The Sunspire I'm just sitting here remembering how your lips taste

@Bernard 

North to the Sunspire, hidden between two mountain ranges, a green oasis was located. Formerly home of Tindome, now free lands. Wraen did not recall, who had come up with the idea of exploring the place and seeing, if it was any good for hunting, in the first place (maybe they all had had the same thought at the same time), but, since no one had done it up until now, beta thought that this would be a good time to fill that gap. 

Not wanting to go all on her own (who knew, what dangers could lie there) and considering that, when scouting in unknown lands, it was always better to go in two, she headed towards the borders, where she would be very likely to catch up with Bernard. However, mid-way there, she realized that the borders were quite long and her wolf-dog friend could be anywhere inbetween, therefore she stopped, lifted her muzzle and called for him in a melodic voice that surprised even herself.

Bernard had been patrolling the borders and keeping his eye out for anything edible when he heard a feminine howl on another end of the territory. It was Wraen. Curious, he trotted that way, and the silver wolf soon came into view. You called? He asked in his usual lighthearted manner once in close range, finally stopping before her.

Bernard had not been too far off after all and, when he approached, Wraen greeted him with a happy smile and wagging tail. "Sure, I did," she replied with a cheeky confidence. "I am going to abuse my leader privileges and appeal to your gentleman's manners," she went on, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You are to come with me over to the vale there," she beckoned in the general direction of the Tindome's former territories. "Will do some scouting and evaluation of the lands there. And - in case there are bears around, I need a bait," the joke turned out pretty dark, but she softened it with smile. She would never let any harm come to Bernard, if it was in her power to prevent it.

Sorry for lateness! I've been a tad bit busy.

When Wraen's tail began to wag, his started up on its own. The excited movement wove up his spine and made him all the happier, so he smiled back at her. Bernard chuckled. Wraen liked to say she was abusing her powers over him, but they both knew he was eager to please anyone, especially her.

As she explained, his demeanor became more serious, if only a tad, and he nodded to show his affirmation. I will happily be bear bait for you, Lady Wraen, He said with a bow. There was a clear joking tone in his voice and the grin on his maw, but he would truly act as bait if it meant keeping her safe. It did, admittedly, make him a bit anxious for her to be going out into bear territory, but he told himself nothing would happen... probably. No, he wouldn't let it.

Shall we head out? He then asked.

"Let's go then," Wraen led the way, having expected nothing less of Bernard than joining her in the quest. He was a good person like that and, since she was more sure that they would not encounter any bears there, she simply enjoyed the fact that she would not have to go there alone. 

"How have you been settling in?" she asked him, because from the moment they had claimed Sunspire, she had been running all around the country and had less time to spend proper time with her friend. "Though I have hard time believing that anyone would dare to give you trouble," she added - Bernard's size was very impressive after all.

Bernard dutifully followed close behind Wraen. He felt that being a guard was his calling, despite the great responsibility that came with it. He would rather it be him to protect her than anyone else. His weak ears perked as she spoke up with a question. He smiled at her comment and replied, I'm far more comfortable here than I ever felt at Moonspear. There are lots of friendly faces, though I wish I saw yours more often.

Wraen seemed like a free spirit, which was beautiful in its own way, but Bernard felt an inner tugging to be by her side. It seemed like she was away more than present, and he was always worried sick when she was gone. Regardless of the sudden influx of emotions swirling around inside him, he managed to keep a neutral demeanor as he continued to plod along.

Friendly faces - come to think of it, then yes. Over the four months they had spent here, they had accumulated a fair share of pack members, who were similar in demeanor than they were. With exception of Treason, Cassiopea and Pyro - different personalities that she had not got to know very well. 

Bernard's next comment confused Wraen and she did not know, how to react to it right away, but after a moment of silence she thought that there was not much behind these words either. It was true - she was away a lot and had neglected her friend. "I will try to remedy that in the future - there are more places I want to explore and I would be happy to have a companion. There is another valley south from here - it consists of redsand cliffs. You could come with me, if you liked?"

He was pleasantly surprised to hear Wraen suggest he come with her on her adventures. While Bernard liked being rooted to one place and did not take his pack duties lightly, being able to spend more time with his dearest friend simply could not be beat. I would be happy to be your traveling companion as much as I can, He replied. Her description of the land to the south was foreign to him; he had never been anywhere that fit that description. Enthusiastically, he said, How interesting. Count me in!

"Interesting is not the right word to describe it - it was simply otherworldly," Wraen said, recalling the unusual landscape. "The only problem that the vantage point I was at was so high above the ground that there was no possible way to reach it without taking a very long fall down with an undoubtedly painful crash at the bottom," she added. "But I am sure there must be some path leading there."

"You did not get hurt during the hunt, did you?" she realized that after Maia's accident she had never really taken a turn and approached each member to find out, how were they doing after the event. It had not been an easy task after all.

I can't wait to see it, then, He said, feeling even more excited about the trip, now. In response to her explanation of her last outing there, he said, Yes, surely there's a way down for you. I'm not so sure about me, though. Bernard gave a chuckle. His lack of nimbleness was plain to see, but Wraen would probably be fine.

Then, she inquired about his wellbeing after the hunt, which surprised him. Oh, no; I'm spry as ever. He grinned, standing a bit taller to prove his point. What about you? Wraen seemed just fine but thought he should ask just to be sure.

"Well, I have been so fine and burried down in my own doings that I remembered to ask about your well-being only now," Wraen joked with a good-natured laugh. It was true - though a day after the hunt had been spent recuperating and sleeping, she had been up and going right after that. 

"But we did a wonderful job, I think. Given the fact that this was my very first moose ever," she said. "And I liked the feeling - all of us working as one team. Would be nice to repeat team-work again some time soon, what do you think?"

Bernard chuckled along with Wraen, finding the combined sound of their laughter wonderfully melodic. Such a cruel mistress you are, He toyed.

On the topic of the hunt, he said, You did very well—everyone did. There was a lot of good synergy I've never experienced before... but then again, I've never been on a hunt quite so large. I'd love to do it again, but probably not moose for a while; they wear me out like nothing else. Bernard smiled once again. Wraen still managed to make him smile more than anyone else, and with seemingly little effort.

"One moose is enough for a while," Wraen agreed - she would be very content to stick with the small game for the rest of the year, but this was not going to happen. Because in near future those little hungry buggers would stop draining life out of their mothers and ask for more. And more, and more.

"I tracked and saw some small pockets of deer down in the plains," she told him, "so in the future we are most likely going after them. Unless, of course, they come in our territories and just present themselves for dinner." There was some silence after this exchange, because Wraen stopped to sniff around a little and leave a small mark right before they left Sunspire and entered the vale.

With this done they were now treading down a narrow path towards the green woods, lakes and meadows that awaited them ahead. Suddenly a movement in the distance caught Wraen's attention, she came to a halt, focused and then cast a quick glance at Bernard: "What do you think it is?"

Your choice of what she saw.

The notion of deer presenting themselves as dinner was appealing to him, especially after that battle with the bull. If they did, that'd be splendid, Bernard commented.

He kept an eye out for anything suspicious as they moved further and further into bear territory, treading down a narrow path still side-by-side. Something caught his eye and Wraen's, as well. His head shot up from its relaxed position all senses on the alert, expression turning focused and serious. I can't be sure... Stay here, He ordered, intense gaze unmoving from where the creature went. The wind was unfortunately blowing away from them, so he couldn't tell what it could've been by scent.

Bernard cautiously stalked closer to the creature to identify it. It had disappeared into the brush nearby. However, it released a hoarse, high-pitched cry that was unmistakable: a bear cub. Moving back towards Wraen, he said, We should get going before the mother returns. He remained outwardly calm, and this could be heard in his voice, though that put him on edge just a bit. Where there were cubs, there were mothers. He moved ahead at a trot, wanting much distance between them and the mother bear alarm.

Got a little rushed since I have to eat, sorry if it's bad lmao.

"Speak of the devil," Wraen said to herself, when Bernard told her that the dark figure in the distance was a bear cub. She had been joking about these big and tough clawed beasts before, not even having the slightest idea that they could - in fact - live there and for a moment she felt rather uncomfortable on continuing their way down to the vale. But, who would go and explore the place, if not them?

"Good thing I have got you," she told Bernard, as their put distance between the bears' nest and themselves. "I hope that these are the only residents here. Otherwise if it's swarming with bears I doubt that we will use these lands for hunting," she mused out loud. "Would you look at that?!" she exclaimed, bounding towards a mountain creek that was snaking between, around and over the rocky terrain, forming beautiful cascades. She stopped by the water's edge and leaned down to have a drink, then looked over her shoulder to see, if Bernard was coming as well.

Yes, you're quite lucky, Bernard said with jovial bravado, trying to ease his own nerves likely more than hers needed it. Me too. It'd be a shame for such good land to go to waste. Wraen suddenly perked up at something ahead of her, but this time it was more in awe than alarm. When he looked himself, he too was taken aback. This land was certainly stunning.

Before he knew it, she was loping down to the edge of a creek, and he trotted after her. But his eyes couldn't stop drifting back at the surrounding scenery. It sure is beautiful out here. I never thought I'd become a mountain man, but being out here makes me glad I am, Bernard thought aloud, then bringing his gaze back to Wraen. I suppose I have you to thank for that. If she hadn't approached him all those months ago when he was down at his worst, where would he have been today? Probably not here.

Had it been Sunny instead of Bernard boasting, Wraen would have had some witty and snarky remark, because the first - in her opinion - was occasionally lifting his nose a tad bit too high and needed a reminded that not all people were going to put a ladder to get up there. However, it was entirely different with her wolf-dog friend, with him usually being quite humble, every piece of self-confidence and praise he showed, was an amiable thing.

"Well, you have to give credit to yourself as well - you are a gentleman to the core and would not ever want to disappoint a lady," she turned to beam at him. "Speaking of which - I am in the process of building an army of hunters. I have found common grounds and work well with Nara at the moment, but we could go out now and then to test your fortes as well. Downing moose and big things is a good thing, but there is more to hunting than just that."

He supposed she was right, though he could't help but be grateful for her companionable nature. She'd brought him up when he was down by just being herself, and now he no longer felt lost and alone. Bernard smiled at her words, and then she continued to speak.

Good point; I could use more practice on smaller quarries. I shall enlist in your army, Commander Re-Nevermind, He said with a dramatic tone to his deep voice.

A quick movement caught his eye from his peripherals, and he whipped his head towards it. It was only a rabbit scurrying away. Bernard's hackles settled back down from their heightened state. Shall we keep a move on? He lightly suggested, though it was obvious at this point that he was on edge.

"Commander Re-Nevermind..." Wraen repeated to have a better taste of the title and then gave another of many smiles that day to Bernard, "I like it and I will keep it."

Something caught her companion's attention and she - though not feeling particularly concerned (who would, if you had a bear-sized wolf for protection) - turned to look in the same direction, seeing nothing of much importance. But, who knew.

"Race you to that tree!" she exclaimed, bumping Bernard with her hip and then setting off and down the slope towards the line of trees that had been their target from the very beginning.

Omfg I am sorry for being so slow. ;v;

Bernard was startled by the sudden change in volume in Wraen's voice, body going completely rigid. She nudged him with a hip before sprinting off, and it took a moment for her words to actually click in his mind. He was supposed to run! Breaking into a dash after her, he covered a lot of ground with long strides and gained on her. Bernard eventually passed her, though the heat sapped him of his energy in his thick, dark coat, and the behemoth began to lose speed fast. Well, he wouldn't mind Wraen winning, anyway.

He kept at his slowed pace, and Wraen was able to pass him just before they reached the treeline. The wolfdog was left spent and panting intensely, drool dribbling from his parted jaws. He could go for a nice dip right about now; that creek was calling his name. Once he caught his breath somewhat, Bernard said, So full of energy... you are. I'm glad... we're in the shade... He couldn't will himself to say anymore, focusing on catching his breath. Bernard was definitely a long-distance runner, not a sprinter.

Wraen had had an unbeaten record of sprinting up until now (though she had some suspicions that Terance had let her win on some occasions), therefore Bernard actually catching up with her and leaving her behind came as a surprise. This turn of events made her slow down a little to look after the quickly disappearing form of her friend, and then her competetive side kicked in and she dashed after him. In a matter of few minutes she had caught up with him and eventually reached the tree first, but the glorious feeling of victory was somehow dampened, because Bernard did not look so well upon arrival.

The joke of "I would not be one trying to run away from you, if you were a bear" disappeared, giving room to concern for his well-being. "Are you alright?" she asked him, though it was obvious that it was not the case.

After several more breaths, his pants lightened a bit. Yes, I'm just not... designed for this weather, He answered with a tired smile. I should rest for a moment. Bernard slid into a sitting position, which already felt much better. If you want, you could go ahead of me. I won't be long. He resisted the urge to tell her not to go too far to avoid sounding like an overbearing parent. While he'd prefer Wraen stayed right by his side now that he knew adult bears were a possible run-in, he knew she may not want that, being the wanderer she was. Plus, he was trying not to let paranoia get the best of him.

"Yeah, right," Wraen shook her head dismissively and sat down next to Bernard. They had set out together and it would not be fair to leave him now, when their adventure had just begun. She was of opinion that he got so little outside Sunspire that it was her duty to have him enjoy the outings with her as much as possible.

"Get your air," she said, looking down at him. "And I will wait for you. I could tell you a story to pass the time, if you wish. What you want to hear about - the choice is entirely yours."

He was relieved and flattered that she would stay with him. As you wish, He said in response to her decision, lowering himself into a comfortable lying position. Wraen then asked him what kind of story he'd like to hear. After a moment's pondering, Bernard asked, What is the strangest run-in you've had while on an outing? This ought to be good, he thought.

"Hmmm... let me think," Wraen replied, closing her eyes and going through her memories of people she had met during her outings. Very few were really extraordinary, most of the time exchanges were simple, everydary like. Except... here she smiled and chuckled.

"I don't know about them being the strangest, but it was definitely funny," she told him. "So the other day I am down in a forest, having a nap in my favorite hiding place - in an old willow tree that is perfect for the task - and I hear someone walking by. Naturally, I got curious, got up and spoke to the guy, presenting myself as the Witch of the Forest and asked, what he was doing there, trespassing. 

Kind of reckless of me, because the guy was built like a warrior, but I had the advantage of being up in a tree and therefore unreachable. What is amusing - he either bought the story to be truth or decided that I am mad and played along. Asked, what would happen to him now - him trespassing and all," here were some blank spots in memory and the account of the events were as close to truth as possible with additions from imagination.

"I say that he has to guess three riddles correctly and then he can go. He settled for it and we began. I asked him: "What goes without feet and never comes back." Having "Time" as an answer. Yet he says: "Air." I scratch behind my ear, think about it - well, technically, it can also fit. So I say to him - not correct, but you pass for creativity. 

Next one: "who flies without wings and roars without a throat?" I think about the storms and whirlwinds. But he cries out: "AIR! AIR! It has to be air." I start to laugh, but think a little more - alright, technically, the wind is "air". Sort of. So - I give him a pass. 

We come to the final one: "All of us have it ahead of us every day, but we never see it - what is it?" The long sentance being a very elaborate way of saying simply "future". Can you guess, what this guy said?" she asked with a smile, barely able to contain laughter.