Slave to the Moon [Goblin]

[Juno]

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.

[GoblinFae]

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.

[Juno]

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.

[GoblinFae]

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.

[Juno]

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."

[GoblinFae]

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."

[Juno]

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."

[GoblinFae]

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."

[Juno]

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.

[GoblinFae]

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."

[Juno]

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.

[GoblinFae]

"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."

[Juno]

"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."

[GoblinFae]

"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."

[Juno]

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.

[GoblinFae]

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.

[Juno]

"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.

[GoblinFae]

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.

[Juno]

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."

[GoblinFae]

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."