The gentle swaying of his hammock drifted into his dreams, making him feel like he was somehow standing on one of those massive ships down at the harbor. It was overwhelming, at first, but as his mind focused and he stumbled a little back and forth, trying to get his balance, he managed to realize one specific thing...
Jerking his eyes open suddenly, he fumbled and flailed until he was unceremoniously deposited onto the grass below his hammock. Not a second later he was on his hands and knees, vomiting what little he'd eaten the previous evening.
Why am I so dizzy?
He felt like he'd been spun in circles by frustrating pups for over an hour!
After emptying the contents of his stomach, he fell over onto the crisp grass, panting up at the still-dark sky.
Why in the world did I dream of being on a ship?
He could barely swim passably. There was no way he'd ever find his way onto a ship!
Shaking his head in the grass, he felt the cold dew brush against his cheeks. The faint chill allowed him to calm down more, cooling his risen temperature back down to normal.
He rested for a while before slowly pushing himself back up, then the rest of the way to his bare feet. The thought to return to his pup and check on it had him turning toward the house, but the scent of sweat quickly stopped him.
He'd worked himself up vomiting...
I suppose I can go wash off.
He had no interest in using the vampire's bathing facilities, though. A pond or fountain worked just as well as long as it wasn't inundated with algae.
So, with a purse of his lips he turned back around and stalked off toward a fountain he knew the vampire had running near the back of his gardens. It was similar to the one in the front, but smaller and much less frequented.
Content, he made his way to his target without any interruption, only limping slightly even though his leg was beginning to ache quite a bit. Once there, he stripped off his clothing and tossed it to the side before hopping into the little fountain.
He quickly rinsed off, then grabbed the small box of soap he'd been allowed to bring out to use. He wasn't really a fan of the stuff, and he'd gotten the lightest scented one, which was rose and honey, but still... a wolf had no reason for human soaps.
If Vrasje hadn't made it mandatory to wash once in a while in order to come into his house, he wouldn't have touched the stuff.
Glowering to himself, he began lifting the bar to his most troublesome area, according to the vampire.
Stupid human armpits.
His wolf had never smelled bad to others.
"Morning, little Ilio."
Huh?
Looking up, since he'd found himself a nice spot to sit down in the water, he realized that he now had a visitor.
Why is he here?
He knew that the pirate wasn't on great terms with lord Vrasje, considering what the man's friend had mentioned at the market the other day.
So what reason would he have to come to such a place?
"I was just in the neighborhood and caught your scent," the man said as he nimbly hopped up onto the edge of the fountain, then grinned down at him as he nudged the brim of his hat with a light flick.
"What is my naked friend doing out here so early? Surely you aren't bathing in a decorative fountain?" the man asked, making him frown.
Was it so bad to be bathing outside in a decorative fountain? He could have gone to find a pond, but he didn't really think it mattered much. They were on private property so it was highly unlikely that unfamiliar people would appear.
And yet here is the pirate from yesterday.
...
Wait a second!
Narrowing his eyes, he looked down at the man's wrist and scowled.
"Give that back, pirate."
The man didn't seem to have heard him. Instead of responding to his words, he nudged off his high boots and then stepped into the fountain barefoot.
Before he could get out another sentence the man sat down right in front of him and reached forward in a blur, grabbing his chin as he tilted it the slightest bit upward.
"Let's get better acquainted, my friend. My name is not pirate, but Inkani. I am the captain of a beautiful ship called the Black Raven," he said, then raised an eyebrow at him.
Um...
"Okay," was all he could think to say.
There hadn't been a question directed at him, so he wasn't sure why the man was looking at him expectantly. Eventually, that expectant expression withered away into one of confused intrigue as the man leaned forward a little.
"What is your name, little pup?"
Oh.
He was just about to reply brown wolf, because that was honestly what he was being called if someone needed his attention right now, but for some reason he bit back his words and simply stared back.
People normally gave each other names, to his knowledge, but no one had ever called him sâwait a second.
"Ilio," he replied abruptly, smiling a little as he figured out the question.
He'd never heard of that word, so surely it was the man presenting him with a name since he used it to address him already.
At first, Inkani's face didn't change a single bit as he continued to stare straight at him. However, after nearly a full minute of silence between them, the man's expression began to shift.
When he finally released his chin, only to lift that hand and pat him on the head, he knew that he'd gotten his question correct.
So my name is Ilio.
It didn't sound bad.
He lost himself a bit in his thoughts and paid for it with a swipe of soap across his eyes!
Thankfully, he managed to close them right before it got into them, but what the heck?!
"Why did you do that?" he asked and he quickly reached down to bring water up to wash his face.
It took him a few moments to remove it all, and while he washed it off he could feel the man moving around him in the water, circling him like a vulture observing a possible meal.
Once he had managed to clear the soap away from his eyes, Ilio looked up... at the same time the man sat back down in front of him on the edge of the fountain.
"Where did you come from, my Ilio?" Inkani asked, once again ignoring his previous question.
He knew the answer to his, though!
"The forest!" he chimed happily, his previous frustration lost to his excitement about the simple answer. Just like that.
The man's lips curved up into an appreciative smile as he reached forward again and settled his hand against his damp hair.
He liked the odd attention.
I'm probably just missing my pack.
A lot of his wolves loved to brush against him and lick his muzzle in submission. Of course, he doubted that Inkani was submitting to him in any way at the moment. The man was leaning over him, reaching over him, and touching him without permission.
The man was all dominance.
Considering he wasn't a werewolf, though, Ilio decided not to bother with any kind of correction.
"Indeed you did," Inkani finally said before reaching lower and retrieving the bar of soap from Ilio's hand.
"Come here, my pup."
His words were gentle yet somehow commanding at the same time.
He saw no reason to decline since the man wasn't being mean. Well, except when he'd swiped that soap across his eyes, but he hadn't seemed like he'd wanted to really hurt him. Besides, they were on Vrasje's property. If the vampire didn't know he was here yet, he'd likely know very shortly.
Once he scooted closer, Inkani reached back up and began rubbing the soap into his messy hair. It felt odd, and seemed odd, since his head never smelled, but he didn't mind just letting the man do what he wanted.
"Your hair is so dirty, little Ilio. Have you never washed it properly?" Inkani asked, making him glance up at him slightly.
"No, I don't like water," he replied, earning a chuckle from the man before he suddenly felt claws scratching at his scalp!
It startled him a bit, making him reach up and grab one of the man's wrists, but after a moment of hesitation he slowly lowered his arms back down and tilted his head slightly.
"Feel good, pup?" Inkani asked as he got busy scrubbing.
Ilio only gave a mumbled "mm," before turning to give the man his back, then leaning his wet head against his pants, dampening the fabric without a care.
"I've never seen a wolf so relaxed," Inkani mused as he finally finished his scrubbing and began simply wiping some of the soap that had dripped down Ilio's face gently back into his hair.
Ilio took a few extra moments to relax before he blinked open his right eye.
"You have met other wolves in this town?"
Inkani seemed to be observing him again as he gently guided his head to tilt this way or that with his hands, lifting it from where it rested against his knee with the utmost of care. He also began to gently rinse it out with some sort of ability he had, manipulating small portions of water to remove the soap without making him dip his entire head underwater.
He appreciated it.
"I have met no other wolf in this town, though I have heard of lord Taru's new heir."
Ilio nodded.
"He is also lord Vrasje's mate," he added.
The man's expression changed the slightest fraction, hinting at surprise, or maybe it was annoyance, before he quickly schooled it again with a sarcastic looking smile.
"I suppose I should leave him be, then."
They fell into a peaceful silence as the man continued his work. Normally, he wouldn't be so calm around others who weren't from his pack, but the vampire now guiding him gently by the shoulders to turn and face him again just didn't bother him.
When Inkani lifted a thumb up to press against his lower lip, Ilio blinked up at him, confused.
"Can I see your teeth, love?"
He had no idea what he wanted to do that for, but since it didn't really seem like an issue, Ilio slowly opened his mouth.
"Ah, there we are," Inkani said within only a few moments of looking around in his mouth.
When it seemed like the man intended to reach toward the tooth that often ached on the bottom, far left side, Ilio quickly leaned away and closed his mouth.
"Sorry, little one. Does that tooth hurt sometimes?" Inkani asked, earning a quick but small nod from Ilio.
I'm not little though...
It hurt all the time, though he was used to it by now. The only time he really had trouble with it was when he was eating.
"I'm afraid our time together is now over for today, but if you wish for some assistance with that tooth, you know where to find me," Inkani said before offering him one more slight smile as he stood up.
I know where to find him?
A faint rustle to his left alerted Ilio to others approaching, drawing his attention in that direction right before Vrasje appeared with two vampiric servants at his side.
"Inka, you should go. Lord Vrasâhuh?"
As he turned to address the man, his slight smile dropped into a frown.
He's... already gone?
(Why you already sizing up my poor boy like you're gonna sell him next chapter? XD)