A L A M E A

Alamea was lost; this was becoming a pattern with her. Delicate snowy paws brushing through the grass. Rose colored orbs surveying her surroundings; jutting outcroppings of rocks dotting the horizon, these drew the white youth towards them. How had they all gotten out here? With slow deliberate steps she approached a large one, the sides were rough and rounded, the top slanted slightly but nearly flat. With a single swift movement she leapt upon the boulder. The hot summer sun had heated the rock nicely and she lazily lowered herself upon it. Paws dangling off the edges, belly pressed into the warm stone. A smile would spread across ebony lips, ivory lids dropping to cover those brilliant pink orbs. A gentle breeze played with her fur carrying with it a familiar scent, her smile grew bigger. She would wait, eyes closed for the approach of an old acquaintance.

Walk | "Talk" | Think Practice made perfect, and Rune was making considerable improvements if he did say so himself. It was not like him to brag to others, though occasionally the prideful smile was hard to smother, and he was grateful he typically had a good enough handle on himself not to let it show with company present. But there was currently no one about him, not for the wide stretch of grassy plain that the Rock Garden possessed. It was eerie, really, the ways in which the boulders and stone structures jutted upward out of the ground, some tall and some wide, some pointed and some flat. It was as if the place was littered with earthy sentries, watching those who entered and creating an almost labyrinth for unsuspecting wanderers to get themselves caught within. Thankfully Rune was not one of those wanderers. This territory, as well as a few others along the eastern side of the whole of Alacritia, were well known to him, nothing about them surprising or unknown. The pale grey male meandered about with an aimless direction, that smug look about his face. He was nearly ready now, ready for when Morphine would send him off on his trip to Ludicael in order to learn what he could for her. It would be an exciting trip, he hoped, but only if he did well. He had been doing all that he could to try making conversation come more naturally to him than it had as a youngster, than it had when he had merely joined the pack. Progress was being made, but only the final act of actually making the diplomatic trip to Ludicael would actually tell whether it had worked or not. His thoughts, so wholly caught up on his thoughts regarding his task for Tortuga and the curiosities of the Rock Garden, became less solid as he caught a hint of a scent, one that was not altogether unfamiliar but one that he had supposed to have been long gone. For a brief second as he stopped and lifted his head, frosty blue eyes scanning around and between the rocks searchingly, he felt thrown into childhood, of being a young pup trying to prove himself and performing an impromptu rescue for someone his age. She had been a cute little wolf, he reflected, beautifully white like Morphine but with pink eyes, the kind that stood out starkly against her coat. Can't be. Curiosity getting the better of him, he followed it, setting into his stalking hunter's pace as he did so to move as stealthily as he could. The black-striped wolf continued with his head low, dark nose taking in every scent that he passed, until a particular turn around a rock revealed to him the white furred body of a wolf situated lazily atop one of the flat-topped boulders in the area. Immediately Rune stopped, drawing himself upwards and to his full height, already practically filled out with still a little more growing left to do. For all appearances, she looked as if she might have been asleep, but the smile about her face was simply too wide to be made unconsciously. He stepped forward lightly, quietly, tilting his head a little as he peered upward at her resting figure. "Never expected to see you again," he greeted bluntly, though with just the barest hint of a smile about his otherwise serious face.

A L A M E A

Yes Alamea would wait and wait she did. Summoning the image of him in her mind, the light grey male of her age, it was strange to her the feature she remembered the most about him was his eyes. Had Alamea been more worldly she would have understood. Naivete was still very much a part of her. He was getting closer, she could smell it first then the slight crunching of paws on grass. The snowy youth would keep her eyes close waiting, she was waiting for him to approach her. Words reached her tiny ears. A laugh would roll off her tongue and lids lifting to reveal rose orbs. "That makes two of us." A yawn would force jaws apart.

He had grown some, she saw. Alamea wondered if she had any, she was still small and didn't feel as though any growth had happened. Blood rose suddenly to her face and she quickly adverted her gaze. For what reason she did not know but it felt the right thing to do. "At least this time I'm not lost, well I mean I am but not in the same way. " She chuckled a bit.

Walk | "Talk" | Think The grey male padded forward until he stood before the flat-topped boulder that Alamea sprawled upon, still a pace or two back to give himself enough room to view her without much effort. From where he stood, it looked as if she hadn't aged a day since their initial introduction. She was still a little thing, all wintery white and dainty like snow. It was only as she opened her eyes - the chuckle she emitted causing the boy's ears to perk attentively - that a little color was added, the pink like a promise of spring against her snowy pelt. He could have laughed at her words, unsurprised that she should have thought their prior meeting to be their last. There had truthfully been nothing memorable about it. And yet he was surprised that she seemed to recognize him just the same as he did her. For him, it was easy; how did you forget someone with rosy pink eyes? They were different even than Morphine's silver ones. Not allowing himself to get hung up on the puzzling thought, however, he instead let his attention be once again captured by the other young wolf, watching the curious way in which her eyes drifted away only to be followed by another statement. He did smile then, a small, restricted thing that he tried not to let completely slip across his face with casual abandon. It seemed she remembered a lot more of their interaction than he would have imagined. "Not lost but...lost?" he questioned, echoing a few of her words with a puzzled frown settling across his playfully serious face. Reclining his haunches so that he could sit where he had stopped, Rune inclined his head to the opposite side and raised his brow to send a skeptical look up toward her, his voice when he spoke flat but teasing all the same. "You've found a new way to be lost?"

A L A M E A

Alamea could feel his gaze on her and her face grew warm but this time she did not look away. Rose orbs ran along his spine, following the gentle curve of his back, noting the black stripe. Eyebrows raised, though in that moment she had not admitted it to herself she had found him at least a bit attractive during their first meeting, it seemed that had not changed.

The snowy girl cocked her head to the right, had she not known any better she would have not been sure this youth before her was the same nervous boy from only a few seasons ago. But then it also seemed she had grown in confidence a bit. Maybe it was the encounter with her father's look alike or maybe it was the ease of conversing with someone she knew already, or perhaps even something else. The blush once more crept onto her face when a small smile snuck onto his.

Yes she had definitely changed, his comment would normally have irked her but for whatever reason she let it roll off her back, choosing instead to focus on the teasing nature of his words. "I might have at that." She chuckled a little weakly. "I don't know where I am, but don't have a destination either, so I'm lost but not." Her tone was light.

Walk | "Talk" | Think What was with the curious way she started looking at him? First she could scarcely keep on him and then suddenly it was as if she could not look away, though with a certain something about her eyes that made him wonder if there was an intent behind the gesture. Perhaps it was simply a girl thing; he knew from having a sister that they were particular creatures and hardly functioned under the same principles that boys did. Either way, he was puzzled but, since the moment felt wrong, he chose to keep his observations to himself for the time being, assuming that, perhaps after a while, it would all simply explain itself and his curiosity would be sated. To his surprise, she did not scowl or show any form of irritation at his gentle teasing, only a laugh at her own expense. That was different. He was sure she would have at least given him a dirty look for his little jab at her, or at least she would have had he tried the same when they had first met. Perhaps that was only because they knew nothing of each other at the time, that they were nothing more than complete strangers? How funny that time had somehow changed that simple fact after such a long absence, made him comfortable enough to tease and her comfortable enough not to take offense. Strange... "Right," he answered with a skeptical slowness, nodding his head for a slight added emphasis. "Well, I can fix one of those. You're in the Rock Garden. Kind of an obvious name," he remarked with a swift glance around them a the rocks that littered the surrounding plain. It was one of the simpler names, as far as he was concerned, though the origins for all the locations that surrounded him had never truly been of interest to him. What they occupied tended to be considerably more intriguing to him, though that had only begun in earnest a few seasons ago. "It's also not far from where I live. In Tortuga," he added, just in case she had no memory of him mentioning it during their first meeting. Just to sort of test Alamea's new patience, he sent another careful jab her way, watching her closely for a reaction and trying to keep his expression straight and more or less emotionless. "So did you ever find that, uh, pack you were looking for?" he asked, attempting to keep his voice as restricted and flat as he could. The less he seemed to obviously be teasing her, the better he assumed things would go.

A L A M E A

Dear god, what was she doing? It would seem the answer was staring. Alamea fought the urge to look away again instead forcing herself to simply act normally, allowing herself to look at him but not for too long. It was strange to her the way her gaze seemed drawn to him, as is he were polarized. That thought amused her a bit, the old adage of opposites attracting popping in to her mind. Was that what this was? The idea intrigued her. Maybe an experiment was in order. How she would go about performing it though. Well it was a theory at least, to explain her odd behavior.

As Rune introduced her to her surroundings she turned to gaze over her shoulder. The field was aptly named to be certain. Once more she wondered at how the rocks had gotten here but he was still talking and so she brought her attention back to him. The only place she had met him before had also been relatively close to his packs lands, she recalled. Tortuga. The name made her wonder some at what his pack's relationship was with her new home. She doubted she smelled very much like a Valhallan yet, she had hardly really been part of her new pack as of yet. Not even knowing anyone beyond the handsome alpha that had greeted and accepted her.

This time his comment did irk her some, she tried not to let it show, an ear flicking. Her gaze had grown hard for a moment however. Her recovery was quick though, a small sweet smile spread spontaneously across her muzzle. "As a matter of fact," she began confidently, "I have." She watched him, curious to how he might react.

Walk | "Talk" | Think For a second the troublesome youth thought he had her. There was perhaps only a second of a look about her sweetly rounded face, a moment where it seemed to harden with irritation over the swift teasing he had made to her, but it was gone so quickly that he wondered if it was not perhaps just something else, another emotion that he could not quite identify. It was hardy a disappointment, however. Her smile was, admittedly, just as rewarding. It struck him as strange that he almost wished to get a rise out of her, to make her scowl and frown at him when he had no good reason to. He was so normally well behaved, not the wheedling nuisance he was currently pretending to be. But there was a certain sense of fun to it, a challenge to see how much she might take before her disapproving looks would become completely sincere. It was a fun line to dance upon. And the answered that rolled with utter confidence from her curved lips threw him for a loop. His blue eyes blinked as an, "Oh," fell from his muzzle, surprised to hear that she had actually remedied her problem after they had parted ways though glad. It was a small progress for the lost little she-wolf; he had always felt that having a pack and the stability that one offered was a very good thing to have. It made life a little easier and gave it a sense of direction when it otherwise might have gotten out of hand. Intrigued and growing increasingly curious about this pack by the second, Rune allowed a perplexed sort of frown to settle over his face as he stared upward at her, voicing another question without quite realizing that it still held another sort of teasing quality to its wording. "And it has a name and everything?"

A L A M E A

"Oh," it was somewhat entertaining for her to watch the slight surprise on his face. The stone was beginning to feel uncomfortably warm against her stomach and the heat was making her sleepy, a yawn forced its way out of her. Snapping her jaw shut she allowed the smile to creep back onto her muzzle but it dropped as she saw him frown. What was he thinking about? The slight smile returned as he asked her a question. Alamea nodded her head solemnly. "Oh yes, it's a right proper pack." She nodded and rose to her paws. Jumping gracefully from the rock to stand before him she closed some of the distance between them.

It was a good a time as any to try out her little experiment. She moved quickly, before she could change her mind. Alamea walked up beside him and pushed close to him. "Bet you can't guess which one." Just as quickly she stepped away, turning around and sitting just a few steps in front of him, a large grin on her face. She knew what she had felt; a little thrill had gone through her, pleasant. What he had thought though? that was another thing entirely.

Alamea would wait for any sign of what he might have felt, both curious and curiously nervous. Had she overstepped her bounds, had she pushed too hard? So many doubts where filling her head now that it was over. A little whine escaped her lips, she hadn't meant for it to leave her lips but her fear about his reaction had taken over briefly. Despite it all her tail wagged a little, hopefully.

Walk | "Talk" | Think A cute little yawn parted the wolf's jaws before she spoke and assured him that the pack she had mentioned was legitimate in every way that a pack needed to be. As nice as it was to hear that there was at least that bit of stability in the wolf's life, it put to rest another notion that had crossed his mind back when they had first met, one that had resurfaced after hearing that Alamea was still lost. She had seemed so unsure about her home back then, where she would return to once released from the Thicket, that he had thought to offer her accompaniment back to Tortuga to see if she might wish to stay there. He had thought very much of his home back then, and still did though the illusions of childhood were starting to fade and he was slowly realizing that the pack was much more than the figure of the leader and the endless numbers who would be there to back them up. Still, a home working on its stability was better than none at all. But if her smile was any indication, she seemed content with her choice, and with those loyalties in place he held no push to try and urge her out of that cozy life she would have there. Supposing that it was a good pack, "good" in the sense that its location was comfortable and food plentiful. But the question remained withheld as Alamea rose and Rune was given a proper look at her. Wow. She really hadn't changed all that much, but she pulled off the innocent look well. Before he could get his thoughts back on what he wished to ask, she had hopped down from her rock, bringing her on even ground with him, and he realized just how small she was in comparison to him. It almost made him smile until he heard her speak again, walking toward him with a curious intent about her movements. Seeing more or less what was to come, the grey wolf held his ground, letting her push close into his side and then dance away to a safe distance before him. Not one prone to seeking physical contact, it was a surprise to him though at the same time enjoyable. A touch of unexpected warmth lingered where she had touched him, the ruffled fur there almost tickling the skin. And, just a little, it left him wanting more, curious about what the next touch might be like. But ignoring that want, listening instead to the whine that slipped quietly from Alamea's lips accompanied by a tail wag, he could see a certain sense of excited expectancy within her. Did she expect something for her bold move? A reaction, perhaps? The need to tease, to prod and poke and provoke her, was still present, and a new sort of want sprung up within. Guided by it, still trying not to smile all too obviously, he rocked himself to his paws and took those few steps forward to stand close to her, pausing just slightly before he reached out and brushed his nose upward along the very tips of the snowy white fur adorning the side of her neck, just enough to tickle while he took in a small sample of her scent up close. "Hmm," he murmured while pulling back a small bit, the sound slightly drawn out as he was momentarily consumed by thought. She had a nice smell, colorful, he thought, in comparison to his own. Perhaps that was an effect of her new residency, but try as he might he could not determine what that was. "You're right," he admitted unabashedly, "I don't know it." But as he let his frosty blue eyes meet her sunny pink ones, the curiosity that shown in them was not all because of the challenge she had voiced to him. He watched her closely to see if she might have a reaction to his acceptance of her other, physical challenge, hoping that his close proximity might have pushed another button and maybe, if he could be so lucky, reward him with another eager whine. "What is it?"

A L A M E A

Alamea was very nervous, and it wasn't helping that he wasn't making his reaction obvious. Her tail wagging even harder as he rose to paws. She managed to keep herself seated watching with ever widening orbs as he moved towards her. This time she managed to swallow the whine as he paused. Then he was once more closing the ever dwindling distance between them, his muzzle reaching for her. He connected at the top the top of her neck and she arched her neck in the opposite direction, her body shifting slightly towards him fully accepting the touch. His cool nose tickled her slightly and a slight giggle escaped her before she could stop it.

Alamea could feel him speaking, the movement of his jaw and the inhalation and release of air, and she could hear his voice but only vaguely. Her mind was focusing itself upon the exact spot where he had touching her. It felt as though she could still feel his nose there. They were still pretty close and she could feel the heat coming off of him. Once more she was blushing, this time she did not fight to hide it however. He had spoken his last words and the feeling upon her neck was beginning to fade. It brought with it another eager and unconscious whine. The feeling had been pleasant and it felt almost wrong for it to fade. Alamea looked into his eyes, which she had originally thought rather plain but now seemed utterly fascinating to her. She realized he was waiting on her response.

With a nervous giggle she began to speak the name, voice catching in her throat and so coming out softer than she meant. "Valhalla." Alamea was more than curious what that could mean for him, was what was the Tortugan view on her new home? She wanted so desperately to once more press against him, but kept herself still.

Walk | "Talk" | Think It was so hard for him not to grin outright in response to her giggle, just as it was hard not to press a little more firmly into the fur upon her neck. Instead he had to satisfy himself with only that little touch, that little sniff, he had grabbed, otherwise give away that it had hardly been enough. And of the two, he seemed to be holding the stronger sense of self control; to give that away and show that he was on par with Alamea would have ruined the fun he was taking away from all this. Not that he was the only one having fun. If her giggle had meant anything, Rune was sure the little white wolf was quite enjoying herself as well, just perhaps a little more vocally that he was. Which he was even more certain of when another whine slipped free of her muzzle, quiet and impatient and yearning. Another touch, he heard in it, though it could have easily been his own thoughts reflecting through it. But no. Not soon. He had to wait, at least a little while longer, until maybe she would think him unaffected by her, just to tease and torment in a new way from the verbal jabs he had been giving. He was ready to wait by letting their conversation continue, a feat that took a moment before Alamea seemed to realize that the question he had posed had been intended to receive and answer to it. And when he got his answer - stumbled over and hushed in the process - he considered the news. Valhalla. He knew of them, even if he had never truly taken any interest in their pack before. He could still remember the near disaster that had taken place between Tortuga and them back under Desdemona's reign, the incident involving someone's kid betraying information. The details of the events were murky as he had never thought it to be of an interest to him, but he knew well enough to know that the relationships there had been shaky at the time, though he only assumed them to be tolerant under Morphine's rule as she had done nothing yet to upset that balance. "Valhalla," he echoed with a thoughtful nod, shifting his weight back to recline upon his haunches and in the same motion draw a little more distance between them, calculated just to pull that string inside the girl taut. "I remember them," he added, allowing one corner of his lips to rise slightly in a half smirk, "there was talk of a war with them for a little while. But there wasn't one. Now with Morphine running the show..." He could only assume, since their numbers were still so small and in need of growing, that no aggression would be shown on any fronts with the neighboring territories. "We'll see." He paused for a moment, merely observing her with his pale blue eyes before he posed another question, curious considering she had wandered all the way out here and so close to his own home, "How is it there?"

A L A M E A

The ivory dove was clearly loosing this game, whatever it was. She wanted to touch again, to feel his body against hers. Alamea wondered if he knew that she was putty in his paws right now. He could point and she would jump. It was taking considerable self-control for her to remain seated exactly where she was, keeping herself focused and not looking as erratic as she felt. It was strange, she normally prided herself on her control and poise, she wasn't affected by emotions the way others were, at least it seemed to her. Now however, well she was a mess even if that wasn't reflected in her outward demeanor.

The nervousness set in again as he began speaking of her pack, wondering exactly what it could mean. If today was any indication of their future relations she would want to see him more, would that be possible? Alamea jolted some as she reined herself in, stopping herself from closing the gap he had made. This time she was also successful in swallowing the whine that wanted to rise. Rose orbs watched his mouth twitch into a smirk. Her heart dropped considerably at the mention of a war between their packs, even with it being put on the back burner by their current alpha. Without thinking she softly parroted his final words. "We'll see." Her mind jumping back some to the meeting.

Alamea did not speak anymore of the possible problems within her pack, despite how much she wanted to share them. He was from a different pack and she would feel bad if the information she shared with him led to her new home being compromised. "Everything is well enough, prey is plentiful and the summer is kind to us there," The with a slight in the drop of her head, her voice grew softer. "I don't really know anyone yet-" Had that been what had driven this far out? In the general direction she had known he'd been in? Or had it been another reason entirely? Alamea would lift her gaze, no hint of sadness in her eyes, only wanting.

Walk | "Talk" | Think She answered, though safely. A part of Rune expected it; it was the right way for her to answer after all, showing loyalty and consideration for her pack and surely earning their approval whether they knew of the act or not. Though there was no denying that a part of him was disappointed she did not slip up. Grasping easy information would have been helpful to Tortuga, and considering how freshly restarted they were he knew every little bit of information would have been a great help, and possibly even one less trip for the wolves Morphine had chosen to visit their neighbors to do. The grey wolf was still unsure of who all had been chosen, only certain of himself because he had volunteered. Perhaps eventually he would find out, and where all these others were going. At any rate, he learned what little he could from Alamea's perspective, understanding that the heated summer weather was still tolerable on their end and that the land itself was still capable of providing for the pack that lived on it. All was good news, he assumed, at least in the general sense, though the downcast look that settled into place on the little white wolf's expression drew his brow into a more defined frown. Her explanation, or what he guessed had been meant as her explanation, took a moment to be fully comprehended, though when it did he could only blink at first. No acquaintances... No friends... Even he, who had such trouble typically with making conversation and portraying himself as interesting and worthwhile company, still enjoyed being around others. And though he hardly considered his relationship with Morphine and her brood "friendly" there was at least that business-like interaction to keep him going. Little Alamea even lacked that. He did not want to pity her - the look about her as she looked across at him told him she was stronger than that - though he did feel for her. Perhaps in more ways than one. "You're quick," he assured her, his frost eyes steady as they met her own, ignorant, for the moment, of the true look within their rosy depths, "you'll find a way to fit in." The gesture was faint, practically nonexistent, but the hint of a smile lingered across his lips as he looked silently at her for a moment, merely observing. "If all else fails, I think I could get lost in your general vicinity sometime. I don't know exactly where Valhalla is. Though maybe if I caught your scent..." He let the words trail off as he leaned in again, this time pressing his nose a little more forcefully as he parted a path through her fur from her lower neck upward, drawing in another slow intake of her scent. Muzzle hidden there, he grinned and added at an almost whisper. "I'm a pretty good tracker."

A L A M E A

Alamea wondered at that look on his face and her normal prideful self, took over for a moment. Was that pity? But she pushed her annoyance down, it was kind of sweet, even if Alamea didn't like it much. Her irritation dissolved upon his first words though. The snowy girl dropped her gaze as he smiled, trying to compose herself as she blushed yet again. With a deep breath she lifted her eyes again, meeting his gaze. "That might be nice..." her voice faltered as he once again pushed his nose into her neck. Lids slid closed and she took in a deep breath, drawing in his scent as much as he was hers.

She shivered some as he added his final words, feeling them against her skin more than she heard them. Alamea decided it was time to take it one step farther, she was pushing the envelope as much as he was, just in a different way. With a hesitant turn of her head she swiped her tongue across his muzzle quickly. Again the nervousness came back, not as strong as before but she was curious... Needing to know how he would react to that. The ivory girl had definitely grown bolder since her first meeting with the male.

She turned her head back and closed her eyes, unconsciously holding her breath. She wasn't really sure what to expect next. It was obvious both of them were not used to this sort of physical contact. If he approved what would their next step would be. Could they keep pushing it today? There would have to be a limit, what would it be? All these thoughts and more were running wildly through her mind while she waited for his response to her move.

Walk | "Talk" | Think An airy breath rushed from Rune's lungs against Alamea's exposed neck when he caught the sound of her faltering voice, so thoroughly amused by her reaction and delighting in the fact he had been the one to cause it. For so long he had thought his brother to be the suave one of the duo, capable of stealing any girl's heart just because of his ease with words. And yet, if he was reading the signs right, he was managing to do the same in fewer words coupled with only a few gestures. On top of that, it was with the only girl that had managed to catch his interest in that way. Granted, he knew very few wolves, more specifically pretty girls, but none were like this one, all wintry white with spring pink eyes. He doubted he would ever find another like her, even beyond the uniqueness of her appearance. For a change he felt confident, comfortable in the fact he was taking control of the situation, at least until the cute little wolf turned her head to draw her muzzle even with his. He was still grinning when she swiped her tongue against his face, his frosty blue eyes blinking slowly and the smile slipping though only out of surprise. And very suddenly he was caught within his mind, thoughts a whirlwind that he merely struggled to keep up with. She kissed his face. It was a kiss, wasn't it? Not just some silly gesture meant to confuse him and cause him to stumble? No. Not with the way she looked now, nervous and strung so tightly she might snap from the tension. She meant it. She meant it. Feeling as if the air within his lungs had suddenly grown heavy, Rune drew his muzzle up from where it rested against her neck to follow the line of her cheek and bring it level with her own, pale eyes fixing themselves on hers. Gently, he placed two careful licks against her muzzle and had to resist adding in a few more, to encourage things further than they had already gone. Never before had he considered himself sappy or one for too much physical contact, but the space that had been comfortably separating them this entire time suddenly felt too wide. Just barely he shuffled a little forward, simultaneously lifting his head to press his nose against her cheek and add in a quick nuzzle for good measure, a simple gesture he had often given family but now it seemed to hold more meaning. "Do we have a problem?" he asked, his tone low and perhaps a little breathless as he began to realize that whatever was between them was starting to manifest itself into something stronger, something maybe important and worth taking note of. Please tell me we have a problem.

A L A M E A

The worst part was the waiting because it gave her time to think and question her action. Which meant she was worrying and nervous and berating herself. Her mind was a hurricane of emotions. Under it all there was hope that he did and would reciprocate. She was so worried that she almost whined again, but managed to hold herself together. As he ran his nose up her neck and across her jawline she closed her eyes leaning into his touch. Slowly opening them again she found herself drowning in the icy blue sea of his eyes, swallowed by that gaze.

As his tongue rasped across her muzzle her breath caught and another small smile broke across her face. Then he was closing the gap, small as it was. As his nose nuzzled at her cheek she tilted her own head muzzle pressing into his cheek, drawing in his scent. It felt more than right that they be this close. The ivory girl frowned a bit at his words before she caught his meaning, with a soft chuckle she allowed a slight nod. "Rune, I think we may have a problem." Acknowledging it felt weird, but good, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

What would come now? It was something she couldn't be sure about. They were pretty young and nothing was written in stone, there were so many ways everything could turn out so she decided instead to focus on the present, the magical present.

Walk | "Talk" | Think Rune could not find the right words to express how he felt. It was odd, really. Still confident in his movements, still comfortable in his skin, and yet feeling as if the air around him had somehow thinned and left him lightheaded and dizzy. A strange mixture of control and helplessness, and all centralized around the little white wolf who sat before him, smiling as he pressed his muzzle into her cheek. Briefly he wondered if this what it felt like, if this was anything similar to what his parents had felt when they were first together. True, the relationship between Kylar and Secret had been a strange one, but it was really the only one he had to compare to. Never before had he felt anything like this himself; it was hard to imagine that it could just spring up anywhere. With a little laugh, Alamea answered in the affirmative, and though feeling the muscles about his face ready to twitch themselves right back into another grin he instead sighed and reached toward her again while muttering a quick, "Oh good." Feeling braver, bolder, by her acknowledgement that whatever had afflicted him was felt by her as well, Rune pressed his muzzle into the side of her neck, nuzzling his face heavily into the fur there. "I was afraid," he stated, pausing just long enough to give a lick to the side of her neck, "it was just me." It was one part lie - she had made her approval and desires very clear with the whines she had given as he scented her neck - but also one part truth. It just seemed too good to be true. He could easily have continued placing kiss after kiss upon her, learning her scent completely so that it could be recalled again at a moment's notice later on, memorizing the sounds she made so that he could replay them again when he tried to rest. But inexperience and a concern for her, what she wished, halted any further advances he considered making. Or at least most of them. Whatever made him do what he did - instinct, an innate understanding of what Alamea might like - had not the slightest clue, but he placed a few licks under her chin before drawing back enough to meet her pink eyes again. "Did you want me to stop?" he asked quietly, perfectly happy to continue though not so selfish to do so without knowing she wanted him to.

A L A M E A

Alamea realized that before she had spoken it had been his turn to wait, his turn to be anxious. She couldn't help the little smile that spawned from that knowledge; it was a rather nice role reversal and was reassuring to her to know that she wasn't the only one in this little adventure who was eager for acceptance. It gave her a smug sort of satisfaction really; she may have been completely within his thrall only a few minutes earlier but now? Well it seemed they were on equal ground.

The slight relief in his voice made her heart flutter. His nose pushed into the side of her neck, burying his face into her fur. Lids slid closed once again as he spoke. She felt his tongue rasp across her neck and her heart jumped. A part of her doubted it, after all she had been more than eager, but she wanted to much to believe in his sentiment that she didn't say anything about it. With a dip of her head she was able to lick at his cheek without moving too much. His kissed her gently under the chin, once, twice then pulled away slightly.

Rose orbs peered at ice blue ones as he spoke, a simple question. It did not have a simple answer however. She didn't want him to stop, that was the problem, but she knew that at some point they would have to, they both had homes they had to return to. She quiet for a while, thinking her answer over. Then with in one swift movement she pushed into him, face pressing into his neck. "Never."

Walk | "Talk" | Think There was no rush or urgency to his stare as he continued to peer at Alamea while she deliberated, just an unusual patience that he had not quite realized was there in this form. He was used to waiting during a hunt, the anticipation that came with it, the expectancy of a meal keeping muscles still and attention focused. He knew too the patience that came with siblings and family, of trying to be understanding and tolerant of their differences in order to coexist more easily. This, what he felt now with the rose-eyed wolf, was entirely different. There was no force required for it to exist, no anticipation of anything to come either. It was easy, comfortable, and something only she seemed able to bring out in him. He gave her the time she needed to figure things out, only adding another lick to the tip of her muzzle because it was near impossible for him not to. The rushing movement she eventually made toward him caught him rather off guard but it was not an unwanted move at all. Frosty eyes closing as the little white wolf buried her face in his neck, Rune curled toward her, neck extended out so that he could wrap her smaller frame tight against his front, placing gentle kisses against her shoulder and neck. "Never" sounded like a wonderful answer to him, and for the moment he forgot everything else except her, nuzzling her and savoring every little touch she returned. Not at any point in his short life had he given thought to falling for someone, to finding a pretty girl somewhere and wooing her into returning the sentiment, but the surprise of this little arrangement suited him perfectly. A gentle, murmuring noise was made into the fur on the back of her neck, his muzzle resting there as he drew in her scent, letting it mingle with his own. Let everyone know that he had spent some time with her, it hardly mattered to him though it did make him wonder briefly what her pack might think about it should they notice. If they would notice at all. As if spurred by the thought, he began placing careful licks around her neck again, craning his head a little to add another to the top of her head. In truth, he had never been very good with words; they always seemed to evade him when he needed them the most. He forgot them now, using his actions to speak for him instead. And as he shifted to continue lazily placing licks along her muzzle, roughly nuzzling her cheek and down into her neck again, Rune hoped she would understand that they meant just as much if not more than anything he could have told her.