[ P ] Hey, listen!

As he meandered through the forest surrounding the braid, he thought about how he was going to weasel out of this stupid job without pissing off his father. He had to find something else, he couldn't keep risking his neck crossing this stupid ass border anymore... the last time he'd nearly been caught, and then what? Would he be thrown in jail or simply killed? He really didn't have a clue what would happen but he didn't want to find out. Yet here he was, foolishly lingering along the lines that divided Saora and Rionnach once again.

He listed a paw and placed it over the divide as if it were a physical thing. He touched the ground on the 'other side' like it were holy. Declan then lifted his paw and rose a brow before glancing about. It wasn't like pressing the dirt would send the guards running his way, despite it feeling like that.

"Fucking bullshit," he murmured. Why couldn't his father just have his business in Saora? Why did he have to continue serving those across the border? Well, Declan knew why, because he could now overcharge for the danger he was putting his runners in. But the customers didn't care about that, they just cared about getting their next fix.

With a sigh, Declan stepped over the border, his satchel with its package swaying gently at his side.

He wished he were smaller, then perhaps he would not stand out as much though his earthen fur did blend in well with the forest around him. It wasn't until he reached the meadows of the grasslands that he was kind of fucked.

Lenora strode along the borderline between the two nations with her head held high. A few weeks had passed, but the pride she felt from passing her exams and becoming an actual soldier of the army was a high she was still very much riding. She was not one to let her ego get the better of her, however it was nice to not have higher ranking officers breathing down her neck... as much, at least. She shared her excitement with Atlas whenever they met up at their home, and was equally as excited for all of his accomplishments as of late as well.

Their parents would be proud, wherever they may be.

Perhaps it was with them in her thoughts that she took on one of the assignments of patrolling the border. Perhaps she wished, she hoped, that they'd be along it somewhere, waiting for her to come by so they could catch up. So she could hug her mother again.

But as each hour passed on, nothing. Their scent trails didn't even exist. It was like they weren't even trying. Here she was, trying to make an effort and at least meet at the borders... but they weren't.

If Ryker hadn't beaten most of the emotion out of her, tears would probably be in her eyes at this point. But instead she carried on, sniffing here and there, noting the prey trails that traipsed the border lines. How nice it would be to be as free as a deer, she thought, until it was eaten.

Hmm.

Lenora halted, her dark nose twitching at the discovery of a wolf scent. It was known to her, but the face was hazy for some reason. Curious and desperate to get the sad thoughts of her family out of her head, she followed it until she found exactly where the wolf had crossed.

Just as he was crossing it.

"Hey!" she called out, barking the word as her body bolted forward; claws digging into the soil to propel her forward faster. "Stay where you are!" she called once more.

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A voice called out to him and his heart immediately started soaring out of his chest and into the sky. He frantically looked around as he heard pawsteps approaching but when he spotted the wolf who'd caught him, he blinked and then stood there, slack jawed like a moron. He couldn't believe who he was seeing, the lovely girl from the lagoon, that he was supposed to have found in Yorkshire and taken on a date. Then work kinda took over and he hadn't been sure it had all been just a dream anyway with the way the haze from that place had played with his mind. It seemed to teleport him there and back and he had never experienced anything like that before, even when drunk.

He finally came to before she got too close and then flung his satchel into a nearby bush. He straightened up and looked at her curiously, wondering what she was doing here and why she seemed so eager to get him to stop. Did she remember him, too?

"Hey, sweetheart. What are you doing here?" he asked, turning and positioning his body in front of the bush he'd thrown his stash in. He didn't want to get caught by anyone with that, no matter how cute they were. He didn't yet know she was patrolling the border as a soldier but a familiar stench started to come his way as she came closer. He blinked, quickly realizing she smelled like an Imperial. No fucking way...

It was clear enough to her that she had caught the criminal off guard - and he was a criminal, this much was evident. While she couldn't quite place exactly why yet, his demeanor was... off putting, and was even more so with that offhanded greeting.

Sweetheart?

Recognition swirled within her lilac irises, but it was not enough for her to place exactly who this was. At this point, she was eager to write him off as some chiseled face from a spicy dream of hers from late as he was definitely not someone she had met while coherent. Her facial features remained stoic to his bland attempt of swaying her with cute pet names; the muscle running along her jaw twitching at the word as her eyes hardened.

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same." she responded tightly, ears angled forward to catch any possible movements of potential companions of his. "Are you alone?" her eyes darted to the bush behind him, observing how odd it was that he seemed to be... protecting it.

If there was anything that Ryker had taught her, it was to be bold in situations where her spine needed to be straight and solid. And so she took a step forward, almost hoping that it made him nervous. If he was innocent and just walking along the border for no good reason - which in itself is weird, as most of Rionnach avoided the border since the split - then he wouldn't mind her closing the distance between the two. "You look familiar... who are you?"

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As she stepped closer, he straightened slightly. Not from nerves, exactly but maybe a sense of pride? His earthen fur rustled in the gentle breeze that carried her scent to him as she asked if he was alone, and... who he was. His lips thinned, in an almost grimace and he looked her over. Why would it matter if he were alone and why would he tell her if he was or wasn't? She seemed to have little recollection of him and was now treating him like some sort of criminal. Well, that was fair... he was one, after all.

"Damn, you don't remember me?" he asked, letting faux hurt edge into his amber gaze. He picked up a paw and placed it on his chest, then flashed her a smile. "I suppose you don't remember promising to go out with me then, either? Convenient." he said, trying to change the subject to something less tense. He was not in the mood for trouble today and could only hope she felt the same.

He shouldn't put two and two together when she told him where she lived but the mist had been so strong he hadn't noticed her scent then.

Declan eyed her, falling silent and wondering what she might say to that. She seemed antsy herself and he wondered why. It couldn't just be the fact that he was where he shouldn't be, could it?

Confusion glittered in Lenoras purple eyes as the man spoke, citing how she apparently had asked him out as well. Her silvery chest puffed at this remark, mouth opening to rebuke against his claim - as if she'd ever ask a thug like him out! He was clearly up to no good, slinking along the border, and she decided it was her duty to find out exactly what crime he was committing and then ensure he was detained for it.

However, her thoughts halted as forgotten memories infiltrated her mind; reminding her of the dream she had had, and of this man. How... even more confused now, she was at a loss for words for a few minutes before she finally remembered to shake her head.

"That was a dream," she stated bluntly, as if that made all the sense in the world. Truthfully, she didn't want to dwell on the fact that somehow, he was involved in it as well, even though she had never met him before. But the thought created a crack in the mask she was wearing, and she took a single step back as a frown formed upon her lips. "It doesn't make sense..."

She cleared her throat then, deciding to play his game if only for a few more minutes. Perhaps she could figure out more information on why he was here in the first place. "Are you going to tell me, then, that you were on your way to my doorstep for this apparent 'date'?" if she was capable, there would have been air quotations around the word as she spat it out.

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"That was a dream," she said, like that was a fact. He quirked a brow at her and offered his most charming smile as she stepped back. "It doesn't make sense..." "I don't think it was a dream," he nudged almost gently. That night had been rather strange but he recalled it perfectly. The way the water had cascaded over her silvery fur, the playful light in her vibrant eyes. If anything had been a dream, it had been her.

"Are you going to tell me, then, that you were on your way to my doorstep for this apparent 'date'?" she questioned, though her tone was far from amused. Still, he smiled at her. He stepped away from the bush he'd been standing in front of and moved towards her. Usually he towered over everyone he met but not her. No, she was just about the same size as he was if not a little on the leaner side. "Maybe I was." he said softly, his amber eyes burning as he looked her up and down.

"Would you like that?"

He wondered if she was being so uptight because she was on the job. He had seen her cut loose that night and he wanted more of that. He was only a couple feet away from her now but he did not try to invade her personal space the way he had at the lagoon. He didn't want to seem pushy, but he also wanted to distract her enough that she forgot about the fact that he was dancing along a line he shouldn't be. She didn't need to know what he had hidden up his sleeves. It would only land him in jail if she knew.

He denied her; waving away her attempt at factual statements with hardly a second thought. An alluring smile crossed his damnable attractive features and it only further fanned the anger that stoked within the cage of her heart. Her purple eyes, bright with animosity, pierced into him, desperately trying to find something to nail him with and detain him. But so far, she had no cause. No evidence. No point to stopping him.

If there was a god, he was sick in the head to set an arguably hot criminal her way. Was this some kind of test? Her mind raced with possibilities. Perhaps he was actually innocent, and this was some kind of trick that Ryker sent her way. Her eyes flickered from his face, to the bush, to his body. Yes, she thought,that must be it. A test. And if that was the case, then she would simply play along.

"Maybe I was," he continued, the tone of his voice washing over her like a warm blanket of cozy. Her eyes widened, unfamiliar with the sensation or why it even existed in the first place, or how the way he now looked at her made her feel dizzy. But the way he spoke tickled her ears in all the right places, and despite her best attempts, her angry mask cracked and faultered under his gaze. It was like he was undressing her with his eyes, and this was a form of trickery she had yet to face.

Anxiety clutched at her as she realized she was completely out of her depth now. Whatever test this was, she had no idea how to figure it out.

"Would you like that?" he challenged her then, stepping one foot closer but not pressing any further than that. Heat radiated like beacons from her cheeks, colouring the soft flesh beneath her silver armour. Her heart thudded heavily in her chest, breathing coming quicker now as she felt like a cornered rabbit despite no wall being behind her.

"I..." she breathed wispily, the edges of her vision growing dark as she stood there, frozen.

And then her eyes rolled into the back of their sockets, and her massive form collapsed to the ground.

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The anger in her lovely eyes could not be mistaken and he wondered if he would be able to get her to loosen up enough to look at him a little differently. He'd rather see the shy, flirtatious look in her eyes from before than the irate suspicion she wore now. He could see her mind working to find some reason for their connection besides what it was. Her gaze went from his face, to the bush, to his body and he stilled slightly, though hopefully not enough for her to notice.

She seemed flustered by him now as anxiety took over. He wasn't quite sure what she was going to do so before she had a chance to lunge for the satchel hiding in that bush he opened his mouth again "Look --" but he didn't get one word out before she stammered and collapsed on the ground.

Declan had charmed his way through a number of women but never before had he witnessed one get so flustered they fainted. He could use this moment to leave or even hide his package better but neither of those options even crossed his mind as his brow furrowed and he darted to her side. "Lenora?" he said gently, as he crouched down beside her. He reached out a paw and slipped it beneath her head so that he could prop it somewhat upright; it was an attempt to urge her back into consciousness.

"Hey, Lenora!" he breathed as he placed his other paw on her chest to see if she was breathing. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths and he huffed a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure how to help her but he didn't want to leave her here like this. He might be a criminal but there were worse men than him out there.

The warm smell of liquor finally worked through the haze of unconsciousness that gripped her mind. Her grey nose twitched as she focused on the smell, pulling herself closer and closer to waking back up as an unfamiliar voice called out her name. Forcing her eyes to blink and open, she stared up at the man she'd been trying to interrogate; her head propped up in his paw. This realization was slow to process within her foggy mind.

But once it did, the woman moved lightning fast - pushing his paws away and leaping up to her own with such quick motions that she swooned on her heels.

"I'm fine!" she barked, though her voice lacked the bite. Her eyes were fearful as she glanced back at him, a conflicting mixture of emotions clouding her judgement. While he had seemed to want to help, he was still a criminal.... right? Her morals were sure being tested today. Nevermind the fact that she also realized he was flirting with her.

Who flirts with a soldier, especially on the job?!

The voice in her head was shrill; her mind a cacophony of upended insecurities as she stumbled back, away from him and into the bush. Her hind paw stepped on something and slid sideways, throwing out her balance as she landed ass first onto some kind of sack.

"What the..." she yelped as she went down, her nose sniffing once and realizing what it was. Purple eyes blazed with renewed invigoration as they darted towards his form, piercing into his own beautiful sights but she remained still, unwilling to move from her newfound evidence.

And she used a tactic Ryker often used when instructing her - she didn't speak a word, knowing that the guilty would fill the uncomfortable silence.

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