[OOC: Faith and Locke will get to Shipwreck Cove within two posts. We got a little mixed up with the season change, so we're trying to get back to where we were. Sorry if i'm not supposed to start the thread out somewhere besides Shipwreck Cove - I'll change it if so.]

Confused. Locke lay perched above his rocky den feeling mopey and hot from the blistering sun that had been beating down all day. Fortunately, the surface of his den felt cool to the touch because of nearby tree that shaded the 'roof.' It had been too hot for him to really enjoy the day, but now the sun was beginning to drift closer towards the bottom of the horizon. Evening. 'Hopefully it should cool down now at least a little. I hope,' he thought to himself, sighing and rolling over onto his back to look at the traces of tree branches and the fading sunlight glittering through the leaves. There was still a burning sensation left in his heart that no shade could cool down; Faith. It had only been a chance meeting, really, but it had sparked his feelings to go haywire since that moment. It was such an odd feeling, and the brute could not comprehend how to handle the sensation. How could he fall so quickly? Yellow eyes began to drift to a close. 'It's not like I have a shot with her anyway.' Thinking quietly to himself, the warrior felt a pang of embarrassment shoot through his heart. 'Things seemed to be going so smoothly, but then.. she just left without me. I don't understand. She said Rose would be wondering where she was, but..' Trailing off, Locke let his ears prick as a warm breeze glazed over his den. 'I don't know what I did wrong.' Thinking back to that day they traveled to Shipwreck Cove, Locke recalled and went over each moment.

"Locke, my paw! I think it's twisted!" He remembered the force of his skid as the damsel in distress called out for him. He remembered the sickly and worried feeling as his heart pounded, running as fast as his legs could fly over the sandy dunes to get to Faith. It had felt like he would never be able to reach her. While it was soon found out that the she-wolf had played a trick on him, Locke had still fussed over her supposed hurt paw and had promised to help her. "Faith, don't worry, I promise i'll help you."

The white wolf opened his eyes to the sky with a faint trace of blue while gold and pink was starting to shape their blends into the vast sky. 'I had felt so helpless, yet all I wanted to do was help. I was hurt, yes, that it was a ploy.. but I was more glad that she was not hurt.' Frowning, confused at himself, Locke rolled over and sighed again. Dirt and a leaf or two stuck to his back, but the brute paid no mind to it. He had to get things straight. He had to see Faith. He didn't know how she could have so much power over his mind, but with the situation on his mind, there was no thinking of anything else. Climbing down from his rooftop balcony, Locke trotted through the forest of Helidos on a mission - immune to the noises around him.

Accustomed to a solitary life, the warrior's den was a little further from the pack's clearing than other's, but the real estate was worth it. If he had been in a sprint, he would have already gotten to the campgrounds; however, thoughts seemed to weigh down his paws. 'I have to make this right..' Stopping in his tracks, the brute stood for a moment like a fool, before his legs burst into speed away from the camp. He had an idea.

The scent was easy enough to track down, and, while it wasn't as graceful and quick as Faith's catch, Locke managed to catch a spotted hare for the she-wolf. Smiling to himself, the brute carried it in his jaws as he returned to his original plan of seeing Faith - this time at a jog. Within his mind, he stuttered over what to say and how to not sound like a fool. However, his mind was not too clouded to miss the patch of bright blue Forget Me Not flowers along his path. Hesitantly thinking for a moment, his paws itching to keep going, Locke finally gave in and, setting the hare down for a moment, tenderly grabbed two stems of the flower. It seemed a little abnormal to give flowers to a she-wolf, for normally food was the way to the heart for many, but perhaps the name fitted well for the occasion. The brute found it difficult to find a speed that didn't break the flowers, but finally his paws set foot in the pack clearing.

It took a few moments to track down where the she-wolf lay hidden, and Locke felt slightly out of place doing so, but soon he found her napping on her side within her den. Heart thumping, the brute's legs seemed to freeze up and a lump promptly stuck in his throat. 'I can do this.. I think.' Laying the gifts by the opening of her home, Locke slowly reached out to prod her shoulder. "Faith.. Faith, i'm sorry about the other day. I don't know what I did, but i'm sorry." Not really sure if the she-wolf was up or not, the warrior stumbled over his words. "If you'd like, i'd like to go back to Shipwreck Cove with you again. I brought food, if you're hungry.. I lost the race, so I came through with the deal." Softly smiling, a small chuckle escaped his lips.

There wasn't anything that should've made her feel bad, but in her sleep, guilt crawled through her dreams. She pictured Locke, and how she tricked him as a joke by saying that she twisted her paw—before she took off and beat him in the race—and how he still said he would've helped her, no matter what. And then how she just left him... it was cruel. She wasn't usually like that, but she felt a need to leave, even though every part of her wanted to stay with Locke and finish out their day. So she laid inside her den, guilty dreams playing in her mind, yet pieces of the dream were purely bliss when she saw Locke, grinning or speaking with his incredibly kind voice.

But then someone, or something, nudged her shoulder. She groaned and tried to roll away from the stranger, but then she heard Locke. She immediately lifted her head and looked at him, with guilty eyes. "Locke... you didn't do anything... I shouldn't have left you like that." She slowly got to her paws and walked closer to him, continuing to listen to his kind tone. It shocked her, how nice he was being even though she left him, for no good reason... She would've pressed her nose into his chest and closed her amber hues. She nodded at his request to go to Shipwreck Cove again, without opening her eyes. She pulled away briefly to look at him with a confused expression, before she caught sight of the hare at the entrance of her den, along with the two flowers. She laughed once, before she looked up into Locke's eyes. "Locke..." she said in protest. "You didn't have to do that..." Her heart fluttered, and she rubbed the side of her face on his shoulder in appreciation. "Thank you though... the flowers are absolutely beautiful."

She moved away to go and grab the hare, so that she could split it with him. She carefully grabbed the flowers along with the meal, so she could enjoy them for the time being. She came back to him, brushing her pelt alongside his and sat down next to him. She placed the meal down with the flowers and she smiled at how pretty they were. She looked up at him again, hoping he had forgiven her. "These are Forget Me Not flowers, right?" she asked. "I was never good with herbs... that was Rose on that part. But, I had beaten her with everything else..." she smirked, joking with him. She felt tempted to lean into his side, but she held herself back. She wanted to see how he was going to react first.

((OOC: Just gonna say, I loved your post. Also, I'm so excited for this thread. <3))

Time swelled. The speed of life seemed to slow to a stop from the moment his mouth formed its first word. Thump. The beating of his heart grew loud, ringing in his ears, and violently pleading to spring from his mouth in an attempt to quell his nerves.  The look from Faith. The sound of her voice. The closeness of their fur as she pressed against his chest - the peaceful scent of her presence.

'You've beaten me on a battleground I didn't even know I was in, Faith. Never have I trained for a feeling like this.'

Peace. Suddenly, the slow tuned world began to tick back to normality. Breathing in deeply for a moment, Locke's eyes lit with tenderness and he quietly dispelled his deep breath. "It's fine, miss Faith. I'm just happy that you are alright. I was worried about you."  He hadn't expected the words to arrive as steady as they had, but the brute was thankful he did not stutter. At this point he began to realize how close the she-wolf was, though, and, feeling the heat flush to his face, Locke flicked his yellow gaze about the den in surprise. Was he supposed to look down at her? What if he disturbed her? Would it be weird to stare at her? Worries flashed across his thoughts freezing the male's actions. He didn't want to make a mistake. What if he hurt her? Suddenly, the fae pulled away. The fur where she had rested lay warm from her nestle, yet the air touched it with coldness. She looked at him with confusion, and he looked back at her with a smile of reassurance. He didn't really know any more than she did, but it felt the right thing to do.

It was at this time that she noticed the gifts that he had thought to bring. Her amber eyes met his own globes and she spoke in protest before approaching him again with a gentle touch to the shoulder. "Faith, it.. it is my pleasure to treat you. You have given me so much kindness, and I thank you for that. I wish to return that feeling to you." It was a gentle smile that traced his lips - seemingly portraying the pure meaning in his words. "I'm glad you like them." Hesitating, Locke slowly rested his muzzle on the back of her nape for a moment before drawing away. He didn't know if it was his place to act in such a way. Upsetting her was the last thing he wanted. Within time she drew away and grabbed the treats he had brought. However, she did not seem to draw away when her pelt brushed against his as she settled the gifts amongst her den. 'Was that on purpose? Is she teasing me?' the warrior thought, looking at the she-wolf confusingly as she went about her business. The male did not truly decide on the answer to his thoughts when Faith began to speak again. Tuning into her words, Locke nodded. "Yes, I believe they are. They have such a beautiful blue hue - they caught my eye against all the other flowers in the forest." The male let his eyes fall to the she-wolf seated next to him."Oh, is that so? Well, we have to limit you somehow - otherwise you'd just be too amazing of a wolf. We'd all be out of the job." Softly chuckling, Locke playfully teased the she-wolf. "I'm not very fond of herbs, myself. You'll have to drag me to the healer's den by the scratch of my nails if I ever need it. I like you better as my lead warrior partner anyway, miss Faith." Leaning over, the brute put his muzzle on the top of the fae's head before drawing away with a wink and laughing. "Just let me know when you're ready and we'll leave out for Shipwreck Cove."

(OOC: Aww, thank you~! I'm excited too! I went out to the beach last night, so i've got lots of muse for Shipwreck Cove c: )