Ranuk had never made an elf smile before. He's only ever seen their teeth bared at him, their dark mouths like gashes in their faces, like wounds the flesh twisted around, warped with hatred and malice. That's all he's ever known of them, every interaction had been bathed with bloodlust, every meeting an act of war. It had become the default in his mind on a subconscious level, those murderous sneers etched permanently on their faces. To see an elf without that expression was an anomaly to Ranuk, an oddity.<br/><br/>To see Tamlin smile, he looked like an entirely different creature all together.<br/><br/>Ranuk hadnt known that elves were capable of that, of allowing their faces to fall into such softness, such gentleness. He didnt know their eyes could glimmer, filled with lightness, and their lips could quirk with sincerity.<br/><br/>It created quite a dissonance in Ranuk's mind, and he felt halted in his seat of grass, a jerk in his chest that stopped him mid-step though he hadnt been moving at all.<br/><br/><i>Oh.... </i>was all he could think.<br/><br/>Tamlin opened his mouth to say more but he was interrupted by the clanging of distant bells. The sound had shocked him out of... whatever that was, and Ranuk lifted his head, ears perked to the noise very much like a dog would. He looked down to find Tamlin looking anxious as he signed an explanation.<br/><br/>Prayers, yes. Elves do that for some reason. He's never heard it explained why but it seemed very important to them as they did it even between battles, using crucial down time to pray when they should have been recuperating.<br/><br/>-Go on- Ranuk signed, nodding his head in gentle dismissal. It was part of the agreement that Tamlin was allowed to worship whenever he wished, so Ranuk did not get in the way when the elf seemed so eager to go.<br/><br/>He would see Tamlin again at the feast and, oddly enough, he looked forward to it.<br/><br/><br/>------------<br/><br/>Meanwhile, in another part of the castle Ursalo tracked down the red headed elf that had fascinated him so. It was easy enough to do, he simply followed the smell of fresh apples and sunshine.<br/><br/>The snake caught up to him soon enough, spying the elf's bright, lovely hair, so eye catching against the dark stone walls. Moving quickly, Ursalo managed to slither ahead by hiding in the shadows and crawling on the ceiling. He placed himself in a corridor just off the path Jera was taking, and waited for the elf to pass, his snakes quivering with the urge to his in excitement.<br/><br/>Just as Jera walked by, Ursalo snatched his wrist in an immovable grip and pulled him into the other hall. It took very little strength to press him into the wall, Ursalo's hand splayed across his chest to keep him there.<br/><br/>"Hello, little elf," Ursalo whispered, yellow eyes, his and his snakes, gleamed in the dim light,  his ever present smile curling his thin lips, though he was very careful not to show any teeth.