Life had turned grey. Amarant had lost most of what he was, the energetic, crazy little pup. Moving out of Covari was hard, and even though Secretua was family, it wasn't home. He was still placed in the Fern Gulley, an old Covari land, but it still wasn't the same. It seemed like Koray slept more often, along with Maia. And even though Amarant wasn't the hyper boy he used to be, he was still awake more often than his mother and brother.

He laid under the trees in the valley that was the Gulley, halfway on his side but his chin still flat on the ground. There were so many different kinds of flowers and herbs but he didn't know what any of it did. He sure didn't trust his instincts either. He had no interest in finding out, and thought anything bad of what could happen if they were poisonous.

His dull emeralds gently lay closed as thunder rumbled in the distance. He hoped it wouldn't rain, but it didn't really matter to him. He wasn't planning to have any fun.

Walk | Talk | Think

Eirik was still trying to fit into his role as a Guard of Secretua, and felt strongly that it was a bad fit. He had no training as a fighter, though he was large he was not one to throw his weight around, and despite being completely capable of fulfilling the role if he put his mind to it the fact of the matter was he was still overall lazy. There seemed to be a lot to go along with the rank, so much that he needed to do just to live up to its expectations, and while most days it seemed to put him off from even trying today he was almost ready to step up to the challenge.

There was really no one to spar against - save his father and he was not even going to entertain that thought yet - but there was nothing stopping him from doing other things to train. Running was a start. It was not one of his most favorite of pastimes, and he was far from being the fastest, but it was work and work would keep him in shape. So he had started off at the border where the Gulley met the Prairie and had wound some odd sort of pattern through the large, forested dip in the ground, hoping the unpredictable terrain might somehow make his self-directed training that much more effective.

It worked, only better than he had expected it to, and barely halfway through the regimen he had designated for himself Eirik was ready to call it quits. His black-dipped legs moved increasingly more sluggishly with each step, his jaws parted to allow him to pant openly, and by some odd, sheer force of will did he push himself to go just a little further. Luckily for him, that last little bit ended up leading straight to where his cousin was stretched out upon the ground, looking either to be resting or fully asleep.

Without an invitation, Eirik stepped up to plop down on the ground beside the spotted youth, still breathing heavily from his exercise. "Hey Amar," he greeted the boy amiably, his words rushed as he was still winded, "What's up?"

OOC: I couldn't help myself, I like these two together.

He wasn't asleep, he may have been tired and his eyelids were a bit low as he eyed the tree tops. But he wasn't really up for sleeping. With Koray going his own way and leaving him and Maia by themselves most the time, Amarant wasn't feeling anything at all.

He wouldn't hear his cousin until he felt the ground shake beside him. He was startled, but not a muscle moved in his body. His chin turned to Eirik as he listened to the rushed voice and heavy panting. He only tipped his head slightly, not making eye contact before gently moving back to look at the sky once again.

"I just..." He wasn't sure what he was doing, and there was a short silence before he spoke again, but not answering what Eirik had asked. "Who wants to go running? I sure don't." a single chuckle would almost silently escape his maw. The air felt moist, but not enough for it to rain. At least for now anyway...

Walk | Talk | Think

Still breathing heavily, Eirik turned his head to glance at Amar beside him as the boy did the same, offering a smile in answer to the rather blank look his cousin gave him. Jeez, Amar did not look too good. No smile, no eye contact. He looked practically lethargic now that Eirik was close enough to discern it. It was enough to wipe the smile off the pale grey youth's face and replace it with something more like worry. What had happened to the crazy, energetic, reckless kid who he had once had trouble keeping up with that he had met back in Covari?

He seemed to try to answer but gave up after a feeble attempt, changing the subject instead with a random question that he assumed was meant as a means to bring about more humor. He played along, groaning at the thought of putting his poor body through any more running than he already had. "No way!" he answered emphatically, "I should roll over on you for even saying that." Of course, he had no intention to, and from the look on Amar's face he was sure it would have done nothing to help the situation any.

For a moment, he merely looked at his cousin, still unable to determine on his own what might have been wrong. With a tilt of his head, he addressed the spotted boy again. "You're sure looking..." - how did he want to say it? - "...like a rock today. Not into moving around anymore?" Sure, that would work.

Amarant would flick his body slightly, away from Eirik with a loud chuckle is if ready to move away from his body threatening to crush him. But the silver male would continue to speak as they looked up through the spaces in between the leaves in the sky.

"You're sure looking..." He would start to giggle in and out of his next few words, "Not like a rock today."

Amarant was pretty good at talking, even if the subject was jumpy or boring. He could talk all day, but recently he had taken sanctuary in the heart of Secretua. "Moving is just so... last season."

He would keep his own side of a conversation, whether it included Eirik or not. "If I had such a betrothing rank, I wouldn't undergo my own training." He would let out yet another chuckle, "I would just show off my manly charm and sexiness." He would finally turn his whole head to his cousin beside him a kidding tone to his next voice, "Obviously better than yours."

Walk | Talk | Think

Whatever funk Amar had been in when Eirik found him lying listlessly on the floor of the Gulley, he seemed to be quickly drawing out of it now. The pale grey wolf grinned as he noticed the amusement his cousin seemed caught up in, rosy pink eyes closing briefly as he finally felt himself beginning to get his breath back. Leave it to checking in on the spotted boy to lift his own spirits after becoming so tired out after only half of his designated work out routine. But if he had to choose, he would have chose spending time with Amarant over duty and work and training every time.

"Nope," he agreed proudly, "Can't be a rock and a Guard at the same time." And it was definitely true. With what his father expected of him, particularly since he was still the only one to take up the rank, he had no chance of allowing himself to slip up or relax. No, he was expected to stay in physical shape, to be at the top of his game, and always ready to deal with unexpected issues that might arise along the pack's border. He only hoped he was currently living up to those expectations. Sometimes earning his father's favor was the hardest thing in the world.

The kid sounded even more like himself the longer he spoke, and his naturally confident attitude started to come out further the more he said. Eirik laughed outright at Amar's amusing remarks, taking his cousin's teasing in stride. He knew the kid was only trying to get a reaction out of him, and because he was supposed to be the more mature of the two he knew he should act it... But then again it was Amar. "Yeah right," he countered, rolling to his side enough to press with a dark paw against his cousin beside him, "You wish you looked like me." A grin spread across his face as he glanced sidelong at Amarant, enjoying poking fun at the kid and glad that he could take it and dish it in turn. It was so much more fun this way.

As Eirik insisted that he was better, Amarant couldn't help but laugh. But it was more at them having this debate than which one looked better. Of course, the two were joking anyway.

His laughter would fade, and after a moment he would clear his throat to speak.

"I should probably get back to mom."

He would roll over an stand up without shaking any debris that could have been on his pelt. He expected Eirik to stand up too but would remain looking down on him if he didn't.

"You going back to... work or whatever?"

He held a smile but his tone was more serious. But more like he was interested in what he was doing. What else was there to do here?