Golden Glade I never dreamed that i'd meet somebody like you

On tiny tapping toes she ran through the wide swatch of sugar maple trees. They grew tall and large round the middle. Blocking the sun so that only bits and pieces like scattered glass on dirt played peek a boo. The birds that twittered and crowed back and forth, as they flew from one branch to the  next. Prey animals she could hear them shuffling, bumbling beneath the surface. Looking for a way to find a next meal without stepping into the cold beyond of the above.

White tail twitched as she gamboled and pranced through the trees. Winding and twining through them, ever graceful, every danty. She'd stop on occasion to look and make sure her steadfast protector and best friend @Ulrich followed behind. She was surprised that he had let her lead, but perhaps he trusted her enough to not go any further than she needed too from his side.

Finally, she returned to his side, brushing against him in delight. Isn't it pretty here, Ully! Look at the way the light shines on the frost. MM. I wish King Father could see it. He'd appreciate it at least.

Ulrich had been following along behind Adylaide for hours, letting her wander where she would, but always keeping her in his sights. She was so grown up in some ways, and yet her excitement at each ice-covered branch and each new smell was so childlike that he could not help but shake his head and smile.

He stepped away from her with a slight frown as she brushed against him and was about to gently remind her not to do such things, but she was already speaking. "... I wish King Father could see it. He'd appreciate it at least."

Ulrich said nothing, turning his head away. I'm not sure the King appreciated anything, he thought to himself, though he would never say such a thing aloud, and certainly not to the King's daughter. Ulrich had served the king for his entire life, and loyally, but secretly had disagreed with many of the royal's policies.

He looked around, wishing to quell any suspicions about his sudden silence and said, "It is beautiful here, isn't it?" He paused, then looked at the princess, glancing downward. "How are your paws?"

Ady was entrhalled with the wilderness here. Though she was saddened by the deaths of her family, a small part of her felt removed from it all. Perhaps it was because she had never been overly close to them. But because of the removal, she was enjoying each new landscape that was uncovered for them, and the thought of spring and then summer in some of the places filled her with glee. 

Her words were in the air, and she immediately regretted them. She had never seen her father to enjoy and appreciate anything unless it was more food for his belly, more wolves to command. It saddened her as the eldest daughter to see what her family had become. It was one of the many reason's she preferred keeping presence with the lowly than the high.

She stopped and settled immediately to her haunches to lift her front paws up. They were bleeding and cracked, painful to the touch. They stung. She was growing used to it, and she was trying not to complain, or even show him, but he had asked. And she never lied to Ully.

Well.

Ulrich grimaced at the sight of Adylaide's paws. "Well?" he repeated, skeptically, his brows drawing together in confusion. "My lady, you have a strange definition of the word well." He sighed, glancing behind himself over his shoulder. "We should have stayed with the river a while longer. You never did get to rest your paws in the water... I suppose there's nothing for it now. Your paw pads will toughen over time. In the meanwhile, please tell me if you'd like a break. We're farther from that pack to the northeast so I don't mind slowing down a little."

Ady gave a sheepish look, her brown eyes tracing over the contours of his face, as he spoke. She listened closely. Then she looked back down at the ripped and torn pads, the blood that dripped from them crimson and cerise. For a moment, she thought she might be sick as she thought of blood, and her parents. It had been everywhere. She closed her eyes as tightly as she could, fighting the thoughts. They creeped upon her in the most inopportune times, really.

I didn't want you to worry. she murmured.

She frowned and looked around taking in the area. She sniffed. She didn't smell anything to eat, and she wasn't starving yet, but she wondered if a snack might do them both some good. 

Should we try and find something to eat again?

I will always worry, Ulrich murmured, without seemingly knowing that he had said it. He gazed at Adylaide’s face a long moment, as if he were searching for something. And then he seemed to come back to himself, and cleared this throat and turned his head away. What was he doing?

She asked if they should find something to eat again. Why not, he replied, glancing around. More hunting practice for you is always good. He took a breath. Now. Settle and stand still and tell me what you can sense. What do you smell, hear, taste on the wind? What is the weather like and how will that affect the prey we’re after? Go on.

A soft confession and Ady's eyes almost went wide. She caught herself just in time. She had always assumed, she was merely a job. That he held no real affection for her. She was just his kings child, and his charge. She didn't ever stop to think that perhaps he would find her pleasing as an acquaintance, a friend, what have you. Her chest felt tight for a moment, and she wanted to smile, or sing. However, instead she kept her face, open, but not to open as he searched her for something. Far too long, and not long enough he looked away and continued looking around.

Question after question flew of his tongue to buzz around her head and face. All tough asks, but she'd do her best.

So she stood still and took in a deep breath and then another, and slowly opened her senses.

I smell wood, and snow, mm squirrel, bird, deer, but it's very faint. Um something that smells acrid.

She wrinkled her nose at the last scent. It burned.

All i hear is the wind. The wind tastes like chill, like ice when you lick it from the cave mouths.

She smiled at the brief memory of licking a frozen icicle, the crunch under her teeth as she bit into it. That so cold it burned feeling, leaving her tongue tingly and funny.

Ulrich nodded slowly at each of her words, listening carefully, a small smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. She was very observant, and this was good for hunting, but also good for helping to keep herself safe. He let out a very soft chuckle at the mention of an acrid smell. That is skunk, and we would do well to avoid it. I'd just as soon you didn't have to learn exactly what happens to wolves who attempt to hunt those... fragrant... creatures.

So, he said, bouncing a little on his paws, as if coming to attention. Pick your poison. I'm not sure how well the two of us would do against a deer, unless it was already injured, but we'll go after whatever you like. He paused. And good work. You have a strong nose and you pay attention, which is important.

Ady had learned growing up mostly from not speaking. Her queen mother had drilled into her head that a lady was seen and not heard, much like children. And thus she had endeavored to do just that. However, much it stunted her growth and cowled her spirit. So, it was no small feat to smell what was in the area, though putting images to the smell was another thing all together. Some thing she could recognize on sight, but most of her meat had been hunted, skinned, and lay upon leaves to eat.

is it very bad? Do they attack you? Are they like predators? Bigger than us? Is that why?

She smiled shyly. Thank you. I don't want to make you worry more and you shouldn't have to do everything. We're in this together after all.

She headed towards the smell of birds. She wasn't sure how they'd fare against the flying creatures, but she had always liked the delicate bones and the taste.

Ulrich blinked several times in surprise at Adylaide's questions about skunks. Then, he let out a rare laugh, a deep and sonorous noise from his chest. It is perhaps not as bad as you're imagining, my lady, he assured her, his honey-brown eyes twinkling with amusement. Skunks eat mainly insects, from everything I've seen, and they're much smaller than wolves. However, they pack quite the... well... stench. When threatened, they raise their tail and release some kind of fluid from there, ah, behind, and once you are coated in it, you will not soon forget it. It is extremely difficult to get rid of and the scent stays with you for days no matter how many times you bathe.

After this explanation, however, Ulrich's amusement died out, for he was once again feeling awkward by his charge's kind words. He gave her a tight smile but turned away, unsure of how to respond, and simply followed along silently as she moved towards the trees.

Laughter curled around her like a warm pelt. It was loud and vibrant and good lord she wanted to hear it again, and again. Very few times in her life had she heard such a sound erupt from her guardian. But to say she loved it was an understatement. It made her want to laugh along with him, catching.

Though at his words she wrinkled her maw. That sounds utterly disgusting. Eww.

Her pretention slipped into her words, just a bit. She was a humble princess, but still a princess, who had, had the good life. Which including baths whenever she wished with scents and flowers and just nice things. The thought of such a disgusting creature, made her a bit ill.

However once the moment was over, the silence became overbearing and awkward. She wanted to cry. She always felt as if they were dancing around something lately. One step forward and two steps back, but of what she wasn't sure. 

She headed towards the opposite end of the skunk, something sweet clung to the air here. It was not acreature she was used to eating, but she had eaten it once or twice. As they came across the hole, she stared at it. It was much bigger than the rabbit holes.

How do we catch, well whatever this is? Is it like rabbits?

Groundhog :)

Ulrich noted the tense, awkward air that now settled heavily around them and wished he could think of some way to lighten the mood. Every time he chose not to respond to her kind words to him, she fell silent and sad and stared moodily at the ground, or anywhere that wasn't at him. He wanted to sigh but was afraid she would catch the sound and it would make her feel even worse, so he tried to keep up cheerful pretenses, his tail sweeping from side to side as if he were happy, ears forward, steps light. But he felt like a fraud.

Her voice was subdued as she stopped at a hole in the ground and asked how they were meant to hunt whatever lived inside. He took a deep breath to identify the creature--groundhog. He opened his mouth to tell her what to do, and then paused. How would she learn if he gave her all the answers? What if something happened to him and she was left all on her own out here? She would have to learn to think for herself. What do you think we should do? he asked.

Though Ady appreciated his trying to keep her happy. She had been taught at an early age to read others. So despite that his body language looked happy, she was scholarly in a way enough to know he wasn't. But it was her own fault. She wanted more than just a guard, what it was she wasn't sure. She wanted him to count her a friend at the very least, but he was constantly putting up the barrier. Putting her on that pedestal that she wanted to knock over.

Ady stared at the ground as he turned her question back on her. Thinking hard. She sniffed at the burrow. This one was big enough she needn't dig down. Instead she settled nearby and Gave a soft noise at the burrow and then a sharp bark. She could hear them scurrying inside. 

She tried to follow movements and had there not been another hole so close she would have missed, but seeing as how it was and she didn't. She grasped the creature, though she let out a soft whine when it's sharp claws caught her muzzle and left a small line of a scratch. She shook it hard, a growl rocketing from deep inside.

Ulrich watched Adylaide curiously, seeing what she would do on her own, without his guidance. He backed away a little, to give her space and so it wouldn't feel as though he were hovering. What she did pleasantly surprised him--scaring the groundhogs with barking. He did not expect it to work; he assumed the creatures would simply burrow deeper in their holes, cowering in fear. However, one of them seemed stupider than the others, and came popping up out of a nearby hole, only to be killed a moment later--

But all Ulrich could see was the blood on Adylaide's muzzle. There was hardly any blood at all, only a small red line, but in his mind, it was so much worse. Even as she shook the groundhog to death, he was already moving toward her, terror widening his eyes. My lady! he gasped, coming nearer to her, scrutinizing her face, studying the scratch. It was nothing. She would heal in but a few days. Most likely, it would not even leave a scar. And yet... He breathed shakily, trying to calm the pounding of his heart. A-Are you all right?

Ady herself wasn't sure if it would work, but she figured losers didn't try. So she attempted to try and succeed ultimately, but she'd be alright with the trying. She was pleasantly surprised when she not only managed to scare one up, but also kill it. She couldn't quite believe it, and she smiled, licking along her muzzle. As she dropped it.

The tone of Ully's voice was frightening on it's own and she froze. Unsure what he meant, she felt fine. She looked at her paws, and her chest. Moved her head side to side, there didn't seem to be an issue, so what was his major malfunction.

Then he was in her space staring at her muzzle, and she blinked owlishly up at him, brown eyes wide in her head. Realizing he meant the small little scratch on her face.

It's just a little scratch Ully. A pinprick really. Honest.

He could tell he had frightened her, could tell she had no idea what he was talking about as she glanced about her own body and moved her head from side to side, checking herself for horrible wounds. Then she saw how close he was coming, how close he was, and she stared up at him, eyes wide. He was inches from her face, his muzzle nearly touching hers.

"It's just a little scratch Ully," she said, her voice hushed. "A pinprick really. Honest."

He backed away from her, feeling hot, his eyes roving the horizon so that he would not have to look at her and acknowledge how physically close they had been. Too close. Her scent had filled his nose and her eyes had been so beautiful, looking up at him like that--

He moved farther away from her, walking away, calling over his shoulder, That's good. It'll heal quickly. I just... need to get a drink. And he trotted away towards the nearest stream, which was nearly frozen over. His heart pounded in his ears. He must not get so close to her again. It was foolish; it was dangerous.

And then he was there, all in her space. So close she daren't breathe. Large body, muscles. She could see the definition of scars on his face and body. Eyes of honey brown. So close she could see the small flecks of gold in it from the honey color. Breath mingled, and curled around her.

Then he was out of her space, and she felt cold and feverish all at once. What in the world, she wasn't sure what to do or what to say. He had never gotten that close before, not even when she had been screaming her head off when her parents had died. He had simply spoken to her sharp enough to force her out of the moment.

He continued to make space, and as he headed away from her. The air that had been trapped in her lungs, left her in a loud whoosh, and she stared after him, perplexed. And wondering, how could she make him do that again without getting hurt.