The agouti male strolled calmly through the maze of tall trees, enjoying the last few rays of sunlight. The fiery glow which pierced through the dense woodland foliage warmed his pelt, causing him not to notice the gradual drop in temperature that occurred with the setting of the sun.

Lorcan had wondered out of the pack territory hours before with no particular purpose, other than to explore and unwind, however as he casually rustled through the dirt and leaf litter, the healer quickly became engrossed in all the scents which filled his nose. The male hadn’t dedicated much time towards harvesting medicinal flora recently and the opportunity to indulge in his passion excited him. Rooting his muzzle through the dirt, the healer was soon twisting and circling his way around the trunks of the trees in search of plants of interest, his black tipped tail swaying eagerly behind him as he moved.

Nostrils flared as he inhaled a distinctly bitter scent. Padding towards its origin with interest, his golden eyes widened as he spotted a small cluster of blue juniper berries half concealed amongst the underbrush. Bounding closer with childish enthusiasm, Lorcan reached forwards to bury his muzzle into the foliage, but stopped a foot short of grasping the plump berries – desperate to relieve an itch which had suddenly flared up behind his right ear…

The itch was infuriating. Scratching at the irritation only provided the healer relief for the briefest of moments – before he was forced to reassume the unsteady position of balancing on three legs to scratch at it again. With every stroke of his claws through his agouti fur, his action grew more relentless as he grew increasingly desperate to rid himself of the burning prickle by his ear.

A subtle growl rumbled in his throat as he reacted to the mixture of pleasure and pain his incessant scratching provided. Had he been quiet, Lorcan might have come to notice the quiet footfall that approached up from behind him, but by the time his russet ears pricked up in surprise it was too late.

A weight crashed down on him, causing his three grounded limbs to immediately collapse beneath him as he tumbled forwards head first into the underbrush. He opened his eyes to find a face full of leaves and twigs greeting him, along with the bitter taste of the juniper berries which had been squashed against his mouth. After a long pause, Lorcan slowly recollected his limbs up from underneath him and scrambled backwards into a rather disorientated sit.

Swivelling his head around to glance over his right shoulder, the healer acknowledge @Inna with a bemused raise of his brow. “Well…I guess won’t be needing these berries anymore.” He teased with a slight grin, before he brushed the remnants of the blue berry mush away from the side of his mouth. Slapping his lips together and grimacing at the bitter taste which still clung to his tongue, his gaze returned to the now trampled area where the berries had been growing, before he finally shuffled around in defeat to face the raven.

“What’s gotten you into such a playful mood?” He asked curiously with a puzzled smile, before he lifted his hind leg to unwittingly scratch behind his ear again. 

If it had not been for the familiar earthy-lavender scent the filled his nostrils moments before his face planted into the brush, Lorcan might have reacted differently, potentially mistaking her to be a threat. The distinctive tell-tale giggles that erupted from his attacker were also a clear giveaway that it was Inna who had pounced on top of him. Turning to face her, still slightly puzzled by her actions, he was greeted with a smile and an apology before she leant into to lick away the last remnants of the berries which still stained his maw – and placed a kiss on his lips for good measure.

“Thanks..” Lorcan said quietly as she groomed his face, enjoying her affection as any irritation she had caused him immediately dissipated. At her question his russet ears perked up and his eyes glanced away from her face for a moment has he thought about the answer. “They’re juniper berries. They can be used to ease hunger.” He explained, licking the corner of his mouth again to get another taste of the bitter blue fruit.

Curious to know what had gotten Inna into such a playful mood, the healer waited for the answer with interest as his hind leg lifted to scratch behind his ear. Pale brows furrowed upon hearing her answer and his gut clenched as he immediately regretted ever asking. “Oh, well…” He stuttered awkwardly, ears pressing back against his head as he began to glance around the forest, before the itch once again demanded his attention. “We could walk around for a bit, if you wanted?” He suggested, hoping that it might help to distract her mind from the grief she was feeling, as he placed his hind leg back on the ground and stood up to give a thorough shake of his pelt.

Lorcan had barely wandered a few metres away from Inna hit him with another question, but this time it was one that puzzled him. “Hm?” He said, his brows pinching together in confusion, not himself aware how much he had been unwittingly scratching at the same spot since she had arrived. “Yes, I’m fine…it’s probably just a bit of dirt or something caught in my fur.” He assured her, brushing her concern away from a shrug. Traipsing deeper into the dark forest, his thin figure weaved its way casually through the trees. “Come on, I think there’s a stream up ahead.” He beckoned with a tilt of his head and an inviting smile.

The last few rays of sunlight which had previously warmed his pelt were fading, replaced by the chill of an overcast sky as darkness crept into the forest. The change didn’t faze the male; the cool stroke of the evening breeze clawing its way through his fur brought with it another source of pleasure – cooling the prickly heat on his skin – something which had become much more noticeable since Inna had pointed the itching behind his ear… 

Dark lashes fluttered shut as Lorcan enjoyed the sensation of Inna cleaning off his face, only opening his golden eyes once she commented about the usefulness of the juniper berries. A single brow raised and his head tilted to one side slightly in consideration. “I’d rather hope it doesn’t come to that…” He replied with a sigh, as he remembered back to the last winter he had experienced up on the monadnock. “Last winter was tough in the lowlands with the food being soo scarce.” He explained with a frown. “I’d like to think that this winter will be more forgiving…” He added, golden eyes searching the raven’s gaze for reassurance.

Lorcan nodded and began to move away when Inna agreed that a walk through the forest might be of benefit to her. Moving off, the healer set off at a comfortable lope, enjoying the feeling of the cool evening wind combing through his itchy fur as he snaked through the maze of tall sequoia trees. The agouti male brushed off her concerns about his apparent itch with a shrug of his shoulders, suggesting it be something no more sinister that dirt or debris caught in his fur, but as he Inna jogged alongside him, he heard her comment on it again.

Quickly realising that Inna was not one to give in so easily, Lorcan eventually gave in to her pestering. Besides, the thought of her grooming him some more sounded rather appealing to the male. “Let’s make it to the stream first and then I might let you check me over – but only if you manage to catch me before we reach it..” He teased, flashing Inna a playful grin.

Before he could sprint off though, Inna slipped him another question. “Not much really…just clearing my head.” He replied, not wanting to concern her with his own troubles, before he gave his pelt another shake and waved his tail at her in an invitation to play. With a lively bark, Lorcan suddenly bound forward and quickened his pace, sprinting off faster through the trees in invitation for her to give chase.  

Lorcan couldn’t hide the feeling of disappointment which pulled at his heart as Inna told him how difficult the previous winter had made life for the residents of the northern forest. He had hoped that his move to Kingsfall would provide him with an easier existence come winter, with the trees providing better shelter against the harsh chill of the wind and snow, unlike the exposure afforded to them by the lowlands. It wasn’t all bad though. The raven did mention that they had managed to get by on small prey, something that the male would have been grateful for during the last winter. His brows remained furrowed, even as she attempted to bring some humour into the situation, Lorcan remained entirely serious. “I’ll take that any day over old bones and berries.”

Not wishing to dwell on the potentially dismal months which lay ahead, the agouti healer refocused his attention on trying to keep Inna’s mind distracted from their current situation. A run through the woods would surely help clear her head and relieve any tension she may have felt and the addition of a game of chase would hopefully brighten her mood, even if just for a moment. With a playful bark and a leap forwards, Lorcan was off, weaving his way through the tall sequoia trees – chasing the last few rays of sunlight which cascaded through the shadowy branches as he raced his way towards the stream.

Inna’s comment had not gone unnoticed by the agouti male. Lorcan was well aware of the dark she-wolf’s ability to catch up to him with apparent ease – so he did not doubt that she would try to do the same again. However, that did not mean that he would make it easy for her. With his salmon pink tongue lolling from his mouth and his tawny fur slicked back against the evening breeze, he did his best to avoid her advances, darting through the trees at break-neck speed. The outcome of their game was still, of course, as he had predicted – just as his paws fell to land but a few metres from the stream, a victorious bark sounded, and suddenly the male found himself collapsed awkwardly underneath her again.

Rolling over to lay on his side, the healer took a moment to catch his breath, sides heaving from exhaustion as he glanced up to his captor. He grunted with defeat at her comment, taking a moment to acknowledge the new title she had bestowed upon him before he blushed and offered her a shy smile. Rumbling affectionately as her tongue swept across his cheek, Lorcan held her gaze for a heartbeat before he sprawled his limbs out more comfortably on the damp ground beside him. “I suppose I should let you check me over now..” He sighed, having another quick scratch at his ear before he looked up to her with submissive eyes. As if he wasn’t looking forward to being groomed by her at all...