The following morning, Reiko woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside the tent. She opened her eyes, and noticed that Samickle's sleeping spot was empty. Sitting up, she looked around the tent.

"Looks like he's gone already." She muttered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Wonder where he could have gone..."

As soon as she had put on her clothes and her mask, she left the tent, and headed outside. She had been right about the night being cold; The grass was covered in a thin layer of frost, and the sun was only starting to rise, making the morning air chilly. She had just started packing the tent, when a familiar wolf suddenly emerged from the nearby bushes, a few dead birds in his mouth.

"There you are." Reiko greeted him. "Good morning."

Samickle approached her, dropping the birds onto the ground. He licked his muzzle, and nodded, acknowledging her greeting.

"Guess you're hungry." Reiko chuckled.

Samickle's ear twitched, and he turned his attention to the birds.

"Alright, alright, I'll cook these. Just give me a moment." Reiko raised her hands.

Samickle nodded, and sat down next to the firepit.

Once the birds were roasted, the two of them set off, heading further towards the south. The landscape had gradually changed from snow-covered mountains and forests, to vast, empty fields, the grasslands spreading endlessly before them. The air was getting warmer as they kept walking, the sky clearing.

"If you don't mind, I'll take this off now." Reiko declared, taking her mask off, and hanging it onto her belt. She wore the mask in Wep'keer to honour their customs and to protect her face from the freezing wind, but now that the climate had warmed, the mask was nothing but a bother.

Samickle glanced at her, and huffed, shaking his head.

"Great, thanks." Reiko smiled, and took a sip from her canteen.

As they were getting closer to the southern pass, Reiko noticed that Samickle kept taking occasional glances at her. At first, she ignored it, but after a while, she began to wonder if something was wrong.

"Hey, is there something on my face?" Reiko asked, turning to face the wolf.

Samickle's ears perked up, and he gave her an innocent look.

"No, seriously." Reiko frowned. "You keep staring at me. What is it?"

Samickle blinked, and looked away, his tail lowering.

"Should I... put this back on?" Reiko's hand moved towards the mask on her belt. Among the Oina, she was the infamous outsider who didn't know when to keep her mask on, sure, but somehow she had expected Samickle not to be bothered by it. He had seen her without her mask plenty of times already.

Samickle gave a loud whine, and shook his head, looking rather guilty.

"Alright, if you say so." Reiko shrugged, and started walking again.

It was the early afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly above them. As the weather was getting warmer, she had to admit, it was nice to have her face exposed for a change. Samickle was walking next to her, his pace slow and steady. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, his expression calm.

"Kai was right." Reiko thought as she stared at the wolf. "Samickle can't hide his emotions so well in this form." Unlike in his human form, his reactions were easy to read, and she had already learned how to recognize his moods from his body language. The wagging of his tail, his pricked ears, and the occasional glances, and the sighs; They were all signs of him feeling comfortable and relaxed, and the knowledge of that brought a smile to her lips. "But… I'm definitely not letting him stay like this." She told herself. The more she thought about it, the more she realised how much she wanted him to talk to her. Even though she could read his body language well enough, it still wasn't the same as having him speak.

"Hey, Samickle."

Samickle raised his head, and looked at her, cocking his head.

"When do you think you'll shift back?"

Samickle was quiet for a moment, and his tail stopped wagging. He lowered his head, staring at the ground.

"Look, I'm sorry, I'm not trying to pressure you or anything." Reiko apologised, and knelt down next to him. "It's just that… it's not the same when you can't talk, and you're clearly more relaxed when you're in your beast form, and-"

Samickle suddenly nuzzled his head against her shoulder, and licked her face.

"H-hey, cut that out!" Reiko laughed, gently pushing him away.

Samickle barked happily, his tail wagging furiously, and he licked her face again.

"Eww, gross!" Reiko squealed, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.

Samickle panted, his tongue lolling out, and he pressed his head against her shoulder, giving her another lick.

"Ugh, fine..! I can't argue with you when you're acting like this, now can I?" Reiko laughed, scratching him behind the ears.

Samickle gave a low, content grumble, and leaned into her touch.

"But be prepared to shift back once we stop by in a city." Reiko smiled, ruffling his fur. "You can't be a wolf when we visit people, you know."

Samickle's ears lowered, and his tail stopped wagging.

"It'll be fine." Reiko reassured him, patting his head. "But now, let's keep going. There's a good camping spot right after the southern pass, and I hope we'll make it there before dark."

Samickle sighed, and followed her as they continued their journey.

Few hours later, they made it to the southern pass, a narrow road between the two mountains, leading to the lower lands. The sun had already begun to set by the time they emerged to the other side of the pass, and the sky was slowly turning a brilliant shade of orange.

"See, I told you we'd make it here before the sun goes down." Reiko said as she put the tent up. "We'll stay here for a bit longer, maybe a day or two; There's a shrine nearby, and I'll pray for the spirits there."

Samickle was watching her from a short distance, sitting down and scratching his ear.

"What, not going to help me?" Reiko chuckled, turning her head towards him.

Samickle cocked his head, his tail wagging.

"Geez, what an attitude." Reiko shook her head. "You've been lazy ever since you became a wolf."

Samickle huffed, and got up, trotting towards the tent.

"I'll finish this, you go and look for some dry wood." Reiko instructed him.

Samickle rolled his eyes, but didn't object.

After setting the camp, they sat down next to the campfire, watching the sunset. Reiko had roasted some fish she had caught earlier that day, and shared the meal with the wolf.

"You know, I can't wait for us to reach Sei'an city." Reiko broke the silence, giving Samickle a somewhat mischievous look. "If you think it has been exciting to travel outside Kamui this far, just wait until you see the capital."

Samickle swallowed the fish, and tilted his head.

"It's a lot bigger than the Wep'keer. There are many people, and they live in huge buildings. It's very busy and noisy, but it's not a bad place, I promise." Reiko explained.

Samickle let out a low, uncertain growl.

"I'll be with you the whole time, and I know the place well." Reiko smiled, and pet his head. "Just stick close to me, and you'll be fine. Trust me."

Samickle stared at her for a moment, then he sighed, nodding his head.

"And there's one more surprise on the way before we get there." Reiko smirked to herself. "But I won't spoil it for you."

Samickle gave a puzzled look, but Reiko only giggled, refusing to tell him more.

Later that night, they went to sleep, sharing the tent. It was a warm summer night, and the air was still. Reiko laid her head onto her bedroll, and closed her eyes. It didn't take long before she fell asleep.

It was still early in the morning when Reiko woke up for the first time. The sun was already rising, the light shining through the fabric of the tent. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. Still sore from the long days of travelling, she groaned and turned over, closing her eyes again.

At first, she didn't quite realise what was wrong. When she had gone to sleep, she had felt the familiar warmth of the wolf's body pressing against her side... But now, she noticed the weight of the arm laying on top of her, the hand resting on her waist.

Reiko's eyes snapped open. Slowly, carefully, she turned her head. Her heart nearly skipped a beat— Right there, next to her, Samickle was sleeping peacefully, his face buried into her hair. He had shifted back... in his sleep.

Reiko was completely frozen in shock. Samickle was next to her, his arm wrapped around her, his fingers grazing her skin. She could feel the warmth of his body, and his soft, warm breath on her neck. Her cheeks flushed a bright red, and her heart was racing.

"No, no, no, this is not happening..!" She panicked internally. "How is this even possible..?!"

Samickle's mask had fallen onto the ground, and his clothes were dishevelled. She hadn't seen him without his mask on in a while, and her breath hitched. He looked even more handsome than she remembered. His lips were slightly parted, his breathing slow and steady, and his eyelids fluttered a little as he slept.

"Oh gods, he's too close!" Reiko's heart was thumping in her chest, and she was too terrified to move. For the reasons he only knew, Samickle had been adamantly sticking to his beast form, but now he had shifted back while they were sleeping. If he was to wake up, and notice the position they were in..? And, worst of all, to realise that she had been awake for a while already..? He'd be so struck with shame that she would never see him in his human form again!

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, this is a nightmare!" She screamed in her mind. "I can't let him wake up, I just can't...!" Reiko's thoughts were racing. If he was to wake up, and realise that he was holding her, what would he do? Would he pull back immediately, and flee the tent, unable to show his face ever again? Or would he stay there, his hand still on her waist, and-

She took a deep breath, trying to clear her head. "Damn it, what am I thinking..?" Her heart was pounding, her blood rushing in her veins. The more she thought about his reaction, the worse her imagination ran wild, making her face even hotter. "Oh gods, please, let him stay asleep." Reiko prayed.

She closed her eyes, and focused on Samickle's breathing. His chest was slowly rising and falling. He was still fast asleep. Slowly, cautiously, Reiko raised her hand, and carefully brushed a strand of his hair from his forehead. She let her fingers linger for a moment, and gently ran her fingers through his hair, before slowly retracting her hand.

Reiko's face was burning. "Gods, he's just so..!" She bit her lip. She could have turned her head away, and freed herself from the awkward situation. Instead, she found herself reaching her hand to the wolf-shifter's cheek, and lightly brushing his skin with her fingertips. His skin was soft, his breathing warm. Reiko couldn't move. Even if she had wanted to, she didn't have the heart to disturb him, not when he was looking so peaceful. Reiko took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

She didn't know how much time had passed. Her breathing had slowed, her heartbeat steadying. She was about to drift back to sleep, when she felt Samickle move. Was he about to wake up? Shit! Attempting to make it look like she was merely restlessly turning in her sleep, Reiko turned away, now facing the tent wall. In her panic, she didn't know what else to do, but to pretend she had been deep asleep this whole time.

She could hear him yawn, and after a while, Reiko felt him move again. He was shifting his body, the blanket rustling as he moved. Then, suddenly, the arm around her waist tightened its hold, and pulled her closer, his fingers grasping the fabric of her clothes. Reiko froze. She could feel Samickle's breath on the back of her neck, and the tip of his nose touched her skin. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she had to use all her willpower to keep her breathing slow and steady.

She could feel him move, his hand twitching a little. Then, his breath hitched. For a split second, his fingers dug deeper into her skin, and he froze; Samickle had awoken.

For a moment, he didn't move. Then, slowly, reluctantly, he retracted his arm, and pulled away... But when he moved, Reiko could feel something poking her thigh. The realisation hit her like a ton of bricks; She knew exactly what that was. Reiko's cheeks turned bright red, and her mind went blank.

Samickle moved, his movements quick and careful, trying to not make a sound. He sat up, his breath heavy. Then, quickly, he grabbed his mask and crawled out of the tent.

Reiko let out a sigh of relief, and pressed her hand on her burning face.

"Oh my gods, what the fuck was that..?!"