fantasy au @ jennomaly

[makingsouffles]

[The werewolf really was just a coincidence.

After a particularly strenuous trip back a couple of thousand years, Idris had needed more than her usual amount of time to rest, and that left Oswin and the Doctor stuck for a day or two in the village where they'd landed. And, of course it just happened to be one that was being terrorized (supposedly) by a werewolf. Oswin hadn't actually heard of it attacking anything more than a couple of sheep, so she doubted it'd actually terrorized anyone just yet.

Still, it was a magical creature, and there was nothing better to manage a magical creature than a mage of her caliber. Or, at least, that was what the Doctor told her, and considering that ego-boosting happened to be one of Oswin's weak spots, she'd agreed to go have a look.

With a ball of light that hovered just over her open palm illuminating her path, she headed into the dark forest that surrounded the little town. The full moon overhead did its best to provide light, but the branches and leaves were thick here. Best to keep to her spells just in case. Being stuck in the dark in a place haunted by a werewolf did not sound like a good place to be, even if she did have magic on her side.]

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[jennomaly]

[Jenny wasn't born like this. She wasn't meant to be a wolf, it was just something that had happened in her lifetime.

There was no changing it, not really. There were a few rumors of cures, but Jenny wasn't even sure if she believed them. Not that it mattered anymore. The wolf was part of her.

Running free and wild beneath the moon, she loved it. Ears quirked for any sound, she listens to the sound of her four paws hitting the ground, the beating of her double hearts, the other animals backing away in fear of her.

Another sound brings her to a halt, and the wolf quirks her head curiously. A human, daring to enter the forest on a full night? She tilts her head back and howls, half-hoping to scare whoever it is off. She has good control over the wolf, but full moon is always a dangerous time.]

[makingsouffles]

[The howl makes her pause on the path, the light in her hand flickering briefly with uncertainty. Right. It's nearby, then.

Purposefully, Oswin sets off in the direction it came from, wishing she'd paid a bit more attention to learning a spell to contact the Doctor instantly from this far away. She was still reading up on those, but hopefuy every other incantation in her repitior would prevent her from needing it, should the wolf attack.]

Hello? [She calls into the gathering gloom, on the off-chance that the werewolf could understand speech.\

[jennomaly]

[She stays still, listening. The human is still coming. Mad or suicidal, Jenny decides, and reigns in her wolf a bit more.

She's not completely feral, after all. She's made her kill for the night -- a stray sheep or two -- and for the most part, now she's satisfied and content, just enjoying the adrenaline of being out beneath the stars. The wolf is not an evil creature, after all. She's just a wolf, with Jenny's thoughts and morals and intelligence.

A girl. Jenny sees her in the dark before she herself is noticed. She has an ability to blend into the shadows, despite her silvery-white coat. A mage too, it seems.

Here to kill her, perhaps?

She goes still as the mage unknowingly wanders closer, blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight.]

[makingsouffles]

[Mad definitely suits Oswin to a T. And, come on, how many other times is she going to get to encounter a werewolf? Even in a land like this one, they're a rare breed, and if there's one thing that lures Oswin out like this, it's her own curiosity.

It's a really good thing she's not a cat.

Something white flashes out of the corner of her eye and Oswin turns towards it, the light growing stronger with just a little urging. Taking a few steps forward, she peers into the darkness at the edge of the illuminated clearing.]

M'not here to hurt you. [Still under the impression that the wolf can possibly understand her. It is a werewolf, after all.] See?

[Oswin draws her cloak aside to show that she's unarmed. The Doctor doesn't carry weapons as a rule, and she generally tends to follow in his footsteps.]

[jennomaly]

[She looks innocent enough. And small.

It would be easy to rip her throat out.

Jenny shudders mentally at the thought and stays where she is, intelligent eyes fixed on the girl. She's large for a wolf, nearly twice the size of the average, but there's always a chance if she lets her guard down too much, she'll find herself with a knife in her belly.

Not that it hasn't happened before, but she'd rather not go through a repeat performance. It isn't pleasant.

She growls softly in warning, baring her long white teeth.]

[makingsouffles]

[Not so easy as Jenny thinks. Oswin might not have any weapons on her, but her offensive magic does come in handy in tight situations. Not that she uses it too often, save for practicing.

She raises an eyebrow at the growl, tensing faintly. The light in her hand flickers again, like a candle in a breeze.] Come on, then. Believe me, I've seen loads weirder than you.

[jennomaly]

[The sound she makes is not unlike a sigh, and she sinks down onto her haunches, sitting. Like this, she looks remarkably like a very large dog.

And she sneezes, too.

Way to be intimidating, Jenny, she chides herself, but there's something about this girl that she feels like she can trust.

The wolf looks up to the sky, judging. Only a few more hours until dawn, and she won't be human again until then. Well. In a human looking body, anyway.

She fixes Oswin with a steady gaze. What is it that she's here for, anyway?]

[makingsouffles]

[She chuckles quietly at that, stepping closer to get a better look at her.] That's better, yeah?

[Her gaze briefly follows Jenny's skyward, but it doesn't stay for as long, instead going back to study the creature in front of her. It's not exactly what she expected (her mind had conjured up a deliciously terrifying image of dripping fangs and a coat black as the night itself upon just hearing the word werewolf), but Oswin likes the unexpected well enough.

Carefully, she lets the ball of light hover over both of them, folding her arms idly as she tilts her head slightly, trying to read the wolf's gaze. There's curiosity and intelligence in those eyes, enough to let Oswin know that it can at least understand her.] You've got the whole village worked up, y'know. They all think you're about to start attacking in the streets.

[There's amusement in her tone, and Oswin very clearly doesn't believe everything she hears.]

[jennomaly]

[The muscles in her shoulders tense slightly as the girl steps closer, but other than that, Jenny doesn't react. This girl doesn't seem to want to kill her, at lest not yet.

Jenny wonders absently if the mage has realized yet not all werewolves are male. She hates that stereotype.

The girl's comment brings out what is unmistakably a derisive snort from the wolf, and she looks to the side for a moment before turning her gaze back to Oswin. I won't kill anyone, she wants to say, tries to say it with her mind and her eyes.]

[makingsouffles]

[The snort makes her smile.]

S'what I thought too. Bit stupid to assume you would, if you haven't yet. I mean, there's not a lot of point in going after a couple of sheep and then terrorizing everyone. You'd have done it already if you'd meant to, yeah?

[jennomaly]

[Jenny hesitates and nods slightly. She's still trying to work out what it is the mage wants. For her to leave? She can do that. She's done it before, and if the people are starting to get anxious, they'll be sending out angry mobs soon enough.

She stands and steps a little more into the light. Perhaps now the girl can see the scars she bears, half hidden beneath soft silvery fur. She'll leave to prevent that from happening again.]

[makingsouffles]

[Who says she wants anything? Oswin's a curious girl, all she really wanted to do was sate that.

Her smile drops at the sight of the scars, and unconsciously, her hand moves to the back of her neck, where her own begin, covering her entire back. Burns, mostly, from the little...accident that came from her and the Doctor's first meeting.]

...they haven't already sent people after you, have they? [Oswin's voice is sympathetic. She knows what it's like to be a monster, even if only one person had properly seen her.]

[jennomaly]

[Jenny sits down heavily just beside the girl now. Her damp nose brushes against the mage's hand and she whines softly.

It wasn't here that she was attacked, but she isn't sure how to relate that in a way that the stranger will understand.

Instead she takes a bit of a gamble and just leans a bit against Oswin. Hopefully not too much to knock her over. After all, she's a big wolf and mostly muscle.]

[makingsouffles]

[Reassured that at least she's alright now, Oswin carefully reaches out to stroke the wolf's head.]

Lots of people just don't understand stuff like you. S'why they're afraid. [She, on the other hand, just looked for explanations. Usually ones outside the norm these days, traveling with the Doctor does that to you.

Oswin giggles a little as she's nearly knocked over, but manages to keep her footing and run her fingers through Jenny's surprisingly soft, silvery fur.]

[jennomaly]

[Jenny's eyes close as the girl reaches to touch her, a faint shiver running through her. She's a little tense still, but...she can trust this mage. She seems to understand.

There's a soft, amused huff as the girl nearly falls over, and she noses into her arm gently, blue eyes bright with something like happiness.]

[makingsouffles]

[She laughs quietly, scratching behind her ears.

But it's short-lived, for as she looks over at the other side of the clearing, there's a glimpse of torchlight in the distance. Uh oh. Looks like she picked the wrong night to go off into the forest. Or maybe the right one.]

You'd better get out of here. [Oswin murmurs, the orb of light dimming considerably so as not to give away their location.] Quick, now, I'll hold them off.

[By which she means she'll try and talk them into going back. Oswin's good at talking herself out of bad situations, hopefully that'll continue.]

[jennomaly]

[Jenny hears them before she sees them and goes still, tension in every line of her body. Ears pricked, it's easy to see both the wolf and the girl in her is terrified.

As soon as Oswin speaks, she starts in surprise, staring at her for a few long moments.

The wolf lets out a soft, barely there whine, nosing into Oswin's hand. What about you?]

[makingsouffles]

[She strokes her head reassuringly.]

They're after you, not me. And if they decide to go after me, I've got more than a few tricks that'll make them wish they hadn't. [Oswin glances over her shoulder.] Go on, hurry.

[jennomaly]

[She looks back towards the noise, the growing light and sound of an angry mob.

Jenny shivers, noses against Oswin again in thanks, and bolts, silvery-white coat melting into the shadows as she runs.]

[makingsouffles]

[Once she's disappeared, the orb of light disappears and reignites in Oswin's hand, alerting the mob to her presence.

It doesn't take long to convince them to go back, and insist that the wolf hadn't been seen at all that night. There might have been a little persuasion of the magical sort involved, but really, Oswin hadn't had an excuse to practice spells that influenced others mentally in ages.

When they're gone, she turns and sets out in the opposite direction of the village, planning on finding Jenny and reassuring here that they're gone for the night.]

[jennomaly]

[Jenny doesn't stop running. Instinct takes over and she's terrified running as fast and as hard as she can.

When the sun starts to peak over the horizon, she collapses in a half buried cave, somewhere small and safe. She's unconscious for the transformation, thankfully, too exhausted to do anything but collapse.

Should Oswin do enough exploring, she'll find a naked blonde, covered in dirt and leaves, face-down in the best shelter she could find.]

[makingsouffles]

[It must be her lucky day.

She spends a good portion of the night searching, and once she does find her, Oswin's clever enough to put two and two together. Crouching down to touch her shoulder, she gives it a little shake.] Hello?

[jennomaly]

[Jenny wakes with a start, jolting upright and letting a sharp, frightened cry.

Please don't hurt me...

Her eyes move up, taking in the girl. The one from the night before. The friendly mage. Distrust shines in Jenny's eyes, her face smeared with dirt.]

[makingsouffles]

[She quickly steps back, hands held up in a gesture of innocence.]

It's okay! Just me. [Oswin waits a second or two before slowly lowering her hands and shrugging her cloak off. That done, she carefully offers it to Jenny.] You alright?

[jennomaly]

[She swallows, taking her in slowly. It's been a long time since she's spoken to anyone like this. Cautiously, she takes the cloak from Oswin and wraps it around her shoulders, shivering slightly.]

Think so.

[Her voice is a bit hoarse from disuse.] ...You're the girl from before. The mage.