Shallows Edge and I left you in the shade

Blind date for @Wrynn !
Sunrise, scattered clouds, 10F/-12C

Finley hadn’t been able to sleep most of last night. They had settled officially and become a pack and everything should be getting easier, but something had kept her awake tossing and turning. It was the approaching spring and all of its implications, less than a full moon away before she expected the changes to begin occurring. Last year she had been on a mission and she had managed to accomplish it, but this year would not be the same.

It left her feeling conflicted. She loved her boys and being a mother but it did not appear that having anymore was in her future. Finley was learning to be okay with that, this would realistically be the last year she should even consider such things given her age. Maybe next spring if she was lucky, but it was not like she had any eligible suitors. Besides, Caspian and Ryder were enough and she owed the others of the pack already.

Still, if there were more pups born this year she would expect questions from her sons, questions she wasn’t ready to answer. So she didn’t sleep, and she wandered, until she found her way to a territory that almost seemed hidden by design. She stood at the edge of the lake, looking across the frozen surface lost in thought.

He shivered at the coldness of the early morning air, squinting against the light as he blearily opened his eyes. A yawn forced its way out, and he took a few moments to simply lay there and adjust to being awake again. It was far too early to be awake, but he was too cold to even think about curling up tighter and falling asleep again.

He supposed that meant his day was starting early.

Feeling parched, Wrynn heaved himself to his paws and began to search for water. The sting of the cold made his nose numb, but he knew he had drunk from a frozen lake somewhere the day before. He just had to find it again amongst all the snow.

It took him longer than anticipated, but finally he made his way to the edge of the frozen lake - he honestly wasn't sure if it was even the same one. Now he just had to figure out how to get to the water underneath the frozen surface.

Wrynn was stumped for a few minutes, and upon raising his head he spotted a wolf not much further along the edge of the lake. She appeared to be in deep thought about something. Immediately his ears pulled back in worried anticipation, but he steeled his nerves and dared to make the first move. He really was trying to get better at being social, even if it still felt weird.

"... Hello?"

The Lennox woman really needed to get better about not letting her thoughts consume her so much she lost track of her environment. She had been staring out across the lake for so long she didn’t even realize the sun had made its way a little higher in the sky and that she was no longer alone. Jumping in surprise at the voice, she blushed deeply under her dark pelt before shaking off the tension from the startle.

Turning around the green eyes were met with the sight of a man a little smaller than her, and by the smell of him he was alone. He looked fairly young, and nothing about his posture seemed threatening so she let out a small breath of relief. Smiling politely she nodded her head, ”Hello. I didn’t think anyone else would be out this early.” She also hadn’t realized how much time had gone by, she would have to be getting back to her kids soon.

But, she had a little bit more time to hang around. Plus, it would be rude to just run out on a conversation without any kind of reason.

She jumped back in surprise which made him flinch and take a step backwards, suddenly deeply worried about his decision to speak up in the first place. But she didn't get mad at him. In fact she smiled at him, seeming relieved. About what, he didn't know.

Giving a small shake of his own, mirroring what she had done, Wrynn softly cleared his throat and stepped back up to the edge of the frozen lake. "Just... looking for some water." He gave her a sheepish look, glancing at the lake with a slightly shrug of one shoulder. "Everything looks frozen, though." Wrynn wasn't quite sure how to get at the water beneath the frozen sheet of ice, but at least he had eating snow as a last resort.

The Lennox woman watched the stranger closely, just to ensure that he wasn’t about to attack her at random. Still, she felt empathetic that he was out here searching for water, but she was confused as to why he wouldn’t just eat some snow. That was what she had taught her boys to do during the winter, but maybe he had a reason to be looking for an actual body of water. Glancing backwards at the frozen lake, she was pretty sure it was solid enough neither of them could get through it.

Brows furrowed for a second as she thought it over. Finley turned and walked out onto the first foot or two of ice, pressing down hard on her paws. Not a creak or a groan, and no give at all, she shook her head, ”I don’t think there is any way to get through this.” Maybe if they had more of them, but it still seemed dangerous to purposely be getting everyone out here to break through.

Looking up at the cliff that surely had water running during the warmer months she mused, ”But maybe if we follow the stream we could find you some running water?” Or he could go alone, she just felt bad for him for some reason. Maybe it was the air of nervousness that she felt matched her own.

She was far braver than he, going as far as to move a few steps onto the ice and pushing down on it. Wrynn watched her wide wide eyes, breath catching in his throat as he waited for her to inevitably fall in and then drown because he would be too afraid to try and help.

She didn't fall in. There weren't even any warning cracks of ice breaking beneath her. Good for avoiding an icy swim, but bad for any wolf who wanted a drink.

"Thanks for trying." Although it hadn't been necessary, he did appreciate her going through the effort of testing the ice, even if it did give him a mini heart attack in the process.

And then she even offered to accompany him upstream to see if it was unfrozen higher up on the cliff. "Ohhh... yea, sure! Only if you want." He could figure his way up there by himself, and he really didn't want to bother this nice lady, but since she offered he figured he may as well take her up on it.

Moving back from the frozen edge he look up at the cliff, nose twitching as he thought about a safe route to get up there. Perhaps the nice lady knew a way?

The mother smiled at her new companion. She didn’t necessarily want to go adventuring upstream but it seemed like the polite thing to do, and she was always drilling into her son’s heads how important that was. It would be kind of hypocritical of her if she didn’t practice what she preached. So, she supposed she could go for a walk, ”It’s still early, I don’t have to be back to the pack for a while.” It effectively avoiding telling a lie that she wanted to, and still came off pleasant enough.

Looking at the cliff for a moment her brow furrowed when an immediate route was not available. Looking from side to side and not seeing a shortcut she said uncertainly, ”I think we may need to go around…” Unless he knew a better way than she? If he didn’t she would be happy enough to follow his lead and at least keep him company as they ventured.

Once they had started walking she thought it best to exchange pleasantries, ”I’m Finley by the way, of Paradise Falls.” They had only been official at this point for a few days, but it felt good to say it out loud. They had a home, and an official pack, and that meant safety for her children, and certain other wolves she cared deeply for. It was step one in her plan of creating a perfect family.