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RE: A late season snow storm takes Relic Lore by surprise, take cover!
AW! Potentially tags for @Atara or @Jethro if you have time.
Sunrise, Snow storm, 23F/-5C

Things had changed so quickly over the last couple of weeks. She had gone from an unhappy leader with a missing mate, and two missing sons, to a mentor with her mate back home, as well as one of her sons and now she was going to be a grandmother. In true Finley fashion she kept the majority of her worries to herself, but was checking in with Ryder frequently since she didn’t want Hazelnut to feel smothered, she wasn’t her child after all. She often dropped off food with him to bring to her, or offer emotional support if he would accept it.

He wasn’t who she had been on her way to visit so early this morning though. That prize belonged to young Atara who was herself shortly going to become an aunt. The mother was not even sure if her daughter knew, having left that discussion up to Ryder to have himself, and didn’t know how the girl might feel about it.

Instead of making it to the main pack den to see if the Kane girl was awake yet, she got blindsided by a sudden snowstorm. What had been a slight drizzling rain had turned to wet flurries, and then a howling wind as the temperature dropped. Rather than standing around getting chilled to the bone, the agouti woman ducked into the closest cave she could find. On the smaller side, it could comfortably fit two wolves if they got cozy, and it would do for now.

(This post was last modified: Apr 10, 2024, 02:55 AM by Finley.)

He hadn’t taken but a week or so for Jethro to fall back into most of the routines he’d once had. While he was certainly not at the helm of everything - and had.. opinions about some of the events that’d unfolded in his absence, he was rarely still.

The dark one felt a need to be up and about, checking things, hunting, patrolling. Primarily to make sure his family would be safe, but to also establish his presence here among them. He would not sit idly by at the bottom of the ranks forever - if he could help it.

The former leader had risen early, only to be turned back by the sudden onset of winds and a heavy, wet snowfall. It didn’t take long for wet flakes to begin to accumulate upon him as well as the ground. Rather than wait, he made towards a nearby cave, pausing only to shake himself off before going in.

Only to promptly be met by the scent of another and a mass of tawny fur. Fortunately though, familiar. Jet offered a cheeky smile.

”Well hello gorgeous. Fancy seein' you here.”

It had only been a quarter of an hour that Finley had been alone within the small cave, long enough for her to preen the moisture from her fur. Much warmer in here now that she was out of the wind and no longer wet, she was content to lounge and just watch the storm in safety. Suddenly though, all light was blocked as a large figure appeared in the stone entrance. A normal wolf might have been set on edge by such a looming presence, but it brought a smile to the older woman’s face seeing her mate.

His words brought out a couple of genuine laughs, and she countered quickly, ”Charming as ever my dear.” It was interesting that they always seemed to be spending their alone time during inclement weather, but at least this was more light hearted than their previous. Shuffling a little deeper into the cave so they could both be protected from the gale, Finley sunk back down into a comfortable lounging position. Should Jethro settle beside her, she would reach out to lay her head across his paws and let out a comfortable sigh. Glancing upwards she offered, ”I had been on my way to visit Atara but,” ending with a shrug as an explanation. A casual visit wasn’t worth catching a cold.

After what had occurred only weeks ago, to see and hear her laugh was a treat. Like seeing the sun poke out after a long stormy day. Or maybe Jet was just more sensitive to it, seeing how he’d come very close to never seeing anyone he cared about again. And didn’t want to miss any more moments to compliment or shower affection on said individuals. It didn’t feel like he’d done enough of that before, especially not with Finley.

”I try,” he replied with a wink and a loose shrug, staying back long enough to try to shake and jostle free as much moisture from his fur without it hitting her as he possibly could.

”But I think charming is a better word for you,” he added once done, crouching to crawl forth and lounge beside his partner. Almost without thought he reached out to lightly kiss and groom her when she rested her chin upon his paws. How he’d missed this. The little things. He hadn’t fully realized how much they meant until he’d been without them.

Ony my way to visit Atara… there was a time he’d have been worried about their daughter with a storm like this, but that was.. mostly past. She was old enough to fend for herself, and appeared to have done just fine in the months she’d been without him. Something Jet was both proud of and a little saddened by.

”Yeah, not worth gettin’ frozen for.” It wasn't. And selfishly, he was quite glad to have a little more time with her.  

It was so simple and so easy in this moment. It was enough to ease the tension in her heart that had lingered even since Jethro had returned. It was a fear that this wasn’t going to last and all the hardship that she had had to endure would be back for her any moment. Maybe next time he wouldn’t return, like Caspian hadn’t.

Closing her eyes with a happy sigh as her mate began to groom her skull, she wiggled her chin comfortably upon his large paws. A wistful smile pulled across her muzzle as she grew more and more drowsy. She had wanted to stay awake so they could talk, but this was the first time in a long time she felt truly relaxed and that just got the better of her. It wasn’t long before she had slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.