Aniyu

The sun hangs low in the blue sky as the leggy she-wolf first catches whiff of the salt in the air. After a day's worth of travel from Pike's Lake, up through the southern range of the White River Mountains, Aniyu wants to admit that her paws are sore and she's a bit exhausted. If her lolling tongue isn't an indicator, Aniyu must be a good actress in playing off her fatigue. But the promise of her "secret" beach, along with the beautiful sunset she wishes to show Lore, keeps the adrenaline pumping through Aniyu's body. With the smell of the seasalt against the palate of her mouth, the she-wolf's tail begins to wag as she stumbles to a halt, turning back towards her companion. "Almost there! I almost thought we'd never make it!" Aniyu admits with a joyous laugh. "And there's plenty of time before the sun will start to set." Without a second thought, Aniyu plunges back forward. By now she's worked her pace back up to a controlled jog, paws beating against the soft forest floor. She has travelled very far before the forestry thins and Aniyu comes crashing into a halt once more. Just beyond the rolling grass, the ground begins to dip and thin into the steep, white sand dunes of the beach, dappled with thick plots of beach grass. It all hits at once -- the sudden awareness of the roaring crash of water against land, the little song of the circling seagulls, and the outstanding smell of salt. At first, it's overwhelming, but then it's delighting. Aniyu sucks in a deep inhale, eyes dancing back to Lore as if begging for his input. "This is it!" She yips.

Lore

Lore had never been quite this far into the White River mountains, finding it to be the most rugged of the three converging ranges that encircled so much of the Valley. Even his sturdy endurance was put to the test as he hauled his well-muscled frame up and through the steep trails, following the black-gray tail that danced about in front of him. Before they'd quite crested the highest of the slopes prior their descent to the other side, Lore's tongue was hanging from the edge of his mouth, panting to cool him off. And that's when he tasted it too - the tang of salt in the air!

Though he believed her story, Lore had always pictured endless forests and mountains on the other side, not another stretch of blue water. Curiosity was piqued, and the exhaustion that he'd begun to note in his limbs was just as quickly forgotten about. "I can smell it. Aniyu, I think you might have outdid yourself on this one. Not sure if my cave will compete, if this beach is anything like you've described it." A fresh set of wags animated his tail, and he pushed forward alongside his companion now, until they'd at last broken through the wall of trees that had obscured their view of the scene waiting just below. Leaving the forested foothills behind, Lore slows to a stop as his paws sink into loamy earth. His gaze was transfixed on the dunes first, so white in color that his startled brain was trying to figure out how piles of snow hadn't melted under the hot summer sun. Once it dawned on him what he was looking at, and the full beauty of the sprawling yet inclusive beachfront sunk in, his copper eyes squinted in wordless smile. "...yeah, I think you won this one, Ani." His soft words were heartfelt and happy as he turned his muzzle aside and gave hers a nudge.

Aniyu

Her chest swelled with both breathless excitement and the simple radiance of Lore's compliment. The wind buffets her swirl of white and gray coat, warm and full of salt. For a moment her eyelids flutter over her azure eyes, Aniyu soaking in the sounds and smells of the quaint little beach. She opens them soon eough to receive Lore's soft gesture, the she-wolf licking his chin affectionately. "Your spot was a different type of awesome," Aniyu defends him with a lopsided grin, "Let's say...the score is even."

Her tail wags as she trots forward, the forest grass dissolving into the ivory sand of the dunes. The soft, cool forest floor they had been trekking across just moments ago felt so different than the warm, shifting sands. Aniyu trots out, eyeing Lore. "Last wolf to the water is a stinky skunk!" Suddenly the she-wolf yips, her voice shrill with laughter as she plunging forward. She's several paces ahead of the brute, hurdling down the steep bank of the dune towards the crashing water below. He's unfairly victim to her cheating methods, but Aniyu's smaller stature and shorter legs might prove to even the playing field for him.

Lore

His ears briefly went back, and his eyes slipped close in a moment of sheer bliss at the return of affection from Aniyu, not so unlike a puppy getting it's chin scratched by a doting human. In the next moment, those tall, silvery-black ears had perked back up and his bright eyes looked to hers, both amused and endeared, "I can settle with that judgement - we're tied." A grin soon encompassed his broad muzzle, "For now."

Lore's gaze stole towards the horizon, where the sun's intensity was beginning to wane, and shades of yellow and orange were slowly replacing the blinding white. The wolf didn't realize at first the Aniyu had already started down the slope until she'd announced the terms to a new game, and with a start, he swung his dial back to her. "A race, huh? I'll have you know-" He barked out as he plunged forward, jaws parted and ears pressed forward in all-out commitment to this short run, "-I've yet to fall victim to the stink of those striped squirrels!" White sand flew with every slam of his giant paws as he propelled himself down the embankment, quickly gaining on his companion. But instead of making a straight shoot for the water, Lore timed his pace, and dove suddenly to the side once he was closer to Aniyu, trying to tackle her playfully into the waves.

Aniyu

Gravity hauling her down the sandy slope causes Aniyu's paws to turn over at a blistering rate. She lacks control of her speed at this point, just eyeing the earth as it slants and eases out into flattened shoreline. The only thing stopping her from face-planting into the flat earth is the springing momentum of her hind legs, bounding her across the shifting sands towards the gentle lap of whitecaps along the shore. Her heart is thundering in her chest as she nears the cool waters, her eyes entertaining a look back at the state of Lore. She times it perfectly to suddenly feeling her paws get swept out from underneath her. A surprised yip fills the air as the she-wolf somersaults, body slamming into the sand before rolling not-so-elegantly into the salty waters. She manages to land head-up, doused in ocean water so that her whole frame drips with water. "That...!" Aniyu gasps, springing back onto her paws, the cold water shocking her system a bit. "...was cheating, if you ask me!" Her voice is stern, but she can't help but wag her soaked tail. The mock disdain lasts only a fleeting second before a rattling laugh escapes her mouth. She scoops her paw at the water, trying to fling it up towards Lore. "I was clearly winning until that!"

Lore

For his effort in these shenanigans, Lore too lost his footing and tumbled from the impact, though he at least was spared the somersault that took his friend out of the race. The wolf instead went down on his chest, face briefly plunged into the salty waters while his chest splattered into a line of foam, scattering the fluffy particles all along his front half. He was up in a heartbeat, shuffling back as a poorly muffled laugh seized his chest and brought a mischievous glint to his copper eyes. For a fleeting moment, Lore's ears went back at the stern rebuke, only to creep forward as he saw the wag in her tail, and the laugh that quickly relented her feigned disdain.

"Nah, I was just helping you to the finish line." His good-natured laughter continued as he stepped forward, bits of foam and sand now decorating his throat and shoulders, while water dripped from his ocean-soaked face. The water that Aniyu batted his way washed some of the grime away, "Lets call it a tie?" Lore's grin broadened as his mirth finally subsided, and as he closed the gap between them, he gave her a nuzzle along the neck, a sort of wordless apologize for his trick.

Aniyu

There's a fleeting moment in which Aniyu flashes Lore a scowl of disdain, contemplating his extension of the tie. Finally she relents, her expression softening as Lore reaches towards her. The she-wolf folds a bit into his nuzzle, her own nose extending to gently nudge his ear. "Fine," she agrees with a tone of mock-contempt, "Only because you're my friend." They're both soaking messes, sand still clinging to a majority of Aniyu's gray-swirled sides. But she isn't bothered by her sandy somersault any more, instead her attention riveted to the descent of the sun in the western horizon. She shifts a bit in the shallow, salty waters so that her damp side brushes along Lore's. Alone she's a bit chilly from her ocean dip, but pressed against Lore, she soaks some of the warmth from his grizzled gray hide. Aniyu pokes at his cheek, smiling again. "You're warm," she compliments, laughing, "Even after your dip in the ocean."

Lore

Lore offers his friend a sheepish smile when she relents to the 'tie', and follows her gaze towards the western horizon where the sun appeared to be sinking into the ocean itself as it grew in size. The intensity of its shine had waned, and in its place was a dazzling orange glow that shifted into tones of red and pink as clouds cut in front of it. The wolf blinked and looked aside when he felt Aniyu pressed against. His sheepish smile turned warmer and he nudged her forehead with the end of his nose, "Lets get back to the shore, and I can share more of this warmth with you." Behind him, Lore's tail waved softly as he chuckles, "Now that we've gotten our bath over with, that is." He turned back for the pale sands, stepping out of the chilly water and onto the beach where the ground was still radiating the heat from the day's sun. There he sat and thumped his tail against the white sands, inviting his friend to sit next to him, so that they could enjoy the sunset together.

Aniyu

Aniyu follows Lore's gaze to admire the vivid spectrum of colors in the sky, her tail wagging as the sunset came nearer and nearer. Her azure eyes then trace back to the waters, where the orange hues reflecting amongst the gentle tumbles of whitecaps beyond the shallows. She smiles, nodding at Lore's suggestion. Her paw steps are light as she bounds out of the ocean spray. Within moments of finding refuge back on the warm sands of the beach, Aniyu sinks back onto her haunches and then aptly slides onto her stomach. "I'm just realizing how much ground I've put under these paws the last few days," Aniyu chuckles, a squeaking yawn passing through her mouth. She shifts so that her side is flushed against Lore's, head falling down upon her paws. She gazes out over the ocean, watching the sun dip closer and closer to the horizon. Blazes of red grace the sky, dissipating into a royal hue of purple as the sky transverses back to blue. For a moment, Aniyu is breathless at the sky, her tail thumping as she glances back at Lore. "The sky doesn't even try and it's so pretty," she remarks with a little laugh, scoffing her own childish remark. But there was nothing more genuine to explain the wonder of the sunset, and her excitement, paired with how undeniably content she was to share this with her friend, couldn't help but bubble over in such a manner.

Lore

Lore shifts his posture so that he is leaning ever slightly into Aniyu, merrily sharing his space with hers, along with a bit of body heat to help them both to warm up after their encounter with the salty ocean. With his heart calming from their bit of rough housing, Lore can feel it flutter once more with the sheer happiness of the situation he'd found himself in. Staring out across the rainbowed waves, his copper eyes reflect the ever evolving palette of the sunset, as the fiery tones of yellow, orange, and red begin to deep into purples, pinks, and blues.

Almost belatedly, his mind momentarily lost to thought, the silver brute blinks and looks to his companion, "It's been a journey, that's for sure." An ear shifts at the sound of her laughter, following the comment of the view. "I've never really taken the time to stop and admire things like this. Never would have seen it, if you hadn't shown me." A little chuckle rumbles through his throat before he sobers and goes quiet. After a beat, Lore shifts and looks back to his friend, "What do you say to giving our paws a bit of a break? This place-" He nods his muzzle to the landscape around, "-it's not bad, and you can't beat the company."

Aniyu

Lore's flattery elicits a soft, amused laugh from the she-wolf as she rivets her azure gaze to him. She looks at him in the way that reminds her of a pup's first crush, full and completely engrossed. For Aniyu, she'd never consumed such emotions -- not as a pup, nor as an adult. It's strange. Foreign, even. But any qualms she has with the odd flow of emotions are steadied by Lore's positivity and sturdiness. To think he had been a mere stranger not long ago. Aniyu butts her forehead into his dark shoulder, exhaling with another breathy laugh. She rubs her cheek against his warm, though slightly damp, coat. "No one else seems to claim this wonderful beach," Aniyu agrees thoughtfully, her blue eyes sweeping back out to glance at the stretch of wind sands and the grassy hills behind them. Besides the gentle ache of the ocean against the shore, the world around them falls into a gentle hush. "But I have one condition if we're going to stay here for a while..." Her blue eyes gleam as she turns back to Lore, her dark lips twisting into a mischievous smile, "I'm the queen of the beach!"

Lore

The confidence and carefree mirth that Lore had been exuding had neatly concealed the butterflies that fluttered in a frenetic pace within his stomach. He was following his heart in asking Aniyu to settle with him in the Sunset Beach, trying to pass it off as casually as he could in case she rejected the notion. But to see the way he looked at her now, the wolf couldn't help but feel he'd taken the right step. He enjoyed every light utter of mirth she gave, and every soft touch, from the nudge of her head to the way she scrubbed her cheek against him. He felt complete.

"The others don't know what they're missing." Lore contends, also taking a moment to fill his gaze with the beauty and serenity the surrounded him. He cocked his head when she posed one stipulation, initially taking on a serious, thoughtful expression until her jesting smile told him that was not necessary. He chuckled and nodded when she gave her request, and leaned his muzzle forward to give her a lick on a muzzle, "Then let it be so; Aniyu, Queen of the Beach! Does that make me Lore, King of the Forests, then?"

Aniyu

The fact that Lore continues to play along with her ruse makes the she-wolf's tail thump with muffle thuds against the sands of the beach. Another gentle giggle escapes her mouth as she blinks up at Lore, squinting a bit as if to size up an enemy. "Are we friend or foe, King of the Forests?" Aniyu quizzes with mock sternness. "Answer carefully, it may decide you fate. I'll have you know, an upset queen is force to be reckoned with!" Her tail gives away her lack of real authority. She's hardly a threat, and especially not a threat to Lore.

Lore

Lore shifts his position, scooting around a bit to better face Aniyu as she continues the game. The glint of mischief was clear in his gaze as he donned a faux-serious expression and expanded his silvery-gray ruff, making him look even larger than he was. "I, King of the Forest do declare...!" His voice rose in strength, with one furry brow cocked upward to play the part. And after a dramatic moment of pause, letting the suspension rise, his expression suddenly softened, "...we be the keenest of allies, of course. A combined forced to be reckoned with." His tail swished across the sand before lifting clear of the alabaster grains, rising high along with his spirits. "Shall we let the world know that they have royalty among them?"

Aniyu

Despite the attempt to retain all sense of seriousness while staring Lore down during their declarations of alliance, the tip of Aniyu's tail brushes against the sand grains. As she holds Lore's gaze, her azure eyes gleam, reflecting the waning colors of sunset as darkness encroaches on their evening together. A little grumble of laughter comes from Aniyu's chest as her tail finally relents, swishing playfully against the sand. "Perfect," she manages to calmly elicit in reply to Lore's declaration, a laugh rattling her sides now. The moment Lore speaks again, Aniyu leaps back onto her paws, prancing for a step or two before becoming stationary again. Her ears prick as she gazes back at Lore. "Shall we?" she invites her partner-in-crime, lifting her dark colored muzzle towards the star-dappled skies. Her howl is gentle like an elegy, but resonant and unwavering. It travels through the air, letting the few inhabitants of the beach's region know that they were their new king and queen.

Lore

The sun was finally receding beyond the distant waves of the ocean, with darkness spreading it's comforting cloak across the the mountains coastlines. Lore turned his muzzle higher to the skies above, giddy with excitement despite the calmer facade he'd adopted. There was something special about howling with another, hearing their voice mingle with yours, and Lore hadn't sung with anyone since departing from his family. Now he let his voice loose, a deep, resonating cry that rose and lowered in alternating tandem with Aniyu's. Their song traveled far, echoing against the steep, tree-lined mountains and carrying far beyond. If they had any immediate neighbors, this was a clear message that the SunSet Beach realty was freshly claimed.

As Lore's song tapered and came to an end, with him standing shoulder to shoulder with his Queen, his tall auds were perked and keen, instinctively listening for any reply. Somewhere in the distance, the sharp bugle of an elk called, unphased by the presence of two wolves as he worked to maintain his autumn harem from potential rivals. An owl hooted closer within the treeline, ready for the night's hunt now that the cloak of darkness protected her from the harassment of local crows. What Lore didn't hear was the howl of a fellow lupine. His tail swayed subtly, "Well, no one to challenge our reign, it seems." In the waning light, the last rays of the falling sun caught like a spark of fire in his coppery eyes as they turned to Aniyu, "..which means we've got an entire beach front and mountain to explore, all to ourselves."

Aniyu

There's a jolt of energy that runs through Aniyu as she listens to the combined resonance of their howls ringings across the territory. It bounced off the sides of the mountains, ringing back in the she-wolf's ears. It makes Aniyu ripple with a bit of pride hearing her own call to claim. She wouldn't have considered this opportunity a while ago, but, then again, there was a lot she hadn't thought up before encountering Lore. Her breath dies, as does her howl, and Aniyu relaxes to gaze back at Lore with a warm look.

"I don't know...that owl seems pretty intimidating," Aniyu jests, her tail swishing a bit. Eyes scan the darkened treeline in a faulty attempt to perhaps spot the giant feathered beast, but the owl is concealed. "And the bad news is, she's got wings...so I think that's an advantage. Let's hope she doesn't attempt to overthrow us." She sidles back up against Lore, her frame brushing close to his. Ducking her nose under his chin, she nuzzles him gently while her eyes flit up to the dark skies and the sliver of the moon peaking out over the mountain peaks. "Well, seeing as the beach seems relatively quiet right now, perhaps the forest will be more amusing?" Aniyu theorizes, looking up the sand dunes to the imposing shadows of the treeline. "What do you think, Lore, King of the Forests?"

Lore

A breathy chuckle escapes the male as he too turns his keen eyes to the fringe of the forest. But the nocturnal bird is hidden well, and defies both of their attempts to pick her out from the thick pines and brown-leafed oak trees where she's roosting. "If she's as wise as they claim to be, she'll surely bow to our royalty." Lore did not want to admit that owls had been a source of terror for him as a pup, one of those random fears that had spawned in his young mind and stuck with him until age and experience taught him that these nightly hunters were only interested in rodents, not little wolf pups. He almost chuckled again at the thought, "...but just to be safe, perhaps we'll give her a wide berth and let her come to terms with living under a new rule."

If Lore had been a cat, he'd have started purring at the gentle touch from his companion. Instead, his eyes blinked shut for a moment, taking in the simple happiness he fullness that he felt right now. When they opened again, he took in the sight of Aniyu afresh, and gave her a small lick on the muzzle before striding promptly forward, towards the looming treeline. "My Queen, it's only right that we secure the rest of our borders." His tail swung from side to side, and his eyes danced with excitement before he turned and bounded up over the pale dunes and onward towards the waiting trees.

Aniyu

Aniyu leans close to Lore as a gentle ocean breeze brushes against her. It's dark now, the entirety of territory now bathed in long shadows and the pale shine of the crescent-shaped moon in the sky. Tracking her eyes from the shadowy treeline to the sky, Aniyu's breath yields for a moment. She brings her gaze back to Lore, the dappled sky gently reflecting in her azure orbs. She smiles, touching her nose to his cheek and laughing breathlessly. "With a king as wonderful as you, I'm sure she'll accept our presence with...open wings..." she comments lightly, a soft giggle surpassing her once more.

Paws dance in the white sands as the excitement in Aniyu's veins start to reverberate again. Every single moment with Lore is an adventure, and Aniyu can't help but give a gleeful yip like a pup, charging after him with hungry strides. "Let's go to the tallest mountain peak here," Aniyu invites, her tail swishing. Her desire to be close to the night sky and the stars pulls at her paws. Thoughts trace back to the first time she met Lore, several mountain ranges and miles away. With that thought, she adds, "Just like when we met!"

Lore

For the first time in many years, the silky white sands of the isolated beach were decorated with the paw prints of wolves, their closely paced steps telling a story of newfound love. Lore's prints dug in deep as he pushed through the loamy soil, kicking up pearly white grains to and fro as he tried to gain momentum against gravity and the shifting turf. Of course, the wolf wasn't trying too hard to gain top speed, and a few glances were shot back over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't out pacing Aniyu.

His tongue was now lolling from his mouth, and eyes had squinted in amusement at her pun. Coppery gaze then widened as he passed into the treeline, the shadows growing even deeper as the thick pine needles denied all but the faintest glimmer of moonlight to pass through. "I'll have only the best for my Queen." Lore woofed back as he slackened his pace and made room for Aniyu to jog beside him. "The highest crest of the tallest mountain; you'll have not just the view of our land, but of the Valley too." Thoughts of their first run-in had him smiling again, and made him even more determined to find such a sentry point in their new home.

Aniyu

Paws tread through the shifting sands as she lopes behind Lore, gritting her teeth as she springs forward across the unstable soil with huffing pants. Although Aniyu isn't exhausted, she does find the sand unfavorable for such a momentous pace and how a mundane pace makes her heart already pound in her chest. Soon, her exhaustion is put to rest when their paws find solid earth and slip back under the needles of the pines. Her adrenaline still soars as she jaunts alongside Lore, tongue lolling out the side of her muzzle.

The ground gently slopes as the duo heads for the high ground, Aniyu catching glimpses of the dark starscape above through gaps in the vegetation. She keeps in tandem with Lore, eyes glittering and excited breaths reverberating in the air between them. As his paces lessens, so does hers. Eyes flit over to him as she speaks, a soft rumble rattling in her chest -- she certainly would be purring if she was a feline. Her muzzle shoots out to nudge his, tongue drawing across his nose. "I love it," she comments, without having properly looking across the sweeping land below them. For a steadfast moment, Aniyu holds onto Lore's coppery gaze with a jolt of warmth through her bloodstream. She draws another gentle lick across his muzzle before riveting her gaze over towards the land below them. It's dark and in the waning moonlight, Aniyu can only make out certain shapes of the rolling hills and forests of the Valley, but it still steals her breath. A laugh escapes her again, effortless and excited. "How did I get so lucky?" She muses, glancing over at Lore, not exactly expecting an answer, but knowing he was her answer.

Lore

Having fallen into an easy lope, Lore adjusts his course here and there so that the path he followed never narrowed to a point where it forced Aniyu away from his side by dense shrubs or an errant tree. It was a bit of a challenge in the thick woodlands, but one that he happily took up. And it paid off when that black and white muzzle found its way back to his silvery one. His breath stilled in his lungs once more, and he held onto that heart-fluttering feeling he kept getting whenever the wolfess was near him. It seemed to lighten his steps and lift him onto a cloud, making their ever steepening route feel less arduous than it was becoming.

Eventually his tongue did begin to loll from his mouth from the exertion of the climb, and it was a perfect excuse to turn it back on Aniyu's cheek, gifting her another affectionate gesture. "I've been asking that question myself." He'd answered her back, and nearly stumbled across a small rock when he failed to divert his eyes from Aniyu's in time to properly navigate the trail ahead. Lore caught himself with an abashed chuckle, recovering just as quickly. "I don't know what led me to the mountains the other day, but I'm glad I went there. To think-" He glanced outward at the trees and hills that spilled behind them, growing ever smaller the higher they climbed, "-I'd still be lazing around somewhere out there."

By now, the dirt and needles of the forest floor had begun to give way to stone and scree, and the trees became more scarce. The going was a bit rougher this high up, but the views were breathtaking. Here and there, promising looking boulders and overhangs offered even better vantage points, but Lore had made a promise - he would find the best one for his Queen to sit upon.

Aniyu

Keen eyes didn't miss Lore's flub across the rock in his path, a gentle, airy laugh escaping her mouth as she watch him immediately recover. She takes a dainty hop over the same rock, flashing Lore a soft scolding look before charging ahead. "Well, thank the heavens you have me to get you off of your paws," Aniyu teases, nudging the side of his face. Her shoulder brushes against him, feeling the radiating warmth of the wolf. "I'm just glad my new companion is both warm and a good conversation...and..." she adds before eyeing a little array of boulders up ahead. Aniyu's paws pick up the pace as she leaps up onto the smooth perch. For a fleeting second, Aniyu believes she's about to slid and catapult off the stack of rocks, but she quickly gains traction and thwarts gravity's momentous pull. Azure eyes sweep back to Lore, unsure if he had paid witness to her gracelessness. As if to divert his attention from the incident, she finishes the sentence she left off on, "AND...he's the best travel companion a wolf could ask for."

By now her tail was wagging vigorously, inviting Lore to join her up here with the view of the Valley. Her warm, panting breath mists the air as she looks out on their territory, heart still thudding against her ribcage. "Shall the King of the Forest inspect his realm?" Aniyu calls.