Lost in the Dark ( open RP )

Ere is sucking him when he pulls away and starts down her body she growls softly at him and makes an attempt to roll him to his back so she can continue what she was doing.

Edouard was irked; he couldn't recall saying "Let's do it your way", although he might have thrown her a little latitude. Whatever, the mood was destroyed for that moment. Maybe later. He sat on the bottom corner of the bed and exhaled loudly; getting up, he pulled up a pair of leggings and wriggled into a rough shirt. Wordlessly, he went out to the shop and fired up his furnace; a little productive work would do wonders for him and, in some odd way, maybe for Ere as well, although in her case more for its insulative qualities. He had no reason to question her commitment or her initiative but two people often benefit as much from separation as from togetherness. Soon the fire was hot; he drew the Laird's blank down from the rafters....

Ere sighed as he walked away and picked up her small bag heading out in any direction but here, she wanders around for a bit before deciding to make tracks in a westward direction doing her very best to keep his place to her back. She needs to get back to where her mate was and her cubs, she wonders if the male will even bother to follow her or make an attempt to find her. It was kinda nice having the companionship but she was not going to be used as a toy to get off to, she had her own will and her own wants that need to be taken care of. She huffs softly and finds a small cavern to duck into and get some rest, wrapping a cloak around herself and falling asleep rather quickly hoping that the morning will bring good things.

Edouard had worked well into the night on the Laird's claith mhor but got the armorer's portion finished, and did a fast quench as he killed his furnace. Tomorrow it'd go to the silversmith for plating and finishing, then to the caisseur for a scabbard and grips.

When he went back into the house Ere was not there; there was no evidence she'd done anything since he'd gone out to the shop. She'd probably had a little snit, he thought. Oh well. Choosing to bathe in the morning - fine work was very tiring - he climbed into his suddenly-less-entertaining bed and was asleep in less than a minute.

Waking to an already-high sun - and still no Ere - he filled the tub and warmed the water impatiently. A quick bath, a bit of greased bread and he was off with the sword to town....

Ere woke up to find that she had company in the small cave she had chosen to sleep in for the night,curled up with her were 4 small wolf cubs very much like the ones she lost,she moves slowly away from the babies knowing that their mother would probably be returning at any moment, she slipped out of the cave and went a short distance away to watch for the mother's return, she could not just leave the little guys alone ,what if she never comes back for them? Ere sighs and sits down on what looks to be a path, she intends to follow the path as soon as she knows if the cubs will be okay.

Some time later she begins to wander a bit staying close to the path but not getting to close to the cubs. She does not wish to jump the gun and assume their mother is dead if she has had to go further to hunt than normal for some reason. As she wanders she spots in a small crevice a gray furred lump, she climbs down into the small crevice that is only as high as her waist and takes a look, it is a female wolf, that looks to have had cubs recently, she kneels next to her and checks her over, she is still breathing softly and Ere lays her hands on the wolf sending mental calming and listening to the she wolf , her budding druid skills not allowing her to do much more at this point than send energies to calm and to speak to some creatures. All she is able to glean is that the cubs in the cave are hers. Ere takes off her cloak and carefully moves the momma wolf to her cloak and lifts her out of the crevice.

She uses the cloak to half carry half drag the she wolf back to the cave and to her cubs. Pulling some deer jerky from her pouch she slowly feeds the momma wolf as her cubs crowd around her. Ere looks her over for wounds finding a small bullet wound she carefully cleans the wound and then frowns unable to get to the bullet. She stands covering the momma and her cubs with her cloak she whispers" I will be back"

Ere heads off to get back to Edouard, maybe he can help her to help the wolf..She makes marks on the tree's as she goes so she knows how to get back to where she was, She approaches Edouard's house just in time to see him heading out she calls to him but she is somewhat quiet.

Edouard heard the woman behind him and turned, saying "Hello, Ere" but was quickly told, before he could further speak, about Ere's encounter in the forest. He heard her out, and when she stopped, said, "I will see what I can do. There used to be a bounty on wolves in this shire, but people were abusing it, as people will, bringing dead wolves in and collecting the silver. Take me to the... injured wolf." He followed her as she read the trail-marks and together they reached the little cave; the scene was as Ere had described.

Edouard sensed the kinship Ere felt with the woodland creatures, and disquieting though he found it, agreed against all his instincts to help. "Stay here with them", he said. "I'll go hitch the donkey to the cart and we'll bring them to a better place to help them, if we can." He went back along the new-cut trail and prepared the cart. The donkey was beginning to behave strangely and Edouard suspected she'd come into heat; when they got back he'd unhitch her and take her to the founder's place next door.

When he returned to the small cave, Ere had the five wolves ready to go. Together they loaded them on the cart and, with Ere riding with the wolves, returned to the house.

Once she explained to him the situation including the cubs, she led the way back to the she wolf and her cubs. The cubs where whimpering and nosing at their mother, who only growled softly not even lifting her head when Edouard entered the small cave, Ere calmed her with a quiet touch and soft whispers. " he is here to help..if is okay"

When he prepared to leave Ere nodded softly moving rather quickly as soon as he left to bundle the cubs up with their mother and check on her injuries again speaking softly to keep her as calm as she can. The she-wolf is breathing a bit quieter with every breath and Ere is almost certain that she will not last much longer. Ere prays silently to Ellistraee and kneels next to the wolves.
She does her best at helping Edouard load them in the cart and scrambles into the back with them but scooting close enough that she can place a hand on Edouard's hand as well a silent thanks for helping her. " sorry to be such a bother..just the cubs, remind me of my own babies..and I know I should have said so before but I can sometimes speak to the animals and the plants around me, it is part if my druidess training I was in before I was kidnapped. It came quite in handy sometimes with the drow..the rats told me how to get out and what ways were unguarded.. if I focused I could probably even tell who shot this she-wolf and put her cubs at such a risk.." she lightly runs her thumb across the top of his hand hoping he understands what his help means to her and what it means for him.

Edouard was skeptical about whether the mother wolf was going to make it; it had been his experience, what he'd had of it, that injured wolves with cubs would nurse them almost 'til death, and this one was making no effort to do that. There was no doubt, however, that the woman, Ere, had greater familiarity with the situation than he did. She knew where things were around the homestead and he had things to do. He told her he was going over to his neighbor, the founder's, to get his donkey bred (most likely) and would be back soon.

He loosed the donkey from the cart and led her over to the founder's yard, tying her to a stake used for that purpose and walked into his neighbor's shop; he was pouring castings for... somebody... and Edouard waited patiently on the side. When the pour was finished he said, "She's ready, if you want to bring your stud donkey over to the stake; I've tied her up there." The founder put down his ladle and removed the cloths he'd wrapped around his head to protect him from the heat. With a smile he said, "Sure, let's go watch 'em have a little fun!" and let his donkey, who'd already snapped to what was going on, out of the small barn and led him over to the breeding stake.

The male licked her vulva a couple of times, rubbed his face on her rump, then leaned his chin on her haunches and levered himself atop her. He encunted her nice as you please, and within four or five stiff thrusts had accomplished his purpose; excess come dripped all over when he withdrew. "You can leave her if you want, Ed, I'll let him have another go at her later, just to be sure...." said the founder, Ford. "All right." said Edouard and returned to his place to see how Ere was doing with the wolves.

Ere unable to get the bullet out herself was somewhat upset that he brought them back and then left but she simply took some bread and water and mashed it up seeing if the cubs would eat it. They devoured the soft food and for the first time she had some hope that all was not lost.

Ere checked on the she wolf again and sighed finding her no longer breathing she carefully carried her out to the garden area and lays her on the ground leaving the cubs inside with the pan of food and her cloak to lay on.

She kneels next to the body and begins a passage ritual speaking softly in her drow tongue. "Ellistraee mrigg nindol athiyk nau'thal ilta wund l'menvis sslig'ne ilta 'zil il passes wund l'huthin tresk'ri lu'qualla belbau ilta gre'as'anto nindel ilta cubs orn tlu si" ((Ellistraee guide this spirit lead her into the path protect her as she passes into the next world and please give her peace that her cubs will be okay))
Finishing her ritual she looks up and then stands heading back inside when he returns she will ask where she can bury the she wolf. Returning to the cubs Ere cuddles them close and soothes them the best she can hoping they will make it without their mother.
The cubs remind her of her own and she thinks back to how her mate was and how he took her,holding her down, pounding into her from behind and biting her shoulder..she bites her lip wondering if perhaps she was to hard on Edouard with what she expected from him. She was willing to try again to see if maybe they could do well together. The question would be ..is he?

When Edouard returned from the breeding, he saw Ere standing near the garden over the dead wolf, seemingly in some ceremonial trance. Without announcing himself he went into the tool-shed and got a well-made spade and returned, waiting for Ere to finish up. When she did, he went to a suitable spot and began to dig a hole. Dead wild animals were usually left to nature's scavengers but he could tell the woman would feel that was not "appropriate", so he'd bury her, maybe about three feet deep. If he didn't, one of the local weasels would see her as a windfall and call in his family for an unexpected winter feast. He didn't know precisely how Ere would react, but his guess was: not well.

He dug the hole three feet by a foot and a half by three feet, and was seriously huffing and puffing when he'd finished. Walking over to the cistern, he rinsed off his hands and drew a couple of handfuls of water to drink. By then Ere had the she-wolf in the hole and he filled it in on top of her, from time to time patting it down with the flat of the spade. "There." he said and went indoors.

Ere slowly approached Edouard and looked quietly at him. Saying a silent thank you with her eyes she steps closer to him pulling him against her slightly. " I am sorry.. I don't know what got into me..will you forgive me?.." She looks up at him quietly her lavender eyes huge. She kneels at his feet waiting for him to reject her and send her away or to accept her apology.

Inside the house the wolf cubs are sleeping on her cloak in his kitchen. The smallest a pale gray female wakes up and sniffs around looking for her mother. Finding just her siblings and a strange place she sets up a small ruckus howling cutely . Ere does not hear the pups at first , staying at Edouard's feet waiting quietly for his reply.

^ Great sound effects - I love it! ^

Edouard was a bit put off by Ere's abjectly-submissive stance. There were some cultural aspects of Ere's "upbringing" which he found... disquieting. As is common with men, he saw issues in black and white, while her perceptions were laden with nuance. Initially, he saw Ere as a very different woman from the one she turned out to be, and he was having some difficulty turning that corner - but he'd determined not to let it be a lack of effort - as he perceived it - that got in their way.

Reaching a hand to Ere, he said, "Come. Let's go inside!"

Edouard knew that dogs were basically "tamed" from wolves; lore was full of anecdotes regarding the transition of lupecines into useful (to Man) dogs. He could very well use a dog around - but four? They'd see.

Ere nods softly and stands following him inside , only then does she notice the smallest female howling. She kneels down and soothes the pup getting her settled with her siblings and watching Edouard a bit.

" I would say they are about 5 weeks old..they can eat some normal food if we get some meat I can make stew for them and some for you as well..I think we need to talk though..obviously if we are going to be around one another there are things to work out..unless you would rather I leave and take the pups with me.
I was enjoying the companionship. I do however understand if you would rather have your life back to normal and not have some half breed drow that was raised by human's ruining your life." She sits down next to the pups quietly waiting for some sort of reply.

"I took an oath one time, years and years ago, to always be true to my word; it's all a man has in this world, really - and no matter what, I shall be false to neither!" Edouard said. "Whatever brought you and me together - fate, accident, the greater good - we talked and I said you'd have a place here, long as you wanted. There's no obligation of any kind, but you always will! My life has never been 'normal' but that's likely true of most men. We all do the best we can as much as we can; that's all we can do!"

"Now, what do you plan to do with the four wolves?"

Ere looked at him then stood up running over and giving him an impulsive kiss on the cheek and hugging him. She turns back to the pups a moment and then eyes him.
" At 6 weeks of age they can be taught the basics of hunting, and at 6 months they can make it on their own, or we could find people that need guard dogs and give them each one cub..you could keep 1 if you wanted..if I were to keep one it would be the runt of the little pack..she is so sweet..however it is your home..and I do not wish to upset the balance any more than I already have.."

She see's the pups starting to stir a bit and goes back to them snuggling the 4 of them close, keeping them quiet and calm, she picks up the smallest girl and hands her to Edouard. " Isn't she the sweetest thing? " When he takes the cub she nuzzles him and gives his hand a lick her green eyes looking almost into his soul.

Edouard took the little wolf in his hand; so different she seemed to be from the ravenous wolves who often terrorized whole communities! There was no "wildness" that seemed to be in this little creature, only pure energy - she couldn't be still! He knew that Ere would know what to do with her as far as raising her was concerned - and her siblings. He motioned Ere over and just held her; how long he didn't know and didn't care.

Ere smiles at Edouard and cuddles closer to him the cubs all snuggling up in and around the pair, she closes her eyes and drifts to sleep laying against Edouard. She mummers softly in her sleep , holding him against her somewhat, opening her eyes she looks up at him holding him and quietly checking on the little ones that have nestled up around them.

Ere slips away a moment and makes some breakfast for Edouard and herself as well as making some bread and milk for the pups. Hard boiled eggs and toast for herself and Edouard. She cleans up the kitchen area and moves to bring Edouard his breakfast. "what is the plans for today my companion?"

"Well," Edouard said, "I've got to get my donkey back before she smiles herself to death! When I go over to get her I'll check on the castings I ordered; if they're ready, then I really have work to do; all three pieces have to be hand-forged before I can begin to put their finish on them - and I have Lodge tonight! What are you going to be doing?"

He began to put things away while Ere answered, then looked in the closet to make sure his lodge clothes were ready to be worn. He turned to look at her - always a pleasant sight!

Ere bites her lower lip and pulls her hair down out of the ties she had it held back with, allowing it to cascade down her back showing that it falls almost to her waist in waves of flowing silver. She smiles at him and moves to lay the cubs back on her cloak.
" Well I need to make a box or some sort of crate to contain these 4 so they do not chew everything you own to pieces..do you know where I can purchase or get some lumber or something? I also need to bake some bread and maybe hunt us up some rabbits so we can make some stew for the pups and ourselves..I am capable of hunting on my own..do you need my help with anything?" she looks to him and lightly licks her lips enjoying the view and thinking a bit.

She smooths her dress and then looks down at what she has on. " I also need to go find myself some other garments to wear ..I lost most of what I owned when they kidnapped me and killed my family.. I can sew though so really all Io need is some fabric and thread I can make my own patterns..I keep things simple as you can see from what I have on now."

She shrugs a bit and pulls out a pouch with a bit of a grin. " the rats assisted me in managing to 'borrow' some gold and silver from the drow before I escaped.. I only feel bad that the male they allowed to count their money for them was blamed for the theft.. the drow stole everything I had so this is kinda a re-payment of sorts. Tonight I am also hoping to moon dance.. if there is a clearing nearby a pond, lake or river in which I can see the moon and dance naked to worship Ellistraee. " looks away and blushes slightly at the thought he may watch her dance naked.

"Hmm...." said Edouard. "I've got some crating lumber; it's a necessity in my business. I could knock together a box, say a yard square, walls a foot high, mitered corners, quarter-round gussets" - he's plotting it out loud - "would it need to be shellac'ed or painted?"

Without awaiting an answer, he rambles on: "There is a lake less than a mile from here, pretty good-sized one, meadows on two sides. We have a coven of witches in the area, they hang out near the lake. You may have to share their territory, but that's probably not unworkable." He quits flapping his gums a moment, imagining in his mind's-eye Ere's breasts swaying in the moonlight. Of course, he has Lodge tonight, and he's Senior Deacon and has to do the Middle Chamber Lecture on a new Brother. Oh well, no escaping that. Wait, could the Junior Warden fill in? He did it twice last year... no, no, a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.

He rubs his chin, knowing he'll have to shave before Lodge. "I don't know your finances, but there's a resale shop in town... you'll have to get to know your way around there, but of course not overnight...." Once again, the mental picture of moonbeams dancing across Ere's body intrudes, and is banished - just not immediately....

"Can you ride? You can take the donkey into town to pick up the things you need - there's a trail that goes past Ford's place, you stay on it and it's only a quarter-mile. I'll be busy in the shop for at least an hour or two...."

Edouard thinks: if the donkey's in foal he'll have to begin easing up on her, but that'll be a few months, now. "What about that box? Did the way I described it seem like it'd work?"

Ere blinks up at him her violet eyes wide,she seems to shake herself out of a daze , giving him a smile. "A crate about 3 ft by 3 ft by 2 foot high is what I used for my cubs kept them from getting into trouble. They would have needed a bigger crate as they grew, but that worked when they were as small as these 4 are.No need to treat the wood as they may chew on it and we would not want them getting sick. "

She contemplates sharing land with a coven of witches and moon dancing naked where she may be seen and purses her lips glancing at Edouard a moment. "um.. anything else nearby? Even a small creek would work..I dance for my goddess and worship her chanting and sometimes singing, not so sure the witches would want a druid Ellistraee follower tainting their sacred grounds. I just need something that is big enough to reflect a bit of moonlight.I usually dance sometime between midnight and sunrise. When the moon is on the way down things are usually safer for dancing naked, you could join me after your lodge thing if you liked."

At the question if she can ride or not she nods softly" I can but isn't she in heat? I would hate to have something happen while in town from some random male mule or a horse..you would not want her getting pregnant from something other than the stud you took her to yesterday. I can always walk, it is how I am used to getting around. " she steps close to him , standing on tiptoe she moves and makes an attempt to kiss his cheek softly.

Smiling, Edouard holds still for the kiss; he'd be a fool not to! He's glad he checked back with Ere about the dimensions of the box for the young wolves; if he hadn't, it would have been obsolete the day it was built!

It was smart of her to reject using the same land for her religious activities as the local witches; although he's quite unfamiliar with the beliefs of either body, he sees now that just regarding both groups as pagans was short-sighted and potentially disastrous!

Amazed that Ere would "invite" him to the ceremonial after Lodge, he takes the same tack as he did with the kiss, except perhaps not quite so crassly. While it would be a little gauche to be so venal as to hustle over to the brook-and-pond so as not to miss a single square inch of naked skin, the fact remains that he sees Ere as an eminently desirable woman, and he understands that, the two living in the same house, albeit with four wolves (!), Nature will take Her course unless he screws it up, from her point of view at least, and things will be better for everyone if She does!

Edouard just naturally assumed that once the donkey had been bred, especially twice (or maybe even more), she'd surely be in foal - but he remembered once she had trouble getting pregnant and needed a repeat "treatment" and is glad Ere pointed that out. Definitely handy to have her around, even if kid gloves are necessary with her handling!

He goes out to the shop and sorts through his crating lumber - he'll need more - to find the sizes he needs to make a box twice as high as he'd estimated....

Ere smiles at Edouard , looking up at him her mind wandering a bit to what it would be like for him to watch her dancing. "you know there can be gaps in the wood as long as they are no more than 3 inches apart."
She hopes that she and Edouard can get closer in more than just a vertical fashion, he seems to be a very sweet man so far.

Grabbing her small bag of 'borrowed' coins she starts off on foot into town the journey not taking her nearly as long as she had anticipated. She easily found the re-sale shop after asking one man, he gave her a look though and she knew she best hurry and get what she needs and get back to Edouard's most hate drow based upon how the majority of them act.

Once in the shop she shows the owners her bag of gold and they nod softly staying away from her as she shops. She picks up some corsets in several different materials , most of them black or shades of gray, one of them is a bright red. Grabbing 2 long black skirts and 1 semi sheer white nightgown she bundles them up and takes them to pay for them, the people look at her surprised she will actually be paying for the clothing. She quickly heads out of town and back to Edouard's hoping that she can get away before someone alerts the town authorities and they hassle her.

Half way back to Edouard's she hears fast galloping horses and ducks into the wooded area to watch. A lawman on a horse passes and she quickly makes her way to Edouard's heading back to his shop she knocks on his door softly hoping not to upset him.

"Come on in, Ford! What, is your donkey horny again?" Edouard sounds off, not looking up immediately. When he does, he's astonished to see it's not Ford, the only person other than himself who's ever been in his shop - but Ere! He says, "Oh, I've just got all the sides and the bottom done for this box; all that's left is to join them!" He clamps one side in a miter box and takes out a combination saw. Looking up, there is something in her expression that he's never seen on her before, and it worries him. "What's the matter - is there something wrong?" Placing his tools down he awaits her response....

Ere takes a moment to catch her breath and then tells him what happened in town speaking so fast she can not even gather what she said to him, even though she just said it. She pauses and takes another couple of slow deep breaths before speaking.

"Sorry for bothering you.....I um.. when I went into town I bought some clothes but everyone there was looking at me like I was going to eat their children.. After I left town I seen a lawman following after me and I hid, do..do you think they are looking for me? I done nothing wrong..I paid for my things I even have a receipt.. I just know many times I have been judged not for who I am but what I am.. I do not want to bring trouble to you..wha..what should I do?" She is shaking like a leaf in a wind storm as she looks from him to the door.

She is obviously torn between wanting to stay here with him and with wanting to run away and keep trouble from his door. She looks from him to the door then at the floor and back to him. When her eyes meet his , he may see a bit of a unexpected emotion.