Well, here was an interesting place. The sun was had just barely peeked over the horizon, and Xephyris was already on the move, pushing himself to work his body - sleeping in and loafing around was not an option. His interest was piqued when he found this place. A great lake, teeming with life, surrounded by reeds and bustling with activity. Every little creature rustled around, on the go to find enough food for the day. Lucky for them this wolf wasn't hungry today. They'd escape his jaws at least, and would live another day if they evaded all other dangers.

Instead, Xephyris was wandering aimlessly, doing what he did every day. Each day he'd make sure his muscles felt the strain of hard work, whether it be a jog, an intense hunt or a spar. But today, his mind was distracted, even if his bod was on the move. Where were all the beautiful women? He'd been content waiting to find someone, waiting for just the right someone. But not even an inkling of anyone had appeared for him. Was he just unlucky, or did he need to make a bigger effort to seek someone out? He worried, for he felt if he spent more time seeking a woman just right, he might fall behind in everything else. Women were vexing, after all, they could make a man do anything if they had the right magic.

So today, in the midst of a jog, he halted at the edge of this lake, leaning toward the water to drink before lifting his head to gaze around. Silver eyes scouted his surroundings - it was fairly quiet, and the only sound was the rising buzz of flitting insects and scuffling rodents. He grumbled to himself before sitting down, wondering how the rest of his day would play out.

Soleil had been spending the last few days trying to find her siblings. She had never been alone before, and considering it seemed as though no one here could understand a word she was saying, she wasnt sure she liked it. Maybe if she had someone to talk to it would be different. But she didnt so it wasnt.

The woman had been trained from a young age to succeed and with that she had gained a well toned body built not only for speed, but for killing as well. She knew if she didnt work her muscles often she would loose them. So today she had focused her mind on a decent workout and ran. She absolutely loved the feeling a good run left behind. There was nothing like burning lungs and noodles for muscles to remind her just how alive and free to do as she pleased she was.

There wasnt anything like a cool drink of water afterwards either. Hard work requires one to reward their body. The water that lay ahead now deew her to it to take that first swallow that her body now craved. As she trotted uo to the waters edge and lowered her head to lap up to cool lake water, she forgot to look around to see if anyone else was around. Little did she know, there was another wolf sitting only twenty yards away.

Xephyris froze in place as he spotted movement - the only thing to shift were his eyes. It appeared he would have company. Well, he didn't expect this appealing little piece of territory to be vacant for long. He focused in on the wolf that had appeared, watching the unfamiliar form move toward the lake's edge, seemingly unaware of anything else it went to quench its thirst. The grey and white flecked male turned his head ever so slowly, his body following cautiously as he eyed the wolf who'd made an appearance. His nose reached forward, drawing in several quick breaths as he tried to catch the wolf's scent. Silver orbs widened slightly; it was as though his thoughts had drawn the woman to this place.

His stomach suddenly dropped. I must be a mess, I just finished my work out, he thought with alarm - he hadn't had time to groom at all. No longer trying to avoid detection, he quickly dropped his head and swiped each forepaw over top in turn, trying to straighten out his appearance. Then he stood, shaking out his coat. It was the best he could do in a rush, but he wasn't going to waste any time and let her walk away. He had to meet her. Before he did so, he paused. Was he nervous? He shook his head. No, never, I don't get nervous, he reminded himself, half-muttering the words under his breath before lifting his head and drawing himself up, Always confident. That's how you get what you want. Fear is for the weak.

After a quick pep-talk with himself, he strode forward, his expression steeled and silver eyes focused. He approached the woman from her side, making sure he was visible in her peripherals long before he reached her. As his eyes roamed over her frame, he noticed that it looked like she had also been on a good run this morning - her rippling form showed the progress of her efforts. Fascinating. He stopped several feet from her, his shoulders squared and thick tail waving like a banner of pride - silver eyes sought out her stunning turquoise gaze, and he was quiet for a moment before saying anything. "Greetings, maiden," he spoke, his voice a rumbling baritone, "A fine day, isn't it?" His head cocked to one side, forcing his rather intense stare to shift, glancing to the lake instead - he stepped toward it, wading in with his forepaws. He didn't want to intimidate her, he didn't want to make her leave.

The woman had only closed her eyes for the first couple of swallows. The cool water that had run down her throat felt excellent and earned a moment of appreciation. It was after she opened her eyes again that she caught movement out of the corner of her eyes. For a few moments all she did was stand there with her head lowered as she watched him as well as she could without moving a muscle.

It didnt take but secinds for her to decide that a wolf grooming their self was of no threat to her. They either hadn't noticed her or they had decided to ignore that she was there. It was with that decision that Soliel confinued to drink.

The next thing she knew the male had drawn closer, and Soleil would try to act as though she didnt care by not lifting her head to look at him. She did however stop drinking as he stepped into the water causing it to ripple even more below her nose. It wasnt until he spoke in a languge that she didn't know, that she would finally lift her head and turn her gaze on him.

With the tild of her head and the raise of an eyebrow she would stare at him. Though he spoke the English giberish that everyone else around here seemed to speak, he had an attractive voice. Her eyes would stray from his face to his well built frame and the fur he had tried to tame. The first thought that came to mind was that of attraction, as this man was absolute eye candy. The second caused a giggle to bubble up because the second thought that he might have half groomed himself for her sake.

The confusion that had been etched on her face at his gibberish had been replaced with a smile as she quickly tried to cover up her laughter with words she olny hoped he would understand. "Je ne peux pas parler anglais." she had told him she couldnt speak English and then she would speak gain to tell him her name and to ask what he wanted to be called. "Mon nom est Soleil, que dois-je vous appeler?" slowly her turquoise gaze would find his face again as she watched to see if he would understand any of what she just said. If nothing else she liked his voice enough that she would sit and listen to him talk, even though to her ears all he was doing was making noise.

The woman played coy, remaining frozen as he approached her, ignoring his presence though obviously aware of him. He smirked at her, keeping his head tilted and not quite looking at her as she finally turned her gaze on him. He felt a shiver run through him, and he thought he'd melt right into the lake when he heard her giggle. It was such a pure, lighthearted sound. He wasn't sure why she had giggled, but he had a feeling that this was going to go well.

Then she spoke, foreign words leaving her mouth. His mouth gaped slightly, ears perking toward her - he found that he could only stare, though the look in his eyes had changed. As though he were star-gazing, his silver eyes had filled with awe. And confusion; and curiosity; and worry that they wouldn't be able to communicate. He didn't understand a word she said. What was she trying to tell him? But in a way, it didn't really matter to him that he couldn't understand her. It made her even more appealing. This wasn't going to be easy, or straightforward, there was nothing typical about this encounter. Something about this seemed fun, and endlessly intriguing.

Trying to decipher at least something from the words she'd spoken, he was sure she'd said something about a name. "Mon nom est Soleil." That had to be her name, right? Grinning toothily, not sure if he'd get this right but still willing to try, he spoke, "Soleil, my name is.. Mon nom est Xephyris." He'd given it his best shot, to mimic what she'd said in order to introduce himself. He just hoped he was right. Looking to her eyes, his tail would wave from side to side, hoping she would speak again so he could hear her voice, her accent and those foreign words. He wanted to ask her where she'd come from, how she'd ended up here without knowing a word of English, but he couldn't, so instead he'd just stare, no longer able to look away and play it cool.

The moment the mans jaw gaped and Soleil caught the confusion deep within his aw filled gaze, she knew he hadnt understood a word she'd said. That in itself was enough to agrivate her simply because that seemed to be her life for the time being. A world where no one knew what she wanted, where no one could know what she thought or felt. It was depressing really.

She was beyond ready to pout when he spoke her name, followed by a bit of his own language and a pause. Soleil couldnt help but stare at him in amusement as he tried to mimic her words. He had made a guess at her language and gotten it right, it made her like him more. He was trying which was more than anyone else could say. She wasnt sure if he was still trying to impress her or not, but at this point she didn't care. If he was willing to guess, then maybe he would be willing to actually learn.

Another smile would grace the womans features as she wondered what kind of wolf Xephyris was. She aimed to find out, even with the language barrier they had been them. "Xephyris hein? Je l'aime, mais je peux vous appeler Xeph? she woukd think the first question aloud 'Xephyris huh?* and then she would go on to tell him she liked it but asked if she could call him Xeph. She had two reasons, one it was a bit easier for her to pronounce and two was that she wondered if he would guess at her words again.

She looked a bit frustrated at first, and he wondered if this was not the first time she'd tried to talk to someone around here, only to be misunderstood. He had to admit, he'd never met someone who spoke foreign words. It was an all new thing to him, but exciting nonetheless. When he tried to mimic her words, the expression on her face changed, and she looked amused. Had he said it right? He grinned at her when she smiled. Then she spoke his name, causing him to perk up towards her. He desperately wanted to know what she was saying, but he'd have to guess for now.

He moved closer to her, stepping onto dry land. "You want to call me Xeph?" he asked, his voice still low, then nodded to her, "Yes, you can call me Xeph. Appeler mon nom Xeph." He'd try again to put the words together, a choppy attempt, but he was having fun with it. His silver gaze sought her eyes once more, before scanning over her frame. He wished he could describe to her how beautiful she was, but would she be able to understand him? Well, perhaps he would just have to show her what he thought. He looked to her face, offering a smile, before he turned to the lake. The flowers on the lily pads were blooming, and one he'd noticed in particular was worthy of being plucked.

His paws touched the water again, and he leaned over to pick the water lily, its petals white and yellow. With the large and stunning flower in his mouth, he turned toward the woman and trotted toward her - holding the flower carefully, he pranced around her, coming to her left side. Boldly but with a gentle touch he placed the flower behind her left ear. He was sure it wouldn't stay put, but it didn't matter. "It's beautiful," he murmured, nudging the flower into place, before softly touching the side of her cheek with his nose, "But you, Soleil, are much more beautiful." He hoped she would understand or have some sort of clue as to what he was saying.

The tri-colored woman watched as the man grinned at her and then perk up to his spoken name. When he moved closer, Soleil stood her ground. He hadn't given her any reason to move away from him and she hoped that he wouldn't. Though she couldn't understand a word the man said, she was enjoying the company and the fact that he was at least trying to talk to her. Besides she would be lieing  to herself if she said he wasnt attractive.

More of the man's words would spill into the air around them, making no more sense to her now than before aside from the nickname she had given him. Quietly the woman would stare at him and wonder if he was trying to decipher wat she had said...just as she was attempting to do now. It wasnt but a few seconds when Xeph would do something she would understand. He nodded, added words she didnt know and then made another attempt at her language.

Had she been raised differently, Soleil might have bounced or squealed with joy both at his mimicked French and his exceptance of her more easily pronounced nick name. But she wasn't,  so instead she would give him another sweet smile. Once mire their gaze would meat befor he would make an obvious show of looking her over from her face to the tip of her tail and back before giving her another smike of his own and then turning away from her.

Worry would cross her features as he turned away frim her and went back into the water. Had he grown bored with her already? Her unspoken question of worry was quickly answered as he bent to pick a lovely water lilly. This would change her question and facial expression to curiosity and a tad bit of suspicion. For what purpose was Xeph picking the plant, good or bad?

Soleil didnt want to feel suspicious of the man's actions, she wanted to trust him but a lesson her father taught them all kept her from doing that. His lesson was that you can trust no one, not even family. Sadly the lesson was in removing Estelle's limb and killing her mother. The only wolves she could trust were her siblings and mother and now she was alone.

Her neck and shoulders would tense as Xeph came close with the flower. She knew next to nothing about plants. She wanted to move away from him and ask what he was doing but knew he wouldnt understand her words while at the same time she wanted to snap her jaws at him. The only way for her to know his intentions would be to stand there and let it happen, so thats what she did. She stood and watched him skeptically as he pranced around her. When all that happened was a plant was placed gently on her head, behind her left ear, Soleil relaxed once more.

Slowly he would nudge the flower, she guessed he was making it perfect as he spoke in a murmured tone. His nose would gently touch her cheek, a notion that made her all warm and fuzzy inside as he spoke again. She couldnt understand his words but she knew when someone was flirting with her, when someone found her attractive. That much she knew, but what it taught her was that she had just made a new friend one that, after she found Estelle, may very well be mate material. He was a gorgeous male and man did she love his voice.

Again her expression would change to that of a smile only this one was meant to say she found him attractive as well "Merci, Xeph. C'est beau." her only words were to thank him and say that the flower was beautiful.

Xephyris was delighted to see her smile as he attempted to speak with her. He wasn't sure how effective he was being in either communicating with her or impressing her, but he was having fun all the same, and she did seem interested in him, too. Could things actually be going his way? He'd waited so long to find someone just right, and it was like she'd appeared just for him. He wanted to keep her, but he'd have to wonder about how to do that later. He was too busy staring at her gorgeous frame to think.

He grinned, mostly to himself, as he saw the curious but wary look painted on her face as she watched him as he pranced around with the water lily in his jaws. He could almost feel the tension radiating off of her stiff neck and shoulders - it was good to see that she was well aware of her surroundings, and not instantly trusting. She had a good head atop those well sculpted shoulders. At his gentle touch, he felt her tension melt away, allowing him to place the flower as he desired. Pleased with the placement of the lily atop her crown, he took a small step back to admire her again, seeing her smile at him.

The way she smiled... it gave him a thrill, knowing from just her expression that she was finding this interaction as enjoyable as he was. Then she spoke. Oh, he'd die just to know what she was saying. The language barrier was frustrating, but it didn't make him want to run away. He could only imagine that she was commenting on the flower. "C'est beau." she said. Was that her word for beautiful? It seemed similar, it must be so. "Soleil... est beau," he murmured with a deep rasp, looking to her captivating turquoise eyes. He'd reach forward to touch her cheek again, wanting to feel her soft fur against his nose, hoping she'd not bite him. He pulled back again, an obvious glimmer of infatuation in his silver eyes - his whole expression had taken on a somewhat dopey look, with eyelids drooping slightly and ears flattening out the sides.

She had never felt so appreciated in her life, not by anyone who wasnt related to her anyway. Everything Soleil did seemed to bring joy to her new found friend's features. Her voice, her smile even the way her shoulders and neck filled with tension as he had pranced around her with the water lilly gently grasped in his powerful jaws seemed to light up his eyes with delighted appreciation.

The flower he had taken the time to place on her head just so, was beautiful.  She had told him as much be she wasnt sure if he had understood as she hadn't understood what he had said. She wanted to know what he was saying, what he was thinking and as if he could read her thoughts he made another attempt at her language.

The first thought that crossed her mind was that he was making good guesses and that she would do what ever it took to break this damnd language barrier between them. The next thought was that she was glad her face was covered in fur because she could feel her cheeks warm at his compliment. No one but her mother had ever called her beautiful because, to her, those she seduced to get her way didnt count.

Without ever realizing it before now, Soleil had already begun teaching him her language. That fact only determined her more as Xeph streached his neck out to feel the soft fur on her cheek againced his nose. Again the tri-colored woman could feel her face warm at his touch only to have the sensation taken away all too quickly. It was in that moment that she saw the brute as something that could and might very well end up being more than just a friend.

Another smile would cross her face at the dopey look he was giving her. Before she could change her mind, Soleil would quickly lean forward to plant a kiss on the end of the man's nose where he'd touched her. "Votre très beau vous, Xeph." she would say he was pretty handsome himself before ganing a bit of a dopey look herself

Oh, it was so painful to not know if they understood one another. However he tried, he just wasn't quite sure if he was getting his message across. Whatever language it was that she spoke, were his attempts to mimic it correct? He could only guess that his words were somewhat close as she seemed to become a little bashful; had he been able to compliment her properly in her language? Did she know what he was saying? He dearly hoped so, as he wanted her to know just how beautiful he thought she was, and he wanted her to know how much he was enjoying her company. There was still much he wished to learn about her, but this initial encounter was absolutely entrancing.

At his touch, Soleil did not flinch or move away, so he did linger just a moment longer before he pulled away. As he looked upon her face, his eyes scanning over her striking features and at last meeting her eyes again, he noticed the smile upon her facial complexion. Then, very suddenly, she would reach forward and plant a kiss upon the end of his nose, at which point his normally still and steady heart would skip a beat, his breath catching for a moment. He leaned in, magnetized by her presence. Oh, how he wished to press into her and embrace her, but he did not wish to force himself upon her and frighten her away. So instead he would catch himself and pull back again, steadying his stance.

She spoke, and the look upon her face became entranced, just as he was. It was hard to know exactly what she was saying; he heard her words, a couple of which he now recognized, but it was mostly her facial expression that told him what he needed to know. She was returning the compliment, and he swelled with pride. It seemed that she was just as interested in him, as he was in her. So he leaned forward again, brushing his muzzle against the side of hers - he wished to kiss her, his body wanting her, but he would keep just out of reach, respecting her. Standing so close to her, he still managed to meet her eyes. "Soleil, come walk with me," he murmured in a low tone, nearly a whisper. He gestured to the lake, and to the land around it, and took several steps away from her, glancing over his shoulder, waving his tail in a beckoning motion. He hoped that she would come to his side, as it would feel so right to have her join him.

The sun had risen now and glinted beautifully over the lake as life buzzed around them - so drawn to her beauty, he had almost forgotten their surroundings. He hoped that she would walk with him just to enjoy the fresh morning air, the perfect setting for a relaxing stroll together. He looked to her, waiting for her response. Even if they couldn't talk fully in understanding of one another, they could still enjoy the physical presence, and perhaps in time they would break down this barrier to become closer.

Soleil hadnt expected the catch she heard in his breathing, nire had she expected him to lean forward so far that it looked like he might fall in to her had he not pulled away and steadied himself. What she had never dreamed of, could never even have imagined, being disappointed by the fact that he hadnt litterally fallen for her...or on her. Xeph, aside from knowing his name and that he was attracted to her, was a complete stranger. Oh how her siblings would scold her for this one, but for now she had biger problems.

The first of thise problems was that she couldnt find any of her siblings the second be self control. Though she had never had a problem before, she was currently having a hard time keeping herself in place. She wanted to run her sides along his, to leave her scent and keep other woman away. She wanted to lay clame to the man in every way she could, excluding the way that coukd result in a currently unwanted litter...not that she didnt eventually want children.

The touch of his muzzle against her's brought her attention outward and tipped her muzzle towards his only for him to hold himself just out of her reach. Low vocals would earn him another look of confusion quickly followed by annoyance ans he started to walk away from her. What the hell he wasn't aloud to leave her yet...she hadnt marked him as her own.

Just as quickly as the thought had entered her mind it would leave to be replaced with curiosity as she realized he wanted her to follow him. Though she found it hard to resist the temptation she would still hesitate for a few seconds before moving forward to rub her left side againced his right. The entire time her side touched his she wondered if he would realize this was her telling any other woman that came near him to back off. She couldnt have a full conversation with him yet but this man was her's and she wasnt sharing. "votre amour mien." the barely audible words 'your mine love' would leave her maw. Though barely audible Soleil was sure the man could hear her.

Xephyris hesitated a moment when she didn't follow him, instead looking at him with frustration and confusion. It seemed that the language barrier was getting to her as well, and she didn't know what he was asking of her. Did she think that he was taking his leave so soon? He smirked as he looked at her and shook his head. He wasn't leaving without her. He nudged his head again, hoping she would understand that he was beckoning her to join him in a slow walk. At last she gave it a shot and came to his side, rubbing herself against him. He let out a contended groan, pressing into her slightly as her coat mixed with his. It all felt so right. More than their coats would mix, of course - their scent began to blend, something he certainly would not resist. Without any haste, Xephyris would lead her along the lake's edge, letting her lean into him as they walked side by side. As they walked together, he was sure he heard her murmur something softly in that ever-intriguing language she spoke, but he was at a loss. What had she said? He took a deep breath to discourage his frustration from building. He didn't want his anger to ruin his time with Soleil. He may not understand her words fully, but her presence was everything. He'd never felt such a strong desire to just be with someone. The warmth of her coat brushing against his sent shivers throughout his body, so enjoyable he didn't wish for it to end. He closed his eyes as he walked, his muzzle turning to brush against the side of her neck and the back of her left ear as they moved side by side. Every time that he touched her he felt more comfortable, more relaxed. At first he'd been uncertain, worried that he would scare her off, but the closer they got, the less he feared scaring her away. His nose touched the soft fur behind her ear, and he murred softly. Then, suddenly, he felt a wave of excitement flood over himself, so he pranced several paces ahead, breaking the physical contact between them. He whipped around quickly to face her, his elbows bending low and his tail waving high in the air. It was an uncharacteristically playful movement, but he couldn't help himself in this moment. This feeling of elation was so new to him, he didn't know what to do. Nothing he did felt natural to him, but it didn't feel wrong, either. Oh, what was he supposed to do? Eventually, he would have to part ways with her. He had to go home to Fiori. But how could he convey that to her without hurting her? He shoved the nervous thought to the back of his mind, instead reveling in her closeness, although in the back of his mind he knew he would somehow have to convey his message to her. He couldn't stay away from home forever. Was she interested in pack life? What was he supposed to do if she wasn't? He couldn't leave her, but he couldn't shirk his duties either. Conflict raged through his body but he did everything in his power not to show it. Bowed playfully in front of her, his long and bushy tail would wave slowly back and forth, hoping she would join him in a silly game, even if only for a moment. Truly, the only thing on his mind was Soleil, yet he was jumping to far ahead and forgetting to focus on the present moment. Perhaps her presence would help to bring him back to the present moment between them, bring him back from thinking so far ahead. So, he hoped she would join him, his elbows bent and rump waggling in the air. "Talk" "You" Think