The heat of summer was sometimes tough on Natiel, the sun beating down on her darker-hued back and warming her to her core.  Sometimes it was soothing, but other times it felt like she was cooking.  The day had been like that and Nati had spent most of it hidden away in the shade.  Now, as the sun set and the stars began to appear, she weaved between resting buffalo who had settled for the night.  Initially, she'd questioned getting close to them, but it became apparent almost immediately that they had no concern for her.  One on one, they were aware they'd be the mighty victors.  One very small wolf wasn't worth fretting about.

Natiel had yet to explore these lands and she was glad she'd come tonight.  They were so astonishingly strange, she had to pause a moment to get her bearings.  Mounds rose from the earth all over the place, but not a single creature perched atop them save for the birds.  Curious, she approached and pushed her paw into one, trying to figure out if it was a sturdy structure.  It gave slightly and she pulled back, unsure.  What exactly was this place?

speech.

Things had been.. unusually good, for some time now. Zephyr wasn't used to it yet. He certainly wasn't used to spending so much time with Caelum again, and less with his mentor, Felicien. So many years had been spent just.. surviving.. and it was strange to have time to do more. He was still getting accustomed to spending time with her again, though was grateful she didn't question his brief absences from her either. He needed time to himself to come to terms with everything still. Today he'd wandered a bit farther, coming up a vast expanse of green hills as the sun began its descent below the horizon. He was grateful for the reprieve from the summer heat, especially since these lands provided little shade from the sun. Heaving a sigh, he pressed on, only pausing when the scent of a stranger hit his nose. Intrigued, he tilted his head, searching for the stranger nearby. She wasn't far off, standing on one of the knolls. His eyes narrowed as he took a few steps toward her. "Strange place, eh?" He called out gruffly, though his voice was not unfriendly. "Talk" "You" Think

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She'd only made it part way up the strange little hill, her steps slow and uneasy.  Adrenaline coursed through her from the thrill of exploring and the fear of falling through.  It wasn't the most solid hill she'd ever walked on, but it seemed sturdy enough.  The thing that confused her was why it wasn't completely solid.  Where did that odd softness come from?

Fortunately, she wasn't so distracted by her adventure that she didn't notice the brute that approached and called out.  Her head swiveled to look in his direction briefly before she turned and headed back to solid ground.  Natiel approached with a small smile on her face, attempting to mask her adrenaline rush with a calm expression.  She hoped it was working.  "Extremely," she responded as she took a few steps to close most of the distance between her and the much larger stranger.  "I'm Natiel.  Are you familiar with this place?"

speech.

The darkness and chill of night was rather refreshing. Being able to move under the cover of night gave him some kind of solace, even if it seemed he was not alone on this evening. He squinted as he examined her in the dim light, glad for the light of the moon and stars overhead to illuminate the world at least slightly. He'd never liked being snuck up on, not really, and so he was happy he could get a good bearing on his surroundings even now. He returned the smile with a plain one of his own, forcing the corners of his lips up in a slight smile.  "Zephyr," he offered his own name easily. The tip of his tail twitched as curiosity got the better of him.  "Never been here before. What about you?"  It'd been awhile since he'd spoken to anyone but Caelum, and the words felt strange to his ears. "Talk" "You" Think