April 17th | Partly Cloudy | Disposition: Hungry, Tired, Disheveled | @James

There were few times in her travels that the wanderer thought of her family, but such a time did come when she stepped upon the mountains. From a distance, she had observed their beauty, lured by the white peaks that promised snow and cold, as well as the verdant spires that shrouded its base. It was the first glimpse of home she had seen in a long while since trekking through the Wildwoods. And it was a sight that filled her heart with content, and dare she admit, placed a soft smile upon her muzzle.

The pangs of hunger be damned for this beauty. She cared not for the pain ensured by her struggle, as her desire had become to see the rocks and snow marveled from a distance up close. It was a calling by which her instinct could not ignore. While the benefit of the flatter lands was apparent in terms of game and fresh meat, what came from the mountain was just as well-found, if not superior.

The great stood against the tests of nature, stable, never changing, and nourishing in the sense of shelter and security. From the tops one could spy the movements of the lands, watch for neighbors and the flow of prey as they feasted; make note of their patterns to prepare for a coming hunt. Truly, she loved the mountains, even with their dangers adorned. The thrill, the challenge was well worth the reward. And how the longed to be a part of its structure again.

Even if none of her family would be there upon her ascent.

Weary legs carried her at length from the jagged base to the formidable face. The pull of gravity worked against her in the steep incline, but she was not discouraged… only tired. Her climb had begun at the dawn of the day, and by its eve she had only just touched its heart, finding a resting spot near the summit to rest her taxed body. There was no game to be found at her elevation, and her stomach damned her for this. But rather than groan and let the mountain hear of her weary state, she took but a few more steps before surrendering to fatigue and gave herself a blissful moment to look across the lands at how far she had come.

@James - She's just a bit grumpy ^_^

Standing there upon her pedestal of the mountain, the favoring winds brought to her nostrils a scent she had not crossed in days. However meek its presence, it was not enough to escape the starved sense of the predator, especially when her stomach craved what the scent entailed.

Foregoing her adoration of the scenery the female took swift action, following the pleasant musk of hare to its source. Ever mindful of the slope and the slick rocks that made its face, she made careful work towards a low crevice along the mountain’s path, where therein was the origin of something delicious. It was small, this treasure, little more than a few newborns left by their parent; undoubtedly gone to nourish itself on the shrubbery in order to feed its new life. Admirable, its attempts to continue its line, but foolish to leave the young unguarded. The female made quick work of them, leaving two alive for posterity before withdrawing licking her chops with the small success.

They were small, too small to keep her sustained for long, but it was something to grant her energy to continue her climb.

Her determination did not falter as she took to the mountain again with sure footing, dragging her heavy body upward til again she was gifted with an overlook of the lower lands. Admiring at her leisure, it was there that she took note of a dark figure upon the lower peaks not but a few yards from where she stood. Immediately her ears drew back and head lowered defensively, the vulnerable state of the beast making her wary of the unknown intentions of others. Stout ears flicked forward briefly as his voice overcoming the wisps of the mountain breeze called out to her. Benign by its tone, but she was not one to be fooled. For all she knew, she could have again stumbled on another pack’s territory and this was their greeting before the teeth of furious hounds rose from the mountains then descended upon her.

Rounding her shoulders protectively forward, she replied in her ever familiar gruff tone; “…scenery. …your territory?” Both word and question were uttered in a single breath as she desired to cut to the case of this engagement before her defenses were made lower by idle time.

@James

This was perhaps the third time (and certainly would not be the last) that the female had come across one of an amiable disposition. She would have thought with the tail end of winter still leaving its effects over nature, those she crossed would be ill at heart, if not openly hostile. Or at least as defensive as she.

But to the contrary, those encountered were certainly talkative and open as if they had not seen another being in a long while. Perhaps it was the case, but even then she would have expected them to have some guard to them. Not at all this… energy that she perceived to exude kindness. Gradually, she was finding things were quite different in these wilds than the one she had come from. And it was a growing concern as to whether or not she could adapt without complication.

However, she believed herself to be a malleable creature with a reasonable degree of resistance. Thought by first glance it would seem, it was not needed for this encounter. Regardless of how unnervingly eased this male seemed with her presence. Gradually, the large beast lowered her shoulders and allowed a slight raise to her muzzle. If there was indeed no pack nearby, then perhaps there was cause for her to relax… if only by a little.

She did not mind his stare as she had long ago recognized that it was bound to happen. While the earth-toned wolf did not perceive herself as attractive, she knew her mountainous size and hefty frame were difficult to ignore. It was a trait she was glad for, though at times she looked to it as more a burden than blessing. “K’arnae,” she hummed quietly in turn, then slowly shook her muzzle. “…did once. But not these mountains. …white mountains like these… just as large,” she coughed soundly to shake her chords to life and refine them. “Just as wide.” But certainly not with this kind of view. The expanse of the wildwood when viewed from the peak was something new and enticing all together. “I live on the other side,” she pointed with her muzzle to the west, back from whence she traveled so long and so far.

@James

It was perhaps to his benefit that James did not venture to the other side of the mountain. But perhaps such thoughts were based on a biased mind. The wanderer knew only of the gloom of the Ghastly woodlands and the prickly Thicket that housed the wolves therein. A spectacle of beauty might have been the tree she was escorted to by the silent male. But its beauty came not from its impressive size and winding roots, but from the encounter had not once but twice. There was a rare allure that came from true silence and understanding with another…

But to hear there was life in the way in which she traveled held her interest, perking her ears somewhat from their umber beds to better receive the words of her company unmuted. She was still wary of him, as any starved soul would be in the presence of a healthier counterpart, but maintained her calm within an air of neutrality. Her body stirred by naught but a calming mountain zephyr.

“No pack,” she stated plainly as her gradient gaze returned to him. Notably his physique was not as withered or as disheveled as her own, but there was an apparent wear that came from travel. The tell-tale lack of a regular grooming as was afforded to wolves that had a home to return to. “…you don’t have one either,” she concluded. Her voice was tired and raspy, barely rising above a whisper against the more sound gusts of wind. “Are there no packs on this side?”

@James

Though another pack was not her intention for scaling the mountain, it was a benefit to know that there were others, even if it was one that resided in the area. Such news would surely aid her in finding grounds that were suitable to hunt, not to mention keep her away from their borders unless direly needed. But too, it offered the prospects of a place to settle if indeed it came to that inevitability while she ventured away from her hollow tree and roots. Prideful and stubborn as the female was, she was not so arrogant as to believe she could survive much longer without the aid of others. Regardless of what they did or did not have to offer. Or she to them.

“…I have seen only one,” she admitted briskly following his explanation. “They live in unforgiving woods, every thick and strong. I have met only a few… one was even looking to join them.” An ear twitched at the thought of the young female. With the time that had passed since their encounter, had the youth finally been accepted by the Thicket folk? Or had she chosen to remain a wanderer and endure the trials of nature?

The thought gave rise to curiosity for the male before her, more so what it was about winter that drove him from the security of a pack. Was life in the wild more fulfilling than in this Glen? Surely not, as winter provided less stability and more danger for their kind. But rather than satisfy her peaked curiosity, she held her tongue and instead turned her muzzle to look toward lands yet to be reached and the slope that led downward. “This pack… do they have hunting grounds?” she inquired, hoping to give herself a goal upon her descent instead of an aimless wander through unknown territory. She would not be able to survive much longer without a sustainable meal.