Edge Stone Pool you took my breath away

AW! This is Finley's christmas RE: You have interrupted a group of squirrels doing something rather odd...they were showing off their winter stores as if hosting some kind of weird market. They scatter as soon as they see you.
Early hours of the morning, Broken Clouds, 21F/-6C

The Lennox woman did not usually spend time out of the territory this late at night….or rather early morning. But it had been warmer than usual, not quite as frigid and no signs of the storms that had been plaguing them so she hadn’t been able to convince herself to turn around. Just a little further, enjoy the quiet for a little bit longer. It had been almost a year since that fateful conversation with Jethro that had led to everything changing. She was still over the moon in love with the man but had recently been feeling a deep sense of loneliness now that both her boys were gone.

Every day she was left questioning if they had left her because she had not been a good enough mother, or because she didn’t have their father for them. Or maybe it was the universe punishing her for never telling them the truth about Caspian being adopted. Maybe she was moping a little bit, spending a little more time alone than before because she was having a hard time putting on a happy face for everyone. But, she was doing her best when she was with everyone.

On her late night-early morning musings and walking she had seen one of the weirdest things she had ever happened across. A group of squirrels, with piles of nuts all set up in a row, walking around and examining what they others had to offer. Finley’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and she let out a little gasp. At the sound they scattered and left the acorns all behind. She had to have imagined it right?

(This post was last modified: Dec 21, 2023, 12:56 AM by Finley.)

if I had a heart I could love you

Grimcutty had eaten a few decent meals in the last several days, and his dizzy spells seemed less frequent. But the time between his last meal and the present moment stretched further and further apart. He felt his body weakening again, the insomnia was returning, and his thoughts were never far from food.

Since he knew he would not be able to sleep, he had chosen to keep moving deep into the night. It had to be very early in the morning when he heard the soft whisper of water. He pricked his ears, cupping them towards the noise. Several hours had passed since he had drank something other than snow and suddenly he was ravenous for a drink of fresh water. He changed paths a bit, following the sound of water. It grew louder and louder in his ears, until he became aware that he must be hearing a waterfall.

Gingerly, the white wolf picked his way among the icy stones, his rough pads affording him some grip. He reached the pool's edge and lowered his muzzle to the frigid surface, lapping until his thirst was quenched. When he looked up, his gaze was met with the sight of another wolf, a woman with startling green eyes.

Grimcutty's  own eyes widened. He adjusted his footing and chuffed in her direction.

(This post was last modified: Dec 20, 2023, 11:09 AM by Grimcutty.)

Finley had been so distracted by the weird squirrel gathering that she had not noticed that she was not the only wolf in the area. Her head was tilted to one side as she sniffed the acorns and nuts closely, trying to piece together what she had stumbled upon. After a few deep breaths she realized that the scent of a loner was intermingling almost a full second before a chuff called out.

Raising her eyes and then slowly her head, she nodded politely towards the stranger who was across the pond standing on the frozen rocks. It had been a long time since she had had a conversation with someone who was not a member of the pack, and she wasn’t entirely sure why, but something about that felt a little relieving. Still, she felt a smidge of awkwardness and all she could think of was to gesture to the weird piles at her paws, ”have you ever seen squirrels do this before?” She hadn’t, and honestly it felt like a decent enough icebreaker. Small talk was comfortable for the woman, it was the area that she lived in. It was polite and easy, unlike so many of the conversations she had been having recently.

if I had a heart I could love you

As time would have it, the she-wolf was busy examining something on the ground at the exact moment of his softly-barked greeting. only then did he notice what she was looking at: little piles and  lines made of acorns . The rodents had already scattered, so Grimcutty had not been able to witness their behavior. But he certainly could see what they had left behind, and it was very strange.

He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes , puzzled. what were they doing?he asked, not looking at her, but rather slowly approaching as he studied the nuts. When he reached them he mirrored the actions of the agouti wolf by sniffing each of the piles, one by one and thoroughly. They indeed smelled of squirrel, several individuals. did the squirrels line those up like that? Now, he looked up at her, canting his head in wonder, his yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness.

(This post was last modified: Dec 29, 2023, 02:32 PM by Grimcutty.)

The tawny Lennox woman turned her attention back towards the piles to answer, ”It almost looked like they were…showing them off to each other.” She sidestepped to make room for the man to do his own investigations of the acorns and other nuts. She watched him closely now that she was able to get a closer look, pale eyed and even paler coat. He looked like her sons in a few years and so she blinked and looked away. She wouldn’t see them in a few years and this felt like a sick reminder of that.

So, she was thankful at his next words and the distraction that they brought with them. Able to compartmentalize, she nodded, ”I’m assuming so, they were standing next to them and walking around between the piles when I got here but they ran off when they saw me.” Green eyes cast upwards towards the tiny footsteps in the snow that scattered in every direction. She suddenly wondered if they were going to come back for them, or if her interruption meant they would abandon them forever.

Taking a few steps away to look up a nearby tree that had one straggler on one of the lower branches. It had been silent until they made eye contact and then it erupted into a fit of chirps and shrieks. Glancing back towards the man she remembered her manners, ”I’m Finley Lennox, by the way.” Then she waited, assuming he would offer the same.

if I had a heart I could love you

Grimcutty listened to the female's explanation with mild disbelief. His gaze followed hers to the scattering of tiny footprints around and between the nut piles, leading up to the trees and then disappearing. He looked up into the branches and was able to spot a few of the squirrels hiding there, silent until they realized that the wolves were watching them. The chittering outburst of the squirrel with whom Finley had made eye contact was comical. The white wolf's lip twitched into a small, almost grudging smile.

I would not expect squirrels to behave like that, he told her, his eyes still on the trees and their inhabitants. But I believe you. I am not a squirrel expert. They just don't seem like creatures that would have the--depth of character, to want to show off their acorns to one another. He frowned, realizing how ridiculous his words sounded coming out of his mouth.

Shaking his head, he finally returned his gaze to her as she gave him her name. I'm Grimcutty, he answered flatly, a faraway look in his eyes. Only a few seconds passed before he spoke again,this time in earnest. Do you think that if we pretended to leave, they would come back for them? Their acorns? .

(This post was last modified: Dec 29, 2023, 02:52 PM by Grimcutty.)

Finley felt a little off put by his words, that he didn’t expect squirrels to act the way that she had described, but his next words smoother it over before she could react. She looked back towards the pawprints in the snow and nodded once, ”I always thought of them as.,” then she paused, before continuing with a smile, ”well, I suppose I’ve never actually put much thought into them at all really.” They had never really done anything interesting enough for her to give them much contemplation, other than maybe as a snack if she were desperate.

Looking back up at the scurry of squirrels that lined the branches looking down at them and tilted her head. Was there more to them than she had ever thought? Grimcutty - weird name - had an idea for an experiment and that seemed like as good idea as any to try to get the answer. Nodding she shrugged, ”No harm in trying to find out.” Then she ducked away, after a few feet she looked back to see the squirrels still staring so she kept moving. ”How far do you think we need to go?” She wanted them to relax, but she wanted to still be able to see them if they came down.