Wild Rye Fields Nothing burns like the cold

…he was going to rip her face off, he realized dimly. Clean off her skull. Who did this punk as yearling think she was, shoving herself up in Askan’s space like…

El frío te está llegando, Reyes, he muttered to himself, ears pressed flat against his skull. He stared back at those baby blues, brows furrowed deeply. He was tempted to snap back, something about territory, or damn right she was a little piece of hell, but other wolves seemed to have had the same idea and seemed to be flooding into the pack den. (No wonder he didn’t generally like this place.)

Remington was regarded warily, as was Adelayde – but neither made any effort to curl up against him, and some of the bristling seemed to stop. At least they weren’t all super squishy, he realized with some relief, and allowed his ears to relax before the tension headache grew any more. He might have made a remark about snowbanks, but Askan was pushing further into his space. It should have been relaxing, but—

“Oi, güey! No mames!” Who the fuck did this guy think he was, spraying snow all over everyone? Didn’t he realize they were trying to get out of the goddamn storm? “We ain’t tryin’ to catch our death, yeah? Don’t be stupid. Keep the snow outside.”

Eventually with the added warmth of the other bodies, her shivering quickly seized as did the sharp pain in the toes. Whoever pissed Mother Nature off and brought this upon them, curse them and all their children as this weather was truly unbearable. Nobody in their right minds would take to traveling in this weather, which made her uneasy when she didn't see everyone within the den. There were still a few missing and hopefully they had found shelter somewhere out of the brutal winds.

Eyeing the new male along Askan's side warily until Icicle came squeezing through the communal den's entrance, spraying snow across the rest of them. Grimacing as ice cold water flew across her face, she grumbled along with Reyes as he spoke out in protest, though her displeasure was short lived. Askan spoke of the promise of spring ahead and she would be damned if they were going to be stuck in this winter prison for any longer. "Spring better come fast before we all freeze to death."

And the way this weather was going for them, they were going to be close to freezing if it didn't come quicker. With the hope and promise of spring ahead, she could smile slightly despite their current predicament. "Can't wait to see the fields turn golden and beautiful again." She said with a small smile as she glanced over Askan and his dog pile.

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Adelayde found a spot between her and the other pile of wolves. Remington knew little about the tawny lady, but didn't mind her near by under the circumstances. She didn't feel smothered, and she would welcome the added warmth. It was kinda nice to feel as if she was part of a group again. Even if they were all pretty much strangers.

The albino wolf, another she was not familiar with, strode in, but she only squinted her eyes tight as he shook the snow from his coat. Pelting the rest of them. She didn't care, at least the pale wolf tucked himself in his own little spot. Askan's latest recruit, Reyes, easily gave him a piece of his mind. Least it seemed that way. One could only go so much off tone. Though she had no idea what the man had said to Icicle, the strangeness of his words tugged on her memory.

"You sound like you come from the far south," she commented casually, as her eyes landed on the man. Simply curious. She could be wrong, but while they were all in here, it wouldn't hurt to talk. Know a little more about the others who called this place home.

The little wolf didn't think that Askan hated her, per say, but she wasn't necessarily feeling the love at the moment. Not that she ever had, really, but that was besides the point. Being affectionate and touchy was in her nature, and when it was bluntly denied like this was quite difficult, especially by someone she cared very much about... for one reason or another. But the hostility she felt from the new guy - Reyes - and Askan's rebuke coupled with the light kicking away in favor of getting closer to the other dark man... it just felt a little like she wasn't wanted. Which, to be fair, she was quite annoying. She knew that.

But still.

Icicle padded in, and the conversation all around went on as usual. She was beginning to feel claustrophobic, and too warm, if anything. The silver-dusted girl shook her head and got to her paws, stepping over a few tails and paws to make her way back to the entrance of the den. "Gon' go find Niles," she explained; she was worried about her friend, and she didn't think that he would mind her sharing his warmth, or her lighthearted teasing. "Sorry," she called over her shoulder as she headed to the entrance.

Askan squinted at Remington. He already knew that Reyes was from the south, far far away from Relic Lore. He doubted that he'd like repeating it again, but the Selwyn wasn't about to cut in and throw a pissy-fit. He liked Remington, well enough at least. She was adequate and no, he wasn't bitter about loosing their little game, not anymore. Well okay, maybe he was a little bitter, just a tiny bit.

What was more distracting was how Castel scrambled to her feet and carefully stepped over those laying down. He wasn't all that surprised to hear that she was going to look for Niles, as they seemed to be pretty damn close, but the way she said it was certainly enough to raise his brow. He shifted a little, sitting up some as he watched her go, uncaring of how much he disturbed Reyes in the process. He knew the former would likely nip him for that but he never did it hard enough for him to care. Reyes was a bit of a grumpy ass, to say the least. The added sorry made Askan frown even more and he was half tempted-emphasis on the word half- to go out and follow her, to see what her problem was. He might have, if it weren't so damn cold out there. He was as snug as could be in there and he could actually feel his toes and ears and had no intention of relinquishing said feelings. The way he saw it, he wasn't going out till the wind calmed down. Wind chill wasn't something to take lightly.

Settling back down with a grunt, Askan wiggled in the extra space he had then decided against it and pulled his legs back. Much to Reyes' ire no doubt. His gaze then flickered to @Adelayde .

"There's more room here if you need it." She was pretty close to the entrance after all. Seemed only fair.

When neither Adelyade nor Icicle addressed him, the newest recruit was content to give them just the same treatment. It was the female gamma, in fact, who spoke up and – lo and behold, it seemed someone else in Wild Rye Fields had a few ounces of sense to their name. Despite himself, Reyes grinned. It was small, perhaps not perceivable in the dark of the den if you weren’t readily looking, but he hummed softly, and gave the woman a small nod. “Yeah. Way further south of here. Why, you ever been?”

And wouldn’t that be something? For all the travelling the man had done since he’d departed his natal lands, he hadn’t run into anyone who’d been to the warm, welcoming place were he grew once he’d crossed over those mountains and entered the land of snow. He might have continued the conversation, but Castel decided it was prime time to leave. The wolf raised a brow, but said nothing – was she sour about what he’d said, or that her little boy toy had never come to join the cuddle puddle forming in the communal den?

His ears flipped again, grunting softly as Askan wedged his body up against Reyes’ sides. Dios mio, what a rude beast. Adelyade was offered a raised brow, and little else.

“Watch who you shove, cabrón.”

Honestly.

Mismatched eyes fluttered closed for a few moments, the warmth in her toes returning though slowly. The Heavens must of cursed them with this bitter, freezing cold and she only hoped it wouldn't last long. Spring was around the corner and the warm weather was bound to return to them. She tried to picture the golden fields of rye and the warm sun beating against her tawny coat when her eyes flickered open at the sound of the youngest, Castel getting up to leave. 

Her head lifted up off her cream paws to glance in her direction, a frown forming upon her maw at the sound of the girls voice. She was worried for the boy Niles, who had yet to appear in the den. Ade could understand the girl's worry for her friend, though she wanted to warn the girl about going back out there in such dangerous conditions. However, she chose to say nothing. She wasn't the girls mother, nor did she think Castel would even listen to her warnings. The girl knew what she was getting into by going back out there. 

As the slender girl took leave of the den, a spot opened up next to Askan and her bicolored eyes glanced up as Askan looked to her. As a stray wind licked at her tawny back as it came through the entrance, she decided to crawl closer to the burly second's warmth. Settling next to him, though she was courteous not to overcrowd him like the others had. Ade glanced over to him with her mismatched eyes, "Thanks, she muttered with a smile.

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{ooc}My apologies!{ooc}

Naturally, she tried to discern his face in the dark, but was not sure if it changed. She relied on the tone of his voice, and smirked in turn. Thinking about Dante, and his crazy stories. She had adored him, for he was in the sense a lot like her father Sica. Easy going, hard working, full of mischief, and well traveled. Tales of all sorts, that were a great amusement.

"Sadly, no. When I was little I always wanted to go. A dear friend of my father's came from that way. He would speak about red stone, open blue skies, and sand," she murmured dreamily, closing her eyes. Trying to imagine the desert, and the warmth in this wintry storm. Those stories seemed like forever ago, and she wondered if the regions varied down there. Were there great rocks in all places? Or were some mere sand? "You'll have to tell me sometime about it. I miss those kind of stories." She left it at that, since they were still perfectly strangers.

An ear flicked as Castiel picked herself up, departing. But, Remi didn't even lift her eyes. If she wanted to go out and look for friend in this she wasn't about to stop her. Seeing as she seemed senseless, the silver wolf didn't feel the need to point out what a stupid idea it was. Surely Niles would be on his way, or elsewhere to wait it out.

There was another shuffle of feet. She didn't need to see to know it was Adelayde taking up Askan's offer. Why, it made another string of curiosity raise, for now she didn't put much thought into it. She imagined they had both helped found this pack, and despite Askan's rough edges were close. No, all she was worried about now was taking a well deserved nap, and felt she'd leave the others to do the same.

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