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Ty Lee’s hunt had been going pretty well, all things considered. It wasn’t easy being a lone wolf, especially now that it was getting colder, but it was still better than having to endure her family, at least for now. She would probably go back to them eventually, maybe once autumn turned to winter and food and shelter became harder to come by. She did also kind of miss her family, more as a wolf than a human, but she wasn’t ready to admit that yet.
There was still some blood sticking to her face, smeared around her mouth and tickling her nose with its surprisingly delicious smell. The blood lust had been one of the more disorienting aspects of her early transformations, but now it felt as natural to her as walking on all fours or howling at the beautifully bright moon. It was still annoying to wake up in her human body, covered in half-dry and half-sticky blood that was nearly impossible to wash off.
But for now, she didn’t want to think about that. There were still several hours left before the moon would go down, and the forest was fresh and beautiful, perfect for running around and playing in the moonlight. She even chased a few squirrels, just because she wanted to and thought it was funny. She didn’t actually want to hurt them, she really just wanted someone to play with.
She was halfway up a tree, trying to get to a particularly pretty leaf she had spotted a few minutes ago, when she noticed her. Right there, walking barefoot through the dark forest in an expensive-looking robe, was the most beautiful woman Ty Lee had ever seen. There was something strange and distinctly not human about her though.
The first thing about the woman that Ty Lee noticed – once she managed to stop staring at her flawless face and nearly glowing eyes, that is – was that the human smell she had originally attributed to her wasn’t originally hers. It clung to her, sure, but not in the way a natural scent would, and it didn’t smell alive, the way humans were supposed to.
She also smelled like blood, still fresh but already starting to dry, and Ty Lee’s mind spun enough when she sensed it that it took her a moment to notice that it was definitely human blood, most likely from the same person whose scent trailed after the strange woman. It should have been disturbing, but Ty Lee found herself being drawn in by the scent, and by the strange woman’s beauty, instead.
Ty Lee decided to just keep watching her for a while, partly because she really wanted to see what this stranger was up to but partly also just because she had nothing better to do. Why wouldn’t she watch the pretty woman who walked alone in the woods smelling of someone else’s blood? She had already eaten and it was certainly better than chasing squirrels, or her own tail, or just walking around aimlessly.
The only light source around was the moon, and the trees stood close enough that even most of her dim light didn’t reach the ground, but at least in this form, Ty Lee’s eyes were adept at seeing in the dark so she could still make out every detail of the woman, from her incredibly soft-looking hair all the way to the barely-there footprints she left in the soft earth. The woman didn’t seem to notice that she was being watched, at least at first.
Then she was suddenly looking directly at Ty Lee, with something like cold curiosity in her eyes, and Ty Lee had to fight all of her instincts just so she wouldn’t embarrass herself by wagging her tail at the attention like some stupid dog would. Her excitement was probably still obvious, but at least some of her dignity remained, even if it wasn’t much.
Her paws made no noise but left far deeper tracks than the definitely not human woman’s feet, and she moved slowly so she wouldn’t scare the stranger off. That felt unnecessary, because she didn’t even look slightly worried, but Ty Lee didn’t want to risk anything so she tried to look as small and harmless as possible, and made her eyes go wide in what she knew was an adorable expression.
In response, the stranger raised one perfect eyebrow while staring directly into her eyes, and Ty Lee had to stop herself from dropping down by her feet and whining for more attention. Instead, she just tilted her head to one side and did her best to smile, though she was probably just showing off her still slightly bloody teeth. Any human would have run away screaming, but the stranger just smiled back, revealing a set of equally sharp and bloody teeth of her own. Ty Lee could have swooned.
Instead she just kept staring, wide-eyed and curious, until something in the woman’s expression changed. She must have seen something she liked because she leaned down slightly, bringing her face close to Ty Lee’s – who had to use all of her self control to not lick the blood off her face – and speaking to her. Her voice was surprisingly rough and her tone maybe a bit harsh, but she didn’t sound upset or annoyed, which was a good start.
“It is curious to see one of your kind out alone but I cannot sense more anywhere near so I assume you are a lone wolf. If that is the case, I am willing to offer you companionship, at least for a little while. I have a house nearby for when I desire to get away from everything, you could stay there – with me – for a while if you wish…”
Nodding was always weird in her wolf form but Ty Lee did it anyway, nearly bumping into the ground more than once and getting dizzy from how fast she was moving. It would have probably been embarrassing, but Ty Lee just decided not to think about it because if she did, she would have definitely run away to hide somewhere far away. Instead, she just kept grinning, her mouth wide open and her tail wagging like crazy, while she waited to see what would happen next.
The woman looked her for a few moments and eventually introduced herself as Azula – which fit her perfectly – even asking fro Ty Lee’s name before she realized that she obviously couldn’t answer any questions right now. To her credit, she didn’t seem too embarrassed by it, though she did blink a few times as soon as the words left her mouth and turned around to walk away not long after.
Ty Lee followed her immediately, running circles around her because she was far too excited to move at a normal-for-humans pace, and letting out the occasional happy bark, just because she felt like it. Azula, on the other hand, walked at a steady pace, never straying from her path by even an inch, though she did occasionally look around to watch Ty Lee instead of the forest in front of her.
They had already been walking for a while when the trees around them changed, getting older and darker, and Ty Lee was starting to get a bit uneasy at it all. She managed not to whine, but she stopped running off every other step and stuck close to Azula’s side instead. She had literally just met the other woman – who was clearly very dangerous in her own right – but for some reason, she already felt safe around her.
Azula must have noticed how scared Ty Lee was getting, because she placed a surprisingly gentle hand into the soft fur on top of her head, right between her ears, and scratched soothingly. She also leaned down to whisper a quiet “don’t worry, I’ll protect you” directly into one of her sensitive ears, and just like that, Ty Lee forgot all about her fear, and everything else that wasn’t the beautiful woman by her side.
The rest of their walk passed in a haze, and the next thing Ty Lee knew, they were standing in front of an imposing stone house, Azula pushing open a dark door made out of what looked like extremely heavy wood, and Ty Lee following her inside without a second thought. The interior was surprisingly comfortable, with heavy rugs on the floor and several sofas oriented around a wide fireplace.
Ty Lee let herself fall heavily onto the softest of the rugs and curled up in front of the still-warm fireplace, tired after a long night full of emotions, and closed her eyes, suddenly close to sleep. The last thing she felt was Azula placing a warm blanket over her, then she was out for good, sleeping well into the next day.
When she woke up, she was human again, and lying in a bed she had never seen before, wrapped up in blankets that smelled like Azula and more comfortable than she had been in a long time. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to being open but as soon as they did, they fell directly onto Azula, who was sitting in a high-backed chair next to the bed and watching her with a small smile on her lips. Smiling back was the most natural thing Ty Lee had ever done.