Lore

An intense but comforting darkness greeted Lore when he next opened his eyes, after last closing them on the sight of the two-toned Aniyu laying beside him. He could still see her form in the dim light, and feel the warmth they shared between them and earth below. A smile played across his muzzle, and Lore contemplated closing his eyes again and basking in the quiet moment, relishing the happiness that thrummed in his heart.

Giving in to that temptation, the wolf exhaled softly and shifted his muzzle ever so slightly against his friend, like a person finding just the right soft spot on their pillow. His eyes traveled the black and white fur that rose and fell softly with her breath, then shifted to catch the pale white light that the moon above shed ever so faintly through the holes in the ceiling. There was little sound in the cave, other than the continuous plinks of water hitting the pool, and the occasional cry from a nighttime creature outside. The air was still, and the earth too chilled yet for the crickets and frogs to sing. Tucked away in this private hideaway, Lore was loathe to ruin the serenity that he'd awoken to.

Unfortunately, his stomach had other plans, as the peace and quiet was interrupted by a less than quiet gastronomic growl.

Aniyu

One of the most peaceful sleeps Aniyu has ever achieved in recent months blesses the she-wolf. On her own, the wolf always had to be on high alert for any less-than-friendly presence, not to mention Aniyu hadn't found a place such as this cavern to seek refuge in from the outside world. Even the best burrows under tree roots or wedged between boulders weren't as protective as this, not to mention not nearly as warm. She slept soundly, slipped into deep dreams that twitched her paws.

It's Lore's raucous stomach that rouses Aniyu from her slumber. She remains motionless, mind still trying to piece together her situation as she registers where she is. Lore. The cave. Happiness. Suddenly she recalls the promises of the night before about their hunting excursion. It's been nearly a whole day since Aniyu herself has eaten, too, and she feels the pang of hunger in her gut once she's teased the thought of food. Eyes unopened, the she-wolf muses with a gentle chuckle, "Somebody sounds hungry,." A yawn stifles itself through her body, exiting through gaping jaws as Aniyu's azure eyes flutter open as she gazes up at Lore. Reaching forward, Aniyu touches her cold nose to Lore's in a greeting of good morning, her tail wagging weakly against the dusty floor of the cave.

Lore

Lore's mind was replaying the past day's events as he lay there in the dark, recounting the initial discovery of the she-wolf up on her granite throne, and their trek through the wilds of the Valley. His thoughts even entertained that epic hunt they both knew they wouldn't be going on, at least not against a giant, full grown bull. A wrinkle creased his muzzle as he silently grinned at the scenario and the imagined conversations between them.

A subtle vibration rolls through the wolfess that he's currently using as a pillow, causing Lore's ears to perk at the quiet mirth that leaves her. The grin doubles across his strong muzzle, and before he can answer her back, the brute catches that contagious yawn of hers. As it subsides, paired with a generous stretching of his limbs to prepare for the new day, Lore's coppery eyes are fixed on Aniyu's to greet her as her own flutter open in the darkness of the early morning. "You heard that, huh?" An apologetic expression shifts his grin into a smile, and he presses his nose forward to meet Aniyu halfway in greeting. "I was content to keep sleeping, but heh, I guess my stomach has other ideas?"

Aniyu

Aniyu's body feels heavy as she continues to pull her senses from slumber. Reaching forward with her front paws, she too gives a gallant stretch before retracting back into the space shared with Lore. She nestles a little bit closer to his gray fur, a content sight passing through her. She could lay here for hours in this warm cavern, but Lore's stomach protests with hunger and the same prick of desire steals away at her own gut. "Your stomach doesn't have a bad idea, if that makes you feel better," Aniyu giggles, her tail thumping. "I assume your stomach hasn't forgotten the promise we made last night about being apex predators."

With a sharp inhale, Aniyu forces herself to her paws. Once she's risen, the she-wolf gives a firm shake to her pelt to rid herself of the dust that has clung to her. She flashes Lore a playful smile, tail wagging softly at her hindquarters. Even the early-morning fatigue burdening her frame doesn't sheer off the joy she feels when she's alongside Lore. "I'm hungry too," She announces, "Shall we take a stroll and find something to eat?"

Lore

Another growl from his stomach beckons Lore to his own paws, where he takes time to give his spine a good stretch next. Briefly posed like a cat, his rump in the air, back arched, and toes stretched before him, the wolf snaps his jaws open for one last yawn before straightening his posture and giving his fur a good, thorough shake. A few tufts of winter plumage are sent floating through the air, occasionally dipping through the strands of waning moonlight streaking through the dark cavern.

"Oh no, this apex predator is ready to bring down a bull large enough to feed an entire pack for two weeks. Now that I've gotten the proper rest, of course" The bits of fur and dust in the air begin to swirl, caught in the wake of tails that wagged simultaneously, as each wolf shares in the mutual happiness of having the other near them. It was a feeling that Lore had grown quickly accustom to, but in the back of his mind, a notion of uncertainty begins to gnaw at his thoughts; what happens when this hunt was done?

The copper-eyed brute ignored that for now, deciding to tackle that unexpected obstacle when it came. He wasn't going to sully his time with Aniyu by fretting, and bore an eager smile despite it. "The morning is early yet, just the perfect time to catch some sleeping quarry off guard." He brushed his shoulder past hers as he turned for the rocky slope that led up and out of the cave, where the air was still and quiet, and brisk on the senses. Scooting aside to give his friend room to exit the cave, he lowered his voice to a whisper, "Have you any favorite hunting grounds?"

Aniyu

The she-wolf chuckles at the continuation of their apex-predator ruse, a small thought in the back of her mind entertaining the idea of a feast today. But neither one of them are exceptionally large wolves, and the idea would be outlandish to even some of the most seasoned hunters in the valley. Despite the hard realities, Aniyu shifts her paws with excitement of their hunt. Knowing her luck, they might rouse up a hare or two, but Aniyu allows her childish naivety cloud reality. "That's an ideal I can get behind," She muses to Lore, "Maybe we'll have to make friends to eat it before everything rots!" Her blue eyes lighten up as she laughs.

Too caught up in her naivety, Aniyu doesn't begin to fret like the older male. She's enveloped with the thoughts of running across the dawn-lightened earth with her newfound friend in hopes of rounding up a meal to be bothered by the thought. Light on her paws, Aniyu strides behind Lore as he embarks for the exit of the cave. To his question, her blue eyes narrow and she shakes her head dubiously. "I'm not selective..." She explains with a wag of her tail, "Though, I've been most successful near the Lake."

Lore

"If I could find my siblings-" Lore remarks, bringing to mind the myriad of brothers and sisters he grew up with, "-I don't think an ounce of meat would go to waste." In reality, he hadn't encountered his siblings since parting ways with them a few years back, and wasn't sure if they were even in the Valley still, or whether they'd migrated out and made homes for themselves elsewhere. Either way, he didn't honestly expect to run into any of them, or wish to share his meal with anyone other than Aniyu this morning.

The world outside of the den seemed infinitely brighter than the cave, despite darkness still having a strong grip on the land. To the keen eyes of the lupine predators, the gentle glow of the moon was more than enough to illuminate the earth and aid in their hunting, and standing under its pale glow seemed to energize the previously sleepy Lore. "The Lake sounds perfect." He compliments her wagging tail with a quick sweep of his own, and a shoulder brush as he moved past her and sets into a steady lope for Pike's Lake.