She just sort of, found herself here again. She'd only visited very briefly some time ago, and now she found herself striding through the long grasses, peering through the gently waving vegetation that was on it's way to dying as fall rolled around. Since their last sudden meeting she and Zephyr had spent time together off and on. There was an unspoken tension, though she couldn't really say which of their problems was causing it. That thought elicited a gentle chuckle. Which one indeed. Eventually she ended up nestling herself down among the grass, pale ears twitching here and there to listen to the sounds of the world around her while she'd lay with firmly shut eyes. Birds chirped, her own black and white friend coming to perch atop her head. She needn't open her eyes to know the tiny creature. He was easy enough to identify simply by his willingness to approach her without fear. She sighed, relaxed greatly by the sound of wind rustling through the drying grass, and deer munching nearby. Wait, deer? Actions   "Speech"   Thoughts

Time solved everything. Didn't it? That was how the saying went, at least - and it was true that time did solve most things. It didn't, however, give him much clarity regarding Caelum and his feelings for her. It was hard to deny them, but he couldn't decide if he was simply grabbing hold of nostalgia or if things could truly be good with her again. What he did know, with certainty, was that he enjoyed spending time with her again, however scarce he had been as of late. She seemed to enjoy it, too, and he noted that neither of them really wandered far from the lands they had spent time in. Caelum's scent was always easy for him to find, and today he had grabbed hold of it and trailed after it. Autumn had brought a nice coolness to the lands, and he wouldn't deny being thankful that the bulk of the summer heat was gone. It'd been unbearable at times, making his thoughts even more muddled and confusing to him. Everything seemed more easily understood in the coolness of fall, and he felt strangely peaceful today as he padded through the tall grasses of the plains. This place was lovely, quiet and calm and he was grateful that Caelum had chosen this place to explore today. His pawsteps were far from silent as they crunched grasses and snagged on vegetation as he approached her spot. Her scent grew stronger, but he was surprised when he nearly stumbled into her lying on the ground. "Good hiding spot," Zephyr commented dryly, but a slight grin tugged at his lips. "I nearly trampled you. You really ought to be more careful, you know." His voice held a playful touch, as he drew around toward her front and pushed his nose against the top of her head. "Talk" "You" Think

The peace was nice, but her little striped avian friend chirped a warning that it was soon to be interrupted, accompanied by the crunch of heavy paws on brittle grass. Opening one icey blue eye she watched for the approach of the wolf she was fairly sure would turn out to be a certain handsome man. Her feathered friend hopped down to her back, unsure of what to make of the large brown creature who appeared. Laughing softly she cooed, "I'm glad you didn't, then," eyeing him a moment, then quipping, "I don't know, seems to me that the one doing the searching should be more aware of his surroundings, hm?"

Leaning into his touch, she let her eyes slide closed once more, just for a bit to fully enjoy the moment. Funny how she'd spent most of her life with this man, and she never once grew tired of his touch - if anything she was finding herself appreciating it even more now that they'd reconnected. Lifting her head she delivered a gentle kiss to his chin, grinning a toothy grin. Zephyr was easily the most addictive thing she'd ever come across, an addiction she was glad to give into every time they crossed paths lately. Stretching out her legs, Cae slowly gathered herself and pulled her body to a standing position. Softly she asked, "So, what do you want to do today?"

It was strange to see Caelum hardly flinch at his approach. He remembered, so long ago, knowing exactly how her pawsteps sounded. He hardly had to look to see her approach before knowing without a doubt who it was - had she been able to tell he was heading towards her too without seeing him? His gait had been measured and casual, and he grinned as she looked up at him lazily. She retorted gently that he ought to be more aware of his surroundings, and he let out a soft scoff. "I suppose you have a point," Zephyr drawled, drawing out his words as she rounded her another time. "But.. next time I won't hesitate to step all over you. Fair warning." Of course, he was merely teasing. A grin pulled at his lips as she leaned to lap at his chin, and her let his head droop slightly to encourage her touch. Now that he was growing more used to it, it was hard to imagine going as long without her around as he head. He considered it as he eyed her, fondness visible in his gaze. Eventually he settled by her side, reclining slowly to his haunches as she stood upright. "I could ask you the same thing,"" he asked, mischief gleaming in his sea-green stare. "I do believe I'll be content letting you lead the way. Which, by the way, isn't something that many get to hear me say." The truth was, was that he had always been content letting her lead whenever she pleased, and he was wondering if today might be one of those days. "Talk" "You" Think

She let her mouth fall open slightly as she gave him a look of mock indignation at the very idea of him stepping all over her. Of course he wouldn't dare do such a thing, not unless he intended to start a wrestling match she had every intention of winning. Back when they'd met it was common for them to turn goofy in an instant, back when things were easy. Biting her tongue a bit at the resurgence of memories, she quieting such thoughts and allowed herself to slip back into the moment.

Being close to him was a simple pleasure she would never again take for granted. It'd once been her assumption that things would always be good, that they'd spend nearly every day together and life would remain as predictable as ever. She knew better now, the fragility and finality of everything in life now terribly clear to her. Pressing closer to him for a moment, she took a deep breath, holding it a moment with her eyes held tightly closed as she basked in the warmth of their contact, then letting out a softly shuddering sigh and opened her eyes once more. Tail waving softly, she laughed, "Oh, don't say that! Who knows where I might take you?" leaning in closer, she added in a hushed tone, "Or what trouble I may get you into?"

Straightening, she bounded off to her left, hopping and bounding above the grass to more easily see where exactly she was at. Coming to a halt, she glanced back over her shoulder and whispered, "You hungry?"

Things between them seemed easier each time they met. Zephyr wasn't foolish enough to think that things would ever be exactly as they had been once - too much had happened between them to pretend otherwise - but he was happy that things were slowly getting easier. He felt more relaxed around her, no longer like there was a giant elephant in the room, despite the fact that he had definitely not told her everything that had happened during their time apart. Pushing it all back had eventually made him feel more at ease, and even today he smiled far more easily around her. The expression only widened as she pressed into him, as though basking in his scent, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't lean toward her for a whiff of his own. "I've always been a fan of trouble," he admitted, revealing his teeth as his grin grew. Zephyr's voice had taken on a playful air, as he exhaled softly against her neck. "I mean, if I'm being honest, I think you're the one I'd prefer to get in trouble with above everyone else." He was enjoying the time they spent together, slowly and surely letting go of the burden of anger and blame that he'd been holding on to. Not entirely, but mostly. Forgetting seemed easier, and safer, than remembering anyway. Finding out that Avani had survived had helped too, since he'd come to terms with the loss of their children a long time ago. He was still scared to meet her - scared of what she'd think, and what she'd heard, if anything. He knew the day would have to come soon, though, and he was both anxious and excited for it. He followed her easily, stretching out his forelimbs as he padded after her through the plains. "How could you forget? I'm always hungry," he drawled, his jaws parting in a soft yarn before he reached her side. "What's on the menu today?" Lightly he nipped at her flank, letting out a playful growl as he veered around to her front. "Talk" "You" Think

She shot him a knowing look at that little admission, hardly new information. She was surprised that his parents hadn't decided to literally make trouble his middle name. It would have suited this man a little too perfectly. Not that she minded too much; hell, his seemingly magnetic attraction to trouble could be pretty fun sometimes. Laughing, she said, "If you're too keen on getting into something I might have to think up something real terrible for us to do." her words were joking, though if he knew her at all he'd believe she'd still do it.

Smirking, she swatted at him gently with her tail. "You're right, I shouldn't even have to ask. You're a bottomless pit, hm?" Peeking around again, she found herself a small rock to stand on that just barely helped account for their height difference, and gave her a better vantage point to stare out above the sea of vegetation. "Well, we could go for a deer..." she started, though she wasn't entirely certain if they'd take one down very easily between just the two of them. They could probably do it, just not easily. Maybe if one was very old or young... Looking left and right, the only other creatures around seemed to be birds pecking through the grass and what she assumed to be a small hare, though it was a bit far off to be sure. Glancing back at Zeph she asked, "What do you think?"

For now, he was content to bask in her familiarity, in the easy glances she shot him. He marveled at how easily she made him smile, certainly a rarity these last few years. "Please do," he replied, perhaps a bit too playfully, in regards to Caelum thinking up something terrible for them to do. In a way, he felt like something that had been iced over in winter, left forgotten - she was his sun, melting away the harshness from his edges and unraveling what was beneath. And he no longer feared her warmth, but instead craved it more and more each day. At the comment about his hunger, he let out a dry snort. "You better not be implying I'm fat," Zephyr commented sharply. Truthfully though, his appetite was greater than hers, due to their size differences, so she really shouldn't have been so surprised. The thought of finding a deer definitely made his stomach rumble, though he wasn't entirely sure if his attention was more on Caelum or food at the moment. Hm. "Whatever you want, Cae," came his easy reply, her old nickname falling easily from his lips as he moved to press his nose to her flank, gentler this time than his previous nip. "Talk" "You" Think

A soft giggle eased its way from her lips in response to the overly quick reply accompanied by a toothy grin. Playfully the woman would swish her tail at him as though to shame him for his eagerness to follow her anywhere, even into trouble. The temptation to get into all manner of ridiculous situations just to see how far he’d follow was terribly tempting… Ah, maybe that was a plan for another day.

She almost burst out laughing at that comment, offering the man a coy smirk, ”I wouldn’t dare” Words scolding him for almost making her scare off the prey hanging around so close by nearly made their way out her lips but she found herself distracted by his gentle touch. Gracefully turning on the rock she’d chosen as her perch Caelum moved so she could look at Zeph and nibble his cheek while mumbling, ”I think it’s your turn to do the deciding.”

Zephyr's own expression lightened. While his demeanor had initially been playful, his smile seemed more natural now - he marveled at how young he felt around her. Everything was simply easier in her presence, despite his age, despite all they had gone through together. How he might dream of leaving her now was beyond him. Maybe he was weak, and it was likely he was foolish too; but he was growing more comfortable in his foolishness so long as she was around again. He watched as she turned to him a bit where she remained perched, leaning down to nibble the fur of his cheek lightly. He found his tail wagging gently behind him, swishing through the tall grasses that surrounded them. "I do have a craving for something in particular, now that I think of it," he commented after a moment of careful thought, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "But.. it's a secret. And you have to follow me first." He bowed slightly, looking almost like he was readying himself to play, before nipping at her flank again and turning to go, beckoning her to follow. "Talk" "You" Think

Spending time with good company and just enjoying herself was wonderful. It was impossible not to find herself reveling in the simple pleasures of a good day with the man she was now entirely certain she'd never stop loving with all her heart. Her eyes fell closed a moment, allowing her to fully appreciate the moment before she responded to his words. "I see..." she cooed in an uncertain tone. Where might this be going? That expression could only mean things were going to get interesting. But, she did say she'd let him take the lead after all.

Quirking a brow, she'd look at him sidelong for a bit before cracking an amused smirk and perking up, trotting after Zeph, blue eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Alriight, I suppose I'm a bit curious"

Though Zephyr felt quite out of practice with this whole.. being playful thing. It came far easier around Caelum than anyone else, especially now that they'd spent so much time together again, but it still wasn't as easy as it used to be for him. And it seemed she, too, wasn't fully used to his antics yet either, seeming curious but slightly uncertain at the same time. Amusement flickered over her features - he liked surprising her, even if it also made him feel a hint of anxiety, his heart racing just a bit faster. An unusual feeling for the man who usually was so steady and so uncertain, but Caelum had always changed things for him like that. She seemed eager to follow, at least, which pleased him. He plowed a path through the tall grasses, paws pushing down much of the grass to clear a path for her. Once he walked for awhile - his gait a bit aimless - he paused as he found a slight clearing in the field, dappled with flowers and soft grasses. That was what his eye had been searching for. "Now.. you lay down," he instructed her gently, flashing a slight grin in her direction, wondering if she'd caught on yet. "Talk" "You" Think

Trailing after him with measured strides, she could only guess what the man was up to. It was probably a good thing she wasn't all that concerned with the unknown. Heck, just going with the flow and not knowing where you might end up was kind of thrilling in a way. Padding along behind him was the perfect opportunity for Caelum to catch herself looking him over and liking what she saw. Wait, what? How long had it been since she did that? She ended up giggling softly to herself, dark topped head ducking down slightly.

When they stopped she listened to his instructions, grinning and circling in front of him once first so she could run her bushy ivory tail under his chin before she complied. Sauntering away from him a short distance, she promptly followed his instruction and shot him a grin that was outright flirtatious. Oh, gosh, she'd missed getting to act like this. "As you wish, my dear." She felt so much happier and younger with him, how she'd ever survived parting ways with such a wonderful wolf would always remain a mystery to her.