Honeyed Pasture ah, there's still time

Antares let his days slip away on the seaside, living a simple life: scavenging, hunting, and ranging nearby for no cause except his own selfish whim. He could keep his furs slaked in seawater if he wanted, and there were all sorts of other beach smells to wear otherwise. He had even tried to rest, too, but his dreams only went on to remind him of what he was running from. So, he struck a wary balance in the nightmare of the reality, and chased a busied exhaustion each day so he wouldn't have any other choice. To some measure of the definition, on the whole, it seemed to do him some good; a bit of luster had finally started to return to him, faint still, but perhaps something.

It was the first time in a good while, but he opted to push his routes more inland today, craving a warm meal while he ranged late into the day. He pointedly avoided the charred forest to the west of the bay, not wanting to busy his nose in such a scenery anyway, so the grassy pasture crisscrossed in scents lured him in easily.

Before the sun set, he polished off a fat rabbit and decided to keep roving on intently; the night was young yet, after all, and no true duty awaited him anywhere. He chanced a fleeting glimpse up to the ring of short mountains, closer now than they had been in some time, and tried not to let this focus wander. There was more ground he could cover still, and oncoming nightfall suited his ventures into the relative open. He continued the hunt for something extra to take back for later, too.

for @Keyni

Away from Moonglow, Keyni's body had undergone a new change. One that she had started to doubt she would ever experience. Her skin flushed and feeling prickly, the symptoms were clear that her heat had arrived. She hadn't expected it to come on so sudden. Or so late in the season, with summer just on the horizon. Being of a rational mind, one who rarely gave into her emotions and baser instincts, she promptly did her best to ignore the cues of her body.

That meant keeping herself occupied, in any way possible. Helping out around Moonglow could only last for so long. She was watchful and alert, ready to firmly drive off any males who appeared a little too interested in her. It may be her first season, but the tundrian cross was not at the stage in her life where she was ready, or wanting to accept the fruits of caving in to the needs of her body. She had other ambitions.

In the open, spacious pastures to the north, she roamed freely. But not without purpose. She struck out in hopes of tracking down or discovering any resident herds of elk, deer or possibly even bison in these parts. Knowing what resources were available where and when, would be of benefit to the pack, should Moonglows resident herd up and leave.

A black smudge amidst the sea of honey grass made her pause, jade eyes squinting. Seeing the wolf shaped outline made her tense instantly. In her condition, she wasn't exactly in the mood for company. A closer look earned her the flash of distinct sharp blue eyes. There was only one wolf with such a look. Antares. Normally she would have been sauntering up to greet him in seconds. But not today. Wary and on edge, Keyni sunk back low to the ground, ears flat, hoping he would pass her by without notice.

Moments bled together, and with no greater cause than his own selfish whims to follow, he let his nose lead the way--which certainly, unconsciously, may have done him more harm than earnest good. He blinked as first hints of realization began to trickle up into his senses, and the next thought was how far into the pasture he had ranged already, time having slipped away beneath his wandering paws. Not only that, but he was not alone any longer.

The wind shifting tightened his jaw, gave him confirmation, and he was unfortunately a keen eye; keen enough to notice, and consequently wonder, why Keyni kept such space between them while he slowed to hesitate first before chancing a few long, low strides closer. Antares had last seen her on an.. unsettling note for himself, true, his swift exit probably less than graceful, leaving plenty unsaid. Maybe he didn't want to leave it on that note, but perhaps she did.. after that. A part of him wouldn't blame her but if that was the case, something in him spurred to find out for sure. Keyni..? he asked as he stepped forward, tail low but ears tall--a hawkish bearing to his eyes that searched her over, but not because he was intending to pressurize the situation.

He was unsure if he was about to tread into hostile territory, so he kept reservations about himself in his every fiber--openly cautious because he knew her, and.. didn't want there to be this distance, though it was not all for him to decide.

Had Keyni been one to make it a habit of swearing, then she would have uttered one now. She had been so hoping that the lone Ostrega would have kept going. Would have missed her form hunkered down amidst the grasses. But just as he knew her, she knew him. Antares was a sharp, alert wolf. Observant, letting little slip his attention. When those deep sea blue eyes turned and landed on her, she huffed in self-disapproval at being spotted.

It was not him that she wanted to avoid. Since their parting of ways, she placed no blame on him for how he conducted his exit. She sensed him to be a complex but simple young wolf all at once. She knew he had needed to clear his mind. To cleanse his body and stretch his legs after having been through so much. While settling into life at Moonglow, there was many a time where she thought of him. Of where he was and how he was faring. She only ever wished him the best, ready to accept his return at any moment. Just...not this precise one. 

"Antares..." She returned. Her voice was different. Reluctant...edgy. Even her jade stone eyes had averted, focused on the parting of the individual strands of grass. She realized then, that luckily for her, where she had planted herself, there was a conveniently located burrow. Likely belonging to that of a fox or family of rabbits. Not bothering to consider whether or not it was occupied, just feeling the rounded hollowness of the earth against her rump was enough incentive for her to back up, protecting her rear end. "I...didn't expect to see you." But still, it was good to. Good to see that he was indeed, alive and well. 

Antares could not pin down the whole of his trepidation and doubt as it swirled strangely. His nose knew it was his friend, and even among Moonglow's inner circles now, he recognized it plainly enough despite the extra essence of more that he was very much attempting not to fixate on.

But, there was obvious relief to be had when Keyni didn't reveal herself outright aggressively to him, though it simply begged new questions as he heard her. His shoulders loosened just some, though he kept his ears edged towards a splay, nerves still wound incredibly tight.

Of course he was unexpected. He had left with vague words at best and he still felt bad about it because he owed her far more than that. One step at a time, he urged himself, even as physically he halted his paws. Antares was being careful, knowing she would be able to read him better than most already. She usually did. I didn't plan to.. he answered, realizing when he heard the words what that could potentially imply. Glancing away entirely then, he hoped to amend it swiftly. Sorry. Was hunting, I've been.. at the coast, a lower murmur, dancing over the trip south that had come before that. Didn't realize I had come so close, to Moonglow, he gestured halfway with his muzzle. He wondered why Keyni was not with them now, considering...

A deep breath to steel himself wanted him pulled forward, so he leaned weight back onto his hindlegs; rooted enough. He didn't want to press her back further, though it bothered him that he had noticed at all. Was he making her nervous? He was nervous and didn't want to be. But I could say the same for you, he provided lightly enough for him while he carefully measured the space between them--just in case she decided it was still too close for her.

Remaining wedged in place, all of her muscles unusually tight, she regarded her friend with a mixture of relief and uncertainty. If she could guess, he likely wasn't aware of the changes her body was going through. But she was. And if asked, she said she would have preferred to keep it that way. Not all males could be trusted. Something she hadn't learned, but some deep feeling told her as much.

She shook off his little stumble of phrasing. "No no, I get what you mean. How...how was the coast? I can't say I've been up that way before." She admitted, trying to make conversation. Realizing that she had been staring at him a little too long, and not in a way that agreed with her, she was grateful to hear his voice again, noting the time that had elapsed since he'd seen her. "Y-yeah...I needed to stretch my legs for a few days. But...I am glad you are well." She tensed, forcibly resisting the pull to go to him.

Keyni was still tense, which fed readily into his uncertainty as he kept himself planted where he was. He debated offering to leave, but that felt too sudden, and not what he wanted to do yet at all. She remained in her spot as well, he noticed, and her reply went on towards the flow he had aimed for--one attempting conversation. In part, he simply kept to feeling quietly confused, though he could answer easily enough about the coast with a straight face. Good, different.. he drawled, trying to keep it concise as he peered openly her way. Peaceful, he summarized, hoping the list did not seem too terribly abrupt, but it was honest. He had hidden from everything there. It's worth a visit, Antares added, quieter, when he suddenly wanted to offer that she could visit, that he knew where there was a good view, a pleasant spot, and he had to stop this thought before it got away from him. I could show you where.. He swallowed, refocused, trying not to get into that; it was best she stay close to her pack, he reasoned.

I.. hope you've been well, too.. he spoke low, almost uncertain how to package what he wanted to say, imploring her to read into it with this look. Well enough despite everything, despite him, here and now, having to think way too far about staying put. He hoped that Moonglow was strong, steadying, and had been everything she needed it to be--that it was not some discontent there that had driven her to wander. But a part of him did hope it was not necessarily a pursuit, either.

Ultimately, was not really his concern though, despite the protective edge he felt when he drifted over the idea--one he tried to bite back, then swallow entirely. He was just some rogue now, Keyni's business absolutely her own, and Moonglow was not the Glen just for starters.

Slowly, as if she had been afraid to move, she carefully rose into a more upright sitting position. Breathe...relax yourself... She coached, trying to remember and focus on her self taught training. She was always so cool and composed. But her heat had thrown all that out the window, and possibly, along with her reasoning. "I've...never seen it before. I think I would like to, someday. I'm open to new discoveries." Maybe...if she found the time, Kukutux wouldn't mind her absence if Antares took her on a trip to see the ocean. 

She nodded softly, perhaps a little meekly. "Thanks." She shuffled her front paws. She was fidgety, torn between staying put and going to him. "I have been doing fine. Meeting new faces, making a few new friends. Working to find my role. But...I don't really consider it work. I enjoy it." She added, to let him know that she was happy in Moonglow. "Sometimes though...I do roam for a while. Like now." She looked down, away from him. "It...it is not the best time for me to be around a whole lot of others..." Then she got up, so very slowly and took a single step. The sudden change in the air, the sweetness of her scent might start to explain things.

Very carefully, Antares watched her, innately invested in all of her finest details with intensity he had not known before. It made his skin feel prickly, still, since he couldn't seem to convince his mind to quiet entirely either.

Hyper-aware, he was not able to pass the opportunity that time when she spoke on the seaside, not with the thought already so fresh for him: You could always come, sometime.. he clicked shut his jaws but kept it short, a pointed look after, though he knew he could feasibly frame it as an offer, an invitation; he was tiptoeing around too much to. I go around depending the day--since it's not like I have one place to be, but lately I've been staying closest to Stavanger Bay.. he said, drawing off when he realized it probably didn't matter that much for him to be suddenly forward with his details, especially if Keyni had never been to the coast anyway. He needed the distraction of running his mouth more than anything.

But what he didn't know was for how long, or what his road would lead to.. and at least, it gave him less cause for concern to hear she was making proper headway in Moonglow--and enjoying it, too. So her being drawn to his aunt's claim had been for the best. He had his mixed feelings about it, not about her enjoyment of it and instead somehow feeling that it should be him there as well, learning to live among them, tightly-knit and in proper reverence to what was gone.. but at the same time, wholly sent into flight mode at the thought.

And when his head threatened to swim again, he attached swiftly to the mention she made of the.. situation. Being determined not to acknowledge first himself had been one thing, but she addressed it and he zeroed in. Yeah.. that's good, about Moonglow. And.. that makes sense, he chanced to agree, despite again, the mixed reception he grappled behind carefully organized words. Glad that she was alone for peace of her own mind yet nervous that worse than him would be able to track her down, wanting to stay, and go, all at once. Story of it lately, however. I guess that's why I feel like I shouldn't.. be here bothering you long, and also like.. I don't want to go yet. Antares admitted, softly shaking his head. He had missed Keyni's easy company too, and another piece of why he was in no real rush to make himself scarce despite all his inner turmoils.

He extended an invitation to her to come see the coast. One which she was quick to accept. "I would like that. The next time I see you, we can arrange it." She was sure Kukutux and Moonglow wouldn't mind. She could make use of the trip as a good scouting mission. 

Not one to push the Ostrega in either the direction of re-joining her in Moonglow or choosing a specific lifestyle, she'd let him make his own choices. Find his own way, as she sensed that may be what was best for him. She peered close, interest deep in her eyes. Quickly, she skirted by the topic of her bodily condition, being here with him. "Don't feel like that. If I had to choose, I would rather it be you for the company. I trust you, you know." That was her honest truth. "But enough about that. I'm more interested to hear about how you've been coming along mentally. I know you've had a rough time of it, Antares."

He answered first with a sharp nod, hopefully not one that came too quickly on the heels of her response. Good, he agreed with a slow exhale, eyes bright with a faint hint of mirth. Next time. In all of his aimless, selfish drifting, he could do with something resembling a purpose, even one so simple as that.

Another deep breath grounded him to the present, though, as she said she trusted him with this. Somehow, he wanted to be relieved.. but, could he ever truly relax? He had been raised by a firm mother, surrounded by aunts, others too; these matters were serious to him thanks to the upbringing he had. If his company could be an acceptable distraction, then he ought to try to uphold this--so he quietly repeated to himself, resisting the urge to flex his toes and fidget his limbs.

She wanted to hear more about him, and the space behind his ears burned, wanting to sink into his neck. Yeah. Mostly I try not to think about it.. how much I do still miss everyone, everything and instead stay busy somehow--tire myself out, because it feels good, Antares replied simply. Sometimes, it didn't feel like anything but that was fine too. If nothing else, it was keeping his strengths up, and giving his dreams something else to work with. I did miss ranging more as well--it was hard to for very long with the Glen sometimes, he admitted, shoulders shifting as his stance followed, like he was trying to loosen coiled tension. I guess it's been okay, though I still don't know what it will be for, or maybe become.. the dark Ostrega supposed in summary, implying where he would go from here, and the feeling in his heart to just run wide open for good.

He had an entire life to live yet, after all.