The sun was high in the noonday sky as the timber-hued fea padded through her pack lands. Summer was back in full force, warming the gray fur along her back to the point of being scalding hot. She ducked into the shade of a nearby tree, a sigh of relief passing her lips. Panting lightly, she flopped down onto her haunches with a soft thump. She sighed again, looking up through the leaves at the blue sky above her. Along with the summer heat came her own heat. It had been dogging after her for several days, irritating as always. She had kept herself away from the pack for the most part because of it, including Gael, as much as it saddened her. She had been so excited to join his pack so she could see him as much as she wanted and live with him, but it seemed like the longer she was here the more confused about her feelings she got. She really, really liked him... but she was so much older than him. Maybe if he was at least a year or two from now it wouldn't be a big deal, but it wasn't. He was a yearling. A soft, confused wine sounded in her chest and she looked down at her paws. She wished she had someone to talk to, but before she had come to Valhalla she had absolutely no one in her life. She had Gael now, but she couldn't exactly talk to him about her feelings for him without it being weird. Maybe Ash wouldn't mind listening...? She shook her head. She had only spoken to the lead hunter a couple of times. But who knew, maybe they could be friends? "Speech."

Walk | Talk | Think

The morning had started off well enough. Though the majority of the dens were still drying out and a few Valhallans had been lucky enough to move back into their quarters, Ashtoreth had not been among them. Her den - the one she had claimed in Leon's absence - had been separate from the rest of the centralized camp grounds but still level with them overall, causing it to flood just as much as any of the others. The only real positive spin she had on it was that hers was mainly constructed from dense stone and would more easily dry out than those dug right into the earth, but still puddles littered the interior, particularly toward the back and rather than risk accidentally rolling into them during the night she had chosen to keep her temporary shelter nearby where the wolves had all gathered after the flooding.

Needless to say, her new cramped quarters were less than ideal compared to before and so she had risen early with a seemingly repetitive stiffness to her joints, causing her to take to walking as soon as she rose in part to enjoy the quiet of the dawn but also to work out the sleepiness and cramping that had settled about her body during the night. The walk had proven better, though no less eventful. It was quiet, as it typically was, her only company being the scent of the pack's border and the gentle rustle of the smaller game as they stirred for the day and went about their business while she slipped silently through their midst with disinterested attention.

The hours had passed quickly by and as noon came around, and Ashtoreth found her steps bringing her closer toward a densely wooded clearing, sticking to the shaded areas as the warmth of the summer sun was starting to beat down on everything it could touch with a relentless energy. If this was what summer was going to be like now, only when it began, the lithe grey hunter could only imagine what it would be like come a few weeks time. It only made her hope for the cool, stony interior of her den all the more. But that was thought for another time, she mused, purple and gold gaze settling on a figure that was growing familiar to her and one who's company she set about seeking out.

Though she approached from behind, her tail still wagged, a gentle chuff of greeting exiting her muzzle to let Meili know that she had company. Smiling, Ash joined her there beneath the trees, grateful for the company and the chance to get to converse with someone for the first time that day. The quiet had really been starting to bother her. "Hey, Meili," she greeted amiably, slowing and moving to sit there within the shade nearby the other prospective hunter. Perhaps it was just the weather making it nearly unbearable to merely be awake, but the blue-eyed wolf appeared a little distracted. "How are things?" she asked, the question general enough and stated without any hinting behind it to make her question Ashtoreth's observations, but opening up the ground between them for any sort of chat that she wished to have. With the restless sort of morning Ash had had, a little mind-consuming conversation sounded just the ticket to clear it up.

OOC: Rambly and bleh, but woo! xD

Speak of the devil. Not even moments after the thought of Ashtoreth had crossed her mind Meili's ears flicked at the sound of a greeting from the lead huntress. Meili looked back over her shoulder to look at the grey fea, a smile crossing her muzzle. Her teal gaze followed Ash as she came to sit with her in the shade. "Hey, Ash," she replied, her tail waving gently against the ground. Being the social wolf that she was, having friends nearby instantly brought her mood up, but there was still that nagging voice in the back of her mind that kept bringing up all of her problems and bringing down her mood. Meili wondered if the hunter could see that something was bothering her when she asked how things were, but of course it was a very general question. The fea could merely be making conversation. Either way, Meili had to fight the urge to spill her problems to Ash as soon as she asked. Instead, the little fea rolled her shoulders in a slight shrug as she replied, Things are fine I suppose. I just have a lot on my mind is all." She glanced down at her paws as she thought of Gael, wondering what he was doing, worrying about him senselessly like she always did when she wasn't around him. She knew the young brute was fine, but a little part of her didn't like to believe it unless she had her teal gaze on him. Pulling her eyes back up to the gold and violet gaze of Ashtoreth, smiling as she pushed aside her thoughts. "What about you? How are things?" "Speech."

Walk | Talk | Think

Well, at least the other prospective hunter didn't look troubled. Her thoughts, whatever they may have been to give her such a distracted look, seemed to easily enough dissipate as she arrived and gave her greeting to her fellow Valhallan, assuring Ashtoreth that there was nothing truly troubling the other wolf. This was good. She was still hoping to fully recruit the other into their hunters ranks and to be their first official hunter under their new titles as Sigmas. In all honesty, she was looking forward to help and hardly even cared where Meili sat along the scale of experience so long as she was willing to learn, which she had already assured the grey hunter that she was. All signs were pointing to go as far as her opinions went; it was really only a matter of discussing the matter with Chrysanthe to see if she might agree.

A lot on her mind? Well, that was vague enough to pique Ashtoreht's curiosity. But rather than question it, she merely nodded her head in a slow, thoughtful sort of manner, as if taking a moment to process the answer fully. What sort of things, she wondered, a curious part of her wanted to ask. This wolf reminded her so much of herself that she felt inclined to offer any assistance that she could give, whatever it would be. Hunting tips, advice on the pack, even directions somewhere she may never have been before: she prided herself on her growing knowledge of many different things and only wanted to see this like minded individual thrive inside their pack.

Question turned on her, the small grey wolf found it hard not to react in an obvious manner. Truth be told, she had been feeling quite well recently, perhaps even better than she had been the past few months. And all in part because her best friend had returned. Leon's absence had been trying for her, adversely causing her recovery time after her attack to lengthen though she hadn't realized it at the time. She had thought him gone, disappeared from her pack forever, only to materialize on the borders of their land and call for her. Just her. It had been an honor as much as it had been a confusing headache.

But those were thoughts for another time, she decided. If she hadn't even determined what there was between herself and Leon - if there truly was something there at all - then how could she possibly try and explain it to someone else? It just seemed like an entire waste of breath, and so she answered in kind, "Good, good. Though it would be nicer if I was sleeping in my own den again." As if to exaggerate the point, she arched her back slightly and rolled her shoulders, face pinching a little with a look of discomfort. "Temporary one isn't quite as roomy as the one I've got back at camp. Those flood waters better recede soon."

OOC: I give Meili full and complete permission to ask questions about Ash's den if you think she'd want to. Considering it was Leon's before she claimed it, it could segue into the actual "girl talk" nicely, I think. c:

Meili chuckled softly as she watched the gray fea stretch out her sore back, giving credit to her pains to her new, cramped living quarters. Meili hadn't yet chosen a permanent den for herself, partly because of the flood waters that Ashtoreth spoke off. Most of the dens were still soggy like Ash's so she didn't feel like she should be taking the remaining ones as a newcomer. Other wolves needed them more than she did. She was still accustomed to the life of a rogue. Sleeping out under the stars was no big deal for the little fea. She did wonder what a wolf looked for in a den when they were going to claim one. Before now her "den" was whatever hole she could find to sleep in that was out of the weather. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe that was another thing that she had been taught when she was younger and had forgotten along with the rest of her memories from the first year and a half of her life. "What do you look for in a den?" she asked curiously, voicing her thoughts. "What traits were you looking for when you picked yours? I was just wondering because I've never had a real home or den and I wasn't sure if there were certain things I should be looking for." ooc: sorry for the wait and shortness x_x "Speech."

Walk | Talk | Think

Catching her entirely off guard, Meili began to question Ashtoreth's choice in den hunting, wanting to know, in detail, what it was that had drawn her to hers and made her choose it from all the other options available to her. But as much as she wanted to list something off, something easily understandable and a excusable for her choice, no words, no excuses, came to mind. Instead, all that fluttered through her mind, grinning at her with his dazzling blue eyes, was a vivid face sculpted from chocolate colored fur.

She could have groaned aloud if it might not have been heard and drawn about a remark from her company. In all honesty, she had no really good explanation for her choice: it had been Leon's and it had become hers. But she needed to answer her newest friend, and since she had failed to think of anything on the spot to suffice, she chose the open and honest approach, praying it might not lead the conversation into confusing, unwanted areas.

"Oh, my den," she stated after a somewhat longer pause than necessary, nodding her head thoughtfully as she willed the image of her best friend out of her mind and tried to draw up a picture of her den in its place. Even before she spoke, her expression was turning sheepish, ears turning and threatening to tuck against her head like a shy child's might. "Well...I didn't exactly pick my den myself. It was a friend's." There was that word again. Friend. And somehow it still didn't quite sound right. Ignoring her thoughts, Ashtoreth continued, trying to answer the question simply, but what came out was more of a confession. "I injured myself a while ago - a run-in with some crazy male. When I finally made it back here, I didn't bother going to my original den. It was too far away with my limp, and too small for me to stretch my leg out as I'd need to. So I went to Leon's den, because he was my friend and I knew he wouldn't mind me staying there with him." Even the thought of that time, reflecting on the eagerness she had had to seek company with him, to lean on him for support when she was down, caused the beginnings of a smile to appear again.

But it faded rather quickly. "When I got there, it was empty. I hadn't the slightest clue where he'd gone and no idea if and when he would come back. And...because I was already there and was sure he wouldn't mind...I stayed." Almost she mentioned the scent - his scent - that had still lingered upon her arrival at Leon's den, how she had curled up within it to seek what comfort she could from his memory if nothing else. But even the thought of it embarrassed her and so she kept that little tidbit of information to herself. And because she hated to leave her story as it was, she added on with a refreshing sigh, smiling a bit more easily now. "He's back again. And I'm pretty sure he's found himself a new den," she answered, her smile threatening to widen into a grin. Or he's sleeping by a tree under the stars.

OOC: Holy jeebus, I didn't expect her to go into the story so quickly. >.<;

Meili had been expecting an answer along the lines of making sure the den was out of the way of possible floor waters or even tips on where to look for a den, but instead what she got was the story of how Ashroeth was injured and went to her friend's den for help, only to find it empty and her friend, Leon, gone. Meili loved stories and listened with interest, watching the expressions flicker across the lead hunter's face. She was glad to hear that her friend had returned so at least it had a happy ending. The whole story sparked her interest and curiosity and lots of questions sprung to her mind, the loudest of which being if Ash and Leon were really just "friends". The little timber-hued fea was such a hopeless romantic. Her eyes showed her excitement and mischief as she gave in to her curiosity, asking, So you and Leon are really good friends?" Her teal gaze asked her real question, wondering if there was more to her story. Of course, Meili would never force her friend to tell her anything she didn't want to, but Mei would love to get the inside scoop all the same. "Speech."

Walk | Talk | Think

She had said too much. Meili's expression may not have given much away as far as her thoughts on Ashtoreth's tale, but there was a certain glint within her eye that made the Valhallan Psi wish to hide somewhere out of sight and away from questioning. She should have known better to tell the whole story; she could have simply left it at "I got this den from Leon" but given the opportunity to spill a bit of her story the grey hunter had jumped at the chance. Oh great, here come the questions, she thought, withholding a groan that was ready to slip forth at her own slip up. Drawing in a cautionary breath, she readied herself for whatever questions Meili might end up asking, the look about the other wolf's face suggesting that one was currently on the way.

What she received was a milder inquiry than imagined. Her gold and purple eyes blinked as she dared to raise them at her friend and company, still sensing and somewhat seeing more to the question than the vague surface value it had been spoken with. Yes, she was curious, but her questions, it seemed, were not meant to be prying, only offering an avenue for Ashtoreth to vent her thoughts if she felt comfortable to do so.

"Yes," she answered, her tone almost forceful with the single word. Even as it rolled off of her tongue, however, a little voice piped up within her head that this was not altogether true. It had been becoming increasingly obvious of late, ever since Leon had returned, that things, though well, were not exactly right. Perhaps that was not the correct manner of addressing it. Something felt off, as if there was always more to be said than what actually came to light, more lurking below the surface than what both were willing to acknowledge. Or maybe it was just her. Without quite thinking, she sighed, the gesture meant to be an internal one that had slipped out into the open. Ears tipping back, Ash winced. "I think." Surprised at her own boldness regarding the subject - even when alone she was constantly second guessing every thought that ran through her mind - she managed a tight, sheepish smile at Meili before lowering her gaze with a uncomfortable chuckle.

The little fea's head tipped curiously to the side as her friend hesitated and seemed to almost force a yes, only to be followed with an I think. Hmm, maybe this had a different sort of twist that she originally thought. Meili was more curious than ever about the relationship between the lead hunter and this Leon character than ever. They clearly had some kind of history, but being new to the pack Meili didn't know any of it. Talking about Ash's relationship brought Meili's own relationship to mind, Gael flickering through her mind. Maybe if she listened to Ash's problems the hunter would do the same for her? It was worth a shot anyway. Besides wanting relationship advice herself, Meili was just happy to be an open ear for her friend. "I'll be happy to listen if you want to talk about it," she offered with a smile, her teal gaze watching her curiously to see if she would take her offer. "Speech."

Walk | Talk | Think

No. No, Ash did not want to talk about. To talk about the feelings she had been having lately, about how they had been strengthening and overwhelming her strangely whenever she just thought about the male in question, would make them real. It would change how she reflected back on her own thoughts, how she interpreted those feelings that he stirred, how she saw him overall. Ashtoreth had no grand plans for herself and never had. She had only ever wanted the most simplest of pleasures for herself: a stable home, a satisfying job, and dependable friends. Anything more had seemed like a distraction. And the more she thought about Leon...the more she began to classify him as just that.

It was a wonder she had not crumbled under the pressure of her own thoughts and melted into the ground as Meili awaited her response, a not-so-companionable but not-so-uncomfortable silence stretching out as the grey hunter prolonged her answer. Even as her brow began to furrow, her internal debate reaching a crescendo, she could feel herself beginning to cave once more.

With a groan that she had been trying to keep herself, the wolf crumpled the ground defeatedly, lifting grey and white forepaws to cover her face and muzzle and drag them down to her nose in a moment of unabashed distress. "I don't even know what to say, Meili," she began, turning her head to look upward at the other female with a look that was a mixture of a pitiful smile and worrisome uncertainty. "I mean, he's always been my friend, practically since I met him. But when he left..." She could feel it, that cold, empty place within herself that she had experience when she had returned to his den to find him gone. It had been an even worse pain than the one she had endured during her attack, and lasted just as long if not longer. It was part of the reason she had been so happy to keep friends and nothing more in the first place. No distractions.

"I couldn't miss him so much if he was only my friend, right?" The question rolled with a shaky sort of uncertainty as Ashtoreth stared questioningly up into the face of her confidant. She felt truly embarrassed for having spilled her thoughts out so wholly, but there was no taking it back. There had simply been a lot on her mind lately.

The small fea waited patiently as the silence between them stretched on. She knew first hand how confusing situations involving guys could be so she didn't push her on it. She simply sat with an expectant gaze for some sort of response from her friend. Suddenly Ashtoreth crumpled to the ground with a groan, surprising even Meili with the level of her distress. Meili's gaze met Ash's with an understanding that only someone with similar feelings could have. The teal-eyed fea considered the question that Ash gave her as she sank to her belly to lay beside her friend, giving Ash a little nod. "It sounds like you care about him a lot to me," she replied, her eyes finding Ash's again. She smirked playfully and nudged Ash's shoulder. "Sounds like you got bit by the love bug, my friend," she joked with a chuckle, trying to lighten Ash's mood. "I think you should follow your heart, Ash. I mean, if you really care for him that much, why not have him be more than a friend, right? I don't know... I just know that life's too short to just sit and wonder and worry about stuff like this." Meili wished she could take her own advice. She felt like her situation was a little different, but shouldn't she practice what she preached, so to speak? "Speech."

Walk | Talk | Think

To her surprise and relief, Meili did not take her sudden admission of feelings and secrets badly. Instead she smiled on understandingly, making no comment on anything until Ashtoreth had requested it, and as she answered she too lowered herself to join the grey wolf upon the ground, an unexpected solidarity felt within the motion. If anything, Ash could at least say she felt better for having said what was on her mind. It had bothered her so long that even this pinprick in her defenses had unleashed the torrent she had been holding back, and poor Meili was being a trooper by dealing with it all without rolling her eyes or poking fun. It seemed as if she had very suddenly gained a new friend, a new confidant, very quickly here.

Her answer was simple enough as well, though the words rang like some haunting death knell in the Hunter's ears. She did like him, didn't she? And as Meili gave her shoulder a gentle poke she released another quiet groan. Damn it. Love bug did sound right. As much as she wished it to be otherwise, she was quite certain she...loved Leon. Staring away, unable to meet Meili's blue eyes as she offered her own bit of advice, Ashtoreth listened to it all still with a strong look of distress about her. Follow your heart. Easier said than done in her opinion. She had no idea how to even remotely begin to bring up a subject like this with Leon let alone proceed through the conversation without chickening out before reaching the end.

"Easy for you to say," she eventually mumbled, half moody and half still overwhelmed by the predicament she found herself in. Resting her head upon her outstretched paws, she shifted her gold and purple eyes upward to glance at Meili. "You don't have this problem," she added, unaware of the differing troubles that plagued her friend. Unknowingly she opened up the ground for the blue-eyed wolf to confess her own problems, though for the time being she merely thought her comment might make Meili reconsider the overall easy-in-theory advice.

The little fea scoffed at Ash's saying that Meili didn't have this problem, her ears flicking back for a moment. She turned her teal gaze shyly to her forepaws that were kneading at the ground shyly. She had kept her affections for Gael around the pack to a minimum in fear that they wouldn't approve of them being together with such a large age difference so she wasn't at all surprised that Ashtoreth didn't know about her crush for the young brute. But... Ash was her friend, right? If she couldn't tell Ash about her and Gael, who else would she talk to? "Weeell, that's not entirely true," she replied, glancing over to the hunter beside her. "I kinda have a... crush, you could say. But... I don't know if we can be together." She sighed, her ears laying down against her skull as she thought about it. Her eyes turned back to her paws as her words carried on. "I mean, we're from completely different words. He's from this huge family and was pretty much raised in this whole pack life while I'm just a loner that ran into him out of the blue. His dad doesn't even like me and I haven't gotten the courage to speak to his mother yet... And, well... I'm going to be five years old this summer and he's still a season away from being two..." Meili shyly glanced over to Ash at her confession, wanting to see her reaction. She hadn't named any names, but that was because if Ash didn't take the situation well, Meili wanted to leave Gael's name out of it. The last thing she wanted was to mess with Gael's relationship with his pack mates. "Speech."

Walk | Talk | Think

A confused, puzzled frown set upon Ashtoreth's face as Meili attempted to counter what she had said, admitting for the first time that she too may have been under similar circumstances as the Lead Hunter. It was not so much a surprise that the other she-wolf should be troubled by roughly the same thing as her - she had just as much right to relationship troubles as anyone - but it felt like no time at all that she had been part of their pack. Was this a long going issue? Did it just spring up overnight? And, more importantly, who was it?

For the time being, the thoughts that had buzzed throughout her head were silenced and replaced by ones of question regarding the puzzling problems Meili found herself in, the grey hunter falling into the role of patient listener while the other she-wolf went on about the wolf she spoke of crushing on. A big family. Present parents. And young. That was an unexpected admission. Briefly it caused her to wonder just how old Leon was but that was not a thought that would help her now. She needed to stay away from those thoughts for a while yet.

"Wow," she responded, letting her surprise take away her ability to respond with a moment of thoughtful silence. "That's...quite an age gap," Ash finally stated, casting a glance at the other female while she continued to stare at her paws nervously. No wonder she had been so willing to open up to Meili. They were very much of similar minds, and problems it seemed. Was it too much to ask of fate for the both of them to be happy? "He knows, right?" she asked suddenly, picking up on a pretty big difference in both of their stories. Leon was clueless to her feelings, at least to her knowledge. "That you like him?" she added after a pause, just for clarification.