At the Waters Edge

[Drayton]

The male had felt her move a few times throughout the night but had quickly drifted off to sleep again. When he woke the final time he was met with a definite light, morning had come to greet them on the elevated ground and a very soft lick stirred him to life. His eyes closed once more as he curled the tail just a little more tightly over the females form burying her beneath for just a moment before he dipped his head down giving a few affectionate licks of his own to his little captive forcing her head to the side as he nuzzled her neck. Finally, he placed his head atop her own gently pushing her down so that she was beneath him he spoke softly. "Today we will explore this new land, I pray that by sundown we will find an appropriate place to sleep." He released her from the hold as he withdrew his head and tail, shifting his body so that he could roll onto his stomach without putting weight onto her. His emerald like eyes opened fully, gleaming as the light hit him, his head had to turn for a moment looking away from the brightness as he allowed himself a moment to adapt to the morning sun.

Once he could see again he yawned widely, the white and brown fur parted to reveal the deep red of the inside of his mouth and then the yellowed teeth the lips had hidden just moments before. The teeth came back together with a clack, shaking his head as he pushed the sleep away entirely. Without a word he pushed against the ground, feeling his body leaving the ground he could feel the joints and muscles creaking with the stiffness the night had brought. Zero was now left alone on the ground and he spoke softly. "Little Gift, up and come." He turned away from her, he didn't need to wonder if she would obey, she had proven many times before her servitude to the much larger lupus. "Closely." He stated though he did not believe the legends about the land, there was definitely no truly safe place in any of the areas he had roamed, whether due to the land itself, or another who was hungry or bored.

He walked to the back of the stand, from the flat a slope was met, though steep it was not as bad as their original ascent. He took himself down to the bottom in a single leap, but he waited for the female to catch up, once she was he changed his focus to his ears and nose, letting senses that would not be obscured by the trees take over, his sight little more than a way to ensure he did not fall. His nose fell close to the ground, there were many different animals that inhabited this place, he followed many of the scents for nearly 2 hours before he was hit by many different smells and a faint sound in the distance. The sound of rushing water and the trail of smells led straight towards it. He let himself properly look at the ground, it was obvious there was a lot of traffic in this area with the crushed leaves and grass and compact dirt. From the look of things, this was a well-used footpath that many creatures used to get to the life-blood of the jungle. He abruptly turned heading in the direction, the scents were fresh and he surmised that there would be food there when they arrived.

( @Zero )

[Zero]

It was easy for the little female to allow Drayton to push her head down, and she kept it hovering over the ground until he pushed himself to his feet and was easily taller than her. She watched him stretch and yaw, impressed by his form entirely and simply enjoying the ability to watch him inadvertently show off. When he finished and ordered her to follow, she pushed herself to her feet and carefully stretched her own legs. But she did not take long, and she was soon following him closely through the trees. Her smaller paws had to move a bit faster than his to keep up, but every once in a while she brushed lightly against his side to ensure that she did not move far from him. The trees were thick and ominous, but she knew that she was safe as long as he was beside her, so she did not worry about what might linger within them. Instead she let herself look for any sign of flowers, something with vines that she could use to make the collar that he wanted her to design for herself.

They walked for hours, and though she was growing tired, she did her best to keep up and did not complain. Eventually he turned them, heading towards what sounded like water in the distance. Perhaps there was a river or stream nearby, and usually with such a water source there was bound to be some sort of prey nearby as well. She followed him carefully through the trees and along a little path that seemed to be beaten into the ground from heavy animal traffic throughout the years. When the water did finally come into sight her tail wagged lightly, for her throat was sore from the night before and she was desperate for something to drink. She watched him leap down onto the bank, and though it was not an incredibly far jump, it was still further for her than it was for him because of their size difference alone. So she paused for a brief moment, judging the distance and carefully planning her steps so that she would not injure herself.

After all, surely he would not want to care for her injury if she landed wrong and hurt a paw. So when she was certain she would land safely, she leaped forward and danced to a stop only a couple feet away from the male's form. Her instinct told her to rush for the water and drink, but her training told her that it was not up to her. He would be the one to decide if she drank at all, and she hovered beside him silently as her purple eyes scanned the water for any signs of fish or aquatic life. Surely there was something there, and if she could catch him a meal then perhaps they could take a bit of a break near the water while he ate and she could rest and regain some energy. After all, they had been walking for hours and she had not gotten a lot of sleep the night before. She would follow him regardless, but she could feel the exhaustion in her muscles as she finally lowered her hips into a sit and sighed softly in relief once the pressure was off her hind joints.

( @Drayton )

[Drayton]

As the approached the bank the sound became louder and filled his ears, he was quick to realize the thirst that had taken him from nearly 2 days without actually drinking anything himself. He had been so dead set on finding this place that he had ignored his own bodies needs. Now that he was here though he refrained for a moment taking in the running water his eyes following it closely peering into the depths. He could see a glint every here and then, the telltale sign of a fish coming near enough to the surface for the sun which was near mid-way through the sky to glisten off of their scales. He was quite pleased with the find and slowly he approached the moving body of water, letting himself closer as he made sure that the female did not pass by him. "After I take the first drink, you may also enjoy some my Gift." His head lowered and he felt the water splash up against his nose, the cool sensation was pleasant for the male, now knowing what to expect when he finally began to lap it up.

He took big gulps as his tongue fell in deep, curved and pulled back large heaps of water. The clear liquid coated his muzzle, droplets splashing up onto his whiskers, hanging from his fur as he took in all that he needed. He felt himself cooling down as he drank, his entire body relaxing before he leaned backward sitting down on his haunches as his head came up and he gasped. It was as if he had just come up from the sweetest drink he had ever tasted, and he looked at Zero with satisfaction. "Have your drink and then fetch me something to eat little one, I will enjoy the view from over here." He shifted his weight now laying parallel to the water enjoying the view of the female he was granted from his new position. It was not a question as to how enthralled he was with the physique of the girl, it was a question as to whether he would act on his primal urges or not.

For now, he had been satiated and instead he would wait for her to finish her task and bring back the fish. She knew the rules for their feedings, she would bring him the food, then she would lay against him and wait for his permission to also eat. He was waiting for that and as he did he turned his attention to his tail, it swung through the grass lazily, forcing the wet greens down into the dirt with every brush. His attention was brought to the stains that some of the blades had, the identification of dried blood, it appeared that they would not be the only hunters in this area, he took that down as a mental note before he looked back up to admire the female, watching her with an intensity only a predator could watch a prey with.

( @Zero )

[Zero]

It was easy for the female to fall back and wait for the male to take his drink first. Such was the hierarchy between them, and she was content with it. He kept her safe and treated her well as long as she obeyed, so she saw no reason to seek any other life out for herself. Plus, over time with his training, she had learned to enjoy this way of life anyways. When he finished his drink and told her to move for her own, she did so quietly, her paws picking their way down the bank of the river and to the liquid ahead. Her head lowered slowly as her back remained to the male who had settled down behind her, and she was forced to lower her front end slightly in order to get close enough to the water to drink. She took her time, but still did not waste very long drinking, and when she was finished she went completely still and began to stare carefully at the water. She had fished for him before, and though she had grown fairly good at it, she had never fished in this spot before. She would need to be careful, and she would need to be fast. The fish there were large and would provide a good meal for Drayton, but she would not be able to afford too many misses if she was not concentrated.

Eventually she leaned forward and snapped at the water, the action so quick that the fish had no time to react before she was drawing it out of the water in her jaws. It was slightly larger than her face, and she turned carefully away from the water to trot back to the male's side, where she laid down and deposited the silvery prize between his front paws. The fish was for him, and once he finished if he was no longer hungry perhaps he would allow her to fish for herself. For the time being, though, she laid against him as she knew he liked and waited silently for him to enjoy his meal. Her own stomach complained painfully to her, but she ignored it. She would eat eventually, as Drayton had never let her starve. That was something she could count on, and if it weren't for him, she likely would not have learned how to fish in the first place. While she sat she let her purple eyes scan their surroundings, searching for anything that might suit the male for a proper collar for her. There were some flowery vines crawling up a nearby tree, but as much as she wanted to move to investigate them, she remained quietly at his side until he released her.

( @Drayton - sorry it's so short >.<)