Lost Lake stray

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."

Bane listened as she confirmed that the two wolves she had mentioned were indeed her pack leaders. The way she had spoken of them, just the small hint he had been given, suggested she did not mind her leaders, even liked them... though she hesitated on her preference towards this land. Perhaps she had come here by just passing through in the same manner which he had, though needed a break and had been caught by this pack, deciding to stay. Maybe even she had met them outside of these lands and had agreed to come, only to realize that even if she liked the wolves here, she did not like at all the home which she lived itself. 

Though Eido (as he only for now knew her by) made an appoint to wag her tail and perk up with her words, the description in which she had gave her home, ending in a 'Great' certainly had Bane puzzled. Was she being sarcastic? His eyes blink a few times, hard, as his head cocks to the side in a very obvious dumb-founded manner. It did not take him long however to understand, ending his confusion. After all, Bane had hated Secret Woodlands. Though he knew those lands very well off, they were choking to him. They were thick and tangled, unable to see the beautiful open sky or run freely like he loved. Not to mention the horrible memories it held there. He had only stayed for @Inali and Nina. Now Nina was dead and he had not seen Inali in so long, unknowingly because of her purposefully keeping her distance after her mate's death....

"You'd do this?" He then asks for confirmation. Still having only just met him, he was still curious of her willingness to help him so much. Not only was she willing to help his travel down the mountain, having learned this part of the land with living in this pack, but she was willing to stay with him over night. Bane had not yet known what it was like to spend the night on top of the mountain when winter's chill had not yet fully left the land. The forest boy really did not know what he was getting into, though had never stopped to care... "You don't think your pack would worry for you?" He clears his throat, his voice breaking a moment only as it began adjusting to having conversation once more. 

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.

After a confirmation that she was certain her leaders would not worry of her being gone overnight, she lifted herself off of the ground and shook the snows from her pelt. Hearing that she always wondered off made him think that perhaps she had a means to ether learn to be a scout or perhaps she was just searching for a way to take some kind of break from this hard, desolate land atop the mountain peaks. It just not seen natural for him, that a wolf would live up here in such harsh condition with the mountain lions and goats. Did they not worry for their children? Their elders? 

Breaking free of his thoughts once more to the touch at his shoulder, he nods to Eido's words of advise. He did not mind her touch, as he had not minded Inali's, though little did he cuddle up against his pack mate's warmth in the past unless it had been Inali herself or Nina. After all, he was the only pup in his litter, born in a den away from the rest of the pack, away from the leader's children. He had been used to being alone but oh did he miss his dear friends so... 

He followers her then, watching her bound so effortlessly and silently in her youth and stealth. He too moves in a quiet step, his long, thin legs taking wide strides far different from her own paw steps. She turns to make sure he is with her and his orange eyes meet her own and his dips his chin slightly as though beckoning her to continue - he would follow. He finds a lump forming in his throat as he stops silently, Eido seemingly catching herself for asking such a question. His silky ears fall back, his expression solemn. "My friend would worry..." He speaks again on her, though yet does not speak her name. "But I don't know where she is..." Or so Bane assumed. How could he not? Although Inali had not formally left the pack, she had made herself so scarce from Secret Woodlands it was hard to tell if she remained or not, especially now after he had been gone for so long and Bane knew in his heart he could never go back to those lands in order to find out. "And the rest are gone." He did not explain further. He couldn't. Hopefully she would understand. 

(This post was last modified: Mar 01, 2017, 01:07 AM by Bane.)

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.

She speaks then, her soft voice so full of concern for him. She speaks of her no longer having any family ether and seeing as she had mentioned she was new to these lands, he wondered if she had just decided to make her own path in life or if something tragic had happened to her family to have her end up coming here. It was a story perhaps she would fill him in with another day, for he did not question her much in the same manner she did not push him further for any information. Then she acts if they could be friends, in a very youthful and hopeful manner. His dark, plush tail behind him waves slowly and a silent nod would confirm his intentions of making sure they were on good terms from here on out. There was a likeliness they would not see one another again for a very long time, perhaps not ever, if she was to stay here on this mountain and he was to continue further north. Still, he was hopeful. He would never ask for her to leave her home and join him, though the thought of her being his travel companion had already crossed his mind. 

For now, he was content to keeping within the moment with this young blonde. The chocolate wolf reaches out to her, gently touching his nose to her shoulder. He then takes a few steps forward as though quietly asking her to continue on. His paws were sore, legs were tired and if she was correct, the falling sun would mean danger would be upon them and the smell of blood would only likely attract unwanted attention. He had no intention of her risking her life for his hide. 

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.

She would jump to his touch, she caused him to immediately and quickly back away from her, though he had only seemingly caught her off guard which was known by her rubbing along his flank and then making way towards the woodland along the other side of the Lost Lake. The forest around the mountains was nothing like the forest which he had been born to and grew up in. It was far more sparse, the sky still very clear to see. Back in Secret Woodlands, there were many parts of the forest where you could not see the sky at all. It was a tangled and dangerous mess and hard to navigate through, though it was this kind of landscape he knew. His sore and bloodied paws reminded him of this. He did not belong here. 

Though he had been given the opportunity to meet a young woman who could not only help him on his venture down the other side of the mountains, but was willing to stay with him over the night to offer not just her company but her warmth up here on the mountain tops. Already she was a friend to him which were few and far between for the wolf. After some time, the creamy colored woman found a fallen tree trunk, a large old oak that had likely fallen in one of the various winter storms from years past. He nods delicately to her words, once more falling into his silent mannerisms he normally took part in. He dipped his body down low, easing his way into the hollow tree trunk and then once reaching its end, did a tight turn in order to be facing the opening and back towards Eidolon who would likely be easing her way in now after him. He could find comfort here, sleeping tonight, knowing that he was not alone. 

Eidolon was never known for being a lionhearted wolf, and certainly would not, under normal circumstances, offer to stay the night with a stranger. However, there was something about this @Bane character that she rather liked, and she definitely didn't want him to freeze to death. It could be so harsh up on the mountaintops for wolves who weren't used to it, or who weren't built to be up so high. The ghostly wolf herself was not made for it - that she knew - but she could think of nowhere else to be. This lingering feeling of I don't belong plagued her night and day, but she wasn't sure how to get past it.

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.

( Fade, unless you have something to add! )