 you don't need wings to be an angel Although Ragnar wasn't of her pack, wasn't even of her region, or part of the North, Valkyrie felt comfortable with him the way she hadn't felt for a long time. She enjoyed his company, enjoyed the feeling of him being close, although she'd only just met him. From his shaggy white-and-coppery coat to his yellow and orange swirled eyes, Valkyrie felt drawn to him. It wasn't the way she had been drawn to her siblings; nor the safety of her packlands. And she had never felt drawn to Kiran. But that was normal, wasn't it? Mates didn't feel that way. Mates were for political reasons. For reproduction. For mutual support. To care for the other if they fell ill. To help make the pack larger, and therefore stronger. She looked back to him when he asked why she had left; her mind was prone to wandering and it took her a second or two to piece together the words she'd heard. When she'd worked it out, her heart jumped slightly. Yes, she liked this wolf, but did she really want to reveal her past so soon? She'd just met him. Would it drive him away? It shouldn't, she hadn't done anything wrong. But for some reason she seemed to want his approval. And telling him about an attempt on her virginity... it had lowered herself in her own eyes. The fact that she only barely escaped after a life of training in the arts of hunting and fighting, that she'd been foolish enough to trust Kiran in the first place. She'd felt stupid and weak, and insecure in her own home. She'd left the next morning, in the early hours of the dawn. "Æh... jeg vil ikke snakke om det ennå, hvis det er okay med deg," she managed, "det er littegrann privat. Unnskyld, Ragnar. Men jeg kommer alene, og håpentlig kommer ingen andre av mine. Men du, hvorfor forlat du?" She averted her eyes once more, directing them back towards the hawk. A second had joined it, and they circled together, wings spread and feathers fanned out as they allowed the air currents to lift and guide them. They were so beautiful, so free. Valkyrie almost envied them their wings. She had always wished for the gift of flight, the blessing of freedom, however brief. If she could change her species, it would be to a bird. A bird of prey. Perhaps the snow owls of her homeland; she'd always admired their silence, their ability to pluck unsuspecting mice and lemming swiftly and surely from the snow. Ragnar broke in on her thoughts with another question. She smiled, looked at him. "Gaupene... Ja, gaupene var vakker og stark, og gode jager. Skogene, ja også, skogene her er ikke det samme; de er ikke stor nok, ikke tykk nok. Og deg? Jeg vet ikke... hadde dere gaupe i fjellene?" Her knowledge of the creatures of the mountains was limited; before she left, she'd never been farther than a few paces beyond her pack borders, and although extensive, they didn't quite stretch far enough south to reach the mountains. Her curiosity had been piqued; did he miss his homeland? Had he had reason to leave? Or was it a free choice, a will to explore? || fae || young adult || || Warrior Angel || |