Astrea had just returned from the far north, and she was not alone; well other than Glacier who also with her. But that was not the point, the point was the little bird now digging its claws into her scruff. Astrea had saved her life! And Zori had decided to stay with her. But the best part? The little bird loved to stargaze! Even now in the late night the bird looked up at the sky, then down at Astrea's tail. She tweeted every so often, almost like she was telling herself she was up in space. Astrea smiled, she loved the little thing, even if she was a bit scattered brained and chatty. Astra knew who she wanted to introduce her new friend to first, her best and closest friend. She moved up the path from the den to her perch over looking the sea, she knew Ten was going to be there, that was their place even if she had to share with her other sky gazing siblings, but frankly they never seemed to be on the cliff at least not like she and Ten was. The little bird gasped a whistle when she emerged from the cavern path. "This... Is The... BEST!" The little bird jumped up and down, her little wings out stretched as she hopped back to Astrea's neck. Astrea smiled as the little bird seemed to miss the most important part of why the star child brought Zori up here. She looked around her pale eyes searching for her charming giant. "Seerten?" She called into the dark. The little nighthawk chirped then, moving between her ears, her little eyes also looking into the dark. "Whats a Seerten?"

Astrea had told him that she was going on an adventure with her big brother, and he had nodded and offered to stay behind. He did not wish to intrude on the bonding time of the brother and sister, although it made him long for his own siblings more and more. He let out a soft sigh as he sat on the very edge of the cleared out cliff. As winter came it was getting harder and harder for Seerten to stay warm, his thin dog hair offered very little protection against the bitter chill. Even though the South was warmer, the cool water blew off the edge of the ocean. He remembered hearing that the cold even made some of Astrea's siblings go into a hibernation of sorts because of the cold. Mmm, didn't seem like it was that bad of an idea. A shuffling of paws caught his ears, the one perked appendage twisting back as he heard his lovely star goddess call out his name. He turned his head back, longing for her to be at his side once more. "My Goddess has returned at last," he hummed softly, padding over to her as he bent down to kiss at her cheek. It was then that a bird hopped up between her ears, startling the large man and causing him to shy backwards, a single paw raised in the air. And.. it spoke? And asked what a Seerten was. He calmed, chuckling as he bent down again to inspect the little bird. "I am a Seerten, little feathered one. Did the lovely Astrea bring you here, my dear?" He asked softly, after his common pause before words. He met the wolf's pale blue eyes as he touched his nose to hers, another chuckle leaving his maw. "And has my sweet brought us a little snack?" His words were teasing, winking a chocolate brown eye at the female. "speech"

Astrea hummed happily as Ten greeted her and kissed him back. "I will always return my White Knight." Zori twilled almost objecting to the cheesy exchange, but otherwise kept her beak shut as the two lovebirds cuddled into each other. It was when Ten almost leaped away that the small bird spoke again. "Is the over large wolf afraid of the little birdy?" Astrea rolled her eyes and said, "Hush Zori, he was just surprised to see you." and only went on to chuckle at Ten's try at a joke but quickly stopped as the bird seemed to dig in her claws. "I am not food! The star child told me I was a friend! That we would star gaze together!" The small bird scretched at him, her wings flapping lightly almost like she was getting ready to jump into the air at any movement from the male. "He was joking friend, we would never eat you." Astrea gave Ten a look that told him to agree or he was sleeping alone. "Right Ten?" Astrea knew that Ten would quickly agree or face the the small but feisty birds wrath; so she continued introducing the newest addition to her family. "Ten, this is Zori of the morning sun, the nighthawk." She hummed at him, a small happy sound. "She will join us in our nightly star gazing." She smiled, and the little bird gave a happy tweet. "Zori, this is Seerten, my future mate, whenever he feels he can claim me fully." Astrea winked at Seerten, a playful look in her eye. It seemed that Zori brought out the playful nature in her calm shell. The bird twilled at Seerten, her little head tilting to the side. "Why would he not claim you? You are amazing and you have stars on your tail!" Zori looked the male up and down her little head bobbing slightly, but she seemed to smile at the male. "Ah, I think I understand, so chivalry hasn't died with the humans after all." The bird nodded then, "I approve of this male." She looked down at Astrea her big eyes looking into the wolves pale ones. "He has bad jokes but is polite non the less." Zori then looked up at the spotted male, a joking look in her dark eyes. "And besides how could I hate a fellow spotted creature?"

He eyed the bird as she asked if he was scared of her, and he couldn't help but let out a smooth chuckle. "No, little feathered one. I was simply shocked by your appearance, it is not often that Astrea walks around with birds upon her head." Seerten said rather matter-of-factly, just the way he always spoke. With another one of his common pauses he eyed the bird again, head tilting to the side slightly. "But I am not full wolf either. Or do you often see wolves that look as strange as me?" It was not an accusing question, just a simple wondering. Chocolate brown eyes glanced down at his strange body, the full, furry neck and chest of a wolf, with a tail to match. But the rest of him was very much like a dalmatian, the short hairs that almost were transparent, his pink skin evident under it. Flashing his gaze back to the bird, he fell silent as he watched her react to his joke. It would seem that the nighthawk did not appreciate being called a snack. Seerten's low baritone laugh bubbled up from his throat, his head shaking back and forth at the birds feisty reaction. Her wings spread out and he couldn't help but reach forward, trying to brush his damp nose across her belly. "No, little feathered friend, I see now that you are too tough to be a snack," he hummed, brushed his nose against Astrea's cheek as he pulled back. He caught her pale gaze and nodded silently at her words. No, just a joke to feel out the little creature. She was then named Zori, and the tall brute dipped his head towards her. "Pleasure, Zori. I find it as no surprise that Astrea has found another star gazing creature, she seems to be drawn to them." Ten said, looking down at the pretty wolf before him. He felt more drawn to her than the other way around, but there were a few speculations about that. When she joked about him being her future mate, the male sputtered as a shock look took over his features. He knew that it was the path that he was on right now, but it was really the first time that either of them had said it out loud. When the bird made a comment on it, his lips twitched back as his erect ear pulled towards his skull. He would not take to anything that the critter said about their relationship, but he showed no signs of agression. Seerten was a gentleman, and would take this at his own pace and how he felt right. He was not one to jump the gun, he would do this properly. "Mmm," he hummed softly, his tail fluttering behind him as he looked over his shoulder to the edge of the cliff before them. He didn't want to talk about this with the bird, and was happy to hear that she seemed to drop it, along with approving of him. He laughed at that, brown gaze shifting back towards the bird. "I don't think not having your approval would deter me, but I appreciate it regardless. Now, welcome home, Zori." He said softly, turning to move back to the edge of the rocky surface. His toes curled over the ledge as his eyes went towards the sky, a smile returning to his black lips. "speech"

Astrea watched Ten's face as he responded to her comment about being her mate. She had said it as a test as much as playful banter. She watched as he seemed to go into shock... That was not what she was expecting. It was not like the 'courting' was a code for friendship, right? Right? She was not just imagining the longing looks he gave her when he thought her not looking or the way they cuddled at night. Those where cut and dry feelings of at least affection if not something deeper. Well this was something that could not wait, she was already antsy about them then was sane, like what if he meet one of those other more colorful star wolves and wanted one of them more than her. It was almost like her episode with Voltage all over again, with her insecure about her standing with someone. She flicked her ears back, a shy look going into her face. It was then that Zori hopped down from her head and landed next to the big male. "Umm, big guy." The bird fluttered a her wings and looked back at the star child. "You might want to make a move, or you might end up in the doghouse." The bird chuckled at her pun and then hopped into the air to fly around the two then into the night, she wanted to look at her new home and to find a privet perch away from the wolves, she knew she would need one. As Zori flew away Astrea looked up at Seerten to only look down at her paws, unsure on where she stood now with the male that she have just recently started to think she loved. It was at that moment that her stone caught her eye. She lifted her paw and pressed it closer to her heart, it was her constant reminder of Ten, the only wolf on this earth that could ground the child born of the stars. It seemed to calm her racing heart, seeming to give her courage to look up at Ten then. Astrea got to her paws after only a moment of studying him and moved next to him. He looked to the sky and she looked to him, her pale eyes holding the truth of the whispered words all those months ago. But now, now she was not going to whisper them, now she was going to make sure he heard her as she said the three hardest words she could say to him. "Ten..." She paused wanting him to stop looking at the sky, wanting him to look at her and see that she was telling the truth. "I love you." ""