The snow fell lightly from the evening sky – the ground of the Ridge was cloaked in the substance and the grey clouds above offered no indication of the light storm ending any time soon. The ebony streak upon the large male’s back was speckled with snowflakes, and with a light shake, Phineas attempted to rid some of the weather from his thick pelt. He did not mind the cold, and as his fiery eyes scoured the myriad of flurries before him, it even elicited an excited, playful side to him. The Argyris male, if anything, became rejuvenated and youthful in the magical and untouched scene before him, though he withheld himself.


With one playful pounce in the deepening snow, the Ridge male bent down to scoop up his catch; it was meager in size, a small and thinning hare that the winter had not been kind to. Because of this is had been an easy target, and Phineas was reminded how he could have easily been in the hare’s state if not for Elettra’s kindness.


With a whip of his tail through the chilled air, the ivory male prowled forward, his nose filtering the scent of the pack’s Lady with ease. Carefully he trailed after her, noting her pawprints within the snow as well. He had spent little time with the dark she-wolf, not out of avoidance, but because he had avoided making any form of a friend since entering the pack lands.. Uncertain as to whether he would stay past the harsh season or not, the male had avoided settling. But that did not mean he could not show his gratitude to the she-wolf who had offered him a safe haven for the winter, and that was what he fully intended to do.

He tracked her just as skillfully as he had discussed with her upon joining – she had tested him and Sica of their abilities to find Kyrie, and in turn they had brought the rather pretty girl home to their Queen. Phineas had not questioned Elettra’s intentions with the she-wolf, though he did not believe them to be harmful. He also had yet to see the girl since he had aided in bringing her home, though that was not odd; he saw little of his pack mates to begin with.


His ears cupped forward at the sound of a delicate laugh. Blinking, the ivory wolf’s pumpkin eyes fell upon the creature lavishing the snow, her lissome figure blanketed with the white snowflakes and her eyes seemingly danced to the skies. Phineas had not considered a more youthful side to the regal she-wolf who had greeted and accepted him to her home – in truth, he could not place her in such a playful manner, and in turn he found a small smile curled at his tainted ebony lips.


Unwilling to make her feel uncomfortable, and yet unable to resist the ebony female, the large male prowled forward, his tail held low yet playful, his muzzle canting slightly as he dropped the morsel to his paws. “A wise lady once told me when I was but a cub that the season of snow was far more enjoyable with company,” he offered, regarding her solemnly. Of course, said lady had been his mother, and he had taken her words truly to heart; winter was the season before courting, and a wolf could scarcely survive alone in such harsh seasons. At this given moment though, the Argyris male was referring to the fun that could be had for winter games.

The tilt of her head along the snowy ground stirred a small smirk upon the male – she compelled him to move closer with this – his muzzle lowering to scoop up the small hare before his ivory paws picked up a pace that was similar to what a Yearling might accomplish. The wriggle of her strong yet lissome figure could be considered enticing by any male, though such thoughts did not stir across the Argyris’ mind – Koda and her made a strong pair, and the ivory male wondered what spring would bring to them in terms of a family.


Yet he lumbered forward, dropping the capture he had gained not long ago in the snow. His walk gave way to one swift leap, falling just inches from her leisurely stretched body where he bowed his figure playfully in the snow. His tail waved behind him, one paw lifting to bat at the ground with the age-old invitation for carefree play. A playful growl slipped past his muzzle, and allowing her to adjust to his presence, it was then that Phineas pounced forward, his muzzle aiming to cast a gentle nip to one outstretched paw before he shot off, hoping to entice her in a game of chase as the snow kicked up about him.

She wasted no time with his invitation, and as he heard the shift of her figure within the snow to her paws, his strides widened, the huffing of his breath unfurling to the air in wisps of the smoky substance of condensation wihtin the winter. Her mock growls stirred a small grin to his features and as she nipped to his heels, the male attempted to quicken his pace.


While he might have been able to outrun her in terms of longevity, she was much more agile than him, and soon he felt the presence of her slender inked figure charging him swiftly. Rather than wait for her pounce of victory, Phineas skid his large figure, his muzzle swinging down as he quickly turned to her, allowing a cascading wave of snow to kick up beneath his paws. Facing her now, Phineas braced himself as much as he could for such an instant impact, waiting for her to either crash in to him or to gain footing – if anything, this bout of play allowed him to test her abilities, and he thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it – though he would deny fervently that it was because he was within her company – he could never stoop so low as to steal another man’s mate and love, even if he had never truly met Koda.

She came at him – not at all put off by the sudden turn about he had given, and with precise skill, the she-wolf barreled in to him, though not as he had expected. She swept lower, a maneuver he had not been prepared for, and just as she had hoped for, the ivory male was flipped to his side, his paws being taken from under him. He landed to the ground with impressive force, stirring a cascade of snow to fly out from his body.


He in turn took this in stride, and rather than roll and attempt to pin her, Phineas instead lifted his paws to make a grab for her features, hoping to grasp her around the neck and pull her to him in what could have been considered a bear hug. A playful growl erupted from his jowls as his muzzle opened, hoping to aim a playful nip to her cheek as they wrestled within the snow. The cold wind swept past him, though he did not find he minded as much as he had before with the reminder of winter. For the first time since he had come to Relic Lore, the Argyris male felt he actually belonged.