Dragoncrest Cliffs It would be after you've caressed me

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@Tirgatao. You get my 500th post~!

Down below the horizon sank the sun, the obnoxiously bright light that it produced regularly being taken right along with it. In its place there arose the moon, its essence alone something of a pleasantry in place of the sun, whose rays had irritated the boy for as long as he could remember. It was during the night that he often wandered alone, rarely ever bothering to seek out the company of another. The night was similar to many others as Xan found himself wandering through a tunnel, lacking a destination. There were no turns to be taken, just a straight shoot through to the back, where he swore he could see some light. Accustomed to the underground tunnels of Blackfeather and their glowworms, he assumed that all he could see were some worms and possibly fungi, but continued forward anyways. As he reached the back, however, he was greeted by a surprise, for there were no insects or mushrooms but another opening. Passing through, it led him out into the open, where he could both hear and see the ocean, as well as feel the sand underfoot. For a long moment, he did nothing more than stand there beneath the glow of the moon, listening to the water as it crashed against the shore.

Many steps later and Alexander was strolling along the shoreline, the path on which he walked curving outwards every so often to prevent the water from wrapping itself around his ankles; he did not trust the ocean during the night. Before long, he found a place in the sand where he could lay down and still be able to see the water clearly, but not be touched by it. There he settled, facing the sea and, briefly, wondering what all lurked in its depths. After deciding that he didn’t care, he threw the thoughts away and focused on the sound of the water as it stretched out over the sand, and then retracted like the claws of a feline. He thought of searching for Kendra and bringing her to lay with him, but chose, instead, to wait until the sun was once again overhead to try and show it to her.

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and you get my 100th!

Tirgatao hadn't returned to the caverns since the weather released them from their shelter. But as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, and the moon rose high above to replace her shining light, she felt a desire to visit the shore. So she followed the winding tunnels through, her memory serving to lead her correctly past the largest chamber (where she once tucked herself away on a shelf in the corner), and to the hall that opened up to the sandy shores. She recalled the moments she'd spent here with Heda, Portia, and the Hedonakru—each different, but still formative to her now respected status among them.

She meandered aimlessly across the sands, skirting the waves by treading a path high above the tideline. To her right the cliffs rose high and impassable, walling her away from the sanctuary of the towering redwoods. To the left, the sea—fathomless, dark, and roaring. Once upon a time she might have felt at home here, but now it simply served as a respite from the normal activity of the woodland. 

The silvern blanket of moonlight suddenly revealed to her a figure lying comfortably in the sands a couple dozen yards down the beach. Her ears flicked forward, back, and then peaked atop her skull as she urged her body into a trot. He was familiar, but vaguely so, as if only seen in passing or a name dropped in conversation. Even though she'd come out here for peace and quiet, she was not adverse to company if he, too, wished it.

Tirgatao slowed again as she approached and lifted her tail to hang parallel with her sturdy hindquarters while summoning a gentle chuff of greeting from her lungs. "Evening." She said in her usual melodic tones. "You're... Xander, right?" 

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The steady crash of the waves against the shore turned rhythmic, lulling him into a moment of absolute serenity. His mind was quiet, plagued not by anything worth worrying over, as was the world around him. His eyes had slowly closed and, though he remained attentive, he was able to relax more so than he had in a long while. It was a pleasant and welcomed change of pace, the only downfall being that he was not familiar with the terrain. The way in which one’s paws sounded as they pressed down against the loose earth was a sound that he’d yet to memorize, and so he was left blind to the approaching woman until she spoke. Prior to that, there had been an uneasy feeling twisting his stomach into knots but, wanting to believe that it was nothing, he'd ignored it. By doing so he’d made a mistake, or so was the conclusion drawn by an unfamiliar voice ringing through his ears.

In an instant, his eyes opened and his body jolted upright, steadying itself a second later as he turned to face the woman. He did not recognize her, but was certain that she belonged to the pack, even without drawing in a deep breath; given their size, he doubted that anyone could weasel their way as deeply into the territory as they currently were without permission to roam the land. For that reason, and because of what he had told Kendra, the boy did his best to relax but was without much success. His body remained tensed whilst his ears stayed upright, the only thing keeping his tail from slowly lifting being the concentration that he devoted to keeping himself in check. That same control did not, however, reign over his voice as he said, “No, my name’s Xan.” The words were slow, precise, and coated in a fine layer of his usual hostility. Although the boy’s hope had been to eventually come off as easier to get along with, he would eventually come to realize that, that would never happen.

Silently, he watched her, studying her physical attributes out of habit. As he finished, his eyes found their back to her face and he—briefly—looked over her expression. “Who are you?” asked the yearling, making an attempt at living up to his word. A part of him was disappointed, though, realizing that his time spent on the shore would not be shared first with Kendra, but with someone that he couldn’t honestly recall having ever seen before that night.

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Tirgatao was immediately taken aback by the prickliness of the boy's demeanor, and the hostility in his voice. A shock of electricity shot down through her spine, leaving her skin hot and her lips turned down in a frown as her own gaze followed the way his raked over her form. Like he was ascertaining her worth, or her strength. As if it was ever a question, as a woman who's bloodline ran deep in the history of Seageda. It didn't settle well in her; a pill that weighed heavy in her stomach like a stone. She couldn't fault him for his late attempt at friendliness, but the initial discourse had already set her mind towards an unkind impression.

Her ears peaked atop her skull and she stared him down. "Tirgatao." She replied flatly to answer his question. He was nothing more than a petulant child, and it was unfortunate her night had been soured by his bad attitude. "Is there a problem?" She asked, fighting the growl that threatened to burble up from her throat, but only managing to form a tone that was level but very, very chilly. It wasn't unlike her to be confrontational, but it wasn't a tactic often employed.