Kvare relented. In this new land it was best to part from his brother, to snuff out this stranger world that lay at their pawsteps. The blaring sun swept across these blighted lands, sands hot to the touch, standable only when he dug his paws deeper, into the cooler grains underneath. A wind whipped across the dunes, sputtering out grains that battered his dark pelt. And his pelt, dark, desperate for every bit of the blistering heat of the light searing from above. His jaws were parted, panting. His promenade had turned into a trudge, desperate to claw his way northward and through the desert.

He had never been a fan of the desert, but after a while of his crude pacing, he had relented. The unsteady way with which his paws navigated this place forced him to compensate, and after a short while an idea suddenly unfurled in his head; he paused, digging his paws into the sand and using them as an anchor, swinging himself around with far more precision than he would have before. Useful, at least, he thought.

It was not quite as large as other deserts he and Kozrain had traversed in the past, but it seemed far hotter. There were no hints of safety or water; even the cacti had begun to shrivel and die, hardy creatures as they were. Kvare was world-weary enough to knew that a place that killed off its most resilient inhabitants was far too inhospitable for a lion, and thus his search for a desirable territory had simply turned into that of exploration, and a desperate desire to leave this place.

Eventually, the sand did relinquish, and in its placed the cracked-dry stone of a similarly water-starved land. The skinny trunks of ashy trees broke off in the easy wind, and Kvare was unable to find any shade until he eventually settled in the alcove of a large, rocky overhang.

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+5 Practice a defensive maneuver (1/2)
+5 Learn a new fighting move (1/2)
+5 Exercise to gain endurance (excluding spars) (1/2)

The sun of the cove adapted her to the heat that simmered elsewhere. Here, not even the hottest of temperatures could compare to the heat that permeated Caladan during intense summers. A part of her ached still for her to return, but it was an ache that she must endeavor to let go of, no matter how much it hurts her.

For a few days, Fernweh made it a habit to stay in the same territory so she could study its boundary and layout. She grew fond of nature as a whole, its shapes, colors, and endless curiosities. If she could settle somewhere far from the reaches of a pride, then she would have picked a space like this, but without the endless high temperatures and the wastelands.

As she made her way through. admiring the emptiness of the land, she noticed a movement far ahead. Tempted to see what it was, Fernweh followed, making sure to stay behind so as to not raise alarm. By then she had already knew the thing she was following was another creature. Finally, she found him, a red lion with black shadings. Like all who braved the intense heat of the badlands, he must be parched for water.

Avaneira taught her and her siblings to be wary of strangers, but also to not be fearful of them. And despite her lack of experience speaking to others, Fernweh had every intention to interact with this male. if you want water i can bring you there she said, almost breathless, and not quite as smooth as she imagined. @Kvare_{BG — ART — CODE}

She appeared like a wraith, some blissful maiden come to lead him away from this hellish place. Kvare felt almost giddy by the sight of her, pale and striped and brilliantly lavender-eyed. It was hard not to see her approach from the far-off distance, the bleakness of this land allowing for a good degree of sight, at the very least. It would have been a fitting place to avoid an ambush, if it were not so hot. Kvare fared little better, tufts of his mane clumped against his cheeks and slick from perspiration, his jaws parted in a heavy pant. He paused only when she spoke, his gaze regarding her with a steady curiosity.

He'd gone so long only in the company of his twin, it felt unnatural to see her standing there. There, tangible, real.

“You would, dilthen cugu?” Kvare croons, his lips curving into a pleasant smile. You play a dangerous game. Kvare felt a stirring in his chest, something deeper and darker that threatened to leak through. Would anyone really notice if such a sweet thing belonged to him instead? He wondered just how hard she'd be to fetter. But just as quick as those thoughts encroached, he pushed them away to his most dark recesses. Slowly, he got to his paws, and ambled toward @Fernweh with an exhausted sha-shay. “Please, lead the way.”

Art by Drifty, table by cala

There was no unease or hesitation to the man's response. Rather, he spoke like he knew her enough to trust what she said. Fernweh couldn't guess as to what @Kvare was thinking, only that he must be desperate enough to follow her. But he was also an older lion, rife with experience and blessed with a fighter's body. Perhaps he saw past her stoicism until only the young girl remained and that, to him, she was of no danger And, finally, perhaps it ought to be her who should hesitate and feel unease.

Of course Fernweh said, just as the sun once again bared its teeth upon them. The heaviness of the heat suddenly felt too much for the girl and suddenly the idea of being near water enticed her to depart. It's only a short walk from here. She was not naive enough to stay too close to the male as she led him through a narrow passageway. There was a split in one of the mountains that gave her a shortcut to the destination, wide for a large lion to go through. If it wasn't for her aimless wandering, Fernweh would not have saw what she saw: a hidden oasis, small and sometimes crowded with creatures big and small.

Except this time there was no one here. Towering above them, eclipsing them and the oasis, was a cliff.

After you, sir Fernweh said, adopting the croon that Kvare let slip when he first spoke. She would remain near where they came, ready to take flight, or fight, if the worse does come._{BG — ART — CODE}

He had considered the idea of an ambush. Intelligent men would be far more weary, but Kvare had faced similar adversity in the past, and had come out mostly unscathed. Even if @Fernweh were to lead him directly into the jaws of far more machinating characters, she was small and young enough that he could drag her down to hell with him. Then, it would all have been worth it. Kvare decided, however, that he would in fact trust this woman, and at best gain favor for placing it so easily in her.

The path she guided them down was narrow, his broad shoulders brushing against the sides of the ravine that surrounded them. The passage was short, however, and Kvare had little time to grow weary of it before it burst open, revealing a shallow pool flanked by large rocky overhangs. The sun's light could barely bare down here, the sheer height of the cliffsides surrounding them fettering the sunlight to a golden glow atop its ancient spires. Only when the sun was at its peak would it finally reach this place, and it were not long enough to dry up the water, even if it starved the rest of this place of it.

Kvare was surprised. He did not think such a place as this could exist.

He turned to her; nervous thing, standing near the exit. He was certain if he moved too swiftly, too brutally, she might take flight. He took a more tactful approach, regarding her carefully, staying completely still. He wondered, morbidly, if he could break her under the weight of his gaze. “Are you going to stand there and watch me bathe?” He responded, the sarcastic drawl of his tone present still. He'd put on a show for her, if that's what she desired, if it would slip loose the tethers that held her to caution.

Art by Drifty, table by cala

She would have found a way to leave, as she did when she was facing her mother. But @Kvare wasn't someone so easy to slip past without a moment's thought. There was a heaviness to his gaze, another type of heat all too searing and stifling. Fernweh knew well the eyes of a predator, but there was never a moment in her life that those eyes would be directed at her.

It had been a while since she was afraid, but despite the feeling, Fernweh was also excited. This was yet another novelty that thrust itself in front of her, this man with his obscene stare and handsome expression.

But words of caution continue to rein her in whenever the urge to give in pulls at her. Because giving in was a dangerous thing. And Fernweh reminded herself that she had no interest in playing games, even if she tried toeing the boundary of it herself just a moment ago.

A sudden thought came to mind, a miraculous flicker of light in her mind that unclogged the fog of her mind. What do you suggest for me to do, sir? Her question was daring despite the softness of her voice.

When she finished, she once again reminded herself that she should not encourage herself to be led astray. This was only to suss out this man's intention and nothing more._{BG — ART — CODE}

She's giving you all her power.

Kvare's lips pressed into a firm, thin line. He could ignore the temptation of the waters, certainly cool and inviting and fed by an underground wellspring that assured a stable temperature. He could ignore the heat of the sun as it finally waned, a first hint of cloud-cover covering them in shadow. He could still see the brilliance of her pale eyes, far more vibrant now when not outcompeted by the blistering sunlight. She seems nervous, but she is steeled; it were as if one paw was turned and ready to run, and the other stood resolutely in place, claws unsheathed. It were as if she were fighting with herself. Over what, Kvare wondered?

She could be tricking you.

And what a clever little dove she would be if she had. Kvare was eating right out of her paws, and he could only hope boyishly that she was out of his, too. It was a game only of who would break first, who would peel away their stony exterior and reveal the more machinating desires underneath. If @Fernweh had truly meant to do him harm, would she not have done so already?

The tension was palpable. It grew with every step Kvare made toward her. And if she allowed, if she felt fettered in place and did not slip through his fingers as he'd feared, he would attempt to close that final distance. A paw reached up, a single claw extended, hoping to softly cup underneath her chin and turn her face toward his. “I want you,” he began, voice low, breath heavy, “to get your pretty striped ass in that pool.” His eyes were half-narrowed, a glint of his canines seen with every pronounced, dark word.

And then, it was gone. Kvare pulled back a bit, his lascivious expression replaced with a broad smirk. Where once there was a darkness was now a boy half-playful, gentler. “Swim with me.”

Art by Drifty, table by cala

She anticipated that @Kvare would have already slipped into the water by now, which would allow her to make her exit. Back to where she was needed, to where she felt the most comforting familiarity to. Yet both of them were still here, he not in the water, and she standing here, ready to leave but ready to leap forward.

Any thought of an excuse to leave, however quick as it came, was brushed away when Kvare came to her. Fernweh had to remember to steel her gaze and wear her stoicism as ripe as the sun above. The older male was that much bigger than her, his form swallowing hers with ease. If she broke, he could very well swallow her for real.

He tipped her chin and Fernweh let out a soft breath of air.

Her mind was telling her to stand firm.

He spoke.

She cupped her ears to the front. A terrible heat spread in her cheeks as Kvare said those crude words. But Fernweh didn't dislike it; she believed lions should be honest with themselves from time to time. At least now she knew what sort of man he was like.

Before she could respond, the man stepped back. A relief in itself, she supposed, for if she did speak, it would've came out wrong. However, she didn't think there would be a gentleness to the man's words. This was a first since their encounter, but Fernweh still remained ready in case the tide turns once more.

Her walking past him and towards the lake wasn't her relinquishing anything, except the desire now to shed away the heat. Fernweh slipped inside, mouth opening into a sigh of relief as the heat of her flesh touched the coolness of the lake. Water sloshed around her as she turned, eyes lingering on the male.

Your turn. She tipped her chin towards where she was, daring him to make his move._{BG — ART — CODE}

How thrilling it was to not see her break. Kvare had always struggled between what was right and what felt right. Often he found himself far too controlling, far too desiring of control and perfection that he'd often crushed everything in his path. He knew, darkly, that he could have easily snapped her legs and thrown her into the pool to sate that machinating desire. But then, what fun would it be to simply watch her sink, to witness her fight for breath against that which she could not control? Could not decide? No, watching her go willingly was a far better sight, and Kvare knew his words paid off far more than brutal action.

He was a morbid bastard, indeed.

Kvare followed after @Fernweh, her invitation quickly drawing him toward the water's edge. As he had suspected, it was cool to the touch, a welcome relief from the sun blistering above-head and the heat so brutal it felt almost tangible. Through the blissful clarity of the water he could see its steep drop-off, where rich blues turned darker, until he could no longer see the bottom. He eased himself into the pool, sighing at the relief it brought, shuddering at its bitter chill. He wades his way over toward his companion, a boyish smirk unfurling onto his lips.

And then, he disappears, slipping beneath the water's edge.

When he looks up, he sees her blurry form treading water, and quickly does he rush for her. Playfully, he surges upward, hoping to resurface from underneath Fernweh and hopefully fling her upward, descending with a loud splash!

Art by Drifty, table by cala

a tranquil silence followed. fernweh wasn't sure if she ought to make it into something else, an omen of some sort, or simply allow the peace to seep into her skin as well. @Kvare had no words to say to her nor did she notice anything troubling. yet still, fernweh kept her eyes on him, body not quite as stiff as before, but still not relaxed either.

water lapped against her, eventually lulling her into a half-calm within her mind. she had forgotten for that fraction of a moment that kvare was here as well. fernweh, despite her experience with living alone, had always felt a tiredness deep down. she knew only some of why she felt that way but not all. and inexplicably, she would let her guard down.

fernweh only caught sight of a smirk on the male's face before he disappeared into the water.

whe—

her word died away when she felt a heavy mass of flesh and muscle push from beneath her. her claws moved in an attempt to find purchase on something, anything, that would help. perhaps in the midst of it she had attempted to swipe at kvare. but in the end, her actions were for naught as she landed, splashing water everywhere.

after a brief glare at kvare, she then moved herself to put space between them. her front half raised, only for her to settle two paws on dry land while her lower was still submerged. fernweh wasn't quite sure whether he did it out of ill intentions or as a prank. and despite her chest drawing in rapid oxygen, she felt no anger kindling within.

that's not really fair she said, voice firm, but with a playfulness underneath. the next thing she knew, she was attempting to flick water at him after dipping her front paws into the water. a part of her wanted to return the exact same favor, but that would require her to close the distance between her and the male.

in another bold attempt, fernweh used her front legs to splash water ahead. she may not be able to knock kvare back, but if the water hit, that would put them at the same level of wetness._{BG — ART — CODE}