Red Fern Forest in the morning, through the window shade

@Sachiel lemme know if you want anything changed<3 || Late night, Cloudy, 6°F (-14°C)

She had asked her usual companion to follow her that evening. It had been too long since the duo had enjoyed an adventure in the dark. Hawthorne felt that perhaps - in some silly way - the night was symbolic to them. It was how they had first met. Granted their first meeting had not been the best but it was smoother than other first introductions she had had.

This way. She whispered softly, motioning with her head for him to follow her on a worn down path. The usual ferns were burried beneath the snow but she knew the beauty was still there. The trees loomed all around them but they seemed rather barren. A shame really. I hope you don't mind us headin' this way. We haven't been to the south in a bit. Not that she minded really. The falls was where the girl was truly rooted to at the end of the day.

Her head turned to look behind her, making sure that her tawny friend was still nearby.

He had been uncharacteristically glum since the dark stranger had shown up at their borders with news of the Vale. Of Castel. The agouti boy had known his friend had been sick, for a strange smell had always accompanied her and her colours were always off, but he had not known how serious it was. The bright side was that she was no longer in any pain. He just wished he had gotten an opportunity to say goodbye and he hoped that she was not upset with him for leaving. The Vale had never been his home—even his father had recognized that. Castel had always understood that the orange was too loud for him and had helped him find more soothing colours, like green and blue. He hoped she understood, and that she had not suffered at the end.

He had obliged to the evening excursion with Pumpkin Eyes, his oversized paws thudding against the snow-crusted path as he followed her. He didn’t mind the change of scenery, even if it was all covered in a thick blanket of white. Sachiel didn’t like winter much. It was difficult to see all the colours. Everything was so white and boring. S’okay, he hummed in response, his mismatched gaze meeting her tangerine pools for a moment as she turned to look at him before returning to their surroundings. Anywhere in mind?

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

Hawthorne was not fond of the glum air that hung around her friend. She wished to shake him out of it but new very well he might need time to come around. He had been thoughtful when she had been down, it was only right she returned such kindness. That didn't mean she wasn't willing to try little things to help shake that feeling, though. A trip for example.

I was thinkin' maybe that one place we found the den at with the creek and all those trees. Only if ya want, though. She lazily kicked at the stone as she trudged along. The girl did not want to force her tawny friend to have fun or go on adventures if he didn't want to. But it was late and she figured they could hunker down there before returning tomorrow. If they got in trouble for a little extended stay at the Glen then she was fine with taking the fault for it.

She slowed down to be by Sachiel's side before her nose poked at his cheek. Bet we can find something real cool for the den or just a little knick-knack to remember this trip. A lazy smile tugged at her lips. Wasn't that a good idea?

He appreciated her efforts to cheer him up. She had not asked him what had gotten him so down, and for that he was thankful. He was trying to cope with the news of his friend’s death the best he could and spending time with his sidekick was exactly what the doctor ordered. He needed to keep his mind off the tragedy that had occurred in his absence and keep living, as that was exactly what Castel would have wanted. Not for him to sulk over her unpreventable death. But to live—for her.

Sounds good t’me, he responded with a lazy wag of his tail, his mismatched gaze following the stone she had kicked out of her way. Sachiel didn’t really care where they went, as long as they were going somewhere. A night away with his best friend—he couldn’t ask for a better distraction. Y’sure you remember how to get there? He asked in a joking tone, his head tilting to the side as he flashed her a crooked grin. He did not doubt that his companion knew how to get back to the den, as they were already on the right path, but that did not stop him from teasing her. Plus, he was not afraid to correct her if she steered of course, as the directions were tucked away in the back of his mind.

He nodded thoughtfully to agree with her idea. While he would have no issues remembering their trip due to his photographic memory Sachiel liked the idea of having a little keepsake. Bet I can find something before you, he chirped in response as he bumped his shoulder against hers.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

She scoffed, pretending to be insulted by his question. Of course I do! A smirk taking over her features. The place wasn't terribly far from here if she remembered correctly. Granted she had opted for a more scenic route to the Glen but that was part of the fun! Hawthorne was always looking for something new for them to explore.

Gotta be somethin' good! It can't just be any silly old thing. She reminded her tawny friend with a sharp nod of her head. So I bet I can find something good before you do. The ebony and grey girl spoke with confidence akin to a king. With that she picked up her pace, jogging down the trail as orange eyes swept around the ivory place. Surely something could be found hiding under all of this snow. But where did she start her search? Which lumps in the snow might prove worthwhile and which ones might be nothing but a mound of dirt?

With that thought she slowed down some, lowering her nose to try and catch a whiff of anything unusual.

He rolled his eyes dramatically at her retort but the cheeky grin did not waver from his tawny features. Although she had not done much (yet), Pumpkin Eyes had already started to help the boy feel better. They weren’t the touchy-feely type of friends. They didn’t talk about their feelings or go into detail about what was troubling them. And that was okay. She was helping just by being present and keeping him distracted. Plus, there was nothing to talk about. Castel was dead. There wasn’t anything that could change that. There was no bringing her back.

Yeah, yeah, he muttered in response as he picked up his pace, his mismatched eyes doing a sweep of their snow-dusted surroundings. You can try, he added, his tail sweeping under her chin as he passed her, but you won’t succeed. He continued bounding along their path, his nose swinging from side to side as he searched for something interesting to capture his attention… before Pumpkin Eyes beat him to it… 

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

Her face wrinkled briefly as his tail brushed under her chin as she watched him waltz off in front of her. Hawthorne knew she was gonna find something waaaay better than him. Especially with how cocky he seemed to be.

In her sniffing, she found a stray feather sitting in the snow at the base of a tree. She would have missed it had it not been for the brownish markings on it. Hawthorne thought over what birds might leave such a feather. The girl was rather unaware that it came from the hooting creature she had been taught to mimic. Regardless of who left it, the feather looked cool enough. With that thought she snatched it from the snow in case nothing else of interest came up.

She trotted past Plant Boy, her head held high with the feather sitting delicately between her jaws. It was obvious the girl was trying to show off.

His mismatched gaze followed her as she padded toward the base of a tree, a single brow raised in interest. It appeared she had found something—lucky her—but was it good enough for Plant Boy? He watched her quietly, his lips pursed tight as she turned around, her chin held high as she paraded past him. He snorted to show his disinterest, his tail flicking absently behind him. He disregarded her, for his sights were set on something better than a little feather. Sure, it would be a nice addition to the den, but it wasn’t anything spectacular.

Poking through the snow in front of him was a piece of crimson, causing the boy’s path to divert. He began digging through the soft snow, his paws working delicately to ensure he did not damage the ruby-coloured leaf. Plucking it from the frozen ground he turned to his friend, a wide grin plastered across his tawny features as his tail wagged triumphantly behind him. Sure, the forest was covered in the crimson ferns, but this leaf had survived the snow. Which meant it was extra special.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

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

Hawthorne was rather displeased with how uninterested her friend seemed in her find. It was a beautiful find! In pristine condition and a treasure she had so well spotted against the ivory forest. Her orange eyes rolled, waiting to see if he could spot anything that even came close to her find.

Her eyes narrowed softly to take in the crimson leaf her tawny friend had found. That's it? She thought inwardly as she examined it from a distance. There were plenty of red ferns back home even if they were covered by the piles of snow. But she wasn't about to be snobbish and rude to the wolf she was trying to cheer up. So the girl carefully set down her feather and gave a small smile.

Mmm, pretty nice. Wonder how it stayed like that. She plopped her rear down, letting the curiosity take a hold of her.