They flew. Side by side, the duo raced onwards, not one trying to best the other. The movement was natural, and for Feather it was magical. She hadn't run with anyone for the longest of times. She had only ran away. Their paws landed on the ground in unison, the summer sun beating their backs and causing their breath to heave from their chests. He had told her he had something to show her, and at long last they slowed. She wanted to keep going, of course — her slim, streamlined body was made for running fast and long, but as they slowed the pace her eyes devoured the sights before her. There were millions of trees, causing the light around them to be dappled on the lush forest floor which was softer than the flowers she had trekked on, rolled in, a while back. She was quick to dip her muzzle and rub it on the earth, pushing her scent on the place while satisfying an itch, and then lifted her head and turned it to gaze at Indru.


A forest, She breathed to him, as if he didn't already know. She beamed at him, but her ear began to flick as she caught the barest of sounds. A quiet trickle, barely there — which meant it was far off. She wondered if he could hear it, but if he didn't, well, she would slowly push their course that way. After he showed her what he had wanted to. Feather went silent, urging him to show her just what he had wanted to show her, her curiosity getting the better of her when she stepped forwards and stared — politely — at him with excited eyes.

She was quick, her lighter body giving her the advantage there, but Indru was too, and his long legs allowed him to cover a lot of distance in one go, and so the pair were almost equally matched. It was different than running with his pack, which required an almost constant awareness, checking he was leading and that no one was challenging that, and making sure the others were following and whether any disarray in the ranks was happening back there and so on, compared to this it was exhausting.

The pair covered ground quickly — not that what he wanted to show this stranger that darted into his life was far — and it wasn't long until they left the enclosing and ensnaring thicket behind. She was enthralled and Indru was pleased, a grin sneaking across his face as his breathing slowed. At her words he nodded, it's called 'Cedarwood Forest'. He explained, inhaling deeply and allowing the smell of cedar to bump around in his lungs, it was one of his favourite smells, and the forest was peaceful and calming. A comfortable silence fell between them and the female then turned to face him, excitement gleaming in her eyes. This way, he coed at her jokingly, shooting off in the opposite direction she was facing and brushing his pelt up against hers slightly as he ran, laughing the whole way. It was the trickling water they drew him, he knew the Creek was a beautiful sight and then they could water themselves before their exploration continued.

She was still but a cheechako in this newfound world that had become endless and so immediately loved by her heart, as had Indru who was kind to her from the get-go. She appreciated that as much as she appreciated the beauty of the land before her, and when he introduced to her the name of this place she echoed him in a more feminine voice, Cedarwood Forest, and nodded in immediate approval. Her eyes flashed as she thought aloud to him — It'd be cool to — But suddenly he was gone, his fur dragging gently across her own and intermingling for a moment, giving her a sudden jolt of unexpected energy. With a loud yip of excitement, she jumped after him, pivoting on her heels. She didn't know the lay of the land as he did — she had to make abrupt stops to prevent herself from nearly tumbling into a tree. But other than that, she was relatively graceful when she wasn't making the wrong twist or turn.



They ran, this one much shorter than the other, and she allowed him to lead the way just so she could nip at his rump a few times for the fun of it. She'd pick up the pace to drag her teeth gently against his hindquarter, and whatever his retaliation was she managed to just miss it. Mentally and physically. She was too caught up in this to get much of anything, to even comprehend what she was feeling and seeing. It was so much in one minute. The sound of the stream got louder and louder, and she was the first to stop. She turned to him to finish her sentence and was quick to do so: Name a place, she finished with an indignant huff, but then went mute as her eyes turned to take in the world once again.



All around them, trees were sprawled everywhere. The roots of these trees were not within the ground but reaching, ever reaching, rising and falling into the earth to create the oddest of pathways and the best of sleeping areas. They were deciduous trees, and how conifer moved into deciduous like this she did not know. But she couldn't help but love this place, these trees, because she knew them. Cottonwoods. Her favorite type of tree. She had forgotten he was there, and she lost herself in the moment, darting forwards to rub herself against the trees body as if she were a feline. Her tail lashed in a most catlike manner as well, to show off her utter pleasure. The trees, they ranged in size — some were the largest trees she'd ever seen, some were quite small. But everything fit perfectly, as if it were some sort of puzzle. Jumbled yet well put-together when you got down to it. It was actually quite beautiful.


She decided without even needing to see anywhere else that this was her favorite place. Indru, She said, remembering. She moved to him, perhaps too close for comfort, but the spacious land around them made up for it, at least for her. She stepped back though, on his behalf, careful to keep some proximity between them. Where are we? What is this place?

He was quick, it was something that he had always been able to use to his advantage over his brother, but this time it managed him to take off from Feather before she had realised and he laughed again as she yipped, her paws pounding behind him as she raced to catch up. They run steadily, and he led this time, his knowledge of Cedarwood giving him an advantage as well as the fact he was taking her some place new to her. He yipped himself when he felt teeth on his rump, and it only took a second to deduce it was playful and he whipped his head over his shoulder growling at her playfully, yet not halting in his run.

Her pace increased soon after and he felt her teeth on his hind quaters instead and with a louder growl he quickly spun on her with a grin, attempting to do the same to her only to watch her dance out of the way lightly. He turned away in fake annoyance, ruined by his goofy grin that now seemed stuck on his muzzle permanently and Indru could already imagine the mocking from his brother if he could not remove it. She stopped almost where he was intending too, perhaps just a bit earlier, and he turned back to her quizzically at her words, his head angled to the side. Feather? He waited, but received no response and the boy then followed her gaze, soon staring around her in awe.

He had not been here before and that both thrilled and shocked him, he had thought he knew this area like he knew his own paws. Indru was entranced as the girl next to him, but he watched her fondly as she brushed up against the trees like they were old friends and felt an urge to do the same. He took two steps forward before she spoke his name and his fiery eyes swapped to hers, curiosity in them. A name? Well, he had no name for this wondrous place. I have not been here before. His voice was touched with a tingling of awe and he scented the air and glanced around himself again, before turning back and nodding to confirm this. Why don't you name it, Feather? A small smile casting his face as he watched her eagerly.

She hadn't even heard him — which seemed impossible, as he was very much so a part of her life in a profound way Feather had yet to even think of fathoming — and her head swung in each direction. She'd move from left to right in some entranced sort of dance, yearning to rub all over the soil and make this hers. Never had she had such an instinct race through her before, but she felt it now. But Indru distracted her at long last, with words that might have been more magical than the place themself.


We discovered this together, She said in an awestruck voice, her green eyes sparkling. The thought made her more happy than she could bear, so she turned away from him so that he could not see this. She went quiet then, her eyes surveying the land. The name came naturally, and she had known it the minute she had arrived. Known it without knowing. But it tickled the tip of her tongue, and so she turned to him to reveal in a question, Cottonwood Creek?



She yielded to her longing to be closer to him, as if somehow that would persuade him to agree, and moved to stand by his side. Cottonwood Creek, She repeated, more than sure. The name might as well have been destined. It felt right being here, calling this place that, and sharing the moment with the first wolf she had met.

Her words were true, he guessed, but Indru's pleasure was more in seeing her pleasure at this newly discovered location than the territory himself. Indru felt a rising of pleasure at the words though at the thought of being connected to a significant memory of hers, one he didn't couldn't completely comprehend or understand, he had just met her after all. In his silence she had clearly been thinking more productively as a name escaped her lips, though he noticed the intonation at the end and looked at her curiously.

While he was watching her she came closer to him and Indru felt his fur tingle with the closeness, bristling slightly on his back and once again he could feel a smile creeping onto his muzzle. His feelings confused him but he pushed them aside, working out that she was questioning the viability of the name, something which Indru didn't understand as he was so certain on its suitability. It's perfect, he whispered, not wishing to break the solitude of the place so he turned his head ever so slightly so the words were close to her ear. He felt reluctant to move, so close to her face, his eyes watching hers secretly, but he pulled away slowly, walking forwards with the idea of exploring the Creek further.

The boy nodded in response to her, feeling a sudden urge to gulp, his stomach coiling nervously. Though he didn't know why he was so nervous around this wolf, it wasn't a.. threatened nervousness either. Indru just couldn't pinpoint it. As he stepped forward she followed and he peered at her out of the corner of his eye so close his fur tingled where it touched hers. It was bizzarre and wonderful, just like this wolf beside him, and after hesitating for the longest time he leant towards her and nudged her affectionately with his shoulder. Almost instantly he turned his head fully to look at her, then flashing her a open mouthed grin and, laughing, bounded up ahead paws splashing in the stream.

He felt daring and brave. He felt wistful and alive and found he couldn't take his eyes off her. She bent down to drink and he used it as an opportunity to fully look at her, admiring her glossy fur and her feminine, streamlined physique. With a smirk the boy copied her, ducking his head down and lapping up at the fresh, cold stream. Occasionally Indru felt eyes on him and directed his gaze to her without moving his head only to find the second he did she looked away! Her words distracted him temporarily and he nodded, Cottonwood Creek? Or somewhere else? It confused him this game, and once he had finished drinking he stood again, watching her mischievously before placing his paw under the water and flicking it up and towards her in a playful gesture.

As bad as he tried to feel, her annoyance only increased Indru's affection and he laughed harmlessly, not at her particularly but just at the feeling and aurora he felt when he was with her. Her smile brought his own in return, but it did not make him naive to the attack which she now performed on him, to much aware that every action had a consequence from play fights with his siblings. Her growl made his tail wag, and he almost barked out of the sheer joy and excitement at her approach, his eyes, his entire body smiling as she leapt at him, with the wish to topple him Indru suspected.

His awareness of this attack would of given him enough time to avoid it and even if not he was confident he could position himself to take the force she would impact, his larger size his advantage and his strength. Though as she closed the gap and he could start to feel the weight of her he let himself roll backwards, relishing the energy that shot through his body at her touch and not wanting it to stop. The pair crashed into the water, Indru making sure he took the weight of the fall so she was not to damage herself and he laughed the whole way, the mute pain at the initial impact barely noticeable as he watched her. Ow, he said in reply to their actions, still smiling at her and, after hesitating briefly, he lifted his head to slightly nudge her muzzle with his nose.