Lost Lake Waste Away

OOC: Between Hex and @Vespertio but I want someone else to find her first if possible before Vesper comes along.

 

Setting: March 2nd, sunset - Clear - 16 ° F, -9 ° C 

This is how it was going to end for the woman in white. Alone, a skeleton of her former self ready to disintegrate upon itself with the most delicate of touches. These oppressive thoughts echoed in her skull as the little mass of weight she had left maneuvered over the frozen ground of the lake she some how managed to find after traveling through a path in the mountain she was sure would be her personal tomb. Apparently she was allowed to live one more day, but how much longer could she press her luck in living to see another sunrise? It seemed that over the past five years of her life she was only skating by at the bare minimum and the yarn that made up the rope of life was dwindling down to its final strands. Time was running out. And so was the daylight as her bi-colored eyes focused on the fading shades of blue that blanketed the sky, the beginning of night hot on its tail with shades of dark navy and the first hints of stars beginning to dot the heavens above. Soon the temperature would drop drastically from the lack of heat the light of day offered and anything not tucked safely in the warmth of their den would be left to face the chill of night.

The constant aching of hunger gnawing on her stomach distracted her from that thought momentarily as her paws moved silently within the harsh shadows of the surrounding trees, pine to be exact by their rich 'clean' scent that permeated on the evening air. There was no way she could make a proper hunt attempt to quell her starvation, but if luck was watching over her then perhaps she could find tracks in the snow and follow them to a den of something edible. With the last of her strength available she could dig open the front door and close her jaws around the neck of a family of rabbits. Oh what fine cuisine a simple snowshoe hare had become to the scrawny woman. But the thought of doing the work was enough to exhaust her, limbs shaking in fatigue before giving out and sending her body into the powder beneath with a soft flop. Legs curled in on themselves her head rested without argument as the snow seeped its cold fingers into the thin hairs that lined her maw. This was utterly pathetic and in all honesty Hexamora was ashamed that she had let herself get to this point. Had she not been so prideful and been smart she could have been nice and plump in the den of some pack until winter released its hold on the world and spring came to melt away the snow. Then she could have left never to return to whatever pack she pretended to swear her loyalty to and lived life on a healthier level than the pathetic state she was in now. What good was she now that her body had become so emaciated?  

A low growl rumbled within her throat at herself. No, she wouldn't accept defeat yet. As long as there was still fight in her there was still life. "Get up you lazy bag of bones." she grumbled with a voice so foreign sounding from its lack of proper use in recent days. The Beauvau woman was not one to talk to herself in imaginary conversations while traveling alone. Forcing her slender legs to prop up she fought with all her might to try and rise her form from the slush beneath her. It was a shaky start, but slowly her body lifted inch by inch until she was standing on all fours again with her paws sprawled out like a newborn fawn learning to stand for the first time. Heavily her sides rose and fell in her attempt to catch her breath from the exertion of standing. How crazy that a simple action such as standing now seemed to zap what little energy she had when she use to do it without much thought. She was like a pup all over again. A larger, equally as weak and vulnerable pup. Swinging her head from right to left she scanned the landscape for signs of anyone spectating her pitiful struggle in the shadows. No scent nor sound reached her small rounded ears other than the heavy gasps of her breathing and crunch of snow beneath her pads as she constantly shifted them to hold up her body. So much for wanting to try and find food. Surely if she dared to lift a paw and take a step forward she would only collapse back into the snow, returning to point A after barely reaching point B. Now what would she do?

Try to move. She had to try and move or else she ran the risk of becoming frozen in place and then she would have a ton of fun trying to stand up after her knees buckled then. There would be no strength to use and with the coming of night her body would be as good as kibble to whatever predator happened to prowl by and decide to make a quick snack out of her remaining slabs of meat. Frustration welled up inside as she forced her paws to listen to her commands and shift forward. At first they listened but then her strength began to wane again, making it near impossible to take more than a handful of steps. Tilting her head up to the sky that now held more tiny dots of light where the stars belonged a howl erupted from her throat singing of her frustration and despair while also hoping it would reach the ears of someone near by and either come to her rescue or put the final words in the book of Hexamora. Her fate hung in the balance as mismatched eyes lowered back to the earth, rump thumping into the slush of her meager progress. She couldn't hold her body weight anymore and it felt so good to only hold her upper body up. And much easier as well. Sit. This. This she could do for awhile while waiting for someone to come across her ivory self.

"Speech."

Another blissful day of clear skies had greeted the Lost Lake as the agouti patriarch made his usual errands during the daylight hours. The borders had been freshly marked with his scent, the caches were checked over to insure that they had not grown too low in his brief spells of absence and finished them by checking on the newest member, Namid, who lay within the pack den recovering from a sprained ankle after taking a hefty tumble down the mountainside. That woman was lucky a sprained ankle and some bruising was all that she had as a souvenir from her tumble and nothing worse like a broken leg or even worse taken a swim in the frigid waters of the lake. After checking in on her to make sure she was comfortable and dropping off a meal so she wouldn't have to put any weight on her injured paw the man was free to do as he wished in the approaching twilight hours. A glance up to the sky he watched the sun dance its goodbye with coattails of pinks and orange while beginning to descend behind the horizon to end another day. Soon its partner and lover the moon would rise to dance in the sky with her sheer dress of pale moonlight casting the world in an ethereal glow.

A peculiar sound or howl to be exact soon gripped his attention as he stood upon the top of the den, his personal pedestal that gave him an optimal view of the land below. He could see a good portion of the lake and small patches of clearings that lay nestled secretively among the pine forest of his home. Ears cupped forward he listened intently to the sorrowful song of a woman woeful and in need of help. A few minutes passed before the final notes of the symphony came to a delicate end on the twilight air. Someone was near his home and needed help. The song spoke of her condition and a heavy sigh broke the tight lining of his lips as golden orbs scanned the aerial view he had for the location the call had come from. If he didn't know better he would have thought his borders had somehow become the recovery ward for wolves starving and injured from winter's harsh unloving presence.  Alas sick or not it was still the opportunity to increase the numbers even if temporary. Due east the howl echoed and before he could think negatively upon it anymore his dainty paws were set into motion, climbing down from his throne in the sky to advancing his toned frame over the slushy snow that had begun to melt from the warming days of the approaching spring. Winter was holding tight to the earth with its last ditch efforts of keeping the world frozen, but soon spring would be in full bloom and the last pile of snow would be reduced to nothing but a puddle.  

Progressing onward the distance between him and the unknown wolf closed nimbly. The sooner he could reach this wolf and process the situation the sooner he could return the pack either with a new member at his side or alone after sending the woman on her way. Either way he was not wanting his precious alone time to be hogged by the presence of another. Using his sense of smell to guide him the rest of the way it took a few minutes to stumble upon the beckoning woman. An ivory form hardly anything more than skin and bone sat within the snow, a pair of mismatched eyes nestled within the sunken eye sockets. Poor thing was a hot mess. For a walking skeleton.

All the ivory woman could do now was wait. Her song had echoed her desperation across the surrounding land and now all hope laid in the idea that somehow, somewhere a wolf that could offer her help had heard her mournful song and came to rescue her. Or put her out of her misery, whichever fate came knocking she didn't care as long as someone came. The sound of crunching snow beneath four paws and the rustle of shrubs graced her ears first being the sharpest sense still despite he diminishing condition before the scent of a wolf reached her dull olfactory senses. A small whiff told her the basic of the now discovered man who had come to her aid. He was older in years around three or so that made him young still but she was still thankful for it. A yearling saving her again would just make her want to commit right there on the spot. His pine and musty aroma revealed that not only was he young but also was adorned with the individual scent of others. Around four or so by what she could tell. Had she managed to wander into pack territory by accident and now grabbed the attention of a pack wolf or worse the leader himself? Crap on a stick.  

Shortly after her first two senses caught wind of the approaching wolf her bi-colored eyes soon joined in, settling upon a pelt filled with an array of reds, creams and blacks. The mystery man standing before her stood regally in the snow, washing away any doubt she had that this was a pack wolf. Nope, it was the leader himself. Even she couldn't dismiss the way his chest puffed out with his shoulders rolled back proudly and the banner held high over the arch of his back while a pair of eyes as gold as morning sun scrutinized her pathetic state. Hexamora could feel his gaze raking over her frame, taking in the points along her body where bones could be seen protruding just beneath the thin flab of skin. You might want to submit to this wanna-be-king. her inner voice mocked. Even though she was basically broken on the outside her mind on the inside remained the spiteful beast who held no respect for those who thought they had power over anyone, over her. But that didn't stop her from temporarily playing the good wolf card to appease them. If it got her what she wanted then she would do it. Like now where showing submissive behavior would keep her on the brute's good side. "I'd offer my submission if I didn't fear I would't have the strength to stand up again." A weak, forced smile slowly found its way to her lips while the orbs of her eyes came to fall upon the broadness of his chest. She may not be belly up for him, but she could still advert her gaze. Hopefully it spared her a set of teeth to her dull pelt.

"Speech."

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

Coming to a halt in front of the ivory woman there was no hesitation within the patriarch to puff out his chest in a display of his power while the once swaying tail behind him came up to hover like a banner over his back to further express his dominance over the woman who was yet to show the slightest sign of respect to him after stumbling so close to his borders. A low growl was beginning to form in the back of his throat as he awaited the respect he was to be shown only to be cut short as the pearl colored woman before him began to speak. "I'd offer my submission if I didn't fear I would't have the strength to stand up again." tumbled out of her mouth before the corners of her lips slowly pulled back to form a weakened smile, finally showing a bit of respect as her mismatched eyes lowered to settle upon the tufts of fur that made up his creamy red chest. At least she had enough sense left in her to do that although sympathy soon rose within his veins causing the once scrutinizing glare he held over her pelt to lighten. Poor thing was emaciated beyond belief and it was a miracle mother nature hadn't claimed her bones for the soil yet.  

Clearing his throat he rose a brow expectantly while his jaws parted to create words of his own. "What brings you close to my borders and why have you called out for me?" A basic question all alpha wolves asked loners at the borders even if the white woman in the snow had not called his name out direction in her sorrowful howl that filled the land only minutes ago. Vespertio wanted to know what business she had planned in her mind, if any at all, before assessing the scene any further. If she was seeking food and a pack then he could offer up more of his time, but if not then he would have to turn her away. Let mother nature do as she wish with the wraith white girl while he returned to his previous actions upon his sky high pedestal. The night was just born again and he wished to enjoy its presence. From its creeping shadows, ghostly glows of moonlight to the cries of the nocturnal. The night was a wondrous world so different from that of the daylight hours and it was his to watch.    

Continuing to wait for an answer his golden gaze once more gave her fragile frame a look over as the points of his ears shifted to a more relaxed position. A few good meals from the pack caches should help put some much needed weight onto her and after a few weeks if luck would have it the woman would be up and healthy again. "What's your name?" He tagged on shortly after his earlier statement.

Much to Hexamora's relief the once harsh gaze over her repulsive frame had lightened, allowing her to relax only a fraction within the man's presence. She knew she must look like a mess. Barely a hint of life left behind the irises of her eyes. A brief shiver ran through her forelegs, foreshadowing the depleting strength that her body just couldn't create for much longer. This little conversation needed to speed up and it was near impossible to miss the impatience that coursed through her body. With hardly enough willpower to sit there was hardly any to keep her many masked emotions and disguises under composure. Basically she was like an open book now.

The sound of his throat clearing forced her head to lift slightly, unaware that it had actually dropped a few centimeters from its previous placement. Brown and green pools returned to focusing on his chest while the small rounded ears that lay on top of her head pricked forward to catch the words as they tumbled out of his mouth. A question to be exact. Who was she and why was she there. The typical question all those wolves who held even the slightest bit of power asked. But Hexamora was a nobody in all honesty. There was no outlandish history or meaning to her name. Unless you got a kick out of her being dubbed the official pack psychopath which in the end only got her kicked out. She had no reason to her life, nothing to help her get through this hell hole known as life. Simply she went wherever her paws led and remained an anonymous figure to those around her. Nobody truly knew who she was and some may think they did just because they knew her name. A name was nothing but a string of letters. It was worth the same as dirt. Nothing.

Clearing her own throat the dainty paws that held her meager body weight up shifted briefly to keep her from slouching, the fibers of her muscles screaming in their faint burning pain to be relieved of the pressure. "I go by Primrose and I've come to seek safety. I know I may look pathetic now, but I swear my loyalty and skills to you if you would have me." The secret alias name fell smoothly from her lips. If it was possible for the woman to cross her toes as she spoke she would have. Hexamora never swore loyalty to anyone but herself. In the end it was only her she cared about. In truth the male before her sickened her to the core. Lost in his fantasy world that he was so high and mighty sitting at the tippy top of the hierarchy. This was only a temporary chapter in her book. Once she recovered without a word she would be slipping out the back door never to return. But of course in the mean time she would play the diligent pack member and do her bare minimum as required in order to stay. Pack life was not something she could do forever.

   "Speech."

A brief squint of his eyes followed the shaking of her limbs that anyone could have seen miles away. Poor woman needed some sustenance and perhaps this woman was worse for ware than he originally thought as mentally he pondered if it was even worth allowing her to return with him. If she could even walk that far. Standing a bit taller he rumbled a faint 'hmm' under his breath while black tipped ears listened to the words she spoke. The ivory woman now known as Primrose was offering her loyalty and skills, but what skills could she possibly offer him? There was a guardian in the making if the stormy pelted man so wished to pursue that role. From what he gathered of the pale woman who recently joined up with them even if it was just because of a sprained ankle, there was potential for a teacher. Namid seemed like the type perfectly suited for that position. Who knew what Haine or Rift had plans of becoming if anything at all. With that, that left opening for hunters and healers.

"Anyone can swear loyalty from their mouth. I want proof of actions, not words. As for these skills you speak of. What do you possess that should persuade me to accept you into my pack?" Another round of questions followed her answer to the previous ones. Vespertio was not going to fool around when it came to his members. This pack was not going to be a homeless shelter for those on the verge of death if there was no chance in them growing stable and surviving. Only the strongest would make it and only the strongest he wanted. He was grilling her the harshest of all the wolves he had met at the borders, but something deep in his gut just wouldn't shake the feeling that something was off about this woman. He couldn't place a nail on it, but he was determined to figure it out. Golden eyes squinted once more as he heard the faint sound of splashing off to his right, causing his head to turn momentarily towards the noise. He only gave it a small amount of his time before returning his attention to Primrose. After dealing with this wolf he would investigate what the sound was.

What was this, learn everything you can about Hexamora day or something? Not even a solid minute after her answer to the first onslaught of questions did the agouti man rush her with another set to answer. First he had learned her reasoning for coming to his borders, which was actually kinda unintentional after giving chase to some dimwitted wolf by the name of Samhain for some fun. The fun was short lived as she lost her trail in the snowbanks and followed a random pair of tracks she found in the snow to here. Surprisingly they actually did belong to the fleabag who waited behind the borders that she would hopefully soon be crossing over. What fun that would be to see her face again and insinuate the look of fear upon her dull features. Dear little Haine, your wraith of a friend is coming for you..

To answer the man and his bombarding questions she remained silent, brooding within her mind the specific set of skills she could whip up on the spot together to offer him so he would be pleased. It was sickening that she was having to appease his dominance, but her life was starting to weigh more than her pride on being the anarchist of sorts. Down with the power or down with her life? Yeah, life was looking like the better option for now. Hell, once she was healthy again she could even make plans to tear him down from the inside out. Topple his empire to the ground one rung of power at a time. You start small and work yourself up. One day the pack would either fall by her paws or she would be the one to settle at the top. But of course this was all options to think about over time. There was no way she could accomplish such a feat by herself nor overnight.

After a substantial amount of silence flowed between the dark and light colored wolves, Primerose finally found the words to answer his question in a favorable manor. "I can offer skills in hunting, assassination if need be and guardian despite my smaller size. I can prove these skills and my loyalty to you if only you would be willing to accept me. Once I recover from my current state I can begin to prove my worth." Hogwash. A whole ton of fox shit. She didn't have any experience in the skills mentioned although she did like to pretend she had what it took to be an assassin. Killing was a sick thrill of hers that got her off in an equally sick way. Tasting the blood of an enemy never tasted sweeter that by her own doing.

Tick tock went the clock as the patriarch awaited for the she-wolf to answer his question and she was taking quite a long time to answer questions he believed to be simple to answer. If you had any skills you would be quick to brag about them in hopes of them being enough to give you the golden key and welcoming basket into the pack. But this woman took awhile to speak on hers which led him to grow suspicious even more in his gut. There was definitely something off about her, especially this flickering gaze that glistened behind the mismatched pools of her eyes. It was a quick second that the gaze lasted, but it was just long enough for him to catch sight of it. Patience was starting to grow thin as his weight shifted from one set of paws to the other, tail giving a flick of annoyance behind him from being held up this long. Finally though she spoke and what came out of her mouth he did not expect.

Hunting. That he could see being a possibility if she was in better shape unlike the one she was currently in. Guardian he doubted completely. No wolf her size stood a chance at being a successful guardian and he wouldn't dare risk letting her become so in his pack. The other skill she listed did seem like a reality though. An assassin. That gleam in her eye flashed before his eyes again, sending a brief chill down his spine that he could easily pass for being from the snow that lingered beneath his pads if she dared ask. Something about her seemed to scream killer. Not a single bone in his body could argue that she was capable of committing such an act. Yet, he found himself thinking that having a possible assassin under his rule could prove useful. For now he had no enemies, but should one arrive it would be such a joy to be able to send her to do the dirty work for him. To eradicate the problem at its source. Maybe this woman was worth allowing in after all even if he never thought of the chance she could turn on him and take him out. An untouched fact that could very well be his own downfall.

He contemplated further upon what he had come to learn of this Primrose, golden eyes giving yet another look over of her scrawny frame. She would do for now. "If you can prove yourself then I see no reason to turn you away, but I will not hesitate to chase you away from my lands the moment I deem you unfit to stay. I won't tolerate laziness in my pack." Informed in a rough tone to signify his seriousness he then turned his head back to the splashing sound that continued to echo quietly off to his right. Giving it more time this round than last it finally clicked what was creating the sound. Some fish must have been trapped in a small pool along the lakeside. "Follow me if you want to eat." Without a glance in her direction his body turned to head towards the location of the splashing fish, pawing at the waters surface upon arriving. A fallen tree branch had fallen upon a small inlet trapping a school of fish in the small puddle. What luck for the woman.

Relief swept over Hexamora's features as the lead male seemed to buy her lies and from what she could tell may have actually accepted her before issuing a warning that if she didn't pull her weight it would be his teeth clamping for the back of her heels in a serious tone. That was read loud and clear and her pearly white head gave a subtle nod in understanding. Shortly after his long speech his body turned and headed for the shoreline, a confused looked settling now on her features until his words reached her tiny ears. Was he leading her to food? Well if he was that would mean she would have to get up. Uneasiness washed over her then as that reality sunk in. Trying to stand last time had been all but a completely, embarrassing fail. Could she even manage to stand let alone walk to wherever it was he was leading her to now? There was only one way to truly find out. She had to try.

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes to focus while his back was turned it was slow going as she attempted to slowly rise her rear from the frozen earth. Little by little it managed to lift until she was on all fours again, shaky, but standing. Another deep breath was inhaled then exhaled slowly as one paw shifted forward then the next. The pace she was capable of walking was like a snail in comparison to that of the agouti man, but it was doable. At least she was able to walk still and that melted away the fear that nestled inside her stomach that she was too far gone to be saved anymore. Following in the steps he had already taken to make her own going easier, Hexamora came upon his left side with two toned eyes focusing on the swimming forms of silver in a shallow pool of water that was unable to freeze over from the constant movement of the liquid. Was this the food he had vaguely hinted at? Upon looking at the fleeting figures her stomach gave a mighty roar with demands to be fed. God they looked so delicious. Saliva beginning to cascade down her jowls when the pink of her tongue poked out between the ebony lining of her lips.

Without a second thought to her actions her head quickly dipped down to dive half muzzle deep into the water to snag a fish by its tail. Had the water been any deeper the feat would have been impossible, but luck was on her side today. A wince wrinkled up her muzzle from the sting of the freezing water upon her skin and forced her head to pull back quickly, fish squirming and flailing between her canines in a fit to escape her grasp. No such luck. Placing the wiggling thing on the ground and using her paw to hold it steady by the base of its head her teeth sunk hungrily into its awaiting scale ridden flesh. The amount of meat was meager, but it was still something that her stomach gobbled up without much disagreement. At this point anything edible was good enough for her.

"Speech."