Witch's Marsh Firework!

It had been a long while since coming by this area. But this time, it was more to explore to inform the Captain of Ironsea, like he had said he would. Bring back things to tell them about. Plus, he quite like this area, he met a few friendly folks, such as @Poppy and Murdock. Even that wolf Xan, who had given him a warning though. But he had been friendly enough.

It had been the trail of a marmot she'd been following, half out of a slight desire to escape the borders for a while, and partly out of a lasting grudge against her escaped marmot. Thus far, it was her first and only grudge, and she returned to the meadow where she'd first found the creature from time to time, wondering if she might chance upon it again.

This time, however, the marmot trail had led right out of the meadow. Halfway to the Marsh, she may or may not have lost the trail and picked up that of a different marmot, but she wasn't entirely sure. She was certain, however, that even her interest in the creature was not enough to track it through the marsh that lay ahead.

Luckily, however, she was soon distracted by the familiar sight of a red figure. She paused a moment as her tail began to wag, and then she was leaping toward him, in great soaring bounds with her wagging tail streaming behind her. "Engel!" She pulled up alongside him a moment after, pushing her muzzle into his shoulder to draw in his scent before doing a tiny little dance as she regarded him.

Engel went through the marsh, his paws sometimes slipping into the muddy water. That he didn't like too much, as a couple times his paw got stuck in the water. So it wasn't going too well for him, and when he heard a name call out to him he at first freaked for a second ,until realizing it was a female name. And one he knew very well...

"Pop-" before he could finish she got into his shoulder, and he paused. "Uh, hey Poppy...Murdock round with you?" he asked, looking about as she started dancing around. "You been doing good since...you know. The um....the thing?"

She stilled, though her banner of a tail still wagged behind her, gaze bright. "I'm good!" She told him, sincere and upbeat. She wasn't sure if she'd see the male again, especially since he brought up the last time they'd met. A little subdued, now, she asked, "are you looking for him? to do the sex?"  She immediately regretted asking, since they'd agreed to pretend it hadn't happened. But Engel had brought it up, hadn't he? Still, she certainly hoped the answer was no - she didn't really like the idea of him doing the sex with others, even though it seemed silly of her.

Engel wagged his tail as well back to her. He was also about to reply to her as well, to say that was good for her to be feeling so well...Till she brought up something that caught him by complete surprise. "W-What?! Wh- No, Poppy, no...just thought I'd say hi, is all." 

Even though a part of him would probably ask, he couldn't say that in front of Poppy. "I was just exploring, really. Joined up with a group a bit of a distance from here."

Relief showed in her small sigh, and she grinned, suddenly at ease again. "I'm exploring, too," She offered, which was partly true. It certainly would take a bit of exploring to find her way back to the Stone Circle, though she was hardly terrible at navigating. After a moment, she spoke again, this time a little thoughtfully. "another group? what're they called?"  Perhaps he'd joined Moonspear, or Morningside; or perhaps he had tales of a whole new pack to share.

He looked about. This was quite far from Easthollow, wasn't it? "It's a bit far, isn't it? Don't want Murdock to be too worried bout you." Otherwise he would get a massive ass kicking from Mur. He didn't want that.

"Ironsea...it's by the coast." It was a nice place too. "Maybe one day, you and Mur can visit. But I'll be sure to visit you...as a friend, of course" he said with a grin. After all, they were good friends.

She glanced back as he mentioned that she was rather far - weren't those the stones in the distance? No, those were simply more trees, she realized, and she had come out rather far. She smiled sheepishly, plopping onto her rear as she looked back to him. "I was tracking a marmot - I think I went a bit too far." She offered, though her ears perked at his next words. 

 "I've never seen the coast before," The words came out a little dreamily, and she was rather keen on the idea of Murdock and herself traveling there, one day. Speaking of that,  "oh! Murdock and I are mates, now." A grin curved her muzzle as she announced this to Engel, who ranked very high on her list of favorite wolves and thus should be informed of her happy development. She had a great many questions about Ironsea, though suddenly felt it important to tell Engel what had her so happy (well, happier than normal).

Engel didn't like the sound of that, he felt it best that perhaps he should lead her back. Or maybe even help her find this marmot she was tracking down. He couldn't leave her alone so far out here, all alone. So, what could he do? 

Then, he felt a feeling in his heart. A tightness. "Wait...you and...Murdock?!" He paused for a moment. And then, Engel smiled. "Poppy, that is great! To tell the truth, I saw something between you two when I saw both of you."

She beamed as Engel spoke, giving a little shake. She couldn't quite find her words, wagging her tail behind her like a flag in a hurricane. She certainly hadn't imagined things to turn out as they had, somehow they had unfolded; that Engel had guessed at it cheered her. For certainly if he'd noticed something between them, then their mateship felt even more right. She'd completely missed the hesitation and fed happily off his words. After a moment, she glanced at him, curious about what he'd told her. "what's Ironsea like?" It sounded like a daunting sort of name, not much at all like  Engel like angel. 

Engel shrugged. He hadn't been there for too long, though for how long he had been there it was great. A nice setting, and Smokestep seemed good. Plus, he liked the accent. "It's nice, by the coast. They all talk a bit odd though" he added. Yep, he was still quite confused by it. "They call each other 'lad' and say 'ahoy' instead of hello." He laughed a little at that.

Again, he mentioned the coast, and Poppy's ears flicked forward, only to slump a little disappointedly when he said nothing much of it. She was interested by the way these Ironsea folk spoke, however, and carefully murmured the word before committing them to memory. "do all coastal wolves talk like that?" She wondered aloud, numerous other questions already gathering in the forefront of her mind as she regarded him.

Engel was not even sure if they all did. Though he also had not seen that much of the coast to even know that. "Maybe, maybe not. Haven't seen all the way." He smiled lightly at her, and thought of something suddenly. "Well, I...may have met someone on the coast" he said with a growing smile.

His answer wasn't exactly satisfactory, though she couldn't expect him to know all about the coast - from the tales she'd heard from city dogs on their trail, the lucky sort that traveled with their masters, the coast was huge and beautiful. That it was so near her she had not known, and the thought was thrilling. Still, his next announcement had her confuse an instant, and her brow furrowed. "someone? what -" The confusion cleared away after a beat, and her maw opened in an "oh!"  Surely he meant an important someone, not just another wolf, though she didn't quite put voice to her tentative realization. Instead, her wagging tail bade him continue.

He smiled as she spoke then when her maw opened in an 'oh' he laughed. Sometimes Poppy was just so adorable, too adorable. He knew he could never try anything with her, she was almost a child at heart. "Yes, and she is quite a beauty. Dark fur like the night, eyes like leaves in the spring. And I think she likes me too" he said as he sighed happily. "Murdock is lucky to have you...you deserve each other, you know." Recalling their first night together he smiled lightly.

Engel went on to describe the someone, and while Poppy wasn't sure exactly whether he meant it platonically or romantically, she decided to keep quiet on the fact a little longer. "what's her name?" She chirped, imagining already the beautiful woman Engel described. Surely she'd find out eventually how he viewed her, but for now, her thoughts were momentarily stolen away by Engel's next comment.  "I never thought things would turn out like this - I'm lucky, too." 

"Tine" he sighed again as he said the name. "Like...line, or pine...yes, pine" he said with a slow nod. That gave him an idea for the next time they meet. Poppy spoke of how lucky she was, and he nodded to her. "He'll be good to you...I mean, he was pretty good to me" he said with a light chuckle.

He offered her name, and though he seemed to say it fairly dreamily, she was still irritatingly unsure if Engel had met a friend or a lover. Still, he seemed interested in continuing the conversation about Murdock. While she'd have very much like to figure out who, exactly, Tine was, and even more so what the coast was like, perhaps she could bring it up later. "he's always been good," She offered, words genuine as a small smile curved her lips.

Engel was very glad to hear that. "Good...you be good back to him as well, he deserves as much for caring about you..." He paused for a moment, smiling back. "He made a good catch you know. It might not be my place to say, but you are beautiful in your own way. And I mean that as a friend." For once, he meant it as a friend and not as some flirt. She was a good dog, and he was happy to call her friend.

she smiled as Engel offered his compliment, warming under the pale and red fur of her cheeks. it was nice to be beautiful, she felt suddenly, and her tail wagged gleefully at her hocks once more. suddenly sheepish, she asked, "what's Tine like?" 

Engel smiled back towards Poppy. In a way, she was absolutely adorable, with her innocence. She asked a question, and he sighed happily. "Well...she's a dark beauty. Dark fur like the night, green eyes...and she's quite a-" He stopped, thinking maybe he shouldn't say anything like that around Poppy. "Let's just say she's lovely."

she was glad when the conversation shifted, her embarrassment fading slowly. she listened carefully to the way she described her, and finally, it dawned on her just who his someone was to him. "oh!"  she began, small smile curving her muzzle as it clicked, "you love her, don't you?" he certainly described her in a way that reminded her of the way that she tended to describe Murdock, only a great deal more poetic.

Engel smiled at just thinking of her...that was till Poppy said something. L...Loved her? With Engel...no matter how close they had been, they had not ever been love, not like Murdock and Poppy. It was...complicated, as the last time he had loved it had ruined him when he was forced away. He gulped. "I..." Did he love her? It certainly felt different than others....

alas! it seemed she was wrong in what she'd certainly believed to be right, and she was quick to backpedal. "well - do you like her?" perhaps love had been too strong, and yet was that not what he'd meant by someone? one didn't describe friends in such flowery language - did they? suddenly doubting her interpretation, she fell silent, deciding that no words would certainly be better than wrong ones.

Engel nodded to that. He liked her, that was most certain. But loved her... "I do like her...for many reasons..." They both fell silent then, and Engel's paw awkwardly shifted along the ground in silence. "How's Easthollow treating you?" he finally mustered up to say. They had seemed nice last he was there, with Grayday.