This part of the territory was undeniably tranquil. Many rated Amor Glade for its visual brilliance but it was understated on its importance for being a safe zone in the pack, bearing no dangers such as hazardous cliffs which were risky to cross and attracted cougars, nor containing murky waters which harboured vile creatures. Plus it was flat and open, yet with some foliage for coverage without providing enough for the most threatening predators to conceal themselves. The glade was probably most useful as a garden for which one could find herbs and flora throughout most of the year, and if there were no deer or other prey to be found in Eden's Hollow or the Grazing Plains and elsewhere, there was usually a fair probability that one could find them here as they fed on the lush and flowered plants which were themselves an attraction to the area for those seeking a place of natural beauty. It didn't seem quite right to spill blood upon this soil though, and the deer normally had an advantage on terrain like this unless one was to set up an ambush-type hunting strategy. Eclipse was not here to hunt, however, nor to harvest herbs. Ciro had done enough to maintain his stock lately and Eclipse had made plenty of little meat parcels for his adopted son to last about a week as he daren't make too many since he feared the scorching sun would make them rot prematurely. On top of that, he'd been patrolling the pack's outermost territories to inspect for and defend from any unwelcome visitors since nobody else appeared to be doing that anymore. He'd been feeling rather defeated by the current state of things and frequently found himself sighing and grumbling under his breath. But he wouldn't let it truly get to him, he was a resilient brute and he'd been through worse, it was just something he had to deal with. Today was a day to relax, just for a few hours.

Continuing his amble through the wild meadow, his tail swung casually behind him with his movements. He kept his head low, as it normally was when he was at ease. With the weather reasonably cooler compared to other days he knew it would be best to do the more exerting things today, as soon the heat would return and then even normal routine things would be difficult to do, but at the same time he wanted to take advantage of being able to have some down time while not being so damn hot. Surely he deserved that much, and furthermore he had to think over how best to tell Ciro about the conversation with his father. Closing his eyes, he almost began to daydream as he walked, but he kept his hearing trained on the sounds around him. A few minutes later, he heard a rustling in the grasses and since there was no breeze stirring them his eyes shot open, only to see the head of a wolf periodically pop up over the sea of colour. Curious as to which happy spirit was hopping along, the brute reared up to peer over from a greater vantage point above the plants, his face soon brightening as he recognised the dark, skinny figure. "Ciro!" He called out quite excitedly, hoping the healer would know his voice and not be alarmed by his presence as he bounded forward through the maze of blossoms to catch up to the young male who'd now disappeared from view due to no longer prancing about. Eclipse could see he was looking at something, so he trotted carefully closer in the last few metres to stand nearby, tail wagging slightly at the sight of the other brute out and enjoying himself. "What've you got there?"

The older brute stretched his neck forward as he stood there, tail swaying softly and nose twitching as he attempted to smell what it was Ciro was studying. But of course, all he inhaled was the scent of the flowers all around him and the young male before him. Only when the healer turned to face him could he see what had taken his interest, and what more could it have been than a plant that had useful medicinal properties: a poppy. Eclipse smiled, having had an inkling that a herb was what the other must have found. He knew Ciro was passionate and enthusiastic about dedicating himself to maintaining the health and fitness of the pack, just as Creek had done, and he was proud to see those qualities in what he considered his son. He supposed that the ex-Erenyx male felt a sense of purpose from his work as a healer, not only to help others in need, but to feel a sense of belonging as his duties were needed by the pack. A part of him hoped Ciro could continue to expand on the knowledge and legacy that his lost mate had brought to Helidos, if he stayed. He was still worried that once the lean, black wolf knew his real father now led his own respectable pack, that he’d want to leave and join Pyrvanthros. His ears strained to hear what Ciro then mumbled from his closed maw, but he figured it out. “Ah, I see. Well thank you, I do find myself overthinking sometimes when I’m meant to sleep.” The elder actually was aware of the use of poppy seeds and kept his own small store of herbs to help soothe his thoughts and emotions, but he liked hearing the brute explain so he could assess what he knew and he appreciated that the healer wanted to help him. “And mind you, I’m not truly an Elder… my bones can take a few more beatings yet. My grumbling is not entirely down to lack of sleep either. The heatwave wears out even the best of wolves, plus I have the burden of looking after you.” He grinned playfully, as Ciro was really nothing to do with it. “I’m teasing. Caring for you and watching you develop slowly into a fine young brute and a confident healer has been both rewarding and a pleasure.” It was true, having Ciro to nurture had been good for him, providing him a distraction from the real troubles and a little bit of companionship as well, even if their relationship had only just started to blossom into a mutually loving and appreciative one.

Blinking slowly, he raised his maw high and scanned around the field. Surprisingly, he hadn’t visited Amor Glade very many times, but he had a few good memories of the place. They could be painful though, depending on his mood, but most of the time he managed to think positively about his past now. His ears flickered to the young one’s muffled voice again, and all too soon Ciro was gone. Eclipse was left alone in confusion for only a second before he realised a game of chase had been initiated and was hot in pursuit. He was happy to play with the young brute if it would strengthen their bond, plus Ciro was of course right that a good run would help him sleep better. However, he’d never been a good sprinter despite having rather long legs, as he was better at going long distances at slower speeds. His age put him at a further disadvantage, and he was sure to never catch up to the much younger, slimmer and more lithe male, even if he had a peculiar running style. The only chance he had would be to pull a dirty trick and at least hope Ciro’s caring nature would help pull the wool over his eyes so he would fall for it. It was all just for fun anyway, or else he wouldn’t have considered being unfair to his son. As he ran and got closer to the other brute, he suddenly veered off from the trail Ciro left in his wake, but in turning he had to dodge a spiky weed and ended up twisting wrong and with the speed he was going at he tripped. It hadn’t been his plan and he could have caught himself, but he let himself fall and yowled briefly in pain in the hope of Ciro coming over to check him over for any injuries. If he did, Eclipse would feign being hurt until he came closer, and then would either wrap his paws around the male and pull him down or tackle him playfully. A mental smirk shone in his mind, thinking of how the glade seemed to provoke joy in those who came there as he'd raced with his packmates in its grasses more than once.