Rissa's Rest These Bones

For @Ruen | scout dem 1/3

The quiet here was pristine.

With the recent fall of snow, the cloud-like white on which she walked was perfectly powdered. The cream of her paws looked nearly grey against it as she stepped lightly to avoid sinking in. It wasn't so deep, though yet to be truly frozen, and in all honesty the girl was content to embrace the change in the weather. But the cold meant more than just enjoyable scenery - for Lyanna it meant hard work. Perhaps she'd taken her summer scouting excursions for granted, looking back. It was easier to travel then, easier to see the plants and prey she'd set out to seek. Now, in what seemed like another world altogether, it could have been an understatement to say she had her work cut out for her.

She'd remembered the hogs around here a time before and the way their merry, destructive little bands trampled their trails through the forest for all to see. With a twitch of her nose against the bite of a frigid gust of wind, she surveyed the peaceful glen for any sign of them, or anything else worth hunting. Ultimately, it became crystal clear that she wasn't going to find anything here today.

But before she would resign to head back toward the safety of Shallows Edge, Lyanna thought better of leaving the glade behind. Something about the air felt noticeably light, heavenly even, as though where the sunlight glistened upon the snow there was a remnant of innocence lingering where the eyes couldn't see.

Unable to shake the feeling that somehow she was not entirely alone, she slowly reclined to her haunches and did her best to make sure the sound of her own breathing didn't disrupt the feeling of sanctity that enveloped Rissa's Rest, little known as it was to her.

(This post was last modified: Oct 12, 2018, 03:30 AM by Lyanna.)

For all intents and purposes, Ruen shouldn't have been relaxed. Yet, as he trod through the snow-covered forest, he was. Even though the gradually approaching winter would bring challenges, especially for a loner such as himself, even though he was in a new and unfamiliar place that could be dangerous, he wasn't that upset about it. He wasn't hungry, thirsty, tired, or dead, and in his mind that equated to all being well. The nice scenery didn't hurt, either.

He'd always liked snow, from the big, deep snows that could engulf his legs if he wasn't careful, to the lighter, earlier snows such as the one that was around him now. With these pleasant thoughts on his mind, Ruen continued traveling in the direction of nowhere in particular.

As he traveled, he'd occasionally stop, usually to do something unimportant, like shake out his fur or let out a short remark about the general condition of the trip. This was for his own enjoyment, and he considered it harmless. It wasn't like he was hunting or anything, and thinking out loud never hurt anyone. Now, on the most recent break, Ruen halted for just a moment. He stretched out his gangly legs and took a look at a tree a dozen or so yards away, nodding thoughtfully.

"That sure is a nice tree," he spoke, not expecting a response. "Always liked nice big ones like that."

The wolf hadn't bothered to so much as sniff the air deeply in the past half hour, and his eyes were more focused on the landscape than on potential dangers. Even the instinctual fear of enemies seemed to be buried beneath other thoughts. Ruen's lack of attention didn't mean things weren't there, however. It just meant that it'd be real easy to catch him unawares.

scout dem 2/3

When she'd had her fill of peace and quiet, Lyanna glanced over the pretty scenery one last time before rising to her feet. There was still plenty of daylight left to put in a few more hours of work and perhaps if she was lucky - or something - she'd come across something to add to the caches before she made it home. Breezing through the trees, the girl stopped here and there to nose at the snow-covered ground, the iced-over brush that dotted the forest, the trunks of a trees marred by the antlers of deer long gone.

Just when it seemed all hope was lost, she spotted a trail just off in the distance a hair northward. With her attention averted to the way the prints in it were made visible only by the shadows cast within them by traces of early morning sun that hit the snow just right, she paused with a foreleg drawn up. The tip of her nose wriggled as she stuck it up in the air to investigate and, satisfied that whatever herd had passed through could only be a day or so away, she quietly stepped her way closer.

And then the distinct crunch of snow sounded behind her. Whirling her head with eyes peeled, the look on her face clearly surprised in light of the fact that anything snuck up on her unnoticed in a place that seemed utterly empty, she squinted quizically.

(This post was last modified: Oct 13, 2018, 04:00 AM by Lyanna.)