Blacktail Deer Plateau doctor good vibes

Freshly returned from his trip, Grayday was still catching up on all that had happened while he was out. Shale's presence was a welcome one, but if he was being honest with himself, so was Murdock's absence. There was still something that worried him about the older male - something about Sunspot's reluctance to speak of him. He hadn't seen Sunspot in some time, but she was still his littermate, and though there'd been much time and space between them, he still knew when something was wrong.

But that situation had taken care of itself for the most part. Murdock had returned to Easthollow, and had even taken that poor, shivering dog along with him to boot. Grayday had already seen to other, more pressing concerns, and now he was on the prowl for @Aviana, hoping to reconnect with the woman and speak to her about her impending trip.

Aviana had known that Grayday returned from his trip, but she purposely did not go to him. Though she was extremely eager to get on the go with her own trip, she thought it would be rude to approach him as soon as he got back about it. Surely, he would want to rest up, and then she could ask him about it.

Turns out, Aviana didn't have the guts to seek him out first. She was almost worried he would deny her the trip, though her brain couldn't come up with a reason why. But, as luck would have it, she came up Grayday as he strolled along. She was unaware he was looking for her, as he hadn't called. Instead of staying in the background like she normally would, she appeared before him, several yards ahead. Her ears were folded softly on her lowered head and her wagging tail was tucked between her back legs. Hello, Grayday, she said softly. I trust your trip went well. She could not come to raise her voice to normal level, nor her body as her belly brushed the ground.

Grayday hailed the woman with a low woof when she appeared, and the two met in the middle of their paths. The male wagged his tail as he took in her scent, pleased to find that she seemed to be settling in well enough.

"Aviana," he said cordially. "It did, thank you. And now that I'm back, you're free to visit your brother. I've spoken to my wife, Catori, and she's agreed to accompany you to their borders and back. Are you still intending to go?"

It was straight to business for the sterling male, who still felt as though he'd not spent quite enough time with his mate since returning. He'd need to get this conversation over with quickly, so that he could steal a few more days or hours with Catori before she left.

Her tail wagged quickly back and forth between her hocks when he announced she could go see Sebastian. She would have left then and there, but she was reminded that she would not be going alone. Catori, Grayday's mate that she had yet to meet, would be coming along with her. She nodded her head, Yes, most certainly, she replied to him.

Aviana was not so selfish that she would ask his mate to leave as soon as he returned. I will get with her in the next day or so, and see when she might be ready to go, she said. She was certain they would want to spend some time together. Then again, maybe their relationship was as weird as Aviana thought Dawn and Aditya's was. 

Grayday shot her a grateful grin. He'd been a bit surprised that she'd remained even when his trip had taken a bit longer than he'd expected. The male would not have been angry, but he was pleased to see that honor was Aviana's higher calling.

"You've been very patient," said Grayday with a dip of his head. "Tomorrow morning should be fine. You don't have to delay on my behalf any longer."

He wished Aviana would stay with them past winter. She was a loyal woman, and shown herself to be hard-working and well mannered, even if she was a bit more reserved than the male was accustomed to. But still, he was glad to have her for the time that she gave them, and hoped her stay would be a pleasant one.

"How are you finding our pack?" he asked her on that note. "Forgive me for prying, but I'd noticed you sleep away from the others."

She nodded to his statement that she didn't need to delay. Thank you, she responded. She still didn't feel right about leaving so soon, especially taking his mate with her, but she would see what tomorrow brought. Aviana was excited to go, and if she was going on her own, she might have left immediately. But, she didn't want to be inconsiderate.

When he questioned her about settling in to the pack, Aviana wasn't surprised. It was a question she was asked a few times since joining. But, he next comment was not something she expected. Her smile fell, and her eyes shifted to the side. She knew the expectations he had of her, and she knew that at some point, she should be sleeping with the others. But, she just hadn't been ready yet. I'm settling in well, she commented. She paused, gathering her words to answer the rest of his statement. I've just been on my own for a while, and I'm not used to sleeping around others, she replied. It was true enough, even if it wasn't the whole truth.

The leader was glad to hear that she had no complaints about any of his wolves. He might've worried that Engel had put her off, if the red male hadn't been with Grayday for the past week or so. Perhaps Aviana was still just a bit shy, or perhaps she was simply a loner at heart. There'd been a time when he'd kept to the outskirts of Silvertip, so he couldn't blame Aviana for doing the same thing.

"I know you won't be staying forever, but that doesn't mean you're not welcome among us," said Grayday. She hadn't hinted at this being the cause of her reclusive nature, but he felt he ought to address it either way. "You've been a good pack member so far. No trouble at all. It's a boon to us to have more good wolves over the winter."

He gave her a small smile. "But I understand if you're more comfortable sleeping on your own. You can join us at your pleasure, or not at all," he said earnestly. "Sorry to pry. I worry for all of my pack."

He was gracious, she thought, accepting her answer even as he made sure she was aware that she could choose to continue sleeping by herself, or with them if she changed her mind. Aviana felt it deep down that one day she would be comfortable enough to sleep amongst the rest of them. For now, she was mostly enjoying the protection of the pack, and the deep sleep she could finally achieve with it.

She wasn't sure what the future would bring with her. She had no idea if or how the war would affect Seb and his pack, or his plans to begin a new pack. There were so many variables that it was hard to plan. I appreciate your understanding, she replied with a smile. I am certain that if my brother's plans change, and he decides not to leave Redhawk, I would be very happy staying here, she admitted. It's just very difficult to plan when there are so many things going on, she added honestly. If things were different, Aviana would have no problem telling him then and there that she wanted to stay. But, she needed to see what Seb would be doing first.

Grayday shook his head - she'd misunderstood his sentiment, but that was fine. This was a truth better learned from experience than words, and he hoped that Morningside would be earnest enough for her to see it.

"I wouldn't worry about planning just yet. The further we travel on our paths, the further ahead we can see," said the male with a wag of his tail. She didn't need to give him answers or an 'ETA' - he was just checking in on her. And, apparently, he was also channeling his father. The sort of crap that came out of his mouth simply amazed him, sometimes. Day wondered if he'd actually heard his father say that at some point, or if he was simply making up his own proverbs, now. Either way, he wasn't sure he was comfortable with the amount of advice he was doling out, lately.

"Well - I'll leave it to you to work the details out with Cat," said Day. "If you haven't met her yet, her scent is strong on my pelt. She shouldn't be too difficult to find." He offered one last wave of his tail - the sort that implied that this was a good time for Aviana to move along, if she had nothing else to discuss. Grayday himself had business elsewhere in the territory, and while he wasn't adverse to delaying his plans if Aviana had something else to discuss with him, he didn't have anything more to say to her.

Aviana thought herself a pretty accommodating wolf, but Grayday seemed to surpass her with ease. She gave him a soft smile of gratitude, but said no more on the matter. She would update him as she knew what was happening, but she got the impression that if she said nothing, it meant she was staying.

She nodded her confirmation. I will seek her out, she promised. With a dip of her head, she turned to go, knowing the conversation was over. She would head back to her sleeping spot, and wait for a good time to seek out Catori.