She had thought her joke clever, even more so for having remembered the unimportant comment had been made at all, but it seemed Leon's own quick wit was still with him as well. He looked so somber, so worried by what he had needed to tell her, that for a moment she believed him. Smile slipping away under a worrying brow, the little grey wolf sighed on the inside. I take it back. I don't want to move now, she mentally protested, about ready to say as much aloud when she saw his composure slip, his lips twitch, and knew that it was a joke.

Still, it was impossible not to downplay that she had believed him, and so with a sheepish grin she relaxed again. At the suggestion of a new resting place, Ashtoreth nodded her agreement. "Yeah. So did I," she answered, glancing around and way from them across the plains. How far could they get today without pushing themselves past their limits? How far away was the rest of the Valhalla, if they were even somewhere out there to begin with? The weight of their circumstances seemed to settle heavily over her shoulders, but she attempted not to let it show. They were both in better spirits, both feeling physically well after their harrowing escape. If she allowed the futility of their quest to weigh her down, then they were as good as goners.

Leon's patient voice broke through her rather dismal thoughts, and as she turned her head to face him what he had stated registered in her mind. A drink. That did sound nice. "Yeah. I'm up for it," she stated as she tucked her legs beneath her and simultaneously rolled to her stomach, pushing herself to her paws with only a small protest from her slightly aching muscles. It was really not so bad at all now that she was up. Her paws did still feel sore, yes, but it was more tolerable now, and her legs at least held the strength to support her. She allowed a little smile to settle upon her face, reminding herself to take it one step at a time. With a glance toward Leon, she brightened her smile just slightly, indicating she was ready to follow once more.

-- ashtoreth

As she propelled herself upward he gave a little smile, not so much out of humor, but out of gladness that she was not in so much pain anymore. Leon could handle a little stiffness, but he hated seeing others facing discomfort. As she stood to her paws and hardly wavered while doing so, Leon's smile widened as he prepared to set off toward the creek. It was only a short walk there, and would surely do them both some good in working out the kinks in their muscles. When he was sure she was ready for movement, Leon set off at a comfortable pace so that he would not work himself too hard, and so that it would not be too fast for her first time moving since yesterday. He heard no protests from her as the walk began and finished, only about twenty seconds in duration. As they reached the creek he took a few final quick steps and then dipped his head to the water's surface. It was moving at a moderate speed, trickling over the rocks to where he guessed it fed into the larger river. The cool water felt good on his throat, and even though he had just drank only moments before. He'd forgotten how wonderful water could taste. As the wonderfully crisp liquid slithered down his throat he picked his head back up, scanning the horizon for anything of interest. Five hundred yards or so away, there stood a small herd of deer sifting through the grass for things to consume. His stomach lurched at the sight of them, and his body tensed instinctively. The wind blowing in his face quickly told him that there was no way they would scent him and be spooked. But at the same time he wasn't certain he had the strength to bring one down. Cyan eyes scanned the herd, looking for the weakest link. If there was a young deer, or perhaps one that was old and sickly, he might stand a chance. His stomach groaned just as cerulean eyes fell upon a ragged looking doe. Her fur was matted and in places was falling out, two promising signs that she was not in the best of health. Eyes left her briefly, looking for the best route to stalk them without being seen. The plains were rather barren and had no really decent places to hide, so a lot of patience would have to come into play if this hunt was to go properly. Ashtoreth, I think I'm going to try for one of those deer over there. Do you see the ragged looking doe? He paused for a moment, allowing her to look if she chose to. I think she'd be the easiest catch. He waited a moment more, wondering if he ought to ask her to join him. But then deciding that chivalry would be a good practice, he refrained from asking her to assist him, and instead slunk down low and prepared for the hunt. If she chose to join him, he would not mind, but Leon would never ask a lady to help if it wasn't absolutely necessary, especially with her being so worn out. He moved slothfully and rhythmically. He had never been the world's greatest hunter, but he wasn't half bad either. Leon's ears slicked back over his skull, his head craned down to a parallel line with his spine, and his tail stuck out rigidly behind him, curling when necessary. If he could get within ten or so yards of the deer, he could be certain that he would catch her. However, accomplishing that task would be difficult as there was virtually nothing but tall grass that he could conceal himself in. He navigated carefully, being sure to choose the tallest bits of grass and making sure he stayed low enough to the ground to not be spotted. Leon thanked his lucky stars that he was a naturally colored wolf, for if he had had more contrasting colors he would stand out far more. He continued on, until he was within ten yards of the doe. She had not moved much, all she was doing was dipping her head down, chewing on grass, and then lifting her head up to search for predators. Silly doe, you don't even know what's right behind you. His eyes narrowed as he prepared to launch himself at her, pausing to prepare what strength he had left. When he could ignore the lurching of his stomach no longer, Leon surged forward, launching himself at the doe with every ounce of speed and strength he had. Miraculously, as the rest of the herd scattered, Leon's body hit the doe's side with full force. His claws scrambled for any part of her as his jaws sought for her neck, which they found with surprising ease. Ivory fangs clamped tightly around her trachea. He held on as she hit the earth, taking him with her. In a flurry of dust she gave her last breath. Leon lay on her for a moment, gathering enough strength to finally crawl from on top of her and to her side. He released his grip on her throat and licked his lips before looking around for Ashtoreth, wondering if she had followed or if she was still by the creek. ooc; I left this kind of vague and open so if you wanted her to be a part of the hunt you could, and if anything needs changing I can do that to make it all make sense :3 Speech,

Each step taken hesitantly to test her body's new limits after her reckless run the day before, Ashtoreth followed Leon at a sedate pace, her mind concentrated on feeling and sensing how she responded to each movement that she put herself through. Stiffness reigned mostly, which after a few strides began to work itself out. A muted, dull ache remained under her feet, but overall she felt good. She smiled faintly to herself as she followed, hurrying her pace just slightly when the creek came into view in her eagerness for a morning drink.

Padding around Leon, she took a step into the waters, her paws soothed by the chill of the water, and drank quickly. It was just as cool and refreshing as it had been the day before, perhaps more so after she had slept so long. She drank until her thirst had been sated and then continued to stand amid the waters, letting the shallow liquid run around her paws and ankles. Closing her purple and gold eyes, she relished in the fact that she could still feel, could still move, that she had survived the ordeal that her pack had gone through. And for the time being she tried not to think of how many more Valhallans they would find, but simply finding them at all.

An ear twitched as her company spoke up, bringing her attention to what shared the valley with them. Puzzled at first, the small grey wolf lazily opened her eyes and followed Leon's line of sight until she saw them, the small herd of deer grazing peacefully and oblivious to the predators that shared their location. Immediately she felt a longing for one, the hunger that had been held at bay by her ordeal now surfacing with a vengeance. She said nothing, merely nodded her head, and watched as he moved swiftly and stealthily away from her and through the grass.

Marking his progress, at first, had been simple enough, but the farther he got away the more difficult it was to make out the shifting of the grasses as he traveled through them. Ashtoreth hesitated there within the creek, wishing she could help but knowing her skills would of little to know use in this situation. His best bet would be to sneak up on it and catch it before it ran; her specialty was in getting it to run. But, on the off chance that something went wrong, she supposed to should move into position to help. So lowering herself into a crouch, she followed along, occasionally lifting her head enough to peer over the grasses and ensure she traveled in the correct direction.

It happened rather quickly after that. She had not even made it to the location she had wished to be in when she heard the frantic cries of the herd and the grunting efforts of both Leon and the sickly doe. Desperate for a view of it to see if her assistance was needed, or what little of it she could provide, she lifted her head over the grasses and saw the struggle, saw the stillness, and new that the fight had been won. Wholly impressed, the little grey wolf eased out of her crouch and jogged forward, a pleasantly surprised look about her face as her gold and purple eyes took in the sight of the downed deer. "Wow. You made that look easy," she spoke up once she was close, her nose quivering as she inhaled the scent of his kill. But she made no move toward it and instead set her eyes upon Leon, her smile complimenting as her statement had been.

-- ashtoreth

OOC: Nah, it's good. Let Ash feel a little guilty for not helping. x3 It'll give her an excuse to try and make it up to him later.

His heart was beating fast and the sound was echoing in his ears, which were still stuck to his skull. As he physically relaxed his muscles, his ears lifted and his tail even wagged a bit. He gazed around him, staring first at the doe lying still on the earth. In the cool air he could see heat radiating off of her body. His mouth began to salivate as he whipped his head around to see Ashtoreth arriving on the scene, praising him for the ease of the kill. It had been relatively easy, but then again he had picked the weakest link to prey upon. Good thing too, if she'd have run I would never have caught her. As she gazed right at him he felt a shiver run up and down his spine, and he shook instinctively to cover it up. Turning his gaze back to her, Leon spoke up. Come on, let's eat. We'll need our strength. He had a feeling she wouldn't eat until he did, and so the man moved to the doe's hip. Although she was thinner than her companions had been, she had more than enough meat on her to satisfy the two wolves for a while. Canine fangs sliced open the doe's hip with moderate ease as he began to feast on his kill. It had been a while since he'd enjoyed deer, Leon had almost forgotten how much he enjoyed it. When he'd eaten enough to take the curb off of his hunger, Leon looked up. Blood stained his maw and cheeks, but somehow it looked regal. He watched her for a moment, a faint smile upon his lips. I'm glad you're here with me. He had wanted to say more, had more on his mind to elaborate, and yet no more words would come. Leon fell silent and tucked his head back down restlessly to take another bite of flesh from the doe. He licked his lips eagerly, thankful that he had managed to pull down the doe. Already he could feel even more energy surging into his body, and he knew that provided they got enough rest and kept being able to eat, they would soon be back to their normal selves. The cinnamon colored male was growing full, and unwilling to put himself into a glutton stupor, he removed himself from the kill, standing and lying down a yard away. I'm stuffed, he muttered, to no one in particular. Leon stretched his front legs in front of him, and his back legs behind him. Retracting them slowly he felt more stiffness leave his frame. Craning his head down, he rested his chin upon his forepaws, cerulean eyes settling onto Ashtoreth. She was quite the sight to behold, and Leon couldn't help but stare. However, he knew it was rude to do so, not to mention awkward, and so he reluctantly forced his gaze away. A sigh slipped from his lips as his tail drummed a gentle rhythm on the earth below him. Speech,

Invitingly, Leon moved over to the downed doe and took a seat at her haunch, wasting little time in feeding himself the meal he had caught. Mouth watering, the little grey wolf followed after him, head lowered as she continued to use her nose the few steps that it took to bring her to its side. With Leon already eating, the scents of the meat were tantalizing, and unable to wait herself, unable to quiet the polite voice in her head, she picked her own spot and fed, her stomach suddenly alive with hunger now that it knew food was within its reach. Though the deer had been sickly, had been of a poorer quality than the others, her need for sustenance after the headlong race away from disaster made the meat taste simply wonderful to Ashtoreth, the best meal she could recall having in the longest time.

After the initial first bites had been taken and the needs of her stomach mostly staunched, she forced herself to slow down, unwilling to allow her hunger to get the better of her. She made herself think about every bite she took, made herself consciously aware of how much she had so far eaten, and slowly continued to eat what she felt to be necessary. Once he spoke to her while they ate, a quick statement of gratitude for her company, and then quietly Leon began to eat again. She licked her lips after he had spoken, half expecting something else to follow from the look about his face, and was almost puzzled when he said no more. She said nothing, but as she lowered her head to take another bite her thoughts answered with a quietly happy, Me too.

As Leon moved away from the doe and settled himself upon the ground, she knew she ought to follow suit. It would have been better than filling herself to bursting and then dealing with those consequences when it came time to move again, which she suspected would be sooner as opposed to later. But she allowed herself to indulge in a few more bites before forcing herself to step away, licking her lips and cleaning as best as she could in that moment.

Her two-toned eyes sought out her company, watching as his tail moved lazily with his attention settled elsewhere. She moved to join him, stepping closer though refraining from sprawling upon the grounds as he did. Instead, she merely folded her legs and sat, licking her lips another time before speaking. "Thanks," she said simply, feeling it needed to be said though she felt certain he did not expect it of her. "That was just what I needed. But let's hope my full stomach doesn't put me to sleep," she half joked with a smile, nearly laughing at the other half truth it held. It would have been so easy to just plop down onto the ground and completely enjoy the sense of fullness that she felt, but knowing the consequences, and all that they still had to do, she thought it wiser and more advantageous to stay awake and keep moving if it was what Leon wished to do.

-- ashtoreth

ooc; wow sorry I left this so long.

His full stomach left him satisfied, albeit sluggish. Leon previously had wanted to eat and get moving, but now he longed to just lie here and bask in the sunlight and the satisfaction of being full. He had stopped eating earlier than he normally would have, but the effects were very much the same. He lifted his head an inch from his chin, giving him room to part his jaws and rake his tongue across his lips. Much of the blood on his face was removed by doing this, but a light tint of russet still remained. Tilting his head down, he did the same to his paws, which had not surprisingly collected some of the blood from the doe. As she settled after her meal and spoke, he couldn't help but chuckle in response. If we were back in Valhalla, I would like nothing more than to take a nice long nap. It was true, after large kills in Valhalla, he often did retire to his den for a nap, or even slept wherever he lay, but Leon could not afford to be so vulnerable here. He did not know these parts, or their inhabitants. For all he knew a barrage of bears or mountain lions could pop out any minute. I suppose it wouldn't be too bad if we relaxed for a minute and let our food settle. Not to mention we could probably use a plan. His plan up to now had been simple: survive. But now, now that they were surviving - and thriving - they would need something a bit more expansive and detailed. So far he had been taking the initiative, but he couldn't help but wonder if it made him look bossy or arrogant. Neither of those were the image he wanted to cast of himself. He turned his head toward her, deciding to fix the situation - if there even was one. Any ideas? They were in a foreign land and separated from their pack, any ideas would be helpful. Speech,

Ashtoreth chuckled almost pitifully at the thought of being back within the Valhallan territory with their kill, bound by the safety of the pack's boundary so that resting after such a meal would have been acceptable and practically expected. But though it was a happy thought, almost a memory, it only reminded her of everything they had left behind, everything they would never see again. She only hoped that by the time they found the rest of the pack that some semblance of the structure had had before the move would still have remained so that moving on would be easier than just winging it day by day. "Awfully tempting," she answered wistfully, caving and lowering her front half to the ground until she was flat upon her stomach.

Naturally, the topic came back around to their current situation and the fact that neither of them really had a solid idea what they should be doing next. Head still up, Ashtoreth began looking around as Leon questioned whether she had suggestions to make regarding the matter, but even as she stalled for time by staring off thoughtfully into the distance she was just as clueless as she was a when she had woken up. There was just too much ground to cover. Even if they methodically explored the lands, following a particular pattern so that they made sure not to cover ground again-- But even that sounded like a bad idea. If they moved too much they could easily be crossing paths with those they sought. She sighed heavily, gold and purple eyes narrowing into a disappointed frown. Was there truly a right answer to that question?

"I don't know," she stated unhelpfully, wishing she could have said anything else. "We don't even know how much land we need to cover. And for all we know, they could be on the move too," Ash added, not bothering to specify the "they" she had mentioned since there was only one "they" the pair was interested in. She paused for another moment before shifting her gaze back to Leon, her good mood suddenly feeling foul and overwhelmed by what they had to do. But turning that sort of look on Leon, when he had so much more at stake, felt wrong, and so she attempted to hide it behind a half-hearted smile and a shrug-like gesture of her shoulders. Not trusting herself to say anything else that would be considered helpful, she dropped her gaze and fell silent.

-- ashtoreth

The plaguing thoughts of the journey ahead were weighing heavily on the man's mind. Worry had long since passed, as he did not have time to be thinking of his family's safety. He had a concern of his own - two, in fact - the first being his life, the second being hers. Leon would do anything to ensure he got them both safely back to Valhalla. Her words did nothing to quell his uncertainty for the future, but he was grateful for them anyway. Just her presence here was enough to keep him from going insane. Leon was certain that despite his level-headed nature, if she had not been here he would have lost it by now. He raised his head, unwilling to allow himself to drift off in the open in broad daylight. He lay very much like she did, staring off in the distance across the plain. Where to now? They very well could be. I would imagine Cairo would want them to settle as quickly as possible. He tried to imagine the type of place Cairo would lead the Valhallans to. He imagined it would be something very similar to what they had back in the old land. It had suited the pack well. Leon was at a loss. Just what was the right thing to do in a situation like this? If we could find other wolves, even natives of this land.. maybe they would know where Valhalla has settled? His tone was uncertain, unsure if that was even a plausible plan. He was running short on ideas. Speech,

Her thoughts were a whirl as she quietly considered Leon's suggestion, trying to determine if there was any other option available to them that might lead to better and faster results. She had already ruled out staying in place and hoping to be found - likely those that found them could very well be the type that they should have been actively trying to avoid. Moving continuously was out of the question too. If their pack was mobile as well it would have been too easy for them to just pass each other and never once cross paths. But seeking out others - anyone, anyone at all - would definitely be helpful. There was a safety to be had in numbers, and if there were any more desperate wolves out there hoping and searching for their pack, then making temporary arrangements until their respective homes could be found would benefit them all. Or, if they had known right away where the Valhalla was, all the better. Simple, effective, and more promising than any other idea she could think of.

The worry that had begun to churn in her gut subsided slowly, easing away now that she could see a potential end to be found by following this new plan. She felt almost silly for even doubting their ability to make it now, felt guilty for succumbing to those voices of despair that crept through the back of her mind, and was grateful that her little bout of pessimism hadn't fazed Leon. Turning her head, she once again regarded her companion, certain she could see a fleeting sense of doubt and hesitancy in his vivid blue eyes, could hear it color his voice. But despite it, he spoke of hope, of home, of plans to finally get them there, proving that he wasn't going to let those dismal thoughts cloud his judgment and fail to do what he had set himself out to do. It was admirable, a trait to be envied for sure, and lowering her gaze with a vague suggestion of a smile Ashtoreth managed to nod in agreement. "If anything, we can at least compare notes on where we've been" she added, "figure out where we might go from there."

With the plan feeling more solid and stable and promising than it had a moment ago, the small grey wolf allowed a heavy sigh of relief and contentment to rush out of her lungs. It could very well be a long trek. It could take a while until they found someone, or at least someone helpful. But between the two of them she felt a renewed sense of confidence in their eventual success, and was grateful not only to have Leon's company, but to have his spirit and strength of heart as well.

Despite their new plans and renewed sense of hope, it was still nice to relax somewhere after a well needed meal. So when she lifted her gold and purple eyes to regard Leon again with a questioning stare, a bit of her natural good humor sparking somewhere in their depths, she muttered reluctantly, "This means we have to move again, doesn't it?"

-- ashtoreth

The man wasn't certain how probable his plan was. Finding another wolf could be difficult. He didn't even know where any other wolf might be. They hadn't seen or smelled any wolf since they had arrived in the new land, what if they weren't even in the right place to begin with? Surely someone would have walked by by now if they were in the area. Still, he had to remain positive, not just for him, but for her. Leon had a feeling Ashtoreth might be losing momentum and hope, but he couldn't be sure. He knew he was, as his family was separated from him once again. Still, he would do everything he could to get them home again, wherever home might be. As she spoke her critique of his plan, he nodded with a smile, glad that she agreed with it. Eyes set on those unique eyes of hers for a moment, unwilling to look away because of their beauty. But alas, he finally had to force his gaze elsewhere - anywhere else - so that he didn't appear to be staring, though it was obvious that he was. He spoke. It's a plan. He nodded with certainty, pleased that they at least had some semblance of a plan. Leon just hoped that it would work. As she spoke up again, he smiled slyly. I'm afraid so, He wanted to just lay here and watch her, just watch her. He wanted to stay and talk calmly and shoot the breeze, but they couldn't do that if they wanted to get home. That is what they wanted, right? Speech,

Walk | Talk | Think It was true their search for the Valhallan wolves was of the utmost importance to them both, links of family and friends and duty binding them to those that they had been separated from. But even so, Ashtoreth felt a growing sense of reluctance and unwillingness about moving and continuing their journey just yet. As much as she had instructed herself not to get cozy where she had laid down near Leon, fully aware that to do so would cause her to lose momentum and wish to relax longer after their strenuous activity the day before, she could feel those self same anchors already taking hold. Suddenly the ground was much more comfortable than it had been just a moment ago, her body so relaxed that, if she possibly let herself enjoy the feel of the sun on her back, she was sure she could lose herself in sleep. But we already decided we'd go, she scolded herself mentally, listening to her own voice as she repeated her comments about Leon's plan. They were close, her spirits had been lifted, they still had plenty of daylight left in which to start their search; how could she ignore all that now? As she felt her will to move continue to lessen, she shifted her gold and purple eyes back cross the gap that separated them toward Leon, watching him now that he no longer watched her. And as she thought about him, the trek they set before them didn't seem so bad. He had been very kind to her since their reunion, encouraging and supportive, helpful and generous. He had lent her his strength and skill to keep her going, and shown her his unwavering spirit when hers seemed to wither against adversity. She wanted to make it up to him, felt it so strongly it was almost a need, and being as less of a hindrance and weight to his personal mission as possible seemed a fairly good place to start. Not to mention she was sure between the two of them they could make the trip enjoyable since they had done so thus far already. With a quick intake of breath, the little grey wolf eased her forepaws ahead of her along the ground, stretching before drawing them close and situating them in positions that would enable her to press right up to her paws. Smiling with resignation, Ash allowed a quick yawn to part her jaws before responding contentedly, "Whenever you're ready." ASHTORETH

The man would remain resting there, unable to bring himself to actually take action on the plan he - no, they - had formulated. Moving again so soon just seemed like an unfortunate event, and Leon didn't want to partake in it. A sigh was given, followed by a slow and tentative stretching motion. His limbs were growing stiff, and soon he would not be able to motivate himself no matter how hard he tried. She was ready, it seemed, and was waiting on him. But he was not ready. Instead, the man would lift his head and then put it back down, heaving a sigh. "I don't think Valhalla will go far, what if we just take a rest? We'll need our strength to get back in one piece. How does that sound?" He hoped she would agree, but already he felt himself fading into slumber. Sooner or later he'd be ignorant to the world, blissfully sleeping the day away. Before he knew it, Leon's eyes had shut and he was drifting off...

Exit Leon due to sleep.

"speeeeech"

Walk | Talk | Think "Oh, thank goodness," Ashtoreth responded with a sudden sigh, caving and allowing her head to lower and rest upon her outstretched paws. As much as she wanted to get back to the Valhalla, for them both to reunite with their pack, rest still called most strongly. And apparently it was the same for Leon. "Sounds perfect," she added with a smile that stretched lazily across her muzzle, her gold and purple eyes closing gently. Somewhere their pack was gathering and reuniting with one another, and soon, very soon she hoped, they would be too. But first, a much needed nap. - exit Ashtoreth by sleep- ASHTORETH