Chanting Chase though the truth may bury

perhaps a @Kratha, or a brand new friend? :)

It had never been the healer's fault. Not the accidental fall that had carved a new gash in Tama's already-sensitive right foreleg; not the long, restless nights spent pressing herbs into a wound under the shade of a seaside mountain; not the unsteady journey back to Tama's pack; and certainly not the dismay that had taken the young Alpha over upon learning her closest companion had left without a trace. If that girl had been smart she would have pinned Tama down to the ground and waited for every sign of injury to pass. But the second Tama had found herself able to balance adequately on all four legs, to run short distances, she had passed the baton to an older, more experienced pack mate and disappeared into the night, scar and pain and all.

Luck had kept Kratha's scent detectable and her leg mostly functional and her belly somewhat full; it carried her all the way from Gnarled Oaks to this thick-spaced wood. Golden afternoon light carved pathways for Tama to follow and she did so gladly, her nose twitching. She had pushed herself too hard the previous day; her leg was throbbing again, and she had moved from an awkward four-step to a full-blown hobble. The dull ache of her belly was a secondary pain, one that could be soothed after some rest.

Tama found it in the roots of a particularly large pine tree. It was nothing compared to the monstrous Oaks she had left behind, but it was comfort enough. It smelled safe enough for her to lower her head and close her eyes, just for a moment.

hope you don't mind me throwing my boy in here! <3

He had not come across her and any trails had been washed away before drying up. Every day felt less adventurous and more anxious. He could have sworn when they parted she had headed this way. The large yearling was so eager to find her that ever snap, creak or rustle had his green eyes widening in hopes his honey friend would come bounding towards him. More often than not it was usually a stray creature going their way.

It was obvious that he was a bit more tired than usual. Mathuin felt guilty about the unknown and while he so desperately wanted to believe that she was alive and well he kept thinking about the worse. More rapids or large woods to swallow her whole. The thought made his hair raise just the slightest bit. It was those kinds of thoughts that left him restless at night and frantic in the day.

There was something in the wind, though. Female and alone but that wasn't the usual scent of Astrid. He pushed onwards anyways. His pace was not slow but it was not a speedy run either. A nice trot as he tried to find who was here. "Hello?" He called out as he got closer, unaware of the resting wolf not far away.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

not at all! <3

She didn't fall deeply into sleep; the afternoon was too warm, the bark too rough, the ache still too persistent. She should have paid better attention to the herbs the healer had used--maybe she could have foraged around to take the edge off. The fact that she hadn't turned around and gone home (or died) long before now was a testament to her will--or maybe desperation was the better word, she thought, as she took a shaky breath. 

The wind would have been welcomed if it hadn't brought the singing.

It was an eerie, ghostly sound, one that brought her head straight up from its place at her side. She blinked awkwardly into a particularly bright patch of sunlight, her ears perked high above her head. Was it only the wind, or had she come across something far more sinister? Her heart began racing in her chest as she looked around, nose twitching furiously as she tried to get her bearings. No moose smell, or bear, but--

Wolf. A stranger. The loud "hello" was distorted by a high-pitched thread of melody. Tama shrunk, hoping to hide in the shadows. But even above the sudden song Tama could hear the tell-tale rustling of a wolf approaching. Maybe if she closed her eyes, they would go away.

As the wind made its way through the timber forest he could have sworn he heard singing. His head whipping back and forth in search of the creature responsible for such noise but there was nothing there besides the smell of another and warm sunshine. It grew stronger and he had to halt in his tracks. Maybe this place was just haunted. Astrid would have loved it. There was so much adventure in a place with this much mystery but he wasn't here on an adventure.

Closing his eyes for a moment he took in a deep breath. It was near, had to be near enough to see him unless he was hidden. Green eyes opened back up to carefully inspect the area. After a few long moments of looking he spotted a dark patch amongst the roots of one of the tall timbers. A frown etched upon his face. She had been the source of the smell and maybe even the singing. She was small and dark, though. Everyone was usually small to him but she was exceptionally so. Seeing the creature only confirmed that this was not Astrid.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly. Mathuin may not have been looking for this female but he couldn't completely leave her just because she wasn't Astrid.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

Then again, maybe her luck had run out.

The only thing she knew immediately was that this was not Kratha--the scent was all wrong, more... well, masculine. And that was all she knew until she opened her eyes. A pair of green eyes was there to meet her, peering from a black-and-silver face. She tensed as she regarded him with a furrowed brow. He was large, almost a mountain compared to her doe-like frame. But he didn't look ready to attack. In fact he even asked if she was alright.

I'm, she started, before pausing. Did she let him know about her ailment? Could she trust him? She was a stranger in a ghostly land. Another snippet of song threaded through the trees, carried by a gust of wind. She shrank against the high sound, eyes wide and teeth set. Only when the worst of the song had passed did Tama look back toward the stranger. I'm, um... I-I'm l-looking for some... someone. Small and, um, dark. Um. She looked back down at her paws. Kratha?

(This post was last modified: May 24, 2017, 02:41 AM by Tama.)

Wide gold eyes on a dark complexion stared at him. He wondered if something was on his face or if he still smelled like a skunk from that time long ago. Then there was a soft start of a sentence. It was cut short by the singing again. His ears sharply perked as he looked around. So this small, wide-eyed female was not the culprit of the singing sound that floated through the timbers. It only added to his thoughts about this place being haunted.

His attention drifted back to her as she spoke again. She was looking for someone too...how odd. "I'm sorry." The large yearling mumbled softly. "I don't know a Kratha." He admitted with a frown. The name wasn't familiar with the description. The only small dark wolf he had met was Iyes. Kratha and Iyes weren't similar names at all, either.

"I'm looking for someone too." Mathuin spoke gently not wanting to startle the smaller wolf. "She's got honey colored fur with some cream. Really energetic and a bit talkative." He explained as his lips seemed to tug upwards a bit. "Astrid." He said with a soft tone as if he might break her name. Every fiber of him hoped that this girl knew his adventure buddy.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

She shouldn't have been surprised by his unfamiliarity with Kratha; this was only the first wolf she'd encountered in this new place, and Kratha had had a few weeks head start. It didn't stop disappointment from swooping over her as she lowered her head and sighed. The wind was now dying down, and by the time she looked up the eerie singing had faded to a soft whisper.

But apparently she wasn't the only one looking for someone around here. She hadn't seen many other wolves since leaving Gnarled Oaks, and she probably would have remembered a wolf fitting that description. There was something soothing in his expression and the way he spoke his friend's name--surely he wouldn't mean her harm if he spoke like that? Astrid, she said, tasting the name on her tongue. She shook her head. No, I'm... I'm sorry. I-I've only... I've only just gotten, um. Here. Just now.

She blinked and looked back up to the breaks in the trees. Do you... do you, um, know where we are?

Any signs of happiness washed away when the stranger confirmed that she didn't know Astrid. "That's okay." He tried his best to offer her a polite smile. The large male noted how she said she was new and she apparently had just gotten here. "This place is really big by the way. Not just the woods but like, everywhere. There's a big mountain east and some fields way south. Even more stuff over the mountain." He felt bad he couldn't give better directions but he hadn't traveled enough to have a good map of Relic Lore. It was a spotty mental map at best.

Mathuin's gaze followed her own. Looking around at the tall trees bathed in the sun. "I don't, this is my first time here." Maybe he would have been more excited about being in a new place if Astrid had been trailing by him. Instead, he was in an unknown place with an unknown face. It felt like starting all over again but this time it was less exciting. Not the same thrill he had started with in the fields and caverns far south.

"I'm Mathuin by the way." His tail swayed behind his large form for a moment. He had forgotten to introduce himself between their exchange of questions.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

Really big. Not just the woods. Territory beyond the mountains. Hadn't she seen mountains as she'd approached this golden forest? Hadn't they been vast and very... oh god. She had left a small territory. Kratha could be anywhere here. (She refused to consider the alternate, but just as likely, scenario: Kratha wasn't anywhere here at all.) She could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she looked back down, bringing her left forepaw to her mouth.

She had to breathe. In and out, in and out. Deep breaths, the way her sister had taught her. Okay. She couldn't quite look back up at the stranger yet--not even when he gave his name. Mathuin seemed to fit him. Tama, she replied, slightly breathless. It's... Nice to meet you, she wanted to say, but she couldn't. Okay, um... um. Do you--do you know your way around here then? How... If this really was a large territory, there were endless places to begin her search. The endless possibilities near paralyzed her.