Alys laughed as Kailoh ran off, and she followed after him excitedly, tail waving behind her as they raced for water. She watched as he broke the ice, then stuck his muzzle under the water. She winced - the water was likely to be very cold - then jumped back as he began tossing small fish her way. They flopped along the bank, and Alys did her best to trap them under her paws.

She tossed one of the fish up, then caught it, gulping it down swiftly. "Catch!" she barked, tossing one of the other fish back his way.

Alys felt different around Kailoh, and it wasn't for lack of trying; she'd left her natal pack long ago, and had courted many dispersals, males and females alike. None of them compared to the russet male before her; he was kind, and funny, and clearly he had what it took to persevere in life - how else had he managed life inside that cage? Alys felt like she had known Kailoh her entire life, and who cared if they'd just met?

As Kailoh approached her, Alys became quite still, and her breath caught momentarily. She felt herself flush, then she met his gaze, which only made that certain something more intense. When he admitted his own feelings, her tail wagged, half nervous, half excited, breaking her stillness. She allowed him to rest his chin, and she took the few moments to take a deep breath.

"I like you, too." she said softly. Then, with much embarrassment, "It's... it is the breeding season... Maybe..." She swallowed, hard. "Maybe we can just... stay here. We can um... try for pups, when I... when I come into heat? If we still... like each other until then," she tried to break her own nervousness with a joke and a rather weak laugh; her heart was throbbing in her chest, but she tried to remain sure of herself. She awaited his response with bated breath - surely he wouldn't say no?

Alys didn't want to get rid of Kailoh. Already they were fast friends, and they were clearly on the way to something even more. She grinned broadly at the male beside her, nudging his chin as he nibbled at her ear. "So... we're potential raising a family here..." She gazed around them, then asked, "A family pack?" They could attempt to claim the area if they so desired, and she had no desire to leave it. It was perfect here. At least, perfect for them.

Alys debated Kailoh's words, and it wasn't that she disagreed, but if it was just them, the work load would be very high. "I'd love to make the valley our home, but... what if we encounter outsiders? Are we to just... drive them away?" She was not aggressive in nature. Then, she asked, "What if we make friends - allies?" To turn away aid seemed silly to her. She looked to Kailoh, brow furrowing.

Alys nodded at Kailoh's words, and she smiled faintly; they could do this. She began thinking about how they would run the pack - she didn't want something strict or formal. After all, this would be her family - her real family. Her past was behind her, and now, the only way to look was forward. When Kailoh leaned into her, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"How shall we govern the pack? I want something... simple." She'd never led a pack before, but she supposed if it was going to be mostly her pups, it couldn't be that hard.

"Matriarchal? So like..." Alys trailed off, frowning slightly. "So... just... me?" She finished a bit lamely. She met Kailoh's eyes, then said, "I... I could do it." After all, if the pack was going to be mostly family, there would be much more cohesion between them all. It wouldn't be hard. She sucked in a breath, steeling herself. "Let's do it." She smiled at him - at her mate, then said, "C'mon, let's go see the rest of our territory, and  get our borders started." She would lead the way, marking the start of her path as a leader.