Horizon

His muscles ached, his throat was parched. For such a wet room, the time it took for him to sleep caused his mouth to become clammy and thick tongued. He lay upon his side, stretching out his back with the extension of his legs. He emitting a groan, nuzzling his cheek into the hard, stone floor. Graceful as ever.

Radcliffe kept his eyes shut, the sound of the crashing water filling his ears. It was too loud, too early for him to rise. The light danced across his eyelids, forcing him to peel one open and blink a few times to dampen the surface. First his attention was directed to the entrance of the cave - then to the form draped along side him, applying pressure to his body. He smiled faintly, opening the other eye and carefully sat up and placing a soft lick to the muzzle of the wolf.

“Cassia” he breathed huskily with the morning crisp of his voice.

She felt a little heavy. It was the feeling of going to sleep too late and waking up too early, one that she hadn’t had in forever and yet intimately knew. The roaring fall of water was enough to mask the sound of rain, and soon enouch, Cassia had grown used to it. It had been a good way to lull herself to sleep.

But now morning was here, and Cassia could feel warm rays on her face. There was no more rain.

Her brain unhelpfully asked for five more minutes, and she was more than happy to supply them to it. And she had almost drifted back to sleep! but something next to her moved, and only when the pressure on her muzzle appeared did she genuinely remember she wasn’t alone.

It wasn’t an unpleasant way to wake up.

Cassia made a soft sound in response to the deeper one that was Radcliffe’s voice, eyes opening bleary. Morning was not a nice time, but she was okay with waking. She was okay with doing most things, with company.

Her head rose, and a wide yawn split her muzzle. Cassia shook her head to clean it. “Good morning.”

The warmth the two provided to each other was intoxicating. It made his heart beat and his chest swell with a sense of pride. What they had done could mean something came about in a couple of months. Could you imagine it? Radcliffe a father? That’d be odd. Would he even know? He’d have to stick around for that… Ehh…

As she yawned, he withdrew himself from their close proximity to give her room. It seemed like a wise move since afterwards she shook her head. He gave a brief smile, repressing the urge to also yawn (Bonyo yawned at this point whilst typing).

“Morning beautiful.” he mused absentmindedly, his voice coarse.

“How’re you feeling?”

Cassia had been called many things in her life, but rarely beautiful. It made her freeze, unsure how to even reply- her, beautiful? Her pelt was mangly, her colours strange and dull; the compliment made every inch her fur covered burn. She even made a small, embarrassed noise before Radcliffe continuing, sparing her the awkwardness. Oh, heavens above. She was too old to be acting like this.

She blinked at him, once, her eyes round. Part of her had expected him to go in the night, but there he was, just as he had been as long as she had known him. Which truly was not all that long, she had to remind herself. She offered a small smile.

“Well”, she said. “Yourself?”

He smirked a little at her reaction to his words. She was like an innocent child amongst   an adults body. It was cute. Very cute in fact - almost endearing how she reacted around him. He enjoyed it, these feelings, even if he didn’t understand them.

“I slept as well as anyone could on a pile of rocks.” he hummed, squinting his eyes in a wide, but tired, smile to give her the benefit of the doubt. Her scent lingered around them. His mind felt foggy, white noise behind his eyes. He couldn’t tell whether it was from sleep deprivation or the fact that a woman, who willingly took him, was in heat right under his nose.

Radcliffe released a groan, falling back into his position on his side, head against the cold stone floor.

What had he gotten himself into?

He was right, really. Her own back complained a bit, but she’d be fine- it was probably just the moisture affecting her. Cassia yawned, and, when Radcliffe settled back down, she relaxed as well, letting her head fall on her paws. She was feeling particularly lazy today. The heat was wearing her out.

But she was so far from the Sanctuary now, that maybe she deserved to be a little lazy.

“You can sleep more, if you want.”

Sleep more?

Was that even a thing he could do?

He was an early riser and naps generally weren’t a thing that happened to him. He just couldn’t get back to sleep after he’d already awoken once. And if he did, he’d often wake up feeling worse than before. What was the point in over-sleeping if it made you feel like absolute crap upon waking up? He didn’t see the charm in any aspect of the thing called ‘napping’.

However, there was something about falling back to sleep in the company of another that caught his attention. He peeled open one eye and glanced in Cassia’s direction. He smiled a little. “Only if you need some more sleep. I’m sure i’ll be fine.” he said, shifting his gaze to the waterfall further into the cave. There wasn’t much to the place other than its main feature, that waterfall. Even then, he hadn’t seen much of the place so he couldn’t exactly judge it too harshly.

She was already awake enough. Cassia made a small sound, stretching her back legs, but ultimately begun to stand. “I’m alright”, she assured, shaking out her pelt again once she was fully up. Strange morning. She itched under her fur.

Strange winter.

Strange thoughts. Cassia didn’t want to let hersefl feel fear, but there was an underlying stress nonetheless, about what the following months would bring. The past hadn’t been so kind to her in that aspect- but perhaps the Valley would be different. She didn’t want to stop trying.

He heard the commotion of her movements, the scuffling of claws upon rock and breathes held and finally exhaled upon straightening out. It was the average way of getting up - everyone did it.

Radcliffe decided, there and then, that maybe actually getting up would stop the fuzz behind his eyes. Laying down all day would do nothing to aid his dry mind. He had to eat, take a leak and the other one. He could feel the taught pull of his stomach, whining, telling him just what was what and when he needed it.

Soon but it could be put aside for now.

Pushing himself onto his front paws, he lifted himself. He twisted his hind quarters to lay back underneath him until he had a grip with his back feet. One there, he was sorted and pushed up, standing with a grunt. His body was far too big to be useful in this situation - standing. He was such a lazy bastard.

“Good” he murmured after shaking out his pelt and licking his lips. Now he was up, the fuzz has notably remained and he could feel the trembling of anticipation as he inhaled her scent once more. He stepped up to the woman out of instinct and gave her a soft nudge to the shoulder.

“Cassi… I…” he struggled to find words for his thoughts, that was what generally happened when he thought aloud. “I.. think that we should try again - sometime.” he gave out an awkward laugh and if he could, he’d be rubbing the back of his nape with a childish blush on his cheeks. He was new to this… seduction thing. 

She watched quietly as he stood, eyes soft. This entire situation was making her feel soft, if a bit uncomfortable. Radcliffe’s way of standing was… unique. But as long as he managed to stand, there was no reason to dwell on it. Having such a big body couldn’t be easy to navigate, after all.

Radcliffe came closer, nudged her shoulder- Cassia smiled a bit. It had been far too long since she’d last seen her ex mate, and longer still since they had last been affectionate with eachother, but those little displays made her heart falter nonetheless. She would enjoy it, for a few days.

His words gave her a pause still. Try again. Yes. They should. The more chances she had, the better- there was little other she wanted, after all. She was getting old. Was it bad, to want to experience a litter before her time was up?

After a hesitant moment, Cassia nodded.

“I… would like that.”

He rested his chin upon the woman’s shoulder after hearing her reply. She would like that. Him. She would like for him to supply his seed so that she may be happy. He didn’t necessarily have to stick around for her or anything, she just wanted his seed.

With a heavy sigh, get nestled the right side of his muzzle into her before withdrawing. “Just say when.” he mused, stepping up so that his head rested low beside her own. As for his own thoughts on the situation at hand, he didn’t know how to feel. It could be successful, he supposed he could stick around the hills until that time however he sought purpose and if that took his away, he would feel guilty.

Never-the-less, it wasn’t the time to worry about that. It wasn’t as if he planned to stick around anyway.

Radcliffe lifted his head, looking to the entrance of the cave. So many things were swirling around his mind and yet there he was not saying a word in classic Radcliffe style. He almost hated himself for it but he didn’t know what to say or the right time to say it so he just remained silent, pondering his own life away until he finally formulated a proper sentence he was confident in asking.

“So what made you decide this year was the year for whelps? I’m assuming you’ve never had them before…” he asked, tilting his head to look down at her. No woman could be so shy and experienced everything before, surely.

Cassia had the feeling she could not say when. She wanted to, she truly did, but just the thought of it made her anxious. Seemed… too bold. All her life, someone else had led. She was a follower by nature. But this was up to her, wasn’t it? This was her fight and her attempt and her choice. She would have to call it.

How uncomfortable.

Cassia made a face at the question. She sat, settling on her ramp, and looked away awkwardly. “I’ve not”, she confirmed. “I am… getting old. I would like. To have some, while I still can.”

This year was no different than any other year. Cassia gave a small, rueful smile, glancing back at Radcliffe almost apologetically. She really did not want to be getting sentimental right now. She was- trying to do something good. “Nothing in this year, particularly. I’ve tried before.”

He tilted his head to that. “You’ve tried before and had no success…” he pondered aloud, his eyes glancing to the side lost in thought. He hummed to himself until finally he looked back to her. He looked over her awkward self and smiled softly, shifting enough so that he was within her visions distance but away enough to give her her space. She probably needed it at that point in time.

“I can’t really comment any further on that but I’m sure it’ll be fine.” he said as he step forwards and turned around to face her, now before her but with a foot and half between them. There was nothing wrong with being barren… It might not even be her that was the issue, but he didn’t know how many she’d tried with whether it was one or three - he didn’t know nor did he wish to ask.

“No time like the present though eh?” he gave a warm, lazy smile. You couldn’t linger in the past forever and dreams were too far fetched. Just live in the now and hope. That’s all the woman needed, a sprinkle of hope and a dousing of optimism.

No success was… a way to put it. Cassia neither agreed nor argued with his words, instead watching him, waiting for his next words. And when he came closer, words encouraging, she found her shoulders relaxing just a bit.

He was sweet.

Cassia returned his smile, albeit a bit hesitantly. It was not the sort of subject she wanted to be talking about, or brought up with a male she- well. Besides, he was right. Or she really, dearly hoped he was.

“No time like the present”, she repeated softly, and stood, stepping a bit closer.

The man tentatively lowered his head, tilting his head away from her whilst keeping his eyes watching her, hooded by the sudden flush of whatever she had caused to throb and ebb through his body.

He gave off a soft chuff, taking a final step towards her with the tip of his nose running slowly down her neck. He was inhaling her sweet scent as he went, his eyes closing and rolling back with the purely primal need to be close to her.

Finally he went to bury his muzzle into her thickened winter pelt. He didn’t wish to give in to desire if she wasn’t willing to take him. After all, he had said it would be her choice whether they did or didn’t and that she would say when.

He was a acutely listening out. Waiting. Hoping. He just wanted to hear her sweet voice chime in one last time before he helped her in her dreams once more.

Sweet, and… proper.

Internally, Cassia sighed with relief. There was only so much boldness she could muster up- so much courage. He closed the distance between them, and at his touch, she closed her eyes, inhaling slowly, trying to ignore the anxious knot beginning to form low in her stomach.

Radcliffe’s nose burrowed low into her pelt, and for a few moments, the two just stayed there, unspeaking, unmoving. It wasn’t… unpleasant. Cassia’s eyes fluttered open again, and she took a deep breath, cautiously leaning into his touch.

Words were… hard, in these situations. What was she to say to him? This was already so much more than she had believed to find.