A slow, melodic hum clung to the air, rendering it cold enough to draw shivers out of the hardiest of men. The voice was low, a gravelly tone echoing down the alleyway as someone wandered into the dim light of the back-route.
Loptr’s lips stretched taut, the skin cracking and bleeding as he did so, as he pulled those timeless lips into a malicious smile. The sound was haunting, the ancient, wordless tales of men and gods he had watched from birth until death pass him and seek a higher way of life than that which he offered… Loptr was the first of the gods. Loptr was the last of them. Loptr was all that was left of the gods who once deemed themselves so much higher than he…
And now he wandered down the alley, his long, bony, yellowed fingers scratching their long talons along the wall. The sound of nails down a chalkboard accompanying his melody.
“Come now…” Loptr started in a low, teasing snarl. “Surely you know it folly to wander th’ backstreets on such a dark night? Who knows what yeh might find… Anything could be out here in th’darkness.”
It was rather uncharacteristic of the maiden to find herself without the company of another, other than the beast trotting at her side. Besides, the walk back to her temporary residence wasn’t too far from where she was and the woman was in need of some fresh air. It was unfortunate that something unsavory was lingering about at this hour.
Hurried steps, and light foot falls, had lead her near an alleyway, where something had drawn her attention. It was a faint sound, hardly audible unless one had drawn ever so close to this location. Depths of green had narrowed slightly at the humming, though when glancing about to the corner of her gaze, she saw nothing - yet. Finding it was best to keep moving, the canine reached for her leg and captured some of the fabric of her dress, tugging her lightly to her destination. There was a whine though that caught her attention, more-so than his insistent tugging. As the figure drew closer, she realized why immediately.
The sound was irritating, forcing a shiver to run down her frame as if a jolt had hit her. Her features contorted into a grimace as she tried reaching to her elongated ears, from underneath the length of red curls. Aunduin, turned around to stand before his maiden; lips were pulled back to reveal the malignant set of ivories that snapped when he barked and made such a racket that it resonated into the night air - but did nothing to ease her drumming heart.
This voice was not of some bandit or lech that was sauntering in the tapestry of darkness. The unfamiliar aura coming from the alley made her skin crawl as gooseflesh started to work its way down the length of her arms and her hair stood on end at the back of her neck. However, she tilted her chin up and settled the bag she had been carrying in her arms to bravely, or foolishly, face who had been stalking in the shadows.
“Whatever lies in the dark should remain there, for the cover of shadows would suit them best,” her voice did not have any hint of a tremble or fear. Her tongue was sharp for a woman who was alone. “Let’s wander off, no use in remaining here, there are some distasteful folk about and we do not have to be exposed any longer to them,” such hushed words were meant only for the beast, who now was far more eager than before to lead her away from here.