She smiled at his smooth response then held in a snicker at Hana's gagging noises. A vine grew from the ground and gave the mischievous girl a whack upside the head. Then Hana dragged Wes off who didn't even look worried. He almost seemed excited. She turned her attention back to Jet as he began telling the story of his childhood friend who he couldn't marry since she wasn't a lycanthrope. Iona listened quietly and nodded in the appropriate times. It was a bit of a relief for her to hear of this past love. It meant that she wouldn't have to worry about some imaginary expectations of a perfect wife. When someone had a previous first love they knew what it felt like to love somebody real. To love their imperfections and their wonderful moments to the point of comfort. She'd rather have that than someone stuck in an idealistic view of a perfect partner. 

"Are your siblings all as temperamental as your sister?" Iona asked with a small smile, "I'd like to know if I should schedule Jet beatings when they come to visit." 

The tour was pleasant enough and she was able to get a good layout of the campsite. It was practical with its layout, keeping the warriors spread out in case of an emergency attack from any side. The ones who couldn't fight were nestled in the center, just what she had expected from a warrior tribe. As they continued on with their tour, the subject of Jet's mother and father came up. Jet immediately began gossiping with a mischievous glimmer about the details of their relationship. Iona soaked up every word like how she would with her gossiping cousins and aunts back home. Iona wasn't one to tell others the drama but she loved hearing all about it. Soon the gossip was over, much to her disappointment and he asked if she had any questions. 

"Do you have any open fields? Or good places to run?" She asked, "I was carried here towards the end. Its a part of our tribe's tradition for the bride to be presented in the most dramatic way possible. But it means my legs can get cramped." 

When he showed her to one of these places, a bright smile appeared on her face. A glitter of mischief danced in her green eyes as she grabbed Jet by the collar and pulled him close, inches away from hers. 

"Lets see how fast you can run." She whispered to him, "Try to keep up." 

Her hand dropped and she spun around then bolted into a run into the open space. Leaping into the air, her body morphed into her wolf form and she landed on her paws. The tan wolf raced across the ground, her heart beating fast. She could feel the wind comb through her fur as the sun shone brightly from above. She made a few turns and leapt over obstacles in her way. The anxiety and pressure of the day melted off of her like ice melting in the heat of summer. Her eyes remained on the open ground ahead of her as she continued running. If it was up to her, she would run forever. 

“Not all of them no. Hana is the only one who beats on me… The others have their own enemies. I promise,” he returned her smile as he spoke.

Jet noticed her eyes as he told her the gossip. She was absorbed into it, he made a mental note to introduce her to his aunt Lily. It looked like they would get along great, though everyone got along with Lily.

“We have fields have miles~ Just depends on what kind of fields you want.” Jet let out a short laugh, “I’m thankful for once I’m not a girl.” He had always been measured up to Hana and since Hana was a girl and couldn’t inherit his father’s place… He was the one who had to make up for it.

Once he got her to the fields he let out a noise as she pulled him close. She was so close to him that his face flushed. “If that’s what you want,” he whispered back to her and finally managed a smile. “Shifting without stripping while an art is cheating!” He was running after her and stripping as he did as if it was an art. Finally, a large red wolf stretched lazily at first before he dashed after her.

His body was almost twice the size of hers, probably due to his own heritage. Jet caught up to her almost instantly and he ran into her and like most wolves was playful as he nipped at her before running farther away. Wolves craved being close and for Jet it was the first time he was getting a chance to be that he could. He was going to take full advantage of this.

Jet skidded to a stop and his ears went forward as he crouched. He saw a large deer as he went through the grass. After all of this… He was hungry and he wondered if she was too. It took no time at all for him to take it down and drag it back to her. He sat behind it and nudged it at her. Ladies first after all.

She felt his much larger body run into her and he playfully nipped at her before running off. She ran after him, taking a chance to nudge his shoulder when she was by his side in a display of affection. Whenever she took her wolf form, she always found it easier to express familiarity. When he skidded to a stop, she pressed her paws into the dirt, trying to stop in time. She only bumped him slightly before coming to a complete stop. She watched as he took down the deer and held herself back.

Normally she would help but this wasn't her territory, even if she was a fiance she still wanted to be careful. To her surprise, he sat behind it and nudged it at her. Iona sent him a look of appreciation. Then she opened her jaw and tore at the deer's flesh. Blood covered her muzzle as she viciously scraped the meat off of the bones. Soon she had her fill and gave him the rest. When it came to meals, she never held back.

Once he had taken his fill, she walked further out into the field. She shifted back into her human form. Surprisingly, she had a short white gown barely covering her from her chest to just below her rear. The rest of her gown had fallen off long ago but this piece of clothing had been hidden underneath her fancy wedding gown. It was a very special piece of fabric, something that had helped most of her tribe. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a tiny cloud to rain on her face, clearing the blood off of her face. Once she was cleaned off, she looked over to Jet with a smile.

"When we go into our wolf forms, it becomes a necklace." She explained, "They gave it to me in case I shifted."

Her black ebony hair was down, free from the pins keeping it up. Her feet were bare and none of her jewelry had made it past the shifting. They were all in a pile somewhere near the camp. Iona bent over and plucked a little bloom she had spotted. Her dress held on for dear life. She then realized that he probably didn't have any clothes since he stripped earlier.

"Uh, do you need some pants? I can probably summon one." Iona offered, still holding the flower.

If it was one thing Jet was better at than Hana it was the patience of the hunt. He directed her when to attack where she had the most force.

Jet enjoyed the closeness with Iona and soon he was full. He rolled on his back and shifted back as she did. He smirked a bit as his eyes looked her over. “Only if you are bothered with it. We’re not overly shy as you saw with Hana. For us, this is normal.” He used a soft leaf to clean his face. Clearly, he was used to this as he did it quite expertly.

“You like plants don’t you?” He looked her over once more before he closed his eyes feeling the sundown on him. “You have the same look in your eyes as my ma when she is studying plant life.” Depending on how comfortable she was with his state was what he did. He looked absolutely relaxed compared to the tension he had before.

“Come here,” he waved her over before reaching up and grabbing her to pull her down. She would find a very soft landing on a bed of soft plants. “These plants are very soft and make a good napping spot. Not that I’m going to nap just yet but… It’s relaxing after having to deal with Hana.”

"I don't mind." She said quickly.

Iona did her best not to stare at the abs he was rocking or anything lower. Some of her tribe didn't use the necklaces and it was perceived as perfectly normal. He mentioned the plants and she gave him a little nod in response.

"I'm afraid I don't do anything with the information." She admitted, "Learning about it more than enough for me. Watching how animals and plants change, adapt, and grow is… beyond fascinating."

Her words were lined with a passion as she spoke. It wasn't limited to flowers but also involved the animals and creatures she'd seen so far. There was something about the changes they bring to the environment and to themselves. Each one had their own little story that made the rest of the world feel so full. He waved her over then pulled her down. She landed in a soft bed of plants. Iona reached for them and felt each one. They were soft but had their own textures and shapes.

"This is a good spot." She stated before turning to him and laying on her side, "Jet I…"

Iona paused for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts.

"I'd like to try for a romantic relationship with you." She admitted, "However, I don't expect anything from you. So please don't feel like you must do anything. I'd settle for a friendship if we don't find ourselves in love."

It was an awkward conversation as she didn't know how best to ask. Her eyes revealed her desire for his input, no matter what the truth may be. The bluntest and honest truth would be better than some answer meant to make her feel better.

He listened to her response about animals and he smirked, “It’s okay to have a hobby like that.”

Once she was down he turned his attention to her and rolled on his side to get a better look at her. He felt his cheeks flush up and he regretted being so new to everything. “I might be trash at romance.” He was being harshly honest with himself. “But I would like to try. It’s better if we both do… Don’t you think? We got the better part of a lifetime and we might as well get along in the best ways possible. The blessing of the moon mother isn’t something to be taken lightly. The blessing of The Mother isn’t taken lightly either. We’ll have both…”

He paused for a moment and closed his eyes again in thought. “Ma didn’t put up much of a fight when it got brought up… I bet it's because she has a good feeling.” He looked at her and moved his hand to push her hair behind her ear. “You have to trust her when she does weird things… They are always for a reason.”

Taking the initiative but not wholly he pushed himself and kissed her forehead. “I think at the very least it will be fun… but speaking of fun. We’ll be late for our own engagement party.” He could hear the drums starting in the distance. “Hana probably riled them up to start early…” He got up and offered her his hand. “Come on~ We have to go get all of our stuff and meet everyone.”

Once they got back to camp where they shed their clothing they got dressed and Jet was surprisingly adept at helping her with her dress. "I have younger sisters." He clarified how he knew how to do things. After all, he didn't want that miscommunication between them. He offered his arm to her and he led her through the camp once more. He introduced her to a few important people he knew. He wasn't expecting her to remember everyone, "This is just a formality. You'll learn everyone so don't stress too much about learning it tonight. It's supposed to be fun but… The booze hound is here." He could hear Hana's cheers as she got people to drink with her.

"Bout time you showed up. Your sister is showing you up," one of the warriors clapped Jet's shoulders.

Jet made a face, "That's all she does~ If you think this is bad now wait until Wesley finally puts pups in her." Everyone shivered at the thought.

"Have fun with that and your new mate," the warrior winked at Iona before going off to party with the others.

"Don't mind him. I think he likes any woman that moves~" Jet teased as he led her to the table where her family and his family were.

There was a sense of relief in her mind after hearing his honest opinion. She wanted to make sure that there weren't any miscommunications. Placing her heart in something, no matter how big or small was always a risk. Iona would regret putting her heart with someone who would never look her way. She had seen how it affected her friends. It was a risk she wanted to avoid as much as possible.

"I'm inclined to be optimistic about us. And no disrespect to your mother but how would she be so certain?" Iona asked, "Today was the first time I'd met her."

She knew of The Mother's fame and was fully aware of who she was. Yet she wondered if it was even possible to guess on two people's relationship potential and be completely certain about it. Iona smiled lightly as she accepted the kiss on the forehead. Her cheeks had turned rosy at the kind gesture.

"For a someone who claims to be trash at romance you certainly have a knack for it. Maybe it's beginner's luck?"

There was a playful smile on her face as she pushed herself to her feet. They made their way across the field and gathered up the discarded outfits. Iona managed to get most of the dress on but struggled with the cleverly hidden buttons on the back. To her surprise, Jet reached over and helped her by finding each button and clasp that she was unable to reach. He had many younger sisters which explained much about his behavior.

"Thank you. I'd rather not bend over backwards trying to get those." Iona said gratefully.

She took his arm and walked with him back into camp. He introduced her to a few people but she already knew she wouldn't remember a single one of them. As Jet suspected, Hana had already begun her drinking. The idea of Hana getting pups sounded chaotic at best but she also wondered if a few of them would develop Wesley's behavior. Either extreme politeness or extreme chaos. Somehow it was fitting. She noticed the wink but shrugged it off and sat down with Jet.

"What will we be doing?" She asked, "I don't know many of your traditions."

“Ma? It’s just something you learn about her. She gets these instincts that she can’t explain and she goes with them. Though for romance… I’m pretty sure she visits my aunt Lily for a future reading. My aunt specializes in tarot reading for romance.”

Jet gave a sly smile, “Maybe I paid attention to my mother and how she romances people a lot more than I thought. The only person I’ve ever seen romance someone is Hana… and well her romance is yelling at Wesley to fuck her good.”

Once they arrived at their party Jet motioned to everything in front of them. “We will do a ceremonial dance to the moons asking for their blessing. My mother is also going to do a blessing… We will exchange gifts to each other. Then we will have a hunt together as a single tribe. We will eat first then everyone else will eat.”

Trygve looked over at his son, “Speaking of gift…”

“I have one.” Jet looked over. “The perfect one.”

“…” Trygve gave him a look as he knew that Jet most certainly didn’t have one. Something about wanting to meet Iona first.

“Oh Iona,” Jet pointed. “I think your friends are trying to get your attention.” Jet nodded at them to approach the ceremonial table where they were sitting.

"Tarot readings. That would explain her predictions." Iona muttered. 

One of her grandmothers participated in tarot readings and was the one who explained visions. Jet then described how he picked up on his mother's way of romancing while Hana just screamed at Wesley to fuck her. Iona almost spat out the drink that had been handed to her at that. She tried to keep herself from laughing then listened to him explaining their traditions. She knew about the gifts since they had already brought one. The idea of that gift made her feel red in the face with embarrassment. If only she hadn't relied so heavily on the rumors. Jet then noticed some of her friends were trying to get her attention. Iona smiled and walked over to a blonde named Gela and a brunette named Beli who both approached her eagerly. 

"Wow. He's really handsome." Beli said with a smile, "I was expecting somebody with no hygiene and a giant unkept beard. It looks like you got lucky." 

"No kidding! Are you sure we can't take a round with him?" Gela asked with a smirk. 

"Sorry dears. You'll have to find your free dicks somewhere else." She teased them, "There's an entire tribe out there. Take your pick." 

The three seemed to be close enough to joke about but she was very careful in showing Jet was hers. The two girls respected it and ran off to go find those dicks they were so excited about. Soon they were ready for the ceremony to begin. They were ushered up to a small hill near the feasting where the moon and the stars shone brightest. A beautiful ribbon in the colors of both tribes with gold from the Lunar Sun and dark red from the Broken Ember. After the ribbon was tied around their hands, it was time for their vows. 

"By the moon and the stars above I, Iona Memoria Rivin promise to take this man as my husband. I swear encourage him, trust him, and treasure him as my equal and my lover. From here on and forevermore he will always know companionship in me." 

Iona had carefully written her vows and memorized them to prevent her from messing it up. However, she made sure the vows were of her own making and from the heart. When she wrote it she didn't know if she would be able to fall in love with him. But now, she felt they had a stronger chance with each other than anybody else. Once the vows were over they went to an open space to begin the dance. The couple were meant to start first and the rest of the tribe could join in afterwards. The sky above them was a tapestry of stars with the full brilliant moon as its centerpiece. The dance began slow but quickly sped up to a fast pace. She wasn't an expert on dancing but could follow along well enough. Luckily, Jet was there and able to help her when she forgot a move. The pounding of drums and the sound of a sharp flute accompanied the dance as more and more joined in to celebrate. She did one last spin and finished the dance. Her breathing was heavy and she glad to have a break. 

"Sorry for stepping on your toes." Iona said softly to Jet, "I didn't practice enough back home." 

Now it was time for the most embarrassing and dreaded part of the ceremony. The gift giving. With a sigh, Iona motioned for Beli and Gela to bring the gift. In a matter of moments they returned with a giant black axe. The handle had a barrage of skulls on it as decorations while extra spikes decorated the bottom of the axe's handle in case he wanted to jab someone in the head with it. The entire weapon was meant for someone kill crazy. 

"Yeah. This had been meant for the beast." She admitted with a slightly pink face. 

Jet flushed a bit at her friends and rubbed the back of his neck carefully. “Thanks, ladies… I think.”

Once the ceremony started he looked nervous but taking a breathe he held a smile towards her. She was up first in reciting the vows. He was glad he got to know who she was at least a little bit. “I, Jet Arne Rose-Thurgood, swear not only to the Mother Moon of my fatherland but also the Soul-stream of my motherland. I swear not only in life to take this woman as my wife but also to keep this promise in death. I will watch over her, protect her, and support her in everything she does. She will be my partner and not considered below me but as my companion in life. She will always have my shield should she need it.”

Once the dancing begun Jet showed some skills that most from the other tribe had no idea about. Thanks to Sularia he excelled in it as Sularia was the land of parties. His mother made sure he knew how to dance well. He would be ready to court when the time came. If anything he was the only one who paid attention out of the twins. “It’s alright. Hana still steps on toes.” Hana was dancing like a maniac trying to seduce Wesley and it looked like she knew she had no idea what she was doing.

Once the gift giving was ready Jet started to laugh. “I can see who this was for.” Hana ran over and grabbed it.

“I LOVE IT. Okay, we’re keeping her. You better not fuck this up,” Hana was poking his chest.

“Yeah, yeah. I like her too.” Jet said with a blush and Hana was waving the ax around. “Well, you won the beast over.”

Angela standing with Trygve and they were whispering about something. Looking at Jet who had no one nearby with a gift. “Mother? Can you open a gate to Elysia?” Jet looked up at Angela with a nod.

“Ohhh?” Angela looked amused. What did he have hidden in her realm? The gate opened and Jet disappeared for a bit. Soon the man came back through with a white elk. Perhaps the biggest that anyone from the Broken Ember tribe had seen before. Its large antlers had ornate crystals hung down on them. It was saddled with a beautiful gold seat. “HEY!” Angela was shocked.

“You did say that they were mine to do whatever with,” Jet said with a smile. “These are elks that long ago should have died out. Iona… I would like to gift you Sif. I just named her. Sif means Bride or Wife. So take good care of her. She is a good steed.” He led the elk over and offered Iona the reigns.

“You must really like her if you are giving her some of my prized Celestial Elks…” Angela crossed her arms and pouted. “Fine, take good care of her.”