***

The next few days, Jaire slowly started to get better. While she still had her cold, she found more and more strength coming back to her. And not only that, her emotional state greatly improved as well. After Starlight had confided in her, Jaire had finally found it within herself to truly open up about her feelings. She had always been closed off towards strangers, but at the very least she trusted Starlight now.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Starlight said on the fourth day as the sun was just rising. "Feeling any better?"

Jaire stretched herself. She felt stiff from having been in her nest all these days. "Better, honestly," she barked. She still didn't feel like she used to, but her paws were itching for some movement. Starlight seemed to pick up on this from her posture alone.

"You want to go out," the wolfdog concluded.

Jaire nodded. "Lying around all day is exhausting in and of itself. I could go for a walk, if you don't mind."

Starlight smiled. "That's fantastic, because I've been exploring this forest and I think I've figured out where we should mark our borders. You know, if you want this to be our future territory." She grinned awkwardly.

Jaire nodded. "That'd be lovely."

Starlight jumped up with a wag of her tail. "Great! Let's go!"

***

The land Starlight had chosen wasn't big, but it honestly didn't need to be. It was peaceful, didn't seem to be bordering on any other canine territories and was teeming with small prey. They were done touring it by the end of the morning, and were now at an edge of the forest, with a large green meadow on the other side of the trees.

"It's perfect!" Jaire finally said.

Starlight beamed. "Ya think? Great, I thought so, too! You know what they say, great minds think alike!"

Jaire suddenly caught a whiff of rabbit scent nearby. Her keen brown eyes spotted the grayish animal nibbling on some grass at the other side of the forest edge, just outside of their territory. In any other case she wouldn't have attempted a hunt, but since the land beyond their planned turf was unclaimed, she launched herself outside of the bushes and instantly darted after the fleeing animal. It almost got away to its burrow, but Jaire managed to bite down into its hindquarters just in time. She tossed it in the air and the rabbit landed with a loud thud, being temporarily stunned. Jaire quickly finished the job by breaking its neck.

Jaire looked over her shoulder with the dead animal in her jaws as Starlight emerged from the forest with her tail wagging. "You've been lying still for days and even now you're a great hunter!"

Jaire smiled awkwardly and dropped the prey. "I don't like bragging but... I was the best hunter out of the Ferals. And also one of its healers. But Big was better at that."

"With your healing and hunting skills and my patrolling experience, we make a fantastic team, don't you think?"

Jaire looked into Starlight's bright blue eyes and suddenly realized that she'd never seen eyes of such a vibrant color. They were honestly quite beautiful. Finding herself blushing below her fur at Starlight's praise, she quickly looked away. "I think that'd be perfect!"

***

The next week or so went by quickly, and Starlight and Jaire did indeed make for a great team in keeping their territory running. While Jaire gathered herbs and hunted during the day, Starlight patrolled the borders checking for trouble. Of course, these tasks weren't set in stone, but they found it made everything work the best this way.

Jaire was just returning from gathering herbs for a little bit as the sun was setting. Having turned her back on the forest edge, she returned to the little open place they had come to call their rendezvous. Starlight was waiting for her there, a newly-caught black grouse at her paws.

"Hello, Starlight!" Jaire dropped her herbs carefully into the little holes she'd dug for them below a bush at the edge to keep them safe. "Great catch."

Starlight quickly wagged her tail. "Well, er, it's not much. I take it that herb-gathering was a success?"

Jaire nodded. "While the summer lasts I'll be gathering as much as possible for fall and winter." She stared at the green plants in her storage.

Starlight approached her as she silently contemplated for a bit. "You okay?"

Jaire quickly snapped out of it. "Oh! Sorry. I was just thinking about Big. He was so good at this. He knew every herb there was to know in the entire Feral territory. I know some, but not all of them! And this is a different forest, too, so of course I don't know where everything grows!" She stared into Starlight's bright eyes and once more realized that the black wolfdog was indeed beautiful. Her scars, too, added to this, making her look strong and rugged. Why am I feeling like this about Starlight? She quickly shook her head.

"It's just... a lot. To suddenly have to do it all on my own in a territory I barely know."

"With a wolfdog you barely know," Starlight added.

Jaire shook her head. "No, not that! You're actually the best thing to come out of...well, the entire situation."

Starlight raised her eyebrows and Jaire felt that, if she'd still had any of her ears left, one of them would twitch. "Thanks, I suppose. You're good, too, you know." She looked forward. "Losing my family was hard, but at least we're both not alone."

Jaire nodded. "Yeah..."

"Want some grouse? I saved this one for you, I kinda already ate during my patrol today. Sorry, couldn't help myself."

Jaire nodded. "Sure, let me just finish organizing things here!"

Starlight left to tear off a part of the prey while Jaire tended to her herbs. I have to make sure they're put just right so they can dry for later use. We're safe for now, but me and Starlight may depend on it someday.

She hesitated for a moment before allowing her thoughts to continue. I really do wonder... Starlight mentioned being into females. All I've ever grown up around is my brothers and Quasar, so I never really considered any romantic options. I guess I just always assumed I was into no one. But Starlight makes me feel...happy. Especially after all that's happened. Ugh, how am I ever going to put this into words! She probably doesn't even like me that way!

"You're staring again." Starlight's rough voice beside her made Jaire suddenly stiffen with a yelp.

"Woah, did I scare you?" Starlight dropped her piece of meat worriedly.

Jaire quickly fiddled with some of her leaves in order to look busy. "Sure! I'm fine, really I am!" Shit! She realized that instead of fixing things, she was messing around and damaging her herbs.

Starlight seemed to notice, too. "You seem tense."

"Just thinking about Big again," Jaire barked hastily before restoring her herbs to the best of her ability. She grabbed Starlight's meat and rapidly tore into it. "Twis iws gwood!"

Starlight raised an eyebrow but then shrugged. "Just making sure you're okay."

The black canine then started to gnaw on one of the leg bones of the grouse.

That's a choking hazard, Jaire thought, but she said nothing of it. She stared out at the reddish sky and orange setting sun through the trees. Things really are perfect here. What if I mess it up by telling Starlight that I like her?

***