Lore

By the time Lore led his friend to the thermal fields, the snow had given way to dark, exposed earth and small patches of greenery, where low-growing vegetation managed to cling to life in the buffer zones between the freezing winter temperatures and impossibly hot rocks. The wind could still be brutal here, in the relatively open lands that stretched out beyond the foothills of the Ochotona Mountains, but at least one's paws were kept warm by naturally heated earth. One only had to be careful that they didn't become too warm by stepping into any of the open lava pits or hot springs, but great bouts of steam marked where these danger areas were, and it was easy enough to avoid them.

"I came across this place three winters back." Lore announced as he looked over his shoulder to his new-found companion. "It's pretty easy to miss - I don't know if many others know about it." There was a bit of excitement in his eye as he said this, like a pup who'd caught their first bug or won a particularly grueling game of tug-o-war. "Just mind your footing..." The silvery wolf then stepped down past a low chunk of rock and twisted mass of dead vines, and disappeared entirely from sight, as if the ground had eaten him up. In reality, he'd slipped seamlessly into a small opening in the earth, one that could easily be mistaken for a shadow among the pile of already dark rocks and branches that were strewn across this particular stretch of ground.

The small hole in the ground opened up into a much larger tunnel that fed a few dozen yards down into the earth, opening up into a cavern large enough to comfortably fit an entire pack of wolves. A few beams of light shown down into the cave from smaller holes along the ceiling, offering plenty of light for the keen eyes of the wolves to see. Here, the ground was warm and the air pleasantly still, with only the sound of distant, trickling water to punctuate the calmness.

Aniyu

It was warm, and after being battered by the relentless winds at the peaks of the Croal Mountains, the change of pace was welcoming for the gray she-wolf. In immediate response to the introduction to this new territory, Aniyu's tail wags with delight. She prances a bit, unsure of the temperate feeling at her paws. A yip of pure joy emits from her throat as she breaks into a laugh, looking over at Lore. "This is wild!" she breathlessly admits.

Curiously, Aniyu follows a steamy seam, peaking down to see a faint glimmer of red-hot lava down below. Dipping her head down, she pears closer with a glitter of wonder. It's far from being a threat to any stray paws, but the she-wolf is cast into wonder at the hot liquid below. Never before has she seen the domes. Aniyu picks her head up, a dash of soot now marring her nose. The she-wolf suddenly looks around warily, not spotting her silvery companion. Distressed, she holds her breath with pricked ears. There. Paw steps. She leaps forward over the rocky terrain, eyes searching frantically until she finds the opening into the ground.

"Lore?" She woofs, before sliding into the ground. The slant and darkness takes her by surprise. The she-wolf loses control of her paws, gravity sweeping her off her feet and projecting her down the yards-length of the tunnel. She's thrown into the small cavern, landing clumsily on her back. Blue eyes gaze up at a crack in the ceiling, where a pale beam of sunlight lands in her face. She's breathless, both from the shock of her tumble and the awe of the secret little hiding spot. When she finally regains her breath, she states, "I think I found your secret hiding place," while still laying on her back. She seeks her eyes over to Lore, smiling.

Lore

'-Lore?-' The she-wolf's woof was muffled from above, and he half-debated trying to hide further in the cave in a bout of puppish deviousness. This game of ambush was dismissed just as soon as it entered his thoughts though, for he could hear the note of distress in Aniyu's voice, and didn't want to further stress her, nor chase off the first friend he'd had in a very long time.

"You're close-"

The tell-tale slip of paws and plinking of tiny stones and loose sod interrupted Lore. He knew before looking that the wolfess had lost her footing and was now at gravity's mercy as she tumbled headlong into the cave, ending up on her back with a faint cloud of dust rising up and wafting through the air around her. The brute had spun around, eyes wide with concern as looked to the now upside-down wolf, "Aniyu! You okay?" Behind him, his tail swayed slowly, then quickened when he was met with a smile and reassuring words. "I should have warned you about that. But hey, you're landing was better than mine when I first found this place." Though it didn't look like her pride had suffered any harm in the tumble, Lore felt compelled to share his own less than graceful discovery of the cavern.

Aniyu

There's another chuckle that rattles deep within Aniyu's chest. For a dazed moment, she remains on the floor of the cavern with a fascinated stare at the cracks in the ceiling, light pooling in slender beams. Her wonderment comes to a halt as the she-wolf recognizes that her remaining in this position isn't extremely comfortable, nor comforting for her companion who is probably concerned from her cascade into the cavern. Rolling over and thrusting herself back onto her paws, Aniyu gives her fur a firm shake before meeting Lore's eyes. "I totally intended for that..." She sarcastically remarks with a foolish smile. "Didn't you hear that rolling downhill is a more efficient method of travel?"

Her tail wags, blue eyes surveying the sacred simplicity of this cavern. It's quiet down here, and temperate. "So did you purposely find this place?" She quizzes, eyes tracing the way she'd come down. "If I hadn't heard you scurry away down here, I'd never know that entrance existed!"

Lore

Away from the howling winds above and varied cries of birds and other beasts, the cavern truly was a quiet, serene place that offered the senses a reprieve from the outside world. There was no harsh lights, no blaring sounds, and no disorienting gusts of wind - just a pleasant calmness and ambient warmth that cared not for what turmoils might be swirling just a few dozen yards above. Lore didn't immediately relax into this though, not until he was certain his companion hadn't suffered any harm in her less than conventional entrance to the secret lair. Only once she was on her feet, showing no winces nor stiffness to indicate harm, did Lore loosen up and let his banner wave more freely behind him. "You know, I think I did hear that somewhere, once." A lopsided grin overtook his long muzzle, which he then turned and used to gesture towards the gaping darkness before them, "'Purposefully' is a bit of a strong word; you might say I stumbled across it."

The gray-toned brute took a few strides deeper into the cavern, leaving the details of the unintentional discovery up to her imagination. He was relishing the vague warmth of the stone floor against his cold paws, and sniffing lightly at the still air, just to make sure there were no unexpected guests here. At the very least, no bears or big cats. Satisfied that the cave was safe, Lore continued his slow plod across the chamber, meandering in an idle way to give Aniyu time to explore it as well. "It does offer a certain tranquility to it. Other than escaping the cold, I come here to think sometimes."

Aniyu

The muddied female gave a comfortable stretch as the warmth sunk into her fur, meandering its way to her flesh. She hasn't felt this comfort and tranquility in weeks, perhaps during the Indian Summer just before winter hit full swing. Eyelids flutter over her blue eyes as she stifles a yawn, humming softly as her jaws close and she resumes into a standing position. She amuses herself with the thought that they went from polar opposites of the valley, the peak of the Croal Mountains, into the chasms of the Ashen Domes. She watches Lore with shining eyes, smiling broadly. "I'll say...this evens out our trade, since I did reveal to you my sightseeing spot on the mountain," she jests, tail wagging. "Though, I think this one wins for the day. It's warm and quiet...perfect for the weather."

As Lore slips further into the cavern, Aniyu cocks her head with a waver of uncertainty. For such a curious soul, there's an ounce of caution. Yet, the burning flame of curiosity, backed by some fire of bravery and excitement, pushes Aniyu forward to pad several steps at Lore's heels. She wasn't about to miss out on what secrets Lore's hiding place had. Nothing good was discovered staying under the umbrella of safety. "It's nearly silent down here, it would provide a good thinking space," she agrees with Lore. A wily grin pricks her face as she sizes up Lore, adding boldly, "What are you thinking right now?"

Lore

"Even." Lore confirmed with a smile of his own, stopping to look back over his shoulder and into the bright, friendly eyes of Aniyu. "A fair trade, too. This cave is nice for when the weather turns foul, but I'll bet that lookout is quite the treat when spring sets into full bloom. And that's just around the bend." The wolf turned once more, pointing his muzzle into the gaping darkness of the chamber, with one ear turned back to listen for the soft padding of his friend's steps. Just the thought of nicer weather and renewed life in the Valley buoyed his spirits further, setting the silvery brute's tail wagging all over again.

Minding his steps, and still moving slowly for Aniyu's sake, Lore continued onward to the back portion of the cavern, where a small pool of warm water collected in a natural basin among the rocky formations of the floor. Beyond that, a circular tunnel led deeper into the earth, but Lore didn't move a paw in that direction - there were no beams of light to offer any guidance past this central cave, and even Lore was not brave enough to explore in the pitch black of the unknown. Instead, he lowered his head to take a few laps of water, wrinkling his nose a bit at the strong mineral taste of it, but otherwise enjoying the warmth it brought.

"Hnn?" Copper eyes blinked up to Aniyu, caught off guard at the question. Lore raised his head, water dripping from his chin, "Heh, I suppose I got lost in those thoughts for a moment." A brief grin quickly gave way to that familiar smile, and once again, his tail swished behind him in simple merriment. "To be honest, I was thinking about how nicely this day turned out. And, how nice it is to be able to share it with a friend?"

Aniyu

Twisting deeper into the rocky veins of the earth, Aniyu's ears twitch with a mounting feeling of uncertainty as she follows Lore into the embrace of darkness. The dismay comes in a pair with adrenaline, though, and Aniyu is pleasantly surprised with the new chamber. It's so serene here. She sidles up beside Lore and the water, gazing down at her silhouette with the little light slipping into this cavern. The strong scent of minerals can be caught against the roof of Aniyu's mouth, earthen and bitter even without tasting it. An amused hum rises from her throat as she watches Lore try the water, reeling away with a scrunch of his nose.

Blue eyes scan the enveloping darkness, secretly wondering what lays ahead as the path delves deeper into the earth. Without a doubt, it was narrower and darker. Perhaps not worth getting stuck in, but the curiosity still remained. She glances back at Lore, head cocking as he replies to her question. "Friend," she nearly purrs, the word feeling as warm as the water at their paws. Happiness tugs at her tail as she ponders his words further. "I almost forgot what it's like to thoroughly enjoy the company of others," she admits wistfully, her voice a bit forlorn. "Wandering can be rewarding, don't get me wrong, but the constant striving on your own is taxing."

Lore

Somewhere far below them, the grumble and groan of the earth went undetected by all but the most seismically sensitive creatures, and Lore was not among them. What he could feel was that wonderful warmth radiating from magma pools below, the same pools that had once fed and given life to the cave they were exploring now, and was had lured him back time and again during the harshest of winter days in the Valley. Today, though, he'd come here not just to relieve his frosty paw pads and chilled bones, but to share it with someone else for a change. And that brought warmth to a place that even the distant magma could not reach; his heart.

"When I was younger, I longed for freedom. That many siblings will do that to you." Lore added his own insight to the yearning for independence and the sort freedom one gets from not being tied down to a pack and territory. His copper eyes twinkled with the memory of his parents and seven siblings, and how hectic it had been at times. "And I've truly enjoyed it over the years, hardships aside." Now a knowing look was shared with Aniyu as he added his next line, "I can't say I don't miss conversation though, and just... well, interacting with others." Hearing the almost melancholy note in her voice, Lore purposefully brightened his tenure and raised his head a stitch, "If you ever wanted a break from wandering, I wouldn't mind sharing more of my haunts with you. And of course a few hunts or so, too."

Aniyu

Aniyu can't help but study the exceptional brute with amusement in her eyes. He is an easy fellow to bond with, and Aniyu finds a rushing sensation of complete joy in his presence. He's a free spirit such as she. And for the while, Aniyu believed that to live up to such moniker meant to spend it alone. But today alone began to prove to the young she-wolf that the lifestyle wasn't exactly a place for the lonely. In actuality, some of the best kept secrets of this Valley were much better when shared with someone else.

On the topic of family, Aniyu feels the haunting of her past rattle itself from the cobwebs wedged in the rear of her mind. The she-wolf suppresses the distant howl of her long-lost family, not allowing it to disrupt the happiness she found here, and now. She refuses to ruin things. Instead, Aniyu smiles warmly at the thought of a young Lore and his tumultuous bunch of siblings. What chaos seven wolf pups would be, Aniyu silent thinks to herself. Her blue eyes glimmer in the desperate light of the cavern, a little chuckle arousing itself from her throat. She agreed with him, though for differing reasons. A lonely child, after losing her siblings, Aniyu had always yearned for freedom to rid herself of the burden of over-bearance. Her parents love Aniyu, there's little doubt even today of that, but the she-wolf could not function under their over-concerning eyes. Once her mother gave birth to another set of pups, Aniyu felt it was the right time to leave. And while living the rover-lifestyle, where the only call one answers to was the howl of the wind, was every part of what Aniyu imagined, suddenly she recognizes the primal fulfillment of the wolf she'd been missing out on this whole time. Companionship.

But today she finds a friend. And suddenly the puzzle piece puts itself together. Aniyu reaches out with her nose, touching it to Lore's shoulder with a soft sigh. Blue eyes fixate themselves to Lore's copper ones, warmth radiating from her stare. "Lucky for you, I love exploring," Aniyu responds with a smirking smile, "And let's be honest, everything is better when shared with like-minded company."

Lore

The stocky brute was still unaware of vast difference between his own chaotic but joyful upbringing, shared with so many brothers and sisters and a pair of parents who about ran themselves ragged just trying to keep up with them, and the far less cheerful past of his new companion. He'd caught a brief glimpse into a troubled puphood back on the mountains while talking to Aniyu, but hearing her soft chuckle here in the present, and seeing the glimmer of light and enjoyment in her blue eyes, it didn't occur to Lore that her own history was not a pleasant stroll down memory lane. Had he known any of that, the wolf would have been a bit more conscientious of his words. Blissfully ignorant however, Lore was lost in the moment and enjoying every second of it.

The darkened atmosphere, and the quietness afforded to them by so many meters of solid rock separating them from the noisy, chilled word above, made it all the easier to truly focus on Aniyu, and to really listen to her words and tones alike. He'd completely relaxed now, his paws warmed and his previously chilled fur now toasty and comfortably settled against his body. The only thing to disrupt that was a wet nose suddenly pressing with a light touch to his shoulder, followed by what he could only describe as a content sigh. In that moment, Lore found his tail swaying for perhaps the hundredth time since first climbing the mountain this morning.

His heart stirred a little, and he was the one to break the stare between them by reaching forward with his muzzle and settling for a moment against her forehead. It was perhaps a bold move, but not out of place for a wolf like Lore, who followed his heart and mind with little hesitation. With this friendly, wolvish embrace made, Lore pulled his head back so that he could again look into her eyes, "I think exploring with a friend will be a bit more enjoyable than with a horde of noisy brothers and sisters." His eyes shown with a smile, highlighted by a weak beam of pale sunlight. "If we're going to be sharing hunts and travels, I suppose we should share some stories too?"

Aniyu

Maybe it was the swirl of warmth around her fur, tied with the intimacy of being brought together underneath the outer skin of the earth, but Aniyu felt small once again. The sort of small when a pup is pressed up against its mother. Safe. Bright blue eyes gaze up at Lore, eyelashes fluttering with delighted surprise as he reaches over, pushing his muzzle against her head. Within her stomach, there's a lightness that radiates through her abdomen into her limbs. Aniyu smiles, her tail wagging along her back legs. Several seasons, Aniyu had known nothing more than being her own entity. But here and now, the embrace of togetherness made her heart swell. As Lore retracts his head, she tilts her own nose to brush against his muzzle. "I'll try to be better than a noisy bunch of siblings," she jests, eyes shining in the waning sunlight that still flows in thin beams into the cavern.

She tilts herself back into a seated position, front paws touching the soft surface of the water. For a moment, she gazes down at the water before glancing back at Lore. "Where do we start?" She asks with a hum. "I can tell you about my most embarrassing moments first...like when I got spooked by a hare on the prairie." A wicked smile once again forms on her lips, tail wagging. She loves how silly and open she can be with Lore, and how he accepts her for it. Yes. He was a good thing.

Lore

Lore eased himself back onto his silvery haunches, content to simply sit down and enjoy the company he'd been without for so long. From starting off the day as he had any other, with no real objection in mind other than 'stay alive, find some food, wander around a bit', to now sharing it with a fae who all but made his heart sing with happiness, Lore was pretty happy with how things had turned out. Sure, he'd only known her for an hour or so, but they seemed to click well with one another, and he'd found an immediate liking for her humor and personality. And this desire for companionship that had sprung up in him only grew stronger as the minutes went by.

He felt the whiskers along his muzzle tingle at the brush of her own nose, and all at once wondered if his solo life had come to an end. Lore smiled inwardly, almost surprised at how little he cared if it was. His tail swayed a few more times before settling lightly against Aniyu's side. "I will say that, so far, you are much better company than them." The brute wrinkled his muzzle a bit for emphasis, even though he did love all of his many siblings, regardless of how annoying they had been at times. "You haven't even bitten my ear or tried to pull my tail off, so it's a great start."

As Aniyu settled in for a bit of storytelling, Lore exhaled softly, finding himself more and more at ease around her. When she looked up from the warm waters, Lore's eyes were already meeting hers, and beginning to crinkle with anticipated humor, "Oh, please do tell about that. You tell me about this hare, and I'll tell you about..." The wolf paused, shifting his gaze thoughtfully to the rocky ceiling above as he searched the banks of his memory for a good tale. With a devious grin, copper eyes shifted back to his friends, "..about the time a got duped by a turkey."

Aniyu

Laughter echoes against the walls of the cavern as Aniyu speculates the teasing of Lore's story. Blue eyes squint with delight. Once her laughter is contained, Aniyu draws in an anticipating breath while collecting the details of her story. "Well, it was probably my first few days out on my own," Aniyu commences, chuckling, "It's springtime, and I decided to go out to the prairie to find something to eat. I got caught up sniffing around, and I came across a den that I honestly thought was empty. Well, momma hare had some babies below the earth, and she heard my noisy self above ground. This hare comes streaking up from the ground, and I swear she was growling. She swipes me across the nose, and I was so stunned I think I took off faster than lightning." Mind dances back to that day with a hum of amusement. The naive wanderer that Aniyu was learned a bit from that encounter. She glances at Lore sheepishly, adding, "And there I was, forgetting I'm much bigger than that hare. But I left her alone after that. A momma that devout on protecting her young should be left alone, huh?"

The she-wolf pauses for a breathless moment, considering her own mother. It was because of her mother, pitting herself against the ravaging flames of a wildfire, that Aniyu was alive today. Aniyu smiles softly at the thought of her mother, a diminutive part of her missing the wolf. But then she reconsiders the very moment she lives in, blue eyes twinkling a bit as she takes in Lore's presence for the millionth time today. She feels full amongst him, and the concern dissipates from her mind with him. "Now, you better have a fine excuse to your turkey predicament. Because we're both shaping up to be poor predators," Aniyu jokes.

Lore

The echo of Aniyu's mirth was like music to Lore's ears after frequenting this cave so many times in silence, with the soft 'thud' of his paws being the only noise he was use to hearing. It was pleasant, and it lifted the brute's spirit a little higher than he thought possible. And as he listened eagerly to the tale that the wolfess divulged, a grin spreading across his long muzzle, Lore's own laughter soon followed her's. He could just imagine it now in his mind's eye, a young Aniyu stumbling across a den while a narrow-eye, bristling mother hare came rampaging out like a sow bear waking from hibernation. Also envisioned was a wide-eyed Aniyu getting smacked across the nose by a very brazen bunny, causing Lore's eyes to squint with humor, "You know, there's probably a whole extended family of bunnies out there now, telling the tale of how their great grandmother bravely rushed out and defeated a 'savage wolf' to save her kids." A chuckle followed this, before he quieted a little, "Wise on letting her go though, that takes some serious grit to chase off a predator that much bigger. And the audacity to take a swipe at you!"

Lore flexes his front front paws before him and rolls his shoulders a bit, as if gearing up for some major task. His amused expression shifts rather quickly to something a little more sheepish when Aniyu warns him jokingly about their hunting reputation, "I'm not sure if this tale will help our cause any, but here it goes-" The silvery male looks past his paws for a moment while his thoughts are ushered back to his earlier days, down in the forests of the lower Valley. "I was actually out looking for berries at the time, in a patch of woodlands. So I'm walking along, kind of lost in my own thoughts, when suddenly there's this loud... well, gobbling and rustling noise. I look ahead and see this turkey hen, at the top of this hill, just making an awful racket, squawking, pacing back and forth, bobbing her head about as they do." The wolf closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them with a look of faux regret, "I think 'Hey, easy prey! She doesn't even see me.' I crouch down and begin to stalk forward, and she keeps squawking and pacing about, dragging her wings on the ground - doesn't even notice me, she's being so loud! I get closer and she's still yelling up a storm, and I'm thinking she's either lost her mind or is injured somehow. But hey, easy prey, right? So, I get close enough that I can almost taste her... I lunge forward, jaws open, and she's pulls a one-eighty on me and up and bolts in the opposite direction. I end up sailing over the edge of the hill where she'd been standing, which happened to be a bit of a drop off into a creek."

Lore's ears fold back and he shakes his head, though a bemused grin tugs at the corner of his mouth. "As I'm spitting up water and scrambling onto dry land, I hear her in the distance, calling to her chicks to follow her away from area. I was so distracted by her ruse, I never even smelled the younglings. Missed an easy meal that day." The wolf's ears swivel back up and he shares a look with Aniyu, "Between the two of us, I think this means a hunt will be in order at some point, just to prove to the other that we're capable."

Aniyu

The cavern feels that much warmer with their laughter echoing off the walls. Eyes dance as she speculates the story Lore tells, tail wagging as she realizes that she is amongst good company when it comes to somewhat-mortifying mistakes that would denounce their name as the apex predator of the wild. Her tongue lolls on the side of her mouth as she pants from a fit of laughter. "I'm hoping between the two of us, we can at least break even on hunting talents,." She considers it for a second, chuckling once more. "If anything...it seems like we'll have to avoid hares and turkeys."

Aniyu sinks into a thoughtful silence as she catches a squeaking yawn. It's been a long day of travel, and exhaustion begins to hang against her frame. She gives Lore a look, mentioning, "I haven't had this much adventure in a day...in forever," she sighs, her chest feeling light with happiness. "Tonight, I'll definitely be sleeping like a log!"

Lore

Lore's eyes held a merry squint, with his own tongue draped from the side of his mouth while he shared his friend's bout of mirth. "And if we do come across any hares, I'll take them, and you go after the turkey. That is, once we're done with the moose." He called back to their faux promise of taking on a creature that would surely just stomp the two of them into the dirt, likely making for a rather grim addition to their woeful tales of hunting blunders. After musing this, Lore falls silent along side Aniyu, and for a few long moments simply enjoys the quietness of her company.

The squeak of a yawn triggers a similar reaction in the brute, whose jaws part in more of a silent yawn. A hefty, content sigh follows as he eases himself down onto his chest and belly, soaking in the warmth carried in the stone floor. "Hmm, you know, it might be wise to take a rest now-" Lore turns his eyes up at the fae, feeling the subtle tug of weariness on his body now that he was surrounded by warmth, darkness, and good company, "-then tonight, we can amend those hunting tales of ours."

Aniyu

A snicker passes through the she-wolf as Lore harkens back to their amends made about the moose. Tossing Lore a dubious look, she grins, "You ask much from me, but I think can take a rough and tough turkey."

As Lore slides upon the ground in a comfortable position, Aniyu takes a moment to contemplate before dropping down onto her belly with a dull thud. She twists, rolling across the dusty, warm earth until she's flat on her back. Legs dangle in the air over her chest and exposed belly. Her side brushes against Lore, her mesh of white and gray blending into his silver coat. Blue eyes sparkle as she stares upside down at her newfound companion, an amount of thriving humor and spirit racing through her. The warmth radiates from the earth upon her back, sending a wave of relaxation through her body. Aniyu gives a content sigh, tongue lolling slightly out of her mouth. "It's best to rest up if we're going to have the hunt of the ages tonight!" She proclaims, her raucous, bold voice echoing off the cavern walls.

Lore

He laughs at her assertion on the turkey, "Just beware, those turkey hens are quite devious, if they want to be. I mean they have to be, if they managed to trick me off the edge of an embankment." His snickering laughter died away with a second yawn and another stretch of the limbs as the soft heat of the earth and his own tired muscles further beckoned him for sleep. He watched with an equally warm heart as Aniyu plopped down and rolled into her back, her legs flailing in the air in a reflection of just how carefree, safe, and comfortable she was right now.

The brute's eyes glimmered with true happiness at the sight, and he was reminded again of his time with his brothers and sisters. Only now, looking upon this upside down she-wolf, there was no feeling of annoyance or desire for personal space as he'd often felt with them. He only chuckled in response to her bold tones, "It's going to be epic. You might even be known as Aniyu, Slayer of Moose- er, mooses? No, no - moose, right?" Lore stretched his muzzle forward and laid his head beside her neck, musing at the plural form of their imaginary adversary tomorrow.

Aniyu

Her laughter is weaved together with encroaching drowsiness as Aniyu listens to Lore. She contemplates the word play, squinting a little with thought. "Meese!" She states suddenly, almost proudly, before an eruption of laughter comes from her. A laughing gasp comes from her before she manages to control it, then deciding, "No...that sounds way too weird."

A moment passes before Aniyu turns her head to gaze at Lore once more, a pass of calm sweeping through her. She speculates the moment, wondering for a swift second if this is a dream. But it isn't. Lore is real. Today has been real. A ripple of happiness fills her body as she reaches to touch her nose to Lore's. "Thanks...for all of this," she expresses. For a moment, she sheds her jesting persona and acquires seriousness as she looks over at the silver brute.

Lore

"Meese." He murmurs, musing over the word that his friend had settled on, while a chuckle rumbled through him, shaking his side with tiny little heaves. And though she was quick to denounce her own jesting suggestion, Lore tacks on, "We'll have ourselves a good meese hunt tomorrow then." His eyes crinkle with humor, not letting the joke go. But quietness does take him too, as a silent moment slips by and Aniyu's eyes turn to his. His gaze softens, and he blinks slowly as their noses touch. A similar sense of happiness and wholeness washes over the brute, and he exhales another sigh of content, all while holding her gaze. "Of course. And thank you, Aniyu; it's been a long time since I've felt this happy." It wasn't that he was ever an unhappy fellow, but simply had forgotten just how rewarding it was to actually spend time with another.

Aniyu

Tiredness settles in her figure, but there's a fighting moment in which Aniyu fights the feeling while contemplating the elation that tingles along every sense. The very thought of the adventures of tomorrow fills Aniyu to the brim with happiness. Despite the excitement of anticipation, a yawn ripples through Aniyu. She rolls to a more normal position on her side, spine now flush against Lore's side. She reaches with her front paws, stretching forward and dragging her claws across the earth. The ground is warm and comforting, but being alongside Lore brings a whole different realm of content to Aniyu. She feels safe and accepted, of many different waves of emotion that splash against Aniyu. And all because of a well-timed trek up the mountains earlier today. Eyelids flicker over her blue eyes as Aniyu feels the fatigue overcome her. Her tail thumps a few times. "We better rest up," she suggests with a sleepy sigh, "Tomorrow we're going to take the world by storm with our phenomenal hunting skills."