Niro was only able to hold out for a moment and Orin laughed merrily as the two fell to the snow in a pile of grays, pink, and white. “Pinned ya!” she chortled and rolled off Niro before he could show her that she, in fact, did not have him pinned. She lay next to him in the bed of snow and enjoyed the sensation of their reunion. There was so much familiarity with him, so much safety, the atmosphere was a salve to her soul. When he started to get up she tugged on his tail, but after a short jerk she released it so he could stand. Orin followed suit, brushing the invisible snow from her milky coat.
“You two are still together? Aww, that's great! Are you maaaaaried yet?” Not all Luperci adopted the tradition of a mate-ship ceremony, but it was the sentiment of her tease that was important. She giggled, “I want to see your romantic little love nest by the ocean. Have you been practicing the fishing techniques Rurik taught you?”
A new grin spanned her muzzle as she remembered that day. The Takekuros had only been in the Court for a little while when they came across the Russos on the beach. They lounged on a small island, Rurik fished while Liliya cooked the profits. They had invited them to sit and celebrate with them and the siblings happily obliged. That was the first day Orin had ever tried alcohol. Like the alcohol in her throat that evening, the day was forever branded on her memory.
“Actually,” she began, “no, all of my dreams have not come true because you have yet to move to Cercatori with me. But! Yes, I have been very happy there. I have my own home – a bookstore!! I live on the second floor and the first is filled with shelves and shelves of books, most of them are still usable. Oh, you should come see it! Of course, I'm still doing some repairs and making a couple improvements... but I have no problem putting you to work!”
She heard a chitter and her ears twitched. Orin glanced around, searching for the sound, and met the assessing gaze of the eagle on the branch. She watched Marahute for a moment before sidestepping around Niro and slipping up behind him.
“Niro...” she whispered. “Is she gonna eat me?”