He had been wondering if he was real, if he was back, or if it was just another dream, another twist of the fabric of the universe, but bit by bit her solid presence convinced him that it was real. The beat of his heart, the flush warmth of his skin, the heat in his blood, the cold night wind against his wet skin — every sensation was real, every tingle of his nerves where her body touched his, they were all real. Her heady scent was in his nose, in his mind, the soul behind her mysterious silver-flecked eyes brighter, more tangible, than the shadows had ever seemed to him. Even the relatively unknown smells and sounds of the Basin felt more genuine, the stars brighter and the air fuller. This was not a dream, not a trick, but it certainly felt like one. Her flank was warm against his, and the realization that it was real, neither fantasy nor dream, spread a warmth through his body. They were both here, huddled together, touching. He would not wake up from it. He would not have to wake and wonder what had happened if the dream had gone on a little longer.

Her voice bathed his neck in her warm breath, her words seeping slowly into his mind like water sinking into dry earth. "What if I'm not done..." His muzzle brushed her black neck, a smile all she got for an answer, for he was sure that all the words which came to mind would just ruin it all if he spoke them aloud. Again he breathed in her scent, shivering slightly in the cold, but somehow it only helped to make his nerves shake, amplifying the sensation of her warm body so close to his. Closing his eyes, he answered her in his mind like before; I won't mind if you're not done. She pressed closer, and Mauja shifted his weight slightly to not loose his footing. If he had not accepted what was going on, he would've marveled at what she did, but instead he just gently pressed back against her, basking in sharing heat with another living creature, as the wind outside chilled him.

Faelene draped her red-maned head across his back, leaving the air free to cool his chest, but warming his cold back. A shudder passed through him, and he turned his head to gently nuzzle her chest, the only part of her he could reach without moving or breaking his head. Warmth seeped into his shoulders from where her crown rested, her voice once more slipping into his mind, soothing and intoxicating all at once. I've wondered the same thing, he thought, a crooked smile appearing on his face. But you've convinced me I am. Expelling a last, hot breath on her chest he turned his head the other way, to peer at her with one silver-masked eye. "I don't know," he answered her in a low, husky voice. "I just know that I am real." Feeling his heart starting to tremble in his chest, Mauja gently pushed against her, leaning into her, trying to press as much of their bodies together as he could. His lips pulled into a small smile, his eyes searching for hers, something in them.

I can show you just how real I am.

Mauja Frosthjärta