[IC] Journey to the East

[Illumin0sity]

Noah, before setting his eyes caringly on her, didn’t miss her bodily reactions. It was beginning to be cemented in him that his touches often drove Elann to do many things he usually didn’t expect. He called the first time he kissed her truly, how, if she weren’t standing, she would’ve practically melted under the touch of his lips. Needless to say now, he did enjoy her reactions to him and how she instilled a sense of power in him, almost like a puppeteer to their charges, though she was far from a puppet in his eyes.

She affirmed to him that his thoughts on the plans were indeed romantic. He smiled slightly, involuntarily, having gotten the assumption right instead of wrong. There was a shifting change in Noah, a change brought on by the promise of going to Zeltiva and spurred on by their arrival. The change of scenery was refreshing, the drabness of Syliras no longer hanging over him and the constant reminders of grey walls and a love lost in his former bondmate no longer nudging at his mind. The words he had said to her in the past, when he did confess his love to her, were all promises that had yet to be fulfilled. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t devote himself to her in the way he wished, not then, but now in the coming time as they started this chapter in life together in Zeltiva.

Noah’s hand rose from her next over to the back of her ear, the place where her Cheva mark resided and a place where she once said she enjoyed him to touch. He graced over it with the backs of his fingers gently, stopping to rub over her cheek with his thumb. He withdrew his hand from her, placing it on the bed on her other side then slowly pulling himself over her, using his legs to part hers and make room for himself between them. Hovering over her, he leaned down and placed a kiss upon her lips, a simple and fleeting peck.

“I love you,” he whispered over her in Fratava.

Inside his heart, his love and desire mingled with one another. It was still a slow flame, though not as dull as she may have once felt in their past. His words uttered in Fratava were said with intent, communicating what he held in feelings for her in that moment. Common, to him, was a very dull and nasally language. In Fratava he felt he could better express the emotions he felt so softly as Fratava called upon the deepness of his voice mixed with smooth words laced with sensuality. Where before she had seen him use the language just to translate phrases, here she was hearing it used with its real and very provocative intentions, and that alone could bolster the language when it was spoken with its intent and not just in translation.

[snelss0]

It was interesting when Noah reminisced on the past. Feelings and emotions of the things he liked seemed to pique inside of him, showing Elann various signs that he was doing what she did when she increased her passions for him. It was largely based on the experience they had with each other, the touches, the things they said and did that happened in the past that let her love him so greatly. It wasn't just lip-service to her. It was developed out of a need for him and grew out of her experience with him.

Lately, that experience had been bad, but as he spoke of romance, felt emotions as he thought back, and seemed to pay more attention to the current moment than his own thoughts, she couldn't dwell on the negative in their relationship. Those thoughts had been pushed aside, forgiven, and only seemed to come back when she was neglected. Now that he seemed to bring focus back to her and their loving relationship, she could only remind herself of the good events that took place too.

Elann seemed to melt in comfort and enjoyment as his touch came to her ear. The soft pulling carress made her take a deep breath as she opened her eyes to view him. Longing had snuck itself into their bond and yet seemed to fluctuate in her as he came over closer. It wasn't that she didn't long for him any more, but the fading longingness of him being near her was replaced by the new longing to have relations with him. Whatever was going on in her mind, it seemed to be well received as she welcomed him to her, giving him access to her and meeting his kiss openly.

Her hands wrapped up briefly over his neck as she lingered on the words he spoke. In their bond, love was returned, but no words came. It seemed her eyes had closed as she reveled in the emotions he sent her. They were a fine chocolate to her, a delicious treat that she rarely got to experience. Her body began to respond to him in evident ways, in small motions and various feelings. Her hands began to search out his body once more, almost involuntarily as she wanted him to make love to her. Before she had cared that they were on Donovan's bed, but in the moment, she really could care less. Only a robe between them, bound at the waist tightly in a simple looped bow seemed to come between them.

She sought his lips and to entice his body in mutual form with her own, although a simple moment or emotion of wariness or rejection would cease her advance upon him and would show her that he did care about their lovemaking in his family's house. It was strange, she could admit, being in a house full of people who had great hearing and senses, but they also were animals, and mating was natural. Elann had no idea what any of them may have though, but at that moment, she also did not care.

[Illumin0sity]

Noah’s advances were accepted, giving him access to her and her of him. Her eyes closed following his words and movements, leading him into the bond to find the love he expressed to her was being expressed in return. The words she spoke to him since they married and lay together for the first time continue to be recounted in his mind. The connection between them made when bonded was nourished heavily by the act of lovemaking, and so he truly believed there was no better way to be one with his bondmate in all ways than to make love with her.

He lowered himself onto her as her eyes closed and peppered her cheeks and jawline with little kisses that trailed down to her neck. With a nudging of her head she summoned him to kiss her in full, of which he obliged to, feeling her hands explore his body in enticing ways that brought on the reaction she sought for. He disregarded that it was his brother’s bed as well, though it wouldn’t have occurred to him morally anyway unless brought up. His brother was gone on a trip that would last months, therefore in Noah’s mind the bed had been repossessed by him and Elann.

Meeting her lips led to an increase in his yearning for her, and so his hand roved, seeking to banish the minor annoyance of clothing she was wearing in that moment. The loop was undone and unraveled, slung to the side before his fingers and palm invaded the once tightly held opening to feel and smooth upon the skin of her abdomen and torso. He recalled the heated moments resembling this one to further fuel his want for her, urging him to open up the robe to reveal her to him.

The gravity of the situation whelmed him and he pulled back, sitting up on his knees in order to fully help her out of the robe she was in. It wasn’t an urgent action but he did indeed want it entirely gone and when it was off he threw it off the bed, resuming the kissing he had paused. As she touched him she could feel how he was essentially scorching as his passion and deep borderline lust for her grew at a steady pace. He wasn’t aggressive in his actions though, each one still treating her gently, they were impactful though and held meaning behind them, and inside his heart thudded like a drum. The same purring sensation she witnessed once before came upon him then riddled with more bass-like reverberations she could plainly feel coming from his core.

[snelss0]

At long last he had seemed to draw to her in a way that she longed for. Although nothing had happened yet, she could sense that he was romancing her. He met her lips, and not in a sweet simple way, but in a way that showed his intent. Noah was not being the animal right now, but the husband she wanted. The robe was tight, and his hand sought entry, yet it was restricted in a way.

She laughed inside as she felt his annoyance, merely smiling on the outside as their kiss ended. Her hand had come down to offer his the end to pull, the key to unlocking the robe between them. Undone, she was slowly revealed before him. As he gazed upon her and recalled their previous moments, her eyes tightened shut as if it itself was a manner of pleasing her. In reality, the emotion of his passion and desire were more seductive than any act he could do in that moment.

As he pulled back, the tight-lidded eyes opened to view him and the tuggings and want of it completely gone were revealed. She sat up, letting him help her out of it, and with a couple of shifts and lifts of her body, it was free to be flung. A small audible chuckle came from her at the ridding of it. She could tell by how he threw it even that he was not the animal; if he was, he would have been far more aggressive. As it was, it seemed as though he was going to make great love to her.

A bite of her lip revealed the physical anticipation bubbling up inside of her for him; a feeling that was doubled as he kissed her fully once more. Now they were able to be together in a more direct fashion than before, and given it was what both wanted, their bond would further lead them in mutually pleasurable ways. Elann would guide him and show him without words, much like they had done before, and would reveal how she wished to be romanced in that evening and moment. While there were similarities, each chance of lovemaking they had was slightly different.

Ultimately the two would become one, and with the anticipation, his strong emotions, and her long-felt want for it all, she would find herself with her hands over her mouth, silencing the natural and powerful reactions within her. She instead would keep that hand there, nearly paralyzed with emotion and pleasure, long after their lovemaking was over. If she hadn't been moving and breathing, it would be easy to think he had killed her; but all through their bond, emotions of elation still resided.

[Illumin0sity]

Their bond was engulfed for the first time in a long while with their mutual passion and broiling love. Elann had drawn him into her with her anticipation. It was a slow thing at first as both of them became acclimated to feelings and sensations they hadn’t felt in a while with one another. He let her guide him and he was attentive to her silent direction. He didn’t let his mind slip away from the moment, aiming to please her as if apologetic for any harm he may have caused in the past. As soon as their actions began to evoke vocal reactions he had covered her mouth first, whispering for her to remain quiet throughout. With three wolves just outside of the stone walls and the thick door, he was unsure just how attentive they were to the going-ons in the house, in that room. While he knew his family would care little about him lying with his bondmate and wife, he wanted to retain any privacy they may have had in the heated moment.

The hot thing continued with dancing shadows in orange candlelight, fires flickering in reflection to what Noah felt inside himself both emotionally and physically. There was a great deal of control in him throughout their engagement, something that was egged on and maintained by Elann’s thorough enjoyment of him and him of her. It went on until it was done, the succinct expression of their finishing followed by the slow decline that left him near breathless and her apparently lifeless beneath him.

Noah took a breath but remained where he was. At some point he had cast the blankets off of them, wanting to see her fully without obstruction. There was something about her bare body that spoke of trueness to him, how it was unhidden by the lies of clothing and allowed them to be together, skin to skin. He leaned down and placed a soft kisses on her collarbone, seeking to breathe life back into her as his breath furled hotly from him onto her skin. A playful nip of a bite was done onto where the bone poked against her skin. His hand sought for her, entangling their fingers in a palm-touching grasp.

He hummed sweetly, nudging her chin with his head for her to essentially awaken. Regardless of if she did or not, he went for her ear, nipping at the lobe before whispering her name sing-song-like.

[snelss0]

Noah's attentions, as simple as they were, nipping at her bare collarbone, sent great physical reaction through her body. It was as though her skin was ignited by sensitivity and he had just flicked it hard. She did not come back to him at his beckoning, instead remaining with eyes closed and hand slowly moving from her covered mouth down to her breasts to lie in between them.

He sought out her hand, and it was only upon snagging it from her chest and wrapping his hand intertwined in hers did she seem to rouse slightly. Her eyes cracked open to look up at him and she hummed happily at his neck nudgings. It wasn't until he nipped at her ear did she seem to come back even more. Her body shifted, wrapping around his with her legs and pulling her head away from his to show she was alert.

With breath still very ragged, she voiced in a sultry fashion, "You want something?"

A little huff of exhaustion came from her as she pushed the gaspy breath away from her and normalized. Her attentions with him were far from finished and she showed him as much with her free hand. She too felt like his emotions, his actions, and his way with her was an apology. Even the way he had taken off her robe, even casting aside the blanket, it was as if he wanted to view her body and even desire it fully. The thoughts still ran through her head, and while feeling incapable of moving much in the moment, her passion and desire for him had not left her. She had been wrong in assuming in the past that he found her attractive, but she had hope that the more he sought her romantically, the more he would come to desire her, her mind, and even her body throughout the day in the way they had just shared.

Her womanly attentions to him would hopefully draw him to be willing once more to continue their activities, though she still lay there mostly unmoving.

"Sit on the edge of the bed. I want to try something..." she asked of him in the same vocal fashion. If he moved, the released pressure of her freed hips would give her a momentary bit of comfort and she felt as though she could move once more. Curling, which felt amazing in that moment, she rolled off the side of the bed and sat up next to him. Slowly she would stand, feeling a bit of pain in her and holding her hips to release some of it. A smile then was given to him to show she was fine and she drew to sit upon him. Her desire was clearly shown there on the side of the bed as the vision of what could have happened in the tub became reality.

[Illumin0sity]

Noah’s humming and nudging elicited a response from Elann. It was small, but her body shifted and her voice came sultrily. He hummed again in affirmation, simply saying he did want something but not expressing exactly what he wanted. It was fine that she just lied there, he was still recovering himself, pressed rather lowly onto her with his head nestled in the crook of her neck, his lips occasionally puckering to kiss at her skin or nip at her ear.

Her voice came, her throat echoing against him as he was so close. Her request was questionable, making him perk his brow though she couldn’t see. A little hum of perplexity came from him before he submitted. “Okay…” he said, trailing, before he rolled off of her towards the edge of the bed as she requested. Noah pushed aside the blanket a little more and sat up, his feet touching the cooling wooden floor. She sat up beside him and his eyes were upon her, question still etched across his facial features as she rose to stand, her hands relieving an unseen ache from her hips.

Her smile was met with two risen brows. Noah wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing until her hands came to his shoulders, seeking to steady herself as she sat upon him. If this was what she wanted to do in the tub she would’ve found herself at a loss, Noah probably indirectly rejecting her for favor of relaxing and cleansing himself. To him, that’s was what a bath was about and she sought to soil that with her visions and thoughts.

Elann conformed her body to his hot one, the residual heat in his being having begun to die down until it was sparked again by her actions. Still, he was curious and that much was plainly seen as he was taking in this different experience with her.

[snelss0]

Elann pressed his hands to her body, gesturing for them to rove around. As previously told, her chest and hips were the points where he would find massive surges of enjoyment coming from her, but for the most part, she was taking her time and enjoying him. Like this, she felt in control, but also he too could feel the same, as if they were equal.

The two of them could continue that way as long as he was able, but Elann also wanted the evening to be about him, so she would voice the question to him for what he would want to do to her, if there was anything else on his mind.

Whether or not they continued was up to him, but if he was too tired or worn, she would not give up there. Elann wanted to please him and whether after another further wild throe in the sheets or not, she would seek to give him a body massage. She was going to coax him into a realm of relaxation she had never brought him to, detailing each muscle that in their bond felt like it relaxed him, and steered away from anything that would harm him. Using her bond with eyes closed and atop of him, she would use the bond like a roadmap to his body.

Later that night, when Jocelyn would come home, Elann would still be awake and would wait long after she likely went to bed and then would go take another bath, this time, just a short one to clean after their lovemaking. If he had somehow remained awake and wished to join her, he could, however she would get sleep and wake before breakfast as normal.

In usual fashion, she sat up, rubbing her eyes at the light of the rising sun coming into the room (whether or not it was direct or just global light). There she would linger for a long moment, smelling the air and listening to see if she could smell breakfast cooking or hear someone in the kitchen. Her frame was still in the nude and long since had her turban been cast aside, revealing beautiful nearly black curly brown hair. She looked sleepily over for Noah and where he was.

[Illumin0sity]

Noah’s curiosity was slowly satiated as he understood what they were doing in that position. It was odd sharing control with her, not because he didn’t want to but because he hadn’t before. Possibly unknown to Elann, Noah had a knack for being a submissive partner. It was only in her case recently that he seemed to show some sense of domineering when lying with another person. He was a selfless lover for the most part, seeking to have whomever he lay with satisfied before himself, which explained him being able to withstand the flows of passion with Elann for so long at times, even here when he maintained through the slow starting of their second bout. He needed but a little time to rear up again.

They stayed in the station Elann instructed him into for a time before he turned it onto her, showing her a few new ways to love, ways he had learned from past experiences but wanted to share with her in this new meaning. Eventually they were done again, Elann’s attentive and detailed massage lulling him away to half-sleep until she was done. The rest of the night he slept in full, Elann disappearing back downstairs to bathe after Jocelyn was hid away in her room as well. Come morning, all of the Amuels were up before dawn broke, of those included Noah, who Elann would not find in the bedroom with her. The birds acted as their alarms, the bell towers clanging acting as a second rousing if none were up by then.

The light scents of breakfast could be smelled throughout the house, weighted with the heavy aromas of cooking bacon and steak. Elann could feel the house quietly buzzing, though the Amuels had been awake for hours already, some longer than others, Noah the shortest of all. Should Elann come downstairs, she’d find Viktor sitting in the main hall by the fire in an armchair with a book in his hand. In the bright light of the morning light shading in from the east she could plainly see him and his shirtless frame, a pair of tattered pants covering his lower body. His upper body was coated in a bush of hair in the center of his torso, his arms shaded with dark brown strands as well.

In the kitchen would be Aimee and Ryon, cooking up what was the second and larger breakfast of that morning. Bacon and steak were frying atop the kitchen’s hearth’s grate and eggs were set aside to be fried after the meat was done. A round loaf of bread stood on a cooling rack. The dining table was empty of people though, only done up in preparation for the breakfast that was to be had.

[snelss0]

Having shown her husband a new way for them to work together, it seemed that he too had a few things to show her. While she had considered that in the past he had possibly in his innocence had sex, she preferred to think that perhaps he also could just have used his imagination. In her culture it was not very good to be with someone who had had sex outside of marriage, not unless they were a concubine, someone who desired sex merely for the lack of prodginy to help take care of them. To them it was a service, and the man who provided the heir would have to take care of the concubine much like a wife, but lower in importance. To just have sex with someone in a brothel was considered wrong.

Even to Elann, having sex with a concubine was wrong. She intended her marriage to be pure, and as long as Noah maintained that she was indeed the only one he would ever love, she would remain in the belief it was pure, despite his past experiences; if it wasn't, Yahal would not have voiced his support of it.

Elann was alone. The bed beside her was empty and cold, but the buzz of their bond could be felt among each other. Sending loving thoughts of their passionate night through the bond, she reminisced of how she felt and shared openly her early morning stretches as if to say the good morning she wanted to to him from afar. Slowly she rose from bed and a great pain was in her hips. Muttering to herself in comment on the pain, the good feelings were slightly replaced with resisting the pain within her. After a few steps, she paused at the edge of the bed and sat by the trunk. Opening it, she found her brush and then moved toward the mirror.

After a quick brush and wash of her face from the small basin, she finally looked a bit more alert. Elann pulled a blue dress out of the chest and a leather belt - something nice for the day to travel around town but not so nice as to be uncomfortable- and donned them. The dress was smoothed out over her body, tied, and some last minute fixes were brushed out of her naturally curled hair. Looking herself over, the outfit seemed to bring out more of a blue hue from her bluish-green eyes.

With that, she was out the door barefoot and heading down the stairs at a fairly slow pace. As she came into sight of Viktor, she gave him a wave and moved to linger in front of the fireplace for a moment while she could speak to him softly.

"Good morning. Sleep well?"

It wasn't beyond her notice that all of the Amuels were attractive, especially shirtless as his father was, but there was very little attraction toward him because of his status and her natural fear of him as a stranger.

[Illumin0sity]

Perhaps for the first time Elann could sense Noah's silent reply through the bond, a small glimmer of reflected feelings she shared. When the bond quieted Noah would fill it unintentionally with small jovial piquings, telling that wherever he was, he was enjoying himself. If Elann would use the powers granted to their bond, sharing his sight for a moment, she would see he was outside on the porch of the house, sitting beside a woman.

Viktor was watching the steps as Elann descended them, his stark and cold gaze falling on the blue Benshira as she settled at the bottom of the stairs. He took her in, his ear wiggling slightly as he forced the human appendage to adjust to what his true form was used to. He didn’t expect her to walk right up to him, seeing as he didn’t do much in reply to her wave made in greeting. He wasn’t unfriendly though, but it was perhaps apparent where Noah got the disposition of distance from, along with the air of unapproachability that Elann may have recalled upon seeing him for the first time.

The large man set his book down into his lap, one leg crossed over the knee of the other as Elann greeted him vocally. “Good morning,” he greeted in Fratava. There was a slight cheer in his voice though his face was fairly passive, leading one to believe it was the emotion in the language rather than the speaker. His gaze was intent in its looking, peering at her with open eyes as he took in her features in the new day’s light.

“I slept well,” he answered, “thank you.” There was another go-over with his eyes before they settled on her bright ones, momentarily distracted by one of the curls in her hair. He shifted his own strands, tucking one of the long tresses behind his ear, revealing it to show where Noah may have gotten his larger ears from.

“How’d you sleep?” he questioned in returned, though there was more on his tongue that he wanted to let off. His eyes flicked to the loveseat in the little seating area, partly inviting her to sit if she wanted to but not mentioning it. There was a clatter of dishes in the kitchen, the sound of Aimee’s fussing voice coming quietly. If Elann was paying attention she would've seen Viktor’s ear react to the noise, as if attempting to turn towards it.

[snelss0]

If Elann felt a bit more like she was capable, she would likely do a little dance at Noah's emotional reply. As it was, she just seemed to enjoy it. Elann rarely used the bond to see sight through the bond. She was too busy on her own thoughts and focusing on what little emotions he sent her. Perhaps as he felt more emotion, she could relax more and sense the other aspects of their bond.

Seeing Viktor certainly reminded her of Noah's antisocial behavior and naturally she decided it was Viktor who had imprinted that behavior upon him and encouraged him to be the man he was today. It meant that she was liable to be just as irritating to him as sometimes she was to Noah; the difference being that she could sometimes makeup with Noah to a degree, but she wasn't sure about his father.

"I slept..." she paused as there was a clatter in the kitchen and then looked toward that way briefly with a smile at Aimee's fussing before moving slightly closer to him toward the loveseat, "...well. It was a comfortable bed. And it was certainly nice to be able to bathe after so long on the road." She paused, looking toward the kitchen.

"It smells like breakfast is going to be good."

[Illumin0sity]

Viktor showed Elann a small smile as he nodded slightly in agreement with her words. “Yeah,” he said, “a bath is much needed when you’re out for that long.” As he spoke his Zeltivan accent became further apparent to Elann’s ears. There was a distinct difference between Common spoken in Syliras and Common spoken in Zeltiva, there was flare in the way they spoke in Zeltiva, mostly because the Svefra had such an impact on the long term development of the city over the years.

“How was your trip, speaking of,” he asked, shifting to set both feet down on the floor. He brought the book up and folded over the corner, setting it off to the side onto the end table’s surface.

Viktor was attempting to grow accustom to Elann’s presence in his home. All though she may not have known it, her arrival disrupted a balance in the home and her smells and presence were interrupting a familiarity Viktor had come to like in his shelter. He knew it wasn’t her fault, hence his pensive nature so far, it was simply something to get used to though. Isabella had done a lot to make Elann’s transition into Zeltiva, their home, and their family seamless so that nothing seemed to bubble on the surface of still water, of which included familiarizing Viktor with Noah’s partner.

[snelss0]

With the continued conversation, and the occupation of busybodies in the kitchen, she decided to sit down on the edge of the loveseat and speak to Viktor for a little. The communication was something she couldn't avoid; he was family.

"The trip was long and bumpy. The first week I felt like my spine had shifted in ways it never could." She let out a little laugh. "But eventually we got used to it. It was nice having Isabella with us for a while. Eventually we all started to work together on the trip. Aimee and I would watch the children at times for the whole of the caravan and play games with them. We went hunting at times, and Aimee provided a lot of the meat for the wagon's meals."

She felt bad, not being able to speak of -all- that happened on the trip but tried not to show it.

"It was beautiful country. I've never seen so much green and abundant water in my life. I felt like I was in the realm of Yahal and had died somehow. The trip was much more enjoyable than three months by boat."

She wondered if Viktor was just as imaginative as Noah and put it to the test. She looked upon him, seeing if he had a similar face to that of her husband as he thought.

"When we came in sight of the mountains of Zeltiva, new hope sprang up in us. The white caps of the high peaks seemed larger than anything I've ever seen. The towers standing watch seemed ready to defend us from anything that would come our way. It was very beautiful."

[Illumin0sity]

Viktor watched as Elann sat down at the edge of the loveseat. The seating area around the fireplace was small, only housing two armchairs and a loveseat, but it was where their family once gathered on a nightly basis in order to live out their lives with one another. Where Elann sat was often where Viktor lay in order to read to her husband when Noah was a child, there he would often lie on his father’s chest, snuggled up, listening to the tales of his namesake, of heroes and villains, lords and ladies of a time long past and out of this world.

Upon his provoking, Elann spilled how she felt their trip went, touching on the small beginnings that brought a small smile out of Viktor made in humor. He nodded at the mention of Isabella, maintaining attention as his daughter was mentioned and how she would help out the hunters in finding meat for the caravan. The mention of beautiful countryside nearly made his eyes glaze over in thought, the same face Elann often saw Noah subtly make, how his eyes were on her but looking through her as his head reeled with imagery and details came, and how his lips slightly parted yet puckered at the same time. Another nod came from the dire man as Elann compared the green of the meadows and forests to Yahal’s realm. Viktor didn’t know much about Elann’s god, only that it was worshipped by many of the immigrated Benshira there, now her included.

“I used to live out there,” he told her, “between Syliras and Zeltiva, before I bonded and settled down in Zeltiva with Bella.”

There was a small moment of reminiscence as he recalled his vague youth. His eyes locked again upon Elann on the loveseat, his ears tuning into the kitchen for other clattering and noises, but none came. Instead he focused on Elann with his two senses, attempting to gauge a feel for the Benshiran woman across from him. He leaned back in the chair, resting his hands in his lap.

“I’m glad you’ve arrived safely then. I hope you find Zeltiva to your liking,” he said, trailing off as his attention seemed to shift. Though it was faint enough for him to hear, laughter was coming from outside on the porch, funneling through the door into the main hall from the entrance hall. In her bond, Elann could feel the outburst of joy come from now, spiking as the eagle reveled in whatever he was doing outside in the front.

“Bella should be back before lunch,” Viktor went on. “We’ll be going out for the two of you then, stopping at a few stores before we go to the Maiden’s for lunch.” He paused, looking Elann over. “Maiden is a small inn near the city center, it’s one of our family’s favorite places to go, I hope that’s alright with you. If not, we can always go somewhere else.”

[snelss0]

"That must have been nice. I've dreamed of living out there, living off the land, but I don't know if I could. I know how to live in the desert, here I'm quite ignorant to how things work."

Elann nodded to his welcome and noticed his shift of attention as well as the joy in her bond. It was curious to her because she thought Noah to be in the kitchen.

"That sounds wonderful. I've only eaten in a couple restaurants before, well, really only one, but the other I was in. I just didn't eat." She grinned and shrugged. "Well...I'll leave you to your reading. I'm going to go pester Aimee about breakfast and see if I can help in any way."

While she had just sat, the fact she sat on the edge of the chair had already communicated her ease to leave. It was to show him she was giving him the respect to spend time with him, but also was wanting to see what else was going on. Only if he bid her farewell would she stand and head into the kitchen so as not to be rude.

Knowing her husband, if his father was anything like him, he would appreciate the shortness of their conversation and would even come to appreciate her for it more in the longrun. While Isabella may have told him that she was a talker at times, it didn't appear so to him.

[Illumin0sity]

“The concept’s the same,” he told her in relation to surviving in the desert as opposed to the forests between Syliras and Zeltiva. “I miss it sometimes, to be honest.” It had been a long while since Viktor graced the wilds with his prolonged presence. Though Elann knew little about the domain Noah once held over the Bronze Woods, she’d feel perhaps dwarfed by what Viktor once held in his grasp only a decade ago.

He nodded at Elann’s acceptance of where they’d be going later that day, it all sounded fine. He found her grin bizarre though, and how she nonchalantly put out that she didn’t eat at the only other restaurant she had been in. He left it alone, partly stopped in conversation as the pause between them turned into Elann giving her announcement of leave. Again, he nodded and reached over for his book on the end table, crossing one leg over the other’s knee and reclining in the seat. He opened the book as Elann went off into the kitchen.

As she passed through the archway Elann was greeted with the full aroma of what was cooking. The steak had been pulled out of the pan, sat aside to rest and wait for the remaining of the bacon to be cooked through. Already there was a fair pile on the counter beside the pieces of steak. A cluster of eggs sat in a bowl ready to be cracked open and scrambled up as well. A fresh loaf of bread sat on a rack, on a plate was a few left over slices from last night’s bread. Taking up the last bit on the counter was a large bowl of that morning’s porridge, rewarmed and flavored for this second breakfast’s consumption.

Aimee and Ryon both looked up from what they were doing at the counters in order to see Elann walk in. Ryon greeted her with a small smile, acknowledging her presence, and Aimee waved.

“Good morning, Elann,” Aimee chimed. “How are you feeling? Alright, I hope, given being able to finally sleep on a bed after the trip.”

[snelss0]

Elann hummed, interested in his intent to return to what he missed. There was obviously something keeping them all there in Zeltiva, she just hadn't figured out what it was yet. In her mind, she figured perhaps it was school for the children.

"Well, at least the woods aren't that far."

Seeing how Zeltiva was surrounded in woods, it was at least just a small journey to at the very least not hard to be in nature. Elann left him so as not to bother him much more and went into the kitchen.

To Elann, she had no idea the others had gotten up early enough to eat before her. She was waking up as the suns light came out and filled the sky and already people were downstairs reading, have had breakfast, and were making another. Everything looked fresh and new to her, except for the leftover bread.

At Aimee and Ryon's welcome, Elann smiled. While the bath was somewhat of a rarity to Elann, sleeping on rugs pillows and blankets was comfortable to her. The bed was slightly more comfortable, but not much in her mind. She however understood what they meant and how they were trying to be courteous.

"Good morning! I'm alright. The bed was quite comfortable."

She looked briefly around for Noah, not having seen him along with the two in the kitchen. That didn't surprise her, so she figured he was out somewhere.

"Where is Noah? I'm surprised he was up this early."

[Illumin0sity]

Aimee showed a kind smile to Elann after she remarked on the bed being comfortable. “That’s all we could hope for,” she said in reply, polite and in passing. She moved over to the hearth, flipping the bacon over with a fork. Ryon turned to face Elann and the kitchen, leaning against the countertop, folding his arms and crossing his legs at the ankles. Things were near complete, all that needed to be done were the eggs and last of the bacon, so he was relaxing. The young wolf met Elann’s gaze and heard her words as she asked about Noah’s whereabouts.

Ryon nodded behind Elann out into the archway but was ultimately nodding through the main hall and into the entrance hall, regarding the front door of the house. “He’s on the porch with Jocelyn,” he told her. “Both of them slept through the breakfast that momma cooked but woke up a little while before you.”

His eyes focused on Elann once again. “He didn’t wake up early in Syliras?” he questioned. “You said you were surprised.”

“That’s funny,” Aimee added from the hearth. “He would wake up before most of us, even after he’d spend most the night outside. He must’ve gotten lazy when he moved away.”

Ryon pushed off from the counter and moved towards the window facing the front of the house. He moved aside the curtain with the back of his hand and peered through the pane, noting the exterior of the house. “They’re in the yard now,” he commented.

“I’m not surprised,” Aimee said, “Jocelyn and him were really close before he left. You’d think he was her baby and not momma’s.” A small laugh came from her as she remembered the past, though it subsided and she retook her calm, focusing on the smells of the bacon.

[snelss0]

"Oh, with Jocelyn hmm?" Elann voiced as curiosity filled her bond. There was an anticipation within her and longing to see this mysterious person. It seemed now that she realized they had already had breakfast. Why they had it so early, she didn't know.

"Well, I usually wake up before him...so he must have."

She really didn't know, but assumed he had always woke up later than her. Elann wondered what had changed in him to have him desire waking up later.

"I usually wake up by the fifth bell, but slept in today until the sun shone into the room I guess."

Elann moved to stand next to Ryon. She hadn't put on any perfume, but perhaps he could smell the lingering bath smells at her closeness. She peered out the window to catch the first glimpse of her sister she had not met yet. As Aimee spoke, Elann moved over near her and began to gain an understanding of what Noah's nervousness in meeting Jocelyn. She was protective of him, like a mother.

"She probably was like his mother in their age difference right?"

"Did you need any help? I see you're cooking..." she wriggled her eyebrows up and down at her. Aimee had learned cooking in her house but also probably a bit from helping the cook. As Elann looked over her shoulder, she wondered how the scent-driven nose of the maned wolf was being used in cooking.