Phoenix Maplewood Further we fall

She had made her way to the Maplewood, after all this time. Early August meant high temperatures for most of this land, it seemed, and the trees offered a quite respite. She had been here for all of two hours, but had yet to scent Zephyr and the pup, who she hoped now would show up. She knew that it was no easy task sneaking a pup away from it's mother, and therefore did not expect them too early. She was patient, thought, to a degree, and had spent her time here scoping out the trees. 

Now she came across a swath of open undergrowth, recognizing the tangy odour of wildberries. She had a taste for them, unlike many, and rather like the sweet, little berries. So she waited among the swarth, marking an area with her scent that would hopefully act like a beacon for the pair she hoped would arrive. After spending some time delicately pulling berries of the bushes, she stopped, and, sated, made to sit at the edge of the little meadow, cleaning the blue and purple stain from her maw as she waited for @Zephyr Maverick and little @Chusi.

It hadn't been an easy journey, but the new guardian hurried his way to the marshes in hopes that Sen had yet to realize Chusi was missing. After winding his way through them, the little girl safely in his jaws away from the sucking mud, Zephyr put her on form ground to walk alone. With a warm smile and a nuzzle to her shoulder, he padded off towards the maplewood.
         "Nobody should be able to find us now, Chusi. We can walk from here."
He didn't bother to stop and clean his now Brown socks, preferring to meet the female sooner than later. He went slow so Chusi could take her time and take in the sights, especially since the sun was finally beginning to rise. He pointed his muzzle towards the ball of light and the colors that it lit the sky with. 
                          "That's the sunrise,  Chusi. Isn't it pretty?"

How long it had been, Chusi did not realize. She had no concept of time yet, and hoped to learn what brought the light and what brought the darkness. She held her breath as they passed through icky stuff, the smell of mud heavy on her tiny lungs, but at least Zephyr was with her. He'd never bring her into danger. She coughed a few times on the way, ocher orbs flashing from side to side to take everything in. Mother still hadn't come and taken her away, so that was good. Everything was fine. She could deal with this.

She was put down, and she stumbled a few steps before getting closer to Zephyr. The nuzzle was nothing like mother used to do. This was better- friendlier. She brushed up against his mud covered paws like a cat before her eyes caught sight of the light show in the sky. Oooohoo! She called out in aw. Sunwise! Sunwise colololors. She squeaked as the mud dried on her little body. If she knew what a bath was, she would want it. Pwetty.... She breathed out before they started moving. She could keep up, as she was bigger,older and more stable now. She didn't take her eyes off the sky, having never been outside like this ever before.

Voices.
She heard them faint, and her ears pricked. They had to belong to the pair, and so she stood, alert and catching another snippet of voice. She set off into a lope, approaching the noise. She darted nimbly through the trees, and it was when she rounded an oak that she saw them. Mud covered, travel-weary, but here. Her eyes fell on the girl. Chusi. 

She approached, confident, and drew up beside the pair. She greeted Charley with a nod, eyes flickering to the sunrise briefly before glancing down up the girl. "Hello. You must be Chusi, koutavi " she said, voice a tad softer then normal, but still authorative and hinted with an ancient, melodic accent.

They went along, and Zephyr noted the mud on Chusis pelt. He would clean it when they stopped. 
The pup admired the sunset for a little bit, and as the Maplewood drew near, Aglaecas scent grew thicker. She was here, he was sure, and as if summoned by the thoughts here she came.
          "That's Aglaeca, Chusi. She's going to be out new friend." 
When the striking female came up to them and greeted the pup, he smiled. The brute was glad everything so far had worked out, and that their future looked bright.

As they traveled, Chusi looking around, smelling and seeing different things, a scent grew closer and thicker. She stopped walking and pointed her little muzzle into the air to sniff and let out a soft howl as an alarm. When she opened her eyes again, there stood a lady covered in storm clouds and desert sand, one that made her mouth go "oh". One ear swiveled to Zephyr. Aggie friend... She mumbled. Zephyr was her bestest friend though, she knew. Wait, was he leaving her with this female? Was he going away? What was going on?

The woman approached, and spoke her name. Did she know her? Did Chusi know her? Had they met? Did Aggie know her mother? Would she be punished for getting stolen? Her tail grew stiff as she stood there, frozen in confusion as she tipped her head to the side. Chus chus, cookietavi...

The pup spoke, well, barely. The woman admired the girl a moment longer, saying in her melodic voice, "Yes, Chusi. Koutavi. You're a brave girl." Aglaeca watched the girl a moment longer, before her gaze turned to Zephyr. She nodded curtly, he had done well to bring her here and to come, hold his words. Her gaze flitted through the Maplewood quickly, making sure no others had come near. She liked this place, it would prove a fitting rest stop. "Zephyr. Thanks, for bring her here, and for coming. Tonight, we rest here, in the Maplewood. You know the land, know you a fitting place?"

Chusi's response was one of nervousness and confusion, and right away Zephyr crouched down to her level and brought her close with his muzzle. Whispering in her ear as he did so, the brute was being far more gentle than one might have been able to see him able of, but here he was doing it. 
              "Don't worry little one, she's a friend. And remember, I'll always protect you."
Hugging her close as long as she didn't pull away, he turned his grassy eyes back up to Aglaeca with a charming smile. Sooner or later, Chusi would warm up to her and see she was safe. They would need numbers in order to keep Sen from somehow finding and stealing the girl away from where she wanted to be, and already the odds were in their favor, should the Rosings Beta come alone. And that, Zephyr thought, was Sen's way. Alone. Now she really was alone, and there was nowhere in the obsidian rogue's heart for sympathy for her. 
                                  "We can't stay here. There's a pretty territorial pack over there, we've gotta keep going."
The last time he'd stopped here, Thuringwethil hadn't hesitated to make sure he didn't stay. He respected the alpha for a lot of things: her beauty and her aura of power, for example, among other things. With a bitter thought, he knew it was Lyric who had held him back, and where was she now? Gone, and she'd taken his adopted daughter Rain along too. Maybe the dark alpha could have been his, been at very least someone he called a friend. For now, though, he knew that the best chance of keeping Chusi in his paws was to keep moving. 
                                                        "Through Silver Moraine, towards Seadog's old home. The coast. It'll take a few days to get there, but the day has only started and we might be able to get close to Firefly Ravine if we go most of the day."

She watched the woman with big eyes. Even with no concept of beauty, she could tell the female was unique. It was like the white paws of Zephyr, the nick in his ear- that made Zephyr, well, Zephyr. She had nothing so special. Or, at least, not that she know of. Little did she know there was a patch of white on her throat the grew brighter and brighter every day. As Zephyr hugged her, she gave him soft puppy kisses on the places she could reach. Of course she knew he would protect her. And, perhaps, Aggie would become a good friend too. Maybe she could have another family- a better one. 

Brave? What did that mean? She pulled away from Zephyr and waddled to the sandstorm, stopping near her paws to give them a quick sniffle. She then walked around the woman, which was quite a trip for the little girl. Mommy monster, Aggie no monster. She chuffed with a grin. That's right- mommy was the one to be scared of. For who had locked her in a den forever and ever? It was all mommy, and Zephyr had saved the little princess. For that, she would be thankful for the rest of her life.

She then went back to Zephyr's side, settling on his paws and rested her head on his paw. Where would they go? If Chusi knew what the sea was, she'd be thrilled. She had only drunken some rain water before, and would've loved to actually swim in it. This was so exciting! Zephyr, Aggie and her on a big adventure to conquer the world and slay all the monsters!

The dark little pup pulled away from Zephyr, coming to her. She held still as the girl circled her, eyes flicking to her as she went. When she finished her inspection of Aglaeca the pup made a remark that made Aglaeca's ears flick forward in concern, and odd feeling in her chest. Love. She already felt protective of the girl, even though she had just met the little one. There was something about small, cute things that made to want to protect them, she realised offhandedly. "Don't worry, Chusi. No monsters here." she said softly to the girl as she trundled back to Zephyr.

He spoke, of a fiercely territorial pack that guarded these woods. She nodded, grateful for his help. Had he not been here, she may have been facing a fight better avoided. At his next words, she considered, then nodded curtly. "Fine. If you think that we will be safe there, then to the ravine we will go. But we will keep moving, as I always have, until we find a place worthy of settling, in the least only for a while." Secretly, she too longed to see the sea, as she never truly had in all her two years.

Zephyr felt himself wanting to be possessive of the young girl, keep her ever close, but he tempered himself. Too much would smother her, make her no longer want him around.... And then he would be no better than her real mother. So, as much as he wanted to pull her back into his embrace, he let her approach Aglaeca. While she circled the much larger female, his grassy eyes tracked her every movement until she was safely cuddled up with his paws once more. He didnt care how she lay, or where, so long as he could see and reach her. Her words though, they brought a frown to his face. Her mother, while she hadn't given a perfect life, hadn't done it out of meanness.... Right? In the end, he chose to leave the comment up in the air. When she was older and could understand more, he would talk to her. Settling to grooming the mud off her pelt, his own paws still caked in dry brownness, Zephyr thought further about where they could go from the coast. Thankfully, Aglaeca was more than willing, and thankful for his help. It seemed like she didn't plan on really settling, and that was okay in Zephyr's mind. The more they moved, the less chance there was of Sen coming and taking away Chusi again. 
                  "As soon as you're ready, we'll leave."

What the adults were saying was of great interest for the little girl. She couldn't understand much, but some words pricked her memory. Worry. Wasn't that what mother used to do when she went outside on her own? The full meaning of the word- she didn't know, but she knew it was bad in a way. And for Aggie to say don't, it sort of gave a hakuna matata vibe to the girl. She yawned as she lay on her bestest friend's paw, as she really hadn't gotten the sleep needed for such a small being.

Her eyes slowly closed as she was beginning to get ready for some sleep, soon in a deep slumber, ears and legs twitching as she dreamed of running.

"As soon as you're ready, we'll leave."

They should not have, but the words vexed the woman. She did not nee to be ready, she could leave at any time, ready or not. This male did not need to look after her. Perhaps it was her fierce independence, or the fact that she had travelled alone for so long, taking care of herself, that irritated her so. She did, however, control her irritation well, showing only in a flick of her ears. She did not comment on the subject, instead moving to the little girl, who had fallen asleep. She stopped a short distance away, watching her as she lay still. Remarkable, how easily the little one slipped into sleep.

"We leave when the girl wakes up. She's tired, obviously, the journey was difficult for her." She glanced once more at the girl, then made to stand a slightly further distance away. She turned back to the male, gaze firm. "Rest with her. The journey here was not easy, I suspect, for both of you. I'll keep watch for these territorial wolves you were talking about." Aglaeca turned away, sweeping her gaze across the trees, though her ears were turned back should Zephyr respond.