Broken Timber Pines adventurers

Broken Timber Pines, Early morning, Patchy moderate snow, 34 ° F, 1 ° C

Mathuin

The trouble with the storm inside us grew
But I still had so much to give

He felt grateful that @Astrid hadn't left him despite the stink that clung to his fur. The yearling wasted time looking for a good bathing place and burying his face in the snow. He made sure to not make too much contact with the honey girl so that she wouldn't have to smell as bad as him. Even after a long day of adventuring, he would try to make sure she had somewhere comfortable to rest while he wallowed in snow till he fell asleep. It wasn't a lavish lifestyle but it was an adventurous one.

The duo had found a place north from the skunk hole that was different in lots of ways. There were fallen trees to climb over, lay on, and try to balance on. It felt like the winter days were endless with such a bubbly friend around. Maybe Astrid had been right about adventuring the bad weather away.

Mathuin was quick to set up a place for them to rest by a fallen log, trying his best to dig underneath it to create a place to tuck away. It was an easy home and tomorrow they could keep exploring.

In the morning he had awoke covered in snow. Green eyes peered out from the wolf-shaped lump. He slowly got up and stretched out his large form. His stomach rumbled with a clear sign of hunger but he knew something else needed to be done first. Mathuin desperately needed to wash. "AAAAASTRIIIIIID!" He called out into the air as a few birds scattered. The large yearling knew that was kind of rude but he figured it wouldn't bother his bubbly companion too much, right?

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

Astrid was having a great time with her new friend, even if he smelled like a dead raccoon that had been sitting out in the summer sun for a few weeks. To imagine if she had been the one to stick her nose in there first! She supposed she was lucky that Mathuin had been the braver of the two, and that she hadn't been the one to get sprayed in the face by the acrid stink-weasel juice. Together they ventured north, Astrid keeping a respectable distance up-wind from her unfortunately odored friend.

Warmth was starting to creep in across the land, turning the snow just the slightest bit slushy during the day only to freeze back into a solid crust by nightfall. Astrid had dug herself in on the opposite end of the log from her explorer friend, wanting to stay close but not close enough that she'd have to smell him all night. 

Astrid was sleeping peacefully, buried in snow with her snout jammed underneath the log when a loud shout woke her from her dreams. With a jolt she woke, suddenly lifting her head and whacking her skull on the wood. "Ow!" She yelped, scrunching her eyes as she backed out from the tree stump. "Geez, you scared me!" She squeaked as she tread closer to the dark coated male with her tail swishing, clearly not too upset with her sudden awakening. 

Astrid + Mathuin

Two Pure Peanuts

He heard the thump of her head and instantly felt bad. "Oh oh I'm sorry are you okay?" Mathuin apologetically lowered himself with a sheepish smile. His tail hung between his legs as his green eyes looked towards his honey friend. "I wasn't sure if you might have been out already or were still sleeping." A laugh bubbled up from within the young male. It wasn't like him and Astrid explored extremely far from each other. Maybe that yelling had been a bit too much.

"I was gonna go find a place to wash again, figured you might wanna come with?" That sounded a bit weird now that he thought about it. "I mean, like, you don't need to bathe but like I do and I don't know if you wanted to be alone or come along or something." He awkwardly fumbled over his words trying to make himself sound less like a weirdo. The best thing he could do was change the topic and take charge. "I'll race you!" He blurted out and turned around to run off into the timber. A stream of barks was let out as he tried his best to avoid the large fallen logs. His tail waved high in the air to show his playfully childish nature.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

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

Astrid's mouth drew open in a long, sleepy yawn. "Nope, just sleeping and trying not to freeze my nose off." She said. Astrid smiled breezily as Mathuin stumbled over his words, not minding that it took him some effort to get his point across. "Of course I will!" She nodded without hesitation. "Can't let you have all the fun alone, now can I?" She grinned.

"Hey!" She shouted as he took off. That wasn't fair, he was getting a head start! An impish smirk lit up her face and the honeyed wolf was after him, her paws digging into the snow as she flung herself forward. She dashed along in his tracks like a lightning bolt, weaving over and under the fallen timbers in her way. She wouldn't let him get away that easy! And indeed, the smaller girl quickly caught up with her larger companion, panting as she ran shoulder-to-shoulder with him. 

Doing a bit of showing off, she danced along the top of a fallen timber that had propped itself up on the stump of another, jumping off in a flying leap with a joyous bark. She repeated the feat again on the next trunk in her path, arching her back as she leapt off its peak with the grace of a gymnast. But she was going so quickly she didn't see the short drop-off ahead. Where her paws expected to meet the ground there was instead empty space. And then, an icy splash as she fell into the river below.

Astrid + Mathuin

Two Pure Peanuts

He couldn't have asked for a better peanut wolf to adventure with. His honeyed friend didn't mind his awkward words and instead came along. Green eyes watched in awe as she moved like magic. Perhaps that was why she had such a whimsical name, @Astrid. He barked eagerly as he tried his best to keep pace with her leaping form. Mathuin hadn't ever seen anyone move like that.

Suddenly he watched her disappear into the earth. Panic set in and without a care that he'd likely stink her up he gave chase. Running into the word and grabbing her scruff to try and haul her out of the water. He wanted to make sure she was alive and okay. Like an anxious child, he whined and nosed over her cold honey fur. He was about to lose a new friend just because they had been having a bit too much adventure. She would be okay, he was positive.

The Large yearling ignored the cold that seeped through his fur. Until he could be positive that the honeyed Astrid was okay he would stand in the cold river looking like a drenched rat. Well, perhaps not a rat because he was a bit large for that comparison but the point was still there nonetheless.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

Astrid squeaked and flailed pitifully against the flow of the icy cold water she suddenly found herself submerged in. In her wild flopping she didn't noticed that the riverbed was right beneath her paws, and it would be easy enough for her to simply stand up and walk her way right out. She felt something tugging on the fur of her nape, her nose rising into the brisk air above the curent and coughing up mouthfuls of water. She blinked, seeing Mathuin's dark fur from the corner of her eye. Fortunately the boy was sturdy enough to drag her smaller frame along without much help from her.

On dry ground, Astrid flopped on her belly, sneezing a dozen times in a row to clear the water that had seeped into her nose. That was a close one, but it hadn't turned out all so bad. In hindsight, it had been kind of fun in a scary, exciting way. Astrid had never done anything like that before, and while she didn't intend on dropping into any rivers unawares again, she didn't regret the experience. Big brown eyes rolled to look up at the dark worried face looming above her. "Oh, Mat!" She laughed. "That look doesn't suit you, you know! You're gonna give yourself grey hairs!" She laughed, jumping up and licking her friend's chin. She bumped his neck with her forehead, giggling. He was a grey wolf after all. "Well, more than you have now at least." She smiled, her waterlogged tail swinging behind her and flicking stray droplets to and fro.  

Astrid + Mathuin

Two Pure Peanuts

Once she was on the ground he let out a very soft whine. The worry would have kept eating at him had it not been for those strings of sneezing. A heavy sigh left his lips as she seemed to be just fine. Her usual chipperness didn't seem to be dimmed by the water experience. His soaked tail thumped at her concern for him. "What? You don't think I'd look cool with some gray streaks?" He giggled and rested his chin on her head for a brief moment. That was more excitement than he had been looking for this morning. "I got some already?" He jokingly asked and moved towards the water to try and catch a reflection in the moving water.

Carefully he moved into the water where he had just dragged Astrid out of. He dunked his smelly face in for a few moments before lifting it up. He certainly didn't look so buff with his fur drenched. "So, uh," He shook out his fur and got back out of the water. "whatcha wanna do today?" The large Whitebark tilted his head slightly. Surely his sunshine of a friend had something in mind or at least something she thought would be a good idea. Really he was okay with anything but something that involved water.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

Astrid hummed at Mathuin's question, her chin pointing upwards as she stared at the forest canopy, brown eyes searching the newly budding leaves as if she might find an answer there. The sky was the limit, there was nothing they couldn't do, or so Astrid believed. "Well..." Astrid hummed. "This place is real big. I mean, we can't be the only wolves here, can we?" She asked, glittering brown eyes looking back down towards her soaking wet companion. Her golden tail started to sway quickly, whacking the sides of her rump. 

"We could find some other wolves! Just a whole bunch of us, wouldn't that be fun?" Her pale paws started to move restlessly, bouncing her body up and down in place. "We could all get together, and catch something really big! A big fat marmot. No, a deer! No, better, a whole moose! And we could find a real big cave and all live in it! Oh, and there'd be a little stream right out front, with little cattails growing on the bank!" She quickly spun in a circle, quickly worked up into a frenzy by her own excitement. "Whadda ya say, Mat?" She skipped forward, spinning a small pirouette and bumping her friend's shoulder with her haunch and ignoring the slight skunky funk that still clung to the boy. "Let's start a pack!" She grinned, clearly not considering that she was biting off far more than she could chew.

Astrid + Mathuin

Two Pure Peanuts

He took a seat and scratched behind his ear while Astrid talked. "I doubt we're all alone." The large yearling agreed with Astrid. This place was huge and while most of his interactions had happened far from here he didn't think that meant no one was around but them. Although he assumed that wouldn't be the worst thing. This whole expanse to themselves to roam and explore. Mathuin couldn't ask for a better friend to do it with too.

Green eyes opened wide as she began to shoot off all sorts of ideas. Well, really it was one big idea that she seemed to have a bunch of smaller ideas about. At first, Mathuin just assumed she wanted to hunt with others. The grand idea of a moose was tempting but where would they find that many wolves and where would they find a moose? Then it switched to them all living together in some big cave with a stream with something like cattails growing on the shore. He watched a bit speechless as she spun about in circles. Her energy usually surged into him but right now he just felt floored and overwhelmed.

"Whadda ya say, Mat?"

He wasn't sure. The large boy didn't want to say no but he wasn't sure he could say yes. Even when she bumped into him he couldn't do much but stare at the dancing honey girl.

"Let's start a pack!"

Mathuin felt his throat tighten out of excitement and fear. If he told her no would she get upset and leave? If he told her yes but couldn't get a proper band together and fill all those requirements she wanted would she leave? He opened his mouth but nothing seemed to come out. Instead, he stood up and moved to gently place his chin on her back. He wondered if she might tuck under him like usual, stay still, or pull away from him. "I mean, how do we do that? Where do you find a cave with a stream and cattails? What would we stand for and who would stand with us?" Even if he left home in search of the new, his family's morals still settled in him. "If you really want to though..." His voice trailed off and the large male glanced at Astrid's face. "I'll be by your side." It was the least he could do for his new friend because he wasn't about to lose her.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts