It hadn't been entirely pleasant, but Lyanna had managed to haul the kill she was content to share with Askan with no complaints. They hadn't reached the border's of Shallow's Edge alone, however. The smell of fresh blood had drawn the coyotes like flies to sugar. When dusk had cloaked the forest, the shadows cast by the canopy slowly but surely faded away into the darkness of the night and the shrill cries of a number of them echoed all around. The coyotes seemed to be bold anywhere she went, but the possible promise of fresh meat kept them nearly on she and her counterpart's heels the entire way - until an even stronger smell repelled them.

The outskirts of the pack's territory were well-marked, the scent recognizable to her mostly because the dark man beside her wore it like it was a part of him. Her golden eyes were pale in the rays of moonlight that beamed down from above every now and again, and they eventually fell upon the side of Askan's sooty-hued face. He'd led her this far but she knew better than to expect him to stroll right in with a stranger. And she knew better than to question him about anything, really, much less about whether or not they were too close for her to go much further. Her russet ears perked forward and she let the dead fawn slip from her jaws. In their comfortable silence she opted to wait for his direction rather than be the one to break the quiet.

It was a relief to finally be somewhere safe, somewhere where she knew she didn't have to constantly look over her shoulder or dedicate so much time and thought to where the coyotes were and what they were doing. They still loomed out there, in the darkness and in the reaches of the forest, but, for now, they weren't here. And Askan was.

Lyanna was more grateful for his company than perhaps he'd ever know. By now she'd seen what felt to be a significant portion of Relic Lore, and had met a number of wolves - both loners and pack wolves. She had travelled many of the forests and rivers and even over the mountain, but she had yet to find a place to settle down, or a wolf or pack to settle down for. With Askan, things felt somewhat different. It was true that their exchanges had been few - short and sweet, even. But the girl was drawn to him. Perhaps it was the way that he was perceivably rough around the edges with something softer beneath his brusque demeanor. Perhaps it was the strength he exuded, or the way the look in his eyes smoldered like some timeless fire. Or the way he seemed like the sort of personality who didn't care for anyone, but had been, in his own way, kind to her. She and Askan were in some ways polar opposites, like oil and water, but she never shook the instinct that they were more alike than met the eyes.

Eventually finding the time and place to settle down and enjoy their meal, she nosed at the kill between them before the man spoke - his words both surprising and like music to her ears.

"Join my pack.

Her tawny head and overall posture lifted up, her eyes wide, the gold in them holding a flicker of interest and hope. For a moment she searched his gaze and the features of his face, inspecting his expression as if to rule out whether or not he was actually serious. He wasn't the type to waste his breath, she knew, and nothing about the way he presented his offer to her now indicated otherwise. It was true that she was tired. Tired of wandering. Tired of the hunger. Tired of the danger she found at every turn. Mostly, though, she was tired of being alone...

The decision was an easy one to make.

"...Okay." she breathed, her tail swaying slowly behind her. For such an abrupt change in her life, she couldn't have felt more comfortable with it. Excitement and gratitude swelled in her chest and she did her best to contain the emotion, allowing a soft smile to settle on her face. "My loyalty is yours."

Thoughtfully, she took in the moment she shared with him before nudging the fawn closer to him. Lyanna was more than willing to give him his first choice of the meat.

"...Thank you."

Askan proceeded to dismiss her words of gratitude before mentioning @Reyes and questioning whether or not she had a problem with it. In all honesty, she'd never encountered a pack - or been a part of one - that functioned with two alpha males. She'd been raised in a more traditional structure and that was all she'd ever known, but that didn't mean that a different structure was inappropriate; if that was the case with Shallow's Edge, it certainly wasn't her place to object. She wasn't disapproving, but curious, if anything. "No, of course not," she replied calmly, her brows pulling together in an expression that was not judgmental but genuinely thoughtful as she weighed the implications in her mind.

"How you choose to live and lead is your business, Askan, not mine. I will support you and the decisions you choose to make, regardless." She wasn't being complacent or going along with everything he was dishing out for the hell of it. Her choice to accept his offer and a position among the wolves of Shallow's Edge was her own. Lyanna was a lawful creature, well-versed in the customs of pack life. Being a part of this pack naturally necessitated giving her loyalty to her Leaders and pack mates; their genders hardly mattered as much as the relationships she was to build with them. All of them.

"If Reyes leads beside you, my loyalty and support are his as well."

His grunt at her offering was taken in stride. She hadn't meant to offend him, if she had. But it did serve to remind her that her place was now below him and not beside. If she thought that touching him was remotely a good idea, she would have sought to lower herself to issue a submissive lick to his muzzle, perhaps. But she wasn't about to be the first one to make bodily contact, not with Askan. Not unless she was sure he approved or wanted it, even. Surely he would understand that she was attempting to cater to his personality while getting to know him better at the same time. Right?...When he pushed the fawn back to her, Lyanna's ears laid back upon her crown and she lowered her eyes and posture in a show of submission. Nosing over the kill, she placed a paw on the fawn's side before tearing into its belly.

After swallowing down a few bites, she licked the blood from her lips and her eyes looked to meet his own. "Reyes - Is he your mate?" Her tone was as neutral as it could ever be. This was quite possibly a loaded question, surely an obvious one. She didn't want Askan to feel interrogated by any means, but she wanted to get to know him. In short time, she would seek to get to know Reyes and the others as well. From that perspective, she wanted to learn as much as she could beforehand.

From the look he'd initially shot her, she was prepared for an answer much different than the one she'd gotten. Askan's tone was surprisingly calm as he confirmed that he and Reyes were together and he even offered up a description of the man she was now eager to meet. For a moment she imagined what Reyes might be like. As ornery as Askan? More ornery? Authoritarian? Maybe Askan's better half, or the soft to his hard. In time she was sure to find out, so she left her imagination to be what it was.

Lyanna offered a simple nod of understanding, grateful to have a very shallow idea of what her other Leader looked like should she end up running right into him. "Is that all?" he added.

Obviously she had many more questions to ask. To a point, with Askan, she felt lucky to have gotten as much insight as she had. She was more than capable of showing herself around and putting herself to use, so she wasn't looking for any direction there. With her belly finally full and with the feeling of security that Askan and the Shallows had given to her, she was quite honestly ready to finally rest. Tomorrow was a new day, and as the most novel addition to the pack, she imagined it was going to be a busy one. Also, Askan had probably had his fill of her by now.

The tawny girl reclined to her haunches, a weary and soft, one-sided grin tugging at her lips. Her questions could wait, but there was something she did want to say to him.

"I suppose it is." Her voice was like velvet but her tone conveyed importance. Her eyes trailed off to the shadows of the night. "...I could have gone anywhere out there, you know. I could have settled down with one of the packs over the mountain, where the weather is a little less wet and the forests are tall and filled with sunlight. I could have found someplace else to grow my roots and put my skills to use. I could have gone back home." Her old-soul gaze came to find his fiery one. "I know that this was sudden, but...I chose you, like you chose me. Because I think there's something special in you, even if we don't truly know one another, yet...I want you to know that I am a woman of my word, that I don't settle for anything, and that my loyalties are not simply given to the first person to offer me something - something even as significant as a life and a family, as you did." She inclined her muzzle just so, that he might see the strength of her conviction for all that it was as it shone in her eyes. "...I want you to know that I believe you won't regret bringing me home. And, Askan...there will come a day that you'll be proud to call me yours."

They were strong words. And she, like him, was not one to waste her breath. He had no way of knowing it yet, but her intentions were pure, her will to serve him stronger than he could imagine. In time, her actions would prove what her words couldn't tonight.

"...So. Again, thank you"

It seemed as though Askan had no words for her. Not for now, anyway. It wasn't much of a surprise, as he seemed to be a man of few words to begin with. And she supposed she'd dished out more than he was most likely up to hearing this late in the night. For all she could assume, he was probably as tired as she was, eager to curl up in the warmth of his mate's body and call it a day.

And so she was satisfied enough with the "Yeah...no problem," he'd offered, and content to follow his direction. Stowing away their meal and finding a place to rest for the night sounded like a promising ending to an eventful day. With a simple, weary nod, the girl rose to her feet and gathered up what remained of the fawn in her jaws. Looking to him with an expression conveying that she was ready, Lyanna would quietly follow his lead when he made his move.