It was dark by now, which meant ever nocturnal creature would be out. More importantly to her or meant most of the wolves around would be sleeping, which she had always thought was a good thing, after all she didn't want to end up a fluffy bed peice. She was quiet in evacuating her den, her head peeking out first before she came out entirely. Her den lay by the lake, dug out from under a tree's roots. The night was cool already and she could feel the bite of the cold air. She shook the dirt from her pelt and set about grooming her fur until it laid in the way it was suppose to. She knew the white of her stood out at night but it wasn't a bad thing nescessarily, as other foxes would know she was coming.

Her scent covered this place she knew. After all she was born here and stayed here after her parents left. She was at home here. She knew the best fishing spots, though one was taken by a pack and you had to be really good to sneak in there and get out alive. She wasn't willing to try, though her father had told her of the place. It had been almost four years now though since she had seen them, it was also the last time she had ever seen another fox. She shook her head from the thoughts, and stood, moving through the field around the lake. First thing was first, food. Tonight she figured she would dine on field mouse, after all couldn't eat fish every night or she would get fat. Her ears perked forward as she started, her paws were silent as she moved.

>>Night had fallen, and the male decided he would venture out of Abaven territory for the first time in a long time to do some night fishing. He knew there was a lake somewhere nearby, but he hadn't actually been there. Not that he could remember, anyway. He did most of his fishing in the river that ran through Abaven territory, catching Bass and the occasional catfish, but it was usually a little harder since the water was always moving. Tonight though, he was in the mood for catfish, so he headed out to the nearby lake to see if there were any present there. He loved fishing, so he was determined to find every body of water he could before he got too old to travel far from home. It didn't take him too long to get to the lake, but it seemed that the moment he got there, he scented something...different. He was confused for a moment, because it wasn't a wolf that he smelled. He had lived among them for so long that his own scent smelled more like a pack wolf as opposed to his own species, so Dart decided to walk carefully and quietly. Narrow snout was almost to the ground as he seemed to tiptoe across the ground, ears pointed straight up and on alert in case whatever, or whoever lived here, was hostile. Bushy tail flicked slightly as he moved, crimson eyes peering through the gloom. The closer he got to the lake, he could see thousands of brilliant little lights. Mesmerized, he drew closer, eyes sparkling at the sight of the fireflies that lazily buzzed around the area. He had never seen so many before, maybe the occasional handful back home, but never this many. The canid forgot about his apprehension and instead, began to relax and forget about why he had been so careful in the first place. He watched the bugs for a little while before spotting the perfect looking perch on the opposite side of the bank where he might be able to sit and fish. Smiling, he took off to make his way around the waters edge, and upon pushing through some of the reeds and foliage, he came face to face with something else. He nearly stumbled over his own feet, eyes widening as he stood stock still. He was almost like a statue now, his mind unable to comprehend that there was another fox in front of him. How long had it been since he had seen one? How long had it been since he'd been around anything other than a wolf? So shocked and dumbfounded, he just...stood there, and stared. "Speak"

It took a couple moments to hear the faint sounds of life and she was quick in tracking it down and snatching up the field mouse. It was more an appetizer than a meal but that was okay with her. She moved towards the lake then. Ice blue orbs were lit by the fireflies light. That was until she came face to face with a shocking sight. It had been four years since she had last seen a fox. Her first instinct was to blink and make sure she was really seeing this scarred fox. Her ears pressed forward and she cocked her head as she took in his scent. He was fox but he smelled of wolves. That was weird to her. She knew her own smell was of herbs and cedar, so his was easy to pick out. Her rump slowly moved to be under her then her tail around her forepaws. Her head returned to being straight then and she stayed quite for only a few moments more. Hello. Im Amaryllis Mortem. she looked at him expectantly then. She knew her father had manners and frankly had come to expect them from every male. Her mother had been soft and gentle just like her. Her voice was just as soft and gentle as she herself was. She knew she was likely a strange sight for this males as she was more white than orange and had black points instead of white.

He stared, almost unblinking. More like he was in shock. Surprised, obviously. In that moment, it seemed the male would forget how to breath, mostly because of how surprised he was. Hello. I'm Amaryllis Mortem." He stared a bit longer, realizing then that she was looking at him with expectation. Shaking his head to try and get out of his stupor, he responded. "Ah er, m-my name is Dart. Just...Dart." He spoke, mouth feeling dry all of a sudden. He had been around wolves almost his whole life, so he wasn't sure what to do around another Fox. Or do...fox things. God he felt like an idiot. The male suddenly realized how close they were to one another, and immediately he stepped back a few feet. "S-sorry! I...I haven't seen another fox for a long time." He admitted, ears flattening to his skull.

He seemed shocked and she flattened her ears. She could deal with almost anything but was there a herb to help shock? She was racking her brain for one, though the only thing she could come up with was lavender, though lavender was more for stress, and she wasn't certain it would work for shock. Was it that she had scared him? No that couldn't be it, could it? If she did she felt awful about it. There was a look of worry on her face until he seemed to come around and speak. Though he had done so with a stutter and she lifted a paw to cover her snout as she stiffed a giggle. It was too cute. She didn't want to be rude but he seemed shell shocked and to her maybe even a little shy. "It is wonderful to meet you then Dart." she lowered her paw before speaking having gained her composure back. When he seemed to realize how close he stood to her and step back she fought the urge to whimper, hoping he wasn't leaving yet. "I haven't seen another in nearly four years either, not since mother and father left." She answered to his admittance. In fact she hadn't seen nearly anyone in those four years. Though she had smelled the odd scents here and there, but such was the problem of her choosing a more nocturnal life style.  "You smell of wolves, do you live amongst them?" perhaps she was sticking her nose where it didn't belong but he was a fox and male at that. It was her first chance in what felt like an eternity to ever be close to a male of her own species.

She was laughing at him. Oh man, he really did it now. How embarrassing! If Bass were here, no doubt he'd be teasing him nonstop about this! But could he really be blamed? Almost his whole life he had been living with the wolves of Abaven, so he really wasn't sure what to do around others of his own kind. But, he wouldn't be rude. That was one thing he couldn't do, regardless of species. "It's ah...nice to meet you too, Miss Amaryllis." He slightly grinned with embarrassment, and if he were white then he was sure the redness of his cheeks would be showing. But luckily, he wasn't. Unlike her, he was mostly orange with black and cream markings. She on the other hand, was the opposite. She told him that she hadn't seen another Fox in four years, his eyes going wide. "Really...?" He whispered with astonishment. Had she been here this whole time? How come he had never seen or scented her before? It was a rhetorical question though. He rarely ventured beyond pack lands, so it was no wonder he had never come across her before. He glanced down at his paws in thought, trying to remember when was the last time he had seen another fox. He supposed it had to have been the pretty vixen, Kitsune. But that was years ago, when he was much younger. He had left on a journey back to his homeland shortly after meeting her though, so he lost any chance he had with her then. "You smell of wolves, you live amongst them?" His head jerked up, crimson gaze blinking rapidly. "Oh uh, yeah. Actually, I'm part of Abaven, one of the eastern packs nearby." He grinned sheepishly, wondering if she had ever heard of a fox living with wolves. There were plenty of wolves who were always surprised to see a fox living in a pack, so no doubt she'd have the same reaction. "It's kinda weird, I know. But I've been there almost my whole life, ehehe.." He added quickly, feeling the need to somewhat explain himself at least.

The vixen gave him a smile, soft and gentle, as he seemed to stumble on what to say. It was fine though, she had regained her composure and was completely set in the fact that she would not allow it to go again. She was not some child that was so immature she couldn't keep from laughing at his expense. His pride would be in tact when they parted ways she assured herself, as would hers. When her whispered she pressed her ears back and looked down with her own embarrassment. She hadn't ever really tried to find another fox. In fact she stayed here because this place seemed to be desolate of most souls, which gave it it's own draw. She would never have to worry about meeting a wolf that might not prove friendly. "I um.... don't usually tend to uh... travel much.... unless I need a herb... So I don't really see too many others of any species. I haven't since right.... aftermyfirstheat." now he had her stumbling for words and she didn't even know why. It should of been easy to explain why yet she found herself embarrassed by the topic. She left off another reason seeing as they had only just met and he didn't need to know everything just yet. But she had at the end whispered and even spoke faster. Embarrassed of her own past of course. She was most definitely not a fighter and she knew from experience when her father had to save her from some jerks who saw nothing but a nice lay.

She snapped out of her memories and thoughts when he spoke up and she held a look of pure wonder at his living situation. Was that why he was so scarred? Did he fight wolves so he could live amongst them? But even more she had to wonder if his home was open to her own trade of supplies and herbs. Though she wasn't certain about being around wolves that could kill her in an instant if they so choose. Those were thoughts for another time though. She nodded at his explanation when he gave it. "This pack welcomes you then? Forgive me for asking but were wolves the ones who left you so scarred?" okay now she was really sticking her nose in places it didn't belong. She mentally smacked herself for it. He probably didn't want to talk about his past same as her, though for her it was more just a certain encounter when she was a wet behind the ear adult.

He tilted his head a bit as she explained her situation, saying that she didn't really leave her home unless it was for herbs, but when she quickly mentioned the other reason, he sat confused for a moment and suddenly realized she smelled like some of the female wolves sometimes did back home, and he quickly glanced down as he felt heat rush to his face. "O-oh, aah...that's too bad, I mean...it's a beautiful world out there!" He rushed to try and change the subject, trying to distract himself. He felt odd. When the females in Abaven were in heat, he hardly noticed. Then again, he wasn't attracted to any of them...but her? He wasn't sure. Part of him said yes, the other part of him kept trying to remind him they just met, but they were the same species, so his senses felt stronger in this instance. He cleared his throat, glancing back at her as she questioned him about the pack he lived in, even going as far as asking if they were the ones who gave him his many scars. "Huh!?" He almost thought it ridiculous that she asked the latter question, but then remembered she was pretty sheltered it seemed, and didn't know. He chuckled, a smile widening on his lips. Nope! In fact, the alpha is my best friend. Has been for years, we're like brothers almost." His eyes brightened, the male forgetting for the moment about the woman's scent. " See, when I was very young, I met Bass around when he first started up the pack. I had just escaped my homeland when he found me, and...I've been a part of the pack since." He looked skyward for a moment, thinking about the past. "I did leave for a while a couple of years ago to revisit my homeland, and I was glad to see things were doing much better than when I first left. See, when I was a kit...my old man was a tyrant. He beat me senseless, nearly killed my siblings, and my mother well...I don't know if he killed her or not...either way, she wouldn't be alive anymore, I'm pretty old now so..." He trailed off, gaze fixed on the stars. It took a moment or two before he pulled out of it, turning back to Amaryllis. "Anyway, that's where I got these scars. Bass welcomed me back when I returned, and asides from the occasional drama during some of our lovely meetings, everyone is pretty welcoming and friendly." He realized then, that he rambled on about things he normally didn't tell others about. Bass was the only other one that knew his history, "Uh, sorry if I bored you there. I can be kinda...talkative, sometimes." Was it maybe also due to the fact that he was finally around another of his own kind? Perhaps. While he didn't know her much yet, he was feeling more...comfortable than he did a few minutes ago. Though he attributed that more to surprise at seeing another fox for the first time in a long time.

He mentioned how the world was beautiful and the romantic in her just couldn't help but think he almost meant to say something about her. Of course he didn't but girls could dream sometimes. She couldn't say she didn't find him attractive, no she had to say the opposite, he was handsome. He was a gentleman too she could tell, by the way he tried to give her space and be courteous to her. She gave him a smile. As much as he might be handsome she would not just throw herself at him, no matter what. He went into explaining how he got his scars and how him and his Alpha were best of friends and she listened intently. She was actually interested so when he apologized and told her he could be talkative sometimes she gave him a gentle shake of her head as she told him he was fine. "No your fine, I wasn't bored at all." She was overly polite sometimes she knew. She knew her parents were somewhere in the world though where she could not say. She slowly blinked, a soft smile on her lips. "Do you like to fish? or maybe Mouse hunt?" Those were things other than healing that she was good at, perhaps he would like to join her in a hunt. "We could hunt while we get to know each other, perhaps we could be friends." There was a hope in her voice, and she knew a hint of her want to no longer be alone was there. She didn't want to let him leave either but she knew keeping him here would be horribly mean. He had other friends to see so she couldn't even if she wanted to ask it of him. Though the thought of finally after so long finding a todd, that it must be destiny and perhaps something more was intended for them crossed her mind.

>>"Oh, good!" Thank god he wasn't boring her. Dart knew he was usually pretty talkative, but maybe even more so in front of her because, well...she was the only fox he had seen in such a long time. Who could blame the man? He offered a lopsided grin, the scars on his muzzle wrinkling slightly as he did so. When she asked him if he liked to fish or hunt mice, that maybe they could do that while getting to know each other, he was all for the idea! "Yeah! As a matter of fact, I'm Abaven's champion fisher!" He jumped up to his feet, tail proudly curling over his back as he struck a pose. He loved fishing, but he mostly fished alone. Nobody in the pack ever really seemed interested, which was a bummer. Fishing was a lot of fun, at least for him, anyway. "Come on! I know a good spot out here." He then turned around and headed to the far side of the lake, the overzealous male checking over his shoulder to see if she was following. "Speak"

He was energetic and charismatic and she could appreciate that. Though she tried her best to be sort of the opposite. She was usually calm and quiet though she had her moments for sure. She watched as he literally jumped up and struck his pose earning him yet another small giggle. She wasn't intending to laugh at him but she found him funny. She nodded and followed quickly but not as quick as he moved.

Each step she took was delicate and dainty looking though she wasn't always as she appeared. As he lead the way she kept a smile on her face. His energy was almost entirely infectious. As they reached the side of the water she made her way out on a dead branch as she eyed the water, stopping just as it lapped at her nails. She was much lighter than he looked so it was likely easier for her to do this. She could see the small shadows below, likely bluegill. She looked over her shoulder at him for a second before turning her attention back to the fish. She'd need to sit still for one to come close enough for her technique. Though she did wonder about his technique. Just as one came close she slowly opened her jaw and tensed, ready to pounce. Writhing a minute she was leaping like an arrow straight at it. Her ears pressed back and her head diving into the water first. It happened quickly and she had it by its head. She surfaced and swam back to the shore, emerging and shaking out her pelt. Her eyes went to dart and she sat to dry off and watch him fish. She wanted to see him succeed too.