The way Shade met Ari

[Ari]

When her feet found the ground, she reached out to her side, her hand finding the damp, solid wall of the gave. She leaned herself on it, trying to picture the cave surrounding them as she felt its rough surface. Then, she heard Shade grunt, followed by the pops and cracks she knew came with shifting. She winced and shut her eyes, but the image that accompanied his groans of pain would not leave her sight.

When the sounds ceased and the silence prevailed, Ari reached a tentative hand out in front of her, searching for the wolf. "Shade?" she called softly into the darkness, crouching on her hands and knees and crawled forward a bit. Her outstretched hand met something, but it was not the fur she expected. Instead she felt bare skin, hard and warm against her palm. She let her fingers splay out across it, feeling the muscles of what she guessed was his chest. "Are you... this is human you?"

[Shade]

"Yeah, I'm human." came the gruff response, his voice growling low and dangerous as he squinted through the dark. She'd been surprised by the sound of it though he wasn't really shocked, his skin twitching a little under the contact of her fingers. "I figured it would be easier for you if I talked like a human. You got a pretty nasty migraine from talking to me earlier, right?"

He grunted a little in obvious irritation at the cold, his heavy body radiating heat like a furnace despite being human now instead of his half form. He knew his way around the caves even as a human though, so unless somebody like him came down then they were safe for the time being. He grumbled again.

"So, what's your name? I can't remember if I'd caught it earlier or not."

[Ari]

Though his body had changed, his voice still held the roughness of the beast he had been. Ari squinted in the dark, trying to make out his shape, but there was nothing. She could not even see where her own hand was touching his warm, bare skin... She drew her hand away quickly at the realization of his current state, blush coloring her cheeks. "Umm... Here. She pulled her coat off and extended it toward him, her hands shaking a bit.

Of course she had known he would be naked. Living with a house full of shifters, it was not unusual to see a bit of flesh now and then, but she barely knew this man and, in the darkness of the cave, she felt much closer to him than she liked. The echoes held every sound, from his breathing to him shifting his body. She swore she could even her his heartbeat... Or perhaps it was her own.

His voice, breaking the silence once again, startled her a bit. She cleared her throat, trying to pretend like she was not the least bit flustered. "Umm, what? Oh, my name? She paused a moment. It is Ari. My name is Ari, she said quickly, realizing how stupid she suddenly seemed.

[Shade]

"Thanks for the coat. Ari? Pleasure to meet you, I'm Shade." Shade said with no small amusements as he took the coat gently from the girl but didn't bother to put it on. He'd seen her petite size and without seeing it he doubted a coat would fit him enough to do any actual covering. "Quite the scammer aren't you? Helping me break out."

He chuckled roughly despite his troubled mind, thinking about the man he'd killed and the consequences of it. He'd hide it from her. He would have to... yet if she could read his mind as a wolf or even part wolf then... He'd have to stay human. He grimaced a little at the notion but saw no other choice. So, he let out a low rumbled sigh as he glanced down at her.

"Are you hurting still? Too cold?"

[Ari]

"Well, actually it is Arisynn, but very few call me that. So yes, Ari for short," she added. "It is lovely to meet you too." She did not dare extend a hand, though still smiled nervously, as if he could see it. Her shy smile turned into a grin when he spoke again. "I am hardly a scammer. Perhaps just witty, when the time calls for it. How else do you think I would survive travelling on my own?" she asked, her soft laughter echoing gently off the cave walls.

"My head is feeling much better, and this cave is warmer than outside, so no. No pain and no cold just yet." Ari reached a hand to feel the cave wall behind her and scooted so she could lean back against it. "So. How long must we stay here? Is the guard gone?"

[Shade]

"...yeah. He's gone." Shade said grimly. "He won't be around to follow us but that doesn't mean his friends won't. Once you're patched up, you may want to run. I can lead them away from you. There isn't any need for you to be here while things get...messy."

Shade couldn't stop the wince that took his face as he tried to look away despite it being dark. Boy did he screw up. Now that he thought about it, she was done for too. Human prints were around his own when the three of them met up, and he'd followed her away from the guard. It would be presumed witchcraft led the guard astray, not his damn bottom mind thinking.

"This is gonna end bad." Shade said gravely. "Yet, if we can stick together we may be able to pull through this yet."

[Ari]

Ari did not need to ask to know what had happened. She remembered the panic she had sensed in his mind just before she had blacked out. That combined with the absence of the guard made it easy to figure out what had happened to the pig of a man, and she was not the least bit upset about it.

She frowned at his suggestion. "No, I do not think I will be leaving you to have all the fun. If things are going to get exciting, I will stick with you, if you do not mind." It had been a while since she had had a good adventure. It was about time for another one. Her story searching could wait. It had been ages since she had found a lead, and the last one she followed led to nowhere. A break and some good fun was definitely in order.

"So, Shade. How did you end up with that guard anyways?" Ari let her eyes close. Her head still ached dully and it was not like she could see anything in the cave, so there was no sense in tiring out her eyes. As she waited for his answer, her stomach growled, the rumbling seeming to cut through the quiet darkness. She wrapped her arms around her abdomen, hoping he had not heard.

[Shade]

"See, I have a bit of a... streak with the ladies." Shade answered slowly, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he too gave up seeing in the dark. "A bunch of families (richer ones I may add) wanted my arrest. I'd managed to give them the slip for a while of course but... not in Marn. Caught me, threw me in cuffs and left me to rot."

"Guess somebody remembered me eventually though. Got called up, chained in that damn collar and lead around like a guard dog which, as you can see, was pretty effective. Bloody collar was enchanted." Shade huffed again, that is until he'd heard her stomach growl. "Oh, hungry are you? I could find some food for you if you'd like."

[Ari]

It was hard not to imagine just what sort of streak he meant, but Ari did her best not to, though she could not help the nervous chuckle which left her, successfully making the situation even more awkward by echoing off of the cave walls. She could not help herself, though. A naked man, sitting a foot from her, most likely failing at shielding his nakedness with her coat pressed against his bare skin, had a way with the ladies, one of which she of course was. But he likes rich girls. You are not rich. she thought to herself and then, to her surprise, Shame, a thought followed by a mental image far to sensual for her to bare.

Thank the Lords he changed the subject. Or perhaps she did not mind the former one? Either way she nodded violently and then, realizing he could not see it, spoke in a soft tone, "Yes, that would be great, if you so not mind. Perhaps I can help you find some too?"

[Shade]

"Alright, but put on your coat again first." Shade chuckled as he gently eased it back into her hand. "I'm going to turn into a wolf again so we won't be able to talk. Just hang on to my fur, alright? I'm pretty big so a couple tugs on my fur won't hurt me. Just don't let go, I don't want to have to find you in here again."

He waited for her response, trying to judge her emotions by her movements, smell, and voice. Being in the dark while human was tough, but he'd been through tougher. He distantly wondered just how they were going to get out of this, how he was going to get out of all of this. He shuddered. He hated the idea of going back in that cell.

"C'mon." He growled, trying to ignore the sudden caged feeling from the dark. "Faster we get food, faster we can figure out what to do next."

[Ari]

She hesitantly took the coat from him and put it back on. "Okay... as long as I won't be too heavy," she answered. She waited a moment and the silence stretched before them. Has he shifted? Yes... He must have. He is in a hurry, she told herself. Ari reached her hand out in front of her, feeling around in the dark for his fur. Her hand met something smooth instead. Smooth, and warm, and... long? Smooth, warm, and long with a rounded tip... Ari yelped and jumped back, her hand retreating so fast that she hit herself in the forehead with it. Cradling her aching head against her knees, she stammered, "I-umm s-see I am sorry umm... I...." She shook her head with the rapidity she spoke with, her face burning in the darkness.

You did not just touch... that. No. It could not have bee. But it was. Ari stood up and took a few blind steps back, away from his direction and toward what she hoped was the direction he intended on taking her. "Umm... You shift and I will stay over here, okay? Just umm... come when you are not nak... when you are ready." She carefully turned so her back was to him, fists clenched at her sides.

[Shade]

Shade was getting ready to shift, his body hunched and eyes closed as he began to grit his teeth in preparation. That is, until he felt a certain lady's hand grab his baby maker. Stunned he only gaped as she jerked her hand back and stammered out something or another. Still once the shock wore off, he couldn't stop the wide shit eating grin that pulled at his cheeks. He wouldn't laugh out loud of course, that wasn't proper. Poor woman was already having a canary so no need to add to the pain of her life.

The shift didn't seem too bad this time, probably because he was too busy trying not to laugh higher than the snickers that were rolling from him now. Once fully into a wolf, he opened his eyes again in time to see her huddled in a corner looking rather mortified. Not that he blamed her. To her that was probably as close to third base as she ever got and when it was an accident it made it much worse. For her anyway.

Barking he nudged at her arm to show her he was ready, fighting the smirk off his face as did.

Come on then, wee pup. Let's get some food.

[Ari]

The man did not seem upset at all by the accidental grope, which somewhat surprised the already shocked girl. As she stood there in the darkness, fists clenching and unclenching to try to stop her handing from shaking, Ari did her best to thrust away the images that were flying through her head like squawking crows. It was bad enough that she had been near a naked man for over an hour already, but now she knew exactly what a naked man felt like too. Of course, the poor girl's innocence could not be helped. After all, she had spent her life traveling. She had never had a enough time or reason to become close to a man in any way. Is he upset? How could he not be upset? Is that growling or... laughter?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a snout nudging at her arm. She scowled a bit as she carefully found his back with her hands and climbed on. "I am not a pup," she grumbled, letting her fingers dig into the fur of his back. "You are forgetting that I am the one who saved you in the first place." Despite the blush on her cheeks and the trembles in her hands, she spoke with an unrefined confidence. "Let us go then." The sooner she was not straddling him, the better.

[Shade]

Shade wagged his tail as he walked smoothly towards the entrance, carrying her weight without much hassle now that his werewolf strength wasn't in check. He leaked a little of his half form into the wolf, adding to his height and strength so he could easily carry the small woman.

Have no worries, young one. This isn't the first time I've been groped by accident. Shade soothed with a gentle shake of his body. Little by little he continued to add the werewolf into him, hoping she wouldn't notice. Not many people took kindly to the idea of riding a werewolf. As a werewolf he'd be more the size of a medium horse, easier to ride than the wolf where her toes would occasionally tap the ground. He hoped she wouldn't notice the occasional pops though. So, what kind of food are you rooting for? A rabbit, deer maybe?

[Ari]

His words hardly soothed her. If he was so at ease with her accidental groping, what sort of man did that make him? "I am not a young one." she said aloud, face still a shade or two pinker than normal. "Surely I am not much younger than you. I have seen most of the world already. How can I be young when I have experienced so much?" she asked. Of course, she had very little experience in the ways of intimate social interaction, especially with members of the opposite sex. But he needn't know that.

As he walked, she felt his spine crack every now and then, as if he were working out the kinks in it after laying down a long time. She knew better, though. Having lived with shifters before, she was accustomed to the signs of a shift, though she had never met a shifter who could do so with such ease and secrecy. He seemed to barely flinch as he he slowly grew in stature until her feet were over a foot off the ground. She did not flinch either, so used to the oddities that went along with magic was she. Ari let herself relax on his back, though she kept her fingers deeply buried in his fur, her nails gently scratching at him unconsciously. "A rabbit would suffice enough for myself, but I doubt something so little would curb your appetite." She closed her eyes a moment, stretching her mind out across the forest. "There is are deer close by. A mother with two fawn stands on the outside of the herd in a small clearing to our right."