Phillipe's Story

Ada picked herself up onto all fours, her muscles trembling. She readjusted her dress, feeling the sting of the cloth against the tender markings on her back, and sat back onto her calves. There was nothing that she wanted more than to take a long nap, to allow her body to recover, but regardless of their intimacy they were still in enemy territory.

She focused on calming her breathing and, in an effort to sooth her nerves, she pulled her hair to the side and began to braid it. "I'm sure it'll be here soon," she murmured. "Az did say it wouldn't be long."

Her tawny gaze lifted to consider him, eating him up as she gave him a once over. He'd become such a different person over such a short period and, while she hated that he was in dangerous waters, she couldn't help but feel a lack of guilt for asking him to come. After all, without all of this, would she have ever admitted to herself her feelings for him? She doubted it, especially considering her relationship with Christoph.

"After the farm is restored, I want to leave Schafedorf," Ada said suddenly. "I hate it here. Always have. Always will." As if her feelings towards the village hadn't been negative enough, the information regarding her mother's death was slowly eating away at her. It was all because of this damned forest that her life had come to shambles. First her mother, then the livestock - what was to be next?

She found her footing and stood with a stretch. Her legs protested underneath her, quivering, but she forced her knees to lock and keep her upright. "I don't care where, but I want to leave," she pressed. "When I do, will you come with me?" She felt foolish for asking the question, but for him to leave everything behind - including his mother, his roots - felt entirely selfish. It seemed unfair to just assume that he would waltz away after his experiences in the Silverthorn.

Phillipe was looking forlornly at the main room, just the way they'd left it, when Ada's question caught him off guard. Turning to give her a boyish grin, he said, "Tryin' to get rid of me, yeah? Was it what just happened that put a bur in your bum?" Pun totally intended. Phillipe rolled his eyes and sighed, "I told you: It slipped!"

As he approached her, the joking air about him died down as he held her hands in his own and kissed them delicately. "In all seriousness, love: wherever you are, that's where I want to be. I don't care where and you never have to ask if I'm happy or content because I assure you I always will be." That bond between them beat in his heart, echoing hers, and he felt a flutter of giddiness overwhelm him temporarily, thinking of the connection between them.

"When this is over, I'll grab my savings from the manor in Ammon, we'll spend half on restoring the farm and the rest we'll use to travel and settle somewhere else. We could start our own farm, find something to plant, have lots of babies, and just enjoy our own little corner of the world. Or we could always go to Paris or London or Versailles and find our niche working for pay in a big city. Whatever we want. The potential is ours."

He had to admit, he was a bit of a dreamer but his desire to be whatever he wanted had put him on the path to meeting Ada. Since it had worked so well the first time he did it, why not with a partner at his side?

"We just have to get through this," he finally said. "I'm not so sure about these people. I didn't mean to be so antagonistic but I really don't want to get to comfortable following orders. For one thing, those rules that freak Az laid out were idiotic, but for another, I don't like them trying to separate and control us. Besides, they're hiding something...I can feel it. That Az fellow was nothing but a bucket of lies on lies. And I know they're supposedly starving and all but he was looking at you like he might have you for dinner."

Ada's cheeks burned brightly at his jokes, but the heat in her cheeks calmed upon the kisses to her hands. She shouldn't have worried. She was overwhelmed at his words, excited and terrified for their future together. It didn't matter where they went as long as they went together. She couldn't help but imagine them settling just outside of a brilliant colorful city, small little blondes and redheads running around on the freshly cut lawn with laughter in their lungs.

But that was the future, and that fairytale ending was still quite a ways away. They still had to make it through the Fog Walker's curiosities and find their way to the Big Badd, a character Ada still wasn't quite sure how to stomach. And from there? Who was behind all this? After all of this, after anger and hatred built her lust for revenge, what if the perpetrator was someone she knew? What if it was someone that she couldn't touch? What if everything they'd done amounted to nothing?

She quickly shook the thoughts from her head, determination bubbling up within her. Ada wrapped her arms tightly around Phillipe's waist and buried her face into his shirt. She planted a kiss to his sternum, then took a deep breath to capture his scent. "We'll make it through this place, no matter what they throw at us," she murmured. "Surely they are still just wolves. What could they use against us that we haven't encountered before?"

Lunch was served soon after, though the wolfen who delivered the food was someone unfamiliar. Aside from occasional check-ins, they were left mostly alone to relax and chat quietly. It was several hours later, as the sky was falling to a deep purple, when Az appeared at the Den, his sharp green eyes almost glowing in the lamplight.

"The Master wishes to invite you to dinner," he said without expression. "He will likely speak with you afterwards, so please be on your best behavior." He glanced at the numerous weapons nestled in their belongings and on their bodies. "You may only accept the invitation if you choose to come unarmed. The Master will be occupied tomorrow, so if you wish to speak to him you ought to do so now."

That was the rub, wasn't it? Now there was no room for playful arguments or vague challenges. It was either 'they wanted to talk to him....or not.' The choice was completely theirs. With a knowing smirk, Phillipe removed his dirk from his belt, holding it up with a raised eyebrow at Az, before setting it aside on the table.

"You win, mate," he said with a sigh while righting his belt after the removal of dirk and sheathe and all. Then he shrugged plainly and said, "All you had to do was ask nicely." As if it had really been that simple.

After Ada had removed hers and set them aside as well, they were escorted from the Den and were soon lost among the darkened walkways, only Az and lamplight as their guide. The dining hall they were led to was long, the ceiling only slightly larger than that of the Den, giving the space a more intimate, refined feel. The table filled the entire length of the room and the seats were filled with what looked to be the entirety of the Fog Walkers pack. Which, even compared to the band of robbers in the Red Hand, wasn't really saying much. And most of the food seemed to be centralized on one end of the table, leaving a few, sparse dishes placed in front of the others.

At the head of the table was a grand figure of a man, the most healthy and good looking of the bunch, dark hair and big, dark brown eyes, with a finely architectured band of facial hair encircling his mouth. Dressed in a fine suit and breastcoat of a bloody maroon color, he was conversing with the men and women who sat near him. When Az was showing the pair to their seats, somewhere mid-table, closer to the other end, he was halted by a shout from the charming man at the other end.

"Azazel, nevermind that," he said, waving his hand in a canceling motion at those particular seats, instead pointing at a couple closer to his end of the table. "They can sit here, that's fine." A flash of a suave, relaxed grin, as he watched the visitors take their seats, Ada on one side of the table and Phillipe sitting across from her. There were two to three people seated between them and the head of the table but they were close enough to hear the conversation between the leader and his fellows.

"My name is Eric, by the way," the man said over a wine cup. "The fourth of the five brothers, so, not the youngest but certainly close to. I'm always surprised whenever we get visitors but it's wonderful to have you. Please do enjoy yourselves and if there's anything you need, do not hesitate to ask."

That was the last thing he said to the two of them before dinner got underway, the dubious meat shoveled onto his place, while others got some sort of watery stew filled with chunks of a just as dubious meat and stale bread served alongside it. The wine served to the visitors was unfulfilling and watery and looking around, the metallic scent coming from the other glasses, didn't strike Phillipe as odd.

Since they were so close to him, several times, Ada tried to get the attention of the Master of the table but he ignored them, instead talking over her when she'd interject into pauses and silences, or just plain pretending not to hear her as he gorged himself on the succulent and greasy meat on his own plate. After the stupid rules and requirements for even getting to see this guy, now, they were here in his presence and his beloved kept getting brushed aside like she was nothing, it really hit a hard button for Phillipe.

Finally, fed up with her latest attempt being ignored as Eric laughed at something one of his women had said, Phillipe slammed his hand on the table, jolting the silverware and dishes, causing all of the conversation to die down. "Oi! Enough!" Phillipe growled angrily. "She's come a long way to talk to you and I'd really appreciate it if you would acknowledge her and answer her, please!" Realizing that he was quite a bit angrier than the situation required, Phillipe let out a breath and said a bit more calmly, even apologetically, "I don't mean to be rude, sir, but you're not being very polite yourself."



Eric merely widened his brown eyes briefly and smirked slightly to himself over the outburst, "Well, I do apologize if you mistook your place at the table as warranting my immediate attention," he said glibly, pausing to finish chewing his food and drink from his cup. "But I was right in the middle of enjoying my meal. But you know what? You're right. She's a very important guest and deserves my full attention at this moment. Go ahead, sweetheart. Don't be shy. What is it I can help you with, since apparently, I'm at your complete disposal."

It was hard to tell from his manner where the sarcasm started and where the charm ended, blending seamlessly together as he bantered lightly, turning an attentive eye to the red head. "You're very cute by the way. For a ginger," he said with a small smirk. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt again. Just pointing that out. Go ahead. All you."

There was no denying that going into the dinner without their weapons was a mistake, but Ada knew that they couldn't really do much to protest - not if they really wanted to attain the knowledge they needed. She reluctantly did as they were told, noting to herself that she still had the small dagger in her corset, thus far unused, in case things got messy.

The dining room wasn't exactly welcoming. It didn't take a genius to notice the tired, ravenous faces of the few remaining pack members and the fact that their eyes were mostly trained on the fuller dishes that sat towards the head of the table. Unequal distribution of meals? Ada's attention flickered to the gentleman at the head of the table and, seeing his healthy glow, quickly began to understand the pack dynamics. Eric, the leader called himself, and though he invited them closer, he didn't seem very interested.

She didn't much like being placed closer to the pack leader, but obediently allowed Az to corral her into a different seat. His hand pressed against the small of her back as they walked and it took everything in Ada's power not to swipe at him. They sat a few seats away from the head, just far enough for the distance to be a hinderance for productive conversation. Although Az wasn't sitting near them, she noticed that his eyes were honed in on the female beside Phillipe (ooc: this is Prue, fyi). As soon as Phillipe sat, the female was only concerned with him. She wasn't the most beautiful of creatures, dark circles under her black eyes and her wiry black hair chopped just below the ears, but they way she held herself indicated a sort of power that the others didn't show.

As the meal began, Ada attempted several times to catch Eric's attentions. Awkwardly failing each try, she would return to her dish. Perhaps it was the atmosphere, the tension, but the food looked remarkably fowl; even the wine seemed atrocious, and with a small sip of it she confirmed that it was undrinkable. A familiar metallic taste lingered on her tongue, but unable to place it she simply ran her spoon through the watery soup and watched the mystery meat bob up to the surface. Against her better judgement she attempted a bite, but it was so tough that she couldn't even chew it enough to swallow. When no-one was watching, she spit it into her napkin and stowed it away under her seat for tossing later.

Phillipe's temper flared before hers could and suddenly the life of the dinner disappeared - not that there had been much life in the first place. Ada felt a chill at Eric's initial response to her. An important guest? Chalking it up as obscured sarcasm, she set down her spoon and lifted her chin, her tawny eyes meeting his unwavering gaze.

"I was hoping that you--," she started, but was cut off by his comment. She didn't like that at all. Why did all the men here look at her like that? Like some plaything? Ada stamped down her agitation and gave him a sweet, obviously forced smile. "That's very kind of you to say. You're very charming. For a wolf." Her gaze hardened. Whatever game he wanted to play, she wasn't about to be swallowed in. "I'm searching for someone who put out a hit through the Hund. I've been told that a ledger is kept to keep track of every hit, but the owner of that ledger is a bit hard to talk to without a scheduled meeting. I've also been told that the brothers of that certain someone may be able to set up a meeting for me. I was hoping that you--."

It was at this point that the girl beside Phillipe rather violently knocked over her wine glass, on accident or purpose it was unclear, sending the contents rolling across the table and onto Ada's lap. Splatters from the original impact of the goblet upon the table sent droplets of the wine up the side of her neck and cheek. Stunned for a moment, Ada quickly pressed napkins into the spill, cursing quietly, her cheeks red as the thunder was stolen from her.

"I'm so sorry," the girl was saying, though it didn't seem genuine. She helped for a few moments to blot the spill, but abandoned it a little too quickly. Her dark eyes fell upon Phillipe, big and sad. "Did I get any on you?" she asked and stroked his arm as if searching for stains.

Now they were getting some where. After everything that had happened, Phillipe was eager just to be moving on. Those dreams they'd discussed in private weren't just a fantasy. They were real and Phillipe wanted them so badly he could practically taste them. He was done playing other people's games.

Things were going well, Phillipe smiling softly in pride as Ada made her stance clear and didn't take any crap from the Fog Walker's leader, and Eric pursed his lips and furrowed his brows like he was deeply considering what she had to say. Then all attention was driven away from that when the silly wench beside him spilled her drink and got it all over Ada right across the table from them. Phillipe, in concern, handed her the napkins by his plate, just as flustered as she was by the interruption.

Glancing at the hand on his arm first, Phillipe looked blankly up at the girl touching him and gently flicked her fingers off of him. "No, I'm fine. If you could hand me your napkins, though," he said, not bothering to wait for her as he reached across her and grabbed her cloth napkins, tossing them to where Ada could reach them. It was then that Phillipe got a good wiff of the liquid on the table, the metallic scent suddenly crystalizing in his skull and recognition dawning on him with a sinking feeling. He knew what that was and sitting back in his seat, he suddenly started to look around at the occupants of the table in a new light, including the dishes set before everybody. Finally, his worried eyes looked up at Ada and he realized why the hell they were there and what had been troubling him about this the entire time they'd interacted with Az and his people.

Adjusting his suit coat with a grunt and a sniff, Eric sat back in his chair, nodding and waving his hand languidly in the air. "Right, and you want me to set you up with an appointment with my brother, the one who keeps the ledger. Have I got that right?" he asked, continuing her train of thought, seemingly unperturbed by the liquid spill, despite the dozen or so hungry looks cast Ada's way now that she was splashed in the stuff. Lifting his own drink, he paused to take a gulp of it as he said, "Maybe you should have done your research before coming here - or perhaps, whoever sent you here knew what they were doing. In any case, my brother and I don't really get along. He hasn't been very helpful to me during the last few years during our crisis, so, I'm a little loathe to make any sort of contact. Aside from that, hits come with a confidentiality clause: no outsiders will ever know the names of those who hire us. It'd be bad for business to just give out the names of those who seek us out to just anybody. So, not only is this extremely emotional territory for me but you're also basically asking me to break the rules for you."

He gave Ada a considering look up and down, seeming to smile a little as he said, "But, I am a businessman. And I'm willing to do this really uncomfortable thing for you...for a price. So, little ginger, I ask, what are you willing to give me in exchange for this favor?"

Without hesitation, knowing that Ada's life was in danger just from her mere presence at the table with these wolven who filled their cups and plates with this kind of meat, Phillipe said, "My life." Eyes turned to him and Phillipe ignored Ada for the moment to give Eric a solid look. "I'll give you my life if you get her the meeting and let her go free. Safely."

Eric gave him a long look, his brows frowning as he cocked his head to the side. "Your life? That's alright," he said looking away dismissively. "I've seen it and I'm not too impressed. Besides, what makes you think I don't already have that?" He gently pointed at the female wolfen beside him and cocked his head again with a very smug smile. "I hope you're not too hindered by traditions and whatnot, because you're going to be having a lot of partners from here on out. I'm glad that you guys got to have one more dance in the sheets together before this all went down though."

There it was. Out in the open now. And as Eric turned to shrug at Ada, mockingly apologetic, Phillipe jolted up from his seat and shouted, "Ada! Run!" He merely got to stand before a hand on his shoulder shoved him back down with inhuman strength. Ada too didn't get further than pushing her chair out before a wolfen beside her shoved her back down as well.

Blowing air out between his lips with his fingers steepled before him, Eric said, "How about we make a game of it? I don't normally do this but you two are very entertaining. So cocky and firey, almost like the world owes you a frigging favor. In a den of wolves that eat human flesh, it's very bizarre and exciting to see people so brazen. So, I'm willing to consider letting you have what you want and even letting you go...if you can find something to give me that I really want. I mean, truly, let me know how much you want this, so that I can feel it. What have you got?"

There was a whisper of a whine from his left and Eric rolled his eyes without glancing at Prue. "And no matter what, I need him," indicating Phillipe, "to stay a little while and act as a stud to replenish our stock. We're running low on viable young in case you couldn't tell. You help me, I help you. I think that's fair." Phillipe glanced at the women next to him, actually seeing her for the first time and cringed at the thought of laying with anyone other than his beloved. It made him physically ill to think of it....but in that moment, he cast a desperate eye to Ada and nodded ever so slightly. Yes. They could do that. And whatever else this madman wanted to trade.

Something was wrong. Ada saw a very evident shift in Phillipe's demeanor, his eyes swinging around the table with a sudden intensity that made her nervous. What had he noticed? Her mind unable to even process the possibilities he was realizing, she cleaned herself up as well as she could before returning her full attention to Eric. His words cut her like knives. He wasn't close with his brother? Was this common knowledge? A new, unbounded hatred poured through her, all pointing directly at the thought of Charlie; in a terribly ironic way, she felt like she'd caught him red handed.

She had considered Eric's proposition for only a moment before Phillipe interrupted, expression wild. Ada's heart began to hammer. What was happening? Her eyes found Az a few seats down, where he sat staring unabashedly at her. Upon realizing she'd noticed him he made a show of dipping a finger into his wine and lifting the droplets to his mouth. The wine. Part of her knew the truth before she'd realized it and suddenly she felt vastly ill.

Phillipe's cry to flee commanded her muscles into motion, but even if she'd made it from her chair she wouldn't have gotten far. Az was suddenly behind her, forcing her back into her seat. But her stomach had other ideas and desperation gave her the strength to push him away long enough for her to make it to the window of the hall and empty her stomach into the marsh waters below. Ada was returned to her seat presently, hard fingers clutching at the curve between her neck and shoulders. Az had found the indentation from Phillipe's teasing teeth in her scramble for the window and now ground his thumb hard into it as he kept her from leaving the chair.

Ada's face had lost much of its color. She tried to put on a brave expression, but the trembling of her body gave her away. Eric's proposition to use Phillipe as a breeder lit a fuse inside her. The girl beside him, upon the proposition, snaked a hand very obviously under the table to dance in his lap. And against all odds of acceptance, Phillipe's glance her way shortened her fuse. No. That was enough. Still entirely terrified but now angry, her tawny eyes, now lacking their previous dominant spark, turned on Eric.

"I'll give you whatever you like," Ada said cooly, "but my mate is off the table. There are plenty of other candidates for breeding other than him. I'm sure if you send your whores into the forest, they'd find someone to rough them up." Her mouth felt dry, knowing it wasn't smart to offend him but also understanding that giving into him without a fight would get them nowhere. She glanced briefly at Phillipe before ignoring him entirely; he'd done enough sacrificing for her. That was enough. "On the condition that both of us leave here alive and intact, armed with a meeting set up by yours truly, I'll give you anything you like that is within reason. Name your price."

Why did she have to go and do that? Phillipe gave Ada a frustrated glare, more desperate than anything to have her let him take this bullet for her and angered about the hot water they were getting themselves into to deny Eric his demands. Opposite of the expected, Eric actually began to laugh, genuinely amused by her forthrightness and insistence upon this ridiculous little wolfen staying with her. Gathering himself and still chuckling, Eric lounged back in his chair, sniffing as he said, "Done."

At the sound of complaint from Prue, Eric merely raised his hand with a small frown in her direction before turning back to Ada. "That's fine if you really want him that bad," having quelled the argument from the female wolfen, he picked up his glass and spoke with lips almost touching the rim, finishing his thought before drinking. "But the price goes up."

Swallowing his mouthful, he grunted in delight, his drink obviously a stronger, purer version of what was lurking in the other cups. Finally, he said, "So, I get to name the price? That makes this so much more fun. Hm, what does a meeting with my brother cost to me?" Touching a finger to his nose and tracing it down to his lips in a mime of deep, thoughtful consideration, he perked up and smiled.

"How about a kiss?" he asked coquettishly. "Full on the lips, as long as I want, and I get to touch you...however I want."

Phillipe didn't expect that but as soon as it was said, he was on his feet again with a growl, his eyes seeing nothing but bloody red. He was half transformed and on the table before he was yanked back by the tail, the emaciated wolfen standing just behind him, grabbing him in a headlock. The plucky, sunny colored wolf, whimpered sharply and flailed in the man's arms until he transformed again, Phillipe grunting in discomfort and writhing in the tight hold around his neck. Even still, Phillipe struggled, gritting out, "You put your hands on her and I'll kill you, you bloody animal!"

Eric was chuckling again, cocking his head in curiosity at Phillipe, even as the wolfen grew exhausted without his breath and was forced back into his seat with a red-faced, humiliated glower. "See what I mean?" he asked casually. "It's so bizarre. Not only the fact that you thought you'd even have a chance, even if my men weren't standing at the ready to keep you civil. After all, I'm a pure alpha in both blood and status, so, I'm a much bigger wolf than you." He flopped his hands and shook his head in baffled amusement. "I could crush your body between my jaws, just by merely closing them. But it's also this thing you both have with defiance, like we're here to bargain or something. Just throwing this out there, so, we're all on the same page: You are my puppets for the evening and if you don't do what I say, I'm gonna get bored and just go ahead and kill and butcher her for my dinner tomorrow, giving these guys the scraps. And you," he indicated Phillipe, who gave him a defiant sneer, "I'll tie up to one of our wooden crosses, feed you some boner root and let the girls have you however they like for a month. Then kill and butcher you for food too. Because we need it."

He widened his eyes dramatically and flopped his hand again. "Those are your choices," he sighed softly, smirking in Ada's direction. "So, how about a kiss, then? Oh and just to keep things interesting, to see what you'll do," he lifted himself slightly forward in his chair to remove a knife from his belt and twirled on the table within reach of Ada. "I'll also give you the option to cut off a chunk of your own leg and feed it to me instead. Either or. I'm known for playing with my food." He raised his eyebrows at Ada and smiled crookedly. "Your move, ginger."

The knowledge that Phillipe wouldn't be made into breeding stock was an intense comfort to Ada, regardless of the fact that it meant her payment for Eric's information would be greater. It mattered little to her at this point, so long as they could get out of the foggy territory in a timely manner. Cannibalism was no laughing matter and, regardless of her smooth defiance, she was wading deeper and deeper into a drowning terror as they spoke.

Eric's proposition drug her deeper into the pool of fear and nausea gripped at her stomach. She was suddenly extremely angry with herself, for not staking her own terms - even though she knew he never would've accepted. Her body flinched visibly at Phillipe's rage and Az, still standing over her, tightened his grip on her, as if sensing her flight instinct. Her eyes followed him as he struggled, shifting between forms, red hot rage bubbling in his eyes and mouth, and she recognized the possessive anger as the same as she'd felt when he'd almost accepted his fate as a breeder.

Her attention returned to Eric, ice cold and somewhat absent of fighting will. The kiss was not the problem; it was that his hands were more than likely to hunger for her as soon as they rested upon her. His second option wasn't much better, considering that she was in a bad way as it was with all her bruising and sore muscles. But for the sake of her dignity, Ada grasped at the knife and pulled it closer to examine it.

The blade itself wasn't terribly sharp, so the process of butchering her own leg wouldn't be easy. "I believe I said within reason," she murmured, her tawny eyes not leaving the knife. "You've given me two rather impossible choices: one to give myself to you for an undefined period of time, the other to risk bleeding out for a chunk of flesh." She spoke more to herself than to him, mulling over the possibilities as each word escaped her lips. Ada pressed the edge of the blade against her thigh and drew it across the tender skin, eliciting a wince. It really was dull, only a few beads of blood raising from the wound. Her fingers upon the hilt of the knife trembled and the fresh pain caused her eyebrows to pull together. She couldn't. She couldn't do it.

She quietly set the knife down on the table, her palm lingering over it for a few moments before pulling away to rest unhappily in her lap. "You're a cruel bastard, aren't you?" she burst suddenly. "Choosing yourself and your pleasures over your pack." Az's hand flew from her shoulder and grabbed a chunk of her hair, ripping downwards and forcing her chin into the air. A grunt escaped her, but she made no attempt to escape his grasp. "Fine. Do as you like," she snarled and spat at him from her seat. "But you will not harm or touch my beloved, and when it is over you will give me what I want."