With help from Jaelle, his task of leadership and role of father had been made easier. She had taken much of the burden off his shoulders, and for that he was grateful. Could he ever repay her? As he padded across the strange black-sand beach, a small paradise in a frigid land, he wondered about the bell-clad woman. Was she still here? Normally a wandering gypsy who had never settled in one place or another, she had so far stayed an entire season, something he'd never expected of her. However, the heavy snow of this winter had kept her cooped up, whether she wanted it or not. Sure, she had obligated herself by making a promise, but promises could be broken, as he'd found out through experience recently. That she had stayed without complaint was admirable. He needed to find her, to talk to her and see how she was doing. With the shift in seasons, he was certain she would be antsy. Her scent was near and fresh, so he tilted back his head and sent out a small howl for her, before following the fresh trail he'd found. He found himself grinning to himself as he anticipated the sound of her jingling bells, and he knew he was getting closer to her. He just hoped that she would come to his call, so they could talk and catch up after their responsibilities kept them apart. "Talk" "You" Think

Her tail swung rapidly behind her as she stared up at the path out of the cove. She wanted to leave, but she knew that she needed to see Xephyris first. She hadn't seen him since she had agreed to help him, the search for Limno and the pack had kept him busy, and she had been sneaking out when she could. Letting out a whine, she heard Giet shuffle behind her and took a few steps up. "Are ya comin'?" The wolf shook her head, turning away from the way out. "I can't... I made a promise. Plus it's not like I can just leave without saying anything." She said softly, watching the waves with her mismatched gaze. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't want to see her silver knight. It had been so long since they had last seen each other. "What, ya sweet on him or somethin'?" The stoat asked, sneering at the female. Jaelle's head rolled lazily back at the weasel, a small smile on her lips. "Why, are you jealous?" She asked, snickering when the tube of fluff shut up and glared at her. She was about to sneak a peek at the top of the hill when Xeph's short howl sounded. Ears perking, she lifted her right paw and twisted around, her head tilting to the side. Instead of moving towards him, he watched from her vantage point. With a grin on her maw she laid down on the snow, stilling her bells as he grew nearer. When he was close enough she gave her rump a quick wiggle before leaping off the cliff. The woman landed behind Xephyris with a thump, reaching out to attempt to nip at his rump. Her bells sang out at her graceful landing. Well... not really. As she reached out she lost her footing, her front half slamming down on the sand as her rump rose into the air. Her accessories called out in alarm as she flopped back to het belly with an oof, a sheepish look taking over her features. From somewhere above her, she could hear the chortling laughter of the stoat. "SPEAK"

He was following the sound of her bells which he'd heard chiming in the distance, their unnatural sound easy to pick out in a rather quiet landscape. But as he got closer, her scent becoming more apparent, the jingling sound went quiet. He paused for just a brief second, eyes narrowing as he continued. Only the smallest waft of air told him there was movement behind him, until he heard her bells cry out when she landed. He was impressed by her ability to keep the bells quiet for the mostpart. She would have taken him by surprise if it weren't for her clumsiness. Within seconds, she was in a silly heep on the sand, her rump still in the air. He turned to face her, chuckling as he saw her flop to her belly. He was about to greet her and ask her how she'd been, when he heard a strange laughing sound from above, and when he looked up, there was a strange creature on the cliff above. He tilted his head as he tried to get a good look. He'd never seen it before, but it seemed amused by Jaelle's antics. Had she picked up a companion? Xephyris looked back to the bell-clad lady, reaching forward to nose the side of her neck. "Nice try, clumsy girl," he murmured in amusement, tail waving back and forth, "But seriously... are you alright?" He knew she was fine and that she was rather used to her own mishaps by now, but he couldn't help it, he felt bad for her when she tripped so often. It was amusing in its own way, of course, but he couldn't just act like it hadn't happened. What if she twisted an ankle, or got sand up her nose? Talking could wait if she'd hurt herself, and he would tend to her in whatever way she needed. Of course he knew it was only his mind running over all of the possibilities, when likely she was perfectly fine. He always worried and thought of the worst case scenarios. Quietly he waited for her to say something or sit up, any indication that she was okay. "Talk" "You" Think

Jaelle just giggled when he nosed at her fur, nodding her head as she slowly rose to her paws. Stepping on each limb tenderly, she shifted her weight around to make sure that her limbs were all holding up okay. She could feel the sand sticking to her mottled gray coat, and quickly shook herself. The bells around her rang out for a moment before she stilled herself, shrugging her shoulders. Honestly she had done a lot worse. She was actually surprised that she had never broken anything, she didn’t exactly have the best track record for being graceful. Sometimes, maybe, but it never lasted very long. The two of them hadn’t spoken since she had seen what had happened on the hill, and she still wasn’t totally at peace with it all. However she was willing to try to push passed it, for now. She wouldn’t ever be able to understand what he had gone through with her, but taking a life still didn’t feel quite right. Instead of pressing the matter though, her head tilted as she eyed him with a small smile. Why had he been looking for her? Nuzzling under his chin for a moment, her eyes slid closed as she breathed in the real and pure scent that was all him. Pulling back, she met his silver gaze and waited for him to speak. "SPEAK"