Dalziel kept his nose on a sweet yet distant smell that flowed through the breeze. The gentle morning air seemed to unearth all the wonderful smells of the mountain valley, creating a distinct feeling of warmth. Coupled with the early-rising sun, the scenery really did feel like something from a storybook. However, unlike stories, Dalziel kept a certain uneasiness in his heart. He watched the horizon expectantly, his amber eyes reflecting a touch of inner turmoil. His tail anxiously brushed against the rocky shelf he waited in. Beside him were trinkets; seemingly worthless items that, to the unaccustomed eye, were just a collection of pretty leaves and flowers. Maybe he would’ve thought that too, if his partner hadn’t shown him any better. But—oh, here he comes! Dalziel’s previously nervous mentality dissolved near instantly, and his tail now excitedly thumped the ground beside him. His ears swiveled forward to pick up the brief greetings his mate offered to his pack mates as he picked his way up to Dalziel’s perch. Scrambling to regain a cool and uninterested composure, Dalziel flopped onto a sunny spot near the shelf, and masked his excitement at his mate’s return until he heard the clack of his claws at the mouth of their cave. Dalziel lazily raised his head off the ground, and blinked slowly as if he had just risen from a wonderful nap. He smiled in the confident, cunning way he usually did when his mate returned, and wasted no time in telling him how much he missed him in the few hours he had been gone. Of course, he might have thrown in an extra over exaggeration or two, but Dalziel couldn’t deny that there was only one thing that made him happier than a cool morning breeze. Seeing the face of the one you love take comfort in the fact that you’re here waiting when they come home.
