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Freckles sighed. It had been a very long day, and she was very tired, but sleep continued to elude her. Maybe it was the snoring... but no, that had never bothered her before. It was the cave, she decided, the way it seemed to press down upon her, cover her up. Suddenly, she needed to be outside very, very badly. She got to her feet and walked and around her pack mates before stepping outside. They had been here a while - too long - and while she understood the need (the three eggs they had found were only children, after all), she couldn't help but feel restless. She felt - all too strongly - Cart's old need to move on, to see the world. She scrambled up onto a boulder, her back to the cave, and tried to count the stars.

{There are so many of them,} Freckles murmured. She shook her head and stretched out on the boulder. Just as she rested her head on her paws to fall asleep, however, she stiffened. There was somebody watching her, or maybe just somebody nearby. Her mane did it's best to stand on end, but there was a certain empty quality to the tension, as if no threat was near. She closed her eyes and listened, scented the wind...

Cart. It was Cart; she recognized his scent. She turned around, expecting him to be right behind her, but instead he was above the cave. Like her, his head was stretched to the heavens, and he was admiring the stars. She smiled inwardly, but made no move to greet him, and simply sat there, content to watch him watching the stars.

Freckles saw Cart looking at her, and the way he did it... it sent shivers racing up and down her spine. Maybe it was the starlight, or the fact that they were the only two around, but everything looked - and felt - different.

She saw him look back up at the stars, and somehow this hurt, and all she wanted was for him to look at her. She felt playful, however, and jumped off the rock. She slipped from shadow to shadow, doing her best to blend in despite the white patches on her fur, and gradually worked her way around to behind him. He was certainly in for a shock.

Freckles smiled, happy to see the effect she had had on Cart. Normally she would have laughed, made some joke, but there was something in the air...

She blushed. {Thank you, Cart. You're... uh... looking mighty fine yourself.} She chuckled, but it came out sounding fake, even to her ears, and she turned away, angry that she'd ruined the moment.

Freckles turned back to Cart. He was staring at the sky, and she wanted to touch him, touch him so bad...

Wordlessly, she let herself fall, tip and lean over so that she bumped against him. Her head rested on his chest; she could hear his heart. So soft, so furry... She held her breath and said nothing, waiting for his response.

{I love you,} Freckles whispered, then held her breath. What if he heard her? No. The time was right. She snuggled up against him, and nibbled a piece of his mane. It felt so good, so right, just to be there with him. It felt like a moment that would last forever.

Freckles purred and rubbed her head against Cart's shoulder, being careful not to stab him with her horns, and wrapped her tail around him as well. {For ever and ever?} she murmured, pressing her body against his. It felt so good, so right, to be close to him, with no witnesses to what they did but the stars.

Freckles sighed contentedly. {Who would have thought?} she said. {The two of us, in love... Old Thing is in for a shock,} she added, eyes gleaming. {I rather miss him, the cave... but I have you. You and the stars.} She smiled happily, covering up the pang of longing she had to go home, to see Old Silverback, Khala... but she had Cart. And she was going to see the world, see all of it, follow him wherever he went. Her beloved. And the stars would be there, always the same stars, reminding her of this night. Of the strange feelings stirring deep down within. She closed her eyes and rested there, curled up against Cart.