despite the month-long journey behind him, aditya's paws still itched for adventure. it was an itch he found himself constantly scratching throughout his life, setting off for one destination or another. now, though, he was accountable to a pack, a member of their fold--he couldn't just take off anymore.
so here he was this afternoon, wandering through the northwestern part of the territory. there were small bands of turkeys here, and aditya thought that maybe he could snag a couple, bring them back for the kids and for grayday, recuperating from his injury.
it was a still day so far, but clouds toward the coast indicated that snow was on the way. aditya thought it would be best to do his hunting quickly and get back to the den, curl up and ride out the flakes. he had a not-so-little hope that dawn would join him there; they could keep warm together.
his ears had just barely registered pawsteps behind him when he felt a small nip at his shoulder, and dawn's beaming face soon came into view. chuckling, he rested his head atop hers for a short while, closing his eyes as he savored the feel of her. "hey, you," he murmured.
aditya pulled back, smiling. "i was just thinking of you, actually," he said. "wanna help me hunt some turkeys?" he hadn't found some yet, but he had been told that they resided here, and perhaps dawn, with more knowledge of the plateau, could help him sniff them out.
there had been a lot to digest since returning to morningside, not in the least of which was grayday's missing eye and burr, injured and far from home. with dawn by his side, though, things seemed simpler--or at least easier to handle.
though her tone was light, he could see beneath the airy facade that she worried--over her father, over the pack to the south, over the injured bur. dawn did an excellent job, especially at her young age, at hiding these little worries from others, but now that he was getting to know her, he could see them peeking through the levity here and there.
"let's go find some birds," he agreed, grinning as she spoke next. i'll race you. the cheerful, almost childish challenge bubbled through his bloodstream, and he picked up one paw and scraped on the ground, back and forth, in an exaggerated fashion, as though to power up.
"oh, it's on. you can't beat these muscles," he whispered, his muzzle close to her ear. he flexed his burly shoulders, laughing as he did so. the lithe dawn was clearly going to excel in the speed challenge, but that didn't mean he couldn't still talk tough. "one, two, three--" and he shot off like a rocket, dead leaves scattering in his wake, anticipating dawn overtaking him in oh, maybe one or two short moments.
he let out a bark-laugh, breath a white puff in the cold air, as she sailed past, her sleek silver form surging then retreating, coming back to run beside him. wagging his tail, he rolled his eyes as she toyed with him, doing his level best to keep up with her anyway.
a brown whirlwind of a. . .well, something. . .shot towards them suddenly, and dawn lunged for it, just missing capturing the creature. he could hear its derisive clucks from the tree nearby and snorted, holding back loud guffaws.
"looks like the turkeys found us," he panted, slightly out of breath from the run and from laughing. dropping to a crouch, he watched the bird, eyes pointed hungrily upwards. "come back down here, saala. i'm not climbing any trees today."
his golden eyes rounded wide as she launched herself into the tree like a squirrel, dragging herself onto the branch where the turkey had once sat in relative peace. before he could react to anything he had seen, however, his body sprang into action as he saw the bird plummet in a flurry of brown and gold feathers and begin to hurtle toward him.
with no hesitation, aditya intercepted the bird and, before it could dart away, pounced atop its back, breaking its neck with one quick snap of his jaws. his mind buzzing from adrenaline, he stepped back, letting the turkey fall limp onto the ground. the taste of blood was sharp in his mouth.
he faintly heard a thud nearby, and wheeled around. dawn had fallen out of the tree! he began to rush over to her, thinking grimly of her last accident, but was relieved when she rose to her feet, looking none the worse for wear.
all that taken care of, aditya's lips split into a bright grin. "well, that's one way to do it," he laughed. "good thinking climbing that tree."
a feather fell from his muzzle, dislodged as his grin grew wider at her words, whirling to the ground, ignored by the wolf that stood above it. love. and how long had it been since he had heard those words, unencumbered by family crisis or followed by a but?
she said think, and he knew, and oughtn't he to be troubled by that? yet, he wasn't. he knew that in her own way, dawn's supposition was as sure a knowledge as his.
"i love you," he murmured, drawing close after licking his lips clean of blood. he pressed his nose into the nape of her neck, into her leaf-littered pelt, and smiled. "i love you."
and despite all the troubles in their world, those words were all that mattered. she, and her big, bold, beautiful family, were all that would ever matter to him,until he drew his last breath.
the two twined together for a long while, a content bundle of brown and silver, stocky and lithe. their breathing even synchronized for a few moments, their hearts both figuratively and literally beating as one. aditya could not remember a single moment in his life more happy, more peaceful, than this one. none.
"how fitting that i should love a girl whose namesake breaks the darkness morning after morning," adi whispered, smiling against her cheek. "you are my peace. meri shanti."
the faint, almost mocking sounds of. . .gobbling, he thought, reached his ears, disturbing the quiet that hung about them like freshly fallen snow. for where there was one turkey, there must be more. probably concerned over their missing friend. he cast a rueful glance at the bird on the ground, bleeding into the earth. he hated to be the bearer of bad news.
"i think," aditya chuckled, pulling slowly away from her, loathe to leave her side--but duty called-- "that we should set a goal to bring home three turkeys. that seem doable to you?" he would have smiled wider, but, alas, that was impossible. he was at his joy's zenith.
gonna fade with this awwwwws Dawntya forevs <3