Shallows Edge Kerosene

AW! | Following Save Your Scissors | RE: A recent heat wave has left the forest drier than usual. | Scattered Clouds, 82.4 ° F, 28 ° C

Perhaps it was the novelty of her new environment, but sleep had not come easy. She'd meandered her way deeper into Shallow's Edge as the night made the world around her perfectly quiet, peaceful even. Eventually finding the roots of an old tree to curl her back into, in an empty place where the smell of smell of nearby water hung in the air, she turned a few circles before plopping down to nuzzle her snout in the creamy fur of her belly. For a time she'd simply laid there, opening her tired eyes when the leaves would rustle just so or the sounds of the nocturnal beings the wolves shared the forest with would echo. When she did finally drift off, what sleep she managed was restful enough, and before dawn even lit up the sky, her dreams weren't tempting enough to keep her from waking.

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Lyanna peered about. Her first day here was going to be a long one. Not only did she want to see the sights and familiarize herself to her new home, but she also needed to put in some work. The simplest way to accomplish both would be border patrol, so that's where she decided to start; but not before seeking out the secluded lake that was the pack's namesake.

By the time she'd managed to find it the sky was alive, painted in shades of lavender and salmon. The way the early morning light cascaded down upon the mirror-like surface of the water made its meager ripples to almost glitter. It was smaller than she'd envisioned, but it was beautiful. Meandering over to the bank, she eyed her reflection - which was, in all honesty, wretched from her travels - before wading out far enough to feel her entire body enveloped and dunking her head right in. When she was clean and refreshed, she made her exit and went about her way.

The borders were heavily marked and easy to follow. The myriad of scents that clung to the tree trunks and various other vegetation were fresh enough in most areas, so she criss-crossed along and marked those that were lacking. The forest was actually incredibly dry and there wasn't a hint of dampness in the dirt underfoot - a nice change from much of the wetter parts of Secret Falls that she'd spent a number of days in only weeks before. Still, she couldn't say that she preferred the crunch of the grasses or the dust. Nosing her way through a grouping of ferns as clouds began to dot the sky, the tawny girl paused to...snort? Her nose wrinkled up, her eyes suddenly began to water and without any other sort of warning, she unleashed a sneeze the size of a hurricane. She braced herself, widening her stance before another came, echoing through the woods, and another, and another.

When it seemed as though her fit was through, Lyanna sniffled, rolling her eyes with a huff before resolving to continue on.

The arrival of the newcomer was not lost on Reyes. Which, okay fine, he was cheating a bit, it wasn’t as if Askan wouldn’t tell him he’d recruited someone – but even if not, he liked to think himself a reasonably perceptive man. Curious as he was, Reyes schooled himself not to hound out the new wolf. There was no reason for that. And if someone had done that to him upon his arrival to Wild Rye Fields, he probably would have turned tail and left in the direction he had come.

So it was not entirely intentional that he came upon Lyanna later in the afternoon, but the wolf had just finished a hunt and was on his way to the falls for a much-needed grooming session when he heard a sneeze. One sneeze would have been ignored, but it was followed by another, and several more after that, and then Reyes could not help himself at all. He appeared from the shadows, eyebrows raised almost comically as he tipped his head at the strange female.

“You okay?”

If she hadn’t smelt like Askan, hadn’t smelt like the faint markings of Shallow’s Edge, he’d be asking very different questions indeed.

Lyanna had made it just a bit further in her endeavor to tend to the borders, still teary eyed and unsure if she was done with her fiasco with with dirt and dust, when it appeared as though she'd drawn the attention of a nearby pack mate. "You okay?" the voice, inquired. He'd managed to catch her off guard, so when his words met her ears she perked up in attention and swung her head to lay her eyes on the dark figure emerging from the foliage. And then she was met with an additional surprise; it wasn't just anyone who'd happened upon her, but Askan's mate - Reyes. Naturally she wouldn't have recognized the man had it not been for the shallow description she'd been given the night before. But the few words Askan had used to describe the Leader was description enough, as he stood before her now.

For just a moment her golden eyes roved over the features of his face - the telltale scars that accented his muzzle, the silver of his eyes and of the tips of the fur that framed his face, of the shades of brown and black in his coat. Reyes was exceptionally thick, brawny even, and at first glance it was apparent that he was as strong and healthy as they came. Perhaps some things about him resembled Askan, but with the comical look on his face and in his eyes, he looked a bit more approachable.

Immediately she felt a bit bashful. She hadn't imagined that her first encounter with him would occur right after she'd nearly blown the forest down with her silly sneezing. Nevertheless, she was well-equipped to make what would hopefully be a good first impression. "Ah," she started, a smile gracing her tawny features as if her bashfulness had spilled over. Lyanna stood a little straighter then as she turned to face him, her tail lowering to sway amiably behind her as her ears folded in a show of submission. "I am. Thank you," she followed, her tone as even and sweet as a summer breeze. "...You must be Reyes."

If he were anything like Askan, he probably wouldn't appreciate any sort of long-winded response from her. Aiming to please, she'd begin by politely introducing herself. "I'm Lyanna."

(This post was last modified: Jul 29, 2018, 03:10 AM by Lyanna.)

“I-- Yes. I am.”

That was a new one on him. The surprise was evident in his pale eyes, if only for a moment before he blinked it away. He’d known Askan had recruited this one, but didn’t realize his mate had mentioned him.

Oh.

That was kind of a nice thought, actually.

Before he could dwell on it and start going all sappy, the bulky male shook his head – which resulted in shaking his entire frame – and gave a soft huff. “Lyanna. Nice to meet you. Welcome to Shallow’s Edge,” he rumbled, expression finally melting in a (very small) smile. It felt difficult after everything that had happened, lately, but-- Shit. She was being pleasant. The very least he could do was make an attempt. “I heard Askan brought you in.” Obviously. Else this wouldn’t be a polite conversation but an ugly running-out of a trespasser. “You settling in okay so far?”

(This post was last modified: Jul 31, 2018, 12:25 PM by Reyes. Edit Reason: Open tags. )

To her delighted surprise, Reyes responded with a kindness she hadn't expected but had hoped for. His piercing silver eyes shone momentarily with a glint of something - happiness, perhaps? - but she couldn't be sure what it was that crossed his mind to solicit the look she perceived. His consideration of Askan's mentioning of him to her, though she would never know. It was a warm welcoming, she felt as she took in his subtle smile, a mirror of it settling naturally on her own lips; she was relieved and even more eager to foster the beginnings of what could be a positive dynamic between the two of them.

"It's nice to meet you, too," she returned.

With a mention of Askan, the Leader proceeded to inquire as to how she was settling in. The truth was that it was hard to start something new in a foreign place - that there was a pressure she felt in taking her time to make a good impression and a degree of apprehension at the thought that any number of her pack mates might not like her, or take to her as kindly as Askan and Reyes had. It would take time to learn the landscape and create new relationships. And when the sun set she still felt the sting of loneliness when she'd drifted off to sleep alone. Yet, she reckoned she was doing just fine. One day at a time, right?

"He did," she began. Perhaps she could have elaborated on Askan's recruitment of her, but she felt it safe to assume that he'd most filled his mate in with the details that mattered. "Settling in is a work in progress, but so far, so good. Thank you for asking," she reassured him. The summer breeze rustled through the leaves in the trees, between her ears and through her tawny coat. She gestured with a tilt of her head to the foliage she'd been in the process of marking. "I'd been reinforcing the borders some, before my the dust got to me. It's hard to believe this part of the forest could be so dry, but I suppose you can't complain about about the sunshine when you're accustomed to the rain." Her ears folded back humbly as she considered that Reyes may not appreciate small talk concerning the weather.

"What brings you out this way?"

(This post was last modified: Jul 31, 2018, 03:28 AM by Lyanna. Edit Reason: post was shit )

“Couldn’t complain at all. I like it hot. Raised in the south.”

He could have gone on, but despite being shaken out of his usual demeanor, going on at length (especially about himself) was still just a little too far outside of his usual character. Didn’t add that he didn’t mind the heatwave – water sources were few and far between growing up far south of this forest. It sounded more like bragging than anything else. She didn’t seem sick, though, and given that she wasn’t throwing herself into the local pond, Reyes assumed the heat didn’t bother the newest addition as much as it bothered Askan.

Which got him to her next question.

The wolf offered the grey female a rare, toothy smile, and he gestured to himself with his scarred muzzle. The blood from his hunt had already dried in the intense heat, making his coat stick out in strange points across his chest. “Was going to clean off. Could do it manually, but.” He shrugged his shoulders. Why bother when there was a nice, cool pool to lay in? A waterfall to stand under?

“You been to the falls yet?”

It was an invitation. Sort of. If she really squinted. But it was, in his mind. That was the important bit.

"I see," she remarked thoughtfully. Having grown up further north, it wasn't every day she met someone who'd been raised somewhere in the opposite direction, much less anyone who actually enjoyed the kind of heat summer brought. How refreshing.

Reyes gestured to the blood that had dried in his fur in chunks. Given the scars he wore as regally as anyone could, she supposed the look kind of suited him, really. Lyanna returned his toothy smile with a soft one of her own as he seemed to be extending his invitation to partake in cleaning up, mentioning the falls. As it were, bathing was one of her favorite leisurely activities. Perhaps they shared a common interest? She would have never thought he'd be the type, but - you can't judge a book by its cover, right? Her tail swayed in a relaxed way behind her. "You know, I actually saw it for the first time this morning. Went for a dip then, but I'd be happy to join you if you'd like some company."

It was true enough that she didn't really mind the heat, but after a busy morning, some time spent at the falls with the alpha sounded lovely.

(This post was last modified: Aug 11, 2018, 12:46 AM by Lyanna.)

Would he like company?

Reyes didn’t allow himself to dwell on the question for too long – he was a loner at heart (or he told himself as much), but he had invited her. He wouldn’t go back on that offer. So he just gave a small nod and gathered himself, content to let a gentle silence settle over them on the short walk back to the falls where the Shallow’s Edge pack had made their home.

He slipped into the water without much pretense, folding his knees to allow the shallow pool to start soaking his matted fur. Reyes glanced over. “Not sure if Askan mentioned, but it gets deep. Fast. Hence the name.”

It wasn’t really his idea of a name – a bit too edgy – but so were they, and he probably couldn’t name everything in his native tongue. Especially if he was sharing it. “Not much of a swimmer, that one. Or me, really. But I wasn’t the one who tried.” His silver eyes sparkled with a bit of mischief. He wasn’t sure why he felt compelled to share that little memory with Lyanna, but she seemed alright. Like she wouldn’t tell everyone she knew.

“So. You from this forest, or…?”

She was content to follow his lead to the falls, ambling along quietly at his side as they made their way in no time at all. Reyes waded right in, lowering himself to submerge most of his brawny body. The girl took a moment to appreciate the pretty scenery and the way it looked different now in the light of the afternoon as opposed to earlier in the morning. With the sun high in the sky, the colors of the water and the shadows that denoted where it dropped off near the center were a bit more contrasted, allowing one to see the little lake for its namesake.

She proceeded to step in, a quiet, happy sigh leaving her chest as her body was enveloped. There couldn't have been a better way to cool off or relax, and so far Reyes was quite enjoyable. Her interest was piqued when he went on to mention something about Askan not being a very good swimmer, and from the sound of it there might be a juicy story behind his words. Ooh. The gold of her eyes glinted with curiosity.

"You know, he never mentioned much about it. It sounds like you two might have had an adventure or two here?" she prompted, intrigued.

"I was born in Secret Woodlands on the other side of the mountain, actually. Wasn't there very long in the grand scheme of things. Grew up in a redwood forest up north, in a pack called Sequoia Vale." She'd had a good life there with her family, but she was surely enjoying the one she was making for herself here, with Reyes and Askan and the wolves of Shallows Edge. "How about you? What was it like down south where you're from?"

“One or two,” Reyes replied mildly. “Falls were the first place I came when I arrived at the forest.”

He wasn’t sure if that’s why he brought Askan back to that specific spot exactly, but he had liked the sanctity of it. The memories weren’t bad, either. The wolf shifted a bit in his spot, trying to encourage the blood to continue to de-matt. So far, so good, he supposed – and he hadn’t even had to roll around in the sand just yet.

“Far south. Weeks of travel. No pack, just my Ma and me, until she had my sisters a year later. It was dry, and much warmer. Worst was the land I travelled across, though. We lived up, so it wasn’t as hot as the valley.”

No, the valleys had been rather miserable. And if Reyes was miserable, than Askan probably would have croaked. “There were the two-legs, though, and fire-sticks, and we all left. All four of us.” He shrugged. “Kept thinkin’ about going back but – Askan likes it cold. So here I am.”

And it was as simple as that, really. He cast Lyanna a small grin and shook his head before ducking under, submerging completely for a few moments as he tried to help his attempt at a bath along.