Wild Cherry Orchard And a Cherry's Mission is Done

The seasoning of harvesting was long since over for cherries. Cherries naturally have a short harvest season, ranging from May to August. The D'Oliva was about three moon cycles too late to enjoy the bittersweet taste of a cherry. Many of the cherries long since fell to their decease in the Earth, with some rotten cherries and the skeleton of their stems still evident in most places in the soil. There was a natural sweet aroma about the orchard, slightly tainted by the decay of the previous fallen. It was still pleasant to the nose no less, and the ambience of the Wild Cherry Orchard had an almost… wondrous air to it. The sun was setting in the horizon. When nightfall approached was when Ecco rested as well. Notoriously known as nocturnal growing up and staying out late to play with friends from nearby dens in her birth pack, it was as if the sun itself was her prime savior at this point in her life. It provided the warmth, the light, the way to… who knows at this point. Ecco didn't know, but trusted the faith of following the sun to lead her to some sort of better destiny than what she had.

The leaves of the Orchard danced in the twinkle of the day's last sunlight, as Ecco found this suitable to start looking for a place to den for the evening. A cherry orchard was unlike a regular forest where there was heavy vegetation, thick canopies of trees to shadow overhead in case of a downpour, and often at times had natural dugouts near the base of their trunks. Cherry orchard trees were thin, not the best means of shelter from sun or storm, and there were no warm crevices to curl up against. Ecco wasn't about to take her chances traveling at night; losing much of her body mass left her vulnerable to the cold, no matter how thick her fur was. Body mass and a thick coat went paw in paw, when you were missing one of those factors… survival mechanisms in a cold climate became challenging, life threatening. At least Ecco wandered south enough on the Canadian continent to avoid the subzero climate of Alaska and the Far North; Ecco would have already been deceased no doubt.

This'll do for now. Why did I take this route, anyway? Second guessing herself when there was a previous fork in the path a couple miles back, Ecco sighed as she circled around a particular cherry tree with a suitable amount of coverage for leaves on its branches. Finding her place to rest, the D'Oliva curled herself into a tight ball; the tip of her tail covering her nose for warmth. Ecco huddled into what body mass was left of her, shivering. Even this was still too cold for comfort.

Hollow sauntered slowly along, deep in thought, his eyes belied the fact that he was troubled. Thoughts of his old home wouldn't leave him, his mothers loving smile his fathers stern but always wise words. It was tearing him apart to know he had no family left... no blood kin. He felt a hot flash of ferocity at his self pity. Why should he feel sorry for himself. A vicious snarl, <b>"Fix yourself dammit!"</b> He cursed aloud, his shoulders just slumped back down and he continued to walk. The sadness returned for moments more before a scent crossed his glands, wolf, female, half dead, a soul who seemed to have given up, it seemed to him.

He stilled and angled himself directly toward the scent out of indecision, on one paw he should go and offer help, on the other he had his own things to worry about, the temperature was rapidly dropping, and he would surely freeze to death, being from further south his winter coat grew in more slowly than most. Hollow spotted a small hare to his right side and raised his upper lip to reveal his razor sharp fangs. seemed something always came along to lead him the right way... sooner or later, be it wolf or otherwise. Rush of paws, flash of teeth and he had it, lifeless dangling from his jaws, he padded towards the scent of the wolf.

As Hollow neared he sidestepped out of the trees and kept his head cocked to the left side, old habit for meeting new wolves, as he was thought a demon for his nearly miss matched eyes, the left one pure blue, and the right one blue with a ring of green around the pupil. This night was not one of his good ones old habits and thoughts were plaguing him. He was almost content to drop the hare and continue walking along, but he caught sight of her, nothing more than a scrap of fur at this point. Hollows heart softened and he straightened out, walked right up to her, dropped the hare and promptly sat down. <b>"Here, no wolf deserves to starve and freeze to death."</b> exhaustion and cold making him blunt, no longer caring for his own fear of cold taking him, as long as he was awake he felt safe.

          Ecco's family, everything about her past, bloodline, and her title amongst her birth pack, was stripped overnight. It was every lowly Subordinate family's wish for their offspring to be welcomed into the circle of high ranked leaders to pass on their legacy. I was almost there. No, I was there. The disease and miscarriage left her broken, wondering if she would be destined to even come close to such a title and position ever again. Life wasn't fair, especially to those who came from the lower end of the social scale.

          Cold, unforgiving reality was caving in on her. Her body longed to feel brushed against her once true love, whispering her to dreams in their cozy den as they watched the snowfall drift from outside. It was strange, however, there was no emotion she sought after from him. It ended the day her miscarriage happened. There was no emotion expressed between them, despite how Kinou had been the one for her. It largely had been physical, and it was the physicality of his strong, warm frame against her own she missed. The security. The comfort.

          Attempting to fall asleep several times, a voice prompted her to open her eyes and gaze upon a wolf who was as dark as herself. Materializing out of nowhere came this male and before her a rather impressive, plump looking hare. The life was still radiating freshness of the kill which had to have been recent, for even smelling the sweet aroma of fallen blood, it was as if she could almost smell the warmth coming from it. Fully awake and in the moment, Ecco shifted her amber eyes between the male and the hare in blank puzzlement. He was of medium size, and looking into his eyes… they were different. One was an icy blue, and the other appeared to be a blend of blue and green. It was hard to tell since the lighting of the orchard was growing dim as the sunset was underway.

          His tone was rather blunt with his offering. Her mind had been slow to react from other individuals since coming across few along her travels. There was inner guilt instantly felt from his share. As starved as she was, Ecco didn't like to be looked at as a burden to others. He didn't smell of any certain aroma in particular, the natural pine and wildness was similar to his own musk of masculinity. She didn't want to be a burden for others who were barely making it by like herself, but her instinct would not tolerate that reasoning. Her hunger spoke above her empathy. "Are… you sure?" It was a dumb question, clearly the hare splayed out in between the two after his statement. Ecco looked into his two-tone gaze again. "What about you?" There was no way she was going to be inconsiderate and take somebody else's hard work, but then again perhaps she was already inconsiderate for thinking of such a thing.

<i>Poor girl,</i> he thought, he could see her form so thin under her coat, she was half dead, yet some attachment of pride he guessed made her ask, <i>"are you sure, what about you?"</i> He reflected not long ago he had probably looked the same, defeated, and sad, but the wolf Djinn had snapped him out of his own self pity in her very hard cold way. He was softened by her state, how it had reminded him of his own. Also it was cold, almost uncharacteristically so that he was afraid he would find the carcass of a dark dead she-wolf, curled in a ball in a final attempt to protect herself from the cold. Hollow couldn't let that happen, life could be cruel to those who gave in to its challenges. No wolf he knew was so bad at hunting they couldn't stay alive, so she must be deeply troubled.

<b>"I will be fine, you look like you could use a meal more than me."</b> He spoke truthfully for he had already eaten a few morsels throughout the day his belly was content. Hollow knew this wolf must be lost because she seemed to have chosen one of the colder places in the forest to sleep. He figured to himself an introduction would be in order and maybe he could direct her to somewhere safer and warmer, with shelter if she would have it. <b>"My name is Hollow by the way, and if you'd like to find a warmer place to rest I'm sure I could help"</b>

          Ecco studied the hare, becoming progressively cool the more the warmth of life force was beginning to fade. Such a sight of beauty couldn't go to waste. The dark-furred male reconfirmed his stomach and appetite were better off than her own. Something of a meek smile crossed her dark muzzle. "I appreciate it." It sounded a lot less emotionally grateful than Ecco would have liked to express her gratitude to him, but on the inside... on the inside, she was at her last thread of collapsing for dead.

          There was something that suddenly overtook her rational mind by force. Instinct and the Inner Wolf took over, as for someone who looked frail, lifeless, and nearly dead curled up in the snow, her paws instantly rose her to the occasion to dine. Had her logical sense held her back for the sake of manners, but look at her: several pounds underweight, with the tuft of her coat to only keep her warm, and not a pack or den to stay. The taste of blood was damn near ecstasy in her mouth. Not even caring if she ate messy fur sticking to her tongue like a bad case of cottonmouth, her teeth savagely wolfed down the tender muscles she tore at. For a moment the male, this world, everything about her shortcomings disappeared. Who knew a nice meal could do such wonders.

          When Ecco was satisfied with her fill (she could eat the entire thing, bones and all if she had the time), she withdrew to sit down, licking her jaws feverishly. There was some left, just in case he wanted some (she didn't want to be entirely greedy). Her amber eyes, flicking with a newfound light of hunger and temporary life, casted themselves in the direction of the male. She pulled away once he introduced himself as Hollow, offering an option of refuge. It would be rude of her to continue eating without being rational in the moment, so if wolves could blush, she would out of embarrassment. "Excuse myself. I'm sorry. That tasted just... unbelievable." She said, giving a ravenous lick of her maw again. "Thank you... Hollow." Ecco muttered, feeling a sense of awkwardness come about her. Hollow proved to be harmless company, however, and was forever indebted to his kind gesture. "I'm Ecco. That sounds... wonderful." Ecco expressed, another meek grin thawing across her serious facade. She felt like she had something else to say, but didn't. Ecco didn't want to look awkward just ogling at Hollow, but then again hasn't encountered a social situation since... oh god, I don't even remember... probably months.

Hollow felt warmed to see the gratitude radiating from the she wolf, he was glad to have caught the scent and the hare. She looked to be in better spirits but still pretty bad shape. Something was wrong for a wolf to be this rough this close to the cold grip of winter. She would surely die, and the look on her face moments before she ate the hare was one of dull grief for ones own life. Her eyes brightened by the meal thanked him and accepted his offer for help. She spoke her name, Ecco.

Hollow turned towards the Cedarwood forest and waited for Ecco to gather herself. As he waited he considered fate and it's strange twists and turns, it would never cease to amaze him. Hollow spoke, <b>"there's a small copse of trees that connects the Cedarwood forest to the orchard, I know there's more brush there that will at least block the wind."</b> He tested the air for anything that could hold up their short trip, he tasted nothing, so that was good though he would hope for more prey to help Ecco. He open his jaws again to ask,<b> "So if you don't mind my asking how did you come about looking so rough and tired?"</b>

          Once Ecco was satisfied with her fill of the hare, it was a shame the majority of it was to be left for the scavengers to pick away. Crazy as the gesture was, Ecco was going to bring the remnants of the hare with them wherever they destined to be located elsewhere. It was too good a meal and too good for her to pass up when she could gnaw on the bones and other slivers of meat later on. Rising to her four paws, the D'Oliva gave a shake of her coarse, thinned fur. Her movement and direction would mirror that of Hollow, as according to his words on a warmer place to stay, it seemed like he knew what he was talking about. A newfound sense of trust was formed in this moment. Ecco could trust Hollow, even if the two were still largely strangers yet. "Alright. I'll be behind you. Bringing this, too." Her muzzle motioned to the rest of the hare, barely hanging intact by its severed limbs. Ecco picked it up by the hind leg and carried it with her when they were destined to move.

          Hollow questioned why Ecco was so weathered and weak. Where to even begin? There was so much to be said, and Ecco was unsure if she was willing to divulge into every single detail of her ruined past. Ecco trusted Hollow in this moment to find shelter, but perhaps didn't necessarily trust him yet to reveal everything about her back story. She would keep it short and sweet. "Traveling from Alaska." Ecco started, her voice slightly muffled by her mouthful of hare she was carrying with them. "Plans didn't... go as they should have. Y'know, making a name for your family, having pups, getting a good rank." Ecco kept it brief. To change the subject quickly, Ecco countered Hollow with a question of her own. "So, um... you seem to know the area well, yes?" From his previous description of where they were headed, it seemed like he was familiar with this terrain.

Hollow knew that quick succession of words as an explanation to why she looked the way she did, was of not wanting to tell anyone, something terrible happened to put her in such a state, that much was clear. He began to walk steadily towards the copse which he had mentioned before, with Ecco and her hare close. <b>"Relatively well," He responded. "Mostly just this area, the thickets, cedarwood forest, and the blackberry fields."</b> He continued along in silence for a moment his strange eyes glowing in the darkness before they quickly lit up and he sprang away, only to return with a vole clasped firmly between his jaws which he would hold by the tail in his mouth, so he could talk still.

<b>"I understand how you must feel though, coming to such a strange place."</b> He knew truly that her state wasn't from a journey or any kind of difficulty with prey, obviously there was no shortage of prey. Ecco was very clearly broken, her spirit, and Hollow knew that if he could get her to open herself up enough that he could offer his story to show her it dosent all have to end in despair and death. After all he was strong and healthy. Hollow just continued along however to listen to what she had to say.

          Hollow didn't press Ecco's past misfortunes any further, and was relieved by this. Hollow knew the area for the ins and outs, but Ecco was puzzled how Hollow smelled more of the forest and Wildwood than of a pack. Was he an outsider, only looking in? Previously banished, perhaps? Or, just lingered around like herself? "So are you in the same predicament that I'm in too? Not a place to call your home?" Ecco would return the same respect to Hollow if he chose not to divulge into his own history, but it was comforting to know if it turned out to be the case, at least there were others out here she was in the same situation with, too.

          Hollow sprang off, and Ecco quickened up her pace at first before falling short behind. The hare was still clutched tightly in her jaws, and Hollow was quick to return with a prize to carry himself. His sheer quickness with catching prey on the spot was quite impressive; Ecco otherwise lazy and miscalculated to catch little critters that were lightning fast. At Hollow's notion of coming to a completely different place than home... yes, yes it was strange. Though what was strange was she wasn't entirely heartbroken nor emotionally unstable about it. Somehow she managed to keep the slivers of her sanity in tact this whole time. "I can say what happened to me was not what I wished, nor wanted." Ecco began, her amber eyes focused ahead on the direction they were going. "But my grandparents told me everything happens for a reason. I don't understand why my reason has been difficult. Do you believe in that too, Hollow?" Ecco asked, wondering if Hollow might have believed in fate having a plan for everyone. Fate must be playing a mean joke on me, though.

<i> Everything happens for a reason.</i> It was a notion Hollow hadn't often considered, he knew to follow his heart but was that the same as believing everything happens for a reason? No he didn't think it was but it was similar, it was trust that as long as he continued on he would come to the end of the bad he has had to endure. There was a truth in her words though, maybe it was what he had been believing, not that he had tried to put words to it. His exhausting journey had been for something he had believed that much, but before he just considered it survival.

<i>Not a place to call your home?</i> That would be easy to answer, no, he hadn't had a family since that day they were taken from him. He sorely knew the feeling named lonely because of that, he knew he would never be whole in his eyes. His blue and green gaze locked to Ecco's face as they approached the small copse <b>"Yes you could say that since I have no pack or blood kin that I know of."</b> Hollow's ear twitched as an icy wind chilled his fur and bones. <b>"My mother always told me to follow my heart, and I believe that, so yes I believe everything happens for a reason."</b> Hollow began to turn and dropped the vole he had been carrying. <b>"Things can be difficult, but tonight you'll sleep safe, take the vole as well you'll find shelter in the copse."</b> He turned broadside locking his strange gaze on Ecco. <b>"I hope to see you again, Ecco"</b> and he did hope that, he liked the female, enough that he would head nearby to make his den for the night just to be around should any predators decide the weakened wolf was a meal.