Shade had thought a lot about everything that had been happening. The pack hunt had been a good one, and he was thinking about getting to know more of his pack mates soon. He just had been so busy trying to sort out his past from the present that he hadn't payed much mind to it. His nightmares had stopped the past few days and he felt a sigh of relief for it. Since his talk with Spectre, the pack second and a friend of his, he had definitely thought a lot about the future of the pack, rather than his past and tracking down his former mate. If she didn't return, they would remain estranged, if she returned and had a good reason for leaving, they could work things out maybe. If she didn't have a good reason, she would be turned away like a loner he had never met and did not trust.

Shade had to think about Karpos and Adsila too, the two pups that made up his life and everything around it. He walked along side a brook {the Clandestine Brook} thinking about what he could tell them about their mother. They deserved to know what happened, but he just couldn't tell them. He seemed relaxed, the setting sun on the horizon. He gazed at it, serenity and peace were what it represented in his mind. Things would get better than their. Shade found that he was having weird dreams, some about the pack, and some.... some seemed to be about wolves in the pack. Sometimes it was Beelzebub and Anastasia overthrowing him, just off because of what Spectre had told him. Then there was dreams about Spectre, but he didn't see anything, nothing but her face. It all confused him. He wasn't ready to admit anything to himself.

Shade laughed a bit as Spectre suddenly appeared in the brook beside him, speaking in a distorted and slurred tongue. He dipped his paw in the water and pulled it up with an angle to splash her. He determined with that, the water was fine and he got into the water himself. The brook had a decent current, but he had the strength to fight it, for the most part. "Nath mush." He replied back, kicking his feet in circles to keep himself afloat before kicking against the current to see where the brook led. He was curious to see, he talked to Spectre, two simple words other than his response to her which had been nothing much. "Fowl me." He said with a smile, he always seemed to go where his heart led him, regardless if his mind turned against his heart.

His tail was wagging in the water, though the resistance was difficult to cope with. The current wasn't strong enough to make it so a wolf couldn't swim, but it was certainly putting up a fight. The temperature in the air was perfect, around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Shade had connected his dreams and everything, but he could not bring himself to face it, not after him rushing into things with Rosealia, and that turned out with him alone with their children, and her gone leaving him to worry sick before he had finally given up on the hopes she would return. The white fae, Second of Pitch Pine Trail, was special to him, and he liked having some hope in his heart.

Shade neglected to notice Spectre get out of the water, he was in his own paradise. It was not until his name was called by Spectre that his focus went back to the female. His head went under the water briefly, his nose blowing air out to not get water in his nose before breaching the surface and getting out of the water. He gave his pelt a nice good shake before turning to Spectre. "Yea?" He said with a smile, he always seemed to be smiling, though most of the time he was just bemused by various things. I dream about you all the time. No, that sounded too cheesy for him to say to one of the ladies of the pack when they were just goofing off, it made him seem like a pedophile, or perhaps a stalker.

The female had said his name, like she had something important to say. His ebony fur was drenched, dripping still despite him attempting to shake it all off. He liked Spectre, at least as a best friend. She just seemed to understand, and she gave great advice. He thought he had helped her when she was in the forest, lost and alone, about to sink like a stone. But in truth, bringing her to Pitch Pine Trail had actually saved him. Everyone needed someone, because if they had no one, what did they actually have? Shade had someone at one point, but she left, and she was no longer. Rosealia was gone, and he didn't see her returning to them soon, so he kept his options open. Perhaps Rose was right, and it was just puppy love that they had been through. Puppy love that ended in... pups. But this was different. For once, Shade felt at home...

Spectre seemed in a hurry to change the topic, saying that she had nothing to say. Perhaps it had just been to get his attention to get him out of the water. He smiled kindly, at least she did care. Adsila and Karpos came into the conversation, and it did not surprise him that Adsi would become an amazing hunter, after all she had Rose's blood in her. Perhaps they could find a trinket for them to bring back to the pups, something to play with maybe. Shade spoke next, when asked what Karpos would excel in. "I'm not sure yet, I see him as a strong hunter, but more of the Guardian build." His words were honest and true, for once reason alone, he could never lie to her.

Not to mention he had no reason to lie, if he did, he would have to be hiding information. Shade just felt awkward here, he liked her, and it was somewhat obvious no matter how hard he tried to hide it. His shook his head a little bit before looking up at the sky. The clouds were a bit darker than they had before, it made him wonder if it was going to rain on them, and how bad it was. If it was bad, they couldn't get back to the pack, but if it wasn't so bad they could brave through it. But what was the risk? They could get sick, and Lachesis might not know how to help them exactly. They would probably wait it out.

"I am certain he will be a fine guardian, or a hunter, so long as he is allowed to choose. If there is one thing I have learned about the pups, it is that they are headstrong with minds of their own. It is quite..endearing actually. I think..we should find shelter. Well..I suppose we were already wet.." Shade nodded to all of it, looking around the area for a place to stay, perhaps they needed to hide out with the strength of the storm, oh darn. "We need to find a place to stay, there is no way we're gonna be able to get our way through the storm with the strength it is at. I think there is a cave up ahead, lets look."

Those words were ones he used for the pure safety of him and the second ranked female of the pack. Sure they had soaking wet fur already, but they didn't want it to never dry, so they would rest and return in the morning. That was his plan at least, and oh dark it meant he had to spend some time alone with Spectre. His fur was hot almost as he looked around. He ran up ahead, his eyes scanned around, a cave just out of site as he stalked forward again. He would find a place. He saw the gave and let a small howl out for Spectre in case she hadn't been following. He ran into the cave, shaking out his fur again with a smile. They would be safe there.