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The last thing that Cosette expected to happen was for Fierce to follow after her. It was not necessarily because she thought he could care less, but because the majority of his wounds had been reopened in the earlier scuffle he had shared with the Felder Beta. She had slowly lowered her rear until she was in a rather composed sitting position, feigning confidence to conceal how deeply bothered she truly was. Renier, her sire, and the beta had always been able to reprimand her and punish her in any way they pleased, even if it was ridiculous or unfair; there was no one of equal rank to even consider intervening, after all. Not a single word escaped Cosette as Fierce began speaking, her gaze fixated on the soft earth beneath her paws. She silently prayed that he wouldn`t worsen the situation further, especially given how much Renier despised outsiders already. Truthfully, she was still bewildered by the fact that he had even let Fierce stay for this long. The dame could tell that Fierce was doing this to protect her.. but why? It made sense if he were doing it to repay her kindness from before, yet it seemed more deep than that. He seemed way too overprotective, but perhaps she was being delusional. The back and forth continued between the two males while she lifted her gaze to look over at her sire. He was staring down Fierce, which didn`t surprise her, but he was awfully silent. The only reaction Renier gave was a brief growl in his chest, but he did not crack otherwise. Cosette was about to speak up, but Fierce was already moving to walk away. This time, she didn`t bother to call after him, knowing he needed all the rest he could get. When his tail briefly brushed against her flank, the tension and subtle trembling she had been unknowingly been experiencing seemed to evaporate then and there. Her gaze softened as she saw the gentle expression written all over his countenance. Fierce.. was a good brute, even if everyone else didn`t see it. Her attention drifted to Renier, who was already muttering something to the beta. Fortunately enough, it seemed like Renier was dismissing him since the idiot turned and stalked off with his tail tucked between his legs. Fierce truly did have a point; this beta was nothing but useless when it mattered most. ``Cosette, I.. apologize,`` Renier began, his words surprisingly soft for once. She truly did not believe it, her auriels flattening against her cranium. A frown was written all over her face as she moved to stand before him, not flinching when he did the same. ``I will be having a thorough conversation with the beta about his behavior. He will behave properly from now on.`` Cosette stared up at her sire, taking note of the sincerity and apologetic tone he was using. She was unsure if she could truly trust him, however, given how Renier looked guilty.. she believed him for now. A sigh left her as she allowed herself to relax, her voice a mere whisper as she replied, ``It`s fine. I`ll go check on Fierce.`` ``Be careful around him,`` Renier added. The dame`s response was a nod as she turned and walked away, heading back towards the medical den where she presumed Fierce was. Cosette had a feeling that Renier had yet to kick Fierce out was because of a simple reason: he had not done anything wrong yet. On the other hand, it was the beta being extremely problematic; she presumed he was probably intimidated by the other brute`s presence. And for her sire, he was probably unsure how to truly respond to Fierce fairly given his presumptions towards rogue wolves. ``Fierce..?`` her voice was quieter than usual when she peeked into the den, her gaze shifting to and fro to try and figure out where he was. She was worried about him, more so than she was probably supposed to be. |
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Continuing to walk back toward the medicinal den, Fierce's crania lowered. His auricles flattening against his head as the adrenaline washed from his veins -- proving his pain to be true and harsh. The sewn wounds now reopened made it hard to not feel the pain with every movement -- every step. Though, he moved through it, making it back into the den where it laid down on the pile of leaves that was made into a "bed" for him. The soft pitter patter of paws sounded before he heard a softened voice... "You probably shouldn't have done that.. While I am surprised that you are still here.. I appreciate you looking out for Cosette." Fierce lifted his head to look up at the medic as she got to work repatching his wounds. "She was nice enough to bring me here to help me.. Helping her is the least I can do in return." He stated, his voice gruff as he grunted out in pain whilst his wounds were retreated. The brute knew he was stupid to not come back to get patched up straight away -- and took the risked of infection -- but something in his mind ticked when it came to her. Cosette.. He didn't know why. "Fierce..?" The familar soft-toned voice rang quietly through the den. Causing his head to snap toward it's source. There she was in all her beauty, walking into the den looking for him. It made him warm -- but once again he was asking himself why. Why did he care? Why should he care? Flicking his auricles back against his skull for a moment, he cleared his throat. "Over here.." He replied faintly, allowing the medic to finish her work, shifting only when she needed him too. As the heiress walked over, he looked up at her. "Glad to see I didn't get you in too much trouble.." He stated, trying to possibly lighten the mood. "At least, I'm hoping I didn't.." Fierce added, his eyes once again having the look of empathy etched into them. Why do I care so much? It's not like she's my mate -- It's not like I am meant to protect her. Why do I feel the need to protect her so badly? Fierce couldn't answer his own questions. Nor would he dare ask them out loud. Though, they were there, and they raged in his mind every second she was around him. Perhaps it was the fact that they had saved one anothers lives. Almost like a trauma bond. But -- it hadn't felt that way -- at least not to Fierce. The pull towards her felt like something far more than that. He just had no ideas on how to figure what exactly was the reasoning behind it. |
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Cosette`s entire world seemed to brighten the moment Fierce responded to her call. Before, it had been rather overwhelming with all of the what-ifs swarming through her head, especially the ones involving her sire.. but also him; she would not have blamed him if he had decided to leave after getting his wounds looked at. A small smile graced her countenance as she slipped into the medic den, her pawsteps light as she made her way to a spot a few inches away from him. Oddly enough, she felt the need to be close to him, as if everything would be okay as long as he were near. It was a sentiment she had never felt before, but she welcomed it. Cosette lowered herself to lie down beside him, crown resting on her paws with her tail wrapped slightly around herself. ``My sire.. He`ll deal with the beta, so there is nothing to worry about,`` she reassured him, lifting her head briefly to give him a reassuring glance before lowering it again. Her ears flattened as she relaxed completely next to him, a small sigh slipping through her jowls. There was so much more she wanted to say to him, but she figured it would make it awkward. Anything involving feelings was something Cosette was horrendously terrible at; she struggled with identifying what she was feeling too, so that should have said enough. When she realized she was somewhat in the way of the medic, she shifted to the side a bit more, creating some distance. Clearly, she had not realized just how close she had settled next to him. ``The beta has always been a nuisance,`` Cosette eventually mumbled, raising her head to look at him properly when she spoke. Her tail flicked as she glanced at the medic for a moment, considering whether or not it was fine to verbalize her thoughts with them present. Most of Felder respected her enough to not tell her sire everything she did, so she figured this would also be the case. ``He`s very cocky and all over the place. The only reason why he has that position is because of his birthright.`` It was true. In Felder, you were strictly born into your ranks, another reason why rouge wolves almost never even tried to get into the pack. If they did, they were automatically the lowest of the low. Speaking of which, she wondered if Fierce would ever stay.. It was a wild thought to have since she figured he preferred freedom that came with having no pack. That also meant he would leave one day, much to her dismay. |
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Fierce watched as Cosette moved swiftly and quietly across the den. Almost as if she were to be floating. It was graceful, showing her delicatcy. As she laid down beside him, his eyes widened. She was close enough that he could literally stick his nose out and touch her. Flicking his auricles back against his skull once more, he was unsure of what to do. Though -- he wouldn't allow it to get to him. Perking his audits back forward, he'd listen to her words as she spoke them. Hearing that the Beta was to be dealt with made him happy. "Let's just hope it doesn't come back to haunt me." He chuckled before he stopped himself from talking further as Cosette continued. Speaking of how utterly useless the beta truly was. He hadn't known the guy long and even he could see through the thick layer of arrogance and pure immaturity. While he may not know heirarchy very well, he knew that he'd want no one like that helping him run something he called his own. "Birthright? See, I think that is a flaw that needs to be mended. Quickly.. Just because you are born into the role, does no mean you should be allowed to take over said role." Fierce stated, pausing as he realized what he had just said also could apply to her. Quickly, he'd shake his head, "Of course, unless you earn it and can prove yourself to be worthy of it." Fierce hoped that his words were making sense, and he hadn't just hurt her by saying such things. For some reason, hurting her is the last thing he ever wanted to do. Fierce then looked toward the medic as she told him that everything was good now. Nodding, he'd thank her before turning his attention back to Cosette. He wondered why she felt the need to come after him, not that he was complaining too aweful much. Though, it made him wonder if she was having that same odd feeling he had been. Something primal that neither of them could shake. "I hope your father is able to realize that before it's too late." He added, making eye contact with her. Though, he soon broke it as he lowered his crania into his paws. His weight shifting as he grimaced. It was obvious his wounds still hurt him. "I'm hoping these wounds heal soon.. I'm growing quite tired of this pain." He mentioned with a chuckle. |
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Cosette listened intently to everything that Fierce said as she always did, ears angled towards him so she would not miss a single syllable. It was a litte ridiculous how hard she genuinely was trying this hard to focus on him, even if it was entirely out of curiousity.. or so she believed. She did not notice how he seemed to panic at their close proximity, which definitely saved her from doing or saying something incredibly awkward. The dame smiled when he said he hoped there would be no consequences for what he did; she was quite certain that there would be none for the time being, given how it truly was not his fault in any way, shape, or form. Cosette nearly laughed when Fierce replied to her statements regarding birthrights. It really was a peculiar thing, but so was Felder itself. ``Felder has always been ruled that way and.. I fear change is something no one would rather enjoy around here,`` she sighed as she shifted her gaze over to the lingering medic, observing the way the female was shuffling through numerous herbs. The one time they had ever considered change had resulted in a catastrophe, but Cosette believed that perhaps one day they could all move on. She noticed how Fierce quickly added more reasoning to his words, a gentle laugh slipping past her jowls. He probably didn`t want to offend her, she presumed; it made sense, but even she felt a little undeserving of her status of heiress. ``I`m sure my father will come to his senses.. one day.`` The dame`s expression softened when he complained about his wounds, shifting to look over his body briefly. They were pretty nasty, especially given that they were from a bear of all things. Still, she found it hard to believe that he had even dared to protect her, a stranger, from such a monstrous beast. Her ear flicked as she looked away, enjoying the silence that had fallen between them. She could have said more, but she didn`t. Cosette feared overstepping more than anything, especially with him. There was no way she would risk something so.. precious like the friendship she shared with him. |
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The silence overcame their words as quickly as the words exited their maws. It was almost as if someone were afraid of their own speech. Of saying something they may regret. While Fierce knew there were fine lines here, he didn't quite care if he said something to offend any other being other than Cosette. He was still unsure of what overcame him to where he stepped in to 'protect' her from being punished. Though -- he was glad he had -- otherwise he wouldn't have such great company at the moment. As the silence grew stronger, completely taking over the space surrounding them, her words truly sank in. How she spoke of how change was supposedly a bad thing. It confused him, why would it cause so much trouble? "A great leader needs to make sacrafices." He commented, hoping he hadn't made offense to her by stating the fact. "Sometimes, even if those sacrafices make others upset, you still need to do them." Fierce added, flicking his auricles about once before tilting them once again towards her. It didn't take long for silence to settle once again, and for Fierce to slip off into a rather peaceful sleep. The next few days had been rather uneventuful. Fierce kept to himself in the medic den, not wanting to cause problems between anyone. Cosette made sure he was okay, and ate as well as drank. It was nice of her to do, his favorite part was their conversations. They had grown a bit close. His wounds were healing up rather nicely, and he definitely wasn't in as much pain. Taking a few steps out of the medic den, the brute squinted as the sunlight hit his orbs. It had been a minute since he had seen sunlight, and man did it hurt a little bit. After a moment of adjusting, he sat back onto his haunches. Fierce wasn't sure what he wanted to do now. He had all the reasons in the world to leave, but something stopped him. Almost as if he wanted to stay. Looking around, he observed his surroundings and the candids whilst they went on about their lives and duties. Though, he couldn't care less about the others -- only one wolfess in particular. Cosette. How could he not wish or want to see her? They had talked everyday for the last few. |
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That day went rather quickly in Cosette`s opinion, but she wishes it had been longer. There was something special about spending time with Fierce, as if all wrongs had been righted and there was no reason at all to feel an ounce of anxiety or worry for the upcoming days. It was an odd feeling, but she welcomed it eagerly. The words he had spoken stuck with her, probably more so than he probably intended them to. He did have a point, however: sacrificing comfortably could do a lot beneficially in the long run if one only decided to take that risk. When Fierce ended up slipping into a peaceful slumber, she had smiled at him before quietly taking her leave, murmuring a goodbye to the healer that had been working on organization still. Cosette eventually managed to sleep in her little crook of rock, tail positioned over her nose in that odd way she sought comfort in. The next few days were truly.. amazing, to be honest. She spent her time with Fierce, but also with those in Felder itself. Her sire was no longer hovering over her like the protective parent he always seemed to be. Furthermore, the beta had supposedly learned his lesson since he had backed off quite a bit too; the biggest thing he had done recently was release a string of rude remarks, but that wasn`t as bad as an entire fight unfolding. She focused on Fierce mostly, however, seeking out his presence and sense of.. comfort. Honestly, she had no idea what the persistent warmth she felt meant whenever she was with him, but perhaps that was for the best. That morning Cosette had accompanied a small group of wolves on a hunting patrol. Prey was still being troublesome and hard to find, but each canine did manage to snag a small critter of some kind. Cosette was rather proud of the fact that she had managed to snatch up a rabbit, considering her hunting skills had been pretty rusty. Was she that focused on Fierce? Perhaps, and it was a tad comical. When they returned, she padded over to the rather pathetic-looking pile of prey, setting down the rabbit she had caught. Her ears perked forward as she looked to and fro, until her whole demeanor seemed to brighten the moment she saw Fierce. She headed off to him almost immediately. ``Good morning,`` Cosette greeted him rather cheerfully, her tail daring to wag for a brief moment. She considered the two of them friends now, so surely her behavior was acceptable.. right? Deciding that now would be a perfect time to talk with him, she settled in a comfortable sitting position a few feet in front of him. She peered up at him, eyes darting here and there to ensure his wounds weren`t being problematic at all. ``How are you feeling? Less painful, I hope.`` |
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There she was, coming back with a group of felder wolves. A rabbit hanging limpy from her jaws as she carried it over to the pathetic pile of carcasses. His bright blue hues seemed tranced onto her. Fierce's gaze soft, and unweilding of the hardened stare they had when they had first met. Almost as if it were meant for her -- and her alone. Watching as she began looking around, Fierce looked away. The brute didn't want to be caught staring, though he could see from his peripheral veiw that she was making her way over to him. "Good Morning," Fierce's audits flicked toward her as his head spun to look at her. A cheeky smile crossing its way onto his maw as he made eye contact with her. "Good morning," He repeated the words back to her, his voice just as soft as his gaze. Going to question how her hunt went, he stopped himself as she asked him how he had been feeling, and how she hoped it was less painful. Fierce chuckled, shrugging a bit. "They've scabbed over and don't cause me much pain to move anymore.. Which is good." He replied, "Your medics are quite talented." Fierce stated, flicking his auricles once to rid of the pesky inscents that flew over head for a moment. God.. did bugs annoy the ever living shit out of him. Turning his attention back to Cosette, he'd simply just look at her for a moment. Drinking in her appearance as if he would never see it again, and needed to remember how she looked. Though -- that may be the case. Now that he was pretty much healed, Fierce was unsure what the day would bring. Snapping out of his small trance, he'd look away from her and back at the rest of the pack as they despersed. "I hope your hunt went well." He spoke, hoping him looking at her for that long hadn't made things uncomfortable between them or awkward. Fierce was good at that, making things feel off. It was almost like his specialty. "He needs to leave, sir! He doesn't belong here!" A feminine voice screamed from across the camp, causing Fierce's attention to snap toward the scene. His unwaivering gaze hardening one more as he saw who stood beside the smaller female. The Beta. "We've heard stories of a wolf who has taken down packs on his own, and the beta has brought up the point that this wolf Cosette has brought forth might be it!" "I have rights to believe he is this.. monstrous being and he is purely using your daughter to get close... Maybe he even wants to kill you and take over!" It was almost like the beta and this she-wolf wanted him to hear this. Whilst he knew it wasn't true, he wasn't sure how to defend himself. How could he? One look at him and any wolf would believe the words flowing from their mouths. Looking toward Cosette, he simply and swiftly stood -- walking over to the two wolves and the Alpha. "If I wanted to kill anyone.. I would've left your princess for dead.. then came back for the rest of you.. I wouldn't risk my own life just to kill the one I saved." Fierce's words were dark, his voice carrying a heavy meaning in it as he spoke. "You're really starting to get on my nerves.. All because the wolfess you claim to like doesn't give a rats ass about you?" Lifting his head to his full height, everyone once again seen just how much bigger the rogue was than their own beta. While Fierce had thought about what the Beta was saying before -- he couldn't fathom doing it now. Not after hearing what Cosette had went through. It pissed him off that this asshole thought he could just run his mouth and get away with it. "What do you mean? Cosette doesn't have much of a choice, see? It's called betrothal." Hearing those words, Fierce immediately backed down. His gaze moving to Cosette wherever she now stood. Had she known of this? Had he been protecting her from her own "mate"? What a fool he was to believe that what he felt was anything other than a mere trauma bond. Flicking his auricles, he let out a low growl before looking back at the beta. "Doesn't mean she gives a rats ass, buddy. Just saying." He stated before simply brushing passed him. "Just so you know, If i was a killer.. You'd be the first on my list." He called to the beta over his shoulder as he walked toward the base exit -- not speaking once more as he walked. |
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Cosette was a little ecstatic to hear that Fierce`s wounds were nearly healed completely, her countenance brightening when he praised the medics here in Felder; they truly were the best of the best. It was noticed by her how he seemed to be almost as happy as he was when she had started to wander over to him; perhaps she wasn`t imagining the warmth she always felt whenever they talked. Truly, he made her feel at home, more so than anyone else ever had. Even if he was larger than the other wolves here in Felder and also.. rather intimidating beyond belief, Cosette could only see this soft, gentle side of him. She would not be surprised if anyone ever wondered if she was insane or delusional because sometimes she thought the same thing, specifically about being delusional. It was the first time she was experiencing something like this, after all. The dame smiled when she noticed his struggle with the bugs, knowing just how much of a nuisance they were. She straightened her posture as she considered her response to his question, trying not to expose how delighted she was that he had asked her. After a moment, Cosette replied, ``It went well. Prey is still as troublesome as ever, but we managed to get a few critters for the pile.`` Her attention was quickly diverted, however, when she heard nearby voices. Cosette`s body stiffened the moment the words they were speaking registered within her head; the idea of Fierce being a wolf that went around killing others sounded.. ridiculous. She frowned at the audacity they had; none of them have even bothered to truly get to know him yet and here they were making absurd presumptions. Cosette slowly shifted onto her paws and took a few steps after Fierce, pausing to keep her distance for now. If he wanted to intervene, he could, but she did not want to yet. She was quiet as Fierce defended himself, every reason he provided very well being a reasonable and believeable one. It made sense regardless since she could tell he was telling the truth anyways. Cosette`s world went dark, however, the moment she heard the beta say that godforesaken word: betrothal. She understood the concept since she had heard of other packs doing it, but never once did she think she would be a victim of it one day. Her blue eyes were wide with disbelief and confusion, meeting Fierce`s when he looked over at her. Cosette had been clueless, but that look on his face told her that he presumed she had already known. Panic swelled in her body as she started moving forward in an attempt to go up to him and explain the truth, but of course she was stopped almost immediately. ``Don`t, Cosette.`` The dame froze when the beta bellowed out an order, her ears flattening against her head. Her concern was mostly for Fierce and whatever he was thinking, not for whatever consequence she would face if she ignored the command. A heavy sigh left her as she turned her head and looked over to where they were standing, briefly taking in the fury and anger written all over their faces. Ultimately, Cosette resumed walking and quickened her pace until she was in between Fierce and the way out of the camp. ``Fierce, please don`t go,`` her voice, although a little pained, was still as soft as morning birdsong. It was honestly bewildering how well she could contain her emotions sometimes. Inwardly, she was freaking out over the news of this.. stupid betrothal. If she ever truly was forced to be mates with that idiot of a beta, than the world must be ending or something equivalent in disaster. ``I.. I didn`t know about.. that.`` For once, Cosette had no idea what she was supposed to say. He had more reasons to leave than reasons to stay. The main wolves in charge of Felder except her wanted him gone, which meant he would have to endure all this terrible treatment until something truly changed. She also truly wasn`t sure what he thought of her; he could think of her as an acquaintance that was pleasant to talk with for all she knew. Despite it all, the panic and hurt was written all over her face. |
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"Don't Cosette." The beta's words rang in his ears after hearing the piter patter of paws being stopped. Figured, that she'd be stopped. They didn't want her to care, it was obvious. How could she care anyways? Fierce's auricles laid back against his crown as he walked, his crania even with his spine as his orbs stared forward. He didn't look at the unapproving looks of the other wolves of Felder. Didn't care too look at them. None of them had even made the choice to attempt to get to know him, and chose to believe the words of their dumbass beta and some broad he more than likely fucked into beliving him. It was annoying, infuriating. How could he think that this feeling was anything more than a friendship? Even if it was that. It surprised him when she practically appeared in front of him. His massive frame thundering to a stop as he stared down at her. His gaze cold and near emotionless. A look Cosette hadn't ever gotten from Fierce. Not even the day that they had met. "I..I didn't know about... that" Her words sounded believable, but something in him didn't want to believe it. To him, all pack wolves were the same. He didn't know why he allowed himself to be drawn in, to let a pack wolf in. Maybe he should've left her for dead -- lived up to what they wanted him to be. Fierce knew better, though. He knew he couldn't ever bring himself to do that, unless he was severely provoked. "You didn't know that you were meant to be with someone of your pack? Your father would force you to be with someone you don't wish to be with?" He questioned, his words sounding harsh. It wasn't long before the beta showed up beside Cosette, his stance dominant as he practically pushed her out of the way. His actions upset him, and it was written all over his face. Lifting his cranium to stand at his full height, he'd stare down the beta. "Don't you ever push her like that again." He warned, earning a scoff from the beta. ...then he snapped... Fierce lashed forward, grabbing ahold of the betas mouth and taking him to the ground with ease. The sounds of a yelp and whines sounded within the base walls, coming from their beta. It only proved his point further. After he let go, and then let him up, he growled out. "If I ever hear that you've mistreated her, I will end you. That's a promise." Fierce knew he stood no chance, even if he were to stick around. Everyone here seemed to be entranced by this beta, even if he was an absolute idiot. Looking back at Cosette, that softness twinkled in his gaze for only a moment before he looked away, walking around the two. He wanted to kill the brute now, but knew that it would be a bad idea. Fierce didn't stand a chance against the entire pack, even if Cosette stood by his side. |
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Afternoon Storms, then Clearing
