The Wild Hunt (Devon and Luna)

[Spade - Council]

And so, The Wind blew. Carrying the shrill screams of people as their towns burned and they themselves were ravaged. The scent of death floated through the air joined by floating embers. The Gypsies always came before the fall. This destruction following in their wake; Making their reputation worse. Until The Wind blew again. And so, from the shadow of the destruction, the Gypsies bloomed forth...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

They treaded in with caution. Spade at the front of her pack as they arrived in this new ravaged town. She and her pack always headed out in front of their caravan to survey the land. Be sure it was safe for their families there before arriving. Spade's steady gaze took in the sight before her. In a matter of seconds, she surmised what happened here. The scent of wolves, ash and death. The fear riddled and clearly shaken survivors just trying to process it all and help each other be okay again made it crystal clear. Spade clicked her tongue. Her pack waiting for her command. She gestured her head toward the town and they knew it meant she wanted them to help where they could.

Spade wasn’t friendly. She was often feared from rumours and tales alone all built around her name.
She was violent.

She was merciless.

She was malicious.

She was sinful.

But really if anyone actually bothered to watch her. To look at and see just her they’d see she wasn’t any of those things. Though depending on the moment, she could be if that’s what was deserved. There was some truth to the rumours and stories. Spade wore her heart on her sleeve in actuality. She hid it well and the stories helped. But in moments like this that angry glare that took over the features of her face on a consistent basis faded. And the undying fire in her eyes turned down to a low simmer. The people here needed grace and while she was definitely not associated with the word, she could provide it when needed.

“What should we tell the caravan?”

“Tell them to come halfway.
The people here can’t afford
the backlash of a gypsy camp being here.
But we can help with food, drinks
and entertainment to lift their spirits.
If they come to us.”

She sent three-pack members back to the caravan. All with strict instruction to watch each other’s back. The rest stayed with her and continued to help. Spade wasn’t big as a human so she wasn’t expected to be able to do the amazing feats she could very well do. And so, to avoid people's suspension and curiosity of her she conformed to the ways of humans and only displayed the strength and speed any normal human her size would have. With the trace amounts of silver and wolfbane still lurking in her blood, it was a bit too easy for her taste.

She caught her breath with the rest of the townspeople as they all worked together to move piles of fallen and burnt wooden pillars and crumbled stone. Trying to clear the road as best they could while the people who lived here decided on their next steps. She was rubbing her hands together to get most of the soot and dirt off them when she spotted the notice board. That usual ferocious facial expression reclaiming her facial features as she forwarded her brow. She stared at the poster on the board up close before ripping it off. Curious as to why it hadn’t burnt up with everything else. The only logical explanation she could find was it might have been posted after the raid. This was her old wanted poster. Her eyes keenly searched all the information given. She hadn’t seen the poster in eight years give or take but she was sure this was the one for her head. She recognised the portrait of her wolf anywhere.

She turned the page about to be sure she didn’t miss anything but after a moment she was sure it didn’t mention anything about her directly. At least not any more. The name Spade now just reduced to “The Wolf King”. She snorted to herself. They didn’t even know the proper term. Furthermore, they didn’t even know it was a lady Lupine in the portrait. She clicked her tongue deciding to keep this and bring it to the caravan with her. Her old one was stuffed away somewhere and she wanted to compare the two to be sure.

“They say he can control other wolves.”

An old man approached capturing Spade's attention.

Silence.

“One look from him is all it takes and now that wolf is his.”

Silence.

“He came through here like the devil himself.
Tore up who and what he wanted.
Dragged anyone or thing he liked away.
His wolves dancing with destruction as they tore through town.
And then, they just vanished! Out of the blue like they weren’t even here.”

Silence

Spade's face changed to that of confusion. Dashed with a bit of concern and swarming with whole lotta anger. She’d only taken her eyes off the old man for a second but now he was gone. Subtly she looked for him but something told her she wouldn’t find him. He left no scent in the air or tracks in the wet mud and soot on the ground. But just like the story he sort of told he left Spade with reasonable distress she hid just as well as she hid everything else.

__/\___/\____/\____/\___/\___/\___/\__

The sun had long set. The gypsies all crawled from their tents or scampered out of their carriages as the moon rose. The giant bond fire already ablaze while the musicians tuned their instruments and the storytellers began to weave their wild tales as the people from town came in and sat before them. Spade was in her tent. Her eyes dashing back and forth between the two wanted posters. She was clearly perplexed now in private. The posters were almost identical. The old one she’d kept for years had more information than the newer one. It held her name. The status she had within the supernatural world. Distinguishing marks.

She'd heard the last of the people who knew about her original bounty had died years ago. The lacking information on this new poster confirmed it but it didn’t make her feel much better. She clicked her tongue and rolled her lips together as she tossed both posters into the giant bond fire and watched as they burned to a crisp. She didn’t stay with her people as they danced and communed with the townspeople she’d helped earlier and that brought Mama into her tent.

“So just like a thief in the night you’re leaving.”

Spade sighed at Mama’s words. Glancing over her shoulder at her as she stopped packing.

“Would you let me leave otherwise?”

The silence from Mama made Spade hum. Her silence more telling than any answer.

“You'd be safe with us!”

A long silent breath left Spade. Her facial features slowly tightening as the breath left her. “But you wouldn’t be safe with me. All things in the dark will come to light. One day someone will find out this “king of the wolves” is actually a woman. And what if someone finds out I’m a wolf? One with black fur and gold eyes and matching the physical description of the wolf in the poster? What if my old wanted poster is found lost in The Wind somewhere?”

It was Mama's turn to click her tongue. Trying to convince her daughter she’d still have a better chance with family or anyone really than on her own but Spade was stubborn and once her mind was made up that was usually the end all be all. “Well then tell me. What makes this hunt different from the last?” Mama curried and sent Spade into deep thought.

“I don’t know
there were these rogues in town. Human ones, not wolves.

They’re hunting the Wolf King; One of them had a...”

 

Spade stopped speaking for just a moment as she peered out the front of her tent at the rogues coming into the caravan camp now. “...sword.” Mama with forwarded brow peered out of the tent after Spade. “Is that Ex-” “-Yes.” Quickly Mama pulled the flap to Spade's tent down and grasped her daughter’s chin. Spade jumped and flinched away from being touched but stopped herself, and with a steadying breath let her mother continue.

“Moonpie in the next few seconds, we’re going to walk out of this tent and welcome those men.
How we treat them, however, is all based upon you and how you answer my questions.
Understood?”

With faint hesitancy Spade nodded her head. Mama riddled out a slew of questions all to do with being sure these rogues didn’t suspect her daughter in any way. Spade would bet her life on them not knowing anything about her other than her being a Gypsy. And so, being convinced that these rogues were just here to accept the invitation of food and drink and entertainment given to them earlier Mama walked out of Spade's tent with a smile. Determined to give them a warm welcome as she always did to everyone. Spade begrudgingly followed but not to welcome them. She never did.

“Smile for once Moonpie.”

“That’s not happening.”

[Devon Sawyer - Council]

The Wild hunt

w/ luna

• Trust Fall •

Devon's fingers slowly grazed the hilt of the sword which sat idly before his touch. Instantly he felt the tingling of its power pass through his skin and along his arm, causing whatever magic to come alive when it knew someone from the linked bloodline touched it. He hated it. Likely the reason he couldn't link with it properly and wield it the way it was intended by his kin. There was hardly any control when he held the weapon in previous times and the fact he even came out of those instances alive was unbelievable.

He wondered if this time would be different.

Before he could even unsheathe the blade, Luna moved out from behind him with a fleeting gaze he couldn't quite figure out. He went to reach for her, but she was fast. Really fast. Devon took a step to go after her, maybe get in-between her and the animal to block whatever blow might come from its powerful frame, but it was too late. 

The force of the impact made the ground beneath him shudder as he watched the ripple press outward from their collision across the dirt and grass. He stumbled for a moment before snapping his gaze back towards the pair, all thoughts of reaching for his weapon vanishing. The low rumbling growl vibrated through his chest which made a natural instinct weaved into his blood spike, warning him to run, but  he ignored it and planted himself to the spot in awe, trying to ascertain which of the two it actually came from. From the hesitancy of the wolf, Devon looked to Luna whose back still faced him, but that was absurd... Right?

Then, words he must've misheard left her mouth. Was she actually warning it? In the next moment, everything happened too fast for him to process properly because it was too unreal for him to accept. Devon had his speculations. Milo had given him the stories he asked for. The signs were there, but his mind never wanted to make it real. Her clothes were gone, torn to bits of shredded material. The transformation of her body turning into the very thing they were hunting. 

Devon felt the hair on the back of his neck stand. The ice rushing through him. Luna was gone and now there stood the giant black monster which had been killing and destroying without mercy. He knew he should run, but he still couldn't move. Not that he expected he would be able to get away from either of the animals anyway. All this time. All this time.

The light brushing of Luna's tail against his face and over most of his arm snapped him from his thoughts as he jumped back. His arm swiped at the sensation across his lips, but his change in position had also put him in full view of the other wolf who still seemed interested at getting Devon. He held no hesitations then as he removed the sword from its home, feeling the magic within its workings ripple over his form. The muscles in his arms flexed while he gripped the worn handle and concentrated on controlling the vibrations that hummed through it and into his core.

The wolf darted forward. What size it lacked in comparison to Luna, it made up for in speed as it dodged between her larger legs and came to an abrupt stop before changing direction to get around and dart for Devon. The magical runes along the blade of Excalibur shone brightly then as it seemed to sense the incoming danger. The monster was fast, but with the sword in hand, he seemed to be able to keep up regardless. Devon swung towards the animal and the magic pulsed outward before the metal could even connect with its snout causing him and the wolf to skid backwards in opposite directions. He dug his heels into the ground and tightened the grip he had on the sword which sung loudly in his ear, making his head ring. Forcing his eyes to focus, he noted that now the wolf was in distance of Luna who loomed over it.

[Spade - Council]

When was the last time Luna had changed at her own volition?

Was it that day?

So saturated with the scent of blood. And filled with endless screaming painted across a chaotic backdrop. Oh, the bone snapping change she didn't miss. And in fact, she dreaded changing back more. For that pain was far worse. A harsh huff is strewn from her nose as her paw spreads wide across the ground. Completely covering the tracks left by the other wolf. She hardly gets a moment in this form before the action truly begins. Which was to be expected. She even expected Excalibur to be drawn once her secret was... Well, visible. 

Yet it seems neither she nor the other wolf was prepared for the power emanating from that weapon. The wolf had managed to slip through Luna's legs. An opportunity that wouldn't come again now that she had her bearings. And so, the wolf now found itself trapped. If it were smart it'd surrender. 

It was not.

Instead, it accessed each of its opponents. Looking for the right moment. Any sign of weakness. Any tells. 

Luna's golden gaze glowered at him. Forcing the wolf to bow its head slightly at her dominance. And she hadn't done anything to make it. Making it very clear to her that this wolf was of low rank among the fake king's pack. Was he trying to prove himself and not realizing just who Luna and Devon were, screwed himself over? Because what were the chances that the real Zeta and the wielder of Excalibur would be together? It quickly dawned on her this wasn't a planned attack but a rogue initiative.  One this wolf severely under calculated. 

Despite it all, she wouldn't underestimate this wolf. He was still powerful, stubborn and temperamental. And in this situation, he could easily become desperate and unhinged. Being prone to her own temper she knew she needed to focus and remain calm. Which meant ignoring the clear sense of betrayal. Confusion and maybe even fear coming from Devon. The events after this one were not ones she was looking forward to. But for now, they needed to focus because if they accidentally killed this wolf it was back to square one. 

Suddenly a quick howl ripped through the sky. Rattling the earth as Luna loosed it from her lungs. Never taking her eyes off the other wolf as she shot her short call. If she and Devon's men weren't already looking for them they would be now. And if Devon's rogues trusted her pack enough they would be led straight to them. They had time now to stall and maybe hopefully knock this wolf out. If the wolf didn't do anything stupid that is.  Just then it attempted again to skid through Luna's legs but with enough fair warning, she caught his intent. Swiping his head with enough force to send him faltering back towards Devon but it for some reason didn't knock him out revealing that this'll be harder than she thought. 

She was restraining herself to keep him alive but clearly, she was holding back too much. And she wasn't sure how much this wolf could take before he ended up dead.

[Devon Sawyer - Council]

The Wild hunt

w/ luna

• Trust Fall •

Devon's eyes darted back and forth between the two wolves, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat from it all. The smaller of them seemed to realize this wasn't going to be as easy as it may have thought and that was the moment it clicked in his head, this was no actual wolf of the wild. There was a person beneath all that fur. Not just a wild animal looking for its next meal.

The standoff between them seemed to change then. He watched as Luna's golden eyes glowed, some magic or ability that made the other cower before her. Another howl loosed from Luna and into the woods, but it seemed directed to draw attention, not so much to intimidate the other wolf. She was calling to her people. They knew too... Of course they did.

Luna's large paw connected with the other as it attempted to charge, knocking it sideways and tumbling across the ground.  The sword began to hum within his grasp when the animal was nearer and he instinctively raised the weapon. From the way Luna didn't advance after landing the blow, Devon had the feeling she was trying to keep it alive. 

His mind worked. All the signs had been there. The pieces were falling into their fitted positions, but he couldn't let himself believe it then. She had every chance to kill him if she really wanted to. Him and his men with the help of her own, but Luna didn't. She'd helped the girl in the village, but maybe that was just some pack instinct, maybe even gather more to whatever her cause might be if she were the monst... No. No, that didn't feel right. No matter how much he'd not let himself see what was there all along, Luna being a murderer, a monster, wasn't a truth.

The wolf wobbled to its legs, looking to Devon. The runes along the blade glowed and he let his mind empty of everything. The deaths of the villagers, the guilt, the half-truths, the unknown. Everything. Calm settled over him and he could sense the power of the sword shift, connecting with him as one. He glared at the wolf and wouldn't let the linking go to waste. 

'Just don't kill it...', he mentally said to the sword.

Devon spun the weapon in an arc, letting the magic of the sword pulse outward. A slashing force carved across the earth and slammed into the creature, knocking it through the air. It landed hard against a tree and slumped to the ground. The wolf attempted to rise, but it staggered, falling again from the impact.  

His gaze cut to Luna who was now closer to the beast, his breathing heavy from the exertion of the magic through him. Though Excalibur was directed at their attacker, Devon held wary of what Luna may do next now that it was just them facing one another for the first time.

[Spade - Council]

A nerve wracking stillness rammed its way through Luna. She cursed her mother for tying her to a being she couldn't mind link with. A being who likely hated wolves like all others. She helplessly watched as he raised his sword and her whole body clenched. She knew better than to launch forward to try and stop him. And she didn't even dare to try and mind link him out of fear that could do serious damage if it even worked. She was so still. Cautious to making even the subtlest of moves to not distract him. 

Helplessly having to trust her husband.

Involuntary made to hope he wouldn't kill this wolf. She looked away as Excalibur swung. Like a guillotine dropping she feared this was the end for one of her kind. And so, for the first time in a decade or more, she felt no anger, just fear and sadness. Even if they were fleeting feelings they were there. And then, they were gone as the wolf hit the tree. The leftover force of the sword's magic brushed over her fur with an ominous chill. Making her brace, she turned her head, closed her eyes, and shuddered at the evident danger the sword possessed. The dust around her that had stirred from the sword's force settled and her focus reconnected to Devon. Suddenly a sharp ping plucked in her heart as her eyes met his. 

He looked at her the way they all did.

With a dread that caused man to hunt what they feared. Breaking into homes and destroying innocent packs and families. Whose only crime outside of being a Lupine were the nightmares that man envisioned. So spooked by their thoughts and imagination they killed and hunted innocents. That was this look in his eyes now. At least from her perspective. A gaze she couldn't hold. She huffed as she turned her head and eyed the ground. Thinking to check the wolf and maybe make him change into his human so she could too, but she hesitated on the first step because it meant stepping closer to Devon. Again her eyes locked with his. Studying him to be sure she was safe. Never registering that he felt just as unsafe and threatened by her at the moment as she did. Taking a chance she took another step closer before breaking eye contact and turning towards the other wolf. She took a step forward.

There had to be something in the air.

Spade’s eyes locked with this wolf. She took a step forward. He was alive without any life threatening injuries. Impressive, considering how angry the newlyweds were at each other moments ago and their current inability to communicate. She took a step forward. A wild look appeared in her gaze as she stared at the faltering wolf. The hairs on her back rose like a beast on high alert about to attack. Her back arched and her breath grew heavy. Her claws dug into the earth with each step. And so, with every heavy footstep closer to this poor wolf the world suddenly lost a little bit more of Luna. 

She snarled as a low growl shook the ground like a mini quack beneath the three of them. Something was off. She couldn't hear the wolf begging. Or if Devon was calling for her attention. She just fed off the adrenaline from the fear polluting the air around her. Suddenly high off the power trip that drugged her mind. The wolf coward. Something was wrong. Because even when he turned back into his human and begged for his life she took a step forward. She was close now. Towering over the man; all she had to do was step on him. Bite him. Rip him to shreds.

All these sounded amazing. But deep inside they felt so wrong. She couldn't stop!! Why couldn't she stop? She needed to! STOP! She and Devon had done well. They had achieved a goal together without proper communication. With this Lupine they could get further than ever! But she couldn't stop. No. He needed to die and she didn't even know why. Another step closer but this one now more restrained as she fought herself. A fight she never had to physically do before. The mental battle was another story and one surely everyone fought but this was strange. She was losing control. She couldn't shake the feeling and want for violence. 

Even when her pack howled back to tell her and Devon they were close. The clatter of their paws and stomps of footsteps from the rogues did nothing to help her fight. It wasn't until Devon moved. She didn't see what he did but it helped her focus. And suddenly the wedding necklace. The bane of her existence tightened around her large fur neck. Forcing her to change lest it start to lacerate her skin the smaller it grew. She initially wanted to wait for her family to arrive to avoid being nude. But now she wanted nothing more than to no longer be the threat in this scenario. 

So change she did.

But it was more painful than turning into her wolf. When turning into a wolf everything grows with your bones and while that hurts Luna always thought turning human again was worse. Everything shrank and retracted. Phenomenal cosmic power in an Itty bitty living space. The giant recessed back into this small woman with one last bitter howl that turned into a pained cry. It felt as though she was being crushed under unbearable pressure until she was left on all fours desperately gasping for air. As the necklace loosed and swung from her neck once again. 

[Devon Sawyer - Council]

The Wild hunt

w/ luna

• Trust Fall •

Devon held his ground, a stare off between he and his increasingly interesting wife. That natural instinct of fear still prickled across his skin and the magic of the sword rode him to the point he barely even felt human himself. A semblance of hesitation seemed to be happening as Luna remained perfectly still as a predator did when watching prey just before it struck for the kill. He clenched his hands on the hilt and waited for what seemed an eternity.

Then she took a step with her massive paw. Watching him. He didn't move. She took another step. However, it wasn't towards him. It was towards the wolf that had attacked him, still slumped against the tree. 

He didn't know what to expect as she got closer to the wolf. A vision of her leaning down and ripping the other's head off with her powerful jaws, blood and shredded skin spraying across the clearing flashed in his mind. Somehow Luna appeared to be even more massive as she stalked towards the wolf while the fur on her back lifted. There seemed to be no human left in this form. She was nothing but the beast before him drawing out the blow that would end the other. Devon had the feeling his insight of her killing the wolf might not be so far off. 

His mouth slightly fell open as the smaller animal suddenly shifted back into his human form. He instantly began begging for his life, clearly hoping to reach some part of Luna that might also be human. Devon had the feeling that was a lost cause, but hearing his cries made his own shoulders drop. 

The sound of others nearing had him lifting his sword for a moment until he saw Rogues and Gypsies alike coming to their aid. All eyes were on what was happening between the three and he knew instantly what his men were going to assume. Every last one of them began reaching for their weapons, surely thinking Luna was the monster they were hunting. And maybe she was. Devon lifted a hand in a silent signal to halt and so they did, their gazes going back and forth between him, Luna, and the man begging for his life. 

Devon moved then. He didn't know what he was thinking and likely, a very stupid move by him as he stepped between the human violently shaking from the imminent death he was about to face and his wife. "Luna," he barely breathed out, holding her golden eyes. She was so close, he could feel the heavy breaths from her snout ruffle the strands of his sweat drenched hair. "We need him. We need to talk to him. Figure out what he knows about what's going on." He made a point to keep his sword low, letting the magic within it blink out. 

The cursed necklace suddenly began to vibrate and warm against his skin. An annoyingly familiar reaction he'd felt before. He could see the motion on Luna's too, barely visibly through her dark fur. Then, she was writhing before him as her body began to shift and bend and break. There was nothing gentle about it and he felt useless as he could only watch until the familiar form of Luna was left gasping on her knees. Well, not completely familiar.

Sheathing Excalibur, Devon shrugged off his jerkin and let it fall to the ground before removing his tunic, the cooler air immediately noticeable and somewhat welcoming against his heated bare chest. He purposely stepped between her and the others for some sense of privacy given the large number of men now standing around gaping. "Here," he offered quietly, knowing the larger fabric would cover her. Mostly. He pushed away the need to put a comforting hand on Luna, knowing that he'd likely have it bitten off, even in her human form.  

His eyes swung to the still naked man who wisely kept his mouth shut. Devon spoke to the others at his back. "Take our new friend back to the camp. Under guard." He remained quiet still as the Rogue heard a few others begin to do as he instructed, hauling the man to up and leading him away. Devon looked down to Luna again and found her usual buttery brown gaze. A silence between them for a few heartbeats. He then extended his hand down to help her to her feet. A quiet offering that was more than just about Luna gaining her legs again.

[Spade - Council]

The cold was a new feeling.

As a hot blooded being it only phased her when she was weak. During a new moon and right now. Had it been that long since she'd turned, that her body was no longer used to it? Or was there something else? The cold caressed her skin with its frostbitten kisses. But it wasn't why she remained on the ground visibly trembling like a leaf. All that power had never been exactly easy to contain but it never took this much struggle. Her inconsistent breathing turned harsh. This was all she could focus on. She had to or blood would spill. The gentle offering of Devon's shirt burst through Luna's currently clouded mind. Allowing her to register the world around her. Her bloodshot ears begin to hear the men around her and with shaky hands, she accepts the offering of clothing. Hugging it to her frame the moment it's fully on. The warmth it still holds from Devon gives her an odd sense of comfort and Luna doesn't know how to feel about that. 

Her violent trembling reduces to a still visible shiver. And her eyes find the naked man when Devon refers to him. It took no command from her for her pack to know they should assist Devon's with guarding him. It registered at that moment. The call she gave to get her and Devon's men here would have had some of her pack turning to their wolves to answer her. But something was still in the air. A new chill ran its nails gently down her spine. “Change!” Her voice is weak and hoarse. Vastly inaudible. But they heard her. And even in the state she was in there was no denying her command. There were others in her pack that weren't Lupines. Prepped with some sort of clothing for those that turned. 

Devon remained close. Covered her from prying eyes. She wasn't used to that. She wasn't expecting that. Especially after their fight. She caught his gaze and held it with a vulnerable caution. Those few heartbeats of silence felt like an endless torture. And she was prepared for him to abandon and betray her. Just like her first husband. The Gypsies. Her family. But instead, he offered his hand. Her eyes went wide with perplexion and she hesitated for one more second before making any move at all. She accepted with her hands still shaking. Lessening the more time she had to gather her bearings. Luna closed her eyes and winced once on her feet. She took a deep breath to release the pain as her eyes reopened. She figured he'd want to talk. Hopefully, this conversation will go better than their last. 

With her hand securely lost in his she walked. Stopping by one of her pack members to ask for the satchel they had with them. Forgetting she had his hand she left to find yet another private area. This time not outside of their scout's radius. She found a spot where a break in the trees above allowed the sun to heat the land below. Giving them enough light to see each other clearly. Remembering she had his hand she guided him to stand in front of her. “You're hurt… I hurt you.” Her voice was still weak and hoarse and it would be for a while. But there was something else in her voice, shame maybe? Nervousness even? She could smell the dry blood from the gash on his back. “Let me help patch you up?” With her free hand, she dug into the satchel and took out a small bottle of rum. Offering it to him while trying to persuade him to sit. “It's either me or one of our men roughly trying to do it.” She set the bag down. Let go of his hand and broke eye contact. “Sorry, your options aren't better.” She took in her surroundings as her shivering simmered to small shudders.

[Devon Sawyer - Council]

The Wild hunt

w/ luna

• Trust Fall •

He reached his hand out to her, firmly grasping it and pulling Luna to her bare feet. His arm wrapped around her waist as he held her against him for support, waiting a few moments until she felt steady before letting her go, though he didn't miss how she still kept her hand tightly in his. Devon's gaze swung to the others as Rogues and Gypsies, including some that were apparently also wolves, watched one another in their wariness. He gripped her hand a little stronger then and made sure the men saw their unified front as they turned to head back to their camp with the prisoner in tow. At least they could get along. For now.

Devon let her pull him deeper through the woods after securing a few items from one of her people. It didn't escape him how alone they were again. A smart person would be turning the other way and running as fast as possible given what just occurred moments ago, but if she had wanted him dead, Luna had ample opportunity to do so after finding out her secret. Still, his guard remained up as he no longer knew what to expect, but he made the point of sheathing his now quiet sword back in its home.

Finally stopping in a grove, he noted how off she seemed. Given he was pretty damn good at reading people, he couldn't rightly read the mysterious woman before him. Perhaps it was because he was so used to either her temper or standoffish behavior, this foreign emotion that was all over her was so at odds. She could barely look at him and when she finally did, it wasn't very long for fear of possibly being found out. Tense? Hesitant? Vulnerable? It was unlike the always confident leader, but he could hear it confirmed even further in her shaky voice when the silence between them finally broke.  

"I've had worse," he replied, feeling the material of the jerkin sticking to the blood and sweat that ran down his back. Devon caught her gaze and saw she was rather determined in helping him, perhaps to relieve some guilt over what happened. Having her hands on him was more appealing than any of the men back at camp, so he began shrugging the garment off and letting it fall to the grass. He took the offering of the bottle of dark liquid which he hoped was rum and sat down at her feet, gazing out over the grove. 

Sunlight broke in stronger streams through the canopy and highlighted the muscles in his back as he stretched it, rolling his neck from side to side and sighing through his nose. The silence blanketed them again as she moved behind him, preparing whatever it was she planned to use on his wound. Devon gripped the neck of the bottle and drank, happy to learn it was indeed rum. Good rum too. "Not bad." A smirk lifted the corner of his mouth as he stared out into the trees again. "This isn't going to put me to sleep, right?" he teased, tugging at his matching necklace which was a reminder of how he'd gotten into this arrangement in the first place. 

Leaning his arms over his bent knees, he decided he couldn't wait much longer to discuss the obvious. "Were you ever going to tell me," he started quietly, angling his head slightly behind him to where Luna had now lowered herself to his level before staring out into the trees once more. "Or were you hoping we'd have the monster and this union handled before I figured it out?"