Noctisardor Bypass miles on the run

"i was, too," he said, laughing more. "i can't begrudge them for taking advantage of newfound freedom." even if it brought them into harm's way. what was harm, to a pup? they had yet to learn that the dangers that lurked beneath the surface of an interaction were sometimes more deadly than those more explicit. it was up to the adults to make sure they didn't stumble into any such dangers, implicit or otherwise.

adi nodded along with her sentiments on traveling, feeling exactly the same way. it was sad, to him, that so many wanderers had to compromise for the benefit of safety. the itchy paws never went away, but the terrors of being alone in an unfamiliar land often outweighed the desire to meander aimlessly. safety came in numbers, after all.

"that's why i'm here today," he remarked, glancing around at the walls of the bypass. his eyes met hers again, warm and reluctant. "but i must return to my family, soon--before nightfall, at least. i hope i provided a good distraction for now?" he asked, raising a brow with a smirk.