Spirits of the Earth

It was clear from the look on her father's face that something was amiss. He said little over the course of the evening meal and sitting around the hearth afterwards, and he refused nearly everything offered to him. It was only after her parents, siblings, and eldest uncle had turned in for the night that she would hear anything of the day. "We found two more calves out there. Wolves or dogs, we think," Logan explained somberly. "And we wasted half the day tracking down the rest of the herd that got spooked and scattered."

Lyra nodded firmly with a frown. She knew their cattle kept getting picked off, but they just didn't have enough people to keep watch of them all the time. It was disheartening to think of it, though, when it was only the beginning of winter and this was already the third incident in a month for the Carraways.

"We had to kill that bull of his cause he broke his leg," he informed her, shaking his head. "We'll have to start rotating a watch, we can't keep losing them."

"Couldn't we keep them closer to the house?"

"They need the grass this time of year, I'm afraid."

"I see. Do they have a den, you think? How many are out there?"

Her uncle shrugged as he grabbed up the blanket he'd set out to warm by the fire. "We don't know yet, but we're going back out first thing tomorrow to see what we can find of them, hopefully kill 'em, but don't worry about that, Lyra. We'll take care of it, get you some rest." And with that he gave her a tired pat on the shoulder as he dragged himself away and down the hall.

As she stared into the dying fire, though, she couldn't help but feel a sense of despair for the loss of so many of their stock and the rest of the herd being so stressed with it all. Her family worked hard to earn their living and it just wasn't right to her that they were being struck by such misfortune now. She made the decision right then and there to do her duty to them and the livelihood everyone's work provided. Armed with nothing besides a torch, walking stick, and shawl, Lyra slipped out into the night and headed to the outskirts of their lands.

She wasn't exactly sure what she was trying to accomplish, she had no means to be a hero, but she would be satisfied to watch over the herd for the night if that was all she did. Sitting atop a small hill overlooking the mass of snorting shadows in the moonlight, Lyra finally put out her torch so as not to draw unwanted attention to herself and the animals. Determined to keep awake, despite her exhaustion from the day, she kept a wary eye trained upon the darkness at the forest's edge.

The night air hummed with the sounds of the life residing within the confines of the forest. The ghostly wings of a near-silent barn owl swooped by, diving to catch its dinner. A snout pressed close to the ground, searching for a single faint scent amongst all the others that permeated the forest. Padded feet paced anxiously waiting for the call that signaled the return to the hunt.

The juvenile wolf raised his head and howled, the hunt was on. The only female of the wolf trio took the lead, bounding ahead of her pack-mates on light paws as the others followed. Over ditches and under fallen logs they raced along, sure-footed and determined until the source of the scent was visible.

Liulfr, the largest wolf and leader of the pack sprang forward slamming into lithe body of his prize. Prey and hunter went down with a solid thud, the other two blonde wolves racing forward to circle the pair. A new deeper howl was raised to the silver sliver of the moon, peeking through the trees. The hunt was off, the prey had been found.

From where he lay beneath the now snuffling and yipping wolves, Rylan chuckled softly, enjoying the playful moment between him and his companions. The playful tracker, Wesser whined and headbutted him, demanding more attention which he quickly received, his tail whipping around to kick up dirt and leaves on the forest floor.

"No pup, I haven't forgotten you," he laughed, sitting up some to rub the soft ears of the excitable male. "You did good. You all did," Rylan added reaching out to pet the female's head only to be intercepted by her mate's bared teeth. He backed off but did not lower his gaze in a display of dominance. His voice was kept calm and low as he stared the alpha wolf down. "Peidan's fine, Liulfr. Relax, you know me."

The large wolf growled until the demon dropped his hand with a shrug. An apologetic look was sent in the female's direction but no further action was made towards her. Rylan knew better than to pursue his intentions after the warning display.

Instead he rose to his feet fluidly, dislodging Wesser as he did so. "Shall we run my friends? Or are you worn out already?" Taking off, he smiled as he heard the others fall into line with him. Peidan suddenly shot ahead as Liulfr fell into step at his right and Wesser loped along with his unsteady gait to Rylan's left, pulling forward a few paces before falling behind again repeatedly.

Together the quartet flew across the ground, reveling in the wind passing against their faces and the chill of the autumn night air. Out of breath they came to a unanimous halt at the forest's edge, panting and breathing hard but with wolfish grins on all their faces.
Rylan leaned up against a tree and looked out beyond the forest towards the fields and hills of the human settlements. He watched as a torch was extinguished but thought nothing of it, instead raising his head to the moon. The silver light caressed his face, reflecting off the four pairs of golden eyes that stared up at it longingly. Together the wolves raised their voices in song to the beautiful moon, making Rylan long to join them in it.

There was a small bit of peace as the moon rose higher. She heard sounds in the distance, but she hoped the night would be uneventful.

Her peace was broken at the sudden, booming sound of howling. She startled in a ripple effect with the cattle as their heads lifted in unison. For a moment all were petrified, but then an unsettled nervousness set into the animals and they started to stir and flinch away from the forest in a wave.

Lyra instinctively reached for the torch and realized too late that she'd just put it out a few moments before. Now she cursed her waste of such a resource, but she held it firmly as she stood with her stick in the other hand and carefully walked down the slope before wading through the spooked cattle. She held each "weapon" in front of her, tense and ready to strike. Her scowl was hidden by shadows, but the bark in her voice was still evident as she yelled, "Get! Scram! Go on!" at the trees, unaware of just how close she was to the small pack.

The wolves quieted out of curiosity instead of obedience when the strange creature shouted out at them in the dark. Liulfr sneezed, shaking his head as if to tell Rylan how embarrassing he thought the woman was with all her yelling and stick waving. The demon chuckled in turn, nodding his head as his hand came down to scratch behind the alpha's velvet ears. "I know, old friend. It's pretty useless isn't."

Yet, Rylan could not shake the uncomfortable feeling that scrawled beneath his skin as the human woman came closer and closer to where his small pack, rested. She unnerved him as all humans seemed to. He wanted nothing to do with her and had just come to the conclusion to leave when Wesser went and decided to do something stupid as was in his juvenile nature.

A second howl sounded off in the night air ending in a whine as neither of the other two joined him. Wishing for someone to play with the youngest male went about barking and growling playfully as he hopped around, butting heads with demon and wolf alike, determined to start a wrestling match.

'Look at me,' his antics seemed to cry. 'I'm not afraid of the big bad human!' They tried ignoring him but still he continued, bounding off further and further away from the group only to return in a repeating cycle. Then, just when Rylan's nerves seemed no longer able to take it, Liulfr's paw snapped out and crashed into the prancing wolf's snout in a commanding order of cessation.

Wesser howled in pain but immediately dropped to his belly in submission, much to the demon's relief. He did not fancy watching another pack-fight with the human woman so close. The last thing he needed was for them to be distracted and get hurt because of it. As if sensing his tension, Peidan yipped from his side, her fur bristling outward as if to try and scare the woman away. Within seconds her pack-mates were by her side and following suit in a warning display.

The sounds of rustling just ahead of her left her tense and all the yipping, growling, and howling wasn't helping her either. She gulped tightly as she watched the glowing eyes a stone's throw away, and she gripped her "weapons" when she saw the flashes of movement from the youngest wolf's play. The abrupt, twisted sound of his cry sent her flinching away a few steps before she was able to gather her wits.

Wide-eyed as she stared out into the darkness she was mostly blind to, Lyra slowly lowered the stick out in front of her like a sword as she stared into the flashing eyes ahead. She couldn't make out their stances and was oblivious to the display they were putting on with their raised hackles.

Without a thought for the potential consequences she continued to inch her way closer and closer to the pack before she hurled what was left of the torch at Liulfr. "I said go!" she commanded, frustrated that they hadn't listened to her the first time as her uncle's dogs would have. Attempting to back up her stance, she clamped both of her hands around the "hilt" of her stick and waggled it at them like she might throw it, too, though her eyes were filled with fear about what might happen if they didn't back down.

The largest of the wolves snarled, snapping his jaws loudly in provoked aggression. This was his territory and the human had no business there, waving her sticks around his face, threatening his pack. Teeth bared and ears back, Liulfr finally decided he had had enough when the extinguished torch smacked him in the face and lunged forward. His powerful jaws clamped down hard on the human's remaining stick and shook it as hard as he could to try and dislodge it from her.

From their places behind him, Peidan and Wesser paced angrily, yipping and growling to both encourage their pack member and distraction their attacker. Rylan on the other hand stood frozen in place, too afraid to let the human notice him and too protective of his pack to let them fight alone. In his mind, the problem with humans was that they tended to be weak when alone but, would band together, forming hordes that could set entire forests ablaze with their fear and hatred. He did not want that for his little family. They were the only friends he really had.

Hands clenching and unclenching in uncontrollable rage, the demon finally did the only thing he could think to do, create a diversion. Seizing a rock from nearby he hurled it into the night, watching as it crashed into a tree to the human's right. Wesser howled and back away, his ears flat against his skull as another rock was hurled, this time to the human's left. Together the pack began to back away, their eyes still nervously trained on their alpha who still grappled ahead of them with the human. Liulfr had given up on the stick and taken to snapping and snarling at the human with every chance he was given.

Rylan hated what he was doing but, pack came first. If he frightened the human, perhaps she would not return. Maybe they would still be alright. Maybe the humans would not come and his pack would be left alone to romp in the woods at night, free of care or worry. But, seeing the way Liulfr refused to relent, the demon was forced into making a choice he knew he may come to regret. Scooping up on last stone, he chucked it at the oxen-built wolf's feet, startling him into flight. As one the pack fled from the human woman and her shouting with Rylan pulling up the rear, casting one last wary glance over his shoulder.

The moment she felt the other end of her stick being yanked around by the wolf she knew she'd made a huge mistake. Stubborn but with a certain fear in her eyes she stared out at the other two as she desperately held onto the stick no matter how much it hurt her to do so. If she lost it then she lost her last and only defense from the canines.

Planting her feet firmly into the ground and digging in her heels, she tugged fruitlessly against the large alpha male's grip. She knew it was useless, but she would be damned if she went out without a fight, without showing the wolf she was strong in at least one way. "Let go!" she shouted at him as she tried to ignore the various barks and yips in the shadows. Even knowing she could be attacked by the whole pack at a moment's notice she continued to struggle for her meager weapon.

At the dull, cracking sound of stone meeting wood she startled and her grip faltered for an instant. It was enough to pull her sharply forward and dangerously close to the wolf, but she instinctively moved away from the sound as she continued to struggle with him. She let out a yelp as another rock narrowly missed her head as it flew by. "Alright who's out there?! Who are you?!" she demanded angrily as she had no idea who in their right mind would throw rocks at a woman surrounded by wolves.

As the alpha released her now-battered and shredded-up stick she stumbled back with it. Raising it proudly despite the damage, she attempted to poke him in the paws every time he got a little too close. Even so, the alpha was accomplishing his goal as he backed her away back toward the field with every threatening snap of his jaws. Just as quickly as he'd come upon her, though, he was gone.

Watching the wolf bound away she stood dumbstruck as she saw the other two flit off with him. What she saw after was something she was almost sure her mind was making up: A towering man running just as swiftly as the wolves.

How she had not noticed him before she did not know. He was absolutely the tallest man she'd ever seen, and she was sure even the depths of darkness could not hide such a man or the mane of light hair that whipped behind him.

"What are you doing?!" she found herself screeching once she realized he was following them and not just chasing them off like some knight to save some random commoner. It was a blow to her ego to know she probably wasn't being rescued and the only person that probably saw the whole thing was now just running off with the creatures she was certain were responsible for all the damage to the farm. "Get back here, you cowards!" she cried, angrily but futilely waving the damaged stick one last time.

"You owe me!" she mumbled with a glower, angry that they could cause such a large disturbance and just get away with it.

When she finally trudged back towards the treeline she hung her head, defeated even though she was satisfied the herd was now safe again, if only for the moment. She leaned against a tree in pain, arms and legs pricked and bleeding while her hands were a mess of splinters. As she leaned back heavily against the tree she slowly began picking the largest ones out of her skin by the moonlight, just trying to gather her thoughts and understand what just happened.

Seven pairs of feet raced deeper into their forest sanctuary, seeking to flee their human enemy. Their hearts beat hard and fast as they shot past rock, shrub, and tree. Rylan could feel the way that the brush they bolted through seemed to claw at him, tearing cloth and snagging hair as he whipped by. He could only imagine how his furry companions felt as their beautiful coats were likewise abused.

The piercing cry of a goshawk rent the air seconds before a heavy body of toned muscle and sinew slammed into his side, knocking him off his feet. There was no time to think. Powerful jaws were already snarling and bearing down to take a snap at the vulnerable column of his throat. Rylan threw up an arm, hissing as razor-sharp teeth sliced it open. Liulfr's hot breath puffed in the cool air, bathing the demon's face in a cloud of fetid humidity.

Taking the defensive, Rylan wrapped strong arms around the beast, hoping to grapple him into submission. The great alpha would have none of it though. Like the wild animal that he was he bit and clawed and fought with every intention of causing severe bodily harm to the demon below him. For every hit he scored, every drop of blood spilled, he became more enraged and succumbed even more to his blood-lust.

His pack-mates whined and howled, pacing and circling about the struggling pair. Yet they did nothing to help or hinder. Wesser pranced in excitement, his yips sounding whenever one seemed to have overpowered the other while Peidan's higher pitched whines sought to deter them into complacency.

It was only when the lithe form of the pack's only female, tried to interfere that everything stopped. Blinded by his animal instinct to dominate, Liulfr lashed out, his powerful jaws clamping down on his mate's hackle and drawing blood. Her squeal froze them all in place as she bellied down over Rylan, forcing herself between mate and companion.

Alpha stared alpha down until both wolves backed away enough to let the demon up. Worriedly, Rylan moved to reach for the injured Peidan but was forced back by her mate's answering snarl and flashing teeth. Wesser and Peidan were nudged and snapped at until they were sent off in a jog further into the forest. Liulfr slowly followed, growling and returning every time Rylan moved to follow. His presence was no longer welcome in the pack. As far as the alpha was concerned, the demon had betrayed them and compromised pack safety. He would have to find his own way now, without lupine protection.

Rylan remained in place long after his pack had left him. He did not even flinch when the goshawk of before dove to land upon his shoulder, offering affectionate nips and nuzzles. With a deep sigh he raised his uninjured hand and gently rubbed her head.

"Thank you Iolana. You did well my friend," he whispered soothingly to the bird. The hawk had been with him since he found her as a wind-blown hatchling. He had raised her to become the breathtaking bird of prey she was and like a father who watches over his daughter, he loved and cherished her. She at least would never abandon him for she had been tamed whereas the wolves were wild animals that tolerated him.

Eventually they would return but for now he focused his thoughts on something other than the pack. Careful not to dislodge his feathery friend, the demon began bandaging his arm and reflected on the woman they had all seen at the edge of the woods. Rylan could not even remember the last time a human had been so close. It worried him for they usually kept to their open fields and far from the sanctity of his home. But, it made him wonder all the same whether her encounter with the wolves would be enough to keep her away. Her foolishness to stand boldly and aggravate them could have gotten her killed if he had not been there. He could not promise her safety should she try it again. Rylan reasoned with himself that the only reason he had stopped it was for fear for the pack. If she had died more would have come. They always did but maybe, just maybe her encounter would scare her enough to remind the humans to keep well enough away. She trespassed on his territory; not the other way around.

'She won't be back. They never come back. Right?'

For the remainder of the night she watched over the herd, eventually falling asleep there in the grass and brush at the forest's edge. Her hands were still scraped from her struggles with the wolf and her body was sore and stiff from sleeping on the ground. When she woke, though, she was hesitant to leave the animals after what had happened. She didn't think wolves would be bold enough to attack them in broad daylight, but she still wanted to ensure their protection until another could overtake the task.

It was much later that morning when she was finally "relieved" of her watch duties. Exhausted and her stomach's desperate rumblings from hunger already dead and gone, Lyra exchanged very few words with her uncle as he approached with deep concern on his face. A curt "I'm fine" from her was all it took to quiet him. She limped her way home, where she was met with worried looks cast to her from every person she encountered. Her mother was tense, wanting so badly to scold her about going out at night but also not wanting to pressure her if she wasn't wanting to talk about it yet. Seeing her in-person and seeing that she was fine was enough for her, at least for the moment.

Lyra took the rest of the morning to get cleaned up and put some food in her belly before getting a late start out in the garden. She wore her aches proudly as if they were battle scars as she tended to the plants. When she moved on to the barn, though, she ended up crashing in a pile of hay, the dark, warm atmosphere of the place far too tempting for her mind to resist.

She awoke for the second time that day in a confused state as she tried to orient herself and remember where she was and what she was doing as their premature calf stood over her, watching with his curious eyes and excited, twitching ears. Patting the docile creature's head, she groaned as she looked out the window in the door to see that it was well and fully night with a bright, full moon proudly displayed amongst the stars. Already having stayed up the night before, she was almost certain she'd ruined her sleep for at least the next week or so, but she wondered if anyone would say anything to her about it if she continued and just adjusted her life for a while until they could afford to find someone more permanent for it. She doubted it would stop her, though, if anyone spoke up; there was no good reason other than concern for her to stop her from taking up the task regularly, they desperately needed the help after being out all day.

Nervously dragging herself back to the house, she ate what little remained of a now-cold dinner before she returned to the barn to take care of her chores with the animals there, all while feeling slightly guilty for their lack of their meal at the normal time. While she was there she took a dull hatchet off of the wall before trudging back to the house to take one of the swords she knew was hidden in a closet. Awkwardly cinching the sword belt around her hips, she tucked away the sword and hatchet and departed once again for the far-flung pasture sans a walking stick for fear of more splinters should the wolves return. Once she reached her destination and surveyed the area, Lyra stood with a hand on each of her new weapons and faced the forest this time as she stood in silence, waiting and ready for the howls that might announce the farm's "visitors" as they had before.

While Rylan continued to nurse his wounds and reflect on the night's events away from the pack, the wolves were having their own scuffle. They had run for a great deal of the night, stopping only when the exhausted Wesser and limping Peidan bellied-down and refused to take one more step.

Panting from the exertion the pair soon closed their eyes in search of much needed rest. Liulfr took to pacing though, huffing exasperation and marking his territory as he went. The human's threat upon his pack followed by his fight with the demon had riled him up into his current overly protective and alert state of being. The rest of his pack's unwillingness to continue onward only served to infuriate him further.

He stalked over to the pair, fur on end as he lowered his muzzle to nudge his mate's head. Peidan flicked an ear at him and shifted to face away from him, tension and anger drawing sharp lines in her lithe form. Liulfr attempted to get her attention again, this time nuzzling her ear and licking the fur of her cheek.

In a whirl of flashing teeth, she whipped around and snapped in his face. The alpha female bared her teeth warningly while letting a low growl reverberated up through her chest cavity. Her mate and pack leader had harmed her, chased out one of their numbers, and driven the rest of the pack to the point of pure exhaustion despite injuries. No, she was not pleased at all; she was furious.

Liulfr got over his shock in time to deflect his mate's second warning snap of teeth as she feinted towards him. He stared her down warily, his ire rising at being challenged and rejected. This much dissension would have to be squashed before it budded fully to a head. Already he could see that Wesser had risen to cautious attention, his pale yellow eyes keenly observing without a single glimmer of their usual mirthful glow.

The alpha pair circled each other, neither willing to lower their guard. Peidan refused to submit in the face of her superior and Liulfr refused to allow the insubordination to pass without reprimand. In a flurry of motion the wolves were upon each other, struggling to overpower the other and gain the respect each believed they deserved.

A squeal of pain later and Peidan was limping back away from her aggressor, ears pressed flat against her skull. She returned to her former place, head resting dejectedly on her paws. Liulfr sat on his hunches surveying her with self-satisfaction when Wesser moved to approach and comfort her. A quick swipe of his massive paw sent the youngster sprawling.

Unlike Peidan though, Wesser had none of her defiance. He cowered away, choosing to run off while his alphas sorted themselves out. A romp through the woods would allow things to settle. He could pick up their trail again later should they move off without him.

So on tired legs, he trotted off once more in a random direction. The cool wind ruffled his fur and set leaves to dancing around his paws. Like a pup, Wesser pounced on them, dashing off when a lone mouse shot out from a burrow and away from his trouncing steps. He was soon so enthralled with the feeling of being out in the free night that he lost track of where he was going and unwittingly had put himself on the path back to the forest's edge.

She stared intently into the darkness beyond the trees, listening for signs of danger as the cattle alternated between grazing and resting. A calf calling just over the hill caught her attention, but it was only playing, bouncing around its mother, and she smiled at the easy reminder of her little friend in the barn.

A flash of color caught her eye, though, and she turned back to the forest. There was rustling and the slight snap of tiny, grounded twigs as the figures zig-zagged about. When they came to rest just barely within the pasture, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief and caught herself giggling. Just rabbits. And here she was clutching the hilt of the sword, ready to slay some beastly wolf like the one that had attacked her the previous night. "Go on, before they eat you!" she urged the tiny creatures, startling them back to the shelter of trees at the sound of her voice.

It wasn't long, though, before she saw the silhouette of another figure bounding toward her, a much lighter color, and much bigger as well. Gulping, she noted that if it were a rabbit it would be a mighty big one that could probably feed the family for a week or more. But the ears... The flickering ears were not shaped like any rabbit she'd ever seen as the figure dove in and out of sight. "Come out," she called, her hand tightening around the sword, ready to draw it as her eyes flickered to watch whatever it was hopping about.

Wesser yipped playfully, continuing his dancing about, oblivious to the possible danger he could be in. He was enjoying himself immensely and feared nothing. His packmates would settle themselves and eventually he would be able to return back and everything would be right as rain again. Perhaps he could even find his funny-shaped packmate and they could go back together.

The wolf began to think that he would like to do that very much and went about putting his nose to the ground to try and sniff out Rylan's scent so he could be on his way again. He was completely unconcerned with the woman's shouting as he did not believe it had anything to do with him.

The noises coming from the trees finally got her to draw her weapon and had her wishing she'd brought a bow instead so she might not have had to face the danger head-on. It was the price she would pay, though, for being so stubbornly foolish about the whole thing after what had already happened to her.

Finally locking in on the figure, though, as the wolf stopped his hopping about to sniff at the ground, Lyra rushed down into the forest with footfalls that were much too loud for the night, let alone hunting a predator. Still, she rushed right for the light little wolf, her goal to impale him upon her blade.

The wolf's head shot up in shock at the heavy footsteps pounding towards him. Seeing the woman though, his tongue came out in a silly grin and he yipped in greeting. He did not understand she was coming to scare him off or even kill him. The "big stick" in her hands looked like something Rylan would throw his way to play with.

Instead of running, Wesser barked happily and pranced about, dancing just out of reach of the charging woman but staying close. The search for Rylan has been all but forgotten for the moment.

The way he danced about and pranced just out of reach was slowly infuriating her and bubbling her patience over. No matter how she angled the blade he managed to be just barely out of her way when she swung or stabbed at him. "Stay still!" she screamed at him, still upset about the previous night though she did not yet realize that this wolf was different from the one she'd been in direct contact with. The difference in size and shape just had not registered yet in her revenge-fueled rage.

Slipping, she angled the blade down to catch herself on it as it dug into the ground. Breathing heavily already as she was unused to carrying such a heavy weapon let alone chasing a wolf through the forest, Lyra glared hard at the pup she did not know was such a youngling. "I swear I'm going to make you pay," she warned him as she labored to free the blade from the earth. As soon as she did, she continued to give chase unaware of the hunters' trap she was getting dangerously close to.

Wesser yipped happily, stopping his paces when he noticed the woman was not following. He doubled back, his tongue lolling from between his pointed canines as he hopped about in an attempt to regain her attention so that they could play some more.

The moment she was moving, he shot off again, racing ahead through the forest noisily and happily, fully unaware of the danger he was coming close to putting himself in. A small pool of water gave him pause along the way though as he realized his growing thirst and lowered his head to cool his dry throat. He assumed she would respond like Rylan and wait for him to finish before setting off to play again.

The wolf seemed impossible to catch as he glided easily through the bends and twists of the forest. She was slowly losing ground on him and about to give up the chase when he stopped. Seeing his head lowered to the ground, she realized that this was her chance. Slowing her pace and circling him from a distance, she tested the weight of her weapon in her hand as she watched him. Finally directly across from him over the small pool of water and confident in her hiding place of shadows, Lyra launched the sword at him.

The sound of it cutting through the air caused her to wince, her eyes trained upon it as it reached out to the young wolf, but the young woman was cursing under her breath as the blade dug into the ground beside his paw instead of hitting her mark. This is bad, she thought to herself. I'm sure to lose him now if that scares him off.

Frightened by the sound metal wringing in the air and then the cold metal landing so close to his paw, Wesser whined and yelped before quickly backing away from the woman. His pitiful cries did not go unheard though as moments later a larger female wolf took to the scene.

Neck fur bristling and canines bared, Peidan growled warningly towards the human female. No one messed with one of her pack especially the "pup" of their trio. How dare this creature threaten her family. Peidan was not going to stand for it and this human would learn that right fast if the wolf had anything to do about it.

And yet, it didn't matter what the young wolf did. She had a much more pressing matter on her hands now, realizing she'd earned the attention of another wolf of the pack. She couldn't tell if it was the male from before, but she wasn't willing to take any chances. Wolves were dangerous, vicious creatures in her eyes and there was nothing that would stop their bloodthirsty nature.

Slowly stepping away, the young woman had no idea how dangerously close she was getting to a covered trapping pit as her brain struggled to try and figure out how she was going to get her weapon back without being killed.

Wesser whined nervously as he watched Peidan snarl at the human. What he had deemed a game had quickly turned sour and now he worried that things were going to turn truly foul too rapidly. He hopped from paw to paw, trying to keep both females in his line of sight at all times.

The alpha female on the other hand was refusing to stand down. She pushed the woman further back, demanding in her wild way for submission and retreat. This woman did not belong in her territory and she was going to make that known. Furious with the whole situation, Peidan reckless leaped forward, her teeth snapping in warning.

Having no weapon, Lyra held her hands out in a pleading way, bracing them as if to block the larger female wolf from her should she try to get too close. All the while, she was being herded back, unknowing in her retreating steps even as she scraped against vines and stumbled over a root. "Get back," she warned, her voice shaky with the real fear of being this pack's dinner. As the dangerously beautiful wolf leapt at her, though, she turned her face away and winced as if expecting skin to be torn. As she backpedaled, though, a much different sensation overcame her: falling.

With a screech she plummeted down into the trap that had been covered before the top was met by her weight. An empty pit save for a few leaves and the mud shallowly pooled at the bottom. A sharp sting ran through her arm as her elbow connected with a wall and then the floor on her way down. The breath knocked out of her, the human stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed at sky and trees above. As soon as she caught it, though, she was on her feet. Stumbling towards the wall with dizzy steps she reached up, frantically trying to find something to pull herself up by for the wall was too tall for her to just climb over and out of the pit. It took her several minutes to realize her efforts were in vain and see it for what it was: a trap that was not meant to be climbed out of.

The Alpha Female tumbled into the pit as well, rolling off the human to land painfully on her side. She failed to stand as she obviously whined in pain, a sound that a frantic Wesser heard as he paced and sniffed the edge of the trap. The male continued to look from female to female, wishing to both protect his pack-mate and to comfort her.

Fed up with her painful situation, Peidan snapped her teeth at the human whenever she felt she had come too close before releasing a mournful howl that Wesser took up as well. Together the pair cried out into the night long and loud in hopes that someone would come for them.

Turning to put her back at the wall, Lyra stared in horror at the wolf before her now. Whether she had fallen as well or jumped the young woman did not know but she didn't want to take any chances with the way the creature snapped its teeth at her. Pressing herself against the cold dirt she looked between the wolf with her and the one above flinching in fear and screeching for every little sound either made.

Their howls sent a chill down her spine as she looked up at the trees and the faint moonlight she could glimpse through the branches. "Father! Uncle!" she hollered along with them in a cry for help knowing well enough she was very, very far from earshot of home. Even with her gimped arm she turned her back to the wolves and stubbornly attempted once more to climb out as she feared for her life to be trapped with this predator. "Please help me! Is anybody out there?!" she cried as she gained a bit of footing on the dirt wall.

As quickly as she'd gained it, though, Lyra slipped and tumbled back down once again with a scream and cry of pain and fear being even closer to the female wolf than before. Trying to scurry away and put her back to a wall again the woman held out trembling hands towards the wolf in a weak attempt at communicating for her to stay back. "Please don't hurt me," she whined, a choked cry escaping her throat as tears began to flow down her cheeks. "I don't want to die like this," she lamented.

"Then perhaps you'll think twice about hunting down an innocent and pregnant wolf for sport," came the soft but critical tones of Rylan who had appeared at the edge of the pit at his packmate's calls. From the other side of the pit with a series of snarling howls came the alpha of the pack who stared down over the woman and snapped his teeth, foam spewing from his mouth as he looked ready to bite her hand off if she came close enough to him. It was obvious the three males were all concerned about the furry female but it was the humanoid male that had eyes only for the human.

"Stop being so fearful and keep your gaze on the ground. You're only upsetting them further with your squawking," he continued even as he gently rubbed Wesser to calm the pitiful whining the young wolf was making.

A squeak of surprise escaped her as she stared up at the man. She hadn't expected a spoken reply, especially from a voice she didn't recognize. His words confused her though. What did wolves have to be upset about? In her mind, it was they who had chased her.

Lyra didn't understand the demand for submission radiating from large wolf above her, his snapping and snarling not yet connected in her mind that she was a threat to his mate. Cautiously, she lowered her hands to fall at her sides and glanced up with bewilderment at the tall man before dropping her eyes to the shadowed darkness of the packed, dirt floor. "I'm not a hunter," she defended quietly, her voice still tight with fear as she exhaled a shaky breath in a weak attempt to calm herself. Her elbow still smarting, she lifted her uninjured hand to support and shield it.

"I didn't know she was pregnant, but I swear I wasn't hunting," she repeated, unsure why she felt the need to defend her actions in the forest that bordered her family's farm. As far as she knew the land belonged to no one. At least, no one had ever tried to cultivate it.

A realization dawned on her as she snuck a look at the larger of the male wolves. "Why isn't he going after you?" she asked, mildly offended that this wolf seemed to only have an issue with her presence and not the stranger's.

Liulfr snapped his teeth and howled at the woman's sneaked look, having caught it and become further enraged by the lack of submission from a would-be aggressor. Rylan in turn shook his head in silence while slowly moving to lay on his belly and reach downwards toward the whimpering female wolf as he attempted to retrieve her without causing further injury.

His reach was just short of the reclined body though and he found himself groaning slightly at the thought of what he would have to ask next. "I cannot remove her without your help. If you listen to exactly what I say then there is nothing to fear. Do you understand?"

Lyra watched him warily. She was certain he was suggesting she was going to be helping him lift the wolf by his struggles. She wasn't sure how she could exactly say no when he was her way out of the pit as well. "Yes. Okay," she breathed in a shaky reply, her eyes settling upon the she-wolf though she did not make any move toward her without the stranger's command. "Will you help me once she's out?" she asked, worried that he would not if she didn't have the stranger's word at least.

"After she is safe and the pack has moved away," he finally responded after a long quiet pause. Rylan was wary of helping this human after having seen the trouble she caused amongst the pack but he felt he had no other choice when faced with the option of Peidan suffering further. He was still a member of the pack and would do his part to protect the ones he cared for even if it meant working those that he strongly disliked.

It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, but it was better than hearing she would be abandoned after being discovered in such a state. "That sounds reasonable," was her shaky answer. "What can I do to help? What do you need from me?" she wondered, curious but dreading the inevitable request of lifting the wild animal to him.

"Kneel in front of her and try to keep your gaze on the ground. I will need you to hand her up to me human. Be mindful of her stomach and her injuries. The alpha male will not take kindly to you further harming his mate," Rylan warned her quietly as he continued to lean down into the hole for Peidan.

His instructions were clear, but Lyra's face turned pale at the thought of what she was doing for him. The fear of harming the wolf weighed on her as she remembered the snarling, snapping larger wolf she assumed he was referring to.

Shakily, the human woman crawled closer to the she-wolf. Her gaze was kept averted and her head bowed before her as she cautiously slipped her arms around her. She was mindful of keeping pressure away from her pregnant belly as she lifted her up towards Rylan's waiting arms. Though she herself was injured, Lyra could hardly feel it as the fear of her teeth snapping in her face or her claws tearing her apart kept her adrenaline running.

Rylan's arms easily curled around the still but rumbling wolf who quieted at last once she was in a place of safety that she recognized. He did not even have a chance to put her down before Liuflr was growling in his face and tugging at his mate's scruff to pull her to where he considered safe. Rylan moved away from the side of the pit to place her down in the bushes where the three wolves could remain in seclusion while they huddled together.

It was only after his little pack was properly situated that he returned to the hunter's trap to look down over the edge a the human still residing within it. "Are you injured?"

The young woman stared up at the canopy of branches above, anxiously listening to the sounds of the wolves as they moved away and settled elsewhere. She was happy to see the man again once he'd reappeared but was feeling quite uneasy as well for how close he seemed to the animals she'd been trying to chase out. "It's only a few scrapes and bumps, I've had worse," she answered, trying to make light of it as she shuffled closer to the wall of the pit. "Could you please help me out?" Cautiously, Lyra reached up towards him with her arms, a desperate but tired smile there as she prayed he would keep his word to her.

The demon was indeed true to his word. Rylan reached down and easily pulled the human out of the pit as if she weighed no more than a newborn cub. While one arm pulled her up by her arms the other latched onto her waist to secure her carefully from bouncing off the dirt walls as she came up.

However, the moment she was out and on her feet a blur of fur was bolting out of the bushes towards the pair. Liuflr only ceased his attack when Rylan himself put himself between the two and growled angrily back. Several minutes passed as the two males faced off but with a furious howl the alpha wolf finally turned tail and left to return to his injure mate.

It was only then that Rylan once more turned his cold and wary gaze to the woman. "You have brought trouble where it needn't have been."

Though she'd claimed minor injuries it became apparent to Lyra quite quickly as she was lifted that the arm she'd hit in her descent was smarting. Brushing it off as a bit of a sprain as she calmed down and the situation was no longer life or death, she settled on her feet with a grateful sigh. Her lips parted to speak again, to thank him, but she was out of that accursed hole in the ground for barely a moment before the larger alpha wolf lunged for her.

It was strange to see the behavior Rylan displayed around the wolf, having never seen much of the strange hunters before. Yet, he seemed so familiar and comfortable with them. His words brought not a shred of guilt as she shook her head sadly. "I am only protecting my livelihood, sir," she answered as politely and delicately as she felt she could. She brought her aching arm closer and cradled it against her stomach as she tried to discern which way her home was by the pale light of the moon. "My livelihood and my family. Surely you can understand that.

"I only ever intended to scare them off. I had no idea about that...trap thing," she sighed, gesturing back at the pit in the ground with her uninjured hand.

"This is not your home to be scaring them away from," he coldly returned, his shoulders tense defensively as if expecting her to spring at him at any moment. "These are our lands and you are the intruder here. You and your kind do not belong here. You have been left in peace yet you do this," Rylan's hand swept out towards the trap as his tone became bitter, "and harm the innocent with your greed."

His words came to a halt though as he fought to regain control of himself and in that moment he noticed the way she cradled her arm closely. Rylan cocked his head in a rather canine fashion before commenting dryly, "you are injured worse than you said."

She didn't quite understand his protectiveness of the wolves, and it wasn't quite clicking with her yet that he was actually very close with them. She would not guess his lineage to be entirely human for his stature and features, but she'd assumed he was simply a neighbor that was overprotective of the forest. And yet, he spoke as if he was no human at all.

That he noticed her injury was surprising, and for a moment she floundered to make an excuse of it before deciding a vague truth would be fine. An angry stranger was not someone she wished to upset further, lest he change his mind about helping her and kick her back into the hole. "Oh, no, it's nothing a bit of rest won't cure," Lyra tried to assure him, though she did catch herself staring at him in wonder as she noticed the lightness and unusual color of his eyes.

"I realize it is none of your concern if you are not guilty in taking part in it, but I just...we just assumed that something has been hunting our livestock. Wolves seemed....a very likely suspect with the injuries we found, but I am sorry if that hasn't been your wolves doing that," she explained, hating that it probably didn't seem the genuine apology she intended.

He pursed his lips at her apology but otherwise held his silence on the matter aside from the disapproving shake of his head. "Can you walk? I will see to your arm," Rylan offered instead, his voice brooking no argument as he all but ordered her in the same manner any alpha would to one under his command.

"If you must," she sighed, though she didn't want to seem ungrateful. "I swear it isn't worth the time, though. Don't think I'm even cut, just a bit of a sprain. My fault for...all that anyway," she rambled in a mumble. Lyra wouldn't resist his assistance, though, if it made him feel better for it, though she cast nervous glances at the brush she knew the wolf had run off to.

"You need not be afraid," Rylan told her without looking back towards her as he walked deeper into the forest. "You bring no harm to the occupants of this forest and no harm will be brought to you. The only danger here is that which you bring in yourself."

Wesser peeked out from the shrubs before darting out to the demon and brushing against his legs, desiring comfort that he was quickly granted with a gentle scratch behind the ears. "Did you see wolves on your homeland or did you just assume?"

His words hardly made sense to her. How could he say that the forest was not a dangerous place? The few inhabitants she'd met had been so fiercely protective of their own, but she could not ignore that the larger male had, in her mind, been outwardly aggressive towards her. There was no use arguing that with the stranger, though.

Lyra followed him at an unintentional distance, the difference in gait being the largest contributor. When the smaller male appeared again she couldn't help feeling a bit startled and tense until it was apparent he only had interest in the man. She watched curiously as they exchanged their affections, not really understanding his comfort with the animal. "Not exactly on the land but very close by sometimes. Never beyond the treeline," she admitted. "But our animals never seemed comfortable when they were near. I suppose I just assumed them being afraid meant there was a reason for it."

He growled softly in his throat causing the wolf at his side to flick his ears back and whine nervously before Rylan was able to control himself and pat Wesser's head apologetically. "Nor am I comfortable in your presence but that does not mean I enter your territory with the intent of dragging you from your home," he returned in clipped tones. "You would be wise to not assume in the future before next time you are left in the bottom of the hunter's trap alone."

Though his warning was quite true it still hurt her pride to hear it. The young human hung her head in shame for being caught in such a predicament and she was certain she would be dead or close to it by morning had it not been for him. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, but you must understand it's quite distressing to find your animals dead or injured. My intentions...were good.

"But why are you even out here? And why does that one seem to like you so much? Why have they not attacked you?" she questioned, her furrowed brow hidden by shadow as she realized he still had their attention even if it had been negative at times. "What reason have they to trust you? I bet it's because you're a man, isn't it?" Lyra sighed with frustration as she was oblivious to the indifferent way she was first greeted by the wolves before she'd shown her intentions. She didn't realize that the very wolf beside him had been the one being playful with her before and that she had squandered what little base trust they might have had for her.

"They trust me because I have earned their trust and loyalty. They are pack and pack protects their own. My gender has nothing to do with it when they are not foolish humans like you that believe women are weaker or lesser." Rylan shook his head and sighed, muttering all the while to himself. "Humans."

His complaints about humans surprised her and all but confirmed her suspicions that he was not exactly one himself. "I...don't personally feel women are weaker or lesser," she defended with a disappointed sigh. "But I know most believe that. Forgive me, it was an inappropriate guess."

Lyra fell silent as she walked along, struggling to keep up with him but far too prideful to ask him to slow down. This notion of pack was entirely lost upon her and it certainly not the time nor place for her to try to understand it. "You seem to have a very poor opinion of my kind, though," she observed. "Why...is that?"

"You must understand it's quite distressing to find your kin dead or injured," he replied, cruelly casting her words back at her, "by human hands no less. Unlike you there was no assumption about that matter though."

Rylan shook his head, breaking through some shrubbery to reveal a stream. "Come you can clean some dirt off and I can look at your arm properly here."

Her eyes grew wide for a moment before she dropped her head, feeling as though she'd brought up something she shouldn't have even though the question had stemmed from pure curiosity. Lyra was silent, feeling that it was better to say nothing at all. Whatever he was it was clear he was bitter about his experiences and she didn't want to anger a stranger any further, especially one who had offered her aid.

Once they'd neared the stream she crouched at the bank and scooped water at her injured arm briefly before lowering it to sit in the cool liquid for a moment. She winced for the slight stinging as cuts she could not see but could certainly feel were lapped at as dirt was cleared from her skin. "Thank you for doing this," she finally spoke, leaning back to sit down with a weary sigh, the corners of her mouth drawn tightly in discomfort.

He hummed in response, not even looking at her face as he sat beside her with his boot-clad legs submerged in the cool stream. "Show me," he urged, reaching forward to take her arm with a delicate touch so as to not cause her further unnecessary injury. "This is your only injury?"

She let him take it, watching warily as she wasn't quite sure what he planned on doing to help her with it. "Besides a few bruises? I think so. Took most of the fall for me at least," she sighed, shrugging in gesture and immediately regretting it as a jolt spiked through her arm, pain pulsing in her forearm for a few moments.

"How fortunate," he murmured softly as his eyes assessed the proffered limb. Carefully, Rylan manipulated her arm, taking note of her reactions before pulling a roll of wound cloth from a small satchel that had been resting at his hip. Effortlessly, he silently began the task of wrapping her arm to stabilize and sprint the injury so that she would not cause herself further harm.

She couldn't watch all the poking and prodding, but she did watch him out of the corner of her eye as he worked on wrapping her injury. "Feels....snug," she commented, twisting her arm slightly even though she wasn't pulling away. "It's not terribly cut. What's the purpose of this?" she wondered, genuinely curious for she'd only ever seen deeper wounds wrapped in such a way.

He blinked at her in surprise, having forgotten himself in his intense focus upon the task at hand. "To ensure no further injury, of course. Do your people not do the same after such an injury? If left to heal on it's own you run the risk of straining it further or it permanently healing in such a way that would cause additional chronic aches and pains. I assume you would rather do without these. If I am wrong you may remove the bandage as you see fit."

"It seems correct," she hurried to agree, not wanting him to think her ungrateful. "I just am not used to wrapping such a minor injury. Perhaps a broken bone or a cut that needed sewing up, but this just seems so small compared.

"Thank you, though," Lyra expressed sincerely. "Using your...resources and time on a stranger is very kind. I'm sure it'll heal up nicely."

Rylan made a sound in the back of his throat but otherwise said nothing as he finished tying off the wrappings. "Make sure it won't come undone then I suppose you can be on your way." He had barely finished speaking though before a soft plopping sound was made in the stream in front of them followed by several similar sounds that increased in tempo as the sky opened up and began to rain down upon them.

"I'll be careful with it," she promised, smiling gratefully as she took back her arm. She was deaf to the sounds of the rain until it was making noticeable drops along her body, startling her as before it had simply blended in with the sounds of the flowing stream.

Lyra rose with her head turned skyward, a troubled look replacing her happy demeanor. "It's raining," she observed solemnly, casting a worried glance towards the way she knew to be home. A distant, rumbling thunder saw a noticeable jump in her for the sound as she wiped dampening hair from her face. For a moment she stood in silent contemplation and nearly stepped out towards the direction of home before another, louder growl of thunder followed a distant flash of light.

She'd seen what lightning could do to a tree and certainly didn't want the same done to her for being at the mercy of weather in the open fields between the forest and her home. "I apologize if it is too much to ask, but you mentioned before that this was your land: Is there anywhere I could take shelter from the storm? Just until it has passed?"

He pursed his lips in displeasure, his shoulders tensing and lifting in a manner similar to a wolf raising its hackles. "It is," Rylan responded neutrally, attempting to buy himself time in answering her request. For several long moments he held his tongue, as golden eyes assessed her from head to toe warily.

At last though he met her gaze in an unspoken challenge as he intoned his wishes in a quiet, yet stern voice. "You will cause us no trouble or I will not be held responsible for the pack's reaction." His nostrils flared, scenting the air briefly before offering her a slight jerk of his head and turning on his heel. "Come."

She stared at him expectantly, hope in her eyes as she watched him mull it over. Every rumble of distant thunder caused her to jump slightly, but she kept her eyes steadily upon him. His warning seemed odd and obvious enough; wolves were unpredictable, weren't they?

Still, she was happy to accept his terms in silence and moved closer as he turned away to walk with him. Lyra kept close, fearing she might lose him to the expanding darkness of the forest around them. Her good arm stayed raised to shield her eyes from the rain. The young woman had many questions for the odd forest-giant-man, but she held her tongue as she thought he would want to be out of the rain just as much and as quickly as she did.

Instead, she took the time to study him since they were relatively close. His clothing seemed oddly formal, but she knew such things were a very personal choice for those who could afford it. She wanted to ask how he grew to be so big, but knowing herself to be the shortest of her kin she figured his answer might be similar: chance.

"Is it very far?" she asked, breaking her silence for the sake of being conversational if he was open to providing that information.

Rylan glanced back at her over his shoulder but said nothing, preferring to just continue forward as he studiously took in his surroundings. They were close to the den but as she would see that soon enough there was no point in wasting breath on telling her that as far as he was concerned. Based on the sounds up ahead the pack had already arrived back to the den before them. Liulfr is appeared was still pacing anxiously about his mate who could only growl back at him for the extra attention.

The yips and cries of delight from Wesser signaled his whereabouts moments before he broke through the brush to bounce in front of Rylan like an excitable puppy demanding its master's attention. Once more Rylan reached down to pat his head and send him on his way.

Sternly, he turned to face the woman behind him and offer a challenging gaze that dared her to disobey him and face the consequences. "You will keep your eyes to the floor and make no sudden movements when you enter. Do not challenge the alpha pair. Do not approach them. Do not any loud noises. Am I understood?"

Lyra was startled by the sudden sternness on his part, but she nodded dumbly and glanced at the pair anyway as if she was making sure that was who he was talking about. "Is it...safe to be so close to them?" she wondered aloud, staring at him with confusion as if all those things not to do should be some sign that he shouldn't share space with such dangerous animals.

"No," he replied coldly. "But they're safer to be around than you are if you follow the rules. You have already caused injury to the pregnant alpha female, setting the entire pack on high alert for further attack. If you further provoke them then they will likely kill you. If these terms are not to your liking you are free to leave at any time." Rylan nodded with his chin back to the entrance of the den where the rain was a torrential downpour and lightning now streaked across the sky. "Your choice."

Lyra flinched for the way he so casually mentioned being killed by wild animals. She gulped nervously and didn't even look back to see the awful storm she could already very clearly hear. "Alright," she whispered, lowering her head and combing beads of water from her hair as she moved to be on the far opposite side of the den from the wolves. Cautiously sitting herself down, she felt so weak as she turned to stare out at the pounding rain. It was better than risking getting caught staring at the wolves, at least, despite how she flinched at every flash of lightning.

"Thank you. For this," she finally offered, grateful she wasn't walking home in such weather.

Rylan eyed her silently but otherwise allowed her to do as she would. He feared no threat from the little human to either himself or his pack given she was weaponless and outnumbered by skilled hunters in their own home. Instead he moved to make amends with his packmates, ensuring their safety and good health with soft words and softer hands.

Curious Wesser soon enough began making trouble though as he inched his way closer and closer to the woman, his nose working over time to take in her scent while his tail wiggled slightly in anticipation. The earlier events did not sway him away as he once more sought out a playmate in the stranger now occupying and sharing his home.

Lyra noticed the young wolf's interest in her immediately, but she desperately avoided eye contact with him even as he drew closer to her. For all she knew he was sizing her up as potential prey, but her gut told her that wasn't what was happening. She was frankly a little confused by his interest in her after the man's warnings about them. If she'd provoked them so much why would one want to be that close to her?

She cleared her throat uncomfortably and glanced at the wolf's face to see if he was showing his teeth like the female had earlier. His lack of outward aggression confused her and she chanced a moment of eye contact and smiled at him nervously.

Adjusting herself to tuck her knees to her chest and use them as a place to rest her chin, she tried to ignore him after acknowledging that he was there. She didn't know what he wanted but she thought it might be bad to get too much attention from him.

Watching the man across the den, though, she was curious about his comfort with the creatures and how close he seemed to them. It made her wonder if they were likes dogs to him, though it seemed a far stretch from a docile farm hound. Hoping it would not offend any of them because the younger wolf was surely not part of the alpha pair she'd been explicitly warned against, Lyra let the hand of her good arm fall to the floor and lay palm-up towards Wesser with hopes that the offer of a quick pet and satisfying his curiosity would get him to leave her alone.

Wesser kept his distance for a little while, prancing closer and away while judging her reaction for any indications of malice or violence. When none came and instead a hand was offered, he eagerly moved towards, nuzzling and snuffing her hand before eagerly moving to lick her face as he would with Rylan. The juvenile yipped his delight, jumping about as he lavished his new friend with his attentions, his tag wagging hard enough to hurt if it bumped against someone in his excitement.

Behind them Liufr growled softly in warning but was silenced by his mate's responding growl and Rylan's offered hand. Before the demon could stop it though the male alpha wolf bit the offered hand, drawing blood before turning to give a cold shoulder and shield his female from the other man. Rylan withdrew respectfully to move on silent feet towards the back of the den. There he retrieved one of the furs he normally kept for himself, hesitating only for a moment before taking it and placing it beside the human woman.

She watched the wolf nervously out of the corner of her eye, uncertain of what all his dancing about meant. She tensed when he finally approached her but was entirely surprised at the affection he bestowed upon her. Caught off guard and distracted by the young wolf's playful antics and kisses, Lyra didn't notice that Liufr bit her host.

Worried she'd be in trouble for gaining his attention after the man's warnings, though, she lightly pat at the wolf's shoulder to try and calm him. His puppy-like playfulness had her smiling, though, and she was very quickly realizing that wolves were much different than she'd imagined in close quarters. "Easy, easy," she whispered to him, petting his soft coat cautiously and trying to will him to settle down and be quiet so she didn't draw the wrath of his assumed master.

She hadn't heard Rylan approach, but when she saw the fur she felt caught and stared in panic for a moment before shooting him a nervous smile. "Thank you. Wet is cold," she tried to joke, taking it to wrap around herself for the meantime until she was ready to sleep. "Sorry," she sighed, gesturing at Wesser with guilt. "Just seemed like he wanted my attention."

Rylan shrugged one shoulder. "If it is what he wants," he replied as Wesser flopped himself into Lyra's lap, tongue lolling to the side and tail wagging enthusiastically for all the attention. "Wesser has always been the most energetic of the pack." The demon shook his head slightly, allowing his gaze to shift to the mouth of the den where the storm continued to rage. "Is there anything else you require. I vaguely recall how fragile you humans can be."

She was relieved that she wasn't getting in trouble, but she struggled to maintain a stoic face with Wesser throwing himself all over her. His excitement had her cracking a smile anyway as she struggled not to laugh for fear of enraging the other wolves or the man.

She followed Rylan's gaze to look out at the storm again and shook her head while continuing to pet the energetic youngster to try and calm him and assure him he could get all the attention he wanted from her. She wasn't entirely sure if his offer was merely out of politeness or genuine interest in her wellbeing. It seemed more the former by his attitude, but that was all right. "I should be okay, but thank you. I'll be out of your hair once the storm lets up," Lyra promised, giving Wesser a few gentle scratches at his scruff. "Shouldn't be very long, probably by morning I'd guess."

Wesser threw himself whole-heartedly into accepting the attention give to him. He quickly rolled onto his back, paws in the air so that he could receive his much sought after belly rubs and ear scratches. The frightening events from before were quickly forgotten in the face of her soft and gently hands.

Uncaring of Wesser's behavior, Rylan simply nodded his head, not feeling more of an answer was necessary before moving further away from her to stand at the cave's entrance with his arms folded across his chest. His mind was filled with far off memories with long-forgotten faces. He did not know how long he stood there lost in thought before the piercing yet familiar screech of a friend warned of a feathery arrival.

Moments later a sodden hawk burst through the sheet of rain to land on Rylan's shoulder, chittering and flapping its wings in greeting. When its antics did not seem to disturb his attention though, the unimpressed bird moved to tug on his ear, causing the bells of his earring to dance and jingle until he noticed her. The demon smiled gently, allowing the fingers of one hand to lovingly stroke her ruffled feathers. "I wondered where you had flown off to Iolana. It's no weather for flying tonight."

For a moment she watched Rylan, distractedly petting the wolf that seemed so suddenly besot with her. Gradually, though, her attention turned toward Wesser and his increasingly adorable antics. Just as he seemed to want she rubbed at his belly and scratched at his sides. She had to admit he was a bit heavy to be moving around, but he seemed sweet like a giant puppy still. Lyra hummed happily and tried not to giggle at him, but her mood towards the young wolf was quickly improving.

She hadn't heard the screech of the hawk through the noise of the rain, but the jingling bell caught her attention. The young woman stared in awe at the bird being so familiar with him. Her hands slowed their work on Wesser as she watched Rylan interacting with the hawk he called Iolana. She was convinced this man was an animal somehow to have surrounded himself with them and be so familiar with them. "You have a lot of...predatory friends," she commented, nodding at Wesser as she gave him what she thought would be a parting pat on the belly.

Rylan's eyes snapped to attention at the human's words having forgotten her presence for the brief moment he greeted his pet. He did not know what to say in response though and so remained still and silent for still several more moments before at last approaching her with caution. "That would depend on your perspective," he commented quietly. "Here you are the only predator aside from myself."

His words made no sense to her, at least not about them exclusively. "How do you mean? Wolves hunt and birds hunt. I assume that you hunt for some of your food. Preying upon anything else automatically makes me a predator, right? How would the same not apply to....animals?" she questioned genuinely, resuming idle petting along Wesser's shoulder.

"You are the one that came hunting without need or care simply for your own sport on lands that were not your own. None of these creatures were a threat to you and instead were your prey making you the true predator here," he informed her coldly as he stalked closer. His glinted in the darkening cave belying the fire within. "A predator is not simply one who feeds upon flesh instead of greens. It is so much more than that."

"Like I said, I wasn't hunting for sport," she reminded him, her head lowered as he moved closer. Why did he have to make it about her failures all of a sudden? She felt it nearly useless to try speaking rationally with a man so obviously enraged, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. "I don't expect you to understand me, but how would you feel if one of these wolves turned up dead suddenly? Would you not punish the guilty simply because they left the scene of their crimes? Because they were no longer on your land? I understand I made a mistake. I intend on leaving your wolves in peace and I would appreciate it if you'd stop with this aggression towards me." Lyra shook her head, petting Wesser more to calm her nerves as she looked away from Rylan's angry eyes.

"This one seems like he's forgiven me. Perhaps you should follow his lead because if you knew me or understood me at all you would know this whole...thing was very out of character. I care for the sickly and young on our farm, and I am just very tired of burying our dead."

"Several wrongs do not correct what has already been done. Death is a natural occurrence in life that no one can stop. Revenge is a human concept and not one we partake in here in the wild." Rylan came up short in surprise at her statement. He did not view himself as aggressive. She was in his home after all despite what he saw as her wrong-doings. As far as he as concerned he could do as he pleased given it was his privacy being invaded.

Yet, as his eyes lowered to watch the juvenile male roll about in pleasure like a young pup he could not help but shake his head. "You could cut off his tail and he'd still love you for scratching his years. He is too young to understand." Rylan hesitated for a moment before adding in a softer voice, "he is called Wesser."

She assumed there was no point in arguing further. It was clear that they disagreed about right and wrong when it came to something as plain as murder. It was even more offensive that he felt the young wolf simple enough to disregard everything she might do so long as she gave him the affection he seemed to love.

"I doubt that," she mumbled, shaking her head and giving him even more vigorous scratches and petting to make up for it in case he'd understood him. "Wesser? Hmm." She thought it suited the playful youngster somehow. "At least he is willing to forgive, I don't think you give him enough credit for his maturity in that," she said, as if the wolf could be human-like in that regard.

Lyra studied the hawk curiously for a moment, uncertain if she had ever seen such a bird before. "She's quite pretty," she finally commented to break her silence. "What does she do for you? Guard?" she joked, smirking briefly at the thought of such a small, if powerful creature doing such a thing. As if someone of his stature needed protecting anyway.

Rylan chose to ignore the majority of her comments. He would have ignored her altogether if it had not been for his uneasy sense of needing to keep on guard with her presence within his den. Instead his fingers played with the soft feathers of cooing and preening bird in silence. Mention of said bird though did draw a flicker of his eyes up to her face and a faltering of his fingers before he resumed his petting.

"She is of the wild, not a beast of burden needing purpose," he responded simply, without malice or accusation. Iolana once more tugged on his earring though making it jingle merrily as its owner winced and tried to jerk his head away. "And a stubborn one at that," he added to himself.

"As many of them are." She smiled knowingly, the varied creatures of her family's farm being quite tough nuts to crack on occasion. "I just find it interesting that she is so...comfortable with you. And you with her." Lyra turned her attention to the wall of rain at the entrance to his den, the storm getting seemingly worse as time passed.

She sighed wearily and rolled her shoulders a bit, tilting her head to study the fur that was wrapped around herself. "If it isn't too much trouble with them and you don't mind... May I sleep here? The storm is...well, still going," she explained, feeling a bit flustered for how obvious it was and how awful it would be if he told her no.

Finding no question in her first statements, Rylan provided no response and instead focused on once more disentangling himself from his feathered-friend's affections. When he was at last free, he dropped easily to sit against the wall opposite from his guest, one knee drawn into his chest with the other folded behind it.

Her reminder of the storm still raging outside had his eyes sliding not to the entrance but to a pile of furs in the back of the den where he usually rested while the pack slept. He hesitated for a moment, weighing the pros and cons in his mind before coming to a silent decision. A small nod of his head and a motion of his hand toward the furs was answer enough in his mind.

She waited patiently for an answer but when words never came she turned her eyes on him again and stared at him in silence. The small gesture meant almost nothing to her and instead of recognizing it as an invitation to use the other furs she assumed the vague gesture only meant she was welcome to move further into the den for protection, which would put her closer to the alpha pair resting nearby, if she dared. Whether or not she would be welcome to do so from the wolves was something she was almost entirely sure was not true. She briefly turned to give the larger wolves a wary look.

"I'm sure the rain won't reach me very much," she finally dismissed, patting the fur draped around her as she continued, feeling it would be protection enough from the elements. "I could sleep right here with this, I don't want to upset them again."

Rylan shrugged. In his mind her attitude was strange but she could do as she pleased if it brought now malice towards the pack. He wondered briefly if she was wishing to flee into the night when as far as he was concerned she could leave whenever she wished. "You need not remain there. You are no prisoner here that need worry of escape. You can leave when you wish. The furs would be more comfortable and warmer than cold, wet stone I would think."

His words didn't make much sense to her, his offer earning him a look of pure confusion from her. "The furs?" she questioned, looking beyond the other wolves to the pile at the back of the den. It certainly did look like it would be much warmer, but it took her a few moments to realize what he was offering.

"I know I'm not a prisoner. I would hope not anyway because I asked for shelter under that assumption." Quietly she mulled over it for a moment, looking between the furs and the rain beyond the entrance. Then, she carefully tapped at Wesser's side in warning, hoping not to startle him with sudden movement as she stood up.

"Thank you for showing me even more kindness today," she told him sincerely before slowly making her way towards the pile and sinking herself down into them. Using the one about her shoulders as a blanket Lyra adjusted the furs a bit, rolling a few together loosely to form a pillow to rest her head upon. Getting comfortable, she cast another look Rylan's way. "Just wake me up whenever you need these back, or if the rain stops," she called softly, her voice muffled a bit towards the end as she fumbled with wrapping herself up in the furs.

Wesser whined softly at the loss of his comfortable lap while Rylan remained still and silent. The wolf quickly followed the human, not even waiting for her to get all settled before he too was flopping into the furs and squeezing himself up tight against her with his head resting on top of her. The alpha pair had settled down also, although the male was still alert even in his resting position. His ears were high on point and pointed in the human's direction even though his eyes remained closed.

"Sleep. You are the only one who has need of them tonight even if Wesser is intent on convincing you otherwise. You can leave in the morning once the sun is up. There's no need to bumble around aimlessly in the dark," Rylan replied with a gentle nod in her direction. "Sleep."

Surprised by Wesser's insistence on being near her Lyra tried to make room for him as best as she could. The strange man's continued kindness was not missed upon her, even if it was common sense. "Thank you, I'll try."

She turned her attention to the wolf beside her, reaching a hand out to pet at his shoulder a bit before sinking her hand into his fur. "Be nice, stay quiet," she urged him softly, giving him a few more scratches and pats before settling down, oblivious to the fact that Liulfr remained alert. It took her no time at all to fall asleep while cuddling the young wolf, though, easily relaxing with the security of a bed for the night.

The wolf howled softly, making sounds if he could speak before burying his nose against her neck. His tail thumped happily against her side in a steady rhythm until it slowed with sleep. Nothing bothered the den as it was a strong home, able to withstand even the raging storm outside with little effort.

Eventually though the storm lessened. The winds calmed their howling and the heavy rains became nothing more than a faint mist. Rylan remained in his setaed position though the whole night in an almost meditative state as he listened to the sounds of the night both in and outside of the den. When morning came, with its crawling rays of sunshine he blinked in surprise at how quickly the time had passed. A glance to the furs saw the human still there, so there he left her be. Iolana flew over to a rock near the woman's head, curious about the newcomer and desiring a closer look as she leaned over the being bundled in her caretaker's furs.

Lyra slept soundly through the night, her body needing rest to recover from her slight injuries. The calm of the storm did not wake her nor did the distant songs from birds of the forest as morning light burned the remaining clouds.

There was no start to her waking, she merely faded into it as easily as she'd faded into a world of dreams before. She blinked slowly, trying to register all of the sensations around her: the coarse warmth of the furs, the slight bristling of fur against her throat, and the slight pain that still pulsed through her arm. It was so calm and quiet it was really only the pain that told her she was awake at all.

She clenched a fistful of fur before smoothing out Wesser's coat, a soft yawn escaping her before finally lifting her head enough to look out at the other inhabitants of the den. She was startled to find the hawk so close, staring into her piercing eyes for a long moment before sitting up enough to look over to Rylan. Lyra was surprised to see he sat exactly as she'd last seen him. "Did you sleep?" she asked with a guilty frown.

The opening to the outside looked clear and the sounds and darkness of the storm were long gone, but she was still wanted to see it for herself. She kept a fur wrapped around her shoulders as she climbed to drowsy feet to approach the demon and the outside beyond. "It stopped, huh?" she guessed, finally confirming it by sight a mere moment later as she peered out at the forest.

"There was no need," Rylan replied with a simple shrug from his seated position. When she got up, Wesser yawned loudly and whined slightly as she got up and moved, waking and disturbing him in the process. As she moved towards the cave entrance, he rolled off the furs and trailed behind her, tail dragging from grogginess but a spring in his step nevertheless. Rylan also rose from his place on the floor and silently joined her to look out at the morning. "The worst of it has seemed to. It still rains though."

Lyra cast an apologetic look towards Wesser and lowered a hand in an offering of petting. It had seemed like the rains had stopped but the sounds of it still hitting the forest canopy made her realize that she simply couldn't see it in her immediate field of view. She turned her head to look up at him to ask for his permission despite her being a guest, "Do you think it's safe enough to pass through now? Is the river prone to flooding here? I'm not very familiar with the the waterways of your forest."

The wolf eagerly licked her hand and pushed himself against her hoping for more of her gentle attentions. Jealous of Lyra's attentions, Iolana zoomed across the room to rest on the woman's shoulder. The hawk leaned forward while trying to view the human from the side and not fall off from her precarious perch. In contrast the demon remained rather still and silent. His head cocked slightly towards the entrance as if listening to something before he finally answered. "The river floods. Can you swim?"

While the wolf's eagerness for her attention was not all that surprising she was a bit startled by the strength in his small body, his gentle pushing had her leaning to keep balance from the unexpected pressure. After gathering herself and saving from stumbling she happily pet and scratched at his ears and neck to reward his affection. It seemed more and more he acted more dog than wild wolf.

The hawk's reappearance truly startled her, though, the sharp claws pressing to her collarbone making her jump slightly for they felt almost like small knives threatening to pierce both clothing and flesh. "Oh... Hello there," she greeted her raising her injured arm gingerly to offer to the bird if she wished to be pet.

Once Rylan spoke, though, he gained most of her attention again as a disappointed sigh deflated her. "Oh. I can. I haven't had need of it in a while but I think it's something easily remembered. I'm sure I'll be fine... Thank you for all your help." She knelt to one knee momentarily to press a quick kiss to Wesser's head. "Goodbye Wesser, thank you for keeping me warm," she cooed at him, giggling to herself as she rose with the intention of leaving them. She tugged gently at the fur beneath the hawk, trying to slip it out from under her so she could hand it back to Rylan.

The hawk nipped at her finger before flying out of the den in a flutter of whispering feathers. "Then you needn't worry. The river swells from time to time and unexpectedly. I do not foresee you having a problem provided you remember your way home. It would not do for you to be caught out in the woods until nightfall again as you will find not all dens are as welcoming or empty as ours."

"I'll try to remember that," she winced, watching the hawk fly with a silent, scolding scowl. "Take care," she bid him, stepping out into the sun with her eyes turned skyward to let the sun's position guide her towards home. It was a lot further than she'd imagined it would be but she desperately needed to be home again. She was sure by now her family would be worried about her sudden disappearance, though there was certainly not much they could do. For Rylan's sake she planned on remaining silent about his existence and that of the wolf pack. He seemed to want his privacy and it was the least she could do to show thanks and loyalty for his help.

The river had indeed risen, but it was not so deep that she feared a stray current might drag her away. She crossed it slowly but was unable to keep the bandaging for her arm from being soaked through. As she clambered ashore she slipped against the wet rocks to earn herself a few shallow cuts along one calf. It was not enough to cause a limp but it certainly stung like hell and she dreaded facing her family with such a fresh injury while trying to assure them of her safety.

Once she saw the barn and house upon the horizon she heaved a huge sigh of relief, feeling like the whole ordeal had lasted ages. She would have to explain the disappearance of the weapons she'd taken, she was sure, but that was but a small worry as she finally walked in the door.

Only a few were at home but she was greeted with such joy she knew they had been worried. When the others trickled in she went through the ritual of vaguely explaining her whereabouts as a fluke of clumsiness, getting lost, and needing rest before returning home. It was a story her family easily accepted, the young woman not being a known liar or dishonest person in their eyes.

Once in the privacy of her small bedroom she tended to her fresher wounds and rewrapped her arm for good measure before allowing herself to rest at last, her day of travel just as exhausting as the last had been.

What Lyra did not know when she left was that she did not travel through the forest alone. Keeping to the shadows, Rylan followed her the entire way until she exited the woods and made her way back home. Had there been anyone around to ask him why he did it, he would not have been able to answer, however there was no one so he did not dwell on his actions once his task had been completed. The demon thought no more of the human once she was beyond his sight and returned home to his own dwelling.

In completely contrast though, several days later Wesser still had not forgotten his playmate that had come home with them. Three days of endless moping and whining had not brought her back and had instead only earned him his alpha's ire on more than one occasion. It was after such a temporary banishment that he found himself exiting the forest and following her scent all the way up to a strange wooden den. He walked around it twice, nose to the ground and yet could not find an entrance. Unwittingly he sat before the door as a crack in it allowed him to sample the scents within and began to whine and scratch at it begging his friend to come out and play.

To her great displeasure Lyra had been asked to rest by her family, the others insisting they would carry her chores until she was entirely well and without a lame arm. As they loved to remind her, emergencies would not wait for her to be strong again, but she did not think her work so dangerous to warrant the extra caution.

Instead she remained at home for most of her time, bored and restless as she tried to will herself to heal to their satisfaction. She thought nothing of the scratching and obviously canine whines at the door that day, thinking perhaps that one of her uncle's hounds had snuck his way home early. Once she'd gotten it open, though, she physically jumped to see the young wolf there on the other side.

By his friendliness she immediately assumed he was the youngster from earlier in the week, his beautiful coat she could only associate with him and the other wolves of the pack. "What are you doing?" she scolded in a whisper, as if any louder might summon her family home early to discover him. "What was your name? Oh, goodness... Wess. Westley? Wesser! Wesser go home!" Lyra chastised him gently, crouching down to be more at his level. She struggled horribly with trying to be firm with him, but her affection for the young male could not be helped as she instead found herself reaching out to pet at him, leaving the doorway only partially blocked. "Go home, it isn't safe for you here," she pleaded with him.

Upon seeing the human, Wesser immediately began to bounce about with a wagging tail and lolling tongue. He howled his pleasure to the sky before licking at her face and jumping all around her. Lyra's words meant nothing to him for they were not a language he understood. He simply assumed she was pleased to see him. The partially open door caught his attention quickly and in an attempted dart he headed in that direction where warmth and new smells awaited him.

His happy cries had her smiling sadly, thinking he could not understand the danger he could easily place himself in at her home. "Wesser. Now calm down, easy boy," she spoke gently, trying to calm his excitement. She did not notice at all that he saw the open space beside her and by the time he'd bolted it was far too late.

"No! No, Wesser, please!" she called, hurrying to scramble after him. Lyra desperately chased him, trying to head off any potential trouble by closing what interior doors she could so he couldn't make a mess of other's belongings. "Back outside!" she ordered, trying to herd him back towards the front door.

There was no coming the young wolf. He easily bounded about with unhindered energy. Her chasing him about only seemed to fuel his ideas that it was all a game. He eagerly bowed to her with his tail wagging happily before bouncing away every time she got close. There was no stopping him as he ran into furniture and jumped on available surfaces, occupied or otherwise. Wesser barked and yipped his excitement, sharing his delight with her as he did his best to avoid the herding.

Lyra chased the young wolf for what seemed like forever before she finally had to pause and catch her breath. She looked around the house with dread at all the displaced objects and tiredly began picking up everything he'd knocked around in their "game" of chase. "Stubborn wolf," she whispered to herself, deciding that ignoring him instead might get the reaction she desired. She tried very hard to not make any eye contact with him or even chance a glance his way, praying he might go back outside on his own instead if he became bored with her.

Her desires we're once again foiled. Lyra's attempts to ignore Wesser simply resulted in him following her like an extra tail. Wherever she went he followed close at her heel. Several times he even nudged his cold, wet nose against her hand or leg in an extra plea for affection but her apparent lack of interest did nothing to deter him. It was not the first time in his life that his boundless energy ft him into trouble and ignored until he calmed down. It was also likely to not be the last.

The stubborn wolf did not convince her to give into his begging at first but when she could take the poking no longer she set down the items she'd been working with and headed outside with hope that he would follow her. Lyra was still careful to not look at him, fearing that doing so would let him understand her plan. She rounded the corner past the front door to be extra careful, wanting him to be far away from the door so she might have a chance at closing it.

Wesser trounced about merrily after her. He did not have a care in the world as he followed the woman about her business as she went from place to place and even back outdoors. Once they were there he bece especially excited again as he hoped it meant she would play some more again with him. The playful young wolf bumped his head against her leg and side hoping it would be enough to coax her into play as he darted about to and for in her way, ever under foot.

Lyra reached slowly to pull the door shut at last, relieved she'd "trapped" him back outside again. "What are you doing?" she asked him again, failing to scold him as her voice was far from stern and instead was more concerned that the wolf was out so far from his den with the others and even so far from the forest's edge. She knew she wouldn't be able to protect him from her family if they were not understanding about his being there. Given their attitude towards wolves she doubted they would listen.

"You need to go home," she pleaded, crouching down to pet at him again and point out towards the treeline on the horizon. "Home. Not here. Home. May I remind you, your friend will probably kill me if anything happens to you out here."

Once she was down at his level, Wesser immediately took to licking her face like an uncontrollable puppy. He barked in her face, pacing back and forth a few steps from her before lopping back to her, demanding another round of chase. He even ran to the front door and scratched at it with his paw when he thought she preferred the indoors as opposed to the outdoors.

The kisses and barking caught her off guard, her face falling in defeat as she didn't understand how she was supposed to get him to stop trying to play chase. "Noooo. No, no, no," she scolded gently, standing again quickly and tapping at his shoulder to try and get him to stop his scratching. "Don't do that, I don't want anyone to know you're here. Come on," she urged him, turning to point out towards the treeline and take a few steps toward it as if to lead him.

Wesser ceased his scratching as soon as she tapped him and turned to give her his full attention. He cocked his head first to one side and then to another as he watched her, trying to understand what she was up to. Then, having come to a decision on his own, he pounced off in her direction thinking that she was finally joining in the chase and wanted to play as the prey. He howled his pleasure, startling not only the birds in the nearby woods but also attracting the attention of another forest dweller to come and investigate what the juvenile wolf was up to.

"Shh!" Lyra winced for his howling, afraid that her family would be alerted to his presence. "Stop that, you can't do that here!" She groaned, unaware that he wanted to play and moved quickly to step out of his way. "Let's go, you need to go home," she urged him, heading out away from the house and into the grassy fields that separated it from the forest. She kept an eye on him and prayed he would follow and not wander too far, she had no idea how she would keep control of a roaming wolf. She guessed it would be impossible if he was truly against following her.

While the wolf bounced along none the wiser, Rylan warily looked on from the edge of the forest. He did not dare enter the human territory to retrieve his troublesome companion but nor did he dare leave after having seen this particular human go after Wesser and later injure Peidan. Although she seemed gentle now, the demon wished to observe the pair unhindered and unnoticed to achieve a proper judgement of her character.

However, as Wesser circled around and around the woman much to her apparent ire, Rylan at last gave up his passive observation for action. He sent out a soft whistle to call the wolf home. Instantly the young canine responded by stilling and lifting his ears on point towards the sound. Once he caught sight of the man, Wesser latched onto a mouthful of Lyra's skirt and gave her a tug in the demon's direction, hoping to take her along with him now that they had another friend to play with.

Her head nearly spun trying to keep track of him as he circled around her. She could not help but smile for how eager he seemed to play but she knew it was not the place to do so, being so close to her family's home. He was too much at risk of being spotted and mistaken as attacking her, and she truly did not wish any ill to befall him after seeing for herself how friendly he was and how fond he seemed of her in particular.

She had not heard the whistle herself but she nearly tripped for his tugging. Forced to move closer or have him rip the fabric, Lyra frantically reached out to try and take it away from him. She couldn't hide the smile, though, as she struggled not to laugh at his antics. "Wesser, please! Not my clothes, you silly thing. I can't explain away a ripped skirt when I'm supposed to be resting, you know," she chastised gently.

It didn't take her long, though, to decide against fighting it. She went along with him, keeping as close as she could so he didn't tear her skirts. She thought he might let her free once he grew bored of it and she could return home without much complaint from the youngster and he would go on to his own.

Wesser only stopped his tugging once he was stood in front of Rylan. Once there he plopped himself down, tail wagging and Lyra's skirts still trapped within his mouth. With a sigh the demon moved away from the shadows of the trees he was standing behind and into the woman's view. "So this is where our errant cub ran off to. I had wondered. Has he given you trouble?"

"Oh, you silly thing," she scolded gently, kneeling beside him and pulling gently on the fabric he still held. It was ridiculous to her, yet so adorable that he seemed to be having such fun at her expense.

The voice startled her, not having keen enough senses about Rylan to know he'd been close. Lyra visibly jumped and grew tense but relaxed once she realized it was someone she recognized. "I didn't lead him here or anything, at least not that I'm aware of," she told him honestly, hoping she would not be in trouble for "stealing" Wesser when she'd done nothing of the sort.

"Not trouble exactly, he just seems to want me to...follow him? I suppose. I had to chase him out of the house, but it was for his own good. I don't want him to be in any trouble, I don't know if my family would wait for an explanation from me if they found him." She gave her skirt a few more gentle tugs, hoping he might free her.

"Would you like him back, then?" she assumed, thinking he might have better luck "convincing" the wolf than she was.

Rylan nodded his head before snapping his fingers to order Wesser to release his hold on the lady's skirts. "He is not needed back. I was simply curious as to where he had decided to run off to this time. It seems that he has taken quite a liking to you. If he is no trouble then I shall leave you two to your play. You have no harmed him and I would like to believe you would not bring harm his way after having met the pack and myself. I certainly hope I have judged you fairly for this," he added pointedly with a stern look.

"Play?" She was confused by the implication, not seeing anything she'd done as play with the youngster. Lyra looked off in the direction he'd disappeared in, uncertain if he was intending on returning to them or if he was gone for good. "No, of course you have. I know that the...larger ones don't seem to like me much but I don't think they've harmed the cattle if they cannot bring themselves to kill me as a stranger," she reasoned, not really realizing how much of a hand Rylan had in that not happening.

"And Wesser," she sighed, unable to hide her fondness of him from her smile despite the trouble he'd caused. "He's a gem, but I don't think he knows that it would be best if he stayed away from the farm yet." She stood, wiping as much dirt and crushed leaves from her clothing as she could with a few quick swipes of her hands, little good that it did for the stains that marred her dress.

"So you won't take him back, then? I just worry if he is seen, he doesn't seem to listen to direction well."

"I would trust you to ensure his safety when he is with you. Am I wrong in placing such trust in you, human?" Rylan eyed her critically, testing her and challenging her as they each stood on their own home turf. "Wesser does need to learn where his place is in the world of things but I would be rather disappointed if my hand was forced into becoming involved in forever preventing him from roaming as he pleases. His kind were here long before yours were. It would be unfair to prevent him from doing what only comes naturally to him.

"No, not wrong at all," she frowned, not liking the obvious challenge in his words. The small thrill of seeing him again was quickly losing its magic. She felt like he was treating her as if she were some unfit parent for not controlling Wesser better. "I'll look after him when he's with me. Truthfully, I don't know how safe I can keep him," she warned, not really seeing how she should be able to defend him should he find himself in any real trouble. "I will do my best, though, ancient creature or not."

She scanned the treeline for the light wolf, but she was unable to spot him. "I mean no offense by it, honest, just a sincere question...but why do you concern yourself so much with the wolves?" she wondered, not really understanding the closeness of pack or how anything other than a wolf could be pulled into the fold.

Rylan nodded his head at her assurances, finding nothing wrong with his behavior and not recognizing her displeasure. Her question though made him still instantly as if he were made of stone. For several long moments he remained silent as if he would not answer. When at last he did though it was in a very emotionless voice as he returned her question with one of his own. "Why do you concern yourself so much with your cattle?"

His reflection of her own question was disappointing, though not entirely surprising of what little she knew of the strange forest man who dressed in fine clothes. "Well my cattle are my livelihood. We raise them and trade them for what the family needs. We use their milk as well. If one dies under our care we harvest the remains for meat and leather and share with other families if there is enough. Rarely we even sell a bit, it's worth quite a lot to most nobles. They are useful to us and cost a great deal of personal time and resources to raise properly. I doubt any of that applies to your wolves, though, does it?" she assumed, already guessing by the reactions of the alpha pair that they might just kill anything that dared take away their eventual pups to sell.

"They have their uses," he replied evenly. For several moments he just stood there watching her though his mind was very far away. Thoughts flew all over the place as he considered and reconsidered things before finally nodding his head slightly. "I do not believe you have asked the right question, human. Perhaps the better question is not why you concern yourself with the cattle but what is your purpose with relation to them?" Rylan asked, hinting at what she should have asked him instead. Tired of not playing, Wesser bounced around between and around them, huffing and snuffling as he enjoyed the various scents in the area both new and old.

"My purpose?" she repeated, cocking her head slightly as she pondered it. Wesser was quick to interrupt her train of thought as he bounded about, but she tried not to give him too much attention and unintentionally encourage him to play with her.

"I suppose I'm just the caretaker, and occasionally the friend. But friends with cows... That probably sounds silly," she winced, kneeling down despite her previous hesitation to encourage the wolf. She reached to ruffle his scruff gently and pat her leg to try and encourage him to come in closer for a hug.

With her obvious invitation, Wesser was immediately hopping back up so that his front paws rested on her shoulders and he could lick her face. His tail wagged wildly as he bounced back and forth up to her and to Rylan and back much to the demon's amusement. The tall man rolled his eyes slightly and shook his head at the wolf's antics.

"Not silly, although it might be plausible to also call yourself their guardian," he suggested with a slight cock of his head. "You manage your lands and the ones that reside in them, do you not? Is it so hard to imagine that the same happens in the forest?"

Lyra couldn't help but giggle as Wesser bounced around, the youngster so endearing in his friendliness. She accepted the kisses and hugged him best she could whenever he came near enough, her head tilted up sharply to avoid any painful collisions.

Settling more comfortably on the ground she cast a long look over her shoulder to peer out at the familiar buildings in the distance, watching and listening to be certain nobody was back home yet and she was safe to be out with them.

"Wesser!" she called, patting her knee to welcome him to her lap for belly rubs if he could sit still enough for them.

"You're right, but I suppose the forest just seems so much bigger and so much more to manage," she finally spoke to Rylan, lifting her head to stare up at him. "But guardian does sound much more...official. I like it," she admitted with a pleased smirk. "So the forest is truly your land? All of it? The whole thing?" she questioned. "And the wolves your...tenants?" she added hesitantly, uncertain of what he considered them or what she might call them.

"My...wards, if you will," Rylan corrected gently with a slight incline of his head. He avoided the question concerning ownership of the forest. The demon considered it is territory but he also in turn believed that it belonged to no one and should never belong to anyone. It was simply the earth that protected and cared for them. If the land was respected then the creatures living off of it would be cared for in turn. He did not believe that the concept was something a human would understand what with all their fences and lack of trees and wood dwellings.

Wesser who was completely oblivious to the conversation between the two humanoids immediately threw himself into the woman's lap, the moment she called for him. He rolled this way and that, too excited to be still for the intended belly rubs. His paws flailed, his tail wagged, and his tongue lolled in anticipation as he let out loud yips and barks of joy.

"Wards," she repeated thoughtfully, humming happily to see Wesser so pleased for her attentions. She tried her best to pet and pamper him despite his squirming. Lyra noticed that he'd avoided her other questions, though, and looked to him again once she'd given the wolf a good bit of love.

"How long have you lived here?" she ventured, uncertain if her thoughts about him being something besides human, or pure human at least, might be true after all.

Rylan closed his eyes as if closing the doors to his soul that would allow him to recall just how long he had been living there. It was definitely as long as he could recall, although it was just as possible that he had been born elsewhere and had traveled down into the forest. The details though were all so hard to recall. Time was a fuzzy construct to one who lived so long and mostly alone. It was not something he relished explaining to a sapling of a human.

"A very long time," he finally answered, with a sardonic grin. "You needn't worry about your lands from me. If I had wanted them, they would have been taken long before you were born."

"Oh, it wasn't the land I was worried about," she smiled, though she was unable to hide the surprise from her eyes at his confirmation that he must have been far older than he looked face to face. "But what kept you from it?" she wondered. "Are you some spirit bound to the trees?" she guessed playfully.

"I do not suffer from the affliction of greed like the rest of you humans," he informed her rather matter-of-factly without any sugar to sweeten the blow. "I do not leave because it is my choice to stay and none shall change that until I decide I want it changed. No bonds could drag me away just as none could tether me in place. My coming and going is of my choosing and no others. Are you satisfied now? Your home is safe. I have no interest in your kind, human."

Lyra averted her gaze to give Wesser the bulk of her attentions then, displeased that he felt the need to return a playful and curious question with such an bluntly opinionated answer. Again he spoke of the greed of humans. To her, it sounded like he'd been decidedly wronged by them in some way now he was not telling her of, not that it was any of her business.

"Fair enough," she acknowledged him, casting a glance his way before returning to petting and scratching and rubbing the wolf between them as if he were some domesticated farm dog. "I suppose...thank you? For not being greedy," she added after a bit of pause, the situation unusual to her for she was certain she'd never met a creature in all her life that might be as ancient as he might have been implying.

"I'll do by best to keep our animals from your land, but I must admit I'm quite fond of Wesser and I hope he'll come visit me from time to time. But only when it's safe," she scolded the wolf gently, giving him a final few pats before she moved to stand.

"I suppose my eyes can't be everywhere at once, so if you notice anything...strange happening with the cattle could you please let me know? I'm sure we could reward you in some way for the information," she offered.

Rylan regarded her silently. Her desire for assistance from him with a promise of reward disgusted him. He did not need anything and the idea that he would was insulting. What good was riches when he had no one to share them with. All that he needed came from the earth, the very earth that the humans seemed intent on destroying.

"And what would you consider odd that I am supposed to observe from across my territory?"

"Attacks? Distress? Surely you could hear them call, they're quite loud." She could see he didn't seem particularly interested, though, and stepped away a bit to look back out at the buildings in the distance briefly before tilting her head to regard the cattle that were nearer to the treeline. "But don't worry yourself over it, might just be some cruel boys killing them for sport. We'll figure it out eventually," she assured him, though she was not all that confident in the search herself seeing as they'd had no leads thus far.

"Enjoy the rest of your day," she bid him, lifting a hand to wave before heading back out across the fields to the house.

"Ah," he murmured. "Well I'm sure as their guardians you'd hear them long before me," Rylan reminded trying to be kind. He saw no reason to concern himself as long as the beasts kept out of the woods. Once there he might decide to assist but until then he had no reason to interfere in the lives of the humans and their livestock.

He tilted his head in a final nod before fading from her sight, blending once more into the shadows as if he had not been there at all. The moment she stood and moved to leave though Wesser was once more bouncing at her heels, yipping and jumping in hopes of either more belly rubs or some proper playtime.

Lyra smiled sadly at Wesser but tried not to encourage him. She twisted slightly to point back toward where she'd last seen Rylan but was surprised that he'd already vanished. "Go on, he'll be missing you if you follow me anymore," she reminded the young wolf, uncertain if he might even understand her. Thinking he might remain there she gave him a final pat and scratch of the ears before setting out, fully intending to leave him to the forest where he belonged.

Undeterred by her attempts to shoo him back home to the woods behind them, the moment her back was turned to him, Wesser pounced. His teeth latched into her skirt again as he dug his paws into the dirt and pulled backwards against her forward momentum in hopes of dragging her back home to play with him. He growled loudly around the wad of fabric in his mouth and shook his head forcefully in persistence.

What she hadn't expected was to be staring up at the sky, but that was exactly what happened as she was caught off balance and pulled down easily enough by the determined wolf. With the wind knocked out of her Lyra struggled for air for a moment as she dizzily sat up, turning to glare at Wesser as she heard short tearing sounds with every shake of his head.

"I am not your chew toy," she warned him, reaching out to latch onto what she could of her dress to pull back in a poor effort of dislodging it. The fabric had been so stretched by his previous play, though, that it was already dangerously stressed and practically ready to give way to the wolf's fangs if he gave it any more effort.

Wesser panted in front of her, wiggling back and forth, thinking that her tugging was a game as he too tugged backwards, fighting to win their little game. A distinct shredding sound filled the air as Wesser gave one last mighty tug and effectively tore the woman's skirt to pieces. With a pleased howl he dropped it on the ground and danced about in victory moment's before he was tackling her once more, knocking her flat on her back. The wolf settled down on her chest, muddy paws leaving pawprints all over her dress from top to bottom that meant nothing to him as he licked happily at her face and nuzzled her with his snout and cheeks, marking her with his scent as he did so.

"No!" she groaned, whining pitifully at the distinct sound of tearing as she let the ruined fabric fall from her hands. Glaring at the wolf she was left scrambling to salvage what she she could to cover herself properly when he caught her off guard again and pounced. The weight of him upon her chest blocked the heaving sigh that would have accompanied her dramatic eye-roll, but she accepted his snuffling and nuzzling with little more fuss.

The dampness of muddy pawprints seeped through the fabric to make her skin crawl. The dress was decidedly ruined now and Lyra would consider it a miracle if she got home and changed without anyone noticing her sudden immodesty. "Wesser," she tried again, having trouble hiding her smile from the playful youngster.

"Get up," she ordered, though not as firmly as she would have liked to have sounded as she tried not to laugh at his ridiculous, puppy-like playfulness.

With the lack of true authority in her voice, the wolf continued to ignore her and rest comfortably atop her. Wesser buried his nose in her neck, snuffling about and giving licks as he found the perfect spot to rest his head comfortably. His tail slowed some of its wagging but he was not any less enthusiastic about winning their little game. He lifted his head though and huffed in her face for all of her squirming about to unseat him. Out of spite he laid down more fully and heavily, his chin resting on her chest to stare into her eyes pleadingly. Wesser knew that even Rylan struggled to resist such a face.

She was unable to move him for all her flailing about and finally gave up when she saw the adorable puppy eyes he was giving her. "Okay... Okay," Lyra finally surrendered, bringing her hands to rest in the fur of his neck.

"You got me," she added despite being certain he had no concept of what her words meant. It was clear enough he'd had some sort of game going. That game, she hoped, would be over if she gave in.

He yipped at her, licking her chin briefly before settling down for a nap. Wesser did not remain more than a moment though before his head and ears were lifted attentively, catching a sound on the wind. In an instant he was bounding off her again, racing towards the woods where a sharp, commanding whistle had beckoned him back homewards to Rylan. Together the pair moved deeper into the forest, leaving the young woman and her human home far behind them.

When at last Wesser ceased his affections she sat up quickly to watch him go. She thought she'd heard something, a whistle perhaps, but maybe it had just been the wind.

Returning home she was quick to hide her tattered clothing. She would have to get rid of it somehow, though, and she wondered if she might be able to use it as nesting material for the barn animals. The rest of the day was relatively normal, and it seemed like none of her family had been aware of her temporary absence.

Days passed without further incident. The cattle seemed safe, she was healing, and life seemed to be getting back to normal. The season was slowly changing, too, but the crisp air before the winter's first snow was making the animals restless. So too was the lurking black dragon that had left them in peace since Lyra's return.

The beast returned to taunt and tease them endlessly through the night and it was their cries for this that roused the young woman from sleep. The glowing, green eyes watching her approach from the sky were unsettling. It was like he was waiting for her.

The young woman had no weapons this time. She carried no sticks and had no wolves to protect her, though what they would do with a dragon she did not know.

'You would be wise to leave, human child,' he spoke in her mind, startling her for the intrusion.

"I'm not leaving. This is my land?" It shouldn't have been a question, but she was nervous. Xibalba could tell.

'And your boundaries mean nothing.' He dove to snatch one of the cows in defiance of her, easily flapping his mighty wings to carry it off.

"No!" Lyra screamed, the sound pained more than anything as she winced for the innocent animal's cries. The dragon paid her no mind and crossed the field with it to dine in relative privacy, spooking the rest of the herd to the treeline. Lyra watched in horror as they pushed into the trees and she gave chase without thought to get them back into their field. She did not follow, though.

She watched, frozen in horror for what little she could see in the darkness of the monster, the dragon. He was cruel and slow and she was helpless to stop a painful death for the animal he'd chosen. How were they to lure a dragon away from their farm? Away from their cattle?

Stepping back out into the field towards her home proved a mistake as a sudden, sharp roar echoed across to her. The dragon's eyes were upon her again and with a few quick flaps he was off and racing straight for her. He thought the defiant little human would be a nice toy. As far as he was concerned everything was his.

Knowing she had no chance to outrun him in the open Lyra ducked back into the trees and darted away blindly into the darkness. The dragon's roar shook the very ground beneath her feet as she ran, the trees loud as they were buffeted by his wings. He kept trying to find an opening to dive in and grab her, but he wasn't finding any.

'Why do you run?' he taunted her.

Why? He was going to kill her and tear her to bits just like her poor animals! She didn't know how to communicate that without wasting her breath, but suddenly that choice was taken from her as she was yanked up by her hurt arm into the air.

She was tense and just waiting to be eaten, waiting for the searing pain of being bitten, but it never came. Instead he dangled her to drag against the treetops, bumping and bruising her along the way. When it seemed he'd tired of that, though, he dropped her and once she was on her feet she wasted no time in sprinting away blindly again despite the aching of her arm and cuts upon her body.

He let her get a bit of a lead, the chase was fun after all. He spurred her on by setting fire to a tree every now and then and causing the girl to shriek as they sizzled and popped. She was unknowingly being herded by the dragon, albeit lazily for he could have easily caught up to her.

With another roar he spouted a cone of fire that set a decent patch of trees ablaze. It was enough to make room for him as he dove once again to scoop her up. Lyra was left hanging and clawed at the dragon's paws even as he lifted her higher and higher. "Let go of me!" she growled fiercely, not realizing just how high above the trees he'd taken her.

'Let go? Are you sure?' He laughed and lowered his tormented little doll so she might turn and look down at the forest below her. She had but a moment to see the distance before she was thrown down and falling, the ground suddenly rising up to meet her before she skidded and rolled across it painfully.

All she felt was fire in her left leg as she struggled to stand with the wind knocked out of her. Xibalba lowered down to hover and watch, amused that his little toy was still alive and fighting to get up. Of course, he didn't warn her that she was crawling towards nothing and let out a cackling roar as Lyra once again fell. She was back in the hunter's pit, but she was far too dazed to realize it as that same flash of fire shot through her leg and a low burning coiled all around her. The hot wind buffeting across her back from the retreating dragon was the last thing she felt before she lost consciousness to the dark.

Rylan and his pack remained oblivious to the day-to-day routines of the human woman and her kind as they went about their own lives at their own pace. The demon did not concern himself with the details of life outside of his woods and therefore did not pay much heed to the presence of a particularly well-known dragon as long as said creature kept from disturbing the forest's balance too drastically.

Xibalba's roar sent many small beasts scurrying to their burrows and dens though. Even the wolves retreated at the mighty sound, but not Rylan. He had no quarrel with the enormous dragon as the pair had a tenuous agreement. However, experience had taught the demon never to trust too deeply so he followed the sounds of destruction to their source in order to ensure that promises made long ago were upheld.

The flames that licked the bark of the trees displeased Rylan as he worked to smother what fires he could to keep them from spreading too dangerously. Others though were left to burn and replenish the forest with the decay and regrowth of the foliage. It was the screams and shrieks that spurred him onward to see what prey Xibalba had taken an interest in this time. Those sounds were almost human and Rylan was displeased to learn the dragon had chased yet another destructive creature into his territory.

The demon arrived at the scene just in time to see the black scaly beast toss down the human woman as if she was nothing more than a tiny ball that eventually rolled itself right into a very familiar hunter's pit. Rylan approached the edge of the hole slowly from the opposite side to also look down at the dragon's prey. Seeing the same human girl who had managed to befriend his Wesser sparked a bit of his curiosity but he did not voice it with the dragon present.

Instead he raised his gaze to meet Xibalba's as his arms crossed firmly over his chest. "Not your usual prey," he called up to the somewhat retreating beast. "We had an agreement Xibalba. Setting my territory aflame is not upholding it, last I recall. Nor do I appreciate you driving one of them," he motioned with his chin in disgust towards the pit, "here. You know it will mean more of them."

The dragon craned his neck, halting his retreat to look at the familiar demon who was speaking to him. He touched down to land on the forest floor with a smokey snort and ruffle of wings as they folded down against his body.

Looking across the crude pit he could only smile with his eyes. It was rare for Rylan to confront him, though he supposed he'd certainly earned the audience for the path of destruction he'd carved through his land.

'It is not my concern what humans choose to do with their time,' he reminded him, though he was amused at the thought that his play with the girl would inconvenience the demon so horribly. It was laughable to him that anyone might care enough for a farmer's daughter to disturb his peace and forest so much.

'The girl interfered so I did what I had to.' He bent his head over the pit to peer down at her crumpled body, green eyes shining with amusement by the moonlight. 'I believe I've eliminated the problem for us both. You really should be thanking me.'

The demon refrained from commenting on the trouble humans could cause him as he knew the dragon would mock him for such weakness. However, he was not about to let every comment slide when Xibalba was just begging for trouble. "I must admit I find it hard to believe that such a tiny scrap of a nuisance could interfere in anything you did more than a common gnat. As it stands Xibalba you've broken my pack's favorite toy. I believe you have caused enough trouble for one visit. It is time for you to return home now. Toys can easily be replaced but dens less so and I'd rather not have to if it is all the same to you."

'Maybe I don't like gnats,' he taunted, though for the sake of their truce he was willing to let the matter go. He wasn't sure what the demon could possibly want with a mostly-dead human unless he planned to give her bones to his wolves as playthings. Then again, that wasn't such a bad idea.

'You think I'm going to mess with your little home,' he laughed, amused that the demon was so uncomfortable with him even being near the den, but he'd had his meal and had his fun tearing a path through his forests so he had no reason not to respect Rylan's wishes any longer. 'Until next time.'

With a great whoosh of air the dragon was airborne again with just a few flaps. A final cry of farewell trumpeted over the trees before he rose up high above them to disappear to the stars in the distance.

Rylan looked down at the human in disgust, although it was not due to her unfortunate birthright as a lesser species as the dragon might have but in displeasure at the misfortunes she had suffered at the dragon's claws. He kept silent in response to the dragon's taunting though, unwilling to admit his concerns over his den when there were pups expected on the way. The last thing he needed to deal with was an overly curious and destructive dragon wreaking havoc when he already had an overly-anxious alpha pair snapping at him and each other with every passing second.

The demon did acknowledge the dragon's departure though with a raised hand in farewell and a quiet blessing for clear skies. Only once the massive beast was truly gone did he sigh in relief and shake his head at the mess of things he would now have to deal with. He once more stared down at the woman, understanding that she was his first and foremost priority while still having no idea how to go about things concerning her.

The last time she had been in such a situation she had not been nearly as battered and had been conscious. He could tell from her seemingly pained breathing she was still alive but in her current state he would be unable to reach her either until she awoke or climbed in and got her himself. Rylan was not thrilled about the latter, though he feared waiting longer would cause her further injury.

With a grunt and a roll of his eyes, the demon gave in and jumped softly down into the basin of the pit. For several moments he observed her, warily as if expecting her to suddenly spring at him like any other caged and injured animal. Yet, when she made no move he settled into trying to determine the extent of her injuries so that he could best relocate her without causing further harm. Eventually though he did manage to lift her, clutching her close to his chest with one arm supporting her under her knees and the other about her shoulders. From there he easily leaped from the pit and up onto the solid ground again to take her back to the den for more thorough and proper care.

The voices above and in her head were so muffled, her head so cloudy even against the dragon's booming speech. It was an almost out of body experience to just lie there and feel pain and yet not be able to muster the strength to open her eyes or do anything else besides just breathe.

Barely conscious, she whimpered and whined for the gentle movements that lifted her. She didn't have the energy to thank her savior or even open her eyes to see who it was. But it felt familiar and somehow even smelled familiar among the forest.

Pain. Fire. It was everywhere and spreading quickly.

She wanted to curl up in a ball but everything hurt, everything burned. The flimsy bandaging from before barely clung to her arm, but being held against his chest helped it stay mostly together. It felt a bit numb, though, and the fog of her mind barely recognized her dislocated shoulder and the lashing cuts all over her arms and legs from being dragged through the trees. It was all just pulsing pain that seemed to grow more intense with every moment she became more awake and more aware.

More than that was the intense, stabbing heat radiating through her left forearm and right leg that she didn't quite realize yet was from broken bones. Curling her arm protectively against her stomach Lyra whimpered and cried for every jostle of her leg through their journey. By the end of it she was panting for breath and the sting of sweat upon her wounds made it all that much worse. It was all she could do to just grit her teeth against the wailing that threatened to spill from her lips, her instinct telling her that crying out would draw the dragon back to her to finish the job.

He was far from oblivious to her close presence within the cage of his arms. Her every pained whimper reached his sensitive ears make his teeth grind against each other harshly with displeasure. Unconsciously Rylan held the little human closer as if to protect her from more harm. She reeked of dirt, blood, and dragon, a scent that only became more cloying once they entered his den and they were confined by the cool stone walls. He did his best to ignore it though as he lowered her onto the pile of soft furs.

Her injuries were his first priority. The rest could wait until the dragon's damage had been treated. The demon ran his hands carefully yet firmly along her body, taking care as he encountered each broken bone or gash and the resulting sounds that came from her pain.

Near her head Wesser whimpered and groveled, worried about his human friend that seemed so miserable. He licked at her cheek and forehead several times despite Rylan's attempts to send him away the wolf always returned, determined to watch over the human until she was better.

Meanwhile Rylan did his best to re-bandage her old injury as well as treat her newer wounds. Gashes were cleaned out with cold water from the lake before being bandaged firmly closed. A cold compress was placed upon her brow in hopes of staving off the fever Rylan already suspected was setting in. It was the broken bones of her arm and leg though that concerned him the most. He knew they needed setting and bandaging, the sooner the better too. But, he feared more her lashing out in pain the moment he tried.

Stiffly and resolutely though he rose to find wood to make a proper splint first. He ensured she was covered and kept warm with Wesser at her head as a guardian and protector before he finally left her side to seek what she would need in order to heal and survive the night.

Somewhat soothed by the cool cloth against her skin and the unknown but familiar presence of Wesser, Lyra quieted a little, the crease of stress and pain upon her brow somewhat relaxing. The bandaging was easy to sit for, but as her more minor injuries were cleaned and their burning soothed the more major ones of broken bones seemed all the worse to make up for them.

Lyra grit her teeth against the pain, biting back the cries of pain she desperately to make for every little jostle or movement. With silent tears wetting her eyelashes she turned her head towards Wesser, seeking comfort in the absence of Rylan's presence as the patching of her injuries halted.

Everything felt so cloudy yet so sharp all at once, the distinct pain burning through her aches and bruises. There was still too much for her to open her eyes. Every little movement ripped a miserable, whimpering groan from her throat and she couldn't bear the thought of looking at what the source was just yet. Even so, it wasn't all choice. Everything felt so heavy, the smallest of adjustments feeling like a monumental effort.

Without the energy for much else the young woman quickly fell into a state of quiet murmurings instead, trembling slightly despite the covers over her as sleep started to claim her.

It took Rylan longer than he wished, but nearly as long as it felt to find what he needed and return to the injured woman's side. With as much care and swiftness as he could manage, he worked at putting splints on her broken limbs with the pieces of wood he had found and the furs he had at hand.

Once it was done and he had checked her over at least thrice, the demon finally gave up on his hovering and moved to sit behind her. Wesser's whining sounded for only a few moments before Rylan finally caved and scooped up the small human closer so that her head rested in his lap and the eager wolf could snuggle up against her side.

He did not understand what compelled to hold her as she rested. He certainly did not know what force demanded that he run his fingers through her hair much as he would to the wolves when they were unhappy and seeking comfort. So there he sat, staring down at the strange little female that kept causing trouble in his forest while Wesser rested his head on her chest and occasionally licked at her chin and cheeks.

Just as she'd begun to drift off she felt each twinge of pain as her limbs were moved. A deep frown was set upon her face, her lips parted and wishing to speak to stay the pain but too weak to do so. She was aware enough to understand it wasn't malicious, whatever he was doing as he set her bones, but she couldn't stop the small whimpers that escaped her for the more painful movements.

Suddenly, though, it stopped. She managed to breathe a sigh of relief, relaxing as her hair was petted and Wesser's warm body pressed against her. It was enough comfort for her exhausted body to drift off to sleep again, her rest deep and thankfully free of nightmares of the dragon that had nearly killed her.

When she awoke at last everything felt stiff and sore, a few fiery tendrils of pain shooting through her whenever she dared move one of her healing limbs. With a gasp and hiss her eyes flew open. Startled to see that the man with wolves was with her she looked around the den in a moment of panic, breathing shallow. It was vaguely familiar, though, and certainly wasn't the pit she'd been dropped into before so she began to relax just as quickly.

"That wasn't a dream, was it?" she moaned, gulping past her dry throat as she lifted her good arm to cradle her throbbing head.

As she awoke, Rylan remained still and silent. He was unwilling to startle or frighten her into causing herself further harm. Only when she spoke and moved to touch her head, did the demon finally uncurl from his position and gently bring a water-skin to her lips. Beside her Wesser whined softly and buried his nose under chin. The wolf knew better than to do more or else face another swat from Rylan who had already tried to pull the pup away twice since the human had first fallen asleep.

"Not a dream," he murmured back. "Drink and rest. You are injured."

Lyra gulped water greedily, her throat feeling painfully dry even once she'd had her fill. She realized after a few failed attempts at talking that it was hoarseness from her screams that wracked her throat with pain.

Her eyes observed the den blearily, noting that none of its inhabitants were in a panic. Everything was calm and quiet save for the sound of her own labored breathing and the soft whines of Wesser. She reached out with her good arm to ruffle the fur at his scruff weakly before turning tired eyes on Rylan.

"Is...that dragon gone?" She almost hated asking the question, a knot of anxiety curling in her chest already at the thought of the creature that had hurt her so badly. The last thing she wanted was to bring him back down upon the forest man and the wolves. "How did I get here? ...did you find me?"

Rylan hummed softly, bowing his head in the affirmative. "Aye, Xibalba's gone now. He's meted out his chaos and destruction for the next few decades on my lands. He is not likely to return again any time soon. You brought the dragon to lands he knows better than to tread upon so I came to protect that which is mine."

He shrugged then as if that explained everything. "You need rest. Wesser has not left your side for even a single breath. You have found yourself quite the little protector though I don't understand why."

Lyra sighed softly with relief, not really knowing why the dragon should have known better or why the forest man knew his name but thankful that trying to escape to the forest had certainly saved her life. Petting along Wesser's neck she smiled tiredly and giggled softly, only to whimper and stop abruptly when the movement aggravated the bruising along her ribs. "He's young," she managed after a moment's silence.

"I can tell you he certainly has no fear of me. Doesn't take me seriously at all," she added, affectionately scratching behind the wolf's ears and having no idea Rylan had already seen his playful antics with her of recent past.

Sure enough just the bit of talking she'd done was quickly exhausting her, the pull of sleep making her eyelids heavy as she settled into the quiet peace between their trio. "Thank you for helping me, even if it was Wesser's idea," she mumbled sincerely, trying desperately not to chuckle at her own joke.

"I'll nap for a bit," she spoke through a soft yawn. "And then I'll be out of your hair." Lyra didn't really feel or understand the extent of her injuries yet, though, too tired and weak to really test her body at all and oblivious to the changes in the air before the coming storm.

The demon blinked slowly at her commentary. Thinking on what she had said he found that she was not wrong and he told her as much. "Quite young," he intoned softly in his deep, growling voice. "He is a pup from a litter of another pack. He's spent much of his time with me, much to his detriment. Wesser still has much to learn."

At his name the wolf lifted his head, panting and smiling in his own fashion before returning his head to the woman's chest. Rylan watched it with a gentle fondness before his indifferent mask returned. He said nothing in response to her gratitude and instead rose to move back towards the cave entrance.

"Get sleep you can, little human. You need it to heal," he quietly ordered her as he watched the world outside become painted fresh and white with snow. Thick flurries danced from the sky and coated the earth in a soft cover. It would not be long before the ground was completely covered and frozen solid. Looking to the sky, Rylan knew this was only the warning flakes, a much bigger and stronger storm was on its way. It would likely be some time before his accidental guest would be returning home now.

She grunted at the gentle disturbance of her injuries from such small movements, whimpering softly before being quieted by Wesser's assuring licks to her chin. Lyra could barely make out Rylan's tall form at the entrance but was too delirious to think on what he might have been looking at. With her safety assured at least for the moment it was easier to relax and allow sleep to claim her once more with her new wolf companion at her side.

There were several days of slipping in and out of sleep ahead, the young woman only waking with blurry vision to take a sip of water before she was out once more. It was about a week after her incident with the dragon before she would awaken fully with whimpering cries for the intense burning in her limbs and ribs. She tried to sit up with the help of her good arm but it left her dizzy, her breathing shallow from her days of rest. Instead she ended up slumping forward, cradling her head in her hand as she studied her broken leg curiously with Rylan's splints of wood binding it together neatly.

She looked around with wide, questioning eyes as she tried not to panic while struggling to remember where she was and not quite realizing how much time had passed. "Wesser," she greeted softly, almost relieved to recognize the wolf that stood to cover her in kisses. She gingerly placed her good arm over his back, petting lightly at his fluffy coat as she bit back a cry of pain for moving her bad arm even only to curl it close against her body.

As quiet as she may have attempted to be, it did not escape the demon's sensitive hearing when she at last awoke again. He had come to her each time she stirred and so half-expected her to fade again after a few moments. Rylan had been able to make a broth for her to try and keep her fed and hydrated in the few waking moments she had between the fever dreams. He grabbed the bowl on his way to her and was surprised to hear her speaking and trying to move more than usual.

"Shh, shh, you must rest," he cautioned gently. "Let me help you sit up and then you can eat something." The bowl was placed by his knee as without waiting for her answer he pulled her up as carefully as he could to rest against slightly upright against his chest. "That alright? You have been asleep for quite some time now. Your body is not used to moving. You will have to be careful from here on."

The all-consuming burn had faded with her long rest but an uncomfortable warmth remained through her body as it tried to heal itself from the dragon's great wounds. She settled against Rylan with a whimper of discomfort, though she was happy to rest and allow him to shoulder some of her burden. Even such little movements had taxed her greatly, but she nodded and hummed her approval.

Her memories were fuzzy and jumbled together, a mess of fear, pain, and panic. The image of the large, black dragon flooded through it all, though. He'd been in the fields, in the air, and looming above her with a voice that boomed so loudly to the point of nearly physical pain even though he'd made hardly a sound. Xibalba...she didn't remember how she knew that name but she was certain it was the correct one. She didn't understand his magic or the way his kind communicated, all Lyra really understood was that it had been a terrifying nightmare of a night to live through.

"Just hurts," she complained softly, pouting and glaring at her injured arm as if to will it to stitch itself up faster. "Feels like fire...burns." It was the only explanation she could give at the time, still being a bit disoriented. "Where am I? Are we...safe here?"