He knew too well that she'd say nothing... but he let her leap into the lead. He laughed, looked to the sun once more before giving chase. He didn't want to race so much as run, but if he could keep her happy then all the better for it. The tracks were easy enough to follow and he gained on her, just enough to be sure she didn't run headlong into danger.
His breath brushed over her flank as he joined her now, but still let her have the leave. He could watch her run, admire her grace and fluidity of motion...
... he grinned. Perhaps they could spend a little more time as the wolf. Spend the night. Later.
The run was thrilling. He was behind her. That was even moreso. She had no thoughts bothering her at the moment. Not when all her senses were filled with the pounding earth and his footfalls. Instinct was keeping her focused. For Kiko there was no past or no future there was only this instant.
Well, some part of her brain was considering just what he would do if she stopped short. If he would be able to react fast enough. And, well, as soon as she thought it...
Kiko came to a dead stop her forelegs all stiff and her head thrown up.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Grayell ducked fast and tried to slow himself but only managed to spin on the wet grass, taking out her rear legs and both of them spilling in a pile. He rolled from one side to the other and then lifted his head, looking at her, panting.
He was smiling, but his eyes were curious.
Hmmm. We have trackers to catch. But...
He rose to his feet and uttered the slightest growl at her ear.
I want you like this. Us both.
He stepped past her though, nose picking up the tracks once more. His ears pricked and his head lifted, eyes on their intended path.
She tumbled over with the collision, hit the ground and rolled in the tangle of limbs. She was delighted, her ears and tail said as much. They weren't flattened or tucked, but twitching.
Yes. They had trappers to catch.
Right now, she did not care. She wanted to see him plant his nose in her face, push her down to the ground. Her voice was just this side of wild, too, when she spoke up.
Then. We should run faster.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
He whined, looked at the trail again, the back to her. His tail swished side to side and then stalled... damn he was torn.
But they had time for them later. He winked at her as he broke into a run again and this time didn't wait for her to be on her feet. He laughed, paws tearing up small clumps of mossy grass as he tore down the slight incline and onward.
She scrambled up off the ground as he took off. Kiko chased him down the incline, her feet skimming over the grass he tore up. This game was endlessly fun. There were no more thoughts for a long while after that. Kiko stayed on his flank and watched him run.
He was strong, powerful, and fast. All qualities the wolf admired and the woman loved to see.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
They ran for a time and Grayell eventually slowed... as the tracks before them did. The ground was wet here, the cart wheels were throwing less mud about. They'd slowed for some reason and might be close.
He sniffed the ground again, licked his lips as he looked up. He turned to look past his shoulder at her.
The tracks had gotten deeper. Additionally, there were several places where one or possibly two people had left the cart and walked. Still, the foot tracks were a chaotic mess, going back and forth over the same ground.
I think, the captive tried make a break for it here.
Kiko looked farther down the wet earth led into a swampy area, and dusk was filling the sky with darkness.
If we wait much longer we might lose them in the dark.
They followed the tracks into the swamp without incident.
Dusk was slowing eating up the remains of the sky when they came across the structure. It couldn't really be called a house, cabin, or barn, as it did not have walls. There was a series of poles shoved into the earth and stacks of long grass laid lattice-like to form a roof.
The occupants beneath the roof were arguing.
"I say we kill him now. The pelt alone is worth more than a month's trapping."
"No! We'll get more money for him alive. I'm telling you the wizard will pay us three times that."
"I don't trust that wizard. Sure. The trap worked. But, what's to stop him from using the same thing on us?"
The voices cut off then, and it seemed the men below were trying to decide just what to do. Of their captive and the cart there was little sign.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Grayell kept to the shadows and flanked to the right, keeping himself between the trappers and Kiko. His eyes remained on them but his nose searched for their captive, the smell of the were would scream into his senses with the lightest trace. If they were upwind he would correct it, he needed to establish precisely what they were dealing with before they acted.
But the mention of a wizard that apparently enjoyed enchanting traps... well that was double his value. He wasn't thrilled with that idea... perhaps he'd be forced to get physical. That would be a real shame.
The scent of the werewolf had only been hidden by the fact that he was upwind of the structure. Grayell's movement around them found him easily enough after that. He was pinned in a narrow cage that allowed for no place to turn around, at all. In fact, the metal was biting into his flesh in some places. His mouth was held open too, by a ugly looking bar with a sharp hook.
Kiko had followed him around and her footsteps were barely audible. She did not want to chance either the trappers or their captive hearing her.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Grayell now faced a dilemma, something that had been plaguing his thought all day. A werewolf. An abomination, something he despised. Something he sought out and destroyed, a bloodline he would see ended.
And on the other end... he had trappers. The worst kind. Poachers. He had no love for them, would rather see them wiped off the face of this land.
And that left him with little clue as to what he should do. But if he knew anything, he knew the curse. The poor bastard was being treated cruelly, tortured. He may deserve death, but nothing deserved this.
Grayell slipped closer to the cart, kept out of sight. He knew the beast could see him.
The eyes of the werewolf burned. His hatred was obvious, especially to Grayell. His words rough and choppy with pain.
I will not. They cannot hold me for long.
It was all he said. But, he certainly wasn't going to remain quiet once loose. No, he would tear anything close to him to shreds once the magick of the cage was removed, if it was removed. And, he was stubborn. Stubborn beyond reason, beyond sense, that was part of the problem.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”