With his ability to range returned to him, he’d taken a walk to stretch his legs between therapy, patrol, and pup-sitting. It was evening, so Chrystal was along, floating above him like a ghost, keeping a keen watch over him as he padded along. He’d pushed himself, and his legs were somewhat sore as he came to a stop at the great basin full of lush, early spring grasses glittering in waves under the evening light, but he admired the basin, silently agreeing that it would be a great spot for the festival Aurielle planned to hold later in the spring. He flopped to the ground, with the ocean’s distant hush in his ears, letting himself relax into a light nap as Chrystal circled above, keeping watch, occasionally stooping and catching a mouse. Eventually, she screeched softly, loud enough to bring Cai into wakefulness as he shifted upright, ears perked as he gazed around himself. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

The last time she'd crossed into western Boreas, the journey had seemingly taken forever, even with Pach at her side. Especially with that brat tugging impatiently on her tail the whole way home, as if she could make the trip any shorter. Now? It seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. Mal had rarely stopped to eat or rest, though she did nibble on some dried meat from time to time, pulling it from her satchel to munch on as she crossed the dunes and skirted the pile of red rocks that rose from the desert. She definitely made sure to take a bath on the way, and applied some of the oil Aurielle had given her, though inevitably the scent of her still lingered underneath it all. Mala had to make the deliberate decision to shut off her brain at that one. It was fine. Normal. She just had to adjust, as with anything else that was new. Aurielle, thankfully, had helped her feel a little less awkward about it all. So, armed with her new tools, she set off to check on her friend. A stray whiff of his scent brought a warm flush and an immediate smile to her features, an welcome change to the steady restlessness that plagued her. Her tail whipped, hips wiggling as she pushed off into a quick jog in the male's direction, hardly recognizing her own excitement at finding his scent. It'd been too long since she'd seen him; she hoped he was doing better. He had to be if he was moving around, right? Grasses spouted underfoot, and she eventually saw his figure across the way. Malalia opened her mouth in greeting, but Chrystal was faster, calling out into the silence. She snapped her jaws shut, faltering for a moment... but what good would that do? Shaking it off, she rolled to a halt, one paw raised. "Have a nice nap?" "Speech"

A brilliant grin spread over his features as he spotted the Armadan Reaper, and he was on his paws with a squirmy, back scratching roll that kicked all four legs in the air before he came to his paws with a thorough, coat rattling shake, sending grasses scattering along with his winter coat, floating away in puffy chocolate clouds and out of sight as he trotted to greet his friend. There was a slight limp, but he was whole, and healthy. He caught a whiff, first of the oils, but he recognized the oils and what they meant, veering to put himself upwind slightly before he could catch a whiff of the underlying layer as he grinned. No longer a girl, but a woman. She must be going through hell. “It was a good nap, yup. It feels so great to run around again. How are you?” His hips plonked to the ground with his characteristic cheer, as if he’d never taken a fall off the mountain and spent several weeks laid up. He cast his eyes over her with a grin twinkling in their depths. He was thrilled to see her—part of him had worried that her duties as Reaper meant she’d be unable to travel now and then to visit, and he’d miss the visits quite dearly, he realized. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

...Well, so much for no one finding out, though she didn't really expect anything less. At least he was considerate enough to put himself upwind of her, she guessed. Only, his scent was now blowing right into her nose. And coupled with his increasing proximity, that was... interesting, interesting, interesting. Malalia blinked several times before shaking her head of the thought, and grinned softly, ears pulling back as the Valhallan approached. She might've bumped him to say hello, as she'd often done before. She was thinking that wasn't quite an option, today. Still, her tail swept rapidly, hearing his greeting and seeing his own grin. "I bet it does," she chuckled, happy to see for herself that he was up and about. It was a pretty picture, compared to before, and he only carried a slight limp, now. "I—I'm okay." Not that she was about to get into the gory details.... ugh. Besides, this was about Cairo. "Just came to check on ya.... but it seems you're pretty much back at it. How's the recovery been?" "Speech"

He was oblivious to his effect for the most part, beyond the slight, momentary distraction in her eyes. He chuckled softly at her words. He had two sisters who also were born in spring. Viviane had been the closest to him in proximity, but as they were siblings, he didn’t get the zing of interest an unattached female might have conjured, and he could ignore it for the most part. But he was well familiar with the gory details, if only by observation when he was around either of them. “I’ve been recovering well. Walks and stretches and therapies, and I’m cleared to spar. I actually had a match with a girl up north. She’s new to the lands, a yearling like you were.” He slanted a grin to the side at Lia as he added, “I mentioned I was due for a bout of being swept across the field by your doing.” His tail swept over the lush grasses as he added, “This is one of the lands Aurielle will be holding her festival at. If you look down into the basin, at the bottom is where she wants the fighting tournament to take place. Spectators will have a great view, don’t you think?” He swept a paw down the incline to the natural bowl of the basin, grinning with not a little excitement. This time, he would be among those participating. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

So, not only was he cleared to spar, but he'd actually had a match, huh? "Seems like I've missed a lot," she noted, dropping to her haunches with a lazy grin. "And damn right you are." Oh, she'd been training her tail off, alright. Gladly, she hadn't garnered too much work in her responsibilities as Reaper (yet), but she'd whipped her training regimen into shape, practicing more consistently and being more active when the rest of her packmates were. And hey, if it meant she finally beat Cai? Well, that was just a bonus... She followed his gaze to the basin, her grin turning wicked. "It's definitely a nice view," she agreed. "I think you'll be able to see me win all the matches from here."" She eyed him from the side, snorting softly before lifting her head. "No, but I'm definitely excited. Getting to meet all sorts of people... all the different tournaments..." Her tone was mellow, almost wondrous as she imagined the great gathering of wolves. "I've never been to something like that, with a bunch of different packs." Hopefully she'd be able to go. She padded a few steps into the incline, tail waving softly as she viewed the basin from above. Then she twisted around to look back at her friend. She wanted this match badly, but -- "You sure you wanna spar?" She cocked her head to the side, eyes glowing with mischief. "I don't wanna kick your ass back into recovery." Behind the jest was a touch of real concern. Cairo was probably fine, but he was still limping and, well, she didn't want to make anything worse. "Speech"

He nodded with a chuckle, fully confident she’d win out over him. A full laugh escaped at her mock cockiness, but he quipped back easily, “You’ll clobber all the competition, if not by brawn, then by sheer sass and witty remarks.” He pranced to his paws with a swish of his bi-colored tail, dropping into a playful bow before popping to stand again. “As long as you don’t try to break my legs, I think I’ll live.” He grinned, a bit more softly, reading the concern behind the joke. “I know you won’t try to hurt me for real, not unless I seriously earn it, and I hope that I don’t find a way to make you that mad… because I’m pretty sure you’d skip the bone-breaking and go straight to evisceration by claw.” His tongue poked out with the tease at the end before he brushed lightly past her and pranced down the incline, tail jauntily waving in the air as he led the way to the bottom, flashing a bright grin over his shoulder at her. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She sniffed at the thought of breaking his legs, or getting mad. Mala wasn’t the only one with the witty remarks, it seemed. Not that he was wrong about the evisceration, exactly, but it was hard to imagine the ray of pure sunshine that was Cairo Adravendi making her angry. Like... ever. He’d basically have to kick a child in the face.... although, if that child were anything like Azure, he’d probably be justified in doing so. The tongue poke brought on an eyeroll and a touch of laughter from her, though the sound faded as he brushed past, leaving his own scent lingering. It made her pause momentarily, but by the time Cairo had swung around to look at her, she was vaulting down the slope after him: the satchel bouncing at her side, tufts of grass flying from under her paws. A fang-toothed grin plastered on to mask her sudden nerves. “That’s, um, pretty intense. Don’t you know by now how kind and generous I am? Honestly.” The rebuttal was a beat late, distracted as she was, but she was trying her best. It was nothing to pull ahead of him on the incline, with his limp and her speed, and she grazed by the taller wolf as she passed. Soon enough, the slope leveled out. She was in the seat of the basin, but Malalia didn’t stop there. Paws digging into the earth, she pushed off, careening around the perimeter with a sudden burst of speed, a flagging tail and a stream of giggles following her. "Speech"

He laughed, but said, quite seriously, “Very kind, and very generous.” He was only half-joking. She’d taken time out of her days to visit him when he’d needed the distractions most during his stay. As dedicated to her pack as she was, she’d still taken that time. She frisked past him, bringing a reflexively larger grin to his features that turned into a snicker as she suddenly went careening around the basin. As he reached the flat bottom he turned and watched her zip about, a lopsided, eye-twinkling grin on his features, tail waving in the air. “So other than the fights, what other activities for the festival sounds like fun? There’ll be games, singing, hunting competitions, trading, a feast… it’s likely to last a few days to give everyone a chance to have fun and relax before going back to the daily life. The majority of those will be held on the land north of us, the Dancefloor of the Gods, since it’s nice and flat, and no one has to worry about their tents rolling down the hill. There’ll be the Nomads as well.” His front end dropped, stretching into a bow, rump swaying in the air as he grinned at her. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Looping around the edge, she slowed to a quick trot, completing another circuit before making her way over to the chocolate man. The run had only served to fuel her, and sitting still for too long was absolute hell, so she settled for circling around him instead, squinting playfully as he dipped into a bow.

The Reaper treaded lightly over the grass, wracking her brain for an answer. “Ummm.... all of it, can I say that?” She flicked her ears, her gaze lifting to study the sky. “Definitely the singing. And I don’t think I’ll join the competition, per se, but it’d be fun to hunt with other people spontaneously, if I can get a group together.” Combat was her main discipline now. Between that and healing, she didn’t get to bring down prey as much as she would’ve liked. Hunting large game in big groups was something she missed.

Pausing briefly in her steps, she brought her eyes back down to Cairo. “What are the games? I wouldn’t say no to a huge round of hide and go seek...”

He grinned sympathetically at the energy she was dealing with. He’d seen Aurielle in the same state, driving herself to exhaustion to escape the natural restlessness each autumn. “I’m intending to do as many of them as I can. I hear there’ll be dancing, too.” His hips wiggled before he reared onto his back paws in a tottering, half loping bounce, paws tucked up to his chest for several steps before dropping back to all four paws, tail wagging gaily over his hips as he chuckled. He was pretty sure there was more to the dancing than that, but it was always a chance to be somewhat silly and get a laugh. His head cocked at her question, thinking back over what Aurielle had planned – and her plans were ever evolving between meetings with the Nomads to discuss the festivities and her own ideas – and listed off, “Races, scavenger hunts, hide and seek, definitely, tag,” He poked his tongue out at her with a grin, “Puppy fights, adult fights…” He smirked as he imagined the spectacle of the pups having an all out brawl in good fun. "And Aurielle is always happy to take suggestions." He added, turning to face Lia, tail waving cheerfully. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

"Dancing?" It wasn't something she was entirely familiar with... but seeing Cairo rear up on his back packs had her looking up, ears swiveled forward at attention, bewildered and more than a bit amused at the sight. The position reminded her of a bear lumbering high on its hind legs -- if that bear had a jolting walk and a goofy grin on its face, all the while. She gave a snort of laughter when he landed on his four, tail flipping over with interest. It was silly, but she wouldn't mind seeing what an actual dance looked like. The young woman grinned back at him, recalling the game of tag they'd played when Cairo gave her the armor. The festival sounded like a really good time. She hoped she'd be able to see it all. Sirius would want to leave wolves behind to guard the territory, in shifts at the very least, if not for the whole festival. Hopefully she'd get to pop into each event, and check them out if not participate. As for suggestions -- "Funnily enough, Mortis suggested a storytelling night back at the Armada, and I remember you telling me about something similar in your pack. So, maybe a night like that during the festival? It'd probably be more informal than the other events," she ventured, "But I'm sure there're some oldheads who'd want to share their war stories and whatnot. And I'm not the only one who'd love hearing about Old Valhalla." It wasn't as physically-driven as the other events, but she could see it happening with enough interest and the right setup. "Speech"

He took in her suggestions with a pleased look as she said Mortis was suggesting a storytelling night for the Armada. “Oh definitely. Even aside from the Valhallan history, the Nomads themselves have a long history, and a majority of it is tied with Erani’s past. And I’d love to hear what kind of stories and cultures other wolves come from. There’ll also be healer’s events and such.” His tail lashed the air with visible anticipation of the upcoming event. “I’m definitely going to be in the fighting and hunting for sure. I haven’t gotten to compete in the fighting in the past. Missed Winterfell’s tournament and festival, too.” He paused and grinned at Lia, as he remembered, “Mortis mentioned you have some wicked stories of your own.” A sudden leap followed the words, a caper akin to a hare’s leap before he bolted suddenly, having just flicked a paw out to tap for her shoulder. “Tag, by the way!” Although his trot held a faint limp, he was still a speedy bastard at a flat run, and hopefully had the advantage in a surprise attack as a laugh floated over his shoulder in his wake up the incline toward the rim of the basin, tail flagging and wagging. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She rolled her eyes. “Maybe, maybe.” The stories she remembered were mostly comprised of bedtime tales and urban legends. Nothing as extensive as the history he’d shared with her, at least as far as she knew. They’d held a few of their own traditions, but history was one thing Mala was short on, growing up. She’d be pleased to hear if Aurielle ever incorporated a night of stories. The Reaper would meet the Nomads, too, if she could. Her friend had spoken often and fondly of them. Maybe she could even secure a lesson with— “I—hey!” The game had begun in the blink of an eye, and Cai was already bolting away, climbing the wall of the basin. In a poor attempt to scurry after him, Mal’s front paws slipped over the grasses. Her torso went down, jaws clicking shut as they collided with the earth. Ouchhh... Sneezing, she anchored her paws in the grass and pushed off once more, striding up the incline. She was a quick little thing, but Cairo held nearly every other advantage (save for his leg). Damn he was fast... but she was slowly gaining, driven on by a seemingly endless fountain of energy. She’d nearly caught up to him at the top of the basin. Tail curling high, she dove to nip at his ankle — “You’re it!” — before jerking to the right, beginning zig-zag motion to throw him off. She glanced over her own shoulder, blowing raspberries as she left him behind. "Speech"

Hah, he’d definitely caught her off guard. But she was quick to catch up even as he crested the rise, and he felt a nip on his ankle and heard her announcement. He veered immediately after her with a yip of laughter, and for several long breaths of chase he watched her zig-gagging, trying to gauge a pattern. When he thought he spotted one, he surged forward, strides lengthening, tongue lolling with a jaw-parting grin as he began to gain on her, partially helped by her zigzags. He thrust out a front paw and sought to tap her hip playfully before vaulting in a barreling gallop down the incline, back toward the bottom of the basin with a shouted “Tag!” His muscles burned from the exertion, but it felt good. Oh, he’d probably be stiff as hell in the morning, but it was more than worth it. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Mal darted left and then right, turning on a single paw to pivot and then bolt the other way. She'd had a pretty good thing going, cutting this way and that, but it had its drawbacks. His pause didn't help -- for a fleeting moment, she'd thought she'd left him in the dust -- but he was only analyzing her movements, as it turned out. One moment he was still; the next, he was a flurry of pawpads across the sea of sweetgrass, gaining on her faster than she expected. Crap! The inevitable hip-tap drew a bark of laughter, and she slammed her forepaws into the earth, swinging her weight around in an a partial about-face. Her paws scuffed the grass, but she stayed on course, shaking with breath as she streamed directly after him. It was back down the walls of the basin again. Her strides faltered somewhat, careful not to tumble all the way down, but as the incline began to level out once more, she pushed herself, nearly flying over the ground. It took longer this time -- she could feel the weariness of the day beginning to tug at her limbs, slow her down -- but she was gonna tag him again. With a final burst of speed, she flew by, reaching out a forepaw to tap his own as she over took him. "Annnnd tag!" From there, it was a straight sprint across the basin; ears pinned, tail flagging out, giddy with laughter as she ran. "Speech"

She was fast on his heels, and in no time, she was tapping him again and sprinting past. He, too was feeling the burn that had eased during his nap, and he grinned, calling ahead, “First to the crest wins!” She was well ahead of him, at a perfect advantage to win, but he figured he still had some power left in him before he’d drop. And he used it, throwing himself forward, white forepaw flashing beside the slate black, tongue lolling between gaped jaws and a toothy grin. He was gaining, gaining, drawing abreast, putting his full effort into every stride, playful competition glinting in his eyes and floating on the breathless laughter. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Oh hell no. There he was again, changing the rules on her in an instant, and she was left scrambling to catch up. Luckily, she was ahead of him this time, though Cairo wasn't going to let her win easily. She didn't even look at him. Malalia practically threw herself back up the slope, muscles screaming with the effort. She grit her teeth and pushed through it. Pain was something she could deal with after she won. It felt like she was trying to scale mountain in the space of a second. Cairo was gaining, but she dug in, steadily climbing, bounding over the grass. She didn't have to be faster than him -- just fast enough to crest the basin before he did. With a final burst of effort, she scrambled over to the very top. Paws outstretched, she collapsed immediately with a soft thud: limbs trembling, gasping for air. Her legs were throbbing, and just then, a stray cramp rippled through her. Her face screwed up in a bit of a wince, but she was laughing through it all. "I think," -- inhale, exhale  -- "you broke me." "Speech"

He gave his best game effort, and came in half a nose behind her. He trotted to a stop and collapsed to sprawl in a lanky heap, a puddle of milk and dark chocolate fur and green armor. His sides heaved, both with manic panting and giddy laughs of his own, tail thwapping against the grass as he heaved to catch his wind, whole body throbbing after all the exertion. “It’s official, you win at races and tag.” He wheezed out a laugh, eyes sagging half shut as his breathing gradually returned to normal. “Hooooo I’m going to sleep well tonight. Good thing I’m not slated for patrol tonight.” He stretched his legs, toes flexing apart before he went limp and he chuckled, half drowsy, but fully contented with the day’s events. They might not have gotten a spar in, but damned if they hadn’t gotten in some intensive exercise. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She couldn't help but snort faintly at the assertion. "Barely." Even with the limp and the armor, the man had put up a real good fight. "And anyway," she asserted, "it's not official official until the festival. Just wait 'til I'm recognized all around Boreas...."" Mal couldn't even finish the thought, trailing off mid-sentence just to breathe in the night air, and slow down her rabbiting heartbeat. It was a different kind of energy, running not to get this restlessness out of her, but to win, and she was beat. This was fun. It'd been too long since she'd last seen him, and it had warmed her more than she realized to see he was nearly back to normal and in good spirits. She glanced at Cairo for a few moments, eyes twinkling, ignoring the little itch in the back of her head. And with a chuff, she turned away, rolling over to hop to her paws. "Mmmm..." Her satchel was somewhere around here, having flown off mid-flight. Her tail waved softly as she spotted it in the distance, and a quick jog away and back again ended with her sliding into the grass a little more gracefully this time, peeling back the lid. She pulled out a couple of strips of the dried, honeyed venison that Iolaire had made. There was still a bit leftover after winter. "You hungry? Our healer made these." She could see he was a little worn out, but she figured she'd ask anyway. Having only nibbled here and there all day, she was more than a bit peckish herself, and quickly snapped up a piece. "Speech"