A hole, a hole, a hole in the desert.

[Nye]

Nye's golden frame was but a flash in the sunlight to any in particular who happened to look up and catch a glimpse. Her long limbs carried her, pushed her, sent her bouncing and leaping across the boulders scattered through the land. Since the largest distance between any given pair of rocks was no more than a few feet, this was not a difficult task. She looked rather like a free runner as she expertly navigated her way across the terrain of large rocks and mesquite trees. The fisher's large, emerald eyes were wide and gleaming. Her mouth hung open and her tongue lolled freely. It was plain to see that the golden girl was having a grand time of this game.

Truth be told, it was the first time Nye had felt good about anything since her arrival to Doctrine. The simple movements of running and leaping, of gauging distances and paw placements so as to not slip nor miss the oncoming boulder ahead -- these were things that required little thought or consideration. She could put herself into autopilot with ease and simply zone out, only paying attention to her breathing, the sound of the wind rushing past her black-tipped ears, the smoky-sweet scent of the mesquite trees in her nostrils. Nye thought only of the temperature of the air, the warmth of sunlight on her golden pelt. She did not allow herself to think of Datorris, Azalia, or any of the sad events that had transpired since she had come here. It was why the grin stayed on her black lips, why the light danced within her jade oculars.

And then, Nye leaped upon the largest rock of them all. It slanted up one direction for many feet, coming to a point. If one fell from the tip of the rock, it wouldn't kill them, but could certainly break a limb if they landed in just the right (or wrong) way. The lithe femme scaled to the peak of the boulder, but then halted her run. Nye stood motionless, save for the heaving of her sides as she caught her breath. Her emerald eyes took in the scenery that lay before her. This place, with its presence of sweet-smelling trees and multitude of boulders, may just have made it to the top of Nye's favorite places in Doctrine. There were only brief and happy memories here, ones that she had only just now created. Nothing like the memories from the Grotto. Nye shook her head to rid herself of the thought. She did not want to remember, not now, not in this beautiful place bathed in the sunlight. Her tail swung freely as she kept a cautious ear and eye out for others around the area, whether they intended good or ill. Nye had been taken by surprise a few too many times before. She was beginning to learn not to make the same mistake again.

"talk, nye!"

[Isolde]

Exploring was one of little Isolde’s absolute favorite things in the entire world, and was actually one of the few things that she could remember for more than a few moments. It, like her best friend in the entire world, actually stayed with her. And so that made it even more enjoyable, her heart lifted every time she found something new and interesting to share with Carst. It wasn’t much that she could actually tell him, because most of the time she never remembered it long enough to tell him, but her explorations did get turned into stories for her friend. Whether or not he liked them, she didn’t know or mind. She was just happy to be around him.

So on this bright and sunny day, Isolde had decided that it was time for another trip to somewhere new – somewhere with new stories about the scenery and creatures for her friend. This place she had wandered into today was different than any she had seen before. There were large trees and boulders all over, her golden eyes widening as she took it all it. It was marvelous! And no doubt there would be lots of creatures to study here!

Isolde happily moved alongside the trees and rocks, stepping carefully to avoid hurting herself. She remembered enough to know that Carst had told her on multiple occasions to be careful, and so she did her best. She wasn’t particularly good at keeping track of her surroundings or of any wolves that might be nearby though, so it was a shock to her when she looked up and saw a wolf perched on a large rock. “Oh! Hello there! How’d you get up so high?” Her voice carried through the air up to the other female, tone full of wonder and excitement. Maybe this other wolf knew something about this place that she didn’t!

But while Isolde was busy looking up at the other female, she failed to notice the small creatures that were scurrying away right in front of her. It wasn’t until one let out a strange noise that she saw them, her eyes widening as she watched them in awe. It wasn’t the look of a hunter in her eyes; it was the look of an observer. She had never seen these creatures before, and they brought a smile to her features as they ran away from her. They were fluffy like her! But when she looked back up, she saw the strange female again – but she didn’t realize she had already seen her. “Oh my! That’s certainly a high perch! How’d you get up there?” Isolde did not realize how strange she sounded, but surely the other female would be slightly confused about her repetition.

[Nye]

Nye had been able to see the other female heading her way from her rather high viewpoint, and was ready for her greeting, plastering on a friendly disposition and a slightly-wagging tail. Even if most of it was more fake than genuine at this point, the golden girl was content with the mere fact that she was even attempting to be sociable. Usually fairly outgoing by nature, the events that had transpired here in Doctrine had changed her somewhat. She was not quite so naive or childlike. Not even motherhood had matured her to the point she now was at in her life. Though it could be argued she still had some ground to cover in that aspect, one victory at a time was good enough for the time being.

So when the other femme's lilting voice reached Nye's black-tipped ears, she was ready to give her response. Her mouth opened, breath was drawn for speech, but she stopped short. The small female below her seemed to have her gaze transfixed on something else. Nye's own jade orbs followed the intent stare, her ears catching the distinctive sound of a rabbit running off into the underbrush, uttering a cry of the prey in danger. Though she was fairly hungry, the golden girl did not give chase. The prey was already gone.

And then the other female spoke again, posing the same question.

Nye's head tilted in confusion, her emerald eyes mimicking the expression. She had...just asked that, hadn't she? Before the rabbits? Yes, as Nye recalled it a few times over, she distinctly remembered being asked how she got up to this rock not once, but twice. Her tail cricked in slight suspicion, and her voice held a cautious edge to it.

"Erm, well I was sort of jumping from rock to rock, you see."

Nye turned her head, her eyes following the path she had taken before, until the distance was too great for her sight to see. Her willow-hued optics turned down at the femme on the ground again.

"It's rather fun."

"talk, nye!"