Edge Stone Pool Search Party of One

Everyday for the past few days Oksana had been at the borders waiting for her mum to appear. Inna had yet to return and the black pup became more and more worried that something had happened to her by the day. She didn't want to go to anyone afraid her mother hadn't said anything about her departure to them and not wanting to get her into trouble. As she looked it into the forest of Kingsfalls each day she contemplated going after Inna. She didn't know where she would look but she thought the lowlands would be a good place, it was so big and Oksana had the impression it was easy to get lost in. Maybe her mum had gotten lost and couldn't find her way back home.

The youngest Baranski finally made her decision and didn't care about the consequences, she was going to find her mum. So she left Hearthwood traveling toward the Lowlands or where she knew the kingswood to open up into it. She didn't know where she would go from there but she was going. The pup didn't know how long she'd been traveling without sign of her mother but when the scent of water reached her nose she had to stop. When she got there she found that it wasn't going to be as easy as she had thought.

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The area around him had changed from forest's and hills to a flat and almost barren land. IF it weren't for the tall grass that grew and the occasional bird he scared up he would have thought that it wasn't the home to anything. If there was grass then there was prey, now if he could find some water. He didn't so much feel thirsty but he wanted to know a bit more about the area he had found himself in. Every other place he had gone there had been water so Reid figured that there would be some in this area as well.

Letting his nose guide him Reid walked across the flat land until he found himself walking along the edge of what appeared to be a forest. Had he traveled through it already? He wasn't quite sure but it didn't really matter. With a lazy smile on his, face he found the scent of water growing stronger and he could actually hear it as well. The rushing was a bit louder than what he was used to in rivers. He figured there was either rapids or waterfalls. He didn't notice if either of those ideas were true though because he realized that he wasn't alone.

In front of him gazing at he assumed the water was a pup. Careful he scanned the area he didn't want to get chomped on by a protective Mom but he doubted that any parent would just let their kid wander out here. He hadn't smelled any packs near hear either. Had this pup gone on the run? The thought was amusing but Reid doubted that without some form of help that this pup was going to make it for too long. Had she even been taught how to hunt yet?

Throwing on a smile he wandered up to her, his tail swinging loosly behind him. What are you watching so intently?

It wasn't until she really got out into the Lowlands that Oksana realized just how daunting a task of finding her mother would be in such a place. The dark pup didn't know where to look it even if her mother was still there. Even still she'd made her decision and if anything she was determined. She missed her mum and she was worried about her now that she understood a lot more about what her mum was going through. Inna's decision to leave Hearthwood seemed like a sudden decision to Oksana. So sudden that the smudge had considered it a little odd once she'd had a chance to really process.

She hoped that if it was found it she had left Hearthwood for longer than usual that they would understand. She had to find her mum and convince her to return to home. As the sun beat down in her dark coat and having been out in her own for most of the day Oksana was starting to wonder if she'd made a very bad decision. She remembered when Lorc, her father, had gone away and she'd wanted to look for him. She'd been too young then but she wasn't now, she was bigger. She could catch hoppers and she could find water but still she felt that what she had undertaken was something she wasn't ready for.

Before she had seen the water she felt that it would be easy like the river or the lake, walk up to it have her fill and continued on. As she got closer she could hear the rushing of the water and then she saw the problem that faced her. She'd found water alright, but getting to it...she just couldn't see how she was to do that. Then she smelled him and heard his voice as he asked what she was starting at. The dark pup turned to find a man behind her that she didn't know and for a moment she just looked at him taking in his size and color, the way he had spoken. He seemed nice enough so she accepted his presence but remained cautious as her mother had taught her.

With another look down to where the water was she spoke, “I’m looking for a way down there.” Oksana looked back at him, “Do you know the way?”

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As he neared the pup he noticed that the scent of pack clung to her. Reid felt like he had smiled it before but he couldn't quite place it. Maybe he had neared there borders at some point. In any case why was out here on her own. Was her pack stupid enough to not even know when one of their younger members disappeared? He would like to give them an earful but he was going to take one step at a time and see what happened next.

Reid noted that she was a bit wary of him as her orange eyes sized him up. His smile grew as he found himself approving of it because if some other wolf had come up to her with intentions to harm that wariness could help her. Reid didn't know a lot about pups but having had younger siblings he felt a bit protective of them. Of course, when they grew up they were on there own.

She explained that she wanted to get down to where the water was and Reid raised a brow as he finally looked down to the water. It was almost like staring into a pit, a pretty pit with waterfalls but a pit nonetheless. Give me a second and I'll see what I can do. He eyed the sides trying to find a path of some kind but found none. It looked like this spot wasn't very used. Pacing a bit he tried to look for a route down. Reid didn't know why she wanted to go down there. If it was to drink it might be easier to pull her up further north where they wouldn't have to climb. However if it was to play he doubted she would leave that easy.

Finally, he spotted what he hoped was a way down. There were a couple of large rocks that they could use like stepping stones but that was only when they neared the bottom to get to them they would have to try and go down a less stable route filled with small rocks. We can try over there. He told her nodding to the direction of the route. Going over to the edge he glanced to her. Do want to try going done first or do you want to follow me down? He wanted to make sure that she didn't get hurt but she also needed to do what she was most comfortable with.

The dark pup watched the man as she told him what she was doing. It was the first time she had run into an adult outside the territory and had she been in Hearthwood still she might have been a little more confident like when she'd met Ferdie. This was different than that, it was the sort of thing her mother had warned her about when she had forbid her from leaving pack lands. Oksana didn't take her eyes off him even though he seemed nice. She needed to be prepared in case she had to run away but if he was offering help she would take it.

The smudge needed to get to the water for a drink and though she'd been looking she still hadn't found a way down. She had to wonder if there was one and if other wolves had come to this place for water in the past. If they had how did they get down there? Maybe there was a path that she just hadn't seen yet but maybe the man would know about it or be able to see it. Maybe he had even been to this place before, she didn't know but she knew she would be stupid to turn his offer of help away. It had even occurred to her that maybe he had come across her mother so she had to ask but not just then.

After telling him she wanted to get down to the water she waited to see what his response would be. The pup was very pleased when she said he'd see what he could do. She nodded, “I can wait,” she told especially since she needed the water if she was going to find her mum. Oksana didn't know of any other water sources nearby so she had to figure this out. The dark pup did watch the man this time to see what he did to figure out the problem of getting down to the the small lake at the bottom of the waterfalls.

Oksana stepped a little closer but remained out of reach as he spoke about a place they could try and use. She peered in the direction he indicated before looking back up at him. She wasn't so sure about trying to get down that way but if it was the only way Oksana felt they had to try. She thought about his question for a moment and decided it would be better if she could watch him go down. The young Baranski could then see where he put his paws to make sure he went down safely. “Follow you down,” she told, “I think it would be safer that way. What's your name?”

(This post was last modified: Oct 17, 2017, 02:40 AM by Oksana.)

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He had decided that he didn't care about her reason for getting into the pit. If she wanted to go down there that was fine. He didn't have anything else that he needed to give his attention to anyway. So why not entertain the pup and help her out a bit and in the process he could amuse himself a bit. Plus he had been looking for water anyway and now here it was. Reid was still waiting for another wolf to show up, all snarls and growls because he was near a pack pup that had left the safety of the territory.

The pup had waited patiently while he had looked for a route and to be honest he was a bit surprised. Most of the younger wolves and even some of the older ones would have been trying to rush down or find a path or even make one. To have someone as young as her patiently waiting for him. Well, he couldn't help but be a bit impressed with her.

He watched as she eyed the route that he had pointed out and she didn't look impressed with it. Reid honestly wasn't either but it was the only one that he could spot. Maybe a wolf that knew this spot would have found a safer way down but this was his first time being here. She answered his question by saying that she would follow him down because she thought it would be safer and Reid nodded with a grin. Alrighty then, just make sure not to get too close to me. If I start sliding down I don't want to take you with me. He walked over to the edge of the route he had chosen. My name's Reid and what would you like me to call you? It doesn't have to be your name if you don't want to give it to me. He told her with a smile.

Then he turned his attention to the task at hand giving her a chance to think if she wanted him to have her name or not. Placing his paws closer together to compensate for her smaller form he tested each spot shifting his weight around to make sure it was stable before moving onto the next one. He took it slow because there wasn't any need to rush with something like this and they had all day to do it. Or rather he had all day he wasn't sure about the pup.

Oksana doubted her mother would be very pleased with the fact that she was talking to a stranger let alone getting help from him. What was a pup to do though? She wanted water and couldn't figure the best way to get to it and Inna wasn't there to help her. Nevermind the fact that she was also getting a little hungry and so far the only thing she'd actually been able to catch was hoppers. Oksama wasn't hungry enough to eat one of those yet but maybe there would be something in the pit once they reach the bottom. In all honesty the smudge was thankful the man had showed up when he did.

He'd asked her to wait while he looked for a way down which was easy for the pup, her mother had taught her well to obey instructions. Usually she did except for those occasions when she felt her mother needed to be overruled. She watched as the man moved away from her looking for a place they could go down. She hoped his experience would help him to find the path that she could not due to her inexperience.

When be returned to her stated he'd found a way she looked it over and found she was uncertain about it. If it was the only way down she felt they had to take it and just be very careful on the way down. The smudge didn't want either of them getting hurt in the process of getting to the water. He gave her the choice of going down first or following him, she chose to follow him. That way she could see the best places to put her feet so she didn't fall. He would also be in front of her where she could keep an eye on him. “I will stay back,” she told, “But you can't get hurt,” she added sounding as if it was more like an order than a statement.

He also introduced himself so he wasn't exactly a stranger anymore but the next part of what he said the pup found odd. Why wouldn't she want to tell him her name? She was proud if her name and liked what everyone called her, her head canted to the side for a moment as she considered his words but in the end she went with her name. “It's nice to meet you Reid, everyone calls me Sana. You can call me that too.” It seemed her mother and father were the only ones that used her full name and usually when she was in trouble.

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They had only known each other for the briefest of time and already the pup was ordering him around. She commanded that he wasn't allowed to get hurt and Reid grinned and shook his head at that. It wasn't like he was going to go out of his way to get hurt but sometimes things happened. No promises. He told her honestly. At least if he did get hurt then the pup ould go get someone to drag his hide back out of the pit if he couldn't manage it on his own.

Reid didn't see the confusion on the pup's face as she considered his words but one ear went back as he heard her speak. He paused in his descent to listen. Her name was Sana and she was happy to meet him. Looking back over his shoulder Reid gave her a smile. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Sana. A brief pause as he considered if he should push and ask about why she was out here. He decided against it figuring a better question to ask would be if he was going to get chomped on by a companion she might have lurking around. Not with those words of course. Are you out exploring on your own today? He asked her not sure if he wanted her to be out on her own or not.

As he waited for her to speak again he moved down a few more steps feeling the rocks shifting under his weight as he sent some of the smaller ones sliding down the side. Reid frowned for a second as he scanned the area in front of him. Were the rocks here a little less stable because they were smaller or was it just coincidence?

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

The pup had come out looking for her mother alone which hadn't bothered her but now that the man was there she wasn't sure she wanted to be in her own anymore. She worried that in going down the path he would get hurt and what if it was so bad she couldn't help him? What if she couldn't get back home to get help in time? She didn't even know if she would know what to do, would those things even be the right things to do? Then he said he wasn't going to make any promises she looked up at him, “Okay but please try your best.” She didn't want to be the reason he got hurt.

When he'd asked her name she'd had to give it some thought since she didn't really understand why he suggested she might want to give a different name. Finally she had decided on just using the name everyone called her. A smile crossed her dark features and her tail wagged as he spoke, no one had ever called her miss Sana before, she liked the sound of it. His next question gave her pause once more. Should she tell the man about her mother? After a moment or two she finally decided she would in case he'd seen her. “I'm not exploring, I'm looking for my mum. She went away a few days ago to get better and hasn't come home,” she explained, “Have you seen her?” She then asked her gaze falling in him once more pausing in following him.

Once she got started again she stayed a few paces back just as he had told her to do. The shifting rocks under her paws we're small but worrisome. She stopped to watch as some rocks fell down the side of the pit where Reid had stepped, “Are you sure about this?” She asked looking back up to him. Oksana tried moving further from the edge so that she didn't end up like the rocks that had fallen.

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