Hunter Sieglinde

A pretty face. = 'Hides her deadly nature.' = "Do not tempt her with danger."
The carcass of an eaten rabbit fell beside dark paws as Sieglinde filled her belly with a small snack. It was hardly anything to satiate her hunger but it would do. Licking her lips to clear them of the bloody remnants, she sighed forlornly. She felt tired, perhaps just sleepy from eating, but nonetheless, she hardly wanted to travel anywhere else. Her den was too far away for her to settle in, which was a minor problem, but it was peaceful here. Surely, there would be an appropriate place for her to snooze. With a wary glance, she looked around her, watching out for any possible intruders that might disturb her privacy. Sucking in her lips, she quietly moved away from the rabbit carcass and into the shade of a nearby tree.

Pacing herself, she found a small gap between the roots of the tree and its trunk. Smiling softly at how similar it was to her own den, she stepped forward, preparing to settle down in this makeshift home. It was more cramped than she'd like, but her small form would fare better than that of someone larger. Keeping her expression calm, she shifted herself slowly, until she was curled into a ball, her limbs elegantly coiled. Finding the position to be mildly snug, she curled just a little tighter and closed her eyes. With a hopeful smile, she wished that she would come by a wonderful dream to pass by the time and relax. Sighing wistfully, she prepared to submerse herself in sleep.

== Dream Sequence! Italics are dream; Normal is her, reacting to the dream ==

"Sieglinde! Schwester!* Wake up!" That voice was familiar. Who was it? A grinning face with the twinkling grey-blue eyes she loved so much appeared in front of her and she immediately recognised him. A name left her maw, threaded with affection as she felt her lips curl into a smile. "Wolfram...Guten morgen, bruder.*" Her elder brother was eager for something, judging by the way he was leaping around, tail wagging excitedly. "What has you so enthusiastic this morning?" She felt herself lift from her sleeping position to face her brother head on.

"Don't you remember? Today we're getting our ranks! Have you decided what you want? You're going to be a Guardian, right?" Hearing those words, she felt her smile decline just a bit as she shook her head. "No, Wolfram. I'm not going to be a Guardian. I...I want to be a Hunter." As those words left her mouth, she felt her heart stutter in anxiety as her own smile disappeared when her brother's did. Did she say something wrong? "W-what do you mean? We're going to be Guardians together! We're the Feigenbaum siblings! Even Brigitta and Adrian are going to become Guardians."

Her eyebrows tilted in confusion as did her head. She didn't understand. Adrian never said he wanted to become a Guardian, in fact, she was sure he wanted to be a Healer. Frowning slightly, she said, "But that doesn't mean I have to be one." That didn't seem to appease her brother, rather his expression became even stormier. "
Sieglinde, you don't know what you're saying. Snap out of the 'I want to be a Hunter' attitude. Come on, being a Guardian is obviously the best!" His smile returned, but hers didn't. "Nein, bruder.* I don't want that. I'm going to be a Hunter and that's it." Her jaw was steeled as her brother's brow furrowed with barely contained anger before he turned on his heel and left, spitting, "Listen, you're going to become a Guardian! Because that's what we're going to be."

Her breathing was heavy as fury addled her mind. Wolfram was wrong. He couldn't force her into anything. But at the same time, hurt clenched at her heart. Why? She knew this scene. Why was Wolfram like this? She didn't want to relive this moment. Why? No. No. No.

== End Dream Sequence! (Sorry, it's really messy >.<) ==

Emerald eyes burst open, glistening with pain as her breathing simmered down to audible gasps. Curling herself even tighter, she squeezed her eyes shut. Why did she dream of something so awful? She had long put her past behind her, but that didn't mean she wanted to relive it. Her ears flattened against her skull in distress, she needed to calm down. He wasn't...he wasn't her brother anymore. He was just a remnant of her past. Even if she had betrayed him, forsaken their sibling relationship, it wasn't her fault. He had been too overbearing and she was too headstrong for her own good. 'It's okay, Sieglinde. You don't need to face him.' Yes, that was her only defence. He was no longer around her and she would never return back to them. Agavos was now her home; her packmates were her family. They were all she needed.

ooc: Eee, blurted this out!

Translation: (in order)
Schwester - Sister
Guten morgen, bruder. - Good morning, brother.
Nein, bruder. - No, brother.

Hunter Sieglinde

A pretty face. = 'Hides her deadly nature.' = "Do not tempt her with danger."
Her breath still came in deep pants, as emerald eyes flickered around uncertainly; she was an adult, nightmares shouldn't affect her so deeply as this. Heart racing, Sieglinde attempted to take a deep breath, shuddering as she did so. 'Calm yourself.' While still collecting herself, a deep voice suddenly sounded next to her and she tilted her head up to see who it was, expression startled. It took her a second to recognise his face and when she did, her expression softened as she smiled faintly. Now, here was a male who she'd yearned to see in a long time. Looking away from his gaze, she swallowed before letting out a huff of a laugh, "I-It's nothing to worry about." Following up with an awkward sigh of a laugh, she found that she couldn't meet his eyes once more, naturally uncomfortable with her evasion.

Sucking in her lips, she attempted to put on a cheerful façade, as she tried to crawl out of her temporary den. To her dismay, her legs gave way and she crumpled with a thud to the ground, grimacing at the knock on her chin. "Ow..." Trying a second time, she managed to right herself, glancing at the male with an embarrassed grin, hoping to pass off her agony with her blunder. But as she took into account his concern for her, the burgeoning guilt within her chest provoked a pang. She truly couldn't lie to him; there was no way she could get away with it.

With that revelation, the sides of her eyes crinkled as she formed an anguished visage. The most important question was: did she trust him enough to reveal her story? With that in mind, she searched his face, looking for some answer that he couldn't possibly give. As their eyes met, she felt her cheeks warm with bashfulness, becoming fully aware of the extent of her feelings for him. She was in deep. Lowering her gaze as a sort of submission and acceptance, she pursed her lips, decidedly firm with her final resolution. Altair would probably be the only male she would love in her lifetime, unless something truly awful occurred. She had known him long enough to know that he wouldn't cross her and it was for that reason she chose to trust him.

Clearing her throat, she uttered, "It seems that I can't really hide it." She no longer made any attempts to smile, keeping a forlorn expression. "I revisited past memories...memories that I didn't want to remember... I saw someone that I loved very dearly. Wolfram was his name. My dream showed me the last time I ever spoke to him." Sniffing, she licked her dry lips, before shakily continuing, "We spent our entire puphood together with our younger siblings. Everything was perfect until the day came when became adults. I don't know what came over him, but he was so angry when I told him that I didn't want to have the same rank as him. It was as if he was possessed or something and he was so sure that being a Guardian was the best choice." Looking up at Altair, her face contorted, "Do you know how it feels when someone you cherish, screams at you, just waiting for you to give in their whims? As if you were just a mere slave to cater to their every want?" A dry sob heaved itself out of her maw, the sudden image of Wolfram's furious face in her mind. "I-I couldn't do what he wanted. Hunting was--is my passion and so I retaliated." The memory of the fight she had with her brother was seared within her mind. The amount of anger that came with each of their blows was upsetting to even recount. They had been so far gone in their own agendas, that they forgotten their worth to each other.

"I fought him; it was the first and last time I would ever hurt someone that I loved. We were separated as a result and then I decided that I would leave." Sucking in a sharp breath, her eyes grew bright with emotion as her heart throbbed painfully. She had never gone back to the memories of her life before Agavos in such detail before and with each word she said, more and more came flooding back to her and she felt it hard to keep up. "I gave up my pack, my family, my name and all I have left is 'Sieglinde'." And so ended her story.

She mustered a trembling smile afterwards and laughed precariously, "I'm sorry I burdened you with the story of my past, Altair. I'm sure you didn't need to hear all that." Looking away, she suddenly felt crowded between the tree behind her and the large form of Altair in front. For once, thankful of her thin form, she brushed past him to stand beside him, trying ignore the feel of his fur against her own. She was sure that with such a pathetic story as her own, he would be less inclined to feel even a fraction of the affection she did for him.

ooc: Well now, long post. Haha! It's not as lyrical as I'd like, but it's something alright. Delving into Sieg's past a lil' bit + angst and what luck to have Altair as her confidant! ^^ Hehe, I hope it's okay.