Ryder chuckled warmly at her quip. He was glad she didn't seem to hold any defensiveness over the place and the rude pup who may or may not be some kind of relative to her. Steadily, he grew more comfortable in her presence.

"Uh," another laugh, this one with a touch of sheepishness. There were plenty who would've thought him the asshole, especially if they'd heard Euna's wailing alligator tears. Still, he owned it, shoulders rolling with a light shrug, "yeah, actually, a lil' bit."

Something clearly caught his eye then, and he motioned with his nose.

"There, I've been using that den for like a week now and nothings bothered me."

She wouldn't need to worry about anything coming back home to reclaim it. He stepped to the side after reaching it, intention clear in the way he placed himself. Ryder wasn't about to assume that she'd wanted to share the shelter with him. This could be goodbye, if she wanted it to be.

His tail began to wag as her laughter tumbled through the air. It had been a while since he'd gotten on well with anyone, not since the group he'd been lucky enough to fall into outside of Relic Lore. The reminder was bittersweet, cautionary. The train of thought stuttered as she teased him rather than bidding farewell, ears and brows both tweaking upward. When she disappeared into the hollow, another soft chuckle left him, paw scuffing absently at the snow. Well...

'Hurry up, it's getting cold in here.'

Ryder blinked, before a smile spread over his muzzle. With the invitation extended, he slipped down the den's throat and settled against its side opposite from where Hazel had chosen. It felt different in here now, misery and self-pity no longer welcomed amongst the shadows. His company's pale colors almost seemed to give off their own faint glow, conifer eyes still visible.

"... y'know, when the weather clears, I could help you get to the Backwater."

It was only the gentlemanly thing to do at this point.

Ryder's tail returned to motion, gently patting the ground as it wagged lazily. His smile came a little more easily when she accepted his offer. It hadn't been in his plans, but what could it hurt? He'd wanted to stall his return to the Falls anyways, and wouldn't have been able to devise a more pleasant way to do so on his own.

"Of course," his chest puffed out a touch, happy for her to rely on him for this.

He shifted his own paws, tucking them against his body politely. They could pass the time with light conversation and rest, the sense of comradery hopefully able to outlast the storm outside...