Fallen Tree Cove I never thought it was a question of whether

A weirdo talking about the Willows? Chan's head tilted almost imperceptibly, @Moore immediately jumping to mind though not because he'd thought the wolf strange by any means. He had to wonder what had happened for Flair to think so, if it was even the same Ridge-representing entity.

Mostly I was just... thinkin'.

Canting subtly in the other direction, he wanted to ask his own questions, many more in fact. His friend spoke her own first, however.

"@Aleister's agreed on this like, exchange thing for the pups. I guess it's a tradition from the coast where the Valles are from and it's happening about the middle of next month so I figured I'll head down to the Heart with the kids and actually take some non-official time to get to know those guys."

While he'd talked with @Viorel and @Vayko plenty, it was always with a specific time constraint. Chan was hoping they wouldn't mind his staying with them in a far more casual fashion to really see what the Backwater and it's wolves were like.

"I wanna leave before the heat hits, though, so that wouldn't be more than two weeks if that. After... I dunno, maybe I'll finally try to find that ocean."

His mismatched gaze had hovered steadily over Flair's features, curious about whether or not she had any thoughts to share on this. Was she asking for a particular reason, or simply to take the focus back off of herself?

(This post was last modified: Feb 20, 2022, 02:18 AM by Chan.)

Oh. This was news to her, but then, most things related to the pack were at this point. She tilted her head a little as Chan explained, wrinkling her nose curiously at the concept. It sounded odd, running the youngsters back and forth between packs, but it could be a good chance for them to learn to be more independent now that they were almost yearlings; And they might even have fun too…!

 

Flair grinned, nodding her head as Chan laid out his plan – she didn’t know too many specifics, but was aware he’d made some friends, brokering the alliance with the Backwater – they’d probably be happy to have his help, with all the pups there as well. As he continued though, her smile froze, shoulders tensing; ‘The heat’…! Amber eyes drifted back down, staring at the snow between them as her tongue slipped out, wiping the grimace from her lips. “That… Sounds like a good plan,” she answered, lamely, breathing a few, half-hearted chuckles.

 

She fell silent again, keeping her gaze fixed on the ground for a few moments longer. Then, taking a deep breath, she forced her head back up, meeting her friends differently colored eyes; “I’ve been thinkin’ of the same… Y’know, getting’ out'a here, before spring.”

It definitely felt like there was more, her tone seemingly shifting with hesitation. When that was all she said, he waited, wanting to give her time to to continue without his prodding and prying. He was thankful when she spoke again.

"Oh?" was his encouragement for her to elaborate, interest rather than surprise shining in his eyes. It didn't shock him that Flair might have decided the mountain wasn't her final stop after all, and he of course would never think to judge her for such a thing.

"Another trip, or are ya liftin' roots too?"

His reaction was so… Chan! And yet, she never thought she would get used to it, this pleasant, non-judgmental interest, taking her at face value. Her brows furrowed for a moment utterly baffled by his simple question.

 

Phrased like that, it did seem like an easy choice, no pressure either way, other than what she wanted. It just didn’t feel that way; Was it to him…? She’d grown up in such a rigid pack structure, where heavy weight had been put on loyalty and fidelity. It made it hard for her to not see her leaving as a betrayal of sorts, even if none of her friends in the Cove had given her reason to believe they would think that way.

 

She shook her head a little, trying to chase off a mounting headache. But Chan’s turn of phrase had put things in a slightly new perspective, and finally she muttered: “Roots…” As much a musing to herself as it was answer – perhaps she’d never really put any down to begin with, as much as she’d tried too – Chan’s own leaving would certainly loosen any dirt that bound her to the mountain.

 

She smiled a little at that thought, voice still low as she added out loud: “Yeah, liftin roots sounds right.”

Chan wished to know what more dwell beneath her sunset crown, but at least she didn't appear overly troubled. Whatever her thoughts, if she wanted them kept close to her vest than that was her right. Rather than pry, the eldest Eastfall son merely smiled. Still, his mind ran ahead of him, wondering after all the places she might go and things she might do while venturing the earth.

"Maybe we'll run into each other then, out there?" he mused, a way of wishing her well. Chan certainly hoped their paths crossed again, for she was one of the wolves he would miss most from his time in the Lore.

 

Maybe one day she’d be able to discuss her worries openly with him; Wouldn’t that be nice…! But for the time being, she was still too guarded – hampered by the walls of guilt she had build so high growing up. Still, his eternal support and optimism had started to chip away at those defenses, and his opinion mattered to her, deeply! Seeing him take the news so lightly, even enthusiastically, helped ease her guilt immensely, and that brought an honest, wry smile to her lips.

 

Eyes widening a little, she felt her smile grow at his words, tail giving a light wag. She’d figured, with them both wandering, they’d have the chance to bump into each other now and then, maybe even travel together for a spell; It was nice to know he felt the same. Meeting his eyes she gave a light nod, answering happily: “Yeah,I’d like that.”