Word had been sent out across the land about a festival of love. Fun, games, activities, and so much more! When the news had spread throughout the castle, Audra couldn't help but be excited. This would be more than a perfect chance for her and Tika to spend some bonding time away from the pack. It hadn't taken much convincing from her to get Tika to agree. So off they set toward Fern Gulley until they could see the arrangement of booths and flags. With a gentle smile on her face, Audra picked up her pace through the grass until they'd reached the entrance.

Coming to a slow walk, a quiet inhales of breath hitched in her throat as she took in the sights. Already there were lots of chatter and excitement racing around. She could hear loud squealing and laughter ringing into the air as the sun shone down giving way to clear weather and warm temperatures. "Oh, what should we do first?" She asked Tika as her one golden eye looks up to her girlfriend. "Everything looks so fun," her voice is barely over a whisper as they start walking through the crowd. A myriad of smells made her nose twitch and her stomach grumble. The games looked fun too. There was even fur painting and a couple of booths of gifts too!

"Audra & Avantika"

Avantika was at the festival. With Audra. While it was a bit nerve-wracking to leave the safety and vulnerability -- how it could be both at the same time was beyond her, but it was nonetheless -- of the Hallows territory, she couldn't bring herself to argue with Audra about it too much. She had her pack duties, but she also had a duty as a girlfriend. The Hallows had plenty of other wolves who could hold down the fort for a day. It would be all okay. She hoped. But she felt more and more dread begin to pool in a heavy weight in her stomach as every second passed.

She tried to force down the nerves, or at least hide them for Audra's sake, but her smile felt more and more fake as the seconds crawled by. How could she leave? Who knew what could happen while she was gone? Calm, she told herself. Breathe. But then, it would be just like the world for an attack to come the second she was away. Looking into Audra's eyes didn't help matters. One beautiful golden eye remained, but the other had been blackened and rendered useless by a force that Avantika couldn't stop. She didn't look at Audra's eyes much anymore. She hoped she didn't notice. "I don't know." To be honest, she couldn't concentrate much on looking around at the moment. Her mind was still home, worrying over her pack like a helicopter parent. She felt sick. "You decide."

"Speech"

Audra wasn't stupid. She knew that Tika worried, a lot. It was just a part of her that she accepted. Things had been different since the Long Night and especially after the raid on the Hallows. Tika was different. That wasn't lost on the petite girl that tried to enjoy the festival around them. Even with the laughter and shouts surrounding them, she could sense the rigidity of Tika's steps. Even when Audra had asked if there was anything Tika wanted to do, the answer had been clipped.

Furrowing her brow, Audra glanced over to Tika. Now, Audra wasn't a confrontational sort of wolf. She preferred peace and calm and all the good things in life. Bravery and forwardness weren't her things. But, at this moment, as she noticed the displeased expression upon her girlfriend's face, she knew this wasn't right. Halting her tracks, she turned to face Tika with a firm line across her lips instead of a smile. "L-Look, I-I appreciate you s-so much," her words stumbled as she fought to find the courage to speak.

"Y-you do s-so much more th-than protect the pack. Y-you p-protect me," tears started to brim around her eye that still worked. "I-I know th-this is hard for you, b-but I-I want y-you to know that I r-really appreciate you," Audra's tried to be confident and sincere as she fought back those tears. "O-our life h-has ch-changed so much, b-but my feelings haven't," she inhaled deeply now. The crowd around them disappeared as she focused solely on Tika. "Th-that day we met, my l-life changed f-forever and I wouldn't w-want it any different. I-I've fallen in love with y-you and I h-hope one day we can find a way to h-have pups together," it was then that the tear fell and her chin curled into her chest.

Audra wanted nothing more than to embrace Tika and wash away all the stress that her girlfriend felt. "Will y-you please try to e-enjoy today for me and we can h-head back tonight?" Her stressed tones pleaded as she tried to get the words out. Oh, how this had ended up exactly how she didn't want them to. Yet, the worries and concerns of her girlfriend were so much more than enjoying a stupid festival. Gritting her teeth together, Audra hoped Tika would find appreciation in her words and not be angry.

"Audra & Avantika"

Audra stopped suddenly and turned on Avantika. There, now she'd done it. She really had tried to keep Audra from noticing. She wanted to enjoy the festival and more than anything she wanted Audra to enjoy it too. But it hadn't worked, for all her efforts. She couldn't please everyone, no matter what she did. Either she was betraying her pack or her girlfriend. She had so much love for both of them, and yet nothing ever turned out like it should. It felt unfair. It was one of those indescribably... indescribably indescribable feelings; all she wanted to do was figure out some way to split herself in half and then again and again and again, no matter how much it hurt to tear her own body into pieces, so that she could somehow be everything good for every single thing she loved. If the world was fair, she'd be able to.

Audra's words made her feel even more like a disgusting little slug that had just killed a puppy. In other words, she felt loved. She had to be worthy of this love -- the love of her pack, her Audra, every single thing in the world. She felt horrendously grateful.

Her eyes pricked with tears as well. "I'm in love with you, too, Audra. I'm sorry, and I promise I'll try." Trying was all she'd been doing and it hadn't really worked, but it was also all she could do. She was going to have a good day today, even if she had to fight for it tooth and nail. She would try her absolute best. She grinned. "But I wasn't lying about having no idea what we should do first."

"Speech"

As the words left her mouth, she felt so horribly stupid. How was it fair for her to turn on Tika like that? To scold her in the middle of the festival? This place was supposed to be about love and all the good things in life. Yet, what she said needed to be said and she didn't regret that. Even more so when Tika's own eyes pricked with tears and promised that she would try to enjoy their time here. A gentle smile rested on her lips as she lifted her face to reach up as much as she could to place a light kiss on Tika's cheek.

When her paws rested flatly back on the ground, she huffed under her breath. "That's okay, I think I know what we should do," her voice lilted into a happier note as her face turned to glance around them. While there were many booths to choose from, one stood out in particular. Across a bench covered in a fine and colorful tapestry, crudely yet beautifully made jewelry was laid out. The gemstones glinted in the summer sun as if inviting her to draw closer to it. Moving her paws without another word, she knew her protective girlfriend would follow suit. No matter where she was, she knew Tika would be there for her.

Coming to a stop in front of the booth, the coydog behind it grinned gleefully with a clap of its paws. Their words chimed about how they were made and what each one meant. One particular necklace stood out to her with a leather strap and a medium-sized jewel the color of the setting sun on it. It would be perfect. "I can give you some mushrooms, the good kind, for that necklace," Audra murmured quietly to the coydog. They thought for a moment before nodding and accepting her trade. Clasping the necklace gently between her teeth, she turned toward Tika.

"For you, to know I'm always close to your heart," her words are soft as she holds out the necklace. "You, uh, might have to lean down a bit for me to help you get it on," Audra's cheeks flush as her tail wags behind her.

"Audra & Avantika"