Lunari
32
She will be his...
Wynfrid Beta and Hunter
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Lycus Wynfrid on Jun 29, 2020 16:01:25 GMT -5
Lycus may not have been as quick to admit it, but his thoughts were running parallel with her own. He'd taken down bears on his own before...yet this one was different. This was a whole new and different kind of dangerous, and he wouldn't have been able to finish this hunt on his own. There was a strange wildness in its black eyes, scary enough to even make this wolf a little hesitant.
But, he was brazen if only because it kept the beast away from Aspen, giving her the opening she needed.
Every second that passed, the grip on the axe tightened and adjusted. He was getting anxious now, feeling the need to strike heightening. He'd only glance over at Aspen briefly to see that she was trying to line up her shot, to see if he had to get the bear to move in a different direction. And finally, after a moment, the wolves had their prey right where they wanted it.
Suddenly, the creature was crying out, a noise that reverberated deep within Lycus' chest. It reared up frantically, and he knew he only had a few seconds before it was back down on all fours. Letting his fingers around the handle loosen just slightly, he said a quick prayer before coiling back his arm. Using all the strength he had, Lycus threw the axe forward where it spiraled blade over end a couple of times until the beast's sudden roar was near silence with a sharp cry of pain.
The animal staggered, its dark eyes wide with surprise before its massive form fell back onto the cold earth with a loud thump. It wasn't dead, but it was severely wounded and could barely struggle to get back up onto its paws. His axe was embedded right where its throat met its chest, and it would need a final blow.
Attempting to catch his breath, Lycus slowly approached his sister before an arm swept towards the bear, offering her the chance to end the poor creature's misery. She could stake claim to this one.
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Lux
28
Are you worthy?
Wynfrid Beta Hunter/Warrior
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Aspen Wynfrid on Jul 9, 2020 23:08:48 GMT -5
It was perfection. Everything had lined up perfectly and Lycus was delivering the blow they needed, and not a second too soon. Aspen smiled at her brother at the beast lay on the ground, huffing loudly. Folk from the other kingdoms might have been sickened at the way the bear now lay, severely wounded, all but dead. It seemed cruel from an outside perspective, but it would not be allowed to suffer.
When Lycus gestured, Aspen moved forward and stood close to the creature, removing her ax from her belt and holding it loosely at her side. The bear looked up at her, defeated with an almost sad expression. She gave the creature a sympathetic gaze before gentle words filled in the silence that seemed deafening after the bear's roar. "Þjáist ekki meira, dýr jarðarinnar." She held out her ax, rotating it in her hand so that the side of the double-sided blade could be used as a hammer to drive Lycus's ax in further. There was a brief cry from the animal before she removed her brother's ax from the bear's hide and then, it was quiet. With the animal now dead, Aspen looked to her brother, handing him back his ax before she fell to her knees at the animal's side, her hands running through his fur. She looked up at her brother then, motioning for him to join her.
When he finally took his place next to her, she closed her eyes, face tilting to the sky. "We honor you for the sacrifice you have made this day. May your spirit rest with the Earth, knowing that your body has provided and fulfilled its purpose in this life. We praise you for your good fight, beast." Finishing, she looked to her brother as she returned her own ax to her belt. "This one shall be fun to drag to the homestead." She said with a chuckle.
[Þjáist ekki meira, dýr jarðarinnar - "Suffer no more, beast of the earth."]
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Lunari
32
She will be his...
Wynfrid Beta and Hunter
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Lycus Wynfrid on Jul 30, 2020 16:10:44 GMT -5
All creatures deserved to live. And sometimes, that required sacrifices. But the Wynfrid did not simply kill for sport. Although this bear had been traveling too close to home, threatening their clan, the siblings still held a large amount of respect for it. It was a living, breathing creature just as they were, and it was giving its life to them so that they could further survive the harsh winter.
His head bowed, but bright eyes remained upon the bear as his sister approached, and he repeated her words of prayer quietly. Aspen put the beast out of its misery so it would suffer no further after its final cry echoed into nothing. Then he was tiredly falling down onto his knees, taking his bloodied ax back. Although the hunt was quick, it had been a challenging one, and he knelt there in front of the beast beside his sister and listened her to speak. Lycus would turn away after, casually leaning against the bear and its warmth, fingers running along its fur. He chuckled lowly at her comment. "We might need to get a horse...or more help." The bear was a big one and he wasn't sure how much he really wanted to try dragging it back just the two of them.
Leaning his head back, he let out a heavy sigh as he gazed up through the canopy. This hunt had managed to drive away his worried thoughts, of the things that were to come, but now that they had slowed down, the concern was beginning to swarm back. "I'm proud of you," he said quietly, lowering his face to look at her once more. Perhaps his words were a bit out of the blue, but he wanted to say them anyway. "I hope you know that."
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Lux
28
Are you worthy?
Wynfrid Beta Hunter/Warrior
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Aspen Wynfrid on Aug 16, 2020 19:31:06 GMT -5
"We may need two horses." Aspen laughed with her brother, her eyes rolling slightly. She took a place next to him, sitting as he leaned against the bear's body, letting her hands fall into her lap as the adrenaline faded and her heartbeat settled. At Lycus's sigh, Aspen looked up at him, giving him a curious, yet hardened expression. When he spoke, meeting her eyes, she smiled, looking away, a soft chuckle escaping her before they were cut off by his next statement. Pressing her lips into a hard line, she stood, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder firmly. "And I of you, brother." She said genuinely, her eyes locked onto him. She lifted her chin as her hand fell back at her side. "You will make for a mighty Wynfrid Chieftain one day, my brother." Then, she placed her right fist over her heart. "And I will follow you. Always." She said to him, her bright blues studying him closely.
She was honest with the words she spoke to her big brother - of course she was! But they were also testing the waters. It was clear that something was distracting him, or at the very least, bothering him. She also knew that it wasn't always easy to get him to spill the beans, either. It seemed to be even more difficult to get him to let her in these days, but Aspen was a patient woman. Her brother would confide in her when he wanted to. That much she knew for certain.
She looked to the beast then, placing her pale hands against her hips. "I think the clan will want to celebrate this kill tonight. And we have plenty to feast on!" She said excitedly as her arms reached above her head. She almost looked reminiscent of a small, excited child in that moment. But Aspen loved the celebrations. She loved it when the entire clan came together because she loved their clan so dearly. But right now, there was a task at hand. She turned back to Lycus. "Shall we get the horses then?" She smiled brightly, clasping her hands together in anticipation.
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Lunari
32
She will be his...
Wynfrid Beta and Hunter
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Lycus Wynfrid on Aug 30, 2020 12:07:04 GMT -5
Lycus chuckled at the mention of needing two horses. Giving a glance back at the large beast he was currently still leaning against casually, as though it were an everyday normal thing, he nodded. Yes, they were probably going to need more than one horse to drag this bear back. Another thing he should have thought about, just like he should have thought to bring a spear or two as well. He really didn't know where his mind was at today, clearly not completely in the present.
He was slowly beginning to remember the damned pact he had made, what he was going to have to do, and those words spoken to his sister had not only been because he believed them and that he wanted her to know any chance he could, but they were also spurred on by guilt. He was lying to her, he was lying to them all...but, despite his intentions, he was not betraying them. In the end, he could only pray the clan saw it that way.
Forcing a smirk onto his face, he tapped her hand lightly as it went to his shoulder before she was pulling it away; telling him that she would always follow him. It was like a knife was jabbed into his stomach and twisted violently. What if you change your mind later, dear sister...after you learn of what I have done? That thought kept him silent, eerily so, knowing she would not pressure him for answers. Not yet, at least.
The smile eventually grew and he was slowly looking more like himself. Shoving the bad ideas aside, he climbed up to his tall stature and regarded the bear once more. "We certainly do," he noted. No one would be hungry tonight, that was for certain! Lycus laughed quietly again at seeing her childish excitement. "Aye, we best get to it before some other animals try staking their claim." Nor should they leave the poor creature there for very long, even in the middle of winter.
He approached her, gently grasping the back of her head so that he could draw her in close for a firm kiss against her forehead. Then he prepared to head back to camp. Should he receive the honor of becoming the next Alpha some day, Lycus was going to be damn sure that his sister got the recognition that she deserved. In some ways, he idly thought that perhaps she was better equipped to lead their people than he was.
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Lux
28
Are you worthy?
Wynfrid Beta Hunter/Warrior
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Aspen Wynfrid on Apr 25, 2021 12:54:30 GMT -5
That forced smirk, the way he remained silent in those few moments, it was enough to really confirm what she'd known since his withdrawal into himself; there was something he wasn't telling her. But she wouldn't ruin the excitement of their hunt with pestering questions. She much preferred the free-spirited nature of their interaction to the coldness that would follow should she press him for answers he wasn't ready - or willing - to give. So, despite her better judgement, she left it alone, feeling relief when he did finally speak again. She agreed with a single nod, beginning to turn on her heel before she paused as he approached.
The sibling intimacy they shared in the smallest moments always resonated at her core, solidifying their bond further just when it seemed the two of them could not be any more attached at the hip than they seemed to be. The Wynfrid siblings were a renowned pair; an unstoppable force when they worked together and certainly a duo none should ever cross with ill-intent. If no one else knew that, the people of their clan definitely did. Even if those very same people may whisper nasty things - especially of Aspen's headstrong disregard of rule and tradition - they both still demanded respect, even from each other. Still, there was a unmistakable love in the way he kissed her forehead firmly, her blue eyes closing as she hummed her contentment. She patted his cheek gently as he pulled away. While there were so many things she might've asked her brother in these moments alone, she kept them to herself, something that wasn't common for the Wolfess.
She turned on her heel only when he'd dropped his hand from behind her head, beginning the walk back at a leisurely pace as blue eyes scanned the area around them. Even in their own territory, it wasn't wise to let their guard down. It was even more a danger to be too relaxed since far too many wild beasts had been skulking close to their homestead as of late. Though, she knew there was nothing that could hinder them for long if they were together. "Bróðir?" She turned her face to him. "Whatever plagues you, I hope you know that when the time comes, I will face it with you." Her loyalty to him was unfaltering, much the same as her loyalty to their people. She did not doubt he knew that, but she knew that sometimes it was something he needed to hear.
[Bróðir - "Brother"]
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Lunari
32
She will be his...
Wynfrid Beta and Hunter
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Lycus Wynfrid on Apr 28, 2021 20:40:33 GMT -5
It wasn't like him to keep anything from Aspen, so the fact that he was doing so now wasn't settling well with him. But she couldn't know about this. Certainly she would talk him out of it, and perhaps even call him a traitor despite everything that he was doing was for their people. Not himself. Lycus had a habit of sounding full of himself, but he loved his clan, and he was willing to do whatever it took to keep them safe. More than half the time, he didn't believe he would be good enough to lead them.
However, with Aspen beside him, he thought he could. He thought he could do anything- crazy, dangerous, or otherwise. She was his foundation, his voice of reason whenever he needed it (whether she knew that or not)...yet, right now, he couldn't risk hearing it. He needed to listen to himself and that was all. The wolf just silently prayed she would one day forgive him and understand why he had to do what he was about to.
Because he was certainly going to do it.
'Bróðir?
He almost didn't look to her, as if he was anticipating a sudden slew of questions. There was no way that Aspen didn't know something was wrong with him, that his head was so full of thoughts, and he was surprised she hadn't asked him about it. So, Lycus hesitated to shift those bright blues sidelong to her, only for his expression to soften even more at what she said.
He wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her everything again.
"Ég veit," he said quietly, smiling lightly again. This time, it wasn't that forced but it was still laced with that tinge of sadness. I can only hope you will not abandon me, sister. Drawing in a deep breath of the cold, wintry air, he let it out slowly as they began on their way once more. Tonight, the clan would feast and he would try to forget his worries and secret for a short time.
*"I know."
[ end scene ]
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