Well I can't speak for the rest of the pack, but I've been distant lately. I'm sure the others know though. I hate to say it, but I think you are right Christian. I don't think Avery is ready for something like this. I'm worried about him. Like I said Christian, don't worry about me. I will be fine. But if it will put your mind at ease I will keep you updated. Can you promise me the same? I worry about you at the palace. A lot of things could go wrong over there. 

Yes but those risks were significantly less when the kingdom wasn't at war. Her original knight? What happened to him. and why would him coming back make you lose your position? 

Seems that there’s not much in the line of good communication going around in the pack anymore, is there? I worry about Avery…I think he’s taking on too much; biting off more than he can chew, as the humans like to say. I’m glad to hear you’re so adamant on maintaining your own safety, though; I hate wondering whether or not you’ve made it through the day. Try and keep me updated more on your life, yeah?

I’m…dealing with my job. I knew what risks were involved when I became affiliated with this position. Though who knows how much longer I’ll be needed now that Princess Tatiana’s…original knight is back.

The howl based Ava's lips and seemed to echo in the empty forest. It wasn't until she heard a splash from the water that she realized she wasn't as alone as she thought. She immediately went on the offensive. She jumped back and her body stiffened while she leaned over in an attempt to locate the source of the sound. Her nose wrinkled and her lips curled, bearing her teeth  to warn off any potential predators, while she sniffed the air. There was a familiar scent lingering around the area that she couldn't quite place. Finally her eyes found the source of the sound. There was a man, attempting to hide himself from her beneath the surface of the water. She would have missed him if it hadn't been for his head breaching the surface. Her blue eye's made contact with his green and she could see he was terrified.

Relaxing her stance, Ava decided it would be best to change back into her human form. It would relax him and then perhaps the two could enjoy their night time swims alone. Ava moved back towards the waters edge, knowing that once she changed back she would be completely naked with nothing to cover her except the water. She figured it would be better to shorten the distance between her and a water level that was deep enough to cover her. 

Glancing over towards the man who still seemed to be watching her, Ava felt the familiar tingles that ran throughout her body when the change happened. Each time she changed Ava felt momentarily weakened and this time was no different, she was laying by the waters edge and it took her a few minutes to regain enough strength to enter the water. Once she was in, she sought out the green eyes from before and called out "Hey sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you, I thought I was alone. Are you okay? It sounded like you had a nasty fall."

Like Winter's Tongue // Gaelen&Ava

Gaelen was too caught up in the peace of the moment to notice the soft lapping noise across the river, and before he could realise what was happening he was jumping up in fear from the loud howl that filled the night air. His eyes snapped open and focused on the snow white wolf that he was shocked to find was barely a few metres from him, strong teeth shining in the moonlight.

He scrambled up the base of the rock, in that moment too taken off guard to have a rational thought about the creature before him. It was late, dark, and cold out, of course he was the one taking a swim alone, but he had been sure he wouldn’t come across any conflict of any kind, let alone see a wolf standing before him. His wings were too wet for him to flee, so he had no choice but to try and regain some of his courage, cut his river bathing short for the night.

Lifting his body further out of the water, Gaelen had his eyes focused on the creature, glad that he had somehow gone unnoticed in the midst of his fright. That feeling didn’t stay for long. The palm of his hand slipped on the wet moss that grew on the side of the rock, sending the faerie slamming down against the base of it once again and under the surface of the water.

There was no way that had gone unnoticed. He cursed himself under the water, wishing he could perhaps stay there for longer in hope the wolf would leave. Then again, he’d come across some creatures who were somewhat kind, maybe in the same situation as he was, so after a moment he lifted his head out of the water, green eyes finding the other through the dark, watching.

Maybe not directly, but speaking out loud is typically an invitation for others to join the conversation. 

I’m sorry, mademoiselle, did I ask you for your thoughts on the matter?

"This may seem like an odd question, but are angels supposed to be this clumsy?"

"I can't remember what she said, but I think she mentioned something about a desert as well." 

"I’ve b-been reassigned bef-fore.  Those turned out to b-be even worse decisions."  There was currently a standing order to never allow Juniper to be alone in the armory after a disastrous attempt to reorganize the spears.

"P-pyramids.  I w-wonder which ones she m-meant.  There a-are lots of pyramids o-on Earth."

The conversation Ava had with Christian about the attack on Avery in the woods had been eyeopening to say the least. She knew the war was inevitable, but the news of an actual attack on not only a member of the pack, but their leader, it had her on edge. It had her questioning her safety and as safe as she felt before, after her brief conversation with Celine, she was unsure now. She knew the only way she would feel safe again would be if she met with Celine again. Not wanting to wait around for a chance encounter, Ava made her way to the border and hoped for the best. The chances of her being attacked by one of the soldiers of the dark was high, but it was a chance she had to take. 

As she crossed the border Ava began to regret her decision to come out here. What if Celine hadn't warned her people against hurting her yet, what if she was walking to her death? She could hear voices in the distance, clearly discussing the wolf that had entered their territory. Ava stood her ground and waited for one of the guards to meet her. She was surprised when the person who ended up walking towards her was Celine herself. Ava had been fully prepared to plead her case to the guard to bring her to Celine, luckily that wasn't the case. She really hadn't known what she would say to convince them she meant to harm.

"Imagine my surprise to find you were the one to meet me out here. I was not expecting that." Ava said with a nervous chuckle. "I was thinking about that conversation we had some time ago and I after some recent developments, I just wanted to make sure we had an understanding still." 

Of Wolves and Wings || Celine & Ava

"There’s an intruder on the western border. A wolf by the looks of it."

Celine looked up from the map she had been reading, which held a rough outline of where each territory began and ended. She had been in the midst of planning out her next movement- one which would bring her forces closer to the borders of the human kingdom. It was easy enough to traverse there on her own, but to bring an army with her? Neither ther Fey nor the werewolves would have taken kindly to that. “Only one? That’s a little unusual.” She commented, looking over at the eager scout. From the looks of the young man, he was new.

"It’s true. We’ve detected no others in the area."

The Fallen quirked an eyebrow, pensive at this…unusual development. It hadn’t been so long ago since her last confrontation with the werewolves, but they never approached her on their own volition. She stood up, leaving her paperwork for another time. “Very well. I will greet them.”

"But Miss Dahl-"

She scoffed and the room grew several degrees hotter, irritated to be talked back to. “I’m not so vulnerable as to be done in by a mutt.” She spoke icily, satisfied by the way the younger Fallen shrunk back in her presence. At least he was smart enough to know to stand down. The last thing she wanted to deal with was making an example out of her brethren, not when an unusual situation like this was occurring. With a dismissive nod and the powerful beat of her wings, she took off to see just what exactly was going on.

When she arrived at the border, she could feel the tension in the air. Her scouts were armed, wings flared out and the flickering of hellfire on their fingertips. Celine could hear them muttering amongst themselves, unsure of what to do with the unexpected visitor. Opposite of them was a solitary figure, a woman by the looks of it. And a familiar one too. What had been a mild interest soon grew into a greater feeling of curiosity.

What was she doing here?

Celine raised her hand; a signal for her soldiers to stand down. “I know this one.” There was some hesitation among the flock, but her authoritative tone went unquestioned. They parted ways as she strode forwards, pausing just at the brink of where her lands ended and the werewolf grounds began.

"I must admit, this came as a bit of a surprise." The Fallen smiled politely at her newest guest, despite how out-of-place she seemed to be. "To what to I owe this great pleasure?"

Well it wasn't always me, there used to be a few other bartenders before the portal closed. But they didn't feel safe with all that was going on and quit. It's no problem, really. As long as you work hard we will have no problems.

Good for you Ella. Really, that's great. No not really. Avery used to come in more frequently before things went to hell, but now he only comes in when he needs to talk, so not often. 

Yes, yes, of course! I’ll work whenever you need me to, Ava! Just say the word, and I’ll be there. I—gosh, I can’t believe you’ve been handling things on your own for so long; hopefully I can help make things easier for you! Thank you so much for this…I really, truly appreciate everything that you’re offering me! When—when can I start?

Oh, I…I’m just trying to take care of things, is all. It’s nothing, really! But—thank you, Ava. For your kind words, too. I—I really hope that everything goes well and that I don’t manage to screw up! Because, um…because this is a werewolf bar and everything, does—does Avery come in often?

Oh that's true as well, but I can't just bust balls all the time. Even us ball busters need to relax every once and a while. It's true, but what can we do about it? Who will listen to us?

I never would have pegged you as the type; I’ve always heard you were quite the ball-buster. They are…nothing is ours anymore; everything belongs to everyone else. The humans, the Fallen, the vampires; even the Fey Court seems to be demanding more ownership over things. It’s disgusting.

How about the night of the ball? While the members of the pack had a good time drinking and enjoying a night free of talks about the war, you sat in the corner sulking and complaining about how no one should be acting so irresponsible with the war. My ears are clean Avery. Oh I'm sorry I refuse to blindly follow you into a war I don't want any part in. You're right, you decided. You didn't take into account how any of us would feel about this. You just decided and you made it pretty clear you didn't care what any of us had to say. Why would I even try to talk to you about how I feel when it's obvious you won't listen to reason. I don't hate you Avery, I could never hate you, and no, I don't go around bad mouthing you to the rest of the pack. That would mean I actually talk to the rest of the pack. Your my friend Avery, and as much as I disagree with you about the packs position in this war I would never do that to you. You should know that. After everything the two of us have been through you should know that. 

Wait, you actually want the baby? 

Can you handle it Avery? Can you? 

Where the hell is all of this coming from? Since when do I go on and on about how everyone in the pack is irresponsible? Clean your fucking ears out, Ava; the most irresponsible one in the pack as of late has been you. Refusing to compromise with what I’ve come to understand is the best move for us as a group; what I’ve decided to do in order to make sure we survive. I’m sorry if you disagree with my own brand of ethics and my own reasons, Ava, but for fuck’s sake; speak up about it more often rather than passive aggressively hating me for it. Do you go around bad mouthing me to the rest of the pack, then? Making me look like a complete and utter fool to outsiders who expect us to stand strong and unified as one?

For God’s sake, Ava, speak the fuck up.

…Don’t talk about Ben; I can’t bear to even think about that right now. I know what I did was wrong and fucked up and I probably ruined poor Ella’s life…but I won’t stand to have you stand here and tell me I should have the mother of my child abort my firstborn. Not when she wants the baby. Not when I want the baby.

I can handle it, alright? I can handle it.

Because I'm a fan of honesty. That's all that matters to me. 

I… how can you be so sure of that? That you would still like me even if I spoke everything on my mind?

Bravery has nothing to do with it. It's just that you don't scare me. 

Not that it's any of your business, but I had a meeting with someone. 

My my my, someone’s feeling brave tonight, isn’t she?

This is Fallen territory, little girl. I have every right to care about who’s invading it. 

Ava stared in awe at the man before her as he transformed his appearance. Ava still hadn't seen much magic performed in person, and each time she did she couldn't help but feel jealous of their gifts. 

"Not too shabby indeed. That's fascinating, all of it. So what kind of things do you do with these illusions?" 

"Can I help you?"

"Young, of course.  I hadn’t even gone through my wand ceremony yet.  Something about my not being at a responsible age."

Although, technically necromancy isn’t something any responsible witch or warlock would delve into.

"Dragons aren’t fond of me."

Someone who worked with death as closely as Bastian did was not a good choice for calming dragons.  While the witches and warlocks around him were oblivious, the dragons knew full well that he stank of death, and thus saw him as a tasty treat.  After riling up so many dragons at once, he was encouraged to turn to other methods of magic.

"Picking apart spells is part of why I’m a good apothecary.  I figure out how a spell was cast and what was needed to cast it."  Bastian shrugged, almost certain that the young woman wasn’t interested in the details.  "I can also cast some pretty good illusions."

He picked up his staff from where it was laying peacefully on the ground and muttered a quick chant, weaving the magic around him until he looked like a vampire.

"Generally, it’s not too shabby."

There were a few things that Ava found hilarious about Luciana's tale of Adrian's encounter with the dragon. The first was the idea of Adrian finally getting what he deserved and being eaten by a dragon. The second was that he had finally left the safety of the palace and had almost died in the forest. If that wasn't the greatest example of irony she didn't know what was. The third was that he thought a stuck would withstand the dragon's flame and the fourth was that the dragon's name was Perwinkle. It sounded so innocent and harmless. She started laughing out loud when she thought of what the tombstone would say. Here lies Prince Adrian, eaten by the dragon Perwinkle, while defending himself with a stick. If it was anyone else Ava would have felt bad for the sucker who had managed to get themselves into trouble with Luciana and her dragons, but Adrian deserved everything he got and then some. She just hoped the next time she would be there to witness it. "That pompous asshole? Why did you rescue him? You should have just left him to the dragons. I would have." Ava added before taking another sip of her cider, the laughter finally winding down. 

The fact that Luciana had similar feelings about the Prince made Ava smile. It was just another thing the pair had in common and she couldn't help but wonder what else they had in common. The bar was closed and Luciana and Ava had the place to themselves. It was a perfect opportunity to get to know her and if she didn't take advantage of it she knew she would regret it later. "So Luciana, why don't you tell me a little about yourself. Besides knowing you are a bitch and have dragons, I really know nothing about you and that's a shame. I propose that the two of us use the rest of the night to get to know one another. You supply the questions and some of the answers, and I will supply a never ending flow of cider or alcohol. What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Closing Time ll Ava & Luciana

Luciana was glad that she had managed to stumble across Ava tonight. She didn’t have many friends, but the blonde werewolf was definitely one of them. She liked that Ava was just as no-nonsense as she was…she didn’t take anyone’s bullshit, and though Luciana hadn’t seen her in action yet, she was certain that the taller girl was capable of holding her own in a fight as well. She was someone to respect, someone to be wary of, and someone to be very appreciative of if you had them on your side. Luciana wasn’t quite sure where Ava’s alliances laid…yes, she was a werewolf, but Luciana wasn’t a fool—she knew that personal opinions usually differed greatly from the ones a group had been forced to take as a whole. She certainly hoped that Ava was fighting for the side of the light, but…without inquiring about it, there was really no way for Luciana to know. She didn’t want to think about how she would feel if Ava’s allegiance wasn’t to Avery and the rest of their pack…perhaps that was something she would dwell on later on when she wasn’t having a drink with one of the few people she could actually tolerate. Maybe for once, she wouldn’t worry about the war.

  That was highly unlikely, of course. She was always worrying about the war.   Luciana’s nose wrinkled sympathetically when Ava explained how slow her night had been. Working in a bar or any other sort of establishment had never really appealed to Luciana…she made more than enough money to support her and Flynn by putting her skills as a witch, and she greatly preferred it over dealing with people all day…especially drunken idiots like Ava was more than likely used to. “I don’t know how you deal with being around them in general,” Luciana scoffed, nursing her warm mug of apple cider in front of her. “Have you ever gotten any especially terrible customers? I don’t even want to think about the amount of perverts you must get in on a nightly basis.” Ava was a werewolf, but she was a pretty girl, too—one would have to be blind not to notice her universal appeal. Tall, blonde, and leggy, she could have been any man’s ideal woman.   Her respect for Ava only grew when she began to recount her training regimen. Far too many people, supernatural creatures included, weren’t taking the war seriously, but Luciana was glad to see that that wasn’t the case as far as Ava was concerned. She made sure to stay in shape, running and practicing martial arts as often as she could, and Luciana was instantly approving of how strictly she kept up with her routine. “Good! That’s what everyone should be doing,” the witch insisted, nodding to accentuate her passionate words. Oh, this was why she enjoyed spending time with Ava as much as she did—the elder girl just understood what it meant to be fighting in a war. “I can’t even begin to list the amount of idiots I’ve dealt with this past month. Do you know I had torescue that ridiculous Prince Adrian from a dragon just the other day? There he was, stomping through the forest like a neanderthal, when he decided to step on one of my dragon’s tails. And then what does he do when the poor creature reacts? He goes at it with a stick! Honestly, he was lucky that I chose to intervene—I should have just left him there for Perwinkle’s dinner.” 

So the handsome man was a knight. That would explain why Ava hadn't seen him around much before. He probably spent all his time at the palace. "You might be a knight but that doesn't stop women from looking. I'm sure you get plenty of attention, you probably just don't notice it." Ava stated as she took the string from Geoff before smiling at the boy. 

"Well if you and Matthew insist Geoff. I would hate to let either of you down." She added with a laugh before preparing to show Geoff and Matthew how to tie a few simple knots. 

"No need to apologize. Knots aren't for everyone." Ava explained "So what exactly were you two trying to tie here? Were you just trying to tie a bow or some type of intricate knot? Lucky for you two, I just happen to be an expert in most types of knots." 

Matthew was taken a back by the girl’s straightforwardness. He raised a brow at her question before shaking his head with a low laugh. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that, Miss. Being a knight, I don’t get much attention.” He said before looking back up at her, his lips quirking to the side in amusement. His gaze followed her as she sat down beside him, Geoff looking at the both of them happily before handing Ava a piece of string. 

"Matthew doesn’t mind! He needs all the help he can get!" Geoff said before sticking out his tongue playfully. Matthew laughed at Geoff’s antics before poking at the child’s puffed up chest in mock indignation. "Hey! I resent that, kid." He said with a smirk before turning to Ava. It was strange, having someone so unabashedly complimenting him. Of course, Tatiana was always so generous with praise, but hearing it from someone else was different. 

He shook his head before looking up at Ava from a sidewards glance. 

"I’m going to apologize in advance for being such a terrible student." He said behind his hand. 

The moment she saw Avery she knew something was weighing heavily on him. Despite their recent problems, the pair used to be close. He was one of the few that Ava trusted and cared about in this world and she would do just about anything for him. Ava reached across the table and laid her hands on his hand that wasn't holding the mug in an attempt to show her support for whatever was bothering him. She may not have agreed with his decision to align the pack with the humans, but he was still her friend and she hated seeing him like that. 

The words hit Ava like a ton of bricks. He slept with someone, a human. Not just a human, a child. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Not of the girl, whoever it was, but of the situation. Avery had sought someone else out for comfort, a job that was normally hers. She knew they had been distant, mostly of her own devices, but she hadn't realized things were that bad that he would look for sex elsewhere. That he would pick being with a human child over her. 

"Oh Avery." She sighed, trying not to seem too hurt over the news. "How did this happened? An eighteen year old, really?" 

Closing Time ll Ava & Avery

The shock from seeing Gwen enter the bar still hadn't full left Ava. It wasn't that she didn't like Gwen, but the little she had interacted with her she had found the girl to be timid and honestly, a little afraid of her own shadow. But she was kind, and for some reason Ava felt this overwhelming urge to protect this girl.

Ava grabbed two mugs and poured Gwen a cider and some tea for herself. She slid the mug of cider across the bar to Gwen and grabbed her own glass and walked to the other side, grabbing a seat next to Gwen. "It's no problem at all Gwen, it is my job after all." She added with a laugh. 

 Ava watched Gwen inspect her surroundings and smiled at the girls question. "No, it's not, thank god. Normally it's much, much busier. Today just seems to be an off day. It was driving my crazy earlier, but now that you are here I'm glad for the silence, it will give us a chance to talk. So tell me, what brings you to The Howl tonight?" 

Closing Time ll Ava & Gwen

The look on her friend’s face made her feel even more out-of-place than she already did. At the same time, though, it was still warm and welcoming. It was full of surprise, but that wasn’t entirely a bad thing. So, with a flush that was as much from embarrassment as it was from the cold temperature of the air she’d been wandering through, she made her way to one of the free seats at the bar and sat on the edge. “Uhm… I’ll try some of the so-called amazing cider, if that’s not too much trouble,” she said. Lord, she hoped that came across as joking and friendly and not as mocking or anything else. She was such a freak… stop it, she thought to herself.

Gwen looked around the bar a bit before pulling the hat from her head. She hoped that everyone would be too focused on their drinks or their companions to pay her any attention. She’d never before been to a bar, but she’d heard stories. Gwen already had to deal with people’s stares and comments about her hair when they were sober. 'Hey girlie, tell me: does the carpet match the drapes?' Somehow, they thought that it was appropriate to ask her that! Somehow, they thought that she would actually answer that question! All she had ever been able to do was blush and try to duck away. Some had been more insistent, but in the end, she had always been able to get away. Or, so far, she had.

Inebriated people, though… she didn’t want to think about that much. Again, she’d heard the stories. She’d seen it when the kitchen staff and stable boys got into the drink. None had ever tried anything, but Gwen heard them and the things they said. Sometimes, it simply made her laugh. Sometimes, it made her blush like some might not even think possible. In the castle, there were people who would keep them in line. But in the village, in a place like this… well, Gwen hoped that her apparently strong-willed friend was just what she seemed.

She didn’t know the other girl all that well, yet, but there was just something about her… Gwen wished she was more like her. Or could be the kind of person who would endear herself to her. She just… wanted friends. She just wanted people, someone, to like her. “So uhm… is it always this… quiet?” she found herself asking.

Task 2 ll Home Sweet Home

Name: Ava Sommers

Occupation/Status: Never having been one for settling down, Ava looked for a job that could keep her busy and keep her moving. Her love of photography provided just that, She is a travel photographer. Her home is in Chicago, but due to her tight schedule, she is only there a few times a month. The rest of the time is spent on location for the job. She doesn't make a ton of money, but it's enough to have a decent apartment in the city she loves. 

Place of Residence: Chicago, Illinois. 

Ultimate Dream: She is currently living it, but the one thing that would make her life perfect would be someone to travel the world with. Sure she likes her alone time, but with all the amazing things she sees, she wishes she had someone to talk about them with later. 

Exterior: 

While many people find the idea of living in a high rise uncomfortable, Ava has come to love it. The people in the building pretty much leave her alone with the exception of the doorman, who despite only seeing Ava once a month or so, has never once forgotten her name. 

Living Area/Kitchen:

Since she is never there, Ava purchased one of the complexes furnished apartments. The living room is Ava's favorite room in the house. The view is out of this world and the natural light that comes through the windows is perfect for going through and editing her photos on her laptop. The only thing that Ava uses in the kitchen is the microwave to heat up her leftover take out. The fridge is mostly empty with the exception of a bottle of white wine in the fridge and a bottle of vodka in the freezer. 

Bedroom:

The thing that Ava misses the most when she is on location is her bed. It is the only thing in the entire apartment that she purchased herself, not feeling comfortable with sleeping on a bed that once belonged to someone else. There is a small balcony outside the bed room that she finds herself drinking coffee from most mornings. 

Bathroom: 

The only room in the apartment that she hates. She has thought about redecorate the place but isn't there enough to justify the cost. 

Building Amenities:

Out of all the amenities in the building, the gym and hot tub are Ava's favorites. When she is in town she can almost always be found there. 

Building Roof: 

The reason that Ava picked the apartment in the first place. The view from the roof is spectacular. She can be found lounging under the gazebo camera in hand more often than not.