It was a late afternoon, the sun had just begun its descent towards the horizon, and a light breeze rustled through the treetops. Reiko was sitting near a small campfire, tending the flames. The sun hadn't yet gone down, but the air was already getting chillier. She was looking forward to the warmth the fire would provide her, but the cold wasn't what had been bothering her. They had been travelling for a whole day now, and she and Samickle had barely spoken a word to each other. Reiko had thought that they had finally managed to put their little dispute behind them, but apparently, she had been mistaken.
"I think it's about time we should set up camp." Samickle spoke, breaking the silence.
"Right." Reiko mumbled, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling. She got up from her seat, and went to retrieve the tent from her backpack.
As she set the tent up, Reiko couldn't help but keep glancing at Samickle. He didn't seem angry anymore, but still, his behaviour was somewhat odd. He seemed restless, like something was bothering him. He had been pacing around the campsite ever since they had stopped, and he had barely looked at her. It was obvious that something was up.
"Samickle, can I talk to you?" She called out, trying her best not to sound too nervous.
"Hmm?" Samickle hummed, pausing.
"Do you... Are you angry with me?"
"What?" Samickle raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm not angry. Why would I be?"
"Well, you've been so quiet, and... well..." Reiko sighed, running her fingers through her hair.
"I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." Samickle looked away.
"I can understand that, but..." Reiko trailed off.
"Reiko." Samickle walked over to her, his eyes full of concern. "Is something the matter?"
"No, it's nothing." Reiko shook her head, trying to sound calm. "Sorry, I'm probably just overthinking things."
"If you say so." Samickle gave her a doubtful look.
"I'll go gather some firewood." Reiko announced, and left the campsite before Samickle could protest.
As Reiko was searching for dry wood, she couldn't help but feel irritated. The whole trip, they had been tiptoeing around the subject of Samickle's proposal, and it was getting on her nerves. If Samickle still wanted her to marry him, why didn't he just ask? Was he waiting for her to bring the topic up first?
"I just wish he'd speak his mind." Reiko grumbled.
Reiko kept wandering around the area for a while, picking up anything she could find, and putting it in her backpack. She tried not to stray too far from the camp, and once she was done, she headed back. To her surprise, Samickle was no longer anywhere to be seen.
"Samickle?" Reiko called out. "Where did you go?"
There was no reply.
"Samickle, where are you..?" Reiko was starting to feel a bit worried. Had something happened to him?
Suddenly, Reiko heard a faint, muffled noise coming from behind her. She spun around, and her eyes widened. There was someone, or something, moving in the distance, near the edge of the forest. She couldn't tell what it was, but it seemed to be coming closer. Her hand already reached for her bow and arrow, but then she recognized the figure. It was Samickle, returning to the campsite, but now in his canine form.
"Ah! Samickle, you scared me..!" Reiko pouted, putting the arrow back into the quiver.
The reason for Samickle's evening stroll was no doubt the dead grouse in his mouth. He paced over to the campsite, dropping the bird next to the fire.
"I've gathered enough wood for a while, so we should be good." Reiko told him, sitting down beside the fire. "And, well, looks like you took care of the supper."
Samickle merely nodded, laying down next to her. Reiko's brow furrowed even so slightly when she realised that Samickle showed no intention of shifting back into his human form. Since he had been so quiet the past few days, it was only natural for her to suspect that him staying in his wolf form was a way for him to avoid conversation. As a non-shifter, Reiko couldn't understand him when he was in his beast form, meaning that the conversation would be strictly one-sided while he stayed like that.
"What, you're not going to cook it?" Reiko asked with a raised brow, glancing at the dead bird on the ground.
Samickle gave her an incredulous look, and snorted.
"Yeah, guess not." Reiko let out a short laugh, turning her attention to the grouse. "Well, I'm not much of a cook myself, but I suppose I could try to roast this thing."
Samickle's ears perked up, and he shifted a bit.
"Don't worry, I won't burn it." Reiko laughed. "Or at least, I'll try not to."
Samickle huffed, and settled back down, curling up next to the fire. He closed his eyes, and started dozing off. While cooking, Reiko couldn't help but to steal an occasional glance at the wolf. She had seen Samickle in his canine form many times before, but hadn't had a chance to actually look at him this closely. She had to admit, his fur was quite impressive; The light heather coat was almost the same colour as his hair, and his chest and underbelly were snow-white. That familiar falcon mask rested on his forehead, the two long feather ornaments falling onto both sides of his face.
The Oina beast-shifters were larger than regular wolves when in their canine forms, and Samickle wasn't an exception. His shoulder reached up to her waist, and he was easily three times heavier than her. But despite his size, he didn't intimidate her. He was gentle, and his touch was always tender, even when he was in his beast form.
Samickle let out a quiet sigh, and Reiko's face flushed a bright shade of red when she realised she had been staring at him the whole time. Trying to cool the heat off from her cheeks, she focused on cooking again.
"So, what, are you going to sleep in your wolf form now?" She asked after a short moment of silence, poking the meat to check if it was ready.
Samickle opened his eyes, and looked at her, then closed his eyes again, giving a quiet, lazy growl.
"Well, that does make sense." Reiko shrugged, moving the meat away from the fire. "You'll probably stay warm and comfortable like that. The night is gonna be a chilly one." She muttered, glancing up. The sky was clear, and there was going to be a full moon tonight, which also meant that the temperature was going to drop quite a lot.
Samickle yawned, and rolled onto his back, stretching his legs. He seemed perfectly content and relaxed, and it made Reiko wonder whether it was because he felt safe, or was he just acting like that to ease her mind.
"Well, I've finished the food. Dig in." Reiko announced, taking a piece of the meat, and holding it in front of Samickle.
Samickle's eyes snapped open, and he stared at her, clearly surprised by the gesture.
"What?" Reiko cocked an eyebrow, amused by his reaction.
Samickle huffed, and rose up, carefully taking the meat between his teeth. Reiko watched him as he started eating; Seeing him enjoying the meal, she took off her mask and began eating as well. For a moment, the two of them ate in silence, only the crackling of the flames filling the stillness of the night.
"Hey, Samickle?" Reiko's voice was soft, almost a whisper.
Samickle turned his head, looking at her expectantly.
"What do you think about all of this?" Reiko gestured her hand towards the landscape.
Samickle blinked, confused.
"All this travelling, and leaving the village." Reiko explained, her voice still quiet. "How does it feel, being outside of your own home?" If she had understood correctly, the Oina people rarely wandered outside their territory, and Samickle hadn't been an exception.
Samickle lowered his gaze, staring at the ground, his ears twitching ever so slightly. After a brief moment, he rose up, and sat down, facing the horizon. He let out a deep, low, howl, his voice echoing in the cold night air.
Reiko was taken aback, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say. "Samickle, what was that all about?"
Samickle turned his head to face her, his eyes soft. Then, Reiko realised that his tail was waggling.
"I... You're happy about it?" Reiko's tone was uncertain, and Samickle's wagging tail only intensified. "Why?"
Samickle let out another howl, raising his muzzle towards the sky, and then turned to face her again, his expression calm.
"I... see." Reiko smiled. "Well, I'm glad. That means we're both happy to be out here, right?"
Samickle's tongue lolled out, and his tail continued to wag.
Reiko laughed, and moved a bit closer to the wolf. She gently reached her hand out, and patted his head, ruffling his fur. Samickle lowered his head, letting out a small, pleased whine.
"Your fur is really soft, you know." Reiko told him.
Samickle snorted, and pressed his head against her hand.
"Well, looks like someone likes getting pets." Reiko smiled, and scratched him behind the ears.
Samickle's eyes closed, slightly leaning his body against her and letting out another pleased whine.
Reiko laughed. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'll keep petting you."
After a while, Reiko decided to call it a day. Samickle was curled up next to the campfire, deep asleep. Reiko extinguished the fire, and went to lie down inside the tent.
"Goodnight, Samickle." She murmured, her eyelids getting heavy. She was already drifting to sleep when she felt something pressing against her side. She opened her eyes, and found herself staring at a pair of amber eyes.
"What the-?" She gasped.
Samickle's large canine body was pressed against hers, and he was licking her cheek.
"Hey, knock it off." She tried pushing him away.
Samickle gave a quiet growl, and nuzzled his head against her neck.
"Geez, what's gotten into you?" Reiko groaned, but couldn't hide her amusement.
Samickle didn't answer. Instead, he curled his body around hers, and laid his head on her chest.
"Really, you're just gonna ignore me now?" Reiko sighed. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter. Good night."
Samickle let out a low grumble, and closed his eyes.
The feeling of his fur tickled her skin, but she didn't mind. He was soft and warm, and the way his body was pressed against hers felt nice, comforting, even.
Then, Reiko's eyes snapped open.
"This is Samickle."
She felt a heat rising up onto her cheeks. It wasn't just any pet dog, but a grown-ass wolf-shifter who had crawled into the tent, now sleeping basically on top of her. She wasn't sure whether to feel flattered, or embarrassed. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Still, the image of him doing this same thing in his human form flashed through her mind, making her heart flutter.
"Nope, nope, nope, this is not happening." She shook her head, trying to chase the mental image away. She had already gotten used to him being a wolf, and she certainly didn't want him to turn back into a human and snuggle with her, and- Reiko's face flushed even brighter. "Damn it."
She tried closing her eyes, but the thoughts just kept running through her head, and it was impossible for her to fall asleep. The idea of Samickle lying there next to her, his head on her chest, was too bizarre, and too distracting. If the human Samickle would crawl there next to her, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her..? "And... lick my face."
Reiko couldn't help but to laugh out loud at the thought. Samickle, who had already been asleep, raised his head, blinking sleepily.
"Sorry, Samickle." Reiko said, trying to stifle her laughter. "It's just... your fur." She snickered. "You can stay, but I won't let you get away with this next time." She reached her arm to pat the wolf's head. Samickle let out a quiet whine, and snuggled closer.
"Goodnight."