Her eyes opening slowly. The smell of smoke burned her nostrils as the coats of a fire begged to be stoked. Lifting a paw to rub at her face, Delphi looks around. She is… in her parent’s den. Her mothers were gone. Cyanide off to Ashen and her father had broken the news on the way back from her island adventure that Celeste had been kidnapped. It all made sense now as memories the night previous flooded her. Why had she been dumb enough to go out at night all alone? All she can hear is the worried voices of the adults after Strai had brought her back.

You could’ve been kidnapped.

Angry at herself and how much bad luck she had, Delphi stands and gives her fur a shake. No sense staying if her father wasn’t here. He was probably busy looking for her mother which made more sense. There were enough adults around to look after her anyway. Looking at the bed that they had all shared not that long ago, Delphi smiles softly before pulling on her trusty wolverine cloak that hung from the wall beside the doorway.

Making her way from their den, she headed straight for their spot. No longer was it for herself and her sister. Aji was… doing her own thing now. She wouldn’t admit she was bitter about it. Rather, she would focus on what made her happy and Strai was the one who did.

Trudging quickly through the shoveled snow, it wasn’t long before she was ducking in the doorway. They really needed to find a larger den and soon. Strai was getting larger and larger every day. Peeking her head in, Delphi noticed Strai wasn’t here yet. Her face falls, but she enters and begins to stoke the fire. Surprisingly, her companions had stayed back, probably to let Kuroki know where she’d gone if he did return or if anyone else came looking for her.

Once the fire was started, warm and crackling against her wet fur, she curls up on the pile of blankets that smell so fondly of Strai. Putting her chin upon her paws, she dozes off while waiting for the boy.

* Setting this day after attempt of kidnapping

Strai understood why Delphi denned with her parents, but after seeing that wolf try to grab her. Knowing what could have happened… something had started to build in his belly. Some sort of fire that stirred with anger and worry. Delphi was a bad luck charm, things seemed to happen to her all too often. Who knew what would happen to her when she wasn't under his eye?


He stayed with Bylgja that night, and tossed and turned for most of it. The adults had whisked Delphi away, so he hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her. They had a lot to discuss, after all. They were… more than friends now. He wanted to tell her everything.


He got up early and wandered aimlessly around the pack for a little while, before his paws brought him to her secret little nook. He caught her scent - fresh, new - and knew she was there already. He made his way in, and sure enough, there she was. "Delphi" he said, an odd lump in his throat. His eyes roamed her body, looking for injury.

She dozed from exhaustion. Having slept poorly, tossing and turning, her body begged her for sleep. It had only come once she was in the nook and curled up in that pile of furs. Her eyes closed softly as her breathing deepened. Paws would twitch as she began to dream and even more so when Strai's scent grew stronger. Her lips tremble as she stir in her blankets. Restless and nervous, she starts when Strai enters and says her name. Heterochromatic eyes pop up and up to Strai as she notices that his own eyes are moving over her body. Searching for what? Injuries? Delphi's expression crinkles as she looks away.

"I wasn't looking for any trouble," Delphi whispers softly as she looks at her paws and begins to pick at her nails. All she wants is for him to scoop her up and make everything better, but can't imagine how terrible he is feeling too. What if something bad had happened? What if Bylgja and Ulfr hadn't shown up? Her throat tightens as she tries not to think of the what ifs. Today was a new day and she needed to remember that!

Delphi && Strai

Strai moved further into the little den. It was definitely getting crowded in here, but he managed to make his way to Delphi without knocking anything over. He crouched down beside her, thinking how small she looked curled up in her blankets. How could he have gone from hating her, to worrying so easily? He had it bad.

He scooped her up in his paws, and not until he was holding her did he actually start to relax. She was here, she was fine. They both were fine. The wolf that had tried to take her was dead, he would never bother Delphi again. Of course, his motivations died with him. But he couldn’t dwell on that. “I know you didn’t. But trouble has a way of finding you, doesn't it?” He said, his tone a mixture of teasing exasperation and fondness.


Delphi && Strai

As soon as Strai scooped her up with his paws, Delphi welcomed it by curling up into his forelegs and against his chest. Tilting her chin up to look at him, she smiles wide enough to show her teeth as he asks if trouble just had a way of finding her. "Just call me Bad Luck Charm," she says in response as she lets out a quiet laugh.

It is then that she closes her eyes, unable to look at him for fear that she'll see the real emotion. Turning her face so that it is snuggled into his fur, she breathes in his scent deeply. Oh, how she wanted to say sorry over and over again until he knew she meant it. "I-I don't like scaring you," Delphi's voice is a bare whisper as her paws dig into his skin. How did they come to this? Had they not started by hating each other? Had he not almost let her fall to her death? And now she was curled up in his arms?

Delphi && Strai

“Your my bad luck charm” He told her, perhaps a tad possessively, wrapping a paw around her. He tucked her blankets in a little more, so she was curled up on his chest, his back to the floor and blankets above her. She turned her head, snuggling into his fur, and he rested his nose against her forehead. Breathing in the scent of her.

“You can’t be held accountable for all the bad shit that happens to you, Del.” He said with a soft sigh. He hadn’t fallen upon that scene and thought it her fault. He had been… angry, so angry, that another wolf had sought to hurt her. She’d had enough of that in her life! He brushed a nose across the pretty freckles scattered below her eye. “And we’ll mess with anyone that tries to mess with you.”


Delphi && Strai

Delphi can't help but let out a chuckle. "Ha, you got that right," she mumbles as she snuggles further into his fur. Having him this close with his nose upon her forehead, she felt safe. Not safe like she did with her father or Vidarr, but safe in only the way someone you had feelings for could make you feel. As crazy as that was, as young as they were, she couldn't deny it. Even if some things he did infuriated her and even if they had gotten into fights and almost killed each other, she couldn't deny it anymore. There was nothing she wanted more than to curl up with Strai every night. Besides, they were going to be a year old once the season changed! That surely meant they could have their own den together, right?

His next words have her snorting though. As if she didn't hold herself accountable for all the bad shit. She did though. To Delphi, anything bad that happened felt as if she had been asking for it. His gentle brush across her freckles quells her... attitude that she feels boiling under her skin. Now wasn't the time to get into an argument with him. Not when they'd been through so much. Instead, she turns to look up at him with a mischievous smirk. "You better. I expect you to save me every time now," she teases while reaching a paw up to touch his cheek.

Delphi && Strai

He chuckled softly, breathing in the scent of her in his inhale. “Is that the standard I've set now? By Odin’s beard, you're going to make me regret it, aren’t you?” He teased her. Of course he would save her every time. They were in this together, and he couldn’t imagine it any other way. He had anticipated… well, he had expected his life to go down a different route. This one was better, even if he had been very reluctant to accept it.

“So, how about you shuffle off me, so we can go pick out a den?” He asked her, giving her a light, teasing push. Not enough to actually move her.


Delphi && Strai

As he speaks, Delphi peers up at him with a cheeky grin. "You know me so well," she says in a teasing manner right back. Of course, she wouldn't go seeking trouble, but trouble always seemed to find her. Right? Well, she would use that as the excuse. For now, she wanted to relish the feeling of Strai's soft chest fur against her cheek as she snuggled back into him. Resting for a moment, Delphi was happy. The realization almost hurt. Hurt in a way that made her want to shove it aside and forget about it.

Its the gentle shove of his paws that have her looking at him with a squinted look. "What? Is the hidey hole not big enough anymore?" Her lips purse but she can't hide the smile. She's excited to find a den to call theirs. Leaning away, Delphi slowly slides from Strai's grasp and onto the cold stone. "You think there will be one big enough for you and your fat butt?" Delphi teases, sticking out her tongue as she scampers out the entrance of the hidden den and out into the hallway.

Delphi && Strai

The scary thing was, he did. He knew a lot about the things that scared her. He knew what buttons to push to make her mad. He knew the way she looked when she was angry, or scared, or determined. He could fill a novel with the things he knew about Delphi now. For someone who wasn’t supposed to make any attachments, it was a lot to take in. “Of course I do, your Tox.” He said, wiggling his eyebrows at her in amusement. Sometimes, it was just easier to joke than to face the scary, seriousness of the moment.

“If I was your size, I’d fit it in forever” He said. Words he might have said to her nearer the start of their relationship. Only, the bite to them was long gone now. The words were soft, teasing and fond.

Despite it being his own suggestion, he was sorry to see her go as she slid off him. She was warm and soft, and she smelled good. “Is there one big enough for your ego?” He shot back.


Delphi && Strai

Tox. The nickname is a fond one now. No longer a word that sent her fur bristling. Even as his teasing words reach her, she looks back over her shoulder and shoots him another poke of her tongue in his direction. "You like it," Delphi teases back before continuing off down the hallway. She missed the warmth of his body, but also knew that the sooner they found a proper den, the more she could spend near him.

"Ha, like my ego is bigger than yours, Thrall," Delphi shoots back with a laugh. As she nears the exit toward the maw's outer ridges, she slows to a stop and turns back to look at Strai. "So... where do you think we can find a good den?" She asks, her eyes lingering on his face to see what he thinks. "Up toward the top or maybe closer to the Steppe?" Her head tilts lightly to the side as her tail gives a few wags.

Delphi && Strai

“Well, yes” He agreed. She was pocket sized. He could pick her up and carry her around. Just what you wanted in a… girlfriend. Right? He followed after her, letting her lead the way. He might have been living in Viking territory for a while now, but she was clearly more experienced when it came to exploring the caves.

He considered her question for a moment. Up high might be nice, more secluded. But it would also be colder, and take longer to arrive at pack meetings. “Perhaps closer to the Steppe?” he suggested, stepping over her since she had stopped.


Delphi && Strai

Giving Strai time to think of a suggestion, Delphi waits. When he does speak, a bigger smile breaks out over her face. "I like the way you think," she practically chirps before taking off out of the mountain hallway and out onto the ledge that led down the slopes of Fenrir's Maw. "C'mon, slowpoke!" Delphi called over her shoulder as she picked up her pace and began the descent. Trying her best to keep traction and not lose her footing, Delphi continued down the mountain.

Nearly out of breath as they neared the bottom where the snow melted to grass and soon-to-bloom flowers, Delphi finally slowed. Looking over her shoulder at Strai, she lifted a paw to wave at the area around them. "Well, I know there are dens over there at the base of the mountain. Or I think there are some by the sheep pens. Or what if we found something at the Steppe?" Excitement lights up her eyes as she dances in place, finally turning to fully face Strai to see what he thinks.

Delphi && Strai

Well, he supposed that sounded like agreement. Stepping away from the mountain would be a strange thing, but there was a lot of convenience to be found near the Steppe. He laughed softly under his breath and trotted out after her. Letting her lead them down through the slopes of the Maw. “I’m coming, I’m coming” He grumbled after her.

“Hey, I picked near the Steppe. Now it’s your turn.” He complained, through his lips twitched in a partly concealed smile. He was excited for this. Something that was there's, that they picked together. It was the start of something new, only this time it was something he chose, and that seemed to make all the difference.


Delphi && Strai

Delphi glances over her shoulder, her eyes rolling with a laugh that follows. "Fine, fine," she flicks her tail at him a few times before continuing toward the Steppe. It doesn't take long since the snow isn't as deep this time of year. Her legs don't have to try so hard to maneuver through the territory. Once they're there, she sees it. At the base of the mountain, toward the west side of the Stone Steppe, an old bear den opens up. A large slab of rock lays across it, overhanging it just enough to protect the entrance from the elements and tall enough that Strai won't crack his skull against it walking in.

Picking up her pace, Delphi practically hops with excitement. Standing at the entrance, she peers inside, her smile growing. "We'll have to get rid of the bear smell, but this looks perfect!" She whirls around to look up at Strai for a moment, her eyes shining happily before she turns back around and heads deeper into the den. "This place is a lot bigger than I expected!" Delphi calls out from around the corner.

"Delphi" & "Strai"