The landscape was leveling out, towering ridges replaced by more manageable, soft hills, topped with dense woods of deep-green pine. It had been raining on and off over the last couple of days as the two wolves travelled through the uneven terrain, finding shelter where they could under mixed canopies. Today seemed clear though, slivers of bright blue sky visible between the needles overhead. It couldn't be much longer now, till they reached to lowlands he had spotted from an outlook atop one of the tall mounts. The dark man's interest had been peaked instantly, the open land reminding him of the fields he had enjoyed so much. These forested hills weren't so bad either though, a gentle reminder in his legs as they moved up and down the slopes, of a time long passed. He wanted to see the plains though, now that they had wandered this far, hopefully they would show potential, if not as home, then at least as hunting grounds.

Dark head turned to glance over one shoulder, steady movements ceasing for a moment as he waited for his grey companion to catch up. There was a small wrinkle on his brow, concern lining the warm look in his eyes. How much longer could they go on? How long till she couldn't handle being on the move? Already he feared that crossing the smooth hills was wearing her down; She needs rest..! Yet he had still to find a place for her to do so, and until then they couldn't stop. But he worried, thinking maybe he was being too picky, maybe they should have stayed in Blackberry Fields, even if it had been surrounded by other packs. His heart was constantly split, between the wish to search for the perfect place, and needing to care for his partner and the life she was carrying. As she came up beside him, he silently reached out to gently brush his muzzle against hers, silvered hairs touching peppered grays in a quiet question of whether she was okay to continue.

The trees looked to be thinning up ahead, a cool breeze wafting through the low branches, bringing a bouquet of new smells to the two wolves. Drestig's tail started to wag as he breathed in deeply, the unfamiliar perfumes sparking fresh excitement in his tired body. He glanced sideways, meeting the deep green eyes by his side, a small, crooked smile lighting up his face. Then he started moving again, swiftly slipping between the pines, towards the sunlight that shone brighter and brighter as the forest dispersed. After so long in the dim woods, the daylight was almost blinding, stopping the dark wolf at the tree line as he blinked the whiteness from his eyes. What he saw once his sight was back however, took his breath away. Under the white-dotted, azure sky, as far as the eye could see, stretched a golden sea of grass, swaying softly in the light breeze; "Wow!"

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The golden sea seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions, only a few, lone flowers adding a dab of color. As they continued further into the fields, the distant trickle of water drew the dark man's attention, eventually leading them to a wide creek, bubbling merrily as it cut a silver-blue line through the grass. Drestig paused, his gaze trailing the water along its, green-banked path. This was a good sign, the water sure to draw prey, as well as sate the thirst of wolves. Raising his eyes, the graying man looked out over the land, a satisfied smile still on his lips; No doubt these open plains, full of grass, were frequented by many different herds all year round. He felt a stir by his side and looked down, smiling into the face of his smaller companion, warmth washing through him as he saw his own joy reflected in her deep green eyes. Her question made him laugh, a deep, genuine chuckle, ringing out over the vast expanses surrounding them. "Yeah, something like this," He answered, voice low and sincere.

He hadn't known exactly what he was searching for, in fact several times during their journey he had wondered whether there would ever be a place he felt right about. But he had held out hope, thinking to himself that he would know it once he came upon their new home; This is it! At least he felt like it. A sudden stab of worry jolted through his chest, and he looked deeply into Jessie's eyes, seeking any doubt there, any sign that she might not be as sure as him. "What do you think?" He finally asked, trying not to let his concern show in his voice. It was their home they'd been searching for, a place for their family. She needed to love it as much as him.

The gurgle of the water drew his attention again, and unable to stay still, he started following it back towards the tree line. Black and silver chest cut through the grass, separating the golden strands either side of his body, each blade trilling softly as they brushed against his fur, folding back together behind him, as if nothing had ever passed through. The creek ended out in a small pond, surrounded by lower, chartreuse grass, blending into the underbrush of the nearby pines. The water was completely still, a blank mirror, reflecting the cloud-dotted sky above.

The more he explored, the more sure he became; This can be home!

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Her touch, her soft words, the feeling of certainty that this was the right place, it all filled his chest with a bubbling joy. He was happy! "My heart is with you!" He replied lowly, the words slipping from his maw almost of their own accord. It was so simple really, she'd stood by him through the darkest part of his life, he'd loved her long before he admitted it even to himself. Still, saying it made him rather flustered, and he was glad to be moving again, able to turn his eyes to the water at their paws. Gold and green reflected off the rippling surface, the trickling sound filling the open space. It was a peaceful melody, promising safety and life. The graying man smiled to himself, thinking of the life that was already on its way. He glanced sideways, watching the rise and fall of his partner's salt and pepper flank; My future!

They paused at the edge of the pond, Drestig's eyes gazing first across the water, at the deep green woods, and then turning to look into the horizon, like Jessie did beside him, watching the waves of gold connect sharply with the azure sky. This was their home, he could feel it! And hearing her soft approval turned his smile into a grin. He turned his head to look down at her, a snappy retort ready on his tongue, but it died before reaching his lips. She seemed to glow out here in the bright sun, a pearl of silver floating on the sea of gold. Since they left Spectral Woods, he'd seen her lighten up, the burden of her sorrow visibly falling from her shoulders. She'd smiled more in these last months than he ever remembered seeing before. If he ever began to doubt his choice, all he had to do was look at her, to know he'd done the right thing. Now he smiled down at her, softly, sincerely, eyes full of warmth. She was his strength, his light, he would have been hopelessly lost without her by his side. "I couldn't have done any of it without you," He said, a little hoarsely, reaching down to touch his nose to her cheek.

Beside them, the water bubbled lightly as it flowed from the creek out into the small, almost circular lake. Pretty much straight across, another small stream was tugging water into a similar brook, disappearing into the trees. Silver-tipped ears bend back at the sound, eyes still focused only on the grey wolfess. "I think we could raise them well here, our children," He rumbled into her fur, a trickle of joy rushing down his spine at the word; Little Avalons! Finally he would accomplish what he had dreamed of for so long, what he was born for. Even with his parents gone, his family would not perish, it would live on! The thought did bring one question to the forefront of his mind though: Names. For the puppies, and for the two of them. His brows furrowed; What are we exactly? Soon they would be parents, but it might be a good idea to figure out what they were to each other beforehand. Companions, partners; Lovers? All of them seemed so insubstantial, they were more than that. Trying to voice his thoughts, the otherwise so eloquent wolf suddenly found himself stumbling; "We uhm… Never talked about… Names?" He finally tried, weakly, feeling a knot in his stomach. He couldn't think of how else to put it.

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He couldn't keep still for very long, body buzzing with nervous excitement. As she caressed his cheek, he slowly pulled back, looking down at her for another moment, before he returned to their exploration. Circling the clear pond, he moved towards the shade of the tree-line, walking at a brisk pace. The shelter was welcome, with the high noon sun shining down over the golden fields, though he needed to pause right within the confines of the woods, to adjust to the lower light. This worked nicely to let Jessie catch up, and as she came back to his side, he looked down at her, reminding himself to move more slowly; No need to stress..! Any of them, they had all the time they wanted.

There was puzzlement on her face, head tilting lightly as she answered him in a light, warm tone; Something that still surprised him. "Oh yes, of course," He was quick to respond, nodding his agreement. He couldn't imagine naming their puppies without seeing them first, how would he know them? Jessie's addition fell heavier in his heart, a slow smile lighting up his face; Traditional… Not normally a word that brought him joy, but he was happy to know that they were of the same mind, and seeing the glowing grin on his grey partners lips made his heart skip a beat. It was remarkable, the change in her, she had lit up completely since they left their ghosts behind. Looking back, he couldn't tell when he'd fallen in love with her. It felt so natural now, she was a part of him; The most important part!

That brought him back to his original wonderings though, while it was settled that their offspring would be Avalons, he still wasn't sure what they were to each other. So he reached down to her, nose against nose, and tried again, prompting gently: "And you..?" He understood if she wanted to keep her Tainn name, she had every right to it, and he was in no position to push anything else on her. Realizing that that might not be clear from his too-subtle questioning, he quickly rephrased: "Or us, rather..?" Closing his eyes for a moment, he chuckled hoarsely, shaking his shoulders. This was ridiculous, they were both adults, with more than a full life's experience between them, they should be able to talk straight about these things. Reopening his embers, he looked deeply into the deep greens before him, smiling a signature, crooked smile; "We're starting a family, building a pack, we should know what to call one another."

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The shade under the low pines added dramatic lighting to the already intense situation, casting long shadows over the wolves below. Standing so close in the dimness, it felt like there was nothing more in the world than the two of them; Well, us and… The man's eyes strayed from his partner's face, to the swell of her flank. I stark reminder that it wasn't just him and Jessie, not anymore. He shook his head lightly, feeling a chill run down his spine. So much joy filled him at being here, with her, with a family on the way and, just possibly… A new home. A small movement drew his attention back to the grey dame, her expression instantly putting a dampener on the light swelling in his chest. His brows furrowed, even his eyes seeming to darken as he watched her intently, straining to read the thoughts flashing over her face.

When her words finally fell, low and hesitant, accompanied by a tiny, shaky smile, his tensed shoulders slumped, a heavy breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding back, shaking through his teeth. Mates..! It was a term not to be used lightly, it's definition having always seemed unclear to the Avalon; Until now..! In the end, it was the perfect word for what they meant to one another, or at least as precise as it could get. Drestig's heart beat so loudly in his ears in his elation, that the second half of Jessie's sentence almost drowned. Again his brows furrowed, but before he had time to respond, she moved on, setting off with fresh determination and disappearing deeper into the trees.

Now it was his turn to play catch up, the former scout setting an impressive pace despite her condition. As he followed, slightly breathless, the words kept resounding in his head, their ring making his chest tighten oddly. He'd been the one to pressure her, he'd needed assurance, after all they'd been through he was still unsure, a part of him still afraid that it was all too good to be true. But now he'd pushed enough to get a backlash, and it brought a bad taste to his mouth.

Slipping through a particularly tight group of pines, the graying man finally caught up to his partner, coming to a halt as his eyes took in her discovery. The tree stood tall and proud among the dwarfed, needle bearers around it, extending broad branches into a wide, leafy crown. She seemed to glow, standing before it, the silver of her fur glistening in the sun that filtered down through the canopy. Her voice showed that the brisk walk had not been entirely effortless, but Drestig ignored it, lowing himself into a seat a few steps away. Following her gaze up into the pale green roofing, he smiled slightly, a hint of melancholia in the expression. "I think it's perfect," He answered softly, slowly trailing his eyes down over the trunk, to the roots that branched out slightly above ground, forming a small, inviting hollow; "I can dig out a nice space between the roots."

His eyes continued to wander, coming to a final rest on the black markings on Jessie's back. Ears flattening back, he narrowed his eyes for a moment of thought, than spoke again, voice low and sincere; "Jessie, I won't ask you to take my name, not unless you truly want to. I… Understand…" He fumbled a little, not wanting to bring up painful memories. All he needed her to know was that he would never fault her for holding on to her Tainn relation, keeping the name she had so rightfully been given. Shaking his head, Drestig turned his eyes to the ground, smiling lightly; "Giving it to our children, knowing that there will be new Avalon's in the world… That will make me the happiest I could ever be." Ember eyes were blank when the lifted back up, settling on her with all his love radiating clearly from their depths. His mate. That was all he could ever ask, far beyond enough to make him content; And we have a home!

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