Bearclaw Valley remember me,

@Cole if you are up for a thread <3

nestled against the trunk of an old oak, nephele slept.

snowflakes descended, dusting her in a blanket of white while she rest. dreams came easy some days, and difficult others. some days she wished for them and others she did not.

the abrupt twitch of her paws might have suggested that a dream held her now, but in the empty pit of the stormcloud's mind, there was only a void.

snowfall continued, and with it so did the woman's slumber. eventually she stirred, rousing beneath the coat of fresh powder that covered her as the storm softened to an ease of flurries.

there she stood and stretched, head tilting upwards as she tried to gauge if she'd slept for a few minutes or a few hours.

Cole approached with a steady gait, his amber eyes catching sight of the pale figure seated beneath the oak. Snow flurried lightly, the scene quiet save for the sound of his steps crunching through the frost. His shoulder twinged with each movement, the wounds still tender, but his focus was on the woman before him.

Thought I'd find you here, he greeted, his voice low and even, carrying an edge of warmth despite his usual stoic demeanor. He stopped a few paces away, nodding toward her.

The snowflakes clung to her coat, her recent stretch betraying her earlier slumber. Cole took a moment to scan her, ensuring there were no signs of distress. You holdin' up alright? he asked, the concern subtle but present in his tone. Whatever she needed, she'd get—his own injuries could wait.

her focus remained upwards as the sound of approaching footsteps drew near. the sun had shifted — she'd slept longer than what she had planned. strange, she tended to do that often these days.

she rolled a stiff shoulder as her attention streamed downward, a soft smile forming on her lips at the welcomed sight of cole. she aimed to close the distance between them once he'd stopped, her steps a little swifter when she noticed the wound upon the man's shoulder.

"i should be asking you that," she let out as she stepped near to try and inspect the injury. "what happened?" concern laced her tongue as she glanced toward the guard, a furrow of her brow marked with worry.

Cole shifted his weight slightly, his usual stoicism tempered by the softness in Nephele’s voice. Her concern was evident, but he waved it off with a dismissive shrug, the corner of his mouth twitching faintly.

It’s nothin’, he said, voice calm and low. Couple’a coyotes got too close for comfort. And then Rala—new woman—brought some friend along. She weren’t too nice. He scoffed softly, a dry humor bleeding into his tone. Didn’t end well for her.

His amber gaze met hers briefly, steady and assuring. I’m alright, though. Seen worse. He gestured subtly with his uninjured shoulder, as if to prove his point.

men. always acting like their wounds didn't hurt or weren't as important as they should have treated them.

she listened as he explained the cause of his injury, the corners of her mouth twitching with a bout of phantom pain brushing over her own shoulder. "do me a favor and at least get it looked at by someone with more medical experience than me?" she asked of him, head titling over with a motherly stare that could only be read as please.

"bearclaw can't lose it's best protector over an infected cut." she'd seen bloodshed and war. half the time is was not the injuries that took a life, but the disease and infection that festered in open wounds. she did not want him to suffer that fate over foolish disregard.

He sighed, shaking out the ache of his wound. There was an unexpectedness of her reaction— she hadn't shown him so much...worry. The plead in her stormcloud, jade eyes, was enough. He hadn't seen that look from her since picked her up in the glade.
Alright, alright. He rescinded. He'd see Rala...eventually. Though her name left a violently bitter taste on his tongue.
An ear perked, head swiveling towards the storm's eye. Best protector, now? A smirk pulled. Had she thought that of him? Did it matter? Y'reckon?

"good," she quipped, relieved to hear he would have it looked over by a more discerning eye.

his question brought about a spark of surprise to the stormcloud. "who else would it be?" she questioned, but no other names came to mind. cole had saved her family from a pit of grief, he'd brought to the valley those who needed a home, he patrolled the borders, defended the territory, looked after the youngings.

to her it was obvious, but so often could one we see the virtue in others far easier than themselves.

He glanced at her, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. He couldn't help but look at her; stormwrought and entirely woman. She was entitled to her mystery, but it didn't stop Cole from wondering.
I’m just doing my part, he murmured, his deep voice carrying a quiet humility. As any man should.
His attention was brought to the roaming herds. Mule deer and pronghorn frequented the valley— sources rich with nutrients for the growing cubs. Annie...Anatolia, has been spendin' a lot o'time 'round me. Is that, uh...alrigh' with you?
Annie certainly didn't need her mother's blessing, but he did. Undermining where she came from, her real father, wherever he may be, wasn't something he would step on. Don't know if I'm the best...mentor, err...teacher, 'rsum.

ever the modest man cole was, which perhaps is what made him so easy to talk with. her interest blossomed at the mention of her daughter, the nickname he'd bestowed upon the girl bringing forth a blissful chuckle from the mother. annie. it was cute.

"as her mother i'm a bit jealous she spends more time with you than me," she teased, an ounce of sadness twinged in her voice knowing she was partly to blame for her daughter's distance. "but i'm glad she's with you. learning from you." there weren't many others she knew well enough in the valley to trust with the care of her children.

"you connect with her in a way i'll never be able to." there was truth in this, nephele knew it so. "i'm grateful she has you."

His gaze softened as he looked at Nephele, the sincerity in her voice leaving him momentarily at a loss.
She’s a good kid, he said finally, his tone low but steady. Got her head on straight. More than most. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
At her admission of jealousy, Cole shifted slightly, his discomfort subtle but present. You’re her mother, Nephele, he said firmly, his voice carrying a quiet reassurance. That’s a bond no one can touch. Not me. Not anyone.
He glanced away briefly, as if searching for the right words. Speakin' of...bonds...whatever...happened to your husband?

the reassurance in the man's words offered some comfort to the stormcloud woman. her daughter was a good kid, though more importantly, she was still her little girl. she breathed an air of acceptance, turning away slightly then to glance off in some odd direction when the next question caught her off guard.

she hadn't expected it, but didn't mind to answer. "i don't know really. he disappeared when the kids were still little, couldn't have been more than a week old." she tried to remember exactly the last time it'd been when she saw arktos. the day their children were born? the day after? she couldn't recall.

"maybe fatherhood scared him away, or maybe he'd found something that had made him happier." in the end it didn't really matter why he left, he'd gone all the same.

When she finished, he nodded slowly, his expression unreadable.
Do you think you loved him? he asked, his voice quiet but firm, the weight of the question settling between them like a heavy stone. There was no judgment in his tone, just curiosity and something more—something that hinted at a deeper understanding of loss and the complexity of emotions.
His tail flicked once against the ground, and he shifted his weight, keeping his eyes on her. Or was it just... circumstance?

she sucked in a breath, holding it there for what felt like a streak of unmoving moments before she finally exhaled. "i think i loved the idea of him." arktos had been everything she desired in a man; large, strong, healthy, masculine. she wanted him for appearance, for his good genes, and he'd given her that.

"we never really knew one another, not in the way a husband and wife usually would." and she'd been ok with this, preferred it even. it made it easier when the inevitable end of their marriage came upon them.

and it had, and she had not grieved it.

Cole hummed low, a thoughtful sound rumbling in his chest. He nodded slowly, mulling over her words as he turned his gaze to the horizon, where the valley stretched wide and endless.
Do you think you could ever fall in love? he asked, his voice steady, though there was a faint curiosity that lingered in his tone. His amber eyes flicked back to her, searching her expression, gauging her reaction.
He shifted slightly, his tail brushing lightly against the ground as he added, almost as an afterthought, Not the idea of someone, but... the real thing. The kind of love that makes it harder to walk away.

do you think you could ever fall in love?

she sat with that question, picking at it like it were scraps on a dinner plate. yes, she thought. she could fall in love.

"before my kids i would have said no," she shares, green meeting gold in a stare of thoughtful warmth. "but they have shown me a side of love i did not think i would ever know."

and she would never know a love greater than that which she held for her children. there was no man or woman or soul on this earth that would drive her heart to beat the way in which it did for her kids. but she knew also it was a different love in which cole spoke.

"a love like that is terrifying, beautiful, boundless and i do not know if i would be worthy of it." yes, she thought. she could fall in love. but would she let herself?

"but the want for it is there all the same."

There was a kinship he found in Nephele. She spoke of reverence, of vulnerability with her daughters. He swallowed a tight knot, thinking of his own lil' girl, lost to the flames long ago. But the vision was replaced with a rose tint, scent wafting of Anatolia. A new kind of love, found deep within the chasm of his heart.
But that is not the kind of love that he referred to. She knew this. He knew this.
Not worthy—? He held back the urge to scoff, but rendered a curious raise of his brow. Still, he said nothing. Consoltation was not his strong suit; he was more a toned heap of bones, meshed and compiled with blood tainting his every move.
If anything, he didn't deserve it.
If y'ever find yourself wantin' t'risk it again, he breathed, you know where t'find me.

in all but a moment cole had stolen the breath from her lungs.

a warmth crept upon her cheeks, nerves tingling on the edge of her toes. she would not deny the feelings that grasped her just then. she’d known they’d been there, lingering in the background as some candlelit flame.

she swallowed a lump in her throat, a soft voice appearing soon after.

"would you wait for me?" she asked of him, eyes warm with affection but knowing in what she asked of him. "i would not be so selfish as to hold your heart hostage for long, i just…” she glanced away, back toward the old oak where she had slept.

she turned to face him again, breathing in his scent and holding it there in her chest. "i just need to convince myself i'm allowed to have this."

With his gaze softening, there was the faintest of smiles tugging at the corners of his lips. He studied her for a moment, letting her words settle between them, their weight understood and appreciated.
I’ve got nothin’ but time, he replied, his voice a quiet rumble of reassurance. His amber eyes held hers, steady and warm, conveying a patience that seemed infinite. Ain’t no rush, Nephele. You take the time you need.
He leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed, as if to give her the space she sought without retreating entirely. Then, with a slight tilt of his head and a playful edge to his tone, he added, ’Course, when you’re ready... we can call it a date. Just you, me, and the big ol’ valley to roam.
There was no pressure in his words, only a genuine offer wrapped in the comfort of his presence.

there is relief blown out in a sigh she'd not known she'd been holding in. the first half of her life had been nothing but a constant continual rush of adrenaline. war, familial feuding, fleeing, marriage, leadership, childbirth, abandonment, loss, grief.

and for the first time in a long time, nephele felt as if she could just breathe.

a date. "that sounds nice."

she could work toward that while plucking out the nails that barred the door to her heart. need it be done by hammer or claws, she would get them free.

she looked to him, a flutter in her chest she'd not had before now. "i'll be looking forward to it."

He was a contrast of strength and fragility, the remnants of a past that shaped her into something both delicate and formidable.
He stepped closer, the distance between them vanishing in a heartbeat. His muzzle brushed against her neck, a deliberate motion, wrapping around her with a possessive yet tender hold. His breath was warm, steady, and deliberate as he took in her scent—a reminder of her presence, of what she represented.
For a moment, the world stilled, and his voice broke the silence, low and commanding but laced with something softer, something only for her.
Find me.
The words carried weight, a promise and a challenge, as his grip loosened and he pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. The edge of a smirk tugged at his lips, though his expression remained grounded, steady. She was young, tangible, and undeniably hers to choose. He’d made his intent clear—what came next was hers to decide.

exit cole hehehe

she sucked in a breath at the approach, eyes squeezed shut as his muzzled snaked around her nape. shivers, a tingle to the hot air against her neck. she'd not been touched, held like this since — !

heart dancing, beating against her chest as he spoke.

in that moment there was only him, his scent, his touch, his voice, his —

and he was slipping away in what felt like a whisper in the breeze. the warmth they'd shared for a moment now replaced with the wind tangling her fur. she watched as he went, leaving her coveting the closeness he'd given her, leaving her wanting more.

more.

his words whirled in her head, and she thought only of him.