Delfina
Dawn had just begun to creep up over the tall, mighty trees within Lerwick. Each yellow, brown and orange leaf seemingly glowing to life once the sun kissed each individual one. Birds that could be seen fluttering around overhead within the cloudy blue skies chirped and sang as they danced around; picking a partner to huddle up with on a branch that overlooked a large swimming pond below. All seemed peaceful. Calm. Perhaps even *Too* Calm. There were no townspeople in sight, nor were there hardly any animals to be seen within the small clearing.

Just simple bliss. 
 *Though not for long.*

Rustling from nearby bushes cut the pleasant atmosphere like a loud crescendo. A harsh **Stomp** Padded out from the clearing to reveal a formidable creature- Towering over on all fours, a large, pitch black dire wolf limped its way from behind the bush it must have been hiding in. Blood trickled down the animal's massive left paw and bib, leaving a small puddle trail behind as it lingered over towards the pond- It's red eyes brooding around silently. The birds within the trees seemingly screeched in warning to one another as they fled from the area, taking flight high above the skies to migrate some place else. Though, none of it seemed to bother the giant creature one bit.

Sauntering slowly towards the edge of the water, the dire wolf stretched down it's neck and took a small drink before letting out a soft, guttural sigh. After a moment of standing still, the animal then strided into the pond. Slow and steady, the wolf floated into the deep in; hovering around with it's head tilted up above comfortably. While it looked very uncommon for a creature such as a wolf to willingly heed themselves into open waters, this one seemed rather content. And after a long moment, the hell hound simply.. Went under.
Magdalena
Following, though perhaps unwittingly, was a large man in armor. 

The man was absolutely massive - standing at a well-muscled six feet and eight inches, with a few crocodile scales peeking out from his shoulders, he cut an imposing figure.

His eyes were a sea-green shade, his hair a tawny brown. The man was clad in steel armor of high quality, which bore the emblem of the Royal family on it. He was of course off-duty, but it was his prerogative to wear the King's colors as a member of the prince's household knights.

His hair was cut short, practical to fit into a helm or other headwear, and he carried with him a steel mace on his hip beside a dagger of plain make. The smile he wore extended to the corners of his eyes, and it was clear that he most enjoyed the current situation. He felt quite a bit at home here.

He made his way to the edge of the water, relaxed onto his back, and began sunning himself. The cold blood of a crocodile lent him a fondness for sunny days and time spent by the water - even if he could maintain thermal homeostasis otherwise. He was a shifter, after all. Not simply an animal...
Delfina
Had the dire wolf felt unsure of it's surroundings, it most likely wouldn't have gone into the pond where others could see. The hellhound had smelled something a bit off the moment it had reached the pond, but chose not to care as much. If something were to attack, it would have done so already. Unbeknownst to anyone however, this wasn't just any wolf. The moment the large creature dived under, staying there for quite some time- the blackness that bobbed out soon after wasn't one of an animal. 

Gracefully breaching from the water's pull, a woman was now seen standing up within the shallow end. Her long black hair was a similar color to the wolf that had first entered- its shiny, silky glow shimmering from the water's reflection and the sun bouncing off. However, if it wasn't a give away this woman was a shapeshifter.. Her hands that dragged through her scalp moved past the top of her head to reveal those large black fluffy ears. They shook and twitched the water off slightly as the woman stretched her arms above her head slowly- revealing her gentle, water kissed pale skin. 

There was a tinge of pain the moment the shapeshifter stretched, the large gash still curling around her arm. Sighing softly, the dire wolf inspected the wound. Her jaw tensing as she remembered just how she got it. Though, her thoughts were quickly caught off at the sound of metal clanking behind her. With the flutter of her ears first- the shapeshifter whipped her head around to find someone sitting beside the edge of the pond. Her eyes narrowed a moment, one red one light blue. And as the two would seemingly lock gazes, the woman finally spoke up. 

"Come to watch the show, or pick a fight?" 

The tone in the wolf's voice was sour and blunt. Yet held a mysterious feel of curiosity and playfulness within it. Giving no mind to the watcher, the hellhound turned her head away once more as she went back to cleaning herself off. Ridding herself from dirt, mud and blood.
Magdalena
*Now, that was interesting. There were not a lot of instances in recent memory where he could recall a beautiful woman was underwater, waiting to pop up and surprise him. But here he was, and here she was. Rikard's grin widened as she spoke, a toothy sort of expression that spoke of good humor and the sense that he was enjoying himself. Tawny brown hair and green eyes were nothing to match the woman's seemingly porcelain skin and ebony hair, but he was fairly certain he wasn't the ugliest of men.

Even so, it was striking that she was as beautiful as she turned out to be. It was quite a contrast from Ghorza in the tavern, though the former had her own style of beauty - athleticism and well-toned muscle as opposed to the delicate and graceful movements of Maeve.*

"I came to sun myself near the pond. I must have missed the part when you went in, but considering the situation, I'm glad I was here for this part." *He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound in the back of his throat that didn't seem **Quite** In the realm of human possibility. He was laying on his back, propped up against a tree, and decided that the best way to relax was to catch a few rays in the forest.*

"I won't say I'm *Opposed* To the show, but I didn't come to fight. If I did, I'd be at a bar somewhere instead of out in nature. Nature doesn't put up much of a fight except when you're looking for food." *He mused, scratching his shoulder with a gauntleted hand.* "I'm Rikard. Nice to meet you."
Delfina
"Is that so?" The stranger called out intriguingly, a small smile of her own forming on the corners of her mouth as she listened on. Usually, the shapeshifter was used to one of two things. One being always thrown into a fight, whether it was intentional or not. And two, cat called in her human form everywhere she went. However, the wolf didn't mind, she was confident enough in her features to know when someone meant well or just wanted to see what was under her fur. With her bare back still turned, the woman slowly brought her long hair around her shoulder and began to wring it out. Given she had been stripped of her clothes from shifting, she allowed the water to hide the more *Secluded* Parts of her, along with the help of her hair to hide her chest. 

Looking back over her shoulder, the wolf raised a brow at the man's unique laugh; taking note of the reverberating hums in his throat. He wasn't a human, that much she could smell out. "Well i'll be damned. A predator who doesn't want to fight. I suppose pretty boys like you have to keep their teeth in check, no?" It was a bit of a sarcastic compliment, one that poked fun at the mans clad armor and well off appearance. People who seemed a bit on the royal side always rubbed the girl the wrong way, but perhaps it was just a personal preference. 

Pulling her long, bushy tail up from the water, the shapeshifter shook it in the mans general direction playfully- sprinkling a mist of cool water his way. "Spare a cloth or two, big guy?" She asked, nodding towards his armor. Surely he had to be layered in something he could easily remove, otherwise, the shapeshifter would have to resort back to her four legged state. Those sharp eyes never left Rikard as she watched him, examining his visible scales and broad features that seemed a bit too uncanny. All of it made her more intrigued. And as she stood in wait, the wolf finally introduced herself.

"I'm Maeve, though the pleasure is all mine."