Pitch Pine Trail Heartfelt

Neha, oh no! A bunch of tall ninebark seeds have  gotten stuck in your coat...




October 18th, 2016
Cloudy, 30*F, -1*C 
Early evening, before sunset

Despite her recent return home to the lake, Neha had soon discovered that things were not quite the same. In fact, plenty had changed. There was the good news of her younger sisters of course, who seemed to be thriving under the care of the pack. But really...that was about it. Their numbers had dropped. Her mother, @Namid , had stepped down from leadership out of guilt and sorrow. Now @Moonshadow , the young dark female, had been forced to step up and take her place. @Nathaniel, their devoted guardian was gone. She was saddened to know that she would likely never see the knight again. The more pressing matter on the young woman's mind was that of their new leader, and how she would handle the job and if her mother would ever reclaim her place.

It was for these reasons, weighing heavily on her turbulent mind, that the eldest Vuesain daughter opted to take the day off, so to speak. A little alone time away from home, just for the day, might do her good. Feminine brows knitting together, a soft scowl tugging at her darkly lined lips, she headed east. To parts on the other side of the mountain she had not yet explored much. The last time she had been anywhere close to this area was back when she was a mischievous pup, out on one of her countless escapades with Cernan reluctantly tagging along. Only now, the pale agouti female came down from her rocky domain not to frolic, but to think. She needed to clear her head. It felt so clogged with far too many thoughts, questions, doubts and concerns. With a sigh that heaved her narrow chest, Neha broke out of her daze, brown eyes blinking to fix anew on where she was. 

She didn't recognize this place. All around her the forestry was dense. Or would have been, had it not been for the lack of leaves on every twig and branch. Some of the more hardy species of plant life she noticed, were still hanging on to their foliage a little longer. She tried to imagine what this place would look like in the spring time. The many pine trees scattered throughout reminded her of those back home. Up ahead, the density of the thicket opened up some, where a glimpse of an opening in the earth caught her eye. Curious, Neha took a step forward. Only then, did she feel something odd in her coat. She grimaced in annoyance. Whatever it was, they felt fuzzy yet clingy at the same time. Craning her neck over her left shoulder, she saw to her horror, that her well groomed fur was littered in dozens of tiny brown seeds. She must've been more careless than she realized, while weaving through what little undergrowth remained. "Arrgh...great...this is just what I need." She growled out softly, promptly stalking over to the nearest pine tree. It's roughly textured bark was the best chance she had of getting these things out on her own. Picking them out with her teeth would be way too time consuming, and it was already late. There was not much light left and she had been out long enough.

He had parted ways from Reyes the moment he could. Not that he didn't like the wolf or anything - he just really didn't like the forest they were in. Too creepy, too easy for him to get lost in. And off he'd scampered, heading the opposite direction of nearby pack borders and the thick fog that swallowed him whole. The south - the south seemed safe. So far his idea was proving true. After all - the southern forests were miraculously not shrouded in mist or fog. There were still too many trees that threw his inner compass off, and it was getting dark, but he'd survive.

(That was a shot in the dark.)

But at least it had stopped snowing sometime earlier in the day. And if he were anywhere else - the ground would be covered in a thick, powdery blanket that would melt away later in the week. But it seemed like snow never touched the ground in these parts, the sickly thin pine trees supporting the weight of white fluff. He weaved through their trunks and stepped over their twisting, protruding roots all the same. The snow beneath his paws didn't crunch or pack together. Instead his paw pads soaked right through, squishing and slipping in the wet mess of snow and frozen mud.

His wandering was put to a stop when he heard a faint growl, followed by the soft murmur of a girl's voice. He stopped, ears perked and gaze wandering as he struggled to reorient himself with the noise. When all else failed he took an educated guess and off he trotted. It was some sheer luck on his part when he stumbled upon the girl, grinding her shoulder against a tree. His head cocked at the sight.

"What are you doing?"

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

Had it not been for the dozens of seeds woven so nicely into her fur, Neha might have been enjoying herself just a little bit more. But it was not to be. When a voice...an unfamiliar one... broke the endless silence amongst the pines, she was startled. It was with a jolt and a flinch, that Neha froze in place, only for a split second. Brown eyes wide, staring back at the ghostly white stranger, whose head was cocked curiously to the side. Blast! She had been discovered. Poised next to the tall pine tree, her warm but pale agouti coat littered with seeds, she was hardly the picture perfect image of a princess. More like a common pheasant with a bad hair day.

As the effects of her surprise wore off, she blinked and turned to face this new individual at a more direct angle. "Oh...." She began somewhat awkwardly, not quite sure how to go about explaining her predicament. "I was trying to find a quick way to get these awful seeds out of my fur. I don't know where I picked up so many..." She ended with an exasperated roll of her brown eyes, directed at her own carelessness. Leaning in back against the rough bark of the tree, she rubbed her flank up against it's surface to test her chosen method of seed removal. She did not let her attention waver from the male completely, though. "You didn't get any in your coat, did ya? What brings you out this way?" She asked conversationally, her high held, gently waving tail advertising her willingness to be friendly.

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

That made sense. He nodded in understanding at her explanation. The rough bark of the tree would scrape the seeds out easier than doing it by plain old grooming. He hadn't even thought of checking his own coat for seeds or anything else, but he answered all the same.

"Nah." The words rolled quick and easy off his tongue, his head shaking no. But truth be told - he couldn't be sure. He lifted one of his front legs up, neck bent at an awkward angle as he peered at glimpses of his chest and tummy. Nothing. He threw his head over his shoulder, eyeing what he could of his flank and spine. Also nothing. With all four paws solid on the ground he looked back up at her. "Nope." He chirped, now sure of the answer. There were no curious little seeds clinging to the thick white of his fur.

Which he found suspicious, seeing how he could have sworn he was cursed with bad luck...

But that wasn't the point. The point was that she had asked him a question, one he was eager to answer even if he didn't have the exact words in his head. He'd make it up as he went.

"Try'na get away from all this forest." He offered her a vague sweep of motion with his muzzle, as if to point out just which forest he could have possibly been talking about. Like there was any other nearby. "Been thinking about heading to the mountains." The mountains sounded nice to him, with how he could get a view of the entire area and that there probably wouldn't be any fog. But Reyes' words chimed in the back of his head, all gruff and short. Especially the part about him 'trying to die' and 'mountain lions.' He focused his gaze back onto her.

"Just for a little while." He said it as something to get the Reyes voice of his brain out, nodding his head as he spoke to drive the point home. The words came easier to him after that. "You?" He chirped, gaze brightening with that personal ordeal over with.

(This post was last modified: Oct 27, 2016, 03:39 AM by Cottongrass.)

Her first attempt at trying to get rid of those seeds laced in her fur worked. Her thickening coat snagged along the rough layer of bark, and when she pulled away, tufts of pale and golden hair, laced with the seeds drifted free and to the ground. "Lucky." She commented dryly, but not without humor in her voice. Now that she looked at him more closely, she could indeed see that his pale coat was free of any seeds. He must've taken a different path than she had, to avoid those bushes. Taking an extra minute to get in a few more good scrapes to remove yet more clumps of fur, Neha was finally satisfied. Although far from spotless, she looked a heck of a lot more presentable than she had a few moments ago. A little loss of fur was no big deal, as her winter coat was still growing in nicely.

Her question answered readily, she stepped towards him a few paces, tipping her head to the side. "Oh is that right? I actually came for a little escape myself." Now that the two wolves were closer in proximity, Cottongrass would likely notice the distinct scent of a pack clinging around her. And she too, observed his own lack of any scent but his own. Inwardly her mind sparked with a possibility. Here she was off in a friendly, casual conversation with a young loner. The melted snow that was just starting to layer the ground was a clear warning that the harsher months of winter were not far off. With numbers low in the Cove and this male on his own, she stood a chance of making him an offer. And then, when he mentioned going to check out the mountains, her determination was fueled even further.

Neha could be brash and straightforward, but she was also well practiced in her manners. Coming on too strong, too fast could scare many a wolf away. Her ears perked up, a gentle smile touching her lips. "Oh you were huh? Well, I happen to be from the mountains. My pack is tucked away there. I know those peaks like the back of my paw." She couldn't help but tip her chin up slightly, the pride evident in her voice. Taking one more step closer, she peered into his eyes, not in challenge, but in invitation. "If you need a guide, I would be happy to accompany you. I was thinking of heading back that way soon anyhow."

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

"Really?" He chirped, eyes wide in wonderment because his luck was turning. Turning for the better and he couldn't be happier about it. He leaned closer at her every word and he found his paws shuffling excitedly - it was his lucky day! His lucky, lucky day and his joy couldn't be contained. He pranced closer towards her on eager feet, yellow eyes meeting the girl's brown without hesitation.

"That'd be great!" He loved her offering, and the gentle wagging of his tail was replaced by something more intense. And just like that he was willing to follow the she-wolf anywhere, because they could explore the mountains and life would be grand. His thoughts began to flow freely and he didn't even mind that his brain wasn't exactly caught up to his voice.

"You should tell me about them." He pressed in close, giddy and overeager with a grin wide on his features. "About the mountains and - and your pack." His own train of thought was derailed by another one of his own thoughts. "Have you ever ran into a mountain lion?" The question was nothing but an excited rush of words from his lungs, but his ears pricked forward and he looked at her in earnest all the same. It was a serious question for him, after all.

His excitement was almost infectious. Had she been younger, further back into her early youth, Neha would have instantly latched on to his buzzing energy. But she was older now, with responsibilities to shoulder and worries weighing on her mind. The white yearling was almost overwhelming, he was so worked up. Deeming it best not to jump to any reckless conclusions. He seemed eager to tag along with her and explore the mountains, but she would be happy to fill him in on the history she knew, on the way.

"Of course I will." She replied warmly, her own tail lashing through the air, but at a much slower pace than his own. Doing one more once over of her thickening coat, Neha frowned at the remainder of seeds still tangled within the finer of her hairs. The gradually dimming light was of more importance, she noted. A reminder that she needed to head back. But having company along the way wouldn't hurt. "If we are going to travel a ways together, then I think I should at least know your name?" She suggested politely with a raised brow. As he edged ever closer, Neha found that even this was a little too close for her comfort. She took a deliberate, but modest step or two back. "A mountain lion? No, I haven't. But I have dealt with a grizzly bear before." She paused before adding. "Not alone, of course."

Turning back in the direction of the mountain that awaited them, it's peaks surely capped with snow even at this time of year, Neha started off at a slow walk, picking her way carefully through the growth of the forest. The ground was cold and wet beneath her paws, and not at all a feeling she terribly fancied. She much preferred the solid, gravely surface of rock. "As for my pack...well..." Her ears flitted back only for a split second. "...we may be small in numbers, but we are a tightly knit, unified bunch of wolves. My parents...they started it all." She said with a small smile on her charcoal lips, but her brown eyes showed signs of sadness. Things weren't what they used to be.

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

"Cool." He breathed, not even thinking to take note of her discomfort as he padded alongside her. He was too caught up in the buzz of now to worry about the little details like politeness and, oddly enough, matters of cleanliness. After all - he traipsed through the overgrowth without a care, a stark contrast in comparison to the girl's much daintier steps. He let his big paws squish in the soft terrain and his fur snag in whatever hung over them. None of that mattered to him. Because an encounter with any grizzly bear was an amazement to him, whether it was alone or with others.

"I chased a polar bear, once." And boy oh boy, had he gotten an earful for that little stint. He still didn't see why it was such a big deal, though, even all these months later. Polar bears were such scaredy-cats, after all. It was the birds - the long-tailed jaegar - that you had to worry about it. He shuddered at the memory of scared chicks and angry parent birds. His attention drifted back to the girl at the mention of her pack.

"My pack was just like that." He cawed, pride swelling in his chest because that really did sound a lot like his memories of home. Where everything was unified, tight-knit, and - and demanding. His heart gave a guilty twinge somewhere behind his rib cage. Home was where he didn't fit in and everybody was always so disappointed in him. "I - I think..." His smile fell and he couldn't help but lapse into silence as the memories threatened to take hold of him. He couldn't remember a time where someone called his name and it wasn't an exasperated sigh way back there...

That reminded him of her earlier comment, all polite and questioning. He should probably get back to her on that, the more he thought about it. The silence didn't last long and he filled the spaces between with his voice.

"Hey hey." He bumped his shoulder into hers, gentle and playful before he pranced back to what he considered a respectful distance. It wasn't much, but if the encounter strayed any deeper into the ever dangerous territory of serious conversation he just might have to turn tail and never look back. He quelled the anxiety that bubbled underneath and forced it into his paws. "I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours." His expression was a smirk with his head held low, his eyebrows drawn up in a goofy air as if it was some big secret. Because his motto was 'when things get uncomfortable, it was time to get silly.' Sure, silly for him usually meant awkward and rambling but...

Making a fool of himself wasn't infra dig for the boy and he hoped it would work this time around with the girl, whoever she was.

(This post was last modified: Nov 03, 2016, 03:48 PM by Cottongrass.)

Turning her head towards him, Neha wore a look of puzzlement. "A...polar bear huh? I can't say I've ever seen one of those." And chances were, she never would encounter the great white beasts. She had been born here among the mountains of Relic Lore, and she couldn't imagine any other place she'd rather be. "The geese are more of a pest than the bears are, actually." She commented offhandedly, unknowing that right at this moment, birds were exactly what was on his mind. "My brother has a terrible fear of them..." She added with a frown. One day, she hoped Cernan would get over his fears, but at the same time, the way he felt was justified. They had only been pups when that very first attack happened. An incident like that, so early on could be enough to scare a wolf for life.

After Cottongrass had fell into silence when he mentioned his pack, Neha picked up on his subtle shift in mood. She saw the slight frown tugging at his mouth. She shook her head softly, with a small little smile of her own. "Oh don't get me wrong. We may be hardworking, but we aren't uptight." Her parents warmly embraced all wolves in the pack, mingling with an orderly yet easygoing vibe. Had they been so cold...so demanding as the wolves in his former pack, then Vesperito and the others would not have been nearly as understanding when Namid chose to step down from leadership.

The gentle bump to her shoulder took her by surprise. And so did the reaction it brought up in her. His bouncy playfulness began to re-ignite her more mischievous side, full of flare and wit. Snaking her head down to line up with her neck, Neha looked as if she was about to pounce at him at any moment. Instead, while he was distracted with the look she was giving him, she gently slammed her right haunch against his left. "Hah. Very well, wise guy." She jeered comically. "My name is Neha Vuesain..." The words rolled off her tongue, smoothly. Without missing a beat, she looked at him pointedly, waiting for the promised award of his name in exchange.

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.