Tamsyn woke early that morning, tucked in Kane's arms, and realized with a start that she needed to get out of there quick before Gwynevere came to check on their patient. It was really a miracle that she hadn't gotten caught and at first she vowed to herself that it would be the one and only time she allowed herself to do anything like that. It had been a lapse in judgement, a slip in the shell she had built for herself, nothing more. But as she went about her day she found her mind back in that infirmary more and more, occasionally allowing herself to stop by for a casual visit, making sure Gwynevere was around before she went in. Something and someone to keep herself in check. With the exception of the night at the beach party she had never indulged in something like that and even that had only been at Resin's insistence that she experience the world before they settled down.

Although, if she was being fair to herself, she had come from a life of sheltered terror where anything sexual wasn't meant for pleasure, it was meant for procreation. After tearing herself away from that she had almost immediately begun to fall for Resin and had been happily mated to her for so long that any thoughts of that had never crossed her mind - at least not until that company and occasional pleasure she had grown accustomed to was unceremoniously ripped out of her paws. Perhaps the suddenness of it and the traumatic pain of it had made her feel that absence more, or perhaps that was just another excuse she gave herself to justify what she had done. Yes, it was several weeks after the attack that had taken Resin from her, but was that enough time? Was she allowed to count all of the days she had spent alone after Resin locked herself away? If she asked her children they would probably say no and that's where the biggest source of her guilt came from.

And yet, as evening began to sink toward night, she found her paws carrying her to the infirmary again. The thought of going back to that big, empty room alone made pain twist in her chest and she couldn't bring herself to do it. She considered going to Gwynevere's room and asking her daughter if she could stay there for the night, just to keep herself from being alone to see if that would help her alleviate some of that strain. But she knew that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted kind hazel eyes and gentle kisses and stories that shared in their pain and their experiences. She slipped into the infirmary hesitantly, easily spotting Kane in the low light created by the fireplace and the moonlight filtering in through long windows. She paced down the aisle to where he was laying, a soft smile pulling at her lips. "Hi," she said softly, her face flushing under dark fur. It was hard to look at him and not think of how it felt to be in his arms, listening to him tenderly explaining every last thing she could have wanted to know about how they would enjoy each other.

"Do you have everything you need? Has Gwynevere been taking good care of you?" she asked, mint eyes finding hazel.

Tamsyn Carpathius

Last night had been the single best night Kane had had in years. After a night of much needed release and soul bearing, the hunter had slept like a baby cuddled up to Tamsyn, dead to the world while he enjoyed her presence, her warmth, her comfort surrounding him, even though he was the one surrounding her in his embrace. He had only begun to stir once he felt Tamsyn rousing and slipping out of his arms. Confused hazel eyes watched her while she hurried to get up, Kane sitting up enough to watch her with a groggy gaze as she quickly and quietly slipped out of the infirmary just as warm morning sun started streaming in through the tall windows. He wondered if she had been ashamed of what they'd done last night, the clarity of morning washing away the haze of the night from her brain. A small frown tugged at his lips; he certainly didn't regret their night together. But then again, he hadn't been the one recently widowed. Had he done something wrong? Had he pushed Tamsyn too far, taken advantage of her in her fragile emotional state? He hadn't thought he had, nor had he intended to, but the way she ran off as soon as the sun was up hurt.

Kane had slipped back into dreamless sleep once she had made her exit, wasting away time with more rest and recovery. The day went by uneventfully. Gwynevere returned a little after Tamsyn had left to check on him and change out his bloodied bandages with fresh ones and administer more painkillers. For the most part, the pain had been kept at bay and many of his wounds had scabbed over, well on their way to recovering, with his shoulder being the only exception. Kane was doing his best to be a good patient to the young doctor Gwyn, but he was antsy at best. The hunter was not meant to be contained to a bed while the summer sun was shining brightly outside and he couldn't feel the breath of the wild against his cheek. He longed for the sun and the wind and the sky and the earth.

His time in "captivity" was made more palatable by the occasional visits, one from Ulric to check on how he was doing now that he was conscious, and a couple from Tamsyn throughout the day. She never stayed more than a few minutes, and only ever appeared when Gwyn was tending to him, showing no signs of anything having happened between them. On her first visit, Kane had shot her a confused, surprised look, but his silent question went unanswered. The next time gave him the same result. After that, Kane just settled into the habit of pretending he didn't know Tamsyn, giving her polite smiles or pretending to be asleep whenever she would pop in. He didn't like being treated like a mistake, so if Tamsyn wanted to forget everything and pretend they had never interacted before, that was fine by him.

His day progressed slowly, morning slipping into afternoon, and afternoon slipping into evening and then to night. Gwyn had brought him all of his meals, escorted him outside to relieve himself, and was just an all around fantastic attending doctor. His brief interludes outside did little to quell his wanderlust to get back outside, but they would have to do for now until he could walk without the aid of another wolf. Now, in the quiet of a second night in the castle infirmary, Kane laid his head on his pillow and stared out the long windows to the silvery moon and glistening stars. It was a full moon outside tonight. Kane let out a long, soft whine as he wished desperately to go outside and sing and pray. It felt wrong being trapped inside, almost like the infirmary had become a penitentiary of sorts. He had still been staring out the window when the sound of claws on stone made his ear flick and hazel eyes peer towards the door. He spotted the small black form of Tamsyn coming back in and his heart immediately sank in his chest. Oh no, why was she coming back?

Kane lay unmoving in his bed while Tam approached, his eyes gazing longingly out at the night sky. She greeted him with a soft and simple hi, catching Kane's attention with her gentle smile and a shy expression on her face. "Hi," he said back, staring back into her mint eyes while his head rested on his pillow. She was back to the way that she had been last night again. Was she embarrassed by their late night rendezvous? "Yeah, Gwynevere has been taking excellent care of me. I guess the one thing better than saving a child's life is saving a skilled healer's life." He gave a low chuckle, but his expression grew serious and confused. "Did I... do something wrong, Tamsyn? You ran out of here this morning without a word, you've only been coming by when Gwynevere was here and acting like we'd never spoken before. I just wanted to understand..." He shifted to sit up in bed, turning towards her to let his paws hang off the edge of the bed. "...Do you regret what we did?" he asked after a moment, searching her mint eyes for an answer to know whether he should be preparing to cut the cord early. No sense in letting yourself get dragged any deeper if you were only going to drown.

"Kane"

Tamsyn smiled when he told her how well Gwynevere had been doing in taking care of him, always happy to hear praise for her children. But then his expression grew more serious and her smile faded, her ears falling back against her head as he spoke. The last thing she had wanted was to spread her own guilt to him and her heart broke as she watched him roll to lay on his stomach, his large paws dangling over the edge, for him to ask if she regretted what they had done. She immediately shook her head no. Any of her guilt or regret wasn't around the fact that they had been together or enjoyed each other - but just perhaps where and when they had done it. "No! No, I... I don't regret it. I had a wonderful night with you. It's... It's all I've been thinking about all day." A little, momentary smirk pulled at her muzzle at that. Even when she was here around Gwyn, giving him the simplest pleasantries, thoughts of their time together had been swirling in her head and it had taken all of her self control to keep her composure.

She settled onto her haunches near him, her mint gaze apologetic. "It's not your fault, Kane, it's mine. I'm sorry... I..." Her ears fell back again with a sigh, struggling with her guilt for making him feel this way. "I was afraid Gwynevere would find me here. Honestly, out of my children she would probably take it the best, but if it got back to Artorias, well..." She shook her head slightly with a soft chuckle. "He is extremely protective. Lets just say he hasn't exactly taken the idea of me being with anyone else very well in the past. I didn't want him to find out second hand or find me laying here with someone he didn't know. They've already been through so much." She lifted one of her paws and, if he allowed it, curled one of her much smaller paws around one of his own. "I don't regret what we did at all, maybe just... how and where we did it. I should have been more responsible than that and I... I should have at least said something to you this morning so I'm very, very sorry."

She smiled softly, giving his paw a gentle squeeze as she tried to assess his expressions and his reactions. She hated that he had been pulled into the mess of her family. She wished it could just be as easy as finding an attraction in one another and enjoying that. Unfortunately, she didn't have that luxury. She had to think about her children and how they would feel about her being with someone else after their mother passed away in such a traumatic, bloody way after wasting away in a dungeon for months. Nothing in her life had ever been particularly easy, but this had truly been one of the hardest things she had been though and now her children were experiencing it along side her and were facing the first real traumas in their lives. Plus, they were too young to really understand love and attraction and desires. One day it might be easier, but for now they were young and hurt and they would always be her top priority... But she wanted to make time for herself too.

"I understand if you don't want to be in the middle of all of this mess," she added softly, giving him a small, sad smile. "Just tell me if you want to stop things here and call it a good memory. I won't hold it against you or anything. She certainly didn't expect him to work around her complicated family dynamic in the middle of them mourning. That was a lot to ask of a stranger that she only met the night before, no matter how much she was attracted to him or how much she genuinely liked him.

Tamsyn Carpathius

Tamsyn's immediate and vehement denial that she regretted their night together helped ease Kane's troubled heart. He had spent all day afraid that he had overstepped a major boundary, or he had somehow put Tamsyn off with something he'd said or did. When she shook her head and explained that she not only didn't regret anything, but that she'd also been thinking about it all day, it brought a knowing smirk to the brute's lips, a roguish gleam in his eyes while he stared back into those beautiful mint eyes she wore so normally as if they weren't the most breathtaking eyes a wolf had ever had. He had also spent most of his downtime thinking back on their mostly sleepless night, remembering every touch and smell and sound and taste in intimate detail. She apologized, but still seemed to be having difficulty explaining what she was sorry about. He didn't push her, instead letting her take all the time she needed to collect her thoughts while he hung on her every word silently.

Eventually, the explanation came out, and for all his fears and doubts, it was actually a legitimately good reason for Tam's secrecy. She explained how she hadn't wanted her children to find them, especially so soon after losing their other mother, how her son Artorias wouldn't take it well, and how she didn't want to expose them to anymore confusion and hurt feelings. He nodded his head in understanding, turning his paw to better receive Tamsyn's smaller one as it reached for him, holding her paw in his own while marveling at the size difference and how sleek and rich her raven black fur appeared next to his mahogany brown. The corners of his lips curled up in a faint smile, and his eyes were immediately seeking hers out again when she apologized again for not explaining things to him sooner, and for ducking out so rapidly in the morning, and emphasizing that she hadn't regretted their actions, but rather the location.

"You can stop apologizing, Tam, I'd already forgiven you when you said you didn't regret me," he replied with a crooked grin and a warm chuckle. He returned the gentle squeeze to her paw, refusing to let go of it, even when she tried to offer him an easy out. They could end things before they began, go their separate ways, and be nothing more than heartbroken acquaintances with one good memory. But Kane was a selfish bastard when it came to the wolves he liked. Tamsyn had already inserted herself into his life, left a permanent imprint on his mind, his heart, and his soul. It was impossible to tell how things might progress, or if they would, but Kane knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he didn't want to walk away from this special little fae that was giving him the saddest smile and rueful eyes that it crushed his beating heart.

Squeezing her paw again, Kane leaned his head down while bringing her paw up to lay a gentle kiss across her foreleg since he couldn't quite reach her from where he was lying. "It might take some work to navigate your family, but I think you're worth any effort it takes, Tamsyn," he said in his low, husky baritone, giving her a relaxed smile, content just to have her close by again. "Last night was the best night I'd had in years, and it's all thanks to you. You made me feel..." Good. Desirable. Loved. They all fit, but one word summed them all up nicely. "...alive." That was what Tamsyn had done. She had taken away his pain, his heartache, his lust for revenge, his singular focus and made him feel ways he hadn't felt since Tiva died. He could never put into words what she had done for him or how she had brought him back to life, but he had a feeling that the little black fae was probably familiar with the feeling as well, given her own recent loss.

"If it's better, and you still want to, we can find other ways to have more nights like that in private. We can restrict infirmary time to paw holding and sharing a bed, and maaaaaybe we could swing some more kisses if you really want." He grinned, then suddenly realized how that might have come across and rushed to do damage control. "I mean, I know we said it would be a one-time thing, and I don't think you're desperate or anything, because you're not! I just... I had a lot of fun, and it helped more than I thought it would, and maybe if you needed more of that to help with the heartache... Not that you're not coping just fine!" He flinched, peeking one hazel eye open to look at Tam with an awkward smile. "I'm really making a fool of myself, huh?" Despite tripping over his own words, he hoped Tamsyn understood what he had been trying to say. He was happy to be with Tam, happy to do things with her they both needed and wanted, especially since she was such a sweet, gentle, loving wolf and it was very, very easy to be attracted to her for that and so much more.

"Kane"

She relaxed some and breathed a sigh of relief when he told her that he forgave her once he heard that she didn't regret being with him. It was easier to grin when she had his to mirror. It didn't feel like they had just met just a little more than a day ago. Being around him was oddly easy and comfortable and the only reason she could figure out as to why was just the warm, welcoming air he had around him. He was incredibly charming and as he squeezed her paw and continued to hold it she found herself getting lost in those hazel eyes again. Perhaps she needed to be more careful and discrete while she tried to decide if this connection between them would end up growing to a point where she wanted him more permanently in her life, but he offered a reprieve and a companionship at the very least that she had been craving. That alone was worth its weight in gold to the widow.

He pulled a grin to her lips as he brought her paw up to his lips to give her foreleg a kiss, her heart fluttering at even that small, gentlemen-like affection. She loved listening to his low voice as he spoke of navigating her family, surprising her when he said that she was worth all of the effort. She had thought that perhaps their time together had effected her so dramatically and so noticeably because of the grief she was still trying to process, justifying to herself why she was constantly thinking about the night before and constantly thinking about him. Hearing him say that she made him feel alive struck a chord in her and her expression softened with a genuine smile. She knew exactly what he meant. It perfectly described how she had felt as well. Part of her had died with Resin, but he made a different part of her feel alive. A new part that he had uncovered. She smirked as he talked about how they might adjust the when and where of their affections and was about to agree with him when he suddenly started trying to retrace his steps, giving amendments to what he said to clarify that he hadn't seen her as desperate and that she was coping fine, throughly putting his foot in his mouth by trying to take it out.

She laughed as he winced and said he was making a fool of himself, making her give him a wide grin and shake her head. "You are ridiculous, but not a fool, you silly wolf." She pulled her paw from his, but only so she could step close enough to gently press her muzzle to his in a light kiss, but even just that soft bit of affection reminded her of their night together and returned some of that warmth to her. "I would love all of that. The secret time, the paw holding, and maybe even the kisses, if you want." Chuckling, she gave him another quick kiss before glancing at his bandaged shoulder, looking back to him with a curious glance. "Do you think we could make it out to the plains if I help you? I feel like you could use some fresh air and perhaps we can find a secluded spot out there for some of this private time you've promised." She grinned shyly and her face flushed at her own boldness, not used to being so forward with something like this. Kane brought out a whole new side of her that was excited and nerve wracking at the same time.

Tamsyn Carpathius

Fortunately for his pride and ego, Tamsyn simply laughed at him tripping over his own words in a failed attempt to save face. Seeing that smile on her face made all embarrassment worth it though. When he saw her now, he saw this beautiful wolf with a smile that lit up the room and eyes that would make all the precious stones of the world envious. But when he had seen her in their first moment, he had seen sorrow and pain clouding those pools of minty green, the tiredness that spoke of weeks of restless nights, the forced smile she had become too accustomed to wearing to conceal the frowns. She had thoroughly broken his heart and simultaneously built the strongest commonality between them in that one moment. Now all Kane wanted to see was Tamsyn smile and laugh and be truly, genuinely happy for as long as his stay in the Hallows was to last. So far, he seemed to be doing all right.

Tamsyn stated that he was ridiculous, but not a fool, then came closer to close all distance between their muzzles, their lips meeting in a light kiss. They had shared a number of them last night, but this one tasted different. It still held remnants of need, but it was no longer driven by it like they both had been the night before, instead becoming softer, more intimate, wearing more heartfelt affection and emotion. Last night's kisses had been two wolves in raw states of pain looking to forget and to release. Tonight's kisses felt like she was kissing him because she wanted to, not because she needed it. It made the brute's heart do pleasant little palpitations when she said she would love all of what he could offer her and gave him another quick kiss. He chuckled back, flashing a playful grin to Tamsyn. "I would be heartbroken if you took away those kisses, little blackbird," he quipped back, making a dramatic show of his heart breaking and being in physical anguish before flopping "dead" to the bed, tongue hanging out his mouth and everything. He lay like that for a second before blinking up at Tam with a teasing grin.

Kane glanced to his shoulder and gave it an experimental stretch and roll, wincing if he moved it too much, but it was a damn sight better than it had been yesterday. She asked if he could make it out to the plains surrounding the castle for more of their special private time, and the brute's hazel eyes lit up like a bonfire. Kane didn't care if he had been told leaving this bed would mean certain death, if it would get him outside and alone with the lovely Tamsyn again, he would have crawled out to the plains, shoulder be damned! "By the moon and stars, yes please! I've been dying to get outside!" exclaimed Kane, already eagerly sliding his body to the edge of the cot and easing himself down to the cold stone floor. He kept his weight off of his injured leg for now, just getting used to the feeling of standing on his own paws again. The hunter was a little wobbly, still recovering from the blood loss, but most of the pain and the fatigue had passed by now.

He gave a wide, charming smile to the bold yet shy fae at his side. "Just promise you won't tell Gwynevere I'm sneaking out. To be honest, she scares me a little with how intense she is when she works. But I've never felt safer in another healer's paws!" He gave a rough chuckle under his breath, then leaned down to place a light kiss on Tamsyn's cheek, then another on her lips. "Whenever you're ready, Tamsyn, lead the way! I have no idea how to get out of this place!"

"Kane"

Tamsyn grinned and rolled her eyes at his dramatic show of dying without her kisses, giggling as she shook her head at this ridiculous dire wolf. She loved his humor though and it never seemed to fail to make her laugh and gods did she love when he called her his blackbird. Seeing the look he gave her when she mentioned getting him outside made her grin in response and it made her happy that she had offered even though her own motherly worry flared to life when he suddenly started working himself off of the cot and onto the floor. She readied herself to help keep him from falling if he needed it, but the large male found his footing and was only a bit wobbly as he kept the pressure off of his injured shoulder. She laughed again when he requested that they not tell Gwynevere since her daughter frightened him with her intensity. Laughter felt incredible after so many months of pain and sadness. Almost as good as he had made her feel the night before. "The secret is safe with me. I certainly don't want her mad at me for facilitating your escape!" Her tail wagged at his kisses, returning the one to his lips with a grin. "Alright, lets get you out of here!"

She led Kane out of the infirmary and down the corridor, keeping herself at his side to help support him as best she could while he hobbled on three legs. It was hard to do considering how much smaller she was than him, but when there was a will there was a way and they both most certainly had a will. Slowly they worked their way out of the castle entrance and out into the open, feeling the cool night air with a refreshing breeze. The sky was clear and the every star in the sky was clearly visible as they continued out into the Starlit Plains, the grasses brushing against their legs as they went. She found a spot pretty far from the castle near the stream that flowed through the territory, the quiet trickling of water combining with the soft sounds of insects that created the most peaceful atmosphere she could have asked for. The view of the stars from here had been one of the many things that had won her over when they moved to Auster and it had helped her get past the nostalgia and love she had held for their first home. This has ultimately been the best decision for the pack and had given their family such a wonderful home to grow up in, but a little part of her still missed the falls where her children had been born.

She made sure he got settled down before she settled herself beside him, leaning into his side with a smile. "You really love being outside, huh?" she questioned, remembering how relieved he had looked at the mere suggestion of getting him out of the infirmary after just a day and a half of being in there. She knew not all wolves enjoyed being inside the castle as they had grown accustomed to at this point, but it still made her curious if there was any particular reason behind his love of the outdoors in particular.

Tamsyn Carpathius

With Tamsyn's assistance, Kane limped his way down the dark corridors of the castle, slowly building his gait as he went. He found an easy loping to settle into that didn't put any strain on his shoulder, and soon enough they were crossing through the castle gates and out into the expansive fields surrounding the giant fortress. As soon as the cool night breeze hit his fur, Kane felt rejuvenated. A huge grin spread across his face as he swallowed a deep breath of fresh air, enjoying the warmer summer night. The breath released as a long, heavy sigh of relief, studying the terrain under the silver moonlight. The plains were a lot larger than he remembered them being—but then again, the only time he'd seen them was moments before he collapsed from blood loss. It was so quiet out here, with only the sounds of nocturnal insects and the breeze in the grass and trees keeping it from being entirely silent.

Kane followed Tamsyn's lead across the plains and down to a small stream. The trickling of flowing water felt like a cool drink to his psyche. Being back in nature, amongst the elements where he had been born, lived, and thrived felt right. Unbeknownst to him, the hunter hadn't stopped smiling since they'd left the castle. Not that he minded the shelter it provided, but being kept cooped up in a room on a small bed had been driving him mad! The two wolves walked down to the stream, Kane pausing to take in the serene surroundings. Between the crickets chirping, the babbling stream, and the occasional breeze rustling the soft grasses, everything felt lulled into a tranquil harmony. Fireflies danced around in the summer breeze like tiny stars themselves, while overhead the full moon cast everything in an almost ethereal veil of silver.

Kane felt right at home, and he easily settled down into the soft grass while Tamsyn joined him. He had still been admiring the natural world around them when she mentioned how he loved being outside. The brute cast a gleeful smile her way, and responded, "I do. I've lived my entire life out amongst trees and rocks, in caves or dens I've dug in the earth, beside streams and rivers and oceans... It's where I feel most connected to the universe." A glimmer of realization caused his eyes to widen, along with his smile, and he looked at Tamsyn as his tail began to wag. "Oh, and now I can do this again!" Locating the moon hanging large in the summer sky, Kane lifted his muzzle and let out a low, melodic howl that seemed to carry for miles around. His mellifluous tone ran for as long as he had breath in his lungs, the sound content and peaceful, until it faded off as he took a deep breath.

"Oh, you have no idea how good it feels to be able to do that," he said with a chuckle, then lifted his muzzle to sing another howl to the night. He wasn't concerned with waking anyone back at the castle. They were a good distance away, he wasn't being too loud, and even if someone heard, it wouldn't be unusual for a pack of wolves to hear howls. But by the sun, moon, and stars, did it feel good to let his soul sing to the heavens again! His paws flexed, running through dirt and grass, reveling in the feelings of it under his toes. As his howl ended again, Kane began to relax more readily, leaning his bigger form against Tamsyn's while he snuggled a little closer to her. "Whew, sorry about that, I had to get caught up," he said with a grin, hazel seeking mint in the intimately dim moonlight. "Do you like being outside, Tam, or are you solidly a queen of the castle?" He gave her a teasing smirk, but his jest was also laced with genuine curiosity. Now was a great time for them both to learn more about the other—without immediately colliding into one another's arms in a fit of passion and desperation.

"Kane"

She grinned as she listened to him speak about the outdoors with such a wonderful reverence that was lovely to take in. She couldn't remember ever feeling so strongly about something like that besides her family. Listening to him talk about living out in nature and how he felt connected to the universe through it made her look at their surroundings in the quiet plains differently and she wished she could see it all through his eyes. She cast him a curious glance when he mentioned being able to do something again, soon replacing that curiosity with confusion and surprise when he suddenly howled at the moon, a long, melodic sound that was deep and lovely... but still a bit confusing. She watched him with a small grin, still curious about what it was all about when he paused, taking a breath and admitting how good it felt to be able to howl at the moon again. He certainly was an interesting one, wasn't he?

As he relaxed after his second howl she still didn't really understand any why behind it, but it genuinely seemed to calm him and he snuggled closer to her so she certainly wouldn't complain. She chuckled at his apology and grinned back at him, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "No need to apologize for something you enjoy." Her eyes met his and she felt a smile pulling across her lips as she took in his hazel gaze again. He really did have such handsome eyes. She chuckled softly at his question and gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I enjoy both, though I don't guess I've ever really considered it as much as you have." She gave him a curious tilt of her head, asking, "Is that something that is part of the wolves you were with before?" That's when a memory from the night before of something that she hadn't gotten a chance to ask about came back to her and her brows lifted, starting to connect a few dots on her own. "You said Tiva's name was of the Meadows... Does the love of nature go along with your names?"

Tamsyn Carpathius

He shot Tamsyn another sheepish grin when he realized he had startled her with his howling. Yeeeah, he probably should have given her some sort of heads up beforehand now that he thought about it. Oops. Well, thankfully she didn't seem taken aback by it, more bewildered by him than anything, and probably thinking he was more ridiculous than ever. His grin turned to a warm smile when she reached up to kiss his cheek, making him hum happily under his breath before seeking out her gorgeous mint eyes again, the two of them spending several long moments just looking into one another's souls. A pang of guilt hit his heart; he didn't want to feel like he was taking advantage of a grieving widow's emotional vulnerability, no matter how beautiful she was, both inside and out. Were they getting too comfortable too fast? Their meeting had certainly been a supernova of extreme emotional purge, but did that set the tone for the rest of their relationship, or was it a fleeting moment of weakness?

Kane gave a thoughtful hum as he considered Tamsyn's response. She was so laidback, so easygoing, and so easy to connect with. Maybe that was why he kept getting lost in her presence, in her spirit, in her being. She tilted her head and asked him about his howling, and Kane's ears bent backward in bashfulness. "Ah, yeah," he admitted, then went on to explain, "My tribe—my pack—we always try to stay connected to the earth, to the sun, the stars, the moon, and the universe. All living things are made of the same universal energy, which is why we are all connected in the grand scheme of life. We have the same beginning and the same end, and it's a cycle that never ends, as eternal as the earth, moon, stars, and sun." He blinked a couple of times, suddenly aware that he was rambling a bit. "That's our beliefs, at least. I know every wolf has their own thoughts on life and creation and death and afterlives... But we're much more simple. All a part of a universal energy that breaks off to create life. That is why we sing our praise to the moon and stars, to thank the universe for giving us life and to let it know we are still here." He rolled his shoulders in a little shrug. "That's a very basic simplification of my beliefs though. It's a little more elaborate, but I don't wanna bore you or preach to you."

Tamsyn then asked about Tiva's full name, and wondered if it had to go along with their love of the natural world. Kane gave a short chuckle and shook his head, locking gazes with her again with a charming smile, bearing every tooth and saber fangs. "Good guess! It's a lot more simple than that, actually. My tribe did not believe in the creation of families or sects. Since we all come from the same universe and our souls are all connected, we felt it divided us, so the tribe was the family, from the eldest to the youngest, regardless of blood relation. Our first names are the names given to us by our parents, but our surnames are based on the places we were born." He shifted on the grass to better face Tamsyn, wanting to take in all of her while he explained his pack's traditions and his past to her. "You remember how I said we were a nomadic pack? Well, that's how we all got different surnames. Wherever the pups are born is where the universe chose for them to enter the world, and we remember it through our names. Tiva and her littermates were born in a vast meadowland, hence Tiva of the Meadows. My mother was Pavati of the Sea and my father was Nuka of the Canyon.

"The faes in my tribe were all obsessed with getting the perfect names for their pups, so you'd see them all try to plan when they'd want to get pregnant when we plotted out where our travels would take us. Naturally, faes who wanted to have strong names for boys would wait until we traveled through places like mountains or ridges to start breeding, and likewise those that wanted sweeter sounding ones for daughters would try to aim for births around fields and coasts." A cheeky grin took over his face as he snickered. "It's not a perfect science, of course, and they never know if they'll have sons or daughters, so sometimes you get the unfortunate boys getting names like 'of the Flowers' or the daintiest little girls called 'of the Caverns'." Giving Tamsyn a proud smirk, he raised a paw to his chest. "You're lying next to Kaneonuskatew of the River. Take a guess where I was born."

"Kane"

Tamsyn wore a contented smile as she snuggled in beside him to listen as he began to explain how his tribe viewed their connection to everything around them, the energy that connected them, the cycle that had no beginning or end. When he tried to say how he didn't want to bore her, she quickly shook her head and smiled a bit more brightly. "You're not boring me at all. I like hearing about your beliefs and your life." She had always enjoyed seeing other perspectives on things like this or even just how others lived their lives. After rejecting everything she was taught growing up it had left her a blank slate to form her own decisions on things and adapt to the wolves she found in her life so even just hearing how he and his tribe viewed life was incredibly fascinating and enlightening.

Then he went on to explain the origin of their last names and how they didn't believe in specific groups of family by name the way that many of the wolves around here did. It was slightly more similar to how the wolves she had grown up with had done things, though they didn't have any sort of surname, just their first names distinguishing them. Her family and their pack had also been less spiritual in their reasons - instead stripping their last names away to force them to see each other as equals and not have hard lines between who could be chosen as mates. She gave an interested hum as he explained that their names simply came from where they were born - listening of a few examples of his late partner, mother, and father. Meadows, Sea, Canyon... She liked the ring of their names and nodded quietly as she continued to listen.

She grinned as he told her about the mothers that would try to get specific names for their children, giggling and smiling wider with amusement when he mentioned how their plans would sometimes backfire. She tried to imagine what it would be like to be pregnant and traveling like that... Pregnancy hadn't exactly been a pleasant experience for her, especially not since she had such a large litter with most of her pups being fairly large as well. Especially toward the end it had been about all she could do to just get in and out of their den back then. Of course she would have done it all again to have her children with her, but it was still hard to imagine traveling through mountains or caverns or fields just to get a preferred name for their pups.

She gave him a curious look when he raised his paw to his chest and announced his full name, making her blink with surprise and confusion as he listed of what seemed like the longest name of all time, following it up with "of the River" for his surname. She tried to reform the name in her mind and after a moment of struggling she chuckled, giving him a quizzical glance. "Alright, "of the River" I got. That makes sense, born by a river, got it. But what was your first name? Kaneon... Kaneaus..." She gave up after a few half hearted tries, giggling softly again, her tail wagging gently and brushing against his thigh.

Tamsyn Carpathius

It was impossible for him to resist busting out laughing when Tamsyn gave him the most bewildered look when he said his full name to her. Bless her heart, she still tried to pronounce his impossible first name, failing miserably as many did before she surrendered to the absurdity of it. "I know, I think my mother hated me or something. I got the longest name in my litter," he said with a rumbling laugh. "It's Kaneonuskatew. Kan-e-on-u-ska-tew." He broke his name down phonetically for her, realizing it probably wouldn't help much. and just gave a little wave of his paw. "It's why I always go by Kane. Shorter, simpler, easier. Then nobody has to struggle trying to pronounce my name." He almost jumped a little when he felt her tail swish against his thigh, leaving a pleasant tingle where it touched. He shot her a sly grin, leaning closer to place a soft kiss against her lips. "I do appreciate you trying my name, but Kane is more than fine," he remarked.

His bushy tail began to wag happily behind him, finding and entwining with hers while they wagged and the two wolves snuggled together in the warm summer evening. He realized he was staring at Tamsyn again, looking over her beautiful face, her breathtaking eyes, her radiant smile, but he couldn't help himself. She was a gorgeous wolf, made even more beautiful and interesting by the scars that lived on her face and her leg. "You're very beautiful, Tamsyn," he said after a long pass of silence between them. He reached up with a careful paw to caress her right cheek, using the pads of his paw to lightly trace the edges of the fresh scars around her eye. "The Universe took her time when she made you." The corner of his lips pulled upward in a warm, affectionate smile.

"Would you like to hear more about my tribe's beliefs?" he asked, looking to keep their moment of open sharing going, savoring every second he had outside and alone with Tamsyn. "I'd be happy to share them with you. And... I realize you didn't have the greatest life growing up, but whatever you're willing to share, I'd like to learn about you as well." A softness in his hazel eyes tried to convey that she could share whatever she felt comfortable sharing with him. Whether it was nothing or everything or someplace in between, he wanted to know more about the bewitching black fae that had haunted his mind and taken over his thoughts.

"Kane"

She grinned and chuckled when he talked about his mother giving him the longest name - something she believed without a doubt. She thought about the names they had given their children and could at least take solace in the fact that they were at least easy to pronounce. Coming up with five names hadn't been easy, but she was happy with each and every one. She wondered if there was a reason or a meaning behind a name like Kaneonuskatew - and wondered what the rest of his siblings were named in comparison. "Kan-e-on-u-ska-tew," she repeated back as he sounded it out, slow and struggling to connect the syllables together with a laugh. "Well, at least it shortens nicely to Kane!" She hummed happily when he pressed a kiss to her lips, returning his grin with one of her own. "Kane it is then," she told him when he insisted the nickname would do just fine. Perhaps she'd have to give his full name a bit more practice just to be able to say it in case the occasion ever came up that she needed it and as a little personal challenge to herself.

She grinned up at him with happiness in her mint gaze, giggling softly as their tails entwined together and they fell into a comfortable silence while gazing at each other. She took in his handsome, strong features, his captivating hazel eyes, the scars that crossed his face and seemed to fit his features perfectly to accentuate them. If she was being honest, his looks came second to his kind, generous heart caught her attention first. His rugged appearance was simply a perk of this striking wolf that had so easily worked his way into her thoughts. Her smile widened with a shy flick of her ears when he complimented her, leaning into his touch when he brought a paw to her cheek to gently trace her scars. She loved the way he looked at her, the way he smiled, his complements making her heart flutter and skip in her chest. "Thank you," she whispered softly, turning her head just enough to give the ankle of the paw on her cheek a gentle kiss.

He gave them some options of how to keep their conversation and sharing going, which she appreciated since her own mind was already trying to take her back to the previous night they shared together instead. He brought her back to the present and kept her from claiming his muzzle in a kiss right away. She was genuinely enjoying getting to know more about him and learning more than just his body - though her desires were incredibly tempting. She was a bit conflicted about sharing her upbringing simply because it was never memories she enjoyed revisiting, but she wanted him to get to know her too. It was nice having their sharing be a two way street. "I'd love to hear more about your tribe. Why don't we can take turns sharing like we did last night? I like getting to know you." He let her paw rest over his foreleg, gently tracing back and forth over the scars that crossed it while she tried to think of something from her own life to tell him.

"Now... keep in mind that there's pretty much nothing of my upbringing that I still follow... but I don't mind sharing it either way," she told him, as if she really needed to give any of it that sort of clarification. "We weren't a formal pack the way that The Hallows is with ranks and designated roles and all of that, but we did have one wolf that was designated as the leader and he was supposed to be the guide and teacher of the religion they followed. I don't really remember or know much about the religion itself... I wasn't allowed out of the den much, even to go to sermons. My father didn't trust me to behave so he started keeping me away from everyone else as much as possible." She shrugged softly, giving a glance down at the many, many scars her father had left on her leg. She didn't dwell on it - Kane had already heard that part of her story.

"I do know that they more or less just started using that religion as an excuse to treat women the way they did. The teachings got contorted over the years. It changed from the men should protect the women to the men should own them. It changed from the women should focus on being mothers to that's all they are good for." She sighed, a frown pulling at her lips. "I'm glad I got out of there, even if it took my father nearly killing me to do it. I... I do think about the other women still trapped there sometimes. There were a few that fully bought into that kind of treatment, but most of us didn't. I don't know if I could even find my way back there at this point, but sometimes I think about what it would be like to go back and fight them out of there." It was a dream that would never come to fruition, a wish brought on by a survivor's guilt she didn't like to address, but it was part of her story all the same.

She pulled a smile back onto her lips and looked up at him again, already looking forward to hearing more about his tribe and the tales that would most certainly be brighter and more pleasant than hers. "Your turn."

Tamsyn Carpathius

A soft hum of delight came from the timber-hued brute when Tamsyn turned her muzzle to gently kiss the ankle of his foreleg, her tender affection making his pulse quicken. She seemed to like the idea of getting to know one another more, which he was happy to participate in with her. They had both enjoyed the physical pleasures of their bodies the night before, and while he was more than eager to indulge in those carnal delights and releases again, Tamsyn deserved more than to be treated as an outlet for his sexual desires. He wanted to form a genuine relationship with this amazing fae, and if at the end of it she only wanted to engage in casual sex with him, then at least he could be comfortable knowing they had tried and this was what they were to be. Tamsyn suggested they take turns sharing information and stories, and a delighted smile touched Kane's face as he readily agreed. That would be more fun that one of them dominating the entire conversation.

He let Tamsyn take the lead, watching while she idly played with his foreleg and the scars that lined his skin there. Even this little innocent touch left static tingling across his skin. She began her story by warning him that there was nothing from her early life that she followed or practiced, and it made him curious as to how bad her upbringing had really been. He didn't have to wonder long though, as Tamsyn began to detail the structure (or lack thereof) in her birth pack, different from the Hallows, but very similar to his own brith pack. One wolf led, governed, and guided the pack while the rest were all on equal terms. That was familiar to him, and he nodded his head in understanding. He couldn't keep from smirking and chuckling under his breath when Tam explained that she didn't know much of the pack's religion because her father didn't trust her to behave outside of their home. Hazel eyes twinkled mischievously as he imagined a much younger Tamsyn rebelling whenever she could. The thought was more than amusing to him.

However, that was where the smiles and humor ended. He followed Tamsyn's mint eyes down to the rows of scars on her foreleg, the smirk slipping from his lips while he recalled what she had told him about her father and brother last night. That smirk was further pulled into a frown when Tamsyn explained how her pack saw and treated women as property with their only function being sexual pleasure for the men and to have children. His gaze darkened a touch when she mentioned wishing she could go back and liberate the other faes from the pack, wondering how they must be suffering in that oppressive misogynistic society. It was survivor's guilt, plain and simple, but it didn't make her feelings any less valid. It sounded like Tamsyn had been lucky when she got out, even if it had almost cost her her life. "I'm sorry you had to endure such things, Tamsyn," he spoke with soft empathy once she had finished. It didn't feel like enough, but he was at a loss for what else to say or do.

Without a word, Kane leaned closer to press his side into Tamsyn's, his muzzle snuffling through the short fur on top of her head and placing a soft kiss between her ears. "I'm glad you got out of there. I can't imagine what life would have been like there for you." The sweet smile on her lips swiftly drove away the clouds from his eyes though, and when she passed the game back over to him, Kane chewed on his lip while he thought about what to tell her from his tribe. "Hmm... Well, since you never got to learn your family's religion, how about I tell you my family's beliefs?" he suggested. It had been such a long time since he'd told the stories of their origins to anyone, and the first time he'd ever tell them to someone outside his tribe. "When wolves in my tribe are pups, we are told this story of our creation and the cycle of Life and Death, and the balance in the universe. It's the crux of our spiritualism, and it does require some participation from you too." He grinned at her; if she wanted to know about his tribe, then he was going to treat her like she was a part of it.

Slowly pulling his paw out from beneath hers, Kane rested his larger paws over top of Tamsyn's, feeling the warmth of her underneath his touch. Doing his best to not get distracted by how soft her fur felt mingling with his or how tiny and delicate her paws seemed under his massive feet, Kane leaned closer and gave the edge of her ear a teasing nip before whispering into it, "Close your eyes." He waited until Tamsyn had followed his instructions, waving a paw in front of her face to verify before settling it back over her paws and continuing. "I told you about how all living things are created by this one universal energy that we simply call the Universe. It is why we are all connected and all similar, no matter where we come from or what families we belong to. Every wolf shares the same spirit. It is our experiences and our journeys that shape that energy into the spirit specific to ourselves." He paused for a moment to let Tamsyn take in the words he spoke, listening to her breathe for a moment.

"I want you to imagine the sun. A giant mass of warmth and light. That is the Universe. Not literally, but just like that. An endless mass of energy that exists all around us, uniting us in this world." He gave Tamsyn a moment to get the mental picture in her head. "Along with the Universe, there are two wolves: a lady as white as snow and as delicate as glass, and a brute black as night, large and burly. These are Life and Death, the light and shadow in our world. They cannot exist without one another, and they are always together for they are lovers, a mated pair forever bound to the Universe." Again Kane gave Tamsyn a moment to create the picture. "At the beginning of the world, there was only Life and Death. They existed together in harmony, basking in the energy of the Universe. But as time went on, Life became lonely. So she drew some energy from the Universe and shaped it into the first wolf, giving it her own energy and placing it amongst the stars. So happy was she as she watched her creation explore the world, run through the woods, swim in the streams, that she created another, and then another, and so on and so on, making more and more creatures to inhabit this world.

"But the more she created, the more energy she used, and over time, Life became weaker and more frail. Her mate, Death, pleaded for her to stop, but Life was tenacious. She could not stop creating; it was what she existed to do. Death knew that if he allowed her to keep creating without limit, she would destroy herself. Fortunately for her, Death is a jealous lover and incredibly protective. As the wolves Life made grew older, or got sick, or were too gravely injured, Death began to come to the world and reclaim their energy, recycling it and bringing it back to the Universe. By doing so, he gave Life some of her energy back, revitalizing her and allowing her to continue to create." Still making sure Tamsyn's eyes were closed as he told her their story of creation, Kane shifted slightly to better face her, a delighted grin on his face. "This is the balance our world exists in. Life gives her energy to us as we are born, we shape that energy into our spirits throughout our lives, and when our time here is done, then Death comes to take our spirits back to Life. And the cycle continues on forever. It is why Death is not feared nor grieved when he comes for us. It is the final journey we all must take before we return to the Universe to either exist among the stars, or return to this world anew."

Keeping quiet and moving slowly, Kane brought a paw up beneath Tamsyn's chin, and if she offered no resistance, he would gently tilt her chin up until he had her facing up towards the starry heavens. "Open your eyes," he spoke softly, waiting until she had done so and was gazing at the millions of glistening diamonds in the sky above them, swirling, twirling, dancing with light. "Every star you see above you is a spirit that has rejoined the Universe. They watch over us, over the ones they loved when they were here. That is why our prayers are songs to the moon and stars. We sing for our loved ones that have gone back to be with Life, and we sing to Life for giving us our spirits and putting us here."

A soft smile spread across his face. He let Tamsyn absorb everything, from the stars and galaxies in her eyes to the pictures he had painted in her head. The story of Life and Death was one so central and impactful in his culture, it was often an emotional shock to a lot of younglings fresh to the idea of spiritualism. He had a hunch that this story might be even more impactful to her now, still fresh off the loss of her mate, and while he didn't want to open any healing wounds, he had no doubt that her mate would be amongst the stars, watching over her. "Would you like to try singing with me?"

"Kane"

Tamsyn smiled softly when he gave his sympathies for what she had been through, giving another small shrug. She knew she wasn't the only one to suffer injustices and she knew there were plenty of others that had suffered even more than she had. Even her own sister in law had raped again and again by her brother so even wolves coming from similar situations could suffer differently or worse. She didn't necessarily try to minimize the trauma she endured, but she didn't like to bring attention to it either unless someone was genuinely curious the way he was. Otherwise she tried to just pretend that it never happened. She felt like a different wolf than she had been back then and she was fine leaving it that way. She leaned into his touch when he nuzzled the top of her head and placed a kiss between her ears, his affection making her genuine smile return in earnest.

At the suggestion that he tell her about his families beliefs instead and she looked up at him with interest, nodding eagerly. She was throughly enjoying listening to all of the layers and pieces of his life as they were revealed to her so she was sure this was no exception. She readily closed her eyes and smiled when she felt his paw over hers. As he spoke, he painted a vivid scene behind her eyelids with his story that completely captured her attention. The universal energy of the universe, a huge mass of energy like the sun. A small, white female and a massive, burly male. Life and Death. She smiled as she imagined these two wolves together, bound to the universe and to each other, a mated pair. It was hard to not think about Resin in that moment, her mate that was now lost to her, but she quickly ignored the thought to focus on his story instead. She liked thinking about Life being the mother of the wolves that lived here now, taking a piece of herself each time she brought another into the world. Perhaps she resonated with that more than Kane might because that was genuinely what it felt like being a mother. A little piece of herself and her heart went with each of her children.

Her smile shifted into a concerned frown when he described how Life gave too much of herself away, causing herself to become weak despite Death pleading with her to stop. That smile returned though as he went on to explain how Death would collect the energy from the wolves that passed to bring it back into the universe, creating the cycle of energy so that Life could continue to create. It was a beautiful story and it started to shift and change how she thought about death, making her question the pain and loss she felt from Resin's death as he spoke. She felt Kane shift a bit, but she kept her eyes closed, still picturing these two wolves who were opposites, but two pieces of the same whole. She had always known that death was inevitable, but to think about the possibility that it wasn't really an end, but instead fed into a larger universe to continue the cycle of life... It was a far more comforting way to think about what she had so recently experienced.

Emotion had already been welling up in her chest when she felt his paw gently move her chin, tipping her head up toward the sky. She did as he said and blinked open her eyes, finding herself looking up at an expanse of glittering stars. She looked at those stars that he described as all of the spirits that had gone back to the universe, watching over them, the reason for the prayers and howls he did. She stared at those stars with a strange mix of emotion and peace, a heavy lump in her throat as she thought about Resin being one of those stars watching them. She had never really been one to lean on spiritual things like this, but after being worn down to nothing the way she had been over the last few months it almost felt like any sort of small comfort or reframing of her thoughts was a blessing.

She glanced at him when he asked if she wanted to try singing with him, blinking away the small tears that had formed in her eyes without realizing it. He was a fantastic story teller, his deep, soothing voice leading and guiding her effortlessly through each part of the story and making it easy to believe. She nodded in agreement after a moment and followed his lead, lifting her muzzle toward the sky again to let her howl join his this time, her ears falling back against her head as more tears collected in her eyes. It was a low, mournful sound, but it did make her chest feel a little lighter when they were done. She missed Resin every single day. It was still hard to lay in their bed or even be in their room without her. It was hard to walk around the castle and see places where she would usually find Resin and not find her there. Thinking about Resin no longer having to suffer, knowing that she had died fighting for them instead of locked in a cell, imagining her as a star in the sky instead of lost to an unknown void... It was comforting. It let her pull a smile onto her lips as she leaned her head into Kane's neck, nuzzling thankfully into his fur.

She was quiet for a while after that, just absorbing everything that he had told her and replaying the story in her mind over and over. It made her think of all the times that she had been near death and all of the times she had thought about taking her own life. She had often wondered as a young wolf why she couldn't just die and escape the torment and now she wondered if Kane's story was true. Had Death been watching her, deciding that it wasn't her time again and again? She sighed softly as she pulled herself back to the present, nuzzling her face into his neck again, finding so much comfort in his warmth and his presence. She hadn't meant to find comfort from her mourning in him, but somehow that's what it had became. She realized that it was now her turn to share again and she started trying to pick a part of her life that she could reveal to him in exchange. It wouldn't be anything nearly as beautiful or thoughtful as the story of his family's beliefs, but she liked sharing with him. She liked seeing his reactions and almost explaining in a way why she was the way she was.

He knew the story behind the scar on her neck, how her father had put her close to death and sent her away, so she decided to pick up from there and move away from the darker events of her younger years. "After I got away from my family," she began softly, still leaning into him heavily and looking up toward the stars. "I started traveling and searching for... something. I didn't really know what I was looking for. I didn't trust anyone and I was afraid of any of my family finding me again so I just kept moving and traveling until I ended up in Boreas. I was very suicidal back then. I thought about dying a lot. I didn't know how to defend myself or take care of myself because I had never been allowed to learn. I never got up the courage to actually attempt to take my life, but I thought about it nearly every day." She scoffed softly at herself, giving a small shake of her head. "All throughout my pup hood I thought I wanted to get out and away from my family. I thought if I could do that then I wouldn't want to die any more. Somehow, after I did get away, I almost wanted to die more. But I started exploring more, started figuring out how to hunt small game that at least kept me fed well enough. It got a little easier to be on my own, but I was still afraid."

She paused, thinking of one of the most pivotal moments in her life, her gaze distant as she thought about it. "One night I was on a cliff, walking along the edge. Imagining what it might be like if I just tipped over a little bit more to one side. That's when a lady named Zee found me. She coaxed me back away from the edge, took me back to her pack, gave me a home. Living in the Armada saved me. Zee's husband Sirius taught me to fight and defend myself. That's where I met Resin, where we fell in love. I got to be a General and a teacher..." She grinned a little glancing at him with a chuckle. "Me. Teaching others how to fight. I thought Sirius was crazy when he gave me the job." Tamsyn shook her head softly and laughed, remembering the first training she had taught back then. She'd been so uncertain and so insecure. But she had loved it and Resin had been so supportive. "The first training I led I remember Resin coming up to kiss me in front of everyone and I had been so embarrassed and flustered by it! We had just gotten together so even kisses were still very new to me and it just caught me off guard. But I loved it. I loved her." She gave Kane a sad smile, looking up into those handsome hazel eyes, knowing he would understand.

Tamsyn Carpathius

Kane had been watching Tamsyn's expressions throughout his storytelling, gauging her reactions to see how she took the stories he had to share. He was walking a delicate line between telling her about him and who he was and trying to not come across as preachy. It wasn't like he was trying to force his beliefs on her or convert her to his spiritualism, after all. But Tamsyn was in such a vulnerable state, so hurt and looking for any sort of comfort and relief that maybe, just maybe, hearing about another perspective on life, death, and the afterlife might give her what she was looking for. When she finally opened those breathtaking mint-green eyes and stared up at the stars, it was with the same wonder he had seen on the faces of so many young pups hearing this story for the first time as well. It made him smile, watching the emotional purge she was going through. She looked at him when he invited her to sing with him, seeing crystalline tears hovering in the corners of her eyes, knowing he had drawn them out. While he hadn't intended to make her cry, he supposed it was probably exactly what she needed—a few happy emotional tears to drown out the heartbreak and sorrow.

When Tamsyn nodded in wordless answer to his offer, Kane gave her a warm, reassuring smile and shifted back to press his entire side around her, using his larger size to curl his hind end around hers and cradle her body into his. "There's no wrong way to sing to the Universe. Just let whatever emotions and sounds in your heart come out," he explained. Kane tipped his muzzle toward the stars and moon and released a long, light howl into the night. He sang for his joy of being outside and singing again, for being able to share this moment with Tamsyn, and for the passion they had shared thus far. Tamsyn joined him then, her beautiful voice harmonizing with his, though her song was much lower pitched and more somber. Kane's ears flattened to his head and his heart wrenched a little; she had a much more fresh wound than he did, and it rang clear as a bell in her song. Shifting his tone, Kane's howl dipped down to match Tamsyn's pitch, his clear yet husky voice blending with hers into a single melody of heartache, loss, and comfort.

By the time their song ended, Kane noticed the tears falling from Tamsyn's face, but a small smile had taken residence on her lips as she leaned and nuzzled into his neck fluff. Returning her smile, he rubbed his muzzle against the top of her head, always willing to give his comforts where he could. The two of them stayed quiet for a little while after, Kane just enjoying the fresh air and the sounds of the summer night around them, from the singing stream to the chirping crickets. After a short interlude, Tamsyn picked up the conversation again and began to tel him about her journeys after her father had tried to kill her. She was looking up at the stars as she spoke, but all of Kane's attention was on the star leaning into his side right now, watching the heavens reflected in her eyes, taking in every bit of Tamsyn while she leaned into him. Her suicidal tendencies, her struggles to learn to survive on her own with nothing but her meager instincts... Every word of it broke Kane's heart yet also inspired so much awe in him for this strong little fae who had overcome the odds at every turn. No matter what life tried to do to crush her, she got back up and kept going. She was a survivor.

The soft smile returned to his face when Tam got to the part of the wolf named Zee that had saved her life, how she had found her place in a pack that was a distinctly different name from the one she lived in now, and how she had worked hard to better herself and become a warrior. She had met her late mate Resin in that pack and risen to what he assumed was a notably high rank and was given the job of teaching others how to fight. He chuckled softly along with her, although he could indeed see her being the teaching kind. He loved to teach and share his knowledge with others, and he could tell innate teachers right off the bat. Tamsyn fit that bill, no question. He gave another hearty laugh when she told the story of how Resin had flustered her during her first training lesson by kissing her in front of her class, a roguish grin flashing all of his teeth. He was somewhat sad he would never get to meet this wolf; Resin sounded like a character he would've gotten along with.

"You love her," Kane corrected her gently when she looked up at him with a sad smile. He glanced back up at the stars briefly. "Just because someone is no longer physically here with us means your feelings have to change. I will always love Tiva, even if I cannot be with her anymore. Just like you will always love Resin, because she was the first wolf you gave your heart to. Death forces us to move on, but the one thing Death cannot kill is our love." He gave Tamsyn a sympathetic smile, nuzzling against her cheek and placing a tender kiss on her forehead. "It is not wrong to still love someone who has passed, nor is it wrong to love others in your lifetime. A heart is not a single given gift. You are allowed to love others, Tamsyn, and you are allowed to be loved and be happy. I never met your mate, but I doubt a wolf that cared about you like Resin did would want you to spend the rest of your days longing for the past, missing the moments you have waiting for you."

Again, Kane was trying his best not to come across as preachy. He hated when others tried to apply their own rules and beliefs to you arbitrarily. But Tamsyn just seemed so lost, so alone, looking for something to hold onto in the wake of her loss and to fill the void Resin had left behind. It was clear to Kane that Tamsyn was not a wolf that did well when solitary. Her stories about her past and her behaviors and emotions he'd observed told him all he needed to know there. His large paws resting over hers gave a little squeeze, trying to bring a little bit of a cheerier smile to her face. She was stunning when she was happy, and he wanted to see that smile she wore so well again.

"Kane"

She blinked with a bit of surprise when he insisted that there shouldn't be a past tense on her love for Resin and was quiet as he explained how the absence from their lives didn't change the love they had for their lost loved ones. He would still love Tiva and she would still love Resin. The sweet, understanding viewpoint made her smile a little more easily. It was exactly what she had needed to hear. Kane always seemed to know exactly what to say, but not in a way that was just what she wanted to hear and wasn't just out of sympathy. She could tell he was genuinely speaking form the viewpoint of how he was raised and what he believed and it came across as incredibly sincere. She leaned into his touch when he nuzzled her cheek, smirking as he kissed the top of her head, enjoying his little affections.

When he went on to talk about how a heart could be gifted again and how Resin surely wouldn't have wanted her to spend the rest of her days longing for her past, she thought about the last real conversation she had with Resin. "Do not cry. Remember me as I was. When I am gone, move on. Find someone to be with that will give you the attention and respect that you deserve. You're far too loving. Far too beautiful to stay alone." It had all been incredibly hard to accept at the time and still was to an extent, but as she laid here curled into Kane's side, hearing him explain his perspective on the situation, she began to see how it might be possible. "I know she wouldn't," she agreed with a soft sigh, pulling another smile onto her lips. "She told me so the last time we were able to speak, before she was fully gone." She just wished the thought of moving on didn't hurt so much. She didn't want to feel like she was putting someone above Resin in her heart, but she wasn't really, was she? She was wanting to put someone at an equal place, not higher. It was like she had tried to explain to Artorias - she didn't love anyone more that Resin, just differently.

She felt him squeeze her paws and that caused her to refocus her gaze on his hazel eyes, a smile immediately pulling across her lips. She loved his eyes, his strong features, the scars that subtly framed his eye and roughed up his muzzle, the dark teal markings that outlined his eye, the feathers that fluttered in the breeze and occasionally flicked out past the side of his face. He really was a genuinely handsome male and to have these looks along with such a big heart and being so intelligent... She began to wonder just what the catch was with this incredible man. She tipped her muzzle up till her lips caught his gently, leaving a lingering, tender kiss there. It was hard to ignore how her heart skipped and flutters danced in her stomach every time they shared some kind of affection. As much as she tried to just explain it away as the physical attraction that was so incredibly obvious between them she was starting to wonder if there was something else there. "Thank you," she said softly as their lips parted, looking up at him again with a grateful smile. "I know you're just speaking from your experience and how you were taught, but... It helps a lot, all the things you told me. I've just... I've never really known how to process things like this and all of this feels a lot better than anything else I've tried."

Tamsyn Carpathius

For a little while after he'd finished talking, Tamsyn was quiet. Kane could see her eyes moving as the thoughts jumped about in her head, considering and weighing what he had said to her. She seemed to be making some sort of mental connections in the privacy of her mind. It wasn't until she mentioned how she knew Resin wouldn't want that for her did he understand. Resin had explicitly told Tamsyn to learn to move on and love others after her passing. Her late mate had been cognizant enough to realize her inevitable demise and had done her best to prepare her loved ones for the eventuality of what was to come. Tamsyn was still struggling with that part, but who could blame her? Her mate, the only wolf she had ever loved, had been so unjustly ripped from her life and her heart was shattered. Grief, sorrow, pain, and uncertainty were to be expected. "It sounds like she loved you very much and knew how you are," he noted. "She knew you well enough to keep you from being alone."

Kane kept his gaze focused on Tamsyn throughout their heart to heart conversation, watching while she studied him with this little smile on her face. He couldn't tell what was going on behind those mint eyes, but he supposed it didn't really matter, so long as she was smiling. She wore a smile so naturally that anything else just felt out of place. His hazel eyes left hers only to take in her striking features, the accents of white against otherwise endless black, mint-green jewels that looked out at the world with kindness. Her smaller, slender form tucked up perfectly against his, and despite her size, no part of her felt delicate or fragile, but was still distinctly feminine and flawless. Even her scars only enhanced her natural beauty, not blemishes but stories of triumph over the odds and survival, from the collection of cuts across her foreleg to the bites across her face. Tamsyn was the epitome of tenacity, and she was all the more beautiful and radiant for it.

She lifted her muzzle and caught his lips with her own, an action that he was fast becoming familiar with for all the right reasons, and was eager to kiss her back with the same tender affection she showed him. His heart raced, but whether it was from the physical touch or something stronger pulling at his soul, he couldn't tell. It was still too soon to say, and they were both coming from a place of pain, helping each other out of the dark and into the light. She thanked him, and he returned her smile with one of his own. "You're welcome, Tamsyn," he replied, leaning closer to place another soft kiss on the end of her nose. "I never knew how to handle grief or loss until I faced it either. In a lot of ways, I still don't. But I use what I know and what I feel to be the truth to help me through it. I'm just happy it cam bring you some peace too." His smile widened while he gazed into her eyes for a beat longer, then looked around their surroundings with a wider grin. "And thank you for bringing me out here. It means more to me than you know."

"Kane"

Tamsyn nodded with a smile when Kane reaffirmed how much Resin must have loved her to want her to move on when she was gone. She didn't know if she really appreciated how much Resin loved her or now much she had truly loved Resin until it was too late. She had gotten too used to Resin's constant, steady presence and had never considered how quickly she might be gone. It just put things into perspective and made her realize how much she truly needed company and companionship. Being alone let the darkness creep back into her mind and just having someone with her made such a difference. She gave all the credit to the individual wolves that helped her pull her out of her depression and away from her suicidal thoughts and she was sure she had been lucky with the fact that so many wolves she had lived with had her best interests at heart, but really the common theme was just the fact that she was no longer alone. That had made the difference for her after she had gotten away from her family that had tormented her and discovered that being on her own had hurt her more than helped.

The kiss he left on her nose made her grin, a bright happiness in her gaze as she peered up at him. He chased away all of her worries and loneliness so easily and it was very quickly becoming a feeling that she was growing addicted to. It was hard to believe that they had only met each other yesterday when it felt like they had known each other for ages. Maybe it was just how much they had shared with one another, but then again she had to wonder what had made her feel comfortable enough to share all of these intimate details about her life with him. It had just been so easy and right away she got the sense that there was no risk of ridicule or the overwhelming sympathy that she never wanted in response to her pain. He was just sympathetic enough to show that he genuinely cared and always seemed to know just what to say to reframe her thoughts into something more positive or at least bearable.

Her ears perked as she listened to his deep, rough voice rumble in return, telling her about the struggle he had also had with grief and how he was happy that what he believed could bring her some peace as well. Her smile matched his while they gazed at one another until his hazel eyes left hers for a moment to look around at their surroundings for a moment, thanking her for the bit of freedom she had given him. "You're very welcome," she replied with a chuckle, her tail brushing and entwining with his again. She reached up to kiss his cheek and pull his attention back to her, leaning into his side as that fluttering and warmth returned to her chest. "Maybe we can make this a regular thing then while you're still healing. I'll come help you out to the plains in the evening so you can have some time outside and... maybe we can spend some more time together like we did last night?" she asked with a shy grin, a little bit of that desire gleaming in her mint gaze.

Tamsyn Carpathius

Kane's attention was immediately brought back to the beautiful black fae snuggled close into his side when he felt her lips on his cheek. Hazel found mint, initially confused by the shyness in her expression while she mentioned making this a regular occurrence—until Tamsyn offered to spend some of those nights repeating what they had done the night before. Recognition lit up Kane's eyes and a knowing grin met the desire that filled her gaze. It was becoming very clear to him that Tamsyn's love language was physical affection, and that being alone made her feel much more than just lonely. He chuckled, a low rumbling laugh in his chest, and lifted a big paw to drape his foreleg across her shoulders to tug her more snugly into his embrace. "I'd like that a lot, Tamsyn," he replied, his muzzle finding its way to her ear and tracing the edge of her delicate skin with his fangs and little nibbles.

But before he let anything between them advance any further, Kane had to make something clear to both himself and her. "Tam, I just want you to know before anything else happens, I have no intentions of using you or taking advantage of you," he whispered against her ear, placing a small lick around the base of her ear. "I want this with you because I like you, not just because you're available." Tamsyn needed to know how he saw her. She wasn't easy, she wasn't desperate, she wasn't a whore, and she wasn't just something he was going to use for his purposes and disposed of. That wasn't the kind of brute Kane was. Last night had been out of wild emotions and need between the two of them—any further coupling would be because they both enjoyed and wanted it.

With his piece said, Kane tightened his foreleg around her side, keeping every inch of skin between him and Tamsyn pressed as close together as physically possible. He could feel her soft fur brushing his skin where their coats mingled, her spicy sweet scent filling his nose while he ran his muzzle along the back of her neck, nibbling along her scruff. A grumble of delight reverberated within his chest, feeling that warmth of desire swelling inside him again. Tamsyn still showed some shyness towards their outright desire and attraction, but he had a feeling that if he stoked that fire just a little bit inside her, he'd find that fae that was clinging to him and all over him he'd seen the night before. Now it was just like a game to try and find what would get her to react like that again.

"Wanna find out if the second time feels as good as the first...?" he suggested with a lustful, husky purr against the side of her neck. A sly grin had crept over his face while he teased the little black fae, nibbling along the skin on the side of her neck while his paw around her began to run delicate claws along her side.

"Kane"