i’ll be summer sun for you forever

Osiris’s routine had remained unchanged— he patrolled, watched his younger siblings, and spent time with @Leta. He had lost track of time; winter was ending, making way for warmer days. It was as though the season had passed in the blink of an eye.

He thought about this as he laid outside the den he shared with his girlfriend, hanging his forelegs off the nearest ledge. Osiris kicked his legs mindlessly, lost in thought, as he looked at the area below.

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Leta had felt that life had been... bliss, lately, really. Between hunting with the pack and sometimes alone, minding the cubs, and spending time with her boyfriend, Leta could not believe the warmth of the day that had presented itself which meant one thing: Winter had passed. All of the matriarchs cubs had survived the frigid season, which was a testament to those that looked after the young and the cubs own resilience she felt. It deserved celebrating, she also felt!

So, having detected an area where she now knew Osiris and his favorite snack was... well, the rest could not yet be revealed.

The second thing to find was Osiris himself. That took no time; when she found him, he looked as dashing as ever in the light that now illuminated the sharp, stippled areas from his withers to his head. It took her breath away, and for a moment she fumbled. That, right there, was her boyfriend.

She felt as giddy as the day he had asked her in that moment.

“Heya handsome,” she greeted, moving to join him at his side, “ya hungry at all?”
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Leta’s approaching footsteps pulled Osiris’s attention, and he looked up to her with a smile. She was radiant as ever, and in that moment he was reminded that she was his. It made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, but that was something that he’d keep to himself.

”Hey gorgeous,” he replied smoothly as he reached up to nibble at her chin. His tail swept across the stone, brushing against her every so often. ”I am,” he was always hungry, ”Are you? Have you eaten yet?”

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She could not help but grin at his choice of words, gorgeous. Osiris thought she was gorgeous. Suddenly bashful, she went quiet as she just butted her head gently against his shoulder. It did well to hide her giddy little grin, and when she withdrew she did her best to seem cool as a cucumber. Her best, though, was not all that great. Leta was no master of disguise, and the corner of her lip was still upturned. He thinks IIIIII'm gorgeous, and belatedly it occurred to her that also, she had asked him a question. He had answered, too.

And asked another. “Oh, yeah,” she said, nodding several times as she took a step away, “and I've got just the meal for us. I'll give you one guess of what it is,” came her playful offer, “and if you're wrong, you owe me its liver!” She tacked on, tail swaying behind her. Liver was always the prize choice, and she always gave it to Osiris... she knew he would want to get it right for that reason alone. Leta didn't tell him that she'd give it to him regardless, though. Her grin was one of impish delight as she listened for his guess.
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Leta often wore her heart on her sleeve, and as she withdrew, Osiris noticed her giddy little grin. ”It’s true,” he re-assured her, lifting his brow and smirking.

Her teasing was enough to get him riled up, especially since there was a piece of liver on the line. He pushed himself onto all fours and shook out his pelt, considering what she had caught for them. Leta was a skilled hunter, which meant the realm of possibilities was vast.

”Is it boar?” Osiris asked after a beat. It was his favorite, and she was very considerate.

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“What?!?!” she guffawed at his immediate guess. “How did you know?” Leta squinted at him, though was not really affronted at all. Damn. She totally would not have guessed that. Then again, while she enjoyed boar it wasn't her favorite. “Well, yes, it's boar,” she revealed, “BUT. I didn't take it down. Big fella was a bit too rowdy for me to take on alone,” she admitted. But Osiris, well, they were his favorite. He would know the best way to handle it. “So... once we get 'im, you can get his liver, since you're such a good guesser,” she smirked.

Leta darted further off, smirking. Would he be down for a hunt? She hoped so, her legs itched for one now. “Shall I lead the way?” She asked with a playful rise of her brows.
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Osiris smirked. ”Well, it’s my favorite,” he reasoned, taking a step towards her. ”And you’re very considerate—you’d pick something I like over whatever you wanted.” He booped his nose again her and then pulled back, grinning broadly.

Although Osiris had wholeheartedly believed in Leta’s abibilities, he knew how difficult they were to take down alone. He had guessed that it had been a piglet or injured, but this made more sense to him. ”I’ll have to teach ‘em a lesson,” he said with a click of his jaws, ”Nobody gets rowdy with my girl.” Well, expect for him.

He nodded. ”You shall.”

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That all made perfect sense, actually. Leta was flattered by how well he knew her now, and felt herself grin. “It just so happens I want boar too, today,” she said with a wave of her tail. It was true, actually. They sounded like just the thing right now. Her grin broadened at his response, and she laughed. “I mean, to be fair, the reaction was justified... I was trying to take it down,” she snickered. But she quite liked his protective reaction, so amended, “but you are absolutely right. You'll show 'em who's boss,” she finished. And then thought back to his answer, and his words: my girl.

Her grin turned into a full-fledged smile at that point.

“Alright, followwww me!” she hollered before setting off. And then, she began to track firstly her own trail. It was recent enough that there would be no issue with this route, but soon they'd adjust to where the boar ran off to. They had a ways to go, though. Leta minded the terrain, sniffing at the earth she had most recently traversed upon, an ear backturned toward Osiris that would swivel whatever direction he went in to follow him.
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”Is that so?” Osiris replied, quirking a brow. He couldn’t blame Leta for craving boar, as he often craved it himself. ”Well, we’ll make sure we get it then,” he decided, ”What you want is what you get.” Happy wife, happy life—you know? Osiris leaned in and kissed Leta on the cheek.

Osiris shrugged as Leta justified the prey’s reaction. ”I mean, I guess,” he admitted. ”But, we’ll show ‘em. We’ll get you your boar.”

When Leta set off, Osiris kept pace at her shoulder. His gait lightened and his nostrils flared as they sought out the prey’s scent trail. The path was windy, and the ground was lined in gravel. But as they descended down the mountainside, the roughness gave way to a lush carpet of grass. It seemed like the boar had retreated to the forest at the mountain’s base. Osiris assumed that it had probably descended to find something to eat. He couldn’t think of any vegetation on the mountain that it’d enjoy.

It seemed that the predators and prey had something in common—they both sought satiation.

They hadn’t made it to the forest yet when they had found the boar. It was a few hundred yards away, rooting around a fallen log. Osiris slowed shortly after he spotted it and turned to Leta. ”Lead the way,” his expression read.

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“Is that so?” she asked, lips still set in their smile, “well in that case... I want something sparkly and shiny, too,” she determined. What exactly that was, she didn't really know—but she figured Osiris would be up for the challenge of finding something that matched those descriptors. Osiris was kind to agree with her justification, and it made her heart fill up all the more with her feelings for him. “Our boar,” she corrected playfully, tail swaying behind her.

The trail was easy enough to follow to start, but when they reached the separation point Leta and Osiris both went to work. It was good to have a partner to work with, one that she could rely on. Her chartreuse eyes turned to watch him, openly admiring him while her own nose worked. In the end, it was actually sound that revealed their quarry—there was no hiding its own snuffling sounds as it rooted around itself.

She looked to Osiris, wondering how they'd handle this; it seemed he wanted her to take the lead to start. Leta was no expert boarhunter, but she would try to do right here. If nothing else, Osiris could correct her later. That was the only way to make progress, wasn't it? Somehow, it still hadn't detected her; Leta lunged toward it, quick to bridge the gap, going for a hind leg to pull it out from under him. It would be convenient if that simply worked, and she watched the animal for any indication that it was turning toward her with those terrible tusks. Leta would be quick to retreat should that happen, and would reconsider her approach.
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”Noted.” Osiris replied with a smirk. He loved collecting any items that caught his eye and had gathered a substantial collection. The items—mostly rocks and bones— were stowed away somewhere on the mountain, in a location that he had only revealed to Leta.

He was always up for a challenge; she would get the sparkliest and shiniest rock on the mountain.

”Or boar,” Leta corrected and Osiris’s ears splayed. ”Yes—our boar.” Everything they shared was theirs. He grew bashful at the concept, but only for a moment.

When Leta lunged, and as much as he wanted to watch her in silent awe, Osiris swung wide to give her and their prey some space. He only acted once she pulled it’s leg from the pig, leaping into action with his teeth bore. The imbalanced animal gave them the perfect opening for him to strike. Osiris aimed for the shoulder opposite from the leg Leta tugged. He wanted to injure it and act as a distraction, allowing for his partner to hone in for the kill.

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Her strike landed, though whether it was the blood on her tongue or the squeal of anger from the prey that told her this Leta could not say. Osiris was quick to join in, fortunately, as the boar made for her and Osiris made for its other shoulder. Distracted enough to not strike true, assisted by Osiris throwing his own weight into it, Leta backpedaled with a snarl. To kill a grown boar would not be so easy as this, she realized.

Those tusks were formidable, and Leta did not want to get in striking distance to them. As the boar begun to rampage away, Leta made to follow after it. The name of the game was wearing the beast down, and striking when able to. Ideally, all without getting hurt. Licking her bloodied chops, she looked to Osiris for any cues he might provide along the way.
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Osiris could only hold his grip so long. The boar began to thrash angrily, snorting heavily and throwing it’s tusks around to deter the hunter. It worked—unable to tame the beast, Osiris relinquished his hold and backpedaled. As the boar struggled onto it’s feet, Osiris stole a quick glance at Leta. She appeared to be unharmed, and he sighed in relief as he turned his attention back to their game.

Once it stood on all fours, the pig wasted no time in escaping. It charged towards Osiris, swinging it’s tusks to fend off the looming hunters. He sidestepped quickly, avoiding the rampage and allowing the boar to run free. He snarled, rallying his girlfriend to follow. If the boar wanted to come out of this alive it would have to run fast.

It retreated to the shaded woods, seeking refuge in the tangle of trees and rolling hills. The animal did not think—it just ran, allowing instinct to drive it through the pack’s territory.

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Leta watched with alarm as the boar made for Osiris, and only exhaled upon seeing the large Ostrega avoid being struck. Now, though, they had created a danger; what if one of the cubs got in the way of the now belligerent boar? She had hoped to keep it cornered, but it's desperation had made it an even more difficult opponent. Leta was swift to follow after Osiris, the broken trail from the boars rampage all too easy to track their quarry in. The boar recklessly had cleared their path, and soon enough Leta was again on its heel.

So for the second time she struck, only able to reach higher upon its hock given her own position. She held fast, though only for a moment; it turned around on deft feet. Leta was left with a mouthful of its fur and some skin, tail tucked as she retreated as it charged toward her. It was no bluff, either; it seemed to know it was fighting for its survival. Osiris would need to distract it from the opposite end to take its attention from her.
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They followed the trodden path through the woods. Thankfully their prey had made its trail obvious, trampling the lush grass and tearing through any underbrush, and it was easy enough for them to follow. They were in a dangerous situation and Osiris kept close to Leta, half-expecting the boar to spin around to fend them off with its tusks.

His anxiety was short-lived—they soon caught up to their game. Leta struck first, aiming for the hog’s hide. Though she met her mark, she soon lost her grip. Osiris realized that she was in danger when the boar charged her. Thinking on his feet, he barked as he lunged, aiming to grab onto their opponent’s shoulder. Hopefully this would be a sufficient distraction.

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Osiris was able to respond in a way that did, in fact, grip the boars attention. It spun toward him now with a squeal, and Leta in turn rotated around, moving behind the beast to harry its hindquarters. This song and dance, the exchange between herself, Osiris, and the boar, went on for several more hours. It almost felt more fruitful to abandon the task to conserve energy and try again with greater numbers (the boar was too wise to their tactics, and quicker than she had thought). That was when one correct snap of her teeth connected and caused the beast to lose its footing to the point where it rolled, and rolled—until it was speared by some odd jutting stick or perhaps stone.

The beast was utterly still, and Leta stood there in sweat and blood—some of it her own, though most of it the boars—blinking in surprise. Panting, she looked to Osiris, before she let out a loud laugh of disbelief. “That was some boar!” she marveled, tail wagging. “And you! You are some hunter,” she said, beaming.
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Osiris and Leta waltzed dangerously with the boar, their dance lasting hours opposed to the mere minutes that he had originally anticipated. Their prey fought for its life with hoof and tusk—doing so until the very end. Once the animal fell, Osiris stepped away, panting as fatigue began to settle into his muscles. ”It was,” he said, his tone tired. ”And you—you are the hunter.” She was skilled hunter in every sense of the word.

They didn’t enjoy their meal then and there. Instead, the dragged the meat to the nearest food store. Once they had contributed the pack’s share, Osiris and Leta took their positions to a secluded ledge upon the lower reached on the mountain where they feasted and snuggled. The basked in the afterglow of their efforts, only growing closer from their shared experience.

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