Sun Mote Copse I think about the years I spent just passing through

Colt knew that @Niamh had dug a den for herself and was kicking himself for not getting on that sooner.  He'd meant to make her one this time himself, but with the fielding of everything lately it had fallen off his radar completely.  He'd helped how he could after finding her finishing it, but damn she could dig.

Well, now he was going to make up for it by decking the damn thing out.  He had found some solid pelts, though thinking back on the veritable trove of feathers in the last one he had another moment's regret.  That would take a while to build up again.

Colt jogged towards the den with a mouthful of fur, then ducked inside to start putting them somewhere.  He had 0 eye for design as someone who had slept outside 99% of his life, but he'd give it a solid effort.

gahbless your lovely soul for starting this <3

Digging was something that seemed to come easily for Niamh who, much like certain dogs who could (and would) dig up a backyard in an afternoon much to their owner’s disdain, could dig for hours without getting distracted. This year’s den had come together quite quickly and though it wasn’t necessarily as pretty as the others had been- it was too hard to smoothe out the walls in winter- it was exactly what she wanted. Characteristically, it had a very small entrance so no drafts could get in, but a spacious interior just the way she liked it. 

She was glad that the invitation for Colt to join her was more or less unspoken but heeded nonetheless. She wasn’t surprised to see his fresh tracks leading to the den, but for them to go into the den without coming back out was odd. She figured he’d gone looking for her but maybe he’d chosen to have a nap...Not an odd thing, but t wasn’t quite nap o’clock. Tilting her head to the side quizzically, she silently moved into the small dark opening of the den and prowled quietly down the run until she spotted him.

She couldn’t help but chuff in delighted surprise when she caught sight of him fussing with pelts. Look at him- nesting. She chuckled and motioned deftly to the side. ”Just a biiiiiit more to the left,” She instructed, squinting methodically at him.

<3 anytime!

He was fussing in an altogether embarrassing way when she snuck up on him, eyeing the pile with a kind of hopeless 'what the hell am I trying to do' look.  But it smoothed into a wry grin as Niamh's instructions came.  Oh thank god.

Oh yeah?He drug them that way, tugging and then releasing to huff out a few hairs.  How's that, madame?    It was a partial jest, but also a partial question, because he had never done this before and was a little out of his element.  Last time they hadn't... exactly made it this far.  Either last time.

Not quite feathers, but a fair approximate I guess, he added, coming forward to nose her affectionately in greeting.  Man, she always smelled so good.

Colt did his best to shuffle the pelts to the side as she'd indicated, but she hadn't been terribly invested in them being in the right place- they'd mess them up eventually, anyway. He moved forward to greet her and she moved to meet him halfway, burying her muzzle into the warm fur of his shoulder. She laughed slightly her voice muffled by the thickness of his brownish fur. "This is perfect." She said, though whether she was referring to where he'd put the pelts, or simply the fact that she was now pressed against her favourite person in the world...It was anyone's guess. 

"Fur'll be better than feathers," She said. "Kids can chew on fur all they want and be fine, but if they chew on feathers, they could choke...On the quill," She said, her voice slowing. Right. They still weren't allowed to have kids. She leaned against Colt, and exhaled. Each day that passed, she felt herself becoming a bit more sad that they weren't permitted to have kids. Also, she hadn't even gone into heat yet- she she half-doubted herself as well.

Course it was, but it was good to hear it.  He leaned in, taking a deep breath of her - one that paused a little as she said what she said next.

Hey now, he was the one who was supposed to be down on this shit.  He didn't want her gettin worked up about it too.  Have to be ready then.  Glad I got the right kind, he said, picking up where she'd slowed and left off.  You're the expert.

He might not be optimistic about it, but he could pretty easily talk like that wasn't a problem.  Maybe it would help, maybe it wouldn't, but trying to make her feel better about the whole thing definitely made him feel better.  And something was better than nothing.

Niamh considered making some comment about the possibility of getting some feathers later- it wasn't like they were going to have to worry about kids this year anyway...But then, she reminded herself, with Wildfire and Finley both having kids, it'd be inevitable that she and Colt would become babysitters for when Finley'd had enough of babysitting both her own children and her grandchildren. She pawed gently at one of the furs, and smiled softly to herself. She'd have to be happy with whatever kid-time she got, with whoever decided to let them babysit. 

She pulled herself together, and flopped down on the furs, patting them with one forefoot to invite Colt to do the same. "I feel like at some point, it'd be nice to go for a little trip with you." She said. "Maybe...Maybe in the summer, once Wildfire and Finley've had their kids, and are mobile enough to hunt more for themselves, when we're needed a bit less." She said. "Not to the mountains...I don't want to climb. But maybe along the shore? To Undersea or something?" She asked.

He took her invitation and joined her, stretching slightly as he did so.  Furs had been a good call - good on the bones, not sleeping on the ground.  Niamh's ways were spoiling the ex-bachelor.

Sounds like a good plan, he agreed.  He loved a good trip especially if she came along, and he'd not seen much of the coast.

What is Undersea?  Place you know?  He'd never heard of it either, but she'd been out that way before he recalled.

Colt sprawled alongside her and she took full advantage of his proximity and warmth, rolling over first onto her back and peering up at him for a moment, before she rolled onto her side and closer to him. This was generally how she stole the bed, by passive-aggressively working her way closer and closer to him. 

She recalled Coelacanth’s kind face and smiled softly. ”It’s an island, and the name of the pack that lives on it. It’s connected to the mainland by a landbridge. Before I joined the Redhawks I met a wolf named Coelacanth, and she was super nice. Said I was always welcome at Undersea...I just thought it’d be nice to pay her a visit someday.” She explained, hoping that might pique his interest.

An island, connected by a land bridge. Sounds like an interesting place.  He would definitely be down to see it, and visit anyone she thought decent over there.  He'd been out when they'd delivered news of that one chick home, but aside from that, his beach experience was hella limited.

That how you got those legs, Legs? He teased with an appreciative look, Swimming around islands?  Maybe she could show him a thing or two, when they were there. 

The name she gave wasn't familiar to him, or the pack.  Doubtless he'd like her fine.  He liked most wolves fine - the ones that liked him, mostly.

He seemed to like the idea of going- or at least the idea of an island, and commneted on her legs. She grinned and in the same way a cat will rub itself against the legs of its human {read: "slave" for all of us who actually "own" cats) in order to coerce them into putting more food into the bowl, Niamh wound herself down one of Colt's sides and up the other. "Nah. Baby, I was born with these legs." She teased. She then stretched- perhaps a bit more for show than anything else, and gestured out of the den with a flick of her nose. "Could put them to work though. Wanna go on a patrol?" She asked.

Be a shame, letting a gift like that go to waste, he answered in agreement, enjoying her stretch immensely and performing a less showy version himself before he followed her out.

Got a certain direction they're itching to go?  He'd patrolled quite a bit since coming here, but not as much as he'd explored the outside area.  Colt was wolf who had a hard time staying inside the lines .

Colt allowed her to choose the direction, so she wandered a bit this way and that, sniffing as she did,. but caught no trace of anything edible. She shrugged, and gestured toward the Eastern borders, where the river was. "Let's go along the river, see if we can spot any mountain goats or sheep or whatever they are on the mountain across the way," She volunteered, licking her lips. "D'you know what the difference is between a sheep and a goat? Aside from the taste, anyway," She asked, as they meandered along. "I can't really tell the difference- but I think the sheep're the white ones with the straight black horns, and the mountain goats have the curly horns? Or do I have those backwards?" She asked. She didn't really care- but she'd look foolish leading a hunt, calling an animal by the wrong name and she couldn't have that.

He didn't think he'd ever considered the differences.  They aren't the same thing?  Big, horns, long faces.  He shrugged sheepishly.  Your guess is as good as mine.  He'd roamed the mountains a bit, but deer were more his speed than goats or sheep.  They taste different?

Felt like a plan though!  Hunting was a thing he was good at, obviously, since he was pretty damn ace at about anything he tried.  But he hadn't made an art of it like she had, and he had very little issue allowing her to lead the way as usual.  Either way, just be optimistic and call them dinner.  A solution and a slight joke, albeit a terrible one.  Well, if he couldnt be a dad, he could at least practice up on terrible uncle jokes.

I'm starting to really get a liking for this place.  Can't explain it, he said conversationally as they walked, glancing around.  Something about the trees... the atmosphere... he didn't know.  Maybe it was Wildfire and how hands off she was compared to other leads he'd dealt with.  Maybe it was Niamh.  Whatever it was, it felt like home.

Niamh shrugged and then nodded. She wasn’t sure if they tasted different, as she’d never taken down a goat, just a rocky mountain sheep. But it didn’t matter too much to her- she’d eat it if it was prey, and she wasn’t picky about prey. She’d eat a coyote or fox if she killed one and hadn’t decided to strew its body parts along the borders as a warning, like she had at the plateau. 

She moved forward, adding a bit of a sway to her hips accentuating the point she’d just made. When Colt commented on the copse, she nodded.

”There’s no drama.” She said. ”No pack that wants us dead, no kidnapping, no “kill intruders on sight, etc.” She said. ”Kind of nice being on a more low key gear.” She said, brushing her shoulder against his. ”Don’t get me wrong- I enjoyed being savage, but...I’m also happy to be done with that. This is better.”

He could watch her move all day, he thought, as she added a little sway to her walk.  For a second, he was distracted, forgetting that he'd opened up another point of conversation entirely.

Mmm.  Well, if you ever get bored, I could find an excuse to be savage, he replied with a wide grin, mind definitely going there.  But I agree.  Not sayin some intruders don't deserve to feel teeth.  He thought of the one who had chased Clover a while back, and his eyes grew somewhat steely.  But for the most part, nice to do an old chase off.  Killing's a lot of effort to not end up with a meal out of it.  And.... yeah, nah, cannibalism wasn't something he ever intended to pick up.

OMG lookit how handsome Colt is!!!!

Niamh shuddered at Colt's comment, and glanced over her shoulder at him, with a shark-like look in her eyes. She'd certainly understood the point he was making, and she'd put him to the test later, likely. She liked that they were recovering that fire that they'd once had, though she was being careful not to push it too far. It was tough for her to be patient, but there were plenty of moments, like this one, that made everything worth the wait. 

"Every now and then, sure," Niamh agreed, as she'd certainly not lost her coyote-chasing drive. "Just glad there's no more fighting off wolves or cougars. I'd be happy to be completely done with all of that," She said, her tone slightly dry. She paused as she examined a scent along the borders, before she moved on, momentarily pausing to reinforce a marking. She reflected back on their conversation about Undersea. "You ever seen a sea lion?" She asked, turning to glance at Colt to see his reaction.

RIGHT!?!?!? Jaclyn makes my heart happy ;.; my boi

Oh, that comment had definitely hit its intended mark and earned him something.  He wasn't loosing his touch anytime soon, and her sharklike gaze met a suggestive confirmation.  Later.

Can't say I'm sorry either, though I never mind showin a cougar where he can stick those claws, Colt replied.  In reality cougars were a little above his pay grade unless he had a few backing him up.

Haven't, but I've only been coast-ways once.  And that time there wasn't a lot of time for sight seeing.  He couldn't begin to picture what she might be talking about.  What are they?

His facial expression (like, the quirk of his eyebrows and faint glint of teeth) is perfect. <3<3

For a change, Niamh frowned when Colt suggested he wouldn't mind taking on a cougar. Perhaps it was a more sensitive subject now that she'd lost two brothers to cougars, when previously, it wouldn't have bothered her much at all. But she halted just long enough for him to draw up beside her, so she could press her shoulder against his. "No. I'm not losing you to a cougar." She said firmly. To lighten the mood, she continued. "I always pegged you for someone interested in younger women anyway, not older women." It was a bad joke, but she'd felt a bit bad discouraging him from fighting cougars, when she still wore scars from her last altercation with one. Regardless, in the end, it all meant the same thing- she wanted Colt to herself for as long as possible. 

He then asked about sea lions, and she had the perfect answer. "Legless fat-dogs." She said. "Seriously. They have like...Two front flippers, but no legs, and they're so fat they can hardly move." She said. "I shit you not, Colt. They exist."

It was endearing, her enthusiasm; but he knew, if one showed up, he'd choose himself over most others to face it.  Especially now, with pups coming from all sides.  Thankfully he didn't think many frequented the forests around here.  He didn't really need to press the issue.  Ouch, touché, he responded to her quip, able to laugh at himself a bit over it.  It was true; anyone could give him that dig for how much younger she was than he. Guilty as charged.

No shit.  Are they food?  They sounded bizzare either way, but if they were that fat, they had to be easy pickins yeah?

Like Niamh, Colt's first thought about the sea lions was that they could be food. And she'd often considered the fact that had Coelacanth not stopped her, Niamh might have gone in for the kill- perhaps picking out a sea lion pup for a snack...But the meek she-wolf had implored her with those massive, ocean-blue eyes, and Niamh- as rough as she was around the edges- hadn't been capable of defying her plea in the slightest. 

"Nah. Not really," She said. "Coelacanth- she's the one who told me what they were, otherwise I'd still be calling them 'legless fat-dogs'- kind of begged me not to harm them. Said they were...Gah, I can't remember. But she had some kind of attachment to them. Nah, we didn't hunt them, and they're actually kinda scary up close. But it was kind of fun sneaking up on them and trying to poke one before it could lash out," She said.

Hmm.  So a bit like Towhee's X.  He'd always found that unnatural, making friends with animals that weren't wolves.  It wasn't something that he'd ever done and, if he was hungry, those sea lions would have been dinner.  Wonder why that is.  Don't think I've ever been tempted to make friends with my food, but I suppose if they are that big, testing them can be just as fun.  Is that the shore's version of moose baiting?  If so maybe she'd need to show him how it was done, when they visited.

Niamh shrugged. As a wolf who could both kill and eat a coyote, she was probably less likely than Colt to make friends with something she could eat- unless asked kindly, the way that Seelie had asked her. "Iunno," She replied. She licked her lips. "They looked tasty, but kinda fatty, blubbery. Prolly good for putting on weight for the winter though," She admitted as a thought, speculating that those large, jiggly creatures could indeed provide them with a good source of fat. Reflecting on what he'd just mentioned though, she gave Colt the side-eye. "What d'you mean by 'moose-baiting?'" She asked, both interested and puzzled simultaneously.

Well, maybe if their friend wasn't there, they would have to give one a shot on their visit.  What this Seelie wolf didn't know wouldn't hurt her, and it just wasn't practical, turning down good food.

Old family pastime.  Pick the meanest, toughest old moose you can find and give it a good snappin at.  See if you can get it to play a little game of tag, he replied with a smirk.  Cept in this game you really don't want to be tagged, considering it probably also means you're flat out.  

He and Fin (and Hawkin) had never been caught, though there had been some close calls.  Ma Blackthorn was always mad as hell at us when we'd play, but I figure that's just parental obligation raining on good fun, he added, shaking his head.  Would he be mad?  Colt was traditional - depended on if it was a daughter or a son, really, at the end of the day.  Get ready for that Niamh.

Just gonna tidy this up in light of....Things...<3 Last post for me.

Niamh shouldn't have been surprised about Colt's definition of Moose-baiting. It was basically as simple as it sounded, and she smirked as she listened to his explanation, and his reference to his mother. Niamh snorted. "She had to raise both you and Finley." She said. "I don't envy her of that task," She said, though the comment was intended as a compliment. She'd made comments about Colt's mother before- and from what Niamh could tell, she must have been one heck of a woman to turn out as many children as she did- and as reckless as they were, they all seemed to turn out pretty well. 

She dipped her head down, having caught the scent of some mountain goats that had passed over the river and into the outskirts of their territory, and she gestured. "Looks like we got some goat on the benu," She said. She touched her nose lovingly to Colt's cheek, slyly chortled "Baaaaaa," and sped off in search of their next meal.

They were little hell raisers.  If he had kids, he'd expect no less.

Well, lets baaag us a bite then, eh? he said to her retreating self, and waited for the laugh (or groan) that would probably follow the horrible joke.  

He was hungry, though, so he took off after, playfulling zagging into her path a bit before getting down to the business of the trail.