Dawnlark Plains I gotta pocketful, pocketful of sunshine

@Rathbone letsl have some fun! :)

Trotting into the rocky plains, the mix grinned widely, her spirits high. She had had a great few days. Her tiny paws hit the ground, and she bobbed her head along to a tune her mother used to sing. Swiveling her ears, she heard no one and giggled loudly, her light laugh spreading over the land. She was free this moment. Free of worry, free of strife, free of annoying wolves. 
Her full tail swished with pure joy as she bounded lightly over the land. She tilted her head and sat down for a moment, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the beautiful sunset. Another string of giggles burst from her, and energy flowed through her. Pushing quickly off the ground, her lithe and small body started skimming the ground as she ran as fast as she could, making almost impossible leaps of joy into the air before sprinting again. She was absolutely...FREE.

 sure.  i also realized idk where this will fit in his timeline, oops.  oh well

he parted from the wolves at shadow mountain, breaking from its foothills without a glance back.  he was not sure if he would return and he was sure they didn't care, so forward he trekked.

it was not long after he entered the plains that a squealing caught his attention.  so soon after the attack against duana, he was cautious, and he headed towards its source only to realize that it was a girl, and she was quite happy.

he stood rigid, watching her yip, skip, and howl, not wanting to intterupt the joy he felt with his presence.

As she danced over the field, she was glad no one could see her. She bet she looked silly dancing around, but as her small paws hit the ground again, it was as if a spring was in her slim legs, and she bounded high. Her eyes went wide as she realized that she had no control, and she flipped awkwardly in the air and landed on her haunches, sliding for a couple of feet.

he continued watching her playful antics from afar.  just watching her bolstered his mood, he need not join in.  and if he had it his way, he would have slipped out unnoticed.

but she fell, tumbling through the snow and quickly he closed the distance between them, lest she be injured.

he still kept a respectable space between them — na'nuq, at a hefty one hundred and sixty pounds had the tendency to be intimidating — but let out a soft and worried chuff, peering down at the girl crumpled in the snow.

Dazed, she knew she heard paws, but couldn't bring herself to open her eyes yet. Lightheadedness made the world seem like it was spinning, even with her eyes closed. 
Hearing a chuff, she quickly opened her eyes, only to sway her head slightly and draw her brows in with confusion. Where did the mountain come from? And why were there two of them? She blinked, and slowly, the two became one, the mountain becoming a huge...bear? No, a wolf, she thought. A whisper escaped her lips, as her already big eyes took up her face. Díos míos, you are huge. Fear not yet present on her face, she stared in awe at this...male.

he waited patiently for her to regain her senses before doing anything other than standing there.  he almost regrets coming over — surely her fun would be ruined now, and from his position it did not seem like she was injured.

na'nuk was taken aback by yet another language he could not understand; he barely grasped the common tongue enough as it was.

an oh, was all he could manage for a moment.  had he.. intimidated her?  yes.  sahvol zey.  His whiskers gave a twitch and he averted his silvery gaze from the girl.

As the small creature heard the voice, the realization that this wolf could crush her almost with one paw, she scrambled backwards and once again landed on her haunches. Yet no fear fell on her, and a spark of curiosity mixed with appreciation for his beauty made a grin grow on her face. 
Taking a few steps forward, she was still a few feet away when she spoke. Are you shy? She almost giggled at herself. Him shy? Of her? She was at least half, almost a third of his size. Her giggle spilled over, and she sat down and tilted her head, her fluffy tail hitting the ground. 
You are quite...what's the boy version? Handsome? Your colors are beautiful. A thoughtful look came over her face. You don't talk very much, do you?

he wanted to move closer but remained rooted to the spot, not wanting to send her through the snow again.  it would turn out that she moved closer for him, and if she observed she could see his nares working as he took in her scent.  

he froze at her question, muscles tensing.  are you shy?  yes, he offered quietly, but it was muffled by her speaking over him, and he would be grateful if perhaps she did not hear.

and then she embarrassed him more.  what was it with women in these lands being so forward?  he had no wife of his own, but where he hailed from he would have to put forth more effort than this.  was that what she wanted?  a husband? 

the thought left him wanting, and he tried to brush it aside as he answered her final question.  no, staavek.

'Staavek'. She spoke it out loud, hoping not to embarrass herself. It was a strange language. What is your name? Her eyes widened as she thought of something and spoke almost immediately after her lips stopped moving. I'm not bothering you, am I? I don't mean to. I am in a good mood. You see, someone actually wants me. Her voice had grown soft for a moment, but she shook herself and stretched completely out. This stranger seemed nice, almost the opposite of that..Thinking, she remembered they had never exchanged names. The obnoxious beauty. Grinning at him, a sparkle landed in her eyes as she sat, sitting down, curling her long tail around her feet. My name is Dakini, by the way. Sky Dancer. My mother used to call me Sky. She paused again, tilting her head. I am talking to much, sí?

the woman had a tendency to ramble but the man did not mind, for it meant that he had time to gather his thoughts before he responded to her.  she always gave him openings to speak eventually, so it did not bother him to have such a barrage of questions at once. 

nan'uk, he says, gesturing at himself.  his flews quirk up in a grin — so the woman was betrothed!  yes indeed, wonderful news.  and easier that way for him.  he is... good man?  you happy?  he offered an affable tail wag, happy although he did not know her.

dakini, he repeats, and then nods.  good name.  talk.. just enough.

She grinned at him as he spoke. Na'nuk? No, that isn't right. The name was odd on her tongue, but a determined look came on her face. Nan'uk. Her eyes lit up as she pronounced it right, and her tail wagged. 
She was confused for only a second, then giggled as she shook her head. No, Nan'uk, not a man. I do not have one. I mean a pack. I was...the unwanted child...the runt. How could she explain this? Twitching her tail, she gave him a lopsided smile. I was almost killed as a pup because I was so small. My mother saved me. The other day, I found a wolfess that told me about a group of wolves. I talked to a wolf, and they accepted me. She sat up taller and let a light laugh escape.

it took her a few tries, but he did not think any less of her for it; he had difficulty with the native tongue himself, so of course people had trouble with his.

she elaborated, and his brow raised.  oh, that .. also made sense, he surmised.  oh, yes.  they are good?  inviting?  his question was leading, but he would not ask; he still did not know where his paws would lead him, and if he was ready to be tied down.

i am glad you survived.

She nodded happily, and her tail beat the ground. Sí, they are very nice. It's the sea that calls to them, that...holds them together. She grinned at him. Suddenly, something caught her eye, and her head snapped around. Her body sprang into motion, keeping low to the ground. The rabbit zigzagged and ducked into a hole, but she jumped and dived the final few feet, burying herself up to her shoulders. A few moments later, she puffed out her slim chest and trotted to him. Dropping the dead rabbit in front of him, she gestured. Are you hungry? Her tail once again encircled her feet as her ears turned towards him.

he understood.  it was how he and his brothers had felt towards the oceanside mountain they'd called home, and a dull pang settles in his breast.

he caught the sight of the rabbit, but by then she was already on it.  and then she offered it to him (once again — these women were so forward).

he was not hungry.  but indulgently, he lowered his muzzle to it and ate from its soft underbelly, leaving enough for the woman.

i might come.  not now.  sometime.

As the white wonder lowered his muzzle to eat, the small girl gave the scene a lopsided grin, her long tail wagging slowly. She already had a fondness for this...mountain. Wondering what his next move was, she opened her mouth to offer him to join them, but he spoke first. She nodded, her smile going small. Maybe it was his concerned face when she had flipped, maybe the few words, or maybe... something different. 
Shaking her head, she gave him a beaming smile, her eyes sparkling. Sí, I would like to talk with you again. It would be a good thing, no? Looking up at him, she sat down and wrapped her tail around her small feet.

he did not know the thoughts swirling around in her mind but he did understand when her smile fell, and he immediately sought to rectify the situation.  

yes.  i will visit.  i will.  it was a promise, and one he intended on keeping.  but he was not ready to tie himself down yet — he had always been this way, even when he was with his brothers he had often traveled past the borders for indefinite periods.  such was the life of a scout.  such was the life of a drifter.

he was just unaware of what lay in wait for him when he returned to shadow mountain, and how much longer it would be before he returned to her.

Her lips gave him a sweet smile as he gave her a promise, and a happy laugh swelled from her chest. So he would visit. The thought brought her spirits up, and as she wagged her tail, she wondered what pushed him onward. Looking up at this, what she now considered, a gentle giant, her eyes sparkled warmly, yet her voice was soft. Gracías. Thank you, Nan'uk. I will be looking forward to when we meet again.