Perhaps the only trait Alder shared with his mother Amaranth was a predisposition for sleeping in.

While Valeska rose with the sun, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to face the day with renewed vigor, this was not so for the Aktaion genes her mate had passed down. As dawn's early rays filtered in through the musty opening of his old den, he groaned and slapped a heavy paw over his eyes to block out the new day. He'd already had one hell of a week, and getting up to face whatever fresh set of problems the world had to throw at him didn't sound like something he was interested in.

The eerie coyote screech of his younger sister Amaya pierced through the merry bird-chirps that had permeated the air only seconds before, sending a jolt of adrenaline down his spine.

Gods, this was why he had left.

Try as he might to roll over and plug his ears, her shrill, inconsistent crowing sent a fresh surge of anxiety flowing through his veins each time that was impossible to ignore.

Alder gave up.

He emerged from the den thoroughly disgruntled, fur disheveled with heavy bags under his eyes that spoke of yet another restless night. He'd never really recovered from his midnight conversation with Amaranth - productive as it had been - and his body still yearned for rest, while his heart was weighted with the grim reality of Viscaria's passing.

Long legs traveled stiffly over well-worn paths from the den site down toward the lake, head hung low as he stalked dispassionately through the snow with an expression like a thundercloud - there was no way he could have anticipated an attack. He was tired, vulnerable, freshly-woken.

Weak.

Alder was struck square in the face with a plop of wet snow, and the noise he made was somewhere between a groan and a shout, fur bristling as he whirled around to face the threat. A snarl ripped reflexively from curled lips as he lowered himself to -

- the hell?

Solvi? he sputtered, half-melted snow still dribbling from his perplexed features. What are you -

She dropped into a play-bow.

She was smiling.

Her tail was wagging.

It was - he looked up toward the sun - it was early morning, he had just woken up, he'd just buried his grandmother, he'd maybe at last settled a years-long rift between himself and Amaranth, he was sleep-deprived, and his grody-ass younger sister-slash-eldritch-horror had robbed him of what little reprieve he could have hoped for up to this point.

And now Solvi wanted to play.

A soft plat heralded the remainder of the girl's onslaught as it dripped from his cheek and landed in the snow below.

Alder didn't say another word.

He sighed and turned away as if to leave - but then, utilizing his superior size and the great span of his neck, Alder swept his head down toward the snow and sent a veritable avalanche arcing through the air straight toward her.

Although it pained Alder in the moment to hear her plaintive words behind him, so gentle and ready to believe the farce, it was worth the payout.

Victory!

And then - silence.

Oh.

Maybe he'd gone a bit too all-in. Worry creased his brow as he searched for any signs of life beneath the pile of heavy snow, suddenly realizing that she was, in fact, approximately half of his size and weight, and that she was not one of the sturdy Viking-wolves of Northfall.

Oh gods. What if he'd injured her? How would he explain this to Dawnbreak? What would Tiberii do? Alder panicked -

He almost sighed in relief as the abominable snow-Solvi shifted and her golden muzzle appeared at last. Even better, she was laughing - a sound he would never tire of - tickling his ears like fairy bells as the corners of her eyes wrinkled and a playful grin danced across her features.

Cheap? Alder said as he lifted a paw to his chest in mock offense, It was priceless!

Solvi quickly switched tactics and launched her counteroffensive, skipping lightly between pot-shots as small clods of snow were sent hurtling toward the larger wolf. He was largely unsuccessful in dodging the brunt of them, being too big and too slow, but even as the white slush continued to flump against his face and shoulders Alder remained patient while he observed her movements.

Perhaps he could bait her.

As she leapt to the side, ready to send another load flying in his direction, Alder bent down and angled his head as if preparing to bury her with a shot sent toward the left -

- But if she went for it and bounced to the right to avoid the feint, his tail and hind legs would instead sweep up another vast sheet of snow in the opposite direction, right where she would land.

Priceless.

Skill: Bulldozer

Not for religious reasons, but Alder did not make definitive statements so carelessly as she did. Her confidence would be her undoing.

It was better, he had assessed over the years, to set the bar low - one was less likely to face disappointment should eager hopes be dashed, and this guiding rule also played into his utter hopelessness at ever securing Solvi's affections.

They were friends, he thought. It would be a terrible shame to ruin the precious friend-bond they shared by dumping his (woefully unworthy) feelings onto her golden lap, so even as his heart broke whenever they parted, it mended itself a hundred times over each time they met again.

At least for right now, Alder was focused on winning.

Letting out a whoop of exultation, he threw his head back and laughed without remorse, thoroughly satisfied with himself. That's right - this was the same guy who'd kicked ass in Northfall's tournament! Hah!

Except -

Moments passed, and Alder's tail slowly ceased its wagging as he stood curiously, head tilting to the side as he observed the motionless pile of snow that now rested atop his petite friend.

He retracted his lolling tongue with a quiet slurp.

Uh... Well, shit. Solvi? You uh... you alright?

Naught but the sound of a distant crow permeated the silence as he waited with increasing concern.

Hey, quit kidding around, he said weakly, trying to inject some playfulness into his tone. C'mon, get up.

Nothing.

Oh no.

Solvi?! Alder sputtered, rushing toward the snow mound, Solvi! I'm so sorry - Solvi - shit - oh, hell, I didn't mean to -

In a sudden explosion, Alder's next words were cut off as a fat wad of snow jammed itself into his open mouth, and he sputtered as the impending avalanche continued to cascade over him in waves. For such a little thing, she sure was able to move some weight. The very same crushing pile with which he had buried her had now thrown the wolf off-balance and flat onto his back, having rendered him so startled by the unexpected attack that it had given Solvi the advantage in what might have otherwise been a failed maneuver.

Alder snorted as bits of slush expelled from his nostrils.

Cheap.

Now who was cheap?!

With a feeling of rising injustice, Alder took a deep, steadying breath - then violently launched himself out of the snow, aiming to tackle Solvi (as carefully as he could without injuring her, at least) and send them rolling down the hill in a tangle of paws and tails and breathless laughter, and for a fleeting moment, Alder's heart was free of every burden.

Skill: Bulldozer

Down they went, a veritable wad of flying paws and tails and beaming, wide-open maws as the pair rolled toward the base of the hill. Alder couldn't remember the last time he'd had this much fun, though some part of him did worry about her relatively delicate frame compared to his. Still, he tried to be careful, shifting his weight as he rolled so that he stayed mostly on the outside of her - but -

With a final oof, they landed. Despite Alder's best efforts, he now lay sprawled across Solvi; without thinking, he turned his head to look at her - and nearly touched noses.

She was giggling, lips spread wide in a delighted grin that rivaled the sun. They remained this way for several moments while Alder wondered if he was mistaken for thinking he could feel the fluttering rhythm of her heart hammering in her chest beneath him. If anything, it was probably his that was threatening to burst out of his ribcage - it was so thunderous, the sound was nearly inside his head.

Thump. Thump. Thumpthumpthump. Thump.

Her warmth began to radiate between them, and a medical event was on the horizon.

Thankfully Solvi spoke.

She seemed rather nonplussed in comparison to the red wolf's increasing physical distress, breaking the tension between them as if nothing at all was amiss; he opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again as he struggled to compose himself.

Alder felt a wave of disappointed embarrassment come over him, and he realized that perhaps he was reading a little too hard into the moment.

Yeah, I'm fine, he said - then suddenly registered her labored breathing. Oh, hells! I'm sorry! The wolf scrambled to get up, stumbling several times in his panic. What if he'd broken a rib? He would never forgive himself; not only could he have injured Solvi, but she was Dawnbreak's healer. How would he ever be able to show his face again?

Are you? Alder wheezed, circling her several times in the snow with his tail tucked between his legs. It might have looked quite comical, seeing such an enormous wolf willingly sending himself into a frenzy of apologies, crawling along the ground so low his belly left a trail through the white powder around them.
A whine escaped his throat and he crept closer to her, muzzle peering over the deep pit in which Solvi lay to observe her with an agonized expression.

Is... is anything broken?