Lore

A strong, lilting howl rose across the territory, coming from somewhere higher within it's mountainous geography. The voice belonged to the alpha male of the land, and his song was a call for his pack to gather.

The silvery brute ended his howl, but kept his copper eyes upwards for a moment or two longer, admiring the sparkling of so many stars above. At this late hour of the night, the air was pleasantly calm, and the moon bright enough to illuminate the small meadow he'd found among the army of trees that made up the Sunset Beach. Lore lowered his muzzle and looked out across the field of grasses and flowers, while an ear twitched the sound of fast-flying bats swooping and diving overhead in search of prey. He smiled inwardly to himself, wondering how a loner like him had gotten so lucky to live in a place like this, with a growing family and little in the way of threats to either them or their land.

Aniyu

The sand near the ocean was cool at this hour as the sun sunk behind the horizon, leaving fading traces of pink and purple in the darkening sky. The she-wolf holds a little seashell in her jaws, bounding over to the boulder farther up on land where she'd been collecting pretty items on the beach. Little rocks and shells were among her collection. Aniyu has set the seashell down, traces of sand still sticking to her tongue unpleasantly, when she hears Lore's call. Her heart leaps a little bit, realizing how long it had been since she'd seen him. A few hours. But since they'd been together and founded this territory, it was a rare occasion.

Leaping into a fast-paced jog, Aniyu skips up the beach and into the protection of the forestry. She weaves expertly through her territory despite the canopy of leaves blocking the moonlight here. She dodges around the thorn bushes and hops over tree roots, approaching the meadow with panting breaths. She sees Lore there in the pale moonlight, the she-wolf smiling at the sight of her mate. "Ah, it's you. I believe I know you," Aniyu teases, her azure eyes gleaming.

Lore

After his song had died away into the night, the chorus of other midnight creatures rose quietly in its place. Or not so quietly, in the case of an owl at the border of the meadow who was now having a dispute with a neighbor. Their raucous hooting, and some of the foul words that spilled out from their clacking beaks, drew the wolf's unwavering attention their way. The wolf stood, head tilted and ears focused, as he listened in on the lively exchange between the avian pair. Eventually, the transgressor gave in and flew away, but not before hurling a choice few insults at the other bird, leaving Lore chuckling at the noisy kerfuffle.

Focus shifted from the nocturnal hunters and back to the meadow he was in. He hadn't heard from Fade or the others yet, but figured they were still getting use to their new home, or might even be further out in the Valley exploring. While he wasn't too worried about that, there was one voice he found himself eagerly awaiting. When Lore didn't hear it, a surprising pang of anxiety came to him.

'Was she too far afield in the Valley? Was she sleeping? Had humans found their land...? What if...'

Rustling leaves snapped his attention away, and soon had his eyes filling with the sight he wanted to see. He couldn't help but let his silvery tail whip from side to side, and didn't hide the joy in seeing his mate again, even if they'd only been apart for a few hours. "And if my recollection serves me, I think I know you?" A grin dominated his black and white speckled muzzle and he romped her way, bumping shoulders with the fae before nuzzling her neck, "The night was a little too quiet for my liking, I think. Have you seen Fade or the others?"

Aniyu

While Aniyu sees nothing but mirth from her mate as she approaches, the she-wolf catches wind of the remnants of anxiety radiation off the male. Aniyu bounds to him, skidding to a stop with a nuzzle to his cheek. It had, indeed, been a lapse of time since their last meeting, and Aniyu would not deny missing her grizzled gray mate. A laugh escapes her as Lore returns her jest, blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "Oh, I absolutely don't forget a handsome face like that," Aniyu chuckles, rasping a tongue over his ear. She pulls back for a moment, considering his next question with a thoughtful pause. "I'm not sure. I picked up their scent closer to the beach...I assume the nomadic habits die hard and they're just out wandering."

She tries not to worry too much about their recent familial additions. They all had once been wanderers, but Aniyu can't deny missing the company of the others as well. Despite this, Aniyu gives Lore a warm look. "We'll give them until morning before we start scouring the Valley," Aniyu decides promisingly.

Lore

To the casual observer, their reunion might seem more fit for a pair that had been separated by days rather than hours, but such was their devotion to one another. Lore himself was utterly unabashed in his show of affection for his partner, turning a tongue across her forehead and bumping his tail against her a beat or two before sobering as the topic shifted. Lore nodded to his mate's assesment, "Most likely. It's only fair to give them some time and space to acclimate I suppose, and I'm sure they feel safer exploring under the cover of dark rather than the day."

With his concerns assuaged, the alpha brute gave his grizzled-gray coat a good shake, as if physically dispelling those worries from his being. A breath of fresh air was drawn in, and he looked to Aniyu anew, "If it's just us then, what do you say an outing? Erm... I guess it would be a continuation of our previous outing?" A light chuckle arose from the male, who certainly had no qualms about their previous adventure getting sidetracked if it had earned them some new pack members.

Aniyu

Lore's suggestion elicits a tail wag from Aniyu, her bright blue eyes glimmering in the pale moonlight with eagerness. She was never without the wanderlust that tugged on her pelt and pulled her to new adventures. Finding a mate with the same affinity for adventure had been sheer luck. She dances a bit on her paws, her shoulder bumping haphazardly into Lore's side. "Well, the sea wolves were for my satisfaction, perhaps you have something you wish see?" Aniyu suggests.

The Valley was huge. Aniyu wonders, inwardly, if there was anything the Valley-born brute hadn't seen in his homeland. Aniyu had come from northern lands, and much of this vast territory still remained a mystery. She looks at Lore with expecting eyes, curious what her mate suggests. The she-wolf would be game for just about any adventure.

Lore

Aniyu's excitement is a contagious thing, and soon has Lore's paws shuffling a little without his conscious doing, and not just because she'd bumped into him. Various scenes and locations began to dance before his mind's eye, covering everything from the upper corner of the Valley's canyon system, to the brackish waters of the southeastern delta, and all the streams, forests, and marshes inbetween. He'd truly seen a lot in his time, but what gaps were there in his traveling knowledge? Lore cocks his head, eyes squinting just a smidgen while he ponders her question. "Good question... honestly, I haven't really thought too much of that. The only place that's a real mystery to me is the humans' territory, but I'd rather keep my hide intact." A hearty chuckle is offered, as Lore's curiosity there was easily overtaken by his sense of self preservation. "The Ruins too I suppose, but I've heard uncertain things about that. Hmm, well... there's suppose to be a 'friendly' alligator or two at the Marsh?"

Aniyu

Watching Lore intently, she studies her mate as he considers the places in the Valley he hasn't been. With no surprise, the places are seldom. "I'll pass with the humans, too," Aniyu agrees with a dry chuckle at the thought. She had only encountered humans at a distance, but the tales from her parents and other canines gave Aniyu enough anxiety to keep her distance. Besides, human dwelling places stunk. Lore mentions the marsh, eliciting a tail wag from Aniyu. "Friendly lizards?" She laughs. "I'll believe it when I see it...which, I will see it, won't I?" The multi-colored fae gives another excited prance as she takes several jovial steps towards the boarder, glancing back over her shoulder at Lore. "Race me to the boarder?" She proposes, though the she-wolf has already taken off in a full-fledged sprint across the field.

Lore

The idea of a giant, friendly lizard seemed laughable to Lore as well, but he was more excited about the trip and experience itself. Any time spent with Aniyu was time well spent after all, and that alone had him smiling ear to ear as he watched her prance with the excitement of it all. "That's the plan anyway. We'll see how true these rumors are." As she starts to dance forward under cheerful steps, Lore's brushy tail is sweeping left to right with gusto. Lore starts after her, his smile morphing to a grin when she challenges him to a race. "Oh, you're on!" He barrels after her, though his intent is only to catch up enough to give her a playful nip on the rump, and ultimately let her reach the border first.