She had a lot to consider before making a decision. Terrified of joining a pack again, she wasn't sure that her heart could handle following Kanosak and Kashikoi to Copper Rock Creek. There was the deep-rooted fear that she would lose everything again, and this time it would kill her. At the same time, being a loner would kill her much faster, especially in this difficult season. Though winter was closer to being over and the temperatures were slowly increasing, there still wasn't much prey available. What was available was hard to catch alone. At the rate she was going she would starve to death before spring even arrived.


And Kashi. She loved the little Scrap. The thought of his response when she had told him she wasn't sure if she would be able to join was enough to tug at her heart. How she wanted to be there for the little yearling, taking care of him.


So lost in thought was she that she almost didn't notice the scent carried on the breeze before it was too late. Suddenly, the scent of a male wolf reached her nose and she froze in place, startled. How had she let her guard down? That wasn't the first time it had happened recently and it needed to stop. Slowly she crept forward, keeping an eye open for the stranger that was nearby. At first she couldn't see him, but then she heard a voice and she managed to pinpoint a location when a wolf stood up from a sitting position. Her view of him had been slightly cut off.


Looking at him she knew he wouldn't be a threat. Clearly he was older; she could see it in the way he moved and in the fur around his face. Perhaps he wasn't ancient, but he was most certainly several years older than she. He was still large, though clearly underweight for his size. She pitied the older male almost instantly, able to understand what he was going through. She had lost quite a bit of weight on her own, and even two group hunts had not been enough to fix that. She needed regular meals.


Anyu didn't think he would hurt her, so she stepped out of her hiding place before he had a chance to leave. “Hello,” she said, keeping her distance. “Sorry to intrude. I'm just passing through.”

She felt as though she had intruded on the old wolf and she was hesitant to come any nearer for fear of upsetting him. His calm words eased some of her fears, however, and she relaxed a little. If he had asked then she might have turned around and left or gone around; she wouldn't have minded, anyways, since she didn't really have a destination at this point.


“Nice to meet you, Oya,” she said softly, still reserved and hanging back. Clearly he was not a threat, but she couldn't help being worried that she would disturb him in some way. She was a useless, annoying wolf in her mind; someone no one wanted anything to do with. Because of that she was quick to think that others would not want her around or would somehow take offense to her presence.


“I'm Anyu,” she offered a few moments later in response, as if she had been debating whether or not to answer. Her voice was soft and calm; a polite-sounding voice that one might use with someone one respects. In fact, she was quicker to like and respect older wolves, who she often found were more agreeable anyways. “Are you alright?” she asked, concern lacing through her voice, She could see that he was older and thin. She wondered how he managed to survive out here on his own.


Perhaps they would both benefit from a pack. Neither of them were in the best shape.

Cautiously she took one step forward, then another, moving a little closer to Oya now that she felt more comfortable with him. Still, she kept at least a wolf-length between herself and him, merely to give him his space if that was what he wanted. She wasn't the kind of wolf who liked to get close to others any more. Maybe that had been okay with her once in her life, but after everything that had happened she didn't think she wanted physical contact with anyone - with the exception of little Scrap.


Anyu had to grin at his response to her question. Though tired, stressed, and emotionally dead at times, she could sympathize with the old wolf and his condition. It wasn't as if she was in good condition, either. Her fur was not as bright or as clean as it had once been and she had lost a significant amount of weight in her year or so as a loner. There was no reason for him to be embarrassed when they were both in the same state.


“You and me both,” she responded with a friendly smile. When he asked what she was doing alone, however, her smile faded away. She wasn't sure how to answer that question because she wasn't so sure what the reason was anymore. “Thinking,” she said with a shrug. “And no where to go, I guess.” She was teetering on the edge of joining Kashi and Kano in the pack they had invited her into, but she just wasn't sure that her heart could take that risk. She was scared.

“What about you?”

Anyu's eyes filled with concern for the older wolf. She could see how uncomfortable he was in the way that he kept adjusting his body to try and find a more comfortable position. She wished that she could somehow ease his pain, but she didn't know how that was even possible. She couldn't even solve her own problems. Coming up with a solution to the old man's physical pain was something she didn't believe she had the power to do.


Even though he didn't say directly what he had lost, she knew. She could understand the feeling, having lost two loves of her own already, plus all of her family. That was precisely the reason why she was so afraid to join a pack again. She didn't want to lose anyone else. If she did then her poor heart might give out on her. At the thought of her losses - sparked by his mention of his own loss - sadness and longing filled her eyes, both for herself and for him. If there was anything she could do to be with her lost loved ones again, then she would do it without question.

“I don't belong to a pack yet,” she answered slowly, adding in the yet at the end on purpose. She still wasn't certain if she would join Copper Rock Creek. She loved Kashi like a son and she knew that she would never have any children of her own. Still, she hesitated to join.


She couldn't help but snort when he teased her. “Look who's talking, old man,” she replied in a similarly teasing tone. “I'm not in any more danger than you are!” She shook her head in mock scorn. Then she grew serious once more, eyeing Oya for a moment. “You think about joining a pack?” she asked him cautiously. She had to admit that she might feel better about joining one if she knew that the old man might joining one too.

Watching him, Anyu knew that Oya was tired and hurting. She could see it in the way he moved, as well as in his yawning. She wondered if he had yet found a place to sleep or if he had a den as she had in the Thicket of Secrets. Her den wasn't big enough to share and it was a ways away, but she would have let him use it if they were closer. It would take them all night to get over to the thicket, however, so that idea was hardly feasible.


Anyu felt a pang in her stomach and used ascultation to confirm a diagnosis of hunger. Her stomach was growling. She needed to eat, but in the current season it was hard to say whether or not she would be able to find something edible. Hoping that she would get lucky, she sharpened her senses, becoming more alert and searching for the scent of any kind of prey. Oya looked to be in worse shape than she and she wondered if she could find something for him.


“I know of two packs around here,” she mentioned casually as she cast her senses about the area. “I met the alphas. Indru of Swift River pack seemed nice.” She hoped the male would take the hint and go there - she wasn't sure that Ruiko of Copper Rock Creek would be the best choice, and Indru seemed quite laid-back and understanding. Oya might do well there. At this point she wasn't sure what she should do. Kano and Kashi wanted her to join Copper Rock Creek, and Indru had been very nice. But there was still that deep-rooted fear in her.


“You look a bit hungry,” she said jokingly. “I'm gonna go find something for us to eat, ok?” She wasn't asking permission; she found that she genuinely liked and respected Oya and she wanted to help him out. If she could find something for him to eat then she could work on finding something for herself as well. Of course, large game was out of the question. She couldn't hunt something large by herself and she didn't think Oya was in any shape to be doing that.


She stood and headed into the trees, her nose and ears working over time to find anything edible. She wasn't going to go far; she was too tired for that and she didn't want to search all over the place for an hour, leaving Oya there all alone. If only she could find something...a hare or a bird of some sort. Maybe there was a squirrel that had come out for a bit to find a store of food. Maybe a chipmunk or a marmot or...something.


There. She smelled...something. She wasn't sure what it was at first, but then the smell of marmot really struck her. It was coming from a hole in the ground. Once, she had watched a bear dig up marmots that were still hibernating. With luck, she could do the same thing. First, however, she blocked the entrance by digging a small hole and using the excess dirt to fill in the tunnel. Then she started to dig, tearing at the earth madly and hoping that she would find something. Nothing stirred; the marmots must have been so deeply asleep that they heard nothing.


Finally she broke through the ceiling and was staring into a small underground den. The marmots were just beginning to stir, but she was fast. She snapped the necks of the two creatures and dragged the bodies out. They were the only two, but for two hungry wolves it was enough. Carefully, she picked up both of the animals in her mouth and returned to Oya.


She dropped the marmots near Oya and nudged one over to him. “Found these guys sleeping in a little burrow,” she said proudly. “One for you and one for me, and it hardly required any work at all.” She watched the older male, hoping he would accept the gift, even though he hadn't done the hunting himself. He needed the food even more than she did.