Red Fern Forest i aint no roadrunner

It wasn't the first time Lila had wished she'd been smarter. It was as always too late to change anything and here she was. Alive at least. As her dark lashes fluttered from her eyes the afternoon sun burned against them. Making her squint at her surroundings. It took a few minutes till the pale grass sharpened, and the lingering trees looked less connected. Was the gray part a piece of the mountain? She raised her head, shutting one eye but could still not decide. Eventually she let her head droop back down to the earth. The nice, warm, solid ground. Uttering an exhausted huff of breath while shutting her eyes once more.

She was drenched from nose to tail. There was wounds along her sides, pieces of her neck, on a foreleg and a few spots of blood marred her white chest. They were beginning to burn but she didn't even want to lift her head to clean them. She was still recalling the events. Sorting through the haze of it.

She'd gone out of the Bend as she often did. Following a loner's scent that had perked her interest. Meandering further in the woods that covered the north. She had thought she'd been okay to squelch her curiosity. Coyote scents had gotten scarce, and she'd come this way so many times with no trouble. Until she stumbled upon their kill and all hell had broke loose. They'd driven her far from safety, and sadly none of her siblings had pursued her that day. She fought back at first, and then attempted to call for help. They eventually cornered here at a river and she'd jumped in the water to escape. Now she looked and felt like a drowned rat. She wanted to comprehend where she was exactly. How many days had gone by but right now it felt so nice to lie still after being pummeled by vermin and the water. She'd spend the rest of her time worrying about getting home. After all she'd need to walk to get there.

i'll be watching

from the center of the hollow moon

After Judas time hanging around Shallows Edge one may think he would avoid moving south into the forest at all costs. That he would avoid the Edge wolves ever more so. But no. He moved more uncaringly now then he had before, taking his time to curiously wonder through the red ferns. It was an interesting place, pretty, but not like his own home of labyrinths. Judas would heed his words to avoid moving along the western edges of the lake and down towards the Surge but according to Nineva, allies of the Surge were neutral. The Fern forest still held free territory and Judas was keen to follow the rule of 'word for word, blood for blood'.

And suddenly, it was the smell of blood that then drove him. Curiosity tugged at him like a cat, pulling long limbs with too-large-of-paws forward and into the direction of the wounded. Soaked to the bone, littered with fresh wounds and laying in a spot that may very well end up being her death bed. "You look like shit." His nose wrinkled as he pawed closer, arcing around to her front. He sniffed, scenting for infection though didn't smell it, wounds too fresh to fester just yet.

It was probably best someone had found her. She probably would have remained still for longer than was good. Just who had?

Disoriented, against the light her eyes struggled to stay open but she squinted, forcing them to do so. It was a rather large man with a black coat hardly mauled by any other color. His eyes colorless. If he was here to end her she wasn't sure if she could put up much of a fight. If she wanted to. She was a pretty poor excuse for a guardian. "I sure feel like it," she grumbled, pushing herself up to a sit. Trying not to wince at the action of things being pulled and tugged.

"What is this place?" Still sporting a narrowed gaze in defense of the sun, she took in the red foliage. She was sure she'd been here before but couldn't remember what it was called. If she was in the lore even.

Sniffing at the moisture on her nose, she wiped it against a raised foreleg. That's better. Now she could get real information. As it helped her mind wake a little when took in the scents he had to offer. "Huh, never smelled anyone like you. Is your pack close?" Obviously not here specifically, but must be near by. Though would the answer to the question do her any good? She doubted anyone would offer her help. She had so little to give in return, and winter was coming. Packs liked to keep what resources they had. Still since he was here she better get what she could.

i'll be watching

from the center of the hollow moon

It was funny how a young wolf, rude and bullheaded, came into these situations. He did not pity the weak, the skittish and shy. Judas was likely to turn away from those he didn't see any benefit in savor a small few. Yet it seemed as those fate kept pushing these things upon him... Or perhaps more likely, Moon Mother, who sought to test him and pull out what could be a good, decent wolf inside of him. For all Judas knew there was just more darkness - darkness and bad blood like his mothers had caused for the family as they fought over his father which was surely none too better.

She first responds by saying she felt like shit, no retort from his words seeping from her lips. She didn't take the comment personally and snap off which was pleasing. Managing to struggle up to a sitting position before him he would pause in his turning around her to settle at her front. "Red Fern Forest." He would answer the battered up woman. How long had she been wondering on her own to not even know where she was? After he had answered her he waited, silently, until she spoke up again.

"Actually," He gave a start, taking in her own scent but picking up nothing in particular. Her open wounds distracted him more then anything else did, masking anything specific if she had a pack of her own. Likely not if she was wondering far enough into places where she didn't know the landscape. "My packs a bit up north. Some rocky forest terrain near a large lake named Vigil's Keep. Might be better if you hit up Shallow's Edge. That packs much closer if your needing, well... Help." He spoke, those dark gray eyes looking her up and down one more good time. It probably was no good idea for her to keep on alone like this if she was to make it.