It was nice to have some time alone, just the two of them. Ulric's responsibilities and troubles were halved while Artorias was getting used to ruling and so it was easier now to sneak her big man away from the castle. Despite it being summer, nights seemed to come earlier as of late. It was a little odd, but Eska thought nothing of it. Who knew why the world did what it did?

The silvered fae rubbed against her man as they walked towards the strange glowing stones that she'd seen once before on her travels. "They're really very pretty," she admitted to Ulric. Before they arrived at the stones though, Eska noted something else. Many things around them seemed to be a little iridescent. There was a pale blue sheen to some of the rocks. Plants seemed to glow faintly purple. Eska furrowed her brow a bit before swinging her golden gaze to Ulric's face. "Do you see that too or are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

"Eska"

Now that Art was back on his feet and was in the full swing of being the other half of The Hallow's ruling pair he was already beginning to feel some relief from his duties and was finding more free time he could spend with Eska and his family. He was throughly enjoying trips away from the pack's claimed lands and the exploring they were doing together. Despite living in Auster for a full year at this point, he still had yet to see many of the sights in the southern continent and now he was getting a very small taste of what retirement could be like. He grinned as Eska's silver, brindled form brushed against his as they walked, dipping his head to nuzzle her cheek affectionately. "Not as pretty as you, I'm sure," he replied with a sly grin as she made the promise that the stones he was being led to were very pretty.

As they drew closer to their destination though and he was able to take in the circle of standing stones, Ulric was surprised at just how much the stones glowed. When they had been described as "shimmering" in the moonlight this wasn't exactly what he imagined. Then he noticed it wasn't just the stones that held a glow, but the flowers and plants in the area as well. He blinked with surprise and looked toward Eska again as she spoke, giving her a nod. "I do... I've never seen anything like this before." Curious, he went toward some of the grasses that were growing at the base of the rocks and slowly passed his paw through them, watching the glowing plant life move with an iridescent sheen.

"Ulric"

Eska didn't really understand the glow, but it didn't seem harmful, so she pushed it from her mind. Sulfuric eyes watched as Ulric slid his paw over the glimmering greenery. The motion seemed to make the glow brighter and the woman's eyes widened for a moment. Was this... something like the shore that glowed blue? Coming up beside her mate, Eska nuzzled into his shoulder. The air felt a little colder once she entered the circle of stones. In fact, as Eska breathed, tendrils of mist reached into the air. "Ulric..." she spoke hesitantly, looking back at her lover as he stood outside the circle, still inspecting the plants. "Something's not right."

A yip from behind brought Eska spinning about. Across the circle of glowing stones stood a small white fox. It's almond shaped eyes were locked upon the two wolves and it seemed to lack fear. That wasn't the uncanny part. Those eyes glowed just as blue as the glowing stones. The vulpine yipped again and stepped behind the closest stone, disappearing from view. Again, a yip sounded from behind and Eska turned. The same fox was standing on the opposite side of the circle, a smug look on its pointed features. "Ulric," Eska spoke again, coming up beside the earthen man. "Should we leave?" The woman was no coward, but this strange situation made her feel uneasy.

"Eska"

Ulric tilted his head as the iridescent glow of the plant life he experimentally touched seemed to glow brighter and in a way it did remind him of the glow the beach near the castle had at night, but the feeling in the air here make him feel like this wasn't a naturally occurring thing. He was briefly distracted from the thought as Eska came up beside him and nuzzled his shoulder, making him smile as she turned his gaze toward her. She stepped past him into the circle of stones and he was just about to follow her when she suddenly stopped and a yip sounded in the air. His ears perked and he looked past her, seeing a white fox with eyes that made his brow crease with confusion. That uneasy feeling he had sensed only intensified as he watched it duck behind one of the stones only to have the yip they heard before come from behind them.

The fur on the back of his neck stood on end and he turned around to look at the strange fox again, his ears flicking back against his head as he watched it. As Eska came up beside him again he leaned lightly into her side, feeling the need to make sure he knew where she was while he kept his silver eyes fixed on the ghostly fox. Her question over whether they should leave or not brought a nod from him. He had faced a lot of things and was the first to step up and face some sort of threat, but something like this, something that felt so otherworldly, put him on edge. "Yeah... I don't think we should stay here," he replied, more than ready to get away from the glowing gaze of this strange fox.

"Ulric"

Ulric saw the fox as well and the pair of wolves stepped closer to one another. Was it a ghost? A spirit? A demon or devil? She didn't want to stick around to find out and neither did Ulric. Their date night ruined, the pair of wolves left the stone circle and made their way in the direction of home. The silvered woman kept close to the large brute, her body always touching his as they moved. Not entirely out of fear, but more out of anxiousness and a sense of solidarity. She wanted him to know that she was with him and that they were both safe.

It seemed as though the fox wasn't done with them, however. As the pair moved along, Eska saw the luminescent vulpine peer out from behind trees, part the grasses with its white paws, peek down from the branches of trees. All the while those little yips continued to meet their ears. The fox didn't seem malicious, but it was definitely a trickster. Eska just focused on moving and, after a while, she realized that she no longer heard the sounds of the fox, nor did she see its sneaky form. Looking back over her shoulder, Eska saw no sign of the creature. Only a few blue fireflies drifted through on the evening breeze.

"Eska"

Ulric was more than happy to get moving as soon as Eska started walking away from the circle of stones. He kept close to her side for both of their benefit, finding comfort in knowing she was there with him and hopefully reassuring her as well as they moved away from the unsettling place. Their date night had taken an unfortunate turn, but he would rather get away from this fox that seemed more like a spirit than an actual vulpine. He had seen his lost family in dreams once upon a time and it only ever brought bad omens and this gave him the same sort of feeling.

As they walked away a frown tugged at his lips as the fox continued to appear, its yips following them as they started making their way back home. A small part of him wondered if perhaps they should divert their path to keep from leading the thing home, but just as that thought crossed his mind it seemed to disappear. He noticed Eska look back and he followed her gaze, seeing the blue-hued fireflies drifting off on the breeze. His ears flicked uneasily and he sighed, putting his focus back on the path ahead of them. Even if whatever it was didn't mean any harm it still didn't sit well with him and he was eager to get back home after an encounter like that.

"Ulric"

ESKA

In a nearby tree two squirrels begin chittering angrily at each other. At closer inspection, it appears the acorn they are fighting over shimmers a vibrant purple where it catches the light. You also find 2 crystals. Maybe these are worth keeping…

ULRIC

The air feels somehow thicker than before. You also find 3 crystals. Maybe these are worth keeping…