Xanthe couldn't sleep. In two days her parents would come and there would
be a ball. It would be her first one where she would be 'presented' with
the other fresh-from-the-convent ladies. If only she could be with her
wolf, Ira was what she called him, and tell him everything. She had told it
a lot including her name, and it listened intently. It had been so patient
to her. He made her laugh when all it did was say yes and no.
She would probably never see it again. The thought of that made her sad. If only it had been human-a human guy perhaps. She shook her head ridding her mind of such things. The wolf was a wolf that understood humans. Lots of animals did, but the wolf's eyes. It was something she would always remember.
*~*~*~*
Aynsley woke up with a smile on his face. He tried to get rid of it, but his mother was too quick.
"What's wrong with your face? You are smiling. What happened to the unhappy boy I once knew?"
"He became a happy man." He opened the door and shut it before he went to go talk to Rye.
He was his friend, if you could call him that. He came and went. When he was with other people he steered clear, but when nobody was around he was as chummy as he could be.
He pounded on the door and it swung open.
"Some people sleep you know." Rye muttered grumpily.
"I met her!"
"Who?"
"The woman I've been waiting for."
"Come again?"
Aynsley clunked him on the head.
"I met a girl you dolt!"
"You met, as in talked to, a girl?"
"Well, I didn't speak, but she chatted all the same."
"Right. I'm going back to bed now and if you wake me up again I will gut you."
"It must be sad being you."
"Go!"
*~*~*~*
Ten minutes later Rye awoke to a knocking on the door.
"I told you I'd gut you if you..." He trailed off.
He had swung open the door and in front of him was the prettiest girl he had ever seen.
"Sorry to wake you up, Sir, but I seem to have lost my way. This place is too big and I can't find my way back. Could you possibly tell me where Sir Neal's room is?"
Why the maiden had addressed Neal so informally, Rye didn't know or cared.
"Straight down the hall milady. Take a left by the maids' rooms."
"Thank you." She turned and left leaving Rye very dazed. He went back to bed thinking that he was seeing things.
*~*~*~*
The two days passed and Xanthe had managed to sneak out once to talk to Ira. She did not tell him about her family or the ball, thinking that a wolf would not be interested in those things. When she had spaced off Ira nudged her and snapped her back into reality.
"You're lucky. You don't have to worry about being presented and getting married off."
Ira gave a you'd-be-surprised look.
She snorted and said, "No really! I want to fall in love and marry because I want to. Not because my lord says so and those dreadful nuns! Have you seen them? Of course you haven't! They are the creepiest things I have ever seen. They prepare young women to marry like a butcher would to cows before slaughtering. Even though I never went to the convent when I pass them in the hall they threatened me with their cane if I don't walk straight! My knuckles hurt just thinking about it!"
The wolf seemed to be snorting with laughter, but it came out as cough like growl.
"I will probably never see you again once I get married." She saddened at the thought, "I'd rather be with you then any man in the realm. You have the most amazing eyes."
Ira slumped as if saying he'd miss her too.
"Farewell, Ira. May our paths cross again."
*~*~*~*
Xanthe couldn't believe she had agreed to this. Her silver-blue dress was tight and the neck was too low for her comfort. Her hair was piled on her head and she felt completely naked. She had some silver eye paint on, but not too much. She didn't want to look like a loose woman.
"Hello. I'm Emilee." Came a voice from behind nearly scaring her to death.
"I'm Xanthe. Are you just as nervous as I am?"
"Yes. All the other girls are calm and relaxed, but I am scared out of my wits!"
"Perhaps we can be scared together."
They stood chatting and glancing at the people around them. Xanthe's gaze stopped on a young man who was standing alone. He was tall and older then she was, but not by much. He had deep brown hair that was a little wavy and was cut to his chin. He had a wild and mysterious look about him and somehow he seemed very familiar.
"Beware of him." Emilee whispered when she fallowed her gaze, "He's the Wildmage's son, very mysterious. The girls love him because of his good looks, but the guys hate him for it. Rumor is that he changes into a wolf and roams around the forest in his misery, for he has no friends. He has the gift and wild magic and is very powerful. Don't get your affairs mixed with his."
"I already have." She said absent mindedly as she walked toward him.
She tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around and she met his gaze squarely. She smiled up at his beautiful, unforgettable eyes and said, "It looks like our paths have crossed, Ira."
A/N: Well, I had to get this up before I went to bed. The idea was nagging at me and wouldn't let me rest before I got this posted. How do you like it? If you read this correctly, you should know whom Aynsley/Ira is.
The names are not made up. Xanthe is Greek. Aynsley is British. Rye is Gypsy. Emilee is Latin. Maya is Hindu. I love www.parenthood.com and it's baby name finder. If you are having trouble with names for your characters, check that place out. R/R! ^_^
She would probably never see it again. The thought of that made her sad. If only it had been human-a human guy perhaps. She shook her head ridding her mind of such things. The wolf was a wolf that understood humans. Lots of animals did, but the wolf's eyes. It was something she would always remember.
*~*~*~*
Aynsley woke up with a smile on his face. He tried to get rid of it, but his mother was too quick.
"What's wrong with your face? You are smiling. What happened to the unhappy boy I once knew?"
"He became a happy man." He opened the door and shut it before he went to go talk to Rye.
He was his friend, if you could call him that. He came and went. When he was with other people he steered clear, but when nobody was around he was as chummy as he could be.
He pounded on the door and it swung open.
"Some people sleep you know." Rye muttered grumpily.
"I met her!"
"Who?"
"The woman I've been waiting for."
"Come again?"
Aynsley clunked him on the head.
"I met a girl you dolt!"
"You met, as in talked to, a girl?"
"Well, I didn't speak, but she chatted all the same."
"Right. I'm going back to bed now and if you wake me up again I will gut you."
"It must be sad being you."
"Go!"
*~*~*~*
Ten minutes later Rye awoke to a knocking on the door.
"I told you I'd gut you if you..." He trailed off.
He had swung open the door and in front of him was the prettiest girl he had ever seen.
"Sorry to wake you up, Sir, but I seem to have lost my way. This place is too big and I can't find my way back. Could you possibly tell me where Sir Neal's room is?"
Why the maiden had addressed Neal so informally, Rye didn't know or cared.
"Straight down the hall milady. Take a left by the maids' rooms."
"Thank you." She turned and left leaving Rye very dazed. He went back to bed thinking that he was seeing things.
*~*~*~*
The two days passed and Xanthe had managed to sneak out once to talk to Ira. She did not tell him about her family or the ball, thinking that a wolf would not be interested in those things. When she had spaced off Ira nudged her and snapped her back into reality.
"You're lucky. You don't have to worry about being presented and getting married off."
Ira gave a you'd-be-surprised look.
She snorted and said, "No really! I want to fall in love and marry because I want to. Not because my lord says so and those dreadful nuns! Have you seen them? Of course you haven't! They are the creepiest things I have ever seen. They prepare young women to marry like a butcher would to cows before slaughtering. Even though I never went to the convent when I pass them in the hall they threatened me with their cane if I don't walk straight! My knuckles hurt just thinking about it!"
The wolf seemed to be snorting with laughter, but it came out as cough like growl.
"I will probably never see you again once I get married." She saddened at the thought, "I'd rather be with you then any man in the realm. You have the most amazing eyes."
Ira slumped as if saying he'd miss her too.
"Farewell, Ira. May our paths cross again."
*~*~*~*
Xanthe couldn't believe she had agreed to this. Her silver-blue dress was tight and the neck was too low for her comfort. Her hair was piled on her head and she felt completely naked. She had some silver eye paint on, but not too much. She didn't want to look like a loose woman.
"Hello. I'm Emilee." Came a voice from behind nearly scaring her to death.
"I'm Xanthe. Are you just as nervous as I am?"
"Yes. All the other girls are calm and relaxed, but I am scared out of my wits!"
"Perhaps we can be scared together."
They stood chatting and glancing at the people around them. Xanthe's gaze stopped on a young man who was standing alone. He was tall and older then she was, but not by much. He had deep brown hair that was a little wavy and was cut to his chin. He had a wild and mysterious look about him and somehow he seemed very familiar.
"Beware of him." Emilee whispered when she fallowed her gaze, "He's the Wildmage's son, very mysterious. The girls love him because of his good looks, but the guys hate him for it. Rumor is that he changes into a wolf and roams around the forest in his misery, for he has no friends. He has the gift and wild magic and is very powerful. Don't get your affairs mixed with his."
"I already have." She said absent mindedly as she walked toward him.
She tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around and she met his gaze squarely. She smiled up at his beautiful, unforgettable eyes and said, "It looks like our paths have crossed, Ira."
A/N: Well, I had to get this up before I went to bed. The idea was nagging at me and wouldn't let me rest before I got this posted. How do you like it? If you read this correctly, you should know whom Aynsley/Ira is.
The names are not made up. Xanthe is Greek. Aynsley is British. Rye is Gypsy. Emilee is Latin. Maya is Hindu. I love www.parenthood.com and it's baby name finder. If you are having trouble with names for your characters, check that place out. R/R! ^_^
