“So, what exactly does a binding entitle?” Krya asked, she was resting on a grassy knoll, one hand fishing through a platter that had been brought to her in search of a particular berry that she seemed to enjoy, the other was holding a wooden cup that looked a lot like a flagon that had been grown from a tree, not carved, but grown. The cup’s contents were sweet, with only the slightest alcoholic kick, which is why she had grabbed it, they couldn't afford to get to drunk, seeing as the first tournament was tomorrow. She glanced over at Gwenice’s mother, who was currently on her fourth or fifth cup of some sort of wine.

“Well, there's the party, obviously, then there is the transfer, and afterward there is the consummation,” she responded her words only slightly slurred.

“Give me that, you need to be sober enough to be able to do the transfer,” Caitlyn sntched the cup out of her hand and drowned its contents before her mate could react.

“You are no fun,” she groaned.

“So what exactly is the transfer, I mean I get the party part and I and guess what you mean by the consummation-” Krya started to say, but was cut off at that point by the headmistress.

“No you can’t, I am sure many a young man and woman were disappointed when they learned that the consummation was not what they were expecting,” she laughed, her hand raising to her face to attempt to push the glasses that were not there up on her nose. She sighed and instead settled for pushing the hair out of her eyes and tucking it back behind an ear.

“Were you disappointed?” Moina asked, she wrapped her arm around Caitlyn's waist and pulled her in closer.

“Disappointed? No, more like relieved,” she snorted.

“So if it is not what I think it is then what is it?” Krya asked, this, this was why she hated going to events and parties, no matter what or who people always got distracted and the conversation got pulled in too many directions at once.

“What?” the headmistress looked back at the now slightly annoyed Krya and realise she had forgotten that they had even been talking, “Sorry this mead is strong, it hits you pretty quick,” she laughed, and like that she dropped like a stone, eyes rolling back, and the cup falling out of her hand to roll down the hill. Moina caught her with a casual grace and laid her head across her legs smiling as she combed out her hair.

“Is she ok?”Lira asked peaking at the headmistress from around Leon.

“She’ll be fine, just have to sleep it off,” Moina laughed, “Serves the girl right for drinking Hymwine, I warned her many times,” she shook her head, “In fact I am the only one here who should be drinking it,” she continued brushing her long green fingers through Caitlyn’s hair with a soft lovingness that seemed to radiate off of her.

“Well fluffy seems to be having a good time,” Leon said, drawing everyone's attention back to the crowds of dryads down below, they had abandoned chasing off the wildlife, instead they dined with them, some even feeding the wolves and foxes and other creatures like favored pets. There was one group of dryads however that was acting differently. Down to the right side of the hill was a group that had found some instruments and were currently dancing, and amongst them was a certain wolf woman with dark skin and light hair. She had somehow shed all of her clothing, but that was not what made her stand out, rather it was seemingly normal for the dryads to be naked. It was instead the way she was dancing that was different, while the dryad’s dance was graceful and smooth like the wind through the leaves, Fluffy’s was aggressive, full of sharp movements and turns like she was a wolf on the prowl. As he watched she even through her head back and howled, though there was no moon in sight.

“Let's go!” Gwenice shouted, bounding up pulling Leon to his feet with her.

“Go?” he looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language, “Go where?”

“Dance!” she shouted practically dragging him along behind her, her deer-like legs working furiously at the ground as she attempted to pull him along as he resisted.

“I don't dance,” he smiled back, but still refused to move.

“Can't or don't?” she asked him coyly, and almost laughed when a vein showed upon his forehead.

“Don’t,” he growled through a smile. “I can dance, I simply choose not to.”

“It's probably because your no good at it,” she shrugged and let go of his hand. She turned away from him and walked a few steps with a noticeable bounce. She turned back towards him her green eyes lit from within by a coy light.

“I know what you are doing,” he said crossing his arms and cocking his head to the side, “bating me, using my pride against me.” it was a statement, not a question. “You know what the worst part about all of that is?” he asked.

“What?” she smiled, her long deer-like ears flopping to the side as she mimicked his motion.

“That it's fucking working,” he growled, and in a single motion he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder, starting down the hill to the knot of dryads.

“Put me down!” she screamed even as a laugh bubbled up in her throat.

“Nope!”

“Can't or won't?” she asked.

“Won’t,” he said, his hand that he had over her thighs to hold her in place over his shoulder moving up to grip her pert backside, she screamed again, this time for a different reason.

“He actually can’t,” Lira said, a smile on her lips, “dance that is,” she snatched the wine cup out of Krya’s hand and took a sip, watching him from over the rim of the cup as he made his way towards the throng of dancers.

“You two aren't going to go join them?” Moina asked looking up from Caitlyn’s hair, she had somehow flipped the woman over and had braided her long blonde hair in the most intricate pattern Lira had ever seen.

“No, its good for her,” Lira said, smiling as she watched Leon fumble around, pretending like he knew what he was doing while Gwenice danced literal circles around him, in a rather seductive dance that involved a lot of rubbing on him if she as anyone to judge.

“Do you ever get jealous?” Moina asked, she looked over at Lira, and then over at Krya.

“I used to, but then I realized something,” she looked at Moina and smiled. “I realized that just because he loves another woman does not mean he loves me any less, love is not something that can be quantified by an amount, only by a magnitude.”

“Many would disagree, but I can say that I do not, I have lived a long time, loved many people and I have found that even though I love one does not mean I do not love another just as much,” she looked down at Caitlyn. “This is my mate, and I love her just as much as my previous mates, and I am sure my future mates, and it does not diminish the love I feel for her, now or in the future.”

Lira nodded, looking back down at the dance, “You know what?” she said, ditching the cup even though it had some of the drink left in it, “Let's go.”

“Go where?” Krya asked, her eyes wide and a small smudge of dark berry liquid on the corner of her mouth. Lira pulled her up and dove in, licking away the dark juice that stained her lips, Krya’s face got red, but Lira didn't pay any attention, she simply grabbed her by the hand and dragged her to the ever-growing dance down at the base of the hill.

“We cant let her steal him away, now can we?” she laughed, “Let's go show her how real dancing is done...”