Tithe

Though he had been curious about where she had been, a strange longing to see her again, Tithe had made a point to try not to find her. The times he had wandered into the free lands to speak to his friend or converse with others he had resisted the pulling desire to follow the faint scents of her. When they had first met, he had chased her as if it was the only thing that had mattered. It took a while, but he seemed to have re-found himself and kept a respectful distance. Only today had he sought her out, Taika’s troubles reminding him of his own uncertainty about this beautiful woman. He could feel her close, so close it made his body hum. The quiet ‘ahem’ had him spinning, and once again the world dropped from under his feet.

Thoughtless, his tail wagged in pleasure at seeing her again, the sight having nothing to do with her appearance and everything to do with her presence. Ears and eyes trained on her, only her. Taika had washed completely from his mind. The grin on her face invoked a smile to grow on his own, almost foolish and sheepish. An odd happenstance for a man of his stature and prestige. Pandora held the key to his soul, the warmth and feelings on his face showed that she was the only one who could see it. “A pleasure to see you again, my lady.” He replied in his ever smooth voice. Steely eyes blinked in confusion, and he glanced at the spot where Taika had been, and apparently vanished. “Settling? With Taika?” The concept of what she was implying was so foreign to him he almost completely missed it. When at last he did understand a low, rare, chuckle tumbled from his chest. “You are mistaken. She is a gypsy of Moladion, a friend of mine from childhood.”

“And who, may I ask, are you?” Bounding from the side, Taika jumped back to them. She had started away, but glanced back at her friend and had never seen him so blatantly unguarded. Gold cracked eyes looked over Pandora, she guessed who she was. But just as Tithe insisted on meeting everyone in Taika’s life, she figured she could return the favor.