Secret Falls whatever you heard, my name ain't joel.

RE: Winter makes a comeback! A cold snap drops a dusting of snow across Relic Lore, killing early spring flowers.
Welcome to one or two others! Late afternoon. Sunny, 46F/8C.

Why was it still frosting? Sure, she might have been but a few moons old at this time last year, but Little Crow could not remember it being this chilly. If it were, surely her mother wouldn’t have let her out and about to play. Her paws would have frozen!

Or, at the very least, she’d like to think her dam had more maternal instincts than that. But given the manner in which she’d left? The little sand wolf wasn’t so certain any more. But, she wasn’t certain of much, and that rarely stopped her. Perhaps it was only frosting because she kept pressing further northward, still on the hunt for the missing woman. Why she kept going north, even she wasn’t entirely certain.

Stretching out her toes, Little Crow cast another glance over the wilted flowers. Even if it was still perky and bright, it wouldn’t have done her much good. It wasn’t as if she could eat the plant, after all.

…well. She could. Probably wasn’t going to be good, though. Exhaling heavily through her nose, the small female lifted herself and shook herself out. The night was coming. If she didn’t move now, she’d get stuck at this dumb waterfall. Who wanted that?

Somehow Treyah had gotten turned about. Instead of mist shrouded forests, she had found herself lost among unfamilar red ferns, and while she thought she had been travelling in a southerly direction, that too was assed about. She was going the wrong way, and she needed to get her bearings, but with the trees and undergrowth so thick, how on earth was she ever going to find high ground? Not to mention things seemed colder over here, to the point her toes had begun to feel numb. She sighed rather dejectedly. All she had wanted to do was find her sisters, even better, her sge mate brother, and pass on the news.

It was during a moment of deeper self pitying that the crashing sound of water filled her ears, so different from the familar surge of the swift river, yet enticing all the same. It had to be worth checking out, didn't it? So she let her ears guide her, only stopping when the scent of another worked its way through the mist kicked up by the falling water. "Hello?" her voice was less than certain as her eyes struggled to pick out just where the stranger may be.

Little Crow gave the waterfall another appraising look, buttercup eyes studying the water as it cascaded downwards and exploded forth in tiny little droplets. Seemed to freeze quicker that way. And even if it didn’t, the youth wasn’t certain she wanted to creep any closer – getting doused when it was this cold out couldn’t be good. Water could cool you off on a hot day when the sun was beating down on your head. Imagine what it could do when winter wouldn’t let go of the forest!

The loner was still debating the practicality of getting a drink before setting off (for all her worries about getting caught here before nightfall, Namir wasn’t particularly expedient about making up her mind, either) when an unfamiliar voice called out through the waterfall’s mist. Little Crow froze, ears folding backwards before they began to swivel, seeking out the greeting’s owner. She hadn’t been paying attention. What if this wolf had just jumped her, instead of trying to say hi?

She turned cautiously, each step slow and wary until the outline of a large wolf came into view. Little Crow squinted, tail twitching behind her as she chuffed, not interested in getting any closer until she could suss out this wolf’s purpose. “‘lo,” she answered, dropping her head as she watched the other female. “Who’re you? Y’know this place?”

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

Terrible post is terrible. I apologise.

won't you light my lonely way back home?

Treyah Tainn

She could hardly make out the shape of the stranger until she answered back, her head dropping with a little bit of relief and her tail waving a happy greeting all the same. "Not really, I think I got turned about," she admitted rather sheepishly. "I'm Treyah, Treyah Tainn," she finally addressed the first question, only adding her fathers name in the hopes it might stir some recognition in the stranger who may be able to point her back towards the Bend.

If her youth wasn't obvious in the tone of her voice, it was made terribly evident in her uncertain body language. When they had left the Bend it had been with her parents and Leotie in tow, even during her short stint as a loner, she was never really alone. Now, where once she may have stood fearlessly knowing her brother was never far and her parents just as close, her tail curved towards the ground, an unshakable tension in her shoulders. Where otherwise she may have drawn closer, instead she held her ground. "You ah, haven't run into a guy about my age called Reiko by any chance have you? I was meant to be checking at Oak Tree Bend but I've only done the trip the other way..."

Well, at least this stranger seemed pretty nice. Namir waved her tail back head tipped to one side. “I’m Lil’ Crow,” she replied, smile nothing short of wary amusement as her agemate admitted that she, too, had no idea where they properly were. “Oh well. I ain’t got a damn clue where this is, neither.”

She puffed a short breath out of her nose, content to just leave it there when the other yearling piped up with a question of her own. For a moment, the slightly older of the pair considering it, cheek puffing out to one side. Now, how was this transaction gonna work? She did start this, after all, asking the first question – by rights, she should answer this before asking her second. But would Treyah Tainn answer? Or would she just take her answer and run?

Eh. By the looks of her, Little Crow could probably outrun her if she tried to stiff her. She weren’t no paladin, but the younger girl seemed okay enough. “Ain’t never been to a Oak Tree Bend. Ain’t met no Reiko, either. A Mat an’…jes’ a Mat. Rest were girls.” She tipped her ears forward. Now it was her turn. “‘m lookin’ fer a Fallen Tree Cave. ‘er a Namid. ‘er a Kahgeekah. Seen any a’ those?”

@Treyah -- No worries! Slow Ace is very slow. |D