Sunbeam Lair while i'm touching tomorrow

Somehow, he'd willed himself into staying long enough for the weather to force his hand. It was for the best, he reminded himself constantly. It was peaceful here. There was mending he needed to do, many matters neglected for several moons now during his weeks of fleeing. He should not try to stand against winter alone, and so far, none had run him off. He was opportunistic enough to know better.

He laid low because it seemed most appropriate, especially now without being able to rely on Ukko's presence instead. Above all things, the sterling Rikudou did not wish to create any waves as he juggled his quiet sorrow. He tried to model himself after a simple, shy, normally functioning pack wolf, and hoped that no one could notice anything amiss so long as he loitered here.

The snow, the ice, and all else kept him careful and confined. So, while he did wish to scout out and about further than within the Lair, he had to make do. He moved delicately, although his eyes darted this way and that. He kept his head low and began to move towards more populated spots in the territory.

Avannon wandered around the darkness silently, so deep in thought that she didn't notice In Inari until she was face to face with him. This was awkward as the first time they met she snarled at him. Why was his head low? Was he alright? "Hey. You can raise your head up, nobody is bothered by your presence." she said quietly and offered him the slightest smile. Would he react badly to her presence? She hoped he wouldnt, she wasn't one for meaningless conflict.


Asterr had allowed him to stay, so that meant he was one of them right? She wasn't sure of his rank, so she treated him like a commoner like herself. "I'm Avannon, a commoner here." she introduced herself.

First of all, he came upon one of the females he could recognize from when Ukko had laid bleeding in the snow. His ears stayed against his head, although he looked upon her curiously -- but purposefully avoided eye contact. She spoke first and seemed to be alright with him. Her words, however, did make him wonder. "I had assumed as much, since no one has removed me yet," he tried to give a small, watery smile of his own to match hers; he fell a little short, of course, but he did pick up his head somewhat -- although the ears stayed angled back, a sign of his nerves. "It is just old habits, though. Forgive them. I traveled alone for so long, so being here is very different." And as suddenly as he was one of them, too. Inari would need his time to learn to trust, just as he supposed they would need of him as well. He was just being cautious.

"Greetings, then, and more properly than before," he dipped his muzzle respectfully to her now that he had her name as well, Commoner or not, he knew she still stood above him in rightful status here. He was hardly more than an outsider at this point.