What it ain't

@Tetsujin

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She watched as the sun disappeared from the mountain. Winds were starting to pick up, pushing clouds over their valley. Elowyn turned towards her new sleeping place, or should she say their sleeping space? After all she would be there with Anteon. It was a small indent into one of the steeper rock walls. Elowyn rather liked a den, this felt still a little open to her liking. But she knew it wasn't forever. They still had to explore a lot of the territory. With the sun going down, she wondered when going to her resting place, if Anteon had stopped working. He seemed to put a lot of time in patrolling the borders. Which, did make things safe. But she also felt that she was hardly seeing him these days.

The golden female came to the little notch into the rock wall. She had added some moss and other soft materials where they would sleep. The female made her way over to the soft bed and curled up, her paws folded half under herself and her tail wrapped around her body as much as it could reach. She still had her head lifted though. Wondering when Anteon would come back. She rather wanted him around when darkness settled over the territory. She wondered if he was with Genevieve instead. She disliked that thought, and it made her a little more worried. Her ears fell back against her skull, uncertain. She was uncertain about so many things. She disliked it, but couldn't really find the confidence to contradict it. And when he would arrive she couldn't help but check if any of the recent scents on him were of Genevieve. She felt bad for doing so but she just couldn't help it.
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He knew that there was a good chance Elowyn had already gone to sleep. He hadn't meant to be so far away from their sleep spot, but he'd been looking for some more of the herbs that she'd described. He was getting better at finding them slowly but surely. What caught his eyes though was an unusual flower. It had been growing up on the side of a rock, lifted up from the earth and in an impossible crack in the rock's side. It was impressive, growing where it shouldn't, and even the colder winds of fall hadn't destroyed it yet.

The King was careful as he plucked the flower, holding it gingerly in his teeth as he carried it home. He was proud of the little flower he'd found, acting like he had found some treasured herb even as he made his way into their den. He spotted her already curled up, but she hadn't gone to sleep yet. He laid the flower at her feet, stepping back with a proud smile. “Wyn,” He started. “I thought of you when I found this flower, I had to bring it back.”

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Her head snapped up when she heard someone approach. Her whole posture rigid, however, once she saw that it was Anteon she relaxed that tense top line. She hadn't been sleeping yet, just waiting quietly for him to come to bed. She offered a soft smile in greeting. He didn't seem to greet her right away though. A few moments later she found out why. He had brought her a flower. She raised her brow in surprise.

She looked at the little flower before her. She wasn't familiar with it, but that didn't matter. She liked that he had thought of her when out doing his tasks. She gently sniffed it. "I don't know it," she admitted quietly. "But I really like the flower," she spoke. "Thank you." She wondered where he found it. It was almost admiring that a warrior like him could be so gentle. She hadn't really met any man that was like him. It did charm her.

She had nestled herself against the rock, mostly to feel secure. Her ears were flopped back, as they were usually around him. As a sign of submission, it was just natural for her to feel submissive to him. "Everything okay?," she spoke, not wanting to criticize him for staying away until late. She didn't know if he might have needed to protect them from something. It didn't smell like he was injured, which was good. He also didn't seem to smell of Genevieve which made her warm up a little more.
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He watched her tension melt away once she'd realized it was him. That was touching; seeing that he wasn't still a source of contention to her warmed his heart. For a moment she just regarded the flower, she didn't recognize it but it didn't matter. He didn't know it's name either. “I found it along the rocks towards the valley wall. It made me think of you,” He admitted. He sat down and he couldn't quite hide the little smile on his face. It was almost bashful. “The flower was growing when nothing else around it is - it was strong, resilient. Beautiful even in the hardest conditions - the flowers were growing out of a rock.” And like that flower she was far away from everything else, alone, but still growing. Still striving to survive.

She was checking on him and it was meaningful - he didn't sense any sort of malice or accusations in her tones. “I was looking for more of the herbs you'd described, and I ended up further out than I'd anticipated and then saw the flower and really wanted to bring it back to you.” He almost looked sheepish then, like he'd gotten caught trying to do something. “I'm sorry I worried you, Wyn.” It wasn't his goal after all, but, it was something he hadn't thought she'd do for him. Worrying about him was a touch past just what you'd do for an aquaintance - it was progress for them, for sure. “Tell me how your day was?”


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Elowyn looked from the flower to the wolf and then smiled. It was very thoughtful of him, and also really charming. She was starting to realize that Anteon was really charming. He seemed to do his best to make her feel good, and that was something she had not expected to experience. She liked the idea that he was thinking of her. Her ears fell back when he continued. She could tell he meant it in a good and positive way, still she disliked the idea of the flower being alone with nothing around it. She wanted to have lots of wolves around her. Windmere felt really small compared to Heartmouth.

"That is very sweet, Anteon. But you already do so much. I can hardly ask you to search for herbs and plants," she offered. But that was a testament of his ambition and work ethic. She opened her mouth to speak, to deny that she had been worried. She had been mostly worried about being alone if she was really honest. She wasn't used to being alone with her thoughts. "It is alright," she assured him right away, not wanting to make a big fuss out of it. "Coop is making a garden for me. A medical garden," she returned, that hint of bubbly personality surfacing when she talked about something she liked. "I'm deciding what herbs and plants I want in it, and trying to find if some of those plants are available here," she explained to him. "I hope the transplanting works," she spoke softly.
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^^He let out a low rumbling sound, amused by her insistence that she couldn't ask him of anything. “Actually, Your Highness, you can ask your King for anything you want.” It was a bit more of a teasing sort of rumble in his voice, something closer to flirting; as if Wyn hadn't quite figured out that he'd warmed to her to that level. Even if he hadn't it was his charge to keep her happy. She seemed so quick when it came to warming to the passions she had. When it came to herbs and healing, the ways that they could establish Windmere itself, he liked seeing it on her. “Hopefully it flourishes.” He agreed. He'd only known the rudimentary things about herbs and growing gardens. It would help them in the long run. “If we have enough herbs planted and more land we aren't using, any leftovers from our kills we don't intend to eat we should put there. It helps the soil be rich next year.” That was something his mother had taught him. She had a good mind for planning ahead and it was something she'd intended to instill in each of her children. He couldn't say that it worked well when it came to her marriage and life, but, they'd made their way still.

He stretched out not unlike a cat before he stood up. He came closer, keeping himself between the rest of the world and her. It was like they'd slept as they had traveled - not only in the lands but then even after they'd left Heartmouth. It was easier to keep her safe then. “Tomorrow would you show me the progress? I'd like to see.” It wasn't just a false interest. What she was doing now, and what Coop and the others were helping with, was going to ensure that they stood strong in the future too.^^

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Elowyn instantly shook her head lightly, almost in dis belief. Her mother told her to always suggest, never ask. The female wasn't really sure she would ever be that demanding to Anteon. She knew that he was busy enough, even without her demanding her things from him. She blushed a little though, hearing his tone felt a little sultry. She still didn't know what to feel. She had started to like him. Anteon had always been kind and friendly to her. Taking care of her, really. So there wasn't much she couldn't like about him. But she had no clue how to handle love, or even flirt back with him. In fact when he flirted she really didn't know how to respond to it. She offered him a shy smile in reaction.

The golden agouti nodded when the conversation continued. She hoped it would flourish too. The female raised her brows. "Truly?," she asked curiously and almost surprised. She had never heard of that, but it would definitely be worth a try. She dipped her head. "A good suggestion," she complimented. Her green eyes followed him when he got up, and settled in closer. She was used to it, and actually liked it when he was shielding her from everything. It felt safe. She placed her head against him and closed her eyes. Something that she hadn't been able to think of doing when she first started on this journey with him. "Of course," she spoke then. She realized she was glad she wasn't alone, and that was a good realization for her to have.

end here and start a new one? :D

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