AW <3 maybe a naturalist thread?
He'd woken early, trailing from the den to wander on the paths at the very edge of the territory - he checked caches, marked where necessary, and then returned toward the central areas of swiftcurrent's claim, intent on gazing at the monochrome sky. Clouds gathered as hazy plumes of grey, masking the streaking sunlight and shielding the earth in a dull white; for now the snow had ceased to fall, but still the ground was covered in pale crystals.
Soltero navigated himself to a particularly stable rock by the water's edge, heaving himself up before lowering to slide onto his belly, muzzle tipped toward the heavens and black nostrils flaring to inhale the crisp scents of winter. It looked like snow would fall again soon.
For most of her life, Eilonwy had been angry. Angry that her family had come apart before it could even be a family, and angry that she did not have what she was supposed to have. But what was she supposed to have anyway? She had spent her life avoiding contact and refusing relationships. She had limited herself to do what she was told and get back home before dusk. What could she hope to get by being an asshole?
Truth was, she wasn't at all an asshole. Eilonwy was just hurt, she was easily hurt, and walls and anger were the only way she knew how to diminish how hurt she felt.
and today those feelings came pouring down her throat until a knot was formed, and the rest of the day she had spent crying. Hidden away under some tree where she knew no one could see her. Those days came often, usually when most unexpected, and the little summer flower had no idea what they meant or how to explain them. They just were.
When her tears dried and her breath became stable Eilonwy knew that it was time to go back home. The sky was getting denser and the cold air as becoming too strong for her unaccustomed body. The crunching of the snow as she stepped on it was the only thing covering up her sniffling. All the way back to momma Eilonwy walked looking at her feet, or at least that was the plan until she scented Soltero in her path. She looked up with teary eyes at the man and knowing well that it was too late and there was no escaping this once she made no particular move to avoid his eyes from finding her.
Edit:
@Soltero I'd still like to finish this one if you don't mind an old thread?
His warm, friendly voice helped calming her a bit, but still the snigfling and dry tears were evident. There was just no way he hadn't noticed her emotional state, and deep down, although she didn't want to assume it, Eilonwy needed to be noticed.
She was invited to join him up the rock, and fragile as her midstate was she didnt have what it took to reject him. She jumped up the rock and shyly found a spot near enough to feel Somtero's warmth but with enough distance that it was clear she felt uncomfortable.
Now what? An awkward silence befell the environment as Eilonwy tried avoiding his eyes. But it was useless. Gathering enough courage to look at him Eilonwy tried to escape death by awkward and asked:
What are you up to, up here?
with a shy, still cracked tone of voice.
He was kind and gentle, and was able to look past Eilonwy's tears which helped her calm down a bit. She still sniffled here and there, but the crying had mostly passed. It was only her swollen face and sensitivity now.
She looked up at the clouds when Soltero mentioned how he could read them, and Eilonwy frowned, not sure if she understood the concept or whether she believed what he was telling her. How do you do it?
she asked skeptically, only seeing the same kind of clouds that she always had seen. White, static, maybe a little plushy. What could he possibly see in them that told him what the weather would be like tomorrow?