[ M ] Lightning Strikes

T

he air was electric, as alive as any breathing creature in the night. The she-wolf knew better than to shelter beneath the tall trees, which were most likely to be struck by lightning. Granite, too, was an unwise place to be on a night such as this. So Rhiannon had found a comfortable place to wait out the storm, in a cave dug into an earthen hillside. The den was likely the handiwork of some other, and Rhiannon silently thanked the creature who was responsible.

Her feathered messenger was absent that night, taking shelter from the coming storm elsewhere. As for Rhiannon, she had spent several days in self-prescribed solitude, still processing the dread of her imprisonment and its lingering impact. The loss of her freedom haunted her, even weeks later. It was the loss of others, though – Juniper, Nyx, and her other sisters of Samhain. Only one remained, and Nimue had another life now, far removed from how things had once been. That was the nature of life, was it not? A steady stream of comings and goings.

Life had changed so much in one year. It was not all bad – the witch had learned a great deal from these experiences. But it had left Rhiannon weary. And for a wolfess who craved her independence, who had fought so hard to be alone, she had grown lonely through the seasons.

Through the heavy scent of rain falling nearby and wet dirt, another smell caught Rhiannon’s attention. It seemed too random, too unlikely to be a reality, but the feminine scent pulled the she-wolf from the earthy den to seek the only company she cared to have that stormy night.

Lightning strikes
Maybe once, maybe twice
And it all comes down to you.


@Nimue

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

A

storm was rolling in. The rain, it was all she could've ever asked for, ever hoped for into eternity. Even in the wilds of a torrential downpour, she never felt more in control than she would in the midst of it all. While many cowered and ducked under cover to avoid the steady falling water from the sky, Nimue reveled in it. She wondered how they could ever want to avoid it, especially after the drought that had held the region in its clutches for what seemed like forever. She'd never felt so lost during those days.

She recalled the way her paws fell onto the cracked, brittle earth. The way her own pads and nose had become worn down by the dry heat. The feeling of thirst gnawing at her throat and making it hard to breathe, and for her, harder yet to exist. The memory of it all only drove her further into the pouring rain, lifting her face up to it as she closed her eyes. The droplets of water caressed her face and moved through the tangles of the long fur about her frame until she was completely drenched. Nimue laughed aloud, taking it all in and savoring every part of it as though it would be the last rainfall she would have the chance to enjoy.

Eventually the rain lessened, and she breathed in the aroma that the earth released as though it too exhaled a gentle sigh of relief. She continued her trek then, through the Lowlands, the love for her homeland abundant in her heart knowing she were to be leaving it again soon. A noise gave her pause and she stilled, turning her head to peer over towards the source. Nim caught the slightest glimpse of amethysts, bright eyes in the low light of the darkened sky, only a few paces away. Instantly felt a smile perch softly upon her lips and she tilted her head, "How is it that I always manage to find you when I'm not looking?"

@Rhiannon

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

N

imue appeared like a goddess of the tempest, seemingly from the darkness that surrounded them, so close that Rhiannon needed only to take a few steps closer to fill the space between them – though not so close that the two could touch, for Rhiannon remained unusually reserved in that moment. The wolfess was silent for another second as she took in the sight of her dear friend. Nimue looked different, at least in Rhiannon’s view, as she took in the other’s feminine form. She smelled different now, the scents of the College and others still clinging to her pelt.

The lady’s voice, however, had not changed at all: "How is it that I always manage to find you when I'm not looking?" Twin ears pricked forward as Nimue spoke, violet orbs returning to the other’s pools of piercing azure. Her voice was low and enigmatic, the hint of a smile crossing the she-wolf’s narrow muzzle. “Well. What were you looking for?”

In the distance, the sky was illuminated in bright flashes, and the deep peals of thunder that followed within seconds. The storm was drawing closer still, and would no doubt approach them soon. ”Taranis is angry this night,” she mused aloud, alluding to the god of thunder and violent storms.


@Nimue

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

N

imue's ears flicked to attention and her expression mimicked Rhiannon in more of a light teasing gesture as she awaited the smooth tone of the other woman's voice. When the glorious sound finally lifted into the air, she closed her eyes and smiled to herself. When she opened her eyes again she slid one tentative step closer and gave her precious friend a once over that lingered on every beautiful part of her until she sought those sparkling amethysts. "Ways to pass the time until I am called to action...or until you bless me with your presence once more."

She watched Rhiannon's attention stolen by the show of lightning in the sky behind her and turned a glance over her shoulder for a moment. The enchantress' personal observation caused her turn back towards her, shaking her head with a chuckle and a smirk appearing along her maw. "And why must this Taranis be angry? Could he not be celebrating?" Nimue dared lean closer towards Rhia, reaching out with her muzzle to rest it gently against the other fae's as she would allow. She found those glowing purple orbs that she adored and raised a brow. "Life can be so much more than rage and vengeance, you know, my darling..."

@Rhiannon

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

”W

ays to pass the time until I am called to action...or until you bless me with your presence once more.” The she-wolf regarded her friend with knowing silence as Nimue hinted toward some unspoken duty yet to unfold, and she barely concealed a frown at the thought. Her imprisonment was still fresh in her memory, after all. As for her presence being a blessing, Rhiannon laughed quietly. ”Blessing to some, a curse to the rest. Such is life.”

Nimue questioned the wrath of Taranis, and Rhiannon could not speak to the god's true intentions – she was not well informed about male gods, for obvious reasons. The old deity was forgotten in short time as Nimue came close to rest her muzzle against Rhiannon’s (who, naturally, had no reason to move away, and so many for staying close). As if on cue, the sky flashed bright with lightning as the storm drew ever nearer.

"Life can be so much more than rage and vengeance, you know, my darling… She feigned a shocked expression, though at such close proximity, it was uncertain whether Nimue would observe it. Her tone was one of friendly teasing rather than accusatory in nature: ”Is this what they are teaching you at that college?” She had grown to accept that, strange as it seemed to reclusive Rhiannon, higher education was to be a permanent fixture of Nimue’s life, something that she chose, and who was Rhiannon to disagree?

Just as soon as the words had parted her lips, the rain began to fall – and it was not a gentle, sweet rain. It fell as if from buckets out of the dark, cloudy sky, the sort of rain that soaks a body through and through within seconds. The thunder crashed around them, echoing against the forested hills. The witch spoke loudly to be heard over the cacophony of sounds surrounding them. ”I found a den – it’s not far–”

@Nimue

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

"I

s this what they are teaching you at that college?”

Nimue drew back slightly at the question, only enough to be able to search Rhiannon's eyes with her own as both of her brows rose. "Among other things..." She huffed and shook her head, betraying a small smile that Rhiannon had always been able to draw out from her. It was one that had always and would only ever be reserved for her precious Amethyst. That was all she had the chance to say before there came a torrential downpour, far more violent than what she had been enjoying merely moments ago.

She instinctively moved closer to the other who was somewhat smaller than her and she attempted to draw herself over her for cover as she turned her head about to look for somewhere to go. Rhiannon suddenly offered a den nearby and her ears flicked forward curiously. Thunder sounded again, nearly shaking the earth beneath her feet and she knew there was no time to consider the invitation. "Lead the way!" She called through the storm, giving Rhia a gentle nudge.


@Rhiannon

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

E

arth’s elements were too great to overcome. A peaceful rain soon became a violent storm. No mortal could conquer nature. It was much bigger, much more powerful than any wolf, living or dead. And, as she had no desire to be drowned or to be struck by lightning, it was most wise to retreat to the lodging she had discovered. She could scarcely hear Nimue’s voice, even as she shouted out over the din.

Conversation about the merits of the College would have to wait for another day. Rhiannon turned away swiftly to follow the game trail, that which was used by their prey on less perilous nights, back to the den. Her eyes squinted against the rain that fell furiously from the black clouds above.

She paused at the mouth of the earthen shelter, moving aside briskly so that Nimue could enter the den first. A smile crossed her narrow muzzle. The rain had not subsided, but as her amethyst eyes flicked from her companion toward the small shelter, Rhiannon felt a kindling warmth even before entering. Still smiling, she bowed as if the other wolfess were a true queen. She deserved such high regard more than the so-called queen of Rionnach. ”After you, dearest.”


@Nimue

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

R

eaching the mouth of the den, she halted as Rhia stepped aside, fully expecting her to have dove under cover first. However, the other enchantress stepped to the side and practically bowed as she allowed Nimue to enter first. She caught the other woman's eye, but did not hesitate for long, disappearing into the shelter from the storm so that her companion could quickly do the same.

Nimue gave herself the lightest of shakes, not wanting to have the water element's loving embrace about her frame gone completely. Closing her eyes, she lowered herself into a long stretch before ending up sprawled out on her side.

She turned her gaze expectantly to the entrance of the den to see to Rhiannon, keen on tending to her as she needed. A smirk settled on her lips as she regarded her surroundings, before turning her attention back onto her dearest friend. "Isn't this quite a cozy space you've got here."

@Rhiannon

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Rhiannon was a daughter of the rain and wind, but even she needed shelter from the storm when it raged beyond. The harsh fall of rain, the tempestuous gales, all of it suddenly seemed a world away once the pair had entered the den, with Rhiannon a step behind the other wolfess. She gave her coat a brief shake, though it was rather useless to attempt. But it was much warmer inside the safety of the earth with two instead of one she-wolf seeking shelter inside. "Isn't this quite a cozy space you've got here. Nimue’s comment inspired a soft laugh, accompanied by the shrug of her shoulders. ”A stroke of good fortune, to be certain.”

The rain had thoroughly drenched the woman of the water element, revealing her feminine form beneath her coat. Rhiannon could not help but allow her violet sights to roam over Nimue’s figure where she had settled down, shameless in her appreciation for the other’s beauty and allure. A soft sigh parted her lips as she watched Nimue. The chaos of the tempest was lost to the fluttering of her own heart, which pounded like a drum within her ribcage. ”Just as finding you today makes my day most serendipitous.”

For a lingering moment, Rhiannon looked down at the enchantress, brows knit in contemplation above violet orbs. Was it kismet that brought the two together, time and time again? Was it the feminine divine to which she owed her very existence? The she-wolf could not guess. She only knew that she wanted Nimue, had longed for her during those lingering absences. Before she could catch herself, to censor her thoughts, she admitted aloud, "I have missed you, Nimue."

@Nimue

art & code by alexandre

H

ow those amethysts traced over her bodice, making her flesh tingle beneath her dampened fur, it was like an addiction. The lingering gazes, the gentle touches, the whispered words, only to withdraw over and over again. It was as enticing as it was maddening, this game that they played. Eventually one of them would succumb to it and unravel them both, it was only a matter of time...

Nimue peered up at Rhiannon beneath her lashes and half-lidded eyes. At least, until the other woman's admission came forth, making her sit up somewhat, blinking in surprise at her words. "Have you now?" She asked, emotion flashing briefly across her face as this was not the typical sentiments she might hear from the wolfess. "Well...I'm here now...I suppose this night I shall not haunt your dreams." Nim practically purred, smirking as she threw a wink in Rhia's direction.

@Rhiannon

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck