Northstar Vale mary, mary

The weather was nice, by Murdock's standards. The wind wasn't too bad, and the snow that fell was fully frozen, and not the kind slushie mess that he'd have to worry about. His long legs ate up the ground, cutting a path through the snow for @Poppy to follow in so that not too much would stick to her coat.

"How you holding up, Puppy?" he called over his shoulder, trying to catch sight of her without slowing his pace or turning all the way around. He wasn't sure how used to travel or altitude his small charge would be, so he tried to check in with her often. "It's about time to stop for the night, anyway," he huffed, his breath coming out in a thick, white cloud.

The male slowed down a bit and cast his gaze around, ears flickering this way and that. He thought there might be some shelter against the slopes of the vale they were in, but that was too far to travel before dark. The thinning trees were their best bet - either in an old badger set or fox den, or huddled against the trunks. "What do you think? Above ground, or below?" he wondered aloud.

The sheepdog trudged along behind Murdock, gate weary. While at first she'd adopted her nimble, tip-toed dance behind him, after some time it had broken down. Still, she walked without complaint, the lingering need to please, or perhaps avoid anger, residing in the dog still. When he asked how she fared, she chirped a slightly breathless  "good!", but sighed of relief when he said they'd be stopping for the night. He called her puppy still, but the moniker didn't exactly bother her, much.

Her breath danced in the chill air, dancing before her dainty muzzle as it faded, only to be born again as she exhaled. They slowed, for which she was grateful, and her ears perked forward at his question. "above?" She answered, a hint of question in the word as she wondered if it were the best option. Sleeping below the earth made her heart race and her head feel a little airy, and the constant worry that she'd be trapped underneath should the earth tumble around her. Still, perhaps it would be better with Murdock, who seemed strong enough to burst out of the earth should her worst fear come to pass.

The male's ears flicked back at the weary sound of Poppy's voice. Poor baby, he thought, trudging toward a sheltered stand of trees up ahead. The ground below it was windswept but dry, and Murdock quickly began digging a bit deeper into the soil, hoping to make a little divot for the two of them to bed down in. "Wanna scrounge up some dead leaves? Dry grass, if you can find it. It'll keep us off the dirt and help insulate the warmth," said the male, still digging into the icy ground. Good thing he liked digging.

When he'd scooped out a hole big enough for them to curl up in (but not too big), he began to cast his eyes around as well. There wasn't much to choose from, but it wasn't dead winter yet, and he was sure he could keep them warm enough for a night.

"Wanna hunt now, or in the morning?" he asked her, not feeling too hungry himself, at the moment. He probably wouldn't need to eat between here and Easthollow, but he wasn't sure how dog metabolism worked.

The collie agreed quickly, darting off through the trees to find what Murdock had asked for. She collected a small quantity of leaves before coming to a clearing. Dead grass poked through the snow, and she abandoned the leaves as she ripped the brown strands from the earth, moving almostly wildly as she compiled the grasses near the center of the clearing. Jamming the pile into her maw, she trotted back towards Murdock with a bit of pride in her step, the odd bit of grass spiralling down behind her. 

She dropped the pile near the divot Murdock'd made, his question having her ponder a moment. She was hungry - but then again, she'd been hungry for a while, and she could wait for morning. She wouldn't push Murdock to hunt with her just because of a twinge in her stomach. "I think I'm alright for now." Besides, she was exhaused and sleep sounded better than food, at the moment.

"That's good," Murdock approved, helping to arrange their bedding in the bowl he'd dug out for them. Then, he stepped in and turned three times before lying down. He rested his head on his paws, tail thumping the ground in his best come cuddle me gesture and expression. It'd been a long time since he'd actually tried to cuddle someone, though. With Steph it was different, because she was tiny and fit wherever he put her. Poppy was small as well, but he wasn't quite sure how she'd fit against him.

They'd figure it out.

Her tail beat the air as he approved, sifting through the bedding and settling himself down, looking very much inviting. She picked her way quickly towards him, pausing as finally, she settled beside him, trying carefully not to poke him with her elbows but likely not especially successful in her attempt. Soon, she managed the curl tightly beside the male, fearing getting too close, of being too poky, or too wrong. Her glance at him asked approval at her odd little curled position close beside him, though truly she'd rather stretch out beside him, she didn't want to ruin her streak of not failing. Her tail twitched behind her still, and a little smile curled her muzzle, though tiredness had her droop like a wilting flower.

Murdock watched her find her place, somewhat amused by the edge of timidity in her motions. She did not strike him as a fearful creature, and there was something oddly endearing about the careful way she picked out her place.

For his part, Murdock had no trepidation. He'd shared beds with many over the years, and did not hesitate to hook his head over Poppy's back, snuggling closer until she was a proper pillow. With a happy sigh, the male closed his eyes and began drifting off to sleep.

She didn't seem to be doing half bad, for Murdock said nothing about her pokey elbows and knees, instead draping his head over her back. She was tense a moment as he sighed, but he seemed content, and thus gradually she relaxed, feeling a small sense of pride at not being annoying. Soon, her own eyelids fluttered, and she crashed headlong into sleep, the bone-deep tiredness washing over her like a wave.