's haughty reply.

Tobias struggled to weigh the options presented. His wolf hated the idea of waiting for a hunt to end only to go claim a share of the spoils. The human didn't know if he could hold back the wolf if he did go. A certain advantage to hunting in his human form had been exploited since he'd regained himself three years ago. Sometimes he would shift to let the wolf hunt instead, to keep the animal somewhat placated, but could he hunt in human form with another along? The wolf had been fighting with him from the moment Freyra had been noticed.

Sighing and scratching the back of his head he looked over the woman with a critical eye. It was still strange to realize she was nearly as tall as him. Most women came up to his chest, a few to his shoulder, but she was damn near eye-level! "I don't need any of the leather or anything, you can have all the extras." Tobias checked his hunting knife, which was still secure at his belt before  easing his bedroll off his shoulders, there was a bow and quiver strapped to his back. "We can go together, I'll try to hold my wolf back. Might as well learn to while another wolf is around."

[Katsa]

Freyra smiled. "Now, while you were learning to use the bow, and you were first learning, did you clutch the bow and arrow for dear life? How was your shot then? Did you do better when you clutched the bow for dear life or when you held it naturally and trusted the bow? That is how you must treat your wolf." Freyra smiles and then continues, "Please take no offense, wolf of Tobias, I only meant that his tight control on you does neither of you any good." She focuses on Tobias again. "Your wolf wouldn't do anything that you sincerely wouldn't want to do. Your wolf is you, just your more animal instincts. He only wants to help you and be with you. He doesn't want to keep fighting with you either, but he also doesn't like being ignored. The monster that turned you, that occurred because the man was cruel, and so his wolf was cruel. You wolf is the same as you. If you are nice, your wolf is nice. If you are vicious, your wolf is vicious. I know you are... nervous about letting your wolf out because of what happened, but if you trust that your wolf will keep your best interests at heart, he will. Distrust breeds distrust, although your wolf would likely as betray you as you would betray yourself. Show your wolf that you trust him, and your wolf will show that he is worthy of your trust." Freyra smiles crookedly, "And of course, there will be many compromises. Let me tell you a little secret. When you are in your human form, you are the one mainly in control. Do you think your wolf enjoy vegetables?" Freyra chuckles. "He may not, but because you enjoy them, he also enjoys them. When you shift into a wolf, your wolf is mainly in charge. You don't like raw meat, but because he enjoys it, it won't 'taste' the same to you. It will taste how he tastes it." Freyra grins broadly. "And when you are in your werewolf form, both of you are in control, and you are all the more powerful for it. You are also larger... Well, at least I am. I am not saying this is an easy thing to do, to let someone else control you, move you around, change your point of view, but that is life. You don't always get to pick your battles and you just have to make do with what you got. Something you can count on though, is that your wolf is just another part of you. He is always there for you and will be your best friend, if you will let him. I don't mean to lecture you, I just wanted to make sure I could say as much as I could to help you."

Freyra grins wolfishly and pulls her long knives out of her back sheathes, and twirls them around her hands a bit, loosening them up. "Your wolf can also help you hunt better in human form. If you relax just a little, you can smell better, move faster and run longer. It's pretty useful. And thanks, I like keeping my hands busy while I walk - Always good to have replacements."

Freyra relaxes, and turns serious. She meets his eyes squarely. "Also. I know you fear to let your wolf out." She holds up her hand to ward off any possible denials that he is too manly to fear anything, "I can keep your wolf in check. I can make sure that if you do release too much and shift, I know how to make sure your wolf doesn't get too close to the town or humans or anything like that." She grins, "Don't worry, wolf of Tobias, I am not saying that we can dominate you, I am just saying that I will make sure you don't run too far. I just wanted to make sure you both knew that, this way maybe you can relax a little."

She grabs his pack and turns to walk to the forest, back in the direction she remembered the deer to be. Not hearing any foot steps behind her, Freyra looks over her shoulder at Tobias and waves him forward with one of her bone knives, "Come on then, let's go catch some deer."

[Zero]

Judging by the look Tobias was leveling at Freyra, you'd think that the woman had grown another head. His dark eyes swirled with gold as man and wolf listened patiently to the very, very lengthy speech. Idly he wondered how she had any breath at all left for talking after the first minute. The man was skeptical of everything she said, but the wolf was nodding his agreement through most of the lecture. Tobias was unconvinced. She made it sound so simple. Too simple. He thought dryly. How could they possibly be one and the same, his wolf and he were generally at odds on most issues. She said the wolf wouldn't do what he truly wouldn't do, but he knew that couldn't possibly be right.

When Freyra mentioned a werewolf form both he and his wolf let out a deep, rumbling growl. She was talking about the beast now, he knew. That had been the first form he had taken when he'd turned, and those memories were locked away from his human mind. He simply couldn't handle them. For five years of his life he had been helpless to control anything at all. The monster had taken over and the things he had done were things he definitely would not have done. His wolf hadn't been in charge either, and had been pushed down just as helplessly as he had.

Soothing himself as much as he could, he tried to focus on what else she was saying. "I already know that much. Eight years ago I'd have said the things I can do now were impossible, but that was before I knew any better. Even so, the wolf helping me hunt in human form is nothing compared to giving in to the wolf's form. Every time I shift it feels as if I'm being reminded that I'm only half-alive when in human form." It actually bothered him, but it was true. He didn't feel more alive than when he let his wolf out, everything seemed to come alive around him. The sights, the smells, the sounds...everything was more intense when he embraced his wolf.

Being reminded that he feared his wolf did nothing to irritate Tobias. He was afraid of letting his wolf take control. Admitting it was no big deal to him. Still, those swirling brown-gold eyes observed her critically as she told him she would "keep his wolf in check" it was unclear if it was the man or wolf that gave a snort of derision at the idea that this female could do any such thing. The reassurance that Freyra wasn't implying she could dominate him did little to placate his wolf, though.

When she began walking, he took a moment to argue with his wolf again, trying to keep his animal from behaving too eagerly. Tobias shook himself lightly when she called for him and plodded forward, steps measured and smooth, eyes burning softly with an amber light. The wolf wanted to hunt and no human was going to stop him. If he had to keep the human skin, then so be it.

[Katsa]

Freyra smiles, pleased that at least he can admit to enjoy releasing his wolf, even if he doesn't do it often. Freyra turns back to the forest, a little embarrassed about her lengthy speech to Tobias. She feels her wolf mentally wind around her, soothing her embarrassment. It's okay her wolf says softly to her We are just excited about another lone wolf that doesn't seem full of himself. My excitement and yours was what pushed you to speak too much. Freyra nodded in agreement; she didn't usually speak so much.

Refocusing on where she is walking, Freyra spots a bush that doesn't have thorns - Didn't we learn that the hard way she says silently to her wolf, and her wolf grins and barks in agreement - and puts both of their packs under the bush, out of sight from any possible passerby.

Freyra glances at Tobias and hopes she doesn't... upset him with what she is about to do. She shrugs and closes her eyes. Freyra begins breathing slowly, relaxing her body one part at a time. First she stretches her neck out, then her shoulders, her arms, slowly going down her body, saving her hands for last. She clenches and relaxes her hands again and again, taking her long bones knives out from her back sheathes and twirling them around with her wrists and doing a few quick moves - all with her eyes closed. Since her eyes are closed, Freyra doesn't notice that her movements start to become a little less human and a little more animal like - fluid, graceful, and much faster than any mere human could do.

Her final, favorite part, of her warm-up arrives. She spins her knives until the blade is against her forearms, and crosses her arms over her chest. Taking three deep breathes, Freyra immerses herself into her wolf - but only a little. Just enough to run a little faster, have more strength and even better sense than she would as a human. Her scent becomes a tad more wolfish, and when she opens her eyes, then seem to have an... olderworldly gleam to them. A not-quite-human light was visible in her piercing blue-grey eyes. Freyra grins very wolfishly at Tobias, "Ready?"