The Enemy of My Enemy [Talon]

[Senara]

S H ExxW A SxxS I L E N C ExxI T S E L F

4th of Frost, 120, AoS

xxxIt was early. Heavy clouds covered what would have been a slowly rising sun, and a light cover of snow had blanketed the forest of the Astralar mountains into a muffled silence. The light sounds of birds waking the world around Senara’s cave stirred her to wake, stretching with a wide yawn towards the sky. Her nose twitched as she closed her mouth and sniffed the air. A stag… no… something different..?

xxxHer body shot up suddenly. Eyes wide the wolf took off in a dead sprint through the forest without a care to a single predator she alerted. It was him. The Kenboku. The one creature who had evaded her grasp since the first day she’d begun hunting in the mountains. Every year for the past seventeen Senara had caught glimpses of the creature, tracked it’s scent, but the kenboku was smarter and more agile than any she had come across. It’s tiny spines, which looked and felt more like fur, could twist and turn to reflect the image of its surroundings upon it and camouflage perfectly into the space around it. It would flash in and out of visual space if chased as if to taunt it’s predator, all the while leaving not a trace behind by using it’s enchanted tail to erase it’s tracks. It was conniving.

xxxAlmost humanoid, if not worse.

xxxSenara breathed heavy. She had been training for this very moment. Her adrenaline coursed through her veins as she sprinted up a jagged edge and climbed the mountain higher. Higher. Nearly four miles higher until she could see the sun slowly peeking out from behind the clouds as it struggled to warm the earth.

xxxAnd then, off in the distance, she saw it. Standing in a small clearing surrounded by rocks and fallen trees was the kenboku, and it had grown. It’s antlers now reached nearly four feet above it’s head and it’s tail, magnificent flurry of feathers and fur, swept out down it’s back and stretched a solid span of five feet. It’s white and grey dappled torso reflected the emerging sun all around it and for a moment the creature appeared to glow. In total the magnificent, rare creature reached nearly ten feet tall. She hunched low. Not a sound. It shouldn’t normally have taken her so long to reach him, but this hunt needed to be perfect. She had stayed downwind, and now that she was creeping closer kept her body low to the ground. Her feet dragged slowly through the snow, searching for twigs to bypass and rocks to avoid.

xxxShe was silence itself. The creature was only feet away now. Unaware. Completely, utterly unaware. She froze. Something else on the wind- human? No. It didn’t matter. Her prize was directly in front of her and she lept.

xxxHer teeth sunk into the kenboku’s back and tore at the flesh as it let out a cry of pain and anger. It thrashed wildly until Senara was flung off into the snow, which thankfully padded her fall. She got up, growling low and barking her promise at it while her eyes smirked.

xxx’I’ve found you. And I will kill you.’

[T H E M ExxS O N G]

[Talon]

The Enemy of My Enemy

4 Frost 120

Talon knelt, brushing his fingers over the snow covered ground lightly. He opened up his senses spreading them out into the world around him. His vision was greeted with that which lay just beyond the grasp of ordinary senses. Stirring his aether into motion he attuned himself to the aura of the creature that he was tracking. He held up a single feather observing the weave of its aura carefully before he followed the lingering trail of aetheric essence in the snow. The trail was matched by a set of light hoofprints. They were just barely noticeable in the snow but with the assistance of his Semblance, Talon was able to better perceive his quarry. He rose to his feet, hand coming to rest upon his hip. He grasped the hilt of his blade and was confused for a moment as the hilt was different than what he was used to. He looked down to see the hilt of Bloodfang at his hip and was reminded of his decision to begin carrying the runeforged blade. Following events of the season prior, he had almost forgotten his choice to wield it regularly then.

He followed the trail of aether, his eyes rising up to the mountains. For another hunter, that might have proven a challenge but not for an Avialae. Talon walked forward until he was in a space that allowed him to spread his wings more easily. He extended them. It had been a while since he had taken to the skies in such an open environment. Crouching, Talon leapt into the air with as much force as the raw muscles of his legs would allow. He spread his wings wide and made a few downward beats. The currents of the wind gathered to him and his listened to his instincts as he found the appropriate flow of air currents. He shifted his body and began the work of ascending into the skies.

Flying was always a release for him. It was a release for his people. They were made to fly and the skies always called to them. It was one of the reasons the mountain city suited them so well. He ascended higher until he had a clear view of the landscape around him. He kept his eyes attuned to the flow of his quarry’s aether. He had been in search of something with an extraordinary hide. This creature suited his needs perfectly. Hovering there for a few moments, Talon studied the landscape below him so that he could get his bearings. That was when he saw the movement. Only it was not the movement he was expecting. It was big. It was moving fast and it was headed in the direction of the creature he hunted. Talon angled his body and flew in the direction of this other wild hunter.

He flew above the trees, keeping his attention focused on just his prey. He had to be able to reach it before this wild animal. Especially once he caught sight of what it was. A dire wolf. A truly magnificent beast but one that threatened to take down the kenboku before he could. He was overhead as the wolf leapt at the kenboku. Talon had to stop and stare for a moment. Both creatures were majestic in their own right. The dire wolf was a mix of grey and white fur, one of the ultimate predators that prowled through the Astralar Mountains. It stood, teeth bared and dripping with gore from the first blood of its initial attack. The kenboku snorted angrily as it prepared to defend itself. The spines along its body rippled and it became decidedly more difficult to see with ordinary vision. Fortunately, Talon was not using ordinary vision. He could see the kenboku’s aura clearly enough.

He had a choice to make. Both animals were incredibly dangerous in their own right. He was not certain that he was adequately prepared to fight both. But of the two, Talon was not certain he wanted to hunt the wolf. There was a place in his heart that found the beasts to be too regal to ever be hunted by the likes of him. That might have also stemmed from the fact that he was bonded to a wolf Rathari.

Talon watched as the kenboku turned, not to charge the wolf but to flee deeper into the forest or the mountains. He would not allow that to happen. Summoning his strength, Talon plucked at the weave of the aether flux. Just as the kenboku made to bound off into the wilds, he erected a wall of force. The animal yelped in surprise as it smashed into the wall of force, startled out of losing its camouflage.

Folding his wings, Talon dropped out of the sky, landing in a crouch as his boots touched upon solid ground. His wings spread out around him as he stood opposite of the kenboku and the wolf. Rising to his full height he drew Bloodfang, staring down the kenboku as it snorted in both anger and fear. Talon could see the uneasiness dancing about its aura. Caught between the Avialae and the wolf. Talon would have to be careful. He took up his stance...then sprinted forward. The kenboku lowered its head and charged at Talon. He planted himself, spread his wings and met the force of the attack head on. The edge of his sword, the runeforged blade of Bloodfang, was met with the charge of the kenboku. Talon grunted as he balanced his mortal strength with the reinforcement of his kinetics to keep him from being trampled. He remained locked in place with the stag-like animal for a moment before he growled out a defiant shout, pushing back against the mighty beast with both a forceful push of his sword and a wave of telekinetic power. The kenboku was pushed back only to whirl around, swinging its tail at Talon.

Leaping into the air, Talon narrowly dodged being clubbed with the tail. He hovered there, casting about for the wolf, ready to defend himself from not just his prey but from another hunter as well.

"First Son of House Novalys"

[Senara]

4th of Frost, 120 AoSxx

Senara's shoulders were hunched low, legs rigid and ready to pounce for her next attack when from above a shadow took over the sky. Suddenly the sound of rushing air and the kenboku smacking against a nearly invisible wall accompanied the largest hawk she'd even lain eyes on- no. Not a hawk.. The wolf crept closer, now wary of the new predator that had landed with the might of the mountain itself, and let her growl intensify. She directed it now at the new creature but as she came within mere feet it had taken off, rapidily and aggressively attacking the magical stag with such force for a moment all she could do was appreciate it's strength. From one predator to another, at least.

But, this creature no simple creature. It was one of those winged humanoids from the city, and it had interrupted her hunt. But.. he had also stopped the creature from escaping, and he didn't seem keen on attacking her directly yet. Senara barked and snarled as she weighed her options, watching the pairs standoff. If she attacks the man, she has two creatures to fight. But, if she waits to fight the man until after the kenboku was down, then she may stand a chance at winning the second duel. She huffed. Her paws dug down deep in the snow, and just as the kenboku was pushed back by the strength of the winged man she launched herself forward into the air. Her mouth came down like a vicegrip on the mid section of it's tail and with both the continued momentum of the swing as well as her own body weight snapped the creatures tail. The skin bled, the bones inside crunched under the intensity of the bite, and from the stags mouth let out a painfully loud bleat.

It fell to the side as the pain of it's broken tail rushed through it's body, and in that same moment snapped one of the branches of it's antlers off. Senara quickly stood. The briefest of glances was cast to the Avialae, checking to sense of he had decided to attack her, and as she realized he hadn't the wolf pounced up onto the beasts back and sunk her teeth into it's neck, tearing out one of it's large spikes and sending a gush of blood pouring from the wound. It thrashed and threw the wolf off yet again but this time she landed on her paws, and whipped back around to face it.

The kenboku stood back up, roaring it's bleat into the air as it stomped a foot towards the wolf and hunched it's head low to the ground. It's impressive antlers now aimed at Senara, it charged ahead with the speed of the wind. The wolf hardly had any time to react, the span of it's antlers nearly as long as her torso, but perhaps it was for the best. The sheer size and spacing of the antlers after it's breakage meant if she timed it right and angled herself correctly, she could avoid it. So as the Kenboku charged her she stood, hunched and ready to jump, until the very last second before the antlers collided with her body and leapt herself clean between the spacing between the broken antlers. As her body slid through the spacing the wind began to pick up around them and she skidded to a halt, whipping herself back around to face the creature who returned the same circling and began to brush it's hoof on the ground once more, ready to charge.

[Talon]

The Enemy of My Enemy

4 Frost 120 Steel

Talon watched as the wolf leapt into the air, grasping the kenboku’s tail between its jaws and bit down with a sickening crunch. The bleat of pain that the stag-like animal emit made Talon’s heart clench. For its sake, he wanted to end this quickly. He did not need a large portion of its hide. He merely needed a slice in order to incorporate it into the weaving of his artifact. It was nearly complete and this would provide exactly what he needed. He did not intervene as the animals charged against one another. If he did not have to fight both of them at once, that was to his benefit. He had to admire the wolf’s tenacity as it bit down into the kenboku’s flesh, tearing away one of its spikes.

He stepped forward, sprinting through the snow, practically gliding as he lifted himself into the air. Talon engaged in an aerial assault as the kenboku charged at the wolf. He met the stag in mid charge, dropping down from the side in order to swipe at its legs. The animal cried out in pain as it was sent careening off course, legs sliced open by the sharp edge of his sword. Blood arced through the air but instead of being splattered across the white snow, it was drawn into the blade of the sword. Golden runes glowed with the light of a forge fire as Bloodfang drank in the vitality of its victim. The jewel at the hilt of the blade began to swirl with scarlet essence.

The kenboku stumbled as its injured leg made it unable to stand properly. It was breathing heavily, eyes wide as it looked from Talon to the wolf. The young Novalys readied his sword as he prepared to be on the receiving end of another charge. His grey eyes however came to settle upon the wolf. As he observed the wolf’s aura through the lens of his Semblance, Talon noted that there was a bigger and more complex aura around it than any ordinary wolf. Dire wolves were not ordinary but even still, this one seemed different. There was something familiar in the makeup of the projection of its soul that he could not quite place. Regardless, Talon made the decision to take a chance.

“I will make you a deal, wolf.” His voice rung out clearly as he circle the injured kenboku. The animal was preparing to charge off. He could see the makings of its instinctual intent clearly. The sour smell of fear and the desire to run was clear in its intent.

“I let you eat your fill. You do not try to eat me. I take a piece of this animal’s hide.” He hoped his hunch was right. The kenboku managed to get to its feet and charged off, not toward Talon or the wolf but to get away. To run. To survive. Throwing out a hand, Talon threw up another wall of force to stop the animal from getting away, even as its spines shifted to give it camouflage. He looked to the wolf to see whether it would attack him or whether it would go after the kenboku.

"First Son of House Novalys"

[Senara]

4th of Frost, 120 AoSxx

Snow crunched under the weight of the large dire wolf as she braced herself for yet another attack with teeth bared as she snapped her jaws in it's direction. A warning, a battle cry, and a promise of death all in once but as the creature neared it was the Avialae who came swiftly through to slice at it's legs. It's body hurdled across the snow like a ragdoll but the beast was mighty, only staying down for mere seconds before willing itself to stand once more and beginning to scamper off into the distance on it's injured limbs. It's spines began twisting to camouflage, but it once again came to an abrupt crashing halt against the wall of force pulled up by the winged man.

In those moments Senara heard the man speak. A language she hadn't heard directed towards her in over seventeen years. It was strange feeling. Like she was being acknowledged, even if in the slightest way, as something more intelligent than just a simple dire wolf. In the past she'd torn through the torsos of men who spoke to her like a dumb, wild animal. Their coos and whistles to taunt her only fueling her rage as she listened to their plans of attack. Foolish, foolish humanoids. And one by one she would dispose of their bodies inside her stomach just for the sheer stupidity of their assumptions. She was no simple dire wolf, she was the dire wolf of the mountains. And now this man, this winged city dweller, this fellow predator, spoke to her with respect.

'Deal'

She thought to herself as she stared into the depths of his eyes with her own. If they wanted their prize, they'd have to at least work beside each other. Perhaps some part of her human side still remained, as the wolf offered the briefest of motions that one might akin to a nod and turned her attention back to the task at hand.

And with that decision in mind began sprinting forward towards the slowly disappearing creature. She could smell it. It's blood dripped into the snow, staining it with crimson, and with it's tail broken it could no longer erase it's tracks. And if the winged man could continue his strikes from above then that meant it's antlers could only be targeting one of them at a time. Her lips curled into a vicious smirk, if a wolf could have one, as she bared her teeth and pounded her paws into the snow deeper and faster than they had been before.

Within seconds she was nipping at the heels of the kanboku. It swung it's mighty head in her direction, but Senara was quick. She ducked and drifted herself in a patch of ice, sliding her way around to the outside of the creature as she herded it back in the Avialaes direction. The beast bleated loudly in pain as it's injured leg snapped under the weight of it's panic. But it continued on, leaning more on it's right side now and then swinging it's antlers at the dire wolf once more. But Senara couldn't dodge this time- too close and too excited for the kill she could taste in the air the antlers came crashing into her shoulder and sent her skidding off close to the treeline. The kenboku bleated once more, it's eyes wide and nostrils flaring as it turned around rapidly in search of the other danger.

Senaras back crashed into a dead tree log, shattering it upon impact, and then skidding to a halt. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her lungs, but she could smell it- the blood, the carnage, the thrill of the hunt that tainted the air with iron and sweat. Adrenaline pumped through her veins and she quickly pulled herself up off the ground. She could feel her shoulder aching from where it's antlers had struck her, but it only seemed to add to her excitement. And she sprinted off towards the creature once more.

She saw it standing with it's legs spread wide in search of the Avialae and a thought dawned on her. Even with the noise she made in the snow it was clearly distracted, and as she closed in on the beast in hopes her plan would work, she launched herself at it's legs and wrapped her sharp teeth around the flesh of one of it's uninjured legs. The creature came crashing down with a pained scream into the mountain but Senara stayed with her teeth sinking into it's limb. There was a euphoric, disgusting horror of her teeth scraping against it's bone, and with every ounce of strength in her began to thrash her head back and fourth in an attempt to rip leg to shreds. But it kicked, it's leg pulled back, away from her teeth causing the skin to rip back like a zipper and expose down to the bone. Senara snapped at the leg once more as it kicked and caught it's ankle in her mouth, and then in once swift twist of her neck pulled the ankle from it's socket and sank her jaws through the flesh like butter.

[Talon]

The Enemy of My Enemy

4 Frost 120 Steel

Talon did not miss the nod of the head. He took a deep breath. The deal had been struck. That was no cause to let his guard down. But it was certainly a reason to breathe just a little easier. He moved, spreading his wings and leaping into the air, getting out of the way of the wolf as it went in for the attack. It was an incredible thing to watch. There was no mistaking the savagery in its assault. Gauging its aura, Talon could see the ripples of joy in the hunt. The spikes of thrilling pleasure in taking down a quarry as one of the great predators of the Astralar Mountains. There was a frenzied euphoria in going in for the kill that radiated from the great beast. He hovered there, letting the wolf revel in its kill before he dropped down. He could stand to hear the agonized, fear drenched bleating of the kenboku no more.

This animal’s death was certain. It did not have to be cruel.

“Enough!” Talon landed in the snow. He gathered his aether about him sending out a wave of power just strong enough to disturb the powder resting on the surface of the frozen earth. A rush of wind brushed over the wolf’s fur and caused the kenboku to drop to the ground. Talon held Bloodfang carefully as he stared at the wolf impassively. The horned beast between them kicked limply. Its legs were cut, the flesh of one was torn and broken. It would not escape. Talon leveled the dire wolf with a hard stare. His gaze was unblinking as he met the magnificent hound’s eyes.

“Make your kill, wolf.” Talon brought his sword before him. He rest the tip of the blade in the earth, bringing both palms up to sit upon the pommel as he watched carefully. The blood red color of the sword stood out in stark contrast to the white snow in the landscape around them. It matched the splatters in the dirt along with the river of blood that was now seeping out of the horned kenboku. Talon admired wolves. Again his thoughts were drawn to Rickter. There was a bond between the two of them. There were times when Talon believed that it extended beyond just friendship. He had a respect for the great hunters of the wilds but he was still a man of compassion and mercy. He did not revel in prolonged suffering, especially when it was clear that this animal was greatly outmatched between the two of them.

So Talon waited. He watched. He would not harm the wolf as it ate its fill, just as he promised. But he would kill the kenboku himself to end its suffering if the great beast did not do it swiftly.

"First Son of House Novalys"

[Senara]

4th of Frost, 120 AoSxx

Iron. Ice. And the sweetness of muscle. Each flavor mingling between the carnage in her teeth as Senara violently shook her entire body in an attempt to rip the foot straight from it's attached leg. And she succeeded- the leg tore off with a grotesque rip of flesh just as she felt the wind of Talon's magic flutter through her fur.

His voice followed, and her head rose to meet his gaze. Harsh, demanding, soft. A hint of that awful kindness bipedals so often displayed on their journeys through the wilderness. Kindness, empathy, things that had nearly killed her in the past that had no place in nature. Nor around her kill. But the span of his broad shoulders held his command and a promise of retribution should she continue with her slaughter. Her eyes narrowed, and she spat the bloodied, mangled hoof from her mouth. In front of her the creature breathed heavy, no longer the strength to make a single noise as it faced the cold death of failure.

Senara stared, for a few moments, at the man in front of her. He was only a single foot taller than her, but she knew with his wings she would be outmatched. Not that the idea of fighting him anyways didn't cross her mind, but she knew she would need the strength in the following weeks and couldn't risk any more injury now that she had her meal. With a soft chuff she turned back to the body of the kenboku and leapt at it's chest. Her jaws sunk into it's flesh and tore muscle, bone, and skin free until the heart was exposed. Beating rapidly, the cold that sliced through the beast was it's only numbing solice as Senara sunk her teeth straight into the creatures heart and stopped it's life.

It went quiet. She backed away from the kill. Her face was stained with the blood of the kenboku. Tiny pieces of muscle and blot clot stuck to her cheeks, and the heart lying ripped apart on the ground before her. She kept her head high as she pointed her nose from the Avialae to the beast and back again, motioning for him to take what he needed. And a twitch of her ears, one that signaled her own promise. That should he break his oath, she would not hesitate to retaliate. Perhaps it had been a mistake, she thought, to act in such strange ways. Any truly wild wolf would not have understood language, let alone responded with respect to another's desires, but others did not live as long as she did. And part of Senara, some deep space, was excited to be fighting alongside someone for the first time. It had been invigorating, challenging, made her blood hot with passion, but most of all made her wonder if perhaps this one humanoid was not so bad. After all, he had tracked the beast too, and that in itself was demanding of her respect from one predator to another.

[Talon]

The Enemy of My Enemy

4 Frost 120 Steel

The barest hint of a smirk touched Talon’s lips as he watched the wolf almost pout at having to end its carnage. Personality danced through the wolf’s aura. No, this was no ordinary dire wolf. But Talon was not learned enough in the ways of great beasts to know the truth of what it might have been. For all he knew, he could have been dealing with a spirit. Still, he gave it the space it needed to finish the hunt. He watched solemnly as the life faded from the kenboku’s eyes. The deed was done. When the wolf motioned for him to step in and take his prize, Talon studied the animal for a moment. There were wounds on its form. The fight had not been an easy one. No doubt it had been a challenge just to track and hunt this horned creature, just as it had been for Talon. He had it within his power to help. The question was...did he want to risk it?

He had watched the wolf attack with a savage intelligence that rivaled some of the legionnaires that stalked the depths of the Warrens. There was a cunning in those eyes that struck Talon as not altogether natural. If the dire wolf decided to turn on him, he would be in for a fight of his life. A fight he was not altogether certain that he would be able to win after having seen this great beast in action. Still, from one hunter to the next there was respect due where it had been earned. A reprieve from the labors of a hard fought meal. So he reached into one of the pouches that he carried on his belt and withdrew a light amber gold colored stone. Illumite, known as dawnstone. It was a dragonshard that was highly sought after by healers and alchemists that specialized in the ways of healing.

The wolf had been intelligent enough to understand him so far, why not take a chance and show at least one small kindness for its aid?

“Before you eat, I can heal some of your wounds. It will leave you tired but it is better to do it before your meal so that you can recover your strength better.” Talon held up the amber stone so that the wolf could see it. The strength of this particular piece of illumite was not so great that it could mend broken bones but it would be enough to fix strained or torn muscles and to cleanse cuts before closing them.

Talon closed his fist around the stone. He channeled his aether into the dragonshard, opening up his senses to the pool of power that dwelt within the crystal. The soft sound of chimes entered his mind. His body was suffused with the warmth of a coming dawn. Dawnstone always felt peaceful. It brought warmth and comfort, even when it could not fix that which was broken. Sometimes it was a tool used simply to ease another’s passing. Talon sheathed his sword and extended a hand to the mighty wolf. His hand was steady. He did not move toward the wolf but would instead let it decide whether to accept his offer or not. Not blind to the fact that this beast could tear his arm off, Talon covered his body in a subtle kinetic barrier that clung tightly to his skin. It was strong enough to deflect an initial attack but would break after the first assault. It would at least give him enough time to react if things went south.

He was not foolish enough to believe he knew enough about animal to gauge their moods. Seeing an aura was one thing, knowing an animal’s behavior was quite another.

"First Son of House Novalys"

[Senara]

4th of Frost, 120 AoSxx

Senara studied him like she would another hunter. Cautious, sniffing at the air for the space where her own boundary and his met. Between them a mingling of sweat, blood, and saliva that tainted the air with their victory. She chuffed at him once more. Truly, was he foolish, soft, or simply weird? One moment bringing his sword down on the beast and the next asking her to make the death quick. It was a tough decision. After all, the kenboku had teased her with it's scent and sight for years. As if laughing it had left only a tiny trace of itself behind each year, and as solitary as such creatures were she'd likely not come across one again in the mountains for at least a decade. No, any like it would smell the remains and know to keep their distance. In the fabric of magic in the air they would sense it's death long after it had passed, and know of the dangers that lie around it's burial ground. But this strange winged man, whos very presence unnerved her, had asked her to be quick. To spare the creature torment. It was laughable, but ultimately, painfully necessary for her own survival.

As his hand reached for his pocket Senara launched herself backwards with a threatening bark and readied herself to attack with a low growl. He was about to break his oath- no... heal? She raised herself up and ceased the rumble in her throat. Her ears stayed back, pinned to her skull as she tentatively moved forward and kept her eyes on the stone. Healing.. she vaguely remembered a similar scene four years ago. A young boy hunting with his father, they'd become trapped after an avalanche. Senara had watched it all happen- the father, crying as he pulled the boy out from underneath a large boulder of ice and rock, and press a golden, glowing stone to the boys chest. Moments later he was fine, passed out in his fathers arms without a scratch on him. Too bad, too, she wouldn't have minded a younger human.

But now, that same stone was pointed at her. She opened her mouth and let the scent of the stone and the man wash over her tongue and gums like a river. His scent of sweat, of feathers, of the sky- of something ancient, and the stones smell of fire and sun and earth. It seemed safe enough, and he had already kept his side of the bargain. The sword, after all, remained pointed in the snow.

She chuffed and stilled in front of him. Her eyes met his. She sunk herself in the snow, knees bent, ready to attack should she need to and brought both ears up to point at him directly. And, her head lowered with her. But she did not show her throat. No submission, merely a wary acceptance of his spoken word. Her hair stood on end, shifted only by the wind and her steadied breathing. Each movement he made, every twitch of fabric against him would be a warning to her senses. But she accepted. If only to ensure her continued survival in one of the harshest Frost's she'd ever known.

[Talon]

The Enemy of My Enemy

4 Frost 120 Steel

Talon remained unmoved as the wolf jumped back, barking in alarm. It was a natural response to the unknown. What reason did the wolf have to trust him? What reason did he have to believe that its cautious acceptance of his offer was not just a ploy to kill him? He did not know. But he could hope. Talon was no stranger to death. He had fought beside soldiers in the Warrens. He had faced down a swarm of gravebound monstrosities without flinching. He had stood the sole combatant against an archwraith that had been prepared to rip his soul from his body. Even with this familiarity with death, he still went out of his way to bring as little suffering to those around him as he could. Even animals that he hunted. So as he stepped forward, bringing up his hand to gently rest upon the wolf’s brow, he remained guarded.

His fingers threaded through the fur. It was coarse and thick, as was to be expected of a wolf in the winter season. The wolf’s body was warm and its form was coiled as if ready to spring into an attack at a moment’s notice. Had its life been so harsh that it was already ready to leap in for the kill? There were few natural predators capable of taking on a dire wolf. Only creatures of abnormal origins could withstand their strength and cunning from what Talon understood. In the Wildking’s Forge, there were such creatures and certain there were those creatures in the Warrens but they were few. As he observed the wolf, he had to wonder where its pack was. What little he knew of wolves, they were not solitary animals. At least not for very long. Perhaps this was yet another reason why this wolf was different.

Talon tapped into the power of the dawnstone. He felt the warmth of its sun kissed power flow through him. He channeled it into the dire wolf. He kept his eyes focused on its frame. The power of the illumite and of any healing magic really, was found in accelerating the body’s natural healing capabilities. This, augmented with the power of its magic, opened up aether pathways in the body to allow for a supernatural form of healing. The body was healed and the power to heal it came from the crystal but it was still a tiring experience. Through his semblance, he watched as those pathways were opened up within the wolf’s form. A network of tunnels that webbed across its body. He watched as broken paths were restored and reinforced while new ones were made to circumvent ones that had been completely destroyed. In many ways, it was like observing the wolf’s network of blood vessels.

After a few moments, Talon withdrew his hand and stepped back. He tucked the crystal into his pouch, side-stepped the wolf and walked around to the opposite side of the kenboku. He knelt, taking out a dagger and began the work of taking the hide that he needed for the work that lay ahead of him. He glanced up at the wolf.

“That was not so bad, was it?”

"First Son of House Novalys"