The sound of raindrops pelting down upon the wilderness soothed his wandering mind. It seemed as though change had finally descended upon Grizzly Hollow, and as hard as it had been to swallow the whole of his pride, he truly was glad that he and Borden were able to reconcile their differences.

With leadership now in the Lyall's hand, the Attaya was free to pursue his own desires, and he would begin by finding her. The little black bird he'd crossed during his last passage through the lakeland had, amazingly, branded a part of his heart with her gentle stare, and though weeks had passed since they'd met, he'd yet to end a day without thoughts of the shewolf. Was she okay, or even still in Relic Lore? Had she found success in the pack she'd waited for? Moreover, did she think of him as he'd thought of her? A part of him realized that he may have traveled in vain, and that Ava may have forgotten all about him. Still, he longed for her.

As he had many times before, the black and silver wolf descended the hidden, grassy slope that led to the hole in the hill. It was miles from the small cove where they had swam and talked, quite literally on the opposite end of the territory, but he couldn't - wouldn't - ever pass his old den by without paying his respects. The mud squished between his silver tipped toes as he approached the den mouth, casually extending his neck to probe the inside. Still empty, though his scent had faded. Dutifully, the man marked the entrance, renewing his claim to the small area. He may not live there anymore, but it was still home.

Time had, as always, done the territory well. The trees were thick and green, and young cattails lined the rocky shore of the lake, which pulsed beneath the falling rain. For some time he would sit like a statue at the waters edge, paying no attention to the droplets that penetrated his near-summer coat, nor the ones that slipped down the angles of his face. Here and there, he would blink the water from his eyes.

As midnight approached, and after he'd spent some quality time with the scene he'd come to endear, the shadow of a man would lift his muzzle skyward. The smooth chord of his song beckoned to the ebony lady, echoing out across the expanse of the territory like a desolate wind swept from the mountains.

Tonight, he belonged only to her.

"You're nearly tresspassing. Shouldn't you know better?"

The rustling of the leaves, as they danced in the current of the storm's winds, faded into silence as her voice called out from darkness. An ear would swivel backward as he held his breath and stance, and he savored one last moment of suspense. She always was quick with her sarcasm, but her gentle tone gave her fluttering heart away. The man rose to his feet and, without even an intention of fighting the coy grin from his lips, laid his burning, silver eyes upon the shewolf. Ava - more beautiful than the lake, the storm, or the moon itself.

Bold steps would bring him closer as he searched the amber depths of her stare. He had no words to offer just yet, and instead of issuing a quick quip of his own in return, the Attaya let the silence speak.

The air was cold, the droplets that continued to fall from the glowing clouds colder as they drenched his sopping coat. It was as though the shore were covered in diamonds, sparkling and put to shame in her presence. The tone of his voice was gentle and sincere as he addressed the lady intimately.

"Well," he attempted to scoff at her, "please excuse my poor route of navigation - I was thinking of you so hard, I must've lost my way."

The days that had passed since he'd last been so close were, now in hindsight, a lonely glimpse of the dark, truly solitary life he'd embraced. There were moments when he'd peer back in time to the sunset that had cast its last rays of light upon her pristine, ebony coat and honey hued eyes as they held his own, and sometimes he believed he could feel the warmth, the way the pebbles felt as he'd nuzzled his face in the sand in reluctance...But it was just that, only a vibrant memory, and he'd known at once as he'd watched her last, evening departure that it would be hard in some way to let go of something so pure, and harder to forget.

The rise and fall of his chest was slow and steady as he breathed in every inch of her scent, his nose roving past her cheek affectionately without contact. If his memory of Ava had been of her youthful qualities, the sight meeting his sore eyes was completely contradictive of what he'd remembered. She had blossomed, and had apparently been taken care of well. The eagerness of her disposition was not lost, and his plume would sway slowly behind him as he looked forward to every second he would give to her tonight.

The sparkling of his companion's eyes was just what he'd longed to see, and, taking her ironic notion in stride with an elated sigh, his gaze would lower to the sodden earth shyly.

"Yes," he breathed lightheartedly. Reflectively, the Lost Lake mirrored a large part of the man. He had been a lost soul as long as his memory had chronicled - the irony made perfect sense, in his world. But he was quick to push such awkward inward babble away, hanging on Ava's words intently. "Everything's been reminding me of you lately. I'm glad you came, Kade." At first thought it was horrific to him that her world could be dark and dreary - scarred - as he was, enough so that the things in it could be a constant reminder...

A budding affection slowly crept deep within as he realized her words meant something much more beautiful than that.

She was irresistible, and the gravity between the dark pair was becoming increasingly unyielding - until the treasured jewel of a girl closed the shred of distance inbetween. The force of her touch was slight in comparison to the explosion of emotion he felt as he gently leaned into her body, craning his thick neck to slide his muzzle tenderly between the blades of her shoulders. As his eyes fluttered closed, he could feel the thumping of her beating heart against his chest, and it was almost as though she were a part of him. The embrace was an unexpected surprise, and one he would never forget.

Ava pulled away and the smile on his face widened tenfold. "I wish I could flatter you by saying that I'd managed to lose my way here by chance, you know, whilst I was trying to accomplish some epic feat..." The Guardian broke the hold of her gaze as his eyes wandered down the angles of her face. "...but truthfully, I'm not lost. I am here for you."

The man's chest swelled with pride as his toes gripped the sand underfoot nervously.

"Just to...see you..." The chosen words fumbled from his lips, but the Attaya was sure his honorable determination was written upon his dark, silver featured mask.

"How are you?"

Ava had quite the story to tell, feverishly unloading all sorts of juicy details to be soaked up by a wide-eyed Kade. She certainly managed to get herself into plenty of trouble, and her mention of her brushes with death raised the fur from his back. However, it was good to know that she'd found her place in Relic Lore and was enjoying pack life. Not to mention her home was the one place he'd rather be aside from the Hollow, a rather lucky circumstance. The ebony lady's next words were truly heartfelt. "I met someone who's really great, and I think he might think I'm really great too. He did brave a storm for me."

He reached for her delicately, landing a soft lick of affection upon her cheek. As much as he'd have liked to entertain her with a playful interrogation concerning the mysterious man whose face he'd have to rip off for gaining her interest, he offered her, instead, the words written upon his healing heart. "It won't be the last storm I'll conquer for you." He took a moment to engage her gaze reassuringly before the woman took off in her own, uniquely energetic fashion, and in an instant he was right behind her. It pained him to see the way she favored her injured paw as she danced onward, and here and there he would stretch his neck to make sure she wouldn't fall in a hole or off another cliff - God knows if there were one to fall off of, she would be the wolf to lose her balance. "Careful-" he would murmur from time to time.

After a short trek it would appear that Ava had found just the place she'd been looking for, or at least one that would serve to protect the pair from the elements as the storm rumbled on through the night. Distant thundering drummed to the east, and the play of lightning among the mountains' peaks illuminated the lakeland powerfully. The man was right behind her as she wiggled her way into the narrow space, plopping carelessly at her side before openly snuggling close.

"And what's become of you?" He smiled softly, his gaze shifting between her two vibrant amber eyes. "Well..." he started, taking a moment to sum up his more recent adventures. "I've lost my leadership of Grizzly Hollow, though I wouldn't have it any other way. I was really only a figurehead, a stand-in until Borden returned to take his place...Borden Lyall," he clarified, sure that she wouldn't have a clue about who he was speaking of. "Things in Cedarwood Forest have been in disarray since the winter months, but I think things may actually settle down. And the lady of the pack, Jaysyek Lyall, is now an expecting mother - it'll be her second litter, I believe - so that is exciting, though I've yet to see her since I'd met you. Also, we've lost a few family members..." He would grow quiet, unallowing for his lips to quiver in grief over the unexpected losses. "Trisden and Hocus, two of the pups, have seemed to disappear...It's been pretty hard...Our Second, or former Second, Elettra Archer has also departed from the pack, sadly. We were never the best of friends, but she was one of the few who did support my rise and I never expected to see her go." All of the depressing talk only made him cherish the moments he spent with Ava now, as they hid together from the horrors of the world. "Aside from all of that, well...I've been lost in my thoughts of you and my plans to find you. I am glad you were nearly where I'd left you, or else I'd have been trapsing through Relic Lore all season searching."

He nibbled at the corner of her closest ear, gently licking the extraneous traces of water remaining on his companion's face. His thoughts wandered as he questioned subjectively who the psychopath who'd laid a claw or tooth on her was. Hopefully he would never come across the wolf, for if he did he would spill its blood until the rivers ran red. Quietly, he waited for any questions she might throw his way before he made the inquiry, contently leaning his head against her shoulder.

It was obvious that she had many questions - he could nearly see them written across her face as they would come and go - but Ava offered her support and, at times, her silence. Eventually her first inquiry would emerge, and it was not one that he had expected. "Are you going to stay? The pitter patter of a fluttering heart was surely revealed as she pressed herself into his chest, and he regarded the curves of her back and the dark patterns of her coat as he took in a quiet breath. The air that swirled in the tight place they shared grew thick and hot as the chemistry between them ignited, felt in every discrete touch and embrace, and it sent a trembling shiver down the brute's spine. A moist nose would graze the point of her shoulder, roving up the side of her neck before his lips met the curve of the shewolf's ear.

"Yes," he whispered.