Born by {fire} die by ~water~ (Luin/Coldfire)

[Ärï]

Coldfire's large ebony streaked form padded toward the bank of the Twilight Lake though it was more of a limp. His liquid topaz eyes were alive with hate and fury, dancing like flames through the darkness of a night with no moon. His pawsteps were silent against the small rocks that made up the lake shore. Coldfire's head raised and his gaze fell upon the water. Standing on the very edge of the shore was the lithe form of an ebony she-wolf. Her amber eyes glowed back at him as he glared toward her, a low growl rumbling in his deep chest. Blackened lips drew back to expose his ivory razors. His recent fight with a rouge pack would put him at a disadvantage but at the moment, Coldfire didn't care. She was here and she would die. Lithium. Killer of Coldfire's pack, the pack whose death had driven him to near madness for nearly a year. He had tracked her to this place and now she would die here.

Lithium looked up at Coldfire with a sly smile curled upon her velvet maw. She knew his intentions. She felt his hate but she didn't care. Wolves like him had hunted her all her life. Lithium thought of him as another misguided soul that she had to bring and end to. One of them would die but Lithium was confident it woudln't be her.

The two ran at each other, Coldfire letting out a feral snarl. Lithium merely smirked and dashed forward to meet him, fangs meeting fur then flesh as the metallic taste of blood seeped into her maw. Lithium and Coldfire let go, backed up, circled and crashed together again. This pattern repeated twice, taking them further from the lake and into the fringe of undergrowth. Bushes bent and broke, snow spattered with scarlet or fur, snarls ripping through the nighttime silence. Black and silver collided, the darkness broken by the flash of fangs, snow flying through the air as large paws kicked off from the ground. Snapping jaws, razor-sharp fangs, bristling fur, breath turned to mist in the cold. That was all they saw. Coldfire's vision was red and he was borderline insanity once more as he fought his family's killer.

The pair broke apart and stood facing each other, both panting, mist spiraling from their parted maws. Fangs were stained red, amber eyes alive with the thrill of the fight and a lust for revenge. Fur was torn and a growl kept steady in Coldfire's chest, lips curled back. He looked like a beast, a true monster.

"Are you even trying?" Lithium asked, her velvet voice dripping with scathing and a sweet-poison note.

"Shut up" Coldfire snarled, loping toward her again.

Lithium whipped out of the way of his fangs, paws dancing across the snow. Coldfire hurled himself to the left as soon as his paws touched snow and slammed into Lithium. The two rolled, jaws snapping and the sound of breaking undergrowth cutting the night accompanied by the snarls and growls of the battling pair.

At long last, silence fell and the night went still as if nature itself was holding its breath. Coldfire and Lithium were hidden in the undergrowth, both unmoving. Finally dead leaves crackled dryly as a form moved. A large paw pushed up the bulk of a brute. Blood wound down his foreleg, his chest turned red by the bite in his neck, breath coming in pants as he stared down at the dead fae.

[daina]

Luin walked through the trees, her intentions lost in a blur of waiting and hope. It had been a little over a month since she and Coldfire parted, but her feelings had not changed. But the fae found herself in worry just the same, for if Coldfire failed in his task, Luin's waiting would have been in vain. But she had great faith in him, and trust that he would prevail.

The grey form weaved in the dark, star and moonlight her only light. Luin's blue orbs flickered about the wood. Twilight Lake was half a mile away, but she wasn't sure whether to go that way or not. Luin caught sight of a small stream which fed into the lake and decided that she should stop here for a drink.

The water was cool and refreshing despite the winter air. Somehow the water managed to stay running, perhaps from a nearby spring. Luin now lay on a patch of ground near the water, her eyes focused on the stream's flow. The moonlight that streamed through the trees lit Luin's grey coat, making it appear silvery like the water. It was calming for her to watch the rippling waters. It took her mind off other things. But still things drifted to Coldfire and the hope of his return.

[Ärï]

Sighing softly, Coldfire loped back toward the water, limping heavily now. Thrice injured, it was likely Coldfire would keep the limp in his leg now but oh well, he wouldn't worry about that now. Wading into the water, Coldfire laid in the shallows. The gentle rippling current lapped at his blood-splattered coat. Resting his head on his paws in the water, Coldfire stared into space. The gentle lapping of the water lulled the battle-worn brute. His eyes were tired yet flickered with the light of victory.

In the undergrowth, nearly broken and dead, Lithium dragged herself up and limped away. Her ebony coat was slick with blood but she was far from dead.

[daina]

Luin stood and began to walk downstream toward the lake. The moon kept many things seen, but plenty unseen as well in the streams of shadows it created. The fae then saw how the stream was shallow enough and went down into the water. It rose only a little above her knees and didn't feel as cold as the snow. Luin felt rocks and soft mud on the bottom of the small river. It reminded her of that wide creek which she and Coldfire had crossed so long ago.

[Ärï]

Lithium dragged herself from the undergrowth just in time to nearly collide with another fae. A cruel smile twisted her velvet-black maw. "You stink like that brute. Hah! Let him know his nightmares aren't over yet." Before the other femme could ask or say anything about Lithium, the black fae was gone, rushing back into the undergrowth as silent as a shadow. She smelled faintly of Coldfire. Perhaps one of his followers? Maybe a fae he had tricked into following him? Maybe even his daughter. Lithium knew the dark side of brutes and hated them with a passion. She knew they had tendancy to 'force'. Whoever that fae was was connected to Coldfire and could deliver her message while Lithium put a safe distance between her and him to heal.

[daina]

Luin smelled blood in the air, and soon another fae with a dark aura about her emerged from the brush near to death. They cursed as they almost swung into Luin by their own clumsiness, and seemed to blame it on her. Then the fae spoke darkly, "You stink like that brute. Hah! Let him know his nightmares aren't over yet." Luin's mind went buzzing. That brute?

Then she understood. Coldfire! That bitch must have fought with him. Perhaps she was what he wanted to protect Luin from! But before Luin could say anything, the dark wolf had disappeared into the night.

He must be alive still, she thought. Otherwise she wouldn't have told me to tell him anything. And soon the fae was running up out of the stream's bank, splashing the silvery water, and galloping toward the lake. Happiness filled Luin to the brim, but she knew that her worries weren't over.

Soon Twilight Lake came into view.

[Ärï]

Coldifre rose from his laying position in the shallows, diamonds of water dripping from his black-streaked coat. Limping heavily, Coldfire limped to the shore and laid down upon the wet rock and sand, his bulk sinking slightly on the cold ground, not nearly as soft as it was during the warmer moons. The cold wind bit at his water-soaked coat but Coldfire didn't move. He didn't care. His bulk was large enough to keep him warm without worrying about at thing like wet fur. It was only his underbelly and paws anyway. Continuing to stare at the sky overhead through one eye, Coldfire's honey eyes reflected the thousands of stars speckled through the azure sky. For a second he was sure he caught Luin scent....

[daina]

(I've edited the end of my last post to fit with yours)

Luin came to the open area and slowed down to a walk. Coldfire was nowhere to be found, yet she caught his scent. It could have come from the spilled blood which formed a great patch of red upon the silvery snow. Surely something had happened here.

The fae went over to the water's edge and sat down on the sandy shoreline. Little did she know that Coldfire himself only lay thirty feet to the left of her, the shadows of night hiding him from her vision.

[Ärï]

Coldfire's eyes turned to Luin as she appeared from the undergrowth near the stream that fed the Twilight Lake. His heart was still battle-hardened and his eyes smoldering dully in the darkness. Coldfire watched her with a gentle gaze that was unheard of from Coldfire. Turning his head skyward, a deep howl rumbled from his chest and echoed through the late night sky, no moon to welcome his song but still he sang strong and true, his deep voice seeming to vibrate. After several moments of eerie wolfsong, Coldfire let the tone die and turned his gaze once more to Luin, ignoring the scarlet staining his chest and neck, his hunch turned red with the stiff blood half frozen to his pelt.

[daina]

Luin then heard a strong howl stream into the night. It came from some space away from her, but it was near. Turning her head, the fae saw a dark form on the shoreline only but thirty feet away. Her heart nearly skipped a beat, but her head was calm. Luin smiled and stood. It was Coldfire at last.

[Ärï]

Coldfire slowly took three steps toward Luin though his paws stopped suddenly as if he was thinking frantically. He knew she'd been waiting, he could see it in her eyes. Why wait so long for him? He was a brute, just another wolf. Had he stolen her heart without meaning to? It would make sense, no wonder his seemed to be missing. Now he knew where it had gone. It had been with her. His fight had not been just for revenge but also to protect, to protect Luin. Slowly Coldfire moved forward another three steps, half the gap between them closed. His liquid fire eyes remained on Luin though there was a tender flicker to them, a softened edge to the usual cold expression.

[daina]

Luin was sure now that it was him. Coldfire got up from his place and began to slowly walk toward her, as though his mind wasn't easy. She took half a step toward him, thinking herself of what to say. It had been a while since their last words to each other, none of which were that of farewell. But still, Luin was glad to see him alive.

[Ärï]

Coldfire watched Luin. She seemed to want to approach but something kept her from doing so. She seemed unsure yet happy that he was alive though he supposed he looked a mess. WIth slow steps Coldfire limped froward, his lopsided gait because of the heavy damage done to his hind leg. Soon he was almost nose to nose with her.

[daina]

Luin looked into Coldfire's eyes and saw the calmness in them. They were very close now. Finally, deciding to break the silence, and receive the answer she had been waiting for, the fae asked, "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

[Ärï]

Coldfire watched Luin for several moments. He leaned forward and breathed in. His eyes closed and he looked troubled as he stepped back. "She's not gone" he murmured softly. Lithium's scent was upon Luin, as if the black fae had approached her while trying to escape. Hellfire. She wasn't dead. Neither Luin was safe nor his family avenged for his madness. Coldfire's topaz eyes opened and he met Luin's gaze. "If you ever see that fae again, stay away from her though she won't have long to live." Coldfire's words were ones of caution but also a protective note could be heard in his voice.