Gone Tomorrow

The bitter cold chilled her to the bone, despite her thick coat which had long since grown out to protect her from the arctic winds that swept over the land throughout the winter season. All about the gray she-wolf, the winds picked up the snow that was underfoot, while the clouds dumped thousands of flurries atop the heads of the Relic Lore residents. For all of her watching of the sky, she had been quiet oblivious to the coming of this storm, and it had sprung upon her without too much warning at all. Or maybe she had just been occupied. Corinna was still new to the Swift River territory after all, and she had wanted to spend her time out and about exploring the terrain. She had covered other parts of Relic Lore thoroughly, she saw no reason why what was now her home should be treated any differently.

The storm presented a problem though. On unfamiliar territory, she was at a disadvantage. The powerful winds were stirring up the snow, limiting her visibility. All around her were foreign scents and landmarks, making it incredibly difficult for her to pinpoint a single location. At this point, Cori was only looking for a place of refuge to wait out the storm. Ideally, she would have liked to have bundled up inside the pack den, but because of the rank challenge that had broken out during her acceptance into the pack, she had not been shown where that was, and her wandering had kept her towards the outskirts of the territory.

It was by chance that she stumbled upon the pile of rocks alongside the river. She had been following the bank, always keeping it on her left so as to not lose her way. The trees could only offer minimal protection, though their thick trunks served well as windshields. But she needed protection from the snow, and that sort of protection was few and far between. Risking to stray from the river banks, she headed away from it, only a few yards, stopping short when the boulders became momentarily visible in the storm. Squinting she peered through the snow flurries. Was that an entrance? Edging closer, she was spurned on both by her curiosity and her desire to get out of the elements. "Hello?" She called out, praying that the shadow she was was in fact the entrance to a suitable shelter.

Gone Tomorrow

Day or night did not matter to her vision, she could see adequately in both conditions. However, a raging snowstorm like this one was not the same as day or night. Her vision was practically nothing now, and the longer she stayed out in the storm, the more she began to worry. In a familiar territory, Cori wouldn't have minded so much, but she was still a stranger to the Swift River lands, and she knew that her chances of getting lost, and therefor injured, were significantly increased. The shadow in the rocks was her closest hope. If it was in fact just an illusion, she would simply curl up where she was, and ride the storm out and dig herself out when it was over.

But luck was seemingly still on her side, and over the wind, she thought she could hear a deeper voice answer her. Or, not really an answer, but more of an echo. Neither was sure of each others' presence, but Cori was growing anxious. Straining her senses, she tried to put a face to the voice, for she was fairly certain that she had heard it. But she came up empty. Whoever this creature was, he was a stranger to her. Slowly, she took a few steps forward, numb to the wind now as she was so focused on her task. Gradually she got closer and closer to the rocks, and she began to make out a more definite shape amidst the shadows. So it was an entrance after all. "Can I come in?" she called out, hoping that whatever wolf this was that had first found the shelter would be kind enough to share.

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna waited, holding her breath. The wind pushed and shoved her, and she could feel her ruff lift up as the wind hit it. She had hoped that things would get better as the storm progressed, but that did not seem to be the case. Things were going to get worse before they got better, and she momentarily wondered if there was a chance that they'd get snowed in to the den. But she forgot that completely, as he responded, inviting her into the much needed shelter.

Darting forward like an arrow, the she-wolf clamored down onto her elbows and crawled in between the space of the rocks. Rising, she found that she could stand fairly comfortably, and she joined the stranger in shaking the snow from her coat. She nodded her head at his words. So this was the Swift River den. Good to know. "Thanks. I never got around to figuring out or being showed where this place was," she commented, peering at the space, trying to absorb everything she was taking in. The den was the heart of the pack, and it would be important for her to remember its location and layout.

Turning her attention to her pack mate, she settled down on her haunches, fixing him in her green gaze. He wasn't particular large for a male, but she was very much aware of his physical presence. She noted his tawny fur, though the dim lighting of the den was such that she couldn't make out what color his eyes were. His scent was somewhat familiar, in that she had come across his scent in her explorations around Swift River. But now she had face to match it with. "I'm Corinna Donata, by the way. I was just recently accepted, so I don't think we've had a chance to meet," she introduced herself, angling her head downwards in a respectful bow as to show her respects.