She is glad to have settled here, in the coldest place this land has to offer them. It reminds her of home in all the most bitter and scathing of ways, of its unforgiving nature and her vehement insistence to survive. For once, a quiet has overcome Sunníva Rike; she is alone, with no one to direct her ire to, and so she has set her mind to learning everything she can about this new and strange world. Of course, they have little purpose other than to track down Sigrún dogs, but being wise to their surroundings is just smart math. Her breath fogs lightly around her as she finds herself prowling through a brightly-lit cavern, the frozen walls dripping gently around her and a stream trickling past her paws. Peculiar, she thinks, that it isn’t frozen too. She follows its path deeper into the heart of the cave system, noting how light still seems to filter in from every angle, leaving strange patterns of light and shadow throughout. A warped version of her reflection follows her along the wall, twisted and nearly unrecognizable against the face of the translucent ice. Her skull turns minutely to observe the image, a bemused smirk touching her lips at the macabre kaleidoscope of her scars, cold eyes staring back at her. With a flick of her tail, she continues down the hall whilst idly wondering to herself if she will find anything truly interesting in here. @Eulalia

table by koi

Amidst the chaos and disarray that came with their long journey, Eulalia found that he’d lost track of his wives, which did not tend to happen often, and was almost never a good sign when it did happen. Well, at least for someone else. There wasn’t usually much Eulalia had to do with the affairs of his women, for as far as he was concerned their business was their own, and they could most certainly handle themselves. Apart from the here and there cleanup he’d had to do in past instances of mischief, Eulalia allowed his women to come and go as they pleased. Why shouldn’t he?

He knew they’d always come back to him, anyways.

He excused himself from the quiet, buzzing bustle of the campside to follow the distinct scent of @Sunníva, whose presence was the first he’d noticed missing. Tracking down a body was no less than one of Eulalia’s greatest assets and he had no trouble finding the source in very little time. Ducking into the cavern, his pale eyes flicked about to assess. The walls were awash in color, his fair mane tinted with the pinks and lights as he went.

A flicker of movement ahead caught his attention, and the brawny Rike’s gaze was keen. He spotted the tip of her tail disappearing around a bend, and he slipped after her, finding himself in a long hall. The glossy walls provided twisted and heinous reflections of the pair, perhaps a better reflection of what could be found within..

A guttural sound echoed about, coming from Eulalia’s throat as he stalked towards her. “You didn’t think you could just leave without me noticing, did you," he said softly as he drew nearer, gaze tracing the gentle curves of her spotted hips, the long, plush fur divided by scars.

""

The constant drip, drip, drip from slowly melting walls is deafening in her ears. She hates quiet places, and especially the echoes that resound within them when there is nothing else to catch the noise. Sunníva would much prefer to be in the middle of the fray, ensuing chaos with a grin upon her lips -- but unfortunately for her, not many strangers seem to venture into this particular wasteland. It has made the past days incredibly boring to the woman, who has been subdued to annoyingly good behavior with nothing to entertain her. And now, she has half a mind to start clawing her way through these walls, if only to scratch an itch. She finds herself distracted, however, by a familiar low rumble. Sunníva pauses, one forepaw lifted as her ears twist back, catching the dangerous purr of his voice. "I’d be disappointed if you hadn’t," she retorts in a lilting croon, her skull twisting around so that she can meet his gaze. She takes note of his roving eyes, a smirk toying at the edges of her lips -- she knows his hungry stare, welcomes it, but she doesn’t appease it with the reward of physical contact. Instead, Sunníva continues on in the direction she had been going, the tip of her tail flicking teasingly to lure him in pursuit. She does so love a game of cat and mouse, and riling up @Eulalia is particularly invigorating to her. And so she toys with him, drifting down the hall with a glint in her eye that he cannot see, though he is well aware of her tendency to play. If he wants her affections, he’s going to have to catch her first.

table by koi

He wondered that he had ever thought he could truly sneak up on his little leopard seal, for as soon as the words left his lips she paused in step, silent and graceful, a single dainty, deadly paw lifted in place. He watched her ears tilt back, though she did not turn around, and a cool smile touched his pale face.

@Sunníva expressed that she, in fact, would have been disappointed if he hadn't noticed her slipping away. Her pretty, scarred face twisted about so that her gaze could meet his, if but for a brief moment...she loved to tease. Everything was a game for his little Sunn, he had quickly learned. It was as though her wild mind needed endless stimulation, entertainment that Eulalia was all too happy to play along with.

He always got what he wanted at the end of it, anyhow.

She turned away, her tail flicking languidly in his face as she continued to walk, and Eulalia moved forward swiftly so that his muzzle was close to her hips. Tongue darting out in an attempt to teasingly touch her right hip, he purred softly. “Oh, have pity on me," the warrior said pleasantly, his husky voice as quiet and gentle as ever, so opposite of his rough appearance. Though he was often as likely to just take what he wanted, Sunníva never exhausted his advances, and she wasn't boring, which led Eulalia to actually enjoy their little games.

""

She can feel the wolf at her back, his breath warm against her skin in drastic opposition to the cold that resonates here. Of course, she had expected him to be quick to follow -- he always is, and she knows that she can only get away with her game for so long before he cracks. A kiss grazes her hipbone, enough to ignite a spark of her fire, and she twists her haunches defiantly away, pivoting to face him. Her pale gaze meets his with a sparkle in her eye, his soft plea hardly enough to tame her. She is not so easily won -- but @Eulalia already knows this. "Pity?" she repeats with an amused smirk flashing across her lips. Sunníva leans in closer to her husband, her jaws craning close to his ear before she seeks to plant the sting of a kiss from her teeth against his cheek. "I don't know her," she purrs, unable to help the giggle that bubbles from her throat before she quickly brushes past him, bounding down the hall in an effort to get him to truly pick up the chase.

table by koi

Of course she had no pity for him, which was very much the thing Eulalia liked most about her. Her lush hips pulled away from him, her warmth whisked away from him. Pity? she queried, and a hot burn prickled within as her slender neck extended to bring her warm breath close to his ear. Her impish giggle and the tips of her fangs tormented him, and she rushed past him, her fur grazing his almost provokingly.

A low, throaty growl of frustration thrummed in his throat as he turned about swiftly on his heel. Fit and spry as he was, the narrow caverns were much better suited to a lean lioness such as his young wife for quick navigation. Nonetheless, massive paws carried the brute swiftly after her, heart thumping methodically in his chest, some vague carnal instinct awoken. Keep me young, he mused.

With a few long bounds he caught up to her, his eyes glittering slyly as he bounded with outstretched forearms in an attempt to knock @Sunníva aside. This was no playful or gentle attempt, as the large warrior hardly planned to restrict his own strength here. If she wanted to play games, he could play games, but he'd play them his way.

""

She expects his swift footsteps -- begs for them, even. She lives for the thrill of his ire, and anyone else's, truthfully. Sunníva is a glutton for punishment, but also delights in inflicting it; it's what made her such a suitable match for the Rike man. They compliment each other in the most macabre of ways. The rumble of his growl is music to her ears as she continues to toy with him, flitting down the halls with easy grace -- her reflection follows her, dancing along the walls. His footsteps thunder closer, closer, until he is right on her heels (and only because she wants him to be). He arrives in a rush, his paws swiftly colliding with her torso and roughly toppling the woman. Rather than brace herself or protest, Sunníva submits (only to @Eulalia, always) and twists onto her back, somewhat breathless from the impact. A smirk decorates her scarred face she peers up at him, her forepaws pressing against his chest. "What are you going to do now that you've caught me?" she coos, beckoning him closer with her sultry teasing.

table by koi

It didn't take long before his giant paws connected with her plush, spotted fur, rolling her beneath him swiftly. Standing over her, feeling her paws pressed against his chest, he met her glittering gaze. They shone with a familiar look of anticipation and mischief. His heavy mane drifted against her arms as he lowered his head slightly. Desire burned in him, pale eyes fixated on her unblinkingly as she teased him lightly. “Whatever I want," he hissed as he lowered his head closer to her face, offering her a polite smile before swiftly turning her lithe body over. Roughly shoving a massive paw between her shoulder blades to press her against the cold ground, he crooned softly near her ear. “But I suppose that's why you drew me down here anyways, little seal."

“After all," he continued, his voice soft as always, tracing his nose down the back of her neck. “I'm sure you have your needs as well. Consider me duty-bound to take care of them for you," he said smugly.

""

Bold and tenacious though she may be, Sunníva is no fool -- she knows exactly how far to push his buttons to get what she wants, to stay within the lines of her subservience and obedience to him. And truthfully, all teasing aside, she obeys him without question in every other instance. The low promise of his venomous voice sends a delightful shiver down her spine, and a smirk plays along the edges of her lips. His muzzle reaches closer, the taunting warmth of his breath glancing across her cheek before she is caught off-guard, her world spinning with a growl initially breaking free. There he pins her, and despite the cold of the ice pressed against her cheek and her breast, a heat rises in Sunníva. Her claws scrape audibly against the frigid ground, leaving deep grooves in their wake as she resists her urge to squirm, though a part of her yearns for the ire she might ensue if she does. @Eulalia coos against her ear, his nose trailing tauntingly down the supple curves of her nape, and Sunníva lets out a strangled growl-purr, her frustration mounting. She has never been particularly good at patience, but he already knows this. "Please," she hisses, her tail sweeping to and fro with agitation and flicking against his ankles. Her words are half a beg and half a demand, urging him to stop playing games, even if she had started them.

table by koi

The warrior had her exactly where he wanted her, emotionally and physically. He enjoyed it for a moment, towering over her lithe frame with his paw crushing her to the ground. He contemplated what to do next, though her plea caused a growl unbidden.

“Such good manners," he purred, pressing a few gentle kisses to her scruff. “Such a patient little beast." Eulalia knew as much as anyone that Sunn was the furthest from "patient" a beast could get, but he admitted that he loved that she deigned to play his games with him.

But nothing very much new for the male. His ego was large, and as a veteran he was quite used to getting his way, to seeing others step out of his war path. The sense of control he felt that she was patient only for him was exhilarating however. It was this dynamic that led him to deliver her punishment, which she accepted as a reward.

Massive jaws parting, he firmly gripped her scruff, unable to control the burning within any longer. “Quiet," he murmured through her fur, pressing her even closer to the earth.

-fade to black/exit-

""