Winding Creek

The sound of the bubbling water echoed under the ice to create a wondrous churning ambiance as Valencia and Moose made their way along the side of the creek, Valencia's small frame was the one to lead the duo, one paw after another sinking through the layer of snow that carpeted the forest floor. Her plush tail swayed behind her, a physical indicator to the comfort that she felt while sharing Moose's company as he walked beside her, listening as she had rattled off the names and uses for whatever frosted herb they spotted as they walked. "Oh, and that's a hawthorn bush!" The little she-wolf exclaimed, nodding towards the powdered shrub who's limbs were stripped bare, only a few frozen leaves and berries hanging from it's twigs to indicate that it was indeed a hawthorn bush. "Cecil says you can eat the berries to help with indigestion, but they're also super tasty when they're ripe. I wouldn't recommend eating them when they're not ripe..." she suggested as she recalled trying one of the small green berries for herself, only to spit them out in absolute disgust at the tangy flavour. It was the bright red orbs that tasted the best, their soft texture and tarty juices exploding nicely on the tongue.

Warm eyes shifted to look up at Moose, entirely grateful that he had wanted to spend more time with her. It was strange that all of her favourite moments within Sorelus had been shared with Moose, and every time she even thought about the giant male her stomach was suddenly abuzz with a gajillion butterflies. Everything about him was strange yet entirely comforting and familiar, and it almost bothered her that she felt this way. Did he feel the same? Or was she entirely alone with this gut-wrenching, heart-warming sensation? Valencia was standing in unknown territory with these emotions, as this was the first time in her four years of living that she had ever felt this way about anybody. She averted her gaze, trying to shut all of these distracting thoughts out of her ahead, afraid that they might tumble into her mouth and she would end up saying something stupidly embarrassing. A short gait brought her to sit upon the ledge that overlooked the creek, the ice coating it's surface sparkling underneath the warmth of the sun that had dried most of her pelt and left her fuzz looking extremely poofy. Poofier than usual, if that was even possible.

Valencia looked back to Moose, giving him a warm smile as an invite to sit with her. They had come here to exchange their knowledge, but the little she-wolf didn't really want to let all of that distract her from the brilliance of Moose's company. She just wanted it to be the two of them, no thought of Cecil, herbs, hunting, Rowan, ranks or any of it to bring Valencia away from this rare moment that she had caught without any of that nonsense. She had found this space in time where she had managed to steal Moose and every bubbly feeling that he brought with him away from the bustle of everything involving their pack. She loved everything about their new home, the wolves she had met, the opportunities she had been given, the things she had learnt, but maybe she loved spending time like this with Moose even more than any of that. Yet something deep inside her feared the thought of him not feeling the same way.

Hunter Moose

It was as Moose came to sit by her side that Valencia closed her cinnamon eyes. Everything was so peaceful out here. She could hear the wind blowing down from the higher peaks of the Sorelus mountains, the breeze getting warmer and warmer every day as spring creeped closer. But winter still held it's grip on the land, holding the creek that sat below with ice forming along it's edges, crackling as it had begun to melt away in the middle to reveal the crystalline water below, while the shadows of larger fish darted through it's icy shallows. Valencia eventually found herself leaning into Moose, seeking the warmth that radiated from his larger form as she pressed her smaller body against his without even really thinking about it. She had just begun to listen to the creaking sounds of branches as they swayed and the blue jays calming songs when her companion's rumbling voice reverberated through his body.

"Do you ever feel like butterflies are living in your stomach?"

Valencia's eyes shot open again, and it was then that she finally realised she was leaning against Moose. She sheepishly pulled away, trying not to wince at the cold air that now invaded her tingling skin. She had only just been thinking about the butterfly-like sensation that had plagued her stomach, and now Moose was mentioning it. She had earlier dismissed the thought of him having the ability to read minds, but now she was beginning to question it again. Although, what if he was feeling the same thing, too? What if he shared that same ditzy warm marshmallow sensation that overcame her whenever she was with him? Once again, she blushed.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, glancing at him, "do you ever feel that?" She questioned, mostly curious to sleuth out what his feelings were towards her, and better yet, what her feelings towards him were. She was beginning to wonder if this was that fabled feeling of love that so many had described, but she had yet to experience. "I—uh, only get butterflies in my stomach when I'm with you though," she added quite carelessly, a small huff loosening the tension that had built in her shoulders as she grew anxious to hear what he had to say about all these strange feelings.

Valencia traced a paw along the rough surface of the rock beneath them, trying to distract herself from the nerves that were beginning to build during the seconds of silence that had been strung between them since her last comment. Maybe it had been foolish of her to feel these things, and perhaps it was even worse to have admitted those feelings when she had such a good friendship with Moose. She feared that admitting something so strange might change something between them, yet some tiny part of her wished that he would say that he felt the same, even when she didn't know what any of these feelings really meant.

"I've never felt it before, not until I met you." Valencia felt like sagging with relief, but it was an unexpected tension that gripped her body. She turned her head to see Moose's gentle gaze looking down at her smaller frame, and she could've melted under that searching fiery look. The little she-wolf quickly placed herself back against his side, and it was then that she finally relaxed. He was so warm, so comforting, and he felt the same way about her. Apart of her wanted to skip through the patches of snow and giggle like a little puppy until she ran out of breath, but composition kept her from loosing her grip, and instead a large goofy smile found it's way onto her maw.

"I've never felt it before either, and I have no clue what any of it means...but I like it, and I like you." Her words were somewhat muffled thanks to the positioning of her head against his side, but what she spoke was the truth. And the truth was frightening, but she was so incredibly excited to find out what all of these feelings meant, and she couldn't have been more happier that she was discovering all of these strange things with Moose.