empty+1 - Make a BWP-related post
+2 - Study one of the natural phenomena occurring
+2 - Analyze the changes being made to the land

+5 - BWP-related exp

The storm drives her to seek shelter, but the further she goes into once familiar territory, the more lost Aleksandra feels. The wind is bitter and merciless, sapping her warmth and strength with icy fingers against her skin, and throws ice and snow into her eyes and renders her without sight.

Aleks has never feared a man or woman; a raging bull elephant can be countered, a crocodile avoided. But the weather is an entirely different beast - one without want or wishes, without a soul to collect or a body to tempt. It bends to no one, not even Aleksandra, and listens to no plea.

The blizzard tries to knock her down, but with head bent and shoulders set, she refuses to bow and marches on. Where, she has no idea, but the thought comes that if she stops, if she lay down, she will be buried alive.

And never be found.

@Adalwolfempty

Adalwolf wasn't certain how much longer he would be able to remain here in the tundra if the weather was going to continue to be a vindictive bastard. It wasn't just the tundra, of course. He'd already experienced fire in the jungle and it seemed the rest of the island was having similar issues, if the displaced animals and strange rumblings he heard were an indication. In the freezing tundra the snow had been relentless, coating the land day after day with only short breaks between storms. Already he had guided one poor lost soul from the clutches of the weather, and only then because he had his own selfish reasons for it. Who knew how many others had perished in the growing snow drifts and gripping cold.

Even in the grip of winter, the snow had not been this deep. He'd seen fewer and fewer animals in the tundra, and half of those he had seen had been dead from the freezing cold. Spring had begun, only to end, tricking the native creatures into coming out, only to get caught in the sudden storms. Food was becoming scarce, though he'd been able to scavenge from dead creatures here and there. Adalwolf had been leaving the tundra to hunt.

He returned from such a trip now, to find yet another storm. Bending his head down low and hunching his shoulders, he pushes into it, knowing by heart the way to his den by now. The biting wind sends fingers of cold into his fur, trying to dig its way through his defenses. Snow whipped at his face, the gusts dragging at his mane, all of it trying to bring him down.

Adalwolf, as always, prevails.

He can't smell or see anything in this weather. It is by complete chance that his path crossed hers. A dark shape loomed against the white of the snow on the ground and falling from the sky. At first he didn't recognize her, but when he drew up alongside her (wondering if this was some poor victim he should leave for dead), her scent finally hits his nose.

@Aleksandra.

It had been a little while since he had seen her, but he'd had no doubt she would find her way to him again. Without hesitation now, he presses up against her black form. There was no gentle nudge from him. He does what he can to force her in the right direction, pressing close so she could smell him even if she couldn't see him well enough. She was cold to the touch and, though he was a selfish beast, a touch of concern nearly broke free of his cold heart. But no - he told himself that helping her benefitted him and shoved his feelings aside, preparing for potential resistance from his unwitting rescue.

---

+1 - Make a BWP-related post
+2 - Save someone from danger
+2 - Study one of the natural phenomena occurring
+2 - Analyze the changes being made to the land
+2 - Assess the impacts of the weather on herds and prey

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empty+1 - Make a BWP-related post
+2 - Study one of the natural phenomena occurring
+2 - Analyze the changes being made to the land

+5 - BWP-related exp

Under the vicious wind and assault of snow and ice, it’s no wonder her senses fail to pick up another. And yet, even if his presence was not familiar to her, Aleksandra would have reacted the same; she curls into the none-too-gentle touch, allowing her body to be guided in an alternate direction. She does not fight, does not make a sound negative or otherwise. She knows when she is bested, and her choice has never laid in claws when there is an alternative. What good would it do to attack a source of warmth and life?

That does not mean she is not wary. Skull turns inward to scent who had her in his grasp, and a soft hum vibrates her chest at recognition. She should have known, really, that her saviour would be one of the brothers.

Aleks remains silent as they move, her energy and strength focused on putting one numb paw in front of the other without falling to her belly. She does not expect @Adalwolf to help her if she is not capable of moving under her own strength, just as she knows this will come for a price, regardless of their comradery.

Oh, she knows she can repay him easily enough.empty

He'd half expected some resistance from her, but it turned out that he had misread just how desperate she was. Before she could even possibly know it was him - the cold wind numbed noses and swept away scent before it could even be caught - she pressed in closer, soaking in the warmth that he offered. It was only a little, but it was enough to keep her clinging to life, putting one paw in front of the other, carrying on.

With the adjustment to her path, they're now headed towards the cave that Adalwolf had come to call home. If he hadn't been spending so much time here the blizzards would made it difficult to find his little home. But he was familiar enough now that he simply knew by instinct which way it was to go. The snow whipped at them, trying to tear them apart as the wind scraped against them. His fur protected him, somewhat. The cold still bit, finding ways through his defenses. He could only imagine how @Aleksandra must have felt in all this.

Soon, the cave mouth loomed before them; a gaping hole in the rocky cliff along the edge of the tundra. Snow had built up in drifts against the cliffs, obscuring part of the entrance, but still it was there, accessible for the time being. If the weather continued on the way it had, Adalwolf would have to consider moving elsewhere. Even he could only do so much to outlast the snow as it piled higher and higher with each passing day.

He nudged her inside, crossing the threshold with her and into the darkness of the cavern. It was still cold, but as soon as they were inside there was no more wind to pull at their fur. Together, they would have a chance at getting warm. "Foolisch voman," he muttered to her, trying to herd her closer to a corner in the cave where he would have a better chance at warming her up. "Tryingkt to get yourself killed?" His voice was rough, condescending, but it was still good to see her nonetheless.

---

+1 - Make a BWP-related post
+2 - Study one of the natural phenomena occurring
+2 - Analyze the changes being made to the land

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emptyShe is blind and deaf, helpless as Adalwolf guides her to safety. Or what she might assume is safety - despite the brutality of the boys she’d come to band with on their way into Amaryllis, they’d not attempted outright murder. What trust is there is now put to the test, whether Aleksandra is willing to be at his mercy or not.

He proves trustworthy, and as soon as the relative cosiness of the cave embraces her, Aleks heaves a breath of icy air. Still, @Adalwolf pushes her further into the dark, and she is unable to resist (if only to push ever closer to his warmth, more than willing to leech it from him). Her legs begin to give out, and rather than appear weak, the lioness slowly lowers herself to the ground in the back of the cave as if it’s her choice. Shivers tremble her thick frame, the meat on her bones nowhere near enough to keep her warm. She was simply not built for such conditions.

empty"Perhaps I was trying to find you,"empty she retorts icily. empty"The storm came out of nowhere,"empty Aleks needs to not be seen as foolish or so stupid as to wander into a blizzard. She reaches up a paw, claws nearly tucked away, beckoning the brute closer regardless of his manner. It doesn’t matter, and as irritated as she might look, she’s rather unphased by his tone. Snark and sarcasm aren’t enough to get under her skin. Least not in these conditions.empty

Together, they make their way into the deeper darkness of the cave. She let him herd her into the corner, and as they neared the back she pressed into his warmth even more, like a leech. He didn't mind at all. @Aleksandra was no good to him dead from frostbite. What he would use her for was a matter yet to be determined, but he was certain he could think of a few things. Never mind that he needed lions loyal to him if he was to complete his conquest of Amaryllis.

And if he could provide her with power...well, he thought that might be something to gain her loyalty. Would she help him get it, though, was the question.

She finally lowered herself to the ground, deep enough in the cave that the cold that leaked in didn't quite reach this far. He said nothing of the weakness he could see in her legs. He expected no less, and not just because she was a woman. The weather was brutal. It could bring even the strongest to their knees. It was still cold, but at least together they could keep warm here. With the weather as angry as it was, he might need to rethink his choice in home.

She reached out a paw to beckon him closer and he went to her, lowering his head down as he settled in beside her, sharing his warmth with her. "Vell, you'fe found me," he says, lowering his voice and bringing his head close to her ear as he spoke. "So now vhat? " His voice is deep and husky. He pressed against her, turning his back to the cave to protect her from the cold of the open space. His fur would protect him. Hers would not.

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emptyA rough, rumbling purr echoes from her breast as @Adalwolf joins her. Pressed close, it’s easy to leach his heat. Slowly, Aleksandra’s numb limbs begin to ache and warm - she won’t complain about the pain when it can only be a good thing.

empty"It seems I did."empty She answers, pleased. He at least is not complaining about her company or being pressed close. Oh, she can’t help but like that. He is far from a man easy to wrap around her claws, but she has always enjoyed a challenge.

empty"Keep me warm,"empty Aleksandra murmurs, looking up at him and her lashes over sliver-blue eyes. Coy is her style until it doesn’t get what she wants, but that is a rare occurrence. And right now, she wants. Him, affection, warmth. Anything he wants to give her, anything he wants to take.empty

It was decidedly warmer in the cave when there was someone to share it with. Having her around, if he stayed here, could be useful. And she had been to Amaryllis before. She might have some information to help him in his quest for power.

His family was typically against prides, but having a power base - a whole pride - to draw from might be beneficial to their cause. Besides, he didn't see many others going about trying to organize the Rike into something more tangible than the scattered few they seemed to be.

The request from @Aleksandra was reasonable and he pressed closer, his nose trailing a line down her neck. "I kan zink uff some vays to keep varm," he rumbled against her neck, his voice thick with promise. But then he drew away, his orange eyes searching to meet her gaze.

"But vhat vill you gife me in return hmmmm?"

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emptyIt’s a dance, a game.

She has always liked games - always liked winning them. She purrs at his touch, extends her neck as if to offer him more. And then she does not bother to hide the pout on black lips when he does not give her what she wants. But oh, Adalwolf is just as good a player as she is - at least here. He is a challenge.

empty"I’ll keep you warm too."empty The slightest tilt to her head, the glint in her eye more calculating than beguiling now. Is this just a night of keeping each other warm and entertained or is the Rike truly after something else? empty"Unless you have another suggestion…?"emptyempty

There are many things he might ask her for. Her loyalty, her devotion, her strength. These were all things that he was certain would be a lot harder to get from her than this, however. Aleks did not give things away quite so easily.

Tonight, though, he was willing to take what was right here in front of him. And she seemed willing. Keeping each other warm didn't have to be boring, after all...

"I zink I kan make do mitt zat," he rumbles, his voice heady with desire. The pout he caught on her lips before her gaze became calculating drove him forward and he leaned in, his teeth grazing her neck before he tried to nip at her, and not in the most gentle of manners.

He smirked at her, glancing back towards her face. "Ve kan talk ozzer desires anozzer time," he purred. For now, he wanted her. He surged forward, intent on making good on his promise to keep her warm.

Fade/Exit

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