Phoenix Maplewood i marvel at the stars / and feel my heart overflow

he slept fitfully that evening, the cold keeping him from entering any sort of true slumber. tossing and turning, the burly male finally heaved himself upright with a sigh, blinking groggily. no dreams had graced his mind tonight, merely flashes of things that could be, and he felt completely and utterly alone. dawn was out doing her own thing; he'd been sleeping solo for some days now.

with a long stretch, aditya exited the den and began to pace around, stiffening when he heard the soft rhythm of pawsteps nearby. he drew in a deep breath, not finding anything familiar in the scent that reached his nostrils, and trotted warily toward the source of the noise.

he soon came upon a young woman, looking at the sky, the stars reflected in her bright blue eyes. blinking, he made his presence known with a gentle bark and strode in that direction, coming to a halt in front of her. she didn't look at all like a threat--she was around indra's age, he reckoned--but his body remained tense, golden gaze leveled in inquisition.

"who are you?" adi asked, voice hoarse with fatigue. "you're standing on claimed land. what's your business here?"