The moon was large and heavy in the night sky. Full dark had just settled as her hike neared its destination. Scavenging had been surprisingly fruitful on her way back towards the Sunspire from a days worth of roving abroad. Hunger watered her lips, but she only sunk her teeth into the dead doe's skin to haul it back up the slopes of their mountain.

Ame continued until she reached a grassy hillside of the mountain. This was so that the moon could be full overhead without trees obscuring the view. She dropped the still-damp, medium-sized doe that she had found at the riverside and tipped her head back to loose a short howl. The dark Rikudou rarely summoned but in generous spirits beneath such a full, commanding moon, she wished to share her find with a pack mate or few for a small rally.

Even when she quieted, she kept her muzzle angled back a while longer to take in the view. She remembered the folklore about a rabbit in the moon, finding now that it was easy to see the "rabbit ears" in the shadows on the moon. Ame chuffed, feeling vaguely humored, to herself.

However, a hungering belly would only keep her patience at bay for a while. She moved to claim the first hunk of meat from her find while wondering what may unfold here, and how the wolves of this still-young pack would join her.

The full moon had her alight, so it felt, anyway. The dried sea-salt stuck in her coat from her time at the beach also contributed to this. It had been so long since she had last appeared like this, so it was a welcome change.

Her tail wavered gently when she smelled Jace first and looked up to see him, cloaked in shadows as he was but unmistakably him. Her attention dropped from the soggy doe briefly. Ah, Jace, she chuffed in greeting, now a tad more mindful of her position in relativity to his.

Come have some, she invited with a gesture of her muzzle, not knowing of his previous woes or his weight loss just yet. The moon, having stolen her focus, kept her perception less on others for now.. that, and Jace was not obvious in his suffering. Scavenging was strangely good today and my travels worthwhile, and the moon is so full.. So to her, it seemed reason enough to enjoy the plentiful times while they had it.

She welcomed Jace's company with ease. He was well-regarded by Ferdie first and had quickly become the same in her eyes. Ame did listen, ears fanning, to his word of seaside wolves. I see. Scents there had changed drastically since I had last been. Granted, it had been a time, she said. I did not encounter any there, at least. Only a loner. Not that she had lingered long or sought out anyone. Ame was not personable enough for such and when she had no business encountering them anyway, she decided it had all been for the best.

The eta was pleased that he would share in some and dipped her muzzle to his thanks; she had hoped that perhaps, others may come to partake in a free, easy meal. Although it was reasonable that several of the pack could be asleep by now. Not her, of course. But whatever she and Jace did not eat, she would cache away for later. Ame wanted to enjoy the plentiful summer just in case winter dawned to be lean times.

I do not know, either. It is.. impressive. I wish I could understand why, she breathed and licked her lips. And not so long after the sun was blacked out in the middle of the day. The skies have been interesting. Amekaze had been thinking a lot about it all lately. It lends a good energy.. Do you feel it too? Ame knew she aimed to be more in tune with the energies than most, being so devoted to it back at home once. However, this moon's pull on all things was mighty.

Ame rumbled a low note of understanding with a quick nod of her head. Homesickness was something she had dealt with herself for a long time and she could see why he would wish to avoid it, if he were able. I try to visit now and then, but I had not gone all the way to the beach since before joining the Creek.. she explained. Ame had wanted to go with Ferdie, which she still intended to do one day if matters ever died down enough around the packlands for him to comfortably spend time away, but evidently the pull of the high tides had lured her there by herself. Just to see it..

While I was there, the tides were exceptionally high. Higher than I had ever seen before. I feel that it was the moon.. I could see no other explanation, she mentioned. As observant as she sought to be, certain answers would always evade her just because of how unfathomable some aspects of the world could be. Yet an impressive full moon bringing impressive tides made too much sense to not be linked somehow. She settled on that conclusion and intended to stick to it.

He seemed to feel similarly about it, though. She did not find an ominous feel to it either. Different. On that, she agreed. I wish that I could understand why, but like you, I do not sense an omen in them either. The sun's black out was the most unsettling, from a naturalist's standpoint, but it came and went without issue. Perhaps whatever disturbed it was settled soon after. She shrugged wolfishly. Jace made her more talkative than usual.

But this moon... in myth they are honored by times of plenty, although not usually until the autumn months, which it was a little soon for that. Or, was winter intending to come early this year? This realization quieted her a beat. Which although being somewhat early for the fall, maybe it is just symbolic of the decent hunting lately? However, just as the moon wanes, good times are sure to do the same. This time her frown did manifest briefly. Nature is saying something. I just do not know exactly what yet. But I am listening she thought inwardly.

It is, truly. I would be willing to accompany you, if you ever felt the need, she smirked. Although, it was probably best for one of them to remain to tend the boundaries. She wouldn't pass an opportunity to see the sea, though, and their pack was growing full of capable wolves so that it did not always need someone like her here at all times as well.

I have been told it is the moon, by someone, once... although I could see how some may not believe it. The sea shifts and so does the moon. I know there is some sort of connection between them, her brows furrowed in thought. The tide's strength are different depending on the moon's phase, so it would make sense to me. When I was a loner, and had nothing better to do than scavenge the beaches all day, I watched the tides closely.. she explained. Many hours had been wasted trekking up and down those shorelines. Even when the scavenging had been poor, she had at least observed her scenery in depth in pursuit of a greater understanding.

Her ears fanned back when Jace spoke of listening to her and she sighed softly as her eyes trailed the fallen deer again. She was not entirely confident in her guesses yet though but appreciated his willingness to listen to her, even despite it. Mhm, it is still too early to tell for sure and I am... still learning. But it is worth being prepared for, just in case.. she murmured.

While she was unquestionably close to the nature of the weather, she felt she could still be better. These were subjects prone to much change and she could only experience so much at a time. This will at least be my second autumn in the region here, so I can.. compare. Last year, I could not know what to expect and the weather here is very different from what I grew up in, she provided with a soft chuff. She understood why her mother's knowledge always seemed so vast; with as many years to her name, she had such a vast store of observations and knowledge. Amekaze wondered, if perhaps, she may assume a role similiar to that of her mother's one day and if that might occur here. Picking up the naturalist title in full would be one step towards something similiar, at the very least.

Perhaps, she replied coolly with a growing smirk. I am still learning, too.. So maybe she would learn something new in his company. Her attachment to the sea may have grown more distant lately, mostly due to her lack of immediate proximity to it, but she still planned to learn more until she was no longer able. And, she believed she had plenty of time for that.

Anyway, she nodded slowly. She believed everything was connected in some way. Some relationships were more obvious than others, of course, but she set out to understand this to the best of her ability whereas nature was concerned. It was not always easy. Ah, it will be helpful to hear your thoughts on it as well. I was here for last winter.. but my homeland was more inland, and since the coast impacts the climate significantly, there were great differences from what I had grown up in. Far less humidity, less rain, chillier winters, just to name a few. Then again, she had not lived all that long there either and only heard of it through her mother and father especially, who had grown up there. Her mother had come from even further away originally.

I was learning as I went. And still am, of course. This year will be interesting.. I will have something to compare it to, she said, now that she had been in the same place long enough. How did hunting fare in your homeland, come the winter months? she asked suddenly. Last year, matters had turned lean towards the end of the winter but had a decent enough start. Since his birthplace was coastal, she was curious if it paralleled to here at all, or if he could comment very much on it.