Redsand Canyon seems a pity not to take a chance

Ruenna sighed in relief when her paws hit sand. The twisting path which skirted the Sunspire had taken a long time to traverse and done a number on her back: steep rises in falls in elevation had always been most difficult on the injury. The path shifting from dirt to sand was a good sign though; it meant her goal was close. 

She'd left @Coriander behind, in the shadow of the Sunspire. He knew the nature of this errand was a private one. 

Ruenna drifted into the canyon with her eyes searching and ears lifted, alert. She stopped when she came upon the first indication of a border. @Germanicus had mentioned that he had found soldiers for Mereo, and it was a good sign that the loyal wolves were already stationed here, marking the territory and holding it fast. She sniffed at the marker in interest, gathering what information she could.

successful hunts of small mountain game had begun to fill mereo's first caches.

he and his auxilia had learned to roam overtop the passageways. they were wolf-trails and deer-paths alike, twisting over the catacombs and sand-floored mazes of the canyon.

it was from one such perch that he spotted ruenna. he knew it to be her not first by gait but by bearing. the first emotion experienced by the imperator was unnameable.

he focused himself upon the descent. she had not called for him, not yet. the eagle kept his approach tactful, listening for any footfalls from glaukos or kallik.

Ruenna pulled her attention from the scent marker to survey the canyon. It appeared quiet, but Ruenna knew better than to trust appearances. There was likely an auxilia stationed nearby, and even if she could not see one, it was possible that one could very well see her. 

She hesitated to howl, reluctant to do anything that might attract an audience. It would be embarrassing enough to present herself to Germanicus alone, given the subject of their last conversation. Now that she had fallen from her seat of power, did she have any chance at all of convincing him of her worth? 

"Hello?" Ruenna called softly, woofing lightly so as to keep her voice from echoing.

germanicus had hoped that one of the soldiers might intercept ruenna. it would show mereo's strength. he had said it would be done. 

but the moments ticked by. 

and then she called out.

the eagle did not feel proper lingering in the shadows now. his step became resolute and he entered her line of sight promptly. 

it was in this moment that germanicus found he did not know what to say. or rather he did not know how to say these things. she had crossed the stone chain and stood in mereo now.

"it is good to see you, lady ruenna." he meant it genuinely. his gaze was steady but could not help to draw in the details of her travel.

"i believe i offended you at the wedding. for this i must ask your forgiveness." her words had not changed. but something in her expression and tones had shifted that day.

germanicus paused. it was a weighty greeting. he cleared his throat with a quick smile, offering her his shoulder. he did not wish to have such a conversation in the open. but she has walked far. and germanicus would indeed let her choose to travel more.

As soon as the silence swallowed her tentative call, Germanicus appeared. 

"It's good to see you as well, Germanicus," Ruenna returned his greeting with a weary smile. 

Did he know of the downfall of Redhawk Caldera..? She expected he probably did. Not unlike herself, Germanicus had the knack of knowing things, being in the middle of things, and finding out things. 

And so he would have known to expect her. He may even have been waiting for her here. 

"Oh! Um.." Ruenna emitted, a bit surprised to hear the apology. "There's nothing to forgive. I wasn't offended," she insisted. Germanicus's reaction to her proposal was understandable and even predictable, given what he had revealed about his plans for Mereo and the confusion in his heart around Crowfeather. Truly, Ruenna should probably be apologizing to Germanicus for putting such a decision upon him so suddenly. 

She walked with Germanicus, following his lead. She would lean upon the proffered shoulder for stability when their path climbed or dipped, or they crossed unstable patches of soft sand. Otherwise she would walk freely.

"Humbled, I think, is a better word for it," she would admit after a time.  His hesitation had prompted Ruenna to see herself through Germanicus's eyes, and reality was sobering. She had grown comfortable with her level of esteem in the Redhawk Caldera, and she had mistakenly assumed that others would see through her outer flaws--as Towhee had-- to respect her intrinsic value. She would not make this mistake again. 

"I shouldn't have put upon you what I did. It was the wrong moment for such a proposal." Would the moment ever have been right? It seemed unlikely. Ruenna still struggled with finding the correct balance between reaching out for what she desired, and patiently accepting what the universe chose to offer her.

"i came to call on you at the caldera," germanicus said quietly. he navigated a path across the empty streambeds that would fill with springmelt.

a triangular cave was set against the base of the canyon here. the sand without was a pale gold against the reddish hue of the canyon. a swathe of odd blue swept upward.

he did not lead them here. this deep into the mazes the snow did not reach. it was cold and yet dry. there was a flat patch of stone covered with a goat-hide. he indicated that they could sit here.

"when i saw that no battle or violence had come to the land, i returned here." his yellow gaze sat upon ruenna. germanicus blinked. the idea that she had been humbled by his response did not sit well with him.

"i am a man who has lived alone for a long time and never considered marriage. i did not allow it to be a possibility. and so i stumbled when it became that. the fault is mine. you were perfectly proper, lady ruenna."

it sounded in some way as if she meant to perhaps shelve or otherwise cancel what she had suggested to him at akashingo. "there is not a wrong moment to discuss your future."

he felt himself assailed by a strange and intangible fear.

the eagle straightened his shoulders. "i gave much consideration to your words all the same. if you do not mean to withdraw your proposal, i wish to accept."

germanicus felt himself plunged into a cold bath of feeling. and at the very same time he was fevered and warmed and heated. the man prickled beneath his silver coat and waited for the lady redfern to speak.

Germanicus had visited the Caldera. Ruenna nodded. The Caldera's downfall was a fresh pain, and it weighed heavy on her heart. Had she managed to recruit Germanicus and Crowfeather to the Caldera's ranks when they first appeared at her border, would the this outcome have been avoidable? Ruenna thought that maybe-- just maybe-- the pair of able-bodied auxilia would have tipped the scales in favor of the Caldera. 

"I'm sorry we missed each other," Ruenna said, frowning. It was regrettable that Germanicus had been left to draw his own conclusions, and to worry needlessly. "I came as soon as I could, but my paws are not as swift as they once were." Ruenna leaned her weight against Germanicus as they crossed a dry stream bed. Her gaze lingered on a deep chasm in the wall of the canyon, where the warm hues of the bedrock were dusted with a curious marbling of blue, drawing the eye inward and upward. 

Germanicus indicated that they should sit, and Ruenna was relieved for the chance to be off of her feet. She circled once upon the goat hide and settled. The conversation turned to their exchange in Akashingo, and Ruenna grew apprehensive as she thought of the plans they had traded in hushed tones, huddled in the Pharoah's hallways. 

Germanicus surprised her. She shook her head. "I have no intention of withdrawing, assuming you have a reason to accept other than sympathy." The corner of her mouth quirked a bit wryly. Without a claim of her own, she was little more than a charity case-- a beggar on Germanicus's doorstep. 

"Has your vision of Mereo shifted, since we last spoke?" In her memory, Germanicus's previous apprehension had less to do with the weight of the personal commitment (as he claimed now) and more to do with the presumed unsuitability of Mereo as a home for anyone other than soldiers. Had Germanicus warmed to Ruenna's suggestions? If she was to stay, she meant to be useful.

His acceptance was sinking in slowly, blooming warmly in Ruenna's chest despite the dry chill in the air. For the first time since the Caldera's collapse, Ruenna felt optimistic.

the shadow filled his mind.

germanicus held his composure. the lady ruenna had moved along. she asked after mereo. "it has," the eagle confirmed, strongly grateful for the change of subject. their agreement had not yet settled for him. he felt himself growing strangely restless. the imperator decided that he would go upon a brisk walk later.

germanicus wanted to assure her that it was not sympathy that drove his choice.

"i have been interviewing women as well as men for positions in the canyon." the last time she had spoken, she had been firm. it was he who had been humbled then. "perhaps i might seek your counsel on something." he was suddenly and starkly unsure what to call her now. 

the formality of a noble household were titles of respect. he wondered if she had grown accustomed to his sort of address. he wondered if lady ruenna would wish to continue this. it felt proper for him to continue the titles. another time he would explore the relief that such noble words held for him.

"the two soldiers who have stayed with me are young men. glaukos is strong and impulsive. kallik is determined and unreadable. neither of them are to an age where they have the discipline to resist the feminine season. with women among us, how might i best ensure that no children are conceived among the auxillaries?" she had been in leadership. he felt that her experience might inform her as to his strictness in this regard.

The conversation moved briskly forward-- so swiftly, in fact, that Ruenna was left wondering if she hadn't just imagined Germanicus's acceptance of her hand. 

Germanicus indicated that his vision of Mereo had shifted, but he left those details a mystery in favor of requesting Ruenna's advice. She dipped her muzzle in assent. 

..How might he best ensure no children were conceived? 

"Oh, you really can't prevent it, I'm afraid," she answered right away, quite certain that this was the truth. She new her opinion would not align Germanicus's current vision of Mereo, and so she broke the news with a sympathetic look. 

Anywhere that men and woman coexisted together, there would always be children too. Any rules they established would best serve to manage that outcome, and not seek to prevent it outright. 

"Tradition favors exile as the punishment for unsanctioned conception, but that's never been much of a deterrent, in my experience." This path would lead to a lot of exiled soldiers-- soldiers into which they had already poured significant time and resources-- and Ruenna imagined good soldiers were in short supply.  

"The best path forward is not to enforce an outright ban, but to impose some natural consequences." She paused as she considered what might best work in Mereo. "For pregnant women, they would lose their ranking as an auxiliary--"  As much as Ruenna hated it, the burden of population control had always and would always fall heavier upon the shoulders of women. "--and instead be ranked as a civilian until the pups are weaned." Germanicus did plan on having civilian ranks, right? Ruenna assumed that this must have been part of his revised plan, given that she herself would need a place in the ranks and she was no soldier. 

"Men who have children being raised here will need to trade training sessions for hunting shifts. Both parents will need to do this until the pups are aged six months. This will come at the expense of advancement in the ranks." Perhaps it would be deterrent enough for the auxilia, male and female alike, if they knew having pups could stall their upward mobility in the ranks for up to six months. 

"Whatever you decide to do, the auxilia need to know the rules up front, and the consequences." Ruenna had some ideas about what could be done with the pups between the time that they were weaned and aged six months, but before she spoke more on the subject she would wait and see what Germanicus thought of what she had suggested so far.

germanicus listened to her speak. 

in lady ruenna he found an equal pragmatist with an eye for the nuances of a situation. 

he hoped that he might remain as straightforward with the lady redleaf as he was currently. the eagle supposed she was not a redleaf — not now. there was a pressure under his breastbone that he only vaguely recalled had a name. so long it had been since it he had last experienced.

germanicus listened to her. but he felt himself misstepping, no longer thinking in tandem with himself. he nodded to her statement that his — their — auxilia should know the repercussions for wanton reproduction. "it would be a fitting first address for you to make to them."

his tones were not a command. they were only neutral. germanicus recognized at last the sensation as panic. it was a strange thought, for her presence did not engender such in him. nor had her words. nor her apt restructuring of what he had thought to be a direct way toward ranking.

it was the thought of what was to come which staggered the eagle in a way that battle had not caused. "forgive me. until very recently there was only the need for imperator and auxillary." a jest. maybe it was too dry and would crumble between them as if it were sundried clay.

at last the yellow eyes were turned upon ruenna. he was truly looking at her then, with a new openness that their agreement had unlocked. and while he did not linger too lengthily in this way, germanicus saw how the earnest nature of her voice was also in her eyes. and how her years were gathered only in her gaze, how each glance and expression held a knowingness that suggested her objectivity.

germanicus cleared his throat and nodded, glancing toward the footpath wending away from the densite. "i will need your assistance in designing civilian ranks. or, if you like, i will offer mine to you." equals. "perhaps it is their absence which has not yet brought a medic to mereo. i myself know only the most rudimentary field medicine."

the imperator went on. "the queen's bodyguard is in my employ. he may be joining us here with the woman i believe he intends to marry. i expect it will be closer to spring before they arrive."

germanicus felt as though he was rambling. he was quiet then, some vague sheen of apology on his countenance.

"It would be a fitting first address for you to make to them."

Germanicus did not lend an opinion on Ruenna's suggestion, either favorable or oppositional. His words indicated comprehensive acceptance, and furthermore gave the impression that he would like Ruenna to hold a position of authority. 

"As you wish," Rue assented, wondering what the auxilia would think of her, if she was to impose rules and consequences immediately upon her introduction to them. 

Ruenna still thought it odd that Germanicus had not offered a counter-opinion, or really any commentary at all. It wasn't until his stab at apologetic humor that Ruenna realized he could be feeling overwhelmed. 

"Until very recently there was only the need for imperator and auxillary."

The edge of Ruenna's mouth quirked wryly. "My arrival has changed a lot, rather quickly," she sympathized. Her perceptive gaze searched Germanicus's features, and finally he met her eyes. Something wordless passed between them, and after a long moment, Germanicus directed them back to their conversation.  

He requested her help with the civilian ranks, and she nodded. He also mentioned a need for a medic. "I know a fair amount. Enough to get us by until a medic can be recruited." Ruenna had spent the year following her accident living with a mated pair of medics, and in that time she had acquired a functional foundation. 

Germanicus went on to mention a pair of possible recruits, and Ruenna tilted her head curiously. It seemed there was already a need for her proposed infrastructure, with a mated pair posed to join them. "Does Pharaoh approve of this?" she wondered. Would Rammesses begrudge Germanicus recruiting from his ranks?

they had been sitting here for quite some time, both of them. and he had offered her nothing but his company. not even a reflective conversation. already germanicus felt as though he had failed in some small way. the tactician sternly told himself that he must keep his head together. if he could not think of the future then he would live defiantly in the present.

he was ashamed to feel so many ways at once. the eagle did not understand why his emotions must be this way. the stricken face of crowfeather played before the eye of his mind. 

he wanted to tell her that he had never been accountable to pharaoh but did not wish to appear churlish.

the master tactician stepped carefully in the one place where he should not.

"the woman, tamar, is contracted in service to the queen. as far as i am able to see, she is the one fellahin who is so bound. i have only spoken with pharaoh of how to end her tenure. i have not informed him that i intend to terminate arsenio's watch when mereo is official."

"my continued presence in akashingo will faciliate their departure." so long as germanicus was an honored member of pharaoh's court, he could leverage this for an easier split from akashingo. "i do not expect ramesses to press his claim here. his curse is political skill."

they were off-topic. or were they? germanicus could no longer tell. it felt that the chill in the canyon had tightened. so far glaukos and kallik had not appeared. the eagle looked toward the den-mouth and then at lady ruenna again. 

his eyes were imperceptibly warmer. or perhaps only relieved. they felt akin to one another in the moment. "would you care to move our conspiracies indoors?" germanicus inquired. another joke. a wan jest.

Germanicus spoke of the situation with Tamar and Arsenio is such a manner as to not invite further discussion, and so Ruenna let his statements stand without commentary. It was not entirely out of the ordinary, when new packs to split off of old ones, for several members to trade one membership for another. Hopefully Pharaoh would see reason. 

Germanicus suggested a change of venue, and his choice of words called to mind their previous conversation on the subject of Mereo, whispered conspiratorially in the catacombs of Akashingo. She smiled at their inside joke, eyes twinkling. "Yes, let's." She pulled herself to her feet a bit awkwardly-- her days of grace were long behind her-- and waited to be shown inside. 

Although they had already spoken on several topics, Ruenna was so far struck by the feeling that they weren't really talking. Or rather, that there was something large and glaring that they were talking around. The elephant in the room, so to speak. They had just agreed to be committed partners to one another, but no words had yet been spoken on what that truly meant. Were they both to be rulers here, as equals, or would Ruenna hold a subservient role? Were they to be husband and wife, in every sense-- what had come of Germanicus's entangled feelings for Crowfeather?

"I would like for you to teach me the ways of a Roman, Germanicus, when you have the time to do so. I would like to be one too, if such a thing is possible." Ruenna was for the most part ignorant of Germanicus's culture, and since she intended to be a good wife to him, that meant she would need to learn. She also thought this request might help break the ice for them, and help them broach the subject of what they could expect from their partnership.

"For instance, you call me Lady Ruenna." She smiled. It was one of Germanicus's quirks, and she liked it. "Shall I call you My Lord?" What would make him comfortable? In general, Ruenna has the sense that Germanicus was uncomfortable presently; there was something stilted about their conversation. She meant to get to the bottom of it, so they could start things off on the right foot.

germanicus did not find pharaoh reasonable and expected a fight of words. but it would only be words, and he saw no reason to remain upon the subject of akashingo for the present. he glanced around the room. it was a spacious area, with two smaller spaces to the left, each large enough for a single individual. shelves of rock ran the length of the main walls. 

she would find it austere, perhaps. germanicus had four items of his own, and two of them were hides. they lay with smaller pelts upon a low platform of the same red sandstone: a near-untouched bed. it was understated and quiet in the far corner of the arch-roofed den, skins stretched over bundles of simple grass dug from beneath the snow and dried.

the other two items were an intriguing fossil found in the wall of the catacombs and the jawbone of a bighorn sheep. the latter was marked with the anomaly of blackened molars. both of them sat silent and unassuming upon a shelf.

the simple existence of the bed in this moment felt rather expectant. the fact that now ruenna could see this platform unnerved him. the eagle supposed it because no one entered this space save for himself. and it was new even to him. he had brought these things down from his earlier perch.

he wanted to turn and tell her of his schedule, of the small details in mereo. but when ruenna spoke again, it was with the words roman and joining him as such. the imperator's face at last opened with surprise. she spoke of their titles and germanicus found himself fully ensconced now in the conversation. he sat down across from her, keeping distance between himself and that corner.

"i intend to continue calling you lady ruenna," the imperator answered after a moment. "but i am not a lord. call me germanicus." his eyes were upon her face once more, steadier somehow. "i had hoped that you might welcome the auxillia addressing you in the same way."

she had asked after his home. he cleared his throat. "in editum, husband and wives are equal. she has liberty over the affairs of the home." it was different from many other places inside that same world where the wife was seen as subservient and had very little standing. but the halls of his homeland had been different. "he protects and provides. they consult one another upon major affairs."

his words felt impersonal. germanicus glanced away and then back toward ruenna. "our naming conventions can be complicated. my third name is caesar. you would be ruenna caeso. but i am not so set upon keeping my surname," he added softly. "i would just as readily wear yours."

"becoming roman is in the names. and in the marriage of yourself to a roman." he touched the subject at last, feeling himself bump against it mentally.

Would she be Caeso or Caesar? Couldn't figure out if that was a typo or not.

Ruenna had imagined she was being led into a hallway, or perhaps some common space, and so she was taken aback to find herself in a private bedchamber once her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. This was Germanicus's space, presumably. Also it was hers, even more presumably. Why else would he have brought her here, to this private space, if he did not intend to share it? 

Ruenna did not allow her eyes to settle for too long on any one feature of the room. She would examine anything of curiosity at a later time, when Germanicus's gaze was not upon her. 

She met his eyes of saffron, and their talk turned to names. 

So they would not change how they addressed one another. She was Lady Ruenna, and he Germanicus. Easy enough. At least she wouldn't slip up. He wished for the auxilia to address her similarly, and Ruenna murmured her assent. "As you wish." Although it was the second time in a matter of minutes she had spoken the words, they felt unfamiliar on her tongue. It had been a rather long time since she was subordinate and therefore subject to another's wishes, she supposed. 

Germanicus explained the roles of husbands and wives to which he was accustomed, and Ruenna nodded wordlessly. Truthfully, she was relieved that he seemed inclined to treat her as an equal, because it would have been a much steeper learning curve for her if she was expected to go back to being entirely submissive after serving so many months in the Caldera's leadership tier. 

He spoke further of names, this time making suggestions for the one they would share. "I am Redfern because I was born in Red Fern Grove. According to that naming tradition, my children would be Redsand." She guided the conversation slowly toward the more delicate topic: the one made all the more weighty by the presence of the bed in the corner of the room, towards which they both pointedly refused to look.

The marriage of herself to a Roman. She was married now. Or.. was she? 

"Is the marriage settled as soon as it is agreed upon, or are we needing to observe some additional custom?" Ruenna's mind flashed to the opulent, gaudy marriage ceremony recently held at Akashingo, and she was only just able to keep herself from shuddering. The very idea of all those eyes upon her, all those voices whispering their judgement as she, a woman past her prime, limped clumsily to the side of the stately Imperator... 

Her chest squeezed tightly. She was not used to feeling unsure or ashamed of herself. Not anymore, at least.

caeso! which i guess would be pronounced 'cee-zso' but i keep saying it like queso smfh lol

children.

germanicus fervently kept the chill from climbing his shoulders. not chill, only something like it, threatening to lift a thin path along his hackles. he swept at once to prying out its source and praying it was not something insidious. he fixed his mind upon the tenets of marriage and cleared his throat softly.

"i hope that you will do what you wish in mereo, lady ruenna." his voice held a quiet earnesty. "you offered to help make this canyon a home. and you have my trust already." the eagle's gaze was on her as he said this. somehow the connection of their eyes did not strop him so much.

the imperator did not take an extra breath or shift. he did not want her to believe him moved. he was unsure of what might occur if he allowed his expression to move again, to change. but the eagle's pulse began a slow cantering. "i will be germanicus redsand," germanicus declared softly. "and our children will bear the same name."

the air hung warmer now. the effort of restraining his reactions into the more familiar mien of a soldier hung tight in his core. her eyes had shone when he had jested out-of-doors. somehow that moment had felt easier than all the others that followed. germanicus realized the mastery of his talents had no power in this realm. he walked upon perception and faith alone.

"it is settled as soon as he and she agree, lady ruenna." they had assented together. "unless you would desire a ceremony." he did not and he had no intentions of replicating the horrendous illustration of excess that the egyptian had put on. 

germanicus attempted to realign himself internally. "you have been here some time and i have not offered you a meal after your travels." protect. provide. "will you allow me to bring you something? i would — it would be my pleasure if you would acquaint yourself with this room in the interim." he watched her tawny eyes and wondered now what ruenna beheld in him. they had sat together several times and it did not change the newness of their present encounter.

Ruenna met his gaze warmly. He requested that she do as she wish, and she nodded after a brief hesitation. She wished to make Mereo into something more than a military base, and Germanicus knew this. He placed an enormous amount of trust in her, overriding his own misgivings by allowing her to add her own design to Mereo's overall schema. Ruenna would not let him down. 

The conclusion of the discussion of names was, perhaps, and unexpected one. She would not take his name, and he would not take hers. Instead, they would both assume a new name. "We will all be Redsand," she confirmed. She might have pushed her nose into his shoulder warmly, had he been within her reach. Had they ever touched? She thought no, but she could not recall for certain. It seemed like it would be a gesture too heavy with implication, if she was to limp to his side and break through this invisible barrier here in this room where the single bed loomed so conspicuously. And so Ruenna stood rooted, although her tail did swing in appreciation. 

"Oh no, that isn't necessary," Ruenna rushed to confirm, eager to dismiss any notion of a public ceremony. Mereo was not the place for such things, and she and Germanicus were not the people for them, either. 

He offered to find her something to eat, and Ruenna wondered if he was seeking an escape. Did he have need of a new refuge, now that Ruenna occupied this one? 

"Thank you, I would appreciate that," Ruenna confirmed, allowing him to take his opportunity to play provider or escapee, whichever one might be most relevant. "I also could make use of a hide, if you have a spare," she requested, her eyes falling reluctantly upon Germanicus's bed. Both of his hides appeared to be in use. Perhaps she would set herself to the task of making up her own pallet. A larger one. One they might share together, in time.

we could fade here or keep going <3 im cool either way & left it open-ended for whatever purpose :D

germanicus followed ruenna's gaze toward the bed. it was surprising to somehow feel that she felt similarly. he did not know why he had expected her to press her right at once. the eagle supposed it was because she did not know it was the right of a roman wife. and more than that, he could not envision her acting in such a manner.

maybe she too did not want immediate closeness. it was new, after all. he was relieved to know that the new lady redsand would not want to undergo the rights of publicity. there he stood, a husband.

but would a husband allow his wife to sleep on a single hide? germanicus felt that now it might be easier to share the berth with her. but also now he was discovering that perhaps what he had felt she would expect was not the reality of their situation.

the eagle nodded, giving a small and polite bow. he wished her to be aware of her power here. the respect germanicus felt for ruenna could not be understated. and it was something he wished to reiterate often. it was the moment to depart and yet he did not yet turn toward the entrance. 

instead the imperator drew closer, fighting the urge to clear his throat and thus give away his shyness. a gentle gesture showed his intention to brush her cheek with his muzzle. just for a moment. one cut short but not sharply. "i am glad you are here, ruenna," he said quietly, wondering if his voice wavered. the formal dropped for the attempt at an intimacy of which he was yet unsure.

in the next moment he stepped back. this time he did harrumph lowly. a quick smile softened the solemn lines of his face, one almost boyish in its bashful mien. and then germanicus had gone away, breathing the cold air outside into his lungs as he crossed into shadow and was gone, seeking the woolly sheepskin he had stowed in some cold keep far across the canyon.

Instead of moving away to depart, Ruenna's new husband stepped toward her. He reached out with a soft touch, and Ruenna turned in to him. However, before she could press her own muzzle to his in response, he pulled his touch away. 

"I am glad you are here, Ruenna," he imparted, speaking her name for the first time without the addition of formal titles. It was meant as a gesture of intimacy, which Ruenna desired from him much more than the formal displays of respect upon which he insisted. 

He cleared his throat conclusively, as if the action could expel any and all suggestion of nonsense. The traces of a shy smile betrayed this effort however, and Ruenna found herself mirroring the expression. She would wear it until he disappeared from his bedchamber. Their bedchamber now, Ruenna reminded herself. How quickly circumstances changed.