Hunting the Hounds (invitation only)

The Wolf stroked his pet's ears, muttering little nothings to the animal before rising to his full height and regarding the wolves in front of him. He was not as close to the other two as he was to the one he had petted, The Alpha, but The Alpha listened to him, and the others listened to the Alpha, and that was good enough for The Wolf's purposes.

He considered for a moment what he should do now, knowing that the Heir and his companion were following him. Lay a trap in the sewers? That would likely be effective, but he would have to make quick work of it lest he be walked in on, and The Wolf was not interesting in being quick. No, he thought; he would lead them to a place where he could take his time.

They should be honored, really; few were lucky enough to see The Wolf's lair.

Of course, they wouldn't live to tell about it.

With a single gesture, he began making his way through the tunnels of the sewer, heading homeward.

Thaddeus Grey 18 years ago
The mental image of Alfarinn in a feather boa and nothing else was enough to cause a grin, though in the back of his mind he was beginning to get ideas regarding feathers in the bedroom. Deciding that line of thought wouldn't get them home any quicker, he continued on his way out the door and down the walkway.

[Never too over the top. Though I'll freely admit to finding you quite mesmerizing in nothing at all.]

Finding that he had somehow made his way ahead of Dani, he took the opportunity to open up the dumpster and get the cushions inside. Frowning at her offer, he shook his head, though not unkindly.


"We don't want to make The Wolf disappear completely just yet."Â?

Not thinking it wise to elaborate, he walked back to the house in silence. The others were in the kitchen, apparently looking in on the wolf, and Thaddeus was fine with leaving them to that task while he took the dagger and spear in one gloved hand and the mace in the other.

[Dani brought up a good point; should someone other than us decide to investigate this place it could really cause problems for us. I'm tempted to suggest that we let the wolf stay here and guard the place, but if we're to care for him it's probably not wise to leave him all alone here.]

Still wary of getting too close to the wolf while he was eating, Thaddeus decided to clean the weapons in the bathroom sink upstairs.
Alfarinn 18 years ago
The task of feeding the wolf went better than expected and he hoped getting him home would prove just as simple. As he watched the canine finish his meal with single minded focus, Alfarinn noticed Thaddeus walk by with most of the weapons in his hand.

Picking up the zweihander, he headed upstairs and leaned against the door frame.


"You know you're going to make Hilde jealous if you don't offer her a bath as well."

He stood the blade up like a walking staff, tip down onto the floor with one hand across the crossguard, and grinned at his companion.

"She's a rather showy blade and as such is high maintenance."

Looking thoughtfully at the sword a moment, he then leaned Hilde up against the wall and moved to help Thaddeus. Alfarinn took up a towel and sat down on the edge of the bathtub.

"You wash. I'll dry."

He was somewhat morbidly amused by the very domestic statement a couple might make being applied to a small arsenal of weapons. Their family was strange and their lives even stranger, at least at the moment; though Alfarinn hoped they would find some peace soon. It still had not sunk in that this was close to being over. Very soon they could spend whole nights doing only the things that pleased them, no rush and no fear, he wasn't sure what that would be like yet but he was eager to find out.

"So heading back to the apartment, taking a shower and then getting some much needed sleep sound good to you? Or would you like to go somewhere else or do something else? Have I forgotten anything?"

It was entirely possible that he had; he was at the point of numb exhaustion and was certain his wits weren't functioning as they should. His body was telling him to find some cozy place to lie down and his brain was coming up with less convincing arguments to over rule it with.

They needed to get the wolf home and hopefully find some way to clean him up. It was a good thing the apartment wasn't far from here they should be able to walk with the wolf without problems. He really didn't want to try to take him in the limo and the idea of taking him in his car was even worse. Thaddeus and the large animal would not fit in the Ferrari at the same time and trying to squeeze them both in there would be pushing a level of comfort with each other that might never happen but surely didn't exist at this point.


"We can walk to the apartment if that is alright. I don't think the wolf will appreciate a vehicle tonight. I can give Dani the keys to the Ferrari and she can drive it and Claire home."
Thaddeus Grey 18 years ago
Thaddeus let the water run over the blade and watched the blood run in watery ribbons down the drain. He looked up and smiled at Alfarinn's voice, glad of the distraction from his own absent musings, and shook his head ruefully.

"Hilde was not forgotten. As a matter of fact, she was meant to have her own special trip up the stairs."Â?

Shaking his head, he continued. "Alright, in truth I didn't think I could manage all four weapons without accidentally cutting a hole in the wall or something, but the sentiment was there."Â?

Deciding his dagger was respectably clean, he set it down next to Alfarinn with the handle pointing his companion's way before picking up the mace and rinsing that off as well. Water splashed off the surface and Thaddeus wondered darkly at the rate he was going through leather gloves. That did not, however, did not seem like the thing to mention, especially after Alfarinn mentioned going home. To a shower and a bed. It was nearly amusing; Thaddeus could remember a time when he felt lost without his piano, bothered by the lack of bookshelves and bare walls. Now simply having his shower, his bed, and his man were all he needed.

"That sounds absolutely wonderful."Â?

He set the now clean mace down and picked up the spear, managing to fit the spearhead under the tap but quickly deciding another method for the two longer weapons would be more appropriate. He pushed aside the shower curtain with a gentle smile at Alfarinn and twisted the showerhead toward the wall so as not to soak his companion. Turning on the tap, he rinsed off the spear first, then picked up Hilde and carefully washed her clean as well.

"I'm not opposed to walking. We might want to see if there is more food for the wolf to take with us so we don't have to make any stops along the way."Â? He frowned. "Honestly, I hardly know where to begin with him; I imagine we'll discover things we need for him at some point in the middle of the day. I do hope he doesn't tear up the apartment or decide to finish us off in our sleep."Â?

"Other than that, no, I don't know of anything we're forgetting, though I'm still ill at ease with the risk of someone interfering with this place while we're gone."Â?
Danielle 18 years ago
Danielle stood in the kitchen for a moment, watching the wolf enjoy his meal, but when Arin went upstairs she got back on task quickly enough. While the wolf ate quickly, she noticed that he was more guarded at the moment than vicious, and hoped that was a good sign. Perhaps during the day while Arin rested, she could go to the library and pick up some books on wolves, and caring for mistreated animals in general. Though upon closer inspection, in spite of the wolf's current state, he seemed fairly healthy and she wondered how well he was taken care of. Still, it was hard to imagine the animal not suffering some sort of trauma.

With such thoughts in mind, she began rummaging through the drawers and kitchen cabinets. While The Wolf seemed to have kept a disproportionate amount of knives as well as the usual linens and a few dishes, she didn't have much luck until she reached the deep bottom drawer on the far end. She was pleasantly surprised; while she had not been optimistic, it seemed The Wolf might have at least held a sense of responsibility to his companions. Inside, there was a heavy oval brush with a handle along with some sort of flea powder, a large bone, and a pig's ear. She left the powder where it was; she had better products at her home for Fatty, her basset hound. The other items she set on the counter while she searched for a bag of some kind. This required turning her back on the counter to get to the cabinet under the sink, which proved to be a mistake; although she found a couple of plastic grocery bags, when she turned back there was one less item to put in the bag.

Okay, the wolf likes pig's ears.


"Stinker!"Â?

She privately felt that Stinky would be an excellent name for the wolf, but didn't think Arin would go for it. Stuffing the bone and the brush into the bag, she set it on top of the refrigerator with a firm warning not to touch it, then wandered out into the living room.

She could hear voices and running water upstairs, and looked to the foyer to see most of the weapons, save one, missing. Drawing the obvious conclusion, she walked over to the sword resting against the wall. It was, in spite of the blood...not a beautiful weapon, but an interesting one. The engraving she found particularly interesting, and she turned her head upside down to get a better look. Two stylized doves on delicate branches framed the words Via Veritas on the blade. Interesting indeed; first the white feathers, now the doves engraved on a sword. She made a mental note to ask about that later.

For the moment, she really needed to talk to the guys, and so she headed upstairs. She could have taken the sword with her, but felt a little weird doing so. While not particularly squeamish about blood and the like, and quite able to manage herself with a can of mace for protection, she didn't like to handle weapons more than she had to.

She managed to catch the tail end of the conversation, and cut right in with her suggestion, as it was as good an opening as any.


"Actually, I might have a solution for that."Â? Looking up at Arin, she continued. "I think I should call a couple of our guys in to watch the place."Â? She nodded in Thaddeus's direction. "I understand you don't want the place cleaned out just yet, but they could just keep an eye on things, make sure the cops don't nose around, or anyone else for that matter."Â?

Realizing that while she and Arin knew that anyone she sent would be trustworthy, but Thaddeus may be more skeptical, she decided that perhaps it would be good to assure him. "They don't have to know anything that's going on, or anything that happened; I can just tell them to watch the house, and they will, no questions asked.

What do you think?"Â?
Claire 18 years ago
Claire found herself alone and decided to appease her curiosity as the things that needed to be done were down to a minimum. She quietly drifted up the stairs and took a look around telling herself that it would be a poor excuse for her training if she just took what had been told to her at face value. Though this person had a wolf for a pet and someone had messed up the two men; it remained to be seen whether they were attacked or were merely defending themselves as implied.

Slipping into the bedroom she allowed her eyes to adjust to the gloom a moment and then took a look around. At first there was nothing remarkable, a bed, a dresser, and a roll top desk. She was about to head towards that and take a peek inside when her eyes wandered towards one of the walls. Dark shapes there made her narrow her eyes and focus harder. They looked like weapons; Claire closed the door quietly and turned on the light.

It was a wall filled with all kinds devices meant to murder and maim. She found it difficult to doubt her clan mate's story after seeing this. There seemed to be no order in them that she could tell, though Claire came closer to take a look. It did seem that they went in a sort of sequence from old to new but every now and then one would not fit that pattern so she felt there was some other organization at work. Studying the wall, she began to wonder if these were merely a collection of some sort as there seemed to be no definable preference in weapon type that she could discover. From what she had seen even people who studied a variety of weapons had their favorites but this wall had everything imaginable: swords, guns, knives, blunt objects, one chain weapon, a whip, sets of manacles and gags, exotic weapons and some that were cheap while others were very high quality. Then she saw it, right in the midst of all the others, nestled inconspicuously, though its gilt and scroll work tended to attract the eye.

It was a dagger with a wide blade that tapered slightly towards the tip, the blade fit into the oval cross guard that was barely wider than the blade. It was intricately decorated with carved gold and silver metal work with the seal of Rome in the center of the guard and the emperor's personal seal set in a ruby on the circular hilt...the symbol of Nero.

Claire reached for the dagger, having little time to think about her actions, she picked it up and slid it into the bodice with a grimace at the cold uncomfortable metal digging into her ribs. She moved it around until it was under her arm hoping none of the others would notice it if she kept her elbows close to her sides.

Silently she turned off the light and wandered back downstairs in a bit of a daze. Why was Sorin's blade here among the other things? Certainly this place did not belong to her creator and Thaddeus would have mentioned his name had it been necessary to tell her of his death. Wouldn't he? It seemed unlike her very meticulous mentor to leave such a prized and beautiful weapon so carelessly displayed with all those others; had she found it on a velvet cushion surrounded by a protective glass case then she'd be more likely to believe this might be some haven of her sire. Though wolves? and the duct taped chair? Claire wrinkled her nose in distaste; her sire may not be the best of men she could admit that but he at least had taste.
Alfarinn 18 years ago
Alfarinn grinned at Thaddeus's statement that Hilde was to receive special treatment.

"I'm sure she would be most pleased with that arrangement for whatever the reason."

He picked up the dagger and dried it gently doing his best to ignore the images that came from his partner's weapon so that he could remain focused on Thaddeus himself. After making sure the dagger was dry, Alfarinn set it aside and took the mace when it was handed down. Drying the spiked weapon with the towel was a little more difficult but he managed to do so without poking himself with it; he considered that to be a noteworthy achievement considering his state of exhaustion.

Watching his companion contemplate the dynamics of getting the spear under the sink caused him to grin. He wasn't very surprised when Thaddeus gave that up for a lost cause and headed for the bathtub instead.

Alfarinn reached out and put an arm around Thaddeus's waist as he was leaned over, not able to resist the chance to touch his companion when he was this close.


"Well, if you wanted to take a shower now, Thaddeus, all you had to do was say so."

Taking the newly cleaned spear, he dried it and set it aside and then had his own difficulties balancing Hilde in the small bathroom in order to dry the sword thoroughly. Alfarinn put out a hand to the wall to steady himself and one on the sword hilt lest it fall on his foot or he fall backwards into the tub. This arrangement wouldn't work so with a heavy sigh, he stood up and placed Hilde tip down and began drying the hilt.

"Well, we can lock him out of the room while we sleep but it would seem he's been taught rather well by Lykaios. I don't see much evidence of damage in the apartment that appears to have been made by the wolves. "

At Dani's entrance, he smiled and nodded. Kneeling down slowly, expecting various creaks and pops, Alfarinn began to towel off the blade.

"I think that works if Thaddeus is alright with the idea."

[I wish we could trust Anantya as more of them know the situation but unfortunately we can't be certain that one of them responsible wouldn't come here with the intent to cover up evidence. I suppose we could hire impartial human bodyguards of some sort for a day or two if you are worried about my people but I don't know that there isn't something around here that we wouldn't want them to see.]

He looked from one to another and then added.


"We are thinking of walking, Do you mind taking my car home, Dani?"
Thaddeus Grey 18 years ago
Thaddeus gave a little shrug at Alfarinn's assurances regarding the wolf, finding that he was uncertain if his own concerns were legitimate or just an excuse to be difficult about the whole thing. As he considered both cowardice and petulance beneath him, he felt it best to drop it, instead running his hand over Alfarinn's shoulder.

"Fair enough."Â?

He reached out with one hand to help steady the sword while his companion dried the blade, though he looked up when Dani made her suggestion. Frowning, he heard Alfarinn out as well. He did his best to brush off the feeling that he was being handled, deciding to deal with what was obviously the right choice in a dignified manner in spite of his personal feelings on trusting humans he didn't know. He was well aware of the fact that going to his order would not be wise, and he trusted a human off the street, even one he paid himself, about as far as he could throw them. Whatever his thoughts on the matter, though, he knew Alfarinn was a good judge of character, and if he felt safe with the plan Thaddeus could hardly object. Shaking off the last of his discomfort, he did his best to be gracious.

[I appreciate the thought, but I think you and Dani are correct.]


"I concur. Thank you for your help."Â?

With that, he left Alfarinn and Dani to work out the details of the car while he retrieved Via Veritas. The way of truth, though Thaddeus was uncertain of just how much truth they had come across tonight. Perhaps the sword's brother, Via Iustitia, would have been more fitting, but it was currently behind glass in a museum. Justice, locked up for gaping idiots to stare at. It would have been a dryly amusing statement on modern culture if not for the fact that it grated Thaddeus some to see the other sword put away. He might have made peace with it, but that did not mean he had to have a sense of humor on the matter.

Brushing off his musings, he walked back upstairs with the sword in hand, taking it to the shower to rinse it clean.
Danielle 18 years ago
Dani smiled, pleased that they had agreed with the suggestion, though she wondered if Thaddeus was always that stiff. Maybe it was just her; either her imagination or her presence. In any case, he seemed to have made a quick exit after agreeing.

She couldn't help but be pleased when Arin offered her the car; not so much because it was a unique opportunity to drive something fancy, but because it was nice to be able to take some of the worries off her boss's shoulders.


"Sure, I can do that. Where are you guys parked?"Â?

She hoped Claire wouldn't mind switching modes of transportation, but Arin's car -did- have a sort of irresistible quality. As much as she liked to think she was practically minded when it came to such things, the luxury and speed of the Ferrari were hard to ignore and it was equally difficult to resist getting something of a lead foot while driving it.
Alfarinn 18 years ago
Alfarinn frowned after Thaddeus as he left; his companion had agreed readily enough but it still seemed to bother him. No doubt he would have been upset as well if so much seemed out of his clan's control. This was more Thaddeus's case than his own and yet Evenhet seemed to be taking over the details.

[I'm sorry, Thaddeus, I wish there was something else we could do. I hope you don't feel like we are muscling in, so to speak.]

He let the subject drop there, as much as he wished to ease his partner's worries, he also didn't want to patronize him. Shaking his head at his natural need to appease gone over board, Alfarinn looked up at Dani and smiled in gratitude.


"Thank you. We parked near the House of Pain so it will be a short walk. The public parking deck F, down on the bottom level."

Looking up when Thaddeus returned with his sword, Alfarinn leaned Hilde off to one side and waited to dry off Via Veritas once it was done with its bath.
Claire 18 years ago
Claire looked around the room. The wolf was done eating and so she carefully picked up the dish, watching him for any signs of possessiveness over it. Taking it to the sink, she washed it off quickly and then looked around.

"Well it appears to be you and me again, hmm?"

She looked up as Thaddeus walked down the stairs and picked up another sword and then went back up. Taking a glance back up the stairs, Claire walked over to the couch and picked up several of the long blond hairs that were on it and a few of the short ones for good measure. Walking into the kitchen, Claire found a paper towel and placed the hairs carefully in the middle noting with amusement how similar they were in color. She folded this up and tucked it away in the corset as well.

Spotting the bag with the brush in it, she looked back down at the poor animal laying on the floor.


"I suppose you'd feel better brushed out,eh, tout doux?"

Seating herself next to him, she held up the brush so he could see it and moved towards his side with it, not quite up to testing his friendliness around his face just yet, perhaps she could get out the other bird droppings there once he had decided this was a good thing.

"See, feels good, no?"
Thaddeus Grey 18 years ago
Thaddeus bit back a sigh, realizing that he was clearly showing his frustrations more than he wished to. None of this was Alfarinn's fault and he knew it was unfair to bring his personal reservations into this.

[I am grateful for Evenhet's assistance.]

He rinsed the blade until the water ran clear and there was no trace of blood in the grooves of the engraving. One could almost believe, when it was clean, that Thaddeus had not only recently used it to run someone through. He shivered at that thought, remembering how it had felt; the force of the thrust, the blood running over his hand. It was not the first time he had taken a life, but he decided there was no real way to compare one incident with another. He could safely say that all of his experiences with killing were some of the most horrible of his life and leave it at that.

Realizing he was once again brooding, he pulled the sword out of the tub and handed it to Alfarinn.
Danielle 18 years ago
Dani nodded her head at Arin's explanation and moved out of the way so that Thaddeus could come back in. He still wasn't saying much, though she had gathered he wasn't much of a talker. Even so, she was confident that the plan would be helpful even if the Anantya didn't see her good intentions for what they were; people didn't always like what was best for them but Dani didn't help people for the sake of the thanks she would get.

"That sounds great. We should probably head out soon; I'm sure Claire is eager to be home, it's getting late."Â?

Well, early in her case; hopefully she could grab some sleep before daylight business got too out of hand. She wasn't much use to Meridian or Evenhet if she ended up switching to vampire time, after all.

That said, though, she walked downstairs to find Claire, who was apparently tending to the wolf.


"Hey, -good- boy!"Â? She looked up at Claire "He's behaving nicely for you."Â? She held out one hand to let him sniff in the hopes of keeping him distracted while Claire brushed. A little bit of a risk, perhaps, but the wolf didn't show any signs of aggression and simply sniffed at her hand.

"Thanks again for coming in with me and helping us out like this. If you're ready to head out, we can go to Arin's car and I'll drive you home? The guys want to walk."Â?
Claire 18 years ago
Claire looked up and Dani and smiled.

"I am thinking he is happy enough for the attention and to have this out. No doubt he is somewhat lonely now."

She looked down at the canine who had sat patiently enough, apparently wanting the stuff out of his own hair enough to tolerate her doing it. Claire finished with combing out the fur around his face subtlety using a little telekinesis to get push a few pieces gently away from his eyes and catching them up in the brush. Once done, she rocked back onto her heels and stood. Finding a trash can in the kitchen, Claire lightly banged out the brush and put it back in the bag.


"All done, Tout doux, You are on you're own with the men, so behave."

Grinning at Dani, she said.

"Prêt, I hope they are staying somewhere close by. This is far from Evenhet as well as the Manor, is it not?"
Alfarinn 18 years ago
Alfarinn looked at Thaddeus and nodded to his sending, refraining from comment. He watched his companion as he washed off his family blade and figured that the Anantya had certainly earned the right to be moody. He could accept that, not all things were sunshine and roses and there was no reason why either of them had to behave as though this were so. It would be more tiresome to try to hide the feelings that couldn't be hidden from either of them anyway and it just wasn't needed.

Picking up Via Veritas as it was handed to him, Alfarinn set the sword carefully along his lap and picked up towel. He dried off the hilt and guard, paying special attention to the engravings that were likely to be missed with a more casual sweep.


"I am certain we shall be able to go home soon. Everything will look a little better after a shower and some sleep."

It would also bring back doubts and fears, misgivings about the event. He could not predict all the possible consequences though there were very few men in the world who's death should prey on a person's mind less than a serial killer who murdered a friend and creator. Still sometimes the mind was not rational and he could only hope that Thaddeus faired better than he had for some situations in his past. At least today there was not likely to be any trouble getting to sleep without a tall glass of something strong; injury and exhaustion were today's sleep aids and he'd worry about tomorrow when it came.

He dried off the blade, pressing a toweled thumb into the groove and then pinching the cloth together on both sides and dragging it down the length. Finishing off with the back of the blade, Alfarinn put the cloth over one arm, laying the blade over it, the hilt in the palm of his other hand and formally presented the sword to it owner.


"Come, Beloved, it has been a long night. Shall we go home?"
Thaddeus Grey 18 years ago
Thaddeus looked on as Alfarinn dried off the blade, oddly touched by the care his companion took. More moving than that, though, was the way Alfarinn returned his sword; he wasn't sure why that affected him so much, but he found himself meeting his lover's eyes, aware now that he had been avoiding them. He took the sword carefully from Alfarinn's hands, but rather than look at it again he leaned it against the wall and took the towel off his companion's arm, hanging it on the rack to their side.

Once that was taken care of, Thaddeus was free to wrap his arms around Alfarinn's waist, gently so as not to cause any pain inadvertently.


"Yes, let's go home."Â?

Rubbing his cheek against Alfarinn's bare shoulder, he held on for a moment longer, realizing he was filthy and likely being clingy and hoping his companion didn't mind too terribly much. The fact that his companion was still willing to call him 'Beloved' even when he was being not a little moody was amazing enough, and Thaddeus couldn't help but feel he was in some way pushing his luck, though that was not enough to make him let go just yet.

Finally, he pulled away, though he was somewhat hard pressed to do so, and turned to pick up his weapons, speaking quietly.


"I'm not trying to make things more difficult than they already are. I just..."Â? He trailed off, the words suddenly caught in his throat. He had to take a shaky breath before he could continue. "...I just keep thinking this isn't over."Â?

He shook his head, realizing that he sounded suspiciously like he was feeling sorry for himself, and slipped his dagger back in the wrist sheath before picking up his sword. He couldn't seem to put a voice to his real fears; seeing Alfarinn hurt again, never getting a moment's peace, inevitable nightmares and sleepless nights and simply not being strong enough to stand this. Such thoughts were simply not helpful; not being strong enough simply wasn't an option and if he lost hope that they would get through this he was essentially defeating himself.

"You're right. Things will look better when we get home."Â?
Danielle 18 years ago
Danielle frowned at Claire's statement, realizing that she had no idea of where they were staying. She knew that Arin had recently taken up other dwellings, though until now she hadn't been privy to his reasons. She had just assumed, when they spoke of home, that they would make the trek to the towers, but that wasn't very practical even going a shorter route through the sewers and anyway they could just as easily stay in the Anantya Manor.

"I -think- they must be staying close by...Liefde is a bit of a hike."Â? She turned and looked out into the living room, wondering if the couple was planning on coming downstairs any time soon. "Well now I have to ask or I'll worry."Â? Shrugging, she continued. "I have to get the keys from Arin anyway, just another minute and we can take off."Â?
Alfarinn 18 years ago
Alfarinn smiled when Thaddeus took the sword and straightened back up. He had time to wonder at the significant look in his companion's eyes and the change in emotions before arms were wrapped around his waist.

"Ah..."

There was nothing more pleasant than this and everything they had been through seemed to slip away from him at the rightness of Thaddeus holding on to him. Alfarinn put his arms around his lover and held him tightly a moment, Feeling the brush of Thaddeus's cheek against his shoulder, the blonde hair tickling the skin, he realized it didn't matter where they were everything could be made right by his companion, all Thaddeus ever had to do was touch him.

"Thaddeus" Alfarinn reached out to his lover again as he turned away to get the weapons. Pressing a kiss to his companion's neck, he said.

"You're never difficult. There is valid reason for your concern. I don't begrudge you having it. I believe it has kept you around this long and it makes me wonder how I've managed without you. It... may not be over."

Alfarinn sighed with that knowledge. It was in fact a known thing that it was not over.

"But this part is. That gives me some hope. That and you are the calming threads I cling to and -you- do wonders for me."

Alfarinn thought about the one still out there who had hired a killer so they were devious and still dangerous but they couldn't afford to move quickly if they wanted to continue being careful so he hoped that meant they had some time. They could be desperate of course which might lead to a hasty action but he hoped something hasty was likely to fail for being not thought out and they did not plan to part company until this was over, so two eyes were better than one. Alfarinn worried about the person plotting against them but somehow this portion being over gave him more confidence that they would come through this both alive and well.

He picked up Hilde and strapped her onto his back. Taking the spear and mace and putting them both in one hand so that the other was free for his companion.
Thaddeus Grey 18 years ago
Thaddeus closed his eyes at the touch of cool lips on his neck. "'Never difficult?' I am glad you think so, though I suspect 'impossible' could just as easily describe me."Â?

He stepped forward and opened the bathroom door, but paused before walking through it, turning to Alfarinn with a more serious expression. "Perhaps at times my concern keeps me alive. I believe I had some help with that tonight, though."Â? He reached out and took Alfarinn's free hand. "I couldn't do this alone."Â?

He found that was not a difficult admission and certainly encompassed more than just tonight's events. Alfarinn always seemed to be there when he was at his worst, and his companion had certainly seen a full spectrum from him and was still here.

"We should go."Â?

Leading the way downstairs, he tried to remember if there was anything they were forgetting. He would want to take the bag with him, as it contained his gloves and god only knew what else. They also might want to see if there was anything in the house that the wolf might need. Thinking of the animal downstairs brought another issue to mind.

"What do you want to call our new pet?"Â?

He wondered if The Wolf had a special name for his wolves; it was hard to imagine him taking his pets to the park and calling them 'fluffy' and 'rover' but stranger things could, and likely had, happened. In any case, there was no way the wolf could tell them his name and they would just have to make due.

Distracted by his own thoughts, he didn't realize until they were all the way down the stairs that he had spoken of the wolf as 'theirs' rather than Alfarinn's. He supposed he was just as responsible for the wolf's current situation and owed the animal a good home just as much as Alfarinn. Still, he could not help but think it strange, how the new addition to their family had snuck up on him.
Alfarinn 18 years ago
Alfarinn smiled and shook his head no at Thaddeus's question, running his lips on the back of his lover's neck in the process.

"Never difficult. Perhaps impossible...if you mean impossibly amazing."

He watched Thaddeus and smiled at the hand that took his own and the words that meant so much to him. Perhaps his lover would not have been alone, Mai would have certainly accompanied Thaddeus if need be and would have done a better job of protecting his lover there was no doubt about that. For a moment Alfarinn felt he had been stupid, why hadn't he pushed harder for Thaddeus to go with Mai? He could have gotten the man he cared about more than life itself killed when a better solution had been there the whole time. Was it so important that he be the one here?

Alfarinn was stunned that his pride had nearly committed something unpardonable. For a moment all he could do was stand there. A part of him said they were following the clues, they needed to do this part that is was their job but once Lykaios was found why did they have to go after him right then? 'He was coming for Thaddeus.' a voice in his head, perhaps his own, said. That was it then, the why they didn't wait and his reasons for being...well unreasonable. He hadn't been thinking too clearly. There was another one still out there and good fortune had spared them both tonight but he'd better wake up and not count on it again.

He walked down the stairs with Thaddeus in a daze and didn't hear the question that was asked to him fully.


"I'm sorry, what was that? Oh.. hmm."

Alfarinn looked at the grey wolf and thought for a moment.

"Well we could call him Dunbløt if you like."

Chuckling softly, he elaborated. "It means fluffy or more correctly soft floss but I don't think its a good respectable name for a wolf. How about Skodde? Fog? Though if you shorten it to Sko...well that means shoe."

Depending on what the wolf chewed on that might be appropriate also. It was likely to be what Thaddeus threw at him if he munched on something important.

Kneeling down to the wolf, Alfarinn put out his hand to smell and then stroked the brushed fur.


"So would you like to accompany us? Its going to get rather lonely here."
Danielle 18 years ago
Dani shook her head slightly at the list of names Arin was running through on his trip down the stairs and into the kitchen. Smirking, she contributed her own suggestion with a firm nod of her head.

"Stinky."Â?

That said, she turned to Arin, trying her best not to giggle at her own suggestion. It seemed the wolf was taking to her boss, allowing himself to be petted even if there wasn't any sort of visible response to any of the names. She hoped he would follow them without too much trouble; maybe the brushing and the meal had put him in a good mood.

"Okay, maybe not. I'm going to need your keys and...where are you guys going to stay? We're kind of a long way from home. And...oh honestly, you can't go walking around like that."Â?

She was tempted to throw her hands up in exasperation, though instead she pulled out her mobile and began to dial.

"While I'm sure there are certain young female fans that would love to see a shirtless Arin Bjorn walking down the street, I think that might bring the wrong sort of attention. I'm calling the limo; he can take your weapons and bring you two some clean shirts."Â?

They probably could have 'borrowed' something from their victim...but that seemed both wrong and...strange, and she figured Arin wouldn't like it. She hung up after the arrangements were made; the limo was still fairly close by and it shouldn't take too long to get some tee shirts of some kind.

"He'll be here in a minute. Now where were we? Oh, right."Â? She held out one hand. "Keys."Â?