He had been gone from Lirim for about a week now, and he hadn't returned since. He hadn't left the pack, but he wasn't in a hurry to return. Kairi knew he had gone off on his own for a while, had she told anyone? He supposed it didn't matter, he knew he wasn't particularly missed anyway. Large paws carried him through the lush grasses of the plains, all around him deer and other prey animals grazed, but they didn't seem to care for his presence. He was alone, and that in itself wasn't much of a threat to them. They kept their distance, sure. And all around him he could feel them watching him. Summer was in full swing, the sun above cast its heat upon the lands. The river that once flowed heavily through the area was now just a trickle winding through the territory, and yet somehow...it managed to survive the onslaught of summer year after year. He didn't have any destination in mind, so he just walked aimlessly it seemed. He had forced himself to forget about Faite, to forget about where she was and what she might be doing. She had been gone for seasons now, and he was accepting that fact. "Talk"

"Ellie speech" & 'Ellie thoughts'

She was thankful to have found some shade and cover from the sun. Thankful to find the small trickling stream to drink from and to cool her paws off. She was regretting her decision to travel during the day, especially through a partial desert. The darker tones of her pelt made it more difficult for her to stay cool, despite the fact she had a lighter coat on for the weather. It hadn't been her best decision of the week, but at least she had found a place to take cover for the rest of the day.

Looking down at her paws as the small trickling stream moved around them, she smiled at the slight tickling feeling she was getting from the water. It was soothing to her feet as well and helped her cool down a lot faster. She moved out of the water and over to a nice spot under a tree, settling down into a sternal position to further relax. Once nightfall hit she may travel again, but for now she wanted to stay here out of the sun.

She had pushed herself to get here to begin with, anxious to start a new chapter within her life. She was unsure where her travels would lead her, but she wanted to find out. Not getting any younger was also a push as well.

Art by Syllvernight

The summer sun beat down on his back, and he was glad that his coat was almost entirely white. He didn't think he would have been able to manage if he had darker fur, didn't darker fur colors absorb more heat? He shook his head, feeling sorry for those that had black fur. Ugh! He couldn't imagine how torturous that might be during the summer heat! He felt hotter just thinking about it! Oh well, he was one of the luckier ones, he thought. Tongue hung between parted jaws as he searched for the dwindling river. A drink of water sounded good right about now. He moved through the plains in search of it, all the while the deer and other animals kept their eye on him as he walked. It was kind of creepy having so many eyes on him, so he moved in a direction that had his back turned towards most of those vigilant eyes. It didn't take long for him to find the stream, and when he approached he dipped his paws into it while drinking. He felt like he had been there for several minutes before he finally finished, and when he was done, he squinted up at the sky. It's going to be a long day... Dare he go home and hide out in his den? The idea to hide from the sun did seem tempting, but going back to the pack right now? Not so much. Instead, he looked around until he spotted a single tree standing not too far away, so he decided to head over to it. As he neared the only source of shade in the whole valley, he noticed that there was someone else beneath it. Blue gaze inspected the stranger, but ultimately he decided he just couldn't take the heat on his back anymore. "Sorry to bother you, but mind if I join you in the shade? It's pretty hot out," He didn't even really wait for an answer as he continued towards the tree. Within moments, he was panting beneath the shade. Well, if the woman decided he wasn't welcome, then he would probably just pretend she wasn't there. He didn't exactly feel like going back out under the sun until it got cooler at least. "So uh...what brings you here? Trying to get a tan or something?" Might as well make some small talk while he was here, right? "Talk"

"Ellie speech" & 'Ellie thoughts'

She was able to settle herself more completely after settling in the shade glad to have found some relief from the summer sun. She wasn't settled for vary long before the sound of another approached. Her brown hued ears perked and her spring green eyes looked in the direction to see a lighter hued male with red markings approached. He then spoke asking if she minded him joining her and she smiled warmly.

"Not at all, there is plenty of room," she had managed to say.

It didn't take him long to hustle over and settle underneath the shade. He too must be suffering from the heat. It was hot enough that it would be possible for a fair furred male like himself to get too hot. She gave him time to calm down before attempting to start any conversation, but he beat her to it. His words made her smile and laugh lightly with a slight shake of her head.

"I wouldn't last long enough in that sun for my skin to get tan," she replied. "I can't really say I have a purpose out here, I've been traveling for the past year and a half."

Ever since burying her mate she had traveled, looking to find a new chapter in her life. She got so used to traveling that she had kinda forgot the main reason was to settle down once again, then again she had not ran into someone or one pack that really stood out to her.

"What about you?" she asked.

Art by Syllvernight

Ears twitched when she agreed to let him join her in the shade, "Thanks," He muttered. She went on to answer his question, mentioning that she had been traveling for the better part of a year and a half. Damn, that was a long time. She didn't have a pack? Her scent told him no. But before that? Well, he couldn't say for sure. "That's a pretty long time to travel. I've just started traveling recently...though not too far since I'm in a pack. Not that it matters, I suppose. But I like to stay close for my daughter, at least." He knew he could go wherever he wanted whenever he wanted. But he did stick close to Lirim for Kairi's sake. She was afraid he would disappear like Faite had, so he occasionally made his way back to let her know he was still around. He wouldn't dream of leaving her behind, and if he ultimately decided to leave the pack (which he wasn't sure about yet), he would of course, bring her with him if she so chose. Putting his attention back to the woman, he added "My name is Zell by the way. It's uh...nice to meet you. Though I wish it wasn't so damn hot today..." He couldn't help but to complain about it. But truth be told, he'd rather be out here in this boiling heat then in pack lands boiling and irritated. "Talk"