Blackened Down Are the Days Not Cold?

Random Event: The sky darkens with ash from a distant forest fire

Bellavinne felt like she'd been walking for ages, even though it was probably just a few weeks. She hadn't seen another wolf in several days, and Vinnie was getting lonely again. She still wasn't sure she wanted to go home, but she didn't like being by herself. She wasn't sure what to do. She’d always just followed orders. It was all she was good at. That, and healing.

She couldn’t do either of those things if she was by herself.

So Vinnie wandered. She stopped looking at the sun or stars and stopped only to sleep and hunt. She was proud of how good she was getting at finding a rabbit or a family of mice in all the snow, but she did miss the taste of fish. Nice, big ocean fish that rolled in with the tide and got trapped in the small pools or on the beach.

She missed the beach.

Vinnie was pulled from her homesick thoughts when she reached a part of the forest that looked… different. It looked old. Old and dead. The trees here were all black with ash and speckled with snow, and the level snow stretching before her suggested there was very little underbrush even during the summer months. There had to have been a very bad fire here, but it must have been long ago.

The smell in the air and the darkened sky suggested that somewhere there was another fire burning. Vinnie hoped it was far away. There was so little left to burn here.

She paced into the burned patch of forest a little ways and sat down, looking up at the sky. Small flakes of ash floated around her, landing on the crisp snow like a darker version of the frozen water. It was strangely beautiful.

Is it not too cold and wet for a fire?

Neo wasn't staling he really wasn't it was just... he wasn't ready to face reality yet. His mother was dead so who was with Nia couldn't be Danica. Just no.... but then was it even Nia? There could be millions of wolves with marbled blond fur out there. Signing the blond Hervok halted his eyes scanning the surroundings. He knew where he was... or he had a general idea. He'd been here years ago, but the territory seemed unchanged. The trees still reached for the sky like pale bones sticking out of the ground. The scent of ash and mud lingered around him as he moved snow starting to fall. It seemed almost idyllic if not for the burnt naked timbers.

The hervok snorted as some of the snow got into his nose, its scent strangely bitter and far from fresh and cold ad expected. Inhaling deeply the distant traces of snow had him frown as he looked around worried bristling along his spine for a moment before he calmed down. Where ever the ash came from it didn't appear to be nearby. Setting back into motion he didn't get to walk much further before the pale girl came into sight. Oh...

The hervok barked as he approached a soft smile forming on his lips as his tail wagged in a friendly manner behind him. "Hello"

Neo Hervok

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To her pride, Vinnie smelled the other wolf coming this time and she didn’t jump out of her skin when he let out a short, friendly bark. He wasn’t fully behind her this time, but she still turned to look at him. His tail was wagging and he had an easy posture.

He was huge, at least compared to Vinnie. Her ears twitched. If he decided not to be friendly, she would be in a lot of trouble. Still, he was a respectable distance away and everything suggested he wasn’t aggressive. Vinnie still had a hard time trusting that, though.

”Hi,” she said, opting to go for amicable rather than wary. She wouldn’t get anywhere by suspecting everyone of duplicity. Or, as her father might teach her, she would get dead by not suspecting everyone and everything. ”Do you know where we are? I’m a little lost.” She glanced back at the sky. ”Although maybe it would be best to stay away from that fire.”

The blond Hervok returned her greeting with a nod of his head. She seemed friendly enough and didn't appear to be hurt or injured. Another young soul traveling the cold winter as a rough. Though he did approach her further as she returned his greeting he did remain at a respectful distance. Her next question was met with another nod though a slight odd pull to his smile "I know the land itself is called Relic Lore, but as for this territory I'm afraid I do not know its name" he offered an apologetic tone to his voice. Neo turned his gaze to the direction she too was looking a low hum escaping his thoughtful features. "Yes, there are quite a few streams and waterways further North of us. Crossing them should keep you relatively safe." he offered trying to be helpful. He knew he would be thankful if someone told him of the safer paths to take when something as dangerous as afire loomed in the distance. Though hopefully, it wouldn't spread.

Returning his attention to the girl he wondered if she was traveling alone and why. Why would she have left her family? Then again he had left his father to follow his sister as a yearling. "I'm Neo Hervok, a pleasure to meet you, miss" he offered for a moment wondering if he could be lucky enough that she might have seen his sister...

Neo Hervok

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Vinnie listened with interest as the man opposite her named the land Relic Lore. She’d never heard of it before; that must mean she was very far from home indeed.

He seemed to have some sort of working knowledge of the local terrain, since he described some rivers she might cross in an attempt to avoid any spreading fires. ”It’s strange,” she said. ”Isn’t it too wet for a fire? What could have started it?” It was mostly a rhetorical question; it was unlikely her counterpart had any more of an idea than she did.

He introduced himself, politely adding a ‘miss’ on the end and taking Vinnie completely aback. Nobody had ever called her ‘miss’ before; nobody had ever really shown her respect before, of any sort. ”I’m, uh, I’m Bellavinne, but everyone calls me Vinnie,” she said. ”It’s nice to meet you.”

She glanced north. ”So, are you from around these parts, then?”

The Hervok nodded his head in agreement with her question. "I guess it should be, but I've never been close to fire before I wouldn't know how wet something has to be for it not to burn" he spoke, thankful he had never had to face the destructive rath of fire and flames. Though for what had started it he just shook his head. He didn't know. He just couldn't imagine what caused fire, nor that anything could but for it to just instantly combust into exitance seemed unlikely.

The hervok couldn't help but feel just a slight hint of amusement by her reaction to his greeting. Was she flustered? Surprised, embarrassed, or a mix? Or perhaps she just wasn't used to being talked to with such formality. "Well then it's a pleasure to meet you Vinnie" he offered his greeting again with the name she had chosen. Though at her question about him being from the lore she shook his head. "No I was born as a lone wolf but my mother and her family the Hervoks used to rule a pack here it was called Secret Woodlands" he explained using the past tense. Neo had seen weary few wolves and scented no pack borders as he traveled into the lore. As far as he could tell something or someone had chased off most if not all wolves who had once called this land home.

"I'm looking for the old pack territory, my sister is likely there so I'm trying to catch up with her" he explained feeling oddly relieved to tell someone of his mission. "How about you Miss Vinnie where are you headed?" he asked using the miss with Vinnie mostly to tease her though his tone was soft and kind.

Neo Hervok

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Neo continued being friendly, not knowing any more about fires than she did. She noodles along with him.

A pleasure? Nobody had ever called Vinnie a pleasure before. Mostly she was an annoyance, bordering on useless, only good when another fool wolf got themselves hurt and she could help. A whelp.

Pleasure.

She snapped back to attention as he explained he himself wasn't from the area, but his family originally was. "Why did they leave?" Vinnie asked without thinking. She immediately flinched. {I}"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to pry into pack affairs."[/b]

Her ears pricked up and the mention of a sister. Vinnie wondered if she was as nice as her brother.

"me?" she asked, startled to find herself facing a question. She relaxed a bit more at his light tone. "I... Don't know where I'm going. I'm not sure I'm ever going to find home and..." she cut herself off. She almost revealed information on her pack again, however implied it may have been. Better to be safe.

"I'm just wandering. Maybe... If you'd like I can help you find your sister?"

Neo just smiled as she alæso seemed to lack knowledge of fire. Perhaps they should move one soon, just in case he'd rather not be the reason either of them got caught in the blaise. Though as the topic of the woodlands moved on so did the strangeness of the girl. She'd seen fine and happy one moment asking about his family and almost fearful the next. "No please it's okay, it's not like you can pry into something that doesn't exist anymore" he tried to calm her with a calm voice and a continuous friendly wag of his tail. See no need to flinch he wouldn't hurt her. "But I'm afraid I don't know, I would assume it might have been the influx of coyotes" he spoke his words thoughtful if not a bit distant as he attempted to remember the state of the lore when he was last there...

Vinnie regained his attention as she seemed once again surprised, but maybe this was more normal. Perhaps she hadn't expected to be asked. It made sense he guessed. Though the Hervoks brows furrowed with worry as she started speaking. It didn't sound like she had dispersed, no it sounded like she was lost or abandoned. He didn't wanna believe it was the last. Vinnie seemed like a nice girl so surely her pack wouldn't leave her... but why was she so quick to change topics? Neo smiled at her offered to help him and he nodded his head. "I'd be happy to have your help Miss Vinnie" he didn't know what had happened to her but he would make sure she was not alone. And he would help her find her old pack or a new one if she wanted. "If you need help we could keep a lookout for your pack and family as well, I'm sure they miss you" he offered trying to soothe her, surely they would miss her. She seemed kind and friendly.

Neo Hervok

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Neo had a way of putting her at ease, and Vinnie relaxed when he insisted she hadn’t pried to far. Doesn’t exist anymore…? she wondered, but didn’t ask again. The mention of an influx of coyotes caught her attention, but she hadn’t seen many yet and didn’t want to get distracted. She could maybe ask again later.

If questions were still allowed…

Vinnie found herself thinking back to Andrey, the wolf she’d met not too long ago. Why hadn’t she gone with him when he’d offered? It would have been safer. It was something she thought back on often in the short time it’d been since they parted ways. He was nice enough, and she had probably been a little too skittish for her own good. She regretted turning him down.

She didn’t want to make the same mistake again. She didn’t want to be alone anymore. She needed direction.

To her excitement, Neo accepted her offer of help. Her tail began to wag and her ears lifted, but she didn’t have time to thank him before he was speaking again.

”If you need help we could keep a lookout for your pack and family as well, I’m sure they miss you.”

Vinnie shrank again, tucking her tail and lowering her ears, trying to make herself small on habit. If her family found her out here with a male, especially one they’d never met, they’d assume she deserted and run off to mate without permission. They wouldn’t just exile, like they’d done to her mother; they would kill her. They would trap her in a circle and tear her apart as a traitor. If she came home alone, there was a chance, but with someone else…

The longer she was gone, the quieter the voice in her head got, and the more she realized that as much as she feared being alone, she feared her father more.

And she didn’t want to go home.

”Better we don’t,” she said quietly, eyes downcast. "They won't miss me."

For a moment, Vinnie seemed happy when he agreed to her coming along.   It made him happy, to see someone else happy. And to know he had company during the cold and harsh winter months was a good thing. And that she would, she was young and surviving winter alone wasn't an easy feat. But then something changed, something had her lowering herself by the mear mention of her family. Neo didn't know her natal pack, didn't know her parents but to see her like this? It felt wrong it made him feel angry and worried. No wolf should feel like this when family was mentioned. Family was supposed to make you feel loved to make you feel happy.

Her words however were the worst part. She didn't wanna look for them, she didn't think they would miss her. It was wrong it was cruel and the Hervok could feel the anger and disgust burn in his chest. Why would someone treat a young wolf like this? Why would anyone be this cruel? Wolves like that didn't deserve to be called family they didn't deserve to have a sweet girl like Vinnie call them family...

The Hervok sighed taking in a deep breath after only to allow a short whine to leave his lips as he lowered and tilted his head to regard her with concern in his eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he spoke taking a few steps closer towards her intending to bump his nose against her shoulder but stopped before he could unsure of how she would react to the touch. As much as they had talked they were still strangers and she already seemed so small. Instead, he moved to try and catch her eyes a soft smile pushed onto his lips. "You're always going to be welcome to travel and stay with me and I'm sure my sister will feel the same" Neo was willing to make that promise even if Nia and he hadn't seen each other for years. He couldn't imagine that she would turn the girl away. And if she did he would not allow it, he was still Neo Hervok and he would be the man whom Barth had taught him to be.

Neo Hervok

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