The willows swayed gently through the area, a summer breeze sweeping over the pair that found themselves crossing the territory. Lyric herself was a bit disoriented after getting stuck in the tar pits, but she was content where she lay, being carried by Alpine toward the nearest source of water. Soothed by his scent despite the discomfort that racked her body, and the worry left her as she heard the kitten mewl from some far off direction - that was how it sounded to her despite the babe being kept in Alpine's mouth. She had tried to talk to the male again after her initial thanks for saving her life, but she had gone silent, too tired to speak, and with the tar beginning to dry and itch in places she didn't want to complain either. 'Alpine...' What would she have done if he hadn't shown up? If he wasn't there?


She would sigh into his fur, doing her best to make sure that she was gathered on him in a way that would not make it difficult for him - but there wasn't much that she could do when it was so hard to move. Lethargic, she was incredibly thirsty and wanted nothing more than to drink in the entirety of Wolfpaw Lake. 'Home...' Oh mother would have a fit if she found out about this, and she couldn't even imagine what Surreal would say. Would her sister think her daft for trying to save the life of a kitten the way she had? For being clumsy enough to fall in?


Did Alpine?


She hoped that he wouldn't regret telling her that he fancied her - realize that she was naive and too kind and there wasn't enough to her that was strong or tough like there was to the rest of her family. As the moon rose higher into the sky, doubts began to circle her thoughts, and she would whine faintly from where she lay strewn over Alpine's back.


The western edge of the Rio Grande ran just beside the Willows, a ways off from the pond, but a better option for rinsing the woman off. It ran near the ocean, and would sweep the tar away where it couldn't poison the water source like it would the pond. "Just a little... further." She would whisper near the man's ear, nudging his head in the direction of the river. "Don't want to... hurt the willows." The roots of the trees surely fed off of the pond and the water within it - her words were soft, somewhat slurred, but she was sure of her decision. Hopefully the brute wouldn't mind. "You c'n put me down, I can make it that far." She would say, gathering her wits about her, and doing her best to gather her strength. "S'rry." It was getting a bit hard to speak through her dry, somewhat sticky mouth. Even though she wasn't drowning anymore, the tar was still making things harder.

The long struggle from the tar pit to the closest source of water felt like a life time of walking. He could hear the rasping breath of Lyric as he did his best to support her weight and get them to their destination. He felt the horrible crustiness of the tar that coated her and by this point, him also from their close proximity. He worried deeply for the fae beside him for how much she might have swallowed for how lethargic and tired she was beside him. He could feel also the rough and matted fur of the kitten in his mouth. The bitter taste of tar that that clung to its coat and his struggle not to swallow, the bile that rose in his mouth and the need to spit or swallow a constant battle he fought. The damn creature (he thought of it as such for the way it had almost cost him Lyric?s life) had at the very beginning struggled in pathetic little twitches and tired broken cries. It seemed to hang limply from his jaws now in exhaustion and defeat to the predator that held it. He knew it breathed, he could feel its warmth in his mouth the faint pitter-patter of its heart beat. He struggled to ignore the taste of blood in his jaws, his own blood from torn gums, and grateful that at least the weight of the cat in his jaws was a light one.


When a quite whine emanated from Lyrics jaws he would wince and try to sooth his stride, unsure what had caused her distress. They were so close now, she just needed to hang on for a little longer before she would be ok. He followed her direction, the gentle nudge and accepted that despite her state she seemed to know what she was doing. The tiredness of her voice chipped away at her heart as he pushed on with his two delicate burdens, one in his maw and the other on his back. She said she could go on her on from here, despite the fact she could barely get out her words.
?Don?t even think about it, I?m not letting you go?
He protested gently as he finally came upon the edge of the Rio Grande water, away from the pond as she had indicated. He would kneel here to help her ease off him, and let her slip gently into the waters embrace, directly by the shallow of the bank. He would set himself up beside her, facing the opposite direction to her and setting himself up on the side towards the water so that she was closer to the land then he. Lowering his lower right hip right beside her head in an indication that she should rest it on him there above the waters. He was lying half submerged in the waters, and began to rub his paws up and down her coat in an attempt to dislodge what he could of the tar. If she had the strength they could go a little deeper, but in her lethargic state he thought lying down and leaning on him might be the safest to keep her from drowning.


He would also dunk the ass-end of the kitten into the water repeatedly, letting the motion of hitting the water gently and rising up and down through it dislodge the tar from the little creature before depositing it gently onto Lyric?s back, afraid that putting it in the water it might drown. From here he could finally dip his mouth into the cool fresh-water stream and wash the taste of tar from his tongue, spitting as much as he took in until it tastes clean again and then he would drink, looking over to see if Lyric did the same, to see how she fared and how clean her coat was getting.



"Speech"

She felt that she could make it to the river - hopefully it was a slow moving part of the rio grande - as the last thing that she and Alpine should have to worry about was being pulled by the current into the sea. But the male refused to set her down, wanting to help her to the water - and his gentle protest would return the smile to her tired visage - and she would silently relent, nuzzling him best she could from where she was sprawled across his back. He was so kind, she couldn't believe that he was real at times - saving her, carrying her to safety, it was all so incredible. He was incredible, and she wouldn't accept any challenge to the statement, not now - not ever. If it weren't for Alpine she wouldn't be alive - he cared enough about her to risk so much for her, it only made her feel even stronger for him.


When they reached the water she would slink off of his frame as easily as she could, doing her best not to hurt Alpine in any way. The moment she hit the water was nearly euphoric - the tar immediately loosened some and she would sigh at the contact with the cool liquid. The current wasn't too strong, but if she lost her footing in a deeper part of it she could find herself submerged. For now she had nothing to worry about, as Alpine had carefully picked a shallow bank to wash them both off. Gratefully she would take his offer to support her against the current, and she would wade a bit deeper, wanting to make the job of dislodging the caked on sludge that much easier.


Realizing that her mouth was still dry she would take a few hesitant laps at the water - the liquid sweeping away the dryness instantly, and leaving her feeling quite a bit better with water in her system. "Thank you Alpine." She would wriggle a bit, shaking some of the tar off of her in the water. "Here, let me help." He was doing his best to get what was on her sides - and she would try and do the same, rubbing against his side with her own to try and clean them both a bit. All the while she was careful that the kitten they had saved was alright - the little thing was absolutely confused as to why these two huge wolves hadn't eaten it yet, but slowly the fear would be replaced with curiosity as it found itself clean.


"I'm not going to eat you little guy." She would gently remark, before her gaze drifted to Alpine. Lazily she would slide beside him and nuzzle his neck, happily humming as she felt that she was mostly clean. For a moment she thought that the muck would stick to her forever. "And neither is he - he saved us both after all." Her smile was genuine, no trace of the tiredness that was present in her very bones. Like her own personal spark, he seemed to give her something to be glad. "Thank you so much, I don't know what I'd would have done without you."

He worked against the sticky terrible substance that clung to her at let himself breath. They had made it to the water, they had escaped the tar pits and the hard journey here. He would see to it every fleck was gone from her amazing, soft coat and she would gleam every bit as brilliently as she had the first night he had met her. The first night she had stolen from him his heart. He would push against the offending tar with tireless, gentle movements and would make a vow to himself then. He would go to Erani and he would ask her mother, and his Alpha, for a chance to court her, to win her heart as she had his. He wanted so badly to be able to call her his melody to have the chance to protect her and look out for. The idea of something happening to her was so terrible it hurt his heart just thinking about it. He smiled warmly at her thanks and jumped ever so slightly at her touch as she offered to help him and began to rub her side against his. He gave a gnetle laugh and added his own, rubbing up against her to lossen the tar that clung to them both. He felt an odd contentment as they worked their coats clean together, working as a team within the cool touch of the stream. She was not weak, her strong heart spook strongly against such thoughts, even the fate of this little kitten had been too mucvh for her to simply walk on by and ignore. It only made him love her more, his heart so proud it was fit to burst. It was that sweetness about her that drew him, and captured him. That innocence and love of love the goodness he could see in every twinkle of her glorious eyes. She cooed friendly words to the creature she had saved and he found his thoughts drifting off as she did so. Certainly, he hdn't expected her to nuzzle his neck and he almost melted at the gentle, friendly touch. He heart her pleasurable humming, she was concent it seemed to be free of the muck and that tiredness was no longer clinging to her. It seemed a bath really had been the very best thing for her! ?There's no need to thank me Lyric, after all, you where just saving this little fella's life? He pointed out, indicating with a gentle flick of his tail the little, drenched thing ?Now, we really aught to get you two dry and warm, or it will be a chill that gets you? He said softly, nuzzling now against her own neck, a gentle push added in, an indication they should go back to dry lands. He was shivering a little himself, the tar seemed to have stripped him of his insulation for the moment, he felt like it had gotten right under his coat and taken his warmth from him. He gently grabbed the kitten by the scruff of its neck again, staying beside Lyric to support her if she needed it as he guided them from the waters edge. Already his eyes sought out a safe, dry den they could stay in for the night, he didn't think it wise to try make it all the way back to Valhalla in their current state. Ooc: *Snuggles* Don't ever doubt his love for Lyric will win out. She is everything he looks for in a partner <3 "Speech"

The two would work to remove all of the tar from each other's coats - and finally, they would stand before each other - clean, their alabastar coats pristine thanks to the cool waters of the Rio Grande. Lyric felt surprisingly warm being so close to Alpine, and her heart leaped more than once within her chest as she tried to ignore a certain feeling that had twisted her stomach into knots somewhere along the way. She had definitely started the work on Alpine's coat in order to help him, but when it came time to give the brute a bit of space she found that she really really didn't want to. Being close to him felt good, and she wanted - quite badly she realized - to be even closer to him. Lyric wasn't quite sure why these feelings were emerging now - but she knew that she cared deeply for Alpine. He was so kind to her, spoke so sweetly, reacted so valiantly all with her in mind. He fancied her and she definitely felt the same toward him - but how was she supposed to tell him?

Free of the muck, she wasn't sure how to feel about herself being much help to the kitten. It was Alpine that had thrown in the branch and pulled them out - but she would accept his words with a gracious smile, leaning against him still as they stood in the somewhat shallow waters. "I wouldn't mind spending the night here." She would say. The Valhallan wasn't too worried about catching a cold - Summer nights in the west were balmy at best and the Willows were one of the most peaceful territories in the West. Yet with what the three of them had been through, a nice warm den was definitely not something that she would pass up! Yet the walk to Valhalla were miles of travel that she just wasn't up to it seemed, and she was a bit embarrassed to admit it - but Alpine had been nothing but understanding thus far - she really didn't have anything to worry about did she?

What she was a bit nervous about though, was asking him to stay. She had never spent the night with anyone that wasn't family at her side - and she wasn't sure if it was a question that she should really be asking, especially with everything that he had done for her today - but... she wanted him to stay. "Alpine? Would you stay here with me until morning?" She would finally ask, a blush strewn across her cheeks as she met the male's eyes. There was surely a place that the three of them could curl up and sleep until morning came.

Getting out of the water with Alpine at her side, she would sigh, her legs feeling more heavy than she thought they would after being submerged. She would stumble slightly with her first step onto the shore, but the brute's support would keep her up and on her feet. The moon shone high above them, leaving them with a good view of the area to find a good den. A few fireflies would flicker here and there, the summer weather always seemed to call the little insects out, especially near the water. "I was afraid, you'd think badly of me for falling in for a kitten. I'm glad that you don't." She would admit after quiet overtook the duo. "You're important to me, Alpine. It feels like you always have been." Maybe she had been waiting to meet him for a long time now. Lyric wasn't above believing in fate.

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The shock of almost loosing her had faded, he could see her healthy and happy before him and worries of any lingering effects where pushed to the back of his mind. He was still holding the kitten and a thought that did intrude into his mind what was to do with it. He was fairly certain Lyric didn't intend to eat it after all she had gone through to save it, and had even promised it she wouldn't as they had freed themselves of tar. He just knew that it seemed to be something important to Lyric and would thus hold onto it until she told him otherwise. She was the one who mentioned staying here the night, or through his thoughts had been down that path and his words had hinted of it. He was still searching out a den with his eyes although their legs where yet to fully leave the stream that had cared for them. He was caught off guard by her next question however and his head shot back to her in surprise. He saw the blush creep against her cheeks and suddenly he was blushing also. ?I.. Ah, that is to say. I wouldn't have it any other way. I wouldn't leave you here alone like this? He struggled for a moment to recover his composure, but when he did his eyes where steady on hers, he would do right by her and she had to see that. They where pulling free of the waters now, Alpine a constant support at her side. She would speak again and he would pause, fully free of the water now. ?No, of course I wouldn't think badly of you. I'm not sure I could.? He admitted gently, and she would surprise him again with her next words. She seemed to be doing that a lot, catching him off glad. He was amazed that she constantly could, like he just couldn't believe she would feel anything to him like what he felt about her. [b] ? And your important to me, Lyric, I.. I like spending time with you, even like this? He laughed softly and started walking again, in a promising direction. He was sure he could see something that would suffice up ahead, not quite a cave but a nestle of bushes that looked just right for them to duck under and spend the night out of the elements. ?Come on, I think I see where we can stay? he said softly, flicking his tail against her side and nodding his head in the right direction. "Speech"

His fumble made her feel like she had less of a reason to be embarrassed. A smile would grace her lips as she listened to him - grateful for his willingness to stay beside her. She understood the feeling of being loyal to family, but this was something entirely different. They enjoyed each other's company and looked out for each other even though they didn't have to. There was no obligation, no responsibility - and yet he had pulled her out of the tar pits when it endangered him. He was kind, and he did it all for her and honestly it was too much to take in. That someone could find her so important to them - Alpine probably didn't know it, but she was completely taken by him. And it seemed that all he needed to do was react to her naturally for her to feel that way.

She was a bit surprised that he didn't think her at all silly after today, but she also relaxed a bit, knowing that he understood her well enough to not think badly of her. That he cared so much that he physically couldn't was what really shocked her though - she could be naive, she knew that, but he saw something in her that she wasn't sure that she ever would - and it baffled her when she thought on it too hard. He thought her just as important to him as she did, and his laughter would pull a chiming giggle from her as well. "Our next date will be less life-threatening." She would comment. "I'll try not to cause you any more trouble." The next time that they spent time together would be less frightening and dangerous, she would be sure of it. No more tar pits would be in their future for sure.

The bushes that he pointed toward looked like a perfect place to rest - and she would force her tired paws to move without making it obvious that she was running out of steam after a long day. She felt bad even thinking about being tired with all that Alpine had done for her - he had been the one to carry her, to support her - and with that in mind she swore that she would try to stay awake to see to it that he fell asleep first.

Lyric would place a kiss to his cheek when they reached the bushes, her tail wagging behind her. Sliding into their temporary den, she would make sure there was enough room for Alpine to sleep as well. They would perhaps need to squeeze a bit, but Lyric didn't mind an excuse to be closer to the ivory brute at all. "Home sweet home." She would say, and although there was play to her voice, there was a bit of a sigh that came with the thought. She would definitely need to speak with her mother after this - she could see herself with this male for a long time.

Alpine had not been expecting nor prepared for her next comment as she giggled about the contents of their next date. His cheeks would flare scarlet with a rush of colour and he would quickly turn his azure eyes from her so she would not see his sudden embarrassment. Date, she thinks this is a date? the prospect of spending more time with her would lighten his spirits, and the mere thought of a date with her was beyond what he could have hoped for. He had already decided to do things right by her, of what he would do upon their return to the pack and his thoughts where jumbled with how to make things special for her. He could barely entertain the idea that she would be with him, and he still hardly dared to believe that any dates they might go on could result on something more committing. Of course, in saying that his intentions to court her where only for the commitment of life, he would never deem it right to offer her anything less. His heart swelled and lurched for a moment with the realisation that here was a wolf he would, if fate allowed, happily spend the rest of his life with.


A kiss would brush against his cheek as she passed her, him waiting by the entry of the den with a smile, the unspoken words ?lady?s first? dying on his lips. It seems she was set out to throw him off guard and his breath would catch again, she brushed past him into the den and he would swallow, wondering just what he had got himself into. He would nudge his way into the den after her and find a comfortable place to lie down beside her. The room was small and cosy and with the body heat of two would warm to a nice degree relatively quickly. He would also sigh, the weariness eating away at him as he would put his little burden on the ground before him and settle his head onto his paws in the direction of Lyric, his silvery blue eyes would look at her with warmth and tiredness "Sleep well little moonling? he would whisper to the shining silver wolf as his eyes would blink, slowly at first and then heavily after. His last thoughts was towards the kitten, fully expecting it to make its escape now before he drifted off to slumber.

"Words""Thoughts"