Sacred Grove sinner

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The snow settled on the ground, reminding her of how little time she had left before things started to get harder. The winters were always harder for her, made her bones ache with the violent hunger pains and sapped away at her energy slowly but surely… but she’d endure. She always did. Her paws had brought her to a grove, sniffing around for food to sustain her at least another day. She felt like she’d been searching from there to Kingdom Come and every nook and cranny in between. Her stomach growled as a frown found her features, her eyes steadily locked on what she believed to be rabbit tracks.

Knowing her luck, they were probably a dead end. She couldn’t even catch a scent off of them! Everything was either hiding in holes or migrating towards the south by this point… but at least the sun was out, the sky clear and the rays reflecting off of the snow that laced the ground and turned it frigid and stiff. She’d have to find a place to burrow down soon, settle into a small little home for her to have as a constant throughout the winter, to store food in if she should be graced enough to find more than she could eat. It had never happened, but she was optimistic.

Perhaps she should find a place higher up, to remind her of home, of ma and pa… the thought didn’t last long in her head, being reminded of the dangers that had come from living on the Peak during her infant months. Even in the best conditions, it could be dangerous. No, the lower ground was probably better for her. Her swarthy coat had bulked out to keep her insulated and somewhat warm despite the weather. It made her feel fluffy and a little fat, but at least she didn’t have to worry as much about hypothermia!

No, her search would continue, and if she was fortunate enough to find a source of prey, perhaps she could settle down. She hadn’t detected a pack border the entire time she’d been there, though that could have merely been luck of the wind. She’d have to scope it out more to be sure.

Oh horrible! His nose had started feeling a little numb from sniffing down by the snow for a scent. Anything to give him a lead to either food or other wolves. He had constantly come up empty, though. "Alas, I've never been one for solo work.." Lately it had been only his thoughts that kept him company. Kerberos wasn't used to not having others around him. Everything had been so homey and close-knit in his old valley home. Of course, the Clan knew best when they pushed him out into the world! Didn't they?

He trusted his mother and 'father' would have said something or kept him home if they weren't sure of his capabilities. But being alone through a winter just didn't seem ideal to the young lad. The nights were always so cold and lonely while the days felt hollow and rather odd. While his family had wished for him to go seek others and start a new Clan, Kerb hoped they'd understand if he waited till warmer months to do so. "I don't even really wanna lead!" He thought it silly for him to lead. He was much better as a working member than some fancy king who lead others.

The fog of thoughts in his brain cleared. A scent had come forward. One of a wolf! Practically bounding through the snow to find who it belonged to Kerberos let out a bark. "Hello! Hello!"

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

@Kerberos

The woman had come to a halt near the shallow pond she’d stopped at earlier to rehydrate, her nose sniffing around and a grin growing on her face to see the several small creatures that were stuck wiggling around. The water was shallow, and frozen over but she was confident that she could break through the ice to reach the creatures below it. She hated fish, but she didn’t have the right to be picky when it came to food in the winter months. Her paw was raised, just about to start the assault on the ice when she heard a voice, freezing in place for a second, eyes widening and ears perking up as her head turned wicked fast. She had to protect her food.

It was hers and no one else’s! She’d found it first and she needed it in order to survive. In any other season, she might have considered sharing it… but it was okay. She hadn’t broken the ice yet, so it was possible that she could keep the fishes hidden from the man who was approaching her. “Hello!” She offered, putting up a cheery attitude to the table, a smile crossing her features when he came into view, her moving away from the pond just in case. He was a loner, or at the very least, that was what she believed he was.

It was hard to tell sometimes, whether a scout had just been away for a very long time or if someone was truly a lone wolf. She’d lived her life by that, no thanks to her aunt and uncle… though she refused to be bitter about it, and she was thankful for the life experience it’d provided her with. She could survive and endure the harsh weathers of the mountains in the winter… and it made her think that she could survive anything. “It’s not every day I get to talk to another wolf!” She admitted out loud, being far too familiar with the idea of being cut off from the sociality that often came with being a wolf. She got lonely at times, but she lost herself to her thoughts to ignore the pain that came with being alone.

His bounding came to an end when a dark figure stood out against an ivory background. The cheerful hello that was offered back was extremely refreshing. Stopping a few feet away his tail hung low but wagged with excitement. "I'm so glad to have ran into someone! I'm new round these parts." Despite a usually solemn and sad looking face, Kerberos present a large smile. A rather abundant happiness was swelling in his pale dandelion eyes.

"So how long have you been out by yourself?" His head cocked to the side with curiosity. "I mean, I kinda stopped keeping track but it's been a while for me! You're the first wolf I've come across." Kerberos couldn't have stopped himself from chatting even if he wanted to. It was like a sensory overload for him, finally having crossed paths with someone he could hold a conversation with.

Suddenly he remembered his manners and realized he had left out an introduction. "Oh, I'm Kerberos by the way. Most wolves just call me Kerb, though. It's a lot easier on the tongue." His words a polite woof out to the female. He figure a nice little introduction would get the ball rolling between them.

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She was partially relieved to see him holding a similar disposition, her smile growing more relaxed and natural rather than the forced façade it had originally been to cover her tracks and hide her food source. The fish weren’t going anywhere; after all… they’d been trapped. She just had to worry about something else finding it first. His words caused her tail to start wagging slowly, a bright yet soft demeanor in her milk chocolate brown eyes. “I’m new to these lands as well! It’s a little daunting at first, but I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.” She almost felt like that was a lie, but then again, it was hard to establish when “these parts” started and ended.

He was full of questions it seemed, which caused her to have a guarded look hiding behind the warm and welcoming nature she’d casted around her when this little venture had started. It’d been a while since she talked to others… “I’ve been out by myself almost my whole life.” She admitted, proud of the fact, but far from thrasonical about it. It wasn’t that she was opposed to the idea of joining a pack… she just felt that she’d never found one that suited to her interests and personality all that well.

Finally he gave a name to the rambling mouth and tawny features… Kerberos. “It’s nice to meet you Kerb!” She opted to use the nickname, because he was right and it was a lot easier on the tongue than his full name. “My name’s Maera, though most of the time my brother called me Rae, and my parents called me Mae.” She explained, offering him an abundance of options though she secretly hoped he’d call her Mae. Rae had been a special little thing between her and Kael that she would not soon let slip from him, even if they were months of wandering apart from each other.

“I’ve been a lone wolf my own life, so I’m use to running into strangers by now.” She teased lightly, figuring it might make his transition into living a loner life a little easier. It’d been a while for him, but it took a while to adjust.

While he wasn't thrilled to hear she was new too, it did make his arrival easier to swallow. He wondered if she was new here than how many others were here and new as well. Maybe it was just a hotspot for new wolves! Kerberos could only hope.

Her next words made his eyes widen, though. "Your whole life! So you must be like crazy strong or something, right?" His tail wagged a bit more feverishly, a true look of admiration on his masked face. He wondered why she chose such a life but who was he to judge. Kerberos was the complete opposite. A mama's boy who would have stayed home his whole life if he could have.

He smiled at the mention of her name. It seemed like such a gentle name for a strong wolf. "I like Mae! It reminds me of warmer months when the flowers start to bloom and all the nice stuff." He was such a gentle and tender-hearted boy. It was a surprise nothing had ate him whole yet. She spoke about her life as a lone wolf again and Kerberos had to take a moment to stare in awe. "I don't know how ya did it, Mae. Back in the valley that I'm from everyone stuck real close together! I admire that, though. I'm not sure how this whole lone wolf thing works but I'm sorta gettin' the hang of it."

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His eyes widened and she found herself amused just by the sheer amount of shock on his features to learn that she’d been a loner her entire life, a soft chortle off her maw as she nodded. “In some ways, I guess… though I don’t have the whole conversation thing down yet. I guess I’ve never really thought about it too much.” She was just joking around, but part of her statement did ring true. She hadn’t really thought about life in any other way than being alone, especially given her temperament towards her aunt and uncle with the way they’d treated her family. She wasn’t entirely certain she had the strength that it took to be a part of a pack.

She was headstrong and stubborn, and because of that, she was almost certain that she’d but heads with the alphas just like how she’d blown up on her aunt when her mother went begging for a home to her. Perhaps she was just better suited for life alone? Only time would be able to really tell. He settled on Mae, explaining his thoughts on the nickname. He was a funny dude, she had to admit it. Just something about him put a grin on her face and a laugh in her throat that she had to keep fighting back. She didn’t want to come across rude or mockingly because that was far from her intentions.

It was all complicated and jumbled in her head. “I guess, when you’re raised in the lifestyle, it’s easier… I don’t know if I could do what you did, and work together with others. I might be a little too greedy for it. I really like food.” Of course, the last part was just a tease, and she hoped that he picked up on it. “It’s hard to adjust to… the food in the wintertime is probably the hardest part in my opinion, and some days you end up going hungry but it just pushes you further to keep you going. It just sorta becomes instinct..” She’d be an expert on it, wouldn’t she?

"I don’t have the whole conversation thing down yet"

"Well you're doing great." A wolfish wink was given and the tawny male planted his rump in the ground. He was content to sit here and chat through all of the winter. In reality, he knew neither of them could do that. But it was nice to pretend a bit.

Her words caused a gentle laughter to rise up from within him. "Don't worry, I like food too. Sometimes my mom had to pop me on the nose for eating a hare more than I should." It was the truth. With prey plenty in the valley, Kerberos had constantly munched more than he should have. His body may not have shown it but he certainly felt it when he had left the Clan. "I think I understand what you mean. It's hard to get out of your little shelter on those mornings but the consequences can be bad if you don't." His face fell into a frown for only a moment before lighting up again.

"Hey, I got an idea! Maybe we can do some traveling then meet back up? Or travel together before splitting? Two heads are better than one and it brings in more food." His tail thumped against the frozen ground and his ears stood alert for her answer. Truth be told, Kerb really wasn't going to be crushed if she accepted or denied the offers. It was a shot in the dark and a chance for them to not be so alone. For at least a little bit.

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The reassurance was nice, and Maera was thankful that this was the face she’d run into, and not one that liked to show a lot more tooth in a much more vicious manner. It seemed that she could easily talk to this man, and that was relieving since normally she just hissed at it until it went away, and maybe bit it a little. “Thanks!” She took that compliment with a stride before he laughed a little, and her smile grew even more, her tail wagging faster than before as she listened patiently, a soft chuckle as he talked about his mother having to scold him for over-eating. She knew that pain, when the summer months came and she stuffed herself full of hares… it was easy to regret it sometimes, seeing as she’d never been use to eating a lot in the first place.

Then he presented his grand idea after talking about the difficulties of getting up in the morning to hunt when all you wanted to do was sleep in. She understood that on a deep emotional level. She was hesitant about this offer, but she didn’t let it show… but it made sense… but she didn’t even know this man despite the fact that he had a bubbly personality, loved food, and his name was Kerberos. Still, the food and company might be nice… and she was confident that if it came down to it, she could definitely beat him in a fight.

“We could… but I hardly know you… tell me a little more about yourself.” She felt her concern was justifiable, given that she’d explained she’d been a loner her entire life and wasn’t accustomed to cohabitation like any pack wolf might be. “I’ll tell you a little more about me in return!” That would only be fair since she hadn’t shared very much information either.