The air had a chill to it that told her that winter had begun to creep in on them, but they were lucky enough to be far enough into the south west that snow hadn't quite reached them yet. It was just beginning to show the first signs of cold and it made her grateful that they would soon reach her family's pack. Their border was extremely close, close enough that they could easily reach it, but... It had been a long journey and she wanted a moment to rest and untangle the nervous knot of energy twisting in her stomach. She had brought her family here under the assumption that Baine, Nolan, and Casso had made it here safely and that they were now living in this pack. There was just so much unknown that made her uncertain. What if they hadn't made it? What if the pack wasn't held by their family any more and wouldn't welcome them? Daelos tried not to let her mind wander down that path, but it was difficult. She settled on her haunches next to Ochre as Elba and Aslaug went off to explore the Avian Estuary, leaning into his side with a sigh. They wouldn't go far, but she also wasn't concerned about them being on their own for a while. They had grown into quite capable young women and she gave a proud smile as she watched them go. It was getting late in the afternoon and the sun was sure to begin setting soon enough. "Maybe we'll rest here for the night and then go to the pack's border in the morning?" she offered, tipping her two-tone blue gaze up to meet her mate's. She smiled a little as she looked at him. Something about being near him and their daughters had such a way of calming her. All she really hoped for now was for this trip to Boreas and leaving their old home behind to be worth it. She was excited to see Baine again and hoped that her aunt was still doing alright despite her health issues. "Talk" "You" Think

Ochre wasn't a difficult man to please. As long as he had his mate and his girls, he was content. And so, when Daelos had exressed the desire to journey across the land to see her family and discover whether or not they still held their pack, the man agreed. Entirely devoted to his mate, he could deny her nothing. Especially if he knew that it would make her happy.

As their daughters wandered off to learn what they could of this new place, Ochre had discovered a little nook nestled between three trees. It would serve as a decent resting place. He had to admit that his paws were tired from their long trek and his pads throbbed a bit as his weight was taken off of them. The brown and blonde brute released a slight sigh of relief as he settled himself.

After seeing off their children Daelos settled beside him, leaning her body against his bulk. Affectionately, he nuzzled the grey woman between the ears, releasing a rumble of content in his wide chest. His mate expressed her thoughts on staying in the wilds for once more night. "Whatever my lady wishes. Finding the pack well rested would be better than finding them exhausted." Again he nuzzled into her, noting her anxiety. "Are you still worried?" If they didn't find her family there, they could continue on until they did.

She let her eyes close contently for a moment as Ochre nuzzled the top of her head, his affections bringing a smile to her lips. It really didn't take a whole lot to make her happy, but she did wish that she could be as at ease as Ochre could be. He was far more clear cut and straight forward than she was and it was something she envied about her mate. When she had gone to ask him about traveling to Boreas she had felt worried and guilty over pulling him away from the wolves he had lived with for so long, but it had felt like an easy decision for him to make her happy. She was so grateful that their paths had crossed and she had him as the steady rock in her life. "A little," she admitted honestly. She could have told him that she wasn't, but he would have certainly seen right through that facade. There was no hiding her feelings from him any more. She hadn't been the best at hiding her feelings to begin with, but he made it basically impossible. "I just hope this is the right pack and that Baine and the boys made it here okay. It was a long trip even for the four of us that are in perfectly fine health. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for Baine. Of course I know Nolan wouldn't let her push herself too hard, but... I still worry about her." Now that her mother had passed away and she had long since lost track of any of her other siblings, Baine, Nolan, and Casso were the only members of her family that she had left. Of course she knew more of her extended family supposedly resided in this pack and she was sure some remnants of the Praetor line still lingered somewhere in these lands, but they were the ones she was closest to and had experienced the same things that she had. "Everything will be fine," she added after a beat of silence, looking up at him with a smile once again. She wasn't sure if she was actually speaking to him or to herself, but either way it seemed like something that needed to be said. "Talk" "You" Think

Ochre was proud of Daelos. She had brushed aside anxiety and apprehension to travel the land with her new family to seek out her old. This was a journey of discovery for all of them and he could never deny his girls such an opportunity. They hadn't had any qualms about leaving their former pack. This was an adventure. Think of just how much they would learn in a new place with new wolves. Not only would they learn, but they could teach as well. Ochre had no doubt that both of his daughters would be little scholars. Or, at least he hoped they would. Knowledge had always been so important to him, he could only wish that his love of it had rubbed off on his children.

As Daelos agreed to being a little worried, the earthen brute smiled and tugged her close with one thick foreleg. "New situations are always a little frightening. If it's not the right pack, we'll just have to find another that is. We'll find them. Or knowledge of them." Someone had to have heard of the wolves in question. They would just have to find that someone.

The grey woman assured him that everything would be fine and Ochre shot her his little lopsided grin. "You're right. It will be fine. As long as we're together, everything will be fine." His only apprehension was being forced to live beneath the rule of someone that could possibly be uncouth and unreasonable. He would tolerate it though if it would make Daelos happy. He knew how much she missed her family.


"The girls seem excited about the move." The pair hadn't really complained at all when they were told of the plans. He was proud of them as well. A chilly little breeze wafted towards the pair of wolves and Ochre curled himself around Daelos.
"Hopefully this new pack knows how to handle a family of scholars," he joked before beginning to groom the back of her neck, teeth pulling lightly through the longer fur there.

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Ochre's grin was infectious when he insisted that everything would be fine as long as they were together. That was the truth of it. Even if things didn't turn out as she hoped, she would still have him and their girls. As long as she had them she would be happy. She had never really understood how her mother could put everything on the line for her children, but now she understood. Having her own family had drastically changed her life and how she saw things, but all of these changes were only in good ways. Now she just needed her family to live somewhere that they would be safe and be able to continue learning and growing... Then perhaps she could relax a bit more. She nodded in agreement when he pointed out that their daughters had seemed excited about the adventure she had initiated. Her two-toned gaze turned back toward where they had disappeared further into the estuary and she smiled a little. Neither of them seemed to show that anxiety and worry that lingered on her mind and for that she was grateful. They were both growing into such lovely women that had such an eagerness to learn. As if mirroring her thoughts, he commented on how their potential new pack needed to know how to handle their family of scholars and she giggled softly, replying, "Oh I'm sure they will... What pack doesn't want a family that's already so well versed in so many things?" She hummed contently and let her eyes close when he started grooming the fur along her scruff, smiling as she just let herself enjoy the attention. She didn't let herself relax all that often, but when she did it was almost always because of Ochre. After a few long moments of just letting herself sit quietly to enjoy his touch and the sounds of the birds in the trees around them, she opened her eyes a bit and lifted her nose till she could place a few gentle licks along his muzzle and cheek. "Talk" "You" Think

The man chuckled as his mate commented on their family and the aforementioned pack. "They would be crazy to turn us away." Ochre wondered what he might do when settled down with this pack. Of course he would hunt regularly to provide for his family. Aside from that, he would most likely set up a workshop. He would build. He would craft. He would trade. If others wished to learn, and he hoped that they would, he would teach. The earthen man loved to teach. When instructing a group of students, he was in his element.

Daelos nuzzled into him, giving the man a few licks along his muzzle and he found himself wondering how long his daughters would be gone. Despite his scholarly ways, he was still very much a man. A man that found his woman quite enthralling. He was attracted to her as much today as he had been the day that his eyes had first fallen upon her. She entranced him completely. That wasn't to say that he was a pushover. When she was in one of her moods, he would call her on it. It was always his intent to never go to bed angry, so he always did his best to soothe things over.

"Perhaps I'll hunt tomorrow. We can arrive at this new pack bearing gifts." It would be a nice show. Prove that the Kvasir's were worth accepting. They could hold their own and would be capable of pulling their weight and contributing to the pack. He had his pack of tools that would be used to aid them, but food spoke to the core of a wolf. Casting his green eyes towards Dae, he spoke. "What do you think?"

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In all honesty, if her relatives were still leading the pack then she had a feeling they wouldn't hesitate to let them join as long as there was room for them to be there, but knowing that they would be a good asset to the pack certainly made her feel better all the same. She never wanted to just have a place in the pack because of some kind of family tie, making herself useful was still incredibly important to her. She grinned when Ochre suggested that they bring a fresh kill with them tomorrow and nodded in agreement before giving his chin a little teasing lick. "That sounds like a great idea!" She couldn't say how much she appreciated his support in this and how all in he was. It made her so much more confident about bringing her family to this new pack and making a life for them here. Even if this pack ended up not being a good fit for them, they would still have each other and could find something together that did. With her anxiety over their move settled - for the moment at least - she found herself peering gratefully up into Ochre's green gaze. She wasn't sure where she would be or what state she would be in if they hadn't found each other during their escape from Boreas all that time ago. His good looks had caught her attention, but his personality and wisdom had made her fall in love. Daelos leaned up to nuzzle her cheek happily against his. If he and their daughters hadn't been here, this trip back to Boreas would have been far more taxing on her mentally. She still wasn't quite ready to revisit the areas she had lived under Elias' rule, but this was somewhere she was happy to be. Now she just hoped that tomorrow brought good news when they finally went to the pack's border. She brushed her muzzle against her mate's and she felt a little grin tugging at her muzzle. Something else that she was thankful for was the fact that they were still just as infatuated with each other as they had been in their first days together. She knew her mood swings and anxiety had been a hard thing for her to overcome, especially in the beginning, but he had stuck by her all the same and that had made her want him even more. Daelos had worried that having children would somehow change their relationship or distract from their attraction for each other, but if anything she thought the opposite had happened. "How long do you think the girls will be out exploring?" she asked softly with a little giggle, her tail wagging gently against the ground behind her. "Talk" "You" Think

The little remark that Daelos made about their children being gone brought a full grin to the brute's features. "Mmm.." he rumbled. "I don't know, but we could always risk it. Might be a little exciting, no?" He continued to groom his woman, teeth pulling through her fur. He made his way down her ruff before grooming her shoulders. By then, he was on his feet, standing over her. The man continued on down her spine before taking one large paw and pushing Daelos onto her side. He started over again, grooming her chin, jaw, throat, chest. Green eyes flashed dangerously upward as he continued to groom her stomach with teeth and tongue. Licks and nips.

Part of Ochre hoped that she wouldn't stop him. The other part thought about their day tomorrow. Wouldn't do to meet new wolves smelling like sex. Unless they found a stream along the way and washed off the dirt of the road. Hmm... that was definitely a possibility. Whatever course they took, he would follow her wishes.

If she was being honest, any thought of what they would be walking in to tomorrow was now the furthest thing from her mind as Ochre made his own suggestive remark, bringing a similar grin to her own features. She let her two tone gaze close for a moment with a soft, contented hum while her mate started covering her form in small affections in the form of licks and nibbles that she adored. When she felt his paw pushing her over she more than willingly rolled to her back, opening her eyes a bit then just to catch that look in his eyes and give him an excited glance of her own and a knowing grin. Perhaps she should have been more concerned of whatever state they were going to be in tomorrow, but there was plenty of water around for them to clean up in if it turned out to be necessary. Her mind did briefly wonder about their daughters and if they might come back earlier than she expected, but that slight concern wasn't nearly enough for her to discourage him. It wasn't the first time they had snuck in some moments for themselves since the girls were born and it certainly wouldn't be the last. After all the mental turmoil she had put herself through in deciding to make this move back to Boreas and all the worrying she had been doing over how their new pack would react to them, all she really wanted to do was enjoy some alone time with her mate. "Better hurry before they get back, handsome..." she encouraged softly, her grin widening a bit as she reached to run her claws through the fur along the sides of his neck. -fade- "Talk" "You" Think

A deep chuckle reverberated through the black and blonde mans chest as Daelos gave in, urging him to hurry so they would be finished in time for their children to return. "As my lady wishes." With one final, long lick up the center of her stomach, Ochre rolled his woman onto her stomach and proceeded to do what he always wanted to do to her, day in and day out.

-Fade-

What seemed like hours later, Ochre lay upon his back beneath one of the willows, his head rested upon a tussock of grass. He felt lazy and was incredibly satisfied. Luckily for them, their children hadn't returned while they were engaged in the act of making love. Ochre pulled Daelos close, wrapping her between his forelegs and pressing her against his chest. He placed his muzzle upon the top of her head and began to doze contentedly. He was still slightly conscious, but, if left undisturbed for too long, he would easily drift off to sleep. He was glad that they had today. With all of the excitement coming tomorrow and the acclimation to a new pack, who knew when they would have time to themselves like this again. Though he was a generous and kind man, Ochre was incredibly selfish when it came to his mate. He needed his time with her.

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