The seasoning of harvesting was long since over for cherries. Cherries naturally have a short harvest season, ranging from May to August. The D'Oliva was about three moon cycles too late to enjoy the bittersweet taste of a cherry. Many of the cherries long since fell to their decease in the Earth, with some rotten cherries and the skeleton of their stems still evident in most places in the soil. There was a natural sweet aroma about the orchard, slightly tainted by the decay of the previous fallen. It was still pleasant to the nose no less, and the ambience of the Wild Cherry Orchard had an almost… wondrous air to it. The sun was setting in the horizon. When nightfall approached was when Ecco rested as well. Notoriously known as nocturnal growing up and staying out late to play with friends from nearby dens in her birth pack, it was as if the sun itself was her prime savior at this point in her life. It provided the warmth, the light, the way to… who knows at this point. Ecco didn't know, but trusted the faith of following the sun to lead her to some sort of better destiny than what she had.


The leaves of the Orchard danced in the twinkle of the day's last sunlight, as Ecco found this suitable to start looking for a place to den for the evening. A cherry orchard was unlike a regular forest where there was heavy vegetation, thick canopies of trees to shadow overhead in case of a downpour, and often at times had natural dugouts near the base of their trunks. Cherry orchard trees were thin, not the best means of shelter from sun or storm, and there were no warm crevices to curl up against. Ecco wasn't about to take her chances traveling at night; losing much of her body mass left her vulnerable to the cold, no matter how thick her fur was. Body mass and a thick coat went paw in paw, when you were missing one of those factors… survival mechanisms in a cold climate became challenging, life threatening. At least Ecco wandered south enough on the Canadian continent to avoid the subzero climate of Alaska and the Far North; Ecco would have already been deceased no doubt.


This'll do for now. Why did I take this route, anyway? Second guessing herself when there was a previous fork in the path a couple miles back, Ecco sighed as she circled around a particular cherry tree with a suitable amount of coverage for leaves on its branches. Finding her place to rest, the D'Oliva curled herself into a tight ball; the tip of her tail covering her nose for warmth. Ecco huddled into what body mass was left of her, shivering. Even this was still too cold for comfort.

          Ecco's family, everything about her past, bloodline, and her title amongst her birth pack, was stripped overnight. It was every lowly Subordinate family's wish for their offspring to be welcomed into the circle of high ranked leaders to pass on their legacy. I was almost there. No, I was there. The disease and miscarriage left her broken, wondering if she would be destined to even come close to such a title and position ever again. Life wasn't fair, especially to those who came from the lower end of the social scale.


          Cold, unforgiving reality was caving in on her. Her body longed to feel brushed against her once true love, whispering her to dreams in their cozy den as they watched the snowfall drift from outside. It was strange, however, there was no emotion she sought after from him. It ended the day her miscarriage happened. There was no emotion expressed between them, despite how Kinou had been the one for her. It largely had been physical, and it was the physicality of his strong, warm frame against her own she missed. The security. The comfort.


          Attempting to fall asleep several times, a voice prompted her to open her eyes and gaze upon a wolf who was as dark as herself. Materializing out of nowhere came this male and before her a rather impressive, plump looking hare. The life was still radiating freshness of the kill which had to have been recent, for even smelling the sweet aroma of fallen blood, it was as if she could almost smell the warmth coming from it. Fully awake and in the moment, Ecco shifted her amber eyes between the male and the hare in blank puzzlement. He was of medium size, and looking into his eyes… they were different. One was an icy blue, and the other appeared to be a blend of blue and green. It was hard to tell since the lighting of the orchard was growing dim as the sunset was underway.


          His tone was rather blunt with his offering. Her mind had been slow to react from other individuals since coming across few along her travels. There was inner guilt instantly felt from his share. As starved as she was, Ecco didn't like to be looked at as a burden to others. He didn't smell of any certain aroma in particular, the natural pine and wildness was similar to his own musk of masculinity. She didn't want to be a burden for others who were barely making it by like herself, but her instinct would not tolerate that reasoning. Her hunger spoke above her empathy. "Are… you sure?" It was a dumb question, clearly the hare splayed out in between the two after his statement. Ecco looked into his two-tone gaze again. "What about you?" There was no way she was going to be inconsiderate and take somebody else's hard work, but then again perhaps she was already inconsiderate for thinking of such a thing.

          Ecco studied the hare, becoming progressively cool the more the warmth of life force was beginning to fade. Such a sight of beauty couldn't go to waste. The dark-furred male reconfirmed his stomach and appetite were better off than her own. Something of a meek smile crossed her dark muzzle. "I appreciate it." It sounded a lot less emotionally grateful than Ecco would have liked to express her gratitude to him, but on the inside... on the inside, she was at her last thread of collapsing for dead.


          There was something that suddenly overtook her rational mind by force. Instinct and the Inner Wolf took over, as for someone who looked frail, lifeless, and nearly dead curled up in the snow, her paws instantly rose her to the occasion to dine. Had her logical sense held her back for the sake of manners, but look at her: several pounds underweight, with the tuft of her coat to only keep her warm, and not a pack or den to stay. The taste of blood was damn near ecstasy in her mouth. Not even caring if she ate messy fur sticking to her tongue like a bad case of cottonmouth, her teeth savagely wolfed down the tender muscles she tore at. For a moment the male, this world, everything about her shortcomings disappeared. Who knew a nice meal could do such wonders.


          When Ecco was satisfied with her fill (she could eat the entire thing, bones and all if she had the time), she withdrew to sit down, licking her jaws feverishly. There was some left, just in case he wanted some (she didn't want to be entirely greedy). Her amber eyes, flicking with a newfound light of hunger and temporary life, casted themselves in the direction of the male. She pulled away once he introduced himself as Hollow, offering an option of refuge. It would be rude of her to continue eating without being rational in the moment, so if wolves could blush, she would out of embarrassment. "Excuse myself. I'm sorry. That tasted just... unbelievable." She said, giving a ravenous lick of her maw again. "Thank you... Hollow." Ecco muttered, feeling a sense of awkwardness come about her. Hollow proved to be harmless company, however, and was forever indebted to his kind gesture. "I'm Ecco. That sounds... wonderful." Ecco expressed, another meek grin thawing across her serious facade. She felt like she had something else to say, but didn't. Ecco didn't want to look awkward just ogling at Hollow, but then again hasn't encountered a social situation since... oh god, I don't even remember... probably months.

          Once Ecco was satisfied with her fill of the hare, it was a shame the majority of it was to be left for the scavengers to pick away. Crazy as the gesture was, Ecco was going to bring the remnants of the hare with them wherever they destined to be located elsewhere. It was too good a meal and too good for her to pass up when she could gnaw on the bones and other slivers of meat later on. Rising to her four paws, the D'Oliva gave a shake of her coarse, thinned fur. Her movement and direction would mirror that of Hollow, as according to his words on a warmer place to stay, it seemed like he knew what he was talking about. A newfound sense of trust was formed in this moment. Ecco could trust Hollow, even if the two were still largely strangers yet. "Alright. I'll be behind you. Bringing this, too." Her muzzle motioned to the rest of the hare, barely hanging intact by its severed limbs. Ecco picked it up by the hind leg and carried it with her when they were destined to move.


          Hollow questioned why Ecco was so weathered and weak. Where to even begin? There was so much to be said, and Ecco was unsure if she was willing to divulge into every single detail of her ruined past. Ecco trusted Hollow in this moment to find shelter, but perhaps didn't necessarily trust him yet to reveal everything about her back story. She would keep it short and sweet. "Traveling from Alaska." Ecco started, her voice slightly muffled by her mouthful of hare she was carrying with them. "Plans didn't... go as they should have. Y'know, making a name for your family, having pups, getting a good rank." Ecco kept it brief. To change the subject quickly, Ecco countered Hollow with a question of her own. "So, um... you seem to know the area well, yes?" From his previous description of where they were headed, it seemed like he was familiar with this terrain.

          Hollow didn't press Ecco's past misfortunes any further, and was relieved by this. Hollow knew the area for the ins and outs, but Ecco was puzzled how Hollow smelled more of the forest and Wildwood than of a pack. Was he an outsider, only looking in? Previously banished, perhaps? Or, just lingered around like herself? "So are you in the same predicament that I'm in too? Not a place to call your home?" Ecco would return the same respect to Hollow if he chose not to divulge into his own history, but it was comforting to know if it turned out to be the case, at least there were others out here she was in the same situation with, too.


          Hollow sprang off, and Ecco quickened up her pace at first before falling short behind. The hare was still clutched tightly in her jaws, and Hollow was quick to return with a prize to carry himself. His sheer quickness with catching prey on the spot was quite impressive; Ecco otherwise lazy and miscalculated to catch little critters that were lightning fast. At Hollow's notion of coming to a completely different place than home... yes, yes it was strange. Though what was strange was she wasn't entirely heartbroken nor emotionally unstable about it. Somehow she managed to keep the slivers of her sanity in tact this whole time. "I can say what happened to me was not what I wished, nor wanted." Ecco began, her amber eyes focused ahead on the direction they were going. "But my grandparents told me everything happens for a reason. I don't understand why my reason has been difficult. Do you believe in that too, Hollow?" Ecco asked, wondering if Hollow might have believed in fate having a plan for everyone. Fate must be playing a mean joke on me, though.