Claws scratched against pebbles smoothed by water and the paws of many wolves as Fel reached the Rapid Falls. A vast lake that was fed by a thundering waterfall was before her, the water becoming calmer as it reached the shore. The fae examined the body of water, noticing that it deepened significantly towards the middle, the clear fluid gradually fading into a dark navy.

Fel walked casually over to the water, her thick pelt swaying rhythmically with each stride. When the surprisingly chilled water lapped at her obsidian paws, she sat on her haunches and looked at her reflection with pale, unemotional eyes. As she had expected, a strange face looked back at her and reminded the warrior of who she was: a fae who was detached and mottled in spirit. In the back of her mind, a young Blackfur raced around happily in the snow of the mountains, leaping masterfully from ledge to ledge and barking into caves to hear the echoes reply to her. But as Fel stared at the reflection, she no longer saw Blackfur.

With an exhausted sigh, she moved back a step and dropped herself down on the rocks, her forepaws leaving ripples in the lake. There was nothing to do but close her sapphire eyes and listen to the steady sound of falling water. At least there was something in life that Fel could depend on to remain constant.

Yellow orbs moved slowly from one side to the other, watching smoothly as a blue shape fluttered across the sky. It was a blue jay, a small bird who's peaceful countenance was a comfort to the wolf that watched it.Such small, carefree creatures did not exist where Alanoth had come from, it was almost either too cold or too wet. they could not build proper nests, so they never came to the area at all. A younger wolf would have chased after it, but Alanoth, his five years making him feel older than he really was, contented himself with just watching the small blue feathered bird fly through the trees.

Soon the bird left out of sight, and the Caretaker stood and stretched his fore paws, intending to explore as best as he could. This land was a wonder to him, everything was so fresh and alive, it was the first time he could ever call anything beautiful. One of the Hunters-whose name now escaped him, to his disappointment-had directed him towards this area because of the waterfall and the lake that was closeby. He padded along casually through the grass, roots, and occasional rocks, taking his time to explore everything that was in sight and smell. If this was to be his new, adopted home, he wanted to know all he could about it, and to know it well.

Upon reaching Rapid Falls, the first thing that Alanoth stooped his head down to sniff at was the countless small rocks around the lake. It was amazing to him, each small, grubby little rock originally came from something much bigger, perhaps even a mountain! And yet, here they were, small enough to fit in dozens between his claws. The little things, he mused to himself, were the most remarkable. That is, if you give them the credit and attention they are due. So he smiled to himself, not something common since entering these lands, and wondered what other wonders would be found in this land which had enchanted him so.

The onyx fae rolled onto her side, feeling the pebbles shift underneath her. Her eyes shut once more, letting the seeping black depths overtake her as she thought. There wasn’t much to do for her any more. Although the lands of Helidos were just majestic, she saw no purpose in beauty, similar to her views on love. She had never been loved or even been taken interest in by a brute, nor had she ever really had someone love her as a family member either. Fel had found that out the hard way, but in doing so, she had learned to accept it with open paws. She had other ambitions nowadays.

The uneven sound of claws against rock jerked her from her mental haven. Her head came up to look at the intruder, followed by the rest of her body. Fel shook her pelt once, sending any stray droplets of water flying off of her before turning to look at the wolf. He was a brute, obviously of Helidos given their location, and a fairly handsome male, despite being middle-aged like Fel. However, none of this impressed the fae; she was no longer interested in relationships. Fel turned to this new brute, eyeing him indifferently as she barked a greeting. There was no point in not being friendly, after all.

Alanoth was startled out of his own personal musings when he heard the barking from so close by, he hadn't seen another wolf nearby and had not taken the time to sniff about. It took him a moment to make out the surprisingly attractive fae's form, her coat was as black as the pebbles upon which she stood. He blinked several times to make sure she was real, then barked back in just as friendly a manner.

After a moment of consideration, the Caretaker padded around the small lake towards the fae, but stopped once he was close enough for her to hear his voice and vice versa. No need to get into someone's personal space. He bowed respectfully, since back home Caretakers were the lowest, so he assumed her to be higher than himself. "Hello there, my name is Alanoth, I come from the north and am new here. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before, may I know your name?"

Fel smiled in amusement as the brute turned to her, barking a reply as he approached. Something about the male intrigued her, but whether it was his shaded ash pelt or handsome amber eyes, she did not know. ‘No. Nothing in him interests me. I don’t care for any brutes,' she fought to convince herself.

The raven fae watched as he stopped a good distance away. As he lowered his frame in a bow, she padded up a bit closer, still leaving a good ten feet between them. Alanoth. The name rang in her mind, vibrating and bouncing off the walls of her skull. She dipped her own head, partly to try to pour out the thoughts before she spoke, “I am Warrior Fel. I have not been here for too long, only a few weeks. My birth pack is far from here to the north as well.” Her voice was calm, as fluid as the lake. Her pale orbs studied the male for a moment before meeting his gaze. “It is a pleasure to meet you indeed.” Fel could not deny that this Alanoth had stolen her interest, but she would not let that affect her, or so she thought.

This dark colored fae in front of him, who was kind enough to repay him with a bow of her own. Perhaps things really were different around here, for one thing a Warrior was a fae. He had accustomed to this over time as he encountered other packs, but back home to the northeast, in the Araduh Sanctum, faes were never Warriors. It was seen as a disgrace to the faes, putting them in danger when they could be taking care of the next generation pups.

Now he admired this raven, obsidian colored fae who came from the same region as himself. Maybe he had met her own former pack once before? He smiled to her, her calm, fluid voice spinning a spell of enchantment to him. "I apologize, if I've disturbed you at all, I was simply exploring the pack lands." He looked around, becoming further enchanted by the beauty of the area. At that moment, you could have told him to run off a cliff and he would. He returned his kind yellow eyes on the beautifully black fae. "Well, Warrior Fel, may I have the pleasure of accompanying you? At least for the time being, of course."

Fel watched the brute carefully. For a moment, she thought she saw something flicker in his eyes as he regarded her. ‘Was that… Admiration? No, certainly that’s not it. It’s probably just respect,’ she convinced herself. The warrior flicked her ears calmly, dismissing the apology, “It’s fine. I wasn’t doing much on my own anyway.” While Alanoth looked around, her pale optics remained on him, watching him with interest but not daring to betray her. For all he would know, she was just looking towards him.

She couldn’t hide that she was a bit taken aback when the brute asked to join her, but she didn’t deny. Regaining her composure, she answered, “Accompany me if you wish.” And with that, she trudged off into the water until it lapped at a point slightly higher than mid-leg. Once at this depth, she ran around a little, picking her limbs up high in a gallop similar to that of a deer. With a smile, she glanced back at Alanoth as her paws bounced in the lake almost elegantly, despite the few splashes they did send out.

From all of the body language he was getting off this stunning fae, Alanoth could tell that Fel was either uncomfortable or else she was simply not used to getting much in the way of attention. He felt like she was scrutinizing him, but not critically, no it was something else. He just couldn't quite put a paw on it.

When she darted off into the water, an impulse took ahold of him, and he chased after her. He watched in awe and enchantment as the fae dashed through the water, the splashing droplets making her fur coat shine like ravens' feathers. He had to blink several times to get ahold of himself. What was this unusual fae Warrior doing to him? Was he, could it even be remotely possible, that he was falling for her? As the old pack used to say, 'tumbling into a fern of love and confusion'. No, he was sure they were wrong, they had all been very angry wolves. He pushed these thoughts aside and trotted around in the water, enjoying the coolness on his legs.

While leaping around and enjoying the water, Fel glanced back to see the brute scrambling after her before he stopped and watched her with a funny expression on his face. She shrugged it off to herself and continued to run away while the male’s splashing resumed at a trot. Finding a nice depth, she jumped into the air and dove down under the water, now feeling the soft current of the waterfall. The fae opened her eyes under the surface, locating Alanoth’s moving paws and carefully swam around towards the middle of the lake. Thrusting her head above the water that shrouded her, she called, “Feel like swimming?”

Fel’s pale sapphire eyes glimmered as she again caught sight of the brute. Subconsciously, she smiled at him with a grin that was so enchanted, but so strange to her. Droplets of water ran down the backside of her ears, providing a perfect excuse to shake her head violently and force herself out of this horrible trance-like state. The previously cold-hearted warrior could not figure out what was going on, and why her heart fluttered every time she met the amber gaze. She had never fallen victim to infatuation or love to any male. But then the thought that no brute had ever felt anything for her also tagged along. With her usual, indifferent expression, she turned and swam farther towards the falls with strong, focused strokes.

The Caretaker watched her with great interest, wondering how she was able to enjoy the lake water so. Perhaps she had been born close to the water, it would explain why she seemed happiest near it. When she dove he was shocked and trotted to a stop near the center of the lake, wondering how she knew how to swim so well. He yelped a bit when she surfaced, and he found her inquiry intriguing.

"I would enjoy swimming, I'm sure, if only I knew how to swim at all." He chuckled and just watched her for a while, examining her body language. Something told him she wasn't normally this carefree around others, so what had made her change?

Black paws churned the water as Fel dove under the water and neared the brute. Her mind swam even more than her body, overwhelmed with mixed thoughts.  ‘He’s just any old wolf; I could tear him to pieces if I wanted. But I wouldn’t do that... He seems nice enough. I… can’t explain this… What’s wrong with me? Could it be that I… No! I love none as none love me.’ With all of this thinking, she lost track of how far away Alanoth’s paws were. When she came up in front of him, she was literally a pawstep away, almost brushing his muzzle with her own, dripping maw.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I miscalculate the distance sometimes. And well, if you can’t swim, would you allow me to tow you around a little?” She backed up a little, flicking her long tail to her side. “Just grab on to my tail gently, and fold your legs up so you don’t drag. Let your tail stream behind you.” With a great internal effort, she managed to keep her normal, almost indifferent voice and features. Fel would not betray herself to some temporary emotions.

She was under the water for quite some time, and Alanoth almost began to worry about her. HAd he upset her in some way? Was she in trouble beneath the water? Then she suddenly appeared in front of him, and he could have sworn their muzzles almost touched. Could it be...no, that sort of thing didn't happen for a middle aged wolf like him.

He listened to her proposal carefully and thought about it. The prospect of 'swimming' did seem fun, and the water must be much cooler and more enjoyable when one is fully submerged. After consideration, he lightly used his jaw to hold onto her tail as a tow and folded his legs as instructed. He also readied himself to hold his breathe if necessary.

A set of strong jaws gently took her by the tail. It sent a small shiver down her spine, but it was a warm, pleasant one. Ignoring what might have been the cause, she gently paddled around the lake, slowly making her way to the waterfall itself. The current picked up and made the fae increase her efforts, but she still made it under the falls, watching the water roar down a few feet to her left. The beautiful show of clear liquid flying over her head was just enchanting. As if under some spell, Fel turned her head to Alanoth with a genuine smile. Something about this place, and perhaps this wolf, just felt right at the moment.

In a moment, she realized just how she must have looked at the brute and turned away, shaking her head. Raising her voice above the thunder of their surroundings, she asked, “Don’t let go, but are you enjoying this?” The warrior looked around, her long fur plastered against her neck in a shiny coat. She already guessed the current of the water at the point where it hit. In her mind, Fel already knew what she was going to do next. “Do you want to dive?”

Being towed through the water was a strange feeling, to say the least. It was like being a pup again, carried through a stream of fresh revival by a mother or female caretaker again. This was made all the better by the company with whom he was associating, for Warrior Fel was indeed a beautiful wolf. Still holding onto her tail, Alanoth did notice when she looked back at the middle aged caretaker, and he wondered what that smile on her face meant. Could this whole interaction be more than what he himself was willing to admit? No, it was simply a friendly smile, of that he was certain.

When she turned away, he could tell she was embarrassed, but hoped he hadn't been the total cause of it. In response to her question, he moved his head up and down slightly, taking her tail with it. Her second question was answered the same way, for he was curious of what it would be like to dive in this water. Being completely wrapped in the water would be like being covered in a fresh layer of newfallen snow during the heat of summer. It was unexpected., but very very refreshing.

After gaining the brute’s consent, the fae quickly gave instructions. “Take a deep breath before we go under, then gently release a little bit of air as we go. This is to keep water from running up your nose. Also, flatten your ears to your skull as hard as you can. And make sure you don’t let go of my tail.” Slowly, like a rollercoaster before the great dive downwards, she made her way to the fall. “Now!” After a second, she dove down at an angle, using the strong currents of the rushing water to guide her. Almost like a seal, she raced down and then back up to the surface, bringing the caretaker up behind her. She looked back at him and gave a little amused grin just as a droplet of water happened to roll down her face, right into her eye. She quickly shut it and turned back around. While pawing at it away from his sight, Fel thought, ‘Oh great. He’s going to think I winked at him.’ Snorting at herself, she towed the male back to the shore and shook her raven-colored pelt dry. Fel kept her pale gaze level, but didn’t quite bring it to meet that of the brute in her company.

Alanoth did as the much more experienced fae instructed as best as he could. He didn't want to have a rushing sensation or be hurt in any way. Pain was never very pleasant, even though he had a mild tolerance for it. He flattened hhis ears and held his breathe just in time, letting out a quarter of his air through his snout. The feeling of being submerged was unique, it was refreshing and fascinating. Like beign completely covered in snow that wasn't cold, but cool. The experience didn't last long, and when they surfaced he gratefully partook of fresh air. After shaking dripping water out of his face, he glanced at Fel. She seemed ot have water in her eye, since she was pawing at her face insistently. He held on as she towed him to the shore, and was surprised when she wouldn't look at him. "That was quite enjoyable, I'd like to do that again sometime. What's wrong?"

Fel side glanced at Alanoth as he spoke and then fully turned to him when she realized that he did not notice anything. “Oh, nothing, nothing. I just feel a little out of my usual self, that’s all. And I’m glad you enjoyed the ride. I look forward to maybe taking you here again.” The fae relaxed a little, but still fought over her emotions. Something about this wolf… There was something that definitely made her feel out of the norm. Was it interest? She was beginning to think so.

With a small smile, the warrior asked, “So, are you due for any pack duties or are you free for now? If the latter, what would you like to do next?” Fel felt herself speaking almost as if on impulse. It was quite a peculiar feeling, this interest, but she made sure as to not hint anything yet.

((Sorry its short. Also, I will be gone from the 15th to the 24th, so no rush on the replies )

Alanoth could tell from the beginning that he had interest in this wolf, from the moment he first laid eyes on her. The problem was, there was no logic behind it. After all, who would show interest in a wolf of his age who had nothing to show for it? He was worthless, and had accepted that long ago. His only purpose was to protect the pups, who were the future of every pack-at least in his opinion.

She essentially was asking if he had any free time, and would mind spending it with him. He didn't mind at all, in fact he wanted to spend some time with this raven coated fae if possible. Most litters weren't due for some time, and what few pups were available needed to be with their mothers for the time being. So no, he had no pack duties other than whatever he was told to do. "My time is quite free, and I wouldn't mind spending it with yourself if that option is available." He smiled in as friendly a way as he could, his tail lightly swaying from side to side.

A pleased grin crossed the fae’s muzzle when she heard that he wanted to spend some time with her. Fel nodded her head once and scanned the surroundings. There was a stream that trickled a bit farther into the woods to the west, a low clearing a little to the east, and a hill to the north. After a moment of thought, Fel spoke, “Well, there’s a small hill a bit north of here. I haven’t really been there, but I’ve wanted to go explore it for a while. Shall we?”

Without waiting for a response, the warrior turned and began to move towards their destination, her long tail waving behind her. ‘I think the hill will give me the perfect opportunity to get to know this caretaker, and find out if this feeling I have is interest or not.’ Her onyx ears swiveled back to check to see if Alanoth was following behind her. Fel smiled as her paws left the rounded rocks of the shore and landed on the soft summer grass. With a small laugh, she launched herself into a slow, rolling gallop, sending little crickets and grasshoppers leaping away.

Alanoth happily followed her. "I do find that hill to b e quite interesting, so it's a grand idea. In fact, it reminds me a bit of home, at least in my days where I actually enjoyed my home." He followed behind the fae and smiled at her as she twisted around to ensure he was indeed following. How was her coat always so silken and well kept? Perhaps it was her diet, or the fact she was a warrior gave her more chance for exercise. Either way, he had to say it was her second best feature thus far.

She surprised the Caretaker when sh began to gallop, but in a sudden impulse, he decided to join in on the fun. He took off after her, soon matching her pace and staying neck-to-neck with her. I wonder what it is she's doing to me? Is she changing me for the better? For worse? Only time will tell, I suppose.

Fel was so focused on the male that she barely noticed the sky begin to turn to hues of orange. She set the steady pace and looked over to him with a smile, locking his handsome amber gaze with her own pale one. With a little more effort, she kept the speed when going uphill, slowing only when they were near the top.

The fae walked forward, casually brushing her side against the male’s shoulder as she pulled ahead. At the top, a beautiful scene spilled out in front of her: endless forests and clearings, the waterfall visible down below, Amor Glade a beautiful patch of vivid colors in the distance, and so much more, all bathed in the amber light of evening. Slightly stunned, Fel padded over to a soft patch of grass and lay down. “Woah… It’s so beautiful.” Her azure eyes turned to Alanoth and seemed to shimmer at the sight before them. The brute’s mixed pelt was tinted by the light, the lighter parts becoming a beautiful soft gold. Fel gave a small, almost sheepish smile and turned back to the landscape.

Her pale gaze seemed silver to the middle aged Caretaker, as he watched her up on the hill with the setting sun behind her. Her onyx colored pelt was beautiful, and it took all of Alanoth's willpower to not remain staring. Instead he followed her tail right on up the hill, gazing off at the horizon. He smiled to himself as he felt her brush his shoulder, he planned to repay the kindness later. The view was amazing, better than anything he had ever seen back home. The company he had to view this spectacle was even better.

The brute had caught his fae company staring at him, though out of politeness he didn't tell her. Her pelt shimmered and shined, it was like a black river with the sun's reflection off of it. "Indeed..." He murmured to himself in an almost response to her comment.

((By the way, Ryland and Apollo are waiting on your reply in their thread. Please reply to them. XD ))

Laying there casually, Fel stretched out a foreleg to paw at the space to her right, inviting the caretaker to join her. It interested her to see what distance the male would put between them. While thinking the possibilities over, the raven fae swayed her long tail over the blades of grass behind her. Somewhere a little ways off, crickets began to sing their nightly song, giving their farewell to the sun as it retreated slowly over the horizon. The flaming disc, in response, lowered itself and almost touched the ground when Fel finally spoke.

“Its funny… The situation I mean. I was hoping for something like it, but didn’t expect the scenery to be this beautiful.” The warrior’s voice was very fluid, gently pushing the fact that she had wanted to spend more time with Alanoth to get to know him better. Perhaps, if all went well, they could meet more often and share more stories and evenings. Fel had admitted to herself that she found the male attractive, but she cared more for who he was on the inside.

He did as her forepaw directed and lay close by to her, but he was not presumptuous, and kept a respectful distance. There was no need to seem too forward, especially when he wasn't sure of how she herself felt about this situation. Fel was something of a mystery to the old Caretaker, she was beautiful and yet so reclusive. It was like she was afraid of showing herself, like she expected something bad to eat her if she did. It reminded Alanoth of many unconfident pups he had encountered over the years, they were always so unsure.

He smiled at her words, nodding in agreement. "I've never seen a sunset quite like this one before, I half expected to see it reflect off new fallen snow, but then I remember I am nowhere near home. This sunset is quite preferrable, because it is radiant and inviting, not teasing like the ones back home. Rather than reminding you that you are forever trapped in the ice and cold, it tells you there is always a brighter tomorrow."

The fae nodded in agreement with the caretaker. “Yes, this pack has taught me that that sort of tomorrow does exist. It’s funny, though, since I am used to seeing the sun fade into the mountains, despite leaving that home many years ago. I suppose I just never had much reason to look at it that much after that, so I just forgot about it. It makes me happy that I found it once more.” She quietly turned her head to allow her gaze to trail across the entire length of the horizon, marveling in its beauty.

After a moment, she turned to Alanoth and asked very casually with a smile, “So, did a big brute like you have your own little family back where you came from?” Fel didn’t want to directly ask if he had ever loved anyone, since that would be to straight-forward and not exactly what she wanted. The warrior was just curious to know if he had ever had a mate, since it was a fairly important piece of information. Besides, if the male interested her, was it not correct to know if they are taken before she moves on? Regardless, she would remain fairly casual and inconspicuous until she was sure that the brute liked her too.