Yes indeed, home. Though she'd never really come to consider the Ghastly Woods her home. The Keep wolves were reclusive, most of them content to share a pack only for the benefits of food and protection, but not socializing much with the rest of their pack mates. This had been good enough for Evann when she first came to the lands, starved and weak, Hollowheart Keep had been a welcome haven, safe from the weather and from enemies, and with plentiful caches to help replenish her depleted muscle and fat reserves. This was the main reason she was still loyal to them, she owed @Mapplethorpe her life, for taking her in despite her state and allowing her the time to grow strong again and prove her worth.

Still, her steps were less than swift when she started heading north, her route taking her through several detours to check on different trails she came across; It WOULD be nice to have SOMETHING to bring back! Most of the branches proved fruitless though, like herself, most animals had sought refuge from the storm and apparently had yet to come out. As she drew farther north, and her nose let her west, out into more open land, she did come across some minor animals who'd fallen prey to the storm; mostly birds, though there was a few snakes in between. Happy enough to take nature's leftovers, the sable lass filled her belly with the frozen meat, briefly considering bringing some of the critters home with her, but dismissing the thought as she imagined Sagacity's face at the sight of them.

She was beginning to get tired - her stamina was still weak, especially with the gained weight - and considered stopping for a small rest when she heard the stranger's soft footfalls in the snow. The wind was carrying away from her, so she hadn't noticed the other before, but now her ears perked, heat swiveling in direction of the noise. She noticed the light form after a little while of searching, her coat serving as excellent camouflage against the snow; As opposed to mine..! Evann stood still, posture carefully neutral and observed the other for a little while, then she raised he voice, a secret part of her happy to get another excuse to postpone her homecoming; "H-hello there!"

Word count: 387

It seemed the pale shewolf had been about to leave when Evann's words reached her, but now she came closer, tail signaling a carefully favorable state of mind. The brown girl lifted her head slightly, waving her own tail slowly around her hocks. As the other spoke, she studied her more closely, finally feeling her scent on the air, recognizing the tell tale signs of a Woodlands wolf; and one she knew. A pale smile crossed Evann's lips as the light dame voiced her own recognition, fading again when she asked about home; Fine... I guess so. Clearing her throat lightly, the sable lass attempted another smile, dipping her head in a more formal greeting; "Y-yes, I remember you a... as well. You f-fought w-well." The cream and grey fae and her pack mates had helped ensure the fall of their mutual prey back then, and Evann was truly grateful for the help; That meet was much needed.

Continuing, this time managing to keep the smile on her face as the subject turned to Hollowheart Keep, the plump wolfess said: "Ah y.. yeah, we l... like t-to keep to ourselves, b... b-but all is... well." She managed to speak the first part in a cheery tone, making a joke of The Keep's isolationist ways, but as she came to reassure the other of their persistent, she couldn't help but falter a bit, and she hoped her stutter covered up the hesitation. WE..? She thought to herself; Is that truly how it is? But that was a question better kept for more private moments, and with a little effort, the salt and pepper lassie managed to give the Woodlander another smile.

Feeling the pressure of the conversation on her shoulders, Evann quickly moved to return the gesture, flicking her ears at the other; "I... I hope th-the same is t... true for y-you?" Even as she struggled with herself, the brown fae was sincere in her wishes for the wolves of Secret Woodlands, she would hate to think that anything bad had happened to her closest neighbors; Hopefully they're at least as good as... The Keep wolves.

Word count: 356

The grey dame was not exactly cordial, not that Evann could blame her; they knew nothing about each other, and though their packs were on somewhat gracious terms, the secrecy of The Keep didn't exactly inspire confidence. She kept her distance, returning the sable shewolf's smile thinly. Evann tried not to let it affect her, maintaining her friendly expression as she listened to the other's words with pointed ears. Having grown accustomed to the Hollowheart Keep way of holding back information, the harsh honesty made her jump slightly, ears shying back, posture lowering as if the pale woman had physically struck her. Her struggling smile finally fell, and she looked at the other with an almost apologetic gaze.

The situation was so unexpected that she simply kept staring, silently, for quite a while, mind buzzing as she tried to figure out how to respond. In the end, her long learned defenses shot up, the gruff tone making her anxious, which she again tried desperately to hide, so as to not appear weak. Her ears returned to their upright position, shoulders lifting, and her tail stopped its light wagging, even though she kept it low. Meeting the opposer's amber eyes, she raised her wrinkled her brows slightly, adopting an almost sympathetic expression. "Yeah, it... was a t-tough one." She said, dismissively, letting her gaze drift slightly as if her interest was fading; though in truth, her entire attention was on the other wolf.

Hidden behind the careless facade, Evann's heart was beating wildly, a number of terrible scenarios running through her brain; What should I do?! Maybe the best course of action was to simply leave now, before the tension escalated further... But the thought of returning to Hollowheart Keep did nothing to quell the young fae's growing angst. Looking back to the other, she tried to asses her, speculating on whether this could evolve into a fight; that was the last thing she wanted! Noticing how the light-pelted woman studied her own figure openly, Evann opted to do the same; they were quite similar in size, the Woodland wolf posing a much more athletic build than her own, chubby frame. That being said, it was possible that the brown lassie's newly gained weight could give her an upper hand if it came to blows, she clung to that hope, knowing that it was very unlikely that she could outrun the other in the event of an attack.

Her best bet was to try and diffuse the situation, the question was how. The nervous woman never had been good at feigning attitude, and her affected aloofness was already crumbling under her worry; So what should I do, WHAT SHOULD I DO?! She couldn't completely double back in her attitude, that more than anything would be a show of weakness, so what then. Finally, she parted her jowls again, this time speaking with an attempt at a lighthearted tone; "But I... I'd like t-to think w... we all c... c-came out st... st-stronger in the end." She tried another smile, once more lowering her shoulders a tad; That's right, laugh it off. Composing herself into a posture that she hoped conveyed both friendliness and strength, she considered sitting down, but she didn't dare, she still feared the whole situation might explode on her.

Word count: 551

Oh was she a mess! Even the smallest conversation had her emotions straining, anxiety filling her every fiber, brain reeling with far-fetched, worst outcomes. She could barely keep herself from shaking, and though she tried to keep her composure, she knew her uneasiness was showing.

Attempting to maintain a level head, Evann made a point out of keeping her eyes on the Woodlander, studying her down to the individual hairs of her pelt, trying to predict her next move. It took some time to come - possibly as a reaction to the brown lass' own hesitation - and while she waited, her worry only grew.

So when the response finally came, she was once more thoroughly surprised. The pale wolf's voice was in no way unpleasant, her words, though disagreeing, seeming to encourage discussion. Evann's ears flicked, her head tilting slightly en mirror of the other's; She's not mad..? Not at me at least... Her smile, even though still nervous, grew a little; her anger seemed to be directed only at the snow, which was something the sable girl could fully get behind.

The creme pelted woman offered yet another surprise in stepping closer. Evann's initial reaction was to take a half step back, but then she stopped and held her ground; her opposer's demeanor was not aggressive, in fact she seemed calm and favorable. Her words supported that image; an introduction. Evann felt herself relax, tensed muscles loosening. She leaned back on her hunches, her small smile more easy, the tension had visibly defused between them and she was relieved.

Feeling a little silly for her overreaction, the brown speckled shewolf had to fight an impulse to stare at her paws. She didn't want to be impolite though, and she still wanted to keep her eyes on the other, just in case, so she centered her gaze on the bridge of Iopah's muzzle, not quite meeting her eyes; "It's n... nice to m-meet you Iopah. I'm Ev... Evann." Her voice was soft, lined with a hint of her embarrassment, but backed by true friendliness; she truly wanted to get along with the Woodland wolf. After a short pause, she added in a serious tone: "Yo... you're right about th-the winter. I'd rather h... h-have been w-without it." She didn't know what else to say about it and grew silent, watching Iopah expectantly.

Word count: 393