He didn't seem to want to rip her ear off, which Eido counted as a win, because she didn't know what she'd do if she were to go completely deaf. She took a deep breath and sighed before stretching her forelegs out in front of her and cutting her eyes once more toward her companion. "Yes, they're my leaders." The first question was easy to answer - cut and dry. Vespertio and Namid where her leaders, and good ones, at that. She liked the individual wolves in this pack, so that part of the second question was easy, as well. As for how well she liked it here, up on the mountain... That wasn't so simple. The young wolf realized she'd hesitated for a beat too long and overcompensated for it by perking up and wagging her tail enthusiastically, thumping the ground behind her. "Yes, I love it here. It's so open and cold and harsh and windy... and far away, and dull, and kind of scary..." Well, darn. There she went, rambling again. "Great place," she finished, again overenthusiastic. "Oh, but you don't have to stay with the pack, if you don't want to. If you like, I can stay with you in the woods or something, and maybe help you down tomorrow?" she offered, tipping her head to the side and trying to catch his gaze. "It can get super cold up here at night by yourself." |
She nodded her confirmation with a soft smile. "I'd be glad to," she assured, getting to her paws and shaking the snow dust off of her pelt. She wagged her tail lightly behind her. "I wander around a lot; I'm sure they'll just assume I'm by myself again." She nudged his shoulder with her nose. "It'd probably be better for us to find some kind of shelter before it gets too dark, though - it's really not safe to walk around in the middle of the night out here. Especially if you don't know exactly where you're heading." The ghost trotted alongside the frozen lake, pawsteps making no sound as they hit the snow. She glanced over her shoulder to check and see if he was following. "What about you?" she asked, ears swiveling back and forth as she waited for an answer. "Don't you have anyone who's worried about you? How come you're up here on your own?" Immediately after the words left her mouth, however, she realized how invasive they might have seemed. Her orange eyes widened. "I-I just meant... um... you do-don't have to tell me if y-you don't want-want to," she stammered, tongue fumbling as she tried to get the words out quickly enough. |
The pale girl stayed back a bit to keep pace with her taller companion, her tail swaying happily at the prospect of having found a new friend, if only for the moment. She'd spoken to many of her packmates so far, but she didn't know whether to label any of them actual friends or not. The closest one she had was @Cernan, and she didn't even know if he liked her or if he was just being nice to her. With Bane, it didn't really matter so much if he actually liked being around her or if he was just being kind. He wasn't someone she had to live with, to sleep beside and help provide for the pack. Though the girl really, truly did love the feeling of community she was experiencing with this dark-furred stranger. It was like she'd just found another outlier, like herself. Not that that was a bad thing. It was just that she felt like she didn't quite fit in well at all. Their conversation took a turn as he mentioned not knowing where his friend was, and the sadness in his tone when he spoke of his other friends being gone. The ghostly wolf stopped alongside him and watched him, orange eyes filled with concern and sadness. Her tail dropped below her hocks, and she did not press him for more information. "My family is gone, too, and I don't really have any friends..." she began, choosing her words as carefully as possible. "But, if you like, maybe we could be friends?" Her offer was hopeful, her eyes cast up to meet his own. |
The cream-colored girl grinned happily when he nodded in response, her tail whipping behind her joyfully. Eido had never had many friends, outside of her home pack. Perhaps Cernan was a friend? Or Kajika? She wasn't sure, precisely. It wasn't often that she just met somebody that wanted to be friends with her, and Bane seemed to be the rare exception to the rule. Somebody who didn't find her annoying. The cold touch of a nose to her shoulder caused her to jump, but afterward she just smiled again and brushed her flank across his. She wasn't sure what else to say, so she just remained silent as she led him over toward the woods on the opposite side of the lake. The girl hopped forward once they arrived at the edge of the forest, eager to get out of the cold and into the shelter of the trees. She checked to make sure the dark man was following again before she made her way through the underbrush. There were plenty of large fallen trees littered around the woods, and Eido suspected that one or two might be large enough for the two of them."Perfect!" she chirped as they approached one, in particular - a massive, hollowed-out oak that would block out the wind on three out of four sides. The pale girl nosed at the entrance and turned back to look at Bane. "You first. I can be the windbreaker," she offered, orange eyes bright as she stared up at him and waited for his response. |
Perhaps she liked Bane so much because he knew what it was like.
The dark man slipped into the hollow of the tree trunk, and Eido squeezed in beside him. She settled with her back toward the opening, hopefully to block out any chill that may come in throughout the night. She pressed against his dark fur and closed her eyes. The man had become silent, which was fine, because the girl was rather tired, herself. So she settled her head on her paws and closed her orange eyes, her tail curling around her flank.
"Good night, Bane."
Tomorrow morning, she'd lead him to the bottom of the mountain and see him on his way, but for now she was content to have someone to sleep beside and enjoy the presence of. She'd been just as lonely up here in the mountains as she had been on her own, and she didn't feel comfortable staying with the pack. So she would sleep easily tonight, beside her new friend, and pretend she wouldn't be by herself again once the morning came.