Sunset Valley Mask Off

She’d said a lot of things to Riley the other day. And yet, Masquerade didn’t know what she would actually do, if anything, until she did. She spent the night sleeplessly roaming the rise, making a small kill which she left where New Snow slept. When day broke, she crested the summit of the rise, stood there for two or three minutes, then descended its northeastern face.

She didn’t stop until she reached Dragon’s Back Ridge. Tempted though she was to visit her makeshift den, she galloped past the peak without bothering to climb. Only when she reached the valley on the mountain’s far side did she finally slow, then stop. When she glanced backward, she could barely make out the rise in the distance.

Heart beating hard, Masque raised her ruddy muzzle skyward and called for @Riley to come join her on a tracking expedition.

Masque remained busy since their talk. It was just as well - idleness made the mind wander to unpleasant hypotheticals.

He noticed her trail lead out of the valley, but this time he did not pursue until she called for him.

The howl came from somewhere past Dragonback — perhaps the adjacent valley where Riley had first met those of the Rise.

Riley set towards the blue hills, small puffs of breath rising steadily into the pale pink morning air.

The others would have heard the call too, she knew. Her heart squeezed in her chest as Masquerade contemplated all the different ways she could handle this. She could shoot another message skyward, so they wouldn’t worry when she didn’t come home. She could say goodbye. But she didn’t intend to disappear forever, nor did she want to invite commentary or interference, so she stayed quiet save for the audible pounding in her chest.

When Riley appeared, her heartbeat sped up a little, then began to slow. Masque’s limbs felt a little jellylike as she bounded to meet him, a shaky gush of hot air washing over his cheek before she slid her snout against it. It wasn’t until she pressed her body against his that she realized she was trembling.

Despite this, she said, I’m ready to go.

When Riley caught sight of Masque, the hard lines of concentration melted away. The dark shadow to his eyes lifted as she bound towards him, pressing her snout to his cheek in the trademark gesture of affection that Riley had come to love as their own.

But something was off. He noticed that she was trembling as she pressed against him. Though he could not hear her heart rate, he heard her breathing — which had a shaky element to it filled with the sweet heat of adrenaline.

He almost turned to her to ask what was wrong, but she spoke. He paused, digesting this — but at length he brought his nose to the ruff of her ruddy cheek and pressed against her. Okay. Me too.

Riley was steady as ever. Masquerade found herself leaning against him, eyes slipping shut as she tried to collect herself. There was the guilt of taking off without letting anyone know, especially with New Snow expecting a litter. There was the worry that they would think of her as a deserter, despite everything. There was the fear that she might never be able to go back to the only home she’d ever known.

But Riley was her home now. Masquerade opened her eyes and gazed at the side of his face. He was her rock nowadays. That thought made her eyes drop to her feet as another surge of guilt crashed over her head. What would Mulherin think? Would he hold it against her? Would Redd? The rest of them? Many of them had left and returned, so she hoped that if she decided to come back, they would just be happy to see her.

And what if they never returned at all? It was an even more daunting prospect, difficult even to comprehend. Now she shook in earnest, resisting the impulse to look back at Redtail Rise lest she run back to it. She’d never known a life outside of it. And that, Masque knew, was the whole point of this endeavor. It was harder than she’d thought, yet it needed to happen.

I might be a bit messy the first few days, she said to her mate, smiling shakily at him, but as long as you’re with me, I know I can do this.

She leaned against him, the heat of her body melding with his own. While she closed her eyes and thought of responsibilities and what-ifs, Riley thought of something different: their future.

He did not fear never being able to come home - because as Masquerade had just discovered, his home was not in a place but in a person. Her.

Riley could not read minds, so he turned as she shook. Once again he was about to ask if everything was alright when she spoke, indicating she might be messy the first several days. He delivered a reassuring smile. You can do this. He gave her shoulder a gentle buffer. Where did you have in mind?

Her tongue snaked out to dampen her nose as she contemplated Riley’s question. She’d spent all her energy thinking about what she was leaving behind, Masque hadn’t really looked forward yet. The possibilities were, in a word, endless. And overwhelming.

For a moment, she stared at the great stretch of trees where she’d once searched for Avicus. She was just about to suggest they start there when a bird cried overhead. Masque glanced up and saw a gull winging in the direction of the coast. Her gaze followed it, contemplative.

Facing Riley, she asked, Have you ever seen the ocean?

A strange cry punctuated the woodland. Riley did not recognize it. His gaze shifted overhead, alongside Masque's. Together, they watched a pale bird the color of snowdrift arc through the sky.

What was that? He was about to ask when Masque spoke again. No. I haven't. Riley had always wanted to, too. His aunt had spoken about it once in a way that was bitter - and the imperative for survival had a strange way of nipping traveling plans in the bud. Want to go?

Me neither, she shared, one ear splaying at his followup question. I’ve smelled it, though. I didn’t like it. But that was a long time ago. A lot has changed. So, sure, Masque agreed, blowing out a breath, why not? Let’s go see the sea.

A smile flickered over her face before falling into slack lines. Part of her thrilled at the idea of changing scenery, while another still balked at the entire notion of leaving the rise behind. Masque might regret it, though she suspected she would regret it more if she didn’t.

It’s time, she declared softly, long tail giving a single decisive lash, to get a little perspective.

Forcing her quavering legs to move, she pointed her snout in the same direction the gull had gone. She trudged at first, though quickly picked up into a steady trot, glancing sideways and matching her pace with Riley’s.

By the time she found the courage to glance back, Redtail Rise had already disappeared into the distance behind them.

Riley knew what a big deal this was to Masque -- just upping and leaving everything behind. Even just for a hiatus. He wanted to be supportive, but he also wanted her to experience life as he'd experienced -- the good of it, anyway. There was so much more to the world than the Rise, and he wondered if her going on this adventure might point out what a fishbowl their lives had inadvertently become.

He glanced to the gull, which was now long gone. Masque steadied her breath besides him, but then she was off. He grinned shortly, picking up the pace.

He had no idea what she meant by not liking the smell of the sea - but he was ready to experience it for himself. As long as she was besides him, what did anything else matter?