Windsong Fjord I'm not lost, but look what I found.

For @Kerberos

Wading through the mounting snow that gathered on the fjord's hillsides, Askan grumbled around the rabbit clutched between his teeth. Stupid hairy little beast. Did it really have to make things so difficult for him? Why couldn't it have stayed nice and still and died without a struggle? Was making him chase it through the snow really necessary? It's death was inevitable, why did it have to kick up such a fuss? It had been all right for the little critter. It was small and light, it had little trouble running along the snows surface. But Askan? He moved like a bulldozer, ploughing through the snow at a slow but steady pace. Not that it mattered any more, before it had managed to disappear down a warren Askan had grabbed hold of it's hindquarters and yanked the rabbit back out into the daylight, before cracking it's neck with a swift snap of his jaws. And that was that. With his prey hanging limply in his mouth, he continued his journey back to the field, weaving between the bare winter trees. Speckles of snow lingered on his dark coat and his piercing yellow eyes swept this way and that, scanning his surroundings. He wasn't too far from the pack lands, so he wasn't in such a hurry to get back. He was free to come and go as often as he liked, as long as the Rye King and Queen knew about it everything was fine. But even so, as much as the snow didn't bother him, only a fool would want to hang around in this sort of weather. Especially considering how dark the clouds were, there was no doubt in Askan's mind that the snowfall would get heavy soon. He did not want to get caught in a snowstorm, that would royally suck. So with a renewed sense of urgency, the Rye wolf trotted along. Or at least that was the case until his gaze came upon a tawny figure wandering through the snow and trees like a lost soul. They weren't close enough to the fields for their presence to irritate the Yukon wolf, but their slouched posture was more than enough to perk Askan's interest. The hell were they doing? It didn't really matter, but Askan made it his business to find out He approached without warning, with crunching footsteps, and cleared his throat once he was within ear shot. Dropping the rabbit to the floor, he spoke. "You lost kid? You sure look like it."

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(This post was last modified: Dec 30, 2016, 10:46 PM by Askan.)

Oh no, oh no, oh no. Had he wandered too far? The snows and trees were thicker up here and without Mae nearby it was hard to trust his own instincts. Hell, would he even make it back to her before the cold night settled in?

The tawny male held his nose close to the ground. Partially slouched out of lack of concern for who saw him. The area was nice but he had other things to focus on. Like where he was and how to get back to safety. It was when a voice called out to him. A savior? The young male's head snapped up as he started blankly at the dark feature. He almost didn't even realize that the stranger had asked him something. But they were close and he had to act fast.

"You lost kid? You sure look like it."

He let his tail hang limp and his head ducked softly. Purely out of respect. "Yeah, kind of." His voice a little shaky and awkward. "I was out for a little trip and it seems I've found myself further into the wilderness than I expected." Further from Mae. Kerberos couldn't show all of his cards yet. The memory of Cottongrass burned into his brain. It had left him feeling peculiar and in a constant state of questioning.

"Oh, excuse me. My name is Kerberos. You can call me Kerb if you want, it's a lot easier." A gentle smile painting his masked face. The darker male wasn't much bigger but there was a certain difference in the way they were built. Kerberos holding less meat on him than the stranger. The Rigel male didn't feel the need to size his company, though. If the wolf had approached him to ask if he was lost, he had to be friendly. Or so Kerb hoped.

(This post was last modified: Dec 19, 2016, 10:36 PM by Kerberos.)

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Askan observed the stranger with his usual stern and critical gaze. There wasn't much difference in their stature- Askan was only slightly taller- but the way he held himself, all demure and sheepish, made the wolf seem both younger and smaller than he probably was. He was a little odd to say the least, but Askan didn't find himself taking an immediate disliking to the tawny stranger. He was polite and his words were gentle, loaded with respect. In terms of first impressions, this guy hadn't made a bad one. But that wasn't to say that Askan would give him a glowing review, or that he would sing his praises. That was not in the Rye wolf's nature, if anything he made a habit of disliking most people he met, for one reason or another. Either way, Askan found this guy okay at best. His explanation on the other hand did little to help improve Askan's perception of him. "I see." Askan responded, his voice ladened with disinterest. He ignored his sweet smile with a derisive roll of his eyes and then offered his name in turn. "The name's Askan. You planning on being lost around here long?" That was a question he asked most loners he encountered. It was nothing personal, he didn't intend to run them off unless they gave him cause to. He just wanted to know whether they planned on loitering around near the field. A loner posed no threat to the pack, but Askan liked to take every factor into consideration. Even if this stranger- Kerberos- seemed incapable of even causing trouble with the Rye wolves. If anything, and this was a big if, he'd be a little pest, like a fly that wouldn't buzz off. An irritation, but all in all harmless. Insignificant. And yet he couldn't help but wonder... "Or you got somewhere else you wanna be?" Askan took a thudding step forward, taking care not to step on his rabbit. He sniffed, taking in  Kerberos' scent. Another wolf? If so, it was faint. He hadn't seen them in a while. He took another step forward, his sharp, callous gaze never leaving Kerb for a moment. "Looking for someone maybe?"

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(This post was last modified: Dec 30, 2016, 10:51 PM by Askan.)

Kerberos had been wrong it seemed. The look in this wolf's eyes and it's strong position let Kerb know he wasn't meet some new chipper buddy. The strange male even rolled his eyes and the tawny wolf was inwardly shocked. What on earth had he done to run into another damn weirdo? Okay, so maybe this one wasn't weird but he was certainly rude.

Pulling back his ears, the smile was replaced with a scowl. It was truly an unusual look for Kerberos that had started to work it's way to becoming usual. "I didn't even intend to get lost in the first place. Why would I wanna stay lost, let alone around here, for long?" Was this wolf missing one too many marbles like Cottongrass? Kerberos prayed he wasn't. One awkward encounter had been enough.

There were more questions but this time they came with motion. Another unnecessary step forward. Kerberos wanted to back up, turn around and leave. He had no idea what this wolf planned on doing to him. He wasn't even invading on their lands. Trying his best to stand still and tall, Kerb kept his eyes on Askan. "Matter of fact, Askan, I am looking for someone." His words had been rather blunt and to the point. The Rigel wolf was quickly coming to a realization that maybe the wolves in these lands didn't work well with chipper attitudes and he'd have to rough himself up more. "What about you? Don't you have somewhere better to be than out in the cold?" He questioned back. With the dark male smelling like others, he knew that Askan could be in a much safer, warmer, comfortable place. So why was he out here bothering wolves who weren't doing wrong? "Bit of a jerk." Kerberos chimed to himself mentally.

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Kerberos' demeanour shifted in an instant. One moment his posture had been relaxed, if not a little shameful, the next he went stiff and his expression turned grim. Resentful even. Askan did not like that, not a bit. He mirrored the loner's stance and narrowed his eyes in discontent. What was wrong with him? What had caused his sudden change in temperament? Askan had said nothing wrong, he hadn't asked him anything he shouldn't, or at least he thought he hadn't. His questions were rather blunt, but they weren't prying or too invasive. But no matter Askan's intentions, Kerberos seemed to take a disliking to his questions, and the Rye wolf- for the life of him- didn't know why. "I don't know you, how am I supposed to know why?" His words were curt, but his confusion was genuine. But then Kerberos continued and his harsh trail of words gained momentum, as though he were building up to something. A climax perhaps? He was looking for someone? Who? Actually, he didn't really care. He doubted he knew them anyway, so it wasn't as if he could help all that much. Even if he had wanted to, so really this conversation was a waste of their time. And yet Askan did not leave. "I do, I was heading back. Got a pack nearby." Kerberos was right in that regard, Askan would rather be at home than here in these woods in the cold. He didn't mind being with the others, they weren't the worst. Their presence was tolerable, but best of all he loved his home. He loved the openness of the field, he loved the sense of freedom that came with it. It was far better than the confines of these woods anyway. Better than being scowled at by this loner, a lot of things were better than this

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(This post was last modified: Dec 30, 2016, 10:55 PM by Askan.)

Kerberos wasn't content with any of this. If he had it his way he would have just stuck close to Maera today. Never would he have decided to stray so far. Of course, he had mentioned it to her that he was taking a little longer trip than usual but he wondered if it was worth it. Nothing up here had proved to be worth his time. Even the dark male before him.

"I don't know you, how am I supposed to know why?"

The tawny male could rattle off a list of reasons why he was supposed to know. Common sense hit the top of the list, though. Who really wanted to stay lost? Kerb couldn't think of any wolf with a lick of sense who would. At least not in this frigid weather. Instead of entertaining Askan with a list of reasons why he was supposed to know, Kerberos simply chuffed. "Ridiculous." He inwardly mused with himself.

But then Askan almost seemed to comply with the brash words Kerb had thrown. There was a pack nearby. How nearby? Was it worth talking to Mae about even though she was so hellbent on staying alone? He figured it wouldn't hurt to try and polietly ask. "How far from here? Don't wanna be running through guarded land and all." He paused and wondered if that sounded exactly right. "More as in running through, possibly using your hunting lands or coming too close to your borders unannounced. Don't think I could miss marked pack borders." At least he didn't think he would. His home borders had been nicely marked mostly by the more dominate wolves of his pack but everyone did some contribution. Except for him. Mother and 'father' had always insisted he focused more on his lessons before trying to squeeze into rolls. But look where that had gotten him. Alone in the woods with Mae nowhere to be found and some stranger in front of him. He contemplated trying to return home, usually at night when he missed the warmth of his family. Kerberos knew that'd be a let down to Mae, his family, and himself. So he'd have to stick it through the winter with Maera before deciding what to do once spring rolled around.

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Kerberos' change in temperament took Askan by surprise. One moment he had been snappy and crass, but now his voice was even and polite. Not a hint of malice lingered in his pale yellow eyes, if anything he seemed curious, but careful. As though he didn't want to intrude or overstep his mark. Good. It seemed as though the loner did indeed have some common sense. Even though he had offended Askan with his blunt words, the Rye wolf wasn't unreasonable, there was a chance he could be forgiven if he continued to act appropriately. Askan took a moment to consider his response. Whilst he had no intention to be vague or dismissive of Kerberos' questions, he didn't want to spill all of their secrets either. It was a fine line to walk, he had to say enough to appease him but not so much that he was giving too much away. Askan wasn't trying to hide anything, nor did the pack have anything shameful to hide, he was just trying to protect them. As always. "You're not on our doorstep." Askan told him, then pointed with his snout. "Need to go further east, about half a day's walk." Kerberos' didn't stop at a simple question. Oh no, he rambled on for a while. Probably with the intention of clarifying his former words, but in the end all he managed to do was to make Askan roll his eyes. Damn it. He was one of those, the sort of wolf that talked too much but in the end didn't say all that much. How irritating, after all what was Askan supposed to say to that? He was tempted to just ignore him, to move on as he so often did. But he did bring up a valid point, sort of anyway. "Don't worry too much. You can't miss the borders. I tend to them myself." He puffed up a little at that, proud of his hard work. "But for the record, if you do turn up at someone's borders don't just swan in. That's a great way to piss people off. Let them know your there." It wasn't his business, he didn't care what happened to the guy, but he felt as though he might as well throw him a bone. If he didn't wanna follow his advice then it was his problem. This was Askan's backhand way of rewarding him for changing his tune and talking to him in a way the Yukon wolf found agreeable.

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(This post was last modified: Dec 30, 2016, 11:01 PM by Askan.)

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

Kerberos seemed to always find himself in strange situations. Askan was no exception to that either. In fact, it seemed to be mostly males that the Rigel male had issues handling. Perhaps he wasn't manly enough to be around other males. I mean, he was a momma's boy.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks." He offered a polite nod of his head. The tawny male would certainly tell such information to Maera. Especially since she had that awkward issue with being around packs or even looking into one. He wondered if he could corral her to at least talk about the idea. While he did respect her decisions to stay a lone wolf, he also respected her enough to try his best to keep the stubborn female alive.

Askan stated information that Kerberos didn't find extremely useful but it was better than nothing. "Thanks, again." The tawny male was a bit lost on what to say. Didn't most wolves know better than to just go dancing into someone's home? The young male would have scoffed but he needed to try and keep things neutral before moving on from this awkwardness. "Anything else you're willing to share? Information wise." Kerberos wasn't trying to beg for food. Him and Maera could manage that well. But information was more valuable. Anything to make staying a loner and alive easier.

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Askan sniffed derisively as he glanced down at the rabbit laid at his feet. What else was there to say? Askan didn't talk for conversations sake, he said what he wanted and left it at that. There was no use prattling on and on about something that didn't matter to him, or to anyone else. Then again... Askan's gaze slid over to Kerberos and his brows scrunched into a thoughtful frown. He'd told other loners this before, but he figured he might as well pass on this message again. For his own personal reasons. "If you're planning on heading north anytime, watch for the Whitestone wolves. Especially their leader, @Craw, he's a nasty piece of work. Nothing he'd like more than to ruin your day." The Yukon wolf paused again, wracking his brain for something to say. Finally, he thought of something. "It's not really advice or nothing but are you going to be okay on your own, during the winter?" He wasn't worried for him, it was his fault if he chose to remain a loner. And Askan really didn't care for his welfare or nothing but... "It's only gonna get worse you know. Nothing wrong with asking for help." He shrugged, making an effort to prove how much he really didn't care. Not that he needed to or nothing. What else, what else? Askan dug his foot into the snow and dragged it back, leaving a furrow in his wake. He huffed out a sigh and watched his breath cloud out in front of him. Damn it, it was cold out and like he'd said with the passing days it would only get worse until it was almost unbearable. What sort of wolf would choose to be alone at a time like this? Well, he wasn't really alone was he, he had his 'friend.' Whoever they were. But two wolves could only do so much, as the months passed surely food would become even more scarce, to the point where they might not be able to hunt enough to keep them both fed. Askan was grateful that the Field's caches were well stocked, otherwise they too would struggle.

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