As The Water...

OOC|
Heya! Anyone is welcome to join, but I just want to give whoever does a heads-up: Asta is currently in the middle of her joining-Nomad's Pass-thread, meaning its not done yet... meaning if she gets asked about the pack yet, she'll be very general until I see how that RP goes. OR we can pretend this is prior to that thread and she's still a lone wolf here. I'm down with anything. :) Now, without further adieu...

The sun was half-masked by clouds that were more gray than white or silver. It was cold afternoon - the temperature had dipped just below freezing, leaving a crispness in the air. The weather was never really something that got Asta down, however. It was simply something that was, and is, and another simple condition added to her life.

It was the sound of rushing water that drew the young she-wolf east that day. She had never been here before. The trees were both known and strange - they reminded her of the forests she had grown up in. Nevertheless, there was always something to remind her this was not the forest of her youth: a strange, passing scent; a new bird; a new sound; strangely-placed water; strangely-placed land. Asta was not a stranger to the caution required in new places. She moved lightly through the woods, her step not the step of a pack-wolf, but of a cautious loner... or at least one who had been alone until very recently.

Each tentative step brought her closer to the source of that sound; the call of rushing water was like sweet music in her ears. Indeed, the first thing she did when the water was within sight was move quickly, carefully, to the water's edge so she could lap at the crystal liquid. Though the water was bitter cold, it was no less refreshing and needed. Blinking yellow eyes slowly, Asta finally took in the view properly.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, her eyes sparkling with the wonder of a wolf who wasn't too old to appreciate beautiful things.

To say Asta felt safe would be going too far, but she allowed her guard to drop long enough to close her eyes and breathe deeply the scent of this place. Such moments as this allowed her to keep her mind stronger. "Life flows like water; on and on it goes..." Softly she spoke, gently. When she opened her eyes again they were older and sadder, but she forced a weakened smile to stretch her lips before turning to move on.

Edit: Had to fix the little missing sentence there at the end. It wasn't too important but definitely should have been complete! xD

(This post was last modified: Mar 30, 2013, 03:48 PM by Asta.)

For the most part, she had been holing herself up within the grove, refusing to come out in fears that she would see the man who had shattered her heart into pieces. She had finally thought it best to give herself some time alone, so those within would not think she had gone into another depressive get away. She found the weather to be quite warmer than it had been in awhile and she took a small while to sit and bask in the rays of sunlight that shown down on her salt-and-pepper colored pelt. It warmed her body and she could not help but slightly smile at the light above her, it was so good not to be in the dark any longer. Maybe now she could have some fun.

Wagging her tail, she bounded through the bumpy terrain under paw and towards the falls where she had first formally met Ice. Though the man proved to be grumpy most of the time, she still found it a great joy to be around the snowball. Oh, how badly she wanted to connect with another being, another female. Though her sister was in the same place as her Jess never really saw her sister anymore and she longed to connect with another from her gender, someone who understood her. The males were always nice to talk to but she was never getting any girl time anymore. Every where she went there were always more and more males…for once, why couldn’t their just be something different?

Her answer came to her sooner than she had expected though. Jade eyes stared at the woman who stood by the falls, her voice just reaching the woman’s ears, causing her to take a step forward as she turned away. She quickly spoke up, fearing that if she let this woman get away that she would not be able to get another female friend for quite awhile. Clearing her throat she spoke, "Ya know, that would actually be really good advice to give some wolves around here." She perked her ears forward, slightly expected the woman to turn towards her before speaking once more. "I‘m Jessie Swiftpaw," she said in a more polite, collected tone of voice.

The falls could easily drown out the sounds of the woodlands surrounding it. Did Asta take this into account? Not quite. She never considered whether or not she’d be able to hear approaching footsteps over the din of the falls, never considered she might not notice the subtlest changes as new paws approached. That being said, Asta's steps didn't falter even as another approached, for the other was never noticed, never heard. Not until a voice slinked through the air - and was quite close. Only then did Asta notice anything was amiss at all.

Asta had never considered herself one of those gaumless wolves, lacking entirely wit or sense. Yet here she was, caught off-guard, and altogether too at ease apparently. She had been stupid. Mistakes like that could be costly - even fatal. Still, the words had been friendly enough. Lucky for Asta. They - she, the stranger - didn't seem to want to do any harm to the young wolf. Nevertheless, the prickle and chill that ran up Asta's spine causing her guardhairs to stand on end was uncontrollable; she whipped around with her ears flattened a little nervously. She hesitated a moment more before the shock wore off and a wan smile appeared, followed closely by a cautious, low wag of her tail. Her ears seemed to follow suite, perking up again as her smile filled with a little more warmth.

"Would it?" she responded, her voice lifting over the falls well enough. In the back of her mind, Asta suspected she should've heard the stranger approach, especially if aforementioned stranger could hear what Asta had said just moments prior. "I haven't really been here long enough to know." She didn't really know anyone well enough to know... She could feel her fur flattening again, though she couldn't be called relaxed just yet.

"I'm Asta Fleetfoot."

The irony that she should meet a stranger with a surname so similar to her own was not lost on Asta - her brief grin betrayed that much.

"You... startled me. O-only a little," she admitted after a moment, her yellow eyes catching the light as she tilted her head. "Where did you come from?" Whether she meant to ask for a general location from Jessie or a past was unclear (though Asta certainly meant the former), but the small smile and curious glint of those yellow eyes begged for an answer.

I'm a terrible person. I'm so sorry I kept you waiting for so long. <333

She could almost see the immediate tension build up in the young wolfess’s shoulders. She almost felt bad for startling the other female, though she assumed she had been a tad bit more quiet then she would have originally have been before everything had happened with her. A small grin played on her features once the woman turned around to face her, and Jessie’s gray head tilted slightly to the side, curiously. She was rewarded with a smile from the other woman though, which caused the salt-and-pepper colored girl to smile even more, a small nod sent the other’s way when she asked the question. From what she had seen in the lore and from her own personal experiences, the wolf in front of her had wise words to say, which was something that the Swiftpaw could easily respect. The next words that were muttered did not surprise the woman one bit. Sometimes, she forgot how long she had been in the Lore.

At the woman’s name, curiosity sparked within her own emerald orbs, a small smile lighting on her lips. Her last name had a similar right to it as her own did and it made her wonder if she was around the same parts as she was. The question that she was addressed with caused her head to tilt slightly, her brain silently trying to piece together what the lady was trying to ask her. Figuring it was better just to kill two birds with one stone, she spoke, "I am originally from Cordova and I know make my residence in the Sacred Grove. Yourself?" Wagging her tail behind her, she patiently waited for the answer from the loner in front of her, the look in her eyes easily giving away how curious she was.

Oh, don't worry about it! :)

I am originally from Cordova and I now make my residence in the Sacred Grove. Yourself? Asta's head tilted to mirror Jessie's own. It was more information than she had expected to receive, but not at all unwelcome. It also seemed to be this openness that finally eased the girl's mind a little and her tail began an easy lilt behind her. Sometimes she forgot how nice it was to meet another friendly face.

"Cordova?" She'd never been there. Then again, Asta hadn't been very far in her two - almost three - years of life. "Sacred... grove?" Just as her head had mirrored Jessie's a moment before, so too did the curiosity in her yellow eyes. Asta felt a sheepish grin crawl onto her muzzle as her ears splayed awkwardly. She must've sounded pathetic... but she remained friendly enough even as she mumbled: "I'm really not from around here..." But this did seem to be a land full of other wolves if one knew where to look; Asta might yet find a home here when she was ready and it felt right.

"I was born far north of here, where the wind was bitter and the forests ancient," she chuckled at the lilt of her own voice - she suddenly felt like a story-teller trying to be so... descriptive. "I came here with my brother," she went on to say, and for a moment she felt her gut clench - she was remembering another loneliness - an emptiness - unlike the one that made her a lone wolf. It was easy to forget about that sort of thing with the falls here - the noise drowned out everything. It was a bit annoying actually. Well, if one wanted to sulk, it was annoying. Maybe it wasn't so bad, that constant noise. But she did find she wanted to be away from the water rather suddenly; the urge to dance restlessly in place struck her, but she held it in check. She was in the presence of another after all.

"Well, I say I came here with him. I didn't. Not really. I found - here - accidentally. And these falls, too. Stumbled into these." She had a sense of humor when she was in a good mood; it flavored her last words.

Once she finished speaking, she was not surprised with the response she got from the woman. Apparently she was much newer than Jessie had originally expected though. They were so close to her home and she did not even know where the Sacred Grove was. The teen did not say anything, though she did not wish to insult the wolf in front of her. Asta was definitely on the kind side compared to some of the other wolves she had come into contact with recently, and to be honest, Jessie did not mind the change. Her next statement just caused her to smile; her emerald eyes alight in amusement. Of course she was not from around these parts, that much was obvious. Tilting her head to show that she was listening, Jessie twitched her ears as the female told of where she was from and how she had gotten here. At the mention of her brother, her eyebrows creased slightly. Jess had not smelt any sign of another wolf on the woman and she was pretty sure her tracking skills were not failing her. So much had been proven a few months prior.

Her brain was quickly saved by unsavory thoughts with the newcomers next statement. If her brother was not with her, Jessie wondered what had actually happened to the brother. Perhaps they had split up…or had something deeper happened? None the less, none of that was any of her business, so instead of asking, she simply remained silent, her emerald eyes searching the area, her ears twitching for any sign of movement. It was when the thought finally occurred to her. Wagging her tail in excitement, she spoke, ”So…do you…hunt?” She smiled slightly, her head cocked to the side in curiosity. She had not been on a hunt with anyone knew recently. Maybe this would give her a chance.

Y'know... I have no idea why my text was/is yellow in that last post. o_o' I used the same code... I might need to check that. xD

Asta wasn't sure what to do - say - next. In a strange place with a strange wolf, she didn't know whether she should ask more questions or excuse herself as politely as she could. On the other hand, she really had no desire to leave; she was being reminded at that very moment how much she missed the company of another. So she let her smile linger and tried to forget the void in her heart in favor of welcoming in another - however briefly. That smile became a grin soon enough however, and the uncertainty of what she should do next fled before Jessie's next question. What kind of question is that?! wondered Asta, some of her bemusement likely sliding into her yellow eyes. Of course she hunted! She wasn't exactly starving, was she? Then again, maybe what Jessie meant was, "Do you hunt with others?" or some-such thing.

It was a surprisingly thought-invoking question for young Asta, who'd had relatively little experience hunting with more than one other wolf in her young life. And she realized she had also never hunted with another wolf outside her small family pack - it would be her first time hunting with a stranger! It would be a test of skill! And it'd be fun - Asta liked to run, to chase, to read the language of the animal she pursued.

"Oh yes!" she answered at long last, but with all the enthusiasm one might expect from a lonely young she-wolf. "I do! Would you like to...?" A sliver of shyness grasped Asta then, and perhaps a little sheepishness as she realized how girlish she sounded. She was a Fleetfoot! Proud and honorable - but she could never quite curb her own enthusiasm. It was simply part of her nature. "Do you know any good trails?" She asked, careful to keep from repeating, "Because I don't know this place well!" as her tail waved steadily behind her. She didn't need to impress on the other woman how new she was to the Lore!

She waited patiently as the female in front of her stood silently, probably contemplating her question, along with her own answer. Jessie did not let her stomach to the flips and turns that she secretly wanted to do, for she did not want to get her hopes up. It had been so long since Jess had gone on a healthy hunt with another wolf or a hunt in general. Most of her time had been spent looking for someone or dealing with other things at the borders. Now that it was spring time again, Jessie knew that her hunting would be more periodic now that breeding season was coming along. Every once and awhile she would want her own small family, but she knew she already had what she wanted. She even had her sister and her past time friend (even if she wasn’t on good terms with them) within the pack, and that was enough for her.

With the loner’s answer, the salt-and-pepper colored woman’s eyes gleamed with joy, her tail thumping heavily against the ground a few times in happiness. Thank goodness she had finally run into someone who would not mind hunting with her. Nodding her head at the last question that Asta would say to her, she nodded her head and mentioned for the woman to follow her. Quickly, she made her way through the falls, her body moving in the direction of Ghastly Woods, her steps confident and her nose twitching every one and awhile, making sure that she was still on the correct scent. Soon the scent got stronger and immediately Jessie stopped, only hoping that the other female wouldn’t run into her rump. Silently, she mentioned the woman forward and mentioned towards the herd of deer, letting the woman next to her take their pick of prey.

Hunting was something Asta had always enjoyed. She may have been working with an unfamiliar wolf (relatively speaking), but hunting wasn't exactly new to Asta. She'd made it this far as a lone wolf, hadn't she? And before her brother's disappearance, they had both been fairly well-fed. They'd managed to catch slightly larger prey together. Tail waving like a flag behind her, Asta eagerly followed Jessie, taking note of their direction as they followed a trail the other she-wolf seemed to know well.

A time for words was passed - now Asta let her body do the talking. She slipped into a new frame of mind when she was hunting. Her enthusiasm was channeled into the focus of a hunter; even so, her eyes glistened with eagerness. When Jessie stopped, Asta pulled up alongside her hunting partner to take in the herd. She caught the other woman's eyes and realized she was getting to choose their meal: it was a lot of responsibility. Her choice could feed them... or starve them. It wasn't as if she'd never chosen prey before, but her brother had tended to make that call when they were together. Asta was confident she could make a good choice, it was simply the idea of the responsibility... it made her glow with a little pride, actually. Nervousness too. But pride for sure. Her eyes narrowed as she scoured the herd, seeking any member that might be elderly or sick... she thought she spied a few pregnant does in the mix as well. Would those bellies slow them down? She wondered, but they did look healthy.

Asta didn't contemplate too long; she laid eyes on a female she perceived as being older (though she'd hesitate to say "elderly"). The doe wasn't pregnant and moved as if she had been injured at some point in her life - a hind leg had a tendency to lift more than the others when she stood. Then again, she had also survived this far into her life with what had likely been an old trauma. This one survived against the odds then. Still, the old doe wandered further from the herd and seemed a little weaker than the rest... and that leg might give out faster. That was a lot of "what ifs" to work with, but Asta thought she'd made her choice. She pointed her muzzle toward the doe, her yellow eyes daring to glance to the woman beside her. As soon as Jessie was ready (and if she approved Asta's choice - secretly that was part of why Asta waited), Asta was prepared to dart forward: if she could catch that weakened limb even for a moment it'd slow the doe down further.

♥ Allie

Even has she mentioned for the woman beside her to take her choose in prey, she could feel her emerald eyes raking over the pack in front of them carefully. The pregnant does were gathered around them and if it had not been for the large variety of deer around them, then Jessie would have caved and done for one of the mothers. Many of the men were around, and she knew it would be much harder for the pair to get to the expecting deer. Even as she looked on, her gaze fell on the older of the deer gathered. It was a doe and she did not seem ill, for if this would have been the case then Jessie would have immediately denied the doe. With movement from her peripheral she looked towards Asta, happy to see that she had picked out the same doe that Jess had singled out with her eyes. Nodding her head towards the woman, she whispered softly, as to not alarm their prey, "You chase and slow it down and I’ll take it down…on my signal."

Waiting for some sign that the woman understood she moved silently along the perimeter. When she was away from the loner and closer to their prey, her alarming bark set through the forest, causing the deer to run away from her and parallel to where she knew Asta was. Flicking her tail, she let her agility take over and her paws to sail over the ground, keeping her gaze set on the duo’s target. Hopefully, the female would get to the doe on time and if needed, Jessie would definitely help slow the animal down. Hunting always was and was going to stay her strong suit. Tracking was also something she could get use to doing, as Ice had said…she had the “expert nose.” Huffing under her breath, she pushed herself forward, getting closer and closer to the doe in front of her.