the winner takes it all

For @Avella RE: In the distance, a large ball of light falls slowly to the earth. It fizzles out just before touching the horizon line, upon which the wind picks up in a roar that almost sounds like cheering...
Late Evening/Early Night, ice crystals, -46C/-50F, extreme cold warning

Back on the coast to coast life

& You know I live for the hustle

Hellhound was admittedly not the best tracker. He could scheme with the best of them, and get in and out over borders quickly, even before anyone knew what was happening. He could sweet talk someone who was an enemy into being a friend, but tracking… tracking was not a beast that he could best. Which was why he had not found any of his cousins yet, and why he could not find Willow Ridge or Pookastone Scowle, despite his grandma giving him the directions at least a dozen times.

At least tonight, given how disgustingly cold it was, he had managed to track a large tree with an opening. He had spent most of the afternoon tucked inside, snoozing happily and avoiding the worst of the wind. In fact, it had actually gotten warm adjacent from his body heat. Hellhound was just yawning and stretching lazily, not much of a thought in his pretty strawberry blonde head when something caught his eye.

Ducking outside quickly, peach eyes trained on the bright ball shooting through the sky. It seemed to arch on forever, and then suddenly fizzled out before wind rushed at him, blowing his ears backwards. Even with the ears tucked backwards, the sound of cheering was mistakable which caused a look of confusion to sweep across his face, ”What th' fuck were bein' that about then?” Weird sky lights, cheering with no wolves, was this place haunted or what?

It was late, Avella knew she should be getting back to the Ridge for the night but she needed to find dinner for those under her care. She wasn't quite ready to give up just yet. There were plenty of things to dislike about winter but the thing she hate most was how difficult it could be at times. The trail she'd even following had brought her a little ways away from Willow Ridge, it wasn't the first time but she did hate leaving the area for too long. It gave others the chance to take what was hers and Scully's. Everyday she hoped that another group of wolves wouldn't come and chase them off. Then she'd lose her family home.

At one point she'd looked up at the sky, perhaps to wish upon a star. Maybe to just ask the ancestors for their help. Whatever the reason she spotted a strange light in the sky. She'd never seen anything like that before. Her curiosity caused her to take a few steps forward as it arched across the sky. Slowly it started to disappear just before it hit the ground it was gone.

Her fur ruffled as the wind around her seemed to blow hard and then the strangest part of it all...was that cheering? A voice nearby caught her attention. She might not have heard it except for the fact she was in high alert. "No idea," she replied to the voice though she wasn't sure where it'd come from, "I wonder if it's something we should be worried about."

Back on the coast to coast life

& You know I live for the hustle

What a weird night. First the sky lights, then the cheering wind, and now seemingly there was another voice coming from nowhere. Turning his head in the direction that the female voice had come from he snorted, ”That better not be a ghost, I'm too tired fer that shit right now.” His grandma had always been superstitious about weird things like that, and Hellhound had never been a believer, but suddenly he had a glimmer of inspiration.

Maybe this was why she was always talking about spirits, and witches, and things, maybe he just had to come to where she had been from to find out.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he was able to barely make out the form of what appeared to be a light coloured wolf. Wrinkling his nose in displeasure he retorted, ”Ye even look like a ghost, ye here t' haunt me or somethin'?” That was when he really registered what she had said, ”If ye're a spirit shouldn't ye be knowin' if we should be worried?” Hellhound had no idea how any of this worked, he had always thought his grandma was just a little batty.

Avella's ears were alert as she listened for anymore of that cheering sound. It was the strangest thing she'd ever heard. Mostly because it had clearly come from the sky. It was most certainly put her a little on edge. The voice she'd responded to before spoke again talking about ghosts and for a moment she wondered if he was talking about her. She moved a little in the direction that his voice was coming from. Whatever had happened seemed to be over.

When he spoke again she couldn't help the small giggle, "I'm not a ghost and thank the ancestors for that." Avella wasn't exactly keen on the idea of being a ghost either. It just sounded like a very unhappy existence. "Besides if I were a ghost I doubt it's you I'd be haunting." If she was going to haunt anyone it would probably be her brother. "Thats a very good question," she said thinking about what he'd proved, "I suppose it would depend on if spirits are actually aware of what's going on in the physical world " she knew enough about ghosts to know that they may not be aware of the world that the living traversed.

Back on the coast to coast life

& You know I live for the hustle

Hellhound snorted out a chuckle at her response about even if she was a ghost that he would not be the one she haunted. That was always his thought, if the ghosts and spirits his grandmother spoke about so often were real and could go anywhere they want, why were they hanging around places they’d already been? Grinning he quipped, ”that sounds like somethin' a ghost would say,” it was clear by now he had given up on his companion being paranormal but there was no harm in taking the piss now was there?

Dramatically rolling his eyes he continued, ”I think ye would be lucky t' haunt a wolf like me, at least I'm more interestin' than these trees.” What else was there to do around here anyways? Hellhound had been beyond bored since he had arrived in these supposedly legendary lands of his ancestors. So far it had not lived up to all the excitement. The only even slightly thing that had happened was this light streak and the cheering.

Speaking of, he looked away from the not ghost and towards where the ball of light had gone. Poking his tongue out the side of his mouth in deep thought he finally said, ”So if it weren't ye, or a ghost, what were bein' that thin'?” He had never seen anything like it back at the beach.

The thought of her being a ghost was laughable in Avella's opinion. She wasn't even sure she believed they existed since she'd never encountered one. Even if she were there were other wolves that she'd rather haunt like her brother. She would want to make sure he didn't get himself into too much trouble. "Have you ever talked to a ghost?" She asked in response to his comment about what a ghost would say. Maybe he had and could confirm that they actually did exist.

She laughed when. He said she would be lucky to haunt him. "If I were a ghost I wouldn't be hanging around here," she admitted, "There are plenty of interesting wolves to haunt back home." In the willows where her brother and the others that had come to be a part of her pack lived. She would much rather haunt them than a stranger. She would want to remain in the Willows because it was her home, she loved the land. Sure wanting to start a pack was about her family but it was also about rebuilding her home.

She gave some more thought to what it was they had seen in the sky amd heard right after. "Maybe it was a falling star?" She suggested and as for the sound, "Maybe it fell so fast itade that sound." It was only a guess and could be completely wrong but it was at least something.

Back on the coast to coast life

& You know I live for the hustle

Raising his eyebrows he grinned, maybe trying to be a little charming - he had no idea this was his cousin - he looked over the pale woman before him. Shrugging his shoulders he looked back to the sky lazy, ”Nah, and I ne'er will since they aren't real.” His voice was somehow a mix of a harsh growl and a drawl, a classic beach accent you might say. At least, the beach the Archers were from.

His grandma was probably twitching in her sleep, as if a sense that one of her grandkids had disagreed with her.

His eyes twitched to the side to peer at Avella before looking upwards again with another sluggish shrug, ”Suit yerself” He would have been a fun person to haunt if he did say so himself. Tilting his head comically, he squinted at the night sky after her answer, trying to make it make sense. Finally shaking his head Hellhound uttered, ”Maybe, but I ain't e'er seen a fallin' star look like that.” But, what else could it have been.

Taking a few steps forward almost involuntarily, his tail swishing behind him lazily. His mind was alight with ideas, whirling around he suggested, ”maybe some kind o' weird bird? Could be tasty if we could catch it.” What a feast that could be.

All this talk about ghosts she wondered if perhaps he might believe in them. That was why when he clearly stated that he didn't her eyebrow rose. "You seem pretty convinced of that," she commented. For her it was hard to say until she knew for sure. She supposed she still had unresolved questions about it. So she hadn't come to any real conclusion herself. "What makes you so sure that they aren't real?" She asked thinking maybe his answer might provide her with something.

There was one thing that was familiar about the other wolf. That was his speech. The way he spoke words and the rhythm of it. She knew she'd heard it before but at that moment she hadn't quite placed it.

Avella shrugged at what he said next. To her it was pretty much a mute point since she doubted she'd even come back as a ghost. She believed that once she was dead she would remain that way. There was no reason for her to come back as a ghost. "It is what it is, I'm afraid." Maybe she would like to come back and keep an eye on her brother. She knew him well enough that he would get into a lot more trouble if she weren't around. "Me either," she agreed after speaking of what they saw could be. "But to be fair I haven't seen a whole ton of them either." It could just be this one that did that or maybe others just not the ones they've seen.

He then proposed a new idea this caused her mismatched gaze to land on him. "Now that is a thought," she stated rather interesed in what he was suggesting. "We could try and catch it if that's something you're up for?" Avella certainly wouldn't be opposed. The question was how did they track setting like that.

Feel free to fade on your next post of Hellhound getting bored of not finding the bird and just ditching her without saying anything!

Back on the coast to coast life

& You know I live for the hustle

Hellhound could not quite figure this woman out. First it seemed like she probably did not believe in ghosts and now she was asking how he could be so sure that they weren’t real. Looking her over rather incredulously he retorted, ”Cuz I ain't ne'er seen one, and I dern't believe in shit I can't see” If you couldn’t see it or eat it, then it was just the stuff for pup tales, and he wasn’t going to fall for just any old tom foolery.

That being said, the thought of a warm meal of a strange bird did seem more enticing than he could pass up. Grinning toothily he looked back towards where the shimmering light had gone, ”It went that way, might as well start walkin'” They could figure out their plan on the way there. But they needed to get there before someone else did and stole their mystery bird. Taking the first few steps with confidence, he called over his shoulder, ”hurry up, dern't want someone else t' get it first” He wasn’t going to abandon his cozy tree root den for nothing after all.

Though this fellow had a logical reason for mot believing in ghosts it certainly wasn't her opinion. She felt that just because she'd never seen one didn't mean they should rule them existing completely. "I prefer to wait and see if I see one," she stated confidently. It didn't really matter to her if it took her whole life, it wasn't something she'd dwell on that was for sure.

It was decided that they will go and try to find the bird they'd seen. The other had gone on ahead of her and was calling back for her to get moving, "I'm coming," she called back but when she caught up. At least she thought she'd caught up he was gone. She couldn't find him anywhere, well that was rather rude, she thought.

Avella decided that he must have changed his mind and went in somewhere else. She wasn't going after the bird on her own cause she didn't even know if it was a bird. Turning around she headed back toward home.

FADE