it's too cold for you here

backdated to February 6th - Clear — Current Temperature: -20° F/-29° C – Late evening
@Quick (post-join/hunt thread; feel free to wait until that thread is wrapped up, I just wanted to get this up while I had time)

The winter never seemed to let up. How many months had it been now? How many days had gone by where there hadn’t been a speck of blue in the sky, no flake falling from the clouds? It only seemed to let up now, suddenly, as the sun had disappeared from the sky, dragging with it the clouds that had separated the wolves from the heavens. Although there were no clouds in the sky, no snow descending, it was cold…Dangerously cold. As he patrolled the borders, knowing full well that they would not be likely to face any intruding strangers in such damnable temperatures, he felt his toes begin to ache with the temperature.

He left his mark as he went, both quite visibly and in the form of strong odors. Flecks of bark littered the snow as he would drag his paws or a cheek roughly over the tree trunks, leaving behind scent and sight. Chulyin thought it wise to keep moving, lest his paws fail him. He could only imagine (though tried very hard not to) curling up amongst his family in the den, exchanging warmth on this deathly night. But there were always things to be done, and he would not retire until the moon was high. And that was hours yet. Taking in a few mouthfuls of snow, his thirst was temporarily quenched. It was odd to be thirsty when it was so cold, though there was no real correlation between the two things. Perhaps the sudden lack of precipitation was what caused it, but he would not gladly welcome back the snow, preferring more to just consume it. Another twinge in his foot and he was on the move again, pretending to embrace the long evening, for otherwise, he could not get through it.

Hauling his weight upward, he racked his nails over the trunk of a tree, leaving behind his scent and that of the Keep. For good measure, he roughly pushed his muzzle along it as well, the corners of his mouth turning roughly at the mild discomfort. This must’ve been only one of many trees that he’d marked tonight. His skin was beginning to feel the effects. All four paws in the snow again, he eyed the tree he’d just marked, jaw clenching and unclenching. Peering around it, and sniffing the snow, the man realized that he’d reached the end of his patrol. Dark surrounded him as he turned his back to the borders, tail flagging, as he took a tentative step forward. Though the freezing cold threatened, the evening was so lovely…He was cautious to leave it now that he’d found himself without a task at hand.

A slow breath released delicate tendrils of silken air, the warm quickly consumed by a faint cold breeze, and he lifted his golden eyes upward, spying the moon through the twisting dead branches of the canopy. He could see it. He could truly see the moon. With ears turned back, he howled a deep and relatively quiet song into the night sky. It was not truly meant to be heard. His pack rested a ways away, deep in slumber he hoped, and if there was prey about, the lone, solemn song of a wolf could be of little threat to them now, for they were certainly as bundled as his family was. The dark man, cloaked in his element, was alone.

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The dim light of the evening had faded nearly entirely. The moon hung in the sky against a backdrop softened by the grey of clouds, threatening forever more to rain an indefinite snow upon those unfortunate souls still living. Quick's solemn prowl through the Woods would not be intimidated by the lunar glare. Her nose felt so cold it was unbearable, almost as if she wanted the damn thing to fall off her face. That horrific possibility was more likely than it had ever been, but she knew it. By now it was old news that they were all on the verge of death and in that they had somehow found the resolve to soldier on. She didn't enjoy it in the least bit. Even when the wind didn't blow the air was so bitterly cold, and when it did blow she wished nothing more than to be buried somewhere beneath the frozen ground where it couldn't get to her. But she was breathing still, and as long as she didn't let it take her, it would not.

She caught his scent quickly, mostly due in part to the fact that there was almost no other odor about. Prey and wolves alike seemed to have vanished into thin air. The arctic-blooded wolf tip-toed after the him, her silver eyes catching the nuances on the bark of trees that reflected where he had been. Quick was not certain what was propelling her to find him. Maybe curiosity, maybe boredom. If they were both sleepless now that the night had fallen around them it didn't hurt to find company. Out of the dead silence that surrounded her Chulyin's quiet song arose, probing her curiosity more.

Her silver gaze found him beyond the gnarled branches. Her approach was quiet, respectful, but accompanied by a swinging tail. In spite of the frost biting at her toes and all the weariness of winter she was (relatively) at ease. Bringing herself to his side she stopped and let her metallic eyes scan the landscape. "It's miserable," she commented, though her tone didn't convey the exact dread of it. Miserable it was, but here she was alive and with company. And that wasn't the worst thing in the world.

(This post was last modified: Feb 08, 2014, 06:37 PM by Quick.)

He hadn't expected company. Chulyin never did. The man was not a blatherskit; he made no friends, only family, only those he found himself sworn to protect. He was no butterfly and he had come to embrace it. This did not mean he was not cordial, not by any means, but cordiality never implies friendship. If anything, it implies a smile and tolerance, something the man had quite a bit of. So that was why he never truly expected company. Not even company that he might've desired, for he could not expect it. Why hold your hope hostage? Tail swept across the snow as he settled his haunches into the cold debris. His head was cast to one side, muzzle tipped towards the earth as his ear almost rested upon his shoulder. Exhaustion.

The cold air burned his lungs as he caught his breath in surprise. Company. Copper eyes lifted to meet silver, before he picked himself up, one ear turned in her direction as his own eyes searched to find what she saw. The warmth pervading from her was welcome, so much so that he unconsciously leaned towards her, like a moth attracted to a flame. Breathing out a stale breath, he nodded, traces of a smile upon his muzzle, "Quite, but you can see the sky." He was surprised that they were all still caught up in the throes of winter. It had been winter for so long...He felt that he might eventually come to be used to an empty belly and frozen paws. Silence hovered for a few long moments, his own eyes casting upwards towards the sky in that span. "Why are you not asleep with the others?" He asked, as worried for her as he was for any others of his pack that might've wandered out as well. But perhaps he should have been asking himself that same question.

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The sky? The arctic female probably would have never pegged Chulyin for a star-gazer. Her pale eyes turned toward the shadowy sky, a little surprised to see what he meant. Since winter's onset it had been difficult to see the atmosphere beyond its cloak of never-ending cloud. For a while she forgot the sky came in different colors than just shades of gray. Now it was black, clean and pure, while the light of the moon radiated in a way that haloed it in a navy sheen. The stars paled in comparison. Though they too dotted the sky between the twisted branches their light was nothing but an accessory to the half-full moon. Admittedly, it was a nice sight.

He asked why she was about. "Couldn't sleep," she responded. It was a boring answer, but it was the truth. If someone else might have asked her, Quick would've said she was getting acquainted with the territory. Watching the borders. Scouting for something. She liked it here, and she didn't want to be pegged as useless. Chulyin, despite his stature and stoic mask, did not intimidate her so much as the others. For him she could speak plainly. If the tiredness in her bones would take her she would happily be back at the den where each others warmth was far better than anything nature had offered them in the past several weeks. Some how she was not so lucky.

With a peripheral glance she stepped closer to him, a small amount of cheek ringing in her pot-kettle-black question. "And you?" Maybe he was an avid gazer after all, if he'd only admit to it.

Frowning, he turned his eyes from the sky towards her. Chulyin found that hard to believe. Wasn't it only a days ago that she'd been a loner? Sleep could have meant death...He wanted to ask, but who was he to assume what her status had implied? Perhaps what mattered was that she was here now, and whether or not she could sleep would not mean death. Watching the sky again, he could only think that maybe it didn't matter what your status was. Maybe in truth, he couldn't sleep either. All under the ruse of defending his home, he found himself unable to sleep among his packmates without becoming restless from anxiety or perhaps the ever lingering feeling that he didn't quite belong. It was a laughable thought, though. For he was happy among the wolves of the Keep, undoubtedly, yet he found himself unsettled.

He swung his head over as she asked, catching traces of prodding in her rebuttal. "Marking the borders, but I couldn't help but stop and watch the sky...Perhaps a bit sleepless, too." He attempted to meet her eyes to convey some sort of honesty. "We're the brave ones, I suppose." He let some humor seep into his words. It was freezing, painfully so, he noted as they remained. Rolling his shoulders, he eyed the borders ahead. "Walk with me?" He asked, not desiring to find his paws freezing to the earth. "We might avoid freezing this way." Chulyin took a few tentative steps forward, eyes lingering upon her pale form as he waited to see if she would oblige.

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table by bryony

Brave. She liked the sound of it, though Quick wondered if it was courage that flowed in her veins or something different entirely. She entertained the thought, even if her shadow-cloaked companion said it purely in jest, and let her gaze meet his with a faint smile still leftover on her maw. At his request she did not hesitate to step after him. He definitely had a point about them freezing, and being awake now she was prone to the desire to wander. "I would prefer that," Quick remarked with an easy wag of her tail, allowing the older wolf to lead her where he would. As her paws hit the hardened ground the pins-and-needles feeling spread from her claws inward in protest. She ignored it. As long as she continued to walk and kept her mind off it, she would eventually forget the pain. In the spirit of a busy mind she allowed her gaze to wander the border that they trailed. "Hollowheart Keep," she mused aloud, pale eyes scanning the gnarled branches that enclosed them. "Tell me about this place?" she prompted him, her voice gentle to show she would not be pursuant if he didn't want to for any reason. Truthfully she liked it among these wolves. They were not only smart, but cunning, and each one was worthy of respect. Some packs were a little more kind in the heart toward the misfits and the like, but Quick was not the most patient wolf. An aloof lifestyle, on the other hand, she would happily maintain. The twisted territory was already growing on her, and soon enough she would lose tolerance for being last on the ladder. When that time came, she intended to be prepared.

The male was pleased as the woman followed. Chulyin wasn't sure if it was the winter inspiring some camaraderie within him or perhaps something more focused, but he found himself calmer in the presence of the woman. As they conversed and walked, the thoughts that had plagued him began to dissipate. Certainly they would arise later, but for the time being, he was glad to be free to the weight on his shoulders. Despite how she'd come to be here, Chulyin was glad for it, that she hadn't protested. And maybe she would find his presence suitable, unlike the last woman he'd attempted to assist. The thought left a strange hovering emptiness in his chest, as though something great ought to have been there, and yet there was nothing.

He tried to keep his steps light, keeping the antagonizing crunch of the snow from startling anyone or thing that might've been about. It was hard to believe that any prey would be about now in this weather, but he could say very little, as he had dared to face the cold too. Ears perked as her voice broke the silence, posing a question. Chulyin pondered his answer for a few moments, thoughtfully snuffling as he rolled the words about in his jaws. "My sister, Naira, founded her pack upon the mountain," He began, copper eyes turned upwards, gazing towards the mountain, just barely seen through the gnarled, empty branches. He hadn't put much thought to the mountain since they'd left it behind and though it had come before his eyes many times, it seemed nothing more than a terrible dream now. "When winter struck, we descended and decided to call this place home." Dropping his eyes back to Quick, he gave the slightest of nods. "I cannot say I know much of the mountain, though. These lands haven't been my home for very long." Months only. He hadn't yet seen the wonder of spring, so he couldn't even say if spring would exist.

"What was home to you?" He asked, delving in for an instant, rather than falling silent as he would have. Chulyin would have typically left others to their business, but he could not quell his curiosity, as tepid as it seemed with such a simple question, spoken in tones that did not prove to be "excited".

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A thousand times sorry, my midterms really smacked me good!

As they cut through the still winter air she listened to her companion closely, eager both to show herself as a diligent listener and to hear what he had to say. Whether she knew it or not conversation was something she desired, though she spent the past several weeks denying it from any one who might have found her on the road. Being in a pack changed things, she supposed. Or perhaps it was Chulyin that did. So, he was Naira's brother. The arctic female had assumed, given the closeness of their scents without the pack marking, but the confirmation of it was important. She felt considerably more at ease with the dark-cloaked wolf around, but ease of mind didn't mean she could go stepping on anyone's toes. Especially not brother of the Queen. Reverent as she was of the title, she swallowed her thoughts before they could consume her.

She was surprised to hear of the pack's recent descent from the mountain where they had originated. The lands of the Keep felt as well-guarded as ever, as though they had existed for much longer than they apparently had. Allowing her silver gaze to wander the pale female wondered if that was what power truly was. Sure you could flash your teeth and have your legion fall to their white bellies, but how many wolves created the feeling of absolute stability even in the midst of nature's icy rage? A crooked smile appeared on her maw. She could belong to greatness. That would make her very happy.

His question, though posed without threat, still managed to catch her off-guard. She tried to answer him as carefully as she could, but Quick struggled with the recollection of her past. It felt like ages ago, even though it wasn't. All she had was hazy memories that never gained in clarity, no matter how much she focused on them. She could remember cold, and fear, and being completely alone. The avalanche was all a blur, but she knew very well that she had been severed from a family - even if she could not recall the name she had been born with. "I was born on a mountain, too," she started, knowing that was honest. "My family became separated, the mountain became impassible, and I could not find them again. I waited for a while, hoping they might find me." She thought of the Valefrost wolves, distaste forming in their mouth. Begruding acceptance did not a loyal wolf make. It was her pleasure to leave them. Having nothing was better than their false love.

She blinked, figuring her story had a better ending there than it did if she kept going. Quick didn't revel in the feeling of bitterness, especially not now when she had found satisfaction. Managing a shrug in her step she said, "This is my home now."

Oh no, it's totally fine! I'm sorry for my awful replies. :C

Not long after he'd met her, the man had found her a suitable traveling companion, even if the distances were short. She did not seem eager to talk his ear off, and even more pleasing to the man was that she did not seem to take offense at his silence or curt answers. It didn't seem to take much for her to realize this, unlike a few of his packmates. Perhaps because of this he felt more willing to answer more "long-winded"ly, at least for him. It truly didn't take long to realize that Chulyin was no deipnosophist. With his packmates, perhaps, he was more open, willing to converse, especially as of late, but even still, his tongue was usually like a chunk of ice.

His shoulders hunched against the cold as they moved along the winding border of the Keep, tail lifted slightly, even with his spine. Nostrils flared with each tree and bush they passed, as he ensured that the scent was still strong. His paws felt more steady upon this earth than they had upon the rocks of the mountain. Even with the snow underfoot, even with this land still somewhat strange...It felt good. They were not so estranged from the rest of the world. Though certainly that was his sister's intentions with living upon the mountain, and even among the tangles on flat ground, they were still somewhat unknown. But at least there wasn't a mountain between them and the rest of their species. Though not entirely sociable, Chulyin knew what estrangement could do to the mind. He'd walked long enough, many times, to know that.

Head canted as she spoke, interested to hear that. He wondered if Quick would have liked being a wolf of the Pass. As she went on, he found some twisted amusement in their faintly similar histories, waiting for family to return. He hid this amusement however, merely frowning instead, "I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you will find them again." Things had a way of working out, sometimes. These lands were strange lands that could draw wolves from all over. But he nodded as she concluded, the frown dissipating. "and I'm glad to hear that." There was a faint humor in his voice, though he was truly glad that she saw this place as home how. "Have you become well acquainted with the rest of the pack yet?" It hadn't been long, admittedly, but with all this snow on the ground and little food to go after, there was little else to do.

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