Private Wolf Blood

[Aelin Erevos]

T R A I N I N G

Appearance | Theme | Drage Manor | Gerwald Lechner , FYI Børre Drage ​

The morning had started out as every other day since she'd been here. Honing her senses as a wolf in the early mornings with Børre, followed by rigorous academic lessons with Bjørn-if their time was not eaten up by a therapeutic session- on either Lupo histories, the sciences, or anatomical study, followed by physical training with Åstor.

Aelin was the type of woman, who many had realized by now, would square off with Aerðs himself if he dared her. Nothing when it came to her was ever easy, but in physical training she'd found a simplistic sort of release that allowed her the room to channel that inner fire. However, by the time she'd made it to the training ring that morning, Aelin was finding it hard to focus. Her mind was elsewhere, distracted by the conversation she'd had with Børre before he'd left with Freya in a rush.

She tried to be ready for the other Lupo's forward assault, managing the beginning of a graceful side dash that was empowered by the unseen life-giving energy of the Gods, but she'd taken it too fast, her booted feet skidding over dirt, leaving plumes of dust in her wake.

"Bank right! -" But the warning came too late, nearly taking a face full of the ruddy rock wall that surrounded the training circle, but managing to get her hands up to cover her face in time. She swore and sucked in a breath, her pride skinned as much as her palms as she staggered back.

Åstor's shoulders shook as he pulled in a laugh, earning him a dirty glare in return. "If you're going to run full force like that, then you need to make sure you have the room or space to bank until you slow."

"I know." she bit back, dusting off her sore and bloodied palms on her dust-coated training leathers. The male Lupo held up his hands, the amusement fading from his face as she stalked towards him with that sinuous lethality. His blue eyes narrowed, head cocking to the side, his chest expanding with a deep inhale.

"You wanting to go hard today, or take it easy?"

For all of the young wolfs upfront bravado, he never ceased to amaze her. There was a lot more to him than most realized on first take, far more. He'd quickly discerned the shift in her emotional current without her ever saying anything, though she supposed for the role he had that it made sense he would need to be perceptive of that sort of thing. Were they ever to be at war, Gods forbid, it would be his weight of responsibility to command alongside his Alpha. He'd need to know how to judge when his fellow warriors were strong, or breaking in their ranks.

The petite she-wolf rolled her shoulders, peering up at him, her lips pressed into a line. "Hard. I want to limp out of here by the time we're done." She could feel him sweeping an assessing stare over her as she peeled off the extra protective padding, stripped to just her white undershirt and pants now.

Aelin had been born the runt of her pack, and it showed. While she didn't lack in lithe muscle, which was slowly built up over months of training with the Drage clan, nor the curves of other Lupo women, Aelin had an impossibly narrow waist, with shoulders no broader than a doves wings, shorter than most other Lupo women her own age - but she held her ground in defiance of her size, lifting the proud cure of her chin. After all, there was more to ferocity than height.

"It helps me too," he murmured in understanding as she started to stretch, rolling her neck from side to side, the vertebrae cracking into place before finally moving into a readying position. "Helps me focus myself."

"I suppose their are worse ways of coping."

He only grinned and gave a nod of his chin. "Indeed."

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

H O M E​

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Aelin Erevos

It had been at least two months since Freya Drage had found Gerwald on his home planet of Stewjon. She had been sent about the galaxy to find other Lupo and bring them back. It was ironic how Gerwald had spent so much time avoiding his own kind based on his experiences with other wolves, that he now found himself stepping on the soil of a world he had only just heard of. His curiosity eventually won out, and Gerwald found himself looking for the answers to questions he had held for a long time.

The part of the planet Freya called home was similar to Stewjon. Trees covered the mountains which towered above everything in sight. The wolf inside the man was giddy at the sight of a new forest to explore, and Gerwald knew he would have to. What struck Gerwald was the numerous palace-like structures he flew over. Ancient stone building boasted of a rich history lost to time and space, a hidden oasis of time past tucked away in the far reaches of the starry expanse Gerwald had learned to navigate.

Why had he never found it before? Why had he never heard of this place?

His mother knew, had known, she had to have. There had been many secrets she had kept from him and his siblings. Gerwald had not resented her as deeply as his brother and sister had so readily done, but the more he learned the more anger burned inside.

She should have told them the truth.

They had not been the last, far from it.

Gerwald took in the fresh mountain air as he stepped off the ship. The wolf wanted to run, but Gerwald held it at bay with cautious restraint. There would be time for a run later. For now he had a meeting, even though he was certain his arrival was unannounced and unexpected. Each step echoed as he climbed the cobbled steps which seemed to be hewn from the ground itself. His rough hand ran along the stone surface of the mountainside as he neared the palace courtyard.

He heard them before he smelled them.

The sound of battle, training weapons, echoed through the air. It brought a smile to his face to hear the familiar song of warriors being taught to use the tools of warfare. He knew they would eventually smell him, but at least they were content to ignore him for now. The large wolf watched as they spared, shaking his head at the form and technique. There was some demonstration of skill, but they were not warriors, not in the way Gerwald was. War was about more than instinct. It was a skill to be honed and developed.

Gerwald stepped between them, wrapping his large hand around the incoming fist. It was petite, and if he twisted just right the bones in her wrist would break. His eyes locked with hers. There was something wild about her scent. It was intoxicating in ways that others were not. He turned to the male and regarded him before pushing on the woman who was just under a foot shorter than him.

She shifted too easily.

“Your base is all wrong. He has enough height on you that you cannot possibly hope to match him physically. You bloody your knuckles for no reason. Change the game to one that gives you the advantage.”

He let go of her hand and smirked.

“I am looking for Freya. She said I could find answers here.”
​

 

[Aelin Erevos]

T R A I N I N G

Appearance | Theme | Drage Manor | Gerwald Lechner | Børre Drage ​

Aelin approached first, not as if facing someone she knew, but an enemy. He nodded, seemingly pleased that she’d taken the initiative.

The first impact of her knuckles against Åstor’s muscled body, hurt, akin to punching a tree trunk; but she’d hit where she was supposed to, and her thumb remained where she’d made it learn to stay. Each time she pulled back her arm, the pain in her muscles hummed and started to become a song. She’d gone to a place deep inside herself, where the rest of the world faded, barely noticing the fact that a foreign wolf observed them, sharing a back and forth of jabs and blocks with her training partner.

She was working up to her knockout blow, when a blur of motion stirred and the sound of a steady gait she did not recognize entered the training ring just as she’d come barreling down on Åstor. An unfamiliar, golden-haired male stood before her, grasping her small fist in his massive hand. He was taller than her- but that came as no surprise, most were - with sculpted muscle and hard-hewen features beneath a wild golden mane and beard.

Aelin raised an astute brow as her breath fell in pants from behind clenched teeth, yanking her hand away as a sliver of fire lit up behind her eyes, then vanished just as quickly, holding him with cool regard as she set herself to rights. “Why don’t you mind your own business?” Aelin remarked, feeling exceedingly cross that she’d been interrupted, and corrected, by someone she didn’t know. Even if Åstor had told her many times over to settle her weight between her feet and make sure her stance was even and unbreakable.

Just as she went to ask who he was, the question was answered.

“You must be Gewarld, then.” Åstor stated, trying to keep the sharpness from his tone, something she’d never heard from the wolf before. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise though, the training ring was his domain, a place he held with the utmost regard and respect. He let out a long sigh, and scratched at the back of his neck as the tension eased, offering up that boyish, lopsided smile she'd become familiar with. “Freya had to leave with my older brother to deal with an emergency down at the spaceport, but we’re expecting them back anytime. Why don’t we go inside, we’ll get you settled for when they return... unless, you'd rather stay out here? Seems like you know what you're doing," he gave a pointed look to Aelin, "some pointers wouldn't hurt.”

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

H O M E​

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Aelin Erevos

"Warfare is my business," the wolf snapped back as he locked eyes with the petite wolf.

There was a fire behind the sapphires which held the woman's gaze for a time. They held one clear message, she should not challenge him, and if she did she would lose. It was rare Gerwald let his wolf dictate his behavior, but he could smell the others all over the estate. All of them were wolves, and Gerwald needed to remember his kind behaved differently. He was not among humans, but among Lupo.

He heard his name in the form of a question and nodded with an answer.

"Yes. I was not sure I would come, but your sister spent time among my home, and I promised I would repay the kindness."

Would he wait inside? Gerwald shook his head.

"I think I will stay in the ring. You have constructed something nice with it. It lacks the trappings of modern technology, and that is a good thing."

The wolf turned back to the woman, and began to circle her. His eyes wandered over her form, not in a sexual way, but rather he regarded her stature, posture, her muscle. Gerwald was evaluating every inch of her body and making his own assessments of how she should be trained.

"You are stronger than you appear," he said as though he knew from experience, "but you shouldn't rely on it. Your greatest strength is that you look weak."

It was not meant as an insult, and Gerwald's tone did not insinuate anything. As he came around to face her once more, Gerwald settled into a fighting stance.

"Hit me…”

…if you can."
​

 

[Aelin Erevos]

T R A I N I N G

Appearance | Theme | Drage Manor | Gerwald Lechner | Børre Drage ​

Where another woman might have cowed into submission, Aelin stood proud, rooting her strength into the ground. He was not her Alpha.

Looking at this other wolf, she knew the dangerous truth in the pit of her stomach - should he want to take a cursory taste of her flesh, he could shatter her like a porcelain doll. Yet she remained unmoved, stalwart, her gaze conveying the threat of ‘leashing’ him, before he’d ever get the chance to do anything else.

Eventually, the stare down was broken, the giant wolf turning to address Åstor.

“My twin has a special kind of strength that way, she spreads kindness and builds trust wherever she goes.” Åstor nodded, “She’s always been the best of us, and I’m sure she’ll be glad you’ve come… so let me be the first to say, welcome. I’m Åstor… and this spitfire here is our sweet little Aelin.”

She glowered at his choice of the word ‘sweet’, placing a hand on the pronounced curve of her hip. A smug grin bloomed over the wolf's face.

Arrogant ass.

When Gerwald expressed his interest in staying in the ring, and complemented its rudimentary construction, Åstor smiled again, his eyes shining bright as the sun.

“A wolf after my own heart,” he took a step back, allowing Gerwald the room to test her, his student, folding his arms across his chest. “Please, be my guest.”

Part of her wanted to object, but her mind had started to acquiesce to the instruction of the Drage pack - a hard won result of their patience and working tirelessly to develop trust with her. She lowered her lashes, nodding in acceptance of this outcome.

The wolf circled her, watching her like he was piecing together a puzzle. He moved smoothly, muscles shifting with every step.

Aelin was already feeling worn from her earlier workout, but rallied what strength she had, getting into position as he did, bracing her feet apart and settling into that sweet ache.

“Hit me, if you can.”

“Oh, I will.” She bit, “And I’m going to enjoy doing it.” the words sounded like a bell in her skull.

She launched swiftly with lethal and calculated grace to his side, staying tucked in and pivoting just out of range, pirouetting to land behind him - sweeping her leg down, hoping to pull his feet out from underneath him and land him flat on his back.

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

H O M E​

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Aelin Erevos

Gerwald simply smirked. Freya may have been the best of them, but she also smelled of the rank odor of the consummate politician. Part of the wolf believed she was the type who could tell people what they wanted to hear, and in part she had done that with him. Knowing this, he still came to meet the others. Curiosity had won. Perhaps Gerwald was tired of being alone. He had never been alone in the sense he had no friends, but he certainly did not have any of his kind to know.

They had all left him.

It was ironic that many had labeled Gerwald as the one to leave and abandon those he cared for. In the end the Lupo had been vindicated. It had not been he who left, but the others who had left him. Even now as he walked the training circle, away from Stewjon and the Confederacy, Gerwald knew he had not abandoned them, but they had all abandoned him.

He simply nodded, content to avoid a longer conversation for now. There would be plenty of time to talk after he finished with the woman in the ring. She had spunk and spark, two things every warrior needed. Whoever she was, every part of her screamed that she wasn’t the demure thing Astor’s sister was. No, she was quite the opposite. A chuckle escaped his lips when the wolf caught what she had said. She even talked like a warrior.

“So confident, are we,” Gerwald bit back. They were already sparring and had been with each word exchanged between them. “You’ve studied me long enough you already know my weaknesses then?”

She moved swiftly. Gerwald expected. Aelin was small, quick, agile, lythe. Nothing about her told Gerwald that she would be able to overpower him. No, she would be a fast moving target, difficult to hit, and even harder to catch. It was a predictable tactic to attempt a leg sweep. Taking a larger opponent out from his footing was a sound strategic attack. There was nothing wrong in her thinking save one thing. She attacked Gerwald as though he were a larger man, not a larger wolf.

He sprung back on his hand, flipping backward and using the ground as a spring to propel himself back onto his feet. She would likely chase, but not without having to reconcile her large opponent could move with the agility of someone much smaller than he appeared to be.

“Not everything is how it looks. Hit me… not the notion of what you think I am.”
​

 

[Aelin Erevos]

I N F I R M A R Y

Appearance | Theme | Drage Manor | Gerwald Lechner | Børre Drage ​

Her eyes narrowed at him as he evaded her attack, his next words settling into her skin as her panting eased.

But, just before they could start the next round of assaults, another smell filled the air.

Strong, metallic, and sickeningly sweet. Aelin scented it long before she ever heard the sounds of shouts and screams coming in from the distance. The shouts, she recognized, came from Børre, commanding - organizing.

But the screaming…

Aelin recognized those screams, as well, they were the sounds of immense suffering and it made the hair on her arms stand on end.

In less than a heartbeat, Åstor was off - not a goodbye, not a glance back, his Alpha called and the wolf in him obeyed.

Aelin went to follow, but paused and looked over to Gerwald, trying to decide if she should bring an outsider into this.

Another scream echoing through the air, made the decision for her.

She tipped her head in the direction Astor went, the hard edge that had laced her voice mostly gone, “Let’s go, it sounds like they could use the extra help.”

They reached the crest of the hill in time to see the doors of the Drage manor being thrown open. Freya was beside Børre, who was carrying a screaming Lupo over his shoulder like he was weightless.

Even from here, she saw the blood gushing, noticed the trails of it leading up the onyx stone steps. Aelin rushed to them, expecting Gerwald to follow.

“Where is Bjørn!?” she heard Freya shout as the wolves made their way to the infirmary, already halfway down the spiral stone staircase by the time Aelin finally caught up.

From the archway she could see why Børre was carrying the wolf over his shoulders - noticing the jutting bone and missing skin, caught halfway between transformation, and noting the bracelet attached to his wrist.

The shrieking wolf was eased face-first onto the medical table.

“What happened?” Aelin finally asked, making herself useful by gathering up rags they could use to staunch the bleeding.

“Trandoshan fur hunters.” Freya answered, making Aelin’s mouth dry up, the dawning realization of her own potential fate, had Børre not saved her life, smacking her in the face. “His family brought him here for help, but hyperspace proved too much. Started attacking civilians and began changing in the middle of the spaceport.” Freya’s eyes darted to Gerwald, acknowledging his presence before refocusing on the task.

“They tried to take my fur!” the wolf choked, his voice somewhere between a growl and his human vibrato. His dull brown eyes squeezed tight, tears squeezing out at the edges while long clawed fingers grasped the edge of the table. “They tried… they tried…” he kept repeating, the ramblings of a mad man who’d been sawed into, cartilage and tissue exposed in uneven cuts. She kept her hands pressed down on his skin, pinning him as gently as possible while the blood soaked through the rags like they were nothing.

“You have to try and stay still,” Aelin said, her voice breaking in a gentle way that was not common. “Gerwald, there’s a bucket under the sink, fill it with steaming water and grab the clean bandages.”

Aelin swallowed hard, feeling some of the color start to drain from her face as the blood started to drip down the sides of the table. Her gaze finally lifted to Børre. “The wounds aren’t clotting.”

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

H O M E​

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Aelin Erevos

Blood.

Lupo blood.

Gerwald could smell the scent of it on the air. It had been enough to distract Aelin from the spar between them. The screams came after. There was hesitation, trepidation, but Astor was nowhere to be found while Aelin was deciding what she wanted to do. Gerwald was a guest and without an invitation this was not his business, but the invitation came soon enough, and they were off.

The sight was sickening. Blood was all over the place. Had this been a battlefield there would be only one thing to do.

Kill him.

He needed to be put out of his misery, it was what Gerwald would have wanted. An errant thought crossed his mind. After getting the bucket and water he was asked for Gerwald pulled out another tool.

His lightsaber.

Gerwald ignited the balde.

“I can cauterize it, but that doesn’t mean the bleeding will stop inside.”

He would die without help. Gerwald had not meant to ignore Freya or the facts which she had stated. Transdoshan Fur Hunters. Pelts were being hunted and these did not know how to defend themselves? He had a blade in his hand and another on his hip. It was a problem he could solve. While the others were discussing how to help, Gerwald slipped out of the room.

He started running.

Rage had taken him. The force fueled his legs as his blue eyes turned yellow. His yellow blade the ebony of wolfsbane. He would find them, the force would lead him there. The camp would not be that far. Freya and her brother had been to the spaceport on urgent business. All Gerwald had to do was follow the scent of blood. When he found them they would die.

All of them would die…
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