Aleu giggled and smiled brightly once she and Steele had reached the waterfall.
"It feels so good to finally belong!" Aleu shouted as she ran and leapt into the water. Steele chuckled then ran after her and leapt in as well. The two of them came up to the surface together and their blue eyes met. Aleu smiled softly and swam closer to Steele then gently licked his nose. Steele chuckled lightly and licked Aleu's muzzle affectionately in return.
"I'm glad you're here with me now, Aleu. I really am," Steele said happily. Aleu smiled brightly.
"And I am glad to be here with you as well, Steele," Aleu replied. Steele smiled warmly at her response. The two swam for a while then got out of the water and shook their fur dry. Aleu yawned softly then walked to the cave and lay down. Steele wagged his tail from side to side then followed her inside and lay down as well. He gently licked the top of Aleu's head in between her ears.
"Hey Aleu?" Steele prompted. Steele glanced out of the cave for a moment then back at Aleu.
"Would you like to search for a new home tomorrow?" Steele asked. Aleu smiled softly and nuzzled against Steele's body.
"Home is where the heart is, Steele. So no matter where we are, my home will be with you," Aleu said confidently before she yawned again and rested her head on her paws. Steele smiled softly.
"Same here, Aleu," Steele said softly before he rested his head on his paws and drifted off to sleep.
Steele was the first to rise the next morning. He stretched until his joints popped pleasantly then walked over and got a drink of water. Aleu woke up shortly after and yawned. She smiled and then got up to drink water beside Steele.
"I'm ready to leave when you are, Steele," Aleu said cheerfully. Steele grinned then nodded.
"Alright then. We should get going. The earlier we start, the sooner we'll find a place," Steele said as he began to walk. Aleu nodded and walked at Steele's side. After the pair had travelled for a while, Aleu paused and flicked her ears curiously as she glanced in the direction of the mountains in the distance.
"What about there, Steele?" Aleu asked. Steele followed her gaze then shook his head.
"That's where my old pack lives. You can even smell their scent markers… Wait a minute. That's odd," Steele grunted lightly and sniffed the air. Aleu tilted her head curiously to one side.
"What is it?" Aleu asked. Steele walked over to a nearby tree and sniffed it then took a few long sniffs of the air again.
"One of the territory's borders used to come to about here, but now I can't smell a thing. I think they left," Steele summarized. Aleu flicked her tail and sniffed the air as well.
"Why don't we go check it out?" Aleu asked. Steele flicked his tail then nodded.
"Alright, stick close to me," Steele said as he began to walk toward his old pack's territory. As he did, he remembered his last day with them and the warning he'd gotten. He would certainly have to be on guard in case they were still around. Soon Aleu and Steele came to a clearing. Steele tilted his head and glanced around.
"This is where my old pack used to live. Over where those impressions are in the ground is where we slept. The cave is where our alpha slept," Steele explained. Aleu nodded lightly then walked around and peeked into the cave. She then flicked her tail and walked back to Steele.
"Could we live here?" Aleu asked. Steele thought for a moment then sighed softly.
"This place doesn't have the best of memories, but if you want to rest, we can stay here for a little while," Steele said quietly. Aleu lowered her ears and nuzzled under Steele's chin. She wanted to ask, but based on Steele's tone, she thought better of it. Steele glanced down at Aleu for a moment and could see the unasked question.
"It's a long story, but perhaps I will tell you another time," Steele offered softly. Aleu nodded once then glanced out into the distance.
"That's fine. Let's keep moving," Aleu said with a soft smile. Steele nodded and the pair began to walk again. Eventually, they reached a large lake. Aleu walked over and got a drink before she glanced around.
"This place is lovely," Aleu said with wonder. Steele got a quick drink then looked around as well.
"It certainly is beautiful," Steele said in agreement. Aleu wagged her tail when she spotted a rock formation that created a large cave a short distance from the lake. She walked over then stood at the mouth of it and looked inside.
"Steele, look at this. It's huge in here," Aleu said. Steele smiled then walked over and looked inside as well.
"Wow. You're right. You could fit a whole family in there," Steele said with a chuckle. Aleu giggled softly but glanced downward for a moment as she felt her cheeks warm with a blush. The mention of a family stirred up thoughts of what could be someday.
"I guess you could, couldn't you?" Aleu responded quietly. Steele flicked his ears at Aleu's softer tone and looked back at her. He raised a brow when caught sight of what appeared to be a very faint line of pink beneath the white fur along Aleu's cheeks. He felt warmth rush to his cheeks as he blushed softly beneath his fur as well.
"Yeah, I guess so. So… why don't we get some sleep? The sun's setting and it looks like we have a home now," Steele said. Aleu looked up again, a faint blush still across her cheeks, and nodded in agreement.
"Sure," Aleu said softly before she went into the cave and lay down. Steele walked inside and lay down right beside her. Aleu lifted her head and licked Steele's cheek affectionately. Steele wagged his tail slightly and returned the gesture. Soon, both were asleep.