Private Under the Moon

[Gerwald Lechner]

T R A D I T I O N​

TAG: Aelin Erevos

Time had passed since Gerwald watched the Fayth march into Bloodraven Hall and claim it as their own. It did not happen without bloodshed, but Gerwald's actions, along with Aelin's certainly alerted the genocidal fascists to the presence of Lupo on Islimore once again. Maybe they had known and moved when they did because of it. Regardless, it was known the Lechners had returned. Gerwald thought they had been fortunate to recover his ancestors journal. It would help them at least.

Which was what he had thought. The reality of reading through the tome had been less helpful than he thought. Lupo history was an interesting thing, but it seemed much of the ways Gerwald had come to criticize were in place in large part because of his own clan.

That bothered him.

Geralt could have never known the mistake it would have become. There were those who thought Gerwald was too human. Among humans who knew of his wolf some had said he was too wild. There was a constant balance Gerwald had worked to maintain, but the ways of a traditional Lupo were nothing more than barbaric in a more civilized world. They had failed to adapt and it was killing them.

The wolf needed to run.

So he did.

The moon was more than full, and it was a risk when the Fayth knew how much a full moon could draw out the wolves, but Gerwald was smart. Gerwald tan a route he had run thousands of times along a path the Fayth could never hope to find. It was deep in the woods and followed a cliff range. There was a clearing which was small. A pool of crystal clear water lay in the center of it. Refreshing, cool, water tempted the wolf and soon he shifted and slid into the pool.

Gerwald leaned back and called out to the one who had been following him since he left. The scent was too familiar to him by now.

"Spying on me?"
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[Aelin Erevos]

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Outfit | XoXo
Location | Forests of Islimore, Outside the Encampment
Tag | Gerwald Lechner

Often Aelin found herself strolling the perimeter of their encampment long after the rest of the clan had retired to their tents, her mind and body either unable or unwilling to sleep. Tonight was a mixture of both. She had lain in bed, restless, for what felt like hours, listening to the soft footfalls of patrolling sentry, men turning in their sleep, Anders rattling snores from a few tents down, and the queer hissing sound that Elias made when he slept. In truth, sleep had only ever come easily to Aelin when she'd still been on Bellassa, when sleep had meant waking to a beautiful sunrise and running unencumbered through the fields with Borre. Seldom a day passed when she did not think of it, of them, of him - and each time the thoughts made her heart ache with grief and longing for something that had never truly been hers to begin with.

I cannot look back. She thought with solemn determination. I can only look ahead.

The sun had set in her heart for a time past, and little by little she worked to slough it all away, letting herself be carried only by her sense of loyalty and duty to those she'd pledged her life to, to those she swore to serve and protect as Alpha. Yet the shadow persisted like it had since the hour of her birth when she came into the world amidst blood and death, into a Galaxy where she was alone and displaced. Forever a stranger.

The incident with the Twins had served to intensify those feelings.

Unable to withstand the deep caverns carving through her soul, she made the decision to step out into the night and clear her mind. The night air was crisp, a breeze coming off the river and rustling the leaves of the trees. Aelin closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, drawing the scent of the forest into her lungs. Her ancestors had been born in this unkindly land, where the forests were thick and green and wild; thrashing about until they found their own purpose and made their place. The would-be-Anasi would have to carve out her own place as well, Aelin realized, imagining a place that was beautiful, filled with fat men, content wives, and laughing children. A place that would bring comfort and peace to any who felt lost. But to do that, she would have to conquer first, discovering what the cost of that would mean.

You cannot look back.

The voice echoed.

You have supped enough on tears.

And so it was as her constant companion, as it had been on these many nights alone over the last month; wandering the forest and fields, listening to the wind, watching the stars… always glad for the solitude and the time it gave her to think, consider, and plan. What could she do better, in this future she tried to envision? But, as she rounded the corner of the camp, Aelin's steps slowed, realizing she was not alone after having caught a familiar scent on the breeze.

At first she'd not noticed, too swept away in her thoughts to pay attention to the spiced-pine that now tickled her nose. Her burnt amber eyes flashed in the direction it'd come from, moving quiet as a feather through the grasses and trees until she spied him, or his wolf, rather.

The rest was history, following close behind without a second thought.

From the shadows and into the moonlight Aelin emerged, those radiant beams glimmering off her pale skin and setting her slender figure aglow.

"Spying on me?" Gerwald asked, bathing in the crystal pool that shimmered beneath the moonlight, his dark blonde hair falling in loose waves over his shoulders.

"No. I was just... enjoying the view." Aelin quipped, the glimmer of subdued amusement pulling at the corner of her rosebud lips, letting him know she was teasing.

For the most part, Aelin liked Gerwald, having bonded with him during their battle against the Fayth in his home. His older brother Varick as well, had become a good friend of hers. "In truth, I couldn't sleep and since the night is so beautiful, I stepped out." she murmured, looking up at the stars before panning her gaze out over the cliffside. "When did you return to Islimore?"

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

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TAG: Aelin Erevos

There was something about the water which was refreshing. Gerwald could not remember the last time he took a lengthy soak to simply relax. It was simply him and nature, or so he wished it were. The wolf had left for a time. There were plans to make and other responsibilities which took him from the planet he was learning to call home. It was a difficult transition at times, especially with the other Lupo.

Aelin and Freya had been the only two which seemed to understand. Yes, they wanted to see the Fayth end, and so did Gerwald. They were the only two so far who seemed to understand that not every human was Fayth and that violence was not always the best solution. Gerwald was alone with his thoughts long enough that Aelin’s answer did not catch him off guard.

He smirked.

“So voyeurism is your thing? Too bad I do not have a boot at the ready!”

Gerwald chuckled slightly as he moved to get a better look at the brunette. She seemed to be doing everything she could to avoid looking at the naked man in the water. The lupo grinned slightly as he understood where her hesitancy could be coming from. Growing up on Stewjon he had only been bare before his siblings. Time and lovers had changed his perception. Being with other Lupo had changed his practice. Nudity no longer bothered him as it once had.

“Something is bothering you, more than usual,” he observed as he moved closer to the water’s edge. “You should join me. The water helps wash away the cares that mindless stargazing cannot. I will behave.”

It was sincere. The invitation was with Aelin’s best interest in mind. Did Gerwald like her? Certainly he did, but the ring which hung from the chain around his neck had become more than a symbol of a promise he made to Naedira. It was also an anchor, the thing which kept him from truly moving on.
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[Aelin Erevos]

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Outfit | XoXo
Location | Forests of Islimore, Outside the Encampment
Tag | Gerwald Lechner

Aelin rolled her eyes, more annoyed than anything else by his insinuation, "Quite brazen to assume that you are the intended target," she retorted boldly, determined to not be unnerved by the comment. The confounding heat of her unexpected, vexing shyness around Gerwald in the halls of Bloodraven had not left her, but in the month that he'd been gone she'd at least become better at masking it.

“Something is bothering you, more than usual,” he observed as he moved closer to the water’s edge. “You should join me. The water helps wash away the cares that mindless stargazing cannot. I will behave.”

Gerwalds words momentarily pulled her attention from the stars, a long moment passing between them as she considered his proposal, her fiery gaze locked on Gerwald and held. I'm trusting you, she silently warned, her fingers finding the golden clasps of the heavy cloak on her shoulders. "Turn around." She commanded firmly, leaving no room for question or debate.

She would not let her garments fall a minute before he did so. Nudity was… unremarkable, amongst their kind, but she'd never grown entirely comfortable with exposing herself. A result of her isolationism and limited life experiences, no doubt. Being with the Drage family had helped her overcome some of this, but being away from them, she found it easier to revert to old, comfortable habits.

She approached the water's edge as he turned, taking in the sight of his broad back and the muscles that involuntarily flexed with each movement, sharp angles encapsulated by bronzed skin that many of the Lupo men seemed similarly blessed with. Aelin could understand why there was no shortage of women—or men, who'd willingly lay themselves at their feet; and for the first time, the she-wolf allowed herself to acknowledge that strange and certain spark of attraction that ignited in her belly. She thought Gerwald was beautiful. A thought that both perturbed and unsettled her as yet one more unnecessary complexity.

Abandoning the stony shore, Aelin hesitantly dipped one foot into the water, followed by the other, before completely submerging herself. Moments later, a crown of auburn hair broke the surface of the water, her warm-olive skin shining from shoulders up, her lips parted for a hungry gasp of air. Already, she could feel the tension in her limbs and the tightness in her chest begin to ease, fatigue seeping from every inch of her being. For several moments she said nothing, gathering her thoughts.

"Can I ask you something?" she said, keeping her back turned, arms wrapped around her chest for some semblance of modesty. "You worked for the Confederacy for many years, led hundreds of soldiers and have seen many things..." she pursed her lips. "How do you decipher what is evil? So many of our people have given evil a face, and that face is often humanity. But what if evil has many faces? And what you've been told and what you've experienced don't always line up? Who then do you trust? And how do you know when you've crossed the line between what is evil and what is a grim necessity?"

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

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TAG: Aelin Erevos

"Turn around."

Gerwald feigned a look of protest as he folded his arms across his chest.

“So you get to admire “the view,” and yet I must turn around without the slightest glimpse of the perfection which I am certain resides beneath the cloth you cover it with.”

He waited for a moment, just long enough to be certain Aelin was properly flustered, then he turned. He could hear her body move the water as she stepped into it. The sound of her body being fully submerged danced on his ears as the ripples of her movement coursed about the water.

He did not turn. For now he would keep his back to hers as she had hers to his. It would be up to her whether she would answer Gerwald’s observation or let it pass. The wolf was content in quiet and did not fear the discomfort that silence could bring. He had learned the fine art of waiting long enough for the answers he sought. Life had taught him the dangers of being hasty and reactive.

“There are nations which said the Confederacy was evil simply because our Vicelord was Sith. Yet it was not by his hand that I was tortured and left for dead, skinned alive over and over again, only to be healed and have it continue. That man was also Sith. Which would you call evil? The liberator of many worlds or the one who tortured me for personal entertainment?”

Gerwald paused long enough to let the question settle, but continued before Aelin could respond.

“There are those among our kind that say all humans are evil because of what the Fayth have done, and yet two Sith behave in two different ways. Would you say the senseless killing of the innocent is evil? Does that change simply because it seems easier to justify with your particular ideology?”

The wolf finally turned to face the woman, whatever part of her she had facing him.

“Evil is evil regardless of what form it takes, and every action we take has consequences. What you have to ask yourself is whether or not you can live with consequences of your own.”​

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Outfit | XoXo
Location | Forests of Islimore, Outside the Encampment
Tag | Gerwald Lechner


Aelin stared down at her own reflection in the water, seeing the truth of his words burn through the surface. She was quiet for a time, considering. "The blood of my enemies I will shed gladly," she intoned softly, "The blood of innocents is another matter entirely," She could still taste the hot coagulated liquid from days prior on her tongue, the memory causing her stomach to roil. Blood aplenty had soaked into the soil and bricks of Verness the day her and the twins strolled through. Though little of it had been by her own hand, she knew she couldn't fully wash herself from the abominations that took place.

Blood for blood, the words continued to plague her.

"But who then is innocent? Is it up to us to be the judge and juror for every person we may encounter on the battlefield? I imagine many 'innocents' will fall by way of the sword before this is over. The Lupo are angry, rightfully so, and they hunger for conquest. It would be easier to turn a blind eye." Or not partake at all.

There was still a chance for her to leave, take her Pack and return to Seoul 5... but the call of Anasi thrummed in the background, a weight that pressed heavy against her ribs. The Lupo people teetered on the brink with enemies everywhere, beset by problems that had no clear answer and no one to lead them beyond followers and those who would be driven by pure instinct and emotion, not rational thought. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, wondering if she would be any better, or just another colossal failure. “But, I don't know that I can," she looked out over the distance, "Although it would be easier to live with if I could learn to." her throat welled, “Perhaps time and experience will take that burden from me. I can't tell yet if I want it to or not." The discussion seemed to peter off into silence, until finally she turned, rivulets of crystalline water dripping like a quiet baptismal from the ends of her dark, auburn ringlets, her vivid gaze flickering over to Gerwald as she thought of something else to say.

Her eyes flickered to the ring that dangled about his neck, the band he never seemed to remove. Clearly it was something of import to him. "You've been wearing that for a long time now. Is there significance to it?"

 

[Judah Lesan]

oops

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

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TAG: Aelin Erevos

Who was innocent? It was a question that everyone had to answer for themselves, but there were moments when a majority seemed to agree. Society often dictated who was innocent. Courts could determine the difference based on facts and evidence. Gerwald knew Aelin would not like the answer she was going to hear, but the man nodded.

“The age old question,” he sighed “Have you ever heard the saying… a good tree cannot produce bad fruit? In the end I suppose you have to take into account what kind of fruit the tree is producing. The Fayth would contend that all Lupo are evil and should be eradicated. Yet you and I both know not all Lupo are evil. Yet, I have a feeling you are asking me these things because you have figured out that not all Lupo are good either…”

Gerwald looked down, likely for the first time truly taking the difference in their height into account. He grinned knowing he was right, but did not press for an answer. The wolf let Aelin keep talking knowing she would likely lead herself to the answer she was looking for if she simply found a sympathetic ear.

What he did not expect was the change in subject to the ring which he wore around his neck. His eyes moved to it as his fingers reached for the circle. A long sigh followed by silence was his initial reply.

Was there significance to it?

“Yes.”

It was a short answer followed by a pause. A certain degree of emotion could be felt in the one word answer and the quiet which accompanied it.

“It is a reminder of another lifetime which I cannot seem to stop living.”

He looked back to Aelin.

“It belonged to a friend. Someone I care for deeply. She died. The Sith that killed her bound part of her soul to this ring. I have been looking for a way to bring her back but… I need to move on.”​

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Outfit | XoXo
Location | Forests of Islimore, Outside the Encampment
Tag | Gerwald Lechner

“After you left our camp was put to the fire. Not by the Fayth or any human, but we were betrayed by our own brethren to a clan I thought had already been dealt with. There was a great deal of bloodshed, and those that Volsung didn't kill, they took captive. Managed to track them down with another wolf, and even though we saved most of the prisoners, it didn’t negate the damage that's been done. The families that have been broken by this." Her eyes stung.

Several weeks had passed, going on nearly two months since the incident. The scores of their dead had been buried or burned in an attempt to put the attack behind them. Yet, there were still nights when she heard the wails of distressed orphans being rocked to sleep and the quiet sobs of widowed spouses. Seeing that they settle back into their routines and ensure that those alive felt protected, seemed a small thing, but had proven to be no easy task… But every day she pulled on her boots and jumped into it with both feet. It was the only way she knew how to move forward.

Blinking back the tears she refused to let fall, she went on to appraise him of the incident with the twins, detailing their actions in Verness, the information they’d been seeking, and the senseless slaughtering of the humans who'd lived in that village.

"I went behind them and finished off those they'd left. Some were as young as ten. I can't untangle their faces from those that we'd lost weeks before. I can't stop thinking about the mothers and fathers who begged for their lives, and how I couldn't give that to them. How I wanted to, but in doing so would have risked the Fayth finding out that Lupo were to blame and possibly lead them back to our encampment. The whole thing was a disaster and I'm ashamed for my part in it, but I had to protect my pack and the people who rely on me. Right? Should I have let them live? Even if it could have meant the life of several other innocents? How much do the lives of humans matter when weighed against the lives of a single Lupo?"

Laying out everything that she'd been carrying in silence didn’t fill her with the relief that she was looking for, instead the weight crushed down even harder against her chest. "I'm sorry. I haven't really talked about the incident and I never imagined I would be speaking to anyone about this. I've been trying to accept that this is what war costs. That this is what I signed up for. Maybe if I'd lived what many of them have, I'd have an easier time believing it's all so black and white. Maybe that is why I came here, to you. Maybe I was hoping you would assuage my guilt." There was a heavy pause, goosebumps prickling from the dusky curve of her shoulders to the slender column of her neck. Not because she was cold, but because of the emotions that moved fiercely throughout her.

After she'd asked him about the necklace, a jarring shift in conversation to be sure; Gerwald grew unprecedentedly quiet, seemingly hesitant to answer.

“Yes.” It was a short but simple answer, though his eyes and motions said it was anything but, betraying the deep-seated emotion he tried to keep hidden. “It is a reminder of another lifetime which I cannot seem to stop living. It belonged to a friend. Someone I care for deeply. She died. The Sith that killed her bound part of her soul to this ring. I have been looking for a way to bring her back but… I need to move on.”

Aelin nodded solemnly, feeling the flame of limited attraction she might have let herself feel for him become extinguished. He was grieving for someone he cared for deeply, and that was more than enough reason to not become entangled with him in anything that extended beyond friendship. Probably for the best.

"Such a fate sounds like torment, being trapped like that...'' she said quietly, horror coiling in her gut and wondering what kind of evil one must have to commit in life in order for the Gods to doom one to such a terrible fate. She couldn’t think of anything worse than being tethered to an inanimate object for eternity, never to re-enter the life cycle or reunite with your ancestors in Freann. There were other questions she wanted to ask about the ring as well, curious of whether or not this friend of his was sentient - conscious of what had happened to her? But Aelin pursed her lips together, thinking better of it. "Is there no way to undo what's been done to her? Or at least... put her to rest?"

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

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TAG: Aelin Erevos

All he could do was listen and let Aelin spew out the things she felt. Her words did not just convey the events that transpired. Instead they were loaded with all the raw emotion and doubt of someone that was quite unsure of the decision they had made in the moment. She was second guessing herself after the fact, trying to live with the outcome of what she had done.

Gerwald pitied her.

“Don’t apologize,” he responded.

It was direct, as direct had ever been with her. The Lord Commander only knew one way to be anymore. Too much of his life had been spent trying to please people, and he could no longer live with that burden. No matter what decision he made, Gerwald always left someone upset. It was the consequence of leadership. He had learned that the only person who needed to be happy with his decisions was himself.

Aelin had redirected the subject before Gerwald could expand on her situation. It seemed she no longer wanted to talk about it. She had offered him an opportunity to be vulnerable, and after she had just laid her soul bare to him, how could he deny her the same.

So he told her of Naedira. At least the parts he wanted to. Gerwald had left out the Sith that killed her was the same which tortured him. He had left out the fact he had fallen in love with her. In truth the woman was dead, and despite many attempts to bring her back, she was not coming back.

He sighed at the next question. Gerwald shook his head.

“No.”

Again he paused as he wrestled with how much to tell Aelin. He could see the shift in her demeanor. When he was younger the wolf would not have recognized the signs she tried desperately to hide. He knew she liked him to some degree, but whatever had been there deflated the moment he explained the import of the ring.

Gerwald stepped back despite everything within him telling him that he needed to take one more step forward.

“It’s not like I have not tried. At this point any attempt is because I cannot bear to break my promise. My word is important to me, and I do not make promises or oaths lightly, Aelin. When I give a pledge I keep it, and if I cannot then I will not give it.”

Now he took his steps forward, suddenly finding confidence.

“I came close once… to completely moving on. I have it in me, but sometimes I think it is because I just have not quite found the person to move on with.”
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[Aelin Erevos]

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Outfit | XoXo
Location | Forests of Islimore, Outside the Encampment
Tag | Gerwald Lechner

Her body grew taut as he drew near, a sudden awareness of their mutual nakedness ricocheting through her. Instinctively she pushed away, backing up until her skin pressed against the stony edge of the crystal pond, fruitlessly endeavoring to make sure her body was well hidden beneath the cool water that made her shiver in spite of herself, overcome with the sudden urge to dive into its depths.

"That's very noble," she managed to breathe out, referencing promises made and kept, while cursing the strained sound of her voice. His presence in this proximity was unsettling and the shift in how the conversation was proceeding could easily take a turn in territory that she realized would be too intimate and familiar than what she was comfortable with; it brought back that unnecessary complexity that she was determined to set aside. "I know little about love and matters of the heart, but have you ever thought that perhaps the reason you haven't moved on isn't because of someone you need, but because you have to find it in yourself to do so?"

Aelin suppressed a shudder as the wind picked up around them, rippling water droplets through the air and making the trees rustle nearby. The night was quiet, and the forest almost too dark, save for the moonlight filtering down from above. All she could hear was the steady sound of his breath, noticing the rise and fall of his chest that was too close to her own, making her feel like she couldn’t escape.

Did she want to?

... and what of Børre? A small voice echoed in the back of her mind.

"Aelin?!" the gruff voice of Anders called, laced with the promise of violence should he find things not as they should be. He’d been assigned as part of her personal guard after the incident with Volsung, on Freya’s insistence. After much pleading, she’d acquiesced to Børre’s only sister, if only to put the Lupo woman’s mind at ease.

"Here." She called, turning her head and noting the cadence of his footsteps marching towards them. "Do you know how long it took me to find you? How many times I nearly lost your scent out here, and how worried I was?" he demanded, his tone heavy with concern as he moved to stand beside her, his eyes becoming wide upon realizing she wasn't alone. Unsurprisingly, his stance became one on the defensive, a natural reaction coming from him. "Your concern was unnecessary.” she answered in that flat, matter-of-fact voice while gesturing to Gerwald.

His expression remained unchanged, the slight furrow of his fiery red brow deepening slightly while his one, golden mechanical eye whirred. Though he didn't argue, he seemed unconvinced. "Nevertheless... the Fayth have doubled down on their soldiers this night, I recommend we head back to the encampment." His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument as he turned to leave with a curt gesture of his hand. He gave her one last look before stepping out of sight again, giving her a moment to wrap up her conversation. She glanced back to Gerwald and cleared her throat uneasily, a sheepish smile pulling on her lips. "I suppose that's that," she sighed, finding that she was somewhat thankful for the interruption. "Thank you for keeping me company tonight, and for sharing your story." She said softly. "You should come back to the encampment soon, see the progress we've made on our base. I think you would be impressed."

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

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TAG: Aelin Erevos

“It was reckless,” Gerwald retorted without as much as a second thought.

Aelin was not finished speaking however, and he listened. There was truth to her words. Gerwald had felt lost for some time. He needed to find himself, and he needed to heal. It was not because of Naedira, however. The fall of the Confederacy had seen him lose the one thing about himself that he still knew to hold onto. It was a fight he believed in.

Now, he was not so sure.

The Ascendancy was different. They were fighting for self preservation. Gerwald was of the firm mind the Confederacy abandoned those they had sworn to protect in order to exist as something else, somewhere else. He had not shared that opinion with anyone save Lunara Azure, his closest confidant and friend.

“Perhaps,” came the answer.

Something stirred between them. Suddenly Gerwald was very aware of how close he was standing to Aelin. He had backed the woman into the bank of the water without realizing it. She was close enough… too close. All Gerwald had to do was lean forward…

…and

There was something on the air. A new scent, another wolf. Gerwald would have bristled had it not been for the sudden appearance of Anders. Aelin had been assigned a bodyguard, and for the life of him the Lord Commander could not figure out why. Certainly he knew it was for those important enough to have them, but Aelin was capable of protecting herself.

He pulled away as Anders made his presence known. A long sigh escaped his lips. As Aelin indicated him the wolf shot his icy gaze to the pup. Something about the look in Anders’ eyes suggested he did not like the situation he found them both in.

“She has killed more Fayth than you, and I can guess more efficiently. The Alpha does not need you to accompany her back.”

Gerwald’s tone was not suggestive, but rather it was a statement. He believed her safe, even if he was not with her, she would be safe. The wolf watched as Anders left. He had interrupted something, and Aelin was clearly using it to her advantage.

He reached for her wrist before she could leave. Whether she would pull away or not was unknown. All Gerwald knew was that he did not want her to leave. He wanted to know what it was that rest between them.

The Lupo released his breath.

“Not yet. Please.”

His eyes fell to hers almost as if they were pleading for her to stay.
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[Aelin Erevos]

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Outfit | XoXo
Location | Forests of Islimore, Outside the Encampment
Tag | Gerwald Lechner


There was something in the air as Anders departed, something warm and heavy that stirred beneath her breast and prickled over her skin that warned her that Gerwald was not finished with her yet. It was a feeling that hovered somewhere between anticipation and dread- solidified by the sudden grip on her wrist and the possessive, yet pleading tug that caused her to pause.

Like most of her male counterparts, Aelin was a small thing in Gerwald's shadow, staring at the massive hand that encircled her tiny wrist before her eyes flicked to his, daring him to push this matter further down a road she wasn’t ready to descend.

Had she not known Gerwald at all, nor borne some tenderness towards him, she might have aligned her knuckles squarely against his jaw for the action alone. As it was, she did know him- and knew that the closer they came to speaking about the undeniable draw, the closer they came to reaching what some might have considered its logical conclusion. And what then? She was a proud, staunch woman, who aimed for the title Anasi, had her own unresolved desires, and greatly disliked vulnerability and the unknown - and there were still a great many unknowns when it came to Gerwald Lechner. Enough that it made her uncertain of what she wanted to do with whatever this was.

"I will see you tomorrow. Goodnight." With that, Aelin jerked away, pulling herself from the water, forgetting altogether that she was still exposed.

Gerwald's gaze burned against her backside as she draped the cloak over her shoulders, grateful that the moonlight was dim enough that only the outline of her body was visible, especially since a blush of roses now bloomed across her cheeks. Quickly, she gathered up the remainder of her garments, pausing briefly at the last moment to catch his eye before disappearing through the trees.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

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TAG: Aelin Erevos

"I wasn't trying to…"

It was too late, Aelin had already left. There was something between them that seemed to frighten both of them. Gerwald knew what the sensation was, or he assumed he did. Likely it was better that Aelin did leave because the two of them were in a peculiar position. They were both in a high danger of compromising themselves.

The wolf sighed. He was angry at himself for allowing it as much as he was for Aelin leaving him alone. He had not come to the pool seeking company, but after she had arrived and asked about the ring he realized he did not want to be alone.

He did not need to be alone.

Slowly he walked out of the pool and shifted once more. His clothing was back where he had left it before his run. He was safe, and would be for the night.
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