Laurel Thicket but you're aimless

(( TW - homophobia ))

It had only been a month or so since his banishment. Something that seemed so trivial - having feelings for someone who was like him, - had blown up into something so cataclysmic. Still, for the life of him, Riv was unable to understand it, because it was never taught to him before. It hadn't felt unnatural or like he was doing something wrong. But it had hurt, the way his parents and his leaders had looked at him.

It wasn't something he liked to think about.

The boy had travelled northward, aiming to put that behind him, but it was difficult on his own. Riven was a healer, not a fighter and not a hunter. He'd somehow managed to catch a few mice, and even an old rabbit, and hadn't starved to death. But he felt weak, and overly skinny, and cold. All that was really on his mind was how to get out of the snow.

Riven was surprised to find a young forest, filled with evergreen shrubs that were just perfect for blocking out that harsh wind and snow. The boy had raced for it and dived beneath one, shaking off a bit of the snow that still clung to his coat. His mother's half-arctic blood was helping him in his journey to not freeze to death, but it did not particularly help that he had no idea how to keep himself alive on his own. Could he treat his wounds? Sure. Would he survive the winter without freezing or starving to death? Probably not.

He'd settled halfway beneath the shrub, tail and rump still exposed to the elements. But it would do for now.

When she caught the scent of a young wolf she became hopeful. It could mean his family wasn't too far off, rather he was with them or not he had to come from somewhere. As she followed his trail it was with some trepidation because she could regret this decision. She had patience to a point for young ones, especially remembering her own youth, but there was always a limit.

If only his scent told her if he was full of himself, would talk her ear off, or if he would be of any use. Things didn't quite work that way, but she decided to take a gamble. That's what most decisions were, weren't they? You did one thing thinking it wouldn't change you life and could be completely wrong. Then again you could do something you thought would make a difference, and nothing could come of it.

She stopped short at the laurel bushes, looking for him, confused for a second. It was his white rump that gave him away. "That's not the best shelter," she murmured, with a wry smile. Surely she'd get an idea what kind of wolf he was by how he responded to her.

The sound of a voice from behind him caused Riven to startle, and he wriggled around so that his head was poking out from beneath the shrub instead. Round blue eyes took in the sight of the woman before him - black fur had not been common in his homelands, but it wasn't as though he'd never seen one before. This female was much bigger than he was, older than him, and had sharp blue-gray eyes. Pretty, aesthetically. He really liked the white patch of fur on her chest.

"No, it's not," he agreed with a soft sigh, and fought the urge to cling stubbornly to it. Instead, he clambered out and shook the rest of the snow off of his fur before making eye contact again. "Do you live around here? It's quite cold." Much colder than he had ever experienced before, and while his dense fur would likely keep him relatively safe, he still wasn't 100% sure how to navigate it. Hopefully, he would be able to meet people that would help rather than harm him. But that was probably just wishful thinking on his part.

(This post was last modified: Jan 16, 2021, 06:28 PM by Riven.)

She held off showing any satisfaction as he spooked, he was a smaller fellow and she couldn't blame him for that. But thankfully his head was now in view, and maybe they could have a proper conversation.

As their eyes met she was struck by the color of his own.They were similar till her mother's. Despite being bothered by that fact, she did not let it slip past her dark mask. Instead, she clung to her smile, happy he was in agreement. "Especially because if it were any other time I think those bushes would make you rather ill."She didn't think that was the case now. As they like many other things were asleep this time of year. Sometimes she wished wolves could do the same.

"For the time being," she answered, figuring he must have come from further south where the climate was much different. "It has definitely not been a mild winter here. Is that what you're use too?" His light colored coat didn't seem sleek, and thin necessarily. She could also tell there was some meat on his bones so he wasn't in terrible shape. Usually, she'd see someone like that as a bit of a threat. So far, she didn't sense that. In fact she felt the opposite and yet she had a way of keeping her guard up. It had saved her more than she'd care to admit.

At the stranger's words, Riven looked back over at the supposedly-harmful bushes. "I think that's only if you eat them," he reasoned out loud, wondering if these were the kinds with the red berries on them. "Though they probably wouldn't make a good shelter in the warmer months, either." Plus, most wolves might not be able to fit beneath them. Sometimes, there were advantages to being small.

So she did live around here, for now. Whether or not she was planning on staying there would probably remain a mystery. "I'm used to much warmer winters," he admitted with a sheepish smile and wag of his tail. Sure, from his mother's side, he was well-built for the cold. But it didn't mean he had to enjoy it.

Blue eyes met the stranger's own, and he offered her a smile. "My name is Riven," he said, hoping that she'd return the favor.

"Oh so you could tell me what they are?" It was bothering her she still couldn't remember the name. Why being a healer had never been a want of life her mother had taught her somethings. Never know when it could come in handy. Maybe he knew that sort of stuff. "Yeah probably not," she agreed. The forest itself would likely offer enough shade so why bother hidin in them anyway? But he looked like the type who might need to hide. Or who could go where others could not at least.

"I've never experienced that, but somedays I've always thought it would be nice. Did it not snow as much there that you never have frozen toes or a nose?"

"Lila," she supplied, returning his smile. "You know I've also been looking for a warmer spot to rest. Well...and something to eat, maybe two noses is better than one," she gave a soft laugh. Finding either was not working out, and she would guess about the same for him.

(This post was last modified: Feb 06, 2021, 09:32 PM by Lila. Edit Reason: forgot to close tag )

"I can't, right now," he admitted. "I'm not particularly well-versed on poisonous plants. It's either holly or laurel, I think, but I'm not sure which one." A small smile formed on his maw and he shrugged a shoulder. "Either way, I wouldn't eat it." That was probably the safest bet on just about any kind of berry you came across, unless you knew without a doubt what it was.

He shook his head quickly. "No, I've never even really seen snow before! We had a flurry once or twice, but it was never like this," he explained, looking around at the hefty white coating over the ground. "I don't hate it, but it is... different."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lila." Was he allowed to accept help? Riven wasn't sure. Surely it wouldn't be too bad to hang out with another wolf for a day, to assist one another... right? "I've never been much of a hunter," he responded. "But I'd be willing to help, if I can." Maybe he could get a bite to eat out of it, too.

"So, you know about the good ones then?"It might have just been the way he worded it, but she didn't think he'd chosen those particular words without reason. Either way she made a mental note about this place, not that she thought she'd need poison.

"Yeah, that full effect is something else." She wanted to add he'd probably adapt, but why was he here in the first place? Seemed a little odd, a warm weather wolf to be so far north. But stranger things had happened. "It's pretty crazy its just thousands of snowflakes all piled up when you think about it. An advantage is you can see a lot of trails without having to sniff them out. In a pack it's kinda an advantage for a hunt. Deer, and elk have a hell of a time moving in it more than us. Though I bet you could walk on the top of it yourself. Where's really cold, and has crust."Sometimes she could manage to walk a top under the right circumstances. There was something about this small, blond wolf that made her think he could just drift away easily snow or not.

That was a bit odd he was a poor hunter. Why on earth was he on his own then? How had he made it this far? But, at his age she supposed that could answer both his lack of ability and why he was here. Itchy, young paws, and he probably was a good mouse catcher. "Well Riven that counts for something." There was no need to go big, there were plenty of small opportunities that would be safer, and more rewarding. "This place has been pretty quiet for awhile I bet we could find a rabbit warren." Though she realized she had spoken of a better place to rest too. "Unless you want to rest first?" She'd leave it up to him. Though once she knew what direction he'd come from they could start a new direction to start looking. She bet a pack or two use to live here, and they had to have something more than a snow bank.

"I do know about the good ones," he responded, tail swishing behind him at the woman's interest. "That's actually what I was trained for, in my family pack. I'm pretty good at it, too." He grinned slightly, pride leaking into his words.

He looked around at the hard-packed snow on the ground, imagining it as thousands of individual crystals. "It's like rain," he mused, a smile formed on his maw. He perked up at the idea of walking on top of it - he'd always been pretty lightweight, and if it were frozen over, maybe he really could do that. "That sounds like a lot of fun, actually. I'd like to try." Maybe there really were good things about this new world he'd been thrust into.

"Oh, no, I'm fine," he assured when she suggested resting first. Sure, he was aching and tired, but he didn't want to stop just yet. Not when he'd found a new friend to work with. "It'd be easier to catch them if we can trap them in the warren first." A little sad, but it was how they survived out here. Nothing like back home, where he'd had hunters that would go out and bring food back for the rest of them. Healers and defenders weren't expected to do the hunting at all. "Do you have an idea of where to look?"

"That's a great skill to have," she remarked not at all put off by his boastfulness. It wasn't an easy thing, and she felt a bit envious. "Even better." It seemed like it would be a good idea to keep tabs on this one then. But, the thought almost made her laugh. She wasn't exactly in need of a healer, and she really had no want to be worried about someone else in any way.

"Yeah, except I like how it doesn't turn everything to muck in heartbeats." Rain had a much easier time doing that, and it was one of the reasons she wasn't fond of spring. She liked how snow was mostly gradual. "I enjoyed it when I was young."

Please they could get right to it she began to lead away from their old tracks. She knew there were no rabbits where she'd come from. "That's true. This time of night they may just run in when they see us." So they really just needed to look for trails, and watch closely. "There's lots of brush around here, figure it is only a matter of time till we come across their pawprints."

Eventually they did come across them, and each of them parted ways with fuller stomachs. She wasn't sure if she'd see the yearling again, but wouldn't mind if she did. He was a lot more resourceful than he looked.

{fade}

(This post was last modified: Apr 10, 2021, 06:16 PM by Lila.)